VMs: Gasparinus de Bripio

[Luis Vélez <legal1@xxxxxxxxx>]

Nick,

Browsing other contemporary herbals with astronomical tables, well, there is this one
by a Gasparinus de Bripio - the original is at the British Library, but unfortunately there are no digital versions online. 

Do you think it would possible for you to check it on one of your future trips to the BL?

I'm especially curious about that table of lunar changes (see number 2), since date and geography (probably Northern Italy, late 15th century) match the general target - can you remember if Sergio Toresella made any comment about this particular one? It does not appear to be alchemical at all, but then there are some medical references.

Thank you and sorry to bother you with this one - hope it's not too much of a hassle.
Luis



Description:
5297 Italy 
HERBAL: compiled in Italy, probably in the north, by Gasparinus de bripio (ff. 139v, 144v); late 15th cent. Latin. Beg. 'Antolla minor. Ad sanandum omnia vulnera' (f. 105). See Oxford Bodleian Library Canonicus Misc. MS. 408, ff. 1-116 and Paris Bibliothèque Nationale MS. 17844, ff. 28v-151v (L. Thorndike and P. Kibre, A catalogue of incipits of medieval scientific writings in Latin (1963), 112). Dioscorides is quoted (ff. 72v, 94, 121, 147, 167v) and the following names, etc., are mentioned: 'Abenzoar' (Abu 'Ali ibn Zuhr), ff. 73, 102, 145v; 'De regimine sanitatis', f. 102; Master Matthew, the Florentine, doctor of medicine, 
f. 108; Master Nicolas of Pisa, f. 108v; Master Donatus of Genoa, f. 108v; Master Miniatus of Florence, f. 110; Master Peter of Perosa, f. 113; Master Anthony of Rome, f. 113; the wife of Master 'M[ar]gionis Pi[n]gtoris', f. 142v; Ambrose of Valencia, f. 147; 'Apulis' (Apuleius?), f. 152v; 'Girardus', 'Gerardus', ff. 153, 167; William de Seyton, f. 165. Contemporary marginals, with heavy 16th cent. annotations to art. 6. Dated marginal, 1541, f. 7. Memorandum in English, 17th cent., f. 20v. The name 'Lennarde Bosvile' is written (f. iii) with the motto 'Audentes fortuna timet', in a 17th cent. hand. From the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, f. ii bearing a note in his hand. MS. 264 in Sloane's manuscript catalogue (Add. 3972 A, f. 88). Sloane numbers, excised, 'MS. 323', 'Min. 163', f. ii. 
Paper; ff. iii+171+13*+104(a)-(e). Contemporary 15th cent. foliation 2-166 on ff. 14-168. Old foliation lacks the following, with no apparent loss of text: 1, 7, 8, 96, 97. 297 x 190mm. Gatherings generally of 10 (i16, ii lacks 1, 7, 8). Counting not possible after f. 144 owing to tightness of binding. 17th? cent. fly-leaf, f. i. Single columns, art. 6. One neat Italian cursive hand throughout. Articles 1, 3, 5 and 6 begin on new quires. Red penwork initials. Full page illustrations of herbs, penwork and water colour, ff. 21-104v. Watermarks: (a) Couronne. See Briquet 4734 (1466). ff. iii, 1-13;- (b) Basilici, nr. Briquet 2669 (1459). Twin watermarks run concurrently. See A. H. Stevenson, 'Watermarks are twins', Studies in Bibliography, iv (1951-1952), pp. 57-91. ff. 14-171. 
Contents: 
1. ff. 1-6v. Calendar, in red and black. 
2. ff. 7-13. Table of lunar changes, with instructions for calculating the lunar cycle. Beg. 'Tabula ista alphabety precedentis cum duodecim mensibus'. Compiled probably in 1464 (f. 7). 
3. ff. 14-18v. Index of herbs. 
4. f. 19. Short glossary of medical terms. 
5. ff. 21-104v. Coloured illustrations of 171 herbs, with references to the text. A few bear descriptive memoranda, eg. f. 75. 
6. ff. 105-168. Properties and descriptions of herbs in 330 chs.