The Summula de Summa Raymundi in Gordan MS 95, Bryn Mawr College

ABSTRACT

Raymond of Peñafort’s Summa de casibus conscientiae, including its fourth book, the Summa de matrimonio, was one of the most successful texts for pastors and confessors composed in the Middle Ages. Written by a Dominican friar in the thirteenth century, it treated cases of conscience in a systematic manner. It also examined matrimony and the other sacraments. The Summa was subject to detailed commentary by William of Rennes, updates by John of Freiburg reflecting new papal pronouncements, and abridgment for pastors’ greater convenience. One important summary was done in Latin verse, a work attributed to Adam of Aldersbach, a Cistercian monk. Eventually Adam’s Summula de summa Raymundi itself received a detailed prose commentary. This commented version was printed in Cologne in the late fifteenth century. Gordan Manuscript 95 at Bryn Mawr College, from the collection of Phyllis Goodhart Gordan, contains Raymond’s Summa with his commentary on the trees of consanguinity and affinity, which indicated whether couples were not permitted to marry because of blood kinship or sexual contact. It concludes with an extended extract from Adam’s work added after the texts by Raymond had been copied. That extract varies from the printed version and two manuscripts located at the University of Pennsylvania. The excerpts display differences from the other available texts of Adam’s work, including additional lines of verse, suggesting that it was drawn from a different manuscript tradition.

Additions and annotations to manuscript books reveal the interests and opinions of readers. In some cases, a reader copied out excerpts from related texts to supplement the major work or works present in the volume. The extensive excerpt from the versified Summula de Summa Raymundi of Adam of Aldersbach in Gordan manuscript 95 is an example of that practice. This excerpt focuses on the celebration of mass and the sacrament of the Eucharist. An interesting puzzle is why the writer omitted not just occasional words or lines but an extensive portion of text concerning priests who should not celebrate mass and congregants who should not receive communion. This omitted material is found in the copies available to the author, two manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania and an incunabulum available online. In addition, eight lines about receiving communion were added to the excerpt that were not found in the other available copies, suggesting the existence of another exemplar, a version of the text to be sought in manuscripts located elsewhere.¹

The Summa de casibus conscientiae was a creation of the later Middle Ages, displacing the earlier Libri poenitentiae. The earlier texts listed sins and the penances to be done by those who committed them. The later texts dealt more with the individual conscience, treating each in a larger context of canon law and disciplinary theology.² One of the most successful of these texts was the Summa of Raymond of Peñafort, an early leader of the Dominican order and the editor of the Decretals of Gregory IX (1234). Raymond’s Summa was divided into four books. The first two books dealt with categories of sins and sinners. The third dealt with ordinations, sacraments, spiritual penalties, and clerical discipline. The fourth dealt with marriages, their making and dissolution. This book was distinguished in manuscript copies as the Summa de matrimonio.³ Raymond also composed a commentary on the arbores consanguinitatis et affinitatis. The one “tree” outlined marriage impediments based on kinship by blood. The latter dealt with impediments caused by sexual congress inside or outside matrimony.⁴ That work endured until it was displaced by a commentary by the Bolognese canonist Johannes Andreae during the fourteenth century.⁵

The creation of canonistic texts did not cease in Raymond’s day. His Summa received a commentary by a fellow Friar Preacher, William of Rennes (ca. 1235).⁶ Later in the century (ca. 1297), John of Freiburg, another Dominican, expanded Raymond’s Summa, including by adding newer authoritative texts to the earlier work’s documentation.⁷ During the fourteenth century, Barthomaeus de Sancto Concordio of Pisa, yet another Friar Preacher, revamped John’s work into an alphabetical guide for pastors and confessors, the Summa Pisanella.⁸

All of those authors augmented or expanded Raymond’s work. A different work was done by a German cleric. The Summa was summarized in verse, a Summula de summa Raymundi.⁹ Some copies of this work attribute it to Adam, a monk of Aldersbach.¹⁰ The Summula was divided into a prologue (occasionally absent in manuscripts) and four books. The first book deals with baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist. The second treats marriage and holy orders; the third, clerical discipline and other topics. The fourth and fifth focus on penance.¹¹ The Summula later received an extensive commentary.¹² The text was diffused in multiple manuscript copies, most often in Germany or nearby lands. It entered print with or without the prologue and often with the commentary by the late fifteenth century.¹³

Figure 1.

Bryn Mawr College, Gordan MS 95, fol. 186v.

The pastoral works of Raymond of Peñafort and Adam’s Summula come together in a manuscript at Bryn Mawr College, MS Gordan 95 (figure 1). This codex belonged to Howard L. Goodhart, who purchased it in 1949, and then, after his death in 1951, it belonged to his daughter, the Renaissance scholar Phyllis Walter Goodhart Gordan.¹⁴ It has been on deposit at Bryn Mawr since 1994 together with other manuscripts owned by Mrs. Gordan upon her demise.¹⁵ The primary contents of MS 95, dated circa 1300 and written in northern Italy, are the Summa of Raymond (fols. 1r–156v: books I to III; fols. 156v–181r: Book IV) and his commentary on the arbores (fols. 182r–185v). At a later date, a different, probably German hand added an extensive set of excerpts from the early part of the Summula (fols. 186va–187rb).¹⁶ The evidence these extracts supply for the diffusion of the work by Adam can be augmented by comparing the text with two manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania (MS Codex 741, fols. 1r–17v,¹⁷ and MS Codex 730, fol.1ra–173va). The former is an early copy (ca. 1300) that breaks off near the end but credits Adam as author (figure 2). The latter, dated to Braunschweig in 1422, is more complete; it adds the commentary, although it too falls short of completeness (figure 3).¹⁸ Particularly, the Gordan excerpts have been compared with a digitized copy of a 1495 incunabulum that contains the commentary, because it is more complete than either manuscript.¹⁹

Figure 2.

Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Rare Book and Manuscript Library, MS Codex 741, fol. 1r.

The excerpts in Gordan 95 fall into two larger sections. Both are found in the first book of the Summula. The first portion includes the preface. There follows a discussion of the Eucharist and the celebration of mass. Occasionally, lines of text found in the incunabulum and the University of Pennsylvania manuscripts are omitted. At the end of this section, the scribe has omitted twenty-five lines concerning priests who should abstain from

Figure 3.

Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Rare Book and Manuscript Library, MS Codex 730, fol. 7r.

celebrating mass and those to whom communion should be denied. The second section begins with a discussion of how communion should be received. After five lines of text, one incomplete, indicating how to chew the host, there follow eight not found in the incunabulum affirming that the Eucharistic bread was changed, specie remanente priore. This additional text also denies that the worthiness of the priest makes the sacrament better. Then the received text resumes with treatment of the dangers of communicating the sick, but it permits giving the sacrament to a leper who asked for it devoutly. It recommends not granting communion to an epileptic. This extended excerpt concludes with instructions for hearing sickbed confessions before administering viaticum.

These excerpts from Adam’s Summula suggest that the scribe who copied them was a priest interested in the proper administration of the Eucharist. However, this does not explain the large gap in this copy. In any case, these excerpts were intended to supplement the texts by Raymond, which give minimal attention to the mass and the Real Presence in the consecrated elements.

Document: The Excerpts from the Summula de summa Raymundi Found in MS Gordan 95

Note that the transcription is collated primarily against the 1495 text, fols. 9r–v, 11r, 13v, 15v, 17v, 20r, 21v, 22r–v, 24v, 25r, [28v, 29r, 30r], 30v, 31r, 33r, and 35r. Additional notes compare both of these with the University of Pennsylvania manuscripts. Both of them are closer to the incunabulum than to the Gordan extracts from Adam’s work. The copy in the Gordan manuscript approximately matches MS Codex 741, fols. 1r–2v. It also equates with MS Codex 730, fol. 7va–40ra.

[Text in incunabulum but not in Gordan MS]

{Text in Gordan MS but not in incunabulum or the University of Pennsylvania MSS}

[De collectis finibus et principiis earundem](Fol. 186va) <I>n summis festis ad missam dicitur vnaTantum collecta nisi sit coniuncta diei[In defunctorum collecta dicere missa]²⁰De sanctis poteris tamen ut²¹ penultima fiat²²Sic econuerso dum pro uiuis celebras facSi collecta patrem prenominat ut tamen²³ infraMentio sit prolis in fine legis per eundemMentio si nulla sit prolis in fine legis per dominum dicSi precedit in hac nomen nati sine patreQui tam²⁴ patre deo regnat includitur illa²⁵Eiusdem dicas si spiritus intus habetur[De consecratione corporis et sanguinis christi]Omnibus Oremus exorcistis inhibemus²⁶Hiis ego non finem concludere per dominum doSed per eum qui uenturus est²⁷ dampnare²⁸ per ignemPer dominum prima finita²⁹ quatuor addasSiue duas misse collectas si tibi festumOccurrit nullas ut supradiximus addasQuando lauas³⁰ calicem tunc vinum purius illiInfundas et aqua modicum quod et³¹ illa recens sitMunda sit oblata nonquam³² sine lumine cantes[Hostia sit modica sic presbiteri faciant hanc³³Candida triticea cenuis non magna rotundaExpers fermenti non falsa³⁴ sit hostia ChristiSpernitur oblate duplex vel terre leuata]³⁵Sit binis mappis altare tuum coopertum[Nolo tegant³⁶ illud mulieres siue puelle]Canonis eloquia recites ne precipitenter³⁷Nec fureris³⁸ ea quia crimen grande crearesHinc tibi nec nimium recitando moreris in illisMurmura non facies in canone dum legis illum[De variis periculis incidentibus circa officium misse]Vinum conditum uel commixtum³⁹ speciebus⁴⁰Ad missam domini non accipias nec acetumSi crinis⁴¹ vermis vel tale quid in calicem⁴² sitLapsum sepe⁴³ laues que dico⁴⁴ locio⁴⁵ tantumA te sumatur et non substantia rerumHanc in piscinam uolo proiecies⁴⁶ vel in ignemSi transglutares⁴⁷ que dixi forte creares⁴⁸Inde tibi uomitum vel quod te Ledere possetNon celebres⁴⁹ missam sine libro canonis umquam⁵⁰Si super altare calicem fundas Suge tincta.(fol. 186vb) Lintea⁵¹ vel mappas [sacras]⁵² quas munde⁵³ sepe lauabisIn calicis vase quod ab hiis fluit hoc bibe⁵⁴ totumFrustra resecare⁵⁵ debes ea que maduistiAc ea perpetuo⁵⁶ sub tuto⁵⁷ claue reconde. [sed illud]⁵⁸Consulo ne celebres donec facias satis indequando leuas calicem post corpus sanctificatumsi vinum vel aqua⁵⁹ non inuenis aptius illo⁶⁰Protinus⁶¹ infundas vel⁶² proicias⁶³ velud⁶⁴ est mosEt⁶⁵ super oblatum.⁶⁶ textum recitando secundoCautius⁶⁷ incipicias⁶⁸ ne plebi scandala fiant[Canonis ad finem si venisti duo dictaInfundas dimitteres⁶⁹ cruces panis calicis⁷⁰ non]⁷¹Nolo leues⁷² corpus domini nisi sit benedictumAut calicem sursum Sic precipit ordo teneri⁷³quando lauas calicem si uis celebrare secundoNon sumes⁷⁴ digitis quicunque⁷⁵ nec in ore⁷⁶ lauabisNon ad opus Reliqui⁷⁷ seruetur locio misse⁷⁸,⁷⁹[Lotio nam talis dabitur cuicunque fideli]⁸⁰Officiata dies wlt⁸¹ bis⁸² dicere missamSi funus⁸³ presens si nullum⁸⁴ sufficit vna[Omnis homo purus et confessus sit vt illumPresbyter oppressus mortali crimine missamNon celebrant nisi confessus crimine primoAut sit contritus se nunquam velle redire][Eger vel sanus monitus si sepius a teOccultam culpam suam dimittere non uultEgressus proprios nec desirit illa lantesEt petit instanter domini des corpus eidemConsule quod poteris iudex suus ipse sibi sitJudicium legis da pro viciis manifestis][Qui cum iudeis habitant expelle foras hosNon inconfessis des sanctum sumere paschaNon nisi prouisa peregrinus et aduena causaA te suscipiant corpus Christi caueas neUicine vile veniant ad te fugientes][Non pueris annos infra bis Quinque manentesDes corpus domini quimuis sint corpori puriQuid sumant tamen ignorant ergo prohibeturExcipe quos vrget seua mors annis licet hi sintOcto siue nouem vel septem cum tibi constatScire pater noster et eorum vita probatePotus et crapule ludi saltus inhibenturNe vomitum faciant qui sunt a corpore pastiQui licet expuere christum nequeant tamen illudHospicium caste seruetur quo fuit intus]⁸⁵Cum sumis⁸⁶ corpus domini cum⁸⁷ dentibus illudNoli conterere velud⁸⁸ estas⁸⁹ sed moderate⁹⁰Lingua mollifices et dentibus hoc⁹¹ ut eorumRimula [concauitas ne seruent⁹² particulas quas]⁹³forsitan expueres datur ergo cautio⁹⁴ talis

{Hoc sacramentum necquam solet esse sinistrumquamuis per paruum celebretur sepe ministrumsicut deterius non fit pro deterioreSic neque sit melius pro presbitero meliorePanis mutatur specie remanente prioreSed non est talis qualis sentitur in oreRes occultatur quia si tu forte uideresforsitam horteres et manducare timere}⁹⁵Dum uomit infirmus non debet sumere corpusChristi si credit credendo fideliter⁹⁶ editSi uenit⁹⁷ hoc⁹⁸ idem post sumptum corpus in ignemProicias. vomitum fluuii fundare⁹⁹ vel in undas¹⁰⁰(fol. 187ra) Si sacramenti species¹⁰¹ cernitur ullam¹⁰²A te sumatur vel¹⁰³ a quocunque fideli[Siue loco sancto conseruari facias hanc]¹⁰⁴Si dolet¹⁰⁵ tantum quod masticare nequid¹⁰⁶ tunc[Non nisi sumat aquam continctam¹⁰⁷ corpore Christi¹⁰⁸]¹⁰⁹quam cum quisque¹¹⁰ tamen¹¹¹ partem de corpore dicto¹¹²sumpserit infirmus totum supsisse probatur¹¹³[Qui debent omitti in sumendo corpus Christi]Ebrius insanus erroneus et male credensCum pueris¹¹⁴ corpus domini non suscipiunt¹¹⁵ hiiSi casu cadit in terram dum porrigis illudEgris vel sanis terram debes studioseRadere Rasuram¹¹⁶ vbi sunt loca sacra reponasSi Supra lingnum¹¹⁷ [cadit]¹¹⁸ vel lapidem quod tu facias sit¹¹⁹Post¹²⁰ triduum languens tute communicet¹²¹ egerDumque¹²² sue mentis est¹²³ compos confiteatur[Luce diei quod das¹²⁴ infirmis confice corpusQuando necesse subest aliis feriis licet illud]¹²⁵Hoc¹²⁶ des leproso si deuote¹²⁷ petit illudNolo quod accipiat¹²⁸ epilenticus aut similis que¹²⁹Ideoque¹³⁰ patitur¹³¹ nisi cesset lesio morbi[Eger bannitus¹³² cupiens sibi sumere corpus]¹³³Hic absoluatur pro re quacunque ligatusExsiterit res¹³⁴ aut ablatum restituaturSi poterit.¹³⁵ si non tamen absoluatur et¹³⁶ idemsub forma quam lex et ewangelium¹³⁷ statueruntPresbiter absoluat egrum licet ille¹³⁸ ligatumSe dicat vel non cautela requirit¹³⁹ habundans¹⁴⁰Egri vel sani nisi cessent a manifestisCriminibus iure¹⁴¹ celesti pane¹⁴² carebunt¹⁴³Confesso vel contrito¹⁴⁴ patres¹⁴⁵ statueruntCorpus in extremis nonquam¹⁴⁶ debere negariIlle¹⁴⁷ satisfacere si se pro crimine spondetProximitas sua Si morienti¹⁴⁸ subuenit¹⁴⁹ illiSacramenta dei des et nichil inde reposcas¹⁵⁰Si nil¹⁵¹ poscenti tibi quid datur accipe cautenon nisi mense semel aliquis¹⁵² communicet eger.