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LOW GERMAN PRAYERBOOK WITH 21 MULTI-COLOUR DECORATED INITIALS
[MANUSCRIPT - PRAYERBOOK - LOW GERMAN]. [rubric of preliminaries:] Eyn manier wie man syne(n) afflays hollen sal sprech eyrst desse p(ate)r n(oste)r Oracie.
[incipit of preliminaries:] O lieve here Jh(es)u ֖(ist)e ich bydden dych durch alle de voistrappen de du up ertrich ee geyncks ...
[rubric of main text:] Dyt gebett sal men sprechen op den Avent des Erwerdigen loevelichen högetz(eit) der Entfenckenissen der der werdiger Jonffrauwen und moder Gotz marien.
[incipit of main text:] Gegroit systu O alre reynste suuerlichste jonffrauwe maria eyn dochter des hemelschen vaders eyn moder syns eyngeborenen sons ...
[Lower Rhine?], 1620. 8vo (15.5 x 10 cm, text block ca. 12.5 x 7 cm). Manuscript prayerbook in black and red ink on paper, with 21 decorated 2 to 6-line uncial initials in red, black, green and yellow; hundreds of 1 and 2-line uncial initials in red (and 3 in black), some with interior decoration left white; rubrics to prayers written in red; and hundreds of words underlined in red or with their first letter rubricated. Written without ruling but with 15 to 17 lines per page. With 17 pages of prayers added by a user in a German or eastern Netherlands gothic hand. Contemporary blind-tooled calf over wooden boards, with 2 brass catchplates (clasps gone).
| Orders and Information | € 4750 |
A manuscript Catholic prayerbook in Low German (mixing characteristics of modern German and Dutch) written clearly in a semi-formal textura hand, probably in the Lower Rhine in the western part of modern Germany or eastern part of the modern Netherlands. The prayers in the three preliminary quires (dated 1620 at the end), though in the same hand as the main text, are separated from it by five (originally blank) pages, and the first multi-colour decorative initial signals the opening of the main text. The manuscript is preceded by a quire of six endleaves and followed by a quire of two endleaves, and an early owner has added seventeen pages of prayers in a gothic cursive on the front endleaves, the blank leaves between the preliminaries and the main text, and the last two leaves of the last quire of the manuscript itself. An early owner's motto(?) is written at the head of the first endleaf after the manuscript: "gelobt sey gott und maria d(er)[?] patter noster."
The manuscript itself (omitting the endleaves) collates: [pi]-3[pi]12 1-1912 = 264 leaves, with each quire of the main text signed in red at the foot of its last page. The rubrics before the largest decorative initials (after those opening the preliminaries and the main text, quoted above) are:
89v: Hei begeynt ein suuerlich rosenkrensgen dat men ynencklichen beden sal up den eyrwerdichen und hoegezytlichen dag als der hilliger engel gabryel Quam zo der jonfferen marien und ir boitschaffde dat die demoidige Jongfrauwe solt de(r) son gotz intfangen
103: Hye begynnent suuerliche gebeder die men sprechen sal up den dag der boeschaff unser liever vrauwem
114: Hye begynt ey(n) Schon rosen krentzgen up dat hogetzyt als de soisse Jonffrauwe maria Elysabet visenteirk[?]
122: Hye begenynt suuerliche gebeder up dat hoegetzeit als unse lieve vrauwe Elysabet vysenteird in den gebirchs
1210-11: Op dat Eirwerdige und loveliche hoegetzeit der reynin(n)gen marien suuerliche gebeder de men ir und ihrem lieven kynt zo ihren sprechen sall
1310: Dyt is Ein suuerlich rosen krensgen van der him(m)elvart d(er) soisser moder gotz marien sprech mit andacht
168: Dyt is Ein Innich rosen krantz va(n) dem aller bedroifsten scheiden dat unse lieve her dede van synre liever moder
Four of these rubrics and at least four rubrics before the smaller multi-colour initials mention "rozenkransen" (rosaries) but it has been suggested that they might also relate to the Rosicrucians, a matter on which we do not pass judgement. Two of the rubrics refer to Saint Elizabeth. The front endleaves show a watermark closely matching Heawood 518A (found in Holland in 1629) and with the same "BF" initials. The manuscript itself shows paper stocks watermarked with a crowned double-headed eagle (vaguely similar to Heawood 1286-1287 & 1289-1290, from Holland and London in the years 1617 to 1624) or a single-headed eagle above three rings, with a Basel staff on the eagle's breast (vaguely similar to Tschudin 265, from Düring in Basel, but found in The Hague in 1599).
The last page of the original manuscript is devoted to a request to the reader to say a prayer for the "poor little writer": Sprecht Om Gotz Willen Ein Ave Marien vur Die Arme Schreverschen und dat Got ihr mois geven Dat Ewige leven AMEN.
In a few quires the ink has left a shadow on the other side of the paper, but it does not appear to have weakened the paper and the texts on both sides remain easily readable. The book is further in very good condition. The binding is badly worn: the oval centrepieces on the front and back boards -- clearly different, perhaps portraits of Maria and Jesus respectively -- cannot be made out, and the two stamps in the surrounding panel design are also worn. The book block remains securely attached to the cords. A fascinating Low German prayerbook, with extensive additions by an early owner.
