Marston MS 114          Padua or Bergamo, 1460s
Walter Burley, De vita et moribus philosophorum, It. abridgement

ff. 1r-59r  Tales philosofo fu de Asia, fu el primo de sete sapienti di
grecia et habitaua nelo studio di Athene...che non lascie
strachare luomo.  Il guadagno visse al tempo de Adriano.  f. 59v ruled,
but blank

Walter Burley, De vita et moribus philosophorum; an abridged version in
Italian that contains only 77 lives;  the Italian text corresponds to the
version printed in Vite de Philosophi moralissime.  Et delle loro elegantissime
sententie.  Estratte da Laertio et altri antichissimi auttori...(Venice, 1525)
where it is said to have been drawn from Diogenes Laertius and 
others.  When the Italian text is compared with the Latin text of
Walter Burley (H. Knust, ed., Tuebingen, 1886, pp. 2-395), it is clear that
the Italian text is actually an abridgement of his Latin and that Marston
MS 114 omits many lives.  For example, after the second life of Zeno on 
f. 54r, chapters 79-110 in the printed text are lacking; the manuscript
concludes abruptly with the life of Secundus (ch. 122).  In addition, all of
Italian entries are shorter than the original Latin ones.

Parchment (hair side yellow and speckled), ff. ii (paper) + 59 + i
(parchment) + ii (paper), 162 x 115 (116 x 69) mm.  25 long lines.  Double
vertical bounding lines full length (Derolez 13.31); remains of prickings
in upper, lower and outer margins (Derolez 18.1).  Ruled in hard point on
the hair side for gatherings I-V and VIII; ruled two leaves at a time on the
flesh side for gatherings VI-VII.
I-VII 10, VII 4 (-4, blank).  Catchwords perpendicular to text between inner
vertical bounding lines (Derolez 12.5).
Written in a humanistic hand both above and below top line by a scribe 
who would sometimes complete the final word 
of the final line of text (recto only) by writing the letters down between the
outer vertical bounding lines.
Space left for decorative initial on f. 1r later filled with plain
initial and a stylized sprig of flowers, in turquoise. Plain intials throughout
text alternate in red and blue.
Binding:  Italy, s. xix.  Tan calf, blind- and gold-tooled.  Head and 
fore edge bluish green; lettering on tail edge.  In panels on spine:  "Detti 
de' filosofi/ MSS. in Perg./ Sec. XV."

Written by Johannes Nydenna de Confluentia who was active in Padua and/or 
Bergamo in the 1460s and 70s; to judge from the script of Marston MS 114 it
was produced during the 1460s in the early part of his career (we thank A. C.
de la Mare for providing xeroxes of manuscripts which made a comparison of
scripts possible); early modern provenance unknown.  Belonged to Giuseppe 
(Joseph) Martini from whom it was acquired by H. P. Kraus, who sold it in 1956 
to Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  [con]siderar il ciclo

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 77, no. 114.

Barbara A. Shailor