Merton College MS. 259
Former shelfmark: C. 2. 10
ASTRONOMICA ; c. 1200
Contents
Language(s): Latin
f. 1 is occupied by an astronomical table and canon with AD dates to 1302, and an ?explanatory note of about that date, much obliterated, beg. ‘Qui res… annos Arabum ex annis Latinorum ...’. On f. 1v are two tables of contents, one of s. xiii, the other, partly mutil., in the same hand as Reed’s ex libris and ex dono (see below). They include items now missing after art. 6: ‘Liber introductorius Zahel’ (as MS 281 art. 8) and ‘Liber Alkyndi de introducto et iudiciis’ (eTK 0224G, 1162H), and from the end ‘Liber Albumasar in reuolucione annorum mundi’ (cf. eTK 0347K, 0447L, 0984A, 1408E, 1410B).
Physical Description
Collation
Hand(s)
Small, neat English early gothic bookhands of scholastic type, that of I perhaps somewhat later than those of II, which are very homogeneous. Later additions and marginal notes in bookhand and early anglicana.
Binding
Standard Merton s. xvii, sewn on four bands; formerly chained from the usual position. Fols. i-ii, 100–1 are paper binding leaves, the outermost from the same printed book as in MS 68. At the foredge of f. 1 is the mark of single strap, near the foot the mark of the large iron chain-staple. Although f. 1 is covered with text, it was used as a pastedown in an earlier binding. ‘10’ is inked on the foredge.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
At the head of f. 2 is an early press-mark ‘h vo’.
On f. 1v are inscriptions, the first two in the hand of Walter Roberti: over erasure, ‘Liber M. Willelmi Reed’ archidiaconi Roffensis ex dono reuerendi domini sui M. Nicholai de Sandwyco. Oretis igitur pro utroque’; ‘Liber ⟨aule de Exon⟩ [mutil. and obliterated with ink] in communi libraria eiusdem aule et ad usum communem sociorum ibidem studencium cathenandus. Ex dono uenerabilis patris domini Willelmi episcopi Cicestrie. Oretis igitur pro eodem et benefactoribus eiusdem ac fidelium animabus a purgatorio liberandis’; two words, obliterated with ink, the first perhaps ‘Volumen’. Not in the list of Reed’s books given to Exeter College in 1374 (UO34). For William Reed, fellow from 1344, still in 1357, d. 1385, see MS 8.
Inside the front board is a sheet of paper with contents, s. xvii, and ‘P. 4. 10. Art:’, canc. and replaced with ‘C. 2. 10 (CCLIX)’ in red; the College bookplate.
Merton College MS. 259 – Part I (fols. 2–41v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Ed. F. S. Pedersen, The Toledan Tables (4 vols, Copenhagen, 2002).
Large astronomical diagrams (Venus and Mercury models; wheel for signs; astrolabes).
Physical Description
Decoration
Large astronomical diagrams, fols. 40–1v.
History
Provenance
Made in England.
Merton College MS. 259 – Part II (fols. 42–99v)
Contents
Language(s): Latin
transl. JOHN OF SEVILLE
Ed. J. Millás Vallicrosa, Las traducciones orientales en los manuscritos de la Biblioteca Catedral de Toledo (Madrid, 1942), pp. 261–84; Carmody, pp. 142–3; eTK 1118J; Diaz 978.
From f. 53v line 19 this is completed in later, less formal hands, which make additions in 2 cols fols. 54–5v: rules for eclipses and for ascendant: ‘Cum uolueris sumere motum lune in una hora’, on 55v an undated horoscope diagram.
transl. JOHN OF SEVILLE
Ed. C. S. Burnett, K. Yamamoto and M. Yano (London, 2004), noting that this text is very close to that in Bodl. Libr., MS Bodl. 430; Carmody 144–9; eTK 1078D, 1090I; Diaz 977.
Followed by a table of ‘termini Ptolomei’.
f. 67 is filled, in a slightly later hand, with canons for planetary longitudes: ‘⟨A⟩d uerum motum solis inueniendum ... ne autem ubique repetatur semel dictum sufficiat.
transl. JOHN OF SEVILLE
Ed. F. J. Carmody (Berkeley, Cal., 1943); Carmody 113–14; eTK 0429E, not this copy.
Pr. Venice 1547; Carmody 161.
eTK 1408IIn the lower margin of f. 76, a later hand has written examples for AD 1242, and ‘Incipiunt lectiones tabularum s. Arzachel. In nomine Domini scito quod annus lunaris sit ex ccc et liiii. diebus ... ex 30. diebus. Cum uolueris scire’, the beginning of Canons (Pedersen’s version Ca).
Ed. Millás Vallicrosa, Las traducciones, pp. 316–21; Carmody 170.
eTK 0156Itransl. JOHN OF SEVILLE
Pr. Venice 1488, &c.; Carmody, pp. 92–4.
eTK 1013KUnpr..
eTK 0396ANot in eTK.
Physical Description
Layout
Ruled with crayon in 45 long lines.
Decoration
The works open with handsome red and blue arabesque initials; otherwise red or blue initials, sometimes with a little ornament or flourishing in the other colour. The ornament is suggestive of the west midlands, and of Worcester in particular. Frequent astronomical diagrams in red or ink of text, sometimes omitted.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
For enquiries relating to this manuscript please contact Merton College Library.
Bibliography
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
2019-10-01: First online publication