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

MS. Hamilton 18

Summary Catalogue no.: 24448

Theological and pastoral miscellany; A-E Germany (in part Erfurt), 15th century, middle (in part 1444)

Physical Description

Composite: five manuscripts, the fifth in turn made up of four 'booklets'; together early.
Form: codex
Support: paper
Extent: 437 folios
Dimensions (leaf): 295 × 210 mm.
Foliation: 1–437

Collation

1(12)-2(12) (fols. 1–24), 3(fourteen) (fols. 25–38), 4(12)-15(12) (fols. 39–182), 16(12–3) (10–12 canc.; fols. 183–191) | 17(12)-19(12) (fols. 192–227) | 20(12)-24(12) (fols. 228–287), 25(12–1) (12 canc.; fols. 288–298) | 26(12)-28(12) (fols. 299–334), 29(12–5?) (8–12 canc.; fols. 335–341) | 30(12) (fols. 342–53), 31(4) (fols. 354–7), 32(12–2) (11–12 canc.; fols. 358–67), 33(12–2) (11–12 canc.; fols. 368–77), 34(12)-38(12) (fols. 378–437)

Binding

Contemporary binding of whittawed skin on boards, sewn on four double/split bands, ruled, and stamped with an eagle bearing the words 'Scs [?] Iohannes'; cf. Einbanddatenbank s009698, s010366 (workshop of Johannes Helmstatt, Erfurt, w000841). 4+1 bosses lost on each cover; clasps (fastening on the front board) lost. Tab bookmarks. Contents label on the front cover.

Accompanying Material

A narrow reinforcement strip before fol. 426 is almost certainly from a 14th-century manuscript of Dante's Monarchia, with the commentary attributed to Cola da Rienzo; cf. faint offsets on fol. 427v and the back pastedown. More substantial fragments of the same manuscript are in MS. Hamilton 13, q.v.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Erfurt, Carthusians: 15th-century ex libris, front and back pastedowns; identifiable as E 19 in the late-medieval catalogue (Mittelalterliche Bibliothekskataloge Deutschlands und der Schweiz, II: Erfurt, ed. P. Lehmann (1928), p. 333); early-modern ex libris, fol. 1.

Friedrich Gottlieb Julius von Bülow, 1760-?1831: identifiable as 103 in the catalogue of his sale, 1836.

Sir William Hamilton, 1788–1856

Presented to the Bodleian Library by his sons and received in 1857.

MS. Hamilton 18 – Part A (fols. 1–191)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

A fifteenth-century table of contents is pasted on to the upper pastedown. Underneath is pasted a separate piece with an extract from Ps.-Augustine, De dignitate sacerdotum, here attributed to 'Bernhardus' beg. 'O veneranda sacerdotum dignitas, in quorum manibus' (cf. GW 02947).

1. (fols. 1ra-191rb)
Thomas de Argentina, Commentary on Peter Lombard, Sentences, book IV
Rubric: Thomas de argentina circa quartum sentenciarum [later hand]
Incipit: ⟨C⟩irca materiam quarti libri sentenciarium Queritur primo ut 4 sacramenta noue legis
Explicit: lectoribus perducere dignetur ipse glorificator sanctorum qui vivit et regnat in secula seculorum
Final rubric: Explicit lectura 4ti libri sententiarum venerabilis doctoris fratris Thome de Argentina ordinis fratrum heremitarum sancti Augustini.
Colophon: Scripta & completa in studio Erffordensi anno Domini 1444to.

Much of fol. 38r, and fol. 38v blank; fol. 173vb blank; fol. 191v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in folio. Watermarks: bull's head with 6-pointed star (fols. 1–12, 39–86, 110–191, cf. Piccard Ochsenkopf VII.545, 547); dreiburg with Latin cross (fols. 13–38, 87–98); ox (type Piccard Vierfüssler VI.935–1029, fols. 177–8)

Layout

2 cols., c. 46–53 lines. Frame-ruled in ink, ruled space 225–30 × 150–60 mm. ; written above top line.

Hand(s)

Cursive, apparently two hands, (a) fols. 1ra-5va, (b) fols. 5va-191rb

Decoration

Space for a 10-line initial at the beginning, not filled in.

Elsewhere 2-line plain initials in red.

History

Origin: Germany, Erfurt ; 1444 (colophon, fol. 191r)

MS. Hamilton 18 – Part B (fols. 192–227)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

2. (fols. 192ra-227ra)
Gregory the Great, De cura pastorali
Rubric: Pastoralia Gregorii [later hand]
Incipit: Pastoralis cure me pondera
Explicit: manus leuet amen
Final rubric: Explicit liber pastoralis beati Gregorii pape deo gracias anno domini etc. xliiij

Rest of fol. 227ra-b and fol. 227v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in folio. Watermarks: bull's head with cross and seven-petalled flower (fols. 192–203: type Piccard Ochsenkopf XI.329, cf. WZIS DE4860-Ms_619_176); dreiburg with Latin cross (fols. 204–227).

Layout

2 cols., c. 49–53 lines. Frame-ruled in ink, ruled space c. 230 × 145 mm.

Hand(s)

Cursive, two hands (?), fols. 192r-203v, fols. 204r-227r.

Decoration

2- to 4-line plain red initials, that on fol. 192r with simple arabesque decoration.

History

Origin: Germany, perhaps (as parts A, C) Erfurt ; 1444 (colophon, fol. 227r)

MS. Hamilton 18 – Part C (fols. 228–298)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

3. (fols. 228ra-237va)
Rubric: Tractatulus utilis pro cleris pro exhortando ad studium sacrarum litterarum [later hand]
Incipit: Sacerdotibus necessaria est sciencia et maxime theologica que sufficienter illuminat, et quicquid alibi queritur in ea fructuosius invenitur. Nam sacerdotes populi sunt ductores, ideoque oportet ut clare videant ne simul cadant
Explicit: Ut deus noster audiat nos orantes, et in futurum non audiatis uerbum asperum audicionem malam, Ite maledicti in ignem eternum, sed dulciter(?) uerbum et suaue, Venite benedicti patris mei possidete paratum vobis regnum a constitutione mundi, Mt 25, Quod nobis omnibus tribuat deus noster iesus christus qui cum patre et spiritu sancto viuit et regnat trius et vnus deus per omnia secula seculorum Amen. Et tantum de articulo quarto.

Later marginal headings 'de commendacione studii litterarum' (fol. 229r), 'item de modo studendi' (fol. 229v), 'qualis esse debeat vita clerici suie sacerdotis' (fol. 231v), 'de consuetudine mala' (fol. 234v), 'an et quomodo prelati possint argui ab inferioribus' (fol. 235r). This seems to be identifiable as the Collatio in introitu of Heinrich Toke ('Collatio magistri et doctoris Hinrici Token, quam fecit in introitu ad lecturam suam in ecclesie Magdeburgensi', Wolfenbüttel, HAB, Cod. Guelf. 83. 5 Aug. 2o, fols. 238–248; Hildegund Hölzel, Heinrich Toke und der Wolfenbütteler 'Rapularius' (Hannover, 1998), 21, 42–4).

Followed (fol. 237va-b) by a note that saints did not long for ecclesiastical preferment: 'Non legimus in sanctorum exemplis quod ipsi […] ad sacros ordines uel ecclesiasticas dignitates anhelabant ...'

4. (fol. 238ra-241vb)
Henricus de Hassia senior (?), Tractatus de proprietate religiosorum
Rubric: Tractatus magistri Henrici de Hassia de monachis proprietarijs
Incipit: Pro salute eorum qui vicia fugere cupiunt cum ad veritatis viam fuerint reformati
Colophon: Explicit tractatus magistri Henrici de hassia de monachis proprietarijs anno domini 1444 in vigilia sancte Margarethe

Bloomfield 4274; Traditio 32 (1976), 413 (no. 157)

5. (fols. 242r-257ra)
Matthew of Cracow, De squaloribus Romanae curiae
Rubric: Libellus Mathei de Cracouia Episcopi Wormacien(sis) de Swaloribus curie papalis [later hand]
Incipit: Moyses factus tamquam solitudinis amicus
Explicit: precio comparabat. Benedictus sit dominus deus noster in secula seculorum Amen
Final rubric: Explicit libellus doctoris \Mathei de Crac./ episcopi Warmacen(sis) de swaloribus curie papalis
Colophon: Editus erfordie conscriptus et finitus anno domini 1444 in Vigilia Marie Magdalene
6.
(fols. 257ra-266vb)
⟨Medela animae vulneratae⟩
Rubric: Confessionale dans modum confitendi & audiendi confessiones [later hand]
Incipit: In principio incarnacionisnarracionis[sic] nostre illius gratiam et adiutorium imploro
Explicit: votis omnibus deprecor et exoro. Quod nobis prestare dignetur […]

Bloomfield 2652

Followed by short texts:

(fol. 266vb)
Incipit: ⟨Q⟩uerunt quoque multi cur deus faceret hominem que posset peccare uel qui esset dampnaturus
Explicit: boni per malos exercitantur et probantur

Extract from Hugo Ripelinus, Compendium theologicae ueritatis, II.65

Incipit: ⟨N⟩ota quod circa corpus christi quinque obiciunt nobis iudei. Primo de quantitate, dicentis[sic] Cum immensus deus
Explicit: apparent dubia etc.

Cf. Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, MS. Klosterbibl. 5, fol. 82.

(fols. 267ra-268ra)
Rubric: Summula de penitentia multum bona pro quolibet sacerdote
Incipit: De dampnatis habetur Mathei xxv Discedite a me maledicti in ignem eternum
Explicit: ad officium gloriose uirginis marie debet dari signum breuiter tantum.
7. (fols. 268ra-276ra)
Henricus de Hassia senior, Sermo de proprietate
Rubric: Sermo bonus Henrici de Hassia de moribus et vita ad canonicos regulares [later hand]
Incipit: Ecce reliquimus omnia et secuti sumus te Nouistis frates dilectissimi in domino iesu regulariter congregati, quorum sunt uerba hec
Explicit: proficiat sapiens bonusve auditor Amen
Final rubric: Explicit sermo bonus de moribus et vita ad canonicos regulares Reuerendo viro magistro Heynrico de Hassia collectus. Incipit tractatus de proprietarij etc.
Bloomfield 1863; Hohmann, Traditio 32 (1976), pp. 399–426 no. 54.
8. (fol. 276rb-282ra)
Compendium de statu religiosorum moderni temporis (Tractatus contra proprietarios)
Rubric: Item alius tractatus bonus De proprietarijs Qui in concilio Constanciensi fuit promulgatus [later hand]
Incipit: ⟨V⟩enerabilissimo in christo patri ac domino domino Cistercii Ceterisque doctoribus et prelatis ordinis nostri cistercii
Incipit: Pro euidenti et necessaria salute animarum nostrarum querimus utrum uel quomodo abbates uel monachi
Explicit: crescunt discordie. Primum ergo querite regnum dei et iusticia eius et hec omnia adicientur vobis etc
Final rubric: Terminatur hic compendium religiosorum moderni temporis de anno videlicet Domini 1415 in consilio constanciensi promulgatum etc. Sit laus et gloria.
Extracts pr. Acta Concilii Constanciensis IV (1928), 671–6; for manuscripts see James D. Mixson, Poverty's Proprietors: Ownership and Mortal Sin at the Origins of the Observant Movement (Leiden, 2009), 99–100 and n. 14, and appendix, nos. 29 and 10 (distinguishing two recensions); additional copies include Historisches Archiv der Stadt Köln, GB 4º 97, 115r-126r; 8º 56, 104r-132r; Weimar, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Q 22 fols. 69r-80v.
9. (fols. 282va-298rb)
Ps.-Albertus Magnus, Paradisus animae
Rubric: Tractatus de virtutibus paradisus anime intytulatus [later hand?]
Incipit: Sunt quedam vicia que frequenter
Explicit: quia omnes vnite sunt in gratia. Quam nobis concedat qui sine fine viuit et regnat
Colophon: Scriptus anno incarnacionis domini 1444 in die sancte Lucie virginis

A table of the 43 chapters precedes, fol. 282rb. Fol. 298b blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in folio. Watermarks: bull's head with cross and seven-petalled flower (same as part B, fols. 192–203)

Layout

2 cols., c. 50 lines. Frame-ruled in ink, ruled space 245 × 145 mm.

Hand(s)

Cursive, two hands, fols. 228r-282r, fols. 282r-298r

Decoration

Plain red initials.

History

Origin: Germany, Erfurt ; 1444 (colophons, fols. 257r, 298r)

MS. Hamilton 18 – Part D (fols. 299–341)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

10. (fols. 299ra-341rb)
Jordanus de Quedlinburg, Meditatio de passione Christi
Rubric: (fol. 299ra) Rubrica in speculum saluatoris passionis domini nostri ihesu christi
Rubric: (fol. 299va) Speculum passionis Saluator nostri iesu christi. Incipit Jordanus de passione christi
Incipit: Inspice et fac secundum exemplar […] Et si christus vbique in scriptura dicatur mons ratione summitatis siue excelentissime perfectionis
Explicit: uel aliter sicut deus dabit
Final rubric: Explicit Jordanus de Passione Domini per manum friderici de lichtenfelss

Preceded by a table of contents. Fol. 342v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in folio. Watermarks: bull's head with cross and seven-petalled flower (same as part B, fols. 192–203)

Layout

2 cols., c. 40–42 lines. Frame-ruled in blind, verticals only, ruled space 220 × 150 mm.

Hand(s)

Hybrida by one hand, Fridericus de Lichtenfelss (fl. 1438–57) (colophon, fol. 342r); a professional scribe, for whom see Colophons nos. 4482–6, and H. Hauke, D. Kudorfer, E. Remak-Honnef, Die Handschriften aus St. Emmeram in Regensburg ; Bd. 1. Clm 14000–14130, Katalog der lateinischen Handschriften der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München, Bd.: 2,2,1,[a], (1995), p. 93 (on Clm 14041).

Decoration

2-line plain red initials, unfilled from fol. 310r onwards.

History

Origin: Germany ; 15th century, middle

MS. Hamilton 18 – Part E (fols. 342–435)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

11.
(fols. 342ra-357vb)
⟨Berthold of Regensburg⟩, Sermones Rusticanus de sanctis (selection)
Rubric: \Sermones/ [later hand]

Schneyer I.478–487, nos. 104 (T10), 173 (S59), 174 (S59), 176 (S59), 175 (S59), 93 (S9), 94 (S9). Fol. 357vb part blank.

(fols. 358ra-367va)
⟨Bertrandus de Turre⟩, Sermones epistolares de sanctis (selection)
Rubric: Tres sermones secuntur […]

Schneyer I.550–553, nos. 647–9 (S79). Part of fol. 367va blank; 367vb blank.

12. (fols. 368r-377v)
Henricus de Frimaria, Expositio passionis dominicae
Rubric: \Sermo henrici de frimaria de passione domini/ [later hand]
Incipit: ⟨Q⟩via nichil est vtilius nichil salubrius quam circa passionem dominicam occupare
Incipit: ⟨C⟩irca primum nota quod sicud refert Math. Christus erat in bethania
Explicit: graciam sepeliri et iugiter conseruari. Quod nobis prestare dignetur qui benedictus est in secula. Amen.

Zumkeller 318, Stegmüller, Bibl. 3170

13. (fols. 378ra-424rb)
Matthew of Cracow (?), De passione domini
Rubric: \Sermo de passione domini prolixus et valde bonus ad predicandum/ [later hand]
Incipit: Circa inicium passionis domini nostri iesu christi et declaracionem eiusdem est notandum primo quod tota historia passionis christi secundum omnes ewangelistas ad sex puncta reducitur. Primus ostendit quomodo iesus christus fuit venditus et traditus
Incipit: Quantum ergo ad primum et inicium illius sacratissime passionis assumitur verbum quod scribitur Mt. xxvi Cum autem esset iesus in bethania in domo symonis leprosi etc. Et licet ista verba hodie scilicet quarta feria non leguntur, sed in die palmarum, tamen opera ista facta sunt hodie. Sed antequam dicatur aliquid de istis verbis, est sciendum quod dies hodierna appellatur teutunice die krumme mittewoghen
Incipit: (fol. 378va) Scitis quia post biduum pasca fiet et filius hominis tradetur principibus sacerdotum (Matth. 26,2). Sed(?) Mt dicit Collegerunt pontifices et pharisaei consilium etc. Vbi notandum quod pontifices
Explicit: Sed quia modo est tempus renouacionis per penitenciam, et igitur per penitentiam renouemur et ut corpus christi posset in nobis quiescere et remanere. Ideo promandemus insistere[sic] [St. Pölten, Diözesanbibliothek, Hs 33, fol. 121ra reads 'pro nunc penitencie insistere debemus'] et nos a peccatis emendare, quod inquam corpus christi et viaticum viatores in gratia confirmet et ad terminum vie perducat qui terminus est ipse deus cuius filius vnigenitus est pro salute nostra passus, quod nobis prestat qui sine fine viuit et regnat amen

For the Expositio passionis or Concordancia ewangelistarum attributed variously to Matthew of Cracow, Matthias Hildebrandi of Legnicz, Nicholas Magnus of Jawor, and Mikołaj Ligatoris zw. Goleszko, see Clavis scriptorum et operum Medii Aevi Poloniae (2019), nos. 427/13 (p. 502), p. 551, 460/40 (p. 563), 492/3 (p. 621); Stegmüller, Bibl. 6002,1 and 9451; and cf. Stegmüller, Bibl. 8763. The present text begins as Stegmüller, Bibl. 5527,1 (attributed by Stegmüller, Bibl. to Matthew of Cracow, but apparently a Lectura on his text: see B. Michael, Die mittelalterlichen Handschriften der Wissenschaftlichen Stadtbibliothek Soest (1990), 92–3 on Soest Cod. 10; see also Ansbach SB MS. lat. 107 fols. 121ra-166va). For the ending cf. Stegmüller, Bibl. 8763.

14. (fols. 424va-435va)
Commentary on the Apostles' Creed (?)
Rubric: \Aliqua scripta detruncata tam a parte prima quam vltima Et declarantur in eis aliqui articuli fidei/ [later hand]
Incipit: ||Et mortuus est. Nunc consequenter proponit articulum fidei de ipsius morte
Explicit: in quo est christus corporaliter et angeli cum eo ac anime beate, de quo celo||

Breaks off unfinished.

Physical Description

An early unit, with quire numbers 7–9, 1–6 (presumably misbound in their current order), but with fols. 342–57, 358–67, 368–77, 378–437 forming distinct codicological units.
Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in folio. Watermarks: (fols. 342–57) bull's head with six-pointed star (parallels c. 1430–5 in WZIS, and cf. Piccard Ochsenkopf XI.263); (fols. 358–67) bull's head, indistinct; (fols. 368–77) bull's head with six-pointed star, indistinct; (fols. 378–435) bull's head with ?six-pointed star (indistinct), bull's head with seven-petalled flower (type Piccard Ochsenkopf XII.578, c. 1427–35), (fol. 383) lily with ?fish below (cf. Piccard Lilie I.538–46, c. 1431–3)

Layout

Fols. 342r-357v, 2 cols., c. 38–41 lines, frame-ruled in ink, ruled space 215–30 × 150–5 mm.

Fols. 358r-367v, 2 cols. c. 44–7 lines, frame-ruled in ink, ruled space 225 × 135 mm.

Fols. 368r-377v, 1 col., c. 35–8 lines, frame-ruled in ink, ruled space 195–205 × 120 mm. .

Fols. 378r-435v, 2 cols. c. 40–42 lines, frame-ruled in ink, ruled space 225 × 140 mm.

Hand(s)

Fols. 342r-357v: cursive, 2 hands, changing at fol. 353vb

Fols. 358r-367v: cursive, 1 hand

Fols. 368r-377v: cursive, 1 hand

Fols. 378r-435v: cursive, 2 hands, changing at fol. 416v.

Decoration

Fols. 342r-357v: space for a 6-line initial at the beginning (crudely filled later in black), for 2-line initials elsewhere.

Fols. 358r-367v: spaces left for a 5-line initial at the beginning, for 3-line initials elsewhere.

Fols. 368r-377v: spaces left for a 5-line initial at the beginning, for 3-line initials elsewhere.

Fols. 378r-435v: none

History

Origin: Germany ; 15th century, second quarter (watermarks)

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description by Matthew Holford (May 2020, rev. March 2021). Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2021-03: Additional physical description; revised account of structure; identification of art. 3.