Gregory I, Dialogues and Commentary on Canticles; Life of St Gangulphus (anon.)

Germany?, 1331

Parchment

i, 163, i' leaves

290 × 205–215 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1vb–107rb) Gregory I, Dialogues

Rubric: Incipiunt capitula libri primi

Incipit: De honorato abbate monasterii fundensis

Explicit: quia salutari hostia post mortem non indigebimus si ante mortem deo hostia ipsi fuerimus

Final rubric: Explicit liber quartus dyalogorum beati gregorii pape et scriptus in honore beate et gloriose semper virginis marie

Note: f. 1v: on the left side in red ink by the scribe a table of contents. Books 1, 2 and 4 are introduced by a list of chapters.

Edition: de Vogüé (1978-1980).

1.1 (ff. 2ra–20vb) Book 1

1.2 (ff. 20vb–41vb) Book 2

1.3 (ff. 41vb–73vb) Book 3

1.4 (ff. 73vb–107rb) Book 4

2 (ff. 107rb–115va) Life of St Gangulphus

Rubric: Incipit uita et passio sancti gengolfi martiris preciosi

Incipit: Humane uanitatis laudes lugubresque triumphi quibus presumptuose narratur

Explicit: se\d/ miram ineffabilemque dei karitatem meritis sui gengolfi queramus uidere

Final rubric: Explicit vita et passio beati gengolfi martiris preciosi

3 (ff. 115va–162vb) Gregory I, Commentary on Canticles

Rubric: Incipit exposicio super cantica canticorum ex cedis beati gregorii pape

Incipit: POstquam a paradysi gaudiis expulsum est genus humanum

Explicit: Qui uiuit et r\e/gnat cum cum deo patre in unitate spiritus sancti deus per infinita secula seculorum AmeN

Final rubric: Explicit exposicio super cantica canticorum ex cedis beati gregorii pape

Colophon: f. 162vAnno domini m^o c^oc^oc^o xxx^oi comparatus fuit hic liber sub domino hermanno abbate

Edition: PL, vol. 79, cols. 471–547.

Physical Description

Secundo folio

Quadam namque die

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: LCI, f. SL1, SR1, RCI

Support: Paper

Leaf dimensions: 290 × 205 mm

Watermark 1

LCI–SL1,

Motif: Beehive TUMBA

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1–162

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 290 × 215 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil. Error in foliation: f. 1-141, 141a, 142-162.

Running titles in red ink.

Collation

Formula: 1-6(10), 7(4), 8-16(10), 17(8+1)

Note: VisColl collation.

Catchwords: Catchwords at the end of each quire, although many lost due to trimming.

Condition

Textblock

Parchment worn, dirty, and wrinkled in many places. A few holes and missing corners throughout, no loss of text. f. 1r: a dark border along the edges, which may indicate this leaf was previously a pastedown. There is also a visible offprint at the very top of the leaf.

Layout

Columns: 2

Ruled lines: 30

Written area: 210 × 150 mm

Note: Guidelines and ruling in ink.

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

Textualis.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Centre page: National Library stamp.

(f. SL1r) Top of page, in brown ink by a modern hand: ‘Gregorii Papae Dyalogorum Libri IV. Vita et Passio sancti Gengolfi martyris. Gregorii Papae Exposicio super Cantica Canticorum.’; below the same hand: ‘MS de anno mcccxxxi’; bottom of page: National Library stamp.

(RCI) Centre page: National Library stamp.

Textblock

(f. 1r) Top of page, in black ink: ‘Dis buiech gehoret in die cantzlei’; multiple places across the page, in brown ink by a medieval hand: a table of contents and pen trials (pater noster); bottom part of page: glued-on label from spine: ‘N^o 55 Vita et Passio beati Gengolfi’; National Library stamp.

(f. 1v) Centre page, in ink: pen trials and a few lines of text which has been erased.

(ff. 2r–162v) Marginal additions by several medieval hands. The additions consist of short corrections, but also of longer additions with signes-de-renvoi, e.g. on (f. 8v). In the Dialogues there are also modern additions in pencil, which consist of references to an edition.

(f. 60r) Marginal addition in another language. The addition is either faded or partially erased.

(f. 115va) Part of a rubric has been erased.

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in brown ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red.

Initials:

f. 2ra, 21rb, 41vb, 74ra, 107rb, 115va: The individual books of the Dialogues and the two other texts are opened with plain initials with reserved interior space and some embelishment over 5-7 lines in red. The initials are partially outlined in brown ink. The enclosed spaces are filled with acanthus leaves and geometric shapes in brown ink with red details. The commentary on Canticles also contains two smaller versions of these initials on (f. 119ra) and (f. 157rb).

(ff. 2vb–162vb): paragraphs and some sentences opened with plain initials over 1-2 lines in red.

Binding

Description:

Late medieval or early modern binding. Dark brown leather over wooden boards. 4 double raised bands and endbands. Originally two hooked clasps. LCO, upper part of cover in black ink by a medieval hand what appears to be the same text as on f. 1r, but difficult to read. Spine, stamped in gold: ‘A 155’.

Binding dimensions: 310 × 230 × 65 mm

Tooling:

Complex blind tooled and stamped decoration consisting of panels filled with foliate motifs.

Condition: Leather heavily worn. Clasps missing. The board on the back cover appears cracked. Newer leather on spine, but this leather is also worn and the spine cracked.

Contemporary: No

History

Origin

Germany?, 1331, see colophon on f. 162v,

Provenance

Early provenance unknown. A note in German on the LCO (and the same on f. 1r) mentions that the manuscript is the property of the ‘cantzlei’ (chancery). This places the manuscript in the German realm, but unclear where.

Acquisition

Possibly spoils of war or purchased by Queen Christina. Listed in Vossius's catalogue of 1651 (U 212:1, p. 54).The label attached to f. 1r refers to the catalogue of 1734 (U 125e) where it is listed as:‘ Theol. in fol. no 55’.