CATALOGUE OF MANUSCRIPTS

By Garrett R. Smith

The theories of distinction developed by Petrus Thomae and Franciscus de Mayronis proved to be influential, surviving in their original forms in numerous manuscripts as well as in various excerpts.* Their works, especially the Quaestio de distinctione praedicamentorum by Petrus Thomae and distinction 8 from the ‘ab oriente’ version of Franciscus de Mayronis’ commentary on the Sentences, were also adapted for use in new treatises. An inventory of these treatises follows below. I follow the manuscript tradition in referring to these works as “formalitates,” though they are often rather descriptions of the modes of distinction than discussions of the notion of formality as such. The first half of the inventory is devoted to treatises whose authors can be identified, the second to anonymous and falsely ascribed treatises. Titles from the manuscripts are given in parentheses.

A number of people have generously, and in various ways, contributed to this inventory; special thanks are due to Vitaly Ivanov, Apaoan Macchado, and Mário João Correia.

* For a list of manuscripts of Petrus Thomae’s Quaestiones de modis distinctionum and Quaestio de distinctione praedicamentorum (of which there are two redactions), see Garrett R. Smith, “Bibliotheca manuscripta Petri Thomae,” Bulletin de philosophie médiévale 52 (2010), 161-200, at 196-98. For manuscripts of Francis of Meyronnes’ ‘ab oriente’ d. 8, see Bartholomäus Roth, Franz von Mayronis O.F.M. Sein Leben, seine Werke, seine Lehre vom Formalunterschied in Gott (Werl in Westfalen 1936), 133-34 (but note that I have reclassified some of these manuscripts and list them separately in the inventory below). For an earlier inventory of formalist manuscripts, see Adriaan Pattin, “Documentation concernant la controverse des formes au moyen âge,” Bulletin de Philosophie Médiévale 13 (1971), 71-109, at 106-9.

© Garrett R. Smith (University of Bonn), 2024

Andreas de Prato, Liber distinctionum (Spiraculum Francisci de Mayronis): Spiraculum hoc opus notavi quia fere totum spiratum est a Conflatu Francisci de Mayronis, cuius doctrina fulget ut sol et luna... Aperta sunt prata et apparuerunt herbe etc.

• Assisi, Biblioteca Comunale, fondo moderno, ms. 45 (ff. ?)

• Cesena, Biblioteca Malatestiana, cod. D.20.1, ff. 1ra-104ra

• Cortona, Biblioteca Comunale e dell'Accademia Etrusca, ms. 220, ff. 91r-110v

• Milano, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, cod. R 109 sup., ff. 191-196

• Oxford, Bodleian Library, Canon. Misc. 389 (ff. ?)

Note that this text is not a Formalist treatise properly speaking, but rather an alphabetically structured summary of important terms in (first of all) Francis of Meyronnes’s Conflatus.

Franciscus de Mayronis, In Sent. I d. 8, ‘ab oriente’ redaction, extract: Circa distinctionem octavam in qua magister agit de simplicitate divinae essentiae quaeritur utrum pluralitas formalitatum possit stare cum simplicitate divinae essentiae et videtur quod non quia secundum doctrinam beati Augustini de Trinitate de simplicitate divina...

• Cambridge, University Library, Ms. Ff.III.23, ff. 195-212

• Erfurt, Universitätsbibliothek, Dep. Erf. CA 2o 120, ff. 34va-46va

• Ferrara, Biblioteca comunale Ariostea, ms. 347 NB6

• Ingolstadt, Franziskanerkonvent (shelfmark unknown)

• Lüneburg, Ratsbücherei, Theol. 4o 21, ff. 219r-245r

• München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 5961, ff. 100ra-119vb

• Napoli, Biblioteca Nazionale, Cod. VII.E.74 (ff. ?)

• Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms. Digby 54, ff. 123r-158r

• Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms. Digby 77, ff. 166r-191v

• Oxford, Oriel College, cod. lat. 39, ff. 165v-?

• Praha, Knihovna Metropolitní Kapituly, Cod. M.89, ff. 34v-64r

• Roma, Biblioteca Vallicelliana, Ms. B 100, ff. 1r-20v

• Vaticano, Città del, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, cod. Vat. lat. 901, ff. 9va-13ra; online here

• Vaticano, Città del, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, cod. Vat. lat. 4269, ff. 43r-72v; online here

• Vaticano, Città del, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Ott.lat. 1816, ff. 16r-29r

• Vaticano, Città del, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 984, ff. 144r-178r; succeeded by a "Tabula formalitatum" on ff. 178v-179r and an anonymous text called “Declarationes formalitatum Francisci Mayronis” on ff. 180r-184r; online here

Franciscus de Pertusa, Formalitates: quatuor sunt in materia Scoti in quibus principaliter consistit notitia ipsius materie, que sunt quidem quatuor columne in quibus principaliter fundatur ipsa via. Prima est presupositionum. – sed non se totis ut due species sicut humanitas et asinitas in communi et hec sufficant de distinctionibus amen.

• Tortosa, Arxiu Capitular de la Catedral, Cód. 153, ff. 3v-9r

Note that an edition of this treatise is being prepared by Robert Andrews.

Hondius, Positio Hondii de formalitatibus: Perseitas sive modus dicendi per se dividitur in modum essendi et modum consequendi...

• München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, clm. 5961, ff. 18ra-19rb 

Ioannes Foxal, Tractatus de formalitatibus: Rogatus saepius instantiusque a meis scholaribus ut qui nuper diebus his octavam distinctionem pro maiori parte eis in scholis publice legeram multaque exponendo ultra textus tenorem non parvum subtilia multumque utilia videbantur dixeram ad maiorem Francisci declarationem eorumque profectum scripturae demandarem ipsorum iustis annuens desideriis quibus in vinculis caritatis astringor, conabor imitando pro maiori parte viam ipsius Francisci nonnulla quae maximam studentibus asserent utilitatem et quae ad distinctiones et formalitates intelligendas non mediocriter conferunt inserere in sequendo ordinem quaestionum a Francisco in 8 d. motarum...

• Pisa, Biblioteca Cathariniana, Ms. 159, ff. 11r-55v

• Roma, Biblioteca Angelica, Ms. 563, ff. 49ra-81va 

Ioannes Sharpe, Formalitates: Quaeritur primo utrum illa quae sunt formaliter distincta sint distincta realiter et videtur quod sic probando...

• Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms. Add. A. 370, ff. 128r-141v 

Lucas de Perusic, De atttributis: Utrum divina attributa diversis formalitatibus distinguantur ex natura rei. Pro parte affirmativa arguitur 10 rationibus principalibus. Et primo sic. Sapientia et iustitia in Deo aut significant ens rei tantum aut ens rationis tantum aut compositum ex ente rei et ex ente rationis.

• Budapest, Országos Széchenyi Könyvtar, lat. 198, (ff. ?)

This question was transcribed by Zénon Kałuża but remains unpublished (personal communication from Dragos Calma).

Nicolaus (?), Quaestio utrum quecumque sunt distincta ex natura rei sint distincta realiter: In nostro Quolibet fuit proposita questio sub isto titutulo utrum quecumque sunt distincta ex natura rei sint distincta realiter… Colophon: Explicit questio de distinctione rationum formalium de dictis doctoris subtilis copilata per fratrem nicholaum melius longe alibi quam hic. Hic enim breviter et truncate copilavi et forte male.

• Vat. lat. 2190, ff. 155v-156v; online here

Cf. G.R. Smith, “Introduction,” in Petri Thomae Quaestiones de esse intelligibili, p. lii (see the research bibliography). 

Nicolaus Bonetus, Tractatus formalitatum (=Metaphysica III): Ens in quantum ens manifestum est quoniam est primum quod quidem neque habens quod quid est sed est primum principium cuiuslibet habentis quod quid est...

• Frankfurt a.M. Stadt- und Universitätsbibliothek, Cod. Praed. 124, ff. 109v-119v

• Kraków, Biblioteka Jagiellońska, cod. 2713, p. 59-107

• München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 4379, f. 32ra-34vb

• Roma, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Biblioteca Corsiniana) 41.E.13 (Cors. 1113), ff. 68rb-77ra

• Città del Vaticano, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Cod. Vat. lat. 4847, ff. 2r-8v

For printed editions of Bonetus's Formalist treatise, see the catalogue of printed Formalist literature on this website (CAA).

Petrus de Castrovol, Formalitates

• Stuttgart, Landesbibliothek, Cod. H.B.X.10, ff. 134r-143r 

Pierre Roger, De formalitatibus. Pierre Roger refers to this text in François de Meyronnes – Pierre Roger, Disputatio (1320–1321), ed. Jeanne Barbet (Paris: J. Vrin, 1961), 88–89: “... sicut in questione quam feci Contra formalitates.”

• Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Borgh.247, ff. 2r-v, 12v. Online here.

Robertus Anglicus, Dialogus curiosus de formalitatibus inter unum Dumscistam et unum Occhanistam: quod verbis victuperii satis abundas per tuum responsum experiar evidenter, sed quaeso rationi clare respondeas. Nam in principio tui tractatus ponis quod universale in individuis sit aliquo modo extra animam. Non quidem realiter de formaliter ab eis distinctum...

• Venezia, Bibliotheca Marciana, Cod. lat. Z.495, ff. 2r-117r.

Umbertus/Petrus de Garda, Formalitates (excerpt from Sentences): Utrum cum simplicitate divina possit stare non identitas ex natura rei rationum formalium...

• Assisi, Biblioteca del Sacro Convento, Ms. 659, ff. 7v-24r

• Paris, Bibliothèque national de France, Ms. lat. 1010, f. 214r-236r

Cf. William O. Duba and Christopher Schabel, “Ni chose, ni non-chose: The Sentences-Commentary of Himbertus de Garda, OFM,” Bulletin de philosophie médiévale 53 (2011), 149-232, at 196-98.

Formalitates 1 (Declaratio ad intelligendam formalitates secundum mentem reverendi Scoti): Ad intelligendum melius mentem Scoti de formalitatibus quas ponit, sunt quinque per ordinem declarandam: primo enim probabitur quod praeter distinctionem realem et rationis est etiam distinctio formalis ex natura rei praeter omnem operationem intellectus quae distinctio est per formalitates, secundo ostendetur quod omnes doctores antiqui posuerunt et habuerunt ponere necessario hanc distinctionem licet ad plenum non intellexerunt et alio vocabulo eam noraverunt, tertio ex hoc declarabitur quod proprius nominatur sicut ponit Scotus et nominat, quarto ostendetur causa quare aliqua habent plures formalitates quam aliqua, quinto assignabitur causa quare appellantur formalitates et non formae et realitas et non res entitas et non entia...

• Roma, Biblioteca Casanatense, Ms. 267 (D.IV.1), ff. 30v-32r 

Formalitates 2: Distinctio est duplex videlicet rationis quae est per intellectum ex natura rei quae est circumscripto omni opere intellectus...

• Assisi, Biblioteca del Sacro Convento, Cod. 295, ff. 1ra-2ra

Formalitates 3 (Formalitates doctoris subtilis Scoti): In presenti opusculo ponuntur decem questiones quarum prima est quot sunt modi distinctionum...

• Wrocław, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka, Cod. IV F 30, ff. 440ra-vb

Formalitates 4: Nota secundum Petrum Thomae in suis Formalitatibus distinctio ex natura rei est cuius distincta habent esse praeter operationem intellectus...

• München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 5961, ff. 119vb-120ra; online here

Formalitates 5 (Formalitates Scoti): Nota distinctionem triplicem quaedam distinguuntur essentialiter realiter et formaliter quaedam formaliter et realiter sed non essentialiter...

• Krakow, Biblioteka Jagiellońska, cod. 2130, ff. 39r-v

Formalitates 6 (Circa distinctiones et formalitates Doctoris Subtilis): Quaeritur utrum cuiuslibet speciei sit una simplex essentia...

• Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Ms. lat. fol. 40, ff. 341r-345r

Formalitates 7: Quaeritur utrum in eadem simplici essentia possunt includi diversi formalitates...

• Einsiedeln, Stiftsbibliothek, Hs. 625, ff. 144ra-146ra 

Formalitates 8 (Tractatus de formalitatibus Francisci de Mayronis): Quaestio utrum in Deo sint formalitates... circa istam quaestionem sunt octo articuli declarandi, quorum primus est quid est formalitas...

• Madrid, Archivo General de la Universidad Complutense, Ms. 116, ff. 155r-158r 

Possibly, this is an incomplete excerpt from Franciscus de Mayronis, In Sent. I d. 8 ‘ab oriente’.

Formalitates 9 (Tractatus de formalitatibus Francisci de Maronis ordinis minorum): Quid est formalitas? Est ratio definitiva cuiuslibet quia in distinctione sunt omnia illa quae pertinent ad primum modum dicendi per se...

• Erfurt, Universitätsbibliothek, Dep. Erf. CA. 2° 182, ff. 111va-113rb

• Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cod. Vat. lat. 901, f. 9ra-13ra

Possibly, this is an incomplete excerpt from Franciscus de Mayronis, In Sent. I d. 8 ‘ab oriente’.

Formalitates 10: Quid est formalitas? Primus articulus...

• Lüneburg, Ratsbücherei, Ms. Theol. Qu. 21, ff. 245ra-246vb

Possibly, this is an incomplete excerpt from Franciscus de Mayronis, In Sent. I d. 8 ‘ab oriente’.

Formalitates 11 (Formalitates doctoris subtilis): Quoniam autem secundum sententiam Aristotelis ignorantes virtutes vocabulorum de facile paralogisantur, I Elenchorum. Ne ergo ignorantia designatione terminorum decipiat vel errare permittat omnino in ista scientia quae metaphysica vocatur est necessarium significationem terminorum minime ignorare pro quorum manifestatione movetur tale dubium: Utrum illa quae distinguuntur obiective distinguantur subiective, essentialiter, realiter, formaliter, ex natura rei, et ratione

• Basel, Universitätsbibliothek, Hs. F.VIII.9, ff. 84v-93v. Online here

• Colmar, Bibliothèque de la Ville, Ms. 190, ff. 1r-8r

• München, Universitätsbibliothek, 4 Cod. ms. 649, ff. 223ra-227vb (seems to continue at 204ra-208ra, due to displacement of the folios). Online here 

Formalitates 12 (Tractatus de distinctionibus): Ut consequenti tractatus noticia limpidius habeatur, questio ipsum prosius (sic) declarativa consequenter sequitur. Que talis est, videlicet utrum illa que distinguntur formaliter distinguntur realiter...

• Fribourg (Suisse), Bibliothèque des Cordeliers, Ms. 137, ff. 254r-266r. Online here 

Nb! This text has turned out to be a case of Formalitates 18. In a future version of the inventory, this text will no longer figure as an independent text. CAA.

Formalitates 13: Utrum diversitas formalitatum proveniens ex natura rei possit stare cum simplici creatura

• Salamanca, Biblioteca Universitaria, Ms. 2359, ff. 8v-12v

• Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine, Ms. 3490 (1013), ff. 66vb-69vb

Formalitates 14: Utrum illa quae distinguuntur formaliter distinguuntur realiter. Ad cuius evidentiam nota septem modos distinctionum a doctoribus numeratos...

• Fribourg (Suisse), Bibliothèque des Cordeliers, Ms. 40, ff. 124v-126v

Formalitates 15 (Quaestio valde Scotica et modo modernorum determinata): Utrum cum unitate et simplicitate essentie divine stat pluralitas et realis distinctio divinarum personarum...

• Wien, Dominikanerkonvent, Cod. 13/13, ff. 10v-18r

Formalitates 16 (Distinctiones communes usitatae Parisiis).

• Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (ÖNB), Cod. 4007, ff. 48v-59r(?). 49v has “Explicit liber distinctionum,” but the discussion of distinctions continues after this. The ms. is dated 1449;  online description here

Formalitates 17: Utrum ponentes distinctionem attributorum in divinis formalem a parte rei absque opere intellectus possit sustinere quod Deus sit simpliciter simplex

• Città del Vaticano, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Cod. Vat. lat. 4871, ff. 22ra-24vb 

Formalitates 18 (Formalitates Francisci de Marchia doctoris illuminati natione Parisius/Tractatus de formalitatibus Scoti): Utrum illa quae distinguuntur formaliter distinguantur realiter...

• Basel, Universitätsbibliothek, Hs. F.VI.70, ff. 2ra-12vb

• Fribourg (Suisse), Bibliothèque des Cordeliers, Ms. 137, ff. 254r-266r (the text breaks off shortly before the third part of the quaestio); online here

• Krakow, Biblioteka Jagiellońska, cod. 2130, ff. 40r-46v

• München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 3548, ff. 129ra-133va; online here

• München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm. 28559, ff. 441ra-447vb; online here

• München, Universitätsbibliothek, 2 Cod. ms. 562, ff. 103r-106r

• München, Universitätsbibliothek, 4 Cod. ms. 649, ff. 202rb-203va (fragment; contains only the beginning of the quaestio); online here

• Strasbourg, Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire, Ms. 292, ff. 1r-6v

• Tours, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 704, ff. 1r-5v 

Formalitates 19 (Formalitates magistri Iohannis de Ripia ordinis minorum): Utrum distinctio formalitatis et formalitatis, realitatis et realitatis arguat necessario distinctionem esse et esse, rei et rei

• Assisi, Biblioteca del Sacro Convento, Ms. 659, ff. 104v-112r

• Kraków, Biblioteka Jagiellońska, cod. 2130, ff. 8ra-16rb 

Note that an edition of this treatise is being prepared by Garrett R. Smith.

Excerpts from Formalitates 19

Formalitates 19.1 (Medulla formalitatum Petri Thomae): Primo modo est vera, secundo vero falsa est maior. Ad quartum decimum quando dicitur ‘quaecumque distinguuntur numero distinguuntur realiter’ concedo...

• Oxford, Magdalen College Library, Ms. lat. 16, f. 114r

Formalitates 19.2: Distinctiones enunciate a doctoribus sunt septem...

• Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, Ms. 1348, ff. 306r-309r

• Kraków, Biblioteka Jagiellońska, cod. 2130, ff. 5ra-8ra

Formalitates 19.3: Distinctiones a doctoribus sunt enumeratae prima est distinctio rationis...

• London, British Library, Harley MS 4735, ff. 75r-78r

Formalitates 19.4 (Parvae formalitates Petri Thomae provinciae sancti Iacobi/Brevissimus tractatus septemplicis distinctionis): In praesenti materia declaranda servabitur sequens ordo: in primo tractabitur quot sunt modi distinctionum a doctoribus, secundo quid sit unaquaeque illarum distinctionum, tertio ad evidentiam formalitatum plura dicta declarabuntur, quarto ad quaesitum principale respondebitur.

• Kraków, Biblioteka Jagiellońska 2130, ff. 2rb-4ra

• Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional de España, Ms. 2017, ff. 40v-43v

• Tortosa, Arxiu Capitular de la Catedral, cód. 153, ff. 1r-3v

Formalitates 19.5 (Alius tractatus de formalitatibus): Septem sunt modi distinctionum. Primus est distinctio rationis, secundus ex natura rei, tertius distinctio formalis, quartus realis, quintus essentialis, sextus distinctio se totis subiective, septimus se totis obiective...

• Basel, Universitätsbibliothek, Hs. F.VIII.9, ff. 94r-99r. Online here

• Colmar, Bibliothèque de la Ville, Ms. 190, ff. 8v-12r

• Metz, Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. 647, ff. 154r-165v

• Dublin, Trinity College Library, Ms. 742 (G.5.5), ff. 83r-84v