A Legend of St. Pachomius
Charles W. Jones
IN the British Museum manuscripts, Cotton Caligula A 15 and Arundel 155, both written at Christ Church, Canterbury, in eleventh century, probably within little more than a decade of Conquest, is miniature which has been reproduced from first manuscript Publications Palaeographical Society, Series I, 3, pl. 145. According to that publication, 'The drawings head plate represent mission an Angel Our Saviour Abbot Pachomius, with roll instructions for finding Easter-day, delivery Pachomius his fellow-monks monastery Egyptian Desert.' Beside prose passage, inc. 'Legimus epistolis grecorum . ., ' describing transmission angel followed by transmitted verse, 'Nonae Aprilis norunt quinos , words appear on scroll drawing. Legends divine or angelic revelation are, course, common enough. This story miniatures follow conventional patterns. However, if separate appearances manuscripts are index its popularity influence, this legend was especially well known early Middle Ages despite fact Bollandists, Ladeuze, others who have length about 'life legends fail mention it. Only Tillemont cites Bede's reference legend. The reason neglect not literary. It did creep into those many collections legenda, fabulae, exempla, often seem be too-exclusive hunting-ground our modern antiquarians. Yet very reason, fabulists concern themselves it, mutations it underwent comparatively few can traced accuracy other equally popular legends. I sketch development because methods purposes creators definitely determined. Nonae Aprilis, though casually printed during past centuries, definitively edited only Strecker monumental collection Carolingian lyrics.1 used six (in one them poem appears twice) Patrologia texts pseudo-Bede Hrabanus Maurus, but testified 'in codicibus extat innumeris.' He reprinted passage pseudo-Bedan De Argumentis Lunae,2 copied Hervagius' text works (Basel, 1563), compilation mid-tenth century,3 now Patr. Lat., xc, 709B. Of took poem, earliest Maurus' Computus, St Gall 90g, tenth century. If, 'innumerable manuscripts' editor chose earliest, we might consider product verse-factory, as
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