Autograph manuscript of a collection of didactic material. The manuscript begins with specimens of calligraphy, labeled Courte hande, Chancerie hande, Secretarie hande, cloven hande, curled hand, chayned hand, and Roman hande, as well as examples of writing in reverse and recipes for making ink, red wax, and white letters on black paper. This section is followed by arithmetic tables; measurements and conversions for dry goods as well as salmon, eels, wine, and oil; a sample genealogical chart drawn as a tree; instructions on how to use counters for counting; and a chart of the names of English kings and the years of their reigns up to James I, dated 1607. The bulk of the collection, however, consists of several hundred Latin proverbs on such topics as error, excellence, faith, honor, and ingratitude, followed by English proverbs and admonitions, and then several English proverbs translated into Latin. This section includes excerpts from King James' Basilikon Doron and How to live and that well by William Perkins. These proverbs are followed by "prettie and necessary rules for such as use to deale in merchandize, easy to be had in memorye," and, at the end of the manuscript, genealogical information for the Hill family, beginning in 1568.
Description:
Imperfect: some pages mutilated with loss of text.
Subject (Name):
Hill family, James I, King of England, 1566-1625, and Perkins, William, 1558-1602
Subject (Topic):
Arithmetic--Handbooks, manuals, etc, Calligraphy --England, Children--Conduct of life, English poetry --17th century, Genealogy--England, Proverbs, English, Proverbs, Latin, Recipes--Great Britain, and Weights and measures--England
Arnaldus, de Villanova, d. 1311 Carpenter, Richard, d. 1670? Ripley, George, d. 1490?
Published / Created:
circa 1570
Call Number:
Mellon MS 41
Image Count:
15
Resource Type:
Archives or Manuscripts
Abstract:
Manuscript on paper roll of George Ripley (?), Alchemy, in English verse, with additional verses attributed to Richard Carpenter. With Arnold of Villanova, Visio mystica, anonymously translated into English.
Alternative Title:
Ripley scroll
Description:
One roll with multiple illustrated sheets. and Paper rotulus consisting originally of thirteen folio sheets and half-sheets of differing lengths glued together, averaging 540 mm. in width (lateral margins and broad bordering line in black ink partly trimmed away), slightly defective with small losses at beginning and end; now cut into thirteen sections measuring about 435 x 540 each, except for the last which measures 625 x 540.