Beschreibung:

HUBERT DE ROMANIS. Life of St Dominic : THOMAS AGNI DE LENTINO. Life of St Peter Martyr: WILLIAM DE TOCCO. Life of St Thomas Aquinas: Life of Blessed James Salomone of Venice with authorisations for the celebration of feasts of Sts Dominic, Peter Martyr and Thomas Aquinas, in Latin, DECORATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Venice, 14th Century] 389 x 250 mm. 120 leaves: 1-2 8, 3 4, 4-6 8, 7 7(i a singleton), 8-14 8, 15 3, 16 1 0, apparently COMPLETE, horizontal catchwords in centre lower margin on final versos, some decorated in blue and red, two columns of 28-31 lines in black ink written in five gothic bookhands between four verticals and 29-32 horizontals ruled in brown, justification: between 238 x 179mm and 270 x 190 mm, some prickings, addition to text in lower margins ff.5v-6, rubrics in red with guide texts surviving in margins ff.1-13, text capitals touched yellow, two-line initials alternately in red and blue and from f.22 in red flourished with blue or violet and in blue flourished with red, from f.111 four- or three-line initials in blue flourished with red or in red flourished with green, FOUR LARGE FLOURISHED INITIALS four- to nine-lines high with staves of red and blue with red, blue and purple penwork, on f.93 the initial flanked by four lines of display text touched with red on a chequer of blue and green patterns, green and red foliage branches in the margin inhabited by blue and red animals (wormholes through ff.1-8, upper right corners replaced ff.21-44, holes in upper margin ff.58, 67, hole burnt through ff.115-120, water staining to bottom of leaves, some folios very worn). Modern limp vellum. PROVENANCE: 1. Dominican Convent of SS Giovanni e Paolo, Venice: by the late 15th century their library was of sufficient importance to be the intended recipient of Cardinal Bessarion's collection of Greek and Latin texts. Catalogues were published between 1770-1784, in which this volume is cod.574 with comment on the texts (D.M. Berardelli, Nuova Raccolta d'Opuscoli scientifici e filologici , t.32-3, 35, 37-40, 1770, 1778-80, 1782-4, t.39, p.54). At least seventeen of their manuscripts have been identified (T. Kaeppeli, 'Antiche biblioteche domenicane in Italia', Archivum Fratrum Praedicatorum , XXXVI, 1966, pp.5-80, pp.70-72). The Convent was suppressed by the Napoleonic regime in the first decade of the 19th century. 2. Baron Charles Alexander de Cosson (b.1846): his armorial bookplate inside upper cover, note on first paper leaf recording the provenance from SS Giovanni e Paolo and purchase in 1876, together with four other manuscripts with the same binding from the same source - see also lots 27 and 78. Of an émigré family from Guyenne, baron de Cosson was an explorer in Egypt and Abyssinia, archaeologist and antiquary. He had a collection of arms and armour in his house in Chertsey and in 1880 organised an exhibition of arms of armour with William Burges 3. Baron Claude Augustin de Cosson, his eldest son (b.1877): who pursued a career in the Egyptian service before retiring to Florence. Lot 29, Sotheby's, 27 March 1950, Property of the late Baron C.A. de Cosson by whom they were purchased in Italy , excerpt from catalogue pasted on first paper leaf; William Foyle also purchased a book of hours from the Cosson Collection, see lot 50. CONTENT: Life of St Dominic by Humbert de Romanis ff.1-20; life, ff.21-44, and miracles, ff.45-51 of St Peter Martyr by Thomas Agni de Lentino; life and miracles of St Thomas Aquinas by William de Tocco ff.52-91; anonymous life of Blessed James Salomone ff.92-110; Gregory IX's approval of the feast of St Dominic (1234) ff.111-112; Alexander IV's approval of the feast universally (1255) ff.112r&v; Innnocent IV's approval of the feast of St Peter Martyr (1253) ff.112v-115 and to be written in calendar (1254) ff.115-116; Alexander IV enjoins celebrating the feasts of both saints on the Cistercian order (1255) f.116, and Clement IV on the Portuguese church (1266) f.116r&v; John XXII can