United Kingdom, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Digby 217

Miscellany
Physical Description
  • Material: Parchment
  • Pages: 179 leaves
  • Leaves Format: not available
  • Dimensions: 330 x 215 mm
Detailed Description
  • Foliation:
    Section 1 has an old numeration of the quaternions in the margins: 1 = ff. 2r- 10v , 2 = ff. 11r- 18v , 3 = ff. 19r- 26v , 4 = ff. 27r- 36v and 5 = ff. 37r- 45v . Ff. 37r- 37v ( 36r- 36v ) are wrongly bound at the end.
    In section 2 we have reclaimers, partly excised, at the end of the quaternions, which give the old numeration: 20 = ff. 46r- 57v , 21 = ff. 58r- 67v , 22 = ff. 68r- 77v , 23 = ff. 78r- 89v and "ultimus" = ff. 90r- 93v .
    In section 3 the reclaimers at the end of the quaternions were mostly excised, but the old numeration is still there: 8 = ff. 95r- 102v and 9 = ff. 103r- 110v .
    Section 4 has numerated reclaimers at the end of the quaternions as well: xi = ff. 111r- 118v , 12 = ff. 119r- 128v and 10 = ff. 129r- 131v , the last one mutilated.
    Section 5 has reclaimers at the end of the quaternions, which consist of 12 folios, except for the first one (6 folios).
  • Collation:
    A composite manuscript out of multiple codicological sections. D'Alverny identifies five sections: section 1 (ff. 2r- 45v , end of the 13th century ), section 2 (ff. 46r- 94v , 13th century ; ff. 94r- 94v : beginning of the 14th century ), section 3 (ff. 95r- 110v , 13th century ), section 4 (ff. 111r- 128v and 129r- 131v , 13th century ) and section 5 (ff. 132r- 178v , end of 13th century ).
  • Condition Description:
    The first folio (ff. 1r- 1v ) is cut out.
  • Decoration:
    Titles in section 1 are often added on top of the pages by a later hand in black ink. Section 2 often has titles in minium on top of the pages, added by a later hand as well. Section 3 also has some titles in minium, added in the margins by a later hand. In section 4 the titles are often added in minium on top of the pages, again, by a later hand. Section 5 has titles in minium on top of the pages, and also with a red line in the margins. In section 1, the initials are left empty. Section 2 has the larger initials in either red or blue, entwined with lines of the opposite colour, but in a few cases just a simple ornation with red lines. Section 3 has initials in either red or blue, entwined with lines of the opposite colour. In the first part of section 4, the initials are left empty; in ff. 127r- 127v they are red and blue with elongations and in ff. 129r- 131v they are red or blue, entwined with lines of the opposite colour. Section 5 has red initials, often vacant. The letters of the text in this section are often ornated with lines in minium. Section 1 is rubricated, but vacant in many instances; often, leafy rubrics can be found in the margins. This section also has paragraph signs in minium. Section 2 rarely has paragraph signs, either in blue, or black and red, or black. This section is rubricated, but often vacant. Section 3 also rarely has paragraph signs, either red or black, but is rubricated. In section 4 we have red paragraph signs, and rubrication, some vacant. Section 5 has red paragraph signs and rubrication.
  • Layout:
    Text is set in long lines in ff. 2r - 131v, except for ff. 94r - 94v.

    Text is set in two columns in ff. 94r - 94v and 132r - 178v.



    Ff. 179r- 179v have no script.
  • Hand Description:
    Text is written by multiple hands.
    Section 1 and 2 are each written by one southern librarian, section 2 in a rounded script. Ff. 94r- 94v are written by a rounded hand. Section 3 and 4 are each written by two southern librarians in rounded script. Section 5 is written by multiple southern hands.
  • Provenance:
    On f. 179v we have an inscription from the 14th century : "De perquisito fratris Ric[ard]i de Wynkel ".
    The codex once belonged to Thomas Allen , and thereafter to Kenelm Digby , whose ex-libris from the 17th century on f. 2r reads: "Vindica te tibi Kenelm Digby ".
History
  • Origin Date: 13th and beginning of the 14th century
  • Origin Place: not available
  • Marie-Thérèse d'Alverny , Avicenna Latinus: Codices, Louvain-la-Neuve, Leiden (1994) , pp. 141-145
  • Richard William Hunt , Digby Manuscripts - A Reproduction of the 1883 Catalogue by W. D. Macray Vol. Bodleian Library Quarto Catalogues IX, Oxford (1999) , col. 230 - 231 [No. 217]
Content
Alexander of Aphrodisias De intellectu et intellegibili 116r - 117r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Liber Alexandri philosophi de intellectu et intellecto secundum sententias Aristotelis translatus de greco in (arabicum) ab Isaac filio Iohanicii ] Dixit Al[exander] quod intellectus apud Ar[istotelem] est tribus modis ...
  • Explicit:
    ... quod non intelligimus nec acquirimus sic sicut cum erat in nobis. Deo gracias. [Rubr.:] Explicit Alexander .
  • Note:
    According to Hunt and Watson , this is translated from the Greek by " Isaac filio Johanicii ".
Thomas Aquinas De ente et essentia 94r - 94v
  • Incipit:
    Quia paruus error in principio ...
  • Explicit:
    ... abstrahit a qualibet rerum.
  • Note:
    The text was added in the 14th century (date taken from d'Alverny ) and ends abruptly in the middle of chapter IV. According to d'Alverny , authorship and title are not clear.
Plato Timaios 98r - 110v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Incipit prologus in librum Thimei Platonis ] Ysocrates ...
  • Explicit:
    ... perspicuo. [Rubr.: Explicit Timeus Platonis ].
  • Note:
    This is the translation of Chalcidius in three parts, with a prologue. We have many marginal notes to book I. D'Alverny notes contemporary interlinear and marginal glosses without further specification.
Isaac Israeli De definitionibus 111r - 115r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Incipit liber Isaac de diffinitionibus translatus a magistro G. Cremon. in Toleto] [P]lures eorum qui antiquorum libros inspexerunt ...
  • Explicit:
    ... testificetur eius contrarium. Explicit.
  • Note:
    This is the translation of Gerardus Cremonensis in Toledo. According to d'Alverny , we have the title " Isaac " in minium on top of the page.
Avicenna Metaphysica 132r - 176r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Liber Abiceni de philosophia prima siue scientia diuina - Capitulum primum de inquisitione subiecti prime philosophie ad hoc ut ostendatur ipsa esse de numero scientiarum]. [P]ostquam, auxilio Dei, expleuimus tractatum de intentionibus scienciarum loycarum ...
  • Explicit:
    Completus est liber - Laudetur Deus super omnia, quemadmodum decet et oportet - [Rubr.:] quem transtulit D[omin]n[ic]us Gundisaluus , archidyaconus Toleti, de arabico in latinum.
  • Note:
    Hunt and Watson also list the title "de philosophia prima sive sciencia divina". The text has ten tractates. The explicit can be found at the end of the last folio, f. 176r .
Avicenna Sufficientia 46r - 93v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Collectio secunda libri Sufficientie Auicenne prinicipis et philosophi. Prologus. Dixit princeps ...] [Prologue:] Postquam expediuimus, auxilio Dei, nos ab eo quod opus fuit ...
    [Text:] [Rubr.: Liber primus de causis et principiis naturalium. Capitulum de assignanda via qua peruenitur ad scientiam naturalium per principia eorum ...] Iam scisti in tractatu ...
  • Explicit:
    [Prologue:] ... dator auxilii.
    [Text, f. 93r- 93v :] [Rubr.: Capitulum de commitancia et contactu et permixtione] Antequam loquamur ... et hee propositiones per se note sunt. - De expletione libri Deo gratie sint infinite.
  • Note:
    The text has three parts and a prologue. According to d'Alverny , the title "Sufficientia Auic[enne] " can be found on top of the page in minium.
Avicenna De anima 2r - 45v
  • Incipit:
    ... [Chapter 2:] in potencia principium recipiendi, sed principium agendi, nec debet unum magis sibi attribui quam aliud ...
    [Preface of the translator, without title, f. 45v :] Reuerentissimo Tolletane sedis archiepiscopo et Yspaniarum primati Auedauth isrlm [sic] philosophus debite gratum seruitutis obsequium. Cum omnes constent ...
    [F. 45v :] Iste liber diuiditur ...
  • Explicit:
    ... sicut postea scies cum loquemur de animalibus. - Completus est liber de anima qui est sextus liber collectionis secunde de naturalibus, et ei qui dedit intelligere sint gratie infinite. Post hunc sequitur septimus ... post hunc sequitur liber de causa causarum.
    [Preface of the translator, without title, f. 45v :] ... hunc habetis ... non dubitetis.
    [F. 45v :] ... instrumenta anime.
  • Note:
    The first folio is missing, the text begins in chapter 1 (according to d'Alverny : chapter 2). At the end we have a dedicatory epistle about the contents of the text, by Avendauth , who translated this text from the Arabic into Latin, for the "Tolletanae sedis archiepiscopo". According to d'Alverny , a folio now numerated 37 (once 36) was inserted at the end.
Averroes De Substantia Orbis 129r - 131v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Incipit Aueroys de substantia orbis]. In hoc tractatu intendimus perscrutari de rebus ex quibus componitur corpus celeste ...
  • Explicit:
    ... et ex dimensionibus in dimensiones ...
  • Note:
    The text ends abruptly in the middle of the second tractate.
Alexander of Aphrodisias De intellectu et intellegibili 177v - 178r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Liber Alexandri philosophi de intellecto et intellectu secundum sententiam Aristotelis translatud de greco in arabicum ab Ysaac filio Iohannicii ]. Aristoteles mentem tribus modis distinguit ...
  • Explicit:
    ... quod nos intelligimus nec adquirimus sicut cum erat in nobis.
  • Note:
    According to Hunt and Watson , this is translated from the Greek by " Ysaac filio Johannicii " and can be found on ff. 177r- 177v .
Al-Kindi De quinque essentiis 96r - 98r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Incipit liber Alchindi philosophi de quinque essenciis ex verbis Aristotelis abstractus] Sapiens [added interlinear: Ar(istoteles) ] ubi dialecticam incepit ...
  • Explicit:
    ... et inter futurum. Explicit Alchindus filius Ysaac de V. essenciis.
  • Note:
    This is a paraphrase from Aristoteles' Metaphysics (cf. ALCUIN). According to d'Alverny , the title " Alchindus " can be found in minium on top of the page. She adds, that the text has contemporary interlinear and marginal glosses.
Al-Ghazali Logica 117v - 127r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Incipit Logica Algacelis ] Quod preponi debet, hoc est quod scientiarum, quamuis multi sunt rami, due tamen prime sunt partes ...
  • Explicit:
    ... hoc autem est quod volumus ostendere et facere intelligi de logica. [Rubr.:] Explicit loyca Algacelis . Amen.
  • Note:
    According to Hunt and Watson , the text is on ff. 117r- 126v .
Al-Farabi De intellectu 176v - 177v
  • Incipit:
    Nomen intellectus dicitur multis modis ...
  • Explicit:
    ... est preter intentionem nostram hic.
  • Note:
    According to Hunt and Watson , the text can be found on ff. 176r- 177r . D'Alverny notes, that title and authorship are not clear.
Abraham Ibn Daud De universalibus 95r - 96r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Incipit liber Auendauth de uniuersalibus asumptus ex quinto Methaphisice Auicenne ] Usus fuit ut cum hec quinque distinguerentur ...
  • Explicit:
    Et hoc postsea certificabitur in philosophya prima. Amen. Auendauth explicit.
  • Note:
    This is a selection from the fifth book of Avicenna 's Metaphysica. D'Alverny attributes the text directly to Avicenna , presumably Logica, Isagoge, I, Chapter 11. She adds, that the title " Auendauth " can be found in minium on top of the page.
Al-Kindi De intellectu 178r - 178v
  • Incipit:
    Intellexisti [sic] quod queris sermonem breuem de intellectu secundum sentenciam Platonis et Aristotelis .
  • Explicit:
    Quantum vero ad intencionem tuam tantum sermonis tibi sufficitiat. Explicit.
  • Note:
    D'Alverny notes, that title and authorship are not clear, and that this is the "versio B". According to Hunt and Watson , the text is just on f. 178r .
Mahomet discipulus Al-Kindi Introductorius in Artem Logicae Demonstrationis 127r - 128v
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Liber introductorius in artem loyce demonstrationis collectus a Mahometh discipulo Alchindi philosophi (ex epistolis Fratrum sincerorum)]. In nomine piissimi et misericordissimi Dei. Postquam iam locuti sumus de predicabilibus ...
  • Explicit:
    ... extra suas terras, alias terras, et extra suum mundum, mundum ...
  • Note:
    According to d'Alverny , the text starts on f. 127v . She adds, that we have catchwords: "celorum et". The text ends abruptly.
Al-Kindi De intellectu 127r - 127r
  • Incipit:
    [Rubr.: Liber Alchindi philosophi de intellectu et intellecto]. Intellexi quod queris scilicet scribi tibi sermonem breuem de intellectu.
  • Explicit:
    Quantum vero ad intencionem tuam de hoc tantum sermonis sufficit.
  • Note:
    Cf. ff. 115r- 115v . According to d'Alverny , the text ends on f. 127v . She adds, that this is the "versio B".
Al-Kindi De intellectu 115r - 115v
  • Incipit:
    Intellexi quod quesiuisti de scribendo sermonem in racione abreuiatum.
  • Explicit:
    ... cum sic intencio mea sermo enunciatiuus sufficiat. Explicit.
  • Note:
    This is the translation of Gerardus Cremonensis . Hunt and Watson also give the title "abbreviatum de intentione antiquorum in racione". D'Alverny notes: "versio A".