Miscellany of sermons by Caesarius of Arles, Eusebius Gallicanus, Eucherius of Lyon, Faustus of Riez, Augustine, Hugh of St. Victor, Pope Benedict XII, and Pope Urban V
putamus nos precibus nostris mundi ipsi succurrere
Eusebius, of Caesarea, Bishop of Caesarea, approximately 260-approximately 340
A miscellany of texts which includes selections of sermons from the Regula by Augustine; the Homilia VI-IX by Caesarius of Arles; the Homilia III by Eucherius of Lyon; the Sermo castigationis by Eusebius Gallicanus; the Sermo 23 by Caesrarius of Arles, which could also be attributed to Faustus of Riez; the Regula Sancti Augustini by St. Augustine of Hippo; the Expositio in Regulam Beati Augustini by Hugh of St. Victor; the Bullarum Romanum 4 by Pope Benedict XII; the Corpus iuris canonici by Pope Urban V; and the Homilia II, Homilia VIII, and Homilia X by Eusebius Gallicanus. Created during the pinnacle of Avignon's historical importance, this small miscellany of texts with various sermons features whimsical drawings in its margins. The marginal ink drawings, all carefully colored, include decorated pointed hands (maniculae) with elaborate sleeves, angels, lions, and a man in a boat. The texts gathered include sermons and monastic rules and the commentaries, which speak to the concerns of the original owner. First and last leaves soiled with no loss of text. Water damage on ff. 15v-16 resulting in the blurring of about 30% of the text along the inner margin. Minute wormhole in first line of the last five leaves. Minor soiling of outer and bottom margins throughout.
Written in several hands at the end of the 14th century or beginning of the 15th century in southern France, possibly Avignon, as suggested by the style of the initials, and to a lesser extend the script, which features some elements borrowed from the Papal Chancery, then in Avignon. Datable between 1369 (it includes a papal bull by Urban V (r. 1362-70) issued on 4 April 1369) and approximately 1400. Given the inclusion of the rule of St. Augustine and Hugh of St. Victor's commentary on the Rule, the codex was likely made for one of the many groups of canons or monks who followed this Rule, including Augustinian Hermits (Agustin Friars), Dominicans, Praemonstratensians, Trinitarians, Regular Canons, and others. Evidence of the first sixteen sermons (ff. 1-80) by Clements VII link the manuscript to the Celestine priory established in 1392. A bookplate of the Bibliotheque du Plessis-Villoutreys indicates ownership by the Marquis de Villoutreys, probably in the last quarter of the 19th century. Possibly part of a private European Collection at some point. Purchased by Western Michigan University Special Collection from Les Enluminures (TM 992).
Bible--Commentaries--Early works to 1800
Illumination of books and manuscripts--France--15th century
Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern)--France
Manuscripts, Medieval--Michigan--Kalamazoo
Caesarius, of Arles, Saint, 470?-542. Sermons. Selections.
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430. Regula
[original first gathering missing] i⁸, [-1 through 5, first five leaves missing with text loss], ii⁸, iii⁸ [-8, final folio cancelled with no text loss], iv-xxii⁸, xxiii⁷ [structure uncertain, no text loss], xxiv, xxv-xxvii⁸
Eighteenth-century binding of smooth tawed leather over cardboard with three sewing support, green and white endbands, label in brown ink at head of spine reading "Semon | es Sancti | Ca'sarij." Imprints and holes remaining on front and back cover from two ties, the traces of which are visible through paper pastedowns. Some concave warping of boards and discoloration and/or staining of cover and pastedowns. Paper bookplate on inner pastedown of the Bibliotheque du Plessis-Villoutreys including escutcheon with crown above and motto "Dis peu Fais mieux" below. Minor buckling in the first three leaves due to tight binding.
Majuscules, letter ascenders and descenders are flourished and washed in yellow throughout. Paraphs marks in blue. Rubics in red. Numerous 2-to-8-line initials in alternating red and blue with contrasting pen flourishes. 6-line parted red and blue initial with pen decoration (f. 92v). One initial in brown holds the face of a young monk (f. 28r). Catchwords, most in banderoles, in tiny miniatures. Some leaves trimmed with occasional loss of some pen flourishing and text.
Text written in 17-21 long lines on ff. 1-184 and 16-19 long lines on ff. 184v-213v by several contemporary scribes in a compact script, except ff. 184v-213v in a larger and freer hand, all in a skilled French cursive tending towards lettre batarde featuring documentary-style flourishing in bottom, outer, and occasionallly upper margins. Frame ruling in faint graphite with bounding lines extending to edges (justification c. 85-95 x 65 mm). Most incipits in an upright and rigid Gothic textualis. Larger text size starting on f. 184v, possibly a change of hands.
Many small marginal drawings which include maniculae extending from sleeves of red, blue, and yellow, often reaching from twinkling clouds and holding flowers, vines, or banderoles containing notae or catchwords (examples on ff. 50v, 52, 63v, 66v, 77, 82v, 90, 102, 189v). Other miniatures, some also holding notae and catchwords, are of rosy-cheeked angels (ff. 53v, 58v, 108v, 122v, 130v, 146v, 205v) with yellow hair and their garments, halos, and wings highlighted in red, blue, orange, and yellow. Further marginal drawings, some also bearing banderoles, include crosses and columns (ff. 42v. 44v, 47v, 106v, 177v), a man in a miniature boat (f. 55), lions (ff. 98v and 162v), a bird (f. 154v), a tiny empty tunic (f. 119v), and a monk (f. 138v).
Manuscript 188, Western Michigan University Special Collections
Barrali, Vincentio. Chronologia sanctorum et aliorum virorum illustrium ac abbatum sacrae insulae Lerinensis, Lyon, 1613.
Labende, M. L.-H. Catalogue général de manuscrits des bibliotheques publiques de Fance, 27: Departements; Avignon, Vol. 1, Paris, 1894.
Wenzel, Siegfried. "Sermon Collections and their Taxonomy," in the Whole Book: Clutural Perspectives on the Medieval Miscellany, ed. by Stephen G. Nichols and Siegfried Wenzel, Ann Arbour, MI, 1996.
Pratt, Karen, Bart Besamusca, Matthias Mayer, and Ad Putter, eds. The Dynamics of the Medieval Manuscript: Text Collections from a European Perspective, Gottingen 2017.
Digital reproduction published by Western Michigan University and made available for private study, scholarship or research use under applicable U.S. Law. Access to digital reproductions provided by Special Collections at Zhang Legacy Collections Center, Western Michigan University.