The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

O.4.39

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Shelfmark O.4.39
Manuscript Title

Alchemical Works including Thomas Norton, 'Ordinal of alchemy'; sections of the Pretiossissimum donum dei
Alternative Title

Alchemica
James Number 1269
Century 16th17th
Physical Description

Several tracts bound together. In various hands.
Provenance

Part of the Gale collection, given to T.C.C. by Roger Gale in 1738.Marked A. 55.
Donor Gale, Roger (1672-1744), Antiquary
Size (cm) 27.5 x 17.5
Folio cir. 280 ff. (James); 1 + 283 + 1
Material Paper
Language EnglishMiddle English
Notes

Several blank stubs between ff. 100-1, ff.225-6 and f.230-1.
Manuscript Summary A collection of substantial works on alchemy, and some magical, medical and other preparations from various sources.
IIIF Manifest URL https://mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/O.4.39/manifest.json
Online Since 17/07/2020

Contents

I. Cent. xvi.
Norton's ordinall of alchemy.
f.1 Prologue
To the honor of god one in persons three.
f.3 Cap. 1.
Maistne full mervelus mid arithmetrie.
Ends
Suche grace greate shall happ as he thought not to fynde.
A prose analysis follows.
Printed in Ashmole's Theatrum Chymicum.

II. Cent. xvi closely written.
Headed in another hand: Is. Holland, Theat. Chym. 3. p.418.
Thou must understand my sonne that in this art.
This is like the beginning of Arnaldus de Villanova's
tract Scito fili mi.
cir. 70 ff. ending
yea it coloureth all white metalls to the colour of O.
(Vid. Theat. Chym. Vol. 3, 529.)

III. Cent. xvi.
Matheus Butler est meus posessor.
The exposycyon of the boke of Geber and Raymond translatyd oute of the tuscane.
129 proposicions of geber and lullie necessary for to vnderstand these bokes well.
The Exposition, which follows, is said to be that of Bracherus.

IV. Cent. xvii, 39 ff.
Prooemium Libri Experimentorum Joannis Trithemij.
Experimentorum mirabilium
-ex diversis contraximus.
Finis Proem. Jo. Trith. Abbatis.
Contra Podagram Exp. satis mirabile.
The last
Ut poma cadant de arbore quando volueris.

V. Ten leaves with drawings of bottles containing allegorical figures.
Probably illustrative of the following tract, which has no title, and begins:
I have had the scyence of this arte only of the inspiration of god.
In eleven chapters, imperfect.
Then after a blank leaf, another tract.
In the name of God here begynneth the full conclusion etc.
Our secrete water philosophicall.
3 ff.

VI. Cent. xvi, in a large hand.
Prefixed is a prayer, headed
In the name of Christ it is begunne on his daoe 1571.
1. The colophon gives the title.
The boke of diffinitions of Raymonde Lully philosopher of mayyorke and aldreman of paryse dwellyng in a strete called secanĚ… the moneth of Januarie a.d. 1307.
O moost gentle and merciful god.
2. A boke of the arte fusorie etc.
in 17 chapters.
Forasmoche as the amendement of thinges augmenteth.

Bibliography

Mooney, L. R., The Index of Middle English Prose Handlist 11: Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge [IMEP] (Cambridge, 1995), pp. 114-15

Timmermann, A., 'Alchemy in Cambridge: An Annotated Catalogue of Alchemical Texts and Illustrations in Cambridge Repositories', Nuncius, 30 (2015), p. 400

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