Marston MS 287     Northern Belgium, 1470s
Collection of Texts on St. Barbara

1. f. 1r  [Added in a later hand:]  Vita Sanctae Virginis ac Martyris Barbarae
per Nijchasium de Pomerio Capellanum Sancti Spiritus in Begginagio
Herentalensi.  f. 1v ruled, but blank

2. ff. 2r-4v  [Short texts, primarily about St. Barbara, include but are not 
limited to the following:]  Turrim sacre uirginis
et martyris barbare.  quidam deuotus.  iamdicte virginis venerator.  nobis
contemporaneus.  sacri palacij apostolici notarius...Eximie virginis et martiris
christi barbare genitor. in veteribus historiis.  rex cuiusdam regni fuisse
narratur.  Quidque sic solet versibus dici:  Pollet sublime regali barbara
stirpe./  Namque dyoscorus.  hanc genuit.  dux nobilis et rex./...; [f. 2v:]
Augustinus ad Jheronimum.  Cum enim hominem christiana caritate flagrantem...in
deo manet et deus in eo.  [Unidentified extract concerning Jews:]  Item ex
quatuor causis sustinemus iudeos.  vtque in hijs uersibus.  Quatuor ex causis.
iudeis parcitur ut sint...quod christum crucifixerunt. sustinentur in terra
christianorum.  [Poem on the German cities of Trier, Cologne, Mainz:]
Ante roman treueris.  mille ducentis annis/ Treueris etate [gloss above: 
id
est antiquior est]:  sed rerum prosperitate [gloss:  id est diuicijs]/ Est
agripina [gloss:  id est colonia]:  sed honore [gloss:  id est
dignitate]
maguncia prima [Walther, Initia 1307].  Nota inferius
scripta.  Virginis
intacte dum veneris ante figuram/ Pretereundo caue. ne sileatur aue. [Walther,
Initia 20471]; Ysidorus.  Non enim sunt fideles in amicicia...procul absit
auaricia; [quotes from Jerome and Augustine, f. 3r:]  Iheronimus.
ad augustinum.  Superest ut diligas diligentem...Quod bos lassus.  fortiter
figat pedem...tibi messe video; [f. 4r:]  Nichasius de pomerio.  ordine 
sacerdos.  Capellanus sancti spiritus in beghinagio herentaliensi.  ob
precipuam ac singularem deuocionem...et sic ad locum priscinum reportare
debebit.  Sunt eternim voces.  bonarum mencium ortamenta [sic]...quod
prefertur.  [f. 4v:]  Nota sacri corporis eximie virginis et martiris christi
barbare quedam reliquie in summo altari ecclesie pontificalis ciuitatis
reatine...ad consolationem fidelium.  reseruata.  [List of nine comets:]
Nouem sunt nomina cometarum.  Argentum.  Dominus [?]...Tempore egemus ut
aliquid maturius peragamus.  [Note on St. Barbara's tower:]  Nota Turris eximie
virginis et martiris barbare...qui eam cum pluribus alijs ab intus et extra
vidit.

Arts. 3-8 constitute the Life of St. Barbara compiled by John of Wakkerzeel, in
five parts with interpolated texts (art. 7); see B. de Gaiffier, "La legende
latine de Sainte Barbe par Jean de Wackerzeele,"  Analecta
Bollandiana
77 (1959) pp. 5-41.

3. ff. 5r-8v  Prologus hystorie beatissime virginis et martiris
barbare.
Viro cuidam deuoto...et omne donum perfectum descendens a patre luminum:  Cui
sit honor et gloria in secula seculorum.  Amen.

Prologue; BHL 918.

4. ff. 8v-26v  Incipit historia beatissime virginis et martiris christi
barbare.  Et primo de vita eius et passione.  Capittulum primum.  Veridicti
ewangelij sanctione comperitur...non sinat iuri subiacere alieno:  ad laudem
et gloriam nominis sui.  qui cum patre et spiritu sancto viuit et regnat in
secula seculorum.  Amen.

Vita Barbare; BHL 920.

5. ff. 26v-30r  Sequitur de translatione beatissime virginis et martiris 
christi barbare Capittulum primum.  Benedictus dominus deus israhel...Quod
nobis ipse largiri dignetur.  qui per infinita viuit et regnat deus secula
seculorum.  Amen.

History of the Translation of St. Barbara's relics to the West; BHL 926.

6. ff. 30r-44v  Sequuntur ex innumerabilibus quedam miracula de beatissima
virgine et martire barbara.  Promere cupiens laudes excellentissime virginis
et martiris barbare...tempore quo humatum fuerat mortuum iacuisset.

Description of the 23 miracles performed by St. Barbara; BHL 932-55.

7. f. 44v  Sequuntur rigmata de virgine barbara.  O Beata barbara o mea
patrona/...Sed celesti gaudio tecum fruar amen [AH 52.335; F. J. Mone, ed.,
Hymni Latini Medii Aevi, v. 3, pp. 215-16); Ave terre lucifera...[texts
for a proper mass of St. Barbara.]  Beatus et sapiens pater
augustinus.
Si vnus homo omnium hominum peccata perpetrasset...ueniam non denegasset.
hec ille:  Ave barbara virgo egregia dominus tecum...pulchritudinis ihesus
christus.  Amen.

8. ff. 45r-48r  Incipit breuiloquus epilogus de progenie.  vita.  passione.
et prerogatiua excellentissime gloriosissime virginis et martiris christi
barbare.  Origenes in multis libris narrat...quod nobis praestare dignetur
pater et filius et spiritus sanctus amen.

A series of testimonies about St. Barbara incorrectly attributed to Origen 
("Dicta Origenis"); BHL 919.  Marston MS 287 is the earliest witness for
this text, which was previously known only through two 16th-century manuscripts
from the Benedictine abbey of St. Trond in Northeastern Belgium.

9. f. 48r-v  [Added in margin:  Nota genealogiam barbare.]  In illo tempore quo
regnabant titus et vespasianus...Et hec de vita. progenie et passione sancte
barbare virginis gloriose.

Genealogia barbare, an expansion of BHL 919; de Gaiffier, op.
cit.,
pp. 25-27.

10.  ff. 49r-55r  Presens legenda in honorem gloriose virginis et martiris
christi barbare edita est:  fideliterque per me verbotenus conscripta.  et
a viris fide dignis ex partibus napulie transmissa.  Imperante namque 
maximiano.  qui maximus christianorum persecutor extitit...Pater vero eius
dyoscorus a demonibus in aere leuatus fuit:  vox audita de eo, ve ve ve michi.
quod unquam natus fui.  Explicit hystoria virginis gloriosissime et martiris
christi barbare.

Otherwise unattested life of St. Barbara; text to be published by A. 
Derolez.

11. ff. 55r-57v  Sequuntur metra ad laudem virginis barbare
descripta.
Barbara diuina regnans cum rege supremo/...Ad mea gaudia fine carencia
suscipiantur.  Item miraculum  [three brief miracles follow.]  Sequuntur
rigmata.  Gaude sancta puellarum/ Barbara que es sacraum [sic]...[AH
29.135]; Sequuntur cuncta gaudia gloriose virginis barbare.
Gaude virgo gloriosa.  barbaraque generosa...; O miranda pietas. et
laudanda caritatis...; O quam gloriosa in sexu fragili barbare...; Gaude.
felix barbara virginum preclara: que pro christo verbera...; Gaude
barbara regina...[RH 6714; Mone, op. cit., p. 213].

Series of antiphons, verses and collects for Barbara followed by brief
citations from Aristotle, Augustine, and Apuleius.

12. ff. 58r-62r  Sermo In annunciatione beate marie virginis.  Anno
iubilei redeant ad possessiones suas:  Leuitici uicesimo quinto.  In quibus
quidem verbis.  prout presenti congruit festiuitati duo precipue 
tanguntur...prestante eius vnigenito cum patre et spiritu sancto.  Amen.

Unrecorded scholarly homily on Lev. 25.13.

13.  f. 62r-v  Epistola beati thome de aquino missa cuidam suo
discipulo.
Quia quesiuisti a me qualiter te incedere oporteat...luxuriat raro non bene
pasca caro.

Thomas Aquinas, De modo studendi; P. Mandonnet, ed., Opera
omnia
(Paris, 1927) v. 4, p. 535.

14.  f. 63r-v  Humilitas.  Tu tibi displiceas, nec pompam dilige.  
nullum/...lubrica.  te macules.  nec gere mundiciem.  Castitas.

Anacyclic or retrograde poem on the virtues and vices; cf. Walther,
Initia,
19538, and Bloomfield, Virtues and Vices, no. 6112.

15. f. 63v  Sequuntur metra artificialiter composita.  Deice perpera probra
puerpera virgula yesse...ut tuo patrocinatu liberati.  patriam consequamur.

Poem on the Virgin Mary followed by grammatical commentary and prose
paraphrase.

16. ff. 63v-64r  Donum linguarum apostolorum.  Item apostoli non proferebant
vna voce gallicum...quia vnusquisque in ydromate suo intellexit linguagium
apostolorum.

17. f. 64r-v  Sequitur doctrina magistri iohannis varenackere.  Qui sue
ignorancie consulere velit...Hec venerabilis vir magister iohannes
varenackere.  Sacre theologie professor.

Quotation dealing with moral subjects extracted from an unidentified work
of Johannes Varenacker, Professor of Theology in Louvain (d. 1475).

18. f. 64v Sequitur doctrina ambrosij.  Item secundam beatum ambrosium sacre
theologie investigatorem validissimum...plus exhortatio quam commocio.  plus
caritas quam potestas.  Hec ille.

19. ff. 64v-65r  Item.  xij.  fuerunt sibille diuersarum etatum.  que
prophetauerunt deum de virgine matre futurum et cetera.  Sibilla.  Ecce
bestia conculcaberis.  et gignetur dominus in orbe terrarum...et nascetur
ex matre ut deus.  et conuersabitur ut peccator.

Twelve Sibylline prophecies.

20. f. 65r  Sancta maria.  Adorna templum tuum syon...;
Jheremias.  Hic
est inque [?] deus noster...Ysaias.  Ecce uirgo concipiet.

Short texts complementing Sibylline prophecies in art. 19.

21. ff. 65v-66v  Legimus in gestis secundiani.  quod cum togatus...et ad normam
arcioris equitatis breuem vitam presentem dirigamus.

Passio sancti Secundiani; BHL 7550-52, the text here differs significantly
from that printed in the Acta Sanctorum, Junii 1.35-37 (2nd ed.: 34-36).

22. f. 66v  Crisostomus super matheum.  Per bonam conuersationem ascenditur
sine dubio ad scienciam...sine scientia videmus nullum.  Augustinus in libro
ad comitem quemdam sibi carissimum.  Capitulo tercio.  Ne diu sine anima [?]
nostri maneamus amplexu...Quid superbus terra et cuius hec ille.
Origenes.  Hec est semper humane duricie incredulitas...penitencia 
preparetur.  Augustinus ad quemdam comitem.  Elige tibi consiliaros 
bonos...consiliarius autem vnus.

Short quotations from John Chrysostom, Augustinus, Origen.

23. ff. 67r-68r  Dubitatur vtrum expediat beghinis omni dominica die
communicare et ad hoc precepto astringi superioris siue curati.  Hec
questio duplicem potest habere intellectum...cum saluti opitulatur.
alias nequaquam.  Hec venerabilis vir magister iohannes varenackere plebanus
louaniensis.  et sacre theologie professor eximius.

Johannes Varenacker, Questio (see also arts. 17 and 24).

24. ff. 68r-70v  Nota.  quam plures confessores habent emulacionem dei...Unius
bernardus rara auis in terris distinctio...sed moribus.

Short selections from Origen, Basil, Augustine, Jerome, Bernard, and
Ambrose, followed by a questio of Johannes Varenacker beginning:  "Quesitum
fuit primo.  An expediat Beghinis herentalensibus vouere suo curato
obedientiam in omnibus...."

25. ff. 70v-71r  Hec est salutaris et credenda professio.  Et hoc solum
credere non sufficit.  nisi credas filium dei...Tu autem hec intellige.
intellectam crede et cetera.

26. f. 71v  Fulget amica dei plus ipso sole diei/...Ense discoreo cesa
superna colo.

Walther, Initia 6960.

27. ff. 72r-73v  Plura insignia dona.  que diuisim sancti plures a domino
meruerunt.  hec coniunctim beate barbare in laudibus ecclesie.  cantu vel
lectione.  vberius donata inueniuntur...et trinitatem in personis et
vnitatem diuine nature confitebatur.

List of gifts bequeathed to St. Barbara by God, listed in 21 short
paragraphs.

Parchment (thick, but good quality), ff. 73, 214 x 148 (135 x 96) mm.
33 long lines or lines of verse.  Single vertical and double horizontal
bounding lines.  Ruled in ink.  Remains of prickings in upper, lower and
outer margins.
I 4, II-VIII 8, IX 7 [?], X 6.  Horizontal catchwords in lower margin near
inner ruling.  Remains of quire and leaf signatures (e.g., c i, c ii, c iii,
etc.) in lower right corner, recto.
Written in a regular heavy hybrida formata script with features of
bastarda by a single scribe who placed small circular flourishes above the
letter u.
10-line illuminated initial on f. 5r, blue and mauve with white designs
and highlights on gold cusped ground, a blue and gold bar border extending
into the left-hand margin and terminating in acanthus leaves in the lower
margin; interior of initial in orange, blue and gold checkered pattern.
Fine red and blue divided initials, 8- to 7-line, with parchment designs and
extensive pale purple flourishes, for major texts.  Smaller plain initials in 
red or blue with parchment designs.  Headings and initial strokes in red.  Some
instructions to rubricator in outer margins.
Binding:  Belgium, s. xv/xvi.  Covered in brown calf with corner tongues over
wooden boards, a central panel diapered with blind-tooled triple fillets.  
Center and corner fittings and title written in a careful gothic bookhand
under a brass-framed window on the upper board:  "liber gloriose uirginis et
martyris christi barbare."  Lower board cut in for the straps which are
attached with metal plates.  Hasps of a chain on the lower board.  Rebacked.
Binding illustrated in The Medieval Book, p. 65, no. 65.

Written in Northern Belgium in the 1470s.  According to the preface on f. 4r
the texts of the manuscript were compiled, partially composed, and written
into Marston MS 287 by Nicasius de Pomerio (Bogaerts), priest and chaplain of
the Altar of the Holy Ghost in the Beguinage of Herentals, who specified that
the manuscript was to be donated to the church of the Beguinage with the
condition that it not be sold.  It is unclear when the manuscript became
separated from the Beguinage, where it would have been attached to a desk (see
binding description above).  Belonged to the library of the ducs
d'Arenberg (shelf-number "54" on red square label on spine and hand-written on
front pastedown); not noted by C. Lemaire, "La bibliotheque des ducs
d'Arenberg, une premiere approche," in Liber amicorum Herman
Liebaers
(Brussels, 1984) pp. 81-106.  Purchased from B. M. Rosenthal (date unknown)
by Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  [f. 3:]  Iheronimus

Bibliography: A. Derolez, "A Devotee of Saint Barbara in a Belgian
Beguinage (Marston MS 287)," ed. R. Babcock, Gazette, Supplement to v. 66
entitled Beinecke Studies in Early Manuscripts (forthcoming 1991).

Barbara A. Shailor