Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1961, Síða 97

77
of the miracles of Our Lady which had a universal farne, as e.g.
tlie Theophilus anecdote. Certain affinities between the Icelandic
versions and an English tradition will be mentioned below.
Unger edited the anecdote from a number of MSS, which he
used in a rather complicated way. The first part of the miracle is
edited from a paper MS (called D) AM 634,4°, p. 481 ff., with
variant readings from a MS on vellum (called E) Holm 1,4°, written
in the first half of the 15th century, while the latter part of the
story (the edition p. 7961-8005) is edited from a fragment on
vellum AM 240fol. IX (written in the second half of the 14th
century) with variant readings from D and E.
An investigation of the textual relationship between the MSS
shows that AM 1804, fol. very often follows E, where the readings
of this MS differ from D. However, AM 180d,fol. does not follow E,
consequently, in the latter part of the story we find instances
where AM 180d,fol. differs from E, and follows D (e.g. 798, note 6,
796, n. 11). In a very few cases AM 180d,fol. differs from both D
and E, and follows the readings of AM 240, fol. IX (e.g. 798,
note 4 and 14, 799, note 1, 3, and 15).
The investigation suggests that the MSS should be divided into
two groups, one represented by D, E, and AM 180d,fol., the other
by AM 240, fol. IX. D, E, and AM 180d, fol. are not dependant
on AM 240, fol. IX, and the MS from which they ultimately derive
was no doubt of considerable antiquity, going back at all events
to the beginning of the 14th century.
The story tells us of a certain Vallterus, a Cistercian monk, who
became a Benedictine (with the approval of bishop Henry of Win-
chester), and was later on elected abbot of the Benedictine monas-
tery of Tavistock, Devonshire, in the diocese of Exeter. His life
was by no means a saintly one, and soon songs describing it could
be heard all over England. In spite of his vices he never forgot to
praise the name of the Blessed Virgin, and whenever he heard her
name he looked towards Heaven and sighed. On the third day
before his death (on a Thursday) he lost consciousness, and had
a vision of Christ on the Cross, and on his right his mother sur-
rounded by angels, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, con-
fessors, and virgins. To the left of Christ he saw a host of evil