47 letters and documents, on paper (one document on parchment) in various cursive scripts, produced in England between 1554 and 1706. Mostly from the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, they consist of claims for expenses, wages, and other benefits. They include an account of a banquet (15 November 1561), signed by the Marquis of Winchester and Sir Walter Mildmay; a Claim for Allowances (1563) by Sir Thomas Chaloner, Ambassador to Spain; L. S. (1578) by Lord Burgley about money to be sent to Ireland and mentioning Sir Philip Sidney; A. L. S. (1597) by George, Lord Hunsdon; A. K. S. (Chester, 11 Aug. 1601) by the antiquary and mathematician Edward Brerewood to the Privy Council. The documents also include signatures of other government officials and nobles. and The documents derive from the papers of Robert Petre, Auditor for the Exchequer, and his colleague Vincent Skinner.
Description:
Binding: Middle Hill boards, spine missing., Ex libris Sir Thomas Phillipps (unnumbered MS)., and Modern pencil pagination employed. Wanting p. 43-46, 65-68, 109-114, 119-120, 125-132, 139-142, 161-168, 177-178.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain--Politics and government--1533-1603 and Great Britain--Politics and government--1603-1625
Subject (Name):
Elizabeth--I,--Queen of England,--1533-1603, Great Britain.--Exchequer, James--I,--King of England,--1566-1625, and Phillipps, Thomas,--Sir,--1792-1872--Ownership
Subject (Topic):
Finance, Public--Great Britain and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
It also includes a charter granting lands from William I to Deorman., It includes a copy of the charter in Old English presented by William the Conqueror affirming the rights held by the citizens of London under Edward the Confessor., Manuscript, on parchment, in chancery script, produced in London at the beginning of the sixteenth century (during the reign of Henry VII)., and The text is an affirmation by King Henry VII of the rights given to the city of London by previous kings.
Description:
Binding: vellum wrapper., On the wrapper is written "Thomas Binkheued who sold it to Raph Wilbraham.", Purchased for the James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection., and The manuscript was originally a roll, as can be seen by the sewing holes extending across the bottom of each page.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain--Kings and rulers, London (England)--Charters, grants, privileges, and London (England)--History
Subject (Name):
Henry--VII,--King of England,--1457-1509
Subject (Topic):
Charters--England--London, Laws--England, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper of a collection of pseudo-Lullian alchemical writings, translated from the French and Catalan originals, with a little additional matter. The codex underwent a transformation in the early 16th century when considerable new matter was added by another English hand on different, thinner paper; leaves have been inserted throughout the original codex.
Description:
Binding: Eighteenth century, English. Dark calf, sides paneled in blind with a roll tool of vine pattern, leafy sprays at the corners, back with six plain compartments and five raised bands, probably original parchment label on second compartment from top bordered with ink rule and lettered in ink: "RAYM. LULLII | OPERA | MANUSCRIPTA". The binding considerably repaired and some leather renewed. Original plain edges, the top blackened., Original text: Headings in red, rubricated. Some pages with diagrams or drawings. The illustrations include Lullian alphabets and tables in the form of wheels, an Arbor philosophorum, a group of flasks, and a good, large drawing of a furnace. Inserted leaves: Red headings, and capitals with slight decoration., Script: The original portion written by a single English gothic cursive hand with heavy standard abbreviation. The inserted leaves (first 4 ff. now extant, ff. 88-96, 163-169, 268-274, and 307-319 [of which f. 167 is a blank and f. 315 is a parchment leaf]) written in another gothic cursive habitually employing writing of different sizes., and Watermarks: Original paper: 1) an extremely primitive-looking unicorn with very short horn and long tail somewhat like Briquet 9962 and 10176; 2) a less primitive unicorn rather similar to Briquet 9985; 3) bullshead with defined eyes and nostrils and with cross above, rather like Briquet 15054. Inserted leaves: a very elegant unicorn mark, more developed than Briquet 10104; and some leaves with a gothic "P" with cinquefoil above, rather like Briquet 8809.
Subject (Name):
Llull, Ramon,--1232?-1316
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy--Early works to 1800, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper of the writings of Christopher of Paris (pseudonym for a Venetian exile), including his major work, Lucidario, with its supplementary alphabet, plus three letters.
Description:
Binding: Original plain parchment wrapper without ties, back with three raised bands, soiled and worn. Plain edges., ff. 1r-167r correctly paginated 1-333 and the pagination used in the detailed description, the remainder unnumbered, of ff. 170 originally, single leaves apparently canceled originally and cut away by the copyist after ff. 162 and 164, as
noted in the detailed collation, but not noted in the description as the original pagination is consecutive., Mary Mellon, acquired from William Gannon (bookseller), New York, 1941; Mellon MS 145. Gift of Paul and Mary Mellon, 1965., Rubricated, headings often in red., and Script: Written by a single good italic hand, sometimes hasty toward the end of the codex.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy--Early works to 1800, Alphabet books, Italian letters, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript, on paper, in cursive bookhand, produced in England and dated May 27, 1582.
Description:
A note on f. 18v reads: "A verry tratoroos Worke pretended to bee the answers of Peyres Plowman to the prynted interrogatores of alleageaunce. Butt in treuthe a Waye to instruct papists how to answer tratorooslye & defende the trators for Martyrs that dyed at Tyburne in August 1582." and Binding: vellum wrapper, with front cover cut away. Disbound. Box also contains remains of silk binding thread in separate envelope.
Subject (Name):
Langland, William,--1330?-1400?--Piers Plowman
Subject (Topic):
Catholic Church--England--Controversial literature, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Tyburn gallows (London, England)
Arnaldus, de Villanova, d. 1311 Cicero, Marcus Tullius Johannes, de Rupescissa, ca. 1300-ca. 1365 Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374 Vergerio, Pietro Paolo, 1370-1444
Published / Created:
ca. 1475
Call Number:
Mellon MS 14
Image Count:
93
Resource Type:
Archives or Manuscripts
Abstract:
Manuscript on paper of 1) John of Rupescissa, De consideratione quinte essentie. 2) Arnold of Villanova, Epistola de sanguine humano ad magistrum Iacobum de Toleto. 3) Alchemical procedures. 4) Francesco Petrarca, Epistola ad Marcum Tullium Ciceronem. 5) Pier Paolo Vergerio, Epistola in nomine Ciceronis ad Franciscum Petrarcham. 6) Johannes Obrist, Super confectionem auri potabilis. 7) Nicolaus Claudii, Opus super aurum potabile.
Description:
Binding: Modern parchment over pasteboards, parchment pastedowns and guards, back gilt-lettered: "DE QVINTA ESSENTIA"., Headings in red, rubricated., and Script: Written by a single scribe using a clear and regular gothic bookhand without strong nationalistic traits.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy--Early works to 1800, Latin letters, Medieval and modern, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Manuscript on paper of an alchemical compilation, apparently the holograph of the original compiler, not identified. Probably the laboratory notes of a practicing alchemist. Includes lists of Flemish names, apparently identifying fellow practitioners in early alchemy; and laboratory procedures, designed primarily to color metals and to carry out other operations with various substances. Leaves inserted and blank pages filled at later dates.
Description:
Binding: Probably original. Stiff parchment over paper boards, flaps over the fore-edge, probably dating from about 1525, conceivably later, as the manuscript contents do not appear to have been bound at the time of writing in any case; flat spine with modern inscription in brown ink, "Alchemical, Headings of procedures in red and blue alternating in the original section, and with some capitals stroked red; no color in the additions. No ornament., Recipes, original blue edges., Script: The original part of the codex (ff. 1-133) written in a very fine, neat, and clear humanistic hand, and using a considerable range of alchemical symbols; the later additions (ff. 134-145) consist of Latin sections written in a neat italic and German passages in flowing cursive, perhaps both by a single German hand of the 18th century., Though the whole of the manuscript has suffered some marginal water-staining since it was bound, it appears certain that other stains and damage occurred while the separated quires, or groups of them, remained unbound., and Watermark: Outstretched hand, the fingerjoints indicated, a four-leafed petal extending from the tip of the third finger, the wrist and cuff of a sleeve also depicted, comparable to Briquet 11423.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy--Early works to 1800, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Science, Medieval