Copy number: T-178(1)

Binding: Contemporary German quarter calf over wooden boards, with two metal clasps and catches; rebacked, with part of the original spine pasted over. On the upper cover ‘2^a secunde sancti Thome | 91' in a contemporary hand in black ink.

Size: 307 × 220 × 75 mm.

Size of leaf: 292 × 206 mm.

Running folio numbering ‘1-200' only and subject headings in a sixteenth-century humanist hand in brown ink. A few marginal notes, mainly extracting key words and structuring the text, in the first leaves only. On [*1r] in an early hand in brown ink: ‘S. peregrinationis de(?) imontone(?)'. ‘P 5678' in pencil in Dunn's hand on the upper right-hand corner of the front endleaf.

Provenance: Johannes Hüner (fifteenth century?); inscription on [*1v]: ‘Sum Joannis Hüener presbiteri(?) in Schramberg'. Presented by George Dunn (1865-1912) in May 1909; note in pencil on the lower left-hand corner of the verso of the front endleaf: ‘D 28/5/09'.

SHELFMARK: Inc. c. I4.1479.1.

Copy number: T-178(2)

Here the ‘Tabula questionum' is bound at the end.

Binding: Fifteenth-century Spanish blind-tooled Mudéjar binding, of dark red goatskin over wooden boards with a very slight inwards and outwards bevel. Two clasps (renewed) secured by three nails arranged in a triangle hinge on the upper cover. Two brass clasps of pointed form with indented sides secured by seven brass nails. Outer six-line frame. Border with groups of cross-shaped ornaments composed of five impressions of a small rosette, with diagonal rays. Centre with eighteen squares filled with knotwork tooling, in six groups each of three squares, outlined by linked strapwork, inside a knotwork border contained by a rectangular fillet. Formerly chained: staple-marks of a hasp at head of upper cover. Pale yellowish-brown edges. Double headbands originally of red silk. Sewn on four split thongs. Compartments of the spine have a decoration of lines, roundels, and knotwork tools. Pastedown and one free endleaf at each end; no watermark. See Henry Thomas, Early Spanish Bookbindings (London, 1939), pl. XXIX, and 30-1 pl. LI.

Size: 318 × 210 × 70 mm.

Size of leaf: 298 × 202 mm.

A few marginal notes, mainly extracting key words, and pointing hands in two early hands, one in light brown ink, the other in dark brown ink; the latter that of Antonio de Portilla. On 109v: ‘Esta a disposicion del provincial' in the hand of the Medina del Campo inscription in light brown ink. On the front of the first of the two endleaves inserted between the end of the text and the ‘Tabula questionum' a sixteenth-century bibliographical note in Spanish: ‘2^e 2^a S. Th. en tablas coloradas al principio ma oja blancas al cabo sieta(?) e cama (?) quaterno tiene ojas do (?) 22. quinternos 25. sexternos 4 quaternos 3'. Within the case-box are kept a photograph of the binding and three letters from H. Thomas (British Museum) to Ehrman, dated Jan. 1930, May 1930, and May 1937, all regarding the binding and provenance of this book.

On a1r a large initial ‘P' is supplied in interlocked red and blue with reserved white decoration within a square ground made of very fine violet pen-work; the area defined by the letter is decorated with the very fine pen-work in violet (creating the shape of a cross) within a red ground. With foliate extensions to form a full border in violet touched in gold. Other initials and paragraph marks are supplied in red or violet. Running ‘quaestio' numbers, in roman numerals, in red and violet.

Provenance: Santander, Franciscans of San Vicente de la Barquera; inscriptions on verso of rear endleaf: ‘p[er]tenesce esta 2a 2e al conuento d[e]los fraires menores de sant Vicente d[e]la barq[ue]ra por q[ue] ende se pago parte d[e]la limosna d[e]la casa p[ar]te d[e]la limosna q[ue] yo fray Antonio de portilla en la dicha casa morando acq[ui]ri tengo io a my uso co[n] auctoridad del Venere[n]do padre Vica[rio] p[ro]vincial q[ue] estonces era fray Ju[an] de Leniz(?) fasta q[ue] sus successores o la muerte q[ue] a todos de todas las cosas p[er]va me lo mande[n] dexar y por q[ue] es v[er]dad firme aq[ui] my no[m]bre Antonio de Portilla'. Medina del Campo, Franciscans; inscription on the same leaf: ‘troquse por ot[r]o q[ue] p[er]tenescia a medina del ca[m]po y (?)de p[er]tenesce este'. Vienna, Bundesdenkmalamt (1918-1938); stamp on the front pastedown. Albert Ehrman (1890-1969); armorial book-plate; purchased in 1927 for £35; accession no. ‘1139'. Presented in 1978 by John Ehrman.

SHELFMARK: Broxb. 20.7.