Beinecke MS 534
France, c. 1800
Musaeus, Opusculum de Herone et Leandro, Greek and Latin

Manuscript facsimile of the edition Venice, Aldus Manutius, [1495-1497]. See A. Renouard, 
Annales de l'imprimerie des Alde, 3d ed. (Paris, 1834), pp. 257-258. In contrast with the edition, 
in which the Greek text is interleaved with the Latin translation by Marcus Musurus (c. 1470-
1517), in the facsimile the Greek text is followed by the Latin translation and the copy of the 
two woodcuts illustrating the Hero and Leander story is placed between both on ff. 11v-12r.

Parchment, ff. II (paper) + II (parchment) + 22 + II (parchment) + II (paper), 200  x 140 mm.

Ruled with pencil (almost invisibly) for one column of 20 lines above top line, 135 x 100mm.

"Typographic" Greek and Latin script.

De luxe binding by Francois Bozerian called Bozerian Jeune, s. XIX. Black morocco over 
cardboard, both covers with gold-tooled frame and corner-pieces and the Aldine anchor and 
dolphin in the centre.  Spine with seven raised bands with in the compartments the gold-tooled 
inscriptions "MUSAEUS", "ALDUS / 1495", "REL.P.BOZERIAN.JEU" and "IN 
MEMBRAN". The other compartments tooled. Gilt edges. Gold-tooled green silk doublure and 
silvery silk pasted on the facing flyleaf..

Armorial bookplate of the Syston Park library founded by Sir John Thorold (1734-1815) and 
monogram book label of his son, the great collector of incunabula and Aldines Sir John Hayford 
Thorold (1773-1831). See De Ricci, Collectors,  pp. 159-160. Signature of Longman (??). Was lot 
1369 in the Quaritch sale of  12 December 1884. Acquired by William Loring
Andrews for £ 
9.00 (his  signature and bookplate), who presented it to Yale in 1894. See A. van Name, comp., 
Catalogue of the William Loring Andrews Collection of Early Books in the Library of Yale 
University (New Haven, 1913), no.??

Bibliography:
C.E. Lutz, "Manuscripts Copied from Printed Books" in Lutz, Essays, pp. 129-138 (135-138), 
first published 1975.

Albert Derolez

Updated 27.11.2007