Ms.
Title taken from clipping from sale catalog attached to pastedown of upper cover. Original title missing; the first line on leaf 1a, "Statuta et ordines in quibus eris dubius," could be mistaken for title but more likely it was the last line of a lost chapter; the first preserved chapter begins "Praeterea ..." (foliation, found only on leaves 1-4, is in modern pencil).
Judging from similar Venetian documents, the lost first leaf is likely to have included the name of the doge of the period, as the issuing authority; in this case, Alvise Mocenigo I.
In central medallion on upper cover of original binding: Ioannis Suriano.
The instructions which address the recipient in 2nd person singular are in Latin, with extensive quotations of Venetian laws and regulations in the Venetian dialect of Italian. Leaves [52a-106a] are entirely in vernacular; they contain chronologically arranged decisions, dated 1534-1568, of the Venetian Republic.
Preserved are 117 (unnumbered) chapters. On leaf [106]a, in the ducal secretary's hand: Dattu[m] in n[ost]ro ducalj palatio die xxviij Aprilis ... MDLXXI. Signed: Aloy[sius] Zamb[ertus], Secre[tarius]. On [106]b, information concerning the recipient's compensation and reporting duties, signed by Agustino Spinelli.
Accessioned in LC Feb. 22, 1943 (LL 6428B5).
Written in Venice, all by one professional scribe, on parchment of good quality, in humanistic italics; first letter or word of each chapter in humanistic roman majuscule, red; captions in red. Contemporary red morocco binding, covers tooled in gilt.
LC label on pastedown of upper cover carries an old shelfmark: Law office, Mss, .V48.