PREFACE

TheimpossibilityofcompletingmyeditionofMeisterEckhartas:][uicklyasithasbeenatvarioustimesdesiredandasIshouldTiyselfhavelikedtodo,aswellasthewishnolongertowithholdfromscholarsthewritingsofoneofthedeepestthinkersofalldme,hasdecidedmetopublishinthemeantimetheportion:?ontamcdinthetext.Thesecondpart,withliterary-historicalintroduction,notes,glossary,andvariousadditionsandappendices,willfollowassoonasIcansparethetimefrommynewduties.

,Thisfirstinstalmentcontains,withtheexceptionofafewshort)eeeswhichIobtainedonlyafteritwasprinted,everythingof

ekhart’swhich,duringeighteenyearsoftirelessresearch,Ihave:>eenabletocollectoutofmanuscriptsandprintedbooks.ItisittleenoughcomparedwiththeworksofEckhartstillknown:oTritheniiusandofwhichhegivesquitealongcatalogueinhisbookDeScriptoribusEedes,(s.Fabriciibibliothecaccoles.llani-Durgh,1718,fol.pag.130);butontheotherhandwhatIofferriercisatleastthreetimestheamountofwhathashithertobeenknown,andtheteaching,thephilosojihiesysternofthisremarkableTriancannowbepresentedinamoredefiniteandcompleteform^haiiitwaspossibletodofromthescantyanduntrustworthylatapossessedbefore.

InordertogiveanaccountofthemeanswithinmyreachandItthesametimetogivethereadersomeideaoftheextentandlifTicultyofmywork,Iappendalistofthejirintedmatterandnanuscriptsused,togetherwithastatementoftheircontentsirrangedandnumberedtocorrespondwithmyedition.

I.PARCHMENTMSS.

1.A.Strassburg,stadtbibliothek,A.98.1tthcent.4to.

(I,16,17,26-28,30-39,41,44,46,48,50-53;II,6.)

2.B.Basel,universitatsbibliothek,B.XI,10.14thcent.

12mo.(I.17-25;III,6,7;IV.)

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MEISTERECKHART

3.c.Einsiedeln,klostcrbibliothek,No.277.14thcent.4to.

(I,29,40,45,49,56,59,60,88-90;II,2,11-14,16;

III,21;IV.)

4.D.Berlin,k.bibliothek,cod.germ.8,No.12.14thcent.

(I,7,8,10,11,13,15,16,18,20,87,101;III,49-65.

IV. )

5.E.Berlin,k.bibliothek,cod.germ.8,No.65.14thcent.

(I,6,10,12,14,19,34,51,76(a);III,1.)

6.F.Stuttgart,k.dffentl.bibliothek,brev.4,No.88.14th

cent.(I,1-5,7,8,15,55;II,6;III,2,70.)

7.G.Einsiedeln,klostcrbibliothek.No.278.14thcent.4to.

(1,5,11,13,15-18,25,42,43,51,54,57,58,73,92,93,95,99;III,II,12,18,20,22,25,27,28,30;IV.)

8.H.Munchen,k.hot-undstaatsbibliothek,cod.germ.133.

14thcent.12mo.(I,45,76(a),103;II,6,12;

IV.)

9.I.Kloster-NeuburgbeiWien,No.1141.14thcent.8vo.

(I,30,33-35,39,72,97,98,100;II,2,7,10,11,13-16.)

10.K.Wien,hofbibliothck.No.2728.14thcent.4to.(I,

67,68;II,2.)

11.L.Same,No.2739.14thcent.4to.(11,1.)

12.M.Basel,universitatsbibliothek,B.IX,15.14thcent.

4to.(I,57,61,66,71,98;II,5;III,1016.)

13.N.Frankfurt,stadtbibliothek(oldI)omini(?anlibrary).No.

167.14thcent.8vo.(II,14,15.)

14.o.Karlsruhe,grossherzoglichebibliothek,cod.s.Petri,

No.85.14thcent.4to.(I,8,51,70,84;II,12;III,3,15,22,25,29.)

15.p.(hessen(inprivateownership)fromtheklosterAltenburg

bei\Vetzlar.14thcent.(Ill,31-48.)

16.Q.Wien,hofbibliothek,No.2757.14thcent.4to.

(HI,4,5.)

II.PAPERMSS.

17.a.Miinehen,k.hof-undstaatsbibliothek,cod.germ.365.

15thcent,(I,6,7,13,14,47,55,57-59,63-66,71;II,7;III,66.)

18.b.Stuttgart,k.privatbibliothek.No.1,26(oldnumbering).

15thcent.4to.(I,1,4,8,9,11,12,45,54,57,61,62;II,2.)

19.c.Berlin,k.bibliothek,cod.germ.4,125.14thcent.

(I,6,14.)

20.d.Basle,AdamPetri’seditionofTauler’ssermons,1521

PREFACE

vii

and1522.Fol.(I,6-8,10-14,17-23,25,34,36,37,40-43,45,56-60,65,73-92,98,101,102;III,1,15,21,66.)

21.e.Berlin,k.bibliothek,cod.germ.4,191,14th-15thcent.

(I,8,15;II,11,12;III,23,24;IV.)

22./.Mclk,klostcrbibliothek,L.5.15tlicent.Fol.(I,7,

76(5),105-110;II,2,11.)

23.g.Same,L.27.15thcent.12mo.(II,2,3.)

24.luCoblenz,gymnasiumsbibliothek,No.43.I5thcent.

4to.(I,15,57;II,9;III,8.)

25.i,Stuttgart,ownpossession.15thcent.4to.(I,9,40,

57.)

26./c.Cologne,.JasparvonGennep’seditionofTauler’ssermons,

1543.Fol.(I,69;II,1;III,70.)

27./.Leipzig,CunradKachclouen’seditionofTauler’ssermons,

1498.4to.(I,1-4.)

28.tn.Breslau,in]M)ssessionofCond.Prince-BishopMelchior

V.Diepenbrock.15thcent.Fol.TractateonActiveandPotentialIntellect

29.n,Stuttgart,k.(iffentlichebibliothek,cod.theol.fol.No.

155.15thcent.(11,4,18.)

30.o.Same,cod.theol.fol.No.283.15thcent.(Ill,69.)

31.p.Same,cod.theol.8,No.18.15thcent.(II,8,11,14,

15;HI,9,67.)

32.q.Colmar.15thcent.(Ill,1.)

33.r,Mun<?hen,k.hof-undstaatsbibliothek,cod.germ.116.

15thcent.8vo.(HI,1719,68.)

34-38.Same,cod.germ.388,411.15tlicent.4to.—

447,463.15thcent.8vo.—783.15thcent.(Ill,70.)

39.t,Stuttgart,k.bffcntlichebibliothek,cod.theol.8,No.13,

14thcent.(I,40;II,9;III,13.)

40.u,Schaffhausen,stadtbibliothek.15thcent.4to.(1,104.)

41.V.Stuttgart,k.offeiitlichebibliothek,cod.theol.fol.33,

V.j.1426.(II,7.)

42.w.Frankfurt,stadtbibliothek,No.3500(oldDominican

library).15thcent.8vo.(II,17.)

43-44Munchen,hof-undstaatsbibliothek,cod.germ.

218and4482.15thcent.4to.(II,17.)

45.y,Stuttgart,k.offentlichebibliothek,cod.theol.4to.No.50.15thcent.(HI,67.)

InadditionIhavetonoteaMS.withfortysermonsbyKckhart,paper,o£thcdate1440,inthepossessionofProf.KarlSchmidtofStrassburg.Unfortunatelythishasremainedinaccessibletome,

MEISTERECKHART

viii

IonlyknowwhatthepossessorhasdisclosedinhisFrenchmono-graphonEckhart{MemoiresdeVacaddmiefranc,mor,etpolit.parsavantsStrangers,Paris,1847.T.2).

WithregardtotheinternalarrangementandorderingofmymaterialImakethefollowingobservations.ThebroaddivisionintoSermons,Tractates,Sayingswasobvious.Ontheotherhanditwasdifliculttodecidewhatsequencethesermonsoughttofollow.AnarrangementwhichshowedthechangesinEckhart’steaehi)]ginalogicalmannerwasoutofthequestion,andthesameappliestoputtingtheminorderofageortimeofdelivery;thedataforthisarewhollylacking.ItisquiteexceptionalforEckharttomakeanyreferencetoaprevioussermon.Amongtheearliestofthesesermons,belongingperhapstotheperiodofhisVicar-GeneralshipinBohemia(about1.307),Ireckonthosenumbered105-110fromtheMelkMS.,L.5.(No.22.)InthesuperscriptionoftheseEckhartissocalledinsteadofMeistcrEckhart,adesignationwhichpointstothetimewhenthememoryofhisfinalyearsofstudyinPariswasstilllively.TheseIhaveplacedlast,simplyonthegroundsthat,likealltheMSS.obtainedfromAustria,theyseemtobemuchedited;superheially,indiction,theycertainlyareandIthinktootheirmatterhasbeentamperedwith.Asbeingthesimplestarrangement,theliturgicalorderoftheGospelscommendeditselfbutheregreatdiirieulties,wereencounteredthesermonsbeingprefacedbytextschosenquiteatrandomandasaruleallreferencetotheSundayorfestivaliswanting.ThetitlesoftheoldBasleeditionarcforthemostpartarbitrary.

Idecidedthereforetorelysolelyonmysourcesandtheorderinwhichtheirindividualsermonswerepresented.Withthisendinviewthosemanuscriptswerechosenoutwhichwerespeciallydistinguishedfortheirageorauthenticity,andfromtheseagainselectionwasmadeofthosewithsuperscriptionsimputingthemtoEckhart.InthiswayandinthiswayonlyIfounditpossibletoenterintothegeniusandthemethodandtheidiosyncrasyofEckhartandgainareliablestandardwherebytodeterminethosesermonswhich,thoughfoundamongtheauthenticones,wereyetwithouthisname.BythismeansIhopetohaveacquiredthenecessary]>racticeandfamiliaritywithEckhart’swritingsandIbelieve1neednotfearthatanyimportantitemofmycollec-tionwillultimatelyprovetobewronglyattributedtoEckhart.

TheSayings,withfewexceptions,bearallthemarksofauthen-ticityandneednofurtherverification.Onlyacoupleofthemaretraceabletothecompletesermonsandtractatesincluded,thoughmostarefragmentsandportionsoflargerworks.FromthiswecanformsomenotionoftheamountofEckhartstilllosttous.

PREFACE

IX

Withregardtothefourthsection,whichIhavecalledLiherPositionum,IhadnoexternalevidenceofEckhart’sauthorship,butEckhart’sgeniusandcharacteristicoutlookseemtometobeunmistakablyshownintheseargumentsinwhich,intheformofdialoguesbetweenmasterandpupil,aseriesofweightyphilo-sophicalandtheologicalquestionsareventilated.Further,theseparateitemsofthisworkwhichonlylooselyhangtogether,IhavemetwithonlyamongEckhart’swritings.ThetitleIhaveborrowedfromTrithemius’Catalogue(seeabove);itmighthavebeenmadeforit.

Obviouslymytextisnotallofequalvalueandcorrectness;whocouldexpectit?WiththenumerouspiecespreservedonlyinlateandbadMSS.itwasoftenimpossibleowingtothecareless-nessofthescribetounravelthemanifoldconfusionofthoughtandconnection;howwasItorestoreandsupplywordsandwholesentenceswhichhadbeenomitted?ImeantocommentintheNotesonthepassageswhichseemtometobecorruptandgivetheemendationsandconjectureswhichIhavefounditinexpedienttopublishwiththetext.OfanotherkindbutnolessgreatwasmydidicultywiththosepassageswhichcertainlyappearedinthebestMSS.butshowedconsiderablevariationsamongthemselves.Howimportantthesediscrepanciesoftenarethevariantswillshow.Incasesofthissorttherecognitionandisolationoftheauthentic*fromtheunauthenticlateradditionsordistortionsisrarelytobedonewithanycertaintyandforthatreasonIhavesometimesadoptedtheexpedientofputtingthevariantsthemselvesinjuxtapositioninthetext.^

Astothedictionofthecontentsofthisvolume,whichIhaveneitherwishednorbeenabletogivemuchorderto,IhavefollowedtheoldestandbestMSS.which,consistentlywithEckhart’shomeandbirthplace,Strassburg,arewrittenalmostentirelyintheAlcmanicidiom:MiddleGermanandthespeechofColognedoappearoccasionallybutnotwithstandingEckhart’slongsojournonthelowerRhine,onlyrarelyandinlateMSS.

Stuttgart,^thJuly1857.

ThelasttwopagesofPfeiffer’sPrefacearcoccupiedwithacknow-ledgmentsofthehelpandkindnessreceivedfromprofessors,librarians,keepersofarchives,etc.AmongtheseappearthenamesofWackernagel,P.Gall-Morel,FranzHoffmann,andtheCardinalPrince-BishopofBreslau,MelchiorvonDiepenbrock,^Manyexamplesofthisoccur.SeeespeciallyI,IxxviandII,xi.

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MEISTERECKHART

‘whonevertiredoflendingmeahelpinghand.’HeisespeciallygratefultothethenPrefectoftheVaticanArchiveswhoenabledhimtotraceandplacedathisdisposaleightdocuments(s.Pertz.archiv9,449)relatingtoEckhartandofmuchimportance‘asshowingtherelationsofEckhartwiththeChurch,hispositionwithregardtotheArchbishopofCologneandthejustificationofthelatterforsettinginmotiontheInquisitionagainsthim,aswellasforthehistoryofthepowerfulspiritualmovementwhichatthebeginningofthefourteenthcenturytookplaceontheRhine.’AllthesedocumentshereservesforhisprojectedvolumeofNotes,withthecxce])tioriofoneshortquotationfromEckliart’sDeclara-tionatCologne,13Feb.1327.This,togetherwithotherrelevantdocuments,wasafterwardspublishedbyPregerattheendofthefirstvolumeofhisGeschichiederdeutschenMi/stik,