Some recipes with English explanations; 'A brefe instructyone conserning ... worthy medesines ... for the Chyrurgien'; 'A treads of the cure of the French poxe wryten in Latten by Benedictus Victorius and translatyd into Inglysh by John Hall chirurgien', and others
A (on paper: written about 1570: fols. 1-36, 156-end):
- Fol. 1. Some recipes with English explanations: the first beg. 'Recipe myrrhe э viij'.
- Fol. 5. 'A brefe instructyone conserning ... worthy medesines ... for the Chyrurgien': beg. 'The working of medycines. First it behovyth to digest', a practical treatise of compounding medicines.
- Fol. 19. 'A treads of the cure of the French poxe wryten in Latten by Benedictus Victorius and translatyd into Inglysh by John Hall chirurgien': beg. 'Sythe many before me': followed by another cure 'after Nicolaus Massa' similarly translated (fol. 28).
- Fol. 33v. 'Certayne conferences made bettwene mr William Cunningham doctor of physycke [of Coleman St., London] and mr John Hall chyrurgien [of Maidstone] touching ... the poxe', copies of two letters, April 1565. The foliation would naturally indicate the loss of six pages, but there are erasures on foll. 32-6.
- Fol. 156. 'The Effect [i.e. substance] of Haywoddes letter to person Darell for Paryse of Inngelstone [Ingatestone?]', with a letter from 'doctor Coldwell' to John Hall, Sept. 29, 1566, and several recipes by 'goodwife Suttun', 'Benett of Islington', etc. Some later Latin recipes are on fol. 185v, but fols. 159-84 are blank.
B (on parchment: written in the 2nd half of the 15th cent.):
- Fol. 44. A manual of medicine in three books, i of man's body, ii (fol. 51v) of diseases in general, iii (fol. 140v) of diseases of women: the first chapter beg. 'It is to vnderstond that a man is made of foure elementis': at fol. 152 follows a long alphabetical 'exposyssion of names' of drugs, beg. 'Aloen. Aloe is hoote and dry in the seconde degre'.
(Apparently wanting fols. 37-43)
Dates
- Creation: Made up of two MSS. written in the 15th and 16th century in England
Extent
189 Leaves
Language of Materials
- English
- Latin
Preferred Citation
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. Bodl. 178, fols. 1-2]
Shelfmark:
MS. Bodl. 178
Collection ID (for staff)
CMD ID 17886
Abstract
Some recipes with English explanations; 'A brefe instructyone conserning ... worthy medesines ... for the Chyrurgien'; 'A treads of the cure of the French poxe wryten in Latten by Benedictus Victorius and translatyd into Inglysh by John Hall chirurgien', and others
Biographical / Historical
Biographical details unknown.
Other Finding Aids
Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. II, no. 2073
Custodial History
Manuscript 784 acquired by the Bodleian Library
The name of 'John Halle' appears twice: 'precium xxiiij5': also on fol. ij 'John Capon' (or Caxton).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This appears to be the 'Book of Surgerie in English' presented by Thomas Twyne in 1612, but not referenced till about 1620-25.
Physical Facet
On parchment and paper
Dimensions
11 7/8 × 8 3/4 in.
- Title
- Some recipes with English explanations; 'A brefe instructyone conserning ... worthy medesines ... for the Chyrurgien'; 'A treads of the cure of the French poxe wryten in Latten by Benedictus Victorius and translatyd into Inglysh by John Hall chirurgien', and others
- Status
- Published
- Date
- EAD version 2020 by Alice Whichelow
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk