21 treatises on alchemy

MSS/0225

21 treatises on alchemy

after 1688

item

ff. ii + 332.
Folio.
Leather binding, brown.

Treatises on alchemy, mainly translated from earlier Latin sources. Written in several hands. See J. Ferguson, Bibliotheca Chemica (2 vols., Glasgow, 1906) for further details on the sources of many items.
Contents:-

(1) 'Traité Philosophique De La Science Hermetique'. Beg. 'L'auteur promet à son fils de lui decouvrir cette unique et pretieuse matiere'. fols. 1-31;-

(2) The Clavicula of Raymond (Ramón) Lull. Ferguson, II, 50. fols. 32-45v;-

(3) 'La Lumiere des Mercures', i.e. the Liber dictus Lux Mercuriorum of Raymond Lull. Cf. Ferguson, II, 52. fols. 46-9v;-

(4) 'Clavicule ou Codicille de Raymund Lulle'. Cf. Ferguson, II, 50. See also item (12) below which is a different work. fols. 50-5v;-

(5) 'Le Conducteur au Ciel chimique' by Jacques Tollius Hollandais, 'donné à Amsterdam MDCLXXXVIII' (fol. 65v). A translation of Jacobus Tollius, Manuductio ad Coelum Chemicum. Ferguson II, 459, lists a French edition, Amsterdam, 1688. fols. 56-65v;-

(6) 'Abregé du Traité du grand Oeuvre des Philosophes' by Philippe Rouvillac. Apparently a translation of the Practica Operis Magni. Ferguson, II, 301. fols. 66-73v, 119-142v (end misbound);-

(7) 'De l'arbre solaire', described as 'Instruction d'un pere a son fils Par Le Sieur de Bremens Gentilhomme Suisse'. Cf. L. Zetzner, Theatrum Chemicum, VI (1661), 163-94. fols. 74-92v;-

(8) 'Lettre de Bernard Trevisan a Thomas de Boulogne Medecin de Charles VIII Roy de france'. A translation of the work by Bernhardus Trevisanus (?Bernard of Treves; cf. Ferguson, I, 102-4). fols. 93-118;-

(9) 'Lettre D'un Amy a son Amy'. A series of 153 aphorisms. Ferguson, I, 38 refers to several collections of aphorisms, fols. 143-55;-

(10) 'Traité de Jean de Rupescissa où il traite de la methode de parvenir à la pierre philosophale'. Possibly a translation of one of the works mentioned by Ferguson, II, 305. fols. 157-68v;-

(11) 'La Metamorphose des metaux Par Irenée Philalethe' (i.e. George Starkey). A translation of De Metallorum Metamorphosi (Ferguson, II, 192, 194). fols. 169-200;-

(12) 'The Vade mecum of Raymond Lull. Cf. Ferguson, II, 50. Not the same work as (4) above, fols. 201-12;-

(13) 'Lettre d'un Philosophe Sur le Secret du Grand Oeuvre..' by Alexandre Toussaint de Limojon de St Didier. A copy from the edition by Laurent d'Houry (Paris, 1688). Ferguson, II, 39. fols. 213-32;-

(14) 'Le Testament d'Or'. A Paracelsian treatise with a preface by Jean Henry Vierort said to have been written at Leiden on the latter's deathbed, 23 March 1672 (end of preface, fol. 235v), and signed with his blood. A similar statement, dated 27 March 1672, occurs (fol. 242v) at the end of a final paragraph describing the transmission of the text from Paracelsus via a German count, and a MS found in a chapel in the Thuringian Forest by two young German doctors who took it to Leiden. The MS is said to have been given by one of the latter to his nephew, Jean Henry Vierort, Captain of the cavalry and Gentleman of the Chamber of Prince Saxon Laumburg. fols. 235-42v;-

(15) 'Epitre de Jean Clopinel' (i.e. Jean de Meung). Not mentioned separately by Ferguson, I, 434, among the works of Jean de Meung. fols. 243-54v;-

(16) 'Aphorismes ou Canons de la Philisophie Hermetique'. A series of 154 aphorisms (see also (9) above). Ferguson, I, 38, lists several collections. fols. 255-63v;-

(17) 'Le livre intitulé.. le Jardin de Richesse Composé par Moy George Anrach' (title altered). Heavily corrected and possibly an autograph draft. Not in Ferguson. fols. 264-83;-

(18) 'Conclusion de tous les écrits et Traités de frere Bazile Valentin Scavoir du soufre, du vitriol..', followed by an introduction 'Au Lecteur Par Pierre Fabre Docteur en medecine'. Marginal note 'tiré du Currus triumphalis antimonii Edition Pierre Fabre.. Toulouse.. 1646 pag. 306'. For Basil Valentin (who has not been conclusively identified see Ferguson, I, 77-82, who refers to Pierre Fabre's Propugnaculum alchymiae, Toulouse, 1645). fols. 284-97v;-

(19) 'Traité de la Pierre philosophale Par Georges Ripley..'. Refers to twelve doors and may relate to the Liber Duodecim Portarum (Ferguson, II, 277). fols. 298-323v;-

(20) 'Traité De Mercure et de la pierre Philosophale par Georges Ripley'. A translation of the Liber de Mercurio et Lapide Philosophorum (Ferguson, II, 277). fols. 324-29;-

(21) 'Operation Tirée des secrets d'Isabella Cortese lib. 2 cap. I. pag. 22'. An extract translated from I Secreti della Signora Isabella Cortese (first published, Venice, 1625). Ferguson, I, 179. fols. 330-2v.

SAL/MS/225

No 8 in the collection of Arthur Ashpitel, FSA (his round stamp, fol. ii verso) and bequeathed by him, 1869 (fol. i).

French