YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE MANUSCRIPTS
Mellon MS 36
JOHANNES BAPTISTA F-----, compiler
Alchemical Miscellany, in Latin, Italian, and Spanish
North Italy (Genoa?), unsigned, about 1550
36.1 Anonymous. Drawings of alchemical apparatus.
36.2 Anonymous. Poems, in Italian, partly in sonnet form.
36.3 Anonymous. Verses (?), in Italian.
36.4 Anonymous. Lamentations in verse (?), in Italian.
36.5 Anonymous. Notes on subjects treated by various writers
on alchemy, in Latin.
36.6 Albertus Magnus. Semita recta, extracts (?).
36.7 Johannes Nannius of Viterbo. Opus lapidis minoris.
36.8 Daniel Justinopolitanus (Rigino Danielli). Canzone.
36.9 Nicolaus Valanrius. Sphera Pithagore.
36.10 Johannes Damascenus. Alchemy, in Latin.
36.11 Johannes Baptista de ----- (the compiler of this
manuscript?). Alchemy.
36.12 Arnold of Villanova. Questiones tam essentiales quam
accidentales.
36.13 Anonymous. Alchemical procedures, in Latin.
36.14 Geber. Epistola.
36.15 Anonymous. Lapis, in Italian.
36.16 Thomas Aquinas. Liber perfecti magisterii.
36.17 Anonymous. Lapis hispanus, in Spanish.
36.18 Anonymous. Lapis hispanus, another procedure, in
Spanish.
36.19 Rosinus. Alchemy, in Latin.
36.20 Alphidius. Libellus isagogicus.
36.21 Anonymous. Liber perfecti magisterii.
36.22 Ramon Lull. Epistola accurtationis lapidis.
36.23 Anonymous. Alchemical procedures, in Latin.
36.24 Antonius de Abbatia. Epistola verissima.
36.25 Anonymous. Alchemical procedures.
36.26 John of Rupescissa. Liber lucis.
36.27 Anonymous. Consilium conjugii.
36.28 Ortolanus. Commentary on Hermes, Tabula smaragdina.
36.29 Arnold of Villanova. Novum lumen.
36.30 Arnold of Villanova. Perfectum magisterium.
36.31 Arnold of Villanova (?). Epistola ad regem aragonensem.
36.32 Anonymous. Alchemy, in Italian.
36.33 Arnold of Villanova. De perfectione operis alkimie.
36.34 Khalid ibn Yazid. Liber trium verborum.
36.35 Arnold of Villanova. Flos florum.
Paper codex in Latin, Italian, and Spanish, 4to., ca. 205 x 150 (leaves and
quires of differing sizes), ff. 265 (others missing, see below), partly
numbered in the hand of the compiler in several different ways, an actual
leaf-count supplied in pencil in a modern hand and used below in this
description. No signatures, no catchwords, no bordering lines, no ruling, no
color, considerable abbreviation. Written throughout by one, perhaps two,
hands in mid-sixteenth-century italic, sometimes of excellent, professional
quality, but often ranging from fairly good to extremely bad and careless,
all in different shades of brown ink; since it is clear that this volume and
its two companions (MSS 34 and 35) were all compiled by a single individual,
it is possible that all of the hands are those of a single person; however,
it is perhaps more likely that the compiler sometimes employed a professional
scribe for making fair copies which have been incorporated into this volume.
Collation (the quiring of this volume is so irregular, sometimes
indeterminate, and so many leaves have been removed by the compiler
originally that in this description only an actual leaf-count of each quire
is presented): (1)^^4, (2)^^3, (3)^^22, (4)^^23, (5)^^25, (6)^^14, (7)^^2,
(8)^^10, (9)^^4, (10)^^12, (11)^^9, (12)^^15, (13)^^3 (detached), (14)^^16,
(15)^^10, (16)^^28, (17)^^21, (18)^^2, (19)^^20, (20)^^14, (21)^^15, (22)^^3.
A number of different sixteenth-century papers occur throughout the volume,
watermarks in folds and not identified with certainty.
BINDING: Original parchment over pasteboards with remains of thong ties;
probably a home-made binding utilizing used parchment (show-through of
writing and earlier folding visible) from a document; plain edges. Labeled in
ink in the hand of the compiler on the backstrip: "Lapis philosophalis."
Loose in cover and badly wormed.
PROVENANCE: Originally owned by the compiler, whose initials were J.B.F.,
probably Giovanni Baptista F-----, perhaps a Genoese, who also owned MSS 34
and 35 of this catalogue, perhaps affiliated in some way with the Franciscan
Order, with his ownership inscription on f. 1r and the note that this was his
"liber quartus"; Denis Duveen, with his inked number 94; Mellon MS 14,
acquired with the Duveen collection. De Ricci-Bond 4 (14).
CONTENTS
Front pastedown: [This page and the recto of the facing front flyleaf are
covered with small ink drawings of alchemical apparatus, mostly flasks and
other glasswork on the left page, similar equipment, as well as a
"Bain-Marie" and a large furnace on the facing right page, each drawing
labeled. Verso of the front flyleaf is blank.]
[36.1: Johannes Baptista F-----, compiler, Drawings of alchemical apparatus,
with labels in Latin and Italian.]
f. 1r, headline: + | Liber quartus -J:b:f [Johannis Baptistce F----- (?). The
heading is written over an erasure.] | + soneti - | Son questi | chiari lumi
onde sereno | farsi potrebbe apar del ciel l'inferno | ... [line 15:] Iocar
sopra gli abitti I. fondamenti | de l'ampia terra e, quasi vn sotil vello |
... [f. 1v, line 3:] E si acerbo il dolor fero il tormento | di tanta
infirmita che stanchi e lassi | ... [line 11:] E in tal condition donque mia
vitta | so che di tua bonta giamai disspere | ... [line 19:] Non nego che mei
antiqui e nono fallo | dogni tormento degni e ogni martire [?] | ... [f. 2r,
1:] Ma tu che sei benigno e si pietoso, | padre ver chui te Invoca [?] e in
ten sfida | ... [line 9:] Eterno padre creator del mondo - | di giustizia, e,
pieta salubre fonte | ... [f. 2v, 1:] che giova s'hor di vita presta morte -
| mi privi, e, tolga si giocondo lume | ... [line 9:] Se qua giu non si prova
altro che male - | tante gravi fati che, e, tanti affanni - | ... [line 16:]
Vera patria Celeste alma, e, serena | di pace eterna, e, di bonta ripiena |
... [f. 3r, 1:] Quel laude padre eterno l'alma ogni hora | render ti po
magiore | ... [Ends line 14:] che creder nel tuo figlio, e, mio Signor. |
[The remainder off. 3r and all of f. 3v are occupied by a table of contents
of the volume as far as f. 240, written in two columns.]
[36.2: Anonymous, Poems, partly in sonnet form, in Italian, not related to
alchemy.]
f. 4-bis r, 1: [The upper two-thirds of the leaf are blank.] Tuto che il
mondo porge, e, pien de Inganno - | miser che In Lui si fida ... [The leaf
has been pasted over the preexisting f. 4r, which has thus been canceled.]
[36.3: Anonymous, Verses (?), in Italian, unidentified.]
f. 4v, headline: + | [line 1:] Conduro a lhui che disperato moia ... [Ends f.
6-bis r, 2, an over- pasted page:] ... che quanto porgi il | mondo, e, pien
di frode. | [remainder of f. 6 blank.]
[36.4: Anonymous, Lamentations in verse (?), in Italian, unidentified.]
f. 7r, headline: + | recoleta [?] filosoforum de quo fit lapis per me vila [?
word miswritten and not understood] | [line 1:] geber com mercurio sublimato
... [Continues with brief notes of subject matter treated by Raimondus
(Lull), Merlin, Johannes Baptista Montanus (1498-1551), Cardonus de Pasano,
Ortolanus, Hermes, "Quidam medicus germanus," Panteus venetus, Tubal Cain,
Johannes Damascenus, John of Rupescissa, Arnold of Villanova, Antonius de
Abbatia, Frater Elias, and Alphidius. Panteus venetus is doubtless either
Joannes Antonius Pantheus, who died in 1497, or Johannes Augustinus Pantheus,
fl. 1517-1530, who wrote a work on alchemy licensed for publication by the
Venetian state, see T V, pp. 537-540. Cardonus de Pasano has not been
identified. Ends f. 7v, 28.]
[36.5: Anonymous, Notes on subjects treated by various writers on alchemy,
in Latin.]
f. 8r, headline: [Written in a formal chancery italic:] Precepta alchimie
Secundum Albertum magnum | in libro suo de alchimia Intitulato Semita |
recta. - | [line 1:] Istius artis alchimie. Primum est vt artifex- | huius
artis sit secretus ... [Ends abruptly f. 12v, 25:] ... et nimis- grossam
ingressionem | [f. 13 entirely blank except for foliation and note on verso
at top:] + lapis Jo [hannis, which doubtless refers to the following text.]
[36.6: Albertus Magnus, Semita recta, extracts (?). Not specifically
identified in the literature consulted, despite the familiar title supplied.]
f. 14r, headline: Vera et probata ars mineralis - | [line 1:] Incipit opus
lapidis minoris super metalla com- | positum per magistrem Johannem de'nani
fratrum | predicatorum de viterbio datum suo fratri Domenico | de'nani in
viterbio Anno domini 1470. 8. octobris. | Prima pars est operum sublimatio.
et Corporum calcinatio | capitulum primum est declaratio quot sint corpora
quorum | spiritus et Karacter eorum - | Omnes philosophi vno ore dicunt
tractantes de metallis - | quod omne metallum compositum est ex corpore et
spiritu - | sicut homo ... [Book I has twelve chapters and ends on f. 17v; f.
18r is blank, and the next two pages have drawings of apparatus and both
verbal explanations and symbolic drawings of alchemical processes; Book II
begins on f. 19v, but f. 24r- 25v are written in a large, loose cursive
contrasting strongly with the neat, formal hand which has written the bulk of
the text. Ends. f. 27r, 15:] Spiritus et Corpora vulgi sunt nostro Ingenio
spiritus et corpora nostra et ars nostra- | [remainder of the page blank.]
[36.7: Johannes Nannius (sometimes Annius) of Viterbo, i.e., Giovanni de'
Nani of Viterbo, a Dominican, c. 1432-1502, Opus lapidis minoris, given to
the author's brother, Domenico de'Nani, 8 October 1470, not located in the
literature consulted. There is another copy of this text, without the full
indication of author's name and date which is supplied here, in MS 34.25,
q.v. Giovanni de'Nani was a well known astrologer and humanist, and was
responsible for the forgery of Fabius Pictor; see T IV, pp. 263-267.]
f. 27v, headline: Cantus Danielis Iustini politani - | [From this point
through f. 29r the text is written in two columns of thirty-three lines in
the formal cursive hand; line 1:] el me dilecta dire brevemente | tutto il
sugeto d'l'arte felice - | ... [Ends f. 29r2, 9:] anci [sic] e scripto per
pura figura | el vaso la materia e la misura - | Finis | [remainder of the
page blank.]
[36.8: Daniel Justinopolitanus (Rigino Danielli), Canzone, here Cantus, in
Italian verse, as in MSS 34.9, 52.2, and 76.2, otherwise unidentified. In
this copy a latinized name, which suggests that the author was a native of
Capo d'Istria austinopolis), is supplied.]
f. 29v, headline: Spera [sic] Pitagore, Nicolaus. Valanrius [sic] - | [The
heading is followed by a table of days under the influence of the various
planets and a second of the good and bad days, each table in several columns,
followed by slight explanatory astrological text. F. 30r blank.]
[36.9: Nicolaus Valanrius, Sphera Pithagore, unidentified in the literature
consulted. This is a commentary on the well known tract on divination, Sphera
Pithagore, for which see T I, Appendix I, pp. 692-693, where manuscripts are
cited.]
f. 30v, heading: [In a loose cursive hand:] Liber Joannis damasenus [sic]
super lapidem philosophorum | a esesse [?] dommationis serenissime regi
ruberto | gerusalem ac cisili sapientissimo et amatissimo | Joannes
damassenus minimus clericus - [sic] | + | Sinserum in natura secretis
Iudisium Com dignum sit | dignius secreta pandere digniora [sic] ... [Ff.
31r-43r are written in the formal cursive; ends f. 43r, 12:] ergo hec duo
corpora eoque assimilan- | tur quesito [flourishes] Deo Gratias [flourishes]
| Explicit opus Divi Joannis | Damasceni super lapide | phylosophico
[flourishes] |
[36.10: John of Damascus or Johannes Damascenus, Alchemy, in very corrupt
Latin, not identified in the literature consulted, but another copy of the
same text, written throughout in the hand which wrote the first page of this
copy, occurs in MS 35.19.]
f. 43v: [Contains a brief list in two columns of various elements and their
symbols, not transcribed, remainder of the page blank.]
f. 44r, heading: [Written in brackets by the good italic cursive hand, but
the author's name rewritten over an erasure:] Tractatus giovannes batista |
de [blank space] de Medicina | tercij ordinis super la- | pide phylosophyco -
| [line 1:] Incipiam quedam nobilis et veridica | extractio ex dictis
sapientium alchimie, | ex qua quis intelligens in arte al- | chimie sciet
veram eligere viam ... [The verso sides of the following leaves containing
this text have a heading added by the loose hand of the compiler:] + tratatus
d m [sic; ends f. 65v, 13:] operationis predicti lapidis prope diversitatem
istorum septem mensium [flourishes] | Laus Deo finis [flourishes] |
[remainder blank.]
[36.11: Johannes Baptista de -----, Alchemy, as in MS 34.3, and probably by
the compiler of MSS 34 and 35, although he seems to have inserted his name in
the heading over the erasure of a possibly different name. Not identified in
the literature consulted.]
f. 66r: [Contains longer recipes and procedures in Latin in the loose cursive
hand, not transcribed, ending f. 67r.]
f. 67v, heading: Questiones de composicione lapidis philosophorum | extratte
a arnardo in carte 108 in Novo lumien [sic] | [line 1:] primo queritur si
operatio lapidis potest fieri ... [This copy has the questions of both parts
consecutively numbered and is very irregular throughout; ends in Chapter IX
of the second part, f. 73r, 29:] ad omnem Judisium et examinationem finis - |
[36.12: Arnold of Villanova, Questiones tam essentiales quam accidentales
(ad Bonefacium VIII), TK 1110, DWS 235, printed in Ze IV, pp. 544-553. This
copy is the duplicate of that found in MS 34.2]
f. 73v: [Blank, as are ff. 74-77 and f. 77-bis, the last formerly pasted down
to f. 78r to act as a cancel. F. 78r, now exposed, contains another copy of
the ending of the text just noted. F. 78v and the first two lines of f. 79r
contain alchemical procedures in Latin, not transcribed. Remainder of f. 79
blank.]
f. 80r, headline: Aqua qui disolvit omnes spiritus | [line 1:] acipe
vitriolum romanum ... [This begins a series of procedures ending f. 84v, not
transcribed.]
f. 85r, headline: + | Lapis ho ospes [sic] - | [line 1:] Quidam medicus
germanus senes infirmabat ad mortem | et quando vidit mortem ... [Ends line
12:] ... et simili modo potes fiere de | luna fina [This is followed by a
note added in darker ink which has not been understood.]
[36.13: Anonymous, Alchemical procedures, in Latin, including Medicus
germanus senex et in infirmus, a story of the making of the Lapis which is
also found in MS 35.10, otherwise unidentified.]
f. 85r, 14: epistola gerebis super acurtatione- | filii carisime [sic] Hunc
librum tibi separavimus ab aliis | vt potens vtiliorem aliis ... [Ends f.
86v, 20:] procul dubio veritati propinque are suus finis | [sic]
[36.14: Geber, Epistola, TK 646, DWS 645, elsewhere with different titles
and not attributed to Geber. This copy does not end as the one cited by DWS.]
f. 87r, headline: + Lapis [then, added in darker ink:] vlgare [sic] | [line
1:] Io sono venuto a la verita de larte nostra ... [Ends f. 88v, 12:] Saturno
sempre si trova con quelli finis | [This is followed by two procedures for
the Lapis in Italian, ending f. 89r, 17, not transcribed; the remainder of f.
89 is blank; f. gor has a procedure for Lapis. The following pages through f.
92r were canceled by pasting them together, but they are now detached; they
contain procedures as far as f. 91v, and then in a formal hand the ending
only, on f. 92v, where the first four lines were also pasted over, of an
unidentified work on alchemy in Latin.]
[36.15: Anonymous, Lapis, in Italian, followed by various canceled
procedures and a part of an unidentified alchemy in Latin.]
f. 92v, 5: Incipit liber perfecti magisterij beati Thome de aquino | in quo
loquitur de quinta essentia | Aristotiles in primo metafixice [sic]. Dicit .
quod admiratio | fuit cauza [sic] inventionis cauzarum [sic] ... [Ends f.
104r, 4:] Iterum atentare finis --- |
[36.16: Thomas Aquinas, Liber perfecti magisterii, not identified in the
literature consulted.]
f. 104r, 6: Lapis ispanus | I. el dia, e, la nochie lo dos gionto anse de
temar | por prinsipales ... [sic; ends line 17:] ... non vos faldria ne sol |
ne luna finis --- | [sic]
[36.17: Anonymous, Lapis hispanus, alchemy in Spanish, as in MS 35.13, but
not the same as the text with same title in MS 34.28. See also the next
entry.]
f. 104v, 19: Lapis ispanus alius - | Como la dama che mova nel cielo che es
Yxia del sol sin | duda ... [Ends f. 107r, 12:] ... 10 encubres pues a lo - |
tales non me e defendido finis - | [remainder of f. 107 blank.]
[36.18: Anonymous, Lapis hispanus, in Spanish, as in MS 34.28, not
otherwise identified.]
f. 108r, headline: + Rosinus - | [line 1:] Nominum autem istius nostri
lapidis sunt Sec vt [sic] eorum non ignorans. Iapis paradizi ... [Ends f.
116r, 23:] Habueris non bariabitur donec perveniat ad perfectum | rubeum: -
finis --- |
[36.19: Rosinus, Alchemy, in Latin, not identified in the literature
consulted.]
f. 116v, headline: [Partly trimmed by the binder:] + alfidio | Alphidius
philosophus libellus Izagogicus | [line 1:] Primum o theophile huius libri
constat eulogium aperire | ... [Ends f. 128v, 5:] ... retineas et Invenies
pro vt | volueris deo Consedente finis [flourishes] |
[36.20: Alphidius, Libellus isagogicus, as in DWS 144.V, but with a variant
ending.]
f. 129r, headline: + Liber Perfecti Magisterij | [line 1:] Quoniam philosophi
Interest cognoscere naturas rerum corruptibilium | et principia simplicium
... [Ends f. 135v, 19:] et exinde mercede laboris acipies deculpam [?] |
finis - |
[36.21: Anonymous, Liber perfecti magisterii, as in MS 34.10, otherwise
unidentified.]
f. 136r, headline: + | Epistola raimondi lulij exposisma [?] ad regem
aragonensem | de acurtatione lapidum--[line 1:] Con ego raimundus Iam
preteritis diebus [sic] ... [Ends f. 142r, 23:] declaravi elise ergo ex en
intentum tuum | et lauda deum finis - | [sic]
[36.22: Ramon Lull, Epistola accurtationis lapidis, TK 296, DWS 250; this
copy does not end as in DWS. Another copy is found in MS 34.16.]
f. 142v, 1: Recipe de late mercurij ... [From this point through f. 151v
numerous alchemical procedures in Latin occur; some pages have been canceled
by gluing together, but are now separated and visible. Not transcribed.]
[36.23: Anonymous, Alchemical procedures, in Latin, not identified.]
f. 152r, headline: + | Jesus filius maria sit nobis clemens et propitius: |
[line 1:] Incipit epistola verissima composita per me presbiterum | antonium
de abatia per me probatam in transmutatione | metalorum ... [Ends f. 157r,
5:] ... melius et perfetius erit | complementum ad laudem domini nostri ...
[line 8:] amen- |
[36.24: Antonius de Abbatia, Epistola verissima, TK 729, T IV, p. 333, as in
MS 34.36, where a further note is supplied.]
f. 157r, 9: Lapis [word erased] ex sublimato | Acipe lapidem fulgentem salis
communis ... [There follows a series of longer and shorter procedures ending
on f. 179r, 25, in a virtually illegible passage, not transcribed. F. 179v
blank.]
[36.25: Anonymous, Alchemical procedures, in Latin, not identified.]
f. 180r, headline: + lapis C [sic, then added in darker ink:] Johannis
derupesisa | [line 1:] Incipit librum [sic] ad Conficiendum Lapidem
philosophorum Clare | sine aliqua palatione ... [line 13:] Natura seu materia
lapidis est res vilis pretij | vbique reperibis ... [Ends f. 188v, 19:] a
tiranis Crudelibus Infuturum ... [line 21:] per omnia secula seculorum amen
et quia grave |
[36.26: John of Rupescissa, Liber lucis, TK 902, without the prologue; see
T III, p. 737.]
f. 189r, headline: Congiugio [sic] solis et lune Liber primus - | [line 1:]
Non legitur adivina munificentia magius emanasse ... [Ends f. 211r, 13:] ...
est philosophorum opus - | seconda de calsinatione corporis [There follows a
scribble perhaps indicating that the text is completed elsewhere in the MS,
but this location has not been found.]
[36.27: Anonymous, Consilium conjugii, TK 920, etc.]
f. 211r, 15: + Jesus maria - | Ortolanus super testum ermetis - | Laus honor
virtus et gloria tibi domine deus omnipotens | com dileto fillio tuo domino
nostro Jesu Christo [sic] ... [Ends f. 222r, 4, almost illegibly:] ... finis:
- | [remainder of ff. 222-223 blank.]
[36.28: Ortolanus, Commentary on Hermes' Tabula smaragdina, TK 813, DWS 32;
the ending of this copy differs from those cited in the literature.]
f. 224r, headline: + novum lumen arnardi de villa nona [sic] | [line 1:]
Pater domine reverende licet liberalium existam [sic] - | scientiarum ...
[Ends f. 230v, 4:] giuditio digniorem, et altissimus vos pervenire | fatias
adoptatum- [sic] |
[36.29: Arnold of Villanova, Novum lumen, TK 1029, etc., a very corrupt
copy as in MS 34.21.]
f. 230v, 6: Incipit perfetum magisterium magistri - | arnardi de vila nova
transmisum ad regem | aragonensem ... [line 12:] Sias carissime quod in omni
re que sub cello | est creata ... [Ends f. 240r, 23:] vtilitas magior est
quan potest presepi rationem - [sic] | esclaratio per me fata in carte 102
inquestiones |
[36.30: Arnold of Villanova, Perfectum magisterium, TK 1385, etc., this copy
as in MS 34.1. The note at the end seems to refer to one of the copies of the
Questiones by Arnold in this group of manuscripts.]
f. 240v, headline: + | Epistola arnaldi de vilanova ad regem | napolitanum -
| [line 1:] Sias, ho, tu res quod sapientes posuerim in opere [sic] | multas
res ... [Ends f. 243v, 20:] ... semper | augmentando ipsum ignem donec ditus
[sic] - | lapis albus fit vltimo rubeus finis - | [f. 244 blank.]
[36.31: Arnold of Villanova (?), Epistola ad regem aragonensem, apparently
not the text cited by TK 1360 and not identified. Another copy occurs in MS
34.18.]
f. 245r, headline: ad compositionem nostri lapidis philosophorum sit nomen
domini benedictum | per infinita secula seculorum amen finis - | Qui de
sotto, sotto brevita te mostraro el secreto delle | sopradette figure idest
de transmutatione de metalli | ... [Ends f. 254v, 15:] ... e quanta potencia
[sic] | e lo [word not read] Inmpero [sic] - |
[36.32: Anonymous, Alchemy, in Italian, not identified in the literature
consulted.]
f. 255r, headline: [Above the headline three lines are written in a large
scrawl, not transcribed.] + lapis magister et discipulus | [Line 1:] Ars ista
non est nisi de secretis philosophorum ... [Ends f. 257v, 20:] ... per |
semina et oportet quod per semina esser [sic] | restitutus finis - |
[36.33: Arnold of Villanova, De perfectione operis alkimie, etc., here
titled Lapis magister et discipulus, TK 1408, DWS 229; the version in this
copy is corrupt and truncated, like that in MS 35.9.]
f. 248r, headline: + liber trium verborum Kalid acutissimi | de qualitate
lapidis philosophi capitulum primum | [line 1:] Lapis iste de quo fit hoc
opus habet in se omnes | colores ... [Ends f. 262v, 22:] ... Iaudetur deus et
santum [sic] nomen eius . quod - | est beneditum super [canceled "omne"]
nomen de hoc suo - | santo dono-- | Libri trium verborum Kallid Kacaidibe
philosofi finis - |
[36.34: Khalid ibn Yazid, Liber trium verborum, TK 810, as in MS 34.6, q.v.
for further references.]
f. 264r, headline: + lapis vidi senem [then canceled words and erasures over
two lines, followed by a new heading:] Jesus. Lapis de senem in somno [sic].
| Vidi senem virum clarificatum surgentem in manu sua | librum tenentem ...
[Ends f. 265v, 17:] ... qui dat | sapientiam sapientibus amen finis |
[remainder of the page blank; inside lower cover blank.]
[36.35: Arnold of Villanova, Flos florum, TK 1696, as in MS 34.7, where it
also follows Liber trium verborum by Khalid.]
SUMMARY: MS 36 is by the compiler of MSS 34 and 35, a certain Johannes
Baptista F----- probably a Genoese connected with the Franciscan Order. In
this volume, which was his "Liber Quartus," are repetitions of a number of
texts found in the other codices of the group, but the copies are seldom
identical; in this codex, for example, Giovanni de'Nani's otherwise
unrecorded text, 36.7, is here found in a version which provides many more
details about the work and the circumstances of its composition than are
recorded in the copy written as MS 34.25, cited above. There is vernacular
verse on alchemy in MS 35 (but none in MS 34), and in the present manuscript
there is heavy emphasis on such verse elements. One such poem is a copy of
the Canzone attributed to Riginio Danielli, of which three other copies have
been noted in the Mellon manuscripts, even though no references to the work
have been located in the literature. In this copy a Latin version of the
author's name implies that he was a native of Capo d'Istria. The very
extensive series of drawings of alchemical vessels and equipment on the front
flyleaves is a feature of unusual interest. A true miscellany, MS 36 combines
corrupt copies (which are typical of the compiler) of traditional Latin
alchemies with practical procedures and vernacular poems on alchemy. The
reader's attention is directed to the interrelated contents of MSS 34-36 and
the rare insight they provide into a large corpus of materials brought
together by a single individual in the middle of the sixteenth
century.