YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
PRE-1600 MANUSCRIPTS
Marston MS 201 Verona, 1460s
Humanistic Commonplace Book
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1. f. 1r blank; f. 1v [Table of contents, in red, much faded:] De
diuitijs et auri cupiditate; De Muneribus ac liberalitate; De honore
preceptoribus habendo; De membrorum validitate ac [uel added above]
infirmitate; De Viuendi luxu atque delitijs; De sedendi Ordine; De
aliorum immitatione [sic]; Contra loquacitatem et de silentio; De
subditorum odio uel benificio [sic] in principem et e contra; De
his qui damnati sunt in publico magistratu; De loci mutatione; De
Varijs poenarum generibus; De coitus continentia uel incontinentia;
De his qui parua sua eloquentia magna faciunt; De Coena et
compotatione; De contemnenda uita pro glorie cupiditate; De
maledictis aduersus alios; De secretis manifestandis uel non; De
fide aut perfidia; De magnanimitate; De dignandum non esse ab
unoquoque adiscere; De legum obseruantia; De Vicinia; De imperatore
exercitus; De Bello et Re militarj; De sui ipsius tutella; De publico
magistratu; De Experientia; Quanta sit vis orationis; De facaetijs;
De indecora pinguedine [sic]; De tyramnide [sic]; De edificatione;
De Amicitia; De sciendi studio et cupiditate; Quanta sit laus
litterarum et dulcedo; De funeris luctu uel consolatione; De his qui
sibi manus consciuerunt; Ab initio parua progressu temporis magna
esse; De taciturnitate. Vide in primo de officijs Ambr.
in principio; De Verecundia et motibus corporis in
[one word illegible] Rubrica de Virgine Maria; De Iracundia in
eodem exemplum Iacob Rubrica.
2. ff. 2r-93v Iovi optimo De diuitijs et auri Cupiditate. Aurum
Contempserunt et multi Philosophi ex quibus unus Crates thebanus.
Vt ceteros scileam multarum possessionum precium proiecit in pelagus
abite dicens in profundum male cupiditates. Ego uos mergam. ne ipse
mergar in uobis. [2nd paragraph:] Diuitie sunt bona huiusmodi que
fur capere potest. hostis inuadere...[concludes in section: Ab
initio parua progressu temporis magna esse:] Idque frequens peragas
grandis cumulatur aceruus. ff. 94r-96v ruled, but blank.
A collection of extracts primarily on virtues and vices arranged
according to the topics listed in art. 1. In most cases the precise
source is not cited; there are frequent extracts from Classical Latin
authors such as Ovid and Seneca (e. g., the section Quanta sit Vis
orationis contains many quotations from Cicero, Brutus). There
are also quotes from Greek authors in unidentified Latin translations.
3. Back cover: Maximam atque optimam rem fortunae tribuere [?]
maxima [?] absurdum est [?]...
Three short texts, mostly faded.
Paper (watermarks: unidentified letter?, in gutter), ff. 96,
305 x 105 (250 x 62) mm. 46 long lines. Single vertical and upper
horizontal bounding lines ruled in crayon. Text rulings in lead
(Derolez 13.12). Remains of prickings for bounding lines in upper,
lower and outer margins.
I-IX 10, X 6. Vertical catchwords perpendicular to text along
inner bounding line, verso (Derolez 12.6).
Written in a calligraphic and sometimes flamboyant humanistic
cursive script by a single scribe, below top line.
Large decorated initial, f. 2r, 16-line. Body of initial formed
of intricate interlace bands, yellow and brown washes, against paper
and yellow and brown ground. The style of this initial is almost
identical to that in Oxford, Bodleian Library Canon. Ital. 56 (Paecht
and Alexander, v. 2, no. 636), except that the initial in Marston
MS 201 exhibits strong shading. Display script in red and blue.
Rubrics (pale red) in text in humanistic bookhand.
Binding: Italy, s. xv. Strips cut from a parchment
manuscript (text washed) are adhered around the fold of each quire.
Original sewing on three kermes pink, slit straps. The parchment
sides are sewn with the first and last quires. See also provenance
below.
Written and decorated by the humanist Felice Feliciano, probably
in Verona in the 1460s, given the remarkable similarity of the script
and decorative initial to that in Oxford, Bodleian Library, Canon.
Ital. 56, which was written in Verona in 1465 (we thank A. C. de
la Mare for this information). It is also possible that the plain
parchment binding was the work of Feliciano (cf., G. Mardersteig,
"Tre epigrammi de Gian Mario Filelfo a Felice Feliciano," Classical
Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Honor of B. L. Ullman, ed.
C. Henderson, [Rome, 1964], v. 2, pl. 5 of the binding of Verona,
Bibl. Com. 2845). Two early inscriptions inside front cover erased
and illegible; title written below, perhaps in the same hand:
"Excerpta et Varia." Pencil note inside front cover states the
codex was in the sale of Thomas Rodd (Sotheby's, 5 February 1850,
no. 297). Acquired at the Samuel Allen sale (Sotheby's, 30 January,
1920, no. 63) by Sir Sydney Cockerell (his notes dated "Cambridge
Jan. 30 1920" and signature inside front cover); see C. de Hamel,
"Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts from the Library of Sir
Sydney Cockerell (1867-1962)," The British Library Journal 13,
2 (1987) pp. 186-210 (Marston MS 201 cited on p. 205, no. 87).
Cockerell's sale on 18 February 1957 to Pierre Beres.
Unidentified "184," "297" and traces of small round paper label
all on lower left corner of front cover; "MSS/413" in pencil
inside front cover. Purchased in 1958 from Pierre Beres of Paris
by L. C. Witten (inv. no. 2206), who sold it in 1959 to Thomas E.
Marston (bookplate).
secundo folio: [f. 3r] domo
Bibliography: Faye and Bond, p. 87, no. 201.
Barbara A. Shailor