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

MS. Bodl. 472

Summary Catalogue no.: 2492

Contents

Astronomical and astrological treatises, of which there is a list on fol. xxviiv.

Language(s): Latin

1. (fol. 1)
Ps.-Ptolemy, Centiloquium
Rubric: Centiloquium Ptholomei
Colophon: Perfecta est huius libri translacio tercio die mensis marcij secundo die mensis gumedi secundi anno Arabum. 5302. Scriptus et finitus Louenie per manus Tristrandi anno Domini .1437. sexto die mensis Septembris hora .9. post meridiem

The annus Arabum may be according to the Mundane Era beginning B.C. 4008.

2. (fol. 20)
Johannes de Lineriis, Canones
Rubric: Canones primi mobilis
Incipit: Cuiuslibet arcus propositi suum rectum inuenire
Final rubric: Et finiuntur Cānones octaue spere ordinate per magistrum Iohannem de Liuerijs Anno Domini 1409 In die sancte Dorothee

Followed (at fol. 26) by notes respecting the sun, moon and planets, and eclipses

Incipit: Si in quo gradu signi stella aliqua prenotata sit & quantum distet ab ecliptica linea
3. (fol. 30v-35v)
On the new quadrant
Incipit: Compositurus nouum quadrantem accipe tabulam planam et simiem

A treatise on the construction and use of the quadrant: in middle 'Expliciunt Composicionis quadrantis. Incipiu⟨n⟩t Vtilitates': followed by a note and table.

The text has been attributed to Iohannes Eligerus de Gondersleuen (fl. 1350-1357): see Emmanuel Poulle, 'Le Quadrant nouveau médiéval, II' Journal des savants, 3 (1964) 182-214 (at 211-12, citing the present manuscript).

eTK 0241H, with incorrect attribution to Profatius Judaeus
4a. (fol. 36r-41r)
Cristannus de Prachaticz, Compositio astrolabii
Incipit: Quamuis ⟨de⟩ astrolabii composicione tam modernorum quam veterum dicta habentur pulcherrima
Final rubric: Expliciunt Composiciones astrolabii reuerendi magistri Cristiani de Pragha: Et sequuntur vtilitates astrolabii eiusdem magistri Cristiani etc.
Křišťan z Prachatic: Stavba a užití astrolábu, ed. Petr Hadrava and Alena Hadravová (2001) [online]
4b. (fols. 41r-47v)
Cristannus de Prachaticz, Usus astrolabii
ed. as above

With diagrams: followed at 47v-49r by general astronomical and astrological notes, partly referring to A.D. 1407-8, and including 'Colores stellarum fixarum'.

5. (fol. 49)
Johannes de Sacro Bosco, Tractatus de sphaera
Incipit: Tractatum de spera quatuor capitulis distingwimus
Final rubric: Explicit tractatum spere
Colophon: Et sic est finis huius libri anno Domini 1437 mercurii die ante festum Symoni
6. (fol. 55v)
Albubather, De natiuitatibus
Rubric: Hic incipit liber de Natiuitatibus
Final rubric: Explicit liber Alkissibi [on fol. 55v 'Albubater magni filius Alkassibi Altirisi'] de natiuitatibus cum laude et adiutorio supremi Entis ... Finitus anno Domini .1437. in die Decembris .16... . post prandium

The translation presumably by Salio of Padua.

7. (fol. 103)
'Hermes', De stellis beibeniis
Rubric: Incipit liber Hermetis capitis omnium philosophorum de stellis que dicuntur Beybenie
Final rubric: Explicit iste liber Hermetis philosophi de fortitudine stellarum que Beybenie dicuntur

With some later marginal notes.

8. (fol. 105r-114r)
Theorica planetarum Gerardi
Incipit: Circulus ecentricus aut egresse cuspidis uel egredientis centri dicitur

With marginal notes and diagrams.

9. (fols. 115r-120v)
Robertus Anglicus (?), Quadrans vetus
Incipit: Geometrie due sunt partes, theorica et practica
Explicit: productum dabit capacitatem

A treatise on the composition and use of the quadrant

Followed at fol. 120v by a table of the declination of the ecliptic.

10. (fol. 121r-122r)
Messahallah, Epistola de rebus eclipsium
Incipit: Dixit Massahalla quod Deus altissimus
(fols. 122v-131r)
Astrological compilation
Incipit: Cum volueris segetum prenoscere euentum in singulis annis hoc modo facias. Considera coniunctionem uel oppositionem solis et lune
(fol. 131)
Leopold of Austria, De astrorum scientia

Excerpt from Book V, on comets.

Rubric: Leupoldus de cometis
(fols. 132r-142r)
'De significatione cometae'
Rubric: Alius tractatus de cometis
Incipit: Dixit Ptolomaeus in 99o verbo in libello de 100 verbis quod stelle
Explicit: stella per multos annos. Et sic est finis.
Final rubric: Explicit opusculum de significacione comete
eTK 0456M = 0685K
Lynn Thorndike, Latin Treatises on Comets Between 1238 and 1368 A.D. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, I950), pp. 9-61
(fol. 142r-143r)
Leopold of Austria, De astrorum scientia

Exract from Book VI

Rubric: Leupoldus de mutacione aeris & est sextus tractatus sui libri
(fols. 144r-155v)
Abraham Avenezra, Liber de nativitatibus
Rubric: \Abraham Judeus de Natiuitatibus, qui Compilator dicitur/[a later title]
Incipit: Dixit quoque Abraham Iudeus optimum instrumentorum

Followed (fol. 155v) by a note on 'anni solis fridarii'.

11. (fols. 156r-174r)
Alcabitius, Liber introductorius
Incipit: Postulata a domino prolixitate vite theysari daula i.e. gladii regni et durabilitate sui honoris
Final rubric: Explicit Alkabucii liber

For fols. 175-198 see below.

12. (fol. 199r-221v)
John Danco of Saxony, Commentary on Alcabitius, Liber introductorius
Incipit: Quanquam apud omnes racionabiles homines
Incipit: Postulata a domino ... In principio hius libri septem possunt queri per ordinem, primo que sit intentio libri
Final rubric: Et sic est fimis[sic] Alchabicij

Ending at 'aliquantulum carum' a few lines from the end of the text as printed in 1485. With later marginal notes.

Foll. ii-xxvi, 175-198 are inserted blank leaves.

At fol. xxvii is a Dutch astronomical table (15th cent.).

At fol. 174v is the beginning of a list of the contents of Haly Aben Ragel ('Hali Habenragels zone') de Iudiciis Astrorum, with a translation of most of the Latin translator's preface, in Dutch. The author's name is Abû'l-Hasan 'Alî ibn Abî'lRijâl: this is part of a Dutch translation (2nd half of 15th cent.) of the Latin version (by Aegidius de Thibaldis of Parma and Petrus de Regio) of the Spanish version by Judah ben Moses: after fol. 174 four leaves are cut out, which perhaps contained more of the Dutch piece.

Language(s): Netherlandish

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: paper
xxvii + 221 + iii leaves
Dimensions (binding): 11 × 8.5 in.
Dimensions (leaf): 278 × 210 mm.

Layout

2 cols., c. 28-50 lines; column space c. 195-200 × 70 mm.

Hand(s)

Written by Tristrandus.

Decoration

Coloured capitals.

Diagrams and tables.

Binding

Blind-stamped leather binding over millboards (s.xvi in). With clasp fittings (but the leather clasps are lost). Title 'Albvbat' on fore-edge, 'Albvbather' on head. Boards reused.

History

Origin: c. 1437 ; French, Louvain

Provenance and Acquisition

Fol. 20 (covering fols. 1-20 col. 1): 'Scriptus et finitus louen' [Louvain] per manus tristrandi anno domini . 1437. sexto die mensis septembris hora .9. post meridiem.' Fol. 20 col. 2 to fol. 49 col. I line 27 is undated but was presumably written between the times when the adjacent items were written. Fol. 55 (covering fol. 49 col. 1 line 28 to fol. 55): 'Et sic est finis huius libri anno domini 1437 mercuri die ante festum symonis.' Fol. 102 (covering fols. 55-102): 'Explicit liber... Finitus anno domini . 1437. In die decembris .16. die [sic] In die lune infra nonam et decimam post Prandium.' After this there are no more dated colophons. Fols. 103-43 appear to be a continuation of the last dated part but the rest of the book is less and less carefully written and may have been copied at another time. It is, however, all in the same hand, and foliation throughout is by the original scribe. The paper has a variety of watermarks.

'Liber N. de Pulchromonte' (16th cent.): Nikolaus von Schönberg (1472-1537) (?)

Given in 1601 by William Camden.

MS. Bodl. 472 - endleaves

Contents

The fly-leaves are from the end of a 15th cent. parchment Latin theological roll of a dialogue between the Virgin and 'Peccator': ends 'nullus fere quantumcunque peruersus nobis remanere possit'.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: roll
Support: parchment

History

Origin: 15th century

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (June 2025) by Matthew Holford from the following sources, with some additional description of contents and reference to published literature as cited:
Summary Catalogue (1922)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2025-07: Description revised to incorporate all information from printed catalogues; additional description of content.