HEURES. Lot n° 20

Hours for the use of the Carmelites. [Northern France, ca. 1475]. Manuscript on parchment of [103] ff. (101 + 93 bis and ter), calendar justification: 81 x 90 mm, 17 long lines; text justification: 98 x 74 mm, textura writing. Brown half-chagrin (19th century binding). Text ff. 1-12v: Calendar in red and black ink (February 7: Saints Vaast of Arras and Medard bishop of Noyon, March 1: Saint Aubin bishop of Angers in red, May 14: Saint Honoré bishop of Amiens, May 22: Saint Bernard abbot of Clairvaux in red, August 4: Saint Albert, August 20: Saint Bernard abbot in red, August 27: St. Augustine inspires the rule of Dominicans, September 1: St. Eloi abbot of Noyon in red, September 24: St. Cleophas martyr honored at the Carmelites, October 1: Saints Remy and Vaast, October 4: St. Francis confessor, founder of the Franciscan orders, November 6 or 7: St. Leonard, November 20: Edmond king of England). ff. 13-17 : Pericopes of the four gospels ff. 17v-18v : Passion according to Saint John. ff. 19-21v : Hours of the Holy Spirit (lacuna?) followed by the Hours of the Cross; lacuna of the Crucifixion ff. 22-49v : Hours of the Virgin, used by the Carmelites; lacuna of the Annunciation. ff. 50-64v : Psalms of penitence (lacuna of a miniature), followed by the litanies with Saint Elijah honored by the Carmelites, Edmond, Benedict, Bernard, Hilarion, Albert, Hubert, Cyril, François, Dominique, Louis. ff. 65-86 : Office of the dead with three lessons (gap in a miniature) ff. 86v-97v : Oraisons : Avete omnes anime fideles, Domine Ihesu Christe salus et liberatio, s'ensuy le cymbole de la foy laquel est très bonne à dire Quicumque vult salus esse - à la Trinité : O noble and holy trinité et inseparable uniteit (J. Sonet, Répertoire d'incipit de prières en ancien français, Geneva, 1956, Sonet 1461) - to the 5 wounds our lord: por la plaie de vos dyestre main (Sonet 1687) - Chi sont iiii manière d'offrande à Dieu le père mult bone et de grande valeur O père très haut ie vous faict offrande de la magistude multitude (Sonet 1467) - une bonne orison que l'ons doit dire quant ons vuet rechivoir le Saint sacrement O très souverain Dieu aujourdui ie desier rechivoir (Sonet 1585) - Oraison tres bonne a dire por rendre grasce apres chi qui arat rechivoir le Saint Sacrement del auteil Ie vous rens grasce tres doulx Ihesu Christ grasce soit à votre haulte patreniteit (Sonet 924) - O dame de gloire o royne de ioie O fontaine de pitié et de miseriode (Sonet 1307) - O tres sains angele de Dieu a cuy ie povre pecheresse. ff. 98-99v : Suffrages of St. Michael, oration Ie te salus très saincte mère, de la mere nostre seigneur, continuation of the suffrages to St. Nicholas, St. Catherine, St. Barbara and to all the saints. ff. 100-101 : Sire Dieu ie vos prie merchi de tous les péchés, Item quant quant il est la dédicace en aulcune église vos deveis dire Ie vos requier Doulx sire, pour 2000 ans de vray pardon O passio magna o de profunda vulnera. Decoration Initials champies and letters of blue and red color. Large initials vignetted on gold background cut in the corners. Borders: frame of the text with baguettes champies lined with golden baguettes. Borders with blue and pink acanthus, daisies and pansies. Smaller initials at the head of the non-illustrated hours (ff. 35v, 39, 44v, 48). This manuscript is a book of hours for the use of the Carmelites, a rare use. The French wording evokes Picardy. Many prayers are found in a manuscript from a private collection of Branchon, canton of Ezechée, province of Namur (Sonet). However, it is not the same manuscript, the latter containing more prayers. There are also unknown prayers here. Of note is a prayer in the feminine, which suggests that this manuscript was written for a Carmelite nun. The Carmelite order was inspired by the prophet Elijah. In 1209, it was endowed with a rule of life written at the origin of the order by Saint Albert. John Soreth, superior of the Carmelite order from 1451 to 1471, works on the transformation of some beguinages in the Netherlands into monasteries. On October 7, 1452, Pope Nicholas V writes the bull introducing the Carmelites in France. Jean Soreth founded with Françoise d'Amboise (1427-1485) the first Carmelite convent in France. Cutting and missing on f. 1, heavily soiled; f. 62 torn at lower right and f. 95 at head; scattered stains and soiling. Hinges rubbed, one inner hinge cracked.