Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum

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The Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum is a compilation of chemical and alchemical literature, which was published by J. Grismond in London in 1652 and edited with commentary by Elias Ashmole (Mercuriophilus Anglicus).

Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum

Bulk

It partly contains, as the first edition, writings by British alchemists and alchemical authors such as Thomas Norton , George Ripley , Geoffrey Chaucer , John Gower , John Lydgate , John Dastin (* around 1293, † around 1386), Edward Kelley , John Dee , Pearce the Black Monk, Thomas Robinson, Richard Carpenter, Abraham Andrews (to whom the poem Hunting of the Green Lyon is here attributed), Thomas Charnock , William Bloomefield (or Blomfild, a priest) and William Backhouse , the alchemical teacher of Ashmole (after the biographer of Ashmole CH Josten is said to be The Magistery of his). Hermes Bird credits Ashmole Ramon Llull . Ashmole regrets not being able to add more texts, but there was no further continuation of the project.

A copy with numerous corrections and annotations was in Isaac Newton's library .

Ashmole previously held the collection of alchemical texts two years fasciculus chemicus of Arthur Dee published in English translation.

content

  • Elias Ashmole: Prologue (dated January 26, 1652)
  • Thomas Norton : The Ordinall of Alchimy.
  • George Ripley : The Compound of Alchemy.
  • Anonymous. Liber patris sapientiae.
  • Verses "In the name of the holy Triniti".
  • Verse "Iyfe thow wilt thys warke begyn."
  • Anonymous: Hermes Bird.
  • Geoffrey Chaucer : The Tale of the Chanans Yeoman.
  • John Dastin : The Work of John Dastin. or Dastin's Dreame.
  • Pearce the Black Monke upon the Elixir.
  • The Work of Rich. Carpenter: or Carpenter's Worke
  • Abraham Andrews. The Hunting of the Greene Lyon.
  • Thomas Charnock: The Breviary of Natural Philosophy. 1557.
  • Thomas Charnock: Aenigma ad Alchimiam . 1572.
  • Thomas Charnock: Aenigma de Alchimiae . 1572.
  • William Bloomefield: Bloomfields Blossoms: or, The Campe of Philosophy.
  • Edward Kelley : Sir Edward Kelle's Work.
  • Edward Kelley: Sir Ed: Kelly concerning the Philosophers Stone written to his especiall good Freind, GS Gent.
  • John Dee : Testamentum Johannis Dee Philosophi summi ad Johannem Gwynn, transmissum 1568.
  • Thomas Robinson: Thomas Robinsonus de lapide philosophorum.
  • Anonymous: Experience and Philosophy.
  • WB: The Magistery . December, 1633.
  • Anonymi: or, several works of unknown Authors.
  • John Gower : John Gower concerning the Philosophers Stone.
  • George Ripley: The Vision of Sr. George Ripley: Channon of Bridlington.
  • George Ripley: Verses belonging to an emblematicall Scrowle: Supposed to be invented by Geo. Ripley.
  • George Ripley: The Mistery of alchymists, Composed by Sir Geo. Ripley Chanon of Bridlington.
  • George Ripley: The Preface prefixt to Sir Geo: Ripley's Medulla . 1476.
  • George Ripley: A shorte worke That beareth the Name of the aforesaid Author, Sir G. Ripley.
  • John Lydgate : Translation of the second Epistle that King Alexander sent to his Master Aristotle.
  • Anonymous: The Hermet's Tale.
  • Anonymous: A Discription of the Stone.
  • Anonymous: The standing of the Glasse for the tyme of the Putrefaction, and Congelation of the Medicine.
  • DDW Bedman. or W. Redman: Aenigma Philosphicum.
  • as well as fragments and commentaries such as Thomas Charnock: Fragments coppied From Thomas Charnock's own hand writing. 1574, and word explanations.

literature

  • Volker Fritz Brüning: Bibliography of alchemistic literature, Volume 1: The alchemical printing works from the invention of the art of printing up to 1690, de Gruyter, KG Saur, 2004, p. 329f.
  • Article Elias Ashmole in John Ferguson, Bibliotheca Chemica, Volume 1, Glasgow 1906, p. 52
  • MK Corbett: Ashmole and the Pursuit of Alchemy: the Illustrations to the Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, 1652 , The Antiquaries Journal, Volume 63, 1983, pp. 326-336
  • V. Feola: Elias Ashmole's Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum (1652): The relation of antiquarianism and science in seventeenth century England, in: K. Eisenbichler, Renaissance medievalisms, University of Toronto Press 2008
  • Allen G. Debus (Ed.): Elias Ashmole, Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, New York, Johnson Reprint Corporation 1966 (reprint of the 1652 edition)

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ With a translation by Abbot John Cremer, who is however fictional (see Musaeum Hermeticum ). Ashmole even prints his alleged portrait.
  2. ^ Newton Project, Newton's Alchemical Library