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Harley MS 4982
- Record Id:
- 040-002050826
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 040-002050826
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000859.0x0001f5
- LARK:
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Harley MS 4982
- Title:
-
Constantinus Africanus, Theorica Pantegni
- Scope & Content:
-
The manuscript contains a copy of the medical compendium entitled Theorica Pantegni or Pantechni written 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). The text is preceded by a dedication to the Abbot of Monte Cassino, Desiderius (1027-1087), who was elected Pope Victor III in 1086 (f. 1r). Rubric for the table of contents of first book (f. 1r) 'incipit prima pars theo/rica constantini', incipit: 'Prologus / Auctoritas ypocratis qua/les debeant esse discipuli', explicit: 'De quatuor humoribus'; dedication to Desiderius, rubric 'Omnia con[strin]gens speculatrix incipit / ingens. pars pantegni vere valeas operando / valere. De constantino verbo trans/lata latino', incipit: 'Domino suo montis cassinen/sis abbati desiderio. Reverentis/simo patrum patri Immo totius / ordini ecclesiastici gemme poeni/tenti. Constantinus africa/nus licet indignus suus tamen'; prologue rubric 'Prologus', incipit: 'Cum totius scientie generalitas tres principales / partes habeat', explicit (f. 1v): 'nostra consideratio/ne digna iudicetis'; text rubric (f. 1v): 'auctoritas ypocratis quales / debeant esse discipuli', incipit: 'Oportet eum qui medicine vult / optinere habitum', breaking at (f. 73v) 'propter colliganciam horum membrorum ad[...] cum' in the chapter preceded by the rubric (f. 71v): 'de significatione salutis / nunciativa'.
The text is divided into ten books, beginning respectively on ff. 1v, 6v, 12r, 19v, 24v, 34v, 41r, 48r, 53v, 67v, each preceded by a table of contents. The manuscript is not included in 'A catalogue of Renaissance editions and manuscripts of the Pantegni', in Constantine the African and Άlī Ibn Al-Άbbās Al-Mağūsī: The Pantegni and Related Texts, ed. by C. Burnett and D. Jacquart, Studies in Ancient Medicine, 10 (Leiden, 1994), pp. 319-351. For other copies and further bibliography relating to the text and its author, see Harley MS 1676.
Decoration:
Large puzzle initials (6-16 lines) in blue and red, some with pen-flourishing in the same colours. Initials in blue with red pen-flourishing or in red with blue pen-flourishing (1-8 lines). Paragraph marks and running title (incorrect) in alternating blue and red; rubrics in red.
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Harley Collection
Harley Science Project - Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "040-002050826", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 4982: Constantinus Africanus, Theorica Pantegni" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002045828
040-002050826 - Is part of:
- Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts
Harley MS 4982 : Constantinus Africanus, Theorica Pantegni - Hierarchy:
- 032-002045828[4982]/040-002050826
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
-
73 folios.
- Digitised Content:
- http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Harley_MS_4982 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- Latin
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1260
- End Date:
- 1340
- Date Range:
- Late 13th century-Early 14th century
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- User Conditions:
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Parchment codex. Occasional parchment flaws.
Dimensions: 246 x 173mm (text space: 175 x 125 mm).
Foliation: ff. iv + 73 (all flyleaves are modern paper leaves). Modern foliation in pencil '1-73'.
Collation: Gatherings: i-viii8, ix10-1 (first missing).
Layout: Ruled (double vertical bounding lines) in metal point for double columns of 44-51 lines. Text below ruled lines.
Script: Gothic. Written in black ink in a small gothic bookhand.
Binding: Harley binding in mottled brown leather with blind- and gilt-tooled decoration on covers and spine, attributable to Thomas Elliott: rolls used for front-edge and cover decoration identical to Elliott's rolls nos. 1 and 2 reproduced in Howard M. Nixon, 'Harleian Bindings', in Studies in the Book Trade in Honour of Graham Pollar, Bibliographical Society Publications, n.s., 18 (Oxford: Oxford Bibliographical Society, 1975), pl. 14.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin: France.
Provenance:
Nathaniel Noel (fl. 1681, d. c. 1753), bookseller employed by Edward Harley for buying books and manuscripts chiefly on the Continent: purchased by Edward Harley from him, date of purchase inscribed by Harley's librarian, Humfrey Wanley (1672-1726), 'Bought by my Lord of Mr Noel / A.D. 1716': : '18 die January A. D. 1723/24' (f. 1r);
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.
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. Harley shelfmarks '139.A.16 / 4982' in ink and '2/III D' in pencil (f. i recto).
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)