Collection of short alchemical works in English and French (Miscellanea Alchemica XIV)

Collection of short alchemical works in English and French

Contents

The Middle English thorn has been replaced with the modern 'th'

1. ff. 2r-22v John of Vienna, Speculum elementorum, in English

f. 2r Translatus [sic] Johannis vicinensis [sic] de presten [?] ars alkkymie [sic] qui Speculum elementorum [vocatur]. Prologus. Joy praysinge and everlastinge honor be to allmyghtie god ... f. 22v ... who liveth and raynethe withowte ending. Amen so be it, finis.

For John of Vienna and his work see Lynn Thorndike A History of Magic and Experimental Science vol. III, pp. 638, 639.

2. ff. 23r-25v Alchemical receipts.

f. 23r A whyte ...

3. ff. 26r-35r Ramon Lull, Theorica, in verse

f. 26r Raymonde lulle in his theoricke. Aristotell the philosopher moste connynge and sapiente ... f. 35r Searche well the laste chapter to knowe the extremes the Ends of the theoricke of Raymonde.

4. f. 35r-36v Alchemical receipts.

f. 35r Putt this glasse ... f. 36v Finis.

5. ff. 37r-v Alchemical poem

f. 37r The evangelist John as be Revelacyon to an angel is compared ... f. 37v Nor have no doute he hathe gods blessinge. Finis.

6. ff. 38r-45v Miles Blomefield, Blossoms

f. 38r Mr. William [sic] Blowmfeld his verses. When phebus was entered the signe of the Ramm ... f. 45v This worke is compleate da gloriam deo. Finis theorice.

7. ff. 45v-46v Alchemical receipts, dated 1582.

8. ff. 47r-60r John Dastin, Speculum philosophiae, in English

f. 47r Heare beginnethe the glasse of master John Dasten. To the excellenteste father of hyghe worshipp neopolytain worthyeste cardinall of St. andryas ... f. 60r ...and thowe shault have soll and lune better then is brought fourthe in earthe. Deo gracias. Finis.

9. ff. 60v-70v Alchemical receipts and notes

ff. 60v-61r Abstractes. ff. 61v-62r Heare followeth e declaracion of Certene phisicall woordes or sayings. ff. 62r-63r Richard Carpenter, Worke: in verse, 80 lines. Of the Sonne take e lighte. The Reed gumm at is so bryghte ... Of the whyte stone and of the Redd heare is truly ye very dede. George Ripley, Verses from the Scroll; 40 lines. Take e father Phebus so brighte. f. 64r As philosophors there him gave. [The same] Poem. 80 lines. In the sea withowten les. Standethe e bird of hermes ... f. 65v Say amen amen for charytie. Roger Bacon, Verses: 10 lines. Fryer Backon. Take e hard hevy hott and dry ... Is like to lose all as I gesse. f. 66r Anonymous, Verses: 166 lines. Take our Rose with e redishe flower ... f. 68r It will notte be by fyer hotte ne coulde. ff. 68r-69r Alchemical notes. Pearce, Upon the Elixir; in verse: 110 lines. f. 69v Take Earthe of Earthe Earthes brother ... f. 70v And ever induringe to hould and dwell.

10. ff. 71r-81r George Ripley, Bosom Book, extracts and other prose works

f. 71r The firste separacion ... f. 81r ... at this marke. Boyle. Finis.

11. ff. 81v-82v Pseudo-John Mandeville, Work

f. 81v The Worke of Mr. John of Magnavilla. R yn primo amalgam it with ... f. 82v ... and it will be all.

12. ff. 82v-83r Alchemical receipts

f. 82v To rubify Saturnus. Imbibe upon a marble stone the .... f. 83r ... silver not a very wighte collour.

12. ff. 83v-85v Arnold of Villanova, Experimentum, in English.

f. 83v Experimente. Arnaldus de nova villa. In the name of god amen: ffirste ye shall take hennys eyren ... f. 85v ... that it shaul be counsell etc. Arnoldus de nova villa.

13. ff. 86r-90v Anonymous, Miroire de lumiere

Enci vient la science de savoir parvenir aux pierres des philosophes il nous fault notter trois condicions ... f. 90v ainsi finit la 2de partie de ce livre qui est appelle le mirroir de lumiere.

14. f. 91 Alchemical receipt in English

For to make mynes ...

ff. 91v-92r blank

ff. 92v-93v Alchemical receipts in English and French. On the last leaf verso (upside down) 'Anno 1579'.

f. 92v Opus bonum ad (sun sign) et (moon sign).

1579-1582

1 volume 93 ll. (first bl.). 4to. 20 x 14 1/2 cm. 1579-1582. Original vellum covers with flap, damaged. Some margins and corner frayed. Text with black rules.

Purchased at Sotheby's 10/6/1931, Lot 443.

On fol. 73v is a note by the compiler: 'Memorandum. Thomas Beale came hyther to dwell the 20 day of February in anno 1580 and to pay for his parte of my warre house and a chamber with a compting house the somme of 4li. by the yeare to pay quarterly 20s. and to departe at a quarters warnynge'.

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).