Leaves from an extremely large codex of John of Freiburg, Summa confessorum and the same author’s Tractatus de instructione confessorum, in Latin, manuscript on parchment with another seven fragments

Leaves from an extremely large codex of John of Freiburg, Summa confessorum and the same authors Tractatus de instructione confessorum, in Latin, manuscript on parchment with another seven fragments from two near-contemporary legal manuscript codices of same date on parchment [France and Italy, early fourteenth century]

11 leaves (including 2 bifolia), including: (i) a complete leaf and part of a bifolium (trimmed at top to remove upper quarter of leaves) from John of Freiburg, Summa Confessorum, double column of 51 lines of a fine rounded early gothic bookhand, quotations underlined in red, red rubrics, paragraph marks in alternate red or blue, small initials in red or blue with contrasting penwork, 2 larger initials variegated in red or blue with elaborate penwork infill and penwork extensions in margin trailing into long whip-like penstrokes, one catchword at end of partial bifolium, reused on an account book dated 1569 and so with some scrawls, some staining overall, losses of parchment from bifolium with affect to outer columns, overall in fair and legible condition, complete leaf: 370 by 290mm., France, early fourteenth century; plus another 7 cuttings from 2 Canon Law codices: one partial bifolium, 3 half leaves and 3 strips, reused in bindings and somewhat defective, overall fair condition, France and Italy, fourteenth century

The Dominican theologian, John of Freiburg, composed his gigantic Summa confessorum in the years 1297-8, and his smaller Tractatus de instructione confessorum (also known as Confessionale) in the years immediately following. These works were an extension to the works of Raymond of Pennafort and William of Rennes gloss on that work. They were very popular in the Middle Ages, and both survive in approximately 170 recorded manuscripts (T. Kaeppeli and E. Panella, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum medii aevi, 1970-93, ii. 430-6 and iv. 152).