Bodleian Library, MSS Bodley 340 and 342

They are particularly notable for containing medieval pen trials by monks from Normandy, Flanders, Germany, and Italy, including the Old Dutch poem known as Hebban olla vogala.

Their later history remains unknown until 1602, when they were given to the Bodleian Library as part of a donation by the member of parliament and administrator Sir Walter Cope.

202v to add a short text on Paulinus of York, whose relics were venerated at Rochester, noting that he wearð þa her bebyrged ("was then buried here").

[4][8] The manuscripts have attracted significant attention due to pen trials and annotations by non-English scribes, which are found mostly on empty spaces on leaves at the back of both volumes (Bodley 340, fol.

[10][11] Bodley 340 famously contains the lyric known as Hebban olla vogala, which was long thought to be the oldest surviving text of Old Dutch following its discovery by Kenneth Sisam in 1932.

[11] The poem reads Hebban olla uogala nestas hagunnan hinase hic enda thu uuat unbidan uue nu ("All birds have begun their nests, except me and you – what are we waiting for now?

"), above which was then added its Latin translation: Abent omnes uolucres nidos inceptos nisi ego et tu quid expectamus nunc.