Royal MS 12 F VII

TWO ASTROLOGICAL WORKS by Claudius Ptolemaeus with the commentaries of Haly Abenrudianus [Abu al Hasan 'Ali ibn Rudwan ibn 'Ali ibn Ja'far] and medical aphorisms of Johannes filius Mesue [Yuhanna ibn Masawath] in Latin, viz.:

1. 'Glosa Haly Abenrudiani super prima (-quarta) parte libri quadripertiti Ptholomei Pheludiani', preceded by a preface of 'Egidius de Tebaldis Lombardus de ciuitate Parmensi translator huius libri'. This translation of the comes through a Spanish version (made for Alfonso X of Castile) from the Arabic. It is not that contained in the Venice edition of 1484, but both are printed, with Haly's commentary, in the Venice ed. of 1493. Imperfect by loss of leaves at the end, after f. 218, breaking off in the last chapter of lib. iv. Aegidius' preface beg. 'Scire et intelligere gloriosum est'; Haly's preface, 'Verba que dixit sapientissimus Ptholomeus'; text, 'Res Mizori quibus perficiuntur prognosticationes'; commentary, 'Ptholomeus inspexit in omnibus'. f. 1.

2. Aphorisms of Johannes filius Mesue, al. Johannes Damascenus. Printed in the Articella, Lyons, 1519, &c., and elsewhere. With an incomplete commentary, extending only to aph. 49. Imperf. at beg. by loss of the preface and part of the commentary on it, which begins ' . . . in arte et iste'. The first aphorism beg. 'Ecce in medicina immensa est profunditas'; the commentary on it, 'Finito prohemio huius libri in quo ostendit'. f. 219.

3. 'Hic est liber quem edidit Ptholomeus Pludensis in quo continentur 100 uerba ex electissimis sentenciis iudiciorum astrorum. et est expositio ex commento Haly medici magni': the Centiloquium (in Greek ) of Ptolemy with Haly's commentary. The latter is printed with the Quadripartitum in the Venice editions, 1484 and 1493, but the translation of the text here differs considerably from that printed and is also different from 12 E. xv, art. 8. Imperfect by loss of leaves at the end, breaking off in Vb. 43. Preface beg. 'Dixit Ptholomeus: Iam scripsi tibi, Iesure, libros de hoc quod operantur'. After the preface follows a passage 'Mundanorum mutatio ad hoc et ad illud', &c., which is not in the editions. Commentary beg. 'Dixit Ptholomeus Mundanorum, &c.: Premittens quasi fundamentum totius scientie'. f. 242 b.

Vellum; ff. 251. 11 in. x 7³/₄ in. Early XIV cent, Gatherings of 12, leaves (xviii¹⁴, xix⁹), with catchwords. Double columns. Written in England. Sec. fol. 'et potest'. Illuminated border initials with small miniatures of poor execution. The subjects are:-

1. Alfonso X receiving the translation. An ill-drawn shield of arms in the border (1st and 4th arg., a lion rampant gu.(?); 2nd and 3rd sable (sic), a castle, three towered, or) is probably meant to refer to Alfonso. f. 1.

2. Ptolemy instructing a student. f.3.

3. Ptolemy with a book and astrological instrument. f. 60.

4. Ptolemy casting a nativity, a woman with an infant in her arms. f. 112.

5. A wheel of fortune. f. 182 b.

6. One of the Fates. f. 242b.

Belonged 20 July, 1641 (f. 1) to John Theyer, in whose hand are several notes. Theyer sale-cat. no. 70; CMA. 6676.