Paris, BnF, lat. 3839A

Library	Bibliothèque nationale de France
Shelfmark	lat. 3839A
Century	s. XI2-XVII
General region of origin	Saint-Aubin in Angers
Collection	Collectio XXX capitulorum (De ratione matrimonii)
Collection 2	[[Collectio Dionysio-Hadriana]]
Collection 3	[[Abbreviatio Ansegisi et Benedicti Levitae]]
Collection 4	[[Collectio Dacheriana]]
Collection 5	[[Collectio Hispana and Collectio Hispana Systematica]]
Main author	Bruno Schalekamp

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 3839A is a late eleventh to early twelfth and fourteenth-century manuscript of 163 folios (2-162 + 143bis and 144bis) in 1 col. (fols. 6r-16r, 18r-27v, 29r-79r, 86r-110r, 116r-134v, 136r-138v, 148r-153v, and 162r-v) and 2 cols. (fols. 2r-5v, 16r-17v, 28r-v, 79r-85v, 110r-115v, 134v-135v, 139r-147v, and 154v-161v). It is made of parchment and paper (only fol. 1). Measurements as follows: part I: 220 x 165 mm; II: 210-215 x 145-150 mm; III: 295 x 265 mm (260 x 200 mm); IV: 270 x 225 mm. Its preliminary codicological composition reads as follows: 20 or 21 quires, divided in four parts (I: fols. 2-5 and 154-161, II: 6-153, III: 143bis, IV: 145): II⁵ + IV¹³ + V²³ + 2 x IV³⁹ + V⁴⁹ + 2 x IV⁶⁵ + V⁷⁵ + 5 x IV¹¹⁵ + V¹²⁵ + IV¹³³ + (III – 1)¹³⁸ + (VI – 3)¹⁴⁷ + III¹⁵³ + IV¹⁶¹ + ?¹⁶³. (Early?) modern folio numbering in Arabic numerals are found on the recto side of each folio. It was written by many different hands, which can be specified as follows: part I: one hand; II: two hands; III: one hand; IV: one hand; late Caroline minuscule; Baluze on previously mentioned folios, early modern hand. These parts can be dated as follows: I-II: saec. XI² according to Kéry and Mordek; III: saec. XI^ex-XIIⁱⁿ; IV: saec. XIV; and the first fol. from saec. XVII according to Kéry. The manuscript's origins are from Saint-Aubin in Angers according to Kéry and Mordek. Its provenance is only known to have been in possession of Étienne Baluze through his much-included signature (see fol. 2r Stephanus Baluzius Tutelensis, also found on 77v, 107r, 110r, 139r, 148v) until 1719, when it was transferred to the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Both Mordek and Kéry have noted the similar transmission of this manuscript with Paris, BnF, lat. 3839.

Contents

Paris lat. 3839A is a medium to large-sized composite manuscript and contains almost exclusively canonical material. This includes, in order of appearance, the Collectio Dionysio-Hadriana, the Abbreviatio Ansegisi et Benedicti Levitae, the first chapters of the Collectio XXX capitulorum (De ratione matrimonii), and the Collectio Dacheriana. This also includes three unknown canonical collections, of which the first contains excerpts of the Collectio Hispana Systematica, the second has excerpts of the Collectio Hispana, and the third consists of unknown material concerning exclusively monks. The rest of the codex comprises a wide variety of sermons, epistles, and papal decretals, as well as general conciliar and patristic material. Some examples include Pseudoisidore's False Decretals, the councils of Meaux-Paris and Vannes, an epistle and a decretal of pope Gregory VII, among others. Lastly, the manuscript has a version of the Notitia Galliarum, some biblical excerpts (mostly of Psalms), and three texts on exorcisms, prayers for heretics, and prayers for the sick. The extremely dense composition of canonical material, which makes use of 6 (!) 'established' collections, points to an episcopal context for the creation and use of this handwritten work. One may even argue the manuscript is simply a 'large project of excerpts', as it rarely includes the complete contents of a particular collection. This thus points to a highly educated and particularly interested patron or group of scribes tasked by their patron to produce the codex.

Fols. 139v-140r of the manuscript, showing the last canons of the council of Vannes and the beginning of Pseudo-Clemens I's epistle

The codex is a very well-preserved work, with structured columns, Roman numbering of canons, as well as occasional non-illuminated capitals introducing new texts. Sometimes titles of works can be found at the top of a folio side, but these seem to have been cut off at a later stage. Some marginalia can be found in both medieval and early modern hands. While the former were probably added not much later after the manuscript's composition, the latter must assumedly be of Baluze. The lack of black spots of fingers or tears on the sides of the folios point to its exclusive use in small circles, probably not much outside of its patron's own group of associates. It may even be speculated the codex remained exclusively within their private collection.

See the digitized version: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b100737511.

folios	texts
	Front cover and flyleaf
1r	Early modern (17th century) description of contents of the manuscript by Baluze
1v	Blank page
2ra-4va	Excerpts of a pontifical
4ra-5vb	Excerpts of an unidentified sermon.
6r-7r	Notitia Galliarum
7r-10v	Excerpts of Pseudoisidore’s False Decretals
11r-34v	Collectio Dionysio-Hadriana
34v-76r	Abbreviatio Ansegisi et Benedicti Levitae collectionis
76r-v	Collectio XXX capitulorum (De ratione matrimonii), chapters I-VIII
76v-106v	Collectio Dacheriana. The bottom of fol. 106v includes a small table collating the Greek alphabet with Latin numerals
107r-109v	The Council of Meaux-Paris (845/846). Numbered I through XXVI, a later hand has added the numbering of canons used in modern times. In reality, the following canons are used, in order of appearance: c. 63-70, 72, 77, 79, 23, 26, 33, 36, 37, 39, 45, 49, 50, 56, 38, 10, 22, 43, and 62
109v-134r	An unknown canonical collection in 342 chapters, of which most seem to be excerpts of the Collectio Hispana systematica
135r-139rb	An unknown canonical collection in 114 titles, of which most seem to be excerpts of the Collectio Hispana
139rb-140ra	Council of Vannes (461/491), canons 1-16
140ra-141rb	Epistle of Pseudo-Clemens I
141rb-142ra	Epistle of Symmachus. 12th century, incomplete addition
142ra-b	Excerpts of various patristic works. Includes works by Augustine, Jerome and pope Nicholas I. 12th century addition
142v	Blank page
143r-143bisr	Fragment of the Gesta Consulum Andegavorum. 12th century addition. The b-side of 143bis has been cut off
143bisv and 144r-v	Blank pages
145r-145bisv	Guillelmus Duranti's Commentum super novissimis constitutionibus Gregorii X. 12th century addition
146ra-va	Decretal of pope Gregory the Great to Marinianus, bishop of Ravenna
146va-147ra	Epistle of pope Gregory VII
147ra-vb	Decretal of pope Gregory VII
148r	Small collection in six titles concerning monks. Contains excerpts of papal epistles as well as council acts
148v-153r	The oecumenical Council of Ephesus (431), canons 1-12
153v	The twelfth council of Toledo (681), canon 2
154ra-158rb	Incomplete excerpts of a text on prayers concerning exorcisms
158rb-159va	Excerpts of (?) a text on prayers for heretics
159va-161ra	De confessione
161ra-vb	Excerpts of (?) a text on prayers for the sick
161r-v	Biblical excerpts, here: Psalms 37:20-23, 38:1-14, and 39:1-6, cutting off in the second half of the last verse
162r-v	Blank pages
	Paper flyleaf and back cover

Literature

Bertram, ‘Die Dekretalensammlung Papst Nikolaus III’ (2004) p. 72; Kéry, Canonical Collections (1999), p. 16, 76, 81, 89, 107, 123, and 181; Mordek, Bibliotheca capitularium (1995), p. 525; Mordek, Kirchenrecht und Reform (1975), p. 180-182 ns. 394 and 400, 246, 259, and 263; Mordek, Studien zur fränkischen Herrschergesetzbung (2000), p. 99 n. 93; Reynolds, Studies on Medieval Liturgical and Legal Manuscripts (2009), cited in sources.

An edition of the Collectio XXX capitulorum (De ratione matrimonii) is currently being prepared by Sven Meeder, Gideon de Jong, and Bruno Schalekamp.