YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
PRE-1600 MANUSCRIPTS
Beinecke MS 533
Flanders, s. XV 2
Treatises of Canon Law, Pierre d'Ailly, Nicholas Oresme
1. Second flyleaf v Resolutiones sequentium questionum [title added by another hand].
Table of Contents.
2. ff. 1r-15r Notabilis decisio questionis super dispensabilitate iuris naturalis et divini
preceptorum [title in Table of Contents]. Queritur utrum ab homine possit dispensari in preceptis
aut prohibitionibus iuris naturalis et divini. Et arguitur quod non, quia Bernardus in libro de
dispensatione et precepto dicit ... sed quia ab eterno ab eo processit cum nichil realiter in eo
existens accrescat ex tempore ei qui est ante tempora in eternitate. Cui sit honor et imperium per
secula sempiterna. Amen.
Unidentified dissertation on dispensation from prescriptions of natural or divine law.
3. ff. 15v-26r Decisio questionis an clerici mortaliter peccent si superflua temporalia
pauperibus non dispensent [title in Table of Contents]. Ptrum [l. Utrum] clerici et ecclesiarum
prelati mortaliter peccent si quod eis superfluit de prebendis et aliis spiritualibus bonis que
procurant in elemozinam non largiantur. Et arguitur primo quod nedum clerici sed generaliter
omnes homines teneantur ... et qui novit pauperes suos aliunde nutrire eciam si nostra sollicitudo
deficeret. Cui sit laus et gloria in seculorum secula. Amen.
Unidentified dissertation on the worldly possessions of the clergy and their legitimate
employment.
4. ff. 26v-54r Repetitio domini Iohannis de Lysura super capitulo canonum de constitutionibus.
Canonum statuta. Breve est hoc capitulum, sed potest aliis verbis sic summari : constitutiones
canonum ab omnibus sunt servande ... [f. 53r :] ut ipse dicit si non requiruntur. Et hec sufficiant
pro huius capituli declaratione. Sequuntur conclusiones et corollaria quas posuit dominus
Iohannes Lesura circa capitulum Canonum statuta. Lex canonica, etsi divinam tollere nequeat, in
casibus non tamen fidei potest derogare ... Prescriptionis exceptionem talem habens potestatem
non potest de iure refutare.
Iohannes de Lisura (professor at the university of Louvain 1455-1458, d. before February 1461),
Repetitio on Decretales Gregorii IX, I, tit. 2, cap. 1; see Ae. Friedberg, Corpus iuris canonici, v. 2
(Leipzig, 1879), 7.
5. ff. 54v-57r Determinatio super usuris pupillorum [title in Table of Contents]. Casu facti
nobis subscriptis pro parte consulum ac totius communitatis opidi Insulensis oblatio ac litteris seu
concessionibus ac ordinationibus principum Flandrie materiam casus predicti concernentibus seu
tangentibus diligenter et mature visis ... [f. 56v :] Ex quorum omnium dictis luculenter dampnatur
ille modus premissus, quem circa denarios pupillares hactenus observarunt magistratus et
consulatus Insulenses, et modum Lapi, quibus cautelis adhibitis amplectuntur, etc. [f. 57r,
addendum :] A magistro S 20. Nonnumquam hic modus aut forma contractum aliquem illicitum
reddit contrahentemque ob defectum doctrine aut rectificationis sue intentionis graviter peccare
facit ... fiat conventio de decimo denario, nullum interveniet peccatum. Hanc tamen viam
omnibus indifferenter propalare minus expediens foret, etc. ff. 57v-60v blank.
Anonymous opinion in response to a consultation by the city of Lille on the legality of investing
the money of minors at interest. It is based on the opinions of Gregorius de Arimino, Franciscus
de Epholis and Laurentius de Rodolphis.
6. ff. 61r-86v Epistola magistri Petri de Alyaco ad novos Hebreos [title in Table of
Contents]. Epistola magistri Petri de Aliaco ad dominum Philippum de Maisieris continens
prologum in opus sequens, scilicet in epistolam ad novos Hebreos. Viro nobili consulari
celsitudine et militari fortitudine prepollenti, domino Philippo de Maisieriis ... Vestra novit
discretio, et eadem referente cognovi qualiter vir quidam catholice professionis ... omni tempore
mei memorem conservare dignetur. Finit prologus. [f. 61v:] Incipit epistola ad novos Hebreos
edita a magistro Petro de Aliaco cardinali Cameracensi. Multipharie multisque modis olim Deus
loquens [Heb. 1:1]... Quia hiis verbis beatus Paulus apostolus suam incepit epistolam quam ad
Hebreos scripsit, ideo eisdem verbis hanc epistolam, quam ad novos Hebreos scripturus sum,
incipere dignum duxi ... discant ergo novi Hebrei per ea que dicta sunt sui erroris devio resilire et
ad viam redire veritatis, solerter attendentes quoniam rationum suarum laqueus contritus est et
nos liberati sumus. Explicit nova epistola ad novos Hebreos reverendissimi patris et eruditissimi
viri magistri Petri de Aliaco cardinalis Cameracensis.
Pierre d'Ailly (Petrus de Alliaco, d. 1420), Epistola ad novos Hebraeos, a defense of the
Vulgate. Stegmueller 6397; L. Salembier, ed., Revue des sciences ecclesiastiques, 56 (1887) and 60
(1889)??; id., ed., Une page inedite de l'histoire de la Vulgate (Amiens, 1890), pp. 3-68 ?? About
the author, see id., Le cardinal Pierre d'Ailly, chancelier de l'universite
de Paris, eveque du Puy
et de Cambrai, 1350-1420, Societe d'Etudes de la Province de Cambrai, 35 (Tourcoing, 1932).
7. ff. 86v-94r Tractatus defensorius translationis Ieronimi eiusdem [title in Table of Contents].
Incipit apolegiticus eiusdem postea super eadem materia editus. Adversus novos Hebreos
epistolam dudum composui, quam intitulare ita placuit ... et hec pro defensione translationis
eximii doctoris Ieronimi breviter dicta sunt, cuius doctrina illuminari et precibus adiuvari supplex
oro. Finit apolegiticus seu tractatus defensorius translationis Ieronimi a domino Petro de Aliaco
episcopo Cameracensi.
Pierre d'Ailly (Petrus de Alliaco), Apologeticus Hieronymianae translationis Bibliorum, directed
against Roger Bacon. Stegmueller 6398; L. Salembier, ed., Revue des sciences
ecclesiastiques, 61
(1890), 62 (1890) ??; id., ed., Une page inedite, pp. 77-97 ??
8. ff. 94r-100r Determinatio questionis utrum adventus Antichristi [sic] possit a nobis
determinate sciri eiusdem [title in Table of Contents]. Incipit questio per eundem determinata.
Questio est utrum tempus ultimi adventus Christi possit a nobis determinate presciri. Et arguitur
quod sic quadruplici ratione ... Et hec de isto dubio sufficiant.
Pierre d'Ailly (Petrus de Alliaco), Utrum tempus ultimi adventus Christi possit a nobis praesciri.
Unedited ??
9. ff. 100r-117r Item utrum indoctus in iure possit preesse in ecclesia Dei eiusdem [title
in Table of Contents]. Questio notabilis determinata per magistrum Petrum de Aliaco
cardinalem et episcopum Cameracensem, virum undecumque doctissimum. [U]trum indoctus in
iure divino possit iuste preesse in ecclesie regno. Arguitur primo quod sic, quia iniustus potest
iuste preesse ... et sic breviter transeo de predictis duabus viis, quia tercia magis est ad propositum
questionis, etc. Explicit.
Pierre d'Ailly (Petrus de Alliaco), Utrum indoctus in iure divino possit praeesse in Ecclesia.
Unedited??
10. ff. 117r-122r Determinatio an liceat occidere innocentem scienter magistri Nicolai de
Oresme [title in Table of Contents]. Sequitur determinatio magistri Nicolai de Oresme sacre
theologie professoris et episcopi Lexoviensis super dubio sequenti. Questio est an in aliquo casu
liceat iudici occidere eum quem certitudinaliter scit innocentem. Dicunt hic aliqui discordare
theologos a iuristis ... et sic prout sapiens determinabit providere quantum
potest sine peccato.
Finit hec determinacio magistri N. Orisme.
Nicholas Oresme (Nicolaus Oresme, d. 1382), An liceat iudici occidere quem scit innocentem.
Unedited??
11. ff. 122v-143r Item tractatus de moneta eiusdem magistri Nicolai [title in Table of
Contents]. Incipit tractatus magistri Nicholai de Oresme egregii sacre pagine professoris et
episcopi Lexoviensis de monetis. [prologue :] Quibusdam videtur quod aliquis rex sive princeps
auctoritate propria possit de iure sive privilegio libere mutare monetas in suo regno currentes ...
ostendere quod principibus et subiectis, ymmo rei publice proficiat in
futurum. Incipiunt
capitula sequentis tractatus de origine et natura, iure et mutacionibus monetarum. Prohemium.
Capitulum primum ... [f. 123r :] Expliciunt capitula sequentis tractatus. Incipit tractatus de origine
et natura, iure et mutacionibus monetarum. Capitulum primum. Propter quid moneta sit inventa.
Quando dividebat Altissimus gentes, quando separabat filios Adam, constituit terminos
populorum. ... [cap. 26 :] ... et si male locutus sum perhibeat testimonium de malo, sed cum
ratione, ne ipse videatur gratis et voluntarie condempnare quod non potest efficaciter impugnare.
Et sic finitur iste liber.
Nicholas Oresme (Nicolaus Oresme), De moneta ; C. Johnson, ed., The De moneta of Nicholas
Oresme and English Mint Documents (London, 1956), pp. ??
Paper, ff. II (paper) + 144 + I (paper), 215 x 150 mm. Watermark : similar to Briquet 1474?? The
inner bifolium of the quires is strengthened with a parchment stay.
I-XII 12. Signatures of the type "a1"-"a6" "+". From quire VI onwards (f. 61) the signatures
replace other ones which have been cancelled: the signatures on quires VI-XII, now "f" - "m",
were originally "a" - "g". Horizontal catchwords close to the gutter and to the lower edge of the
leaves.
Frame-ruling in lead for one column, type 13, 138 x 87 mm.; two pricks in the outer margin and
two in the lower margin, c. 29 lines of script.
Copied by four hands. A (F. Arnoldi, see below) copied art. 1 in a rapid Gothica Semihybrida
Libraria; B copied ff. 1r-54r (articles 2-4) in Gothica Hybrida Libraria marked by the use of
looped d and one-stroke x; C copied ff. 54v-57r (article 5) in Gothica Cursiva Currens; D copied
ff. 61r-143r (articles 6-11) in Gothica Hybrida Libraria under slight Humanistic influence.
Headings in red or underlined in red. Heightening of majuscules in red. Red paragraph marks.
Plain initials in red (2 or 3 lines, not executed on f. 100r); on f. 1r blank foliage has been spared in
the initial's body. Guide-letters in the space reserved for the initials; in the section copied by
hand D they are mostly written in red ink. Article 5 is not decorated.
Original binding: brown calf over wooden boards, blind-tooled with fillets and the following
small stamps: a square two-headed eagle, a square lion rampant, a square bird and a floweret. At
the top of the front cover the title in ink s. XV/XVI "Contra novos Hebreos". Remains of two
decorated brass clasps, attached to the rear cover. Spine with four raised bands. White parchment
paste-downs. Parchment tabs pasted on the outer edge of ff. 54 and 94; others are lost.
The original part of the manuscript consists of ff. 61-144 (artt. 6-11); afterwards ff. 1-60 were
added on the same kind of paper??, with artt. 2-4; part of the remaining blank space was finally
used by scribe C for adding art. 5. Acquired in 1512 in exchange for another manuscript by a
mendicant convent in Brussels for the use of friar Arnouts from Bruges, who added a Table of
Contents (art. 1), according to the note written by the latter below the Table : "Commutatus pro
libello continente questiunculas super ewangeliis singulis Quadragesime et auctoritates
philosophorum cum aliis ad usum nostrum F. Arnoldi Brugensis per venerabilem patrem lectorem
Arnoldum de Arena conventus Bruxcellensis 1512 principio May de priorum assensu ibidem.
[signed:] F. Arnoldi". Afterwards owned by William de Houwere, first living in Brussels, in 1552
appointed to bishop in partibus infidelium of Sarepta and suffragan bishop of Tournai; he was
also curate of the church of the Chapel in Brussels, curate of the church of St. Walburgis in
Bruges and dean of the chapter of St. Salvator in the same city, d. 1560. See
U. Berliere, Les
eveques auxiliaires de Cambrai et de Tournai (Bruges, Lille, Paris, 1905), pp. 147-151. Later in
the sixteenth century it came into the possession of the lawyer and humanist Giles Wyts
(Aegidius Wytsius), pensionary of the city of Bruges and member of the Council of Flanders,
still alive in 1578, on whom, cf. A. Roersch in Biographie nationale [de Belgique], v. 27
(Brussels, 1938), 427-429. On the first flyleaf r we read: "Guilielmi de Houwere Mechliniensis
Bruxell@. Spero in Deum" ; in another ink: "Nunc Brugis decani Sancti Salvatoris , episcopi
Sareptani et suffraganei Tornacensis" ; in another hand : "Nunc Egidii Wytsii pensionarii
Brugensis". On the verso of the first flyleaf and the recto of the second one there is a pencil note
s. XIX in French on the present manuscript. On the spine there is a paper label with the number in
ink "902" (s. XIX). Purchased 1973 from Gilhofer and Ranschburg on the Edwin J. Beinecke
Fund.
Albert Derolez
Updated 27.11.2007