Boncambiis, Julius de

Libro lettera N. A collection of alchemical, chemical and medical receipts, processes, and 'secrets': in Italian and Latin. Compiler's holograph MS., with several entries by other hands. Illustrated with a few rough pen drawings of alchemical apparatus, etc. On fol. 263 is a crude sketch of a 'Lunaria'-a plant associated with alchemy. The present first leaf contains a pen-drawn coat of arms, under which, in a scroll, is inscribed 'Julius Comes de Boncambiis de Perusia'. The last two preliminary leaves contain tables of chemical signs. Most of the entries are short receipts, but the following are longer items: Ff. 160-170 Secreti del Padre Bruni. Dealing with stellar influences on plants and metals. 173-261v Qui comincia il libro di Antonio J[?]. Finisce a C[arta] 261. 261v-304 Alchemical receipts. 305-320 Pseudo-Thomas Aquinas, St. De lapide philosophico. (Begins) Lapis/Trattato del Beato Tomasso d'Aquino. A Fra Rinaldo suo Discepulo, Tavola della scientia maggiore. (Text begins) Carissimo fratello essendo sforzato dalle tue preghiere... Fol. 320v (End)...e cosi di uecchio diuente/ra giouine e forte. 320v-331 Alchemical receipts. Ff. 332-348v A cauare il poluerino rocchetta, e soda, con il quale si fa la fritta del Cristallo detto bollito, fondamento del arte Vetraria, con un nuovo Secreto. 348v-354 Alchemical receipts. 355-361 Processes for making artificial gems. 362v-365 Alchemical receipts. 142, 143 Contain a 'Praxis quaedam dignissima mirabilis Joannis Baptistae fecit 1572'. Cf. Note to Fol. 192 of 'Libro lettera Q.' Inside the lower cover are the names of two persons, each stated to be a 'bravissimo Chimico': 'Il Padre Fra Giovanni Battista da Salisano, Capuccino', and 'il Signore Capitano Romanazzi da Manopli', both of Rome, and under the date of 1679. Below these is a note: 'Il Signore Boden[h]ausen, Maestro delle Scienze del Gran' Prencipe di Toscana, Gentilhomo Tedesco e Dottissimo nell'arte hermetica. 1690'. Produced in Perugia.

c. 1700

1 volume 10 [11] ll. + ff. 2-365. folio. 281/2 x 20 cm. Original vellum binding. The first preliminary leaf and its cognate leaf fol. 1 are wanting.

Purchased 1922.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).