Bod-Inc: A-043
Aesopus
Vita et fabulae [Greek and Latin].
Analysis of Content
[A1r] Accursius, Bonus: [Letter to] Johannes Franciscus Turrianus. 'Bonus Accursius Pisanus doctissimo ac sapientissimo ducali quaestori Iohanni Francisco Turriano salutem plurimam dicit.' Incipit: ‘Cum animadverterem quanto in pretio et apud platonem et apud ...’ [A1v] Explicit: ‘... taedium tibi afferam. Vale vir doctissime ac sapientissime et me uti soles ama.’ Botfield 171-2.
A2r Planudes, Maximos [pseudo-]: Ἀισώπου βίος του̂ μυθοποιου̂ [Vita Aesopi in Greek.] See A‑042.
E1r Aesopus: Μυ̂θοι. [Aesop's Fables in Greek]. Edited by Bonus Accursius. Aesopus (ed. Hunger–Hausrath). g5r-v ‘ Συ̂ς καὶ μυ̂ς ‘; g5v ‘ Ὄνος ‘; g5v ‘ Στρουθός ’ are the work of Ignatius Diaconus; see A‑042. i6r ‘ Λύκος καὶ γέρανος ’ does not appear in Aesopus (ed. Hunger–Hausrath), but resembles Aesopus (ed. Halm) no. 276b.
a1r Rinucius Aretinus (Rinuccio Da Castiglione): [Dedicatory letter] [Proem]. Antonius de la Cerda, Cardinal Priest of S. Chrysogonus 'Vita Aesopi fabulatoris clarissimi e greco latina per Rinucium facta ad reverendissimum patrem dominum Antonium tituli Sanctu Chrysogoni Presbiterum Cardinalem. Et primum prohoemium'.’ Incipit: ‘[N]ovas nimirum merces Reverendissime pater sed haud ignava ...’ a1v Explicit: ‘... prodire non ausint, Sed haec iam satis. Nunc ut res clarius legentibus pateat. Loco argumenti pauca suggessi.’ D. P. Lockwood, ‘De Rinucio Aretino Graecarum litterarum interprete', Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 24 (1913), 51-109 (= Lockwood, ‘Rinucius'), 70-1.
a1v Rinucius Aretinus (Rinuccio Da Castiglione): 'Argumentum'. Incipit: ‘[V]itam Aesopi fabulatoris clarissimi his longioribus noctibus simul cum ...’ a2r Explicit: ‘... suasque aures nimium delectabit.’ D. P. Lockwood, ‘De Rinucio Aretino Graecarum litterarum interprete', Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 24 (1913), 51-109 (= Lockwood, ‘Rinucius'), 70-1.
a2r Rinucius Aretinus. Vita Aesopi [Latin]. 'Aesopi fabulatoris clarissimi vita'. Incipit: ‘[Q]ui per omnem vitam vitae studiosissimus fuit, is fortuna servus, natione ...’ d8v Explicit: ‘... suppliciis ulti sunt eos, qui mortis Aesopi auctores fuerunt.’ Steinhöwel's Äsop, ed. by Hermann Österley, Bibliothek des litterarischen Vereins in Stuttgart, 117 (Tübingen, 1873) (= Aesopus (ed. Österley)), 6-38. Perry, Aesopica, 1-32, discusses the textual tradition of the ‘Life'. For stemmata of the different recensions and the transmission of the text: see Perry, Aesopica, 22 and 28-32.
e1r Aesopus: 'Argumentum fabularum Aesopi e greco in latinum' Translated by Rinucius Aretinus. Incipit: ‘[A]esopus fabulator clarissimus, natione quidem phrygius, fortuna vero servus ...’ Explicit: ‘... in graeco secutus, qui in latino sermone servari non potest. Hinc sumit initium.’ Edited by Bonus Accursius Pisanus.
e1r Aesopus: Fabulae [Latin]. Translated by Rinucius Aretinus. 'De aquila et vulpe'.’ Incipit: ‘[A]quila et vulpes conflata inter se amicicia in proximo habitare ...’ Edited by Bonus Accursius Pisanus. List of the fables: 'De aquila et vulpe' (e1r); 'De aquila et corvo' (e1v); 'De aquila et scabrone' (e2r); 'De philomela et accipitre' (e2v); 'De vulpe et hirco' (e3r); 'De vulpe et leone' (e3r); 'De cato et gallo' (e3v); 'De vulpe sine cauda' (e3v); 'De piscatore et symaride pisciculo' (e4r); 'De vulpe et rubo' (e4r); 'De vulpe et crocodilo' (e4v); 'De vulpe et venatoribus' (e4v); 'De gallis et perdice' (e5r); 'De vulpe et larva' (e5r); 'De homine et ligneo deo' (e5v); 'De canem ad caenam vocato' (e5v); 'De aquila et homine' (a6r); 'De viro et agricola' (a6r); 'De carbonario et lotore' (a6v); 'De vulpe exuriente' (a6v); 'De piscatore quodam' (e7r); 'De piscatoribus quibusdam' (e7r); 'De viro inope et infirmo' (e7v); 'De vulpe et pardo' (e7v); 'De piscatoribus quibusdam' (e8r); 'De ranis regem petentibus' (a8r); 'De cata in foeminam mutata' (e8v); 'De sene mortem vocante' (e8v); 'De muliere et medico' (f1r); 'De agricola et canibus' (f1r); 'De agricola et filiis' (f1v); 'De muliere et gallina' (f1v); 'De homine et cane morso' (f2r); 'De duobus inimicis et ursa' (f2r); 'De adolescentibus duobus et coquo' (f2v); 'De duobus inimicis' (f2v); 'De calamo et oliva' (f3r); 'De vitula et bove' (f3r); 'De puero et fortuna' (f3v); 'De mulieribus et cato' (f3v); 'De simia et vulpe' (f4r); 'De cervo et leone' (f4r); 'De agricola et pelargo' (f4v); 'De agno et lupo' (f4v); 'De iove et corvo' (f5r); 'De tubicine quodam' (f5r); 'De fabro et cane' (f5v); 'De mula quadam' (f5v); 'De thunno et delphino' (f6r); 'De medico quadam' (f6r); 'De aucupe' (f6v); 'De castore' (f6v); 'De puero oves pascente' (f6v); 'De corvo et vulpe' (f7r); 'De cane et lupo' (f7v); 'De corvo aegrotante' (f7v); 'De cane carnes portante' (f8r); 'De leone et rana' (f8r); 'De leone sene' (f8r); 'De leone et tauro' (f8v); 'De leone asino et vulpe' (f8v); 'De leone cuiusdam rustici filiam amante' (g1r); 'De laena et vulpe' (g1v); 'De lupo et grue' (g1v); 'De lupo et agno' (g1v); 'De duobus gallis intra se certantibus' (g2r); 'De vate quodam' (g2v); 'De formica et columba' (g2v); 'De innulo et cerva' (g3r); 'De ape et iove' (g3r); 'De musca' (g3v); 'De adolescente quodam et hirundine' (g3v); 'De aegroto et medico' (g3v); 'De lignatore quodam' (g4r); 'De asino et iove' (g4v); 'De leporibus et ranis' (g5r); 'De asino et equo' (g5r); 'De asino et lupo' (g5v); 'De muliere et gallina' (g5v); 'De rana et vulpe' (g6r); 'De serpente et agricola' (g6r); 'De gallina et vulpe' (g6v); 'De viatore' (g6v); 'De leone et homine' (g6v); 'De vulpe quadam' (g7r); 'De puero et scorpione' (g7r); 'De venatore et perdice' (g7v); 'De lepore et testudine' (g7v); 'De salice et securi' (g8r); 'De puero quodam fure' (g8r); 'De pastore et mari' (g8v); 'De punica et malo arboribus' (g9r); 'De talpa et marte' (g9r); 'De vespis perdicibus et agricola' (g9v); 'De iove' (g9v); 'De simia' (g9v); 'De pulice' (g10r); 'De pulice et homine' (g10r); 'De formicis et cicada' (g10v); 'De viro et uxoribus' (g10v).
g11r Aesopus: [Fabulae - Latin] [Aepilogus]. 'Totius operis anacephaleosis'. Incipit: ‘[H]abes vitam pariter et fabulas aesopi fabulatoris eximii reverendissime pater per me nuper verbis latinis ...’ g11v Explicit: ‘... et iam tempus aequum fumantia solvere colla.’ 'Finis.'
g11v Colophon: ‘Vita Aesopi per Rynucium thettalum traducta. Verum quoniam ab eo non nulla fuerunt praetermissa, fortassis quia graecus eius codex esset minus emendatus. Ego Bonus Accursius Pisanus eadem in ea omnia correxi et emendavi.’
2a1v Accursius, Bonus: [Letter to] Johannes Franciscus Turrianus. 'Bonus accursius pisanus doctissimo ac sapientissimo ducali quaestori Iohanni Francisco Turriano salutem plurimam dicit'.’ Incipit: ‘[I]n superiore codice, ut nosti, imprimi ... . . .’ Explicit: ‘... ad tuorum utilitatem conducturum putem. Vale.’ Saxius 545.
a2r Aesopus: Μυ̂θοι . Fabulae [in parallel Greek and Latin versions]. Translated by Rinucius Aretinus. Edited by Bonus Accursius. 'Μυ̂θοι Ἀισώπου - Fabulae Aesopi'.’ Incipit: 'De vulpe et hirco. [V]ulpes et hircus sitientes in puteum ...’ e6r Explicit: ‘... benefactoribus tales reddunt gratias.’ 'Finis Aesopi fabularum'.’ The Latin version is based on Rinucius's, but, as stated in Accursius's dedicatory letter, it is a more literal translation. The fables in the Greek version are all listed in Aesopus (ed. Hunger–Hausrath), with the exception of the one shown in Perry, Aesopica, and ‘ Λύκος καὶ γέρανος ’, as in A‑042. The order of the fables, from Aesopus (ed. Hunger–Hausrath) is: 9, 10, 4, 16, 23, 27, 29, 36, 21, 43, 60, 68, 64, 67, 69, 120, 134, 146, 170, 176, 183, 216, 223, 116, 235, 133, 26, 256, 244, 199 (2 variants), 55, 79, 275, 74, 122, 59, 272, 273, 114, 276, 54, 287, 137, 89, 190, 84, 253, 154, 147, 163, 100, 152, 28, 284, 285, 51, Perry, Aesopica, no. 370, 239, 117, 1 unidentified (this last fable, ‘ Λύκος καὶ γέρανος ’, as noted above, resembles Aesopus (ed. Halm) no. 276b).
e6r Colophon: ‘Bonus Accursius pisanus impressit, qui non doctorum hominum sed rudium ac puerorum gratia hunc laborem suscepit.’
Imprint
Imprint: [Milan]: Bonus Accursius, [c.1478]. 4°.
Remarks: As dated by CIBN; GW and others date [c.1480].
Collation
Collation: A–F8 g h8 i6 (stamped); a–d8 e–g8 [h4] 2a b8 2C D8 2E6 (printed).
Remarks: This collation is at variance with GW, which has G, I, K instead of g, h, i. BMC notes the rarity of copies having a section with stamped signatures.
References
ISTC: ia00098000
GW: GW 313;
Hain: H *265, H 272;
Goff: Goff A‑98;
BMC: BMC VI 754;
Proctor: Pr 5963;
Others: BSB‑Ink A‑67; CIBN A‑53; Legrand, Bibl. hell., III 84-6; Lockwood, ‘Rinucius', 65; Sack, Freiburg, 25; Sheppard 4963.
LCN: 14334531
Copies
Copy number: A-043(1)
Binding: Eighteenth-century Italian parchment over pasteboard.
Size: 248 × 176 × 30 mm.
Size of leaf: 234 × 157 mm.
Provenance: Johannes de Assisio (eighteenth/nineteenth century?); ‘Joannes de Assisio' in red ink on front endleaf. Purchased from Tammaro de Marinis (1878-1969), Florence, in 1910 for £100 by Ingram Bywater (1840-1914); Elenchus, no. 3592. Bequeathed in 1914.
SHELFMARK: Byw. I 1.23.
Copy number: A-043(2)
(a): Signatures cut away, first leaf cut out and mounted; (b): wanting last leaf, also heavily cropped, and bound within a larger set of boards; (c) first and last leaves backed.
Binding: Bound as three separate volumes (a), (b), (c). Bindings of (a) and (b) of English blind-tooled reversed calf, over pasteboard, c.1700. (a) and (b) have a similar style of tooled decoration. For each volume, an outer frame of two fillets, also an inner one: inside that a floral roll; at each corner a lozenge-shaped floral ornament. Binding of (b) probably a remboîtage. Binding of (c) English mottled calf over pasteboard, c.1700. Outer frame of two fillets, inside which a gold-tooled floral roll. The gold stamp of the Bodleian Library on both covers.
Size: (a): 226 × 155 × 15 mm; (b): 226 × 155 × 8 mm; (c): 227 × 161 × 7 mm.
Size of leaf: (a): 210 × 149 mm; (b): 188 × 131 mm; (c): 221 × 152 mm.
A manuscript note: ‘Rhegii 1497' (deleted in a different ink) below colophon of (c): incorrect attribution of place and date of publication.
Provenance: What appears to be the upper portion of a book-plate cut out from endpaper of (c). Edward Bernard (1638-1697); Wanley's list, p. 10, no. 316. Among the books purchased in 1697 from Bernard's widow. [The copy of this edition purchased in 1832 from R. F. Sweetinburgh appears no longer to be in the Library.]
Former Bodleian shelfmarks: (c): Auct. N 5.12; (a): 4° T 58 Art.
SHELFMARK: Auct. K 4.9a-c.
Copy number: A-043(3)
Wanting all gatherings between E and2 a1r, and all gatherings after2 D7;2 D4 is bound before2 D3,2 D6 before2 D5.
Binding: Late eighteenth/early nineteenth-century quarter green morocco.
Size: 238 × 176 × 12 mm.
Size of leaf: 231 × 169 mm.
Manuscript corrections and note marks, including occasional pointing hands, added in the margins; corrections mostly in Greek by one humanist hand in red ink. Fables numbered in ink. Notes about contents of volume, inside the upper cover. List of contents of Douce A 541 and Auct. K 4.9.a-c, in an unidentified hand, attached to the endleaf.
Provenance: Johannes Chrysostomus Zanchius (†1566). Francis Douce (1757-1834); armorial book-plate. Bequeathed in 1834.
SHELFMARK: Douce A 541.
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