434 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



the text of P "hovers between the Codex Yallicellianus * to which it comes 

 nearest, and the manuscripts of Tours. Speaking generallv, it seems to 

 belong to the same tradition as all the texts which come, more or less directly, 

 from Alcuin ... It is a late Alcuinian text (un texte alcuinien de 

 basse epoque)." He excepts from this remark only the text of the 

 Oospels.f It will not be forgotten that through Alcuin, the Xorthum- 

 brian scholar, who in later life became Abbot of Tours, English 

 learning made its entry into France \mder Charlemagne. Both Q and 

 its exemplar, the Mesme Bible, were written under the eye of Theodulf . 

 Bishop of Orleans, but both bear traces of the influence of Alcuin, Theodulf's 

 contemporary .J There is therefore no improbability in supposing that the 

 psalm headings of Q were imported from Xorthumbria. The fact that similar 

 headings occur in F seems to show that they are English ; and it is not 

 •easy to explain how the Spanish Bishop of Orleans should have acquired a 

 knowledge of English psalm headings except through Alcuin, of whose work 

 he certainly made use. If the Mesmes Bible is destitute of headings (see 

 p. 413), the argument is yet stronger. For the most important variation of 

 Q from its exemplar is its chapter divisions, which for the most part foUow 

 those of the Codex Amiatinus,§ and are therefore presumably of Xorthumbrian 

 origin. TVe should expect that other embellishments, not found in the 

 Mesmes Bible, if there are any, came from the same source. In G also, the 

 earliest manuscript of the group, there is a presumption of Northumbrian 

 influence. ITiis Codex, written in minuscules of gold, is one of the most 

 beautiful of those which surWve from the eighth century. It cannot have 

 emanated from Alcuin's school at Tours, which was not established tiU 796, 

 at least a year after it was penned. But that it was, nevertheless, produced 

 under the super%ision of Alcuin himself is far from unlikely. As M. Berger 

 says, " It is probable that the greater number of the manuscripts in letters 

 of gold came from the Palatine School. The Palatine School was, in fact, 

 from 782 presided over by Alcuin, who had not yet foimded the School of 

 Toiu-s. All the dates and all the other indications agree with this hypothesis, 

 which we may accept as not far from the truth. "^ G is one of the golden 

 manuscripts to which these words directly refer. 



It may be assumed, then, that the groups aC, ^P, BL'S, TZ, together 

 with K and L', represent slightly variant fonns of the Northumbrian 



* This SLs., according to Berger (p. 193,, was probably in part copied from a Bible 

 presented by Alcuin to Charles the Great at Christma.s, 801. I am informed that it has 

 no headings. 



- Berger. p. 290. See also p. 289. J Berger, p. 148. § /c/irf'., p. 172. 



Berger, p. 190. «: Bei^er, p. 277. 



