Gerardus Cremonensis (1114-1187)

Canones Arzachelis in tabulas Toletanas. Theorica planetarum. Wrritten in a neat book hand in double column of 39 lines to a column. Initial with marginal decoration in alternate red and blue, and blue and red. Paragraph marks in alternate red and blue, headings in red. Illustrated wth 8 geometrical figures in red, and 3 large astronomical diagrams in black, and geometrical figure in black: with a table of sines in red (fol. 4v), and another in red and black (fol. 25) of 'Motus planetarum in die secundum ptolomeum'. Fol. 1 (red) Incipiunt canones super tabulas/astronomie. (Text begins) Quonian cuiusque/accionis quantitatem temporis/metitue... 19v, col. 2 ... Scies, quoque diem et horam/et quantitatem eclipsium si deus uo/lerit.//Expliciunt canones astrono//mie de gracias. 20 (red) Incipit theorica planetarum. CIrculus/dicitur eccentricus uel egisse cuspidis... 25, col. 2 ... erunt/uincti lumine ipsi planete et non corporaliter.//Explicit theorica planetarum.///[Table 'Motus planetarum']. 26 Tree of Species. 26v Zodiacal diagram. 27 Armillary sphere. 27v Diagram of the Spheres. 28 Geometrical figure, with notes by a contemporary hand. 28v (red) De vera primatione./Si vis scire diem et horam et punctum reuo/lutionis lune... In this note an example is given based on the year 1286.

Early 14th Century

1 volume 28 ll. 4to. 22 x 15 1/2 cm. On vellum: modern vellum binding. Margins slightly cropped.

Purchased 1911.

Ot these two works the 'Theorica planetarum' is probably by Gerard of Cremona, himself, but the 'Canones' are a translation by him of the 'Toledan Tables' originally edited by Iban al-Zarquala or al-Zarqali [c. 1029-c. 1087], an Arabic astronomer of Corodova [cf. Sarton. 'Introduction to the History of Science', VOl. I, pp. 758-759].

Database description transcribed from 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).