The only witness of a canonical collection commonly called the
Collectio Britannica (The British Collection) . This collection
originated in France (perhaps in Chartres), and was a reworking of
a previous collection. Historical excerpts contained in this
manuscript suggest that the manuscript is a copy that incorporates
material put together in the context of Louis VI's coronation in
1108. This volume was probably written shortly after the summer of
1108, in northern France (see Rolker, 'History and Canon Law in the
Collectio Britannica' (2008) and Rolker, Canon law (2009)). This
compilation consists of fragments of Papal letters, including two
Varia sections (ff. 52r-120r; 171r-210v). The papal letters were
copied directly or indirectly from papal registers, now lost. The
first Varia section consists of patristic and Roman law materials
taken from the Digest, the Digestum Vetus (Old Digest) , one
excerpt from the Digestum Novum (the New Digest) and the Deusdedit
Canon. The second Varia section deals with historical material
linked to Frankish affairs such as the disputed coronation of Louis
VI. Contents:ff. 2r-8v: A table of contents for the compilation,
imperfect.ff. 9r-27v: Excerpts from Pope Gelasius I's letters.ff.
27v-38v: Excerpts from Pope Pelagius I's letters. ff. 38v-52r:
Excerpts from Pope Alexander II's letters. ff. 52r-120r: Varia,
part I beginning with 49 excerpts from the Corpus Iuris Civilis
(Collection of Civil Law), and more specifically with quotations of
the Digest and Justinian's Institutes (ff. 52r-65v), beginning:
'Vocare in ius non oportet'; Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals (ff.
65v-85r), beginning: 'Si iuraverat'; Excerpts from St Augutine, De
baptismo contra Donatistas (On the Baptism against the Donatists)
(ff. 85r-92r); Excerpts from St Augustine's sermons, beginning with
the sermon De verbis Apostoli (On the Word of the Apostle) (ff.
92r-96r); Excerpts from St Augustine's Expositio Epistulae ad
Romanos (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans) (ff. 96r-v);
Excerpts from St Augustine's De diversis questionibus (On various
questions) (ff. 97r-98r); St Augustine's epistle to Hilarius (ff.
97v-98r); St Augustine's epistle to St Boniface (f. 98r); St
Augustine's epistle to Prosper and to Hilarius (ff. 98r-v); Excerpt
from Pope Nicholaus I's epistle (ff. 98v-99r); St Augustine's
epistle to Xanthippus (ff. 99r-100r); St Jerome's epistle to
Amandus (f. 100r); Pope Adrian I's various epistles (ff.
100r-104r); excerpts from the canonical collection Canones Gregorii
(Laws of Gregory) related to several questions such as the
ordination of bishops (ff. 104r-106v); excerpts from St Augustine's
sermon De ebrietate (On inebriation) (ff. 106r-107r); excerpts from
the penitential called Penitentiale Theodori (the Penitential of
Theodore) (ff. 107r-108r); excerpt from Charles the Bold's deed
against Wenilo, archbishop of Sens (ff. 108r-v); excerpts from St
Augustine, De trinitate (On Trinity) (ff. 108r-110r); excerpts from
St Gregory's Dialogues (ff. 110r-111r); excerpt from St Ambrose's
commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (ff. 111r-v); excerpt from
St Ambrose's commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians (f. 112r);
excerpts from St Augustine's epistle to St Jerome, St Jerome's
epistles to Rufinus and St Jerome's epistle to Julian (ff. 112r-v);
excerpt from St Jerome's treatise Contra Vigilantium (Against
Vigilantius) (ff. 112v-113v); excerpt from Agapetus I's epistle to
Caesarius of Arles (f. 113v); Pope Vigilius's epistle to Caesarius
of Arles (f. 113v-114r); various short excerpts from St Augustine's
works and epistles (ff. 114r-119v); short extracts from Bede, De
temporum ratione (On the reckoning of time) (f. 119v); excerpt from
St Eucherius of Lyon, Instruction to Salonius (f. 120r). ff.
120r-136v: Excerpts from Pope John VIII's epistles, beginning with
the epistle addressed to Bertharius of Monte Cassino.ff. 136v-142r:
Excerpts from St Boniface's epistles. ff. 142v-153r: Excerpts from
Pope Urban II's epistles, ff. 153r-159v: Excerpts from Pope Stephen
V's epistles, ff. 159v-171r: Excerpts from Pope Leo VI's epistles,
ff. 171r-210v: Varia, part II beginning with Pope Honorius I's
epistle to Bishop John and Gaudius, notary of Campanie (ff.
171r-v), beginning: 'Presentium lator, interclusa voce', followed
by five other Honorius I's epistles (ff. 171v-172v); St Jerome's
epistle to Rusticus (f. 172v); excerpts from Pseudo-Prosper of
Aquitaine, De Vita Contemplativa (On the Contemplative Life) (ff.
172v-174r); excerpts from St John Chrysostom, De Reparatione Lapsi
(On the redemption of apostates) (ff. 174r-v); excerpts from
Gelasius I's De Anathematis Vinculo (On the constraints of
anathema) (ff. 174v-176v); excerpt from Pope Adrian II's epistle
and decret after the first Council of Troyes (868) (ff. 176v-177r);
excerpt from Pope Adrian II's epistle to the bishops of the sixth
Council of Soissons (f. 177r); a collection of excerpts from the
chronicle Continuatio Aimoini, including an extract from the
Annales Bertiniani (ff. 177r-180r); excerpts from St Ambrose's
commentary on the Gospel of Luke (ff. 180r-181v); excerpts from the
Digest and the Deusdedit Canon, including excerpts from the Liber
Diurnus, a collection of papal letters and papal formulae (ff.
181v-210v); ending with Pope Nicholaus I's epistle to Hincmar of
Reims (f. 210v). Decoration:Small initials, Roman numerals and
rubrics in red. After f. 127 spaces are left blank for initials and
rubrics. Brown initials with penwork decoration.
Place
Preferred form
France, Northern
Original form
Northern France
Other form
Nord de la France
Nord de la France (?) (Fichier Avril)
Nord de la France (?)
France (Nord).
France (Nord)
France (Nord) (?)
France (nord)
France (Nord : voir Faral, Bastin, Œuvres complètes de Rutebeuf, p. 26-27).
France (Nord de la France ?)
Nordfrankreich
França (nord)
Francia (norte)
Frankrijk (noorden)
Laon
France (nord : Laon ?)
França (nord: Laon?)
Nordfrankreich (Laon?)
Northern France (Laon?)
Francia (norte: Laon?)
Northern France (Paris?)
France, North, Chelles (nunnery) or Jouarre (nunnery) (?)
