[Alchemical treatise]

Name:

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

Timespan:

Early works to 1800

Date:

1750

Description:

Alchemical treatise concerning the creation of the philosopher's stone (p. 72) and on transmutation of metals such as gold, silver, lead, and mercury. Also includes a table of contents (p.169).

Language:

Latin

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. 583, 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.; 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/; Video orientation: https://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/100000296

Subject:

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

Resource Type:

Text

Form/Genre:

Codices; Treatises; Manuscripts, Latin; Manuscripts, European; manuscripts (documents)

Physical Description:

124 leaves : paper; 211 x 150 (172 x 110) mm bound to 225 x 161 mm + 16 notes

Rights:

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

Notes:

Ms. codex.; Title supplied by cataloger.; Foliation: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 124 + ii (contemporary paper) leaves; [xxxvi], 1-11, [v], 12-22, [v], 23-29, [v], 30-39, [vi], 41-56, [iv], 57-64, [iv], 65-71, [v], 72-122, [i], 123-152, [ii], 153-168, [169-176]; contemporary pagination in ink, modern pagination in pencil, upper outer corners.; Layout: Written in 19-20 long lines; ruled in red pencil or crayon.; Script: Written in a cursive script by a single hand, with marginal notes in a second hand.; Decoration: Manicules throughout (for example, p. 115).; Binding: Contemporary parchment.; Origin: Written in Italy in the second half of the 18th century.; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; Latin and Italian.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 1672