Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 360/587

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11869

Contents

Introduction: The manuscript contains a collection of medical texts by Galen and is formed of two parts, united by their former owner, the physician John Caius (1510-1573). Part I contains two works by Galen on physiology and anatomy, On the elements according to Hippocrates ( De elementis secundum Hippocratem), on the theory of the elements, On the natural faculties ( De naturalibus facultatibus). Part II contains a part of another work by Galen, Method of Healing, books 7-14 ( De methodo medendi). As John Caius indicated in a note in the upper margin of p. 2:161, the portion of the text contained in MS 360/587 completes another of his manuscripts, Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, 47/24 (part I), where the text was written by another scribe, Georgios Tzangaropoulos: these two copies did not belong together. Apparently, as indicated by notes written by John Caius in the margins of a printed edition of Galen (Eton College, Fc.2.6-8, on this see Nutton 1987, p. 65), he had for some time an imperfect copy of this text of Galen (MS Gonville and Caius 47/24), hence the need to have a complete copy of the work. Nutton (1987, p. 65) assumed that the copy of the second part of the text was commissioned by John Caius. This assumption seems to be reinforced by the fact that the text in MS 360/587 begins on the top of a leaf exactly from the point where it ends in MS 47/24, that the pagination carries on from that mauscript, and that the hand of the scribe of MS 360/587 (hand C) recurs also in the margins of MS 47/24 (hand a). The only difficulty in this reconstruction is the fact that the watermarks found in the second part of MS 360/587, although not identified in the repertoires, are comparable with examples dated between the last decade of the 15th and the first quarter of the 16th c., which would be a little early for a copy commissioned by Caius (1510-1573). The scribe could have used an "old" stock of paper; or maybe the watermarks, which are only "comparable" to the examples of the beginnig of the century, are in reality later; the question needs more research. The manuscript was donated to Gonville and Caius College Library by John Caius (1510-1573), the English physician and second founder of the College. He travelled in Italy from 1539-1544, where he consulted various manuscripts (see S. Berlier, John Caius et le De usu partium. Contribution à l'histoire du texte de Galien, in: Revue d'Histoire des Textes n.s. 6 (2011), pp. 1-14: pp. 5-6) and probably acquired at least some of the Greek manuscripts he later bequeathed to the College. Dr Erika Elia

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: 1 + 312 + 1 leaves. 210 × 145-150 mm.
Foliation:

Pagination in ink on the top right hand corner recto and on the top left hand corner verso, from 1 to 290 (the pagination jumps from 80 to 83) and from 161 to 496; two endleaves are unnumbered: f. [i] + pp. 1:1-1:80, 1:83-1:290 + 2:161-2:496 + f. [ii].

In both parts of the manuscript, in the upper margin of the leaves, centre, there are running titles indicating the book number of the work, written by the same hand (John Caius?) in black ink.

Collation

f. [i] | 14, 28, 316, 414-1, 518, 616, 7-1112, 1212-3 | 13-2612 | f. [ii]

Condition

The codex is in good condition. There are stains throughout, but the text is always readable. Worm holes, in particular in the first and last leaves.

Binding

Western modern binding made by J.P. Gray and Son of Cambridge. Full reverse leather cover over millboard. Two pieces from the previous leather cover are pasted on both boards. The original cover had blind tooling, a double frame, a partitioning of which is filled with arabesque decoration. On the spine are pasted two paper labels with the shelfmarks, ‘587’ (in red) and ‘360’ (in black).

218 × 158 × 50 mm.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

The manuscript was donated to the Library by John Caius (1510-1573) (see the note on f. [i] recto). On the left pastedown and on f. [i] verso (with handwritten shelfmark in red ink, ‘ 587’ and a small paper label with the other shelfmark, ‘ 360’) is pasted the Gonville and Caius College bookplate.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 360/587, pp. 1:1-1:290]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. pp. 1:1-1:80
Galen, On the elements according to Hippocrates De elementis secundum Hippocratem libri II
Rubric: p. 1:1 Γαληνοῦ περὶ τῶν καθ' Ἱποκράτην [sic] στοιχείων
Incipit: p. 1:1 Βιβλίον πρῶτον. Ἐπειδὴ τὸ στοιχεῖον ἐλάχιστόν ἐστι μόριον
Explicit: p. 1:80 ὑπάρχει τῇ φύσει τῷ βιαίως ἑλκομένῳ
Final rubric: p. 1:80 Τέλος τοῦ δευτέρου λόγου περὶ στοιχείων καθ' Ὑπποκράτην[sic]

  • pp. 1:1-1:65 Book 1
  • pp. 1:66-1:80 Book 2

TLG 0057.008

p. 1:84 is blank

2. pp. 1:85-1:288
Galen, On the Natural Faculties De naturalibus facultatibus
Rubric: p. 1:85 Γαληνοῦ περὶ δυνάμεων φυσικῶν
Incipit: p. 1:85 Βιβλίον α΄. Ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν αἰσθάνεσθαί τε καὶ κινεῖσθαι
Explicit: p. 1:288 ἢ παντάπασιν συνεπισπῶνται βραχύ
Final rubric: p. 1:288 Τοῦ τρίτου περὶ δυνάμεων φυσικῶν τὸ τέλος

  • pp. 1:85-1:156 Book 1
  • pp. 1:157-1:221 Book 2
  • pp. 1:222-1:288 Book 3

TLG 0057.010

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermarks: pp. 1:1-1:24 Hand surmounted by a five-point star ( ca. 76 × ca. 20 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels were found in the main repertoires, but the type is comparable to Briquet Main 11166 and 11169 , which are dated to 1505 and 1514. pp. 1:25-1:120 Hand surmounted by a five-point star ( ca. 55 × ca. 18 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels in the main repertoires. pp. 1:121-1:290 Hand with a symbol on it, surmounted by a five-point star ( ca. 73 × ca. 23 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels in the main repertoires (the same symbol recurs in Harlfinger Main 30 , which is dated to 1532 or 1533).

Collation

The collation has been reconstructed on the basis of the presence of visible sewing and of the position of the watermarks. It does not coincide with the collation identified by James in the catalogue and with the numbering of the quires in pencil which corresponds to it.

  • One endleaf, f. [i]
  • Quire 14 pp. 1:1-1:8
  • Quire 28 pp. 1:9-1:24
  • Quire 316 pp. 1:25-1:56
  • Quire 414-1 pp. 1:57-1:80, 1:83-1:84(13th leaf missing, without loss of text)
  • Quire 518 pp. 1:85-1:120
  • Quire 616 pp. 1:121-1:152
  • Quires 7-1112 pp. 1:153-1:272
  • Quire 1212-3 pp. 1:273-1:290

Modern quire signatures in pencil, in Arabic numerals, in the lower corner, right, of the first leaf of the quires; they correspond to James' collation.

Layout

pp. 1:1-1:19 Irregular layout, a single column of 20-26 lines. ca. 155 × 100 mm.

pp. 1:20-1:80, 1:85-1:288 A single column of 19 lines. ca. 155 × 100 mm.

Hand(s)

pp. 1:1-1:80 Hand A: a minuscule script, irregular in forms and size, in particular on the first leaves, after which it becomes more and more regular and small. The scribe wrote also notes in the margins.

The text is written in a grey ink.

pp. 1:85-1:288 Hand B: a small, regular minuscule script, which displays features that are not distant from hand A, although the script is more regular.

The text is written in a light brown/grey ink.

Additions

On f. [i] recto there is a note by John Caius concerning the donation of the manuscript to the College: ‘ Collegio suo de Goneville | et Caius in Canta|brigia, Joannes Caius | dono dedit’.

On f. [i] verso there is a note in black ink by John Caius about the contents of the whole manuscript, saying also that the pagination of part II continues that of another manuscript containing the same text (namely MS Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, 47/24, see Nutton 1987, p. 65): ‘ Hoc in libro continentur | Galeni libri | περὶ στοιχεῖων[sic] βιβλ. β΄ | usque ad folium 85 | περὶ φυσικῶν δυνάμεων, βιβλ. γ΄ | usque ad folium 290 (?) | περὶ θεραπευτικῆς μεθοδοῦ[sic], | βιβλ. η΄ μετὰ ἡμίσεως τοῦ ἕκτου | per reliquum librum cuius | foliorum numeri, numeris respondent | alterius eius argumenti voluminis’.

In the upper margin of p. 1:1 were written, it seems, by John Caius, the titles of the two works of Galen contained in part I of the manuscript.

On p. 1:83 is written a Latin title for the works by Galen which follow on pp. 1:85-1:288: ‘ Galeni de naturalibus facultatibus, libri tres’.

On p. 1:290 there is a note by John Caius, describing the contents of Part II of the manuscript: ‘ Libri Galeni 8to postremi | cum bona parte sexti, de me|dendi methodo. Cuius operis | quinque primi libri, cum bona parte | sexti continentur seorsum in | alio volumine maiori et | antiquiori. Cuius ultimae paginae numerus est 160’.

History

Origin:

Part I of the manuscript was copied probably in the first half of the 16th century, as the watermarks and the script suggest.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, MS 360/587, pp. 2:161-2:496]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

3. pp. 2:161-2:495
Galen, Method of Healing, books 7-14 De methodo medendi libri VII-XIV
Incipit: || p. 2:161 χρῆσθαι τῶν ἀφλεγμάντων
Explicit: p. 2:495 ἐνταῦθα οὖν ἤδη τελευτάτω καὶ οὗτος ὁ λόγος
Final rubric: p. 2:495 Θεῷ χάρις

In the upper margin of p. 2:161 John Caius wrote a title in Latin, indicating that this is the second part of the work (the first is in another of his manuscripts), ‘ 6i libri Galeni de medendi methodo pars postrema’

The text starts incomplete at C.G. Kühn, Claudii Galeni opera omnia, 10, Leipzig 1825 (repr. Hildesheim 1965), p. 435 l. 5

TLG 0057.066

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermarks: pp. 2:161-2:208 Scale in a circle surmounted by a six-point star with letters ‘ V V ’ (or ‘W’?) ( ca. 75 × ca. 33 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable to Briquet Balance 2591 , which is dated in 1496, 1497, 1503. pp. 2:209-2:280 Lion , rampant, with countermark ‘ 3 (?) P ’ ( ca. 35 × ca. 33 mm. ) in the gutter, no exact parallels in the main repertoires. pp. 2:281-2:495 Scale in a circle surmounted by a six-point star, with countermark ‘ A’ ( ca. 75 × ca. 33 mm. ) in the gutter, comparable to Briquet Balance 2594 , which is dated to 1500 (Venice), and to Harlfinger Balance 75 , which is dated to 1502.

Collation

Part II is formed by 14 senions.

  • Quires 13-2612 pp. 2:161-2:495(1-14)
  • One endleaf, f. [ii]

Signatures in a light brown ink, in Arabic numerals, are visible passim in the lower margin of the first leaf of the quires; where not visible, they have been written in pencil by a modern librarian. First signature, 2, on p. 2:185, last, 14, on p. 2:473. One single horizontal catchword by the scribe is visible on p. 2:472.

Layout

A single column of 24-25 lines. 160-170 × ca. 110 mm.

Hand(s)

pp. 2:161-2:495 Hand C: a small minuscule script, slightly slanting to the right, datable to the first half of the 16th c. The scribe wrote also notes in the margins.

Iota subscript is not used

The text is written in a light brown ink.

Additions

In the margins there are notes in Latin throughout (see e.g. pp. 2:345, 2:386), in the same brown ink of the text: maybe they were written by hand C as well.

History

Origin:

Part II of the manuscript was copied by a single scribe, probably in Italy, as the paper suggests, in the first half of the 16th century.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2021) draws partly on M. R. James, A descriptive catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Gonville and Caius College, vol. 2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1908, pp. 407-408.

Availability

Visitors to Gonville and Caius College who wish to consult Lower Library material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Gonville and Caius College: Library Information.

Bibliography

    A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Gonville and Caius College, James, M. R. (Cambridge, University Press, 1908, 2) John Caius' Library Biographical history of Gonville and Caius College, 1349-1897: containing a list of all known members of the college from the foundation to the present time, Grierson, P. (Cambridge, 7, University Press, 1978) John Caius and the manuscripts of Galen Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society, Nutton, Vivian (Cambridge, Philological Society, 1987) Byzantine medical manuscripts: towards a new catalogue, with a specimen for an annotated checklist of manuscripts based on an index of Diels' catalogue Byzantion: Revue internationale des Études Byzantines, Touwaide, Alain (79, 453-595, 2009) John Caius et le 'De usu partium'. Contribution à l'histoire du texte de Galien Revue d'histoire des textes, Berlier, S. (6, 1-14, 2011) A census of Greek medical manuscripts: from Byzantium to the Renaissance Medicine in the medieval Mediterranean, Touwaide, A. (London, Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, ©2016, 2016)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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Cambridge Digital Library

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