Marston MS 100       Milan, s. XV 3/4
Phalaris, Epistolae, etc.

1.  ff. 1r-76r  Francisci Aretini in Phalaridis tyramni [sic] agrigentini
epistolas ad Ill. Principem Malatestam Nouellum Praefacio.  Vellem Malatesta
nouelle Princeps Illustris tantam mihi dicendi facultatem dari ut uel
prestantie tue...[text, f. 5r:]  Phalaris Alciboo.  Policletus messenius quem
proditionis apud ciues tuos insimulas morbo me incurabili liberauit...qui
miserit laudem consecuturam.  [Greek].

Phalaris, Epistolae, translated into Latin by Francesco Griffolini of
Arezzo and dedicated to Malatesta Novella of Cesena.  The text is complete and
corresponds to that printed by Gerardus de Lisa at Treviso in 1471 (Hain
12892), except that this manuscript does not contain the extra letters
"discovered later" which appear at the end of the printed text.

2.  f. 76v  Carminis iliaci libros consumpsit asellus/ O fatum troie:  aut
equus aut asinus.

Anthologia Latina, no. 222.

3.  ff. 77r-96v  Renucii Florentini in M. Bruti epistolas ad Nicolaum
Quintum Summum Pontificem.  Praefacio.  Solent beatissime pater qui inuigilant
alicui operi quod ad mores hominum spectet...[text, f. 78v:]  Methridates Regi
Methridati anepsio. s. Bruti epistolas iterum admiratus non ui dum taxat
et breuitas gratia...quod exhibere nequeunt id eos denegare necesse est.
[Greek].

Ps.-Brutus, Epistolae, translated by Rinuccio Aretino and dedicated
to Pope Nicholas V; printed by Antonius Franciscus Venetus (Florence, 1487).
For manuscripts and editions see D. P. Lockwood, "De Rinucio Aretino Graecarum
Litterarum Interprete,"  Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 24 (1913)
pp. 78-83, with text of preface on pp. 82-83.  Rubrics occur only on ff. 77r,
78v, as noted above.

4. f. 97r-v  Plutarcus Traiano Imperatori salutem dicit.  Modestiam tuam
noueram non appetere principatum quem semper morum elegantia mereri
studuisti...non pergis auctore plutarco.

Ps.-Plutarch, Epistola ad Traianum; L. Bertalot, "Uno zibaldone
umanistico latino del Quattrocento a Parma,"  La Bibliofilia 38 (1936)
p. 79, no. 18; article reprinted in P. O. Kristeller, ed., Studien
zum italienischen und deutschen Humanismus II (Rome, 1975) pp. 241-64.

5. f. 97v  Philippus Macedonum Rex. Aristoteli philosopho salutem dicit.
Filium mihi genitum scito quo equidem dijs habeo gratiam...istarum
susceptione.  Vale.

Ps.-Philip of Macedon, Epistola ad Aristotelem; Bertalot, op.
cit.,
p. 78, no. 15.

6.  ff. 97v-98r  C. Fabritius et Q. Emulus consules Pirrho Regi salutem.
Neque amicorum neque hostium fortunatus existimator esse uideris...nequiremus
te superare dolo contendisse.

Plutarch, Pyrrhus (extract), Lat. tr. of Leonardo Bruni; Bertalot, op.
cit., pp. 78-79, no. 17.

7.  f. 98r-v  Caesar Imperator salutem dicit Ciceroni imperatori.  Etsi
te nihil temere nihil imprudenter facturum iudicarem.  Tamen permotus
hominum fama...ab omni contentione abesse.  Vale xv#o Kall. Maias ex
itinere.

Ps.-Caesar, Epistola ad Ciceronem = Cicero, Epistola ad
Atticum,
X. 8. B.

Arts. 8-11 are excerpts from an 11th- or early 12th-century supplement to
Curtius Rufus, Historia Alexandri Magni; see E. R. Smits, "A Medieval
Supplement to the Beginning of Curtius Rufus's Historia Alexandri:  An Edition
with Introduction," Viator 18 (1987) pp. 100-12.  These texts are often
falsely attributed to Leonardo Bruni.

8.  f. 99r  Heschines.  Remeniscor [sic] Athenienses alexandrum hac nostra
in urbe liberalibus artibus instructum...paratosque inuenerit.

Oratio Aeschinis;  R. Sabbadini, "Antonio da Romagno e Pietro
Marcello," Nuovo Archivio Veneto 30 (1915) p. 241.

9.  f. 99r-v  Demas.  Admirans uehementer admiror Athenienses quonam modo
timiditatem nobis incutiens Heschines...et consilijs vacuam facilius
diripiat.

Oratio Demadis; Sabbadini, op. cit., pp. 241-42.

10.  f. 100r-v  Oratio demosthenis contra Demadem...Alexandro
pareant.  Apud
vos in questione uerti uideor uidere utrum sint contra Alexandrum...Philippo
ne similes simus Thebanis.

Oratio Demosthenis contra Demadem; Sabbadini, op. cit., p. 242.

11.  ff. 101r-103v  Oratio Demosthenis ad Alexandrum traducta...per leonardum
Aretinum....  Nihil habet Rex Alexander uel fortuna tua maius quam ut
possis...quam hodierno die cum haec feceris consecuturus es.  Vale.
Phalaridis et Brut.

Oratio Demosthenis ad Alexandrum; Sabbadini, op. cit., pp. 243-44;
Baron, p. 179.

12.  ff. 103v-104v  Phalaris Demoteli Salutem.  Monitus tuos Demoteles non
egre tuli.  Imperator N nunquam factus principatum consulis deponere...uel
hanc dignitatem cum uita relinquam.  Vale.

Ps.-Phalaris, Epistula ad Demotelem, Lat. tr. Giovanni Aurispa.  See
R. Sabbadini, Carteggio di Giovanni Aurispa (Rome, 1931) p. 176.

13.  f. 104v  Extra Patauium in Sacello Ronchoni.  Villicus aerarii quondam
nunc cultor agelli/ hec tibi perspectus templa Priape dico/...Improbus vt
si quis nostrum uiolabit agellum/ hunc tu sed tento.  Scis puto quod
sequitur.

Priapea I, often published with the poems of Tibullus; F. W.
Lenz and G. C. Galinsky, eds., Albii
Tibulli aliorumque carminum libri tres (Leiden, 1971) pp. 172-73.

Paper (watermarks:  similar in design to Briquet Fleur 6597, 6601),
ff. ii (paper: i = uncertain date; ii = contemporary) + 104 + ii (paper:
i = contemporary; ii = uncertain date), 200 x 144 (130 x 78) mm.  21 long
lines.  Double vertical bounding lines (Derolez 13.31); ruled in hard
point on versos.  No visible remains of prickings.
I-XIII 8.  Catchwords with symmetrical pen flourishes, perpendicular
to text between inner bounding lines (Derolez 12.5).  Remains of quire
and leaf signatures (e. g., aj, aij, aiij, etc.) in lower right corner, recto.
Arts. 1 and 3-12 written in humanistic cursive by a single scribe,
above top line; arts. 2 and 13 added in a more flamboyant style of
humanistic cursive.
Two illuminated initials, 4-line, gold against blue, green and dark red
grounds with white vine-stem ornament and white dots.  From the corners issue
penwork inkspray with leaves, green with yellow or gold highlights, and blue or
red blossoms, extending into margins to form partial border.  Plain initials
alternate in blue and red.  Headings in pale red.
Binding:  Italy [?], date uncertain.  Sewn through pieces of vellum
Limp vellum case with title in ink on spine:  "Phalaridis Epistole."  Badly
worm eaten.

Arts. 1 and 3-12 written in Milan in the third quarter of the 15th century;
according to A. C. de la Mare the style of writing in arts. 2 and 13 is
characteristic of Northeastern Italy, especially Padua, in the 1460s and
later.  Contemporary inscription on f. ii recto:  "Philippini Laudensis."
Added below, in a later hand:  "Libri quattro datimi dal signore [name
illegible]."  Purchased from C. A. Stonehill in 1955 by Thomas E. Marston
(bookplate).

secundo folio:  soboles nulla

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 76, no. 100.

Barbara A. Shailor