Pseudo-Mesue, Opera, in Italian

A pharmacological and medical corpus attributed to an anonymous 13th-century author, known as Pseudo-Mesue, in Italian translation, copied in Tuscany (Central Italy) in the 1460s-1470s, on paper, with decorated initials and contemporary blind-tooled binding.

The corpus is attributed in some manuscripts to Johannes Mesue, son of the Persian physician Yūhannā Ibn Māsawayh (circa 777-857), known in the Latin West as Iohannes Mesue, and therefore traditionally called Mesue Junior, or Johannes Damascenus. The Latin corpus was therefore traditionally regarded as a translation from a lost Arabic original, but it is now believed to be the original work of one (or possibly two?) 13th-century European individual/s, possibly from Italy and/or France, who probably assumed the pseudonym of Mesue to give more authority to his/their texts: see Iolanda Ventura, 'Les mélanges manuscrits autour des Canones et du Grabadin du Pseudo-Mesue: questions de contenu et de catalogage', paper given at the conference Miscellanées scientifiques médiévales (Paris, 22 - 23 September 2015) (forthcoming).

The corpus is formed of four treatises: 1. Canones, on the importance of purgation, with descriptions of purgative simples and their properties; 2. De consolatione medicinarum, a compendium of purgative simples; 3. Antidotarium sive Grabadin, a compendium of compounds in alphabetical order; 4. Practica sive Grabadin, an antidotarium, possibly written by a different author, describing human diseases a capite ad calcem [from head to toe] and their remedies, seemingly left unfinished by its author as it breaks after the diseases of the chest.

In the present manuscript the four texts are presented as a single work divided into four books. The books are introduced by a prologue, with a table of contents in Books 1, 3 and 4 (ff. 1r-2r; 81r; 136r-v).

The Italian translations here are identical to the texts of the first edition of Johannes Mesue, Opera medicinalia in Italian, entitled Il libro della consolatione delle medicine semplici solenni ([Modena]: Johannes Vurster, 25 June 1475) (ISTC im00518000), and the subsequent Florentine edition ([Bartolommeo di Libri, about 1492]) (ISTC im00520000).

Contents

1. ff. 1r-34r: Pseudo-Mesue, Canones, in Italian.

f. 1r, lines 1-22: Prologue: [N]EL nome di dio misericordioso di cui el consentimento el parlare riceue gratia et la doctrina refectione [sic for perfectione]. Principio delle parole di Giouanni figliuolo di mesue damech figliuolo del figliuolo de Abadella Re di damasco et Caldea. Ragionamenti ricercanti di sapere cio che si ricorderanno che di corrigiere le medicine semplici. fare uscire del corpo molto saui aueuano scripto posto che alla scialacquata niuno di loro diede in questa materia perfecta notitia.

ff. 1r, line 23 - 2r, line 9: Table of contents, incipit: Dello elegiere da uscire del corpo & loro potere & proprieta. Cap^o. p^o.

f. 2r, line 25: Incipit: [rubric in red] Cap^o. p^o. della letione delle medicine solutiue per compressioni de giudicij secondo le superscripte proprij [end of rubric] / [N]Oi diciamo chella medicina da fare uscire none cosi facta per sua qualita et non fa uscire perche luno contrario faccia contro alaltro ma perche la da natura …

f. 34r: Explicit: … et se none confermato curasi col regimento che inumidifica et col dare cibo. E sono assai altre cose. / [rubric in red] Finito El primo Libro Comincia El Secondo.

2. ff. 35r-80v: Pseudo-Mesue, De consolatione medicinarum, in Italian.

f. 35r: Incipit: [N]Oi Abiamo prolungato el parlare delle intentioni et modi di retificare le medicine che soluono insino aqui con ragionamento utile ...

f. 80v: Explicit: La presa è da .vi. carati per insino a 3.ii o per insino ad 3.iij. / [rubric in red] Finito El Secondo Libro de Semplici di Mesue.

3. ff. 81r-133v: Pseudo-Mesue, Antidotarium sive Grabadin, in Italian.

f. 81r: Incipit: [rubric in red] Antidotario di Mesue: J: damasceno [end of rubric]. / [A]Biamo scripto nellibro delle chiarigioni [sic for dechiarationi] di quelle cose che noi abiamo prouato alquante cose degnie di memoria ...

f. 133v: Explicit: … Et quanto è piu antico tanto è migliore / [rubric in red] Finisce el Terço libro di Mesue.

ff. 134-135: blank.

4. ff. 136r-204r: Pseudo-Mesue, Practica sive Grabadin, in Italian, imperfect, breaking in the middle of the chapter entitled 'De la cura de li denti'.

The text is transposed and a number of sections of the text displaced from f. 175r onwards without any visual interruption in the text, suggesting that the transposition derives from quires bound out of sequence in the exemplar used by the scribe of the present manuscript or in an even earlier copy (antigraph); the correct text therefore runs and must be read as follows: ff. 136r - 175r, line 10; a textual gap corresponding to circa 9 lines in the cited edition; ff. 202r, line 26 - 203r, line 21; ff. 194r, line 27 - 202r, line 26; ff. 203r, line 22 - 204r; ff. 175, line 10 - 194r, line 26. For comparison of the text with the 1475 edition, please refer to the digital facsimile supplied by the Bayerische StaatsBibliothek of Munich at http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0006/bsb00067957/images/

f. 136r: Incipit: [rubric in red] Incomincia el quarto libro di Mesue damasceno [end of rubric] / [A]L NOME Didio misericordioso Jncomincia el tractato delle medicine particulari di giouanni naçareno figliuolo di Mesue el quale el tractato della sufficientia del medico et delle perfectioni. Disse Giovanni mesue sana solo lenfermita idio et della terra della fragilita produsse nella sua largheça la misericordia benedecto glorioso et altissimo …
f. 175r, lines 9-10 (first half of line): chapter entitled 'Dellenfermita et della cura de gli occhi', breaking for the first time at: … Disse diascorides che mangiare la carne degli uccegli rapaci fortifica il uedere (see 1475 edition, sig. [q2r], col. 2, line 33).
f. 175, line 10 (second half of line): chapter entitled [Delle lachrime del lochio et de la loro habondanza], incipit: Cura di questo male alcuna volta non e possibile. et propriamente quando il taglio fusse profondo ... (see 1475 edition, sig. [r2r], col. 2, line 4).
f. 194r, lines 25-26: chapter entitled 'Della cura de denti', breaking at: ... Vagliano lauationi di bocca ritenuti assai in bocca facte di queste cose corteccie di radici di capperi et aceto et poi che della dicotione loro si fa (see 1475 edition, sig. [t1r], col. 2, line 26).
f. 194r, lines 27-28: chapter entitled 'Dellenfermita et della cura de gli occhi', third and final portion, beginning: ... et poi secha et agiugni con essa sedenegi et gruogo ana: 3.1 per le non forate 3.ij musco [scrupolo].j E metti tucte queste cose nel mortaio colle predecte et poi [f. 194v, lines 1-2] agiugni ad essi Gallia 3.%. et trita tanto che si sechi et fa alcool la mattina et la sera pero che provato se idio vorra. / [lines 3-4:] Delle cose che fanno rimuovere la sustantia e il regimento conoscere sei cose non naturali per le quali lochio et il corpo nacquista tenereça come avere aria temperata el cibo et bere umido et bagni temperati et laltre vmentationi con temperança pure che non faccino uenire inopilatione ... (see 1475 edition, sig. [q3v], col. 1, line 2).
f. 202r, line 26 (first half of line): chapter entitled 'Del panno sebel nellochio', explicit: ... curala con medicine acute detti nel capitol innançi a questo nelle albugine nellochio (see 1475 edition, sig. [r1r], col. 2, line 7).
f. 202r, lines 26 (second half of line)-27: chapter entitled 'Dellenfermita et della cura de gli occhi', second portion in the manuscript, beginning: ... Sabor: la noce moscada nutrita col mele guarda la sanita del uedere … (see 1475 edition, sig. [q2v], col. 1, line 9).
f. 203r, line 21: chapter entitled 'Dellenfermita et della cura de gli occhi', second portion, breaking: ... quarto con acqua di ruta. La quinta con acqua di cilidonia (see 1475 edition, sig. [q3v], col. 1, line 1).
from f. 203r, line 22: [chapter entitled 'Dellalbume del lochio'], incipit: Cura di questa infirmita si fa per quegli medesimi regimenti per li quali si cura el sebel ... (see 1475 edition, sig. [r1r], col. 2, line 8)
to f. 204r: chapter entitled 'Dell'ungula' with second rubric 'Della Chura', explicit: … Et il uapore dellacqua calda come gia fu decto delle lagrime dellochio' (see 1475 edition, sig. [r2r], col. 2, line 2), incorporating at the end and without interruption the caption to the following chapter 'Delle lagrime dell'occhio'.

On paper. Three different watermarks, occasionally found together in quires: 1. ladder (height c. 57 mm; width 18-20 mm; distance between chainlines 66 mm), found in quires 1-7, 9-10, 14: similar to Briquet 5909 (Siena, 1460-1465); 2. Crossbow within circle (height c. 50 mm; width c. 50 mm; distance between chainlines 65 mm), found in quires 8-9, 11-13, 15: apparently with no match in Briquet or Piccard; 3. Triple mount, surmounted by cross consisting of one line (height 71 mm; width 24 mm; distance between chainlines 65/66 mm), found in quires 10, 16-18: similar to Piccard no. 150349 (Florence, c. 1465).

206 leaves, ff. 34v, 134-135, 204v-205v blank; old foliation '1-205' for 206 leaves in light brown ink at centre of upper margin on rectos, repeating no. '129', probably 17th century, possibly by the same hand as the ownership note on f. 34v; followed here. 288 x 201 mm; written space 197 x 121 mm, ruled for a single column, first in dry and then metal (lead?) point, in single vertical and horizontal bounding lines with upper and lower horizontal lines crossing over into the margins, the horizontal lines often crossing the right vertical bounder, 28 horizontal ruled/written lines (above top ruled line) to the column; traces of pricking in the upper and lower margins and at fore-edge, and also in the inner left margin for horizontal bounders, all from recto. Modern paper repair on first leaf.

Collation: 1-3¹², 4¹⁰, 5-11¹², 12⁶, 13-14¹², 15-16¹⁰, 17¹², 18¹⁴; horizontal catchwords in the lower margin of last verso of quires, at the left of the right vertical bounding line, approximately three lines below the text; no trace of quire signatures.

Secundo folio: la purgagione

Written in a formal cursive humanistic hand, rather square in appearance. The text is in good Italian; written spelling shows accented 'e' represented between two oblique strokes, 'z' as 'ç', the word 'acqua' and derivative spelled as the group 'cqu', and the palatal lateral fricative as the group 'gl'.

Three- to four-line ornamental initials in red with reserved, penwork and pen-flourished decoration in red on ff. 1r, 35r, 81r and 136r, with outlining in black added later; two-line initial with reserved decoration in black ink on f. 2r; 2-line initials, uncial in shape, some with reserved decoration, headings and paragraph marks in dark red throughout, with small guide letters; capitals touched in red at beginning of chapters throughout.

Binding: dark brown sheepskin over wooden boards (oak?), with parchment pastedown on lower board [none on upper board], no flyleaves, sewn on three red-stained double-split alum-tawed-skin spine-bands, stubs of alum-tawed-skin core from endbands, blind-tooled decoration, traces of three nails securing two straps for fastening clasp (wanting) at fore-edge of upper board, two trilobite-shaped metal catches (copper alloy) secured by three metal nails (copper alloy) at fore-edge of lower board, Italy, Tuscany, c. 1480s; much worn, wanting spine leather.

Bought from the bookseller and collector Wilfred Michael Voynich (1865-1930), possibly on 28 June 1910, for £40: see note in pencil in the lower margin of f. 1r.

For original description, see S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973), vol. 1, pp. 326-7. Description enhanced by Laura Nuvoloni in 2017 based on the compiler's own research.

The note 'Carisci' (f. 1r), late 16th or early 17th century, possibly an ownership note: 'Carisci' is an Italian surname recorded for Civita Castellana (near Viterbo, north of Rome) in the 14th century and for Tagliacozzo (near Aquila, Abruzzi, Central Italy) in the present days.

Musical notation with words in Italian (f. 206r-v), late 16th or early 17th century

Pen-trial inscription 'Carissimo / Messer [?] Tomaso / Ferini' and the name 'Misser Francesco / raselli' in the lower border of f. 206v, 17th century.

An ownership inscription, possibly 'Questo Libro e di Reimperto Toscanelli [ or Francesco de Raselli?]' (formerly read as 'Raimondo Giallo' by Moorat), obliterated and made partly illegible by additional pen strokes (f. 34v), 17th century; the beginning of the sentence 'Questo Libro e di' repeated (f. 134v).