The "Song of the Virtues and Sciences" for Bruzio Visconti

Monday, October 22, 2012

Dorez, Chapters 1-3, History of the Codex

This blog is devoted to a manuscript on the virtues and sciences done for Luchino and Bruzio Visconti in Bologna, text by Bartolomeo da Bologna and illuminations by an unknown artist. It is of interest primarily for the way in which it depicts the seven traditional virtues and one of the sciences (grammatica), which bear comparison to their counterparts in the earliest surviving tarot deck, those of the so-called Cary-Yale (CY), usually said to have been done for Filippo Visconti, Duke of Milan, sometime before his death in 1447. To the extent that these illuminations, kept in Milan until the late 18th century, influenced art elsewhere in Italy, they are relevant for the early tarot cards of other cities as well.

There is one major work on this manuscript, that in Italian of Leone Dorez in 1904, La canzone delle virtv e delle scienze di Bartolomeo di Bartoli da Bologna, testo inedito del secolo XV tratto dal ms. originale del Museo Condé a cvra di Leone Dorez (Bergamo Istitvto Italiano d'Arti Grafiche Editore, MDCCCCIIII). All other sources limit themselves to short summaries of Dorez and occasional disagreements. This work is online in Italian but has not to my knowledge been translated. So I present here the relevant portions of Dorez, with occasional comments, translating his Italian to English. I will not translate his transcriptions of the Latin material in the codex. I am using the digitalized text at http://archive.org/stream/lacanzonedellev00bartgoog/lacanzonedellev00bartgoog_djvu.txt, which I have compared to the original hardcover book, run through translation machines and dictionaries, and fixed as best I could. I am by no means fluent in Italian, and that Bartolomeo's medieval terms are particularly problematic.

In this first post I will give you my translations, such as they are, of the first three chapters, pp. 9-23 of Dorez, along with reproductions of the illuminations he is talking about and a few comments by me. I include the page numbers and headings at the beginning of each page. Comments in brackets, usually giving the Italian when I think it might be important, are mine, except that comments in brackets about the Latin are Dorez's.

9 DOREZ

I. HISTORY OF THE CODEX.

Of the most admirable collection of codices in the sumptuous library of the palace of Chantilly of the venerated memory of the Duke of Aumale, the volume holding the chief place is that in which we read, transcribed and illustrated, a moral song, dedicated by Bartolomeo di Bartoli da Bologna to Bruzio di Luchino Visconti. ' although of interest for those who study the literary tastes of one of the roughest bastards of the house of Visconti, it is of most importance for the history of Italian art at the end of the Middle Ages.

It can be said without exaggeration that no relic more deserves to be fully reproduced by the workshop of the Italian Institute of Graphic Arts. We hope that archeologists do not judge our labor in vain, but on the contrary to be of no little utility for those studies of art that will certainly be accomplished, as one from the century passed away just now, to that just begun.

Before turning the notices one could find, in chronicles and documents of the time, of the author and the owner of the work to which we are dedicated, it is appropriate to say where this precious volume was conserved, at least in the eighteenth century. First to discuss them was that diligent investigator of the literature and history of Milan Argelati Philip, who in his Biblioteca writes thus: "But why we speak of Bruzio Visconti, we believe it is to gratify scholars, pointing to a codex in parchment, elegant, in folio, preserved in the Archinto library, full of excellent miniatures made in gold.

10 DOREZ

"It has this title: Incipit Cantica ad gloriam et honorem magnifici militis domini Brutti nati incliti ac illustiis principis domini inchini Vice-comitis de Mediolano, in qua tractatur de Virtutibus et Scientiis vulgarizatis, Amen „. - Thus Litta compiling his Famous Italian Families of c. 1820, obtained from Count Archinto communication of the poem by Bartolomeo di Bartoli, and it was valued for its reproduction in color, not too happily, however, of the first miniature, really magnificent, which represents the author kneeling before his patron. And the Archinto volume remained at his house until the day, now long past, when one Robinson of London, the agent of the noble Milanese family, sold it to the Duke of Aumale.

At this conclusion of Chapter One, I interrupt for a comment. So we learn that at least in the 18th century, the work was still in Italy. Here is a version of that miniature, which Dorez will discuss in detail later:

http://www.allposters.it/-sp/Chansonne-des-sept-Vertus-et-des-sept-Arts-liberaux-destinee-a-Bruzio-Visconti-Posters_i7303658_.htm

I resume at the beginning of Chapter Two:

11 DOREZ

II. BARTOLOMEO DI BARTOLI

It is easy enough to find the name of the author, since he himself identifies himself in the sending [invio] of his song. He speaks thus:

Bartolomeo da Bologna di Bartoli
My faith ' [Me fe’], because I am Catholic, [perch’io m’incartholi]
With poor [miser] Bruze, and make it to be painted for him.

What is less easy to identify is the success achieved by this writer, rather obscure, which seems strange to all historians of Italian literature. The song is actually something so unremarkable, so devoid of poetic inspiration, it is no surprise that it soon fell into oblivion as the ramblings of not one of the 'minor poets,’ but the least. But it is because happy Bartolomeo, compared to many others, made so artistically "depinzere" a composition so mediocre. The work of the brush has saved that of the pen.

Bartolomeo di Bartoli was one of those calligraphers, not entirely without culture, who by wealthy lords or convents sometimes made most splendid manuscripts. We by chance find four of these codices transcribed by Our Author: in addition to the Chantilly, there are two that show us his associate the famous miniaturist Niccolo da Bologna. Of all we give here a succinct description.

1, (Year 1349). First is the '"Officium sancte Marie Virginis", which now   belongs to the Benedictine Abbey of Kremsmünster in Upper Austria. At the end of the last page (82 t.) it reads: “Ego Bartholomeus de Bartholis de Bononia scripsi hoc officium sancte Marie Virginis. Anno Nativitatis Domini millesimo trecentesimo quadragesimo et nono, indiciione secunda, die martis XXIIIL In vigillia Beate Virginis explevi. De mense Martii.”
At 83 t. follows the Officium in peragendo mortuorum (sic), which finishes at 184 t. with the subscription: Finito libro, refferamus gratias Christo, Qui scribit scribat. Domino semper cum Domino vivat. Vivat in Celis Bartholomeo. In nomine. Amen. The miniatures of this codex are by Niccolo da Bologna.

12 LEONE DOREZ

2. (Year 1374). The second was part of the Palatine in Mannheim, and now is conserved in R. Library of Monaco of Bavaria (Lat, 10072). It is a Missale secundum consuetudinem Romane Curie, where page 360 r. reads: "Explicit officium Missalis secundum consuetudinem Romane curia, Deo Gratias Amen. Correctum et postscript per me Bartholomeum de Bartholis di Bononia scriptorem. MCCCLXXIII, indictione XII, XXIII Februarii." The first miniature, of which Valentinelli has given a detailed description, that of p. 161t.-162 r., bears the name of NICOLAUS DE BONONIA, and also gives him as the so-given author of the two hundred initial letters, containing groups of figures from the Old and New Testaments, as well as the lives of Saints that seemed to be made by the same painter."

3. (No date). In the Chigi in Rome (LV 167) the Viscount Colomb de Batines has found a “codex of the Divine Comedy in 4 ^ parchment. of XIV century (about 1370), in big round Gothic characters, with titles and topics in Latin in red ink, and embellished initials in color for each song, and otherwise bigger at the beginning of each canto, and conserved most beautifully". At the end it reads: Explicit tertia Cantica Comedie Dantis Aldigherii de Florentia, in qui tentat [tractat?] de Gloria Paradisi. Ad quam anima cuius [eius?] et omnium fidelium per misericordiam Omnipotentis Dei Requiescat in pace. Amen. Ego Bartholomeus de Bartólis scripsi. Said de Batines: "The amanuensis also puts his name after the subscriptions placed at the end of the first two Canticles." * Perhaps Bartoli transcribed that example of the poem when Benvenuto di Buoncompagno began publicly to read Dante in Bologna about the year 1369.

4. (No date). Finally, the Paris Nationale, a few years ago, recovered a copy of the illuminated Decretum of Gratian, which belonged to President Bouhier, of whom the final subscription says: Explicit textus Decreti. Deo Gratias. Correctus per dominum Francisscum (sic) de Prato et Bertholomeum di Bertoli in ecclesia de Bononia Sancii Barbatiani. - Frater Adigherius condam Ugolini de scripsit Castagnolo. (Nouv. acq. lat. 2508). The first part of that subscription is certainly the hand of Bartolomeo di Bartoli, as can be assured by comparing the facsimile reproduced here (see Plate II) with the codex of Chantilly. Also from this subscription, like that of the Missal of Monaco of Bavaria, Bartoli is not satisfied with modest glory as an elegant writer, but also aspired to the reputation of diligent editor. Who will make a critical study of the text of the Decree and the Roman Missal, so as to decide whether this pretension of Our Author was well-founded.

That's all that has been found about the person and work of the Bolognese writer and corrector. Others will perhaps be more fortunate than we. But it is possible to observe some relevant considerations. Bartolomeo has written with obvious pleasure the work

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 15

of Alighieri; Whence one can perhaps infer that he had some relationship with the homeland of the poet, which, as we shall see later, would be of little moment for the history of the Codex of Chantilly. That could be more of the subscriptions of the codices of Kremsmünster, Monaco and Munich and Paris, as well as from the collaboration of Our Author with Niccolò di Giacomo da Bologna, to argue that he never left his native city, but there always exercised constantly his profession. And even that is not without interest for the genesis of the song to Bruzio Visconti.

So now we may begin Chapter Three:

16 DOREZ

III. LUCHINO AND BRUZIO VISCONTI

According as he is found responsible for the title of the song sent to him, Bruzio was the son of Luchino Visconti, brother of the celebrated Giovanni, Archbishop of Milan. Luchino, like all other members of his family, believed he had good friends on the part of the poets, who perhaps did not make much account of him. Fazio degli Uberti, to whom he had addressed a petition with a sonnet, unfortunately obscure, he replied in kind with an essay that If the art is poor, it is at least not ignorant of courtesy [é povero d’arte, non é meno digiuno di cortesia]. They want Petrarch as well to be clutching at ties of friendship; all that is certain is this: in 1347 he asked Messer Francesco to send 'verses and seedlings collected in the garden of Parma, and that the poet one day care to satisfy him by sending him a letter with particles from the floor and a 'poetic epistle.’

Somewhat later, Petrarch addressed another metric epistle to Luchino, in which he praised Italy, urged the prince to take due account of letters, and cited the example of several ancient captains, among whom can even be noted Nero.

Also Fabrizio or, as he is known to contemporary writers, Bruzio Visconti, Luchino's favorite son, had literary relations, even more familiar than this same Luchino, with Fazio and Petrarch. It was certainly not flour to make communion wafers the man who with so much greed tyrannized and oppressed the poor town of Lodi, entrusted to his care by his father, who, when he died, January 24, 1349, he did not dare any longer against Genoa, which they had been besieging, or return to Milan orelsewhere in Lombardy, and sought refuge in the Veneto. His father, though a military man, exceeded him in moral virtue; from Azario and Flame he comes to us pictured as austere, generous, just, charitable. The blind love he felt for his son, who obtained all that he craved and had thus become tacitly "second Lord of Milan,” perhaps caused Bruzio's more serious perversion.

While he held Lodi, Bruzio led a great life and spent without counting. "He took a wife from Castelbarco, of the Trento region, and like Nero ruled the city. The people dared not speak. He was not

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 19

dressed, as the Gospel says, in the wedding garment. He carried off whatever he wanted. Not with more justice, was everything done according to his wishes, because he was reputed smart, clever and knowledgeable. Everywhere he acquired moral books, and having good and reasonable princes, came to an awful end. Many beautiful things were said of his completed study.” Thus Tazario, who really gives us the clearest explanation of his dedication to Moral books Bartolomeo di Bartoli of that "bad company". The ruthless tyrant of Lodi loved books, and, with a phenomenal hypocrisy, affected to read with special preference those which dealt with moral matters. And indeed is preserved the Nationale in Paris further proof of his taste, that is, a codex surpassing even the Chantilly, dedicated to the same Bruzio by Luca de Mannelli, a Florentine of the Dominicna order, of whom we will later have occasion to speak at greater length.

Meanwhile, here is the original title of the volume {Lat. 6467, and. 2 t.): Incipit compendium moralis philosophie. P. 13 t. reads:"Incipit traciatus de quatuor   virtutibus cardinalibus"; At p. 45 r.: Tractatus de amicicia and 52 r.: Explicit opus breve moralis phylosophie compilatum per Reverendum virum fratrem   Lucam de Manellis ordinis Predicatorum. Deo Gratias. Amen. In the dedication Marinelli said he had completed his treatise on the orders of his master: In hac Inquam philosophia moralis a mi vestro familiari compendiosum Silvestro et clarum rogatus tractatum...

And a little further: Ne vero arrogantiam asscribatur mihi quod scribe possem causam reprehensionis in   Vobis referre; \ na \ m si insipiens factus sum sapientium usurpans officium, Vos, domine, me   coegistis, Dominorum enim rogamina etiam is supplicent coguni Sed aliam excusationem effero, quia quicumque hoc opus culpare voluerit cognoscat quod hoc opera expressi ab Aristotle ex libro Ethicorum ab ex, ex libro de Tullio et Officiis Tusculanis questionibus a Thoma ex prima et secunda secunde college, pauca de meis cogitationibus praeter formam procedendi subiungens, et ideo non me, sed supradictos auctores ledit, qui has sententias depravare conatur.

Among his authorities Luca again cites the text of the work of Seneca and St. Augustine. Moreover, this compendium, which as materially as literarily is mediocre, this obscure book would be of little value, if not preceded by a beautiful frontispiece representing Bruzio, the author, thirteen major cities of Lombardy in many small medallions, and again, in the middle of six of the ancient authors and saints, Bruzio as the figure of Justice trampling Pride. A painting that is certainly not entirely consistent with the historical truth, but it has emerged from the brush of Niccolò da Bologna, who we recognized have collaborated with Bartoli. (See Plate III).

I interrupt now to show my poor photos of Dorez's Plate III. First the top, in which you can see some of the thirteen cities as well as Bartolomeo presenting the book to Bruzio, Then the bottom.:

In the center we see Bruzio as Justice overcoming Pride.

Now I resume my translation of Dorez:

Much more educated than the father, whom Petrarch wrote in the epistle of 1347, urging him to love poetry, in the poem sent to him along with seedlings:

20 LEONE DOREZ

"You have tasted the first fruits of letters," Bruzio was a "true man of letters and not at all a mediocre poet" as demonstated in his poems, diligently published and studied with great acuteness by Renier. Also to him Petrarch wrote a "letter that reads in poetic stamp entitled to a “Zoilo ** with or without title, and in the codex [Strozziano 141, ed. 64, in the Laurentian of Florence **] bears instead: Epistle ad dominum "Bruzum de Vicecomitibus Mediolanensem, but "not bearing courtesies,” in a response of the Tuscan poet to the satires directed against him by Visconti. Likewise Fazio degli Uberti addressed a sonnet to Bruzio which boasts his loyalty to him:

“King Arthur, or any other aspect of time; [El re Artu,né altro tempo aspetto]
All are given the love that I say to you,
In order that [Ond’] I have you as lord and friend."
But in the existence of a Visconti tyrant, poems and moral treatises are incidental and a luxury, nothing more. In real life, the passion of an imperious man remains his policy. Probably in 1355, tired of the obscure life that since 1349 he led in the Veneto, Bruzio was in Bologna, where he was amicably greeted by his cousin, John Oleggio, captain and governor of the town, who, lacking faith in Matteo Visconti, on his part Maltraversa and Ghibelline, had just begun his rule himself.

Between the two, joint friendship did not last long, for, after the death of Matteo, which occurred September 29, 1355, Bernabo Visconti devised to tear Bologna from the hands of Oleggio, and to make sure, he knew the connivance of Bruzio. Who no doubt very carefully hatched the conspiracy, and was a cousin. He was provisionally arrested in February 1356 and expelled from the city "with only his clothes" [colle sole vesti] as a "dog". Again he fled to the Veneto, in a place Azario called "Achatum" (perhaps Cattaio, or better Cat, in the province of Padua), where he died in the troubles of extreme poverty. We will see later what import these circumstances bear on the history of the Chantilly Codex .

I am not sure what a "Zoilo" is. Lorredan on Tarot History Forum sugests, without being certain, that it is a "firebrand, quick to flame." If so, it would seem an apt description of the arrogant Bruzio.

Let us continue with Dorez. We are the beginning of Chapter IV:

IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE CHANTILLY CODEX.

It is now time to describe the precious codex of the Museo Condé.

The format is in folio (0.333x0.226), written on parchment, and tied in red velvet; it consists of 20 pages, adorned with 20 large watercolors and painted initials. The rubrics are in Latin, the text Italian. Here's the title: [i] Incipit cantica ad gloriam et honorem magnifici militis domini Brutii nati incliti ac illustris domini principis Luchini (this name was deliberately canceled) Vicecomitis de Mediolano, in qua tractatur de Viriutibus et Scientus vulgarizatis. Amen.

I must interrupt this translation briefly so as to address the riddle about the manuscript's reference to Luchino Visconti as a key to the dating of the work. This first bit was written before Luchino's death in 1349, but then his name was scratched out; so it wasn't turned over to any Visconti until after 1349. Given that Bruzio is the consistently named dedicatee, and that he was nowhere near Bologna, after his father's death, until 1355, this deliberate cancelation must have happened after 1349. When the codex was completed is another matter. I don't know whether the mention of Luchino means that it was started while Luchino was alive but completed later, or that it was completed before Luchino died. Scholars since Dorez have decided that it was completed before Luchino's death, i.e. 1339-1349; see Julia Haig Gaesser, The Fortunes of Apuleius & the Golden Ass, p. 84, at http://books.google.com/books?id=fOq28aY4QUUC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=Bruzio+Visconti&source=bl&ots=4Ev2ONc8tZ&sig=8osj2GywW-Ln8w-LDIRfGSsiVG8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=si4iUKOqLfP9yAGepYDIDg&ved=0CHQQ6AEwDA#v=onepage&q=Bruzio%20Visconti&f=false. She cites p. 560 of G. Orlandelli, "Bartolomeo de' Bartoli," in Dizionario biografico degli Italiani 6 (1964), pp. 559-560. But I am not convinced. Bruzio wasn't "miser Bruzio" until after 1349. Perhaps Dorez will have more information.

I continue. Here I translate the Italian word "stanza" as the English "stanza" rather than its usual equivalent, "room", since each "stanza" is said to have 21 verses, which would not normally be true of rooms.

The Song is divided into two parts, each of which consists of nine stanzas, twenty-one verses each, and a coda (conogedo = discharge). The first part contains the description of Virtue, the second that of Science.

In the initial stanza the author declares his purpose, to describe in words of vulgar rhyme the daughters of Discretion, mother of the virtues, and those of Docility, mother of the Sciences. The second stanza contains an invocation to St. Augustine, from which will be derived the Latin rubric of each stanza of the song. The eight other stanzas are devoted to Theology, Prudence, Fortezza [i.e. Fortitude or Strength], Temperance, Justice, Faith, Hope and Charity. The first part ends with the coda, before which, as a kind of summary of everything, is a family tree.

The second part describes the Sciences: Philosophy, Grammar, dialectic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy or Astrology. It ends, like the first, with a coda in which the author is named (Bartolomeo da Bologna di Bartoli), adding that he painted this volume for Messer Bruzio Visconti.

Each of the pages devoted to Virtue and Science is divided into three parts: on the top is transcribed the definition of the Virtue of Science, extracted from the works of St. Augustine; in the middle is seen expressed in color the representation of the Virtue or Science; the last, on the bottom, has the stanza dedicated to the Virtue or Science itself.

22 LEONE DOREZ

PART ONE - The Seven Virtues.

Folio 1r. - Under the title of the work, with marvelous art, is a scene, in which you see at left, three knights, the first called Vigor, the second Dominus Brutius Vicecomes; and third, with the doctor’s cap, Sensus[Judgment, Good Sense]. Before the horse of Bruzio are two women, Circumspectio (mantle in red and green, edges blue, green wrap around her head), and Intelligentia [Intellect] (dressed like her neighbor, except the edges), the latter supplied with two large wings, guiding the bit of the horse of the young Visconti in front of whom a man is kneeling, the compositor operis, Bartolomeo di Bartoli. Next to him are found two other women: the first, with the crown on her head, is Discretio, mater or sal Virtutum (white veil, blue robe and green mantle), the second, older, who puts her left hand on the shoulder of the poet, is called Docilitas, mater Scientiarum (red dress with blue sleeves and green cloak, headpiece red and white).

I interrupt here to give this illumination. The one in color I linked to before, with poor resolution, is at
http://www.allposters.it/-sp/Chansonne-des-sept-Vertus-et-des-sept-Arts-liberaux-destinee-a-Bruzio-Visconti-Posters_i7303658_.htm. My black and white photo--not very good but the writing can be made out, is below:

As there is sometimes discussion of why, in the tarot, only Temperance has wings, be sure to notice here that out of these three primary virtues--Intelligentia, Discretio, Docilitas--only one, Intelligentia, has wings. It is not even the most important virtue, who as mother to the rest would be Discretio. I see no general convention as to the giving of wings. I resume.

The first knight, Vigor, on a dappled horse, has long hair, full beard, and above his coat of mail wears a robe half red and half green. One who compares this figure with those famous portraits that have come down of Bernabo Visconti (and particularly the famous equestrian statue admired under the portico of the Ducal Court in the Castle of Milan) will not hesitate to recognize here represented the future husband of Queen Della Scala. If, as we believe, this identification corresponds to the truth, it is very important, as we shall see below, to determine the exact date of execution of our codex.

Of a very gracious face and attitude is Bruzio Visconti, who, beardless, of almost feminine beauty, his body a little back, head bowed and covered with a red hood that goes over the bare neck and shoulders, puts his right hand quietly on the back of Bernabo’s and his left on the neck of his own white steed. Of this horse the right leg, the only one that I can see, is very poorly designed, excessively long and rigid, as are the rest, as the front legs of horses almost always are in the paintings of that century.

The third rider, who wears on his head a white and blue doctor’s cap, under his red cloak a green gown, with the hems of the sleeves red, raises both hands in the act of speaking. Who is this doctor of laws? Almost certainly we can identify him as Franceschino de' Cristiani, a Pavian judge, who in 1349 was sent by Luchino to assist the son in the siege of Genoa. In this expedition Rinaldo degli Assandri, a knight of Mantua, had acted as executor; the counselor was Christiani. So in the first we see the "Hand," and in the second, “Judgment.”

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 23

I said that the doctor raises his hands as a man who speaks, and in fact, as is clear from the first room of the song, he speaks to Discretion and Docility, who for their part want Bartolomeo di Bartoli to describe their daughters, that is, the Virtues and Sciences, to Bruzio. The poet, far from rejecting the offer, gives them full satisfaction, helped by texts extracted from the works of St. Augustine, to do the job he then will offer to the two Visconti:

Text of the first stanza.

"De, chavalieri, ch'avi dongelle voscho,
Possa ch’a voi prima parlar ci piaque,
A noi ditice o' naque
Quello a chi guidan queste el chaval biancho.”
Respoxe Senno: "I’ mancho
Senza voi, donne, in chi ferme ho le ciglie;
Mo le nostre famiglie
Intelligentia et Acchorteza parme,
E che Vigore in arme
Ben cognoschai; per certo in voi il cognoscho;
El chavalier eh' è noscho.
Chiamato è miser Bruze “; e si i compiaque;
Discretion non taque.
Né han Docilità chi v' è dal fiancho,
Vegiendo el baron francho;
Ma dissenme ambe due per miraveglie:
“Descrivi a lui mie figlie
In rima per vulgare”. E satisfarme
Conuen loro et aitarme
Choi testi d'Agustino e farmen ponti;
Poi darle in man di dui magiur Veschonti.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Dorez Ch.4, first 3 stanzas: Discretio & Theologia.

Let us continue with Dorez. We are the beginning of Chapter IV:

IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE CHANTILLY CODEX.

It is now time to describe the precious codex of the Museo Condé.

The format is in folio (0.333x0.226), written on parchment, and tied in red velvet; it consists of 20 pages, adorned with 20 large watercolors and painted initials. The rubrics are in Latin, the text Italian. Here's the title: [i] Incipit cantica ad gloriam et honorem magnifici militis domini Brutii nati incliti ac illustris domini principis Luchini (this name was deliberately canceled) Vicecomitis de Mediolano, in qua tractatur de Viriutibus et Scientus vulgarizatis. Amen.

The Song is divided into two parts, each of which consists of nine stanzas, twenty-one verses each, and a coda (conogedo = discharge). The first part contains the description of Virtue, the second that of Science.

In the initial stanza the author declares his purpose, to describe in words of vulgar rhyme the daughters of Discretion, mother of the virtues, and those of Docility, mother of the Sciences. The second stanza contains an invocation to St. Augustine, from which will be derived the Latin rubric of each stanza of the song. The eight other stanzas are devoted to Theology, Prudence, Fortezza [i.e. Fortitude or Strength], Temperance, Justice, Faith, Hope and Charity. The first part ends with the coda, before which, as a kind of summary of everything, is a family tree.

The second part describes the Sciences: Philosophy, Grammar, dialectic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy or Astrology. It ends, like the first, with a coda in which the author is named (Bartolomeo da Bologna di Bartoli), adding that he painted this volume for Messer Bruzio Visconti.

Each of the pages devoted to Virtue and Science is divided into three parts: on the top is transcribed the definition of the Virtue of Science, extracted from the works of St. Augustine; in the middle is seen expressed in color the representation of the Virtue or Science; the last, on the bottom, has the stanza dedicated to the Virtue or Science itself.

22 LEONE DOREZ

PART ONE - The Seven Virtues.

Folio 1r. - Under the title of the work, with marvelous art, is a scene, in which you see at left, three knights, the first called Vigor, the second Dominus Brutius Vicecomes; and third, with the doctor’s cap, Sensus[Judgment, Good Sense]. Before the horse of Bruzio are two women, Circumspectio (mantle in red and green, edges blue, green wrap around her head), and Intelligentia [Intellect] (dressed like her neighbor, except the edges), the latter supplied with two large wings, guiding the bit of the horse of the young Visconti in front of whom a man is kneeling, the compositor operis, Bartolomeo di Bartoli. Next to him are found two other women: the first, with the crown on her head, is Discretio, mater or sal Virtutum (white veil, blue robe and green mantle), the second, older, who puts her left hand on the shoulder of the poet, is called Docilitas, mater Scientiarum (red dress with blue sleeves and green cloak, headpiece red and white).

The first knight, Vigor, on a dappled horse, has long hair, full beard, and above his coat of mail wears a robe half red and half green. One who compares this figure with those famous portraits that have come down of Bernabo Visconti (and particularly the famous equestrian statue admired under the portico of the Ducal Court in the Castle of Milan) will not hesitate to recognize here represented the future husband of Queen Della Scala. If, as we believe, this identification corresponds to the truth, it is very important, as we shall see below, to determine the exact date of execution of our codex.

Of a very gracious face and attitude is Bruzio Visconti, who, beardless, of almost feminine beauty, his body a little back, head bowed and covered with a red hood that goes over the bare neck and shoulders, puts his right hand quietly on the back of Bernabo’s and his left on the neck of his own white steed. Of this horse the right leg, the only one that I can see, is very poorly designed, excessively long and rigid, as are the rest, as the front legs of horses almost always are in the paintings of that century.

The third rider, who wears on his head a white and blue doctor’s cap, under his red cloak a green gown, with the hems of the sleeves red, raises both hands in the act of speaking. Who is this doctor of laws? Almost certainly we can identify him as Franceschino de' Cristiani, a Pavian judge, who in 1349 was sent by Luchino to assist the son in the siege of Genoa. In this expedition Rinaldo degli Assandri, a knight of Mantua, had acted as executor; the counselor was Christiani. So in the first we see the "Hand," and in the second, “Judgment.”

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 23

I said that the doctor raises his hands as a man who speaks, and in fact, as is clear from the first room of the song, he speaks to Discretion and Docility, who for their part want Bartolomeo di Bartoli to describe their daughters, that is, the Virtues and Sciences, to Bruzio. The poet, far from rejecting the offer, gives them full satisfaction, helped by texts extracted from the works of St. Augustine, to do the job he then will offer to the two Visconti:

Text of the first stanza.

"De, chavalieri, ch'avi dongelle voscho,
Possa ch’a voi prima parlar ci piaque,
A noi ditice o' naque
Quello a chi guidan queste el chaval biancho.”
Respoxe Senno: "I’ mancho
Senza voi, donne, in chi ferme ho le ciglie;
Mo le nostre famiglie
Intelligentia et Acchorteza parme,
E che Vigore in arme
Ben cognoschai; per certo in voi il cognoscho;
El chavalier eh' è noscho.
Chiamato è miser Bruze “; e si i compiaque;
Discretion non taque.
Né han Docilità chi v' è dal fiancho,
Vegiendo el baron francho;
Ma dissenme ambe due per miraveglie:
“Descrivi a lui mie figlie
In rima per vulgare”. E satisfarme
Conuen loro et aitarme
Choi testi d'Agustino e farmen ponti;
Poi darle in man di dui magiur Veschonti.

This particular stanza of medieval Italian is too hard for me, perhaps because it is a colloquial dialogue. I don't think it matters much.The later stanzas I can more or less understand, but not this one. The interesting parts are yet to come. I continue. I looked elsewhere in Dorez, to see whether he said anything of interest later on the material on page 1 of the manuscript. One thing was his characterization of Discretio, Bartolomeo's "mother of the virtues". Here is Dorez pp. 59-60:

Alla dottrina agostiniana, già fin dal secolo XII nettamente espressa ne' libri di Ugone di San Vittore e largamente divulgata nel secolo seguente per mezzo dei florilegi, aveva di certo attinto anche Bartolomeo di Bartoli, e se l'era presa senza mutarne nulla, se non che all'Umiltà, radice delle Virtù, sostituì la Discrezione, madre o sale delle Virtù, cioè probabilmente la facoltà di discernere il bene dal male, la Virtù dal Vizio.

(The Augustinian doctrine, as early as the twelfth century was expressed clearly in the books of Hugh of St. Victor and widely disseminated in the following century by anthologies, had certainly been drawn on by Bartolomeo di Bartoli, who took it without changing anything, except that he replaced Humility, the root of Virtue, with Discretion, the mother or salt of Virtue, which is probably the ability to discern good from evil, Virtue from Vice.)

I wonder if that last doctrine, too, can be found in Augustine. I don't know, but I will keeping my eye out. "Salt of Virtue" is an interesting expression; I wonder whether an analogy with salt as a necessity of life and as a preservative is implied.

There is a certain irony in that the ability to discern good and evil was what the serpent gave Eve in advising her to eat the fruit of the tree; now that same ability is the mother or root of good, as we will see when we get to the family tree.

This quote from Dorez was from Chapter V. There and following he gives ample justification for thinking that Bartolomeo's codex was in fact used as a book of models for various other manuscripts as well as frescoes and other artworks in Italy. Whether I will get to his examples remains to be seen. For now, we are still in Chapter IV. Dorez now turns to the next page of the manuscript, Folio 1L.

This next part is fairly boring. I include it because what comes after is interesting, and also because it shows Bartolomeo's Augustinian perspective, which he will apply to the virtues.

Folio 1L- This introductory page is devoted to the canonical Scriptures. It is divided into eight compartments, where they sit on simple wooden chairs, presenting their papers, six bearded characters: Moses, St. John the Evangelist, St. Ambrose with the bishop's miter, left; Ezekiel, St. Paul, and St. Gregory, with the papal tiara, right. In the center, the portrait’s proportions give the place of honor to the distinguished Doctor Augustine (white miter embroidered in gold, white robe and blue cloak lined with red), under which St. Jerome in his study sits with the usual cardinal's hat. All the doctors and prophets, Ezekiel and St. Jerome excepted, turn their eyes to the bishop of 'Hippo.

I interrupt so that you can look at my poor photo of the illumination in question.

I continue:

24 LEONE DOREZ

Moses (Sizzurra [Tonsure?}. And red cape) carries several books, of which here are the Titles: Deuteronomi (sic), Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numerorum.

In the hands of St. John (green robe, red cape), we find his scriptures, i.e. Gospel, Epistles, Apochal[y]pse.

Ambrose, adorned in episcopal garments (white miter, white robe and blue cape), holds a scroll on which is written Hunc in Christo genui.

Ezekiel (green robe and blue cloak) also has before him a roll spread out, on which we read: Hic erat divisio discurrens, animalium splendor, ignis.

St. Paul (red robe and brown mantle) wields a naked sword with his left, while his right hand rests on the codex of his Epistles.

St. Gregory (papal tiara white embroidered with gold, red cloak lined with blue cloth) explains a large roll that bears this sentence: Si delicioso pabulo cupitis saciari, opuscula Augustini legite et ad comparationem illius nostrum furfurem non queratis: a very rare and truly pontifical example of literary modesty!

St. Augustine, covered with all the trappings of bishops (blue robe with folds of red cloth) holds in his left hand, pointing with his right, a roll on which are written these words: Non meo vel ingenio vel merito, sed Dei dono sum, si quid laudabiliter sum.

St. Jerome (brown robe and red cap) holds in his right hand and indicates with the left a roll where is recorded these words: Ecce quicquid didici potuit et sublimi ingenio de scriptarum scientiarum harum fontibus you positum atque dis[s]ertum (?).

The stanza contains its proper invocation to St. Augustine, whose works precisely on this page are starting to provide the above mentioned headings.

TEXT OF THE SECOND STANZA

Augustinus in epistola ad Jeronimum: Scripturus cunonicus solus ita ut sequor scriptores earum nichil in eis omnino errasse vel non fallaciter posuisse dubitem.

Oi, Agustin, cinto de la gran stola
Del Spirito Santo, a mi de la tua pace
Dame, doctor verace,
Sì che i tuoi testi a mi facian rubriche,
E le mie rime amiche
Siano a Moyses, Zechia (24) e Polo
Et agli altri che volo
Fanno a la rota et al bel san Ziovanni ;
Sì che di facti ossanni
Comprehenda alquanto qui chome un di schola,
Et al tuo fil mia spola

LA CANZONE DELLE VIRTÙ E DELLE SCIENZE 25

Sempre se tegna a far tela tenace.
E i tri doctur mi piace
Anchor preghare; a ciò che le mie spiche^
D'ogne mal far nemiche,
Meglio gharnischan; chi preghin ti solo
Che me condughi a volo,
Che possa le Vertù ponere in schanni
E le Scientie in panni,
Ch'el le cognoscha in vulgar chi n' à voglia,
E chi non pò de scriptura aver zoglia.

In this case GoogleTranslate didn't produce complete nonsense. So here is my attempt to get it in English:

Oi, Augustine, surrounded with the great stole
Of the Holy Spirit, give me peace
Give me, true doctor,
Yes your writing makes headings [rubrici] for me,
And my rhymes friends
Let Moses, Zechia and Polo
And others that fly
Make the rotation and beautiful St. John;
Make Hossanas to you
Understand somewhat of a choir here chome,
And to your thread my spool

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 25

Always make my canvas tough.
And I like the three doctors
Again asking; how my spikes
On all sides make the wrong enemy
Better gharnischan, who will only want
To teach me to fly,
What the virtues can put in schanni
And the Sciences in cloth,
That knows in the vulgar what it wants,
And that does not have some scripture zoglia (on the doorstep?).

[/quote]
I have no clue what "chome" and "schanni" mean.

Now comes something visually relevant to the tarot, an illumination with the four evangelists around a circle, with a lady on top of the circle holding a disc. I speculate that this image could one inspiration, first, of the Charles VI World card, with a few changes (removing the evangelists and putting hills inside the circle instead of the book), and then the Sforza Castle World and the Marseille after that (putting one of the upper figures inside the circle and restoring the evangelists). Actually, there is not much original here. Putting Christ or Mary inside a circle or almond was already standard practice, and at least with Christ it was also standard to put the evangelists in the corners outside the circle or almond. Bartolomeo is giving a doctrinal context for the image, using both the female Theologia and the male Christ. I am not, to be sure, maintaining that the lady in the various "World" cards is Theologia.

First, here she is, in the Chantilly Codex:

And here is Dorez's explanation. I include my attempt to translate the stanza (except for the Latin, of course).

Folio 2 r. –

On the top of the sheet, from outside the fixed limits of the illustration, shines the majesty of the bust of Christ with a halo in a blue background, and surrounding the figure writings with these words: Omne Datum Optimum et omne donum perfectum desursum est des[c]endens a Patre.

Under the extract of St. Augustine, from the triple rim of a wheel, is Theology, crowned and covered with a white coat with a buckle on the neck; her eyes turn toward Christ, raising in her left a small mirror, whence burst red rays which are reflected in the semblance of the Redeemer: Sapientia. On her right, descending along her body, the woman has another mirror, blue and white: Scientia. The related stanza explains that Theology ascends on two mirrors, gold and silver (which light in their turn the whole circle), to the great light, that is, to the glory of Christ.

The four animals symbolizing the Evangelists surround the circle so as to lift up Theology (onde la Teologia si solleva); the miniaturist has with unhappy artifice wanted their wings to intersect each other's, and it is a representation which isn’t pleasing to the eye; the painter may have wished to touch the sublime and has succeeded in falling into awkwardness.

The first circle of the wheel reads: Testamentum vetus; in the third- Testamentum novum, in the intermediate: Sensus litteralis, sensus moralis, sensus naturalis, sensus anagogicus, sensus ystor[i]ografus sensus allegoricus. In the open book that covers the hub of the wheel is written Ezechielis primo. Appararuit rota una super terram Habens quatuor et facies opera quasi rota in dimidio rote etc.

The two mirrors symbolize the two lights with which we can and must be interpreted the Bible and the Gospel, those of Wisdom and Science.

The six “senses” then are those that fulfill the hermeneutic interpretation of sacred scriptures. You may notice that the author adds two senses to the four already held up by his teacher St. Augustine in the first book of the Commentary on Genesis, that is, the way of nature and the way of the historiographer.

26 LEONE DOREZ

In these two sheets (1 t. And 2 r.) one will perhaps be allowed to recognize, beyond the knowledge of the poet himself, the inspiration given by Francesco da Prato, in the company of whom in the church of San Barbaziano, Bartolomeo corrected and revised the text of the Decree of Gratian transcribed by brother Ugolino Adighiero da Castagnolo.

TEXT OF THE THIRD STANZA

Augustinus in epistoia ad Macedonium: Hunc amavi et quesivi et eam (sic) a iuventute mea amator factus sum forme illius. Ex ipsa Sapientia que vere est una, si quid a Deo Sumpsi, nom a mea presumpsi.

Contempia questa donna el fin cristallo
In chi M divino amor tutto respiende,
E del gran lume accende
Dui richi spicchi ch'in man ten la damma.
E l'uno e l'altro infiamma:
Prima quel d'oro e poi quel de l'arzento,
Sì eh' ogne Testamento
Ghiar ce dimostra per sensi in la rota.
E Ila minor dinota
Quei ch'alia grande fan de penne el ballo;
E ciò che nel metallo
De luce appare, in lo cerchio discende.
Theologia m'intende
Ben quel eh' io narro, e so eh' ella ce chiamma
A quel che ciaschun amma
Et o' dovemmo havere el nostro intento;
Ch'el solo è '1 compimento
De le Vertuti e dan l'eternai dota;
Onde Prudentia, mota
Da bon pensier discreto, piegha el chollo
In quel per triumphar chol sommo Apollo.

(Contemplate this lady and her fine crystal
In which divine love all respiende [breathe, return?],
And the great light illuminates
Two rich mirrors in the hand of the lady.
And the one and the other ignites:
The first of gold and then that of silver,
So that every Testament
calls this demonstration of the senses in the rotation.
And the lower denotes
Those big of feather and dance;
And what in the metal
Of light appears in the circle descends.
Theologia understands
Well what I relate, and I know that there she invokes
What each one loves
And has given us his meaning;
That he alone is carrying
The Virtues the eternal endows;
So that Prudentia, mire [mota, possibly for moto, cause]
Of good discreet thoughts, bends the neck
In order to triumph with supreme Apollo.)

Later in the book (p. 55) Dorez gives us another example of Theologia from a different Italian manuscript of this time, Bibliotheque Nationale Ital. 112. He doesn't talk about this image in particular, as far as I have noticed. He just gives a general caracterization of the manuscript, as one probably on the Augustinian side of a great competition between the Augustinians and the Dominicans at that time.

È infatti cosa assai curiosa a notare come le due serie di rappresentazioni delle Virtù e delle Scienze si presentino quasi un episodio caratteristico della rivalità fra gli antichi e i nuovi ordini monastici in Italia. La prima di queste due serie, più tradizionale dell'altra, è nata sotto l'ispirazione quasi esclusiva di sant'Agostino e de' suoi monaci ; la seconda, più nuova, più svariata, uscì dalla dottrina largamente interpretata di san Tommaso e de' successori del dotto Aquinate.

Nella prima l'ispirazione è più semplice, più conforme ai dati dei secoli precedenti. Esistono di essa in Francia almeno due monumenti ragguardevoli, il nostro codice cioè ed il manoscritto Italiano 1 12 della Biblioteca nazionale. In essi le Virtù e le Scienze sono separatamente rappresentate...

(It is very curious to see how the two series of representations, Virtues and Sciences, will present almost a typical episode of rivalry between the old and the new monastic orders in Italy. The first of these two series, more traditional than the other, was born under the almost exclusive inspiration of St. Augustine and his monks; and the other, newer, more varied, departed from the doctrine of St. Thomas, broadly interpreted, and the successors of Aquinas.

The first inspiration is simpler, more consistent with the data of earlier centuries. It exists in France in at least two notable monuments, our codex and that of Italian Manuscript 112 in National Library. In them the Virtues and Sciences are separately represented...)

Even its Augustinian character is not sure. The only things to indicate that are first, the close affinity to the Chantilly codex (p. 56); second, the number of times Augustine is cited, and how he is cited (p. 56); and third, its citations of two authorities, Richard and Hugh, probably two Augustinian monks at St. Victor in Paris but possibly two Dominicans, one in Oxford and the other at St. Cher (p. 57). All had written on the virtues and vices.

In any case, here is the image from Ital. 112, which Dorez calls "Theologia and the Seven Virtues":

I see a comparison to the Cary-Yale World lady, there identified by her trumpet with Fama, in the sense of Gloria.

Manuscript Ital. 112 may also have been a model book. I don't know how frequent this particular pose was. I only know it in one other work,a Lombard painting of the 15th century (Vogt-Leurssen says it's Bianca Maria Visconti and her children, an hypothesis that here is only relevant for the time and place of origin):

I posted this image at http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=365&p=4839&hilit=sapientia#p4839, comparing it to the CY Fama lady. I didn't know then about the earlier manuscript image. Christ, as Sapientia, the German Weisheit, was portrayed similarly, as you can see at that post; he is also on some World cards, i .e. the Vieville (at right below) and probably the Sforza Castle card; there are even traces of this masculine image in the Noblet.

Dorez Ch. 4: The 4 cardinal virtues

We are at long last where Dorez starts talking about the cardinal virtues.

Folio 2l. - Here begins the description of the Cardinal Virtues, and the first daughter of Discretion, Prudence, appears before us. This Virtue (slightly red robe and blue to green tie) sits crowned, soberly on a carved wooden throne [trono]. In her right hand she has a candle, in her left a great record, on the outside of which are inscribed the names of the various phases of human life and time:[i] Infantia; tempus presens, pueritia and adolos[c]entia; preteritum, iuventus et senectus; futurum, mors. [/i] In the center of the disc is an open book, which reads: [i]Memoria Intelligentia Prudentia Circumspectio Docilitas Ratio et Cautio[/i], followed by some indecipherable signs, -

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 27
traced with the sole intention not to leave blank the rest of the page. Between the circle and the book the miniaturist superiorly portrayed with one black ball [i]Nox[/i], Night; lower down with the other ball, half white and half blue, [i]Dies[/i], the Day.

Beneath her feet Prudence tramples Sardanapalus (red robe with green collar), crowned, from whose hands have fallen a distaff and spindle.

Here is the illustration:

I had no idea a candle, much less a distaff and spindle, were associated with Prudence. I see no relation to the early tarot, unless you count the Bagatella's wand or the lady with the distaff on the Charles VI Sun card.

Here is the stanza, which I can't translate:

Text of the fourth stanza.

De prudentia edidit Augustinus librum unum qui intituiaiur de salutaribus documentis, quam sic difinit libro 19 de Civitate Dei: Prudentia est virtus cuius totu vigilantia bona discernit a malis, ut illìs appetendis istisque vitandis nullus subripiat error.

Quest’è la donna che la nocte e ‘l zorno
Pensa chel (chol?) tempo passato el presente
E ten volta la mente
Ver quel che de’ vegnir, per provederse
Sì che le chose averse
Schivar e' insegna e temperare el bene.
Onde a noi ce convene,
Vogliendo el modo suo nobel seguire,
Inanci el dìffinire
Di dubii in le sententie far sezorno;
E poi senza ritorno
Ce guida al punto che Raxon consente.
Eccho vertù excellente,
Ch' examina i consegli in vie diverse,
Per le iuste roverse
Che l’incredibel dà, eh' al ver se tene!
Donqua ferma la spene
Doven de l’intellecto in lei tegnire,
Ch'Amor, ch'è 'l nostro sire,
L'à per suo spicchio, e qui ce la pon prima;
E ten choi pei Sardanaphano ad ima.

We move on to Fortezza, which Dorez translates as Fortitudo, Fortitude.

Folio 3r. – There follows Fortezza (Fortitudo). On a mountain, of which the left side is adorned with flowers (wild poppies and daisies), rises a two-story tower. Of these the second, narrower than the other and no windows, bears these words: Magnanimitas Magnificentia Fiducia Pacientia Perseverantia Constantia Securitas Tollerantia (sic). At the foot of the mountain you see on the left, a crowned young man, armed from head to foot, with a vest of green and red covering a coat of mail; it is Samson who with both hands spread apart the jaws of a fallen lion. On the right, under a pavilion, on a

28 LEONE DOREZ
bed covered with white and blue drapes lies the bearded Holofernes, of whom domina Iudith, kneeling, with a great slash, severs the head. At the head of the bed, the maid Peroina, a woman of rather advanced age, wrapped in a brown hood, waits for the fulfillment of the work to enclose in a sack, which she already holds with its mouth open, the skull of the enemy (Olloffernes)

Here of course we have the familiar hands on the lion's mouth, although those of a man rather than the woman we see in the Cary-Yale tarot and after:

And the stanza, which I make a stab at translating (after some prodding from "Lorredan" on Tarot History Forum):

Text of the fifth stanza.

De fortitudine edidit Augustinus librum unum qui intitulatur de bona perseverantie; quam sic diffinit libro 4 questionum, questione 63:

Fortitudo est firmitas animi adversus ea que temporaliter molesta sunt.

Segue mo' l’altra magnanima e grande
Donna, doppo la prima el suo bel stile,
Valoroxo e zentile,
Si chome se convene a sua francheza.
Ch' el è torre e fermeza
D' ogne vertute, e sì d' inzegno althiera,
Che mette la gran fiera
Cum le sue mani arma quaxe a la morte.
Or si’ constante e forte,
Tu, che voi far di suoi bei fiur ghirlande,
E per dona o se pande
Che poi vendecta fare in atto humile;
E s'alchun pensier vile
In ti regnasse, i vedrai pur la treza.
Mo s' tu voi la chiareza
Di suoi begli occhi haver[ej per tua lumiera,
Vivi in chotal mainiera
Liber[o], sechuro, aliegro. e poi la corte
D*amor t'avran consorte,
Si chom fiducia [in] Judith Olloferne
Havé, che '1 vixo dal chorpo glie dicerne.

(Following even now the magnanimous and great
Lady after the first, in his beautiful style,
Valorous and courteous,
How it suits his valor.
For he is the tower and constant
With every virtue, and so as a mark of pride,
He puts the great beast,
With his hands as his weapon, almost to death.
Now constant and strong,
You make of flowers beautiful garlands,
And to give or declare
So as to make a sale, act humble;
And some vile thoughts
In you reign, to see the trickster.
Now you see the splendor
And have her beautiful eyes for your light.
To live in such a manner
Free, secure, joyful. And then the court
Of love has you a wife,
So Olloferne has confidence [in] Judith,
So that she separates his life from his body.)

Next is Temperance:

Folio 3 t. - On a large chair [or throne: cattedra], from which rises an embattled two-story tower on the right, sits Temperance, crowned, facing left (green with red edges and red cape), who introduces a key with her right hand, of the door of the tower, to lock up the violent passions and disorderly appetites. From her left arm hanging by a thread is tied a bridle. From the window of the tower facing the spectator she reaches out to a kind of hanging garden, from which a palm tree stands out among other plants, of which the broad leaves carry these names: Clementia Abstinentia Castitas Coniugium Honestas Caritas Continentia Sobrietas Virginitas Moderatio Modestia Verecundia.

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 29
Temperance presses under her feet Epicurus voluptuosus (blue robe and green sandals), who lies fallen on the dais of the platform.

And the illustration:

The bridle we know. The key, the tower, and the palm tree I am not familiar with. Here is the stanza:

Text of the sixth stanza.

De temperanza edidit Temperantia est Augusinus librum unum qui intitulatur de continentia, quam sic diffinit Libro 1 de libero arbitrio.

Temperantia est cohercetis et cohibens appetitum ab hiis rebus que turpiter appetuntur.

La terza donna che ‘l nostro apetito,
Ch' à '1 soperchio dexio, domma e refrena,
Sempre è d' onestà piena
E volze al suo chastel discreta chiave:
Avre e serra soave,
Cum voi raxone a la cupiditate,
Et in sobrietate
S'aviva, con fa '1 corpo in nui per l’alma
E de vertù gran palma
Produce e fructo bon suo dolce lito;
E poi chi voi nel sito
Esser d' amore amante, chostei ‘l mena
A la sua real cena.
Ma d' ogne vanitate e parlar brave
Prima eh' i' va, se lave,
Ch' ivi è pur zente de benegnitate.
Sì ch'onne dignitate
A lor s'aven, però pun giù la salma
D' ogni viltà che scalma
In l’ inferno Epichurio, che non volse
Vivere modesto e mo sotto lei dolse.

And fourth, Justice:

Folio 4 r. - Above the usual wooden chair sits Justice, crowned (blue robe, red cape, lined with green cloth), with her naked sword in her right and her left on a book bound in red velvet, on which we read: Religio Pietas Gratia Vindicatio Observantia Veritas Obedientia Innocentia Concordia Amicitia affectus Humanitas Liberalitas Legalitas. To the left on the platform of the chair is placed a small table topped by a lectern, on which rest various books bound in different colors (red, green, blue) and titled Codices (sic), Infortiatum, F.F. vetus, F.F. novum. You will also see an open book with the words that form the principle of the Institutiones of Justinian: Imperatoriam maiestatem non solum decoratam armis, sed etiam legibus aportet esse armatam.

Under the feet of Justice lies the bitter Nero iniqu[u]s, with green robe and red shoes. The crown fallen from his head is on the ground.

Here is the illustration.

And the stanza:

30 LEONE DOREZ
Text of the seventh stanza.

De iusticia edidit Augustinus librum unum quiincipit: "Salomon sapientissimus„ et librum de perfectione iustitie
hominis; quam sic diffinit libro de moribus Ecclesie:

Iustitia est amor soli Deo serviens, et ob hoc bene imperans ceteris que homini subiecta sunt.

Ultima e quarta de le cardinali
È questa donna de vertù superna,
La qual reze e ghoverna
Per lege l’ universo e cum la spada;
Et écce da quel dada,
Che tutto pò che l’ umeltà nutrighi
E chi nostri chor[i] lighi
Cum ledei compagnia d*amor luntani,
E gl’intellecti humani
Divida per pietà dagli animali.
E non pur solo i mali
Schiva chostei, ma chi i fesse gì' inferna,
Et à sua roccha eterna
Drittura per lieltà vera, e la strada
Che ce mena o desgrada
Li suoi statuti per nostri chastighi;
Li quai se ben destrighi,
In pace i trovi e d' ogne equità piani:
El chan crudel di chani,
Neron, fiiol de niquità protervo,
Trida[r]li questa ogne osso, polpa e nervo.

Virtues trampling on vices are not at all original with this manuscript. Later in the book Dorez shows us what he considers the immediate source for the ones of the Chantilly codes that I have been showing. SteveM has shown it to us, in color, in the "Petrarch and Giotto" thread (at http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=848&start=20#p12161); it is by Niccolo da Bologna, whom Dorez considers slightly earlier than our artist. Just as in the Chantilly, all the virtues are shown trampling their enemies, in fact the same enemies that we have seen in the Chantilly. Even the attributes are the same, although more compressed than in the work by Bartolomeo's unknown artist, where the details are clearer. Others of a similar nature preceded Niccolo, although not with all the same attributes.

The virtues are in the top row, with their adversaries. For the cardinal virtues, in Italy the adversaries were invariably the ones indicated here and in the Chantilly. In France and elsewhere, Tarquin substituted for Epicurus as Temperance's adversary. In the Theologicals, there was one change over time: instead of, against Faith, the heretic Arius we find in 1502, the name Machomet, in 1535, Mahumetem. This is due to the fall of Constantinople, Dorez says (p. 52). That change is already in the Cary-Yale Faith card, although the letters next to the recumbant figure are not clear--whether then the actual Ottoman ruler of that day, or the originator of the "heresy", is not clear.

In Niccolo's illustration, the sciences are on the bottom, with their champions, which I will mention here as I do not intend to discuss them in detail: Grammatica, Prisianus; Dialectica, Zoroastes; Rhetorica, Tulius [Cicero]; Arithmetica, Pitagoras; Geometria, Euclides; Musica, Tubalcaim; Astrologia, Tolomeus res Egiti (sic). The Chantilly is the same, but with some different spellings, adding "Cicero" to Tulius, and not claiming that "Ptholemeus" was king of Egypt.

You will perhaps have noticed that one virtue has wings, Charity, as is also true of the Chantilly.

It occurs to me that perhaps I should be giving the Italian original text along with my translation. Well, here it is for this part, minus the stanzas. I have tried to correct the digitalized Italian (http://www.archive.org/stream/lacanzonedellev01bartgoog/lacanzonedellev01bartgoog_djvu.txt) using the hardcover book.

Carta 2 1. - Incomincia qui la descrizione delle Virtù Cardinali ; e, prima
figlia della Discrezione, appare dinanzi a noi la Prudenza.

Siede questa Virtù (veste rossa ed azzurra lievemente tirante al verde),
incoronata, sovra un ligneo trono sobriamente scolpito. Nella destra ha un cero
acceso, nella sinistra un gran disco, sulla zona esterna del quale sono inscritti i
nomi delle varie fasi della vita umana e del tempo : Infantia ; tempus presens,
pueritia el adolos[c]entia ; preteritum, iuventus et senectus ; futurum, mors. Nel
centro del disco sta un libro aperto, in cui si legge: Memoria Intelligentia Pru-
dentia Circumspectio Docilitas Ratio et Cautio, cui seguono alquanti segni indeci-

LA CANZONE DELLE VIRTÙ E DELLE SCIENZE 27
frabili, tracciati al solo intento di non lasciar vuoto il rimanente della pagina. Tra
il circolo ed il libro il miniatore effigiò superiormente con una palla nera Nox^
la Notte ; inferiormente con altra palla, per metà bianca e per metà azzurra, Dies,
il Giorno.

Sotto i suoi piedi la Prudenza conculca Sardanapalo (veste rossa con collare
verde), incoronato, dalle mani del quale sono caduti la conocchia ed il fuso.
...
Carta 3 r. - Segue la Fortezza (Fortitudo). Sopra un monte, che ha il
sinistro fianco adorno di fiorite pianticelle (papaveri selvatici e margherite), sorge
una torre a due piani. Di questi il secondo, più stretto dell'altro e senza finestre,
reca queste parole: Magnanimitas Magnificentia Fiducia Pacientia Perseve-
rantia Constantia Securitas Tollerantia (sic). A pie del monte si vede, a sini-
stra, un giovane incoronato, armato da capo a piede, di cui una vesta partita di
verde e di rosso ricopre il giaco di maglia ; è Sansone, che con ambo le mani
divarica le mascelle dell'atterrato leone. A destra, sotto un padiglione, sovra un

28 LEONE DOREZ
letto coperto di drappi bianchi ed azzurri giace il barbuto Oloferne, cui domina
ludith, inginocchiata, con una grande squarcina mozza il capo. Al capezzale del
letto, l'ancella delPeroina, donna d'età piuttosto avanzata, ravvolta in un cappuccio
bruno, aspetta il compimento dell'opera per serrare in un sacco, di cui già tien
aperta la bocca, il teschio del nemico (Olloffernes).
...
Carta 3 t. - Sopra una grande cattedra, donde sorge a destra una torre
merlata a due piani, siede la Temperanza, incoronata, rivolta a sinistra (veste
verde con orli rossi e mantello rosso), che colla destra introduce una chiave
nella porta della torre per rinchiudervi le passioni violente e gli appetiti disor-
dinati. Dal braccio sinistro le pende legato ad un filo un freno. Dalla finestra
della torre rivolta verso lo spettatore si protende all' infuori una specie di pensile
giardinetto, donde fra altre pianticelle spicca un palmizio, di cui le larghe foglie
portano questi nomi : Clementia Abstinentia Castltas Coniugium Honestas
Caritas Continentia Sobrietas Virginitas Moderatio Modestia Verecundia.

LA CANZONE DELLE VIRTÙ E DELLE SCIENZE 29
La Temperanza preme sotto i suoi piedi Epicurus voluptuosus (veste azzurra
e calzari verdi), che giace rovescioni sulla predella del trono.
...
Carta 4 r. - Sopra la solita cattedra di legno siede la Giustizia, incoronata
(veste azzurra, mantello rosso, foderato di stoffa verde), colla spada ignuda nella
destra, e nella sinistra un libro rilegato in velluto rosso sul quale si legge :
Religio Pietas Gratta Vindicatio Observantia Veritas Obedientia Inno-
centia Concordia Amicitia Affectus Humanitas Liberalitas Legalitas. A
sinistra, sulla predella della cattedra è posto un tavolino sormontato da un
leggìo, su cui poggiano varf libri rilegati a diversi colori (rosso, verde, azzurro)
ed intitolati Codes (sic), Infortiatum, F,F. vetus, F.F. novum. Vi si vede anche un
libro aperto colle parole che formano il principio delle Institutiones di Giusti-
niano : Imperatoriam maiestatem non solum armis decoratam, sed etiam legibus
oportet esse armatam.

Sotto i piedi della Giustizia giace boccone Nero iniqu[u]s, con veste verde e
calzari rossi. La corona cadutagli dal capo sta al suolo.

Dorez Ch. 4: The 3 theological virtues

Now I give you Dorez on the final three virtues. This time I translated what I could of the Italian in all three stanzas. First, Fides, Faith, as illustrated here:

And Dorez:

On this folio page we turn to the description of Theological Virtues.

The first, Faith, Fides Chatholica, crowned, (dressed in green, with a veil that surrounds the face, covering her hair, ears, chin and neck, clasps in her arms a tree trunk with fourteen branches, seven to the right and seven to the left. Each of these branches is adorned with Arabian leaves, bearing fruit by way of disks, where is read a verse from the Symbol of the Apostles. Above Faith is painted a head with three faces, which shows as its inscription trinus et unus Deus, symbolizing the Trinity.

The tree hides its roots in a small temple, in the midst of which is an altar, on which the inscription reads: Petra autem erat Christus. Et super hanc petram he[dificabo] ec[clesiam] meam.

Behind the temple, under the feet of Faith, lies Hereticus Arias (violet [pavonazza] robe, red hood lined with white, red shoes).

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 31

Text of the eighth stanza.

De fide edidit Augustinus librum unum de fides rerum invisibilium et libro (sic) de fide operibus, quam diffinit libro de oratione dominica:

fides est credere in unum Deum quod non vides, cuius est maximum offitium credere fide belief, quia ipse est ianua per quam introitar ad Dominum intelUgendum et amandum, ipsa est honorum omnium fundumentum et humane salutis initium.

Fé è la prima che se ferma in pietra,
Di quelle tre vertù che l'alma induxe
Sopra '1 celeste luxe,
Con ce dimostra in pomme el simbol santo;
Ch'in septe e septe è '1 canto
Distincto tutto e da quel sol procede,
Che de vergene herede,
Havè per spirito santo un figliol karo;
Ch'el fé nostro riparo
A trar l'umanità de la faretra
Infernale chava e tetra.
In qual punisse anchor le septe acchuxe.
Questo eh' è '1 sopran duxe
Unito e tripartito in un Dio tanto,
La sua possanza è quanto
Comprehender più si pò per nostra fede,
E che ven per mercede
In carne e sangue de nui su l'altaro.
Et Arrio el niegha, e chiaro
La Gliexia el dampna lui cum la sua sépta
A l'inferno, e la nostra in ciel confetta.

(Faith is the first that arrests herself in stone,
Of those three virtues that the soul induces
Above the Heavenly light,
Which shows us in the palm its heavenly symbol;
That in seven and seven its song is
Distinct from all that proceeds from the sun,
Which is inherited from the virgin,
Having a dear son by the Holy Spirit;
Who shelters our faith
To carry humanity from the quiver
Of chava [deep?] and gloomy hell.
Which would punish still the seven acchuxe [sins?}.
This is the supernatural lord
As much unity as tripart in one God,
This is because his power
Is so much more than our faith to understand,
Who comes to pay [?]
In flesh and blood from our altar.)
And Arius the denyer, and clearly
The Gliexia [Glory?} damns him to sépta [putrefaction?]
In hell, and our confession in heaven [?].)

Dorez's Italian is at the end of this post.

Now the next one, Spes or Hope, illustrated thusly:

And Dorez::

Folio 4r. - On a simple wooden chair sits a gracious young lady, crowned, with her head a bit tilted to the right and covered with the subtlest veil: Hope. She smiles and holds in her hands a small anchor with three branches. Her gown, lined with red, white sleeves hemmed with red. Hope tramples Iudas disperatus (blue robe, red cape, bare feet), who lies on his back, with the rope still attached to his neck.

In the blue sky, above right, the sun and moon shining, two hands reach out, the one offering a crown to the Virtue, the other showing a scroll on which, spread over two columns, read the following words:
Beatitudines anima: Sapientia Amicitia Concordia Honor Potentia Securitas Visio Fruitio Tentio.

32 LEONE DOREZ

Beatitudines corporis: Claritas Agilitas Voluptas Libertas Longevitas Sanitas Pulcritudo Fortitudo Impassibilitas

Et deinde oritur gaudium
beatitudinis eterni
amoris.

Text of the ninth stanza.

De spe edidit Augustinus librum unum de spe habenda in risto qui vocat[ur] contemplationis, incipiens: “Quoniam in medio Iaqueos (sic) positi sumus„; et ipsam spem diffìnit libro de Verbis Apostoli:

Spes est omnium honorum expectatio certa, secundum quam
per Dei gratiam creditur et operatur.

Fé è sta' quinta e Speranza seconda
Ad orden lei, sì eh' in lo cerchio è sexta;
De chi doven far festa,
Ch' amor la manda per nostra salude
A trarce del palude
Mondano e fuora del profundo fiume
Di rei pensier che sume
La mente nostra in adversa fortuna;
E con più mal ci aduna,
Chostei de l’ anchor suo lor ce fa sponda,
E d' ogni ben ioconda,
Expecta gratia dal ciel manifesta,
E la sua vita honesta
Divide nove da nove in due mude
Beatitudin ignude
D'ogni diffecto e falle suo costume;
E '1 suo perfecto lume
Infunde in nui chon fa '1 sole in la luna.
Per indurce a la cruna
Che perde Juda, disperà trahitore,
Ch' a sì de' morte e tradì '1 suo segniore.

(Faith stands fifth and Hope is second
In order to her, yes, in the circle is sixth;
Of those who would rejoice,
Who sends her love for our health
To trace out of the swamp
Of the world and out of the deep river
From the guilty thoughts that fill [? sume]
Our minds in adverse fortune;
And we gather up with more pain,
Chostei de still them there is his side,
Everything is indeed jocund
Hoping for manifest grace from heaven,
And his honest life
Divides nine by nine in two modes [mude, anima and corporis?}]
Beatitudes naked
Of every defect and customary [?] flaw;
And his perfect light
Enfuses in us even [chon] as does the sun in the moon.
To induce to the eye
How Judas lost, traitor in despair,
Who ensured his death and betrayed his lord.

And now Karitas or Charity, illustrated as follows:

And the text:

Folio 5t. - In the usual chair sits Charity, crowned and winged. She is covered with a richly decorated red robe and a cloak of pure red-lined green, fastened at the chest by a clasp. In the place of the heart she bears the words Amor Dei, Christi, amici [[friends], inimici [enemies], "sign" of his fourfold

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES      33

piety towards God and men. She carries in her hand two rolls, in which are read five verses from God’s ten commandments:

Sit patris honor, sit tibi matris amor.
Non sis occisor, fur, mecus, testis iniquus,
Vicinique thorum resque caveto suas.
Sperno deos, fugito periuria sabbata colo,
Habens uni Deo amorem, timorem et honorem.

The Virtue tramples Herodes impius, crowned, supine, with a beard and long hair, green robe, blue cape and red boots.

Text of the Tenth stanza.

De karitate edidit Augustinus librum unum de laudibus karitatis et librum de subsiantia karitatis et librum de quatuor virtutibus karitatis; quam sic diffinit libro 3 de Doctrina christiana:

Karitas est motus animi ad fraendum Deo propter se ipsum
et se atqae proximo propter Deum.

Ogne vertù senza chostei si perde:
Karitate è, eh' è d' ogn' altra sostegno,
Come ce mostra in segno
Amor che i ven dai cor da quatro parti,
Et ha in man due carti:
A Dio va l’ una, e l’ altra a nui riverte,
E ten sue aile averte
Ciaschun chiamando; e s' alcuno hom la schiva,
Si stesso d'onor priva,
E sta com'albor seccho in zardin verde.
In la sua vita, e ver de'
Per tal diffecto ametter l’alto regno;
Che '1 suo zentile inzegno
È de condurce tutti in quelle parti
O i seraphyni én sparti
Del ciel choi sancti a veder chose certe.
Fé e Speranza experte
En di tal donna che da lor deriva;
Septima in ziro e viva
In Dio se trova eternai questa zemma.
Che lassò Herodes, onde è ben ch'el zemma.

(Everyone without virtue is lost:
Charity is, yes, the support of all the rest,
As we show in the sign
Love that comes from the heart in four parts,
And has in her hand two sheets:
To God is one, and the other to us reverts,
And holds its wings open
Each calling, and any man avoiding it,
Deprives himself of honor,
He is like a parched tree in a green garden.
In his life, and in truth
By this defect acknowledging to the higher realm;
Who gently teaches
And guides all in whatever parts
Or seraphyms in sharing
From the holy ones to see things [?} certain.
Faith and Hope are expert [?]
In that they derive from this woman;
The seventh, in turning [?: giro] and living
In God, finds the eternal zemma [nothing?].
That left out Herod, so that indeed he is zemma.)

For reference, here is Dorez's commentary, which I have already translated, in his original Italian:

Carta 4 t. - Con questa carta passiamo alla descrizione delle Virtù
Teologali.

La prima, la Fede, Fides Chatholica, incoronata, vestita di verde, con un
velo, che, cìngendole il volto, le ricopre i capelli, gli orecchi, il mento e il collo,
stringe ira le sue braccia un albero, dal tronco del quale escono quattordici
rami, sette a destra e sette a sinistra. Ognuno di questi rami, adorno di fronde
arabescate, porta un frutto a mo' di disco dove si legge un versetto del Simbolo
degli Apostoli. Al disopra della Fede è dipinta una testina con tre visi, che,
come mostra l' iscrizione : trinus et unus Deus, simboleggia la Trinità.

L'albero nasconde le sue radici in un piccolo tempietto, in mezzo al quale
sta un altare, sul quale si legge la scritta: Petra autem erat Christus, Et super
hanc petram he[dificabo] ec[clesiam] meam.

Dietro al tempietto, sotto i piedi della Fede, giace Arias hereticus (veste
pavonazza, cappuccio rosso foderato di bianco, calzari rossi).

Carta 5r, - Sopra una semplice cattedra di legno siede una graziosis-
sima giovane, incoronata, colla testa un po' inclinata a destra e coperta di sot-
tilissimo velo : la Speranza. Essa sorride e tiene fra le mani una piccola
àncora a tre branche. La veste, foderata di rosso, è bianca cogli orli delle
maniche rossL La Speranza conculca ludas disperatus (veste azzurra, mantello
rosso, piedi ignudi), il quale giace sul dorso, colla fune ancora attaccata al collo.

Nel cielo azzurro, raffigurato a destra, splendono il Sole e la Luna, e due
mani si protendono, Tuna ad offrire alla Virtù una corona, l'altra a mostrare un
rotolo su cui si leggono distribuite in due colonne le parole seguenti:
In the blue sky, above right, the sun and moon shining, two hands reach out, the one offering a crown to the Virtue, the other showing a scroll on which, spread over two columns, read the following words: Beatitudines anima: Sapientia Amicitia Concordia Honor Potentia Securitas Visio Fruitio Tentio.

32 LEONE DOREZ

Beatitudines corporis: Claritas Agilitas Voluptas Libertas Longevitas Sanitas Pulcritudo Fortitudo Impassibilitas Et deinde oritur gaudium beatitudinis eterni amoris.
...

Carta 5t. - Sulla solita cattedra siede la Carità, incoronata ed alata.

Essa è coperta d'abito rosso sontuosamente ornato e d'un ampio mantello pure
rosso foderato di verde, allacciato sul petto da un fermaglio. Al posto del cuore
porta le parole "Amor Dei, Christi, amici, inimici," segno della quadruplice

LA CANZONE DELLE VIRTÙ E DELLE SCIENZE 33

sua pietà verso Dio e gli uomini. Essa tiene nelle mani due rotoli, su cui si
leggono in cinque versi i dieci comandamenti di Dio :

Sit libi patrls honor^ sit Ubi matris amor.
Non sis occisor, fur, mecus, tesis iniquus,
Vicinique thorum resque cavato suas.

Sperno deos, fugito periuria sabbata colo,
Habens uni Deo amorem, timorem et honorem.

Dalla Virtù si calpesta Herodes impius, incoronato, supino, con barba e
chioma lunga, veste verde, mantello azzurro e calzari rossi.

Dorez, Ch. 4, end. Ch. 6. Conclusions

havSo now here is the conclusion of Part One, starting with a photo of the whole page that Dorez will be describing. I will also post details of the individual parts as we go.

And here is Dorez. The original Italian for his part is at the end of this section. I will interrupt occasionally to post details from the previous picture. And I will give Dorez's transcription of the Latin without translation, but after each transcription of the Italian I will give my attempt to translate. I have no doubt that there are many errors, which is why I include the original medieval Italian in the same place:

Folio 6 r. – In this one we summarize what is contained in the previous sheets.

ON a chair sits Discretio, Virtutum mater [mother of virtues], a lady crowned, veiled, covered with a blue dress trimmed with green, who, in an attitude

34 LEONE DOREZ

immobile and almost reverential, holds her robe with her hands, in which are scattered flowers mixed with thorns.

Here is that detail:

I continue:

Behind the chair stands a tree, from which depart seven branches ending in as many fruits, stylized in the form of a disc, on which are represented the seven cardinal and theological virtues.

It should be noted that the symbols of the Virtues almost never appear the same as we saw those already assigned to them. The Four Cardinal Virtues sit on their usual chair, but if Justice, who is above Discretion, still holds in her right hand a drawn sword, in the left, instead of a book she carries a balance. Nor does the color of the dress remain the same: the blue robe has become red.

I interrupt here to give the detail of the four cardinal virtues. Observe the word "fortitudo" on the tower next to Fortezza, which is what Dorez calls the virtue on the left.

I continue:

More remarkable still is the transformation of Fortezza. In place of Samson accompanied by the lion and Judith with Holofernes, the Virtue is here alone, dressed in a red and green robe; with her left arm she holds a crenelated tower and in her right the club of Hercules.

Opposite her, Temperance, in a green robe, has exchanged her tower and bridle for a gold pot and silver basin, in which she is mixing hot and cold water (or water and wine); on the left can be seen another jar on the chair. Above, most loyal to her first symbols, Prudence (green robe and blue cloak) again holds the lit candle in her right and in her left the disc with the words: Presens, preteritum et futurum.

The three theological virtues have suffered more profound changes. Faith, dressed in green with a white veil, kneeling, bears in her right, a crucifix and turns her eyes to the Christ in majesty, all covered with red and blessing, with his hands up, as does also Hope, wrapped up in a white cloak, kneeling, hands clasped, in the middle of a small boat, the mast of which is broken.

I interrupt now to show you the detail of the the three theologicals, with Christ in back of Charity.

I continue:

Finally, in a disc almost double the others, at the top, is Omnipotens Deus, dressed in green, and with clasped hands winged Charity (red robe, red mantle lined with green), to whom is reserved the place of honor.

In this summary, to give each its own greater variety, the miniaturist drew representations of the Virtues of which he spoke earlier by another series of paintings.

On the bottom margin, in another disc, we see the ugly face of an evil old man with beard and horns, it is Vice or the Devil, and out of him extends the heads of seven chimeras in green, the seven deadly Sins, which crush with their sharp teeth the bloody heads of Sardanapalus, Holofernes, Epicurus, Nero, Arius, Judas and Herod.

I interrupt to give you this detail.

You will have noticed the similarity of each of the "chimeras" with the Visconti viper, with its red man in a viper's mouth-- especially given the red paint Dorez describes on the heads of the seven negative examples.

I continue with Dorez, including the original of the verses, as well as my translation, because I don't doubt that I have made errors.

Here now are the inscriptions of each verse placed in the mouths of the symbolic characters of the Tree:

OMNIPOTENS DEUS: l' sono eterno et in eterno e' fui
E sserò sempre e son quel che mai fui.

LA CANZONE DELLE VIRTÙ E DELLE SCIENZE 35

KARITAS: Karità sum eh' in Dio sempre m' abraxo,
Et ello in mi se possa, et in lui giaxo.

SPES: Chon più me trovo in fievoletta barcha,
Più spiero in Dio, del ciel patre e monarcha.

FIDES: De vergen naque e po' fu crucifixo
Quel che de giudicare lo mondo è fisso.

PRUDENTIA: E m' aspiecho in tri tempi, e sì i dispono
Chon voi raxon: però Prudentia sono.

TEMPERANTIA: De l' apetito inordinà la falda
Cum l' aqua freda amorto e cum la calda.

FORTITUDO: Per mia forteza i' porto tutto il carcho
D'ogne vertute, e done ai mei lo barcho.

JUSTICIA: Defendo i boni e cum la spada offexo
O qui ch' a la stadiera enno a mal pexo.

DISCRETIO: Dicerno spin da belle roxe e fiuri,
Perch' o[m] no 'm lassi i primi e gli altri honori.

[VITIUM:] Sardanaphallo, Olofferne, Epichurio,
Nerone et Ario, Juda et Herode
Cum la mia spada percottendo i' schurio,
Chon voi l'eterno re degno di lode.

(OMNIPOTENS DEUS: I am eternal and in eternity was
And always will be and am that which ever was.

THE SONG OF VIRTUES AND SCIENCES 35

KARITAS: Charity I am and am always in God's embrace,
And as much as possible, in his glory.

SPES: The more I am in this feeble boat,
The more I have hope in God, heaven’s father and king.

FIDES: Of a virgin was born, and then was crucified
The one on whom judgment of the world is fixed.

PRUDENTIA: And I have aspects in three times, and yes, act
With a rational will, for I am Prudence.

TEMPERANZA: Those with inordinate appetite enfold
With water cold to death and hot.

FORTITUDO: By my strength I bear the whole load
Of every virtue, and given to me I exceed it.

JUSTICIA; I defend good men and with the sword injure
Or here on the scale the malefactors are hung.

DISCRETIO; I separate the thorns of the beautiful roses and flowers
So that the first are left and the others are honored.

[VICE] Sardanaphallo, Olofferne, Epichurio,
Nero and Ario, Juda and Herod
With my sword obtaining the darkness,
By will of the eternal king worthy of praise.)

Above we see that Temperance's "water cold to death and hot" is the reason why Dorez characterizes her two vessels, normally water and wine, as cold and hot.

The "forteza" in Fortitude's verse is the only occurrence I see of that word in the manuscript text.

Notice also that the order on the tree is different from the order in the book: Justice is here the first above Discretio, followed by Fortitudo and Temperantia, and Prudence the one immediately before Fides and Spes. It is only if you go from the top down, in each set separately, but go from the bottom up for the three sets (Discretio-Cardinals-Theologicals) that the order would be the same.

This part of the book concludes with its Coda:

Text of the Coda of the first part.

Chanzone, ogne vertù ven giù dal cielo
Et al ciel tutte Charità le porta,
O' l'amor ce conforta,
Che de lei nasce, et ella in Dio ci anida.
Chossì schiven le strìda
Di sottoposti a le donne dolen[tri]
Che de l'inferno i centri
Provan per suoi difetti el caldo e 'l zielo.
Nesun lor nome i' cielo;
Mo i va narrando, e s' tu vi' che '1 sezorni
In vitio alehun, fa eh' a vertù mei torni.

(Song, every virtue comes down from heaven
And to heaven Charity bears,
Oh the love there, comfort,
He who is born of her, and she in God there nests.
So avoid the squeeling
Of the above-mentioned ladies’ grief
For one in hell’s center
Experiencing for his faults the heat and zeal.
None of their names in heaven;
Even now is the telling, and if you have the least
Of any vice, make it turn to virtue.)

EXPLICIT PRIOR PARS BREUZE CANTICE IN QUA
TRACTATUR DE VIRTUTIBUS VULGARITER DISTINCTIS.
AMEN.

To the right and left of Discretion reads the Coda of the first part of the Song.

In the Latin at the end we again have seen Bruzio's name (BREUZE) mentioned as the dedicatee.

And here is the original Italian of Dorez's commentary (omitting his transcriptions from the pictures):

Carta 6r. - In essa noi rinveniamo il riassunto di quanto contengono le
carte precedenti.

Sopra una cattedra siede Discretio, mater Virtutum, donna incoronata,
velata, coperta d'una veste azzurra orlata di verde, che, stando in atteggia-

34 LEONE DOREZ
mento immobile e quasi ieratico, tien colle mani i lembi della veste, dove sono
sparsi de' fiorì misti a spine.

Dietro alla cattedra sorge un albero, donde partono sette rami terminati
da altrettanti frutti stilizzati a modo di dischi in cui sono rappresentate le sette
Virtù cardinali e teologali.

È da notare che i simboli delle Virtù non appaiono quasi mai gli stessi che
vedemmo già loro attribuiti. Le quattro Virtù cardinali seggono bensì sulla
solita cattedra ; ma se la GIUSTICIA, che sta al disopra della Discrezione,
stringe pur sempre nella destra la spada sguainata, nella sinistra, in luogo del
libro, porta una bilancia. Né il colore della veste rimane lo stesso : che la veste
azzurra è divenuta rossa. Più notevole ancora è la trasformazione della For-
tezza. In luogo d' essere accompagnata da Sansone col leone e da Giuditta
con Oloferne, la Virtù appare qui sola, vestita d'abito partito rosso e verde; col
braccio sinistro essa regge una torre merlata e col dritto la clava di Ercole.
Dirimpetto ad essa la TEMPERANZA, in veste verde, ha mutato la sua torre e
il freno in una brocca d'oro ed un bacino d'argento nel quale debbono mesco-
larsi l'acqua calda e l'acqua fredda (o l'acqua e il vino) ; a sinistra, sì vede
sulla cattedra un'altra brocca. Al disopra, più fedele a' suoi primi simboli, la
PRUDENZA (veste verde e mantello azzurro) tiene sempre nella destra il cero
acceso e nella sinistra il disco colle sole parole : Presens, preteritum et futurum.

Più profonde modificazioni hanno sofferto le tre VITRÙ TEOLOGALI. La FEDE,
vestita di verde, con un velo bianco, inginocchiata, porta nella destra un
crocifisso e rivolge gli occhi verso il Cristo in maestà, tutto rivestito di rosso
e benedicente con le mani alzate, come fa pure la SPERANZA, ravviluppata in un
bianco ammanto, inginocchiata, colle mani giunte, nel mezzo di una navicella,
l'albero della quale è spezzato. Finalmente, in un disco quasi doppio degli altri,
nel grembo dell'Omnipotens Deus, vestito di verde, sta colle mani giunte la
CARITA alata (veste rossa, mantello rosso foderato di verde), alla quale venne
riservato il posto d'onore.

In questo riassunto, per dare maggior varietà all'opera propria, trasse il
miniatore le rappresentazioni delle Virtù da un altro ciclo di pitture, di cui fra
poco parleremo più a lungo.

Nel margine inferiore, in un altro disco, vedesi il diabolico ceffo di un
vecchio con barba e corna ; è il VIZIO O DEMONIO, e da lui escono sette teste
di chimere di color verde, i sette Peccati mortali, che fra ì denti acuti maciul-
lano le teste sanguinose di Sardanapalo, Oloferne, Epicuro, Nerone, Ario, Giuda
ed Erode.

Ecco ora le inscrizioni metriche poste in bocca a ciascuno de' personaggi
dell'Albero simbolico:
...
Testo del congedo della prima parte.
...
A destra e a sinistra della Discrezione si legge il congedo della prima parte
della Canzone.

I turn briefly to Part 2 of Chapter 4, which covers the Sciences, or Liberal Arts. In this section, there are three illustrations that might relate to the tarot. I will simply post them without Dorez's commentary. First, here is Grammatica:

Also of interest are Geometria and Astrologia, which bear some similarity to the Charles VI's depictions of the heavenly body cards. I think the term "Astrologia" included what today we would consider Astronomy.

THE REST OF DOREZ'S BOOK

Chapter V deals with the book's influence over the next 50 years or so. I have already mentioned that in his view the illustratons of the virtues were more influential than those of the Sciences. For the Sciences, people went to St. Thomas Aquinas, as opposed to the Augustinians Hugh of St. Victor and .

Chapter VI deals with the issue of the artist. Unfortunately I have a great deal of trouble understanding the last paragraph, which sounds fairly interesting. You have to bear in mind that in his Chapter V, he has been investigating other places in the 14th century that exhibited the same style as the Chantilly illustrations. He uses his conclusions from that chapter here. For the frontispiece to which he refers, from da Luca by Niccolo da Bologna, I posted SteveM's colored version earlier.

VI. PLACE AND DATE OF EXECUTION OF THE CODEX.

Now we know well our codex, for which it remains, however, to lay down precisely its homeland and date.

Where was this heirloom (cimilio) codex of the Condé Museum written and painted [dipinto]? It is fortunately not a very difficult question to resolve, because, as we have extensively demonstrated on the basis of his own words, the author was born in Bologna, and lived and worked in Bologna.

So it seems established that Bartolomeo, who in 1349 and again in 1374 he collaborated with his illustrious compatriot Niccolo, never left his native city. Hence it is fair to infer that the Chantilly codex was written and painted in Bologna.

Given this, it is easy to find the date of execution of the codex. As we have already said, Bruzio Visconti, to whom the work is dedicated, lived a long time in Bologna: he probably arrived in late 1354 or the beginning of 1355, and the following February he was driven out angrily by his cousin John Oleggio. Bartolomeo could then offer to Visconti his moral song in the course of 1355, i.e. at the same time in which the Dominican Luca de' Mannelli had Niccolò da Bologna paint for a similar purpose a similar moral treatise kept in Paris. It is therefore safe to assume Our Author’s codex was written and portrayed [dipinto] in 1355.

Unhelpful with much success, on the other hand, are the investigations [Inutili pur troppo sono invece riuscite] in which we attempted to discover who the painter was to whom Bartolomeo confided the decoration of the codex. Certainly it is not Niccolò da Bologna: one who has examined, without special knowledge of the art of the fourteenth century, the frontispiece of the Treatise of Luca de' Mannelli, which almost certainly is the work of Niccolò, also attending to (Fermera l’attenzione sulla) the paintings of the Codex of Chantilly, will not take long to be convinced. The initial letters of each stanza of the song is undoubtedly the work of some painter of the Bologna school, perhaps a pupil of Niccolò, graceful in women, dressed in ample cloaks of noble elegance, of immediately recognizable Giottoesque inspiration - refined, I would say, by the influence of the Sienese school, of which however

72 LEONE DOREZ

it does not have its character, a bit soft and monotonous. Here, on the contrary, the figures have a vigorous grace, a robust pliancy, so that it goes with the most beautiful Italian art creations that the mid-fourteenth century produced. A Florentine painter, therefore, must be considered, or at least one that had studied the masterpieces of contemporary masters in Florence.

But even though the artist is unknown, the work is wonderful, and after have determined the place and date of its composition, we must look for the earlier monuments from which the painter could draw for his own work. Almost all were remembered by us when we noticed the variety of symbols of the Virtues and Sciences. They are, in chronological order, the major fountain of Perugia (1280), the pulpit of the Cathedral of Pisa (1310), perhaps the capitals of the Doges’ Palace in Venice (1344), and the bas-reliefs of the Florentine campanile.

From the first two monuments and perhaps also in the last one, we infer with a certain latitude and independence our artist's figures of Science and Philosophy; of the third of their representatives, this provided us with a composition which closely agrees with the doctrines of Hugh of St. Victor. Where this conjecture will conclude, in the sign of the codex of Chantilly, we must recognize a work of art almost entirely Tuscan, and, one might even add, even Florentine, returning if possible to propose that the paintings themselves were originally devised with the intent of counterposing an artistic monument, inspired by Augustinian knowledge, which in Florence itself had already been known to marvelously stimulate Dominican activity.

And the original Italian:

VI. LUOGO E DATA DELL' ESECUZIONE DEL CODICE.

ORA conosciamo bene il nostro codice, del quale ci resta però a fissare in modo preciso la patria e la data.

Dove fu scritto e dipinto codesto cimelio del museo Condé? Non è fortuna- tamente questione molto ardua da risolvere, perchè, come abbiamo ampiamente dimostrato colla scorta delle sue stesse parole, l'autore nacque a Bologna, ed in Bologna visse ed operò.

Pare dunque cosa accertata che Bartolomeo, il quale nel 1349 e ancora nel 1374 collaborava col suo illustre compatriota Niccolò, non abbia mai lasciato la sua città nativa. Donde si può giustamente dedurre che il codice di Chantilly sia stato scritto e dipinto in Bologna.

Posto questo, è facile ritrovare la data deir esecuzione del codice. Come abbiamo già detto, Bruzio Visconti, a cui Topera è dedicata, dimorò lungo tempo in Bologna: vi arrivò probabilmente verso la fine del 1354 o sui primi del 1355, e nel febbraio seguente ne fu cacciato dall' irato cugino Giovanni da Oleggio. Non potè dunque Bartolomeo offrire al Visconti la sua canzone morale se non nel corso del 1355, cioè nello stesso tempo in cui il domenicano fra Luca de' Mannelli faceva anche lui da Niccolò da Bologna dipingere a simile scopo il trattato parimente morale conservato a Parigi. Ci sarà quindi lecito ritenere il nostro codice scritto e dipinto nel 1355.

Inutili pur troppo sono invece riuscite le indagini da noi tentate per scovrire chi fosse il pittore a cui confidò Bartolomeo la decorazione del codice. Di certo non è Niccolò da Bologna: chi dopo aver esaminato, anche senza conoscenze speciali sull'arte del secolo XIV, il frontispizio del trattato di Luca de' Mannelli, che quasi sicuramente è opera di Niccolò, fermerà l'attenzione sulle pitture del codice di Chantilly, non tarderà ad esserne convinto. Le lettere iniziali di ciascuna stanza della canzone indubbiamente sono lavoro di qualche pittore della scuola bolognese, di uno forse degli allievi di Niccolò; ma nelle donne leggiadre, vestite con nobile eleganza di ampt mantelli, si riconosce subito un'ispirazione giottesca, affinata, starei per dire, dall'influenza della scuola senese, di cui tuttavia

72 LEONE DOREZ

non ha i caratteri un po' molli e monotoni. Qui al contrario le figure hanno una grazia vigorosa, una pieghevolezza robusta, onde riescono fra le più belle creazioni che Parte italiana abbia prodotto verso la metà del secolo XIV. Il pittore dunque deve ritenersi fiorentino, o almeno tale che avea studiato in Firenze i capolavori de' maestri contemporanei. Ma checché ne sia dell'artista sconosciuto, l'opera è meravigliosa, e dopo aver determinato il luogo e la data della sua composizione, dobbiamo ricercare adesso i monumenti anteriori da cui il pittore poteva trarre ispirazione al proprio lavoro. Quasi tutti furono da noi ricordati mentre notavamo le varietà dei simboli delle Virtù e delle Scienze. Sono, in ordine cronologico, la fontana maggiore di Perugia (1280), il pulpito del duomo di Pisa (1310), forse i capitelli del palazzo ducale di Venezia (1344), ed i bassorilievi del campanile fiorentino.

Dai due primi monumenti e fors' anche in parte dall'ultimo, l'artista nostro desunse con una certa larghezza ed indipendenza le figure delle Scienze e della Filosofia; dal terzo quelle de' rappresentanti loro: offrendoci così una composi- zione che concorda fedelmente colle dottrine d' Ugo da San Vittore. Ove queste congetture colgano nel segno, nel codice di Chantilly noi dovremo riconoscere un' opera d' arte quasi interamente toscana ; e, si potrebbe perfino aggiungere, addirittura fiorentina, quando tornasse possibile mettere in sodo che le pitture stesse vennero originariamente escogitate all' intento di contrapporre un monu- mento artistico, ispirato dalla scienza agostiniana, a quello meraviglioso che in Firenze stessa aveva già saputo innalzare l'attività domenicana.

At the end of the Chantilly codex are three illustrations of planetary gods (Saturn, Sol, Mars) done in a similar style. But these are not from the same manuscript as the other pages, Dorez says. At some point, somewhere I will discuss at least the the one of Saturn, as well as a 15th century account of another set of images of the planets that Dorez gives.

CONCLUSIONS

I have focused on the similarity of images in this codex to the imagery of the virtues in the Cary-Yale tarot done for a later Visconti. If it were not for the wide influence of this codex and its type of imagery in 15th century Italy, one might be tempted to conclude that the imagery of the Cary-Yale sprang from this codex and spread to the tarot of other regions from there. But of course one cannot say that. That the imagery of the CY conforms to that of the codex may indicate no more than a particular fondness for the codex on the part of Filippo Visconti or his card painter.

That the codex presents two sets of seven, each with a governing figure above them to make an eighth, suggests an affinity with the 16 pieces in two rows of chess, as tarot researcher "Huck" on Tarot History Forum pointed out in response to my presentation of this text there. The codex's pictures of the virtues even suggest the various pieces. Fortitude and Prudence both have towers in the background; chess also has cards that look like towers, i.e. Rooks. There are two pictures of figures with sword and shield, like knights. Faith and hope, being theological virtues, might correspond to the bishops. Meanwhile, Caritas, with wings at the top, would be the Queen, and Theologia, at the top of the other array, would correspond to the King.

Another place where we have 16 is in the representation of Faith, with 15 subdivisions plus itself as 16th. "Huck" has worked all this out at http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=862&start=20#p12612

The 16 total also suggests the 16 special cards of the so-called "Michelino" card deck designed for Filippo Visconti, themselves assigned to the four suits, making the total in each suit 16 cards (10 number cards, king, 4 gods and demigods). And there is also the 16 figures of geomancy, a popular form of divination at that time and place. It becomes one instance of the binary thinking that pervades gaming and divination, as I have suggested (again following Huck) in another essay.

It also may not be coincidence that the figure of Grammatica coincides with that of Caritas in the Cary-Yale tarot. Here I report "Huck's" suggestion at http://forum.tarothistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=862&start=20#p12635. The three theological virtues correspond to the three liberal arts that make up the "trivium", grammar, logic and rhetoric, all arts involving language, while the four cardinal virtues correspond to the quadrivium, arts requiring mathematics: arithmetic, geometry, music, and poetry (counting beats). Grammar is the foundation of rhetoric and logic and so corresponds to caritas as the foundation of theological virtue. At least this is one possibility.