Add MS 47679

HOLKHAM MSS. Vol. VIII (formerly MS. 411). AGRIMENSORES

ROMANI, etc.: extracts from Roman treatises on land surveying and

geometry, together with similar medieval works; 12th cent. Writers include

Frontinus, Agennius Urbicus, Epaphroditus, Vitruvius Rufus, Varro,

Balbus, Siculus Flaccus and Hyginus. Most of the material is printed in:-(1)

F. Blume, K. Lachmann, and A. Rudorff, Die Schriften der Römischen

Feldmesser, 2 vols., 1848, 1852 (Gromatici Veteres, ed. K. Lachmann);-(2)

C. Thulin, Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum, vol. i, 1913;-(3) N.

Bubnov, Gerberti ... Opera Mathematica, 1899; though the manuscript,

which fails into the fourth class established by Lachmann, was not known to

these editors. For a full account of the contents and the relationship of the

text to other manuscripts and to the printed works, see M. Folkerts, 'Zur

Überlieferung der Agrimensoren: Schrijvers bisher verschollener "Codex

Nansianus"', Rheinisches Museum für Philologie, neue folge, cxii, 1969, pp.

53-70 (using a foliation now superseded, see below). See also:-(1) C.

Thulin, (a) 'Die Handschriften des Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum',

Abhandlungen der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften:

phil. -hist. Klasse, 1911, pp. 1-102, (b) 'Zur Überlieferungsgeschichte des

Corpus Agrimensorum: Exzerptenhandschriften und Kompendien',

Göteborgs Kungliga Vatenskaps och Vitterhets Samhälles handlingar, 4 följ-

den, xiv-xv, 1911-1912, i, pp. 1-69;-(2) C. H. Beeson, 'The Archetype of

the Roman Agrimensores', Classical Philology, xxiii, 1928, pp. 1-14.

Contents:-

(1) Categoriae decem, a paraphrase of Aristotle's Categoriae, attributed to

St Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Printed in Migne, Patrologia Latina, xxxii,

cols. 1419-1440. See also publications listed in E. Dekkers, Clavis Patrum

Latinorum, 1961, p. 87 (no. 362). ff. 3b-24b.

(2) Extracts from the Agrimensores, divided, after ff. 24-25, into four

books. See Folkerts. ff. 24-75b.

(3) Geometria I attributed to Boethius: a fuller text than the corresponding

printed versions (see also Folkerts, Boethius, p.xi). In five books, as

follows:-(a) i=Migne, Patr. Lat., lxiii, cols. 1352-1358, and Lachmann, pp.

393-406. ff. 77-102;-(b) ii=Migne, ibid., cols. 1358-1364. ff. 102-110;-

(c) iii-v=Lachmann, pp. 377-392, 407-412. ff. 110-124b.

(4) Letter from Gerbert, afterwards Pope Sylvester II, to Adelbold

(=Bubnov, pp. 43-45), followed (ff. 126-128) by part of the letter from

Adelbold to Gerbert (=Bubnov, pp. 303-309), both on geometry. ff. 125b-

128.

(5) Extracts from geometrical works. See Folkerts. ff. 128-152b.

(6) The Geometria of Gerbert (=Bubnov, pp. 48-97). ff. 152b-165b.

(7) Anonymous geometrical work, beg. 'Si de ampla superficie terrae

particulas segregare volumus'. ff. 166-169.

(8) Geometria II attributed to Boethius: the final paragraphs of book ii

only. Printed by Folkerts, 'Boethius' Geometrie II, 1970, pp. 168-171. ff.

170-171.

Vellum and (ff. 1, 2, 78-96) paper; ff. ii+ 171. 250 mm. x 185 mm. XII cent.

(with XVII cent. additions). Gatherings (excluding flyleaves and inserted

leaves) of eight leaves, except i¹² (5, 9, 12 cancelled), ii¹⁰ (3, 7 cancelled), iii⁶ (6 cancelled), v¹⁰ (7 cancelled),x⁴ ,xi ¹⁰ (2 cancelled), xii¹⁰ (4 and 8 cancelled),

xv¹²(5 cancelled), xviii¹⁰ (4 and 8 cancelled), xix¹⁰ (4, 9, 10 cancelled). A 17th

cent. foliation (partly cropped away) includes all vellum leaves except ff. 36,

104, 137, which are mutilated. Its numbers correspond with the present

foliation as follows:-1-33=3-35, 34-74=37-77, 75-81=97-103, 82-

113= 105-136, 114-147= 138-171. Ruled and written, possibly in Germany,

in a fine regular hand, thirty-two lines to a page, with red titles and many

large open interlace initials in red. Numerous diagrams in red ink through-

out. Ff. 78-94 are inserted 17th cent. diagrams on paper. 17th cent. contents

lists are on ff. 2b-3, 96. 19th cent. brown calf binding with the gilt ostrich

stamp of the Coke family. Belonged to Frans Nans al. Nansius (d. 1595),

Flemish jurist (signature on f. 3, and a letter to him from Guido Laurin, n.d.,

f. 2). Later belonged to Pieter Schrijver al. Scriverius, Dutch author (note

and signature on f. 3), and used for his edition of Vegetius, 1607. Later used

by Willem van der Goes al. Goesius for his Rei Agrariae Auctores, 1674

(notes by (?), ff. 32, 43). Bought from the collection of Giuseppe Valletta of

Naples (d. 1714) by Thomas Coke (Earl of Leicester 1744). Bookplate of

Thomas William Coke, lst Earl of Leicester of Holkham 1837, f. i.

Maps and Plans: Plans illustrating the Agrimensores Romani: 12th cent.

Agriculture: Excerpts from the Agrimensores Romani: 12th cent.

Agrimensores: Excerpts from the Agrimensores Romani: 12th cent.

Surveying: 'Agrimensores Romani': 12th cent.

Art. Illuminations and Drawings GERMAN: Agrimensores Romani: initials: 12th cent.

Bookplates and Book-stamps: Coke (Thomas William), 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham: bef. 1837.

Thomas William Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham: Bookplates: bef. 1837.

includes:

• f. ii b Charles Warburton James, Librarian at Holkham Hall: Notes by: 20th cent.
• f. 2 Guido Laurin, Flemish jurist: Letter to F. Nans: bef. 1595.: Lat.
• ff. 3b-24b Saint Augustine,; Bishop of Hippo: Categoriae decem, attrib. to: 12th cent.
• ff. 24-75b, 128-152b Mathematics: Extracts from the Agrimensores Romani: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 26, 50-55b Agennius Urbicus: Excerpts from De controversiis agrorum: 12th cent.
• ff. 32, 43 Willem van der Goes, alias Goesius; Dutch classical scholar: Notes by (?): 17th cent.
• ff. 32-38, 45b-49 Sextus Julius Frontinus: De agrorum qualitate et controversiis limitum: 12th cent.: Extracts.
• ff. 43-44 Vitruvius Rufus: Extracts from, on surveying: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 43-45 Varro: Extracts from, on surveying: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 43-45 Epaphroditus: Extracts from, on surveying: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 45b-49 Balbus: Excerpts from, on surveying: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 50-55b Siculus Flaccus: Extracts from De condicionibus agrorum: 12th cent.
• ff. 50-75b passim Hyginus: Extracts from, on surveying: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 110-124b, 170-171 Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus Boethius: Geometria I and II (extract), attrib. to: 12th cent.
• ff. 110-124b, 170-171 Mathematics: Geometria I and II (extract), attrib. to Boethius: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 125b-128 Mathematics: Correspondence of Gerbert with Adelbold on geometry: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 125b-128 Gerbert, afterwards Pope Sylvester II: Correspondence with Adelbold on geometry: n.d.: Lat.: Copies, 12th cent.
• ff. 125b-128 Adelbold, afterwards Bishop of Utrecht: Correspondence with Gerbert on geometry: n.d.: Lat.: Copies, 12th cent.
• ff. 152b-165b Mathematics: Geometria, by Gerbert: 12th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 152b-165b Gerbert, afterwards Pope Sylvester II: Geometria: 12th cent.
• ff. 166-169 Mathematics: Anonymous treatise on geometry, beg. 'Si de ampla superficie terrae': 12th cent.