A look at a 14th Century manuscript

According to a calligraphy analysis, Simon of Faversham’s Commentaries on Aristotle dates to 1380. The work has initial letters in red and blue with drawings of faces and hands throughout the text. It was acquired in the Netherlands, in 1958, for La Casa del Libro.

The original manuscript may have contained over 300 folios, of which 57 are at LCDL. Merton College in Oxford also houses a manuscript of the work. Its calligraphy suggests “Litteras parisiensis or oxoniensis,” but further research is needed to confirm this inference.

Simon of Faversham was born around 1260 in England. He mastered arts at Oxford and taught at the University of Paris’ Faculty of Arts, where he probably produced most of his work. Before dying, he was appointed Archdeacon, England’s highest ecclesiastical post for non-priests.

In recent years, scholars have actively consulted the manuscript in the interest of rescuing Faversham’s approaches. His works are of historical interest because they represent an influential stage in the development of philosophical ideas during the 13th Century.

La Casa del Libro is honored to count among its collection works such as this, which allow academics around the world to continue research on Humanity’s ideas and creations, while creating cultural exchanges between Puerto Rico and other countries.