Beinecke MS 290               Italy, s. XVI^^2
Michael Syncellus, Eclogae Prophetiarum (in Greek)

ff. 1r-108v [Heading, in black, over earlier title in red which has been
effaced:]
[Greek]...[scriptural text:]
[Greek].
[interpretation begins:]
[Greek].

     This treatise of Michael Syncellus was not located in any of the standard
reference works.

     Paper (polished; watermarks:  none are in Briquet though the design of one,
an anchor within a circle surmounted by a star, is similar to a series from
Northern Italy:  Udine, Verona, Ferrara, nos. 549-65 and to Harlfinger, Ancre
67, 77), ff. xii (contemporary paper; the same unidentified watermark on the
flyleaves occurs on the flyleaves of Beinecke MS 289) + 109 + vii (contemporary
paper), 210 x 150 (145 x 88) mm.  Written in 18 long lines, ruled in hard point
on verso; two or three outer bounding lines and single inner ones.
     I-VI^^8, VII^^6, VIII-XII^^8, XIII^^6 (-1), XIV^^6, XV^^4.  Signatures occur in no
consistent manner; they are either Arabic numbers or letters of the alphabet in
various locations along the lower edge, recto.  Catchwords perpendicular
to text at bottom of folio near gutter, on verso.
     Written by three copyists.  Scribe 1 copied ff. 1r-94v, and also the first
line of
f. 95r and the last line of f. 99v, along with the rubrics for ff. 95r-99v.
His style varies from formal and upright in the initial folios and in most
scriptural passages to informal and slanted in most of the interpretation.
Scribe 2 wrote the interpretation (in black) on ff. 95r-99v.  Scribe 3 supplied
ff. 100r-108v and made the correction, in black ink, of first portion of the
incipit on f. 1r, which was in red and then effaced.  This third scribe is also
Scribe 2 in Beinecke MS 289, Scribe 1 in MS 490, and the only scribe in
MS 257.
     Abundant rubrication throughout codex, especially for scriptural passages;
many simple initials in red or black.  Headpiece, in black, on f. 1r.
     Binding:  s. xviii-xix.  Paper case, "alla rustica".  Name of author
on front cover.  Both the style of binding and the hand on the
front cover are the same as those for Beinecke MS 289.

Written probably in Northern Italy in the second half of the 16th century;
early modern provenance unknown.  Belonged to the Library of the Santa Iglesia
del Pilar, Saragossa, Spain (Graux and Martin, pp. 216-217, no. 1236
[in pencil on cover];
Olivier, pp. 52-57).  Purchased from L. C. Witten, April 1960, as
the gift of the Yale Library Associates.

Bibliography:  Faye and Bond, p. 50, no. 290.

Barbara A. Shailor