Beinecke MS 512
Italy, s. XIII/XIV
Pseudo-Bernard of Clairvaux

1. ff. 1r-20v	De interiori homine silicet [sic] spiritu et anima. Multi multa sciunt, et seipsos 
nesciunt. Alios inspiciunt et seipsos deserunt ... videas etiam meridiem solis iustitie, in quo 
sponsum cum sponsa prospiciens unum eundemque Dominum glorie, qui vivit et regnat in secula 
seculorum trinus et unus. Amen.

Pseudo-Bernard of Clairvaux (Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis), De interiori homine (Mediationes),  
PL 184.485-508. The chapter division in the manuscript is partly different from the edition.

2. ff . 20v-21r	De his qui ingrediuntur religionem. Dina fuit filia Iacob, quam Sichen videns 
concupivit et oppressit ... In claustro Christi sunt semper quatuor isti :  Cum Giezi [l. Iesu] Iudas, 
cum Petro fur Ananias, per Giezi simoniaci, per Iudas filii fratres, per Ananiam fures designantur.

Pseudo-Bernard of Clairvaux (Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis), De illis qui ingrediuntur religionem 
ut abundent bonis. The verses at the end are Walther, Initia 8860.

3. ff. 21r-82v	Rubrica de hedificatione domus interioris, scilicet conscientie. Domus hec, in qua 
habitamus, ex omni parte sui nobis ruinam minatur ... si ubique mirando veneratur, venerando 
miratur magnalia eiusque diligunt, inveniunt itaque non solum in creaturis incorporeis, sed etiam 
in corporeis creaturis unde //

Pseudo-Bernard of Clairvaux (Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis), De interiori domo, PL 184.507-
552. The text is subdivided into four parts, a subdivision which is not found in PL: 
f. 28r :	Incipit secunda pars et primo quid sit consientia ; f. 34v : Incipit 3 pars Bernardy ;
f. 43v  Incipit 4 pars Bernardy. Rubrica de superbia I. The chapter division in the manuscript is 
generally very different from the division in PL. Due to the loss of a quire 20 pages are missing, 
foliated 49-58. These contained a text not present in De interiori domo as edited in PL: f. 48v 
ends "Quid superbis, homo, cuius conceptus culpa, nasci pena, labor vita, mori vocem. Quoniam 
[sic] vel quomodo vel ubi nescire?" (PL 184.538, chapter 28).  This is followed by the  long text 
in question, beginning "Humilitas [l. humilitatis] testimomia sunt iniquitatem suam quemque 
cognoscere et cognitam voce confexionis aperire //" (catchword: "Iudica vere"). After the hiatus 
it continues f. 59r: "// plenum de vite mee statum timeo, de peccata mea considero ..." and ends 
f. 70r ... "sentiat caro mea,  desideret substantia tota mea donec intrem in gaudium Domini tui." 
This chapter as far as surviving has only a few subdivisions with headings: "Rubrica de amore 
Dei et contemplatione" (f. 65r), "Rubrica qualiter pervenitur ad amorem Dei", "Rubrica de 
contemplatione I" (f. 67r). A text with the same incipit is found in Angers, Bibl. municipale MS 
317 (308), ff. 87v-92r, described as St. Bernard, Compilatio gemma animae. On f. 70r follows 
De interiori domo chapter 29 (PL 184.538) and following up to f. 82v (PL 184.552). Due to the 
loss of f. 83 the final paragraphs of this text are lost.

4. ff. 84r-106r		// animalium mores hominum et haberes scientiam celestium, terrestrium et 
infernorum . B. studete perseverare quia ipsa sola coronatur. Rubrica de caritate. Caritas est pius 
mentis affectus ad Deum et proximum affluenter et ordinate porrectus , aliter : Caritas est dilectio 
Dei propter seipsum et proximi ... vel verba aut iustificationes sive iudicia seu sermones Dei 
descripti. Sanguis Domini Nostri Ihesu Christi sit in corde meo et lac benigne Virginis sit in ore 
meo. Amen.

A compilation on virtues and vices, followed by quotations of a theological and moral nature. 
The beginning of this text was on the lost f. 83

5. f. 106v	Incipit tabula huius (?) libri. De interiore homine scilicet spiritu et anima, 1 ... De 
cusstodia domus et hedificatione, 28. Explicit tabula primi libri. Incipit secunda. De conscientia, 
28 ... De carnali affectione a qua remotus est spiritus rectus //

Table of Contents referring to the foliation, incomplete due to the loss of one leaf: the last 
chapter mentioned is on f. 33r.


Parchment (goatskin), ff. 95, 135 x 100 mm. The  outer side of the quires is flesh side.
Original foliation "1"-"106" in arabic numerals in the upper outer corner of the recto pages, valid 
for the recto and the facing verso as appears from art. 5; ff. 49-58 (= one quire) and 83 are 
missing. 

I 10 (ff. 1-10), II 18 (ff. 11-28), III-IV 10 (ff. 29-48), V-VI 8 (ff. 59-74), VII 12 (ff. 75-86; f. 83 
missing), VIII 10 (+ one leaf, f. 92; ff. 87-97), IX 10 (- 10, ff. 98-106). Horizontal catchwords 
below the right-hand column, in a frame (quires I-V) or between four flourishes (quires VI-VIII).

Full pricking in the outer margins, mostly for 25 or 26 traced lines. The ruling in light brown ink 
for two columns (type 46 or other type, the horizontal lines crossing the intercolumnar space), 
although mostly for 24 lines below top line, often does not follow the pricking and varies 
between 22 and 29 lines; 88/95 x 73/75 mm., intercolumnar space 7 mm.

With the exception of f. 1r apparently copied by one hand, writing Southern Gothica 
Semitextualis Libraria; f. 1r, in the same type of script, is by another more rapid hand and is 
perhaps palimpsest.

Headings in red added afterwards, with instructions for the rubricator in Gothica Cursiva in the 
margins (the headings are missing from f. 91r onwards). Red plain initials, 2-3 lines, sometimes 
with simple flourishing. A few pointing hands and Nota-marks.

Original binding: deerskin over bevelled wooden boards. On each cover four small brass bosses. 
Four similar bosses at the four corners of the spine and at the attachment of a white  leather strap 
attached to the front cover and clutching with a decorated brass piece over a pin in the rear 
cover. The front paste-down is a fragment of a Latin grammatical treatise s. XIV in two columns.

The text in this manuscript is generally very incorrect. On the turn-in of the rear cover is written 
"ducati duo" (s. XV). Pencil notes in the manuscript about its text show that in the nineteenth or 
twentieth century it belonged to a French-speaking owner. Purchased 18 April 1972 from Alan 
G. Thomas on the Edwin J. Beinecke Fund.

Albert Derolez

R 06.06.08