Works by Georgios Gemistos Pletho, Isocrates and Georgios/Gennadios Scholarios

Title

Works by Georgios Gemistos Pletho, Isocrates and Georgios/Gennadios Scholarios

Shelfmark

MS. Holkham Gr. 76

Date

15th c. (first quarter).

Language

Ancient Greek (to 1453)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Paper. Watermarks, cf. Briquet, Couronne (crown) 4846 (Genova 1465, 1466), cf. Briquet Fleur (flower) 6690 (Goritz 1454, Fabriano 1452, 1471)

Physical extent

iii + 26 leaves.

Hands

Γεώργιος Γρηγορόπουλος, 1450–1501, RGK I, 58, II, 78, III, 98, Álbum de copistas de manuscritos griegos en España, Vol. I: Biblioteca de El Escorial, 48, as Gregoropulus, Georgius https://webs.ucm.es/info/copistas/copista.html?num=48 (accessed at 28.6.19); fol. 23r (in red ink: Γεώργ(ιος) γρηγορόπουλος, ἐξέγραψεν:

Decoration

Decorative head-pieces in the beginning of sections, fols. 1r, 6r, 16r.

fol. 23r: Monokondylon in red ink: τέλος. The same is repeated in black ink three times, the first in large size, equal to the red one and the rest smaller by different hand(s).

Binding

Typical Holkham binding of brown leather, with Coke family ostrich crest in gilt in the centre of the upper cover; Date: early nineteenth century. Rebound by John Jones of Liverpool (worked for Holkham 1816–1823. The spine lettered in gilt: ISOCRATIS VARIA GR. in pasted black leather: MS. /HOLKHAM/ Gr. 76/

Provenance

MS Holkham Gr 76 was once the second part of MS. Holkham Gr 80. Construction of the latter in the current form is an interesting case. See Fassino, La tradizione, pp. 96–97 who pointed out the fact that the table of contents of MS. Holkham Gr 30 (fols. 1r-2v) continues with a crossed out text (fol. 3r), which lists items i-v of the now MS. Holkham Gr 76. This makes plausible that Morezenos was planning to join the material of MS Holkham Gr 76 with MS. Holkham Gr 30, but he finally decided not to do so. It is interesting to see that when Montfaucon inspected the MSS, the situation was as follows: MS. Holkham Gr 30 as a separate volume, and one codex with its first part (now MS. Holkham Gr. 80), numbered as ΚΓον by Morezenos and 51 by Giustiniani, and the second part (now MS. Holkham Gr 76) with no numbering at all. This separation apparently happened after 1698.

Ownership Notes: 1st paste down on the verso (in the centre, in pencil): MS. Holkham Gr. 76, the same also in the middle of fol. i(v); fol. 1(a)r (left top corner in black ink) signature of Thomas William Coke; fol. iir: (in pencil); No. 285 280 DI. B17; fol. 23v: … Questo libro si e di me /Basichi et amicorum suorum] Questo libro si e di me Marcum morsinum et ameorum amicorum est’. Based on a misreading of Morsinum as Musurm it was erroneously thought that the MS had belonged to Marcus Musurus. See H. Schenkl, ‘Bibliotheca patrum latinorum Britannica VII’, Sitzungsberichte der philosophisch-historischen Classe der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften 133 (1896) 79; R. Föster, ‘Handschriften in Holkham’ Philologus, xlii (1884) 163. For a different view, see P. Canart, ‘Scribes grecs de la Renaissance. Additions et corrections aux répertoires de Vogel-Gardthausen et de Patrinélis’ Scriptorium 17.1 (1963) 65, n. 17, who copied what Barbour wrote to him in litteris (1.11.1962): “his ex libris note occurs in many of these manuscripts (ἐκ τῶν μάρκου μορεζήνου or sometimes μορζήνου, sometimes adding ἱερέως or θύτου or τοῦ κρητός). He sometimes makes a table of contents (as in MS. 30), and often writes notes or short passages in the middle of composite volumes; but I find his hand difficult to distinguish from some others.” Catalogue Nrs: MS Holkham Gr 80 was the first part of this MS. Cf. Ms Holkham Gr. 80, fol. 1r: 1698. Cod. 51. numero complectens varia variorum | diversis temporibus conscripta alia 200. circiter | alia 300. annorum (= Giustiniani 51) and fol. 2r (in grey ink, top centre): ΚΓ ον (=Morezenos 23), Olim Holkham Hall, Libr. of the Earl of Leicester, 280.