Franckenberg, Abraham von (1593-1652)

Raphael: Das ist ein heiliges Licht und heilsamer Bericht von dem wahren Grunde und rechtem Verstande der Menschliche Kranckheit und darwieder geordneten Artzney. Illustrated with small pen-drawings of magical and cabbalistic figures, many on pasted down slips. The initials A. V. F. and a date '8 Febr. Dani-elis MDCXXXIIX' are found on the recto of the fourth leaf from the end. The initials are repeated also on the verso of the penultimate leaf. On the recto of this leaf, in the lower margin is a three-line inscription: 'Londini in Palatio Regio/Manus penna ostendens Siphras/ 1. 2. 3°. 4. 5°. 6. 7° 9.' The reference to the 'Royal Palace' in London is difficult to explain, unless it refers to the transcriber of the MS. 'Siphras' was the name of the one of the midwives mentioned in the First Book of Genesis. It is possible that the date 'MDCXXXIIX' is a scribal error for 'MDCXXXIX', which would then correspond with that of the printed text. This MS. itself seems to have been written in the early 18th cent. The last leaf contains a mystical formula relating to mercury, in Dutch.

c. 1725

1 volume 22 ll. 4to. 231/2 × 19 cm. Modern vellum binding, with two tape ties.

Purchased 1930.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

This MS. appears to be an epitome or a special version of the printed 'Raphael oder Artzt-Engel. Auff ehemaliges Ersuchen eines Gottliebenden Medici. A.S. Auffgesetzt von H. Abraham Franckenberg, Equite Silesio im Jahr 1639. Jetzo aber durch zuthun guter Hertzen und Forderer verlegt und ans Licht gebracht. Zu Amsterdam, Gedruckt bey Jacob von Felsen.... MDCLXXVI.' This book is entered in Ferguson's 'Bibliotheca Chemica', Vol. I, pp. 289, 290, with a note on the author and his works.