Baptista, Frater Joannes

Collection of short alchemical works and extracts in Latin. With a few entries in Italian and Spanish. Vol. II. The foliation is somewhat irregular: fol. 56 is trebled and fol. 209 doubled, while fol. 100 and fol. 286 are dropped. On the verso of the 7th and recto of the 8th preliminary leaves, and on fol. 217v are rough pen-drawings of alchemical apparatus, etc. Prelim. ll. 1v, 2 Introductory prayers, etc. in Latin. 2v-5 Index. 5v-7 Soneti volgari: on alchemy. 7v-8 Illustrations of alchemical apparatus. 8v-11 Quotations and extracts in Latin, one in Spanish on 8v. On 9v 'Liber quintus Jo. b. f.' 12-16 Blank.

c. 1565

1 volume 16 ll. (last 5 bl.). + 338 [339] (last 3 bl.]. 4to. 241/2 X 171/2 cm. Original vellum binding: the two leather ties defective. Some preliminary leaves badly wormed.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Purchased at Sotheby's 28/1/1935, Lot 2.

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. 3 For a discussion on the authorship of this work and on Hortulanus [Ortolaus], cf. Thorndike, 'History of Magic and Experimental Science'. Vol. III, Ch. 11. 6 This work is ascribed to Ferrarius in the 'Theatrum chemicum', 1659. Vol. iii, p. 151, and in Gratarolo's 'Verae alchemiae...doctrina', 1561. Vol. II, p. 237. 20 A criticism by Frater Joannes Baptista, of the work on Geber in the first 'Dialogus' of Bracesco's 'De alchemia dialogi II', first published in Latin in 1548, and in Italian in 1544. 39, 44 These seem to be parts of the same work, as the 'Liber lucis' is sometimes added as Book III of the 'De consideratione'. 41 This was printed with the work of Geber by Eucharius Silber in Rome c. 1485 (B.M. IV. p. 124. Klebs 441). 42 This was first published at Strassburg in the 'Ars chemica', 1566. 45 See Note to Vol. I (22). 47 This was printed in G. B. Nazari's 'Della tramutatione metallica sogni tre'. Brescia: 1599.

From the Julius Kohn Library.