Details

Subjects:

Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.
Hus, Jan, 1369?-1415.
Wycliffe, John, -1384.
Zwingli, Ulrich, 1484-1531.
Heresy (Canon law).
Heresy -- History.
Christian heresies -- History -- Middle Ages, 600-1500.
Christian heresies.
History.
Christian heresies -- History -- Modern period, 1500-.
Reformation -- Early movements.
Reformation -- Europe -- 16th century -- History.
Reformation.
Heresy.
Bohemia (Czech Republic) -- Church history.
Germany -- Church history -- 16th century.
Germany.
Church history.
Europe.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Histories.
Manuscripts, French.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

French.

Summary:

An anonymous history of late medieval and early-modern heresies. The codex contains four books, the last of which ends in 1523, indicating that the manuscript is not complete. The narrative begins in 1374 with John Wycliffe and the Lollard movement. The first book covers the history of heresies up to 1416 and devotes most of the space to Jan Hus and Jerome of Prague. The second book covers the years 1416 to 1517 and traces the activities of the Hussite movement after the execution of Hus. It includes extensive accounts of Jan Zizka's military campaigns. The last two books make up just under a half of the codex and discuss Martin Luther and the beginning of the Reformation. The third book focuses closely on the years 1517 to 1519, the period of the dissemination of and the initial reactions to the 95 theses. The last book continues to 1523, addressing the consequences of Luther's propositions for Central Europe.

Contents:

1. p.1-75: Histoire de l'heresie, Livre premier ou ce qui est passé de plus memorable en se qui regarde heresie depuis l'annéé 1374 jusqu en 1416.
2. p.76-146: Histoire de l'heresie, Livre second ou sont representees celles des picards des orebites des orphelines et taborites depuis l'annéé 1416 jusques a l'annéé 1517.
3. p.149-214: Histoires des dernieres heresies, Livre troisieme ou les commencemens de celle de Luther durant les annéés 1517 et [- -] et partie de 1519.
4. p.215-278: Livre quatrieme de l'heresie, contenant le progres de l'heresie de Luther et le comancem[ent] de celle de Carolstad et de Zwingle depuis l'annéé 1519 jusqua l'annéé 1523.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title from caption title (p. 1).
Incipit: Il n'est rien des dificile que d'ecrire l'histoire des derniers heresies car outre qu'elle est tres embarasséé & tres vaste pour etre traitéé par une personne seule dans toute l'exactitude ... (p. 1); Explicit: ... ils etoient dans la necessité de se tirer d'oppression ils ne s'acqueroient pour en venir abo[- -] ny leur industrie ny leurs forces (p. 278).
Pagination: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 139 + i (contemporary paper); 1-278; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.
Layout: Written in 28-30 long lines; text block outlined in drypoint.
Watermark: Fleur de lys with initials PM in square below; dated 1626 or 1676.
Binding: Contemporary parchment (Zacour-Hirsch).
Origin: Written in France after 1631.

Penn Provenance:

Unidentified bookplate inside upper cover depicting two griffins holding a coat of arms.
Gift of the estate of Henry Charles Lea, 1909.

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965), p. 225 (Ms. Lea 392).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1185

Contributor:

Lea, Henry Charles, 1825-1909, former owner.

OCLC:

229891035