Manuscript leaf from a Lectionary, in Latin, produced in Italy (probably Tuscany)

Text: From a Lectionary, in Latin

Script: Caroline Minuscule

This is half a leaf bisected laterally from a monumental Lectionary, and shows the beginning of St. Augustine’s Tractatus in Iohannem 101. On the verso, introducing the Tractatus, there is a large zoomorphic initial ‘H’ formed by two green and white fishes and a green and yellow bird with red feet, all on blue grounds edged in red. The writing is in a good late Caroline Minuscule hand, showing signs of transition towards Rotunda. The rubrics in red with some letters written in Uncial.

The leaf fragment has been recovered from a book binding and has additional later writing headed ‘LIBER CAUSAR CIVILIU(M) BANCI 1576’ suggesting that it may have been used to bind legal documents.

Reference: Migne J.-P. Patrologia Latina (Patrologiae Cursus Completus), Paris 1844-55, Vol. 35, Col.1893.

Transcription

Recto side, column 1:

1 . . . . lętatur . opponere se contra pe-

2 riculu(m) trepidat . ne hoc quod

3 diligit amittat . Sed quia rede(m)-

4 ptor n(oste)r culpas ficti pastor i(s) in-

5 notuit . iteru(m) forma(m) cui debea-

6 mus imprimi ostendit dicens .

7 Ego su(m) pastor bonus . Atq(ue) sub-

8 iungit . Et cognosco meas . hoc

9 e(st) diligo . Et cognoscunt me meę .

10 acsi patenter dicat . diligentes

11 obsecunt(ur) . Qui eni(m) veritatem n(on)

12 diligit . adhuc minime cogno-

13 vit . Quia ergo audistis fr(atre)s k(arissi)mi

14 periculu(m) n(ost)r(u)m . pensate in verb(is)

15 dominicis etia(m) p(er)culu(m) v(est)r(u)m . Vi-

16 dete si oves eius estis . videte si

17 eu(m) cognoscitis . videte si lum(en) ve-

18 ritatis scitis . Scitis aut(em) dico n(on)

19 p(er) fide(m) sed p(er) amore(m) . Sciti(s) dico

20 non ex credulitate sed ex op(er)a-

21 tione . Nam ide(m) ipse qui hęc

22 loquitur ioh(anne)s ev(an)g(e)li(st)a testatur

23 dic(en)s . Qui dicit se nosse d(eu)m et . . . .

Recto side, column 2:

1 . . . . oves dicebat . Hoc cotidie fieri fr(atre)s

2 aspicitis . Hoc reconciliati(s) gentib(us)

3 factu(m) hodie videtis . Quasi ex

4 duobus gregib(us) unu(m) ovile effic(itur) .

5 quia iudaicum et gentile(m) p(o)p(u)l(u)m

6 in sua fide coniungit . Paulo at-

7 testante qui ait . Ipse est pax n(ost)ra

8 qui fecit utraq(ue) unu(m) . Du(m) v(ir) eni(m) ad

9 ęterna(m) vitam ex utraq(ue) natione

10 simplices eligit . ad ovile p(ro)p(ri)u(m)

11 oves deducit . De quibus p(ro)fecto

12 ovib(us) rursu(m) dicit . Oves meę vo-

13 ce(m) mea(m) audiunt . et ego cognosco

14 eas et secuntur me . et ego vitam

15 ęt(er)na(m) do eis . De quib(us) et paulo

16 sup(er)ius dicit . P(er) me siquis intro-

17 ierit salvabitur . et ingrediet(ur)

18 et egredietur . et pascua inveniet .

19 Ingredietur quippe ad fidem .

20 egredietur v(er)o a fide ad speciem .

21 a credulitate ad conte(m)platione(m) .

22 pascua aute(m) inveniet in ęterna

23 refectione . Oves (er)g(o) eius pascua . . . .

Verso side, column 1:

1 . . . . durius afflictus . Ibi confessor(um)

2 constantia premii sui p(er)ceptione

3 consolata . ibi fideles viri quos

4 a virilitatis suę robore volupta(s)

5 s(e)c(u)li emollire n(on) potuit . Ibi s(an)c(t)ę

6 mulieres quę cum s(e)c(u)lo et sexum

7 vicer(un)t . ibi pueri qui hic annos

8 suos morib(us) transcender(un)t . Ibi se-

9 nes quos hic et ętas debiles red-

10 didit . et virtus op(er)is n(on) reliquid .

11 Queramus (er)g(o) fr(atre)s hęc pascua . in

12 quib(us) cu(m) tantor(um) civium solem(ni)-

13 tate gaudeam(us) . ipsa nos lętantiu(m)

14 festivitas invitet . Certe sicubi

15 p(o)p(u)l(u)s nundinas celebraret . si ad

16 alic(uiu)s eccl(esi)ę dedicatione(m) de-

17 nuntiata solem(ni)tate concurreret .

18 festinarem(us) om(ne)s simul inveniri .

19 inter e(ss)e unusquisq(ue) satageret .

20 Gravi se damno afflictum cre-

21 deret . si sole(m)nitate(m) com(m)unis le-

22 titię n(on) videret . Ecce in celęstib(us)

23 elector(um) civiu(m) lę(ti)tia agit(ur) . in- . . . .

Verso side, column 2:

1 . . . . patria(m) animus anhelet . nichil

2 in hoc mundo appetat q(ui)d con-

3 stat . quia citius relinquit . ut

4 si cęlestis pastoris veracit(ur) oves

5 sumus . quia invię delectatione

6 n(on) figimur . ęt(er)nis pascuis in per-

7 ventione satiemur . Dom(ini)c(a) . iii

8 p(ost) pascha . Lec(tio) s(ancti) ev(an)g(elii) s(e)c(un)d(u)m ioh(anne)m

9 I N ILL(O) T(EM)P(O)R(E) . Dixit ih(esu)s discip(u)lis s(ui)s .

10 Modicu(m) et ia(m) non videbitis me .

11 et iteru(m) modicu(m) et videbitis me

12 quia vado ad patre(m) . (Et) reliqua .

13 HOM(I)L(IA) LECTIONIS

14 ei(us)de(m) s(an)c(t)i aug(ustini) epi(scopi)

15 H ĘC D(OMI)NI VERBA UBI

16 ait . modicu(m) et ia(m) n(on) vi-

17 debitis me . et iteru(m) mo-

18 dicu(m) et videbitis me . et q(ui)a vado

19 ad patre(m) . ita obscura erant discip(u)lis

20 ante qua(m) id quod dic(it) e(ss)et impletu(m) .

21 ut querentes inter se quid e(ss)et quod

22 diceret . om(n)ino nescire se faterent(ur) .

23 Sequitur en(im) ev(an)g(e)l(iu)m . Dixerunt (er)g(o) . . . .

Notes:

A Letters: a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,k,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u/v,x,

A,B,C,D,E,G,H,I,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U/V.

B Versals: I,H.

C Alternative forms of letters ‘d’(2), ‘D’(3) and ‘s’(2).

D Elision of letters ‘fi’ and ‘ti’, and possibly others.

E Ligature of letters ‘st’, e.g. in ‘pastor’ (recto 1, line 4).

F Ligature of letters ‘ct’ is only slight, if at all.

G The word ‘et’ written in full except for one instance where the ampersand

form is used (verso 2, line 12).

H Use of e caudata (e with a tail) to signify the 'æ' diphthong,

e.g. in 'meę' (recto 1, line 9).

I Abbreviation of ‘noster’ (recto 1, line 4).

J Abbreviation of ‘est’ (recto 1, line 9).

K Abbreviation of ‘non’ (recto 1, line 11).

L Abbreviation of ‘karissimi’ (recto 1, line 13).

M Abbreviation of ‘evangelista’ (recto 1, line 22).

N Abbreviation of ‘gentibus’ (recto 2, line 2).

O Abbreviation of ‘populum’ (recto 2, line 5).

P Abbreviation of ‘perfecto’ (recto 2, line 11).

Q Abbreviation of ‘sanctę’ (verso 1, line 5).

R Abbreviation of ‘ergo’ (verso 1, line 11).

S Abbreviation of ‘fratres’ (verso 1, line 11).

T Abbreviation of ‘esse’ (verso 1, line 19).

U Abbreviation of ‘electorum’ (verso 1, line 23).

V Abbreviation of ‘secundum’ (verso 2, line 8).

W Abbreviation of ‘ihesus’ (verso 2, line 9).