Eusebius — 15th century, middle; Italian, Florence

Title

Eusebius — 15th century, middle; Italian, Florence

Shelfmark

MS. Holkham misc. 2

Place of origin

Italian, Florence

Date

15th century, middle

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment, the edges of the first two leaves badly damaged; other leaves less badly damaged, usually repaired with parchment.

Physical extent

iii (paper) + 150 + iii (paper)

Hands

Humanistic

Decoration

The first leaf with cherubs, a parrot, an owl, and a butterfly in a full border; the bottom border with cherubs supporting a wreath, within which a coat of arms is not painted; a similar simpler partial border is on the second leaf. (Pächt and Alexander ii. 238)

Large gold initials on blue, green and pink grounds with full and half borders of vine and scroll design (fol. 1 and 2); a few smaller similar initials.

The rest plain blue.

Binding

Typical Holkham binding of straight-grained brown morocco, with the gilt crest, the spine lettered 'EUSEBIUS | DE EVANGELICA | PREPARATIONE | – | LAT. MS. | SÆC. XV. || 71'

Provenance

Thomas William Coke (1754–1842): with his oval gilt bookplate on the upper pastedown, and inscribed 'Thos. Wilm. Coke.' (fol. 1r, on the repaired area of the leaf); formerly Norfolk, Holkham Hall, MS. 71, no. 71 in de Ricci's catalogue.