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

MS. Bodl. 607

Summary Catalogue no.: 2058

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Fol. ii verso, list of contents.

1. (fol. v)
‘De dispositione hominis’ (eTK 1395I, cf. 1395K)
Rubric: Paruus tractatus de dispositione hominis
Incipit: Sciendum est quod si aliquis nascatur

Partly an astrological work: it appears that fols. iii-iv may be the latter part of this treatise, two or four leaves being lost after fol. vi: this second part ends:

Explicit: oculum esse verum cordis nuncium affirmant. Hec Thomas [Aquinas] de veritate theologie libro 2º capitulo 5º & 6º
2. (fol. 1)
‘John the Philosopher’, Summa chiromantiae
Rubric: De ciromancia tractatus
Incipit: Benedictus Deus omnipotens qui machinam

The writer's name occurs as Johannes: four leaves appear to be lost after fol. 2.

eTK 0176A, 1299G; L. Thorndike, 'Chiromancy in Mediaeval Latin Manuscripts', Speculum 40/4 (1965) 674–706 (684–706)

3. (fol. 3)
⟨Ps.-Aristotle⟩, Physiognomia
Rubric: Tractatus phisonomie
Incipit: Natura occulte operatur
4. (fol. 16)
De nauicula (eTK 0567G)
Rubric: Forma de nouo instrumento Nauicula dicit [sic for dicto] pro horis equalibus in tota terra inueniendis
Incipit: In hoc instrumento due figure zodiaci

Catherine Eagleton, Monks, manuscripts and sundials: the navicula in medieval England (2010), siglum BL2.

5. (fol. 19)
Compotus manualis
Incipit: Filius esto Dei ... Pro inuencione litere Dominicalis
6. (fol. 24)
Rubric: Algorismus integrorum
Alexander de Villa Dei, Algorismus
Incipit: Hec algorismus ars presens dicitur in qua
Commentary on Alexander de Villa Dei, Algorismus (eTK 0791E)
Incipit: Liber iste quem pre manibus habemus
7. (fol. 45)
Johannes de Sacro Bosco, Tractatus de sphaera
Rubric: Tractatus de Spera

Originally followed by twelve leaves now lost and then by art. 10.

8. (fol. 63)
Ps.-Roger Bacon, Breue breuiarum
Incipit: Breue breuiarium breuiter abreuiatum sufficit
Final rubric: Explicit Breue breuiarium
9. (fol. 72v)
Ps.-Aristotle, De conuersione corporum
Rubric: Nunc incipit liber Aristotelis de conuersione corporum
Incipit: In primis quidem sciendum est quod mercurius est frigidus

A fragment, ends 'qui operare volueris considera'.

10. (fol. 73)
Compotus cum glossa (?)
Incipit: ||a planeta in prima hora illius diei
Incipit: Lux naturalis viginti quatuor horis
Explicit: in 4or ciclis excrescente||

A calendarial work in verse and prose, imperfect at beginning and end, the succeeding two gatherings being lost then followed arts. 8–9. Two leaves are lost after fol. 83.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment; there is a cavity in each side to hold some instrument or box
Extent: vi + 101 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 6 × 4.75 in.

Decoration

Illuminated capitals.

Binding

White parchment on boards, clasp lost, contemporary English work.

History

Origin: 15th century, early ; English

Provenance and Acquisition

'Nicholas Smythe' owned the book on Dec. 25, 1589, and notes the difficulty his friends had in reading and understanding the writing: 'Renaulde Smythe' also owned it at about the same period.

This MS. seems to have reached the Library in 1603 or 1604.

MS. Bodl. 607 - endleaf (fol. 101)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment

Condition

much rubbed

History

Origin: 14th century

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (April 2020) from the Summary Catalogue (1922), with additional reference to published literature as cited.

Last Substantive Revision

2020-04-28: Description revised to incorporate all information in SC.