Note 1197 — Chapter XII · REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY

The manuscript in which the passage telling of this experiment is found is described in Sir G. F. Warner and J. P. Gilson’s Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections [British Museum], vol. i, London, 1921, p. 193, under MS 7 D xxv (saec. xii). It is there suggested that the author may have been Adelard of Bath; Professor Haskins (Studies, 1924, p. 31) states that the manuscript “clearly represents Adelard’s generation and circle of interests” and gives (ibid., pp. 31–32) the following transcription of the text of the passage (from folio 66): “Mons Amor reorum est locus medius mundi, ubi apposui mensuras et probavi per multa loca et posui lignum rea [sic] rotundum habens. xii. cubitos longitudinis et grossitudo illi cubitus unus et suspendi illum per funem et tantum commutavi eum de loco in locum in medio eius. vii. kal. Iulii donec suspendi illud in loco medii diei et residit suum cum splendor solis ex omnibus partibus et facta est umbra ipsius subtus cum rotunda sicut rotunditas ipsius ligni quod suspenderam; et de ipsa mensura cognovi quod medius mundus est in Monte Amor reorum. Et tempore quo mensuravi hoc est annus .xxxviiii. et vinum non bibi, oculi mei somno satiati non fuerunt, ne exuperaveram in eo quod inquirebam.” Haskins (loc. cit.) suggests that “.vii.” should read “.xi.” and “exuperaveram” should read “exuperarer.”