Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 395: Iohannes de Rupescissa OFM, Liber de consideratione quintae essentiae. Ramón Lull, Tertia distinctio. Alchemical Tracts
Description
Abstract/Contents
- Summary
- CCCC MS 395 is a compilation of alchemical texts copied partly in the early fifteenth century and partly in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. It begins with a long text by Iohannes de Rupescissa OFM (Roqetaillade, d. c. 1362 - pseudo-Ramon Lull), his Liber de consideratione quintae essentiae. This section contains a few diagrams and coloured drawings, notably two full-page (ff. 49v-50r) illustrating lunaria grass. The style of this drawing and some texts in Catalan, suggest this part may have been made in Catalonia. Textual additions have been made by an English scribe, and the book seems to have come to England by the second half of the fifteenth century. In addition to a number of other minor alchemical tracts, the codex also contains a number of works attributed to Robert Green of Welby (c. 1467-after 1544), including De fama, Quaestiones super benedicti lapidis philosophici compositione, Secretum, Pulchrum somnium and Dialogus inter Hilardum necromanticum et quendam spiritum. Green's name is also inscribed on a flyleaf of the MS, though it is not clear whether this was intended as a mark of ownership or as a note of the authorship of the texts within the volume.
- Contents
- Quinta essentia -- De uirtutibus lunariis -- De fama -- Tertia distinctio -- Commentary on the Emerald Table of HermesOperatio lapidis -- Quaestiones super benedicti lapidis philosophici compositione -- Secretum -- Pulchrum somnium -- Dialogus inter Hilardum necromanticum et quendam spiritum
Bibliographic information
- M.R. James Date
- xv
- Downloadable James Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:mx087jp0166/MS_395.pdf
- Superseded Interim Catalogue Record
- https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:yh656kn5173/395.pdf
- Contains
-
- Iohannes de Rupescissa OFM, Quinta essentia. 1r-48r
- Nasmith
- Liber de consideratione quintae essentiae [per Ioannem de Rupescissa]. 1r-48r
- Author
- Iohannes de Rupescissa OFM
- Rubric
- (1r) Primus liber de consideratione quinte essencie omnium rerum transmutabilium. In nomine domini nostri Ihesu Christi. Incipit liber de famulatu philosophie datus ab angelis domini nostri Ihesu Christi pauperibus euangelicis viris
- Note
-
Sixteenth century notes from Ecclus. iii, John xvii and: o curas hominum o quantum est in rebus inane
Prologue - Incipit
- (1r) Dixit Salomon sapientie capitulo septimo. Deus dedit michi horum scienciam
- Explicit
- (2r) iuxta ordinem titulorum inferius scribendorum
- Incipit
- (2r) Secretum primum est. quia per virtutem quam contulit deus
- Explicit
- (48r) in eius absencia aqua ardens. Deo omnipotenti patri pariterque filio suo atque spiritui santo sit laus per infinita secula seculorum. Amen
- Rubric
- (48r) Explicit liber (2us) de consideratione quinte essencie omnium rerum pauperibus et euangelicis viris erogatum
- De uirtutibus lunariis. 48v-51r
- Nasmith
- Tractatus de virtutibus lunariae. 48v-51r
- Note
-
cum figuris illius plantae haud ineleganter illuminatis
A later hand - Rubric
- (48v) Hic sequuntur virtutes lunarie prout habetur in libris hermetis
- Incipit
- (48v) Quedam est planta que dicitur (borisa uel) loathii in latino vero vocatur lunaria
- Explicit
- (49r) figura ipsius herbe sequitur in foliis sequentibus
- Note
-
Coloured drawings by an earlier hand:
(49v) Two plants. At top, Sun and Moon
(50r) Youth in blue gown holding up label inscribed: certes alli desus se troba que es stellaria e lunaria. la qual yo se per estrologiaTwo strange plants: Sun and Moon above
(50v) Three plants with leaves and flowers, well drawn
Inscriptions begin: Aquesta es la lunaria blaua perco com fa la floreta blaua, etc. La quarta lunaria es aquesta. E com la trobaras cerqua la lunaria dins, etc. Aquesta es reymerola o lunaria menor, etc. Martagon en senis etc.
p. 103 blank
- Robert Green of Welby, De fama. 56v-59v
- Nasmith
- Epistola Roberti de Welbe de fama, 1506. 56v-59v
- Author
- Robert Green of Welby
- Note
- Later hand of no. 2
- Rubric
- (56v) Omnibus asumptis rebus maneat tibi fama Intemerata. minus sic tua fata lues
- Incipit
- (56v) Fama namque si tibi sit integra serues quisquis es pro viribus
- Explicit
- (57v) et causas euita que oppugnarent eam. Et hec de fama sufficiant
- Note
-
(over erasure: Robertus G(rene) de Welbe. Anno 1506. in las..)
Rob. Grene de Welbe. Robert Welby proctor 1479-80 occurs in Grace Book A, pp. xxxii and 142: Robert Welby in Grace Book B I for ad eiusdem degrees 1492 and 3, pp. 38, 65 (H. P. S.)
pp. 117-120 blank
- Ramón Lull, Tertia distinctio. 60r-120r
- Nasmith
- Tertia distinctio seu pars libri Raymundi de quinta essentia. 60r-120r
- Author
- Ramón Lull
- Note
- Hand probably that of no. 1
- Rubric
- (60r) Incipit tercia disti(n)ctio que est de alteracione metallorum et de magisterio eorum et medicina
- Incipit
- (60r) Hec est tercia distincio huius libri que est de cura metallorum
- Note
-
Good diagrams, and a pretty volvel on 124, 125, 158
Text seems to end - Explicit
- (113r) omnium principiorum ut secundum ea que dicta sunt
- Note
- 228, 229 are occupied by a table
- Rubric
- (115r) Taula en pla de les significations de les letres del arbre e de les figuras posades en aquesta art transmutatoria. E primerament del arbre
- Incipit
- (115r) A significa chaos que uol dir confussio
- Note
-
Two similar sections, 232, 233
Receipts in Catalan - Incipit
- (116v) Recipe ço es prenets una onça de luna bona e fina
- Note
- 240, 241 blank
- Hortulanos, Commentary on the Emerald Table of Hermes. Averroes, Operatio lapidis. 120v-124v
- Nasmith
- Expositio epistolae Hermetis, et operatio lapidis per Averroem. 120v-124v
- Author
- Hortulanos
- Averroes
- Note
- Later hand
- Rubric
- (120v) Expositio epistole hermetis post Ortholanum et est Auerrois prologus
- Incipit
- (120v) Huius libelli series sequentibus splendet capitulis
- Rubric
- (120v) Sequitur epistola
- Incipit
- (120v) Dicit ergo philosophus sic. Verum est et verissimum
- Explicit
- (120v) quod dixi de operacione solis
- Rubric
-
(120v) Explicit epistola
(120v) Exposicio - Incipit
- (120v) Exponitur sic. Verum est dicit ad dandum intelligi
- Explicit
- (124r) Et sic completum est quod dixit de operacione solis. Et sic explicit expositio epistolae hermetis secundum Auerroys philosophum
- Rubric
- (124r) deo gracias
- Robert Green of Welby, Quaestiones super benedicti lapidis philosophici compositione. 125r-127r
- Nasmith
- Questiones perutiles de lapide philosophorum. 125r-127r
- Author
- Robert Green of Welby
- Note
- Hand of no. 2
- Rubric
- (125r) Questiones perutiles super benedicti lapidis philosophici compositione
- Incipit
- (125r) Questiones lapidis benedicti. Questio prima. quoniam aqua nostra ex plumbo
- Explicit
- (127r) cum paciencia consequeris. Hic concluditur tota sciencia
- Rubric
- (127r) Explicit
- Note
- [R. G. de Welbe]
- Robert Green of Welby, Secretum. 127v-130r
- Nasmith
- Tractatus qui dicitur, Secretum meum michi. 127v-130r
- Author
- Robert Green of Welby
- Rubric
- (127v) Secretum meum michi
- Incipit
- (127v) Est enim medicine nostre inicium ut soluatur corpus
- Explicit
- (129v) infinita maroa videri posset. Deo gracias
- Rubric
- (129v) Explicit Secretum meum michi omni laude dignissimum
- Note
-
[R. de Welbe]
261 blank
- Robert Green of Welby, Pulchrum somnium. 130v-131v
- Nasmith
- Visio. 130v-131v
- Author
- Robert Green of Welby
- Rubric
- (130v) In nomine Ihesu Christi Visio
- Incipit
- (130v) Dum eram Iuuenis ibam per mundum uniuersum secreta creatoris altissimi eterne indagans
- Explicit
- (131v) piissimo Ihesu adiuuante cui sit laus honor et gloria per infinita seculorum secula. Amen
- Rubric
- (131v) Explicit pulcrum sompnium verum et utile
- Note
- [R. Green]
- Robert Green of Welby, Dialogus inter Hilardum necromanticum et quendam spiritum. 132r-132v
- Nasmith
- Dialogus inter Hilardum necromanticum et quendam spiritum. 132r-132v
- Author
- Robert Green of Welby
- Note
-
Quatuor ultimis tractatibus subscribitur nomen R. G. de Welbe, sed utrum ipse fuerit eorum autor vel saltem possessor codicis dubito
Another hand - Rubric
- (132r) Dialogus inter hylardum necromanticum et quendam spiritum feliciter incipit
- Incipit
- (132r) Hilardus. Utrum potest fieri lapis qui dicitur philosophorum transformans omnia metalla in auri et argenti speciem. Spiritus. In auro sunt omnia metalla
- Explicit
- (132v) et super hoc cessauit nec ulterius loqui voluit
- Rubric
- (132v) Explicit dialogus inter Hilardum et spiritum
- Note
-
[R. Green de Welbe ]
Occurs also in MS. Ashmole 1472, art. iii
- Iohannes de Rupescissa OFM, Quinta essentia. 1r-48r
- TJames
- 366
- Stanley
- Under D. 9
- Location
- https://purl.stanford.edu/nq795kd7274
- MS 395
- Repository
- UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction:
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- License:
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).