One of earliest and most beautiful key of Solomon manuscripts & Lucidarium in arte magica, 1533-1566
Vad. Slg. ms. 334.
Thank you Joseph Peterson for locating and sharing this beautiful manuscript from the Vadian Collection (Vadianische Sammlung) in St. Gallen Switzerland. In 1864, Gustav Scherer catalogued it as 15th century, but is now thought to be dated 1533-1566. According to Peterson, it must be later than 1533, since it quotes verbatim from that edition of Agrippa’s De occulta philosophia OP1.43 (on ms. p. 117). It also includes a quotation from Reuchlin’s De arte cabalistica (1517).
145 pages, parchment, in octavo. Copied by a single hand in loopless bastarda script of highest level of execution (“Gothic hybrida formata”). Written with red, black, purple, and blue inks with decorated Lombardic initials. After p. 16 are pages numbered 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, and 16.5. Pp. 83-84 are missing.
Begins: Elenchus, eorum quae continentur in sequenti Lucidario Dñi et preclarissimi Magistri Petri de Abbano.
P. 3: In nomine Dei omnipotentis. Incipit Lucidarium Magistri Petri de Abbano in arte Magica. Prologus in eodem Libello. Multi experimentatores diuersimode operantur in hac scientia Diuina, etc.
p. 19: Semiphoras Moysi. Incipit: Hic habes Semiphoras Moysi, que dici debent post inuocationem angelorum versus quatuor partes mundi. View Semiphoras und Schemhamphoras Salomonis Regis, 1686
P. 25: Incipit Liber Clauicule Salomonis, filii Dauid Regis Israel etc. The Hebrew lettering is exceptionally well executed. (2 books to p. 125).
Pp. 127-144: Ad inveniendum Ugxeazcu [=thesaurum] vel maao [=bona] abscondita.
On last page: Sequuntur varia experimenta Regis Alphonsi. (Last word: festina.)
