Marston MS 105          Rome, s. XV 2
Basil, De legendis libris gentilium, Lat. tr. Leonardo Bruni, etc.

I.  1.  ff. 1r-16r  [Preface:]  Ego tibi hunc librum Coluci ex media ut aiut 
[sic] grecia delegi ubi eiusmodi rerum magna est copia et infinita...[text,
f. 2r:]  Diui basilij magni libellus incipit.  Multa sunt filij que
hortantur me ad ea uobis consulenda que optima esse...quod uos non putemini 
recta conscilia non aspernentes.  Amen.  Laus Deo.

Basil the Great, De legendis libris gentilium, translated into Lat. by
Leonardo Bruni and with his dedicatory preface to Coluccio Salutati. 
Baron, pp. 99-100 for preface; pp. 160-61 for text.

2.  f. 16r  Morte sua uitam tribuit mortalibus inde/ Nomine hoc yhesu flectitur
omne genus/ flecte redente genu nomen ueneratur id ipsum/ Aer et vnda maris
tartara terra polus.

Unidentified poem, 4 lines, not listed in Bertalot.

3.  ff. 16v-17r  Versus doctissimi atque elegantissimi prestantissimoque
ingenio viri Benedicti cingulani vatis clarissimi.  [poem, 10 lines:]  
Auctorem fecere suum tua carmina clarum/ non me quem laudas marce 
suprameritum/...At si yota locum quem possidet alpha Bibit/ quem bene
conueniens tunc tibi nomen erit.  [second heading:]  quidem Iuuenis
Iocunditatis gratia cum coronis de lauro...quos versus vir doctissimus et
clarissimus vates benedictus de cingulo depromerat.  [poem, 30 lines:]
Salue pulchra cohors specimen memorabile forme/ Salue carminibus digna
corona sacris/...Et iam pegasidum sacris amitteris vndis/ Queque nouem
fuerant iam facis ipsa decem.  [added by a later hand:]  Nota quod istud
opusculum fuit translatum ab egregio uiro Leonardo Arretino de greco in
latinum.  f. 17v ruled, but blank

Benedictus Cingulanus (Benedetto da Cingoli), Carmina; not listed in 
Bertalot.

II. 4. ff. 18r-25v  Hunc librum composuit Seneca nobilissimus orator ad
Gallionem amicum suum contra omnes impetus et machinamenta fortune.  Fecit
autem illum...Incipit liber Senece de Remedijs Fortuitorum.  Licet
cunctorum Poetarum carmina gremium tuum semper illustrent aliquando
deliberans hoc tibi opusculum...Vides autem quam rara domi sit ista foelicitas.
Annei Lucij senece de Remedijs fortuitorum.  liber explicit.

Ps.-Seneca, De remediis fortuitorum; F. Haase, ed., Teubner (1872)
v. 3, pp. 446-57.  The text is divided into sections and provided with
headings and assignments of parts of the "dialogue" to Sensus (S) and
Ratio (R).

Composed of two parts with distinctive physical formats:
Part I:  Parchment, ff. 17, 185 x 125 (113 x 70) mm.  20 long lines.  Double
vertical and single horizontal bounding lines, full length and full width
(Derolez 13.33).  Ruled either in hard point on hair side or traced
over (e.g., f. 8v) in lead or ink.  Remains of prickings in outer margin.
I 10, II 10 (-8, 9, 10, blanks).  Quire and leaf signatures (e.g., a 1, a 2,
etc.) in lower right corner, recto.  Art. 1 written in a humanistic bookhand 
characterized by tall ascenders, above top line; arts. 2-3 added later in a
less expert hand.  Decoration consists of one illuminated full border, 
f. 2r, white vine-stem ornament with pale yellow shading on vibrant 
blue ground, green and deep purplish red and gold ground with
white dots on blue, pale yellow dots on green and red.  In lower border,
medallion, framed by a wreath, with mutilated coat of arms.
Illuminated initial, 4-line, gold, framed in pale yellow,
on blue, green and red ground with yellow and white filigree, joined to
the border.  One large illuminated initial, f. 1r, gold on blue, green and
red ground with white vine-stem ornament, extending into the upper and inner
margin to form partial border.  Small initial, 2-line, gold, framed in
yellow, on red, blue and green gound with yellow filigree, f. 3r. 
Headings in red.
Part II:  Paper (watermarks:  unidentified basilisk buried in gutter),
ff. 18-25 (contemporary foliation 169-176), 184 x 128 (141 x 80) mm.  
26 long lines.
Double vertical and single horizontal bounding lines, full length and full
across (Derolez 13.33); ruled faintly in hard point.  A single gathering
of eight leaves.  Written in humanistic cursive script by one scribe, 
above top line.  Initials for paragraphs set apart from written space between 
vertical bounding lines.  Stained throughout.
Binding:  Italy, s. xvi.  Front and rear pastedowns from an
unidentified moral treatise (Italy, s. XV med):  Parchment, 2 columns with
individual column measuring 72 mm. wide.  Ruled in lead; single outer
vertical bounding lines and additional ruling between columns.  Portion of
text on front pastedown reads:  "De apostaticis et reiterantibus
baptismum.
Preterea.  Nota quod ecclesia non defendit clericos in criminibus
comprehensos et detentos."  Sewn on three supports
set in grooves on the outside of wooden boards.  Plain wound endbands. 
The spine is round.
Covered in brown calf, blind-tooled wtih an arabesque border and a
central diamond with assorted fleurons.  Aldine leaves and acorns dotted
about.  Spine:  four fillets at head and tail and outlining the bands. 
There are five large, round bosses on each board and two fastenings, the
catches on the upper board and the lower one cut in for the straps, one of
which is wanting.

Written in Rome in the second half of the 15th century probably for the
individual whose arms appear on f. 2r.  Part II was once ff. 169-76
of another manuscript; Parts I and II were apparently joined in the 16th
century, the date of the present binding.  Contemporary inscription on 
front pastedown:  "tanto che tuti dii francescho Patrianuzi [or Patriarchi?]."  
Purchased from the Florence dealer Olschki by H. P. Kraus, who sold it 
in 1955 to Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  [f. 2:]  Sed id dum
[f. 19:]  [super]uacuus est

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 76, no. 105.

Barbara A. Shailor