Philosophical texts; Padua, c. 1581

Title

Philosophical texts; Padua, c. 1581

Shelfmark

Merton College MS. 304

Place of origin

Script of French appearance; textual corrections in a script of English appearance.

Italy, Padua

Date

c. 1581

c. 1300

Language

Latin

Ancient Greek (to 1453)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Paper

Physical extent

386 leaves (iv + 375, plus three unnumbered folios after 267, four after 341) The edges stained yellow.

Hands

Written by Camillus Venetus, using an exemplar belonging to the Paduan Gian Vincenzo Pinelli (1535–1601). The same exemplar was copied in 1589 by James Dalyrimple who wrote f. 10rv (a replacement leaf glued to the stub of its predecessor) of this MS. Brief marginal notes by him on f. 1rv.

Decoration

Titles, initials of simple pen-work ornament and chapter headings in various red inks.

Binding

Oxford, blind-stamped brown leather over reverse-bevelled wooden boards repaired by Maltby in 1953; an elaborate version of Pearson, Oxford Bookbinding, type B2b; his fig. 28 is somewhat similar. Formerly two clasps from the front board to catches at the rear; the marks of a chain staple at the foredge of the front board, near the foot. The front foredge is marked with the numeral 6. A pencilled note records that the binding was repaired by Maltby in 1953.

Provenance

Bought by Sir Henry Savile in Padua.

On f. iiv is a list of the chapters of art. 2 in Dalyrimple’s hand, a table of contents, s. xvii, ‘Q. 3. 6. Art:’, canc., and ‘I. 2. 4. (CCCIV)’ in red. The College bookplate.