Beinecke MS 379               Italy, s. XV^^2
Hieronymus de Neapoli, Liber ad monachos

ff. 1r-54v Incipit liber reuerendissimi in christo patris fratris
hyeronimi de neapoli viri ualde clarissimi et omnibus uirtutibus ornati
fuit bis abbas generalis ordinis nostri scilicet ordinis montis oliueti.
Incipit prologus.  Apostolica tuba dilectissimi que per aures corporis
internus nostrarum mentium pulsauit auditum...[text, f. 1v:]  Incipit
liber ad monachos quomodo debent proficere in deum et in uirtutibus.
Capitulum primum de bona uoluntate et disposione quam debet monachus habere.
Sed ueniamus ad causam cur ista premisimus nec diutius...qui est super
omnia deus benedictus in secula secularum.  Amen.  Explicit.  Deo gracie
refferrantur.  Amen. Explicit utilissimus tractatus de insignijs monastice
religionis atque demonstracione cenobialis obseruantie et de eorum deformitate
atque uenustate editus a Venerabili ualde uiro fratre Hieronymo neapolitano
[added, in a later hand, a note on the life of the author].

     For the author Hieronymus Miraballius of Naples see P. M. Lugano, ed.,
Antonii Bargensis Chronicon Montis Oliveti (1313-1450) (Florence, 1901)
pp. 48-49, 55; he was vicar general of the Olivetan order 1417-20, 1431-35.

     Parchment, ff. i (parchment) + 54 + i (parchment), 200 x 139 (140 x 99)
mm.  33 long lines.  Ruled lightly in pen with single vertical bounding lines.
Some prickings in upper corners of written space.
     I-VI^^8, VIII^^6.
     Written by two scribes.  Scribe 1 (ff. 1r-22r) in informal humanistic
script; catchwords in center of lower margin, verso, surrounded by modest
decorative flourishes.  Scribe 2 (ff. 22r-54v) in fere-humanistic script;
catchwords perpendicular to the text along inner bounding line.
     Gold initial, 4-line, infilled and surrounded by blue penwork designs,
on f. 1r for beginning of prologue; charming border extending down inner
margin, in blue and purple penwork, with gold dots, incoporates grotesque
with gold tongue.  Plain red initials, 3- to 2-line, with purple penwork,
for first incipit.  Headings and paragraph marks in red throughout.
Guide-letters for rubricator.
     Some folios repaired with modern paper or parchment along lower
margin.
     Binding:  s. xix.  Rigid vellum case.

Written in Italy in the second half of the 15th century; early modern provenance
unknown.  Off-set impression of a circular seal or pilgrim's [?] badge
that was attached to f. 8.  Unidentified evidence of ownership includes
"6087" and "A III 10" in pencil inside front cover and "117" written in
ink on upper cover.  Belonged to S. Harrison Thomson (MS 9); note on front
pastedown indicates he purchased the manuscript in Milan.  Acquired from
Thomson in 1968 with the Edwin J. and Frederick W. Beinecke Rare Book
Endowment Fund.

secundo folio:  studia

Barbara A. Shailor