Manuscript on parchment of 1) Le livre de Lancelot du Lac, part III. 2) La queste del Saint Graal. 3) La mort au Roy Artus
Description:
In French., Script: Written in elegant gothic textura by one scribe, with a few interlinear corrections in later hands (14th and 15th centuries)., The decoration of this lavishly illuminated manuscript consists of seventy-seven large column miniatures, fifty-one smaller miniatures, and thirty-six historiated initials. Miniatures and historiated initials by at least two artists, the scale and quality of whose work distinguish the manuscript from contemporary and most fourteenth-century Arthurian manuscripts., Large miniatures, 12- to 11-lines, one column, framed and usually divided into two registers by thin bands, gold, red and/or blue with white highlights, edged in black, sometimes with arched canopies, often with architectural elements protruding (a few frames composed of thicker bands); figures in black pen against burnished gold (occasionally with painted gold diaperwork), blue or black grounds; chief colors: light blue, dark blue, grey, light brown, white, maroon, with some orange, green and gold. Borders on folios with large miniatures of a variety and inventiveness that defy strict classification: gold, red, and blue bands, edged in black, also running between, below and/or above text columns, terminating in dragons, dragon or human heads, groteques or, most commonly, floral spirals, some with frets, blue and red with white highlights and orange and green dots, against gold, blue and/or maroon cusped grounds, often with pinwheel-like projections. The borders are populated with magnificent grotesques and marginalia in the same style as the miniatures, many of them of a narrative or satirical character; some of these incorporate coats of arms., Small miniatures, 5- to 6-line, 1/2 text column, often with a 2-line initial inserted in upper right corner, otherwise as above, with border decoration on a smaller scale and unattached to miniature. Historiated initials, 5-line (letters without ascenders or descenders) to 13-line, red and/or blue, with geometric motifs in paler shades of red and blue, white, with touches of orange, against gold grounds, edged in black, with long dragon and floral serifs, as above, against cusped gold grounds; figures in same style as miniatures, against gold grounds., Illuminated initials, 3- to 1-line, gold, with globular serifs, edged thickly in black, against irregular red and blue grounds, also edged in black, with white floral filigree or heraldic birds, in white; flowers touched in with orange. On folios without miniatures (except ff. 2v-8v), a thin gold band runs along the left side of each text column, interrupted by initials, with a thin red pen-line on either side; adjacent, to the left, a column of I's each 3-line and blue and red alternately, with small spiral and curlicue flourishes, terminating in large flourishes in red or blue on alternate openings, each with pinwheel-like arms projecting from a central spiral with small petals and flourishes in blue and red; design of the terminal flourishes varies from one gathering to another; some with naturalistic leaves and flowers or fleurs-de-lis; terminals on ff. 1v-2r by the same hand as penwork initials on those folios. Line-fillers of varying design: two pairs of blue and red tapering bands, heraldically arranged and joined at center by red flower; undulating red line with red and/or blue balls under and over each crest and trough; red zigzag with blue infilling and spiral flourishes at terminals; alternating red and blue flowers; red and blue dots, etc., Some folios stained; f. 253 slashed in margin; f. 361 cut right across and glued together., and Binding: 2003. Full alum-tawed goatskin. See conservation treatment report for full description. Former binding stored in separate box: 18th century. Light brown calf blind- and gold-tooled. Sewing holes in inner margins.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Arthurian romances, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper containing ascetic and devotional treatises, the Life of St. John Calybita, and Italian poetry in praise of the Virgin
Description:
In Latin and Italian., Script: copied by two similar hands: A, writing a rapid Southern Gothica Textualis Libraria, copied ff. 2r-56v and 69r-104v; B, writing a more formal version of the same script, under slight Humanistic influence, copied ff. 57r-68v. The Latin of both scribes is very defective., Red headings and paragraph marks. 2-line red and blue plain initials, with guide letters., The manuscript contains: 1) Ps.-Augustinus Hipponensis, Manuale (preface and chapters 1-24). 2) Pseudo-Augustine, Soliloquia animae ad Deum, large final part of chapter 2. 3) Arnulphus de Boeriis (ca. 1200 (?), Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis), Speculum monachorum. 4) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis, Sermo de vita et passione Domini. 5) Vita S. Iohannis Calybitae or Vita S. Iohannis monachi. 6) Flores ex operibus S. Bernardi de dignitate et excellentia beatae virginis Mariae. 7) Bernardus Claraevallensis (Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153), Epistola 111, written in the name of the monk Elias to the latter's parents. 8) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis, Contemplationes de passione Domini secundum septem horas canonicas. 9) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis, Formula honestae vitae. 10) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis, Octo puncta perfectionis assequendae. 11) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis, Varia et brevia documenta pie seu religiose vivendi. 12) Bonaventura OFM (1221-1274), Regula novitiorum, 3. 13) Bonaventura, Regula novitiorum, 4.1-3. 14) Matthaeus de Cracovia (c. 1335-1410; Ps.-Thomas de Aquino, Ps.-Bonaventura; here ascribed to Iohannes de Capistrano OFM, 1386-1456), De modo confitendi et de puritate conscientiae (Speculum munditiae). 15) F. Carboni, Incipitario della lirica italiana dei secoli XIII e XIV, v. 1, Studi e Testi, v. 277 (Vatican City, 1977), 863. 16) Carboni 212. 17) Carboni 96. 18) Religious poems in Venetian dialect. 19) Lamentatio Virginis Mariae ad Crucem, attributed to Philippus de Grevia (Philippus Cancellarius, Philippe de Grève, d. 1236). 20) Zeno Veronensis (d. before 380), Tractatus, 1.1.7.20-21. 21) Moral sentences and quotations by or ascribed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux. 22) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis, Sermo 12., and Binding: the two covers and the spine are covered with a fragment from a large Italian choirbook in Southern Gothica Textualis Formata; parts of two 4-line red staves with notation in Nota Quadrata and two lines of text are preserved.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint
Subject (Topic):
Devotion to., Asceticism, Christian hagiography, Christian poetry, Italian, Devotional literature, Latin (Medieval and modern)., and Manuscripts, Medieval
In Latin., Script: copied by one hand in small Gothica Hybrida Formata (Bastarda), with a tendency towards lengthening and making loops to the ascenders on the top line., Headings in red. The manuscript is richly decorated in a uniform style with paragraph marks, line fillers, 1-line versals and 2-5-line initials in liquid gold on a blue or red ground decorated with foliage in liquid gold. On f. 1r arch-topped half-page miniature in the style of Jean Bourdichon, as wide as the writing area, above 12 lines of text, showing King David praying in a landscape. Full paneled border, the panels alternately with uncoloured background and filled with acanths, or with liquid gold background and filled with flowers or fruit; one “acanth” panel in the outer border and two similar panels in the lower one contain each a hybrid animal, one of these wearing a hat., The manuscript contains: 1) Petrus de Alliaco (Pierre d'Ailly, 1350-1420), Meditationes super septem Psalmos paenitentiales. 2) Table of Contents. 3) Lotharius Count of Segni (1160-1216, 1198-1216 pope as Innocentius III), De miseria humanae conditionis. 4) Ps.-Bernardus Claraevallensis (Pseudo-Bernard of Clairvaux), De interiori homine (Meditationes). 5) Iacobus de Gruytrode (c. 1400-1475), Speculum aureum animae peccatricis, also attributed to Iacobus de Iuterbog (1381-1465), Dionysius Carthusianus (Dionysius de Ryckel, 1402/1403-1471) and Gerardus de Schiedam (d. 1442).c, and Binding: 19th century. Red silk over thin wooden boards. Gilt edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Ailly, Pierre d', 1350-1420?, Innocent III, Pope, 1160 or 1161-1216., and Jacobus, de Gruytrode, active 1440-1475.
Subject (Topic):
Asceticism, Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Repentance, and Christianity
Manuscript on paper of six ascetical treatises, including Ps.-Augustinus Hipponensis (Pseudo-Augustine), two seroms against the love of money; Ambrosius Autpertus O.S.B. (d. 784), Libellus de conflictu vitiorum et virtutum, 1-263; Paulinus Aquileiensis (Pseudo-Augustine, d. 802), Liber exhortationis; Prayers and hymns to Christ and to the Virgin; and Galvano de Padua (15th century), Memoriale di confessione gentile
Description:
Script: probably copied by various hands in Gothico-Humanistica Currens., Decoration: Red headings. Red stroking of majuscules on ff. 57r-72v and 74r. Space has been reserved for 2- or 3-line initials which have not been executed. Guide-letters in red ink have been provided up to f. 72v., Binding: early limp parchment. Both covers blind-tooled., and In Latin and Italian.
Manuscript on paper of 1) Augustine of Hippo, Confessions; Retractiones. 2) Matthaeus de Cracovia, Tractatus de confessione et puritate conscientiae. 3) Thomas Aquinas, De perfectione spiritualis vitae. 4) Bernard of Clairvaux, De consideratione. 5) Series of short texts, including works by Bernardus de Reyda, Guillelmus Bloc, and Iacobus de Iüterbog
Description:
In Latin., Script: Probably copied by 10 hands: scribe (A), Cornelius de Middelburg alias de Clinghe, writing Gothica Hybrida Libraria (Bastarda), ff. 1r-104r8 (artt. 2, 3, and the beginning of 4); scribe (B), writing a more rapid Semihybrida, ff. 104r9-113r (central part of art. 4); scribe (C), writing Semihybrida Libraria, ff. 113v-125r (final part of art. 4); scribe (D), writing Semihybrida Libraria/Currens, ff. 125v-126v (art. 5); scribe (E), writing Hybrida Currens, ff. 127r-127bis v and 139r bottom lines-148v (beginning and final part of art. 6); scribe (F), writing Hybrida Currens, ff. 128r-139r bottom lines (central part of art. 6); scribe (G), writing Hybrida Libraria, ff. 149r-155v15 (artt. 7 and beginning of 8); scribe (H), writing Semihybrida Libraria, ff. 155v16-220v (main part of art. 8); scribe (I), Arthurus Reyniers, writing Hybrida Libraria, ff. 225r-247r (artt. 9-11); and scribe (K), writing Cursiva Currens (art. 12)., Decoration: Differs according to the various sections of the manuscript, but in general, there are red headings; red stroking of majuscules; red underlining; and 2- or 3-line red plain initials, sometimes with interior reserved shapes (mostly missing ff. 132v-148v and after f. 215r). Folios 151r-220r (art. 8) contain red numbering. Folio 1r contains red or blue 3- or 4-line flourished initials with interior reserved shapes and developed penwork in the contrasting colour, extending into the margin., and Binding: Original brown calfskin over bevelled oak boards, damaged, sewn on four leather thongs. Both covers are blind-tooled with frame, lozenge and triangle patterns; stamped with rosette, fleur-de-lys, star, "ihs", and dragon patterns. The remains of two leather straps are attached to the rear board, associated with pins (lost) on the front board. The endleaves are fragments of bifolia from a 14th cent. parchment liturgical manuscript.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430., Mateusz, z Krakowa, Cardinal, ca. 1330-1410., Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274., and Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 1091-1153.
Subject (Topic):
Adultery (Canon law), Biography, Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern), Manuscripts, Medieval, and Simony (Canon law)
Manuscript on parchment and paper of a multitude of texts. The principal author or collector of the present manuscript is Thomas Butler from Harlow in Essex, born in 1528. He gives the horoscopes of himself and several members of his family. Other contemporary scientists quoted are Johann Stoeffler (1452-1531), Humphrey Llwyd ("Loyde", 1527-1568) and Leonard Digges (c. 1515-c. 1559).
Description:
In English., Script: Written by 5 hands: A (ff. 1r-46v and 75r-84v) writes a bold Gothica Cursiva Formata (Secretary), with headings in Gothica Textualis; B (ff. 47r-62r and 63v-65v): Gothica Cursiva Currens (Secretary), perhaps Butler's hand; C (f. 67r-v): Gothica Cursiva Antiquior Libraria (Anglicana); D (ff. 68r-72v line 2): Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary); E (ff. 72v line 3-74r): Gothica Cursiva Formata (Secretary)., Pen drawings throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown leather over cardboard, rebacked. The covers decorated with gilt frames and five gilt stars (4 in the corners and one in the center); spine gilt with inscription "ASTROLOG.". Red edges. Marbled endleaves.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Digges, Leonard, d. ca. 1559., Llwyd, Humphrey, 1527-1568., and Stoeffler, Johann, 1452-1531.
Subject (Topic):
Astrology, English literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Science, and Science, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment of astrological texts drawn largely from Arab astrology of the early Middle Ages, and transmitted in medieval Latin translations; in addition Ptolemy's Centiloquium is present, transmitted not in Greek but through the Arabic, along with a single contemporary component, the Astrolabium planum of Johann Engel
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in a large and clear hand in Gothica textualis formata and Bastarda., Rubrics, and occasional headlines in red, diagrams in the text in brown and red inks. Full illuminated border, outlined in red, on f. 1r of leafy sprays in colors and gold, the white spaces filled up with black dots and small burnished gold circles each with three or four small tendrils; a large initial in burnished gold and colors at the beginning of the text in the first column, with gold band extending downward and then around three sides of the page forming an inner border, completed by a red line at top; a lozenge at the center of the lower band of the border containing a pattern of platelike discs, quatrefoils, and a leafy spray on a dull gold ground, this segment almost certainly a later replacement of an original coat of arms which has been erased. Elsewhere in the manuscript smaller illuminated initials in the style of the first frequently occur, and larger ones with descenders to partial borders at the foot of the page occur. Each of the ninety-six pages from f. 191r through 238v has four drawings in colors (six on those pages which open each of the signs of the Zodiac), placed within diagrams accompanied by slight text., and Binding: Nineteenth century, English. Marbled paper boards, green calf back with six heavy (false?) bands, the compartments with patterns of small tools impressed in gold and with gold-stamped titles, a small rectangular label with the printed number 1037 and a small round label with the inked number 894 glued to the bottommost compartment. All edges gilt. Preserved in a modern green cloth folding box, probably French, with leather label.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Ptolemy, active 2nd century.
Subject (Topic):
Astrology, Astrology, Arab, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper of Astrological tables for solar and lunar locations, probably for use in compiling calendars; tables of latitudes of cities; chronological tables for 1508-18. Most tables are accompanied by prose descriptions
Description:
In Italian., Watermarks: trimmed, in upper margins; unidentified eagle enclosed by a circle similar in design to Briquet Aigle 204., Script: Written in Italian notarial script by a single scribe., Yellow added to initials and to astrological signs, and some numbers., Stained throughout; final folio repaired., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Blind-tooled brown sheepskin.
Manuscript on paper made by an unknown Venetian mathematician, astronomer and cartographer. This manuscript is highly interesting for the excellent drawings of contemporary Mediterranean sailing-ships
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by one hand in Gothico-Humanistic Cursive, which in the maps alternates with Capitalis. Headings in Capitalis inscribed on scrolls or tablets., Maps, borders and decorations in colours. Clumsily drawn human and animal figures., and Binding: Original limp vellum. On the spine is written "G***ctrica MSS". On the rear cover are a pen-drawing, upside-down, of the same decorative device as on f. 2r, and a sketch of city gates.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Islands of the Mediterranean.
Subject (Topic):
Atlases, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscript maps, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Sailing ships
