Dondis, Johannes de (1318-1389)

Planetarium: opus de fabrica horarii magistralis. Written in a semi-currenthumanistic hand, 30 lines to a page. Some initials and headings in red, much faded. Illustrated with 59 pen-drawings of parts of the clock, etc.: of these, 33 are coloured. There are also many smaller illustrations of minior pieces of mechanism. The colourings are in water-colour and gold paint. Inside the lower cover is a 17th cent. pen and ink drawing, showing three men standing outside the door of a house, one bare-headed, holding a jug [?]. Fol. 1 (Text begins) et calculationis tedio ac si ad dictam horam fuerit cum tabulis operatus modicissima/et paruae curae si qua interueneit differentia uarietatis... 14, line 1 ...Fuit namque/huius temporis. scilicet. 1364. anno christi perfecto secundum tabulas alfonsi in fine ge/-minorum... 83v ... Et sic/eo situato reduc deorsum ut denticuli inzegnonsis reinserantur cum/sua rotula et in axicula reimpone cauillam sicque dimitte.//Factus est hic liber Anno Domini 1364. ut colligitur/ex principio pagine 14.

Late 15th Century

1 volume 83 [84] ll. folio. 30 x 21 cm. Original stamped rough calf binding over wooden boards, very worn; rebacked in vellum: both claps wanting. The first leaf is missing.

Purchased at Sotheby's 17/11/1919, Lot 94.

For an account of the Author and his clock, cf. Thorndike's History of Magic and Experimental Science, Vol. III, Chap. 24, pp. 740-741.

From the Library of Sir Frank Crisp [1848-1919].

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).