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Summa de casibus poenitentiae et matrimonio, with the commentary of William of Rennes (d.1259?), in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [France, probably Paris, mid-13th century]
Details
Raymundus de Peñafort (c.1175–1275)
Summa de casibus poenitentiae et matrimonio, with the commentary of William of Rennes (d.1259?), in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [France, probably Paris, mid-13th century]
A charming pocket-sized decorated copy of an important text.
c.130 x 95mm, 409 leaves, plus a modern vellum flyleaf conjoint with the pastedowns at front and back, with two series of medieval foliation, both with errors, one in roman numerals towards the middle of the upper margin, the other (used here) in arabic numerals in the upper outer corner, omitting ‘44’ and ‘55’, ‘330’–‘339’ inclusive, and ‘375’, but repeating ‘178’ and ‘193’, thus finishing at ‘420’; apparently complete, collation: 1–712, 810, 9–3012, 3110, 32–3412, 355 (of 8, vi–viii cancelled, probably blank), catchwords survive in most gatherings, ruled in leadpoint for up to three columns, ruled space: c.85 × 55mm, written in two sizes of formal Gothic script, the gloss slightly smaller than the main text, the text and the gloss each of varying width, occupying from none to all three columns, decorated throughout with one-line initials and paraphs alternately red or blue, large pen-flourished puzzle initials in blue and red, or in blue with red flourishing, at the start of the prologue, its gloss, the beginnings of the four books, and the start of the commentaries to Books I and IV (ff.1, 1v, 100v, 163v, 171v, 352, and 352v) (some of the first few leaves are perforated in the shape of a saltire cross within a circle, perhaps a mark of ownership, possibly for a house dedicated to St Andrew, minor wear but generally in very good condition). Bound in 19th-century brown leather, the covers blind-stamped with a panel copying that of Jean van der Lende (d.1493) of Bruges (reproduced in W. H. James Weale, Bookbindings and Rubbings of Bindings in the National Art Library, South Kensington, II: Catalogue (London, 1894), p.163), consisting of two rows of creatures amidst coiling foliage, surrounded by the legend ‘Iohannes de lende ob laudem xpristi librum hune recte ligavi’; not only is ‘hunc’ written as ‘hune’, but the letters of ‘xpristi’ (Christi) are ill-formed, suggesting that the panel was copied from a worn example or rubbing by someone who did not know Latin, the edges of the leaves speckled red and green (somewhat scuffed, but sound and the impressions crisp).
Provenance:
(1) The dual medieval foliation is very unusual; this suggests that an early owner was unfamiliar enough with arabic numerals (which were rarely used in the West before the mid-13th century) that it was worth the considerable effort of adding a second foliation in roman numerals.
(2) Unidentified 16th-century institutional library: inscribed ‘[…] Aven.(?) Sig. O/54/’ (f.2, lower margin); another (erased) inscription is written sideways in the outer margin of f.1.
(3) Jules Frésart (1821–1900), banker and antiquarian, of Liège: with his oval book label printed ‘Collection Jul. Frésart / Château de Flone’ in blue capitals on black (front pastedown); his(?) ‘No 232’ (in pencil, front pastedown).
(4) Bonhams, Books, Atlases, Manuscripts and Photographs, 19 March 2014, lot 65.
Contents:
Prologue: ‘Quoniam ut ait Jeronimus secunda post naufragium tabula est culpam simpliciter confiteri […; gloss:] Ait Jeronimus de pe(nitentia). d(istinctio) .i. c(apitul)o primo. Secunda tabula hoc dicitur baptismus vel penitentia […]’ f.1; Book I: ‘Incipiunt capitula. De symonia. […] De sepulturis [text:] Quoniam inter crimina ecclesiastica symoniaca heresis optinet primum locum […; gloss:] ‘Crimina ecclesiastica. Crimina ecclesiastica sunt quorum examinatio […; f.1v; Book IV ends:] ut ibidem plenius invenitur. [and the gloss:] impense necessare sunt. Ut dicitur. in lege. infra.’ f.419; ‘Incipiunt capitula decretalium. Incipit liber primus. De constitutionibus. De rescriptis […] De regulis iuris’ ff.419v–420v.
Raymond of Peñafort (c.1180–1275) was born near Barcelona, and received his education in Bologna before returning to Barcelona and becoming a Dominican, later briefly becoming Master of his Order. An influential canon lawyer, he wrote this, his most important work, as a manual of canon law for confessors. The first three books, the Summa de casibus poenitentiae, were originally composed c.1222–25, and revised c.1234, when he also produced a Summa de matrimonio, a comprehensive summary of the teaching of marriage, intended to help his Dominican brothers in the hearing of confessions where numerous problems relating to marriage would have been encountered (see Raymond of Penyafort, Summa on Marriage, translated with an Introduction by Pierre J. Payer, Mediaeval Sources in Translation, 41 (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2005). This Summa on marriage circulated on its own, but also as Book IV of the earlier Summa on penance, as in the present manuscript.
Summa de casibus poenitentiae et matrimonio, with the commentary of William of Rennes (d.1259?), in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [France, probably Paris, mid-13th century]
A charming pocket-sized decorated copy of an important text.
c.130 x 95mm, 409 leaves, plus a modern vellum flyleaf conjoint with the pastedowns at front and back, with two series of medieval foliation, both with errors, one in roman numerals towards the middle of the upper margin, the other (used here) in arabic numerals in the upper outer corner, omitting ‘44’ and ‘55’, ‘330’–‘339’ inclusive, and ‘375’, but repeating ‘178’ and ‘193’, thus finishing at ‘420’; apparently complete, collation: 1–712, 810, 9–3012, 3110, 32–3412, 355 (of 8, vi–viii cancelled, probably blank), catchwords survive in most gatherings, ruled in leadpoint for up to three columns, ruled space: c.85 × 55mm, written in two sizes of formal Gothic script, the gloss slightly smaller than the main text, the text and the gloss each of varying width, occupying from none to all three columns, decorated throughout with one-line initials and paraphs alternately red or blue, large pen-flourished puzzle initials in blue and red, or in blue with red flourishing, at the start of the prologue, its gloss, the beginnings of the four books, and the start of the commentaries to Books I and IV (ff.1, 1v, 100v, 163v, 171v, 352, and 352v) (some of the first few leaves are perforated in the shape of a saltire cross within a circle, perhaps a mark of ownership, possibly for a house dedicated to St Andrew, minor wear but generally in very good condition). Bound in 19th-century brown leather, the covers blind-stamped with a panel copying that of Jean van der Lende (d.1493) of Bruges (reproduced in W. H. James Weale, Bookbindings and Rubbings of Bindings in the National Art Library, South Kensington, II: Catalogue (London, 1894), p.163), consisting of two rows of creatures amidst coiling foliage, surrounded by the legend ‘Iohannes de lende ob laudem xpristi librum hune recte ligavi’; not only is ‘hunc’ written as ‘hune’, but the letters of ‘xpristi’ (Christi) are ill-formed, suggesting that the panel was copied from a worn example or rubbing by someone who did not know Latin, the edges of the leaves speckled red and green (somewhat scuffed, but sound and the impressions crisp).
Provenance:
(1) The dual medieval foliation is very unusual; this suggests that an early owner was unfamiliar enough with arabic numerals (which were rarely used in the West before the mid-13th century) that it was worth the considerable effort of adding a second foliation in roman numerals.
(2) Unidentified 16th-century institutional library: inscribed ‘[…] Aven.(?) Sig. O/54/’ (f.2, lower margin); another (erased) inscription is written sideways in the outer margin of f.1.
(3) Jules Frésart (1821–1900), banker and antiquarian, of Liège: with his oval book label printed ‘Collection Jul. Frésart / Château de Flone’ in blue capitals on black (front pastedown); his(?) ‘No 232’ (in pencil, front pastedown).
(4) Bonhams, Books, Atlases, Manuscripts and Photographs, 19 March 2014, lot 65.
Contents:
Prologue: ‘Quoniam ut ait Jeronimus secunda post naufragium tabula est culpam simpliciter confiteri […; gloss:] Ait Jeronimus de pe(nitentia). d(istinctio) .i. c(apitul)o primo. Secunda tabula hoc dicitur baptismus vel penitentia […]’ f.1; Book I: ‘Incipiunt capitula. De symonia. […] De sepulturis [text:] Quoniam inter crimina ecclesiastica symoniaca heresis optinet primum locum […; gloss:] ‘Crimina ecclesiastica. Crimina ecclesiastica sunt quorum examinatio […; f.1v; Book IV ends:] ut ibidem plenius invenitur. [and the gloss:] impense necessare sunt. Ut dicitur. in lege. infra.’ f.419; ‘Incipiunt capitula decretalium. Incipit liber primus. De constitutionibus. De rescriptis […] De regulis iuris’ ff.419v–420v.
Raymond of Peñafort (c.1180–1275) was born near Barcelona, and received his education in Bologna before returning to Barcelona and becoming a Dominican, later briefly becoming Master of his Order. An influential canon lawyer, he wrote this, his most important work, as a manual of canon law for confessors. The first three books, the Summa de casibus poenitentiae, were originally composed c.1222–25, and revised c.1234, when he also produced a Summa de matrimonio, a comprehensive summary of the teaching of marriage, intended to help his Dominican brothers in the hearing of confessions where numerous problems relating to marriage would have been encountered (see Raymond of Penyafort, Summa on Marriage, translated with an Introduction by Pierre J. Payer, Mediaeval Sources in Translation, 41 (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2005). This Summa on marriage circulated on its own, but also as Book IV of the earlier Summa on penance, as in the present manuscript.
Brought to you by
Eugenio Donadoni
Senior Specialist, Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts