Collection ID: 0002 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Liber Piccatriciae.

Authors

• Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Other related names

• Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner
• Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner (http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr93028960)

Call number

Ms. Codex 1678
(3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6206, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• bibid: 9962943693503681
• http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/913411234
• https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3vx0654q https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania

Language

Latin, with occasional notes in French

Origin

Date

between 1750 and 1799

Place

France?

Summary

Latin translation of an Arabic magical handbook copied from the Spanish-language version. The text is a conglomeration of older magical and astrological works and is not clearly organized, but deals primarily with subjects such as talismans, lunar phases, and zodiac signs. Sections also include practical applications for performing magic with the use of talismans and sigils. The text draws on numerous authors and traditions, with a section devoted to discussing Indian astrological and ascetic traditions (p. 168), but also references Egyptian history, Islam, and pseudo-Aristotelian works. Also includes a table of contents at the end (p. i-x).

Notes

• Title from title page (p. i).
   
• Ms. codex.
   

Extent

227 leaves : 230 x 177 (185 x 100) mm bound to 236 x 182 mm

Foliation

Paper, ii (contemporary paper) + 227 + ii (contemporary paper) leaves; [i], 1-89, [ii], 90-440, [x]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.

Support

Paper

Binding

Contemporary gold-tooled leather. Upper hinge nearly detached; lower hinge cracking; spine leather deteriorating.

Layout

Written in 25-29 long lines.

Script

Written in a cursive script by a single hand.

Provenance

• Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 589, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).
   
• Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.
   
• Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.
   

Subjects topical

• Alchemy--Early works to 1800
• Alchemy
• Astrology--Early works to 1800
• Astrology
• Astronomy--Early works to 1800
• Astronomy
• Occultism
• Magic
• Occultism--Early works to 1800
• Magic--Early works to 1800

Genres

• Codices
• Manuscripts, European
• Manuals (instructional materials)
• Manuscripts, Latin
• Drawings (visual works)

Keywords

• 18th century
• French
• France
• Paper
• Magic
• Astrology

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Codex 1678: Liber Piccatriciae. are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  Metadata is ©2017 University of Pennsylvania Books & Manuscripts and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode