Baptista, Frater Joannes

Collection of short alchemical works and extracts in Latin. With a few entries in Italian and Spanish. Vol. I.

Collection of short extracts from alchemical Authors: Beginning to Fol 87 Following two Indices, are extracts mainly from Arabic and mediaeval alchemical writers, but also including excerpts from G. Agostino Pantheo, and Joannes Baptista Montanus [1498-1551]. On ff. 77v-79 the extracts are in Italian and Spanish.

Richardus Anglicus. Correctorium alchemiae: Fol. 87 Coretorium [sic] ricardi anglici cap. 1. / Cum omnis rerum emendatio... 100 ...sicut spiritus retinet / animam cum adiunsione [sic] fermenti. finis.

Bacon, R. Speculum alchemiae: Fol. 100 Speculum a rugeri [sic] baconis prefacio. / Multifaria multisque modis loquebantur... 107v ...vel momenti de quo semper / mirabilis est laudandus deo nostro [sic] In eternum.

Khalid ibn Jazid. Liber secretorum alchemiae: Fol. 107v Calid filius Iazichi traslato [sic] ex arabicum [sic] prefacio de dificultate [sic] artis. / gratie sint deo omnium creatori... 125 ...sic consequenter de epate et / stomaco disendum [sic] est. finis.

Miscellaneous alchemical notes and extracts: Ff. 125v-129.

Johannes de Nani (or Narni). Lapis minor: Fol. 129 Lapis minor pars prima Jo. de nani 1359. / Omnes philosophi tratantes [sic] de metalis [sic]... 136v ...spiritus et corpora nostra est ars nostra.

Arnoldus de Villanova. Perfectum magisterium: Fol. 137 Perfeti [sic] magisterii arnardi. / Sias [sic] carissime quod In omni re... 152 ...lumen luminum et elexir et lapis philosophorum.

Arnoldus de Villanova. Rosarius: Fol. 152v Lapis rozarium arnardi. / Iste namque liber vocatur... 183 ... sub completa breuitate.

Geber. De investigatione magisterii: Fol. 183 Inuestigationis proemium: geber. / Inuestigationem ugius [huius] nobilis sientie [sic]... 198 ...erit perfeta [sic] medisina [sic].

Khalid ibn Jazid. Liber trium verborum: Fol. 198 Trium verborum: Kalid. / Lapis iste de quo fit hoc opus... 204v ...quod est / benedictum super omne nomen de hoc san[c]-to dono.

Arnoldus de Villanova. Visio mystica: Fol. 205 Lapis vidi senem in somnio Jo: b.tta. / Vidi senem vnum clarificatum surgentem... 207v ... dat sapientia[m] sapientibus. amen.

Arnoldus de Villanova. De secretis naturae: Fol. 207v Dialogus lapis Jo B.tta. / Ars ista non est nisi de secretis philosophie... 209v ...et oportet quod per semina es[s]et restitutus. finis.

Miscellaneous alchemical notes and extracts

Hortulanus. Expositio super textum Hermetis. Part I: Fol. 225 Hortolanus super textum ermetis pars prima. / Nota quod philosophus vocat lapidem... 226v ...com [sic] panno lineo et mastise [sic]. seconda pars sequitur in carta 232 [bis, verso].

Dastin, John. Practica: Fol. 227 Liber Jo: d: de lapide, damascenus clericus. / Sincerum in natura secretum Iudisium [sic] com [sic] dignum sit / dignius secreta pandere... 232 bis ...Sufisient [sic] hec duo corpora / eo quod asimiliari [sic] quaerito. deo gratias.

Hortulanus. Expositio super textum Hermetis. Part II: Fol. 232 bisv Ortolanus super textum ermetis pars secunda. / Laus honor gloria et virtus tibi domine... 236 In composisione [sic] nostri lapidis. sit nomen domini benedicti [sic].

Rosinus. De lapide: Fol. 236 Rosinus. Lapis. / Nomina autem nostri lapidis sunt hec... 240v ...donec perueniat ad perfetum [sic] rubeum.

Lullius, R. Epistola accurtationis: Fol. 240v Epistola ramondi lulii. / Con [sic] ego raimondus Iam preteritis diebus... 244 ...elige / ergo ex ea intentum suum et lauda deum. finis.

Geber. Epistola: Fol. 244 Epistola geberis. / filii carissime hunc librum tibi separa[vi]mus ... 244v ...proculdubio veritati propinqui [artis?] sunt. finis.

J(oannes) B(aptista). Tractatus de medicina tertii ordinis: Fol. 245 Tratatus [sic] de medisina [sic] tertii hordinis J: B. / Incipiat quedam nobilis et veridica extrasio [sic]... 251 ...propter diversitatem Istorum / Setem [sic] mensium. finis.

Alphidius. Liber methaurorum: Fol. 251 Alfidio lapis. / prohemium [?] o teofile hugius [sic] librum [sic] constat eulogium apperire / ... 257v et Inuenies pro vt volueris deo consedente [sic]. finis.

[Rhazes?]. Liber perfecti magisterii: Liber perfeti [sic] magisterii. / Quoniam philosophi interest cognosere [sic] naturas rerum ... Fol. 261v ...et ex / inde mersedem [sic] laboris acipies [sic] de culpmm [sic for 'decuplicem'?].

Pseudo-Thomas Aquinas. St. Liber super lapidem philosophicum: Fol. 262 Perfeti [sic] magisterii sancti tome. / Aristotiles In primo metafisiae [sic] disit [sic] quod admiratio... 268v ...sine masima [sic] nesesitate [sic] coa[c]tus Itterum [sic] / atentare [sic]. finis.

Abbatia, A. de. Epistola: Fol. 268v Epistola antonii de abatia. / In nomine domini trionfatoris [sic] domini nostri Ihesu christi / acipe [sic] ergo argentum ... 268 terv ...Jam probaui omnes / mineres et nichil aliud potui inuenire etc.

[Anon.] Consilium conjugii sive de massa solis et lunae: Congiugio [sic] qui est lapis. Fragmenta. / Non legitur a diuina magnificentia... Fol. 289v quia sit conuertibilis est nature.

Arnoldus de Villanova. Novum lumen: Fol. 289v Nouum lumen arnardi. / Pater domine reuerende liset [sic] liberalium existens / sientiarum [sic] Ignorans ... 295 ...vos venire fasiet [sic] / ad optatum.

[Anon.] Lapis hispanus: Fol. 295 L[apis] Ispanus. / Toma la dama che mora nel ciello che es / yxia del sol... 298 ...pues a lo tales non me e defendido. / finis.

c. 1565

1 volume 4 ll. + 299 [301] (last bl.). 4to. 201/2 X 131/2 cm. Original vellum binding. Both leather ties defective. Some leaves badly wormed in margins. In the foliation, ff. 201, 202 have been dropped, ff. 232, 233 doubled, and fol. 268 trebled. On ff. 139v, 140, and pasted inside the upper cover are rough pen-drawings of alchemical apparatus, etc.

Purchased at Hodgson's 26/10/1934, Lot 794 (part).

From the Library of Julius Kohn.

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).

No. 6 The author of this work is named 'de nani' and 'de narni'. No particulars about him have been ascertained, but it is possible that he may be identical with the 'Joannes Nannius', author of a short alchemical work on Cinnabar, etc., in Miscellanea Alchemica XXXIII (6) [MS. No. 528]. 15 Though ascribed to 'Joannes Damascenus', this work appears to be a version of a tract by John Dastin, and seems to be No. 281 of Mrs Singer's Catalogue. (See also Thorndike 'History of Magic and Experimental Science', Vol. III, ch. 5.) 20 The 'J.B.' whose initials occur here and also among the names in No. 1, appears to stand for 'Joannes Baptista'. In the Index on the verso of the second leaf he is entered as 'Jo: batista', and on the recto of this leaf there is a heading 'Jo. b.tta liber secundus'. 'Jo: b.f.' [frater]. 22 The Explicit of this tract is the same as that recorded in Mrs Singer's Catalogue No. 114 which is the entry for Rhazes. 'Lumen luminum minus et perfecti Magisterii'.