Winandus de Ruffo Clipeo (& others)

  • Winandus de Ruffo Clipeo
Date:
c. 1625
Reference:
MS.800
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Credit

Winandus de Ruffo Clipeo (& others). Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

About this work

Description

Doctrina illuminans: dasz ist das Liecht aller Lichter, oder die Lehr Winandi welche von Anstaig bisz zum Endte fideliter, parabolice tamen zum Chimischen Arbeith verleichtet... Illustrated with 19 water-colour symbolic drawings (ff. 25v-34v), in the first section, and 7 pen-drawings of alchemical furnaces, etc. in the last section (ff. 23-28). The first section (6 ll.) is headed: 'Von der weissen und klugen Mercurio'. The heading of the next section (40 ff.) is: 'Incipit Liber de Chimia In [gold] em et [silver] am'. On fol. 14 is a heading: 'Das Buch ist genandt das Liecht aller Liechter und die Lehr Winandi', and begins: 'Ich Winandus von rothen schild ain arzt...' It seems to end on fol. 15v, line 19: 'Dasz ist dasz Endt des heraufgeschribnen Werkhs', and is followed by extracts on Alchemy including quotations from the 'Turba Philosophorum', as far as fol. 25. Ff. 25v-35 contain 19 symbolic illustrations in the shape of flasks with descriptive text, showing the processes of the Stone. It is headed (fol. 26) 'Rex et Regina desiderant filium generare scilicet creaturam Chimicam....' The illustration is entitled 'Labor primus'. 'Labor secundus' is on fol. 25v: The eleventh flask is omitted. The last (fol. 34v) is of the 'Red Man' or 'Red Elixir'. Following this is a short article in Latin, headed 'Lapis philosophicus', the rest of the title has been obliterated in ink: it seems to deal with 'Murtinlas' [i.e. Salnitrum]. After this (ff. 36, 37) 'Resolutio celebris in [Mercury] Podensteinii' (i.e. Adam von Bodenstein [1528-1577]). This section ends with alchemical notes in German and Latin. The third part is headed: 'Lapidem Philosophorum zu machen nach der Lehr eines Philosophi so vor 200 Jahren gelebt und uns ex speciali gratia communicirt worden'. This appears to end on fol. 9, and is followed by alchemical extracts, notes, and processes. Ff. 23v-28 contain text and pen-drawings relating to alchemical furnaces.

Publication/Creation

c. 1625

Physical description

1 volume 1 l. + 6 ff. (last bl.) + 40 ff. (last bl.). + 31 ff. + 1 l. 4to. 201/2 x 161/2 cm. Original quarter-calf binding. Some margins frayed.

Arrangement

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Acquisition note

Purchased at Sotheby's 28/1/1935, Lot 27 (part).

Finding aids

Database description transcribed from 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).

Notes

Alchemical symbols for planets and metals in Moorat's catalogue description have been replaced with the name of the corresponding metal (in English).

Ownership note

From the Julius Kohn Library.

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Identifiers

Accession number

  • 68071