Manuscript of 'Etymologiae' by Isidore of Seville.

Item

Identifier: Adv.MS.18.1.1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The manuscript contains: a list of chapters (folio 1); the six letters between Isidore, Braulio and Sisebutus (folio 5); and the complete text (folio 7 verso).

Subscription (folio 268): `Liber [ ] qui uocat(ur) Ysidorus ethimologiarum. Studio fr(atr)is arnulfi. Si quis illi abstulerit anathema sit`.

Headings and some initials are in red. Notes for the rubricator occasionally survive in the margin at right angles to the text.

Dates

Creation: 12th century.

Creator

Isodore, of Seville, Saint (cleric and scholar) (Author, Person)

Extent

1 Volumes (i (paper) + 268 + i (paper) folios.)

Language of Materials

Latin

Additional Description

Arrangement

The text is divided into seventeen books (books iv and v, xiii and xiv, xix and xx of the traditional numbering being run together).

The beginning of book xi (x in the manuscript) is noted (folio 132 verso) as the beginning of part II.

i.3-4 are placed after i.14 (see Bibliography); vii.8 is placed after vii.7, but the wrong order is noted, v.39. 2-42 and xiii.6 are omitted.

ii.21. 3-45 ‘fingitur’ is added at the end (folio 265 verso) with the note `hoc de retorica est q(uo)d sup(er) dimissu(m) est`.

The table at vi.17. 5-9 is omitted, folios 70 verso (last quarter) and 71 recto being left blank.

vii.12.7 ‘et’ -19 ‘utebatur’ is written on folio 89 verso before vii.9 and again in its proper place.

There are some faults in the numeration of chapters. At the end of its book vi is noted (folio 94 verso): `explicit lib(er) sext(us) decim(us) incipit lib(er) septim(us) decim(us) felicit(er)`.

Collation: 1-10⁸, 11¹² (-11⁹⁻¹²; a leaf has been sewn to the stub of 11), 12⁸, 13⁸ + 1 leaf after 13⁷, 14-32⁸, 33¹⁰.

Signatures in the centre lower margin of the last verso of each gathering (1-4: I II III .1111.; 1-23; a-z, omitting u; 24: aᴵᴵ; 25: lost; 26-33; I-VIIII). Pricking with a triangular awl in the outer margins, from first recto to last verso of each gathering. Ruling in ink. 2 columns. 36 lines in gatherings 1-2, 35 in 3-9, 34 thereafter. Ruled area 258 x 175 millimetres (gatherings 1-5) or 258 x 165 millimetres (gatherings 6-33).

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Vellum. Bound in vellum covered boards, tooled blind, with remains of two thongs; possibly French, circa l600 (the endpapers have the watermarks Briquet number 8423). Secundo folio: `De disciplina q; ante`.

Custodial History

On folio 268 verso is written `Conradus derudē Kirᶟche’. The manuscript belonged to the Jesuit College de Clermont in Paris (folio 2: `Collegii Parisiensis Soc(ieta)tis Jesu`), possibly from the refounding of its library at the beginning of the 17th century (compare with the binding). When the college was dissolved (compare with folio 2: ‘Paraphé au desir de l`arrest du 5 Juillet 1763`), this manuscript was number 495 in the sale-catalogue (‘Catalogus manuscriptorum codicum Collegii Claromontani’ (Paris, 1764), pages 165-166) and was one of many bought by Gerard Meerman. It was MS.656 in the sale-catalogue of Meerman`s library (‘Bibliotheca Meermaniana’ (The Hague, 1824), volume 4, page 115; `656` is on a slip pasted to the spine). The unexplained numbers `261` and `165` appear on folios i and i verso respectively. The manuscript was bought by the Advocates’ Library in 1824.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilm available: Mf.Sec.MSS.374.

Bibliography

`Etymologiae` by Isidore of Seville, edited by W M Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
On the relationship of manuscripts of Isidore see: W M Lindsay, ‘Classical Quarterly’, v (1911), 42 and what follows; and, W Porzig, ‘Hermes’, lxxii (1937), 129 and what follows. This is a [ ] text with some contamination from a [ ] source closely connected with C(Leiden Voss. Lat.F.74, 9th-10th century) and X(St. Gall MS.237, 9th-10th century; which is the only other manuscript with i.3-4 after i.14).