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Clermont Manuscript

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Clermont (Tonnerre), Francois de (2)

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(CODEX CLAROMONTINUS, known as Cod. D of the Pauline Epistles, No. 107 of the Imperial Library at Paris), an uncial MS., with the Greek and Latin on opposite pages, containing Paul's fourteen epistles, with a few hiatus, most of which have been supplied at various dates. The Epistle to the Colossians stands before that to the Philippians, and Hebrews after the Pastoral Epistles. The MS. is stichometrically arranged, with twenty-one lines on almost every page. The citations from the O.T. are written in red, except in Hebrews. It seems to belong to the sixth century. It probably came from a Latin scribe, with a Greek copy. The original writer made several alterations, then the whole of the Greek text was ‘ corrected (apparently in the seventh century) by the first reviser. Two others (in different handwriting) made a few changes, one of them only in the Greek text. But the fourth corrector went over the whole text, adding the breathings and accents, and erasing whatever displeased him. Besides these there are occasional alterations and restorations by later hands.

Beza says that he procured this MS. from Clermont, in the diocese of Beauvais (whence its name), a statement which Wetstein unnecessarily impugns. After Beza's death, it passed into the library of the brothers Jacques and Pierre du Puy, the former of whom being librarian to the king of France, and dying in 1656, it was purchased and deposited in the Royal Library at Paris. In the early part of the eighteenth century, 35 leaves were cut out of this MS. by John Aymon, an apostate priest, who sold one of them to Stosch in Holland, and the others fell into the hands of the bibliographical Earl of Oxford. Both these purchasers, on learning the theft, restored the leaves to their proper place.

Beza made some use of this document; Walton's Polyglott inserted 2245 readings sent by the Du Puys to Usher (Mill, N.T. proleg. § 1284); Wetstein collated it twice (1715-16); Tregelles examined it in 1849; and Tischendorf published the text entire in 1852. It is one of the most valuable in sacred criticism. — Scrivener, Introd. to N.T. p. 130 sq. (See MANUSCRIPTS, BIBLICAL).