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Lecture from BL Royal 17 E III, f. 36

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Lecture from BL Royal 17 E III, f. 36

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Summary

Detail of a miniature of a lecture. Image taken from f. 36 of De proprietatibus rerum (Livre des proprietez des choses). Written in French.

The BL Royal Manuscript Collection, also known as the Royal Collection, consists of over 2,000 manuscripts that were once owned by the British monarchs, including English and later British kings and queens from the late 12th to the 19th centuries. These manuscripts are notable for their historical and artistic value.

The collection was initially stored in various royal libraries and palaces, such as the Tower of London and Westminster Palace. During the English Civil War in the 17th century and the subsequent Interregnum, many royal treasures, including manuscripts, were dispersed and sold. Some manuscripts were lost, destroyed, or ended up in private hands.

In 1757, King George II donated the Old Royal Library to the British Museum (which later became the British Library), where the manuscripts were integrated into the museum's collections. This marked the formal establishment of the Royal Manuscript Collection within the British Museum.

De proprietatibus rerum ("On the Properties of Things"), dated at 1240, is an early forerunner of the encyclopedia and one of the most popular books in medieval times. It was written in Magdeburg, Saxonia and intended for the use of students of Bartholomeus Anglicus (English: Bartholomew the Englishman) (before 1203 – 1272). He was an early 13th-century scholastic scholar of Paris, a member of the Franciscan order. Bartholomew also held senior positions within the church and was appointed Bishop of Łuków although he was not consecrated to that position. Bartholomew carefully notes the sources for the material included, although, at present, it is sometimes impossible to identify or locate some of them. His annotations give a good idea of the wide variety of works available to a medieval scholar. The original Latin work was translated into French in 1372 and a number of manuscripts of the Latin and French versions survive. The work was later printed in numerous editions. John Trevisa produced an English translation in 1397.

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Date

1200 - 1500
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Source

British Library
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Public Domain

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bartholomaeus anglicus translated by jean corbechon
bartholomaeus anglicus translated by jean corbechon