The Tenth Method: Annotation, and the Glosses

On Annotation — The Tenth Method

Annotations — which the Greeks call Σημειώσεις [semeioseis], σχόλια [scholia], and Γλώσσας [glossas]; we may call them Annotamenta, Vacationes, Excerpta, or Lingulae [little tongues] ¹ — are those by which, whenever there is no leisure for composing complete commentaries, we illustrate the holy letters here and there, scattered, with brief little interpretations — as with little stars, little tongues, and certain points — annotating only those things which seem either more obscure or more notable. In this labor, most famous among the Greeks was Apollinarius; among the Latins, Hugh of St. Victor, and Anselm of Laon, the author of the Gloss which is called the Interlinear. ²

Now among the glossators there are two varieties of Glosses, ³ which differ among themselves by no other reason than the site and position of the writing. Of these, the one, which is placed around the margins of the sacred context, they call extrinsic, or marginal; the other, intrinsic, or interlinear — because it is fitted within the enclosure of the lines, written in smaller letters. Of both, these are examples: in which the little alphabetic marks, interposed among the words, show the places of the annotations corresponding to the places of the sacred context.

An Example of the Marginal Gloss on Psalm 116

(the superscript letters key each word to its annotation below)

ᵃAlleluia. Praise ᵇthe Lord, all nations, ᶜpraise him, ᵈall peoples. For confirmed over us is ᵉhis mercy, ᶠand the truth of the Lord remains for ever.

Marginal Annotations

• ᵃ Although this psalm is now, in the codices of the Hebrews, ἀνεπίγραφος [anepigraphos] — that is, destitute of a title — yet in the Greek copies, and in the Latin edition of Jerome, the title Alleluia is prefixed; from which title it is gathered that the psalm is ἐπαινετικὸν [epainetikon, laudatory], and contains praises and thanksgivings. ⁴
• ᵇ With the heart, with the mouth, with work.
• ᶜ He puts the Gentiles before the Jews, because few of the Jews believed, [but] many of the Gentiles. ⁵
• ᵈ By “peoples” he understands the Jews; or, under other words, he repeats the same sentence — redoubling the word of praise, and intending [it] more and more.
• ᵉ [It is] the grace of human redemption.
• ᶠ The truth, I say, of the Gospel given through Christ; for the law contained not the truth, but the shadow of the truth: for grace, says John, and truth came through Christ. [continues p180]

## An Example of the Interlinear Gloss, from Anselm of Laon — on Psalm 116

(the interlined letters, set above the words, key each word to the little gloss written beneath it)

Praise the Lord, all ᵃnations: praise ᵇhim.

ᵃ the Gentiles. ᵇ others also, and praise him together.

All ᵃpeoples. ᵇFor ᶜconfirmed is

ᵃ the Jews. ᵇ for this cause. ᶜ the Holy Spirit being given, while the enemies yield to the Name, on account of which we are set free.

Over us ᵃhis mercy: and the ᵇtruth of the ᶜLord

ᵃ the restoration of man, mercifully granted. ᵇ Christ’s. ᶜ Christ, who is the truth of the Father.

ᵃremains for ever.

ᵃ otherwise: “unto age of age.”