MS. Lyell 85
A Bernardinum etc., Germany, 14th century, early; B Johannes Damascenus, France, 13th century, second half
Contents
Language(s): Latin
After the two parts were bound together a 15th-cent. hand added a number of items on leaves which were originally blank:
On the other side of the picture of SS. Benedict and Bernard are pieces about them headed ‘Notabile dogma’
6 lines. WIC no. 2150 cites only one MS.
... (7 lines, end: constantior ipse).
For similar pieces cf. items in MS. Melk F. 8 described in Analecta Bollandiana XVII (1898), pp. 78, 87–8; and Vienna Schottenstift 208 (53 c. 5). For the verses see WIC 11128.
The first is headed: ‘De septemplici consideratione dominice passionis’, followed (fol. 111vb) by verses on the monastic life.
10 lines. WIC 2879
Four lines. Walter Initia, no. 16564
Further theological extracts, and verses.
Walter Initia, 2614
Walther Prov., 10606
Walter Initia, 17608
Physical Description
Binding
Well preserved 15th-century Erfurt binding of wooden boards covered with goatskin originally dyed in pink, with blindstamped decoration in panels. The stamps include nos. 5, 20, 23, 26, 27 of those illustrated by P. Schwenke in plates to ‘Die Buchbinderei des Petersklosters’, Beitrag to Theele, Die Handscriften des Benedicktinerklosters S. Petri zu Erfurt (1920), pp. 38–45, and some other small stamps not illustrated by him, notably a ‘free’ four-petalled flower, and a fleur-de-lis. Two clasps on leather straps, fastening on the upper cover. There were originally four bosses on the upper cover and five on the lower, of which one remains; marks of a chain fixed to the inside of the back cover. On the spine is written: ‘flores b. bern:’ (15th century). MSS. Hamilton 17 and 36 have similar titles on their spines.
Parchment tags in part 1.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
St. Peter’s, Erfurt: see binding, and note on fol. 2; 15th(?)-century pressmarks ‘M XLV’, ‘N XXX ’ (fol. 1r), and on fol. 2 (18th century): ‘Liber regalis monasterii S. Petri Erfodiae’ [erased]; another inscription, completely erased, on the front pastedown, and on the end pastedown: ‘ v. lib. c. xvj(?) ’. Identifiable as Hs. in quarto 4 in the St. Peter’s catalogue of 1786 (ed. Theele, Die Hss. des Benediktinerklosters S. Petri zu Erfurt (Zentralblatt für Bibliothekswesen, Beiheft XLVIII), 1920, p. 67).
Gräfische Stolbergische Bibliothek, Wernigerode: MS. Za. 9, see Ruland in Serapeum XVI (1855), II, no. 52 and E. Förstemann, Die Gräflich Stolbergische Bibliothek zu Wernigerode, 1866, pp. 75–76.
A. Rosenthal, bookseller: bought from him by James P. R. Lyell.
Chosen as one of the hundred manuscripts bequeathed to the Bodleian by Lyell in 1948.
MS. Lyell 85 – Part 1 (fols. 1–111)
Contents
Our text appears to be the normal version of the work, see M. Bernards, ‘Zur Ueberlieferung der Bernhardschriften. Beobachtungen an einem Bernhard-florilegium’, Cîteaux in de Nederlanden 5 (1954), 153–72.
Followed by a short note: ‘Predilecte domine mi domine Walthere preposite sanctimonialium in Ihene valete in domino Ihesu Cristo cum omnibus subditis et vobis commissis etc. Sed si redibo persona mea a vobis et omnibus vobis commissis suscipiatur.’ A Waltherus Franke or Franco of Jena appears as provost of the Cistercian nunnery of St. Michael’s at Jena in 1331 and 1333 and in 1341 as custos and monk of St. Peter’s Erfurt: see Urkundenbuch der Stadt Jena I, ed. J. E. A. Martin (Thuringische Geschichtsquellen, N.F. 3, Th. I), Jena, 1888, docs. 147, 160, 190.
The rest of fol. 109v, and fol. 110–111v, were originally left blank.
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
2 cols. of 47 lines ruled in crayon
Hand(s)
A current hybrid hand.
Decoration
Miniature of SS. Benedict and Bernard, fol. 1v. See J. Leclercq, Etudes sur saint Bernard et le texte de ses ecrits (Anal. Sacr. Ord. Cisterc. IX), 1953, pp. 45, 149, and pl. V reproducing the miniature.
Large initials in blue and red flourished in blue (or violet) and red, smaller ones red flourished in blue (or violet) or blue in red. (Pächt and Alexander i. 294, pl. XXIII)
History
Provenance
Waltherus Franco: inscription on fol. 109v (see above, 2b); added note by a 14th-century hand, ‘quos comparavit frater Waltherus dictus Franco. sancti Petri de Erford(?) ’ in the upper margin of fol. 2r after the original title ‘Flores sancti Bernhardi’.
Wormholes and other marks on the end leaves show that the MS. was once bound separately.
MS. Lyell 85 – Part 2 (fols. 112–138)
Contents
The chapter headings, which were left blank by the original scribe, were mostly filled in by a contemporary hand as far as c. 62 (fol. 128v). The same hand wrote marginal notes. A slightly later hand has noted the division into four books and the corresponding chapters.
Ed. E. M. Buytaert, St. John Damascene, De Fide Orthodoxa (Franciscan Institute Publications, Text Ser. 8), 1955. Our MS. appears to have similarities with his MSS. B and G.
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
a and b: 2 cols. of 52 lines ruled with a hard point (fol. 112r) or in lead (b)
c: 2 cols. of 56 lines ruled with a hard point
Hand(s)
Three hands writing below top line
hand a fol. 112ra
hand b fols. 112rb-134vb
hand c fols. 134vb-138v
Decoration
Red and blue initial on fol. 112r with blue and red pen flourishes and one small red initial with blue flourishes, others plain blue or red.
History
MS. Lyell 85 - flyleaf (fol. 139)
Contents
A portion of the Sanctorale (29 Aug. - 14 Sept.), with (139v, top) vespers of Decollation of John the Baptist, Felix, and Adauctus (with a cross reference to Paulinus episcopus), Egidius, (fol. 139r, bottom) Gorgonius, Protus and Jacinthus, Felix and Regula, Exaltation of the Cross (with Cornelius and Cyprian on the same day).
An offset of a 14th-century (?) fragment which apparently covered the fastening of a chain on the end pastedown is from the medieval Donatus, section on the conjugation of verbs, as found, e.g., ed. of Zainer, Augsburg, c. 1475 (G.W. no. 8817).
Physical Description
Layout
21 long lines.
A slightly later hand added two antiphons with neumatic notation in the border of fol. 139v, bottom.
Decoration
Red initials.
History
Provenance
A fragment written at St. Peter’s now in the binding of MS. Wernigerode Za. 5 probably comes from the same MS; see B. Wirtgen, Die Hss. des Klosters S. Peter und Paul zu Erfurt bis zum Ende des 13 Jh. (Inaug. Diss. Berlin), 1936, p. 118, no. 72.
Additional Information
Record Sources
Digital Images
Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Digital Bodleian (2 images from 35mm slides)
Bibliography
Online resources:
Printed descriptions:
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2025-04-23: Sebastian Dows-Miller. Removed empty handDesc.