Beschreibung:

Collection of leaves from medieval manuscripts, including one from an early copy of Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, in Latin, on vellum [twelfth to fifteenth century] ten leaves (including 2 bifolia): (a) two substantial fragments of a single leaf from a monumental Italian Lectionary (with readings from the end of Augustine on John, Tractatus 11, chs.13-15 and the opening of Gregory the Great, Homilies on the Gospels II:40), 300mm. by 208mm., and 295mm. by 210mm., with one large 11-line red variegated initial, remains of double column, 39 lines in a fine rounded bookhand (approximately 4 lines lost at top of leaf), rubrics in red, capital part-filled in red, some initials set in margin, Italy, first half of the twelfth century; (b) leaf from Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, nos.xl-xli, 230mm. by 160mm., with one simple red initial with red baubles at its foot and head, followed by a few words in alternate red and penwork capitals, single column, 30 lines, small red initial on verso, followed by single word in capitals touched in red, wide margins remaining, Germany or northern France, mid-twelfth century; (c) bifolium from a Bible (Jeremiah, v-vii, xxviii-xxix), each leaf 330mm. by 235mm., 6 initials in red or blue with elaborate contrasting penwork, double column, 50 lines in spiky angular script, France, late thirteenth century, but in Germany by 1610/11 when reused as binding for an account book for “Rödelheim”, Frankfurt am Main; (d) two leaves from a Lectionary, each 300mm. by 185mm., double column, 27 lines, capitals touched in red, one large blue initial, probably France, early thirteenth century; (e) bifolium from a large Legendary, each leaf 390mm. by 260mm., double column, 40 lines, rubric in red, one red initial with blue penwork, Italy, fourteenth century; (f) leaf from a Lectionary, 270mm. by 35mm., double column, 26 lines, 5 red initials, Germany, first half of fifteenth century; all recovered from bindings and somewhat defective