Bentinck, Margaret Cavendish, 11 Feb 1715-17 Jul 1785, duchess of Portland, née Harley, collector of art and natural history specimens and patron of arts and sciences
This manuscript contains the Strategemata (Stratagems) by Sextus
Julius Frontinus (b. c . 30, d. 104), a collection of examples of
military stratagems from Greek and Roman history. It also contains
Books 1-10 of the Historia Romana (History of Rome) by Paul the
Deacon (b. c . 720, d. 799). This work incorporates the text of the
Breviarium ab Urbe Condita (A Brief History of Rome since its
Foundation) by the Roman historian Flavius Eutropius (fl. 370), and
also the beginning of Book 11 of the Historia Romana. This copy of
the Frontinus's Strategemata belongs to the Anglo-Norman family,
which also includes Cambridge, Peterhouse, MS 252.iii (11th-12th
century, Northern France) and Oxford, Lincoln College, MS lat. 100
(written by William of Malmesbury in c. 1125), according to
unpublished notes of Michael Gullick. According to the same notes,
this copy of Eutropius's Breviarium belongs to the same family as
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, ms. lat. 7240 (2nd half
of the 11th century, France) and ms. lat. 5802 (2nd or 3rd quarter
of the 12th century, France), perhaps copied from the earlier
manuscript. The present manuscript and Oxford, Lincoln College, MS
lat.100, are close to Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, ms.
lat. 7240. Contents: ff. 1r-50v: Frontinus, Strategemata , Books
1-4, imperfect at the beginning and the end, beginning: ‘cum hoc
opus sicut caetera usus potius aliorum’. ff. 51r-54v: Eutropius,
Breviarium ab Urbe Condita , Books 1-2, imperfect at the end,
beginning: ‘Domino Valenti Maximo perpetuo Augustus’. ff.
55v-109r: Paul the Deacon, Historia Romana , Books 1-11, imperfect
at the end, beginning: ‘Primus in Italia, ut quibusdam placet,
regnavit Ianus’, preceded by a rubric ‘Incipit liber Eutropii
historiographi de romana historia’. Decoration:Numerous small
initials in red or black ink, some with occasional foliate
decoration. Rubrics in red.
