Appendix A—Heer Bethlem’s “Overwegingen”

A clue which I have only been able to follow up since the foregoing pages were in type leads to the conclusion that in some of its aspects the practice of making spiritual pilgrimages to the Holy Land is rather older than I had supposed. The substance of the little book of Heer Bethlem referred to on pp. 77-79, must undoubtedly have been compiled in the fifteenth century. Besides the British Museum Manuscript (Ad. 24937) another MS. copy of the same tractate exists at Göttingen (MS. Theol. 295, i)^[168] and a fragment of the same is contained in MS. 406 of the Pauline Library at Münster.^[169] Now as in each case the manuscripts are described by competent authority as belonging to the fifteenth century, it would be unreasonable to doubt that Heer Bethlem’s little work must be somewhat older than say the year 1490. On the other hand, as Pope Sixtus IV is mentioned, it must be more recent than the year 1471. The proper title seems to be “Overwegingen op het Lijden des Heeren voor degenen, die in den Geest de heilige Plaatsen willen bezoeken” (Considerations upon the Passion of our Lord for those who wish to visit the Holy Places in spirit). Although the considerations began as far back as the Last Supper, it is strictly a book of the Stations of the Cross; the distances from place to place are given, the indulgences announced and special prayers assigned. Here we find for the first time the reception of the cross mentioned as a separate station, and here also a fall is distinctly alluded to in connexion with the Judicial Gate. These points at least have seemingly been borrowed by Pascha from Bethlem’s little book. The book was printed in 1518, 1520, 1536 and 1561. It has also been transcribed and reprinted in modern times in the “Bijdragen voor de Geschiedendis van het Bisdom van Haarlem,” by C. J. Gonnet, vol. XI, p. 324.

This Appendix was itself in type when at the very last moment I have found it possible to push the enquiry a stage further. The little tract ascribed to Heer Bethlem must undoubtedly have had a wide circulation. Tiny as it is, and in consequence exceptionally liable to be thrown aside and destroyed, we have already accounted for four Dutch editions. And now it appears that it must have been popular in France as well, for I have discovered two printed French translations in the library of the British Museum.^[170] The first may be dated conjecturally 1550, and was published by Jacques Kerver at Paris with this title: “Devote Meditation sur la Mort et Passion de nostre Seigneur Jesus Christ et de place en place ou nostre Sauveur a souffert pour nous, avec les oraisons a ce proprices. Et disent quelques uns qu’autant de fois qu’on les dict devotement, on gaigne tous les pardons aussi pleinement comme si on visitoit corporellement toutes les sainctes places en Hierusalem.” In this version a good deal of matter—mostly French verse—has been interpolated. The second translation keeps closer to the original. It seems to have been printed about 1570 by Guillaume Merlin at Paris. The title runs thus: “Sensuyt une devote meditation sur la Mort et Passion de nostre Sauveur et Redempteur Jesus Christ, avec les mesures mises de place en place ou nostre Seigneur a souffert pour nous.”

Among the introductory remarks we read: “Item un honorable homme d’eglise, nommé Sire Barthelemy, qui a demouré long temps en la terre de promission en la cité de Hierusalem a descript ce livre devot. Et il a mesuré bien etroictement et descript toutes les places sainctes ou nostre benoist sauveur et redempteur a souffert pour nous.” The author, therefore, according to this translator, was called Bartholomew. Whether “Bethlem” was a legitimate form of this name, or whether it was due to some error, I am not sufficiently acquainted with Flemish to determine. But there seems in any case reason to suppose that Bethlem was not the original form. About the year 1475 a tiny volume was printed at “Aesii” (i.e., Jesi in the Marches of Ancona), which professed to give the indulgences of the Holy Land and which were written by a certain Bartholomew, Canon of Pola in Istria. Now I believe, from various minor indications too long to detail, that this Bartholomew is no other than our Bethlem. From a copy of this rare little treatise preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris we learn that the title begins: “Queste sono le perdonanzze de terra sancta in ierusalem, lequelle scrise prete bartolome, chanonicho de puole, el quale ando a vixitare lo sancto sepulchro,” etc. The printer was Frederick de Comitibus. See Pellechet, “Catalogue des Incunables,” vol. I.