Marquard von Lindau and His "Dekalogerklärung"

Author(s): James M. Clark

Source: The Modern Language Review, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Jan., 1939), pp. 72-78
Published by: Modern Humanities Research Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3717134
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72 Miscellaneous Notes
certainty at what time of the Christian year the play was intended to be
performed, but there seems little internal evidence in favour of the
Christmas theory. The deliverance of mankind from the results of Adam's
sin is not effected by the mere coming of Christ, but by his death and
resurrection. It is important, too, to realize that in almost every re-
ference in the play the coming of Christ is less important than his victory
over sin and death, e.g. Eve (v. 590), Abraham (v. 764), Aaron (v. 778),
David (v. 788), Solomon (v. 806: Quant le filz deu por nos morra, and
vv. 809-16), Balaam (v. 825), Daniel (vv. 834, 837-40), Jeremiah (v. 873-
6: Son cors dorra por ran9on), and Isaiah (v. 925).
This tends to suggest that the play would have been far more suitable
for Good Friday or Easter, probably the latter, than for Christmas. It
might also be added that a series of prophecies, beginning with the story
of the Creation and going through to Nebuchadnezzar, as in the Mystere
d'Adam, exists in the catholic office for Holy Saturday. Whilst not sug-
gesting that the Mystere is built up on this office, the similarity is in-
teresting in the consideration of the season for which the play was
intended and also in seeing how the addition of the Adam and Eve and
Cain and Abel parts would complete the outline contained in that office.
KENNETH URWIN.
CARDIFF.

MARQUARD VON LINDAU AND HIS 'DEKALOGERKLARUNG'

One cannot help thinking that the Franciscan mystic Marquard von
Lindau has received less than his due from literary historians. He was
famous enough in his own day, as is seen from the number and diffusion
of manuscripts of his works in German, Austrian and Swiss libraries, and
even farther afield. These codices and the printed editions that followed
them were read and appreciated till Luther's day. This does not necessarily
imply literary merit, but his importance is shown by the following con-
siderations: (1) his writings form the connecting link between the great
German prose writers of the fourteenth century and those of later times;
(2) although chiefly written for nuns and friars, his works were used for
the instruction of the laity for several generations and contain references
of considerable historical value; (3) his German prose style is remarkable
for the fourteenth century. He has an unusual range of expression and
wide interests. He rises at times to heights of real eloquence. His Latin
style does not concern us here, but it is that of a scholar and a poet.
Nothing but the merest accident has so far prevented Marquard from
taking his rightful place in literary history. Cruel gave a brief, but in-

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 Miscellaneous Notes 73
accurate account of him in the Geschichte der deutschen Predigt im
Mittelalter,l but mediaeval sermons and didactic treatises are so numerous
that Cruel's description did not give rise to further research. Marquard
attracted the passing attention of a greater scholar some thirty years ago,
and in fact the friar narrowly escaped being 'discovered', but the investi-
gation promised by Professor von der Leyen was never completed. In
1928 Dr Anton Mayr published an article on Marquard,2 but this was
little more than a classification of the manuscripts of the Dekalogerkldrung,
and it was buried in the centenary Festschrift of a Bavarian Gymnasium.
Since then no interest has been taken in Marquard. Ehrismann makes no
reference to him in his Geschichteder deutschenLiteratur bis zum Ausgang
des Mittelalters. He is not even mentioned in the Reallexikon der deutschen
Literaturgeschichte,3either under 'Mystik' or under 'Franziskaner',
although the learned authors of this work have dragged sundry obscure,
not to say dreary, writers from oblivion. While the present article was in
preparation, however, a useful account by Dr Klapper appeared in the
Deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters, Verfasserlexikon. 'Pereant qui ante
nos nostra dicunt.' Unfortunately Dr Klapper overlooked the contribu-
tions of Professor von der Leyen and of Dr Mayr, hence the list of
manuscripts given in the Verfasserlexikonis very incomplete.4
It was while searching for Eckhart manuscripts in the Munich library
that Professor von der Leyen came across a commentary on the Deca-
logue in dialogue form. Von der Leyen pointed out5 that this work quotes a
lengthy passage from a dialogue ascribed to Eckhart which passes under
the name of Meister Eckehartes Wirtschaft. He recognized the intrinsic
merit of the Dekalogerkldrungand its importance for the literary his-
torian: 'Dieser Dialog ist fur die Erkenntnis des Nachlebens und der
Nachwirkung der deutschen Mystik hichst bedeutsam und bewahrt
manches ihrer edelsten Kleinode.' As all the Munich manuscripts con-
cerned are anonymous, von der Leyen did not connect this Commentary
with Marquard von Lindau. Fortunately other texts bear the author's
name. Von der Leyen's article indicates, therefore, a link between
Marquard and Eckhart's circle. There happens to be further evidence
of this.
We might begin with sermons of Eckhart the authenticity of which is
1 Detmold, 1879,
pp. 402-4.
2 'Zur handschriftlichen
Uberlieferung der Dekalogerklarung Marquards von Lindau', in
Festschrift zum hundertjdhrigenJubildum des humanistischen Gymnasiums Freising, Freising,
1928. 3 Ed. Merker and Stammler.
4 Neither
Klapper nor Mayr mentions Cgm. 506 (Munich Staatsbibliothek), which is one
of the very best MSS.
5
Zeitschriftfur deutschePhilologie, xxxvIII (1906), 358.

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74 Miscellaneous Notes
not disputed. Marquard is quoted from the Munich manuscript Cgm. 506,
collated with Basel, Universitatsbibliothek A X 138.1 We shall call these
M and B respectively. Eckhart is quoted from Pfeiffer's edition.
Pfeiffer, p. 42, 11.25-6. Marquard, fo. 133r.
Juncfrouwe ist als6 vil gesprochen als Nun spricht ain maister, das magt als
ein mensche, der lidic ist aller fremder vil sey gesprochen, als der von allen
bilden, als6 lidic als er was d6 er niht fr6mden bilden ledig ist, als ledig als er
enwas. was, da er nit enwas.2
Pfeiffer, p. 62, 1. 22. Marquard, fo. 130r.
Ein vrouwe und ein man die sint einan- Das ander ist, das sy an anderen3sond
der ungelich: aber in der minne sint sie an klainen dingen vbersechen. Wan dar-
gar gelich. Da von sprichet diu schrift gar vmb hat got die frawen von dem ripp
wol, daz got die vrouwen neme von des vnd nit von dem haupt noch von den
mannes rippeund siten, wedervon houbet fiissen genomen, das sy soltent sein zwen
noch von den fiiezen, wan swa zwei sint, gesellen, da ainer nit vber den anderen
d&ist gebreste.4 will sein.
Other parallel passages are found in Marquard and sermons of Eckhart
of which the authenticity is doubtful. If not by the great Dominican
mystic himself, they are at least the product of his school.
Pfeiffer, p. 100, 1. 18. Marquard, fo. 133r.
Dar umbe hat got dise sele geschaffen Es spricht ain maister, das got darvmb
daz er sinen eingebornensun in si gebere. die sel hab geschaffen, das er seinen
aingebornensun dar in geberen well.
Pfeiffer, p. 122, 1. 27. Marquard, fo. 133r.
Ein heiden sprichet: wa geist ist und Ain haiden... spricht: 'wa gaist ist
einekeit und ewekeit, da wil got wurken. ainikait vnd ewigkait, da wircket5 got,
Wa fleisch ist wider geiste, wa zerstoe- wa aber flaisch ist wider gaist, maniguali-
runge ist wider einekeit, wa zit ist wider kait wider ainikait, zit wider ewigkait, da
ewekeit, da enwiirket got niht: er enkan wiurcketgot nit, er kan da mit nit.'
niht mite.
Pfeiffer, p. 76, 1. 25. Marquard, fo. 120r.
Got gesprach nie kein wort me danne Wann du solt wissen, das das ewig wort
einz und daz selbe ist noch ungesprochen nie gesprochen ward, noch nymmer ges-
...Daz ewige wort ist.. .Jesus Kristus. prochen wirt....Jesus ist das gesprochen
wort; Cristus ist ain vngesprochen ewig
wort.6
Pfeiffer, p. 100, 1. 21. Marquard, fo. 122r.
Da disiu geburt geschicht noch hiut dis Auch das lob was so siss vnd so luter,
tages in einer got minnender sele, daz ist das es lustlicher was, denn do er himel
gote lustlicher, denne da er himel und erde vnd erd geschufff.
geschuof.
1 I should like to take this further opportunityof thanking GeheimratLeidingerof
Munichand the authoritiesof the Basel University Libraryfor their good offices.The
CarnegieTrust for the Universitiesof Scotlandmade a generouscontributiontowardsthe
cost of rotographs.
2 This
passagefromMarquardsupportsthe betterreadingsof the Coblenztext (editedby
von der Leyen in Zeitschriftfur deutschePhilologie, xxxvm, 180) as compared with Pfeiffer.
8 an anderenis Marquard's usual form of 'einander'.
4 Cf. also Berthold von Regensburg,ed. Pfeiffer,I, 329, 1. 23.
5 wirt M, wiirketB.
6 Cristus, das ist ain vngesprochenwortvnd ain ewigwortM;Cristusist ein ungesprochen
ewig wort B.

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 Miscellaneous Notes 75

Pfeiffer, p. 44, 11.12-20 is paraphrased in Marquardfo. 133r.; cf. further

Pfeiffer, p. 16, 11.1-3 and Marquard, fo. 129v.; Pfeiffer, p. 122, 1. 26 and
Marquard, fo. 123v.; Pfeiffer, p. 185, 11. 4-5 and Marquard, fo. 138r.;
Pfeiffer, p. 102,11. 26-28 and Marquard, fo. 137v. Cf. also Pfeiffer, p. 285,
U. 11-13 and Marquard, fo. 128r.
The Dekalogerkldrungbears unmistakable signs of Eckhart's influence.
Quite apart from parallel passages such as those quoted above, we find
words, phrases, turns of thought which forcibly remind us of the greatest
of German mystics. It is noteworthy that Eckhart is nowhere mentioned
by name. This kind of thing is common practice in the fourteenth century,
for a contemporary, however famous, did not possess the same authority
as the Fathers of the Church. In the case of Eckhart there was an addi-
tional reason for the omission; his writings had been condemned as
heretical in 1329. It is not irrelevant to point out that in at least one
instance Marquard tones down a passage which he borrows in order to
avoid the suspicion of unorthodoxy.
Marquard's indebtedness to Tauler is even more apparent than his
debt to Eckhart. Here again the name of the authority is never cited,
though in one passage Marquard refers to a written source ('ich han auch
gelesen'). For the sake of brevity we might give one typical example and
add the references for others. Tauler is quoted from Vetter's edition in the
Deutsche Texte des Mittelalters, Bd. xi.
Tauler, p. 292, 1. 26. Marquard, Cgm. fo. 120r.
Das ist das der mensche Got also gros Vnd sint ettlich vnter den (Gottes-
erkent und sich als gar klein in sinem freunden), die got als gross bekennent
grunde das er Got niit geloben kan; das vnd sich selbs als klain in irem grund, das
lob iibertriffetverre sprechenund geden- sy got nit genemmen getiirrent vnd die
ken und verstentnisse. Ein meister wirdikeit, so man sy also an sicht, ist ob
sprach: 'der spricht aller schonest von allem gesprochnemllob. Vnd dar vmb so
Gotte, der von bekenntnisse inwendiges spricht ain maister also: der spricht aller
richtimes von Gotte kan geswigen.' Ein schonost von got, der von bekantnuB
meister lobet Got mit worten. Do sprach jnwendigesrichtumes2von got kan schwy-
ein ander meister: 'swig, du lesterst Got.' gen. Ich hAn auch gelesen, das ain
Und si sprachen beide werlichen. Das ist maister hort ain andern got loben vnd in
ein wunderlichding das die unsprechliche nemmen mit worten. Do sprach er zi
grossegute also gros ist, das sich desieman im: 'schweig, du lesterst got,' vnd
annemenwolte das man in loben solte mit sprachen baid: 'das ist ain wunderlich8
worten, die als unsprechlichuber alle ver- ding, das dew vngesprochenlichgiiti also
stentnisse ist engel und menschen und groB ist, das sich des iemant an niemen
aller creaturen. welti, das man in mit worten loben silt,
des er ob allen worten vnsprechenlichen
ist vnd so hoch ob aller verstantnuB.'
It is clear that the mystical element in Marquard's Commentary on the
Decalogue owes a good deal to Eckhart and Tauler. Other mystical
1 gesprochenM, gesprochnemB. 2 rdmesM B.
3 wurderlich
M, wunderlichB.

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76 Miscellaneous Notes
sources are Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagitica, Bernard of Clairvaux, and
Richard of St Victor (De Gratia Contemplationis). It must not be
imagined that he is devoid of originality. In the Middle Ages authorship
is often another name for compilation, but our good friar can be original
and some of the finest passages in his work cannot be traced to any
predecessor.
Other passages are either taken over almost unchanged from Tauler or
are freely paraphrased: Tauler, p. 165, 11.25-31, p. 166, 11.27-31 = Mar-
quard, fo. 118v.; Tauler, p. 154, 11.27-29 = Marquard, fo. 118v.; Tauler,
p. 205, 11.13-16 = Marquard,fo. 117r.; Tauler, p. 235,11. 8-19 = Marquard,
fo. 117r.; Tauler, p. 201, 11.23-202, 11= Marquard, fo. 126v.-127r.
I have not been able to trace any borrowings from Suso in the Deka-
logerkldrung, though another of Marquard's works, the 'Ausgang der
Kinder Israel aus Agypten'l contains many quotations from Suso. One
suspects a reminiscence of Berthold von Regensburg in the derivation of
Ave from an we (ohne Weh).2
Apart from the authors already mentioned, Marquard'schief authorities
are Jerome and Augustine (whose Qaestiones in Pentateuchum deal with
the Ten Commandments). As a Franciscan, Marquardknew Bonaventura
well and derived some hints from the latter's Sermones de Decem Prae-
ceptis. There are two anecdotes about St Francis in the Dekalogerkldrung:
the well-known story about the sermon preached to the birds and another
to the effect that the Saint once picked up a letter he found on the road,
because it might have contained the name of Jesus and a passer-by might
unwittingly have trodden on it.
The only pagan author cited by name is Aristotle. There are isolated
quotations from Greek and Latin Fathers: Cyprian, Epiphanius, Chry-
sostom (whose name is translated: der lerer mit dem guldin mund), John
of Damascus, the Epistles ascribed to Ignatius, Ambrose of Milan and
Gregory the Great. The post-patristic period is represented by Johannes
Scotus Erigena (who is called 'der behend maister von Schotten'), Anselm
of Canterbury, Alexander Neccam, Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas
and finally the Franciscan Nicolaus de Lyra (d. 1349). One vernacular
work is mentioned: Das Biichlein des Leidens Jesu Christi. Marquard is
familiar with Canon Law: he quotes the DecretumGratiani, the Decretalia
of Gregory IX, the Extravagants, the Summa of Raymundus de Penna-
forte and 'Wilhelmus' (doubtless the French canonist Guillaume Durand,
1 Wrongly attributed to Geiler and printed with some of the latter's genuine works at

Augsburg in 1510, under the title Das Buch Granatapfel.

2
Cgm. 506, fo. 132v.

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 Miscellaneous Notes 77

Bishop of Mende). For a short treatise this is a varied array of witnesses,

but it must be emphasized that Marquard's originality is surprising. The
plan of the work is his own, in particular the combination of the dialogue
form and a threefold division of each section. After a detailed discussion
of every commandment, in which stress is laid on the difference between
mortal and venial sins, the question is asked how the Virgin Mary obeyed
it and then how the 'Gottesfreunde' obeyed it. The frequent references to
the Friends of God enable us to place the Dekalogerkldrungin its proper
setting, since Marquard was a lector in Strasburg in 1373,1 Provincial
Minister of the Franciscan Province of Upper Germany (of which Stras-
burg was the capital) in 1389;2 he died in 1392.3 Strasburg was the
centre of the movement associated with the Gottesfreunde.
Besides the true Friends of God, who are highly commended, there are
others who are less worthy, both clergy and laity, so Marquard tells us.4
They disregard the commandments of the Church. They claim to be free
and talk gladly of holy things, but they despise all severity and ascetic
practices as vulgar. They pay little heed to those teachers who are well
versed in Holy Writ and prefer their own opinions. They think little of
those who do not fall in with their ways. The reader is warned to beware
of such persons, for they are the 'potten des endcrists' and they lead
astray many people. This would seem to refer to the 'Briider vom freien
Geist', who were considered to be heretics.
It is now generally accepted that the great German mystics enriched
the vocabulary of German and laid the foundations of the prose tradition
that culminated in Luther. But between Eckhart and Luther lie two
centuries of vigorous literary production and it is obvious that many
links in the chain are missing in our literary histories. Nowhere do we get
a clear conception of the intervening period. The present article is in-
tended to indicate one of the most important channels through which the
stream of German prose flowed and at the same time to demonstrate that
the German Franciscans deserve closer attention. Apart from Berthold
von Regensburg and David von Augsburg they are almost unknown. They
are still buried beneath the mountains of prejudice heaped up by the
Renaissance and the 'Aufklarung'. I am convinced that an investigation
of the leading German Minorites will throw much light on various
literary problems. The present article indicates that the quotations from
Eckhart and Tauler found in such writers as Marquard are occasionally

1 Mayr, loc. cit., p. 75.

2 Fl. Landmann, in Franziskanische Studien, xv (1928), p. 98.
3 Analecta Franciscana, ii, 218. 4 Cgm. 506, fo. 127r.

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78 Miscellaneou Notes
useful in helping to establish the text of the original source. The manu-
scripts of Eckhart's and Tauler's sermons are notoriously corrupt and
unreliable. Then there is the question of exempla. The importance of this
subject is now fully recognized. The German Franciscans used exempla
copiously and their repertory has never been made the object of study, if
we except a few isolated attempts, such as that of Franz. Even the
Dekalogerkltrung, short as it is, contains eleven exempla, but they might
properly form the theme of a separate article.
JAMESM. CLARK.
GLASGOW.

A SOURCE FOR HEINRICH VON KLEIST'S

'PRINZ FRIEDRICHVON HOMBURG'?
In the January issue 1938 of the M.L.R. (pp. 52ff.) I pointed out that
the experiences in Wiirttemberg of Lieutenant Karl von Fran9ois contain
a number of features which resemble the fate of Kleist's Prinz von
Homburg so strongly that they may possibly have furnished the poet
with motifs for his play.
Meanwhile I have learnt that I overlooked an article in the Zeitschrift
fiir deutsche Philologie (Oct. 1931, pp. 239-41) by Robert Schmidt who
came to similar conclusions as myself. Schmidt even went further, and
called Fran9ois 'das Urbild des Prinzen von Homburg', although the
fundamental problem with which the rash and quarrelsome young officer
was faced is by no means comparable to that of Kleist's hero.
FranCois's description of the whole affair is handed down to us in his
memoirs, written forty years after it had happened. They, of course, could
not be known to Kleist. Professor R. A. Williams of Cambridge has
suggested to me the interesting possibility that Fran9ois may conceivably,
consciously or unconsciously, have remodelled his experiences in their
written form under the impression of Kleist's play. It is important,
therefore, to discover what the exact facts of Fran9ois's experiences were.
So far no newspaper account of the affair has been found nor has the
popular poem in which according to Fran9ois his exploits are related
come to light. The mention of the affair in Georg Barsch, SchiUs Zug und
Tod im Jahre 1809 (Berlin, s.a., about 1860, p. 41) furnishes no new facts,
though Barsch was a close friend of Schill and knew Fran9ois intimately.
A thorough investigation at the Wiirttembergische Archivdirektion
revealed that no military documents relating to the trial of Fran9ois are
preserved and that, accordingto the index of the contemporary Kabinetts-

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