Westminster Cathedral Treasury Ms 4: A 15th century spiritual compilation

Cre, Marleen (1997) Westminster Cathedral Treasury Ms 4: A 15th century spiritual compilation. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Westminster Cathedral Treasury Ms 4 is a late fifteenth-early sixteenth century copy of an early-to-mid fifteenth century compilation. The text has a precise and narrow aim : it teaches contemplation - the mystical life - to what must have been an intended audience of some sophistication, using fragments of four religious texts in the vernacular : a Middle English exposition of Psalm 90, Qui Habitat, and a Middle English exposition of psalm 91, Bonum Est (both psalm expositions are sometimes attributed to Walter Hilton), Walter Hilton's Scale of Perfection and the long version of Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love. The transcript of the compilation provides references to the main editions of the source texts from which the compiler selected the fragments that make up his text. This study aims to show that it is not just the technical putting together of fragments from existing texts that makes a compilation, but rather the thematic unity of the new text that is formed by the selecting and ordering of the fragments. This is why the core of this study is a detailed analysis of the themes of the compilation and the way they have been introduced and elaborated throughout the compilation. In addition to this, this study discusses the compilation's likely intended audience as well as the historical and literary factors that could have led to its composition. The study of individual late medieval spiritual compilations such as Westminster Cathedral Treasury 4 is ultimately aimed at the definition of late medieval spiritual compilations as a genre in their own right, whose characteristics challenge our preconceived notions of authorship and textual integrity.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Adviser: Desmond O Brien
• Keywords: Art history, Westminster Cathedral. Treasury. Manuscript. 4, Devotional literature, English (Middle), Manuscripts, English (Middle).
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PR English literature
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Literature
• Supervisor's Name: O'Brien, Mr. Desmond and Smith, Dr. Jeremy
• Date of Award: 1997
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1997-71890
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 17 May 2019 09:31
• Last Modified: 05 Sep 2022 09:27
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.71890
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/71890