Philoxenus, Ascetic Discourses (1894) pp.lxvi-lxxiii. The Manuscripts of the Discourses of Philoxenus

THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE DISCOURSES OF PHILOXENUS.

The text of the Discourses of Philoxenus on Christian Life and Character as contained in Volume 1 is edited from eight MSS. preserved in the British Museum; they are indicated by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H respectively. The MS. A, numbered Add. 14,598 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., 731. col. 1 f) contains the whole thirteen Discourses of Philoxenus. It is made up of parts of two manuscripts. The first part consists of 152 vellum leaves measuring 9⁷|₈x 6¹|₂ in., and the second of 196 leaves; the first part is written in a good |lxvii hand of the VIIth century, and the second in a clear, bold hand of the IXth century. In each part there are two columns to a page, but in the former there are 31 lines in the column, and in the latter 36. The leaves of the first part were numbered with roughly written Coptic letters some centuries after they were written; in many places throughout the MS. the leather is becoming gelatinized. The headings and colophons of the discourses are written in red. From many of the leaves the ink on one side is rubbed off, and nothing but the scratch of the pen remains to shew where the writing has been. Quotations are indicated by marks on the margin which serve the purpose of inverted commas in modern books, and the source, or author, or subject of the quotation is often noted on the side of the column wherein it occurs; e. g., nwYlGNw) (fol. 5b), [Syriac] (fol. 18b), [Syriac] (fol. 21b), [Syriac] (fol. 22a), (fol. 35a),[Syriac] (fol. 35b),[Syriac] (fol. 35b), [Syriac] (fol. 41b), [Syriac] (fol. 43a), [Syriac] (fol.43b), [Syriac] (fol. 44a), [Syriac] (fol. 50b), [Syriac] (fol. 55b), [Syriac] (fol. 40a), [Syriac] (fol. 88b), [Syriac] (fol. 90b), [Syriac] (fol. 32b). In several places (e. g., foll. 103b, 106b, 107b, 110b, 118b) throughout the MS. the word LKtS) is written. On fol. 13a is written: [Syriac] and on fol. 190; we find the words [Syriac], and on fol. 105a [Syriac]. In many places portions of sentences and remarks by readers are written, e. g., [Syriac] (fol. 51a); [Syriac] (fol. 67a); [Syriac] (fol. 77b); |lxviii [Syriac] (fol. 81b); [Syriac] (fol. 96a) [Syriac] (fol. 96b). On fol. 227b there is a small design in outline, and on fol. 321a, a drawing of a man in black and red. In the first portion of the MS. the running title of the Discourses is [Syriac] and in the second either this or [Syriac] (fol. 205a).

On fol. 239b is a note by David of Mar'ash, who informs us that he has read the book, and who prays that Christ may forgive the sins of anyone who shall pray for him [Syriac] and on fol. 250a is added [Syriac] "May God shew compassion on every one who readeth".

On fol. 183a, written between the end of the Xth Discourse of Philoxenus and the beginning of the XIth, is the [Syriac] or "Revelation" of Gregory Thaumaturgus,¹ which reads: ---- [Syriac] |lxix "[There is] one God, the Father of the Living Word, and of the Wisdom which subsisteth, and of His Power and of His Image, Perfect One, the begetter of a Perfect One, and Father of the only-begotten Son. And [there is] One Lord, One Who [sprang] from One, God of God, the Image and Form of Godhead; the Living Word, the Wisdom which is the sustainer of all, and the Power and Creator of all Creation; true Son of the true One, Invisible of Invisible, Incorruptible of Incorruptible, Immortal of Immortal, and Eternal of Eternal. And [there is] one Holy Spirit, Who is of God, and Who is revealed, that is, to mankind, through the Son, perfect Image of the Son, perfect Life which is the Cause of life, the holy One, the Giver of holiness, through Whom is made known God the Father, Who is over all and in all; and God the Son, Who is through all. A perfect Trinity undivided and not alien in glory, or eternity, or royalty. There is then nothing which hath been created or which hath been made subject in the Trinity; and likewise there is nothing which hath been added newly thereunto, which as if not having existed formerly |lxx was added afterwards. Never at any time was the Father without the Son, nor the Son without the Spirit, but the Trinity existeth everlastingly unchangeable and unalterable".

The Discourses of Philoxenus end on fol. 273a, col. 1.² 

The MS. B, numbered Add. 14,595 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 530, col. 1) contains the last six of the Discourses. It consists of 184 vellum leaves measuring 10¹|₂ X 6 ¹|₂ in., and each page is divided into two columns of from 30 - 37 lines. The MS. is written in a good hand of the VIth century. The last words of the last Discourse are written incompletely, in a late hand, at the foot of fol. 184b.

The MS. C, numbered Add. 12,163 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 529, col. 1) contains the first nine of the Discourses. It consists of 126 vellum leaves measuring 9⁷|₈ x 6¹|₄ in., and each page is divided into two columns of from 36 - 38 lines. The MS. is written in a good hand of the VIth century. The colophon reads: [Syriac]

The MS. D, numbered Add. 17,153 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 531, col. 1) contains the first nine of the Discourses. It consists of 99 vellum leaves measuring 10 1/2 x 6¹|2 in., and each page is divided into two columns of from 34 - 41 lines. The greater part of the MS. is written in a good, bold hand of the VIth century, upon the fine skin which is characteristic of the period, but two quires (foll. 1 - 9, and 40 - 49) are written on thin, poor skin in a hand of the IXth |lxxi century. Here and there passages have been retouched, probably by the same hand. The titles are in red, and quotations are indicated by marks on the margin. The running title is [Syriac] When complete the MS. probably contained the whole thirteen Discourses.

The MS. E, numbered Add. 14,596 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 531, col. 2) contains the 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Discourses; all are imperfect. It consists of 103 vellum leaves measuring 10 x 6¹|₂ in., and each page is divided into two columns of from 40 - 45 lines. The MS. was written by two scribes, the work of the first being foll. 1 - 43, and that of the second foil. 44 ---- 103. The running title is [Syriac], at the foot on fol. 59b is a rectangular, interlaced design coloured red and green. The MS. is written in a good hand of the VIth or VIIth century, and when complete contained the whole thirteen Discourses.

The MS. F, numbered Add. 14,625 (see Wright, Cat: Syr. MSS., p. 532, col. 1) contains the 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th Discourses complete, and parts of the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 12th and 13th Discourses. It consists of 144 vellum leaves measuring 11⁵|₈ x 9 in., and each page is divided into two columns of from 30 - 34 lines; the MS. is written in a good hand of the Xth or XIth century. The titles of the Discourses are enclosed in rectangular coloured borders of interlaced work, and the first and last leaf of each quire are ornamented with coloured designs somewhat similar to those found in Coptic MSS. of the Xth century. The MS. was, no doubt, written in Egypt, and the original from which the scribe copied must have been a very good MS. |lxxii 

The MS. G, numbered Add. 14,601 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 790, col. 2), contains the 12th Discourse (fol. 105b), and is written in a good hand of the IXth century. It consists of 182 vellum leaves measuring 12³|₄ x 9¹|₂ in., and each page is divided into two columns of from 38-50 lines.

The MS. H, numbered Add. 14,621 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 756, col. 2), contains the 9th and 11 th Discourses, both of which are, however, imperfect at the beginning. It consists of 172 vellum leaves measuring 11 x 7 ¹|₂ in., and each page is divided into two columns of from 32-38 lines; the name of the scribe was George, and he finished his work A. Gr. 1113 = A. D. 802 (see fol. 171b).

A copy of the 8th Discourse is found in Add. 14,611 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 826, col. 1), which we may attribute to the Xth century, and an imperfect. VIIIth century copy of the 13th Discourse exists in Add. 12,170 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 747, col. 1).

An extract from the 7th Discourse is found in Add. 14,612 (VIth or VIIth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 699, col. 1); an extract from the 8th Discourse is found in Add. 12,170 (VIIIth or IXth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 747, col. i); extracts from the 9th Discourse are found in Add. 14,577 (IXth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 785, col. 1) and in Add. 17,185 (Xth or XIth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 838, col. 1); an extract from the 11th Discourse is found in Add. 17,185 (see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 838, col. 1); an extract from the 12th Discourse is found in Add. 14,582 (dated A. Gr. 1127 = A.D. 816, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 694, col. 2) ; and extracts from the 13th Discourse are found in Add. 17,185 |lxxiii (Xth or XIth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 838, col. 1), Add. 14,522 (Xth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 831, col. 2), Add. 14,614 (XIth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 832, col. 2), and Add. 14,728 (XIIIth century, see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 884, col. 1).

[Footnotes renumbered and placed at the end]

1. ¹ Born at Neocaesarea about A. D. 210.

2. ¹ For the other contents of the MS. A. see Wright, Cat. Syr. MSS., p. 732.

This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, Ipswich, UK, 2003.  All material on this page is in the public domain - copy freely.

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