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

MS. Lyell 51

Latin miscellany

Physical Description

Eleven pieces bound together, written probably in Austria, in the 13th–14th (items J, K), and 15th cents.
Form: codex
Extent: i+192 leaves (fol. i, left blank, is part of the first quire)
Dimensions (leaf): 206 × 140 mm.

Collation

Secundo Folio: distinctis que

Binding

15th-cent. monastic binding of wooden boards covered with white leather (probably polished sheepskin) decorated with tooled panels and stamps; sewing strengthened in the middle of the quires with strips of parchment taken from MSS.; traces of a label on the upper cover.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Formerly no. 596 in the library of Admont (see paper label on spine).

Sold by Admont in or after 1934 to L. and A. Brecher of Brünn; see G. Moser-Mersky, Mittelalt. Bibl.kat. Österreichs iii, 1961, p. 9.

Bought by Lyell from Davis and Orioli in April 1938; see their Cat. 79 (Nov. 1937), no. 90.

James P. R. Lyell, 1871–1948

Chosen as one of the hundred manuscripts bequeathed to the Bodleian by Lyell in 1948.

MS. Lyell 51 – Part A (fol. i+1–24)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1.
Jean Gerson, Opusculum tripartitum
Rubric: (fol. 1r) Incipit opusculum tripertitum Iohannis de Gersona de preceptis, de confessione et de sciencia moriendi
Incipit: Cristianitati suus qualiscunque zelator
Explicit: (fol. 24r) laudabiliter observatur.
Final rubric: Explicit opusculum tripertitum de preceptis, de confessione et de sciencia mortis per eximium theologie doctorem magistrum Iohannem de Gersona alme universitatis Parisiensis cancellarium compilatum. 1471.
Pr. L. E. du Pin, Joannis Gersonii Opera Omnia, Antwerp, 1706, 1, col. 427–50.

Fol. 24v is blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper; watermark, steer’s head with cross and flower with seven petals, cf. Briquet nos. 14547, 14550–2

Collation

1¹²–2¹² (+ 1 added after 12)

Layout

Frame ruling, mostly 28 long lines, 145 × 100 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in a current hybrid hand in 1471.

Decoration

Red initials and headings.

History

Origin: 1471 ; Austria (?)

MS. Lyell 51 – Part B (fol. 25–48)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1.
Jodocus Weiler of Heilbronn, Tractatus de usu et modo dictandi
Rubric: (fol. 26r) Prima tabula in qua continentur salutaciones ad summum pontificem
Incipit: Sanctissimo in Christo patri ac domino domino Ewgenio divina providencia sacrosancte Romane ac universalis ecclesie summo pontifici Sigismundus eadem providencia Romanorum imperator
Explicit: (fol. 39v) Valete. Deus conducat vos et cum prosperitate reducat etc.
Final rubric: Explicit tractatus de usu et modo dictandi editus per venerabilem magistrum Iodocum de Haylprunn waccalarium formatus[sic] in theologia.

Another MS. is cited by L. Rockinger, Briefsteller und Formelbücher, 1863, pp. 952–3 n. 2.

2.
⟨Jodocus Weiler of Heilbronn (?)⟩ , De exordiis
Rubric: (fol. 39v) Incipit de exordiis
Incipit: Quia melius ex forma quam ex materia rei formande habetur doctrina, idcirco de octo modis exordiendi duxi formulas
Explicit: (fol. 44v) et promovendos etc et sic est finis Deo gracias etc.
Final rubric: Explicit tractatulus de exordiis octo modorum Deo gracias.

Fols. 25–25v, 45–48v are blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper; watermark, mount with cross and flower, cf. Briquet no. 11825

Collation

3¹²–4¹²

Layout

Frame ruling, 2 cols., c. 34 lines, 160 × 110 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in the 15th cent, in a cursive hand.

Decoration

Red initials and headings.

History

Origin: 15th century ; Austria (?)

MS. Lyell 51 – Part C (fol. 49–56)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1.
Notes on Aristotle, Ethics
Rubric: (fol. 49r) Hic incipiuntur[sic] auctoritates primi libri ethicorum
Incipit: Omnia bona appetunt / Cognicio finis utilis est in arte
Explicit: (fol. 52r) (bk. 10) quia intellectus est principialissimum hominis

Fol. 52v–56v are blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper, no watermark

Collation

5⁸

Layout

32 long lines, not ruled, c. 175 × 125 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in the 15th cent, in a cursive hand

History

Origin: 15th century ; Austria (?)

MS. Lyell 51 – Part D (fol. 57–85)

Contents

1.
Treatise on dictamen
Incipit: (fol. 57r) Rethorice dulcedinis florenti sermone
Explicit: (fol. 85v) ad eterna celestium habitacula valeamus feliciter pervenire. Amen.
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper; watermarks very hard to see, mount in circle, scales, cf. Briquet nos. 11878, etc.(?), 2399

Collation

6¹² (1 canc.), 7¹², 8¹² (7–12 canc.)

Layout

frame ruling in ink, 2 cols., c. 31–4 lines, 160 × 105 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in the 15th cent, in a cursive hand

Decoration

Red initials.

History

Origin: 15th century ; Austria (?)

MS. Lyell 51 – Part E (fol. 86–128)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 88v)
Mauricius Leydis, Ars predicandi
Introduction
Incipit: Communicaturus caritative meis desiderantibus hoc quod de modo predicandi ad populos multos per labores donavit altissimus
Explicit: (fol. 89r) descendunt quando per moralia se inferioribus (?) conformant
(fol. 89r)
Rubric: Divisio predicacionum
Incipit: Ulterius notandum quod predicacionum alia de festis, alia de tempore
Rubric: Declaracio. Declaracio paradigmatis de sanctis et primo de prima riga primi semicirculi
Incipit: (fol. 89v) Fulgendus in sermone infra octavas Epiphanie
Explicit: (fol. 100r) (de tempore) de figuris et propheciis etc. Et hec de paradigmate de tempore
(fol. 100r)
Rubric: Sequitur nunc de partibus integralibus sermonis
Incipit: ⟨E⟩xpeditis duobus paradigmatibus quorum primum fuit de sanctis et secundum de tempore restat nunc dicere de partibus inte⟨g⟩ralibus sermonis
Explicit: (fol. 105r) hoc nobis prestare dignetur id est ipse cum patre et spiritu sancto Deus imus in secula benedictus Amen.
Final rubric: Explicit Ars predicandi per reverendissimum magistrum Mauririum Leydis per manus domini Nicolai Weigselpammer (?) de Wasserurga Anno domini Mºccccº et Lii in vigilia vigile Nativitatis Christi etc.

This is preceded (fol. 86v–88) by paradigms expounded in the text:

a.
Rubric: De sanctis
Rubric: (fol. 86v) Prima pars primi paradigmatis
Incipit: Beneficio impenso in ipsa festivitate
(fol. 87r)
Rubric: Secunda pars primi paradigmatis

heading mostly cropped by binder

Incipit: Sancti vita atque conversacione

See fol. 89–96v;

b. (fol. 86v–87)
Rubric: Dyabolus

drawing with text

Incipit: Utrobique nocet nos supersticionum perversitate

See fol. 96v–97v;

c. (fol. 88r)
Rubric: Secundum paradigma (de tempore)

see fol. 97v–100. On fol. 87v are lists of different kinds of feast days.

See H. Caplan, Medieval Artes Praedicandi (Cornell Studies in Classical Philology, XXIV), 1934, no. 27; T. Charland, Artes Praedicandi (Publ. de l’Inst. d’études médiév. d’Ottawa, vii), 1936, p. 70, both of whom cite our MS. as Admont 596. Only the introduction is similar to the printed ‘Aquinas’ tract cited by them (Hain 1351–62).

2.
Giovanni da Capestrano, Sermons preached at Regensburg, 1452
a. (fol. 105r)
Rubric: Sermo de visitacione virginis benedicte factus Radispone a fratre Iohannis[sic] de Capistrano doctore egregio iuris civilis ac viro devoto ordinis minorum
Incipit: ⟨U⟩t audivit Elisabet salutacionem Marie exultavit infans … Cum enim virgo benedicta fuisset
Explicit: (fol. 108v) maior aut par. Et sic patet (?) declaracio istarum prerogativarum virginis et aliarum prerogativarum declaracio(?) obmittitur diligendus studiose etc.

Followed by a note on the celebration of the feast of the Visitation.

b. (fol. 109r)
Rubric: … Et est de ludo
(top of heading cut off by binder)

In several parts:

(i).
Incipit: Gegimina viperarum quis vobis demonst⟨r⟩abit … Genimina ostendit eos culpabiles

ends with a list of 50 sins arising from games

(ii).
Rubric: Item nota versus et metra de ludo
Incipit: Et cum taxillis ^tabellis^ ludo tibi crimina fiunt

7 lines. Cf. WIC 7487;

(iii).
Rubric: Nota alia metra de eiusdem Ovidius poeta dictavit(?)
Incipit: Nunc etenim mihi pisces captare marinos

38 lines. Probably also in Munich clm. 5844, which Walther cites for the previous item.

(iv). (fol. 109v)
Rubric: Ad propositum(?) sermonis
Incipit: Primum peccatum et principale est superbia
Explicit: (fol. 110r) quelibet vida orienda ex ludo per se ipsum explicare secundum statum specialem(?) per propriam industriam naturalem etc.

On these ‘reports’ of sermons given at Regensburg, see L. Luszczki, ‘De manuscriptis sermonum S. Ioannis de Capistrano’, Antemurale 5 (1959), 127–9. The two sermons in our MS. seem to be from the same recension as the three in MS. Vienna 3693, fol. 122–8.

Fol. 110v is blank.

3.
Ars generalis
a. (fol. 111r)
Rubric: Sequitur Ars generalis prima figura

An incomplete version of the first of the four basic figures of Ramon Lull, given in his Ars brevis, followed by

Rubric: secunda figura
(also incomplete)
(fol. 111v)
Rubric: figura quarta

with revolving discs

(fol. 112r)
Rubric: Hec est figura tercia

see F. Yates, ‘The Art of Ramon Lull’, Journal of Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 17 (1954), 116 and Pl. 8b, c, d, e;

b. (fol. 112r)

a table, with the letters B–K at the left, (left to right)

Incipit: Bonitas, Differenda, Utrum

The equivalent of the first three lines of Lull’s ‘Alphabet’ (Yates, pl. 8a)

c. (fol. 112v)

a list of Lull’s nine ‘Dignitates Dei’ or ‘Essencialis Accentualis’

d. (fol. 113r)

Definition of the ‘absoluta’ and ‘relata’

Incipit: B. Bonitas est ens racion⟨e⟩ cuius bonum agit bonum

similar to Lull’s Ars Brevis, cap. vi. De Diffinitionibus (in Opera, ed. Zetzner, Strassburg, 1617, p. 10)

Followed by definitions of Lull’s ‘questiones’ (Utrum-Cum quo)

Incipit: Utrum querit possibilitatem rei
e.

Examples of the application of the Art using ‘mensa’ and ‘liber’

(i). (fol. 113v)
Incipit: Virtutes eius quis sufficit enarrare. Est enim mensa valde bona

etc., using the eighteen principles

(fol. 114r)
Rubric: Argumentum
Incipit: Rethoricum formabitur(?) ex novem questionibus et omnibus tripartitis sic Utrum mensa est

, etc., using the nine questiones

(ii). (fol. 114v)
Incipit: Item nota quot decem et octo principia supra dicta et eciam novem questiones supra dicta sunt generalia sive generales ad omne quod est et possunt applicari ad omnem rem et ad omne thema ut iam patuit superius de mensa. Exemplum secundum de libro et dicitur sic. Virtutes eius quis sufficit enarrare. Est liber valde bonus
(fol. 115r)
Rubric: Argumentum
Incipit: Utrum librum[sic] est. Responditur quod sic
Explicit: Cum quo tu es o homo certe cum gratia Dei si vis etc. Et sic de aliis.

Fol. 115v–121v are blank.

4. (fol. 122r)
Ars memoratiua (so called in a list of contents on fol. 86r)
Incipit: Invoco auxilium altissimi creatoris ut ab illo summantur exordium medium et finis. Quantum ad principium huius artis est notandum quod ars ista consistit in duobus punctis, scilicet in locis et in maginibus[sic]
Explicit: (fol. 127v) et ita approprianda huic ymagine signa adequate representativa clausularum istius hystorie etc. Deo gracias.

Fol. 128 is blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper; fol. 86–120: steer’s head with flower, cf. Briquet no. 14760; fol. 121–8: two versions of steer’s head with flower, cf. Briquet 14785 (for general type), 14790

Collation

9¹², 10¹² (+1 added after 12), 11¹⁰, 12⁸

Layout

fol. 86–120: c. 36–40 long lines, not ruled, c. 175 × 120 mm.

fol. 121–8: frame ruling in ink, c. 30–4 long lines, c. 105 × 165 mm.

Hand(s)

In two 15th-cent. cursive hands (fols. 86–120, 121–8), the first part written in 1452 (fol. 105r)

Decoration

Diagrams deriving from Rámon Lull. (Pächt and Alexander i. 167)

History

Origin: 1452 and 15th century, middle ; Austria (?)

MS. Lyell 51 – Part F (fol. 129–40)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Statutes and customs of the Cathedral Chapter of Bressanone (formerly Brixen), 20 March 1422
1. (fol. 129r)
Record of the reading by the Dean, Nicolaus Swarat, to the Canons of Bressanone, of the ‘Statuta et consuetudines dicti Capituli’, and of their approval of them, 20 March 1422.

The names tally with those listed by F. A. Sinnacher, Beyträge zur Gesch. der bischöflichen Kirchen Sähen und Brixen in Tyrol VI, 1828, p. 88.

2. (fol. 129v)
Rubric: Tenores Statutorum et consuetudinum de quibus superius facta est mencio secuntur in hec verba
Incipit: Quia kathedralium et aliarum ecclesiarum collegiatarum capitula facere possunt statuta licita et honesta
Explicit: (fol. 137r) dictis hospitibus ipso facto privati.
3. (fol. 137r)
Record of the approval and sealing of the statutes by the Bishop, Berchtholdus, and of the canons’ solemn oath to observe them
4. (fol. 137v–138)
Testimony of the notary, Nicolaus Johannis Clericus Augustensis diocesis

The statutes have apparently been published by L. Santifaller, ‘Gli statuti del capitolo della cattedrale di Bressanone nel medioevo’, Archivio per l’Alto Adige 22, 1927; see J. Prader, ‘Die Gerichtsbarkeit des Brixner Domkapitels’ in Festschrift zur Feier das 200 Jh. Bestandes des Haus-, Hof-, und Staatsarchivs (Vienna), 11, 1951, pp. 155, etc. Sinnacher, loc. cit., pp. 88–90, gives an account, of the Statutes ‘Ex Autogr. in Arch. Capit.’ Some passages from the statutes are quoted by Santifaller, Das Brixner Domkapitel in seiner persönlichen Zusammensetzung in M.A. (Schlem-Schriften, 7), Innsbruck, 1924–5, pp. 105–6 (= our MS., fol. 130–131); 116 n. 63 (= fol. 134–134v; 233–4v–84 (= fol. 131–2), from Bressanone, Arch. Capit., Cod. L. 25 n. 3 fol. 3–14v. Prader, op. cit., p. 192 n. 4, quotes another passage (= fol. 135v).

Fol. 138v–140v are blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper; watermarks, steer’s head with flower (two versions), cf. Briquet nos. 14751, 14760

Collation

13¹²

Layout

partly with frame ruling in ink, c. 30–35 long lines, c. 170–80 × 110–20 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in the 15th cent, in a cursive hand

History

Origin: 15th century ; Austria (?)

MS. Lyell 51 – Part G (fol. 141–52)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 141r)
Elizabeth, dowager Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (?), An exhortation to Frederick King of the Romans (elected 1440, cr. Emperor Frederick III in 1452) and his brother Albert (Albert VI Duke of Styria, d. 1463) to end their quarrel over their lands in Styria, Carinthia and Camiola
Incipit: Prefulcite magister ac comprogenialis amantissime et dilecti Domini fratres nil aliud quam se totum licet in sudore vultus mei
Explicit: (fol. 144r) in celo dignis coronabimur feliciter premiis adiuti per eum qui omnium bonorum amator est operum sempiternus etc.

On fol. 143v the writer says: ‘Terminemus preterea vitam nostram exemplo domini regis Alberti pacifici confratruelis nostri nouiter heu defuncti …’ According to Du Cange, Glossarium ii, p. 502, ‘confratruelis’ probably means a consort. King Albert II of Hungary and Bohemia died in October 1439; his queen, Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor Sigismund and mother of Ladislas Postumus, died in December 1442.

2. (fol. 144v–149v)
Nicolaus Petschacher of Znoyma (Znaim), Collection (anonymous in this MS.) of Latin poems chiefly about King Albert II of Hungary and Bohemia and the Hussite problem
Rubric: Epitaphium domini regis Alberti
Incipit: Ecclesiam Christi quam pacificare cupivi.

Nos. XII, iª, xi 1. 1–14, v, xi, 1.15–18, x, vi, vii, viii, ix, ii, iii, iv of the collection ed. J. Huemer, ‘Historische Gedichte aus dem XV Jh. Nicolaus Petschacher’, M.I.Ö.G. 16 (1895), 638–47. He used Munich clm. 563, in which the poems are attributed to Petschacher, and our MS., then Admont 596, which he says (p. 638) has a better text, though fewer poems. Since our MS. does not include xiii, ‘Epitaphium Elizabet regine’, the poems in it may all have been written before her death in 1442.

Fol. 150–2 are blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paperl watermarks, scales, cf. Briquet no. 2401; mount in circle, cf. Briquet no. 11878

Collation

14¹²

Layout

frame ruling in ink (apart from fol. 141r), c. 39 long lines, c. 165 × 90 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in the 15th cent, in a current fere hybrida

History

Origin: 15th century ; Austrian

MS. Lyell 51 – Part H (fol. 153–60)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 153r)
Johannes Bondi of Aquileia, Liber epythetorum
Rubric: Incipit liber epythetorum compylatus a magistro Iohanne de Aquilegia in dictamine refulgent
Incipit: Unus est pater omnium cuius nutu celestia et terrestria gubernantur
Explicit: (fol. 160v) Et manifeste promittit fieri quod fit etc. Et sic est finis.

Rockinger, Briefsteller cit., p. 954 n. i, lists a ‘libellus de epythetis’ by Bondi in Munich clm. 9683, fol. 13–16.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Collation

15⁸

Layout

frame ruling, c. 135 × 90 mm. , c. 23–6 lines

Hand(s)

written in the 15th cent, in a hybrid hand

Decoration

Red headings.

History

Origin: 15th century ; Austrian

MS. Lyell 51 – Part J (fol. 161–75)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 161r)
Treatise on confession
Incipit: Circa confessionem primo queritur ad quid sit utilis. Ad quod notandum quod confessio utilis est ad novem
Explicit: (fol. 173ra) et licet non possit opera de genere bonorum mortua vivificare, potest tamen mortifica resuscitare. Amen dicant omnia. Amen.
Colophon: Finivi librum scripsi sine manibus illum.

The treatise in MS. Trier Stadtbibi. 691, fol. 251–6, may be the same but its ending is different; see M. W. Bloomfield, ‘Incipits’, p. 275, no. 108.

2.
Sermons
a. (fol. 173v, continued on fol. 174r)
Rubric: De novo sacerdote
Incipit: ⟨Vi⟩di alterum angelum ascendentem ab ortu solis… In hiis verbis honor et dingnitas[sic] exprimit
Explicit: (fol. 174v) fructus honoris et honestatis. Istud singnum nullus defert nisi sit episcopus.
Final rubric: Explicit sermo de novo sac⟨er⟩dote
b. (fol. 173v, continued on fol. 174va)
Rubric: In cena Domini
Incipit: Et facta cena cum dyabolus iam misisset… Sic eciam Christus sciens quod debeat ab apostolis recedere prius voluit cum eis cenare(?)
Explicit: (fol. 175vb) veraciter et firmiter credere debent etc.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment, c. 190 × 135 mm.

Collation

16⁸, 17⁶ (+1 added at the end)

Layout

160 × 105 mm. : 2 cols, of 43 lines ruled in ink

Hand(s)

Written in the 13th–14th cent, in two current text hands: a. fol. 161–173v; b. fol. 173ra–175v.

Decoration

Red headings and initials.

History

Origin: 13th-14th century ; Austria (?)

MS. Lyell 51 – Part K (fol. 176–83)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1.
Theological notes,

chiefly on sin, penitence, and redemption, imperfect at beginning and end.

The first complete paragraph

Rubric: De x generibus hominum
Incipit: (fol. 176rb) Nota quod legitur in Regum ubi Ieroboam egressus de Ierusalem magum invenit… (fol. 176rb) Nota sicut xii sunt hore diei.

The last paragraph

Incipit: (fol. 183vb) ⟨A⟩ngeli eorum similiter vident faciem patris.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment 187 × 140 mm.

Collation

18⁸

Layout

144 × 100 mm. : 2 cols, of 35 lines ruled in ink

Hand(s)

written in the 13th–14th cent, in a current text hand

History

Origin: 13th-14th century ; Austrian

MS. Lyell 51 – Part L (fol. 184–92)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Pope Paul II, Bulls against Georgy Podebrad, King of Bohemia, issued on 20 April 1468
1. (fol. 184r)
Incipit: Paulus episcopus servus servorum Dei, ad futuram rei memoriam. Licet inscrutabilis superni consilii prudencia
Explicit: (fol. 185v) plenariam et liberam tenore presencium concedimus facultatem …
Explicit: (fol. 186r) Datum Rome apud Sanctum Marcum anno incarnationis dominice Millesimo quadringentesimo sexagesimo octavo duodecima Kal. Maii, pontificatus nostri anno quarto etc.
2. (fol. 186r)
Incipit: Paulus episcopus servus servorum Dei, ad perpetuam rei memoriam. Regnans in secula sempiternus vivorum et mortuorum Iudex fortis et paciens
Explicit: (fol. 188r) Et procul ab eis ecclesiastica sepultura eiciant corpora eorundem …

with the same date as 1.

Then follows the scribe’s colophon:

Colophon: Ista copia collacionata et concordat cum originali scriptus per me Nicolaum Weigselpammer tunc temporis divinorum cooperator(?) in valle Sell. Anno 1468º etc.
These Bulls are apparently printed in Scriptores Renan Silesicarum (or Sammlung schlesischer Geschichtsschreiber), ix, 1874, pp. 265–9; see Pastor, History of the Popes iv, 1894, p. 144. An extract from the first (= fol. 184’ 1. 10–185 1. 6) but dated xiii Kal. Maii, is printed by Raynaldus, Annales Ecclesiastici x, 1753, pp. 450–1.

Fol. 188v–192v are blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment; watermark, steer’s head with flower, cf. Briquet no. 14857

Collation

19¹² (10 stuck to binding, 11–12 canc.)

Layout

frame ruling in ink, c. 35–7 long lines, c. 175 × 110 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in 1468 in a current fere hybrida

History

Origin: 1468 ; Austria (?)

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted from A. de la Mare, Catalogue of the Medieval Manuscripts Bequeathed to the Bodleian Library Oxford by James P. R. Lyell (1971); with additions by Andrew Dunning.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2020-12-16: Andrew Dunning Revised from description by Albinia de la Mare.