Mellon MS 25

 ASTROLOGICAL MISCELLANY, in Latin
 Northern France or Flanders, unsigned, about 1505

 25.1 Alchabitius. Liber isagogicus, translated into Latin by
 Johannes Hispalensis, with the Commentary of Johannes
 Dank de Saxonia, corrected by Bartholomaeus Alten.
 25.2 Ptolemy. Centiloquium, with Commentary by Haly ibn Ridwan,
 translated into Latin by Johannes Hispalensis.
 25.3 Hermes. Centiloquium, translated into Latin by Stephen of
 Messina.
 25.4 Hermes. De stellis beibeniis, translated into Latin by Salio
 of Padua.
 25.5 Abraham Avenezra. De consuetudinibus, translated into Latin
 by Petrus de Abano.
 25.6 Bethem. De horis planetarum, translated anonymously into
 Latin.
 25.7 Almansor. Iudicia seu propositiones, translated into Latin
 by Plato of Tivoli.
 25.8 Zael Benbrit. Introductorium ad astrologiam, translated
 anonymously into Latin.
 25.9 Zael Benbrit. Iudicia quinquaginta, translated anonymously
 into Latin.
 25.10 Zael Benbrit. De interrogationibus, translated anonymously
 into Latin.
 25.11 Johannes Angelus (Engel). Astrolabium planum, with the
 preface by Erhard Ratdolt addressed to Duke Albert of
 Bavaria.

Parchment codex in Latin, large folio, 402 x 290, ff. 242, ff. 1-190
correctly numbered i-Cxc, ff. 191- 242 incorrectly numbered C.li-CCJ.
(repeating C.xciij). In the description below the correct foliation is shown
in arabic numerals; the incorrect foliation, where it occurs, is shown after
the correct foliation, in roman numerals and parentheses. Traces of
signatures (not used in the collation below) and catchwords in extreme lower
margins, largely cut away, the pattern of the signatures unclear. Written
throughout by a single scribe in a large and clear hand in Gothica textualis
formata and Bastarda, in brown ink, mostly in 2 columns 298 x 190, sometimes
in tabular form and sometimes in more than two columns, the pages ruled in
ink; with foliation, rubrics, and occasional headlines in red, diagrams in
the text in brown and red inks. Full illuminated border, outlined in red, on
f. 1r of leafy sprays in colors and gold, the white spaces filled up with
black dots and small burnished gold circles each with three or four small
tendrils; a large initial in burnished gold and colors at the beginning of
the text in the first column, with gold band extending downward and then
around three sides of the page forming an inner border, completed by a red
line at top; a lozenge at the center of the lower band of the border
containing a pattern of platelike discs, quatrefoils, and a leafy spray on a
dull gold ground, this segment almost certainly a later replacement of an
original coat of arms which has been erased. Elsewhere in the manuscript
smaller illuminated initials in the style of the first frequently occur, and
larger ones with descenders to partial borders at the foot of the page occur
on ff. 5v, 35v, 44r, 51v, 52v, 69v, 73r, 77r, 99v, 102r, 104v, 107r, 108r,
113r, 148v, 190v, and 239(C.xcviij)r. Each of the ninety-six pages from f.
191(C.li)r through 238(C.xcvij)v has four drawings in colors (six on those
pages which open each of the signs of the Zodiac), placed within diagrams
accompanied by slight text. Pricking at top margins partly preservcd.
Collation: (1)^^4, (2-10)^^8 (last blank); (11-14)^^8, (15)^^4; (16-18)^^8,
(19)^^8+1; (20)^^4, (21-25)^^8; (26-31)^^8, (35)^^5. Two blank parchment
flyleaves, one each at beginning and end, and tissue guards bound in facing
leaves with more or less extensive illumination form no part of the collation
and are not mentioned in the description of contents below. Parchment of high
quality, rather thick due to the large size of the codex, but even, white,
and finely finished.

BINDING: Nineteenth-century English binding of marbled paper boards, green
calf back with six heavy (false?) bands, the compartments with patterns of
small tools impressed in gold and with gold-stamped titles, a small
rectangular label with the printed number 1037 and a small round label with
the inked number 894 glued to the bottommost compartment. All edges gilt.
Preserved in a modern green cloth folding box, probably French, with leather
label.

PROVENANCE: Original ownership unknown; purchased by Sir Thomas Phillipps at
a London sale held by Evans, 27 May 1825, Lot 894, according to a pencil note
inside the front cover (laid in loosely is a slip of paper, apparently cut
from an envelope addressed to Phillipps at Middle Hill, Broadway,
Worcestershire, on which Phillipps has written a list of the contents as
enumerated on the back of the binding); Librairie E. Rossignol, Paris;
Laurence Witten (bookseller), New Haven; Mellon MS 155=R, acquired from C. A.
Stonehill, Inc. (bookseller), New Haven. De Ricci-Bond 40.

CONTENTS

f. 1r1, 1: Commentum Johannis de saxonia | super textum Alchabitij. et
cetera. | Uir sapiens domina - | bitur astris. Dicit | Ptolemeus in sa- |
pientiis almage- | stu...

f. 5v2, 23: Mitach [sic] idest circu- | lus signorum. | et diuiditur in |
.i2. partes equales | ... [Ends f. 75v1, 22:] ab exaltatione sua non erit
carum | donec exuerit casum suum. | [after four-line space:] Finitur scriptum
super Alchabitium | ordinatum per Johannem de Saxo= | nia in uilla
parisiensi. anno 1331 | Correctum per artium et medicine doc= | torem dominum
Bartholomeum de Al= | ten de Nusia. et cetera. | [remainder blank except for
ruling; f. 76 blank except for foliation and ruling- |
 [25.1: Alchabitius, Liber isagogicus, translated into Latin by Johannes
Hispalensis, TK 1078, with the Commentarius by Johannes (Dank) de Saxonia,
corrected by Bartholom‘us Alten, TK 1699. The text of Alchabitius was first
printed in 1473 (GW 842), and the commentary was added after the text in the
editions of 1485 and 1491 (GW 844-845). In this copy, the commentary is
intercalated with the text and is written in Bastarda, while the text is
written in Gothica textualis formata.]

f. 77r, headline: Centiloquium Ptholomei. Folium lxxvij. | [f. 77r1, 1:]
Incipit liber centum verborum | Ptholomei cum Commento Haly, | [one-line
space] Dicit ptholomeus. | Iam scripsi tibi | iesure libros ... [line 37:]
Exposicio haly super primo verbo. | Quod dixit ptholomeus. Ex te et illis |
significat ... [Ends f. 99r1, 33:] die mensis Marcij .12. die mensis | gumedi
secundi: anno arabum | .530. 1 [after two-line space:] Liber ptholemei
quatuor | tractatuum: cum Centiloquio | eiusdem et commento ha= | ly:
feliciter finit. | [remainder of f. 99r blank except for foliation and
ruling.]
 [25.2: Ptolemy, Centiloquium, TK 465, 650, 1403, with the commentary by Haly
ibn Ridwan, translated into Latin by Johannes Hispalensis, TK 1252, as first
printed in 1484, Hain-Copinger 13543, and reprinted 1493 with other tracts,
Hain 13544, Klebs 814.2.]

f. 99v, headline: Centiloquium. | [and on the facing page:] Hermetis | [f.
99v1, 1:] Incipit liber Aphorismorum | Centum Hermetis. | [one-line space]
Dixit Hermes Sol et | Luna post deum... [Ends f. 102r2, 9:] Explicit liber
aphorismorum | centum Hermetis. | [one-line space] Quamvis ego viderim magnam
| partem harum stellarum aliter se habere | in tabulis alphonsi regis...
[Ends line 21.]
 [25.3: Hermes, Centiloquium, translated by Stephen of Messina, TK 1513,
printed 1493, Klebs 814.2, as above.]

f. 102r2, 23: Incipit liber Hermetis capitul- | orum philosophorum de
Iudicijs et signi= | ficatione stellarum beibeniarum | in natiuitatibus. |
[one-line space] Dixit hermes ego dicam | vobis de rebus fortune | ... [Ends
f. 104r2, 40:] ... ad quod queris si de- | us voluerit. | [one-line space]
Explicit liber hermetis philosophi de for= | titudine stellarum que beibenie
dicuntur. | [last line blank.]
 [25.4: Hermes, De stellis beibeniis, translated into Latin by Salio of
Padua, TK 486, printed 1493, as above.]

f. 104v, headline: Centiloquium bethem. | [f. 104v1, 1:] Incipit centiloquium
Bethem. | [one- line space] Hunc inchoabo librum de | consuetudinibus in
iudici- | is stellarum J- | ... [Ends f. 106v2, 24:] ... aut domo exaltatio=
| nis sue saluus ab infortuna. | [two-line space] Explicit centiloquium |
Bethem. | [remainder blank.]
 [25.5: Abraham Avenezra, De consuetudinibus, or Centiloquium Bethem,
translated by Petrus de Abano, TK 645, 965, printed 1484, 1493, as above.]

f. 107r, headline: De Horis planetarum. | Folium . C.vij. | [f. 107r1, 1:]
Sequitur de horis planetarum: Et | primo de Hora Saturni. | [one-line space]
Cum fuerit hora Saturni | bonum est est [sic] ... [Ends f. 107v2, 36:]
diximus de Saturno sic intellige | de omnibus alijs planetis. | [one-line
space] Explicit de horis plane= | tarum Bethem. | [remainder blank.]
 [25.6: Bethem, De horis planetarum, translated anonymously into Latin, TK
299, printed 1484 as Albategni; printed 1493, as above.]

f. 108r, headline: Propositiones Almansoris. Folium C. viij. | [f. 108r1, 1:]
Almansoris ludicia seu proposi= | tiones. Incipiunt capitula stellarum |
oblata Regi magno Saracenorum | ab Almansore astrologo: et a pla= | tone
Tyburtino translata. | [one-line space] Aphorismorum compen= | diolum Mi rex
petijsti [sic] | ... [Ends f. 112r2, 34:] ... da= | bit fortitudinem et
regnum in quo nulla | fiet iniusticia. [space] .150. | Finis. | [one-line
space] Perfectus est liber Capitulorum Al= | mansoris cum dei auxilio
translatus | de Arabico in Latinum a platone Ty= | burtino quem deus exaltet
in ciuitate | Bardonia Anno arabum .1530. | .18. die mensis dullugida Solem
in virgine | .1.5. Luna in ariete .15.16. Explicit | [f. 112v ruled,
otherwise blank.]
 [25.7: Almansor, Iudicia, seu propositiones, translated into Latin by Plato
of Tivoli, TK 113, printed 1493, as above, and also after 13 June 1492 in
Hain 8464, Klebs 511.1. The Arab year date 1530 for the translation is an
error.]

f. 113r1, 1: [Paragraph mark.] Incipit Introductorium de principi- | is
iudiciorum Zahelis ysmaelite. | [chapter sign] Capitulum primum de diuisione
| signorum et de triplicitatibus. | [one-line space] IN NOMINE | dei pij et
miseri- | cordis. Dixit za- | hel bembiz ysma- | elita [chapter sign] Scito
quod signa sunt .12... [Ends f. 119v2, 15:] propter diuersitatem horum
planetarum | et eorum domo- | rum. | [one-line space.]
 [25.8: Zael Benbrit, Introductorium ad astrologiam, anonymously translated
into Latin, also ascribed to various other authors in manuscripts, TK 1411;
printed 1493, as above.]

f. 119v2, 18: Incipiunt precipua Iudicia et | sunt .50. primum de Receptione
disposi= | tionis per Lunam. [space] J | Scito quod significatrix .1. Iuna |
cuius circulus ... [Ends f. 121v1, 16:] ... grauis enim erit illi. Sci= | to
hoc totum. [one-line space.]
 [25.9: Zael Benbrit, Iudicia quinquaginta, translated anonymously into
Latin, TK 1411; printed 1493, as above.]

f. 121v, 19: [Paragraph mark.] Sequitur de interrogationibus | Et primo de
Interrogationibus ascendentis | .1. prime domus. | Cum interrogatus fueris |
de aliqua interrogatione. | Incipies aspicere ... [Ends f. 145v2, 29:] In
fine pro deceptione vel cause que | operatur cum [?] igne. | [two-line space]
Expletus est liber zahelis | de Interrogationibus. | [remainder of f. 145v
blank; f. 146 blank except for ruling and foliation.]
 [25.10: Zael Benbrit, De interrogationibus, translated anonymously into
Latin, TK 312; printed 1484, 1493, as above.]

f. 147r, 1: [A heading, extending across both columns:] Astrolabium planum In
tabulis Ascendens continens qualibet hora | atque minuto Equationes domorum
celi ... [Below, a table of the cities found in the different climates of the
world in three columns, continued as far as f. 147v, 9; this is followed by
three lines giving the signs of the Zodiac written across the page; then the
following heading, also written across the page:] [Paragraph mark.] Erhardus
Ratdolt Augustensis. Impressor Alberto Rheni palatino: | superiorisque ac
inferioris Bauarie duci potentissimo Illustrissimoque | felicitatem. | [then
in two columns, beginning f. 147v1, 18:] Non me fugit illustrissime |
princeps clarissimos qua- | rumlibet professionum viros | haud mediocri apud
veteres [sic] labore... [Ends f. 148r2, 30:] vltra septimi climatis terminum
per= | fecte sunt. [remainder of f. 148r blank; f. 148v1, 1:] Prima pars
huius | Libri principalis | Tabulas pro quo= | libet climate duas | in se
continet ... [The tables begin in three columns on f. 150r and proceed in two
columns from f. 152r through f. 189v; f. 190r is blank except for ruling and
foliation; f. 190v has explanatory text relating to the tables of equations
of the houses of heaven, followed on ff. 191 (C.li)r through 238 (C.xcvij)v
by drawings illustrating the horoscopes of individuals born at certain dates
and places, including a figural drawing indicating the temperamental
qualities of each individual. This section is followed by a leaf of text
explaining the next section, the Tabula More Infantis In Vtero matris written
in six columns on f. 240(C.xcix)r through 241(CC.)r; the volume closes with a
liturgical calendar written in four columns on the final three pages, ff.
241(CC.)v through 242(CCJ.)v.]
 [25.11: Johannes Angelus (Johann Engel, d. 1512), Astrolabium planum, as
first printed on 6 (?) October 1488 at Augsburg, by Erhard Ratdolt, whose
dedication to Albert, Duke of Bavaria, has been copied into the volume, as
noted above; see TK 1094, GW 1900, etc. In this copy, which is very close to
the Ratdolt edition in most respects, the woodcuts have been transformed into
colored drawings with care and artistry.]

SUMMARY: The first text does not occur in fifteenth-century printed books in
the form in which it is found in this MS, i.e., with the commentary
distributed throughout the text (in fact the commentary opens this volume).
It seems most likely, however, that the next group of texts in the volume has
been copied with very slight omissions and alterations from the second
edition of Ptolemy's Quadripartitum (not present in the MS) and Centiloquium
with other tracts, printed at Venice, 20 December 1493, by Bonetus Locatellus
for Octavianus Scotus (Hain 13544, etc.). There can be no doubt that the
Astrolabium planum of Johann Engel has been copied from the first edition of
1488, as it contains Ratdolt's dedication, not found in the Venetian editions
of 1494 and 1502. The manuscript cannot have been written before 1488, and
probably was not written before 1493. The style of handwriting, the border
style, the illuminated initials, and the figure drawings all suggest an
origin in northern France or southern Flanders, i.e., perhaps in Burgundy,
about 1505. The contents of MS 25 have been drawn very largely from Arab
astrology of the early Middle Ages, transmitted in medieval Latin
translations; in addition Ptolemy's Centiloquium is present, transmitted not
in Greek but through the Arabic, along with a single contemporary component,
the Astrolabium planum of Johann Engel, who was probably still living when
this codex was written. Astrology was extremely important to readers living
about 1500, as the very large number of printed editions of the texts in MS
25 and other similar works indicate, and the study of astrology provided the
basic information required for all prognostication, the art of
fortune-telling, extremely popular at the time and exemplified in the Mellon
collection by MS 13. The present volume was carefully prepared by
professionals on a noble, even grandiose scale. The parchment is very fine,
the handwriting distinguished, the illumination conventional but skillfully
carried out, and the 404 drawings illustrating the final text bear the stamp
of an individual artist, although based on the woodcuts in the edition of
1488. All of these drawings are full of symbolism and insights into human
character and behavior. As a magnificent codex prepared for an imposing
library, which has unfortunately not been identified, MS 25 may be compared
to MSS 13 (already mentioned), 21, 22, 23, and 72.