Last updated: September 5, 2007
Opus universale de statu principis
Around 1246, having completed the first edition of the Speculum Maius, Vincent of Beauvais was appointed lector at the Cistercian abbey of Royaumont. He served there as a reader and commenter of texts and as a preacher. Vincent probably remained at Royaumont until 1259 or 1260. During this period he revised the Speculum Maius several times, and composed a series of theological treatises.
Apart from these activities, Vincent began to work, late in 1247 or early in 1248, on an opus universale de statu principis, probably with the encouragement of king Louis IX of France. The king had founded Royaumont in 1228. His children were educated here, and Louis himself retired here several times to meditate and participate in the abbey's spiritual life. A few places in Vincent's works testify to the king's support of his scholarly activities, and the attendance of the king and the royal family at Vincent's sermons.
As the Introduction to Robert J. Schneider's edition of De morali principis institutione shows, Vincent conceived the opus universale de statu principis as a work of four books. These books deal with
... “... the status of the prince and the entire royal court, and on the administration of the commonwealth and the governance of the whole realm”. [Vincent] intended to focus on the mores of princes and courtiers, and recommend to the various governors and officers of the commonwealth - “princes, knights (milites), counselors and ministers, bailifs and provosts, whether residing in the court or administering in the king's territories - whatever pertains to probity of life and the salvation of the soul.” One volume would provide advice on the education of the royal children. [The work was] designed to address matters relating to the modes of life, responsibilities, duties, and education of rulers and their personal and official families ... (Schneider 1995, xxi, with translations of Vincent's words).
The opus universale de statu principis remained uncompleted at Vincent's death, in 1264: only the first book, the De morali principis institutione, and the fourth, the De eruditione filiorum nobilium he finished, be it in reversed order. Probably Vincent had prepared an outline of the entire work organizing general subject matter and specific topics into books and chapters. It enabled him to set aside the order of composition and complete first, at the request of queen Marguerite, the fourth book, the De eruditione filiorum nobilium, for the royal tutor Simon the Cleric. Vincent included in it specific references to books one, two and three; for these books two and three, they give us a few indications of their contents.
Vincent completed the De eruditione filiorum nobilium before the end of 1250. Then the work on the opus universale de statu principis halted, since Vincent became involved in a thorough revision of the Speculum Maius. During the late 1250s he must have resumed the work, at the urging of Thibaut V, count of Champagne and king of Navarre, who had married Louis' and Marguerite's daughter Isabelle. The request was conveyed through Humbert of Romans, Magister General of the Dominican Order.
Due to intervening tasks, Vincent was unable to give the opus universale de statu principis his undivided attention. From a few places in Vincent's works it may be concluded, that he had left Royaumont by 1260 and completed the first book, the De morali principis institutione afterwards. Vincent submitted this first book to Louis and Thibaut sometime before his death in 1264. He probably did not succeed to complete books two and three: no manuscripts of these books have ever been identified, nor any references to them are known, apart from Vincent's own words in De eruditione filiorum nobilium.
For detailed information on the opus universale de statu principis, see the studies and editions by Robert Schneider mentioned below at the section De morali principis institutione.
General resources
The following general resources present information on Vincent's educational ideas as expressed in (the two parts of) the opus universale de statu principis.
- Bientinesi 1915-16
- Bientinesi, G., Vincenzio di Beauvais e Pietro Dubois considerati come pedagogisti, Atti della Reale Accad. delle Scienze di Torino 51 (1915-1916), 1411-1430; 52 (1916), 191-206.
- Bourne 1960
- Bourne, J. E., The educational thought of Vincent of Beauvais, Diss., Harvard 1960.
- Fijalkowski 1997B
- Fijalkowski, A., The Educational Ideas of Vincent of Beauvais and Their Reception in Medieval Poland. Vincent of Beauvais Newsletter 22 (1997), 4-5.
- Fijalkowski 1999
- Fijalkowski, A., Wychowanie Kobiet w Swietle Pism Wincentego z Beauvais (+1264). Jundzill, J. [ed.], Partnerka, matka, opiekunka. Status kobiety w starozytnosci i sredniowieczu, Bydgoszcz (University of Bydgoszcz Press) 1999, 282-296.
[with an English summary]- Fijalkowski 2000A
- Fijalkowski, A., The Education of Women in the Works of Vincent of Beauvais, OP (+1264). Miscellanea Mediaevalia. Veröffentlichungen des Thomas-Instituts der Universität zu Köln, vol. 27: Aertsen, J.A. and A. Speer [eds], Geistesleben im 13. Jahrhundert, Berlin / New York, 2000, 513-526.
- Fijalkowski 2000B
- Fijalkowski, A., Ocena wartosci i przydatnosci pracy intelektualnej w polowie XIII wieku * na podstawie pism Wincentego z Beauvais OP. (+1264) [The Estimation of the Value and Utility of the Intellectual Work in the 13th Century Europe * on the Example of Vincent of Beauvais OP (1264) Works]. Studia Warminskie, [ed. Priest Seminary of Olsztyn Publishing Office], 37/1 (2000), 27-47.
[46-47: English summary]- Fijalkowski 2001
- Fijalkowski, A., Puer eruditus. Idee edukacyjne Wincentego z Beauvais (ok. 1194-1264) / Puer eruditus. The Educational Ideas of Vincent of Beauvais. Warszawa (Neriton Publishing House) 2001. 225 p., 16 ill.
- Gabriel 1956
- Gabriel, A. L., The educational ideas of Vincent of Beauvais, Notre Dame (Ind.) 1956 (Texts and Studies in the History of Mediaeval Education 4).
- Gabriel 1967
- Vincenz von Beauvais, ein mittelalterlicher Erzieher. Neubearbeitete deutsche Ausgabe, Frankfurt/Main 1967.
- McCarthy 1976
- McCarthy, J. M., Humanistic Emphases in the Educational Thought of Vincent of Beauvais, Leiden etc. 1976 (Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters 10).
- Rytko 1962
- Rytko, E. G., Vincenzo Bellovacense, sua figura e suo pensiero pedagogico, Rome 1962.
- Steiner 1933
- Steiner, A., G. Perrault and Vincent of Beauvais. Speculum 8 (1933), 51-58.
De morali principis institutione (ca. 1260-1264)
Manuscripts
- Kaeppeli 1970-1993
- Kaeppeli, Th., [Panella, E.], Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum Medii Aevi, vols. 1-4, Roma 1970-1993, vol. 4, 456-457.
- Schneider/Voorbij 1987
- Schneider, R. J., Voorbij, J. B., A hand-list of manuscripts of the minor treatises of Vincent de Beauvais. Vincent of Beauvais Newsletter 12 (1987), 10-11.
Editions
- Rostock 1477
- Fratres Domus Horti Viridis [eds.], [Vincentius Bellovacensis] De liberali ingenuorum institutione pariter ac educatione, Rostock [1477]
1a-34a: De morali principis institutione
34a-104b: De eruditione filiorum nobilium
104b-147b: Epistola consolatoria de morte amici- Schneider 1963
- Schneider, R. J. [ed.], Vincent of Beauvais. De morali principis institutione. Introduction and Text, Ph.D. Notre-Dame (Ind.) 1963 (The Mediaeval Institute of the University of Notre-Dame). [superseded by Schneider 1995]
- Schneider 1995
- Schneider R. J. [ed.], Vincentii Belvacensis `De morali principis institutione', Turnhout 1995 (Corpus Christianorum, Continuatio Mediaeualis 137).
Studies
- Berges 1938
- Berges, W., Die Fürstenspiegel des hohen und späten Mittelalters, Leipzig 1938 (Monumenta Germaniae historica, Schriften des Reichsinstituts für ältere deutsche Geschichtskunde 2), 306-308.
- Schneider 1967
- Schneider, R. J., A Mirror for Princes by Vincent of Beauvais. Domonkos, L. S., Schneider, R. J. [eds], Studium Generale. Studies offered to Astrik L. Gabriel ..., Notre Dame (Ind.) 1967, 207-223.
- Schneider 1981B
- Schneider, R. J., `De Morali Principis Institutione': a Progress Report. Vincent of Beauvais Newsletter 6 (1981), 4-6.
- Schneider 1990
- Schneider, R. J., Vincent of Beauvais' `Opus universale de statu principis': a reconstruction of its history and contents. Paulmier-Foucart et al. 1990, 285-299.
- Schneider 1994
- Schneider, R. J., Vincent of Beauvais' `De morali principis institutione': Reflections on a new Critical Edition. Vincent of Beauvais Newsletter 19 (1994), 9-13.
- Schneider 1997
- Schneider, R. J., Vincent of Beauvais, Dominican Author: from compilatio to tractatus. Lusignan/Paulmier-Foucart 1997
- Schneider/Rouse 1991
- Schneider, R.J., Rouse, R.H., The medieval circulation of the `De morali principis institutione' of Vincent of Beauvais. Viator. Medieval and Renaissance Studies 22 (1991), 189-227.
See also the section General resources earlier on this page.
De eruditione filiorum nobilium (c. 1250)
Manuscripts
- Kaeppeli 1970-1993
- Kaeppeli, Th., [Panella, E.], Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum Medii Aevi, vols. 1-4, Roma 1970-1993, vol. 4, 454-455.
- Schneider/Voorbij 1987
- Schneider, R. J., Voorbij, J. B., A hand-list of manuscripts of the minor treatises of Vincent de Beauvais. Vincent of Beauvais Newsletter 12 (1987), 9-11.
Editions
- Rostock 1477
- Fratres Domus Horti Viridis [eds.], [Vincentius Bellovacensis] De liberali ingenuorum institutione pariter ac educatione, Rostock [1477]
1a-34a: De morali principis institutione
34a-104b: De eruditione filiorum nobilium
104b-147b: Epistola consolatoria de morte amici- Amerbach 1481
- Amerbach, J. [ed.], Vincentius Bellovacensis Opuscula. Scilicet: libri de gratia: libri laudum Virginis gloriose: liber de sancto Johanne evangelista: liber de eruditione puerorum regalium: Liber consolatorius de morte amici, Basel 1481.
- Steiner 1938
- Steiner, A., Vincent of Beauvais, De eruditione filiorum nobilium, Cambridge (Mass.) 1938, reprint New York 1970 (The Mediaeval Academy of America, Publication 32).
Medieval Translations
- Hamm 1993
- Hamm, F., La traduction du `De eruditione filiorum nobilium' de Vincent de Beauvais, par Jean Daudin, thesis École Nationale des Chartes, Paris 1993.
Studies and Modern Translations
- Berges 1938
- Berges, W., Die Fürstenspiegel des hohen und späten Mittelalters, Leipzig 1938 (Monumenta Germaniae historica, Schriften des Reichsinstituts für ältere deutsche Geschichtskunde 2), 303-306.
- Fijalkowski 1999
- Fijalkowski, A., Wychowanie Kobiet w Swietle Pism Wincentego z Beauvais (+1264). Jundzill, J. [ed.], Partnerka, matka, opiekunka. Status kobiety w starozytnosci i sredniowieczu, Bydgoszcz (University of Bydgoszcz Press) 1999, 282-296.
[with an English summary]- Fijalkowski 2000A
- Fijalkowski, A., The Education of Women in the Works of Vincent of Beauvais, OP (+1264). Miscellanea Mediaevalia. Veröffentlichungen des Thomas-Instituts der Universität zu Köln, vol. 27: Aertsen, J.A. and A. Speer [eds], Geistesleben im 13. Jahrhundert, Berlin / New York, 2000, 513-526.
- Fijalkowski 2001
- Fijalkowski, A., Puer eruditus. Idee edukacyjne Wincentego z Beauvais (ok. 1194-1264) / Puer eruditus. The Educational Ideas of Vincent of Beauvais. Warszawa (Neriton Publishing House) 2001. 225 p., 16 ill.
- Friedrich 1883
- Friedrich, R., Vincentius von Beauvais als Pädagog nach seiner Schrift `De eruditione filiorum regalium', Inaugural-Diss., Leipzig 1883.
- Schlosser 1819
- Schlosser, F., Vincent von Beauvais. Hand- und Lehrbuch für Königliche Prinzen und ihre Lehrer als vollstandiger Beleg zu drei Abhandlungen, 2 vols., Frankfurt/Main 1819.
- Tobin 1974
- Tobin, R. B., Vincent of Beauvais on the education of Women. Journal of the History of Ideas 35 (1974), 485-489.
- Tobin 1984
- Tobin, R. B., Vincent of Beauvais' `De Eruditione Filiorum Nobilium': The Education of Women, New York etc. [1984] (American University Studies, Series 14: Education, 5).
- Tobin 1985
- Tobin, R. B., Some Further Thoughts on Vincent of Beauvais and the Education of Women. Vincent of Beauvais Newsletter 10 (1985), 3-6.
- Vergara 1999A
- Vergara, J., El aprendizaje en la Edad Media o la síntesis clásica de un pretomista: Vincente de Beauvais (1190-1264). Laspalas Pérez, J. (ed.), Historia y Teoría de la Educación. Estudios en honor del profesor Emilio Redondo García, Pamplona 1999, 359-382.
See also the section General resources earlier on this page.
Created by
Hans Voorbij
Utrecht University, The Netherlands