38 SAINT MODWEN. 
very life, and from him I learned that Geoffry’s MSS. is 
still preserved to us in the British Museum (its reference 
Royal MS. 15 B. IV). From this original MSS., now 750 
years old, which was doubtless written in the Scriptorium 
of our Abbey, I shall give you an extract or two to-night. 
The MSS. is quarto in size, has 167 folios written in a fine 
hand in double columns, and contains Tractus Grammatici, 
Petri Blesensis Epistolae, then comes Vita S. Modwena, 
finishing with Tractus Miscellanii. Parts are damaged by 
damp and stains, and are almost illegible. At folio 76 the 
preface written by Abbot Geoffrey begins as follows— 
“Tncipit prefatio Gaufridi Abbatis Burtone in vita Sanctae 
Modwenne Virginnis.’”’ This preface is followed by the 
Life and after that come the Miracles which occurred atter 
her death. I have also been fortunate in securing a copy 
of a Catalogue of the Monastic Library of Burton Abbey, 
discovered by Mr. W. de G. Birch, F.S.A., at the British 
Museum, written on a fly leaf of a copy of S. Augustine’s 
Works, a book once belonging to the Abbey. Now (add MS. 
23, 944) this Catalogue was compiled in the twelfth century by 
the keeper of the Scriptorium. Thesecond entry is ‘‘Homilies 
from Advent to Easter,” ‘‘ The life of S. Modwen,” and 
“Bernard upon being sent,’ in one book. The _ thirty- 
second entry is ‘‘a life of S. Modwen, which Martin wrote; 
and another which Birennius wrote.” This Birennius 
witnessed a lease in 1133, where he is called a monk, 
and witnessed a charter 1150-1159, where he has become 
a sub-prior. Martin is mentioned in two grants and a lease 
in Abbot Bernard’s time, 1160-1175. The thirty-third entry 
runs ‘‘also another very ancient.’”” So we have four lives 
of S. Modwen in the library in Geoffry’s time. 
There is great variation as to the time she lived: for 
instance, the Acta Sanctorum has a heading, ‘“*S. Modwen 
receives the virgin pall from St. Patrick,” this would put her 
as living before 493, in which year that Saint is said to 
have died. . 
