Monks, Manuscripts and Sundials: The Navicula in Medieval England (History of Science and Medicine Library, 13)

Bringing together the surviving material and manuscript evidence, this book looks closely at a fascinating medieval sundial in the form of a ship. It considers who made and used the surviving instruments, as well as studying the scholars who wrote about it. Contents 6 List of figures 8 Acknowledgements 12 Chapter One Monks, manuscripts and sundials: the navicula in medieval England 14 Chapter Two Five fift eenth-century sundials 20 Chapter Three Manuscript sources about the navicula 36 Chapter Four Calendar tables and latitude lists 52 Chapter Five Texts, instruments, diagrams and relations between them 64 Chapter Six Using a sundial, understanding the heavens? 90 Chapter Seven The navicula and the organum ptolomei 106 Chapter Eight How sixteenth-century books redefined a medieval sundial 134 Appendix One Group A navicula manuscripts 178 Appendix Two Group A navicula manuscripts 204 Appendix Three Group A navicula manuscripts 214 Appendix Four Group A stemmatics 228 Appendix Five Group B navicula manuscripts 240 Appendix Six The group C navicula manuscript 254 Appendix Seven The group D navicula manuscript 258 Appendix Eight The group E navicula text 270 Appendix Nine Organum Ptolomei ita sit 278 Bibliography 292 Index 300 The navicula sundial, because of its rarity and attractive form, has interested curators and historians alike: Derek J. de Solla Price described it as “one of the most ingenious and sophisticated mathematical artefacts of the Middle Ages”. Although apparently a specifically English instrument, there is much debate about when and where it was invented, and about who made and used the five surviving medieval examples. This book brings together for the first time evidence from the surviving instruments, and written sources including four previously unknown texts describing how to make or use the instrument, along with previously unknown copies of the text on which previous studies were based.Medieval and Early Modern Science, 11 "The navicula sundial, because of its rarity and attractive form, has interested curators and historians alike. Although apparently a specifically English instrument, there is much debate about when and where it was invented, and about who made and used the five surviving medieval examples. This book brings together for the first time evidence from the surviving instruments, and written sources including four previously unknown texts describing how to make or use the instrument."--Back cover Monks, Manuscripts, And Sundials : The Navicula In Medieval England -- Five Fifteenth-century Sundials -- Manuscript Sources About The Navicula -- Calendar Tables And Latitude Lists -- Texts, Instruments, Diagrams And Relations Between Them -- Using A Sundial, Understanding The Heavens? -- The Navicula And The Organum Ptolomei -- How Sixteenth-century Books Redefined A Medieval Sundial. By Catherine Eagleton. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.