An Hermetical and philosophic manuduction

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:

1797

Description:

Alchemical handbook of experiments and recipes. Instructions include transmutation of metals, making a small pearl or gemstone larger, creation of and uses for potable gold, and other elixirs, oils, and tinctures. Recipes includes medicinal applications such as flower remedies for asthma, consumption (p. 357), and dropsie (p. 358).

Language:

English

Provenance:

Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist; stamp, p. xxiv); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.; Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 603, 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; Medicine -- Formulae, receipts, prescriptions -- Early works to 1800; Medicine -- Formulae, receipts, prescriptions; Medicine, Magic, mystic, and spagiric -- Early works to 1800; Medicine, Magic, mystic, and spagiric; Occultism -- Early works to 1800; Occultism

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

Codices; Manuals (instructional materials); Prescriptions; Manuscripts, English; Manuscripts, European

Physical Description:

484 leaves : paper; 213 x 185 (165 x 90) mm bound to 226 x 202 mm + 1 note

Rights:

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

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title from title page (p. xxv).; Pagination: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 484 + i (contemporary paper) leaves; [xxvi], 1-194, 196-614, 596-773, 773-877, 888-913; contemporary pagination in ink, modern pagination in pencil, upper outer corners. All references in this record are to contemporary pagination.; Layout: Written in 18 long lines.; Script: Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford (note with initials, front flyleaf verso)..; Binding: Contemporary gold-tooled leather. Spine leather deteriorating.; Origin: Written in England in 1797 (note, back flyleaf recto).; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; English, with a few pages in French.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 1691