De lapidibus et gemmis (Medeltidshandskrift 59, Universitetsbiblioteket, Lunds Universitet)

Författare

Johanna Svensson

Summary, in English

ABSTRACT

This thesis contains a partial edition of a previously unpublished manuscript, De lapidibus et gemmis (MH 59, Lund University Library). The manuscript was probably written in the late XVth century and consists of five parts. Part 1 (ff 1r-1v) and 2 (ff 2r-14r) are written in Latin, part 3 (ff 14v), which is probably later than the rest of manuscript (XVI century?), in German, part 4 (ff 18r-33r) in Latin (some smaller passages in Swedish), part 5 (ff 34r-34v) in Latin and Swedish. The manuscript was written by at least two hands, probably more.

I have chosen to examine and edit part 2, ff 2r-14r, which I have identified as a partial transcript of the franciscan Bartholomeus Anglicus encyclopedic work De proprietatibus

rerum, probably written between 1230 and 1260. The encyclopedia was immensly popular

during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its popularity is shown by the large number of

manuscript copies and printed editions to be found in European libraries. MH 59 contains a

very abridged copy of parts of book XVI, De lapidibus preciosis and a few items from book

XVII, De arboribus et herbis. The stones in book XVI are described with their medical and

magical properties.

It is impossible to know which manuscripts or (possibly) printed editions of De

proprietatibus rerum the scribe had at his disposal. In my edition I have compared the

manuscript with Argentine 1485, an early edition of De proprietatibus rerum, which belongs

to Lund University Library.

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