Mellon MS 38

 CASPAR HARTTUNG VOM HOFF
 Das Vade mecum, in German and Latin
 Austria (Gastein), a holograph, 1557, with later additions

Parchment and paper codex in German and Latin, 16mo., 105 x 85, ff. 87 of
which f. 1-3 and 6-19 are of paper, the remainder of parchment, with modern
pencil foliation throughout; ff. 1r-21r originally unnumbered, ff. 21v-81v
paginated 1-121 by the copyist in the inks of the manuscript, ff. 82r 83r,
84r, and 85r numbered respectively 122, 125, 126, and 127 in the lower outer
margins by an early hand, ff. 86-87 originally unnumbered, f. 87 blank, but
ff. 83r-87r repaginated 124-132 in blue ink by Denis Duveen, f. 87 originally
blank, one paper leaf missing at the beginning, the pagination not utilized
in the description following. No catchwords, no signatures. Collation:
(1)^^4-1, (2)^^18 (i.e., a paper quire of 14 inserted into a parchment quire
of 4 ff.), (3-17)^^4, (18)^^2, (19)^^4. Single column averaging 82-92 x
73-87, 14-24 lines to the page without ruling or bordering lines. Written
throughout in a small, neat gothic cursive in brown inks, additions in a neat
italic hand and a rather irregular and sometimes scrawling cursive gothic,
both perhaps about 1625. Parchment of good quality, rather thick and a little
soiled from handling; paper with a portion of an armorial shield watermark
visible at inner margin of f. 10, not identified.

BINDING: Nineteenth-century straight-grained black morocco, gilt single-line
perimetric border for each cover and spine, gilt dentelles, and border of the
same tools at head and foot of spine, modern tan leather spine label, with
legend: HARTUNG V. HOFF | VADE | MECUM | MANUSCRIPT | AUSTRIA 1557 |."

PROVENANCE: Belonged originally to the compiler, Caspar Harttung vom Hoff of
Gastein in the province of Salzburg, Austria, who dated the first leaf 1557;
annotated by two unidentified hands perhaps about 1625; Denis Duveen, with
his inked number 7, acquired from Thomas Heller (bookseller), New York, 1949;
Mellon MS 71, acquired with the Duveen collection. De Ricci-Bond 17 (71).

CONTENTS

Front pastedown: [This and the recto of the first front flyleaf are of
marbled paper, otherwise blank; on the verso of the first flyleaf are
Duveen's characteristic number and booksellers' penciled notes in a modern
Germanic hand; the second front flyleaf blank.]

f. 1r, 1: [At left of a pen sketch of an alchemical flask, and partly in
cipher:] Dieses | verendert | Sich, | ... [line 5, after cipher continuing on
same line at right of flask's neck:] ... auf ain sant oder | ashen [?] | [f.
1v, 1:] Register. | Das buechlin gebri des philosophen--| ... [Ends f. 3r,
5:] brieff verborgen tragen - | ross muthig machen - | [remainder of f. 3
blank.]

f. 4r, 1: [Written as a title page:] Das Vade mecum | Casper harttungs | vom
hoff auss der Gastein:- | .J557. 1 [By a later, early seventeenth-century
hand:] Verus Mercurius et cetera Sequitur. | Ante debitam coctionem ... [f.
5v, 13:] ... sed tu | est Hortum est [?] duos vates tertium postulantes |
probe noscere debes. | [end of seventeenth-century script.]

f. 6r, 1: [In the original hand:] Hie facht sich an das Buch des | kuenigs,
Gebri auss hispania | ain buch der haimlichait ... [f. 8r, 3:] Das I. Capitel
in das buch | Gebri der hailigkait oder | haimligkait. | Allen und ieden die
do in diser hailigen kunst | studirn ... [f. 17v, 9:] Das Neundt Capitel von
geme- | rung der vorgemelten ertz- | ney durch seinen | aignen samen - | Der
dritt weg ... [f. 19r, 4:] ... ist ain gmain gut das Niendert | kain
philosophi also claerlich gesetzt habe. | [A final heading occurs on f. 19r,
6:] Volgt das lampen liecht | zu machen. | das es brenne ain ganze monat ...
[Ends f. 19v, 9:] roten ist auch ain gemein | [This concludes the paper
leaves, which may have been a slightly later insertion into the volume,
although written by Harttung.]

f. 20r: [The page has a fine pen drawing of an oven with this heading:]
Inventio moderna furni | ad Co = qirendum. [Sic. On the following pages are
further drawings of apparatus with an extended text describing procedures for
making oil of vitriol, ending f. 32r, 9:] also Clerlich gesetzt haben. |

f. 32r, 10: Die reimen der philosophen. | Rath was ist das. | [then, in
verse:] Ain man ain weib vnd dern kains | Son Vatter Mutter alles ains | ...
[This begins an extended alchemy in verse illustrated with many fine drawings
of apparatus, with headings for a Practica, a Theorica, "Malchamech
philosophus," and ending, f. 37r, 1:] Arnoldus. | O gebenedeyte geycnhait
[?]. die du alle ding ge= | birst.... [line 7:] ... vnd recht | Thustu
anderst so nuetzet es nichts. | [illustration on lower half of page, and
illustrations of several flasks and other pieces of equipment on f. 37v.] f.
38r, 1: Die Kuenigin Arnoldj. | Jezo hastu gelernet das weyss machen. Nun ist
| vom roten zusagen.... [illustration follows at lower half of page after
line 12, while text continues on f. 38v, ending line 19:] ... Alss dan |
bedarffman die selbe weisse nit auss zie- | hen sonder kochs bis gar rot
wirt.

f. 39r, 1: Ain Goettliche | hailige kunst zumachen | pars cum parte das |
Bestendig ist ... [f. 41v, 11:] so hastu rain vnd | gut gold vff den
kauffwahin | du wilt. | [f. 42r, 1:] Ain vleissige arbait vnd ain nutzliche
ainem | armen gesellen | zumachen. | So du das oleum vitrioli ... [f. 34r,
11:] Ain Compass auff | edel gestain. | So schaw umb ain magneten der | flach
ist ... [On f. 43v is a schematic drawing of a compass card. f. 44v, 9:] Ain
schone [sic] albaz | zu machen ... [f. 46r, 1:] Oleum Antimo- | nij zumachen.
| Lass den antimonium vlicssen ... [f. 47r, 11:] Salarmoniac auff | das best
vnd rainest | Nim ruess der so fleucht ... [f. 48r, 5:] Tutia machen | Nim
calcinirten tartarum ... [On f. 48v is a drawing of an oven for calcination;
f. 49r, 1:] Ain gut Gradier | wasser vffpars | cum parte. | Nim 1 [pound]
rohen vitriol ... [On f. 50r is a drawing of an oven for distillation; f.
50v, 3:] Ain wasser das alle | metall vffloeset. | Recipe 4 [pounds] allun
... [f. 51v, 5:] Mein Aqua | Vite | Nim 1 lot Cimat ... [f. 52v, 3:] ... Ist
gut | fuern schlag vnd pestilenz. | Ain ander Costlich guth | aqua vite vom
apo- | tecker zu regenspurg: | Nim valerian | tormantill | diptamin | ... [f.
53r, 10:] Diss obgemelt wasser ist Zu | allen zufelligen Kranck= | haiten
gut. Von | Jacob Issrahel zu regenspurg | Volget ain ander Ole- | um
Antimorli. | ... [f. 54r, 11:] Schwebel fix | machen. | Nim rohem schwebel
der rot ist ... [f. 55v, 10:] Oleum von | mastix. | ... [There is a drawing
of distillation apparatus on f. 56r; f. 56v, 11:] Muscaten Ol. | Nogelin
Macis Recipe: Nim muscaten | klain zerstossen ... [f. 57r, 4:] Gute
venedische | saiffen. | Nim gar frischen vngelesten kalch 12 | [pounds] ...
[f. 59r, 8:] Schaiden im guss. | Nim 8 lot antimonium ... [There is a sketch
of a piece of apparatus on f. 58v; f. 59v, 1:] Schmeltzen von allen | farben
glas auff | glass. | ... [f. 60r, 13:] Burrass machen. | Nim tartarum ... [f.
61r, 16:] Metridat machen. | Nim kranoeglein pariskoernlein ... [f. 61v, 15:l
Die quintam essentiam | auss dem wein ... IThere is a drawing of a wine
barrel on f. 62r;

f. 62v, 1:] Distillierung der | edlen wassern von | den edlen Kreuetern. |
Mit farb gschmack vnd oel zube- | halten ... [f. 63v, 12:] Antimonium vnd
schwe= | bel auss dem Ertz | saigeren. | So mach ain tieffe grube ... [Thcre
is a drawing of apparatus on f. 64r; f. 64v, 1:] Das silber zumachen | das
duerchsichtig wie | ain Cristall wirt. | Nim 3 lot aquafort ... [line 14:]
... durchsichtig | wie ain Cristall. | [On f. 65r is a drawing of an oven
depicting the use of the "Sigillum Hermetis"; f. 65v, 1:] Ain wunderbarlich |
oleum tartarj | ... [There are small drawings of vessels on f. 65v; f. 66r,
7:] Krueeg zum vitriol | Ol vnd andern starck= | en wassern brennen. | Nempt
1 Theil gestossen kisling stain | ... [f. 67r, 1:] Den laim anmachen | zu den
widnoefen. | ... [line 7:] Test. | ... [line 15:] Bain Giessen. | Nim das
bain ... [f. 68v, 1:] Buchstaben auffdem per= | gament aufstuecken. | ...
[line 8]: Moessing vnd Kupfer | weiss zusieden. | ... [f. 69r, 3:] Zu
kettinen ziehen. | Volgt ain ruestung ... [At the foot of the page is a
drawing of a hand-cranked machine for forming chain-links (?);

f. 69v, 1:] Ain luna fixa | Conrad de Bibrach. | Nim arsenicum Crudum ...
[line 16:] so wirstu sy schwer vnd fix | finden die tingiere dan wie du waist
|

f. 70r, 1: Vocabularius Aurum. Sol. [then six symbols for Gold opening a
vocabulary of alchemical terms and symbols which closes on f. 73r, 8, the
remainder of the page blank.]

f. 73v, 1: Speculum. | Darumb so ist von noeten dass vnser stain | ... [Ends
line 8:] ... in philosophisch gold vnd in phi= | losophisch [sic] silber |
[remainder of f. 73v blank.]

f. 74r, 1: Die Reimen hermetis. | Ower [?] bring mir ain nackends weib | van
vnselig was mehr [?] erster leib | ... [The poem, 340 verses in rhyming
couplets, ends f. 77v, 3:] das sagt wir Gott in himmel danck. | [flourish.]

f. 77v, 4: Die Zwelff Zaichen | die 3 Irdische Zaichen [three alchemical
symbols] die 3 waesserige Zaichen [three alchemical symbols] | ... [After two
further lines devoted to characterizations of three signs each follows a
table, headed by the signs of the principal planets and followed by two
triple rows of signs, arabic numerals 1-23, and the twenty-three letters of
the Latin alphabet--in other words, a simple cipher code system, ending line
16, not transcribed.]

f. 78r, 1: Ain labor abbatis Sancti Petri | kompt vom Bischoff von |
Saltzburg und schwert sy se˜ | warhafft vnd gerecht. | Erstlich mach ain
Crocum [of Iron] also. Nim gefeilt | eisen ... [f. 79r, 1:] ... so magstu
darmit ver= | guelden also hat es Herr Magister [?] von Chur | gefunden
gerecht. |

f. 79r, 4: Ain Cement des Bischoffl von Saltzburg. | Er sagt er er
[erroneously repeated] brauche den Salarmoniac ... [line 17:] ... Jedes mal |
3 stund. Das ist sein Cement. |

f 79v, 1: Ain Cement partis | cum parte. | Nim gefeilt staehel ... [f. 80r,
1:] Brieff verborgen tragen | ... [line 7:] Ross muthig machen . | ... [line
19:] vnd lauffen hurtig, vnd gilt sein gelt | zuverkauffen. | [f. 80v, 1:]
Mercurium recht sublimirn. | Nim Vitriol ... [The recipe ends line 16, the
final entry in the original hand of the MS; it is followed, line 17, by a
text in the seventeenth- century italic hand:] Mercurius sese loquitur |
Constans ego sum constanti artifici ... [Ends f. 81r, 14, not transcribed; on
f. 82v is a heading in another less good italic hand:] Tabula smaragdina
Hermetis | [which is followed by a longer passage written in a scrawling late
sixteenth-century or seventeenth-century gothic cursive, beginning:] Das
gehoertt furhin Zuo [?] den | philosofen [?] Reymen und ter= | mess [?] der
beschreybtes | Alle ding send beschaffen von ainem | ainigen ... [Ends f.
82r, 17:] zwey hundert tussent mal tussent | [f. 82v, 1, in the fine
seventeenth-century italic:] Centrum Mercurij | Centrum meum est cor omnium
fixissimum | ... [Ends line 15, not transcribed; written in a scrawling
cursive, beginning on f. 83r, 1, is:] Fur das blued Rinen | auss der
haimblichait [sic] | Recipe ain aichene Nuss ... [Another recipe on f. 83v,
1, in the same hand, begins:] Ein stich Pflaster vom Kaiser | friderich fuer
stich unnd wunden | Recipe ain vierting ... [On f. 84v, 9, is a recipe
against fever, which closes on f. 85r, 2, the last entry in the scrawling
hand; then the fine italic hand concludes the manuscript, beginning on line
3:] Amititiae [sic] Mercurij Candor. | Quicquid mecum et [?] amo, sicut
amicum ... [On f. 86r, 13, is another heading:] Hic Mater Natura prodit suum
| Filium Mercurium | Est mihi unus filius talis ... [Ends f. 86v, 13:] ...
ergo quicunque aliquid | inde haberj volit, omnia enim secreta | hic prae
oculis habet | [f. 87, blank except for numbers in late hands is somewhat
wormed.]
 [Caspar Harttung vom Hoff of Gastein, Das Vade mecum, a commonplace book of
alchemical and medicinal materials, consisting of mostly shorter prose and
verse sections, often with excellent drawings, thirty-one in all, of
alchemical equipment, written in 1557, and with additions written about fifty
years later.]

SUMMARY: One of the most appealing manuscripts in the Mellon collection, MS
38 is a personal commonplace book combining skillful drawings of apparatus,
alchemical texts in German vernacular with noteworthy literary
character--some of them in verse--and numerous practical procedures. Its
compiler, a man of considerable education, came from the Salzburg region,
where he collected some of his procedures from other worthies of the area who
were also alchemical practitioners. Casper Harttung's Vade mecum may be
compared to MSS 20, 30, 40, 44, and 92, all of which contain large numbers of
practical procedures and many of which are of Germanic origin. Also, its
numerous and beautiful drawings may be compared with other extended series
such as the rough, but contemporary Italian group found on the flyleaves of
MS 36, the set partly inspired by Biringucci in MS 51, and the very delicate,
but much later drawings in MS 73. The two longer alchemical poems in the
manuscript, Die Reimen der Philosophen beginning on f. 32r, and Die Reimen
Hermetis beginning on f. 74r, have not been identified and do not recur in
the Mellon collection. R. P.