Roger Bacon (?) — 14th century, late; English

Title

Roger Bacon (?) — 14th century, late; English

Alphabetical list of medicinal plants with short descriptions. — 14th century, late; English

Shelfmark

MS. Arch. Selden. B. 35

Place of origin

English

Date

14th century, late

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Latin

Anglo-Norman

Contents

Acquisition

Acquired by the Bodleian in 1659

Provenance

John Selden, 1584–1654

Title

Treatises by Roger Bacon and Alphita, a Latin list of medicinal plants

Shelfmark

MS. Arch. Selden. B. 35

Summary

Treatises by Roger Bacon:

Fol. 1, 'Liber quem composuit Rogerus Bacon de ordine Minorum de Retardacione accidenciutn senectutis & senij ...'

Fol. 15v, 'De regimine senium & seniorum': beg. 'Et summa regiminis senum uniuersalis': followed by the two short pieces De balneis senum et seniorum (fol. 16v: beg. 'Senes sunt balneandi') and De feompositione quarundam medicinarum (fol. 17: beg. 'Incipiamus in nomine Domini'): both here without title. Cr.]

Fol. 17v, Antidotarius, a second part of the Retardatio senectutis, here without title or author's name: beg.'Post completum vniuersalis'.

Fol. 20, Sermo rei admirabilis siue de retardatione senectutis, by Bacon, here without title or author's name: beg. 'Intendo componere sermonem'.

Fol. 24v, De graduatione medicinarum compositarum, by Bacon, here without title or author's name: beg. 'Omnis forma inherens'.

Fol. 25v, A commentary on the preceding treatise, in two parts, not by Bacon: beg. 'Expositio capituli de gradibus': part 2 begins on fol. 29. Cr.]

Fol. 31, 'De erroribus medicorum secundum fratrem Rogerum Bacon.'

Fol. 37v, An extract from part of Bacon's Compendium philosophic (?): beg. 'Frater Rogerus Bacon in libro 6 Scienciarum in 3° gradtt sapiencie vbi loquitur de bono corporis', cf. A. G. Little's Grey Friars in Oxford (1892), p. 202.

Fol. 39v, 'Alius tractatus eiusdem fratris Rogeri Bacon extractus de sexta parte Compendij studij theologie ... est tractatus de materia prius pertractata & extrahitur de capitulo quod intitulatur De sciencia experimentali...': beg. 'Corpora vero Ade & Eue': see Little, as above, p. 198. Other hands write foll. 41-3, 49-51.

Fol. 43, 'Theorica extracta de libro 7 Serapionis qui est antitodarium suum', i. e. Bacon's Canones practici de medicinis compositis Componendis: beg. 'Necesse est illi qui vult'. At fol. 52 is added 'Capitulum Auicenne de serpentibus'.

Alphita, a Latin list of medicinal plants, in alphabetical order, with short descriptions and often with the English or French names (fol. 53): beg. 'Absinthium, herba fortis, gallice aloine, anglice wermode'. The latter part, after Sinaphe, is wanting. Ed. J. L. G. Mowat, Anecdota Oxoniensia, 1881.

Date

Made up of two pieces written in the late 14th century in England

Language

Latin

Physical facet

On parchment, with coloured capitals, etc.

Physical extent

84 Leaves

Custodial history

Manuscript 3363 acquired by the Bodleian Library