Medieval and Early Modern Greek Manuscripts : Gospel of Mark with Hebrew translation

Gospel of Mark with Hebrew translation (Cambridge, Emmanuel College, MS 90)

This is an manuscript of the Gospel of Mark with Hebrew translation, presented alongside the original Greek text on facing pages. It was written between 1583 and 1589, apparently by the translator, the priest and Fellow of Christ's College Richard Clarke or Clerke (d. 1634). Clarke's Hebrew scholarship was reflected in his inclusion among the translators responsible for the first twelve books of the King James Bible.

Clarke dedicated and presented this translation to his patron Walter Mildmay (c. 1520-1589), a senior financial official under successive Tudor monarchs who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I from 1566 until his death in 1589. The main text is prefaced not only by a prose dedication in Latin but by a Latin acrostic poem and a brief epigram written in Greek, Hebrew and Syriac translation.

In the second half of the 17th century, the manuscript was owned by another cleric, Luke Milbourne, who was himself a translator. Although Milbourne had studied at Pembroke Hall, it was to Emmanuel College that he donated it in 1691. This was probably in recognition of the manuscript's links to Mildmay, the founder of Emmanuel.

Dr Christopher Wright

Information about this document

Physical Location: Emmanuel College Library
Classmark: Cambridge, Emmanuel College, MS 90
Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 11844
Subject(s): Bible
Date of Creation: between 1583 and 1589
Donor(s): Milbourne, Luke, 1649-1720
Associated Name(s): Mildmay, Walter, Sir, 1520?-1589
Extent: Codex 52 Leaf height: 155 mm, width: 113 mm.
Collation:
The manuscript consists of 13 quires, all binia.
- Quires 1-13⁴ ff. [i]-[51]
Material: Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Stag's head ( Watermark height: c. 45 mm, width: 35 mm. ) in the gutter.
Format: Codex
Condition: f. 4 is detached. There are tears to the lower outer corner of f. [i], and some creasing. There are occasional areas of dirt.
Binding:
16th-century limp vellum binding. Sewn on single raised supports of alum tawed skin. Both covers have decorative gold tooling. There are remnants of red and green ties on the inside of both covers. The classmark appears on patches on the spine.
Binding height: 160 mm, width: 123 mm, depth: 8 mm.
Script:
The Greek text was copied in western European mixed minuscule script, similar to early printing, in black ink.
Foliation:
The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i], 1-2, [3], 4, [5], 6, [7-51], in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.
Layout: A single column of 23-36 lines. Written height: 120 mm, width: 75 mm. Margins are ruled in red ink.
Decoration: The text begins on f. 4r with an enlarged initial, formed of space left blank within a black ink block.
Additions: On f. 1r is a note of donation to Emmanuel College by Luke Milbourne in 1691: "Illustri Litterarum Sacrario apud Collegii Sancti Immanuelis Socios in Academia Cantabrigiensi Hoc Eruditionis Genitalis specimen Observantie ergo Dat Lucas Milbourne ad Garienis Ostium in agro Norfolciensi Presbyter. 1691".
On f. [i] verso is a note of ownership: "Collegium Emmanuelis Cantabrigia".
On f. [i] recto have been marked the present classmark and the former classmarks 1.2.27, which has been struck through, and 1.5.11, which has been changed to 1.4.11. The former classmark 1.2.27, again struck through, also appears on inside the left cover.
Origin: The manuscript was apparently written by the text's translator, the priest Richard Clarke or Clerke (d. 1634), and dedicated to Walter Mildmay (c. 1520-1589), Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I and founder of Emmanuel College. It can be dated to between 1583 and 1589, that is between Clerke's graduation and appointment as a Fellow of Christ's College and Mildmay's death.
Acquisition: Given to Emmanuel College in 1691 by Luke Milbourne (1649-1720, priest in Great Yarmouth.
Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
Author(s) of the Record: Christopher Wright
Bibliography:
James, M. R. (Montague Rhodes), The Western manuscripts in the library of Emmanuel College : a descriptive catalogue (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1904).

Section shown in images 11 to 105

Title: Gospel of Mark
Language(s): Greek and Hebrew
Note(s): TLG 0031.002; f. [51]r is blank
Excerpts:
Rubric: f. 4r (Greek): Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Μάρκον
Incipit: f. 4r (Greek): Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ
Explicit: f. [51]r (Greek): καὶ τὸν λόγον βεβαιοῦντος διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων, ἀμήν
Final Rubric: f. [51]r (Greek): Τέλος Πάντοτε δόξα Θεῷ

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Dedication (image 7, page 2r) Dedicatory acrostic poem (image 10, page [3]v) Epigram (image 9, page [3]r) Gospel of Mark (image 11, page 4r)

[3]r

[3]v

[5]r

[5]v

Information about this document

Physical Location: Emmanuel College Library
Classmark: Cambridge, Emmanuel College, MS 90
Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 11844
Subject(s): Bible
Date of Creation: between 1583 and 1589
Donor(s): Milbourne, Luke, 1649-1720
Associated Name(s): Mildmay, Walter, Sir, 1520?-1589
Extent: Codex 52 Leaf height: 155 mm, width: 113 mm.
Collation:
The manuscript consists of 13 quires, all binia.
- Quires 1-13⁴ ff. [i]-[51]
Material: Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Stag's head ( Watermark height: c. 45 mm, width: 35 mm. ) in the gutter.
Format: Codex
Condition: f. 4 is detached. There are tears to the lower outer corner of f. [i], and some creasing. There are occasional areas of dirt.
Binding:
16th-century limp vellum binding. Sewn on single raised supports of alum tawed skin. Both covers have decorative gold tooling. There are remnants of red and green ties on the inside of both covers. The classmark appears on patches on the spine.
Binding height: 160 mm, width: 123 mm, depth: 8 mm.
Script:
The Greek text was copied in western European mixed minuscule script, similar to early printing, in black ink.
Foliation:
The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i], 1-2, [3], 4, [5], 6, [7-51], in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.
Layout: A single column of 23-36 lines. Written height: 120 mm, width: 75 mm. Margins are ruled in red ink.
Decoration: The text begins on f. 4r with an enlarged initial, formed of space left blank within a black ink block.
Additions: On f. 1r is a note of donation to Emmanuel College by Luke Milbourne in 1691: "Illustri Litterarum Sacrario apud Collegii Sancti Immanuelis Socios in Academia Cantabrigiensi Hoc Eruditionis Genitalis specimen Observantie ergo Dat Lucas Milbourne ad Garienis Ostium in agro Norfolciensi Presbyter. 1691".
On f. [i] verso is a note of ownership: "Collegium Emmanuelis Cantabrigia".
On f. [i] recto have been marked the present classmark and the former classmarks 1.2.27, which has been struck through, and 1.5.11, which has been changed to 1.4.11. The former classmark 1.2.27, again struck through, also appears on inside the left cover.
Origin: The manuscript was apparently written by the text's translator, the priest Richard Clarke or Clerke (d. 1634), and dedicated to Walter Mildmay (c. 1520-1589), Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I and founder of Emmanuel College. It can be dated to between 1583 and 1589, that is between Clerke's graduation and appointment as a Fellow of Christ's College and Mildmay's death.
Acquisition: Given to Emmanuel College in 1691 by Luke Milbourne (1649-1720, priest in Great Yarmouth.
Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
Author(s) of the Record: Christopher Wright
Bibliography:
James, M. R. (Montague Rhodes), The Western manuscripts in the library of Emmanuel College : a descriptive catalogue (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1904).

Section shown in images 7 to 9

Title: Dedication
Author(s): Richard Clarke (d. 1634)
Language(s): Latin
Note(s): ff. [i] recto-1v are blank apart from later notes
Excerpts:
Rubric: f. 2r Honorando imprimis viro, domino Gualtero Mildmaio, Reginae Maiestati à consiliis, studiosorum omnium Mecaenati, εὐδαιμονεῖν
Incipit: f. 2r Novum hunc laborem (honorande vir) cum literarum mearum omnium benigne acceptio
Explicit: f. [3]r ut Honorem tuum, Reipublicae Musis, sibi, quamdiutissime custodiat incolumem
Final Rubric: f. [3]r Honori tuo devinctissimus, Richardus Clercus

Section shown in images 10 to 10

Title: Dedicatory acrostic poem
Author(s): Richard Clarke (d. 1634)
Language(s): Latin
Excerpts:
Incipit: f. [3]r Unica spes memorande vir meae Mildmaie Camaenae
Explicit: f. [3]v Inclyte vir, regni non mediocre decus
Final Rubric: f. [3]v Carmen ἀντίστροφον, seu reciprocum

Section shown in images 9 to 10

Title: Epigram
Author(s): Richard Clarke (d. 1634)
Language(s): Greek, Hebrew and Syriac
Note(s): This is the full text of the epigram in Greek; it is translated below into Hebrew and Syriac.
Excerpts:
Incipit: f. [3]v (Greek): Εὐγένειαν ἄφθονον μοῦσαι, καὶ πότνια Παλλὰς Εγκλυτέ σοι δῶκαν ἄνερ ἐπ'εὐμαθείας

Section shown in images 11 to 105

Title: Gospel of Mark
Language(s): Greek and Hebrew
Note(s): TLG 0031.002; f. [51]r is blank
Excerpts:
Rubric: f. 4r (Greek): Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Μάρκον
Incipit: f. 4r (Greek): Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ
Explicit: f. [51]r (Greek): καὶ τὸν λόγον βεβαιοῦντος διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων, ἀμήν
Final Rubric: f. [51]r (Greek): Τέλος Πάντοτε δόξα Θεῷ