2»<> S. N« 81., Dec. 20. m.J 



NOtES AND QITEKIES. 



481 



LONDOK SAft/MDAY, ^SCEMBSR 20. 1856. 



DESCRIPTION OF A CURIOUS ILLUMINATED MANU- 

 SCRIPT RELATING TO THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. 



On rising ground to the right hand of the road 

 leading from Powick to Pixnani Ferry (Worces- 

 tershire), there is a fine old gabled house, — semi- 

 farm and semi-fflailsion, — tvhich, till within these 

 seventy years, was called the Moat-House, but is 

 now known by the name of the White House. It 

 is still kept up in its old-fashioned style, and con- 

 tains a fine staircase, tapestried room, and many 

 objects of interest. A fevy years ago the widow of 

 the last proprietor tvas turning out the contents 

 of an old bookcase, when. Concealed behind some 

 black-letter folios, she discovered a roll of parch- 

 ment. Of its history shd cfth give no account. 

 Setting high store by it, she has preserved it with 

 the greatest care. Many of those whom she has 

 favoured with a sight of it have wished to pur- 

 chase it, and, failing that, to make a copy of it. 

 This has always been refused. I, however, am 

 fliofe fortunate ; and she has, most kindly arid 

 politely, placed her treasure iu my hands, in 

 order that I may make a copy of it. 



It is mounted upon wooderi rollers, ^tid is of 

 unusual dimensions, being ten feet ten ihches in 

 length, atld fifteeh and a half inches iri width. 

 The roll consists Of seven pieces of parchtnent 

 stitched together, and is iti as godd preserVatioti 

 as though executed but yesterday. The curious 

 designs are painted vety artistically, arid with 

 tuost elaborate care ; the colours are bright and 

 Varied, and adorned With gold and silver, laid on 

 in the way peculiar to all illuminated works, the 

 secret of which appears riotv to be lost. A fViend, 

 well versed in ancient manuscripts, conjectures 

 the date of this production to be a few y^ars prior 

 to the ReformatioH. 



To give a lucid description of thli Guflbsity is 

 no easy matter ; but, in the absence of the peticil's 

 aid, I will endeavour to give an idea of it by my 

 pen. 



At the top of the 801*011, in a Watihg riband, is 

 printed est : lapis : occvLTvs : Secre'to : fonte : 



SEPVLTVS : FERMENTVM : VARIAT : LAPlt)ESt : QVl : 



CVNCTA : coLORAT. Then Comes the uppet por- 

 tion of the figure of a man, with a white Cap, 

 btown hair and beard, and robe of a gtey colour 

 edged with pink, bound at the waist by a pink 

 sash. This figure is the largest on the roll, mea- 

 suring twehty-three inches from the top of the 

 cap to the ends of the fingers. He carries a large 

 double-handled vessel, eighteen and a half inches 

 high, partially filled with a wavy light fluid. From 

 the stopper proceeds spots, as of blood, which per- 

 vade the Vessel, and are labelled in three places, 

 sPERiTYs : Anima. Ill the neck of the Vessel a 



toad is spouting forth a red fluid, five feathers 

 being ranged around. On the handles of the 

 vessel is Wfllten, te : mvst : MAkE : wateiI : ol* : 

 t* : EAiEbTH : & : earth : of : y^ : atr*: : & : ayre : 

 6t : t* : tiER . & : J-yer : dr y" : eartH. The 

 body of the vessel Is filled with eight circular 

 pictures, ratiged Itt a rltig. They dre chained to 

 each other, and are also attached by Chaifis to a 

 book, which forttii the cehtfe of a eeiitral circular 

 picture, in which two robed figures, appat-ently 

 eedesiastics, are passing their hands over the 

 chains, and clasping the book. KoUnd this Is 

 written speritvs : AiJiMA : cofit'vs ; SpeJiITvs : 

 AnimA : cOrpVs : spEttlTVS : AqUa i of i Aqua : 

 Anima. 



The eight suri'OUndirig cii'cles are thus filled : 



No. 1. Two nude figut'eS, appdl-ehtly Adam and 

 Eve, standing on a greensWard, with the tree of 

 life behind them. In the sky are the sun and 

 moon, from whence flow ted streams down to the 

 breasts of the man and woman. A bifd is flyitig 

 from the tree. By the man stands a figUre in a 

 short blue dress, holding a ted line from the man s 

 head. At the man's feet is a winged dragon ; at 

 the feet of the woman, a red and greeh lion. By 

 the woman is a figure in red and yellow drapery, 

 with something like wings : she holds an upraised 

 hammer, as though about to strike the woman. 

 This picture is bound to the central picture, not 

 by a chain, as are the othei* seVen, but by a band, 

 on Which is Written, " Prima-Matefia." AroUnd 

 the picture is the insci-iption, " SperitUs . Anima . 

 Corpvs . Leo . Rubens . Viridis.*' 



No. 2. FoUr friars are holding att alembic, over 

 a circular erection haviilg three openings in the 

 front, which is repeated in the other six, and 

 which I will call a furnace : on it is written " So- 

 lutio." Within the alembic ate the figures of thfe 

 man and the woman, floating in a light substance, 

 and fused together, as it were, at the legs* Above 

 them is a bird, and drops of red — which drops 

 are repeated in the alembics in the othet^ pictures. 

 Around is the inscription ''The . SoUle . forsooth . 

 is . his . Sulpher . Not . Brenihge." 



No. 3. The figures are in the alemhlc, as be- 

 fore, though in a red fluid ; but on it is a retort, 

 from which proceeds a human figure standing in 

 a vesica piscis of gold, with the bird flyirig towards 

 three smaller alembics, placed upon a stand near 

 to the furnace, on which is written " blacke," and 

 from whose door proceeds fire. Three friars stand 

 to the left, with upraised hands as though in asto- 

 nishment. Around is the legend, " Acalido . & . 

 Humido . Primo . Ex . illls . Pasce . Quoniam . 

 Debilis . Sum." 



No. 4. Three friars have hold of the alembic, 

 in which are the figures of the man and woman, as 

 before, in a light fluid, and with a bird flying over 

 each. On the furnace is inscribed " blacker," and 

 on the stand by its side are two small alembics, 



