Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.9.39
Medical recipes
Contents
Physical Description
16th- or 17th-century pagination for Parts 1 and 2:
1-36 (pp. 1:1-1:36) | 37-59 (ff. 1:1r-1:12r)
Written in brown ink in the center of the upper margin of the recto and verso of each leaf.
This catalogue record follows the pagination of Part 1 but not that of Part 2.16th- or 17th-century foliation that continues the pagination sequence of Parts 1 and 2 for Parts 3, 4, and 5:
60-70, [70a], 71-118 (pp. 2:1-2:122) | 119-138 (ff. 2:1r-2:20v) | 139-191 (ff. 3:1r-3:40r)
Written in brown ink in the inner or outer corners of the upper margin of the recto of each leaf.
This catalogue record ignores this foliation.19th- or 20th-century foliation for Part 2:
1-12 (ff. 1:1r-1:12r)
Written in pencil in the outer corners of the upper margin of the recto of each leaf.
This catalogue record for follows this foliation for Part 2.16th- or 17th-century pagination with modern additions for Part 3
1-76, 77a-77b [modern additions], 78a-78b [modern additions], 79-88, 90-123 (pp. 2:1-2:76, 2:77a-2:77b, 2:78a-2:78b, 2:79-2:88, 2:90-2:123)
Written in brown ink in the outer corners of the upper margin of the recto of each leaf.
This catalogue record for follows this pagination for Part 3.19th- or 20th-century foliation for Part 4:
1-20 (ff. 2:1r-2:20v)
Written in pencil in the outer corners of the upper margin of the recto of each leaf.
This catalogue record for follows this foliation for Part 4.19th- or 20th-century foliation for Part 5:
1-40 (ff. 3:1r-3:40v)
Written in pencil in the outer corners of the upper margin of the recto of each leaf.
This catalogue record for follows this foliation for Part 5.Collation
- Quire 18 (pp. 1:1-1:16)
- Quire 28 (pp. 1:17-1:32)
- Quire 32 (pp. 1:33-1:36) |
- Quire 46 (ff. 2:1-2:6)
- Quire 56 (ff. 2:7-2:12) |
- Part 3: collation not established |
- Quire 64 (ff. 2:1-2:4)
- Quire 76 (ff. 2:5-2:10)
- Quire 84 (ff. 2:11-2:14)
- Quire 9?12-6 (ff. 2:15-2:20: ?7th-12th leaves missing) |
- Quire 1020 (ff. 3:1-3:20)
- Quire 11twenty (ff. 3:21-3:40)
1-28 32 | 4-56 | Part 3: Collation not established | 64 76 84 9?12-6 (?7th-12th missing) | 1020 11twenty
Binding
18th- or 19th-century half vellum binding with purple paper sides
Binding height: 310mm; width: 200mm; depth: 25mm.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Perhaps owned by a member of the Playster family Playster family : their name inscribed in a 16th- or 17th-century hand in the upper margin of p. 1:7: ‘Playster of Gaynesborne [ ? Gaynestone] in Derbyshire’. However, according to Roberts and Watson (1990), p. 117, this inscription is written in the hand of John Dee (see below).
One of the manuscripts of John Dee (1527–1608) , mathematician, astrologer, and antiquary: his name with the year 1573 (‘John Dee. 1573’) inscribed in the upper margin of f. 1:17v. The manuscript has been identified as M54 in the 1583 catalogue of Dee's library [see M.R. James, Catalogue, III (1902), p. 502; Roberts and Watson (1990), p. 117]. The manuscript also contains recipes and other texts in his hand: ff. 2:1r-2:20v.
One of the manuscripts of Patrick Saunders (d. 1638) , pupil of John Dee and member of the London College of Physicians: his name inscribed with the year 1606 (‘Patricius Saunders 1606’) next to that of John Dee in the upper margin of f. 1:17 [see Roberts and Watson (1990), pp. 58-58]. In his will, Saunders bequeathed his manuscripts to his son Patrick, who also practised medicine in London, perhaps including MS O.9.39 [see Roberts and Watson (1990), p. 62].
One of the manuscripts of Thomas Gale (1635/6-1702) , dean of York, antiquary and fellow of Trinity College Cambridge.
One of the manuscripts of Roger Gale (1672-1744) , antiquary and scholar, son of Thomas Gale. Inherited from his father.
Donated to Trinity College by Roger Gale (1672-1744) , son of Thomas Gale (1635/6-1702), in 1738. The alpha-numerical elements of its classmark are printed on three paper tabs on the damaged spine: ‘O’, ‘9’, ‘39’ [missing] (The binding is kept in a modern grey paper cover with ‘O.9.39’ in pencil written on the upper cover and spine) The classmark ‘O.9.39’ is also written in brown ink on the inside of the upper cover and f. 1:1 (as well as the numbers ‘329’, ‘H.15’ [crossed out]) Its ex libris printed on a paper pastedown in the lower inner margin of f. 1:1 (featuring its coat of arms and its name: ‘Collegium S.S. et Indiviudae Trinitatis in Academia Cantabrigiensi’).
Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.9.39, pp. 1:1-1:36]
Contents
Language(s): Middle English and Latin
The text ends imperfectly and breaks off at the end due to the loss of a preceding and subsequent quire.
The treatise includes three recipes for confections ‘per Copyn de Brugges spycer and apothecare’ (pp. 15-16).
The treatise begins and ends imperfectly due to the loss of a preceding and subsequent quire.
Three recipes on pp. 1:15-1:16 are attributed to a certain "Copyn" of Bruges who is identified as a spicer and apothecary (‘Per Copyn de Brugges Apothecar’; ‘Per Copyn de Brugges Spyer and Apothecar’; and ‘Per Copyn de Brugges Spycere et Apothecar’). One recipe on p. 1:26 is attributed to a friar named (?) John de Stanlowe (‘azurium fratris j. de stanlowe’).
Collection of 11 medical recipes and charms; including a charm that gives instructions for making a lead plate with crosses for healing wounds (with an illustration of the plate), followed by other charms for curing wounds; and a charm for staunching blood. The collection also contains two recipes for treating metals, entitled: ‘A perschyng water for yron oþer stel’ and ‘to make a knyf aȝen þat ys newe ibroken’.
The recipes have been added by the same hand that has copied pp. 1:34-1:36.
Physical Description
Collation
- Quire 18 (pp. 1:1-1:16)
- Quire 28 (pp. 1:17-1:32)
- Quire 32 (pp. 1:33-1:36)
Layout
185-210 × 145-150 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame only. 25-31 lines to the page, written below top line.
Hand(s)
Pages 1:1-1:34 have been copied by a single hand in a neat small anglicana script.
Pages 1:35-1:36 have been copied by a single hand in a cursiveanglicana script.
Decoration
Titles and explicits written in red ink.
Small regular initials highlighted with red ink.
Paraphs in red ink.
Underlining in red ink.
History
Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.9.39, ff. 1:1r-1:12v]
Contents
Language(s): Middle English and Latin
Collection of 62 recipes, largely in Middle English but including two in Latin.
Collection of 42 recipes for making medicinal waters.
Collection of 15 recipes for making medicinal oils.
Added by a 16th-century hand. Full transcription.
Added by a 16th-century hand.
Added by a 16th-century hand.
Physical Description
Collation
- Quire 46 (ff. 2:1-2:6)
- Quire 56 (ff. 2:7-2:12)
Layout
215-220 × 140-145 mm. Ruled in leadpoint, frame only, occasional line ruling. Single columns. 41 lines to the page, written below line.
Hand(s)
Copied by a single hand in a cursive anglicana script.
Decoration
Large (3-6 lines) and small (1 line) plain blue initials, with the large (6 line) opening initial on f. 1:1r featuring minor forms of outline decoration
Titles for new sections and recipes written in red ink.
History
Part 3 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.9.39, pp. 2:1-2:76, 2:77a-2:77b, 2:78a-2:78b, 2:79-2:88, 2:90-2:123]
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Ends imperfectly in Book 3.
Physical Description
Collation
Collation not established.
Catchwords written in the lower inner corners of versos, but these do not necessarily coincide with new quires.Layout
235-245 × 130-155 mm. No ruling visible. Single columns. 30-44 lines to the page.
Hand(s)
Copied by 2-3 hand working in a humanistic cursive script.
Decoration
This part of the manuscript does not contain any significant forms of decoration.
History
Part 4 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.9.39, ff. 2:1r-2:20v]
Contents
Language(s): Latin
Copied in the hand of John Dee.
Physical Description
Collation
- Quire 64 (ff. 2:1-2:4)
- Quire 76 (ff. 2:5-2:10)
- Quire 84 (ff. 2:11-2:14)
- Quire 9?12-6 (ff. 2:15-2:20: ?7th-12th leaves missing)
Layout
No ruling. Single columns. The full space of the page has often been used. The number of lines to the pages varies greatly.
Hand(s)
Folios 2:1r-2:4v have been copied by a 16th-century hand writing in Italic.
Folios 2:5r-2:20v have been copied by John Dee in Italic.
Decoration
This part of the manuscript does not contain any significant forms of decoration.
History
Part 5 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.9.39, 3:1r-3:40v]
Contents
Added by a late 16th- or early 17th-century hand.
Various recipes are attribute to medical practitioners, including ‘D[octor] Bartholomee Ba’, ‘D[octor] Andreo a ?Plani’ ‘DD Petri Canniceri’, ‘Doctor Matthioli’, ‘D[octor] Galli’, ‘D[octor] Leonem’, ‘D[octor] Ricij’, ‘D[octor] Hans ?Grasperij’, ‘D[octor] [...] War Lechen’, and ‘D[octor] Gerardi’.
Four recipes in English, entitled: ‘Againste chilblaines and bibbes’, ‘Againste the runninge of the cames [? canies]’, ‘To provoke vrine’ [with reference to ‘Saxonia’, probably the Italian physician Ercole Sassonia (1551-1607)] and ‘Againste cornes’.
Physical Description
Collation
- Quire 1020 (ff. 3:1-3:20)
- Quire 11twenty (ff. 3:21-3:40)
Layout
275 × 75 mm. ff. 3:1r-3:20v does not feature ruling and ff. 3:21r-3:40v are ruled in leadpoint (although possibly intended for tables instead of text), frame only. Mainly single columns (except ff. Single columns. c. 44-45 lines to the page .
Hand(s)
Folios 3:1r-3:21v and 3:22v-3:38v and 3:40v are copied by 3 Italianate hands writing in cursive humanistic script.
Folios 3:22r and 3:39v are copied by two English hands writing a cursive script with predominantly secretary features.
Decoration
This part of the manuscript does not feature any significant forms of decoration.
History
Additional Information
Record Sources
Availability
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Bibliography
-
The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge: A Descriptive
Catalogue, James, M.R. (Cambridge, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902)
John Dee's Library Catalogue, Roberts, Julian R.Watson, Andrew G. (London, Bibliographical Society, 1990)
Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge Index of Middle English prose, Mooney, Linne R. (Woodbridge, D.S. Brewer, 1995)
The Cultural Uses of Magic in Fifteenth-century England, Mitchell, Laura (Toronto, 2011)
Cambridge, Trinity College Library MS O.9.39 (1451) Late Medieval English Magic: English
Manuscripts Containing 15th-Century Magical Texts, Mitchell, Laura (2014, https://magicalmedieval.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/tcc1451/)
<hi rend="italics">The crafte of lymmyng</hi> and <hi rend="italics">The maner
of steynyng</hi>: Middle English recipes for painters, stainers, scribes and illuminators
Early English Text Society (Series). Original series, (Oxford, Published for the Early English Text Society by the Oxford University
Press, 2016)
O.9.39 De coloribus, Now for to make of whyl cheurell reed cheuerell ARTECHNE Database:
History of technique in the arts, 1500-1950, (2016-19, https://artechne.hum.uu.nl/node/91583)
Tricks of the Medieval Trades: The Trinity Encyclopedia: A Collection of Fourteenth-Century
English Craft Recipes, Clarke, Mark (London, Archetype Publications, 2018)
'Here Is a Good Boke to Lerne': Practical Books, the Coming of the Press, and the
Search for
Knowledge, ca. 1400–1560 Journal of British Studies, Reynolds, Melissa (58, 2, 259-288, 2019)
Paper in Medieval England: From Pulp to Fictions, Da Rold, Orietta (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020)
Funding of Cataloguing
Wellcome (cataloguing). All images provided by Trinity College, Cambridge.
Digital Images
Abbreviations
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