Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 445: Richard de Pophis, Summa dictaminis secundum stilum romanae curiae

purl.stanford.edu/wr530wf1030

Title:

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 445: Richard de Pophis, Summa dictaminis secundum stilum romanae curiae

Alternate Title:

Ric. de Pophis, etc.

Language:

Latin

Extent:

ff. 1 + 149

Dimensions:

183 Height (mm) and 129 Width (mm)

Approximate Date:

[ca. 1200 - 1399]

Table of contents:

Summa dictaminis secundum stilum romanae curiae

Description:

CCCC MS 445 contains a fourteenth-century copy of the Summa dictaminis secundum stilum romanae curiae by Richard de Pophis (Pofi) (fl. c. 1256-71), a handbook for the writing of ecclesiastical letters and documents with special reference to the form of words to be employed at the conclusion of each sentence. Known as the Cursus, this may have originated as a way to try to prevent crude forgery of papal documents, but by the time that this copy of Richard's work was copied, it had become a rigid system of stylistic conventions which necessitated handbooks to ensure its proper employment.