APPENDIX I
MANUSCRIPTS OF THE EXPERIMENTARIUS OF BERNARD SILVESTER
Digby 46, 14th century, fols. 7v-39v.
Ashmole 304, 13th century, fols. 2r-30v.
Sloane 3857, 17th century, fols. 164-95.
These three MSS are much alike both in the Experimentarius proper and the other tracts of divination which accompany it. Digby 46 has more of them than either of the others and more pictures than Ashmole 304. Sloane 3857 has no pictures. I have given the numbers of the folios only for the Experimentarius proper.
Sloane 2472, a quarto in skin containing 30 leaves, dated in the old written catalogue as late 12th, but in Scott’s printed Index as 14th century, fols. 3r-14v, the prologue and 22 of 28 Judges of the first version; fols. 15r-21v, the last part of the method of divination by the 36 decans, “Thoas Iudex X” to “Sorab Iudex XXXVI”; fols. 23r-30v, divination by planets and signs as in Digby 46.
Sloane 3554, 15th century, contains the divination of the physician of King Amalricus, the prologue of the Experimentarius, and the second set only of 28 Judges.
The following MSS also contain only this second version:
Ashmole 342, early 14th century, #2.
Ashmole 399, late 13th century, fols. 54-8.
CU Trinity 1404 (II), 14-15th century, fols. 2-16.
Royal 12-C-XII, fols. 108-23, has the second version of the Experimentarius but also a few of the other items of divination found in Ashmole 304.
The first set of 28 Judges is found without mention of Bernard Silvester in the following MSS:
BN 7486, 14th century, fol. 30v-, “Incipit liber alkardiani phylosophi. Cum omne quod experitur sit experiendum propter se vel propter aliud.”
Additional 15236, 13-14th century, English hand, fols. 130-52r, “libellus Alchandiandi”; and at fols. 95r-108r, Prenosticon Socratis Basilei.
The prologue of the Experimentarius is found alone in
Ashmole 345, late 14th century, fol. 64, “Bernardinus.”
Bodleian (Bernard 2177, #6) Auct. F. 3. 13, fol. 104v, “Bernardini silvestris.”