Manuscript on paper (unidentified watermark) of Libellus de quinque floribus huius mundi contemnendis, a short moralistic treatise dealing with the five flowers of the world which need to be despised: (1) bona dispositio corporis, scilicet sanitas, fortitudo et pulcritudo; (2) nobilitas generis; (3) habundantia rerum temporalium; (4) sapiencia cum discreta eloquentia; (5) potestas sive dignitas temporalis. The treatise is illustrated with quotations from the Bible, Church Fathers and other authors, and exempla
Description:
In Latin., Script: Copied by one hand in Gothica Cursiva Currens. A later hand has transcribed in the margins in Humanistica Cursiva the words or passages which were found difficult to read., Headings, paragraph marks, underlining, heightening of majuscules and plain initials (3 lines) in red., Worm holes throughout the manuscript; the edges of the last folio are torn., and Binding: Nineteenth century (?). Half brown leather over pasteboard, the boards covered with greyish marbled paper.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Conduct of life, Didactic literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of Petrarch, De remediis utriusque fortunae
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in beautiful batarde script characterized by calligraphic flourishes (some stroked with yellow) in upper and lower margins., 4-line initial on f. 1r, blue with white highlights, on a gold ground, with a coat of arms (effaced) against burgundy ground with gold floral sprays; short floral border, pink and blue flowers on green stem, infilled with gold dots with black hair-spray. 6-line initials on ff. 84r and 87r green with yellow highlights, on gold ground, with a love-knot connecting E (brown with gold highlights) and N (blue) against silver ground, borders as above. 2-line initials at beginning of chapters, gold with black penwork and flourishes; 1-line initials (R for Racio, and G, S, D, M, for the other interlocutors) blue or gold, with red or black penwork., On ff. 1r and 8r three quarters of the page was ruled, but left blank, presumably for miniatures., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Red velvet case, much worn.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374.
Subject (Topic):
Conduct of life, Dialogues, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript, on parchment, of Peter Idley's Instructions to his son, an adaptation (ca. 1445-50) of Albertano of Brescia's treatises addressed to his own sons. The manuscript was produced in England at the end of the fifteenth century and is written in anglicana and secretary script
Description:
In Middle English and Latin., Idley's Liber Secundus, a separate poem, follows the Instructions on f. 31v., Fragments of late thirteenth-century graded calendar used as pastedowns., Numerous sixteenth-century ownership inscriptions of Thomas Dowse on flyleaves., Verses from William Warner, Erasmus, and Shakespeare copied on flyleaves in sixteenth-century hands., and Binding: contemporary white leather over wooden boards; spine sewn on five double tawed leather thongs; remnants of clasp (three foliate metal pins) on upper cover.
Subject (Name):
Idley, Peter, d. 1474?
Subject (Topic):
Conduct of life, Didactic poetry, English, English poetry, and Youth
Manuscript on parchment (worn and stained) of a collection of moralistic sayings, compiled from various authorities: the French version of an Arabic work of the 11th century. Guillaume de Tignonville (d. 1414) composed the French text from a Latin translation sometime before 1402. The philosophers represented include (in the order of their appearance): Sedachias, Hermes, Tac, Zalqualquin, Homer, Zalon, Abion, Hippocrates, Pythagoras, Diogenes, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, Assaron, Loguion, Onese, Macdarge, Thesile, St. Gregory, Galen
Description:
In French., Script: Written by a single scribe in an informal batarde, often with calligraphic flourishes extending into margins., One miniature on f. 1r, 11-line, Ezekiel, Socrates, and Cicero with identifying banderoles, in grisaille with light green and ink washes; in a frame of thin pink and gold bands. One 5-line initial on f. 1r, pink, with orange and pink ivy on a blue stem against a blue ground; a pink and gold bar border in inner margin, with ivy terminals, black ink ivy with gold leaves and gold dots. 2-line initials throughout, gold against pink and blue grounds with white highlights. Guide-letters and rubrics throughout., and Binding: 18th-19th centuries. Quarter bound in brown, spattered calf, gold-tooled. Marbled paper sides.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Conduct of life, Arabic literature, French literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Frère Laurent, Somme le Roi (The Book of Vices and Virtues). Written presumably for Agnes of Burgundy, Duchess of Bourbon, who died at Moulins-sur-Allier in 1476
Description:
In French., Watermarks: ff. ii-5, Briquet Armoiries 1876; ff. 6-315, similar to Briquet Lettre P 8527., Script: Written by two scribes in batarde script. Scribe 1) ff. 1r-100v, 131r-217v; Scribe 2) ff. 101r-130v, 217v-312r, 313r., At the beginning of each book there are spaces (9 to 13 lines) left blank for miniatures. 4- to 2-line initials for each book and for a few chapters, gold against blue and red grounds with silver or white filigree, with coarse gold ivy and black hair-spray. 2-line initials in blue or red for chapters; 1-line initials, blue or red, in table of contents. All initials with guide-letters. Chapter numbers and paragraph marks in red. Rubrics throughout., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Edges red. Brown calf, spine gold-tooled, with a red label: "Miroir du Monde M. S. S. Antiq."
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Laurent, Frère.
Subject (Topic):
Conduct of life, French literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (coarse, thick) of 1) Commentary on selections from Seneca the Elder, Controversiae, beginning imperfectly in I.3. 2) 300 exempla. 3) Gualterus Angelicus, Fabulae. 4) More than 100 extracts about the Virgin Mary, and other topics. 5) Extracts about virtues and vices derived primarily from Gregory the Great, Dialogi. 6) Exempla drawn from Walter Burley, De vita et moribus philosophorum. Arts. 7-18: collection of epitaphs
Description:
In Latin., Watermarks, in gutter: similar to Briquet Monts 11854 and unidentified mountain (?)., Script: Written by a single scribe in semi-cursive gothic bookhand, above top line. Arts. 8-18 added by one or more contemporary hands., 2-line plain initials, paragraph marks and headings, in red, throughout; some marginalia in red., Folio 151 damaged, with loss of text., and Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy (?). Limp vellum case made from a document; text not legible, but docketing note visible under ultra-violet light on upper cover: "N. 167".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Burlaeus, Gualterus, 1275-1345?, Gregory I, Pope, approximately 540-604., Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint., and Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, approximately 55 B.C.-approximately 39 A.D.
Subject (Topic):
Conduct of life, Epitaphs, Exempla, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Scholia
Manuscript, on parchment, containing copies of several treatises: 1) Tractatus de Sacramento Corpus Christi, by Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury (ff. 1-26); 2) De Vero Sapientia, Dialogus I and II, attributed here to Petrarch (now believed to be by Nicholas of Cusa) (ff. 27-50v); 3) De Invidia, Niccolò Perotti's translation of a sermon by Basil the Great, with a preface addressed to Pope Nicholas V (ff. 51-63); 4) De invidia et odio, Niccolò Perotti's translation of a work by Petrarch, with a preface addressed to Pope Nicholas V (ff. 63v-68v); 5) De fortuna virtute ve nominum: ad Nicolaum quintum pontificem maximum, by Niccolò Perotti (69-73v); 6) Epistle LXVII to Simplician, by St. Ambrose (ff. 74-79v); 7) Ex sermonibus quadragesimalibus: Sermone de correctione fraterna, by Leonardo di Utino, O.P. (80-86v); 8) Speculum regis Edwardii tercii, attributed here to Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury (now recognized as the work of William Pagula) (ff. 87-148, with skip from 89 to 100); 9) De tenenda obedientia et evitanda superbia, by St. Augustine (ff. 148-152).
Description:
Peter Meghen (d. 1537), of 's-Hertogenbosch in Brabant; scribe who copied works for several English clients, including Christopher Urswick and John Colet, and served as a courier for Erasmus and Sir Thomas More. Meghen's other patrons included Cardinal Wolsey, and he became Writer of the King's Books in the 1520s and served until his death in 1537. His nickname, "Cyclops," referred to his having only one eye., In Latin., In a humanistic script., Original foliation in red, from i to clii, skips from lxxix to c., Rubrics and foliation in red. Historiated initial and full-page border on ff 1v.; seven large and twenty-two small illuminated initials, all in a Northern Netherlandish style ("Masters of the Dark Eyes")., Colophon (ff. 142v) in red states that the manuscript was written for Christopher Urswick by "Petrus Meghen monoculus.", Spine label: Vrsyke de sacra: euch:. Spine date at foot: MCCCCCII., and Binding: 19 century full paneled brown calf, blind-stamped. Five-compartmented spine.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., England, and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Meghen, Peter,, Nicholas V, Pope, 1397-1455., and Urswick, Christopher, 1448?-1522.
Subject (Topic):
Conduct of life, Envy, Kings and rulers, Duties, Lord's Supper, Sermons, Wisdom, Manuscripts, Medieval, Economic conditions, Intellectual life, and Politics and government
Manuscript, on parchment, in two Gothic bookhands, containig copies of Walter of Biblesworth (Bibbesworth), Le tretiz ff.1-27v; Nicholas Bozon (c.1280-1320), Les proverbes de bons enseignements, here called Liber de proverbiis sapientie, ff.28-40v; Hue de Tabarie, Ordre de la chevalerie ff.42-53v; Le mariage des ix filles du diable, often attributed to Robert Grosseteste (1170-1253), bishop of Lincoln but here described as St Maurice, bishop of Paris's translation from the Latin, ff.54-67. The text of Le tretiz contains numerous interlineations and side notes in Middle English
Description:
In Anglo-Norman French with Middle English glosses and annotations., Ownership inscriptions of Sir Henry Sharington (d. 1581)., Script: Gothic bookhand., Decoration: some rubrication of initials., and Binding: contemporary chemise binding of white leather over corded boards.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Biblesworth, Walter de.
Subject (Topic):
Administration of estates, Anglo-Norman dialect, Chivalry, Conduct of life, French language, Study and teaching, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript, on vellum and paper, in several hands, containing a collection of texts in Latin and Middle English. Almost two-thirds of the volume consists of an untitled collection of Latin sermons, followed by a Latin verse text, Stimulus compassionis. Middle English texts include The three kings of Cologne, a devotional work in prose; Prester John, a travel narrative; John Lydgate's Middle English poem Stans puer ad mensam; and the Middle English verses The myrour of mankind and The treatise of a gallant
Description:
In Latin and Middle English., Title devised by cataloger., Most of the volume is parchment; 15 leaves toward the end of the volume are paper., Bookseller's description tipped in at front of volume., Spine title in gilt: M. S. Vellum., Layout: single columns of 26-31 lines., Script: several English cursive bookhands (Anglicana and secretary)., Decoration: numerous initials in blue with red penwork., and Binding: early eighteenth-century sheep over pasteboards. Nineteenth-century green morocco case with spine title: Ancient English Poetry M. S.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? and Prester John (Legendary character)
Subject (Topic):
Conduct of life, Devotional literature, English (Middle), English literature, English poetry, English prose literature, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Sermons, Latin
