[Final testament of Nicolas Flamel]

Name:

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

Timespan:

Early works to 1800

Date:

1750

Description:

Copy of a French manuscript and an English translation purported to be the last will and testament of Nicolas Flamel originally written by him in 1414 (p. 1), but most likely composed in the 18th century. The introduction states that the manuscript from which it was copied was originally written backwards to make it more difficult to decipher (p. 1).

Language:

English

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. 623, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014.; Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.; Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner.; Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner.

Relation:

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

Subject:

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

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

Codices; Manuscripts, English; Manuscripts, European; manuscripts (documents)

Physical Description:

99 leaves : paper; 175 x 111 mm bound to 174 x 112 mm

Rights:

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

Notes:

Ms. codex.; 15th-century scribe who gained popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries as a legendary alchemist who created the philosopher's stone and achieved immortality along with his wife, Perenelle.; Title supplied by cataloger.; Pagination: Paper, 99 leaves; 46 manuscript leaves interleaved with 53 leaves of blotting paper; [1-92]; modern pagination in pencil, lower outer corners of manuscript leaves. Pages 71-92 are blank. Irregular contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners. All references in this record are to modern pagination.; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; English and French.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 1706