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

MS. Laud Misc. 493

Summary Catalogue no.: 1205

Theological treatises, meditations and extracts. Germany, s. xiv 2/4.

Contents

Language(s): Latin

This description is abbreviated from Daniela Mairhofer, Medieval Manuscripts from the Mainz Charterhouse in the Bodleian Library, Oxford: A Descriptive Catalogue (Oxford, 2018), pp. 1287–1310. For purposes of scholarly citation, reference to the printed catalogue is requested.

1. (fols 2r–10v)
Ps.-Bernard of Clairvaux, Meditationes piissimae de cognitione humanae conditionis

Abridged text (pr.: GW 3905–08; 4023–42; ed.: PL 184. 485A–508B; see also PL 177. 165 (Ps.-Hugh of Saint-Victor, De anima, 1); Glorieux, Migne, 71; Leclercq, Études, 12; Bloomfield 3126, and suppl.).

2. (fols 10v–11r)
Ps.-Bede, Interpretatio Sibyllinorum verborum

Variant text with De quindecim signis diei iudicii (ed.: PL 94. 555B–D; Gerhardt & Palmer, Fünfzehn Zeichen, 61, ll. 2–19; – BHM 652).

3. (fol. 11r–v)
Guilelmus Flaviacensis, Sermon (De castitatis laude)

Ed. J. Leclercq, ‘Prédicateurs bénédictins au XIe et XIIe siècles’, Revue Mabillon 33 (1943) 48–73, at pp. 63–64, l. 70; Schneyer 2. 457. 2.

4. (fols 11v–15v)
Ps.-Bonaventure, Meditationes super passionem domini secundum septem horas diei

With preface (pr.: GW 3906 (Ps.-Bernhard), etc.; ed.: PL 94. 561C–68C; Hauréau, Notices et extraits, 6. 175, this copy; Hauréau, Initia, 6. 105ra–va, this copy at col. 105va; Kemper, Kreuzigung Christi, 70–72, citing the present MS. at pp. 70f.).

(fol. 15v, ll. 36ff.) Verses, and an excerpt.
5. (fols 16r–20v)
Ps.-Bernard of Clairvaux, Formula honestae uitae (Bloomfield suppl. 1660a, this copy; R. Newhauser, A catalogue of Latin texts with material on the vices and virtues in manuscripts in Hungary, Gratia 29 (Wiesbaden, 1996) 33, this copy).
6. (fols 20v–23v)
Hugh of Saint-Victor, De laude caritatis

With prologue (ed.: PL 176. 969D–76D; ed. H. B. Feiss & P. Sicard, L’oeuvre de Hugues de Saint-Victor 1, Sous la règle de Saint Augustin 3 (Turnhout, 1997) 182–201; Bloomfield 5509, 5977 and suppl.).

7. (fol. 23v)
Hugh of Saint-Victor, De tribus signis boni status (Hauréau, Initia, 6. 269vb).
8. (fols 23v–27br)
Ps.-Bernard of Clairvaux, Planctus mariae (pr.: GW 4055–60; 3906; ed.: PL 182. 1133A–42A; R.A.Q. Skerrett, ‘Two Irish translations of the Liber de passione Christi’, Celtica 6 (1963) 82–117, citing the present MS. at p. 82; ed. at pp. 85–114; F.J. Tanquerey, Plaintes de la Vierge en Anglo-Français (XIIIe et XIVe siècles) (Paris, 1921) 6, this copy; Mohan 352*; Bloomfield 4839, and suppl.).
9. (fols 27br–28r)
Religious poem (De amore spirituali)

A poem on mystical love (ed.: AH 15. 226; ed. A. Barratt, ‘A medieval latin manuscript in the Alexander Turnbull Library, New Zealand’, Manuscripta 30 (1986) 199–204, at pp. 201–04;Chevalier 1005; Hauréau, Notices et extraits, 6. 178; Walther, IC, 931; Hauréau, Initia, 1. 71ra).

(fol. 28r) the poem is followed by an excerpt from Ps.-Anselm of Canterbury.
10. (fols 28v–46r)
David von Augsburg, De exterioris et interioris hominis compositione

Bk. ii, Formula de interioris hominis reformatione ad proficientes (ed.: Quaracchi (1899) 64–160; – Little 122, citing the present MS.; Distelbrink 100; Mohan 203*, this copy; Bloomfield 2655 & 4155 (and suppl.), citing the present MS.).

11. (fols 46r–52v, l. 12)
David von Augsburg, De exterioris et interioris hominis compositione

Bk. i, p. 1, Formula novitiorum (ed.: Quaracchi (1899) 1–36; Little 69 & 175; Distelbrink 145; Mohan 100*; Bloomfield 4155, citing the present MS., and suppl.).

12. (fols 53r–57r)
Ps.-Anselm of Canterbury, Meditatio de humanitate Christi (medit. 9),

= Ecbertus Schonaugiensis, Stimulus amoris (pr.: GW 2039 & GW 3907–08; ed.: PL 158. 748C–61B; 184. 953D–64D; Glorieux, Migne, 62 & 72; Distelbrink 212; Mohan 221*; Bestul, Passion, 188, no. 10).

13. (fols 57r–63v, l. 22)
Richard of St. Victor, De quatuor gradibus violentae caritatis (ed.: PL 196. 1207C–24D; ed. G. Dumeige, in Textes philosophiques du moyen âge 3 (Paris, 1955) 126–77, this copy collated, see p. 94 (family: ); Bloomfield 6550, and suppl.; Goy, Überlieferung Richards, 325–39, citing the present MS. at pp. 332f. (no. 42)).
14. (fols 63v, l. 22–64r)
Gregory the Great, Homiliae in Ezechielem

Extracts (ed.: PL 76. 903D–04C & 962A–D; ed. M. Adriaen, CCSL 142 (1971) 165f. & 242f.; Stegmüller, RB, 2643, and suppl.; CPPM 2. 2288; CPL 1710).

15. (fols 64r–65v)
Theological extracts

Extracts with with lemmata Mt 5:3, 5:5, 5:4, 5:6–9, from Heiric of Auxerre, Ambrose, Bede, Leo the Great and Haimo of Halberstadt.

16. (fol. 66r, ll. 1–10)
Historia monachorum in Aegypto,

tr. Rufinus of Aquileia, 7: De Apollonio (ed.: PL 21. 417B–C; 418D–19A; 412B & C; ed. E. Schulz-Flügel, in Patristische Texte und Studien 34 (Berlin & New York, 1990) 301, 304f. & 290f.; BHL 6524; CPG 3. 5620).

17. (fol. 66r, ll. 11–26)
Jerome, Letters

Extract from Ep. 109, Contra Vigilantium ad Riparium et Desiderium presbyteros (ed.: PL 23. 351B–52A; – BHM 253; CPL 611).

18. (fol. 66r, ll. 27–33)
Treatise on the Passion (De coronis)
19. (fols 66r, l. 34–67r, l. 23)
Jerome, Letters

Extracts from Ep. 14.10 (ed.: PL 22. 353–54; ed. I. Hilberg, CSEL 54 (²1996) 59, l. 13–60; BHM 14; CPL 620) and 22 (ed.: PL 22. 398–99, 404 & 417; ed. I. Hilberg, CSEL 54 (²1996) 152, l. 5–155; 192; 165, l. 14; BHM 22; CPL 620).

20. (fol. 67r, ll. 24–39)
Verses

For full listing, see printed catalogue.

21. (fol. 67v)
Treatise on penitence (De paenitentia Salomonis)

On the penitence of Solomon. Composed of short extracts from Jerome, Ambrose and the Psalms. Identical with De paenitentia regum (ed. H. Böhmer, MGH Libelli 3 (1897) 609f.; cf. also the variant version edited by U.-R. Blumenthal in Manuscripta 22 (1978) 91–96, at pp. 94–96).

22. (fol. 67v)
Histories of the Holy Cross

The present manuscript preserves the ‘Regensburg version’, named after Munich, BSB, Clm 14442 from Regensburg, the oldest surviving copy (before 1150; ed. W. Meyer, Die Geschichte des Kreuzholzes vor Christus, ABAW, phil.-hist. Kl., Jg. 16, H. 2 (Munich, 1882), 106).

24. (fol. 69r–v)
Boethius, Quomodo substantiae in eo quod sint bonae sint

Text imperfect (ed.: PL 64. 1311A–13B; ed. C. Moreschini (Leipzig, 2005) 186–192, l. 129; – CPL 892).

25. (fols 70r–78v)
Jean de la Rochelle, Summa de articulis fidei (unpr.; A. E. Burn, The Athanasian creed and its early commentaries, Texts and Studies. Contributions to Biblical and patristic literature 4 (Cambridge, 1896) 44 incorrectly lists the present MS. as ‘Bodl. Laud. Lat. 493’ s. ‘xiv’).
26. (fols 78v–81v)
Clement of Llanthony, De sex alis cherubim

Attributed to Alan of Lille (pr.: GW 4648, etc.; ed.: PL 210. 273A–80C; Hauréau, Notices et extraits, 3. 275 & 5. 253–56; SBonO 10 (1902) 23f., no. 34; Little 173, this copy; Glorieux, Rép., 305ct; Stegmüller, RB, 949, and suppl.; Glorieux, Arts, 12p; Distelbrink 111; Mohan 293*; Bloomfield 4054, 4055 (this copy), and suppl.; cf. 357, and suppl.).

(fol. 81v) A half-page illustration of a six-winged cherub in red ink: the wings carry titles, the feathers are inscribed in the ink of the text.
27. (fols 82r–85r)
Ps.-Bonaventure, Arbor amoris (ed. U. Kamber, Arbor amoris, der Minnebaum : ein Pseudo-Bonaventura-Traktat (Berlin, 1964), 44–58; SBonO 10 (1902) 29, no. 97). (fol. 85r) Diagram of the Arbor amoris , in red and the ink of the text.
28. (fols 85v–86r)
James of Milan, Stimulus amoris
Rubric: Questio carnis ad deum patrem de christo

Extract = Dialogus inter carnem et animam (Bloomfield 691), 13 (ed.: Quaracchi, 2, 1949, 62–66; Distelbrink 219).

29. (fol. 86r–v)
Exempla

Exempla and extracts, see printed catalogue for incipits.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: -gere eum (fol. 3r)
Form: codex
Support: parchment; (fols 46, 78, 80, 81 & 84) traces of medieval repair (stitching holes); (fol. 21r) flaw, made good with a small parchment patch. Two types of bookmarks: (fols 16, 53, 57, 64, 70, 79 & 82, items 5, 12, 13, 15, 25–27) a blue-, (fol. 20, item 6) natural- and (fol. 67, presumably item 21) green-coloured, fine string, horizontally sewn into the outer margin; (fols 16, 20, 28 & 46) to items 5, 6, 10 & 11 a small parchment strip, pulled through vertical slits in the outer margin; (fol. 20) strip now lost.
Extent: i (17th-cent.) + 86 + i (17th-cent.) leaves
Dimensions (leaf): c.182–93 × 125–35 mm.
Foliation: 1–87, in modern (19th-cent.) pencil.

Collation

i 14+1 | ii 8+1 | iii 8 | iv 4 | v 8 | vi 10 | vii 6 | viii & ix 8 | x 8+1.

Layout

Ruling in ink, one column of typically 37 lines. Ruled space c.156–60 × 94–97 mm.

Hand(s)

German textualis, s. xiv2/4, by a single hand, below top line. Marginal annotations by the scribe, contemporary to 15th-cent. hands.

Decoration

Coloured initials in red.

Rubrication

Two schematic figures on fols 81v (Cherub, item 26) & 85r (Arbor amoris, item 27) in red and the ink of the text.

Binding

Brown tanned calf over laminated pulpboard for Archbp. Laud, 1637–1639

History

Origin: 14th century, second quarter; Germany

Provenance and Acquisition

Mainz, Carthusian abbey of St Michael: the 15th-cent. ex-libris inscriptions at the lower margin of fol. 2r: ‘Liber Carthusiensium prope magunciam.’ (boxed in) and, in the same hand, at the upper left-hand margin of fol. 86v: ‘Codex cartusiensium maguncie’. MS. Laud Misc. 493 is one of three Laudiani from the Mainz Charterhouse to preserve an old, 15th-cent., shelfmark: ‘C xviij S’, at the lower centre of fol. 2r. In the library, the present MS. was stored together with the items of subject C (containing Church Fathers and doctores ...) as no. 18 in the shelf belonging to the category S(ecundus) of desk C.

William Laud, 1573–1645: Ex-libris, dated 1638, at the lower half of fol. 1v.

Given to the Bodleian as part of his third donation, dispatched on 28 June 1639.

Record Sources

See above. Previously described in the Quarto Catalogue (H. O. Coxe, Laudian Manuscripts, Quarto Catalogues II, repr. with corrections, 1969, from the original ed. of 1858–1885).

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Bibliography

    Published descriptions:

    Daniela Mairhofer, Medieval Manuscripts from the Mainz Charterhouse in the Bodleian Library, Oxford: A Descriptive Catalogue, 2 vols. (Oxford, 2018), pp. 1287–1310

Last Substantive Revision

2023-10-06: Description revised for Mainz digitization project to include additional information from Mairhofer catalogue.