Marston MS 162     Northern Italy, s. XV 2
Albertus Magnus, Ethica

1. ff. 1r-4v  De litteris incipientibus ab a.  De titulo et auctore libro
primo tractatu primo capitulo vij#o./  Quod omnis actus quoddam bonum
appetere uidetur.  libro 1. tractatu 3. capitulo iiij#t#o/...Quod talis
vita preciosissima [?] est et nobilissima.  libro x. tractatu .j.
capitulo iij. et cetera.

Alphabetical subject index to art. 2.

2. ff. 5r-215r  Incipit ethica fratris Alberti cuius primus tractatus
est de communibus quae oportet sciri ante scientiam capitulum primum de
nobilitate huius scientie.  Cum omnis scientia sit de numero bonorum et
honorabilium tamen quando comperatur ad alteram una alia melior est et
honorabilior...et quibus legibus et quibus consuetudinibus sit utendum.
Ad hoc ergo aliud principium facientes dicamus incipientes.  Explicit liber
ethicorum compilatus a fratre alberto theutonico de ordine fratrum
predicatorum.  f. 215v ruled, but blank

S. Borgnet, ed., B. Alberti Magni...opera omnia, v. 7 (Paris, 1891)
pp. 1-641.

Paper (watermarks:  similar in design to Piccard Armbrust XI.2234, and
unidentified cardinal's hat), ff. i (paper) + 215 + ii (paper), 333 x 230
(218 x 147) mm.  2 columns, 50 lines.  Single vertical bounding lines;
ruled in ink.  Single prickings in outer margin near lower right corner of
written space and in upper and lower margins near gutter.
I 4, II-XI 10, XII 10 (-10, with note on f. 113v "hic nichil deficit"),
XIII-XV 10, XVI 14, XVII-XXI 10, XXII 10 (-9, 10).  Vertical catchwords
along inner bounding line, f. 14v; horizontal catchwords along lower edge
(trimmed), verso.  Remains of quire and leaf signatures (e.g., a 2, etc.),
lower edge, recto.
Written by multiple scribes in small gothic bookhand with varying
degrees of humanistic influence.
One illuminated initial, 9-line, and border decoration, on f. 5r:
blue with yellow highlights on gold ground edged in black; interior and
exterior leaf designs in pink and blue on green ground with yellow
highlights; gold balls and penwork designs in inner margin.  In lower margin,
foliage and gold balls support and surround coat of arms in pen and ink
(incomplete and later addition?).  For major text divisions, blue initials,
8- to 6-line, with tightly executed penwork designs in red and/or blue;
numerous flourished initials, blue with red alternate red with purple, most
with harping.  Headings in red preceded by paragraph marks in blue.
Paragraph marks in art. 1 alternate red and blue.
Binding:  Northern Italy or Austria, s. xvi [?].  Sewn on five supports
attached to wooden boards.  Yellow edges.  The beaded endbands are sewn on
tawed skin, slit straps.
Covered in brown sheepskin blind-tooled with concentric frames, the
central panel divided in three; the upper and lower sections filled with a
leafy staff design; a circular ornament in the central section.  Spine: 
multiple fillets at head and tail; supports defined; leafy staff or
fleurons in panels.  Faint traces of four catches on upper board, the
lower one cut in for fabric straps which are attached with star-headed
nails.  Entire binding is heavily restored.

Written in Northern Italy in the second half of the 15th century and then
bound in either Northern Italy or Austria, probably in the 16th century.
Provenance unknown.  Purchased from Libreria Mediolanum of Milan (Dr. E. Pozzi)
in 1957 by L. C. Witten (inv. no. 1701), who sold it in 1958 to Thomas E.
Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  [index, f. 2:]  libro
[text, f. 6:]  est quoddam

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 82, no. 162.

Barbara A. Shailor