Marston MS 229     Northern France, s. XV/XVI
Terence, Comoediae, with commentary

1. f. 1r-v  Incipit argumentum Andrie.  Orto bello athenis Chremes
quidam senex propter seditionem relinquens ciuitatem suam...carino sodali
ipsius Pamphili dederunt.

Conclusion of the Praefatio Monacensis ad Terentium; Y.-F. Riou;
"Essai sur la tradition manuscrite du Commentum Brunsianum des comedies
de Terence, Revue d'histoire des textes 3 (1973) pp. 109-12 (right hand
column).  See also art. 3.

2. ff. 1v-7v [Argumentum ad Eunuchum:]  Quo tempore aut in quo loco hec
fabula acta sit minime ostendit cum de alijs manifestet...licebit uti
personis; [Argumentum ad Heautontimorumenon, f. 3v:]  Acta est id est
recitata est ludis megalensibus Lucio Cornelio Lentulo.  Lucio Valerio
Flacco edilibus curulibus...emulorum respondet; [Argumentum ad Adelphos,
f. 4v:]  Acta est ista fabula adelphe quam Terentius latine composuit post
menandrum ludis funebribus...Cetera plenius legendo videbuntur;
[Argumentum ad Hecyram, f. 5r:]  Hechira dicta a loco non multum siue
longe distante ab athenis potest etiam nominari a socru...quam peperit
philomena; [Argumentum ad Phormionem, f. 6v:]  Argumentum istius fabule
istud est duo senes germani fratres dicuntur fuisse athenis...sequentia
manifestabunt.  Explicit Argumentum Andrie [sic].

Argumenta to the plays, extracted from the Commentum Brunsianum
in Terentium; Riou, op.cit., pp. 79-113 (Marston MS 229 not cited).

3. f. 7v  Incipit Vita Terentij Secundum Paulum Orosium.  f. 8r-v
Terentij vita secundum Paulum Orosium.  [text:]  Terentius genere extitit
affer ciuis vero Cartaginensis.  Reuertente autem Scipione Romam deuicta.
Cartagine et interfecto hanibale...Quo tali viro recitante maiorem eius
fabule captarent fauorem.  Hec prima fabula Andria vocatur eo quod quedam
femina nomine Crisis venerat athenas cum qua et glicerium que et passibula
vocabatur venit.

Beginning of the Praefatio Monacensis ad Terentium; Riou,
op.cit.,
pp. 106-09 (right hand column).  Accompanied here by marginal commentary
beginning:  "Nota quod in hoc tractatu de uita Terentij aliqua sunt vera
et aliqua sunt falsa.  Paulus orosius acceptus fuit in nomine...."

4. f. 8v Epitaphium Terentij.  Natus in excelsis tectis cartaginis alte/
Romanis ducibus bellica preda fui/...hec quicumque legit sic puto cautus
erit.

Epitaph, 6 lines; Anthologia latina 487c.  Accompanied here by
marginal commentary on f. 8r beginning:  "Istud epitaphium non est de essentia
operis terentij tamen has sex comedias rome...."

5. f. 8v Argumentum Fabule Andrie.  Sororem falso creditam
meretricule/...hanc pamphilo dat aliam carino coniugem.

Argumentum to the Andria, 12 lines; R. Kauer and W. M. Lindsay,
eds., OCT (1926, reprinted with additions 1958).  Accompanied here by
marginalia beginning:  "Hec prima comedia sicut et cetere in quinque
actibus partitur.  Quorum primus est simulacio nuptiarum ad correctionem
pamphili...."  Text of marginalia is similar to that in Vatican City, 
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Barb. lat. 82 (VIII.82).

6. ff. 9r-28v Incipit prologus Andrie.  Poeta cum primum animum ad
scribendum appulit...Spectande sint an exigende sint vobis prius.  [f.
9v:]  Potius quam istorum oscuram diligentiam [whole line crossed out by 
later hand]./  Symo senex.  Sosia coquus liberalis./ Uos istec intro auferte, 
abite.  sosia/...Intus despondebitur intus transigetur/ Siquid est quod 
restat.  Valete caliopius recensui.  Terentij affri Andria. 
Explicit.

Terence, Andria;  Kauer and Lindsay, op.cit., pp. 1-54.  Text here
accompanied by extensive marginal and interlinear commentary, beginning
with notes on the prologue:  "In hoc prologo Terentius sub persona
caliopii intendit captare beniuolentiam populi romani et primo a persona
sui dicendo se scripsisse fabulas...."

7. ff. 28v-51r Incipit Eunuchus Comedia Secunda.  [A]cta ludis
Megalensibus.  Lucio postumio...Fannio Consulibus.  Argumentum fabule
Eunuchi Incipit.  [f. 29r:]  Meretrix aduloscentem [sic] cuius mutuo amore/
Tenebatur exclusit.  eique reuocato...receptus illuditur.  Aliud Argumentum
Fabule Eunuchi.  Sororem falso dictam thaidis...frater collocat uiciatam
ephebo.  Incipit prologus.  Si quisquam est qui placere se studeat
bonis...Vos ualete et plaudite caliopius recensui.  Therentij affri.
Eunuchus Explicit.  Deo gratias.  Amen.

Terence, Eunuchus; Kauer and Lindsay, op.cit., pp. 111-69.  Text
here is misbound and should be read in the following order:  ff. 28-33,
35, 34, 36-37, 39, 38, 40-51.  Extensive interlinear and marginal
commentary; at top of f. 30r:  "Atque a thesauris. Rusticus quidam diues
habens filium prodigum timens post mortem suam filius ne cuncta perderet
totum aurum..."; and at beginning of Act 1, scene 1:  "Incipit primus
actus de pacificacione phedrie et Thaidis hec prima pars tendit ad
eunuchum hoc modo quia in hac reconsiliacione promittuntur munera hoc
thaidi."

8. f. 51v [Written in center of page:]  Incipit heutontumerumenos.
Comedia Tertia; ff. 52r-71v   Incipit heutontumerumenos Comedia
Tertia.
Acta Ludis Megalensibus.  Lucio Cornelio Lentulo...Terentio Sempronio
Consulibus.  Argumentum Eiusdem Incipit.  An militiam proficisci gnatum
cliniam...hanc clinia aliam clitipho vxorem accipit.  Incipit
Prologus. 
Ne cui vestrum sit mirum cur partes seni...Chr.  fiat.  O uos valete,
plaudite.  Caliopius recensui.  Deo gratias.  Terentii affri
Explicit.

Terence, Heautontimoroumenos; Kauer and Lindsay, op.cit., pp.
55-110.  Extensive marginalia and interlinear commentary as in the
previous plays on f. 52r-v only; other hands add notes sporadically for
the rest of the text.

9.  ff. 72r-90v Incipit.  Adelphoe. Comedia Quarta.  [A]cta ludis
funebribus Quinto fabio maximo et Publio cornelio affricano...Ancio marco
cornelio consulibus.  Argumentum Eiusdem.  Duos cum haberet demea 
adolescentulos...A se uiciatam ciuem athicam uirginem.  Vxorem potitur thesipho 
citharistriam.  Exorato suo patre duro demea. Prologus Eiusdem.
Postquam poeta sensit scripturam suam...Ecce me qui id faciam uobis. 
Esc.  
tibi pater permittimus.  Plus scis quid opus facto est.  sed de fratre quid 
fiet de sino habeat in istac finem faciant.  esch.  istuc recte.  Valete.  
plaudite Caliopius recensui. Terentii affri.  Heutontumerumeron [sic] 
Explicit.

Terence, Adelphe; Kauer and Lindsay, op.cit., pp. 273-323. 
Extensive annotation in an unruly hand on ff. 72r-76v only which includes the
same definition of argumentum that appears on f. 52r.

10. ff. 90v-107r Incipit Eschira [sic].  Acta Ludis romanis.  Sexto iulio
Cesare Gneio Cornelio edilibus curulibus...Argumentum eiusdem.  Exorem
[sic] duxit pamphilius philomenam [corrected to:  philumenam]...Vxorem 
recipit pamphilus cum filio. Incipit Prologus Eiusdem.  Hechyra est huic 
nomen fabule hec cum data est...[two prologues followed by text]...
Sequere me intro [?] parmeno. par.  sequor equidem plus hodie boni 
feci imprudens quam sciens ante hunc diem unquam O uos ualete plaudite 
Caliopius recensui.  Terentij affri.  Explicit Echira. 

Terence, Hecyra; Kauer and Lindsay, op.cit., pp. 227-72.  Only a
few corrections and glosses.

11. ff. 107v-127r Incipit Phormio Comedia Sexta.  Acta Ludis romanis. 
Lucio postumio Albino Lucio Cornelio Merula edilibus curulibus...Incipit
Argumentum Eiusdem.  Cremetis frater aberat peregre demipho...Vxorem
retinet antipho a patruo agnitam.  Incipit Prologus.  Postquam poeta
vetus poetam non potest...Na.  Pol uero uoco.  pho.  eamus intro hinc.
na.  fiat.  sed ubi est phedria.  Iudex noster.  pho.  iam faxo aderit. V.
Vos valete et plaudite.  Caliopius recensui.  Terentij affri Poete comici
Comedie Et Phormio Ultima feliciter Expliciunt.  f. 127v blank
except for notes on provenance (see below).

Terence, Phormio; Kauer and Lindsay, op.cit., pp. 171-226.  Some
interlinear glosses on f. 108r-v only.

Parchment (thin, shiny), ff. i (marbled paper) + ii (modern parchment) +
127 + ii (modern parchment) + i (paper).  ff. 1-51:  26 lines; ff. 52-end:
28 lines.  Single vertical and horizontal bounding lines.  Ruled in pale
red ink.  Prickings in upper, lower and outer margins.
I-VI 8, VII 4 (-4, blank), VIII-XVI 8, XVII 4.  Catchwords in center of
lower margin.  Remains of leaf signatures (e.g., a 1, a 2, a 3...etc.) in
red in lower right corner, recto.
Written in batarde script of several sizes.  
5 historiated initials of fine quality, 11- to 9-line, blue with gold 
accents against dark red ground with gold filigree.  The subjects, which 
apparently are not tied closely to the text, are as follow:  f. 1r arms 
of the Terrail de Bayard family (azure, a chief argent with lion rampant erased
sable, overall a bendlet or); f. 8r Courtship; 
f. 52r Marriage; f. 90v Birth of child; f. 107v Adulthood.  Spaces for initials 
on ff. 28v, 72r left unfilled.  Each initial with partial floral borders, 
framed in red, consisting of pink, blue and white flowers, red strawberries 
and/or gold leaves on green stems, all against compartments of parchment ground,
infilled with gold dots with hair-line extensions, or of gold ground. 
Border, f. 8r, incorporating scrolling acanthus, blue and gold.  Numerous
illuminated initials, 4-line, gold against alternating red and blue ground
with gold filigree.  Headings in red and blue.  Names of characters and
plain initials alternate red and blue.
Binding:  France, s. xviii.  Brown mottled calf with a gold-tooled
spine and a brick-red, gold-tooled label ("Terentii Comm Manuserip [?]"), 
"MC" in the adjoining panel.  Turn-ins striped.  Red edges.

Written in Northern France at the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th
century, presumably for Pierre Terrail de Bayard whose arms appear on f.
1r.  Two inscriptions, s. xvi, on f. 127v:  "Claudius de chauureux" and
"Claudius de chauureux est huius libri possessor."  The number "567" in a
circle in blue crayon on f. i verso; "N. [or W] 2251" in pencil on
recto of final flyleaf.  Purchased from H. P. Kraus in 1958 by Thomas E.
Marston (bookplate).

secundo folio:  senatorum

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, pp. 90-91, no. 229.

Barbara A. Shailor