Articella and other tracts

Articella, containing five out of the seven works included in the first printed edition, Padua 1476.

Followed by miscellaneous extracts and notes, many incomplete, on theological subjects, sermons, etc.: including also some prayers and a few verses in English: some glosses in French or Italian.

The Articella is written in Beneventan script in South Italy, the remainder by various English hands.

Preliminary leaves i-iv. Aristoteles. Topica, Book, 3 (part)

Fol. i De misto maximo virtus utilis [?]... Continued on ff. i, iv at end of the volume. Ends:...cum uolupatate omni iuri [?] dixit These leaves are written 26 lines to a page in a late 13th century hand.

v Table of contents M27. // Liber Sancti Edmundi Regis in quo / continentur subscripta / ysagoge Johannitii... End: Liber philareti de pulsibus / Item tractatus multa vtilia complectens / qui incipit Omnis etas hominis vv B.357. // Bernardus de sex alis... End: Extracta de penitentiali romano / Quedam tabula A(1).

Ff. 1-52. Articella, preceded by Glossae. 1 In isto quaderno continentur. M. 27. / tractatus Ysagoge Johannitii/...liber philareti de pulsibus.

A(1) 1. Ff. 1v, 2. Glossae. 1v Quoniam galienus inter copiosam... 2 End:... corpus morbis infestari quibuslibet.

A(1) 2. Ff. 2-14, Johannitius. Isagoge in Tegni Galeni. 3 (red) Incipiunt ysagoge ioannicii ad tenni Galeni Archiatros / Medicina diuiditur in duas partes... 14 line 7 ... boni maliue discre / tio. (red) Explicit liber ysagogarum. incipit liber pronosticorum ypo / cratis.

A(i)3. Ff. 14-23. Hippocrates. Prognostica 14 line 9. Omnes qui desiderant medicine artis studio... 23 line 25 ... ideoque / magis est inuigilandum.

A(i)4. Ff. 23v-38. Hippocrates. Aphorismi. 23v Uita breuis ars uero longa ... 37v last line ... non possit morta / (Fol. 38, line 1) le. (red) Explicit liber aforismorum. Incipit liber urinarum a uoce theo / phili.

A(i)5. Ff. 38-49. Theophilus Protospatharius. De urinis. 38 line 2 [D]E urinarum differentia negotium / ... 49 line 8 ... conuenienter exposuimus. / (red) Explicit liber urinarum. Incipit philareti de pulsibus.

A(1)6. Ff. 49-52v. Philaretus. De pulsibus 49 line 10, Intencionem habemus in presente... 52v last line...et hec nobis sufficit dicenda ad presentiam.

This section is written in 26 lines to a page: ornamental initials (ff. 2v, 14, 23v) in red and blue, others in red added in England in the 15th century: headings in red. Eight leaves are wanting after fol. 52. This is an early MS. of the 'Articella', and lacks the Hippocratic 'De regimine acutorum' and Galen's 'Ars medica' found in the first printed edition of c. 1476 (Gesamtkatalog, 2678). The collection was of Salernitan origin, and the compiler was possibly Constantinus Africanus [1015?-1087]; there are several later 15th century printed versions, containing additional treatises, and an edition was printed at Lyons as late as 1534. As there are 8 leaves wanting after fol. 52, it is possible that they originally contained the two missing works.

A(ii)1. Ff. 53-55, Cantilupe (Walter de). De confessione [etc.]. Fol. 53 col. 1, Begins: Omnis etas hominis ab adolescenti / a sua proocliuis in malum... 55 col. 2, line 52, Ends:... que de constitutionibus sinodi nostri duximus extrahenda.

A(ii)2. Ff. 55-60v, Miscellaneous notes from the Fathers. Written in double-column, 48-59 lines to a column, initials in alternate red and blue: 13th century.

A(iii)1. Ff. 61-69, De Confessione, etc. [Extracts]. 61 Begins: Prima fit inquicicio de fide... 65 line 14, Ends:... et ornatum ecclesiasticum.

A(iii)2. Sermon on Confessions and Penitence 65v line 15, Begins: in sudore uultus tui... 66v line 10, Ends...propria amara frequens.

A(iii)3. Sermon on Penitence. 66v line 10, Begins: Incipit temperamentum penitencie... 68v Ends:... Ceterum si sciens facimus. 69

A(iii)4. Theological notes in two hands. 69v

A(iii)5. Pater noster, etc. in English. Line 1, Pater noster in anglicis uerbis. / Hure fadir pat art in heuene... Line 5,...ut of alle yuele pinge. Aue maria. marie ic grete pe... pe fruyt of pin / Wambe. amen (in margin) Decem precepta / dechalogi in / anglicis. Line 19, Haue o god ye Wurchipe. / Take nout hus name in ydilchipe. (Five couplets: cf. Carleton Brown and Robbins, No. 1129) Written 35 lines to a page: 13th century.

A(iv)1. Ff. 70-72, Incomplete tract on Confession (beginning wanting). 70 (Begins): abhominabiles nude exprimat... 72 Line 5, Ends:... iumenta in stercoribus suis.

A(iv)2. Ff. 72-77, Simbolum (On the Nicene Creed) [Incomplete]. Line 6 (red) HIC INCIPIT CIMBolum. / Quoniam ut ait Augustinus Sacrosancti misterii simbolum... 77v (last line)... subtilitas et splendor.

A(v). Ff. 78-85, Miscellany of 'Distinctiones', etc. Partly tabular in form, beginning with the 'Septem plagae inferni' and their antidotes, a Commentary on 'Te igitur' (fol. 84), and quotations from the Fathers (fol. 85). Written in double-column, 42 lines to a column: 13th century.

A(vi). Ff. 86, 87, Theological notes. 87v (Writing reversed) Copy of a Charter, 1199. A Charter of Liberties in favour of the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul's, London and W[illiam of Sainte-Mère-Église, elected 1199] its Bishop. Printed by M. Jibbs 'Early charters of St. Pauls' (Camden Soc. LVIII, 1939) No. 51 (16 June 1199). 26 lines written in a contemporary current hand.

A(vii). Ff. 88-95v, Willelmus de Montibus. Numerale [Fragment]. Ff. 88, (red) Vnus deus. /DEus unus est... 95v Ends:...plus ab eo exigitur Written in double-column, 44 lines to a column.

A(viii)1. Ff. 96-103, Distinctiones, etc. (incomplete). 96 col. 1. Distinctio de sapientia // Alta profunditas scilicet sapientie... 99 col. 2, line 62,... conficiendo sanamus.

A(viii)2. Sermons for the Common of Saints (incomplete). 99 col. 2, Sermo de apostolis / Estote prudentes sicut serpentes... Fol. 103v col. 2,... sicut mel et fauus / Written in double-column, 73 lines to a column, in small script. 13th century.

A(ix)1. Ff. 104-118. Neckham (Alexander). De utensilibus [Extract]. 104 Qui bene vlt disponere... 118 col. 2, crediderit saluus esse non po/terit. Explicit Written in double-column of varying numbers of lines with inter-linear glosses in French. The commentary is in a very small script, and is partly on parchment slips tied in after ff. 106, 108, 112.

A(ix)2. Ff. 118v-119v, Liber Merarii 118v Merarii nuper scintillanti... 119v ... recepta bractopha / minium. Explicit hoc breue dictamen The text is surrounded by a closely written commentary, beginning: 'Merenda est cominestio': it is continued on an added slip after fol. 118.

B(i). Ff. 120-123, Hermannus Contractus. De astrolabio (Fragments). 120 col. 1, Hermannus cristi pauperum peripsima / ... 120v col. 2, ... versus punctum 122 col. 1, in ipso zodiaco... 121v col. 2, ... horologiorum quorum libet 123 col. 1, porrectus. qui calculando... col. 2, ... cum gradibus partium. 123v Blank. There are two double leaves, not consecutive, which may have been fly-leaves of Volume B before it was bound with A. Written in double-column, 28 lines to a column, 12th century. Compared with the printed version in 'Patrologia Latina' Vol. cxliii, those fragments are found in col. 381-383/1, 386/26-389/13 from foot, 393/12 from foot-394/15 from foot.

B(ii)1. Ff. 124-147, Alanus de Insulis. De sex alis [etc.]. 124 col. 1, (red) De sex alis cherubin. / Prima ala est confessio... 125v col. 2, line 4, ...fruens / Beatitudine. Written in double-column of 47 lines to a column: 13th century. Printed in 'Patrologia Latina'. Vol. ccxi, col. 273-280. This work is called 'Bernardus de sex alis' in the 15th century table on fol. ivv.

B(ii)2. Nomina Patriarcharum. 125v col. 2, line 6, Hec nomina patriarcharum Genealogie secundum / Dauid interpretatur... 126v col. 1, line

B(ii)2. Nomina Patriarcharum. 125v col. 2, line 6, Hec nomina patriarcharum Genealogie secundum / Dauid interpretatur... 126v col. 1, line 18,...christo precelso.

B(ii)3. Hugo de Sancto Victore. On Lamentations (Chapter 1 only). 126v col. 1, line 19, [Q]uomodo sedet sola Ciuitas... 128v col. 1, line 29, ...prauis Reluc/tATUR. Printed in 'Patrologia Latina' clxxv col. 255-264.

B(ii)4. De apparitione Domini. 128v col. 1, line 20, Prima apparitio domini post resurrectionem... col. 2, last line, et sic de aliis.

B(ii)5. Tractatus de Spiritu Sancto (incomplete). 129 col. 1, Iam nunc ascendamus... 133v col. 2, last line...conuenire personis The end is wanting, and a leaf or more is missing after fol. 130.

B(ii)6. Fragment of a sermon. 134 col. 1, et que non grauior mortalibus... 135 col. 1, line 8 ... exercitationemque desiderat. / Explicit.

B(ii)7. De temporali processione. 135 col. 1 line 9, (red) De temporali processione / Quod gemina est processio sancti Spiritus. / Preterea diligenter notandum est... 147v ...precinit martyrium [?]. This section is written partly in tabular form, and is called 'Distinctiones notabiles' in the table on fol. iv.

B(iii)1. Ff. 148-151, Bruno Astensis. De Sacramentis [etc.] (incomplete). Fol. 148 col. 1, (red). Dilectissimo fratri suo Galterio epi/scopo B. sanginensis Episcopus Salutem. / Cum quondam in insula in domo episcopi portuensis / ... 149v col 2, last line,...commenoracio et intellectus. Written in double-column, 49 lines to a column. This extract ends imperfectly at the section on Baptism: it is printed in 'Patrologia Latina' clxv, 1089-1101/25.

B(iii). Ff. 150-151v, Sermons. 150 col. 1, Orietur stella ex iacob... 150v col. 2, line 20, sit bone efficacie. 150v col. 2, line 21, Egredimini filie syon... 151v col. 2, line 31, immo pudebit [?] et cetera.

B(iv). Ff. 152-162, Sermons and jottings (some incomplete). 152, 162 Two leaves of Sermons on Sunday Gospels. Written in double-column, 41 lines to a column; 13th century. These two leaves were apparently used as wrappers for ff. 153-161. 153-161 Sermons, etc. by various hands, some in double-column. 157 (lower half), Disce deum colere nomine que dei reuerere... 10 lines. (Walther, No. 4527). 161v (bottom of page), Deditur usure faciens incendia falsi ... 6 lines. (Walther, No. 4210).

B(v). Ff. 163-165, Miscellaneous incomplete extracts. 163 Sacerdos ante omnia... 163v col. 2, last line,...id accipe a veris [?] ignorantibus c$o / This is entered in the table (fol. ivv) as 'Extracta de penitentiali romano'. Written in very small script in double-column 68 lines to a column: initials in red: 13th century. In the lower margin of the same leaf, below the above are eight lines of English verse, but written as prose, beginning: 'Wit was his nakede brest', and ending: 'urnen stremes of blode' (Carleton Brown and Robbins, No. 4088: 15th century).

B(v)2. Pseudo-Hippocrates. De astrologia medica (beginning wanting). 164 capitis[?] et habebit apostema inferius 164v col. 1,...eam non aspexerit / morietur. Explicit tractatus ypocratis signorum. This work is discussed by Thorndike in 'Janus', Vol. 49, 1960, pp. 105 et seq. 164v, 165v

B(v)3. Tabulae ascensionum, etc. 164v, 165v col. 2, fol. 165v, in the tables the writing is reversed. Unidentified astronomical text. Si autem medium cursum solis et equatorii... ...locum in 9a spera.

i, iv (flyleaves at the end), Continuation of Book 3 of Aristoteles' 'Topica' [cf. Beginning of this entry].

ii, iii Fragment of a Rent-roll (13th/14th century) bound in between fol. i and fol. iv, presumably of Bury St. Edmonds. Elmswell (Suffolk), Hurston (Suffolk), and Halstead (Essex) are mentioned, as well as the names of William Wolewen and Albred de Wyktis.

Produced in South Italy and England.

Bibliography

Burnett, Charles. The Introduction of Arabic Learning into England (The Panizzi Lectures 1996. London: British Library, 1997) p. 25.

Frampton, Michael. Embodiments of Will: Anatomical and Physiological Theories of Voluntary Animal Motion from Greek Antiquity to the Latin Middle Ages, 400 B.C-A.D. 1300 (Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2008), p. 330 n. 41

Frampton, Michael. Voluntary Animal Motion from Greek Antiquity to the Latin Middle Ages, 400 B.C.--A.D. 1300 (Ann Arbor: ProQuest, 2008), p. 508.

Newton, Francis. 'Constantine the African and Monte Cassino: New Elements and the Text of the Isagoge, Constantine the African and 'Ali Ibn Al-'Abbas Al-Magusi: The Pantegni and Related Texts ed. Charles F. Burnett and Danielle Jacquart (Leiden: Brill, 1994), p.30.

Arnaldi de Villanova Opera medica omnia: Commentum supra tractatum Galieni De malicia complexionis diverse. Doctrina Galieni de interioribus ed. et praef. et comment. Anglicis instruxit Richard J. Durling (Barcelona: Edicions Universitat Barcelona, 1985), p. 135 n. 350.

12th century - 14th century

1 volume 2 vols. in 1. Refoliated i-v+165+iv. 4to. 20 x 141/2 cm. On vellum. Fifteenth century white leather binding over wooden boards, brass and leather clasp. Modern gold lettering on spine: 'Liber Edmundi Regis'. A complete foliation in pencil has been added, erroneously duplicating fol. 49. Vol. A ff. 1-119, Vol. B ff. 120-165: these two volumes were probably bound separately until the 15th century. 8 leaves are probably wanting after fol. 52 and a similar number after fol. 130. Ff. 39, 43, 112x, 118x, 122, 142, 164 are damaged with loss of text: ff. i, 1r, 87, 134, 160v are rubbed or stained.

Purchased 1971.

Database description transcribed from 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 MS. comes from the original Library of Bury St. Edmunds Abbey which at one time may have possessed as many as 2,000 volumes (Knowles, Religious Orders in England, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 350). M. R. James has compiled a short history of the Library, and the fate of its MSS. after the Reformation, in On the Abbey of S. Edmund at Bury, 1895, in which short descriptions of the two volumes in this MS. are found on p. 53 (B. 357) and p. 67 (M. 27). The entry for this MS. is based almost entirely upon the excellent description made by Dr. Neil Ker, and the compiler of this Catalogue is grateful to Dr. Ker for his kindness in allowing him to make unrestricted use of this description. For all additions, alterations, errors, and omissions, the compiler is wholly responsible