Lot 1281 , Manuscript devotional work; England, first half of 15th century

° Manuscript devotional work; England, first half of 15th century 19 parchment gatherings, each folio with a signature consisting of a lower-case letter and roman numeral; the verso of the last folio of each gathering has a catch-word written on a scroll highlighted in pink; capitals in red and blue with some marginal illumination; bound in oak boards, the back board intact, with the remains of a metal clasp, the front board severely worm-eaten; an illegible title written on the long fore-edge

132 x 94 mm, 19 lines per page, text occupying on ruled lines from marginal pricks occupying 80 x 54 mm

An illuminated first folio has been torn away, leaving small fragments sufficient to identify the manuscript’s provenance as England

At front: ownership inscriptions: Johannes [?] Lacy, c1450; Alfred Bayliffe (perhaps Alfred Bayliffe of Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, solicitor,1842-1915), c1870

At end: eight entries of names and dates, perhaps notes of baptisms or burials, c1540
Meditatio passionis Christi: Incipit devota meditatio passionis Christi per septem horas diei … reddita secundum modum beati Bernardi (see Manuscrits de la Biblioteque de Metz, 1974 MS 235); includes pseudo-Bede, De meditatione passionis Christi per VII horas diei (meditation of the passion of Christ through seven hours of the day)

Contemplation of the hours of the day

Granum devotionis beate Bernardi (a grain of devotion of the Blessed Bernard)
[Heinrich Seusse, Centum meditationes de passione domini] Venerabilis ille incarnate sapiencie discipulus (A hundred meditations of the passion of the Lord … Venerable is he who is a disciple of incarnate wisdom) (see Trier, Ms 246, ff.125-34)

Excerpta de libris beate angele: qui ad deum accedere desiderat … (excerpts from the books of the blessed angel)

Revolvat igitur homo assidua meditatione omnia illa amara que Christus pro nobis passus est
Incipit quedam spiritualis exercitatio sive excitatio seu admonicio ad devotionem contemplationis; explicit devotum exercitium editum a devotissimo patre dompno Henrico Balker qui fuit prior Colonie Ordinis Carthusiensis (a spiritual exercise by Dom Heinrich Balker, who was prior of the Carthusian order)

De passione domini

De compassione beate virginis

St Crisostom – see the love and charity of the Saviour

St Bernardus – consider how Christ died on the cross between two thieves

St Bernardus – simple meditation on the passion
£250-350