BEDA DE TEMPORIBUS, ETC.

MRJ number
221
College classmark
I.15

Vellum, 9.75 x 6.5, ff. 200 + 5, text mostly in double columns of 32 lines.  12th cent., very beautifully written.

Donor, T. Baker.                                                                               Wagstaff, 3482

From the Carmelites (White Friars) of London.

On f. iii b, at top: conuentus London ex assignacione M. Thome Walden.

On f. 1, at top (p. 3): I 79m.

Leland partially describes this MS., Collectanea IV 52.

Collation : 3 flyleaves, 18 26 38 48 510 68-108 (7 canc.) 118 1210 138-168 1710 188-248 25? (three) 262, 2 flyleaves.

On f. iii b list of contents (XV).

 

Contents :

      1.   Diagram of the winds, circular, in red and green, with marginal

    notes  .               .               .               .               .               .               .         p.   3

Table of Greek numerals, from Mia to Ogdacosinmires, with

    signs in red.

Solar cycle of 28 years        .               .               .               .               .               4

Ratio calculandi hic primo de diebus mensium               .               .               5

Termini paschales quorum luna semper est aprilis xiiiia, followed

    by Argumentum.  Si uis scire uersiculorum terminos .               6

Notes :   Que tenet undenas aprilis luna kalendar.

                Pitagoras uir sagacis animi a terra ad lunam cxxvi

                 milia stadiorum esse collegit. ad solem ab ea duplum.

                  Inde ad xii signa triplicatum.

Table.  Ascensiones signorum supra Pisam urbem.

Kalendar in black, red, green, blue    .               .               .               .               7

Hardly any saints’ days are marked: only the great feasts, and

    in March Benedict, in June Botulf, in Nov. Martin.

      2.   Inc. prefatio uen.  Bede presbiteri et monachi in librum de

    temporibus        .               .               .               .               .               .               19

    De natura rerum et ratione temporum (XC 293, 685).

Handsome blue initial.

      -intemerata iura custodiat.  Expl. pref.

Capitula, p. 20.

Text.  De temporum ratione domino iuuante dicturi, with fine

    diagrams and tables.

pp. 99-140 give the Cicli decennouenales.

Ends p. 224: mereamur accipere palmam.

Expl.  Bede presb. liber de temporibus.

      3.   Inc. Epistola uen.  Bede presb. ad With(r)edum presb. magne

    religionis uirum de uernali equinoctio          .               .               .               224

Reuerentissimo ac sanctissimo patri Withedo

      -aut ante equinoctium fuisse confirmet.

      4.   Inc. Epistola reuerentissimi Dionisii abbatis urbis rome                .               230

Beatissimo et nimium desiderantissimo patri petronio

      -diuina gratia custodire dignetur ΦΥγΥΘ (i.e. finit).

      5.   Item Epistola Dionisii ad Bonefacium et Bonum secundicerium  235

Dominis a me plurimum uenerandis

      -fiunt dies .ccclxxxiiii.  Expl. ep. Dionisii.

      6.   Inc. prefacio in librum Hilperici uiri doctissimi (CXXXVII 21)       239

Domino patri sanctissimo nomine aspro

      -precibus crebris optineat.  Expl. prol.

Item alius.  Cum quibu(s)dam fratribus nostris adolescentulis     .               241

      -sullimiora rimetur.  Expl. prol.

Capitula .               .               .               .               .               .               .               242

Inc. compotus Hilperici.  Unde conficiatur annus solaris atque

    bissextus           .               .               .               .               .               .               243

Annus solaris ut a maiorum constat sollercia

      -aduentum domini celebrare ualebit.  Expl. comp.

    Hilperici.

      7.   Inc. compotus uulgaris qui dicitur ephemerida abbonis. idest

    singulorum dierum supputatio. uel subtilis inspectio syderum.

    de feria. de luna. et de his que ad lunam pertinent. idest

    epactis. mensibus signis terminis annis cicli decennouenalis  .               280

Begins with Table :

                ARDUACONεxεLIBATSACRARIAFORMAE         .               281

Expositio eiusdem uen. uiri super istam tabulam.

Quoniam breuitatem semper obscuritas comitatur

Fine diagrams and tables.

Ends p. 347: debent subtrahi ut demonstratum est.  Explicit.

      8.   Epistola Victoris pape ad theophilum cesariensem palestine-

    que antistitem   .               .               .               .               .               .               348

Aduentum domini non est celebrare decembris (XCIV 615).

Post ternas nonas neque quintas ante kalendas.

Sed post resurrectionem et ascensionem domini saluatoris

    apostoli quomodo pascha deberet obseruari nichil ordinare

    potuerunt.

(No letter occurs, but an account of a discussion between

    Theophilus and his bishops on receipt of a letter from Victor:

    spurious : see Bede, de Vernali Aequinoctio, Labbe, Concil.

    I 596)

      -ab xio kal. aprilis usque viio kal. maii dies dominicus

       luna ex illis sanctificata pascha nobis iussum est cele-

        brare.  Expl. Ep.

      9.   Regule ad paschalem terminum inueniendum et septuagesi-

    malem .               .               .               .               .               .               350

Paschalem terminum inuenturus quemuis terminum prioris

    anni

Contains excerpt from Probus: Diuisiones temporum xvcim

    sunt.

      -Saturnus et sol duas medias.  Hec Probus.

Si xvii anni addantur ad annos domini

      -indictione ix, iiio anno decennouenalis cycli.

Diagram of planets, 353.

     10.  Inc. compotus Garlandi Bedam imitantis          .               .               .               353

Sepe uolumina domni bede de scientia computandi replicans

      -capitula subscripsimus.  Expl. prol.

Capitula, 354.

Kalendar (solar only: no feasts)        .               .               .               .               355

Table, 361.  Annotation in small hand, 362, composed at the

    end of cent. xi apparently.

Inc. liber Garlandi.  Expositio tabule  .               .               .               363

Superioris igitur pagine ratio hec est

Other tables occur.  Ends p. 394 :

Que omnia leuiora erunt per digitos et articulos computantibus.

    Finit compotus Garlandi.

     11.  Item de cursu solis et lune  .               .               .               .               .               395

Tantum uolat luna in una lunatione

Quantum luna cotidie sit ante solem .               .               .               398

Tables.  In quo signo luna sit cotidie, with explanation                .               399

Table.  Quota hora luna accendatur  .               .               .               .               400

Expositio.  Pagina superior hac ratione formata est        .               .               401

      -post VI.  DCCCCtos XXXIX dies.  Expl.

De cursu planetarum per xii signa     .               .               .               .               401

Luna infima planetarum unum quodque signum in duobus

    diebus

Ends imperfectly p. 402.

The table of contents at the beginning gives, after Compotus Garlandi, the following articles, now lost :

 

f. ccxio.   Libellus de regulis Algorismi.

    ccxiiio.   Libellus cuiusdam ignoti de regulis minuciandi.

    ccvito.   Item libellus abbaci.

    ciiiixxxviiio.   Item diuerse tabule dionisii cum exposicionibus earumdem.

    ccxxiiijto.   Item in fine huius voluminis descripcio siue figuracio Rote fortune.

    ccxixo.   Libellus de regulis Abaci.

 ccxxiiio.   Tabula de clauibus terminorum.

According to this numeration there are 204 leaves at present in the volume: there were then originally about 20 more.

At the end some one has pencilled A.D. 1060: but the book is not, I think, so early.

Manuscript extra information

 

Negative microfilm in St John's College Library.

 

K. W. Humphreys (ed.), The Friars' Libraries (London, 1990), p. xxi.

 

No. 29 in the list of MSS in Charles W. Jones (ed.), Bedae Opera de Temporibus (Cambridge, Mass., 1943), p. 150.

 

This MS. appears in an auction sale catalogue of 1687.  Cambridge University Library, Dd.9.1013, p. 83, no. 49, Earl of Ailesbury's Library.

 

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