Beinecke MS 205                                                     Germany, ca. 1440
Processional, Dominican use (partly in Ger.)

     1. ff. 1r-62v    Noted processions for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday
     with services for the washing of the altars (antiphon to Catharine of
     Alexandria; altars of the Virgin, John the Evangelist, the Apostles,
     the 10,000 Martyrs, Sigismund) and for the washing of feet, Good
     Friday, Easter, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Dedication of a church,
     Purification, Assumption, Reception of legates and prelates, and of
     secular princes (includes an Antiphon to Dominic). f. 63r blank, with
     only vertical bounding lines.

     2. ff. 63v-66r    Ordinarius de communione infirme [running title].
     Von
     der communion einer siechen swester. Wenne ein siche swester die
     heiligen communion empfahen sol...denne das das sacrament gottes
     leichnam hin wider getragen wurde.

     3. ff. 66r-76v    Ordinarius de extrema vnccione [running title].
     Von
     der heiligen olunge. Wenne ein swester das heilige oley enpfahen
     sol...vnd angesanck sprechen Subuenite sancti dei et cetera als hernoch
     geschriben ist.

     4. ff. 76v-84r    Ordinarius de transitu sororis [running title].
     Von
     der hinfart der swester. Wenne ein swester gentzlichen zu dem tode
     nehet...Libera me domine et cetera mit gesange.

          Litany in this art. also includes several additions by a slightly
     later hand: Peter as the last martyr; among the confessors: doubling of
     Dominic, Thomas in the original hand, addition of Vincent, Bernard,
     Henry, Louis, Beroald; among the virgins: Anna, doubling of Catharine,
     Barbara, Ursula in the original hand, addition of Elisabeth.

     5. ff. 84r-111v    De commendacione anime [running title]. Commendacio
     anime Responsarium. Subuenite sancti dei. Occurrite angeli domini
     suscipientes animam eius...nach dem als der priorin vnd swestere
     andacht denne vrteilt zetunen.

     6. f. 111v-138v    Ordinarius de officio sepulture [running title; the
     burial service is noted]. Von dem ampt der begrebnusse. Wenne ein
     gestorbenne swester sol zu grabe getragen werde...Sanctificat tibi
     domine. Oremus deus noster pro et cetera. Als hie vorgeschriben stet et
     cetera.

          Parchment, ff. i (contemporary parchment) + 138, 165 x 120 (108 x
     78) mm. Written in ca. 17 long lines; single vertical bounding lines,
     widely spaced double upper and lower horizontal bounding lines and two
     additional rulings in upper margin for running titles (ff. 63v-138v),
     all full across; ruled in ink. Prickings in upper margin.
          I-XVII^^8, XVIII^^2. Catchwords along lower edge near gutter.
          Written by a single scribe in well formed gothic textura.
     Articles 1 and 6 have 4-line staves, in red, and black square notes.
          Uninspired blue initial, 2-stave, on f. 1r, infilled and
     surrounded by red penwork flourishes with blue accents. Similar plain
     initials, 2-line, alternate in blue, red, and black with red
     throughout. Running titles and headings in red.
          Binding: s. xvi. Resewn, using original sewing holes, on three
     double vegetable fiber cords laced into back-cornered and indented oak
     boards. Endbands embroidered on a strip of vellum and adhered, the
     vellum extending onto the outside of the boards. The spine is square
     and lined all along with manuscript fragments extending to the inside
     of the boards. Covered in vellum blind-tooled with concentric borders
     containing heads in oval frames among foliage in the outer, and busts
     of saints in the inner. Two brass fastenings, the catch on the upper
     board, straps attached to the lower with a metal plate. Straps wanting
     and a slight crack in one joint. See Festschrift Ernst Kyriss
     (Stuttgart, 1961), p. 182, pl. 5, and H. Helwig, Handbuch der
     Einbankunde v. 1, (n.p., 1953), pp. 74-75, pl. 75 for similar bindings
     from Wittenburg, Augsburg and Nuremburg late in the 16th century.

          Written apparently in Southern Germany as a gift for Barbara
     Pfintzing, who entered a nunnery in 1441 at the age of 16; inscription
     on f. i verso: "Item ich swester barbara pfinczingin wuerd geporn noch
     unsers lieben herren ihesu christi gepurt. M. CCCC. und in dem xxv Iar
     am achten tag vor weihen nahten. Vnd kom in das kloster an sant Erharsz
     tag. M. CCCC. und in dem xlj iar." The text (see articles 1 and 4)
     indicates that the manuscript was produced for use in a Dominican house
     of nuns; liturgical directions are written in German (the feminine
     forms in the antiphons and prayers often bear suprascript masculine
     endings, in red). Acquired by Henry Fletcher from Dawson's Book Shop,
     Los Angeles; gift of Mrs. Henry Fletcher in 1953.

     secundo folio: dicens ite

     Bibliography: Faye and Bond, p. 40, no. 205.

     Barbara A. Shailor