The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

O.2.21

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Shelfmark O.2.21
Manuscript Title

Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia regum Britanniae; Walter de Bibbesworth (attrib.), Tract
Alternative Title

Galfr Monumetensis etc
James Number 1125
Century 13th14th
Physical Description

30 lines to a page. A pattern is painted on the edge of the leaves.
Provenance

Part of the Gale collection, given to T.C.C. by Roger Gale in 1738. B. 1. No. 67. At the top of the first leaf is a mark consisting of three -rum abbreviations in the form of a 2-shaped R with crossbar through leg, which usually means that the book was Dr Dee's; and on f.1b is the name G. Carew (xvi, xvii). At the end are memoranda of the More family.
Second Folio duos colores or congruit
Donor Gale, Roger (1672-1744), Antiquary
Folio 140 ff.
Material Parchment
Language LatinMiddle EnglishMiddle French
Collation

14 | 212-812 910 1010 1112 (wants 12 blank) 1212 1312 (wants 10-12).
IIIF Manifest URL https://mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/O.2.21/manifest.json
Online Since 16/03/2015

Contents

I. 1. f.1b The poem
Cur mundus militat sub uana gloria.
Ending
Felix qui poterit mundum contempnere.
2. f.2 Tractatus de Physiognomia
Et inter ceteras res ilia est quam te non oportet ignorare.
From the Secreta Secretorum: ending
Completus est tract. de figuris et moribus naturalibus hominum ad regem magnificum Alexandrum qui dominatus fuit toti orbi dictus monarcha in septentrione.
f.4b is blank.

II. In a hand of later type.
1. f.5 Galfridi Monumetensis Historia Britonum
Inc. prol. super librum hystoriarum regum Britannie.
Cum mecum multa et de multis
-resonare queam.
f.5b Britannia insularum optima
Ends f.117b
in latinum sermonem transferre curaui. Valete.
2. f.117b Visio beati pauli de penis inferni
Dies dominicus est electus in quo gaudebunt angeli.
Ends
sunt pene cm. xl. iiiior milia. Nos uero fratres karissimi audientes ista mala conuertatur (!) ad deum ut regnemus
cum ipso et uiuamus in sec. sec. amen.
f.119 Quo tendit anima
Cum anima exierit de corpore in primis uadit in orientem. De oriente in iordanem. De iordane in ierusalem. De ierusalem ad templum salomonis. De templo salomonis ad domum quam edificauit adam. Deinde ad montem oliueti. Deinde ascendit in aera. Deinde adinuenit iiiior milia angelorum lucis et iiiior milia angelorum tartari preliantes prelium magnum pro animabus hominum sicut in psalterio inquit Dominus fortis et potens in prelio. Deinde uadit ad portam celestis ierusalem ubi colloquntur se inuicem diabolus et anima sicut dixit propheta in libro psalmorum. Dum loquuntur inimicis suis in porta. Confessionem et decorem induisti amictus lumine sicut uestimento etc.
f.119b is blank.

III. In a large hand (xiv early).
1. f.120 The tract attributed to Walter de Bibelesworth
Chere soer puis ceo ke uus me priastes ke ieo meyse en escrit pur vos enfaunz acune aprise en fraunceis en breue paroles: ieo lay fet souloum ce ke ieo ay apris e solum ceo ke les paroles me venent en memorie. Ke les enfaunz pusent sauer les propretes de choses ke veent e kant deyuent dire moun e ma soun e sa la e le e mey e ge.
Femme ke aproche soun tens
De enfauntes moustre sens
Kaunt se purueit de vne rentrere midwyf etc.
The English words being written in red on the outer margin.
Ends f.133b
Apres manger aueyent a graunt plentee
Blaunche poudre ho la grose dragee.
See MS. Arundel 220.
2. f.134 Extract from the Epistle of Aristotle to Alexander
Nunc uero prius tradere uolo doctrinam medicinalem.
Ends f.138
ad medium marcii hyemps fundatur.
Expl. Ep. Arist. ad Alex.
3. f.138b In another hand: Secreta Hippocratis
Peruenit ad nos quod cum ypocras morti appropinquasset
-desiderauit dulcia in principio egritudinis.
Expl. secreta Ypocratis.
On ff.139b-140b are memoranda about the More family in Latin.
1. Marriage of John More to Agnes dau. of Th. Graunger in the parish of S. Giles, Cripplegate, on Sunday the Eve of S. Mark. 14 Edw. IV.
2. Birth of Johanna More dau. of the above, on Saturday, vigil of S. Gregory. 15 Edw. IV.
3. Birth of Thomas More, Friday, 7 Feb. 17 Edw. IV.
4. Birth of Agatha More, Sunday, 31 Jan. 18 Edw. IV.
5. Birth of John More, Wednesday, 6 June. 20 Edw. IV.
6. Birth of Edward More, Monday, 3 Sept. 21 Edw. IV.
7. Birth of Elizabeth More, Sunday, 22 Sept. 22 Edw. IV.

Bibliography

Trapp, J. B., 'Tommaso Moro nelle testimonianze contemporanee', in Accademia nazionale dei Lincei: Atti dei convegni Lincei, 46. Colloquio italo-britannico Tommaso Moro e l'utopia (Rome, 1980), 75-103

Mooney, L. R., The Index of Middle English Prose Handlist 11: Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge (Cambridge, 1995), pp. 96 and 164-5

Roberts, Julian and Watson, Andrew G., John Dee's Library Catalogue, Additions and Corrections (November 2009) DM3a, p.19

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