F-n8nv: (Pseudo-)Hugh of St Victor, Expositio in regulam sancti Augustini in Middle Dutch, chapters 6-7 (PL 176, cols 899-904)
The two bifolia (folded sheets of two leaves each) are identified with high confidence as part of a Middle Dutch translation of the Expositio in regulam sancti Augustini, the twelfth-century commentary on the Rule of St Augustine that is printed among the works of Hugh of St Victor and is now generally treated as not his. The eight pages give the Rule's own sentences as lemmata (the passages of a base text quoted for comment), each followed by the commentary, from chapters 6 and 7 of the Latin as printed in the Patrologia Latina: the eye fixed on a woman and the loss of chastity, God as the witness whom nothing escapes, the secret and then public correction of a brother, and the brother who secretly receives letters or gifts, with the example of Gehazi and Naaman. The catalogue calls it an unidentified spiritual treatise.
The Fragmentarium record describes Leuven, KU Leuven Bibliotheken Bijzondere Collecties, Ms. 1317: two paper bifolia, "part of the same quire", leaf 135 x 85 mm, Middle Dutch, hybrid script with pen and red decoration, restored, dated 1451-1500, under the title "Unidentified spritiual treatise" and with no description. The four images are labelled fol. [5]v-[2]r, [2v]-[5]r, [4]v-[3]r and [3]v-[4]r. The physical description fits; the record names no work. The catalogue date has not been reassessed.
- Identification: identified, high, for the work and the place in it: a Middle Dutch translation of the Expositio, chapters 6 (De habitu exteriori et interiori) and 7 (De correctione fratrum) in the numbering of PL 176, cols 899-904. On all eight pages the Dutch follows the Latin sentence by sentence, lemma and commentary alike; four passages are set out below. No other work was a serious candidate: a search of the Corpus Corporum Latin library for the Gehazi passage returned this commentary alone. Which Middle Dutch translation this is has not been settled. Several exist. In five passages the wording agrees closely with the one that I. M. Kramp edits as the "Rooklooster translation", from Antwerp, Museum Plantin-Moretus, M 380, and it differs from the wording of two other Dutch translations in the same volume; but that edition was seen only as short search snippets, not read on the page, and the bifolia differ from the Antwerp text in spelling (western, Flemish forms) and in single words (listed below). The version is therefore left open.
- Transcription: image-only first reading and source-assisted reading. The first reading covers all eight pages. A research reader reread three pages on the images with the Latin at hand, [2]v, [4]v and [3]r, and found the first reading sound there, with small corrections. The passages quoted from [5]v, [3]v and [4]r rest on the first reading. Lines under repair tissue at the foot of the first two images are largely unread. Accuracy has not been measured.
- Verification: a research reader compared the manuscript images with the Latin of PL 176, read as page images for cols 901-904 and as uncorrected machine-read text for cols 899-900, and with Google Books search snippets of Kramp's edition for the Dutch. The coordinating model read the upper sixteen lines of fol. [3]r on the manuscript image (canvas 2, right-hand page, native box 2300,250,4600,2500: "Als men eene mesdaet heymelic doet ... pater des cloesters ... met ghetughen es verwonnen zo salmene wreedelike rechten") and compared them with the research reader's quotation of PL 176, col. 903A, "Culpa cum occulte committitur ... patri monasterii debet indicari ... ut convictus districtius iudicetur", not with the page image. Gaps: five of the eight pages were not reread; no page of any edition or manuscript of a Dutch translation was read; the Latin was compared in the Patrologia print only. No human review.
Textual evidence
Manuscript images, each showing two pages: [canvas 0, fol. [5]v-[2]r](https://lib.is/IE2237365/iiif/2/FL2237375/full/4710,/0/default.jpg); [canvas 1, fol. [2v]-[5]r](https://lib.is/IE2237365/iiif/2/FL2237374/full/4711,/0/default.jpg); [canvas 2, fol. [4]v-[3]r](https://lib.is/IE2237365/iiif/2/FL2237373/full/4711,/0/default.jpg); [canvas 3, fol. [3]v-[4]r](https://lib.is/IE2237365/iiif/2/FL2237372/full/4710,/0/default.jpg). Native-pixel boxes of the pages reread: [2]v, canvas 1, 200,250,2400,2300; [4]v, canvas 2, 200,250,2400,2500; [3]r, canvas 2, 2300,250,4600,2500. The other pages: [5]v, canvas 0, left half; [3]v, canvas 3, left half; [4]r, canvas 3, right half. Abbreviations are resolved silently in the tables; square brackets mark letters supplied, a question mark an uncertain reading.
Against the Latin.
| Ms. 1317 | PL 176 |
|---|---|
| [2]v: om dat wij metter ghenouchten ghehouden werden recht als met eenen bande der noet. Daer omme eist goet wanneer de sonde beghint te openbaerne dat mense dan corrigiere. Want beghint su(?) meerren, zo maect anxtelike grootheit der sonden. Ende want die psalme seit van desen: Si hebben verlanghet hare boesheit, de gherechtighe heere sal hauwen ende slaen hare necken | col. 900B: quia necessitatis vinculo per consuetudinem retinemur. Bonum est ergo culpam corrigere cum incipit apparere, quia si morari coeperit, immanitatem sceleris facit, et quid dicit Psalmista de huiusmodi? Prolongaverunt iniquitatem suam; Dominus iustus concidet cervices peccatorum |
| [5]v: Jeghen becoringhe der ghebreken sullen wij setten die pine der hellen ende ieghen verganghelike ghenouchte dat eewighe wee. Want hij es harde dwaes die daer omme dat hij eenen cleenen tijt der oncuuscheit dient ende zijn onsalighe begheerte voedt met quaden ghenouchten, verliest die hemelsche scoonheit ende loept in die eewighe verdoemenesse | col. 900D: Contra vitiorum incentiva debemus opponere inferni tormenta, et contra transitoriam delectationem perpetui ignis dolorem. Valde stultus est qui pro eo quod parvo tempore luxuriae deservit, suumque miserum desiderium parvis delectationibus pascit, et coelestem perdit amoenitatem et incurrit aeternam damnationem |
| [3]r: Als men eene mesdaet heymelic doet so sullen die broeders diet weten dien broeder heymel[ic cor]rigieren. Ende eist dat hijt verzuimt te hoorne zo salment openbaren den pater des cloesters up dat hijt heymelic corrigiere, up dat de mesdaet die noch heymelic es niet en werde openbaer, hen waert dat mense heymelic mochte corrigieren. Maer eist dat hijt loeghent zo sal men daer toe bringhen die ghetughe. Ende als hij met ghetughen es verwonnen zo salmene wreedelike rechten | col. 903A: Culpa cum occulte committitur, ab aliis fratribus, qui eius culpae conscii sunt, hic qui deliquit frater secreto debet corrigi; quos si neglexerit audire, patri monasterii debet indicari, ut et ipse fratrem secreto corrigat, quatenus culpa, quae adhuc latens est, si forte secretius corrigi potuerit, non omnibus innotescat. Si autem negaverit tunc testes adhibeantur, ut convictus districtius iudicetur |
| [4]v: Daer omme seit hy dat die broeder in grooter quaetheit es commen die eenich dinc heymelic ontfaet. Want eenich dinc te verberghene es de ordene e(nde?) dat upset te brekene. Die valt in grooter quaetheit die een overterder es sijnder ordene. Want hadde die helighe prophete Helizeus niet gheweten dattet groot quaet was dat Giezi sijn discipel van Naaman van Syrien ghiften heymelic ontfinc, hij en haddene in gheender wijs zo anxtelic metter plaghen der besiecth[eit] gheslaghen. Daer omme heeft hij ons met sinen exemple gheleert dat hij zwaerer berespinghe weerdich es | cols 904B-C: Ideo progressum esse in malum magnum dicit fratrem qui occulte aliquid recipit, quia aliquid occultare est ordinem infringere. Magnum malum incurrit qui ordinis sui praevaricator existit. Nisi propheta sanctus magnum malum esse sciret quod Giezi discipulus suus a Naaman Syro munus occultum accepisset, nequaquam eum tam terribiliter passione leprae percuteret. Exemplo itaque suo nos docuit gravi correctione dignum esse qui committeret simile peccatum |
The Rule's lemmata stand in the same places: on [4]r, "Daer volghet na: Ende zo wie in zo grooter quaetheit voort ghegaen sal sijn zo dat hij van yemende letteren of eenighe ghiften heymelic ontfaet, eist dat hijs willens belijt zo salmene sparen ende voor [hem bidden]" renders "Sequitur: Quicunque autem in tantum progressus fuerit malum, ut occulte litteras ab aliquo vel quodlibet munus accipiat, si hoc ultro confitetur, parcatur illi et oretur pro illo" (col. 904B), and the commentary on [4]v opens at once with "Daer omme seit hy".
Against the Rooklooster translation, as seen in search snippets.
| Ms. 1317 | Kramp 2008, Rooklooster translation (Antwerp M 380) |
|---|---|
| [2]v: welcker wij niet af en scheeden als wij willen om dat wij metter ghenouchten ghehouden werden recht als met eenen bande der noet. Daer omme eist goet wanneer de sonde beghint te openbaerne dat mense dan corrigiere. Want beghint su meerren zo maect anxtelike grootheit der sonden. Ende want die psalme seit van desen: Si hebben verlanghet hare boesheit, de gherechtighe heere sal hauwen ende slaen hare necken | p. 302: uan welcker wi niet af en scheiden alse wi willen . om dat wi metter gewoenten ghehouden werden recht alse met enen bande der noot Daer omme eest goet wanneer de sonde begint te openbarene . dat mense dan corrigere . Want beghint si te meerene se maect anxtelike grootheit der sonden Ende wat seit de psalmiste uan desen Si hebben uerlanget hare boosheit . de rechtuaerdeghe here sal te houwen hare necke |
| [5]v: hij es harde dwaes die daer omme dat hij eenen cleenen tijt der oncuuscheit dient ende zijn onsalighe begheerte voedt met quaden ghenouchten, verliest die hemelsche scoonheit ende loept in die eewighe verdoemenesse. Daer omme sal een helich man ontsien gode te meshaghene up dat hij niet en wille den wiven qualic behaghen | p. 302: harde dwaes . die daer omme dat hi ene cleine tijt der oncuuscheit dient . ende sine onsaleghen begheerten uoedet met quaden ghenoechten uerliest de hemelsche scoonheit . ende loept in de eweghe uerdoemenesse Daeromme sal een heilech mensche ontsien gode te mishaghe . ende op dat hi niet en wille qualec behagen den wiuen |
| [3]r: Als men eene mesdaet heymelic doet so sullen die broeders diet weten dien broeder heymelic corrigieren. Ende eist dat hijt verzuimt te hoorne zo salment openbaren den pater des cloesters up dat hijt heymelic corrigiere, up dat de mesdaet die noch | p. 308: heimelec doet . so selen de broeders diet weten dien broeder heimelec corrigeren Eest dat hijt uersumet te horene . so salment openbaren den uader des cloosters . dat hi heimelec corrigere sinen broeder . op dat de mesdaet die noch |
| [3]r: Ende als hij met ghetughen es verwonnen zo salmene wreedelike rechten. Ende daer af eist dat hij n[u] seit: Maer waert dat hijt loeghende zo sal[m]en v[..] al den anderen broeders | p. 308: ghetughen es uerwonnen . so sal menne wreetliker daer ouer ordeelen Ende daer af eest dat hi nu seit : maer eest dat hijs loochghent . so salmen uoor alden andren broeders . de andre ghetughen daer bi brenghen |
| [3]v: Die sachtelic berespt werdt ende hem niet en betert, teis noet dat hij scaerpelike berespt werde. Want die dinghen die men niet lichtelic en can gheheelen die moet men met grooter pinicheit(?) afsniden. Die hem verzuimt te beterne | p. 308: sachtelec berespt wert ende hem niet en betert . Hets noot dat men dien scerpeliker berespe . Want die dinghen die men in den lichame niet lichtelec en mach ghehelen moet men met groter sericheit af sniden Die hem uerroukeloset te |
Differences. Against the Latin the Dutch is a close translation, with the freedoms of one: "immanitatem sceleris" becomes "anxtelike grootheit der sonden", "passione leprae" becomes "metter plaghen der besiectheit", and "patri monasterii" becomes "den pater des cloesters". Against the Antwerp text in the snippets, sentence structure, word order and the characteristic renderings ("recht als met eenen bande der noet", "anxtelike grootheit der sonden", "harde dwaes", "hemelsche scoonheit") agree, and the following words differ: "ghenouchten" for "gewoenten" on [2]v, where the Latin has "consuetudinem", so that the bifolia are in error or follow a variant; "want die psalme seit" for "wat seit de psalmiste", where the Antwerp wording is the closer to the Latin question; "gherechtighe" for "rechtuaerdeghe"; "hauwen ende slaen" for "te houwen"; "helich man" for "heilech mensche"; "pater" for "uader"; "wreedelike rechten" for "wreetliker daer ouer ordeelen"; "verzuimt" for "uerroukeloset"; "pinicheit" (uncertain) for "sericheit"; and the bifolia lack "in den lichame". The same sentences in two other Dutch translations printed in the same volume read differently in the snippets (p. 392, "si maket onmenschelicheit der boesheit"; p. 398, "swaerre correctien weerdich"; pp. 476-482, a later version). Whether the bifolia belong to the Rooklooster translation, to a reworking of it, or to one of its known copies cannot be decided from snippets.
Sources. Latin: Expositio in regulam beati Augustini, in J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Latina 176 (Paris 1854), among the works of Hugh of St Victor, cols 881-924; the heading of chapter 7 stands in col. 901. Scan at the Internet Archive: cols 901-902 and cols 903-904 were read as page images, cols 899-900 from the scan's machine-read text with obvious misreadings corrected. Dutch: I. M. Kramp, Mittelalterliche und frühneuzeitliche deutsche Übersetzungen des pseudo-hugonischen Kommentars zur Augustinusregel (Corpus Victorinum, Textus historici 2), Münster 2008, pp. 302-310, seen only through search inside the Google Books record. The attribution: Migne prints the commentary as Hugh's; Kramp's title calls it pseudo-Hugonian; the Bibliotheca Neerlandica Manuscripta lists the Dutch texts as translations of Hugh of St Victor's Expositio. The authorship question was not examined, hence "(Pseudo-)Hugh". The name "Rooklooster translation" and its base manuscript are taken from snippets of Kramp's introduction (pp. 33-35).
Leaf order, other items in the images, and limits
Each page has one column of 18 to 21 lines. Long passages are underlined in red. The underlining marks the Rule's lemmata in places but also runs over commentary (most of fol. [3]r), so it does not reliably separate the two layers.
The sequence of the text gives the order of the pages. Fol. [2]r, [2]v, [5]r and [5]v follow one another without a break, from the lemma ending "fugit ipsa castitas de moribus" to "Abominatio est Domino defigens oculum" (cols 899-900). Fol. [3]r and [3]v are continuous (col. 903A-B), and so are [4]r and [4]v (col. 904A-C). Leaves [2] and [5] are thus consecutive, which makes that sheet the innermost of its quire, and both leaves of the other sheet come after it: about five leaves' worth of Latin separates [5]v from [3]r, and about two leaves' worth separates [3]v from [4]r. On this evidence the second sheet did not lie between the leaves of the first, as the numbering [2] to [5] in one quire implies; it would more naturally come from the following quire, with one sheet lost from inside it. This is an observation from the text sequence, with gap sizes estimated from the length of the Latin; the paper and sewing were not examined.
The lower lines of both pages on canvases 0 and 1 are under repair tissue. Canvas 3 carries a heavy offset (ink transferred from another leaf) of a larger script at right angles to the text, with a grey-blue offset along the fold; it was not read. Pencil numbers at the head of canvases 1 and 2 are modern.
No claim is made about the date or origin of the bifolia, about which Middle Dutch translation or which branch of it they carry, about whether they are already recorded among its witnesses, or about the book from which they come.