PLUTARCH, Pompei viri illustris vita [Life of Pompey], Latin translation by Antonius Tudertinus Pacinus [or Jacopo Angeli da Scarperia]; decorated manuscript on paper, in Latin by PLUTARCH, Pompei viri illustris vita [Life of Pompey]

HUMANIST MANUSCRIPT OF ONE OF PLUTARCH'S LIVES IN A LATIN TRANSLATION OF THE GREEK ORIGINAL. Decorated manuscript on paper, in Latin, Northern Italy, Lombardy, perhaps Ferrara or Mantua?, c. 1470-1480. Dimensions 215 x 155 mm. 71 folios, on thick paper with watermark of the type Briquet, "Basilic," no. 2671: Ferrara, 1471 or nos. 2672-2673: Mantua, 1478-1483, written in an Italian humanistic slightly sloping cursive script on up to 21 long lines, headings in margins in pale red ink, contemporary marginal annotations in brown ink. BINDING: Nineteenth-century English brown Russia binding, smooth back with blind tooling and gilt lettering: "Pompei Vita / Plutarchus / MS.", blind-stamped and gilt with monogram and motto on upper board, and arms on lower cover, brown paper endleaves, edges gilt. TEXT: This manuscript contains the life of Pompey the Great (106-48 B.C.), the distinguished military and political leader of the late Roman republic and Julius Caesar's military rival, included in Plutarch's Lives. This is one of about 50 recorded Renaissance manuscripts of the Latin translation from the Greek original by either Antonius Tudertinus Pacinus or Jacopo Angeli da Scarperia. The present manuscript provides testimony that the lives continued to circulate independently in manuscript form, even after their assembly into one common collection. PROVENANCE: Script and watermarks all point to an Italian origin for this manuscript, likely Northern Italy, Lombardy. It was later in the collection of John Broadley, F.S.A. (1774-1833). CONDITION: Upper inner hinge loose, binding a bit scuffed, occasional minor stains to paper, else in very good condition. Full description and pictures available. (TM 214)