Ɵ 'Descriptiones Poetice', a collection of Latin verse of an encyclopedic nature assembled by Franciscus Brivius, manuscript on paper [Italy, seventeenth century]

126 folios (plus 3 paper endleaves at front and 5 at back), complete, single column of 26 lines in a scrolling italic hand, titles in larger version of same, a frontispiece on a front endleaf with the title and author's name within a wreath supporting by bees, above an eagle, above a scallop within a frame between two cities, frowning birds in the foreground on both sides, some small spots and stains, slight foxing to endleaves, else good and fresh condition, 152 by 100mm.; contemporary pigskin over pasteboards, gilt-tooled with fillet and floral sprays around a central 'IHS' within a sun motif (indicating probable Jesuit ownership), remnants of blue paper label at spine

The compiler here is almost certainly the Francisco Brivio of Milan, who served as a Jesuit and wrote the Dies domini oratio in parasceue printed by the Vatican in 1633. The present work is, to the best of our knowledge, unpublished, and includes verse on the heavens, the world, the heavenly spheres, God and divine love, day and night, clouds and winds, animals, the oceans and naval warfare, gemstones, monstrous humans, fantastical beasts, demons and the whole gamut of Roman gods, among many other subjects, all culled from Classical and medieval sources. This may well be in the author's own hand.

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