Details

Subjects:

Alchemy -- Early works to 1800.
Alchemy.
Occultism -- Early works to 1800.
Occultism.

Form/Genre:

codices (bound manuscrips)
treatises.
Manuscripts, Latin -- 18th century.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

Latin.

Biography/History:

English philologist who taught at the University of Paris and briefly at the University of Toulouse. He fled to Paris in 1231 during the upheaval in Toulouse following the Albigensian Crusade. He was a prolific Latin poet and his grammatical works were widely printed in England. The alchemical treatise on the Smaragdine Tablet attributed to him was possibly written by the 14th-century alchemist Ortolanus, about whom little is known.

Summary:

18th-century collection of alchemical treatises attributed to John of Garland concerning minerals, elixirs, the Smaragdine Tablet, a popular piece of Hermetica that was reputed to contain the secret to the creation of the philosopher's stone, and an alphabetical list of alchemical synonyms. Includes occasional references to works by other authors such as the 16th-century alchemist Isabella Cortese and the Dominican friar Vincent of Beauvais (p. 4) and a list of contents (p. ii).

Contents:

1. p.1-15: De praeparatione elixiris libellus / [Johannes de Garlandia]
2. p.15-89: De mineralibus liber / [Johannes de Garlandia]
3. p.90: Tabula Smaragdinae
4. p.91-112: Expositio tabula Smaragdinae / facta ab Hortulano Garlandii
4. p.113-156: Synonimorum in arte alchemistica expositio.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Pagination: 79 leaves; [iv], 1-92, 97-115, [116-153], 156, [iv]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners. Horizontal catchwords, lower right corners. Pages 93-96 of the text appear to be lacking.
Layout: Written in 25-27 long lines.
Script: Written in a semi-cursive script by what appears to be a single hand.
Binding: Contemporary parchment.
Origin: Written in Italy 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. 575, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (initials, p. iii; stamps throughout).
Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.

Cited as:

Johannes de Garlandia, Collection of Alchemical Treatises (Ms. Codex 1664). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

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:

898474650

Web link:

Unique at Penn blog post