CHD Hours of the Virgin
Hore Beate Marie Virginis - Use of Sens

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Ad Matutinum Invitatorium Ave maria
Hymnus Quem terra ponthusAnt. ps. 8: Benedicta tu
Lectio i. Sancta maria virgo virginum Responsorium i. Sancta et immaculata
Ad LaudesPss. 92, 99, 62, 66, B, 148
Antiphona O admirabile
Capitulum In omnibus requiem Hymnus -
Antiphona super Benedictus O gloriosa dei genitrix
Ad PrimamPss. 1, 2, 3, 116
Hymnus Veni creator spiritus
Antiphona Quando natus
Capitulum Ab initio et ante R. Ave maria
Ad TertiamPss. 119, 120, 121
Hymnus As primam
Antiphona Rubum quem
Capitulum Et sic in syon R. Sancta dei genitrix
Ad SextamPss. 122, 123, 124
Antiphona Germinavit
Capitulum Et radicavi R. Post partum
Ad NonamPss. 125, 126, 127
Antiphona Ecce maria virgo genuit
Capitulum Paradisi porta R. Speciosa facta es
Ad VesperasPss. 121, 122, 123, 124, 125
Antiphona Post partum
Capitulum Beata es virgo maria Hymnus Ave maris stella
Antiphona super Magnificat Sancta maria succurre
Ad CompletoriumPss. 12, 42, 128, 130
Antiphona Cum iocunditate
Capitulum Sicut cynamomum Hymnus Virgo singularis R.Ecce ancilla domini
Antiphona super Nunc dimittis Ecce completa sunt omnia


Source: VL 140 Paris BN ms.lat.1195 Heures à l'usage de Sens.
Notes: Calendar is mainly composite Paris with the notable entry 7/01 'Les reliques de Sens';
Office of the Dead: KO p.156: 14-72-32 68-24-46 84-40-38
Variants: In May 2007 did I make the disturbing discovery that another of the key sources used by Victor Leroquais for the identification of the use of Sens has an Office of the Virgin which in reality is identical with the undisputed use of Troyes in every single detail! It is recorded in his notebook on folio 193; His source was the printed Hours from 1536: Paris BN Rés. B.9158: Heures à l'usage de Sens, Paris, Thielman Kerver (veufue) 12 Mars 1536 (Almanach pour 1535-1549) [Lacombe 408 (p.232-33)] [=VL 193 + B1200 (KO p.156 by mistake dated 1526]
I have absolutely no idea how to explain this more than curious case, and no means to travel around Europe to consult a number of other editions printed after 1500. But since multiple copies of Leroquais notebooks are available all over the World, and for a generation have been consulted by scholars for identification of the use, are we facing a serious problem! It does f.ex. explain why the Hours of the Virgin in the splendid Troyes Hours in the Houghton Library (Ms. Richardson 7) was called 'Use of Sens' in the excellent printed catalogue of the collection from 1983. Unfortunately did somebody rest at the matching incipits on Leroquais' folio 193 headed 'Sens', and did not turn the page to find another identical text as 'Use of Troyes' on the following pages (folio 194).
Ms. Richardson 7 is explicitly use of Troyes in every single respect: Calendar, Litany, Hours of the Virgin and the Office of the Dead.
We must assume that other similar confusions can have been caused by the recording of Leroquais, and as a consequence reexamine Books of Hours to see if there are discrepancies between various parts of the contents, both when they have been called 'Troyes' and 'Sens'. By the Office of the Dead is there fortunately no room for mistake, both are quite unique and has nothing in common. Of particular interest will be Books of Hours where the Hours of the Virgin have been called 'use of Troyes' but the Office of the Dead in reality turns out to be 'use of Sens'. Such sources could indicate that a bishop of Sens perhaps at some point decided to change the Hours of the Virgin to follow the use of Troyes.
Other sources from Sens referred to by Leroquais: VL 140 Lyon, Bibl. Acad. Ms.21 and Ms.23;


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© CHD Erik Drigsdahl 1999 [modified 1/06/2007]