YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
PRE-1600 MANUSCRIPTS
Beinecke MS 1 Italy, s. XV
Livy, Ab urbe condita libri I-X
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ff. 1r-335v Facturusne sim Opere precium si a primordio...quod
unum diem Aesculapio supplicatio habita est. Finis. f. 336 ruled, but
blank
R. Conway and C. F. Walters, ed., OCT (19l4-1919) 2 vol.; revised
edition of Books I-V, R. M. Ogilvie, ed., (1974).
Parchment, ff. iv (paper) + 336 + v (paper), 358 x 252 (227 x 160)
mm. Written in 31 long lines; double vertical bounding lines; ruled in
lead.
I-XVI^^10, XVII^^8, XVIII-XXXIII^^10, XXXIV^^8. Catchwords
perpendicular to text, between vertical guide-lines.
Written by a single scribe in round humanistic script.
On f. 1r: the initial F historiated with a view of Rome, full-page
illuminated border in gold and colors into which are introduced the
Trivulzio arms of Milan (paly of 6, or and vert) and a set of
unidentified arms (gules, a cross saltire sable). Initials of books, 8-
line, of painted gold on background of blue, green and red, and partial
floral border.
Initial on f. 2r damaged by crease.
Binding: s. xviii. Brown leather, gold-tooled, edges marbled and
gilt, rebacked, with T. LIVII DECAS PRIMA on spine.
Written in Milan in the late 15th or early 16th century; arms of
the Trivulzio family of Milan on f. 1r. According to A. C. de la Mare
it is presumably part of the same set of Livy as Vienna, Ost. Nationalbibl.
Cod. 13, Livy, Dec. III, made for Marshal Gian Giacomo Trivulzio (1436-
1518), which is copied by the same scribe (see Hermann, Beschreibendes
Verzeichnis VI, 1, no. 69 and Taff. XLVII, XLI 3) and has decoration
very close in style. The scribe copied several famous Milanese
manuscripts of the late 15th century, such as Milan, Trivulziana 2163
and 2167, the elaborately illuminated abecedario and grammarbook of
Massimiliano Sforza (b. 1493), son of Duke Lodovico il Moro; also
Geneva MS. lang. etr. 210, the dedication copy of Luca Pacioli, De
divina proportione, presented to Lodovico il Moro, 1498, with diagrams
attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Brought from Palermo by Dr. Anthony
Askew (1722-1772); at his sale (London, 1785, no. 482), bought by Sir
William Burrell (1732-1796). Note in the hand of M. Wodhull (f. ii
recto): "This appears to be the very Book which I saw Sir W. Burrell
purchase in Dr. Askew's manuscript Auction No. 482 for thirty two
Guineas; in Sir W. Burrell's Auction May 1796 it is said to have gone
for about five, No. 657. The note in 'Bib. Askev. manuscripta' is: 'ex
Panormo in Sicilia hunc cod. adduxit secum Cl. Askevius,' & '300 Annor.
MSS longe pulcherrimus.'" Bought by the same Michael Wodhull, Esq.
(1740-1816), of Thenford, Northamptonshire at White's sale (London,
March 26 1798), with his signature and notes; his sale (London, 1886,
no. 1570) to Quaritch for William Loring Andrews (bookstamp and
bookplate inside front cover). Presented to Yale by William Loring
Andrews in 1894 (A. Van Name, comp., Catalogue of the William Loring
Andrews Collection of Early Books in the Library of Yale University
[New Haven, 1913] pp. 3-4, no. 2).
secundo folio: cum bonis
Bibliography: De Ricci, v. 1, p. 161, no. 1. Catalogue of an Exhibition
of Illuminated and Painted Manuscripts Together with a Few Early
Printed Books with Illuminations...(New York, The Grolier Club, 1892)
p. 5, no. 7.
Barbara A. Shailor