Manuscript leaf from Johannes Gallensis, in Latin, produced in Spain (Catalonia)

MS 5650/68

Manuscript leaf from Johannes Gallensis, in Latin, produced in Spain (Catalonia)

c.1400

Text: From Johannes Gallensis, in Latin

Script: Iberian Textualis Formata (Rotunda)

The text is by John of Wales (Johannes Gallensis) and is from Summa Collationum, Sive Communiloquium. The writing is in a rounded Gothic book script with rubrics in red. There is faint line ruling under the first two lines of the verso side but no line pricking.

The Communiloquium is composed of seven parts and the ‘I’ (in red) and ‘P’ (in blue) at the top of the verso indicates that the leaf comes from Part 1. Each part is divided into several sections known as ‘Distinctions’ and at the top of the recto the ‘III’ (in red) and ‘D’ ( in blue) show that it is Distinction 3. Also on the recto in the top right-hand corner in red is foliation ‘.XXIIIJ.’ This indicates Leaf 24, but beneath it, in pencil, is written ‘16’ suggesting that a first quire of eight leaves was missing when the pencil foliation was supplied. Capitals struck with yellow or red, rubrics in red. The leaf has two three-line initials in orange, green, blue, magenta, and white on a burnished gold ground, with marginal extensions of spiky leaves painted in various colours and pirouetting energetically into broad margins, and generating several wispy tendrils in various colours and gold, the leafy extensions reaching the entire length of the page and extending into the top and bottom margins, with burnished gold bezants.

John of Wales (Johannes Gallensis):

A Franciscan scholar active in the second half of the thirteenth century, Johannes Gallensis, who may have been a native Welshman, is first documented in 1259-60 as lector in Oxford. By 1270, he was in Paris, where he seems to have died in 1285. His reputation rests on a series of pastoral handbooks for preachers, full of quotations from ancient and patristic authors, the most important and successful of these handbooks being the Communiloquium.

John’s aim in writing it was to provide priests with basic, practical information on how to lead a good life, so that in sermons and conversation, they could instruct individuals of all classes and conditions in the norms of ethical conduct, reinforced by the example of the ancient world as provided by the quoted texts.

The Communiloquium is divided into seven sections, the first three dealing with secular society, the next three with the church, and the final one with death and dying. The work in its entirety contains no fewer than 1,500 extracts from some 200 works by more than 100 authors, including 170 from Seneca and 103 from Cicero. Jenny Swanson, whose work “John of Wales,” published in 1989, is the source of much of this discussion, has found more than 100 manuscripts of the work in institutional collections, and as might be expected of a practical handbook, almost all of the extant exemplars are either copies carelessly written and obviously intended for personal use or manuscripts written by professional scribes but unadorned. Only a few, intended for important patrons, are illuminated or richly decorated, like the fragmentary copy from which this leaf comes. Swanson points out that the Communiloquium appealed to a much larger audience than its author had intended; she indicates that beyond its use by priests as a preaching aid, the book was mined by other writers for quotations from ancient authors. And it was used by laymen, including, perhaps most notably, fourteenth-century Spanish kings (one of whom ordered a copy for his queen) as a source for ideas on government.

The illumination here seems to have been done by the same hand as the Valerius Maximus manuscript of ca. 1400, done in Barcelona and now in that city’s archives (ms. L/26; cf J. Alturo I Perucho, “El libro manuscript a Catalunya, origins I esplendor,” the plate on p. 165). The most famous manuscript with borders in this flamboyant Catalan style (but not done by our same artist) is the Breviary of Martin of Aragon (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Rothschild 2529).

Transcription

Recto side (column 1):

1 ris principi fuiss(et) de sponsata su(m)ma ab-

2 stinentia . ita pepercisse ei legitur . ut

3 illam nec aspexerit quidem . q(ua) mox [aspexit ?

4 ad sponsum remissa univ(er)se gentis

5 p(ro)pter hoc b(e)n(e)fitium a(n)i(m)os conciliavit

6 sibi . Si(mi)l(it)e(r) de octaviano legitur mo(r)-

7 tuo e(n)i(m) antonio . cleopatra acessit ad

8 augustum . postq(uam) fuit capta . et p(ro)-

9 voluta ad pedes augusti sollicitabat

10 oculos ei(us) . unde de ip(s)a poeta . vultus

11 adest precib(us) facies intecta p(er)orat .

12 Set frustra quidem hoc fecit . nam pul-

13 critudo eius infra regis pudicitiam

14 fuit et de hoc in policrato libro . (tertio) . ca(pitulo) .

15 . (decimo) . Simil(ite)r legitur nobiles principes

16 mire fuisse abstinentie . p(ro)ut na(r)rat

17 vege(tius) libro . (quarto) . cap(itu)lo . (tertio) . Et hoc r(e)g(e)m [regum ?

18 dicitur in policrato libro . (quinto) . cap(itu)lo . (septimo) .

19 Q(uod) hanibal surgere de nocte sollicit(us)

20 erat . an(te) noctem non requiescebat et

21 crepusculo demu(m) socios ad cenam vo-

22 cabat . nec amplius q(uod) duab(us) horis

23 aput eum discu(m)bebatur . Idem cum [apud ?

24 sub hasdrubale imp(er)atore militaret .

25 plerumq(ue) sup(er) nudam humu(m) sac(cu)lo [line filler]

26 tectus . so(m)pnum capiebat . Emilianu(m)

27 scipionem tradunt in itinere cu(m) mul-

28 tis ambulantem . accepto pane vesti [vesci ?

29 solitum . Idem et de alexandro mace-

30 done dicitur . Masinissam quoq(ue) no-

31 nagesimu(m) etatis annum agentem

32 meridie ante tabernaculu(m) stantem

33 v(e)l ambulantem . capere solitu(m) cibu(m)

34 legimus . Marcum catonem eodem

35 vino quo remiges co(n)tentum fuisse

36 tradunt . et de hiis pollic(it)atus libro . (quinto) .

37 cap(itu)lo . (septimo) . ubi sup(er)addit q(uod) august(us)

38 cesar minimi cibi erat et vulgaris

39 cepe secu(n)daruim panem . et piscicu-

40 los minutos . caseum bubalum ma-

41 nu pressum . ficus biferas (et) virides

42 maxi(m)e appetebat . vescebant(ur)q(ue) an(te) cenam

43 quocu(m)q(ue) t(em)pore et loco stomacus desidera-

44 sset . unde ip(s)e in quadam ep(istu)la . Nec [line filler]

45 iudeus quidem in tiberi tam diligen-

46 ter sab(ba)t(u)m s(er)vat q(uam) ego hodie s(er)vavi . q(ui)

47 in balneo post horam primam noctis .

48 duas buccatas manducavi prius q(uam)

Recto side (column 2):

1 iungi inciperem . Iram quoq(ue) citissi(m)e re-

2 mictebat du(m) i(n)iuriantis [a(n)i(m)um] imutatum vi- [insertion

[immutatum ?

3 debat . h(e)c ibi . Unde et Iuliu(m) cesare(m) [videbam ?

4 vini p(er)cissimum . nec inimici quide(m) ne-

5 gaveru(n)t . sic ait Siconi(us) libro de vita [Suetonius ?

6 cesaris recitans v(er)bum martii cato(n)is

7 recitantis de ip(s)o cesare . scilicet . ad ex(er)cenda(m)

8 rem publicam sobrium accessisse . cir-

9 ca victum e(n)i(m) indifferens erat . Unde ait

10 gayus opius de eo ut d(icitu)r ibidem . Q(uod)

11 cum ei ab hospite conditu(m) oleu(m) pro vi-

12 ridi esset appositu(m) . asp(er)nantib(us) cete(r)is

13 dixit se apetisse tale ne hospes aut ne-

14 gligentie aut rusticitatis culpabilis

15 videreretur . Magna ergo hui(us) absti- [should be ‘videret’

16 nentie sobrietas et urbana curiali-

17 tas . Et si tales fueru(n)t gentiles q(ua)-

18 les debent esse principes fideles cum

19 dicat scriptura . ecc(lesiastes) . (decimo) . vet(er)re cui(us) rex [de terre?

20 puer est et cui(us) principes mane come-

21 dunt . b(ea)ta t(er)ra cui(us) rex est nobilis et

22 cui(us) principes vescuntur in t(em)pore suo

23 . s(cilicet) . ad reficiendum non ad luxuria(m) .

24 Qua(r)tu(m) . ca(pitulum) . Q(uod) princeps debet e(ss)e

25 virtuosus operum iustitia .

26 E T non solum oportet q(uod) p(ri)n-

27 ceps sit i(m)maculatus a pre-

28 d(i)c(t)ar(um) libidinu(m) macula . s(ed)

29 debet esse p(re)ditus v(ir)tuoso(rum) op(er)um pre-

30 rogativa . un(de) in premissa auctorita-

31 te deut(ronomii) . ut discat inquid custodire

32 v(er)ba eius . i(d est) . dei que in lege precepta

33 sunt . ut . s(cilicet) . exemplis op(er)um p(ro)vocet

34 co(m)militones et om(n)es subditos ad

35 ardua op(er)anda et ad t(er)ribilia ag(gre)die(n)-

36 da . F(a)c(t)a e(n)i(m) egregia principis et exe(m)-

37 pla virtuosa plus provocant s(u)bdi-

38 tos ad t(a)lium imitationem q(uam) ma(n)da-

39 ta v(e)l imp(er)ia . p(ro)ut . ait Claudianus

40 ad Theodosium loq(ue)ns . In co(mm)u(n)e iube [communi ?

41 si q(ui)d censes esse tenendum . Primus

42 iussa sibi tu(n)c obs(er)va(n)tior eq(ui) fert p(o)p(u)lus .

43 nec ferre negat cum viderit ip(su)m auc-

44 torem parem cui conponitur orbis .

45 Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflecte(re) [nescit ?

46 sensus . humanos et d(i)c(t)a valent pl(us)

47 vita regentis . Mobile mutatur . se(m)p(er)

48 cum principe vulgus . Unde i(n) p(ro)logo

Verso side (column 1):

1 historie trip(er)tite . Soromeus loq(ue)ns

2 ad theodosium ait . Q(uod) pietas est ve-

3 rus ornatus imp(er)ii . et q(uod) purpura

4 et corona in quib(us) est signu(m) maiesta-

5 tis clementiam et pietatem intrin-

6 secus semp(er) nutriu(n)t . Et ideo nobi-

7 les principes nichil imp(er)averu(n)t alii(s)

8 q(uo)d ip(s)i non facerent . sicut de cesare

9 legitur . Q(uod) nu(n)q(uam) dixit militib(us) ite

10 s(ed) venite . Dicebat e(n)i(m) q(uam) participat(us)

11 cum duce labor videtur militib(us) mi-

12 nor . Et de ligurgo simil(ite)r dicitur [line filler]

13 q(uod) nichil imp(er)avit aliis q(uo)d prius

14 non impleret . Sic e(n)i(m) fecit nobilis

15 princeps Gedeon . Iudic(es) . (septimo) . Q(uo)d

16 me videritis facere hoc inquid faci-

17 te . Et q(uo)d plus est hoc fecit princeps

18 regum terre d(omi)n(u)s ih(e)us ut milites

19 suos a(n)i(m)aret ad agredienda t(er)ribi-

20 lia et constanter sustinenda . Ce-

21 pit e(n)i(m) ih(e)us facere et docere . act . (primo) .

22 Qui(n)tum . ca(pitulum) . q(uod) princeps debet e(ss)e

23 mis(er)icors pia clementia .

24 C Onsi(mi)l(ite)r princeps debet esse

25 mis(er)icors pia cleme(n)tia re-

26 spectu inferior(um) et hoc me-

27 rito ip(s)e e(n)i(m) est pater pri(nc)e(ps) prout ait

28 seneca libro primo de cle(mentia) . ca(pitulo) . (octavo) .

29 Et de hoc idem eleganter in pred(i)c(t)o

30 libro ortans principem ad clemen-

31 tiam . Unde ait libro primo . Sicut

32 medicine aput egros est usus ap(u)d

33 sanos orror . ita clementiam q(uam)vis [should be ‘horror’

34 pe(n)a digni invocent . et(iam) i(n)nocentes

35 colunt . Et sequitur cap(itu)lo . (secundo) . Nu-

36 llum clementia magis ex om(n)ib(us)

37 q(uam) regem et principem decet . Ita e(n)i(m)

38 virtutes magnis viris decori glo-

39 rieq(ue) sunt sicut illis salutaris po-

40 tentia est . Nam pestifera vis e(st) va-

41 lere ad nocendum . Et . ca(pitulo) . (tertio) . prin-

42 cipum crudelitas . bellum est . Cle-

43 mentia in qua(m)cu(m)q(ue) domum p(er)vene-

44 rit eam felicem et tranquillam pre-

45 stabit . Set in regia q(uanto) rarior eo mi-

46 rabilior . Magni aut(em) a(n)imi est pro

47 prium . placidum esse tranquillu(m) q(ue) . et

48 i(n)iurias atq(ue) offensas despic(er)e . Mulie- 

Verso side (column 2):

1 bre e(n)i(m) est furere ira . Non decet Rege(m) 

2 seva nec inexorabilis ira no(n) e(n)i(m) m(i)l(i)-

3 tum sup(ra) eum eminet . cui se irascen-

4 do exeq(ui)t(ur) . Et sequitur . cap(itu)lo . (quarto) . Q(uod)

5 si dii placabiles et equi . delicta pote(n)-

6 tium . non statim fulminib(us) p(er)secu(n)t .

7 q(uan)to equi(us) est . ho(m)i(n)em ho(m)i(ni)b(us) p(ro)positum

8 miti a(n)i(m)o ex(e)cere imp(er)ium . Unde na(r)rat

9 cap(itu)lo . (quinto) . de quodam qui multum

10 studuit ad hostes destruendos . et

11 cum quendam non posset destruere

12 consuluit uxorem que dixit ei . fac

13 q(uod) medici solent facere qui ubi usi-

14 tata remedia non prosu(n)t te(m)ptant

15 contraria . Si severitate nichil ad-

16 huc profecisti . nu(n)c tempta q(uo)modo

17 cedet tibi clementia . Ignosce illi .

18 Q(uod) ille gavisus annuit et f(a)c(t)o adim-

19 plevit . Contulitq(ue) illi postea co(n)su-

20 latum . amicissimum fidelissimu(m)q(ue)

21 h(ab)uit et heredem . Et ibi ponit bonu(m)

22 exemplum . Q(uod) sicut precise arbores

23 ramis plurimis repullulant . et [line filler]

24 multa sator(um) gr(at)ia . ut de(n)siora resur-

25 gant rescinduntur . Ita regia crudeli

26 tas auget in inimicor(um) numer(um) tol- [deletion of text

27 le(n)do . parentes e(n)i(m) liberiq(ue) eor(um) qui in-

28 terfecti su(n)t et propinqui amici . in

29 locum singulor(um) succedu(n)t . Et ibi b(e)n(e)

30 de hoc . et . (decimo) . ca(pitulo) . ponit exemplum .

31 Apes sunt iracundissime ac p(ro) corpo-

32 ris captu pugnacissime . et aculeos

33 in vulnere relinqu(un)t . s(ed) rex ip(s)e ear(um)

34 sine aculeo est . noluit e(n)i(m) natura se-

35 vum esse nec ultionem petere . telum q(ue)

36 detraxit . et iram ei(us) inhermem reliq(ui)d .

37 Exemplar hoc magnis regib(us) inge-

38 rens ait ibidem . Et i(bi) m(i)l(i)tum de hoc

39 per totum . Ut e(n)i(m) ait lucius sicut recitat

40 policratus . libro . (quarto) . ca(pitulo) . (octavo) . prin-

41 cipem senem morib(us) e(ss)e oportet et q(ui)

42 moderatiora seq(ui)tur consilia . et vicem

43 gerere medicor(um) qui morbos cura(n)t

44 nu(n)c ex hinanitione in repletis n(un)c

45 refect(i)o(n)e in vacuis . et dolorem sedant .

46 nu(n)c cautio(ne) nu(n)c fomentis . Et po(ni)t

47 exempla dicebat e(n)i(m) Traianus insanu(m)

48 e(ss)e qui oc(u)los lippientes . eos malit [line filler]

Notes:

A Letters: a,b,c,d,f,g,h,i,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u/v,x,y,A,C,D,E,G,I,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U/V.

B Versals: E

C Ordinal numbers are expanded thus: primo, secundo, tertio, quarto, quinto, [sexto],

septimo, octavo, [nono], decimo.

D Ligature between letters ‘st’, e.g. in ‘augustum’ (recto 1, line 8).

E Alternative forms of the letters ‘i’(2), ‘m’(3), ‘r’(2), ‘s’(3) and ‘v’(2).

Note the Uncial form of ‘m’ used as a minuscule letter in ‘martii’ (recto 2, line 6).

F Fusion between letters ‘be’, ‘bo’, ‘de’, ‘dc’, ‘do’, ‘hc’, ‘he’, ‘ho’, ‘oc’,

‘oe’, ‘og’, ‘oq’, ‘pc’, ‘pe’, ‘po’, ‘pp’ and ‘ve’.

G Elision between letters ‘ci’, ‘cu’, ‘fi’, ‘ti’ and ‘tu’ and possibly others.

H Generally ‘et’ is written in full, but in one place a Tironian ‘et’ is used (recto 1, line 41).

I Abbreviation of ‘animos’ (recto 1, line 5).

J Abbreviation of ‘postquam’ (recto 1, line 8).

K Abbreviation of ‘capitulo’ (recto 1, line 14).

L Abbreviation of ‘quam’ (recto 1, line 22).

M Abbreviation of ‘vel’ (recto 1, line 33).

N Abbreviation of ‘epistula’ (recto 1, line 44).

O Abbreviation of ‘enim’ (recto 2, line 9).

P Abbreviation of ‘ecclesiastes’ (recto 2, line 19).

Q Abbreviation of ‘unde’ (recto 2, line 30).

R Abbreviation of ‘id est’ (recto 2, line 32).

S Abbreviation of ‘populus’ (recto 2, line 42).

T Abbreviation of ‘dicta’ (recto 2, line 46).

U Abbreviation of ‘nunquam’ (verso 1, line 9).

V Abbreviation of ‘similiter’ (verso 1, line 12).

W Abbreviation of ‘Iudices’ (verso 1, line 15).

X Abbreviation of ‘princeps’ (verso 1, line 27).

Y Abbreviation of ‘clementia’ (verso 1, line 28).

Z Abbreviation of ‘etiam’ (verso 1, line 34).

AA Abbreviation of ‘omnibus’ (verso 1, line 36).

AB Abbreviation of ‘quamcumque’ (verso 1, line 43).

AC Abbreviation of ‘quanto’ (verso 1, line 45).

AD Abbreviation of ‘hominem’ (verso 2, line 7).

AE Abbreviation of ‘hominibus’ (verso 2, line 7).

AF Abbreviation of ‘sed’ (verso 2, line 33).

AG Abbreviation of ‘militum’ (verso 2, line 38).

AH Abbreviation of ‘esse’ (verso 2, line 41).

AI Insertion of the missed word ‘animum’ (recto 2, line 2).

AJ Apparent deletion of incorrect letters (verso 2, line 26).

AK Folio identifier ‘. XXIIIJ .’ in red, in top right hand of recto.

AL Heading of recto has ‘III’ in red with mauve penwork, and ‘D’ in blue with

red penwork.

AM Heading of verso has ‘I’ in red with mauve penwork, and ‘P’ in blue with

red penwork.

AN Central at the bottom of the verso is the catchword ‘effodere’ in black

within a black penwork frame.

AO Several markers () adjacent to the text on both the recto (one) and verso (five).

AP The number ‘xvii’ in the right margin in the recto side adjacent to line 31.

MS 68

Latin

1 leaf

Material: Vellum leaf

• A transcribed version of the Communiloquium may be found via the internet site at The Electronic Manipulus florum Project:
• http://web.wlu.ca/history/cnighman/index.html and then following the link ‘Auxiliary Resources’ and then the link ‘Communiloquium’. This will give access to a ‘pdf’ file of a transcription of a 1475 copy.