The present edition is a critical one that takes into account all extant manuscript copies of the text and includes precise criticism of that fact; it meets the requirements set for a critical edition.

Basis of the Edition

In accordance with the requirements of a traditional critical edition, the basis for the present edition is the 1332 notarial instrument preserved in the Vatican Library (Va). Bearing in mind the significance of this copy, all editorial interventions in the text have been noted in the philological apparatus or are pointed out in this section.

Orthography

In the current edition we have maintained medieval spelling. The editor has retained the original orthography of MS Va with regard to all proper names and texts in vernacular languages. Normalization of the system of orthography is based on the following norms:

• a. The dipthongs æ and oe are given in the medieval form, e;

• b. The minuscule vowel u and consonant v are printed as the vowel u, but are differentiated in the upper case (U, V);

• c. In the case of the consonants m and n appearing before c, d, q, t signalled as a rule by a sign of abbreviation, before t and q, m is recorded as n; before c and d no change is made;

• d. The consonant j as the sonant i appears in all cases as i; the letter y (functioning like i) is retained in proper names;

• e. The epenthesis p found in medieval texts in conjunction with the letters m and n (as in the case of sompnus, solempnitas, dampnare,

• contempnare, and all derivatives thereof) as well as in the group m + t (temptare, -ari, -abit, -ationem) is retained;

• f. Capital letters are used in personal names, nomina sacra (Deus, Pater, Filius, Spiritus Sanctus, Verbum [in the personal meaning], Corpus [Christi], Dominus [with reference to the Divine Persons], Virgo [with reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary], Angelus), toponyms, and the titles of works cited by the author himself;

• g. Every deviation from the rules cited above is noted in the philological apparatus.