Mellon MS 22

 IOANNES AURELIUS AUGURELLUS
 Sermonum liber
 North Italy (Treviso?) (a holograph?), 28 January 1495

Parchment codex in Latin and Greek, 225 x 135, ff. 36 (originally 40; last 4
ff., presumed blank, cut away leaving stubs). Collation: (.A.-.C.)^^10,
(.D.)^^10-4, signatures in lower, inner margin of last leaf, verso, of first
three quires. One column 155 x 78, 20 lines. Written by a single scribe in a
good humanistic cursive with a thinly cut quill; the ink of the text mostly
brownish; large capital letters, mostly plain, at the beginning (written in
the left margins) and dedication of each poem in pale red. On f. 1v (blank on
the recto) is a drawing in delicate wash of a tree, lower left, against the
base of which leans a small book in a red cover; extending upward from the
treetop to the sun, at extreme top right, is the inscription in red capitals:
"VTCVNQ[VE] TIBI." On f. 2r, opposite the dedicatory drawing just described,
there is further decoration in the same delicate wash colors: a leaf in the
margin beside the dedication to Niccolo Franco, Bishop of Treviso; light
tracery ornament surrounding the capital "F" in the left margin at the
beginning of the first poem; and Franco's arms, surmounted by the Bishop's
mitre and surrounded by green twigs tied with red ribbons, in the lower
margin. At the end of the manuscript, beneath the colophon, there is a
further drawing and inscription in green wash, referable to the final poem: a
small Roman sarcophagus with a little book in red binding lying atop it, and
the inscription "POSTERITATI SACRUM" below. Parchment is white, thin, and of
very fine quality; faintly ruled in ink.

BINDING: Apparently original binding of blind-stamped red goatskin (now
darkened), repaired, sides paneled with blind fillets, two rows of differing
knotwork tools, four clasps and catches now lacking, two asterisk-headed
brass nails for each clasp remaining on upper cover, plain edges, modern
leather label on backstrip with three faintly raised original bands.

PROVENANCE: The dedicatee, Niccolo Franco, Bishop of Treviso (d. 1499);
described and advertised in a catalogue Manusaits et Livres Rares mis en
Vente a la Librairie Ancienne T. De Marinis C. (booksellers), Florence, 1907;
Denis Duveen, with his inked number 53, acquired from Dr. Ernst Weil
(bookseller), London, 1949; Mellon MS 5, acquired with the Duveen collection.
De Ricci-Bond 1 (5).

NOTE ON CONTENTS: The manuscript contains nineteen Latin poems, dedicated to
Niccolo Franco, Bishop of Treviso (d. 1499), and other members of the
literary circle in Treviso with whom Giovanni Aurelio Augurello (ca.
1440-1524) was actively connected as a famous private teacher and
distinguished poet from 1491 until his death. Augurello employed all nineteen
poems in this codex, sometimes in altered versions, in the three collections
of his Latin works which were printed during his lifetime (1491, 1505, 1515).
It is necessary to examine the contents of the printed editions, incompletely
listed or confused in standard bibliographics, together with the codex to
show the relationships between them. On 5 July 1491, Augurello had overseen
at Verona the printing of a collection of his Carmina (Gesamtkatalog 2861),
dedicated to Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, the poet's birthplace. The
collection comprised forty poems, and most if not all copies contain
virtually identical manuscript corrections apparently executed by the author.
On 28 January 1495 the codex here described was finished, probably at
Treviso. Three of its poems (V, VII, IX) had already been printed among the
1491 Carmina, but are now found definitively transferred to the Sermones,
which work, however, had not received its final form. 11 April 1505 Aldus
Manutius, an old friend and one-time associate of the author, printcd at
Venice a substantial collection of Augurello's poems (Renouard 49, 2; Isaac
12807; Goldsmid 73) containing: Iambici (two books of twenty-nine and
thirty-two poems respectively); Sermones (two books of twenty-eight and
nineteen poems); Carmina (two books of twenty-eight and nineteen poems); a
supplement to thc Iambici (nine poems); and two separate poems. In the 1505
printing, the original collection of Cannina printed in 1491 was expanded,
and the three poems from the original collection which had been transferred
by 1495 to the Sermones and occur in this codex (V, VII, IX) were excluded.
Similarly, the 1495 collection of Sermones was expanded by 1505; seventeen of
thc nineteen poems in the codex (excluding X and XI, but including V, VII and
IX) were employed, some of them in altered form, with the addition of five
new pieces. Each of these works (Iambici, Sermones, and Carmina) appears to
have achieved its final form with the printing of thc Aldine volume; we have
not traced any early reprints of these works. On an unspecified date in 1515
(Aldus Manutius died on 14 February of that year), the Venetian printer Simon
de Luere published a further collection of Augurello's Latin poetry (Isaac
12972; Panzer 759). The volume contains Chrysopoeiae Libri III and Geronticon
Liber primus. In the latter work poems X and XI of the 1495 codex appear
again, now deprived of their dedications and titled simply "Lent" and
"Easter." No second part of the Geronticon appears to have been published.
The 1515 volume was reprinted substantially without alteration by Froben at
Basel, 1518, and by Plantin at Antwerp, 1582. In addition, the Chrysopoeiae
Libri III, along with poem XVII of the 1495 codex, with the title Chrysopoeia
in Greek characters (also called Chrysopoeia Minor or Vellus Aureus), have
been reprinted as alchemical works, for example in Bibliotheca chemica
contracta by Nathan Aubigne de la Fosse, Geneva, 1673. None of Augurello's
vernacular verse seems to have been printed until the eighteenth century
(vide Gamba 1063).

CONTENTS

 [Dedications (entirely in red), the first two verses (first initial red),
and final two verses of each of the nineteen poems in the codex follow.]

f. 2r, 1: Ad Nicolaum Francum Pontificem Tarvisinum Reverendum [?] | Ioannis
Aurelij Augurelli Sermonum Liber Primus. | [Poem I, of seventy verses,
beginning:] Florentis quondam memores dulcisque Iuventae | Lusimus, et
teneris non nil permisimus Annis, | ... [f. 3v, 12:] Premia, nec poterant ijs
quicquam reddere maius, | Quam Laudem, aeternumque manens in secula nomen.

f. 3v, 14: Ad Bertutium Lambertum Protonotarium Apostolicum et | Primatem
Tarvisinum Homines non eum, quem deberent, Finem quae rere. | [Poem II, of
eighty-five verses, beginning:] Saepe Ego Bertuti compresso in pectore risu |
Mortales miror volui per inania Curas. | ... [f. 5v, 19:] utque mea si forte
aliquid prodesse virili | Iam valeo, tentem currenti subdere Calcar; |

f.6r, 1: Ad Nicolaum Francum Pontificem Tarvisinum | Reverendum [?] ut post
multos Labores quieti tandem se | dedat, Hortatio; | [Poem III, of
thirty-seven verses, beginning:] Est opere precium cum primum e littore Funem
| soluerit et sese dederit moderator in altum, | ... [f. 6v, 19:] Ipse loco
faciat, qui clavum dirrigat, et qui | Hec subeat sospes plenis semel Ostia
velis; |

f. 7r, 1: Ad lodovicum portum vicentinum Risus variarum circa | Rem
litterarium presertim opinionum; | [Poem IV, of fifty-five verses, after
one-line space, beginning:] Hosce Iocos quoniam de me tibi sepe requiris, |
Nunc adeo vacue mentis cum simus uterque | ... [f. 8r, 17:] Non valeam,
video: Facilis quod me quoque risus, | Nec tamen efusi Finxit natura
Cachinni;:

f. 8r, 19: Hortatur A. [given name unidentified] Castrum, ut inanes hominum
curas | et Lamentationes rideat; | - [Poem V, of thirty-five verses,
beginning f. 8v, 1:] Castre meos inter Pars non temnenda sodales, | Quem mihi
constanti devinxit pectore sidus, | ... [f. 9r, 14:] Quod superest tantum,
permittens cetera divis, | Quo se cunque dabunt, quibus hec mortalia cure; |

f. 9r, 16: Ad valerium superchium physicum pisaurensem in | eos, qui sermonum
vim parum inspectant. | [Poem VI, of fifty-four verses, beginning:] Sunt
valeri quibus hoc opus, ut tenue, illico cunctis | Spernendum doctis
videatur, et ipse etiam, qui | ... [f. 10v, 10:] Tractaret: Nuncque illi
gratetur, quod habunde | Fulserit in nitidis prepes victoria pennis; |

f. 10v, 12: Ad Nicolaum Francum Pontificem Tarvisinum et in venetos Legatum |
Apostolicum Suam ipsius, vitae compositionem. | [Poem VII, of seventy-five
verses, beginning:] Si vacat interdum per tanta negocia Franche | Que geris,
exigui non nil audire parumper, | ... [f. 12v, 7:] Velut aiunt, et adire et
complecti, ut mihi vires | Spirarit modicas Natura, atque auxerit usus; |

f. 12v, 9: Ad Risum iterum Castrum, qui cum altero sermone | humanas Curas
riserat, invitat. [Poem VII, of one hundred thirty-five verses, beginning:]
Castre iterum tecum, Nam tu nec temnere nostros | Iampridem, et tales
consuesti querere Risus, | ... [f. 16r, 4:] Et quotiens sese contra dabit,
obvius illi | Fortunam supera virtute, et fortibus ausis. |

f. 16r, 6: Ad Ioannem Antonium Scholam Nicolai Franci Pontificis Tarvisini |
Nepotem exhortatio ad virtutem. [Poem IX, of forty-two verses, beginning:]
Cur Schola radicem perhibent virtutis amaram | Esse, sed illusi mira
dulcedine plenos | ... [f. 17r, 8:] Arboris ad summum, atque acri radice
relicta | Virtutis valeas dulcis contingere fructus; |

f. 17r, 10: [Blank.]

f. 17r, 11: Ad semet. | [Poem X, of forty-one verses, beginning:] Ergo Animo
Aureli semper pendebis, et unde | Incipias semel, ignoras, componere mentem?
| ... [f. 18r, 11:] Qui si complures, quorum sanctissima vita | in terris
fuerit, supera ad convexa ferantur; |

f. 18r, 13: [Blank.]

f. 18r, 14: Ad Nicolaum Francum Episcopum Tarvisinum in diem Pascatis. |
[Poem XI, of fifty-four verses, beginning:] Haec est illa dies, rerum quam
condidit Auctor. | Item omnes mecum Linguis animisque favete. | [f. 19v, 7:]
Hic adijt genus humanum, quam [?] ducere secum | ut posset nos hinc alacres,
atque ire volentes; |

f. 19v, 9: [Blank.]

f. 19v, 10: Tryphoni Chabrieli Generoso Patritio venetiae. | [Poem XII, of
forty-seven verses, beginning:] Hic tuus huc aditus fuerat mihi Charior Auro
| Chare Tryphon, abitus verum est insuavis, et ipsa | ... [f. 20v, 16:]
Edocuit rerum causas, et praebuit illis | Aurea Felicem duxisse per ocia
vitam;

f. 20v, 18: Ad Ioannem Antonium Scholam, Cum eidem varia Amo- | rum genera
declaraverit, ad id, quod praestantissimum | est, adhortatio; | [Poem XIII,
of one hundred fifteen verses, beginning:] Quo Feror? unde abij? quae me male
sana Cupido | Immutat miserum? cur non eadem mihi cordi? | ... [f. 23v, 14:]
Que tibi perpetuo succensum Lumine pectus | Excitet, et vicijs alienum
vendicat una;

f. 23v, 16: [Blank.]

f. 23v, 17: Ioanni Aragonio Hispaniarum Principi: | [Poem XIV, ofthirty-seven
verses, beginning:] Princeps hesperiae, Genus alto a sanguine Regum | Quod
placuere tibi parvi praeludia vatis | ... [f. 24v, 13:] Te dignum presta
heredem, Nam maxima culti | Pars tibi debetur quondam quae pareat orbis; |

f. 24v, 15: Ad Amicissimum Carmen Hieronymi Bononij Poetae | Tarvisini
Responsio. | [Poem XV, of forty-three verses, plus two inserted marginally on
f. 25r, beginning:] Quisque suum sequimur sidus Fatale Bononi | Quo trahit,
et nobis illud sic imperat, ut vix | ... [f. 25v, 18:] Carmine sublimis Libet
exclamare Poetae | Ne Proceres ne tanta Animis assuescite bella; | [f. 25v,
20, blank.]

f. 26r, 1: Augustino Barbarico Principi Inclyto, Imminen- | tium temporum
Querela; | [Poem XVI, of one hundred ninety verses, beginning:] Qui motus
Animorum? aut quae haec Conanima? quorsum, | unde ue praecipitat tantus
Furor? omnia Late | ... [f.30v, 11:] Ut penitus quodcunque putas consistere,
Firmes, | ne ruat, et repares si quae sensere ruinam. |

f. 30v, 13: Alberto Vonico Equiti et Iureconsulto Tarvisino: | [Chrysopoea,
in Greek letters. Poem XVII, of one hundred thirty-eight verses, beginning:]
Ut noris quae Forte mihi vonice vivenda | Contigerint, positis rebus
paulisper agendis, | ... [f. 34r, 11:] Littora, et in patriam rediens, sic
alter Iaeson | Aurea Felici deuexi vellera Colcho; | [f. 34r, 13, blank.]

f. 34r, 14: .Iocus. | [Poem XVIII, of forty-eight verses, beginning:] O qui
me tanti volueere in Luminis Auras | Prodire, et tenebris exemptos noctis
opacae | ... [f. 35v, 1:] Sublimem Fessi referunt, ubi diva voluptas |
Praesidet umbroso sub amoeni culmine collis; |

f. 35v, 3: Ad Maximum, Esse provocationem adversum | Detractores: Actionum,
ad conscientiam; scriptorum ad posteritatem. | [Poem XIX, of forty-eight
verses, beginning:] Maxime, qui Fidei plenus sic semper Amicis | idem ades,
ut presens videare absentibus esse, | ... [f. 36v, 11:] Ista volet, quam
sint. At fors maiora putabit | Haec eadem: ut se post in Longum proferet
aetas; | [below, a leaf drawn in green wash, then:] Satis: | M. cccclxxxxv.
Quinto kalendas Ianuarias. | [then, the little sarcophagus in green wash with
a tiny red book on top; then, flanked by leaves, and entirely in green:]
POSTERITATI SA- | CRUM |

SUMMARY: The manuscript was probably written at Treviso, and very possibly by
the author. It seems virtually certain that the two verses added
longitudinally on f. 25r (in ink paler than that of the main text on this
leaf) are insertions by the author, either as an afterthought or to correct a
scribal omission. These two lines are written in a hand very like that of the
text, and all of the writing in the codex may be the work of the same hand;
at any rate, no letter-form in the additional verses excludes this
possibility. It is a striking fact that the very rare corrections in the
whole of the MS are so carefully executed that they are nearly invisible, and
all are by the scribe. There are no corrections by any other hand.
Furthermore, in several cases a batch of ink has served to write only two
pages (forty lines), which seems most uncharacteristic of professional
scribal practice. It is known that for many years the author served in the
household of Bishop Franco, and he is usually styled "secretarius" of his
patron. The facts noted above and the very unusual decoration of the
manuscript combine to suggest the possibility that writing and decoration are
all Augurello's own handiwork. Whereas scribes nearly always make mistakes of
one kind or another in the production of fair copies, which a supervisor (the
author in pertinent cases) may then correct, authors who are experienced
copyists, or who take great pains, may produce admirable fair copies of their
own work. The simplest explanation of the lack of correction in this
manuscript by any hand other than the scribe's may simply be that scribe and
author are the same individual. The decoration of the codex is not only
unusual but is also the antithesis of common fifteenth-century Italian
humanistic technique and style, involving use of pigments like azurite,
malachite, and white lead, together with burnished gold in "white-vine"
designs. No gold is used in this manuscript, nor are any of the usual
pigments. Instead, all of the decoration employs light ink washes probably
involving vegetable colors; three dyes only are used: pale green, pale red,
and a brown which is lightly purplish. Both the pen and a small brush were
probably employed, and all of the decoration could readily have been
accomplished by anyone with modest drawing ability and a bit of flair. Above
all, one cannot think ofthe designs on the first and last leaves as the work
of any typical illuminator. On f. 1v, the sun shines down through the
inscription "utcunque tibi" ("for you [to you] in any [every] way
whatsoever") to a tree against which a little book (this book) leans. Faint
traces of two erased spacings of the lettering of the inscription are
discernible beneath the final version. A practiced scribe or illuminator
would almost certainly have avoided these mistakes by preparing a pattern. On
the last leaf of the codex a little book (this book) is laid on the tomb of
Maximus, evidently someone whose memory was dear to Franco and to whom the
final poem of the codex was dedicated, with the "POSTERITATI SACRUM"
inscription. Within the codex, the opening of the poem to Doge Barbarigo has
marginal decoration in a classicizing style, but always in the manner of the
other decoration. The initial capitals of poems XVII and XVIII also have
slight decoration in this same style and technique. One is drawn to the
special characteristics of this codex, particularly to its unusual, intimate,
and spiritual decoration. If it is not entirely the work of Augurello
himself, it must have been the product of the personal inspiration and close
supervision of its cultivated author. The simple and restrained binding in no
way suggests the work of a master; it is probably Trevisan. ln addition to
the four poems addressed to Niccolo Franco, dedicatee of the codex, three are
inscribed to his nephew G. A. Schola, two to an unidentified A. Castro, and
one each to: Lamberto Bertucci, Apostolic Notary and Primate of Treviso; the
writer Luigi da Porto of Vicenza (1489-1529) who adapted Guardati's story and
gave the characters Romeo and Giulietta their names; Valerio Superchio,
physician of Pesaro; Gabriele Trifonio, patrician of Venice; Don Juan of
Aragon; a certain Girolamo Bononi (or perhaps Girolamo of Bologna is
intended); Massimo, otherwise unidentified, who is memorialized by this
manuscript; Alberto Vonico, gentleman and jurisconsult of Treviso; and
Agostino Barbarigo, reigning Doge of Venice. The eighteenth poem, a joke, has
no dedication. Only the seventeenth poem of MS 22 is directly related to
alchemy, as noted above, but is above all a literary exercise, suitable for
inclusion in this extraordinarily attractive manuscript prepared for
presentation by an important literary figure of the Veneto at the turn of the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. MS 22 belongs to that group of alchemies
preserved in the Mellon collection, nearly always entirely devoid of
practical elements, which were prepared for sumptuous libraries. Compare
especially MSS 11, 16, 23 (in part), and 25.