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

MS. Digby 77

Summary Catalogue no.: 1678

Physical Description

Composite: four codicological units (the last in two parts, from the same original manuscript but separate in Thomas Allen's library), brought together in their current form by Kenelm Digby.
Extent: ii + 199 + ii leaves
Foliation: [two endleaves unfoliated] 1-81, 82a, 82b, 82c, 83-197 [two endleaves unfoliated]

Binding

Standard binding of the Digby collection; rebacked.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Kenelm Digby, 1603–1665.

Donated by him to the Bodleian, 1634.

MS. Digby 77 – Part 1 (fols. 1-82(c))

Contents

1. (fols. 1r-12v, 25r-56v)
Roger Bacon, Perspectiva
Rubric: Tractatus perspective, habens tres partes
Incipit: Cupiens te et alios sapiencia dignos excitare
Explicit: aliqualiter sustinere
Colophon: Explicit expliceat ludere. Nomen scriptoris, Johannes Plenus-Amoris
Language(s): Latin
2. (fol. 57r-60v, 13r-24v, 61r-82(a)r)
Commentary on Ps.-Aristotle, Problemata (attributed here to Peter of Abano but differing from other manuscripts of his text)
Incipit: Felix qui poterit causas cognosoere rerum. Felicitas Aristotelis sive beatitudo est summum bonum
Explicit: Completa eciam summa causarum problematum Aristotelis, assistente potentie celice subsidio, ex qua in qua et ⟨per⟩ quam omnia, cui laus honor et gloria quamdiu causa fuerit vel causatum. Amen.
Final rubric: Expliciunt Problemata utilia

Fols. 82(a)v-82(c)v blank.

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Dimensions (leaf): c. 210 × 138 mm.
Dimensions (leaf): c. 195 × 138 mm.
Fols. 6-10, lower margins containing diagrams and so not cropped..

Collation

1(12)-7(12); leaf signatures; catchwords. Misbound: fols. 13-24 should follow fol. 60.

Layout

Fols. 1r-12v, 25r-56v: written space c. 150 × 102 mm. , c. 44 lines.

Fols. 13r-24v, 57r-82(a)r: written space 185 × 102 mm. , c. 52-54 lines.

2 columns. Frame-ruled in plummet.

Hand(s)

Anglicana, one hand.

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander iii. 745:

Initials in gold with penwork flourishing, fol. 1r, fol. 57r.

Other initials in blue with penwork flourishing in red.

Diagrams.

History

Origin: 14th century, second half ; English

Provenance

John Dee: ex libris, fol. 1, and DM 114 in his catalogue.

Thomas Allen (?): not identified in his catalogue, but title on fol. 1 possibly in his hand; Digby-Allen inventory 'A. 121', fol. 1.

MS. Digby 77 – Part 2 (fols. 83-108)

Contents

Language(s): Latin

(fol. 83r)
Innocent III, De miseria humanae conditionis
Incipit: ||eternum. Non erunt in uno

End only, continuing from Trinity College Dublin MS. 514 (see Provenance)

3. (fols. 83v-107r)
Thomas Capellanus OP, De essentiis essentiarum
Rubric: \Incipit liber de esse et essentia/
Incipit: Magnifico principo […] Quoniam diuina potentia est infinita
Explicit: vix possunt alii pervenire
Kaeppeli 3776 (this copy not listed)
Thorndike, Hist. Magic and Experimental Science, III.136-9, 684-6
4.
Collationes
(fol. 107v-108r)
Rubric: Collacio commendans theologiam
Incipit: Ave maria karissimi fratres, florente mundo sub lege nature
(fol. 108r-v)
Rubric: Collacio alia sequitur pro principiis Sentenciarum

Added by John of London; perhaps written by him (?) (Barker-Benfield)

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Dimensions (leaf): 210 × 150 mm.
Dimensions (leaf): 225 × 150 mm.
(fol. 107)

Layout

Ruled space 185 × 105 mm. 1 col., c. 35 lines. Ruled in plummet.

Hand(s)

Textualis libraria

Decoration

Blue or red initials flourished in red or light blue.

History

Origin: 13th century, late or 14th century, early ; English

Provenance

John of London, monk of St Augustine's Canterbury: part of a manuscript compiled by him (Barker-Benfield II.932) and given by him to the abbey of St Augustine, Canterbury (see next).

Canterbury, Kent, Benedictine abbey of St Augustine (originally of St Peter and St Paul): formerly part (fols. 205-228) of a manuscript from the abbey of which fols. 1-204 and 230-279 are now Dublin, Trinity College, MS. 514. Identified in the Catalogue by second folio. Notes by Clement of Canterbury. (MLGB3: inferred evidence).

Thomas Allen: MS. 34 in the quarto section of his catalogue.

MS. Digby 77 – Part 3 (fols. 109-149)

Contents

5. (fols. 109r-148r)
Peter of Limoges, Oculus moralis
Incipit: Si diligenter volumus in lege Dei meditari
Explicit: in solio collocat imperpetuum
Final rubric: Explicit libellus de oculo morali

ed. R. Newhauser (1991), sig. O5.

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 148r-v)
Sentence of excommunication

Added, 15th century.

IMEP 3.6-7.
Language(s): Middle English
(fol. 149r)

Notes, mostly from Apocalypse and Judges.

Added, 15th century.

Language(s): Latin
(fol. 149v)
Numerale
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Dimensions (leaf): 210 × 135 mm.

Layout

Ruled space 170 × 95-100 mm. Ruled in crayon.

Hand(s)

Anglicana.

Decoration

Puzzle initial in blue and red, fol. 109r.

Otherwise plain initials, alternating blue and red.

History

Origin: 13th century, second half ; English

Provenance

Fols. 109-149: Meaux, Yorkshire, Cistercian abbey of St Mary the Virgin: "Wilflete vult quod iste liber tradatur abbatie de Mews in Holdernes, quia emit eum ab uno monacho eiusdem domus pro viii s. et dubitat utrum monachus habuit potestatem vendendi. Volo etiam quod habeant Thomam de vitutibus [recte: virtutibus] theologie quem emit ab eodem pro iii s. iiii d." (fol. 147v), s. xv. A William Wilflete was master of Clare Hall 1448-1455. (MLGB3: evidence from an inscription of ownership by an individual member of a religious house (which may not, however, be evidence for institutional ownership)).

'Fenton', fol. 149, s. xv/xvi.

Thomas Allen: MS. 73 in the quarto section of his catalogue.

MS. Digby 77 – Part 4 (fols. 150-165 and 166-197)

Contents

6. (fols. 150r-153r)
John Sharpe, Quaestio de anima (fragment, the end of the text only, continuing from Merton College MS. 251 fol. 48v)
Explicit: in seipsa extra animatam quia a tali non oportet hujusmodi abstractionem procedere, etc.
Final rubric: Explicit questio de anima, quod Wyke
Language(s): Latin
7. (fol. 153v-165v)
John Chilmark, Compendium de actione elementorum
Incipit: Cum materia de alteracione, que est una species, motus sit quampluribus iucognita […] Ponatur ergo primo quod A aqua agat in B ignem
Final rubric: Explicit compendium de accione elementorum, abstractum de quarta parte Dumbleton secundum magistrum J. Chylmerk
Language(s): Latin
8. (fol. 166r-191v)
Franciscus Maronis, Formalitates
Incipit: In 8va divisione ubi magister tractat de simplicitate divine essencie
Explicit: quod una formalitas est alia ydemp⟨nita⟩te quacunque ultimate abstincta, et sic patet veritas questionis
Final rubric: Explicit tractatus formalitatum fratris Francisci de Maronis, doctoris ordiuis Fratrum Minorum, quod Wyke
Language(s): Latin
9. (fol. 191v-193v)
Richard Lavenham, De decem generibus (fragment)
Incipit: Tractaturus de decem generibus, tria genera predicacionis premittam
Language(s): Latin
Walter Burley, Notabilia de logicis (four tracts)
10. (fol. 194r-v)
Incipit: Notandum quod sunt duo principia prima substancie secundum rem, sc. materia et forma
Final rubric: Explicit tractatus de duobus primis principiis
11. (fol. 195r-196r)
Incipit: Intelligendum est quod in universo tria sunt agencia per se, scil., Deus, natura et ars
Final rubric: Tractatus de tribus in toto universo per se agentibus
12. (fol. 196v-197r)
Incipit: Sciendum quod duplex est potencia
Final rubric: Explicit tractatus de potencia activa et passiva
13. (fol. 197r-v)
Incipit: Set dubium est quid hujusmodi abstracta humanitas
Final rubric: Explicit tractatus Burley de abstractis
Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Dimensions (leaf): 210 × 137 mm.

Layout

Ruled space 140 × 93 mm. 1 col., c. 36 lines. Frame-ruled in crayon.

Hand(s)

Secretary by Wyke

Decoration

Blue initials with red penwork.

History

Origin: 15th century ; English

Provenance

Merton College, Oxford: fols. 150–97 were formerly part of Merton College MS. 251; seen by Bale at Merton; 'quod Wyke' on fols. 153r, 191v as in Merton Coll. 251, fol. 157r. (MLGB3)

Thomas Allen: fols. 150-165, his MS. 6 (octavo), fols. 166-197, his ms. 54 (octavo).

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description adapted (Jan. 2023) from the Quarto Catalogue (W. D. Macray, Bodleian Library Quarto Catalogues IX: Digby Manuscripts, repr. with addenda by R. W. Hunt and A. G. Watson, 1999), with limited additional physical descripion, and additional reference to other published literature as cited.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2023-01: Matthew Holford: revised for publication on Digital Bodleian.