THe Bucu DER NATUR 313 
membered as an epochmaking work by Lacroix, who in his His- 
tory of Science in the Middle Ages alludes to it as a sudden emer- 
gence of light in darkness, and as the work ‘of an unknown German 
of the Rhine provinces.’’ Meyer, in 1857, had learned its author’s 
Early editions followed, 1482, 1499, by Hans teagan and 1482, by Anton 
Sorg, all, like those of Bamler, Augsburg folios, with w s. An early quarto, 
without date or place, is in the Altdorf library ws akoes to Panzer and 
ain 
E genolf, at Frankfort, reprinted parts of the Buch der Natur with modifications, 
1536 and again 1540, a tolio of 66 pages, with woodcuts and the title, ‘‘ Maturduch 
...durch Conradum Megenberger.”’ 
The next was Pfeiffer’s reprint (from which I quote), Stuttgart, 1861, an octavo 
of over 870 pages, without figures, identification of species, or annotations, but wit th ex 
cellent biographical and critical introduction, many textual comparisons, and an exten- 
tian dialect and the dev elopment of German. This reprint was entitled ‘* Das Buch 
der Natur, von Konrad Von ‘a pei erste Naturgeschichte in Deutscher 
Le ee von Dr, Franz Pfeiff 
of the Buch der Natur are numerous ; seventeen are known in Munich, 
res in "i three in Stuttgart, mostly of fhe sais ae century ; one dated MS. is 
of 1377, and seven others bear dates from 1406 to 1476.” 
* Conrad von Megenberg was born 1309, ete at Erfurt in youth, recalling in 
after years the abundance of certain plants there (Scandix and ‘* Eleborus ’’); for eig 
years was at the scree of Paris, studied philosophy and theology, becoming a ‘* doc- 
toratus ”” or a ** maister’’; came back in 1337 to Germany, spending the rest of his life 
at Vienna and 2 a Sas in I sb “having been fifteen or more years at Vienna,” 
4 paralysis, as he sa ays, ‘‘ came over me, possessing my fe fee d hands ;...but I was 
made whole while prostrate before ie Be of St. Echard in Noatiae while the alle- 
Al O gemma pastoralis lucida’ was sung, and as they followed with ‘Salve splendor 
amenti.’’’ He became canon of Regensburg, and was set over the church of St. 
Wtaiie He died April 14, 1374, aged 65, his death being recorded asof ‘‘ maister 
Chuonrad yon Megenburg seligem.’’ : 
His name appears in the MSS also as Chunrat de Megenberc, Maide-, Maiden-, 
Maigen., Magde-, -berg or -burg, also as Frauenberg ; he himself sometimes wrote it 
“Conradus de Magenburg, 7. e., de Monte puellarum,”’ merely a fanciful rendering. 
aoa Suggests (xix) that he was son of one Vogt zu Meigenberg or Meygenberg, #. ¢-, 
ainberg, a mountain town east of Schweinfurt, near the R. Main. 
a other works include the following : 
1337, a poem * Planctus Ecclesiae in Germania, 
the pope, in the words: 
Flos et nea mundi, qui totius esse pee 
Tu sidus clarum, thesanrus deliciarum, 
1340? the « Piidichs “ouased 7? a bie poet from the Latin “ sate 
i ” of Joh. Sacro Bosco ; the first handbook of physics and astronomy in ve 
3 two MSS. of it are in Munich, one in Gratz; it was printed 1516 at Niirnberg. 
las “ Speculum felicitatis humanaey’’ two books addressed to Rudolf of Austria ; 
ved Passions, friends ship, and moral and intellectual virtues. 
’* beginning with an address to 
