Alexius Africus

De septem herbis et septem planetis [Incomplete]. [Anon.] De urinis: followed by a few medical receipts. Fol. 1 Blasius [sic] affricus discipulus belberis claudeo atte/niensi epilogico studium continuare in fine cum laude/post etiam antiquorum Kanidarum [sic] volumina tibi nota/et aparencio [sic] consodali tibi relatum inveni in ciuitate troi/ana in monumento reclusum presentem libellum cum ossibus/primi regis Kranidis [sic] qui compendium aureum intitulatur/.../...tractat/enim de [septem herbis] vii planetis ac tributis [sic for 'attributis']... 2v (De peonia)'..cum sang/uine vespertilionis ad pondus visum mirabiliter acuit/ [Anon.]. De urinis 3 Sequitur de vrinis./Vrina alba et spissa significat totius corporis grauedi/nem... 4v Si uero resoluciones apareant [sic] in modum vermium strictis lum/bricositatem significat. 5,6 Miscellaneous medical receipts. In this MS. only four of the seven herbs are mentioned-as the end of the work is missing: these are 'Solsequium', 'Semperviva', 'Marubium' and 'Peonia'.

Late 15th Century

1 volume 6 ll. 4to. 21 1/2 x 14 cm. Modern boards. At least one leaf is wanting after fol. 2, and probably some leaves are wanting after fol. 4. Written in a small semi-current German script 34-38 lines to a page.

Purchased 1925.

Though in this MS. ascribed to 'Blasius affricus', the first work is certainly that mentioned in Thorndike's History of Magic and Experimental Science, Vol. II, p. 233 as by Alexius Africus or Flaccus Africanus. The names in the introductory passage are very variously given in the MSS., but the 'Kanidarum volumina', are of course, the well-known 'Kiranides', a late-antique 4th century Hermetic magical treatise.

Mrs. Singer's Catalogue of alchemical MSS., Vol. III, pp. 766-773 contains a list of other MSS. of this work in English libraries.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).