Monday, July 23, 2007

Scholar request

One of our readers, a professor in Germany, is helping a colleague who is currently researching the sources of an unedited text on the Hours of the Contemplation of the Passion, written by Christine de Pizan, probably when she lived at the Dominican convent in Poissy outside of Paris in the 1420s.

They believe the book quotes prayers from a Latin Books of Hours and they are trying to identify the Latin liturgical sources that might have been used by Christine de Pizan in the composition of this text by her.

To that end, they've contact the NLM to ask if any of our readership would be familiar with the source of the following prayer, provided in the mediaeval French:

ll. 1249-1260 Prière au Saint Sepulcre (Prayer to the Virgin at the Holy Sepulchre):

Dont contemplativement me semble que je te voy agenoillie devant ce saint Sepulcre, et fus la premiere qui onques l'aourast ; si pris ainsi a dire : « Saint Sepulcre, qui en toy as encloux si riche tresor que est le filz de Dieu sauveur du monde, arche benoite qui contiens la haultesse des cieulx et la joye des anges et des benois sains, bien dois estre aouré, visité et tenu en tres grant reverence comme place [141c] tres digne. Si pry a Dieu le Pere et au Filz, seconde personne de la Trinité, esgal au Pere quant a la deité, mendre du Pere selon l'umanité, icellui mesmes et non autre conjoinct en Trinité avec le Sainct Esperit, que a tous ceulx et celles qui par devocion visiter te vendront, en pitié et remembrance de ce benoist crucifix qui en toy a esté posé, que leurs peticions justes et raisonnables soient exauciees et que en ce monde puissent tellement vivre que aprés leur trespas soient leurs ames sauvees.


If anyone can help them in their search to identify this text, they would be appreciative.

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