A medieval manuscript - an incriminating stain - and a heart-felt curse -
(© Cologne, Historisches Archiv, G.B. quarto, 249, fol. 68r)
Hic non defectus est, sed cattus minxit desuper nocte quadam. Confundatur pessimus cattus qui minxit super librum istum in nocte Daventrie, et consimiliter omnes alii propter illum. Et cavendum valde ne permittantur libri aperti per noctem ubi cattie venire possunt.
Here is nothing missing, but a cat urinated on this during a certain night. Cursed be the pesty cat that urinated over this book during the night in Deventer and because of it many others [other cats] too. And beware well not to leave open books at night where cats can come.
Don't get me wrong - my cat would never do such a thing! But there are plenty of other people and things in this life that have just the same effect on our hard-scribed words - unkind reviews, discouraging sale numbers, lukewarm publishers, absences on bookshop shelves* - hell, I've been known to pee on my stuff all by myself! (We're talking metaphorically here, right?) But, after the finger-pointing and the cursing, what did the monk do next? He turned the page, and he carried on.
And that's the moral of the story. Though the smell of pee may remain for days (and days and days and days), there's another page waiting.
Onwards!**
* Or a pandemic puts the world into lockdown.
** A cry for then, and a cry for now.
** A cry for then, and a cry for now.
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4 comments:
This story about the monk's cat-spoiled manuscript was such a brilliant discovery, Joan, that it's a delight to see it on ABBA again.
To see the words, not smell the damp pages, mind.
Pushing a clear but imagined whiff from my nostrils as hard as I can.
Yes, onwards.
Thanks, Penny - and thanks for the Onwards cry, which I learned from you!
I love this so much - and it wasn't even just one cat - others came too! This is very timely! I hope you are staying safe and well.
Yes, ticking over, and hope you are as well.
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