MS 284: John Hubbock, De Machina Orreriana

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 473 MS284
  • Dates of Creation
      Oxford, 18th c.; ca. 1730-34
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      Latin
  • Physical Description
      Support (paper) 200 x 162 mm. Text area: typically 145 x 110 mm. Fol. 32 leaves. (later pencil sequence of foliation in top right of each recto: 32 leaves). Binding: 18th c. marbled paper (limp). Paper label affixed to front cover (79 x 100 mm) bearing text: “De | Machina Orrerianâ | Mr Hubbock’s Founder’s | Exercise.”. Binding dimensions: 200 x 164 mm.

Scope and Content

18th century Latin poem, in fair copy, on the workings of the orrery, written as a Founder's Exercise, by John Hubbock (1712-1781, matriculated St John's 1730). Dedicated to William Derham (1702-1757), then Dean, later President, of St John's.

1. Fols 1r-32v: Hubbock, John, De machine orreriana . Latin. Single 18th c. hand in black ink. Fair copy. Written in a single column with ca. 20-21 lines to a page. Preliminaries and divisions as follows:

  • a. [Fols 1-2: blank.]
  • b. Title page, fol. 3r: "DE | MACHINA ORRERIANA | TENTAMEN | Ad Didactici Pöematis Regulas | quodammodo conformatum, | Et | in tres Partes divisum | [double rule] | Ornari Res ipsa negat, contenta Doceri. – Manil. | [double rule]." [fol. 3v blank.]
  • c. Dedication to William Derham, fol. 4r: "Ornatissimo, Doctissimo, Spectatissimoq[ue] Viro | Dno. Guil. Derham. A.M. | Et | Hujusce Collegii Decano | Colendissimo." [fol. 4v blank.]
  • d. Argumentum Partis primæ, fol. 5r: "Propositio. Invocatio. Machina Orreriana Inventor Boylæus. Mundus verrus; mundus fictus, sive Machina. Partes Machinæ, et Inventoris Laudes. Partes singular seorsim sumpta. Sol verus; sex veri ac primarii Planetæ; Decem etiam very et secundarii Planetæ. Sol fictus, et verus. Venus ficta et vera; Phases ejus Telescopio survandæ. Digressis de Telescopüs; Laudes Galilæi Inventoris; ut et Newtoni quoq[ue], qui cometarum cursus Telescopüs feliciter observavit." [fol. 5v blank].
  • e. Pars Prima, 6r-12r: "Naturæ abstrusus Leges multa Arte retextas ... et se rursum in sæcula condent." ; [fol. 12v blank].
  • f. Argumentum Partis secundæ, fol. 13r: "Transitio ab inferioribus Planetis ad Terram. Orbita Terra. Terra ficta Lampade illustrate; ejus diurnus motus; ejus annus motus per nduodecim signa Zodiaci, et Phænomena inde orientia. Orbita Lunæ; vera Luna; et ficta Luna Lampade illustrate; ejus Phases, et Terræ Phases, ut Lunæ apparent. Excursio ad Lunares et Planetares Populos; inde etiam Digressis ad Artium progressionem, et speciatim Astronomiæ." [fol.13v blank].
  • g. Pars secunda, 14r-21v: "Hactenus, augusti conentæ Limite Coeli, ... Corda metu posthac non tentatura, recondit." [fol. 22 blank].
  • h. Argumentum Partis tertiæ, fol. 23r: "Revocatio subjecti a Digressione præcedente. Eclipses Solis et Lunæ Lampade illustrate; et varia Phænomena inde orientia. Invocatio, sive Transitio ad superiors Planetas. Mars fictus et verus. Jupiter fictus et verus; Jovis quatuor satellites, et eorum Eclipses; Digressis de Longitudine, et Lucis motu exinde observatis. Saturnus; Saturni quinq[ue] satellites; Saturni Annulus. Coelum octavum, ibi fixæ stellæ. Conclusio." [fol.23v blank].
  • i. Pars tertia, 24r-31r: "Tamq[ue] iterum mihi surgit opus; hand machine parvum ... Annuit, Isiacæq[ue] indulgent Carmina Musæ. J. Hubbock." [fols 31v-32 blank].

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Other Finding Aids

This catalogue entry derives from Stewart Tiley's unpublished descriptive catalogue of the post-1500 western manuscripts at St John's College, Oxford (2018). This entry was uploaded to ArchivesHub in April 2023 as part of the St John's College Library digitization project. To learn more about the project and to find digital resources, please visit the Digital Library