Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics; Oeconomica (attr.); Leonardo Bruni, Isagogicon
Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Pluteo 79.1 15th century (early 1470s?)
Written in humanistic script and illuminated in Florence for Francesco Sassetti (1421–90), humanist and trusted banker of the Medici family, the manuscript contains Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, translated from Greek into Latin by John Argyropoulos, and two works by Leonardo Bruni: the Isagogicon moralis disciplinae (‘Introduction to Moral Philosophy’) and the Latin translation (from the Greek) of the pseudo-Aristotelian treatise Oeconomica.One interesting feature of the codex is Sassetti’s ex-libris inscription on fol. Iv, on display here. A complex heraldic composition with a wealth of antiquarian and classicizing motifs, it includes a roundel with the name francisci sassetti, a cartouche bearing the motto A mon povoir supported by two putti, and the family device—a sling and stones—resting on a small fluted vase held by two centaurs. The putto and the centaur on the left are also holding slings and stones.