Royal MS 12 D IX

MEDICAL TRACTS, in Latin, in a hand of the late 13th century, viz:

1. 'Viaticus Constantini' (so table of contents): the Arabic work of Isaac Judaeus [Isbak ibn Sulaiman] translated and appropriated by Constantinus Africanus (monk of Monte Cassino, d. circ. 1087), see Wüstenfeld, Uebersetzungen arabischer Werke in Abh. der k. Gesellsch. Göttingen, xxii, p. 16. Printed in Isaaci Opera (Lugd. 1515), f. 144, and in the Basel (1539) ed. of Con. stantine, f. 1. and elsewhere. Preface beg. 'Quoniam, ut in rectoricis Tullius inquid'; text, 'Capillus ex grosso et calido fumo'. f. 4.

2. 'Liber urinarum Ysaac' (so colophon): the translation by Constantinus Africanus of the Arabic work by Isaac Judaeus (see Wüstenfeld, l. c., p. 17). Printed in Isaaci Opera (Lugd. 1515), f. 156. Preface beg. 'A [al. In] Latinis quidem libris nullum auctorem'; text, 'Vrina est colamentum sanguinis et ceterorum similiter humorum'. f. 65 b.

3. 'Egidius de vrinis' (so table of contents): the poem of Aegidius of Corbeilles with a commentary as in 12 D. XIII, art. 9. Imperf. at beg. Opens with l. 178 of Choulant's edition and ends with l. 341 (the third of the epilogue) 'torrentes fluminis undas'. See the complete copy in 12 D. XIII. f. 88.

4. Two treatises on the pulse, viz. :-(a) Tract found also, with slight variations, in Harley MS. 3719, f. 275 b, where it is assigned to Salernus, and in Add. MS. 22636, f. 79. Preface beg. 'Corporis humani machina licet ex variis'; text, 'Pulsus, ut dicit Philaretus, est motio cordis'. f. 95.-(b) Anonymous compendium, which purports to be taken from Galen's large work and the epitome thereof and from the Summa pulsuum of Bishop Alphanus [Archbishop of Salerno 1058-1085]. Renzi does not notice this work. Another copy is in Arundel MS. 295, f. 205. Preface beg. 'Omnium significacionum interiorem corporis disposicionem declarancium'; text, 'Pulsus est motio cordis et arteriarum secundum diastolen et sistolen'. f. 96 b.

The fly-leaves (ff. 1, 3) are from a commentary (circ. 1300) on some logical treatise. On f. 98 is a quatrain on the vanity of life, beg. 'Omnia transibunt, fugitiua labitur etas'. Among scribbling on f. 99 b is 'Nomen scriptoris Bernardus plenus amoris'. In the margins are many rough drawings of various dates, the latest being childish pencil-sketches of the 16th cent. Rather earlier are a more elaborately sketched head of a man on f. 59 b, and a rough drawing of justice on f. 19b.

Vellum; ff. 99. 10¹/₂ in. x 7 in. Late XIII cent. Gatherings (beg. f. 4) of 8 leaves, with catchwords. Double columns. Sec. fol. 'quoque et nasturcii'. Initials fiourished in red and blue. Belonged circ. 1500 (f.4) to S. Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, 'de adquisicione I[ohannes] Preston. prec. v.s. iiii.d.' Not in the catalogue printed by M. R. James, Anc. Libr. of Cant. (see p. lxxiv). An earlier library mark G. on f. 4 looks more like Christ Church. Afterwards (f. 4) 'Liber Aegidii Coys Sept. 4, 1621'; later (f. 98) belonged to John Theyer, 'Liber Iohannis Theyer de Cowpers hill in comitatu ciuifatis Gloucestriae 20 Novembris anno domini 1653'. The name of his grandson Charles Theyer on f. 4 is also in John Theyer's hand. Theyer sale-cat. no. 110; CMA. 6410.