George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives

Alfonso V, King of Aragon, 1396-1458.
[Deed in Latin, concerning the Roselli castle] Vellum, 1456, 1 f., 56x76 cm., with wax seal attached.

Presented by John M. Dunlap (Bowdoin 1948), December 1974.

Antiphonary. [15th century].

On deposit (1966) in memory of Weston Lewis (Bowd. 1872) and his son, Henry Lewis (Bowd. 1905) by Weston Lewis II (Bowd. 1936) and William B. Lewis.

Biblia. [Evangelia Epistolae Etc.]. Vellum, 13th century, 73 ff., 15x10 cm., 2 columns, illuminated in red and blue. Most running-heads cut into; outer margins of index shaved. In black ink on first page of text: Phillipps Ms. 24585. Pencilled notation next to it: Sale June 1899. On verso of first paper binder's blank at front of volume: John T. Beir Rock-Ferry. On recto of second paper binder's blank at front of volume: - Contents - Book of Job, with the prologue, Proverbs of Solomon, New Testament, Hebrew Nominen (commencement only), and a note in Henry Johnson's hand: The characters of this writing are identical nearly with a Sermonarium of 1219, Bibl. Nat. Paris, cod. 16506. … H. J. Binding is plain panelled calf, back with bands and five compartments, the first, third, fourth, and fifth compartments decorated in blind, the second compartment gilt-lettered: Evangelia Epistolae Etc., and the fifth also gilt-lettered: 13 Century.

From the library of Professor Henry Johnson (Bowdoin 1874), presented in 1949 by Professor and Mrs. Stanley P. Chase (Professor Johnson's daughter and son-in-law).

[Castanyer (Francisco) trial for bigamy in Spain]. Paper, 1510-1515, 78 ff., 31x22 cm. Mostly in Catalonian dialect, small portions in Latin and Castilian Spanish. Half bound with marbled sides; modern with binder's ticket: B. G. Dennison, Binder, Brunswick, Me.

Written on first leaf: This work belonged formerly to the Inquisition of Barcelona in Spain; at the suppression of which the records were plundered or sold. Mr. Charles Brown of Newburyport was present and bought this and many other manuscripts - It was presented to the writer of this note [John M. O'Brien] by Mr. Brown. Presented by John M. O'Brien (Bowdoin 1806).

[Chanson de Geste of the Fils d'Aymon Cycle]. Vellum, c. 1330, 5 separate leaves, 28x20 cm., France, 2 columns, 35 lines of verse to the column, 700 lines of verse in all. Written in alexandrines throughout, red and blue initials with pen decoration. One leaf torn, affecting some lines of text; some pages faded or glue-stained. In red Morocco portfolio.

Discovered in March 1938 in the bindings of an incunable, where they had been used as fly-leaves. Bequest of Charles H. Livingston, 1965.

Cicero, Marcus Tullius. [De Amicitia, etc.] Vellum, 1st half of 15th century, 121 ff., 16x11 cm., Italian. Incomplete at beginning, in a fine humanistic hand. Two large initials in colors, on a gold ground. Bound in half calf and Dutch paper boards.

No information on provenance.

Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Somnium Scipionis ex M. T. C. Der. R. P. Libro Excerptum. Paper, 2nd half of 15th century, 39 ff., 21x15 cm., Italian. On verso of cover, in pencil: 16301Ph B36.547 B13. On recto of first paper binder's blank at front of volume, in black ink: Phillipps Ms. 16301. From sales catalog entry pasted on front free endpaper: Libro excerptum, followed by notes (12 leaves) - Law notes (25 leaves) … Evidently a l5th century student's note book. Paper cover.

Presented by Nathan Dane (Bowdoin 1937), September 1967.

[Erennius in Oppianum]. Paper, 1580, 292 ff., numbered 141-432, 19x14 cm. Text in Greek. Translated from the colophon: copied at Toledo, Spain, by Andreas Darmarius, the Epidaurian. Title taken from back. Bound in early calf, sides outlined in gilt design, gilt dentelles, back with bands, the compartments decorated in gilt.

First page of text, at the bottom inner margin, bears the stamp of the Medical Society of London. Presented by John P. B. Storer (Bowdoin 1812). Date of gift not recorded, but volume is listed in the Catalogue of the Library of Bowdoin College, 1821.

[Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis. Ad usum Romanum. Cum Calendario]. Vellum, ca. 1520, 152 ff., 18x13 cm. Italy. Roman use. Information from the Parke-Bernet sale catalogue, N.Y.C. auction of December 5-6, 1949: 18 long lines to the full page written in gothic lettering apparently by more than one hand. Embellished with a decorative title-page displaying the gilt lettered title within an ornamental tabernacle frame and seventeen large miniature paintings within interesting frames of different designs and eight small miniatures with its text within bold tabernacle frames, burnished gold, blue, and red lettering in calendar, numerous illuminated borders and initial letters in liquid gold and colors throughout. … The title-page reads "Dom. Hore in laude Diuae Virginis Mariae Secundu[m] veru[m] usu[m] Romanu[m] multis Oration[e] Figurisque nouiter inuentis incipiunt feliciter." Pasted to the fly-leaf is a note which reads as follows: "Manuscrits Médicis 25 miniatures et vignettes avec les armes de la famille ayant appartenu à Marie de Medicis. Com. du XVI siècle. Collection du Prince de Conty a couté 2500 livres." Full early 17th century red Morocco, handsome gilt emblematically tooled binding with a pattern covering the entire sides and back, gilt edges.

Purchased from Parke-Bernet by Roscoe Hupper (Bowdoin 1907) and presented by him to Bowdoin College in 1949 in memory of his classmate Felix Arnold Burton.

Marguerite, Queen Consort Of Henry II, King Of Navarre, 1492-1549. [Autograph letter, signed]. Paper, 1st quarter of the 16th century, 1 ff., 24x19 cm. At top of recto: De par Madame duchesse dalencon, and on lower right: Delaunay. On verso of leaf: A Notre amé et feal Conseiller tresorier et Recepveur general de noz finances Me Jehan binet.

From the Charles H. Livingston French Autograph Collection. Gift of Françoise Livingston, 1978. Mr. Livingston, Longfellow Professor of Romance Languages at Bowdoin College, compiled the collection.

Nati, Antonio. N°. 2. Morte di Mdna. Frélli, Sorela. Cenci, decapitati, 1592. Paper, 1592, 18 ff., 27x20 cm. On last page of text: Questa e di me, Antonio Nati, Romano 1592. On verso of last leaf: Antonio Nati, Romano Perciò mi si [restituisca?] con tutto [lo?] che scrivo à chi la presto. Unbound.

Gift of Neal Allen (Bowdoin 1907). Date of gift not recorded.

[Officium Beate Marie Virginis]. Vellum, ca. 1450, 170 ff., 18x12 cm. Written in France (Roman use). 14 miniatures. Brown gilt morocco (18th c.?), lettered: Heures Antiques.

Signatures of Anthonefe de Figaris (16th c.) and Koopen neghen Guld (17th c.). Obtained in 1811 with the collection of James Bowdoin, son of Governor James Bowdoin of Massachusetts, for whom the College was named, who had been Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Spain and Associate Minister at the Court of France, and who had doubtless secured this ms. in Europe. – Cf. Cat. Of the Library of Bowdoin College (Brunswick, 1863), p. 545.

Thomas Aquinas, Saint, 1225-1274. [Liber IV Sententiarum Fragmentum Saec. XV] Paper and vellum, ca. 1450, 12 ff., 28x22 cm., Germany, 2 columns, red and blue initials. Modern half binding with cloth sides.

Gift of Thomas D. Howson (Bowdoin 1940), 1973.

[Watriquet de Couvin, 14th cent. Fabliaux Divers]. Vellum, ca. 1330, 44 ff., 18x13 cm., 18 lines, in verse. Five large initials in colors on a gold ground, other initials in gold on grounds of blue and magenta. Contents (from Charles H. Livingston's "Manuscrit retrouvé d'oeuvres de Watriquet de Couvin", Mélanges de Linguistique Romane et de Philologie Médiévale, Éditions J. Duculot, 1964, pp. 439-446): Li Tournois des dames, incomplete; Dis del aignel et du lyon; Dis de la riviere qui ist hors de son chanel; Li dis du preu chevalier; Dit des VII vertus; and Dit de la nois. Bound in restored stamped calf over wooden boards.

Bequest of Charles H. Livingston, 1965.