Language(s): Latin
1. (fols. 1r-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... creatio habita in synodo Florentina ... que inscribitur dogmatica vel de unione quam ipse idem e Greca Latin [sic] fecit
(ed. E. Candal, Concilium Florentinum. Doc. et script., series B, VII.i (Rome, 1958)).
2. (fols. 30v-)
Rubric: Bessarionis eiusdem declaratio aliquorum que in dicta oratione dogmatica continentur ...
(ed. ibid., pp. 74–6).
3. (fols. 32r-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... de successu synodi Florentine et de processione spiritus sancti primum Grece editus liber. deinde ab eodem Latinis litteris donatus incipit
(ed. Candal, op. cit., VII.ii).
4. (fols. 66v-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... defensionis recti catholicique dogmatis latinorum viz. de processione s. spiritus contra hereticum illus impugnantum
' (pr. PG, CLXI, 287–310 ).
5. (fols. 86r-)
Rubric: Bessarionis eiusdem ad Grecos epistola exhortans eos ad obedientiam sacrosance Romane ecclesie ...
(PG, CLXI, 450–90 ).
6. (fols. 94v-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... de sacramento eucharistie et quibus cibis Christi corpus conficiatur
' (ed. L. Mohler, Kardinal Bessarion als Theologe, Humanist und Staatsman (Paderborn, 1923–42), III, 1–69 ).
7. (fols. 124v-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... de ea parte evangelii Ioannis ubi dicitur: Si cum volo manere donec veriam quid ad te
' (pr. PG, CLXI, 623–40 ).
8. (fols. 139v-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... oratio habita in conventu Mantuano Pii II pontificis maximi iussu congregato ...
Incipit: Quo dominus noster sanctissimus pontifex maximus Christi salvatoris nostri vicarius ...
(for other MSS. and two pr. texts see Mohler, op. cit., I, 289 ). 10. (fols. 147r-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... oratio habita in conventu Nurumbergensi [sic] cum ipse apostolice sedis legatus soluto Mantuano conventu Pii II pontificis maximi iussu illuc accessisset
' (ed. Mohler, III, 377–383 ).
11. (fols. 153v-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... tunc in Germania apostolice sedis legati replicatio ad responsionem legatorum omnium Germanie principium et fraterna monitio atque exhortatio Viene
(ed. Mohler, III, 384–398 ). 12. (fols. 167r-)
Rubric: Bessarionis eiusdem eorum que post proximam eius replicationem secuta sunt brevis et succincta narratio
(ed. Mohler, III, 399). 13. (fols. 267v-)
Rubric: Bessarionis eiusdem oratio habita pro fine et solutione conventus Vienensis
(ed. Mohler, III, 399–401) 14. (fols. 169r-)
Rubric: Epistola legatorum omnium Germanie principium ad Bessarionem ... soluto conventu
(ed. Mohler, III, 401–2). 15. (fols. 170r-)
Rubric: Bessarionis eiusdem responsio ad eosdem legatos
(ed. Mohler, III, 403). 16. (fols. 171r-)
Rubric: Bessarionis ... tunc in civitate Bononiensi apostolice sedis legati oratio habita cum Ludovicum Bentivolum equestris ordinis virum vexillo donaret quem Nicolaus V pontifex maximus natali Salvatoris nocte ense donaverat
Incipit: Leto iucundoque anime ...
(pr. in Ludovici Bentivoli virtutis et nobilitatis insignia (Bologna, 1690) , 18–27). 17. (fols. 172v-)
Eugenius IV,
Bull 'Letentur celi' Rubric: Decretum synodi Florentine
(ed. G. Hofmann, Epistolae pontificiae ad concilium Floreentinum spectantes (Conc. Flor. Dec. et Script., Series A; pars II), 68–73. Secundo Folio: presul pontifex
Form: codex
Support: Paper. Watermarks: mermaid, cf. Briquet, no. 13888, eagle in circle, cf. Briquet, no. 202, cross-bow, cf. Briquet, no. 746.
Extent: iii (modern paper) + 175 + iii (modern paper) leaves.
Dimensions (leaf): 215 × 165 mm.
Dimensions (ruled): 150 × 100–5 mm.
Foliation: The main text with 18th-century (?) ink foliation: 1–175; the endleaves foliated in modern pencil: i-iii and 176–178.
Collation
1(10)-17(10), 18(6)catchwords
Layout
Frame ruling (?) not visible. 24 lines of text per page.
Hand(s)
Written in Humanistic italic script, by three hands: (i) fols. 1r-33r; (ii) 33r-39v; (iii) fols. 40r-175r.
Decoration
Plain red initials
Binding
Brown polished and diced leather over pasteboards; the upper cover stamped in gilt with the Coke crest; the spine lettered in gilt 'BESSARIONIS | CARD. | OPUSCULA || M.S.'
Provenance and Acquisition
Written in Rome in 1467, with a colophon: 'Rome pridie nonas Quintiles anno salutis MºCCCCºLXVIIº pontificis vero maximi Pauli secundi Veneti tercio' (fol. 175r); and inscribed in a more formal hand 'Cardinalis Nicenus de Spiritus Sancti gratia opuscula' (fol. 175v).
Bookplate of ' THOMAS WILLIAM COKE ' (1754–1842), and signed 'Ths. Wilm. Coke' (fol. 1r); formerly Norfolk, Holkham Hall, MS. 117.