Composite alchemical manuscript in Latin and English; 15th-17th centuries

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Description

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Title

Composite alchemical manuscript in Latin and English; 15th-17th centuries

Shelfmark

MS. Ashmole 1450

Place of origin

English

Date

15th century, second half

15th century

15th century, late – 16th century, early

17th century, first quarter

16th century, second half

Language

English

Latin

Middle English (1100-1500)

MS. Ashmole 1450 – Part 1

1. (fol. 1r–v) Epistola Bernardi de opere philosophico

2. (fol. 2r–v) Rubric: De vase philosophico

3. (fol. 2v) Rubric: Lutum sapientie sic fit secundum Albertum

4. (fol. 3–5v) Ps.-Arnold of Villanova De secretis naturae

(fol. 6) Alchemical dialogue

(fol. 6) Alchemical experiments

5. (fol. 8) Rubric: Nota. 5. membra

6. (fol. 8) Letter of Aristotle to Alexander

7. (fol. 8–11) Breviloquium de serpente

8. (fol. 11) John Dastin Compilatio de arte alchemica

9. (fol. 11v–12) Alchemical recipes

10. (fol. 12r–v) Ars magna siue Aqua solis

11. (fol. 13r–v) Vademecum fratri Eliae de ordine minorum

12. (fol. 13v–14) Recepta ad lunam sancti Thomae de Aquino

13-14. (fols. 14–18) Michael Scot (?) Ars alchemiae

15. (fols. 18–23v) Winandus de Rufeo Clipeo Gloria Mundi

16. (fol. 23v–8) Ps.-Arnold of Villanova Semita semitae

17. (fol. 28) Recipe

18. (fol. 28–29v) Raymundus Gaufredi De leone viridi

(fol. 29v–32) Singer, Cat. Alchemical MSS., no. 209C/ii (this copy)

19. (fol. 32–7v) Bernardus Trevisanus Epistolae ad Thomam de Bononia

20. (fol. 40–3) Prognostication by the moon

(fol. 43v) Lapidis aquae vitae

21. (fol. 47v) Recipe

22. (fol. 48) Secrets of women ('Secreta quaedam magica, de mulieribus praesertim')

23. (fol. 49–55v (47–53v)) Quaestiones Kalid Regis ad Morienum Romanum

24. (fol. 56–60 (54–8) ) Liber gratiae Hermetis siue Aqua vita perhennis

24i. (fol. 63v) Rubric: Opera metallorum in igne perficere, sive alchimie artem ex(er)cere

24ii. (fol. 64–5) Astrology ('regulae planetares')

24iii. (fol. 65v–6) Prognostication

MS. Ashmole 1450 – Part 2

1. (fol. 1–21v, 21b–31 (65–89v, 92–96)) Johannes de Rupescissa Quinta essentia

2. (fol. 31v (96v, 90–91v)) Tractatus de septem herbis septem planetis appropriatis

MS. Ashmole 1450 – Part 3

1. (fol. 36a) Three tables of “Infortunat daies after sundry verie aunchent oppinions of great antiquity,” with remarks. The first is after “th’opinion. of Eliaxnore Stroder;” the others are anonymous.

2. (fols. 37–47 ) “The third chapter [and other large passages] of Tho: Norton’s booke,” called the Ordinall of Alchemy. (pp. 1-19.) Ending with the last line of the work, subscribed “Finis. Quod Norton.”

3. (fols. 47–8v) Medicine “For to bringe out the canker in what place hee be,” and nineteen other remedies.

MS. Ashmole 1450 – Part 4

1. (fol. "49–71v") John Bubellus (Bumbules) Stella alchimiae

MS. Ashmole 1450 – Part 5

1. (fol. 73–84v (133–142v)) Rubric: Her begynyth þe secunde boke of John Dastyn

Alchemical verses (15) and commentary

2. (fol. 85 (143)) Incipit: Est fons in limis cujus latet anguis in imis

3. (fol. 85 (143)) Commentary includes: ‘Unde quidam philosophus- | Uncia gallarum, medium sit et uncia gummi, | Et bis vitrioli: superaddas octo falerni. | Hoc faciant omnes incaustum composituri.’

4. (fol. 85–6 (143–4)) John Dastin Visio de dono gratiae

5. (fol. 144r–v) Glossary (synonyma alchemica)

MS. Ashmole 1450 – Part 6

1. (fol. 55–62 (147–155)) Rubric: Raymondes Curtacōns

2. (fol. 62v (155v)) Rubric: A note or knowlege howe the calcynyd powders and waters shall be put and mixed to gethers

3. (fol. 63–4 (156–7)) Rubric: A curtacion of Raymond Lylle the great phylosopher, et c.

4. (fol. 64–8v, 70–76 (157–159v, 169r–176)) Alchemy

5. (fol. 76–7v (176r–177v)) Rubric: The elixer to be made after the worke of M’r Darvelle of Brystowe etc.

6. (fol. 78–80v (178–180v)) Rubric: The trewe compounde howe that the elixer shuld be made of wyne, after Jhon Corbit

7. (fol. 80v–83v (180v–183v)) Rubric: And nowe for to make the best lime [lune] þt may be made. And also for to mortyfie marcury

8. (fol. 86–90v (160–4) Rubric: A specialle noticion of philosophy

9. (fol. 91–4 (165–7)) Rubric: The argumentes of dyverse and ma(n)y olde ph’ers, wheruppon Raymond Lylle declarede and seide the wordes folowyng

10. (fol. 94v–5 (167v–168v)) Rubric: Raimondos eciam dicit quod aqua nostra ex tribus naturis […]

MS. Ashmole 1450 – Part 7

1. (p. 1–16) George Ripley Pupilla alchimiae

2. (p. 17–23) Ps.-Ramon Lull Liber lucis mercuriorum

3. (p. 23–30)

(p. 23–27) Rubric: Earthe of earthe

(pp. 27–30) Immediately followed by DIMEV 4236 as if part of the same work.

4. (p. 31) Incipit: Take wynde and water, white and grene

5. (p. 31) Incipit: Lapis in omni re et in omni loco dicitur

6. (p. 32–81) Alchemy

7. (p. 82–3) Rubric: Mundus philosophicus de adrop, et nigro nigrius nigro

8. (p. 83) Rubric: De natura plumbi

9. (p. 84) Rubric: De Rupescissa

10. (p. 85) Rubric: A medicinable oile and moche profitable against all infirmyties wth in mannes body

11. (p. 85) Rubric: In Raymondes booke of mercuries

12. (p. 86) Incipit: The lumynaries being calcyned

Provenance

“Liber mei Christopheri Taylour”, fol. 1; fol. 14r, 49r and 66v are inscribed in a similar manner; and at the foot of the first page is written “Joh. . . Bryghtes boke.”

Elias Ashmole, 1617–1692.

Bequeathed by him to the Ashmolean Museum.

Transferred to the Bodleian Library in 1860.

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