The second of two volumes of the Etymologiae (Etymologies) of
Isidore of Seville (b. c. 560, d. 636), an encyclopedia in twenty
books dedicated to Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa (b. 590, d. 651),
the editor of the text. The first volume is Harley MS 3941/1.
Contents: ff. 140r-151r: Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae , Book XI,
the human body and medicine. ff. 151r-168r: Isidore of Seville,
Etymologiae , Book XII, various animals, with a later addition to
the text on inserted parchment strip (f. 166r). ff. 168r-177r:
Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae , Book XIII, celestial and
terrestrial elements, such as air, water, sea, and rivers. ff.
177r-189v: Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae , Book XIV, geographical
aspects of the earth, including a small round map on f. 177r. ff.
189v-202v: Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae , Book XV, aspects of
human settlements such as cities, villages, fields and their
boundaries, and travels. ff. 202v-219v: Isidore of Seville,
Etymologiae , Book XVI, stone, ivory, marble, metals, and weights
and measures, with a later addition to the text on an inserted
parchment strip (f. 216v). ff. 219v-234v: Isidore of Seville,
Etymologiae , Book XVII, agriculture and its products. ff.
234v-244v: Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae , Book XVIII, war,
weapons and trophies, and games. ff. 244v-259v: Isidore of Seville,
Etymologiae , Book XIX, ships, metal smithing, building
construction, clothing and ornaments. ff. 259v-265r: Isidore of
Seville, Etymologiae , Book XX, furniture, implements for drinking
and eating, vehicles, country life and gardening, and saddlery.
lacking one leaf between ff. 263r-264r with consequent loss of text
(XX, 6, 9-11,11). Each book is preceded by a table of contents,
with the exception of books X and XIX. The manuscript is partly a
palimpsest (ff. 240r-241r, 246r, 248r-249r, 251r, 253r-260r, 265r):
the palimpsest leaves contain extracts from the Chronicle of
Eusebius-St Jerome in uncial script datable to the 5th or 6th
century.The manuscript contains some later additions: ff. 142v-143,
144r, 145v-146, 150r, 152v, 163v, 169v, 172r, 173r, 228v,
231r-231v, 234r, 238v: Marginal and interlinear glosses, in a
contemporary and slightly later (10th-century) script.
Decoration:Several large initials with interlace decoration,
usually in yellow, red (oxidised), blue, and green, outlined in
brown. Initials in brown ink, filled in red (oxidised), yellow,
and/or green. Diagrams in red and brown (ff. 126v-127r). A small
round map of the world in brown (f. 177r, lower margin).
