Three Middle-English Versions of the Rule of St. Benet

Two Contemporary Rituals for the Ordination of Nuns

Ernst A. Kock

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780429860249
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: English Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

First published in 1902, this volume contains an extensive, technical scholarly introduction, followed by three Middle-English versions of the Rule of St. Benet along with the Northern Lansdowne Ritual on the reception of novices and the Vespasian Ritual of making a nun. As St Benet is the Medieval English version of St. Benedict, the original version of this text dates back to the 6th century.

GLOSSARY

TO THE NORTHERN TEXTS

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THE order is, on the whole, alphabetical (ϸ = th, v = u, ȝ = z), cross-references upholding due connections. The small displacements only involve that a word not found in its strictly alphabetical place, must be sought two steps above. An asterisk means: not so in the MS., not so in the Caxton Print. When used alone, vb. practically means: verb in the infinitive or subjunctive mood (or in an ambiguous form); sg.,pl. after a verb means: present indicative singular, pres. ind. (sometimes possibly subjunctive) plural. For other abbreviations see p. xix.

The occasional short etymological notes must only be regarded as expedien-tial hints, in special cases, to lead the reader’s thoughts in the right direction.

This Glossary, as well as the following, may from different points of view be considered to give both too much and too little. At all events they contain a good many words, forms, and significations not yet to be found iu the New Euglish or any other dictionary, or not yet recorded from the 15th century.

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a, indef. art. 1/14, 15, 4/4, 182, 184, etc. an, 4/17. num. one, 6/4, 20/19, 23/10, 143/26, 144/12; 704, 971, 1200, 1206, etc. Cf. an, ay, o, ta.

a (unintentionally]) = and, 1903.

abba, sb. abbey, convent, 325. abbais, pl. 1632, 2425. abbay, 305, 1338, 1453, 2164, etc.

abbas, sb. abbess, 43/16, 22, 24. abbes, 12/37, 13/25, 37/15, 41/6, etc. gen. 37/5. abbesse, 42/2, 43/16, 20, 47/1, etc. abes, 7/32, 9/9, 31, 16/31, etc. Cf. tabes, ϸabbasse.

abbot, sb. 339, 1279. -is pl. 42/7. Cf. abot.

abet, sb. habit, 141/23. Cf. abit, habet e.

abide, vb. 41/2, 142/25, 143/5. Cf. obide.

abil, adj. able, 1410, 1562. abili, 2228.

abit = abet, 4/27.

abot, sb. abbot, 5/5, 9, 14, etc. -is, pl. 5/25. Cf. abbot, ϸabot.

about, adv. 306. abowte, prep. 144/8. Cf. abute, obout.

abstenand, ppr. abstaining, 1885.

abstinens, sb. 28/27, 33/35, 142/18.

abute, prep. about, 24/22. Cf. about.

acceptabil, adj. acceptable, 722.

achesun, sb. occasion, 30/16, 36/14, 17, 45/26, etc. for a-n, for some reason, 41/22. for nane a-n, on any account, 45/22. Cf. enchesun.

achesunnir, sb. annoyer, harasser, disturber, 45/27. [O.F. achesoner, accuse, disquiet, harass, vex.]

acline, vb. bow down, 46/16. Cf. enclind.

acord, vb. accord, agree, 117, 1169, 1437. -e, 19/19, 416, 727. -es, sg. 523.

acumbird, pp. encumbered, 25/35, 26/6, 33/18.

after, adv. 1128. prep. 1125. conj. according as, 1600. Cf. efter.

afterward, adv. 242. Cf. efterward.

again, adv. again; back, 23/19, 143/21, 144/19. prep, against, 4/21, 19/3, 24/2, etc. againe, adv. 143/18. agayn, 14l/26, 1350, 1903, 2029. agayne, 1/4, 31/7. prep, (postpos.) 276. Cf. aigain, igain, ogain.

againis, prep. against, 35/9. agains, 267. agayns, 955, 1378, 1395, 1403. Cf. igainis, oganis.

aght, num. eighth, 1041, 1124. Cf. ahtend.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Introduction:
• I. The Northern Prose Version of the Rule of St. Benet
• II. The Northern Metrical Version of the same
• III. The Caxton Abstract of the same
• IV. The Northern Lansdowne Ritual (The Form how a Novice shall be received)
• V. The Vespasian Ritual (The Method of making a Nun)
• Notes
• Glossarial Indexes: