Royal MS 8 A XVIII

EXTRACTS from Aristotle, philosophical and mathematical tracts, and a series of canon law tracts apparently compiled for an English Cistercian monastery about the middle of the 14th century, in Latin. Another copy of these law tracts, possibly taken from this, is in 11 A. XIV, artt. 1-7. The whole MS. is in one hand. Contents:-

1. 'Auctoritates librorum logices' (so colophon): excerpts from Porphyrius, Aristotle, and Boethius. Beg. 'Neque genus neque species videtur simpliciter dici'. f. 4. Opposite f. 4 is a diagram illustrating genus and species.

2. 'Auctoritates diuersorum philosophorum' (so colophon): excerpts from Aristotle's Physics, Metaphysics, De Caelo, De Generatione et Corruptione, Meteorologica, De Anima, Parva Naturalia, De Animalibus, De Substantia Orbis, De Causis, Ethics, Politics and Rhetoric, with commentaries of Averroes, Themistius and Alexander, and from Seneca and Boethius. Preceded by an introductory chapter De diuisione scientia. rum. Prologue beg. 'Cum omne mouens nostrum appetitum rationem boni habere debeat'; text, 'Scire et intelligere contingit'. f. 12.

3. 'Tractatus de anima et eius potenciis'. Beg. 'Sicut dicit Damascenus, impossibile est substanciam ex. pertem'; ends 'esse ipsius est in omni parte'. f. 49.

4. 'Tractatus de spera': the treatise of Johannes de Sacro Bosco, printed very frequently (Ferrara, 1472- Leyden, 1647; cf. Hain, Rep. nos. 14100-14126). For other copies see 12 C. XVII, art. 5, 12 E. XVI, art. 7. There are no diagrams. Beg. 'Tractatum de spera in 4 capitulis distinguimus'. f. 56b.

5. 'Termini naturales' (so colophon): a collection of philosophical definitions and technical terms, apparently of Oxford origin. A work with the same initium in an Oxford MS. (New College cclxxxix, f. 38) is ascribed to magister lohannes Garisdale. A leaf is missing after f. 73 b. Beg. 'Natura est principium motus et quietis eius in quo est'; ends 'ad asperitatem vt tabula'. The geometrical terms are illustrated by diagrams. f. 69 b.

6. 'Proporciones cum opinionibus suis' (so colophon): a mathematical and dynamical treatise probably based on the lectures of Thomas Bradwardine (styled Doctor Profundus) of Merton College, Oxford, afterwards confessor to Edward 111 and (for a few weeks in 1349) Archbishop of Canterbury. It consists of definitions, seven 'supposiciones' (axioms), seven 'conclusiones' (propositions), all relating to proportion in gencral, and a discussion of certain 'opiniones' relating to velocities. The purport of the tract agrees with the Proportiones Braduardini printed (Venice, 1505) with the Quaestio de modalibus of Bassanus Politus, but the proofs are much briefer. Another somewhat similar tract is in Harley MS. 267, f. 228. Beg. 'Omnis proporcio ucl est communiter dicta uel proprie dicta. Proporcio communiter dicta est duarum rerum'. The dynamical part beg. 'Tres sunt opiniones famose', and ends 'pro vtraque eius parte', &c. f. 75.

7. 'Tractatus qui incipit Videamus qualiter et quando' (so table of contents): an anonymous tract on canon law procedure, the heads of which are summed up in the colophon 'De inquisicione facienda et de accusacione admittenda de condicione testium et de purgacione canonica indicenda et facienda explicit'. cf. 11 A. XIV, art. 1, 12 E. XIV, art. 2. Beg. 'Videamus qualiter et quando debet iudex iustus'. f. 82.

8. 'Incipit de rescriptis', with other chapters (from the same source ?) 'De obiciendo contra libellum', 'De testibus', 'Contra sentencias latas diuersimode', 'De appellacionibus', and 'Contra elecciones prelatorum'. Cf. 11 A. XIV, art. 2. Beg. 'Rescriptum non valet si tacita veritate'. f. 91 b.

9. 'Incipit prologus de casibus totius iuris in quibus quis excommunicatus est': the initium of this tract agrees with that given by Schulte, Gesch. der Quellen des can. Rechts, ii, p. 181, for the work of Card. Berengario Fredoli (d. 1323). cf. 11 A. XIV, art. 3. Beg. 'Cum excommunicacionis (sic, for excommunicatos) non vitare'; ends 'glossa que incipit singularis cura'. f. 97.

10. 'Quidam tractatus pro defensione subditorum': a treatise on procedure with formulae framed for a Cistercian monastery in the diocese of Lincoln and dated in the third year of Benedict XII [1336-7]. Cf. 11 A. XIV, art. 4. Beg. 'Cum ad prelatum contra subditum validus clamor'. f. 101 b.

11. 'De eleccionibus prelatorum et de qualitate eligendorum et electorum': another Cistercian tract. Cf. 11 A. XIV, art. 5. Beg. 'Cum ecclesie dei nil tantum officiat'. f. 112.

12. 'Item alius tractatus de eleccionibus': another tract with formulae for a Cistercian abbey in the diocese of Lincoln. cf. 11 A. XIV, art. 6. Reference is made (f. 121 b) to a point raised 'nuper in generali capitulo apud Norhampton' respecting the election of the abbot of D. to be abbot of T. Beg. 'Quia sepe tam patres abbates'; ends 'volens et consenciens. extrauagante de eleccionibus', &c. f. 117.

13. 'Tractatus de visitacione', &c. : another tractwith Cistercian formulae for the diocese of Lincoln. Cf. 11 A. XIV, art. 7. Beg. 'Cum facienda fuerit visitacio'; ends 'senciens me indebite, &c., vt supra'. It is followed (f. 143 b) by a list of penalties imposed by Cistercian statutes, beg. 'Pena fraccionis silencii habetur in antiquis'. f. 130. On the fly-leaves (ff. 1 b, 144, 145) are theological distinctiones and verses, including two sets of verses (8 in a 15th cent. hand, 7 in

a 16th cent. hand) on the Creation. On f. 145 is the note 'precii vi s. viii d.' Vellum; ff 146. 74 in. xSi in. Early XV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (i10, iii7, v6, vii3), with catchwords. Sec. fol. 'melior flet'. One illuminated initial, others in red and blue. The erased colophons (ff. 48 b, 80 b, 1143) gave the owner's name, 'Iste liber constat Tho[me? ... ] scolari vniuersitatig Oxonie'. Later owners are noted at f. 146 b, 'Libellus dompni Iohannis Charyte monachi de dono magistri Willelmi Charyte vicarii S. Bartholomei', and f. 2, 'Liber Iohannis Powre clerici'. Belonged to John Theyer. Theyer sale-cat. no. 238; CMA. 6636.