Marston MS 102     Flanders or Northern France, s. XV 2
Vegetius, Epitome rei militaris

ff. 1r-74r Flauij uegecij Renati Comitis epythoma institutorum rei
militaris de commentarijs augusti incipit.  [table of chapters for Bk.
1:]  Primus liber electionem edocet Iuniorum ex quibus locis vel quales
milites...xxviij.  De adhortatione rei militaris romaneque uirtutis.  [f.
1v:]  Prologus.  Antiquis temporibus mos fuit bonarum artium
studia...credis inuenias.  [text, f. 2r:]  Romanos omnes gentes sola
armorum exercitatione uicisse.  j.  Nulla enim alia re videmus populum
romanum orbem subegisse...uetus doctrina monstrauerat.  Flauij uegecij
Renati Comitis de uiris illustribus explicit Ephitoma.  Laus deo Qui est
in euo.  f. 74v blank, except for note on provenance

C. Lang, ed., Teubner (Leipzig, 1885, 2nd ed.) pp. 1-165; each book
is preceded by a table of chapters.

Parchment, ff. iii (paper) + i (contemporary parchment) + 74 + i
(contemporary parchment) + iii (paper), 146 x 98 (86 x 69 mm.).  24 long
lines.  Single vertical bounding lines.  Ruled in crayon.
I-IX 8, X 2 or I-VIII 8, IX 10 [structure of final two quires uncertain
due to tight binding].  Remains of catchwords along lower edge near
gutter, verso.  Traces of quire and leaf signatures (e.g., c.1., etc.)
lower right corner, recto.
Written in small gothic bookhand by a single scribe.
Three illuminated initials, 3-line, at the beginning of the Prologue
(f. 1v), Bk. 3 (f. 29v), Bk. 4 (f. 58r), blue or mauve with white
filigree against gold ground thinly edged in black.  Initials filled with
stylized leaves, blue and mauve with white filigree.  Black inkspray with
spiky gold leaves and small blossoms in pink or blue extend into the
margins to form partial borders.  Numerous small initials, 2-line, gold,
on mauve and blue ground with white filigree.  Running headlines in red
and blue; headings in red.  Paragraph marks alternate red and blue. 
Initials stroked with pale yellow.
Binding:  England or France, s. xviii.  Bound in olive green goatskin
gold-tooled with a "broken cable" border and decorated edges.  Probably
bound by Richard Wier (active in London and Toulouse to ca. 1792);
for the broken cable rollsee C. Ramsden, "Richard Wier and Count MacCarthy-Reagh,"
The Book Collector 2
(1953) pp. 247-57; Breslauer Cat. 104 (n. d.) p. 134, with pl. on p. 135;
J. Greenfield, "Notable Bindings II, MS 497," Gazette 65 (1990) pp.43-44.
Decorated edges.  Title on spine:  "Vegetius De Viris Il."

Written in Northern France or Flanders in the second half of the 15th
century.  Contemporary inscription, f. 74v, "Busleidianus," probably to be
identified with the classicist and collector of manuscripts, Jerome
Busleiden (fl. 1490s).  Belonged to James P. R. Lyell (1871-1943;
bookplate); Lyell's note on front pastedown, "C. Z. V. 4/9/42" indicates
that he bought the manuscript in 1942.  For further information on his
manuscripts see Lyell Cat., pp. xv-xxix.  Bought from the Lyell estate
by Bernard Quaritch in 1951 and sold in 1952 (cat. 699, no. 141).
Miscellaneous notes, in pencil, on f. i verso:  "189," 191," and
"336/713."  Comments about the author, in purple ink, f. ii recto. 
Purchased from C. A. Stonehill (inv. no. 10790) in 1953 by Thomas E.
Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  libenter

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 76, no. 102.

Barbara A. Shailor