A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

MS. D'Orville 512

Summary Catalogue no.: 17390

Physical Description

Composite: fols. 1–63 || fols. 64–75
Support: Parchment
ii + 78 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 8.75 × 6.25 in.

Hand(s)

The hand is probably the same in both parts

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Jacques Phillippe D'Orville of Amsterdam (1690–1751)

Jean D'Orville, b. 1734, his son, by descent

Jean D'Orville, son of Jean, by descent

Sold to the Rev. John Cleaver Banks (1765/1766–1845): purchased from him by the Bodleian

Acquired by the Bodleian in 1804

MS. D'Orville 512 – Part 1

Contents

(fol. 1)
Aesop, Fables
Rubric: Accij Zuchi Summa Campanee Veronensis Viri eruditissimi in Æsopi fabulas interpretatio per Rhythmos in libellum Zucharinum inscriptum contexta fœliciter incipit

Translated by Accio Zucco , in Latin verse; accompanied by an anonymous Italian translation (?).

There are prefatory and other poems, an epigram (beginning 'Aesopus fueram') and 66 Fables in Latin verse (beginning 'Vt iuuet & prosit', the 2nd beginning 'Dum rigido'), each followed by a 'Sonetto materiale' and 'Sonetto morale.'

Colophon: (fol. 63v) Finis. Mº ccccºlxxxx. die 23 Iulij.

The prefatory poem mentions the edition printed at Brescia in 1487

Language(s): Latin and Italian

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Dimensions (leaf): 213 × 155 mm.

Layout

1 col., 32 lines, written spacde 150 × 70 mm.

Decoration

Spaces left for miniatures.

Coloured initials, rubrics.

History

Origin: 1490 ; Italy

MS. D'Orville 512 – Part 2

Contents

(fol. 64)
Aesop, Fables
Rubric: Esopi fabule extracte e greco in Latinum per dominum Laurentium uallam Romanum

Translated by Lorenzo Valla, in Latin prose; accompanied by an anonymous Italian translation (?).

33 fables in Latin and Italian prose (the first beginning 'Uulpes & Capro sitibundi')

With the Latin dedication to Arnaldus Fonolleda, dated 24 May 1441.

Language(s): Italian and Latin

Followed by a short religious poem in Italian

Language(s): Italian

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 15th century, late ; Italy

Provenance

'The same hand [as fols. 1-63] wrote the other text in the volume, fols. 64-75, but the impression is that it was done at a different time' (Watson).

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (February 2024) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1897) and Watson, Dated and Datable

Bibliography

    Printed descriptions:

    A. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries (1984), no. 444

Last Substantive Revision

2024-02-01: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1897)