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:
In Italian and Latin., Script: Written by a single good italic hand, sometimes hasty toward the end of the codex., Rubricated, headings often in red., and Binding: Original plain parchment wrapper without ties, back with three raised bands, soiled and worn. Plain edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Christopher, of Paris.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy, Alphabet books, Italian letters, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of Virgil, Aeneis, in an Italian prose abridgement by Andrea Lancia
Description:
In Italian., Script: copied by a single hand writing Southern Gothica Textualis Libraria/Formata (Rotunda). Stroking of the majuscules. 2-line flourished initials with simple penwork at the opening of the chapters. More elaborate flourished initials, 2 to 7 lines, at the opening of the Books. On f. 1r an 8-line littera duplex., and Publius Vergilius Maro (70-19 B.C.), Aeneis, abridgement in Italian prose by Andrea Lancia (c. 1280-c. 1360). This Florentine notary and Dante commentator wrote various Italian translations or adaptations of classical Latin texts. There are occasionally interlinear glosses, more often marginal notes. Pointing hands.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Lancia, Andrea, ca. 1280-ca. 1360. and Virgil.
Subject (Topic):
Epic poetry, Latin, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of a private compilation. The two well known works entered into the codex deal with magical properties ascribed to certain gems and the supernatural significance of the carving of stones. Together with these formal texts are found other extremely varied materials: procedures for restoring wine which has suffered various accidents, for making glass of different colors, for the early ripening of grapes, for making an ass bray loudly, for frightening dogs, and so forth
Description:
In Latin and Italian., Watermark: unidentified flower-petal., Script: Probably written by a single hand, employing a Gothico antiqua on ff. 1-11r, with a less formal treatment of the same elsewhere, and more cursive writing for the passages in Italian; the writing relatively careful at the beginning, progressively less so until the end., Red ink for most headings, red capitals and paragraph marks, except on f. 11v-12r and 16v-17r, which are without color., Lower margins affected by damp throughout and partly repaired with blank paper., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Paper boards, more recent gilt-stamped label on backstrip.
Manuscript on paper of a group of shorter works by Christopher of Paris (pseudonym), probably a Venetian alchemist. With John of Rupescissa, De consideratione quinte essentie. Also includes recipes for making blue pigments and a procedure for etching a design on an iron surface
Description:
In Italian and Latin., Watermarks: 1) anchor with ring atop the shank, all within a circle; 2) plain and ill-drawn anchor with thick flukes, the top of the shank forming a small, neat cross with the short stock. Both probably Italian papers, not directly comparable to the varieties illustrated by Briquet., Script: Written by a single scribe in a late humanistic cursive hand sloping slightly to the right., No headlines, headings and some capitals in pale red., and Binding: Sixteenth century. Brown calf, the covers blind-ruled to a rectangular pattern, the large center rectangle diagonally ruled to a lozenge pattern, a single quatrefoil impressed in blind in each of the rectangles and lozenges so formed, edges partly renewed and rebacked in the style of the period of the binding with compartments formed by three double raised bands, a gold stamped title label in the second compartment from top reading: "CHRISTOPHE | DE PARIS | - | RUPESCISSA | MANUSCRIPTS | ITALY | 15TH C". The endpapers are modern insertions, though of old paper, and the binding, while of the period of the manuscript, probably had no original connection with this codex.
Poem in three cantos dedicated to Isabella d'Este (1474-1539), Marchioness of Mantua, and intended to be performed at her court
Description:
In Italian., Script: copied by a single hand writing Humanistica Cursiva Libraria; thought to be autograph. Headings on ff. 1v and 3r in Capitalis., Giovan Francesco Suardi (d. after 1540), Amor fugitivus. Poem in Italian in three cantos dedicated to Isabella d'Este (1474-1539), Marchioness of Mantua, and intended to be performed at her court. In the first canto the poet sings of his love, in the second he encounters Venus in search of Cupido who ran away, in the third he sadly returns home. There are a few corrections on erasure. This is the dedication copy and the only manuscript containing this text., and Binding: original binding: brown leather over cardboard; both covers blind-tooled with a double frame inscribed with a lozenge containing the monogram “YHS”. The spine is gold-tooled.
Manuscript on paper of Apocryphal Gospel Books and Miracles of the Virgin, including 1) Evangelium infantiae; 2) Liber passionis et resurrectionis Iesu Christi; 3) miracle legends about the Virgin
Description:
In Italian., Script: Copied by two scribes. Hand 1, the notary Franciscus Salvator (Francesco Salvatore) from Ventimiglia, copied artt. 1-4 in Gothica Semihybrida Libraria (Mercantesca). Hand 2 copied artt. 5-6 in Gothica Hybrida Libraria/Currens (Mercantesca)., Decoration: Long red headings up to f. 29r (artt. 1-2). In artt. 3-4, space for headings was provided, but they were not executed. Space was reserved for 2-line initials, but these were not executed. Artt. 4 and 5 are undecorated; there are no guide letters for the 1-line initials at the opening of each of these articles, for which space was reserved., and Binding: 20th century, brown leather and wooden boards. Spine has three raised bands.
Manuscript on parchment of Ivanus Veronensis, Eloquium
Description:
In Italian., The manuscript also contains a collection of quotations, added at a much later date, tending to demonstrate that one should not immoderately grieve over the dead., Script: main text copied by a single scribe, who writes a careful Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Cancelleresca), only towards the end becoming somewhat more rapid., and Binding: early binding of leather over wooden boards; sewing on three white leather straps fixed with nails on the outer side of both covers. One clasp.
