Chapter LXVIII: Appendix: I

MANUSCRIPTS OF PICATRIX

I have chiefly used Magliabech. XX, 20 and XX, 21, two MSS now preserved at the National Library at Florence and originally written at Rome in 1536, as an identical colophon in either MS states. Otherwise, however, their contents are often not identical although roughly corresponding. I have also examined Sloane 1305 and found it in general similar to the other two.

Vienna 3317, 15th century, 114 fols., Picatrix, De magia,
“Ad laudem et gloriam altissimi ... / ... fel leonis est.”

Magliabech. XX, 20, 1536 A. D., fols. 1-117v, “Liber
Piccatrix sapientissimi Philosophi in necromanticis
artibus excellentissimi de Arabico in Hispanicum primum
traductus postea in Latinum conversus. Alphonsus
Rex Hispaniae totiusque Andalutiae precepit primam
traductionem summa diligentia. Hoc autem opus perfectum
fuit Anno MCCCLVI” (probably should be 1256, referring to
the Spanish rather than Latin translation). The foregoing
occurs two leaves before the book proper begins and is
in a larger print-like hand than the text itself, which
opens: “Alibi incipit liber excellentissimi viri picatrix
picatrici Hispanensis.” The Proemium then opens, as also
in Sloane 1305 and 3679, “Ad laudem et gloriam altissimi
dispotentis (disponentis) Dei cuius est in vellariis
suis praedestinans feliciter secreta scientiarum ad
illustrationem et doctrinam latinorum quibus est inopia
librorum ab antiquis philosophis editorum Alfonsus Dei
gratia prosperrimus rex Hispaniae totiusque Andalitiae
igitur (ego) precepit hunc librum summo studio summaque
diligentia de Arabico in hispanicum transferri cuius
nominem (nomen) est piccatrix. Hoc autem opus perfectum
fuit anno Domini 1356 (1256) Caesaris 2285 (1295)
Alexandri 1569 (2568).” The parentheses inclose variant
readings from other MSS. The work closes, “Et sic finitur
liber sapientissimi piccatricis in Math. die vigesimo
primo mensis maii hora vigesima prima brasichelle in domo
que est in platea a duobus faciebus et iuxta pallacium
communis currentibus annis a salutifera nativitate
millesimo quingentesimo trigesimo sexto inditione nona
anno secundo pontificatus Pauli tertii ad dei laudem et
gloriam in infinita.

Qui servare libris preciosum nescit honorem
Illius a manibus sit procul iste liber.
Telos.”

Magliabech. XX, 21, 1536 A. D.

Sloane 1305, 17th century, fols. 1-153, (Johannis)
Picatricis, Philosophi, Liber de Coelo, in partes quatuor
distinctus, cum prooemio, tabula uniuscuiusque libri
capitulorum et auctorum e quibus compilatur opus nominibus
praemissis. Praefigitur prooemio, “Alphonsus (X) Dei
gratia illustrissimus Rex Hispaniae totiusque Handulatiae
praecepit hunc librum summo studio summaque diligentia
de A(rabico) in Hispanicum transferri, cuius nomen est
Piccatrix. Hoc autem opus perfectum fuit anno Domini 1256,
Alexandri 1568, Caesaris 1295, Arabum 55, ex 200 libris
philosophia(e) et pluribus compilavit qui suo proprio
nomine nominavit.” Incipit prooemium, “Incipit liber quem
sapientissimus Philosophus Piccatrix in Necromanticis
artibus ex quam pluribus libris composuit. Ut sapiens
ait, primum quod agere debemus in omnibus rebus mundi est
Deum orare.” Incipit partis primae cap. I, “De scientia
cognoscendi in quo gradu es. Scias, O homo, quod maius
donum.” Desinit pars ultima, “et dum comburitur, legas
supradicta nomina et ex hoc amor et amicitia movebitur.”
“Et sic finitur Liber totus sapientis Piccatricis in
Mathematicis peritissimi. Deo optimo maximo; gratias in
aeternum agamus.”

Sloane 3679, 17th century, fols. 1-73, in the usual four
parts and with a table of contents.

Sloane 1309, 17th century, 69 fols., in Italian, “Delli
Experimenti di Gio Peccatrix.”

BN 7340, 17th century, #1, Picatricis Hispani astrologia
tribus libris.

BN 10272, 15th century, and 10273, 17th century, Traité de
nécromancie ‘Picatris.’

BN 13016 and 13017, 17th century, Liber Picatricis hispani,
two copies.

BN 17871, early 16th century, Picatrix.

Arsenal 1033, 17th century.

Steinschneider (1905) p. 61, discusses Picatrix and calls attention to Cod. Reg. Suec. 505 at the Vatican, but fails to note the Sloane MSS or those at Florence and omits some of those at Paris--but adds a Paris Supplem. 91--and incorrectly cites Ashmole 1179. He means Ashmole 1437, 15th century, a commonplace book of a Cambridge doctor, Johannis Argentin, where there is a citation of “Picatricem (secundum) in tertio libro sue magice.” “1179” is the number of the column in Black’s Catalogue of the Ashmolean MSS, from which Steinschneider derived this information, and I presume that he mistook it for the number of the MS itself. Steinschneider notes that in Hanover 396, 17th century, a work of magic in Italian, Picatrix is spoken of as a Hebrew philosopher, and that in the aforesaid Ashmole MS are “Tabulae motionis octavae spherae moventis ab occidente ad orientem octo gradus in 640 annos secundum ordinem Picatricis.”