Manuscript of the 'Bartasias' of Adrian Damman de Bystervelt, a translation of 'La premiere sepmaine' of Guillaume de Saluste du Bartas.
Scope and Contents
This manuscript was probably written in Scotland and can be dated to 1596. It is the work of Adrian Damman and contains his translation of the 'Sepmaine' of Guillaume de Saluste du Bartas, which is dedicated to King James VI by his 'cliens devotissimus'. The work comprises seven books, each of which is preceded by an 'argumentum'. There is a running header designating the division of each book in the upper margin.
This manuscript is a fair copy which was probably meant for the press and is written in the hand of Adrian Damman. There are extensive corrections and insertions, some in the author's own hand and some in various other contemporary hands. Many of the amendments to the text are present in the first printed edition of the work in 1600. The laudits and dedications to the author do not run in the same order as in the printed edition. Several of the laudatory passages are also given in Greek.
The contents are as follows:
Title pages with date. Folio 1rv.
Dedications by the author. Folios 2r-6v.
An address to the reader and a number of laudatory verses. Folios 7r-13v.
Title page, 'Hadr. Dammanis A. Bystervelt Bartasias, Operis Summa'. Folio 14r-227r.
Laudits and reviews. Folios 227v-230r.
There are two pages inserted into the work, folios 10 and 11, which appear to be in the hand of the poet John Johnston.
Dates
- Creation: 1596
Creator
- Damman, Adrian (Writer and Ambassador to James VI) (Person)
- Du Bartas, Guillaume de Saluste (Courtier and Poet) (Person)
- Johnston, John (Scholar and Poet) (Person)
- Sibbald, Robert, Sir, Knight (physician and Geographer Royal) (Former owner, Person)
Language of Materials
Main text in Latin with some passages in Greek.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
1 Volumes
Arrangement
234 folios, as well three 19th-century paper endleaves to the front and three 19th century paper endleaves to the rear.
The folation is inclusive of the insertions of folios 17a and 179a, and previously unfoliated leaves at 127a and 199a.
Custodial History
The manuscript was in the possession of Sir Robert Sibbald and was bought by the Library of the Faculty of Advocates at the sale of his goods in April 1723.
There are ownership inscriptions for the Library on folios 11r and 14r.
The previous shelfmark of the manuscript assigned by the Library of the Faculty of Advocates was 'W.3.26', although this is no longer present in the volume and has since been superseded.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.
Bibliography
Bawcutt, P. 'James VI's Castalian Band: A Modern Myth' in 'The Scottish Historical Review', Volume LXXX, Number 2, (October 2001), pages 251-259.
'Bibliotheca Sibbaldiana: or, a catalogue of valuable books: consisting of divinity, civil and ecclesiastical history, medicine, natural history, philosophy, mathematicks, belles letters, etc. with a curious collection of historical and other manuscripts. Being the Library fo the late Learned and Ingenious Sir Robert Sibbald of Kipps, Doctor of Medicine. To be Sold by Way of Auction, on Tuesday the 5th of February 1723...' (Edinburgh, 1722), page 140.
Borland, C. R. ‘Catalogue of Mediaeval Manuscripts in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh’, 4 Volumes. (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh, 1906-1908). Volume III, folios 698-701. NLS Reference: FR.198a/3.
'Folio Catalogue of Manuscripts: Poetry' (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh [18??]), folio 20. NLS Reference: FR.190.
'Hadriani Dammanis a Bysterveldt, dn. de Fairhill, Bartasias, qui de mundi creatione libri septem e Guilielmi Salustii, dn. De Bartas Septimana, poemate francico, liberius tralati et multis in locis aucti.' (Edinburgh, 1600).
Kaster, L. E. and H.B. Charlton (eds.) 'The Poetical Works of Sir William Alexander, Earl of Stirling: Volume II' (Manchester, 1921), page x.
Kristeller, P. O. 'Iter Italicum Accedunt Alia Itinera: A Finding List of Uncatalogued or Incompletely Catalogued Humanistic Manuscripts of the Renaissance in Italian and Other Libraries' (London, 1989), page 18.
Mijers, E. '"Addicted to Puritanism": Philosophical and Theological Relations between Scotland and the United Provinces in the First Half of the Seventeenth Century', in A. Broadie (ed.) 'History of Universities', Volume XXIX, Number 2 (2016), pages 69-95, note 35.
'Summary Catalogue of the Advocates' Manuscripts' (Edinburgh, 1971), page 85, number 1053.
Van Dorsten, J. A. 'Poets, Patrons, and Professors' (Leiden and London, 1962), pages 79-80, note 3.
Physical Description
Paper. The binding is of early 19th-century red morocco with marbled endpapers. The front and back boards have gold-toooled borders. The three edges of the boards and the turn-ins are tooled in gold. There are remnants of gilt edging on some leaves, particularly on the fore-edge. A repair was carried out on the manuscript in 1971 by HMSO and it was at this point that the manuscript was probably rebacked. The new back has raised bands and gold tooling for the library stamp and shelfmark. The paper flyleaves to the front are watermarked with the letters 'I B [and] C' and the date '1819'. The paper flyleaves to the rear are watermarked with a fleur-de-lis within a sheild and the date '1819'. In the manuscript itself a watermark is occasionally visible in the centre of a folio, but its exact design is unclear. It is most visible on folio 5.
Dimensions
30.5cm x 20cm x 4cm
Subject
- James VI, King of Scotland (Person)
Genre / Form
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts Adv.MS.19.2.10 Adv.MS.19.2.10
- Author
- National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
- Description rules
- International Standard For Archival Description General
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
manuscripts@nls.uk