Women’s Voices in Medieval Artes Dictandi and Model Letter Collections

date

1140-1141

author

Anonymus

title

Amice dulcissime pre ceteris amantissime

bibliography

  • Praecepta prosaici dictaminis secundum Tullium
  • The ars dictaminis, whose anonymous author might be magister Bernardus, is transmitted by two known 13th century manuscripts: London, British Library, Add. Ms. 21173, fols. 61r- 73r; Prague, Czech National Library, Cod. XXIII E 29, fols. 83r-88v. Cf. Turcan-Verkerk-Claudio Felisi, p. 417-522, at p. 432; Worstbrock-Klaes, p. 152-153.
  • Franz-Josef Schmale, Die Praecepta prosaici dictaminis secundum Tullium und die Konstanzer Briefsammlung, Diss. Bonn, 1950, p. 70-108, at 85; Charles Haskins, “The Early artes dictandi in Italy,” in: Studies in Medieval Culture, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1929, p. 170-192, at 184 (only a part of the prologue).

summary

An example of a salutation of a love letter.

Praecepta prosaici dictaminis secundum Tullium, p. 91.

It is found in the part of the ars which focuses on salutations (Liber de salutatione). The second part of the treatise (Liber de epistolis), provides six types of model letters (omnis autem epistola aut assignativa est aut proemialis aut memorialis aut pronuntiativa aut deprecativa aut expressiva), which mostly speak men’s voices.

teibody

Amice dulcissime pre ceteris amantissime A. post faretram cupidinis lineam Veneris, sue anime dimidium continui amoris dulcedinem, diuturni amoris crementum, intimam cordis dulcedinem, desiderantis amoris effectum, mentis et corporis unitatem, quicquid amantibus congruum, indissolubilem sue anime dilectionem, eiusdem voluntatis desiderium, quicquid amicis desiderabilius.

notes alpha

    notes int