Abstract
This volume introduces previously overlooked short texts, all but one in Latin, originating from Bohemia and preserved in manuscripts of Crux de Telcz (1434-1504), a very active scribe and later an Augustinian canon in Třeboň in Southern Bohemia. Each of the 18 chapters presents an edition accompanied by a Czech translation, as well as an introduction to the particular textual type it exemplifies, the context of the opuscule and, when possible, its parallels and variant versions. Some of the texts included belong to well-known types, such as exempla, recipes, riddles, or proverbs; others are curious, such as a dream book or instructions on hunting for treasure. They are all edited here for the first time. Since one of the aims of the volume is to present the particularities of late medieval manuscript culture, the editions avoid emendations and are based on Crux's readings even when they differ from the supposed earlier and "better" versions. In addition to providing new medieval sources, the book aims to consider in detail the character and roles of medieval literary short forms in all their complexity, including blurred boundaries between individual texts, associative ordering, complex textual networks, variability, and obscurity. After a study introducing the concept of the opuscula, late medieval written culture and Crux de Telcz, as well as offering an overview of meters used in medieval Latin, the volume is divided into five sections: I. At school School is the primary environment where opuscula were blooming: brief texts, maxims, and excerpts are fit for education, and indeed Crux's "school miscellanies" are a great source of them.
1. Reception of classical antiquity in the context of teaching grammar (Jakub Kozák) selects three brief texts from the medieval classroom: notes on Jason, Medea, Tereus, Philomela and Procne, all with comments on Latin grammar, especially declension of Greek names, and, finally, a brief description of Alexander the Great's physical appearance and life. These opuscula show a very concrete afterlife of ancient mythology in the Middle Ages.
2. Mnemonic verses to Aristotle's philosophy (Jakub Kozák) presents two mnemonic poems, one on the first book of Aristotle's De anima, and the other, rather obscure, verse summary of Aristotle's eight books of Physics. Both poems survive in other, unedited, manuscripts but Crux's versions have their own specific features.
3. Riddles (Lucie Doležalová) contains 20 riddles scattered in Crux's miscellanies, primarily of the logogriph type, i.e. plays on letters and syllables. Most but not all of them survive in other manuscripts as well. Some of Crux's renderings are unintelligible. II. At the pulpit The second most important environment from which many opuscula survive is preaching. While sermons themselves are usually of a substantial length, Crux prodiced many preachers' aids, notes, ideas for sermons and sermon preparations, quotations and excerpts to be used, notes and comments.
4. On animals, wives and hell. Three sermons (Lucie Doležalová and Magda Králová). Although the three sermons presented here are not typical opuscula, they share with them variability and fluidity. Two of them also include exempla and thus show use of opuscula in practice. All three are thematically curious: in the first the preacher offers new year's gifts to the listeners (in fact animals whose characteristics should inspire them); in the second hell is described in detail as a sort of anti-feast for the sinners; and the last (partly taken over from Jacobus de Voragine) is presented in the manuscript as a treatise on whether to get married and how to select a wife.
5. Exempla (Zuzana Smetanová and Anna Pavlíková): one specific collection of 60 exempla in Crux's manuscript is featured here and 13 of them (those whose model or parallel was not identified) are edited.
6. Excerpt from the Corpus Christi sermon from Jan Milíč's postil Gratiae Dei (Michael Lužný) is an example of an opusculum that seems to be a collection of excerpts from authorities, yet careful scrutiny proves that it is in fact derived from a late medieval Eucharistic sermon by Jan Milíč, an ardent propagator of frequent communion. III. In polemic Most late medieval texts originating from Bohemia take a clear side in the intense religious controversy of the period. There are numerous polemics, invectives, argumentative treatises, letters, statements and news messages. Many of them are brief and topical - they react to particular historical circumstances and quickly lose relevance.
7. Dialogue between a knight and a monk on the Compacts of Basel (Dušan Coufal and Kristýna Loušová), surviving in two manuscripts, was authored by Johannes Palomar (d.
1442), the legate and auditor of the papal court at Basel probably in the first half of
1436. The text is one of few literary works on the controversy, especially precious as a rare example of an apology for the Compacts (1437) aimed at Catholic readers.
8. Against George of Poděbrady (Pavel Tříska with Aneta K. Lesná) is a prose invective against the "Hussite king" of Bohemia which turns out to be an excerpt from a pamphlet by Gabriel Rangoni of Verona (d.
1486).
9. Verses on monks (Karel Pacovský) introduces a unique poem on a commonplace topic: the vices of clergy.
10. Excerpts and notes on Slavic liturgy and Czech singing (Martin Šenk and Zuzana Smetanová) is a curious sequence of excerpts explaining the reason why the pope allowed the Slavic liturgy in Great Moravia, linked to the late medieval controversy over singing in Czech during mass. IV. Instructions and handbooks Late medieval writings abound in encyclopaedic works, often in a condensed form. There are numerous sets of instructions as well as handbooks.
11. Verses on the influence of food on the voice (Berenika Bendová) is a brief poem that provides dietetic advice on keeping a healthy, strong voice. It is included here as an example of medical opuscula - a frequent medieval textual type.
12. Old Czech instructions on growing saffron (Andrea Svobodová) is the only text in the volume that is not in Latin. It is a brief guide to planting and caring for saffron, an example of practical instruction.
13. Exposition of dreams (Martin Roček) is a handbook that is in fact not especially short. It is a specific variant of the widely diffused Somniale Danielis, here a list of 404 dreams and their interpretations.
14. Magic - search for treasure (Kristýna Loušová) includes two brief magical instructions on hunting for treasure: one specifies how to make a candle which will lead one to hidden treasure; the other describes how to find treasure using twigs. No close medieval parallels have been identified. V. Lists, overviews, notes The final group is in fact the largest in Crux's manuscripts and, at the same time, the least researched.
15. Proverbs against women (Pavel Tříska) presents a collection on a common medieval theme. There are many similar proverb collections, but a direct model has not been found.
16. Customs of the Midsummer night (Ondřej Fúsik, Eliška Frešerová and Pavel Tříska) is a brief and curious text describing folk customs that take place at the vigil of Saint John the Baptist, accompanied by their Christian interpretations. The manuscript transmission suggests that it was a frequent addition to sermons.
17. A little treatise on ablution with wine after communion (Lucie Doležalová) is a unique opusculum listing reasons why the practice of washing one's mouth with (unconsecrated) wine after receiving communion should be kept. It is said to be a shortened version of a treatise by a Prague master, but no model or parallel to it has been found, nor is the practice of ablution with wine documented in late medieval Bohemia.
18. Very short texts (Lucie Doležalová). A mixed group of colophons, marginal notes, brief enumerations and single verses abound in late medieval manuscripts, especially in those by Crux de Telcz. This selection closes the volume's representative selection. The whole field of medieval opuscula still has much to offer further research.