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

MS. Lat. class. d. 37

Summary Catalogue no.: Not in SC (late accession)

Cicero; Italy (partly Florence), early 15th century

Contents

Rhetorical works of Cicero, a manuscript of the family of 'codices mutili'

Language(s): Latin

1.
Cicero, De oratore
(fol. 1)

II 84.343 ([benefi]cio posite) to end

(fol. 4)
Rubric: Liber secundus incipit

i.e. III 1.1–5.17, 28.110 to end

2. (fols. 19v–34)
Cicero, Orator,

26.91 (Tertium quod restat huius partitionis) - 57.191 (Spondeum et trocheum), 69.231 (quo enim perversetur genere numerorum) to end.

Final rubric: Marci Tullii Ciceronis viri doctissimi ac eloquentissimi de oratore liber explicit
Colophon: Anno M. CCCC XIIo. ydibus ianuariis Florentie
3. (fols. 34v–37)
Cicero, De optimo genere oratorum
Rubric: M. T. C. de optimo genere oratorum. Ulterius que sequantur non repperi, sic ceteri.

There are many side notes in a contemporary humanist hand.

Language(s): Latin
(fols. 38–69v)
Cicero, De oratore

In a rather later hand. Supplements to the text of De oratore, supplying the parts which came to light at Lodi in 1421, comprising:

(fol. 38)

I 28.128 – 34.157, 43.194 to end.

(fol. 49)

II 1.1 – 16.69 (tradantur), 60.245 (in quos nolis) - 71.287 (nichil credere). At the beginning of this supplement (fol. 56) there is a marginal note ‘Istud usque ad tale signum T est iam in veteri parte libri’.

(fol. 60v)

III 5.17 – 28.110.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: [missing]
Form: codex
Support: parchment, white and of good quality (foll.1–37)
Extent: i (modern paper) + 69 + i (modern paper) leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 245 × 150 mm.
Dimensions (written): 180 × 85 mm.
Foliation: the parchent leaves foliated in 18th-cent. ink: 1–69, omitting a leaf after fol. 12; the unfoliated leaf, flyleaves, and lower pastedown foliated in modern pencil: i, 12b, 70–71

Collation

1(8) (wants 1 and 2), 2(8) – 5(8), 6(12), 7(12), 8(8), catchwords

Layout

39 and 40 long lines

Hand(s)

Humanist script, three main hands, fols. 1–37 of the style of Poggio

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander ii. 210, pl. XIX:

Fine initials in early humanist style, yellow on red, blue, green and pink grounds with white vine interlace.

Binding

18th(?)-cent. Italian plain parchment cased-binding with two pairs of fore-edge ties; using a fragment of a 13th-cent. leaf of a glossed Decreatals MS as a spine-lining; the spine inscribed 'M T CI | CERO | AD QM | ET ALIA | 16. | M.'

Accompanying Material

The back strip is part of a leaf of the Decretals, glossed, 13th century.

History

Origin: 1413 (fols. 1r–34r: finished at Florence 13th January 1412 (Florentine style)); after 1421 (fols. 38r–69v) ; Italian (fols. 1r-34r, Florence)

Provenance and Acquisition

18th-century notes: ‘M. T. C. 2’ (fol. 1r) & ‘M. T. CI/ CERO/ AD Q.M / ET ALIA / 16./M.’ (spine)

Bought at Sotheby's, 6 Dec. 1954, lot 23.

Record Sources

Typescript description by Bodleian library staff

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (3 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

    Printed descriptions:

    A. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts in Oxford Libraries (1984), no. 537 (fols. 1-37)

Last Substantive Revision

2017-07-01: First online publication.