Kings MS 31

'AVSONII poetae disertissimi liber foeliciter incipit' poems and letters of D. Magnus Ausonius, a MS. of the Z group of Peiper(Teubner ed., 1886, pp. lxxiv, cxxvii), the group represented by the editio princeps of 1472. The contents of the MSS. of this class, with the titles of the separate pieces, are given in detail by Peiper, pp. lx-lxviii. Cf also Schenkl's ed., Mon. Germ. Historica, Auctores Antiquissimi, tom. v, pt. ii. The chief divisions of the MS. are: (a) Epigrammata, heading as above, with colophon ',. Finiunt uersus Ausonii poete epigrammat[on]'. f. 1; -(b) 'Versus pascales'. f. 13;-(C) 'Liber epistolarum'. f. 13;-(d) 'Liber monastica': the monosticha, followed by the tetrasticha on the Caesars, and including (f. 23 b) a few epigrams. f.22.-(e) ' Ausonii poete u. c.... gratiarum actio '. f. 24 b;-(f) Technopaegnion, including (f. 37 b) 'Cripus de ternario', sc. Griphus. Colophon, 'Finit Theopaegnion liber'. f. 35;-(g) 'Cento nuptialis'. f. 40 b;- (h) Two additional epistles. f. 44 b;-(i) ' Precatio matutina ad omnipotentem deum'. f. 46;-(k) 'Epiced[i]on in patrem'. f 47b;-(1) 'Protrepticus'. f. 48;-(m) 'Incipit Aeglogarum Ausonius': the Cupido cruciatus. f. 49 b;- (n) ' Bissula'. f. 51 b. Colophon, 'Finit. . Hyadre [Zara] die xxii Martii. 1475. Compleui'. The scribe uses a final flourish, possibly meant to represent the letters . Vellum; ff. 52. 7¹/₂ in. x3⁵/₈ in. In a hand of 'italic' type in brownish-red and black inks (usually alternate paragraphs or pages), other colours in some of the earlier head-lines. Written at Zara, A.D. 1475. The scribe uses the vocative sign (cf. no. 24). Gatherings of 10 leaves (last ²). Sec. fol. 'Hospes'. Space is left for an initial on f. 1. Bound like nos. 18, 20, but rebacked. Belonged to Joseph Smith, Consul at Venice, Bibl Smith.' p. xxviii, col, ii.