Though Delaville has edited many of the rules, statutes and customs of the Order of the Hospital of St John up to 1310, there is still no modern edition of the stabilimenta of the Order. The medieval manuscripts up to 1489 are quite confusing, adding the statutes by chapters general, and early modern (printed) collections of the statutes are not easily available.

In 1489, the chapter general succeeded to arrive at a modified – systematic – version of the statutes which was revised by the vice-chancellor, Guillaume Caoursin, and others. This version was then confirmed by the pope, Innocent VIII, and by the chapter general of 1493. Though there are printed versions of the text (in Latin and French), there is also a good and early (Latin) manuscript in the National Library of Malta in Valletta (NLM Libr. 244).

A final modern edition would have to present the modifications introduced into the original statutes and to illustrate the process of revision which led to the statutes of 1489. Since this is not easily to be achieved (and will take much time and efforts), here only a preliminary version of the text in NLM Libr. 244 can be presented (and will be prepared step by step). It is based on a transcript made by Steffen Patzold in 1997 and has been revised by Jürgen Sarnowsky in 1999-2000.

Part 1: Bulls of Fr Pierre d'Aubusson and Innocent VIII. (1493)

Part 2: Bull of Fr Pierre d'Aubusson (Exordium, 1489)

Part 3: Contents (part I): On the origins of the Order – Rules –
Reception of brethren – On the church – On Hospitality

Part 4: Contents (part II): On the treasury – On chapters – On
the council – On esguardium – On the master

Part 5: Contents (part III): On the bailiffs – On the priors – On
brethren, restraints, and punishments

Part 6: Contents (part IV): On elections – On collations – On
alienations – On leases – Conclusion.

Part 7.
 
 

 24 March, 2001

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