The closure of St George's Benedictine convent in Prague Castle in 1782 meant the end of a valuable convent library, whose size and contents we can only conjecture. Hitherto we have been aware of a set of 65 codices to be found for the most part in the Czech National Library fonds with individual items owned by the Prague National Museum Library and the Ősterreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the practically unknown St George codices which the Czech National Library purchased together with the Prague Lobkowicz library. These are four breviaries which were acquired by the Lobkowicz Library in 1835. Summer breviary XXIII D 156 was created before the mid-13th century undoubtedly in the environment of St George's Convent, while the somewhat older Calendarium is evidently not from St George's or of Bohemian origin at all. The winter breviary XXIII D 155 is ascribed to St George's Abbess Anežka (1355-1358). Summer breviary XXIII D 142 was created in 1359 for Sister Alžbeta, the codex decoration is from the workshop of master breviarist Grandmaster Lev. Summer breviary XXIII D 138, which is of artistic and iconographic interest, is the work of four scribes and two previously unknown illuminators.
The article deals with manuscript XIII G 25 of the National Library of the Czech Republic, which contains an explanation of part of the Book of Psalms (109-118). The explanation is attributed to the Master of the Prague University and preacher in the Prague Bethlehem Chapel Václav of Dráchov (about 1395-1469). The author analyses the contents of the codex, the relationship between it and further manuscripts, its provenience and finally, the research results in this field are summarized.
This article is the first to publish a versified pamphlet with the incipit De sancto Stephano Symon celebro male sano (Walther, Initia, no. 4155). The author sees in its 166 verses two pamphlets: the first targets a Constance priest from St Stephen's, Simon Lind, and was evidently composed in Constance some June after 1300, while the second targeting an unknown Simon, was composed some 18th October. The author believes that this double-pamphlet was included in Summa recreatorum by its unknown author, who was perhaps working to the order of Albrecht of Šternberk, as part of the struggle between himself and Petr Jelito for the favour of Charles IV and the associated ecclesiastical posts. The Summa was not drawn up for the death of Charles, soon after which followed that of Albrecht of Šternberk. Hence its ongoing composition must be put down to the 1370s.
This article is the first to publish a versified pamphlet with the incipit De sancto Stephano Symon celebro male sano (Walther, Initia, no. 4155). The author sees in its 166 verses two pamphlets: the first targets a Constance priest from St Stephen's, Simon Lind, and was evidently composed in Constance some June after 1300, while the second targeting an unknown Simon, was composed some 18th October. The author believes that this double-pamphlet was included in Summa recreatorum by its unknown author, who was perhaps working to the order of Albrecht of Šternberk, as part of the struggle between himself and Petr Jelito for the favour of Charles IV and the associated ecclesiastical posts. The Summa was not drawn up for the death of Charles, soon after which followed that of Albrecht of Šternberk. Hence its ongoing composition must be put down to the 1370s.
By a detailed analysis of decoration and collation of this manuscript it was found out that three principal masters participated in its decoration. The top quality of the decoration can be found in the work of the first master continuing the Byzantine, Venetian, and Saxon-Thuringian creation. The second master uses the first master´s work. The work of the third master is quite different as it is connected with original Bohemian production – with the Mater verborum manuscript. This different quality of illuminations allows to suppose that the codex originated in a scriptorium acting somewhere in Bohemia and employing a number of artists and their helpmates.