Manuscript on paper, with parchment for outer and inner conjugate leaves of each quire, composed of four "booklets" or units of similar format. Part I: 1) William of St. Thierry, Epistola ad fratres de monte Dei, formerly attributed to Guigo and Bernard of Clairvaux. Part II: 2) Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo in festo annuntiationis B. V. Mariae. 3) Bernard of Cluny [?], Sermo de villico iniquitatis, formerly attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux. 4) Bernard of Cluny, Preface to art. 3. Part III: 5) Bernard of Clairvaux, De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae. 6) Jean, l'Homme de Dieu, Tractatus de ordine vitae et morum institutione, formerly attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux. Part IV: 7) Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo I pro Dom. VI post Pentecosten. 8) Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo II pro Dom. VI post Pentecosten. 9) Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo II pro Dom. VI post Pentecosten. 10) Anonymous sermon on the Virgin Mary. 11) Nicholas of Clairvaux, Sermo in natali S. Benedicti de euangelio. 12) Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermo in obitu Domini Humberti
Description:
In Latin., Watermarks: Part I: unidentified P in gutter. Parts II-IV: similar in design to Briquet Lettre Y 9182-84., Script: Part I (ff. 1-34): Written by a single scribe in well formed upright gothic script exhibiting batarde influence in the long descenders. Part II (ff. 35-46): Written in a script similar to that of Part I, but with less batarde shading. Part III (ff. 47-82): Written possibly by the same scribe as Part II. Part IV (ff. 83-99): Written in small cramped gothic script similar to those in I-III., Part I: Carefully executed red and blue divided initial, 8-line, on f. 1r; infilled and surrounded by delicate foliage designs in red and purple ink, on a green ground, with flourishes extending down inner border. Similar initial, f. 1v, without green ground and with blue scroll design for crossbar. Headings, paragraph marks, initial strokes, underlining, and Nota marks in red. Part II: Fine initial, 8-line, on f. 35r, divided red and blue, infilled and surrounded by six foliage designs in red penwork on green ground, with a central flower of six petals touched with yellow. Plain blue initial, 3-line, on f. 39v, with some floral designs in body in natural color of paper; red initials, 2-line, ff. 40r and 45v. Headings, initial strokes, underlining and corrections, in red. Paragraph marks in red or blue. Guide-letters for rubricator. Part III: Divided initial I, red and blue, 10-line, on f. 47r, with red and purple foliage designs on green ground surrounding initial, and with flourishes extending down inner margin. Blue initial, 4-line, on f. 68v, infilled and surrounded by penwork designs in red. Plain initials, 2-line, headings, initial strokes, paragraph marks, corrections, and some marginal notes, in red. Guide-letters and instructions for rubricator. Part IV: Blue initial, 5-line, on f. 83v, with interior floral designs in natural color of parchment; body infilled and surrounded by red penwork designs extending down inner margin. Initials, 5- to 2-line, headings, paragraph marks, in red., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries (?). Original sewing on four tawed, slit straps, the spine rounded and the supports prominent and defined. Plain, wound endbands on vegetable fiber cores, the covering leather saddle-stitched around them. Covered in dark brown calf with round and lozenge-shaped tools in diamonds and triangles formed by intersecting fillets in a central panel in a double outer frame. One fastening, the catch on the upper board and the strap wanting. Turk's head knot placemarks on the fore edge. Rectangular label removed from upper edge of front cover; two modern brown labels, stamped in gold, on spine: "Bernardi Varia" and "M. S." Original front pastedown: lower portion of a parchment bifolium (Germany, 15th century) of the Doctrinale of Alexander of Villa Dei with lines 1056-79 visible on verso and 1520-44 on recto. Ca. 5 mm. between lines of text. Binding restored.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 1091-1153., Catholic Church, and Cistercians.
Subject (Topic):
Didactic literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Monasticism and religious orders, Sermons, and Theology
