Agitur de XiV saeculo

Here is a little something that you will find interesting.

MSDigby 46. Fortune-telling tracts (Bernardus, Silvestris, Experimentarius, etc.) with illustrations. English, third quarter of the 14th century.

Liber fortunae, also known as Experimentaius, Bernardus Silvester , English + latin

WIKIPedia:

Bernardus Silvestris, also known as Bernard Silvestris and Bernard Silvester, was a medieval Platonist philosopher and poet of the 12th century. (It is believed he lived from 1085 to 1178).

There is evidence of influence in the works of medieval and renaissance authors, including Hildegard of Bingen, Vincent of Beauvais, Dante, Chaucer, Nicolas of Cusa, and Boccaccio.[1] In the modern era, Bernardus Silvestris has been referred to in the science fiction work of C. S. Lewis.[5]

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Since the manuscripts showed here are of the 13th and 14th century, they are very probable both copies. Notice that many pages have been made duplo inside the same manuscript.

Bernardus Silvester is well known for his Cosmographia (also known as De mundi universitate, which was made around 1147. That work is divided into two parts: “Megacosmus”, which describes the ordering of the physical universe, and “Microcosmus”, which describes the creation of man. The work is even today interesting for the philosophical issues but also the

Plant Names in the Cosmographia of Bernardus Silvestris”. (and Ovid’s Metamorphoses mentioned) Scientiarum Historia. 20: 39–56. Retrieved 24 November 2014. see : http://scientiarumhistoria.library.uu.nl/index.php/scientiarumhistoria/article/view/8951/9342

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Folio 008v

Euclid holding sphere and dioptra, observing the moon and stars, Hermanus holding Astrolabe. (lines 3208-3211).
(text: Spera, astrolabui, Eurclit(?)es)

Well. That picture is obviously copied from MS. Ashmole 304, also from Bernardus Silvestris,

But that manuscript, although dated as older, has better readable letters.

Euclid holding sphere and dioptra observing moon and stars; Hermannus holding astrolabe.

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fol. 009v (there are 2 versions?)

Tabula ? lunario

One of a number of ‘tables’ to which the key number or geomantic pattern or questions led (see fol. 008r). In left margin, buildings with sun and moon.

What would the towers have to do with the manuscript & the predictions in the table?

Oriens latinus ?

Midies

Septemto.. tr..is latinus

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fol. 042r

Sixteen possible questions in lettered boxes, each question recurring twice. By finding his question and noting the two letters, the enquirer proceeds to circular tables (see fols. 43v-50r) headed by two-letter combinations. From information in the present table, he is referred to a sector of one of thirteen circular tables, where he finds the name of a ‘judge’ or ‘king’. Under each of these judges are listed nine ‘answers’, and his key number locates the solution to his enquiry. Bar decorated with foliated patterns, columns and two animals (dragons?).

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Spera specierum and spera florum

Circular tables. Fol. 43v: sphere of spices. Spice jars in spandrels. Fol. 44r: sphere of flowers. Flowers and plants in spandrels. In one of these tables, one finds the name of a ‘judge’ or ‘king’. Under each of these judges are listed nine ‘answers’ and one’s key number locates the solution to one’s enquiry. See fol. 42r for more explanation.

Why nine?

Fol. 49v: Circular table. Sphere of cities. Cities in spandrels. Fol. 50r: first page of the nine answers of the kings. In one of these tables, one finds the name of a ‘judge’ or ‘king’. Under each of these judges are listed nine ‘answers’ and one’s key number locates the solution to one’s enquiry. See fol. 42r for more explanation.

Primu locu tencat Rubuae in computa co[?]nibus ?

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fol. 078r

Text: ‘Divinatio Ciceronalis’. Coloured drawings. The appropriate bird serves as a direct route to one of 20 judges. Five medallions on the left have birds, lined up with five other medallions on the right with planets and signs of the zodiac: peacock and the sun, dove and the moon, partridge and Saturn, ‘pinzan’ and Jupiter, ‘turbo’ and Mars.

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f77r Cicero
Introducing the ‘Divinatio Ciceronalis’. Coloured drawing. Cicero seated at desk writing with stylus on tablets.

Notice the decorations on the corners of the page, they look similar as the markers used in the VMS for example to show the start of a text in a circle.

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Do you have translations or text? let me know.