Details

Subjects:

Alchemy -- Early works to 1800.
Alchemy.
Chemistry -- Early works to 1800.
Chemistry.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Excerpts.
Miscellanies.
Hybrid books.
Manuscripts, English.
Manuscripts, Latin.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

English and Latin.

Summary:

Alchemical and chemical miscellany containing excerpts from many authors published from the late 15th century through the 17th century, including George Ripley, Johann Rudolf Glauber, Heinrich Khunrath, Thomas Vaughan, Otto Tachenius, David von der Becke, Jan Baptist von Helmont, John Webster, and Athanasius Kircher. The latest work cited is William Yworth's Chymicus rationalis: or, The fundamental grounds of the chymical art rationally stated, published in 1695 (f. 37v-38r). Other sources include Paracelsus, Nicolas Flamel, and published compendia such as Theatrum chemicum and Aurifontina chymica. An otherwise unknown poem including alchemical symbols in its text begins, "Philosophers in dark AEnigma's say ..." (f. 47v-48r). About half the volume (f. 49r-97r) consists of the printed text of Jean d'Espagnet's Arcanum hermeticae philosophiae opus, removed from a copy of the fourth edition of Enchiridion physicae restitutae (Paris, 1642-1647), heavily marked with marginal notes, manicules, and alchemical symbols (Gedge).

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Foliation: Paper, 99; 1-48, 49-97 (with printed pagination 9-105, upper outer corners), 98-99, modern foliation in pencil, usually lower right recto but occasionally upper right recto. Printed leaf 123-124 is laid in. All references in this record are to modern foliation.
Script: Written in secretary script.
Decoration: Manicules on both manuscript (for example, f. 3r) and printed (for example, f. 56r) leaves; small ink diagram of an flaming egg in water (f. 98v).
Binding: Contemporary (late 17th-century) calf ruled in gilt (Gedge); leather of front cover damaged at front joint and outer edge; threads used as bookmarks were possibly once attached to binding.
Origin: Possibly written in England, after 1695 (date of latest publication cited in text).

Local notes:

Purchased for the Penn Libraries from Samuel Gedge in December 2015.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Samuel Gedge Ltd. (Norwich, England), catalog 21 (2015), number 1.

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1801.

Contains:

Espagnet, Jean d', 1564-approximately 1637. Arcanum hermeticae philosophiae opus.

OCLC:

965448688