ABSTRACT
C. A. Martin, in an article discussing Middle English manuals of religious instruction, has proposed a classifying scheme for such manuals based on manuscript contexts. He outlines five types and provides instances of each, depending on whether the manual occurs (1) as the sole or predominant text; or (2) as accompanied by liturgical and homiletic texts; (3) by devotional and moral texts; (4) by meditative texts; or (5) as extracts accompanied by other texts. As an example of the first type he cites Columbia University, Plimpton MS 258, and five other manuscripts. He further characterizes examples of this subtype as didactic codices that “may have been used by priests in catechizing of the faithful” ; one of these codices specifies priests’ obligations to instruct the laity: “eat euerych eat vndyr hym has kepyng of sowlys, opunly on englysch vpon sundays preche and teche ham eat eey haue cure of, ee lawe and ee lore to knowe god almyzty and hys werkys” (289; Lambeth MS 408). Concerning just one of these codices, Plimpton MS 258, Martin adds: “It is possible that a slimmer version of the manual circulated, perhaps in booklet form, and was used by the laity as part of a programme of early religious instruction.” In other words, the Plimpton manuscript may represent a school primer for children. 1
