Beinecke MS 57                                                 Italy, s. XIV^^ex, XV^^2
Virgil, Aeneis

          ff. 1r-112v [1.46]    //Ast ego que diuum incedo Regina iouisque/
     Et soror et coniunx una cum gemte [sic] tot annos/...[final folio
     mutilated] **tuisti infandum accendere bellum/ **et luctu miscere
     hymeneos// [12.805]

          The following lines are lacking; most were presumably on leaves
     that became detached and have fallen out: 1. 1-45, 467-756; 2. 1-33,
     567-88, 644, 682-742; 4. 10-72, 197-257, 570-695; 5. 166-351; 6. 587-
     901; 7. 1-744, 809-17; 8. 1-238, 431-96, 689-730; 9. 1-11; 12. 160-415,
     676-739, 806-952.
          Prefaced to each book are ten or eleven lines in verse (Walther,
     Initia 8699). R. A. B. Mynors, ed., OCT (1969) pp. 104-418. The text of
     Vergil is accompanied on ff. 1r-5v by marginal and interlinear glosses,
     the greater portion of which are derived from or an adaptation of
     Servius. The commentary does, however, include notes (some in Greek)
     independent of Servius. (We thank M. L. Lord for her assistance with
     the commentary.)

          Composed of three parts: the first (ff. 1-6) was apparently added
     to replace lost leaves, the second and third (ff. 7-112) were written
     somewhat earlier and are contemporary with each other. There are
     marginal and interlinear notes in several hands throughout, especially
     at the beginning of the volume on ff. 1r-5r, as well as catchwords
     added later.
          Part I: Paper (sturdy; unidentified watermarks obscured by text),
     ff. 6, 282 x 192 (187 x 83) mm. Written in 35 lines of verse; double
     vertical and horizontal bounding lines, full across. Ruled in hard
     point; remains of prickings for upper horizontal bounding lines in
     outer margins. One gathering of six folios written in humanistic
     cursive by a single scribe.
          Part II: Paper (sturdy; several unidentified watermarks including
     two circles with a cross), ff. 51 (7-57), 283 x 193 (212 x 112) mm.
     Written in 31 lines of verse; single or double upper (and sometimes
     lower) horizontal bounding lines, full across. Ruled in lead; prickings
     at corners of written space. Catchwords below written space are
     accompanied by decorative flourishes. Written in fere-humanistic script
     by one scribe. Spaces left for initials. A large gap in the text occurs
     between Parts II and III (6.587 to 7.744).
          Part III: Paper (sturdy; watermarks: unidentified crossed swords),
     ff. 55 (58-112), 283 x 193 (204 x 102) mm. Written in 32 lines of
     verse; single or double upper (sometimes lower) horizontal bounding
     lines, full across. Ruled in lead; some prickings in gutter for
     guidelines. Remains of signatures (Roman numerals) along lower edge of
     recto. Written by a single scribe in a script similar to that in Part
     II. Spaces left for initials.
          The binding is so brittle (with many pages unattached) that it is
     not possible to collate Parts II and III.
          Binding: s. xvi-xvii? Sewn on three slit leather straps. There is
     no indication of an earlier sewing, but the book was extensively mended
     before it was sewn. Tawed cores of plain wound endbands laid in
     grooves. Beech boards with rectangular channels on the outside in which
     the straps are nailed. The spine is lined with brown leather and the
     book covered in dark brown sheepskin faintly blind-tooled with a
     central diamond made up of arches with small ornaments scattered in and
     around it. Tongue turn-ins. There are two catches on the lower board
     and traces of red and cream silk ribbons nailed to the upper one with
     star-headed nails. The title is painted in red on the spine.

          Written in Italy, Parts II and III at the end of the 14th century
     and Part I in the second half of the 15th; the three sections were
     apparently bound together during the 16th or 17th century. Evidence
     concerning early provenance includes the signatures Pietro Paulo
     Santino on f. 1r and Gian Maria Ferduno [?] inside back cover.
     Presented to Yale in 1934 by Carl B. Spitzer.

     Bibliography: De Ricci, v. 2, p. 2252, no. 57; Faye and Bond, p. 25,
     no. 57.

     Barbara A. Shailor