USA, New York, The Morgan Library and Museum, M.858

USA, New York, The Morgan Library and Museum, M.858

Averroes, In physicam; VitaAristotelis
Physical Description
  • Material: Parchment
  • Pages: 71 leaves
  • Leaves Format: not available
  • Dimensions: 380 x 245 mm
Detailed Description
  • Foliation:
    Pencil foliation, same as in Ms. M.857 of Morgan Library. A foliation mistake on f. 8r is corrected by a second foliation from there on. The first foliation is nearly erased.
  • Collation:
    1^10 - 2^10, 3^8 - 7^8, 8^10
  • Decoration:
    The initials of the text are painted in red and the ones of the commentary always in blue colours. The picturesquely linked intials AR and AV stand for Aristotle and Averroes respectively. The Commentary follows the Aristotle passage it describes within the same text columns; the two different texts distinguished only by use of these colored initials immediately preceding each change of author. 9 large calligraphic initials, some touched with colored wash, elaborately flourished in contrasting colors. One can find bas-de-page marginal ornaments on ff. 2r , 9r , 21v , 22r and 23r showing grotesque monsters and birds. They are executed with humor and verve and are generically related to Johannes de Gaibana .
  • Layout:
    The whole text is set in two colums, apart from f. 71r-71v which is in long lines.

    69-72 lines to the column on ff. 1r- 68v .
    38 lines to the page on ff. 69r- 70v .

    Averroes ' Long Commentary on Aristotle 's Physics: The textus/commentary parts are separated only by initials.
  • Hand Description:
    Two scribes elaborated the main part of the code which is difficult to read. First and second hand: ff. 1r- 67v ; the two expert scribes are using a very small Italian book hand of the "pearl"-type. In character it resembles Paduan rather than Bolognese writing. The words are greatly contracted, suspensions are used wherever possible. A third hand somewhat later 14th century scribe also from Padua wrote ff. 68r- 69v . His is a more acute, widely spaced lettering.
  • Binding Description:
    Folio oak boards, with one half tan cowhide, same binding as M.857. In tan cloth case.
  • Acquisition:
    Gift of Henry Fletcher in April, 1951.
  • Provenance:
    The quality of vellum, wide margins and ability of the scribes and calligraphers indicate that this manuscript was intended for a discriminating scholar. Writing and ornament resemnle manuscripts produced at Padua, a center of expert book production. While the Admont library stamp does not appear in the manuscript, the technique of binding is identical with that of MS.857 of the Morgan Library which has the Admont Stamps. Both manuscript are from the Abbey of Admont, Styria, Austria. This one was MS no. 452 there (see Buberl , there designated as French work). sold by Admont Abbey to E.P. Goldschmidt of London; sold to Henry Fletcher of New York in 1937.
History
  • Origin Date: 1250 - 1260
  • Origin Place: Italy, probably Padua
  • George Lacombe , Aristoteles Latinus Vol. Pars Prior, Rome (1939) , p. 252
  • George Lacombe , Aristoteles Latinus Vol. Supplementa altera, Bruges-Paris (1961) , p. 52
  • Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften: Manuscripta.at, Mittelalterliche Handschriften in Österreich, Onlinekatalog [Cod. 452 (heute: New York, The Morgan Library, MS M. 858)]
  • Paul Buberl , Die illuminierten Handschriften in Steiermark, Leipzig (1911) , p. 153 - 154 [no. 132]
  • Pierpont Morgan Library (New York): Curatorial Description of the Morgan Library (1952) [Link]
Content
Anonymous Text of canon law 1r - 1v
Averroes Long Commentary on the Physics 2r - 68v
  • Incipit:
    Quoniam dispositio scientie...
  • Note:
    Textus: Scotus -translation. The prologues to books III and VIII are missing. Book IV, mid of C75 to mid of C131 is lacking. Book VIII, Part of C 24 is missing followed by a lack of text up to the end of T 55.
Anonymous Vita Aristotelis 69r - 70v
  • Incipit:
    Aristoteles phylosofus de gente...
Anonymous Treatise on infinitiy 71r - 71v