St. Ambrose, De virginibus
Introduction:
This manuscript written in the 11th and 12th centuries, is a collection of works concerning
virginity,
starting with St. Ambrose's De virginibus, (On Holy Virginity). St. Ambrose (340-397 AD), was a
church politician and Bishop of Milan. His treatise praises female virgins, in particular
the Virgin Mary, with the
hope of recruiting other Christian women to the ascetic life.
The provenance of the manuscript is unknown, but James (1907) thought that it was
likely to have some
connection with Canterbury, however this is rejected by Ker (1961). A particularly
interesting aspect of this
manuscript is that there have been additions made in pencil by a different hand at
a much later date, all the way up
to the 16th century. These include annotations in Middle English (fol. 46r) and
prayers written in Latin from the 13th century (fol. 49r).
1.1.
De virginibus [Liber I]
On virginity
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397
Rubric:
fol. 2r Incipit Liber I beati Ambrosii de Uirginitate
Incipit:
fol. 2r Si iuxta celestis sententiam veritatis
Explicit:
fol. 9v Explicit liber I
Final rubric:
Explicit liber I
1.2.
De virginibus [Liber II]
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397
Rubric:
fol. 9v Incipit liber secundis
Incipit:
fol. 9v Superiore libro q(ua)ntu(m) virginitatis mun(us) sit voluim(us
Incomplete. Wants 7? leaves
2.
De virginitate [Liber 4]
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397
Incipit:
fol. 15r Nobile apud ueteres
Explicit:
fol. 29r quia mundum ignorauit
3.
S. Vitale et Agricola
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397
Incipit:
fol. 29r Qui ad conuiuium magnum
Explicit:
fol. 40r seruare digneris
4.
Sermo S. Ambrosii de lapsu uirginis consecrate (P.L. xvi. 367)
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397
Incipit:
fol. 40v Audite qui longe estis
Explicit:
fol. 44r ab ipso quere remedi[um].
5.
Ad corruptorem
De lapsu uirginis consecratae
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397
Incipit:
fol. 44r De te autem quid dicam filio serpentis
Explicit:
fol. 44v bonus siue malum
6.
Lamentacio super eisdem
Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan, -397
Incipit:
fol. 44v Quis consoletur te
Explicit:
fol. 46r cupio deus qui regnas in trinitate in sec[ula]. sec[ulorum].
Amen.
7.
Sermo Isidori Episcopi de corpore et sanguine domini in pascha
De corpore et sanguine Christi (Concerning Christ's Body and Blood)
Paschasius Radbertus
Incipit:
fol. 47r Magnitudo celestium beneficiorum angustias humane mentis excedit
Explicit:
fol. 49v Adqua gloriosa resurrectione
8.
Prayers etc.
Written in a 13th century hand. Spiritus sanctus in te descendet Maria etc.; Letifica
nos omnipotens deus dominice
conceptionis gaudia recolentes etc.; Aue Maria gratia plena etc.; Dominus per te nobiscum
et hic et in futuro.
Form: codex
Support:
Parchment HFFH
Extent: fol. 48 +1
Dimensions (leaf):
245 × 185 mm.
Foliation:
Modern pencil foliation at the top right hand corner
Collation
The manuscript consists of 7 quires, of 8 leaves each. Quire 2 wants 7 leaves.
1 flyleaf, 18; 2 (wants 7) 38-78 (wants 8)
Layout
columns of 29 written lines
170 × 140 mm.
Ruled in hardpoint. Remains of prickings in upper and outer margins
Decoration
Large red initial with green penwork ornamentation (fol 2v). Large red initials
to mark sections.
Rubricated headings found throughout.
Additions
Prayers in a 13th century hand on fol.
49v.
Annotations in Middle English on fol. 46v.
Manicula on fols. 13r, 17r, 18v, 18r, 33v, 39v, 39r, 40v
Binding
Twentieth century white leather over pasteboards by Cambridge Colleges Conservation
Consortium. Preserved 19th century covers of the previous binding, brown calfskin over
pasteboards.
Origin:
11th-12th century (with additions up to the 16th Century)
; England
