The Library of a 'Humanist Prince' Federico da Montefeltro and His Manuscripts [by M.G. Critelli]

Classics

We come now to consider in what high esteem the Duke held all Greek and Latin writers, sacred as well as secular. He alone had a mind to do what no one had done for a thousand years or more; that is, to create the finest library since ancient times. He spared neither cost nor labour, and when he knew of a fine book, whether in Italy or not, he would send for it. It is now fourteen or more years ago since he began the library, and he always employed, in Urbino, in Florence and in other places, thirty or forty scribes in his service. He took the only way to make a fine library like this; by beginning with the Latin poets [Urb. lat. 350, 651], with any comments on the same which might seem merited next the orators, with the works of Tully [Cicerone, Urb. lat. 328] and all Latin writers and grammarians of merit; so that not one of the leading writers in this faculty should be wanted. He sought also all the known works on history in Latin [Urb. lat. 427], and not only those but likewise the histories of Greek writers done into Latin [Urb. lat. 410, 419, 420], and the orators as well [Urb. lat. 337]. The Duke also desired to have every work on moral and natural philosophy in Latin, or in Latin translations from Greek [Urb. lat. 185, 187, 250, 1324] (Vespasiano, Lives, p. 102).

Urb. lat. 185, f. 2v - Urb. lat. 328, f. 1v: all Greek and Latin writers 

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Urb. lat. 250, f. 2r - Urb. lat. 1324, f. 2r: ... or in Latin translations from Greek 

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