Musaeum Hermeticum

Musaeum Hermeticum
Frontispiece of the Musaeum Hermeticum

Musaeum Hermeticum (En: Hermetic Museum) is a compendium of alchemical texts first published in German, in Frankfurt, 1625 by Lukas Jennis.[1] Additional material was added for the 1678 Latin edition, which in turn was reprinted in 1749.

Its purpose was apparently to supply in a compact form a representative collection of relatively brief and less ancient alchemical writings; it could be regarded as a supplement to those large storehouses of Hermetic learning such as the Theatrum Chemicum, or Jean-Jacques Manget's "Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa". It seemed to represent a distinctive school in Alchemy, less committed to the past and less obscure than the works of older and more traditional alchemical masters.[2]

The full Latin title is: "Musæum Hermeticum, omnes sopho-spagyricæ artis discipulos fidelissime erudiens, quo pacto summa illa veraque Medicina, qua res omne, qualemcumque defectum patientes, instaurari possunt (quæ alias Benedictus Lapis Sapientum appellatur) inveniri ac haberi queat inveniri ac haberi queat. Continens tractatus chymicos novem præatantissimos, quorum nomina et seriem versa pagella indicabit. In gratiam filiorum doctrinæ, quibus Germanicum Idioma ignotum, in Latinum conversum ac juris publici factum. Jennis"

The first edition contained:

  1. The Remonstrances of Nature ascribed to Jean de Meung
  2. The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine
  3. Subtle Allegory (Michael Maier)
  4. Three Treatise of Philalethes
  5. The Book of Alze
  6. Open Entrance to the Closed Palace - Philalethes
  7. A Tract of Great Price
  8. The Only True Way
  9. The Testament of Cremer
  10. The Glory of the World
  11. The Waterstone of the Wise
  12. The Golden Tract concerning the Philosopher's Stone

The illustrated book contains 445 + 35 pages.

See also

References

  1. ^ See German Wikipedia, Lucas Jennis
  2. ^ A. E Waite. preface to his edition of "The Hermetic Museum" (London, 1893).
  • Musaeum Hermeticum, Lukas Jennis, Frankfurt 1625.

External links