A second catalogue of manuscripts, in different languages ... from the twelfth to the eighteenth century ... / Now selling ... by J. Cochran.
- Cochran, John.
- Date:
- 1837
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A second catalogue of manuscripts, in different languages ... from the twelfth to the eighteenth century ... / Now selling ... by J. Cochran. Source: Wellcome Collection.
44/220 page 32
![112 Petri de Riga, Canonici etCantoris Beatae Marias Rhemensis, deinde Canonici Regularis Ordinis Divi Augustini in Abbatia S. Dionysii Rhemensis, “ 23tbltOt|)Cfa, qut Itiier tnttlulatur 'Ultrora,” quo plurimos Sacrae Scripturae libros exponit car- mine prorsus pro seculo insigni. Manuscript on Vellum, of the thirteenth century, small folio, in very fine preservation*, and in old calf binding, . . 12/. 12s. A remarkable and valuable work, which wras written in the latter part of the twelfth century (1160-70,) and deservedly enjoyed the highest re- putation in the middle ages. It contains the whole of the Historical Books of Scripture allegorized at great length, and the following explanation of its name, “ Aurora,” taken from the author’s prologue, will also serve to show the scope of the work : “ Sicut enim Aurora nocti terminum imponit, principiumque diei adesse testatur, sic et liber iste tenebras umbrarum et veteris legis obscuritates discutiens, veritatis fulgore et allegoriarum scin- tillis micantibus refulgurat.” At the end is a “ Recapitulation” of the whole, in which the author has shown himself to be a skilful leipogramma- tist: in the first 10 lines of this piece the letter a is omitted, in the next 14 lines the letter b;—and so throughout the alphabet, each letter in its turn being rejected. In some instances 40 lines have a particular letter omitted. [Of this absurdity there are many instances, some among the Greek and later Latin writers, but more among the moderns. It has been introduced into different languages, the English, French, Italian, and Spanish; Lope de Vega wrote five tales, in each of which one vowel is omitted throughout.] After this piece are some very curious interrogatory Leonine Verses, and throughout the work many verses of the same kind occur, a taste which greatly obtained among the monkish writers. The volume concludes with the following enumeration of the verses :—■ “ Quindecies mille decies sex collige versus Hoc studio Petri quatuor esse minus, Qui si scripsisset quicquid tenor ipse poposcit Multo fertilior summa futura fuit; Porro labore meo versus numerabis adauctos Quindecies centum, quindeciesque duos Praeter eos vacuis quos cernis adesse placeis Restat oppella suis cudereque locis ; Quos aliunde ratus adjungi posse reliqui, Nec unus liber ad hoc sufficiensve fui, Cedo libens ut cui fuerit plus copia sensus Venaque diuitior suppleat alter opus.” This work still remains in MS. only, though not unworthy of being- printed. Casimir Oudin states that he had a copy prepared for the press, and adds, in allusion to its popularity,—“ ac nullus authorum qui tantum et tarn frequenter tr-anscriptus sit.quamvis Opus vere egregium impressum non sit”—“ Hujus Petri Auroram ad varios MSS. codices collatam, olim editioni paratam habui. Nullus sane, qui tanto successu, Scripturam car- mine reddiderit.” Cave notices this copy of Oudin’s, and says, “ quam utinam publico non invideat.” Some specimens of the work are given by Leyser in his Historia Poematum mecLii cevi. ] 13 Petri, qui Comestor, seu Manducator, dicitur; Historia Scholastica. Manuscript on Vellum, of the fourteenth century, thick folio, in vellum binding, . 12/. 12s. This is a very fine Manuscript from the Conventual Library of Ochsen- hausen : it is beautifully written in double columns, the first leaf and the large initials throughout the volume are richly illuminated in gold and colours: it is in the finest possible preservation.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29344414_0044.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
