AN INVESTIGATION OF SOME ASTRONOMICAL EXCERPTS

FROM PLINY1 S NATURAL HISTORY FOUND IN MANUSCRIPTS

OF THE EARLIER MIDDLE AGES

VERNON H. KIM>

St. John* s College

A thesis submitted for the degree of Bachelor

of Letters, University of Oxford, Michaelmas
Term, 1969

>

1-H--TO

tl

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I should like to express my gratitude first and foremost

to my supervisor, Dr. R.W. Hunt, Keeper of Western Manuscripts
in the Bodleian Library, for ffe suggesting the subject of
this thesis, and for his unfailing advice and encouragement
during its progress.
Secondly I should like to thank the staff of those
libraries where I was able to consult manuscripts:

the

Bodleian Library, the British Museum, the Bibliotheque

Nationale, Paris, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich,
the Vatican Library, and the Biblioteca Capitolare, Monza;
also the Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid for the supply of a
fUJCTj t^rt, the Institut de Recherches et d'Histoire des
Textes, Paris, for lending four microfilms from their collection,
and the Warburg Institute, London, for allowing me access to
their files of photographs.
could never have been written.

Without their help, this thesis

Ill

LIST OF CONTENTS

Acknowl e dgm en t s

ii

Introduction

The Three-Book Computus

The Seven-Book Computus

28

Origins

54

Later history of the excerpts up to 1200

80

Appendix - Thirteenth century and after

131

The text of the excerpts from Pliny

137

B ibl io graphy

170

INTRODUCTION

In 1888 Karl Ruck published a G-ymnasialprogramm entitled

'Auszuge aus der Naturgeschichte des C. Plinius Secundus in einem
astronomisch-komputistischen Sammelwerke des achten Jahrhunderts'
in which he described ten manuscripts which contained anonymous
excerpts from book II and XVTII of Pliny ! s Natural History.
fjt \
Ru*ck was not the first to draw attention to these e*cerpts^ ,
but before his work they had been known only in late and inaccurate
copies, and their significance had not been appreciated.

But it

was Ruck who noticed the excerpts in the two beautiful sister
manuscripts, Munich 210 and Vienna 38? > both written early in the
ninth century, which made him realise that they were derived from
a manuscript of Pliny superior to any now surviving.

(1)

L. von Jan named five of the manuscripts in the introduction

to his edition of Macrobius in 1848, pp, Ixiv - Ixvi, and
Ixxiii - Ixxvi: Munich 6362 (Freising 162), 6364 (Freising
164) and 14436 (St f Emmeram E 59) and Bern 265 and 347.
This seemingly passed unnoticed among Pliny scholars, since
D. Detlefsen in his article in Philologus XXVIII (1869),
pp.295-296 named only four of the manuscripts, omitting
Munich 6362, without mentioning Jan.

Ruck returned to the subject at other times, and many references

have been made to the excerpts since then;

but there has been no

attempt in the last 80 years to investigate them systematically.

During this period all aspects of manuscript studies have been
advanced considerably, and the evidence that has come to light makes
it possible to question some of the conclusions which earlier writers
The present work is intended to draw together the

have made.

evidence, and to discuss again, in the light of this evidence, the

question of the origins of these excerpts, which Ruck believed he had
solved.

Their later history is taken down to the end of the twelfth

century, when their active life may be said to have ended;

but the

later period is considered briefly in an appendix.

Perhaps it is appropriate here to say something about the
nomenclature.

The compilation in which the excerpts are found is

devoted mainly to oomputus, and has been known in the past as the
York or Northumbrian computus;
810 compilation.
of composition.

other writers have spoken of the

These terms rashly fix the place and the date

The present writer, while fully aware of the

disadvantages of adding further to the confusing list, has decided

that it is necessary to distinguish between the two forms of the
compilation which can be distinguished.

The terms adopted,

Three-Book and Seven-Book Computus, have the merit of being purely

descriptive, without imparting any disputable associations.

THE THREE-BOOK COMPUTUS

The two earliest manuscripts containing excerpts from Pliny's

Natural History noticed by Ruck were Munich 210 and Vienna 38?, both
written early in the ninth century, and, as Ruck osberved, so similar
that they must have been copied from the same exemplar.
manuscript has been found that is closely related to them;

No other
but the

compilation that they contain, which will be referred to as the

Three-Book Computus, is one of the two important sources for the
excerpts.
The two manuscripts were discussed in some detail by Ruck ',
(2)
But in order to
who also gave a list of the chapter titles v .
make a closer comparison with the Seven-Book Computus to be discussed
in the next chapter, the contents are here set out in greater detail.
References are given to printed versions of the text where these are
known to exist.

(1) Auszuge, pp.5-13. For the Vienna manuscript see also H.Hermann,
Die fruhmittelalterliohen Handsohriften (1923), pp.145-52;
The Munich manuscript has
F.gaxl, Verzeiohnis II, pp.79-81.
never been fully described, the description in the Munich catalogue
1,1 (1892) pp.45-46 being very brief.

The contents of the Three-Book Computus are as follows:

Part I, oh.I Adbreviatio chronicae:

Adam cum esset CXXX annorum

genuit Seth ... in praesentem annum DCCCVIIII incamationis Domini

IIII DCCLXTr 3 '.
II Argumentum ad annum mundi inveniendum:

Si scire cupis annos

ab initio mundi ... hoc ordine deinceps servato annos mundi sine
errore repperies^

III Argumentum quomodo concurrentes sint inveniendi:

Si

conourrentes invenire cupis, sume annos ab origine mundi ... quot

(5)
remanserit ipsi sunt concurrentes; si nihil remanserit VII erit v
IIII Argumentum de cursu lunae per XII signa in cyclo
deoennovenali:
zodiac^

Table for finding the position of the moon in the

V Martyrologium excarpsatum cum alphabetis ad lunam inveniendam:

Calendar giving list of saints' festivals^

VI Ratio de lunae disoursu per signa quae ad alphabetum pertinet

priorem:

Si qui vero etiam calculandi minus idoneus ... vetusta

aegyptiorum observatione traditum

(4;
(5)

See Mommsen, Chronica Minora III (M.G-.H.Auct. Ant. 13), pp.349-354,

POT fcfce tteJ&s ffyen her* see beJow, &> &~25Florilegium Casinense, I, p.70.
Cf. Patrologia Latina, XC, col. 7170.

(6)
(7)

Cf. ibid, cols. 757-758.

Cf. ibid. cols. 759-783.

(8)

Bede, De temporum ratione, ch. XIX.

(3)

VII Argumentum ad inveniendum qua XVIIII luna paschalis

annis singulis feria occurrit cum adscriptis regularibus sive
concurrentibus:

Table listing quadragesimal, rogational, and

(9)
Pentecostal terminals, with lunar regulars and concurrents x ,
followed by instructions:

Isti igitur omnes suprascripti termini ...

aut etiam pentecosten quove datarum occurrat repperies.

VIII Cyclus magnus paschalis ab anno I. ab incarnatione
domini usque ad annum domini millesimum sexagesimum tertium:
Dionysian table, in two sections, to 531, and from 532^

VTIII Quota sit luna in kalendis per circulum decennovenalem:

Table for finding the age of the moon.
X Item argumentum eiusdem:

Prime decennovenalis circuli

anno in quo nullae sunt epactae ... usque ad terminum anni rato
atque intemerato ordine procurrat^

'.

XI Ratio quomodo per lunam kalendarum ianuariarum et per

quartam partem anni magni pascha possit inveniri:

Quoniam in

prime decennovenalis cycli anno in kalendis ianuariis ... semel

tanturn quaeres nullum aliura affert errorem;

(9)

Cf. P.L. XC, cols. 715-716.

(10) Cf. ibid., cols. 825-835 and 859-878.

(11) Bede, D.T.R.. ch. XX.
(12) Cf. P.L. XC, cols. 749A-752D.

followed by a table

XII Ratio quomodo feria qua dominus passus est invenitur:

Prima dies saeculi creditur fuisse dominica .. qua christum

orucifixum sanoti evangelii sacra testatur historia (13)

x
XIII Argumentum ad inveniendos regulares feriae kalendarum:
Annus solis habet dies CCCLXV;

hos quinque dies ... per septem

fj\ i \
dimiseris sequentis mensis regularis procreabitiuv
.
XIIII Argumentum ad inveniendos regulares lunae kalendarum:

Quinque residues aegyptiorum dies de quibus superius ... remanebit

tibi regularis mensis sequentis v(15}".
XV Argumentum ad epactam inveniendam:

Si nosse vis quota sit

epacta, collige annos ab exordio mundi ... quod superfuerit ipsa

est epacta; si nihil remanserit nulla erit^d 6} .
XVI Concurrentes et epactae cum suis regularibus ad inveniendas
ferias sive lunas singularum kalendarum per annum:
followed by an explanatory note:

Table (17),

Istiagitur praescripti regulares

aegyptiorum ... uniuscuiusque kalendis est luna ita;

followed by

a table of lunar epacts.

XVII Argumentum ad inveniendum quotus sit annus incarnationis
dominicae:

Si vis scire quot anni sunt ab incarnatione domini ...

fiunt simul DCCCVIIII: isti sunt anni ab incarnatione domini.

(13)

Flor.Cas., pp.69-70.

(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)

Ibid., p.73.
Ibid., pp.73-74.
Ibid., p.70.
Cf. P.L. XC, cols. 705C-D.

XVIII Argumentum quotas sit annus oirculi decennovenalis:

Si nosse vis quotus sit annus oycli deoennovenalis ... remanent
XII, duodecimus ergo annus est cycli decennovenalis.
XVIIII Argumentum ad indictiones inveniendas:

Si vis scire

quota sit indiotio, sume annos domini ... remanent II; II est
anni praesentis indiotio.
XX Argumentum quot sint epactae lunares:

Si autem vis

oognoscere quot sint epactae, sume annos domini ... remanet I;

una est in praesenti anno epacta.
XXI Argumentum quot sint concurrentes:

Si vis scire concurrentes

septimanae dies in praesenti ... non remanet aliquid quia VII sunt
concurrentes.
XXII Argumentum ad inveniendum bissextum vel annum post
bissextum:

Si vis scire quando bissextus sit vel quotus etiam annus .

si autem super quartam partem nihil remanserit bdssextus erit.

XXIII Argumentum quotus sit cycli lunaris annus:

Si nosse

cupis cyclus lunaris quotum agat annum ... nonus est autem cycli
lunaris qui nunc agitur.
XXIIII Ratio calculi per quam numerus in argumentis compendiose
partitur:

Multiplication tables for 30, 28, 19, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11,

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4.
XXV Argumentum ad inveniendum quotus sit annus cycli Solaris:
Si vis scire quotus annus cycli Solaris sume annos ... remanent VII;
Septimus est annus cycli Solaris

(18) Cf. Flor.Cas. I, p.84.

XXVI Argumentum ad diem anni inveniendum lunamque vel feriam:

Table (19), followed by an explanatory note:

Isti vero superiores

numeri specialiter diem anni demonstrant ... et inde eum diebus

singulis usque ad kalendas ianuarias intercalare.
XXVII Calculus ad feriam inveniendam cum argument superior!
ad lunam similiter:

Multiplication tables for 7 and 59

XXVIII Argumentum ad feriam inveniendam per annum:

Si vis

scire hoc vel illo die quota sit feria ... diem tibi septimanae
quae sit ubicumque quaeris ostendet^

'.

XXVIIII Similiter ad lunam inveniendam:

Si ergo vis scire

hoe vel illo die quota sit luna ... quod superest ipsa est luna
,. . quern quaeris
. "(21)
diei
v '.
XXX Argumentum ad diem kalendarum ianuariarum invenire:

Si

scire vis per singulos annos quota sit feria ... quod remanserit
ea feria sunt kalendarum ianuariarum;

si hihil, sabbata sunt v(22^ .

XXXI Item argumentum ad lunam eiusdem inveniendam:

Si scire

desideras quota sit luna in kalendis ianuariis, sume cyclum ...

non unum ut in reliquis sed duo semper adicere regulares
(H)

Gf. &L. 2, col.

(20)
(21)
(22)

Flor.Cas. I, p. 83.
Ibid., I, p.86.
Ibid., p. 83.

(23)

Ibid., p.86.

XXXII Argumentum in quo puncto luna aocendatur:

Si hoo

soire desideras, sume dies a kalendis ianuariis usque in diem ...

quod si minus LX inventa fuerint ipsi sunt (24) .
XXXIII Argumentum simile ad lunam inveniendam:

Si vis scire

ipsius diei quota sit luna adde totidem dies ... quod vero remanserit
ipsa est aetas lunae;

si nihil remanserit XXX erit luna (25)

XXXIIII Argumentum quot horis luceat luna:

Tradunt quoque

veteres argumentum quo luna cuiuscumque aetatis ... quas horas

vocitemus aequas tributione findendas^(26} .
XXXV De aetate lunae si quis computare non potest:

quod si

adeo quisque deses vel hebes est ut absque omni labore ... tertium
supernotatis determinandum providit antiquitas (27)
v
.
XXXVI De lunae cursu per signa:

Luna cotidie quattuor punctis

sive crescens a sole longius abiit ... vel aequinoctium vel solstitium
quod contra est patet esse transgressa^(28^'.
XXXVII Item de cursu lunae per signa vel quantum spatii in
unaquaque signa moratur:

Quod si quis signorum nescius lunaris

tamen cursus ... remanent XCVII;

in kalendis ianuariis (29) .

(24) Flor.Cas. I, p.86.

(25) Ibid., p.86.
(26) Bede, D.T.R., ch.XXIV.
(2?) Ibid., ch.XXIII.
(28) Ibid., ch.XVII.
(29) Cf. ibid., ch.XVIII.

in VII parte tauri moratur luna VIIII

10

XXXVIII Quot diebus vel horis luna unumquodque signum pertranseat:

Luna quippe velooitate sui cursus pervolat unuraquodque signum ... de
quibus XI dies epactarum id est adiectiones lunares adcrescunt^1
XXXVIIII Quot modis soleat annus nominari:

Primus modus est

de luna qui quinquefarie accipitur ... ubi primum statuta fuerint

et quingentis triginta duobus annis impletur (31) .
XL Item de anno:

Annus Solaris habet IIII temp or a, menses XII,

ebdomadas LII ... momentum denique habet atomos DLXIIII^(32) .
XLI De ratione bissexti:

Bissextus igitur ex quadrantis ratione

per quadriennium conficitur ... aestivum se offendisse perversus

computator horrescat (33)
x
.
XLII De mensura crementi bissextilis:

Sed et de mensura crementi

bissextilis dicimus ... quia hie brevier ceteris et extremus anni

mensis erat (34) .
XLIII Quod et luna quadrantem habeat:

Inter haec autem meminisse

debet calculator ... ratum paschalis observantiae cursum recto a

tramite deflectat (35)
v
.

(30) Cf. P.L. CI, cols. 983D-98A3.

(31) Flor.Cas. I, pp.30-81.
(32) Cf. ibid., pp.88-89.
(33) P.T.R.. ch.XXXVIII,11.12-32 (in Jones's edition);
P.L. XC, C01.591A-B.
(34) Cf. D.T.R*.oh .XXXIX.
(35) Ibid., oh .XLI,11.1-24.

11
XLIIII Qualiter per annos IIII Mssextus adcrescit:

Primo

igitur anno praeparationis bissexti prima hora noctis ... prima

hora noctis quae praecedit diem X5if kal. apr. arietem possit ingredl^
XLV In quot annis de bissextilibus unus adcrescit annus: In
quattuor annis unus, in VIII II ... annum integrum id est CCCLXVI
dies esse probantur^

XLVI De saltu lunari:

De quo tamen saltu verisimile apparet

quod eum citior ... tres pariter menses undetricenorum computare

dierum (38) .
XLVII Item de ratione saltus lunaris:

Saltus lunae crescit

singulis annis hora et X momenta et dimidium momenti et XVIIII

partem dimidii momenti.
XLVIII Item de eodem saltu:

Si quis calculator subtilius de

saltu lunae investigare voluerit ... qui ultimo decennovenalis cycli

anno propter salturn lunae transiliendus est (39) .
XLVTIII Item de saltu lunae:

In cyclo decennovenali sunt anni

lunares XVIIII ... cycli decennovenalis transilitur, et haec

transilitio saltus appellatur

(36) P.L. XC, cols.357D-36lA.

(37) Flor.Cas.I. p.72.
(38)

D.T.R., ch.XLII.

(39)

Cf. P.L. XC, cols.473C-474C.

(40)

fflor.Cas.I, p.70.

*">
1J. *-<

L Quot annis per sal turn lunae unus subtrahatur annus:

In

saltu lunae XVIIII anni unum eff iciunt diem . . . Tl DCIjpXXV anni
qui unum annum in saltu lunari efficiunt.
LI Quare luna aliquoties maior quam computatur parent:
Notandum sane quod huius ratio saltus lunaris . . . quae in eadem
(41
diversitate potissimum sit via sequenda ^
LII Argumentum ad inveniendum locum lunae XIIII.
per XVIIII annos:

paschalis

Constat igitur quod primo anno decennovenalis

cycli ... atque ita sequentia eodem quo prius ordine cuncta
*(42)' .
perveniant^
LIII De ratione paschali:

Est etiam ratio qualiter terminus

paschalis inveniri possit . . . totidem dies infra mense habebis

terminum paschalenr

LIIII Item de ratione paschali:

Quota luna in kalendis

ianuariis eodem anno fuerit tot dies tolle . . . addis ei XIII dies
et sic Xlllam lunam sine errore repperies^

(41)

D.T.R. , oh. XLIII.

(42) P.L. XC; cols. 499C-500C; 713C-71U.

(43) Flor. Gas. I, p. 84
(44) Ibid., p. 82.

13
LV Item de rations paschali:

Quaerenda est nativitas lunae

XIIII ab VIII id. mar. ... regulariter liana evenerit omnibus modis
celebratur

LVI De initio quadragesimae:

Sed et hoc sciendum est quot dies

ante pridias idus apriles ... fiat tibi aetas lunae, quia fit initio
quadragesimae^
LVII Item de ratione paschali:

Quot diebus debemus pascha

caelebrare, id est XXXIIII ... embolismis in caelebratione paschae

observandus est.
LVIII Item unde supra:
ipso anno paschalis;

a
Si fuerit luna in XI kal. apr. XV erit

si plus habuerit non erit paschalis;

si minus

paschalis erit.
LVIIII Unde in calculatione lunae XIIII. iftense martio XXXVT
regulares et aprilio XXXV deputentur:

Martius habet dies XXXI, cui

si quinque residues aegyptiorum dies ... inveniri possit qua die vel
martiorum vel apriliorum occurrat.

(45)

(46)

Cf. P.L. CXXEC, col. 1284C-1285A; Flor. Gas, p.85.

The index at the beginning of Munich 210 (f.2v) gives only one
chapter entitled Item de ratione paschali. so that the numbering
of the chapters in the index differs from that in the text from
this point until LXI which is repeated in the text. Since this
also occurs in Vienna 38? (see Saxl, Verzeiohnis II, 192?, p.80)
it must have been found in their exemplar.
In this connection
it is probably significant that in the index the numbering goes
up to C although the last number is given no title.
Cf. Flor. Gas.I. p.84.

LX Contra eos qui dicunt VII kal. maias pascha fieri non posse:
A XIIII anno ante nativitatem domini terminis paschalis ... id est
die dominica evenire non possit neque in ea luna XIIII.
LXI De anno magno:

Annus magnus est qui oonficitur annis

solaribus DXXXII ... sunt oyoli decennovenales XII et annus I et

oycli solares VIII et insuper anni IIII.
LXI ^

' Unde oriuntur epaotae vel etiam quadrans:

Luna siquidem

sicut diligens naturae inquisitio docet ... duodeoies semis sex faciunt
quod sunt annuae horae quadrant!s.
LXII De ratlone epactarum:

Quails fuerit luna in XI kal. apr.

tales erunt epactae ... nullae epactae diountur et ex hinc XI pronuntia.

LXIII De compoto articular!:

Tres digit! in sinistra manu id

est auricularis ... ambas sibi manus insertis invicem digitis

implicabis^'.
LXIIII De die:

Dies est aer a sole illustratus nomen inde sumens .

a vespera in vesperam caelebrabitis sabbata vestra ^ .

LXV De nocte:

Nox dicta eo quod noceat aspectibus vel negotiis

humanis ... haec et aurora pertingens usque ad solis exortunr

(47)
(48)
(49)
(50)

The numbering is repeated in the text of Munich 210 to bring it

into line with the index; see above, n.45
Cf. Flor. Gas., pp.90-91.
D-T.R.. ch.V.
Ibid., dh.VII.

15

LXVI Ubi primus dies saeculi sit:

Qui recte ac sincere hoc

inquirebant dicebant ... hoc est XV kalendarum earundem primum

saeculi diem esse notanduur(51) .
LXVII De ebdomada:

Ebdomada graece a septenario numero nomen

accipit ... et ad omnes iuxta legem possessio revertebatur antiqua (52)

LXVIII De ebdomadibus LXX propheticis:

Septima species ebdomadis

est qua propheta donihel ... sicut notissima Xlllla luna paschalis
ratio probat*

DCVTIII De mensibus hebreorum et aegyptioruia:

Menses a mensura

dicti sunt qua quisque eorum mensuratur ... bissextiles anni IIII kal.
sept, terminantur, ceteri vero V kal. sept.
LXX De mensibus romanorum:

Quare autem romani tarn diversae

longitudinis habeant menses ... intercalare constituit, id est ante

V ultimos februarii dies^ 55 '.
LXXI De kalendis nonis et idibus:

Priscis temporibus pontifici

minori haec providentia delegebatur ... non alia mensium exordia quam
neomenias id est novilunia norant (56) .

(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)

Cf. ibid., oh.VI.

Ibid., ch.VIII.
Ibid., ch.IX, 11.1-89.
Cf. ibid., ch.XI.

(55)

Cf. ibid., ch.XII.

(56)

Ibid., ch.XIII.

LXXII De mensibus graecorum:

in suis mensibus .

Sed et graeci et aegyptii nullam

ubi XII dies mensis yperberetei IIII id. oct.

(57)'*
esse memoraturw
LXXIII De signis XII mensium:

Singuli autem menses sua signa

in quibus solem recipiant habere ... tantum in tredecim suis sol

(cQ\

explet mensibus^

LXXIIII Quando vel quare luna vel prona vel supina vel videatur
erecta:

Lunae autem status idem eademque est pro variante solis

disgressu ... ad meridiem proolivior dies est, eo deiectior luna nova

oernatur (59)
LXXV Qua ratione luna cum sit situ inferior, superior sole
aliquoties videatur:

Non mirari opus est cum lunam per sustralia

signa currentem ... quanto magis boreales sese recipit in partes

LXXVI De magnitudine vel defectu solis et lunae:

Plinius

secundus in opere pulcherrimo naturalis historiae ... nulli autem

dubium est paschae tempore lunam fuisse plenissimam '.
LXXV1I De interlunio:

Interlunium lunae est tempus illud inter

deficientem ... eodem momento renascens paulatim ab eo recedendo

videtur^

'.

(57)

Ibid., ch.XIV, 11.1-21.

(58)

Ibid, ch.XVI.

(59)

Ibid., ch.XXV, 11.9-37.

(60)
(61)

Ibid., ch.XXVT, 11.1-29.

Ibid., ch.XXVTI.

(62)

Plor. Gas. I, p.80;

cf. Isidore, Etymologiae. bk.III, ch.lv.

17

LXXVIII De eclipsi soils:

Eclipsis soils est quoties luna XXX

ad eandem lineam ... nam deficere nobis videtur sol dum ill! orbis
lunae opponitur

LXXVIIII De eclipsi lunae:

Eclipsis lunae est quoties in umbram

terrae luna incurrit ... omnes dies et noctes sequales exsisterent^

LXXX De effectiva lunae potentis:

Beatus antistes ambrosius in

libro IIII exameron ... donee luna rursus appareat sedationem commotis
turbinibus adlatura^

'.

LXXXI De concordia maris et lunae:

Maxirae autem prae omnibus

admiranda tanta oceani ... ordinem etiam maris cursus principia motus
et paria incrementa
recurrit^
/

LXXXII De sequinoctiis et solstitiis:

De aequinoctio quod VIII

kalendarum aprilium et VIII kalendarum octobrium ... aequinoctium

autumnale XIII kal. oct., solstitium quoque brumale XIIII kal. ian.
esse aut XIII kal.
LXXXIII De quattuor temporibus, elementis,: umoribus:

Tempora

anni sunt quattuor quibus sol per diversa caeli spatia ... et sterilitas
et haec quidem nostris partibus temporum vocabula congruunt^

(63)
(64)
(65)
(66)
(6?)
(68)

Flor. Gas. I, p.80; of. Isidore, bk.III, ch.lviii.

Flor. Cas> I, p.80; of. Isidore, bk.III, chs.lix and 1,
D.T.R. ch.XXVIII.
Ibid., ch.XXIX.
Cf. ibid., ch.XXX.
Ibid., ch.XXXV, 11.1-6?.

18
LXXXIIII De circulo decennovenali:

Decennovenal is circuli

ordinem primus eusebius ... sequente dominica futurus erat faoillime

.

cuilibet inveniendum reliquereir

LXXXY De embolismis et annis communibus:

Dividitur autem

oirculus idem in embolismos annosque communes ... non tamen maii

mensis sed potius aprilis luna sicut semper esse dicenda est
Est et alia praefati circuli

LXXXVI De ogdoade et endecade:

divisio qua in ogdoadem ... luna autem CXXXVI de numero dierum supra
dictum est^ 71 '.
LXXXVII De annis dominicae incarnationis:

Primo decennovenalis

circuli versu temporum ordo praefigitur ... ac sepultum prima sabbati

(72) .
resurrexisse perhibet videatur incredulus
LXXXVIII De indietionibus:

-Secundus ordo circuli decennovenalis

oomplectitur indictiones XV ... incipunt autem indictiones ab VIII

kal. oct. ibidemque terminantuov

LXXXVIIII De epactis lunaribus:

Tertis praefati circuli linea

continet epactas lunares ... hoc in luna XV usque ad XXI esse quaerendunr

(70)

Ibid., ch.XLIV, 11.1-2?.

Ibid., ch.XLV.

(71)

Ibid., oh.XLVI.

(72)

Ibid., ch.XLVII, 11.1-81.

(73)
(74)

Ibid., ch.XLVIIII.
Cf. ibid., ch.L-LI, Ir71.

(69)

19
Quarto decennovenalis cirouli tramite

XC De epactis soils:

designantur epaotae soils ... non minus quingentis XXX duobus annis
explicetur^ 75 '.
XCI De reditu et compoto articular! utrarumque epactarum:

Verum

quod faoillime diem paschae vel ceteros temporum reoursus ... melius
(76) .
vivae vocis alloquio quam still signantis traduntur officio
Quinta circuli decennovenalis regione

XCII De cyclo lunar!:

lunaris cyclus includitur ,.. quo ultimi conclusit anni metas primo
.

incohando principiunr

Sextus saepi dioti circuli locus

XCIII De XIIII, luna paschae:

Of

ampleotitur lunas XIIII ... invenitur frequenter in sui paschae

(~7Q\

principium sanciri praecipiunt^

*

XCIIII De die dominico paschae:

Septimo decennovenalis circuli

titulo dies paschae dominicae comprehenditur ... sed evangelicae potius

gratiae sacramentis adimplemus (79) .
XCV De luna ipsius diei:

Ultime saepe memorati circuli meta

panduntur lunae dominicae paschae ... mox ubi dominicus aderit dies
pascha legitimum dabit^

(76)

Ibid., ch.LIII.
Ibid., ch.LV.

(77)
(78)
(79)
(80)

Ibid.,
Ibid.,
Ibid.,
Ibid.,

(75)

ch.LVI.
oh.LIX, 11.1-36.
oh.LXI, 11.1-27.
oh.LXII, 11.1-24,

20
XCVI Quid inter pascha et azima distet:

Et quoniam de paschae

observatione aliquanta perstrinximus ... in diebus azimorum pascha

spiritaliter agere cognoscimur

XCVII Typica paschae interpretatio:

Nam sicut tota paschalium

observantia caeremoniarum ... legat beati aurelii augustini ad

(82)
- 4. n
'.
lanuarium epistolam

XCVIII De circulo magno paschae:

Circulus paschae magnus est

qui multiplicato per invicem ... quando vel quales fuerint evidentius
/07\

agnoscant^

XCVIIII De sex huius saeculi aetatibus:

De sex huius mundi

aetatibus et septima vel octava ... octavam beatae resurrectionis

/Ol \

aetatem in qua semper cum domino regent exspeotant

Part II, oh. I Excerptum de astrologia:

Duo sunt extremi vertices

(Qr\

mundi ... urnae aquarii qui ad ipsum usque decurrit accipiens ^

Est quidem hie
(86}'*
ordo et positio siderum ... anticanis habet Stellas III
II De ordine ac positione stellarum in signis:

(81) Ibid., ch.LXIII.

(82) Ibid., ch.LXIV.
(83) Ibid., ch.LXV.
(84) Cf. ibid., ch.LXVI. P.L. XC 520C-521C.
(85) P.L. XC. cols.368B-369C; E.Maass, Commentariorum in Aratum
reliquiae (1898), pp.309-312.
(86) Kauffmann: Breslaver phil.Abh. 111,4 (1888), pp.LXXII-LXXVIIII.

Ill De positione et cursu septem planetarum:

Inter caelum et

terrain certis discreta spatiis ... a tricesima luce ad easdem vices

IIII De intervallis earum:

Intervalla eorum a terra multi

indagare temptarunt ... ita septem tonis effici quam diapason

.
N
armoniam vocant.(88)
V De absidibus earum:

Tres sunt autem quas supra solem diximus

sitas ... sicut in rotis radios ut subiecta figura demonstrat^

VI De caelestibus spatiis secundum quosdam:

A terra ad lunam

tonum esse pronuntiant .. summa stadiorum DCCLVI miliariorum XCIIII D

leuvarum LXIII rastarum XXXI D^ '.
VII De temporum mutatione:

Cardines temporum quadripertita anni

distinctione ... hieme autem ad nos per aestivum circulum accedat (91)
VIII De praesagiis tempestatem:

Etenim praedictis difficilioribus

transire convenit ... sudorem repositoriis reliquentia diram

tempestatenr(92) .

From Pliny, bk.ii,12, 32, 34-36, 38-44. See below, pp.UJ-4.

Ibid. ,83, 84. See below, pp.Afc*-*.
(89) Ibid.,|59-61, 69, 70, 63, 64. See below, ppJJfc5-9.
(87)
(88)

Vogels, Scholia in Ciceronis Aratea.

(90)

Cf. P.L., XC, cols.208D-209A;

(91)

II. (1887), p.EC.

From Pliny, bk. XVIII ,2 20-2 23, 225, 275-277.

(92)

Ibid., g340-365.

See below,

See below,

VIIII De mensuris ac ponderibus:

Mensura est iuxta isidorum

quicquid pondere ... dufce leuvae sive miliarii tres apud germanos

.(93)

rastam

X De ponderibus:

Ponderum pars minima calculus est...

.

centenarius autem dicitur eo quod centum libras continet

Mensurarum in liquidis oochlear

(95) .
est pars minima ... II chori chulleum quod sunt modis LX
XI De mensuris in liquidis:

Part III (Bede: De natura Rerum):

Naturas rerum varias

labentis et aevi ... atque inde africa a meridie usque ad occidentem

extenditiuv

Argumentum ad inveniendam horam incensionis lunae:

Si vis

scire certain lunaris incensionis horam ... vicesima non computanda

est quae aliis annis tricesima numeratur.
Cyclus hie est lunaris qualiter luna in circulo decennovenali
singulis annis vel mensibus sive diebus currit:

Table giving the

(97) .
age of the moonv

(93)

(94)
(95)
(96)

(97)

Hultsch, Metrologicorum scriptorum reliquiae, II (1866),

PP135-138; of. Isidore, Etymologiae, bk.IV, ch.xxv.
F. Hultsoh, pp.138-140; cf. Isidore, bk.XVI, ch.xxv.
J. Hultsch, pp.140-142; cf. Isidore, bk.XVI, ch.xxvi.

P.L. XC, cols.187-278.

Cf. P.L. XC, cols.787-800.

23

The dates of the two manuscripts can be1 established with

reasonable accuracy from internal evidence.
Adbreviatio chronicae (1,1)

In the section

, the Munich manuscript has 'et

inde domnus carlus solus regnum suscepit et deo protegente gubernat

usque in presentem annum feliciter qui est annus regni eius XLII,
imperii autem VIIII, sunt autem totius summe ab origine mundi
anni usque in presentem annum DCCCX incarnationis domini IIII
DCCLXXI1 .

The dates in the first sentence, in connection with

Charlemagne's reign, refer to 809;

and as will be shown later

there is considerable evidence that this was the date of an earlier

compilation which was used as a source for both this work and the
But the date in the second sentence
seven-book computus^(99) .
refers to 818.

Ruck maintained (100) that this must be the date

of the Munich manuscript, basing his argument on the fact that one
of the dates is written partly above the line, thus: DCCCX

This is plausible, although it is difficult to explain why the

scribe should write the number in this way, since there is no evidence

(98)
(99)

For brevity the books of the two computi are here given roman
numerals, and the individual chapters arabic numerals.
It may be mentioned
See further in the following chapters.
here that the date 809 also occurs in chapters 18-21 and 23

of the Three-Book Computus.

(100) Auszuge. pp.12-13.

24

that it was added later or v/ritten over an erasure

(101 )

Another

possible explanation is that the scribe of Munich 210 made a very

careful copy of his exemplar which was itself written in 818.
In Vienna 38?, in the corresponding passage to that quoted
above, the ending appears differently:
D CCC

XXX

^ '

'usque in presentem annum

^T^T"?

incarnationis domini IIII DCCLXXX "^ where both

XXX

in

the first number and XX3TUJ" in the second were written over erasures,
i*
Ruck considered that the original numbers were DCCCX and DCCCLXII,
and took this to mean that the manuscript was copied in 830.

But

while it is clear that it was not written later than 830, there is
strong evidence for assigning an earlier date to the manuscript.
For in the Martyrologium (f ,1lv) among the entries added in the
margin are f VII Kal. lun. - Ordinatio Arnonis ad Abbatem 1 and III
Id. lun. - Arn episcopus ordinatus 1 , referring to Arn, bishop and
later archbishop of Salzburg.

According to Hermann^

' these

are written in the same red ink and rustic capitals as the rubrics,
and were probably added soon after the manuscript was completed.
But there is one significant omission, that of the death of Arn,
which took place on January 24th, 821.

(101)
(102)

This would suggest that

But see further below, p.7J.

Die fruhmittelalterlichen Hss.. pp.145-6.

25

821 was the latest date for the manuscript.

earlier, since, as A. Chroust^

It may however be

' noticed, in ch. II, argumentum

ad annum mundi inveniendum, the phrase 'indictionem presentis anni

ut mine est II 1 (as it is found in Munich 210) has been altered in
Vienna 38? to 'indictionem presentis anni ut mine est XI 1 .
apply either to 818 or to 833;

XI could

but taken together with the other

evidence, it seems to point to 818.

Thus both manuscripts may well

have been written in the same year.

The close relationship between the two manuscripts shows itself
further in the fact that both manuscripts were probably written in
Swarzenski^

Salfzburg.

' has shown in great detail that the cycle

of the months, used as an illustration to chapter 73 (Munich 210,

fol.91v;

Vienna 387, fol.90v), reveals a remarkable affinity with

two of the Carmina Salisburgensia^

The Vienna manuscript was

certainly in Salzburg by the tenth century, when the Annales

Salisburgenses were written in the margins of the decennovenal
tables^

Munich 210, on the other hand, if it was indeed written

(104)

Denkmaler der Schrifcfcbkunst des Mittelalters, Afct.I, Ser.I,

BaxJ, r, /Jf. HI.
Die Salzburger Malerei, rPv1 7"?0.

(105)
(106)

M.&.H. Poetae II, pp.644-646. nos.10-11.

See M.G-.H. Scriptores I, pp.89-90.

(103)

in Salzburg, must have moved to St. Ammeram at Regensburg, where

its annalistic entries were added^

The two manuscripts are almost identical in content, the only

important difference being that Munich 210 has, on fol.11?v. an
illustration of the northern hemisphere, not found in the Vienna
manuscript.

In the sections from Pliny^

' the two manuscripts

have generally the same errors, e.g. ii, 41 0,30) luna (correct
reading lunae); 6Ji (3, 25 ) ab is (ab his); 70 (3, 39 ) volentia
(violentia);

xviii, 275 (5,28 ) magnae (magna); $277 (5,36 )

In addition they share the same lacunae and

(11 o)
Ruck
by
listed
tatum
tempes
giis
praesa
De
in
tense
changes of

cande.is (candens).

The great degree of agreement between the two manuscripts, coupled

with the possibility that they were written in the same year and
place makes it virtually certain that they were copied directly

(107)

See M.G-.H. SS XIII, pp.47-48.

B. Bischoff (Die sudostdeutschen Schreibschulen I (19&0),
p.262, n.3) seems to suggest that this manuscript may have
been written at Regensburg, when he describes it ! aus St.
Emmenw? 1

But he postpones further treatment until the second

volume.
The Pliny excerpts occur as follows: Munich 210:1, '^bls.121r~
122r; 2, 122r; 3, 122rv,; 5, 124r-v; 6, 124v-127r; Vienna
,387:1, fols 120v-121v; 2, 121v; 3, 122r~123r; 5, 124r>v; 6, 124v-127v,
(109) The references are to the paragraph in Pliny, and, in the brackets,
the number of the excerpt and line as given below on pp.

(108)

(110)

Auszuge, pp.32-33.

27

from the same exemplar.

The differences are very slight, e.g.

ii, 64 (3,6^) habides in Munich 210, habide in Vienna 387;

xviii, 346 (6, 31 ) ertt ciroulus in Munich 210, oirculis erit in
Vienna 387; $355 (6, ML ) adpropinquatibus in Munich 210,
adpropin&uantibus in Vienna 387;
u

(in^

but they are probably sufficient

to support Ruck ! s belief that one is not a copy of the other.

(111)

Ibid., p. 12.

28

THE SEVEN-BOOK COMPUTUS

At about the same time that the Three-book computus was
composed, another work, very similar in form and content, and
probably derived, at least in part, from the same sources, was
put together.

The work was arranged in seven books, as is found

(1}
today in five v ' manuscripts:

Vatican Vat. Lat. 645 and Reg. Lat.

309, Madrid 3307, Monza F.9.176, and Paris Nouv. Acq. Lat. 456,
although only Reg. Lat. 309 contains the whole work.
The contents of the seven-book computus are as follows:
Book I, ch.I Rota quae continet natalicia sanctorum in
kalendis nonis et idibus per unumquemque mensem:

Rota giving

saints 1 festivals.
Ch.II Argumentum de cursu lunae per duodecim signa:
(2}
for finding the position of the moonv '.
Ch.III Martyrologium per duodecim menses:
saints \ festivals

Table

Calendar giving

'.

(1)

W. Kohler (Die karolingischen Miniaturen III (1960), p.121,

n.87) mentions a manuscript in the Cathedral Library at
Freiburg-im-Breisgau, containing parts of the fifth and
seventh books, but gives no further details.

(2)
(3)

Cf. P.L. XC, cols. 757-758.

Cf. ibid., cols. 759-783.

29
Ch. IIII

Cycli decennovenales cum annis domini:

19-year

tables from A.D. 1-1063^.

Ch. V Adbreviatio chronicae ubi mittenda sit:

Adam cum

esset centum triginta annorum genuit Seth ... sunt autem totius
summae ab origine mundi anni usque in praesentem annum IIII

Ch. VI

De ortu et obitu patrum:

Adam pater generis humani

dei manibus ex terra creatus ... cretensium episcopus missus ibidem

requiescit in pace
Ch. VII

Annus magnus de ccincurrentibus compo situs ad ostendendam

diversitatem nativitatis et passionis domini:

Two tables giving

concurrents and paschal terminals, accompanied by three notes:

Nostrates:

Ab adam usque ad nativitatem christi computantur anni

IIII DCCLII

.. terminus XVII Kal. mai. et concurrentes quattuor;

Hieronimus :

Si vero ab adam usque ad nativitatem domini *V CXC annos

habere volueris ... terminum IIII non. apr. et concurrentes II;

G-raeci:

Si sutem ab adam usque ad christum annos "V D pronuntiaveris ...

annoque passionis terminus nonas apriles et concurrentes septem.

(4)

Cf. ibid., cols. 825-844.

(5)

M.G-.H* Chronica Minora III, pp. 349-354.

Florilogium casinense I pp. 93-96.

(6)

30
Ch. VIII

Ratio quomodo feria qua dominus passus est invenitur:

Prima dies saeculi creditor fuisse dominica

christum crucifixum

sanoti evangelii sacra testatur historia^ ''.

Ch. VIIII De ebdomadibus LXX propheticis:
ebdomadis est qua propheta danihel utitur

Septima species
sed diligens lector

quod magis sequendum putaverit eligat^ ' .

Ch, X Ratio quomodo per lunam kalendarum ianuarii et per
quartam partem anni magni pascha possit inveniri:
decennovenalis cycli anno in kalendis ianuariis ..
(9)
quaeres nullum alium affert errorenr ' .
Ch XI

Quoniam in prime
semel tantum

Item de eadem ratione per lunam kalendarum martii:

Primo decennovenalis cycli anno quando nulla epacta ponitur ...

quam summam uterque circulus per alterutrum efficit multiplicatus^

'

This and the preceding chapter are accompanied by tables for

(11)
calculating the age of the moon x '.
Argumentum ad annos ab initio mundi inveniendos:
n
Si scire cupis annos ab initio mundi multiplica CCCXVTI qu^decies ..
Book II, ch. I

et hoc ordine deinceps servato annos mundi sine errore repperies

(7)
(8)

Ibid., pp. 69-70.

Bede, De temporum ratione, ch.IX.

(9)

P.L., XC, col. 749A-B.

(10) Ibid., col. 751B-D.

(11) Ibid., cols. 749A-752D.
(12) Flor. Cas. I, p. 70.

31
Ch. II Argumentum ad inveniendum annum cycli decennovenalis
per eosdem annos:

Si nosse desideras quotus sit annus in cyclo

deoennovenali ... XVIIII annus cycli decennovenalis erit.

Ch. Ill Argumentum ad indictionem inveniendam:
quota sit indictio tene annos ab initio mundi

Si vis scire

. quod remanet
CHZ\

ipsa est indictio;

si nihil remanserit XV erit v J} .

Ch. IIII Argumentum ad epactam inveniendam:

Si nosse vis

quota sit epacta collige annos ab exordio mundi ... quod superfuerit ipsa est epacta;

si nihil remanserit nulla erit

Ch. V Argumentum ad concurrentes inveniendos:

Si concurrentes

invenire cupis, sume annos ab origine mundi ... quod remanserit ipsi
(15) .
sunt concurrentes; si nihil remanserit VTI erit
!&

Ch. VI Argumentum qualiter cyclus lunae inveniri debeat:

quod

cyclum lunae inveniri desideras tene annos a mundi initio

remanet ipse est cyolus;

si nihil remanserit XVIIII erit

Ch. VII Argumentum ad annos domini inveniendos:

(16)

Si vis scire

quot anni sint ab incarnatione domini ... fiunt simul DCCCVIIII;

isti sunt anni ab incarnatione domini.

(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)

Ibid., p. 70.
Ibid., p. 70.
Cf. P.L. XC, col. 717DFlor. Gas. I, p. 70.

32

Ch. VIII Argumentum ad inveniendum annum oycli de cenno venal is:

remanent XII;

Si nosse vis quotus sit annus cycli decennovenalis .*

Xllmus ergo annus est cycli decennovenalis.
Ch. VIIII Argumentum ad indictionem inveniendam;

cupiis quota sit indictio sume annos domini DCCJjyiIII

duo;

Si scire
remanent

secunda est anni praesentis indictio,

Ch. X Item argumentum ad epactam inveniendam:

Si autem vis

cognoscere quot sint epactae, sume annos ... remanent I;

una est

in praesenti anno epacta.

Ch. XI Item argumentum ad concurrentes inveniendos:

Si vis

scire conourrentes septimanae dies in praesenti quot fuerint

non remanet aliquid quia VII sunt concurrentes.
Ch. XII

Item argumentum qualiter cyolus lunae inveniri debeat:

Si nosse cupis cyclus lunaris quotum agat annum .. nonus est autem
cycli lunaris annus qui nunc agitur.
Ch. XIII Ratio calculi per quam numerus in argumentis
compendiose partitur:
Ch* XIIII

Multiplication tables for 2-15, 19, 28 and 30

De kalendis nonis et idibus ac diebus duodecim

lanuarius augustus et december IIII nonas habent ...

(I?")
omnes menses VIII idus habent /.

mensium:

(17)

Ibid., p.77;

P.L. CXXIX, col. 1281C.

33

Ch. XV

Concurrent es et epactae cum suis regularibus ad

inveniendas ferias et lunas kalendarum: Various lists of solar

and lunar epacts, etc.
Ch. XVI

'.

Argumentum ad inveniendos regulares feriae kalendarum:

Annus solis habet dies CCCLXV;

hos quinque dies .. per septem

dimiseris sequentis mensis regularis procreabitur(19)' .

Ch. XVII

Argumentum ad inveniendos regulares lunae kalendarum:

Quinque residuuos aegyptiorum dies de quibus superius fecimus

mentionem . .. remanebit tibi regularis mensis sequentis
Ch. XVIII

De diebus anni per kalendas nonas et idus:

lanuarius in kal. I, in non. V, in id. XIII ... December in kal.

CCCXXV, in non. CCCXXXVIIII, in id.
Ch. XVIIII Excerptum de calculo quot dies habeat annus per
(22}
dies ebdomadarum: Multiplication table for 7
Ch. XX Item ex calculo ad lunam inveniendam secundum victorium:
(23}
Multiplication table for 59

(18)

Cf. P.L. XC, col. 706B.

(19)
(20)

Flor. Gas., I, p. 73.

Ibid., pp. 73-74.

(21)
(22)
(23)

P.L. XC, col. 706C-D; Bede, D.T.R. XXII, 11.18-29.

Cf. P.L. XC, col. 707D.
Cf. P.L. XC, col. 708A.

34

Ch. XXI

Terminus quadragesimalis cum suis regularibus:

of quadragesimal terminals^Ch. XXII

paschae:

List

'.

Qualiter latini et graeci dissentiunt in XIII luna

Various tables.

Book III, ch. I

De compoto articulari:

III digiti in sinistra

manu id est auricularis ... sed ante aures retro respicientes (25)
x '.
Ch. II
tempera

fte anno et partibus eius:

Annus Solaris habet quattuor

unum momentum habet ostentum I et dimidiunr(26)'.

Ch. Ill

Quot atomos habeat annus vel partes eius:

Ostentum

habet atomos CCCLXXVT ... horas VIII DCXL partes proprias CCCLX.
Ch, IIII

Quot modis soleat annus nominari:

Primus modus est

de lima qui quinquifarie accipitur ... ubi primum statuta fuerunt

(27)
et DXXXII annis impletur^".
Ch. V De mundano anno qui quindecim milibus solarium conficitur
annorum tullii ciceronis somnium scipionis diotantis et macrobii idem
exponentis ac senccae philosophorum auctoritas:
est quern nunc communis omnium usus appellat

Annus non is solus

quisquis in digitos

mittit i

(24)
(25)
(26)

Cf. P.L. XC, col. 715, third section.

Flor. Gas. I, pp.90-91
Ibid., pp.88-89.

(27)
(28)

Ibid., pp.80-81.
J. Vogels, Scholia in Ciceronis Aratea, II (1887), pp.IX-X:
of. Maorobius Comm. in Somn. Scip. Bk.II, 11, 5-17.

35
Ch. VI

De ratione bissexti:

Bissextus igitur ex quadrantis

rations per quadriennum conficitur ..

interkalare consuerunt^

unde et bissextum vocant

'.

De mensura orementi bissextilis:

Ch. VII

Sed et de mensura

crementi bissextilis ne te nostra lateat sententia ... per XV dies

quinque horas et quadrantem unius horae percurrere^ '.
In quot annis de bissextilibus diebus unus annus

Ch. VIII
adorescat:

In quattuor annis unus dies in octo II ... annum integrum

id est CCCLXVI dies esse probatur^ '.

Ch. VTIII

Qualiter per quattuor annos bissextus acj^escat:

Primo igitur anno praeparationis bissexti prima hora noctis ...

(32}
quae praecedit XV kal. mar. arietem possit ingredi v '.
Ch. X Argumentum ad inveniendum annum bissextilem:

Atmi ab

incarnatione domini anno praesenti sunt DCCXCIII ... et ideo bissextus

dicitur quia bis VI kal. mar. habet^
Ch. XI

Argumentum ad quamlibet feriam inveniendam:

Si oognoscere

cupis hoc vel illo die quota sit feria ... quod remanet diem septimae
(34) .
quae sit ubicumque quaeris ostendet v

(29)
(30)

Bede, D.T.R., ch.XXXVIII, 11.12-27Ibid., ch.XXXIX, 11.1-10.

(31)
(32)
(33)
(34)

Flor.Cas. I, p.72.
P.L. XC, cols.357D-36lA.
Flor.Cas. I, p.81.
Ibid., 8.83.

Ch. XII

Item aliud argumentum ad inveniendam feriam:

Si vis

scire quota sit feria de quocumque die . . quicquid remanebit super

(35) .
VII talis &st et feria, et si nihil remanet sabbatum est v

Argumentum ad feriam kalendarum ianuariarum inveniendam:

Ch. XIII

Si scire vis per singulos annos quota feria sit kalendarum ianuariarum ..
(36)'.
fiunt XV; quintus decimus annus est in cyclo solari
Ch, XIIII De ascensu ac discensu solis:

Ascensus solis dicitur

augmentum lucis ... eadem ratio est in discensu solis, id est in

detrimento lucis observanda.
Book IIII, oh, I
et novem annos:

De luna quota sit in kalendis mensium per decem

Lunar table

'.

Ch. II Argumentum in quo puncto luna accendatur vel quota sit

aetas eiusdem qualibet die:
ianuariis

Si hoc scire desideras sume dies a kalendis

quod vero remanserit ipsa est aetas lunae;

si nihil

remanserit trigesima eriV '"

Ch. Ill Argumentum quota sit luna in kalendis ianuariis:

Si hoc

scire desideras sume cyclum anni praesentis ... non unum ut in reliquis
sed duos adicere regulares (39) .

(35)
(36)

Ibid., p.83.
Cf. ibid., p.83.

(37)
(38)
(39)

ibid., p.79.
Cf. ibid., p.86.
Ibid., p.86.

37
Si ergo vis

Ch. IIII Item argumentum de qualibet lunae aetate:

soire hoc vel illo die quota sit luna computa dies ... quod superest
ipsa est luna diei quern quaeris^

'.

Ch. V Argumentum quot horas luoeat luna:

Si nosse vis quot

horas luceat luna quaelibet tenejaetatem lunae . .. quantum in crescendo

adicere habes tantum in decrescendo detrahere debes
Ch. VI

Argumentum quot partes luna distet a sole:

Si scire cupis

luna prima quantas partes distet a sole . .. tres partes habet et quinque
puncti horam faciunt
Ch. VII

'.

De saltu lunae:

Si vis scire unde saltus lunae adrescat

cognoscito quod luna .., et anno ultimo cycli decennovenalis transilitur.

Ch;. VIII

Item de saltu lunae:

et haec transilitio saltus appellatmv

lunares XVTIII
Ch. VIIII

In cycle decennovenali sunt anni

.

De quo tamen saltu verisimijLe

f
tres pariter menses undetricenorum computare

Item de saltu lunae:

apparet quod eum citior

Ch. X In quot annis per sal turn lunae unus annus subtrahatur:
Item de saltu lunae XIIII anni unum diem eff iciunt . . . ~VI DCCCCXXXV
anni unum annum in saltu lunari per diem eff iciunt.

(40)
(41)
(42)

Ibid., p. 86.
Ibid., p. 86.
Ibid., pp. 86-87.

(43)

Ibid., p. 70.

(44)

Bede, D.T.R.., oh.XLII, 11.1-20, 55-65-

38
Ch. XI

Quod et luna quadrantem habeat:

Inter haec autem

meminisse debet calculator ... discursus lunaris mensura ad purum

dinosci queat obsistit^1 **' .
Ch. XII

Cur argumentum lunae kalendarum per omnes annos circuli

decennovenalis stabilitatem suam servare non possit:

Sunt autem anni

tres circuli decennovenalis in quibus idem argumentum ... rato atque

intemerato ordine procurrat^
Ch. XIII

'.

Ratio XIIII lunae paschalis inveniendae:

Est etiam

ratio qualiter terminus paschalis inveniri possit ... totidem dies

infra ipso mense habebis terminunr
Ch. XIIII Item de eadem re:

'.
Sed et hoc sciendum est ut quot dies

ante pridie idus apriles ... pridie id. apr. pascha habueris kal. mar.
( IQ \

initium quadragesimae habebis

Ch. XV Item de eadem re:

.
Quantas dies ante kal. apr. habueris ..,

in ipsas Xllmas kal. mar. habebis initium quadragesimae

Ch. XVI

Item de eadem re:

Quota luna in kalendis ianuariis eodem

anno fuerit ... et sic Xllllmam lunam errore sublato repperies^

Ch. XVTI

Item de eadem re:

Sanctae memoriae theophilus

alexandrinus episcopus ... ad alterum diem dominicum pascha sine dubio

caelebrare conscripsit (51) .

(45) Ibid., ch.XLI.

(46) Ibid., ch.XX, 11.22-55.
(47) Flor. Gas. I, p.84.
(48) Ibid., p.84.
(49) Ibid., p084-85.
(50) Ibid., p.82.
d., p.32.

39
Quaerenda est nativitas lunae
(52) .
Xllllmae ... post VTI kal. mai. pascha nullatenus caelebrabis x
Item de eadem re:

Ch. XVIII

Ch. XVIIII

Quota feria singulis annis XIIII luna paschae

Primo anno circuli decennovenalis XXX est luna in XI kal.

(53)
apr. ... et turn simul locum lunae aetatem citissime invenies
oocurrat:

Ch. XX

Cur XIII luna paschalis intra XII kalendas apriles et

XIIII kalendas maias in quibusdam locis evenire non possit:

Constat

igitur quod primo anno decennovenalis cycli quando nulla epacta ...
.

atque ita sequentia eodem quo prius ordine cuncta proveniant v

Ch, XXI

Quomodo errent quidam in primi mensis initio:

Sed

error eorum qui aliter sapiunt vide an ipsis saltim ... et occasionem
(55) .
pravae persuasionis amittat v
Ch, XXII Ratio contra eos qui dicunt VII kalendas maias pascha
fieri non posse:

Anno XIIII ante nativitatem domini fuit terminus

paschalis .., id est die dominica fieri non possit neque in ea luna
XIIII.

(52)
(53)

Ibid., p.85; P.L. CXXIX, col. 1284C-1285A.

P L * XC, cols.605-606; 710-711; CI, cols. 999-1001 (this reference
is given wrongly in Jones, Pseudepigrapha (1939), P43, where this
passage is discussed); Pseudepigrapha, pp.104-106.

(54) P.L. XC, cols. 499C-500C; 713C-714A.

(55) Bede, D.T.R., ch.LI, 11.1-24, 64-87.

40

Ch. XXIII

Quantum spatii moretur sol vel luna in una qualibet

de triginta partibus signi ouiuslibet:

Sol tarditate sui cursus

unumquodque signum XXX diebus et X semis horas perlustrat ..

sol

in XXIIII horis et viginti et uno ostentis^6 '.

Ch. XXIIII

De concordia Solaris cursus et lunaris: Novem

horis in luna pro^uinque diebus in sole computatis ... possunt

(57} .
nbvem horae lunares cum quinque diebus solaribus concordare
Lunam lucere dodrantis semuncias
\
/cg\
.
quinta^
luna
lucet
aiunt ... quater quinque quinquies quattuor horas
Ch. XXV Item de eadem ratione:

Ch. XXVT

De concordia maris et lunae:

Unius semper horae

dodrante et semuncia transmissa ... cotidie tardius veniret tardiusque

x '.
reoederet (59^
Ch. XXVII De effectiva lunae potentia:

Effectiva lunae potentia

ut ait beatus ambrosius in eo maxime apparet ... donee luna rursus

appareat sedationem commotis turbinibus adlatura^
Book V, Ch. I Bxcerptum de astrologia:

'.

Duo sunt extremi vertices

mundi quos appellant polos ... quae ad ipsum usque decurrit aocipiens^

(56) Q. PL. CI, cols.983D-9843, which does not give the first sentence.
(57) J- Vogels, Scholia in Cioeronis Aratea II (1887), p.IV.
(58) Vogels, p.IV.
(59) PL XC, cols. 605D-606D; Vogels, p. IV.
(60) Bede, D.T.R., oh.XXVIII, 11.1, 14-49.
(61) P.L. XC, cols. 368B-369C; E. Maass, Commentariorum in Aratum
Reliquiae, pp. 309-312.

'

41
Est quidem
(62]
.
IP
as
Stell
habet
anis
antic
...
um
hie ordo et positio sider
Ch. II

Gh. Ill

De ordine ac positione stellarum in signis:

De positione et cursu septem planetarum:

Inter

caelum et terrain certis discreta spatiis septem sidera pendent

'.

a tricesima luoe ad easdem vices exit^

Ch. IIII De intervallis earum:

Intervalla eorum a terra multi

niam
indagare temptarunt ... ita septem tonis effioi quam diapason armo
vocant^

'.

Ch. V De absidibus earum:

Tres autem quas supra solem diximus

sitas occultantur ... sicut in rotis radios ut subiecta figura

demonstrat^
Ch, VI

'.
De cursu earum per zodiacum circulum:

magnitudines suas et colores mutent

martis maxime inobservabilis est cursus^

Cur autem

inter omnia haec sidera

'.

Interlunium lunae est tempus illud

Ch. VII De interlunio:

inter deficientem et nascentem ... eodem momento renascens paulatim

ab eo recedendo videtur^

'.

Ch. VIII De eolypsi lunae:

Eclypsis lunae est quotiens in umbram

terrae luna incurrit dies et noctes aequales existerent

(62)
(63)
(64)
(65)

&. Kauffmann, Breslauer phil. Afeh. Ill, 4, pp.LXII-LXVIIII.

Cf. Pliny, bk.ii, 12,32,34-36,38-4^-. See below, pp./#-.
Cf. ibid., $|83, 84. See below, pp. \kU~ 5.
Cf. ibid., | 59-61, 69, 70, 63, 64. See below, pp/4t5-<?.

(66)

Cf. ibid., &62, 66-69, 71, 75-78, 80, 78, 79, 76, 77.
See below pp./4^-53

(67)

Flor Gas. I, p.80;

of. Isidore, Etvmologiae bk.III, ch.lv.

Ch. VXIII

De eclypsis soils:

Eclypsis soils est quotiens

luna XXX ad eandem lineam ... nam deficere nobis videtur sol dum
ill! orbis lunae opponitur^

'.

Ch. X De soils eclypsi quando sit:

DCCLX faota est eclypsis soils ..

Anno dominicae incarnationis

idus maias hora diei quasi septima

in XXVIII parte tauri^ 70 \

Ch. XI

Dimensio caelestium spatiorum secundum quosdam:

A terra

ad lunam tonum esse pronuntiant ... in his VII tonis stadia DCCLXXV
id est miliaria CVIIII et
Ch. XII

De praesagiis tempestatum:

Etenim praedictis

dif f ioilioribus transire convenit ... repositoriis reliquentia diras

tempe states praenuntiant (72) .
Book VI, ch. I

De ratione unciarum:

assis sive as duodeoim unciae.

(69)

Scripulus sex siliquae ..,

Symbols for the various weights are

(71)

Flor. Gas. I, p.80; of. Isidore, Etym. bk.III, ch.lviii.

Loewe-Hartel, Bibliotheoa Patrum Latinorum Hispaniensis (1887),
p.415, (from Madrid 3307, formerly L95)
In the list of
chapters in the manuscripts this is called Quando soils eclypsis
visa sit moderno tempore.
Jo Vogels, Scholia in Cioeronis,Aratea II, p.IX.

(72)

Cf. Pliny, Bk.xviii, | 340-365.

(73)

Cf. P.L. XC, col.699.

(70)

See below,

43
Cho II

De probatione auri et argenti:

Orane aurum purum ouius-

libet ponderis omni argento ... sicut prima lectionis huius fronte
praefixum esV
Ch. Ill

'.
De mensura caerae et metalli in operibus fusilibus:

In fundendis operibus cuius ponderis metallum quotlibet ... octo

denarii quod sunt unoiae III et denarii XVI ^
Ch. IIII

Ambrosii Macrobii Theodosii de mensura et magnitudine

terrae et circuli per quern solis iter est:

In omni orbe vel sphaera

medietas centrum vocatur ... trecenties centena milia et insuper LXX

Ch. V

Item eiusdem de mensura et magnitudine solis:

His dictis

quibus mensura quam terrae vel ambitus vel diametros habet ... ergo
ex his dicendum solem ooties terra esse maiorenr
Ch. "VT

Peliois Capellae de mensura lunae:

'.
Luna item circuli

sui sexcentesimam obtinet portionem ... ipsum vero circulum centies

(-7Q\

maiorem esse tellure^

'.

(74)

Vitruvius (ed. Rose, 1899), pp.xxviii-xxix;

(75)

des MSS, (quarto series) I (1849), p. 421.

Vitruvius, pp.xxix-xxx; Cat. G-en. I, pp. 421 -422.

(76)
(77)

(78)

Catalogue G-enfetl

Cf. Macrobius, Comm. in Somn. Scip., Bk.I, ch.xx,

Cf. ibid., #$25-32.

14-24.

J. Vogels, Scholia in Ciceronis Aratea II, p. VI $ Cf . Martianus

Capella, Bk.VTII, ^860; Macrobius, Comm. I, xxi,

44

Ch. VII

Eiusdem argumentum quo magnitude terrae de_prehensa est:

Eratosthenes philosophus idemque geometra subtilissimus ... quae in

f~7Q\

caelesti circulo nullum humanae ooniecturae dimensionem admittit v

Book VII (Bede, De natura rerum):
et aevi

'.

Naturas rerum varias labentis

inde Africa a meridie usque ad occidentem extenditur^

'.

In addition to the chapters listed above, all the manuscripts

have some additional sections, of which a number are common to all or
most of the manuscripts, and therefore may be part of the original
work.

These are as follows:

(a)

A note on the declension of the words unus, solus and alter.

(b)

G-enera numerorum in sensibus secundum augustinum:

Progressores

in actu ... iudiciales in discretione.

These two sections are put after bk. II, ch. 12.
(c)

De horologio:

lanuarius et december hora prima et undecima

hora V et VTI pedes V, hora VI pedes

(d)

'

Argumentum quot horas in unaquaque nocte luceat:

accompanied by a note:

Table,

Si vis scire quot horas in una quaque lucet

nocte ... per eodem gradus quibus ante ascenderat iterum descendit
computandi ratio.

(79)
(80)

Vogels, .pp.VI-VII; N. Bubnov, G-erberti Opera Mathematica,

pp.362-363. Cf. Martianus Capella, Bk. VI, 595-598.
P.L. XC, cols. 187-278.

(81)

P.L. XC, cols.953D-956A.

45

(e)

Expositio de eadem re:

Traditur autem secundum quosdam

argumentum qui horam quattuor punctis ... dodrantem pro punctis III,
semisse pro II, quadrante pro I.
(f)De ascensione lunae:

Si quis nosse desiderat qua hora luna

renovetur ... in decimae horae noctis prime puncto finem accipit.

Sections (c) to (f) are found at the end of Book IV, except that
(c) is at the end of Book III in Reg. Lat. 309.
(g)

De mensuris et ponderibus:

Mensura est iuxta isidorum

quicquid pondere capacitate longitudine ... duae leuvae sive miliarii

tres apud germanos unam rastam efficiunt^
(h)

De ponderibus:

'.

Ponderum pars minima calculus est qui

constat ex : granis ciceris duobus ... centenarius autem dicitur eo

qood centum libris constet^
(j)

'.

De mensuris in liquidis:

Mensurarum in liquidis coclear

/-O) \

est pars minima ... duo chori chulleum quod sunt modia LX
Sections (g) to (j) are found after Bede's De natura rerum.

(82)
(83)
(84)

Hultsch, Metrologicorum scriptorum reliquiae, pp.135-138;

cf. Isidore, Etymologiae, bk. IV, ch.xxv.
Hultsch, pp.138-140; cf. Isidore, bk. XVI, ch.xxv.
Hultsch, pp. 140-142; cf. Isidore, bk. XVI, ch.xxvi.

46

The earliest surviving manuscript of the seven-book computus is

probably Madrid 3307 > which has been described in some detail by
and W. Kohler^

W. Neuss

reasonable accuracy.

'.

Its origins can be pin-pointed with

It is not likely to have been written before

The

820, when an eclipse of the moon was entered by the first hand.

earliest entry of the second hand is 828, but Kohler argued that this
was not necessarily a contemporary entry.

He thought that the entry

for an eclipse in Ql& was more likely to be a contemporary record and

f 0-7 \

put this as the terminus ante quern

Both authors agree that it was probably written in Metz;

Neuss 1

/ oo\

argument^

' that the entry 'Depositio s. Arnulfi confessoris 1 in the

calendar would only be intelligible in Metz was rejected by KBhler on

the grounds that since the entry is also found in Vat. Reg. 309 it
suggests only a Metz origin for their common ancestor.

Kohler howev.er

admitted that on stylistic grounds it was likely to have been written

at Metz, comparing the illustrations in the Drogo Sacramentary (Paris
9428) and an Evangeliary (Paris 9388) , which he showed to have been
written there ^

'.

(86)

Spanische Forschungen, VIII (1940), pp-37-64; Zeitschrift des

dt. Vereins fur Kunstwissenschaft, VIII (194-1), pp.113-140.
Die karolingisohen Miniaturen, vol.Ill (19^0), pp.119-12?.

(8?)
(88)

Karol. Min. Ill, pp.120.

Span. Forsch., pp.61-3.

(89)

Karol. Min., Ill, p.122 and note.

(85)

47

At an unknown date, but probably before the end of the ninth

century, the manuscript came to the monastery at Prum, where the
Annales Prumienses were entered in the margins of the decennovenal
tables' 90).
The manuscript is no longer complete, and the lost parts
contain most of Book I, all of Book VI, and the greater part of
the De natura rerum.

But in those parts that remain, this manu-

script presents the best testimony.

It is clear that it was very

carefully copied, as is shown by the small number of errors in the

(91") .
The illustrations are also of a very high standard^
text.
(92)
' there are only four errors peculiar
In the section from Pliny
to this manuscript:

xviii, 344 (6,25) ocasum (occasum);

349 (6, 63 ) oornus (cornu); 352 (6, 93 ) stellarum (stellam);

362 (6,/7) graues (grues).

(90)

(91)

(92)

The entries referring to

See M.G-.H., SS. XV, 2, pp.1289-1292.
Priim, which begin at 828, are written in a hand of the late ninth
or early tenth century, according to Konler, Karol. Min. Ill, p.120,
On the illustrations, particularly the star-drawings in bk. V,
oh. 2, see Neuss 1 article in Zelt. Ver. Kunstwiss, and Ko'hler,
pp.122-127.
These occur as follows: I, fol. 63
4, 65*-67r ; 6,

; 2, 63 -64 ; 3,

The manuscript showing the closest connection with Madrid 3307

is Monza p.9.

176^ 95'.

Florentine Mu^erich^ 9^ has pointed to

the similarity in arrangement of the text on the pages of the two

manuscripts, and suggests that this must have been taken from their
exemplar.

But the Monza manuscript has one peculiarity, in that

there are two extra chapters inserted after bk.I, ch.I, the remaining
(qz\
chapters being numbered 4-13 v '.
The Monza manuscript was apparently written about 869, since
this is the date of the last annalistic entry made by the original

(93)

(94)
(95)

See A. Yarisco, Rendiconti R. 1st. Lomb., ser. 2^(1896),

pp.667-677, C. Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV (1940), p.87, McG-urk
Catalogue IV (1966), pp.52-61.
Karl der Grosse III (1965), p.50. This is true of the fifth
book in particular.
The chapters are entitled 'De lunari circuitu si quis computari
non potest 1 and 'De aetate lunae si quis oomputari potest 1 .
They are taken from Bede's De temporum ratione, chs.XIX and
These additional chapters also occur in the index
XXIII.
(fol.7r): and therefore McG-urk (Cat.IV. p*53) is incorrect
in saying that it is identical with that in Vat. Reg. Lat. 309,
although this manuscript contains these two chapters unnumbered
on fols.12v-13r.

49
scribe.

This is probably also the terminal date of the section

'Adbreviatio chronicae 1 (l,S )

^he annals^

' show that

the manuscript belonged to the monastery at Lobbes (in Southern

Belgium) and it is probable that it was written there^

The manuscript is almost complete, although the loss of a

leaf after fol.50 has removed the end of book III and the beginning
(99) is reasonably good
of book IV.
The text of the Pliny excerpts v/
although the scribe made a number of careless mistakes, e.g.
ii, 39 (1, 2^. ) hoc casum (for occasum); 59 (3j $ ) postera
(postes) ; "60 (3> J5 ) radios omitted after sentit; 75 (4*2? )
extu (exortu) ;

and in particular two lacunae, xviii, $354 (6,//2-3) :

imbrem ... significant, and |j355-6 (6,//&-2 nubes ... disserenabit.

Vatican Reg. Lat. 309

was likewise written in the ninth

century, probably in the second half, although the date cannot

(96)

The concluding sentence runs "Sunt autem totius summae ab

origine mundi anni usque in praesentem annum IIII DCCCXX".

(97)
(98)

See M.G.H. SS I, pp.7, 9-10, 12-13, 15, 52-55.

C. Leonardi (Aevum XXXIV, p.87) suggested that it came from
Lorraine, but without giving any reasons.

(99) 1: fols.69v-70v; 2: 70v-71r; 3: 71v-72v; 4: 72v-74r; 6: 75v-77r,

(100) See Saxl, Verzeichnis I, pp.59-66; A. Wilmart, Cat. God. Reg. Lat.
vol.11, pp.160-174; C. Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV, pp.466-67.
Saxl
considered it to be a tenth century manuscript, and in this he
was followed by C.W. Jones (Pseudepigrapha, p.136).
Hov/ever,
this cannot be correct.

50
be established with any certainty.

In bk. II, chs.7-12, the annus

praesens is 859 > whereas the other manuscripts have 809j

and in

oh.6, 870 has been inserted over an erasure, probably of 859Wilmart^

' observed that there was a small red mark against the

year 885 in the decennovenal tables;

but it is so small that it

would be rash to draw any conclusions from this.

Numerous additions

were made to the manuscript up to the thirteenth century.

It is

certain that by the tenth century the manuscript was at St, Denis,
since the decennovenal tables contain annalistic entries referring
to that abbey

';

but this is not sufficient evidence to say

that it was written there.

This is the only manuscript containing the complete seven-book
computus, although the beginning of the first book is slightly
confused^ 105 '.

The text of the excerpts from Book II of Pliny^ 10^,

which was originally relatively free from errors, has suffered from

(101)
(102)
(103)
(104)

Cat. Reg. Lat. II, p.163.

See M.&.H. SS XIII, pp.718-721.
The index is followed by bk.I, ch.3 (fol.6); ch.1 is found
on fol. 2v, and 2 on fol. 121.
1: fol.99v-lOOr; 2: jOOr; 3: *00r-v; 4: 100v-101r;
6: 102v-104v. See C.E. Finch, Trans. Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc.
XCVI (1965), pp.107-117* where this manuscript is collated with
Rack's text.

51

the hands of a corrector who introduced numerous corruptions,

doubtless by collation with another manuscript.

Thus in

(1, !(. ) errent was changed to erret; 36 (2, 17 Weneris to YSflUa,'

5 43 (1,37 ) Jam vero to modo; 60 (3, 14 ) senis to binis;
sometimes additional words were inserted: 84 (2,9 ) (eft) vero;
84 (2,/3 ) (_eo) vero; 59 (3,? ) (posteft) autem; 60 (J>,IS )
Since these errors occur also in Paris 12117, it

(eadem) vero.

is likely that the Vatican manuscript is its source;

'.

below^

see further

The section from book xviii was not touched.

Vat. Lat. 645

Northern France.

is another ninth century manuscript from

The argumenta provide no clue to its date, since

they all preserve the original 809 as the annus praesens.

been suggested as the date of its composition^

825 has

', but without any

firm grounds; it is more likely to belong to the latter half of the

century.

The fact that it contains the Annales S.QuintiniA

' in

the margins of the decennovenal tables shows that it was at St.

Quentin at an early date, but it is probable that it was not written

(107)

See p.//<FSee F. Saxl, Verzeichnis I, pp.71-76; M. Vatasso and P. Franchi

de'Cavalieri, Cat. Cod. Vat. Lat., vol.1, pp.496-500;
C. Leonardi, Aevum, XXXIV, pp.475-476.
C.W. Jones, Bedae' Pseudepigrapha, p.138.

(108)

M.G-.H. SS XVI, pp.507-8.

(105)
(106)

there, since St. Quentin does not appear among the saints in the
B. Bischoff' 1 '10 ' has proposed the vicinity of
(111)
C.W. Jones has suggested that it came from Woyon^

Martyrology^ 9 '.
Reims;

The manuscript has lost a large part in the middle, which must
have contained Book IV, and the first and part of the second chapters
In addition, single folios have been lost in
(113)'
The text of the sections from Plinyv
several other places.
is marred by a considerable number of careless mistakes, e.g. bk. ii,
of Book V^

'.

32 (1,7 ) egredi (regredi); 34 (1, 9 ) oeliorem (celeriorem) ;

83 (2,/^ ) quam (quantum) ; _^60 (3>/5 ) radios omitted;

xviii,

342 (6,4-5) oonfervens (non fervens); 349 (6,67 ) quarta (qua).

Paris Nouv. Acq. Lat. 456

' is probably the latest of the

manuscripts of the seven-book oomputus.

(109)
(110)
(111)
(112)

(113)

It was dated as late as

Cat. Vat. Lat., I, p.76.

Quoted by Leonardi, Aevum, XXXIV, p.475
Bedae Pseudepigrapha, p.138? if this is the meaning of
St. Quentin (Noyon)? 1 .
It is not, however, a computus in four books, as described
by Jones, Bedae Pseudepigrapha, p.138.

1.

fol. 68r~v ;

2, 69V ; 3, 69-Tp1} 4, 70* - 72r ;

6, 73r - 76V ,

C.E. Finch, Trans. Proc Amer. Philol. Assoo. XCVI (1965),

pp. 107-117? gives a collation with Ruck's text.
(114) See/Delisle, Cat. Fonds Ljbri et Barrois, pp.80-84;
C. Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV, p.446.

53

the "beginning of the twelfth century by Delisle, but A. Van de

( 1 16^) was undoubtedly right in considering it to be ninth or
VyvejA
It came from the abbey of St. Orient at
tenth century in part.
(117)
The work is almost complete except for bk. 3U, but
'.
Auchv
some parts, notably the last four chapters of bk. VI, have been
added by a later hand.

Bk. V, ch.2 was replaced by a more detailed

exposition on the same subject, entitled Incipit de ordine et situ

siderum.
Although this manuscript is later than the others, the text
of the Pliny excerpts

' is reasonably accurate, twice agreeing

with the Monza and Madrid manuscripts against the Vatican ones:
ii, 32 (1,6 ) ac (a);

(115)
(116)

(117)
(118)

(119)

xviii, |352 (6,70) ferentur

Catalogue, p. 84He described Paris N.A. 1615

Rev. Ben.. XLVII (1935), P-143as being a copy of this manuscript; whereas Leonard! (Aevum
XXXIV), p. 426) suggested that N.A. 456 was a copy of N.A. 1615
In fact, neither is possible; see below, p.U2.
The annals are reproduced in M.G-.H. SS III, p. 171.
1: fol.134v-136r; 2: 137r; 3: 173r-174v; 4: 174v-177r;
6 : 179r-184r.
On the relationship between this manuscript and Strassburg 326
see below, p./09.

Origins

Having outlined the contents of the earliest surviving forms of

computus containing excerpts from Pliny, and the manuscripts in which
they are found, it is now necessary to consider the evidence for the
origins and antecedents of the compilations.
Prom the evidence that was available to him, K. Ruck^ ' believed
that the computus found in Munich 210 and Vienna 387 was put together
in England soon after the time of 8ede.

The aim of this chapter is

to show that neither the Three-book computus nor the Seven-book

computus are likely to have been composed in England, and further
that the evidence at present available suggests very strongly that
their origins are not English.
frtoo

In order to facilitate comparison between the/computi, it will

be convenient to set out what they have in common in tabular form.
Where the numbers are unbracketed the two chapters are identical or
virtually identical;

where they are bracketed the chapters contain

much of the same material but are not identical.

(1)

Ausziige, pp.85-88.

3-book
computus

7-book
computus

3-book
computus

7-book
computus

3-book
oomputus

I,

I,
5
II,
1
II,
5
I,
2
I,
3)
-(2)
II, 21)

(1,38

rv, 23)

I,

1
2
3

4
(5
6
(7
8

9
(10
11

12

13
14
15
(16
17
18

19

20
21
22

23

24

25

(26
27
28

29

(30
31

32)
33 )
34
35
36
37

(2)

(3)

These
Monza
after
These

I,

IV,
I,
I,

12)
10
8

II, 16
II, 17
II, 4
II, 15)
II, 7
II, 8
II, 9
II, 10
II, 11

II, 12
V, 13
__
II, 18)
II, 19-20
111,11
IV, 4
111,13)

IV,

IV, 2

-(2)

39
( 40
( 41
(

42

( 43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

51

52

53
54
( 55
( 56
57
58
59
60
61
61 bis
62
( 63
64
65
66
67
(68
69
70
71
72
73

III, 4
III, 2)
III, 6)
III, 7)
IV, 11)
III, 9'
III, 8
IV, 9
,

IV, 8
IV, 10

IV, 20
IV, 13
IV, 16
IV, 18)
IV, 14)

IV, 22

Ill, 0

1,

9)

74
75
76
77
78
79
(80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89

90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
II, 1
2
3
4
5
(6
7
8
9
10
11
III, 1

7-book
computus

V,

V,
9
V,
8
IV, 27)

. .

V,
V,

V,

V,
V,
V,

1
2

4
5
11)

V, 12
g
h
0(3)
VII, 1

are the two additional chapters, numbered I, 2 and 3 in

P.9-176. They are also found among a number of added items
1,4 in Reg. Lat. 309 (fols. 12V - 13V).
are three of the additional chapters; see above, p

It is clear from this table that they have a considerable

amount of material in common;

It may be divided into four groups:

this first.
chronicae;

II

computistical argumenta;

logical excerpts;
I

and it will be convenient to consider

III

I Adbreviatio

astronomical metro-

and TV Bede's De natura rerum.

Adbreviatio chronicae occurs as ch.1 of part I of the three-

book computus and as 1,5 in the seven-book computus.

As its title

implies, it is an abridgement of a chronicle, probably Bede's

Chronica Minora appended to his De temporibus, although there are
The large number of manuscripts in which it is
some additions.
(V)
Firstly
found ' can be divided into two clearly defined groups.
there are those which terminate in the 39th year of Charlemagne's
reign, that is 806;

this is a small group of manuscripts, in which

the work is generally untitled, although some call it De aetatibus

mundi.

Since in none of the manuscripts does it terminate earlier

than 806, this may well be the date of composition of the chronicle.
In the second group are those manuscripts in which the title is
Adbreviatio chronicae, which never terminate earlier than the 42nd
year of Charlemagne's reign, that is 809;

many of the manuscripts

have further additions after that date.

(4)

Listed by Mommsen in M.G-.H. Chron. lino III, pp.347-348.

57
It must be observed that although Bede was used as a basis
for the chronicle, the later sections which have been added deal
exclusively with the affairs of the Frankish kings, and make no
mention of England.
II

About half of the computistical argumenta found in one computus

occur also in the other;

but because of the many forms in which

these, and others like them, exist, it is impossible to draw any

conclusions until considerably more work has been done on the subject^ '.
However, those argumenta which involve the use of the annus praesens
deserve further comment.

These are chs. 17-21 and 23 in the three-

book computus and chs. 7-12 in book II of the other compilation.

In

all of these the annus praesens is 809> significantly the same as in

the Adbrevatio chronicae.

In addition book II, ch.1 gives the annus

mundi as 4761, that is A.D. 809

In the corresponding chapter of

the three-bo ok computus, 1,2, the date is 4762, but as will be shown
later, there is evidence that the original date was changed^ '.
The incidence of the date 809 in this number of cases and the occurrence
of a group of chapters in the same order in the two computi are very
cogent arguments in favour of the view that an earlier composition
was used as a common source for the two works.

(5)

It is perhaps worth remarking that in three cases pairs of chapters

are found together in the same order: three-book computus I, 13-14
22-23 and 26-27 correspond to II, 16-17, 12-13 and 18-20 in the
seven-book computus.

(6)

See below, p.71,

58

Argumenta with the date 809 are found in a number of

computistical manuscripts which have no obvious connection with
those under discussion.

One of the most notable is Vatican Pal.

Lat. 1448 (early ninth century from Mainz) which contains these
six chapters, but amongst a considerable amount of computistical
material it has only twelve other chapters found in the Seven-book
computus^ '.

A later manuscript, Vatican Vat. Lat. 644 (twelfth

century, probably from St. &all) has the same six chapters, together with eleven others found in the Seven-book computus

/ Q\

Recently C.W. Jones v ' has drawn attention to a text, in Oxford

Bodl. 309> in the form of questions and answers, which he calls a
'Medieval licensing examination 1 ;

this again gives 809 as the

annus praesens.

(7)

With the exception of

3,1, 3-6, 16-17; IV,8, 20; V, 7-9.
II, 3 and 6, these are found also in the three-book computus.

(8)

n,1, 3-6; HI, 2-4; IV, 13-15.

(9)

In fact this text

Hist. Eduo. Quart. Ill (1963), pp.19-29.
occurs in at least two other manuscripts, Brussels 9590 (late
9th century) and Paris N.A. Lat. 1615 (first half of the 9th
century), and was published from the former by E. Dummler in
M.G-.H. Epist. IV, pp.565-7.

59

III

The greatest correspondence between the two compilations occurs

in book V of the seven-book computus and in the second part of the

other one.

The first two chapters in both, Excerptum de astrologia

and De ordine ac positione stellarum in signis, both giving

descriptions of the constellations, belong to a very complicated
mediaeval tradition that has not yet been properly investigated.
Exoerptum de astrologia may be part of the lost .portion of Hyginus's
astronomical work, as E. Heydenreich suggested^

, or it could be,

with less probability, a translation of a G-reek work, as E. Maass

(11}
In its existing form it seems certain to be a
maintained^ ' .
mediaeval creation, although we need not accept the theories of
(13)
C. Bursian (12}' and G-. Kauffmannv ' that it is the work of Alcuin.
It is found among the glosses of Bede's De temporum ratione, printed
in Harvagius' s and later editions
its English origin:

(10)

'.

But this is not evidence of

for although the sources of these glosses have

Die Hyginhandschrift der Freiberger G-ymnasialbibliothek (1878),

pp. 4-5

(13)

Commentariorum in Aratum reliquiae (1898), pp.XLV-XLVI.

Litterarisches Centralblatt (1861), p.854.
Breslauer phil. Abh. Ill, 4 (1888), pp.74-76.

(14)

Reprinted in .L. XC, cols. 368B-369C.

(11)
(12)

60

not been fully explained, C.W. Jones^ 1 ^ is probably correct in

thinking that most of the material came from Auxerre;

in which

case this chapter may well have reached Auxerre in a manuscript

of the seven-book computus.
De ordine ac positione stellarum in signis is obviously related
(16^
, but
to the De signis caeli printed among the works of Bede^
there is no evidence at all that it is really the work of Bede.
Hervagius, who first published it, probably used a manuscript written
as late as the 13th century^

', and in any case was not above

putting Bede's name to any anonymous work

Kauffmann considered

that this chapter was derived from the Scholia Basiliensia to

G-ermanicus ! s translation of Aratus

' which he ascribed to the

eighth century.
This section of the computi is illustrated by a remarkable series
of star-drawings, which have been analysed in considerable detail by

(15)
(16)

(17)
(18)

(19)

Bedae Pseudepigrapha, pp.35-38.

P.L. XC, cols.945-950. See Jones, Bedae Pseudepigrapha, p.87.
He is wrong, however, in saying that De signis caeli occurs in
Vat o Lat o 645
Jones, p. 15'I doubt whether any single edition of any author has ever
foisted upon the public more spurious or corrupt works without
substantiating evidence' ? 3e<nes, pJlh
Breslauer phil. Abh. Ill, 4 (1888), p.77.

61
W. Neuss^

'.

The quality of the figures, as shown particularly

in Madrid 3307, shows that their source must have been either an
outstanding late antique original or at least an extremely accurate
Carolingian copy^

'.

Kohler suggests that the only place where

there were artists of sufficient ability to produce work of this

standard was in the centre which produced the Vienna Coronation
(22)
G-ospels v ' ; and although the provenance of this manuscript has
not been established beyond doubt, Kohler has shown that there are
good grounds for believing that it is a product of the Imperial Palace
v '.
School at Aachen (23)
To turn next to the excerpts from Pliny.

Although only four

of the six sections are common to the two compilations, it will be

convenient to consider them all together.

The two works share

De positione et cursu septem planetarum, Pe intervallis earum and

De absidibus earum from Book II of the Natural History, together
with De praesagiis tempestatum from Book XVIII (Three-book computus,
j 3-5> 8;

(20)
(21)
(22)

(23)

seven-book computus V, 3~5> 12).

The three-book

Zt. des deutschen Vereins fur Kunstwissenschaft, VIII (1940)

pp.113-140.
V/. K*6hler, D|e karolingischen Miniaturen, III (1960), p.100.
Now in the Schatzkammer of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna; see
Kohler, p.101.

Ibid., pp.53-55-

62

computus contains an additional excerpt from Book XVIII, De temporum

Mutatione (ll, 7);

the seven-book computus has an extra passage

from Book II, De cursu earum per zodiacum circulum (V,6).

The fact

that four excerpts are found in both computi strongly suggests that
they came from a common source.

Whether both drew their extra

passage from the same source cannot be demonstrated.

But since

these two excerpts came from the same books of Pliny as the others,
it is very likely that they did come from a common source.
( 2L}
Riick^ ' believed that the only place where the excerpts from
Pliny could have been made was in England.

He observed that ALcuin

(25^
had listed Pliny among the books in the library at York v ', which
may well have been the copy that Bede used for the De natura rerum
and De temporum ratione;

but he found no evidence of a knowledge of

Pliny on the continent at this period.

can no longer stand.

Ruck's statements, however,

We can be certain from Bede's writings that

he had first-hand knowledge of Books II-VI of Pliny, and he may have

seen some of the later books (although the evidence is not strong).
(26}
, it is inconceivable that Bede
Bus as C.W. Jones has observed

(24)
(25)
(26)

Auszuge, p.87.
De pontificibus et sanctis ecclesiae Eboracensis v.1548
(M.G-.H. Poet. Lato med. aev. I, p.204)
Bedae Opera de temporibus. p.359.

63

knew Book XVIII, since he nowhere makes any reference to it.

And

the mere mention of Pliny's name in Alcuin's poem gives no indication

of how much of his work was then available at York.

A manuscript

of Pliny, which was undoubtedly written in eighth-century Northumbria,

is still in existence at Leiden. (Voss. Lat. F.4-)

It may indeed

but it is now very fragmentary,

(27) .
and does not contain anything that occurs in the computi v

have been the manuscript used by Bede;

The existence of Pliny's Natural History on the continent has

been rejected on insufficient grounds.

The argument depends largely

on passages in some of Alcuin's letters to Charlemagne, which will

/ r)0\

need to be quoted at some length^

'.

The first passage is from a

letter written in 79& or 797 in which Alcuin writes of the teaching

work he is doing at Tours:
Sed ex parte desunt mihi, servulo vestro, exquisitiores eruditionis
scholasticae libelli, quos habui in patria per bonam et devotissimam
magistri mei industriam vel etiam mei ipsius qualemcumque sudorem.
Ideo haec vestrae excellenfeiae dico, ne forte vestro placeat totius
sapientiae desideratissimo consilio, ut aliquo ex pueris nostris
remittam, qui excipiant inde nobis necessaria quaeque et revehant in
(29) .
Frantiam flores Britanniae

(28)

See Lowe, C.L.A. volX, no.1578.

The text is taken from Dummler's edition, in M.G-.H. Epistulae vol.IV.

(29)

No.121, p.177.

(27)

In this passage Alcuin asks for books to be brought from England

for use in Tours, but it will be observed that he mentions the names
of no authors.

It must be admitted that there is a reference to

astronomy earlier in the letter when, speaking of the work he gives

quflsdam stellarum ordine ceu picto cuiuslibet

his pupils, he says:

magni domus culmine inluminare gestio;

but it cannot be inferred

from this that he lacked a copy of Pliny.

The second letter, which was probably written in September, 798,
deals with various astronomical problems, and contains the following
passage:
Vel quid acutius, quam quod naturalium rerum devotissimus
inventor Plinius Secundus de caelestium ratione investigare valet?
Sed nobis iter agentibus illorum, in quibus haec leguntur, librorum
deest praesentia.

Nihil de vestrae sapientiae profundissimis

quaestionibus temere audemus respondere;

postolantes clementiam

vestram, ut iubeatis nobis dirigere primes praefati dootoris Plinii

Secundi libellos, in quibus multiplices et obscuras argumentationes
de vario siderum cursu explanare nititurj

si forte Deo donante

inde vel inde aliquid eruere valeamus, quod vestrae sontissimae

praestantiae dignum ostendi videatur

(30)

No. 155, P-250.

'.

65
Here Alcuin definitely says that he does not have a copy of
nobis

Pliny with him.

But his exact words are very important:

iter agentibus.

It is known that he went on a long tour in 798

(in the course of which he visited St. Amand)^ ', and the letter
must have been written on this journey.

It is quite impossible

to interpret these words to mean 'while I am on my travels from

England 1 ;

nor is it likely that the words iubeatis nobis dirigere

mean that Charlemagne should send to England for the books; they
(32} , that there was a copy
suggest rather, as M. Manitius observed^
near Charlemagne (in the vicinity of Aachen?) which he could have
sent to Alcuin.
The third passage is taken from a letter written in the
following March, in which Alcuin answers a question of Charlemagne
about the abnormal size of the moon:
Si quae vero huius diminutionis ratio verier in Plinio possit
repperiri, sive propter saltum nuper transactum sive propter bissextum
prope imminentem, deprecor ut vestra iubeat prudentia inquirers
nobisque solita benevolentiae pietate intimore studeat

(31)
(32)

See No. 150, pp.245-246, a letter addressed to Arn, archbishop

of Salzburg.
Philologus XLIX (1890), p.381; the opposite view was put,
without strong grounds, by K. Welzhofer (Abhandlungen ...
W. von Christ (1891), p.29.

(33)

'.

No. 170, p.280.

66
In this letter Alcuin is again apparently on a journey (per
aridos Belgicae latitudinis iter agenti campos).

He suggests

that Charlemagne should look into Pliny for the answer to his
a remark that is only intelligible if the king possessed

problem;

a copy himself or could obtain one easily.

A greater difficulty to the existence of Pliny's work on the
continent at an early date is a passage from another letter written
to Charlemagne, by Dungal, an Irish monk living at St. Denis, on
the subject of eclipses.

Referring to information about eclipses,

Plinius enim Secundus et alii libri, per quos estimem

he says:

'.

haec me posse supplere, non habentur nobiscum in his partibus^

Welzhofer (35)' took this to mean that Dungal was comparing the lack
of books in France with the situation in his native Ireland.

But

it is equally probable that Dungal meant that he did not know of

a copy of Pliny in the vicinity of Paris;

this would not exclude

the possibility of Pliny's works being known elsewhere on the

continent.
indeed;

The positive evidence to support this is very slight

one leaf of a manuscript containing part of Book XVTII,

bound up in Paris 9378.

The leaf was written in the sixth century,

probably in Italy, but almost certainly was later at St. Amand^

(34)

see M.&.H. Epist. IV, pp*570-578.

(35)
(36)

Abhandlungen ... W. von Christ, pp.28-29.

See E.A. Lowe, C.L.A. vol V, no.575.

'.

67

The presumption must be that more of it existed in the ninth century.

It must be remembered that the manuscript used for making the
excerpts was an extremely accurate one, more so than any surviving
today;

and this could be a sign of its antiquity.

It is probable that the Pliny excerpts in the source of the

two computi were accompanied by illustrations, presumably those
now found in manuscripts of the seven-book computus^

It

must be considered as certain that the first and third of these

figures (those accompanying De positione et oursu septum planetarum
and De absidibus earum)

0*e

are taken from they(source, since they are

found in both computi, although in Munich 210 and Vienna 38? the
illustration to De absidibus earum is incomplete;

this diagram

is introduced by the closing words of the excerpt, "ut subiecta

figura demonstrat", which is an addition to the original Pliny
text, and occurs in all the early manuscripts of the excerpts,
including those which lack the illustration.

The other two

illustrations occur only in the seven-book oomputus, and therefore

may have been devised by the compiler of that work.
Sections from Isidore's Etymologiae are found in both compilations.
Three short astronomical excerpts form chs. 7-9 of the fifth book

(37)

Those from Madrid 3307 are reproduced in W. Kohler, Karol. Min.

Ill, plate 60b-e.

68

of the seven-book computus and chs. 77-79 in Part I of the other

compilation.

These sections are so brief and found in so many

manuscripts that it is impossible to discover their origin.

Three more chapters, probably derived from Isidore, form chs. 9-11
of the second part of the three-book computus, and they are found
among the additional chapters at the end of the seven-book computus,
listed above as sections (g) - (j).

These also are found in a

large number of manuscripts in slightly varying forms.

In the

present form they occur in Wolfenbuttel G-ud. 105 > a 10th century
manuscript of the Agrimensores;

but since they are not found in

any other manuscript of this type, it is unlikely that they formed

t -70\

a regular part of the agrimensorial corpus^

'.

IV The fact that Bede f s De natura rerum is found in both compilations

is potentially a very useful tool for establishing the connection
between the two computi, and possibly their place of origin.

But

no progress can be made in this direction until a critical edition

of the De natura rerum with a discussion of the manuscript tradition

(38)

This is the opinion of C. Thulin (Abhand. fircus*. Akad. Wiss,

Phil.- Hist. Kl. (1911), no. 2, p. 56).
He observed that
Vat. Pal. Lat, 15&4 is very similar to the Wolfenbuttel
manuscript, but does not contain these sections.

69

has been produced.

However the occurrence of this work in the

computi cannot be used as evidence for their English origin.

About
40 manuscripts are known which can be dated to the ninth century (39) 9
of which all except one fragment (Bodleian, Digby 63) are continental.
It may be concluded that the De natura rerum, like many of Bede's
works, was widely disseminated from an early date.

It will be instructive now to examine those sections which are

found in one of these forms of computus only.
In the three-book computus, the most noticeable fact is the
large amount of Bede's De temporum ratione in the first part.
Ruck described this part as a revision of the De temporum ratione^

',

and this is hardly an exaggeration, since in fact everything from

ch. 64 to 99? with the exception of the three short chapters from
Isidore (77-79)j is taken from Bede;

and in total it contains all

but eighteen chapters of the De temporum ratione either complete or

in excerpt.
Ruck believed that the occurrence of so much of Bede's work in
the computus was strong evidence for an English origin for the whole
work^

(39)
(40)
(41)

'.

But a close look at the evidence shows that this conclusion

See M.L.W. Laistner, Handlist of Bede manuscripts (1943),

pp. 139-144Auszuge, p.35Auszuge. pp.85-86.

70
is unsound.

It has been shown that by the early years of the ninth

century, that is seventy years after his death, Bede's work had
achieved wide distribution over Europe

, so that there is no

necessity for these chapters to have been copied from a manuscript

in England.

There is, in fact, an indication of a continental

origin, although it is too slight to be called definite evidence.

It will be observed that oh. XV of the De temporum ratione, entitled
De mensibus Anglorum is omitted.

This suggests either that the

compiler of the computus considered it of no importance or interest;

or that it was omitted in the manuscript he was using, a characteristic
of a number of early continental manuscripts

Such an omission

is not likely to have originated in England,

Most of the remaining chapters of the first part of the computus
are made up of computistical argumenta, of which those involving the
use of the annus praesens are significant for establishing the date
of the compilation.

(42)

(43)

Those in which the year 809 occurs (17-21 and

Among the manuscripts listed by Jones, Bedae Opera de temporibus

(1943), PP. 1^4-159 are Berlin Phil. 1831, c. 800, from Verona;
Cologne 103, 801-10, from Cologne; G-eneva 50, 805, from Masai;
and Wurzburg Theol. Pol. 47, 792-807, from Salzburg.
Jones, p.143, lists Paris 7296 (early 9th century), British
Museum Royal 15 B XIX (late 9th century from Reims) and Paris
13403 (9th century from Corbie).

23) are also found in the seven-book computus, and have already been
considered^

'.

In ohs. 22 and 25, which do not occur in the other

work, the annus praesens is given as 810.

the original reading;

Yet this is * obviously not

for the manuscripts have f sume annos domini

ut puta praesenti indictione secunda DCCCX 1 (oh. 22) and f sume annos
domini quot fuerint ut puta praesenti indictione II DCCCX 1 (ch. 25),
although the indiction for 810 was three.

In addition the annus

mundi in ch. 2 is given as IIII DCCLXII, that is A.D. 810, whereas

in the corresponding passage in the seven-book computus (11,1) the
date is 47&1

It may therefore safely be assumed that these

argumenta were taken from a manuscript reading 809? but the year
was altered to suit the date at the time.

It may be conjectured

that 810 was the date of composition of the whole three-book computus:
these dates were not altered when Munich 210 and Vienna 38? were copied,
apparently eight years later.

In the Adbreviatio chronicae (1,1),

the dates were altered in both manuscripts.

had originally 810 and 47^2*
to 830 and 4783;

But Vienna 38? probably

', later partially erased and changed

and in Munich 210, the curious DCCCX VI11 ^ 'is

easier to explain if it is assumed that DCCCX stood in the exemplar.

(44)

See above, pp.57-ff.

(45)
(46)

This is Ruck f s opinion, see Auszu'ge. p.13See above, pp.23-4

72
The second part of the computus contains only one chapter not
found in the other compilation:
Book XVIII of Pliny.

De temporum mutatione, taken from

This is presumably taken from the common

source of the two compilations, as has already been suggested (47)

We turn now to the seven-book computus.

The whole of the sixth

book is made up of chapters not found in the other work, notably the
sections from Macrobius and Martianus Capella (4-7)j to which may be
added ch. 5 of bk. Ill, De mundano anno ... tullii cioeronis somnium
scipionis diotantis et macrobii idem exponentis ao seneoae
philosophorum auctoritas, which is in fact taken from Macrobius.
It is noticeable that whereas the three passages from Macrobius are
very close to the original text, those from Martianus are free
paraphrases;

and in the second excerpt only the first and last

sentences are taken from Martianus, the rest being based on Macrobius.
The fact that the name Capella occurs in the title suggests that the
passage was taken from a manuscript in which it was found as a gloss
on the text of Martianus

/ iO\

'.

It is unlikely that these excerpts from Macrobius were made

in England, since no evidence has yet been found to indicate that
(47)
(48)

See above, p.61.

A very similar passage occurs as a gloss at this point in some
existing manuscripts of Martianus Capella.
See below, pp
on Oxford Laud. Lat. 118.

his Commentary on the Somnium Scipionis was known in England at

C.W. Jones has shown that Bede's direct knowledge of
(49)

Macrobius was limited to a "book of excerpts from the Saturnalia

the time.

But there is good evidence that it was known on the continent, at

least by the beginning of the ninth century, in the letter of Dungal
to Charlemagne already referred tcA

, in which he quotes extensively

from the Commentary on the Somnium Scipionis.

In the case of Martianus Capella the evidence is slighter and
more ambiguous:

the earliest fragment, Karlsruhe Fragm. Aug. 13&,

from the end of the eighth century is in an insular hand, but

(51")
probably from a continental scriptoriunr ' . There is one ninthcentury British manuscript, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 153>
but this must be set against the large number of continental
(52}
There is no evidence that Bede knew
manuscripts of the period^ ' .
anything of his work.
The two brief chapters on metallurgy, De probatione auri et
argenti and De mensura caerae in operibus fusilibus (2 and 3) are

(50)
(51)
(52)

5^ 6*3. Hfcfe. &v UT

See above, p?66.

See E.A. Lowe, C.l.A. VIII, p. 31 , no. 1129.
The
Aevum, XXXIII, pp. 451-2 and 463-4.
Leonardi,
See C. Manwonpir
Cambridge^belongs to the end of the ninth century according
to W.M. Lindsay, Early Welsh script (1912), p. 22.

74
of unknown origin.

Besides the manuscripts of the computus, they

are found in a ninth-century manuscript of Palladius (Laon 426 bis)

and a tenth-century Vitruvius (Schlestadt 1153 bis) ^
In contrast with the other compilation, the seven-book computus
has only eight chapters from Bede's De temporum rations.

All of

them occur also in the three-book computus, but in only one case is
the excerpt of the same length;

in four instances the excerpt in

the seven-book computus is shorter, three times longer^

From

this it would seem very unlikely that a common source was used for
these chapters^(55)x .
One other chapter, V, 10, is of considerable significance for
the origins of the seven-book computus and is worth quoting in full:
'Anno dominicae incarnationis DCCLX facta est eclypsis solis XVTII
kal. sept, in XXVTII parte leonis hora diei quasi nona.

Anno

DCCLXIIII similiter facta est eclypsis solis pridie non. iun. in

(53)
(54)

(55)

See V. Rose f s edition of Vitruvius (1899), p.xxviii.

The excerpts in III, 6, 7 and IV, 12, 27 are shorter than in
the three-book computus I, 41? 42, 10 and 80; I, 9, and IV,
11, 21 are longer than I, 68, 43, 89; IV, 9 is the same as
I, 46.
Jones (Bedae Opera de temgoribus, p.114) described the text
as being Consistently bad 1 . This cannot be applied to the
sections in the seven-book computus; collation of Madrid 3307
with Jones's text shows it to be very accurate.
But this
lack of errors makes it impossible to place the computus in
the textual tradition of Bede.

75
XVIII parte geminorum hora diei quasi sexta.
factae sunt tempore domini pipini regis.

Hae duae eclypses

Item anno DCCLXXXVII

faota est eclypsis XV kal. oct. in prima parte librae hora diei
quasi secunda.

Item anno DCCCVII similiter facta est eclypsis

solis III id. feb. in XXVI parte aquarii hora diei quasi sexta.
Item anno DCCCX fuit eclypsis solis VII id. iun. hora quasi secunda
in XXI parte geminorum.

Item eodem anno fuit eclypsis solis prid.

kal. dec. in XIIII parte sag^arii.

Item anno DCCCXI fuit eclypsis

solis V kal. mai hora diei prima completa.

Item anno DCCCXII fuit

eclypsis solis id. mai. hora diei quasi septima in XXVIIII parte
tauri.'
It can "be shown by comparison with a table of eclipses that six
of the eclipses are historical, although in some cases the dates are
inaccurate;

those recorded for June 810 and 811 never took place

The standard work is T. von Oppolzer's Canon der Finstemisse

(1887).
This shows that the eclipse of 78? took place on
Sept. 16th, not 17th; and that of 812 on May 14th, not 15th.
The two eclipses recorded for 810 raise an interesting problem
which is outside the scope of the present work.
They are
listed in a number of Carolingian annals, and they form the
subject of the long letter from Dungal to Charlemagne (see
above, p.66, n.3(t), written in 811.
The question then is:
What took place on 7th June 810 that made people think there
had been an eclipse?

With the exception of the 'eclipse 1 of 811, all of them are

referred to in various sets of annals of the ninth century, notably
in the Annales Prumienses^7 '. found in Madrid 3307, although not
in such detail.

The earlier part of these annals, including all

the entries before 820, is not original to Prum, but was copied
from earlier annals, notably those of Stavelot and Saint Amand.
The Stavelot annals^

' contain notices of all the eclipses

mentioned in Annales Prumienses, and cere probably &fc/)r source for

these items.
Enough data are given in the computus to make it possible to
calculate approximately where the eclipses were observed, provided
that the assumption is made that all the observations were made in
the same place.

G-ranted this assumption, it appears likely that

the eclipses were recorded around the region where the present-day
(59^
Within this area lies
border between Belgium and G-ermany runs v '.
the origin of the Stavelot annals.
There remains one further chapter which may have some bearing
on the origins of the seven-book computus.

Bk. IV, ch. 10,

Argumentum ad inveniendum annum bissextilem, opens with the words

M.&.H. SS XV, 2, pp.1289-1291.

(58) M.G-.H. SS XIII, pp.39-43.
I ow very yrafrefv/ fe M*. /~W. darke, W-^- F-K.C.S., for
ca/culations /involved

(57)

77
'Anni ab incarnatione domini anno praesenti sunt DCCXCIII'Ruck' 6), who found this in Montpellier 334, considered that this
showed that the computus was in existence by 793* but he thought
that it must have been written earlier, since he considered it
very unlikely that a work written in 793 would be revised as early
as 809

This argument is very dubious, but is in any case

irrelevant, since the date is found only in the one argumentum and
has no bearing on the date of the whole compilation.
To summarise the arguments.

There appears to be no evidence

that Book XVIII of Pliny or Macrobius' Commentary on the Somnium

Scipionis were known in England during the eighth century;

therefore

it is unlikely that these computi as a whole or the Pliny excerpts

in particular were compiled in England.

The fact that Bede's works

occur in them could equally well point to a continental origin,

which is supported by other evidence:

the latter (original) part

of the Adbreviatio Chronicae deals exclusively with continental

events;

Macrobius was certainly known on the continent and Pliny

may well have been, by the beginning of the ninth century.

(60)

Auszuge. pp.84-85.

78
e have seen that the two oomputi have much material in common,
some of it firmly dated to 809;

and it must be considered a strong

possibility that many of the common chapters, including the sections

from Pliny, were drawn from a work compiled in that year.

It has

already been said that the illustrations to De ordine ac positione

stellarum in signis suggest

the work of the Palace School at

Aachen, and the data on eclipses may originate from the same region.
It is tempting to see behind this the figure of Charlemagne, with
his known interest in astronomy, as witnessed by the letters from
Alcuin and Dungal already discussed.

But even if the evidence is

not enough to demonstrate such an hypothesis, it is reasonable to

suppose that the right atmosphere existed in that region at that
time for the creation of such work.
It would appear that if there was a compilation of 809, it was
rapidly revised.

It has been shown before that the probable date

of composition of the three-book computus is 810.

The earliest date must

seven-book computus is harder to establish.

be 812, the last of the eclipses recorded;

The date of the

it can hardly be as late

as 82fJO, the latest date for Madrid 330?.

The earliest surviving manuscripts of the seven-book computus
appear to have been written at no great distance from Aachen:
Lobbes, Reims, the furthest is possibly Paris.

Metz,

The three-book

79
computus, on the other hand, survives only in two manuscripts from
the other side of Europe.

Even here, however, it is not difficult

to find a connection with the same region.

The occurrence of the

( 61)
name of Archbishop Arn in the Annals has already been mentioned
Before he became bishop at Salzburg he spent a period as abbot at
St. Amand.

He was himself a scholar and had a large number of

books copied for his cathedral library^(62}', doubtless with the aid
of monks from St. Amand and probably books from its library
The possibility that the exemplar of Munich 210 and Vienna 38? is
one of these manuscripts is strengthened by two facts:
martyrology appears to be from Northern Prance

the

', and the style

of the illustrations is, according to G. Swarzenski

, more

suggestive of that region than of S.1Y. G-ermany.

Thus it may fairly be said that there are strong indications
that the earliest form of the two computi that we can identify came
from the vicinity of Aachen.

It may be that the Pliny excerpts are

older than the computi in which they are first found;

but at present

there is no evidence to support this.

(61)
(62)
(63)

See above, p. 2k.

'Arn episcopus ... plus quam 150 volumina iussit hie conscribi 1 :
M.G-.H* Necr. Germ. II, p.98.
See E.A. Lowe, C.L.A. X, pp.viii-xviii.

(64)

See A. G-oldschmitt, Die karolingisohe Buchmalerei (1928), pp.19-20,

34.

(65)

Die Salzburgher Malerei (1908), p.14.

80

Later history of the excerpts up to 1200

The life history of the Pliny excerpts found in the two

computi already discussed did not end with the ninth and tenth
century, but continued until the fifteenth century.

In the

present chapter the manuscripts containing one or more of the

passages which were written "before 1200 will "be considered.
Because of the brevity of the excerpts, it is not possible
in most cases to establish the relationship between the various
manuscripts.

In the following discussion, therefore, they are

generally treated in an approximate chronological order, although

this arrangement is abandoned in the case of manuscripts which
have obvious affinities.
The earliest manuscript to be considered is probably Paris
Nouv. Acq. Lat. 1615 (1)
It was written in the first half
the ninth century, probably at Auxerre (2)
v ' ; but before the end
of the century it had passed to the abbey at Fleury, and is marked
'Hie est liber sancti benedicti floriacensis 1 ^

(1)
(2)

(3)

It contains a

See L. Delisle, Cat, des MSS. Libri et Barrois (1888), pp.70-76;

C. Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV (i960), pp. 446-7.
This is the conclusion to be drawn from the entries in the
calendar on fols. 4r -9 v J see Delisle, p. 70.

Delisle, p. 73-

81
large miscellany of astronomical and computistical texts, including
Bede's scientific works.

About half of the remainder is taken

from the seven-book computus^ ', but the material has been
considerably rearranged, and items have been added from other
sources.

The arrangement of the items in the manuscript is very

haphazard, apparently reflecting the disordered state of the

exemplar.
excerpts:

This is shown very clearly in the case of the Pliny

De intervallis earum breaks off in the middle on

fol.181 v , the remainder being found on fol.159r ^

The text

It is certain that the seven-book computus was used as source,

since, although there is generally no numbering of the sections
in the manuscript, two passages do have numbers attached to
their rubrics:
XIII Ratio calculi per quam numerus in argumentis
compendiose partitur (fol.155 ); XXII Qualiter latini et greci
dissentiunt in XIIII luna paschae (fol.17?V)
This is the
numbering of the same chapters in Book II of the computus.
(5)

The Pliny excerpts occur as follows: 1, fols. 1^0 - ;

2, 181 V and 159r ; 3, 159V - 160P ; If, 160V - I62r ; 6, 162P De intervallis earum breaks off at interdum et musicana
auctoritate ..... where the part from na onwards comes from
another chapter (IV, 20 in the seven-book computus), which
v
itself breaks off on fol.169 at auctoritas dig.
The excerpt
from Pliny is likewise joined on without a break to another
<*
passage on fol.159
This must mean that the leaves in the
exemplar were out of order.
Yet another sign of confusion
may be that De mundano anno ... (ill, 5) is followed by Item
argumentum de qualibet lunae aetate (IV, 4), although item has
no meaning in this arrangement.

is frequently marred by careless mistakes, as can be demonstrated

by some examples taken from the first few lines:

cursus (for

cursu septem) in the title of the first excerpt;

ii, 12 (1, 5),

sumum (for summum);

34 (1, 8), indem feriorem (inde inferiorem);

(1, 9) circumagit (circumagi).

It is not possible to establish any connection between this
manuscript and any of the others.
two copies existed:

L. Traube^ ' considered that

Melk 4-12 (formerly G- 32) and Berne 347.

The

latter is without any doubt not a copy, but will be considered

further below^ '.

It may be that the Melk manuscript is in fact

but Traube is incorrect in

(8}
saying that it contains any of the Pliny excerpts^ '.

partly a copy of Paris N.A.1615;

(6)
(7)
(8)

Neues Arohiv. XVIII (1893), pp. 87-88 (Vorlesungen und

Abhandlungen, III (1920), p. 14^
See below, ppflS-JfHe considered that the two sections coming at the end of
Bede 1 s De temporibus, entitled De stella veneris mercurii
saturni iovis et martis and De apsidibus planet arum were
from Pliny, seemingly equating them with the first and third
These passages are found attached to the
excerpts.
De temporibus in other manuscripts, for instance Harley 3091;
but they do not occur in Paris N.A. 1615 and they have no
connection with Pliny. The M&lk <mcwvscrjfc ay*rai*s iwfcts m

#e*nc, nJio, Traatt W/cveit, *iu$ tave nW A/.fl. J6I$.

83

C. Leonard!^' suggested that Paris N.A. 4-56 might have been copied
from N.A.1615;

but this cannot be correct, since the former

manuscript contains the seven-book computus in its original form.

The next manuscript, chronologically, is London Harley 647,

which is the earliest of a group of manuscripts now all in the
British Museum containing Cicero 1 s Aratea - the others are Harley
2506, Cotton Tiberius B V (vol.1) and Cotton Tiberius C I.

Since

these manuscripts have very close connections, it will be convenient

to consider them together, and to commence by listing those items
which are common to the manuscripts:
1)

Domine deus omnipotens sancta trinitas .* in unitate eiusdem

spiriti per omnia saecula saeculorum.

2)

Amen,

Sancta scriptura nobis a deo ... et luminare minus ut praesset

nocti.

(9)

Aeyum. XXXIV, p. 446.

Similarly A. Van de: Vyver's statement

Was copied Prom M.A.456

(Rev. Ben. XLVII (1935), p. 143) that N.A.l6l5y(is impossible
in view of the fact that the former manuscript is the earlier.

3)

De XII signis.

Regionem XII caeli ...

Primitus de ariete:

christus dominus salvator mundi evertrtp

4)

Ex opere Ciceronis de astronomia:

depellere pisces^

'.

E quibus hinc ... properant

5)

De concordia Solaris cursus et lunaris.

6)

Item de eadem re.

7)

De concordia maris et lunae.

8)

De praesagiis tempestatum.

9)

Ambrosii macrobii theodosii de mensura et magnitudine terrae

et circuli per quern solis iter est.

10) Item eiusdem de mensura et magnitudine solis.
11) Felicis capellae de mensura lunae.
12) Eiusdem argumentum quo magnitude terrae deprehensa est.
13) De positione et cursu septem planetarum.
14) De intervallis earum.
15) De absidibus earum.
16) De cursu earum per zodiacum circulum.
17) Dimensio caelestium spatiorum secundum quosdam.
18) De mundano anno qui quindecim milibus solarium conficitur
annorum tullii ciceronis somnium scipionis dictantis et macrobii
idem exponentis ac sen<ftcae philosophorum auctoritas.

(10)

These three items are printed in J. Vogels, Scholia in

Ciceronis Aratea I (1884), pp. 9-13.

(11)

See Ciceron. Les Aratea (ed. V. Buescu), pp. 191-255.

85

There are slight differences between the manuscripts in

the arrangement of the items;
two;

and in Harley 647

Cotton Tib. C.I omits the first

3 is put "before 1 and 2, 5-7 are omitted,

and 8 is written in the margins of 4

It is clear that, with the exception of the first four items,
this material is all found in the seven-book computus:
24-26;

8 = V f 12; 9-12 = VI, 4-7;

13-16 = V, 3-6;

5-7 = IV,

17 = V, 11;

18 = III, 5In the Pliny excerpts, those from Book II (13-16) have
virtually the same readings as in the seven-book computus;
are a few differences:

12 (1,4) erret (errent);

austro (austros); ^76 (4, 35) ortum (exortum).

there

^43 (1> 39)

In De praesagiis

tempestatum, however, there are more variations, notably two

omissions:

f| 341-2 (6,j-&.) Etenim - exordia, and 343 (6,17-20)

Si in ortu - significabunt.
are noteworthy:

In addition, the following readings

^347 (6,#? ) cornua (cornu);

varionem (varronem);

343 (6, 53. )

354 (6, lf\ ) serena ( sereno);

murmuraveritve (murmurabitve);

^359 (6

^361 (6,/59) lullago (lulligo);

364 (6,136) avo (ova).

Harley 647

(12)

is written in a ninth century French hand;

but its precise date and provenance have not yet been established

(12)

See F. Saxl-H.Meier, Verzeichnis III (1953), pp. 149-151;

C. Leonardi, Aevum, XXKIV, pp. 72-73.

86
beyond dispute.

It was assigned "by E.K. Rand^(13)

v ' to the end

of the ninth century;

but F. Saxl

suggested that it was

written about the middle of the century, and connected it with

the manuscript of the Aratea mentioned by Lupus of Ferribres in
a letter to Ansbald of Prunr

'.

He considered that it was

possible that the interlinear corrections were in the hand of

Lupus, although this has subsequently been rejected by E. Pellegrin
The manuscript reached England probably not later than the end
of the tenth century, since the first folio was replaced in an
English Caroline hand of that date;

by the fourteenth century

it was at St. Augustine* s Abbey, Canterbury (17)

v
.
The text of the Pliny excerpts^(18)' is reasonably accurate,
although in a number of places the scribe has apparently corrected
his own mistakes.

It cannot be shown whether the errors of the

manuscript are original or go back to its exemplar.

(13)
(1A-)
(15)
(16)
(17)

Virtually

A survey of the MSS of Tours, I (1929), p. 203.

Verzeichnis III, p. XVI, n.i.; Lectures (1951), p. 101.
Quoted by Saxl, Lectures, p. 101.
Bibl. E*c. Chartes, CXV (1957), p. 15, n.1.
See N.R. Ker, Medieval libraries of G-reat Britain (1964-), p.^4;
M.R. James, The ancient libraries of Canterbury and Dover (1903),
p. 330, n.1164.

(18)

1, fola.18v-19r ;

2, 19r ;

3, 19r-20v ;

4, 19V-20r ; 6, I6r-v

(incomplete, begins splendidum articuli temporum,

351 (6,51 ).

87

all of them are repeated in one or more of the other three

manuscripts.

The excerpt from Book XVIII, which is now

incomplete at the beginning, owing to the loss of a leaf between

fols. 15 and 16, was written in the margins on either side of the
text of the Aratea^(19)
''.
The origins of Harley 2506^

' likewise present problems.

It is written in a number of Caroline minuscule hands of the end

of the tenth century, but the illustrations were executed by an
artist apparently belonging to the Winchester school x(21)'. It is
therefore possible either that the manuscript was written by a
continental scribe living in England, or that it was decorated
by an English artist living on the continent.
that the latter is more likely.

There is evidence

Firstly the manuscript contains

the treatise of Abbo of Fleury beginning Studiosis astrologiae

primo sciendum est in which the name Berno has been substituted
for that of Abbo. A. Van de Vyver (22)' maintained that the only
place where this would have any meaning was in Fleury, where Berno,

(19)

Thk strange arrangement has not been commented on; perhaps

the scribe originally left this passage out.
It was not
copied in the other manuscripts, in which De praesagiis
tempestatum is placed after the Aratea.

(20)

Saxl-Meier, Verzeichnis, III, pp. 157-160; C. Leonardi, pp.73-75.

0. Homburger, Die Anfange der Malschule von Winchester (1912), p.5,

(21)

fcy. Bern. S3SL(ms),y.\l&t n.Z,

88

later abbot of Reichenau, was living at the time when the

To corroborate this, P. Y/ormald (23)

manuscript was written.

has pointed to the great similarity between the illustrations

in this manuscript and those in Orleans 175, which is known
(91\
to have been written at Fleurjr '.
Besides the items common to the group, Harley 2506 contains
Hyginus's Astronomica and Book VIII of Martianus Capella with
the commentary of Remigius of Auxerre.

(25)
In the Pliny excerpts v

there are a number of variants and different readings not found

in the other three manuscripts:

ii, 35 (1I3 ) quinos annos

(quinos annis); $42 (1,31 ) e| (aut); $ 59 (3,2. ) esse after

) vespertinas

diximus (also in Paris N.A. 1615); $ 59 (3, II

(vespertinas in the other manuscripts of the group, but

vespertinos is the normal reading);
(serenis

xviii | 342 (6, 7

) serenis

in the other three manuscripts, but serenus is the

correct reading); 347 (6,42.) suit (sint, although Munich 210

and Vienna 387 have sunt);

355 (6, H6) solo (solo).

These

are probably indications that the scribe collated two manuscripts.

(24;

YT. .Vatteribadh, Das Schriftwesen im Mittelalter (1958), p. 357,

called Harley 2506 English; on the other hand he described
Cotton Tib.B.V (see below) as continental with insular influence
It would appear that he had confused the two manuscripts.

(25) 1, fols. 52v-53r ;

2, 53r ;

3, 53r-v ; 4, 53V-54V ;

6, 49r-51 r .

89

Cotton Tiberius B V (vol.i)^

' was probably written about

the same time as Harley 2506, or in the early years of the

eleventh century, certainly in England, possibly in Winchester

(27)

A large part of it is devoted to computistical items not related

to the seven-book computus, but fols. 30-54 contain the Aratea
and the items from Harley 647.

( 28")
The text of the Pliny excerpts^

is the poorest of the four manuscripts, containing considerably

more errors.
' (fols.2-42 only;

Cotton Tiberius C.!P

the rest is from

another, originally separate manuscript) is the latest of the four,

having been written at Peterborough at the beginning of the twelfth
century.

It is only a part of what was once a much larger

, and

manuscript, of which another part is now Harley 3667

contained a computus, with considerable excerpts from Isidore,

closely related to that in Oxford, St. John1 s College 17? written
about the same time at nearby Thorney Abbey.

(*i \
The Pliny excerpts^ '

do not contain a high number of errors, although they are not as

(26)
(27)

See Saxl, Verzeichnis III, pp.119-128; Leonard!, pp.70-71.

0. Homburger, Die Anfange der Malschule von Winchester (1912), p.

(28)

1, fol. .52V ;

(29)
(30)

See Saxl, Verzeichnis III, pp.128-134; leonardi, pp.71-72.

See N.R. Ker, B.M. Quarterly, XII (1937-8), p. 132.

(31)

1, fols. 39V-40r ;

2, 52V ;

3, 53r-V ;

2, 40r ;

4, 53v-54r ;

3, )V-41 r ;

6, 49v-51 r .

4, 41 r-V ;

6, 36v-38r .

90
carefully copied as in Harley 2506.
elsewhere may be mentioned here;

One alteration not found

the substitution of stellarum

for planetarum in the title of the first passage.

It has been assumed without question that the three later
But in the

manuscripts were copied directly from Harley 647

excerpts from Pliny, at least, this view cannot be accepted;

and it is clear that there must have been at least one intermediate
copy, now presumably lost.

The. grounds for this conclusion are

provided by the number of places where the three later manuscripts

have a common reading not found in Harley 647:
alioquibus menstris (alioqui bimenstris);

61 (3,22 ) occasum

(occasu); 64 (j>,^$ ) singulis (singuli sunt);

contigerit omitted;

ii> $ &0 (3> *? )

79 (4,7 I

xviii, 357 (6,I3O ) promittunt (promittent);

^ 361 (6,163) clangere (clangore); 362 (6, 163 ) mergia natesque

(mergi anatesque); 3^3 (6,175 ) ardeam (ardea in);

364 (6,IS 6 )

conyersantes (concursantes).
It would be implausible to maintain that three scribes working
completely independently could make the same errors on so many
occasions.

An examination of the text of the Aratea confirms

this (32).

(32)

Buescu (p. 54) lists a considerable number of examples where

the three manuscripts diverge from Harley 647; but he
apparently failed to notice the significance of this.

91
Cotton Ti"b. C. I may provide a small clue to the missing
no fewer than four times enim is substituted for

manuscript:

autem (ii. 61. 63 (twice), 62:

3, 19, U5,U6

; 4,

2.

).

This suggests that the scribe had before him a manuscript written
in insular script, and that he misunderstood the normal symbol
for autem ( /v ).

There is, however, no consistency here, since

on the other four occurrences of the word autem is correctly

written.

The error is not found at all in Harley 2506 and

Cotton Tiberius B V, which were, however, written a century

earlier^

The two other English manuscripts, Oxford Digby 83 and

Bodley 614, containing closely related astronomical works, were
considered by F. Saxl^
Harley 647

' to have illustrations derived from

They include an adaptation of some of the Pliny

excerpts, but it is reasonably certain that this was not taken

(35)
from any manuscript of the Aratea group v '.

(33)
(34)
(35)

The Aratea provides no assistance, as the word autem is not

used in it.
Verzeichnis III, pp. XXVT-XXX; Lectures, pp. 108-109.
See further below, pp. 12.3-4.

Paris 11130 may be connected with this group, since it has

a considerable number of common readings.

The connection is,

however, not at all certain, and this manuscript can be discussed

more appropriately in its chronological position

Returning to the manuscripts of the ninth century:

H. 334

Montpellier

is written in a French hand^ ' and belonged later to

the College of the Oratory at Troyes.

Besides works of Hyginus,

Cassiodorus and Fulgentius, it contains parts of the seven-book

computus: III, 2-4 and 8-10, V, 1-9, 11-12, VI complete, with the
additional chapters (d)-(f).

Only the introduction of V, 2 (up

to descriptio proferatur) is given.

There can be no doubt that

these chapters are taken from the seven-book computus, since many
(39")
of the rubrics contain the chapter numbers of that compilationv '.

(36)

(37)
(38)
(39)

See below, pp. I20-I; Buescu (pp.40-41) names two further

descendants of Harley 647; Leiden Voss. Lat. P.121 and
Cambridge, Trinity College R 15. 32, neither of which contains
any Pliny.
Cat, g&i. des MSS, vol I (149) pp. 420-422: Ruck, Auszuge,
pp. 20-22; Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV, pp. 86-87.
B. Bischoff, quoted by Leonardi, p. 86.
III, 2-4, 8, 9, 13; V, V-9; VI, 2-7. Of the remainder
III, 10 is unrubricated, and was missed by Ruck.

93
The text of the Pliny excerpts^' is reasonably free from
f i -j \
. In
errors, although there are a number of small omissions
some cases where Ruck accepted its readings, it is now shown to
be incorrect:

ii, $ 78 (4, ^ ) LXXVIIII (LXVIIIl); 79 (4,67 )

locis (in loois);

Berne 347

xviii 359 (6,149 ) soliti (solito).

another manuscript from the ninth century,

was once part of a much larger manuscript that also included

Berne 330 and 357, Paris Lat. 7665, and Leiden Voss. Lat; Q 30,
i
containing a miscellany of texts, including Nonius Marcellus
De compendiosa doctrina, the fragments of Petronius, Macrobius 1
Commentary on the Somnium Scipionis, and the four excerpts from
Book II of Pliny.

It is written in a French hand of the latter

part of the ninth century, and may come from Auxerre.

known that Heiric was acquainted with Petronius^

';

It is
and it is

unlikely that this manuscript is unconnected with the one he used.

2, 45r ;

3, 45r-46r ;

4, 46r-47r ;

6, 47V-49V .

(40)

1, fol. A4V-45r ;

(41)

See Ruck, p. 33.

(42)

See Hagen, Catalogus (1875), pp.336-7; Ruck, Ausziige, pp. 18-19;

0. Homburger, Die illustrierten Handschriften der Burgerbibliothek Bern (1962), pp. 134-136.
See E. Chatelain, Pal^ographie des class, lat. II (1900), p.16.

(43)

94

The text of the Pliny excerpts' is generally reasonably

accurate, although it contains a number of readings that distinguish
i from the manuscripts of the two computi:

ii, 32 (1,5" )

sidus est (sidus); 32 (1,6 ) ajnbire (abire);

venus (veneris);

36 (1,17 )

70 (3,4-2. ) minime (minimaeque); 67 (4,1 (f )

inter duas partes omitted;

75 (4,29) exitu (exortu);

76 (4,39 ) ascendant (ascenderant).

It has already been

mentioned that L. Traube considered that this manuscript was

copied from Paris N.A. 1615, but a comparison of the two manuscripts
shows that this is not the case^

'.

A manuscript closely related to Berne 347 is Oxford Bodleian

Canon. Class. Lat. 279
Voss. Lat. F.70, I.

, which was originally joined to Leiden

It contains Nonius Marcellus De compendiosa

doctrina, an abridged collection of Seneca1 s Epistolae Morales,

(44)
(45)

1, fol. 22V ; 2, 23r ; 3, 23V-24r ; 4, 24r-25r .

Berne 347 does not reproduce any of the peculiar readings
of the Paris manuscript, e.g. ii. 35 (1,\^ ) qui non (quinos);
l^ (1,/j_5) vices omitted; 83 (2, 2. ) earum (eorum);
84 (2, U ) ad solem (a_sole); 59 (3,6 ) centrum LXXX
(CLXXX); 63 (3,47 ) modo (fflundo); 77 (4,71) sicut (sed);
there are many other examples, but it will be sufficient to
add that the Berne manuscript has no break in the middle of
the De intervallis earum.
See H.O. Coxe, Cat. Ill (1854), cols. 229-31.

95
and the first four excerpts from Pliny/

' the last one ending

at the words 'supra solem tria sidera' (ii, T80 (l4",&0)).

It was written about 900, in northern or N.W. French, according
to L.D. Reynolds^

', who, however, did not accept C. Beeson 1 s

suggestion^' that it came from Corbie.

Chatelain^0 ' tentatively

suggested Fleury for its origins, but without strong evidence.

There can be no doubt that this manuscript is very closely
related to Berne 347;

the readings in the text are almost identical

(the Oxford manuscript is slightly less accurate ^

'), and the two

manuscripts contain the same glosses in the second excerpt (52)

v
.

(47)

1, fol. 32V ;

(48)

The medieval tradition of Seneca1 s letters (1965), pp.96-97, 152,

See also 0. Pacht and J.J.G-. Alexander, Illuminated MSS, in the
Bodleian Library, I (1966), p.33, no. 425Class. Phil., Xtll _(1947), pp. 81-2.
Rev, de Phil., NS. XXI (1897), pp. 53-4.
Canon Class. Lat. 279 has the following errors not found in
the Berne manuscript: ii, 35 (1, 15 ) unus omitted;
61 (3, 19 ) duae omitted;^ 70 (3,^-1 ) ex adverse (adverso);
% 66 (4,3 ) eius omitted; 71 (A-, 2O) descendere omitted.
In addition it ends at supra solem tria sidera, although since
the lower half of the leaf has been cut av/ay, it is possible
that the rest of the excerpt was originally present.
See Ruck, Ausziige, pp. 18-19.

(49)
(50)
(51)

(52)

2, 32V ; ^3, 33r ;

4, 33V-34r .

The Berne and Oxford manuscripts just considered are the

best representatives of a group of manuscripts, of which a number
had been discussed by Ruck and which formed the B group in his
classification^ ^'.

The other manuscripts were Munich 6362,

6364 and 14436 and Berne 265;

and to these there may now be

added Cologne, Staatsarchiv 10, Munich 14B36, Paris 16680 and

Zurich Car. C 122.
Berne 347 and Canon. Class Lat. 279 evidently belong to
this group because of a number of errors which they have in
common with the other manuscripts^-

', but they stand apart from

the rest since they preserve a better text.

All the other

manuscripts of the group are apparently descended from a common

exemplar, which contained the following errors:

ii,12 (1,U )

erret (errent in the Berne and Oxford manuscripts); 84 (2, \\ )

qua (quo); 61 (3,30) stella added after Mercurii; 61 (3,5 I )
possit (possint); 64 (3,53) a centro, omitting terrae;
62 (4,3 ) eadem (eaedem); ^ 66 (4, U ) latitud^ines (latitudinis);
80 (4,59 ) partibus (paribus).

(53)
(54)

Ibid., pp. 26-27.

Listed above, p.

97
(55)
The earliest manuscript of the group is Zurich C 122 V ',
ascribed to the tenth century.

It contains Macrobius' Commentary

on the Somnium Scipionis in a form that is apparently peculiar to

this group of manuscripts^ ', and the four excerpts from Bk.II
(57)
of Pliny, the third being placed last v -"'.
In the first, second and fourth excerpts this manuscript
contains all the errors common to its group, together with many
others.

But in the third excerpt the text is much more accurate,

and contains none of the errors listed above.

This fact, coupled

with the fact that it is placed apart from the other three excerpts,
strongly suggests that it was taken from a different exemplar.
' appears to be closely connected with the

Munich 1443&
Zurich manuscript.

It was written at the end of the tenth and

beginning of the eleventh century, and came to Munich from the

(55)
(56)

See L.C. Mohlberg, Katalog der Hss. der Zentralbibliothek

Zurich, I (1952), p. 121.
This is explained in the introduction to L. von Jan1 s edition
The text starts at
of Macrobius, vol. I, pp. LXIV-LXV.
Bk.I, xiv, 21; a passage at xv, 7 is replaced by part of
xii, 1, and after Bk.II, ix is added Bk.I, iii, 17-20,
It is significant, as Jan
with which the text finishes.
noticed (p. LXXVIIl), that Leiden Voss Lat Q.2 contains Bk.I
up to xiv, 20 and Bk.II from x,% 1, that is, the parts
missing in this group.

(57) 1, fols. 39
(58)

I*V

I*

; 2, 20r ; 3, 43

FV

T*

; 4, 40 -U .

See Ruck, Auszuge, pp. 14-16; Halm, Cat.II, 2, p.

H.P. Lattin, Isis, XXXVIII (1947-43), pp.205-225.

98

monastery of St. Emmery at Regensburg.

B. Bischoff

(59)
' has

shown that it belonged to one of the monks there, named Hartwic,

who added fols. 1-33 and 83-119 to the original manuscript;
this had contained Macrobius 1 Commentary in the same form as
Zurich Car. C 122, the first three excerpts from Pliny, Boethius'
Commentary on Porphyry and Julius Severianus 1 Praeoepra artis
rhetoricae .

This original part is written in a tenth-century

northern French hand, according to Bischoff^

';

and H.P. Lattin^

'

suggested that Hartwic may have obtained the manuscript while he

was studying under Pulbert at Chartres.

It was apparently not

complete, because the third excerpt from Pliny was omitted and
the fourth ended at the words supra solem tria sidera (ii, 78
In the remaining
although a space was left after it.
three excerpts^(62}' it has many of the errors found in Zurich Car.
(4, ->O)

C. 122, e.g. ii, 35 (1>JI ) esse meatum fmeatum esse):

(59)

Stud. u. Mitt, z. &esch. des Benedikt. Ordens tl (1933), pp. 107-9

(60)

Ibid., p. 108o

(61)

I sis. XXXVIII,, p. 225.

(62)

1, fol. 58v-59r ;

2, 59r ; 4, 59v-6or .

99
35 (1, /S ) intercalarius additur, omitting dies; 66 (4, 7 )
autem (tantum); 69 (4,18 ) signiferi latitudinem (latitudinem
quas (qua); 75 (4, ) incipit after

signiferi); > 71 (4,22 )

scandere instead of following descendere; 76 (4,35) dascendat

(descender at); 77 (4,45 ) Her curium (Mercurii).
These two manuscripts ,are also connected with another manuscript
of this group, Berne 265^ -*' , written at the end of the tenth or
beginning of the eleventh century, and belonging at one time to
the monastery of St. Arnulf at Metsr

It contains Remigius 1

Commentaries on various works of Boethius and Martianus Capella,

the abridged version of Macrobius 1 Commentary, and the four excerpts
.

from Bk. II of Pliny

The state of the text has already been

, who justly described it as the work of a

considered by Ruck^
very ignorant scribe.

It shares many of the errors found in

Munich 14436 and Zurich Car. C 122 listed above: ' 35 (both), 69,
75, 76, 77.

(63)
(64)

See Hagen, Gat., pp. 298-9; Ruck, Ausz'uge, pp. 19-20;

Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV, pp. 12-13
Pol. 1 bears the words: 'Iste liber est sancti arnulphi metn'
(Hagen, p. 298).

(65)

1, fol. 58r ;

(66)

Auszuge, p.31

2, 58r ;

3,

58v-59r ;

4,

59r .

1 00

Two manuscripts from this group come from Freising;

both

were written in the eleventh century, possibly from the same

exemplar' 7 '.

They are now Munich 6362 and 636V

The

latter contains only the abbreviated form of Macrobius 1 Commentary

and the four excerpts from Pliny^ 9 '.
is more complicated.

In Munich 6362 the position

The parts of Macrobius that occur in the

other manuscripts of this group are found on fols. 53 -74 an(i

are followed by the fourth excerpt from Pliny, only going up to
duabus ut sol ( 67 (4, 17 )

).

Fols. 35r-53V contain the

Somnium Scipionis itself and the first part of Macrobius1 Commentary,

taken from a different examplar.

Pols. 75-84 are in a different

hand from the rest, but probably of the same date;

they contain

the first three excerpts from Pliny, the end of Macrobius 1 Commentary
(probably from the same exemplar as fols. 35-53)? and the remainder
of the fourth Pliny excerpt (from Tres superiores)^

(67)
(68)

(69)
(70)

The second

So Ruck, p. 15, but denied by A. Behr, Jahrfe,f,class. Phil.,

XXXIX (1893), p. 1V!.
See Ruck, pp.16-17, and 13-14; Halm, Cat. I, 3 (1873), p. 97;
see also L. van Jan's edition of Macrobius, I, pp.LXIV-LXVI.

1, fol. 23V ;
1, fol. 75r ;

2, 23V ;
2, 75r ;

3, 24r ; 4, 24r .
3, 75r-V ; 4, 74V and 84r .

101

scribe placed a mark ( % ) after sol on fol. 74V and "before Tres
on fol. 84r , showing that he realised the connection "between them.
(y-1)
has
The text of "both manuscripts is very corrupt, but Ruck
shown that they have sufficient points in common (notably seven
lacunae) to be considered very close.
It is possible that there has survived another manuscript,
or rather a fragment, related to these two:
discovered by A Behr^' ' .

Cologne, Stadtsarchiv 10,

It was written in the eleventh century,

and contains excerpts from Macrobius and Pliny.

The first excerpt

from Pliny is defective owing to the loss of a folio, and starts at

quart am part em (ii, 35 (1>14 )

that of Munich 6362*-, according to Behr^

^ne text is very close to

,

the Macrobius, however,

must be from a different source, since it contains parts from the

beginning of Book I and end of Book II.
Another manuscript now at Munich belongs to the same tradition
as the others.

Munich 1483 6 is an eleventh- century manuscript

from St. Emmeram, Regensburg, containing a collection of texts mainly

(71)
(72)
(73)

Auszttge. pp. 29-30.

Jafarb. f. class. Phil., XXXIX (1893), pp. 139-43Ibid., p. 141.

1 02

on geometry.

It has been discussed in detail by N. Bubnov^

and M. Curtze^', but both failed to notice the excerpts from

Pliny^' '.

The second, third and fourth excerpts are complete,

but the first excerpt was omitted, probably because the scribe
considered it superfluous, since the subject had already been
covered in an earlier chapter De cursu VII planetarum, taken from
Isidore 1 s De natura rerum.

In the Pliny excerpts it contains

the errors common to the group, but shows no obvious similarity

with any of the other manuscripts.
The remaining manuscript that can definitely be assigned to
this group, Paris 16680, belongs to the fifteenth century, and
therefore will be described in the appendix

(74)
(75)
(76)
(77)

G-erberti Opera, pp. XLVI-XLVIII.

Abh. zur G-esch. d. Math., VII (1895), pp. 75-142.
2, fol. 120r ; 3, 120V-121 r ; 4, 122r-123V .
It is perhaps appropriate to mention
See below, pp.BI-2.
at this point Munich 14353? another eleventh-century manuscript
from St. Euvmeram, containing Macrobius' Commentary in a text
very close to Munich 6364, according to L. von Jan (his edition
On fol. 76 there is a diagram
of Macrobius, vol. I, p. LXXIV).
of the planetary system, underneath which are the words "Inter
celum et terrain pendent septem sidera", the opening 7/ords of
the first Pliny excerpt.

103

It is now necessary to go "back chronologically to another

Bamberg H.J.IV 22 (class.55)
manuscript of the ninth century.
(79)
y
centur
the
of
end
the
from
ript
manusc
French
is probably a

( -7&\

It falls into two parts, the first (fols.1-16) containing various

works on geometry written by or ascribed to Boethius;

the second

(fols, 17-40) consists of sections taken from the seven-book

computus, and includes five chapters from book III, the first
six chapters of book V, the whole of book VI, six of the
additional chapters (d-j) and the Adbreviatio chronicae,
terminating in 809-

This manuscript has not received the

attention which it deserves, since in the sections from Pliny

at least it shows a remarkable accuracy.
ii, J6 (4,^5 ) ortum (exortum);

'

The only errors are

ii, 76 (4,?>6 ) quod (quot);

and possibly the alteration of earum to eorum in the title of

the second excerpt, if this is a contemporary change.
Paris 5543

f QJ \

is another ninth-century French manuscript.

From the fact that it contains computistical rules using the

(78)
(79)

See F. Leitschuh - H. Fischer:

Bamberg, I, 2, pp.61-6; C. Leonardi, Aevum, XXXIV, p. 8.
The authorities cited above, together with L. Traube (Abh. K.
Bayer, Abad. Hist. Klass, XXIV, 1 (1904), p. 10) are agreed on
this. C. Thulin, on the other hand, (G-bteborgs K. Vetens och Vitterh. Samhalles Handlinger, 4, XIV, 1 (1911), p. 21)
considered that it was a tenth-century South G-erman manuscript,

2, 17V ;

3, 17V-18V ;

4, 18V-1 9V .

(80)

1, fol. 17r-v ;

( 81 )

See Cat. Cod. MSS. Bibl. Reg. IV, p. 130.

lacks an adequate description.

This manuscript

1 04

date 8^7, L. Delisle^

' concluded that it was written about

the middle of the century.

But it is much more probable, as

Mile. ". Pellegriir ^' suggested, that it comes from the end
of the century.

To judge from various references in the

manuscript, it was probably written at Fleury;

it was certainly

there in 1552^.
This manuscript contains Bede 1 s scientific works together
with a large amount of computistical material, probably derived
in part from the seven-book computus:

this includes the second,

third and fourth of the Pliny excerpts^ -*'.

The text is

reasonably accurate, and the majority of the errors in it are

not found in any of the other manuscripts, e.g. ii, 59 (3> 3 )
meante (meantes) ; 61 (3, 27 ) Venerisque (Veneris); 64. (3, 5V)
in omitted before virgine and leone; ^ 78 (4,5Q ) coitu (coitum);
77 (4,74 ) est omitted.

(82)
(83)
(8A-)
(85)

Cabinet des manuscrits III (1881), p. 56.

Bull, d'inf. Inst. Rech. Hist. Textes, ; , IX (19^0), p. 32.
See C. Samaran - R. Marichal: Catalogue, II (1962), p. 275.
T**
2, fol. 133 i"t is here entitled Item de septem planetarum
r"~v
r
intervallis: 3> "132
; 4, 131 ; this excerpt omits the
first part and begins from 68 (4^17 ) Tres superiores.

1 05

It is possible that Paris 5543 was the exemplar for two

small items in Oxford Bodleian Laud. Lat. 118^

'.

This

manuscript of French origin, probably written at the end of

the ninth or beginning of the tenth century^
devoted to Martianus Capella;

, is mainly

but three short chapters have

been added at the end (fol. 90 ) in a contemporary hand:

Ambrosii Macrobii de symphoniis musicae;
planetarum;

De intervallis VIItern

Item ejei septem planetarum intervallis.

The second

of these is the section found in the seven-book computus under

the title Dimensio caelestium spatiorum secundum quosdem;
third is the second excerpt from Pliny.

the

These two items are

found together also in Paris 5543, fol. 133 > with the same
rubrics, which are not otherwise known.

In addition the two

manuscripts share one interpolation not found elsewhere:

(86)

(87)

See H.O. Coxe, Cat. Cod. MSS. Bibl. Bodl. II, 1, (1858),
p. 54 (where it is wrongly called eleventh-century);
Leonard!, Aevum XXXIV, p. 4 2.5 .
Ninth century, according to J.G-. Pre'aux (Latomus, XIX (1953),

1 06

/ Q0\

83 (2, 2. ) guae after Intervallis eonmr

'.

Paris 554-3 has been linked in the past with two other
manuscripts, Paris 5239 and Strasbourg 326.

But although

these manuscripts contain a considerable amount of similar

material, they show no clear connection in the Pliny sections;
and therefore these two manuscripts need not be considered out
of chronological order.

Two manuscripts may come from the end of the ninth century,
although they have generally been dated later:

Paris 8663 and

Strasbourg 326 just mentioned.

(88)

It is of some interest that this manuscript belongs to a

group (also including Leiden B.P.L. 36 and 87, and Bamberg
M. V 16) which contain an interpolated passage in Book VIII,
860 of Martianus Capella, based on Macrobius, Gomm. in
This same passage of Macrobius
Somn. Scip. Book I, 21, 12.
is paraphrased in the seven-book computus (VI, 6) under the
title Felicis Gapellae de mensura lunae in very similar
terms, except that in the computus the verbs are expressed
in the past tense, as in the original Macrobius, whereas in
the interpolation they are put in the imperative.

107

Paris Q66y ^ has been considered to belong to the tenth

or even eleventh century;

but A. \7ilmart ^ ' observed that

the illustrations and initials point to a Carolingian model,

and it may have been written as early as the end of the ninth
century.

Mme. Vernet^" ' suggested that it came from Fleury

It contains only the first and third excerpts

or the vicinity.
from Pliny^

';

iQ addition it contains Hyginus 1 Astronomica

and the chapter De ordine ac positione stellarum in signis with

other sections on astronomy and music.

The Pliny excerpts are

reasonably accurate, but do not show any close connection with

other manuscripts.

But there is one problem:

this manuscript

has the addition of sunt after tres in ii, 59 (3? 2. ), only

found elsewhere in Munich 210 and Vienna 387.

Although the

excerpts are too brief to allow any firm conclusions, this could
possibly be evidence of another manuscript outside the tradition
of the seven-book computus.

(90)
(91)

See Ruck, Auszuge, pp.22-23; M.-T. Vernet, Bull, d'lnf.

Inst. Rech. Hist. Textes, VIII, (1959), pp.40-44.
M.-T. Vernet, Bull, d'lnf., p. 40.
Ibid.

(92)

1, fol. 24-r ;

(89)

3, 24V .

1 08

Strasbourg 326^' was written in the tenth, or possibly

late ninth century.

It contains Bede 1 s scientific works, and

a large amount of computistical material similar to that found

in Paris 5543 and Paris 5239.

It also contains the commentary

on Bede 1 s De temporum ratione found in Melk 412.

Since this

manuscript came from Auxerre, it is possible that Strasbourg

326 comes from the same area.

Scattered among its contents

are found most of Books V and VI of the seven-book computus,

including the five excerpts from Pliny^

Despite the similarity of contents between this manuscript

and Paris 5543 ancl 5239, in the Pliny sections there is quite
clearly no connection at allv(95)', as the texts have nothing in
(93)
(94)
(95)

See S. Wickersheimer, Catalogue ge/ne/ral des MSS., vol.

XLVII (1923), pp. 139-431, fol. 121 V ; 2, 122r . 3> 123v. ^ 126^ 12?r. 6?
C.W. Jones 1 suggestion (in Bedae pseudepigrapha, p. 31)
that it was copied from Paris 5239, is certainly impossible
as far as the Pliny sections are concerned.

1 09

commoir

'.

But Strasbourg 326 does show a remarkably close

relationship with Paris N.A. 456.

Over half the errors in

the Strasbourg manuscript are found in the other one, including

five cases not otherwise known:

xviii, 344 (6,27 ) -turpidior

(turbidior); 347 (6,52) ventum (ventos); % 353 (6,/0|)

sint (sunt); 353 (6,102) cretam (certam);
rostros (rostro).

362 (6,164)

Since Strasbourg 326 could not have been

copied from the Paris manuscript, because the latter is later

in date, it is very likely that the two were copied from the
same exemplar, that is ; a lost manuscript containing the complete
seven-book computus.

One of the survivals of the tenth century is a fragment of

(97)
a manuscript from Fulda, now Einsiedeln 266, pp. 177-224
The first five quires are lost, and it was apparently already

(96)

The Strasbourg manuscript contains none of the errors of

Paris 5543 listed above (p.l04); and in addition it has the
Likewise Paris
first excerpt omitted in that manuscript.

r 9

(97)

inhibentur); 63 (3,4-9) ideo (ideoque). Neither of the

Paris manuscripts contain the excerpt from Book XVIII.
See G-. Maier, Cat, cod. MSS., I (1899), pp.239-41;
C. Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV, pp. 31-32.

110
mutilated in 1617 when it was used by Christopher Brouwer for
the poems of Hrabanus Maurus.
the seven-book computus:
chapters (g) - (j).

Pp. 177-202 contain parts of

V, 11-12, VI 2-6 and the additional

It is possible that the missing part

contained the rest of the computus.

As it survives now the

only excerpt from Pliny preserved is that from Book XVIII

The two other tenth-century manuscripts which have to be

Paris 5239,
discussed, both now in Paris, may well be related.
(99) , contains Bede's De natura rerum,
from S. Martial de Lijnoges v
De temporibus and De temporum ratione;

placed between the last

two are found the first three Pliny excerpts, the third being
incomplete.

The remainder of the manuscript contains a great

deal of computistical material, similar to that in Paris 5543

and in Strasbourg 326, among which is found the fourth Pliny
excerpt, incomplete at the beginning, followed by the third excerpt,
this time complete^

(98)

'.

6, PP . 177-185.

Like Paris
See Cat. Cod. MSS. Bibl. Reg. IV, pp. 129-30.
554-3 ) this manuscript has not yet received an adequate
Its provenance is shown by the annalistic
description.
entries on fols. 6v-20r (see M.G-.H. SS_ II, pp. 251-2)
(100) The arrangement of the Pliny excerpts is: 1, fol. 38r ;
2, 38V ; 3, 38V ; (ending at 60 (3,18 ) non impleant).
122^-125r (beginning at 68 (4,17
and 125r-V ; 4,
(99)

Tres superiores).

Ill
It appears that two different exemplars were used for
the excerpts, since in the first part of De absidibus earum
(101)
the readings of the two versions show marked differences
In the first two excerpts, the text is reasonably accurate, but
it is likely that the exemplar was related to Berne 347 a^d the
connected manuscripts, since they have a number of readings in
common:

ii, 32 ( 1 , 5* ) sidus est ( sidus) ; 4-3 ( 1 > *9 )

austro (austros) ;

& 83 (2, 6 ) GXXV f GjQCV'l .

In the later

part of the third excerpt, and in the fourth, the text shows
many signs of carelessness.
Berne 347;

It is apparently unrelated to

and it shows no obvious connection with Paris 5543 >

although they both omit the opening section of the fourth excerpt.
(102)
C.. Jones v
' had observed that the texts of the De temporum
ratione are not sufficiently close for Paris 5543 to be the
exemplar of Paris 5239*

(101)

The version on fol. 38

omits the title, but otherwise

contains no errors.
The second version has the title
but reads, ii, 59 (3? 5" ) contractu (for contactu) ;
59 (3, 6 ) triqueto (triquetro) ; 60 (3, |(*. ) etiam
quadrato, omitting ex.
(102)

Bedae Opera de temporibus, p. 155.

112

Another Paris manuscript, Lat. 2236^

*', contains a

small fragment of two folios from a computistical work.

The rest of the manuscript contains an eleventh-century copy,
from St. Martial at Limoges, of St. Gregory1 s Homilies on
Ezekiel;

but it is not possible to tell whether the fragment

came from the same place;

tenth century.

it is certainly earlier, probably

Although its contents are not given in the

Paris catalogue, they can be readily identified:

fol. 1

contains chs. XIV-XVI and part of ch. XVII from Bede 1 s De

temporibus;
of the third.

fol. 2 has the first two Pliny excerpts, and part

The text breaks off at 60 (3, IS ) non jjnpleant,

as in Paris 5239, before the end of the page.

The text is very

close to Paris 5239? although the length of the excerpt prevents

a firm conclusion being drawn

(103)

Cat. &en. MSS. Latins. II, pp. 371-2.

(104)

The two manuscripts share the readings given above, p |l|

and in addition, one error not found elsewhere:
Paris 2236 has two
ii, 35 (1,/3 ) anni (annis).
mistakes riot found in the other manuscript: 44
lune (luce) ; ^ 83 ( 2, 5" ) ad luna (ad lunam) .

113

Passing on to the manuscripts of the eleventh century,

the first to be discussed is Madrid 9605^

, a large manuscript

devoted to computus, written in 1026, or at least not earlier,

since this date is used in the argument a/.

After the Computus

Helperici are found the three sections on weights and measures

based on Isidore (additional chapters h-j in the seven-book
computus), followed, at the foot of fol. 11 V , by the rubric
De praesagiis tempestatum.

No more of this chapter is to be

found in the manuscript, to judge from Cordoliani's description,

so it is probable that some leaves have been lost.

On the

following folio is De absidibus earum from 63 (3, IfU) with

its opening sentence modified.

The manuscript apparently

contains nothing else from the computus of 809, the remainder

being much later in date.
Paris 12117

is an eleventh-century manuscript from

St.-G-ermain-de-Pres, written probably between 1031 and 1060^

(105)

(106)
(10?)

'

See A. Cordoliani, Rev, arch, bibl. mus. LXI (1955), pp.435-481.

In a very full description he fails to mention the Pliny items,
which were identified from photographs in the Yfarburg
Institute, London.
See Ruck, Auszuge, pp. 23-25; Co Leonardi, Aevum, XXXIV, p.
These dates are suggested by the list of French kings on
The annalistic entries
fol. 110V which ends with Henri I.
terminate at 1061 (see M.G-.H. SS_ III, pp. 166-68).

114
and possibly decorated by Ingelard, who was responsible for other
manuscripts from St. Qermain^ '.

It contains parts of the

seven-book computus, including Adbreviatio chronicae, the decennovenal

tables, and most of the fifth and sixth books, together with
(109)
The excerpts from Pliny x

computistical works by Heiric and Abbo.

may well have been copied from Vatican Reg. Lat. 309, which came
from the nearby abbey of Saint Denis;

for almost all the errors

in the text of that manuscript,- including the alterations by the

second hand,are found in Paris 12117;

e.g. ii, 12 (1, (*. ) erret

(errent); 35 (1, J2 ) quartum (partium) ; 42 (1,55 ) maculosum

(maculosa) ; 43 0,37 ) modo (iam vero) ; 59 (3,5" ) autem added
after postea; ^ 60 (3, '6 ) binis (senis) ;

in these and many other

cases the reading of Paris 1211? agrees with the second version of
(110)
In De praesagiis tempestatum, however, the
Reg. Lat. 309
Paris manuscript contains numerous alterations not found in the
(111) .
Vatican manuscript

(108)
(109)
(110)

(111)

See Y. Delandres, Scriptorium IX (1955), pp. 1-13.

1, fol. 180 r ; 2, 180 r ; 3, 180r-v ; 4, 180V-181 r ; 6, 181 r-v .
The last excerpt breaks off at 353 (6,100) austrinam aquiln.
More examples are given by C.W. Finch, Trans. Proc. Am. Phil.Soc.
XCVI (1965), pp. 112-3. He gives reasons for believing that
there was one manuscript between Reg. Lat. 309 and Paris 12117.
As Ruck pointed out (Ausziige, p. 33), almost all the future
tenses in this excerpt have been changed to the present in
this manuscript.

115

One section of the Pliny excerpts is found in Paris 7299A,

an eleventh-century manuscript from Limoges, according to M.
Destembes^

'.

This contains computistical material, including

part of Bede 1 s De natura rerum, and also the second Pliny excerpt
on fol. 24V , here entitled De intervallis earum hoc est VII
planetarum.
The last manuscript of the eleventh century to be discussed
is Vatican Reg. Lat 0 123
the astronomical manuscripts.
Spanish monastery of Ripoll^

, one of the most remarkable of all

It was written probably in the
', apparently in 1056^

By

the end of the twelfth century it had been taken to the abbey of
Saint Victor at Marseilles.

(112)
(113)
(114)

(115)

This very beautiful manuscript contains

Arch, int. d'hist. sci., LVIII-LIX (1962), p. 30. It is

called twelfth-century in the Paris catalogue, IV, p. 338.
See A. Wiljnart, Cat. Cod. Reg., I, pp. 289-292; Saxl,
Verzeichnis I, pp.4-5-59
This attribution, first made by J.H. Albanes, Mel, df arch. et
d'hist. VI (1886), pp. 292-6, was questioned by P. Albareda,
Catalonia monastica I (1927), PP-4-9,57, but subsequently
reaffirmed by J. Millas VallicrosO', Estudis universitaris
Catalans, ser. mon. I (1931), FP 236-7? and A. ViTiljnart,
Revue Benedictine XLV (1933), pp. '142-55.
Against the year 1056 in the decennovenal tables is the note
That this note belongs to
"Eodem anno factus est liber iste".
1056 and not the preceding year is demonstrated by V/ilmart,
Rev. Ben. XLV, p. 145, n.2.

116

an encyclopaedia of astronomy in four books, of which most of the

first is now lost, and is made up of excerpts from Bede, Pliny,
Isidore, Macrobius, Hyginus, Dionysius, Exiguus, Fulgentius and
others.

Among these are the third and sixth and part of the fourth

excerpt from Pliny^( 1

In each case the Pliny excerpt forms

the second part of a chapter in which the first part is taken from
Bede.

The titles of these chapters as given in the indexes are

instructive:

Beda et macrobius de signis tempestatum vel serenitatis;

Beda et macrobius ambrosius de absidibus earum;

(117)

ambrosii de planetis quare mutant colores v

Bedae et macrobii
This is the only

case in a manuscript earlier than the fourteenth century where the

excerpts are ascribed to an author;

it may be reasonably concluded

that the attribution to Macrobius was made by the compiler of this

encyclopaedia.

Other excerpts in this manuscript from both Pliny

and Macrobius have been ascribed to the correct authors.

(116)

3, fols. I68r-v} 4, l69r-V ;, only as far as 6? (4, 17 )

ut sol; 6, fols. 136v-138r .

(117)

In the text the chapters are headed Beda de signis tempestatum

vel serenitatis. etc., followed by Item ut supra or Macrobius
ut supra.

117

The text is reasonably accurate, and the mistakes that

do occur are generally not found elsewhere, so that it is not
possible to place the manuscript in the textual tradition.
It is not improbable that the excerpts came to Rippll from Fleury,
( 11R ^
; but
since there were connections between the two abbeys
the text does not resemble closely that of any of the manuscripts
thought to have been at Fleury.

We turn finally to the manuscripts of the twelfth century.

Oxford Bodleian Auct. P.3.15

is made up of three manuscripts,

all written in Irish hands, of which only the second is relevant

for the present purposes.

This covers fols. 21 to 30 and consists

mainly of an anonymous astronomical work based on Isidore and Bede.

This ends on fol. 28r with the words PINIT AMEN and is followed
by a number of independent chapters, of which the first four can

(118)

(119)

See R. Beer, Die Hss. des Klosters Santa Maria de Ripoll,

I (1907), pp. 75, 91-2; A. Vidier, Bull. ge*og. hist, et.
descripjb., 1911, pp. 307-8.
See Summ. Gat. West. MSS., II, 1, (1937), pp. 666-7,

no. 3511.

1 18

be identified as the four excerpts from Book II of Pliny, the

third being placed first' 120 '.

The text is very corrupt, but

it cannot be related to any other manuscript;

certainly it has

no connection with Berne 347 and the other manuscripts of that

( 1 21 )
group, since it has none of the errors characteristic of them
It has one surprising reading:

ii, 83 (2, 6 ) CXXVI. obviously

for GXXVI. the correct reading in the Pliny text, but found in
none of the manuscripts of the excerpts (which have CTKY or GXXVO .
It may have been corrected from Bede' s De temporum ratione,
ch. XXVT, unless this is the single sign of a completely independent
It is possible that the manuscript was copied from a
( -\22] , in discussing a number
much earlier exemplar; for F. Shawv
tradition.

of Irish glosses in the preceding astronomical work, has pointed

to one which is in Old Irish, suggesting the ninth rather than
the twelfth century.

(120)

(121)
(122)

The titles are given as De absidibus earum (fols. 28 ,

col. 2 to 28, col. 1); De positione et curs (sic) planetarum
(fol. 28V , cols. 1-2); De intervallis (fol. 28V , col. 2);
r
v
/
De cursu earum per zodiacum circulum (fols. 28 , col. 2-29, col.1),
See above, p. 9(n
In an appendix to I. P. Sheldon-Williams 1 article in
Proc. R. Irish Acad. 58C (1956-57), p. 17-

119

Brief mention must be made of two manuscripts of New College,

(123)
,
The first, number 104X
Oxford, dating from the twelfth century.
is devoted mainly to the Historia Soholastica of Petrus Comestor,
but the last leaves (fols. 121 V-122r ) contain some short notes,
among which is found De intervallis planetarum;

this consists

of the second Pliny excerpt, followed without a break by the section

which in the seven-book computus is entitled Dimensio caelestium
spatiorum secundum quosdam (V, 11).

Despite the brevity of the

excerpt it is quite clear that the text is closely related to

Baltimore, Vfalters Art Gallery V/".73
following errors:

, since they share the

ii, 83 (2,2. ) planet arum (eorum); 83 (2,3 )

temptaverunt (temptarunt);

83 (2,$ ) unde XXX (undeviginti);

83 (2, 7 ) deinde (inde).

The other New College manuscript, 252^

, contains Cicero's

Philippics and various works by Seneca, but it includes also the

According
sixth Pliny excerpt on fols. 81 -83 omitting the title.
( 126")', the manuscript is written in an English hand;
to A.C. Clark^
and the text of this excerpt appears to be related to Harley 647
and the manuscripts of that group:

they share the following readings:

xviii, 343 (6, (if ) sparguntur (spargentur); 345 (6,29 ) rubescunt

(123)
(124)
(125)
(126)

See H.O. Coxe, Cat, cod. MSB, in coll. Oxon,, I (1852),

Coll. Nov., pp. 37-38.
See below, pp. Ill-2.
See Coxe, Cat.. Coll. Nov., p. 90.
Class. Rev. XIV (1900), p. 45.

120
(rubescant) ; 347 (6,45") refulserit (fulsit) ; 34-7 (6,4-9)
cornua (oornu) ; 354 (6,/06) fulget atre (fulgetrttfl.

But the

connection is not very close, and there is no question that the

New College manuscript is derived from any of the others
/ >] <-)Q\

Another twelfth-century manuscript, Paris 1113CP

three works:

the Imago mundi, the De philosophia of William of

Conches printed among the works of Bede;

rerunu

', contains

and Bede's De natura

In the last named work the scribe has inserted into

ch. XII, D.e cursu planet arum, part of the second Pliny excerpt,
commencing Pytagorqs vir sagacis animi

( 83 (2,5" ) ) and

continuing to the end of the excerpt, where he resumed Quae

septem inter caelum from Bede.

At the end of the De natura rerum

a further nine chapters were added, the first eight of which

consist of De praesagiis tempestatum, and the last is De ratione
unciarum (VI, 1 in the seven-book computus).

The excerpt from

Book XVTII has been considerably altered, many words and sentences

(127)

(128)

This is clear from the fact that it contains %340-1

Etenim *-. exordia and ^343 (6,17-3$ si in ortu ^>,
significabunt, omitted in the other manuscripts.
Apparently the only references to this manuscript are by
L. Delisle in the summary list of manuscripts (Bibl illfo.
Chartes XXIV (1863), p. 220, C. T,Y. Jones, I sis XXVIJfr k. 434,
and M.L.Vf. Laistner, Hand-list of Rede manu scripts., p. 142
Jones dates it eleventh or twelfth century.

121

being omitted, and the position of some sentences being changed;

but it is nevertheless possible to see that the text is distantly
related to the group of Harley 647;

it shares with those

manuscripts the omissions inf 340-1 and 343;

errors:

a^d some of the

xviii, 345(6, 9 ) cubes cunt (gubescant);

357 (6,'30)

promittunt (promittent).
Three manuscripts belong to the very end of the period under
consideration.

The first is Baltimore, Walters Art G-allery, W.73?

an interesting manuscript of the late twelfth century, written in

England according to H. Bober, who has analysed the contents in
(129)'.
He showed that it had been compiled with considerable
detailv
care mainly from Bede, Isidore and Abbo.

He pointed out the

existence of some excerpts from Pliny among the contents, but

thought that they must have come from the same source as the Bede.
But it is now clear that they must be considered as an independent
item in the compilation.
are present^-

. The first three excerpts from Book II

' in a text that has not an insignificant number of

changes, but which seems to be closest to Paris 5239;

shares with that manuscript the following readings:

thus it
ii, 8 32 (1, 5" )

sidus est (sidus); 69 (3,3U ) inhibente (inhibentur); 70 (3,39 )

vapor reperoussas (vapore percussos).

It has already been observed

(129)

J. Walters Art G-all. XIX-XX (1956-57), pp. 65-97.

(130)

1, fols. 5r-v5. 2, 4V ;

3, 4v-5r .

12
that the text of the second excerpt is very close to that in
New College

Vienna 1260CT * ' was written probably towards the end of

the twelfth century( 1 33) a^ the monastery of Prufening, whose
annals are written in the decennovenal tables^

The

manuscript contains much astronomical and computistical material,

including the five passages from Pliny ^

' found in the seven-

book computus, as well as Excerptum de astrologia and De origine

ac positione stellarum in signis (V, 1-2).
This manuscript also contains the Annales Ratisnonenses^

'.

which are found also in Munich 14733? another manuscript of the

end of the twelfth century, from St. Emmeram.

This is made up

of odd scraps of parchment, with several hands, on a wide variety

of subjects, but B.J. Docen^

(131)
(132)
(133)

' gave reasons for believing that

See above, p. \\9

See H.J. Hermann, Die illuminierten Hss. in Wien II (1926),
pp. 73-81; Saxl, Verzeichnis II, pp. 159-63.
B. Boeckler (Die Regensburger-Priifeninger Buchmakrei (1924),
p. 76) places it as late as 1210-20.
Scriptores XVII. pp. 606-9.

(134)

M.G-.H.

(135)
(136)
(137)

1, fol. 26V ; 2, 27r ; 3, 27V-28r ;

M.&.H. SS XVTI pp. 577-90.
Archiv, III (1821), pp.360-6l.

4, 28r-29V ;

6, 16V-17V .

123

it was the work of a group of friends, one of whom may well

have been Hugo de Lerchenfelt, canon of Regensburg cathedral.
F. Baethgen^ ^ ' considered that the Annales Ratisponenses in
this manuscript had been copied from Vienna 12600;

and the same

may well be true of the De praesagiis tempestatum, found in

r v
fols. 44 -45 , since in both manuscripts the title and opening
words (to exordia) are replaced by the following sentence:
"Qui tempestatum serenitatisve presagia investigare et deprehendere
nititur".

Finally mention must be made of two English manuscripts

from the twelfth century in which parts of the Pliny excerpts
appear in a modified form.

The first is Oxford Digby 83^ *',

written about the middle of the century, and containing a work on

This interesting compilation,
astronomy divided into four books.
which has been discussed by J. Millas Vallicrosfl^
de Vyver^

' and A. Van

, contains material taken both from classical writers

and from Arabic astrology.

The four excerpts from Pliny Book II

occur on fols. 32 -36 , with sections omitted and rearranged and

(138)
(139)
(140)
(141)

Neues Archiv, XLV (1924), pp. 256-260.

See Saxl-Meier, Verzeichnis III, pp. 345-346.
Assaig d'histbria, I, pp. 259-26y.
Osiris, I (1936), pp. 689-91.

124

with much additional material.

The nature of the change can

be judged from the beginning of the first Pliny excerpt;

and alterations are underlined:

additions

De ordine septem planetarum.

Inter ce^Lum igitur et terrain certis discreta spaciis suis imposita

et celis quemadmodum dictum est septem sidera pendent que_ ab incessu
vocamus errantia.

In quorum medio quasi in medio rote posuit deus

In prime-

solem tribus stellis sursum et tribus collocatis deorsum.

autem cejlo post firmamentum collocavit summum saturni sydus;
minimum videtur.

ideoque

Qui quoniam ampliori erat circulo hunc tricesimo

demum ad idem punctum sedis sue^ principia regredi certum est.

E. Zinner^
manuscripts:

' noted the occurrence of this work in three other

Breslau, Univ. Ac. IV 8 11 (12th century);

Erfurt,

Amplon. q 23 (12th century) and Hanover IV. 394 (13th century).

But there exists another manuscript which contains excerpts from this
work, Oxford Bodley 614
half of the twelfth century.

> an English manuscript from the first

Only parts of the first and second

Pliny excerpts are present, on fol. 22, with additional material as

in Digby 83, but often in an abridged form.

(142)
(143)

Verzeichnis den astron. Hss. (1925) nos. 10387-9.

See Saxl-Meier, Verzeichnis III, pp. 313-6; Summ. Cat. II,
1, pp. 229-30, no. 2144, where it is described as written in
the last quarter of the century, although it belongs more
probably to the middle of the century.

125

The thirty-eight manuscripts that have been discussed in

this chapter show the great variety of contexts in which the
Pliny excerpts are found over a period of neo-rly four hundred
years.

As we have seen, their first known appearance is in

the computi of the "beginning of the ninth century;

and many

of the other manuscripts of the ninth and tenth centuries in

which they occur are largely devoted to computus:

Paris 5239

5543 and N.A. 1615, Montpellier 334 and Strasbourg 326.

These all contain many chapters found also in the seven-book
computus, even if they are not taken directly from that work;
and like the computus, these manuscripts probably served as
school textbooks.
In other manuscripts of this period the excerpts are
divorced from their original context, although many of the
earlier ones preserve the connection between the purely
astronomical sections:

the excerpts from Macrobius and

Martianus Capella as well as from Pliny.

These manuscripts

include Harley 647 and those derived from it, Bamberg H.J. IV 22
and Paris 8663.

In the Berne 347 group, however, only the

four excerpts from Book n of Pliny are retained.

126

Noticeable also is an increasing tendency for the

compilers of the manuscripts to use only those excerpts
which suited their purpose.

The most striking fact in

this respect is that, apart from the earliest manuscripts

(Paris N.A. 1615, Harley 647, Montpellier 334), very few
contain both the excerpts from Book II and the De praesagiis
tempestatum from Book XVIII:

Strasbourg 326 from the tenth

century, Vatican Reg. Lat. 123 and Paris 1211? from the
eleventh, and Paris 11130 and Vienna 12600 from the twelfth' ^
Apart from these manuscripts, De praesagiis tempestatum is
found only in Einsiedeln 266 (but this may have originally
contained the complete seven-book computus

), New College

252 and Munich 14733Among the excerpts from Book II we find that one or more
is frequently discarded, e.g. the first in Munich 14836 and
Paris 5543, the third in Munich 14936, the fourth in Paris 2236
and Walters 73, the second and fourth in Paris 8663.

In the

(144)

Perhaps Madrid 9605 should be added to this list, since

it seems to have contained originally the excerpt from
Book XVIII; see above, p. U3,

(145)

See above, pp, 109-10.

127

extreme cases, only a single excerpt is retained:

Lat. 118, Paris 7299A, New College 104.

Laud.

Alongside this

process there is another, whereby the excerpts are reincorporated into a larger work, notably in the encyclopaedia
in Reg. Lat. 123 and the computus of Walters 73 > and finally
in the complete transformation that the excerpts undergo in
Digby 83 and related manuscripts.
It has been shown in this chapter that the manuscripts
were written in places as far apart as Ireland, Austria and
Spain.

But it is noticeable that the largest proportion,

including almost all of the earlier manuscripts, came from

France, and we must conclude that the excerpts had their
widest diffusion in that country.
was apparently Fleury:

The most important centre

Paris 5543, 8663 and N.A. 1615,

Harley 2506 and Canon. Class. Lat. 275 have all been connected
with that abbey with varying degrees of probability.

In

addition, Paris N.A. 1615, Berne 347 and Strasbourg 326 seem
to have connections with Auxerre, and Paris 2236 and 5239 with
Limoges, both places not far distant from Sleury.
It has been mentioned already

' that Ludwig Traube

connected these excerpts with the name of Heiric of Auxerre,

but it was shown that the evidence he adduced was invalid.

(146)

See above, p.

128

It must, however, remain a strong possibility that Heiric

knew of the excerpts.

In the case of another scholar,

Abbo of Fleury, there is more concrete evidence.

The

diagrams that accompanied the excerpts in the seven-book

computus are also found in many of the later manuscripts,
sometimes in a modified form

, and with one addition,

that is, another diagram illustrating De oursu earum per

zodiacum circulum, similar to the circular diagram used in
earlier manuscripts, but in the form of a graph^

The earliest occurrence of this diagram is in Berne 347f

in the middle of the ninth century.

But it seems to have

been used by Abbo to illustrate one of his own astronomical

works, beginning t Studiosis astrologiae ...'.

It is found

linked to this text in Walters 73 (which omits De cursu earum

per zodiacum circulum) , as well as in other manuscripts which
do not contain any of the Pliny excerpts:

Oxford, St. John* s

College 17, Bodleidn Lyell 54, Cotton Tib. E IV and Vit. A XII.

(148)

The diagram for De intervallis earum is frequently

replaced by a simple table; this occurs in the Berne
347 group and Paris 5239.
Reproduced by H.P. Lattin from Munich 14436 in Isis
XXXVIII (1947-8), p. 216; but this is a badly drawn
example.

1 29

This same diagram seems to have become remarkably popular,

since it is also found in manuscripts of Macrobius 1 s
Commentary on the Somnium Soipionis (British Museum Add.
11943 and Bodleian Canon Class. Lat. 257, .both very crude),
and of the Liber Floridus (Leiden Voss. Lat. 3"0
Apart from the number of manuscripts and their wide
diffusion, and the use of the diagram discussed above,
evidence for the use of the excerpts is difficult to find.
Since the text is virtually identical with that of the
original Pliny and is frequently very similar to the
language of Bede in the De natura rerum, paraphrases of
short passages could never be demonstrated, and even literal
quotations could rarely be proved.

But we can find two

examples among the printed scholia of the De natura rerum.

Among the diagrams in the Vetus Commentarius attached to
ch. xiv are three taken from the Pliny excerpts^

Secondly, among the glosses to ch. xii, the first, beginning

(149)

PJL.XC, cols. 227-230. These three diagrams and the short

gloss that goes with them ('Hie est zodiacus *) appear
to have no connection with the remainder of the Vetus
Commentarius, which is largely taken from Chalcidius 1
Commentary on Plato 1 s Timaeus; this fact seems to have
escaped notice before.
The diagrams are found also in
the Elementa philosophiae (P^XC, cols. 1141-2, 1147-8
and 1153-4);and the graph only occurs in the glosses to
De temporum ratione, ch. xvi (JVL.XC, col5.363-4), these
are probably further examples of padding by Hervagius.

130

'Pythagoras sagacissimus G-raecorum philosophus ... !

is almost certainly a paraphrase of two chapters from the
seven-book computus:

De intervallis earum from Pliny and

Dimensio caelestiorum spatiorum secundum quosdam.

(150)

P.L. XC, cols. 208D-209A.

131

APPENDIX - THIRTEENTH CENTURY AND AFTER

The history of the Pliny excerpts continues beyond 1200 for

another three hundred years;

"but it is only possible here to

give brief details of the later manuscripts in which they are

found.
It is noticeable that the excerpts from Book II seem to be
ignored completely in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries,
and reappear only in the fifteenth.

De praesagiis tempestatum,

on the other hand, continued to be copied throughout the period,

and in fact twice as many manuscripts of this excerpt are known
This is no doubt due to

from the period 1200-1500 as 900-1200.

the different nature of the excerpts.

The purely astronomical

excerpts were of no practical value after the arrival of Arabic

astronomy in Europe, although they might appeal to the antiquarian
tastes of the fifteenth-century humanist, whereas the chapter on
weather signs was of continuing interest.
Only three manuscripts are known of the excerpts from Book II.
(1}
Paris 16680^ ', fols, 77-80, contains all four in a text that shows

(1)

Only mentioned briefly in L. Delisle f s list of additions to

the Bibliotheque Nationale (Blbl. jfc r Chartes XXXI (1870), p. 158)

132

some resemblances with Berne 265 and Munich 14436.

manuscript came from the Sorbonne, and bears the inscription
f Liber mei Luce de Canterellis de Regie decretorum doctoris 1 .
is

Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Magi. VIII 53

a miscellaneous manuscript which includes much of the fifth

and sixth books of the seven-book computus.

Only the first

three Pliny excerpts are present, on fols. 84V-8yV.

manuscript is El Escorial ^ IV 10^

The third

, written in an Italian

hand, and mainly devoted to Martianus Capella.

It contains

the first Pliny excerpt, and possibly others, commencing on

pol. 195V.
In contrast, there are 22 manuscripts containing I)e
praesagiis tempestatum, evenly spread over the three centuries.
The thirteenth-century manuscripts are:

Bruges 523

>

containing miscellaneous astrological and astronomical treatises;

(2)

See C. Leonardi, Aevum XXXIV (1960), p. 51.

See G-. Antolm, Catalogo de los codices latinos-, I, pp. 300-1;
Leonardi, p. 35
T*
Y*
The Pliny excerpt occurs on fols, 64 -65 . See A, De Poorter,
Catalogue des MSS, pp. 615-8.

133

Brussels II 2558
1727

, and Florence, Bibl. Laurenziana, Ashburnham

, containing vatficrus works by Aristotle;

British Museum,

Sloane 203 (r ' , and Bodleian, e Mus. 223^ , composite manuscripts;

(9)
, containing works by Cicero and Avicenna.
and Toledo 47.15
From the fourteenth century come:

Baltimore, Walters Art

, containing Cicero and Seneca; Erfurt, Ampl.

G-allery 463
( '}'*>}
( 1 ?^
fl1^
, and Vienna 243 6, containing
, Bodleian, Digby 28
q. 355
astronomical and astrological treatises;
9 containing miscellaneous works;

(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)

British Museum, Harley

New York, Pierpont

Fols. 230V-232r. See J. Van den G-heyn, Catalogue des MSS de

la Bibl. Roy., IV, p.332, no. 2898; G-. Lacombe, AristoteLes
latinus. 1(1939), pp.318-9See L. Delisle, Not. Extr. Bibl. Nat. XXXII (1886), pp. 80-81.
Fols. 108V-110r. See C. Leonardi, p. 80-81; L. Thorndike and
P. Kibre, Catalogue of incipits (19^3), col. 1153.
Fols. I63 r-l66r. See Summary catalogue, II, 2, pp. 673-4,
no. 3538.
Fols. 103V-104r. See Lacombe, Aristota.es latinus, II (1955),
pp. 853-5; A. Cordoliani, Rev, arch, bibl. must. LVIII (1952),
PP. 338-45.
Fols. 135r-14l r. See A. Boffito, Bibliofilia X (1909), pp.325-351;
S. De Ricci and W.J. Wilson, Census of medieval and renaissance
MSS, I (1935), p.836.
Fol. 15. See W. Schum, Beschreibendes Verzeichnis (1887),
PP. 594-7.
Fols. 136r-137V. See G.D. Macray, Catalogus (1883), cols.23-5.
Fols. 138r-139r. See ThornddJce-Kibre, Catalogue, col. 392.
Fol. 224r-V. See Catalogue of the Harleian MSS, III, p.100.

134

Morgan Library M 857, Paris 6443

, and Prague L. LXXVIP 7'

containing works by Aquinas, Alkindi and Avicenna;

2055^

Salamanca

', containing various works attributed to Aristotle;

and

(4Q\

Vatican, Barb. Lat. 12 V

' 9 containing Palladius and medical

treatises.
The fifteenth-century manuscripts are:

Cambridge, Pembroke

, containing astrological works; Florence, Bibl.

(21) , containing various grammatical works;
Laurenziana, Edili 168
College 227

Munich 11067^ 22 ^ , Bodleian Laud. Misc. 594^ 2

(15)
(16)
(17)
/ o.\
^ '
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)

, and Vatican Ottob.

Fol. 69r-V. See Lacombe, pp.253-4 (under its former number,

Admont 487); W.H. Bond, Supplement to Census (1962), p. 364.
Pols. 184V-l85r- see Lacombe, pp. 517-9; M.-T.
D'Alverny, Arch, hist, doct. litt. XXXVI (1961), pp. 310-4Fols. 113 r-114V. See A. Podlaha, Soupis, II. pp. 244-5;
Lacombe, p. 329.
/
T*
T*
Fols. 13 -14 See Lacombe. p. 843 (under former number,
Madrid, Bibl. Pal. Nac. 259;; &. Beaujouan, Manuscrits
scientifiques medieVaux de l*Univ. de Salamanque, (1962), pp.96-8,
Fols. 113V-115V. See T. Silverstein, Medieval Latin scientific
\7ritings in the Barberini collection (1957)^ pp. 15-19;
S. Prete, Cod. Barb, lat., pp. 15-20.
Fols. 180 r-l82v. See M.R. James, Descriptive catalogue of the
MSS in Pembroke College (1903), pp. 203-6.
Fols. 9i r-92r. See A.M. Bandini, Bibl. Leopold. Laurent., I
(1791), cols. 475-80; Leonardi, pp. 43-5Fols. 85r-86r. See C. Halm, Cat.. II, 2, pp. 6-7; K.Riick,
Sitz. Bay. Akad., phil. hist. KL. (1898), pp.204-7Fols. 115r-1l6r. See L. Thorndike, History of magic. III
(1934), PP. 273, 707-14.

135

Lat. 18?0

',

containing works by Alkindi and Albumasar;

Vatican, Pal. Lat. 1377^ ^', a composite manuscript.

A complete examination of the texts of the manuscripts
would probably enable us to determine their inter-relationship;
but from an examination of the opening sentences alone, it is
possible to see that they fall into three distinct groups.
Only two of the manuscripts (Walters 4^3 and Laud. Misc. 594)
retain the opening words, Etenim predictis difficilioribus
transire convenit ad reliqua tempestatum presagia1 .

Three

others (Erfurt Amplon. q. 355, Pembroke Coll. 227 and Florence

Edili 168) begin directly 'Purus oriens atque non fervens 1 .
(26)
All the other manuscripts^ ' begin with a new sentence, f D.e
(27)
tempestatum presagiis tractaturi a sole ... f

(24)
(25)
(26)
(27)

Fols 107r-109r. See Thorndike, History of magic, III, pp. 273,

707-8; J. Ruysschaert, Bull. Classe Lett. Belgique, 5,
XLVI (i960), pp. 50-51.
Fols. 10r~11 r. See P. Lehmann, G-eschichte der alten
Fuggerbibliotheken, II (19^0), p. 505; Thomdike-Kibre,
Catalogue, col. 392.
Excluding Brussels II 2558, for which sufficient details are
not available, and Munich 11067, in which the opening section
is now missing.
This group can be farther broken down into those that continue
1 sumamus exordium 1 (Bruges 523 > Bodleian e Mus. 223, Florence
Ashburnham 1727, Prague L LXXVII and Vatican Ottob. 1870), and
those that have 'capiemus exordia7 (the remainder^ Pierpont
Morgan M 257 and Vienna 2436 unknown.)

1 36

Finally mention must be made of the one direct reference

L. Thorndike fv 28}' observed that Firminius de
to the work.
Bellavalle (14th century), in his Pe mutatione aeris, cited
several times a Liber de presagiis tempestatum, without ever
mentioning an author.

(28)

History of magic. Ill, p.2?3-

137

THE TEXT OF THE EXCERPTS PROM PLINY

In the text given here, Ruck f s version has been mainly

followed, although spelling and punctuation have generally
been brought into line with Mayhoff* s edition of Pliny.
All the variant readings of the more important manuscripts
are recorded in the notes, with the exception of some very common
and generally insignificant variations, of which the following are
examples:

celum or cglum for caelum;

tercium for terbium;

interkalarius for intercalarius;

or Pithagoras for pythagoras;

^or sidus;

XXK or XAA for tricesimo:

assecutus for adseoutus;

habsides for absides.

pytagoras
sydus

In addition, irregular word

division has not generally been recorded.

The manuscripts used, the excerpts they contain, and the
symbols used for them are as follows:
(l-IIl)
Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery 73
(l-IV)
Bamberg H.J. IV 1$
(l-IV)
Berne 347
(l-IV,Vl)
London, Cotton Tiberius B V
(l-IV, VI)
London, Cotton Tiberius C I
(l-IV, VI,$|~end)
London, Harley fltf
(l-IV, VI)
London, Harley 2506
Madrid 3307

(l-IV, VI)

A
B
C
D
E
*
GH

1 38
Montpellier 334

(l-IV,Vl)

Monza F.9.176
(l-IV,Vl)
Munich 210
(l-III,V-Vl)
Oxford, Canon. Class. Lat. 279 (l-IV,6o)
Oxford, New College 252
(Vl)
Paris 2236
(I-III)

Paris 5239
(l-III,IV,17-end)

J
K
L
M
N
0

Paris 5543
Paris 8663

P
Q

(l-III,IV,17-end)
(I,III)

Paris 12117
(I-IV,VI,1-100)
Paris N.A. 456
(l-IV,Vl)
Paris N.A. 1615
(l'.IV,Vl)
Strasbourg 326
(l-IV,Vl)
Vatican, Reg. Lat. 123
(lI-III,17,Vl)
Vatican, Reg. Lat. 309
(l-IV,Vl)
Vatican, Vat. Lat. 645
(l-IV,Vl)
Vienna 387
(l-III,V-Vl)

R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y

The agreement of C and L is shown by c; that of DEPG- by g;

that of HJQUV by h; and that of K and W by k.
z is used to
represent thfc-'. agreement of all or most of the following
manuscripts, whose readings are not recorded separately:
Berne 265 (l-IV), Munich 6362 (l-IV,6o), 6364 (l-IV,6o),
14436 (I-II,IV,1-60), and 14836 (II-IV), Paris 16680 (l-IV),
and Zurich Car. C. 122 (l-IV).
The readings of Berne 265 and 347 and Vienna 387 are
taken from Riick;
collations.

the remainder are the result of fresh

139

The following are the major changes from Ruck's text:

1,6:

a-bire for ambire;

incipiunt;

IV, 38:

IV, J\^:

scandescere for scandere

duplato for duplicato.

In these three

cases Ruck's reading is found only in cz (duplicato also in G-).

The agreement of hk in the alternative readings suggests that
they were altered in the common exemplar of cz.
IV, 63:

LXVIIII for LXXVIIII;

3V, 6?:

in locis for locis.

The readings accepted by Ruck are found only in I and are

invalidated by all the other manuscripts.
V, 10:

bruma for bruma a.

The additional a was probably an

error in the exemplar of k, the only manuscripts for this

excerpt.
Ruck accepted futuri from kR
et futuri for futuri.
o
(it is found also in ET ) against I,"the only other manuscript

^-5 13:

he knew;

but since the et is found in h, it is certain to be

the original reading.

VT, 112:

demonstravit for demonstrabit.

The latter reading

is found only in I, and although it appears the more likely

reading, the agreement of all the other manuscripts suggests
that it was a correction made by the scribe of I.

1 40

VI, 129:

aut for a;

VI, 168:

siout formic;

aut for "a.

Ruck* s readings are found only in k.

VI, 149:

solito for soliti;

VI, 158:

qua for aqua.

The readings of I, the only manuscript available to Ruck

at this point, are clearly errors.
VI, 175:

nidis suis for nidus suos.

Although the latter

reading is attractive, it is found only in k, and is more

likely to have been an alteration made in their exemplar.

1 41

DE POSITIONE ET CURSU SEPTSM PLANETARUM

Inter caelum et terrain certis discreta spatiis

12

septum sidera pendent quae ab incessu vocamus

errantia, cum errent nulla minus illus.
5

Quorum

32

summum saturni sidus ideoque minimum videri et

maximo abire circulo, ao tricesimo anno ad
brevissima sedis suae principia regredi certum est.
Inde inferiorem iovis circulum et ideo inotu
celeriorem duodenis circumagi annis.

10

34

Tertium

martis sidus igne ardens solis vicinitate binis

fere annis converti.

Turn solis meatum esse

35

I om. czAN, DE SEPTEM SIDERA QUAE PENDUNT INTER CABLUM ET

TERRAM 0;

CURSUS J;

CURSU SEPTEMj CURSUS T; PLANETARUM]

2
STELLARUM M.
4 erret fzRW .
5 sumum T, summa DSU;
-|
sidus est czANO;
nimirum I.
6 maxime F I;
ambire cz;

ac

aQRV/X;
1
mortu KT

1
II ferre KY ,

annoJXmoV.

7 egredi X.

9 celiorem X, celiorirem W;
ferme E.

8 indem feriorem T;
circumagit T.

1 42

partium quidem CCCLX, sed ut observatio umbrarum

eius redeat ad notas, quinos annis dies adici
superque quartam partem diei, quam ob oausam
15

quinto anno unus intercalarius dies additur ut

temporum ratio solis itineri congruat.

Infra

solem ambit ingens sidus appelatum veneris,

alterno meatu vagum;

signiferi circuitum peragit

37

trecentis et duodequinquagenis diebus, a sole

20

numquam absistens partibus sex atque XL longius.

Simili ratione, sed nequaquam magnitudine aut vi,

39

proximum illi mercurii sidus inferiore circulo

fertur novem diebus otiore ambitu, modo ante
solis exortum modo post occasum splendens, numquam
25

ab eo XX duabus partibus remotior.

Ideo et

peculiaris horum siderum ratio est neque communis

13 reddeat T; quinis annos G-;

12 partium] quartum RW
7; f>arkw? yavrbun fi> <bt X. 15 a-nus a*. L;
1^ super IE?/ ; / intercalarius
anni NO.
qui non T;
'^ i
ctitur
22
1
adicitur G-,/adicitur Q.
intercalarus T , intercalaris zT X ;
17 apellatum D;
16 itineri solis Q; itineris DBF.
2
21 vim A.
18 signi fieri IT. 19 et om. G-.
venue czRY/ .
25 diabus T; et
24 hoc casum J.
22 inferiori R.
peculiaris1 impeculiaris D.

i 43
cum supra dictis.

40

Nam eae et quarta parte caeli

a sole abesse et tertia, et adversa soli saepe

30

41

Sed omnium admirationem vincit

cernuntur.

novissimum sidus terris familiarissimum lunae,

42

crescens semper aut senescens, modo curvata in

oornua facie, modo aequa portione divisa, modo
sinuata in orbem, maculosa eademque subito
praenitens, inmensa orbe pleno ac repente nulla,
35

alias pernox alias sera et parte diei solis lucem

adiuvans, deficiens et in defectu tamen conspicua,
43

iam vero humilis et excelsa, et ne id quidem uno

modo, sed alias admota caelo alias contigua
montibus, nunc in aquilonem elata nunc in austros
40

deiecta;

44

proxima ergo cardini ideoque minimo

ambitu, vicenis diebus septenisque et tertia diei

parte peragit spatia eadem quae saturni sidus
altissirnum XXX ut dictum est annis.

27 eaej me^ D, mee^ E, hej3_ Q, et eae X.

rationem Q.

30 luna k.

Dein morata

28 diversa I.
<xyj;

31 autj et U, ftfc :(r.

29 animi

33 maculosum RW

2
34 inmenso G ? immense R; plena G-. 35 et solis A;
eadem X.
P
37 iam vero]] modo W .
36 adiucians T.
a lucem T, lucens X.
41 die D.
39 nu.tibus K; austro cfzANOSU.
38 admoto D.
jt
INOT2;
zA
eademque
CD,
que
eadem
42 eddem spatia Ej eadem quae]
43 de immorata A, de immorato D.

1 44
in coitu solis -bid.uo cum tardissime.a tricesima
45

luce ad easdem vices exit.

DE INTERVALLIS EARUM

II

83

Intervalla eorum a terra multi indagare

temptarunt, et solem abesse a luna undeviginti
partes quantum lunam ipsam a terra prodiderunt.
5

Sed pythagoras vir sagacis animi a terra ad lunam

CXXV stadiorum collegit, ad solem ab ea duplum,
inde ad XII signa triplicatum.

84

Interdum et

musica ratione appellat tonum quantum absit a

terra luna, ab ea ad mercurium dimidium spatii,
10

hoc est semitonium, et ab eo ad venerem tantundem,

a quo ad solem sescuplum, id est tria semitonia, a
sole ad martem tonum, id est quantum ad lunam a
terra, ab eo ad iovem dimidium, et ab eo ad

cum tardissimejjcontardissime T;
2
1
tricessima T, tricerima W , tricesimali RW .

44 bibuo E;

turn G-;

ajac I;

45 vices om. T;

exat T.
1 om. czAWOjITEM DE SEPTEM PLANETARUH INTERVALLIS P; EORUM B 2.
2 eorum]planetarum A, earum G-RT; eorum quae P; multa X.
3 temptaverunt A; undeXXX AD. 4 quam X. 5 ing'enii G-. 6 luna N;
CXXVU, CXXV zCINOS; centum vigingi quinque L. 7 deinde A.
2
8 apgfclat T; a]ad T. 9 ea vero RW ; spacimi A. 10 senitonium J.
11 qua zA;

a solej ad sole I, ad solem T.

ad iovem 1 iovem T, om. X;

13.

r\

eo vero RW ;

ad saturnum1[ saturnum D.

1 45
saturnum tantundem spatii, inde ad signiferum
15

sescuplum.

Ita septem tonis effici quam

diapason armoniam vocant.

Ill

DE ABSIDIBUS EARUM
Tres autem quas supra solem diximus sitas

59

occultantur meantes cum eo, exoriuntur vero

matutino discedente sole partibus numquam
5

amplius undenis;

postea radiorum eius contactu

reguntur et in triquetro a partibus CXX

stationes matutinas faciunt, quae et primae
vocantur, mox in adverse a partibus CLXXX
exortus vespertinos, iterumque in CXX partibus
10

ab alio latere adpropinquantes stationes

vespertinas quas et secundas vocant, donee
adsecutus sol in partibus duodenis oocultet

15 sexcuplum R; ita - vocant (16) repeated L. 16 diapasson BC;

vocant armoniam L (second time).
I om. MO (1st version) TV; EARUM] ELANETARUM A. 2 tres planete
saturnus iupiter et mars supra solem site A; tres sunt kQ;
autem om. I; quasi X; sopra L; diximus esse G-T. 3 meante P.
4 discendente K 1 W, descendente T; nuquam E 1 , num T. 5 post era J;
postea autem RW ; contractu HIO (2nd version). 6 triquetrol
utroque LX, utrisque A, triqueto 0; a om. A; XX A.
7 statione P., stationis T. 8 a] ad k. 9 in om. V.
II vespertinas G-, vespertinos DEF, om. T;

secundus X.

14*
illas qui vespertini occasus appelQantur.
Martis stella propius etiam ex quadrate sentit
15

radios, a XC partibus ab utroque exortu;

60

eadem

stationalis senis mensibus moratur in signis,

alioqui bimenstris, cum oeterae utraque statione
quaternos menses non impleant.

Inferiores

61

autem duae occultantur in coitu vespertine

20

simili modo, relictaeque a sole totidem in

partibus faciunt exortus matutinos, ad quos
longissimis distantiae suae metis solem
insecuntur, adeptaeque occasu matutino conduntur
ao praetereunt;

25

mox eodem intervallo vespere

exoriuntur usque ad quos diximus terminos;

ab

his retrogradiuntur ad solem et occasu

vespertine delitescunt.

Veneris stella

stationes duas matutinam vespertinamque ab

14 etiam earn J; ex om. 0(2nd version); senti V.

15 radios om. JX; CXC U, CXX E, om. W; eadem vero RW 2 .
2
16 binis RW . 17 alioqui - impleant (17) del. W 2 , om, R;
alioquibus menstris DEGKQS 1 , om. A; cerae 1 . utroque V;
stationes V; 18 quaternus \Y. 19 autem} enim E; duae om. L.
2
20 relictae quae R, relictae qua T . 22 longissimus
distante V; mentis V. insetuntur $; occasum DEG-. 26 is k.
27 verneris T, venerisque P; ab utroque om. X.

147
utroque exortu facit a longissimis distantiae
30

suae finibus.

Merourii stationes "breviori

momento quam ut depraehendi possint, cuius rei

ratio privatim reddenda est.

69

Percussae in qua

diximus parte et triangulo solis radio

inhibentur rectum agere cursum et ignea vi
35

levantur in sublime.

Hoo non protinus

70

intellegi potest visu nostro ideoque

existimantur stare, unde et nomen accepit
statio.

Praegreditur deinde eiusdem radii

violentia et retroire cogit vapore percussas.

40

Multo id magis in vespertine earum exortu, toto

sole adverse cum in summas absidas expelluntur
minimaeque cernuntur, quoniam altissimae absunt
et minimo feruntur motu, tanto minore cum hoc in
altissimis absidum evenit signis.

Absides

-_
29 exortus T.

31 memento TRF ;

prehendi K D;

j[

63
_

-_

possunt B QX ,

possit z, 32 ratione T; in qua][ ut G- . 33 parte diximus A.

34 inhibente AO. 35 leantur W; sublimi 0, sublima P,
sullime A* 37 exaestimantur T; statio accepit A.
38 progreditur A; radi P. 39 volentia kT, violantia D,
volantia Q; vaporem T, vaporre k; vapor repercussas AOPQ;
percussa V. 40 exortutu Q. 41 ex adverse L; in om. T;
absides A, habsides P. 42 minimeque fhAIOQRTU, minime cz^V;
-j
altisseme 0. 43 muto K Y; tantum inore V. 44 absidunt V,
om. A;

invenit T;

absidus T.

1 48
45

autem dicuntur circuli earum greco vocabulo.

Sunt autem hi sui cuique earum, aliique quam
mundo, quoniam terra inter vertices duos quos
appellaverunt polos, et signiferum centrum mundi
esse videtur, ideoque unam quamque absidum a

50

proprio centre exsurgere necesse est;

quapropter

diversos habent orbes motusque dissimiles, quoniam

interiores absidas constat breviores esse.
Igitur a terrae centre absides altissimae sunt

64

saturno in scorpione, iovi in virgine, marti in

55

leone, soli in geminis, veneri in sagittario,

mercuric in capricorno, mediis eorundem signorum
partibus et e contrario, id est in signis
contrariis, ad terrae centrum humillimae atque
proximae.

60

Sic fit ut tardius moveri et minores

videantur cum altissimo ambitu feruntur, cum vero

45 autem] enim E.

46 autem ] enim E;

his V, hi del. W ,

lii RW . 47 mundojmodo T;
suus V, om. Q; ' alii
fl'O; oijsietiift* fl, aiiifltw* R, Qb$icta.wr*. yI. 48 polios U.y( a om. V.
om.
vestices W; du P; quos

om. R;

51 mottusque K 1 Y 1 . 52 habsides P. 53 terra T, om. z;

abside V. 54 scorpionem T; in virgine^ virgine P;
11
in leone] leone P. 55 sol V; veneris TV W ; sagitario S.
56 capricornio 0. 57 e] hec A, om. RW; e contrario]
etontrario 0. 58 ad] a T; terrae] etern^ D; humilimae I,
humilime T.

60 feriuntur W.

1 49
terrae adpropinquaverint maiores esse et celerius
ferri, non quia adcelerent tardentve naturales
motus qui certi ac singuli sunt illis, sed quia
deductas a surama abside lineas coartari ad
65

centrum necesse est, sicut in rotis radios ut

subiecta figura demonstrat.

IV

DE CURSU EARUM PER ZODIACUM CIRCULUM

Cur autem magnitudines suas et colores mutent et

62

eaedem ad septentriones accedant abeantque ad

austrum, latitude signiferi et obliquitas facit.
5

Per hunc enim illae feruntur, nee aliud habitatur

in terris quam quod illi subiacet;
polis squalent.

reliqua a

Veneris tantum stella excedit

eum binis partibus.

Luna per totam latitudinem

eius vagatur, sed omnino non excedens eum.

10

66

Ab

his mercurii stella laxissime, ut tamen e

61 maiores G-, maioris DP; cerius J. 62 fieri TU; qua W;

tardantve I.
63 singuli sunt3 singulis DEG-; sint 0.
64 deductas a] deductasus T; al ab G, ad S; habsides K;
coartati E, cbhortari QV .
65 ne necesse I;
ut - demonstrat (66) ora. A.
66 subiectal superposita L.
1 om. TV; CURSUS S; ZODIACUM] COTIDIAMJM RW; CIRCULUM om. cz.
2 autem] enim E. 3 eadem DIJSZ; septriones DP. 4 logitudo G-;
signifieri I.
5 ne W; aliut S.
7 squalante V; veneris
enim E; stella tantum E; stellae Vf.
8 eius latitudinem R.
9 eius om. L; exscedens D; eum ejscedit E. 10 laxisse D.

1 50
duodenis partibus, tot enim sunt latitudinis, non
amplius octonas pererret, neque has aequaliter
sed duas medio eius et supra quattuor infra duas.
Sol deinde medio fertur inter duas partes
15

flexuoso draconum meatu inaequalis.

67

Martis

stella quattuor mediis, iovis media et super earn

duabus, saturni duabus ut sol.

20

Tres superiores

68

ab exortu matutino latitudinem signiferi

69

scandescere, id est ad aquilonem accedere, ab

71

exortu vero vespertine descendere, hoc est ad

austrum abire, superveniente ab alio latere solis
radio eademque vi rursus ad terras deprimente qua

25

sustulerat in caelum.

Tantum interest subeant

radii an superveniant.

Veneris stella simili

75

modo ab exortu matutino latitudinem scandere,

vespertine autem descendere incipit, in occasu

11 latitudines zER.
12 pererraet I, perterret T;
neque hasjnequebas T.
14 inter duas partes om. cz.
15 dracconum S.
16 quatuor G-; supra fSU.
17 ut om. D.
18 extu J; signiferis candescere DE; signiferis S.
19 scandere incipiunt cz; accendere D.
20 vero om. f;
vespertinoj matutino X; descendere om. L. 21 habire 0.
22 eandemque 0; vi] III W; ad] a T; quas fOSU.
23 sustullerat T; in in DF. 25 matitino W.

1 5 I
vero matutino altitudinem subire et in statione
vespertina retro ire simulque altitudine degredi.
Mercurius ab exortu matutino utroque raodo
30

scandere, id est latitudine et altitudine, ab

exortu autem vespertine latitudine degredi,
consecutoque sole ad quindecim partium
interfile, consistit quadriduo prope iramobilis.
Mox ab altitudine descendit retroque graditur ab

35

76

occasu vespertine usque ad exortum matutinum.

Tantumque haec una totidem diebus quot subierat
descendit.

Veneris quindecies pluribus subit

quam descenderat, saturni et iovis duplato

degrediuntur quam ascenderant, martis etiam
40

quadruplicate descendit;
varietas.

tanta est naturae

MattLs sidus numquam stationem facit;

iovis sidere in triangulo sibi posito, rare tamen

27 vero vero 0; latitudinem T; startionem 0.

28 altitudinem DO; digredi R.
29 extu J; exitu cz.
30 et altitudine om. I.
31 extu J; autemj vero R;
digredi R.
32 consecuto 0;
a L.
33 invallo L.
34 ab altitudine] altitudine fSU,
altitudinem 0;
descende T.
35 ortum fB; matutinam I, matutino D.
36 quod BHIJOTWX;
subiit D.
38 descendat X;
duplicate czG-.
39 digrediuntur R; descende rant DRW,
ascendant cz.
40 naturae varietas tanta est z.
41 va varietas P; nuquam DE.
42 sidus 0, sider P;
instriangulo T; rate W.

77

1 52
aliquando LX partibus discrete;

exortu vero

simul tanturn in duobus signis cancro et leone

45

faciunt.

Mercurii vero sidus exortus

vespertinos in piscibus raros facit, creberrimos

in virgine, matutinos item in aquario, rarissimos
in leone, retrogradum in tauro et geminis non
fieri, in cancro vero non citra vicesimam quintam
50

partem,

Lunam bis coitum cum sole in nullo alio

78

'signo facere quam geminis, non coire aliquando in

sagittario tanturn, novissimam vero primamque
eadem die vel nocte nullo alio in signo quam
ariete conspici.
55

Sentit quidem et ipsa

ingruentium solis radiorum differentiam.

80
In

quadrate a sole dimidia nitet, in triangulo

tertia tanturn portione ambit, obscura in adverse
impletur, rursusque minuens easdem figuras

43 exortu D.
44 leonem X.
46 vespertino TW;
rare 0;
creberrimus W.
48 taurum 0;
in geminis R; non om. I.
49 citro D; vigesimam EG-, vigessimam D, vicessimam T.
50 coitu P, cortum J.
51 signo facere] signifa W;
in geminis ERT.
54 quidem om X.
59 in ingruentium EFG-,
in ingruentem D, incongruentium U; radio I.
56 solQ^ C.
57 ambit om. D;
abscura D.

1 53

paribus edit intervallis, simili rations qua

60

supra solera tria sidera.

Non comparere in

78

caelo saturni sidus et martis cum plurimum diebus

CLXX, iovis XXXVI aut cum minimum denis detractis
diebus, veneris LXVIIII, aut cum minimum LII,
mercurii XII, aut cum plurimum XVII.
65

Cur autem

79

non videantur, coitus solis et commissurae

absidum et extremae circulorum orbitae in causa
esse noscuntur, quoniam his tantum in locis
obscurantur, sed turn maxime pluribus diebus non
cerni sidera cum in absidum commissuris atque

70

extremitatibus circulorum stationaria esse

contigerit.

Nituntur etiam in vaporem solis et

quamquam aegre, descendunt tamen.

Sed inter

76
77

omnia haec sidera martis maxime inobservabilis

est cursus.

60 conparare I, parere RW.

59 partibus JOTZ.
63 LXVTIIl]
62 CLX OP.
61 plurimis PT; dieobus .
64 cum om. 0.
LXXVIIII I, LVIIII C, LVIIII z; minum T.
66 eccreme D.
65 coitus - noscuntur om. 0; etj aut G-.
68 plurimis 0; diebus om. zC.
67 in om. I.
70 extremitates C; circulorum ora. E; stationalia OP.
72 tame C; sed] sicut T,
71 contigerit om. DEG-; pavorem 0.
74 est om. P.
haec omnia 0.

154
V

DE TEMPORUM MUTATIONS
Cardines temporum quadripertita anni

220

distinctione constant per incrementa lucis.

Augetur haec bruma et aequatur noctibus verno
5

aequinoctio in diebus XC et horis tribus, dein

superat noctes ad solstitium diebus XCIIII
horis XII, inde usque ad aequinoctium minuitur,
et turn aequata die praecedit ex eo ad brumam
diebus LXXXVIIII et horis tribus.

10

Horae nunc

221

in omni accessione aequinoctiales non cuiusque

diei significantur.

Omnesque eae differentiae

fiunt octavis in partibus signorum, bruma

capricorni ad VIII kalendas ianuarias,
aequinoctium vernum arietis, solstitium cancri,
15

alterumque aequinoctium librae, qui et ipsi dies

raro non aliquos tempestatum significatus habent.
Rursus hi cardines singulis
anm$h
o
-- articulis
temporum dividuntur, per media omnes dierum
spatia, quoniam inter solstitium et aequinoctium

20

autumni fidiculae occasus autmmnum inchoat die

quari pertita K.

12 bruma oak.

222

1 55

XLVII,

ab aequinoctio eo ad brumam vergiliarum

matutinus occasus hiemem die XLIII, inter brumam

et aequinoctium die XLV flatus favonii vernum
tempus aperit, ab aequinoctio verno initium
25

aestatis die XLVIII vergiliarum exortus

matutinus significat.

30

Harum occasus matutinus

223

nubilus pluviosam hiemem significat.

225

Differentia igitur solis et lunae habetur magna

275

sed manifesta.

276

Namque interlunio aestate

calidissima est, hieme gelida.

E diverse in

plenilunio aestate frigidas facit noctes, hieme

tepidas.

Causa evidens sed alia quam redditur a

faviano graecisque auctoribus,

Aestate enim

interlunio necesse est cum sole proximo nobis

35

currat circulo.

Igne eius comminus recepto

candens, eadem interlunio absit hieme quoniam et

sel abscedit;

item in plenilunio aestivo procul

abeat adversa soli, hieme autem ad nos per

aestivum circulum accedat.

28
36

magng K, magnae Y.
29 aestate aestate k.
candeis k.
38 habeat k.

277

1 56

VI

DE PRAESAGIIS TEMPESTATOM

Etenim praedictis difficilioribus transire ron/eiv't 340

ad reliqua tempestatum praesagia, primumque a

341

sole capiemus exordia.

342

Purus ori^ns atque non

fervens serenum diem nuntiat, at hibernum

pallidus grandinem.

Si et occidit pridie

serenus et oritur tanto certior fides

serenitatis.

Concavus oriens pluvias praedicit;

idem ventos, cum ante exorientem eum nubes

10

rubescurit;

quod si et nigrae rubentibus

intervenerint, et pluvias;

cum occidentis aut

orientis radii videntur coire, pluvias.

Si

343

1 om. MV; PRESA&IS I. 2 etenim - exordia (4) om. DEG-;

at'enim M; dificilioribus V, difficioribus W.
4 exordium M; non fervensJ confervens X. 5 nuciat Vj
ad DEG-IVX; hiberno R.
6 si - serenitatis (8) om. k.
7 serenis G-, serenis D, serenitaris M; orietur V.
9 ante om. T; ea T 2 .
10 et om. DEMSU.
11 et del. T 2 .
12 orientis] occidentis k, orienus D; radividentur W.

1 57
circa occidentem rubescunt nubes, serenitatem et
futuri diei spondent.
15

Si in exortu spargentur

partim ad austrum, partim ad aquilonem, pura

circa eum serenitas sit licet, pluviam tamen
ventosam significabunt;

si in ortu aut in occasu

contracti cernentur radii, imbrem.

Si in ocoe.su

eius pluet aut radii nubem in se trahent, asperam

20

in proximum diem tempestatem significabunt.

Cum

344

oriente radii non inlustres eminebunt, quamvis

circumdatae nubes non sint, pluviam portendent.
Si ante exortum nubes globabuntur, hiemem asperam
denuntiabunt;
25

si ab ortu repellentur et ad

occasum abibunt, serenitatem.

Si nubes solem

circumcludent, quanto minus luminis relinquent,

14 ortu M; sparguntur kDE&MR,

13 et om. kERT 2 .
15 partim ad austrum om. E; licet
expargentur T.
16 sit serenitas R; licet om. R; pluviarum S.
pura R.
17 ventosa Y, ventos..aIIJ<; significabitur D;
si - significabunt (20) om. DEG-; occasum S.
19 pluet om. W;
18 contradicti T; cernuntur R.
pluet aut om. R; in sej inter se M; -trahunt R;
di& kT ; significant kR.
20 proximam kT;
asperum k.
22 nubes om. T; sunt SU; plubiam KY 1 ;
21 eminent R.
portendunt R, portent T1 , portant T2. 23 globantur R;
hyemen G. 24 denuntiant R, deinitiabant D; ab] ad RW;
25 ocasum H; abibunt] vadunt R,
repelluntur R; ad] at X.
26 circum claudent E, circumcludunt kR;
ibunt E.
relinquunt kR, relinquet M.

1 58

tanto turbidior tempestas erit;

si vero etiam

Quod si in

duplex orbis fuerit, eo atrocier.

345

exortu aut in occasu fiet, ita ut rubescant

30

nubes, maxima ostendetur tempestas.

Si non

ambibunt sed incumbent, a quocumque vente fuerint,

eum portendent;

si a meridie, et imbrem.

Si

oriens cingetur orbe, ex qua parte is se

Si totus defTuxerit

ruperit, expectetur ventus.

35

aequaliter, serenitatem dabit.

Si in ortu longe

346

radios per nubes porriget et medius erit inanis,

pluviam significabit;

si ante ortum radii se

estendent, aquam et ventum;

si circa occidentem

candidus circulus erit, noctis lenem tempestatem;

40

si nebula, vehementiorem;

si cadente sole,

28 eo om, R; eo atrocior] coatrocior

27 turpidior SU.
DEG-HJWX, coatirwtior MT ; atracior V; quodl quo S.
30 ostenditur IJR,
29 fit R; rubescunt E&MSU, rubescnt D.
31 ambiunt R; incumbunt R, incombent G-.
ostenderetur W.
33 cingitur MR; is] his V;
32 portendunt R; et om. E 2R.
36 porrigit R; erit] est R.
34 deflexerit I.
37 significavit HJTmX, significat kR; ortu S.
39 erit circulus K;
38 ostendunt R; aqua M.
40 vehementior est k;
erit} fuerit R; tempestatum W,
candente MSw .

X is se]

1 59
ventum;

si ater circulus fuerit, ex qua regione

is ruperit se, ventum magnum.

lunae praesagia.
aegyptus.
45

Proxima sint iure

347

Quartam earn maxime observat

Si splendens exorta puro nitore

fulsit serenitatem, si rubicunda, ventos;

si

nigra, pluvias portendere creditur in XV.

Cornua eius obtusa pluviam, erecta et infesta
ventos semper significant, quarta tamen maxime.
Cornu eius septentrionale acuminatum atque
50

rigidum ilium praesagit ventum, inferius austrum,

utraque recta noctem ventosam.

Si quartam orbis

rutilus cingebit, et ventos et imbres praemonebit.

Apud varronem ita est:

si quarto die luna erit

348

directa, magnam tempestatem in mari praesagiet,

o

41 quo] aqua E.
42 is om. G; eruperit T ; se ruperit R;
sunt k, sint G-, quamvis sint R; irrrae T , inre T2 ;
44 splens T; exorto J.
45 fulserit R, refulserit DEG-M;
rubicanda J.
46 pluvia E; portandere k; creditur om. k.
47 obtunsa DEG-; pluvia T; et recta V. 48 significant
semper M; significat RW.
49 cornua DEGMSU;
septrionale E.
50 frigidum E, regidum W. 51 utroque T ;
erecta E, recte T 1 , recto T2 ; ventosa M; si - est (53)
om. k.
52 rutilis DEG?M; cingebat M, cinget T 2 ,
cingit R; ventus T, ventum SU; premonet R, premovebit ET.
53 aput DG-M; varionem DEG, vassonem RW; lunam T;
est R.
54 directam T; manam G; presaget K, praesaget Y,
praesagit R.

1 6
55

nisi coronam circa se habeat et earn sinctram,

quoniam ille mo do non ante plenam lunam hiematurum
ostendit.

Si plenilunio per dimidium pura erit,

dies serenos significabit;

nigrescens imbres.
60

si rutila, ventos;
349

Si aliquo orbe nubem

incluserit, ventos, qua se ruperit;

si/gemini

orbes cinxerint, maiorem tempestatem, et maiorem

si tres erunt, aut nigri interrupti atque
distracti,

Nascens luna si cornu superiore

abatrato surget, pluvias decrescens dabit;

65

inferiore ante pleniluftium;

si

si in media nigritia

ilia fuerit, imbrem in pleniluni.

Si plena

circa se habebit orbem, ex qua parte is maxime

splendebit, exea ventum ostendet;

si in ortu

56 plenilunium DEG-; hiemeturum D.

55 sineram M.
57 hostendit S; plenilunium ET; per om. M; est R.
58 idies D; serenus V; significabit serenos T;
59 si nigrescens X.
signific k, significat R.
60 quas eruperit DEIJMST 1UWX, qucu eruperit T2 ,
61 cinserint J, cincxerint V.
quos eruperit G-, om. R.
63 cornus H. , fi^8^ atracto S,
62 eruntl fuerint R.
abatro T^X, ab atra E, abaratro U, alSsu^fro G-; surgit R;
65 pleniluminum I, plenilunid^n X,
dabit J abibit E.
66 inibrem M; plana T 1 ,
plenum luni D; in om. T.
67 circa se] cirse T; habet R ? habeat E;
planum T2 .
68 splendet R; ostendent V.
quaj quarta X.

161

cornua crassiora fuerint, horridam tempestatem.

70

Si ante quartam non apparuerit vento favonio

flante, hiemalis ,toto mense erit.

Si XVI

vehementius flammea apparuerit, asperas

tempestates praesagiet.

Sunt et ipsius lunae

350

VIII articuli, quoties in angulos solis incidat,

75

plerisque intra eos tantum observantibus praesagia

eiua, hos est III, VII, XI, XV, XVIIII, XXIII,
XXVII et interlunium.

Tertio loco stellarum

observationem esse oportet.

351

Discurrere hae

videntur interdum, ventique protinus sequuntur, in

80

quorum parte ita praesagiere.

Caelum cum

aequaliter totum erit splendidum articuli

temporum quos proposuimus, autumnum serenum

70 haparuerit G-, aparuerit U,

69 orridam T.
appuerit T; vento - apparuerit (72; om. T. 72 flaminea DM;
74 articulij circuli k; quoties} quos T;
asperato M.
76 ho I;
angulo MT; solidis k; incidit RT.
est om. T; XIJ XII X; XXIII] XVII T. '77 XXVII) XVII DR.
79 evidentur VX;
78 discurere M; haej hc D, om. VX.
interdumque venti R; venti quae J; seq.;u.ntur T,
81 fuerit R;
80 ita quidem R; cum om. k.
secuutur M.
spendidum K; splendidum articuli splendidum D.
82 aut tumnum J; autumnum - transierint (84) om. X.

1 62
praesagiabitur frigidum.

Si ver et aestas non

sine refrigerio aliquo transierint, autumnum

85

serenum ac densum minusque ventosum facient.

Autumni serenitas ventosQm hiemem facit.

Cum

352

repente stellarum fulgor obscuratur, ut id neque

nubilo nee caligine accidat, graves denuntiantur
tempestates.
90

Si volitare plures stellae

videbuntur, quo ferentur albescentes, ventos ex

his partibus nuntiabunt;

aut si cura stabunt,

certos, si id in pluribus partibus fiet,

inconstantes ventos et unditi.

Si stellam

errantium aliquam orbis incluserit, imbrem.

95

Sunt in signo cancri duae stellae parvae aselli

353

appellatae, exiguum inter illas spatium obtinentem

j praebcuji'UxoiLuu- 1,
83 presagitabitur K ,^presagiabitur D, presagabitur G-;
84 refrigerioJ frigore k; aliquo] aquo S;
aetas F.
87 repe J.
86 autumnum k; hiemen X,
autunum ET.
88 neque EG-SU, ne M; caligi'M; gravis T; deinitiantur D,
89 tempestas MT; stelleae S.
denuntiatur T.
92 fit R.
90 videntur R; feruntur kRWX, ferebuntur D.
93 et unditij enuntiat M; undati R; stellarum H.
94 errantiam DEF, erraticam G-; aliqua M; orbis^ morbus k.
95 sunt - aquilo om. k; parvae om. R; aselle J,
96 apellatae G-; exiguam T; inter illas
affelli M.
inter illas W; obtinente nubecula T.

1 63
nubeculam quam praesepia appellant;

haec cum

caelo sereno apparere desiit, atrox hiems sequitur;

si in alteram earum, aquiloniam, caligo abstulit,
100

auster saevit;

si austrinam, aquilo.

Arcus

cum sunt duplices, pluvias nuntiant, a pluviis

serenitatem non perinde certain;
circa sidera aliqua pluviam.

circulus nubis
354

Cum aestate

vehementius tonuit quam fulsit, ventos ex ea

105

parte denuntiat, contra si minus tonuit, imbrem.

Cum sereno caelo fulgetrae erunt et tonitrua,
abhiemavit, atrocissime autem cum ex omnibus IIII
partibus caeli fulgoravit;

cum ab aquilone

tantum, in posterum diem aquam portendit;

110

septentrione, ventum eum.

cum a

Cum ab austro vel

97 nubicula VX, nubila J; praesepium T ; appellant}

98 desinit R, desit T; hiemps EFRTWX,
vocant R.
99 aquilonium E; abstulerit R.
hyemps G, om. M.
101 sint SUV2 ;
100 in austrinam R; austrino D.
102 cretam SU; circulis TX.
pluvias) pluvia DF, pluviam EG-.
103 aliquam T; cum - denuntiat om. U; state T.
106 fulget atrae FG-,
105 denontiat G-; sin V.
107 abiemavit M, ad
fulget atre DEM; tonitua M.
108 fulgorabit G-; fulgoravit
hiemavit E; IIII om. G-.
109 postremum W;
ventum et imbrem ex hisdem regionibus M.
110 septentrionali V; eum om. k.
portendum k.

1 64
choro aut favonio nocte serena fulgoravit, ventura
et imbrem ex isdera regionibus demonstravit.
Tonitrua raatutina ventum significant, imbrem
meridiana.
115

Nubes cum sereno in caelum ferentur,

355

ex quacumque parte id fiet venti expectentur.

Si eodem loco globabuntur adpropinquantique solo
discutientur, et hoc ab aquilone fiet, ventos, si
ab austro, imbres portendent.

Sole occidente si

ex utraque parte eius caelum petent, tempestatem

120

significabunt.

Vehementius atrae ab oriente in

noctem aquam minantur, ab occidente in posterum

diem.

Si nubes ut vellera lanae spargentur

356

multae ab oriente, aquam in triduum praesagient.

Cum in cacuminibus montium nubes consident,

111 aut} vel MU; fabonio X; sereno hkUV; folgeravit T.

112 ex - imbrem (113) om. J; hisdem G-MSVX; demonstrabit I.
114 meridia D; nubes 113 inbrem D, himbrem V.
116 glogabuntur
disserenabit (12$) om. J: feruntur V .
HSU; adpropinquatique HT2UVWX, adpropinquatoque T 1 ,
adpropinquantibus Y, adpropinquatibus K; solo G-, solidem M.
119 patent G-,
117 cutientur M; hoc si V; vent#s T.
120 orientem X; in - oriente (123) om. M.
penetrant k.
122 utj aut k,
121 nocte fk; ab occidente om. E; ob U.
123 multam f; ob G-; aquam om. W. 124 acuminibus D.
in G-.
catuminibus M.

165

125

hiemabit;

si cacumina pura fient, disserenabit.

Nube gravida candicante, quod vocant tempestatem

albam, grando inminebit.

Caelo quamvis a sereno

nubecula quamvis parva flatum procellosum dabit.

Nebulae montibus descendentes aut caelo cadentes
130

357

vel in vallibus sidentes serenitatem promittent.

Ab his terreni ignes proxime significant,
Pallidi namque murmurantesque tempestatum nuntii
sentiuntur, pluviae iam si in lucernis fungi,, si
flexuose volitet flamma;

135

ventum et lumina cum ex

sese flammas elidunt, aut vix accenduntur;

358

item

cum in aeno pendente scintillae coacervantur, vel

cum tollentibus ollas carbo adhaerescit, aut cum
contentus ignis est, favillam discutit
*

125 hiemebit I, gemabit T; acumina M.

126 gavida T;
candidante &.
127 inminebat KY , inmunebit DE,
inmeinebit I; caelo om. I; a} ad W; serena G- .
128 nubiculo D; parvam T, parna M; procellorum E.
129 discendentes h T'U; aut caelo cadentes om, I;
aut] a - k.
130 sedentes T; promittunt DEG-. . . ,.
132 tempestatem E; ninitii EF, initii D, n4ma.aevi&.
133 sentiunt k; lu lucernis G-j fingi X.
134 flamina M.
135 flamma DG-, flammis M; vixj iux P, iuxta DEG,
vi M; acceduntur HI, accendentur V.
136 in om. I;
anno W, aere G-; pendentes T, pudente M; coaccervantur M.
137 olla D.
138 contemptus TV, contentibus X;
favillamve V; discutit scintillamve om, V,

1 66
scintillamve emittit, vel cum cinis in foco
140

concrescit et carbo vehementer perlucet.

aquarum significatio.

Est et

359

Mare si tranquillum in

portu cursitabit murmurabitve intra se, ventum

praedicit;

si id hieme, et imbrem;

litora

ripaeque resonabunt tranquillo, asperam

145

tempestatem, item maris ipsius tranquillus

sonitus spumaeve dispersae aut aquae bullantes,
Pulmonesve marini in pelago plurimum dierum
hiemem portendunt.

Saepe et silentio intumescit

inflatumque altius solito iam intra se esse

150

ventos fatetur,

Et quidam et montium sonitus

3&0

nemorumque mugitus praedicunt et sine aura quae

sentiatur folia ludentia, lanugo populi aut

142 murmuravitve hkU( murmuraveritve fM, murmfcrabit T;

intra} in terra D.
143 praecedit I; littora E.
144 sonabunt k, resonabunt J.
145 item - fatetur (150)
om. k.
146 spumae ut T; spunie vedisperse M;
bulantes V.lflpulnione sue T.
148 hiemen D. 149 soliti I;
intraj tra T.
150 fatetum T; et quidemj at quidem M;
et montiumJ montium V,
151 numerorumque M; rugitus k,
mugitus G- , magnus T; predicant W.
152 sentiantur Y;
laudentia E.

167
spinae volitans aquisque plumae innatantes, atque
etiam in campanis venturam tempestatem praecedens
155

suus fragor.

Caeli quidem murmur non dubiam

significationem habet.

Praesagiunt et animalia:

delphini tranquillo mari lascivientes flatum ex

qua venient parte, item spargentes aquam idem
turbato tranquillitatem.
160

Lulligo volitans,

conchae adherescente echini adfigentes sese aut

harena suburrantes tempestatis signa sunt.
Ranae quoque ultra solitum vocales et fulicae
matutino clangore, item mergi anatesque pinnas
rostro purgantes ventum, ceteraeque aquaticae

165

aves concursantes, grttes in mediterranea

festinantes, mergi, caviae maria aut stagna

153 spinae volitans om. E; spina kSU; aquisque?fragor (155) om. k; aquisque] aut quisque D, a M ;
inactantes D; atque etiam atque etiam JV^WX.
156 praesagiunt - sunt (161) om. k; etj ut J.
157 delphivi M; tranquilo G-; lasciventes D, lasciviantes W.
159 tranquillitate G-;
158 aqua I; idem} id est EG-.
160 echinni M, exhini T; adfingentes D;
lullago f.
161 harana M;
sesej se X, esse J; aut] ad V .
suburrantis J, suburantes f; tempestate in T. 162 sonitum fh
163 clangere DEG-; clangore significant
3MT, sonum U.
tempestatem k; anetesque I; pinna T. 164 rostros SU;
caeteraque W, ceteraque S, caeraeque G-; ceteraeque
165 concurrantes D;
aquaticae] cetera queaque quae T.
in mediterraneal silentio terranea D. 166 cavia k,
avie E.

1 68
fugientes.

&rues silentio per sublime volantes

serenitatem, sicut noctua in imbre garrula, aut

sereno tempestatem, corvique singultu.quodam
170

latrantes seque concutientes, si continuabunt, si

vero carptim vocem resorbebunt, ventosum imbrem.
G-raculi sero a pabulo recedentes hiemem, et albae

3^3

aves cum congregabuntur et cum terrestres

volucres contra aquam clangores dabunt
175

perfundentesque sese, sed maxime cornix;

hirundo

tarn iuxta aquam volitans ut pinna saepe percutiat;

quaeque in arboribus habitant fugitantes in nidis
suis;

et anseres continue clangore intempestivi,

ardea in mediis arenis tristis.

180

Nee mirum

aquaticas aut in toturn volucres praesagia aeris

167 fugientes tempestatem k, fugientis M; graves H;

168 sTal fcj in om. K; imbrem k; aut]] a k.
sublima k.
170 seque concutientes om. I; concutient5 D;
169 serena k.
171 resorbebis k, resorvebunt S,
continuabunt serenum k.
resordebunt W, respondebunt X; ventorum G; inbrem H.
173 congrebuntur CT.
172 papulo E; albes k.
175 perfinidentes seseque M;
174 clangorem k, clangoris V.
176 tam]\ cum contra k;
sese } sepe sepe E; sed om. k.
177 quaequeJ cetera queque
iuta E; pennes I; seie G-, se k.
que K, cetaem quaeque que Y; fugientes DGTVP, om. E;
179^ardea i
178 intempestivis T^.
nidus suos k.
ardeam DEG-M; medus D; tristris E; nee} sic M.

169

sentire;

pecora exultantia et indecora lascivia

ludentia easdem significationes habent, et boves

caelum olfactantes seque lambentes contra pilum,
turpesque porci alienos sibi manipulos faeni
185

lacerantes, segniterve et contra industriam suam

abscond!tae, vel forraicae concursantes aut ova
progerentes, item vermes terreni erumpentes.
Trifolium quoque inhorrescere et folia contra
tempestatem subrigere certum est.

190

Nee non et in

cibis mensisque nostris vasa, quibus exculentium

additur sudorem repositoriis relinquentia diras
terapestates praenuntiant.

exaltantia I, ex aliantia M; lascinia M.

-j
183 caenum P , cenum M; obfactantes D,
182 significaT K.
olfactante M; sedque T; lambientes k, lampentes DF.
181

peccora S;

185 segniterve 184 mainplos M; feoni E, om. M.

186 vel} item k;
absconditae om. k; segeniterve X.
187 item - erumpentes om.k.
conversantes DEG-X; ova] avo f.
188 tripholium k, trium folium X; inorrescere M;
190 excirlentium M.
189 nee] eo M.
folium eius k.
191
192

reliquentia T; diram tempestatem k.

pronuntiant J, om. k.

1 70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Manuscripts
This list contains all the manuscripts known to contain
any part of the Pliny excerpts discussed in the present work.
Those marked with one asterisk are known only from secondary
sources;

those marked with two asterisks have been seen on

microfilm or photograph;
**

BALTIMORE, Md.:

**

BAMBERG:

BERNE:

"

the rest have been examined personally.

Walters Art Gallery, W. 73

Staatsbibliothek, H.J.IV 22 (Class. 55)

Biirgerbibliothek, 265

"

347

BRESLAU:

BRUGES:

BRUSSELS:

CAMBRIDGE:

COLOGNE:

EINSIEDELN:

ERFURT:

Wissenschaftliche Bibliothek der Stadt, Amplon.

quarto 23

ERFURT:

issenschaftliche Bibliothek der Stadt, Amplon.

quarto 355

Biblioteka Uniwersytecka, Ac. IV 8. 11

Stadsbibliotheek, 523
Bibliotheque Royale de Belgique, II 2558
Pembroke College, 227
Historisches Archiv der Stadt, 10
Stiftsbibliothek, 266

1 71

ESCORIAL:

Real Biblioteca, 5 IV 10

FLORENCE:

Biblioteoa Medicea-Laurenziana," Ashburnham 1727

"

*
*

Biblioteca Nationale Centrale, Magi. VIII 53

HANOVER:

Niedersachsiche Landesbibliothek, IV 394

LONDON:

British Museum, Cotton Tiberius B V (vol. l)

it

tt

"

"

**
**

MADRID:

Harley 647
n

tt

2506

3969
Sloane 2030

"

tf

"

It

I?

ti

**

Edili 168

"

Biblioteca Nacional, 3307

ii

"
MONTFELLIER:

9605

Bibliotheque de la Faculte* de MeMecine,H 334

MONZA:

Biblioteca Capitolare, F. 9.176

MUNICH:

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, lat. 210

tt
tt

6362

6364

11

11067

"

14436

"
11

14733
14836

NEW YORK:

Pierpont Morgan Library, M. 857

OXFORD:

Bodleian Library, Auct. P. 3. 15

Bodl. 614

"

"

Canon. Class. Lat. 279

"

"

Digby 28

It

II

11

"

"

"

"

"

"

"

11
n
PARIS:

"

Laud. Lat. 118

"

Misc. 594

e Mus. 223

New College, 104

it

252

Bibliotheque Nationale, lat. 2236

ti

5239

5543

it

7299A

3553

"

12117

ii

"

"

16680

"

"

"

Nouv. acq. lat. 456

1615

7
*>
f M

1 73

PRAGUE:

SALAMANCA:

**

STRASBOURG:

TOLEDO:

Knihovna Metropolitni: Kapitoli, L LXXVII (1323)

Biblioteca Universitaria, 2055

Biblioteca del Cabildo, 47.15

VATICAN CITY:
*

Bibliotheque Universitatire et Regionale, 326

Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Barb. lat. 130

"

"

"

"

"

Ottob. lat. 1820

11

"

"

"

"

Palat. lat. 1377

"

"

"

"

"

Regin. lat. 123

it

it

ti

11

"

"

"

"

VIENNA:

Oesterreichische Nationalbibliothek, 387

"

"

"

2436

"

"

"

12600

ZURICH:

Zentralbibliothek, Car. C. 122

309

Vatic, lat. 645

**

ti

1 74

The sources of the microfilms and photographs are as

follows:
Baltimore, Walters 73 and Madrid 9^05:
Warburg Institute, London.

photographs in

Bamberg, H.J. IV. 22, Montpellier 334, Strasbourg 326 and

Zurich Car. C. 122: microfilms lent by Institut de Reeherches
et d'Histoire des Textes, Paris.
Madrid 3307Madrid.

microfilm, supplied by the Biblioteca Nacional,

Books and periodicals

ALBANES, J.H.: "La chronique de Saint-Victor de Marseille."

jjlcole franpaise de Rome: Melanges d* archdblogie et
d'histoire, 6 (1886). 64-90. 287-326. 454-465.
ALBAREDA, A.M.: "Els manuscrits de la Biblioteca Vaticana
Reg. Lat. 123, Vat. Lat. 5730 i el scriptorium de Santa
Catalonia monastica: recull de
Maria de Ripoll."
documents i estudis referents a monastirs Catalans, 1,
Montserrat, 1927, 23-79.
ALCUIN: B. Flacci Albini seu Alcuini ... Opera omnia ...
accurante et denuo recognoscente J. -P. Migne, 2,
(Patrologiae cursus completus ... series latino>, 101)
[Paris] f 1863.
ANASTASIUS: Anastasii abbatis ... Opera omnia ... Tomum
Accurante J. -P.
claudit appendix ad saeculum IX.
Migne, 3(Patrologiae cursus completus ...series
latino,, 129.) Parisiis, 1879.
ANTOLIN, G-.: Catallogo de los co^dices latinos de la Real
Madrid, 1910.
Biblioteca del Escorial, 1.
BAETHG-EN, F.: "Eine neue Rezension der Regensburger Annalen."
Neues Archiv der G-esellschaft fHr altere deutsche
aeschichtskunde, 45 (1924), 256-269.
BANDINI, A.M.: Bibliotheca Leopoldina Laurentiana, seu
Catalogus manuscriptorum qui iussu Petri Leopoldi ,
in Laurenti-anum translati sunt ... Angelus Maria
Bandinius ... recensuit illustravit edidit, 1,
Florentiae, 1791.

" "
( o

1 76

BEAUJOUAN, G-.: Manuscrits scientifiques medieVaux de

1 'Universit^ de Salamangue et de ses "Colegios mayores".
(Bibliotheque de 1'tfcole des Hautes Etudes Hispaniques,
32.)
Bordeaux, 1962.
BEDE:

Bedae Opera de temporibus. Edited by Charles W. Jones.

(Medieval Academy of America, publication, 41.)
Cambridge, Mass., 1943-

BEDE:

Venerabilis Bedae ... Opera omnia .. accurante et denuo

recognoscente J. -P. Migne, 1.(Patrologiae cursus
completus ... series latino,., 90.)
Parisiis, 1904.

BEER, R.:
Die Handschriften des Klosters Santa Maria de Rinoll.
1. (Sitzungsberichte der Kais. Akademie der Wissenschaften
in Wien, philosophisch-historische Klasse, 155, Abh.3)
Wien, 1907.
BEESON, C.H.: "The manuscripts of Bede."
42 (1947), 73-87.

Classical philology,

BEHR, A.:
"Fragmente einer Handschrift der Macrobius- und
Plinius-Excerpte."
Neue Jahrbucher ftir Philologie und
Paedagogik, 147: Jahrbficher ftir classische Philologie,
39 C1893), 139-143.
Bibliotheca Casinensis. seu codicum manuscriptorum qui in
tabulario casinensi asservantur series .., cura et
studio monachorum Ordinis S. Benedicti Abbatiae Montis
Casini. 1
[Monte Cajsi.no] , 1873.
BISCHOFF, B.: "Literarisches und kiinstlerisches Leben in
St. Emmeram (Regensburg) wahrend des fru'hen und hohen
Miittelalters."
Studien und Mitteilungen zur G-eschichte
des Benediktiner-Ordens und seiner ZweTge, 51
102-142.

1 77

BOBER, H.: "An illustrated medieval school-book of Bede's

"De natura rerum".11 Journal of the Walters Art Gallery,
19-20 (1956-57), 64-97.
BOECKLER, A.: Die Regensburg-Prufeninger Buchmalerei des
XII. und XIII. Jahrhunderts ...(Miniaturen aus
Handschriften der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in
Munchen, 1924.
Miinchen, 8.)
BOFFITO, G-. : "D'un importantissimo codice in parte inedito
La bibliofilia, 10 (1909), 325-351.
del secolo XIV."
BOND, W.H.: Supplement to the Census of medieval and
renaissance manuscripts in the United States and
Canada, originated by C.U. Faye, continued and edited
by W.H. Bond.New York, 1962.
BUBNOV, N., see G-ERBERT.
BUESCU, V., see CICERO.
BURSIAN, C.L.: Review of: Hyginus philosophus. De imafainibus
coeli ... zum erstenmal herausgegeben vom Corrector
Literarisches
Leipzig, 1861.
Dr. L.Y/ Hasper.
Centralblatt fur D.eutschland, (1861), 854-855.
Catalogue gnral des manuscrits des bibliotheques publiques
Publie^ sous les auspices du
des departements.
Paris, 1849.
Ministere de I 1 Instruction Publique. 1.
Tome II
Catalogue ge'he'ral des manuscrits latins.
(Nos. 1439-2692), publie" sous la direction de Ph. Lauer.
Paris, 1940.

1 78

Catalogue of the Harleian manuscripts in the British

With indexes of persons, places and
Museum,
fLondon], 1808.
matters, 3
Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Regiae,
Parisiis, 1744.
4.
CHATELAIN, E\: "Un nouveau manuscrit des Lettres de
Revue de
Selieque disperse* entre Leyde et Oxford."
philologie. de litteVature et d'histoire anciennes,
N.S. 21 (1897), 50-57.

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180
DELISLE, L.: "Inventaire des manuscrits latins de la
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181
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1 86

MEIER, G-.: Catalogus codicum manu scriptorum qui in

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Hannoverae,

187

Monumenta G-erraaniae historica:

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