Beinecke MS 173                                                          Italy, s. XV
Seneca, Tragoediae

     1. ff. 1r-27v    Soror tonantis. hoc enim michi solum/ Nomen relictum
     est. semper alienum iouem/...Restituet armis. ista te alcide uocat/
     Facere innocens terra quae superos solet.

     Hercules furens; R. Peiper and G. Richter, eds.,
     Tragoediae, Teubner
     (1902) pp. 3-48.

     2. ff. 27v-50v    [Q]uis me furor nunc sede ab infausta abstrait/ Auido
     fugaces ore captantem cibos/...Hijs puniendum te tradunt mea/ Te
     puniendum liberis trado tuis.

     Thyestes; Peiper and Richter, op. cit. ., pp. 281-318.

     3. ff. 50v-61v    [C]eci parentis regimen ac fexi unucum/ Patris
     leuamen nata quamquam tanti est mihi/...Patriam penates coniugem.
     flammis dare/ Imperam pretio quolibet constant bene.

     Phoenissae; Peiper and Richter, op. cit, pp. 93-115.

     4. ff. 62r-83v    [I]te umbros eingnite [sic] siluas/ Summaque motis
     iuga cicropij/...Ratem retatat ne det oblicum latus/ Currus gubernat
     ora nunc pressis trahit//

     Hippolytos; Peiper and Richter, op. cit., pp. 157 and following (the
     text ends abruptly at line 1075).

          According to A. MacGregor, Beinecke MS 173 appears to be closely
     related to Osimo, Collegio Campana MS XLIX. 17 and may be a direct
     descendant from it; the Yale codex, as all manuscripts belonging to the
     vulgar (A) tradition, is dependent upon Vatican, Vat. lat. 2829 (see A.
     MacGregor, "The MS Tradition of Seneca's Tragedies: Ante renatus in
     Italia litteras". Transactions of the American Philological
     Society 102
     [1971] pp. 327-56).

          Paper (watermarks: similar to Briquet Etoile 6045 [but with cross]
     and similar in design to Monts 11706), ff. i (paper) + 83 + i (paper),
     288 x 212 (159 x 87) mm. Written in 25 lines of verse; single vertical
     and horizontal bounding lines full across. Ruled in lead; prickings
     along outer edge of leaf.
          I^^14 (-1, no loss of text), II-VI^^14. Catchwords in center under
     written space.
          Text written in awkward fere-humanistic script; interlinear and
     marginal notes (ff. 1r-29r) in a less formal style of writing.
          One inelegant initial on f. 1r, 8-line, dark red, crimson, dark
     green, dull brown foliage on gold rectangular ground, edged in black;
     with borders of same design and colors in upper and lower margins. Gold
     dots, surrounded by penwork designs and squiggles, in all margins,
     except outer. Space left for decorative initials at beginning of other
     tragedies.
          Binding: s. xviii-xix. Edges daubed with pink and green. Rigid
     vellum; rebacked.

          Written in Italy in the 15th century; the poor quality of the
     decoration and the numerous peculiar readings in the text suggest that
     it is a product of a provincial workshop. Two inscriptions [s. xviii?]
     on f. 1r: "Queste sono uarie Tragedie de Seneca [followed by erasure]";
     and "Con. S. A. Neapoli". Tregaskis, Cat. 969 (June 1929) no. 152.
     Belonged to J. T. Adams; his sale (London, 8 Dec. 1931, no. 220) to
     Dobell (The Ingatherer, 22 Feb. 1932, no. 17). Acquired by David
     Wagstaff (bookplate); gift of Mrs. David Wagstaff in 1944.

     secundo folio: Parum est

     Bibliography: De Ricci, v. 2, p. 1905, no. 2; Faye and Bond, p. 36, no.
     173.
          E. T. Silk, "The Wagstaff Collection of Classical and Mediaeval
     Manuscripts," Gazette 19 (1944) p. 1.

     Barbara A. Shailor