Collection of alchemical treatises, notes and extracts: in Latin and French (Miscellanea Alchemica X)

Collection of alchemical treatises, notes and extracts: in Latin and French

Some of the items are dated. No. 1. Tabula Smaragdina: 1588. 30 Sep. (Leaf 1v). 2. 12 Dec. 1584 (fol. 1): 19 Dec. 1584 (fol. 18v). 3. 21 Dec. 1584 (fol. 27v). 6. 15 Sep. 1588 (fol. 41). 7. 17 Sep. 1588 (fol. 1): 27 Sep. 1588 (fol. 56). 8. 28 Jan. 1589 (fol. 60v). A 17th century hand has in some cases added references to printed versions of some of the works in this MS. in the 'Theatrum chemicum'. On the last leaf (verso) this writer has written 'Nihil est mali in toto libro'.

Contents

Part 1

1. ff. 1r-v Hermes Trismegistus, Tabula smaragdina, beginning wanting

f. 1r Nutrix eius terra ext. ... f. 1v Completum est quod dixi de operatione Solis. Finis Tabulae Hermetis.

2. ff. 2r-18v William Tecenensis, La fleur du lys entre les espines

f. 2r La fleur du lys entre les espines: ou premierement est traitte de la Lune, puys apres du Soleil. [Cest Art est a preferer a tout autre ... f. 18v Fin de la Fleur du Lys entre les Espines.

3. ff. 19r-27v Bernardus Penotus a Portu, Regulae seu Canones

f. 19r Regulae seu Canones Philosophici. De Lapide Philosophorum. f. 27v Et voluerem figas, faciet te vivere tutum.

4. f. 28r-30v Francois Beroalde de Verville, Sentences

f. 28r Sentences tirees du livre d'alchemie de F.B. de verville, Intitule les apprehensions spiritueles: et du traitte intitule Recherches philosophiques. Chap. xiiii. f. 30v L'experience, est l'essay de tout, la resolution de la verite, et la certitude des choses. Fin des Sentences de Verville.

5. ff. 31r-38v Geber, Testamentum

f. 31r Incipit Testamentum Geberi. Ex omnibus rebus etiam Animalibus volatibilibus potest fieri sal ... f. 38v Explicit Testamentum Geberi. Deo gratias. Amen.

6. ff. 39r-42v Miscellaneous alchemical notes and extracts

f. 39r Ista corpora calcinatu sunt omnium ... f. 42v ... nostra combusta.

Part 2

7. ff. 1r-56r John Dastin, Rosarius

f. 1r Incipit Liber qui Rosarius intitulatur, super Secretis Astrologiae inferioris compositus a venerabili viro Ioanne Dacio Anglico. Desiderabile desiderium et inpretiabile pretium ... f. 56r Explicit Liber qui intitulatur Rosarius super secretis Astrologiae inferioris, compositus a venerabili viro Ioanne Dacii [sic] Anglico. Finis.

8. ff. 56v-60v John Dastin(?), Aureolae sapientium

f. 56v Aureolae sapientum Philosophorum, pro compositione lapidis eorum: et metallorum cognitione, cuilibet artifici necessariae. f. 60v Finis Aureolarum.

9. ff. 61r-63r Johannes Fernelius, De abditis rerum causis

f. 61r Ex libro secundo de abditis rerum causis. Ex Libro Secundo De Abditis rerum causis. Ioannis Frenellii [sic] Ambiani. Capite xviii. versus finem. f. 63r ... debitamque referre nunquam possim. Finis.

10. ff. 63v-67v Anonymous, La maniere d'ouvrer

f. 63v La manière d'ouvrer. Ex dono D. De la Chalade 1589, 22 Sept ... f. 67v ... la meilleure.

11. ff. 68r-93v Miscellaneous alchemical notes and extracts, in Latin and French

f. 68r Ce que s'ensuyt est tire d'un fragment d'un traitte intitule [word erased and inked over]

Late 15th Century

1 volume

1 l. + 42 ff. +93 ff. + 8 ll. 8vo. 14 1/2 x 10 1/2 cm. 18th century paper covers.

The beginning of the manuscript is wanting, and the first leaf mutilated: many margins are damaged, and in ff. 68-70 of the second part the upper margin has been cut away (to conceal a name or title?): the lower part of fol. 93v has been blacked out in ink. The MS. shows signs of much use. Headings and titles in red. These, and the script on the first leaf are in italic, the rest in small and neat French 'caractères de civilite'.

Purchased 1925.

Catalogue description modified in 2014. For original description, see S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).