Giordano Ruffo, Libro dell'infirmita dei cavalli, and other texts

Written in a near current humanistic hand 27-28 lines to a page. On f.6 is a large illuminated initial 1 in gold and colours, with floral ornaments in black and gold: in the lower margin an emblazoned shield within a green decorated wreath, the charges on which seems to have been painted over in red.

Contents

1. ff. 1r-31r Recepte aprovate adverse infirmitate de'cavalli

f. 1r Index entries for cap. 36, 37 (struck through) ... f. 2r Recepte aprouate aduerse Infirmitate de Caualli et primo remedio a lo manticore. Capitolo 1 ... 5v Remedio per sanare porro ad cauallo data per messere piero a lo Ianecto malatesta del S. Re. andrea prouato. Capitolo 72 ... f 6r Recepte aprouate a diuerse Infirmita de Cauali: et primo remedio a lo manticore capitolo .1. In primis Insagnerai lo Cauallo de la vena comune ... f. 31r ... Questa ey prouata ad uno Ianeto liardo malatesta del .S. Re.

f. 31v blank

2. ff. 32r-72r Giordano Ruffo, Libro dell'infirmita dei cavalli

ff. 32r (Index) Del nascimento del cauallo .1. f. 33v A rappe muglie trauersangue o uero crepature. 100 ... f. 34r Conciosia cosa che fra tuti li animali creati dal summo creatore nesuno e piu nobille del caualo per lo quello li caualeri e li altri signori fu cognosciuti da li villani. Imprezo ad utilitate de quili che usano li cauali et spetialmente de quili che se delectano de Iostrare et torniare e combatere alquale utilitate del caualo secondo el mi pensamento et Ingegno, Io. Jordano ruffo caualiero de lo Imperatore federico secondo che Io aio prouato Intende demonstrare uerace regione ad prege de uno caro amico le infrascritte cose scriuere prouerai. Del nascimento del Cauallo ... f. 72r ... questo si e bono a fare uenire lo pello biancho, e po ungelo tridi e sera biancho. Deo gratias Amen. Laudato sia Idio e sancto Alon benedecto.

f. 72v blank

ff. 73r-129v Illustrations of various horse bits

f. 73r Morsi de piu maynere per Imbrochare Caualli secondo la lor natura ... f. 128v Per vno Cauallo che hauesse guasta la bocca per/morsi et facile unger sempre con melle ... f. 129v Pen drawing of a bit, and inscription by a later hand.

f. 130r-v blank.

Note on foliation: The manuscript has only been foliated at every tenth page. However, an error occured between the folios which are numbered f.20 and f.30 so that the folio numbered f.30 is actually the 31st folio. A folio has been cut out after the folio numbered f.70 and the following folio has been erroneously numbered f.70 again although some effort has been made to erase this and the next folio is correctly numbered f.72 (so there is no folio numbered 71). For the purposes of following this catalogue description all other foliations that occur in the mansucript should be ignored.

c.1500

1 volume 130 ll. (last bl.) folio. 30 x 20cm. Contemporary stamped calf binding repaired and rebacked. A leaf has been cut out after the folio numbered f.70, and a piece cut out from lower margin of the second leaf.

Purchased 1935.

Piero Andrea was a 'Mareschalco' at the courts of Alfonso 1 [1385-1458], and of his son Ferdinand 1 of Naples [1423-1494].

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

This material has been digitised and can be freely accessed online through Wellcome Collection catalogue.

On ff. 1, 2, 6 and 128v, small circular library stamp in red lettered 'Bibliothèque de Boisnoir. Lt. Colonel A. Gerhardt'. On leaf, 'Comprato da me Gio. Percio migliente in Firenze Anno 1690'. Below 'E quindi nel 1829 passato in baratto dal Sig. N. N. a me P. Antonio Fiaschi le 13 aprile'.