2012 NOTES AND QUERIES 483 them carefully.22 After this extract appears a struggles were, and how much they needed confessional ordo for use with a priest, ending his mercy.24 on fol. 27r–v with a condensed version of De KATE THOMAS laude psalmorum: a list of all the reasons given Centre for Medieval Studies, University in the full treatise for singing the psalms, fol- of York lowed by another list of the psalms which doi:10.1093/notesj/gjs187 should be sung for help every day.23 ß The Author (2012). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, The extracts from De laude psalmorum in please email: [email protected] these two manuscripts, and in particular the Advance Access publication 12 October, 2012 summary in Tiberius C. vi, suggest that at least one complete copy of the psalm devo- 24 I would like to thank Christine Phillips for her assist- tional is likely to have existed in ance with this article and with the doctoral research which led to it. eleventh-century England, even if the com- Downloaded from pilers of these two texts did not draw upon it directly. Indeed, the existence of a quotation A MISDATED ST PAUL’S FABRIC from De laude psalmorum in Ælfwine’s INDULGENCE Prayerbook demonstrates that this text may GUILDHALL LIBRARY, London, St Paul’s have been better known in England at this Cathedral MS 25124 is a collection of seventy- time than has so far been thought. The extrac- seven original thirteenth- and fourteenth- http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/ tion of individual sections of the psalm pro- century letters of indulgence issued to finance gramme suggests that Anglo-Saxon scribes the rebuilding of St Paul’s after fires in 1087 used De laude psalmorum exactly as was in- and 1136 destroyed the Saxon church and tended: not as a single prayer programme work on a Norman replacement. One of the which should be followed in full by every most ambitious construction projects of the reader, but as a list of recommendations for era, the cathedral was not finished until 1327 readers with different reasons for wanting to and attracted a wealth of such privileges, par- pray. By selecting the parts which they presum- ticularly in the mid-thirteenth century, when ably considered to be most important or most work had progressed sufficiently for the by guest on November 27, 2012 relevant, the compilers of the texts in Tiberius church to be dedicated on 13 January 1241 C. vi and Ælfwine’s Prayerbook used De laude and a fresh phase of construction launched psalmorum in order to create entirely new pro- with a generous indulgence of Innocent IV grammes for morning prayer using the psalms. 1 In particular, it is the prayer guide in (1252). The bulk of the indulgences collected Ælfwine’s Prayerbook which demonstrates the in 25124 were awarded by English and Welsh importance of the vernacular language in this bishops, though Scottish, Irish, and continen- period, as it uses Old English alongside Latin tal sees are also represented. The collection was not only for explaining the importance of catalogued and arranged in chronological prayer, but also for prayer itself. Although order by William Sparrow Simpson, minor only one sentence from De laude psalmorum canon and cathedral librarian from 1862 to was included in Ælfwine’s Prayerbook, this se- 1897, who also supplied an annotated list and lection is in itself significant. From the earlier edited seven examples from the series in a se- psalm treatise, the anonymous compiler chose lection of documents illustrating the history of the part which teaches that the best kind of St Paul’s published by the Camden Society. prayer, the most effective way of articulating 1 one’s trials and temptations in both communal C. D. Cragoe, ‘Fabric, Tombs and Precincts, 1087– 1540’, in D. Keene et al. (eds), St Paul’s: The Cathedral and private devotion, was to be found in the Church of London (New Haven, 2004), 127–42. Thirty- words of the psalms. For the compilers of both three episcopal indulgences issued between 1235 and 1260 texts, it was in these words that monks and are collected in 25124, and these probably represent only a nuns could express to God how great their fraction of the total; see W. Sparrow Simpson, Documents Illustrating the History of St Paul’s Cathedral, Camden Society, n.s. 26 (Westminster, 1880), appendix A, 175–6. 22 Black, ‘Alcuin and the Preface’, 43, 59–60. For Innocent IV’s indulgence of a year and forty days, see 23 Ibid. ibid., 3–4. 484 NOTES AND QUERIES 2012 Originally housed in the cathedral library, the exhibits the standard iconographic and phys- collection was transferred along with the re- ical features of a thirteenth-century Welsh mainder of the St Paul’s archive to the episcopal seal: in green wax, it measures ap- Guildhall Library in 1980.2 proximately 40 33 mm, is in a vesical The first and, in Sparrow Simpson’s judge- (pointed-oval) form, and is attached by a ment, the earliest document in the series, double queue, a parchment tag passed through 25124/1, was issued at St Paul’s by a bishop an incision in the fold at the foot of the docu- of Bangor identified, as was common in ment.6 The obverse depicts a bishop in euchar- English episcopal acts, only by his initial, ‘R’, istic vestments under a canopy, right hand and dated to St Lucy’s day (13 December) ‘in raised in blessing, holding in his left a pastoral the fourth year of our pontificate’. Sparrow staff turned inwards; the reverse depicts what Simpson identified the author as Robert of appears to be a human figure on the right and
Shrewsbury, bishop of Bangor from 1197 to a sphere to the left. The legends, of which only Downloaded from 1212, and dated the indulgence to 1201.3 To the word ‘sigillum’ on the obverse is clearly my knowledge, the attribution and dating decipherable, are in the ‘Lombardic’ capitals have not been challenged in the more recent customarily used on episcopal seals in the literature.4 There are, however, two other pos- first half of the thirteenth century. sible candidates: Rotoland, sub-prior of the The text of the act, of which a fresh tran-
Cistercian abbey of Aberconwy and bishop of scription is printed below, is in most respects http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/ Bangor from approximately 1191 to 1196; and typical of the rising tide of indulgences pro- Master Richard, archdeacon of Bangor, who duced in the later twelfth and thirteenth centu- was elected in 1236, consecrated in 1237, and ries not only to solicit alms for the construction occupied the see until his death in 1267.5 The of churches, but also to endow religious foun- contention of this note is that for the reasons dations, to foster devotions, to relieve the outlined below 25124/1 should in fact be dated poor, and even to build bridges, roads, and to 1240 and attributed to Bishop Richard. harbours. In the disposition, the bishop of Unfortunately, the seal attached to 25124/1 Bangor extends to the faithful of his own jur-
is damaged and therefore provides no firm evi- isdiction who contribute to the St Paul’s build- by guest on November 27, 2012 dence for the date and attribution of the act. It ing fund, and to any other donors whose diocesans ratify his indulgence, the relaxation 2 N. Ramsey, ‘The Library and Archives to 1897’, in of forty days’ ‘enjoined penance’—a penalty Keene et al. (eds), St Paul’s, 424–5, and J. J. Wisdom, such as fasting or pilgrimage imposed by the ‘The Library, 1897–2004’, in ibid., 429; and ‘Guildhall penitent’s confessor—on condition of sincere Library Manuscripts Section: St Paul’s Cathedral 7 Archives’ available at
scriptural allusions that they resembled short Downloaded from (1215) as a model for bishops licensing the see- 12 kers (quaestores) of alms and pardoners who homilies. The reproduction of the IV Lateran advertised indulgences.8 Innocent III (1198– formula in 25124/1 suggests that it should not 1216) granted an indulgence in the ‘Quoniam be dated earlier than 1215. ut ait’ form in favour of the hospital of SS The decisive argument for the attribution of James and John in Aynho, Northamptonshire, 25124/1 to Bishop Richard, however, is palaeo- during the closing session of the council, and graphic: the document was written by a scribe http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/ Honorius III (1216–27) used the formula responsible for three other precisely datable in- in two indulgences in favour of English dulgences in the same collection, all of them beneficiaries.9 awarded in London between 1237 and 1241. It appears that the formula was not em- The first, 25124/10, by Christian, bishop of ployed in English episcopal indulgences Emly in Ireland (1236 1237–1249), is dated before the 1220s. For example, the remission of forty days’ penance granted around 1175 to contributors to the cathedral fabric fund by Gilbert Foliot, bishop of London (1163–87), by guest on November 27, 2012 contains only an echo of 2 Corinthians 9:6: ‘Listen to your master; hear and receive his 11 St Ethelbert’s hospital, Hereford; see EEA VII: Here- wise counsel. You can sow now what you ford 1079–1234, ed. J. Barrow (London, 1993), 275–6 and would receive in eternal life. Now is winter, note (no. 344). The adoption of the formula by English now the time to sow corn; but if the last hour bishops was more common than the remarks of C. R. has shut your eyes, this is no time to sow.’10 A Cheney suggest; see English Bishops’ Chanceries (Manches- ter, 1950), 76–7. For additional examples, see EEA XIII: Worcester 1218–1268, ed. P. M. Hoskin (London, 1997), 8 For Eugene III, see Sayers, 114, n.125, and P. Jaffe´ and 98–9 (no. 122), 24 January 1253 (in favour of St Paul’s); S. Loewenfeld, Regesta pontificum Romanorum ad 1198 EEA XXII: Chichester 1215–1253, ed. P. M. Hoskin (Leipzig, 1885–8), II, no. 9639. For examples from later (London, 2001), 46–7 (no. 62), 8 September 1234, and twelfth-century papal documents, see Vincent, 53, n.120. 106–7 (no. 130), 2 April 1247; EEA XXIX: Durham 1241– The Lateran decree is published by J. Alberigo et al. (eds), 1283, ed. P. M. Hoskin (London, 2005), 69 (no. 73), 30 Conciliorum Oecumenicarum Decreta (Bologna, 1972), 263– January 1256, and 75–6 (no. 80), 6 March 1255; EEA 4. It was subsequently incorporated into Gregory IX’s de- XXXVI: Salisbury 1229–1262, ed. B. R. Kemp (London, cretal collection; see Liber extra 5.38.14 Quum ex eo, ed. E. 2010), 66–7 (no. 50), 27 May 1229 1234, and 78–9 (no. Friedberg, Corpus iuris canonici (Leipzig, 1882; repr. Graz, 59), 24 April 1237; and EEA XXXVIII: London 1229– 1956), II, cols 888–9. 1280, ed. P. M. Hoskin (London, 2011), 93–4 (no. 130), 27 9 Sayers, 114; Vincent, 53–4. February 1262. Unfortunately, I was unable to review all 10 ‘Audite magistrum uestrum, audite sanum et suscipite texts of indulgences that are simply calendared in the consilium. Seminare nunc potestis, quod in eterna uita sus- EEA. The earliest example of the ‘Quoniam ut ait’ formula cipiatis. Nunc hyemps est, tempus sementis iaciende nunc in a continental episcopal (as opposed to a papal) act gen- est, hora uobis oculos extrema si clauserit, non iam semi- erated by a search of the virtual archive ‘Monasterium.Net’ nandi tempus erit; Z. N. Brooke, A. Morey, and C. N. L. dates from 1233 (
written with doubled horizontal or vertical queues. More significantly, 25124/10 and 12 Downloaded from strokes, in the case of D, sometimes both; N also employ the ‘Quoniam ut ait’ formula, with one or two horizontal middle strokes. and the phrasing of the balance of the texts is Tironian et is barred with a concluding serif virtually identical to that of 25124/1. Likewise, to the right. Among the minuscules, ascenders the mise en page of 25124/1, 10, and 12, includ- of b, d (where the upright, rather than the ing lineation, is similar. 25124/15 is smaller in
uncial, form is used), h, k, and l are slightly format (170 96 mm) and employs a truncated http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/ notched; the ascender of the two-compartment formula from which scriptural allusions have a extends as far above the headline as f and been eliminated. s-longa; the descenders of p, q, and r terminate On balance, both the formal and the palaeo- in a leftward stroke; g is open and has a long, graphic evidence indicate that 25124/1 should horizontal tail to the left, as does x; and the be redated to 13 December 1240, Bishop 18 final stroke of terminal m and n curve down to Richard’s fourth pontifical year. It therefore the left and end in a horizontal rightward represents one of a clutch of indulgences stroke, often with an additional horizontal awarded around the time of the dedication of St Paul’s in 1241 rather than the earliest sur- cross-stroke through the descender. Perhaps by guest on November 27, 2012 viving fabric indulgence in the cathedral the most distinctive feature of the script con- 19 sists in the short horizontal cross-strokes or archive. flourishes joined by oblique hairlines with which the scribe decorates the ascenders of Text
13 Original, parchment, 181/186 130 mm C. Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi (Munich, (excluding fold), sealed in green wax (approx. 1913), I, 283; E. B. Fryde, Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd edn (London, 1986), 354. The date of elec- tion and consecration can be narrowed to 1236–7 on the 17 J. Le Neve, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, 1066–1300, rev. evidence of 25124/10. H. Cotton, Fasti eccelsiae hibernicae, edn, I, St Paul’s, London, ed. D. E. Greenway (London, vol. 1: Munster, 2nd edn (Dublin, 1851), 86, has Christian’s 1968), 3; Fryde, 258. None of Roger Niger’s scribes has election confirmed on 28 October 1237; if so, perhaps this been identified; see EEA XXXVIII: London 1229–1280, cxiii. was the occasion of the indulgence. 18 Le Neve and Pearson, Fasti IX, 3, are unable to pro- 14 J. Le Neve, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, 1066–1300, rev. vide the date of Richard’s consecration; if he was conse- edn, II, Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern crated between 14 and 31 December 1237, the indulgence Provinces), ed. D. E. Greenway (London, 1971), 77; should be dated 13 December 1241. Calculated from election Fryde, 267. (July 1236), the date would be 1239. 15 Fryde, 253. 19 Sparrow Simpson attributes 25123/13, a second un- 16 For examples of similar scripts, see EEA VII: Hereford dated indulgence by ‘R,’ bishop of Bangor, to Bishop 1079–1234, pl. II (1198) and pl. III (1200 1201); EEA IX: Richard (Documents, 175). It offers relaxation of thirty Winchester 1205–1243, ed. N. Vincent (London, 1994), pl. days’ penance to those who visit the cathedral ‘on the III (‘scribe 4,’ c. 1220); EEA XVIII: Salisbury 1078–1217,ed. feast of the dedication or its anniversary’ (‘in festo dedica- B. R. Kemp (London, 1999), pl. VI (¼ no. 365 in EEA XIX: tionis seu eiusdem anniversario’). If the reference is to the Salisbury 1217–1228 (London, 2000) (dated 1224 1229); dedication itself, the document should be dated to 1241, but EEA XXX: Carlisle 1133–1292, ed. D. M. Smith (London, there is no reason to exclude any later year of Richard’s 2005), pl. II (1219 1223); and C. Johnson and H. episcopate. By the same token, the absence of any indication Jenkinson, English Court Hands (Oxford, 1915; repr. New of date might support an earlier attribution, perhaps to York, 1967), I, 113–4; II, pl. ix (c), dated 1204. Rotoland or Robert of Shrewsbury. 2012 NOTES AND QUERIES 487 33 40 mm) attached by a parchment double Lucie virginis, pontificatus nostri anno queue. Guildhall Library, London, St Paul’s quarto.23 Cathedral MS 25124/1. Note: The orthography of the document has LAWRIN ARMSTRONG University of Toronto been retained with the exception of u, which has been transcribed as v when it represents a doi:10.1093/notesj/gjs138 ß The Author (2012). Published by Oxford University Press. consonant and as u a vowel. I-longa, always in All rights reserved. For Permissions, the initial position and majuscule, has been please email: [email protected] transcribed as I/i. Punctuation and capitaliza- Advance Access publication 18 October, 2012 tion are editorial. Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum pervenerit R., dei gracia Bangoren- ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORDS sis episcopus, salutem in domino. Quoniam, ‘TANTRA’ AND ‘YANTRA’ IN THE Downloaded from ut ait j apostolus, ‘omnes stabimus ante OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY 3 tribunal Ihesu Christi recepturi prout in IN the 3rd edition of the Oxford English corpore gessimus sive bonum fuerit sive 20 Dictionary (OED3) the word ‘tantra’ has been malum’, j oportet nos diem messionis ex- defined as a Hindu or Buddhist mystical or treme misericordie
magical text, and adherence to the doctrine http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/ ac eternorum intuitu seminare in terris or principles of the tantras, involving mantras, j quod reddente domino cum multiplicato meditation, yoga, and ritual. While offering fructu recolligere debeamus in celis firmam etymological explanation of the word the spem fiduciamque tenentes, quoniam ‘qui origin is stated in OED3 to have been traced parce semi-j-nat parce et metet et qui semi- to a Sanskrit word ‘tantra’ which is said to be nat in benediccionibus de benediccionibus et literally meaning ‘loom, groundwork, doctrine’ metet’22 vitam eternam. Cum igitur inter j from Sanskrit ‘tan’ stretch. This explanation is opera caritatis non inmerito debeat compu- wrong. As a matter of fact the word ‘tantra’ is tari ecclesiarum fabricis pias elemosinarum
derived from ‘tanu’ which in Sanskrit language by guest on November 27, 2012 largiciones misericorditer inpartiri, j univer- means the body. The fundamental idea of sitatem vestram rogamus attencius monentes et exortantes in domino quatinus ad fabri- tantra as a religious tenet and practice involves cam ecclesie sancti Pauli j London. de bonis subjecting the body to severe pain and suffer- vobis a deo collatis aliqua caritatis subsidia ing through trials and tribulations as a test for erogetis ut per hec et alia bona que domino a person’s endurance and forbearance. In the inspi-j-rante feceritis eterna possitis gaudia Sanskrit language the word ‘tantra’ has noth- promereri. Nos vero de dei misericordia et ing to do with ‘loom’ as stated in the origin gloriose virginis Marie, beati Pauli et j of the word in OED3. Tantra in the sense of omnium sanctorum meritis confisi omnibus loom has been confused with the almost simi- parochianis nostris ac aliis universis quorum lar sounding word ‘tantu’ in Sanskrit which diocesani hanc nostram ratam j habuerint means ‘loom’. We may, for instance, recall indulgenciam qui ad fabricam dicte ecclesie the common word ‘tantubaya’ meaning suas duxerint elemosinas conferendas, si de the weaver; and we have an analogous word peccatis suis j vere contriti fuerint et con- ‘lutatantu’ which means ‘spider’s cobweb’ in fessi, quadraginta dies de iniuncta sibi peni- Sanskrit. So ‘tantra’ has nothing to do with tencia misericorditer relaxamus. j Datum ‘loom’ as it relates not to ‘tantu’ (loom) but London. apud sanctum Paulum die sancte to ‘tanu’ meaning the body, the infliction and immolation of which is the basic tenet and 20 2 Cor. 5:10; cf. Rom. 14:10. 21 operibus is missing in 25124/1 but demanded by the 23 I am grateful to the staff of the Guildhall Library for sense; I have supplied it from IV Lateran, can. 62, in J. their courteous assistance and to the members of my gradu- Alberigo et al. (eds), Conciliorum Oecumenicarum Decreta, ate seminar on diplomatics and diplomatic editing, who have 263, and Liber extra 5.38.14 Quum ex eo. often expressed reservations about Sparrow Simpson’s 22 2 Cor. 9:6; cf. Gal. 6:8–9. dating of 25124/1.