Bartholomaeus Anglicus (before 1203–1272), also known as Bartholomew the Englishman and Berthelet, was an early 13th-century scholastic of Paris, a member of the Franciscan order. He was the author of the compendium De proprietatibus rerum ("On the Properties of Things"), dated c.1240, an early forerunner of the encyclopedia and a widely cited book in the Middle Ages. Bartholomew also held senior positions within the church and was appointed Bishop of Łuków in what is now Poland, although he was not consecrated to that position.
Life
Little is known of Bartholomew's early life. He is believed to have been born around the turn of the 13th century to unknown parents. The first record of him was in 1224 in Paris as a teacher, although he is also believed to have studied at Oxford University.
Bartholomew was elected as Minister of Austria in 1247 and was then elected as Minister of Bohemia in 1255. This appointment included Poland where he resolved a dispute between Duke Boleslaw and the Cathedral Chapter at Kraków. Pope Alexander IV appointed him as Papal legate north of the Carpathians in 1256 and appointed him as the Bishop of Łuków. However, he was probably not consecrated in that position due to the second Mongol invasion of Poland in 1259. Bartholomew was appointed as Minister at Saxonia in 1262 and served in that position until his death in 1272.
He was at some point confused with Bartholomeus de Glanvilla, another Franciscan friar who lived a century later.
Works
De proprietatibus rerum
The work De proprietatibus rerum was written at the school of Magdeburg in Saxonia and intended for the use of students and the general public. Bartholomew carefully notes the sources for the material included, although, at present, it is sometimes impossible to identify or locate some of them. His annotations give a good idea of the wide variety of works available to a medieval scholar.
The work was later printed in numerous editions. Extracts were compiled by Robert Steele under the title Medieval Lore: an Epitome (1893). A critical edition of Trevisa's translation appeared in 1975.
The work was organized in 19 books. The subjects of the books, in order, are God, angels (including demons), the human mind or soul, physiology, of ages (family and domestic life), medicine, the universe and celestial bodies, time, form and matter (elements), air and its forms, water and its forms, earth and its forms including geography, gems, minerals and metals, animals, and color, odor, taste and liquids.
Book 1 De Deo On God and the names of God
Book 2 De proprietatibus angelorum On angels, good and bad
Book 3 De anima On the soul and reason
Book 4 De humani corporis On the bodily humors
Book 5 De hominis corpore On the parts of the body
Book 6 De state hominis On daily life
Book 7 De infirmitatibus On diseases and poisons
Book 8 De mundo On earth and the heavenly bodies
Book 9 De temporibus On time and motion
Book 10 De materia et forma On matter, form and fire
Book 11 De aere On the air and weather
Book 12 De avibus On birds
Book 13 De aqua On water and fishes
Book 14 De terra On the earth and its surface
Book 15 De regionibus et provinciis On regions and places
Book 16 De lapidibus et metallis On rocks, gems and minerals
Book 17 De herbis et arboribus On plants and trees
Book 18 De animalibus On land animals
Book 19 De accidentibus On colours, smells and tastes, substances, measurements, numbers and music
Translations
The original Latin work was translated into an Eastern Lombard dialect before 1309 by Vivaldo Belcazer, who also abridged it. The French translation of 1373 by Jean Corbechon was commissioned by King Charles V. An Occitan translation by Gaston Phoebus appeared around 1380. John Trevisa produced a Middle English translation in 1398. In the next century, translations appeared in Scandinavian vernaculars and a Dutch translation in 1485. The Spanish translation of Vicente de Burgos (c. 1494) was based on the French edition of Corbechon.