GKS 2031 4°: Iuvenalis, Saturae

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GKS 2031 4°: Iuvenalis, Saturae

Paper, 78 ff. (7×V + V-2), 21,3 × 14,5 cm; Italy, saec. XV: 1476

The manuscript contains Juvenal’s 16 satires. On f. 1r there is an illuminated initial and a medallion in the lower margin. Blue initials over 3 lines mark the beginning of each satire. The last word in the volume is an embellished AMEN on f. 78v. There are no traces of study or reading

The end of Juvenal’s text is marked on f. 78r by FINIS and is followed by a distich: "Octo bis satyras Iuvenalis perlege aquini: / Scripsit quas Iacobus ere notante manu". The two lines were not composed by the scribe but copied from his exemplar, which was probably the printed edition of Juvenal’s satires, printed by Jacobus de Fivizzano a couple of years before GKS 2031 4° was copied (GW M15683). In this edition the distich forms the beginning of a colophon in which the printer presents himself. The scribe of GKS 2031 4° is anonymous and only the author of the date of the completion of his work on May 31 1476 ("Cui operi finem fecimus pridie kalendas Junij M°.ccc°.Lxxvj")

The manuscript was brought to Denmark by Eiler Ulfeldt (1613-1644), who acquired it in Madrid in 1640, cf. his name written in the medallion on f. 1r: "Ilarius Ulfeldt 1640" and beneath it "Mantuæ Carpentanorum". Lauritz Nielsen assumed that it came to the Royal Library via the library of Eiler’s brother Laurids Ulfeldt (1605-1659). Harald Ilsøe contended that it belonged for a period to Christian Reitzer (1665-1736) and only arrived at the Royal Library, when Reitzer sold his library to the king in 1721

Bibl.: Chr. Bruun, De illuminerede Haandskrifter fra Middelalderen i Det Store Kongelige Bibliothek, Cph. 1890, p. 269. - Ellen Jørgensen, Catalogus codicum Latinorum medii ævi Bibliothecæ Regiæ Hafniensis, Hafniæ 1926, p. 315. - Lauritz Nielsen, Danske Privatbiblioteker gennem Tiderne, I: Indtil Udgangen af det 17. Aarhundrede, Cph. 1946, p. 129f. - Harald Ilsøe, Det kongelige Bibliotek i støbeskeen, I, Cph. 1999, p. 220f., 234, 362

Erik Petersen