Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, University Library, MS Gg.2.34

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12192

Introduction: The manuscript, written in the first half of the 16th century, contains three Greek texts on music: the Introduction to Harmonics by Cleonides (2nd c. CE), Sectio canonis (Division of the Scale) and a small series of excerpts attributed to Ptolemy (130-175 CE). Only the first text is provided with a title and name of the author. The present sequence of the leaves does not correspond to the correct arrangement of the texts: f. 16 seems to have been misplaced. After the Introduction to Harmonics, the Division of the Scale begins at f. 8r with no rubrics and a sort of title written in the margin; the only element indicating its beginning is an initial in ekthesis. At f. 11v the text is abruptly interrupted by the third text, the excerpts from Ptolemy, beginning incomplete at f. 12r. The excerpts continue until f. 15v, where the ending is underlined by the cul-de-lampe disposition of the text. On f. 16r-v the text of the Division of the Scale continues from the passage concluding on f. 11v. Folios 11 and 16 form a bifolium: maybe they were originally intended to be placed after f. 10, ff. 10-11-16. Folios 12-15 form two bifolia: probably they were originally intended to follow f. 16. Since the text starting on f. 12 is defective, at least one folio preceding it must have been lost. A later hand (hand B) has made annotations in order to indicate the correct succession of the texts. He supplied the first missing words of the excerpts from Ptolemy at f. 12r and the first word of the continuation of the Division of the scale in the lower margin of f. 11v, to be found at f. 16r. The misplacement of leaves must have occurred on a relatively early stage of the manuscript's history, since MS Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, gr. 3027 , of the 16th-17th c., show the same incorrect arrangement of the texts found in MS CUL Gg.2.34 (MS CUL Gg.2.34 seems to have been the exemplar for sections 3-5 of the Paris manuscript, see Mathiesen 1988, p. 296). Before receiving a new binding in 1964, the manuscript was bound together with the English manuscript CUL Gg.2.35.

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-8r l. 25

Cleonides, active 2nd century, Introduction to Harmonics Introductio harmonica

Rubric: f. 1r Κλεονείδου εἰσαγωγῆς ἁρμονικῆς[sic]

Incipit: f. 1r Ἁρμονική ἐστὶν[sic] ἐπιστήμη θεωρητική τε καὶ πρακτική

Explicit: f. 8r οὗτος ὁ ὅρος τῆς κατὰ τὸ ἡρμοσμένον ἐστὶ πραγματείας.

TLG 0361.001

2. ff. 8r l. 26-11v, 16r-16v

Sectio canonis

Rubric: f. 8r Περὶ φθόγγων

The text is written after the previous one without a clear distinction. The title has been written by the scribe in the margin, in brown ink

Incipit: f. 8r Εἰ ἡσυχία εἴη καὶ ἀκινησία

Explicit: f. 16v ὥστε γενέσθαι τὸν ρβ΄ μέσον διάτονον.

The regular succession of the text is interrupted after f. 11v (des. διὰ τεσσάρων δὲ τὸ ζε΄· οὐκ ἄρα, ed. H. Menge, Euclidis opera omnia 8, Leipzig 1916, p. 178 l. 6) by the presence of ff. 12-15, which are misplaced. The text then resumes at f. 16r. A later hand (hand B) has signaled in the lower margin of f. 11v the following word of the text (μέσος)

The text is accompanied by a series of diagrams in the margins

The traditional attribution of the text to Euclid is debated and now generally rejected

TLG 1799.015

3. ff. 12r-15v

Ptolemy, active 2nd century, Excerpts on music (excerpta Neapolitana)

Incipit: || f. 12r καὶ μέλους καὶ πάσης ὀργανικῆς θεωρίας ἐπιστήμη

Explicit: f. 15v ἐν τούτοις γὰρ ἦν εὑρισκόμενα, τὰ τονιαῖα διαστήματα.

The text is written after the previous one without a clear distinction.

The text begins, incomplete, at par. 4 (ed. K. Jan, Musici scriptores Graeci, Leipzig 1895 [repr. Hildesheim 1962], p. 412 l. 17). A later hand (hand B) has signaled in the upper margin of f. 12r the preceding words of the text, Μουσική ἐστι

As in MS Napoli, Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, III C 02, used by the editor of the text, after par. 27 (ed. Jan 1895, p. 420 ll. 10-22) there is one excerpt published by Jan 1895 at pp. 267-271 (par. 2 of the Excerpta by Nicomachus, TLG 0358.004). The last part of par. 27 (Jan 1895, p. 420 ll. 19-22) has been written by the scribe in the margin

At ff. 14r-14v the scribe has left some blank spaces in the text for missing words

The text is accompanied by a series of diagrams in the margins.

TLG 0363.011

4. ff. [iii]-[xvi]

14 blank leaves

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: ff. 1-16 Western paper, folded in quarto. Watermark: Anchor in a circle surmounted by a six point star ( ca. 60 × ca. 45 mm. ) in the gutter comparable to Harlfinger, Ancre 22-23 which are dated to 1523.

Extent: Codex: ii + 16 + xiv leaves., 280 × 192 mm.

Foliation: Modern foliation in pencil, in Arabic numerals, in the top right hand corner, recto: [i]-[ii] + 1-16 + [iii]-[xvi] .

Collation

The manuscript consists of a quinion and a ternion with 2 later endleaves at the beginning and 14 at the end.

2 paper endleaves ff. [i]-[ii] (20^th century)
Quire 1¹⁰ ff. 1-10
Quire 2⁶ ff. 11-16
14 paper endleaves ff. [iii]-[xvi] (20^th century)

There is a vertical catchword in the scribe's hand at f. 10v written from top to bottom. Later signatures in modern pencil, in Arabic numerals, are placed in the lower margin, right hand corner, from 1 (f. 1r) to 2 (f. 11r). Small crosses are written in the same position on the first leaves of the second half of the quires: on f. 6r and f. 14r.

Condition

The manuscript is in good condition. The leaves show several humidity and water stains (see e.g. the right hand upper corner of f. 1r). Brown stains (maybe ink) on ff. 4v-5r. A tear on the lower margin of f. 15r has been repaired.

Layout

One column, 29 lines. Written space: 185 × 110 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-16v Hand A. The text is written in a minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, regular in size, with a tendency to realize small flourishes in the margins. Uprights are not very developed. The script is clearly readable, words are well separated. It is datable in the beginning of the 16th c. as watermarks suggest.

The text is written in brown ink; titles and initials in red.

The scribe wrote additions to the text in the margins.

Hand B. A later hand added a few marginal annotations (mostly corrections) in black ink (see e.g. ff. 1r, 2r, 4v) and indications about the correct order of the texts (see Summary).

Decoration

At f. 1r there is a small undulating frieze in red ink, with vines at the ends

One initial in ekthesis in red ink is decorated with a vegetal motif with pearls, on f. 1r

Minor initials in red ink, some of them with small vegetal decorations (see e.g. ff. 13r, 14r).

Diagrams accompany the texts at ff. 8v, 9r, 9v, 10r, 10v, 11v, 13r, 14r, 16r.

Additions

Hand B wrote in the margins missing words at the end of the text on f. 11v and at the beginning of the text on f. 12r.

On ff. 7r, 8r some passages of the text have been underlined and marked with vertical lines in the margins in a light-colored ink.

On the upper margin of f. 1r there is a title in Latin, spelling wrongly the name of the author of the first text: ‘Cleonodus de musica’; next is the signature.

On the right pastedown there is a modern annotation in pencil describing the collation.

Binding

Modern binding, made in 1964, as noted on the left pastedown. Paper over couched-laminate board. Spine covered by leather, tooled in gold, with author, title and shelfmark.

291 × 210 × 22 mm.

A leather label with the title ‘Tracts’ tooled in gold is presently pasted on the left pastedown, as well as three little brown tags with the shelfmark and the Royal engraved bookplate, presumably removed from the previous binding.

History

Origin: The manuscript was probably written in the first half of the sixteenth century.

Provenance and Acquisition

In an unpublished description, M.R. James attributes the title on f. 1r, and thus ownership of the manuscript, to Jean-Baptiste Hautin (approximately 1580-1640) (see UA ULIB 7/3/74/33). Like many other Greek manuscripts now at Cambridge University Library, this codex was owned by him or his son Jean-Baptiste Hautin II (or possibly with his nephew Jean Baptiste III; on the problem of the identification of Hautin see Jackson 2006, pp. 38-40).

John Moore (1646-1714) , bishop of Ely: no. 980 in the handwritten supplementary list of Moore's manuscripts, now MS CUL Oo.7.50(2), compiled by Thomas Tanner (1674-1735) after the publication of Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (1697). On the left pastedown is glued the engraved bookplate made by John Pine for the Royal Library (1737).

Presented to the University Library in 1715 by George I (1660-1727) : donation bookplate engraved by John Pine (1690-1756) in 1736 on the left pastedown.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2019) draws on A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge, vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1858, p. 63, and T. J. Mathiesen, Ancient Greek music theory: a catalogue raisonné of manuscripts, München 1988, pp. 295-296.

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card. For information on eligibility and admissions procedures, see Joining the Library). For further enquiries, and to confirm the availability of the manuscript, please contact the Special Collections Reading Room.

Bibliography

A catalogue of the manuscripts preserved in the library of the University of Cambridge Catalogue of manuscripts (Gg-Kk), (Cambridge, 3: Gg-Kk, Cambridge University Press, 1858)

Musici scriptores graeci, , (Lipsiae, Teubner, 1899)

Ancient Greek music theory: a catalogue raisonné of manuscripts International inventory of musical sources. B, Mathiesen, T. J. (München, Henle, 1988)

The Greek Manuscripts of John Moore and Etienne Baluze Codices Manuscripti, , (56/57, 29-42, 2006)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

Cambridge, University Library, MS Gg.2.34

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