Binding: Nineteenth century, England. Bound by Zaehnsdorf (London, 1842-1930) in brown goatskin, blind-tooled, with gold-tooled spine "Cicero" and "MS". Yellow edges. Discoloration on early parchment endleaves reveal traces of corner tongues., Blanks at end not digitzed., Script: The manuscript was copied by two scribes who exhibit distinct formats and scripts reflecting the transition from gothic to humanistic types of book production. Scribe I) ff. 1-107r, line 14. Written in a very fine early humanistic bookhand, above top line. Scribe II) ff. 107r, line 15-135r. Written in a semi-gothic script, below top line, in a style of writing similar to that used by Coluccio Salutati; strong gothic influence in forms of majuscules., and Twenty-three illuminated intials of fine quality, 6- to 2-line, yellow on rectangular bright blue grounds with narrow black frames. Grounds filled with restrained and stylized thin white vine-stem ornament and intricate white filigree. Most spaces for rubrics left unfilled.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Speeches, addresses, etc., Latin
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Plato, Phaedo, translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni and preceded by his prefatory letter to Pope Innocent VII. 2) Xenophon, Hiero (Tyrannus), translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni and preceded by his prefatory letter to Niccolo Niccoli.
Description:
Binding: Between 1800 and 1810, Italy. Rigid vellum case with the title gold-tooled on a label on the spine: "Leon. Aret. Opus". Gilt edges and faint lettering on the head edge., Decorated in the early style of Gioacchino de' Gigantibus. On f. 1r a partial border in upper, lower and inner margins, white vine-stem ornament on blue, green and dark pink with grey dots on blue grounds, blue dots on pink grounds, and gold balls. In lower border, medallion framed by gold interlace bands and supported by two putti wearing red necklaces, with a coat of arms, now erased, on green ground. Four illuminated initials, 7- to 5-line, in gold, framed in yellow, on blue, green and red grounds, with dots as above. Initial on f. 1r, inhabited by standing putto wearing a red necklace, is joined to the border. Other initials have vine-stem decoration extending into the margins and terminating with groups of three gold balls. Headings and names of interlocutors in red., Purchased from L. C. Witten in 1954 by Thomas E. Marston., and Script: Written by a single scribe in a somewhat angular humanistic bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Hieron--I,--Tyrant of Syracuse,--d. 467 or 466 B.C, Innocent--VII,--Pope,--1336-1406, Niccoli, Niccolò,--ca. 1364-1437, and Plato
Subject (Topic):
Biography--To 500, Dialogues, Greek, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Philosophy, Ancient
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of a 1) Ps.-Marcellus, Gesta Petri et Pauli. 2) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis (Ps.-Anselmus Cantuariensis), Sermo de miseria humana. 3) Guigo II Carthusianus (d. 1188, Ps.-Augustinus Hipponensis), Epistola de vita contemplativa (Scala claustralium). 4) Italian version of Dan. 13:1-64. 5) Passio Ciryci et Iulittae. 6) Passio sanctae Caeciliae. 7) Passio sanctae Eugeniae. 8) Vita sanctae Theodorae. 9) Passio sanctae Theodosiae. 10) Passio sanctae Felicitatis cum septem filiis. 11) Passio sanctae Reparatae. 12) Passio sanctae Agathae. 13) Passio sanctae Luciae. 14) Passio sanctae Agnetis. 15) Passio sanctae Domitillae. 16) Vita sanctae Thaidos. 17) Passio sanctorum Simplicii, Faustini et Beatricis. 18) Vita sanctae Margaritae. 19) Vita sanctae Mariae Aegyptiacae. 20) Passio sanctae Ursulae et sociarum. 21) Vita sanctae Mariae Magdalenae, followed by three miracles performed by the saint.
Description:
Binding: Nineteenth century. De luxe brown leather binding over cardboard, the covers decorated with gold- and blind-tooled frames; flat gold-tooled spine, with gold-tooled inscriptions: “LEGGENDE / DI SANTI / TESTO DI LINGUA / DEL / BUON SECOLO” and “TRASCRITTO / NEL / 1462”. Brownish marbled endleaves., Headings in red, sometimes missing. Blue plain 3-line initials (Capitalis) with guide-letters, half inset; missing on p. 198. On the opening page white vinestem left margin border with incorporated 7-line initial, and white vinestem lower border with wreath in which a coat of arms is missing (a later hand, who made also a few notes elsewhere in the manuscript, has written in the blank space "Ipsa est antiquitas")., and Script: Copied by one hand in Humanistica Textualis.
Subject (Topic):
Christian hagiography, Christian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper of a play in five acts, written for an audience of nuns by a Dominican friar. The only surviving manuscript containing this text.
Description:
Binding: early paper binding., Play (Commedia) in five acts, in verse, about S. Catherine of Alexandria, written for an audience of nuns (see the frequent allusions to Christ as “sposo celeste”) by a Dominican friar whose initials are F.N.F. There are many important changes and additions by a slightly later, rapid hand., and Script: the original text copied by a single hand, writing Humanistica Cursiva. The changes and additions are written in Humanistica Cursiva Currens under Gothic influence.
Subject (Name):
Catherine,--of Alexandria, Saint
Subject (Topic):
Commedia dell’arte, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment of Diogenes Laertius, Vitae et sententiae philosophorum, translated into Latin by Ambrogio Traversari and preceded by his dedicatory letter to Cosimo de' Medici.
Description:
Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. A hybrid Italo-Greek binding. Sewn or resewn (the sewing is too tight to determine with certainty) on five tawed skin, slit straps. Wooden boards which are not flush at head and tail are grooved on the edges. Beaded Western endbands added. Covered in dark brown calf, blind-tooled with a triple cross made up of gilt annular dots and rope interlace in a central panel within concentric frames alternately made up of a beaded zigzag ribbon and feathered rinceau. Similar tools are used on Marston MSS 39 and 68. Spine: bands outlined and panels diapered with triple fillets. Traces of four braid-and-pin fastenings, the pins in the edges of the lower board instead of the upper board as is usual in Greek bindings. "Diogenes ***" is added on the fore edge; "diogenes laergi" is written in batarde on a label under horn at the head of the upper board, possibly added in northern Europe., Script: Main text written in round humanistic bookhand by a single scribe., Some worming at beginning of text., and The decoration consists of a 3/4 border, f. 1r, of intricate white vine-stem ornament curling around thin gold bars (doubled in inner and lower margins) on a blue, green and pale pink ground dotted with white, yellow and blue, and gold balls. Incorporated into the lower border are a medallion (blank) framed by a laurel wreath and two narrow gold bands, a stag, and a putto with multi-colored wings in blue, green and dark red. In the inner margin are two birds in brown, orange and white. Ten illuminated initials, 9- to 4-line, gold on blue, green and pale pink background with white vine-stem ornament. Numerous smaller initials, 3- to 2-line, gold on blue and pink or green and pink grounds with white and gold filigree. Headings in black majuscules. Running headlines, in red, on ff. 1-4 only.
Subject (Name):
Diogenes Laertius and Medici, Cosimo de',--1389-1464
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Philosophy, Ancient