the remnant trust s student scholar: moamen … · verb illuminare meaning “to light up,” which...

Spring 2020 Volume 2, Issue 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

The Process of Making a Manuscript .............................. 2

Cicero’s Verrine Orations ...... 3

The Remnant Trust Welcomes New Student Intern: Kennedy McLeod .................................... 4

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST

Cicero’s Verrine Orations Manuscript, 1476

THE REMNANT TRUST’S STUDENT SCHOLAR: MOAMEN ELMASSARY

Mr. Elmassry is currently working towards his goal of achieving a PhD in Biological Sciences at Texas Tech University. Throughout his academic career, Elmassry has made great strides in research as he focusses on pathology and the body’s immune response to infection such as sepsis. Not only is he enthusiastic about the field of Biology, but he houses a deep appreciation for Arabic literature, culture, and history, due to his Egyptian roots. Moamen hopes to alleviate some of the confusion associated with the descriptions and titles associated with these historical texts in The Remnant Trust collection by utilizing such titles as A

Grammatical Miscellany and The Guide to Happiness. Little information is available currently concerning these titles since few individuals associated with The Remnant Trust are well versed in the language and grammatical syntax. Additionally, Moamen will add societal context to the works with his knowledge of Arabic culture then and now in order to bring these texts to life in our current societal environment. By exploring these manuscripts and texts from the collection, he strives to rediscover the wisdom that has been lost to our current day society and to preserve the insight meant to be given to future generations.

Jamal al-Din Abu ‘Amir ‘Uthmann ibn al-Hajib, A Grammatical

Miscellany, manuscript, ca. 1672 (#1300)

A manuscript is a written book comprised of either famous or original works that are hand written and decorated with portraits or other works of art such as illumination. The word manuscript derives from Latin roots; incorporating both the word manus meaning “hand” and scriptus (from the verb scriber) meaning “to write”. In other words, manuscript literally means written by hand and was a popular venue for scholars to learn about the world prior to the invention of the printing press in Europe, which did not take place until around 1455. There are a variety of categories for manuscripts ranging from categorization by date, materials used such as vellum, or in their overall format and presentation of the written work. Most manuscripts however feature a component known as illumination to bring vibrant colors to the pages of these beautiful masterpieces. Manuscripts are all handwritten and may include things like marginal notes, underlining, or little hands used as an indicator known as manicula (Latin for little

hand). These helped guide the reader through the work; highlighting the more important information from the core body of the text. These maniculae (plural form of manicula) can be seen throughout various manuscripts within The Remnant Trust collection and can range from simple to complex depending on the desire of the author/reader. Additionally, manuscripts are created with the utmost care as these were handmade pieces of art and would have sold well because they were a sign of daunting labor, social status, and intellectual integrity.

Cicero, Laelius Seu de Amicitia, ca. 1455-1470

Note the beautiful gilt illumination that makes this manuscript a one of a kind to its reader and owner. These details are hardly replicated within a mass printing market.

Boethius, De Consulatione philosophiae, manuscript, ca. 1410 (#0681)

Notice the elegant illumination of the beginning letter of this section.

In order to make a manuscript, an individual would normally divide up the various tasks needed to complete the volume in its entirety. The team of workers would normally be divided as such: the parchment maker, the scribe, the illuminator and the binder who would bind the manuscript together. The parchment maker would ready a form of animal skin such as skin from calves (known as vellum), deer, goats, sheep, rabbits, and in some rare cases even squirrels. The parchment was not cheap to obtain; however, the surface pro-vided a durable and well-equipped space to lay down the written words of the text. Some manuscripts were also written on paper.

Having gathered enough cut and readied parchment, the scribe would then be charged with beginning his transcription of the original work onto the newly furnished pages. A scribe often traveled with his own quill and ink pot and would use these tools to embark on his undoubtedly tedious task of copying word for word a rather lengthy piece of text. What happens if the scribe were to make a mistake? Would they have to start their progress all over again from the beginning? Fortunately, humanity, and scribes in particu-lar, knew that it was human nature to err and thus they devised a system of erasing their errors if or when they occurred. Scribes would carry with them a blade that they would use to sharpen their quills as well as scrape off the top layer of the parchment or animal skin in order to remove any spelling or word mistakes they created along their journey.

The Process of Making a Manuscript

Creating a Work of Art

Cicero’s Verrine Orations

A unique piece in The Remnant Trust’s collection of works includes a one of a kind manuscript of Cicero’s Verrine Orations written 1476. Cicero’s work is an illuminated manuscript written on parchment and composed in his vernacular: Latin. The work documents various speeches that Cicero made himself in a court room setting at the trial of Gaius Verres that occurred around 70 B.C. Gaius Verres was the former governor of Sicily and was accused of crimes related to corruption and extortion during his term as governor. At the trial, Cicero was the only one to speak, although others were planning to, and upon completing his speech, the lawyer of Gaius Verres pleaded for his client to go into exile voluntarily. The outcome of the trial was exile for Gaius and a fast acceleration of Cicero’s political career as he quickly became famous for being the best orator in Rome. Cicero was later elected onto the Aedile in 69 B.C., which was an office in the Roman Republic that regulated festivals, maintenance of public buildings, and enforced public order. Cicero would continue to write and would become known as the master of Latin prose; influencing later scholars such as Erasmus, Martin Luther, and even John Locke.

Additionally, the scribe would be instructed on how to format the written text; allowing space for the next member of the team: the illuminator.

Once written, the work was then passed over to the illuminator which would do just that: illuminate the pages with vibrant pieces of art and color. Illumination comes from the Latin verb illuminare meaning “to light up,” which was exactly the task of the illuminator: to lighten up the otherwise colorless calligraphy. The illuminator would achieve this pop of color by mixing various vegetable/plant, animal, or earth elements in order to create the pigmentation of the paint that they would then use to fill in spaces left for eloquent letters at the beginning of paragraphs or would use these colors to depict scenes that the text was presenting to the reader. Depending on the extensive nature of the illumination, it was not uncommon to have multiple artists and illuminators working on the same piece.

Lastly, the manuscript would be transitioned to the binder. The binder would gather all of the parchment including title pages and other related drawings and would fasten the manuscript together utilizing either metal clasps, leather ties, or even fabric in order to keep the manuscript’s pages closed. Besides the fastenings, the binder would embellish these bindings with paints, enamel, other metals, or stamp designs into the leather depending on the specifications and desire of the manuscript’s owner. Moving into the Middle Ages, it was not uncommon to see a manuscript with a cover/binding comprised of luxurious jewels and other more regal embellishments in order to show social class and the importance of the manuscript to the owner. The boards used as covers were typically constructed from either wood or hide in order to protect the manuscript from the elements such as water, which would lead to the manuscript pages curling. Overall, constructing a manuscript was no easy feat and actually required the work of numerous individuals to bring this finalized work into the hands of its new owner.

Peter Lombard, Liber Primus Sententiarum, manuscript, ca. 1440 (#0682)

Note the historiated initial featuring characters wielding a sword, spear, and bow and arrow.

Cicero's Verrine Orations, manuscript, 1476. (#0755)

For books are more than books, they are the life, the very heart and core of ages past, the reason why men worked

and died, the essence and quintessence of their lives. ― Cicero

Fall 2019

Volume 3, Issue 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From Manuscript to Print .......2

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ...3

Mont Pellerin Society ..............4


Plato’s Gorgias, 1475

U.S. Constitution, 1788

THE REMNANT TRUST STUDENT INTERN RETURNS FOR 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR

For this coming Fall and Spring of the 2019-2020 academic year, Marisa Stephens will be returning as the student intern for The Remnant Trust, Inc. Marisa has been helping The Trust with scholarship, events, and spreading the importance of preserving history through the collection of literary works. Dual majoring in Kinesiology and Classics with Greek Emphasis, Marisa is well versed in classical history and medicine, which has brought more insight into the works held within the collection such as literature from Hippocrates (written in 1512) and Herodotus (written in 1558).

Marisa continues to encourage students to visit The Trust and attend scheduled events that occur throughout the semester, but of course she also radiates excitement and love for the rare book collection daily in her duties as an intern. While these duties do consist of clerical office duties, Marisa also finds herself surrounded by years of knowledge and growth that captures the progression of humanity. Being surrounded by these texts enables Ms. Stephens to explore a wide array of studies and provides primary insight on crucial events during history. The Remnant Trust, Inc. is enthused to have Marisa Stephens returning for another year filled with page turning and time traveling through the utilization of the works of non-fiction and fiction housed here on the Texas Tech University campus. Box 41041 | Lubbock, Texas 79409-1041

T 241021 B00155 200 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The Remnant Trust, Inc. Texas Tech University

Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.theremnanttrust.com

Texas Tech University Law Library September 2019 West Texas A&M University September 2019 Ball State University September—December 2019 Trinity Western University September—December 2019 Troy University September—December 2019

First Friday Art Trail at Urban Tech October 4, 2019 November 1, 2019 Ellen Noel Art Museum December—February, 2020 Texas Tech University Law Library March 2020 Ball State University Spring 2020 Jackson State University Spring 2020

Mont Pelerin Society Regional Meeting

The Remnant Trust was invited by the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University and its director, Dr. Benjamin Powell, to attend the Mont Pelerin Society Regional Meeting in Dallas, Texas on May 20th, 2019. The Trust provided an exhibit on Adam Smith, including a first edition of his Wealth of Nations, and other notable works in the collection, such as a first edition of Archimedes’ Opera that was once owned by Marie de Medici in 1615. The evening event was hosted by the Free Market Institute and featured Vernon Smith, 2002 recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics, as the keynote speaker. The Mont Pelerin Society is a international classical liberal economic policy think tank that advocates free market ideals and freedom of expression. The society was founded in 1947 by F.A. Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Ludwig von Mises, among others. The Free Market Institute aims to advance teaching and research related to free enterprise. The Remnant Trust and the Free Market Institute regularly work together to provide exhibits at events.

Current Events and Displays

Upcoming Events and Displays

Check us out via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Alexander Root (right), Unit Coordinator for The Remnant Trust, discussing some of the collection’s works with attendees of the Mont Pelerin Society Regional Meeting in Dallas, Texas on May 20th, 2019.

Box 41041 | Lubbock, Texas 79409-1041 T 241021 B00155 200 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED


Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496










Fall 2019

Volume 3, Issue 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496










Fall 2019

Volume 3, Issue 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496












Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496










Box 41041 | Lubbock, Texas 79409-1041

T 241021 B00155 200

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED


Box 41041 Lubbock, TX 49709-1041

Phone: (806) 742-0375 Fax: (806) 742-0496


Museum of Texas Tech University Fall 2019—Spring 2020

Texas Tech University Law Library March 2020

Ellen Noel Art Museum December—February 2020

Ball State University January—May 2020

Jackson State University January—May 2020

First Friday Art Trail at Urban Tech March 6, 2020 April 3, 2020 May 1, 2020

Ball State University Fall 2020

West Texas A&M University Fall 2020

Trine University Fall 2020

The Remnant Trust Welcomes New Student Intern: Kennedy McLeod

Kennedy McLeod is an intern for The Remnant Trust and a senior at Texas Tech University. Majoring in English, Kennedy’s field of study focusses on literature and language. As a lifelong bibliophile, Kennedy has always taken an interest in rare books and has a particular interest in book history and nineteenth century literature. During her internship with The Remnant Trust, Kennedy looks forward to enriching her knowledge and understanding of literary history though The Remnant Trust’s rare book collection. The Remnant Trust, with the help of The Remnant Trust campus advisory committee member and Texas Tech English professor Marta Kvande, is partnering with the Literature, Creative Writing, and Linguistics (LCWL)

program in the Department of English at Texas Tech University for a new internship program for the Spring 2020 semester. From the internship agreement, the goal of this new internship program is for students to contribute their skills in ways that benefit the local and campus community.




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the remnant trust s student scholar: moamen … · verb illuminare meaning “to light up,” which...

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