Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

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

Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11992

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript is a composite Miscellany, made up of multiple parts copied separately in the second half of the 17th century. Much of the content is supplementary material relating to the study of a range of Greek texts. These include collected scholia to works of the rhetor and satirist Lucian of Samosata and the philosopher Porphyry, variant lections found in manuscripts of Porphyry, the poet and physician Nicander of Colophon and the agricultural manual known as the Geoponica, and indices of words used by Nicander of Colophon and in the encyclopaedic lexicon known as the Souda. There are also excerpts from theological texts, the compilation of Euthymios Zigabenos (c. 1050-c.1118) and a treatise by Photios I, Patriarch of Constantinople (c. 820-c. 891), and two short rhetorical texts, one by the ancient rhetor Tiberius. The various components of the manuscript were written by different hands at different times. Two of these are identified by notes, with the dates of their work: one Bruno, who copied the scholia on Lucian from a manuscript belonging to the Dutch scholar Isaac Vossius in 1660, and a scholar with the surname Mencken, who compiled variant readings from a manuscript of Porphyry in Leiden in 1687. The rest can also all be dated to the second half of the 17th century by the watermarks of the papers used. The style of script of the various hands ranges from an informal manner appropriate to scholarly note-taking to the elegant script employed for the longest text, the index to the Souda. This was evidently a more formal production, a characteristic reflected also in the careful and ornate drawings of animals, mostly birds, which decorate the foot of many of its pages. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek and Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: 163 leaves.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers 1-163 in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 46 quires: 1-26, 3-48, 52, 66, 76-1, 8-382, 39-408, 418-1, 42-448, 456-1, 468

Condition

There is wear and tear to the edges of folios, water staining and areas of dirt.

Binding

17th-century binding with parchment covering over couched-laminate boards, with a plain pastedown inside the left board; f. 163 is pasted to the right board. The classmark appears on the spine on patches.

325 × 210 × 35 mm.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Donated by the antiquary Roger Gale (1672-1744) in 1738.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 1-12]

Contents

1. ff. 1r-9r
Scholia on Lucian
Language(s): Greek

Excerpts

Filiation: Copied from a manuscript belonging to Isaac Vossius (1618-1689), now Leiden, Bibliotheek der Rijksuniverstiteit, MS gr. Qo 29.
Incipit: f. 1r Ἄρτι δὲ σολοικιῶ
2. ff. 9v-12r
Scholia on Lucian
Language(s): Greek
Incipit: f. 9v Ἔρως καὶ Ζεὺς
Colophon: f. 12r Bruno 19 August 1660

f. 12v is blank apart from a note in Latin; f. 13r-13v is blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 1-12 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Foolscap ( 108 × 53 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, similar to Heawood 2002, 2009. These examples are dated to 1674-1680.
Extent: ff. 1-12 315 × 205 mm.

Collation

This part consists of two quires, both ternia.

  • Quires 1-26 ff. 1-12

Layout

ff. 1r-12r A single column of 47-50 lines. 305 × 150 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-12r were copied by one Bruno (Hand A) in mixed minuscule script, with variable slant, in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points and lower comma.

Additions

There are manicules on ff. 10v-11v

History

Origin: This part was copied by one Bruno and completed on 19 August 1660, as indicated by the colophon on f. 12r.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 13-28]

Contents

3. ff. 13r-27r
On prosody
Language(s): Greek
Filiation: Copied from MS R.9.18, ff. 86r-97v.
Incipit: f. 13r Πᾶσα λόγου ἰδέα ἐκ μερῶν ὀκτὼ συγκείται

The text is written only on recto folios, the verso being left blank; f. 28r is also blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 13-28 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Horn ( 65 × 48 mm. ) in the centre of the folio.
Extent: ff. 13-28 303 × 190 mm.

Collation

This part consists of two quires, both quaternia.

  • Quires 3-48 ff. 13-28

Layout

ff. 14r-27r A single column of 42-53 lines. 260 × 135 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 14r-27r were copied by Hand B in mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings are not in use. Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript.

Minuscule gamma often appears in an unusual form, with the first downward stroke turned sharply to the left, and the second stroke horizontal.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points, lower comma and question mark.

Decoration

Headings and folios begin with minor initials in brown ink.

Additions

A note on f. 14r identifies the source manuscript and mentions the existence of another copy in a manuscript of the Barocci collection, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. There are marginal annotations in Greek and Latin.

History

Origin: This part was probably copied in the second half of the 17th century, as suggested by the style of script and type of watermark.

Part 3 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 29-45]

Contents

4. ff. 31r-41r
Scholia and variant lections in Porphyry, De abstinentia
Language(s): Greek and Latin
Filiation: Scholia collected from Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, MS gr. 25 (1455), and variant lections collated between this manuscript and a printed edition, presumably the Venice edition of 1547.

f. 29r is a title page to this text; ff. 29v-30v and 41v-45v are blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 29-30, 44-45 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Coat of arms (Orange) ( 113 × 100 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, comparable but not identical to Heawood 391-393. These examples are dated to 1688-1691. ff. 31-41 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Horn ( 15 × 28 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, similar to Heawood 2628. This example is dated to 1675. 42-43 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Horn ( 71 × 55 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, similar to Heawood 2686-2687. These examples are dated to 1680-1683.
Extent: ff. 29-41, ff. 44-45 316 × 197 mm. ff. 42-43 301 × 193 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 4 quires, one of twelve folios and the others single bifolios.

  • Quires 52 ff. 29-30
  • Quire 66 ff. 31-36
  • Quire 76-1 ff. 37-41 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text
  • Quires 8-92 ff. 42-45

Layout

ff. 31r-41r A single column of 34-39 lines. 290 × 185 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 29r-41r were copied by one Mencken (Hand C) in upright mixed minuscule script, in brown and red ink, with modest variation in letter size.

Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points.

Additions

The context of production is stated on a title page, f. 29r: ‘Variae lections in Porphyrii librum Περὶ ἀποχῆς, ex MS Cod. Bibliothecae Paulinae apud Lipsienses, manu ....... Mencken, viri docti et amici, Anno Domini MDCLXXXVIII’.

History

Origin: This part was copied in 1687 by one Mencken Mencken , as indicated by the text on f. 29r.

Part 4 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 46-103]

Contents

5. ff. 48r-103r
Index to the Souda
Language(s): Greek and Latin

f. 47r is a title page to this text; ff. 46r-46v, 47v and 103v are blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 46-47, 52-57, 62-63, 88-89, 92-97, 100-101 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Fleur-de-lys ( 59 × 47 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, similar to Heawood 1673. This example is dated to 1673. ff. 48-51, 58-59, 66-87, 90-91, 98-99, 102-103 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Horn ( 75 × 53 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, comparable to Heawood 2693, 2780, but with a countermark of two large L-shapes. These examples are dated to 1684-1690. ff. 60-61, 64-65 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Fleur-de-lys ( 98 × 53 mm. ) in the centre of the folio.
Extent: ff. 46-47 305 × 190 mm. ff. 48-103 305 × 197 mm.

Collation

This part consists of 29 quires, all single bifolios.

  • Quires 10-382 ff. 46-103

Layout

ff. 48r-103r Two columns of 13-47 lines. 270-290 × 140-180 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 47r-103r were copied by Hand D in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size.

Breathings are round and mute iota is absent.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points.

Decoration

Some list items begin with minor initials in brown ink.

There are drawings of birds on ff. 57v, 67v, 78v, 80v, 84v, 87v, 93r, 97v and 101v, a fish on f. 61v, a dog on f. 67r and pieces of non-figurative ornament on ff. 59v, 70v, 85v, 99r-99v and 102v-103r, all in brown ink.

Additions

On f. 47r is the title of the work contained here: ‘Index in Suidam’.

History

Origin: This part was probably copied between about 1675 and 1690, as indicated by the combination of watermarks. This is consistent with the style of script.

Part 5 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 104-126]

Contents

6. ff. 104r-118r, 121r-125r
Euthymios Zigabenos (c. 1050-c. 1118, Panoplia dogmatica

Excerpts

Language(s): Greek and Latin
Filiation: Copied from MS B.8.9

TLG 3038.001

PG 130

ff. 111v, 118v, 125v-126v are blank

7. ff. 119r-120r
Photios I, Patriarch of Constantinople (c. 820-c. 891), Epitome de Sancti Spiritu mystagogia

Excerpt: ed. Migne, sections 1-3

Language(s): Greek and Latin

TLG 4040.005

f. 120v is blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 104-126 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Coat of arms (Orange) ( 113 × 100 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, comparable but not identical to Heawood 391-393. These examples are dated to 1688-1691.
Extent: ff. 104-126 313 × 197 mm.

Collation

This part consists of three quires, all quaternia.

  • Quires 39-408 ff. 104-119
  • Quire 418-1 ff. 120-126 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.

Layout

104-125 A single column of 30-35 lines. 260 × 135 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 104r-125r were copied by Hand E in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size.

Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and nomina sacra strokes.

Punctuation used includes the lower, middle and upper points.

Additions

There are marginal annotations in Greek and Latin

History

Origin: This part was probably copied between about 1675 and 1705, as indicated by the watermark. This is consistent with the style of script.

Part 6 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 127-134]

Contents

8. ff. 127r-134r
Variant lections in the Geoponica
Language(s): Greek and Latin
Filiation: Collated between the Basle edition of 1539 and four manuscripts, listed as ‘Saraceni, Longolii, Barocii, Cottoniani’. The manuscript once owned by Christophorus Longolius (Christophe de Longueil) (1488-1522) is now Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Auct. F.3.18, that of the Barocci collection is Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Barocci 54. The manuscripts from the Cotton collection and that of Saracenus, presumably Ianus Antonius Saracenus (1547-1598), are unidentified, but London, British Library, Harley MS 6876 contains collations of the Geoponica by Peter Needham (1680-1731), who published an edition of the text in Cambridge in 1704, from the Longolius and Barocci manuscripts and from a copy of the Basle edition owned by Sir John Cotton (1621-1701) and annotated by him with variant readings from a manuscript once owned by Saracenus.

ff. f. 130r and 134v are blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 127-134 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Coat of arms ( 110 × 98 mm. ) in the centre of the folio.
Extent: 302 × 192 mm.

Collation

This part consists of one quire, a quaternion.

  • Quire 428 ff. 127-134

Layout

ff. 127r-134r A single column of 39-51 lines. 285-295 × 160-180 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 127r-134r were copied by Hand F in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink, with modest variation in letter size.

Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript.

Punctuation used includes the lower and middle points and lower comma.

History

Origin: This part was probably copied in the second half of the 17th century, as suggested by the style of script and type of watermark.

Part 7 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 135-155]

Contents

9. ff. 135r-136v
Variant lections in works of Nicander of Colophon
Language(s): Greek and Latin
10. ff. 137r-155r
Indices to works of Nicander of Colophon
Language(s): Greek

Includes authors, places, mythological persons and other words

ff. 137v, 138v, 139v, 140v, 141v, 144v, 145v, 146v, 147v, 148v, 149v, 150v, 151v, 152v, 153v, 154v, 155v are blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 135-155 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Horn ( 83 × 48 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, similar to Heawood 2706. This example is dated to 1676.
Extent: 313 × 197 mm.

Collation

This part consists of three quires, of which two are quaternia and one is a ternion.

  • Quires 43-448 ff. 135-150
  • Quires 456-1 ff. 151-155 The last folio has been cancelles, without loss of text.

Layout

ff. 135v-155r Two columns of up to 45 lines. 295 × 165 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 134r-155r were copied by Hand G in mixed minuscule script, slanting to the right, in brown ink, with little variation in letter size.

Breathings are round.

History

Origin: This part was probably copied between about 1660 and 1690, as indicated by the combination of watermarks. This is consistent with the style of script.

Part 8 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS O.4.17, ff. 156-163]

Contents

11. ff. 156r-163r
Tiberius, rhetor, De figuris Demosthenicis
Language(s): Greek

TLG 2601.001

The text is written on recto folios only, the verso being left blank

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: ff. 156-163 Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: Horn ( 68 × 40 mm. ) in the centre of the folio, very similar to Heawood 2672. This example is dated to 1678.
Extent: 313 × 197 mm.

Collation

This part consists of one quire, a quaternion.

  • Quire 468 ff. 156-163

Layout

ff. 156r-163r A single column of 31-35 lines. 265 × 115-130 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 156r-163r were copied by Hand H in mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with moderate variation in letter size.

Breathings are round and mute iota is subscript.

Punctuation used includes the lower point and lower comma.

Additions

There are marginal citation notes in latin

History

Origin: This part was probably copied between about 1665 and 1690, as indicated by the watermark. This is consistent with the style of script.

Additional Information

Availability

Visitors to Trinity College who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Trinity College: Information for Readers.

Bibliography

    The western manuscripts in the library of Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M. R. (Cambridge, 3, Cambridge University Press, 1902)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge