TWO 12th Century Vellum Manuscript Fragments ST BERNARD

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[Insular Carolingian Paleography] [Minuscula Claravallensis] [Clairvaux Minuscule] [Postclassical - Early Medieval Manuscripts] [Philosophy] [Origins of Humanism] [Monasticism] [Edited and glossed by Geoffrey of Clairvaux] [Geoffrey of Auxerre] [Gaufridi Claravallensis]: Bernardus, Son of Tescelin, Lord of Fontaines; Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153): Opuscula Divi Bernardi Abbatis Clarevallensis ; Sine Loco [North-central France - doubtless Clairvaux]; Sine Datum [Second or Third Quarter of the 12th Century; not before 1140]; Sine Nomine [but almost assuredly from the Scriptorium Claravallense, at the Monastery of Clairvaux]. Two fragments from the same leaf of a larger manuscript; one 8.5 cm by 12 cm (3Â¼ inches by 4Â½ inches), the other 9 cm by 12.5 cm (3Â½ inches by 4Â¾ inches). In Good Antiquarian condition; 13 lines and 14 lines, respectively, written both recto and verso, in deep brown ink, in an Insular Carolingian hand identified as Minuscula Claravallensis, recovered from the binding of a 14th century Breviary on vellum. One fragment with a single rubricated three-line "B" in red, opening the word "Beati" showing two holes, one natural, and one clearly a burn hole, the latter affecting a total of six words of text. Both recto and verso, marginal notations have been added - one in a heavy fifteenth century vernacular hand, and the other in a fine early thirteenth century monastic Bookhand. The second fragment, in much finer condition, showing three rubricated initials - a three-line capital "L" in red, opening the word "Lauda" - a two-line capital "N" in blue, opening the word "nauigantibus" - and a two-line capital "C" in red, opening the word "cum." Vellum a bit darkened in a few areas, but not at all displeasing. Portions of this manuscript may be seen in various collections, including the celebrated fragment held by the BibliothÃ¨que Municipale de Troyes (MS 955), Trinity College Dublin MS10708, Burgess Collection MS 14, Douai Bibliotheque Municipale, MS372, and eighteen others catalogied in both Europe and America - most date the original manuscript as being contemporaneous with the life of Saint Bernard, and having been written at the Scriptorium Claravallense, at the Monastery of Clairvaux, w Bernard spent most of his Life. Click either thumbnail for ahigh resolution view. In his description of the Minuscula Claravallensis hand, Fernando de Lasala, S.J. (in the second edition of Exercises in Latin Paleography ) writes: "This codex comes from the "claravallense" scriptorium, which is from the Monastery of Clairvaux (France). In our observations on the typological development of the Carolingian lowercase Script which we studied at the Tablet XVI, we indicated the characteristics of this script. We can now observe that during the XIIth cen. Caroligian lowercase was not longer elegant and hasty. The elements of the single letters received quite acute inflections, especially at the end. More and more the rounded "s" was used, particularly and the end of the word. Proper names began in capital letters. The reader has already perceived the acute inflections of the strokes in the different letters. This could have happened by the way of using the feather by the Benedictine writers of Clairvaux, contemporaries of St. Bernard. At the same time, we perceived a deep knowledge of the Caroligian lowercase script and tfore are written with confidence and skill. Consequently, the characteristic of this scriptorium thrust forward. The letters are done with utmost care and have the tendency towards a "almost bilinear" script; nevertheless it is not capitals! The initial letters of the paragraphs (in this facsimile the "Aâe(tm)s") are filled with ink, have different ornaments and, in rotation the colors red and blue, begin these codices. The abbreviations by contractions are quite numerous, indicated by a sign on top of the letter which means the inclusion of "er" or "er" or just the "r". This ellipsis or "r" becomes very interesting and invites the reader to use his imagination. For ... read more

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