Computistical collection

Details

This item is described in 1 online catalogue.?

For the main catalogue entry, see: Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries

Description

From Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries

This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries.

Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries contains descriptions of all known Western medieval manuscripts held in the Bodleian Libraries, and of medieval manuscripts in selected Oxford colleges. Learn more.

Title

Computistical collection

Shelfmark

MS. Lyell 54

Place of origin

Italy

German, South

Swiss

Date

11th century, middle, and 12th century, early

14th century

Language

Latin

1. (fol. 1r) The mnemonic verses known as Tabula Angelica

a. (below) Incipit: Si omnes termini in dominicis diebus evenerint usque in aliam dominicam

b. (written in the upper margin, possibly in a different hand) Incipit: Regulares videlicet subscriptos v, 1, vi iunge concurrentibus anni cuius volueris et invenies feriam in qua omnes termini contingant.

2. (fol. 1r)

Rubric: Ratio G. Cesaris de ordine anni

Rubric: Ratio ad inveniendam lunam

3. (fol. 1v) Rubric: Incipit Martyrologium per circulum anni. Hę sunt huius. Sine. Sub. Supra.

There follows (fol. 1v–14) an unusual calendar, combining the common solar calendar and Martyrology with the lunar calendar for the nineteen-year cycle. Two pages are allowed for each month and at the end (fol. 13v–14) is the calendar for February in leap year.

Incipit: Iani prima dies

There are also additional computistical formulae:

Found together in PL 90 col. 801B5–14.

(fol. 3r) Rubric: De feria kalendarum

Rubric: De feria unaquaque

b. (fol. 5r) Rubric: De feria unaquaque

c. (fol. 7r) Rubric: Ratio de regularibus feriarum unde procedant

d. (fol. 8r) Rubric: De epactis

e. (fol. 12r) Rubric: De regularibus ferię

Both these additions may be by the later scribe.

In the lower margin of fol. 3 is added a verse Incipit: Panditur hic luna sit quivis terminus in qua

Incipit: Ieiunium primi mensis, id est Martii.

4. (fol. 14v) Table to show the position of the moon in the zodiac

5. (To the right on the same page) a table for finding the age of the moon at the beginning of the month, with columns headed

Incipit: Si lunam kalendarum quota sit scire desideras

Rubric: De regularibus lune

6. (fol. 15r) Tables for discovering the interval between Christmas and Lent, and so the date of Easter:

a. (on the left) Table with columns showing a series of thirty-five letters b.–.q which correspond to the thirty-five possible intervals between Christmas and Lent, the beginnings of Lent and dates of Easter

b. (on the right) Table (19 × 28) using the same letters b.–.q to discover the intervals over the 532 year period 1064–1596

Explanation of table b

7. (fol. 15v) Abbo of Fleury Combination (19 × 28), possibly deriving from Abbo, of the lunar table, item 4 above, with a table of concurrents for the years 1064–1596

a. (on the left) Initials of the Greek names for the signs of the zodiac

b. (on the right) Initials of the Latin names of the signs. Below, in tabulated form, are listed epacts, lunar cycles, terms of Easter, regulars, terms of Lent, the moon on Kalends of January, and ‘incensio lunę paschalis’

8. (fol. 16, on the left) Table (7 × 19), to be used in conjunction with item 6a above

Our table and text are found together, but without the list of regulars, in MS. B.M. Royal 13 A. xi, beg. 12th cent., fol. 145v.

(To the right of the table) A separate column of regulars

(below) An explanatory text

9. (fol. 16, on the right, followed by table on the left fol. 16v) Twin tables (19 × 30 and 19 × 29), using ‘litterae punctatae’ to show the age of the moon on any day of the year

10. (table on right, fol. 16v) Table, apparently to be used in conjunction with the first table on fol. 16, showing what the age of the Paschal moon on Easter day will be in any one year if the epacts and concurrents are known

11. (upper table, fol. 17r) Table (7 × 19) showing the date or age of the moon at Easter if the number of the year in the nineteen-year cycle (or epact) and its concurrent (or dominical letter) are known

(To the right) an explanatory text

12. (lower table, fol. 17r) Table (19 × 12) showing the age of the moon on the first day of each month of a nineteen-year cycle

13. (fol. 17v) Easter table for 1045–1110 taken from the Dionysian nineteen-year cycles

14. (fol. 20r) A collection of computistical formulae or ‘argumenta’

Incipit: Primus embolismus id est supercrescens mensis.

Rubric: De inditionibus

Rubric: De concurrentibus

Rubric: De bissextili anno

Rubric: Unde concurrentes oriantur

Rubric: De epactis inveniendis

Rubric: Item sume annum cycli decennovenalis quotus sit et 1 dimitte.

Rubric: Unde epactę oriantur

i. (fol. 20v) Rubric: De regularibus lunę

Rubric: De qualibet luna

Rubric: De anno cycli decennovenalis

Incipit: Item sume annos ab initio mundi et 1 subtrahe, reliquos vero per decemnovem partire

Rubric: De lunari cyclo

Incipit: Item sume annos ab initio mundi et mi ex eis tolle

Rubric: Ad inveniendum paschalem terminum

Rubric: De regularibus termini paschalis

Incipit: Item si terminum paschalem vis scire scias omni anno quot sint lunares epactę et totam in xi kal. Aprilis lunam semper noveris esse

Incipit: Quod si feriam in qua terminus ipse contingat vis nosse eiusdem termini ^vel anni^ quot sint debes scire

Rubric: Ad terminum paschalem inveniendum

u. (fol. 21r) Incipit: Ad feriam vero eiusdem termini inveniendam eundem numerum qui subtractis epactis remanet.

Incipit: Hoc quoque sciendum est quod xima luna, si communis annus est, xi diebus prius

Rubric: De incensione lunę

Rubric: De embolismis et communibus annis

y. (fol. 21v) Rubric: De ratione bissexti

Rubric: De ratione saltus lunae

Rubric: De cursu planetarum per xii signa

bb. (fol. 22r) Incipit: Sol in uno signo moratur xxx dies horas ac semis usque XII kal. Mai

Rubric: De cursu lunę per signa

Rubric: Argumentum in quo signo luna sit

Incipit: Si vis scire quot horas luna luna luna[sic] luceat eius etatem per mi multiplica

Rubric: Quot gradus sol per singulas horas ascendat in initio et medietate cuiusque signi in climate vil

15. (fol. 24r) Hermannus Contractus Computus

Another scribe added further computistical material to the MS. in the 12th cent., using margins and blank spaces, filling blank leaves and inserting extra leaves:

a. (fol. I, upper margin) Two verses for remembering the ferial letters for the Kalends of each month:

Incipit: Arcitenens dominans dominus genitor bonus exstat.

Rubric: Ad idem

b. (fol. 14v, in space at bottom) Fragment on the small divisions of time

c. (fol. 18) Abbo Rubric: Compotus vulgaris qui dicitur ephemerida id est supputatio singulorum dierum vel syderum subtilis inspectio de feria, de luna, et his quę ad lunam pertinent id est epactis, mensibus, signis, terminis, annis cydi decennovalis

(following heading) Abbo Table (30 × 30) formed of the verses

d. (fol. 18v–19) Abbo Pair of tables, preceded by explanatory text

e. (fol. 19v) Rubric: Incipit ordo Solaris anni cum litteris a s. Ieronimo superpositis ad explorandam per septimanę dies lunę etatem cottidie per xviiii a(nnos)

f. (fol. 22va, in blank space) Diagram of a Greek cross with symbolical interpretations

g. (fol. 22vb, in blank column) Three circular diagrams in red and black, illustrating the relationship of the sun and moon

Rubric: Eglipsis solis lunę interventu contingit. Eglipsis solis nunquam nisi in xxvim vel in xxx luna fit, id est in coitu solis et lunę

Incipit: Eglipsin lunę umbra terre facit. Eglipsis lune nunquam nisi in plenilunio contingit

Eight phases of the moon

h. (fol. 23, upper diagram) Lists of the names of the months: Roman, Hebrew, Egyptian, Greek, English, Armenian

j. (fol. 23, lower diagram) Word square of thirty-four letters

k. (fol. 23v) Two diagrams set together in a red frame with yellow wash:

(i). (upper diagram) A ‘rota’ with the title ‘Spera ad inveniendos terminos per circulum anni atque eorum lunationes’, divided into twenty segments, for the nineteen years of the lunar cycle, and one for the headings

Text and diagram showing how gravity affects the fall of rain

l. (fol. 20vb, in blank space) Bede De Nat. Rerum

m. (fol. 27r) Bede De temporibus

n. (fol. 28v) Hermannus Contractus De utilitatibus astrolabii

o. (fol. 28v, upper table) Six circles containing a list of the thirty-five possible intervals between Christmas and Lent and dates for the beginning of Lent, with their corresponding dominical letters

p. (fol. 28v, lower table) Table (19 × 7) for finding the beginning of Lent and date of Easter, with the age of the moon on those days, from the number of the year in the nineteen-year cycle or the epact for the year, together with the concurrent or dominical letter for the year

q. (fol. 29, upper text and table on left) Table (15 × 15) to be used in conjunction with the vowel series a–v

Abbo Incipit: Hec paginula v constans vocafibus cuiusque diei lunam hoc ordine pandit.

r. (fol. 29, table on right) Table (7 × 19) for finding the date of Easter, substituting the letters angelvs for the Dominical letters

Incipit: Littera sub certa si concurrente reperta

s. (fol. 29–29’) Texts explaining item c above (Abbo’s table Ardua Conexe)

Abbo Incipit: Quadratus equilaterus

(ii). (fol. 29v) Abbo Incipit: Iam linearum primam et duodecimam aperiamus utilitatem

Abbo Incipit: Si qualis sit luna per singulos dies queris

MS. Lyell 49, offsets on boards

Petrus de Vineis Epistolae

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Physical extent

29 leaves,

Hands

mid-11th cent., fol. i–17v, 20–22va, 24–20v;

12th cent., fol. 18–19v, 23v, 27–29v and additions on fol. 1, 14v, 22v, 20v.

Decoration

Plain red initials.

Diagrams. (Pächt and Alexander i. 35)

Binding

Binding of type apparently common in Amplonian MSS: 15th-cent. wooden boards with quarter-binding of white skin nailed down with a strip of red leather, only partly surviving; original sewing; original two leather straps and metal clasps with pin fastening on upper board; traces of labels on upper board.

Acquisition

Chosen as one of the hundred manuscripts bequeathed to the Bodleian by Lyell in 1948.

Provenance

The MS. belonged in the 15th cent, to the Collegium Amplonianum, Erfurt; note on fol. 29v, partly erased: Ad librariam Collegii porte Celi in Erffordia, but it is not identifiable in the Amplonius catalogue of 1410–12; cf. Schulz (see below), p. vi. It was presumably at Erfurt when Nicholas of Cusa wrote his annotations on fols. 2, 15, 16, 17, 26v. He visited Erfurt in May–June 1451; see J. Koch, Nikolaus von Kues und seiner Umwelt, Sitz. Heidelberger Akad. der Wiss., Phil.-hist. Klasse, 1944–8, 2 Abh., 123–4. Our MS. is listed with other MSS. annotated by Nicholas of Cusa by A. Krchnâk, Neue Handschriftenfunde in London und Oxford, Mitteilungen und Forschungsbeiträge der Cusanus–Gesellschaß 3 (1963), 105.

Later owned by Jacques Rosenthal of Munich: Kat. 95, 1934, pp. iii–viii: a detailed description of the MS. by Ernst Schulz, to which the present description is much indebted. It was he who identified the hand of Nicholas of Cusa. According to him the MS. was in France in the 19th cent., and was bought by Rosenthal at an auction in Italy.

Subsequently no. 18 and pl. v (fol. 16r) in Cat. xix (1936) of Art Ancien S.A., Zurich. Bought by Lyell from A. Rosenthal in January 1942.

James P. R. Lyell, 1871–1948

View full record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries

See this item

Requesting: For information on how to request this item, see Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries.

Viewing

This item is available to view online:

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)

Connections

People associated with this object

View full record

See this itemFind out how to request this item

View online