Single leaf, with double column of 45 lines of a rounded early gothic bookhand with ornamental penwork cadels in uppermost and lowermost lines of text, red rubrics, one blue 2-line initial with red penwork, recovered from reuse in a later binding and hence with some discolouration, trimming, corner clipped away and folds, but overall in good and presentable condition, 235 by 190mm
Johannes Halgrinus de Abbatisvilla (d. 1237; also John Halgren of Abbeville) was a French scholastic theologian, the son of Gui d'Abbeville and Ide de Boubers, who served in a remarkable range of roles: as a university professor (of Paris), priest, prior, archbishop (of Besançon), cardinal (of Saint Sabine), apostolic legate (to Gregory IX who he had studied alongside in Paris) and diplomat. This leaf is from a copy of his Sermones de Tempore, also known as his Postillae, commentaries on the Gospels produced for preaching throughout the Church year (see J.B. Schneyer, Repertorium der lateinischen Sermones des Mittelalters, III, 1974, p. 512, nos. 26-27)
