MS. Lat. misc. e. 2
Summary Catalogue no.: 8847
Ars medicinae (Articella) and other medical texts in Latin and German; 13th century, first half, with additions
Contents
The text resembles in parts both the Anatomia attributed to a shadowy 'Nicolaus physicus' and the closely related text attributed to an equally shadowy 'Ricardus Salernitanus'. The former text seems to be an expansion of the latter, probably by a pupil; the latter text is not to be confused with Ricardus Anglicus’s Anatomia, despite the similarity of the author’s forename, title, and opening lines. The two texts are treated together by G. W. Corner, Anatomical texts of the earlier middle ages (Washington, 1927), pp. 30–34 (citing the present MS. at p. 31 by its SC no. as ‘Codex 8847’), with a translation into English of the Nicholaus text at pp. 67–86; and also by G. Sarton, Introduction to the history of science, ii: From Rabbi Ben Ezra to Roger Bacon, pt. i (Baltimore, 1931), pp. 436–37; the Latin text of 'Ricardus Salernitanus' is printed in I. Schwarz, Die medizinischen Handschriften der kgl. Universitäts-Bibliothek in Würzburg (1907), 79-92. Our text appears to be closer to 'Ricardus' but differs from both versions (at least as printed), as for example in the section on teeth which here begins (fol. 10v): ‘De dentibus autem multiplex est opinio. Quidam enim dicunt quod sint membra, quidam vero quod non. Illi qui dicunt quod sint membra habent a Iohanicio […] ’ (cf. Schwarz p. 87 and Corner p. 78).
Added notes on medicinal remedies, late 13th century or first half 14th century:
Cf. the notes in German on fols. 53v–54r, probably by the same hand.
Later added notes:
The so-called 'translatio antiqua': see Galeno Latino.
Added notes, late 13th century or 14th century, first half (cf. art. 4):
Added medicinal notes, on the colours of urine, etc.
Fol. 55 is an inserted slip; the verso is blank.
Here ending in the section beginning ‘Regimenta sanitatis et custodia’, bk. I, c. lxvii, lect. liiii.
With sometimes extensive marginal and interlinear glosses by contemporary and later hands, and with added marginal diagrams (see Decoration).
Physical Description
Collation
- 1(12-2) (first two leaves cancelled before fol. 2) (fols. 2-10, ‘11-12’; fol. 10 sewn on to a stub conjoint with the stub immediately preceding fol. 2)
- 2(8-1) (last blank leaf cancelled; fols. 13–19)
- 3(8-1) (last leaf missing with loss of text; fols. 20–26)
- 4(8) (fols. 27–34)
- 5(8), 6(12+1) (fols. 35–55; fol. 55 is a small inserted slip, blank on the verso; second and eleventh leaves of the quire seem to be singletons)
- 7–8(8) (fols. 56-71), 9(10-1, third leaf wanting after fol. 73, without loss of text) (fols. 72-80), 10(8) (fols. 81-8), 11(10-1) (third leaf wanting after fol. 90 without loss of text) (fols. 89-97a), 12(eight) (structure uncertain; sewing before fol. 102) (fols. 97b-104). The quires of the final text (from fol. 56r) have an unusual system of quire signatures, partly cropped: the upper margin of the first recto and last verso has a number in minuscule Roman numerals and the first recto has the same number as well as the equivalent medieval Arabic numeral; this is most clearly visible at fol. 64r.
Layout
Ruled in plummet for 39–45 lines, with double horizontal bounding lines; written above top line; the main text with wide margins, presumably anticipating extensive marginalia. Ruled space c. 140-5 × 75 mm.
Hand(s)
Gothic. The scribe usually wrote the first word of each section in full despite leaving a space for an enlarged red initial, thus most texts begin with a repeated first letter: Mmedicina, Eelementa, Mmembrum, Ooperaciones, etc.
Decoration
Fine historiated diagrams in German style, added c. 1300. (Pächt and Alexander i. 133, pl. X):
- (fol. 2v) Three diagrams, including one with the upper body of a woman and one with the head of a man
- (fol. 3r) Two diagrams, including one with ‘microcosmos’ in the centre, surrounded by four groups each which are in turn surrounded by the four qualities (humidus, calidus, etc.), and directions (occidens, septentrio, etc.).
- (fol. 21r) Two diagrams, one incorporating animal heads.
Non-representational diagrams on fols. 4v, 18r. The hand of the Latin captions of the diagrams is similar to the hand of the additions in German.
Initials in plain red.
Binding
Medieval (15th-century German?) binding. Sewn on three bands laced and pegged into horizontal channels in oak boards, covered with polished brown leather, each cover with holes from five circular bosses arranged in a quincunx pattern; vestiges of a single clasp; rebacked with the old spine leather laid on; the top of the spine with a paper label inscribed ‘6’ (cf. Provenance).
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Headings are provided by at least three hands: the earliest 13th-century, in red, sometimes cropped; the next in a large bold 14th-century hand; another in 15th(?)-century Humanistic- influenced script. Marginalia, sometimes dense, by a variety of hands of the same centuries.
‘Sum Ioannis bartholomei et amicorum’, late 15th century or early 16th century (fol. 1v).
Inscribed ‘Const. 1:1.3’(?) (fol. 1v).
Edward Bernard (1638–1697), Savilian professor of Astronomy 1673–91 and main editor of the Catalogus librorum manuscriptorum Anglie, published in 1698, in which his own collection appears (vol. ii, pp. 226–28), but apparently not including the present MS.; his library was bequeathed to his wife, from whom the Bodleian purchased the manuscripts in 1698.
Former Bodleian shelfmarks: ‘(Cod. MS. Bernard 6.)’ (fol. 1r, cf. spine); ‘MSS. Bern. 23’ (fol. 1r), and with a valuation(?): ‘(23) 3s. 8d.’ (fol. 1v); cf. SC, i, p. 49.
Record Sources
Digital Images
Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Bibliography
Online resources:
Printed descriptions:
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2021-06-17: Description fully revised for Polonsky German digitization project.