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Manuscripts of the Speculum Naturale

Key


Nc* - Corresponding books in the printed edition of the Douai version of the Speculum Naturale, Douai, 1624; I - Additional information on the speculum text as present in the manuscript, or on other texts present in the manuscript, or on material damage; D - Date of the manuscript; P - Country, region or place of production; if available, information on the scribe(s) of the manuscript; O - Medieval and pre-modern owners of the manuscript; L - Hyperlink to digital facsimiles of the manuscript; R - Reference to manuscripts listed in other parts of the inventory, with which this manuscript at the time of its production constituted a set of volumes. Manuscripts that have been collected into a set by a single medieval collector (library) within several decades, are indicated with cf.


Na: Speculum Naturale, Tournai version

Two manuscripts of the Tournai version of the Speculum Naturale (Na) have been identified:

  • Brussels, Bibliothèque royale 9152, books I-VII

    • Siglum: Na1

    • D: 15th century

    • P: Belgium

    • O: Liège, cl. St. Laurent O.S.B.

    • R: cf. He10


  • Brussels, Bibliothèque royale 18465, books I-VIII

    • Siglum: Na2

    • D: ca. 1270-1280

    • P: Northern France

    • O: Tournai, cl. St. Martin O.S.B. (fol. 1r: Liber sancti Martini Tornacensis).


Nb: Speculum Naturale, Bruges version

18 manuscripts of the Bruges version of the Speculum Naturale (Nb) are known today:

  • Arras, Médiathèque municipale, 795 (8), books XX-XXXI (Nc* XIX-XXX?)

    • Siglum: Nb1

    • D: 14th century

    • P: Northern France

    • O: cl. Mont Saint-Eloi Can.S.Aug.


  • Arras, Médiathèque municipale, 566, vol. 1 (437), books I,20-XVI,19 (Nc* II-XV,19?)

    • Siglum: Nb2

    • I: Because of damage by a fire in World War I, this manuscript contains only 181 folios, while 109 are missing. Of the Libellus Apologeticus only the last five chapters have been preserved.

    • D: second half of the 13th century

    • P: Northern France

    • O: Arras, cl. St. Vaast O.S.B.


  • Bruges, Stadsbibliotheek, 504, books I-X,161 (Nc* I-IX,161)

    • Siglum: Nb3

    • D: 14th century

    • P: ?

    • O: cl. Ter Duinen O.Cist.


  • Bruges, Stadsbibliotheek, 505, books I-XVI (Nc* I-XV)

    • Siglum: Nb4

    • I: f° 308vo-310vo offer a booklet of model letters.

    • D: 15th century

    • P: ?

    • O: cl. Ter Duinen O.Cist.


  • Brussels, Bibliothèque royale, 18466, books XVII-XXXII (Nc* XVI-XXXII)

    • Siglum: Nb5

    • D: middle of 13th century

    • P: Northern France

    • O: ?


  • San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Biblioteca del Real Monasterio San Lorenzo, Lat. O.I.5, books X-XV (Nc* IX-XIV)

    • Siglum: Nb6

    • D: 14th century

    • P: France

    • O: Jean de Bourbon, Bisshop of Le Puy, Abbott of Cluny, †1485 (Iste liber est reuerendissimo in xpo patri et dno. dno. iohanni de borbonio dei gratia episcopo anicien. comiti uallauie abbatique clun. dignissimo); J.J. Chifflet (1588-1660) following the owner's mark: Ex Bibliotheca Jo. Jac. Chifletii.


  • Laon, Bibliothèque municipale, 426, books XI-XVIII (Nc* X-XVII?); and Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 6428C, books XIX-XXVII (Nc* XIX-XXVI)

    • Sigla: Nb7 and Nb12

    • I: Alison Stones discovered that these two manuscript originally belonged to a set of volumes (see: A note on some re-discovered Vincent of Beauvais volumes. In: Vincent of Beauvais Newsletter, 26 (2001), pp. 10-13)

    • D: shortly after 1260

    • P: Northern France

    • O: (Nb7) Laon, cathédrale de Notre-Dame; (Nb12) Papal library, Avignon by 1423; Collège de Foix, Toulouse

    • R: cf. Nb10 and Do8


  • Minneapolis, Bakken Museum, no shelf numbers, vol. 1: books I-XVI (Nc* I-XVI); and vol. 2: books XVII-XXV (Nc*¨XVII-XXV); and London, British Library, Add. Ms. 15583, books XXVI-XXXII (Nc* XXVI-XXXII)

    • Siglum: Nb8

    • D: 1270-1280

    • P: Northern France (region of Cambrai)

    • O: cl. Cambron O.Cist.; among the later owners of the two Minneapolis volumes are Th. Phillips (1897) and S. Cockerell (1907); the Museum of Electricity in Life at Medtronic acquired these volumes in 1975; the London volume was acquired by the British Museum in 1845.

    • R: Hd5 and Do5


  • Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine, 3574, books XVI-XXXII (Nc* XV-XXXII)

    • Siglum: Nb9

    • D: 14th century

    • P: France

    • O: Paris, Collège d'Harcourt (Liber iste spectat venerabili collegio Haricurie)


  • Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 6428A, vol. 1, books I-XV (Nc* I-XIV); lat. 6428A, vol. 2, books XVII,122-XXXII (Nc* XVI, 122-XXXII?)

    • Siglum: Nb10

    • I: Book XVI and book XVII,1-121 are lacking due to loss of quires.

    • D: 15th century

    • P: Northern France (Paris?)

    • O: Pierre de Foix, cardinal de 1414-1464; Collège de Foix, Toulouse

    • R: cf. Nb12 and Do8


  • Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 6428B, books I-X (Nc* I-VIII)

    • Siglum: Nb11

    • I: The Libellus Apologeticus is lacking.

    • D: 1297

    • P: France (region of Albi?)

    • O: This manuscript was made for B. de Castaneto, bisshop of Albi (f° 203vo: Hunc librum fecit scribi dominus B. de Castenato diuina inspirante gracia episcopus albiensis. Anno domini 1297); [E. Baluze]


  • Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 14387, books I-XVI (Nc* I-XV)

    • Siglum: Nb13

    • D: ca. 1260-1310

    • P: France

    • O: Peter of Verona; acquired at Paris in 1422-1423 by Johannes la Masse for cl. St. Victor O.S.A., of which he was prior and later (1448-1458) became abbott.


  • Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 16167, books I-XV,72 (Nc* I-XIV, 64); and lat. 16168, books XVII-XXX,74 (Nc* XVII-XXX, 74)

    • Siglum: Nb14

    • I: Due to loss of leaves, the text in both volumes is incomplete.

    • D: ca. 1260

    • P: France (Paris?)

    • O: Paris, Collège de Sorbonne

    • R: cf. Do9


  • Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 16172, books IX-XIV,76 (Nc* IX-XIV, 76?)

    • Siglum: Nb15

    • I: The list of chapter titles is lacking; in the running text, the rubrics of chapter titles and source references are left blank.

    • D: 13th century

    • P: ?

    • O: ?


  • Paris, Bibliothèque de la Sorbonne, 52, books I-XVI (Nc* I-XVI?)

    • Siglum: Nb16

    • D: 14th century

    • P: France (Paris)

    • O: Paris, Collège du Maître Gervais or Collège des Jésuites Louis-le-Grand?

    • L: A selection of color images is available for consultation in the Bibliothèque virtuelle des manuscrits médiévaux of the Institut de recherche et d’histoire des textes at Paris.

    • R: He83 and Do10


  • Parma, Biblioteca Palatina, 97, books XV-XXIV (Nc* XV-XXIV)

    • Siglum: Nb17

    • D: 14th century

    • P: ?

    • O: Owner's mark, partly scratched out, on f° 1r: Ex libris ... P. Aloysio B...oni; belonged to the collection of Luigi Baroni de Lucca; then Felici Baciocchi; acquired by the Bibliotheca Palatina at Lucca in 1837; at Parma since 1848.


  • Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Ottob. lat. 108, books I-XVI (Nc* I-XV)

    • Siglum: Nb18

    • D: 15th century

    • P: France

    • O: Nantes, cl. SS. Donatien et Rogatien O. Carth. (owner's mark, partially scratched out, on f° 293ro; Christina of Sweden; Ottoboni; in possession of the Vatican library since 1740.

    • R: Nc5


  • Vellereille-lez-Brayeux, Collège de Bonne Espérance, 3 volumes, no shelf numbers: vol. 1: books X-XVI (Nc* I-XV); vol. 2: books XVII-XXV (Nc* XVII-XXV); and vol. 3: books XXVI-XXXII (Nc* XXVI-XXXII)

    • Siglum: Nb19

    • I: vol. 3 opens with chapter 1 of the Libellus Apologeticus

    • D: ca. 1300/1310

    • P: Northern France (Hainaut region?); miniatures by the "Maître au menton fuyant"

    • O: cl. Bonne Espérance, O.Praem.

    • L: Images of the 3 volumes are available for consultation in the databases of KIK-IRPA at Brussels.

    • R: cf. He102


Nc: Speculum Naturale, Douai version


5 manuscripts of the Douai version of the Speculum Naturale (Nc) are known today:

  • Berlin, Staatsbibliothek Preußischer Kulturbesitz, lat. fol. 76, books I-XII (Nc* I-XI)

    • Siglum: Nc1

    • D: 1st half of 14th century

    • P: Western Germany

    • O: cl. St. Pauli O.P. at Magdeburg; Dombibliothek at Magdeburg; since 1683/1685 belonging to the Churfürstliche Bibliothek at Cölln an der Spree; since 1701 kept in the Königliche Bibliothek at Berlin.

    • R: Nx27 and He5


  • Dijon, Bibliothèque municipale, 48, books XXII-XXXI (Nc* XVI-XXX)

    • Siglum: Nc2

    • D: 13th century

    • P: France

    • O: cl. Cîteaux O.Cist.

    • R: cf. Ha3


  • Lisbon, Biblioteca Nacional, Il. 130, books XVI-XXVII,93 (Nc* XVI-XXVII,93?)

    • Siglum: Nc3

    • I: The manuscript also contains a part of the Speculum Historiale (II-VII, 27).

    • D: early 14th century

    • P: France ?

    • O: Donated in 1797 by Dom Fr. Manuel do Cenáculo, Bishop of Beja and Archbishop of Évora.

    • R: He38


  • Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 14388, books XVII-XXXIII,107 (Nc* XVI-XXXI,107)

    • Siglum: Nc4

    • I: list of chapter titles of XVII-XXI, 39; due to loss of leaves, the final part of book XXXIII is missing

    • D: 15th century

    • P: France

    • O: Paris, cl. St. Victor O.S.A.


  • Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Ottob. lat. 109, books XVII-XXXIII (Nc* XVI-XXXII)

    • Siglum: Nc5

    • D: 15th century

    • P: France

    • O: Nantes, cl. SS. Donatien et Rogatien O.Carth. (fol. 337vo: Iste liber pertinet Carthusiensibus domus sanctorum Donaciani et Rogaciani prope Nannetas; Christina of Sweden; Ottoboni; in possession of the Vatican library since 1740.

    • R: Nb18


Unclassified manuscripts of the Speculum Naturale


5 surviving manuscripts need further textual analysis; a sixth manuscript is lost. Since no conclusive evidence is available, it is impossible to classify these manuscripts among the three versions of the Speculum Naturale known today.


  • Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 39, books I-XV

    • Siglum: Nx7

    • I: The Libellus Apologeticus and the list of chapter titles are lacking; the text of books IX and X is strongly abbreviated and this reduced text is numbered as book IX; consequently, books XI-XVI are numbered as books X-XV; in the running text, the chapter numbering is lacking.

    • D: early 14th century

    • P: England

    • O: Norwich, Cathedral Priory of Holy Trinity O.S.B. ?

    • L: Digital facsimile.


  • Magdeburg, Domgymnasium 53, books ??-??

    • Siglum: Nx27

    • I: This manuscript contained the third and final part of a set of volumes of the Speculum Naturale to which also Nc1, containing the first twelve books, belonged. The manuscript got lost in a fire during the Second World War.

    • D: 1st half of 14th century

    • P: Western Germany

    • O: cl. St. Pauli O.P. at Magdeburg

    • R: Nc1 and He5


  • Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 7818, books X, XI and VI

    • Siglum: Nx13

    • I: The manuscript contains also treatises on medicine and herbs.

    • D: 15th century

    • P: Southern Germany

    • O: cl. Indersdorff O.S.A.


  • Oxford, Exeter College, XV, books I-XXXII, 93

    • Siglum: Nx14

    • I: The Libellus Apologeticus and Pnat are lacking; possibly, this manuscript contains a part of the Bruges version (Nb); further analysis is needed.

    • D: end 13th century

    • P: France ?

    • O: St Albans, cl. St. Alban O.S.B.; present of Johannes Wethamstede, abbott of St. Alban in the 15th century, … ad usum conventus monasterii Sancti Albani …


  • Vatican, Archivio del Capitolo di S. Pietro, A 40, books XVII-XXXII

    • Siglum: Nx26

    • D: 14th century

    • P: ?

    • O: ?

    • L: Digital facsimile.


  • Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. lat. 7112, books I-IV, 102

    • Siglum: Nx25

    • I: Chapters 3-17 of the Libellus Apologeticus are lacking as well as the list of chapter titles.

    • D: 15th century

    • P: ?

    • O: ?


Image: Vellereille-lez-Brayeux, Collège de Bonne Espérance, Speculum Naturale, vol. 2, f° 10vo.


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