Harley MS 4172

This manuscript contains various items that appear to have been compiled for the use of a priest. The first part (ff. 1r-63r) contains one of the seven extant copies of the Sacerdos parochialis, a manual for parish priests in Middle English and Latin, including tracts on the Pater noster, Ave Maria, Credo, Ten Commandments, Two Evangelical Commandments, Seven Works of Mercy, Seven Principal Virtues, Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Sacraments. It also contains a Latin work entitled De Festis Duplicibus. These two items form the original core of the manuscript, copied, as the explicit of the latter work indicates, in the year 1426. The manuscript's subsequent sections are written in different hands, some of which may have been part of other 15th-century manuscripts and added to this manuscript at an unknown point in time before it reached the Harleian Library.

Contents:

ff. 1r-15v: Sacerdos parochialis, beginning: 'Sacerdos parochialis tenetur per Canones docere et predicare in lingua materna quater in anno septem peticiones oracionis dominice'.

ff. 15v-49v: De Festis Duplicibus, beginning: 'De fratrum nostrorum consilioi dies festos presentibus insere duxere'.

ff. 50r-53r: Sermon on the Lord's Prayer in Middle English and Latin, entitled: 'Sermo de oracione dominica' and beginning: 'Pater noster quie es in celis . Owre fader þat art in heven'

ff. 53r-63r: Sermon on the Ten Commandments, entitled: 'Decem precepta dei', beginning: 'These are þe .x. commaundementes þat yche cristen mon and wommon are holden for to knowe and kepe'. ending: 'Laus tibi sit Christe quoniam liber explicit iste Anno domini Millo CCCCo xxvjo'.

f. 63v: A note on absolution of sins, beginning: 'Memorandum quod simplex sacerdos curatus potest absolvere suos parochianos sibi confessos ab omnibus peccatis occultis'.

f. 63v: Anonymous poem [entitled 'Casus episcopales patent in his versibus' in a printed publication of Guido de Monte Rochen, Manipulus curatorum in Oxford, Bodleian Library, Incunable G-290], beginning: ‘Qui facit incestum deflorans aut homicida / Sacrilegus patrum percussor sic sodomita'.

f. 63v: A Latin stanza associated with the Life of St Dorothy, recounting the forms of protection that can be earned those who commemorate the saint: 'In quacumque domo nomen fuerit vel ymago / Virginis eximie dorothee martiris alme / Nullus abortivus infans nascetur in illa / Nec domus ignis furti que pericula sentet / Nec quisquam in ibi poterit mala morte perire'; followed by a prayer to St Dorothy.

ff. 64r-65r: Poem for the clergy, beginning: 'Viri beatissimi sacerdotes dei / Preciones altissimi lucerne diei'.

ff. 65r-65v: Verba Malachi prophete, beginning: 'Labia sacerdotis custodiant scienciam et legem requirant populi de ore eius quod angelus dominum exercituum est'.

ff. 65v-66r: Advice for the clergy, beginning: 'Quod sacerdotes cavere debeant ne oculi eorum qui iudent omnia idenum inclinentur'.

ff. 66r-66v: Sunday Letter, beginning: 'Epistola domini nostri ihesu Christi de die dominica'.

ff. 67r-67v: Sermon on Sunday Observance, beginning: 'Augustinus dicit [? Minus] malum esset in diebus dominicis arare vel fodere'.

f. 67v: Imperfect tract, beginning: 'Magnus medicus descendit ad egetum magnas afferens medicinas faciles'.

ff. 68r-68v: Imperfect tract on Sunday observance, beginning: 'ad primam horam ferie secundam apostolicam nobis cataractas celi et multiciplicabo'.

f. 68v: Tract, beginning: 'Magnus medicus venit gaudeant egrociantes mana de celo descendit gaudeat'.

ff. 68v-69v: Advice for priests, beginning: 'Sacerdos dicitur quasi sacer dux . sacer dans . sacer docens . sacris deditus . sacris dotatus'.

f. 69v: Tract on the power of priests to save souls, beginning: 'Nota quod omnes qui sacerdotii nomine censentur angeli vocantur'.

f. 69v: A tract on the four houses of mankind, beginning: 'Dispone domui tue etc. Nota quod 4or sunt domus hominis quibus disponere debemus'.

ff. 69v-70r: Peter of Blois, Sermo in nativitate domini, beginning: 'Ideo parvulus nascitur ut nos magnificet'.

f. 70r: A Latin tract, beginning: 'In patriarchis ad celum sine errore incipientibus veritas in promisso in resurrectione'.

ff. 70r-71r: Tract on the Passion, entitled: 'De homine conqueritus Christi'; beginning: 'Pro te fui obediens usque ad mortem mortem autem crucis'.

ff. 71r: A tract entitled: 'Christi in baptismo celum aperuit'; beginning: '[Primo] Christo baptizato et orante celi aperti sunt'.

ff. 71r-71v: Notes on opening and closing the mouth, entitled: 'Os nostrum debet esse apertum'; and 'Os nostrum debet esse clausum'.

f. 71v: A prayer, beginning: 'Oracio sit corde . unde clamabat moyses ad dominum et susanna'.

f. 71v: Two notes on flattery, beginning: 'Adulacio que prodest et nulli vocet ne veniale est que obest mortale est'.

ff. 71v-73v: Treatise on the Apostle's Creed, entitled: 'Simbolum apostolicum', and beginning: '[C]redo in deum patrem omnipotentem. Notandum est quod hec doctrina fidei exposita est sub interrogacione discipuli dicentis'.

ff. 73v-76v: Treatise on the Lord's Prayer, beginning: '[V]olumus fratres karissimi parvam vobis admonissionem de oracione dominica facere'.

ff. 77r-90v: Speculum peccatoris, beginning: 'Quoniam karissime in huius via vite fugientes sumus'.

ff. 90v-91r: Tract on Christ, begining: 'Mirabilis fuit caritas Christi. Dedit enim nobis carnem in cibum / sanguinem in potum / animam in precium'.

ff. 91r-92r: Hugh of St victor, De magna peccatoris respiratione, et dubiorum circa conscientiam decisione [here without author or title], beginning: 'Insipientem doctus interrogas. Queris quid tibi faciendum sit pro eo quod in habitu religionis positus'.

ff. 92r-92v: An untitled treatise, beginning: 'Circa elemonisam attende causam et finem modum et ordinem'. ff. 92v-93r: Tract on humility, beginning: 'Humilitas in quatuor maxime consistit'.

f. 93r: Treatise on the three enemies of mankind, beginning: 'Habemus triplicem inimicum: diabolum, mundum et carnem'.

ff. 93r-94r: Tract on Charity, beginning: 'Quicumque religiosus vel laicus plus appetit perpetuo vivere istam vitam'.

f. 94v: Excerpt of the Gospel of Mark, beginning: '[I]N illo tempore dixit ihesus discipulis Amen dico vobis quia quicumque dixerit'.

ff. 95r-105r: De duodecim tribulationibus [here without title], beginning: 'Anima tribulata et temptata tibi verbum istud proponitur ut discas de quo tribulaciones dederviunt'.

ff. 105r-105v: De tribus habitaculis [here without title], beginning: 'Tria sunt omnipotentis dei manu habitacula . scilicet: Simum . Ymum . et medium'. f. 106v: List of indulgences issued by Popes Urban IV, Martin V, and Eugene IV, beginning: 'Sanctissimi in Christo Patres Urbanus quartus, Martinus quintus et Eugenius quartus pape cunctus Christi fidelibus vere pnitentibus et confessis ob sanctissimi sacramenti'.

ff. 108r-115v: Speculum Christiani, imperfect due to loss of folios, beginning: 'In principio cuiuslibet operis permitte dominicam oracionem et signum crucis in fronte'.

ff. 116r-122v: Treatise on preparation for confession, imperfect at the beginning and end, beginning: 'shappes and of diverse colours and ofte to be chaunged and diversed fro oþere to be worldeli praysed and muche spoken of Also in werynge gurdeles of selver and knyves harneysed with selver þat miȝte have beo putte to bettere use and spended upon goddes peple'.

The manuscript contains several later additions:

f. 1*verso: A Latin note on spiritual kinship through baptism; added in the 15th century.

f. 1*verso: An English note: 'Memorandum that my brothyrs [...]'; added in the (?) 15th or 16th century.

f. 94v: Memento mori poem, beginning: 'Turres erigintur ad securittatem edificia dilectantur ad voluptatem . sed mors non terretur [etc.]'; followed by an English translation: 'Sum men reren castels and towres / and sum men timbren halles and bowres / comes dethe and thorogh gothe bowres and halles / ne may hym withstonde none stan walles / and he takes mon therfro qwan he lest wolde / and berieth him lowe vnder tho molde.

f. 106r: Three Latin prayers, beginning: 'Ave quem iesum testatur plebs hebreorum obvia cum palmis tibi clamans verba salutis'; added in the (?) 15th century.

f. 107r: An inscription: 'Quem quillibet alter, unus, duo, tres [...]'; added in the (?) 16th century.

f. 107r: An inscription: 'neclect not this duy if thou meanest'; added in the (?) 16th century.

f. 107v: Form of announcing marriage banns, beginning: 'Reverende distracionis viro rectori ecclesie parochialis de Clifton'; announcing the marriages of Richard Smyth and Alicia Screuen and Thomas Swan and Alicia Smyth to the parishes of Clifton and Southam in the diocese of London; the first bann is dated 24 September 1451; written in the 2nd half of the 15th century.

f. 123r: Latin note: 'Autoritate mihi in hac parte commissa ego induco te in realem et corporalem possessionem istius ecclesie cum suis juribus et partinencijs universis'; added inthe 15th century.

f. 124r: Latin notes: 'Si male viventes me [...] parentes / Culpam no merui nec reus inde fui / Sum mundus totus sacro baptismate lotus / aut non est munda sacri baptismatis unda'; added in the 15th century.

Decoration:

Full bar border in blue and red with a large initial in blue with red penwork decoration, and a smaller plain initial in red (f. 1r). Blue initials with red pen-flourishing. Plain initials in red, some large, some small. Rubrics in red. Paraphs in red or blue.

Added sketch of a human head in brown ink on f. 123r; added in the (?) 15th century. Ink drawings of two crossed horns with the heads of a man and a woman on f. 2*verso and a bearded man holding a book and a man with moustache and long hair on f. 123v; added in the (?) 17th century.