Previously Unpublished Works of Roger Bacon, Fascicle 11: Questions on Aristotle's Metaphysics and On Plants

In the margin references are given to the Greek text, to the divisions of the Arabic-Latin version, and, in addition, to two manuscripts of the revised Old Metaphysics Metaphysica Vetus, those of Brussels (B) manuscript collection codex latinus 2898, and Peterhouse, Cambridge (P) number 22. Neither of them preserve any additions to our printed text, but both show considerable variations and a few omissions; they are derived ultimately from the lost original fragmentary text. B dates from the end of the thirteenth century; P forms part of an interesting collection of the same period; in it the Old Metaphysics is written in parallel columns with Moerbeke's version as far as 996. b 9 (Book III, chapter 2), whence it continues alone to the end; on the next page the Arabic-Latin version with the commentary of Averroes begins with Moerbeke's version in parallel columns, the Arabic order beginning with alpha minor The name given to Book II of the Metaphysics in the medieval tradition. being preserved.

The Boethian Text Litera Boethii is a version quoted by Saint Thomas, Albert the Great, and others in the middle of the thirteenth century. Bacon seems to regard the Old Metaphysics as being the version of Boethius.

"And he himself that is, Boethius translated some logical matters, a few natural ones, and something of the Metaphysical ones into Latin; but we do not yet possess half, nor the better part." original: "Et ipse (sc. Boethius) aliqua logicalia et pauca naturalia et aliquid de Metaphysicalibus transtulit in latinum : nec adhuc medietatem nec partem meliorem habemus." (The Greater Work Opus Majus iii, page 29).

Geyer (Philosophical Yearbook of the Görres Society 1917, Volume 30, 400) gives a number of quotations made from this version by Saint Thomas. Of these, number 1 is totally unlike the corresponding text of the Old Metaphysics, but numbers 2, 3, 5, and 6 agree with it very closely; number 4 does not. It would seem that there is a fairly close connection between the versions, but the Boethian Text extends beyond the Old Metaphysics (there is a quotation from 1024 a 11, and there is even one from Book XII), but unless we assume extensive corruptions (which are quite likely in the earlier part of the treatise), we cannot assert that the two are identical.

The New Metaphysics Metaphysica Nova is the Arabic-Latin version which was circulated in all probability about 1230, if we are to judge by the spelling variants found in the manuscripts:

The following are variant spellings of Greek and Latin technical terms found in manuscript S: "dempsius" (of Dionysius), "astrologyam" (astrology), "fisiologys" (physiologists), "physiologi" (physiologists), "mathematicys" (mathematicians), "synfonia" (harmony/symphony), "phylosophya" (philosophy), "phylosophiam" (philosophy), "filosophye" (of philosophy), "phylosofantes" (those philosophizing), "deffectus" (defects), "Olimpya" (Olympia), "fysica" (physics), "fisycus" (physicist), "ambiguas" (ambiguous), "heedem" (the same), "onerosse" (burdensome), "sophyste" (sophists).

The following are variant spellings from manuscript P: "Pithagorici" (Pythagoreans), "Pythagoricis" (Pythagoreans), "Pytagorici" (Pythagoreans), "Ysiodus" (Hesiod), "metaforas" (metaphors), "ymago" (image), "syfonia" (harmony), "phisiologi" (physiologists), "philosophya" (philosophy), "philosofiam" (philosophy), "hedem" (the same).