137. Christian Platonism and the Pseudo-Dionysian Writings,

138. Ignorance in the West,

589

600

142. Chronologist List of the Principal Ecclesiastical Writers from

the Sixth to the Twelfth Century,

621

AUGUST POTTHAST: Bibliotheca Historica Medii Aævi. Wegweiser durch die Geschichtswerke des Europäischen Mittelalters von 375-1500. Berlin, 1862. Supplement, 1868.

The medieval literature embraces four distinct branches.

1. The Romano-Germanic or Western Christian;

2. The Græco-Byzantine or Eastern Christian;

3. The Talmudic and Rabbinical;

4. The Arabic and Mohammedan.

We notice here only the first and second; the other two will be mentioned
in subdivisions as far as they are connected with church history.
The Christian literature consists partly of documentary sources, partly of
historical works. We confine ourselves here to the most important
works of a more general character. Books referring to particular
countries and sections of church history will be noticed in the
progress of the narrative.

I. DOCUMENTARY SOURCES.

They are mostly in Latin-the official language of the Western Church,— and in Greek, the official language of the Eastern Church.

(1) For the history of missions: the letters and biographies of missionaries.

(2) For church polity and government: the official letters of popes, patriarchs, and bishops.

access.

The documents of the papal court embrace (a) Regesta (registra), the transactions of the various branches of the papal government from A. D. 1198–1572, deposited in the Vatican library, and difficult of (b) Epistolæ decretales, which constitute the basis of the Corpus juris canonici, brought to a close in 1313. (c) The bulls (bulla, a seal or stamp of globular form, though some derive it from Bovan, will, decree) and briefs (breve, a short, concise summary), i. e., the official letters since the conclusion of the canon law. They are of equal authority, but the bulls differ from the briefs by their more solemn form. The bulls are written on parchment, and sealed with a seal of lead or gold, which is stamped on one side with the effigies of Peter and Paul, and on the other with the name of the reigning pope, and attached to the instrument by a string; while the briefs are written on paper, sealed with red wax, and impressed with the seal of the fisherman or Peter in a boat.

(3) For the history of Christian life: the biographies of saints, the disciplinary canons of synods, the ascetic literature.

(4) For worship and ceremonies: liturgies, hymns, homilies, works of architecture, sculpture, painting, poetry, music. The Gothic cathedrals are as striking embodiments of mediæval Christianity as the Egyptian pyramids are of the civilization of the Pharaohs.

(5) For theology and Christian learning: the works of the later fathers (beginning with Gregory I.), schoolmen, mystics, and the forerunners of the Reformation.

II. DOCUMENTARY COLLECTIONS. WORKS OF MEDIEVAL WRITERS. (1) For the Oriental Church. Corpus Scriptorum Historic Byzantine, opera NIEBUHRII, BEKKERI, et al. Bonnæ, 1828-'78, 50 vols. 8vo. Contains a complete history of the East-Roman Empire from the sixth century to its fall. The chief writers are ZONARAS, from the Creation to A. D. 1118; NICETAS, from 1118 to 1206; GREGORAS, from 1204 to 1359; LAONICUS, from 1298 to 1463; DUCAS, from 1341 to 1462; PHRANTZES, from 1401 to 1477. J. A. FABRICIUS (d. 1736): Bibliotheca Græca sive Notitia Scriptorum veterum Græcorum, 4th ed., by G. Chr. Harless, with additions. Hamburg, 1790-1811, 12 vols. A supplement by S. F. W. HOFFMANN: Bibliographisches Lexicon der gesammten Literatur der Griechen. Leipzig, 1838-'45, 3 vols.

(2) For the Western Church.

Bibliotheca Maxima Patrum. Lugduni, 1677, 27 vols. fol.

MARTENE (d. 1739) and DURAND (d. 1773): Thesaurus Anecdotorum

Novus, seu Collectio Monumentorum, etc. Paris, 1717, 5 vols. fol.
By the same: Veterum Scriptorum et Monumentorum Collectio ampliss.
Paris, 1724-33, 9 vols. fol.