YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
PRE-1600 MANUSCRIPTS
Beinecke MS 155 Germany, s. XV^^med
Seneca, etc.
1. f. 1r In nomine domini nostri ihesu cristi Amen.
Sanctus iheronimus de seneca in Cathologo sanctorum [uirorum
illustrium]. Lucius Annaeus Seneca cordubensis...a nerone
interfectus est.
PL 33.629.
2. ff. 1r-2v Epistole senece neronis
imperatoris magistri ad paulum apostolum et pauli apostoli ad
Senecam. Seneca paulo Salutem. Credo tibi paule nunciatum
esse...perpetuam animam parit ad dominum istinc properantem.
Vale Seneca carissime nobis. Expliciunt epistole.
Fourteen letters between Seneca and St. Paul in the same
order as F. Haase, ed., Teubner (1872) v. 3, pp. 476-81.
3. f. 2v Incipiunt [sic] epitaphium Senece. Cura labor
meritum...reddimus ossa tibi. Explicit epithaphium senece.
Haase, op. cit., p. 482.
4. ff. 2v-6r Incipiunt capittula supra singulas epistolas
eiusdem ad lucilium prima capitula primi libri. De colligenda
ut sistenda fuga temporis et non esse...bonum in nullo nisi
in quo ratio est. Capitula xxij. libri Expliciunt.
22 numbered chapters, for art. 5.
5. ff. 6r-167v Incipiunt epistole mentis Colonus et
cultorum morum lucius anneus seneca et moralis philosophie
emulatorum studiosissimus et beatissimo paulo apostolo mira
familiaritate coniunctus ad amicum suum lucilium has morales
fecit epistolas per libros distinguens mira exhortacione
vitam moralem continentes. Incipit liber primus de colligenda
et sistenda fuga temporis et non esse pauperem cui esse
modicum sat [sic] est. Seneca lucilio suo salutem. Ita fac mi
lucilli vendica te tibi...quom intelleges felicissimos [sic]
esse felices. Vale. Explicit epistularum liber amici lucij
senece xxij.
L. D. Reynolds, ed., OCT (1965) 2 v. The letters are
arranged in the following order (Roman numerals refer to the
book divisions as they appear in the manuscript and Arabic
numbers to the letters in Reynolds): I. 1-10; II. 11-19; III.
20-28; IV-V. 29-44 (portions of letters 33-36 missing along
with the beginning of Book V); VI. 45-50; VII. 51-57; VIII.
58-65; IX. 66-69; X. 70-72; XI. 73-76; XII. 77-79; XIII. 80-
82; XIV. 83-85; XV. 86-87; 88 treated separately, see art. 7;
XVI. 89 (divided into two letters the second of which begins
"Haec lucili uirorum optime")-92; XVII. 93-95; XVIII. 96-100;
XIX. 101-06; XX. 107-19; XXI. 110-17; XXII. 118-24.
6. ff. 168r-170v Incipit prologus in librorum senece de
remedijs fortuitorum. Hunc librum composuit Seneca
nobilissimus orator...Explicit prologus. Incipit liber
Senecae de remedijs fortuitorum ad gallionem. Licet cunctorum
poetarum carmina gremium tuum...Vides autem quam domi sit
ista felicita [sic] rara. Explicit liber de remedijs
fortuitorum annei lucij senece.
Haase, op. cit., v. 3, pp. 446-57.
7. ff. 170v-174r Incipit liber eiusdem de vij liberalibus
artibus ubi docet de eis singulis quod animi...De liberalibus
studiis quid sentiam scire desideras. Nullum...ne hoc quidem
nobis reliquerunt nihil scire. Explicit liber annei lucij de
vij. liberalibus artibus.
Letter 88 of Seneca's Epistolae; cf. art. 5 (Reynolds,
op. cit., v. 1, pp. 312-23).
8. ff. 174r-177r Incipit tractatus eiusdem de Quatuor
virtutibus. Quatuor virtutum species multorum sapientium
studijs diffinite sunt quibus animus humanus
componi...deuitet insaniam aut deficientem puniat ignauiam.
Explicit tractatus de iiij^^or virtutibus annei lucij Senece.
Formula vitae honestae of Martin of Braga, C. W. Barlow, ed.,
Martini episcopi bracarensis opera omnia (New Haven, 1950)
pp. 237-50.
9. ff. 177r-215v Incipit primus liber eiusdem ad nouatum
Senecam meli felicis suo declamationum. Seneca nouato senece
me. fi. salutem. Exigitis rem magis iocundam mihi quam
facilem...bono exemplo dampnatus est proditor malo inuentus.
Explicit liber x. annei lucij Senece declamationum ad
nouatum. Senecam meli filios.
Seneca the Elder, Controversiae, divided into ten books;
A. Kiessling, ed., Teubner (1966) pp. 57-525.
10. ff. 216r-222v Seneca de verborum Copia. Quisquis
prudentiam sequi desideras tunc per rationem...Turpissima
iactura est que pro negligentiam sit. Explicit Seneca de
uerborum Copia. Incipit ludus Seneca// [the next text is
wanting]
For a discussion of this spurious text see Barlow, op.
cit., pp. 208-09.
Paper (sturdy; unidentified watermarks, much worn), ff.
i (paper) + 222 + i (paper), 282 x 210 (210 x 121) mm. Frame-
ruled in lead, with lines full across; prickings at upper,
outer and lower edges.
I-II^^12, III^^12 (-11), IV-XVIII^^12, XIX^^12 (-8 through
12).
Written by one scribe in small, even cursive with some
loops.
9- to 2-line initials, in red; the larger ones split.
1-line capitals stroked with red, rubrics throughout.
Binding: s. xvii-xviii. Limp vellum case with tan calf,
gold-tooled label. Ribbon ties, now missing. In ink on upper
cover: "1442. Epistola Senecae ad paulum et pauli ad
Senecam". In poor condition; many quires detached.
Written in Germany in the mid-15th century, possibly in
1442 as noted on cover; early provenance unknown.
Unidentified round paper label with "1007", on spine.
Belonged to the Jesuit College at Agen (note at top of f. 1r:
"Collegij Agen Societatis Jesu Catal-Ins."). Sold by Thorpe
(cat. 1836, no. 1156) to Sir Thomas Phillipps (no. 9072; note
inside front cover); his sale (London, 1897, lot 689) to
Little. Sale by Anderson (New York, 4 Dec. 1903, no. 399) to
Caxton. Presumably acquired by Adolph Lewisohn (listed in De
Ricci) through V. G. Simkhovitch (see the Catalogue of the
Private Library of Mr. Adolph Lewisohn [New York, privately
printed, 1923] p. 82). Belonged to David Wagstaff
(bookplate); gift of Mrs. David Wagstaff in 1944.
Bibliography: De Ricci, v. 2, p. 1720, no. 5; Faye and Bond,
p. 36, no. 155.
Barbara A. Shailor