YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
PRE-1600 MANUSCRIPTS
Beinecke MS 545
North-Western France (Rouen?), s. XV
Hours, use of Rouen
1. ff. 1r-12v Calendar, in French , half full, written in red ink, the main feasts in blue (2
pages for each month, recto and verso). The computistical data are: the Golden Number, the Day
Letter and the Roman Calendar without numerals. The following feasts are to be noted: William
bishop of Bourges (10 Jan.), Hilarius bishop of Poitiers (13 Jan.), Julian bishop of Le Mans (27
Jan.), Anne (30 Jan.!), Severus (1 Febr.), Austreberta (10 Febr.), Eustachius (20 Febr.!), Honorina
martyr in Normandy (27 Febr.), Albinus bishop of Angers (1 March), Patricius (17 March),
Quintinus (29 March), Sabina (31 March!), Walaricus (Valery) (1 April), Hugo bishop of Rouen
(9 April), Isidorus martyr (16 April!), Theodericus (Didier, 23 May!), Gildardus (Godard) bishop
of Rouen (8 June), translation of Anianus (Aignan) celebrated in Arras (14 June), "saint Cler" (18
July), Philibertus founder of the abbeys of Jumieges and Noirmoutiers (20 August), Fiacrius
hermit in Meaux (30 August), invention of Maximus (Mamille) celebrated in Therouanne and
Arras (13 Sept.), "saint Lubin" (15 Sept.), "saint Paer" (23 Sept.), Venantius (Vigaise, 11 Oct.),
Mellonus bishop of Rouen (22 Oct.), Romanus bishop of Rouen (in blue, 23 Oct.), Ursinus
bishop of Bourges (9 Nov.), Machutus (Maclou, 15 Nov.), "saint Mordant" ( = Maurontius? 17
Nov.), Edmundus (20 Nov.), "O sapientia" (16 Dec., which may point to Reims), Gratianus
martyr in the neighbourhood of Amiens (18 Dec.!), Ursinus bishop of Bourges (30 Dec. instead
of 29 Dec.).
2. ff 13r-16v Gospel lessons from John, Luke, Matthew, Mark.
3. ff. 16v-20v "Obsecro" and "O intemerata".
4. ff. 21r-49v Hours of the Virgin. The rubrics are in Latin or French or are missing.
Between Lauds and Prime the following Suffrages: [f. 34v:] Du Saint Esperit. Antiphona. Veni
Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda ...[CAO v. 3, 5327]. Oremus. Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti
Spiritus illustratione ... ; [f. 35r:] De saint Nicolas. Antiphona. Amicus Dei Nicolaus pontificali
decoratus infula ... [CAO v. 3, 1387]. Oremus. Deus qui beatum Nicolaum pontificem tuum
innumeris decorasti miraculis ... ; De saincte Katherine. Antiphona. Virgo sancta Katherina,
Grecie gemma ... [RH 34646]. Oremus. Deus, qui dedisti legem Moysi in summitate montis
Sinay ...; [f. 35v:] De saint Jehan Baptiste. Antiphona. Inter natos mulierum non surrexit maior
... [CAO v. 3, 3370]. Oratio. Presta, quesumus, omnipotens Deus, ut familia tua per viam salutis
... ; De saint Romain. Antiphona. Decus omne nunc Romane confessor egregie ...[RH 4311].
Deus, cui beatus Romanus pontifex ita sanctitatis gratia ... ; [f. 36r:] De la paix. Antiphona. Da
pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris, quia non est alius ... [CAO v. 3, 2090]. Oremus. Deus, a quo
sancta desideria, recta consilia ... ; [f. 36v:] De Toussains. Antiphona. Sancti Dei omnes, qui estis
consortes supernorum civium ... Oremus. Omnium sanctorum tuorum, quesumus, Domine,
supplicatione placatus ...
5. ff. 50r-61v Penitential Psalms and Litany (rubric on f. 49v). Rubrics in French. Due to
the loss of one leaf the text begins incomplete on f. 50r with Ps. 6:9. In the Litany Ursinus comes
immediately after the Apostles and Evangelists and before the Disciples and the Martyrs; among
the Confessors occur Mellonus, Romanus, Audoenus, Ansbertus, all bishops of Rouen,
Wandregisilus, Wulframnus; among the Virgins Austreberta.
6. ff. 62r-63r Short Hours of the Cross. Due to the loss of the first leaf Matins is
missing. Rubrics in French.
7. ff. 63v-65v Short Hours of the Holy Spirit (rubric on f. 63r). Rubrics in French.
8. ff. 65v-86r Office of the Dead. Rubrics in French or Latin.
9. ff. 86r-89v Doulce Dame de misericorde, mere de pitie, fontaine de tous biens ... qu'il
leur doint joie pardurable. Amen.
Fifteen Joys of the Virgin, Sonet 458; ed. Leroquais, LH v. 2, pp. 310-311.
10. ff. 89v-91r Pater Noster. Doulx Dieu, doulx Pere, Saincte Trinite, ung Dieu. Beau sire
Dieu, je vous requier que vous me regardes en pitie ...
Seven Requests, Sonet 504 ; ed. Leroquais, LH v. 2, pp. 309-310.
11. f. 91r-v Saincte vraye croix aouree, qui du corps Dieu fus aournee ... Et me octroye
par ton plaisir que vray confes puisse mourir. Amen.
Prayer to the Cross, Sonet 1876.
Parchment, ff. III (modern parchment) + I (early parchment) + 91 + III (modern parchment), 170
x 120 mm.
I 12 (ff. 1-12), II-V 8 (ff. 13-44), VI 8 (-6, ff. 45-51), VII 8 (ff. 52-59), VIII 8 (-3, ff. 60-66), IX-X
8 (ff. 67-82), XI (a composite quire containing several singletons, ff. 83-91, requiring detailed
study).
Ruled with red ink for one column of 20 lines below top line (type 13, 106 x 67 mm.). The
Calendar has a similar ruling for 16 lines below top line, same dimensions, and has three
additional vertical lines at left within the ruled area.
Uneven Northern Gothica Textualis Formata by one hand lacking expertise and making a
maximum of fusions. To be noted double f in initial position and the spelling "Betheleem" and
other defective spellings.
Headings in red. Heightening of the majuscules in yellow. The entire decoration uses liquid gold.
Line-fillers in gold on red, blue or brown background. 1-line initials on square background in the
text. 2-line "twisted branch" initials on square background, infilled with flowers. 3- or 4-line
initials of the same type, accompanied by three-margins left borders on ff. 13r, 28r (Hours of the
Virgin, Lauds), 40v (Terce, bracket-left border), 42r (Sext), 44r (None), 46r (Vespers), 47r
(Compline, bracket-left border), 86r (Fifteen Joys), 89v (Seven Requests, bracket-left border
without lower section). 3-line initials of the same type, accompanied by four-margins borders and
a picture in an arched compartment above three lines of text, on ff. 21r (Hours of the Virgin,
Matins: Annunciation), 37r (Prime: Nativity), 63v (Hours of the Holy Spirit: Pentecost), 66r
(Hours of the Dead: Funeral service). Similar pictures were painted on the lost leaves before f. 50
(Penitential Psalms) and 62 (Hours of the Cross).
De luxe binding s. XX: tan leather over cardboard boards, spine with five raised binds; the
covers are blind-tooled and spine and covers are decorated with small flowers painted red and
green. Brown paper endleaves. Gilt edges.
Made for a female owner (see f. 42r: "orata sum"). On the recto of the early flyleaf before f. 1
the signature "Bernales" or "Vernales" (s. XVIII). The signature of J.C. Salles, "typographus",
occurs in the margins of ff. 10v-11r with the years 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1799, 1800
and the invocation "Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam". Armorial
bookplate of Frank H. Goodyear. Gift of Frank H. Goodyear, Yale 1941, in memory of
Josephine L. Goodyear, March 1974.
Albert Derolez
Updated 27.11.2007