Royal MS 12 G IV

'COMPENDIVM MEDICINE' (also called Lilium or Laurea medicinae) by Gilbertus Anglicus, with several other tracts and many recipes compiled by 'frater Iohannes de Grenborough', for thirty years 'infirmarius' at [S. Mary's] Coventry. Contents:

1. 'Compendium medicine' (so colophon), without author's name; a 15th cent. hand has added the title 'Incipit liber morborum tam vniuersalium quam particularium a mag. Gilberto Anglico editus, ab omnibus auctoribus et practicis magistrorum extractus et exceptus, qui compendium medicine intitulatur'. A later note in a hand found in other Theyer MSS. (12 C. XV, f. 148 b, 12 D. VI, f. 85), which is apparently that of Hen. Fowler, rector of Minchinhampton in 1618 (cf. notes in a copy of Bale's Scriptores, Brit. Mus. press-mark 598 i. 13), adds, 'He was of Sarum and the junior of all the 7 masters of the Archane Science of Physicke'; but a third note, by John Theyer (following Bale), which calls him 'Legleus', is probably a confusion with a later physician, Gilbert L'Aigle. The work is alluded to in other parts of the volume as 'Gilbertinus'. In seven books. Printed at Lyons, 1510. Beg. 'In morbis uniuersalibus propositi nostri intencio'. f. 5.

2. Quaestiones on various branches of natural science. Beg. 'Queritur quare equus redorsatus'. f. 127.

3. 'Incipiunt notabiles abstracciones deanimalibus': notes taken from 'libri 1-19' of Aristotle, i.e. Historia animalium, De partibus, and De generatione animalium, with two series of addenda at the end. Beg. 'Quantum pluma in auibus'. f. 129 b.

4. Astrological tables, viz.:-(a) Place of the moon in the signs for every day of the year;-(b) A wheel (cf. f. 160), incomplete, beneath which is the verse 'Quid rota significet potabit qui bene dicet'. f. 132.

5. Table of chapters, in an early 14th cent. hand, to art. 1. f. 132 b.

Artt. 1-5, written circ. 1300, appear to have completed the original volume, which has notes of two early pledgings 'Caucio Iohannis de Hauerton scilicet lilium medicine prec. vii s. iiii d.' (f. 131 b) and 'Caucio Iohannis de Merton (?) . . . exposita in cista Wyntoniensi (?) pro tribus . . . anno dom. mccc. vicesimo quinto . . .' (f. 133). For its later history see below. On f. 133 b is the couplet 'A prest pomme beue nul homme A prest poire cheschun doit boire'.

6. 'Alphabetum herbarum' (so referred to on f. 168): a table of synonyms. Beg. 'Aaron, barba aaron: iarus, pes vituli, gallice iare, Anglice cokousepintul'; ends 'Upia, Anglice canell'. Followed by a note on the 'herba que dicitur Mortagon'. f. 134. Artt. 7-11 are of the end of the 14th cent.

7. Three tracts on physiognomy, written without any division, viz.:-(a) A tract, found also in Sloane MSS.

513, f. 77 b, 3469, f. 34, Cotton MS. Jul. D. VIII, f. 126 b, and Egerton MS. 847, f. 51. Beg. 'Elegans est nature congnicio'. f. 137;-(b) The physiognomical section of the Secreta Secretorum (cf. 12 D. III, art. 1), beg. 'Inter ceteras cogniciones'. f. 138b;-(c) Part of lib. ii of Rasis ad Almansorem (cf. 12 B. XXV, art. 1), beg. 'Color rubeus aut rufus'. Colophon, 'Explicit phisonomia Aristotelis et Philo[mon]is doctoris'. f. 139 b.

8. 'Incipit de ponderibus et mensuris medicina liber cum medicinarum qualitate'; this begins a lengthy systematic compilation [no doubt by John of Grenborough] of remedies for all disorders of the members from the head downwards, with an appendix of additions at the end including several charms, of which some are in English or French. The names of simples and of diseases are throughout often in English. References to art. `. 'vide supra in Gilbertino', are common; other authorities are the Viaticum [Constantini] Avicenna, Aegidius, 'Presbyter', the Schola Salernitana (quoted, but not named), 'magister Willelmus de Stafford' (f. 145), &c. Beg. 'Siliqua habet ordei grana iii'. f. 140 b.

9. Tracts on the plague, viz.:-(a) 'Causa [et signa] pestilencie'. Beg. 'Causa pestilencie est aer putridus'. f. 157 b;-(b) 'Post signa pestilencie sequitur cura pestilencie seu epidemie et earum infirmitates causatas seu significatas (sic) per coniunctiones infrascriptas secundum doctrinam mag. Iohannis de Burgundia, alio nomine Iohannis cum Barba': the longer form of the treatise by John de Bourgogne, dit à la Barbe, physician at Liége and author of the 'travels of Sir John Mandeville' (see Dict. Nat. Biogr., s. n. Mandeville). A list of the MSS. (Latin and English) will be found in D. Murray's Notes on the Black Book of Paisley (Paisley, 1885), p. 80. Another copy of the tract in this form is in Sloane MS.

134, f. 32. A French translation is said by Du Verdier (Bibl. Franc. ii, p. 332) to be in print. Beg. 'Quoniam omnia inferiora tam elementa'; ends 'ut cum quis conualuerit pro me oret. amen'. f. 158.

10. Astrological tables, viz.:-(a) Place of the moon in the signs for every day of the year;-(b) Circular diagram 'sphere' or 'wheel', with explanation in eight hexameters, beg. 'Collige per numeros quicquid cupis esse probandum', as in Sloane MS. 416, f. 105, cf. also 12 E. XXV, art. 24 (c);-(c) Table of the planetary influences for every hour in the week. f. 160.

11. Further recipes and charms, as in art. 8, in Lat., Fr., and Engl. Among them is a long alchemical note with ten hexameter verses on the transmutation of quicksilver into silver. The note begins (f. 163 b) 'Ad declarandum textum versuum infraseriptorum respicias librum aureum qui dicitur ortus sapientie et thesaurus philosophorum', and the verses (f. 164 b) 'Mercurii crudi partes sex altera lune'. The collection is imperfect by loss of leaves after f. 165, among the missing contents being probably one of the spurious letters of Hippocrates (perhaps 'Ad Maecenatem', cf. Add. MS. 8928, f. 25), see a reference on f. 168. f. 160 b. Artt 12-19 are in hands of slightly later date.

12. 'Hic incipit modus de regemine infirmorum': apparently a compilation of the same kind as artt. 8, 11, but containing in the latter part a larger proportion of English. Beg. 'Quando aliqui infirmantur, sic debetis procedere in regemine illorum. Primo mundetur'. References as before 'ut supra in Gilbertino' and also (f. 168) 'in epistola Ypocratis supra in nouo quaterno post alphabetum herbarum' (this does not seem to refer to anything now in the volume). Other references are to Bernardus de Gordonio (f. 167) and to 'medicus Regis Anglie Edwardi' (ib.), and on f. 186 b is a note of the cure of 'magister Ricardus de Birmicham [Birmingham?]'. Some of the notes are perhaps complete tracts. The following are long enough for separate notice:-(a) On the stone, beg. 'Primo qualiter generantur lapides'. f. 171 b;-(b) Astrological tract on the influences of the Zodiacal constellations, 'Aries est signum calidum et colericum'. ff. 183 b, 185b;-(c) A long charm against fever. f. 184b;-(d) On urines, in English, 'Here may þou knowe vrynes bi coloures'. f. 185b;-(e) Properties of rosemary, and aqua vitae. Beg. 'Flores eius in panno lineo', see also art. 18, below. f. 185 b. At the end is the reference 'sec. episcopum Serniensem [? Salerniensem] et magistrum Thateum in ciuitate Boniensi [Bononiensi]'. The whole series concludes with the note (f. 187 b):

'Frater Iohannes de Grenborough per xxx annos et plus nuper infirmarius emebat istum librum vocatum Gilbertinum ad vtilitatem infirmorum in ecclesia Couentre existentium, et ea que in nouis quaternis sunt scripta compilauit a practicis phisicorum Anglie Hibernie Iudeorum Saracenorum Lumbardorum et Salernita[no]rum et expendebat multa in medicis circa compilationem illarum medicinarum. Multa in nouis quaternis suprascripta per practicam sunt vera, set plures phisici nolunt approbare ea, quia rnulti illorum ignorant practicam sed multa verba et vacua in ventum seminant.'

A list of the classical 'auctores in phisica' follows, with the couplet 'Esurit ars, decreta tument, lex lucra ministrat, Pontificat Moyses, thalamos medicina subintrat'. f. 166.

13. A few recipes similar to the preceding article, in Latin and English. The quire which this article begins may possibly have been originally placed earlier so that the above note came at the end, but there is no evidence of this. f. 188.

14. 'Hic incipit practica Edwardi vniuersitatis Oxonie qui fuit optimus in illis partibus cirurgicus': a tract in English. A later note (in the hand noticed under 12 C. XV, f. 148 b) says 'dictus fuit Edwardus Niger'. and Theyer adds the inadmissible suggestion 'fortasse Edwardus Wottonus' (1492-1555, see Dict. Nat. Biogr.). Nothing else seems known of an Edw. Niger, but in point of fact the compilation is based on a work of earlier date than this MS. and perhaps of Northern origin (see 17 A. VIII, art. 1, 17 A. XXXII, art. 3). See also art. 18, below. Beg. 'Here bygynnes goode medicines þat goode leches haue founden and drawen owte of bokes of Galiene and Esclepius and Ypocras, for þey were þe best leches of þe world. Wo so haþ hakyng or turment in hiis hed make lye of verueyne'; ends 'temper hit vp withal'. f. 188 b.

15. Miscellaneous recipes and charms, in Latin and, less frequently, English. Beg. 'Contra stricturam pectoris recipe elene'. Among authorities are Avicenna, Papias, and Rasis. One charm (f. 199 b) is addressed to S. Columkill (see another copy in 12 B. XXV, f. 283 b). f. 194 b.

16. 'Incipit modus de ficobotomia': a tract on phlebotomy, in which Avicenna, the Schola Salernitana, and Bernardus de Gordonio are quoted. Beg. 'Minue uenam in extremitate nasi'. f. 200.

17. Miscellaneous recipes and charms, in Latin and English. Beg. 'Pour bresure in renibus Bynde hym aboue þe kne'. Included are details of the case (f. 202) of 'Will. Halowton monachus'. f. 201.

Some leaves are lost after f. 202.

18. A quire consisting almost entirely of matter repeated from artt. 12-17, but in a different order. In several hands, including that of art. 17. The treatise of- Edward of Oxford (art. 14) is imperf. at the beginning. Artt. 12(b), f. 213 b, and 12(d), f. 206, are repeated and also 12 (e), at f. 206, as far as aqua vitae is concerned, with the name of Thaddeus of Bologna. f. 203.

19. Recipes, perhaps from another source, in Lat. and Engl. Included are a case of one Ricardus Luff and a recipe, 'Puluis optimus Edwardi Oxoniensis (cf. art. 14) contra pestilenciam'. Beg. 'Ad reparandum eupatis destruccionem'. f. 215.

Art. 20 is in a hand of the middle of the 15th cent.

20. Recipes in Engl. with heading 'Subscriptas practicas (sic) medicinarum reperte fuerunt in quodam quaterno accommodato Ricardo [Crosby] priori Cou[entrie] anno regni regis Henrici vi^ti octauo' [1429-1430]. Beg. 'For the coleca passio. Take perytory and sethe hit'. f. 219.

The fly-leaves (ff. 223-226) are from a late 13th cent. civil law MS., containing the end of lib. xvi and beginning of lib. xvii of the Digest. On other fly-leaves (ff. 1-4) are repetitions of recipes contained elsewhere in the volume. A recipe in the margin of f. 142 b is assigned to 'magister Cardinalis'. At f. 42 b is a draft of the beginning of a letter in French, 'A sa chere mere dame Ysabele Bockerel '.

Vellum; ff. 226. 13 in. x 9 in. Gatherings, i⁴, ii-xvi⁸, xvii⁷, xviii², xix, xx¹², xxi⁸, xxii¹², xxiii¹⁰, xxiv¹², rest doubtful. Written (artt. 1-4) circ. A.D. 1300. Sec. fol. 'Febris putrida'. Initials flourished in red and blue. The other articles were added at various times in the last half of the 14th and (art. 20) 15th cent. after the MS. had been acquired by S. Mary's Priory, Coventry. For earlier cautiones see above, end of art. 5, and for the purchase and completion, art. 12. Afterwards belonged to Henry Fowler (notes on ff. 5, 132, 188 b, 201 b in his hand) and to John Theyer. Theyer sale-cat. no. 28; CMA. 6594.'