A History of Magic and Experimental Science, Volume 2 (of 2): During the First Thirteen Centuries of Our EraThorndike, Lynn
History
A History of Magic and Experimental Science, Volume 2 (of 2): During the First Thirteen Centuries of Our Era
Thorndike, Lynn
Magic -- History; Science -- History
In Cortona 35, 15th century, fol. 203, the _Didascalicon_ in six books
is first followed by a brief passage, _Divisio philosophie
continentium_, which is perhaps simply the fourteenth chapter
of the sixth book as printed in Migne, and then at fol. 224 by the
passage concerning magic and its subdivisions.
The account of magic also occurs in MSS which do not contain the
_Didascalicon_, for instance, Vatic. Palat. Lat. 841, 13th century,
fol. 139r, “Magice artis quinque sunt species....”
[20] “Malefici sunt qui per incantationes daemonicas sive ligaturas vel
alia quaecunque exsecrabilia remediorum genera cooperatione daemonum
atque instructu nefanda perficiunt.”
[21] “Praestigia sunt quando per phantasticas illusiones circa rerum
immutationem sensibus humanis arte daemoniaca illuditur.”
[22] Migne, PL 177, 13-164, “Hugo Raynero suo salutem. Desiderii tui
petitionibus, charissime, satisfacere cupiens....”
[23] I, 45. “De incertis per experimenta loquitur, sed experimentum est
fallax, ideo saepe fallitur. Sed hoc religioso non expedit ut alia quam
vera loquatur.”
[24] II, prologus. “Ferae appellantur eo quod naturali utantur
libertate et desiderio suo ferantur. Sunt enim liberae eorum voluntates
et huc atque illuc vagantur et quo animus duxerit eo feruntur.”
[25] _Etymologiarum_, XII, ii, 2.
APPENDIX I
SOME MANUSCRIPTS OF DE BESTIIS ET ALIIS REBUS OR THE GILDED DOVE
The _De bestiis et aliis rebus_ or _Columba deargentata_ appears with
other opuscula of Hugh of St. Victor or Hugh of Folieto in
Vendôme 156, 12th century, fol. 1v--, “Libellus cuiusdam ad
fratrem Rainerum corde benignum qui Columba deargentata
inscribitur. Desiderii tui, karissime, petitionibus
satisfacere....”
Dijon anciens fonds 225, 12th century, fols. 92v-98,
“Prologus Hugonis prioris in librum de tribus columbis.
Desiderii tui, karissime, petitionibus satisfacere....”
Cambridge University has several copies, most of which seem to differ
from the printed edition and from one another.
CUL 1574, 15th century, Liber de bestiis et aliis rebus;
the arrangement is said to be very different from that in
Migne.
CUL 1823, 12th century, “Liber bestiarum”; similar in text
to the foregoing, but with a different order of chapters,
“and there are both large omissions and insertions.” The
numerous figures of animals in outline “are remarkable for
their finish and vigor.”
CUL 2040, late 13th century, fols. 50-93, “De natura
animantium”; said to be “substantially the same as that
of Hugo de S. Victore; the arrangement, however, is very
irregular.”
CU Sidney Sussex 100, 13th century, James’s description
(pp. 115-7) shows it to be our treatise; for its fine
miniatures see James (1895) pp. 117-20.
A few other MSS (doubtless the list can be greatly augmented) are:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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