Collection of six German manuscripts, in German and Latin, on vellum and paper

six volumes, (1) two small private devotional volumes: (a) 24 vellum leaves, 145mm. by 100mm., complete, collation: i-iii^{8, single column, c. 23 lines in black ink in a late Gothic hand, some initials touched in red, significant saints' names and rubrics in red, numerous small initials in red, containing a calculation wheel (fol. 1r; now faint and damp-stained at top, Calendar in German (fol. 1v) which indicates an origin in Bavaria, perhaps Augsburg: SS. Ulric ("Odalricus bischoff") in red, for 4 July, and Godehard of Hildesheim for 5 May, astronomical tables with extensive instructions for their use, in German (fol. 13v), a short treatise on the "iiii elementen" and their associated fluids and temperaments in German (fol. 15v; in sections beginning, "Der erste heißet sanguinea ...", "Der colericus ist ...", "Der flecmaticus ist ...", "Der melancolicus ist ..."), a short treatise on the zodiac symbols and their attributes (fol. 16v), with Latin titles in red, but else in German (with several lines of erasure from introduction on second page), a short treatise apparently on correct reading (fol. 22r) in German, ending with a contemporary rhyming couplet in German, some damp staining to upper edge throughout, disbound, Bavaria (perhaps Augsburg), fifteenth century; (b) 28 paper leaves, 153mm. by 110mm., complete, collation: i10, ii12, iii6, early numeric gathering signatures 'vii-ix', single column, 20 lines of black ink in an angular semi-cursive late Gothic hand, some initials touched in red, title and nine 1- or 2-line initials in red, containing a vernacular German translation of the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria, pen-trials at end and first leaf discoloured, else in excellent condition, disbound, German, fifteenth century; (2) 13 vellum leaves, 152mm. by 111mm., wanting two leaves from end of second gathering and a number from middle of third gathering, double column, 30 lines in a small and precise Gothic hand, initials touched in red, some punctuation in red, spaces left for larger initials, containing De Regimine Principium, a political treatise on political science, diplomacy and the running of kingdoms, ascribed to St. Thomas Aquinas, slight discolouration, else in good condition, disbound, perhaps Germany, late thirteenth or fourteenth century; (3) two volumes concerned with calculation and records: (a) 56 vellum leaves, 120mm. by 75mm., complete: collation: i10, ii20, ii26, contemporary foliation, ruled in pink ink for tables (3 columns by 15 rows), titles in pink, numbers and text in a good cursive hand, apparently containing a} late medieval 'Ready Reckoner' for a wine merchant, a calculation device with sizes and prices already calculated for a range of products, used by merchants for quick reference, the products here referred to as '64', '68' and '70', with additions on fols. 53-5 explaining how to relate these numbers to the various types of alcohol the merchant has to offer, including "Spanische Wein", a number of  different forms of "Brandtwein", "Oberlender Wein", "Baÿrises Wein" and "braun Bier", in worn but sturdy state, loose in limp vellum binding, Germany, first half of the sixteenth century; (b) 136 paper leaves (4 blank), apparently complete, ruled in pink for tables and text and written in various brown inks in German in a number of hands, containing a record book kept by the Fugger family of Augsburg, including a numeric birth register for the whole of Augsburg from 1510-1627 (fol. 4), a more detailed register of the births of members of the Fugger family in the same period (fol. 11), a translation of a diploma from Emperor Karl V, confirming the family's privileges (fol. 26), an extensive marriage register for the town of Augsburg in German (fol. 28), an episcopal list for the town with historical commentary up to 1591, all in German (fol. 91), a list of the abbots of the monasteries of St. Ulric, the Holy Cross, St. Jürgen, and the convents of St. Stefan and  St. Catherine in Augsburg with historical commentary and some records of the names and numbers of inmates at the time of the Reformation, all in German (fol. 103), in good condition, brown leather over pasteboards, Augsburg, early 1600s; (4) 10 paper leaves, complete, collation: i^{10, 26 lines in black ink in an accomplished hand, containing an early seventeenth-century German poem on recent European affairs, mentioning Emperor Charles (presumably Charles V,} 1500-1558) and Mary I of England (1516-1558) daughter of Henry VIII, in excellent condition, in white pasteboard binding, Germany, early seventeenth century

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This collection of manuscripts may represent the remains of a small archive of a part of the Fugger family of Augsburg. The record-book (item 3b here) was clearly a written by members of that family during the period immediately after the Reformation. These were turbulent times for Augsburg, and Catholic practices were suppressed by force by the Elector, Prince Maurice of Saxony, and in total twenty-four monasteries, and over 500 benefices were suppressed within the diocese in this period. The bishops after this, beginning with Marquard II von Berg (who is the last in the episcopal list here) began a process of reconstruction, opening schools and a college in Augsburg, predominantly through the financial support of the Fugger family. This explains their interest in the episcopal succession, but there is also a wealth of extra information here about the history of the monasteries in Augsburg, and the fate of their inmates in and after the Reformation. The small disbound volumes are mainly books in German for private devotion, and as one was clearly made for use in Augsburg (item 1a here), we might well speculate that they are the remains of monastic collections or personal volumes carried away by some of the last monks and nuns, who may have been related to the Fugger family. Only the wine merchant's 'Ready Reckoner' appears to stand apart from this group, and perhaps bears witness to the working practises of non-ecclesiastical members of the family.