Merton College MS. 324

Former shelfmark: O. 1. 2

MEDICA; S. XV

Language(s): Latin

On f. ii are medical recipes in hands of s. xv and xvi; f. ii^v blank. On f. iii^v is a title ‘Liber Marbodi de lapidibus’, s. xvii in.

1. (fol. 1rv)

Sententiae from Galen, Plato &c.

Incipit: Sobrietas memoriam seruat

Explicit: cetera omnia metallicis rebus constant.

Followed by short notes fols. 1v-2: ‘Audi letando quid dicam uersificando ... si credis quod tenet usus’ (‘Versus de actibus et quantitate ponderum medicinalium’; WIC 1699, citing two German MSS); ‘De ponderibus et mensuris. Siclus et stater et denarius unum et idem sunt ...’ (TKI 1479, citing only CCCC 481 [s. xiii], pp. 668-72); ‘De complexionibus humani corporis. Largus amans hilaris ridens rubeique coloris ... Humida geminus libra et aquarius feruet cancer aquatica scorpio piscis’ (‘De IV temperamentis’; WIC 10131, common in script and print).

2. (fols. 2-95)

ASCLEPIUS, Speculum Medicorum

Incipit: (ff. 2-3) Capitula

Rubric: Incipit prologus Asclepii quod dicitur speculum medicorum.

Incipit: Ne tibi displiceat quod sic sum corpore paruus

Incipit: Quia de egritudinibus singularum parcium corporis tractaturi sumus

Explicit: ubi uiuorum non timetur lesio.

TKI 907, 1215.

3. (fols. 95-7v)

Ps.-CLEOPATRA, Gynaecia

Incipit: Incipiunt capitula

(Interrupted by the capitula of art. 5)

Incipit: Humerose matricis signa sunt hec

Explicit: et in lintheo inductum in positione. Explicit.

Final rubric: et in lintheo inductum in positione. Explicit

Pr. Basel 1566, Strassburg 1597; A. Beccaria, I Codici di Medicina del Periodo Presalernitano (Rome, 1956), p. 411; TKI 645. The same dislocation occurs in the probable exemplar, Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219.

4. (fols. 97v-9)

WALTER AGILON, De Retentione Menstruorum

Rubric: Magister Walterus Agul’ de retencione menstruorum.

Incipit: Regula. Vrina alba in colore tenuis in substantia

Explicit: in uino in quo dissoluatur.

TKI 1346, untitled, unattributed, and citing only one (German) copy.

5. (fols. 95rv, 99-114)

‘TROTULA’, De Morbis Mulierum

Incipit: Incipit prologus in librum Trotule de infirmitatibus mulierum et earum curis. Desideranti O filia karissima

Incipit: Incipiunt capitula in librum Trotule de egritudinibus mulierum

Incipit: (f. 99) Incipit prologus in librum Trocule de morbis mulierum et curis. Cum autor uniuersitatis Deus in prima mundi origine

Explicit: sanguine draconis aluminis grana uue an⟨tiqu⟩a.

Often printed; TKI 284: M. H. Green, ‘The development of the Trotula’, Revue d’histoire des textes 26 (1996), 119-203; idem, ‘A handlist of the Latin and vernacular manuscripts of the so-called Trotula’, Scriptorium 50 (1996), 137-75, this copy at p. 162 (no. 79).

6. (fols. 114-18v)

CONSTANTINE THE AFRICAN, De Coitu

Incipit: Incipiunt capitula in librum magistri Alexandri

Incipit: Incipit liber Alexandri de coitu et eius effectu. Creator uolens omne genus firmiter ac stabiliter

Explicit: et statim eam habebis.

Ed. E. Montero Cartelle (Monografías de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela 77: Santiago de Compostela, 1983); TKI 273.

7. (fols. 118v-21v)

De Phlebotomia

Incipit: Incipiunt capitula in librum fleubothomie ...

Incipit: Sanguis alius est naturalis alius non naturalis

Explicit: et raro utiles fiunt.

TKI 1374, only this copy and its exemplar, Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219.

8. (fols. 121v-4v)

WALTER AGILON, De Vrinis

Incipit: Incipiunt capitula magistri Walteri Agulini de urinis

Begins in tabular form, ‘Vrina calida intensa color rubeus ut crocus orientalis ... habet ypostasim in fundo

TKI 1607, this copy only.

9. (fols. 124v-9v)

RICHARD THE ENGLISHMAN, Regulae de Vrinis (Micrologus, part II)

Rubric: Incipiunt capitula in librum M. R. Salern. de urinis et febribus ...

Incipit: Incipit liber Magistri Ricardi Salernie medici de hiis que sunt consideranda in omnibus urinis. Qui cupit urinas meas[sic] per compendia scire

Explicit: haberi posse ut credo cognicionem.

Final rubric: Explicit urinarum doctrina secundum Ricardum.

The complete work ed. K. Sudhoff, Archiv für die Geschichte der Medizin 19 (1927), 209-39; TKI 1205; Sharpe, Handlist, p. 472.

10. (fols. 129v-30v)

ALEXANDER, De Vrinis

Rubric: Incipit liber de urinis secundum Magistrum Alexandrum.

Incipit: Igitur a multis philosophorum describitur quod per urinas egritudinis iudicari possint

Explicit: habent quedam liuida.

TKI 656, citing only the exemplar of this copy, Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219.

11. (fol. 130v)

Ps.-HIPPOCRATES, Epistola ad Maecenatum

Rubric: Incipit liber Ypocratis de complexionibus urinis morbis et medicinis et de sanitate conseruanda regi Mecenati missus.

Incipit: Libellum quem rogasti mihi

Explicit: ut possit frigus caloremque sustinere.

Ed. Corpus Medicorum Latinorum 5 (2 vols, Berlin, 2^nd edn., 1968), pp. 26-32; TKI 817; HL, pp. 150-2, not this copy.

12. (fols. 130v-3)

HIPPOCRATES, Experimenta

Rubric: Incipit liber Ypocratis.

Incipit: Sicut sunt quatuor tempora anni

Explicit: In mense Februarii lauri baccas siccas coct’ et omnia ut supra.

TKI 1498; HL, p. 165, not this copy. The work may end on f. 132v with ‘et adde mellis dissprimat xv. libris.’ Then ‘Item medicamenta ad sanitatem conseruanda’ followed by two columns of prose and verse, ‘Si uis ut homo per totum annum sanus et hilaris fiat’ and ‘Si uis incolumis si uis te uiuere sanum’ (TKI 1471). Then ‘Item ad sanitatem conseruandam. Pono que utenda est per singulos menses exponimus atque ordinamus qualiter per unumquemque mensem et tempus ...’.

13. (fol. 133)

HIPPOCRATES, Ad Sanitatem Conseruandam

Rubric: Item ypocratis ad sanitatem conseruandam.

Incipit: Mense Marcii dulce ieiunus bibe et dulce comede

Explicit: seu omnibus guttis libaberis.

cf. TKI 868; HL, p. 165, treats this as part of art. 12, but gives variants of this incipit at pp. 125-8, as De Cibis, or Calendarium Dieteticum.

14. (fols. 133–5)

HIPPOCRATES, De Vrinis

Rubric: Incipit liber Ypocratis de Vrinis.

Incipit: Corpus humanum patitur cotidie duo detrimenta

Explicit: et molestantur in hieme.

Unpr.; TKI 269, HL, p. 230, both citing only Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219, the exemplar of this copy.

14. (fols. 135-7)

De Pulsibus

Rubric: Incipit prologus in librum de pulsibus.

Incipit: Qua te deuocione teneam mi Iohannes

Incipit: Ad recognoscendum nature humane statum

Explicit: facit in extensione. Explicit

TKI 1155, this copy only.

15. (fols. 137-8v)

?COPHO, De Febribus

Rubric: Incipiunt experimenta Cophonis de febribus.

Incipit: Quoniam humanum corpus ex quatuor humoribus constituitur

Explicit: in potu semper accipiant.

Ed. P. Capparoni (Rome, 1928), as Alfanus, De Quattuor Humoribus; TKI 1277.

16. (fols. 138v-42v)

Experimenta Parui Alberti de Febribus

Rubric: Incipiunt experimenta Parisii abbatis de febribus.

Incipit: Sciendum est quod ex nimia ciborum comestione

Explicit: accipiat probatum est.

Unpr.; TKI 1393. Thorndike in Jnl. of the Hist. of Medicine 8 (1953), 263-83, at p. 275 n. 88.

17. (fols. 142v-3v)

Secretissimum Regis Cateni Persarum de Virtute Aquilae, transl. WILLIAM THE ENGLISHMAN

Rubric: Liber de uirtute aquile. Secretissimum regis Cateni Persarum de uirtute aquile.

Incipit: Est enim aquila rex omnium auium

Explicit: si ut peperit tolle pennam.

Final rubric: Explicit iste tractatus a magistro Willelmo Anglico a lingua Arabica in Latinum translatus.

Unpr.; TKI 508; Sharpe,Handlist, p. 767. One of two copies, the other, Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219, f. 142rv, the exemplar of this one.

18. (fols. 143v-5)

ASCLEPIUS, De Animalibus

Rubric: Incipit liber de uirtutibus bestiarum.

Incipit: Regi Egipciorum Octouiano Augusto salutem. Pluribus exemplis tuam prudentiam cognoui

Explicit: in mane lotum optime clarificat.

Pr. Basel 1541; TKI 1343.

19. (fols. 145-51v)

Quaestiones Naturales

Rubric: Incipiunt questiones naturales arti phisice competentes.

Incipit: Omnia corpora ex quatuor elementis composita habent quatuor qualitates

Explicit: non dari podagrizantibus.

TKI 989, citing only this copy and its exemplar, Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219.

20. (fols. 151v-3)

RICHARD THE ENGLISHMAN, Anatomia (Micrologus, part III), extr

Rubric: Liber anathomie.

Incipit: Hic bene quadrifera distinguitur anathomia

Incipit: Constituencia corporis humani tria sunt ..

Final rubric: arbitrari sumus.

The complete work ed. K. Sudhoff, Archiv für die Geschichte der Medizin 19 (1927), 209-39; TKI 614, 258; Sharpe, Handlist, pp. 468-70. On the identity of the author, ibid., pp. 468, 519.

21. (fols. 153-5)

RICARDUS SALERNITANUS, Libellus de Vrinis et Febribus

Rubric: Incipit pars quedam libri magistri Ricardi Salernitane de anathomia.

Incipit: Quedam uene grosse que miro natura siathicam

Explicit: ex quibus omnibus frigidiores esse monstrantur. Explicit.

Unpr.; TKI 1247, one of three copies, all English. One of them, Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219, fols. 117-22v, is the exemplar of this one.

22. (fols. 155-81v)

GERARD OF CREMONA, Summa de Modo Medendi

Incipit: Incipiunt capitula in summam magistri Geraldi

Incipit: Cum omnis scientia ex fine et utilitate sua naturaliter sint appetenda

Explicit: et hec de laxatiuis sufficiant.

Final rubric: Explicit summa magistri Geraldi.

Unpr.; TKI 327.

23. (fols. 181v-8v)

De Virtute Simplicium Medicinarum

Rubric: Incipit prologus in librum de uirtute simplicis medicine.

Incipit: Cogitanti mihi de simplicium medicamentarum uirtutibus uariis

capitula

Incipit: Perfecte igitur temperate dicuntur illa

Explicit: non modicam prestare utilitatem.

Final rubric: Explicit liber de uirtute simplicis medicine magistri Geraldi medici.

Pr. with Isaac Iudaeus, Opera, Lyon 1515, II, fols. 186v-9v; TKI 229, 1034, variously ascribed.

24. (fols. 188v-92v)

Practica Equorum

Rubric: Incipit liber de practica equorum et aliorum animalium et auium.

Incipit: Quoniam humana iocunditas in equorum incolumitate plurimum delectatur

Explicit: (ends impf.) per mortem morietur uermis.

TKI 1277, citing only Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219, the exemplar of this one.

25. (fols. 193-220v)

MACER FLORIDUS (ODO OF MEUNG), De Viribus Herbarum

Capitula f. 193rv

Incipit: Herbarum quasdam dicturus carmine uates

Explicit: Fit cataplasma ualeas membris quibus lesiuit ignis.

Ed. L. Choulant (Leipzig, 1832), pp. 28-123; TKI 610.

26. (fols. 220v-9v)

MARBOD, De Lapidibus

Rubric: Incipit de generibus lapidum et nominibus et eorum uirtutibus.

Incipit: Euax rex Arabum legitur scripsisse Neroni

Explicit: Cui si non aliis placeant hec scripta Brunonis.

Final rubric: Explicit liber Marbodi de lapidibus habens uersus septingentos xxx.

PL 171. 1737-70; TKI 530; WIC 5968.

27. (fols. 229v-34; 234v-5, 236rv blank)

Recipes

27.1. (fols. 229v-30)

On the extraction of medicinal waters from flowers

Incipit: Ad dissoluendum fleumaticos humores circa spiritualia. Extrahatur aqua de floribus ysopi lenistici

Explicit: De discrasia scamosa. Extrahatur aqua de floribus uiolarum uel maluarum ...

TKI 36, 546, this copy only.

27.2. (fol. 230rv)

Incipit: Interpretaciones quorundam uerborum. Cephalica id est capitis dolor. Emeroyda

Explicit: et a. r. s. m. p. o. &c.

Cf. TKI 200.

27.3. (fols. 231-4)

Incipit: De uermiculo. Si uis facere uermiculum accipe ampullam uitream et lima foris luto

Beg. as Mappae Clavicula: TKI 1470; recipes for making colours, titles and incipits listed by L. Thorndike, ‘Some medieval texts on colours’, Ambix 7 (1959), 1-24, at pp. 6-7; M. Clarke, The Art of All Colours (London, 2001), no. 2740.

For arts 2-24 at least this is said to be a direct copy of Bodl. Libr., e Mus. 219 (Green, pp. 160-1, no. 73), written in England, s. xiii ex. The Bodl. MS begins impf., so might originally have contained art. 1 as well. After art. 23 it has three more arts not now in this one.

Physical Description

Secundo Folio: est talento maius

Form: codex

Support: Paper

Extent: 239 leaves of paper (iii + 236)

Dimensions (leaf): 310 × 215 mm.

Dimensions (written): 235 × 160 mm.

The edges heavily retrimmed with loss of marginalia. Water-mark bull-and-star.

Foliation: Contemporary foliation in arabic numerals, repeating 44 and omitting 219.

Collation

A bifolium, 1-19¹², 20¹²(8-12 canc.); catchwords and leaf-numbers, often cropped.

Layout

Frame-ruled with crayon; written in c. 46 long lines.

Hand(s)

A single scribe, writing proficient Low Countries hybrida.

Decoration

Red initials, paraphs and highlighting (including the punctuation).

Binding

s. xviii, marbled sides backed with calf, sewn on five bands. Fols. i and 236 are blank paper binding leaves. On fols. ii and 235 are the marks of five bosses. Parchment place-markers, cut mainly from a single MS, s. xiv, in a French cursive hand, project from the foredge.

History

Origin: S. XV ; Script of Low Countries appearance.

Provenance and Acquisition

At the head of f. 235v is ‘Iste est liber fratris Iohannis Hatfeld’, s. xv, and ‘Jhon Emes’, s. xvi, the second repeated on f. iii. At the head of f. ii is an erased inscription, ‘Liber fratris Willelmi ?Giffard’, and ‘MS. 2256’. On f. iii is ‘Liber fratris Thome Emery de Gadesddene’, smudged. In the margin of f. 123v is ‘Nota bene quod Bryg’’. Hatfield (BRUO 885) was monk of St Albans, scholar at Gloucester College in 1454 and 1456, prior of Belvoir until at least 1480.

At the foot of f. 1 is ‘L. Coll. Merton ex dono Car. King Art. Mag. et Coll. ejusdem Socii.’ Charles King was fellow of Merton 1684-1715.

Inside the front board is ‘Q. 1. 17’, canc. and replaced with ‘O. 1. 2 (CCCXXIV)’ 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.

Bibliography

Coxe, pp. 128-9; Powicke, no. 1261.

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

2018-08-01: First online publication

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