PSEUDO-ARISTOTLE, Secreta secretorum ; 'MARDOCHEUS IUDEUS', Epistola ad Alexandrum de cognitione veri dei ; ADAM DE MONTALDO ( fl. c.1450-1495), Divinitus prolata iudicia sive premonita ; Quedam alia summatim posita iudicia ; in Latin ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM.
PSEUDO-ARISTOTLE, Secreta secretorum ; 'MARDOCHEUS IUDEUS', Epistola ad Alexandrum de cognitione veri dei ; ADAM DE MONTALDO ( fl. c.1450-1495), Divinitus prolata iudicia sive premonita ; Quedam alia summatim posita iudicia ; in Latin ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM. [Rome, c.1490]268 x 175 mm. ii paper + 83 leaves + ii paper: 1 9 (of 8 + i), 2-10 8 , 11 2 , catchwords in lower margins of most final versos, COMPLETE, 28 lines written in black ink in a humanistic bookhand between two verticals and 29 horizontals ruled in faint metalpoint, justification: 168 x 100mm, most headings in red, five in burnished gold or gold and blue, one in gold on a blue ground, red titles in side margins, ten illuminated initials and over 80 historiated initials of two- to four-lines on gold grounds linked to full or partial side borders of gold bars with acanthus and flowerheads or of acanthus and flowers interspersed with gold disks, eight illuminated initials and 23 historiated initials of four- to nine-lines linked to side borders of similar types, page with title with large historiated initial and border to all sides with the arms of Innocent VIII held by putti, closing petition with a large initial in burnished gold on a ground of white vine decoration extending to form a side border, an unframed miniature below of Adam de Montaldo presenting the book to Innocent VIII (original cancellations and partial replacements of text ff.1v, 58, 78, slight rubbing to borders and miniatures ff.2 and 82, cropped into edge of marginal titles f.82, original cancellation leading to ink smudging across part of text and illumination and modern repainting of illuminated initial f.58, modern repainting of cancelled portrait of Innocent VIII f.59v, some flaking and retouching of initial f.38v, ink smudged into five lines of text f.76, silver tarnished, some wear to margins). English 19th-century blind stamped straight grained green morocco over wooden boards, spine and turn-ins gilt (extremities worn). Green cloth box. PROVENANCE: 1. The book was written, probably in Rome, by its author-editor, the Augustinian hermit Adam de Montaldo, manu propria , with his own hand (f.1v), for presentation to Innocent VIII and so during Innocent's papacy 1484-1492. Adam, humanist historian, polemicist and prophet, had previously dedicated works to Calixtus III (1455-1458) and Sixtus IV (1471-1484); as a fellow Genoese, he had a closer connection with Innocent VIII, to whom he presented a history of the Pope's family, Tractatus de nobili familia genuensi Cybo . In this volume, his final petition to Innocent VIII remains unaltered, as do Innocent's arms on f.2, but the opening dedication on f.1v has been redirected to Ludovico Sforza, il Moro , ruler of the duchy of Milan and, since 1487, of Genoa; Ludovico's name probably also appeared over the cancellation of Innocent's on f.58. In a new dedication to Ludovico added on f.1, Adam explains that when he made the original dedication he thought the Pope was given to letters: now he sees suam beatitudinem maioribus rebus intentam and so addresses the book to Ludovico. The 'greater things', on which His Holiness was intent, may constitute a heavily veiled reference to his alliance with the Turks in 1489, which would have alienated Adam, an energetic campaigner for an anti-Turkish crusade. Alternatively, or additionally, Adam may simply have given up hope of the Pope honouring his promises of support: 'all my trouble has proved absolutely vain and of no use to me', as he bitterly added after his account of how he helped Innocent's election by threatening St Augustine with severe displeasure if there were any other result, ff.77v-78. Retaining the closing petition, ff.82-83, where Adam reminded Innocent to fulfil his promises of support for Adam's old age, ensured that Ludovico Sforza knew what was expected of him -- Adam's expectations were doubtless based on il Moro's reputation as a patron, most famously now of Leonardo da Vinci
PSEUDO-ARISTOTLE, Secreta secretorum ; 'MARDOCHEUS IUDEUS', Epistola ad Alexandrum de cognitione veri dei ; ADAM DE MONTALDO ( fl. c.1450-1495), Divinitus prolata iudicia sive premonita ; Quedam alia summatim posita iudicia ; in Latin ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM.
PSEUDO-ARISTOTLE, Secreta secretorum ; 'MARDOCHEUS IUDEUS', Epistola ad Alexandrum de cognitione veri dei ; ADAM DE MONTALDO ( fl. c.1450-1495), Divinitus prolata iudicia sive premonita ; Quedam alia summatim posita iudicia ; in Latin ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM. [Rome, c.1490]268 x 175 mm. ii paper + 83 leaves + ii paper: 1 9 (of 8 + i), 2-10 8 , 11 2 , catchwords in lower margins of most final versos, COMPLETE, 28 lines written in black ink in a humanistic bookhand between two verticals and 29 horizontals ruled in faint metalpoint, justification: 168 x 100mm, most headings in red, five in burnished gold or gold and blue, one in gold on a blue ground, red titles in side margins, ten illuminated initials and over 80 historiated initials of two- to four-lines on gold grounds linked to full or partial side borders of gold bars with acanthus and flowerheads or of acanthus and flowers interspersed with gold disks, eight illuminated initials and 23 historiated initials of four- to nine-lines linked to side borders of similar types, page with title with large historiated initial and border to all sides with the arms of Innocent VIII held by putti, closing petition with a large initial in burnished gold on a ground of white vine decoration extending to form a side border, an unframed miniature below of Adam de Montaldo presenting the book to Innocent VIII (original cancellations and partial replacements of text ff.1v, 58, 78, slight rubbing to borders and miniatures ff.2 and 82, cropped into edge of marginal titles f.82, original cancellation leading to ink smudging across part of text and illumination and modern repainting of illuminated initial f.58, modern repainting of cancelled portrait of Innocent VIII f.59v, some flaking and retouching of initial f.38v, ink smudged into five lines of text f.76, silver tarnished, some wear to margins). English 19th-century blind stamped straight grained green morocco over wooden boards, spine and turn-ins gilt (extremities worn). Green cloth box. PROVENANCE: 1. The book was written, probably in Rome, by its author-editor, the Augustinian hermit Adam de Montaldo, manu propria , with his own hand (f.1v), for presentation to Innocent VIII and so during Innocent's papacy 1484-1492. Adam, humanist historian, polemicist and prophet, had previously dedicated works to Calixtus III (1455-1458) and Sixtus IV (1471-1484); as a fellow Genoese, he had a closer connection with Innocent VIII, to whom he presented a history of the Pope's family, Tractatus de nobili familia genuensi Cybo . In this volume, his final petition to Innocent VIII remains unaltered, as do Innocent's arms on f.2, but the opening dedication on f.1v has been redirected to Ludovico Sforza, il Moro , ruler of the duchy of Milan and, since 1487, of Genoa; Ludovico's name probably also appeared over the cancellation of Innocent's on f.58. In a new dedication to Ludovico added on f.1, Adam explains that when he made the original dedication he thought the Pope was given to letters: now he sees suam beatitudinem maioribus rebus intentam and so addresses the book to Ludovico. The 'greater things', on which His Holiness was intent, may constitute a heavily veiled reference to his alliance with the Turks in 1489, which would have alienated Adam, an energetic campaigner for an anti-Turkish crusade. Alternatively, or additionally, Adam may simply have given up hope of the Pope honouring his promises of support: 'all my trouble has proved absolutely vain and of no use to me', as he bitterly added after his account of how he helped Innocent's election by threatening St Augustine with severe displeasure if there were any other result, ff.77v-78. Retaining the closing petition, ff.82-83, where Adam reminded Innocent to fulfil his promises of support for Adam's old age, ensured that Ludovico Sforza knew what was expected of him -- Adam's expectations were doubtless based on il Moro's reputation as a patron, most famously now of Leonardo da Vinci
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