Digital editions of
works of Vincent of Beauvais

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This page lists digital editions of Vincent's works that are available on the World Wide Web.

Please let me know if you have any additions to this list!
Send them to Hans Voorbij (hansv@cs.uu.nl)

Speculum Naturale

Two versions of the Speculum Naturale have been identified. In chronological order:

• the Tournai version (30 books, ca. 1245/46); and
• the vulgate version (33 books, ca. 1256/57) which is known as the Douai version,
  since it became to be printed there in 1624.

Digital editions:

• Sample from Speculum Naturale, Douai version: book 29, chapters 1-4
  (book 28, chapters 1-4 according to the edition Douai 1624 from which the electronic text was transcribed), with an English translation and annotations.

Speculum Historiale

Five versions of the Speculum Historiale have been identified. In chronological order:

• the Dijon version (31 books, partly ca. 1244/45, partly after 1254);
• the Klosterneuburg version (30 books, ca. 1244/45);
• the Vienna version (31 books, partly ca. 1250, partly after 1254);
• the Saint-Jacques version (32 books, ca. 1253/54); and
• the vulgate version (32 books, after 1254) which is known as the Douai version,
  since it became to be printed there in 1624.

Digital editions:

• The complete text of the Douai version of the Speculum Historiale can be searched (French user interface only) in the Base de Données VdB (Speculum Historiale) of the Atelier Vincent de Beauvais at Nancy, France.
  NOTE: The text was transcribed from manuscript Douai 797 (14th c.), which has a contaminated text. Books 1-8 represent the Saint-Jacques version; books 9-32 conform to the Douai version. The major differences between these versions as for books 1-8 occur at:
  • Book 1, the alphabetical index to the Speculum Historiale;
  • Book 1, the list of chapter titles of the Speculum Historiale;
  • The end of Book 4 and start of Book 5.
  Always check your findings against a printed edition, for instance the edition Douai 1624.

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