F-q5ti: Anonymous preaching compilation of exempla ("In hoc consequenti opusculo"), section IV, De sanctis, chapters 1-6 and 34-39
The bifolium is from section IV of an anonymous Latin compilation of exempla for preachers. Exempla are short edifying stories used in sermons. The compilation has no edition. It is divided into twenty sections called "capitula principalia", which run from the miracles of the Virgin to the death of the damned. Its prologue begins "In hoc consequenti opusculo ordinantur in certis titulis ut patebit in sequentibus quedam narrationes ad predicationem verbi necessarie". Section IV is headed in the Cambridge copy "de sanctis in celo exultantibus et hic peregrinantibus", "on the saints rejoicing in heaven and on pilgrimage here".
- Fol. 25 carries subchapters 1-6: Theodorus, Eutychius, St Zeno's church at Verona, Boniface of Ferentis, the pilgrim from Lyon, and Hugh of St Victor's St James pilgrim.
- Fol. 28 carries subchapters 34-39: Eustace, three Clement chapters, Thomas Becket and Giles.
The text agrees in wording and in sequence with the copy in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 327.
The Fragmentarium record describes Gent, Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent, HS.2582/168, a trimmed parchment bifolium. The leaf measures 225 x 171 mm. It is written in Northern Textualis and dated 1301-1350, and the record has been online since 16 October 2024. Its title is "Legendary", with the subtitle "Miracles of St James and saints' lives of St Clement and St Eustace". The reconstruction summary by Godfried Croenen already notes the following:
- The James, Clement and Eustace items are "apparently based on" Vincent of Beauvais, Speculum historiale.
- The Boniface and other items are drawn from Gregory the Great, Dialogi.
- The rubrics carry the partial title "De sanctis Dei".
- The fragment holds chapters 2-6 and 34-39 of "this unidentified text".
That description fits. What it did not name is the compilation that contains these chapters. Vincent and Gregory are among that compilation's sources.
- Identification: identified, high confidence, as section IV of the anonymous compilation.
- Diagnostic basis: the chapter sequence is the same in both manuscripts, and so is the compiler's own wording, which is not in the sources. Both copies use the framing "Beatus Gregorius papa narrat in tertio [.iii.] libro dyalogorum quod ...". Both add "et estu immenso" to Gregory's Eutychius story (Dialogi III.15) and "vir mirabili gratia dotatus" to his Boniface story (Dialogi I.9). Both cite Hugh of St Victor wrongly as "in xvi libro de sacramentis"; the passage is De sacramentis II.xvi.2. Both close the Eustace chapter with "patuit virtus divine clementie et fructus vere patientie".
- Differences: the two copies are rubricated differently. Gent numbers the chapters within the section, gives short rubrics such as "de sanctis di[ei] ii", and has a red running title "li" / "iiii". Cambridge numbers the chapters continuously through the whole work (89-95 and 123-128 here) and gives descriptive red rubrics. Gent's chapter 1 seems to cover Cambridge's chapters 89 and 90. The opening of Gent's chapter 1 is lost, so this is not certain. The wording differences are small: "Sic" for "Sicque", "Cumque orasset" for "Qui cum orasset", and the Lyon story opening, which is shorter in Gent where its left edge survives.
- Alternatives considered: Vincent's Speculum historiale, Gregory's Dialogi, the Legenda aurea and Hugh's De sacramentis are sources or parallels for single stories. None has the compiler's framing, additions, or this sequence of Gregory stories, St James miracles, Clement, Becket and Giles under one numbered section.
- Transcription: an image-only first reading and a source-assisted reading. A research reader reread seven passages on the image, as listed under Textual evidence. These corrected the first reading's "fructus sue patientie" to "vere patientie", "vapores ignis" to "vapores incendij", and "pellyparius de fructu" to "pellyparius defuncto". The rest of the text, including the faded middle bands of both faces and most of f. 28v col. b and f. 25r col. d, rests on the first reading and is uncertain in places. Accuracy has not been measured.
- Verification: a research reader compared the four collated passages with the page images of Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 327 on Parker on the Web: ff. 175v, 176r, 180r, and the chapter sequence on ff. 179v and 180v. The coordinator read canvas 1 (f. 25v col. b), native box 1850,5100-4450,6150 ('...genitrix maria cum universis sanctis ad colloquium residebat. beatus g[...] iacobus ante ipsam pro me contra demones conqueritur ... Sic sanctus iacobus me suscepit et hic confestim restituit. [vi cap.] Magister hugo de sancto victore narrat in xvi libro de sacramentis quod tempore suo cuidam peregrino sancti iacobi'), against Cambridge CCCC MS 327 f. 176r on the Parker on the Web page image, and found line-by-line agreement; the rubric between the items differs (Gent 'vi cap.', CCCC 'Similis precedenti'). Gaps in coverage:
- Only one other copy was compared.
- The other copies listed below were not seen.
- Chapters 34 (most of it) and 38-39 were checked against Cambridge for sequence and opening words only.
No human review.
Textual evidence
Manuscript images:
Boxes are in native pixels. Expansions are in parentheses, lost or supplied text is in square brackets, and uncertain readings carry "?". The Cambridge column is the research reader's reading of the page image.
| Gent fragment | Cambridge, CCCC MS 327 |
|---|---|
| canvas 0, box 5200,450-7400,1700 (f. 25r col. c): "ap(osto)l(u)s sinceri sibi p(re)senciam suam ostendit ... ip(s)e illi ap(ud) d(eu)m pius adiutor existeret. [red] de s(an)c(t)is di. ii / Beat(us) g(re)g(orius) p(a)p(a) narrat i(n) t(er)tio l(ibro) dyal(ogorum) q(uo)d ... eutici(us) fuit p(ost) morte(m) uir d(e)i mirabilit(er) claruit. N(am) ... pluuia deerat (et) estu i(m)menso longa siccitas t(er)ra(m) exurebat. collecti i(n) unu(m) ciues illi(us) tunica(m) ei(us) leuare atq(ue) i(n) (con)spectu d(omi)ni" | f. 175v col. a-b (page image): "apostolus sinceri sibi presentiam suam ostendit ... ipse illi apud deum pius adiutor existeret. [red] Qualiter virtus dei post mortem per vestem viri sancti apparuit. / Beatus gregorius papa narrat in .iii. li. dial. quod quidam vir nomine euticius fuit post mortem vir dei mirabiliter claruit. Nam ... pluvia deerat et estu immenso longa siccitas terram exurebat. Collecti in unum cives urbis illius tunicam eius levare atque in conspectu domini" |
| canvas 1, box 100,2800-2000,4100 (f. 25v col. a, left edge lost): "v. cap. / [Pro]pe ciuitate(m) lugdunu(m) iu[uenis] q(ui)da(m) pellyparius defu(n)cto ... labore sustent(atus) ... s(an)c(tu)m iacobu(m) adire p(ro)[posuerat?] cu(m) duob(us) uicinis suis. Cu(m) ... caste diu uixiss(et) tande(m) q(ua)da(m) n(octe) ... cu(m) q(ua)da(m) muliere fornicat(us) est" | f. 176r col. a (page image): "Prope civitatem lugdunum iuvenis quidam pelliparius patre defuncto cum matre proprio labore sustentatus singulis annis sanctum iacobum adire proposuerat cum duobus vicinis suis. Cum igitur caste diu vixisset tandem quadam nocte cum quadam muliere fornicatus est" |
| canvas 1, box 1850,5100-4450,6150 (f. 25v col. b): "genitrix maria cu(m) uniuersis s(an)c(t)is ad colloq(ui)u(m) residebat. b(eatu)s g(ra) iacob(us) an(te) ip(s)am p(ro) me (con)t(ra) demones (con)q(ue)rit(ur) (et) cu(m) illa i(n)crepasset demones iussit ut reuiuiscere(m). Sic s(an)c(tu)s iacob(us) me suscepit (et) hic (con)festi(m) restituit. [red] vi ca(p). / Mag(iste)r hugo de s(an)c(t)o u(ictore) narrat i(n) xvi le. de sac(ramentis) q(uo)d t(em)p(or)e suo cuida(m) p(er)egrino s(an)c(t)i iacobi" | f. 176r col. b: "genitrix maria cum universis sanctis ad colloquium residebat. beatus igitur iacobus ante ipsam pro me contra demones conquiritur. Et cum illa increpasset demones iussit ut reviviscerem. Sicque sanctus iacobus me suscepit et hic confestim restituit. [red] Similis precedenti. / Magister hugo de sancto victore narrat in .xvi. li. de sac. quod tempore suo cuidam peregrino sancti iacobi" |
| canvas 1, box 7200,2100-9500,3300 (f. 28r col. d): "... q(uo)d n(e)c capillos eoru(m) uapores incendij contigeru(n)t. In hoc ig(itur) s(e)c(un)do p(er)iclo clare i(n)tuentib(us) p(atuit) uirt(us) d(iui)ne clemencie (et) fruct(us) [u]e(re) paciencie. [red] xxxv. cap. / L(egitur) i(n) uita s(an)c(t)i clementis mar(tyris) q(uo)d cu(m) theodora uxor sisinnij" | f. 180r col. b (page image): "... quod nec capillos eorum vapores incendii contigerunt. In hoc igitur secundo periculo clare intuentibus patuit virtus divine clementie et fructus vere patientie. [red rubric] / Legitur in vita sancti clementis martyris quod cum theodora uxor sysinnii" |
| canvas 0, box 450,1250-2900,2650 (f. 28v col. a): "xxxvi / Leg(itur) i(n) uita eiusd(em) q(uo)d cu(m) i(n) exiliu(m) mitteret(ur) (et) ib(ide)m plus q(uam) duo mil[ia] xp(ist)ianor(um) ad secand[a?] marmora [i]nueniret(?) (et) p(re) angustia sitis a sex miliarib(us) aq(ua)m ab eis deferri audiss(et) (con)dolens (et) (com)paciens ad d(omi)n(u)m orauit ut illis fonte(m) aq(ue) ap(er)iret. Cu(m)q(ue) orasset ecce uidit agnu(m) stante(m)" | f. 180r col. b: "Legitur in vita eius quod cum in exilium mitteretur et ibidem plusquam duo milia christianorum ad secanda marmora inveniret et pre angustia sitis a sex miliaribus aquam ab eis deferri audisset condolens et compatiens ad dominum oravit ut illis fontem aque aperiret. Qui cum orasset ecce vidit agnum stantem" |
The sequence was also checked on f. 179v and f. 180v. f. 179v carries the Eustace chapter, which opens "Legitur in vita beati Eustachii". On f. 180v the Clement sea miracle is followed by "Legitur in vita beati Thome martyris", then "Legitur in vita sancti Egidii quod rex Karolus ad eum accessisset", then Lucy, and then the rubric opening section V, "de ecclesia". On the fragment, f. 28v col. b has the same Thomas and Giles openings, as chapters 38 and 39 (canvas 0, boxes 2600,2700-5150,3600 and 2600,5300-5150,6350).
Differences
The wording differences are small:
- "Sic" where Cambridge has "Sicque".
- "Cumque orasset" for "Qui cum orasset".
- "eiusdem" for "eius".
- At the opening of the Lyon story, no "patre ... cum matre proprio" or "singulis annis" is visible. The left edge is lost there, so this is uncertain.
The rubrics differ throughout. Gent numbers chapters within the section and uses short rubrics. Cambridge numbers them across the whole work and gives descriptive rubrics. Gent's chapter number equals Cambridge's running number minus 89.
These differences establish nothing about how the two copies are related.
Witness and basis of the description
The witness compared is Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 327, ff. 171-226, read from the page images on Parker on the Web.
- CCCC 327: M. R. James, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, vol. II (Cambridge 1912), pp. 146-148, describes this item as "Opusculum compilatum de libris sanctorum patrum sive de miraculis operibus et conversione sanctorum &c. cap. xx", with the prologue "In consequenti opusculo ordinantur in certis titulis ut patebit in sequentibus quedam narrationes ad predicationem uerbi necessarie". He gives its twenty sections from "de miraculis b. marie" to "de morte dampnandorum" and names no author.
- BL Sloane 4029: H. L. D. Ward and J. A. Herbert, Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, vol. III (London 1910), pp. 696-698, describe Sloane 4029, ff. 184-259 (about 1456), as an anonymous collection of tales under the headings "De sancta Maria", "De sancta Cruce", "De bonis angelis", "De Sanctis Dei" and onward. Under "De Sanctis Dei" they cite the same "Magister Hugo de sancto Victore narrat in xvj° libro de sacramentis" (f. 200b).
- Other copies: two more have been recorded with the same prologue, Florence, Biblioteca nazionale centrale, Conv. Soppr. D.8.1128, ff. 109-204v, and a northern Italian manuscript of about 1375-1400 offered by Les Enluminures (Textmanuscripts TM 427).
Sloane 4029 and the copies listed beyond CCCC 327 were not seen.
The work has no known author. The Parker on the Web record attributes it to William de Mauli. That attribution belongs to the Abiciamus sermons earlier in the same volume and does not apply to this text. A tentative eighteenth-century ascription to a Franciscan "Raymundinus" rests on no evidence in any witness.
Layout and limits
The leaves carry red folio numbers on the rectos, read as "xxv" and "xxviii". The text runs f. 25r, f. 25v, then a gap that held chapters 7-33, then f. 28r and f. 28v. How many leaves are lost in the gap was not established. Each page has two columns of about 35 lines.
The images also show:
- a later vertical inscription in the left margin of f. 28v, not read;
- library stamps;
- pen trials in the lower margin of f. 25v.
No claim is made about the date or origin of the compilation beyond the date of the Cambridge copy (late thirteenth century) and the catalogue's date for the fragment. No claim is made about the fragment's place among the copies, or about the work's title or author.