Beinecke MS 377               Germany, s. XV^^2
William of St. Thierry; Bernard of Clairvaux, etc.

I. 1.  ff. 1r-32v Incipit prefacio epistole beati Bernardi abbatis
ad fratres De monte dei de vita solitaria.  [preface:] Dominis amicis et
fratribus h. priori b. et w. sabbatum delicatum...[text, f. 1v:] Fratribus de
monte dei orientale lumen et antiquum illum in religione egipcium feruorem
tenebris...in fronte celle semper habeat, secretum meum michi secretum meum
michi [Isaiah 24.16].  ff. 33r-34v ruled, but blank

     William of St. Thierry, Epistola ad fratres de monte Dei, formerly
attributed to Guigo and Bernard of Clairvaux; PL 184.307-54.

II. 2.  ff. 35r-39v Sermo beati bernardi abbatis In annunciatione
dominica de illo psalmj Vt inhabitet et cetera.  Vt inhabitet gloria in
terra nostra...[Psalm 84.10].  Gloria nostra hec est vt ait apostolus
testimonium conscientie nostre [2 Cor. 1.12].  Non quidem tale...excipiatur a
pace in idipsum dormiens et requiescens.

     Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo in festo annuntiationis B. V. Mariae;
PL 183.383-90.

3.  ff. 39v-45v Secundum Lucam.  In illo tempore dixit ihesus discipulis
suis parabolam...[Luke 16.1].  Omelia leccionis eiusdem beati Bernardi
abbatis.  Huius sancti euangelij leccio quante sit vtilitatis et in historia
simpliciter...[f. 45v:] quatenus in eterna tabernacula recipi...per omnia secula
seculorum.  Amen.

     Bernard of Cluny [?], Sermo de villico iniquitatis, formerly attributed
to Bernard of Clairvaux; PL 184.1021-32.

4.  ff. 45v-46r Epistola beati bernardi Ad matheum albinensem episcopum de
uilo iniquitatis.  Reuerendissimo domino suo Matheo venerabili dei gratia
albinensi Episcopo.  frater Bernardus vterque suus quicquid seruus domino et
filius patri...vbi propensius posco misericordiam.  Valete.  f. 46v blank

     Bernard of Cluny, Preface to art. 3; PL 184.1021.

III. 5.  ff. 47r-68r Incipit retractio beati bernardi in librum de
duodecim gradibus humilitatis.  In hoc opusculo cum illud de ewangelio quod
dominus ait diem vltimum iudicij se nescire...Sequuntur duodecim gradus
humilitatis.  Duodecimus gradus humilitatis est corde et opere humilitatem...
quos ascendendo melius tu in tuo corde quam in nostro codice leges.

     Bernard of Clairvaux, De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae; J. Leclercq,
ed., Opera S. Bernardi (Rome, 1963) v. 3, pp. 13-59.

6.  ff. 68v-82v Incipit tractatus beati bernardi abbatis de vite ordine et
morum institucione.  Hortatur quidem timidam mentis mee impericiam quia sepe
fraterna caritas...supplexque tu ora hoc modo.  [prayer:]  Mater patris et
filia miserorum leticia stella maris...Bone fili prece matris dona tuis regna
patris.  Amen.

     Jean, l'Homme de Dieu, Tractatus de ordine vitae et morum institutione,
formerly attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux; PL 184.561-84. MS 377 has prayer
added at conclusion not in printed text.

IV. 7.  ff. 83r-84r Sermo de ewangelica leccione.  vbi triduo
sustinens dominum septem panibus turba reficitur.  Misereor super turbam quia
iam triduo sustinent me nec habent quod manducent [Mark 8.2].  Ewangelium
fratres ob hoc scriptum est vt legatur...quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mundi
uita [John 6.52].

     Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo I pro Dom. VI post Pentecosten;
PL 183.337-39.

8.  ff. 84r-85v Item Sermo de septem misericordijs.  Misericordias domini
in eternum cantabo...[Psalm 88.2].  Vtquid enim michi insipiens nescio que
cogitacio...bonitate vsque ad celestia speranda presumere.

     Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo II pro Dom. VI post Pentecosten;
PL 183.339-41.

9.  ff. 85v-87v Item Sermo de fragmentis septem misericordiarum.  Scitis
quid fecerim.  septem vobis hodie misericordias proponendo...vsque ad conspectum
glorie magni dei qui est benedictus in secula.

     Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo II pro Dom. VI post Pentecosten;
PL 183.341-44.

10.  ff. 87v-92r Sermo pulcherrimus de beata virgine maria dubitatur de
auctore<.  Ave maria gratia plena dominus tecum [Luke 1.28].  Miraculum fuit
quod virgo peperit mentis clamor uirginis amor...erant humanitatis opera.
Ignite diuinitatis miracula.

     Anonymous sermon on the Virgin Mary; PL 184.1013-22.

11.  ff. 92r-94v In solempnitate sancti Benedicti abbatis.  Dixit symon
petrus ad ihesum.  Ecce nos reliquimus omnia...[Matthew 19.27].  In huius
patris nostri precipua solempnitate totis esset uiribus inclamandum...et
habundancius habeamus Ihesus christus dominus noster qui est benedictus in
secula.  Amen.

     Nicholas of Clairvaux, Sermo in natali S. Benedicti de euangelio;
PL 144.548-53.  For the attribution of this sermon see J. Leclercq, "Les
collections de sermons de Nicolas de Clairvaux," Revue Benedictine 66
(1956) pp. 264-79, citing London, B. L. Harley MS 3073.

12.  ff. 94v-97v In obitu reuerendissimi patris humberti.  Humbertus
famulus dei mortuus est deuotus famulus seruus fidelis...ad quem ipse peruenit
qui est benedictus in secula.  Amen.  ff. 98r-99v blank

     Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo in obitu Domini Humberti; PL 183.513-18.

The codex is composed of several "booklets" or units of similar format:
I (art. 1), II (arts. 2-4), III (arts. 5-6), IV (arts. 7-12, sermons).
Throughout the manuscript the outer and inner conjugate leaves of each quire are
of parchment; ff. ii (contemporary paper:  watermarks for front and back
flyleaves similar to Piccard Ochsenkopf VII. 481) + 99 + ii (contemporary
paper).

     Part I:  ff. 1-34:  paper (watermarks:  unidentified P in gutter), 213 x
142 (156 x 98) mm.  Ca. 27 long lines; frame-ruled in crayon or hard point;
prickings in upper, lower, and outer margins.  I^^20, II^^16 (-13, 16, blanks).
Catchwords along lower edge near gutter.  Written by a single scribe in well
formed upright gothic script exhibiting batarde influence in the long
descenders.  Carefully executed red and blue divided initial, 8-line, on f.
1r; infilled and surrounded by delicate foliage designs in red and purple ink,
on a green ground, with flourishes extending down inner border.  Similar
initial, f. 1v, without green ground and with blue scroll design for crossbar.
Headings, paragraph marks, initial strokes, underlining, and Nota marks in
red.
     Part II:  ff. 35-46:  paper (watermarks:  similar in design to Briquet
Lettre Y 9182-84), 212 x 141 (152 x 99) mm.  Ca. 29 long lines; frame-ruled in
lead; prickings in upper and outer margins.  A single gathering of fourteen
leaves (-13, 14, blank):  remains of quire and leaf signatures in lower right
corner,
recto (e.g., a2, a3, a4, etc).  Written in a script similar to that in
Part I, but with less batarde shading.  Fine initial, 8-line, on f. 35r,
divided red and blue, infilled and surrounded by six foliage designs in red
penwork on green
ground, with a central flower of six petals touched with yellow.  Plain blue
initial, 3-line, on f. 39v, with some floral designs in body in natural color
of paper; red initials, 2-line, ff. 40r and 45v.  Headings, initial strokes,
underlining and corrections, in red.  Paragraph marks in red or blue.
Guide-letters for rubricator.
     Part III:  ff. 47-82:  paper (watermarks:  similar in design to Briquet
Lettre Y 9182-84), 212 x 142 (153 x 99) mm.  Ca. 28 long lines; frame-ruled in
lead; prickings in upper, lower and outer margins.  I^^12 (leaf signatures in
lower right corner, recto:  1, 2, 3, etc.), II-III^^12 (quire and leaf
signatures in lower
right corner, recto:  1b, 2b, 3b, etc.).  Written possibly by the same scribe
as Part II.  Divided initial I, red and blue, 10-line, on f. 47r, with red
and purple foliage designs on green ground surrounding initial, and with
flourishes extending down inner margin.  Blue initial, 4-line, on f. 68v,
infilled and surrounded by penwork designs in red.  Plain initials, 2-line,
headings, initial strokes, paragraph marks, corrections, and some marginal
notes, in red.  Guide-letters and instructions for rubricator.
     Part IV:  ff. 83-99:  paper (watermarks:  similar in design to Briquet
Lettre Y 9182-84), 212 x 139 (147 x 94) mm.  Ca. 30 long lines; frame-ruled in
lead; prickings in upper, lower and outer margins.  I^^16 (-8, 16), II^^4 (-3);
quire and leaf signatures in lower right corner, recto (e. g., 2a, 3a, 4a,
etc.). Written in small cramped gothic script similar to those in I-III.  Blue initial,
5-line, on f. 83v, with interior floral designs in natural color of parchment;
body infilled and surrounded by red penwork designs extending down inner margin.
Initials, 5- to 2-line, headings, paragraph marks, in red.
     Binding:  s. xvi-xvii [?].  Original sewing on four tawed, slit straps, the
spine rounded and the supports prominent and defined.  Plain, wound endbands on
vegetable fiber cores, the covering leather saddle-stitched around them.
Covered in dark brown calf with round and lozenge-shaped tools in diamonds and
triangles formed by intersecting fillets in a central panel in a double outer
frame.  One fastening, the catch on the upper board and the strap wanting.
Turk's head knot placemarks on the fore edge.  Rectangular label removed from
upper edge of front cover; two modern brown labels, stamped in gold, on spine:
"Bernardi Varia" and "M. S."  Original front pastedown:  lower portion of a
parchment bifolium (Germany, s. XV) of the Doctrinale of Alexander of Villa
Dei with lines 1056-79 visible on verso and 1520-44 on recto; D. Reichling, ed.,
Das Doctrinale des Alexander des Villa-Dei, Monumenta Germaniae paedogogica,
v. 12 (Berlin, 1893) pp. 69-71, 97-99.  Ca. 5 mm. between lines of text.
Binding restored.

Written in Germany in the second half of the 15th century, probably in Cologne;
a table of contents and the following ownership inscription, s. xv^^2, appear
on f. i recto:  "Liber monasterij Sancti [name illegible] ordinis sancti
Augustini canonissarum regularum In Colonia."  From the collection of Leander
van Ess, Darmstadt, who sold the manuscript in 1824 to Sir Thomas Phillipps
(no. 508; stamp on f. i recto and inscription, in pencil, on f. 1r).
Phillipps sale (Sotheby's, 6 June 1910, no. 87) to Leighton (Cat. of mss., [1912], no.
21).  Acquired from Davis and Orioli (Cat. 25 [1919], no. 2) by the Abbey of
Gethsemani in Kentucky (MS 7).  Purchased from the private collector Laurence
Taylor Greer in April 1964 by H. P. Kraus, who presented it to the Beinecke
Library in 1968.

secundo folio:  ingerente

Bibliography:  De Ricci, v. 1, p. 732, no. 7 (while at the Abbey of
Gethsemani).

Barbara A. Shailor