Details
PHILLIPPSIANA -- Constantine SIMONIDES (c. 1824-1867). Three forged ancient manuscripts on vellum of fictitious texts by invented authors. [c. 1850]. All bound in Middle Hill boards. Provenance: Sir Thomas Phillipps (binding, mss. 13873-5).
Chronicles of the Babylonians. 181 x 157 mm. 6 leaves (last blank). Simonides' Syraic and Phoenician script, called "arrowhead" by Phillipps, a sort of cuneiform. (Worn and stained.) No. 25 in Simonides' list of mss. sold to Phillipps (Charles Stewart, Memoir 1859, p. 35).
EULYRUS of Cephallonia. Ethnics. 168 x 128 mm. 3 leaves. Greek cursive script, deliberately illegible. (Stained.) Simonides 26.
NEOCOMUS of Syme. Byzantine History. 179 x 142 mm. 4 leaves. Greek cursive. Simonides 37.
Simonides came to England in 1853, bringing a number of genuine manuscripts of no great antiquity and about twenty of his own productions. Sir Frederick Madden of the British Museum bought a few of the genuine ones and rejected the rest. Then Sir Thomas Phillipps, who was incapable of refusing vellum manuscripts, whether genuine or forged, bought almost all Simonides had to offer. They were dispersed at Sotheby's on 4th July 1972, lots 1724-40, and are now found in various libraries and private collections. (2)
Chronicles of the Babylonians. 181 x 157 mm. 6 leaves (last blank). Simonides' Syraic and Phoenician script, called "arrowhead" by Phillipps, a sort of cuneiform. (Worn and stained.) No. 25 in Simonides' list of mss. sold to Phillipps (Charles Stewart, Memoir 1859, p. 35).
EULYRUS of Cephallonia. Ethnics. 168 x 128 mm. 3 leaves. Greek cursive script, deliberately illegible. (Stained.) Simonides 26.
NEOCOMUS of Syme. Byzantine History. 179 x 142 mm. 4 leaves. Greek cursive. Simonides 37.
Simonides came to England in 1853, bringing a number of genuine manuscripts of no great antiquity and about twenty of his own productions. Sir Frederick Madden of the British Museum bought a few of the genuine ones and rejected the rest. Then Sir Thomas Phillipps, who was incapable of refusing vellum manuscripts, whether genuine or forged, bought almost all Simonides had to offer. They were dispersed at Sotheby's on 4th July 1972, lots 1724-40, and are now found in various libraries and private collections. (2)