Libelli aliquot Chemici: nunc primum, excepto Vade mecum, in lucem opera doctoris Toxitæ editi

LULL, Ramón

Verlag: Basle: Peter Perna, 1572

First edition, rare, of this "important collection of alchemical works by Lull" (Neville). It contains eight treatises, at least five of which are printed here for the first time: 'Testamentum novissimum' (first surviving edition, Pereira I.62); 'Elucidatio testamenti' (first edition, Pereira I.19); 'Liber lux mercuriorum' (first edition, Pereira I.47); 'Experimenta' (first edition, Pereira I.21); 'Liber artis compendiosae qui vade mecum nuncupatur' (second edition, Pereira I.30); 'Compendium animae transmutationis metallorum' (third edition, Pereira !.12); 'Epistola accurationis lapidis benedecti ad dom. Robertum Anglorum regem' (second edition, Pereira I.20); 'Liber medicinae magnae' (first edition, Pereira I.17). The second part of the collection consists of an early treatise on pearls and precious stones: 'De compositione & rectificatione perlarum, et aliorum lapidum preciosorum & virtuosorum'. The collection was edited by Michael Schutz, known as Toxites, the Strasbourg physician and editor of Paracelsus. It is dedicated to three men of Bunzlau, Silesia, who had been his fellow students (Duveen). Although modern historians do not attribute any of these works to Lull himself, "Pseudo-Lullian writings comprise one of the largest and most influential groups of medieval alchemical texts. The longest of them, the 'Testamentum' . . . contains characteristically Lullian elements and was written by a Catalan scholar . . . [It] defines alchemy as 'a hidden part of natural philosophy' that teaches three main topics: how to transmute metals, how to enhance human health, and how to improve and produce precious stones. The last of these topics is unusual for alchemical texts of the period, so the 'Testamentum' gives a recipe for dissolving small pearls into a paste and then molding the paste into larger artificial pearls. It also contains recipes for medicinal waters. Most of this lengthy book, however, deals with making the Philosopher's Stone, which can provide precious metals, good health, and better gems by itself . . . The enormous popularity of the pseudo-Lullian corpus codified the notion that the Philosopher's Stone was the 'medicine of men and metals' . . . Legends about Lull the alchemist's life and his alchemical exploits began to emerge in the early 15th century. According to the full-blown legend current in the 17th century, he was converted from skepticism about alchemy by his fellow Catalan Arnold of Villanova, who also taught him the secrets of the Noble Art" (Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy (2012), pp. 71-72). Ramón Lull (1232/33 - 1315/16), Catalan mystic and poet, is best known in the history of ideas as the inventor of an art of finding truth (ars inveniendi veritatis) that was designed to unify all branches of knowledge. Reared at the royal court of Majorca, Lull at about the age of 30 experienced mystical visions of Christ on the Cross, after which he abandoned courtly life and devoted himself to missionary work. About 1272, after another mystical experience on Majorca's Mount Randa in which Lull related seeing the whole universe reflecting the divine attributes, he conceived of reducing all knowledge to first principles and determining their convergent point of unity. This led to his principal work, the 'Ars magna' (1305-08). Adams L-1707; BL/STC German Books p. 533; Duveen p. 370 (no copy in the Young collection); Ferguson II, p. 54; Honeyman 2066; Neville Historical Chemical Library, Vol.2, pp. 100-101 ('Very rare'); NLM/Durling 2871; Rogent and Durán 116; VD 16 R150. 8vo, pp. [xvi], 480, [31], full-page woodcut 'arbor operationis' on p. 192, and small woodcut on p. 224, paper page tabs marking the divisions of the volume (some light browning and insignificat dampstains in the gutter). 18th-century vellum, tan wash label on spine bounded by double gilt fillets, lettered in gilt in Italian. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers ABE-1584799745495

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Libelli aliquot Chemici: nunc primum, ...
Verlag: Basle: Peter Perna
Erscheinungsdatum: 1572
Einband: Hardcover
Zustand: Very Good
Auflage: 1st Edition