YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
PRE-1600 MANUSCRIPTS
Marston MS 24 Italy, s. XII in
Joannes Cassianus; Ambrosius Autpertus
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1. ff. 1r-36r Incipit liber primus de habitu monachorum Iohannis
Cassiani. De institutis ac regulis monasteriorum dicturi. unde
conpetentius donante deo quam ex ipso habitu...prosperis fuerimus
elati. utraque uelut caduca. et mox transeuntia contemplantes. Explicit
liber de spiritu tristicie. f. 36v blank, with only upper portion of
leaf extant
Joannes Cassianus, extracts from De institutis coenobiorum et de octo
principalium vitiorum remediis libri XII; M. Petschenig, ed., CSEL, v. 17
(1888) pp. 8-171; the manuscript includes only I.1-2, 10-11; II.1-3, 5-6,
15-18; IV.1-43; V.3 - IX.13. There are no chapter lists in arts. 1 or 2.
2. ff. 37r-65r Incipit collatio abbatis Moysi Prima. Cum in heremo
sithii ubi monachorum probatissimi patres et omnis commemoratur
perfectio...cum censum habeat pauperis. non abiecit diuitis uoluntatem.
Explicit collatio abbatis danielis.
Joannes Cassianus, Conlationes XXIV; M. Petschenig, ed., CSEL,
v. 13 (1886) pp. 7-118 (Conlationes I-IV). See also art. 5.
3. f. 65v Miscellaneous notes, in Lat.
4. ff. 66r-68v Oratio Sancti Ambrosii ad Beatam Trinitatem. Pro
vitandis septem Principalibus viciis. Et sanctis virtutibus adquirendis.
Summa et incomprehensibilis natura. uirtus uitaque beata. lux
inaccessibilis uera...pro me exorent ipse inspiraueris. qui eternitate
perhenni uiuis et regnas cuncta per secula. et in omnibus seculis. Amen.
Explicit oratio Sancti Ambrosii de viii#o [sic] vitiis
Principalibus.
Ambrosius Autpertus, Oratio contra septem vitia; R. Weber, ed., CC
cont. med. 27B (1979) pp. 935-44; Recension A.
5. ff. 68v-90v Incipit Collatio Abbatis Piamonis De. IIII#o#r Generibus
monachorum. Postquam conspectum atque. colloquium trium illorum senum
quorum collationes sancto fratre nostro eucherio compellente...curarum
flagris semper//
Joannes Cassianus, extracts from Conlationes XXIV, with page
references in parentheses referring to Petschenig. op.cit. (see also
art. 2). Books XVIII-XIX (chapter list for XIX, f. 74r; pp. 506-52); XX.8-12
(pp. 561-70); XXII.1-2 (abridged), 3-6.7 (pp. 616-24); XII.1 (abridged), 2-4,
6.1-4, 7.1, 7.3, 7.4-5, 11.1, 12.1, 12.3, 13.2, 15.2 (pp. 334-35, 335-39,
341-43, 345, 346, 351, 353, 354, 356-57, 358), text ending imperfectly on
f. 87v ("...trium siue ut alii//"); XXIV.9-13.4 (pp. 683-89), text ending
imperfectly on f. 89v ("...indisrupta iugitate//"); XXIV.19.4-24.2 (pp.
696-700), text ending imperfectly.
Parchment (endpieces, holes, speckled on hair side), ff. 91 (modern
foliation, lower right corner, skips leaf between ff. 42 and 43), ca. 315
x 185 (260 x 125) mm. Written in 41 to 50 long lines. First two
gatherings: ruled in crayon, double vertical bounding lines; prominent
prickings (slashes) in upper, lower and outer margins. Remaining quires:
ruled in hard point, double vertical and single or double horizontal
bounding lines, prominent prickings (punctures) in upper, lower and outer
margins.
I-II 8, III 14 (-3, 5, 9, 13; no loss of text), IV 10, V-VI 8, VII 8
(+ 1 bifolium, half-sheet, inserted in center of quire, ff. 55A and 55B),
VIII 6, IX-X 8, XI 6, XII (original structure uncertain, -1, a bifolium,
+ 1 leaf conjugate to first missing leaf). First quire signed with Roman
numeral, center of lower margin, verso. Remains of catchwords, right of
center in lower margin, verso.
Written by multiple scribes of varying degrees of accomplishment in
late caroline minuscule and early gothic bookhand.
One decorated 5-line initial (rubbed) on f. 1r, constructed of
interlacing bands in parchment, outlined in brown ink against an irregular
red ground. Plain red initials, some of which are drawn vertically rather
than upright, and often with small red pearl designs, appear to be executed
by many different hands. Instructions to rubricator in upper margin of
f. 1r. Guide letters for decorator.
Binding: Italy. s. xii. Original sewing on two tawed pigskin slit
straps. The sewing supports and endband cores are laced through a tawed
skin spine lining (from a palimpsest?) which extends about 50 mm. on either
side and is turned in at head and tail. There is a fragment of finely woven
cloth caught up by the lower sewing support and kettle stitch. Chevron
endbands on tawed skin straps, one of which extends across the lower side
under the lower turn-in. The lower side is reinforced with two irregular
pieces of vellum. The structure of this binding is discussed in detail by
M. Gullick, "From Scribe to Binder: Quire Tackets in Twelfth-Century
Manuscripts," The Compleat Binder: Studies in Bookmaking and Conservation
in Honour of Roger Powell ed. G. Petherbridge (The Codicology Press, 1991).
A flush, tawed skin cover with overlapping corners and irregular turn-
ins, wide at the fore edge. Stubs of fastenings which are extensions of
the supports. Contemporary title in ink on upper cover: "liber intitulatur
de habitu monachorum." Decorative panel containing a drawing of an
unidentified animal smeared blue and/or green within a border of brown
circles, on lower side.
Written in Italy toward the beginning of the 12th century. Early note on
f. 36v mentions the name "andreas avelloni;" another inscription inside
back cover: "Reddatur priori sancti andree de t[o or e; remainder
illegible due to ink blotch]. Belonged to Federico Patetta (1867-1945),
Professor of the History of Law at the University of Turin at the
beginning of 20th century (his note, f. 1r: "MS no. 81"). Sold by Hoepli
(Milan, 3 May 1928, no. 50); bought by E. P. Goldschmidt (cat. 15, no. 7);
purchased by Acton Griscom (De Ricci, v. 2, p. 1160, no. 1).
Acquired from L. C. Witten (inv. no. 835) in 1956 by Thomas E. Marston
(bookplate).
secundo folio: dei sentenciam
Bibliography: De Ricci, Census, v. 2, p. 1160, no. 1 (while in the
Griscom collection); Faye and Bond, p. 67, no. 24.
The Medieval Book, no. 55, with plate of binding.
Barbara A. Shailor