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MS. Hamilton 42

Summary Catalogue no.: 24472

Sermon collection of Conrad Ubelin; De passione domini; Carthusian visitation sermons. A, B Germany (probably Erfurt Charterhouse), 15th century, second half, partly 1459

Physical Description

Extent: ii (unfoliated) + 289 + ii (unfoliated)
Dimensions (leaf): 210 × 155 mm.
Foliation: Fifteenth-century foliation in arabic; skips 20–29 (apparently in error), 41–3 (leaves cut out), 68–70 (leaves cut out), 110 (error), 193 (error), 212–3 (probably leaves cut out), 241–9 (error)

Binding

Blind-stamped half-leather binding, late 15th century or early 16th century, over wooden boards; stamps including lily, rosette (several varieties), not identified; boards a modern replacement. Fol. 289, an endleaf, has a variant of the grapes watermark similar to examples from the 1530s (e.g. WZIS DE8085-PO-128965).

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Erfurt Carthusians: identifiable as O 35(4) in the late-fifteenth-century library catalogue (ed. P. Lehmann, p. 496 and n). Pressmark ‘O 35’ on a label on the front cover. Fragmentary fifteenth-century ex libris on the verso of the first (unfoliated) leaf.

Not certainly identifiable in the 1836 catalogue of Friedrich Gottlieb Julius von Bülow, 1760-?1831

Sir William Hamilton, 1788–1856

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

MS. Hamilton 42 – Part A (fols. 1–243)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

The first endleaf, fragmentary, has a cancelled account on the recto; on the verso, what appears to be the remains of a 15th-century table of contents for the volume.

1. (fols. 1r-243r)
⟨Collectio sermonum Conradi Ubelin⟩

Identified in the library catalogue of the Erfurt Carthusians (O.35(4)): 'Sermones Conradi Ubelyn de tempore et de quibusdam sanctis, quos ipse extraxit et collegit presertim ex sermonibus doctoris Jacobi Carthusiensis'. Conrad Ubelin or Oberlin of Ebern matriculated at Erfurt in Easter 1455 and was afterwards scribe and compiler in the Erfurt charterhouse: D. Mertens, Iacobus Carthusiensis (1976), 61 and n, and Betty C. Bushey and Hartmut Broszinski, Bibliographien und Kataloge der Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek zu Weimar: Die lateinischen Handschriften bis 1600 (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2004), 113.

In addition to the Sermones de tempore et de sanctis of Jacobus de Clusa, other authors represented in the collection are Johannes Contractus, 'Paratus', Henricus de Friemar, Peregrinus de Oppeln, and Martin of Troppau

1.1. (fols. 1r-197v)
⟨Sermones de tempore et de quibusdam sanctis⟩
(fols. 1r-4r)

Johannes Contractus 4. Fol. 4v blank.

(fols. 5r-20v)

Jacobus de Clusa, sermons for the first four Sundays in Advent

(fols. 22r-25v)

Jacobus de Clusa, Sermones de sanctis, sermo in die conceptionis Mariae

(fols. 25v-29r)

Jacobus de Clusa, Sermones de sanctis, sermo IV de nativitate Christi

(fols. 31r-32v)
Incipit: Puer natus est nobis […] Hodie dilectissimi dicuntur nobis boni rumores
Explicit: vilibus pannis ipsum inuoluit

Paratus 180 (Schneyer IV.538), ending varies after 'Tu princeps meus sicut matres solent dicere dilectis filiis suis'.

(fol. 33r)
Incipit: Paruulus natus est nobis […] In verbis prepositis mens humana vehementer accenditur ad diuinum amore
Explicit: et destruxit omnem auaritiam

Henricus de Friemar 272 (Schneyer II.658–9), opening section only.

(fols. 33r-35r)
Incipit: Paruulus natus est nobis […] De hac melliflua nuntiatione(?) magnum gaudium ortum est
Explicit: fiebat magna leticia in celo
(fol. 36v)
Incipit: Ewangelizo vobis […] Verba thematis huius scribuntur Luce 2o. Et hodie lecta in leccione sancti ewangelii. Nec dicta sunt primo ab humano ore.

Breaks off unfinished after seven lines.

(fols. 39r-57v)

Johannes Contractus 14–18, (fol. 56r) 24 (Schneyer III.434)

(fols. 61r-65r)

Jacobus de Clusa, Sermo in annuntiatione beatae Virginis

(fols. 65v-69r)

Jacobus de Clusa, Sermo in die iudica

(fols. 72r-73v)

Peregrinus de Oppeln 52 (in octava Paschae)

(fols. 74r-75v)

Notes for Easter Sermons (?)

(fol. 74r)
Incipit: Hec est dies quam fecit dominus Hodie celebramus iocundum diem paschale. Iocundior dies in anno non est.
(fol. 74v)
Incipit: Surrexit autem Christus a mortuis Primo propter corporis dignitatem cum enim corpus illus esset dignissimum ex eo quod fuit diuinitati vnitum
(fol. 75r)
Incipit: In hoc quod dicitur Christus resurgens Surrexit enim christus tripliciter. Primo surrexit Christus plenus victoriis
(fol. 75v)
Incipit: ||Que quidem dies sicut dicit beatus augustinus est excellentior cunctis

Beginning lost through cropping of the top of the page.

(fols. 76r-77r)

Martin of Troppau 317 (in dedicatione ecclesiae)

(fols. 78r-80v)

Jacobus de Clusa (feria 2a paschae)

(fols. 81r-83v)

Johannes Contractus 47 (dom. 1 post oct. pasch.)

(fols. 84r-87r)

Jacobus de Clusa (dom. 3 post pasch.)

(fols. 87v-90v)

Jacobus de Clusa (dom. 3 post oct. pasch.)

(fol. 91r-94r)
Rubric: In die penth.
Incipit: Accende lumen sensibus […] Hunc deuotissimum cantum et necessarium frequentat ecclesiam in hac sancti spiritus solempnitate
Explicit: Iudas traditor christi et multi alii qui bona inicia malos exitus habuerunt quia non perseuauerunt vsque in finem
(fols. 95r-119v)

Jacobus de Clusa, sermons for dom. 1–6 post oct. Penth.

(fols. 120r-122r)

Johannes Contractus 70 (dom. 7 post oct. penth.)

(fols. 122v-193r)

Jacobus de Clusa, sermons for dom. 8, 7, 9–24 post oct. Penth. The final sermon breaks off unfinished at the end of fol. 193r.

(fols. 196r-197v)
Incipit: Domus mea domus oracionis […] In istis verbis possumus intelligere magnam dei misericordiam que semper querit
Explicit: de templo suo vocem meam. Rogemus etc.

There are contemporary and later additions by the same scribe in Latin and German.

In Latin: fol. 163v, Luke 7.11–16 (beg. 'in illo tempore ibat in ciuitatem que vocatur...'); fol. 166v, Luke 13.1–11 (beg. 'In illo tempore Cum intraret iesus in domum cuiusdam principis phariseorum'); fol. 174v, 'De instabilitate cordis' beginning 'Legitur in vita sancti Bernardi quod quodam tempore eo iter agente sedens querulabatur de eadem instabilitate cordis sui, quod audiens quidam rusticus derisit eum'.

In German: fol. 60v, perhaps notes for a sermon on Missus est angelus, apparently incomplete, beg. 'Als ein suse spiss...'; fol. 65r, on the Annuciation beg. 'dar vmb lieben bruder...'; fol. 69r, on Christ's sacrifice, beg. 'secht meyn lieben bruder...'; fol. 71v, on the removal of Mary's doubts at the Annunciation. Occasional German glosses to the text (e.g. fol. 74r, iocundum 'lustbar', 75r).

Language(s): German

Several blank folios, often one or more after a sermon: fols. 8v, 21r-v, 29v-30v, 35v-36r, 37r-38v, 41v, 46r-v, 55r-v, 58r-60r, 69v, 70r-v, 71r, 77v, 94v, 126r-127v, 131v, 147v, 155v, 167r-v, 179r-v, 193v-195v, 198r-199v.

1.2. (fols. 200r-243r)
⟨Sermones de sanctis⟩
(fols. 200r-235r)
Incipit: Ambulans Ihesus iuxta mare […] Sicut testatur historia ewangelica Mt. iij et Luc. iij dominus ihesus trecesimum agens annum
Explicit: claret in sua legenda quam post predicator recitare [sic] Amen

Jacobus de Clusa: SS. Andrew, Nicholas, 'de apostolis generaliter', Peter and Paul, Visitation BVM, Mary Magdalene, Laurence, Decollation of John the Baptist , 'Agatha. Et de virginibus. Elizabeth' (the 'sermo secundus de virginibus' in GW M10873).

Fol. 235v blank; fols. 236r-237v blank.

(fols. 238r-240r)
Rubric: Sermo de assumpcione beate marie virginis
Incipit: Que est ista que ascendit de deserto […] Questio est angelorum assumpcionem beate virginis marie admirantium. Quam olim Salomon per spiritum sanctum
Explicit: qui non matri domini festinarent occurere

Cf. Martin of Troppau 267

(fols. 240v-243r)
Rubric: Sermo de nativitate beate marie virginis

Martin of Troppau 277

Fol. 243v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in quarto. The main watermark is dreiburg with cross; also (fol. 32) Ochsenkopf, not identifiable; (fol. 37) crown with five-petalled flower (cf. WZIS DE8310-Mc187_154, c. 1475)

Collation

Sometimes uncertain: probably 1(12) (fols. 1–12), 2(12–3?, 9–11 canc.?) (fols. 13–21), 3(12–3, 10–12 canc.) (fols. 22–30), 4(16?) (fols. 31–46), 5(12–3, 9–11 canc.) (fols. 47–55), fols. 56–78 uncertain, 6(12+1?) (fols. 78–90), 7(12+1?) (fols. 91–103), 8–9(12) (fols. 104–127), 10(8) (fols. 128–35), 11(12) (fols. 136–47), 12(8) (fols. 148–55), 13(12)-15(12) (fols. 156–191), 16(8?) (fols. 192–9), 17(12)-19(12) (fols. 200–235), 20(8) (fols. 236–43)

Layout

1 col., mostly c. 30–1 lines but varying; written space mostly 160–5 × 100–5 mm. but varying

Hand(s)

Cursive/hybrida (many loopless forms) by one hand, presumably Conrad Ubelin.

Decoration

Coloured red initials; highlighting in red.

History

Origin: 15th century, second half, probably c. 1475 ; Germany, probably Erfurt, charterhouse

MS. Hamilton 42 – Part B (fols. 244–288)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

2. (fols. 244r-280r)
⟨De passione domini⟩

Fols. 244–258v contain a mixture of sermon notes and developed notes for a narrative of the passion, evidently intended for preaching, drawn from the four gospels and covering roughly John 12.1 to Matt. 26.39. On fols. 258v-280r follows a gospel harmony for the passion narrative (beginning at Matt. 26.40 and ending at Matt. 27.65) with extensive notes and commentary, again presumably intended for homiletic use.

(fols. 244r-258v)
(fol. 244r)
Incipit: Scitis quid fecerim vobis Sciendum nobis est in christo iesu dilectissimi quod secundum beatum Augustinum 4to de ciuitate dei, sermo predicatoris ad hoc precipue tendere debet, ut intellectus cecitas illustretur et affectus tepiditas prouocetur
(fol. 244v-254v)
Incipit: Scitis quid fecerim vobis loco etc. quibus supra Amantissimi in christo iesu pro illorum verborum intellectu in aliquali est notandum pro introductione

Sermon, leading into a narrative of the passion as far as Luke 22.38

Fol. 250r blank; fol. 254v mostly blank; fol. 255r-v blank.

(fol. 256r-v)
Incipit: Scitis quid fecerim vobis Ex quo secundum Crisostomum omnis salus hominis in passione christi et eius morte quam hodie pro nobis nunc(?) commemorat sancta mater ecclesia

Fol. 257r blank.

(fols. 257v-258v)
Incipit: Karissimi in christo iesu prosequendo historiam dominice passionis secundum 4or ewangelistas conscriptam

Continuing the narrative from John 18.1 to Matt. 26.39 ('transeat a me calix iste').

(fols. 258v-280r)
Gospel harmony for the passion narrative, with commentary
Incipit: Et venit ad discipulos suos
Explicit: lapidem cum custodibus

Beginning at Matt. 26.40. Written with c. 10–11 lines of the gospel text per page with marginal and interlinear commentary.

3. (fols. 281r-286v)
⟨Collaciones due pro actu visitacionis in ordine Carthusiensium⟩

So identified in the library catalogue of the Erfurt Carthusians.

(fols. 281r-283r)
Incipit: Emulatores estote legis […] Tyranni quondam ydolatrie inimici veritatis
(fols. 283r-286v)
Incipit: Nisi habundauerit iusticia […] Narrat Albertus magnus philosophus quod oculi sunt partes corporis preciosissime et sunt maxime necessarij
Colophon: 1459 quinta die decemb septembris

In a different hand, the colophon followed by a deleted passage. The date was read as '1479' in the Summary Catalogue; the manuscript is not included in Watson, Dated and Datable

Fols. 287r-288v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper, folded in quarto. Watermark bull's head with 7-petalled flower (not identifiable).

Collation

1(12)-3(12) (fols. 244–278; 272 is double), 4(12–2, two leaves wanting from the second half of the quire) (fols. 279–88)

Layout

Fols. 244r-258v: 1 col., c. 41–2 lines, written space c. 180–90 × 120 mm.

Fols. 258v-280r: 1 col., usually 10–11 lines of gospel text with variable amount of commentary, written space c. 170 × 120 mm.

Fols. 281r-286v: 1 col., c. 29–35 lines, written space c. 170 × 115–25 mm.

Hand(s)

Cursive by two hands (fols. 244r-280r, 281r-286v); hand 2 with several loopless forms.

Decoration

No decoration or rubrication.

History

Origin: c. 1459 (fol. 286v) ; Germany, probably at least in part Erfurt, charterhouse

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description by Matthew Holford (Dec. 2020). Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.
Summary Catalogue, Vol. 5, p. 31

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2020-12-17: Finalize description for Polonsky German project.