Alexandra's ARIA Project: English Encyclopedism and European Manuscript Culture in the Later Middle Ages
听
My ARIA project involved working with Professor Michael Van Dussen, in the Department of English, to produce an edition of a series of entries concerning Jews in the Liber de veritatibus (Book of Truths) by the Oxford theologian Thomas Gascoigne. The Liber is an extensive Latin-language theological encyclopedia with entries organized in roughly alphabetical order, compiled by Gascoigne in the fifteenth century. To create the edition, Professor Van Dussen and I are using images of the single surviving manuscript (hand-written book) containing the text of the Liber, now held at the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The Liber has never been completely edited before and therefore, our edition will greatly increase access to a reliable and informative version of the section of the text concerning Judei (Jews). Gascoigne鈥檚 text contains one of the most sustained discussions of Jews in England and so our edition will hopefully prove a valuable research tool for scholars and contribute to the understanding of English, Christian attitudes towards Jews following their expulsion from the country in 1290.
Alongside transcribing the text from images of the manuscript into word documents, my ARIA work involved examining Gascoigne鈥檚 references to other theological writers and locating these references in diverse texts. As well as providing valuable insight into historical attitudes towards various theological topics, Gascoigne鈥檚 Liber is heavily autobiographical; he often provides information about his processes of reading and writing, including which books he consulted and where he consulted them. His citations of other works are unusually precise and accurate, and he has often left hand-written notes in the individual manuscripts he consulted. Therefore, by studying the sources that Gascoigne used in the compilation of his Liber, it is possible to gain insight into how late-medieval writers compiled their manuscripts, including the primary sources that were available to them, where these sources could be found, and how they were read.
I was interested in an ARIA project because of my pre-existing interests in Medieval Studies and book history. I am working towards an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in Medieval Studies and, as Professor Van Dussen is my honours thesis supervisor, I was excited to work with him on this project. My ARIA project required me to learn many new skills that will be essential to me in my future endeavours in Medieval Studies. At the beginning of the summer, I took a six-week Latin intensive course to improve my Latin reading skills, enabling me to read Gascoigne鈥檚 text and the other primary sources (also written in Latin) which he cites. Even after the Latin course ended, working on this project has required me to read Latin every day and has, therefore, greatly improved my Latin skills. I also had to learn paleography (the study of medieval handwriting) in order to be able to read the Liber in its original, hand-written book form. This included studying the many abbreviations that medieval scribes used when writing in Latin to conserve time, energy and space on the page. I also had the privilege of learning how to use a variety of online tools and databases to do research using archival resources. All of the skills mentioned above are usually only introduced to students at the graduate level, and so I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn these interesting and valuable skills as an undergraduate.
An unexpected highlight of working on my ARIA project was that I was able to see my skills in paleography and Latin improve each week. I meet with Professor Van Dussen weekly using Zoom to review source study and paleography, and to discuss the project as a whole. Having this opportunity to review my past work and to receive help on challenging sections of the project really sped up my learning process. Having to meet on Zoom instead of in-person, however, was one of the many challenges posed by working during a pandemic. Another challenge that we faced was the lack of regular access to printed resources, such as manuscript catalogues and finding aids, which are usually available only for in-person consultation at the library. Fortunately, this issue was somewhat ameliorated by the increased access to electronic versions of older printed materials provided by the library during this time.
While it was my intention to pursue Medieval Studies in graduate school before starting the ARIA project, this award has given me the chance to get a taste of what it is really like to produce an edition of a manuscript. I have been given a chance to acquire skills at a comparatively early stage in my career, which will prove invaluable in the process of applying to graduate programs. Many thanks to Mrs. Betty Maldoff, Mr. Eric Maldoff, Mr. Gerry Maldoff, and Mrs. Barbara Maldoff for funding my award and providing me with such a rewarding opportunity. I wish you all the best during these unusual times!
