ABSTRACT
Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 322 contains a nearly complete text of the Old English translation of Pope Gregory the Great’s Dialogues, a translation attributed to Bishop Waeferth of Worcester, who, according to Alfred’s biographer, translated it at the behest of the king as part of his famous programme of translation and education. This chapter explores how digital surrogates influence our understanding of material objects, book history, and textual transmission. It outlines some of the benefits of digital surrogates like Parker 2.0 for editors of texts. The bulk of the chapter consists of one focused case study of such a benefit: how the resources available in Parker 2.0 might help us come closer to the answer to two of the most pressing questions surrounding CCCC 322 and indeed Waeferth’s translation of Gregory’s Dialogues: where and when was the manuscript written? The chapter broadens the conversation to consider some ways in which Parker 2.0 can help us think through manuscript design.
