Marston MS 10           Florence, ca. 1415-20
Demosthenes, et al., Lat. tr. Leonardo Bruni



View digital images from the Beinecke Library's Digital Images Online
database


1.  ff. 1r-7r  Demosthenis oratio traducta a Leonardo Arretino.
Nequaquam eadem mihi uideor intelligere o uiri athenienses cum res
ipsas...uos autem sequamini quod et rei p. et uobis omnibus profuturum
sit.  ff. 7v-8v ruled, but blank

Demosthenes, Olynthica tertia, translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni;
Baron, p. 178.

2.  ff. 9r-11r  Aeschinis epistola.  Leonardus transtulit.  Aeschines
atromiti senatui populoque atheniensi salutem.  Ego me ad remp.
[sic]
contuli trigesimo tertio etatis anno. non me hercle ex scena ut aiebat
demostenes...cui necessarium est magisquam malanopo contra nos roganti
annuere.  Explicit.

Aeschines, Epistola senatui populoque Atheniensi, translated into Latin 
by Leonardo Bruni; Baron, p. 178.

3.  ff. 11r-14v  Epistola philippi regis.  Leonardi Ar.  Rex macedonum 
philippus ateniensium senatui plebique salutem.  Quoniam persepe iam
legatos misi qui uobiscum agerent.  ut pacta conuenctionesque seruaremus...
et diis testibus inuocatis pro rebus meis pugnabo.  Explicit.
   
(Anaximenes of Lampsacus), Epistola Philippi ad Athenienses,
translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni; Baron, p. 171.

4.  ff.  15r-53r  Eschinis oratio contra ctesiphontem traducta per 
leonardum arretinum.  Quanti conatus parentur uiri athenienses ad hoc 
iudicium oppugnandum. quantisque precibus nitantur...Vos autem ex dictis
et omissis iuste pro re publica decernatis.

Aeschines, Oratio contra Ctesiphontem, translated into Latin by Leonardo
Bruni; Baron, p. 163.

5.  ff. 53r-96r  Leonardi Arretini.  Demosthenis oratio.  pro
Ctesiphonte.
Primum quidem viri athenienses deos atque deas omnes precor...metus et
salutem indubiam prestate [added by another hand:]  et finis.  Deo gracias
Amen.  ff. 96r-97v blank

Demosthenes, Oratio pro Ctesiphonte (De corona); Baron, p. 162.

	Parchment (speckled on hair side), ff. ii (paper) + 97 (remains of 
contemporary foliation, Roman numerals) + ii (paper), 234 x 158 (165 x 83)
mm.  Written in 22 long lines; double vertical and single horizontal
bounding lines, full length and full width (Derolez 13.33). 
Ruled in hard point on hair side.  Prickings along outer edge (Derolez
18.1).
	I 8, II-IX 10, X 9 [structure uncertain].  Catchwords in lower right
corner near gutter, verso (Derolez 12.4).
Written in an expert humanistic bookhand characterized by prominent
approach and finishing strokes. The headings in red are by a different 
scribe. 
	One very fine illuminated initial, 12-line, in gold on vibrant blue 
ground with white vine-stem ornament.  The stems of the initial are divided 
into compartments and filled with penwork decoration in red, blue and green 
on parchment ground.  Four small initials, 6- to 5-line, gold on vibrant 
blue ground with white vine-stem ornament.  Headings in red.
	Binding:  France or Italy, s. xix.  Brown calf blind- and gold-tooled, 
with shells and caducei in the blind-tooled borders.  Edges red.

Written in Florence ca. 1415-20 according to A. C. de la Mare; possibly by 
the same scribe who wrote Vatican Lat. 1613; London, British Library, 
Harley MS 2771; Florence, Biblioteca Laurenziana 54, 29; Oxford, Bodleian 
Library, MS E. D. Clarke 25 (we thank A. C. de la Mare for this information); 
early modern provenance unknown.  Belonged to Sir Thomas Phillipps (stamp 
and note on first flyleaf recto and verso, with nos. 922 and 2681).  
According to Phillipps Studies, v. 3, p. 147, no. 922 was acquired from 
Abate Luigi Celotti (ca. 1768-ca.1846; no. 111 in his second sale catalogue:  
Sotheby's, 14 March 1825, listed as "Demosthenis et Aeschines Orationes, in 
Lat. traductae a Leonardo Aretino") whereas no. 2681 was bought from Thorpe; 
there is, however, no internal evidence to suggest that the volume was 
previously composed of two separate manuscripts.  Belonged to Charles Butler 
of Warren Wood, Hatfield (bookplate inside front cover); his sale at 
Sotheby's, 5 April 1911, no. 361. Purchased from Lathrop C. Harper in 1948 
by Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  [com]memorare

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 65, no. 10.

Barbara A. Shailor