London Brit. Mus. Add. 8786

Steele's description of the manuscript

From Steele 1905-1941 Fasc. 14 XIV.

The origin of this, perhaps the most interesting of Bacon manuscripts, is almost unknown. From its number it would seem to be one of the 604 (8220-8823) manuscripts 'purchased at the sale of the Earl of Guilford's Library ' in 1830, but it does not appear in the sale catalogue of his manuscripts, many of which were purchased at the subsequent ' knock-out ' for Sir Thomas Phillipps. A too-well obliterated note on f. 2 points to a monastic ownership. The only other mark of ownership is a a symbol found on ff. 2, 24, 62 [symbol].

It is thus described : Vellum. 107 folios, double columns. 194x1361111^. Writingpage 6 in. by 4 in. 48-55 lines to a column. Initials in red. Signatures and catchwords. Paper boards.

Its collation is as follows : f. 1 blank, a 12, b 10, c 12, d 12, (e) 16, f 10, g i2, h 12, i 12. Two last leaves of signature d missing, and the catchword of f. 35 is found on f. 37, not f. 36 (ff. 36 to 37 are misbound).

The contents of the manuscript are:

• f. 1. A blank wrapping (with a late quotation from Virgil scribbled on one side).
• ff. 2 to 19 a 1. Compendium Philosophie. Distinctio quarta.
  • (a) Introduction. This is also found in B.M. MS. 7 Fvii, f. 1 13 a 1. (Printed below.)
  • (b) A section corresponding, with slight variations, to ' de principiis nature ' (Bodl. MS. Digby 190, ff. 29-373) and to parts of the Commu/iia Naturalium^ fasc. II, pp. 52-86; III. 240-67 ; IV. 446-56.
  • (c) A section including a chapter in the Opus Majus: ' Quoniam vero motus . . . equidistantem gp et fh ' (Bridges I. 167-72, line 9 from bottom).
  • (d) A section including a long passage found in the Opus Tertium : ' Quoniam vero circa tempus et evum . . . cujuslibet mensurare' (Brewer 142-89, with considerable variations).
• f. 19 a 2 to 19 b 2. Queritur utrum motus fiat in vacuo . . .
• f. 20 a to 20 b 1. Blank.
• ff. 20 b 2 to 45 b. Postquam habitum est de principiis rerum naturalium . . .
  • (a) An introduction printed in part (Bridges III. 186), linking the ' de multiplicatione specierum ' to the scheme of the Compendium Philosophie.
  • (b) de multiplicatione specierum. Bridges II. 407-551, line 9 from end.
• f. 46 a. Poterit probari quod nos simus ordinati . . . inter se differe.
• ff. 46 b to 47 a. Queritur utrum corpus primum sit in loco. Et quod non videtur per Philosophum . . .
• f. 47 b. Blank.
• f. 48 a 1. [Q]ueritur utrum tam in spiritualibus quam corporalibus sit una materia numero.
• f. 48 a 2. Responsio : unum numero . . .
• f. 48 b. Blank.
• ff. 49 a to 61 a 1. Perspectiva Communis Peckhami.
• f. 61 b. Blank.
• ff. 62 a to 84 a r. de Sensu et Sensato.
• ff. 84 a 1 to 107 b. Incipit tractatus de modo videndi . . . Quoniam precipua delectatio . . . non possit substinere.