Manuscript on parchment of 1) Plato, Phaedo, translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni and preceded by his prefatory letter to Pope Innocent VII. 2) Xenophon, Hiero (Tyrannus), translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni and preceded by his prefatory letter to Niccolo Niccoli
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in a somewhat angular humanistic bookhand., Decorated in the early style of Gioacchino de' Gigantibus. On f. 1r a partial border in upper, lower and inner margins, white vine-stem ornament on blue, green and dark pink with grey dots on blue grounds, blue dots on pink grounds, and gold balls. In lower border, medallion framed by gold interlace bands and supported by two putti wearing red necklaces, with a coat of arms, now erased, on green ground. Four illuminated initials, 7- to 5-line, in gold, framed in yellow, on blue, green and red grounds, with dots as above. Initial on f. 1r, inhabited by standing putto wearing a red necklace, is joined to the border. Other initials have vine-stem decoration extending into the margins and terminating with groups of three gold balls. Headings and names of interlocutors in red., and Binding: Between 1800 and 1810, Italy. Rigid vellum case with the title gold-tooled on a label on the spine: "Leon. Aret. Opus". Gilt edges and faint lettering on the head edge.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Hieron I, Tyrant of Syracuse, -467 B.C. or 466 B.C., Innocent VII, Pope, 1336-1406., Niccoli, Niccolò, approximately 1364-1437., and Plato.
Subject (Topic):
Biography, Dialogues, Greek, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Philosophy, Ancient
Manuscript on paper of Aristoteles, Poetica, anonymous Latin translation of chapters 1-7. On f. 2r the translator has replaced Homer and Empedocles, cited by Aristotle, by Virgil and Lucretius ("Nihil tamen commune est Virgilio et Lucretio nisi carmen").
Description:
In Latin and Greek., Watermark: coat of arms with a bend, surmounted by a star and with a roundel depending from it, not in Briquet., Script: Copied by one scribe in small Humanistica Cursiva Libraria; words in Greek written by the same hand., Undecorated., and Binding: Sewn on a gilded leather thong; no cover.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Aristotle.
Subject (Topic):
Classical literature, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper and parchment (goatskin) of 1) Ps.-Phalaris, Epistulae, tr. Franciscus Aretinus (Francesco Griffolini, 1420-after 1465). 2) Ps.-Brutus, Epistulae, tr. Rinucius Aretinus (Rinuccio d'Arezzo, c. 1395-after 1450). 3) Prologue (7 verses) to art. 4. 4) Ps.-Crates, Epistulae, tr. Athanasius Constantinopolitanus
Description:
In Latin., Watermark: letter P, similar to Briquet 8658 (1471-1480)?., Script: Copied by two hands in bold Gothica Semitextualis Libraria with Southern features and under Humanistic influence, visible in the majuscules; hand A copied ff. 1r-51v; hand B, marked by the use of an a closer to Textualis and a preference for straight s in final position, copied ff. 52r-59r., Several lower margins of parchment leaves have been repaired before writing by means of a strip of parchment pasted on the defective edges. A long tear in the parchment of f. 56 has been sewn before writing., Paragraph marks alternately in red and blue (in artt. 3-4 only). Headings in red (in artt. 1-2 only, with sometimes instructions in small script in the margins). Gothic 2-line plain initials alternately in red and blue, with guide letters (mostly in red ink) written in the outer margin close to the outer edge of the leaves. 3-line littera duplex with delicate blue and red penwork extending into the margin f. 41v (text art. 2); 4-line littera duplex with the same decoration ff. 40v (prologue art. 2) and 52r (art. 5); 6-line littera duplex with the same decorationf. 1r (art. 1)., and Binding: ca. 1500. Repaired blind-tooled brown leather over bevelled wooden boards; sewn on three leather thongs; the original covers are pasted over the light brown new leather, itself blind-tooled with fillets and a roll; the original covers decorated with fillets, vertical rows of rolls, and at the top and bottom one horizontal row of the same. Remnants of two clasps attached to the rear cover, with two brass catches on the front cover, fixed with three nails and engraved with the inscription “nom” (?) in Northern Gothica Textualis Formata. Gilt edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Pseudo-Phalaris.
Subject (Topic):
Latin letters, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (coarse, remains of deckle edges) of 1) Unidentified Italian epitome of the Ps.-Ciceronian Rhetorica ad Herennium. 2) Unidentified and anonymous treatise on memory
Description:
In Italian., Watermarks, along upper edge: unidentified mountain and hunting horn., Script: Written in gothic bookhand by a single scribe, above top line., Spaces left for initials remain unfilled, except on f. 25r where there are three poorly executed initials in red; guide letters for decorator. Paragraph marks and initial strokes, in red., and Binding: Nineteenth century, Italy (?). Half bound in vellum with a gold-tooled spine and Spanish marbled sides. Ribbon bookmark.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Pseudo-Cicero.
Subject (Topic):
Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Memory, and Rhetoric
Manuscript on parchment of Pope Nicholas IV, Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis (Papal Bull Supra Montem, issued 17 August 1289), in French translation
Description:
In French., Script: copied by one hand in Gothica Textualis Formata, careful but not without inconsistencies. A scribe with initials “F.R.” is not attested., Red underlining; paragraph marks alternately red and blue, and line fillers in the same colours. A few 1-line flourished versals, and 2-line flourished initials alternately in red and blue, with penwork in the contrasting colour, at the head of all chapters. A 3-line flourished initial in the same colours at the beginning of the Prologue, f. 2r., and Binding: early, white deerskin over pasteboard, spine with four raised bands. Marks of two leather ties.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Nicholas IV, Pope, 1227-1292. and Franciscans.
Subject (Topic):
Bulls, Papal, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Monasticism and religious orders, and Third orders
Manuscript on parchment of John Chrysostom, Sermo de dignitate humanae originis, translated into Latin by Ambrogio Traversari. The text is preceded by a dedicatory letter, here directed to Rene d'Anjou (King of Sicily and Naples, 1435-42).
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in humanistic cursive script, below top line., 3 large initials of modest quality, 8- to 7-line, gold on blue or blue and red grounds with white dots and white vine-stem ornament. 1 smaller initial, 3-line, gold on red and blue ground with white dots. Plain initials in blue and red, one in gold, some with penwork flourishes in red. Rubrics throughout. Paragraph marks in red or blue. Guide letters for initials., and Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. Original sewing on three tawed skin, slit straps laced through tunnels in the edge to channels on the outside of beech boards and nailed. Beige and white chevron endbands are sewn on tawed skin cores laid in grooves on the outside of the boards. The spine is lined with green tawed skin between supports. Covered in brown, originally tan, calf with corner tongues, blind-tooled with a triple cross in a border of rope interlace. Spine: sewing bands defined and panels diapered with triple fillets. Two truncated diamond catches with a flower in a circle on the lower board, the upper one cut in for the red fabric straps attached with star-headed nails.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
John Chrysostom, Saint, -407. and Traversari, Ambrogio, 1386-1439.
Subject (Topic):
Catechetical sermons, Fathers of the church, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Sermons
Manuscript on paper of Bartholomaeus de Sancto Concordio (Bartholomaeus Pisanus O.P., 1262-1347), Summa de casibus conscientiae (Kaeppeli 436), also called Summa Bartolina, Pisana, Pisanella, Magistrutia), translated into Italian by Iohannes de Cellis (Giovanni dalle Celle, 1310-1394 or 1400). With a preface by the translator, explaining why he has abandoned the alphabetical organization of the original text
Description:
In Italian., Script: Copied by one hand in Gothico-Humanistica Libraria with single-compartment a., Paragraph marks and headings in red. Space and guide letters for 3-line initials (4-line f. 1r, art. 1; 5-line f. 2r, art. 3), which have not been executed., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Parchment over cardboard. Spine with three raised bands and handwritten title: “Somma / del / Maestruccio / MS.” Two white leather ties. Paper endleaves.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Bartholomew, of San Concordio, 1262-1347. and Dominicans.
Subject (Topic):
Canon law, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Scholasticism
Manuscript on paper of 1) Aeneas Gazaeus, Theophrastus, translated into Latin by Ambrogio Traversari. 2) Life of St. Helenus, monk in Egypt. Text is an extract (incomplete) taken from the Latin translation by Rufinus of the Historia monachorum, ch. 11.
Description:
In Latin., Watermarks: Briquet Fleur 6306, and unidentified shrub, ff. i-viii, in gutter; Briquet Tete humaine 15617., Script: Written in humanistic script by a single scribe, above top line., One large illuminated initial, 5-line, of modest quality, in gold with black accents on a multicolored ground of red, blue and green with white vine-stem ornament and white dots. One smaller initial (unfinished), parchment color on blue ground with white vine-stem ornament. On f. 1r, in lower border an unidentified coat of arms: vert a chief sable (?), overall a lion (?) rampant gules (or purpre?) on the main field and or in chief and with bend (tincture undetermined) overall; the whole shield overpainted in black. Headings in red., and Binding: Fifteenth century, Italy. Vellum stays are adhered in and outside the paper gatherings. Original sewing on three tawed skin, kermes pink, slit straps which go through tunnels in the edges of wooden boards to channels on the outside where they are pegged. The primary endband, sewn on a tawed skin core, is gilt with traces of a red secondary endband. A design is scratched on the gilt edges. Covered in brown sheepskin with corner tongues and blind-tooled with progressively taller concentric frames alternately decorated with five small tools. Five flower-shaped bosses on each board, some wanting, and four fastenings, leaf-shaped catches on the lower board, the upper board cut in for the clasp straps which are attached with star-headed nails. Rebacked.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Gazaeus, Aeneas.
Subject (Topic):
Biography, Desert Fathers, Dialogues, Greek, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Monks
Manuscript on paper of an unidentified treatise, incomplete, on the Cardinal Virtues; material taken mostly from Valerius Maximus, with additional material from Augustine, the Bible, Cicero, Seneca, Macrobius, Aristotle, and Vegetius
Description:
In Italian., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Coutelas 5157, 5159., Script: Written by a single scribe in humanistic cursive script with notarial features, above top line., 28 pen and watercolor initials, heavily influenced by Greek models, 24- to 10-line (with larger initials at the main divisions for Justice on f. 1r, Prudence on f. 8r, Temperance on f. 14r, and Strength on f. 25r), in green, red or pale purple on paper ground, with intricate designs of scrolling and intertwining vines, pale yellow with touches of unburnished gold, terminating in spiky leaves. Berries, pale purple, red or green with geometric pen designs attached to the vines. Folio 1r, ends of initial S terminating in dragon heads; ff. 14r and 25r, unidentified arms (or, 2 or 3 bars nebuly purpure), incorporated into the initial. Sketches, in lead, visible beneath most initials. Headings in red. Majuscules touched with yellow., and Binding: 19th-20th centuries, Italy. Paste-paper case binding in yellow, green and red.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Valerius Maximus.
Subject (Topic):
Cardinal virtues, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Franciscus Petrarca (Petrarch, 1304-1374), Trionfi, in the French translation by Simon Bourgouin, incomplete: ends with the translation of Triumph of Death, chapter 2, verse 27.
Description:
In French., Script: Copied by one hand in Gothica Semihybrida Libraria (Bastarda)., The first leaf is unfoliated and blank. The paper is at many places damaged by the acid ink., Apart from the calligraphic majuscules there is no decoration. The headings are generally in a more formal script than the text., and Binding: Early binding, grey leather over pasteboard covers, damaged; sewn on three split leather thongs. Remnants of a 19th century paper title label "Pétrarque [ ] Triomphes MS". Marks of two clasps.
