Lactantius, The Divine Institutes (excerpts)

France, 1472

Paper

i, 109, i' leaves

290 × 215 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1ra–103rb) Lactantius, The Divine Institutes (excerpts)

Rubric: Incipit prefacio in prologum et libros lactancii de diuinis institucionibus

Incipit: Firmianus qui et lactancius arnobii

Explicit: quod ipse promisit a domino consequamur

Final rubric: Est finis laudetur deus

Colophon: f. 99raAmen Expliciunt 7 libri caeli lactancii firmiani ad magnum constantium (!) imperatorem de diuinis institucionibus Anno ? domini xiiii^c lxxii

Edition: PL, vol. 6, cols. 111–822.

1.1 (ff. 1ra–2vb) Prologue

1.2 (ff. 2vb–16va) Book 1

1.3 (ff. 16vb–30ra) Book 2

1.4 (ff. 30ra–44vb) Book 3

1.5 (ff. 44vb–58vb) Book 4

1.6 (ff. 58vb–70vb) Book 5

1.7 (ff. 70vb–86ra) Book 6

1.8 (ff. 86ra–99ra) Book 7

Note: f. 99rb: After the colophon follows one paragraph that ends with the rubric: ‘premissa vera sancti augustini libri xx capituli xxx de ciuitate dei’.

1.9 (ff. 99rb–103rb) Index

Note: Alphabetical index keyed to the text by mention of book.

2 (ff. 103vb–106va) Regarding Democritus and Hippocrates

Rubric: Sequitur notabile de democrito philozopho Et ypocrate medico

Incipit: DEmocritus abderites inter philosophos

Explicit: Hec habeo damagete que de democrito scribere possum idque profecto libens Vale

Edition: d'Arezzo (1503).

3 (ff. 106vb–109rb) Flavius Vegetius, De re militari (excerpts)

Incipit: Flauius vegecius renatus vir illustrius fecit libros quatuor de re militari

Explicit: partibus flare credebant sed experimentum posterior etas duodecimi comprehendit

Edition: Reeve (2004).

4 (ff. 109va–109vb) Regarding King Arthur

Incipit: POstquam arthurus rex maioris britanie subiugasset sibi reges

Explicit: hic iacet arcturus flos regum gloria regni quem probitas morum commendat laude perhenni

Physical Description

Secundo folio

MAgno et excellenti

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: LCI, f. SL1, SR1, RCI

Support: Paper

Leaf dimensions: 290 × 215 mm

Watermark 1

LCI–SL1/SR1–RCI,

Motif: Beehive TUMBA

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1–109

Support: Paper

Leaf dimensions: 290 × 215 mm

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. 1–96/104,

Motif: Two keys, double lined shafts, cross on top.

Note: Similar to Piccard VIII, III, 41-48.

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. 99/101/106–109,

Motif: Y with double lines.

Note: Similar to Piccard Online, DE1935-Mscr.Dresd.Oc.62_3.

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil.

Running titles in red ink.

Collation

Formula: 1(12), 2(14), 3-8(12), 9(1+10)

Note: VisColl collation.

Catchwords: Catchwords in brown ink on all quires.

Condition

Textblock

f. 1r: heavily stained, which indicates that the manuscript has been stored without covers.

Layout

Columns: 2

Written lines: 42

Written area: 210 × 150 mm

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

Gothic cursive.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Upper left corner: National Library book label with current signum.

(f. SL1r) Centre page, in brown ink by a 19th century hand: ‘Cecilii Firmani Lactancii De Divinis Institucionibus adversus Gentes, Libri VII (Cum Registro)’; below, in pencil: ‘Utdrag ur Flavi Vegeti Renati Epitoma rei militaris libri IV. Om konung Arthur’.

Textblock

(f. 1r) Top of page, in brown ink by an early modern hand:‘ Lactantius’; top left corner, in faded ink: one or two illegible words.

(ff. 2r–10r) Occasional crosses in ink marking certain lines.

(f. 1r, 4r, 106v–109r) Text identification in pencil by a modern hand.

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in brown ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red.

Initials:

(ff. 1ra–109va): chapter initials, plain initials over 4-8 lines in blue with interior reserved shapes.

(ff. 1ra–109ra): paragraph initials, plain initials over 1-2 lines alternating in red and blue ink.

(f. 99ra): plain initial ‘N’ over 5 lines in red.

(ff. 99rb–103rb): the index has an opening plain initial over 5 lines in blue with interior reserved shapes, and then plain initials over 1-7 lines in red.