Ten love Godes ende tot salicheit der susteren : Kopiist Peter Zwaninc (t 1493) en de boekcultuur bij de tertiarissen van Weesp in de tweede helft van de vijftiende eeuw

Abstract

Eight manuscripts of the scribe Peter Zwaninc († 1493) have come down to us. The books, produced during his stay at the Tertiaries of Weesp in the second half of the fifteenth century, are valuable sources to deepen our understanding of the book culture at the Third Order convents of the Chapter of Utrecht. As confessor assistant (socius) of the Oude Convent (Old Convent) Peter Zwaninc played an important role in the extension of the sisters' library. He turns out to be a versatile scribe: he produced both parchment and paper manuscripts of various sizes. Moreover he copied vernacular as well as Latin texts. Most of the manuscripts have a sober appearance. The books produced in 1468 en 1470 are of the best quality and contain decoration. The Middle Dutch texts copied by Peter Zwaninc can be characterized as practical edifying works that have to guide the spiritual life of the sisters. We can not ignore the possibility that some of the Latin texts were read by the women. However, it is more likely that they were initially meant as manuals for the priests that provided the pastoral care in the religious community.