Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, University Library, MS Nn.1.24

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12232

Introduction: This manuscript, written on paper, contains an early 16th-century copy of the Commentary on Porphyry's Isagoge ascribed to the philosopher Elias (6th century AD), from the school of Olympiodorus at Alexandria. The text is incomplete and untitled; the lemmata from Porphyry are very extended, to the point that it is possible to read the text. Citations and lemmata from Porphyry or other sources are usually marked by quotation symbols (diple) in margins, by small initials of various sizes in red ink, or occasionally notes in red ink in the margins (e.g. f. 3r abbreviation for ἀπόδειξις and ἀνάλυσις, f. 3v κείμενον). The largest citations are usually introduced by κείμενον (preceded sometimes by the chapter title: e.g. f. 2r εἰσαγωγή πορφυρίου, f. 5v περὶ γένους), Elias' commentary is usually introduced by ἐξήγησις in red ink. The text is closely linked to Vind. Phil. gr. 69 (ca. 1500): both of the manuscripts bear the same omissions and additions, and terminate at the same point. Nn.1.24 also includes a brief extract from another commentator of Porphyry, Ammonius Hermiae, cited continuously with the commentary of Elias. The codex is written by Nikolaos (RGK I 330), a scribe who also copied Queens' College MS 33 (20 James) (ff. 1r-148v) and Gonville & Caius MS 76/43 (ff. 35r-66v), and worked with Zacharias Callierges , Cretan printer in Venice. It was donated to Cambridge University Library by Cuthbert Tunstall (b. 1474, d. 1559) between 1528 and 1529 (the date ‘4th July 1528’ on the pastedown of left cover was added by a later hand and depends on a draft letter of gratitude from the University, dated 4th July without a year, UA CUR 31). The manuscript was bound (see f. [i] recto) with Cambridge, University Library, Inc.2.B.146[1853] , which contains two incunabula: Ammonius Hermiae, Commentarii in quinque voces Porphyrii (ISTC ia00565000; Oates 1997 no. 2218), and Simplicius, Hypomnemata in Aristotelis categorias (ISTC is00535000; Oates 1997 no. 2217), both printed by Zacharias Callierges for Nicolaus Blastos, Venice 1500 and 1499 respectively. In all likelihood, these three volumes were bound together at the moment of the donation, and were among the first Greek texts that entered the Library's collection. Dr Matteo Di Franco

Language(s): Greek

1. ff. 1r-25v

Elias (Philosopher), In Porphyrii Isagogen (ed. Busse 1900, Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca 18.1, p. 40-104)

Incipit: f. 1r Lemma: Ὄντος ἀναγκαίου Χρυσαόριε, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν παρὰ Ἀριστοτέλει κατηγοριῶν διδασκαλίαν τοῦ γνῶναι (Porphyrius, Isagoge; ed. Busse 1887, Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca 4.1, p. 1,3-9) Ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τὸ προτελεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ τελεῖσθαι καιρός

Explicit: f. 25r ll. 26-27 τεσσάρων ὅρων προστεθέντων προστίθενται τέσσαρες σχέσεις ταῖς ἓξ καὶ γίνονται δέκα. ταῦτα ἔχει ἡ θεωρία (ed. Busse 18.1, p. 100,22) f. 25v Lemma: Διαφέρουσι δὲ, ὅτι ἡ μὲν διαφορὰ περιέχει, οὐ περιέχεται δέ· περιέχει γὰρ τὸ λογικὸν ἄνθρωπον (Porphyrius, Isagoge; ed. Busse 4.1, p. 20,1) ||

TLG 4020.001

omissions and additions, in common with Vind. Phil. gr. 69: omissions:

f. 10v l. 14: Elias 60,24-64,29
f. 15r l. 14: 75,5-76,23
f. 22v l. 12: 92,19-95,34

additions:

f. 2r ll. 5-7: post παροῦσα [πραγματεία καὶ] πρᾶξις (Busse 42,10), add. Ποσαχῶς λέγεται τὰ στοχεῖα - καὶ λέγεται ὑπερτελής
f. 3v l. 17 - 4r l. 29: post τῶν γὰρ ὄντων πάντων (Busse 46,7), add. σύντομόν σοι παράδοσιν ποιούμενος διὰ βραχέων - τοῦτο εἴρηκεν ὁ φιλόσοφος, derived mostly from David , In Porphyrii Isagogen commentarium (cf. ed. Busse 1900, 18.2, p. 105-108)
f. 11v ll. 6-10: post περιεχόμενον ἐξ αὐτοῦ (67,2), add. θεὸς δε ἄγγελος καὶ ἄνθρωπος - πολλοί εἰσι καὶ ἀόριστοι τῷ ἀριθμῷ
f. 13r l. 1: post τελευταῖον Διός (70,4 extended lemma), add. ἐπὶ τῶν γενεαλογικῶν Ἀτρείδης Πελοπίδης - ποιότης οἷον μελανία
f. 13v ll. 22-26: post εἰδοποιοῖς διαφοραῖς (71,26 extended lemma), add. τὰ γενικώτατα δέκα εἰσὶ - καὶ ἀπορροῇ ἐστιν (addition flagged by a four dot mark)
f. 15r ll. 14-20: post καὶ τοῦ μὲν γένους (Porph. 7,1 extended lemma), in place of 76,26-78,16 shows ἡ κοινῶς διαφορὰ ἢ ταῖς ἡλικίαις - ἢ ἐπουσιώδης καὶ ποιεῖ τὴν ἰδιαίτατα

2. f. 5v ll. 16-29

Ammonius Hermiae, In Porphyrii Isagogen (ed. Busse 1891, Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca 4.3)

Incipit: || f. 5v l. 16 ἔτι ποῖα δεῖ ποιεῖν ὑποκείμενα (Busse 44,24)

Explicit: f. 5v l. 29 οἱ δὲ τοῦ ξενοκράτους, ἀκαδημαϊκοὶ, ἀποβαλόντες τὸ περιπατητικοί (Busse 46,16) ||

The beginning of this text is indicated by a ‘four dot mark’

TLG 4016.001

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: ff. [i] recto - [v] verso Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: stair ( 58 × 41 mm. ) in the middle of the folio, on a chainline comparable to Briquet, 5920 ; the majority of those examples are dated between 1491 and 1494. ff. 1r-26v Western paper, folded in folio. Watermark: unclear, similar to Crossbow in circle ( 60 × 50 mm. ) in the middle of the folio, on a chainline comparable to Piccard, 2227-8 ; the majority of those examples are dated at the end of 15th century.

Extent: Codex: v + 26 + i leaves. 320 × 220 mm.

Foliation: [i-v] + 1-26 + [vi] Modern foliation in pencil in Arabic numerals in the top right-hand corner, recto.

Collation

The manuscript consists of three quaternions (ff. 1-24) and a bifolium (ff. 25-26).

Quires 1-3⁸ ff. 1r-24v
Quire 4⁴ ff. 25r-26v

The original quire signatures in Greek numerals, written under a line by the scribe, remain on the lower margin of ff. 1r and 9r: α and β. The quire signatures continue in pale brown ink on ff. 17r and 25r: Γ and δ.

Condition

The leaves are generally in good condition, yellowed by time, rarely stained.

Layout

ff. 1r-25v: A single column of 30 lines. 220 × 123 mm.

Hand(s)

Nikolaos : The manuscript is written by the scribe Nikolaos (RGK I 330) in a minuscule vertical or slightly slanted to the right, with modest variation in letter size.

Syllabic abbreviations and superscript word endings usually appear only at the end of lines, but occasionally elsewhere. Breathings are curved and joined to accents; mute iota is present but not constantly used. Accents are often joined to alpha, upsilon and omega.

Nikolaos' handwriting is characterized by the beta with long vertical stroke, pi in 'omega-like' shape, under a long and often curved horizontal stroke, rho straight or slightly curved to the left, and enlarged lunate sigma.

The ligatures are frequently traced from below. Ligatures with rho are drawn up, traced in a single line and often with small closed loops.

Punctuation includes the middle and upper point, lower comma and full stop.

Decoration

Major initials in floral pattern, drawn with thick red ink: ff. 1r, 3v, 5v, 6r, 21r, 23r, 24v

Paragraph initials outlined in red ink, with simple decoration.

Diagram on f. 11r.

Additions

Note on the acquisition on the pastedown of left cover: ‘The gift of Cuthbert Tunstall Bp. of London 4 July 1528’.

Note on the previous binding and classmark on f. [i] recto: ‘Formerly bound with Ammmonius, Venice, 1500, F^o [Inc.2.B.3.146]’; ‘R*.1.25’.

Title added on f. [v] verso: ‘Porphyrius de universalibus’.

Binding

18th- or 19th-century couched-laminate board binding covered in quarter with marbled paper. Both boards are fully detached.

The title (Porphyrius) is tooled in gold on the spine.

332 × 234 × 15 mm.

History

Origin:

The codex was copied by Nikolaos, collaborator of Zacharia Callierges and scribe active in Venice and Padua between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th. Between 1499 and 1505 Curthbert Tunstall studied Greek in Padua under Nicholas Leonicus Thomaeus (cf. Oates 1986, p. 60 et seq.); it was probably during his stay in Italy that he bought the incunanbula and the manuscript, so this copy was likely made prior to 1505.

Provenance and Acquisition

Nn.1.24 and Cambridge, University Library, Inc.2.B.146[1853] were donated by Cuthbert Tunstall (b. 1474, d. 1559), bishop of London, as recorded on the pastedown of left cover, although neither the two printed books nor the manuscript bears the gift-inscription (Cuthebertus Londiniensis episcopus studiosis dono dedit), which is present in other books that were part of the same donation (among the Greek manuscripts, see Ee.6.35 , f. 3r). The volume Inc.2.B.146[1853] + MS Nn.1.24 is not listed in John Gwyn's catalogue (1557) (cf. Early catalogues of manuscripts, up to c. 1600), but appears in later catalogues of 1573 (no. 87) and 1574 (no. 91) and 1583 (no. 181.1; Nn.1.24, as bound with printed books, was probably overlooked by Thomas James in his Library's manuscript catalogue Ecloga Oxonio-Cantabrigiensis, 1600). The University of Cambridge's general bookplate (engraved by William Jackson in 1706-1707) was added on f. 1r.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description (2019) draws on A catalogue of the Manuscripts preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge, vol. 4, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1861, p. 465-466.

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

Three Sixteenth-Century Catalogues of the University Library Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, Oates, J.C.T.Pink, H.L. (1, 4, 310-340, 1952)

A catalogue of the fifteenth-century printed books in the University Library, Cambridge, Oates, J.C.T. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1954)

Specimen eines Repertoriums der griechischen Kopisten. Jahrbuch der österreichischen Byzantinistik, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter (27, 293-322, 1978)

Repertorium der griechischen Kopisten, 800-1600. I. Grossbritannien Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Byzantinistik ;, Gamillscheg, ErnstHarlfinger, Dieter (Wien, Bd. 3, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1981)

Cambridge University Library: a history, Oates, J.C.T. (Cambridge, 1: From the beginnings to the Copyright Act of Queen Anne, Cambridge University Press, 1986)

Cambridge University Library: a history, McKitterick, David (Cambridge, 2: The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Cambridge University Press, 1986)

A Catalogue of Cambridge University Library, 1583 Books and collectors, 1200-1700: essays presented to Andrew Watson The British Library studies in the history of the book, Leedham-Green, E. S.McKitterick, David (London, 153-245, 226, 156-7, British Library, 1997)

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 Nn.1.24

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