Marston MS 210     Italy, after 1410
Lunario volgare perpetuo, in roll format

Texts occur in the following order:

1. Table to determine precise occurrence of the new moon, arranged 
in 4 columns per month with the first column of each written in red 
(letters A-T for the cyclum decemnovenale; 20 of the possible 31 
days of the month; 20 of the possible 24 hours of the day; number of
the possible 1080 "points" of the hour), followed by an explanation 
in Italian of the method of use of the table, beginning with the 
knowledge that the year 1410 constituted an "R" in the 19-year cycle
("...Et sappiate ch [sic} nel 1410 secondo la chiesa corse [italics mine; 
note past tense] R in questa regula..."), that the new year begins on 
1 January, and that the new day begins at sunset.  Space reserved for 
June which was not filled in.

2. Table to determine in which ascendant or descendant sign of the 
zodiac the moon will be for each day of the month and each month of
the year, preceded by the heading:  "Quessta sie la ragione ouu[er?]o 
tauula da trouare in che segno e la llune in ciasschuno mese come qui 
e scripta et dessegnata."

3. Short passage distributing the signs of the zodiac according to 
the 4 cardinal directions and the 4 elements (fire, air, earth, 
water).

4. Twelve short passages on good/bad actions to take while the moon 
is in a particular sign of the zodiac, usually including 
encouragements/prohibitions regarding business (e.g., when the moon 
is in Virgo, "Buono e a cominciare add imprender alcuno mistiero 
ouero arte per guadagnare et specialmente ogni arte che a scriptura 
s'apartiene..."), marriage, building, planting, travel, making or 
wearing new clothes; also given for each sign are the qualities of
motion, humor, gender, temperature, bodily part controlled, 
instructions on taking medicine. The text continues from the last 
six lines on the recto (ending with the warning "volta"), through 
most of the dorse.

5. Short passage on the dies mali of each month, and on the 4 
dangerous Mondays of the year (the first Monday of April and August;
the last Monday of September and December), in which one should in 
particular avoid eating goose.
	
	Parchment roll composed of a single membrane measuring 
645 x 235 mm. Remains of prickings along outer edges.  Text lines 
ruled in hard point; tables drawn in ink.  Written in a small gothic
bookhand on both sides. Key passages and words (e.g., names of the 
months) and paragraph marks in red; initials touched with yellow.  
Worn, stained; minor loss of text due to wormholes and rubbing. 
Unbound; preserved in a modern case.

Written in Italy, sometime after 1410 (see art. 1); provenance unknown.
Purchased from H. P. Kraus in 1958 by Thomas E. Marston.

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 88, no. 210.

Barbara A. Shailor