MS. Canon. Misc. 278
Summary Catalogue no.: 19754
Contents
Composite manuscript, containing collections of Middle Dutch, Latin and Middle French texts
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: parchment, paper
iii + 176 (16 + 80 + 32 + 48) + ii
Dimensions (leaf): 200 × 135 mm.
Foliation: The 18th-century foliation in ink at the bottom of each recto begins with 1 on fol. iii, so that fol. 1 is foliated as fol. 2, but subsequently skips over fol. 5 and is therefore largely accurate. The pencil foliation in the upper right-hand corner of each recto also begins on fol. iii and skips over blank leaves.
Binding
18th-century binding, made in Venice for the library of Giacomo Soranzo (Kienhorst 1999, 60).
History
Origin: 1467 × 1500
Provenance and Acquisition
Bernardo Trevisan, 1652–1720: fol. iii, added in the 18th century for Trevisan's library, gives an incomplete list of contents (Kienhorst 1999, 59–60).
Matteo Luigi Canonici, 1727–1805
Purchased by the Bodleian in 1817.
MS. Canon. Misc. 278 – Part 1 (fols 1–16)
Contents
Language(s): Middle Dutch
1. (fols 1–2r)
Travel description from Bruges to Venice and Rome via Germany Incipit: Dit es den weeg van brughe te veneghen duer duytsland
Explicit: Dit es den weeg te Rome waert
Colophon: yhesu anno 1468 agapiti in brugghe
Edited in Kienhorst 1999. Fols 2v–4v blank.
2. (fol. 5)
Notes for pilgrims to the Holy Land (incomplete) Incipit: Ghij sult weten dit zin die heyleghe steden die men siet Int heyleghe lant
Colophon: Ihesu anno 1470 inden 9 augusto ghescreuen te Iaffa te onzer zielen salicheyt
Edited in Kienhorst 1999. Fols 6–16 blank.
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: paper, watermark (visible on the blank fol. 12): scales, in a circle (Briquet no. 2488)
Extent: 16 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 200 × 135 mm.
Collation
I(16).
Layout
21–30 long lines, unruled.
Hand(s)
Littera cursiva. A first hand is responsible for fols 1–2r; what appears to be a second hand is responsible for fol. 5.
Additions: The year ‘1468’ is added in the lower margins of fols 1v–2r.
History
MS. Canon. Misc. 278 – Part 2 (fols 17–96)
Contents
1. (fols 17–94)
, Martijns (with Latin translation by Jan Bukelare) Language(s): Latin and Middle Dutch
Rubric: incipit wapen martin teuthonice translatus latine. a johanne bukelare presbitero editus Sluse
Incipit: (prologue) Me delectat scribere Martinum metro prosa Cum merlandino libere Prolixitas exosa
Incipit: (text) Waphene martin hoe salt gaen Sal dese weerelt yet langhe staen.
Incipit: (text) Heu martine michi fare Hic si mundus diu stare
Explicit: Dat es in abrahams scoot Na deese corte doot
Explicit: Abrahe quod rogaui In gloria suaui. Amen do suaui modulo prestante sua vi.
Final rubric: Explicit. Deo gratias.
Filiation: One of two texts of the Latin translation, along with Mons, Bibliothèque centrale de l’Université, MS 121/289, and the only one to contain both the Middle Dutch original and the Latin translation.
Stanzas alternate between Middle Dutch and Latin.
2. (fol. 95)
Cisiojanus Language(s): Latin
Incipit: Cisio janus epy vendicat oc ponti mar an
Explicit: Sanctus ab inde thomas modo nat steph. io pu thome sil.
Fol. 96 blank.
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 80 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 200 × 135 mm.
Collation
II–XI(8). Catchwords for most quires.
Layout
115 × 71 mm. 1 col., 25 lines, with ink ruling.
Hand(s)
Littera hybrida.
Decoration
Decorated 7-line gold initial opens the Wapene Martijn on fol. 19r.
2- and 1-line red initials mark the first line of every stanza.
Additions: Added in the lower margin of fol. 77v are the words ‘dat ewelike steet’.
History
MS. Canon. Misc. 278 – Part 3 (fols 97–128)
Contents
Collection of moralising verses
1. (fols 97–112)
Disticha Catonis (with Middle French translation by Jehan Le Fèvre) Language(s): Middle French and Latin
Incipit: (prologue) Chaton fu preu chevalier e sage homme Mains bons consaulx en la cite de Romme
Incipit: (text) Si deus est animus nobis ut carmina dicunt
Incipit: (text) Soyes certain que dieu est et dois croire
Explicit: hec breuitas fecit coniungere binos
Explicit: En ce dittier en ay fait de doux quatre
2. (fol. 113r)
Prayer to the Virgin Mary Language(s): Middle French
Incipit: Doulce vierge plaisant et coye Par qui vient tout honeur e joye
Explicit: Que jaye vraie contricion Et en la fin confession Amen
3. (fol. 113v)
Proverbs Language(s): Middle French
Incipit: Qui a des pois en sa maison Du pain fetiz et du boillon
Explicit: Qui se souffit de ce que dieu luy donne Plus a asses que tel qui porte couronne
Fol. 114r blank.
4. (fols 115–118r)
Moralising poem Language(s): Middle Dutch
Rubric: O menschen wilt dit lesen. Op dat ghij helich ende zalich moghet wesen. (added at the bottom of the otherwise blank fol. 114v)
Incipit: O mensche oft ghij docht ende wist den tijt
Explicit: Dat wij dan en wich met hem moeten leuen. Amen
5. (fols 118v–124)
Proverbs Language(s): Middle Dutch
Incipit: Boetius seit. Alre wijsheyt fundament. Es dat men gode mint ende kent.
Explicit: In mijn enden moet ic \willic/ verblijden. Ende mijn ghebaren oft in mij gheen lijden en ware.
6. (fol. 125)
Poem on death Language(s): Middle Dutch
Incipit: Ic wil leuen ende ic moet steruen. Dat ic hebbe des moet ic dernen.
Explicit: Want Jeghen die doot en es ghenen scilt. Elc leue also hij steruen wilt.
7. (fols 125v–126r)
Den gheesteliken A.B.C. Language(s): Middle Dutch
Incipit: (prologue) Messe te hooren en laet met om gode te ghenen en aermt niet
Incipit: (text) Aen siet wanen ghij commen sijt.
Explicit: Z goet so sluut hier vp hu slot.
8. (fols 126r–128)
Moralising prose Language(s): Middle Dutch
Incipit: Meester du leeres my vremde consten.
Explicit: Ende Jeghen die doot en es gheene scilt: Elc leue also hij steruen wilt:
Colophon: Dit was ghescreuven int Jaer ons heeren. .1467. den .17.sten dach van februarius bit voor h haer die dit heeft ghescreuen per me S. R.
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: paper, watermark (fols 97–116, visible on the blank fol. 114): anchor, surmounted by a cross (Briquet no. 392); watermark (fols 117–128, visible on fols 122–123): letter Y, surmounted by a cross (Briquet no. 9183).
Extent: 32 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 200 × 135 mm.
Collation
XII(12), XIII(8), XIV(12).
Layout
147 × 90 mm. 1 col., 28 lines, with leadpoint ruling (on fols 97–116) and ink ruling (on fols 117–128).
Hand(s)
Littera cursiva.
Decoration
3-, 2- and 1-line red initials mark the beginning of poems and stanzas.
Red paraphs mark the French translation of the Disticha Catonis.
Additions:
An 18th-century hand adds ‘Catonis versus’ in the upper margin of fol. 97r.
History
Provenance
‘Dit boeck hoert toe Jan van hersuelt toe brugghe int crommeghent hof’, fol 112v: Jan van Hersvelt (d. 1502), merchant in Bruges (see Kienhorst 1999, 61–63).
MS. Canon. Misc. 278 – Part 4 (fols 129–176)
Contents
Bilingual educational treatise containing several texts
Language(s): Middle French and Middle Dutch
1. (fols 129–154r)
Ene Leere van hoveschede (bilingual educational treatise) Incipit: ⟨O⟩ benoite sainte trinite
Incipit: ⟨O⟩ ghebenedide helgh drievuldicheit
Explicit: Tu maintendras quant temps sera
Explicit: zulstu diij beleeden als tijt sal zijn
Edited in de Vreese 1933. 2. (fols 154r–155v)
Bilingual instructions on counting Incipit: ⟨S⟩e tu veulx aprendre A compter par la lettre
Incipit: ⟨E⟩nde wilstu leeren T Reekenen bij der lettren
Explicit: Cest tout
Explicit: Hets al.
Edited in de Vreese 1933. 3. (fols 155v–176)
, Chaton en françois Incomplete, with Middle Dutch translation
Incipit: ⟨S⟩Eignurs puis que je vous commence dexpondre Cathon en franceis
Incipit: ⟨H⟩Eeren eer dat Ic u beghijnne texponeern Caton In Walsche
Edited in de Vreese 1933. Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 48 leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 200 × 135 mm.
Collation
XV–XX(8).
Condition
A stitched hole on fol. 159; formerly stitched holes on fols 149, 151, 168 and 170. The last folio is noticeably more worn on the verso, suggesting the manuscript may have been incomplete for some time.
Layout
139 × 90 mm. 2 cols, 20–24 lines, with faint leadpoint ruling.
Hand(s)
Littera cursiva.
Decoration
1- and 2-line spaces left empty for initials.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Description revised by Michael Angerer (2023) based on Besamusca 2017.
Bibliography
Online resources:
Printed:
Jacob van Maerlant, Tweede Martijn, ed. by Th. Mertens (Nijmegen, 1978), cols 43–53.
Hans Kienhorst, ‘Een reis zonder wederkeer: Opmerkelijke notities in handschrift Oxford, Bodleian Library, Can. misc. 278’, Queeste, 6 (1999), 53–69.
W. L. de Vreese, ‘Een Fransch-Nederlandsche “Leere van hoveschede” uit het einde der 15de eeuw’, Tijdschrift voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde, 52 (1933), 85–142.
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2023-09: Michael Angerer: revised description based on Besamusca 2017.