MS. Don. e. 250
Summary Catalogue no.: Not in Summary Catalogue (late accession)
Devotional compilation; Western Germany, 15th century, middle or second half
Physical Description
Collation
Binding
Original German limp binding, s. xv. Primary link-stitch sewing on a rigid back plate and thick supporting strips of tawed leather through a cover of parchment and a charter (see item 2; further description by Andrew Honey in this volume). Folded parchment sewing guards throughout the quires protect the paper leaves from tearing. The lower cover extends to a fore-edge flap closing with a metal loop and hook clasp that is sewn onto the cover together with a charter (see item 1) and held down by heart-shaped leather patches. The fascicles A–D are originally independent codicological entities. Remaining threads from quire tackets can be seen between fols 41 & 41. The short title on the spine (‘Concord. EV. M.S.’) is probably a later addition since it only refers to the first line of the manuscript on fol. 1r.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Strasbourg Charterhouse, possibly until its dissolution in 1591, ownership mark on the upper endleaf (fol. ir): ‘Hic libellus spectat ad domum montis beate Marie virginis ordinis carthusiensis prope Argentinam’. The charter used for the pastedown mentions Trier. The fascicles B and C contain watermarks that could also refer to Trier.
‘139’ in blue pencil on the upper (left) pastedown.
Maurice Burrus (1882–1959), Alsace industrialist, tobacco magnate, benefactor and collector.
Christie's, 25 May 2016, lot 25.
Purchased by the Bodleian Library in honour of Nigel F. Palmer.
MS. Don. e. 250 - flap support
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Fragment of a charter, parchment, sewn on the fore-edge flap together with the loop of the clasp. Several lines of Latin text in German gothic cursiva, s. xiv/xv, by as single hand, worn and hardly legible. Mentioned are the city Trier (‘treuer[...]’), a prior Hermann (‘hermannus prior’), and a sister Catherine (‘nobis in christo sorori katherine de [?]’). The following toponym is illegible due to wear and a hole in the parchment.
Physical Description
Hand(s)
Gothic cursive.
History
MS. Don. e. 250 - upper and lower pastedown
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Fragment of a charter, parchment, frame-ruling in hardpoint. German gothic cursiva, dated 1399 at Ehrenbreitstein, by a single hand, worn and stained. It mentions a ‘Wernherus dei gracia sanctae treverensis ecclesiae […]’, possibly the archbishop of Trier, Werner von Falkenstein (1355–1418), a ‘Johann(is) Scholar(is)’, and a ‘Walcam Archicancellarius’.
Physical Description
Hand(s)
Gothic cursive.
History
MS. Don. e. 250 - upper endleaf, fol. i
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Ownership mark of the Strasbourg Charterhouse on fol. i r, see provenance. Summary of contents on fol. i v: ‘Incipit meditacio passionis dominice / in hoc opere presupponitur textus ewangelistarum ipsius passionis domini necnon articuli 56 \65/ eiusdem dominice passionis quos oportet meditantem similiter in suis locis diligenter ruminare’.
Physical Description
MS. Don. e. 250 - part A (fols. 1-34)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Excerpts, consisting of the 'orationes' only of the 65 sections, numbered in arabic in the margin, sometimes followed by an additional prayer for the same occasion.
For the author see 2VL, IV (1983), cols 853–861; for the transmission of the text see A. Zumkeller, Manuskripte von Werken der Autoren des Augustiner-Eremitenordens in mitteleuropäischen Bibliotheken, pp. 293–298).
Physical Description
Layout
No ruling.
Scribe 1, 1 col., 16 lines; written space c. 100 × 70 mm.
Scribe 2, 1 col., c. 18-19 lines; written space c. 110 × 70 mm.
Hand(s)
Cursive (bastarda). Two main hands, fols. 1r-32v and (a later hand) 32v-34v.
Decoration
Penwork frogspawn decoration on two initials (fols 1r and 16r).
(fols 1r–32v) One- to four-line initials in red marking text segments. (fols 32v–33r) Simple one- to two-line initials.
(fols 1r–32v) Red headings. The names of the Evangelists in red, Jesus’ name always underlined in red in the gospel harmony. Majuscules at the beginning of phrases stroked in red. (fols 32v–33r) A red heading, one heading and one passage underlined in red.
History
MS. Don. e. 250 - part B (fols. 35-119)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Excerpt; ed. L. M. Rigollot, Vita Jesu Christi ex Evangelio et approbatis ab Ecclesia Catholica doctoribus sedule collecta, here IV.462f (II.58.7–11); the text differs significantly from Rigollot’s; for the author see 2VL, V (1986), cols 967–977).
For bibliographical details see above; the text here with many differences from the printed editions, as illustrated by the selections from the third article given below.
Followed by a series of related short texts:
On Christ's tomb as an image of the religious life.
Short meditation on Mary's visit to the tomb, in general cf. Ludolf of Saxony, Vita Christi II.66.15 (ed. cit. IV.635-6)
(fols 116v–119v) blank.
Physical Description
Layout
Vertical lines achieved by folding to separate the margins. 1 col., c. 22-24 lines; written space variable, typically 125-30 × 80-90 mm.
Hand(s)
Cursive (bastarda). Text, numeration, frequent corrections and marginal comments by one hand, maniculae on fols 41v, 70v, 92v, 97r, 99v, 105r, 108v, 109r & 111v.
Decoration
Extensive use of rubrication. Paragraph marks, virgules, and line fillers in red. Headings, nomina sacra, and quire numerals underlined in red. Majuscules stroked in red. Some passages vertically highlighted in red. Some maniculae (see script) also in red. All executed by the scribe.
History
MS. Don. e. 250 - part C (fols. 120-147)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Physical Description
Layout
Frame ruling in hardpoint, fols 120v–121r
Frame ruling in lead, fols. 144v–147r.
1 col., c. 22-24 lines; written space c. 100-5 × 75 mm.
Hand(s)
Cursive (bastarda). Main text by one hand, occasional corrections, probably by the same hand.
Decoration
Two- to eight-line initials.
Incipit, explicit, and paragraph marks in red. Headings and Jesus’ name underlined in red. Majuscules and minuscules at the beginning of phrases stroked in red.
History
MS. Don. e. 250 - part D (fols. 148-159)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Excerpts: ed. PL 153, 799-884 (as Guigo II)
Physical Description
Layout
No ruling. 1 col., 23 lines; written space c. 110-5 × 70 mm.
Hand(s)
Cursive (bastarda). Main text and occasional corrections by one hand.
Decoration
Headings, paragraph marks, and marginal comments in red. Certain words and phrases underlined in red. Majuscules stroked in red.
History
MS. Don. e. 250 - lower endleaf, fol. 160
Contents
Language(s): Latin and German
Unidentified Latin-German text by a single hand on fol. 160v: ‘[…] dulcedo spiritus sine est clauis [Considera] das mynneclich inkeren [zu above in as alternative reading] in den willen sins himmelschen vatters / Die hiczigen trehe […] pro me / das anedehtige Innig gebett das als starck was das sich alle sine kreffe von vßen vnd ynne sich zu grunde liessende dum dixit quoniam fiat volutas tua das sich selber geben gancz dich mir In cora re (?) dixit / Item die fruht suis lydens in cruce / lauabor […]’.
Physical Description
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Digital Images
Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Bibliography
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2021-09: Matthew Holford: encoded description by Jonas Hermann.