Manuscript on parchment (thick), composed of two distinct parts, of 1) Calendar-obituary giving the names of nuns, lay sisters, and benefactors of the Benedictine abbey of Notre-Dame de Saintes in Charente Inferieure in Southwestern France. The main body of this section dates from the fourteenth century, but was still being supplemented in the sixteenth century. 2) A version of the Usuard Martyrology; the body of the text written in the 12th century. 3) Rule of St. Benedict, feminine version.
Description:
Binding: Fifteenth century (?), France. An early resewing on three double, twisted, tawed skin supports laced into wide grooves in oak boards and pegged with rectangular or square pegs. Covered in brown sheepskin with corner tongues, blind-tooled with diagonals in an outer frame. Spine leather wanting. Leather on boards much worn., ff. 3, 46 excised., First part of the manuscript has been extensively patched and repaired., Part I: Initials, dates and headings in red. Part II: Two decorated initials, ff. 47r and 129r, 6-line, in red, green and blue. Decorative headings in brown ink touched with red and green, or red touched with blue. Small initials, 4- to 1-line in red, some with foliage scrolls in red or contrasting color. Headings in red., and Script: Part I (ff. 1-46): Written in a variety of scripts ranging from gothic bookhand to batarde. Part II (ff. 47-168): Written in elegant late caroline/early gothic bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Benedictines
Subject (Topic):
Benedictine nuns, Christian martyrs, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Monasticism and religious orders
2 leaves (of 4) trimmed with loss of right columns. and Also in folder: Bibliographic note from Bernard M. Rosenthal, Inc. and notes in pencil by the Dutch dealer von Scherling, who compared the fragments to Reichling's edition of 1893 and found numerous substantial text variants.
Written in 66 or 79 long lines; one side only, no rulings. Written in 2 different hands, both informal batarde. Stains and remnants of paste; used as pastedowns and binding reinforcements.
Description:
3 fragments, 70 x 80 mm., ca. 155 x 69 mm., and ca. 55 x 550 mm., the largest dated 1525., Parchment, and Subjects unidentified.