History of the Christian Church, Volume IV: Mediaeval Christianity. A.D. 590-1073.

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 mediaeval
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 Mediaeval Writers.
(1) For the Oriental Church.
Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, opera Niebuhrii, Bekkeri, et al. Bonnae, 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 Graeca sive Notitia Scriptorum veterum Graecorum, 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 Westem 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–’38, 9 vols. fol.
J. A. Fabricius: Bibliotheca Latina Mediae et Infimae AEtatis. Hamb. 1734, and with supplem.
1754, 6 vols. 4to.
Abbé Migne: Patralogiae Cursus Completus, sive Bibliotheca Universalis ... Patrum, etc. Paris,
1844–’66. The Latin series (1844–’55) has 221 vols. (4 vols. indices); the Greek series (1857–66)
has 166 vols. The Latin series, from tom. 80–217, contains the writers from Gregory the Great
to Innocent III. Reprints of older editions, and most valuable for completeness and convenience,
though lacking in critical accuracy.
Abbé Horay: Medii AEvi Bibliotheca Patristica ab anno MCCXVI usque ad Concilii Tridentini
Tempora. Paris, 1879 sqq. A continuation of Migne in the same style. The first 4 vols. contain
the Opera Honori III.
Joan. Domin. Mansi (archbishop of Lucca, d. 1769): Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima
Collectio. Florence and Venice 1759–1798, 31 vols. fol. The best collection down to 1509. A
new ed. (facsimile) publ. by Victor Palmé, Paris and Berlin 1884 sqq. Earlier collections of
Councils by Labbé and Cossart (1671–72, 18 vols), Colet (with the supplements of Mansi,
1728–52, 29 vols. fol.), and Hardouin (1715, 12 vols. fol.).