Details

Standardized Title:

Les secrets merveilleux de la magie naturelle

Subjects:

Cabala -- Early works to 1800.
Cabala.
Magic -- Early works to 1800.
Magic.
Occultism -- Early works to 1800.
Occultism.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Diagrams.
Drawings (visual works)
Manuals (instructional materials)
Prescriptions.
Manuscripts, English.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

English, Italian, and Latin.

Summary:

Collection of instructions from Le Petit Albert, an 18th-century magical handbook, for conducting alchemical and cabalistic experiments and recipes concerning matters of love (p. 12), health (p. 65), and luck (p. 39) as well as other applications such as preventing dogs from barking at you (p. 48), preventing the effects of wine (p. 51), growing grapes and melons (p. 61), and creating talismans (p. 68). Also includes an alphabetical index (p. 261-266). A bifolium laid into the manuscript includes instructions for several different methods of how to catch plenty of fish and to make pigeons come to your dove house.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title from title page (p. i).
Pagination: Paper, 184 leaves; [ii], 1-247, 148-209, [210-266]; contemporary pagination in ink, modern pagination in pencil, upper outer corners.
Layout: Written in 15-18 long lines.
Script: Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford.
Decoration: Pen and ink drawing of piece of horse flesh (p. 12) and of talismans (p. 79); alchemical symbols throughout.
Binding: Contemporary parchment.
Origin: Written in England[?] in the second half of the 18th century.

Local notes:

Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.
Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 617, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).
Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1699.

Contributor:

Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner.
Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner.
Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

OCLC:

918899840

Web link:

Unique at Penn blog post