A Companion to Hildegard of Bingen

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produced by a Jesuit college there. Faber Stapulensis’s Scivias edition ultimately
made its way into J.-P. Migne’s Patrologia Latina (vol. 197, Paris,
1855; reprint, 1882). It again formed the basis for a translation of the text
into French, which appeared in Paris in 1909/1912. The new translation
undertaken by Pierre Lachèze in 1863 returned directly to the printed
texts from 1628. Faber Stapulensis’s edition again formed the foundation
for this efffort.
Likewise in the 16th century, a German translation of the Vita sancti
Ruperti appeared, entitled Die Legend des heyligen hertzogen sant
Ruprechts. The text, published in 1524 by Jakob Koebel in Oppenheim, is
based on the Riesenkodex. It is linked with a German version of the Vita
Hildegardis. Both texts serve as examples for the appearance of Hildegard
and Hildegardian materials within the tradition of the vernacular prose
legendary. That Rupert’s Vita had already been translated into Middle
Dutch (Hamburg, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, Cod. theol. 1530 4º,
p. 451f.) in the 15th century appears as further proof.
This increased presence of Hildegard’s works in print format is evidenced
by print editions of the Physica (Strasbourg, 1533) and the Epistolarium
(Cologne, 1566). The edition of the Physica was published by the
Strasbourg printer and humanist Johannes Schott (1477–1548). Because
Schott’s printed text represents a textual transmission that is otherwise
not documented, it is granted the same textual-philological rank as a
manuscript. In addition to Hildegard’s text, Schott published other medical
authorities in his print shop: Oribasius, Theodorus Priscianus, Aesculapius,
a second edition of the works of Trotula (1544), and Octavianus
Horatianus. Nothing is known about the reasons behind Schott’s decision
to publish the Physica, neither is there any information about the
manuscript(s) that served as its basis. However, there is evidence that an
exemplar of the early printed work appeared among the volumes held by
the old medical college in Strasbourg (Sign. R 10.235). For the record, it
appears that the discovery of Hildegard’s scientifijic and medical texts by
the early printers can be traced back to humanist groups located around
the Upper Rhine region.
The print edition of the Epistolarium comprises 108 letters of questions
to and answers by Hildegard. It was edited by the presbyter Justus Blanckwald
and was published in Cologne by the publishing house of the heirs
of John Quentel (Quental, active until 1551; his heirs until 1557) and Gerwinus
Calenius (1525–1600). The print shop had strong ties to the Jesuits
in Cologne and primarily printed orthodox Catholic literature. Blanckwald
justifijied his edition with concern about the purity of belief and