Salomon the Wise. Called his Clauicle Reuealed by King Ptolomeus ye Greacian.
The fumigation of
Truly copyed verbu~ pro |
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Transcribed from British Library, Sloane manuscript 3847.
Edited by Joseph H. Peterson, Copyright © 1999. All rights reserved. If you find the documents in these archives of value, please do not copy except for individual private use ("fair use").
This manuscript represents one of the earliest manuscripts of the Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis), dated 1572. Mathers places his earliest manuscript, the Latin MS Add. 10862, at around the same time, namely "about the end of the sixteenth century", however the British Library catalogue describes Add. 10862 at 17th century.
The present manuscript is in English and occasionally Latin, with orations in Latin. Its most notable characteristics are the strong Christian elements not found in the Colorno class of manuscripts. Although it has many parallels with two other English manuscripts, Additional Ms. 36674 (also mid- to late-16th ce) and Sloane Ms. 3645, it does not seem to be directly related. Rather, it appears to be an independent translation, probably from the Latin. By contrast, Add. 36674 is much more succinct almost as if it were abridged.
It is interesting that the name of Ptolomy the Grecian in this edition is somehow related to the name read by Mathers as "Iohé Grevis" or "Iroe Grecis" found in Add. MS 10862, Sl. 1307, and other texts. Grillot de Givry (Witchcraft, Magic & Alchemy, 1931, p. 103) cites him as "Tozgrec"
The prologue also occurs in La Clavicola del Re Solomone (an Italian version of the Grimorium Verum) as well as an Italian version of the Key of Solomon found in Sloane manuscript 1307 titled 'La Clavicola di Salomone Redotta et epilogata nella nostra materna lingua del dottissimo Gio Peccatrix.'
Note the use of the term "artanus" or "arthany" (compare with modern term "athame") for one of the ritual implements. The drawing shows this with a curved blade, distinct from but similar to the black-handled and white-handled knives ("cuttellus niger" and "cuttellus albus"). Other manuscripts show it drawn more like a sickle. Mathers' translation from Add. 10862 (fol 125r, Lat. Arctauus; Mathers, Key of Solomon, Book II, chapter ix) reads "Sickle or Scimitar". The term evidently derives from the Latin word *acinaces (from the Greek), an old Persian weapon mentioned by Herodotus. Cassell's Latin dictionary and Whitaker's dictionary define it as a "scimitar", while Chambers Murray latin-english dictionary defines it as a "short straight dagger of the Persians, Medes and Scythians: Hor., Curt." (Edinburgh, Chambers, 1933, p. 8.) See also Medieval Glossary of knives and daggers.
Also very interesting is the invocation of "Biled, son of Aneds, your lord" [=Bilt/Bilid/Pilit (also Bileth?)] which corresponds to a conjuration found in Mafteah Shelomoh, the Hebrew Key of Solomon (Gollancz, 45a. It also occurs in British Library Oriental MS 14759). It is found in the section titled Book of the Seal of BILT (BILID). A book by this name is also mentioned in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (cf, 36 Gaap). This may be a corruption of Lilith, on which see Kieckhefer, Forbidden Rites (University Park Pennsylvalia, 1998, p. 242) "... Lylet, per honorem patris tui Arieth...", however I am inclined to think that Kieckhefer's reading of "Lylet" is corrupt because of the frequency with which the "Bileth" form occurs, even in his manuscript.
Catalogue entries as follows:
Passim. Magic. Tractatus et experimenta magica
ff. 1-66. Clavicula Salomonis; copied 1572. Engl.
66v-?? (Opus mirabile de quatuor Annulis Solomonis - fol., 65. 6???
82. Medicine. Charms and Receipts . Orationes et recept� medic�.
83. Gower (John) . Poet Of stones and herbs appropriate to the 15 stars in his
"Confessio Amantis" 17th cent.
(What Stones and Herbs are appropriated unto
15 stars according to Jo, Gower - fo. 84)
84-100. Hermes. Trismegistus. Liber Magicus 17th cent.
(Liber Hermetis tractans de 15 stellis 15 lapidibus 15 herb???
et 15 harum rerum figuris - fol. 85)
(Dictum Thebit - fol 100b)
(Liber Imaginum Zebel alias Zoel - fo. 102)
(Machubales Decem principalia nomina divina - fo. 115.)
(Divers spells - fo. 125)
151,160. Garlandia (Joannes de) . Interpretatio equivocorum vocabulorum 15th cent.
Imperf.
161-188b. Salomon, Sepher Raziel: a magical treatise.
(Liber Razaelis - fo. 166.)
For convenience, I have taken the liberty of copying the
Table of Contents for Book 2 to the beginning of this transcript.
I have also amended it, since it does not actually agree with the
layout of the text. The unamended version remains at the beginning
of Book 2.
[2r]
Salomon the Wise. Called his Clauicle Reuealed by King Ptolomeus ye Greacian.
The fumigation of
Truly copyed verbu~ pro |
Heare begiñeth the prologue of ye Booke of Clauicles
of Salomon contayninge the secrets of all secrets
of all crafts magicall of Nigromancy, the wch booke
of craftes as, Ptolomeus the most wisest philosopher
in greece, doth testify, Remember my Sonne Roboam
more dearer to me then Isaack, for I had all my
Scyence of ye creator of all creatures. Roboam sayd
what haue I deserued, why should I in any case
be likned to my father. Salomon, sayd, I haue
reuelation by an Angell of God, it chanced one
night, in my sleepe I named the holy name of god
Isaack and I desired to haue the ineffable wisdome
of god, for ye Angell Raziell appeared to me, in my
sleepe, shewinge this eñarration gently, Salomon. shoot (?)
or tye the secretts of secrets, for it shall be time yt
all wisdome shall be destroyed and shalbe hydde and
shall come to nothing, and ye shall know that time
is nye. I awaked from my sleepe and rose up as a man
being dronke and fearefull from his dreames and I
remembered what should be done in this busines, &
consideringe yt all science should, be lest in one
day, I did gather before me all the sciences of wise
men and all the craftes of ye prophets passed yt
I could get, that were concerninge this time and ye
time to come, and I found many confusions &
albeit, the artes mathematicall were by ye power of
god yet there was noe arte perfect, and I saw it
openly, but by the reuelation of ye Angell, I made
[3v]
a certaine secret worke and most secrets where
I have hidde refined and locked up the secret of
secrets, of all magicall craftes wthout ye which
any secret of this Science is not complete and
therfore I haue reformed and kept, least this
secret should come, at any season into the hands
of fooles, take therfore an example my sonne
Roboam, haue therfore one craft prepared or
els some experiment of thine owne or else if all
preparamts be in them of other mens soe that
ye dayes and ye howres be well ordinated of th~
and doubtles the worke wthout this booke is
Deceitfull, for in it lyeth hidde all secrets, wthout
ye wch nothinge can be done, and as I say of our
craft, soe I say of all experiments and arts yt
be in ye world, and that shalbe to come, and to
this my worke I haue not put the clauicle
secrets; therfore my soñe Roboam, I command
thee by my Blessinge that thou thinkest to
haue of me thy Father, to cause a caskett of
Iuery [Ivory] to be made, and therin to put this my
clauicle, and keepe it sure, and when I shall
departe, let them be cast alltogether into my
sepulcher that they may not come into the
handlinge of fooles, and as he commanded it was
done, and when his sepulchere had stoode a long
time, certeine philosophers of Babilon that were
his fellowes his scholers and of his counsell,
renew his sepulchere to make him new againe,
[4r]
for the honour of soe wise a man to make him more
goodlier, and that his rememberance should spread
abroad, all ye world, therefore when his tombe was
Broken uppe to be renewed againe, they found there
his casket of Iuery wherein was the clauicle of secrets,
and the philosophers when they had this clauicle, they
could not understand it, for obscurity of wordes and
exhibition of science; for they were not worthy of
soe great science; amongst them was one a very
wise philosopher, a grecian names Ptolomeus, he
went into his chamber, and began to weepe bitterly
strikinge his handes upon his brest sayinge, what
haue I deserued that I cannot understand nor expound
the science of my Father and my lord, Salomon would
keepe noe secret from me, therefore why be these wordes
soe obscure, wherefore is this, why should it be, that I
should not know it: he kneeled down and held up his
handes towards heauen and with a prosterate body prayed
unto god: sayinge these wordes followinge; ô high creator
of all creatures and lord that knowest all things, that
gauest to Salomon the sonne of King Dauid all science
for thy most holyest and incomprehensible clemency,
Father omnipotent, graunt me reuelation for thy
mercy and pitty, that I howbeit unworthy and most
wretched siñer may haue intellection and knowledge of
ye secrets confused and obscured ineffably in this Clauicle,
and incontinently (?) an Angell appeared unto him sayinge ô
thou greatian Ptolomeus, doe not marueill that the secrets
[4v]
of Salomon be obscure and Darke to thee; because our
Lord would not that soe great a science should come
into the handes of fooles; therefore promise me that
ye will shew it noe creature liuinge, exept he be
sufficient in science and operation, and ye fyerfull
Angell sayd unto him, looke and reade the clauicle,
the words that were obscure unto you, be made open
in all thinges; and the Angell ascended by the cloude
of fyre into heauen, from whence he came forth,
then Ptolomeus the greacian knew it was the Angell of
our lord, and he reioysed with much gladnes, and
read salomons workes transmuted, and he praysed our
lord that his worke should not come in to the hands
or handlinge of fooles, and he sayed, I coniure
him, that shall haue these secrets, by the bloud of
ye Body and by the Body of Christ and by the heart
of his Body, and by all thinges that he desireth and
purposeth to doe in this world; to deliuer it and open
it to noe man, and if he open it, let them be wise.
I pray god that yt he desireth may neuer come to
passe and effect; and as Ptolomeus the grecian
coaduanced by the grace of god hath made cleare
the profound and obscure secrets of this arte, as he
was that yt foloweth, that were closed in the cheast
of Iuory, and these be the words of ye said Clauicle
that he declared marueilously in these two
Bookes followinge.
Heare begiñeth the first booke of ye Clauicles of Secrets as the most wisest philosopher, Ptolomeus the grecian sayeth.
NOTE: Complete text and drawings are included
on our CD. 
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