Marston MS 264     Spain or Southern France, s. XV med
Jean Gerson, De potestate ecclesiastica


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ff. 1r-32v  Incipit tractatus de potestate ecclesiastica et de 
origine iuris et legum per M. Io. de Iarsanno [sic].  [prologue:]  
Potestas ecclesiastica debet ab ecclesiastis quid et qualis et quanta
sit cognosci...[heading in outer margin:]  Describitur potestas 
ecclesiastica. [text:]  Potestas ecclesiastica est potestas que a 
christo supernaturaliter et spiritualiter collata est...Ratus vero 
dupliciter vel de iure vel de facto.  [colophon:]  Explicit 
tractatulus de poteste ecclesiastica et dorigine [sic] iuris et 
legum...pro tempore magistri Jo. de gersonno cancellarij ecclesie 
Parisiensis Anno a natiuitate domini M cccc. xvij die februarii.

	P. Glorieux, ed., Jean Gerson, oeuvres completes (Paris, 
1965) v. 6, pp. 210-50; see v. 1 (1960) for list of manuscripts 
and previous editions.

	Parchment (irregularly trimmed pieces), ff. ii (bifolium, 
original parchment flyleaves) + 32 + ii (bifolium, original parchment 
flyleaves), ca. 240 x 167 (175 x 85) mm.  34 long lines.  Double 
vertical and double (often widely spaced) horizontal bounding lines, 
full across.  Two additional vertical rulings in outer margin to 
delineate column for marginal notes and headings.  Prickings spaced 
every three lines in outer margin suggest that text lines were drawn
with a ruling device.  All rulings in pale red ink.
	I-IV 8.  Quires signed with Roman numerals, center of lower 
margin, verso; catchwords to right of signatures.  Quire and leaf 
signatures (e.g., .a. j, .a. ij., etc.) in lower right corner, recto.
	Written by a single scribe in fere-humanistic script, below top 
line. 
	Crude initial, red with an asymmetrical configuration of red 
and black penwork designs.  Floral line-filler at conclusion of 
prologue.  Plain red initials, 3- to 2-line, mark text divisions.  
Heading, f. 1r, in red. Majuscules stroked with yellow.  Contemporary 
sketches of intertwining snakes on ff. i recto and ii verso.
	Binding:  Spain [?], s. xv.  Sewn on three tawed skin support,
two pink, the central one green, laced into a thick parchment wrapper. 
Contemporary title written in ink on back cover:  "Tractatus de 
potestate eclesiastica***."  Rodent damage at tail.

Written in the middle of the 15th century, perhaps in Spain or 
Southern France; 16th-century inscription upside down on upper 
cover:  "monsieur de uendre Canbourne [?]."  Purchased from 
L. C. Witten in 1959 by Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  denique quo

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 95, no, 264.

Barbara A. Shailor