Honors Students' Abstracts
The Lost Text: A History of The Rych Cheyne
Michael Madrinkian
The Rych Cheyne is an anonymous, 16th century religious manuscript in the William H. Hannon Library. The structure of the work is highly beneficial in better understanding and identifying the themes of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. More importantly, however, the magnitude and skill of its composition is aesthetically breathtaking. The manuscript also presents ripe opportunity for historical scholarship on the period. For my Honors senior thesis, I transcribed the 200-page text from Elizabethan secretary hand and compiled a critical edition of the manuscript. In my transcription, I discovered what might be original translations of the Greek Bible, opening up new avenues in Biblical Studies. This summer, I received funding from the Honors Program and the Hannon Library to pursue my research in England, where I examined manuscripts in an attempt to identify the
Rych Cheyne’s author. My findings abroad have indicated that the author may have been a significant bishop, of whom no publications were previously known to exist. My research was recently noted by the Folger Shakespeare Library, which brought forward a copy of the same manuscript in their collection unknown to the Hannon Library, and has since fostered dialogue between the two institutions. I believe that the implications of my work can make the Hannon Library stand out amongst other major institutions in Southern California and the world. My research also has the potential to change the face of Theological Studies and contribute an entirely new piece of history.