A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

MS. Broxb. 89.5

Summary Catalogue no.: Not in SC (late accession)

Former shelfmark: Broxbourne ledger no. R 1151

Conradus de Ebraco, Sermones, etc.; Germany (?Cologne), late 14th century (?1396)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Conradus de Ebraco, Sermons
(fol. ir)
Table of contents, listing nine sermons in ink, followed by an added entry in plummet, apparently ‘de recommenda(cione) sac(re) scripture’

Ownership inscriptions (see Provenance)

(fol. i verso) Four-line note quoting Augustine, De opere monachorum, cap. XXV, 33
Incipit: Augustinus, in libro de operibus monachorum, Neque propterea ad pietatem divites humiliantur, ut pauperes ad superbiam extollantur
Explicit: ibi sint rustici delicati.

CPL 305; PL 40, col. 573.

Perhaps by the same hand as the list of contents on the recto

(fols. 1r–6r)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo in adventu Domini
Incipit: ⟨D⟩irigite viam domini. Johannis primo. Abbas et doctor mellifluus beatissimus pater noster Bernhardus destituti hominis
Explicit: et habito in medio vestri etc. et finis huius sermonis.
(fols. 6r–10v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo in adventu Domini
Rubric: Sequitur secundus sermo de adventu domini
Incipit: ⟨I⟩nduimini dominum nostrum Ihesum Christum. Ad Romanos 3º et in epistola diei presentis Bernardus doctor inclitus humani generis nuditatem
Explicit: Cuius dulce nomen sit benedictum in secula seculorum. Amen.
(fols. 10v–14v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo in vigilia natalis Domini
Rubric: Sequitur sermo de vigilia nativitatis Christi
Incipit: ⟨S⟩antificamini cras enim faciet dominus inter vos mirabilia. Josue 3º. Licet magnum pietatis sacramentum quod chorus prophetarum venerandus olim
Explicit: qui est super omnia benedictus in secula seculorum Amen Amen.
(fols. 14v–17r)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo in capite ieiunii
Rubric: Sequitur sermo de die cinerum
Incipit: ⟨F⟩aciem tuam lava. Matthei sexto. Beatissimus pater noster Bernhardus abbas et doctor egregius considerans faciem nostri interioris hominis
Explicit: qui est super omnia benedictus Amen.
(fols. 17r–22v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo in quadragesima
Rubric: Sequitur sermo de die cinerum
Incipit: ⟨U⟩nge capud tuum. Mathei sexto. Sacre scripture appotecam[sic] speciebus aromatum supercelestium ac universi pulveris pingmentarii[sic] copiositate refectam
Explicit: honor et gloria in secula seculorum amen.
(fols. 22v–26r)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo de festo Pasce
Rubric: In die pasche sermo
Incipit: ⟨S⟩itis nova conspersio. Prima ad Karintios 5º. Venerabilis pater noster Bernhardus abbas egregius verba nostri thematis pertractans
Explicit: Qua nobis concedat qui vivit et regnat … Amen. Et sic est finis huius sermonis in dei nomine Amen.
(fols. 26v–29v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo in die Pasce
Rubric: ⟨S⟩ecuntur questiones de resurrectione domini
Incipit: Circa dominice resurreccionis profectum solent moveri questiones videlicet
Explicit: de ascensione allegatur Elige quod placet
Final rubric: Et sic est finis istarum questionum de resurrectione domini.
(fols. 29v–34v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo de ascensione domini
Rubric: \In die ascensione/
Incipit: ⟨A⟩scendit super omnes celos ut adimpleret omnia. Ad Effesios 4º. Beatus Bernardus abbas et doctor egregius considerans huius festivitatis gloriam preclaram
Explicit: vel motus progressivus inquam(?) dicitur asscendit.
(fols. 34v–36r)
Incipit: ⟨C⟩irca hoc occurrunt questiones de asscensione domini. Primo de ipsius potentatu quali vi ascenditur
Explicit: qui est super omnia gloriosus in secula seculorum amen.
(fols. 36r–40v)
Incipit: ⟨I⟩mplemini spiritu sancto. Ad Effesios quinto. Spiritus sanctus qui est lux inobfuscabilis et doctor veritatis et pax inobfuscabilis et doctor veritatis et pax imperturbabilis
Explicit: remedia salutis omnibus qui ab ipsius generacionibus cupiunt adimpleri

Also present in St Florian, Stiftsbibliothek, MS XI 270, dated 1442

(fols. 40v–45v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Collacio ad prelatos et sacerdotes
Incipit: ⟨P⟩erfecti estote ad Korintios ultimo. Reverendi patres ac domini Si mores dignitatibus si virtutes statibus si honoris gradibus rite compensamus
Explicit: Ihesus Christus super omnia benedictus in secula amen.
(fols. 45v–55r)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo ad pastores
Incipit: Sobrii estote et vigilate Primo Petri ultimo. Reverendissimi patres ac domini si figuras vetustatis mente cupiamus, si scripturas veritatis corde revolvamus
Explicit: Ihesus Christus qui est super omnia benedictus in secula seculorum amen.
(fols. 55r–63v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo ad viros ecclesiasticos, clericos, et prelatos
Incipit: ⟨P⟩osui te in lucem gentibus. Hec sunt verba patris luminum Isaye 49º. doctoris gentium et luminis ecclesiarum Actuum 13º. Que licet sint specialiter dicta de filio dei
Explicit: Cuius nos participes efficiat ille Amen
(fols. 63v–70v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Sermo de sancto Thoma de Aquino
Incipit: ⟨H⟩ic est heres. Mathei vicesimo primo. Universitatis rerum ordinem sedula mentis attencione curiosius indaganti
Explicit: Ihesus Christus dei filius qui est super omnia benedictus in secula seculorum amen.
(fols. 70v-87v)
Conradus de Ebraco, Recommendaciones sacre scripture
(fols. 70v–75v)
Incipit: ⟨B⟩aptizabit vos spiritu sancto. Marci primo. Doctor mellifluus ac in divine sapiencie suavitate prefulgidus pater noster Bernhardus
Explicit: Que sunt verba lectionis Apokalipsis primo. Et sic est finis huius sermonis.
(fols. 75v–87v)
Incipit: ⟨F⟩lumen dei repletum est aquis. Psalmo 62º. [recte 64] Arcam sacre scripture multiplici fertilitate fecundam
Explicit: qui vivit et regnat in unitate spiritus sancti deus per omnia secula seculorum amen.
Colophon: Expliciunt sermones domini conradi de ebroco sacre theoloye[sic] professoris Anno Anno[sic] domini mº cccº xviº

A ‘i’ is added before the ‘x’ and a ‘.96.’ added after it, in paler ink, suggesting that the intention was to change ‘x’ to ‘ix’ and thus Roman ‘16’ to ‘96’, i.e. altering 1316 to 1396.

Fols. 88r–93v are unwritten.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper; with narrow parchment MS. reinforcement strips in the center of each quire
Extent: i + 92 + i leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 208 × 150 mm.
Foliation: i, 1–93, in pencil signed and dated by ‘B.C. B[arker]-B[enfield] 23-x-1980’

Collation

1–712, 88; catchwords from quire 5 onwards.

Layout

Ruled in 2 cols., c. 34–42 lines, column space 160–75 × 50 mm.

Hand(s)

Gothic cursive (bastarda), with several changes of script, most strikingly at fol. 2v.

Decoration

Spaces for 2-line initials not filled in.

Binding

Medieval limp parchment binding, with sewing through a rigid tanned leather back plate with two metal bosses, and four holes in a cross or lozenge pattern. (Cf. Szirmai, The archaeology of medieval bookbinding, figs. 10.12, 10.14.)

The front cover inscribed with 15th-century notes on the contents.

The foot of the spine with a 17th(?)-century paper label inscribed ‘38’, and ‘379’ in the 18th/19th-century.

History

Origin: 1396 (?) (Watson, Dated and datable, no. 135) ; German, Cologne (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

Cologne, the Charterhouse of St. Barbara: with their list of contents and ownership inscription: ‘Liber domus sancte Barbare in Colonia ordinis Carthusiensis’ (fol. ir); inscribed in the 16th century ‘Author horum sermonum est Conradus de Ebroco’ (fol. ir); listed as ‘Sermones Conradi de Ebraco’ in their 17th-century inventory (Cologne, Historisches Archiv, Kartäuser, Repertorien und Handschriften 14; see R. B. Marks, The Library of the Charterhouse of St. Barbara in Cologne, Analecta Cartusiana, 21–22 (Salzburg, 1974), II, p. 430, no. 00 138); their MS 379 (cf. spine and inside front cover); the house was suppressed in 1796.

Johann Matthias Heberle, bookseller and auctioneer of Cologne; sold in 1821 as part of a group of about 135 MSS. from St Barbara’s, Cologne, to:

Leander van Ess (1772–1847), of Darmstadt (on whom see Hermann Knaus, ‘Die Handschriften des Leander van Eß’, Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens, 1 (pts. 3/4, 1956), 1958, 331–36, and Milton McC. Gatch, ed., ‘so precious a foundation’: The Library of Leander van Ess at the Burke Library of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, exh. cat. (New York, 1996); MS 77 in his Sammlung und Verzeichniss handschriftlicher Bücher (Darmstadt, 1823); his collection sold en bloc in 1842 to:

Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792–1872), his MS. 462, with this number and his stencilled rampant lion crest (fol. ir); sale at Sotheby’s, Bibliotheca Phillippica, 6 June 1910, and following days, lot 207; bought by Maggs Bros.

Albert Ehrman (1890–1969); with his lozenge-shaped armorial bookplate above his notes in pencil; Broxbourne ledger no. R 1151; inscribed ‘1151’. next to his lozenge-shaped ‘AE’ ink stamp (inside back cover).

Presented to the Bodleian by his son, John Ehrman, in 1978 through the Friends of the National Libraries.

Record Sources

Description by Peter Kidd (April 2021), drawing on the following sources:
A. G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts c.435–1600 in Oxford Libraries (Oxford, 1984), no. 135 [contents, physical description, date, provenance]
Peter Kidd, Checklist of Medieval Western Manuscripts Acquired 1916- (typescript, c. 1996–2000) [provenance]

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2021-04-21: Andrew Dunning Updated Peter Kidd description.