La filosophia naturale di molti celebri et antichissimi

Contributor:

Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809 (former owner); Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817 (former owner)

Name:

Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Timespan:

Early works to 1800

Date:

1721

Description:

Alchemical treatise that discusses calcination, distillation, and transmutation as well as practical instructions for experiments and medicinal recipes. The end of the first volume also has a sonnet about the philosopher's stone (V. 1, f. 408r). Includes indices that are organized by subject (V.2, f. v recto-xi verso, 355r-364r) and lists of contents (V. 1, f. i verso; V.2, f. xii recto-xv verso) written in French. The first volume contains a foldout diagram between f. 320-321 and there is a fragment of a printed leaf laid into the second volume between f. 7-8.

Language:

Italian

Provenance:

Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.; Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 592.1 and 592.2, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).; Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.

Relation:

Unique at Penn blog post: https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Subject:

Alchemy -- Early works to 1800; Alchemy; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Magic; Occultism -- Early works to 1800; Talismans -- Early works to 1800; Talismans; Occultism

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

Codices; Diagrams; Drawings (visual works); Manuals (instructional materials); Recipes; Manuscripts, Italian; Manuscripts, European

Physical Description:

2 volumes (410, 416 leaves) : paper; 210 x 160 (173 x 130) mm bound to 222 x 180 mm + 1 note

Rights:

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title from title page (V. 1, f. 1r).; Foliation: V.1: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 410 + i (contemporary paper); [i, 1-2], 3-320, [i], 321-408, [i]. V.2: Paper, iii (contemporary paper) + 416 + iii (contemporary paper); [xl,1-2], 3-354, [355-376]; contemporary foliation in ink, modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto.; Layout: Written in 16 long lines.; Script: Written in a semi-cursive script by a single hand.; Decoration: V. 1 contains pen and ink drawings and diagrams of alchemical apparatus, pentacles, and talismans throughout; title page partially illuminated with gold paint (f. 2r).; Binding: Contemporary gold-tooled morocco. First volume has pink, yellow, and green silk ribbon bookmarks.; Origin: Written in Italy[?] in 1721 (v. 1, f. 2r).; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; Italian, with notes in French.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 1681