Summary:
Manuscript 518 is a collection of three important texts of the
Corpus Aristotelicus, the body of works written by or ascribed to
the Greek philosopher Aristotle. The first text (ff. 1r-64r) is the
Ethics, or Ethica Nicomachea, that discusses the human nature and
happiness. The translation into Latin is the work of Robert
Grosseteste (1175-1253), revised by William of Moerbeke (c.
1215-1286). Moerbeke is also the translator of the second text (ff.
66r-88r), the De Anima, a treatise on the soul. The third and final
text (ff. 89r-105v) is the De generatione et corruptione, a
treatise on generation and corruption, two peculiar forms of
change. The Latin translation is the work of Burgundius Pisanus (c.
1110-1193). The codex is mutilated; several leaves are missing,
while others have partially been cut out. In all three cases, the
first leaf of the text is absent. From this, and remaining traces,
it can be assumed that the mutilated leaves contained decorated
initials. The copy has very broad margins, and the text, written in
a neat textualis-script in two columns, is consistently decorated
with alternate blue and red paragraph marks. The latter pattern is
also used for the running titles. As the first leaves of each text
are (partially) missing, it is unknown how these initials must have
looked like. There are two types of initials still present in the
codex. Those that within a text signal the beginning of a new book,
include gold leaf and painted flora and animals. Ascenders and
descenders extend in the margin from the initial and end in the
upper and lower margins with additional tails. Those that signal
the beginning of a new chapter have been executed in penwork with
decorations and alternately red and blue ascenders and descenders
in the margins. The codex is bound in a white leather binding, with
blind stamped covers. Traces of clasps are visible and the fenestra
is found on the lower part of the back cover. The inside of the
back board contains the inscription 'Iste liber est fratris
Johannis Beyen, monachi de Dunis'. It can thus be assumed that the
codex was incorporated into the library of Ter Doest, and found its
way into the collection of Ten Duinen along with the other tomes in
the collection. The cross-shaped stamp of the latter abbey is found
on the second (indicating the mutilation to the leaves with
initials must have occurred before) and last leaves. [Summary by
Dr. Mark Vermeer] Title:
Ethicorum, de anima, de generatione et corruptione
[fenestratitel] Note:
Op de binnenzijde van het achterplat staan enkele tekeningetjes,
waaronder een zelfportret(?), en penneproeven: o.a. '[***] aut
posterius est aut nichil est'; 'Amen dico vobus quia tu es filius
meus'; 'Perfers et vinces (16de-eeuwse hand)'; '[Ant?]honio dominum
debet amare suum'; 'Deus meus'; en 'chiers sires sauver vous
fays' Topic general subdivision:
Wijsbegeerte
Godsdienst
Wiskunde - natuurwetenschappen Material:
Perkament Extent:
105 ff. Dimensions:
360 x 240 mm Decoration and binding:
sierinitialen
gedecoreerde initialen
randdecoratie
Middeleeuwse band Script:
gotische textualis Provenance:
Cisterciënzerabdij Ten Duinen (S.O.Cist.)
