Cicero, Marcus Tullius And Marso, Pietro

De Officiis Libri Tres, Cum Interpretatione Petri Marsi

      Paris: [mid. XV century, 1461-1471? ]. Manuscript on ultra fine high quality vellum. 8vo. 150 ll., plus 2 added, first with 12 line ex libris, second blank. Text, A8, B8 (lacking B7), C-I8, K8 (lacking K1), L-M8, N8+1 (N8-9 misbound), O8 (lacking O5), P-S8, T4 plus 3 probably ex 4 original blanks, 115mm. x 179mm., 20 lines ruled in red, 70mm. x 105mm., brown ink in two sizes in a fere-Humanistic minuscule, titles in red, numerous very fine 1-to-3 line initials in gold on cardinal background with calligraphic decoration, guide letters, capitals touched in yellow, copious interlinear and up to 92 line marginal 'glossae' surrounding text in dark brown ink in a tiny slightly later Gothic hand, paragraph marks alternatively in red and blue, later 'Obsecro te' added on two final blanks in brown Bâtarde. Slight waterstain to upper margin of first and last gatherings not compromising text, some marginal and interlinear ms annotations at beginning in an early C16th cursive hand, ms. ex libris 1578 of Joannus [? ] of Anjou, surname deleted and replaced with that of 'Boyvin' in C17. C18 ink library stamp of the Séminaire de St. Sulpice in Paris on recto of *1, ink library stamp of Sir Thomas Phillipps (ms. 244) on free e-p, marbled pastedowns. A very elegant, lavishly commentated ms in mid C16th French calf, covers blind double ruled, central panel with four gilt corner fleurons and inner gilt double ruled lozenge, gilt emblem of Henry II of France as Dauphin in centre, rebacked c. 1800, gilt spine in 7 compartments, gilt title, Phillipp's small paper label at tail, inner covers and corners restored, joints repaired, a.e.g., box case. A fascinating and very high quality XVth century manuscript from the circle of Lapide and Fichet and the library of Henry II King of France (1519-1559), as Dauphin, in an elegant and precise fere-Humanistic hand, illuminated by numerous graceful initials. The profuse marginal and interlinear 'glossae', in a tiny and neat Gothic, were added later in the C15 century. Opening with an...