Add MS 40676

ROYAL and papal letters, a dictaminal collection, chiefly illustrating the duties, etc., of sovereigns; followed by a catalogue of a scholar's library. A. Letters as above, the sources of which include the following:-

1. Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, in the Latin translation of Lapo Birago, printed by J. A. Campanus, Rome, 1470 (?): the letter to the Lacedaemonian ephors announcing the defeat and death of Mindarus at Cyzicus, 410 B.C. f. 1.

2. "Ex Diodoro Siculo" (sic) : the correspondence of Alexander and Aristotle from the Alexandri regis vita of Joannes Monachus, as translated into Latin by Angelus Cospus, and printed (Vienna, 1516) in the edition of the Libri duo of Diodorus Siculus. Followed. (ff. 2 b-3 b, 1 b) by the mythical correspondence (beg. "Audiuimus Rex bella tua") of Alexander with Dindimus, King of the Brahmins, together with the letters exchanged at the interview of Onesicritus with Dindimus (as abridged from Palladius, De Gentibus Indiae); the same text as Royal MS. 7 A. i, f. 108 b, and Royal MS. 6 E. iii, f. 111 b (cf. H. L. D. Ward, Cat. of Romances, i, p. 137), not that of the published abridgnienit of the Pseudo-Callisthenes. f. 2.

3. Otto, Bishop of Freising, Rerum ab origine mundi libri octo; followed (f. 15) by extracts from the De Gestis Friderici of the same writer (as continued by Radevicus, Canon of Freising) ; printed together, Vienna, 1515. f. 5.

4. Joannes Nauclerus, Memorabilium omnnis aetatis . . . chronici, part II, printed, Tübingen, 1516. f. 52.

5. "Ex Cronica abbatis Vespergens[is] (sic)," i.e. the Chronicon Universale of Eckhardus, Abbot of Urau, printed by Migne, Patr. Lat., cliv.

498. f. 69.

6. Procopius of Caesarea, De Bello Gottorum, in the Latin translation of Christophorus de Persona (printed, Rome, 1506); followed (f. 84) by extracts f rom the Latin translation of the De Bello Persico by Raphael Maffejus (Volaterranus) (printed, Rome, 1509). f. 77.

7. Wittekindus, monk of Corvey, Rerum . . . gestarum libri III; followed (f. 94 b) by extracts from the Vita Henrici IV... à quodam eius temporis conscripta, and also (f. 105 b) from the Rerum ab Europae Imperatoribus . . . gestarum of Liudprandus, Bishop of Cremona, and (f. 107) from the Epitome of Jacob Wimpheling, all of which were published together at Basle, 1532. Included (f. 96 b) is the letter (1076) from Henry IV deposing Pope Gregory VII, beg. "Henricus non vsurpatiue sed pia dei ordinatione Rex," and ending "descende, descende." f. 94. B. Catalogue, in a different hand from the foregoing, of a scholar's library, arranged by classes, Greek works being separated from Latin and placed at the end. Several of the books excerpted in the dictaminal collectioii appear in this list (e.g. "Cronicon Abbatis vespur.," f. 114 b). There are some notes of loans, viz.:-f. 115, in the same hand as the catalogue, "Darell habet vetus testamentum in. 3. voluminibus" [William Darell, d. 1580]; ff. 115 b, 119 b, three notes in one hand of loans to "Chekus" [Sir John Cheke, tutor to Edward VI] in the form "Chekus habet"; f. 118 b, an autograph note by Sir Anthony Cooke, of Gidea Hall, co. Essex, preceptor to Edward VI, "the xvijth day of Marche I Anthony Cooke have borowed Simplicius in P[orphyrii?] quinque uoces cum Ammonio in predicamenta" (cf. f. 115, "Ammonius in 5 voces cum Simplicio in 10 predicamenta"). Paper; ff. i + 119. Folio. Second quarter of xvi cent. At least two hands contributed to A; that of B is different from either. A has marginal notes in various hands. At the end (ff. 119, 119 b) are notes of household linen, etc., and on f. 117 is a four-line epigram against the Papacy, beg. "Respirat, toties qui creditus est obiisse?" Binding and notes of ownership as in 40671, etc. MS. 35 at Wrest Park (H.M.C., p. 7; sale-cat., lot 614).