Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue
Manuscript codex containing Latin versions of Aristotle's Logica vetus et nova, written in England in the early 14th century.
Parchment: modest to low quality with pronounced H/F distinction, follicle marks, edgecuts, and numerous flaws. Generally grubby, the upper margins of the final pages being particularly dirt- or soot-stained. Arranged FH, HF (except in the short quire VII, where: HF, FH, HF).Outer margin of f.14* sliced away.
Modern pencil foliation; 14 and 104 duplicated.
Flyleaf, a singleton, I-VI12, VII3 (=2+1 (f.75)), VIII12, IX10, X-XIII12, XIV14, XV12, XVI-XVIII12, XIX11 (=12 with 2 canc.), XX-XXI12, XXII10. The quire structure and the presence or absence of catchwords divide the book into five contemporary sections produced to the same format, corresponding to specific blocks of text: (A) quires I-VII, items (a)-(f); (B) quires VIII-IX, item (g); (C) quires X-XV, item (h); (D) quires XVI-XIX, item (i); (E) quires XX-XXII, item (j).
Text block: 236 x 122 mm.
Two columns (width, 55 mm).
Lines: 31 (space, 7-8 mm; height of minims, 3 mm).
Pricking: knife or awl; generally survives in lower margin only.
Ruling: lead.
Planned for glossing; neatly done. Double vertical define the outer edges of both text columns, single verticals their inner edge. The top three, the middle three and the bottom three horizontals are extended. All horizontals run across the intercolumnar space, but generally stop neatly at the edge of the text-block. A further pair of verticals defines a column for glossing within the inner margin; two further pairs of verticals define two columns within the outer margin (the outermost of these sets has sometimes been cropped away). A pair of horizontals in the upper margin and another in the lower one define zones for glossing above and below the text-block.
Written in Textualis semi-quadrata, a superior text-book type, neat and spacious. Either a single scribe with two slightly different manners – the second a little neater, larger and with more sparing use of abbreviations than the first – or two different hands with very similar characteristics.
Each individual work (a)-(j) is headed by a blue and gold initial, 4-10 lines high, flourished in red, with red and blue penwork extensions along the top and down one side margin; the start of item (a) is given extra emphasis by extensions along the top and both side margins, plus a red, blue and gold pen-work dragon extending along the bottom margin. The flourishing is of high quality, though the dragon on f.2r is crude. A red ground can be seen under the gold on, e.g., f.163v, 238v. Book divisions within (f)-(i) are headed blue and gold initials, 3-8 lines high, flourished in red, with red and blue extensions generally on one side only. Chapter divisions are headed by blue initials, 2 lines high, flourished in red. The flourishing here is of modest quality. Texts are subdivided by paraphs, alternately red then blue (occasional examples erased, e.g. f.36r). Many sentence capitals throughout were elaborated by the original scribe(s) with simple human faces, beasts, or other motifs; on f.26v, the descenders were extended with crudely-drawn bird forms. A partial sketch of a ?horse features among the pen-trails on f.252r.
Standard Tuckett binding, mid 19th century full brown calf over thick wooden boards (Charles Tuckett, binder to the British Museum, rebound many Durham manuscripts in the 19th century). . Some prior work (?by John Waghorn) on 6 October 1727, for 5s 6d. Rust stains on f.1 towards the lower edge from a ?chain staple associated with earlier binding.
Written in England, early 14th century.
The price, xiiii s., noted on f.251v, bottom, early 14th century.
iste Liber est Liber steph' de chly-?-ers, early 14th century; f.1r, top left, erased.
liber fratris, early 14th century, f.1, top centre, crossed through (seemingly cancelled to make way for a note added immediately beside it).
Liber sancti Cuthberti de Dunolm' , mid/later 14th century, f.2r, top centre, discoloured and faded; to which was appended in a different ink (unfaded): assignatus R ?Harpyn [the name faded and damaged] per priorem dunelm'. Probably to be identified with Richard Harpin, monk of Durham approximately 1338-43, who was also loaned DCL MS C.III.10. The prior was either William of Cowton (1321-41) or John Fosser (1341-74).
Textus veteris logice et noue [su - erased] similiter .M., later 14th century; f.1v, a third of the way down, centre.
liber sancti Cuthberti de Dunelm' assignatus communi almariolo claustri per dominum Iohannem de Hemmyngburgh quondam priorem dunelm', start 15th century, f.2r, top right. John of Hemingbrough died as prior in 1416.
Q in red, 14th century, f.2r, top centre. .Q. Textus veteris logice, et noue similiter De communi libraria monachorum dunelm', start 15th century, f.2r, top left; the similiter is written over an erased earlier word, currently irrecoverable.
1 changed to 2a 10i. a, 15th century, f.2r, top right.
Textus super - porphirium ... - libros posteriorum. 2a 10i.A.: shelf-mark and contents-list, noting all items, 15th/16th century, by Thomas Swalwell, monk of Durham, f.2r, lower margin.
Text ends f.8v, column 1, l. 23; the rest of the page is blank. Section numbering in the margins in Arabic numerals (except ‘xi’ for 11); also reference letters. Moderate annotation in the margins throughout; interlinear glossing on the first page of text only.
Composite version. Sections numbered in the margins in Arabic numerals; marginal reference letters. Moderate annotation on the first page, marginal and interlinear; light thereafter, the work of at least two hands; a sketch of a pointing tonsured figure flags Videtur ad aliquid simul esse natura … in section 7.
Added running heading, book and section numbering, 14th century. Section numbering in the margins in Arabic numerals; marginal reference letters. Moderate marginal and interlinear annotation throughout.
On f.35v the MS runs seamlessly from the end of the text properinto the Excerpts from De generatione et corruptione. Sections numbers (Arabic) and reference letters in the margins. Light glossing, marginal and interlinea, throughout, including (f.29r, lower margin) a note on the structure of the work: Iste liber diuiditur in tres partes. In prima parte determinat .... Running heading, added 14th century: 6 princip'.
Section numbers (Arabic) and reference letters in the margins. Light glossing. Added running heading, Diuisionum.
Added title and running heading (Topicorum boetii), book and section numbers, plus subsection reference letters. Very little annotation (a note added to the lower margin of f.67r has been erased)
Text extensively corrected, often in rasura. Added running heading liber Elenchorum; added chapter numbers. Extensive glossing throughout, marginal and interlinear, largely by one hand, 14th century, sometimes keyed to the text via sigla; added figura, f.84r.
No running headings. Minimal glossing in Books I-IV; persistent sometimes heavy glossing, exclusively marginal, throughout Books V-VIII.
No running heading. In general glossing is very light; the exceptions are f.182r-v, f.185v-186r and f.207r-208r where it is much heavier. Text ends, f.217v, column1; column 2 was subsequently used for long glosses relating to the incipit of (j).
Very heavy glossing, plus addition of chapter numbers, on f.218r-227r, f.238v-243r and f.251v; almost none otherwise. The price xiiii s' is written in a bold but informal hand in the lower margin after the end of the text; a further similar line has been erased but included ?f -?- pro vi s, -?-i d. The unnumbered endleaf is blank bar jottings and pen-trials in several 14th century hands, including: amen dico uobis super a; domine dominus noster quam admirabile est nomen tuum in uniuersa terra ... [Psalm 8.2]; some of the lines are crossed through, seemingly by the hand that wrote them.
Analytica posteriora 
, ed. Minio-Paluello, L., (Bruges; Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 1968)
Analytica priora , ed. Minio-Paluello, L., (Bruges; Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 1962)
Categoriae vel Praedicamenta , ed. Minio-Paluello, L., (Turnhout: Brepols, 1961)
Anicii Manlii Severini Boethii De divisione liber , ed. J. Magee (Leiden: Brill, 1998)
De interpretatione vel Periermenias , ed. Minio-Paluello, L., (Bruges; Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 1965)
Porphyrii Isagoge , ed. Minio-Paluello, L., (Bruges; Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 1966)
De sophisticis elenchis , ed. Dod, B. G., (Leiden; Bruxelles: Desclée de Brouwer, 1975)
Topica , ed. Minio-Paluello, L., (Bruxelles; Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 1969)