Miscellaneous Astrological texts; Calendar of Saints; Hermann of Reichenau, De Mensura Astrolabii et Ejus Utilitate, cum Tabulis ; Ahmad Ibn Muhammed al-Farghānī, Rudamenta Astronomica ; Abraham ben Meïr Ibn Ezra, De Tabulis Planetarum ; Adelard of Bath, Liber Astrolabi ; Roger of Hereford, Astrological Tables; Daniel of Morley, De Naturis Superiorum et Inferiorum ; William of Conches, Dragmaticon Philosophiae
This manuscript contains a collection of astrological treatises,
accompanied by tables and diagrams. ff. 3r-5v: A Calendar of Saints
of Ely Cathedral Priory.f. 6r: An anonymous computus text. ff.
6v-15v: Astrological tracts and tables concerning the movement of
the sun and the moon, beginning, ‘Cum queretur utrum die mensis
lunaris xxix’. ff. 16r-35r: Astrological texts and tables
concerning the movement of the planets and the eclipse of the sun
and moon, beginning, ‘Superorium trium planetarum, Saturni
scilicet’. ff. 35v-43v: Hermann of Reichenau (b. 1013, d. 1054),
De Mensura Astrolabii et Ejus Utilitate, cum Tabulis (On the
Measure of the Astrolabe and of Its Usefulness, with Tables). ff.
43v-56r: Ahmad Ibn Muhammed al-Farghānī (d. 870), Rudimenta
Astronomica (Rudiments of Astronomy), translated by John of Seville
(fl. c. 1113-1142). ff. 56v-68v: Abraham ben Meïr Ibn Ezra (b.
1092, d. 1167), De Tabulis Planetarum (On Planetary Tables). ff.
69r-74r: Adelard of Bath (b. in or before 1080, d. 1150), Liber de
Astrolabi (Book on the Astrolabe). f. 74r: Anonymous, verses on the
location of the planets, beginning, ‘Saturni, Jovis et Martis
loca sic reperito'. ff. 74r-75v: Anonymous, De Partibus
Principalibus Astrolabii (On the Principal Parts of the Astrolabe),
beginning ‘Astrolabii principales partes sunt, mater, alcancabut,
allidada’. ff. 75v-76r: Anonymous, Quaedam Geometrica de
Mensuratione Umbrae (On the Geometry of Measuring Shadows),
beginning ‘Umbra directa, sive stans sive plana est, quam facit
corpus terre’. ff. 77r-85r: Astrological tables attributed to
Roger of Hereford (fl. 1178-1198). ff. 85v-87r: Anonymous, Quaedam
de Altitudine Solis, etc. apud Toletum et Herefordiam (On the
Height of the Sun, and Other Astrological Bodies, at Toledo and
Hereford). ff. 88r-103v: Daniel of Morley (b. c. 1140, d. in or
after 1210), De Naturis Superiorum et Inferiorum (On the Nature of
Height and Depth). Beginning ‘Philosophia magistri Danielis de
Merlai ad Johannem Norwicensem episcopum’. ff. 104r-143v: William
of Conches [‘Shelly’] (b. c. 1080, d. 1154), Dragmaticon
Philosophiae (A Dialogue on Natural Philosophy). The manuscript
contains a number of later additions:ff. 1v-2v: A list of books,
added in the 15th century. ff. 6v, 103v, 108r, 108v: Inscriptions
in an unidentified later hand. Decoration: 10 large decorated
initials in green, blue, red and gold (ff. 7r, 16r, 35v, 43v, 56v,
88r, 88v, 95r, 95v, 104r); smaller initials in red, green or blue
throughout, sometimes with penwork decoration and pen-flourishing
in another colour. Numerous astrological tables and diagrams
throughout the manuscript. The manuscript contains a few added
drawings: a drawing of St Catherine of Alexandria, added in the
15th century (f. 1r); a faint sketch of a man holding a book (f.
76v).
