Proemium platynae in uitas pontificum ad sixtum. IIII. Pontificem maximum

Caption title from leaf a1v.

Author's name appears in reference source as: Bernadus Claravallensis.

"Excelle[n]tissimi historici Platinae i[n] uitas su[m]mo[rum] po[n]tificu[m] ad Sixtu[m]. iiii. po[n]tifice[m] maximu[m] praecla[rum] opus foeliciter explicit : accurate castigatu[m] ac i[m]pensa magistri Ioa[n]nis uercelensis .M.cccc.lxxxv. die. x. februarii"--Colophon, leaf r5v.

Probably reprinted from the edition of De Colonia and Manthen, Venice, 1479 with the omission of the letter of Squarzaficus to the author, and of 'impressum' in the colophon. Cf. BM 15th cent.

Signatures: a¹⁰ b-q⁸ r⁶ [$1-4 (-a2, r4, +a5) signed]. 136 leaves, the first and final leaves blank.

213 x 134 mm ; roman 82 ; 52 lines ; initial spaces occupying 2, 3 or 5 lines, some with guide letters.

Printed in Roman type, on paper with watermarks including crescent (similar to Briquet 5208)

ISTC (RLIN), ip00770000

BM 15th cent., VI, p. 897 (IB. 28435)

Goff, P-770

Hain, 13048

Oates, 2465, 2466, 2467

Procter, 6498

Upper cover of binding Digital image. Wellington, N.Z. : National Library of New Zealand, 2007

Digital image available: upper cover of binding, Alexander Turnbull Library SPC copy. Details available on request from Curator, Special Printed Collections.

The Alexander Turnbull Library SPC copy 1 lacks first and final blank leaves. Binding: re-used late 16th or 17th century limp vellum with some of original design now on the turn-ins, tooled in gold with design of concentric frames joined at corners, with central and corner designs built up with small tools, endbands only laced into covers. Endpapers watermarked with eagle design and letter T. Provenance: some guide letters in ms. brown ink in initial spaces, some rubrication in red and blue. Foliated in brown ink at fore-edge of head margin. The biographies are numbered sequentially in arabic numerals in ms. brown ink from leaf a3r and in black ink from leaf a7v, with ms. reference to some biographies on leaf a1r. Latin marginalia in brown and black ink in more than one hand. On leaf 1a "Dr Mutio Beichirui?". Bookplate: Sir Joseph Kinsey bequest, 1936. Stained particularly on first three and last two gatherings; some foxing and browning; first leaf crumbling at edges; final leaf in very poor condition and repaired. Acc. R1044.

The Alexander Turnbull Library SPC copy 2 lacks first and final blank leaves, also leaf a2. Binding: rebound in 20th century, 1/4 vellum, green buckram boards, black decorative design tooled along intersection of vellum and buckram, spine tooled in gold with red and green imitation morocco spine labels, cream endpapers. Accompanied by typescript note indicating this copy was formerly bound in calf. Spine title: Vitae pontificum. Platina. Provenance: initial spaces have guide letters in ms. brown ink, later rubricated in blue. Rubrication in red on leaves a6v and a7r. Foliated in brown ink at fore-edge of head margin, however the head margin has been cropped, removing some numbering. Vellum flyleaf from earlier binding has ms. contents listing in brown ink, which continues onto the blank recto of the first leaf of text. Latin marginalia throughout (some cropped) in brown ink in more than one hand, marginalia in red ink towards end of text from leaf q5. Book stamp on front flyleaf of "Jeffreys W. Murray" (c.1820- ). Purchased by the ATL from Francis Edwards in 1948. Leaf a10 hinged on guard, small amount of worming in tail margin of first two leaves and vellum flyleaf and affecting text on final two leaves, triangular hole cut in tail margin of leaf a5, stain in head margin of first gathering, prominent stain (probably ink) on leaf q3v, minor foxing. Accompanied by armorial bookplate (in envelope) of "H.W. Atkinson. Mint" (Franks 914), with motto "Nil sine labore". Acc. R1485.