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Paul Ferguson Member 
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I am currently translating Bonacina's "Compendiolum" of 1616, which is about Potable Gold. I wonder if anyone can tell me what the abbreviation TP stands for in the illustration below, which occurs about halfway through the book. I am sure the answer is obvious  TIA Attached Image (viewed 1374 times): |
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adammclean Member 
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It could be 'Tria Principia', the three Paracelsian principles, Salt, Sulphur and Mercury. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Thanks Adam. This certainly seems possible. But could TP stand for 'Theophrasti Paracelsi'? |
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adammclean Member
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It could also be 'Theophrastus Paracelsus". I was considering the fact that it stood above, and presumably referred to the three spheres with the shield in the nimbus of light. Perhaps if you can find some section of text which comments upon this, it might give a clear guide to the meaning. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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It is the prefatory illustration to Chapter IV of Part 2. This chapter is quite short and is reproduced below: "Accedendo ad Praxim cum Arnaldo dicam: Actus activorum in patientis sunt dispositione: per quod intelligitur: Elixir fieri non posse, nisi ex materia, ad hoc perfectam dispositionem habente. Unde idem Arnaldus ait: Testificor autem vobis, ejusmodi habilitatem inesse matrici, ex qua manibus meis, oculis testibus, factum fuit Elixir: Saturnum convertens in solem; hanc eandem materiam jam vobis nominatam accipere debetis, et illam includere et regere, sicuti superius monstratum est, quod si bene et recte processeritis, sexta die post impositionem operis terna Capita Corvi apparebunt, signum quod opifex recte procedit, et verum regimen ignis invenit, unde speculum Alchymiæ in hunc finem scribit: Charissime fili, cum fueris in opere, fac, ut primo colorem nigrum habeas, et tunc eris certus, quod putrefactis, et rectam viam procedis. Item Hermes loquitur: Prima operatio est putrefactio, ideo oportet ipsum denigrare. Nunquam fuit animatum aliquid, aut nativitate creatum, neque crescens, nisi post corruptionem, et ejus mutationem: et habemus exemplum in ovo, quod primo putrescit, et tunc gignitur Pullus: qui post totum corruptum fit animal volans. Et Laurentius Ventura ait: Lapidis in præparatione est absolute putrefactionis signum, non qualiscunque, sed cum odore fetido, et omnino intolerabili: solutio et putrefactio cum odore fetido incipit, et continue crescit usque ad summum. Iste autem odor magis intellectu, quam sensu percipitur, quia qualis sit in opere, experimento didicimus ante opus. In opere cavendum est summopere, ne odor ejus sentiatur, alias opus destrueretur. Hac illa notate verba, et signate Mysteria. O Aquilina forma Pontica, quæ Elementa dissolvis! O Natura maxima naturarum Creatrix, quæ Naturam continet, et tenebrosam nebulam parit, quæ omnium est mater!" |
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adammclean Member
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None of these quotations from the authors seems to directly refer to the image. Perhaps there is only a tangential association in this manuscript between the text and the imagery. I suppose you will discover how strong this link is when you proceed further and see if the text in any way comments on the images. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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adammclean wrote:None of these quotations from the authors seems to directly refer to the image. Looking through, there are 11 images including the one in the frontispiece. Of these 3 carry legends relating directly to the following text, 3 have legends relating to text in other parts of the book, and 5 have legends with no apparent connection at all to the text. Here are two more of these crudely drawn but charming images. I would be interested in hearing any observations on their style and content. Here is "Death shall not prevail over me". Attached Image (viewed 1267 times): Last edited on Wed Dec 24th, 2008 03:39 pm by Paul Ferguson |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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And here's the other, "My power is above you". Attached Image (viewed 1259 times): Last edited on Wed Dec 24th, 2008 03:40 pm by Paul Ferguson |
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adammclean Member
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The White Queen (she sits on a throne seemingly labelled 'weis') receives the supplications of five of the other planets (these do not include the Sun). In the Donum Dei series, for example, this is emblematic of the White Tincture. The Red King in the next emblem (sitting on a throne, which appears to be labelled 'rot'), receives the six planets (including the Moon). He is emblematic of the Red Tincture. These are quite conventional images. |
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Tom Willard Member 
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Wild guess, Paul. Treasure of the philosophers? Thesaurum philosophorum. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Tom Willard wrote:Wild guess, Paul. Treasure of the philosophers? Thesaurum philosophorum. First of all let me wish you the Compliments of the Season Tom, as well as everyone else using or visiting this forum! This is certainly a possibility. The author also quotes repeatedly from the Turba Philosophorum. I wonder if the symbol was taken from there? |
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Tom Willard Member
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Thank you for the good wishes of the season, Paul, which I reciprocate and extend to all members of this forum and especially our organizer, Adam. You raise an interesting possibility when you say that your manuscript quotes extensively from the "Turba Philosophorum." I was thinking of the phrase "thesaurus philosophorum" as used by Paracelsians--for example in the "Aurora Thesaurusque Philosophorum" prepared by Gerard Dorn in 1577. But if your text quotes frequently from the "Turba," the T.P. could easily point back to a manuscript illustration. There is also a philosopher in the crowd called "Thebed." (Perhaps he is a Theban.) The index in vol. 5 of the "Theatrum Chemicum" refers to him as "Thebed Philosophus" and cites the opening pages of books 1 and 3. Then again, the reference may be to a collection called the "Thesaurus Philosophiae." The "Rosarium" quotes "Ex thesauro philosophiae" at sig. E3v-4r (pp. 38-39 in Joachim Telle's edition of 1992). Telle identifies this work as "Eine spätmittelarterliche Sammlung von Dikta namentlich genanter Autoritäten, die sich in manchen Überlieferungen mit dem Namen eines nicht näher bekannten Frater Ferrarius verbindet und seit dem 16. Jahrhundert gedruckt worden ist" (2: 246). |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Tom Willard wrote:But if your text quotes frequently from the "Turba," the T.P. could easily point back to a manuscript illustration. There is also a philosopher in the crowd called "Thebed." (Perhaps he is a Theban.) The index in vol. 5 of the "Theatrum Chemicum" refers to him as "Thebed Philosophus" and cites the opening pages of books 1 and 3. Bonacina also quotes from "Joannes Thebaidus", who is otherwise unknown to me. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Here is a complete list of authors cited by Bonacina in his Compendiolum: Admion (contributor to the Turba Philosophorum) Aloisius Marlianus Anon. Aristæus (contributor to the Rosarium Philosophorum) Aristotle Arnaldus de Villa Nova Avicenna Basil Valentine Bernard Trevisan “Clangor Buccinae”, Authors of the Cœlius Cornelius Agrippa Daniel Justinopolitanus Flamel Galen Geber Hermes Hortulanus (contributor to the Rosarium Philosophorum) Joannes Augustinus Augurellus Joannes Chrysippus Fanianus Joannes Fernelius Joannes de Padua Joannes Pontanus Joannes de Rupecissa Joannes Thebaidus Laurentius Ventura Lilius Malcamech (contributor to the Rosarium Philosophorum) Maurienus (mistake for Morienus?) Merlinus Metrix (???) Mireris (same as Senior?) Morienus Paracelsus Parmenides Paulus Ægineta Petrus Ramus Plato Pliny Rasis (al-Razi) Raymond Llull Roger Bacon Saturnus (“Philosophus Saturnus”) Senior (same as Mireris?) Simplicius Theophilus (contributor to the Turba Philosophorum) Theophrastus Graecus Thomas Aquinas Vergil Zacharias Last edited on Sat Dec 27th, 2008 09:18 am by Paul Ferguson |
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Tom Willard Member
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Looks like the name should be "Joannes Theobaldus." There was a Basel cleric of that name in the late sixteenth century: http://aulongdudoubs.ifrance.com/uni-fribourg-mayer.htm |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Tom Willard wrote:Looks like the name should be "Joannes Theobaldus." There was a Basel cleric of that name in the late sixteenth century: Seems to be definitely Thebaidus: Attached Image (viewed 645 times): |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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I have just discovered evidence of a printed edition of this work dating from the year of authorship, 1616. The printer was Paulus Schrammius (Paul Schramm or perhaps Paul Schramb): http://books.google.com/books?id=Eh0vOwAACAAJ&dq="Pauli+Schrammii"&lr= Schrammius had his press in Olomouc, now in the Czech Republic. Last edited on Fri Dec 26th, 2008 05:59 pm by Paul Ferguson |
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Tom Willard Member
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Good find! Not in WorldCat. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Paul Ferguson wrote:Tom Willard wrote: "Thebaidus" would presumably indicate that he was a member of the group of Thebaid solitaries, as Morien (Morienus), another of the authors cited by Bonacina, was reputed to have been. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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There seems to have been a Desert Father called John the Theban, or "John the Less, the Theban". He is mentioned in "The Book of Paradise: Being the Histories and Sayings of the Monks and Ascetics of the Egyptian Desert by Palladius, Hieronymus and Others", printed for Lady Meux by W. Drugulin, Leipzig, 1904 and in Sister Benedicta Ward's "Sayings of the Desert Fathers, though since the two quotations from him in Bonacina are purely alchemical, one wonders if this could possibly be the same person. |
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Leigh Penman Member
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Slightly off-topic, Paul and Tom, but I wonder if I could interject here and ask in what context the 'Clangor buccinae' is mentioned? Season's greetings to everybody! L. |
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Leigh Penman Member
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Paul Ferguson wrote: I have just discovered evidence of a printed edition of this work dating from the year of authorship, 1616. The printer was Paulus Schrammius (Paul Schramm or perhaps Paul Schramb): Paul, on the basis of this, I'm going to suggest the possibility that the manuscript you are using might be a revision, and was almost certainly produced after 1620. For it was in that year that the first edition of the Clangor buccinae propheticae (No place [Erfurt?], No printer [Birckner?]) was first issued in print. It seems the text had actually circulated shortly before this time (it is mentioned in 1618/19 several times as a MS under the title 'Tubae propheciae'), but it does not seem to have existed as early as 1616. This might suggest that you are dealing with a revision of some description, or that the 1616 printed edition is actually a (slightly?)different work. L. |
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Tom Willard Member
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Aren't these two separate books? The Clangor Buccinae which appeared in the Ars Auriferae, and was translated (as Der Thon der Schalneyen) in the German Turba Philosophorum of 1613, does not sound at all like the Clangor Buccinae Propheticae of 1620. On WorldCat the full title of the 1620 work is: Clangor Buccinae Propheticae De Novißimis temporibus, Das ist: Trommetenschall wie der Eyver unnd Zorn Gottes werde rauchen/ unnd wie der Name deß Antichristi unter dem Himmel werde außgetilget werden/ unnd solches für dem letzten Gericht/ oder Allgemeinen Tag der Aufferstehung der Todten: In dieser jetz angehenden Zeit der grossen Erndte/ da der Tempel Gottes mit dem Rohr einem Stecken gleich abgemessen wirdt ... Zu Christlichem Unterricht/ un[d] erweckung warhafftiger Buß ... / |
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adammclean Member
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Paul Ferguson wrote: I have just discovered evidence of a printed edition of this work dating from the year of authorship, 1616. I have not heard of a printed version of this work. It would be important to source a copy. Unfortunately this link is to some Google book title database, set up, I suspect, to direct people to buy items from amazon and abebooks, so it must have extracted this entry from some source. This source is, however, not identified, which is rather frustrating. When I get back to to Glasgow tomorrow, I will have a look in Bruening's Bibliography and see if it is mentioned there. He usually cites a library that holds a copy. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Leigh Penman wrote:Paul Ferguson wrote:I have just discovered evidence of a printed edition of this work dating from the year of authorship, 1616. The printer was Paulus Schrammius (Paul Schramm or perhaps Paul Schramb): Happy New Year Leigh and to all. Here is the date from the Foreword. Unless the rest of the book was written much later the date 1616 would seem to be definite: Attached Image (viewed 477 times): |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Tom Willard wrote:Aren't these two separate books? The Clangor Buccinae which appeared in the Ars Auriferae, and was translated (as Der Thon der Schalneyen) in the German Turba Philosophorum of 1613, does not sound at all like the Clangor Buccinae Propheticae of 1620. On WorldCat the full title of the 1620 work is: There are two quotes from the Clangor, both on the same page towards the end of the book. Here they are. Perhaps someone recognises the quotations? Attached Image (viewed 574 times): |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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adammclean wrote:Paul Ferguson wrote:I have just discovered evidence of a printed edition of this work dating from the year of authorship, 1616. I wonder if the Bonacina museum in Trebova has a copy? They certainly refer to the book in their press releases. http://www.zamekmoravskatrebova.cz/index.php?id=16 Attached Image (viewed 500 times): |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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The book contains several "E numbers" like the one below. I assume these are instructions to the typesetter or his binder, which might suggest that this was Bonacina's print-ready proof for the printer. Any comments on what these numbers are? Attached Image (viewed 554 times): |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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adammclean wrote:Paul Ferguson wrote:I have just discovered evidence of a printed edition of this work dating from the year of authorship, 1616. I believe the University of Wrocław has a copy, Paul |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Paul Ferguson wrote:Here is a complete list of authors cited by Bonacina in his Compendiolum: To that list add Mundus (contributor to the Turba Philosophorum). |
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Leigh Penman Member
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Paul Ferguson wrote: Tom Willard wrote: OK, on the basis of that, it's certainly NOT the Clangor of 1620, which focusses instead on matters prophetic! Apologies for any confusion! |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Paul Ferguson wrote:adammclean wrote: I have just learned that there is a copy of the 1616 Schrammius edition in the Moravská Zemská Knihovna in Brno with shelf-mark ST1-0024.576 Paul Last edited on Sun Jan 4th, 2009 09:04 pm by Paul Ferguson |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Paul Ferguson wrote:Paul Ferguson wrote: And also Maximus. I assume this is the philosopher decapitated in 370 by order of the Roman Emperor Valens. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Obtaining a copy of the Schramm edition has cleared up another mystery. T.P. obviously stands for 'Theophrasti Paracelsi', as these are the arms of Paracelsus (much clearer in the Schramm edition!!!) Attached Image (viewed 592 times): |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Just for the record, it would seem that extant copies of the first edition of the Bonacina are not as rare as I had thought. Using the excellent search engine provided by the University of Karlsruhe: http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/kvk/kvk/kvk_en.html I have managed to track down at least one more, e.g.: http://aleph18.onb.ac.at/F/26NE6A79BIYQX44NK8SEGGI1RBATYDI8TLFMLVAKTF65PAM75D-26864?func=full-set-set&set_number=046032&set_entry=000003&format=999 |
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Carl Lavoie Member
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. And an even clearer depiction : http://www.e-rara.ch/cgj/alch/content/pageview/3330273 . |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Carl Lavoie wrote:. Argent, on an inescutcheon Or between eight crosses formy couped in orle Azure, a bend sinister of the last, charged with three plates!!!! http://www.numericana.com/arms/paracelsus.htm The "Christmas Party" hat with the feathers is fun. I assume these are his own arms as granted to him and not those of his family. Any significance in the crosses formy (Templar crosses?) and why eight? Last edited on Fri Sep 7th, 2012 03:28 am by Paul Ferguson |
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