Jebb quotes it from a copy in the Cottonian
Library, now in the British Museum; and it was not known that there was
a copy in France, till M. Cousin was led to the discovery of one, by
observing in the Catalogue of the public library of Douay, a small MS.
in 4to. with the following title, _Rog. Baconis Grammatica Graeca_.
Accustomed to suspect the accuracy of such titles to MSS., M. Cousin
caused a strict examination of the MS. to be made, when the discovery
was communicated to him that only the first part of the MS. consisted of
a Greek grammar, and that the remaining portion, which the compiler of
the Catalogue had not taken the trouble to examine, consisted of many
fragments of other works of Bacon, and a copy of the _Opus Tertium_.
This copy of the _Opus Tertium_ is imperfect, but fortunately the
deficiencies are made up by the British Museum copy, which M. Cousin
examined, and which also contains a valuable addition to Chapter I., and
a number of good readings.
The _Opus Majus_, as published by Jebb, contains but six parts; but the
work in its complete state had originally a seventh part, containing
Moral Philosophy, which was reproduced, in an abridged and improved
state, by the renowned author, in the _Opus Tertium_. This is now
ascertained, says M. Cousin, with unquestionable certainty, and for the
first time, from the examination of the Douay MS.; which alludes, in the
most precise terms, to the treatise on that subject.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25