Collection of texts about St Martin of Tours: Sulpicius Severus, Vita Sancti Martini , Epistolae , Dialogi (books 1-3); Gregory of Tours, extracts from the Historia Francorum (with books 1-4 complete) and Libri Octo Miraculorum
Agent
Preferred form
Grégoire de Tours (saint, 0538-0594)
Original form
Gregory of Tours, ?538-594, Bishop of Tours
Other form
Gregorius Turonensis (saint ; 0538-0594)
S. Gregorius Turonensis
GREGORIUS TURONENSIS ep. (s.)
Gregorius Turonensis
GREGORIUS TURONENSIS
Grégoire de Tours
GREGOIRE DE TOURS
S. GREGORIUS TURONENSIS
Grégoire de Tours (saint ; 0538-0594)
Gregorius Turonensis,
Grégoire de Tours (0538-0594 ; saint)
Gregorio Turonensi
Gregorii Turonensis
Gregorii, Turonensis episcopi
Grégoire de Tours.
Georgius Florentinus Gregorius episcopus Turonensis
Bentinck, Margaret Cavendish, 11 Feb 1715-17 Jul 1785, duchess of Portland, née Harley, collector of art and natural history specimens and patron of arts and sciences
This 12th-century manuscript contains a collection of texts on the
life, miracles and translation of St Martin of Tours (d. 397) by
Sulpicius Severus (b. c. 363, d. c. 425) and Gregory of Tours (b.
c. 538, d. 594). The manuscript was written for a monastic
audience, as is indicated by a contemporary marginal inscription on
f. 64r that describes reading the life of St Martin of Tours in
'our monastery' ('usque ad hoc capitulum legitur hec vita in nostro
conventij'). The linguistic region in which this manuscript was
produced is unknown. Since its first known owner Johannes
Vlimmerius (d. 1597) was prior of the Augustinian priory of
Sint-Maartensdal (1559-1562) in Leuven, the manuscript may
originate from the Southern Netherlands or Northern France.
However, Ker points out that several of Vlimmerius's manuscripts
originate at English monasteries and seem to have been sent to him
directly from there (Ker, 'English Manuscripts' (1942), p.
206).Contents: ff. 1r-1v: Sulpicius Severus, Letter to Desiderius
(Preface to the Vita Sancti Martini ), beginning: 'Incipit epistola
Severi Sulpicii ad Desiderium de vita sancti ac beatissimi Martini
Turonensis archiepiscopi'. ff. 1v-2v: Sulpicius Severus, Prologue
to the Vita Sancti Martini (Life of St Martin of Tours), beginning:
'Plerique mortales studio et glorie seculari inaniter dediti'. ff.
2v-3v: A list of chapters. ff. 3v-18v: Sulpicius Severus, Vita
Sancti Martini, beginning: 'Incipit vita sancti ac beatissimi
Martini Turonensis Archiepiscopi'. ff. 18v-20v: Sulpicius Severus,
Letter to Eusebius, beginning: 'Incipit epistula Severi sulpicii ad
eusebium presbiterum postea episcopum'. ff. 20v-23r: Sulpicius
Severus, Letter to Aurelius, beginning: 'Epistula ad Aurelium
diaconum'. ff. 23r-25v: Sulpicius Severus, Letter to Basula,
beginning: 'Incipit epistula Severi Sulpicii ad socrum suam Basulam
qualiter sanctus Martinus de hoc mundo migraverit'. ff. 25v-63r:
Sulpicius Severus, Dialogi (Dialogues), Books I-III, each preceded
by a list of chapters, beginning: 'Incipiunt capitula libri primi
Dialogi Severi Sulpitij'. ff. 63r-64r: Gregory of Tours, extract
(on the death of St Martin of Tours) from the Historia Francorum
(History of the Franks), also known as the Decem Libri Historiarum
(Ten Books of Histories), beginning: 'Item de transitu sancti
Martini'. ff. 64r-64v: Gregory of Tours, extract (concerning a
posthumous miracle shown to Severus Sulpicius) from the Libri Octo
Miraculorum (Eight Books of Miracles), beginning 'Beatus autem
Severinus coloniensis civitatis episcopus'. ff. 64v-65r: Gregory of
Tours, extract (concerning a posthumous miracle shown to St Ambrose
of Milan) from the Libri Octo Miraculorum , beginning: 'Eo tempore
beatus Ambrosius'. ff. 65r-66v: Gregory of Tours, extract
(concerning a posthumous miracle shown to St Brice of Tours) from
the Historia Francorum , beginning: 'De sancto Bricio'. ff.
66v-67v: Gregory of Tours, extract (on the translation of St Martin
of Tours) from the Libri Octo Miraculorum, beginning: 'De
translatione sancti Martini'. ff. 67v-68r: An erased text about St
Martin of Tours (his name partially legible in the erased rubric)
with 5 leaves excised. ff. 68r-68v: A hymn on St Martin of Tours,
beginning: 'Dei virtus et sapientia cuius nutu'. ff. 68v-105r:
Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum , Books I-IV, beginning:
'Incipit liber primus miraculorum beati Martini editus a beato
Gregorio Turonorum episcopo'. [f. 105v is empty]. Decoration:1
large puzzle initial with penwork decoration (f. 3v). Initials in
red or blue with penwork decoration in the other colour. Simple
initials in green, red, blue or light brown. Display script in
blue, red or green. Rubrics in red. Paragraph marks in green, red,
light brown or black.
