Beinecke MS 620
Germany, 1583-1588
Georg Rollenhagen, Isagoge in astrologiam

1. ff. 2r-249r	Annorum 88. EIäAâêâ?  in  astrologiam. Isagogen hanc distribuemus in tres 
partes: Prima docebit extruere thema coeli. Secunda dirigere partes thematis erecti. Tertia 
thematis significationem seu vaticinium astrologicum. 

ff. 2r-25r	Prima pars. [Caput I:] De circulis.
f. 2v: Caput II. Caput III. De coeli domibus.
f. 4r : Caput IV. Quomodo inveniantur domorum initia. [The ensuing chapters are not numbered].

ff. 25v-49r: Secunda pars. De directionibus. Quid est directio ? Directio astronomica est vel loci 
vel planetae ... [The chapters insofar as marked with proper headings are not numbered].

ff. 50r-	62v: Tertia pars. [Primus tractatus.] De iudicio genethliaco. Primum caput de appellatione 
et significatione. 
f. 52r: Caput II. De dignitatibus planetarum.
f. 53r : Caput III. De accidentalibus planetarum dignitatibus.
f. 56r : Caput IV. De stellis fixis. Caput V. De collectione dignitatum planetarum.
f. 59r : Caput VI. De gubernatoribus planetarum et domorum.
f. 60r : Caput VII. De Hilech prorogatore vitae.

ff. 67r-96r : Secundus tractatus tertiae partis. De iudicio generali. Caput I. De vita nati.
f. 72r : Caput II. De fortuna.
f. 75r : Caput III. De signis Zodiaci.
f. 83r : Caput IV. De planetis.
f. 93r : Caput V. De . 	
f. 95r : Caput VI.

ff. 96v-245r : Tertius tractatus. De iudicio speciali.
f. 98v: Caput I. De domino geniturae.
f. 100v: Caput II. De temperamento.
f. 103r: Caput III. De forma.
f. 113v: Caput IV. De vita. Caput V. De valetudine.
f. 127r: Caput VI. De moribus.
f. 139r: Caput VII. De religione.
f. 144r: Caput VIII. De ingenio.
f. 151v: [Chapter without a number.] De professione.
f. 164r: Caput XI. De fortuna generali. Caput XII. De divitiis.
f. 176r: Caput XIII. De familia.
f. 177v: Caput XIV. De honoribus.
f. 185r: Caput XV. De itineribus (ff. 189v-191r: lists of countries and cities).
f. 191r: Caput XVI. De parentibus.
f. 201r: Caput XVII. De fratribus et sororibus.
f. 205r: Caput XVIII. De coniugio.
f. 219v: Caput XIX. De liberis.
f. 223v: Caput XX. De amicis.
f. 226v: Caput XXI. De inimicis.
f. 228v: Caput XXII. De captivitate.
f. 234v: Caput XXIII. De morte violenta.
f. 245r: Caput XXIV. De morte naturali ... [f. 249r :]  Finis huius tractatus feliciter impositus est 
anno 1583 ad diem 29 Decembris. éîê Laus ë??à.

2. ff. 257r-259r	Prolegomena primae partis dictae genethliacae. Explicatio terminorum 
astrologicorum quorum in prima parte mentio fit. Longitudo loci est distantia ab Insulis 
Fortunatis, quae versus Occidentem sitae sunt ...

Introduction to art. 1, Part I.

3. ff. 259r-265v	De ratione erigendi figuram coeli ex tabulis domorum. Caput I. Notus sit 
annus, mensis, dies, hora ac quadrans horae nativitatis ...
f. 262v : Caput II. De impositione stellarum errantium et inerrantium.

Introduction to art. 1, Part II.

Georg Rollenhagen (1542-1606), Isagoge in astrologiam. This manuscript is apparently the 
autograph of the Astrologia iudiciaria sive genethliacum recorded to have been composed by this 
German evangelical minister, rector of the Gymnasium at Magdeburg and poet.
See C.G. Joecher, 
Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexikon, v. 3 (Leipzig, 1751), 2194 and J.C. Adelung, H.W. Rotermund, 
Fortsetzung und Ergaenzungen zu C.G. Joechers Allgemeinem Gelehrten-Lexiko, v. 7 (Leipzig, 
1897), 327-328. The sources quoted are in the first place Girolamo Cardano (1501-1571) and 
Johann Schoenerus (1477-1547). Others are Alcabitius (c. 950), Guido Bonatti (d. c. 1296), 
Pseudo-Cyprian, Georg Fabricius (1516-1571), Firmicus Maternus (4th cent.), Giovanni Gioviano 
Pontano (c. 1422-1503), Claudius Ptolemy (c. 150), Carolus Trapezontius.
Sentences in German or Greek appear now and then within the Latin text. In the examples family 
members or other contemporaries of the author are mentioned: "coniux Rollenhagii" (f. 119v); his 
sons Franciscus (still-born 1568, f. 200v), Tobias (born 1571), Samuel (born 1574, f. 201r; "anno 
Domini 1582, 4ø die Iunii, Samuel Rollenhagius complevit annum aetatis octavum", f. 48r) and 
Gabriel (1583-c. 1619, ff. 47r, 48r, etc.); David Cicelerus, Leonhart Schroeterus (f. 149r), 
Georgius Grotius iurisconsultus (f. 149v), Fabianus Klos (f. 150r); Anna Brandia (born 1573), 
Iohannes Brandius  (born 1575, f. 200v).

f. 103a: inserted leaflet with annotations of births in German, dated 1597 and 1599.


Paper, ff. II + 275, 200 x 160 and 200 x 155 mm. Many blank pages. Folding in-4ø; the 
watermarks have not been identified.

The collation as provided by Shailor, "Acquisitions" is hard to check. The composition of the 
codex as sketched ibid. rightly supposes the existence of five more or less independent notebooks 
later bound together (ff. 1-72, 73-144, 145-200, 201-255, 256-275).

The ruling merely consists of a vertical fold marking the outer margin. Written in one column 
with varying dimensions and a varying number of lines.

Apparently copied by one hand writing a small Humanistica Cursiva Currens in many different 
forms, often difficult to decipher. Headings in the same script or in fancy capitals. The passages 
in German are in Gothica Cursiva Currens. Artt. 2 and 3 are more carefully executed than the 
main part.

Astrological diagrams, tables and calculations, all like the text of a rapid execution.

Original half binding of blind-tooled white pigskin decorated with rolls, the covers in an 
unorthodox way covered with green-blue blind-tooled parchment (?). On the front cover the 
gold-tooled initials "IMD"  and the date "1599". Spine with three raised bands, with the number 
"10" painted in red in the second compartment. At the top illegible title label.

Signature "M. Rollenhagen" (s. XVIIin) in the lower margin of f. 2r; C.W.G. von Neufforge  (s. 
XVIII armorial bookplate with initials "C.W.G.V.N."; the coat of arms printed in V. Rolland, 
Planches de l'Armorial general de J.-B. Rietstap (Paris, The Hague, 1903-1926) differs totally 
from the one in our manuscript); Philip J. van Alfen, Doorn (The Netherlands,  bookplate printed 
in gold on parchment). Donated by Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Witten in honour of Paul Mellon 
(1980).

Bibliography:
Shailor, "Acquisitions", p. 101.

Albert Derolez

R 03.06.08