MS 368: Arthur Duck, Commentationes physicae

Archive Unit
  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 473 MS368
  • Dates of Creation
      England, 16th c. (1599-1600)
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      Latin
  • Physical Description
      Support (paper) 216 x 171 mm. Text area: typically 210 x 152 mm. Fol. i + 266 + i leaves (contemporary pagination in top outside corner of each page fols 2-213: 1-27 27 28-97 pages 1 unnumbered leaf leaves 98-99 pages 100-125 leaves 126-127 pages 128-232 232 233-255 257-321 leaf 322 pages 323-340 340 341-374 374 376 375 376-413; later pencil foliation added in top right hand corner of each leaf: ii + 265 + i leaves). Binding: 16th /17th c. English dark brown calf over pasteboard. Boards bear blind double-fillet border, double fillet panel with exterior corner ornaments, and centrepiece ornament. Fragments of green silk ties, 2 on each board. Spine with 4 raised bands edged with blind fillets; at top and bottom remains of cross hatch pattern formed of fillets. In second compartment from top remains of later? manuscript spine label reading “[Co]mmentationes | [p]hysicæ Manu- | [scr]ipt. an 1599.”, above this a small circular paper label 15th c. manuscript waste on vellum used as pastedowns (now fly-leaves). Binding dimensions: 226 x 175 mm.

Scope and Content

A set of manuscript commentaries and notes on various works by Aristotle, possibly taken at lectures, as each section is dated, with dates running from 23 May 1599 to July 10 1600. It seems likely that the notes were compiled by Arthur Ducke whose signature appears on a flyleaf, and who is possibly identifiable as Arthur Duck, 1580-1648, civil lawyer, who graduated BA from Exeter in 1599, and MA from Hart Hall in 1602. Bequeathed to St John's College by the physician John Merrick, M.D., Fellow of St John's (d. 1757).

1. Fols 1v-265v: Arthur Duck, Commentationes physicae . Latin. Single 16th c. mixed hand in black ink. Written in long lines with ca. 65 lines to a page. Frequent use of bracketing to group propositions systematically throughout. Ruled in black ink throughout, with rules to frame headers at top, and a ruled column to left-hand side of each page containing notes. Throughout the manuscript in the top left corner of certain pages are a series of dates running from May 23, 1599 on fol. 2r, to July 10, 1600 on fol. 209r: there is also a date at the end of the index "Augusti 1 1600." Marginal manicules in index. Divisions thus:

  • a. [Fol. 1r blank excepting inscriptions]: Fol. 1v: [title] "Commentationes physicæ haustae ex varijs variorum [proxi[mu]m?] Commentarijs."
  • b. Fols 2r-14v: "Ar[istote]les de Cælo liber 1us." [Fol. 15 blank].
  • c. Fols 16r-29v: "Liber 2us de Cælo." [Fol. 30 blank].
  • d. Fols 31r-32r: "Liber Tertius." [Fol. 32v blank].
  • e. Fols 33r-34v: "Liber 4us." [Fols 35-36 blank].
  • f. Fols 37r-56r: "Ar[istote]les de Ortu et Interitu." [Fols 56v-57v blank].
  • g. Fols 58r-62r: "Liber 2us de Ortu et Interitu." [Fols 62v-63v blank].
  • h. Fols 64r-87r: "Ar[istote]les Meteororum liber 1us." [Fols 87v-88v blank].
  • i. Fols 89r-97r: "Liber 2us Meteororum." [Fols 97v-98v blank].
  • j. Fols 99r-101v: "Liber 3us Meteororum." [Fol. 102 blank].
  • k. Fols 103r-110r: "Liber 4us Meteororum Ar[istote]lii." [Fols 110v-112v blank].
  • l. Fols 113r-116r: "Ar[istote]les de Anima liber primus." [Fols 116v-117v blank].
  • m. Fols 118r-138r: "Ar[istote]les de Anima liber Secundus." [Fols 138v-139v blank].
  • n. Fols 140r-174v: "Ar[istote]les de Anima Liber Tertius." [Fols 175r-176v blank].
  • o. Fols 177r-184v: "Ar[istote]les de Sensu et Sensori Libellus." [Fols 185r-186v blank].
  • p. Fols 187r-189v: "Ar[istote]les de Memoria et Reminiscentia Libellus." [Fols 190r-191v blank].
  • q. Fols 192r-194v: "Ar[istote]les de somno et vigilia Libellus." [Fols 195r-196v blank].
  • r. Fols 197r-197v: "Ar[istote]les de Insomnijs Libellus." [Fols 198r-199v blank].
  • s. Fols 200r-200v: "Ar[istote]lis de Diuinationem per Somnia Libellus." [Fols 201r-201v blank].
  • t. Fols 202r-205r: "Ar[istote]lis de Longitudine & Breuitate vitæ Libellus." [Fols 205v-206v blank].
  • u. Fols 207r-207v: "Ar[istote]lis de Juventute & Senectute Libellus." [Fols 208r-208v blank].
  • v. Fols 209r-210v: "Ar[istote]lis De Respiratione Libellus."
  • w. Fols 211r-212r: "Ar[istote]lis de vita et mortes Libellus." [Fols 211v & 212v blank].
  • x. Fols 213r-213v: "Ar[istote]lis de Motu Cordu Libellus." [Fols 214r-261v blank].
  • y. Fols 262r-266v: "Index."

Additional Text
Fols i & ii. 2 vellum leaves. 15th century manuscript waste used initially as pastedowns? Now front and rear fly-leaves. Unidentified. In two columns. With rubricated initials.

Access Information

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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 May 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

Custodial History

  • 1. Fol. 1r: Inscriptons of "Arthuri Ducke. Maij. 22. 1599" in a 16th c. hand, possibly identical to the hand used in the rest of the manuscript.
  • 2. Inscription of John Merrick on fol 1r: "Joh: Merrick M.D. … Reading nuper Soc. Coll. D. Joh. Bapt. Oxon."
  • 3. Other inscriptions on fol. 1r include a price? And the text "Artes non habet Euripum: Euripus habet Artium."
  • 4. 20th c? bookplate of St John's College inside front board, with earlier shelfmark in pencil "126(D)". Above an even earlier shelfmark inserted around an earlier shelfmark, "Arch [62?]."

Geographical Names

England