Manuscript on paper of a collection of texts by Nicolas de Locques, in which practical laboratory procedures are mingled with speculative and mystical alchemy
Description:
In French., Script: Written in a practiced scribal hand in a flowing cursive sloping to the right with infrequent standard abbreviation; a second similar, but finer hand on p. 358 only., Watermarks: Paper with unidentified watermark of a griffin rampant (?), the hind paws on a staff incorporating letters and numbers "Y49" (?), countermarked with 2 lines of capitals, the first word perhaps "JUVIMAL" (sic)., and Binding: Original French binding of mottled calf, the sides plain, the edges of the covers gilt-stamped a la grotesque, back (repaired and restored at foot) with seven bands, the compartments gilt-stamped to a rectangular pattern, a lozenge of leafy sprays in the center of each, with triangular elements of the same at the corners, original title label in the second compartment from the top, marbled endpapers, edges speckled red.
Manuscript on paper of a variety of alchemical writings, partly with considerable literary pretension, including two at the beginning largely or wholly in verse. Including several works ascribed to Jean Saunier and Johann Isaac, as well as two anonymous verse alchemies at the beginning, of which the second has not been identified. Also including a group of texts extracted from ancient and Renaissance writers concerning beekeeping and the medicinal properties of honey
Description:
In French, Italian, and Latin., Script: Written by a single copyist in a French secretarial cursive., Watermarks: Paper of two batches with possibly related watermarks: a squarish glove surmounted by a short-stemmed, six-petaled flower; and an outstretched palm surmounted by a coronet., In pale brown ink, with additions in darker ink by an eighteenth-century hand. Sparse, standard abbreviation, some correction by the original copyist and notes by the later hand., With additions, ca. 1730., and Binding: Modern stiff parchment over boards, spine with title written horizontally in black ink: "Traites d' Alchimie," and at base: "1625."
Manuscript on paper and parchment of a version in French of the German text, Das Buch von der Heiligen Dreifaltigkeit, with close copies of the illuminations in two fifteenth-century manuscripts. Contains illustrations that mix Christian symbolism, especially the Passion of Christ, with alchemical symbolism, and also depict some apparatus
Description:
In French., Script: Calligraphically written in brown ink in a very clear, large cursive hand., Watermarks: Paper watermarked with large fleur-de-lys with a cartouche, surmounted by a crown, the letter "W" below, perhaps identical to Heawood 1845., With illustrations added about 1875., and Binding: Nineteenth-century French citron polished calf, sides bordered with triple gold rules, gold-stamped fleurons at the corners, back in compartments gold-stamped with small tools, red morocco title label, marbled pastedowns and flyleaves, the latter glued to parchment flyleaves which appear to have come from an earlier binding of this volume; mottled edges.
Subject (Topic):
Alchemy, Religious aspects, Christianity, and Trinity
Manuscript on parchment (rather thick) of a codex containing alchemical verses and other works by Samuel Norton and illustrated with skillful drawings of the arcane figures associated with Norton's work
Description:
In French., Script: Written by a single hand which has also annotated and captioned the drawings in a neat cursive sloping to the right, with the addition of passages in italic and chancery scripts., and Binding: Early, perhaps original, French binding of black morocco, the sides with triple gold fillet around the edges, a similar triple fillet forming a rectangular panel in the center of each cover with fleurons at the corners, the inside edges with a border of small tools stamped in gold, the back gilt compartments formed by five raised bands, modern title label on second compartment from top, some modern repairs with brown leather, including filling up the four holes on each cover which originally held ties, now missing; original gilt edges.
