I’ve taken the plunge and written to Lincoln Cathedral Library today, to ask if I can get photographs of the Latin text of Folcard’s “Life of St Botulf”, as contained in their manuscript 7.
Pleasingly, they have an online catalogue, which is very detailed. From it I see the following details:
38. Sancti Botulphi abbatis. Beatus pater Botulphus diuina reseruatus pietate . . . in eodem quod construxerat monasterio xv. kal. Iulii ubi eodem interueniente multa gloriosa fiunt miracula, ad laudem et gloriam omnipotentis Dei, qui… Ff.82-83. 3 lessons. 17 June. BHL 1428 (Folcard, Vita Botulphi 4-11; AS Iun. III, pp.402-403). F.83v blank.
That’s undoubtedly our text, although the opening is different. It must be an abbreviated version of the text, to only take up three pages – folios 82r-83r, in fact.
We have so many manuscripts online these days, that it has been a long time since I went out on the road with my camera. I hunted out a PDF of the letter of introduction that I used to use. I wonder if I still have the weighted “snakes” that I used to hold down the pages?
Smartphones make such a difference tho. I remember photographing an early edition at Norwich Cathedral Library, rather a lot of years ago, with a film camera. When the photos came back, they all had an unexpected blue tinge from the adjacent window!
But of course they may not allow me to do anything so simple. If it’s going to cost a lot of money, I will do without. But I have hopes!
It will be quite a journey to make, but fun to do, if it happens.