Codex Londiniensis, British Library, Additional MS 16901

-----------------------------

Contains the Apologeticum, f.2; De Monogamia, f.48; De pallio, f.63; De Patientia dei, f.71; Adversus Praxean, f. 81; Adversus Valentinianos, f.109v.  It's in the online catalogue, but isn't mentioned in CSEL or CCL. According to the catalogue it's 15th century and written in Italy.  It's a small folio, with original stamped leather covers and clasps.

Inspected 1st May 1999.

Petitmengin 1 tells us that it was written around 1458 by the same Florentine scribe who specialised in Tertullian, and also wrote Vat. lat. 189/192/193. The manuscript  belongs to the beta (Hirsau) branch of the Corpus Cluniacense, and contains the same works as Vat. lat. 193, but in a different order.  (Probably the Apologeticum, therefore, is derived in the same way from the alpha branch manuscript, N).  Petitmengin says that it forms part of the same set as the Budapest manuscript of Adversus Marcionem, and is richly decorated in the same way; although judging from the picture of folio 1 of the latter, this may not be correct.  Petitmengin also says that it has been carefully revised, although whether also by Johannes Vitèz, bishop of Varada/Oradea (Grosswardein) in Transylvania, is not specified.  Possibly it too was written originally for the King of Hungary? 

What is certain is that before entering the British Museum, it arrived at Salzburg, together with many other manuscripts once owned by Vitez († 1472).  (These manuscripts were brought by his successor to the Archbishopric of Esztergom, Johann Beckensloer -- see CSAPODI -- the successor of Vitéz as Archbishop of Esztergom, who became Archbishop of Salzburg in 1482).  It appears in the old catalogues of the library of Sankt Peter (noted from this as a lost manuscript by Hoppe, p.xv, Codex Salisburgensis S.Petri a VIII 3, '10th century').  As well as the Budapest Ms., there must also have been a third volume (containing the same contents as Vat. lat. 189) 1.

This manuscript seems to have originated a little Austrian group of manuscripts, now lost, containing these same 6 works in this order, distinguished by having the Apologeticum first.  It is attested also in lists drawn up by Johannes Tröster and Johannes Cuspinianus (See Cluny Corpus page).

BL Catalogue Entry :  

Details as given.

Microfilms Available?  

No.  Black/White negative of cover available. Neg.# 21278.

Binding :  

Beautiful stamped leather with two brass-and-cloth clasps to hold book shut (lower one broken). 

Spine :  

Four bumps on spin for sewing.  Paper label at top with 454 on it.  Then in small capitals TERTULLIANI | OPERA | MUS.BRIT|JURE|EMPTIONIS|16,901|[something removed]|PLUT|LX [?](The dividers are the line breaks.)  Another paper label at the bottom with a on it.

End-leaves :  

Card.

Material details :  

Vellum.  Size is 19cm wide x 29.5 cm high.  Written area is 11cm wide x 18cm high.  Running headers in red, e.g. Apolositicus. Tar | Capt. Secundus. Written above the top line.  Large decorated initial at the start of each work.  Incipit and explicit in red.   Pencilled folio numbers in top right corner.  Condition is excellent.   Humanistic script.  Red chpater titles.  Larger blue initials. Pages are ruled.

Ultra-violet : Not Applicable.

Folio Notes
f.1r Minor worm hole in bottom right-hand corner.  British Museum stamp at top.   At the bottom is written:

Purchased of Tho. Rodd
17 Apr. 1849

f.1v Ruled with point rather than pencil.  Table of contents:

In isto volumine continentur manuscripta opera tartuliam
cartaginensis videlicet

Apologeticum li 1
De monogamia l 1
De pallio l 1
De patientia dei l 1
Aduersus praxeam l 1
Aduersus Valentinianos l 1
f.2r Begins at top:

APOLOSITICUM TERTVLLIANI CAPITVLUM DE
IGNORANTIA IN XPO IESV INCIPIT FELICITER

SI NON LICET ROMANI romani imperij ... (the initial is decorated).

f.47r Apologeticum ends halfway down the page with:

-namur a vobis; a deo absoluimur:-
:FINIS:

Remainder of page blank.

f.47v Blank, but ruled.
f.48r Begins at top of page:

Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIANI DE MONO
GAMIA LIBER INCIPIT FELICITER :-
H
ERETICI NVPTIAS AVFERVT.
psythici ingerunt. illi nec fel...(the initial is decorated).  The chapters are marked only by an capital letter in blue in the margin.

f.62v Ends two thirds of the way down the page with:

Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIANI DE MONO
GAMIA LIBER EXPLICIT FELICITER :

Followed by a red British Museum stamp in the blank portion of the page.

f.63r Begins at the top:

Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIAN DE PAL
LIO LIBER INCIPIT FELICITER :-

PRINCIPES SEMPER AFRI..(the initial is decorated)

f.70v Ending halfway down this page with:

-quo christianum vestire cepisti :-
Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIANI DE PAL
LIO LIBER EXPLICIT LEGE FELICITER :-

f.71r Begins at the top:

Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIANI PRESBY
TERI DE PATIENTIA DEI LIBER INCIPIT FELICIT.

CONFITEOR AD DOMINVM
deum satis temere (the initial is decorated).

f.80v Halfway down the page:

...qui in resur|rectionem carnis & spiritus credimus :-
Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIANI DE PA
TIENTIA DEI LIBER EXPLICIT FELICITER :-

f.81r Begins at the top:

Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIANI AD
VERSVS PRAXEAM LIBER INCIPIT FELICITER :-
VARIE DIABOLUS EMULA
tus est veritatem... (the initial is decorated).

f.109v 4 lines at the top of the page ending:

Non habet autes filiusque eum alium quam filium credit.
EXPLICIT LIBER ADVERSVS PRAXEAN

followed by two blank lines.  Then:

Q. SEPTIMI FLORENTIS TERTVLLIANI KARThA
GINENSIS ADVERSVS VALENTINIANOS LIBER
INCIPIT FELICITER :-

VALENTINIANI FREQVENTIS
simum.... (the initial is decorated).

f.124v At the top are 8 lines, ending with:

...oleuerunt gnosticorum :-
LIBER ADVERSVS VALENTINIANOS EXPLI
CIT FELICITER :-
.

followed by a British Museum stamp.

f.125r Ruled but blank
f.125v Ruled but blank
f.126 Blank
f.127 The card end leaf.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Pierre PETITMENGIN, Tertullien entre la fin du XIIe et le début du XVIe siècle, in M. CORTESI (ed), Padri Greci e Latini a confronto: Atti del Convegno di studi della Società Internazionale per lo Studio del Medioevo Latino.  Firenze: SISMEL (2004).  pp. 63-88.  Checked.  

2. Kl. CSAPODI-GÁRDONYI, Die bibliothek des Johannes Vitez, Budapest (1984) p. 140, pl.77.  Not checked. (Details Petitmengin n. 64).

This page has been online since 11th December 1999.


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