THE CROSSES AT ILKLEY.

BY J. ROMILLY ALLEN, ESQ., F.S.A. SCOT.

(Read Jan. 2, 1884.)

(Continued from p. 172.)

PART II.

LIST OF MSS. CONTAINING CELTIC ORNAMENT.

In the following pages I have given a list of the MSS. which contain Celtic ornament, together with the historical evidence as to their dates.

The Golden Gospels of Stockholm, in the Royal Library at Stockholm, contains a deed of gift which shows that the precious volume was bought by the Anglo-Saxon Earl Ælfred, and Wetburg his wife, from a Scandinavian Viking, by whom it had probably been stolen, and was presented by them to the Cathedral of Canterbury. This deed is signed by Elfred, Wetburg, and their daughter Alhtryth, who have all been identified by the will of Ælfred, which is attested by Ædered Archbishop of Canterbury A.D. 871-89. The date of this MS. is thus previous to the middle of the ninth century.1

The Book of Durrow, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, contains an entry on the fly-leaf of the MS. itself, which shows that it was written by a person of the name of Columba. If this be the Saint of that name (which appears doubtful), the MS. must be of the sixth century. However this may be, the ancient silvermounted cumdach, or cover, which is now lost, was made for it by the orders of Flann, King of Ireland A.D. 879-916.2 The date of the MS. cannot, therefore, possibly be later than the end of the ninth century, and is probably considerably earlier.

The Book of Kells, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, contains no entry by means of which its date may be fixed; but the fact that the Great Gospels of Columkille (the name by which this book was known) was stolen in the year 1006, is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters.3 The date of this MS. cannot, therefore, possibly be later than the beginning of the eleventh century, and Professor Westwood thinks it may be as early as the seventh century.

The Gospels of Lindisfarne, in the Cottonian Library in the British 1 Westwood's Miniatures of the Irish MSS., p. 5. 2 Ibid., p. 23.

3 Ibid., p.

25.

Museum, has two Anglo-Saxon entries, one at the end of St. Matthew's Gospel, and the other at the end of the volume, which show that it was written by Eadfrith Bishop of Lindisfarne; that Æthelwald Bishop of Lindisfarne made the cover for it; that Billfrith, the anchorite, wrought the metalwork for it; and that Aldred, the priest, over-glossed it in English, for the love of God and St. Cuthbert. Edfrith held the see of Lindisfarne from A.D. 698-721, and was then succeeded by Ethilwald, who held the bishopric of the island until his death in A.D. 740. We must, therefore, ascribe this wonderful volume to the last two years of the seventh century, or the first twenty-one years of the eighth century.

The Book of Prayers of Bishop Ethelwald, in the University Library of Cambridge, contains a very curious acrostic dedication, written in different coloured inks, to AEDELVALD EPISCOPUS; and there is also, in the latter part of the book, a Versicularius, comprising the commencing verses of all the Psalms, headed in red letters, "hoc argumentum forsorū (i.e., versorum) oethelwald episcopus decerpsit." It is thus clear that the volume was written for Ethelwald, who was Bishop of Lindisfarne from A.D. 721-740, and who, as has been already mentioned, made the cover for the Book of Lindisfarne. This fixes the date as being the early part of the eighth century.2

3

The Gospels of St. Mulling, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, has a precatory note at the end of St. John's Gospel showing that the scribe's name was Mulling. The writer is supposed to be identified with St. Moling of Fearns, who died in A.D. 697. The date of this MS. is, therefore, the seventh century.

4

St. Chad's Gospels, in the Cathedral Library at Lichfield, contains several marginal entries, one of which shows that the volume was purchased by Gelhi, the son of Arihtuid, from Cingal, for his best horse, and dedicated to God and St. Teilo; and another, that Godwin, the son of Earwig, fully and publicly cleared himself from the charge of fornication which was brought against him by Bishop Leofgar, and that his purification was made at Lichfield. Bishop Leofgar died in 1021. This MS. cannot, therefore, be of later date than the eleventh century, and Professor Westwood thinks it may be as early as the eighth or ninth.

The Gospels of Durham, in the Cathedral Library of that place, contains an inscription concluding with the name, "Aldred God biscop". Aldred succeeded Sexhelm as Bishop of Durham in A.D. 946; but Professor Westwood refers the volume to the early part of the eighth century, from its palæographical peculiarities.5

The Cottonian Gospels (Otho, B. 9), in the British Museum, only a few fragments of which have survived the fire in October 1731,

1 Westwood, p. 34; Palæographical Society, Plates 3 to 6 and 22. 2 Westwood, p. 45. 3 Ibid., p. 93.

4 Palæographical Society, Plates 20, 21, and 35.

5 Westwood, pp. 48, 51.

contained numerous Anglo-Saxon memoranda, including one stating that the volume had been given by King Athelstan to St. Cuthbert's shrine, together with a miniature representing the King upon his knees before St. Cuthbert, caused to be painted by the blessed Evemenficus. King Athelstan reigned from 925-941. This book must, therefore, be at least as old as the tenth century.

The Gospels of Mac Regol, in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, has its last page divided into six compartments, four of which contain laudatory verses on the Evangelists, and the remaining two the name and intercessory request of the scribe Mac Regol. In the Irish Annals of the year 820 is recorded the death of a scribe of this name," Mac Riagoil nepos Magleni, Scriba et Episcopus Abbas Biror". The date of this volume is, therefore, the end of the eighth or beginning of the ninth century.1

The Gospels of Mac Durnan, in the archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, has several charters of King Canute, containing grants to the cathedral church of Canterbury, written upon the blank pages of the MS., one of which bears a much earlier inscription in AngloSaxon capitals, showing that the book was either written for, or was in the possession of, Maelbrigid Mac Durnan, and that it was given by King Athelstan to the city of Canterbury. Maelbrigid Mac Durnan was Abbot of Derry in the ninth century, and was afterwards Bishop of Armagh, to which see he was promoted in A.D. 885, and died A.D. 927. Athelstan ascended the Anglo-Saxon throne in 925, and died in 941. This book, therefore, belongs either to the end of the ninth century or beginning of the tenth century.2

The Gospels of Treves, in the Library of that Cathedral, has an inscription at the bottom of one of the illuminated pages showing that the writer's name was Thomas. Professor Westwood identifies this scribe with Thomas who was Abbot of the Monastery of Honau, upon an island in the Rhine, near Strasburg, between the years A.D. 750 and 770. If this be the case, which seems probable, the MS. must be assigned to the end of the eighth century.3

The Book of Armagh, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, has the name of the writer, Ferdomnach, inscribed in eight places. Ferdomnach, " dictante Torbach herede Patricii" (the latter being the title of the Irish primate), was Archbishop of Armagh for one year only, A.D. 807. The date of this book is, therefore, fixed at the commencement of the ninth century.

The Great Psalter of Boulogne, in the Public Library of that town, contains a curious acrostic showing that it was written by Heriveus in the Abbey of St. Bertin, decorated by Odbertus, and that Dodolinus supplied the gloss. Odbert presided over the Abbey of St. Bertin between A.D. 989 and 1008. There is also a special charter of this Abbey, from which it appears that several fine MSS. were executed by Odbert and his monks about the year 1003. 3 Ibid., p. 76.

1 Westwood, p. 55.

2 Ibid., p. 72. 4 Ibid., p. 82.

This book, therefore, belongs to the beginning of the eleventh century.1

The Book of Dimma, in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy, contains the name of the scribe, Dimma Mac Nathi, written in several places. One Dimma Mac Nathi is frequently mentioned in the Life of St. Patrick in the Book of Armagh. Another Dimma, whose grandfather was Mac Nathi, was requested by St. Cronan, who died in 621, to write for him a copy of the Gospels, which occupied forty days' and forty nights' incessant labour. If this be the scribe in question, the MS. must be of the seventh century.

Summarising the foregoing, we have the following dated Celtic MSS. :

Seventh Century.

Circa 621, Book of Dimma Mac Nathi; circa 697, Gospels of St. Mulling; 698-721, Gospels of Lindisfarne.

Eighth Century.

721-740, Book of Prayers of Bishop Æthelwald; 750-770, Gospels of Treves.

Ninth Century.

807, Book of Armagh; circa 820, Gospels of Mac Regol.

Tenth Century.

885-927, Gospels of Mac Durnan.

Eleventh Century.

989-1008, Great Psalter of Boulogne.

The above are the actual dates when the MSS. were written; but besides these we have other MSS. which are known by entries in the volumes themselves, or references to them in history, not to be later than the dates given in the margin of the following table.

Not later than

A.D. 871, Golden Gospels of Stockholm; 879, Book of Durrow. A.D. 941, Cottonian Gospels (Otho, B. 9); 946, Gospels of Durham Library.

A.D. 1006, Book of Kells; 1021, St. Chad's Gospels.

The palæographical peculiarities of all the above MSS., however, tend to show that they are of considerably earlier date than the marginal entries whose ages have been ascertained.

1 Westwood, p. 104.

2 Ibid., p.

83:

Having discussed the question of the antiquity of the Celtic MSS., we next come to the works of art in metal of the same period.

CELTIC METALWORK.

The following are the specimens of Celtic metalwork whose dates have been fixed by historical evidence. They consist of cumdachs or book-shrines, bell-shrines, croziers, processional crosses, and penannular brooches.

The Cumdach of the Book of Durrow, although now lost, is known from a manuscript note made by Roderick O'Flaherty in 1677 to have borne an inscription to the effect that it was made by Flann Sinna, son of Malachy, and King of Ireland. Flann Sinna reigned between the years 877 and 916. The date of this cumdach is the end of the ninth or beginning of the tenth century.1

The Cumdach of the Book of Armagh is recorded, in the Annals of the Four Masters, to have been made by Donnchadh, son of Flann, King of Ireland in A.D. 937.2 It is, therefore, of the tenth century.

The Cumdach of the Book of Kells is recorded, in the Annals of the Four Masters, to have been stolen, together with the volume it contained, in the year 1006. It must, therefore, have been made before the beginning of the eleventh century.3

The Cumdach of St. Molaise's Gospels, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, bears an inscription showing that it was made by Cennfaelad, the successor of St. Molaise, and Gillabaithin the artisan. Cennfaelad is recorded, in the Annals of the Four Masters, to have been Abbot of Devenish from A.D. 1001 until his death in 1025.4

The Cumdach of the Stowe Missal, in the Ashburnham Collection, bears an inscription showing that it was made by Dunchad O'Fagan, a monk of Clonmacnois, and containing a prayer for Donchadh, son of Brian, and King of Ireland; also for Macc Raith, descendant of Donchadh, and King of Cashel. According to the Annals of the Four Masters, Donagh, son of King Brian Boruhma, reigned from A.D. 1023-1064, when he was deposed. The date of this cumdach is, therefore, the first half of the eleventh century. There is another inscription upon the case, showing that it was repaired by Philip O'Kennedy, Lord of Ormond, in the fourteenth century.5

The Cumdach of Columba's Psalter (called Cathach), in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, bears an inscription showing that it was made by Sitric, the son of Mac Aeda, for Cathbar Ua-Domnaill, and for Domnall, son of Robertach, the successor of St. Columba at Kells. Sitric, son of Mac Aeda, is mentioned in

1 Petrie's Irish Inscriptions, vol. ii, p. 158. 4 Ibid., p. 90.

3 Ibid.

2 Ibid.

5 Ibid., p. 96.