Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts
MS. 42
Rule of the Ambrosian Society
Contents:
-
Table of contents
extent:ff. 1r-1v
rubric:
Iesus.Ave Maria. Infrascripte sono le ordinatione de le compagnie nostre ambrosiane intitulate a le solennitade de la Madona.
incipit:
Capitulo primo de la ordinatione de la regula nostra
explicit:
sociis congregationis nostre huius ambrosiane.
decoration:On f. 1v filling bottom half of page is a minature of the Adoration of the Infant Jesus by Mary, a shepherd, and Joseph. From right to left: a stable with a wood and thatch roof, supported by wooden pillars with a partial brick wall, in which sit animals adoring the infant. A marble base and columns stand in front of the stable. In the foreground stand Mary and Joseph. The infant lies between them on the hem of Mary's cloak. A shepherd genuflects behind the infant. In the background is a lake with a walled city before some hills. Also in the background an angel gestures to a shepherd indicating the infant. Sheep graze next to the shepherd on a hill. The miniature is set in a gold-trimmed red field with golden floral decoration set within a blue border.
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Rule of the Ambrosian Society
extent:ff. 2r-50r
rubric:
Capitulo primo de la ordinatione de la regula nostra Ambrosiana
incipit:
Nec arrogans videri estimo si inter socios meos suscipiam effectum huius reguli dicendi
explicit:
ut constat in predicta regula capituli rogationum instituit ⁊ conformauit.
decoration:On f. 2r filling the top third of the page is a minature of St. Ambrose on his cathedra. From right to left: a purple clad figure carrying a red sack over his left shoulder kneels on the lower step of the cathedra and hands a blue-bound book to one of four figures kneeling on the opposite side of the cathedra. Ambrose, sitting on the cathedra in episcopal regalia (including gloves, mitre, staff) offers a blessing. Across the background are set green columns with golden bases and blue decorated panels. The miniature is set in a gold-trimmed red field with golden floral decoration set within a green border. Three line initial space on f. 1r.
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Litanies according to the Ambrosian practice
extent:ff. 50v-52r
rubric:
Letanie deuotissime domini nostri yhesu Christi secundum morem ambrosianum
incipit:
Kyrie eleyson kyrie kyrie
explicit:
et ora pro peccato meo. Amen.
decoration:On f. 49v four-line red capital with red and brown flourishes.
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Prayer
extent:f. 52v
rubric:
In quid diuus Bernardus
incipit:
Agnosce homo, aspice ⁊ diligenter considera
explicit:
Mentibus ex nostris stet procul omne fugax
decoration:On f. 51v four-line red capital with red and brown flourishes.
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Epitaph of Frederick II
extent:f. 52v
rubric:
Fiderici Imperatoris epitaphium super eius sepulcrum
incipit:
Tu qui transis vt mundum spernere possis
explicit:
et in eternum non peccabis, nec timorem mortis timebis
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Etymology of the name Ambrose
extent:ff. 52v-53r
rubric:
Tabula ordinata per presbyterum Johannem Marcum canonicum de caponibus.
incipit:
AMbrosius Dicitur ad Ambraque est species valde redolens
explicit:
hec de ethimologia nominis gloriosissimi patris nostri Ambrosii
decoration:On f. 52r four-line red initial A with flourishes on green background.
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Letter on morals and the honest life
author:Pseudo-Ambrose
extent:ff. 53r-54v
rubric:
Epistola beatissimi doctoris Ambrosii o Mediolanensis archiepiscopi De moribus et honesta vita
incipit:
Dilecte fili dilige lacrimas et noli differe eas
explicit:
ut i quod legendo respicis, iuuendo contemnas contemnas. Deo gratias amen.
decoration:On f. 52r a three line initial in red and brown.
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Antiphon in commemoration of Saint Ambrose
extent:f. 54v
rubric:
Antiphone in commemoratione
incipit:
O clara lux fidelium Ambrosi doctor inclite
explicit:
et intercede pro salute omnium populorum
decoration:On f. 52r a three line initial in red and brown.
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Excerpts from De officiis ministrorum
author:Ambrose, Saint, Bishop of Milan
extent:ff. 54v-55r
rubric:
De ratione tacendi. In primo de officiis
incipit:
rarum est tacere quemquam
explicit:
quadam dote commendatur nature
decoration:On f. 53v, three-line initial in red with brown flourishes.
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Disputation between a sinner and Death
extent:ff. 55v-59r
rubric:
Queste sie vna disputatione che fa la morte con lo peccatore. Imprima parla la morte et dice
incipit:
Io son per nome chiamata morte
explicit:
A laude de Jesu christo crucifixo
Deo gratias amen
decoration:On f. 54v, a three line initial in red with red and brown flourishes.
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Solemn commemorations
extent:ff. 59r-62v
rubric:
Incipiunt commemorationes solemnes. Et primo in nativitate domini psallenda.
incipit:
Ioseph conturbatus est de utero uirginis.
explicit:
qui tui nominis extitit predicator. Qui uiuis et regnas
Date of origin:After 1492.
Place of origin:Milan, Italy
Support:
Parchment codex.
Foliation:
Numbered in a contemporary hand in roman numerals in red at the top center of every leaf up to fol. 49 (actually 50). Numbered in lead in arabic numerals in a contemporary hand in the top right of each leaf thereafter. The first two leaves not numbered and leaf 3 is numbered 2. Consequently, the numbering is off by one. Leaf 60 is also not numbered with the result that the final two leaves are off by two.
Dimensions:255mm x 185mm (leaves), 204mm x 140mm (ruled space)
Collation:ii 1-58 616 (±13, ±14, ±15, ±16) 72 86 (-1, 2) Catchwords are written vertically in the lower center at the end of each gathering. Catchword written on fol. 44 (actually 45) despite this being in the middle of the gathering.
Script:Text in Italian gothic rotunda in four hands. The first hand is responsible for the rule along with its table of contents (up to f. 50r). The second hand is responsible for the next three texts (ff. 50v-52v). A third, more angular and slightly more humanist hand is responsible for the next five texts (ff. 53r-59r). The final text is again in a classic Italian gothic rotunda (ff. 59r-62v).
Binding:Contemporary blind-tooled calfskin over wooden boards. "Ambrosian manuscript" gilt on spine. 1753 engraving by Gerolamo Cattanio after Ambrogio Borgogni of the Madonna and child flanked by John the Baptist and St. Ambrose on back pastedown.
Additions:Additional texts in a fifteenth or sixteenth century humanist hand at the top of ff. 59r and 60r and the bottom of 60v. On the back free endleaf prayers of St. Augustine in a humanist cursive. Given the nature of the structure of the manuscript and the numbering of the leaves, it appears likely that all of the texts after f. 50 were added at a slightly later date.
Provenance:
This manuscript was at one time in the Oratory of Santa Liberata in Milan. It was subsequently acquired by the Trivulzio-Trotti family of Milan. Part of the family's collection, including this manuscript was sold in 1885-1886 to Ulrich Hoepli of Milan. He sold it to George A Leavitt of New York City, who listed it for sale in 1888. A subsequent owner was Alphonse Labitte of Paris, whose bookplate is on the inside of the front cover. It seems to have become part of the William S. Semple library at some unknown date and was sold at the auction of this library by the Anderson Galleries of New York on Oct. 21, 1926 to Lenore and James Marshall of New York. The library was sold to Bernard Quaritch in 1972.
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