Beinecke MS 177                                                        Germany, s. XV
Vitae sanctorum

     1. ff. 1r-16r    Vita basilij. Amphilochij episcopi ichonij in uita et
     miraculis sancti patris nostri basilij archiepiscopi capodocie.
     Dilectissimi non erit indecorum fideles filios patris contristari
     defunctione...ac viuifico spiritu nunc et perpetuam et in secula
     seculorum. Amen. Explicit uita magni et persancti basilij.

          Amphilochius, Life of St. Basil, Lat. tr. Euphemius; BHL 1023.

     2. ff. 16r-17r    Brief notes on: St. Gregory the Great, St. John
     Chrysostom, St. Possidius, St. Hilary of Arles, St. Cyril, St. Ephrem,
     St. John IV "the Faster," St. Fulgentius, St. Gregory Nazianzen, St.
     Ignatius of Antioch "Theophorus". f. 17v-18r ruled, but blank

     3. ff. 18v-42r    [Heading on f. 18v:] Incipit uita Sancti Augustini
     yponensis episcopi patris nostri Conscripta ab possidio
     episcopo...[heading on f. 19r:] Incipit uita beati episcopi Augustini
     patris nostri per omnia laudabilis. Anministrante [sic] rem publicam
     theodosio gloriosissimo ac uictoriosissimo imperatore...dei promissis
     cum eodem perfruar...Explicit uita sancti augustini episcopi. Et hic
     indicium omnium librorum eius. Contra paganos uel achademicos libri
     iij...et nunc est quoniam mortui audient uocem liber j. [followed by
     notes, in a later hand]

          BHL 787 (text), BH 786 (index).

     4. ff. 43r-68v    Prefacio sequentis operis. In uitam sancti Iohannis
     elemonisinarij. Cogitanti ac diu tacite solliciteque mecum consideranti
     quid in domo dei commodius ac dignius operari potuissem...cum sancto
     spiritu gloria honor imperium nunc et perpetuam et in secula seculorum.
     Amen. Expliciunt acta sancti iohannis elemonis [?] Que quidem
     pretermissa fuerant...;f. 69r-v ruled, but blank

     Leontius, Life of St. John the Almsgiver, Lat. tr. Anastasius; BHL 4388-
     89, PL 73. 337-84.

     5. ff. 70r-97r    Incipit prologus bernardi abbatis in vitam beati
     malachie episcopi et confessoris. Semper quidem opere pretium fuit
     illustres sanctorum describere vitas ut sint in speculum et
     exemplum...et cum ipso pariter regnaturi in secula seculorum. Amen.

          Bernard of Clairvaux, Life of St. Malachy; BHL 5188, PL 182. 1073-
     118.

     6. f. 97r    Hymnus beati bernardi abbatis de sancto malachia episcopo
     et confessore. Nobilis signis, moribus suauis....

          RH 12000, PL 182. 1118.

     7. ff. 97v-109v    Incipit prologus seueri in uitam sancti
     martini
     [followed by long blank space] Incipit uita sancti martini. Seuerus
     desiderio fratri karissimo salutem. Ego quidem frater vnanimis libellum
     quem de vita sancti martini...vt spero habebit premium a deo non
     quicumque legerit sed quicumque crediderit.

          BHL 5610, PL 20. 159-76.

     8. ff. 109v-110v    [plus half-leaf bound in after f. 109 with omitted
     text] Incipit epistola sulpicij seueri ad aurelium diaconum de obitu
     beati martini episcopi. Hesterna die cum ad me plerique monachi
     venissent inter fabulas iuges...Vnde intelligat quisquis haec legerit
     non temptatum quidem illo martinum periculo sed probatum.

          BHL 5611, PL 20. 175-78; heading is incorrect and should read
     Epistola ad Eusebium presbyterum.

     9. ff. 110v-111v    Posteaquam a me mane digressus es eram residens
     solus in cellula...eadem tibi ex quadam nostri confabulacione prestaret
     carta solacium.

          Epistola Sulpicij Seueri ad Aurelium diaconum; BHL 5612, PL 20.
     178-80.

     10. ff. 111v-113v    Epistola sulpicij seueri de obitu sancti martini
     ad basulam. Sulpicius seuerus basule parenti venerabili salutem. Si
     parentes vocari in ius liceret expilaciones furtique ream ad pretoris
     tribunal...Martinus Abrahe sine letus excipitur. Martinus hic pauper et
     modicus celum diues ingreditur.

          BHL 5613, PL 20. 181-84.

     11. ff. 113v-114v    Opere pretium est eciam illud inserere lectioni
     qualiter eius corpusculum in locum vbi...adiuuante domino nostro ihesu
     christo qui cum patre et spiritu sancto uiuit et regnat per omnia
     secula seculorum amen.

          Gregory of Tours, Life of St. Martin of Tours; BHL 5623.

     12. ff. 114v-115v    Igitur post excessum beati martini turonice
     ciuitatis episcopi summi et incomparabilis viri...cui est gloria honor
     laus imperium vna omni coeterno patris et spiritu sancto in secula
     seculorum. Amen.

          Gregory of Tours, Life of Brictius of Tours from his
          Historiae
     2.1; BHL 1452, PL 71. 188-91.

     13. f. 115v    Short selection, in a later hand, from Vincent of
     Beauvais, Speculum historiale, ch. 25.

     14. ff. 115v-142v    Incipit prologus euagrij presbiteri in
     translatione vite sancti Antonij. Presbiter euagrius innocentio
     karissimo filio in christo salutem. Ex alia in aliam linguam ad
     verbum...Incipit prologus athanasij episcopi in vitam beati
     Antonij.
     Optimum fratres inistis certamen aut equare egipti monachos aut
     superare...acque eiciant deceptores scilicet hominis et totius
     corruptionis artifices. Finit vita beati antonii ab athanasio episcopo
     greco eloquio edita ab euagrio presbitero in latinum translata. f. 143r
     ruled, but blank

          BHL 609, PL 73. 125-70. 

     15. f. 143v    Table of contents, in a
     later hand (s. xvii-xviii). f. 144r-v ruled, but blank

          Paper (watermarks: unidentified unicorn, in gutter), ff. i (paper)
     + 144, 211 x 140 (154 x 95) mm. Written in 41 long lines; frame-ruled
     in ink; prickings for bounding lines.
          Binding is too tight to permit accurate collation. Remains of
     signatures (a 3, a 4, etc.) for ff. 70-142.
          Written by a single scribe in a neat running hand. Rubrics (often
     omitted), in a more formal gothic script, appear to be later additions
     (instructions for rubricator along outer edges of leaves).
          Plain initial with modest penwork designs, in red, on f. 1r. Small
     initials, 3- to 2-line, headings, and initial strokes, in red,
     throughout.
          Binding: s. xvi[?]. The backs of the quires are cut in at the
     sewing stations and coarsely woven cloth stays are adhered in the
     center of each. Sewn on five tawed, slit straps laced into wooden
     boards. Endbands, sewn on vegetable fiber cores, are covered with the
     covering leather which is backstitched. The wooden boards are flush, or
     nearly so. The spine is rounded and lined with cloth extending onto the
     outside of the boards. Covered in dark brown calf with a diamond
     pattern drawn on each board with a pointed instrument. A rectangular
     space for a label [now missing] is cut out of the upper board near the
     head. There are marks of four round, brass bosses on the lower board
     and the remains of two strap-and-pin fastenings, the pins on the upper
     board. The brown calf straps are attached with metal plates. Some mold
     damage to the bookblock. Rebacked. Bosses and fastenings wanting.

          Written in Germany in the 15th century; early provenance unknown.
     Purchased in 1949 from Stonehill's by Thomas E. Marston (bookplate);
     his gift to Yale in 1952.

     secundo folio: eubolum Erat

     Bibliography: Faye and Bond, p. 36, no. 177.

     Barbara A. Shailor