Manuscript on paper of Benedetto Cotrugli (Benedictus de Cotrullis, c. 1410-1469), De navigatione liber (Della navigazione). After the prologue in Latin addressed to the Doge and the Senate of Venice, the author, quoting countless Biblical, ancient, medieval and Renaissance authors and drawing largely on his own experience, discusses the oceans and seas, islands, ports, the history of ship-building and navigation, weather, and astronomy. At the end, he includes portolano maps and describes the coast of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Description:
The author, born in Ragusa (Dubrovnik), was a businessman and humanist, from 1451 onwards in favour at the Court of Naples. His Della mercatura e del mercante perfetto, written in 1458, was for a long time considered his only surviving work. Our manuscript, written during his lifetime and no doubt under his supervision or by his hand, is the only existing manuscript of Della navigazione and it is unfinished, missing most of its illustrations and the end of the text., In Italian., Script: Written by one hand in Humanistica Cursiva close to Humanistica Textualis. Headings and opening words of chapters in pale red capitals., Heightening of majuscules and paragraph marks in pale red up to f. 10r. Space for 2- or 3-line initials at the opening of all chapters, the initials not executed. Illustration largely missing; the few that have been executed are crudely drawn., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Yellowish parchment over cardboard. Marbled paste-downs.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Cotrugli, Benedetto, d. 1468.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Medieval, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, Manuscript maps, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Navigation
Manuscript documents and letters, illustrating the daily life and responsibilities of sea captains in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The collection includes documents relating to Captain Robert Poultney in Jamaica and letters on personal and naval matters addressed to Captain John Wainwright. Also included are descriptions of coastal areas and navigation hazzards, documents relating to obtaining supplies, a ship's newsletter, and a colored map ("Rochfort et les Environs").
Description:
Robert Poultney was the captain of the ship Loretta in Jamaica in 1762-1764., John Wainwright of the Royal Navy served in the East Indies and the Mediterranean, fought throughout the Napoleonic Wars, and is remembered for the destruction of the pirate town Ras-al-Kayma while captain of the ship Chiffonne., and In English, with one letter in French.
Subject (Geographic):
Mediterranean Region and Brittany (France)
Subject (Name):
Poultney, Robert., Wainwright, John, Captain., Chiffonne (Ship), Great Britain. Royal Navy, and Loretta (Ship)
Subject (Topic):
Officers, Sea life, Aids to navigation, Coasts, Navigation, Seafaring life, Ship captains, and Description and travel
Manuscript on paper of Christophorus Columbus (Christopher C.,1451-1506), Epistola de insulis de novo repertis. Relation of his first voyage to America (1492-1493), addressed to Raphael Sanchez and translated into Latin by Leander de Cosco, dated 14 March 1493. Probably copied from the edition Paris, [Guy Marchant, after 29 April 1493], GKW 7175, variant (a). With Bartholomaeus Columbus (Bartholomew C., c. 1460-1514), Descrizione della navigazione nel Mondo Nuovo. The text is in the wrong order, being probably copied from an exemplar in four pages, of which pages 2 and 3 were inverted
Description:
In Latin and Italian., Watermark: cardinal's hat, var. Briquet 3409 ... (1519-1527?)., Script: Copied by one hand in Gothica Hybrida Formata verging to the Semitextualis, with a "typographic" outlook (but totally different from the printing type used in the presumed exemplar)., Paragraph marks, flourished initials (5 ll. f. 1r, 3 ll. f. 5r) and Columbus coat of arms all in the same brown ink as the text. The arms closely resemble those found in the Genoa codex of his Book of Privileges., and Binding: Unbound. Placed in a boardpaper portfolio and leather-backed boardpaper slip-case.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and North America
Subject (Name):
Columbus, Christopher.
Subject (Topic):
Italian literature, Manuscripts, Medieval, Navigation, and Description and travel
Manuscript on paper of Agostino Cesareo (Rome, 16th century), L'arte del navigare
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by one scribe in careful Humanistica Cursive., Coloured and uncoloured diagrams, illustrations and maps., Many pages are spoiled by the acidity of the ink., and Binding: Original limp vellum. On the front cover the inscription "L'arte de ***"; on the rear cover contemporary calculations.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Cesareo, Agostino.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Cosmography, Navigation, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Italian literature, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on paper (watermarks buried in gutter) of Gregorio (or Leonardo?) Dati, La Sfera. This rhyming treatise (ottava rima) is divided into two parts: 1) a treatise on astronomy; 2) rules for navigation and the determination of the position of the sea
Description:
In Italian., Script: Written by one person in neat mercantile script., One 4-line initial, f. lr., gold capital with white-vine foliage against a blue, pink and green ground, connected to a 3/4 white-vine border with brown penwork and gold dots; a coat of arms in wreath at center of lower margin. Two 3-line initials, ff. 7r and 14v, gold, against pink and green grounds with yellow and white filigree. Folios 1r-14v illustrated in margins with astronomical and geographical diagrams, all of them circular, tinted drawings in brown pen with red, yellow, blue and green washes. Folios 15r-24v decorated with unframed maps and illustrations drawn in brown pen, and tinted green, brown and red. Most illustrations unlabeled., Some leaves repaired; the manuscript shows signs of heavy use., and Binding: 16th-17th centuries. Resewn on three vegetable fiber supports. Rounded spine. Covered in black/brown sheepskin over wooden boards with corner tongues. Blind-tooled with five line fillets forming diamonds. There are traces of four bosses on each board and two clasp-and-catch fastenings, the catches on the lower board. Fastenings and bosses are wanting. Concentric circles are scratched in the center of the lower board. Rebacked.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Dati, Gregorio, 1362-1436.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Medieval, Italian poetry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Early maps, and Navigation
Manuscript on paper of George Waymouth (fl. 1587-1611), The jewell of artes, an unfinished technical handbook of navigation, inventions, fortifications, surveying, gunnery, etc., consisting of short textual parts and extremely numerous full-page technical drawings and diagrams of high quality
Description:
About the author, a somewhat mysterious navigator, scholar and engineer, see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, v. 51 (2004), pp. 777-778. He returned in 1602 from his unsuccesful expedition to discover the Northwest Passage, presented the King in 1604 with two versions of his treatise The Jewell of Artes and undertook in 1605 a new expedition to the American East coast, landing in Maine., In English., Script: Written by one hand in Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary)., and Binding: Original armorial (rebacked). Brown calf over cardboard, both covers gold-tooled with a seme pattern of flowerets, corner pieces and a central piece with the arms of King James I. Spine with six raised bands and red title-label with inscription "JEWELL OF ARTES".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Waymouth, George.
Subject (Topic):
English literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Military art and science, and Navigation