The Processional Oct. Lat. 794 of the Budapest National Széchényi Library. A Re-identification

The Budapest National Széchényi Library keeps a Pauline manuscript compiled in 1644. Based on a possessor’s entry at its very beginning, the source Cod. Lat. 794 has so far been referred to in the literature as the Pauline Processional of Újhely but its content has never been thoroughly investigated. The original aim of this study was to fill this gap by carrying out a codicological, liturgical and musical survey and, finally, producing a full description and detailed evaluation of the manuscript. However, the many-sided analysis has eventually led to unexpected findings, which make the earlier consensus about the provenance of the book questionable. First of all, while the manuscript uses the typical Pauline notation, its style and ductus differ markedly from the notation of the 1623 Gradual belonging definitely to the monastery of (Sátoralja)újhely, whereas it shows striking similarities to 17th–18th-century manuscripts of the Croatian Paulines. Other characteristics such as the sequence and designation of the stations in the processional topography and the last unit of the book, which is a notated Passional in Croatian language, point toward Lepoglava, the centre of the Pauline province as the possible provenance. A comparative analysis of the melodies also support this hypothesis