Manuscript on parchment, composed in three parts. Part I consists of short aphorisms, prayers, recipes, etc. added in the 15th century; and the recopied Prologue to Part II. Part II: Gautier de Chatillon, Alexandreis, with Bks. I-VIII.307 (ff. 1-70) written by a 13th-century scribe and the remainder of the text (Part III) copied in the 15th century. Followed by short texts in Latin and Middle English similar to those in Part I.
Description:
Binding: Fifteenth century, England. Covered first with thin, white tawed skin, second with a tawed skin chemise, third with heavy tawed skin originally sewn to the chemise. One fastening, the catch on the lower board, the upper one cut in for the strap which is wanting. Sewn on three supports attached to oak boards and pegged with wedges set at an angle. The spine is back beveled. Later additions include title, in ink, near head of upper board: "Gesta Alexandri Magni M.S." Repaired at head and tail of spine; rebacked., Loss of considerable text from f. 56 to end due to severe rodent damage., Part I: At the beginning of art. 6, text begins with blue 3-line initial with red herringbone penwork designs and the additional letters R and N, in blue, whose significance is unclear. Part II: Divided initial red and black with simple penwork designs in one or both colors for major text divisions; plain red initials elsewhere. First letter of each verse separated from text between bounding lines and stroked with red; paragraph marks in black. T-O map of the world, f. 7v. Part III: Decorative initials similar to those in Part I., Purchased from C.A. Stonehill in 1959 by Thomas E. Marston., and Script: Part I (ff. i recto-iv verso): Written by several cursive hands of a decidedly English character. Part II (ff. 1-70): Written in early gothic bookhand, above top line. Part III (ff. 71-88): Written in well-formed English cursive script. Texts in art. 8 in a variety of cursive hands.
Subject (Name):
Alexander,--the Great,--356-323 B.C and Walter,--of Châtillon,--fl. 1170-1180
Subject (Topic):
Aphorisms and apothegms--Early works to 1800, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Prose poems, Latin (Medieval and modern)
Manuscript, on parchment, in a single cursive gothic bookhand, of this popular Latin devotional work on the life of Christ. Long attributed to St. Bonaventure, the work is now considered to be by the fourteenth-century Franciscan Johannes de Caulibus. This version, copied in England, contains the three "Canticle chapters" often omitted in later copies.
Description:
Annotations: numerous corrections and additions in a contemporary or near-contemporary hand, apparently the records of a collation of this copy of the text against another version., Binding: modern brown calf over contemporary wooden boards (leaving original lacing paths visible)., Decoration: numerous two-line initials in blue and red., Former owners include: John Enderby; Cuthbert Dale; Francis Dale; Rev. Matthew Snow; John Paget; Sir John Paget; Joseph Pope. Bergandal Collection of Medieval Manuscripts (Bergandal 27). Purchased from Bernard Quaritch, Ltd. (Sotheby's sale 2011 July 5, lot 88) on the Herman W. Liebert Book Fund, 2012., Layout: laid out in double columns, ruled in plummet., and Script: written in a single cursive gothic bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Franciscans, Jesus Christ--Biography--Meditations, Jesus Christ--Biography--Meditations--Early works to 1800, and Johannes,--de Caulibus,--14th cent
Subject (Topic):
Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Devotional literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Devotional literature--Early works to 1800, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, and Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library