Marston MS 140     Southern Austria, ca. 1441
Jacobus de Voragine, Legenda aurea, etc.

I. 1. f. 1r Quotation from Jacobus de Voragine, Legenda aurea,
Ch. X.1 "De innocentibus"; Th. Graesse, ed., Jacobi a Voragine Legenda
aurea (Leipzig, 1846) p. 63. f. 1v blank

2. f. 2r Quingentos decies et bis centum annos [sic for "minus"]
uno/ Annos dic ab adam donec verbum dei caro factum est [verses on the
span of time between Adam and Christ; Walther, Initis 16015a];
Notandum decies decem faciunt centum ... Decem turbe angelorum lapse
sunt de celo [list of 14 collective nouns, each multiplied by 10 to
arrive at number of fallen angels]; Post inuoca post penthen post crucis
postque lucie/ Seruant ieiuna sequens feria quarta [verses on the Wednesday
fast for the Ember days of spring ("Inuocabit," the incipit of the introit
for the mass of the first Sunday in Lent), summer (Pentecost), fall
(Invention of the Holy Cross, 14 September), and winter (feast of St. Lucia,
13 December)]. f. 2v blank

3. ff. 3r-9r Calendar with extensive computistical information including
columns for the cycles of conjunctions and oppositions of the sun and
the moon (each subdivided for the Golden Numbers, the hour, the minute,
the distinction of day or night), the numberical calendar day, the
dominical letter, the Roman calendar day (with respect to nones, ides
and kalends, the saints, the zodiac (with the degree of the sun and
the 27-letter distinction for the 27-day lunar month; the letters are
the alphabet including k, tall s, round s, tironian
et, the cum abbreviation, and the -tur abbreviation),
the quantity of the day (in hours and minutes), sunrise and sunset
(each with hour and minute), and the outer column with the indication
of the bad luck days (according to the "Egyptian" system of two days
per month), and the name of the zodiacal sign; the claves terminorum
are signalled in either of the margins or in the space for the saints
(7 January, 28 January, 11 March as normal, but here 14 and 30 April for
the keys of the Rogationtide and Pentecost). Among the saints, pointing to
Salzburg and to Benedictine interests, are: Valentinus, bishop of Passau
(7 January); Erhard, bishop of Ratisbon (8 January); Translation of Vigilius,
bishop of Trent, and companions (31 January); Scholastica (10 February);
Walpurgis (25 February); Chunegundis Empress (3 March); Benedict (21 March);
Rupert, bishop of Salzburg (27 March); Trudpertus martyr (26 April); Sigismund
king (2 May); Florian (4 May); Gothard, bishop of Hildesheim (5 May); Udalric,
bishop of August in Bavaria (4 July); Willibald, bishop of Eistetten (7 July);
Translation of Nicholas of Bari/of Myra (7 July, in Salzburg only);
Translation of Benedict (11 July); Henry Emperor (13 July); "Divisio apostolorum"
(15 July); Translation of Valentinus, bishop of Passau (4 August); Oswald king
(5 August); Translation of Rupert, bishop of Salzburg (24 September);
Dedication of the cathedral of Salzburg (25 September); Translation of Virgilius,
bishop of Salzburg (26 September); Maximilianus, bishop of Lorch (12 October);
Colomannus martyr (13 October); Gallus abbot (16 October); Amandus, bishop of
Strasbourg (26 October); Narcissus, bishop of Jerusalem (29 October); Wolfgang,
bishop of Ratisbon (31 October); Othmar abbot (16 November); Virgilius,
bishop of Salzburg (27 November); Odilia (13 December); Translation of
Ignatius, bishop of Antioch (17 December).

4. f. 9v Table combining the Golden Numbers, the 27 lunar letters, and the
signs of the zodiac to locate the position of the moon in the zodiac
with auspices (good, bad, indifferent) for consultation before major
undertakings.

5. ff. 9v-10r Si scire desideras in quo signo zodiaci et quotto gradu
ipsius sit sol quocumque die anni ...; Si scire volueris quocumque die
anni in quo signo sit luna ... [explanations for locating the position
of the sun and of the moon in the zodiac according to the calendar on
ff. 3r-9r (respectively in the first and second columns to the right after
the saints), and, for the moon, also according to the table on f. 9v].

6. f. 10r Ad habendum autem bonum tempus seu malum pro flebothomia seu
minucione notanda sunt proprietates duodecim signorum et membra corporis humani
que signa illa 12 respiciunt. Si sanguis fuerit sposus [?] trahens male habet
circa pectus ...; Prima dies vene gaudet moderamine cene/ Altera leta dies
quam tercia tota quies ... Dies octava ludet//

Walther, Initia 14570. Note on correlation between zodiacal signs and parts
of the body; short paragraph on colors and viscosity of the blood for diagnosis
of illness; verses, here ending incomplete, on activities for each day of the week.

7. ff. 10v-11r Diagram and explanation for determining the Golden Number and the
"claves terminorum"; diagram and explanation for determining the dominical letter;
both diagrams begin with the year 1435 as 0, thus 1436 as the first entry, etc.

8. f. 11r Diagram and explanation for determining the Concurrent (i.e. the interval
in days between the last Sunday of December and the first day of January).

9. f. 11r-v Explanation for determining the moveable feasts of Septuagesima Sunday,
Quadragesima Sunday, Easter, summer Ember days, and Pentecost by means of the
"claves terminorum" marked on the calendar and the first table on f. 10v, with
the verses "In Iano prima supremaque marte secunda. Aprilis trina ergo [?]
anno serat et ultima" and "Terminus et festum numquam celebratur ibidem/
Proxima sed post hunc diem lux dat tibi festum."

10. ff. 11v-12r Explanation for determining conjunctions (new moon) and
oppositions (full moon) of the sun and the moon according to the first 8 columns
in the calendar, beginning with the year 1436, followed by another rule, given
in the first person (ego posui; sum expertus; obmitto), for arriving
at a more precise determination of the duration of the conjunction or opposition.

11. ff. 12v-13v Table for the years 1441-62 (but skipping some, and doubling
or tripling other years) with phases of the moon on certain days, specifying
the length or the conjunction or opposition.

II. 12. ff. 14r-138v [Prologue:]  Uniuersum tempus presentis vite in
quattuor distigwuntur [?]...Quedam sub tempore peregrinatorum.  [text:] 
Aduentus domini per quatuor septimas agitur ad significandum...[concludes
in chapter on John the Baptist:]  Magna enim mirabilia mel siluestre et
locustas edere pilos cameli induere et huius modi et cetera.

T. Graesse, ed., Jacobi a Voragine Legenda aurea (Leipzig, 1846). 
The legends in the manuscript occur in the following order (with numbers
corresponding to Roman numerals in Graesse); many sections lack rubrics. 
1, 6 (f. 22r, beginning "Natiuitas domini nostri ihesu christi secundum carnem
ut quid fuit..."), 13-14, 31-35, 53-54, 70, 72-73, 37, 51, 99, 131, 145,
162-63, 182, 86.

III. 13. ff. 139r-171r Incipit Tractatus sew epistola missa a quodam
doctori Iohanni huss eum corripiendo ut desisteret.  Eloquenti viro domino
Iohanni verbi dei seminatori in praga.  hec epistola detur fratri suo in
christo dilecto pro saluacione in christo ihesu domino nostro.  dileccione
fraterna in caritate non ficta ante omnia preporrecta...et desiderans 
salutem anime mee et anime tue et omnium animarum christianorum.  Amen. 
[colophon:]  Explicit epistola pulcra missa magistro Iohanni huss finita
anno 1439#o [11#o crossed out?] feria secunda post ascensionem Et 18 die
mensis maij.

Anonymous letter to John Huss written after the Council of Constance;
published by H. von der Hardt, ed., Rerum Concilii Oecumenici
Constantiensis v. 3 (Frankfurt and Leipzig, 1698) pp. 338-91.

14. ff. 171r-173v Secuntur errores Grecorum.  Nouerunt vniuersi
christiani et presertim sedis [?] apostolice domini nostri pape Eugenij
beatissimi...Primus articulus et error grecorum est iste quod in ista
comprehensibilitate trinitate et sanctissima Spiritus sanctus...Tricesimus
quintus Quod sacrificie eliemosyne orationes non prosunt defunctis...seculo
merentur.

35 articles of erroneous dogmatic teaching of the Greek church, written
in the circle of the papal court during the endeavour to reconcile the
Greek and Roman Churches at the Councils of Ferrara and Florence
(1437-39).

IV. 15. ff. 174r-235r Abba sicut dicit glosa id est deus pater/ Abissus
abgrunt/ Abissis abseyten/ Absida idem significat/ Absintheum
bermut/...zonolarius guertlaer/ zodiacus est arculus in celo.  Et sic est
finis nominum/ Sequitur nunc de verbis.

Latin-German vocabulary, primarily for nouns, beginning imperfectly [?]. 
Marston MS 140 not listed in vols. 1-3 of K. Grubmueller, et al.,
"Vocabularius Ex quo:" Ueberlieferungsgeschichtliche Ausgabe in Texte und
Textgeschichte Wuerzburger Forschungen 22-24 (Tuebingen, 1988).

16. ff. 235v-268r [A]bbreuiare churczen/ [A]bibere abtrincken/ [A]bicere
abwerffen/ [A]bdelere abtuen/...zimare sweren/ Zunare vrhab seczen oder
feueren.  [colophon:]  Deo gramaczi/ Finitum per me Georium diechercz [?]
De falle Iunensj [?] partibus Karinthie.

Latin-German vocabulary, for verbs; cf. art. 9.

17. ff. 268v-269r Ebrietas est impedimentum virtutum multiplicando
scelerum aufferens memoriam dissipans intelectum...Virtutes misse.

Short notes on drunkenness, the virtues of the mass, etc.

18. f. 269v Ad arcem igitur scriptorie pertractanda breviter accedam
obligacio circa cognicionem scripturarum quod conueniat scriptoibus
[sic]
succinte declarabo....

Brief passage, 9-lines, giving instructions on copying; poorly composed
and written [!].

Composed of four parts, all written on paper 208 x 145 mm.
Part I:  ff. 1-13 (watermarks:  unidentified mountain in gutter),
different formats to accomodate each text, e.g., a row of prickings along
upper and lower margins and multiple horizontal rulings full length of page
for calendar.  A single gathering of ten leaves (ff. 4-13) preceded by
three single leaves.  Written by one scribe in hybrida with loops. 
KL in calendar in blue; other charts and diagrams in shades of red and
black.  Small plain initials, headings, initial strokes and underlining in
red.
Part II:  ff. 14-138, written space 150 x 100 mm.  2 columns, 32 lines. 
Frame-ruled in ink.  I-X 12, XI 12 (-7 through 12, blanks?).  Quires signed
with Arabic numerals (1-10) in center of lower margin, verso; catchwords
just below written space near gutter.  Written in hybrida
script (no loops).  Red or blue initials, 4- to 3-line, some with simple
designs.  Headings, paragraph marks, initial strokes, underlining in red. 
Guide letters for decorator.
Part III:  ff. 139-173, written space 146 x 100 mm.  31 long lines. 
Frame-ruled in ink:  prickings in upper, lower and outer margins.  I-II
12, III 12 (-11, 12, blanks?).  Catchwords along lower edge near gutter,
verso.  Written by a single scribe in hybrida script (with loops).  Same
style of decoration as in Part II.
Part IV:  ff. 174-269, written space 151 x 100 mm.  Frame-ruled in ink for
long lines, but the beginning of art. 15 written in 2 columns, ca. 37 lines. 
Remains of prickings in upper, lower and outer margins.  I-VIII 12.  Traces of 
catchwords along lower edge to right of center, verso.  Arts. 15-16 written by 
a single scribe in hybrida (with loops); arts. 17-18 added by less skilled 
scribes.  Plain initials, and initial strokes, in red, for ff. 174r-176r; 
headings in red, arts.
Binding:  Austria, s. xv/xvi [?].  Parchment stays from early
manuscripts in center of quires.  Original [?] sewing on three tawed skin,
double, twisted sewing supports laced into grooves in flush wooden boards
and fastened with square pegs.  The grooves are filled in with glue. 
The spine is rounded and backed (naturally?) and back bevelled.  A plain,
wound endband is sewn on a tawed skin core and also laced and pegged.  The
spine is lined with coarse cloth in the center and vellum at the ends,
extending on the outside.  
Covered in plain, kermes pink, tawed skin (sheep?) possibly a later 
addition.  Trace of one fastening, the catch on the upper board. 
There may have been a chain attachment at the head 
of the lower board.  The insides of the boards have been varnished; off-set 
impressions of pastedowns from early manuscripts on both boards.

Parts I-IV all written in Southern Austria, probably ca. 1441 given the
contents of art. 11.  The list of saints in art. 3 suggests Benedictine
interests and a possible connection to Salzburg. Part IV signed by the scribe
Georgius Diechercz [?] of Jauntal in Carinthia (colophon in art. 16).
The various parts were bound together at the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century. 
Ownership inscription, s. xv, on f. 269v:  "Fr. Oswaldus sant [?]
***."  Purchased from H. Rosenthal in 1946 by H. P. Kraus who sold it
in 1957 to Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  Ciclus

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 80, no. 140.

Barbara A. Shailor