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Libra Esoterica

Ars artium ... [etc.]

by Elias Ashmole, John Dee, Richard Napier & Charles Rainsford

  • First published:
  • 18th century
  • Languages: English, French, Greek, Hebrew, Latin
  • Content type: ManuscriptPrimary source
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Description

Description from Colenda Digital Repository — University of Pennsylvania Libraries (opens in a new tab)

Occult collection copied and compiled by Charles Rainsford and mainly comprising prayers, lists of divine names for invocations (p. 180-189), and instructions for conjurations taken from works attributed to well-known occultists such as John Dee and Richard Napier. Practical instructions for conjuring spirits include one experiment for summoning the spirit Askariel so that he appears in a crystal or beryl with a garland of yellow flowers upon his head (p. 52). Another section details preparations to be completed before conducting rituals such as securing a secret room with an eastward-facing window that has been consecrated with frankincense, abstaining from the company of women, eating a spare diet, and dressing oneself in clean clothes (p. 39-40). A note by Rainsford on p. i states that it is an exact copy of a manuscript that he borrowed from a bookseller for the price of one guinea and that the original had the name Dr. Dee written on it, presumably a reference to John Dee, the 16th century occultist. The last section contains notes regarding the personal papers of alchemist Richard Napier which were bequeathed to fellow occultist Elias Ashmole and which are now housed at the Bodleian Libraries at Oxford. This section also occasionally makes references to earlier pages in the manuscript (for example, p. 201 refers back to the use of beryls for conjuration on p. 52). Also includes a partial list of contents (p. 190-191).

Provenance

Why this book is in the catalog

Included because retained bibliographic metadata links this work to Alchemy and Hermeticism, Demonology, angelology, and possession, Occultism and esotericism, and Ritual magic and grimoires.

  • Occultism and esotericism

    Controlled discovery queries from colenda matched “Occultism”. Retained metadata contains “occult” in the description, “Occultism” in the subject metadata, and “occult” in the cataloging notes.

    • “Occultism”· via Colenda Digital Repository — University of Pennsylvania Libraries
    • “occult”· in description
    • “Occultism”· in subject
    • “occult”· in cataloging note
  • Ritual magic and grimoires

    Controlled discovery queries from colenda matched “Magic”. Retained metadata contains “Magic” in the subject metadata.

    • “Magic”· via Colenda Digital Repository — University of Pennsylvania Libraries
    • “Magic”· in subject
  • Alchemy and Hermeticism

    Retained metadata contains “alchemist” in the description and “alchemist” in the cataloging notes.

    • “alchemist”· in description
    • “alchemist”· in cataloging note
  • Demonology, angelology, and possession

    Retained metadata contains “Angels” in the subject metadata.

    • “Angels”· in subject

Membership records how this book met the catalog’s discovery criteria — relevance to a tradition, not a judgment of the book’s claims.

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Editions

One edition cataloged here.

University of Pennsylvania digitized manuscript

234 leaves : paper ; 159 x 98 (128 x 82) mm bound to 166 x 110 mm; Binding: Contemporary blind-tooled parchment; remnants of two metal clasps.; Decoration: Circular diagrams (p. 180); red ink used throughout.; English, Latin, and French, with occasional words in Greek and Hebrew.; Layout: Written in 15-16 long lines.; Ms. codex.; Origin: Written in England in 1787 (note, p. 206).; Pagination: Paper, i (contemporary paper) + 234 + i (contemporary paper) leaves; [ii], 1-207, [208-466]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.; Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.; Script: Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford.; Title from caption title (p. 1).

1787—English, French, Greek, Hebrew, Latin—Public download

Subjects

5 subject headings

Identifiers & provenance

How this record was assembled, and the authority identifiers it carries.

Identifiers

Colenda
  • ark:/81431/p3zc7rz4q

Cataloged from

Cataloging notes

  • Colenda collection: Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)
  • Penn Libraries catalog identifier: 9962935463503681
  • Physical location: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Codex 1677
  • Provenance: 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.; Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner.; Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 588, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).; Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner.; Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.
  • Rights: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0
Catalog id
colenda:81431-p3zc7rz4q
Edition coverage
Multi source partial
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