The 'Ripley scroll' or 'Ripley Scrowle' is a paramount alchemical work of the 15th century as it depicts the mystical and laborious process for the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone. A legendary substance that can turn base metals into gold and can also be used in the making of the elixir of life, providing its possessor with prolonged life or even Immortality. This Facsimile contains a detailed enhanced scan of the entire scroll on a continuous page-by-page format and a chapter with the scroll's interpretation and transcription.
The Ripley Scroll is one of the most beautiful and important of alchemical manuscripts. It dates from the early 16th century. 21 examples have survived and the earliest is in Oxford. A late copy made in 1624 was recently sold (Dec 2000) in an auction at Sotheby's for £206,000 ($300,000). So it is an extremely valuable and rare work. The scroll is an English alchemical manuscript and is among the earliest alchemical works that incorporate allegorical imagery and text, it predates the well known 'Splendor solis' and 'Rosarium Philosophorum' illustrations. It has not yet been conclusively established that it was the work of George Ripley, but his name has always been associated with this scroll. In the first few months of 2002 I worked on making a facsimile of this famous work basing it upon three of the best known and earliest versions of the scroll. I redrew and coloured the images. Most of the surviving scrolls are in poor condition and the colouring has consequently faded, so making this facsimile provided the opportunity of recreating the scroll in its original vivid colours. I also have used my modern version of the text on the scroll. The original 15th/16th-century middle English verse is rather difficult for people inexperienced with this material to read.
"To All Ingeniously Elaborate Students, In the most Divine Mysteries of Hermetique Learning." Or so British politician and Freemason ELIAS ASHMOLE (1617-1692) dedicated this curious artifact of the esoteric and spiritual philosophy of alchemy. An avid collector of antiquaries and other oddities (they were, upon his death, bequeathed to Oxford University, which used them to found the Ashmolean Museum), Ashmole counted among his treasures volumes of metaphysical poems available only in private, and fiercely guarded, manuscripts. In 1652, though, he collected many of these writings in this hefty tome, annotated with his own comments. Included are: . "The Ordinall of Alchimy" by Thomas Norton . "The Compound of Alchymie" by Sir George Ripley . "Liber Patris Sapientiae" . "The Tale of the Chanons Yeoman" by Geoffry Chaucer . "The Worke of John Dastin" . "The Hunting of the Greene Lyon" by the Viccar of Malden . "Bloomsfields Blossoms: Or, The Campe of Philosophy" . "Sir Ed Kelley Concerning the Philosopher's Stone" . and much more. Once a resource for such natural philosophers as Isaac Newton, the Theatrum Chemicum Brittannicum remains an astonishing album of arcania.
A beautifully illustrated, full-color guide to scrolls and their uses in medieval life. Scrolls have always been shrouded by a kind of aura, a quality of somehow standing outside of time. They hold our attention with their age, beauty, and perplexing format. Beginning in the fourth century, the codex—or book—became the preferred medium for long texts. Why, then, did some people in the Middle Ages continue to make scrolls? In The Role of the Scroll, music professor and historian Thomas Forrest Kelly brings to life the most interesting scrolls in medieval history, placing them in the context of those who made, commissioned, and used them, and reveals their remarkably varied uses. Scrolls were the best way to keep ever-expanding lists, for example, those of debtors, knights, and the dead, the names of whom were added to existing rolls of parchment through the process of “enrollment.” While useful for keeping public records, scrolls could also be extremely private. Forgetful stage performers relied on them to recall their lines—indeed, “role” comes from the French word for scroll—and those looking for luck carried either blessings or magic spells, depending on their personal beliefs. Finally, scrolls could convey ceremonial importance, a purpose that lives on with academic diplomas. In these colorful pages, Kelly explores the scroll’s incredible diversity and invites us to examine showy court documents for empresses and tiny amulets for pregnant women. A recipe for turning everyday metal into gold offers a glimpse into medieval alchemy, and a log of gifts for Queen Elizabeth I showcases royal flattery and patronage. Climb William the Conqueror’s family tree and take a journey to the Holy Land using a pilgrimage map marked with such obligatory destinations as Jaffa, where Peter resurrected Tabitha, and Ramada, the city of Saint Joseph’s birth. A lively and accessible guide, The Role of the Scroll is essential reading—and viewing—for anyone interested in how people keep record of life through the ages.
Hans Nintzel added this work to the R.A.M.S. Library in 1982. It is from the British Museum printed book, 122 pages, 8905 A 15 in German "Donum Dei" (Samullis Baruch), "Abraham the Jew" (in German), 87 pages bound with 9005 A 15. Abraham Eleazar was probably a fictitious name used by the author. It appears that the book was first published in Leipzig in 1760 with the title, "R. Abrahami Eleazaris Uraltes Chymisches Werk," although an edition from 1735 is said to exist (see Note at the end of the Forward). The author might have been Julius Gervasius of Schwarzburg. The Forward states that the author took illustrations from the copper tablets of Tubal-Cain, a person mentioned in Genesis 4:22.
This volume presents a comprehensive overview of the relationship between alchemy and art, bringing together key artworks that take alchemy as their inspiration: from the enigmatic paintings of Jan Brueghel the Elder to contemporary works by Anish Kapoor. It includes recent studies by internationally renowned scientists.
This volume contains the three works from the R.A.M.S. Library that are attributed to George Ripley: The Compound of Alchemy The Marrow of Alchemy Liber Secretissimus Sir George Ripley (circa 1415 - 1490) was an English Alchemist, author and Augustine canon. His Alchemical writings were studied by many notable people, including Robert Boyle (considered to be the first modern chemist), John Dee, and Isaac Newton. The Compound of Alchemy; or, the Twelve Gates leading to the Discovery of the Philosopher's Stone (Liber Duodecim Portarum) was published in 1591 (London: Thomas Orwin). It was one of Ripley's most popular works. The Marrow of Alchemy, or Medulla philosophiae chemicae, was published in 1614 (Francofurti: J. Bringer). Liber Secretissimus has the subtitle, "The Whole Work of the Composition of the Philosophical Stone and Grand Elixir, and of the First Solution of the Grosse Bodies." More than 200 manuscripts are attributed to Ripley. Most of them have never been published."
