Chapter LXXVI: Appendix: II

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PETER OF ABANO’S WRITINGS

[Sidenote: Arrangement.]

The following order will be observed in this list of Peter’s works. First those to which an exact or probable date can be assigned will be taken up in chronological order. Next will be listed those which are undated but undoubtedly genuine. Last will be mentioned those of dubious or spurious authorship. As Peter’s translations of the astrological treatises of Abraham Aben Ezra are closely connected with those of Henry Bate, and as Abraham and Bate are names of considerable importance in the history of astrological literature, a separate appendix following this one will be devoted to them and Peter’s relations to their work. The following lists of MSS for Peter’s various works can probably be greatly added to, but the present bibliography is fuller than any preceding one.

[Sidenote: Translation of Abraham Aben Ezra, 1293.]

Aside from Latin editions of single works (such as the _De nativitatibus_, Ratdolt, 1485, Cologne, 1537, which is not Peter’s original Latin version anyway; and the _De luminaribus et criticis diebus_, 1508, 1544; _de criticis diebus_, 1496, 1550) the only inclusive edition seems to be:

Abrahe Avenaris Judei ... in re judiciali opera, ab
excellentissimo Philosopho Petro de Abano post accuratam
castigationem in Latinum traducta, Ex officina Petri
Liechtenstein, Venetiis, 1507. For further account of this
edition and the MSS see Appendix III.

[Sidenote: The _Physiognomy_, 1295.]

Incipit liber compilationis phisonomie a Petro padubanensi
in civitate Parisiensi.... Viro fulgenti domino Bardeloni
de bocosis mantue honorandissimo capitaneo generali Petrus
padubanensis parisius philosophie minimus alumnorum grata
agere cum salute. Ed. Padua, 1474.

Decisiones Physionomiae ... a Blondo medico ... compertae
inque lucem productae. Venice, 1548.

The earliest MS that I have seen is

BN 16089, 13-14th century, fols. 98r-113, “Incipit liber
compilationis physonomie a magistro petro de padua in
civitate parisiensi.... Nobilitate generis urbanitatum
titulis viro fulgenti domino bardelloni mantue
honorabilissimo capitaneo generali de bona coxis petrus de
padua parisius philosofie minimus alumpnorum grata agere
cum salute.”

Practically the same is

BN 2598, fols. 87r-98r, “Explicit liber compilationis
physonomie per petrum de padua anno domini millesimo
ducentesimo nonagesimo quinto.”

Other MSS, all of the 15th century, are:

BM Addit. 37079, fols. 3r-81v. Here the captain-general’s
name is spelled “Bardeloni ... de Bonaconsis” and the
Explicit gives the precise date, May 23, 1295.

BL Canon. Misc. 46, fols. 1-30, “Liber Physionomiae
clarissimi viri Petri de Appono Patavini ab eo in civitate
Parisiensi aeditus.”

CLM 637, fols. 12-66.

Vienna 5307, fols. 23-32.

The work is listed in the catalogue of the MSS of Amplonius at Erfurt, written in 1412, “Math. 29, Egregius liber Petri Paduani de phisionomia,” but seems to have disappeared from that collection since then.

[Sidenote: _Problems_ of Alexander of Aphrodisias.]

Escorial f-I-11, 14th century (here we first have the
Problems of Aristotle, or perhaps Peter’s commentary
on them “secundum speciem compilationis” and “secundum
novam translationem,” then), fols. 31-42, “Incipiunt
problemata alexandri affrodiseos translata p. M. petrum
Aponensem padue de greco in latinum. Archo. tr. unico
... / ... aut diversa inferiorum et superiorum molle
figuratione. Explicit liber problematum alexandrii
affrodiseos translatus per petrum padubanensem padue de
greco in latinum MCCC secundo XV die decembris et sunt
omnia problemata numero 197.” On the other hand, the list
of Peter’s works contained in Canon. Misc. 46, speaks of
these Problems as having “differentiae quinquaginta.”

[Sidenote: Translations of Galen.]

CLM 5, written in 1304 A. D., fol. 181, Galeni de optima
corporis nostri compositione et bona habitudine translatus
per Petrum medicum Paduanum.

S. Marco XIV, 6, written at Bologna in 1305 A. D., fols.
68-106, contains Peter’s completion of the translation of
the Therapeutic Method, begun by Burgundio of Pisa.

Vienna 2294, 14th century, fols. 1-82v, De ingenio sanitatis
quod deficiebat de translatione Burgundionis (usque ad
libri xiv, c. 12) complete translatum per P. de Albano de
Padua.

In the list of his works in Canon. Misc. 46 Peter is credited with the translation of six of Galen’s treatises, namely: de cholera nigra, de utilitate particularium, de optima compositione, de tabe, liber creticorum, and a sixth title which I did not clearly make out, “Item transtulit librum eiusdem de re fa (or sa, perhaps sanitate) de verbo ad verbum non sicut ille abreviatur.” This last translation was in 18 chapters.

[Sidenote: The _Conciliator_, 1303.]

Conciliator differentiarum philosophorum et precipue
medicorum. Printed eight times before 1500 and several
times thereafter. Most editions are to be found in the
British Museum, but it does not have the first edition
of 1471, Venetiis apud Octavianum Scotum, although it
possesses the Venetian editions of 1521 and 1526, which
are omitted from the bibliographies of Mazzuchelli and
Colle. I have chiefly used, at the John Crerar Library,
Chicago, the edition of 1526, and at the British Museum
the very rare second edition, Mantua, 1472. The editions
of 1476, 1483, 1490, and 1496 are also found in America
(CFCB).

Quaestiones de febribus, pp. 217-40, in a collection of
various authors on fevers printed in 1576, are simply nine
Differentiae from the Conciliator.

Not many MSS appear to have survived; some are:

BN 6961, 1384 A. D., conciliator discordiarum medicinalium.

BN 6962, 15th century.

Library of the Dukes of Burgundy, 10871, early 16th century,
Petri de Abano, Conciliator de medicinis, “Ad melius
intelligendum.”

Medic. 54, “Egregie questiones Petri Paduani consiliatoris,”
in the 1412 A. D. catalogue of Amplonius, seems no longer
in that collection.

Harleian 3747, 15th century, fol. 233, Petri de Ebano de
balneis, is probably an extract from the Conciliator.

Vienna 5289, 15th century, fol. 15r, Cura epidimiae, “Recipe
radices pedis corvini ... / ... adiustionem prohibitum,”
ascribed to Peter and immediately followed by his De
venenis, is perhaps also an extract from the Conciliator.

[Sidenote: _On the astrolabe._]

It appears to have been printed twice but I have not seen either edition:

Astrolabium planum in tabulis ascendens continens
qualibet hora atque minuto aequationes domorum coeli
significationes imaginum moram nati in utero matris cum
quodam tractatus nativitatum necnon horas inaequales pro
quolibet climate mundi, Venice, 1488; and 1502 (Luc’
Antonio de Giunta).

Perhaps it is the same as the following work ascribed to Peter in a MS at Munich which I have been unable to inspect:

CLM 22048, 15th century, 176 fols., De signis celestibus
eorumque significatione et potestate, cum multis tabulis
astronomicis.

Kroll and Skutsch, in their edition of Julius Firmicus Maternus, II (1913), xxviii, list what appears to be another edition of the same year, 1488, at Augsburg, and which they say was reprinted in 1494 and often thereafter.

Opus Astrolabii plani in tabulis: a Iohanne Angeli artium
liberalium magistro a nouo elaboratum; explicit feliciter.
Erhardi ratdolt Augustensis viri solertis: eximia
industria: et mira imprimendi arte: qua nuper veneciis:
nunc Auguste vindelicorum excellet nominatissimus.
Vigesimoseptimo kalendas Novembris. M. CCCC. LXXXVIII.
Laus deo.

This edition, Kroll and Skutsch state, contained portions of the Mathesis of Firmicus, and some notes which Peter of Abano had added to the astrological images (Kroll et Skutsch, II, xxxii). Whether these brief notes are Peter’s sole connection with the Astrolabium planum, they do not make clear.

[Sidenote: _On the motion of the eighth sphere_, 1310.]

I have seen it stated somewhere that it forms a part of the preceding work. I have read the treatise in the first of the following MSS:

Canon. Misc. 190, 1445 A. D., fols. 78r-83v, Tractatus motus
octave spere.

Cod. Vatic. Palat. Lat. 1377, 14-15th century, fols.
1r-5r, “Incipit tractatus quem composuit magister Petrus
Paduanus in motu octave spere et sequitur capitulum primum
prohemiale in operis causa et ipsius intentione. Quoniam
iuxta Ptholomeum rerum quippe causas ... / ... inde causa
existit prefati. Explicit tractatus motus octave spere
ordinatus a magistro Petro Paduanensi anno gratiae 1310.”

Vienna 5498, 15th century, fols. 60r-70v, “Libellus in motu
octave sphere.”

[Sidenote: The _Lucidator_, 1310.]

The fuller title, “Lucidator dubitabilium astronomie,” is used by Peter himself in citing the work in the Prohemium to his treatise on the motion of the eighth sphere.

BN 2598, following the Physonomia, fols. 99r-125v, “Quoniam
astrologyce considerationis ambiguitates....” At fol. 125v
the copyist, Petrus Collensis, whom Duhem characterizes
as “scribe aussi maladroit qu’ignorant latiniste,” adds
his name and a table of contents comprising ten questions.
But the last four of these do not seem to be discussed in
the text, of which the last three pages contain rather
the beginning of the treatise on the motion of the eighth
sphere. Therefore we have only the preface and first six
Differentiae of the Lucidator. No copy of the Lucidator
was known before Duhem, Études sur Léonard de Vinci,
1906-1909, I, 50-51, called attention to this MS.

[Sidenote: Commentary on the _Problems_ of Aristotle, 1310.]

Expositio in librum problematum Aristotelis, Mantua 1475;
Padua, 1482, 1501, 1520. The editio princeps of 1475 is
not in the British Museum, although it has the other three
editions, but copies of it exist in America (CFCB). The
1482 edition is said to have really been printed at Venice
by Herbort. I have consulted the edition of 1482 in this
country at the Columbia University Library. The Incipit
in the 1482 edition reads, “Expositio praeclarissimi
atque eximii artium ac medicinae doctoris Petri de Ebano
Patavini in librum Problematum Aristotelis feliciter
incipit.”

But the Explicit is given imperfectly in this 1482 edition
and may better be repeated after a Venetian MS, S. Marco
XII, 84, 14th century, fols. 1-139, “Explicit expositio
succincta compilationis problematum Aristotelis quam
Petrus edidit Padubanensis et a nullo prius interpretante;
incepta quidem Parisius et laudabiliter Paduae terminata
anno legis Christianorum millesimo trecentesimo decimo
cum laude Dei altissimi cuius nomen sit benedictum per
saecula, amen.” The Explicit as given in the first
edition similarly stated that Peter composed the work
partly in Paris and finished it in Padua in 1310. The
Venetian MS just mentioned omits the text of Aristotle and
gives only Peter’s commentary.

BN 6540. An illuminated MS with a picture at the beginning
of a smooth-shaven man in gown and hood which is possibly
meant for Peter. This MS would presumably be the
autograph, were the MSS Catalogue right in dating it in
1310 A. D.; but I think that the date when the Explicit
states that the work was completed has been incorrectly
assumed to be the time when the MS was written. There
seems to be nothing about the MS to indicate that it was
written as early as 1310.

BN 6541, 14th century.

BN 6541A, 15th century.

BN 6542, 1385 A. D., per m. de Jenduno (i.e. Jean de Jandun)
elucidata et declarata.

BN 6543, 14th century.

Arsenal 723, 15th century, 286 fols. This also begins with
the prologue of Jean de Jandun who lectured on the work at
Paris from a copy of Peter’s Commentary given him by the
famous Marsiglio of Padua.

Mazarine 3520, 14th century. According to the MSS Catalogue,
the prologue differs from that in the 1519 (1520?)
edition, but the text is the same except that it stops in
the midst of the 28th problem under Particula X.

Digby 77, 14th century, fols. 57-82, Summa Problematum
Aristotelis “secundum Petrum Paduanensem.”

BM Addit. 21978, 1477 A. D. Two other translations of
Aristotle’s Problems accompany Peter’s work in this MS.

Peterhouse 79, 14th century, “Expl. prior exposicio huius
libri per petrum padubanensem incepta parisius et finita
padue cum gaudio magno, deo sit honor.”

[Sidenote: _On poisons_, 1316 (?).]

Tractatus de venenis (also in the MSS, “Pollex de venenis”
or “Pollex venenorum”), Mantua 1472 (or 1473?); Padua,
1473; also in 1484, 1490, 1495, 1515, 1555, and, with the
Conciliator, in 1476, 1496, 1499, and 1521. CFCB also
lists separate editions of 1475, 1487, 1498, and 1500.

Amplon. Q. 222, mid. 14th century, fols. 227-37.

CLM 77, 1386 A. D., fols. 142-5.

CLM 184, 1439-1444 A. D., fol. 272-.

CLM 257, 15th century, fol. 111-.

Berlin 909, 15th century, fol. 107-.

Vienna 2358, fols. 150-7; 4751, fols. 218-37; 5289, fols.
16r-19v; 5398, fols. 197-204; all of 15th century.

BM Addit. 37079, 15th century, fols. 83r-131v.

Canon. Misc. 46, fol. 31-; 455, fols. 176-83; both 15th
century.

Bodleian 484 (Bernard 2063, #26), fols. 206-26.

Vendôme 243, 18 Jan. 1441, fols. 176-83.

Arsenal 873, 15th century, fol. 97-.

BN nouv. acq. 1789, moyen format, fols. 99-110.

Library of Dukes of Burgundy, 8554, 15th century.

Bibl. Naz. Turin H-II-16, 15th century, fol. 115v.

Naples XII-G-78, 15th century, in Italian.

Vicenza 328, in Italian.

Volterra 1, 16th century.

Florence, Nelli 243, 16th century; 374, 18th century.

Riccard. 1177, 15th century, fols. 7-13.

[Sidenote: _Addition to Mesue._]

Petri Apponi in librum J. Mesue (Yuhanna ibn Masawaih)
additio, fols. 100r-129 in the 1471 edition of Yuhanna ibn
Masawaih, fols. 111-21 in the 1495 edition. Also printed
in 1485, 1491, 1497, 1513, 1523, 1531, 1541, 1551, 1602,
1623.

S. Marco XIV, 42, 14th century, fols. 194-222.

CLM 8, completus Paduae ann. 1464, fols. 120-38, Additiones
libri Mesuae ut communiter traditur Francisci pede
montium, immo Conciliatoris. In the 1495 edition additions
by Francis of Piedmont follow those of Peter of Abano.

CLM 13, fol. 223-; 81, 14-15th century; 25061, 15th century,
fols. 337-8.

Sloane 3124, 15th century, fols. 276-323.

[Sidenote: Dioscorides.]

Dioscorides, De materia medica, Colle, 1478. “Explicit
dyascorides quem petrus paduanensis legendo corexit et
exponendo que utiliora sunt in lucem deduxit.”

Dioscorides digestus alphabetico ordine additis
annotatiunculis brevibus et tractatu de aquarum natura,
Lugduni, 1512. This is said to be a reproduction of the
1478 edition.

BN 6820, 14th century, fols. 1-72r, words the Explicit a
little differently from the edition of 1478: “Explicit
dyascorides quem petrus paduanensis legendo correxit et
exponendo que occultiora in lucem deduxit.”

There are said to be a number of MSS of this medieval enlarged Latin Dioscorides, which indeed Wellman (“Dioskurides” in PW) calls “the most widely-disseminated handbook of pharmacy, which dominated the whole later middle ages,” but Peter’s edition of it is not well distinguished from preceding ones. Wellmann, for example, says nothing of Peter’s commentary and corrections.

[Sidenote: Pseudo-Hippocrates.]

Libellus de medicorum astrologia a Petro de Abbano in
latinum traductus, Venice, Ratdolt, 1485 (in “Opusculum
repertorii pronosticon in mutationes aeris”). Many copies
in America (CFCB).

Tractatulus Hypocratis medicorum optimi De aspectibus
planetarum versus Lunam (a Petro de abbano in latinum
traductus), Leipzig, 1505.

Printed with Magninus, Regimen Sanitatis, 1500, 1517, 1524.

Printed in 1585 and 1626 by Z. T. Bovio.

Also found with the works of Hippocrates and Galen in
various editions and in the 1497 edition of Rasis.

MSS are also numerous, but catalogues usually do not state whether William of Moerbeke or Peter of Abano is the translator. It is ascribed to the former, however, in

BN 7337, pp. 78-84, Liber hyppocratis de prognosticationibus
egritudinum secundum motum lune traductus a domino fratre
Guglielmo de Morbercha archiepiscopo Corintino ordinis
predicatorum.

Vienna 5498, 15th century, fols. 53-59, our treatise
precedes that of Peter on the motion of the eighth sphere.

Vienna 5275, 16th century, fol. 195, Pseudo-Hippocrates,
Fragmentum libri de medicorum astrologia a Petro de Abano
in latinum sermonem traducti.

Sloane 780, 15th century, fols. 55v-58v, “De iudiciis a
lune observatione formandis de sanitate vita et morte
infirmiorum,” is the Peter of Abano version, opening, “Cum
legerem libros hypocratis medicorum optimi inveni hunc
parvum sed magne utilitatis librum....”

Sloane 636, 15th century, fols. 98v-102v, has the Incipit
of William of Moerbeke’s translation (Quetif and Echard,
1719, I, 390), “Sapientissimus ypocras omnium medicorum
peritissimus ait, Inscius medicus est qui astronomiam
ignorat....” This is also the Incipit of Digby 29, 15th
century, fols. 167-72.

The recently revised catalogue of the Royal MSS notes that a third version, which apparently is neither by William of Moerbeke nor Peter, is found in

Royal 12-C-XVIII, 14th century, fols. 33v-36r, which opens,
“Dixit ypocras qui fuit medicus et magister optimus et
medicus non est qui astronomiam ignorat”;

Sloane 3171, fols. 104v-116, which opens, “Dixit ypocras
medicorum optimus cuiusmodi medicus est qui astrononiam
ignorat”;

Sloane 3282, fols. 89v-90, which opens, “Dixit ypocras qui
fuit medicus et magister optimus cuiusmodi medicus est qui
non astronomiam nossit”;

Cotton Appendix VI, fols. 5r-8r, which opens, “Dixit ypocras
qui fuit medicus et magister optimus cuiusmodi medicus est
qui astronomiam ignorat.”

Digby 28, early 14th century, fols. 81v-85, which opens,
“Dixit Ypo. non est medicus qui astronomiam non novit,” is
perhaps the same version; at any rate Coxe says that it
differs from Digby 29, William of Moerbeke’s translation.

[Sidenote: Geomancy.]

Geomantia, in Latin according to Mazzuchelli, Venice, 1549
and 1586. I have not seen either.

Geomantia di Pietro d’Abano nuovamente tradotta di Latino in
volgare per il Tricasso Mantuano, Venice, 1542.

Novamente dall’ eccell. M. S. Musio da Capoa ricorsa, 2
pts., Vinegia, 1546-1550. Another edition, Venice, 1550.

Comincia la Geomantia di P. d’Abano tradotta di Lattina
lingua, Venice, 1556.

CLM 392, 15th century, fol. 69-.

CLM 489, 16th century, fols. 222-33, “Desideravi verum et
certum Iudicium dare secundum gloriosam et venerabilem
scientiam Geomantiae ... / ... Explicit liber Petri de
Abano. P.”

Sandaniele del Friuli 240, 15th century, “Incipit modum
iudicandi questiones geomantie sive modum magistri Petri.
Considerantibus (?) verum et certum ... / ... veluti
nocturna. Explicit liber Geomantiae. Deo gratias Amen.”

[Sidenote: Prophecies.]

Questa sie la profetia composta per el reverendissimo
negromante piero dabano ... Bologna, 1495.

Vatican 5356, fol. 28, Variae prophetiae Magistri Petri
Patavini de Abano.

[Sidenote: _Heptameron_, or _Elements of magic_.]

Kiesewetter, Der Occultismus des Alterthums, mentions a
Latin edition, Venice, 1496, which I have neither seen nor
found mentioned elsewhere.

It was printed together with the Occult Philosophy of Henry
Cornelius Agrippa in Latin at Paris, 1565, and in 1600 and
1655 in English translation.

Also in J. Scheible, Kleiner Wunder-Schauplatz, Theil 10,
1855.

In French as Les Oeuvres Magiques de Henri-Corneille
Agrippa, par Pierre d’Aban (Heptameron ou les élémens
magiques de Pierre Aban, Philosophe, Disciple de
Henri-Corneille Agrippa), Liège, 1788.

Sloane 3850, 17th century, fols. 13v-23.

CLM 24936, 17th century, pp. 94-131, Petri de Abano doctoris
urbis Pataviae Magia.

Vienna 11294, 17th century, fols. 41r-74v.

BN 17870, 18th century.

[Sidenote: _Elucidarium necromanticum._]

Vatican, Regina Sueviae 2014, according to Mazzuchelli
(1741) p. liii, who, like Naudé, lists this as a separate
treatise different from the Heptameron.

[Sidenote: _Annulorum experimenta._]

BN 7337, 15th century, pp. 131-8, “Peritissimi artium ac
medicine doctoris in omnibusque scientiis excellentissimi
magistri Petri de abbano annulorum experimenta
feliciter incipiunt. Primo et principaliter in hac arte
considerandum est quod 28 sunt mansiones lune.” This seems
to be the work described by Naudé as “Liber experimentorum
mirabilium de annulis secundum 28 mansiones Lunae.”

[Sidenote: _Circulus philosophicus._]

CLM 17711, 17th century, fols. 284-307, is perhaps identical
with one of the three preceding works.