Beinecke MS 700
Italy, s. XIII 1-2
Virgil, Opera, with glosses

1. f. 1r	 Liberi [sic] titulus Bucolicorum Virgilii Maronis incipit.

Nocte pluit tota, redeunt spectacula mane, / Divisum imperium cum Iove, Cesar, habes. / Hos ego 
versiculos feci, tulit alter honorem. / Sic vos non vobis mellificatis, apes, / Sicut non vobis vellera 
fertis, oves.

Ps.-Vergilius, Versus. Schaller-Koensgen 10279;  Walther, Initia 11887 and 18140.  Anthologia 
Latina 256-257 (ed. D.R. Shackleton Bailey [Teubner, 1982], 250-251).

2. ff. 1r-5r	Melibeus. Titirus. Tytire, tu patule recubans sub tegmine fagi, / Silvestrem musam 
tenui meditaris avena ... Ite domum satur?, venit Hesperus, ite capell?.

Publius Vergilius Maro, Bucolica. O. Ribbeck, ed. (Teubner 1904).

3. ff. 5v-16r	Publ////////////////////////////////////////////. [Argumentum:] Quid faciat letas segetes, quo 
sidere servet /Agricol? ut facilem terram proscindat aratris, / Semina quo iacienda, modo 
cultusque locorum / Edocuit meses magno olym fenore reddi. [Text:] Quid faciat l?tas segetes, 
quo sidere terram / Vertere, Mecenas, ulmisque adiungere vites ... Tytire, te patul? cecini sub 
tegmine fagi.

Publius Vergilius Maro, Georgica, O. Ribbeck, ed. (Teubner 1904), with the Pseudo-Ovidian 
Argumenta in front of each Book: Schaller-Koensgen 13463; Anthologia Latina 2 (ed. Shackleton 
Bailey 2).

4. ff. 16r-70r	[Argumentum:] Primus habet Libicam veniant ut Troes in urbem, / Edocet 
excidium Troi? clademque secundus ... Ultimus imponit bello Turni nece finem. Incipiunt versus 
Ovidii Nasonis de libro Iø. Aeneas primo Libi? depellitur oris, / Vir magnus bello, nulli pietate 
secundus ... Excidium Troi? iussus narrare parabat.  Incipit Eneydum liber I.  Arma virumque 
cano Troi? qui primus ab oris / Italiam fato profugus Lavinaque venit ... Vitaque cum gemitu 
fugit indignata sub umbras. Publii Virgilii Maronis liber XIIus Eneydos explicit. Deo gratias.  Ille 
ego, qui condam gracili modulatus avena / Carmen, et egressus silvis vicina coegi, / Ut quamvis 
avido parerent arva colono, / Gratum opus agricolis, at nunc orrentia Martis.

Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneis, O. Ribbeck, ed. (Teubner 1904), with the summary ascribed to 
Basilius (one of the Twelve Wise Men; Schaller-Koensgen 12542, Anthologia Latina 634) and the 
Argumenta of each book ascribed to Ovid: Schaller-Koensgen 363; Anthologia Latina 1 (ed. 
Shackleton Bailey 1). The four verses after the explicit are Schaller-Koensgen 7713: Donatus, Vita 
Vergilii, J. Brummer ed. (Vitae Vergilianae, Teubner, 1912), 165-168; and Servius, Vita Vergilii 
(same ed.), 34-37.

5. f. 70v	[instruction for rubricator:] P(ublii) V(irgilii) M(aronis) descriptio boni viri. [text:] 
Vir bonus et sapiens, qualem vix repperit ullum / Milibus e cuntis hominum consultus Apollo ... 
Offensus pravis det palmam et premia rectis. 

Ps.-Vergilius, De institutione viri boni. Schaller-Koensgen 17263; Anthologia Latina 644; Appendix 
Vergiliana, edd. W.V. Clausen, F.R.D. Goodyear, E.J. Kenney, J.A. Richmond (Oxford, 1966), 
pp. 167-168.

6. ff. 70v-71r		Iam nox hybernas iam quinque peregerat horas, / Excubitorque diem cantu 
predixerat ales ... Atque agit in segetes et terre condit aratrum. Virgilii Publii Maronis de rustico 
descriptio explicit.

Ps.-Vergilius, Moretum. Schaller-Koensgen 7517; Appendix Vergiliana, pp. 158-163.

7. f. 71r	Rure morans, quid agam? respondeo pauca rogatus: / Mane deum exoro, famulos  
post arvaque viso ...Prandeo, poto cano, ludo, lavo, ceno, quiesco. 

De habitatione ruris. Schaller-Koensgen 14414; Anthologia Latina 26 (ed. Shackleton Bailey 13), 
verses 1-2, 4-7.

8. f. 71r-v	[copied without interruption after art. 7] Lucus amenus erat, quem fons faciebat 
amenum, / Umbraque sole carens et pratum gramine plenum ... Turba stupens ascendit equos 
urbemque petivit.

Ps.-Ovidius, De lucu. Walther, Initia 10440; see about this medieval poem H. Walther, Das 
Streitgedicht in der lateinischen Literatur des Mittelalters. Quellen und Untersuchungen zur 
lateinischen Philologie des Mittelalters, v. 5.2 (Muenchen, 1920), pp. 121-122; P. Lehmann, 
Pseudo-antike Literatur des Mittelalters. Studien der Bibliothek Warburg, v. 13 (Leipzig, Berlin, 
1927), pp. 9, 90, 95 n. 42.

9. f. 71v	[instruction for rubricator:] *** de etatibus animantium Hesiodion. [text:] Ter 
binos deciesque novem super exit in annos / Iusta senescentum quos implet vita virorum ... 
Cetera secreta novit deus arbiter evi.

De aetatibus. Hesiodion, 1-10. Schaller-Koensgen 16238; Anthologia Latina 647.

10. ff. 71v-72r		Ver erat et blando mordentia frigora morsu / Spirabat croceo mane revecta 
dies ... Et memor esto evum sic properare tuum.

Ps.-Vergilius, De rosis nascentibus. Schaller-Koensgen 17074; Anthologia Latina 646; Appendix 
Vergiliana, pp. 177-178.

11. ff. 72r-73v		[instruction for rubricator:] De culice. [text:] Lusimus, Octavi, gracili 
modulante Thalia, / Atque ut araneoli tenueme [sic] formavimus orsum ... Funeris offitium vite 
pro munere reddo.

Ps.-Vergilius, Culex. Schaller-Koensgen 9099; Appendix Vergiliana, pp. 19-36.

12. ff. 73v-74v	[instruction for rubricator:] Dire. [text:] Battare, cygneas repetamus 
carmine voces: / Divisas iterum sedes et rura canamus ... Ut maneam quod vix oculis cognoscere 
possis.

Ps.-Vergilius, Dirae. Schaller-Koensgen 1614; Appendix Vergiliana, pp. 5-14.

13. f. 74v	[instruction for rubricator:] Copas. [text:] Copa Sirisca, capit [sic] grata redimita 
mitella, / Crispum sub crotalo docta movere latus ... Mors aurem vellens, vivite, ait, venio.

Ps.-Vergilius, Copa. Schaller-Koensgen 2759; Appendix Vergiliana, pp. 81-82.

14. ff.	74v-75r	Est et non, cunti monosillaba nota frequentant, / His demptis nil est 
hominum quod sermo volutet ... Qualis vita hominum, duo quam monosillaba versant!

Ps.-Vergilius, De est et non. Schaller-Koensgen 4582; Anthologia Latina 645; Appendix Vergiliana, 
pp. 173-174.

15. f. 75r	[instruction for rubricator:] **epigra**. [text:] Pastorum Musam vario certamine 
promit, / Ruris item docilis culturam carmine mostrat ... Turni vita fugit infernas mesta sub 
umbras.

Monosticha in cunctis libris Vergilii. Schaller-Koensgen 11724; Anthologia Latina 720a.

16. f. 75r	[instruction for rubricator:] Virgilius de seipso. [text:] Meonium quisquis Romanus 
nescit Homerum, / Me legat, et lectum credat utrumque sibi ... Hec Grais
constant si[n]gula, 
trina michi.

Ps.-Vergilius. Schaller-Koensgen 9167; Anthologia Latina 674a.

17. f. 75r	[instruction for rubricator:] **ston. [text:] Sus, iuvenis, serpens casum venere sub 
unum. / Sus iacet extinctus, serpens pede et ille veneno ... Hic fremit, ille gemit, sibilat hic 
moriens.

Ps.-Vergilius, De venatore qui cum aprum excepit serpentem calcavit imprudens. Schaller-
Koensgen 15908; Anthologia Latina 160 (ed. Shackleton Bailey 149).

18. f. 75r	[instruction for rubricator:] Exprobratio Virgilii in vetulam. [text:] Si memini, 
fuerant tibi IIII, Helia, dentes, / Expulit una duos tussis et una duos ... Nil istic quid agat tertiat 
[sic] tussis habet.

Martialis, Epigr. 1.19. Schaller-Koensgen 15058; D.R. Shackleton Bailey, ed. (Teubner 1990).

19. f. 75r	[instruction for rubricator:] Sextus Pompeius **vir. [text:] Cedite, Romani 
scriptores, cedite Grai, / Nescio quid maius nascitur Yliade.

Propertius, Elegiae, 3.32.65-66 = Schaller-Koensgen 2059: De Vergilio; Anthologia Latina 264 
(ed. Shackleton Bailey 258).

20. f. 75r	Ergone supremis potuit vox  improba verbis / Tam dirum mandare nephas? Ergo 
ibit in ignes ... Eternum florere potest quod iusserat ille.		f.  75v blank

Ps.-Octavianus Augustus, Poem in praise of Virgil's Aeneis. Schaller-Koensgen 4417; Anthologia 
Latina  672 (version á).

21. ff. 76r-82r		Virgiliocentunnae Probae libellus incipit, in quo priorum documentis 
auctorum nostram gentem catholicas ad fidem invitare studuit [faulty heading s. XVI/XVII 
written in the upper margin]. Iam dudum temerasse duces pia federa pacis, / Regnandi miseros 
tenuit quod ita cupido ... Hac casta maneant in religione nepotes. Explicit Virgiliocentirona 
Probe, cuius Homerocentironam non habet Latinitas, sicut Virgiliocentironam eius non habet 
Grecia. Studuit enim nostram gentem ad fidem catholicam invitare  priorum documentis 
auctorum.		ff. 82v-83v blank apart from later notes

Proba (wrote c. 385-387), Cento. Schaller-Koensgen 7487; Walther, Initia 9696; CPL 1480. C. 
Schenkl, ed., CSEL, v. 16, 1 (1888), pp. 569-609. In columns at the left and at the right of the 
pages the verses are indicated which are quoted on the same line (e.g.: "7 e 211" = Aeneis, 7.211) 
. In the open space at right of the text the facts of Biblical history purported to be alluded to in 
Virgil's verses are mentioned.


Parchment (goatskin), ff. II (paper) + 83 + II (paper). The outer side of the quires is flesh side. 
Quires I-IV (ff. 1-31) appear to be palimpsest, with very irregular edges, sometimes repaired by 
sewing strips of parchment unto them, which are now lost. F. 83 was originally paste-down.

I8 (ff. 1-8), II8 (- 6, ff. 9-15, loss of text), III8 (ff. 16-23), IV8 (ff. 24-31, ff. 26 and 29 are 
singletons with stubs), V-VI10 (ff. 32-51), VII-IX8 (ff. 52-75), X6 (ff. 76-81), XI2 (ff. 82-83). 
Horizontal catchwords, far right; quire-marks in arabic numerals on the first page of the quires, 
under the left-hand column; both are often missing. Traces of signatures in red ink in the first 
quires.

ff. 1-31 (quires I-IV) have pricking in the upper, outer and lower margins and hard-point ruling 
for two columns of 48 lines above top line, 195 x 118 mm., intercolumnar space 10 mm.; ruling 
type 53 with a supplementary vertical line in the intercolumnar space; ff. 32r-71r have crayon 
ruling of the same type for 45 or 46 lines below top line, c. 192 x c. 112 mm., intercolumnar space 
7 mm.; no pricking in the outer margin is visible. From f. 71v to f. 82r there are 55-57 lines below 
top line. Art. 21 has a special layout with one text column at the left of the pages and narrow 
columns at both sides.

Two scribes: A copied ff. 1-31 (quires I-IV) in Southern Praegothica close to late Carolingian 
script; B copied the remaining quires, starting with the text of Book 5 of Aeneis, in more rapid 
early Southern Textualis/Semitextualis; his spelling is marked by italianisms. Corrections and 
glosses from various periods.

The headings in red are not executed; some added later in Gothica Cursiva Formata 
(Cancelleresca); instructions for the rubricator  are seen ff. 70v-75r. Numerous paragraph marks 
alternately in red and blue, sometimes black. Plain and flourished initials of various sizes in red 
and blue (other colours are also used in quires I-IV. Decorated painted initials on ff. 1r (Ecloga 
1), 5v (Book 1 of Georgica), 8r (Book 2), 11r (Book 3), 14r (Book 4), 16r (Book 1 of Aeneis), 
20r (Book 2), 24r (Book 3), 28r (Book 4), 32r (Book 5), 36v (Book 6), 41v (Book 7), 46v (Book 
8), 50v (Book 9), 55r (Book 10), 60r (Book 11), 65r (Book 12); except in quires I-IV they are 
decorated with gold balls. From f. 70v onwards there are guide-letters, but all initials and other 
decoration are missing. A rectangular space of the width of one column was reserved for a 
miniature on f. 1ra, which was not executed.

Binding s. XVII: white parchment over pasteboard. On the spine with five slightly raised bands 
red leather label with gold-tooled inscription "VIRGI-/LIUS / M.S."  (this title has been 
completed in black ink with "P(ublius)" , "Eneidos etc." and "membr"); below the label the 
handwritten date "saec. XIV". At the top of the spine the number "7907", partly covered by a 
label with the number "12813". Marbled endpapers; on the front pastedown a circular label with 
the number "161".

Quires I-IV are from the first half of the thirteenth century; the remaining ones and the 
decoration were added half a century later. On ff. 82r-83r notes, scribbles and drawings from 
various periods: "dactylus, spondeus, trocheus"; "arma tellus axis deus" (s. XIV); "La ira divina 
non punisse in fretta, / Cum tardita fa pur crudel vendetta" (s. XVII); designs of interlace 
ornament (s. XV?); the Greek alphabet; "hyedos Grece Latine pudor ..." (s. XV), etc. Purchased 
on the Edwin J. Beinecke Fund.

Albert Derolez

R 18.02.09