Beinecke MS 98                                                            Italy, 1598
Diploma (in Lat.)

          ff. 1r-6v    In Christi nomine amen. Vniuersis et singulis
     praesens hoc publicum Doctoratus Priuilegium uisuris, lecturis, seu
     legi audituris. Aloysius Brullinus Forosem proniensis, Iuris Vtriusque
     Doctor, et in Episcopatu Paduae...et frequenti copia Testibus omnibus
     ad premissa vocatis, et rogatis. [followed by autograph signature of
     Aloysius Brullinus] Franciscus de Oddis Not. Cas. Alm. Vniuersitat.
     Pat. scriptor scripsit.

          Diploma for a doctorate in Theology accorded to Iosephus
     Prudentius from the University of Padua, June 1598.

          Parchment, ff. i (paper) + 6 + ii (paper), 220 x 165 (175 x 121)
     mm. Written in 18 long lines, single vertical bounding lines ruled in
     lead; the written space is surrounded by double lines in purple ink.
          One quire of 6. One or two syllables as catchwords at lower right
     of written area on each verso.
          Written by Franciscus de Oddis (see below), in an elegant
     italic.
          On f. 1r, a full vine-scroll border, in purple ink with grapes and
     highlights in gold, outlined in double purple lines; a 5-line initial,
     gold, with purple and gold vines. Headings and names of persons in
     humanistic bookhand or square capitals, in gold.
          Binding: s. xix. Brown leather wrapper, gold-tooled.

          Written in Padua in 1598 by Franciscus de Oddis, notary of the
     University of Padua; early provenance unknown. Unidentified catalogue
     entry pasted on front flyleaf: "394 Roman Catholic Ms. in Latin. On 6
     leaves of vellum. Bound in russia. Padua. 1598". Bought from Blackman's
     in 1939.

     Bibliography: Faye and Bond, p. 29, no. 98.

     Barbara A. Shailor