DCL MS. B.II.4Nicolas Bonet, Metaphysica, etc
Held by: Durham Cathedral Library: Durham Cathedral Manuscripts

Three separate items, Nicolas Bonet, In Metaphysica Aristotelis; Richard Lavenham, Speculum naturalis philosophiae; Albertus Magnus, De natura locorum and De motibus animalium gathered together by the 15th century


Digitised: https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2mcv43nw821.html


Physical description of manuscript
Support

Parchment

Extent: iii+228+ii f
Size: 250 mm x 175 mm

Foliation

Modern pencil foliation: 1-6,6*-100,100*-106,106*-227.


Secundo folio: comunitas
Binding

Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century)


Manuscript history
Provenance

(A) and (B) had been brought together by the late 15th century (contents list and shelving record on f.2r, from the time of John Auckland, prior of Durham 1484-94). All three items were together by early 16th century (list of contents added to f.2r by Thomas Swalwell).

Inscription: “Iste liber assignatur nouo armariolo in Claustro Ecclesie Dunelm' per Venerabilem patrem Iohannem Auklande Priorem eiusdem Ecclesie”


SECTION: (A)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Extent:
Size: 238 mm x 170 mm
Collation

I-VI12, VII10, VIII7 (=8 with leaf 8 cancelled)

Signatures: Original signatures, in boxes
Layout

42-45 lines

Script

Written in at least four hands, primarily Libraria cursiva

History of section of manuscript
Creation

Written in England, earlier 15th century.


Manuscript contents
(a)     f.3r-86v
Modern title: Commentary on Aristotle’s Metaphysica
Author: Nicolaus Bonetus, -1360
Incipit: Omnes homines ymo omnes natura intellectuales cum naturaliter scire desiderant a primis
Explicit: Explicit 9us liber metaphysice Nicolai Boneti ordinis fratrum minorum et totus liber finitur
Language: Latin
(b)     f.87r-90r
Modern title: Index to (a)
Incipit: Abstractiam
Explicit: Explicit tabula super metaphysicam Boneti
Language: Latin

SECTION: (B)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Extent:
Size: 238 mm x 170 mm
Collation

I-IV12, V3 (=4 with leaf 3 cancelled)

Catchwords: Original catchwords
Layout

40 lines

Script

Written in hybrid secretary by Roland de Houlla a Carmelite of Stamford, who identifies himself in the colophons as having written the book in 1449.

History of section of manuscript
Creation

Written in England, Stamford, in 1449.


Manuscript contents
(c)     f.91r-138v
Original title: Speculum naturalis philosophiae
Author: Richard Lavenham
Incipit: Cum omnis scientia causas habens et principia ex eorum cognitione dependeat
Explicit: Explicit Octavus Liber Ultimus philosophie Naturalis
Language: Latin

SECTION: (C)
Physical description of section of manuscript
Extent:
Size: 234 mm x 158 mm
Collation

I6 (the outer sheet, f.140 and f.145, is a blank wrapper, slightly smaller than the rest), II-VI12, VII10, VIII11 (=12 with leaf 12 cancelled; bifolium 217 and 226 is currently reversed – f.226r-v should follow 216, and 217r-v should follow 225)

Catchwords: Contemporary catchwords
Layout

39 lines

Script

Written in Libraria cursiva by Richard Sherburn and possibly by other hands.

History of section of manuscript
Creation

Written in England, Oxford or Durham, mid 15th century.


Manuscript contents
(d)     f.141r-170v
Original title: De natura locorum
Author: Albertus, Magnus, Saint, 1193?-1280
Explicit: Explicit liber alberti de natura loci et longitudine et habitudine eiusdem. Deo gratias quod ricardus shyrborn monachus dunelmie
Language: Latin

Lacks beginning of the work

(e)     f.171r-192v
Original title: De motibus animalium
Author: Albertus, Magnus, Saint, 1193?-1280
Incipit: Tempus et ordo expostulant quod de animalium motu hic disseramus
Explicit: Sic igitur de motibus animalium determinatum sit a nobis. Explicit liber alberti de motibus alius. Deo gratias quod d Ricardus Shyrborn
Rubric: Incipit liber alberti de motibus animalium cuius tractatus primus est
Language: Latin
(f)     f.193r-210r
Original title: De spiritu et respiratione
Author: Albertus, Magnus, Saint, 1193?-1280
Incipit: Multa sunt animalie que quidem secundum locum moventur
Explicit: haec igitur de differentiis eorum dicta sunt. Explicit liber alberti de spiritu et respiratione. Deo gratias quod dompnus Ricardus Shyrborn monachus et sacerdos ecclesie cathedralis dunelmie
Rubric: Incipit liber primus de spiritu et respiratione
Language: Latin
(g)     f.210r-216, 226, 218-225, 217r
Original title: De causis et processu universitatis a prima causa
Author: Albertus, Magnus, Saint, 1193?-1280
Incipit: Primum etiam solum necesse est esse omnino et omnimode, quamuis enim necesse multis modis dicatur tamen tota multiplicitas ad tres modos restringitur
Explicit: et inferius incipit ubi lumen aliquando occumbit superioris supponentes autem
Language: Latin

Excerpts from book I.


Microfilm
Microfilmed in 1985/86 by the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, St John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Copies held by them and Durham University Library.

Digitised material for Durham Cathedral Library MS. C.IV.22 - Aristotle commentaries; Albertus Magnus
Digitised April 2016 as part of the Durham Priory Recreated project
https://n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/t2mcv43nw821.html

Bibliography

Catalogi veteres librorum Ecclesiae cathedralis dunelm. Catalogues of the library of Durham cathedral, at various periods, from the conquest to the dissolution, including catalogues of the library of the abbey of Hulne, and of the mss.   OCLC citation, Surtees Society 7, (London: J.B. Nichols and Son, [1838]).

Index terms