An Edition of MS. Glasgow, University Library, Hunter 104 (a Middle English Metrical Translation of Palladius's Practice of Husbandry)

Jerez Delgado, Cristina Maria (2000) An Edition of MS. Glasgow, University Library, Hunter 104 (a Middle English Metrical Translation of Palladius's Practice of Husbandry). MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Around the late fourth and early fifth century, a Latin writer known as Palladius Rutilius Taurus /Emilianus wrote a prose treatise on agriculture. It was entitled the Opus Agriculturae. He also wrote a prose book on veterinary medicine, De Veterinaria Medicina, and a poem on the art of grafting. Carmen de Insitione. The Opus Agriculturae derives from a large agricultural literature and it is a compilation of the most important works on husbandry. Palladius designed his prose book as an agricultural calendar following the farmer's year. This calendar is divided into twelve books, each corresponding to one month, preceded by a book on general instructions, the so-called generale praeceptum. Palladius reorganized and adapted the material he took from different authors to the monthly divisions. His manual is well written and well presented, with clarity and conciseness. The Opus Agriculturae has survived in more than a hundred manuscripts, glosses, summaries, and so on. Furthermore, during the Middle Ages, it was translated into many vernacular languages such as French, Spanish, Catalan, and English. In English the text survives in three manuscripts, all of which contain a verse translation of the Opus Agricultural. (i) Glasgow, University Library, MS. Hunter 104 (H) (ii) Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Additional A. 369 (A) (iii) Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Duke Humfrey d.2 (B) I shall be chiefly concerned here with MS. Hunter 104. This manuscript was copied by a single scribe around the middle of the fifteenth century in a Bastard or Hybrid Anglicana. Although the original Opus Agriculturae was made up of thirteen books, this manuscript only preserves sixty-four folios. Part of its table of contents and parts of Book I, Book II, Book III, Book IV, Book VIII, Book IX, and Book X have survived. Its anonymous translator has presumably received training in Latin and in poetry, since his knowledge of both seems to be rather good. He has made slight modifications in his translation either to fit his rhyme scheme or to adapt his text to an English audience. The scribe of MS. Hunter 104 appears to have been rather careful in the process of copying his exemplar. Most of his mistakes in copying have been corrected by crossing out or by additions. The aim of this thesis is not to construct a critical text of this Middle English translation, but a diplomatic edition based on my own transcription, supported by a critical apparatus and a glossary. I have reproduced the text as its scribe left it, a text with an inconsistent spelling system.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Adviser: Jeremy J Smith
• Keywords: Medieval literature, Classical literature
• Date of Award: 2000
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2000-76010
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2019 17:07
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2019 17:07
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/76010