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SCALA SAPIENTIAE

Catalogue reference: Sion L40.2/L30

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This record is a file about the SCALA SAPIENTIAE dating from 16th century.

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Full description and record details

Reference
Sion L40.2/L30
Title
SCALA SAPIENTIAE
Date
16th century
Description

Scala sapientiae', an alchemical work attributed here to Ramon Lull (c.1232-c.1315), also known as Ramon Llull, Raimond Lull, Raymond Lull, Raimundus Lullius etc. The text has been excluded from the corpus of alchemical works attibuted to Lull, and is generally regarded as a work by Guido de Montanor, also known as Guy de Montanyer, an alchemical writer of the 15th century of whom almost nothing is known. See Michela Pereira, 'The alchemical corpus attributed to Raymund Lull' (London, Warburg Institute, 1989) and the online updated version, Michela Pereira, 'Catalogue of the alchemical works attributed to Raimond Lull'. The 'Scala sapientiae' is recorded in the Pereira database as III.17. On Guido de Montanor and his authorship of the 'Scala sapientiae', see Jennifer M. Rampling, 'Establishing the canon: George Ripley and his alchemical sources', in 'Ambix', vol. 55, 2008, pp. 189-208. Begins: 'Inter tot venerabiles philosophos Raimundus Lulli. Intentio naturae ad faciendum nostrum magisterium ...'. Ends: 'Explicit scala'.

Note

For manuscripts by, or owned by Nathaniel Torporley, see Sion L40.2/E6, E7, E10, L30, L40.

Held by
Lambeth Palace Library
Language
Latin
Creator(s)
Sion College
Physical description
i, 35 ff.
Access conditions

Open

Immediate source of acquisition
This appears to be the work acquired by Sion College in 1632 as part of the bequest of Nathaniel Torporley (1564-1632), recorded in the Book of Benefactors as 'Raymund Lullius, De lapide philosophico, MS fol.' (Sion L40.2/E64, p. 17). This was recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650 (Sion L40.2/E92) as 'Raym. Lullii Scala de lapide philosophorum', with shelf mark Y11 [Y 11 being a miscellany]. It was later recorded by Spencer amongst books which survived the Fire of London of 1666, with shelfmark Y11.1 (Sion L40.2/E58/1 f. 31v and Sion L40.2/E58/2 f. 31v). Early Sion shelfmarks (partly erased) at f. i, with the name 'Lullius', seemingly in the hand of John Spencer. Sion College shelfmark A.33 (no. 2) at f. i. Recorded with this shelfmark in William Reading, 'Bibliothecae cleri Londinensis in Collegio Sionensi catalogus' (London, 1724): 'A.33. Raymund Lullie's chymistry. Scala sapientiae'. The first text, Lull's Testament, which bears the former shelf mark A 33 (no. 1), is now Sion L40.2/E46. The two texts were evidently in the same binding when the catalogue was printed in 1724. Transferred from Sion College to Lambeth Palace Library, 1996.
Physical condition
Quarter leather binding with boards covered in marbled paper, 280 x 207 mm., early 19th cent (similar bindings on other alchemical Sion manuscripts E6 and E7).
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/d6b813cc-5411-4d2e-9ae1-e26e6fe54337/

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374,508 records

This record is held at Lambeth Palace Library

237 records

Within the fonds: Sion L40.2

SION COLLEGE MANUSCRIPTS COLLECTION

41 records

Within the sub-fonds: Sion L40.2/L

SION COLLEGE: LATIN MANUSCRIPTS

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SCALA SAPIENTIAE