All Exhibit Items 48 items

All items in this exhibit.

1. Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica, physica atque technica historia., vol. 1 1617 and vol. 2 1618

Curatorial Notes:
Vol. 1: The cosmos, with Earth (represented by the Garden of Eden) at the center. Throughout the two-volume History of the Macrocosm and Microcosm, the physician Robert Fludd used exquisite, geometrical diagrams to explore correspondences between the “double world” of macrocosm (the cosmos) and microcosm (humanity). His elaborate cosmology drew on the philosophy of Neoplatonism and the writings of Paracelsus, who envisaged the moment of Creation as a chemical separation on a cosmic scale. / Vol. 02: In this plate, Fludd illustrates the routes by which the human mind can access three worlds of knowledge: sensible, imaginable, and intellectual. While the physical world is known through the five senses, more abstract concepts are constructed in the imagination, while still drawing on information from the senses. Knowledge of the divine—the world of God and the hierarchy of angels—is apprehended by the mind directly, through reason and intellect.
Credit Line:
Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Creator:
Fludd, Robert, 1574-1637
Publisher:
Oppenheim : 'Aere J.T. de Bry, typ. H. Galleri,' 1617-18.
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/9924814253506421

2. The Sceptical Chymist, 1661

Curatorial Notes:
In the Sceptical Chymist, Robert Boyle challenged the Paracelsian idea that matter was composed of three chemical principles: Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt. Yet the work does not disavow transmutational alchemy. Boyle himself conducted extensive alchemical experiments, and studied the work of Ripley and other medieval alchemists. His own view that matter was composed of particles drew on arguments advanced in earlier alchemical writings, including those of Eirenaeus Philalethes — which, unknown to Boyle, were authored by his own chemistry tutor, George Starkey.
Credit Line:
Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Creator:
Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691
Publisher:
Oxford, Printed by H. Hall for R. Davis and B. Took, 1680.
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/9924729023506421

3. Letztes Testament: darinnen die geheime Bücher vom grossen Stein der uralten Weisen und anderen verborgenen Geheimnüssen der Natur,... , 1667

Curatorial Notes:
“Mercury” has many meanings in alchemy, describing not just metallic quicksilver, but a variety of alchemical products. Here, this diversity is illustrated in “Of the Great Stone of the Ancients,” a treatise attributed to a fictive adept, “Basil Valentine.” In Valentine’s alchemy, the serpent and eagle stand in for two salts: sal ammoniac and saltpeter. The raven, peacock, and swan allude to color changes in the work: black, multicolored, and white. Below, the selfless pelican nourishes its young.
Credit Line:
Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Creator:
Basilius Valentinus
Publisher:
Strasbourg : G.A. Dolhopff & J.E. Zetzner, 1667.
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/9924798363506421

4. Alchemiae Gebri Arabis philosophi solertissimi, Libri cum Reliquis, 1548

Curatorial Notes:
A well-constructed furnace was essential for maintaining uniform heat over long periods of time. Different alchemical processes, from roasting to distilling, called for different furnace designs, some of which are illustrated in this printed edition of the 13th-century Book of Furnaces, pseudonymously attributed to Jābir ibn Hayyān (Geber). On the right, the alchemical vessel sits in a deep pan of ashes within an athanor, similar in design to the furnace depicted in the Ripley Scroll.
Credit Line:
Rare Books Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Creator:
Geber, active 13th century
Publisher:
Bernæ : Ioan[nnes] Petreius Nurembergen[sis] denuo ... excudi faciebat, 1545.
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/99106915653506421

5. English commonplace book, ca. 1660-1689

Curatorial Notes:
Alchemical material from a variety of sources, including printed books, could be compiled into manuscript recipe collections and commonplace books. Some of the contents of this 17th-century English compendium, dealing with the philosophers’ stone (“Lapis Philosophorum”), may have been extracted from Gerard Malynes, Consuetudo, vel Lex mercatoria, or Ancient Law-Merchant (1629). The seven steps to transmutation (“Gradus ad transmutationem sunt septem”) begin with a sequence of alchemical procedures, including calcination, dissolution, and sublimation.
Credit Line:
Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/9973392073506421

6. The Treasure of Euonymus: Conteyninge the Wonderful Hid Secrets of Nature …, [1559]

Curatorial Notes:
The Latin Treasure of Euonymus, compiled by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner, was one of the earliest printed collections of chemical remedies, which helped to popularize their use in England. These remedies included the “quintessence,” made by repeatedly distilling wine. Outside alchemy, distillation apparatus was widely used to make medicinal oils and waters. Here, the text instructs on the type of furnace required for these delicate operations.
Credit Line:
The Scheide Library, Princeton University Library
Creator:
Gessner, Conrad, 1516-1565
Publisher:
London : John Day, [1559].
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/9948510143506421

7. Ripley Alchemical Scroll, ca. 1590

Curatorial Notes:
The papyrus scroll (or roll) was the most common physical configuration for ancient books. In the late Roman Empire, the codex became the predominant book format, but parchment rolls continued to play a role in medieval written culture, usually configured to be read from top to bottom. Scrolls were useful for illustrated texts emphasizing continuity and sequential display, such as universal or genealogical chronicles, pedagogical wall charts, and biblical histories. They were also used for illustrated step-by-step manuals, including recipes for cooking, medicinal preparations, and ritual magic. The designer of the Ripley Scroll would have been familiar with illustrated rolls of varying dimensions and descriptions, which were a visible part of written culture in England and Continental Europe.
Publisher:
[England?], [between 1575 and 1600]
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/99114732053506421

8. Genealogical chronicle roll of the kings of England from Alfred the Great (r. 871-899) to Richard II (r. 1377-1399).

Curatorial Notes:
The genealogical chronicle roll of kings was a common genre of historical literature in late medieval England. Although deluxe versions were made as gifts to patrons, smaller, portable rolls also served a practical function. This late 14th-century example may have been used as a reference tool by monks with archival and legal responsibilities. 102 roundels include the names of 27 English kings, each surmounted by a crown. For early modern collectors like Ashmole, such documents offered insight into England’s medieval past.
Credit Line:
Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Publisher:
[England], [approximately 1377]
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/99115511433506421

10. Alchemical Experiment Prepared for the Marquise d'Urfé, c. 1744

Curatorial Notes:
Jeanne de La Rochefoucauld (née Camus de Pontcarré), Marquise d’Urfé (1705-75), was an enthusiastic patron of alchemy. After the death of her husband the Marquis, she carried out experiments in a private laboratory, later described in the memoirs of Casanova. This undated recipe was presented to her by the German-born alchemist Jean Grosse, a member of the French Académie royale des sciences. Grosse outlines an alchemical experiment in nine steps, intended to produce gold.
Credit Line:
Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
Creator:
Grosse, Jean
View in catalog:
https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/99117804283506421