Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 8663

Astronomical compilation

Aratea text: Hyginus, De astronomia; De ordine ac positione

Parchment — iii (paper) + 58 fols. + iii (paper) — 272 × 182 mm — Fleury (?) / Tours (?) — s. X-XI¹

Support: Composed, according to Moster, from three homogeneous and contemporary parts: ff. 1-24, ff. 25-46 and ff. 47-58 (Mostert's BF 1155, 1156 and 1157 accordingly). I² (ff.1-2), II-III⁸ (ff.3-10 and 11-18), IV² (ff.19-20), V⁴ (ff.21-24), VI-VII⁸ (ff.25-32 and 33-40), VIII⁶ (ff.41-46), IX⁴ (ff.47-50) and X⁸ (ff.51-58) In pencil and ink in the upper right corner of every folium. The manuscript lost at least two quaternions between ff. 32 and 33. See note to25r-44v.

Layout: Written in 32-44 long lines.

History: All three parts show palaeographical similarities and where probably written in the Loire valley ins. X-XI¹, scholars suggesting Fleury (Carey) and Tours (Saxl) as possible place of production. — The verse on f.58v suggests the manuscript was in Fleury in the s. XI. In thes. XVII it belonged to the Philibert de La Mare.

Selected Bibliography:Mostert (1989). — Bubnov 1899, p. LVIII. — Saxl, Verzeichnis 3,1, p. XX. — Bernhard, Michael, ed.Anonymi saeculi decimi vel undecimi tractatus de musica “Dulce ingenium musicae”. Veröffentlichungen der Musikhistorischen Kommission 6. München, 1987, esp. pp. 5-6. — Carey, Frederick.De Scriptura Floriacensi. Unpublished diss. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 1923. — Vernet, Marie-Thérèse. “Notes de Dom André Wilmart † sur quelques manuscrits latins anciens de la Bibliothèque nationale de Paris.”Bulletin d’information de l’Institut de Recherche et d’Histoire des Textes, no. 8 (1960): 7–46, esp. pp. 40-44. — Munk Olsen, Catalogue 1, p. 532. — Barker-Benfield, R.C. "A ninth-century manuscript from Fleury." InMedieval Learning and Literature. Oxford, 1976, pp. 145-165, here p. 155. — Sternbilder des Mittelalters, pp. 430-35.

1r-19v Hyginus: De astronomia Et si te studio gramaticae artis inductum non solum uersuum moderatione … — … annum uoluerunt esse cum sol a haestiuo circulore dieris CCCos LXVI dies suo cursu transigit. Large decorated initial E on f. 1r; drawing of Centaurus on f. 11v inside the text.

19v-23v De ordine ac positione ›De ordine ac positione stellarum in signis‹ Est quidem hic ordo ac positio siderum quae fixa caelo … — … Anticanis habet summum stellarum III.

24r-v Pliny: Excerpta Eboracensia

(24r) De positione et cursu septem planetarum ›De positione et cursu septem planetarum‹ Inter caelum et terram certis discreta spatiis VII sydera pendent … — … Dein morata in coitu solis biduo cum tardissime a tricesima luce ad easdem uices exit. Drawings of the planets as human bust scluptures with their names written in a halo around their heads. Drawing of the Sun missing (only a headingSol).

(24v) De absidibus earum ›De absidibus earum‹ Tres sunt autem quas supras solem diximus sitas … — … sicut in rotis radios ut subiecta figura demonstrat. An elaborated zoomorphic initial"T".

25r-44v Macrobius: Commentarium in somnium Scipionis ›Macrobii Ambrosii Theodosii v. c. et in l. commenta ex cicerone in somnium scipionis.‹ Inter platonis et ciceronis libros quos de republica uterque constituit … — … philosophiae continetur integritus. ›Macrobii Ambrosii commenta ex cicerone in somnium scipionis explicit.‹ Lacuna of probably two quaternions between ff. 32 and 33. On f. 32v the text ends in mid lib. 1, cap. 11"id est inferos uocauerunt" and f. 33r begins with mid lib. 1, cap. 21 "[re] ferens quo a ueteribus et temptata est". Decorated zoomorphic initials on f.25r and 34v (begin of Book 2); f. 34r rain diagram; f. 35v Lambda diagram; ff. 37v and 38v diagram of the celestial and terrestrial circles; f. 39v diagram of the terrestrial globe.

44v-46r Cicero: Somnium Scipionis On f. 44v introductory note:"Incipit somnium scipionis quod macrobius exponens adeuste (?) dominum filium suum duos edidit libros in quibus subtiliter disseruit de bono senectutis et de natura animae uiciisque eius et uirtutibus de diuersitatibus etiam et nominibus somniorum necnon et de natura numerorum et diuisione de sideribus quoque et stellis de numero et magnitudine caelestium circulorum de positione ac magnitudine celi ac terrae de magnitudine et defectu necnon et cursu soli et lunae de VII planetis et de armonia caeli". ›Somnium scipionis M. Tullii Ciceronis excerptum ex libro VI de re publica.‹ Cum in africam uenissem A manlio consule … — … qui nec pauciores et certe meliores fuere uiri[…] Two thirds of the page left blank. Decorated zoomorphic initials on f.45r.

46v blank, marks from drawing of circles perhaps later additions for the following text of Gerbert.

47r Gerbert of Aurillac: Letter to Constantine of Fleury on the abacus Uis amiciciae penae impossibilia redigit ad possibilia. Nam quomodo rationes numerorm abaci explicare contenderemus nisite ad ortante omni dulce solamen laborum … — … ac terrae plena fide comparatam.

(47r-v) The letter is followed by Regulae multiplicationis and Regulae divisionis Si multiplicaueris singularem numerum per X dabis unicuique digiti X et omni articulo C … — … denominationes mittunt ad extremos digitos. Bubnov 1899, pp. 8-22.

47v-49v On the calculation with abacus:

(47v-48r) Herigerus Lobiensis: Regulae de numerorum abaci rationibus Singularem per decenum si multiplicaueris dabis digitos X articulos C … — … Hic ulterius ad hanc consequentiam multiplicantur numeri etiamsi interminabilis multitudinis fiat abacus. Bubnov 1899, pp. 8-12.

(48r-49r) Commentary on the Regulae. Diuiduntur autem numero diuiso modo … — … sic diuisores per denominutionem totius dividendi multiplicabuntur. Bubnov 1899, pp. 262-68.

(49r) Regulae de numerorum abaci rationibus Quomodo decenus metitur centenum aut millenum vel millenus ulteriores. Si volueris per decenum numerum dividere … — … idem tibi diligenter exsequenti constabit. Bubnov 1899, pp. 13-14, 19-20, 15-17, 20-21. (49v) Abacus table.

50r Gerbertus of Aurillac: Epistola ad fratrem Adam […] Marcianus in astrologia incrementa horarum ita fieri putat … — … quae sit XXIIIIor partium. two tables illustrating the lenght of day and night with headings "Horologium secundum eos qui diem maximum habent horarum aequinoctialium XVIII" and "Item horologium hellesponti ubi dies maximum est horarum XV". Bubnov 1899, pp. 39-40.

50r-51r Anonymous work on the measure of monocords ›Designatio monordi‹ Dulce ingenium musicae quamuis instrumentis plurimis uigeat … — … huius tropi talis est forma NOEAGIS. On f. 51r a tonarium; according to Vernet it is executed in the style of the Loire area. Bernhard, Michael.Anonymi saeculi decimi vel undecimi tractatus de musica 'Dulce ingenium musicae'. Munich, 1987.

51v-57r Diagrams for calculating muscial intervals.

57v Apuleian Sphere Sphera apulegii de egris uel monomachis, si uis scire qua die decumbant uel liberentur … — … si infra mortem uel casum monomachi monstrabit. Diagram of the sphere with headings int he middle"Vita Mors".

57v Text on measures (later addition in two column). batus I mensura L sextariorum … — … Talentum minus recipit L libras. On the inner margin added as a third column a table of measures.

58r Liturgical songs Pro defunctis:

Responsorium (Cantus N.006325). Congregati sunt deus ad deuorandum me … — … deus meus in adiutorium meum intende.

Verse (Cantus N.006325a): "Delicta iuuentutis mee ne memineris domine et ne auersas faciem tuam a me quoniam tribulor uelociter exaudime domine."

Verse. "Reminiscere misericordie tue domine et ap peccatis absolue quos regenerasti baptismatis in fonte."

Verse (Cantus N.007091zh): "Miserere ihesu christe miserere qui umbrosum inluminasti infernum da eis splendidissimum lumen ut possuit uidere perpetuam lucem."

Short notice of several verses: "Deus meus ne elongeris. alia deus meus in auxilium. alia deus meus inadiutorium (?)."

Responsorium (Cantus N.601986): "Redemptor meus uiuit et in nouissimo resurgam et renouabuntur denuo ossa mea in carne mea uidebo dominum meum."

Verse (Cantus N.601986a: "Lauda anima mea dominum laudabo dominum in uita mea psallam deo meo quandiu ero."

with interlinear notation and traces of French, Lotharingian and Aquitanian neumes (Mostert). Hesbert, Dom R.-J. “L’office de la commémoraison des dédunts à Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire au XIIIe siècle.” InMiscellanea liturgica in honorem L. Cuniberti Mohlberg, 2:393–421. Rome: Edizioni Liturgiche, 1949.

58r-v Probatio pennae.

58v Later additions and verses:"Florida floriacum perlustrauit pragmata claustri | floret florigerum dogmatis hic studium".

Abreviated Literature:

Bubnov 1899	Gerberti postea Silvestri II papae Opera mathematica 972-1003. Ed. Nicolai Bubnov. Berlin: Friedländer, 1899.
Mostert (1989)	Mostert, Marco. The Library of Fleury. A Provisional List of Manuscripts. Hilversum: Verloren, 1989.
Munk Olsen, Catalogue 1	Munk Olsen, Birger. L’ étude Des Auteurs Classiques Latins Aux XIe et XIIe Siècles. Vol. I. Catalogue des manuscrits classiques latins copiés du IXe. au XIIe siècle: Apicius - Juvénal. Paris: CNRS, 1982.
Saxl, Verzeichnis 3,1	Saxl, Fritz. Verzeichnis Astrologischer Und Mythologischer Illustrierter Handschriften Des Lateinischen Mittelalters. Vol. 3,1: Handschriften in englischen Bibliotheken. Heidelberg: Winter, 1953.
Sternbilder des Mittelalters	Blume, Dieter, Mechthild Haffner, and Wolfgang Metzger. Sternbilder des Mittelalters: der gemalte Himmel zwischen Wissenschaft und Phantasie. Vol. I, 1: Text und Katalog der Handschriften. Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 2012.

Catalogued by: Ivana Dobcheva

(last change: 2018-05-31)

How to quote: Ivana Dobcheva, 'Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 8663 - Aratea Digital' (https://github.com/ivanadob/aratea-data/blob/master/data/descriptions/desc__paris_bnf_lat_8663.xml last update: 2018-05-31).