Beinecke MS 579
Germany, s. XV 4/4 
Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (Pope Pius II), In Europam.

1. f. 1r	Miserere mihi, Domine, et exaudi orationem meam. Salva nos, Domine, vigilantes, custodi 
nos dormientes, ut vigilemus in Christo et requiescamus in pace, Christe, qui lux es et quia pauper 
ego sum incolo [l. incola?]. 	f.  1v blank

2. f. 2r	Reverendissimi patris domini Enee de Picolhominibus, cardinalis Sancte Sabine, de his 
que sub Cesare Fridrico tercio per Germaniam gesta sunt, cum locorum descripcione, ad 
Anthonium cardinalem Hilerdensem. Anthonio sacrosancte Romane ecclesie presbitero, cardinali 
Hilerdensi appellato, patri suo colendissimo Eneas, eiusdem ordinis, non eiusdem  meriti 
cardinalis Senensis, s(alutem) p(lurimam) d(icit). Podagrantem me nuper et artheticis doloribus (ut 
soleo) laborantem librarius quidam theutonicus adiit libellum afferens, in quo Romanorum 
Cesarum non tam gesta quam nomina et pauca de moribus continebantur usque ad Venceslaum 
Caroli quarti  filium [Wenceslas of Bohemia, deposed 1400]. Cunque illi opusculo quatuor 
imperatores deesse viderentur (nam Benvenutas [sic] Himolensis eius operis auctor sub Venceslao 
decesserat), rogavit me librarius ut adiicerem libello quod deerat. Nolui turbari hominem. 
Complevi ad etatem nostram imperatorum numerum, brevitatem illius qui precesserat imitatus. At 
quom subiret mentem multa et magna inter Christianos gesta esse ab eo tempore quo Federicus 
imperium accepit usque in hanc diem, opusculum seorsum edere statui, in quo singularia quedam 
eius temporis  sub compendio ad posteritatis memoriam transmitterem digna memoratu ... Et 
quicquid inscite, inepte, absurde occurrerit, sumpto calamo dele. Ex urbe Roma quarto Kalendas 
Aprilis [29 March] 1458, etc.

Dedicatory epistle to cardinal Antonius Cerdanus (Antonio de la Cerda, 1390-1459), bishop of 
Lerida, for art. 3. It appears that the author wrote a continuation to the Liber augustalis of 
Benvenutus de Rambaldis from Imola (1320-1387/88), which brought him on the idea to 
compose a history of Europe during the first years of the reign of Emperor Frederic III (1440-
1493).

3. ff. 2v-88r	Que sub Federico tertio eius nominis imperatore apud Europeos et qui nomine 
Christiano censentur insulares homines gesta feruntur memoratu digna mihique cognita tradere 
posteris quam brevissime libet. Commiscebimus aliqua interdum altius repetita, quemadmodum 
locorum rerumque ratio expostulari videbitur. Hungaria, que Austri@ Federici patrie contermina 
est ... Afonsus [sic] vero eam Italie partem, quae olim Magna Grecia dicta est, pugnando, 
instando, vincendo sibi subiecit et, magister Italice pacis factus, Hispanicarum quoque rerum 
moderator et arbiter esse videtur.

Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (Pope Pius II, 1405-1464), In Europam.


Paper, ff. III + 88 + III, 310 x 215 mm. Watermark similar to Briquet 14573?? (1487; variants: 
1465-1485).

I-VI 10 (ff. 1-60), VII 8 (ff. 61-68), VIII-IX 10 (ff. 69-88). Horizontal catchwords in the inner 
margin.

Board ruling for one column of 39 lines above top line, 226/230 x c. 130 mm.; ff. 22-24 and 27-
29 have frame-ruling in crayon c. 235 x c. 135 for 35-38 lines.

Written  in Gothica Semihybrida Libraria/Currens by at least two hands. The entire text except 
art. 1 and the parts copied by B seems to be copied by one hand, A; hand B, which is younger, 
writing a smaller and more even script, copied ff. 22r-24v and 27r-29v. In both hands fancy 
extensions of the ascenders on the top line. Art. 1 is in a hand close to A.

The red heading on f. 2r is in a large Gothica Semihybrida Libraria. Dark red heigthening of the 
majuscules from f. 2r up to f. 5r. Apart from two plain initials in the same colour the text is 
undecorated.

Binding s. XX: half red morocco, the boards covered with marbled paper. On the flat spine the 
gold-tooled inscription "AENEAS SILVIUS - EUROPA". Yellow edges.

In quire III (ff. 21-30) the second, third and fourth bifolium are replacements copied by hand B 
for leaves which are lost or for one or other reason have been removed, as is testified by the 
different layout and the following anomalies: f. 24v, at the first transition from hand B to hand 
A, is blank apart from the first three lines; similarly on f. 29v, at the second transition, only the 
first four lines are written. Abundant marginal captions in Humanistica Cursiva s. XV/XVI, 
except on the replacement leaves in quire III.
Bookplate of Georgius Kloss M.D., Frankfurt am Main (1787-1854); see on him Allgemeine 
Deutsche Biographie, v. 16 (Leipzig, 1882), pp. 227-228. On f. 1r the note (s. XIX) "Presented 
to St. Augustine's College by Rev. R.C. Jenkins (the donor's name printed with a decorative 
stamp)". Armorial bookplate of St. Augustine's College, Canterbury ("Collegii Sti. Augustini 
apud Cantuarienses liber"). Maggs Bros., London. Purchased from Bernard M. Rosenthal, San 
Francisco, 22 August 1975, on the Edwin J. Beinecke Fund.

Albert Derolez

R 03.06.08