Royal MS 12 G II

'VOLVMEN DE NATVRALIBVS Aristotilis': a collection consisting of the Physics and other works, in Latin. To these a gloss, derived from Oxford lecture-notes, has been added by the scribe, whose name appears at f. 1 b, 'Quem librum scripsit Henricus de Renham et audiuit in scolis Oxonie et emendauit et glosauit audiendo'. For similar volumes cf. 12 G. III, 12 G. V. Contents:

1. Physics: the antiqua translatio, from the Greek, of which Brechillet-Jourdain gives a specimen, Recherches sur les Traductions, Paris, 1843, p. 406, spec. vii. Printed (with the commentary of Aquinas), Venice, 1551, but with considerable alterations. Beg. 'Quoniam intelligere et scire contingit circa omnes sciencias quarum sunt principia'. Renham's annotations include extracts from one of the versions made from the Arabic, and citations of Averroes. f. 2.

After art. 1 (f. 115) has been written the first page of the De anima, but this has been erased (see art. 7).

2. 'Liber celi et mundi': the four books De caelo, in the version from the Arabic of which Jourdain gives a specimen, op. cit. p. 408, spec. ix. Beg. 'Summa cognicionis nature et sciencie ipsam significantis'. Renham's notes refer to the other translation (also from the Arabic, and probably by Michael Scot), and to Averroes. f. 116.

3. 'De vegetabilibus libri ii': two Pseudo-Aristotelian books translated from the Arabic, and preceded by the translator's prefatory epistle to one Roger. According to Valentin Rose (Aristoteles Pseudepigraphus, Leipzig, 1863, p. 264) theyare the work of Nicolaus Damascenus translated into Arabic by Isaac filius Iohannicii (Ishak ibn Hunain), thence into Latin by Aluredus de Sareshel, al. Sarechel, an Englishman (see Dict. Nat. Biogr.), and dedicated to Roger of Hereford. Printed in the Fontana Aristotle (Venice, 1496), fol. 353 b, and edited by E. F. H. Meyer, Leipzig, 1841. Preface beg. 'Tria, ut ait Empedocles, in tota rerum uarietate' ; lib. i, 'Vita in animalibus et plantis inuenta est'. Renham's notes cite one Aluredus, presumably the same person as the translator (see C. S. Barach, Excerpta e libro Alfredi Anglici de Motu Cordis, Innsbruck, 1878). f. 206.

4. Meteorologica: the version from the Arabic, Jourdain, op. cit. p. 414, spec. xiv. Beg. 'Postquam precessit rememoracio nostra de rebus naturalibus primis'. Renham again refers to a commentary by Aluredus. f. 226 b.

5. De generatione et corruptione: the version from the Greek, Jourdain, p. 412, spec. xiii. Printed as 'antiqua translatio' with the commentary of Aquinas, Venice, 1555. Beg. 'De generatione autem et corruptione et natura generatorum et corruptorum uniuersaliter'. Renham occasionally refers to another translation, probably that which comes from the Arabic. f. 280.

6. De memoria et reminiscentia: the version from the Greek, Jourdain, p. 421, spec. xxii. Printed in the Fontana Aristotle, fol. 323. Beg. 'Reliquorum autem primum considerandum de memoria et memorari quid est et propter quas causas'-the first words of this are often made part of the De sensu. Renham's notes are wanting for the second half of the tract. f. 311.

7. 'De anima': the version from the Greek, Jourdain, p. 418, spec. xix. Printed in the junta edition of Averroes' commentaries (Venice, 1550), vi, fol. 108 b. Beg. 'Bonorum et honorabilium opinantes noticiam'. Renham cites the version from the Arabic and Averroes commentary. f. 316.

8. 'De morte et uita' (sic): really the De longitudine et breuitate vitae, the version from the Greek, Jourdain, p. 425, spec. XXV. Printed in the Fontana Aristotle, fol. 333b. Beg. 'De eo autem quod est esse alia longe uite animalium'. Renham cites Averroes. f. 355 b.

9. De differentia spiritus et animae: the physiological tract of Costha ben Luca, a 10th cent. physician of Baalbek, translated from the Arabic by Johannes Hispanus [al. Avendeath, i.e. Ibn Danth] a converted Jew. Edited by C. S. Barach, Innsbruck, 1878. A version in Constantine's works (Basel, 1536), p. 308, seems to be a different translation and wants most of the preface. Preface beg. 'Interrogasti me, honoret te deus, de differentia'; text, 'Spiritus est quoddam corpus subtile'. Renham cites Averroes and also Aluredus de motu cordis (see Barach, op. cit.). f. 358 b.

10. De somno et vigilia (including De divinatione ex somniis): the version from the Greek, Jourdain, p. 422, spec. xxiii. Printed in the Fontana Aristotle, fol. 325. Beg. 'De sompno autem et uigilia considerandum quid sit'. Renham cites Averroes. f. 368.

11. De sensu et sensato: the version from the Greek, of which Jourdain gives a specimen, p. 420, spec. xxi Printed in the Fontana Aristotle, fol. 317. Beg. 'Quoniam autem de anima secundum ipsam determinatum est'. Renham cites Averroes. f. 382 b.

Vellum; ff. 398. 12³/₄ in x 8¹/₂ in. End of XIII cent. Gatherings generally of 12 leaves, others doubtful. Sec.fol. 'quod sane'. Initials flourished in red and blue. Broad margins for notes. At f. 12 b a passage is marked by a marginal half-figure of a man issuing from a tripod over a fire. Belonged (f. 1 b) to Rochester Priory, 'I Volumen de naturalibus Aristotilis . de claustro Roffensi . per Iohannem priorem Roffensem [either John de Renham, prior 1262-1283 and again 1292-1294, or John de Greenstreet, 13O1-1314]. Hunc librum quicumque alienauerit ab hoc cla[u]stro, alienatum celauerit, uel hunc titulum in fraudem deleuerit, dampnacionem incurrit anathematis lati singulis armis a priore et totu cetu capituli Roffensi' (table of contents follows). A contemporary hand adds the note about Henry de Renham, as above. On f. 398 b are a number of cautiones, erased and illegible. Old Royal press-mark 'no. 572' (Westm. invent. of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, f. 16); cat. of 1666, f. 8b or 20; CMA. 8446 or 8449.