Bibliographical notes on histories of inventions and books of secrets. Pt. III / by John Ferguson.

  • Ferguson, John, 1838-1916.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Bibliographical notes on histories of inventions and books of secrets. Pt. III / by John Ferguson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    32/49 (page 28)
    The French translation was first printed about the middle of the sixteenth century, and from that date to the beginning of last century only a very few editions were published. Last century, however, a translation with additions and alterations was issued in 1706, and a considerable number of editions followed; ten have been enumerated. To one, that of Cologne 1722, refer- ence has been already made, and I have seen a reprint of this which pro- fesses to have been printed at Lyons, and has the date 1729. The present century is that of chap reprints. Nisard has mentioned some of these, and I have one printed at Lyons, with the false date 6518, that is: 1856 or 1865. It is entitled Les admirables Secrets d'Albert le Grand, and it forms a small i2mo, with a frontispiece and four woodcuts of the vilest chap-book character. They are hideous caricatures of the engravings in the 1722 edition. A much more important work is the treatise Les Secres des Dames, edited from ancient manuscripts by the Drs. Colson, and published at Paris by Rouveyre in 1880. This is a critical edition, giving in the introduction an account of the MSS., followed by the text, with notes, a glossary, and supple- mental notes, including a bibliography of the French translations. In the meantime this, so far as I know, is the best work on the subject; while, apart from its literary merit, it has the additional attraction of being beautifully printed in black letter; and there are, besides, only 342 copies printed. It has, therefore, all the qualifications for becoming a bibliophile’s book. It ought to be remarked, however, that only the matter of this book is taken from Albertus Magnus, and that it is not an actual translation of the De Secretis Mulierum. The relationship of the two works is discussed by the editors in their introduction. Of the German versions there seem to be varieties also. Of an older form, I have a copy entitled Eln Newer Albertus Magnus, printed at Frank- furt by Weygandt Han, without date, but early in the sixteenth century. In this the De Secretis Mulierum is reduced to a minimum, and practical directions are given which are not contained in the earlier edition.' This * This edition is well supplied with woodcuts, which were reproduced in the correspond- ing English treatise, entitled “ The Birth of Alanktnde, hy T. Raynalde. Thb latter is said to be a translation of the work of Eucharius Roslin: Der Siuangcm Freeiuen und