YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE MANUSCRIPTS
Mellon MS 31
CHRISTOPHER of PARIS
A collection of his alchemical writings, with some additional
related matter by others, in Italian and Latin
North Italy, unsigned, possibly written by Philippo Vsladio
of Nuremberg, about 1540
31.1 Christopher of Paris. L'Abecedario de la Summetta, and
L'Abecedario de la Violetta.
31.2 Christopher of Paris. Letter to Andrea Ognibene, 1473.
31.3 Christopher of Paris. Alchemical alphabet, in Latin.
31.4 Christopher of Paris. La Summetta, or La Somma minore, 1470.
31.5 Christopher of Paris. La Cithara, or La Violetta, 1474.
31.6 Christopher of Paris. Lucidario.
31.7 Christopher of Paris. L'Abecedario del Lucidario.
31.8 Christopher of Paris. Letter to Andrea Ognibene, 1476.
31.9 Fra Vielmo. Letter to Andrea Ognibene, 1476.
31.10 Christopher of Paris. Letter to Andrea Ognibene, 1477.
31.11 Christopher of Paris. Letter in the name of Andrea Ognibene
to Christopher of Recaneto, 1470.
Paper codex in Italian and Latin, 4to., 252 x 175, ff. 168, ff. 1r-167r
correctly paginated 1-333 and the pagination used in the description below,
the remainder unnumbered, of ff. 170 originally, single leaves apparently
canceled originally and cut away by the copyist after ff. 162 and 164, as
noted in the collation below, but not noted in the description as the
original pagination is consecutive. Written throughout by a single good
italic hand, sometimes hasty toward the end of the codex, in single columns,
usually 23 lines, 185 x 112. No signatures, catchwords at the ends of most
quires and sometimes at other page-endings. Rubricated, headings often in
red, moderate standard abbreviation. Collation: (1)^^4, (2)^^6, (3-16)^^10,
(17)^^20-2. The composition of the final quire is compound; it consists of an
outer sheet of 2 ff. into which a quire of 6 ff. is inserted, plus a quire of
8 ff. inserted after f. 5 of the second element (but ff. 5 and 8 of the third
element cut away originally and not counted in the pagination), plus a fourth
gathering of 4 ff. inserted before the final leaf of the series. Paper of two
batches, partly without watermark, partly with anchor-in-circle mark in folds
and cut, not specifically identified.
BINDING: Original plain parchment wrapper without ties, back with three
raised bands, soiled and worn. Plain edges.
PROVENANCE: Belonged, perhaps originally, to Philippo Vsladio of Nuremberg,
who may possibly have written the codex, his ownership note on the recto of
the detached front pastedown transcribed below; Mary Mellon, with her
bookplate, acquired from William Gannon (bookseller), New York, 1941; Mellon
MS 145=H. De Ricci-Bond 36.
CONTENTS
Front wrapper: [The original pastedown at front became detached at an early
date and the inside surface ofthe parchment wrapper has a note by a
contemporary hand plus a modern pencil note and the bookplate of Mary Mellon.
Facing this is the recto of the front pastedown, now exposed, which has
various notes of contents of the volume in contemporary writing and, at top,
an ownership entry:] philippo vsladio | Norebergensis [pasted to the former
pastedown is a smaller page, also with writing by the same early hand or
hands; a similar scrap is pasted to the now detached lower pastedown, q.v.
The verso of the pastedown is blank except for a note at top:] Luoghi trovati
veri con l'esperienza | ii6 | [All of the early annotations on these pages
may be in the hand of the copyist of the text.]
p. 1, headline: Ordine de le Rubriche del primo | libro de la Summetta. |
[line 1:] Proemio del libro. | ... [The table of contents of the volume as
far as p. 131 is supplied, ending on p. 6, 12; the remainder ofthe page and
pp. 7-8 are blank except for a four-line note at top of p. 8 concerning the
several alphabets in the text.] p. 9, headline: Dechiarazione de l'Abecedario
["de la sumetta" in superscript] e significanti | suoi, si de le lettere
semplici come de le composte. | [line 1:] A significa fuoco contra natura ...
[A complex double alphabet follows, ending at the foot of p. 13.]
[31.1: Christopher of Paris, Two alphabets, in Italian, relating to his
Violetta and Summetta, not specifically identified in the literature
consulted.]
p. 14, heading: Sommetta [This word has been written over the erasure of more
than one word, the first of which was "Copia"] di una lunga lettera di
Christoforo Parigino | laquale per esser piena de molte cose [cancelled
"im"]pertinenti [sic] a L'arte | ho posta quivi parte in sostanza, e parte
(cioe dove | egli ha parlato de L'arte) sono le sue proprie parole. |
Christoforo P[arigino] a Andrea ognibene | [line 1:] Forse che il mio cosi
lungo silenzio de tanti mesi hara causato | qualche dubitazione ... [Ends
p.17, 8:] siamo sempre a li vostri piaceri. valete. 1473 a 2. di maggio. |
[31.2: Christopher of Paris, Letter to Andrea Ognibene, dated 2 May 1473.
See T IV, pp. 348-353. In other copies, as in MS 24, ff. 335r-339r, where
this text also occurs, the month is cited as March.]
p. 17, 9: Principium operis. A significat Deum. B aquam fortem | simplicem
... [Ends line 15 Remainder of pp. 17-20 blank.]
[31.3: Christopher of Paris, Alchemical alphabet in Latin, not the one noted
in TK 2, and not identified with certainty.]
p. 21, heading: Libro 1. de la Summetta | [heading:] Di tre peccati che
impediscono L'artefice | a conseguire questa Scienza e | arte. capitolo 2- |
[line 1:] Il primo peccato che di sua natura impedisce questa | preziosissima
scienza... [Ends p. 82, 2:] ... accostandovi a quella Illustrissima e
gloriosissima Signoria | de Vinezia, laquale io amo cordialissimamente;
percioche | ella sempre ha diffeso il benedetto e glorioso nome del | nostro
Signore Giesu Cristo: | Di Pariggi del 1470 a 24 de Decembre. | [remainder
blank.]
[31.4: Christopher of Paris, La Summetta, or La Somma minore, in the form of
a letter to Andrea Ognibene dated from Paris 24 December 1470. The same
letter, but with the year date 1471 given, occurs in MS 24, ff. 1r-19r.]
p. 83, headline: Violetta | [heading:] Comincia il libro de l'eccelentissimo
Filosofo | Cristoforo da Parigi Intitolato la Violetta ... [line 1:] Poi che
e piaciuto a | Eccelso e glorioso Idio | pietoso e begnigno [sic] a i preghi
... [Book I ends p. 96; the text ends p. 132, 9:] ... e col tempo piu copiosa
= | mente vi faro partecipe del resto de la Summa nostra | over Lucidario. Di
pariggi a 12 de settem- | bre del 1474- | Il fine de la violetta | [remainder
blank.]
[31.5: Christopher of Paris, La Violetta, TK 1416, where it is titled
Cithara, and Medolla della Summeta elsewhere, in the form of a letter to
Andrea Ognibene dated 12 September 1474, from Paris. The same text with
variants occurs in MS 24, ff. 21v-33v.]
p. 133, heading: Il lucidario de l'arte trasmutatoria | de corpi metallici,
composto per lo | eccellentissimo Cristoforo parisense | Capitolo 1.1 [line
1:] Doppo molto considerazione habbiamo compreso | come questa celeste parte
di occulta Filosofia ci e stata | lasciata da gli antichi filosofi ... [Book
I ends p. 211; p. 212 blank. Book II ends p. 274. Book III, titled Terza
parte de L'albore Fisicale," ends p. 307, 11:] ... nel qual capitolo
concludemo tutta | la scienza e pratica de l'albore fisicale nostro, a lau= |
de de L'eterno Idio, a cui sia ogni gloria et honore | in tute le cose. cosi
sia. |
[31.6: Christopher of Paris, Lucidario, probably a version of the text cited
by TK 877, but without the invocation at beginning. This text is not found in
MS 24.]
p. 307, 15: [After a considerable space and near the foot ofthe page:]
Seguita la dichiarazione de L'Abecedario de l'ante- | detto Lucidario. volta.
[p. 38, 1:] A. significa Chaos, cioe il nostro Mercurio ... [The long
alphabet ends on p. 312, 11, followed by a tabular presentation of the
alphabet, with a legend beginning:] Copia de L'Abecedario tratta da quello di
Frate Battista V ... [Pp. 313- 323 contain an extended table of contents of
the text ending at p.323, 7; remainder of the page blank.]
[31.7: Christopher of Paris, L'Abecedario del Lucidario, related to the
Latin version cited by TK 2, in all probability, with an extended table of
contents. Not in MS 24.]
p. 324, 1: Cristoforo Parigino a Andrea ognibene | Figliuolo diletto et
cetera hor a L'intento principale di [word defective through worm damage] |
vostre che io ho ricevute da due anni in qua ... [Ends p. 325, 14:] subito
andaria in ruina per le invidie di questo tiranno mondo. Non | altro Christo
Jesu sia con voi, e con tutti li vostri. | Ex parisio Die Xo augusti 1476. |
[31.8: Christopher of Paris, Letter to Andrea Ognibene, dated 10 August
1476, from Paris, as in the copy which occurs in MS 24, ff. 43r-45r, but here
without the invocation at the beginning.]
p. 325, 17: copia d'una lettera ritrovata ne le scritture del detto Andrea |
ognibene, laquale egli hebbe da quel frate che hebbe L'ampolla. | a Tergo.
Spectabile et Generoso Domino Andree ognibene tanquam fratri dilecto. | Jesus
1476 .a. 13 Novembrio In milano. | Messer Andrea magnifico in questi giorni
per lo amico vostro intesi quanto | la nobilta vostra si offeriva presso de
me ... [At the foot of p. 325 is a pen drawing of a cracked flask; ends p.
326, 23:] ... non altro prego misser Domenedio [?] che vi | conserva ne
grazia soa - [sic] | fra vielmo vostro servitore |
[31.9: Fra Vielmo (Guglielmo?), Letter to Andrea Ognibene, dated 13 November
1476, at Milan, stating how the writer visited a sick man, possibly
Christopher of Paris, on 15 October 1475, and received a flask wrapped in a
rotulus of paper; the flask was cracked and its contents had stained the
scroll. The material was very precious, but it was not the friar's fault that
the flask was broken, etc. Not identified in the literature consulted, and
not in MS 24.]
p. 326, 26: Christoforo Parigino a Andrea ognibene | Fiolo diletto la gratia
e Pace del celestial Padre principio e governo de | le visibili et invisibili
cose... [Ends p. 328, 28;] ...et per buon rispetto non vi mando la copia del
tratatto sma= | rito per adesso, non altro son sempre a li piaceri vostri [Ex
Parisio Dio 12 m] [canceled] | Ex Parisio . Die 12. martij 1477. |
[31.10: Christopher of Paris, Letter to Andrea Ognibene, dated 12 March
1477, from Paris. This letter is not among those in MS 24 and is apparently
not cited in T IV.]
p. 328, 31: Copia d'una lettera scritta per lo sopranominato Maestro
Christoforo | parisino in nome de Andrea ognibene a Maestro Christoforo
[corrected to this reading from Christofano?] da recanati | a padoa circa
alcuni dubbij de L'arte. | Sempre con L'usata fede ricorro al lume de la
profondissima intelligenzia | vostra excellentissime Magister philosophorum
et amantissimo Padre pregandovi a posponere [sic] | ogni simulazione e
duplicita ... [Ends p. 333, 14:] ... il che sara a vostra eccelentia opera di
poca fatica. Christo | sia con voi, son sempre a li comandi vostri, ex
venetijs die | sexto mensis februarij 1470. | Andrea ognibene. | [remainder
of p. 333 and all of p. (334) blank. On the recto of the detached lower
pastedown is a canceled portion of the letter of 12 March 1477, copied in
full on pp.326-328; on the verso are stained and faded notes in a
contemporary hand and a note by a later hand:] Novum Lumen chimicum | de
Sendivelho [sic] | [remainder blank; inside of lower cover blank except for
penciled number 190 in a circle and booksellers cost codes in pencil.]
[31.11: Christopher of Paris, Letter to Christopher de Recaneto, dated 6
February 1470, from Venice. See T IV, p. 351. Not in MS 24.]
SUMMARY: This codex contains a major work of Christopher of Paris, his
Lucidario (31.6) with its supplementary alphabet, plus three letters
(31.9-31.11) not found in MS 24 which contains another collection of writings
by Christopher. MS 31 is written in a pure and classical Italian free of the
strongly Venetian flavor that characterizes MS 24, and it could be in its
entirety the work of the Nuremberger (a German student in Italy?) who
certainly owned it at an early date. The letter of Fra Vielmo about a broken
vessel containing precious fluid (31.9) does not seem to be recorded in the
literature; and the letter addressed to the known scholar and debunker of
alchemy Christopher of Recaneto (31.11) is the only one of a group of such
letters described by Thorndike (TK, pp. 348- 353) to occur in either of the
manuscripts. The writings of Christopher of Paris, with their confusing
dates, titles, and differing recensions, do not appear to have been
systematically studied. There is enough evidence in the letters to suggest
that Christopher, whose identity is cloaked under this pseudonym, may have
been an exile from the Venetian Republic seeking to rehabilitate himself with
Venetian authorities through a series of letters and tracts purporting to
have been written in Paris. The content and style of these texts bear
comparison with MSS 7, 12, 16, 18, 21, 26, and 28 in the Mellon
collection.