Ansaloni, Sebastiano (pseud. Benincasa, Rutilio) (1523-1599)

The extract or tables of Rotalo, 1500...The hidden Treasure. Look for a algebraical number to sport at the Lottery, at Room, established with all perfection upon mathematical, astronomical and algebraical points planely denoted, not without much study and application by T. M. N. 1744. Inserted are five pen-drawn diagrams of fortune-telling wheels, three possibly contemporary with the MS, one dated 1855, in red and black, and a Tibetan block-print. On the verso of the penultimate leaf of the MS. is a note of 'Numbers calculated by Count Cagliostro for the Lottery 1776 in London'. The water-mark on the paper is dated 1794. An extract from an undated sale catalogue of Sotheby's, states that 'The original of this book was in the Vatican Library, and was death for any person to copy, but was written out from memory by a monk who visited it daily till he had effected his purpose. Dr. Sibly gave 300 guineas for permission to copy it. From this work Cagliostro learnt his surprising feats'. The date 1500 is obviously incorrect, as Ansaloni was born in 1523 and died in 1599, but it seems very probable that 'Rotalo' is a scribal mis-reading for 'Rutilio'.

Late 18th century

1 volume 30 ll. folio. 33 x 191/2 cm. Unbound. Margins frayed.

Purchased 1930.

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).

According to Melzi 'Dizionario degli anonimi', 1848, s.v. 'Benincasa', Ansaloni was a mathematician of Palermo, and was the author of this work, but published it under the name of a certain Rutilio Benincasa, who was one of his assistants.