15th-century manuscript containing 'De remediis utriusque fortunae' of Adrianus Carthusiensis, incorporating passages from the 'De remediis utriusque fortunae' of Petrarch.
Scope and Contents
The place of production of this manuscript is unclear. The volume is the work of one scribe, in a hand which Nicholas Mann has described as a Germanic gothic bookhand. The work is written in one column of 27 lines to a page. Mann has dated this manuscript to the first half of the 15th century.
The work itself contains an abridged and revised version of the second book of the 'De remediis utriusque fortunae', compiled from Petrarch's 'De remediis utriusque fortunae' and Adrianus Carthusiensis' 'De remediis utriusque fortunae'.
Adrianus made several changes to Petrarch's text of the 'De remediis', and altered the protagonists of the dialogues, substituting 'cultor virtutis' and 'tyro vanitatis' for 'ratio' and the four affectations, 'Gaudium','Spes', 'Dolor', and 'Metus'. According to Mann, this manuscript also contains passages from Petrarch's 'De remediis' which were not in Adrianus'. He suggests that the copyist was working from a manuscript of Adrianus' version, but also had one of Petrarch's, and added to his copy passages which he felt ought to be included, but which Adrianus had left out.
The contents are as follows:
A vellum stub with inscriptions, possibly in Dutch. Verso of folio i.
Ownership inscriptions; notes in Latin and Greek in 16th- and 17th-century hands; scribal inscription, from Virgil, which reads: 'si per laborem, honesti quippiam egeris laborabit honestu[m] mane[t]. Si per voluptatem turpe feceris quippiam: quod suave e[st] abit q[uo]d turpe e[st] manet'. Folio 1r.
Folio 1v is blank.
Table of dialogues. Folios 2r-4v.
A compilation of Petrarch, extracts from the second book of 'De remediis utriusque fortune'; with Adrianus Carthusiensis, 'De remediis utriusque fortune'. Folios 5r-152v.
The initials of the table of dialogues, prologue, and chapter I are blue divided initials surrounded by filigree penwork in red, prolonged into the margins.
The initials in text are alternately red and blue with occasional flourishes and decoration. Paraphs, chapter headings and protagonists' initials are in red. Smaller capitals are stroked with red. There are zoomorphic designs in blue on folios 21v and 64r.
There is scribal foliation in the centre of the top margin in red roman numerals running I-CXLVIII. This foliation starts on the first folio of text, folio 5, and is continuous to the end of the manuscript. This foliation has since been superseded by modern library foliation.
Any catchwords and signatures are no longer present due to cropping.
Each folio has been lined and ruled recto and verso.
There are occasional marginal annotations throughout, most of which are scribal, and the rest of which are probably in the hand of Sir James Balfour.
Dates
- Creation: 1st half of the 15th century.
Creator
- Balfour, James, Sir, 1st Baronet of Denmilne and Kinnaird (antiquary) (Former owner, Person)
- Adrianus Carthusiensis (Prior and author) (Author, Person)
- Petrarch (humanist, scholar, poet) (Author, Person)
Language of Materials
The manuscript is in Latin, with an inscription in Greek on folio 1r.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
1 Volumes ; 26cm x 15cm x 5cm
Arrangement
i + 152 folios.
Folio i is a paper paste-down to the front of the volume which has come away from the front cover. Pasted to the verso side of this leaf is a piece of vellum, probably meant for reinforcement of the binding. The paper paste-down to the rear of the volume is still largely adhering to the binding and is not included in the foliation.
Collation as recorded by Catherine Borland: a⁴, b-t⁸, v⁴
Collation as recorded by Nicholas Mann: 1¹², 2¹⁶, 3-17⁸, 18⁴
Custodial History
There are several inscriptions on folio 1r which point to possible ownership: 'Ioannes', in a 15th-century hand, visible under ultra-violet light, and ‘Emptus 1-0-0’, in a hand of the 16th or 17th century.
The manuscript was owned by Sir James Balfour of Denmilne. There is an inscription in the top margin of folio 1r in his hand which reads: '1637 Franciscius Petrarcha de Remediis Utriusque Fortunae', the date probably being the year in which Balfour acquired the volume. On the same folio is the Denmilne number, 37. Balfour's device is present after the explicit on folio 152.
The manuscript was bought by the Library of the Faculty of Advocates at the sale of Sir James Balfour's books in 1698. There are ownership inscriptions for the Library on folios 1r and 5r.
The previous shelfmark assigned to the manuscript by the Library of the Faculty of Advocates is present on folio 1r: 'A.5.20', since superseded.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.
Physical Description
Vellum.
The binding is plain vellum, possibly of the 16th century. On the rear cover are the remnants of two leather strings, which have since broken.
String is visible on the shoulder joints and the back has remnants of library stickers on both the head and tail ends.
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
- Author
- National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
- Description rules
- International Standard for Archival Description - General
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
manuscripts@nls.uk