Fidelis Boyaria ob acceptam a Santo Ruperto Christi fidem eidem magno Apostolo suo honorifice gratias agit. Maria Langegg im Dunkelsteinerwald, Lower Austria, 27. III. 1746.

4to (180 x 230 mm). Latin manuscript on paper. (2), 12, (2) pp. The text on each page is written inside a carefully embroidered rainbow composed of concentric circles in multicoloured thread. Sewn binding. Golden decorated paper wrappers with a floral design on Augsburg brocade paper. This beautifully decorated Latin manuscript presents a short play, which dramatises the gratitude of Bavaria towards St. Rupert of Salzburg (ca. 660-710 CE) for his work as an apostolic missionary to the area. The titles translates as "Faithful Bavaria gives honoured thanks to the great Apostle St. Rupert for the faith in Christ she received from him". The play was composed in honour of Father Rupert, Prior of the Servite Monastery and Church Mariae Geburt at Maria Langegg between Melk and Krems, Lower Austria, as he celebrated his name's day (27th March) in 1746. - The play's four characters ("Genius Boyariae" - the Spirit of Bavaria; "Pietas" - Piety; "Virtus" - Virtue; "Genius Conventus Langeggensis" - the Spirit of the Langegg Monastery) are accompanied by a chorus. In rhythmic lines of uneven length, organised as rhyming couplets, the characters recreate Bavaria's internal dialogue with the personified Christian values of piety and virtue. In form and poetic conceit, the piece can thus be placed in the genre of baroque meditation literature ("sacrae meditationes"), which were particularly popular across the Catholic world in the mid-18th century. Accordingly, praise of St. Rupert (and thus also of his namesake Father Rupert of Maria Langegg) is never far from the audience's mind: "Tuam miror virtutem, Ruperte / Cui similem haud vidi certe. / Ast! Quid dabo viro isti, / qui dedit mihi fidem Christi?" ("I admire your virtue, Rupert; / I have hardly ever seen anything like it, for sure. / Oh! What shall I give this man, / who has given me my faith in Christ?"). - The front cover has two small but noticeable stains with small holes which have leaked through to all but the final page. These marks do not affect the text or embroidery. The back cover has a series of light green marks causing no further damage. The pages show light foxing and browning throughout, with very occasional defects on the lower right-hand side of folios, as the result of page-turning. Altogether a unique and well-preserved object with dainty decoration, of interest for the history of 18th c. monastic life and the figure of St. Rupert of Salzburg in the baroque period.