Manuscript on parchment and paper, written in two parts. Part I (parchment, written ca. 1490): 1) John of Rupescissa, De consideratione quinte essentie. 2) Descriptions of various herbs. Part II (paper, added ca. 1800): 3) Alchemy. 4) Recipes for making Prussian Blue, in Italian.
Description:
Binding: Late eighteenth century, probably French. Speckled calf, the sides undecorated, the repaired back in compartments with gilt tooling, the original title-stamping defective, speckled edges; restored by Carolyn Horton, November 1955., Part I: Headings in red throughout, that on f. 1r overwritten in an intense red ink covering earlier writing in pale red ink, the intense ink then used for the remainder of the headings in this portion of the codex, and the overwriting probably by the original scribe. Plain, small, roman capitals at beginnings of sections of the text in blue or green; a large initial "D" and a full border no f. 1r, as well as a smaller initial "L" at the beginning of the second book of text, foot of f. 25r, all finely illuminated in gold and colors in the "white-vine" style, the lower part of the border on f. 1r with a coat of arms consisting of a shield azure, a bear rampant or. Part II: Undecorated., and Script: Part I (ff. 1-40): Written by one hand in a neat, minute humanistic cursive. Part II (ff. 41-52): In an Italian hand.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy--Early works to 1800, Formulas, recipes, etc, Herbs--Early works to 1800, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Prussian blue
[Anonymous] Albertus, Magnus, Saint, 1193?-1280 Khālid ibn Yazīd al-Umawī, 7th cent Martin Roesel of Rosenthal Wolfgang the Organist
Published / Created:
1536, ca. 1520, and ca. 1586
Call Number:
Mellon MS 27
Image Count:
141
Resource Type:
Archives or Manuscripts
Abstract:
Manuscript on paper, composed in three parts, of a large number of practical procedures, chiefly alchemical but sometimes medical, with a few standard medieval alchemical texts by Khalid ibn Yazid, Theodoric, and Albertus Magnus. Occasionally there are passages in cipher, added by Martin Roesel of Rosenthal ca. 1586, long after the principal contents were written; the cipher seems to be of a simple number-substitution type.
Description:
Binding: Probably ca. 1586 for Martin Roesel. Red-stained limp parchment (most of the stain now lost), single central clasp and catch now missing from center of fore-edges, two slits on each fore-edge for thong or ribbon ties, also missing., In Latin and German, partly in cipher., Script: Part I (ff. 1-29): Written in 1536 in red and black in a gothic cursive by Wolfgang the Organist. Part II (ff. 30-65): Written in a well-controlled gothic cursive without color. Part III (ff. 66-132): Written in one or possibly two scrawling gothic cursives, with red headings on ff. 109-124., Several initials illuminated in trick have been cut from a late 15th-century MS and pasted into the present MS at ff. 2v, 4v, 5, 10r, and 16r. Marginal drawings of alchemical apparatus are cropped, as also marginalia., and Watermarks: 1) unidentified eagle watermark somewhat resembling Briquet 104; 2) a crown pattern resembling Briquet 4921 and 1922; 3) the Paschal lamb resembling Briquet 61.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy--Early works to 1800, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medicine, Medieval, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of 1) Raymundus Martini OP (c. 1215-after 1285), Capistrum Iudaeorum, composed c. 1267. 2) Nicolaus de Lyra (c. 1270-1349), Probatio adventus Christi, 2nd redaction, written 1331-1334. 3) Odo Biagi of Ancona (Odo Blasii de Ancona), Quaestiones de vera fide. A treatise addressed to the Jew A., a physician from Piceno, whom the author had met in Ancona the same year.
Description:
Binding: Nineteenth century. De luxe binding (loose) in Neo-Renaissance style: red morocco over cardboard, both covers richly gold-tooled; the turn-ins gold-tooled; the flat spine gold-tooled in five compartments, the second one bearing the inscription “NICOLAI / de / LYRA.” Grey marbled paper endleaves; gilt edges. A repair at the middle of the top of the front parchment flyleaf may indicate that the original binding was chained, the staple being fixed at the top of the front cover., Script: Copied by one hand writing Southern Gothica Textualis Libraria. In art. 1 the handwriting is larger and more careful, with fewer abbreviations, than in artt. 2-3., and Uniform decoration. Headings in red. Red stroking of majuscules. Numerous paragraph marks alternately red and blue. Alternately red and blue 2-line (rarely 3-line) flourished initials with penwork and more or less developed marginal extensions in the contrasting colour; up to f. 41v they have mostly a more developed pattern of penwork; towards the end of art. 3 they are only 1 line high; blue penwork of the initial on f. 31r is extremely pale. 2-3-line painted decorated initials with acanth extensions in the margins in art. 3 only. A 4-line historiated initial with acanths and gold balls in the margin at the opening of each art. At the top of the Genealogy of Christ on f. 94r two roundels containing the portraits of Abraham (“Abraam”) and David (“Davit”). There is a large drawing of a running bird in blue ink in the lower margin of f. 19r.
Subject (Name):
Martí, Ramón,--d. ca. 1286 and Nicholas,--of Lyra,--ca. 1270-1349
Subject (Topic):
Antisemitism, Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Binding: Eighteenth century. Rebound in brown cowhide (?), blind-tooled, with numerous metal bosses. Pastedowns from the same 17th-century antiphonary used as flyleaves., Script: Written in two sizes of round liturgical gothic script by several scribes: Scribe 1, ff. 1r-235r; Scribe 2, f. 235r-v, and Scribe 3, ff. 236r-245v., and Three fine historiated initials, 4- to 2-line, shaded pink and/or green, with blue, yellow, green and orange foliage and knots, with gold dots and orange frame; figures against blue ground. 3- to 2-line calligraphic initials, divided, red and blue with red penwork, with blue and red penwork flourishes. 1-line initials red or blue with blue or red penwork, sometimes with black and green; some initials with guide-letters in outer margin. 1-line initials with yellow. Square notes on 4-line red staves. Rubrics throughout, with notes to rubricator in margins. One very crude 4-line initial (s. xvii) on f. 1r, in red, yellow, blue, green and purple.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church--Liturgy
Subject (Topic):
Antiphonaries, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment (goatskin) of Andrea Vendramin, Doge of Venice (1476-1478), Commission (dogale) to Girolamo Michiel as governor of Asolo, near Treviso.
Description:
On f. 1r white vinestem initial (6 lines) with long extensions in the upper and left margins; in the lower margin partial border in white vinestem, containing three medallions: the two outer ones feature the initials “I” and “M” in gold on a blue background; the larger, central one contains the coat of arms of Girolamo Michiel on a purplish red background in a green wreath., Script: Art. 1 is copied by one hand in a narrow Humanistica Cursiva Libraria, art. 2 by a hand writing Humanistica Cursiva Currens., and Unbound.
Subject (Geographic):
Asolo (Italy) and Venice (Italy)--Politics and government
Subject (Name):
Vendramin, Andrea,--1392-1478
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment of Lucan, Bellum civile, with scholia. Preceded by Epitaphium Lucani, 4 lines only.
Description:
Binding: Nineteenth century. Light brown pigskin, blind-tooled, with brass fastenings., Decorative initials, red or blue, 12- to 4-line, with simple designs in opposite color, for each book. Rubrics added sporadically. Plan of Brindisi appears in the margin of f. 15v (II.610) to illustrate Caesar's siege of the city; on f. 47v is a schematic circular drawing of Paulus in the center, surrounded by Pelion, Ossa, Otrix, Pindus and Olympus., Rubbing, staining, trimming of leaves, and worm holes result in some loss of text and scholia., and Script: Main text written above and below top line in a small early gothic bookhand by two scribes. Scribe 1) ff. 1r-37r; Scribe 2) ff. 37v-91v. First letter of each verse written to left of text between double rulings or on middle of three rulings; right-hand margin justified. Scholia, primarily at beginning of codex, written in a contemporary hand.
Subject (Geographic):
Rome--History
Subject (Name):
Lucan,--39-65
Subject (Topic):
Historical poetry, Latin, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Scholia
Manuscript on parchment (trimmed) of what appears to be the second of a two-volume Bible.
Description:
Binding: Nineteenth century. Red velvet case. Leather placemarks on fore edge., Script: Written in an elegant French minuscule, chapter divisions added in margins by a later hand., and Twenty-seven fine aniconic initials, 20- to 7-lines. The initials are drawn in black pen, filled with yellow, brown or blue, most with interlace knots at midpoints and terminals, some with dragon heads, infilled with intertwining palmette foliage against irregular red, blue, green, and yellow panelled grounds. Prologues open with 10- to 4-line initials, red and blue with terminals in a leafy "arabesque" design. Chapters with 3-line initials in red. 1-line initials, running headings, and rubrics throughout. Marginalia sometimes outlined in red.
Subject (Topic):
Bible.--Latin--Versions, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment (thick, fuzzy on hair side) of a Book of Hours, followed by 3 short devotional texts in French.
Description:
Binding: 19th-20th centuries, England. Rigid vellum case with note on spine "MS. Circa 1400". Red edges. Bound by Birdsell and Son (Northampton, 1792 and later)., Manuscript has been heavily trimmed with loss of marginal decoration; staining, rubbing throughout affects illumination., Purchased from C. A. Stonehill in 1935 by Thomas E. Marston., Script: Written in two styles of script: large gothic bookhands, often with only 3-4 words per line, by three scribes for ff. 1r, 2r-91r, 93r-115v, respectively; Anglicana scripts for ff. 1v, 91v-92v (added prayers)., and The codex, now in fragmentary condition with no miniatures extant, contains a sequence of historiated initials, some badly rubbed. Large historiated initials, 3-line, pink or blue with white designs on blue square ground framed with gold; both initial and frame edged in black; figures on gold ground, often rubbed and flaked; elongated dragons extend into margins for ascenders, as in initial D. Small historiated initials, 2-line, of similar designs and colors, but on cusped gold grounds. Other text divisions marked by 2-line initials, pink, orange, blue with simple foliage motifs in the same colors and yellow, all with designs in white and on square or cusped gold grounds that often extend far into margins. Initials on ff. 93-115 are somewhat more delicate in appearance and presumably by a different hand than those on ff. 2-91. 1-line initials in red with blue penwork designs alternate with opposing color scheme. Elaborate line-fillers, including fish and heads of long-beaked beasts, for litany (art. 5). Headings in red, ff. 2-91 only.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church--Prayers and devotions
Subject (Topic):
Books of hours, Devotional literature, French, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment (scraps, endpieces) of the Canticum canticorum, with glossa ordinaria.
Description:
Text written in large round late caroline minuscule; commentary in a similar, but smaller script with many abbreviations.
Subject (Name):
Bible. O.T. Song of Solomon and Glossa ordinaria
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on parchment of 1) The author, Quintus Aemilianus Cimbriacus (1449-1499) of Vicenza, speaking to his book of poetry, 6 lines. 2) 28-line encomium dedicated to Niccolo Donati, Patriarch of Aquileia, 1493-97. 3) Rhapsodia I. 4-7) Rhapsodia I-V. 8) De mysteriis christianis. 9-10) Poems to Angelus Padavinus.
Description:
Binding: Date?, Italy. Tacketed to a limp vellum wrapper made from a parchment document: Agostino Barbarigo, doge of Venice (1486-1501), writes on behalf of the secretary Joannes B[remainder of name missing due to hole in parchment], dated Venice, 5 May 14[8?]8. Filing notes on upper cover. Title in majuscules on upper cover: "Quintii Haemiliani Cimbriaci Vti [for Vincentinus?]"., Half-page coat of arms (argent [oxidized], a chief with 3 roses gules above 2 bars gules; crest: bishop's mitre surmounted by gold cross) enclosed by a wreath with flowers and fruit and four ribbons, f. 1v. Plain gold majuscules outlined in black, 4- to 2-line, mark beginning of arts. 2-8; headings for each poem in black epigraphic square capitals., and Script: Written in a well-formed upright humanistic bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Quintus Aemilianus Cimbriacus
Subject (Topic):
Christian poetry, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library