A Sixth-Century Fragment of the Letters of Pliny the Younger: A Study of Six Leaves of an Uncial Manuscript Preserved; in the Pierpont Morgan Library New YorkRand, Edward Kennard
General
A Sixth-Century Fragment of the Letters of Pliny the Younger: A Study of Six Leaves of an Uncial Manuscript Preserved; in the Pierpont Morgan Library New York
Rand, Edward Kennard
Manuscripts, Latin -- Facsimiles; Manuzio, Aldo, 1449 or 50-1515; Paleography, Latin; Pliny, the Younger -- Correspondence
The present writers had the good fortune to visit the Pierpont Morgan
Library in 1915. One of the first manuscripts put into their hands was
this early sixth-century fragment of Pliny’s _Letters_, which forms the
subject of the following pages. Having received permission to study
the manuscript and publish results, they lost no time in acquainting
classical scholars with this important find. In December of the
same year, at the joint meeting of the American Archaeological and
Philological Associations, held at Princeton University, two papers
were read, one concerning the palaeographical, the other the textual,
importance of the fragment. The two studies which follow, Part I by
Doctor Lowe, Part II by Professor Rand, are an elaboration of the views
presented at the meeting. Some months after the present volume was in
the form of page-proof, Professor E.T. Merrill’s long-expected edition
of Pliny’s _Letters_ appeared (Teubner, Leipsic, 1922). We regret that
we could not avail ourselves of it in time to introduce certain changes.
The reader will still find Pliny cited by the pages of Keil, and in
general he should regard the date of our production as 1921 rather
than 1922.
The writers wish to express their gratitude for the privilege of
visiting the Pierpont Morgan Library and making full use of its
facilities. For permission to publish the manuscript they are indebted
to the generous interest of Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan. They also desire to
make cordial acknowledgment of the unfailing courtesy and helpfulness of
the Librarian, Miss Belle da Costa Greene, and her assistant, Miss Ada
Thurston. Lastly, the writers wish to thank the Carnegie Institution of
Washington for accepting their joint study for publication and for their
liberality in permitting them to give all the facsimiles necessary to
illustrate the discussion.
E. K. RAND.
E. A. LOWE.
CONTENTS.
Part I. THE PALAEOGRAPHY OF THE MORGAN FRAGMENT. By E. A. Lowe.
Description of the Fragment
Contents, size, vellum, binding
Ruling
Relation of the six leaves to the rest of the manuscript
Original size of the manuscript
Disposition
Ornamentation
Corrections
Syllabification
Orthography
Abbreviations
Authenticity of the six leaves
Archetype
The Date and Later History of the Manuscript
On the dating of uncial manuscripts
Dated uncial manuscripts
Oldest group of uncial manuscripts
Characteristics of the oldest uncial manuscripts
Date of the Morgan manuscript
Later history of the Morgan manuscript
Conclusion
Transcription
Part II. THE TEXT OF THE MORGAN FRAGMENT. By E. K. Rand.
The Morgan Fragment and Aldus’s Ancient Codex Parisinus
The Codex Parisinus
The Bodleian volume
The Morgan fragment possibly a part of the lost Parisinus
The script
Provenience and contents
The text closely related to that of Aldus
Editorial methods of Aldus
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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