Contents

Data Source: Parker on the Web

• Résumé : 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.

  
  

  Contenu :

  
  

  Langue(s) des textes : latin, catalan

  
  

  Intervenants :

  Iohannes de Rupescissa OFM - author

  1r-48r - Iohannes de Rupescissa OFM, Quinta essentia || Liber de consideratione quintae essentiae [per Ioannem de Rupescissa]

  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

  Note : 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

  
  

  48v-51r - De uirtutibus lunariis || Tractatus de virtutibus lunariae

  Note : cum figuris illius plantae haud ineleganter illuminatis

  Note : 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:

  Note : (49v) Two plants. At top, Sun and Moon

  Note : (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

  Note : (50v) Three plants with leaves and flowers, well drawn

  Note : 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.

  Note : p. 103 blank

  
  

  Intervenants :

  Robert Green of Welby - author

  56v-59v - Robert Green of Welby, De fama || Epistola Roberti de Welbe de fama, 1506

  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..)

  Note : 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.)

  Note : pp. 117-120 blank

  
  

  Intervenants :

  Ramón Lull - author

  60r-120r - Ramón Lull, Tertia distinctio || Tertia distinctio seu pars libri Raymundi de quinta essentia

  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

  Note : 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

  Note : Receipts in Catalan

  incipit : (116v) Recipe ço es prenets una onça de luna bona e fina

  Note : 240, 241 blank

  
  

  Intervenants :

  Hortulanos - author

  Averroes - author

  120v-124v - Hortulanos, Commentary on the Emerald Table of Hermes. Averroes, Operatio lapidis || Expositio epistolae Hermetis, et operatio lapidis per Averroem

  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

  rubric : (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

  
  

  125r-127r - Robert Green of Welby, Quaestiones super benedicti lapidis philosophici compositione || Questiones perutiles de lapide philosophorum

  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]

  
  

  127v-130r - Robert Green of Welby, Secretum || Tractatus qui dicitur, Secretum meum michi

  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]

  Note : 261 blank

  
  

  130v-131v - Robert Green of Welby, Pulchrum somnium || Visio

  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]

  
  

  132r-132v - Robert Green of Welby, Dialogus inter Hilardum necromanticum et quendam spiritum || Dialogus inter Hilardum necromanticum et quendam spiritum

  Note : Quatuor ultimis tractatibus subscribitur nomen R. G. de Welbe, sed utrum ipse fuerit eorum autor vel saltem possessor codicis dubito

  Note : 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 ]

  Note : Occurs also in MS. Ashmole 1472, art. iii