Watermarks: unidentified crown over five-pointed star in upper margin, trimmed.

Script: Written by a single scribe in humanistic cursive script with gothic features, above top line.

The decoration consists of an elaborately illuminated page (f. 1r) in a style influenced by the "Master of the Vitae Imperatorum" who was active in Milan in the second quarter of the 15th century. Included in the full border of curling inkspray with heart-shaped and trefoil leaves in green, flowers in blue, red, pink and mauve, a strawberry, and gold balls is a standing figure of a naked boy holding a scroll inscribed with the motto "Seul e la fin." At the corners four quatrefoil medallions bordered in gold with portraits of philosophers against blue grounds with gold filigree. In lower border unidentified arms (quarterly, 1 and 4 or a millrind gules, 2 and 3 or a lion azure; with a bishop's mitre and crozier); in upper border a scroll with same motto as above. One historiated initial, f. 1r, 7-line, formed of acanthus leaves, mauve and red on gold ground, containing a portrait of the author against blue ground with gold filigree. One illuminated initial, 6-line, in mauve on gold ground with stylized foliage in green and blue with yellow highlights. In the text blank spaces for headings and initials.

Binding: Nineteenth century, England. Straight-grained brown leather, gold tooled. Edges gilt. Bound by F. & T. Aitken. Title on spine: "Diogenis Laertii Philosophorum Vita et Dicta. Codex MS. Saec. XV".

In Latin.

Record created by Beinecke staff from catalog description by Barbara Shailor.

Shailor, B. Catalogue of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Marston MS 91.

Walter Burley, De Vita et Moribus Philosophorum. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Biography > Middle Ages, 500-1500.

Literature, Medieval > Translations.

Manuscripts, Medieval > Connecticut > New Haven.