280 Proceedings of the Royal Irish A cademy. 



As V7e should expect, there are also readings in a which at the first glance 

 seem to be more original than the corresponding readings of B. But they are 

 less impressive than those which we have been considering. In many cases 

 the divergence of B from a is probably due to alterations made by Bede in 

 copying j3, or to errors of subsequent scribes. I liave noted the following : — 



Ps. xxviii. c(d suferpositionem did sabbati pascae postquam consummata 

 est ecdesiae christi. 



B has the false reading superstitionem (superstioiem 2) and omits post- 

 quam, &c. 



As a ride in headings the longer reading is to be preferred. But here the 

 text of a is suspicious, inasmuch as it omits a lectionary note found in B, and 

 obviously suitable to the psalm, legendus ad noe diluuium. The concluding 

 words in a seem to be suggested by in consummatimie tabernaculi in the 

 tit2dus. 



Ps. xliii. eximoloffensim . . . propihda ad dominum de operihits eius paeni- 

 tentiam gerens pro (om. E i jjojndo iv.daico. 



B is superior to a in reading for the first word in exomologcsim ; but it 

 offends by omitting the whole of the heading proper. It is not certain that 

 in either case B follows its source. The ungrammatical eximolugensim might 

 have been corrected, and the heading omitted, by scribes. It is worthy of 

 note that one ms. of B (2) reads exemologesivi, omitting in. Nor is it certain 

 that Bede here made exclusive use of /3. That he took the lectionary note 

 from it is indeed highly probable,' but the words uox apostoli in S suggest that 

 originally B had a heading derived from another source. 



Ps. xliv. propheta pro patre de christo et ecclesia dicit. 



B lacks jjro patre, and reads ad ecclesiam. The omission of the former is a 

 mark of posteriority. But we can scarcely assume that in this B followed (3. 

 If the phrase is equivalent to " in the name of the Father," it might have 

 been rejected by Bede as superfluous ; for it was the ordinary function of a 

 prophet to speak in the name of God. But we must return to this heading 

 in the sequel. 



Ps. xlviii. B : ttox ecdesiae super lazaro et diuite purpurato. 



a prefixes diuites increpat qui ad inferna descendunt cum mortui fuerint. 



The opening words in a, with or without the addition of uox ecdesiae, 

 would serve as a satisfactory heading for the psalm. But it is difficult to 

 suppose that the words mper lazaro, &c., originally formed part of the same 

 heading. Hence it might appear that a has a double heading, one member 

 of which is preserved in B. But, on the other hand, the heading as it stands 



' See above, p. 275. 



