Marston MS 161          Northeastern Italy, ca. 1493-97
Quintus Aemilianus Cimbriacus, Carmina

1.  f. 1r ruled, but blank; f. 1v  Cimbriacus poe. ad suum libel.  Dum
tantum properas exire ingrate libelle/ Teque putas doctis posse placere 
viris/...Quod si nos audis: patriarche tecta subito:/ Illic: aut nusquam:
tutior esse potes.  Finis [with the illuminated arms of Niccolo Donati
occupying lower half of page].

   The author, Quintus Aemilianus Cimbriacus (1449-1499) of Vicenza,
speaking to his book of poetry, 6 lines; for information about the life and
works of Emiliano Cimbriaco see A. Benedetti, L'attivita educativa e
poetica del Cimbriaco (1449-1499) e la sua influenza nel diffondersi della
cultura umanistica in Friuli (Udine, 1963); this text published on p. 90.

2. f. 2r-v  Quintii Haemyliani Cimbriaci poe. ac comitis pal. ode dicolos
tetrastrophos ad Nic. Don. Aq. Patr. Encomiasticos.  Antistes fidei
nobilis arbiter/ Qui sic ab venetis ducis originem:/...Cum possim melius 
perdere tempora/ Et qui non redeunt dies.  Finis.

   28-line encomium dedicated to Niccolo Donati, Patriarch of Aquileia,
1493-97 (see also the encomium in art. 5); Benedetti, op. cit., pp. 90-91.

3.  ff. 2v-4v  De Vet. Aq. Claritud. Q. Haemyl. Cimbr. Poe. Et. Com.
Pal. Rhapsodiarum liber III ad Nic. Don. Aq. Patr.  Presul honorate
blandissima gloria gentis./ Et uere antique fama suprema domus/...Teque
colant gentes: cineresque uel ossa recondant:/ Vnde sibi querat credulus 
eger opem./  Finis.

    Rhapsodia I, 78 lines; Benedetti, op. cit., pp. 91-93.

4.  ff. 5r-7r  Rhapsodia Secunda De Aq. Diocesi.  Anne tibi gratum
fiat si carmine fabor/ Antistes solio debita iura tuo/...Cui sic
castalius lucus: blanditur et antrum/ Dirceusque liquor coryciusque
furor./  Finis.

   Rhapsodia II, 92 lines.

5.  ff. 7v-9r  Rhapsodia III Encomiasticos.  Cum te multiplici certatim 
munere honorent:/ Et variis studeat quisque placere modis:/...Ni subeant uotis 
contraria fata secundis:/ Aut mea pierius deserat ora calor./  Finis.

   Rhapsodia III, 74 lines; see art. 2 above.

6.  ff. 9v-11r  Rhapsodia. IIII. De Conceptione Virginis.  Qui mariam
ueterum maculam traxisse parentum/ Credidit ab nimium credulus ille 
fuit./...Angelicosque choros:  solio uel proxima nati/ Aspectu frueris 
liberiore dei./  Finis.

   Rhapsodia IV, 68 lines.

7.  ff. 11r-12v  Rhapsodia .V. de Annuntiatione. Virg.  Sic iubet antistes
celebrator uirginis inquam/ Preterite noctis conscius esto procul/...Ergo
qum [sic] nouies sibi luna relegerit ignes:/ Mater eris salua uirginitate
dei.  Finis.

   Rhapsodia V, 56 lines, with 12 lines erased at end.

8.  ff. 13r-15r  [Most of rubric erased and illegible.]  [M]ysteriis
[chris]tianis.  Si quis forte petat:  quanto sit honore sacerdos:/
Et quantum in nostra relligione [sic] decus./...Vnde sacerdotes summos 
fateamur honores:/ Et uerum nostra [?] secula habere deum.

   De mysteriis christianis, 90 lines; f. 15r badly rubbed.

9.  f. 15v  Cimbr. Poe. Hendecasyl. Epos ad Angelum Padavinum.  Si tantum
datur otium padaui:/ Vt possis et ineptiis vacare/...Tam casti domini pudens
minister/ Quicquid calfacit ignibus medullas./  Finis.

   17-line poem to Angelus Padavinus (see also art. 10).

10.  f. 16r  Ad Eundem.  Pierii cultor nemoris facunde padaui:/ Qui potes
orpheam sollicitare lyram:/...Quod sperare licet:  meritis si premia dentur/
Aequa: nec ignauum qualia uulgus amat./  Finis.  f. 16v ruled, but blank

   12-line poem to Angelus Padavinus (see also art. 9).

   Parchment, ff. 16, 190 x 134 (114 x 81) mm.  21 long lines.  Double and
single vertical bounding lines ruled in hard point or lead; text rulings
in ink.  Prickings in upper and lower margins.

   I-IV 4.  Remains of quire and leaf signatures (e.g., A. ii, C. i, etc.).

   Written in a well-formed upright humanistic bookhand.  

   Half-page coat of arms (argent [oxidized], a chief with 3 roses gules 
above 2 bars gules; crest:  bishop's mitre surmounted by gold cross) enclosed 
by a wreath with flowers and fruit and four ribbons, f. 1v.  Plain gold
majuscules outlined in black, 4- to 2-line, mark beginning of arts. 2-8;
headings for each poem in black epigraphic square capitals.

   Binding:  Italy, date?  Tacketed to a limp vellum wrapper made from a 
parchment document:  Agostino Barbarigo, doge of Venice (1486-1501),
writes on behalf of the secretary Joannes B[remainder of name missing due to
hole in parchment], dated Venice, 5 May 14[8?]8.  Filing notes on upper cover.
Title in majuscules on upper cover:  "Quintii Haemiliani Cimbriaci Vti
[for Vincentinus?]."

Written in Northeastern Italy between 1493 and 1497 when Niccolo Donati was 
Patriarch of Aquileia; perhaps the poet's dedication copy to Donati, since 
the latter's arms appear on f. 1v.  The inscription on upper cover, s. xvi#1,
"Domini Palladij" [followed by illegible word or abbreviation], which also
occurs on the cover of Marston MS 188, suggests that Marston MS 161 may be
the manuscript owned by Alexandrus Palladius of Udine (as noted by Benedetti,
op. cit., p. 97).  Unidentified handwritten notes of a French 
bookdealer in library files.  Purchased from Nicolas Rauch of Geneva in 1958
by L. C. Witten (inv. no. 2088), who sold it the same year to Thomas 
E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  Quintii

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 82, no. 161.

Barbara A. Shailor