The British Library's Digitised Manuscripts site, launched in September 2010, is now over two years old. You may not have noticed everything that has appeared online so far, so here are our medieval and early modern highlights, in approximate chronological order:

The St Cuthbert Gospel (Add MS 89000)

Add MS 89000, f. 34r

The Lindisfarne Gospels (Cotton MS Nero D IV)

The Old English Hexateuch (Cotton MS Claudius B IV)

The Theodore Psalter (Add MS 19352)

Add MS 19352, f. 57v

Gerald of Wales (Royal MS 13 B VIII)

Matthew Paris, Historia Anglorum and Chronica maiora (Royal MS 14 C VII)

Royal MS 14 C VII, f. 2r

Sumer Is Icumen In (Harley MS 978)

The Gorleston Psalter (Add MS 49622)

The Smithfield Decretals (Royal MS 10 E IV)

The Psalter of Henry VIII (Royal MS 2 A XVI)

Royal MS 2 A XVI, f. 30r

More content is being added on a regular basis, and updates will appear on this blog and via our Twitter feed, @blmedieval. Which highlights would you have chosen?

"Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing cuccu!" (Summer has come in, Loudly sing, Cuckoo!)

One of the world's most famous medieval music manuscripts, Harley 978, is now available in full online on the British Library's Digitised Manuscripts site. Written in 13th-century England, and belonging at one stage to the monks of Reading Abbey, the book in question contains the fables of Marie de France and the poems of Walter Map plus, most importantly to musicologists, the Middle English canon "Sumer is icumen in", written in square notation on a five-line red stave. The manuscript also contains medical texts and recipes and a glossary of herbs, and for that reason was included in our Harley Science Project.

"Sumer is icumen in" is found on f. 11v of Harley MS 978. Here are the lyrics in full with a translation into modern English.

 

Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Groweþ sed and bloweþ med

And springþ þe wde nu,
Sing cuccu!
Awe bleteþ after lomb,
Lhouþ after calue cu.
Bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ,
Murie sing cuccu!
Cuccu, cuccu, wel singes þu cuccu;

Ne swik þu nauer nu.
Pes:

Sing cuccu nu. Sing cuccu.
Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu nu!

 

Summer has come in,
Loudly sing, Cuckoo!
The seed grows and the meadow blooms
And the wood springs anew,
Sing, Cuckoo!
The ewe bleats after the lamb
The cow lows after the calf.
The bullock stirs, the stag farts,
Merrily sing, Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing, cuckoo;
Don't ever you stop now,

Sing cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo.
Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now!

 

Did you know that the British Library has its own e-journal, which regularly publishes articles relating to medieval and early modern manuscripts? The Electronic British Library Journal (eBLJ for short) has been in existence since 2002, and to date it's published more than 20 articles on pre-modern manuscript culture, ranging from Greek gospel-books and Anglo-Saxon prayerbooks to the collecting activities of 17th- and 18th-century antiquaries.

A page from an illustrated pharmacopoeial compilation, discussed in Laura Nuvoloni's article "The Harleian medical manuscripts" (London, British Library, MS Harley 1585, f. 48v).

A full list of these articles is given below. We'd like to draw your attention to two particular groups of items on a specific theme, both of which originated from projects at the British Library. In 2008 the Electronic British Library Journal published four articles by Laura Nuvoloni and others, relating to medical manuscripts in the Harley collection; and in 2011 the same journal published a further eleven articles on various aspects of the Harley collection, following a highly successful conference on the same subject.

A page from the Splendor Solis, discussed by Jörg Völlnagel in eBLJ 11, article 8 (London, British Library, MS Harley 3469, f. 18r).

If you wish to consider writing an article for the Electronic British Library Journal, please see the notes for contributors.

Julian Harrison, The English reception of Hugh of Saint-Victor's Chronicle (2002, article 1)

Barbara Raw, A new parallel to the prayer "De tenebris" in the Book of Nunnaminster (2004, article 1)

H. R. Woudhuysen, Writing-tables and table-books (2004, article 3)

Eileen A. Joy, Thomas Smith, Humfrey Wanley, and the "little-known country" of the Cotton library (2005, article 1)

Peter Kidd, A Franciscan Bible illuminated in the style of William de Brailes (2007, article 8)

Judith Collard, Effigies ad regem Angliae and the representation of kingship in thirteenth-century English royal culture (2007, article 9)

Constant J. Mews and others, Guy of Saint-Denis and the compilation of texts about music in Harley MS 281 (2008, article 6)

Laura Nuvoloni, The Harleian medical manuscripts (2008, article 7)

Peter Murray Jones, Witnesses to medieval medical practice in the Harley collection (2008, article 8)

Klaus-Dietrich Fischer, A mirror for deaf ears? A medieval mystery (2008, article 9)

Linda Ehrsam Voigts, Complementary witnesses to Ralph Hoby's 1437 treatise on astronomical medicine (2008, article 10)

Peter Kidd, Codicological clues to the patronage of Stowe MS. 39 (2009, article 5)

Pamela Porter, A fresh look at Harley MS. 1413: "A book ... fairly written in the German or Switz language" (2009, article 10)

John Spence, A lost manuscript of the "Rymes of [...] Randolf Erl of Chestre" (2010, article 6)

Antonia Fitzpatrick, A unique insight into the career of a Cistercian monk at the University of Oxford (2010, article 13)

Frances Harris, The Harleys as collectors (2011, article 1)

Deirdre Jackson, Humfrey Wanley and the Harley collection (2011, article 2)

Maud Pérez-Simon, Aesthetics and meaning in the images of the Roman d'Alexandre en prose (2011, article 3)

Sarah Pittaway, Visual rhetoric and Yorkist propaganda in Lydgate's Fall of Princes (2011, article 4)

Kathryn M. Rudy, Kissing images, unfurling rolls, measuring wounds, sewing badges and carrying talismans (2011, article 5)

Hanno Wijsman, Good morals for a couple at the Burgundian court (2011, article 6)

Anne D. Hedeman, Advising France through the example of England (2011, article 7)

Jörg Völlnagel, Splendor Solis or Splendour of the Sun -- a German alchemical manuscript (2011, article 8)

Alison Tara Walker, The Westminster Tournament Challenge and Thomas Wriothesley's workshop (2011, article 9)

Catherine Yvard, The metamorphoses of a late fifteenth-century Psalter (2011, article 10)

Francesca Manzari, Harley MS. 2979 and the Books of Hours produced in Avignon by the workshop of Jean de Toulouse (2011, article 11)

Mika Takiguchi, Some Greek Gospel manuscripts in the British Library (2011, article 13) 

We are very pleased to tell all our readers about an upcoming special concert by the noted choral ensemble The Sixteen, who will perform at the British Library on 10 February. The Sixteen, led by their conductor and founder Harry Christophers, have been recording and performing worldwide for more than thirty-two years, and they are particularly noted for their interpretations of early English polyphony and other masterpieces of the medieval and Renaissance periods. 

The event on 10 February will include the opportunity for an after-hours visit to our exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination, which has inspired The Sixteen's new CD, 'The Genius of Illumination.'  Following this, the ensemble will present a programme of late medieval music entitled 'Musical Illuminations', which will include pieces by William Cornysh, Robert Davy, and even King Henry VIII himself.  A download of the full programme, including texts and translations, is available here.

This concert has unfortunately already sold out, but those who are unable to come to the performance can buy the CD in the British Library shop or online here.

Those who are fortunate enough to have tickets should be aware that the concert will be held in the Entrance Hall of the British Library (rather than the Conference Centre, where events are usually  hosted).  This will be an unseated performance; doors will open at 19.30 and time will be allowed to visit the Royal exhibition.  The Sixteen will perform from 20.30 until 21.20. 

On a related note, there are only about 6 weeks remaining to see the exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination, which will close on 11 March.  Last weekend saw record numbers of visitors, and we expect it to be even busier in the final days, so please plan your visit accordingly!

You can also now follow us on Twitter:  @blmedieval

From now until March 2012, the British Library is hosting a series of events to celebrate our exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination. You can see the full list and make your bookings here.

SOLD OUT 12 December The Story of a Book Television presenter Michael Wood tells the story of one manuscript's journey from France to Italy and Anglo-Saxon England. Please note: this event is already sold out.

12-13 December Royal Manuscripts Conference An international conference featuring 18 speakers over 2 days, offering fresh insights into some of the manuscripts displayed in the exhibition. 

SOLD OUT 13 December The English Castle Expert John Goodall narrates the history of the use and development of castles in medieval England. Please note: this event is already sold out.

16 December The King of Beasts Author and researcher Deirdre Jackson presents a lavishly illustrated talk on the lion, a symbol of royalty for millennia.

9 January The Death of King Arthur Join acclaimed poet Simon Armitage as he reads from his new translation of The Alliterative Morte Arthure, in discussion with Erica Wagner, Literary Editor, The Times.

13 January Sacred Monarchy in Medieval England Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, considers the nature of medieval holy kingship and its implications for the sixteenth-century Reformation of the Church.

20 January Royal Manuscripts: The Making of an Exhibition Curators Scot McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle discuss their experiences of mounting this major exhibition. Please note: this event is free of charge.

20 January Monarchs and their Books A rare opportunity to visit the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, and to visit the Royal bindery, where the sovereign's books have been repaired for many centuries. Please note: this event should be booked directly via Windsor Castle, where it takes place.

30 January Towton 1461 and the Destruction of Medieval Kingship George Goodwin, author of Fatal Colours: Towton 1461, charts Henry VI's tragic reign, culminating in medieval England's most brutal battle.

3 February Sublime Words, Ridiculous Images During the Middle Ages books containing sacred texts often featured playful and shocking images, as Alixe Bovey explains.

10 February The Royal Library: Old and New Discover the stories of the royal libraries now housed at the British Library and Windsor Castle, in conjunction with Kathleen Doyle, John Goldfinch and Jane Roberts.

10 February The Sixteen: Musical Illuminations Internationally-renowned choir The Sixteen, led by their founder and conductor Harry Christophers, present a programme of late medieval music, including pieces by King Henry VIII. Please note: this will be an unseated performance.

17 February Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination Study Day A day of fascinating talks and workshops related to the exhibition, including a demonstration by Patricia Lovett of how to make a medieval manuscript. Please note: includes entry to the exhibition.

2 March Late at The British Library: Illuminate! A late event showcasing graphic novelists, cartoonists, children's books illustrators, calligraphers and contemporary illuminators, with a bar, DJs and VJs.

9 March New Learning Out of Old Books: Henry VIII and the Invention of the Royal Library Celebrated historian David Starkey explains how Henry VIII turned the Royal collection into a working library, laying the foundations for a national book repository.