Royal MS 6 E V

ROBERT GROSSETESTE, Bishop of Lincoln 1235-1253, works, in Latin, as follows. The classification is somewhat arbitrary, but occurs also in 7 E. ii and other MSS. For a different order see 5 C. III, art. 10.

1. 'Dicta Lincolniencis'; described in the colophon 'In hoc libello sunt capitula 147, quorum quedam sunt breuia verba, que dum in scolis morabar scripsi breuiter et incomposito sermone ad memoriam, nec sunt de vna materia nec adinuicem continuata, quorum titulos posui vt facilius quod vellet lector possit inueniri, spondentque plerumque plus alico tituli quam soluant capitula lectori. Quedam vero sunt sermones quos eodem tempore ad clerum vel ad populum feci'. A subjectindex and table are prefixed. Nineteen of the dicta are printed in Edward Brown's appendix-volume to 0. Gratius' Fasciculus Rerum Expetendarum (London, 1690), p. 258. Beg. 'Amor multipliciter uidetur dici'; ends 'iusticie et misericordie, &c.' f. 1.

2. Twenty-nine 'sermones' (numbered only to xviii), including many which might be better classed as 'dicta'. No. xxviii is marked 'Deficit'. The first beg. 'Pauper et inops laudabunt nomen tuum [Ps. lxxiii. 21]: Canitur hodie in laude beati Martini', and the last, 'Ecclesia sancta celebrat hodie solempnitatem resurreccionis'. f. 70.

3. Two extracts, viz. :-(a) 'Quid proprie est aureola', beg. ' Linc. in sermone [qui incipit Sacerdotes tui, dicto 3⁰]. Nobis enim inquit'. The bracketed words are inserted;-(b) Beg. 'Lincolniensis supra epistolam Iohannis Damasceni de Trisagio in fine sic ait, Sen. tencia Grecorum'. f. 109.

4. Sermon, without title, elsewhere called 'Ad viros ecclesiasticos'. Beg. 'Scriptum est de Leuitis'. f. 109.

5. 'Quomodo examinandus est penitens cum venerit ad confessionem' : a tract on confession. Beg. ' Deus est quo nichil melius excogitari potest'. f. 112 b.

6. Seven 'dicta' or sermons, unnumbered. Beg. 'Ex rerum iniciatarum et mutabilium et compositarum existencia'. The last beg. 'Iocunditas mentis de magnitudine sua gloria est'. f. 119 b.

7. Memorial delivered by Grosseteste to Innocent IV against the abuses of the papal court, &c. Printed in Brown's Fasciculus, p. 250. Introductory note beg. 'Anno domini millesimo ducentesimo quinquagesimo, tercio Idus Maii apud Lugdunum venerabilis pater'; text, 'Dominus noster Iesus Christus eternus eterni dei patris filius'. Ends 'est attemptatum'. f. 126.

8. Letter of Grosseteste to the Archdeacon of Canterbury and magister Innocentius, papal scriptor, reciting a letter of provision from Innocent IV directed to them, dated 26 Jan., 1253, and protesting against it. Printed ib. p. 400. Beg. 'Intelleximus uos litteram domini pape recepisse in hec verba Innocentius . . . Cum dilectus, &c. Nouerit discrecio uestra quod mandatis apostolicis'. f. 128.

9. A series of remonstrances addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury and Roman Curia about various grievances, chiefly relating to visitational powers. A brief narrative connects them. Begins with the title 'Parabola domini Roberti Groseste (sic) Lincolniensis episcopi. Paterfamilias prediues habet in vna prouincia'. At the end is the note 'Postquam uero reuersus in Angliam idem episcopus ... quibusdam familiarioribus suis cardinalibus scripsit in hunc modum: Anno domini mo.cco.lo. . . . &c. ut supra in principio istius quatern.i' (art. 7). f. 128 b.

10. Two paragraphs which probably should form part of art. 7. They occur in 7 E. ii and 7 F. ii before the paragraph beginning 'Iocunditas'. Beg. ' Ut iumentum factus sum, &c. Iumenta nomen inde', and 'Tenuisti manum, &c. Manus dextera hominis'. f. 132. Article 11 is in another band and is perhaps a later insertion.

11. 'Notabilia excerpta de epistolis domini Roberti Grostet episcopi Lincolniensis. prima epistola que sic incipit Rogauit me.' Extracts beg. 'In secunda epistola scriptum est Vbi esithesnutus'; end 'quinpotius et deificare, &c.' f. 132.

12. 'Exameron secundum Lincolniensem' (so colophon): the tract of Grosseteste on the Hexaemeron, to which are prefixed commentaries (a) On the epistle of S. Jerome to Paulinus (ep. iiii, Migne, Patr. Lat. xxii.

540). Beg. 'Frater Ambrosius, &c.: Hanc epistolam prepositam corpori'. f. 136;-(b) On the prologue of S. Jerome to Genesis (ib. xxviii. 147). Beg. 'De epistola quam scripsit Ieronimus ad Desiderium hec mihi videbantur'. f. 139 b. The tract itself beg. 'Omnis scientia et sapientia materiam habet'. f. 140.

13. 'De cessacione legalium secundum dominum Lincolniensem' (so colophon): a treatise in four parts, of which only part i has been printed (London, 1658, from a MS. which Selden bequeathed to Sir Matthew Hale, and Merton College MS. lxxxii, at Oxford). For another copy see 7 F. II, art. 12, and for an abridgement 5 C. III, art. 12. Beg. 'Fuerunt plurimi in primitiua ecclesia'. f. 185.

14. 'De oculo morali secundum Lincolniensem': the tract printed at Augsburg [1475?] under the name of Ioannes Pithsanus [i.e. Peckham], cf. bibliography in Peckham's Register (Rolls Ser.), iii. introd. p. lxxxi. The authorship is much disputed. The attribution to Grosseteste occurs also in Cotton MS. Vitell. C. xiv and Arundel MS. 200, but Hauréau (in Hist. Litt. de la France, xxiv, p. 463) gives it to Pierre de la Sepieyra of Limoges (see the Italian translation printed at Venice, 1496). For other copies see 7 C. I, art. 1, 12 D. VII, art. 3, 12 E. XXI, art. 12. Beg. 'Si diligenter volumus in lege domini meditari'. f. 211.

15. 'Mandata Lincolniensis' (so colophon): the tract on the commandments, not printed. For other copies see 7 F. II, art. 13, 11 B. III, art. 15. Beg. 'Sicut dicit apostolus Plenitudo legis est dileccio'; ends 'hiis vi. mandatis'. f. 228.

16. 'Tractatus Lincolniensis de impressione aeris': an unprinted tract on astrological weather-prediction. For another copy see 12 E. XXV, art. 26. Beg. Ad precognoscendam diuersam disposicionem aeris futuram'; ends 'habundancia erit pluuiarum'. f. 240.

17. 'Tractatus Lincolniensis de yride et speculo': unprinted. Beg, ' Et perspectiui et phisici est speculacio'; ends 'variaciones'. f. 241.

18. 'De statu causarum': a metaphysical tract. Printed (the first paragraph separately) in Grosseteste's Opuscula (Venice, 1514), foll. 4 b, 12 b. Beg. 'Magnus deus in semetipso'; ends 'maxime autem remota est yle'. f. 241 b.

19. 'De luce.' Printed, as De inchoatione formarum, ib. fol. ii b. Beg. 'Formam primam corporalem quam corporietatem nominant lucem esse arbitror'; ends 'rithmicis temporibus'. f. 242 b.

20. 'De colore, eiusdem.' Printed ib. fol. 4 b. Beg. 'Color est lux incorporata perspicuo'; ends 'visibiliter ostendunt'. Colophon, 'Explicit tractatus Lincolniensis de colore'. f. 243 b.

21. 'De generacionibus impressionum humidarum.' Printed ib. fol. 9. Beg. 'Ut testatur Iacobus Omne datum'; ends 'differt pluuia a rore'. f. 243 b.

22. 'Quod motus simpliciter sit a forma vt efficiente.' Printed, as De motu corporali et luce, ib. fol. 9b. Beg. Vnum in quantum vnum vnum solum est efficiens'; ends 'incorporalis et naturalis'. f. 244.

23. 'De disposicione motoris et moti in motu circulari,' Printed, as De motu supercelestium, ib. fol. 13. Beg. 'Quoniam motus simplex aut est circularis'; ends 'supersedemus'. f. 244.

24. 'De sex differenciis, Lincolniensis.' Printed, as De differentiis localibus, ib. fol. 14. Beg. 'Differenciarum idem genus condiuidencium'; ends 'effectum generacionis et corrupcionis habent'. f. 245.

25. 'Quod deus est forma prima omnium.' Printed, as De unica forma omnium, ib. fol. 6. Beg. 'Rogauit me dulcissima dileccio tua quatenus scribam'; ends 'similefingere'. f. 245b.

26. ' De intelligenciis.' Printed ib. fol. 6 b. Beg. 'Voluisti insuper a me scire quid senciam'; ends errorem meum corrigas'. f. 246.

27. 'De veritate.' Printed ib. fol. 7 b. Beg. 'Ego sum via veritas et vita: Hic ipsa veritas dicit se esse veritatem'; ends 'diversificata in sinigulis'. f. 247.

28. 'De veritate futurorum contingencium.' Two paragraphs, of which the first is printed, as De veritate propositionis, ib. fol. 5 b. Beg. 'Rem que partim est vel fuit'; ends 'non est necessarium'. The second paragraph beg. 'Si deus scit Antichristum esse'; ends 'ire iubes'. f. 248 b.

29. 'De ordine emanandi causatorum a deo'; unprinted. Beg. 'Multum coangustat mentes'; ends spacium extra mundum'. f. 249.

30. 'De figura machine mundane secundum Lincolniensem' : the Sphaerae Compendium, printed with the Sphaera of John de Sacro Bosco, Venice, 1508 and 1518. Beg. 'Intentio nostra in hoc tractatu est describere formam machine mundane'; ends 'semidiametrorum et solis et lune'. Colophon, 'Explicit secundum dominum Lincolniensem'. f. 249 b. .On the fly-leaf (f. 252 b) is scribbled a draft acquittance by the Prior, &c., of S. Mary's, Merton [co. Surrey], to the Warden and Fellows of New College, Oxford, for 16s. 6d. rent of Mowreshall in Oxford. Vellum; ff. 252. 7 in. x 113/4 in. XV cent. Gatherings of 12 leaves (beg. f. 6), with catchwords (xi10, xix8). Double columns. Sec.fol. in table 'curatus', in text 'quo magis'. Initials in red and blue, and borders on ff. 6 (portrait of Grosseteste), 70, 136, 185, 228. Belonged to Merton Priory, co. Surrey, 'Liber ecclesie sancte Marie de Merton' (f. 1). Also a 16th cent. owner's mark (initial T or TC?) as in 2 D. XXXIII, II A. V, and many other Royal MSS. Old Royal press-mark- 'no. 1239'; cat. of 1666, f. 7; CMA. 8134.