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Re: VMs: Gasparinus
Hi Luis,
At 17:57 01/08/2003 -0400, Luis Velez wrote:
Nick - found the reference at the British Library's online catalog;
FWIW, searching the manuscription descriptions for "Italian and herbal"
gave two other fragmentary results (appended below).
Cheers, .....Nick Pelling......
* * * * * * *
[1] Add MS 41996. MISCELLANE0US Letters and Papers, viz.:-
<...>
V. Two paper leaves, the second numbered 66, from a North Italian
illustrated Herbal, a companion volume to Add. MS.
41623 (see p. 96 above).
Latin. The folios correspond
to ff. 28, 28b, 48b, 49 of that MS., with
minor textual differences. In one case (f. 112) another plant is represented
and described, casula (sc. crassula) minor taking the place of tamarind,
and in
this case a later hand has added the German names,
'blatlos', etc., for which
cf. H. Fischer, Mittelalterliche Pflanzenkunde, 1929,
p. 283. Early XV cent.
ff. 112, 113. Presented by V. Koch, Esq.
[2] Add MS 41623. HERBAL, in Latin
with occasional Italian entries, compiled in the
north of Italy, most probably at Belluno. This
town occurs four times as
habitat, and neighbouring Mount Serva no less than
six times, while a later
explanatory note includes the phrase 'huius Ciuitatis
Belluni' (see below).
The numerous drawings, both of plants and animals,
show a return to the
direct study of nature and in some cases the origin
of the actual specimen
drawn seems to be noted, e.g., 'Aportatum
de monte de taluena [Monte
Talvena]' (f. 32), 'aportata de serua per liuixum
apothecar[ium]' (f. 64).
Among other habitats mentioned are 'in fosatis
de triuisio' (f. 8), 'Apud
aquam quae uulgariter dicitur figarela' (f. 22),
'de saraualo' (f. 37b), 'in
buscho montely apud collalty in triuisana' [Callalta
near Treviso] (f. 46),
circha locum sancti baldi' [Monte Baldo] (f. 49b), 'in
triuix[an]a' (f. 52b),
ad locum fratrum minorum dessiso' (f. 61), 'in paludo de modulo aput
Ciuidado M. Guid' de triuixio' (f. 102b). On f. 35b is perhaps the earliest
representation of the edelweiss.
The chief source of the text is Dioscorides.
Other names, mentioned once
each, are Serapion (f. 31b), Avicenna (f. 31b),
T[h]eodorus (f. 92) and
'Magister Stephanus qui fuit jude[us]' (f. 106 b);
verses from Macer Floridus
on salvia and ruta occur on ff. 58, 68, and the 'Circa
i[n]stans' is mentioned
on f. 61b.
At the end follow three medical tracts of magical
or astrological nature in
debased Latin, viz.:-(a) Thessalus on the
virtues of nineteen herbs according
to the influence of the zodiacal signs and planets,
beg. 'Theselaus (sic)
philosophus germano glaudio (sic)', and ends
'sed tene sacratum et uni tui
(sc. tibi) post mortem
deo gratias'. For other MSS. see Lynn Thorndike,
History of Magic and Experimental Science, ii,
1923, p. 234, n. 2, and cf. Cat.
of Incipits of Mediaeval Scientific Writings
in Latin, 1937, col. 722. ff. 128,
134, 133, 141, 140, 135;-(b) 'Incipit liber
editus a magno Allexandro', a
tract on the virtue of seven herbs as influenced
by the planets, passing under
the name of Alexander the Great, and differing
from the similar work ascribed
to Alexius Africus or Flaccus Africanus. Beg. 'Semper virtutes
herbarum...
et prima herba est saturni que anfodillus dicitur'.
The explicit is followed by
a short addition beg. 'Alexander magnus hunc librum
compilauit quem
quidam Clericus parisienssis lingua grecha eruditus
transtulit Rainaldo
magistro suo de greco in Latinum, etc.'. Cf.
Thorndike, op. cit., ii, pp. 233,
234. ff. 135-136;-(c) 'Prologus Apollo et
ypocrates et ypocentaur[us]' (so
the explicit), a tract describing the descent
of the medical art through Apollo,
Chiron, Aesculapius (Scolapius) and Hippocrates, to whom
finally the
Hippocentaur, trapped by a stratagem, delivers
his secrets. Beg. (after loss of
a few words) 'ano primo principatus eius c.l.
Erat puer unus'; ends 'Tunc
abit ypocentauro (sic) in siluas illas.
ypocras fecit libros medicin[e] [nu]mero
XXV. Vale in domino'. ff. 146b, 146, 132.
The MS. was described, while in the possession
of Messrs Taeuber and
Weil, of Munich, by H. Fischer in Mitt.
der Bayer. Botan. Gesellschaft, iv,
no. 8, 1928, and in his Mittelalterliche
Pflanzenkunde, 1929, p. 231, with
plates in both cases. See also Brit. Mus.
Quart., iii, 1928-1929, p. 55, and
pls. xxxi, xxxii. Two leaves from a sister
MS. are now Add. MS. 41996 V
(p. 162 below).
Paper; ff. iii + 148. 11¾ in. x
8¾ in. Early xv cent. Gatherings originally
of sixteen leaves, the first eight leaves of
each quire bearing a number (where
still visible) at the lower left-hand corner,
but many of the leaves in the
process of repair have become isolated and dispersed. In some
cases the
original order can be recovered from the index.
The illustrations practically
fill the page, the text taking a subsidiary
place. On f. 126 is a full-page
anatomical figure of a man and on f. 148
a vernacular charm in the name of
SS. Prosia and Christopher against 'mal del carbon'.
Binding, 18th-19th
cent., of boards covered with brown leather,
with remains of clasps, each cover
bearing five brass studs. On f. 49b is a note 'Dns.
pandolphus capelanu,
dni. leopoldii dixit mihi quod ista herba
vocatur herba vulnerum in partibus
suis', beneath which is written in a later
Italic hand 'Nota quod Albertus et
Leopoidus Duces Austrie Stirie Carinthie nec non Comites
Tirolis de anno
1378 fuerunt etiam Domini huius Ciuitatis Belluni
et Feltri et hic residebant'.
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