Marston MS 96     France, s. XVI 1/4
Ovid, Heroides, in Lat. and Fr.

1.  f. 1r blank; ff. 1v-35v  [Latin text, on versos only, heading:]  
Paris helenae Epistola Ouidii./  [text:] Hanc tibi Priamides mitto 
Ledaea salutem/ ...Exige cum plena munera pacta fide.  Finis.

Heroides 16 (Paris to Helen) 1-38, 145-378, with the two verses
"Cum Venus et Iuno Pallasque in vallibus idque/ Corpora iudicio
supposuere meo/"  added after v. 168 on f. 9v.  H. Doerrie, ed., 
P. Ovidii Nasonis Epistulae heroidum (Berlin, 1971) pp. 193-213.
Latin text, which is written only on the verso of each leaf, faces 
the French translation, which is written on the recto of each leaf 
(cf. art. 2).

2.  ff. 2r-36r  [French translation on rectos only, heading:]  Paris 
A helayne Epistre D'Ouide. [text:] Paris le filz de Priam Roy de Troye/
L'heur et salut fille A ledi t'enuoye/ Qui par toy seulle estre luy peult 
donne/ Doy Je parler. et en stille ordonne/...Partir d'icy seullement 
delibere/ En seur espoir de fortune prospere/ Ny d'autre chose au 
surplus te souuienne/ Fors de sommer que promesse on te tienne.  
Fin.  f. 36v blank 

Unidentified French translation of art. 1; not located in R. H.
Lucas, "Medieval French Translations of the Latin Classics to 1500,"
Speculum 45 (1970) pp. 225-53, or J. Monfrin, "Humanisme et traductions
au moyen age," Journal des savants (1963) pp. 161-90.

	Parchment, ff. i (paper) + ii (modern? parchment, only stubs remain)
+ 36 + ii (modern? parchment) + ii (paper), 211 x 142 (148 x 195) mm.  
Ruled for 18 lines of verse, not all utilized on each page.  Single 
vertical and horizontal bounding lines, full across.  Ruled in red ink.  
Remains of prickings in upper and lower margins.
	I-IV 8, V 4.  No trace of quire marks or catchwords.
	Latin text written in a round humanistic script much influenced by
printing; Scribe 1: ff. 1v-21v and Scribe 2: ff. 22r-36r.  French text
written in upright batarde; Scribe 1:  ff. 2r-22r and Scribe 2:  ff.
22r-36r (a more flamboyant style of script).
	Two initials, one at beginning of art. 1 (2-line), the other at the
beginning of art. 2 (3-line), respectively gold on blue square ground with
gold filigree and gold on dark red square ground with gold filigree.  Most
stanzas introduced by paragraph marks in gold on blue or red alternating
grounds, with gold filigree.  First letter of each verse stroked with
yellow, as are usually majuscules in text.  Headings on ff. 1v and 2r in
red.
	Binding:  France [?], s. xvii.  Bound in red goatskin, gold-tooled. 
Gilt edges.  Title, much worn, on spine.

Written in France, probably in the first quarter of the 16th century;
early provenance unknown.  Printed material (catalogue descriptions?)
pasted on back flyleaf and pastedown now removed.  Bookplate of Thomas
Wallis, Esquire, s. xviii, on front pastedown.  Belonged to Richard Bull,
Esquire, of Ongar in Essex (1725-1806; bookplate); his inscription, f. i
verso: "R. Bull Aulae Trinitatis Canta:  Anno 1742."  Unidentified notes,
in ink and pencil, on f. i verso.  Purchased from C. A. Stonehill 
(inv. no. 11737) in 1956 by Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio: Paris

Bibliography: Faye and Bond, p. 75, no. 96.

Barbara A. Shailor