'Carmen paschale' by Coelius Sedulius; an Italian, possibly Florentine, manuscript, with the title 'De actibus prophetarum et toto Christi salvatoris cursu’.

Item

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.4.7

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The manuscript contains the preface; book i divided as 'de figmentis poetarum' (verses 1-59), 'Invocatio vel oratio poetae' (verses 60-102), and 'Liber I' in 26 sections (verses 103-368); book ii, called 'liber primus de nouo testamento', in 21 sections; book iii, called 'liber secundus Miracula et facta x̄p̄i', in 27 sections; book iv, not separated, in 19 sections; book v, separated into 'quartus' (verses 1-260) in 20 sections and 'V et ultim(us)' (verses 261-438) in 9 sections; the two hymns; the verses of Liberatus scholasticus (folio 40 verso; Huemer page 309) and of Bellesarius scholasticus (folio 40 verso; Huemer page 307); and ten verses on Sedulius, beginning 'Qualiter affixus ligno ia(m) x̄p̄s̄ in alto' (folio 41; 'Coelii Sedulii poemata sacra', page 109).

Headings in red. One large and three small foliate initials in gold, red, green, and blue. Initials of sections alternately in gold and blue. Written in a humanistic bookhand.

Dates

Creation: 15th-century.

Extent

1 Volumes (i (paper) + 42 + i (paper) folios.)

Language of Materials

Latin

Additional Description

Arrangement

Collation: 1-4¹⁰, 5². Catchwords in the lower right-hand margin, parallel to the text. Pricking not preserved. Ruling with a hard point, each sheet separately ruled on the hair side. 1 column. 26 lines. Ruled area 160 x 90 millimetres. Secundo folio; `proderit et mutis`.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Vellum. Vellum binding (lettered on the spine 'SE-/DU-/LIl/Ope-/ra./ M.S.'; an older lettering along the spine, 'Sedulii Poetae Opera MS', has been deleted).

Custodial History

There are no early marks of ownership. The manuscript was acquired before circa 1830.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilm available: Mf.Sec.MSS.949.

Related Materials

The title, some at least of the headings, and the last mentioned verses also occur in Vatican Ottob.lat.36, written by Antonio Sinibaldi in 1473 (described by F. Arevalo in his 1794 edition of Sedulius, Prolegomena §76).

The title, with the omission of 'Christi', is also that of the untraced 15th-century manuscript, Coislin.lat.203 = Saint Germain des Prés MS.1456 (see Bibliotèque Nationale, MS. nouv. acq. franç.5795, folio 90)

The verses are also in Adv.MS.18.7.7: Miscellaneous works of Coelius Sedulius.

Bibliography

Sedulius, Coelius. 'Carmen paschale', edited by J Huemer, 'Corpus Scriptorum ecclesiasticorum latinorum, x (1885).

'Coelii Sedulii poemata sacra' (Edinburgh, 1701).

Sedulius, Coelius. 'Opera omnia', edited by F Arevalo (Rome, 1794).