A strikingly intimate example of a Carolingian abbot offering nurturing pastoral care to women who had been his own former foster-mothers.
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In 786 theologian and abbot, St Paschasius Radbertus was left as an infant at the door of Notre Dame convent in Soissons, France, a nunnery founded during the Merovingian era between 658 and 666. He was raised by the nuns there before receiving an education from the monks of St. Peter's in Soissons.
During the Carolingian era, the nunnery came under royal control. Charlemagne's daughter Rotrude became a nun there, and his sister Gisela became abbess.
Radbertus wrote a lengthy sermon on the Feast of the Assumption, known as Cogitis me (You think of me), a section of which is included on this leaf. It was addressed directly to the Soisson nuns. Radbert's works were written out of deep familiarity with the Soissons community, marked by warm affection and notable respect for both the nun's spirituality and their level of learning. He addresses the nuns habitually with such endearments as carissime and dilectissime, cajoling, flattering and admonishing them in turn. The work is a strikingly intimate example of a Carolingian abbot offering nurturing pastoral care to women who had been his own former foster-mothers.
Because of the beauty of the writing, some passages, as here, were used as lessons in the breviary in reference to Mary.
Verso: Latin text in two columns of 29 lines written on fine vellum in a clear gothic bookhand. The text is heavily abbreviated. Ruled in red and rubrics in red. One two-line illuminated initial ‘H’ in liquid gold on a red ground and with fine internal gold penwork. Three pilcrows in gold on red grounds. Capitals touched in pale sepia.
Recto: As Verso, with six pilcrows in gold on red and blue grounds.
Origin: Northern France, probably Use of Soissons.
Date: c.1375.
Content: A section of the reading from Radbert’s “Cogitis me” begins on Recto at the second last line of the right column and continues on Verso:
“Propterea, carissimae, quia iter salutis nostrae in laudibus est salvatoris, hortor uos et commoneo in hac sacra sollemnitate genetricis Dei Mariae, nolite cessare a laudibus. Quod si uirgo es, gaude quia meruisti esse et tu, quod laudas; tantu m cura, ut sis quae digne laudare possis. Quod si continens et casta, uenerare et lauda, quia non aliunde constat, ut possis esse casta, quam ex gratia Christi, quae fuit plenissime in Maria, quam laudas. Quod si coniugata, certe aut peccatrix, nihilominus confitere et lauda, quoniam inde misericordia omnibus profluxit et gratia, ut laudent.”
(Therefore, dearest ones, because the way of our salvation is in the praises of the Saviour, I urge and remind you, on this holy festivity of Mary the bearer of God: do not cease from praise. But if you are a virgin, rejoice that you have deserved to be, even you, that which you praise; only take care that you may be someone who is fit to praise worthily. If, rather, you are continent and chaste, honour and give praise, because it does not come about through any other source that you may be chaste other than from the grace of Christ, which existed most fully in Mary, whom you praise. If, rather, you are married, or even a sinner, nevertheless confess and give praise, since from that source mercy has flowed out to all and grace that they may give praise.
Condition: The leaf is in excellent condition with unblemished vellum and the gold and colours remaining bright. There is very minor ink loss to a few words, but not at the expense of legibility. The leaf is unconditionally guaranteed genuine.
Size: Leaf: approx. 175x120 mm.
Notes: A Breviary, etymologically a compendium or abridgement, is the liturgical work which contains the psalms and the hymns, the readings from Sacred Scripture and from the writings of the Fathers, the prayers and the responses, which are combined to form the canonical hours of the divine office of prayer recited daily throughout the world by priests and the religious.
Item No: MOT099
