Collection of various texts on monastic life, for the use of novices.

Contemp. roll-stamped calf over wood, covers with double roll-stamp showing animals encircled by arabesques, spine with 3 raised bands, metal catch, vellum endpapers (leather of lower cover partly torn off, spine dam., clasp gone, tiny worm holes in lower cover). In good condition (paper f. 15 loose, vellum f. 58 wrinkled).

Rubricated Latin manuscript of 269 ff. (ca. 10,5 x 7,5 cm, mod. pencil foliation) on paper (245, incl. a few blanks) and vellum (25: ff. 8-9, 23-24, remains of 24bis, 29, 58, 111, 117, 122-123, 128-129, 134-135, 146-148, 153-154, 159-160, 165-166, 171), written by various hands.
Very interesting collection of texts for the use of novices, incl. letters by Petrus Blesensis (ff. 3r-22v), Laborintus novitiorum (23r-33v, 147v-148r), Testamentum beati Bernardi (34r-57v), Notandum de pictura amoris and a rapiarium with quotations from classical, patristic and medieval authors (59r-93v, 192r-268r), Latin verses De laude virginitatis (vel monogamarum) (94r-110v, 149r-155v), De vita clericorum by St Jerome (111r-128r), Speculum monachorum beati Bernardi abbatis (130r-147v), Alphabetum monachi studentis in scola Dei, editum a fratre Thoma, canonico regulari (155v-171r), De custodia infirmorum (171v-186r).
Written by a monk from the Tongeren monastery of Ter Nood Godts (Augustinian Canons Regular): "Iste libellu[s] p[er]tinet f[rat]rib[us] regularib[us] in tungris que[m] co[m]pilauit frat[er] nost[er] Mathe[us] de s[anc]to ioha[n]ne p[ro]fess[us]. Obijt a[n]no d[omi]nj m. cccc.lxvi. in crastino s[anc]ti urbanj pape et m[arty]ris" (f. 1r).
On f. 1r a later (17th c.?) title "Manuale deuotorum". On f. 268v "doer godts gebodt" (Middle Dutch). Front endpaper (lifted) made from a vellum fragment with early liturgical music. Lower endpaper from a vellum fragment with list of saints, rubricated in red and blue. Vellum f. 58 with a drawing in red and green. A few larger initials in red and blue.