Lot 75

Innocent III, De Contemptu Mundi, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [southern France or Italy, early fourteenth century]

Estimate

5,000 - 7,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Vellum

46 leaves, 220mm. by 160mm., complete, collation: i-iii^{12, iv^{10 (of 12, last 2 blank and cancelled), numeric quire signatures, single column, 20 lines in black ink in an angular late gothic hand, capitals touched in red, rubrics in red, 2-line initials in red, ink flaked from a number of pages, leaves cockled throughout, else fair and presentable condition, modern red leather over wooden boards, red cloth slipcase}}

Provenance

provenance

1. Perhaps from a Carmelite monastery or friary: once bound with Bergendal MS.94, and that with a partially erased inscription, "Iste liber est fratris ... ordinis Beate Marie de Monte Carme".

2. Comte Paul Durrieu (1855-1925).

3. Paul Jammes (1890-1983) of Paris.

4. Bergendal MS.121; bought by Joseph Pope from Bruce Ferrini in August 1989: Bergendal catalogue no.121.

Catalogue Note

text

Pope Innocent III (1160/1-1216; pope from 1198) composed the De Contemptu Mundi in 1195, when he was still a cardinal-deacon (appearing in the incipit here under his earlier name, Lotario de' Conti). It is an ascetic and deeply pious treatise on the human condition and moral frailty. It was popular among sermon writers and was widely distributed, and survives in a staggering 700 manuscripts.