YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
PRE-1600 MANUSCRIPTS
Beinecke MS 514
Northern France, s. XV2
Hours, undetermined use, partly in French
f. 1 ruled but blank
1. ff. 2r-13v Calendar in French, half full, two pages (recto and verso) for each month.
Computistical data: Golden Number and Day Letter. Among the entries: Julian bishop of Le
Mans (27 Jan.), Aldegundis (30 Jan.), Albinus bishop of Angers (1 March), Walericus (1 April),
Gaugericus bishop of Cambrai-Arras (24 April), Elevation of Quintinus celebrated in Noyon (2
May), Translation of S. Nicholas (in red, 9 May), Honoratus bishop of Amiens (16 May),
Autbertus (20 May), Landericus venerated in Mons and Cambrai (10 June), Henry (13 July, on
that date venerated in Cambrai), Vaast venerated in Arras and Cambrai (13 July), Translation of
St. Bertin abbot of Sithiu (16 July), Fiacrius hermit in Meaux (30 August), Livinus venerated in
Ghent (12 Nov.). Note the spellings "march", "jullet", "octembre". f. 14 ruled but blank
2. ff. 15r-21r Short Hours of the Cross. ff. 21v and 22 ruled but blank
3. ff. 23r-70r Hours of the Virgin. In Matins the first Nocturn is immediately followed by
Lessons I-III. Compline is followed by "Salve Regina" and the prayer "Omnipotens sempiterne
Deus qui gloriose virginis Marie corpus ..." [HE 62-63??]. f. 70v ruled but blank
4. ff. 71r-87r Penitential Psalms and Litany. Among the 13 Martyrs, Quintinus (5), Firminus (9),
Adrian (10); among the 15 Confessors, Hubertus (9), Maurus (12), Gislenus (13), Fiacrius (14),
Vincent (15); among the 16 Virgins, Gertrude (13), Aldegundis (14), Waldetrudis (15). f. 87v
ruled but blank
5. ff. 88r-113r Office of the Dead. The first Nocturn is immediately followed by the Lauds.
6. ff. 113r-128r Various prayers. Les viii vers saint Bernart. Illumina oculos meos Domine,
ne unquam obdormiam in morte ... [RH 27912] ;
(f. 114r) Collecte. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui Ezechie regi Iude ... [Leroquais, LH, v.1, pp.
32 etc.] ;
(f. 114v) Hymne du Saint Esperit. Veni creator Spiritus ... [RH 21204] ;
(f. 115r) Officium. Deus qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti ... [Bruylants,
Oraisons, v. 2, 349 ??] ;
(f. 115v) S'ensieut une oroison tres devote fette a la ramembrance des vii paroles que dist nostre
Seigneur Jhesus pendant en la croix, laquelle oroison fist venerable homme Bede prestre, et dist
que quelconque personne le dira devotement a genoulx anemis ne maulvaix homs ne lui polra
nuire et par xxx jours avant sa mort vera la vierge Marie appareillie en son ayde et ne mora point
sans confession. Oratio. Domine Ihesu Christe, qui septem verba ista ... [Leroquais, ed., LH , v. 2,
p. 342] ; (f. 118r) Oratio. Deus, qui manus tuas et pedes tuos et totum corpus tuum ... [Leroquais,
LH , v. 1, p. 34 ??] ;
(f. 119r) A le elevation du precieux corps de nostre Seigneur. Ave verum corpus natum ex Maria
virgine ... [RH 2175] ;
Au precieux sang. Ave sanguis de corpore Christi ... ;
(f. 119v) Aultre. Anima Christi sanctifica me, corpus Christi salva me ... [RH 1090] ;
Boniface pape vie a le priere de Phelippe roy de France a donne a tous ceulx qui apres le
elevation diront devotement ceste oroison qui s'ensieut ii m ans de vraix pardons. Oratio. Domine
Ihesu Christe, qui hanc sacratissimam carnem de gloriose Virginis utero assumpsisti [Wilmart,
378, n. ?? Leroquais, LH, v. 1, pp. 36 etc.] ;
(f. 120v) Aultre oroison a Jhesucrist. Domine Ihesu Christe, fili Dei vivi, te supplex queso ut in
hac die et in hora exitus mei ... [Leroquais, LH, v. 1, p. 156 ??];
(f. 121r) Quant on voelt recepvoir le precieux corps de nostre Seigneur. Oroison. Omnipotens
Pater, qui propter nimiam enarrabilemque dilectionem ... ;
(f. 122r) Aultre en sievant. Domine non sum dignus ... ;
Graces apres la reception du corps. Gratias tibi ago, Domine, gratiarum actiones tue trementi
maiestati ... ;
(f. 122v) Pape Jehan xxiie composa et fist ceste oroison qui s'ensieut et donna a tous ceulx qui le
diront ottant de jours de pardons qu'il ara eubt de corps ensevelis en l'eglise et cymitere ou on le
dira. Oroison. Avete omnes Christifideles anime, det vobis requiem ... ;
(f. 123v) Les v joies espiritueles de la glorieuse vierge Marie. Gaude virgo, mater Christi, / que
per aurem concepisti ... [RH 7013-19 ; see Leroquais, LH, v. 1, pp. xxvi-xxvii] ;
Collecte. Deus, qui beatissimam virginem Mariam in conceptu et in partu ... [Leroquais, LH, v. 2,
p. 126 ; HE 62-63 ??] ;
(f. 125r) Oratio. Rogo te, Domina sancta Maria, plena gracie, honorabilissima mater Dei ... ; (f.
125v) Suffraige de saint Jaque. Anthiphona. Adeptus est sedem apostolici culminis ... [CAO
1261, for St. John the Evangelist] ;
(f. 126r) Collecte. Oremus. Esto, Domine, plebi tue sanctificator et custos ... ;
(f. 126r) De saint Anthoine. Anthiphona. Vox de celo ad Anthonium facta est ... [A. Franz, Die
kirchlichen Benediktionen im Mittelalter (Freiburg i.B., 1909], v. 1, p. 214??] ; Oratio. Oremus.
Deus, qui concedis obtentu beati Anthonii confessoris tui morbidum ignem extingui ... ;
(f. 126v) De sainte Barbe. Antienne. O pulcra precipui rosa dans odorem florens imperpetuum...
Oration. Oremus. Deus, qui beate Barbare virginis et martiris tue memoriam recolentibus ... ;
(f. 127v) De tous sains et saintes. Antiphona. Salvator mundi, salva nos omnes, sancta Dei
genitrix virgo semper Maria ... [Leroquais, LH, v. 1, p. 234]. Collecte. Deus, qui nos beate Marie
semper virginis et beatarum celestium virtutum ... ff. 128v and 129 ruled but blank
Parchment, ff. III (paper) + 129 + III, 120 x 84 mm.
I 6 (ff. 1-6), II-XVI 8 (ff. 7-126), XVII 4 (- 4, ff. 127-129).
Ruled in purple ink for one column of 16 lines below top line (type 13, 66 x 46 mm. In the
Calendar there are three additional vertical through lines at left, the last two very close to each
other. There are four lines of text on the miniature pages.
Written by a single scribe in Gothica Cursiva Formata (Bastarda) in two sizes. The ascenders on
the top line often have calligraphic extensions.
Red headings. Heightening of the majuscules in yellow. All initials (1 or 2 lines) are on a
rectangular background and are executed in paint and liquid gold. At the opening of the various
Hours there are 4-line initials of the same type, always accompanied by full acanthus borders and
an arch-topped miniature. The borders are framed in gold and may also contain leaves, flowers,
fruit, birds. The subjects of the miniatures are: f. 15r (Hours of the Cross), Crucifixion, with Mary
and St. John; f. 23r (Hours of the Virgin, Matins), Annunciation; f. 33r (Lauds), Visitation; f. 43v
(Prime), Nativity; f. 47v (Terce), Annunciation to the Shepherds; f. 51v (Sext), Adoration of the
Magi; f. 55r (None), Circumcision; f. 58v (Vespers), Flight into Egypt; f. 65r (Compline),
Massacre of the Innocents; f. 71r (Penitential Psalms), King David in prayer; f. 88r (Office of the
Dead), Raising of Lazarus.
Modern limp vellum binding with two pairs of white leather ties. The preceding s. XIX binding is
preserved: dark brown leather over cardboard, both covers framed with blind-tooled fillets; spine
with four raised bands and gold-tooled title: "HEURES DE SENLIS"; gilt edges.
Senlis use according to the inscription on the binding, but this use is not documented. The saints
in the Calendar and in the Litany point to Northern France and Hainault. Belonged about 1500
to Jeannette Brongnart: see the inscription on f. 129r in large Gothica Cursiva Formata (Bastarda)
"A Jannette Brongnart apertiennent ces heures. J.B." On the front pastedown of the preceding
binding is the signature of an apparently Dutch owner "Huijsman" (s. XVIII); on the facing
flyleaf two pencil notes by two different hands s. XIX: "11 vignettes"; "Manuscrito del siglo 15,
en pergamino, consta de 125 hojas y esta adornado de 11 miniaturas", suggesting that the
manuscript at that time belonged to a Spanish owner. Bookplate of Thomas E. Marston on the
front paste-down. Given by Thomas E. Marston in 1972 in honor of Herman W. Liebert.
Albert Derolez
Updated 28.11.2007