Marston MS 53           Germany [?], s. XV med
Poggio Bracciolini, Dialogus in avariciam

ff. 1r-15v  Dialogus in auariciam Pogij florentini ad franciscum
Barbarum.
Antonio ricio viro prestantissimo Stephanus Nouarie S. P. D. dyalogum hunc
in auariciam poggio florentino nuper editum per me autem Rome scriptum tibi
dono do atque largior ut si quando mentem tuam inuaserit ardor auaricie
qui est communis omnium prelatorum morbus uideas...[preface:]  [Q]uoniam
plures mortalium mi francisce non viuunt set agunt vitam...[text, f. 1v:]
Cum diebus estiuis Antonius luscus cracius [elsewhere corrected by a later
hand to cincius] romanus alijque nonnulli ex pontificis secretarijs
cenarent cum Bartholomeo politiano...Sed cum satis iam collocuti sumus et 
nox supervenerit abeundum censeo.  Ita omnes consurrexerunt.  finis.
[colophon:]  Explicit feliciter dialogus [crossed out: nouissimus] in
auariciam pogij florentini quem nemo usquam hominum Immo nec franciscus ipse 
Barbarus uidit.  Si quid autem erroris in eo compertum fuerit non autori sed
scriptori ascribat.  ff. 16r-20v blank

The text is the revised version made by Poggio following the suggestions
of Niccolo Niccoli.  The original version was printed in Basel
(1538) and Strasbourg (1513), whereas the revised edition was never printed,
although it exists in many manuscripts.  See H. Harth, "Niccolo Niccoli
als literarischer Zensor:  Untersuchungen zur Textgeschichte von Poggios
De avaritia'," Rinascimento n.s. 7 (1978) pp. 29-53 (Marston MS cited 
as unseen on p. 40), with some readings from the two versions compared on
pp. 47-49. The text has been glossed by a contemporary hand, in both Latin 
and German.

	Paper (watermarks:  similar in design and proportions, but with 
prominent sewing dots, to Piccard Anker II.182, 200), ff. iii (paper)
+ 20 + iii (paper), 285 x 210 (228 x 140) mm. 44 long lines.  Frame-ruled 
in hard point.
	I-II 10.  Catchword, with flourishes on both sides, along lower edge in
center, f. 10v.
	Written in elegant batarde by a single scribe.
	Heading, f. 1r, in red.  Outline of initial, incomplete, occurs at
beginning of text, f. 1v.
	Binding:  place uncertain, s. xx.  Limp vellum case.

Although the introduction states that Stephanus Nouarie copied the manuscript
in Rome for Antonius Ricius, the hand does not correspond to that in London,
B. L. Harl. 2993, a manuscript written in Venice in 1437 by Stephanus Novarie
(cf. Colophons, v. 5, no. 17485). The physical format, watermarks, script and
contemporary annotations in German suggest, moreover, that Marston MS 53
was copied further North, perhaps in Germany, in the middle of the 
15th century. It is possible that the introductory comments of the
scribe were copied from the exemplar which was originally written in Rome.
Unidentified sale notice [?], in French, in library files.
Purchased from Lathrop C. Harper, Inc., in 1954 by Thomas E. Marston
(bookplate).

secundo folio:  racio haberi

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 70, no. 53.

Barbara A. Shailor