Biblia quasi in saculo: Summarium Biblie and other medieval Bible mnemonics

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Biblia quasi in saculo: Summarium Biblie
and Other Medieval Bible Mnemonics1
Lucie Doležalová (Prague)
The Bible was read, interpreted, depicted and retold throughout the Middle Ages
and affected all strata of medieval society. Biblical versifications are a specific
type of text dependent on the Bible. They do not form a coherent group, however;
it seems that the idea to create a version of the Bible in verse appeared independently
at different times in various contexts. In the Late Antiquity the Bible
was versified by Classically educated converts in order to dress up the ‘correct’
contents into a nice form complying with the rules of Classical rhetoric.
Thus, Late Antique biblical poems are complex, full of sophisticated allusions,
and (unlike the Bible itself) pleasing to the ear of the Roman intellectual elite.
The biblical poems of the High Middle Ages, on the other hand, are primarily
works of theologians; they were aimed at other theologians, monks, and students
and resemble biblical commentaries. Finally, in the Late Middle Ages, biblical
versifications, usually written by simple monks or preachers, tried to facilitate
remembering the Bible’s contents. Many of these poems, although not great literary
achievements, circulated very widely.
One peculiar text stands at the edge of this literary type. It consists of 212
hexameters summarising the Bible (except for the Psalms), which, however, are
virtually impossible to read and enjoy as poetry. They are a result of extreme
condensation: each biblical chapter is represented by a single word (or two
words, maximum). Thus, the text begins:
Sex. prohibet. peccant. Abel. Enoch. Archa fit. Intrant
egreditur. dormit. variantur. turris. it abram.
(Six. He forbids. They sin. Abel. Enoch. The arc is built. They enter.
He comes out. He sleeps. They change. Tower. Abram goes.)
It is traditionally called Summarium Biblie, but in manuscripts it is most frequently
transmitted without title or author. The problem of its authorship is
1 This study is a work in progress, made available thanks to a junior research grant from the
Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic no. KJB801970701 and
thanks to a Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society. More definitive
results are planned for publication in Archivum Latinitatis Medii Aevi in 2008.
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complex.2 It seems (but still has to be verified) that the generally accepted and
repeated authorship of Alexander de Villa Dei (c. 1170-c. 1240) is based merely
on its similarity to Alexander de Villa Dei’s Doctrinale puerorum,3 a versified
grammar widey popular until the sixteenth century, summarised in a similar extreme
way. It is condensed to such a degree that it can be understood only by
those who already know; no one can use it without prior explanation. There is
no proof of the authorship of Summarium Biblie, however. 4
Both these texts, once learnt by heart and understood, seem to be a quick
and practical means of retrieving important information (whether the contents of
the Bible or Latin grammar rules and exceptions5). This is also the reason why
both Doctrinale and Summarium Biblie are usually accompanied by notes (either
marginal or superscript, either contemporary or added later).6 The notes providing
further information and explanation differ in different manuscripts; their
length varies from a few words to a whole paragraph on each word.
2 In manuscript catalogues, the text, if identified, is predominantly linked to Alexander de
Villa Dei (thus also in Stegmüller’s Repertorium Biblicum (hereafter: RB)). At the same
time, several more careful scholars express doubts about this attribution. Richard Sharpe,
for example, lists only Doctrinale, Carmen de algorismo, and Massa compoti among Alexander’s
works in his Titulus: Identifying Medieval Latin Texts (Turnhout: Brepols, 2003),
p.32-33. The less frequent attribution to Alexander Neckam (1157-1217), the author of several
biblical tools, has also been proposed with hesitation (thus, e.g., in M. Esposito, “On
Some Unpublished Poems Attributed to Alexander Neckam,” The English Historical Review
30 (1915): 466, no. 27). Only a few manuscripts connect the text with a name, among
them Albertus Magnus (e.g., Melk 1059), Bartholomeus Tridentinus (Paris BNF lat. 2477),
and even Iohannes Chrystosomus in Vat. lat. 1027 (with a note on f. 7v: Expliciunt versus
supra utrumque testamentum, quidam dicunt cristosomum composuisse quamvis grecus
fuerit – “the verses on both the Testaments end; some say that they were written by Chrystosomus
although he was a Greek”).
3 The text was edited by Dietrich Reichling, Das Doctrinale des Alexander de Villa-Dei. Kritisch-
exegetische Ausgabe, Monumenta Germaniae paedagogica 12 (Berlin: Hofmann,
1893). For further details see Reinhold F. Glei, “Alexander de Villa Dei (ca. 1170-1250),
Doctrinale,” in Lateinische Lehrer Europas. Fünfzehn Portraits von Varro bis Erasmus von
Rotterdam, ed. Wolfram Ax (Köln: Böhlau, 2005), 291-312.
4 Karl Julius Neudecker, Das Doktrinale des Alexanders de Villa-Dei und der lateinische
Unterricht während des Mittelalters in Deutschland (Pirna: J. J. Eberlein, 1885) notes that
there is a single manuscript including both Summarium and Doctrinale. He is to my knowledge
the first to point out the discrepancy between the general acceptance of the authorship
and complete lack of proof or even indications for it.
5 Besides these condensations, a poem on Libri Decretalium was created in the very same way
– each chapter is represented by a single word and the poem is accompanied by interlinear
glosses. This text also remains (to my knowledge) unedited. It appears, for example, in
manuscript Mainz I.22 (from 1413). There, on f. 347v, it follows Summarium without any
interruption and since it has the same layout it is easy to mistake it for a continuation of
Summarium.
6 Some of the glosses to Doctrinale have been edited and commented on by Tony Hunt,
Teaching and Learning Latin in Thirteenth-Century England (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1991).
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The text is one of the opuscles dismissed by earlier scholarship. For example,
Histoire littéraire de la France, a common work of French Benedictines,
reads on this subject: “Dans le discours sur l’état des lettres au XIIIe siècle, nous
avons donné un exemple de ce travail ingrat autant qu’inutile, ce qui nous dispense
de nous arrêter plus long-temps sur l’ouvrage.”7 But medieval readers
must have seen it differently, since there are, to my knowledge, almost 300 surviving
medieval manuscripts of the text8 and this number is by no means final;
many more manuscripts wait to be discovered.
A search for the manuscript is complicated due to a number of reasons.
Since the text is quite brief, transmitted mostly anonymously and often without a
title, it is often not recorded in manuscript catalogues. Furthermore, its incipits
vary because of the various added glosses, which are sometimes fully integrated
in the text, and because many surviving copies are only fragments.9
What further complicates the situation is the fact that this text can be
found in manuscripts under various titles, which, at the same time, are not restricted
to this text; they are often used to indicate other Biblical mnemonic aids.
For example: Biblia pauperum10 is a title normally referring to a shortened Bible
invariably accompanied by large illuminations, always in couples pointing out
the correspondence of the Old and the New Testaments.11 Biblia versificata12
normally refers to Peter Riga’s Aurora. Other titles include Versus super Bibliam,
13 Biblia accurtata,14 Capitula biblie metrice,15 Versus super totam bibliam,
16 or Registrum Biblie.17
7 Histoire littéraire de la France 18, p. 207.
8 Stegmüller notes 47 manuscripts (RB 1175-1182), Walther says that he knows of 80 but
does not cite them (Walther, Initia carminum no. 10.286, 16.757, and 17.610). I have noted
291 manuscripts without conducting a coherent careful search, which would surely reveal
many more. Most of the manuscripts date from the 15th century, only a few were written in
the 13th and 14th centuries.
9 The New Testament is often transmitted separately. It begins: Natus. adoratur. lotum. temptat.
beatus. It is listed in Walther’s Initia carminum, no. 11620, as an independent poem
under the (not very well-fitting) title De nativitate Christi. In addition, there are many real
fragments – only a few lines added in the margins of other texts or fragments on codex flyleaves
(for example, folio 0v of Melk 681).
10 Appearing, for example, in Vienna Pal. Lat. 1122, Melk 918, or Wilhering IX, 124. In the
last manuscript, Biblia pauperum non tamen completa is the title in the table of contents on
f. 15v; there is no title on f. 26r where the text begins.
11 See, e.g., Maurus Berve, Die Armenbibel: Herkunft Gestalt Typologie: Dargestellt anhand
von Minitaturen ans der Handschrift Cpg 148 der Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
(Beuron: Beuroner Kunstverlag, 1969).
12 E.g., Salzburg, St. Peter Abbey b VIII 14 (14th c.).
13 There are variations on this title, for example, Versus super totam Bibliam et fere quelibet
dictio conprehendit unum capitulum secundum registrum infra scriptum etc. (Ms. Melk
1793, 15th century, f. 235v).
14 E.g., Vienna Pal. Lat. 3736 (from the year 1460).
15 E.g., Vienna Pal. lat. 14426 (15th c.).
16 E.g., in Melk 1793 (15th c.) the whole title reads: Incipit versus super totam Bibliam et fere
quelibet dictio conprehendit unum capitulum secundum registrum infra scriptum.
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Several titles are rather descriptive notes. For example, Summaria
compilatio metrificata docens quid communius et utilius continetur in unoquoque
capitulo tocius biblie unde quodlibet verbum unius capituli sentenciam
tenet18, Tabula super totam Bibliam metrice compilata,19 or Isti versus utiles
sunt ad retinendum memoriter nomina et ordinem Biblie.20 In Vienna Pal. Lat.
4129 the whole title reads: Tabula super biblia per versus composita universos
libros biblie continens omniaque capitula et de quo agatur in eisdem, and it is
followed by Librorum ordo, an 11-line poem on the order of the books of the
Bible, and, curiously enough a text called Summarium Biblie, which is actually a
prose text briefly summarising the contents of individual parts of the Bible. This
is a frequent occurrence as well: finding a text entitled Summarium biblie does
not mean finding the Sex prohibet peccant text; various other biblical memory
aids can be copied under this title.
Thus, looking for one particular biblical mnemonic aid one encounters a
whole group of other texts with a similar function. Some are in verse, others are
in prose, some summarise the whole Bible, others only its parts (as, for example,
a brief poem on the ten plagues of Egypt or the Decalogue). Many are indicated
in already existing repertories larger in scope,21 but there is no study analysing
them as a group with an inner classification, temporal and spatial distribution or
change in their popularity.22
There are, first, condensed Bibles in verse. Among the High Medieval
versified Bibles which present the Biblical story together with its meaning for a
Christian in an easily accessible manner (such as Lawrence of Durham’s Hypognosticon
or Alexander of Ashby’s Brevissima Comprehensio historiarum23),
Peter Riga’s Aurora24 is encountered the most frequently. Versified Bibles from
the Late Middle Ages, much more clearly linked to their primary mnemonic
17 E.g., Göttweig 298 (336).
18 Cambridge, St. John’s College 179.
19 Uppsala, Univ. Library C 172. There are many biblical tools and indices the title of which
begins with tabula.
20 Zwettl 81.
21 Especially Stegmüller’s RB and Walther’s Carmina.
22 There is only an excellent survey of versified Bibles until the mid-13th century, by Greti
Dinkova-Bruun, “Biblical Versifications from Late Antiquity to the Middle of the Thirteenth
Century: History or Allegory?” in Poetry and Exegesis in Premodern Latin Christianity.
The Encounter between Classical and Christian Strategies of Interpretation, ed.
Karla Pollmann and Willemien Otten (Leiden: Brill, 2007), 315-342.
23 Edited by Greti Dinkova-Brrun, Alexandri Essebiensis Opera omnia, Pars II: Opera poetica,
Corpus Christianorum Continuation Mediaeualis CLXXXVIII A (Turnhout: Brepols,
2004), 1-149.
24 Edited by Paul Edward Beichner, Aurora Petri Rigae Biblia Versificata, Publications in
Medieval Studies 19, 2 vols. (Notre Dame IN: Medieval Studies Institute, 1965). A new
edition is currently being prepared by Greti Dinkova-Bruun, who has also dealt with a great
number of other works of Biblical poetry.
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function, appear in this context more often. Roseum memoriale25 by Petrus de
Rosenheim (1380-1433)26 and Biblia metrica27 Johannes Schlitpacher de Weilheim
(1403-1482) were especially widely diffused.28 These texts condense the
Bible in a systematic way – each biblical chapter is summarised in a half-verse,
one verse, or two verses; the whole is an abecedary poem. At the same time, the
condensation is not as extreme as in the case of Summarium – the verses have
syntax and meaning – it is possible to read the whole as a poem rather than as a
list.
Second, there are numerous variations of brief poems on the order of the
biblical books. These often immediately precede or follow Summarium in the
manuscripts. Most frequently, there is a poem which is almost a simple list of
abbreviated individual chapter titles in the correct order, beginning Sunt Genes.
Ex. Le. Nu. Deu. Josu. Jo. Ruth. Reg. Paral. Es. Ne… Its more elaborated variant
begins:
Post pentateucum sequitur Iusue Iudicum Ruth
Hinc Regum paralipomenon Job postea Psalmi.29
The number of chapters each biblical book contains is frequently found
superscript to these verses over the book titles. Alternatively, there are verses
which integrate the chapter numbers, but they are not always real verses – the
way they are written varies widely. Compare, for example, the beginning:
Quinquaginta Genesis, minus exodus decem, Leviticus viginti dat et hepta.
Dant numeri triginta sex, inde Deuteronomium duo demit30
with:
L genesis minus exo decem le vigen dat et epta.
dant nume triginta sex inde deu duo demit…31
Other verses include much-condensed contents of the chapters, e.g., one beginning
Intrat in Aegyptum Genesis liber, Exodus exit.32
25 RB 6836 and 9786, Walther 1648. It is also called Rosarium Biblie, Metra super utrumque
testamentum, or Mnemosinon, id est Bibliorum memoriale Carmen in the manuscripts. The
New Testament is often transmitted separately as Rationarium Evangelistarum. It includes
a dedication prologue to Cardinal Branda, in which Peter explains the structure of the text.
26 For details see Hellmut Rosenfeld, “Petrus von Rosenheim,” Biographisch-Bibliographisches
Kirchenlexikon vol. 7 (1994), col. 377-379, which also contains further references.
27 RB 4949 (7 manuscripts listed and 2 incunables: Memoriale seu fragmentum bibliae totius
metricum (1438), or Gemma Biblie seu memoriale minus Bibliae (1447).
28 See Stephan Freund, “Johann Schlitpacher von Weilheim,” in Biographisch-Bibliographisches
Kirchenlexikon vol. 9 (1995), col. 298-301, which also contains further references.
There are many more such texts, but they were less popular. For example, Margarita Biblie
by Guido of Ferrara (died 1331) dedicated to Pope Clement V; see RB 2754 and 2755.
29 E.g., in Dublin, Trinity col. 37 (G.2.13), f. 2, Lyon BM 445, f. 213, or Melk 1059, 288.
30 See RB 8615; this text frequently appears together with Summarium, too.
31 Thus it is, e.g., in Vienna Pal. lat. 1728.
32 See RB 11373.
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Third, there are verses on particular topics rather than the whole Bible.
There are various short verses clarifying the family relationships of the three
Maries,33 verses on the ten plagues of Egypt,34 the Decalogue,35 or various other
topics or stories.36 Genealogies of Christ (that is, Matthew 1:1-17 in verse37)
seem to have been the most popular; among them the most widely diffused is the
Compendium historiae in genealogia Christi (also called Arbor historiae biblice,
Compendium veteris testamenti, Genealogia historiarum, or Summa historiae
33 The most popular one begins Nupta fuit Ioachim mater prius Anna Maria and was ascribed
to Bernard of Clairvaux (Ulysse Chevalier, Repertorium hymnologicum. Catalogue des
chants, hymnes, proses, séquences, tropes en usage dans l’église latine depuis les origines
jusqu’a a nos jours, vol. II (Leuven: Société des Bollandistes, 1897), no. 12629) but there
are many variants on this theme (see, e.g., Chevalier, Repertorium hymnologicum no. 1112
or 23009), some also in prose.
34 The most popular was that ascribed to Hildebertus Cenomanensis (inc. Prima rubens unda,
ranarum plaga secunda; RB 8379 and 10238. A variant is edited in PL 171, col. 1436; a
more recent edition is found in Scott A. Brian, Hildeberti Cenomannensis episcopi Carmina
minora (Leipzig: Teubner, 1969), no. 34). There are also, however, several more condensed
ones – e.g., that attributed to William de Montibus begins: Sanguis rana culex
musce pecus ulcera grando/ brucus caligo mors pignera prima necando (see Joseph Goering,
William de Montibus: The Schools and the Literature of Pastoral Care (Toronto:
Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 1992), no. 1046), or another that starts: sanguis
rana culex vesicae musca locusta (RB 11304, in some codices with Summarium).
35 The ms. Lilienfeld 145 mentioned above includes a ten-line poem on f. 161r combining the
Decalogue with the ten plagues of Egypt:
Unus adoretur Deus et sanguis minuetur
vanum videtur nomen nec rana timetur
sabbata sacrentur per qua cynifes abigentur
patris honorentur carnes musceque prementur
si non occides peccorum nil morte relides
non mechando vides sic vulnera turgida rides
cum non furatur nec grandinis igne tonatur
si non testatur res facta locusta fugatur
fratris nolle thorum tenebris illustrat amorum
nec res velle thorum salvat primogenitorum.
A different, more diffused, poem attributed to Engelbert of Admont (1250-1331) is based
on the same idea, beginning: Prima rubens unda deitatem mens colae munda.
36 Also Versus de personis Veteris Testamenti exemplis vitiorum et virtutum (inc. Lucifer,
Antiochus, Nemrotht, Nebuchodonosor, Phariseus; see Morton L. Bloomfield, Incipits
d’oeuvres relatives aux vertus et aux vices 1100-1500 (Cambridge MA: The Mediaeval
Academy of America, 1979), no. 2984, p. 257; no. 5928, p. 512; and no. 0061, p. 19) is
found together with Summarium. Among the shorter verses, a particularly interesting one is
a Biblical anthology consisting of 103 poems on the Old and New Testaments forming a
part of manuscript XVI Q 14 from the York Minster Library. It was discussed and edited by
Greti Dinkova-Bruun, “Medieval Latin Poetic Anthologies (VII): The Biblical Anthology
from York Minster Library (Ms. XVI Q 14),” Mediaeval Studies 64 (2002): 61-109.
37 For an example see Greti Dinkova-Bruun, ed. The Ancestry of Jesus. Excerpts from Liber
generationis Iesu Christi filii David filii Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17), Toronto Medieval
Latin Texts 28 (Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2005).
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bibliae)38 written by Peter of Poitiers (Petrus Pictaviensis, 1130-1205). It is also
a kind of summary of the Bible, but this time the stress is placed on the genealogy
of Christ, that is, on the Biblical characters in their temporal sequence. The
text became very popular; it often accompanied Peter Comestor’s Historia
scholastica in manuscripts. It was also often copied on a roll and illuminated – it
had the form of a genealogical tree with notes on the individual characters, their
Biblical stories and importance within Christianity. The glosses often address
theological questions and provide quotations from church authorities.39
In the vicinity of these texts one frequently finds various biblical alphabetical
tools and indices – concordances, subject lists, indices of difficult words
or names (the most frequent among these are Interpretationes nominum
hebraicum attributed to Jerome), but also various more literary biblical explanations.
40 It is difficult if not impossible to draw a borderline not only between
verse and prose but also between a poem and a list, a literary achievement and a
mere tool. For example, the verses on the order of the biblical books often look
like a simple list of the biblical books, but sometimes several words are added so
that the rhythm becomes more regular. There are various degrees of abbreviation
and addition of other words besides the names of the books; also, the number of
chapters each book contains is sometimes just superscript, other times fully integrated
into the poem.
The same applies to Summarium itself; while many manuscripts respect
the verses in their layout, there are several in which the layout does not suggest
in any way that the text was perceived as a poem (e.g., it is written in a column,
or in three columns, or there are comments on each word as long as a paragraph
so that there are only 3-4 catchwords on a page, etc.). Then it is reminiscent of
another frequent biblical memory aid in prose consisting of incipits for each
chapter accompanied by explanatory glosses. Such a text is included, for example,
in manuscript Lilienfeld 145 (early 14th c.), where it is entitled Biblia pau-
38 See RB 6778, which lists numerous manuscripts.
39 For details see Stella Pantayotova, “Peter of Poitiers’s Compendium in genealogia Christi:
the early English copies,” in Belief and Culture in the Middle Ages: Studies Presented to
Henry Mayr-Harting, ed. by Richard Gameson and Henrietta Leyser (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2001), 327-341; and Hans-Eberhard Hilpert, “Geistliche Bildung und Laienbildung
zur Überlieferung der Schulschrift Compendium historiae in genealogia Christi
(Compendium veteris testamenti) des Petrus von Poitiers (+1205) in England,” Journal of
Mediaeval History 11:4 (1985): 315-331; Aurora Di Mauro, “Un contributo alla
mnemotecnica medievale: Il Compendium historiae in genealogia Christi in una redazione
pisana del XIII secolo,” in Il codice miniato: rapporti tra codice, testo e figurazione. Atti
del III Congresso di Storia della Miniatura, ed. Melania Ceccanti and Maria Cristina Castelli
(Firenze: Olschki, 1992), 453-467.
40 For example, the biblical tools attributed to Alexander Neckam or a popular text usually
called Solutiones contrariorum Bibliae (RB 9090; inc. Ego non iudico quemquam. Dictative.
Omne iudicium dedit Filio. Prolative).
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perum and is followed immediately by the Summarium discussed here, entitled
Biblia pauperum metrica.41
These Biblical mnemonic texts do indeed form a distinct group. Besides
their wandering titles, the texts themselves appear combined with one another in
manuscripts. For example, biblical manuscript Paris BNF lat. 171 (13th c.) has a
fragment of Summarium (Ge-Le 11) on f. 433v, into which, after Exodus, the
poem on the ten plagues of Egypt (ascribed to Hildebertus Cenomanensis42) is
inserted without any break. Furthermore, there are manuscripts of Petrus Rosenheim’s
Roseum memoriale with the catchwords of Summarium added in the
margins of the relevant lines. Summarium is also found combined with another
biblical mnemonic verse (inc. Ante fit lux producitur, dividens undas et gregat43)
in manuscript Oxford, Bodleian library, Bodley 801 and Wien Pal. 14426. In
this summary, each Biblical chapter is represented by two lines and the corresponding
catchword for Summarium is added, together with a short gloss, in the
margin. In the Oxford manuscript, there is a prologue of which the beginning
could fit a number of other texts from the group:
Quoniam modernis temporibus nonnulli non solum ex simplicibus, verum
etiam, quod deterius est, expertis et sufficientibus promptiores inveniuntur
ad disputandum de uno sophismate, quam ad referendum seu quotandum
unam historiam biblie. hoc ut presumo magis proveniat ex memorie labilitate
quam ex studii ignorancia seu tepiditate, vere ego qui Iohannes
vocor celitus ante datam isti defectui qui tamen bonum impedit cupiens
obsiscere omnisque de cetero volens reddere non solum benivolos seu
promptos ad studendum imo eciam facillimos ad retinendum omnium biblie
librorum hystorias sub brevissimo compendio statui comprehendere ut
confusione seu prolixitate earum vitata et ad brevitatem reducta facilius
omni excluso labore imprimi memorie valeant et semel impresse removeri
ab eadem fere oblivisci nequeant. Huiusmodi autem processus quo in isto
opusculo intendo procedere ne quid esset obscurus sive difficilis simplicibus
non erit in metro exametro seu pentametro sed pocius in stilo
rithimico et plano per litteras tamen alphabeti regulato ex eo quo per
stilum huiusmodi… (f. 67r)44
And even prologues – not only the titles – vary among the texts of this group.
The Compendium historiae in genealogia Christi by Peter of Poitiers, already
mentioned, is sometimes accompanied by a prologue:
Considerans scripture sacre prolixitatem necnon et difficultatem,
scholarium quoque circa studium sacrae lectionis, maxime illius, quae in
historiae fundamento versatur, negligentiam quorundam quoque ex ino-
41 The version of the Summarium as copied in this manuscript is given in the Appendix.
42 See note 34.
43 See RB 2308 (Franciscus Gothus), 4127 (Iohannes), and 4747 (Iohannes Castellensis = von
Kastl (fl. 1339).
44 After this, the author discusses the alphabetic character of the text in detail.
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pia librorum imperitiae suae solatium quaerentium, volentibus quasi in
sacculo quodam memoriter tenere narrationes historiarum, tentavi seriem
sanctorum patrum, a quibus per Leviticum et regalem tribum Christus
originem habuit, cum eorum operibus in unum opusculum redigere…
usque ad Christum, finem nostrum, perduxi.
The prologue stresses the abundance and difficulty of existing texts and scholarship
in which one easily gets lost, together with the consequent need for condensation
and abbreviation. This is a topos reappearing in medieval prologues, since
many medieval authors present themselves as mere mediators of already expressed
thoughts – as those who condense, select the most important and order
(but never make up or invent) – so that a reader does not have to go through
large existing volumes but would have their core at hand. This is connected with
showing their modesty by calling their works opuscula.45 One would, therefore,
not be surprised to find a similar prologue preceding a similar text.
Yet, is in ms. Oxford, Bodleian library, Marshall 8646 on f. 100r, not a
similar but almost exactly the same text is attached to Summarium Biblie:
Scripture sacre considerans prolixitatem nec non et difficultatem scolarium
quoque circa studium sacrae lectionis et maxime bibliotice [!]
negligenciam et presentim quorundam ex inopia librorum impericie sue
solacia quaerencium. Volensque quasi in saculo quodam memoriter
tenere narraciones historiarum, temptavi seriem librorum biblie a genesis
scilicet incipiens et usque ad apocalipsim perducens in unum redigens
opusculum compendiose metrice compilavi.
Tracing the exact transmission and adaptation of this prologue47 as well as an
analysis of the whole large group of biblical mnemonic texts48 is a task exceeding
the scope of the present study, which simply aims at pointing out the existence
and great popularity of the ‘genre’.
* * *
45 Another reappearing feature, missing here, points out that the author would not dare to
write the present text but he was (repeatedly) asked to do so by his friends (colleagues, students,
or superiors). The author then usually asks the reader to be benevolent and proceeds
to encourage anyone more able to correct his attempt.
46 The ms. previously had shelfmark Add B.28 and is described in second volume of Madan’s
Summary Catalogue under number 5297 on pages 1001-1002. It consists of five originally
independent parts from the first half of the fifteenth century. The fifth part, ff. 100r-107v,
contains only Summarium Biblie up to the Book of Kings IV.
47 Beside this manuskript, the same prologue seems to be attached to Summarium Biblie in
ms. Innichen III c. 11 and in Munich clm. 14023. In ms. Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. Germ. 110 it
is attached to Peter of Rosenheim’s Roseum memoriale in its German translation.
48 In the future I plan to provide a list of all the biblical mnemonic texts I have encountered,
together with their incipits, lists of manuscripts containing them, and bibliography.
14
Like other texts from the group, Summarium Biblie appears, on the one
hand, in Bible codices (either at the beginning or the end), and, on the other
hand, in miscellanies together with various shorter texts on theology, morals,
practical advice, notes, excerpts, recipes, etc. The link to the Bible codices supports
the idea that the text was indeed used as a biblical memory tool. Several of
its titles imply that it may even have been perceived as a kind of table of contents
to the Bible. Its inclusion in the miscellanies with various types of opuscles
suggests that it was also approached as a kind of useful curiosity. One manuscript,
Vat. lat. 1027 (from 1453), is proof that the Summarium was learnt by
heart by youths – at the beginning of the text, on f. 6v, it says: Hos versus adolescentulus
cordetenus studui.
The text seems to promise that by learning its 212 verses, one can recall at
any time the contents of each Biblical chapter. But what is the ‘content’ of a
particular Biblical chapter – the story, the heroes appearing in it, an important
quotation, or its interpretation? Looking more closely at the text itself, one notices
a difference in ways the catchwords are chosen. The books with a story
have chapters represented by ‘real’ catchwords, words that remind one of the
basic plot. They are usually nouns (personal names, place names, extraordinary
objects) or verbs in a definite form (he forbids, they sin, he sleeps, etc.).49 The
books without a clear story, as, for example the Epistles of Paul, are rather represented
by the beginnings of frequently quoted passages. Thus, in such books,
pronouns and conjunctions also appear. For example, Ad Collossenses (according
to Lilienfeld 145, f. 19v):50
per sanguinem crucis51 vos decipiat52 sunt querite53 sermo vester sit conditus54
1. 2. 3. 4.
pacificans. ne quis. que sursum. sal sit in ore.
Sometimes a word is chosen that is repeated in the particular chapter. Thus, the
last chapter of the Apocalypse is represented by venio iam (I am already coming).
Venio appears there in verses 7, 12, and 20 either with cito or velociter.
Using iam instead does not really change the meaning but better fits the rhythm
and adds an inner rhyme to the Summarium verse, which reads: Flebunt. ad cenam.
surgunt. sponsam. venio iam. Or, the second chapter of the Third Book of
Kings is represented by sedet. Solomon sits twice in the chapter – in verse 12 he
49 Such is, for example, dormit (he sleeps) for chapter 9. It evokes questions like: Who sleeps?
Noah. Why does he sleep? Because he got drunk. Why did he get drunk? Because he was
the first one to plant a grapevine and did not know about its effects. How does Noah sleep?
He sleeps uncovered, his sons notice it and cover him, but when Noah wakes up he curses
Canaan, etc. The word indeed helps to evoke the whole story.
50 For more examples see the Appendix.
51 Col 1:20: pacificans per sanguinem crucis eiussive quae in terris sive quae in caelis sunt.
52 Col 2:8: videte ne quis vos decipiat per philosophiam et inanem fallaciam.
53 Col 3:1-2: igitur si conresurrexistis Christo quae sursum sunt quaerite ubi Christus est in
dextra Dei sedens, quae sursum sunt sapite non quae supra terram.
54 Col 4:6: sermo vester semper in gratia sale sit conditus.
15
sits on his throne after the death of David (Salomon autem sedit super thronum
David patris sui), and in verse 19 he sits together with his mother Bathsheba (et
sedit super thronum suum), who comes to ask him to have mercy on his brother.
But Solomon refuses and has his remaining enemies killed.55 Sitting is not the
main activity of the chapter – David dies there and several people are killed –
but it still serves well for recallinng these ‘main’ events – Solomon inherits the
throne and after sitting together with his mother decides to kill his enemies.
* * *
Like that of most medieval texts (and especially that of Doctrinale56), the
transmission of Summarium Biblie was not smooth; the individual manuscript
versions differ greatly from one another; besides the very different glosses, they
include additions, omissions, copying mistakes and their corrections or further
corruptions. Deciding between what is the original reading and what is a correction
or corruption is not easy, since the most recent edition comes from 1660.57
In some manuscripts, the number of chapters of a biblical book is different.
It may depend on which version of the Bible was being condensed; sometimes
there is a different number of chapters in the Hebrew and Greek texts.58
More frequently, however, the number of chapters is simply wrong due to a
mistake in the division of the poem; sometimes a scribe took a chapter which is
represented by two words mistakenly as two chapters and ended up with the
wrong number of chapters in a book. This is frequent in Genesis, where chapter
number 40 is represented by two words: tres tres (refering to the three days of
the cook and three days of the fisherman in their dreams interpreted by Joseph in
the prison). These are sometimes mis-taken to represent two chapters, and consequently
Genesis ends up with 51 chapters.59 It happens the other way round,
too; for example, the second and third chapters of the Apocalypse are repre-
55 The usual gloss to this line is Salomon in trono (Solomon on [his] throne), but, for example,
the 1660 De La Haye edition has a gloss: Bersabee in trono Salomonis (Bathsheba on
Solomon’s throne). That is not really the case: a special throne is brought to Bathsheba to
sit on while she talks to Solomon (who sits on his own throne) – positus quoque est thronus
matri regis quae sedit ad dextram eius.
56 Wolfgang Maaz, “Zur Rezeption des Alexander von Villa Dei im 15. Jahrhundert,” Mittellateinisches
Jahrbuch 16 for 1981 (1982): 276-281.
57 Summarium was indeed last edited by Ioannes De La Haye in Paris, at the beginning of the
first volume of his 19-volume Bible edition (Biblia cum tabula noviter edita). It appears on
f. 2r-8v entitled as: Incipit Tabula super Bibliam per versus composita: omnes libros Biblie
continens omniaque capitula et de quo agitur in eisdem capitulis. There are also several incunables,
among them an edition by Simon Bevilaqua (Venice, 1494). These two versions
including the superscript glosses are very close to each other; there are only several occurrances
where they differ more substantially.
58 This is the case of the Book of Esther, which has 10 chapters in Hebrew and 16 in Greek.
Most Summarium manuscripts I have encountered have 16 catchwords, but several (for example,
Melk 1793 or the 1494 Venice Bible edition) have only six.
59 This is the case of, e.g., Melk 1793 or Vienna Pal. Lat. 4535 (from 1402).
16
sented by bis bine and tres. These indicate the seven letters of the seven
churches, to four in the second chapter and to three in the third, but they are both
usually accompanied by the same gloss: ecclesiae docentur. The gloss was consequently
sometimes only copied once over all the three words and thus all three
words were interpreted as representing one chapter. Thus, the Apocalypse would
end up having only 21 instead of 22 chapters.60
The glosses differ widely in many manuscripts, not only in their length
but also in their contents and approach – some continue the quotation, some are
explanatory. For example, Gen 40: tres tres: adhuc dies sunt is a quotation
(40:12 and 40:18; thus, e.g., in ms. Paris lat. 2477), while the gloss to tres tres:
dies pistoris et pincerne (e.g., in the 1660 De La Haye edition) is an explanation.
Sometimes a change of the catchword suggests a different approach or
interpretation, e.g., Gen 33 (the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau) is represented
by gratia or munera. The word gratia is repeated three times in the chapter; finally
Jacob also says: sed si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis accipe munusculum de
manibus meis and Esau accepts the gifts. (Gratia is also the catchword in Ad
Titum 2, while munera is used for the First Book of Kings 6.) In ms. Oxford,
Bodleian Library, Lyell Empt. 7 (written in Paris in 1457-1458 by Desiderius de
Birstorff), the whole Apocalypse is completely different.61
Nevertheless, simple copying mistakes are far more common. The very
first word, sex (six – referring to the six days of creation treated in the first
chapter of Genesis) is frequently corrupted in the manuscripts; one finds lex
(rule, law),62 rex (king)63 and even tres (three)64. This corruption is due to the
fact that the first letter, S, is often omitted – a bigger illuminated initial was
originally planned and later either not added or added wrongly.
Many more copying mistakes are due to the specific character of the text:
Summarium Biblie has no syntax, it is rather just a list of words. Thus, once a
word becomes corrupted it is more likely to be corrupted further than to be corrected.
There are many examples of obvious mistakes:
Exodus 27: altare x altera (description of the altar)
Exodus 40: nubes x miles (the cloud – God’s presence
60 There is, however, more to these variants. Since at the time when Summarium was originally
written the biblical chapter division was not yet settled, a deeper analysis of the varying
chapter numbers in Summarium may show the ways in which this text reflected various
approaches to Bible division.
61 It is written on f. 16r-v and reads (without the gloss): 1. Apocalipsis habet. 2. Ephesi. 3.
Sardis quoque. 4. Sedes. 5. liber signatus apertus. 6. equi. 7. tribus omnes. 8. septem cum
tubis. 9. locuste. 10. liber devoratur. 11. testes necantur. 12. mulier parit. 13. et capitata.
14. nonus stans. 15. phyalas. 16. effundunt. 17. ve meretrici [f. 16v] 18. plangent. 19. exultant.
20. iudicantur. 21. civitas. 22. alpha.
62 All four mss. from Admont (142, 203, 433, 592), Lyon 245 and Zwettl 81.
63 Vat. Pal. Lat. 20.
64 Copenhagen, Royal Library, Ny Kgl. Saml. 3 b fol.
17
covering the sanctuary)
Numbers 26: numerant x mirant (about the counting)
Often the change of a catchword brought about a change in the gloss, too – the
poor copyist often struggled to find a connection between the new catchword
and the particular chapter.65
The copying mistakes are so frequent here that the question arises: How
many mistakes are bearable for the text to still be useful for memorizing rather
than confusing and misleading? Or were the mistakes corrected in the reader’s
(user’s) mind without necessarily being corrected in the particular manuscript?
A comparison with Alexander’s Doctrinale can be of use: the text was actively
used despite its clear mistakes for almost three centuries. At the end of the 15th
and during the first half of the 16th century, it was much criticized and there
were several attempts to replace it with a ‘better’ Latin grammatical textbook,
but they all failed.66
On the one hand, such situations can often be blamed partly on inertia: it
takes time to replace old things with new ones. Many old things are still used
with additions, omissions, and explicitly expressed reservations pointing out
their limitations, etc., but often also without these adjustments. The quest for the
new was not a feature of medieval times; there was no fear that a text would become
less desired when old; no need was felt to replace it.67
But that is surely not the whole story here. I claim that the primary feature
of the medieval success of the text is its graspability. Most things in this world
are extremely complicated, so complicated that it makes one scared to approach
them. People prefer clear answers to explicit hesitations and vagueness. Offering
a version of reality which is understandable, even if not precise (or even simply
wrong), is the first step to success.68
65 For example, Ad Titum 3 for sermo (with the gloss fidelis et de his volo te confirmare referring
to 3:8 fidelis sermo est et de his volo te confirmare), there is servo, which can perhaps
be explained only by a note in 3:3 that “we also used to be slaves of passions” (servientes
desideriis et voluptatibus variis), but is glossed here with pro honestissimo obsecro.
66 Reichling dedicates a whole long chapter to a detailed description of the various criticisms
and the late medieval and early modern grammars competing with Doctrinale (see Reichling,
Doctrinale LXXXIII-CX).
67 But things do change, at least partly, just a great deal of what seems to be continuity is actually
innovation. (While it is the opposite in the modern times: due to the generally felt need
for the new, a great deal of what is presented as innovation is actually continuity.)
68 This is the case of the Elucidarium of Honorius of Autun (ca.1080-ca.1157; Honorius
Augustodunensis) as well. Elucidarium is a text providing simple answers to complex
theological problems in the entertaining form of a dialogue between a teacher and a student.
Many of the questions are those of a simple intelligent Christian, while many of the answers
would have been frowned on by contemporary theologians. Yet, the text was widely
diffused throughout medieval Europe and was greatly appreciated especially by all the
preachers forced to reply to similar questions from people totally uninterested in contemporary
theological debates. Over 400 Latin manuscripts of the text survive. In addition, it was
translated into almost all vernacular languages. See Dagmar Gottschall, Das Elucidarium
des Honorius Augustodunensis. Untersuchungen zu seiner überlieferungs- und Rezeptions18
There is one clear virtue in graspability: one is able to conceive the whole.
Even if not quite precisely, one can approach a text or a problem in its entirety
and place its aspects into a definite context without getting lost in details. The
idea, however unrealistic, that by learning 212 verses one will know the Bible
must have been very attractive. Summarium Biblie, even if mistaken in particularities,
provides a clear overview of the Bible. One can see the order of the
books, know more or less their contents, and perhaps be reminded of several
important quotations.
There is only one small argument against this: the Psalter is missing from
the poem; seemingly it was never versified. I have never yet encountered it in
any version. Thus, the text does not actually provide an overview of the whole
Bible; it does not let one grasp all of it in ‘a small bag’. I do not think that it was
because it would have seemed difficult to summarise the Psalms in this way –
the author was obviously not scared of summarising Leviticus or Deuteronomy.
Rather, I think no particular need was felt for an additional Psalms’ memory aid,
since all the Psalms were traditionally learnt by heart in monasteries and in cathedral
and other schools.69
The need for completeness, however, seems to have been felt. In several
codices Summarium is followed by some mnemonic tool for the Psalms or at
least a list of its first verses.70 Also the 1660 De La Haye edition reads in the
proper place:
Hunc librum Psalterium sequitur cuius hic mentio quidem non habetur.
Est enim in quo agitur de Christi diuinitate, humanitate, passione, resurectione,
ascensione, aduentu ad iudicium, et de poenis peccatorum, et
beneficiis Dei atque eius laudibus, et habet Psalmos CL [p. 4].
* * *
The character of this very particular text, and even its mere existence, indicates
an important change in reading the Bible. Simply the fact that anyone starts to
be interested in remembering what happens in individual chapters of the Bible is
striking. It was a consequence of a ‘scientific’ approach to the Bible which begeschichte
im deutschsprachigen Raum mit Ausgabe der niederdeutschen übersetzung,
Texte und Textgeschichte 33 (Tübingen: Niemeyer Verlag, 1992), Ernstpeter Ruhe, Elucidarium
und Lucidaires. Zur Rezeption des Werks von Honorius Augustodunensis in der
Romania und in England (Wiesbaden: Reichert, 1993), and Monika Türk, ‘Lucidaire de
grant sapientie’. Untersuchung und Edition der altfranzösischen Übersetzung des Elucidarium
von Honorius Augustodunensis (Tübingen: Niemeyer, 2000)
69 See, e.g., Mary Carruthers, The Book of Memory. A Study of Memory in Medieval Culture,
Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature 10 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1990).
70 There are, of course, exceptions: for example, miscellanies Prague National Library F.I.35
and I.G.11a include, immediately following the Summarium, a list of the first verses from
the Psalms (f. 458v-459v), and so does ms. Göttweig 298 (336), f. 138v-140r. In Paris
Arsenal 119, fragments of Psalms precede the Summarium.
19
gan with the rise of the universities. In order to be able to discuss the Bible more
efficiently, one needed to find his way through it. It became necessary to be able
to retrieve the relevant passage quickly, to automatically link the Old and the
New Testaments, and so on. This was the time when the Bible was divided, organised,
accompanied by indices and concordances.71 And, more inconspicuously,
this is also the time when the Bible ceased to be read as a complete and
meaningful whole.
Appendix
The text of Summarium Biblie presented here is a transcription of one of
its few early fourteenth-century copies, codex Lilienfeld 145, f. 17v-19v. The
codex is a miscellany belonging to a group of manuscripts72 written by Christan
of Lilienfeld (died 1329)73 and includes several of his works. This version of
Summarium Biblie is neither the oldest nor the best surviving copy of the text; it
is included here in order to provide some version before the critical edition is
prepared. In the manuscript, the titles of the biblical books are always on the
manuscript margin and, thus, the text looks like a continuous poem. Over each
chapter there is first the chapter number and then the gloss in smaller writing.
[f. 17v]
Incipit biblia pauperum metrica
Genesis
opera dierum fructum adam et eua occiditur transfertur a noe noe et filii
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sex. prohibet. peccant. abel. enoch. archa fit. intrant.
noe de archa et nudatur filii noe babel egreditur de terra
8 9 10 11 12
Egreditur. dormit. variantur. turris. it abram.
sequitur abram vincuntur ab abram abram deo agar abrahe et suorum sare
13 14 15 16 17 18
Loth. reges. credit. fuga. circumcisio. risus.
pentapolim destruxit abstulit saram sara ysaac abraham filium moritur ysaac iungitur
19 20 21 22 23 24
sulphur. rex gerare. parit. offert. sara. rebecca.
71 See, e.g., Richard H. Rouse and Mary A. Rouse, “Statim Invenire: Schools, Preachers, and
New Attitudes to the Page,” in Renaissance and Renewal in the Twelfth Century, eds.
Robert L. Benson, Giles Constable, and Carol D. Lanham, Medieval Academy Reprints for
Teaching, vol. 26 (1982) 201-25 (reprinted Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991).
72 They are mss. Lilienfeld 137, 143, 144 and 145.
73 For further information see Walter Zechmeister (ed.), Christanus Campililiensis, Opera
poetica, Corpus Christianorum, Continuatio medievalis 19/1-2 (Turnhout: Brepols, 1992).
20
esau et iacob alios fodit iacob ysaac filios quam vidit iacob rachel et lya
25 26 27 28 29
post geminos. puteos. benedicit. scala. sorores .
excoriat iacob a laban cum angelo dat iacob esau corrumpitur
30 31 32 33 34
virgas. abscedit. luctatur. munera. dyna.
nascitur describitur fratres ioseph cognoscitur a iuda domina ioseph dies
35 36 37 38 39 40
Benom. gens esau. vendunt. thamar. impia. tres tres.
ioseph egip. fratres ioseph de egipto in egiptum illata eis fratres ioseph
41 42 43 44 45
preficitur. veniunt. redeunt. post tristia. norunt.
iacob descendit in egip. partem dant regi Iacob filiorum iacob moritur
46 47 48 49 50
Omne genus. quintam. languet. benedictio. ioseph.
Exodus
interfici masculos pharao moyses pha. in quo deus manum misit populum pharao
1 2 3 4 5
Precepit. timuit. rubus. inquod sinum. magis angit.
intimatur moysi vertitur in sanguinem muscarum occidit iumenta doorat residuum
6 7 8 9 10
adonay. flumen. corruptio. grando. locusta.
[2nd column]
propter vasa aurea. omne primogenit. Ioseph pharao et exercit. maria canticum venit cum populo moy.
et arg. in mare
11 12 13 14 15 16
postulet. occidit. tulit ossa. ruunt. canit. helym.
Dat aquam consulit lex datur x precepta tradentur qualiter iudicentur festa celebrentur
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
petra. ietro. synay. deca. serui. furta. ter anno.
moy. et seniores primicias tabernaculum facies de lig. fit aaron
24 25 26 27 28
ascendant. tollant. faciant. altare. sacerdos.
aaron altare eligitur ad fabre fiunt peccata dantur secundo
29 30 31 32 33 34
consecret. incensi. beseel. dii. flent. tabuleque.
moy. ut dent ad tabernaculum ad taber. quod iubetur fit duplex fiunt ad vestes sacerdotales tegit taber.
35 36 37 38 39 40
narrat. dant. cherub. tentoria. purpura. nubes.
Leuiticus
qualiter immolent quid fiat de sacrificiis quid de pacificis quid pro ignorancia quid pro delicto
1 2 3 4 5
Hostia. si sacrum. si pacifer. inscia. linquens.
holocaustum victimam pro delicto moi. aaron aaron perit igne describuntur
6 7 8 9 10 11
concremet. et mactet. sacrat. offert. nadab. edenda.
purificatur distinguitur quid facere debeat quomodo mundetur emissarius effundetur sanguis
12 13 14 15 16 17
partus. lepra. pians. fluxus. caper. adde cruorem.
21
ne reueles iniquum montur sacerdotis uirgo que sint sancta
18 19 20 21 22
turpia. ne facies. phytonicus. vxor. edentes.
legalia lapidatur celebretur bona bonis, mala malis reddantur
23 24 25 26 27
festaque. blasphemus. iubilens. reddoque. vota.
Numeri
populum tentoria numeratur tabernaculum quomodo fiat
1 2 3 4 5
Enumerant. figunt. leui. portant . aqua zeli.
nazareus vinum tabernaculum ponuntur celebratur sonus distingitur
6 7 8 9 10
non bibat. erexit. lucerne. phase. tubarum.
desiderantur mariam lepra explorant canaan territi ab exploratoribus colligens lapidatur absorbetur
11 12 13 14 15 16
porri. perfusam bis sex. flent. lignaque. dathan.
floret leuite circa taber. vitule aaron moritur erigitur loquentem baalam populum
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
virga. Cubant cinis. or. serpens. asinam. benedicit.
orietur iniciatur populum secundo salphaat sacrificium clangitur que tenat vel non
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
stella. phegor. numerat. nate. iuge. buccina. uota.
propter phegor multa habet pecora qualiter describitur terre promissionis leuitarum sue tribus viris
31 32 33 34 35 36
mors madian. gad. mansio. terminus. oppida. nubant.
Deutero[nomium].
legem moises percutitur occiditur ait moises reperit replicat mittet dominus in hostes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Explanat. seon. og. morior . deca. iussa. scabrones.
in solitudine propter iusticiam prepucium circumdite in manibus et oculis sanguinem
8 9 10 11 12
dipsas. ne dicas. cordis. suspendite. fundes.
prophetie edenda a nullo accipies obserua est quem dominus elegerit non consulant
13 14 15 16 17 18
fictor. edent. mutuum. solempnia. rexque. phytones.
refugii euntes animabit terta pro occulto homicidio signa ostendantur
19 20 21 22
vrbes. ad bellum. mecietur. virginitatis.
pollutus repudii in faciem contempnentis primicias super maledictionem comminantur
23 24 25 26 27 28
sompno. libellus. spuet. offert. amen. erumpne.
pactum celum et terram iosue audite celi tribus moisi
29 30 31 32 33 34
firmat. et inuocat. edocet. et canit. et beat. hinc mors.
Iosue
dixit dominus ad iosue recipit exploratores transitur ponuntur lapidei fiunt
1 2 3 4 5
Confortare. raab. iordan. lapides quoque. cultri.
22
[f. 18r]
iericho lapidatur capitur recipitur stetit vicit numerantur
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
vrbs cadit. achor. hay. gabaon. sol. regnaque. reges.
terram pars datur suspirat sors sors congregantur sortes tribuum
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
diuisit. caleph. axa. ioseph. manases. sylo. septem.
separantur pars datur ruben et gad de sylo iosue populum iosue
20 21 22 23 24
vrbes confugii. leui. redeunt. monet. hinc mors.
Iudicum
dux constituitur angelo loquente occidit eglon vicit sysaram delbore fit dux
1 2 3 4 5 6
Iudas. flent. ayoth. barach. carmen. gedeonque.
aquam 300ti perimitur in parabola proponitur iudicat de morte filie
7 8 9 10 11
lambunt. et zebee. ramnus. iair. actio iepte.
dicitur annunciatur discerpitur vrunt samson et aliorum
12 13 14 15 16
seboleth. et sampson. leo. uulpes. et inde ruina.
facit sculptile capitur concubina male moritur vxoris leuite filiarum silo
17 18 19 20 21
michas. et lachis. leuites. vltio. chori.
Ruth
noemi post terga metencium ruth ad booz ruth. auum dauid
1 2 3 4
Ruth sequitur. spicas legit. accedit. parit. obeth.
1us Regum
parit cruda sumitur et reuertere filiorum hely ebulliunt 5 ciuitatum preparare
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Anna. caro. dormi. mors. mures. munera. corda.
partem saul super saul concidit saul orante samuele saul ionathas comedit occiditur dauid
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
ius da sorsque boues donat offert mel agag unxit
occiditur goli. eris reg. ponit michol dauid et ionathanfugit dauid sacerdotes interficit querit dauid coram
abscidit dauid
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
funda. gener pellem flent geth doech ziph clamidisque
moritur dauid contra abner datur dauid phitonissa non places egipcius saul cum filiis
25 26 27 28 29 30
nabal. uox. sicelech. mulier. satrapis. puer. hinc mors.
2us Regum
Dauid super saul interficitur occiditur occiditur dormiens dauid secundo percutitur
1 2 3 4 5 6
Planctus. asahel. abner. et isboseth. vngitur. oza.
dauid firmus dauid currus ingreditur ad dauid seruis dauid concupiscitur loquitur dauid
7 8 9 10 11 12
thronus. subneruat. syba. barbe. bethsabe. nathan.
23
opprimitur loquitur pro absolon dauid fugit absolon maledicit dauid dissipat consilium pendet absolon
13 14 15 16 17 18
thamar. thecuites. pedibus. semei. chusi. quercu.
mifibosech excusat se interroget crucifiguntur post uictimam fortium populi ex tribus malis
19 20 21 22 23 24
claudus. in abela. septem. carmina. nomina. pestis.
3us Regum
abisag datur dauid in throno salomon sapientiam salomonis dat ligna fit templi domus fit
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Suna. sedet. peciit. cibus. yram. fabrica. saltus.
salomon salomonis 550 regina uenit ydolum colit minatur roboam altare
8 9 10 11 12 13
orat. prepositi. saba. chamos. scorpio. scissum.
prophetat basa domum ieroboam regnat in israel vidua colligit destruitur
14 15 16 17 18
ayas. deleuit. zambri. duo ligna. baalque.
irascitur contra heliam datur in manus achab lapidatur iezrahel canes
19 20 21 22 23
iezabel. et benadab naboth. de sanguine. lingent.
4us Regum
consumit 50 mittitur in aquam faciunt manat in vase mundatur nuncii regis sirie
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ignis. sal. fossas. oleum. naaman. comederunt.
ducem milicie azahel aquam regnat domum Achab regnat restaurat templum
7 8 9 10 11 12
calcant. infundit. iheu. percutit. athalia. ioas.
iaculo terram misit ad cedrum iuuat contra israel regnat capitur blasphemat vestes ezechias
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
percute. cardus. phul. achaz. osee. rapsace. scindit.
Ezechias regnat regnat calebratur Iude sedechiam rex babilonis
20 21 22 23 24 25
flet. manases. iosias. phase. translatio. cecat.
[2nd column]
1us Paralippomenon
edom congregaciones quia filios habuit inuocauit dominum interficiuntur
1 2 3 4 5
Reges. scribarum. dauid. iabes. agareni.
filii describuntur filii effraim occiduntur genus describitur describuntur moritur bethleem exercitus cum dauid
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
leui. geth. benoi. custodes. saul. aqua. grandis.
percutitur sonitus pirorum dauid coram archa coram archa prophetat dauid percussit
13 14 15 16 17 18
oza. pirus. psallit. ludit. nathan. hinc adadezer.
nuncios dauid incitauit dauid pro templo dauid dat leuitarum leuitarum
19 20 21 22 23 24
rasit. bella. sathan. aurum. numeracio. sortes.
prophetant habitant seruitur exercitibus dauid principes salomonem
25 26 27 28 29
in cytharis. cellis. per menses. conuocat. vngunt.
24
2us Paralipom.
salomoni apparuit dom. eruditum mitte templum fit fecit fieri salomon transfert in templum super holocaustum
1 2 3 4 5 6
Nocte. virum. moria. phyalas. archam. cadit ignis.
domum salomon officia sacerdotum saba venit colli rogant in viis ambulant dauid et salo. ableuauerunt filii israel
7 8 9 10 11
complet. constituit. regina. iugum. tribus annis.
ierusalem ascendit regnat ethiops contra asa. ydolum destruit iuuat Asa. regnat
12 13 14 15 16 17
sefach. abya. zara. priapi. benadab. iosaphatque.
fecit sedechias iudicibus dirigamus ad te suos regnat et occiditur
18 19 20 21 22
cornua. precepit. oculos. fratres. ochozia.
ioas coronat occiditur inter templum et altare regnat et moritur occiditur regnat et occiditur
23 24 25 26 27
ioiada. zacharias. amasias. ozya. ioathan.
regnat et moritur regnat et deo placet aras ydolorum leuitis secundum legem
28 29 30 31
achas. ezechia. destruxerunt. decimas dant.
ezechias regnat et moritur bene regnat occidit iosiam iudam
32 33 34 35 36
egrotat. manases. iosias. nechao. transfert.
Esdras
cyrus vasa dei zorobabel et alii templum Samarite contra Iudeos aggaeus et zacharias
1 2 3 4 5
Protulit. ascendunt. fundant. scripsere. prophetant.
precipit fieri templum dat litteras esdre multi cum esdra scripsere esdre alienigenas
6 7 8 9 10
darius. artaxerses. redeunt. oracio. linqunt.
Neemias
Neemias dedit regi Neemias ierusalem edificat grande faciunt neemias sinum murum portas
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Flet. vinum. portas. opus. excutit. explet. opilat.
esdras librum fedus cum deo federatores x eligitur dedicacionis se ab alienigenis
8 9 10 11 12 13
legit. percuciunt. signat. pars. cantica. mundant.
[no title; it is the apocryphal Third Book of Esdra]
iubet iosias immolari leuite sibi et sacerdotibus iosias mouetur per regem egipti filii Iuda per nabuch. a cyro
1 2 3 4 5 6
Pascha. parant. moritur. ioachim. migrant. redierunt.
samarite iudeos samarite iudeos tria proponunt zorobabel zorobabel et darius darius equites cum zorobabel
7 8 9 10 11 12
accusant. prohibent. tres. postulat. oscula. misit.
templum emuli ad zorobabel quo iubente fiat templum sunt scripta de licentia necessaria dari templo
13 14 15 16 17
fundant. accedunt. querunt. inuenta. iubentur.
25
templum esdre scriptum legis epistole ad taxerses factus est esdras dixit esdras leuitis
18 19 20 21 22
consumant. tradunt. scriptum. constans. iubilate.
ponderatur esdras vestes prohibet esdre vasa fieri mulierum alienigenarum legit esdras
23 24 25 26 27
aurum. conscidit. ymber. diuorcia. legem.
Tobias
Tobias gabelo x talen. fit tobias exauditur tobias filium tobie sociatur piscem tob. fit sara tobie
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dat. cecus. sara. docet . angelus. extrahit. vxor.
raguelis angelus tobiam ut dixit mater tobie recepit tobias intimat se angelum tobie et uxoris filius oculos
et arine vadat ad gabelum patris
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
laus. rogat. heu. visum. raphael. confessio. clausit.
Iudith
Nabuch. mittitur naciones filii israel ad dominum vera dicit holoferni
1 2 3 4 5
Iurat. holofernes. subicit. clamant. achior dux.
[f. 18v]
achyor bethulien. bethuliam holofernes volentes tradere ciuitatem iudith se vestibus iudith
6 7 8 9 10
soluunt. obsedit. iudith arguit. orat. adornat.
stat[utum] ciuitatis hol. iudith iudith ad holofer. iudit holofernis bethuliensium iudit canticum
11 12 13 14 15
nunciat. ingreditur. caput auster. impetus. ymnus.
Hester
vasthi regem regnat exaltatur mardo[cheus] vest[imenta] hester mardocheus
1 2 3 4 5 6
Respuit. hester. aman. scidit. petit. ac honoratur.
est aman tempore ulcionis iudei hostes suos paruus sompnium mardochei
7 8 9 10 11
suspensus. adar. iugulant. fons. ecce dracones.
mardo[cheus] regi de eunucho irritacionis litterarum hester assuerus hester regum artaxersem excusatoria
12 13 14 15 16
nuntiat. exemplar. orat. blanditur. epistula.
Iob
concussit domum sathan iob iob diei loquitur interfecit iracundia
1 2 3 4 5
Ventus. percussit. maledixit. et elipha. stultum.
non est caro mea est vita hominis loquitur arcturum ullus loquitur
6 7 8 9 10 11
enea. milicia. baldach. facit. ordoque. sophar.
precingit paulisper et loquar dies hominis loquitur verba numquid solum mihi superest
regum renes habebunt finem
12 13 14 15 16 17
fune. tacete. breues. eliphaz. uentosa. sepulcrum.
loquitur dei venerunt fecerunt viam loquitur in bonis dies suos respondet
18 19 20 21 22
baldach. latrones. sophar. ducunt. eliphazque.
26
multa fortitudine viduae abstul. respondet eductus est non reprehendit me nec intuitus est oculos meus instaurabitur
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
nolo. bouem. baldach. coluber. cor. uulturis. arcus.
comparatus sum pepigi obmiserunt loqui loquitur propter peccata populi loquitur eliu
30 31 32 33 34 35
luto. fedus. tres. elihu. regnareque. rursum.
eliu locutus est quasi fusi sunt celi iste inuoluens sen. nunquid partus nosti quae feci tecum dominus iob
36 37 38 39 40 41
addens. ere. quis est. ibicum. uehemoth. benedixit.
Prouerbia Salomonis
sapientia foras a muliere est aquisicio a te os prauum aquam de cisterna que odit dominus
1 2 3 4 5 6
Predicat. extrema. melior. remoue. bibe. sex sunt.
et vaga mulier dominus me excidit colump. estate filius confusionis ore decipit amicum
7 8 9 10 11
garrula. possedit. septem. stertit. simulator.
negligit iustus et non vult piger nouit amant iusti meditabitur sap. cum iusti. melius bucella cum fortissima nomen
propter amicum gaudeo domini
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
dampnum. uult. cor quod. mens. parum. siccaque. turris.
diues labia sua luxuriosa vinum cor in manu dei bonum melius statue in gutture usquequo rubiginem de est
diuitiis dormis argento
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
torquens. res. regis. nomen. cultrum. piger. aufer.
indecens gloria caprarum sufficiat beatus qui semper est totum spiritum stultus insaturabilia fortem quis inue.
26 27 28 29 30 31
stulto. lac. pauidus. profert. tria sunt. mulierem.
Ecclesiastes
intrant mare vineas omnia habet fouebuntur mutuo curas secuntur si genuerit liberos
1 2 3 4 5 6
Flumina. plantaui. tempus. duo. sompnia. centum.
ire ad domum sapientia hominis in uultu comprehenduntur laqueo morientes da 7 antequam sol et luna
7 8 9 10 11 12
luctus. lucet. aues. musce. partes. tenebrescant .
Cantica
sponsi et sponse campi quesiui per pulcra es aquilo colligat videbis est ista
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Oscula. flos. noctem. quam . surgeque. lylia. quid. que.
Liber Sapiencie
domini repleuit peccata legis iusti sicut sol generatio iusti in magna constancia
1 2 3 4 5
Spiritus. improperat. fulgebunt. castaque. stabunt.
durrisimum in hiis qui presunt fi. primam vocem emisi sapientia maliciam tuus ego sum scientiam sanctorum
6 7 8 9 10
iudicium. plorans. vincit. seruus. dedit illi.
et mensura omnia consticuisti omnium tibi terra dominator omnibus creaturis lignum per quod fit iustitia
11 12 13 14
pondere. carior est. speciosior est. benedictum.
27
existimant inter deos angelorum esca populum seua turbata consciencia a regalibus impiis sine misericordia supervenit
15 16 17 18 19
ydola. nutristi. presumit. sedibus. ira.
[2nd column]
Ecclesiasticus
sapiencie timere in iustitia et ti. magnus es faciem potentis noli esto ad audiendum verbum domini medicamentum vite
dominum fidelis
1 2 3 4 5 6
Radix. sta. quanto. contra. mansuetus. amicus.
noli omne mendacium non facies cum iracundo amicus nouum vi. potestas breuis breuior in uol. iusto et inuenies retrib.
7 8 9 10 11 12
mentiri. rixam. nouus. omnis. apis. benefacque.
lupus communicabit cum mors qui facit bona deum timens dominum melior confiteberis ut calculus sic exigui
13 14 15 16 17 18
agno. non tardat. timet. unus . sanus. arene.
dencium excecant corda quasi a facie luto lapidabunt ventris concupiscentiam quasi sponsa insuspicabilia
et amicus colubri peccata
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
risus. dona. fuge. piger. aufer. oliua. nouemque.
bona mulier stultus ut luna aures in spinis hospes or. men. anime tue placens deo
26 27 28 29 30
pars bona. mutatur. sepi. transi. miserere.
qui post aurum non adolescens in can. tua uix duo contra duo vana noli offerre praua in noua
31 32 33 34 35 36
non abiit. loquere. contra. spes. munera. signa.
cum iusto de iustitia locum nam illum creauit deus omnia opera domini et vinum letificat amara memoria
37 38 39 40 41
tracta. da medico. bona ualde. musica. morsque.
sermones auditus vide et benedic patrum dilectus deo et ho. fortis in bello
42 43 44 45 46
non duplices. arcum. laudes. moyses. iosueque.
propheta surrexit propheta quasi ignis memoria oniae filius uua florebit sapientia
47 48 49 50 51
nathan. et helias. iosie. symon. quasi precox.
Ysaias
cognouit poss. domus dom. prep. ad iudicandum do. mulieres qui coniungitis seraphin concipiet sume tibi
grandem
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Bos. mons. stat. septem. ve. sanctus. virgoque. librum.
natus est nobis virga furoris de radice eius consolatus es me babilonis ucifer
9 10 11 12 13 14
paruulus. assur. flos. conuersus. onus. cadit astris.
onus emitte onus ethiopie onus
15 16 17 18 19
hinc moab. agnum. damasci. trans flumen. egipti.
discalciatus iuit ysaias onus onus visionis onus meum mihi
20 21 22 23 24
nudus. desert . uallis. tyrique. secretum.
28
dominus omne lacrimam fortitudinis nostre syon duro cordi forti angularem est liber solis septempliciter
25 26 27 28 29 30
aufert. vrbs. gladio. lapidem. signatus. erit lux.
abiciet vir populus meus in multa pa. in decore congregati sunt illic veniet et salutabit nos
31 32 33 34 35
ydola. sedebit. regem. milui. deus ipse.
blasphemat angelus CLXXXV milia Ezech. canticum thesauros nunciis regis be. digitis molem et buxum simul
36 37 38 39 40 41
rapsace. percussit. canit. ostendit. tribus. vlmum.
fumigans noli timere faber ferrarius operatus est christo meo contritus est flumina etc.
42 43 44 45 46 47
linum. serue meus. lima. cyro. nabo. transi.
meretricis meis descripsi ce. meas vellentibus in syon laudantes induere fortitu. estimauimus eum
48 49 50 51 52 53
frons. manibusque. genas. venient. consurge. leprosum.
per ordinem lapides descendit est salus mea periit et non est qui non deficiet aspidum fregerunt illuminare ierusalem
54 55 56 57 58 59 60
sternam. nix. iuxta. iustus. fons. ouaque. surge.
predicare apercionem iustus eius egrediatur qui venit de dirumperes serui mei et celi noui
61 62 63 64 65 66
clausis. splendor. edom. celos. comedent. noua terra.
Ieremias
a facie aqui mala dicitur si di. aspexit terram ad optimates state super non dicitur amplius regis iuda eicies
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Olla. duo. vulgo. nichil. ibo. uias. tophet. ossa.
ascendit per fenestras qui celum et terram domine sa. probasti cor meum lumbare super vir uagus mater mea operati estis
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
mors. dii. tu. rectum. lumbos. quasi. ve mihi. peius.
adamantino scriptum est faciebat opus super laguncula phassur misit ieremiam sedechias ad ieremiam predicit ieremias
17 18 19 20 21 22
vngui. rotam. teritur. neruum. misit. ioachim ve.
saluabitur bonas accepi de manu ieremias dixit dominus ieremie ananias ieremie cathenas
23 24 25 26 27 28
iuda. ficus. calicem. capitur. fac vincula. fregit.
[f. 19r]
impleti 70 omnia que locutus plorans filios eme tibi qui est in ana. que facturus sum eis federis non obser. filii obediunt
visitabo sum in libro patri
29 30 31 32 33 34 35
anni scribe rachel agrum bona uerbaque rechab
rex volumen panis datur mittunt iere. sedechiam rex iere. cum go. godolias iere. pro populo
36 37 38 39 40 41 42
scidit torta lacum cecat manet interit orat
egiptum quos nab. regine celi iere. consolatur percutitur a nabucho. domini usquequo non qui escis
43 44 45 46 47
intrant et libant baruch post nechao mucro
prophetat de contricione similiter prophetizat similiter contra babylon reliquia transfert
48 49 50 51 52
ad moab ac amon babylon cecidit nabuzardan
29
Baruch
audientes baruch legere baruch et alii israel mandata est in terris ierusalem et indue te decore
1 2 3 4 5
Plorabant. orant. audi. visus iace luctum.
Trenis
ciuitas senes cinerem super capita sua videns mutatus obscuratum
1 2 3 4
Sola sedet. consperserunt. ego vir. color aurum.
Ezechiel
4 animalium super pedes uolumen istud super dextrum pilos acuto gla. dominus domui israel
1 2 3 4 5 6
Uultus. sta. comede. dormit. raditque. minatur.
dicendo fac conclusionem parietem viri ve. a dextris domus viri in introitu porte id est XXV
7 8 9 10 11 12
concludit. fodit. sex. Cherub. bis deca. quinque.
de loco ad locum reprehenduntur Noe da. quid fiet ligno in tuo viue aquila alarum malatum
13 14 15 16 17 18
migra. falsiloqui. tres. vitis. sanguine. grandis.
acerba co. factus est magnus alloquitur ez. exacutus et es stamnum et oolla et ooliba
19 20 21 22 23 24
vua. leoque. senes. gladius. conflant. mulieres.
ez. moritur prophetat contra dixit de ierusalem tyri preciosi nominantur prophetat contra
25 26 27 28 29 30
vxor. amon. tyrus. atque decor. lapides. pharaonem.
dominus brachium phara. ad inferos pharao super pharaonem domus israel meas requiram
31 32 33 34 35
frangit. descendit. plangunt. speculator. ouesque.
prophetat contra effundam super uos aperiam uestros pone etc. contra gog et sub quo edifi. atrium atrium
36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43
seir. aquam. tumulos. gog. mors. mons. intus. et extra.
maiestas ingressa est porta sanctuarium qualia sacrificia fiant egrediebatur de latere dextro ciuitatis
44 45 46 47 48 49
templum. clausa. piant. post sabbata. post aqua. nomen.
Daniel
pueri coram rege daniel misterium statue pueri in for. in visu apparuit scribit daniel visionem 4 animalium
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Stant. reseratque. canunt. arbor. manus. orat. abhorret.
pugnantem cum ariete apparuit vestitus li. visionis in tempore illo surget susanna destruitur
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
post hircum. gabriel. vir. res. mychael. mulier. bel.
Osee
parit vxor oseeiuxta dies me dies multos nocte effundam quasi aquam die susci. firmamentum est
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Tres. canet. expecta. tacet. iram. tercia. totum.
in gutture tuo domino vinum frondosa israel et di. inualuit iacob ero tua ero israel
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
sit tuba. non libant. vitis. puer. angele. mors. ros.
30
Iohel
eruca locusta brucus rubigo in syon canunt tuba seruos et ancillas
1 2 3
Quatuor extirpat. ieiunant. spiritus implet.
Amos
damasci et cet. plaustrum onustum concutitur terra super unam ciuitatem et non super aliam
1 2 3 4
Quadrizelus. stridet. tribulatur. non pluit eque.
illo tempore tacebit eburneis dominus lito uncino tracta dominum sub altari
5 6 7 8 9
prudens. in lectis. stat muro. poma . sedentem.
Abdias
dominus misit ad gentes quasi saluator ascendit in monte eius
1 2 3
Legatum misit. et erit. saluatio syon.
Ionas
mittunt ionam in mare edere niniuite super abscisione edere
1 2 3 4
Post sortes. ortus. conuertuntur. dolet ipse.
Micheas
dominus super ex. ascendet pandens super excortica gregis nebul. ex te egredi. dux popule meus quid feci populum
tuum
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Calcat. iter. pellem. turris. bethleem. tibi. pasce.
[2nd column]
Naum
flos libani ewangelizantis et predican. quis commouebit super te caput
1 2 3
Languit. ecce pedes . vastataque niniue tota.
Abbacuc
abbacuc cum domino buxum domine audiui
1 2 3
Disputat. et scribit visum. post cantica psallit.
Sophonias
dies veniet in die illa similiter in die illa
1 2 3
Magna dies. fit pena reis. iubilacio iustis.
Aggaeus
zorobabel et iesus iosedech celum terram et mare assumam serue meus
1 2 3
Edificat templum. mouet omnia. zorobabel te.
Zacharias
vir stabat inter 4 venti stabat a dex. lucerne uolumen equorum rufforum vobismet ipsis
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Myrta. fabri. sathan. epta. uolans. quadriga. bibistis.
promittitur tibi rex insidet petite a deo 30 den. quasi super unige. suscitare super pas. equi est factum domino
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
pax. asinus. pluuiam. precium. flent. framea. frenum.
31
Malachias
domini in gentibus meum cum leui ante quam ueniat dies domini magnus
1 2 3
Est nomen magnum. pactum. mittetur helias.
1us Machabaeorum
fuit antiochus rome pugnat pro lege conteritur a iuda fugam suorum uidit fugit in carnaum
1 2 3 4 5
Obses. matathias. seron. lisias. tymotheus.
cadit sub elefante capite priuatur cum romanis inter bello iudas occidit occupauit ptholomaidam
6 7 8 9 10
eleazar. nycanor. fedus. bachides. alexander.
exaltat ionathan prodidit ionathan cum filiis occiditur summo sacerdo. fungitur succedit patri suo
11 12 13 14 15
demetrius. triphon. ionathas. simeonque. iohannes.
2us Machabaeorum
de aqua egres. inclusa per ieremiam Eliodorum ambit sacerdocium spoliat templum porcina fratres
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Ignis. et archa. flagra. iason. antyochus. caro. septem.
intorelabilis fit gentilis antyochus templum iude de voluntate regis
8 9 10 11
iudas. rex moritur. purgant. dat lisia dextras.
argenti misit israel filius antiochi iudam amplectitur contra iudam propter blasphemiam
12 13 14 15
dragmas. eupatoris. fraus alchima. mors nycanoris.
Matheus
christus a magis in iordane dyabolus in monte dicens pater noster
1 2 3 4 5 6
Natus. adoratur . lotum. temptat. docet. orat.
christi datur infirmis mathaeum apostolos iohannem sabbato
7 8 9 10 11 12
dogma. salus. vocat. elegit. laudat. sata transit.
parabolarum exponit ioannis truncatur panes petro dantur transfigurationis in medio statuitur
13 14 15 16 17 18
post enigma. caput. septem. claues. decor. infans.
matrimonii operariis datur hebreorum census predicit malis
19 20 21 22 23
vnio. denarius. pueri. numismata. ue ue .
in fine mundi ventura christus et sui christus christus
24 25 26 27 28
prelia. iudicium. cenant. patiturque. resurgit.
Marcus
christus discipulos sibi 12 loquitur merguntur
1 2 3 4 5
Predicat. excusat. sociat. prouerbia porci.
filia herodis manibus etc. homines ambulantes fecit vestes perforamen acus
6 7 8 9 10
saltat. non lotis. ut frondes. fullo. camelus.
32
vestimenta ponit uidua precedens iudicium comeditur christi resurgens
11 12 13 14 15 16
sternunt. era duo. dolor. azima. passio. vita.
Lucas74
elizabeth et maria iesus baptismi dum queritur retia eliguntur
1 2 3 4 5 6
Concipiunt . puer. unda. docet. laxant. duodeni .
adolescens et peccatrix rogat pro filio foueas habent 72 mercunt dei demona eicio habes reposita
6 7 8 9 10 11
flent. iairus. uulpes. bini. digito. bona multa.
mulier iuga filius pascitur diues induitur mundatur iniquus
12 13 14 15 16 17
inclinata. boum. siliquis. bisso. lepra. iudex.
[f. 19v]
vocatur in exemplum dantur predicantur manducatur christi resurgens
18 19 20 21 22 23
zachaeus. septem. prelia. paschaque. mors. pax.
Iohannes
in principio erat in nuptiis aqua in vi. venit ad ihesum samaritane aque
1 2 3 4 5
Uerbum. mutatur. nychodemus. et ydria. motus.
viuus vos ascendite ante dominum natus et vnus pastor
6 7 8 9 10
sum panis. festum. stat adultera. cecus. ouile.
lazarus ungenti discipulis lauit ego sum ego sum dixit ihesus discipulis ihesus patrem
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
fetet. libra. pedes. via. vitis. flebitis. orat.
Ihesus Ihesus Ihesus Ihesus
18 19 20 21
illusus. moritur. surrexit. se manifestat.
Ad Romanos
arguit arguit simul arguit abraham reconciliauit nos
1 2 3 4 5
Gentes. iudaeos. utrosque. patrem. domini mors.
christus resurgens iam consencio separabit a ca. est filiorum et gloria creditur ad iustitiam
6 7 8 9 10
non moritur. legi. quis nos. et adopcio. corde.
fracti sunt ut alter alterius deus vindex est in eos qui ma. qui infirmus est scripta sunt apostoli ad fideles
11 12 13 14 15 16
rami. membra. minister. olus. quecumque. salutes.
1a Ad Cor.
non sint in vobis sapientiam loqu. inter potum dedi nos propter christum nostrum immolatus non possid. regnum dei
1 2 3 4 5 6
Scismata. perfectos. lac. stulti. pascha. rapaces.
74 Here, two different chapters are numbered as 6 and consequently the book has 23 instead of
24 chapters.
33
vxorem habeat propter for. ydolum non alligabis uos non apprehen. suam presumit
7 8 9 10 11
quisque suam. nichil est. bouis os. temptacio. cenam.
diuidens singulis hominum loquar et ang. mulieres corpus spirituale collectas
12 13 14 15 16
vt uult. si linguis. taceant. surget. coadunent.
2a Ad Cor.
nostra testimonio consciencie cui uos donastis cordis carna. scripsi fictilibus facta sunt in christo acceptabile
1 2 3 4 5 6
Gloria. donaui. tabulis. uasis. noua. tempus.
que in omnibus confido voluntas est parce etc. inpresenti etc. hebrei sunt etc. pauli omne uerbum in ore duorum
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
gaudeo. prompta. metet. tales. ego. visio. stabit.
Ad Gal.
apud petrum diebus petrus cum ge. dicte sunt promis. letare qua non spiritus est ca. est mihi mundus
1 2 3 4 5 6
Mansit. edebat. abre. sterilis. fructus. crucifixus.
Ad Ephes.
christum ad dexteram suam in celest. estis sanctorum genua dona homi. ecclesie christus tenebrarum
1 2 3 4 5 6
Constituens. ciues. flecto. dedit. est caput. harum.
Ad Philipp.
cupio in nomine ihesu omne genu extendens memet ipsum mea sic stare in domino
1 2 3 4
Dissolui. flectatur. ad anteriora. corona.
Ad Coloss.
per sanguinem crucis vos decipiat sunt querite sermo vester sit conditus
1 2 3 4
Pacificans. ne quis. que sursum. sal sit in ore.
1a Ad Tess. [includes also 2a Ad Tess.]
facti sitis volumus ad uos uestram misi dei et vox cum dixerint dabunt in interitum peccati filius perdi. ambulare in
quiete
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3
Forma. venire. fidem. tuba. pax. Penas. homo. quosdam.
1a Ad Thim.
Precepti caritas primus formans est sue preesse ad omnia utilis honora inuidie etc.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Finis. adam. domui. pietas. viduas. oriuntur.
2a [Ad Tim.], Ad Titum
cui credidi etc. sicut bonus homines seipsos a. oportune crimine esse gratia fidelis
1 2 3 4 1 2 3
Certus. miles. erunt. insta. Sine. gracia. sermo.
Ad Heb.
fecit et secula pater christo omnia cognominatur est sermo dei quis vocatur filium dei crucifigentes
1 2 3 4 5 6
Per quem. subiecit. hodie. viuus. nisi. rursum.
34
salem deus et non homo taber. vitule aspersus lex futurorum rerum sperandarum dominus quem diligit non hic
manetem civita.
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
rex. fixit. cinis. vmbra. fides. castigat. habemus.
Actus apostolorum
Mathias eligitur factus est de celo claudus communia ananie dyaconi eliguntur stephanus
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sorte. sonus. salit. omnia. fraus. septem. lapidatur.
baptizat eu. conuertitur submittitur circumcisi contra petrum misit manum
8 9 10 11 12
philippus. saulus. vas. disceptant. et herodes.
[2nd column]
dixit paulus elimas obtulerunt paulo quod neque nos neque pa. n. p. a phitonissa puella predicat paulus
13 14 15 16 17
cecus eris. thaurosque. iugum. spes questus. athenis.
percutiebant ante tribu. sedicionem mouent iuuenis qui ceci. ligat paulum ceditur paulus iussu tyranni
18 19 20 21 22
sostenen. ephesii. rediuiuus. zona. flagellis.
fit nepos pauli audiebat paulum venit ierusalem loquitur paulo venit paulus
23 24 25 26 27
iudex. et felix. festus. agrippaque. romam.
Iacobi
beatus vir qui et demones credunt nemo domare potest et lucrum faciemus sit sermo vester
1 2 3 4 5
Suffert. tu credis. linguam. mercabimur. est non.
1a Petri
sanguine redempti estote omni creature hu. patimini propter iusti. caritatem habentes quia aduersarius vester dyabolus
1 2 3 4 5
Agni. subiecti. si quid. mutuam. vigilate.
2a Petri
voce lapsa de celo noe iusticie preconem frater noster paulus
1 2 3
Filius est meus. octauum. carissimus inde.
1a Iohannis
ab inicio quod audiui prodierunt quoniam translati sumus caritas qui testimonium dant in celo
1 2 3 4 5
Quod fuit. ex nobis. scimus. perfectaque. tres sunt.
2a Iohannis, 3a Iohannis, Iudas
scripsit iohannes scribit iohannes scribit qualiter disputat cum dyabolo prophetat
1 2 3 4
Electe. Gayo. Iudas archangelus. enoch.
Apocalipsis
candelabra aurea ecclesie docentur ecclesie docentur ponita erat librum et aperirem sigillum aperitur
1 2 3 4 5 6
Septem. bis bine. tres. sedes. soluere. sextum.
12 signati angelus abissi aperuit septem locuta duo occiduntur
7 8 9 10 11
milia. thuribulum. puteumque. tonitrua. testes.
35
Michaelis et draconis bestie ascendunt sancti canticum nouum 7 angelos habentes effundunt 7 dampnacio
12 13 14 15 16 17
pugna. due. cantant. plagas. phialas. meretricis.
terre reges meretricem agni nup. uo.sunt beati mortui ornatam uiro suo dicit sponsus
18 19 20 21 22
flebunt. ad cenam. surgunt. sponsam. venio iam.
Explicit biblia pauperum metrica. amen.
M E D I U M A E V U M
Q U O T I D I A N U M
56
KREMS 2007
HERAUSGEGEBEN
VON GERHARD JARITZ
GEDRUCKT MIT UNTERSTÜTZUNG DER KULTURABTEILUNG
DES AMTES DER NIEDERÖSTERREICHISCHEN LANDESREGIERUNG
Titelgraphik: Stephan J. Tramèr
Copy editor: Judith Rasson
Herausgeber: Medium Aevum Quotidianum. Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der
materiellen Kultur des Mittelalters, Körnermarkt 13, 3500 Krems, Österreich.
Für den Inhalt verantwortlich zeichnen die Autoren, ohne deren ausdrückliche
Zustimmung jeglicher Nachdruck, auch in Auszügen, nicht gestattet ist. –
Druck: Grafisches Zentrum an der Technischen Universität Wien, Wiedner
Hauptstraße 8-10, 1040 Wien.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Vorwort ……………………………………………………..…………….…… 4
Lucie Doležalová, Biblia quasi in saculo: Summarium Biblie
and Other Medieval Bible Mnemonics ……………………………….… 5
Tamás Visi, A Jewish Divorce Formula (Get) from Brno, 1452 …….….…… 36
Anne M. Scott, Finding Words to Embody Poverty:
Continuities and Discontinuities in Word and Image
from Piers Plowman to Twenty-First-Century Australia …..………….. 47
Buchbesprechungen .………………………………..………….…………….. 63
Anschriften der Autoren ….….…………………………………………….… 72
4
Vorwort
Medium Aevum Quotidianum 56 hat die Aufgabe mit Hilfe von drei Beiträgen
die starke Unterschiedlichkeit alltags- und kulturgeschichtlicher Fragestellungen
und Ansätze hervorzuheben. Der Beitrag von Lucie Doležalová zur biblischen
Mnemotechnik führt in die Welt christlicher Theologen, Mönche, Studenten und
Prediger. Tamás Visis Aufsatz beschäftigt sich mit der großen Bedeutung, welche
formale Kriterien für die Abfassung jüdischer Scheidungsurkunden hatten.
Anne M. Scott zeigt auf, dass die Analyse des Armutsdiskurses in englischer
Literatur des 14. Jahrhunderts durchaus nützlich dazu anregen kann Beziehungen
zu den Aspekten einer modernen Armutsdiskussion herzustellen. Alle drei
Untersuchungen können zur allgemeinen Feststellung führen, dass unser Forschungsbereich
in starkem Maße von transdisziplinären und komparativen Methoden
geprägt ist, welche entscheidend auf der Unabdingbarkeit von Kontextualität
und Kontextualisierung im Analyseprozess beruhen.
Gerhard Jaritz (Herausgeber)