Merton College MS. 224

Former shelfmark: N. 3. 7

AVICENNA ; S. XIII

Language(s): Latin

(fols. 1–367v)

AVICENNA, Canon Medicinae (transl. GERARD OF CREMONA)

Rubric: Incipit liber canonis primus quem princeps Abohali Auicenne de medicina edidit uerba Abohali Abuiseni.

Incipit: In primis Deo gratias agemus sicut sui ordinis celsitudo

(capitula)

Incipit: Dico quod medicamina est scientia qua humani corporis dispositiones noscuntur

Explicit: coluri duo sunt est ui. oboli. uni. sunt kerates xxiiii.

Final rubric: Completus est liber quintus libri canonis qui est antidotarium senis regis Alohali Hasen filii Hali Abuicenni et eius complemento completus est liber totus confectio trociscorum de cacabe de libro Aneti filii Ysac et sic completus est liber totus Abuicenni de medicali scientia.

Books are preceded by capitula and made to begin new quires. On fols. 119–20v the capitula to bk. 3 were added slightly later, and the decoration omitted. f. 267v (at the end of bk. 3) is blank. There are no capitula to bk. 5.

Pr. Strassburg, before 1473 &c. (GW 3114); eTK 0705F, 0424A.

(f. 367v)

Seven recipes

Incipit: Qui abscidunt sanguinem menstruorum et emorroydorum

eTK 1203K

(fols. 368–372v)

Two alphatical indexes in 3 cols.

(fols. 368–71v)

An alphabetical index

Incipit: Alfachi id est medicus

Explicit: Zegi id est atramentum.

eTK 0080A

(fols. 371v-2v)

An alphabetical index

Incipit: Aced genus absinthii colore subalbido

Explicit: Llem id est mercurialis.

eTK 0027D

The same tables follow the Canon in London, St Paul’s Cath. 3 (MMBL 1. 242).

Early marginal annotation in pencil.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: capitulum IX

Secundo Folio: (f. 3) ulla causa

Form: codex

Support: Parchment

Extent: 380 leaves (iv + 376)

Dimensions (leaf): 360 × 250 mm.

Dimensions (written): 280 × 165 mm.

The edges retrimmed and spattered with red.

Collation

1–22¹², 23⁴(4 canc.), 24–5¹², 26¹⁴(14 canc.), 27–8¹², 29¹⁴(14 canc.), 30–1¹², 32⁸(8 canc.); catchwords.

Layout

Ruled with pencil in 2 cols of 68 lines.

Hand(s)

Several similar small French early gothic bookhands.

Decoration

Red and blue flourished initials with long marginal extensions, in Parisian style; blue or red initials flourished in the other colour; running heads in capitals of the colours, mostly cropped; plain red or blue initials.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, repaired and rebacked, sewn on six bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i-ii, 375–6 are modern paper blanks; fols. iii-iv, 373–4 are binding leaves of s. xvii, the outermost from the same printed book as in MS 68.

History

Origin: S. XIII ; France, Paris (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

Made in France, probably Parisian.

Given by William Reed in 1374 to Exeter College: UO34. 6. For Reed, fellow of Merton from 1344 until at least 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8.

‘7’ is inked on the foredge. Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with a title, s. xvii, and ‘P. 2. 7. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘No. CCXXIV’ and ‘N. 3. 7’ in red; the College bookplate.

Record Sources

R. M. Thomson, A descriptive catalogue of the medieval manuscripts of Merton College, Oxford (Cambridge: D. S. Brewer), 2009.

Availability

For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Merton College Library.

Bibliography

Coxe, pp. 87–8; Powicke, no. 363.

Funding of Cataloguing

Conversion of the printed catalogue to TEI funded by the Warden and Fellows of Merton College .

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2019-08-30: First online publication

A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges