Treatise on Astronomy and Astrology

This slim codex approaches astronomy from both theoretical and practical angles. The main text includes nine chapters on such varied topics as ephemerides (the positions of celestial bodies at given times), signs of the zodiac, planets and planetary aspects, the fixed stars, and meteorology. The pages on display, from the third chapter on the “dispositions of the xii signs,” include a table of essential dignities, or the relative strengths of the planets’ positions (first row, beginning with Saturn) in relation to signs of the zodiac (first column). The manuscript ends with three short texts on auspicious times for bloodletting and other medical treatments as well as planting (fols. 15r-18v). The chapter on stars identifies the date of composition as 1496 (fol. 8v), and a later inscription on the end flyleaf describes weather conditions from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice.