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Alchemy Academy archive March 2004 Back to alchemy academy archives. Subject: Recent problems with email From: Adam McLean Date: 13 Mar 2004 The alchemy academy email discussion group has been experiencing some problems with email recently. This has been caused by a massive increase in spam email. I now get about 200 a day just on the alchemy-academy email account. I installed a spam filter to attempt to deal with this. Unfortunately it often put legitimate emails into the junk box. So I may have lost some incoming mail. I have now replaced this with Norton's spam filter which should be a bit more professional. Other subscribers are, no doubt, in the same situation. This means that when I send out mails using the BCC field their spam filter may intercept them and put them in a junk box. My ISP had now imposed a limit of 200 addresses in the BCC field. This is also a problem. The recent massive increase in spam is severly impacting on email communication. Eventually the ISP's will have to find some way of dealing with this, otherwise confidence will be entirely lost in email communication, as one is now entirely unsure whether an email one sends ever gets to the recipient. I will struggle on with this system for a while, but I may have to change the email address, then I will probably be free of the spam for a few months ! I am determined to keep this discussion group alive. With best wishes, Adam McLean Subject: A Giorgione's painting reading From: Marisa Addomine Date: 13 Mar 2004 Together with a friend, we were discussing the symbolic reading of a well-known painting by Giorgione. The painting is known as "The three philosophers". I attach here a light copy of the image. Best copies (at hi-res) can be easiliy found in the web. Can anyone help me in understanding the meaning of the painting? Thank you very much, I will appreciate any help. Marisa Addomine Subject: von Bernus Date: 13 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Academy, Has anyone seen this catalogue? Die Alchemiebibliothek Alexander von Bernus in der Badischen Landesbibliothek Karlsruhe : Katalog der Drucke und Handschriften Annelies St�ckinger ; Joachim Telle. Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 1997 I wonder if it may be helpful in the same way as Ferguson and Duveen? In other words, does it contain mostly pre-1800 books or rather modern works? Joachim Telle is an eminent scholar and Harrassowitz a top shelf scholarly publisher, so I would presume it is a valuable resource. On the other hand, the on-line listings of the Badisches Landesbibliothek seem to contain rather few old-prints: http://www.blb-karlsruhe.de/blb/blbhtml/besondere-bestaende/nachlaesse/bernus.html The links are at the bottom of the page. Best regards, Rafal Subject: The tiled stove from Winterthur From: Adam McLean Date: 13 Mar 2004 I wonder if anyone has information about the tiled stove or oven made by the pottery workshop of David II Pfau (1644-1702), which I understand is in the Heimatmuseum Lindengut in Winterthur, Switzerland. This is an elaborately decorated oven with large tin-glazed tiles, some with various emblems. It was suggested in the book Jacob [ J.J. Boucart]. Esquisse hermetique du tout universel, Zurich 1896, that these images were of alchemical significance. Recently Jean-Marc Savary published Le four alchimique de Winterthur, Liber mirabilis, 2000 in which this alchemical interpretation is pursued in depth with good quality illustrations of the images. I have puzzled over these for some time but I find little alchemical significance to them. The emblems seem instead conventional images such as one finds in emblem books of the period. Has anyone any insight into these emblems, and can convince me of its alchemical significance? The Savary book is not a reliable account of the stove. A similar oven can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/view1.asp?dep=12&item=06.968.2 Here the imagery of the tiles is Biblical. Adam McLean Subject: The tiled stove from Winterthur From: Nicole Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 Dear Adam, I have no intention to convince you of any alchemical significance but I can easily drive to Winterthur and visit the Lindengut Heimatmuseum. I shall see if I can find alchemical emblems on the tiles and let you know. Unfortunately they publish many puzzling books about alchemy here and the recommended literature for the students at the universities here can be genius as well as making me feeling strange in the stomach in the same book. With best wishes, Nicole Subject: The tiled stove from Winterthur From: Adam McLean Date: Mon, 14 Mar 1994 Dear Nicole >I can easily drive to Winterthur and visit the Lindengut Heimatmuseum. >I shall see if I can find alchemical emblems on the tiles and let you >know. Well I don't think it is as easy as merely visiting the museum and looking at the imagery. We already have quite good quality pictures in the Savary book. What I am looking for is some kind of assessment as to whether the emblems on the tiles can be contextualised in alchemy rather than just in the general emblematic material of that period (the first decades of the 18th century). This requires some specialist knowledge of emblem literature. The Savary book, following a kind of 'Fulcanelli' methodology, seems to take a positive and uncritical view of the alchemical context. Having looked at these emblems I am not so sure this is so, and need some convincing. We have all noticed, I expect, the recent rush of books, particularly in French, linking buildings, architectural features, gardens and paintings to alchemy. Much of this, I believe, is totally spurious. I like my alchemy to be the real thing and not some imaginative journey of some modern writer who has not really deeply studied alchemy, but rushes to some speculative conclusions. With best wishes, Adam McLean Subject: Question on Theophilus Schweighart Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 From: Claude Gagnon I have read in the alchemy web site informations on Daniel Moegling alias Theophilus Schweighart. It seems that everybody refers to the edition of 1618 for the Speculum Sophicum. But, I have found on the web a frontispiece dated of 1604 of the same treatise. Is this possible? http://www.gnosis.art.pl/iluminatornia/alkimija/theophilus_schweighart_speculum_sophicum02.htm The text would have been published as soon as 1604? I really do not know anything about Moegling. Can you help me? Claude Gagnon Subject: Question on Theophilus Schweighart Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Claude, > http://www.gnosis.art.pl/iluminatornia/alkimija/theophilus_schweighart_speculum_sophicum02.htm > > The text would have been published as soon as 1604? > I really do not know anything about Moegling. This is an obvious error. You can find a good biographic entry on Moegling here (in German): http://www.bautz.de/bbkl/m/moegling.shtml Best regards, Rafal Subject: Question on Theophilus Schweighart From: Hereward Tilton Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 Dear Claude, 1604 was the date of the opening of the tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz, not the Speculum's publication date. When you look at the title page of the Speculum, you can see that the figure behind the date represents the constellation Serpens. Behind the constellation you can see a large star with a fiery tail - in his 'De Stella Nova in Pede Serpentarii' Johannes Kepler describes the star (a supernova known today as SN1604) observed by his assistant in Serpens on the 27th of September, 1604 of the old calendar as multi-coloured and flickering with astonishing rapidity, which gave it the appearance of a multi-sided adamantine in sunlight. On the other side of the picture you can see the 'new star' (known today as P Cygni) in the constellation of Cygnus, the Swan, which was discovered on August the 8th, 1600 by a Dutch astronomer, Willem Blauew. Kepler's star was visible to the naked eye for 18 months, the supernova in Cygnus for a number of years. Both are mentioned by the Confessio Fraternitatis: "yea, the Lord God hath already sent before certain messengers, which should testify his will, to wit, some new stars, which do appear and are seen in the firmament in Serpentario and Cygno, which signify and give themselves known to everyone, that they are powerful Signacula of great weighty matters." Those 'great weighty matters' include the reemergence of arcane knowledge in the world via the opening of the tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz. I wrote a little on Daniel M�gling, aka "Theophilus Schweighardt", aka "Florentinus de Valentia", aka "C. V. A. I. B. F.", in my work on Maier - Schick argued that he composed the Colloquium Rhodo-Stauroticum, which I analysed there. As for the Speculum title page, you can see the true date of publication on the scroll above the castle. cheers Hereward Tilton Subject: Renaissance Birth Tray From: Janet Muff Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 Dear Academy, While pursuing the alchemical significance of coral, I have taken an unexpected detour (wild goose chase?) with the discovery of a "birth tray," painted by Bartolomeo di Fruosino in 1428, and on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 
The front of the tray depicts a typical birth scene: the mother is attended by maidservants who bring refreshments, other women care for the newborn, and well-wishers arrive at the door. The reverse of the tray - which caught my attention - is painted with the image of a boy, wearing a coral amulet and holding a hobby horse and pinwheel, seated on a rock in the middle of a river or lake, urinating streams of silver and gold. The coral amulet, which initially caught my eye, was a common apotropaic device, particularly with respect to childbirth and maternal/infant health. It appears in numerous Renaissance paintings of the Virgin and Child. The inscription around the perimeter of the tray, which is partially effaced, reads: "FACCIA IDDIO SANA OGNI DONNA CHFFIGLIA EPADRI LORO . . . RO . . . ERNATO SIA SANZA NOIA ORICHDIA * ISONO * VNBANBOLIN * CHESUL [ROCCIA/] DIMORO * FO * LAPISCIA* DARIENT [O] * EDORO," which is translated as: "May God grant health to every woman who gives birth and to their father . . . may [the child] be born without fatigue or peril. I am an infant who lives on a [rock?] and I make urine of silver and gold." (The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Summer 1980.) Various authors have suggested that the silver and gold urine might signify "future prosperity," "a pun," and an allusion to the goldsmithing occupation of the birth family. It is believed that the damaged coat of arms on the tray may have belonged to the Montauri family of Siena. There is also some speculation that the tray was commissioned in celebration of the birth of Paolo di Tommaso Montauri, who later became a goldsmith and served on the board of governors of the Bicherna (Exchequer) in 1480. His father, Tommaso di Paolo Montauri also had been a prominent goldsmith. (Kanter, Lawrence et al. Painting and Illumination in Early Renaissance Florence 1300-1450, New York, Harry N. Abrams, 1994.) I am wondering whether the birth-tray child, who 'lives on a rock' and makes 'urine of silver and gold,' may point to an alchemical significance. Can anyone shed light on possible alchemical connections with respect to the artist (Bartolomeo di Fruosino) or the Montauri family? Are there similar, posibly related, images in "civilian" art? I would welcome any thoughts on the iconography. Thank you. Janet Muff Subject: von Bernus From: Eugene Beshenkovsky Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 Dear Rafal, I checked this catalogue several years ago. It is a regular catalogue of library holdings. Useful, but no match to Ferguson or Duveen or Bolton. There are few items that might be of interest to you like: "Lucerna Salis Philosophorum", Sendivogius' Chemische Schriften, and his Briefe. Best, Eugene Beshenkovsky Subject: Maier's 'Arcana Arcanissima' From: Aaron Crim Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 This is probably a very dumb question, but has this work ever been translated into English? If so, is it readily available, or am I missing something? Thanks in advance, Aaron Subject: A Giorgione's painting reading From: Janet Muff Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 Dear Marisa Addomine: I am not sure whether he is correct or not, but Antoine Faivre discusses Giorgione's "The Three Philosophers" (in his book The Eternal Hermes - From Greek God to Alchemical Magus) in conjunction with a discussion of the engraving of Hermes Trismegistus from the Siena Cathedral, attributed to Giovanni di Maestro Stephano. 
About the Siena work, Faivre concludes that Hermes Trismegistus is indeed the prominent figure, who has a long forked beard and wears a pointed hat or miter. He suggests that the turbaned man is Plato, and the younger man who is dressed as a monk might be Marsilio Ficino. Faivre goes on to discuss the Giorgione painting as follows: "Should we recognize Trismegistus as one of the three figures of the famous painting by Giorgione - one of the masters of the Venetian school - dating around 1500 and now in the Vienna Staatsgalerie? Here again, we have an old bearded man, holding a manuscript and accompanied by two personages: a turbaned Oriental, and a young, pensive European equipped with square and compasses. The green costume and charming looks of the latter suggest Saint John the Evangelist (compare the illustration by Jean Fouquet in Etienne Chevalier's Book of Hours). The Oriental resembles a picture of an alchemist by Durer. An X-ray examination of the Giorgione painting has shown that the old man on the right originally wore a diadem with rays, decorated with plumes, such as the ancient Egyptians attributed to the divine scribe, Thoth - here transformed into a mere astrologer. On this painting, see G. F. Hartlaub, "L'esoterisme de Giorgione (sur un tableau de la Wiener Staatsgalerie)," in La Tour Saint-Jacques, no. 15 (May-June 1958), pp. 13-18. Mirko Sladek is preparing a thorough study of this painting." (Faivre, p. 133.) Regards, Janet Muff Subject: Alchemy and pottery From: Giulio Vada Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 I am currently working on the relationship between alchemy and pottery. I need to collect material for my research project. I wonder if anyone has any additional information in the form of pointers to texts, articles, images,ecc. Any help would be really appreciated. Best regards, Giulio Vada Subject: Maier's 'Arcana Arcanissima' From: Hereward Tilton Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 Dear Aaron, To my knowledge the Arcana Arcanissima does not exist in English translation (or in German or French, for that matter); you'll find a good English summary of the work's contents in the Reverend Craven's work on Michael Maier, and there's also some information in my own work on him. As the first clear formulation of Maier's hermeneutic, it's a central work of the mythoalchemical tradition, and would surely be worth translating, if you're thinking of doing it yourself. Cheers Hereward Tilton Subject: History of Alchemy From: Julie Hollingsworth Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 I am presently working on the history of alchemy. If anyone has suggestions on articles, papers, authors, or images, I would greatly appreciate the information. Julie Hollingsworth Subject: Alchemy and pottery From: Adam McLean Date: 17 Mar 2004 Two names immediately come to my mind - Bernard Palissy the 16th century potter, and Boettger the 18th century alchemist and inventor of porcelain (in Europe that is). Bernard PALISSY Discours admirables, de la nature des eaux et fonteines... des metaux, des sels & salines, des pierres, des terres, du feu & des emaux... Paris 1580. Here is a short description I found of this book. "The second book, Discours admirables, probably incorporates Palissy's Paris lectures. It deals with an impressive array of subjects: agriculture, alchemy, botany, ceramics, embalming, engineering, geology, hydrology, medicine, metallurgy, meteorology, mineralogy, paleontology, philosophy, physics, toxicology, and zoology. The book is divided into several chapters, the first and longest of which is concerned with water. The others take up metals and their nature and generation; drugs; ice; different types of salts and their nature, effects, and methods of generation; characteristics of common and precious stones; clay and marl; and the potter's art..." Kirsop, Wallace. 'The legend of Bernard Palissy' Ambix 9 (3) Oct 1961, p136-154. http://www.sogang.ac.kr/~anthony/daniel/Daniel1.htm John Frederick Boettger There are many mentions of him on web sites, lots of articles and even an entertaining novel - Gleeson, Janet. The Arcanum. The extraordinary true story of the invention of European Porcelain. 1998. Adam McLean Subject: Azogue e-journal's Book of the Year From: Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 Dear Collegues: The e-journal "Azogue" offers since 1998 the Book of the Year Award for the best publication in the history of alchemy. It does not include a monetary reward. The prize is designed especially to define standards for people learning in history of alchemy and related fields. The book selected could be a model for students and new researchers. It will be aiming to a better and more positive interpretation of alchemy as historical subject. It is clear that a statement of basic criteria for adequacy will be helpful. The study of alchemy, hermeticism, rosacrucianism, paracelsism, etc., had now become part of academic research. But, in mainstream accademic discussions up to the present we can find the validity of various specific approaches which had been developed in some cases as polar opposites. Researchers could find methodological references and analytical strategies in the book selected. It could provide disciplinary orientation in historical methods and introduce students to the theoretical and practical problems in our field. It could help students begin to think about the theme, "history of alchemy" to analyze and think critically about a topic's significance in history in relation to the theme, and to develop a new analysis through further research. %%%%%%%%%Vote%%%%%%%%% People who want to elect the Book of the Year must meet at least one of the following criteria: 1. Hold an affiliated academic position (national or federal research institutions, universities and colleges). 2. Hold membership in a recognized association or society of independent scholars. 3. Have a demonstrated record of scholarly publications. You can send your vote to: [email protected] The last year we received 84 votes from 11 countries and we try to increase this number. %%%%%%%%%Terms and conditions%%%%%%%%% The standards used to award the prize should be: originality, well-crafted sources and solid scholarship. The entry must had been published in 2003 (see ISBN). The deadline for vote submission is April 20. The Prize is to be awarded at the Azogue web site in May 1. < http://idd00dnu.eresmas.net/premios.htm > We thank your collaboration. Toledo (Spain), 17-3-2004. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azogue. Revista Electr�nica Dedicada al Estudio Hist�rico-Cr�tico de la Alquimia. ISSN: 1575-8184 URL: http://www.come.to/azogue e-mail: [email protected] Subject: Maier's 'Arcana Arcanissima' From: Aaron Crim Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 Hereward, Thank you for the confirmation. I'm a bit surprised this one hasn't been Englished yet. I'd love to do it...if only my Latin was up to par! I'll be keeping an eye out, that's for sure. Someone will do it eventually, or perhaps my Latin will improve and then I'll do it. Aaron Subject: Question on Theophilus Schweighart Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Claude, > http://www.gnosis.art.pl/iluminatornia/alkimija/theophilus_schweighart_speculum_sophicum02.htm > > The text would have been published as soon as 1604? Just for the record; I have traced the source of that error. It is _Alchemy & Mysticism_ by Alexander Roob, where on p. 333 there is that frontispiece with the publication year 1604. It appears that most of the pictures on the site have been scanned from that book! The site is that of the Polish journal called _Gnosis_ - with strong Jungian and Steinerian profile. Best regards, Rafal Subject: History of Alchemy From: Hereward Tilton Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 Dear Julie, That's a very broad field! If you can read German, I would recommend Hans-Werner Sch�tt, Auf der Suche nach dem Stein der Weisen, and Helmut Gebelein, Alchemie. In English good introductions are Holmyard, Alchemy, and Read, Prelude to Chemistry. They're a bit outdated, but useful nonetheless. I always found Partington's History of Chemistry very useful too. And Thorndyke's History of Magic and Experimental Science. Can you be more specific about your needs? Hereward Tilton Subject: History of Alchemy From: Adam McLean Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 Dear Julie, This is a very difficult area. Hereward has suggested some of the standard English works. It is rather depressing to note that they were written before the second World War. There has not been a comprehensive history of alchemy written in recent times, and on the contrary the mass of popular format books are totally misleading, full of errors and lack any depth of insight. Indeed many of these writers just rework the texts of popular writers before them. They have obviously never spent any time looking at original material. Another problem that confounds this area is that many writers on alchemy seem to adopt an agenda. Few have any interest in alchemy as a subject in itself, but instead want to present it through the filter of their own preconceptions. But one need not despair. There are many hundreds of insightful articles on the history. These usually focus on one period, a single alchemists work, or some idea that surfaced in alchemy at some time, so one has to read widely through these. I have a list on the web site of some of the articles in my own collection and this could be a start. http://www.alchemywebsite.com/articles_proj.html Unfortunately I haven't had time to update this for years. Like others, I suspect, I have quite a few ever-growing piles of photocopies of articles cluttering up my home Also Alan Pritchard's 'Alchemy: a bibliography of English-language writings' is an invaluable source. As noted recently he is now adding items to his bibliography through an online resource. http://www.cix.co.uk/~apritchard/bibliog.htm Also Claudia Kren's book Alchemy in Europe: A guide to research. I think that to get a handle on the flow of alchemical history one really must read as widely as possible and not rely on any single authority. Articles can provide closely focussed views into the subject. It would be marvellous if someone without some preconceived agenda could draw on this material and provide a three or more volume work on the history of alchemy. I am sure it would need 1500-2000 pages to present even the bare bones. Adam McLean Subject: History of Alchemy From: Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 >I am presently working on the history of alchemy. If anyone has >suggestions on articles, papers, authors, or images, I would >greatly appreciate the information. Dear Julie: It is a really extensive field. As mentioned by Hereward Tilton you should be more specific (Middle Ages?, Renaissance?, Greek Alchemy?, Yabirian texts?, Paracelsianism?, Rosacrucianism?, etc.). If you are looking for a general introduction I think it could be a useful tool: - R. HALLEUX, (1979), "Les textes alchimiques", Brepols Publishers, Turnhout. The bibliographical background is a bit outdated but can complete it with the next works: - BERNARD JOLY, (1996), "Bibliographie", in: "Revue d'histoire des sciences", 49, pp. 345-354. - ANDREA SCOTTI, (2003), "Ipotesi per la Creazione di un Repertorio Digitale Relativo ale Ricette Mediche e Alchemiche", in: Chiara Crisciani & Agostino Paravicini Bagliani (eds.) "Alchimia e Medicina nel Medioevo", Brepols Publishers, Turnhout, pp. 337-370, cf. pp. 350-370 Regards, Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Subject: History of Alchemy From: Jean Debord Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 The book "Histoire de la chimie", by Ferdinand Hoefer (1866) may be of interest. It has been reprinted by Gutenberg Reprints. See for instance: http://www.contrepoints.com/gutenberg/pages/hoefer2.htm Best regards, Jean Debord Subject: History of Alchemy Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Jean Debord wrote: > The book "Histoire de la chimie", by Ferdinand Hoefer (1866) may be of > interest. It has been reprinted by Gutenberg Reprints. See for instance: There is also a digital version on Gallica (not very good reproduction, however): vol. 1: http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N062358 vol. 2: http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N062359 Best regards, Rafal Subject: History of Alchemy Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 From: Julie Hollingsworth Thank you all so much for your responses to my inquiry. I was able to locate some of the books that were suggested and appreciate your help and feedback. I am writing a dissertation on the subject of alchemy and how the stages of alchemy relate to the stages of recovery (12-Step recovery, etc.) and waking from the unconsciousness of life in our present world into consciousness. The history of alchemy is my introduction and as some of you have mentioned, there are many directions to choose from. If there are any other suggestions they will be greatly appreciated. Peace and Love, Julie Subject: Question on Theophilus Schweighart Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 From: Claude Gagnon Dear Rafal, Thank you so much for the reference expaining the typographical error. I shall deposit your information in my edition of a Vatican latin ms. attributed to Flamel (should be published in the next volume of the Chrisopoeia Studies). Amiti� Claude Subject: History of Alchemy Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 From: Adam McLean Dear Julie, > I am writing a dissertation on the subject of alchemy and > how the stages of alchemy relate to the stages of recovery > (12-Step recovery, etc.) and waking from the unconsciousness > of life in our present world into consciousness. The history of > alchemy is my introduction and as some of you have mentioned, > there are many directions to choose from. I wonder if investigating the history of alchemy can throw any light upon the subject of your dissertation. When you say "waking from the unconsciousness of life in our present world into consciousness", I feel this implies that you have some underlying agenda, a depth psychology or spiritual one perhaps. I am not sure I, for one, really feel "unconscious" in my present life and I do not expect to "wake up" in the near future, indeed I fully expect the opposite. If one wants to interpret alchemy in this way it is probably best to take an a-historical approach. I cannot see how the correct dating say of an engraving (as we noted in the thread on Schweighardt) can have much relevance to "stages of recovery" and "waking from the unconsciousness" both of which terms do not, as far as I understand, appear in alchemical texts but are a product of the 20th Century. Is the "12-Step recovery" not something to do with recovering from alcholism ? I doubt even whether alcholism was recognised as a condition until relatively modern times. I don't recall any alchemical work that addressed recovering from alcholism. I cannot see how studying the historical development of alchemy in the distant past can contribute much to a dissertation which is predicated on some modern belief system. You should perhaps merely study the evolving of esoteric, Freudian, Jungian, and New Age ideas in the twentieth century, as that will be the main area from which you can draw any meaningful connections. All the delightful and intricate problems in the articulation of a coherent history of alchemy, most of which still lie unsolved, seem to me totally irrelevant to your study. If I was you I would give this a miss and concentrate on the true sources of the ideas at the root of your thesis - modern depth psychology. All will be revealed there. Adam McLean Subject: History of Alchemy Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 From: Joel Tetard Dear Julie, If you read French, you can download many interesting sources from http://gallica.bnf.fr Above, I send you a quick list of references and links which could be of some interest for you. Best regards. Jo�l Tetard "Pierre Stibia" Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Berthelot, Marcellin Titre(s) : Introduction � l'�tude de la chimie des anciens et du Moyen-�ge [Document �lectronique] / par M. Berthelot,... Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : XII-330 p. : fig., tabl. Note(s) : Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Bruxelles : Culture et civilisation, 1983. 24 cmFac-sim. de l'�d. de Paris : G. Steinheil, 1889 Sujet(s) : Alchimie Chimie -- Jusqu'� 1500 Sciences anciennes Sciences m�di�vales Notice n� : FRBNF37245231 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Figuier, Louis Titre(s) : L'alchimie et les alchimistes [Document �lectronique] : essai historique et critique sur la philosophie herm�tique / par Louis Figuier Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : 420 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Paris : L. Hachette, 1860 Essai historique et critique sur la philosophie herm�tique - Sujet(s) : Alchimie Alchimistes Notice n� : FRBNF37264159 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Tiffereau, Cyprien-Th�odore (1819-19..) Titre(s) : L'or et la transmutation des m�taux [Document �lectronique] : m�moires et conf�rences / par G. [sic] Th�odore Tiffereau, l'alchimiste du XIX�me si�cle. pr�c�d�es de Paracelse et l'alchimie au XVI�me si�cle / par M. Franck,... Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : IX-183 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Paris : H. Chacornac, 1889 (Collection d'ouvrages relatifs aux sciences herm�tiques). In-16 Sujet(s) : Paracelse (1493-1541 ) -- Et l'alchimie Philosophes herm�tiques M�tallurgie extractive Or -- Alliages Notice n� : FRBNF37258712 Type : document �lectronique, notice analytique Auteur(s) : Franck, Adolphe. Auteur du texte Titre(s) : Paracelse et l'alchimie au XVI�me si�cle [Document �lectronique] Notice n� : FRBNF37258712 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Tiffereau, Cyprien-Th�odore (1819-19.. ) Titre(s) : Les m�taux sont des corps compos�s [Document �lectronique] : m�moires pr�sent�s � l'Acad�mie des sciences / par C.-Th�odore Tiffereau,.... suivi de Paracelse et l'alchimie au XVIe si�cle / par M. Franck,... Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : XXII-134 p. Note(s) : Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Paris : A. Choisnet, 1857 Sujet(s) : Paracelse (1493-1541 ) -- Et l'alchimie -- 16e si�cle M�tallurgie extractive -- 19e si�cle Notice n� : FRBNF37257230 Type : document �lectronique, notice analytique Auteur(s) : Franck, Adolphe. Auteur du texte Titre(s) : Paracelse et l'alchimie au XVIe si�cle [Document �lectronique] Notice n� : FRBNF37257230 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Gilbert, �mile Titre(s) : La pharmacie � travers les si�cles [Document �lectronique] : Antiquit�, Moyen �ge, Temps modernes / par �mile Gilbert,... Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : 455 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Toulouse : Impr. Vialelle, 1886 Sujet(s) : Pharmacie -- Histoire Notice n� : FRBNF37275996 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Jollivet-Castelot, Fran�ois (1874-19..) Titre(s) : Le grand-oeuvre alchimique [Document �lectronique] : brochure de propagande de la soci�t� alchimique / F. Jollivet Castelot,... Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : 44 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Paris : Ed. de l'Hyperchimie, 1901 Sujet(s) : Alchimie Notice n� : FRBNF37266684 Consulter le document Auteur(s) : Hoefer, Ferdinand (1811-1878) Titre(s) : Histoire de la physique et de la chimie depuis les temps les plus recul�s jusqu'� nos jours [Texte imprim�] / par Ferdinand Hoefer Publication : Paris : Hachette, 1872 Description mat�rielle : 560 p. : fig. ; in-16 Collection : Histoire universelle ; 31 Sujet(s) : Physique -- Histoire Chimie -- Histoire Notice n� : FRBNF33994075 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Hoefer, Ferdinand Titre(s) : Histoire de la chimie depuis les temps les plus recul�s jusqu'� notre �poque [Document �lectronique]. Tome premier / par le Dr Ferd. Hoefer Lien au titre d'ensemble : Histoire de la chimie depuis les temps les plus recul�s jusqu'� notre �poque Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : XI-51 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Paris : L. Hachette, 1842 Notice n� : FRBNF37295418 Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Hoefer, Ferdinand Titre(s) : Histoire de la chimie depuis les temps les plus recul�s jusqu'� notre �poque [Document �lectronique]. Tome deuxi�me / par le Dr Ferd. Hoefer Lien au titre d'ensemble : Histoire de la chimie depuis les temps les plus recul�s jusqu'� notre �poque Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : VIII-51 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Paris : L. Hachette, 1843 Notice n� : FRBNF37295423 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Kopp, Hermann Titre(s) : Die Alchemie bis zum letzten Viertel des 18. Jahrhunderts [Document �lectronique] / Hermann Kopp Titre d'ensemble : Die Alchemie in �lterer und neuerer Zeit ; 1 Lien au titre d'ensemble : Die Alchemie in �lterer und neuerer Zeit Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : XVII-260 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Hildesheim ; New York : G. Olms, 1971. 21 cm. ISBN 3-487-04077-8Fac-sim. de l'�d. de Heidelberg : [s.n.], 1886 Sujet(s) : Alchimie -- Histoire Notice n� : FRBNF37250797 Consulter le document Type : texte imprim�, monographie Auteur(s) : Jagnaux, Raoul Titre(s) : Histoire de la chimie [Document �lectronique]. Tome premier, Histoire des grandes lois chimiques. Histoire des m�tallo�des et de leurs principaux compos�s / par Raoul Jagnaux,... Lien au titre d'ensemble : Histoire de la chimie Type de ressource �lectronique : Donn�es textuelles Publication : 1995 Description mat�rielle : 728 p. Reproduction : Num. BNF de l'�d. de Paris : librairie polytechnique Baudry, 1891 Histoire des m�tallo�des et de leurs principaux compos�s Sujet(s) : Chimie -- Histoire Notice n� : FRBNF37263878 Consulter le document Subject: Les Alchimistes Grecs From: Shannon Grimes Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 Greetings, I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Religion Department at Syracuse University, New York, working on a dissertation on Zosimos of Panopolis. My question is regarding the Bude series, _Les Alchimistes Grecs_, published by Les Belles Lettres, Paris. Only three of the twelve projected volumes have been published since 1981. Has anyone heard news regarding the status of this series, and whether more books are indeed in the works? The volumes by Halleux and Mertens are excellent, and I hope the series will continue. Shannon Grimes Subject: Les Alchimistes Grecs From: Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 Dear Shannon Grimes, The Bude series _Les Alchimistes Grecs_ has been directed by Henri Dominique Saffrey (1968-) in collaboration with Robert Halleux (1978-). Probably you should ask to Prof. Halleux. Here you can find his job address: http://cfwb.otil.org/servlet/Fiche?FORM=FICHE_CONTACT&ID=233 There are several researchers in recent years, many of whom have published scattered works related to the Greek corpus. - Andree Collinet (_Le travail des quatre �l�ments_ datation and introduction). - Cristina Viano (1. Olympiodorus' _Commentaries on Zosimus_ partial edition. 2 . Aristotle and Plato on Greek alchemy. 3. Zosimus' divine water). - Jean Letrouit (1. Zosimus' _Letter Omega _ revision and tentative edition in a critical analysis of Mertens work. 2. Chronological study of Greek alchemy). - Maria Papathanassiou (Stephanos of Alexandria alchemical lections, tentative edition and critical introduction in a non-edited Ph.D. dissertation). - Mich�le Mertens (_Isis Letter addressed to Horus_ tentative edition in a non-edited Ph.D. dissertation). - Roberto Romano (on Stephanos of Alexandria). I can send you a bibliographical references if you want. Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Subject: von Bernus Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Eugene, Thank a lot for the information - and apologies for thanking you so late! > I checked this catalogue several years ago. It is a regular > catalogue of library holdings. Useful, but no match to Ferguson > or Duveen or Bolton. > > There are few items that might be of interest to you like: > "Lucerna Salis Philosophorum", Sendivogius' Chemische Schriften, > and his Briefe. Do you still have easy access to it? I would be interested in item/page references for the titles you mention. Best regards, Rafal Subject: History of Alchemy Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Adam, > I think that to get a handle on the flow of alchemical history > one really must read as widely as possible and not rely on any > single authority. Articles can provide closely focussed > views into the subject. It would be marvellous if someone > without some preconceived agenda could draw on this material > and provide a three or more volume work on the history of alchemy. > I am sure it would need 1500-2000 pages to present even the > bare bones. I think it is a very important - and equally controversial - statement, worthy of further discussion here. As you say, the amount of partial in-depth studies is growing fast and may soon reach the state of [here I wanted to use a nice chemical term for a solution that cannot absorb more but cannot find it in my dictionary! :-)] when someone will inevitably produce a full-length history of alchemy. But what can it look like? You say it should be done without a "preconceived agenda" - and I just can't see how it can be done. Every author has some view of his own, some idea on what alchemy is/was, some (re)construction of its history, some perspective from which (s)he approaches the topic, some theories of history, science, philosophy and art (even if these are not articulated), etc. Recent historiography of alchemy presents a whole array of different approaches, from traditional positivist (Sartonian) history of science to structuralist/postmodern semiotic/phenomenological attempts, viewed through the lenses of art historians, literary critics (poetry, rhetoric), gender studies, investigation of the esoteric currents, plain chemistry, etc. etc. (not to mention the obvious Jungian and Eliadean examples, which are already classical). Many of those approaches are (or at least seem) mutually exclusive. So, I dare say, there is no such thing as an "objective" history of alchemy. There are many histories of alchemy waiting to be written by representatives of different schools of thought. It is not so much different from other areas of historical investigation - but more difficult because it was neglected for so long and there is hardly an accepted (or acceptable) starting point or "received vision". Best regards, Rafal Subject: History of Alchemy From: Arlene Kahn Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 What about Jack Lindsay's "The Origins of Alchemy in Graeco-Roman Egypt " -- seems a pretty objective historical account. Maybe it just doesn't go far enough. Arlene Subject: History of Alchemy From: Adam McLean Date: 23 Mar 2004 Dear Rafal, >But what can it look like? You say it should be done >without a "preconceived agenda" - and I just can't see >how it can be done. Every author has some view of his own, >some idea on what alchemy is/was, some (re)construction >of its history, some perspective from which (s)he approaches >the topic, some theories of history, science, philosophy >and art (even if these are not articulated), etc.... Well I suppose in an absolute sense you are right in this. I just lament the fact that no substantial 'history of alchemy' has been written in recent times, despite the work of many scholars writing articles providing many references to source material that was previously unknown. While total objectivity is an ideal, of course, that is only approachable and never achievable, it does seem to me that the subject of alchemy in our era struggles without some definite historical description. People write to me all the time through my alchemy web site asking questions or making remarks which betray just how ignorant they are of the way in which alchemy appeared in history. I suspect what I want is not so much a smoothly polished historical perspective, but rather a sourcebook of the history of our subject, pointing out the source material, books and manuscripts through which we can arrive at biographies of individual alchemists and trace the links and influences that shaped their works. In a way that is what I was attempting in an unintegrated, imperfect and messy organic way through the creation of the alchemy web site. Perhaps what is needed is more in the form of a 'wikipedia' where many people contribute to the body of knowledge within a structured historical perspective. Alchemy is perhaps more susceptible to the author's personal perspective than many other subjects, as the readership often does not have enough information on which to pass a judgement and therefore must rely on much of which the author presents to us. In other areas of study, say just for example, the work of Leonardo da Vinci, there are many in-depth studies where one can get close to the facts and be able to make some assessment of a study of his work. This body of studies does not exist in alchemy yet, so we are at the mercy of each writer as they present us with what they claim as historical facts, and their interpretation of these facts. Adam McLean Subject: History of Alchemy From: Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 A few years ago I read in Ambix (Vol. XLI, n� 3, p. 161) that the period for writing general books on the subject of history of alchemy has passed. I think it is true. Now that an increasing amount of scholarly activity (informed by historical sensitivity and method) is being directed towards alchemy, we can see that the subject has a breadth, depth, and richness which could not be expounded in general treatises. I predicated on the idea that a full understanding of the character and cultural significance of alchemy requires an interdisciplinary approach involving training in science along with scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. Investigating the major issues of alchemy demands reference to many academic disciplines, especially history of science, medicine, chemistry, religion, philosophy, philology, art history, iconography... Moreover alchemy requires other reseach tools more than general histories. Halleux's "Les Textes Alchimiques" will be a useful research guide in a methodological sense but we need more specific essays. Students usually ask about specialized reference sources to begin their research: glossaries, annotated bibliographies (primary as well as secondary sources), comprehensive encyclopedias, periodical indexes, timelines, chronologies or critical guides to research sources. What about dictionaries? Priesner and Figala's "Lexicon" may be a first experimental step. What about academic journals? We can compare among about 500 journals in medieval studies, 700 chemistry, 1000 in medicine and... 2 or 3 in history of alchemy. It is necesary to concentrate on making available in critical editions some of the thousands of texts on alchemy, on explaining them in terms of the culture that produced them, and on exploring the ways in which other fields (religion, philosophy, chemistry, medicine...) and alchemy interact. It is true that we can find transcriptions or tentative editions and these are useful tools, but production of critical editions in that field is really poor (I think no more than 35 or 40 treatises). At the same time it is necesary to establish some academical structures like the "Soci�te d'�tude de l'Histoire de l'Alchimie" (CNRS France), the "Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry" (SHAC), and the two chairs of western esotericism (Paris and Amsterdam). This institutions should offers students an opportunity to conduct such research, within a professional training structure of directed reading and disciplined writing. The "alchemy academy" is a good example of research tools. This list edited by Adam allows to share information about teaching and research and to participate in conversations about matters of common interest. I think we try to develop these research tools more than a general book of alchemy that will be inevitably outdated. Regards, Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Subject: Johannes Walch From: Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 I am recalling information about the alchemical compendia entitled "Dyas chymica tripartita". It was compiled by Hermannus Condeesyanus in1625. Herzog August Bibliothek OPAC reports it was edited by Johannes Walch and Johann Grasshoff. I suppose the second name is a mistake. I read in some standard bibliographies (Ferguson, British Museum Catalogue, Wellcome Library, Duveen, etc.) that Hermannus Condeesyanus was a pseudonym of Johann Grasshoff. However Carlos Gilly has suggested it seems to be a pseudonym of Johannes Rhenanus, a member of Moritz's scientific entourage in the court of Kassel. - C. GILLY, (1994), Adam Halsmayr, p. 150. - C. GILLY, (1995), Cimelia Rhodostaurotica, p. 73, 74, 95. My question is: Does anyone knows who was Johannes Walch (?-1623)? Thanks in advance, Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Subject: Johannes Walch Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Jos�, > My question is: Does anyone knows who was Johannes Walch (?-1623)? Adam's list of Ferguson Manuscripts at: http://www.levity.com/alchemy/f101-150.html has this entry: MS. 137. 99 folios. 144x94mm. 17th Century. In German, but with titles in Latin. f1 De Generatione Metallorum Commentarii Walchii Schorndorffii. [Johannes Walch of Schondorff.] [See Johann Grasshof, Der kleine Bauer, Strasbourg, 1619 (Ferguson I, 338) with the Commentary of Walchius.] Not much - but at least closer identification through his place of origin. Best regards, Rafal Subject: Johannes Walch From: Adam McLean Date: 24 Mar 2004 Following up on Rafal's posting there is also the entry in my manuscripts listing Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek MS. 1779. M. Joh. Walchii Schorndorffensis [teacher of Isaac Habrecht in the alchemical art] Epistola rem chymicam et praecipue opus lapidis Philosophorum concernentes, ad Dullossium Metensem Med. Doctor 1619-20. Testament Chymic. Joh. Walchi descript. 1617. Epistola [Walchi] ad Jac. Azamum eleemosynarium levis armaturae Regis Galliae. Subject: Johannes Walch Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke >Following up on Rafal's posting there is also the entry in my >manuscripts listing And following Adam's information, I have found another item which contains autobiographical information on Walch. It is included in an interesting microfilm collection of German Baroque literature, the inventory of which can be found here: http://microformguides.gale.com/Data/Download/2025000R.pdf and I enclose a GIF image of the Walch book entry.  Best regards, Rafal Subject: History of Alchemy Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Jos�, > A few years ago I read in Ambix (Vol. XLI, n� 3, p. 161) that > the period for writing general books on the subject of history > of alchemy has passed. I think it is true. Now that an increasing > amount of scholarly activity (informed by historical sensitivity and > method) is being directed towards alchemy, we can see that the > subject has a breadth, depth, and richness which could not be > expounded in general treatises. Well, I would still argue that syntheses are an important and necessary element crowning every period of particular studies and increased research activity. That is why monumental publications for various sub-fields of history (or any other area) appear every couple of decades. I do not think that alchemy is deeper or more complicated than, say, history of philosophy or religion. So I do not agree the time for general books on alchemy has passed - perhaps it has not come yet. > I predicated on the idea that a > full understanding of the character and cultural significance of > alchemy requires an interdisciplinary approach involving training > in science along with scholarship in the humanities and social > sciences. Investigating the major issues of alchemy demands > reference to many academic disciplines, especially history of > science, medicine, chemistry, religion, philosophy, philology, art > history, iconography... This is certainly true - but it is equally true about other areas of cultural and intellectual history, especially in the pre-modern era, when the scope of interests of intellectuals was very broad, encompassing all the modern desciplines you mention (and usually a number of others). So the objection you raise should not prevent scholars to attempt a synthesis on alchemy when the time is ripe. > Moreover alchemy requires other reseach tools more than > general histories. > > Halleux's "Les Textes Alchimiques" will be a useful research > guide in a methodological sense but we need more specific essays. > Students usually ask about specialized reference sources to begin > their research: glossaries, annotated bibliographies (primary as > well as secondary sources), comprehensive encyclopedias, > periodical indexes, timelines, chronologies or critical guides to > research sources. Yes, I think what is especially needed now would be a "map" of influences, as a skeleton and guidelines for further developments. I would envision this as a higher level, structured version of timeline/chronology, showing who was influenced by whom, who belonged to which "school" or "line" in the history of alchemy. The studies of the past two decades were successful in showing that the traditional (positivist) representation of alchemy as a monolithic body of pseudo-scientific gibberish was wrong and the picture is more complex. Now that the "granularity" of alchemy has been shown, it would be important to give it a structure. Much of it has already been done in individual studies, of course - so it is a matter of producing a synthesis of this type, which would be an important tool of the type you mention. > What about dictionaries? Priesner and Figala's > "Lexicon" may be a first experimental step. What about academic > journals? We can compare among about 500 journals in medieval > studies, 700 chemistry, 1000 in medicine and... 2 or 3 in history > of alchemy. Well... looking through the on-line tables of contents of _Ambix_ for recent years, it seems this journal, so important in the past, is now only occassionally including a piece on alchemy, devoting the majority of its space to 19th and 20th century history of chemistry. > It is necesary to concentrate on making available in critical > editions some of the thousands of texts on alchemy, on explaining > them in terms of the culture that produced them, and on exploring > the ways in which other fields (religion, philosophy, chemistry, > medicine...) and alchemy interact. > It is true that we can find transcriptions or tentative editions and > these are useful tools, but production of critical editions in that > field is really poor (I think no more than 35 or 40 treatises). This is very true. But even transciptions would be very useful, especially if available in electronic versions and thus allowing various manipulations (searching, comparing, etc.). Adam's infatigable efforts in making translations of original texts available are of inormous help for getting acquainted with alchemical writings. Digital versions of many original printed texts on Gallica, Dioscorides and elsewhere are an important new development, which makes those editions easily available. The next step should be an attempt to organize a large scale project of transcribing and editing the most important of those texts. This would perhaps require to compile a list of the works which would be generally agreed on as most important, influencial and representative for various periods and "schools". I am now working on a small project which will make a number of alchemical texts available in such form (XML coded according to TEI Guidelines, for the technically minded) but that will be just a waterdrop in the sea of alchemical writings. > The "alchemy academy" is a good example of research tools. > This list edited by Adam allows to share information about > teaching and research and to participate in conversations about > matters of common interest. Absolutely - this is one of the bright lights that will lead us into the future! Best regards, Rafal Subject: History of Alchemy Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear Arlene, > What about Jack Lindsay's "The Origins of Alchemy in > Graeco-Roman Egypt " -- seems a pretty objective historical > account. Maybe it just doesn't go far enough. The problem is with the adjective "objective" :-) I have not read Lindsay - but can any historical analysis/synthesis be objective? Can we say "it was really so and that is the whole truth"? Obviously not. It is always an interpretation. Even on the most basic level - such as selection of quotations or extracting ideas from selected texts. Alchemical texts were largely neglected by scholars for three centuries - but great philosophers, writers and artists have been interpreted and reinterpreted by generations and generations of large numbers of scholars, trying to find the "real" meaning Plato, Shakespeare or Da Vinci - and still hundreds of dissertations are produced on "New interpretation of something in someone's texts". Thus - there can be no objectivity (except for the simplest facts such as bio-bibliographical details - but even those are often interpolated from whatever limited hard evidence has come down to us and are therefore also subject to interpretation and evaluation). Best regards, Rafal Subject: Johannes Walch From: Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 Dear Adam and Rafal, Thanks for taking the time to send me those references. It seems to be some confussion betwen Johann Grasshoff and the mistaken identities attributed to him (Hermannus Condeesyanus and Johannes Walch). Today I was searching other items attributed to Condeesyanus in the Herzog August Bibliothek and I have found the next description related to "Vier Tract�tlein Fr. Basilii Valentini" editor: Grasshoff, Johann (1608-1623 ; Alchimist; = Johannes Walch) Here Grasshoff and Walch appears as the same person. At the same time I will look into your suggestions (Walchii Schorndorffensis or Walch of Schondorff) and I think there is no problem to find enough biographical material. Regards, Jos� Rodr�guez Guerrero Subject: Alchemical heraldic image From: Adam McLean Date: 30 Mar 2004 I noted recently in Bernard Roget's 'A la decouverte de l'alchimie', 1988, an engraving which he ascribes to the 15th century - an obvious error of course - it looks 17th century to me. He says this is reproduced in Cadet de Gassicourt, 'L'Hermetisme dans l'art heraldique', Paris, 1907. Regrettably I don't seem to be able to access a copy of this work. Does anyone have access to this book and can look up the source of the original engraving? It might be very useful if someone could give me some assessment of the Cadet de Gassicourt book. It is an interesting engraving showing a traveller bearing a heraldic shield with symbols which seem to have an alchemical significance, though it would be best if I could check the original context in which this appeared, as it could be an emblem book. I attach a scan of this engraving. Adam McLean 
Subject:Alchemical heraldic image From: Joris Verheijen Date : 30 Mar 2004 Hello Adam, Looks to me like your engraving pictures St. Jerome, wearing his typical cardinal's hat and accompanied by his pet lion. There is an iconic tradition that shows his encounter with an angel, just as in your engraving: for instance, Jusepe Ribera's etching 'Saint Jerome and the Angel', see http://www.knox.edu/x1137.xml All the best, Joris Verheijen Van Ditmar Binnendienst Subject: 'Decorsating' a lab Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 From: Michal Pober Dear Friends, On Tuesday afternoon my colleagues and I will meet to 'decorate' the walls of the lab in the Museum. For a variety of reasons we will be following more-or-less the description given by John Dee in his diaries [on page 212 of 'A True and Faithful Relation'] of the 'Stove, or Study' of the little house which they were given in Prague by Dr Taddeas Hajek, one of Rudolf II's Physicians and perhaps the most important 'scientist' of his day. The room in question had belonged to his father who is the A-- to whom Dee refers, Simon Baccalaureus Pragensis, whose name is written there with the date 1518. The description is as follows: 'among other things manifold written very fairly in the Study (and very many Hierogliphical Notes Philosophical, in Birds, Fishes, Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, and six Vessels, as for the Philosophers works) these verses were over the door. Immortales Decus par gloriaque ille debentur Cuius ab ingenio est discolor hic paries.' There is a continuing piece in Latin which we will work on at a later date. For now my question - rather urgent I'm afraid - is if anyone has any inspiration about what those 'Hierogliphical Notes Philosophical, in Birds, Fishes, Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, and six Vessels' might have looked like - and perhaps specific sources of pictures which we could copy. Second question - does anyone have a translation of the Latin above or of the longer passage which immediately follows the above extract? I think at least some of it is in Fenton's 'Diaries of John Dee' but have mislaid my copy. All information, advice, comments gratefully received!!! With best regards! Michal Pober P.S. There is a lot more news re the Museum which I'll share soon. I will also have a follow-up question soon, also regarding imagery, but today this is the crucial one! Subject: Aristotle From: Joris Verheijen Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 Hello, As a philosopher and historian, I am interested in the reception of Aristotle's physical and metaphysical principles by the alchemists. Although the alchemical works I have read don't refer explicitly to Aristotle very often, many are written from a medieval outlook that is more or less based on aristotelian metaphysics. Also, certain basic concepts are aristotelian by origin, in particular 'prime matter' and 'quintessence'. It could be said that alchemy is about the transformation of the one into the other. My idea is that the alchemists have not simply taken over these ancient principles: they have subverted them and given them a highly original twist. In Aristotle, prime matter and quintessence form the opposite ends of a hierarchical scale. For the alchemists, they are not simply opposed, but also related in a profound way, when they suggest that the philosopher's stone is to be found in the dust that lies at our feet. To test this idea, I am very interested to learn of any references to Aristotle that you have found in alchemical books. Joris Verheijen Subject: New bibliography Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 From: Rafal T. Prinke Dear All, I have just found out about the new bibliography of alchemy published by Saur (vol. 1 of planned 3): Bibliographie der alchemistischen Literatur edited by Volker Fritz Br�ning. -- M�nchen : K.G. Saur, 2004 Here is a leaflet PDF on it: http://www.saur.de/_download/prospekte/englisch/0000010593.pdf Has anyone seen it yet? The price is ... well... Best regards, Rafal |
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