Royal MS 12 B XIX

PHILOSOPHICAL TREATISES, in Latin, by various authors, viz.:

1. 'Paruus tractatus de anima magistri Lauenham' [Richard Lavenham al. Lavingham, see 7 C. IX, 12 E. XVI, art. 3, and Dict. Nat. Biogr.]. Another copy of this tiny tract is in Sloane MS. 3899, f. 64. Beg. 'Anima est actus corporis organici'. f. I.

2. 'Materia de alteracione bona et vtilis secundum Chylmarke' (so colophon): a treatise on Aristotelian physics. Leland (Collectanea, 1770, iv, p. 56) identifies the author with John Chylmark, fellow of Merton Coll. 1382, but a Thomas Chylmark was also fellow in 1383 (Broderick, Memorials of Merton, p. 219). Other copies are in MSS. at Oxford (New Coll. cclxxxix, Corpus Christi Coll. ciii). Beg. 'Pro materia alteracionis in qualitate promulganda'. f. 2.

3. 'Uniuersalia secundum Muluuerley' (so colophon, with scribe's name 'quod Cockys', cf. art. 10): a metaphysical tract by William Milverley, of which there are several copies at Oxford (see Dict. Nat. Biogr.), also in Harley MS. 2178, f. 7. Beg. 'Pro vniuersalium superficiali noticia'. f. 14.

4. 'Exposiscio magistri Walteri Burley super Porphirium' (so colophon): the commentary by Walter de Burley, fellow of Merton College, Oxford, 1306, Prebendary of Wells 1332, on the translation by Boethius of the Isagoge of the Greek commentator Porphyrius (an introduction to Aristotle's Categories). Printed, Venice, 1481, 1497, &c. Preface beg. 'Quia de dictis in logica intendendo (sic)'; text, 'Cum sit necessarium Grisrorii (sic, for Chrysaori), &c.: Iste liber qui est primus in ordine doctrine'. f. 19.

5. 'Porphyrius secundum Whelpdale' (so table of contents): another commentary on the same. Perhaps by Roger Whelpdale, fellow of Balliol College, Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, and Bishop of Carlisle 1420-1423 (cf. art. 9), but in Harley MS. 2178, f. 14, it is ascribed to 'magister W. P.' (possibly Whelpdale Praepositus). Preface beg. 'Quia Aristoteles in libro predicamentorum de x. predicamentis'; text, 'Cum sit necessarium, &c. : Iste liber diuiditur in duas partes principales'. Colophon, 'Reddo tibi, Criste, grates. Liber breuis iste Per te finitur, qui Porphirius fore scitur'. f. 36.

6. 'Notabilia de perspectiuis': brief notes on optics. Beg. 'Omne corpus visibile uidetur sub quodam triangulo'. f. 45 b.

7. 'Tractatus mag. Walteri Burley de potenciis anime, completus per fratrem Petrum Winsberg de prouincia Reni et Sweuie ordinis fratrum heremitarum sancti Augustini' (so colophon): a tract on psychology. Other copies are at Oxford (Magd. Coll. xlvii, Corpus Christi Coll. ccxciii). Beg. 'Vt dicit philosophus 2⁰ de anima, potenciarum anime quibusdam animatis insunt omnes'. f. 46.

8. 'Hic incipiunt vniuersalia mag. I[ohannis] Scharpe': a metaphysical treatise. Also in Harley MS. 2178, f. 107 b, and at Oxford, New Coll. ccxxxviii, where there are other works of the same author, a fellow of Queen's College (see Coxe, Cat. of MSS. of Oxford Colleges). Beg. 'Queritur vtrum aliqua sint vniuersalia in rerum natura preter signa'. Colophon, 'Expliciunt vniuersalia realia Scharpe, cuius anime propicietur deus', and 'deo gracias quod Maundewer' (cf. art. II). f. 56.

9. 'Vniuersalia Whelpdale' (so table of contents, though in a different order, but Tanner gives the same initium): another metaphysical tract. In Harley MS. 2178, f. 100 b, it is ascribed to 'magister Tartous' (cf. art. 12). Beg. 'Cum vniuersalium cognicio, vt testatur Porphurius'. f. 85.

10. 'Sex Principia' (so table of contents): a commentary [by William Milverley, cf. art. 3] on the logical treatise De sex principiis of 'Gilbertus Politanus' (sc. Porretanus, of la Porrée, Bishop of Poitiers 1142-1154). Other copies are in MSS. at Oxford (see Dict. Nat. Biogr.), also in Harley MS. 2178, f. 78. Beg. 'Forma est composicioni contingens, &c. : Intencio autoris in hoc libello est diffusius tractare'. f. 96.

11. 'Predicamenta secundum Alington' (so table of contents): a commentary by Robert Alington, fellow of Queen's College, Chancellor of Oxford University 1394, on the Antepraedicamenta, Praedicamenta, and Postpraedicamenta, i.e. on the whole of Aristotle's Categories. Other copies are in Harley MS. 2178, f. 29, and Oriel Coll. MS. XXXV at Oxford. Beg. 'Quoniam logica ad omnium scienciarum principia'; ends 'pro literali sensu huius libri, deo gracias, quod Maundewer. Alington. liber hic editus esse probatur Nobis vulgariter qui predicamenta uocatur'. The scribe, who wrote the greater part of artt. 8-11, has apparently repeated his name 'Thomas [Maundewer ?]' below, but it has been erased and 'Johannes Cockys' written over. Above this is a diagram representing 'substancia'. f. 123 b.

12. 'Problemata mag. Iohannis Tartas super 5 uniuersalia': quaestiones by John Tartays al. Tartous, fellow of Balliol Coll., Oxford, on the Isagoge of Porphyrius. Another copy is in Magd. Coll. MS. xlvii at Oxford. Beg. 'Problema correspondens libro Porphyrii erit hoc'. Colophon gives the name, 'quod Cokkys', of the scribe who wrote all but the first page of the article (cf. artt. 2-4, 11, 13). He has also inserted his name and rebus (two cocks) at the beginning. f. 197b.

13. 'Exposicio mag. Walteri de Burley super librum Posteriorum Aristotelis' (so colophon): a full commentary on Aristotle's Posterior Analytics, of which an abridgement was printed with Grosseteste's commentary (Venice, 1552). A note at the head (f. 244) in John Theyer's hand ascribes it without evidence to John Baconthorpe. Beg. 'Omnis doctrina et omnis disciplina: Secundum philosophum in moralibus in quibuscumque actubus'. Colophon ends 'quod Iohannes Cockys de Alknczstrzb' [Alincystrya, probably Alcester, co. Warw.]. f. 244.

14. 'Tractatus de sensibilibus secundum Burley' (so colophon): a tract of which there is another copy at Cambridge (Univ. Libr. Hh. iv. 13). Beg. 'In homine sunt 5 sensus interiores'. f. 301 b.

On the fly-leaf (f. 305) are some moral verses in a late 15th cent. hand, beg. 'Dum florescunt iuuentutes'.

Vellum (except part of art. 8) ; ff. i + 305. 8 in. x 5¹/₂ in. Late XV cent. Gatherings, i³, ii¹⁴, iii²⁰, iv¹⁰, v¹², vi¹⁴, vii¹³, viii⁸, ix¹⁸, xxii¹⁶, xiii¹⁴, xiv^l3, xv-xx¹², xxi¹⁴, xxii, xxiii¹², xxiv⁸, xxv⁴. Sec. fol. 'in comparacione'. Initials in red, blue, and green. Belonged to John Theyer. Theyer sale-cat. no. 219; CMA. 6555.