Add MS 8253

UNIVERSAL HISTORY; 1st half of 15th cent. Italian and Latin. Universal history from the Creation to Octavian, principally biblical and classical history, inc. (f. 3) 'Siendo deo prima cosa perfettissima', expl. (f. 184) 'dalla veritade chatolicha Amen allo onore de Christo'. Followed by: (a) ff. 184v-185, a concordance of the prophets and apostles concerning the articles of the faith; - (b) f. 186, a copy of a bull of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to the Benedictine abbey of San Mercuriale in Forlì, dated 1159; - (c) ff. 186v-188, an extract from a chronicle relating to the peace of Venice, 1177, between Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Alexander III; - (d) f. 188, an indulgence granted to the abbey of San Mercuriale in Forlì, dated 1422; - (e) f. 188v, a copy of an inscription, dated 1180, from the abbey of San Mercuriale in Forlì; - (f) ff. 189-192v, a copy of the letter of Giacomo Tedaldi, a Florentine soldier, relating to the fall of Constantinople in 1453, with a list of those who escaped from Constantinople in galleys and those who remained behind; - (g) ff. 193-195, copies of the statutes passed by the council of the city of Forlì in the presence of Antonio Ordelaffi in 1443. Blue initial 'S' (f. 3); guide-letters only for other initials (ff. 1v-184). Rubricated headings (ff. 186-193). Apparently written in a Venetian dialect, in three principal hands: the first on ff. 1-144, 168-169v; the second on ff. 144-167v, 170-184v; and the third on ff. 186-188, 189-195. The main text has some corrections and annotations, in the first and second hands. Owned in the 18th cent. by Alessandro Padoani (ownership inscriptions, ff. 1-1v). 'No. 1521' and 'No. 19' in brown ink, both cancelled, in upper centre of f. i. 'B. 8' in brown ink in upper right corner of f. i. '405' in pencil in upper left corner of f. i. 'H' in ink in upper centre of f. 1. Purchased from R. H. Evans, 8 December 1830, lot 405 (part).

Paper; ff. i+195. Two earlier series of ink foliation (ff. 1-186, much cropped, and ff. 1-100). circa 296 x circa 220mm. Horizontal catchwords (ff. 58v, 138v, 142, 168v). Written in irregularly, frame-ruled columns; partly in two columns (ff. 1-142v, 184v-185, 186v-188, 192v), and partly in a single column (ff. 143-184, 186, 188-192, 193-195). Watermark similar to Briquet, croix greque, 5540 (A.D. 1404-1410). Quarter binding of brown leather (rebacked), with brown, marbled paper covers and end-papers, 18th cent.