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

Merton College MS. 255

Former shelfmark: C. 2. 6

ARTICELLA, CONSTANTINE THE AFRICAN; S. XIII1

Contents

Language(s): Latin

f. iii blank; on the verso is a table of contents, s. xv.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: suos actus
Two originally separate volumes, probably together early.
Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Extent: 96 leaves (iii + 93)
Dimensions (leaf): 230 × 160 mm.
The edges retrimmed affecting marginalia and spattered with red.

Collation

A singleton, 1–212, 312(8 canc.,+ 1 after 11), 4–612 (lacks 9) / 7–88, 94.

Binding

Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on three bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i-ii and 92–3 are paper binding leaves. f. 91, formerly a pastedown in an earlier binding, has the mark of a brass chain-staple at the foot.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

At least partly made in England, and there soon after manufacture, owned by a physician practising in the area of Gloucestershire and Somerset.

On f. iiiv‘Liber domus scolarium de Mertonhalle in Oxonia ex dono M. Willelmi Duffeld nuper socii eiusdem’, s. xv, repeated in a hand of s. xvii. For Duffield, fellow in 1398, no longer in 1422, d. 1453, see MS 91.

‘6’ is inked on the foredge. On f. i is a table of contents, s. xvii, and ‘P. 4. 6. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘C. 2. 6 (CCLV)’ in red. Inside the front board is the College bookplate.

Merton College MS. 253 – Part I (fols. 1–66v)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

1. (fols. 1–10v)
IOHANNITIUS, Isagoge ad Galeni Artem Paruam
Incipit: Medicina diuiditur in duas partes id est in theoricam et practicam
Explicit: boni maliue discretione.

Ed. D. Garcia and J. L. Vidal, Asclepio 26–7 (1974–5), 267–382; eTK 0856F, 1352I.

2. (fols. 10v-36v)
GALEN, Tegni
Incipit: Tres sunt omnes doctrine
Explicit: de propriis conscriptionibus.

Pr. as part of the Articella, Venice 1487.

eTK 1585I
3. (fols. 37–48)
HIPPOCRATES, Aphorismi,

transl. CONSTANTINE THE AFRICAN

Incipit: Vita breuis ars uero longa
Explicit: fames enim siccat corpora.
Final rubric: Finitur liber.

Pr. in Galen’s Opera, III, Venice 1528; eTK 1704G, ; this copy Hippocrates Latinus 56.

4. (fols. 48–55)
HIPPOCRATES, Prognostica,

transl. CONSTANTINE THE AFRICAN or GERARD OF CREMONA

Incipit: Omnis qui medicine artis studio
Explicit: exposite ordine preceptorum.

Pr. as part of the Articella, Padua 1476 &c.; eTK 1002B, ; Hippocrates Latinus 210.

5. (fols. 55–7v)
PHILARETUS, De Pulsibus
Incipit: Intentionem habemus in presenti conscriptione
Explicit: et hoc nobis ad presentia.

Pr. Venice 1483 &c..

eTK 0764K
6. (fols. 57v-66v)
THEOPHILUS, De Vrinis
Incipit: De urinarum differencia negotium multi ueterum medicorum
Explicit: cassa et lucida.

Pr. as part of the Articella, Padua 1476 &c.; eTK 0393L.

Heavily glossed in a tiny early note-hand similar to that found in MS 219.

(fols. 67–71v)

Medical notes in the same hand, and prescriptions, and records of payments, mostly in pencil, sometimes in French, with names of persons and places: Adam garcio, Walterus clericus, Walterus paruus, Willelmus garcio, Iohannes de Tirnleyn, Petrus de Bristoll, apud Duneford (Doniford, Som.), apud Cirencestr’ (Cirencester, Glo.), Iohannes de Welwe (Wellow, Som.), the abbot of Malmesbury, Ricardus de Schrewham, Walterus de Sthrincham (?Strensham, Worcs.), the abbot of Kingeswd (Kingswood, Glo.), Petrus de Asserigge (Ashridge., Bucks.), Rogerus Lillebon, Rogerus de Bampton (Bampton, Oxon.), Iohannes Hynne scripcit litteram, Walterus de Witchartte. On f. 71 is a pencilled draft letter on behalf of Master Thomas de Bonauilla rector of Doniford addressed to R. bishop of Exeter (Richard Blund, 1245–57) and R(ichard) earl of Cornwall, confirming that the rector has been unable to perform his duties due to illness.

Language(s): Latin and Anglo-Norman

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Dimensions (written): 150 × 75 mm.

Layout

Ruled with pencil in 2 cols of 30 lines.

Hand(s)

A proficient English early gothic bookhand.

Decoration

Red or blue initials flourished in the other colour; works open with a line of large ornamental script in the colours; red or blue paraphs; red line-fillers.

History

Origin: S. XIII1 ; script of English appearance.

Merton College MS. 253 – Part II (fols. 72r-91v)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

7. (fols. 72–86v)
CONSTANTINE THE AFRICAN, Viaticum
Incipit: Reuerentissimo domino Salernitane ecclesie archipresuli A ...; Vestre sanctitatis altitudini
Incipit: Oportet intelligere quod prima accio nature
Explicit: (ends impf. in ‘De dietis stomacho inconuenientibus’) omnia indigestibilia

pr. Venice 1505 &c.; eTK 0187D, 0334L, 1298F, 1357C.

Medical notes on f. 87rv, s. xiii, some at least by the annotator of I; 88–91v blank.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Parchment
Dimensions (written): 170 × 90 mm.

Layout

Ruled with crayon in 38 long lines.

Hand(s)

A proficient early gothic bookhand, perhaps French.

Decoration

Red and blue initials flourished in the colours and yellow; red or blue initials plain or with a little ornament in the other colour.

History

Origin: S. XIII1 ; script of possibly French appearance

Additional Information

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. 101; Powicke, no. 931.

Funding of Cataloguing

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

Last Substantive Revision

2019-10-01: First online publication

See the Availability section of this record for information on viewing the item in a reading room.