Manuscript on paper (polished) of Cecco d'Ascoli (Francesco Stabili), L'Acerba, Bks. 1-4 with the final 214 lines of Bk. 4 and all of the fragmentary Bk. 5 missing.
Description:
Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy. Vellum stays adhered inside and outside of quires. Backs of quires cut in for original sewing. Bookblock tacketed to a semi-limp paper case, reinforced at the spine. Handwritten paper label with title and a printed medallion with Flora (?) standing on an anchor and globe (?), both on spine., Blue initial, 6-line, with nice penwork designs, f. 1r. Smaller initials, 2-line, red with purple designs or blue with red designs, alternate throughout. Headings in pale red. Paragraph marks alternate red and blue. Later addition of arms in lower margin, f. 1r, effaced and covered with mending strips., Purchased from B. M. Rosenthal in 1959 by Thomas E. Marston., Script: Written by a single scribe in mercantesca script, above top line., and Watermarks: unidentified cherries (?) in upper margin, trimmed.
Subject (Topic):
Encyclopedias and dictionaries--Early works to 1600, Italian poetry--To 1400, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper (thick, coarse) of Lives of the Saints, preceded by accounts of events in the Bible from both the Old and New Testaments. Folios 51 and 61 interchanged in rebinding.
Description:
Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy. Rigid vellum case with two red labels on spine: "Trattati di storia sacra" and "Manuscritto 1360"., Crudely executed title page, f. 1r, consisting of floral and foliage motifs in upper margin, scroll around column in inner margin, and, in outer margin, scroll around column terminating in elongated arm with text on the scroll (much rubbed and stained). In lower margin a coat of arms (damaged; probably: or, two columns gules); the letters B and C on either side in the bases of columns in inner and outer margins. The decoration of title page in bright red and green. Plain initials (some with simple foliage designs), headings, paragraph marks, pointing hands, and hands holding crosses or symbols of passions of martyrs (e. g., gridiron for Laurence), all in bright red, green, and/or black., Folio 1 damaged; no loss of text., Script: Written by several scribes in unruly mercantesca script, above top line. Script becomes smaller and tighter toward end of codex., and Watermarks: similar in design to Briquet Ciseaux 3708 dated Genoa, 1465.
Subject (Topic):
Christian hagiography, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature--15th century, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper of an unidentified treatise, incomplete, on the Cardinal Virtues; material taken mostly from Valerius Maximus, with additional material from Augustine, the Bible, Cicero, Seneca, Macrobius, Aristotle, and Vegetius. and Unidentified treatise, incomplete, on the Cardinal Virtues; material taken mostly from Valerius Maximus, with additional material from Augustine (De civitate Dei, De beata vita, Epistolae), Bible (Proverbs), Cicero (De officiis, etc.), Seneca (Epistolae morales, De ira, De constantia), Macrobius, Aristotle, Vegetius, the "Storie Romane" of "Arineo" (f. 6r), and "Salino" (f. 23v). The presence of the "versificatore" (f. 11r), cited in Latin (Walther, Sprichwoerter 33507), and a similar constellation of sources suggest that Vincent of Beauvais' Speculum Doctrinale was a major (though not exclusive) source for this author.
Description:
Imperfect: incomplete manuscript; leaves 42-43 also wanting. and Written by a single scribe in humanistic cursive script.
Subject (Name):
Valerius Maximus
Subject (Topic):
Cardinal virtues, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Two diverse cryptic alchemies written by one copyist and linked by two series of alchemical emblems. The first text, Philosophia hermetica, in Italian verse, is linked to Federicl Gualdi. The second text, Compendiolum de praeparatione auri potabilis veri, is attributed to M[arcus] E[ugenius] Bonacina.
Alternative Title:
Compendiolum de praeparatione auri potabilis veri and Philosophia hermetica
Compiled by Johannes Baptista F----- probably a Genoese connected with the Franciscan Order., Front pastedown: [This page and the recto of the facing front flyleaf are covered with small ink drawings of alchemical apparatus, mostly flasks and other glasswork on the left page, similar equipment, as well as a ""Bain-Marie"" and a large furnace on the facing right page, each drawing labeled. Verso of the front flyleaf is blank.], and Paper codex in Latin, Italian, and Spanish
Description:
In case with original, badly wormed, binding and endpapers. and Written throughout by one, perhaps two, hands in mid-sixteenth-century italic.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy--Early works to 1800, Drawing--16th century, Italian poetry--16th century, and Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven