Details

Subjects:

Descartes, René, 1596-1650 -- Early works to 1800.
Descartes, René, 1596-1650.
Philosophy, Ancient -- Early works to 1800.
Philosophy, Ancient.
Philosophy, Modern -- 17th century -- Early works to 1800.
Philosophy, Modern.

Form/Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)
diagrams.
Manuscripts, French -- 18th century.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

French.

Summary:

Cartesian account of the development of ancient Greek philosophy from the pre-Socratics through Aristotle, followed by an account of many aspects of Descartes' own philosophy (as well as natural philosophy, including discussions of light, the human senses, and cosmology).

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title from caption title (f. 1r); date from description pasted on the back flyleaf.
Foliation: Paper, ii + 245 + vi; 1-245; contemporary foliaton in ink, upper right recto.
Layout: Written in 17-19 long lines; vertical margins marked by folding.
Script: Written in a cursive script by a single hand.
Decoration: Diagram concerning the travel of light (f. 220r); diagram of Ptolemaic system (f. 228v); diagram of Copernican system (f. 229v); diagram of Earth and Moon (f. 233r).
Binding: Contemporary parchment (Zacour-Hirsch) with gold tooling and ribbon markers.
Origin: Written in France in the early 18th century.

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Frederick North, Earl of Guilford.
Formerly owned by English astronomer, mathematician, antiquarian, barrister, and numismatist John Lee (note on verso of front flyleaf: "J. Lee, Doctors Commons, repaired December 1840, purchased at the sale of the library of the late Lord Guilford, chancellor of the University of Corfu.").
Bookplate inside upper cover: "Library of the University of Pennsylvania, Gift of Dr. W.R. Newbold."

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965), p. 69 (Ms. French 79).

Cited as:

De la philosophie et des philosophes (Ms. Codex 969). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

Contributor:

North, Frederick, Earl of Guilford, 1766-1827, former owner.
Lee, John, 1783-1866, former owner.
Newbold, William Romaine, 1865-1926, donor.

OCLC:

155925686