Astronomical miscellany

Astronomical miscellany. Written in a tiny, heavily abbreviated gothic script in two columns, 56 lines to a page. Large ornamental initial C in red and blue, with marginal decorations on fol. 1, other initials in alternate blue and red, paragraph marks and headings in red. On fol. 19v is a small pen-drawn horoscopic figure. In the upper margin of the first leaf is written 'Messahalach'. Cuttings from book-sellers' catalogues relating to Albumasar's works have been pasted inside both covers.

Contents

1. ff. 1r-v Dorotheus, De occultis

f. 1r Cum aliquis occulatvent tibi anulum ... Dixit dorotheus. Si interrogatus fueris de thesaurio ... f. 1v ... docti erant.

2. ff. 1v-5v Messahala, De revolutionibus annorum mundi

f. 1v Custodiat te deus et augeat ... f. 5v ... finit liber Messahallah. Revolutionis annorum mundi de dictione illius. In nomine domini ... misericordis.

3. ff. 5v-11v Albumasar, De floribus

f. 5v Hic est liber quem collegit albumasar de floribus ... f. 11v ... septentrionalis significat.

4. ff. 11v-21r Albumasar, Liber experimentorum

f. 11v In nomine dei misericordis et pii. Tractatus in revolutione annorum mundi dixit Albumasar. Scito horam introitus solis ... f. 21r ... deus voluerit. Incipit [sic] liber albumasar experimentorum ... et pii.

5. ff. 21r-26v Albumasar, De revolutione annorum et de revolutione nativitatum

f. 21r De revolutione nativitatum exerpte. Omne tempus breve est operandi ... f. 26v ... eiusdem abimasar et cetera.

Late 14th Century

1 volume 26 ff. + ii. 4to. 21 x 15 1/2 cm. On vellum: 18th cent. crimson velvet binding over the original boards. Margins cropped, and the first leaf slightly rubbed.

Purchased at Sotheby's (Hendriks Sale) 11/11/1909, Lot 182.

The titles of the works of Albumasar, as given above, are based on Thorndike's Catalogue of Incipits and History of Magic and Experimental Science, Vol. 1, pp. 649-651.

Catalogue description modified in 2014. For original description, see S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

This material has been digitised and can be freely accessed online through Wellcome Collection catalogue.

Large Ex-libris of 'Frederick Hendriks. FSS., F.L.A., Knight of Vasa, 1893'.