Manuscript on paper (sturdy; various unidentified watermarks) of Virgil, Aeneis. Some lines lacking; most were presumably on leaves that became detached and have fallen out. Prefaced to each book are ten or eleven lines in verse. The text of Vergil is accompanied on ff. 1r-5v by marginal and interlinear glosses, the greater portion of which are derived from or an adaptation of Servius. The commentary does, however, include notes (some in Greek) independent of Servius
Description:
In Latin., Script: Part I (ff. 1-6): Written in humanistic cursive by a single scribe; apparently added later to replace lost leaves. Part II (ff. 7-57): Written in fere-humanistic script by one scribe. Spaces left for initials. A large gap in the text occurs between Parts II and III (6.587 to 7.744). Part III (ff. 58-112): Written by a single scribe in a script similar to that in Part II., Spaces left for initials., Many pages unattached due to the brittle binding., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries (?). Sewn on three slit leather straps. There is no indication of an earlier sewing, but the book was extensively mended before it was sewn. Tawed cores of plain wound endbands laid in grooves. Beech boards with rectangular channels on the outside in which the straps are nailed. The spine is lined with brown leather and the book covered in dark brown sheepskin faintly blind-tooled with a central diamond made up of arches with small ornaments scattered in and around it. Tongue turn-ins. There are two catches on the lower board and traces of red and cream silk ribbons nailed to the upper one with star-headed nails. The title is painted in red on the spine.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Servius, active 4th century. and Virgil.
Subject (Topic):
Epic poetry, Latin, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Scholia
Manuscript on parchment of 1) Bible in the usual order with some prologues. 2) Index of Hebrew names generally attributed to Stephen Langton. 3) Chapters 25-29 of the Testament of the 12 Patriarchs. Written for Cardinal Niccolo Albergati
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in rounded gothic bookhand., The Bible is a splendid example of the Italian late gothic illuminated manuscript. The decoration consists of two very richly illuminated pages (f. 5r, Genesis; f. 272r, Psalms), thirteen small miniatures (ff. 1r, 570v-576v), and 79 historiated initials, 7 to 10-line (not including ascenders or descenders) at the beginning of every book of the Bible, the sections of the Psalter, and a few prologues. The miniatures are in thin gold or yellow frames. The historiated initials are composed of acanthus, mauve, blue, pink, orange, and/or green. At least four artists collaborated in the illustration and decoration of the codex. On virtually every folio, recto and verso, are elaborate bar borders, in margins and/or between text columns, full or half-length, gold, blue, green, pink, and/or orange with white filigree, some with curling acanthus, leafy midpoints and terminals with acanthus and hair-spray extension. On folios with miniatures or initials, more elaborate borders (full borders on ff. 1r, 5r): curling hair-spray with gold dots and trefoil leaves, spikey ivy, pink, blue, orange and green flowers, putti, insects, birds, grotesques and, on f. 348v, a marginal scene, lower left corner, a fowler chasing rabbits., Ornamental initials (5 to 6-line) at the beginning of the prologues in red, blue, orange, and/or green, acanthus infilled red with white filigree against irregular gold grounds; gold against cusped pink and blue backgrounds with white filigree; some rinceaux initials in Franco-Flemish style, pink or blue with white highlights against cusped gold grounds. 2 and 1-line initials, gold on red and blue grounds with white filigree. Running titles in alternating red and blue letters or in gold against red and blue rectangular grounds with white filigree. Line fillers (ff. 617r-682r) in red, blue and/or gold. Chapter numbers in red or blue. Rubrics throughout., First two leaves slightly creased., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries. A painted design under the gilt fore edge. Red velvet binding.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Langton, Stephen, -1228.
Subject (Topic):
Versions, Vulgate, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (trimmed) of 1) Tacitus, Annales XI-XVI. 2) Tacitus, Historiae I-V. Possibly written for Alfonso II, Duke of Calabria, King of Naples
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by two scribes; Scribe 1) ff. 1r-126r in a neat, slightly rounded gothic bookhand; Scribe 2) ff. 126v-218v, in a neat humanistic bookhand., Full border, f. 1r, attributed to Nicola Rapicano: white vine, infilled blue, red, and green, with white dots; framed and divided into panels by thin gold bands, the inner frame with a second band in two shades of purple, with white highlights. Outer and lower margins divided by band of fruit, in the outer margin, black with gold highlights, in the lower margin, red with green and gold highlights; divided into sections and at corners by English frets, infilled blue or green with white dots. In center of outer margin, a medallion after a classical coin or cameo, bust of a man in profile with a laurel wreath against a blue ground with fine white filigree; in center of lower margin, coat of arms of Alfonso II, Duke of Calabria, King of Naples (quarterly, first and fourth paly of 4 or and gules [Aragon], second and third argent, a cross potent sable [Calabria]), in a gold and purple quatrilobe frame, a gold diadem above, against a blue ground, as above, supported by four putti. Putti, birds (including a large peacock, center of inner margin), insects, and a bowl of fruit, symmetrically arranged in corners and around swags, often overlapping or passing behind decorative elements. Both inner and outer frame broken by text and marginalia, suggesting that the border is a later addition. Two lines of gold capitals open the text on f. 1r. On f. 136v, a 5-line white vine initial, gold, infilled red, green, and blue, against a blue ground, of inferior execution compared to f. 1r. Two 3-line initials, ff. 25v and 40v, gold or blue with purple or red penwork; each with guide-letters for illuminator., and Binding: Between 1890 and 1900, or 20th century. Dark brown goatskin, blind-tooled with rope work interspersed with copper colored dots in Italian style (15th century) by Leon Gruel (active under his own name between 1891 and 1923).
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Rome
Subject (Name):
Alfonso II, King of Naples, 1448-1495. and Tacitus, Cornelius.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin prose literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on paper (coarse, brown) of annals of Genoa
Description:
In Latin., Watermarks: unidentified bull's head buried in gutter., Script: Written by two scribes. Scribe 1) ff. 1r-45v, 158r-163v, 168r-172v, compact fere-humanistic script with exagerrated flourishes at conclusion of most lines. Scribe 2) ff. 46r-157v, 164r-167v, well spaced informal humanistic script. Marginal annotations and arts. 15-16 added, 15th-16th centuries, by several hands., Stained throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Rigid vellum, gold-tooled. Stamped, in gold, on spine: "Caffari Chronica MS.".
Manuscript fragment on parchment of an antiphonary containing Feria V throughout the year
Description:
In Latin., Script: written in a formal, rounded Italian gothic script (littera textualis formata)., and Decoration: the 6-line initial "M" at the beginning of the Psalm is in gold, on a square ground of blue decorated with white filigree; the inside of the initial depicts a good-quality image of David kneeling against a mauve background and looking up to the hand of god; 1-line initials at the beginning of Psalm verses and antiphons alternate in red and blue uncials; rubrics written in red capitals; punctuated with the punctus and punctus elevatus; musical notation is in black on 4-line staves in red.
Manuscript fragment on parchment of an antiphonary containing Saturday throughout the year
Description:
In Latin., Script: written in a formal, rounded Italian gothic script (littera textualis formata)., and Decoration: the 7-line initial "D" at the beginning of the Psalm is in light tan and gold on a square ground in blue with white filigree; the inside of the initial contains a miniature that is badly rubbed, depicting Christ holding a book on a mauve ground; the first line of the Psalm is written in 1-line white capitals on a rectangular red ground; guide letters for the artist are in the margin in red; 1-line initials are black capitals highlighted with red; punctuated with the punctus and punctus elevatus; hyphenation is in the same ink as the text; musical notation is in black on 4-line staves in red.
Manuscript fragment on parchment of the Ars Laureshamensis, Expositio in Donatum maiorem, an anonymous commentary on Donatus's Ars maior; the portion here is on part II of Donatus's grammar
Description:
In Latin., Script: written in Caroline minuscule., and Decoration: 1-line initials are brown rustic capitals; punctuated with the punctus and punctus interrogativus; double quotation marks are within the text.
Benedictus XIV de Lambertinis Bononiensis : Pontifex Maximus creatus die XVII Augusti 1740
Description:
Title engraved in image., Place of publication based on printmaker's country of residence; date of publication based on printmaker's death date., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Mounted on page 59 of Horace Walpole's extra-illustrated copy of his: A description of the villa of Mr. Horace Walpole. Strawberry Hill : Printed by Thomas Kirgate, 1784. See Hazen, A.T. Bibliography of the Strawberry Hill Press (1973 ed.), no. 30, copy 12.