Hard-coded id of currently selected item: . JSON version of its record is available from Blacklight on e.g. ??
Metadata associated with selected item should appear here...
Sloane MS 2401
- Record Id:
- 040-002114766
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-002112337
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000653.0x000050
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100181359401.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Sloane MS 2401
- Title:
- Aldobrandino of Siena, Le Régime du corps; Le livre Ypocrae; medical charms and recipes
- Scope & Content:
-
This manuscript contains an illustrated copy of Le Régime du corps, a handbook for health composed by Aldobrandino of Siena (d. 1296/1299), an Italian physician.
Three other copies of Le Régime du corps also contain roughly 140 historiated initials with comparable subject matter: Cambridge, University Library, MS Ii.V.11; New York, Morgan Library, MS 165; Lisbon, Ajuda Codex 52-XIII-26. The first two were made in Rouen c. 1445; the Lisbon manuscript is attributed to artists in the circle of the Master of the Harley Froissart in Bruges, c. 1475.
Contents:
f. 1r: An added title and description of the manuscript in an 18th- or 19th-century hand.
ff. 2v-3r: Added medical charms and recipes in Middle English and Latin, together with the arms and mottos of Roland Brydges and Margery, his wife.
ff. 3v-5r: Nomina herbarum, an alphabetical list of plants in Latin.
f. 5v: Two medical recipes in French.
ff. 6r-7v: A table of rubrics for Le Régime du corps, written in a different hand from the main text.
ff. 8r-88v: Aldobrandino of Siena, Le Régime du corps, in four parts, preceded by a prologue (imperfect at the beginning), beginning, '...garde qu'ilz peuvent faire de phisiques'. Each of the parts is preceded by a list of contents. The last chapter is 'De ceulx qui sont luxurieux', ending 'et qui se delite en ouir parler de femmes'.
ff. 88v-96v: Le livre Ypocrae, a letter from Pseudo-Hippocrates to Caesar in Anglo-Norman French, beginning 'Cest le livre que ie ypocrae envoyay a toy o tu Cesar'.
ff. 96v-97v: Le livre Galen (Book of Galen), a collection of medical recipes in Anglo-Norman French, beginning 'Se vous voulez faire piment'.
ff. 98r-104r: Livre des eaux, a text on medicinal waters preceded by a table of contents, beginning 'Recepte et manere de faire eaues'.
f. 104r-107v: Medical charms and recipes, beginning 'Recepte de faire gracia dei'; including 'Receptez especiaulx lesquellez avoit Monsieur de Valloiz' (special recipes of Charles, Comte de Valois).
ff. 107v-128r: Vertus des herbes, a herbarium, with medical recipes for various ailments, beginning with the rubric 'Arthemesia mater herbarum'; the text beginning 'Cy apres sensuignent les proprieties et les natures de plusieurs herbes'
ff. 128r-132r: An alphabetical list of medicinal plants in Latin with explanations in Anglo-Norman French.
ff. 132r-133v: Recipes for making metallic colours in Anglo-Norman French, beginning 'Pour faire scripture ou poutraire d'or ou d'argent'.
ff. 133v: Pronostic de mort (Prognostic of death) in Anglo-Norman French, beginning 'A esprouver d'un homme s'il mourra ou vivra'.
ff. 134r-135r: A recipe in Middle English 'For sodeine pestilence poison or aigue', followed by recipes in Anglo-Norman French for illnesses including plague and leprosy.
f. 135r: A list of 34 herbs.
f. 136r: A pastedown, inscribed with a recipe in Middle English for making gold, silver and other metals.
Decoration:
Numerous large historiated initials with pen-flourishing, in colours (ff. 9r, 9v, 12r, 12v, 13v, 15v, 16v, 18v, 22r, 23v, 29r, 30v, 31v, 33v, 35r, 36v, 37v, 40r, 42r, 44v, 45v, 46r, 47r, 48v, 50r, 51r, 52v (x2), 53r, 53v (x3), 54r (x2), 54v (x2), 55r, 55v (x2), 56r, 56v, 57r, 57v, 58r (x2), 58v (x2), 59r (x3), 59v, 60r (x2), 60v (x2), 61r (x3), 61v (x3), 63v, 64r, 64v (x2), 65r (x2), 65v (x2), 66r (x2), 66v, 67r (x2), 67v (x2), 68r, 68v (x2), 69v (x3), 70r (x2), 70v (x3), 71r (x3), 71v, 72r (x2), 72v (x2), 73r (x2), 73v (x4), 74r (x3), 74v (x3), 75r (x3), 75v, 76r (x3), 76v (x2), 77r (x3), 77v (x2), 79v, 80v, 81r, 82r (x3), 83v (x2), 84r (x2), 84v (x2), 85r (x3), 85v). Large or small initials in red or blue.
The rubrics and subjects of the historiated initials are:
f. 9r: De lair (air).
f. 9v: Du me[n]gier (eating).
f. 12r: De boire et premereme[n]t de l'eau (drinking water).
f. 12v: Du vin (wine).
f. 13v: Du dormir (sleeping).
f. 15v: Du baignier (bathing).
f. 16v: D'aller au femme (being with a woman).
f. 18v: Pour q[uo]y on se doit saignier (bloodletting).
f. 22r: Du ventouser (cupping).
f. 23v: De sansues (leeching).
f. 29r: User le vomir (vomiting).
f. 30v: Garder de pestilence et de corrupc[i]on (avoiding pestilence and infection).
f. 31v: Garder le corps en ch[ac]une saison (care of the body in each season).
f. 33v: Cognoistre les villes (living in cities).
f. 35r: Cheminer par terre ou par mer (travelling on sea and land).
f. 36v: Comme la femme grosse se doit garder (pregnancy and childbirth).
f. 37v: Garder lenfant q[ua]nt il est nez et eslire la nourrice pouer nourrir lenfant (caring for and nursing a newborn).
f. 40r: Garder son corps en ch[ac]un aage (caring for oneself in the four ages).
f. 42r: Garder les cheveulx (hair).
f. 44v: Garder les yeulx (eyes).
f. 45v: Garder les oreilles (ears).
f. 46r: Garder les dens et les genchives (teeth and gums).
f. 47r: Garder le visage (face and complexion).
f. 48v: Garder lestomach (stomach).
f. 50r: Garder le foie (liver).
f. 51r: Garder le cuer (heart).
f. 52v: Du fourme[n]t (wheat); de orge (barley).
f. 53r: De milet (millet).
f. 53v: Du riz (rice); de avaine (oats); de rogier mellebra[n]ce (sorghum).
f. 54r: Du far (farro); du bren de fo[ur]rme[n]t (bran).
f. 54v: De leaue (water); du vin (wine).
f. 55r: De cervoise (beer).
f. 55v: De vin de pommes (apple wine or cider); de vin aigre (vinegar).
f. 56r: De moure (mulberry syrup).
f. 56v: Char de porc (pork).
f. 57r: Char de beuf (beef).
f. 57v: De brebis (lamb).
f. 58r: De mouton (mutton); de bouc (billy goat).
f. 58v: De chievre (nanny-goat); de cerf et de dame (venison).
f. 59r: De lievre (hare); de co[n]nin (rabbit); char dours (bear meat).
f. 59v: Doiseaulx volans (flying birds).
f. 60r: De coulomb (dove); de loye (goose).
f. 60v: De quenne et de quennart (duck); char de perdue (partridge).
f. 61r: De faisant (pheasant); du paon et de la grue (peacock and crane); du cyne et du hairon (swan and heron).
f. 61v: Char de passeres (sparrows); de caille et dasoe (quail); de plovier et de mauvice (plover and blackbird).
f. 63v: De favies (beans).
f. 64r: De chiches (chickpeas).
f. 64v: De pois (peas); de lentilles (lentils).
f. 65r: De faisolez (string beans); de lupins (lupins).
f. 65v: De cerres (chickpea); de veste (vetch).
f. 66r: De come (quince); de pom[m]es citrinez (lemon).
f. 66v: De dates (dates).
f. 67r: De peschez (peaches); de groiselez (redcurrants).
f. 67v: De mourez (mulberries); de prunez (plums).
f. 68r: De grosses noix (walnuts).
f. 68v: De noix de coudre (hazelnuts); de ama[n]dez (almonds).
f. 69v: De nesflez (medlar or nettle); de chastaignez (chestnuts); de olivez (olives).
f. 70r: De fresez (strawberries); de corneillez (cornel).
f. 70v: De cormes (sorb-apple or hazel); de geneure (juniper); de courges (squash).
f. 71r: De cocombres (cucumbers); de citrols (pumpkins); de canamiel (caramel).
f. 71v: De miel (honey); bee hives.
f. 72r: De choux (cabbages); de poreaulx (leeks).
f. 72v: De oignone (onions); de aulx (garlic).
f. 73r: De schaloignez (shallots); de fenelle (mustard).
f. 73v: Despinoches (spinach); de betes (beetroots); de bourrache (borage); de maunes (mallow).
f. 74r: De navez (turnips); de lairuz; de panarez (parsnip).
f. 74v: De rasse (radishes); de fanoil (fennel); de persil (parsley).
f. 75r: De cerfueil (chervil); de laituez (lettuce); de pourpie (parsnip).
f. 75v: De sauge (sage).
f. 76r: De mente (mint); de basilique (basil); de ruque (rue or rocket).
f. 76v: De champignons (mushrooms); de ysope (hyssop).
f. 77r: De cresson (cress); de orvale (clary); de nula (inula).
f. 77v: De poulieul (pennyroyal); toutes manie[r]s de poisons (fish of all types).
f. 79v: Des oeufs (eggs).
f. 80v: De fourmage (cheese).
f. 81r: Du lait (milk).
f. 82v: De poivre (pepper); de ginge[m]bre (ginger); de canelle (cinnamon).
f. 83v: De gari[n]gal (galangal); de com[m]in (cumin).
f. 84r: De safren (saffron); de cubebes (cubeb pepper).
f. 84v: De cardamon (cardamon); de anis (aniseed).
f. 85r: De noix muguere (nutmeg); de citoual (zedoary); de seil (salt).
f. 85v: De phisonomie (physiognomy).
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Medieval and Renaissance Women
Sloane Collection - Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002112337
040-002114766 - Is part of:
- Sloane MS 1-4100 : Sloane Manuscripts
Sloane MS 2401 : Aldobrandino of Siena, Le Régime du corps; Le livre Ypocrae; medical charms and recipes - Hierarchy:
- 032-002112337[2389]/040-002114766
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Sloane MS 1-4100
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
-
1 volume
- Digitised Content:
- https://iiif.bl.uk/uv/#?manifest=https://bl.digirati.io/iiif/ark:/81055/vdc_100181359401.0x000001
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- Anglo-Norman
English, Middle
French, Middle
Latin - Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1475
- End Date:
- 1499
- Date Range:
- 4th quarter of the 15th century
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
Please request the physical items you need using the online collection item request form.
Digitised items can be viewed online by clicking the thumbnail image or digitised content link.
Readers who have registered or renewed their pass since 21 March 2024 can request physical items prior to visiting the Library by completing
this request form.
Please enter the Reference (shelfmark) above on the request form.If your Reader Pass was issued before this date, you will need to visit the Library in London or Yorkshire to renew it before you can request items online. All manuscripts and archives must be consulted at the Library in London.
This catalogue record may describe a collection of items which cannot all be requested together. Please use the hierarchy viewer to navigate to individual items. Some items may be in use or restricted for other reasons. If you would like to check the availability, contact our Reference Services team, quoting the Reference (shelfmark) above.
- User Conditions:
- Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Material: Parchment.
Dimensions: 245 x 170 mm (written space: 170 x 110 mm).
Foliation: ff. 136 (+ 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning + 1 unfoliated parchment leaf after f. 7 + 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the end).
Collation: Mostly quires of 8 leaves. Quire signatures.
Script: Gothic cursive.
Binding: British Museum in-house. Brown leather binding, tooled in gold, with the Sloane arms gold-stamped on the upper and lower covers.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin:
England.
Provenance:
Roland Brydges (b. 1472/73, d. 1540), lawyer and MP of Ley, Weobley, Herefordshire, and Margery, his wife: their heraldic arms, late 15th century or early 16th century (f. 2v); his name inscribed, 'R Brugyes' (f. 97v).
Sir Hans Sloane (b. 1660, d. 1753), baronet, physician and collector: inscribed, 'Bibliotheca Sloanianae', and several former shelfmarks (f. 2r)
Purchased as part of the Sloane collection from Sloane's executors and incorporated into the newly founded British Museum in 1753.
- Publications:
-
'Catalogue of Additional Manuscripts: Sloane 2268-2496' (London: British Museum unpublished manuscript of unedited descriptions, no date), no. 2401 [available in The British Library Manuscripts Reading Room].
Louis Landouzy and Roger Pépin, Le Régime du corps de Maitre Aldebrandin de Sienne: Text français du xiiie siécle (Paris: Champion, 1911), pp. xxii, xl-xli.
Dorothea Waley Singer, Catalogue of Latin and Vernacular Alchemical Manuscripts in Great Britain and Ireland dating from before the 16 century (Brussels, 1928-31), no. 948.
François Avril, La technique de l'enluminure d'après les textes medievaux: Essai de bibliographie, Réunion du Comité de l'Icom pour les laboratories de musées et du sous-comité de l'Icom pour le traitement de peintures, Bruxelles 1967 (Paris: Bibliothèque nationale Cabinet des manuscrits, n. d.), p. 21.
Françoise Fery-Hue, 'Le Régime du corps d’Aldebrandin de Sienne: Tradition manuscrite et diffusion', in Santé, médecine et assistance au Moyen Âge, Actes du 110e congrès national des sociétés savants, Montpellier, 1985 (Paris: C.T.H.S., 1987), pp. 113-34 (p. 118).
Ruth Dean and Maureen Bolton, Anglo-Norman Literature: a Guide to Texts and Manuscripts (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999), nos. 314, 387, 406, 439.
Mark Clarke, The Art of All Colours: Mediaeval Recipe Books for Painters and Illuminators (London: Archetype Publications, 2001), no. 1940.
Marilyn Nicoud, Les régimes de santé au Moyen Age. Naissance et diffusion d'une écriture médicale (XIIIe-XVe siècles), Bibliothèque des Ecoles françaises d'Athènes et de Rome, 333 (Rome: Ecole française, 2007), p. 965.
E. Brayer and others, 'Sloane MS 2401', online at IHRT Jonas, Section romane (Paris, CNRS-IRHT, 1961-2017) http://ideal.irht.cnrs.fr/document/818195 [accessed 9.2.23].
Jennifer Borland, Visualizing Household Health: Medieval Women, Art and Knowledge in the Régime du corps (Philadelphia, Penn State University Press, 2022), pp. 8, 12, 13, Appendix 1.
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)