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

Title

Cabale misterieuse des 150 pseaumes du Roy David.

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 1668
(3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6206, University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts)

Alternate identifiers

• bibid: 9962935053503681
• http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/905976004
• https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3086355x https://repository.upenn.edu/uniqueatpenn/23/

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania

Language

French

Origin

Date

between 1750 and 1799

Place

France?

Summary

Instructions on the magical use of the psalms divided into one section for each psalm. The text begins with an introduction explaining that the magic of the psalms may only be used by those with faith, humility, and devotion and that the practitioner will therefore live happily, but that they may never be used for vengeance, avarice, passion, or curiosity (f. 1r-2v). Each section includes the first line of the psalm, its uses by King David and according to various saints and figures such as Cassiodorus who claimed that psalms could be used for victory over one's enemies in war provided that the war was a just one (f. 40r), and applications for practical magic such as calming a crying baby (f. 10r), escaping the hands of privateers or assassins (f. 11v), ensuring that a husband avoids temptation and loves his wife (f. 40r), stopping a nosebleed (f. 44r), and demonic possessions (f. 60r). Practical instructions include recitations of the psalms and writing of magical characters on surfaces such as thresholds, kid skin parchment using pigeon's blood (f. 76v), or individuals using olive oil. The end of each section includes a pen and ink drawing of the magical character to be used for that particular psalm's practical instructions.

Notes

• Ms. codex.
   

Extent

124 leaves : 212 x 162 (168 x 118) mm bound to 215 x 168 mm

Foliation

Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 124 + i (contemporary paper); [i], 1-123; contemporary foliation in ink, upper right recto.

Support

Paper

Binding

Contemporary pasteboards.

Layout

Written in 16-18 long lines.

Script

Written in a cursive script by a single hand.

Provenance

• Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 579, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamp, f. 1r).
   
• 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

• Cabala
• Cabala--Early works to 1800
• Magic--Early works to 1800
• Occultism
• Occultism--Early works to 1800
• Magic

Genres

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

Keywords

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

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Ms. Codex 1668: Cabale misterieuse des 150 pseaumes du Roy David. 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