Beinecke MS 511
      Italy, s. XV
Iustinus, Epitome historiarum Pompei Trogi
      
ff. 1r-97v	Iesus Maria. Iustinus. [prologue:] [C]um multi ex Romanis etiam consularis 
dignitatis viri res Romanas Greco peregrinoque sermone historiam contulissent ... iudicium tuum 
apud posteros, cum obtrectationis invidia decerpsent industrie testimonium habituro. [text :] 
[P]rincipio regum [sic] gentium nationumque imperium penes reges erat ... populumque barbarum 
ac ferum legibus ad cultiorem vite usum traductum in formam provincie redegit. Finis.	ff. 98r-
100 blank.
      
O. Seel, ed., Teubner (1935), pp. 1-302.
      
Paper, ff. I (parchment) + 100, 290 x 195 mm. Folding in-folio. Watermarks: (1) Scissors, Briquet 
??; Piccard, Werkzeug und Waffen IX, 1103-1199, 1328-1332??; (2) Anvil, Briquet ?? Piccard??; 
(3) Hunting Horn, Briquet?? Piccard?? The quires are strengthened by means of parchment stays.

I-X 10. Horizontal catchwords in the middle of the lower margin, between four flourishes; 
missing on f. 50v (quire V), probably because this page ends with the heading of a new chapter.

Board ruling for one column of 34 lines below top line (type 31, 213 x 103 mm.), applied on the 
versos in the first half of the quires, on the rectos in the second half. 

Written by a single scribe in a small rapid Humanistica Cursiva under strong Gothic influence; the 
latter is especially visible in the forms of d and final s. Headings in Humanistica Textualis. 

The decoration is wanting. Space for 3-line initials was provided at the opening of Books II-
XLIV and for larger initials at the beginning of the Prologue and of Book I. Guide letters for the 
initials are visible in the left margin.
      
Original binding: half leather (red goatskin), heavy wooden boards, one clasp attached to the 
front cover. Spine (damaged) with three raised bands.

The margins contain contemporary annotations in Humanistica Cursiva. On the flyleaf recto there 
are calligraphic exercises in Humanistica Textualis Formata and in Roman Capitals, single letters 
and ligatures and short texts: "Omnia vincit amor et nos cedamus amori" (Vergil, Bucolica 
10.69), "Amor durus", "eius omnis", "Eterna Cristi munera", all s. XV. On f. 100v a coarse 
human head in profile has been drawn in pen and ink (s. XV). S. Harrison Thomson, MS 17. 
Bought from Thomson in 1971 on the Edwin J. Beinecke Fund.

Albert Derolez

Updated 29.11.2007