United Kingdom, London, British Library, Harley 3487

United Kingdom, London, British Library, Harley 3487

Aristotle, Libri naturales
Physical Description
  • Material: Parchment
  • Pages: VII + 235 + III leaves
  • Leaves Format: not available
  • Dimensions: 370 x 245 mm
Detailed Description
  • Decoration:
    29 historiated initials in colours and gold, with animated extensions or partial bar borders, and pen-flourishing in gold, red and blue (ff. 4r , 4v , 10r , 16v , 22v , 34r , 39v , 47v , 52r , 65v , 103v , 116r , 121v , 140v , 145r , 152r , 161r , 173r , 180r , 191r , 197r , 200r , 202r , 202v , 208r , 211v , 214v , 216r , 224r ). Initials in red with pen-flourishing in red, and blue. Running headers in blue, and red and sometimes gold, with penwork decoration, some in the form of heads. Paragraphs in blue. Rubrics in white, red, or blue. Marginal diagrams in red, brown, and blue, with green and blue, and sometimes yellow washes (ff. 69r , 69v , 70v , 76v , 90r , 90v , 92v ). Marginal drawing of an animal, in colours (f. 142v ). Sketches for the illuminator (ff. 16v , 22r , 34r , 52r , 103v , 116r , 140v , 152r , 161r , 173r , 180r , 191r , 197r , 200r , 202v , 202r , 208r , 211v , 214v , 216r , 224r ). The illuminations are attributed to the Glazier Bible group. Other manuscript attributed to the same workshop or artist are Organon, Cambridge, Pembroke College, MS 193; Averroes , Commentary on Aristotle , Methaphisica, Oxford, Merton College, MS 269 (see Camille 1985); and Cambridge, University Library, MS Ee. 2. 31 (see Morgan 1988).
  • Layout:
    The text is set in one column.

  • Hand Description:
    The code is written by one Gothic handwriting, written below the top line.
  • Binding Description:
    Black leather binding with blind tooling.
  • Acquisition:
    According to Morgan (1988), the shield, quarterly sable and argent, a crescent gules in the first and fourth, on f. 216r suggests that the manuscript belonged to a member of the family of Beauchamp of Bedford, perhaps the son of Geoffrey Beauchamp (fl. c. 1256). Acquired from George Suttie for the Harley collection. The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (b. 1689, d. 1741), 2nd earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts, inscribed as usual with the date of acquisition by their librarian, Humfrey Wanley ‘18 die Januarii, A. D. 1723/4' (f. x5 ). Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta, née Cavendish Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (b. 1715, d. 1785), duchess of Portland; the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess in 1753 to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library.
  • Provenance:
    Added 15th-century list of contents (f. 1v ) and notes, 13th-14th century (ff. 2r , 3v ). Nicholas of Cusa (1401–August 11, 1464), cardinal and theologian; given by him with other books from his library to St Nicholas hospital, founded by him in Cues in 1451: ownership inscription of St Nicholas hospital 'Liber hospitalis sancti Nocolai prope cusam' (f. 235v ). Nathaniel Noel (fl. 1681-c. 1753), bookseller, employed by Edward Harley for buying books and manuscripts chiefly on the continent, where his agent was George Suttie.
History
  • Origin Date: 3rd quarter of the 13th century
  • Origin Place: England, Oxford (?)
  • George Lacombe , Aristoteles Latinus Vol. Pars Prior, Rome (1939) , p.381
Content
Aristotle Physica 4r - 65v
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Long commentary on the Physics. Aristotele 's Physica with marginal gloses in two or three columns. Decoration: Nine historiated initials in gold and colours at the beginning of books. F. 4r (book I: preface): initial Q(uoniam) of burning of books before a friar and a seated king. Below, a small miniature of a sleeping man and a fish. Marginal decoration includes two fighting men, two lions and a lion cub, and a man confronting a lion. F. 4v (book I): initial 'P'(rincipium) of a man fighting with an animal. F. 10r (book II): initial 'E'(orum) of a scholar looking at animals below him. F. 16v (book III): initial 'Q'(uoniam) of a personification of Nature: a crowned woman holding a fleur de lis. A man playing a harp in the margin. F. 22v (book IV): initial 'S'(imiliter) of a seated scholar looking at the celestial bodies above him. F. 34r (book V): initial 'T'(ransmutatur) of two wrestlers. F. 39v (book VI): initial 'S'(i) of a scholar counting four horizontal poles (spatial magnitudes). f. 47v (book VII): initial 'O'(mne) of two scholars disputing. F. 52r (book VIII): initial 'U'(trum) of Christ holding the orb of the world divided in three parts.
Averroes Long Commentary on the Physics 4r - 65v
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Long commentary on the Physics. Aristotele 's Physica with marginal gloses in two or three columns. Decoration: Nine historiated initials in gold and colours at the beginning of books. F. 4r (book I: preface): initial Q(uoniam) of burning of books before a friar and a seated king. Below, a small miniature of a sleeping man and a fish. Marginal decoration includes two fighting men, two lions and a lion cub, and a man confronting a lion. F. 4v (book I): initial 'P'(rincipium) of a man fighting with an animal. F. 10r (book II): initial 'E'(orum) of a scholar looking at animals below him. F. 16v (book III): initial 'Q'(uoniam) of a personification of Nature: a crowned woman holding a fleur de lis. A man playing a harp in the margin. F. 22v (book IV): initial 'S'(imiliter) of a seated scholar looking at the celestial bodies above him. F. 34r (book V): initial 'T'(ransmutatur) of two wrestlers. F. 39v (book VI): initial 'S'(i) of a scholar counting four horizontal poles (spatial magnitudes). f. 47v (book VII): initial 'O'(mne) of two scholars disputing. F. 52r (book VIII): initial 'U'(trum) of Christ holding the orb of the world divided in three parts.
Aristotle De caelo 65v - 121r
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Long commentary on De celo et mundo. Aristotele , De coelo et mundo in the Latin translation by Gerard of Cremona . Decoration: Three historiated initials in colours and gold at the beginning of books: F. 65v (book I): initial 'S'(umma) of Christ holding concentric spheres of the universe. A small miniature below of three joined heads symbolising the Trinity. F. 103v (book III): initial 'N'(os) of Moses and the brazen serpent. F. 116r (book IV): initial 'V'(olo) of an astronomer with an astrolabe and his pupil. Seven geometric diagrams in colours accompanied by human and animal heads (ff. 69r , 69v , 70v , 71v , 76v , 90r , 90v ), and a marginal image of a bow and arrow (f. 92v ).
Averroes Long Commentary on De Caelo 65v - 121r
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Long commentary on De celo et mundo. Aristotele , De coelo et mundo in the Latin translation by Gerard of Cremona . Decoration: Three historiated initials in colours and gold at the beginning of books: F. 65v (book I): initial 'S'(umma) of Christ holding concentric spheres of the universe. A small miniature below of three joined heads symbolising the Trinity. F. 103v (book III): initial 'N'(os) of Moses and the brazen serpent. F. 116r (book IV): initial 'V'(olo) of an astronomer with an astrolabe and his pupil. Seven geometric diagrams in colours accompanied by human and animal heads (ff. 69r , 69v , 70v , 71v , 76v , 90r , 90v ), and a marginal image of a bow and arrow (f. 92v ).
Aristotle De generatione et corruptione 121v - 140v
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Middle commentary on De generatione et corruptione. Decoration: A historiated initial 'G'(eneratione) in colours and gold, at the beginning of the text of a couple in bed with children alongside (f. 140v ).
Averroes Middle Commentary on De Generatione et Corruptione 121v - 140v
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Middle commentary on De generatione et corruptione. Decoration: A historiated initial 'G'(eneratione) in colours and gold, at the beginning of the text of a couple in bed with children alongside (f. 140v ).
Aristotle Meteorologica 140v - 173r
  • Note:
    Appended with Avicenna , De mineralibus (ff. 170r - 173r ). Decoration: Three historiated initials in colours and gold at the beginning of major text divisions: f. 140v : initial 'P'(ost) of a scholar pointing at the sky with falling rain and a head spewing fire from clouds. F. 145r : initial 'E'(rgo) of a blue animal. F. 152r : initial 'N'(arremus) of two scholars, one holding a plant. F. 161r : initial 'P'(ico) of a man pivoting on a windmill. Marginal image of a fox with a bag and a stick of a pilgrim (f. 142v ).
Aristotle De anima 173v - 197r
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Long commentary on De anima. Decoration: Three historiated initials in colours and gold at the beginning of books: f. 173r (book I): initial 'B'(orum) of a death of a man with the judgement of his soul above. F. 180r (book II): initial 'H'(ec) of the resurrection of the dead. F. 191r (book III): initial 'Q'(uoniam) of a soulcarried to Christ by two angels. Ink drawings of human heads, hands and animals (ff. 186v , 187v , 188v , 192v , 193v ).
Averroes Long Commentary on De Anima 173v - 197r
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Long commentary on De anima. Decoration: Three historiated initials in colours and gold at the beginning of books: f. 173r (book I): initial 'B'(orum) of a death of a man with the judgement of his soul above. F. 180r (book II): initial 'H'(ec) of the resurrection of the dead. F. 191r (book III): initial 'Q'(uoniam) of a soulcarried to Christ by two angels. Ink drawings of human heads, hands and animals (ff. 186v , 187v , 188v , 192v , 193v ).
Aristotle De memoria et reminiscentia 197r - 200r
  • Note:
    Decoration: One historiated initial 'R'(eliquorum) in colours and gold of a philosopher and a naked man (f. 197r ).
Aristotle De morte 200r - 202r
  • Note:
    Decoration: One historiated initial 'D'(e) in colours and gold of a mass of the dead, at the beginning of the text (f. 200r ).
Aristotle De differentia spiritus et animae 202r - 208r
  • Note:
    Decoration: Two historiated initials in colours and gold: f. 202r : initial 'I'(nterrogasti) of two naked souls emerging from the mouth of a standing man. F. 202v : initial 'S'(piritus) of a physician feeling the pulse of a patient in bed.
Aristotle De somno et vigilia 208r - 216r
  • Note:
    Decoration: Three historiated initials in colours and gold at the beginning of books. F. 208r (book I): initial 'D'(e sompno) of a woman sleeping above seven sleeping men (the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus?). F. 211v (book II): initial 'P'(ost) of a man pointing at a tub and a woman holding a mirror. F. 214v (book III): initial 'D'(e divinatione) of a man asleep and another with birds pecking at a basket on his head illustrating the dream of the baker (Gen 40, 16-18).
Aristotle De sensu et sensato 216r - 224r
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Middle commentary on Parva Naturalia. Decoration: A historiated initial 'Q'(uoniam) in colours and gold of a man blowing a trumpet and another smelling or tasting a fruit below a large heraldic shield and seven smaller golden shields.
Averroes Commentary on the Parva Naturalia (Compendium libri de sensu et sensato) 216r - 224r
  • Note:
    Glosses of Averroes , Middle commentary on Parva Naturalia. Decoration: A historiated initial 'Q'(uoniam) in colours and gold of a man blowing a trumpet and another smelling or tasting a fruit below a large heraldic shield and seven smaller golden shields.
Nicolaus Damascenus De plantis 224r - 235v
  • Note:
    Decoration: A historiated initial 'T'(ria) in colours and gold of a man tilling the soil and another chopping down a tree, at the beginning of the text.