A German poem in rhymed couplets on the life of Alexander the Great, based on the Latin prose work Historia de preliis, by Archipresbyter Leo. The second work in the codex, Grisardis, is a prose narration of the Griselda legend, a moralistic tale about a virtuous prince (margrave) and a humble maiden, here named Grisardis; Erhart Gross's tale is an adaptation of the version of the story related in the last novella of Boccaccio's Decameron (La novella di Griselda). This manuscript of Grisardis was formerly attributed to Albrecht von Eyb. The third work in the codex, Eurialus und Lucretia, is Niklas von Wyle's German translation of the tale of the two lovers Eurialus and Lucretia (De duobus amantibus), composed in Latin by Pope Pius II (Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini).
Support: paper; Extent: 364 leaves : 207 x 149 (157 x 105) mm. bound to 218 x 154 mm; Collation: Paper, 364; 1⁸(-1, pastedown) 2-14¹² 15¹²(-12) 16¹⁰ 17¹²(-1) 18-20¹² 21¹⁴(-6) 22-25¹² 26¹⁰(-10), 27-33⁸34⁸(-8, pastedown); [i-vii, 1-357], modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto (f. 161-187 and 232 are blank); leaves missing between ff. 229 and 230, and between ff. 294 and 295; possible signatures visible on 48v, 60v, 72v (partially cut off), 84v, 96v, 108v, 120v, 132v, 134v, 156v (partially cut off).
Written in ca. 23-28 long lines; most leaves bearing text are frame-ruled in ink or lead.
Written in a German cursive hand by Hans Schwent (f. 160v).
Illuminated opening initial at start of first work (f. 2r), 5-line gold letter framed in a blue square; and at start of second work (f. 178r), 3-line gold letter framed in a blue square. Initial letters of chapters or sections are 3-line in red ink and embellished. Four initial letters are inhabited (fish, 36v; two fish, 117v; face, 241r; and woman's face, 241v), and numerous others (all in the first work) are filled in with a non-figurative design. Marginal drawings are found throughout first work (shield, 29r; two shields, 52r; bird, 74v; dog? 76v; pointing hand, 102v; man, 121r; hand or torch? 137r; shield, 147r; broken shield, 154v). In the first and second work, rubrics for chapters are written in red ink. Colophon (closing rubric) of first work is also written in red ink (160v). Red pen strokes throughout the codex highlight the beginnings of lines or certain initial letters, or underscore certain words (often proper names).
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
Ms. codex.
Title for manuscript based on title of predominant work as given in Zacour-Hirsch.
Austria or Southern Germany
Written in Austria or southern Germany in the early to mid-14th century.
Early 16th-century blind-stamped calf over wood boards (Zacour-Hirsch), with remnants of two clasps.
German
Formerly owned by P. Leopold Gruber (1733-1807), procurator of the Viennese Piarists (Steinhoff); bookplate pasted to inside upper cover: "Ex libris P. Leopoldi Gruber cler. reg. e scholis piis").
Formerly owned by the Piaristenkollegium St. Thekla auf der Wieden, Vienna (Steinhoff); handwritten notations: "Biblioth. Coll. Widens. / 1854" (f. 1v); and "Bibl. Coll. Wid. 54" (f. 2r, upper right).
Appears in William H. Schab Gallery catalog 19 (1954), no. 37; sold, 1953.
Austria or Southern Germany
Written in Austria or southern Germany in the early to mid-14th century.
German
Formerly owned by P. Leopold Gruber
Formerly owned by the Piaristenkollegium St. Thekla auf der Wieden, Vienna
Appears in William H. Schab Gallery catalog 19
A German poem in rhymed couplets on the life of Alexander the Great, based on the Latin prose work Historia de preliis, by Archipresbyter Leo. The second work in the codex, Grisardis, is a prose narration of the Griselda legend, a moralistic tale about a virtuous prince (margrave) and a humble maiden, here named Grisardis; Erhart Gross's tale is an adaptation of the version of the story related in the last novella of Boccaccio's Decameron (La novella di Griselda). This manuscript of Grisardis was formerly attributed to Albrecht von Eyb. The third work in the codex, Eurialus und Lucretia, is Niklas von Wyle's German translation of the tale of the two lovers Eurialus and Lucretia (De duobus amantibus), composed in Latin by Pope Pius II (Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini).
Ms. codex.
Title for manuscript based on title of predominant work as given in Zacour-Hirsch.
Written in a German cursive hand by Hans Schwent (f. 160v).
Illuminated opening initial at start of first work (f. 2r), 5-line gold letter framed in a blue square; and at start of second work (f. 178r), 3-line gold letter framed in a blue square. Initial letters of chapters or sections are 3-line in red ink and embellished. Four initial letters are inhabited (fish, 36v; two fish, 117v; face, 241r; and woman's face, 241v), and numerous others (all in the first work) are filled in with a non-figurative design. Marginal drawings are found throughout first work (shield, 29r; two shields, 52r; bird, 74v; dog? 76v; pointing hand, 102v; man, 121r; hand or torch? 137r; shield, 147r; broken shield, 154v). In the first and second work, rubrics for chapters are written in red ink. Colophon (closing rubric) of first work is also written in red ink (160v). Red pen strokes throughout the codex highlight the beginnings of lines or certain initial letters, or underscore certain words (often proper names).
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
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