Skip to main content
Museum of Freemasonry

Masonic Periodicals Online

  • Explore
  • Advanced Search
  • Home
  • Explore
  • The Masonic Magazine
  • March 1, 1875
  • Page 3
  • COMPARISON OF MSS.
Current:

The Masonic Magazine, March 1, 1875: Page 3

  • Back to The Masonic Magazine, March 1, 1875
  • Print image
  • Articles/Ads
    Article COMPARISON OF MSS. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Page 3

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Comparison Of Mss.

dred lines' length , consisting of advice for behaviour in church , and at other times . The passage begins Avith citing the example of . the " Quatuor coronati , " or Four Crowned Martyrs , AVIIO appear to have been Masons , ancl are commemorated in the

calendar on the octave of All Saints ( Nov . 8 ) , or , as the poem gives it : — " Whoso AVOI of here l yf yet mor kuowe , By the bok he may hyt schoAve , In the legent of Scanctorum , * The names of quatuor coronatorum ,

After Alio Halo wen the eyght day . " The directions for church time , which are very simple , and of no A'ery unusual stamp , referring chiefly to the celebration of mass , and the directions for behaviour at table , etc ., will be treated of under the

MS . of the poem " Urbanitatis . " The importance of these to the subject , however , is very considerable , for they form the connecting link between the three poems , since the one set , that is to say , the rules for church time occur almost word for Avord in the " Instructions for Parish Priests , " and tbe other similarly in the poem "Urbanitatis . "

II . " Urbanitatis . " [ Cotton MS . Caligula A . IL ] This poem occupies but a small part of a large collection of earl y English poems

on various subjects , knoAvn in the Museum catalogue by the enigmatical name of Caligula A . II . Perhaps it may be as Avell to explain here the origin of the name , though it has not the slightest connection with the contents of the volume .

The MS . forms part of the collection made by Sir Robert Cotton , in whose library each press or book-case Avas surmounted by a bust of one of the Roman Emperors . Each shelf Avas lettered , ancl each book upon it numbered , ancl thus the M S . under

consideration was the second book on the A ( or top ) shelf of the press dedicated to Caligula . The volume is Avritten on paper in double columns , in a clear and upri ght hand of the 15 th century , and contains

some tAVO hundred leaves . The contents » e for the most part earl y narrativepoems , Avith one or two didactic pieces . It

begins Avith a curious alliterative poem , entitled "Sussan , " which is a metrical version of the History of Susanna . This is folio ived by some Romances , in rhyming verse , such as the story of " E glamour of Artois , " and the Arthurian poem of

" Launfall Miles " ( the latter being simply the history of Sir Launcelot of the Lake ) , ancl the quasi-historical account of " Octaviau Imperator . " Besides these there is the curious and Avell-known poem of " Tundale , " ancl two metrical lives of saints ,

namely , those of Jerome and Eustace . Bound up with these at the end of the volume are the decrees of general Chapters of the Carthusian Order , together with its Constitutions , on a leaf of which part of the book is inscribed the name of " Thomas Cooke cle Mylton , " probably its former

owner . The poem " Urbanitatis " itself' is very short , ancl occupies not more than three columns . It consists of minute directions for behaAdour—( 1 ) in the presence of a lord ; ( 2 ) at table ; ( 3 ) among ladies . Some of these directions are curiousbut

, some also there are Avhich may not Avell be written doAvn here , ancl strange indeed it is to think that it should have been , found necessary to give them at all , for they . shoAv a state of manners more notable perhaps than praiseAvorthy .

Perhapshow-, ever , the intention of the author is to leave no point unjjrovided for . In the "Liber Niger , " a book of exchequer accounts and household ordinances ( temp . Hen . II . ) , mention is made of what is there called the "Booke of Urbanitie "

ancl , doubtless , it is the same as the one now treated of . It is there recommended to the notice of the henxmen ( henchmen ) or pages of the king , Avho Avere to be instructed out of it in all good behaviour . The last hundred lines of the " Masonic

Poem" are almost Avord for Avord the same as the whole of this poem , ancl vary only in spelling , ancl in a few slight differences of reading . To shoAv this similarity I will now give the first few lines of " Urbanitatis , " followed b y the parallel

passage in the " Masonic Poem . " " Whso Avylle of nurtur lere , Herken to me & ye shalle here , When thou comeste be fore a lord , In halle yn boAvre or at the borde , Hoode or kappe thou of tho , Ere thou come hym all on to , K 2

“The Masonic Magazine: 1875-03-01, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 28 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmg/issues/mmg_01031875/page/3/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
Monthly Masonic Summary. Article 1
COMPARISON OF MSS. Article 2
THE HOUR GLASS. Article 5
WAITING FOR HER—A MESMERIST'S STORY. Article 5
THE PRESENT. Article 9
ORATION, BY S. C. DENNISON, OF SACRAMENTO. Article 10
TALKING TO THE DEAD. Article 14
RUDDER GRANGE. Article 15
THE MASONS' TEMPLE. Article 19
EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICAN FREEMASONRY, ONCE MORE. Article 19
WOMAN'S RIGHTS. Article 23
THE ANGEL MINISTERS. Article 23
THE LIVING TEMPLE. Article 28
OLD LODGE WARRANTS AND CERTIFICATES. Article 28
T'DISTANT SPRING.* Article 30
NOTES ON LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND ART. Article 30
Chippings. Article 31
Page 1

Page 1

1 Article
Page 2

Page 2

1 Article
Page 3

Page 3

1 Article
Page 4

Page 4

1 Article
Page 5

Page 5

3 Articles
Page 6

Page 6

1 Article
Page 7

Page 7

1 Article
Page 8

Page 8

1 Article
Page 9

Page 9

1 Article
Page 10

Page 10

1 Article
Page 11

Page 11

1 Article
Page 12

Page 12

1 Article
Page 13

Page 13

1 Article
Page 14

Page 14

3 Articles
Page 15

Page 15

1 Article
Page 16

Page 16

1 Article
Page 17

Page 17

1 Article
Page 18

Page 18

1 Article
Page 19

Page 19

4 Articles
Page 20

Page 20

1 Article
Page 21

Page 21

1 Article
Page 22

Page 22

1 Article
Page 23

Page 23

3 Articles
Page 24

Page 24

1 Article
Page 25

Page 25

1 Article
Page 26

Page 26

1 Article
Page 27

Page 27

1 Article
Page 28

Page 28

4 Articles
Page 29

Page 29

1 Article
Page 30

Page 30

3 Articles
Page 31

Page 31

3 Articles
Page 32

Page 32

1 Article
Page 3

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Comparison Of Mss.

dred lines' length , consisting of advice for behaviour in church , and at other times . The passage begins Avith citing the example of . the " Quatuor coronati , " or Four Crowned Martyrs , AVIIO appear to have been Masons , ancl are commemorated in the

calendar on the octave of All Saints ( Nov . 8 ) , or , as the poem gives it : — " Whoso AVOI of here l yf yet mor kuowe , By the bok he may hyt schoAve , In the legent of Scanctorum , * The names of quatuor coronatorum ,

After Alio Halo wen the eyght day . " The directions for church time , which are very simple , and of no A'ery unusual stamp , referring chiefly to the celebration of mass , and the directions for behaviour at table , etc ., will be treated of under the

MS . of the poem " Urbanitatis . " The importance of these to the subject , however , is very considerable , for they form the connecting link between the three poems , since the one set , that is to say , the rules for church time occur almost word for Avord in the " Instructions for Parish Priests , " and tbe other similarly in the poem "Urbanitatis . "

II . " Urbanitatis . " [ Cotton MS . Caligula A . IL ] This poem occupies but a small part of a large collection of earl y English poems

on various subjects , knoAvn in the Museum catalogue by the enigmatical name of Caligula A . II . Perhaps it may be as Avell to explain here the origin of the name , though it has not the slightest connection with the contents of the volume .

The MS . forms part of the collection made by Sir Robert Cotton , in whose library each press or book-case Avas surmounted by a bust of one of the Roman Emperors . Each shelf Avas lettered , ancl each book upon it numbered , ancl thus the M S . under

consideration was the second book on the A ( or top ) shelf of the press dedicated to Caligula . The volume is Avritten on paper in double columns , in a clear and upri ght hand of the 15 th century , and contains

some tAVO hundred leaves . The contents » e for the most part earl y narrativepoems , Avith one or two didactic pieces . It

begins Avith a curious alliterative poem , entitled "Sussan , " which is a metrical version of the History of Susanna . This is folio ived by some Romances , in rhyming verse , such as the story of " E glamour of Artois , " and the Arthurian poem of

" Launfall Miles " ( the latter being simply the history of Sir Launcelot of the Lake ) , ancl the quasi-historical account of " Octaviau Imperator . " Besides these there is the curious and Avell-known poem of " Tundale , " ancl two metrical lives of saints ,

namely , those of Jerome and Eustace . Bound up with these at the end of the volume are the decrees of general Chapters of the Carthusian Order , together with its Constitutions , on a leaf of which part of the book is inscribed the name of " Thomas Cooke cle Mylton , " probably its former

owner . The poem " Urbanitatis " itself' is very short , ancl occupies not more than three columns . It consists of minute directions for behaAdour—( 1 ) in the presence of a lord ; ( 2 ) at table ; ( 3 ) among ladies . Some of these directions are curiousbut

, some also there are Avhich may not Avell be written doAvn here , ancl strange indeed it is to think that it should have been , found necessary to give them at all , for they . shoAv a state of manners more notable perhaps than praiseAvorthy .

Perhapshow-, ever , the intention of the author is to leave no point unjjrovided for . In the "Liber Niger , " a book of exchequer accounts and household ordinances ( temp . Hen . II . ) , mention is made of what is there called the "Booke of Urbanitie "

ancl , doubtless , it is the same as the one now treated of . It is there recommended to the notice of the henxmen ( henchmen ) or pages of the king , Avho Avere to be instructed out of it in all good behaviour . The last hundred lines of the " Masonic

Poem" are almost Avord for Avord the same as the whole of this poem , ancl vary only in spelling , ancl in a few slight differences of reading . To shoAv this similarity I will now give the first few lines of " Urbanitatis , " followed b y the parallel

passage in the " Masonic Poem . " " Whso Avylle of nurtur lere , Herken to me & ye shalle here , When thou comeste be fore a lord , In halle yn boAvre or at the borde , Hoode or kappe thou of tho , Ere thou come hym all on to , K 2

  • Prev page
  • 1
  • 2
  • You're on page3
  • 4
  • 32
  • Next page
  • Accredited Museum Designated Outstanding Collection
  • LIBRARY AND MUSEUM CHARITABLE TRUST OF THE UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1058497 / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2025

  • Accessibility statement

  • Designed, developed, and maintained by King's Digital Lab

We use cookies to track usage and preferences.

Privacy & cookie policy