Marston MS 204     Padua [?], s. XV med (after 1433)
Hieronymus de Alexandria, Carmina

The poems in this manuscript were composed by one Hieronymus de
Alexandria in Bologna in 1433 (arts. 1, 5, 7, etc.).  Given their date of
composition and moralizing quality it is unlikely that they are the work
of the humanist Girolamo Squarciafico who flourished in the fourth quarter
of the 15th century and who was often called Hieronymus Alexandrinus. 
Poems not listed in Bertalot, Initia.

1. f. 1r  [Title page:]  Bellua septicornigera donni Ieronimi de Alexandria.
Contritioque superbie per humilitatem.  Bella creati gestaque cum
creatore benigno/  Compatiens viuentibus diuersis erroribus inuolutis.  et
tramite nullo iure recto ambulantibus.  bestialiter et oppinionibus varijs
se regentibus et nullam regulam certam positam generi humano sequentibus.
scripsi hunc librum vt quilibet disceret viuere certitudine et non
oppinione in omnibus casibus et moralitate viuendi secundum deum./
Liber theologie moralis iuris canonici iuditio roboratus.  salutis viam
prebens cuilibet copiosam.  f. 1v blank

2. ff. 2r-6v  [Heading:]  Expositio septem peccatorum capitalium.  primo
de superbia.  [text:]  Bellua septicornigera consumptrix bonitatis./
Dicta superbia, dans dominari cuique superbo./...Humilitasque superbia
concertamina gerunt./ Humilitate superbia conteritur caritatis.

Poem (264 lines) on the seven vices and on superstition:  de superbia,
de ira, de inuidia, de accidia, de auaritia, de gula, de luxuria, de 
superstitionibus.

3. ff. 6v-13v  [Heading:]  Contritio superbie per humilitatem.  [text:]
Est contritio belluer [sic] facta per humilitatem/ Humilitas bellue
contritio vita salubris/...Mundus dans infernum penarum crutiatu/ Est
fugiendus cunctaque que sua despitiendo.

Poem (409 lines) in praise of humility and the renunciation of
worldly things.

4. ff. 13v-14r  [Heading:]  Lamentabilis conpassio ecclesie christi
collapse.  [text:]  Ha regnum christi nunc versum parte maligna/
Nam capiti numero cum satagit edere membra/...Ergo quod dico fac sodes corde
pudico/ Vt nostrum flamen dicat quoque semper et amen/ Ieronimo libri sit
merces gratia christi.

Poem (33 lines): a lament upon the corruption of the Church.

5. ff. 14r-15r  [No heading; text begins:]  Bella per humana curricula fortia
mundi/ dant mortem uel uitam concertantibus alme/ humilitatem qui sequitur.
datur quoque vita/...bello finito. referatur gratia christo/ Contritaque
superbia regnemus in patria/  [colophon:]  Ieronimus istum tibi librum
versificauit/ Anno mille quatercent trigesimoque trieno/ die prima madij
completum dat tibi librum/ bononie scriptus fuit optime conpositusque/
bella creati donent nobis gaudia pacis.

Poem (38 lines) inveighing against the pride which leads to damnation
instead of humility which leads to salvation.

6. ff. 15r-19r  [No heading, text begins:]  Colloquium veri falsi quoque cum
ratione/ Cum verum saluet falsum dampnare videtur./ Sum via que et veritas,
vita quoque saluatoris./ Est falsitas via cunctorum quoque 
dampnationis/...Viues semper letus iocundus quoque magnus/ Colloquio dicto
referatur gratia christo./ Et pro compositore semper orare
labora./ Colloquium veri quoque falsi do tibi plenum./ Quod ratio dirigat
saluans animas perituras./ bella creati donent nobis gaudia pacis.

Poem (234 lines) in which falsehood and damnation are equated as are
truth and salvation, with the world as the seat of falsehood and death,
and heaven as the seat of truth and life.

7. ff. 19r-39v  [No heading, text begins:]  Prelia de mundo tibi dicam
carmine recto/ Prelia concertantia mundi fraude ducente./ Non rationem, sed
libitumque sequentia semper./ Nullus amor cunctos nisi proprius excitat
orbe./...Predicta que legat bene semper perficiendo/ Et certamen mundi sibi
proderit alte./  [colophon:]  Anno milleno [sic] quatercent trigesimo trieno/
die februarij quintodecimo tibi ceptum/ Et die vigesimo quarto Iunij tibi
factum/ Hieronimus librum dat perfecte bene structum./ Liber theologie
moralis, iuris canonici iuditio/ Roboratus.  salutis viam prebens cuilibet
copiosam.  ff. 27v-28v blank and crossed out with the note "nihil deficit"

Poem (1,096 lines) attacking worldly acquisitiveness and dishonesty
with frequent use of military metaphors.

8. ff. 40r-46v  [No heading, text begins:]  Grandis amor gregis facit
perire pastorem/ Quo que carentes oues disperguntur a lupis/ Grex multum
gaudebat tis [sic] regimine fultus/...Et secum viues felix in culmine
celi./  [colophon:]  Finito libro sit laus et gloria christo/ Ieronimo
merces sit christus compilatori./ Liber pastoralis tu recte nominaris./de
regimine pastorum tractans copiose./  Continet hic liber duo milia quatuor
centum./ Versus octuagintaque Iunctis fert manifeste.

Poem (399 lines) lavishly praising Christ in his avatar of the Good
Shepherd.

9. f. 46v  [In margin:]  donnus Iannes.  [text:]  Ieronimi scripta mirans
veneror benedicta/ Nam florent metro. redolet sententia uero./ Attamen
accentu, pedibusue, sedule metrum/ Claudicat, in sensu semper tenet optime
verum/ Vnde non metrum spernas referens tibi verum/ Sicuti non verum facit
omne vilescere metrum.  [in margin:]  donnus Ieronimus.  [text:]
Iannes arguit, excusat [?] se Ieronimusque/ Vtilitas proximi lesit 
quandoque poesim./ Auctoritas figurata etiam non defuit ei./ Hec duo
delicta suppleant caritatis amore./ Vtilitas poesi preponi maxima laus
est.  f. 47r-v ruled, but blank

Dialogue between the author and one Iannes.

Paper (watermarks: unidentified animal in upper margin), ff. ii (paper)
+ 47 + ii (paper), 158 x 100 (100 x 65) mm.  Ca. 29 lines of verse.  Single
vertical and horizontal bounding lines frame-ruled in hard point or lead.
Prickings in upper, lower, and outer margins.
I-III 12, IV 12 (-12?).  Vertical catchwords perpendicular to text along
inner bounding line (Derolez 12.6), verso.  Remains of quire and leaf
signatures (e.g., k 1, k 2, k 3, etc.) in lower right corner, recto.
Written by a single scribe in gothic bookhand with some humanistic features,
below top lines.
Two illuminated initials, ff. 2r and 40r, 5- and 7-line, silver (partly
oxidized) on gold ground filled with stylized foliage in green and red on blue
ground with white filigree.  Numerous penwork initials, 2-line, in red
and blue with purple and red flourishes (harping).  Remains of instructions for
rubricator (f. 40r) and guide letters for decorator.
Ink has corroded through paper on some leaves.
Binding:  United States, s. xx.  Half bound in green goatskin with green 
cloth sides.  Title gold-tooled on spine.

Written in the middle of the 15th century after 1433 (arts. 5, 7) as
part of a larger codex since the quire and leaf signatures begin on
f. 13r with the letter I; probably produced in Padua according to
A. C. de la Mare.  According to P. Kristeller (Iter Italicum v. 5,
p. 288, no. 204) this manuscript formerly belonged to the Capitular
library in Zaragoza ("17-87"). Purchased from Maggs Bros. of London
in 1957 by L. C. Witten (inv. no. 1604), who gave it in 1958 to
Thomas E. Marston (bookplate).

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 87, no. 204.

Barbara A. Shailor