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Honoratius Marinier

It appears that there are only two copies of this work. MS. Wellcome 3442 is the original and MS. Ferguson 242 is a copy. The descriptions are taken from the Ferguson manuscript, Miracle naturel ou le grand mistere des misteres de la nature dans lequel on voit la pierre magicochimique compos�e et perfectionn�e selon les vrais ecrits des vrais philosophes choisis hermetiques ce qui compose la medicine universelle. [22 full page drawings in watercolour and 3 in pencil and grey wash by Honoratius Marinier, whose portrait and that of his wife form one of the plates "autographe de Marinier c.1790".]
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Figure 1. Figure of hermaphrodite from Rosarium Philosophorum series (figure 17). Standing on triple headed serpent, Solar tree on left. Pelican nourishing young on its own blood on right. The hermaphrodite holds a chalice with three serpents on the left and a green snake on the right. A green lion appears in the background.
Figure 2. Through an arch supported on two columns we see a classical house with a furnace burning though its open door. At the top of this arch is the symbol of two crossed keys. At the entrance of this outer arch an angel with a twisted sword wards away three figure who are tying to gain entrance. Inside the arch two figures one kneeling talk with Mercury with winged helmet and sandals.
Figure 3. Within a circular space the Sun and Moon are sending rays to the centre of a triangle supported by a man and woman. Around these figures are the sign of the zodiac. On a banner above "Ignis et aqua amici fiant et foelix eris". This is in a grey wash.
Figure 4. "Premier Clef". From a tableau of the classical gods in the heavens, centred around Zeus, a winged Hermes bearing caduceus flies downwards from the clouds towards a group of seven human figures on the ground who gaze up in wonder.
Figure 5. "II Clef".The Sun and Moon send their rays down upon a man (standing beside a furnace) and a woman seated on some rocks ( a Diana figure with lunar crescent upon her head). The man is in the act of handing the woman a flask. In the air above them a bird is hovering within the circle of an ouroboros serpent, which has flames below it.
Figure 6. Entitled above "Solve et Coagula", and with " Si vis nubere, nube pari" below. In a landscape Hermes with winged helmet brings together a man with Lyre (an Apollo figure) and a woman with lunar crescent and spear (Diana figure). On the left some satyrs dance, while on the right a crowd of people look upon the scene.
Figure 7. Text below "suite de la precedent figure". A Diana figure sits upon a bath or vessel set on a plinth, at the base of which two men sit and observe the scene. A vapour ascend behind her, while above the the Sun and Moon send down rays upon the vessel.
Figure 8. Text below "Suite au decuple o� de la precedent figure". The Diana figure is now seen lying in a pond or flat vessel which has a fire in the earth below. From her breasts liquid falls into the vessel or lake. Above in the heavens the Sun and Moon send down rays, however these do not reach the ground but are caught in a layer of cloud in which Hermes with caduceus is seen.
Figure 9. Entitled "per totum nostrum vegetabile menstruum. III clef". Text below "suite et consommation du decuple". At the base of a rocky outcrop, a man with a hammer and chisel works upon a two headed figure (possibly a Diana-Apollo hermaphrodite). Below Hermes lies as if dead or sleeping his winged helmet discarded on the ground. From the Heavens above, The Sun and Moon send down their rays.
Figure10. Text above "Foecibus extractis, vomitas puer ebibet undas, quae repetita sibi, pocula lactis erunt", and below "tu l'as pris, tu le rendras". A young boy covered with leprous spots is placed in a press. From his mouth a stream of liquid flows and is caught in a vessel by a woman in a blue robe.
Figure 11. In a woody glade a bearded man heats a vessel at the end of a rod, upon a brazier. Diana stands on the right and gestures towards this. In the heavens above are seen the Sun and Moon, and hovering above the brazier, is a bird, two keys and a circular wheel with seven spokes, set within the space of an ouroboros dragon with a fire below.
Figure 12. On some rocks beside a waterfall, Diana holds a flask, which a bearded man heats by means of a lighted torch. In the sky above we see Chronos-Saturn with hour-glass and scythe.
Figure 13. "2e Clef. Regimen ignis, regimini dulci". On a rock is seated the two headed hermaphroditic figure (Apollo-Diana) flanked by two crows. A man with a pickaxe kindles a fire at this figure's feet, while in the heavens above Sun and Moon send down rays which do not reach the ground but are caught in a bank of cloud upon which Hermes with caduceus lies.
Figure 14. On a island set in a blue expanse of sea, a single tree rise. At its foot Diana figure stands on foot in a mortar which a man is working with a pestle. To the left are three crows, and to the right another three crows are in act of devouring a male figure lying dead on the ground. Above in the heavens are the Sun and Moon, and hovering just above the tree is Hermes above a seven spoked wheel from which birds fly out.
Figure 15. "Ve clef. Ignis et azoth tibi sufficiunt." Diana is seated in the pond or low vessel, heated by a man (vulcan like figure) with flaming torch, while Zeus and other gods look on. She has a child covered with spots on her lap, and rays descend from the Sun, Moon and the hands and feet of Hermes floating above, into the child's mouth. Above Hermes is a seven spoked wheel with three birds.
Figure 16. On a rock are seated a man and a woman (possibly Diana, and they hold a vessel which catches the rays of the Sun and Moon. Above this hovers Hermes with caduceus and a seven spoked wheel, but on this occasion coloured white on red in reverse to its previous appearances. At Diana's feet a man with winged helmet (possibly another Hermes figure lies as if dead in a golden pool, heated from below by a man with a flaming torch.
Figure 17. On a flat grey space Diana reclines, while a rainbow arches overhead. Within this rainbow is a bird and a layer of cloud upon which a grey male child stands. The Sun, Moon and a Star shine out in the heavens above. Below Diana we see a magnificent peacock displaying its tail.
Figure 18. Entitled "Clef vi. In dealbatione. In est magna tarditas". On top of a rock Diana sits with the grey child in a pond of blue water, which is heated from below by a man (vulcan) with a flaming torch. From around the circumference of the pond seven flowers rise, and two crows fly above this. In the heavens Above the Sun and Moon send down their rays, while in the middle space Hermes with caduceus lies upon a cloud.
Figure 19. On a large rock Diana is seated with the grey child on her lap. At her feet is a golden pool with a small fire in its middle. A bearded man (vulcan) handles a golden nugget with his tongs and a shovel, while below this pool lies a small Hermes. To the left is a bird with red and white body and black wings. Above the head of the Diana figure a bird rises up, above which is the seven spoked wheel with another bird atop. The Sun and moon send down their gold and silver radiations on the scene below.
Figure 20. Diana is seated atop a large rock, to the left a red child on the right a white. Below the rock a man holds up a vessel and two red streams pass from the arms of the red child into this vessel. In the heavens above the Sun and Moon radiate down their beams. Hovering above Diana we see Hermes holding an athanor, and a young boy flies below holding the receiving flask, to collect a red liquid.
Figure 21. "VII. clef". A large rock dominates the space of this illustration. In the centre of which we see seated the Diana-Apollo two-headed hermaphrodite, with a red child, head aflame and holding a twisted sword, standing upon its knee. A golden flame burns at the feet of the hermaphrodite. At the bottom of the rock lies Hermes with his winged helmet and caduceus lying on the ground beside him. On the summit of this massive rock five figures stand in clouds and wave flags. Two crows fly above the summit. The Sun and Moon ray down from the heavens above.
Figure 22. Text below "centuplum accipies et vitam aeternam, si quinquagesimam partem sui biberit". A woman beholds within a forest glade a male (?) figure lying in a golden pool. His right arm is grey, his left white, while his body is tinged red.
Figure 23. A young man with a golden nimbus around his head and holding a sword in his right hand stands in an open space. Beside him kneels a bearded man in a blue robe, and from this pair a skeleton runs off to the right. At their feet a fire burns. Hovering in the air above is bird with white wings and a red body.
Figure 24. Two furnaces, one in cross section with flasks and crucibles.
Figure 25. Portraits of Honoratus Marinier and Christian Leniau his wife. Above is seen Hermes with caduceus. The portraits are set upon a plinth which has the following text inscribed "Josepho Filio meo charissimo do. Dico supra delineatas Figuras Hermeticas, quibus facile intelliges magnum opus magisterii si timeas Deum, et semper orando, ac laborando. ne sis garrulus; sed pone ori tuo custodiam; sacramentum Regis abscondere bonum est. Precipu� a magnatibus; propter gloriam Dei Jesu Christi et libertatem tuam pretiosissimam vale et vive".