Beschreibung:

COMMONPLACE BOOK, including rules and grants concerning ecclesiastical benefices under antipope John XXIII, and vernacular and bawdy songs, in Latin and German, MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER
COMMONPLACE BOOK, including rules and grants concerning ecclesiastical benefices under antipope John XXIII, and vernacular and bawdy songs, in Latin and German, MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER [Germany, c.1410-15] 158 x 107mm. 14 leaves in a single gathering, written in brown ink in a single elegant formal cursive German gothic script between two verticals ruled in ink, four leaves each with one or two staves of musical notation, paper watermarked with a stag rampant (similar to Piccard J 340), (lacking at least one bifolium, light dampstaining to upper half of leaves, most with some rodent damage to outer edge, only touching text on f.1). Modern thick paper wrappers. CONTENT: f.1 Two literary texts in German: a short tale beginning with a couplet, 'Des morgens wan[n] ich fruwe off sten', and a poem, 'Mich frauwet frauw din eynigez wort' ff.2-7 'Isti sunt modi vaca[n]di b[e]n[e]fic[i]orum': 48 rulings on the vacating of benefices, including (from f.3v) edicts of the Avignon popes from John XXII to Gregory XI) and the Roman popes during the Western Schism (Urban VI and Boniface IX), and concluding with a brief list of 'vacancie', or reasons for instant dismissal. The causes range from the conventional, such as the incumbent being raised to an abbacy or bishopric, to the dramatic ('si ... aliquis i[n]iecit manus violenter in clericum v[e]l in aliquem ecc[lesias]tica[m] personam' and the more exotic, 'per co[n]tractu[m] m[at]rimonii' and 'per adhesione[m] antip[a]pe & scismaticorum aliorum'; there are also a number of regulations governing the plight of impoverished clergymen f.7v A list, in Latin, of German ecclesiastical provinces and their dioceses f.8-9v A list, in Latin, of the grants of expectative graces (grants of livings not yet vacant) [by John XXIII] day by day during the week following his enthronement (Bologna, 25 May 1410: the dates of his election and enthronement are noted in a coda), beginning with his own retainers, then those of his predecessor, followed by cardinals, the emperor, kings, members of the university of Paris, electors and royal dukes, as well as writers of apostolic letters, protonotaries and others, with limits on the numbers of grants, ranging from 200 each for the Kings of France and England, down to 'duas coll[ati]o[n]es et duo b[e]n[e]ficia' for the seven first protonotaries and the corrector of the apostolic letters. f.9v-12r Five songs in German, interspersed with three apparently corresponding melodies: 'Fruntlich han ich gescheiden mich', 'Wie mochte mir ymer baz gesin', 'Der falschen ruger ist so vil', 'Waz bekamere sich daz ?h[e]tze sich' and 'Swester luckart bruder octo' f.12r-v A bawdy poem or song in dog Latin, 'Henrice curvu[m]pedie quid facis pirgamenie', on the sexual exploits of Henry the cripple ff.12v-13 A macaronic poem (in mixed Latin and German) opening 'Venite sprach ein zarte begine' ff.13v-14 Transcription of a grant of John [XXIII] in favour of Johannes Altmann of Udenheim, a poor cleric of the diocese of Speyer. The manuscript's close concern with the rules governing church livings suggests that its owner was a clergyman -- perhaps even the Johannes Altmann of Udenheim referred to in the concluding grant. If this is so, the juxtaposition of the ecclesiastical subject matter with the amorous and sometimes obscene content of the Latin and vernacular poems and songs is particularly pleasing. The second (and last) of the Pisan popes during the Western Schism, John XXIII was noted for his rapacity, including the exploitation of benefices: the composition of the present manuscript is likely to precede 1415 when, during the Council of Constance, he was convicted of heresy, simony, schism and immorality and declared an antipope.