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