Royal MS 8 G IV

THEOLOGICAL TRACTS, in Latin, viz.:-

1. 'Epistola Dyonisii' ad Polycarpum: ep. vii of the Pseud-areopagite Dionysius in the version, called vetus translatio, of Johannes Sarracenus (printed, Strassburg, 1502, fol. 272 b). Beg. 'Ego quidem non sum aduersus Grecos'. A later addition (early 14th cent.). f. 1 b.

2. 'Incipit prefacio super quatuor (really five) libros Dyonisii ariopagite secundum dominum Thomam abbatem sancti Andree Verselensis' (title in a late 14th cent. hand): the extractiones, or paraphrase, by Thomas Gallo, Abbot of S. Andrea at Vercelli (1220-1226), from several works of the Pseud-areopagite, as printed in the Strassburg ed., 1502, viz. :-(a) De Angelica Hierarchia (ib. fol. 278 b). Preface beg. 'Cum in libris magni Dionisii arriopagite geminam expiriter (for 'experirer ') difficultatem'; paraphrase, 'Omne bonum datum naturalium'. f. 3;-(b) De Ecclesiastica Hierarchia (ib.

292). Beg. '0 Thimothe, quampluribus iustis'. f. 11;-

(c) De Divinis Nominibus (ib. 303 b). Beg. 'Post librum de diuinis caracteribus'. f. 17 b;-(d) De My stica Theologia (ib. 324 b). Beg. '0 Trinitas supersubstancialissuperdeaetsuperbonainspectrix'. f. 30 b;-

(e) Epistola ad Titum, ep. ix (ib. 326 b). Beg. '0 Tite, tot me didicit Thimotheus'. f. 32.

3. Commentary on the Pseud-areopagite's work De Divinis Nominibus, probably in the translation of Johannes Sarracenus. Incomplete, comprising only a part of 'chap, i. The writer of the late 14th cent. table of contents ascribes this also to Thomas of Vercelli, but it seems not to be otherwise known as his. Preface beg. 'Domine dominus noster, quam admirabile, &c. [PS. viii. 2]: Non solum mirabile set admirabile'; commentary, 'Nunc o beate, &c.: Dionisius rogatus a Thimotheo'. Breaks off 'Joh. vii. f.' f. 33b.

4. 'Spectacula contemplacionis secundum assensum sex graduum quos distinxit prior Ricardus de s. Victore Parysiensi' : a catalogue based on a passage (lib. i, cap. 9) of the work called Benjamin Maior of Ricardus de S. Victore (Migne, Patr. Lat. cxcvi. 70). Reference to another work, 'liber prioris Ric. de s. Victore Paris. qui dicitur iustus'rneus' (i. e. the six books De Trinitate), occurs lower down. The title at the head of the page, ,Ricardus de s. Victore de 6 gradibus contemplacionis', is therefore a mistake. Beg. 'Primus in ymaginacione secundum ymaginacionem quatuor elementa'. f. 41.

5. 'Exlanacio mystice theologie Dyonisii secundum dominum Thomam abbatem s. Andree Vercellensis' (so title in pencil): a commentary on Dionysius de Mystica Theologia, probably in the translation of Joh. Sarracenus. It includes a reference to the sex gradus distinguished by Ricardus de S. Victore (cf. art. 4). Beg. 'Trinitas supersubstancialis, &c.: Duplici modo ad dei cognicion emperuenimus'. f. 42b. On blank leaves at the end of this article is inserted (ff. 47 b, 51) a copious subject-index to art. 6.

6. 'Summa mag. Willelmi Thealdorocensis (the table of contents gives rightly Altissiodorensis) incoata de fide queest fundamentum omnium sperandorum': the treatise (printed, Paris, 1500, and elsewhere) of Guillaume d'Auxerre, Archdeacon of Beauvais (d. 1230), on the Sententiae of Petrus Lombardus. In four books. For another copy see 9 B. V. The original text of this MS. differs from the printed recension in omitting two considerable passages, both of which, however, are added on inserted leaves in a hand of the 14th cent., viz. :-(a) The 'continuatio secundi libri cum primo' (ed. Paris, fol. 32 b). Begins here 'Postquam dictum est de creatore modo dicendum est de mundo creatura'. f. 80;-

(b) 'Tractatus xxvi-xxx'of lib. ii (ib. fol. 83). Beg. 'Dicto quid sit liberum arbitrium et que peccata sunt ex eo'. f. 127. In 9 B. v these are part of the text. Beg. 'Fides est substancia, &c. [Heb. xi. 1]: Sicut enim uera dilectione'. f. 52.

Vellum; ff. 356. 14 in.x 9 in. Late XIII cent. Sec. fol. 'eo quod nec'. Initials in red and blue. One small illuminated miniature-initial (Virgin and Child and kneeling monk with scroll, 'In te confidit anima mea') and border on f. 52. On f. 356 are written the names (15th cent.) Will. Wymundham and Will. Fykeys of Northfold. A William Fykeys, rector of Burnham Deepdale, co. Norf., occurs as a donor to Ramsey Abbey library (Cotton Roll ii.

16'). Belonged to Evesham Abbey, 'Iste liber est ecclesie b. Marie et s. Egwini de Evesham quem adquisiuit Ric. Penbroch monachus eiusdem prec. iii. marc. vi.s. viii.d.' (f. 3). The figure iii appears to have been altered to iiii and on f. 4 the price appears as 53s. iiii.d. Richard Pembroke was abbot 1460-1467 (cf. 10 D. VI). Old Royal press-mark 'no. 1019'; cat. of 1666, f. 17 b; CMA. 8228, 8229.