Contains six works by Cicero and Cicero's translation of Plato's Timaeus: 1. De legibus, 2. De natura deorum, 3. De divinatione, 4. De fato (incomplete), 5. Timaeus, 6. De somnio Scipionis, and 7. De academicis (Book 1).
Language Note
In Latin and a Latin translation of Greek.
Note
Manuscript codex. Title supplied by cataloger. Collation: Leaves iii + 156 + iii; 1-15¹⁰ 16⁶; vertical catchwords throughout. Layout: Written in 34 long lines (dimensions of written space 150 x 100 mm); writing begins below top line; ruled for 2 columns in crayon; notes in margins throughout. Script: Written by a professional Ferrarese scribe in Humanistic script. Decoration: Twelve gold, red, blue and green illuminated initials on leaves 1r, 10r, 21r, 28r, 36v, 46v, 72r, 86r, 109r, 132r, 139v, and 146v; empty coat of arms on leaf 1r. Origin: Italy, ca. 1460 (de Ricci). Shelfmark: Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, MS V.a.88.
Contents
1. leaves 1r-28r: "[rubr.] M. Tullii Ciceronis de legibus liber primus incipit foeliciter collocutores Atticus et Quintus et Marcus Tullius. [text] Lucus quidem ille et hec Arpinatium quercus agnoscitur sepe a me lectus in Mario ... At[ticus].: Sic profecto censeo, et id ipsum que dicis expecto. [rubr.] Marci Tullii Ciceronis de legibus liber foeliciter explicit."
2. leaves 28r-86r: "[rubr.] M. Tul. Ciceronis de natura deorum liber primus incipit. [text] Cum multae res in philosophia nequaquam satis adhuc explicate sint ... disputatio uerior, mihi Balbi ad ueritatis similitudinem uideretur esse propensior. [rubr.] Marci Tullii Ciceronis de Natura deorum liber explicit." (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana, fasc. 45, p. 1-160).
3. leaves 86r-132r: "[rubr.] Marci Tullii Ciceronis de divinatione liber primus incipit. [text] Vetus opinio est iam usque ab heroicis ducta temporibus ... Mihi uero, inquit ille, nihil potest esse iocundius. que cum essent dicta, sur[r]eximus. [rubr.] Marci Tullii Ciceronis de divinatione liber secundus et ultim." (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana, fasc. 46, p. 1-148).
4. leaves 132r-139r: "[rubr.] Marci Tulii Ciceronis de fato liber incipit. [text] Quia pertinet ad mores, quod ethos illi uocant, nos eam partem philosophye de moribus appellare solemus ... necsesse est, declinare, atomis quibusdam uel, si nolunt, omnibus naturaliter ... [rubr.] Marci Tulii Ciceronis de fato explicit." (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana, fasc. 46, p. 149-174).
5. leaves 139v-146r: "[rubr.] Marci Tulii Ciceronis de mundo liber incipit. [text] Multa sunt in academicis nostris conscripta contra physicos et sepe ... neque datum est immortalium deorum con neque munere dabitur."
6. leaves 146v-149v: "[rubr.] Marci Tullii Ciceronis de Somnio Scipionis liber incipit. [text] Cum in Africam uenissem a Manlio consule ad quartam legionem ut sciti tribunus militum ... Ille discessit; ego a somno solutus sum."
7. leaves 150r-156r: "[rubr.] Marci Tullii Ciceronis fragmentorum de academicis. [text] In Cumano nuper mecum Atticus noster esset nuntiatum est nobis a M. Varrone uenisse ... unam tamen preter ceteros [mirabatur] incredibili quadam fuit facultate." (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana, fasc. 42).
Publications about material
M. Tvlli. Cicceronis Academica / the text revised and explained by James S. Reid. London: Macmillan & Co., 1885, p. 64.
Binding information
Bound in early 21st-century brown goatskin over beech boards with four brass clasps; red speckled edges; housed in brown buckram clamshell box, along with 18th-century stiff board parchment binding on four single raised cords, with paper endleaves and bookplates.
Provenance
Formerly owned by Zacharias Konrad von Uffenbach (bookplate); Henry Allen (Henrici Alani-bookplate); and W.T. Smedley (bookplate).
Source of acquisition
Purchased as part of the Smedley Collection in 1924 by Henry Clay Folger.
Cited/described in
Ricci, S. de. Census of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the United States and Canada, SM.9
Includes
Plato. Timaeus. Latin. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De legibus. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De natura deorum. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De divinatione. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De fato. Selections. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Somnium Scipionis. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Academica. Book 1.
