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

Merton College MS. 228

Former shelfmark: N. 1. 2

RASIS; S. XIV1

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1–51)
RASIS, Diuisiones (transl. GERARD OF CREMONA)
Rubric: Liber diuisionum translatus a Magistro G. Cremonensi urbis Abubegi filii Çacarie insuper antidotarium et quidam tractatus de simplicibus medicinis.
Incipit: Ventilata fuit in presencia cuiusdam probi uiri rememoracio
Explicit: cuffe id est yssopus.
Final rubric: Expliciunt sinonoma et liber diuisionum translatus a magistro Gerardo Cremonensi de arabico in latinum in ciuitate Toleto. Feliciter.

The first leaf was already badly faded by s. xv, and the first half of col. a was rewritten, in an anglicana hand, at that date.

Pr. Milan 1481, fols. 115–61, &c.; eTK 1684E.

2. (fols. 51–64v)
Ps.-GALEN, Medical experiments
Incipit: Dixit Galienus Ignis qui descendit de celo super altare
Explicit: desiderium dulcium uehemencium.

Pr. in his Opera, Venice 1490, I, fols. 177–81v; eTK 0658I. Also in Oxford, Balliol Coll. 285, fols. 198–207, and Cambridge, Pembroke Coll. 11, fols. 49–66v.

3. (fols. 65–162)
RASIS, Liber Almansoris (transl. GERARD OF CREMONA)
Rubric: Incipit liber Albubezi Rasis filii Zacharie translatus a magistro Gerardo Cremonensi de arabico in latinum in Tholeto qui ab eo uocatur Almassor eo quod regis Almassoris Ysaac filii precepto editus est uerba Albubezi.
Incipit: In hoc meo libro
(fols. 65–7)

capitula

Incipit: Creator omnium Deus ossa condidit ut per ea corpus substentaretur
Explicit: gracie sint infinite et care.
Final rubric: Finito libro referimus gratias Christo amen amen.

Towards the end extensive passages of gloss are written in the margin by the main scribe, ruled for ad hoc.

Pr. Venice 1479 &c.; eTK 0679C, 0272I.

(fol. 162v)

A number of prescriptions, much rubbed, are written in a neat bookhand little later than the main text.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: -sio in
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 166 leaves of parchment prepared in the Italian manner (ii + 164)
Dimensions (leaf): 285 × 180 mm.
Dimensions (written): 205 × 130 mm.
The edges retrimmed, affecting marginalia, and spattered with red.

Collation

1–198, 2010; framed catchwords; red leaf-numbering.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 2 cols of 51 lines. The lower margins of fols. 12–13, 83, 86 have been excised.

Hand(s)

Expert Italian gothic rotunda bookhands.

Decoration

Orange and white initials with simple floral ornament, on square blue grounds, in Italian style; red or blue initials highlighted in the other colour; red or blue paraphs.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on five bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i-ii, 163–4 are paper blanks.

History

Origin: S. XIV1 ; Italy, Padua (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

Made in ?Padua.

At the foot of f. 60, in a small early hand, is ‘.M. Randulfi pro p(rim)o qua(terno) diuisionum’. In the outer margin of f. 1 is an erasure, and ‘tradatur cum rosa m(?)’.

In the lower margin, partly over erasure (of which only ‘Liber de at’ can be read), ‘Liber Willelmi Balydene ex empcione’. William Balynden (BRUO 101) was fellow of Merton in 1374, until 1379. Rust-marks near the foot of f. 162v may just possibly be from the large iron chain-staple. Doubtless given by Balynden, certainly at the College by 1556: UO65. 407.

Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with titles, s. xvii, and ‘P. 2. 11. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘N. 1. 2 (CCXVIII)’ in red; the College bookplate. ‘11’ is inked on the foredge.

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, p. 89; Powicke, no. 1233; Alexander & Temple, no. 906.

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Last Substantive Revision

2019-08-30: First online publication

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