Bod-Inc: D-074
Diogenes Laertius Cynicus
Epistolae [Latin].
Analysis of Content
a1r Griffolinus Aretinus, Franciscus: Elegia [Addressed to] Pius II, Pont. Max. ‘Francisci Arretini Elegia ad Pium II pontificem maximum.’ Incipit: [A]d Vaticani praeclara palatia Petri | Vade precor nostri diua Thalia memor ... a2r Explicit: ‘... Sic hominum mundique diu moderatus habenas | Candidus exuperes serius astra Pie. [30 elegiac distichs]’
a2r Griffolinus Aretinus, Franciscus: [Preface addressed to] Pius II, Pont. Max. ‘Francisci Arretini ad Pium pont. maximum in Diogenis epistolas proemium.’ Incipit: ‘[D]iogenis philosophi epistolas nuper a me e Graeco in Latinum traductas, cui potius dicare et possum et debeo ...’ a3r Explicit: ‘... alia et fortasse maiora tuo praestantissimo iudicio confirmatus aggrediat. Nunc ad ipsum Diogenem veniamus.’
a3v Diogenes Laertius Cynicus [pseudo-]: Epistolae [Translated by] Franciscus Griffolinus Aretinus. ‘Diogenes Crateti s.d.’ Incipit: ‘[A]udio quam iniquo animo feras quod Athenienses ebrii me verberarunt, et gravibus contumeliis affici sapientiam conquereris ...’ c6v Explicit: ‘... Bonum namque esse secundum Simonidem difficile est, polliceri autem perfacile.’ On the 47 letters contained in this edition see M. Boissonade, ‘Des lettres inédites de Diogène le Cynique, contenues dans les manuscrits 1353 et 398 du Vatican', Notices et extraits des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque du Roi et autres bibliothèques, 10,2 (1818), 122-288, especially at 124, but the individual letters and Griffolini's translation are discussed passim.
d1r Rinucius Aretinus: [Preface addressed to] Nicolaus V, Pont. Max. ‘Renuccii viri clarissimi in epistolas Bruti ad Nicolaum quintum pohtificem [!] maximum Proemium.’ Incipit: ‘[S]olent, beatissime pater, qui invigilant alicui operi quod ad mores hominum spectet ...’ d2r Explicit: ‘... si tua sanctitas paulo diligentius aures praestabit, nimirum et proculdubio charas habebit.’ Lockwood, ‘Rinucius', 82-3.
d2r Mithridates [pseudo-]: [Prefatory letter addressed to] Mithridates [his nephew] ‘Mitridates Mitridati nepoti.’ Incipit: ‘[B]ruti epistolas iterum ac sepius admiratus non vi dumtaxat et brevitatis gratia ...’ d3r Explicit: ‘... quae postea profecta cum dilucide tenentur inconsulte facilia ducuntur.’ See Lockwood, ‘Rinucius', 83.
d3r Brutus, Marcus Junius [pseudo-]: Epistolae [Translated by] Rinucius Aretinus. ‘Brutus Pergamenis’ Incipit: ‘[A]udio vos Dolabellae dedisse pecunias, quas siquidem sponte dedistis ...’ e6r Explicit: ‘... Sed qui indiget quod exhibere nequeunt, id eos denegare necesse est.’ See Lockwood, ‘Rinucius', 83.
f1r Rinucius Aretinus: [Letter addressed to] Antonius de la Cerda. ‘Reverendissimo domino suo domino A. TT. Sancti Chrisogoni presbitero cardinali Verden. Renutius se commendat.’ Incipit: ‘[H]yppocratis Choi, cuius maximum extat in arte medendi nomen ...’ Explicit: ‘... ubi Homerum imitatus de Tideo ait. Maior in exiguo regnabat corpore virtus. Vale.’ Lockwood, ‘Rinucius', 92-3.
f1v Rinucius Aretinus: [Preface addressed to] Nicolaus V, Pont. Max. ‘Praefatio in Epistolas Hippocratis medici praestantissimi e Graeco in Latinum per Renutium traductas ad Nicolaum V. pon. max.’ Incipit: ‘[P]hilippus Mediolanensis vir inter medentes nostri temporis praestantissimus, beatissime pater, ...’ f2r Explicit: ‘... ut eadem sanctitas tua aequis auribus eas Romano sermone loquentes audire dignetur.’ Lockwood, ‘Rinucius', 93.
f2r Hippocrates [pseudo-]: Epistolae. [Translated by] Rinucius Aretinus. ‘Incipiunt Epistolae foeliciter.’ Incipit: ‘[R]ex regum magnus Artaxerses peto salutem. Morbus qui nomine appellatur pestis nostrum ...’ h4r Explicit: ‘... Quare ad utriusque huiusmodi facultatis cognitionem accedere velis. Vale. | Finis.’ See Lockwood, ‘Rinucius', 94.
f4r Colophon: ‘Florentiae facta est harum Epistolarum impressio, per Antonium Francisci Venetum, anno Domini M.CCCCLXXXVII. X. kalen. Iulias.’
Imprint
Imprint: Florence: Antonius Francisci, Venetus, 22 June 1487. 4°.
Secundo folio: potius. Grave namque est ut quos parentes ob morum [a4r]
Collation
Collation: a b8 c–f6.8 g6 h4.
Remarks: Spaces left blank for initials, with printed guide letters.
References
ISTC: id00217000
GW: GW 8396;
Hain: HC 6194; HR 12897 (Hippocrates);
Goff: Goff D‑217;
BMC: BMC VI 677;
Proctor: Pr 6329A;
Others: Oates 2420; Sheppard 5231.
LCN: 14817763
Copies
Copy number: D-074(1)
Bound with:
1. Andreas Floccus [Ps. Lucius Fenestella], De Romanorum magistratibus. Albricus, De imaginibus deorum. [Florence: Bartolommeo di Libri, c.1492] (F‑072);
3. Michael Marullus, Epigrammata. [Rome: Eucharius Silber, c.1483-90] (A‑041(3)).
Binding: Eighteenth-century(?) parchment, with damaged gilt oval stamp on both covers, within a wreath a pot with flowers. With black-edged leaves and green silk book-mark.
Size: 206 × 144 × 30 mm.
Size of leaf: 200 × 140 mm.
On h4v a note in a fifteenth/sixteenth-century hand, giving the contents of the book as ‘Fenestella. Epistole Diogenis', implying that items 1 and 2 were travelling together from at least c.1492.
Provenance: Charles Butler (1821-1910); printed label; sale, 5 Apr. 1911, lot 428, purchased by Bywater for £2. 15. 0; note by Bywater on cutting from sale catalogue attached to front pastedown. Ingram Bywater (1840-1914); book-plate, with crest and initials ‘I.B'; Elenchus, no. 1190b. Bequeathed in 1914.
SHELFMARK: Byw. U 4.12(2).
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