Marston MS 174     Italy, s. XV
Giovanni Boccaccio, Lettera consolatoria a Messer Pino de' Rossi

f. i recto blank; f. i verso  [Title in a later? hand, written between
lines ruled in lead:]  Epistola di Messere Giovanni Boccacio 
da Certaldo mandata a Mes. Pino de Rossi.  ff. 1r-24v [Heading, in upper
margin:]  Epistola di messere giovannj di bochaccio da certaldo mandata a 
messer pino de rossi.  [text:]  [I]o stimo messer pino che non solamente sia 
utile...che non solamente nelle fatiche sostenghono i mo// 4 leaves missing

N. Bruscoli, ed., L'Ameto, Lettere, il Corbaccio (Bari, 1940) pp. 159-82.
Marston MS 174 does not have the interpolation "Lucio quinto cincinnato" 
shared by the majority of manuscripts (see Bruscoli, op. cit., 
pp. 283-84).  Cited by V. Branca in "Un nuovo elenco di codici," Studi sul
Boccaccio 1 (1963) p. 20; "Un quarto elenco di codici," op. cit.,
9 (1975-76) p. 10; D. Dutschke, "Un quinto elenco di codici," op.
cit., 13 (1981-82) p. 8.

Parchment, i (paper) + i (original parchment wrapper?, f. i) + 24 (remains
of old foliation in Arabic numerals in ink) + i (paper), 165 x 120 (112 x 88)
mm.  Ca. 18 long lines.  Frame-ruled lightly in crayon, with prickings at
intersections of vertical and horizontal rulings.
I-III 8 ( + 1 leaf, f. i, tipped in at beginning).
Written by a single scribe in an inelegant mercantesca script.
Spaces for decorative initials left unfilled.  Some guide letters visible
in gutter.
Binding:  Italy, s. xix.  Marbled paper case with two labels on spine; the
upper one wanting, the lower one in green with gold-tooled legend:  "M.S.
Membra. Sec. XV."  Traces of an earlier quarter binding on the first and
last parchment leaves.

Written in Italy in the 15th century; early provenance unknown.  Unidentified
shelf-marks include mutilated round paper labels on spine and on upper cover,
the latter with "14[remainder of number wanting]" written in ink.  Modern pencil 
notation on front flyleaf, recto:  "Mancano le ultime 4 cc. Raffaello 
Uccelli Firenze Giugno, 1925."  Belonged to Giuseppe (Joseph) Martini of Lugano; 
his [?] notes on f. 24v ("4 carte mancanti"), on modern back flyleaf ("Mancano
le ultime quattro carte, cioe da: [ rtali: ma ad esse volontariamente 
sottentrare ne gli fanno, siccome noi manifestamente veggiamo....] alla fine"),
and on rear pastedown ("20").  Purchased from Martini by H. P. Kraus (collation
notes on rear pastedown), who sold it in 1958 to Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  [Non dim]eno si

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 84, no. 174.

Barbara A. Shailor