Royal MS 12 F XIV

'DE NATVRIS RERVM, opus magistri Alexandri de Sancto Albano': the five books De naturis rerum et super Ecclesiasten of Alexander Neckam (Abbot of Cirencester 1213, d. 1217). Libb. i, ii were edited (from two Oxford MSS., with the present MS. and 12 G. xi) by T. Wright (Rolls Series, 1863); iii-v, comprising the commentary on Ecclesiastes, have not been printed. Another copy is in Harley MS. 3737. Neckam's marginal notes are given here as in several of the other MSS. Lib. i beg. 'Forma decens admiratione dignis nature munifice dotata deliciis'. Colophon to lib. v, 'Explicit tractatus mag. Alexandri super Ecclesiasten'. After this, in another hand, comes 'Finito libro sit laus et gloria Christo', with a passage entitled 'De preuaricatione et penitencia Salomonis', being a note on Eccle. i. 12 intended for insertion at f. 74. This passage is not in the other Royal MSS., or the Harley MS. It beg. 'Sed ne perfunctorie seriei expositionis'. The fly-leaves (ff. 1, 2, 135) are from an antiphonal with neums, written in a bold English hand of continental type, late 10th cent.' including the festival of S. Machu (or Malo). On f. 1 b is an ancient monogram TE, which may be a press-mark.

Vellum; ff. 135. 12 in. x 8³/₄ in. XIII cent. (except fly-leaves). Gatherings (excl. fly-leaves), i-ix⁸, x-xiv¹². Double columns. Sec. fol. 'enim dicitur'. Initials flourished in red and blue. From the Theyer library (monogram and no.4, f.3). Theyer sale-cat. no. 64; CMA. 6414.