Aelfric, in
the preface to his homilies, adjures the copyist, by our Lord
Jesus Christ and by His glorious coming, to transcribe
correctly. Chaucer, in a well-known verse, expresses his wish
that Adam the scrivener shall copy Boethius and Troilus
"trewe" and not write it "newe."[1] In copying, however,
especially when it is mechanically done, it is almost as
difficult to write "trewe" as it is to write "newe": the imp
of the perverse makes his home at the elbow of the scribe,
ever ready to profit by drowsiness or trifling inattention.
But, as a rule, monkish scribes were exceedingly careful,
and their work was invariably corrected by another hand.
More than this: they endeavoured to get accurate texts to
copy. Lanfranc's care in this respect, and the Grey Friars'
work in compiling correctoria, have already been noted.
Reculfus expected his clergy to have books corrected
and pointed by those in the "holy mother church"; Adam
de Marisco sent a manuscript to be corrected in Paris,
begging to have it back as soon as done;[2] and Servatus
Lupus, the great abbot of Ferrieres, frequently borrowed
from his friends books which he might collate with his own
copies, and rectify errors and insert omissions.
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