Equatorie of Planetis

This 1955 book investigates the origins of The Equatorie of the Planetis, a fourteenth-century manuscript in the library of Peterhouse, Cambridge.

Price (Author)

9781107404274, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 April 2012

252 pages
27.9 x 21 x 1.3 cm, 0.58 kg

This book, first published by Cambridge University Press in 1955, investigates the origins of The Equatorie of the Planetis, a fourteenth-century manuscript in the library of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Dr Price, a historian of science, examines the idea that it was composed and written by Geoffrey Chaucer. The chapters discuss the problems of ascription, bibliography and palaeography as well as giving an account of the theories and history of medieval astronomy and the Equatorie instrument. This edition reproduces, translates and describes the complete manuscript and uses various photographic techniques to examine erased words and analyse Chaucer's signature on the document. There are facsimiles of pages from the astronomical tables together with an analysis of their contents, and a selection of extracts from other unpublished Middle English astronomical texts are included in the appendices. A glossary is provided by R. M. Wilson.

List of plates
List of figures
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Provenance and physical description of the manuscript
3. Transcript and facsimiles
4. Translation
5. Notes on the text
6. The astronomical tables
7. The Ptolemaic planetary system
8. History of the planetary equatorium
9. Palaeography
10. Linguistic analysis
11. Ascription to Chaucer
Glossary
Appendix 1. Cipher passages in the manuscript
Appendix 2. Compositio equatorii secundum Johannem de Lineriis
Appendix 3. Specimens of Middle English scientific texts
General index
Index of manuscripts cited.

Subject Areas: History of engineering & technology [TBX]