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adammclean Member 
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In 1612 there was published in Paris Trois traitez de la philosophie naturelle non encore imprimez. Scavoir le secret livre du tres-ancien philosophe Artephius, traitant de l'art occulte et transmutation metallique latin-françois. Plus, les figures hierogliphiques de Nicolas Flamel... au cimetiere des Innocens à Paris... avec l'explication d'icelles par iceluy Flamel. Ensemble, le vray livre du docte Synesius... sur le mesme subiect, le tout traduit par P. Arnauld. This books contained three works purporting to have been written in an earlier age, the Artephius supposedly in the 12th century, the Flamel supposedly recording alchemical writings from the late 14th and early 15th century, and the Synesius supposed as from the Classical Greek age. The Synesius also turns up attached to the 1678 English edition of Basil Valentine's Triumphant chariot of antimony. I cannot immediately locate a copy of the Synesius. Does anyone know of a copy of this text online ? |
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Carl Lavoie Member
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. The mere fact that we cannot ‘find’ a trace of Les figvres hierogliphiqves before the early-XVIIth century puts Le vrai liure du docte Synesivs under a vehement suspicion of being apocryphal as well. The one you mention is the only one I know of. http://www.archive.org/stream/troistraitezdela00arna#page/n1/mode/2up . Last edited on Fri Feb 4th, 2011 02:23 pm by Carl Lavoie |
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Carl Lavoie Member
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. Er ... dosen't Synésius quoting Geber (pp. 98, 99) a little reminiscent of Flamel quoting Lambsprink ? . |
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Alan Pritchard Guest
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These may be summaries: In Barrett Lives at http://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89102114402 In The golden manuscripts http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Nl-67Sf3E-QC&pg=RA2-PA12&lpg=RA2-PA12&dq=true+book+of+the+Synesius&source=bl&ots=4tSZhYA21A&sig=0fx-dHluULsHq_flSV1tOLcQuoI&hl=en&ei=5R9MTde7GcPPhAeQ8ryoDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=true%20book%20of%20the%20Synesius&f=false and at: http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~panopus/goldmanus/synesius.htm (from 1678 edition) Good facsimile of Basil Valentine at http://www.archive.org/details/basilvalentinehi00basi |
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adammclean Member
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Alan Pritchard wrote:These may be summaries: Thanks. This is what I was looking for. For some strange reason I did not have it available in my library. |
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adammclean Member
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Carl Lavoie wrote:. Yes. I am interested at the moment of the use of this Treatise of Synesius within the Artephius and Flamel book, and the Valentine volume. In the late 16th and early 17th century there were some concerted attempts to give some alchemical texts a veneer of antiquity. Though this is understood and explored by scholars as a component of the alchemy of that time, such supposed datings are accepted at face value by popular writers on alchemy. Regarding Flamel I do wish that the Nigel Wilkins book had been translated into English. I did try and contact him a few years ago to ask if I could publish it, but he did not get back in touch. |
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Carl Lavoie Member
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. A little 'preview', here (published in 1993) : http://www.amazon.fr/Nicolas-Flamel-Nigel-Wilkins/dp/2902702779#_ Does the second study of Claude Gagnon (Nicholas Flamel sous investigation ; suivi de l'édition annotée du Livre des figures hiérophyphiques, Loup de gouttière, 1994) draws from Wilkinson's researches ? . Last edited on Fri Feb 4th, 2011 05:31 pm by Carl Lavoie |
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adammclean Member
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The Synesius does not seem to have appeared in print until 1612. There are two mentions I have found in earlier manuscripts. Leiden. MS. Vossianus Chym. F. 3. 16th Century. Compendium of Czech and Latin alchemical texts. 10. f115v-118v Pseudo Synesius Cyrenensis, Tractatus de lapide philosophico. Turin, Biblioteca Nazionale, MS. 92 (B - I - 14). 16th Century. 4. Synesius Cyrenensis philosophus. Ad Dioscorum epistola instar scholiorum in libellum Democriti nimirum Physica et Mystica ad Chrysiopeiam pertinentia. |
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Alexander Guthrie Stewart Member
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I just noticed this thread - Adam, I take it you are of the opinion that Artephius is more a 16th century fake, like Flamel? That has been my hunch for years now, but proving it is another matter. |
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adammclean Member
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Robert Temple has emailed me recently to inform me that the Pseudo-Dionysius and Synesius will appear in English next year. He, himself, is funding the publication costs and subsidized the English translation, and it should appear as a book supplement of the journal AMBIX, supplied free to AMBIX subscribers. It will be a book of about 300 pages containing the revised Greek text, the Syriac text, an unpublished old Latin translation, the English translation, and full notes. Last edited on Mon Oct 22nd, 2012 01:41 pm by adammclean |
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