Manuscript on paper of a collection of extracts from various alchemical and medical writers. Includes John of Rupescissa, Liber de confectione veri lapidis; and Arnold of Villanova, De perfectione operis alkimie. Compiled by one Johannes Baptista F., along with Mellon MSS 34 and 36.
Description:
In Latin, Italian, and Spanish., Script: Written by one or perhaps two hands in mid-16th-century italic, sometimes of excellent, professional quality, but often ranging from fairly good to extremely bad and careless., and Binding: Original parchment over pasteboards with remains of thong ties; probably a home-made binding utilizing used parchment (show-through of writing visible) from a document, plain edges. Labeled in ink in the hand of the compiler on the backstrip: "Medicina | astrologia." Loose in cover and wormed.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy, Italian poetry, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of 1) John of Rupescissa, De consideratione quinte essentie. 2) Rhemigius Burgensis, Quaestio de medio demonstrationis termino. 3) Simone Porzio, De animae immortalitate quaestio. 4) Francesco Petrarca, Dialogus de coniugii claritate. 5) Alchemy and recipes, in Latin. 6) Properties of various fruits and nuts, in Italian verse, and Seasons for planting, in Italian prose. 7) Notes on logic, provenance of elements of this manuscript, and a game of divination
Description:
In Latin, Greek, and Italian., Watermarks: 1) crossed arrows surmounted by a six-pointed star; 2) crossed keys in a cartouche, neither identified with certainty., Script: Written in several different italic cursive hands., and Binding: Original, north Italian. Black leather, the sides outlined in blind rules, a rectangular panel on each cover ruled in gold with a square Arab knot tool gold-stamped outside each corner of the panel, traces of holes for four thong ties on each cover, the backstrip divided into five compartments by raised bands, a gold-stamped cinquefoil in each compartment, the back and sides repaired, edges stained black. Front and back pastedowns: parchment fragments of a 12th-century Italian codex, probably a Gospel Lectionary, containing an extract from the Gospel of St. John written in Latin in a Rotunda antiquior hand.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy, Divination, Italian poetry, Logic, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of Joannes de Sacrobosco's Algorismus vulgaris, a treatise on mathermatics, numbers, and Hindu-Arabic numerals. Here incorrectly attributed to Boethius in the opening rubric and The manuscript is a palimpsest containing portions of Ovid's Heroides: on f. 2, Epistle XVI, lines 109-172; on f. 3, Epistle XVI, lines 173-233; on f. 5, Epistle XIV, lines 79-132; on f. 7, Epistle XIII, lines 119-166; on f. 8, Epistle XVI, lines 234-297. Remaining leaves unidentified
Alternative Title:
Algorismus vulgaris and Algorismus Boetii incipit
Description:
In Latin., Title assigned by cataloger. Variant title from opening rubric., Layout: Single columns of 32 lines., Script: gothic hybrida., Decoration: rubrication., Binding: modern paper., Secundo folio: De additione., and Evidence of pricking.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Boethius, -524., Sacro Bosco, Joannes de, active 1230., and Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D.
Manuscript on paper of Iohannes de Virgilio (Giovanni del Virgilio, 1300-1350), Allegoriae librorum Ovidii Metamorphoseos, in prose and verse
Description:
In Latin., Watermark: tower, var. Piccard, Turmwasserzeichen 611-613; var. Briquet, 15911?., Copied by one hand in extremely small Humanistica Semitextualis Libraria. In the poetical sections the majuscules at the opening of each verse are set apart., Headings ("liber secundus" etc.) in clumsy Capitalis (several times erroneous: "LIBE"). Space for a 2-line initial left free on the first line of f. 1r, although this is not the beginning of the text., and Binding: Fifteenth century. Brown leather (sheepskin?) over cardboard (replacing worm-eaten wooden boards), blind-tooled with a frame of fillets and rolls; in the central panel a motif made of small rhomboid stamps. Parchment front pastedown. Remnants or marks of four clasps attached to the front cover.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Giovanni del Virgilio, active 1319.
Subject (Topic):
Allegories, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Ptolemy, Almagest in a Latin translation by Gerard of Cremona. With Calendar with computistical information, January through December
Description:
In Latin.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Gherardo, da Cremona, 1113 or 1114-1187. and Ptolemy, active 2nd century.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Ancient, Calendars, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Mathematics, Ancient
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.
2 Amulets, manuscript, ink and paint on paper. Calligraphic Italian hand. Written on both sides of the leaf, with borders and vignettes in colors. One side of the leaf has an predominantly orange border, and on top are two putim holding a crown, with the word "bi-yeshuʻati" (in my redemption). This amulet is meant to keep the bearer free of harm. On the bottom, in large block letters, are kabbalistic statements. On the other side of the leaf is another amulet, whose border is chiefly yellow. On the top there is a vase with flowers. Below the vase is the statement in Hebrew, "in the name of the God of Israel". The text continues with the tale of the prophet Elijah's encounter with the evil spirit Lilith and how he manages to vanquish her. This amulet is meant to protect a mother, who has just given birth, and her newborn child. At the bottom, in large block letters, are kabbalistic statements
Description:
In Hebrew.
Subject (Geographic):
Italy. and Italy
Subject (Topic):
Amulets (Judaism), Religious articles, Religious life and customs, and Jewish art and symbolism
Amulet, manuscript, ink on vellum. This amulet includes the names of the angels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel in each corner and prayers for protection from the many dangers that threaten life such as childbirth, fire and water. What is of particular interest is that it also contains a special prayer for the protection of love and lovers addressed to the angel Ahavi'el (loosely translated as God is my beloved). On the four corners are kabbalistic diagrams in the form of a square with grids. In the center are also kabbalistic formulae in micrography in the shape of a circle
Description:
In Hebrew.
Subject (Geographic):
Italy. and Italy
Subject (Topic):
Amulets (Judaism), Religious articles, Religious life and customs, and Jewish art and symbolism
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
