This manuscript from the Benedictine abbey of Stavelot was written
during the abbacy of Erlebald (1158-1192) or Gerard (1191-1210).
The manuscript originally contained Gregory the Great’s Dialogi
(Dialogues), a collection of sermons by Ephraim the Syrian (b. c.
306, d. 373), but a number of shorter texts were added at the end
in the early 13th century. The manuscript was owned by Stavelot
until the sale of its manuscripts in 1847. Contents: ff. 1r-90r,
Gregory the Great, Dialogi (Books I-IV), beginning ‘Incipit liber
primus Dialogorum Gregorij Pape’. ff. 90v-94v: Ephraim the
Syrian, De Die Iudicii (On the Day of Judgment), ‘De Adventu
domini et de die iudicii Omelia beati Effrem diaconi [text:]
Venite, dilectissimi fratres, exortationem meam suscipite’. ff.
94v-98r: Ephraim the Syrian, De Iudicio Dei et Resurrection (On the
Judgment of God and the Resurrection), beginning ‘Item omelia
beati Effrem diaconi [text:] Gloria omnipotenti deo qui os nostrum
superno nutu apparuit’. ff. 98v-100v: Ephraim the Syrian, De
Beatitudine Animae (On the Blessedness of the Soul), ‘Item Omelia
beati Effrem diaconi [text:] Beatus qui odio habuit hunc mundum et
sollicitudo et meditacio eius’. ff. 100v-103r: Ephraim the
Syrian, De Luctamine Spiritali (On the Spiritual Struggle), ‘Item
omelia beati Effrem [text:] In luctaminibus huius seculi nullus
sine agone certamine coronabitur’. ff. 103v-106r: Ephraim the
Syrian, De Poenitentia (On Penance), beginning ‘Dominus ihesus
Christus qui de caelo descendit de sinu patris et factus est nobis
via salutis super penitentia nos instruens’ ff. 106v-112r:
Ephraim the Syrian, De Dilectione Dei (On God's Love), beginning
‘Color me compellit dicere et iniquitas commminatur mihi ut
filei’. The manuscript contains several additions: f. 112r: A
prophecy about catastrophic events for the year 1229 attributed to
John David of Toledo (fl. 12 th century) (‘Magister Johannes
david toletanus’), added by a 13 th century scribe. f. 112v:
Henry V (r. 1099-1125), Holy Roman Emperor, Versus Heinrici
Imperator V ad filium suum, added by a 13 th -century scribe. ff.
113r-115r: Sigebert of Gembloux (b. c. 1030, d. 1112), Epistola ad
Leodienses , added by a 13 th -century scribe. f. 115v: Responsory
for the feast of St Gregory, ‘Fulgebat in venerando’, with
music notation, added by a 13 th -century scribe. ff. 116r-116v: A
9 th -century leaf from a Missal, written in Central Italy.
Decoration:8 large initials with foliate decoration and zoomorphic
figures in red ink (ff. 1r, 17v, 35v, 90v, 94v, 98v, 103v, 106v). 2
large initials in red ink (f. 63r and f. 100v). Small initials in
red ink throughout the manuscript. Line-fillers in red ink.
