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Source des données : Mmmonk

• Manuscript 504 contains the Speculum naturale of Vincent of Beauvais (c. 1190-1264), a French Dominican scholar. The Speculum discusses the natural sciences and natural history, including among others biological, geological, astronomical, and zoological knowledge. Together with the Speculum doctrinale, that discusses scholastical knowledge, and the Speculum historiale, a world history, the Speculum naturale form the so-called Speculum maius, the largest encyclopaedic work produced in the Middle Ages. The Speculum naturale is divided into 32 books, of which this copy only contains the first ten. The last book is incomplete; the text stops abruptly at the top of fol. 167v. The presence of the Ten Duinen stamp on this leaf (see below) indicates that this was already the case in the early seventeenth century. The copy is 42 cm high and has been executed carefully. Decoration is present throughout. The first page of each book begins with a large initial, while the text is surrounded by a decorated frame, all in elaborate penwork. Minor initials have been added alternately in red and blue ink, with penwork in the other colour. Running titles and rubrics are present, although these lack towards the end of the volume. The margins are clean and there are no traces of usage. This manuscript was owned by Ten Duinen abbey. The cross-shaped stamp of the abbey is found on the first and final leaves. In the seventeenth century it was rebound in a binding of the 'Campmans' type, although without the gilded crest of the abbot. [Summary by Dr. Mark Vermeer]