Londres. Wellcome Library, MS.626

Biblissima authority file: https://data.biblissima.fr/entity/Q149857

  • Other Form of the Shelfmark :
    • LONDON. Wellcome Institute for the history of Medicine Library, 626
    • London. Wellcome Collection, MS.626
    • LONDON, Wellcome Institute for the history of Medicine Library, 626
    • London. Wellcome Library, MS.626
    • Lyon, 1895, 4 nov., vente Dauphin de Verna n°1270
    • Wellcome Library, MS.626
  • Held at : Londres. Wellcome Library
  • Author : Anonyme
  • Date of Origin :
  • Composition :
    • 1 volume;

      316 folios (last 2 bl.). folio. 28 x 19 cm. On paper and vellum; two leaves in every gathering being vellum. 18th century half calf binding over wooden boards, damaged. Stain on Fol. 21v and Fol. 22. Margins slightly cropped in binding.

      Written in double column, 34-42 lines to a page. Ff. 264-293 are by a different but contemporary hand, and folios 294-end by several late 15th century hands.

      On fol. 1 an illuminated initial E in gold and colours. Other initials and paragraph marks in alternate red and blue. The first (vellum) leaf recto is divided into two large upper, and two small lower panels. The whole is surrounded by a decorated floreated border in gold and colours. The top oblong of this panel contains two scrolls in blue, each lettered in white with the motto 'Loue soit il'. These are repeated in the lower oblong on each side of an emblazoned shield, and accompanied each by a cock, or. The left upper panel shows a Physician in his study attired in a long blue robe and purple bonnet, holding up an urine flask towards a latticed window. The floor of the room is of green tiles, and it is furnished with a two-tiered stand, and two book-shelves recessed into the wall, on containing al large open book. The right upper panel contains an emblazoned coat of arms-azure two cocks or, crested, gules, affronted: with three etoiles, or. The supporters are two cocks, and the shield is surmounted by a crest-a helmet sable surmounted by a cock's head or, crested, gules. The shield is repeated in the lower panel (see above). The illustrations in the text are in water colour and numbered 1-458, but 24 have been omitted, though spaces have been left. These illustrations are mainly of plants and herbs, but there are 44 showing animals, insects, stones, human figures engaged in country pursuits, domestic implements, a furnace, fire-place, etc.

      The illustrations of plants are well executed, though for the most part in a more formal style than those in the 'Arbolaire'. The picture of the 'Mandragora' (fol. 160v) is not anthropomorphic. Some of the illustrations, especially that of the bees (fol. 165), are excellent, as well as many of the numerous examples showing agricultural pursuits. Some of the animals are grotesque, as for instance the peculiar elephant on fol. 228; and the illustration for 'Moumie'-not in the 'Arobolaire'-is an example of the macabre, with its two putrefying bodies in a large open coffin.

      The last 11 folios are on paper with a different watermark (Briquet 9744 = Cluny 1456, or 9771 = Chaussin 1451). The whole of the rest of the MS. is on paper with watermark Briquet No. 13040 = Bourg 1464.

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Contents

Data Source: Jonas

  • Anonyme | Livre des simples médecines
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Aloen est de seche et chaulde complexion ou second degre. Aloe est fait du jus de une herbe qui est ainsi appellee aloen mais nous l'appellons crimbau...
    Folio 1 - 261
  • Anonyme | Recette contre la peste
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Primo est assavoir que dedens ung jour naturel qui contient XXIIII heures, toutes maladies sont formees...
    Folio 306r - 309v
  • Anonyme | Livre des simples médecines
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Aloen est de seche et chaulde complexion ou second degre. Aloe est fait du jus de une herbe qui est ainsi appellee aloen mais nous l'appellons crimbau...
    Folio 288r - 293r
  • Anonyme | Recette contre la goutte
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Pour la gote, prend des raves en bonne quantité et les mectz font (sic) cuire
    Folio 220r - 220r
  • Anonyme | Recette médicale
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Recepte d'ung meustre en medicine qui s'appelloit Imbert, lequel estoit moult esprouvé
    Folio 130v - 130v
  • Anonyme | Vertus de la Melisse
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Aultre recepte de la mellisse. Premierement faictet ceste herbe tramper en vin XXIIIII heures, et la faictes distiler par ung lambic.
    Folio 171v - 172r
  • Anonyme | Recettes médicales
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Recepte de faire Gracia Dei. Premierement prenés de vetoine, de verveine et de pimpenelle de chascune une poignie
    Folio 261r - 262v
  • Anonyme | Eau de noix (lait de Vierge)
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Quant les noix sont dehors de la premiere fleur, prenés les et les tuilés, et les mectés en chappelle pour faire de l'eaue. Ceste eaue ycy s'apelle lait de vierge, et prenés ceste eaue pour esprouver une goute
    Folio 293r - 293v
  • Anonyme | Recettes médicales diverses
    Folio 295r - 295v
  • Anonyme | Recettes médicales
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Et premierement treuve ledit maistre Pierre en ung des livres de Ypocras que quand David le prophete par le commandement de son pere gardoit les brebis, qu'il vit une femme cheoir du grant mal
    Folio 297r - 297v
  • Anonyme | Remèdes contre la peste
    Incipit référence de l'oeuvre : Recepte notable contre l'impedimée venue de l'ostel de noble et puissant prince Charles duc de Bourgogne. Premierement, une onze de melridal pestilencial
    Folio 298r - 298v

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Notes

Data Source: Jonas

Data Source: Wellcome Collection - Online Collections

  • Purchased from Barnard, Bookseller of London 1935.

  • Circa instans, seu de medicamentis simplicibus (in French): in a version closely resembling that of the first printed edition of the 'Arbolaire' [Beasancon. c. 1477/8]. With additional medical receipts and notes in Latin and French: including some early receipts against the 'Mal de Naples'. [c. 1500.].

    1. f.1 [E]n Ceste/presente besongne/est nostre propos et/entencion de traiter/des simples medi/cines ... F.2 (col. 2, line 15) [A]loan est de chaulde et/seche complexion... F.261 (col. 1, line 11) [At the end of entry on 'Zuccara']...Et/pour euiter prolixite/cy est fin de ce liure/en quel sont contenuz les/segres de salerne loue/en soit dieu Amen.///Deo gracias.

    2. ff.261 (col. 2)-263v Miscellaneous receipts: by the same hand.

    3. f.264 (red) [L]es Remedes pour les ma/ladies de la teste seront trouuees es chapitres/si comme il sera declarie.//A kla doleur du chief en cha/pitre daloen... F.288 (col. 2, line 23) Contre morsures veni/meuses et venin en zedoar (line 25) (red) [L]a Exposicion des/mos obscures et/mal cogneus par 1'ordre/des lettres de A B C. line 29 [A]lopice (red) cest cheete de/cheueux... F.293 (col. 1, line 12) Yposarte Ilen et dit en/leucofleumance etc.////Explicit.

    4. ff. 293-314 Miscellaneous medical receipts by different late 15th century hand, in Latin and French.

    f. 293 Receipt for 'Eaue de noix'.

    294 Recepta solemnis pro oculis. (line 17) Item lquia non Reperitur apud nos herba sileris montani/mitte Burgum In bressia In domo filii magistri bartholomei/mye qui tibi tradet vnum paruum vitrum aque illius herbe...

    295 Receipt by G. Fabert.

    296 Di[c]tata per magistrum Symeonem de Pauia Contrapestem. (line 6) Alia Recepta super eodem di[c]tata per Magistrum Ludouicum. [i.e. Louis Abraham. Cf. Wickersheimer Dictionnaire biographique p. 526.].

    297 Ce sont les vertus du g[ui] de ch[ëne] que maistre/pierre gresse natif darabie philosophe docteur/et cheualier en mediceine a extrait des liures/qui ont este faits et experimentes par ceulx cy/dessoubz escrips comme il appert en la librairie de labbaie de clugny que ledit maistre pierre/y aporta et donna.

    297v (line 21) Item lon trouue es liures de vergile les quelz sont en/la dite abbaye de clugny comme ledit virgile se aidoit/du g[ui] de ch[ëne] a faire ces plus merueilles contre les/dyables...

    298 Recepte notable Conte Limpedimie/venue de lostel de noble et puissant/prince charles duc de bourgoyne etc.

    301 (line 16) Magister panthaleo Contra catarrum.

    302v Pour guerir de la jaunisse [?] [margin cropped] Signed 'A. Bruneti'.

    302v (line 12) Contra grauellam pro domino Johanne de borbonio abbate cluniacense.

    304 (line 22) Pour excoriation. Preceptor de l'Aulmusse. [Below] Approbatum est aussy par Maystre Jehan de la planche, jadiz procureur en parlement a paris.

    304v Recepte pour la grauelle approuuee par/maistre Jehan Espiard.

    305 Proprietas agni dei.

    Ff. 306-310 Plague receipts etc.: in French, by different hands.

    311, 312 Receipts for 'Mal de Naples' [Syphilis]: by different hands. Fol. 311 (line 22) Ex magno Johanne medicina [sic] phisio [sic] mediolani/commorante de scala In domo li mayno. F.311 (line 24) Recepte pour guerir du m[al] de napples [sic]. Signed with a monogram J E (Jean Espiard ?] and a paraph.

    Ff. 313, 314 Latin and French prayers against disease, receipts, etc. The receipts on ff. 311, 312 for 'Mal de Naples'-written probably c. 1500, or earlier-are of interest. As might be expected, mercurial remedies are indicated.

  • Inside the upper cover is an armorial book-plate lettered 'Ex libris Petri Arcelin Matisconensis. Medicinae Facultatis Monspeliensis'. He died in 1771. No. 1270 in the Sale at Lyons 13/11/1895 of the Library of Baron Louis Marie François Dauphin de Verna, where it was bought by a M. Morgand. [Cf. inserted excerpt from an article by Léopold Delisle describing this, and other items in 'Bibliothèque de 1'école des Chartes' Vol. 56, pp. 645-690. 1895.]

  • As shown by the names of persons, mentioned in the Receipts following the main text, it seems probable that lthis MS. was executed for, or owned by a person living at or connected with the Abbev of Cluny. Both Jean de Bourbon [Cf. fol. 302v] who was elected Abbot of Cluny and died in 1485, and Charles duc de Bourgogne [1433-1477], mentioned on fol. 298, appear to be spoken of as if still alive. The arms on the first leaf, and the motto-which also appears by itself on fol. 80- are those of the Dubois Family, but which branch has not been ascertained. [Cf. Chassant & Tausin: Dictionnaire des dévises historiques. vol. II, p. 519.]

Bibliography

  • Baumann, Felix Andreas. Das Erbario Carrarese und die Bildtradition des Tractatus de herbis :  ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Pflanzendarstellung im Übergang von Spätmittelalter zur Frührenaissance. Berner Schriften zur Kunst 12. Bern: Benteli, 1975.
  • Collins, Minta. Medieval Herbals. London: The British Library, 2000.
  • Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).
  • Section romane. Notices de Manuscrits Français et Occitans. Dossiers Suspendus. Paris: CNRS-IRHT, 1937.

Data sources