Volume S 51 from the library of Walter Supersaxo (ca. 1402-1482), Bishop of Sion, and of his son Georg (ca. 1450-1529) contains two collections of Latin fables, the first printed, the second handwritten. The first part, printed around 1475 by Michael Wenssler in Basel (GW 7890), contains the Speculum sapientiae, which had erroneously been attributed to the holy bishop Cyril. This collection of 95 fables in Latin prose was probably compiled around 1337-1347 by the Italian Dominican Bongiovanni da Messina. The second part contains Aesop's fables in a Latin version in verse called “Fables by Anonymus Neveleti“ (after the name of the first publisher, Isaac Nicolas Nevelet, in the year 1610), which eventually were attributed to Gualterus Anglicus (12th century). This second, handwritten part was produced around 1474 by Georg Supersaxo's anonymous scribe. It is comparable to other copies that were produced for Georg Supersaxo around 1472-1474, at the time that the young man studied law in Basel. This group of manuscripts includes the classical writers (Terence, Sallust …) as well as texts known only to scholars (Augustinus Datus, Gasparinus Barzizius …). Glued to the pastedowns of S 51, there are parchment fragments with Latin excerpts from Aristotle's Physics (Book IV, in the translation of James of Venice). (esc)

Online Since: 03/22/2018

This volume, S 56, from the library of Walter Supersaxo (ca. 1402-1482), Bishop of Sion, and of his son Georg (ca. 1450-1529) in five parts brings together various Latin texts, classical texts as well as works by Italian humanists; the first two parts are printed (with initials in red and green), the latter three are handwritten. The first part, printed around 1472 by Michael Wenssler and Friedrich Biel in Basel (GW 3676), contains the Epistolae by the humanist and professor of rhetoric Gasparino Barzizza from Bergamo (ca. 1360-1431). This is followed by The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, also from the workshop of Michael Wenssler in Basel from about 1473-1474 (GW 4514). Next is the first handwritten text (incomplete, with marginal and interlinear glosses), Jesuida seu De passione Christi by the humanist and physician Girolamo della Valle from Padua († ca. 1458 or 1494). This work, written in hexameter and dedicated to Pietro Donato, Bishop of Padua from 1428 until 1447, was most likely copied from the edition of about 1474 that was printed by Michael Wenssler in Basel (GW M49385) and that also served as model for the lay-out. The fourth part contains the Catiline conspiracy by Sallust. At the end of the volume, the fifth part is made up of three works by two authors (with marginal and interlinear glosses; initials in red and green); due to a bookbinder's error, the order of the quires is mixed up. This fifth part contains the Elegantiolae (the order for reading would be: ff. 1r-10v, 27r-38v, 11r-20r) by the humanist and professor of rhetoric Agostino Dati from Siena (*1420 or 1428, †1478), as well as two treatises by Gasparino Barzizza, which are already included in the printed part, the Praeceptorum summula (ff. 20r-21v) and the Modus orandi (ff. 21v-26v, 39r-43r). The three handwritten parts of the volume were produced by different hands, among them that of the anonymous scribe of Georg Supersaxo. S 56 therefore is comparable to the other manuscripts (S 51, S 101, S 105) that were made for Georg Supersaxo at the time when the young man studied law in Basel (around 1472-1474). Among the annotations on the flyleaves one can recognize a note of ownership by his father Walter Supersaxon, Bishop of Sion (f. N2r). (esc)

Online Since: 03/22/2018

This manuscript from the library of the Bishop of Sion Walter Supersaxo (ca. 1402-1482) and his son Georg (ca. 1450-1529) contains five of the six comedies by Terence, although the last one, Hecyra, abruptly ends in the middle of the text. This codex is part of a group of manuscripts (S 51, S 56, S 105) that Georg Supersaxo himself made or had made during his studies in Basel (beginning in 1472). In this group, Terence's comedies are contained in the present manuscript as well as in codex S 105. These two manuscripts are very similar to one another regarding text and formatting. However, in contrast to codex S 105, which is written carefully and regularly and which is decorated with more elaborate initials, codex S 101 definitely is a manuscript for regular use. The initials and the rubrication soon discontinue. The binding is from the same workshop as that of codex S 51. Both have identical stamping, and the fragments, which were used to reinforce the inside cover, are from the same manuscript. They contain excerpts from the Physica by Aristotle in the translation by James of Venice. (dre)

Online Since: 03/22/2018

This manuscript from the library of Walter Supersaxo (ca. 1402-1482), Bishop of Sion, and of his son Georges (ca. 1450-1529), contains Terence's six comedies, each of which begins with an ornamental initial: Andria (f. 5r), Eunuchus (f. 19v), Heautontimoroumenos (f. 35v), Adelphoe (f. 52r), Hecyra (f. 66v), Phormio (f. 78r). The manuscript is part of a bundle of copies which were made, if not by Georges Supersaxo himself, then by a scribe in his service. At the time, the young man was a law student in Basel. This group of manuscripts includes classical pieces (Terrence, Sallust…), but also texts that would be familiar only to scholars (Augustinus Datus, Gasparinus, Barzizius,…). Terence's comedies take a special place in the collection, since they were recopied into another manuscript in this group, S 101, which remains incomplete. (esc)

Online Since: 12/14/2017