Aristotle, Ps.-Aristotle, Bernardus Silvestris — 15th century, middle, probably before 1459; German

Title

Aristotle, Ps.-Aristotle, Bernardus Silvestris — 15th century, middle, probably before 1459; German

Shelfmark

MS. Bywater 5

Place of origin

German

Date

15th century, middle, probably before 1459

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Paper; watermarks: steer's head (two varieties, cf. Briquet, nos. 14874, 14883); steer's head with crown (cf. Briquet, no. 14594).

Physical extent

iii (modern) + 194 + iii (modern) leaves.

Hands

Written in a neat semi-cursive hand, with

Decoration

Headings, chapter numbers, running titles, paraphs in red; underlinings, and capitals touched in red, in text 4 and the first few leaves of text 5.

Plain red initials; that on fol. 1r enclosing a repeat design in brown ink.

Binding

Sewn on four(?) cords, and bound in 19th/20th-century three-quarter green leather (faded to brown on the spine) and mottled yellow paper over pasteboards (cf. Ms. Bywater 12); the spine with five false raised bands, lettered in gilt 'ARISTOTELIS | DE ANIMA. | OECONOMICA | ETH. NICOM. | POLITICA.' and 'LATINE | MS. | SAEC. XV.' in the second and fourth compartments; the edges of the leaves coloured yellow.

Acquisition

Bequeathed to the Bodleian by Bywater in 1915; originally allocated the Summary catalogue number 40037, now obsolete, and inscribed on the upper pastedown and fol. 1r with the shelfmark 'Byw. A.5.11', also now obsolete.

Provenance

Written in Germany, and since the added table on fols. 190r-193v extend to the year 1459, the main text was presumably written before this date.

Inscribed with marginal notes throughout, mainly in two 15th/16th-century hands.

Ingram Bywater ; the upper pastedown inscribed in pencil with his Elenchus no: 'By. | 359'.