Uppsala, University Library, C 41a. Johannes Pauli Montigena, <hi rend="italic" >Postillae</hi>, vol. 1

Uppsala, University Library, C 41a. Johannes Pauli Montigena, <hi rend="italic" >Postillae</hi>, vol. 1 Cataloguer Ville Walta Finnish Literature Society (SKS) Codices Fennici Creative Commons BY 4.0 Uppsala University Library C 41a 1556, Hämeenlinna

First volume of Johannes Pauli Montigena’s collection of <hi rend="italic">Postillae</hi>

(Fol. 1r–v is blank, apart from Johannes Pauli’s name on 1r and a single sentence on 1v.)

Fols. 2r–v, 3r, lower margin: Confession, prayers in Swedish.

[2r] O alzmechtige euighe gud jagh ... [3r] ... tigh prisa ok loffua maga.

Fols. 3r–246v: <hi rend="italic" >Postillae</hi> from Advent to Good Friday.

[3r] Postilla super omnia euangelia que leguntur ab aduentu domini inclusiue dominicalia usque ad pasca continens integrum euangeliorum uerbum secundum sanctorum patrum sentencias ac interpretations exposita nouiter et in lucem collecta ex sequentium patrum sentenciis. (Followed by a list of sources; see Maliniemi 1928, 67) ... Anno virginei partus 1556. [3v] (References to the Bible.) [4r] (Prologue; edited in part by Maliniemi 1928, 69–70) Johannes pauli suecus natione montigena: exulem agens in thauastha hus pio lectori salutem ... [8r] ... Thauastahus 28 Maii anno virginei partus 1556 (followed by a short poem). [8v] (Dedication to Olaus Magnus) ... Quemadmodum debiles omnes a potencioribus erigi ... [10v] De aduentu. Aduentus domini per quattuor septimanas agitur ad significandum ... [246v] ... iesus saluet nos hic et ad vitam perducat eternam Amen. (Followed by an imperf. text entitled <hi rend="italic">Testamentum quod dedit Christus in cruce</hi>) auctor pietatis in cruce pendens ... (fol. 247 is blank).

Paper 247 + 5 20 29 (text area varies) A contemporary foliation sporadically visible from fols. 25 to 42 (marked ‘fol 10’ to ‘fol 56’), taking up again for fols. 83–84 (marked ‘fol 57’and ‘fol 58’). Modern foliation from the first leaf. The modern foliation includes loose slips (fols. 148a, 153a, 166a, 174a) and a blank leaf (fol. 217a). The quire structure is mixed.

Fols. 1 and 2 are loose, fols. 12 and 13, 16 and 17, 25 and 26 pasted to each other at the gutter. Three leaves have been excised after fol. 208, two after fol. 235, and up to five after fol. 246.

The manuscript is much deteriorated. Several leaves are badly worn, stained and loose. The text has been written near the edges and the leaves have been cropped in a such way as to cause some loss of text on the first lines of some pages.

One columns with vertical bounding lines in ink; the number of text lines varies.

Johannes Pauli Montigena’s own careless cursive; he composed the text in 1556 (see fols. 4r, 8r). This is the author’s fair copy.

Simple monochromatic initials. Headings, rubrics and biblical lemmata are ditinguished by a different type of script.

Originally a stamped binding of dark brown calf over wooden boards. Most of the leather is now loose (some fragments are preserved in an envelope kept with the manuscript), apart from small strips on the front cover. Remnants of three clasps visible at the fore-edges of the covers. Rear pastedown is a fragment of a glossed theological text (saec. XIII).

This is the first volume of the <hi rend="italic">Postillae</hi> collection written in 1556 by the priest Johannes Pauli Montigena during his captivity in Hämeenlinna Castle. Johannes was imprisoned for his Catholic opinions. He was permitted to write his sermons in captivity and was able to acquire literature for the task. The work is dedicated to Olaus Magnus (d. 1557), living as an exile in Rome.

Johannes Pauli’s name is found on fol. 1r.

In 1573 Johannes Pauli is mentioned to be housed at Vadstena (Håhl 1846, 230). It seems likely he carried his works with him and they may have passed to the library of Vadstena Abbey upon his death. They would then have entered Uppsala University Library with the other manuscripts of Vadstena Abbey in 1621.

Uppsala University Library’s shelf-mark on the inner front cover on a pasted label.

M. Andersson-Schmitt – M. Hedlund, Mittelalterliche Handschriften der UniversitätsbibliothekUppsala, vol. 1, Stockholm 1988, 283–285. J. I. Håhl, Linköpings stifts herdaminne, III (1847). Aarno Maliniemi, “Lisiä keskiaikamme historiaan. V. Eräs Hämeenlinnassa v. 1556 kirjoitettu latinankielinen katolilainen postillakäsikirjotus”, Historiallinen arkisto 36 (1928), 66–71. Aarno Maliniemi, De S. Henrico episcopo et martyre. Die mittelalterliche Literatur über den Apostel Finnlands. II. Legenda nova. Sermones, Helsinki 1942, 70–77. Encoding added