USA, Baltimore, Henry Walter's Library, W. 66

USA, Baltimore, Henry Walter's Library, W. 66

Miscellany

Physical Description
  • Material: Parchment
  • Pages: 244 leaves
  • Leaves Format: not available
  • Dimensions: 194 x 148 mm

Detailed Description
  • Foliation:
    The number of folios (244) includes a f. 113bis .
  • Collation:
    A composite manuscript out of three codicological sections: section 1 (ff. 1r - 152v ), section 2 (ff. 153r - 235v ) and section 3 (ff. 236r - 244v ). The quaternions in sections 1 and 2 consists of 8, 10 or 12 folios and have reclaimers. On f. 149r , column a, this was written by an Italian hand from beginning of the 14th century, on ff. 149r , column b, and 149v - 152r by current hands from the end of the 14th century. Section 3 consists of one quaternion (8 folios), with one added folium.
  • Decoration:
    In the major part of section 1 (ff. 1r - 146r ), we have titles in red and blue on top of the pages. In section 2, we have titles in minium on top of the pages. At a later time, titles in minium were added on the verso, ff. 1v - 71v , titles in red and black on ff. 73r - 148r and titles just in black on ff. 153r - 235r . In section 1 and 2 we have initials in red and blue. The larger ones also have delineations and elongations. However, some are still just ornated in a simple style, with a fine red line. In section 3, the initial letter is depicted in red and blue. Some rubrics are left empty. In section 1 and 2 we have paragraph signs in red or blue. In section 3 we have no rubrics (f. 236r ).The explicit and some lemmata are sometimes in the margins, with a fine red line.
  • Layout:
    F. 201r is without script. Several other pages have little content, i.e. nib tests or ex-libris, cf. Additional and Provenance.
  • Hand Description:
    Text is written by multiple hands.
    Section 1 and 2 were written by many Northern librarians, possibly from Flanders.
    According to d'Alverny , section 3 was written by one Italian librarian in the beginning of the 14th century .
  • Acquisition:
    D'Alverny reprinted a letter from the Librarian & Keeper of Manuscripts of the Walters Art Gallery, which concludes, that the codex entered the collection around 1901 - 1902 .
  • Provenance:
    On f. 235r we have an ex-libris from the beginning of the 14th century: "fratris Petri Lumbardi de ordine predicatorum". The name (" Petri ") is rewritten above a previously erased part. F. 235v is empty except for an ex-libris, which is mainly erased: "Iste liber philosophie est ... ordinis predicatorum". D'Alverny gives a hint (cf. p. 359), that the manuscript may be written in England, about 1240 - 1250. It was then later brought to Italy, where section 3 was added.
History
  • Origin Date: 13th and 14th century
  • Origin Place: England/Italy [?]
  • Marie-Thérèse d'Alverny , Avicenna Latinus: Codices, Louvain-la-Neuve, Leiden (1994) , pp. 355-359
  • Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven: HIW Microfilm Database [Manuscript 66 (olim s.n.)]
  • George Lacombe , Aristoteles Latinus Vol. Pars Prior, Rome (1939) , pp.237 - 238
Content
Aristotle Physica 1r - 72r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] Incipit liber Phisicorum.
    Quoniam [Written over an erased part by a later hand: quidem] intelligere et scire contingit circa omnes [superscript] scientias quarum sunt principia ...
    [Commentary:] Huic libro premittit philosophus prohemium in quo ostendit ordinem procedendi in scientia naturali. Unde duo facit, quia primo ostendit [dicit?] quod opportet incipere a conscideratione [sic] principiorum ...

  • Explicit:
    ... et incorruptibile nullam etiam habens magnitudinem. Explicit octauus liber phisicorum. Deo gratias.

  • Note:
    This is the old translation. The text has interlinear glosses and a commentary in the margins. On ff. 46r- 47v we have part of the commentary on 1. VI with lemmata.

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor Epistula 72v - 72v
  • Incipit:
    Fr[idericus] Dei gratia Romanorum imperator semper Augustus Ierosolim. et Cicilie [sic] rex Uniuerse sacrosancte Romane ecclesie cardina-libus dilectis ... salutem et sincere dilectionis affectum. Cum sit Christus capud [sic] Ecclesie ...

  • Explicit:
    ... quas reuocare non possumus inuitus propulsate [propulsare?]. Datum Pad[ue].

  • Note:
    Apparently, this was written by a current hand in Padua.

Aristotle De causis proprietatum et elementorum 73r - 82v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] Aristotelis [partly erased] philosophi de causis proprietatum elementorum liber primus incipit.
    Postquam premissus est sermo ...

  • Explicit:
    ... cuius volumus declarationem. [Rubr.:] Explicit.

  • Note:
    In the margins we have a note for the rubricator by a current hand: " Ar. philosophi de causis proprietatum liber excip. [sic]". After the explicit, we have an inscription by a later Italian hand, if d'Alverny is not mistaken: "liber de proprietatibus elementorum Aristotelis phylosophi. Incipit liber Ar. phylosophi de generatione et corrupcione. Deo gracias. Amen." Below this, an older current hand notes, probably for the rubricator: " Ar. metheororum 1. primus incipit in factura impressionum superiorum ... et diuiditur in 4. libros quorum tres primos transtulit magister Girardus philosophus de arabico in latinum; quartum transtulit Henricus Aristippus de greco in latinum; tria ultima capitula in fine quarti addita ab Auicenna philosopho transtulit magister Alvredus de Sareshulle anglicus de arabico in latinum.

Aristotle De generatione et corruptione 83r - 104r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] In nomine Domini nostri Ihesu Christi . Amen.
    [Rubr.:] Liber Aristotelis translatus ab Henrico Aristippo de greco in latinum, correctus et per capitola distinctus a magistro Alvredo de Sar. secundum commentum Elkindi [sic] super eundem librum. C.1. non idem esse generationem et alterationem.
    De generatione et corruptione ...

  • Explicit:
    ... non esse corruptibilis.

  • Note:
    This is the old translation. The text has interlinear glosses and a commentary in the margins.

Aristotle De sensu et sensato 105r - 114v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] Incipit liber Aristotelis de sensu et sensato. In nomine Domini.
    Quoniam autem de anima secundum ipsam determinatum est et de virtute ...

  • Explicit:
    ... dictum est. Reliquorum vero considerandum primum de memoria et memorari.

Aristotle De somno et vigilia 114v - 124r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] Incipit liber de sompno et vigilia.
    De sompno autem et vigilia considerandum quod est [Overwritten, above: sint] ...

  • Explicit:
    ... que in sompnis est [sic] diuinatione dictum est. [In black and red letters:] Explicit liber de sompno et vigilia. Incipit liber de morte et vita.

Aristotle De longitudine et brevitate vitae 124r - 126v
  • Incipit:
    De eo autem quod est esse alia longe vite ...

  • Explicit:
    ... in eo quod est semper sic longioris vite. [In black and red letters:] Explicit liber AR. de morte et vita. Incipit liber de differentia spiritus et anime.

  • Note:
    Title and authorship are not clear.

Qusta Ibn Luqa De differentia 126v - 133r
  • Incipit:
    Interrogasti me, [Written into the margin by a contemporary hand: honoret te Deus] de differentia spiritus et anime ut tibi scriberem quid dixerunt antiqui in ea ...

  • Explicit:
    ... cuius tempus iam prolongatum est [Added by a contemporary hand: et hec sufficiant].

  • Note:
    Authorship is not clear.

Aristotle De plantis 133r - 146r
  • Incipit:
    Vita est in animalibus et plantis inuenta ...

  • Explicit:
    ... et erit fructus amarus. Explicit.

  • Note:
    Inscribed into the margin, in red and black letters, we have: "Incipit liber de vegetabilibus et plantis. Hic deest prologus." Similarly, we have: "Explicit liber de vegetabilibus et plantis." The text has interlinear glosses and contemporary marginal notes, some leaden.

Aristotle Epistola ad Alexandrum 146r - 148v
  • Incipit:
    [With a fine red marginal line: In nomine Domini Ihesu Christi .] Domine T. gratia Dei Yspan. regine Iohannes Hyspan. salutem. Cum de utilitate corporis ...

  • Explicit:
    ... et tristicias frequentas habere. [With a fine red marginal line: Explicit epistola Aristotelis ad Alexandrum regem.] [Added to the margin in red: Deo gracias. Amen.]

  • Note:
    D'Alverny gives the fuller title "Epistola de dieta ad Alexandrum regem, e Secreto Secretorum excerpta et a Iohanne Hispalensi translata". Inscribed into the margin, in red and black letters, we have: "Epistola Ar. ad Alexandrum regem de custodia diete et sanitatis."

Anonymous Compendium librorum Physicorum Aristotelis 149r - 152r
  • Incipit:
    [Compendium of the first book, f. 149r , column a:] Primo libro Phisicorum cap. primo. Tunc opinamur unumquodque cognoscere cum causas cognoscimus primas et principia prima ... [Compendium of books I-VIII, f. 149r , column b:] Primo libro Phisicorum C. primo. Circa unumquodque cognoscere arbitrandum cum causas et principia usque ad eius elementa cognoscimus ...

  • Explicit:
    [Compendium of the first book, f. 149r , column a:] ... et priuatio, etc. [Compendium of books I-VIII, f. 152r :] ... sicut per logicam vel methaphisicam.

  • Note:
    The text has two parts: a compendium of the first book in an Italian hand from about 1300 and a compendium of the whole Physics in a current hand from the end of the 14th century. On f. 152r , column b, we have a vanishing inscription in Hebrew letters.

Aristotle De anima 153r - 183r
  • Incipit:
    Bonorum honorabilium notitiam opinantes magis autem alteram altera ...

  • Explicit:
    ... linguam vero quatinus significet aliquid alteri.

  • Note:
    This is the old translation. A later hand added in red: "Liber primus de anima". The text has marginal and interlinear glosses. Furthermore, it has some quaestiones on the De anima in the margins, written by current hands from the end of the 13th century .

Aristotle De memoria et reminiscentia 183r - 188r
  • Incipit:
    Reliquorum autem primum considerandum de memoria et memorari ...

  • Explicit:
    ... et propter quas causas dictum est. Explicit liber de memoria et reminiscentia.

  • Note:
    The text has marginal and interlinear glosses in a current hand from the end of the 13th century .

Averroes De Substantia Orbis 188v - 193v
  • Incipit:
    In hoc tractatu intendimus ...

  • Explicit:
    ... et scias quod hec questio est valde bona. Explicit iste tractatus.

  • Note:
    Added in red on top of the page is: "Incipit tractatus de substantia orbis secundum quosdam". A note in the margin by the same scribe reads: "De modo compositionis rerum celestium tractatus incipit". The text has some marginal notes. According to the HIW Microfilm Database, KU Leuven, this text contains only the beginning of the De Substantia Orbis.

Alfred of Sareshel De motu cordis 194r - 200v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] Incipit liber de motu cordis siue de motu animalium. [Added by another hand in black letters:] Alvredi .
    Organum vite ...

  • Explicit:
    ... aliqua virtute proprie fertur eadem non feret in contrarium; idem enim eidem ...

  • Note:
    The prologue is missing and the text ends abruptly.

Aristotle Meteorologica 202r - 232v
  • Incipit:
    Postquam precessit re[me]moratio nostra ...

  • Explicit:
    ... necnon cetera huiuscemodi.

  • Note:
    A later hand added in red "Liber primus", to which in turn "Metaurum" was added in black letters. The text has interlinear glosses as well as marginal commentaries and many notes in current hands. The subsequent text follows this one without any distinction.

Avicenna Liber meteorum 232v - 233v
  • Incipit:
    [F. 232v :] Terra pura lapis non fit ... [F. 233v :] Montes quoque quandoque fiunt ... [F. 234r :] Corpora mineralia ...

  • Explicit:
    [F. 233v :] ... propter multum temporis. [F. 234r :] ... in montes conuersa. [F. 235r :] ex hoc quedam res extranee. Explicit liber.

  • Note:
    This text follows the previous without any distinction. The second part of the text (ff. 233v - 234r ) has a contemporary marginal note: "hoc de generatione montium et corruptione eorumdem ...". In the ultimate part, we have some emendations and often marginal notes of the same age.

Al-Kindi De somno et visione 236r - 241v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] Incipit liber Ysaac filii Iacob Alchindi de sompno et vigilia.
    Tu, cui Deus occultorum ...

  • Explicit:
    ... secundum locum tuum in speculatione.

  • Note:
    D'Alverny gives the title "De somno et vigilia".

Al-Kindi De intellectu 241v - 242v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.:] Expositio intellectus secundum sententiam P[latonis] et Ar[istotelis] ...
    Intellexi quod quesciuisti [sic] de describendo sermonem in ratione abreuiatum enunciantem sermonem sententiam Ar. et P ...

  • Explicit:
    ... sermo enuntiatiuus sufficit. Explicit.

  • Note:
    Authorship is not clear. D'Alverny gives Gerard of Cremona as translator.

Al-Razi Liber introductorius in medicinam parvus 242v - 244v
  • Incipit:
    [S]a[l]uator excelsus et gloriosus ...

  • Explicit:
    ... super digestionem. Amen. [In black letters, thrice changed:] Explicit liber Rasis .

  • Note:
    On the top of f. 244r a current hand wrote: "Papa stupor mundi si dixero papa Nocenti".