Harley MS 1676

A copy of the medical compendium entitled Theorica Pantegni or Pantechni by Constantinus Africanus or Constantine the African (circa 1020-1098/9), a monk of African origin at Monte Cassino in Italy. The work is an adaptation and translation into Latin of part of the Kitāb Kāmil ('the complete' - or 'perfect' - 'book of the medical art) written before 977-978 by Haly Abbas (Άlī Ibn Al-Άbbās Al-Mağūsī). It is preceded (f. 2r) by a dedication to the Abbot of Monte Cassino, Desiderius (1027-1087), who was elected Pope Victor III in 1086.

Table of contents incipit (f. 2r): 'Auctoritatis ypocratis quales debeant esse disci/puli', explicit: 'De quatuor humoribus', dedication to Desiderius incipit: 'Domino suo montis cassiavensis [sic] abbati desiderio reveren/tissimo patrum patri ... Constantinus affricanus licet indignus suus tamen mo/nachus ocultatis interius et exterius celi ascribi animalibus', prologue incipit: 'Cum totius pater / scientie generalitas .iii. principales partes habeat', explicit (f. 2v): 'et ex ordine suo eius curationes adhibeantur', text incipit (f. 2v): 'Oportet eum qui medicine habitum / volunt [corrected to 'voluit' by a later corrector] optinere', explicit (f. 162v): 'Unum acutum habere oportet sensum ad intelligendum / Laus sit tibi Christe quoniam liber explicit iste'.

The text is divided into ten books, beginning respectively on ff. 2v, 12r, 23r, 36v, 44v, 64v, 77v, 93v, 107v, 142v, each preceded by a table of contents. The division of the books is noted in the upper margin of f. 2r by a contemporary hand, incipit: 'Sciendum quod Constantinus dividit scientiam theoricam in .x. libros et determinat in primo / In primo determinat de complexionibus et humoribus', explicit: 'in .xo. de singnis pro/nosticis'.

According to a 15th-century list of contents (f. 1v) the manuscript is now imperfect and once also contained glosses by Magister Bartolomei 'super Iohannicio / super liber pronosticorum / super libro amphorismorum / super tec. G. / super urinas mauri / super pulsum filareti' and at the end 'practica bartolomei'.

Marginal, interlinear, and over erasure corrections, variants, and notes added (passim, but especially ff. 2r-5v, 53r-55r, 57v-58r, 96r, 117r) by a contemporary hand in black ink; other marginalia, corrections and additions by other hands (13th- to 16th-century) throughout, including some in brown plummet (see ff. 4r, 4v) or red (f. 36r).

Other copies of the text in Additional MS 22719 (ff. 2v-161v), Harley MS 5098, Royal MS 12 C.xv (ff. 2r-82r), Sloane MS 3098 (ff. 1r-89r), and Slone MS 3481 (ff. 4r-75v, imperfect). Printed for the first time in Lyons in 1515 in the Omnia Opera Ysaac, ii, ff. 1r-144r. For the text see also Thorndike-Kibre, A Catalogue of Incipits of Medieval Scientific Writings in Latin, rev. ed. (London, 1963), pp. 348j-k, and its electronic version, nos. 348J-K. For Constantine see also Constantinus Africanus (11th cent.) and his Arabic Sources. Texts and Studies, ed. F. Sezgin (Frankfurt am Main, 1996; Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science, Islamic Medicine, 43).

Decoration:

10 large puzzle initials in red and blue with pen-flourishing in the same colours, at the beginning of books (ff. 2r, 2v, 23, 36v, 44v, 64v, 77v, 93v, 107v, 142v); on f. 2r followed by a display script in alternating red and blue. Initials in red with blue penwork decoration or pen-flourishing, or in blue with red penwork decoration or pen-flourishing, some large, some small. Rubrics in red with indications for the rubricator written along the outer margins (see ff. 24v-25r, 47r etc.) mostly cropped away. Book numbers provided by the scribe in Arabic numerals in the upper margin of rectos in brown ink, supplemented by Roman numerals added by the 17th-century hand of the added titles.

Added pen drawing (16th-century) of a man in Renaissance costume and feathery hat (f. i r).