An indirect purchaser at the C.F. Bishop was his daughter [whose name
eludes me], who also purchased a volume with Grolier's device. The
latter has ended up in the Morgan Library. Does the catalogue say
whether the MS was bound for Montmorency?
Gabriel Austin.
-----Original Message-----
From: exlibris@library.berkeley.edu
[mailto:exlibris@library.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Owen Gingerich
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 5:59 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [EXLIBRIS:31751] Auctioned alchemical manuscript, 1938.
Location??
Gad Freudenthal <gad.freudenthal@yale.edu> asks for help in searching
for the following alchemical manuscript:
The ms was sold on auction by the Anderson Galleries, New York, on
April 5, 1938, in the sale of the Cortlandt F. Bishop Library. In the
catalogue of that sale, Pt. 1, p. 9, no. 42, the ms in question is
described as follows: . ALCHEMY. Manuscript. [On first page] Ce liuvre
contient vng petit traicte de Alkimie tourne de langue hebraique en
langue francoyse. Manuscript written on 86 leaves of vellum, measuring 7
5/8 by 4 13/16 inches, in bold roman script; ... the first page
illuminated in colors and liquid gold, displays within a gold border the
Arms of Anne de Montmorency, Constable of France (1492-1567), flanked by
two swords of honor; one illuminated initial and a finial octavo. French
circa 1540.
A detailed manuscript note on the front fly-leaf, signed BJP (Baron
Jérôme Pichon, famous French bibliophile, former owner of this volume),
reads (translated): "this volume belonged to Anne de Montmorency,
Constable of France, and was by him presented to Francis I, after
causing it to be bound with, on one side, the arms of the said prince,
and on the other with a mention of the gift. ..."
From the library of Baron Jérôme Pichon, with distinctive bookplate.