Folio 80v - Of trees, continued. Ysidorus de natura hominis; Isidorus on the nature of man
and soft because it is nourished in a wet environment.
Again
The elm, ulmus, gets its name because it flourishes in a damp, uliginosus, environment. It does less well in mountainous and harsh places.
The poplar, populus, is so called because from a single cutting many can be grown. There are two kinds of species: for one is white, the other black. The silver poplar, alba populus, is so called because its leaves are white on one side, green on the other. It is therefore bi-coloured, as if it carried the signs of night and day, which it displays in accordance with the time and position of the sun.
The poplar which grows in the region of the River Po, Eridanus, or as others relate, in Syria, also produces a resin.
Again
The willow, salix, is so called because it springs, salire, swiftly, that is, grows rapidly. It is a pliant tree, suitable as a support on which to bind vines.
They say it is the nature of its seed that if a man drinks it in a potion, he will be sterile; but it also makes women barren.
The poplar, the willow and the lime tree, are of soft wood and suitable for carving.
Again
The osier, vimen, is so called because they have great strength in their greenery. Its nature is such that even if it is dried, it grows green again when you moisten it; if you then cut it and plant it in the ground, it takes root.
Again
The word for the box tree, buxus, is Greek, partly corrupted in Latin; for it is called pixos in Greek.
It is always green and of a smooth wood, suitable for the letters of the alphabet. For this reason, the Scripture says: 'Write it on box wood' (see Isaiah, 30:8).
Isidorus on the nature of man
Nature, natura, is so called because it brings a thing to birth, nasci, for it has the power to beget and to form. Some have said that nature is God, by whom all things are created and exist.
Race, genus, comes from gignere, to generate; this derives from the word for 'earth',
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Commentary
Text
The elm, willow, box. Isidore on the nature of man.
Comment
Two initials type 2, one initial type 3. The great 'N' (natura) marks the start on Isidore's etymology of the human being. Colour indicators, 'v' for pinkish red, 'a' for azure.
Folio Attributes
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Transcription
et mollis quia in humecti loco nutritur.\ Iterum \ Ulmus nomen accepit, quod uliginosis locis et humi\dis melius proficit. Nam in montanis et asperis minus leta\ est. Populus dicta quod ex eius calce multitudo nascatur. Cuius genus\ duplex est, nam altera est alba, altera nigra, alba autem populus dicta\ quia folia eius una parte sunt alba altera viridia. Hec ergo bicolor\ habens quasi noctis et diei notas quo tempore occasuque constat.\ Generat etiam resinam circa Heridanum fluvium vel ut\ alii memorant, in finibus Syrie.\ Iterum \ Salix dicta quod\ celeriter saliat, hoc est velociter crescat. Arbor lenta, vitibus\ habilis vinciendis. Cuius seminis hanc dicunt esse naturam\ ut siquis illud in poculo hauserit, liberis careat, sed et femi\nas infecundas efficit. Populus et salix et tilia, mollis ma\terie sunt, et ad sculpturam apte.\ Item \ Vimen vocari, eo quod vim habeant multam viro\ris, natura enim eius talis est, ut etiam et si arefacta\ abluatur virescit, deinde excisa atque in humo fixa, radicibus\ sese ipsa demergit.\ Item \ Buxus Grecum nomen est, ex\ parte a Latinis corruptum, pixos enim appellatur a Grecis,\ semper virens, et lenitate materie elementorum api\cibus apta, unde et scriptura: Scribe in buxo.\ Ysidorus de natura hominis \ Natura dicta eo quod nasci aliquid\ faciat, gignendi enim et faciendi\ potens est. Hanc quidam deum esse\ dixerunt, a quo omnia creata sunt\ et existunt. Genus a gignendo dic\tum cui dirivatum nomen e terraTranslation
and soft because it is nourished in a wet environment. Again The elm, ulmus, gets its name because it flourishes in a damp, uliginosus, environment. It does less well in mountainous and harsh places. The poplar, populus, is so called because from a single cutting many can be grown. There are two kinds of species: for one is white, the other black. The silver poplar, alba populus, is so called because its leaves are white on one side, green on the other. It is therefore bi-coloured, as if it carried the signs of night and day, which it displays in accordance with the time and position of the sun. The poplar which grows in the region of the River Po, Eridanus, or as others relate, in Syria, also produces a resin. Again The willow, salix, is so called because it springs, salire, swiftly, that is, grows rapidly. It is a pliant tree, suitable as a support on which to bind vines. They say it is the nature of its seed that if a man drinks it in a potion, he will be sterile; but it also makes women barren. The poplar, the willow and the lime tree, are of soft wood and suitable for carving. Again The osier, vimen, is so called because they have great strength in their greenery. Its nature is such that even if it is dried, it grows green again when you moisten it; if you then cut it and plant it in the ground, it takes root. Again The word for the box tree, buxus, is Greek, partly corrupted in Latin; for it is called pixos in Greek. It is always green and of a smooth wood, suitable for the letters of the alphabet. For this reason, the Scripture says: 'Write it on box wood' (see Isaiah, 30:8). Isidorus on the nature of man Nature, natura, is so called because it brings a thing to birth, nasci, for it has the power to beget and to form. Some have said that nature is God, by whom all things are created and exist. Race, genus, comes from gignere, to generate; this derives from the word for 'earth',
