[Opera].

Accession number:

PML 239

Author:

Lactantius, approximately 240-approximately 320.

Published:

Subiaco : [Conradus Sweynheym and Arnoldus Pannartz], 29 October 1465.

Description:

[186] leaves ; 32 x 23 cm. (fol.)

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Bennett collection, 1902.

Notes:

Title from ISTC.
Tabula incipit (leaf [1]/1r): Lactantii Firmiani de divinis institutio[n]ibus adversus gentes rubrice p[ri]mi libri incipiu[n]t.
Colophon (leaf [19]/8v): Lactantii Firmiani de divinis institutionisbus adversus gentes libri septem. necno[n] eiusde[m] ad Donatu[m] de ira dei liber unus. unacu[m] libro de opificio ho[min]is ad Demetrianu[m] finiunt[ur]. Sub a[n]no d[omi]ni .M.CCCC.LXV. Pontificantus Pauli pape .ii. anno eius secu[n]do. Indictio[n]e .xiii. die vero an[te]penulti[m]a mensis Octobris. In venerabili monasterio Sublacensi. Deo gratias.
[1¹⁰ 2²; 3-7¹⁰ 8¹² 9-15¹⁰ 16¹² 17-19¹⁰]: 186 leaves, leaves [1]/10 and [19]/9-10 blank.
Paper format: Median folio
Leaf [3]/1r known in a variant state (BMC).
PML copy leaf dimensions: 31 x 21.2 cm., trimmed.
PML copy missing 5 leaves: [2]/1-2, [9]/1, and [19]/9-10 (blanks), with leaves [2]/1-2 and [9]/1 in facsimile; quire [2] bound after quire [19].

Binding:

French 18th-century gilt-tooled black morocco over boards (32 x 23 cm.), sewn on 6 supports, with the arms of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Marbled paper pastedowns and fly leaves with plain paper fly leaves; decorative endbands; all edges gilt.

Variant Title:

De divinis institutionisbus adversus gentes

Inscriptions/Markings:

Hand decoration: Rubricated, red lombards (Germanic in style, many with decorative flourishes), alternating red and blue lombards (with Italian style penwork) and paragraph marks in tabula. Incipit rubric: "Lactancii Fir[mi]ani de divinis i[n]stituc[i]o[n]ib[us] ad v[er]sus gentes liber prim[us]. Q[ua]nta sit [et] fu[er]it s[em]p[er] [co]gnicio veritatis. Et q[uod] nec s[i]n[e] religio[n]e sap[ient]ia. n[ec] s[i]n[e] sap[ient[ia sit p[ro]banda r[e]ligio[ne]. Ca[pitulo] [?]" (leaf [3]/1r); individual chapter rubrics not added. Annotations: Contemporary manuscript foliation (·#·). Minimal contemporary marginal notations, in several hands.

Provenance:

Subiaco (Italy), Sacro Speco, Benedictines, inscriptions: "Est Mon[asterii] Sacri Specus, 15th century, and Iste liber e[st] cong[regatione] Casin[ense] alias Ste. Justine de putat[us] ad usu[m] monacho[rum] mon[asterii] sublacen[se] signat[us] n[umero] 139 [altered to 536]," 15th/16th century (leaf [3]/1r); Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), armorial binding; Munich (Bavaria), Capuchins of St. Anton, 18th century; unidentified inscription, abraded (by Oefele?) (leaf [3]/1r); Andreas Felix von Oefele (1706-1780), inscription stating acquisition from Munich Capuchins: Inter preciosiora Cimelia Bibliothecae Andrea Felicis Oefelii Monacensis: qui habuit commutatione libra facta a Capuchins Monacens. Anno MDCCLXII (leaf [1]/1r); Polling (Bavaria), Augustian canons of Heilige Kreuz and St. Salvator, inscription citing donation by Oefele: Nunc Bibliothecae Pollinganae titulo donationis ab eodem Oefelio V.C. mihi Fr[an]cisco Pre[?]osilo Polling...die XXV Junii 1778... (leaf [3]/1r); William Horatio Crawford (1815?-1888), of Lakelands, Cork, bookplate (front pastedown); his sale, Sotheby's, 12 March 1891, lot 1794, to Quaritch for £135; unidentified sale catalogue description (Quaritch?), lot 1057, tipped-in (front fly leaf verso); unidentified shelf marks: D.6 (front fly leaf verso), I.I.20 (2nd front fly leaf recto), XI.D.15** (2nd front fly leaf verso) Richard Bennett (1849-1930), armorial bookplate (front pastedown), no. 147, purchased 5 June 1896; Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), purchased with the Bennett collection, 1902.

Classification:

Incunable Collection

Catalog Link:

See more information »

Genres:

Incunabula

Rubrics

Inscriptions (Provenance)

Morocco bindings (Binding)

Department:

Printed Books