Brescia ms B.V.24 - Bustania, Toffanas, Requerletia, Bosiles

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Brescia Ms B.V.24 – Arteticha Montana, Lucia Minore, Oculus Domini

Brescia, Biblioteca Queriniana, Ms B.V.24 is a XV Century manuscript written in North-Western Italy. In this post, I complete the analysis of one of the two pages published in “Di Sana Pianta”, Modena, 1988. The first plant (Caspitres) was discussed here.

Link the whole page

In “Il Giardino Magico degli Alchimisti”, Vera Segre Rutz identifies the three plants in the following way:

• Herba Artetica Montaria #51 (arnica montana)
• Herba Bazea Minor et de novem una #47 (daucus carota, carrot)
• Herba Oculus Domini “Eye of God” #54 (lithospermum officinale? - dubious)

Transcription:

Translation:

De lerba a[r]teticha mo[n]tana | Erba arteticha mo[n]tana a p[erson]a che avesse gotti fredi i[n] nodi | deli mane ove[?] di peddi q[ue]sta e[r]ba e da ma[n]za[r]e cu[m] ove e | cu[m] alt[r]a cossa grassa. | A p[erson]a che avesse d[e]scor[n]eria de co[r]po | To q[ue]sta e[r]ba e dagene manza[r]e subito guarisse | A p[erson]a che avesse mal de madrone | To q[ue]sta e[r]ba e dagela ma[n]za[r]e s[ub]itto gua[r]isse e cossa p[ro]uata | Nasse i[n] te[rre]ni fredi erbosi e saluadegi. De la e[r]ba lucia minore | La e[r]ba lucia minore de li viiii ap[erson]a chi auesse fe[r]ita | alchuna. Toy la foya de q[ue]sta e[r]a e pistala e metella | sula piaga s[u]bitto guarisse | A [person]a che fosse mo[r]duto da s[er]pe[n]te | To la foya e i[n]piastrala sula mo[r]sura leva la r[a]biia[?] e lo | ueneno e guarisse Nasse i[n] te[re]ni fredissimi e p[e]d[r]ossi[?]. De lerba oculus d[omi]ni | Erba oculu d[omi]ni. A p[erson]a che auesse malo de p[e]d[r]a. To | la radice e fane polu[er]e e dagene beu[er]e cu[m] ui[n]o p[er] | spatio de xxx di fa[?] guarito. | Ap[erson]a che auesse la gottta arteticha. | To li foy de q[ue]sta e[r]ba e cosele i[n] aq[ua] e polemete sule gote | p[er] spatio de xv di fa guarit. It[em] chi auesse u[er]mi i[n] co[r[po | fa polu[ere] de le foye e dagen beu[ere] cu[m] uino s[u]bitto gua[r]isse. Nasse | i[n] t[err]eni magrj p[e]d[r]osi.

Mountain Arteticha Plant – The Mountain Arteticha plant for one who had cold gout at the joints of hands or feet: this plant must be eaten with eggs or other fat food. For one who had dysentery: take this plant and let him eat it, he will soon be healed. For one suffering from female disorders [mal de le matrone]: take this plant and give it to eat and she will soon be healed; this thing has been proven. It grows on cold, grassy and wild ground. Lesser Lucia Plant – Lesser Lucia Plant [one] of nine, for one who had any kind of wound. Take the leaf of this plant, crush it and put it on the wound: it will soon be healed. For one who was bitten by a snake: take its leaf and make a plaster on the wound; it heals, taking rabies and poison away. It grows on very cold stony ground. Eye of God [Oculus Domini] Plant. The Eye of God Plant, for one who suffers from stones. Take its root, make a powder of it and give it to drink with wine for thirty days: he will be healed. For one suffering from arthritic gout: take the leaves of this plant, cook them in water and then put it on the gout for fifteen days; it heals. For who had internal worms: make a powder of its leaves and give it to drink with wine; he will soon be healed. It grown on thin, stony ground.

Thanks to Davidsch for pointing out a transcription error.

Corpus Christi College MS 395 - Catalan Lunaria

In my previous post, I mentioned a version of the Hermetic Lunaria essay that was pointed out to Vera Segre Rutz by Michela Pereira: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 395, Catalan, XV Century. The text of the essay occupies f48v and f49r.

Since the scans that are currently available online are too low-resolution to read, I have contacted "Parker on the web" an interactive, web-based workspace designed to support use and study of the manuscripts in the historic Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge - managed by the Corpus Christi College and the Stanford University. They have been very friendly and helpful. The following images are published by kind permission of the Master and Fellows of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Link to larger image

Link to larger image

Thirteen properties of the plant are described, in a crescendo of magical powers that culminates in an almost eschatological vein. The marginal annotations (apparently in the same hand as the main text) are also interesting: the mention of Raimundus confirms the Pseudo-Lullian context of this manuscript. The text is largely different from the other versions I have seen, but there also is an overlap with the Trinity and Wellcome versions (e.g. the rejuvenating of hair, or the instructions to forge a magical ring).

Transcription	Translation
[f48v] Hic sequ[nt]ur virtutes Lunarie pro ut hab[entu]r | (1) in libris hermetis | [Q]uedam est planta que d[i]c[unt][?] borisas larthii / in latino vero vocatur | lunaria / et a[lio]o.[mod]o mortagon grece eam vocatur Eliotro- | pia / in arabico et caldeo Iburnica in saracenico mar- | gaton [christ]iani in lingua romana vocant eam herbam pibis [?] | alli pit Judei salinania / hac herba est similis maio- | rame atque vocatur vinraducis[?] Cuius folia celestis coloris | similia foliis viticelle vel muselle sive pedis colum- | bine Et hec berba nascit[u]r sine folio / et egredit de t[er-] | ra foliis nuda / et in primo augmenti lune habet unum folium | et sequentibus diebus usque ad quindecimum diem lunarem nas- | cit[u]r ei folium / et post xvm diem cum luna minuitur folia eius minu- | intur quolibet die unum / et ultimo remanet nuda sicut primo | exivit de terra / et semp[er] nascitur in pratis vel in ripis flu- | morum / aut in altibus mo[n]tanis / et h[ab]et stipitem altam rubeam | et eius folium est rotundum sicut esset fironus[?] argenti et est fissum sive | c[re]patum circumquoque et eius fissura sive c[re]patura est rubea / sed fo- | lium eius utrumque p[ar]te c[re]patum est viride / flores eius citrine sive | crocee / et h[abe]t lac croceum / ut est lac celidonie / et odor e[ius] ut | musc[us] / et ascend[i]t contra aquam et c[re]scit i[n] magna quantitate. / et in xv die |	[f48v] Here follow the virtues of Lunaria as described (1) in the book of Hermes. There is a certain plant that the Larthes call[?] Borisas. Truly in Latin it is called Lunaria and also Mortagon. In Greek it is called Eliotropia. In Arabic and Chaldean Iburnica. In Saracen Martagon. In the Roman language, Christians call it Herba Pibis[?] or Pit. The Hebrews call it Salinania. This plant is similar to Marjoram also called Vinraducis[?]. Its leaves are of a bluish color, similar to the leaves of a small vine, or of Musella[?] or of Geranium Columbinum. This plant is born without leaves and sprouts naked of leaves from the earth. In the first waxing of the moon, it has a single leaf and in the following days, until the fifteenth Lunar day, more leaves grow; after the fifteenth day, as the moon wanes, its leaves also decrease, one each day. Finally, it remains as naked as it first sprouted from the earth. It always grows in meadows or on the shores of rivers or on high mountains. It has a high red stem. Its leaf is rounded like a silver florin[?], fissured and cracked all around. Its fissures or cracks are red but its leaf, cracked on both sides, is green. Its flowers are lemon-like i.e. yellow. It has a yellow milk, like the milk of Celandine. It smells like musk and it floats upstream and it grows in large quantities. In the fifteenth day
lune h[abe]t omnes suas virtutes et p[r]oprieta[tes]. quae sun xiii / Prima | (2) e[ius] [vir]tus est quod si tra[hi]tur et succus eius extrahitur in quo succo bulliar mercurius | cum sanguine uppupe / et de isto mercurio fiet c[onver]si[?] lapis ruffus | Scias ferme quod de succo dentur esse due par[te]s . et de mercurio una | (3) et de sanguine po[ne][?] ut h[ab]ere poteris | Unus pondus istius pulverisati | pone super C. Veneris fusi et to[tu]m in solem con[ver]tit Secunda [vir]tus | est si sumatur pulveres mercurii et gumi arabici pulverisati | atque p[ostea][?] distempera hos pulveres cum succo dicte herbe / q[ui]bus | dissolutis d[ebe]t poni in alembico vit[re]o super ignem lentum per tres | dies n[atu]rales sic quod fumus inde extat / et pone super lunam et di- | veniet sol / et si de pulvere solis ponar super Jovis deveniet sol | Tertia proprietas est ista / extrahitur succus de radice eius |	of the moon, it has all its virtues and properties, which are thirteen. The First (2) of its virtues is that, if it is picked up and its juice is extracted and Mercury is boiled in this juice with hoopoe blood, this Mercury is turned[?] into a red Stone. Know firmly that two parts of juice must be used and one part of Mercury; (3) use[?] all the blood that you can get. Put a pound of this [Stone] pulverized on the melted Body of Venus [i.e. Copper] and it will be turned into the Sun [i.e. Gold]. The Second virtue is this: take Mercury powder and pulverized gum arabic and mix these powders with the juice of this plant; when they are dissolved, put all in a glass alembic upon a slow fire for three full days, in such a way that it smokes: put it on the Moon [i.e. Silver] and it is turned into the Sun [i.e. Gold]. If the powder of the Sun is put on Jupiter [i.e. Tin], it is turned into the Sun. The Third property is this: the juice of its root is extracted
[f49r] et ponar super martem et facit id mollis ita q[uod] funditur q[uod] reducitur | ad limam / de qua li[m]a si sup[er] ponar mercurius fit inde lapis [et cetera]. | Quarta est ista si de e[ius] foliis fiat pulveris et recipiatur | coclear plenum succi spiccanardi et ponar super caput et tenear | (4) p[er] quinque dies facit capillos albos cadere et r[e]venire ni- | gros / dum tamen utar tenens de[be]ris 5 diebus lacte vacarum bi- | bendo vel comedendo / et de quo quicumque acceperit de hac plan- | ta ad pondus unius lentis cum [...] supia[?] et clauserit in | vase per tres dies / et ex ip[s]o biberit per aliquot dies ad pon- | dus trium carubiarum pili eius cani cadent / et si sint albi nas- | centur nigri / si pro cibo cum lacte vacce de illo per tres dies | morum sumatur. et ita homo postea Juvenescet Quinta est | (5) hac si patiens quartanam utar succo eius foliorum curab[itu]r perfecte | cuiuscunque c[on]ditionis existat Sexta cum succo pred[ict]o perfecte | o[mni]a vulnera sanantur. Septima quod si succus predictus misceatur cum san- | guine serpentis femelle qua habuerit serpenticulos vel cum san- | guine eiusdem et de ipsis oculi ungantur reddit visus dum | tenes oculi corupti non existant Octava si de succo eius po[natu]r |	[f49r] and it is put on Mars [i.e. Iron]; it makes it so soft that it melts. This should be reduced to a powder by filing. If Mercury is put on this powder, you get the [philosopher's] Stone [et cetera]. The Fourth is this: if a powder is made of its leaves and a full spoon of juice of spike lavender is taken and put on the head and kept (4) for five days, white hair falls and black hair comes back. Anyway, while you use this, you must have cow milk to drink or to eat for five days. Take the weight of one lentil of this plant […] and close it in a jar for three days and drink the weight of three carobs of it for several days: gray hair will fall and if there is white hair, black hair will grow. [It must be] taken as food for three days together with cow milk. In this way a man is rejuvenated. The Fifth is this: if one suffers (5) from quartan [fever], [let him] take the juice of its leaves and he will be perfectly healed, whatever his conditions. Sixth: with the above mentioned juice, all wounds are perfectly healed. Seventh: if the above mentioned juice is mixed with the blood of a female snake that has had small snakes, or with their[?] blood, and the eyes are oiled with this, it returns sight; until you keep it, your eyes will not be sick. Eighth: if its juice is put into
in aure facit hominem intelligere aves et animalia Nona si | ha[be]at aliquod anulum aureum et ibi ponar folium dicte herbe per[?] | de super lapis de sua propria proprietate. et in manu dextra | teneatur inclusus ho[min]em reddit invisi[bi]lem. Decima si fiat | anulus aureus et ponar de la[pi]de mercurij et folium e[ius] desup[er] | et anulus ponar in aliquo digito pedis dextri / Cogitet por- || tantem ubi eam voluerit / et illico ibi erit Undecima si tan- | gatur aliquem vel aliquam in spatula dextra cum dicto anulo concedit | quicquid a se petitum fuerit Duodeci[m]a portans etiam est | potens et gratiosus et ab o[mn]ibus dilectus Decima 3a eius | folia seras tartari aperit et eius radix claudit. Explicit | Nota quod omnes iste virtutes sunt vere sed non ad l[itte]ram[?] | quae he[rb]e et plu[r]es alie sunt virtutes lapidis ph[ilosoph]orum / et qui | ip[s]am herbam probaverit sciet me verum scripsisse | etiam figura ipsius herbe sequitur in foliis seque[n]tibus.	the hears, a man can understand birds and animals. Ninth: if you have a golden ring and you put [on it] a leaf of this plant and[?], above it, the Stone of its virtue, and [the ring] is kept closed in your right hand, you will be made invisible. Tenth: make a golden ring and put the stone of Mercury and the leaf [of this plant] on it; wear the ring on any toe of your right foot; think where you want it to take you and you will immediately be there. Eleventh: if you touch a man or a woman with that ring on the right shoulder he or she will give you whatever you ask for. Twelfth: whoever wears [the ring] is powerful and pleasant and loved by everybody. Thirteenth: its leaf opens the gates of the underworld and its root closes them. The end. Note that all these virtues are true but not exhaustive[?] of this plant and that the philosopher's stone has many other virtues. Whoever has tried this plant knows that I have written the truth. A figure of this plant follows in the following pages.
Marginal annotations: [f48v] (1) ista h[er]ba est illa p[ri]ma | m[ateri]a de qua philosophi infinita | scripserunt p[ro]p[ter] virtutem | eius occultam cum qua sa- | nantur omnes infirmita[tes] | et componitur lapidis p[re]tiosi | aurum per argentum et res | ceteres in ... ... | per diversas informationes | et hic metaphorice sub | h[er]be spe[cie] docetur  (2) Nota quod ista prima virtus est compo[sitio] | lapidis phi[losophi]ci mistico mo[do] | seu enigmatice declarato (3) Nota quod mira[bi]le [...] magis quam mira[bi]le | intelligenti / [...] non intellige | p[r]o upupa ave [f49r] (4) hoc tenet raimondus et in | sua S[anc]ta . essen[ti]a . affirmat | et barto[lus][?] in lib[r]o de regime | senium ubi tractat de | borisa et de calo[r]e faciente[?] | ho[mi]nes t[em]p[er]ate complexionis (5) et non solum quartanam | curat sed om[ne]s infirmitates | etiam desp[er]atas / nisi deus | c[ontra]dixerit	Marginal annotations: [f48v] (1) This plant is that First | Matter about which philosophers wrote | infinitely because of its occult | powers. By it, all illnesses | are healed | and the gold of the precious stone | is made from silver | et cetera. [...] | by several sources | and here it is discussed metaphorically | under the appearance of a plant.  (2) Note that this first virtue is the making | of the philosopher's stone, discussed in a mystic | or enigmatic way.  (3) Note that this is a marvel. More than a marvel | to the reader who[?] cannot understand[?] the meaning | of the hoopoe bird.  [f49r] (4) So says Raymond: | he states this in his “Holy Essence.” | Also Bartolus[?] in his book “The Rule | of Old Age” in which he writes | about Borisa and about heat restoring[?] | men to a temperate complexion.  (5) It not only cures quartan [fever] | but all illnesses.

Trinity College MS O.2.48 – The Hermetic Lunatica

Cambridge, Trinity College MS O.2.48 is a late XIV Century herbal which is thought to have been written in Germany. Rene Zandbergen has linked the digital scans on the Voynich.ninja forum. 

The discussion of Herba Lunatica / Borixa starts at f96v and ends at f97v. The plant is not illustrated, but the first lines of the text are interlaced with the roots of an illustration of Verbena (the subject of the pages preceding the Lunatica essay).

Illustration of Vervain and first lines of the Lunatica / Borixa essay

Vera Segre Rutz discusses a similar Latin text in “Gli Erbari di Ermete” (in “Hermetism from late antiquity to humanism” - Lucentini, Parri, Perrone-Compagni eds. - 2004). The manuscripts mentioned in the paper attribute the text to Hermes Trismegistus with the title “Capitulum Hermetis sapientissimi de arbore qui dicitur borissa id est lunatica” (Essay by the most wise Hermes about the tree that is called Borissa i.e. Lunatica). Segre Rutz lists six manuscripts that include this text, noting that the differences between them are “numerous and significant”:

• London, Arundel 342 – Italian? - before 1361 (the text is appended to the Latin version of the Kyranides)
• Vatican, Pal. Lat. 1339 – XV Century
• Volterra, Guarnacci 5399 – XV Century
• Bethlehem, Lehigh University 1 – Catalan - XV Century
• Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 395 – Catalan - XV Century (a much longer version of the Lunatica essay, pointed out to Segre Rutz by Michela Pereira; this ms also features several illustrations of Lunaria)
• London, Wellcome Institute 261 – Italian - XVI Century? (this ms apparently contains an illustrated herbal)

Textmanuscripts.com (Les Enluminures) presents another XV Century Italian manuscript that apparently has been recently sold on the market.

The fact that the Trinity ms apparently includes a second XIV Century copy of the Lunatica essay could be of a certain interest. This version is considerably longer than the version transcribed by Segre Rutz (Wellcome ms 261). I have been unable to access the Corpus Christi ms in order to understand if the two extended versions are similar.

The overall structure of the essay is the following:

1. Title, description of the plant and of its relation with the waxing and waning of the Moon.
2. Incantation / prayer one should recite when picking the plant (missing in the Wellcome ms).
3. Alchemical use of the plant for the transmutation of metals and more details on the appearance of the plant.
4. The plant as an elixir of youth.
5. List of specific locations in which the plant can be found (missing in the Wellcome ms). The fact that the most specific locations are in Northern Italy could suggest that (this version of) the text was written there.
6. How to use the gold produced with Lunatica to make a magical ring granting dominion on people and demons. The Trinity ms includes several other uses of the ring. The Wellcome ms includes a description of an image to be engraved on the ring: such description is missing in the Trinity ms. 

It is also noteworthy that the title of the chapter is different in the Trinity ms: instead of the attribution to Hermes, the prayer (precantio) to be recited when picking the plant is mentioned.

In the following transcription and translation, I have highlighted in bold the passages in which the Trinity and Wellcome manuscripts are closer.

Transcription:

Trinity College MS O.2.48	Wellcome MS 261
[96v] precantio herbe lunatice alij borixeam dicunt alii borixam. alij bona | mitos alij herba constantini. alij lucernalis. quod eius flos et herba tota | lucet in nocte. et pastoribus videntibus eam lucens in nocte quasi | pavescunt quod putant illam esse fantasmata. hac herba est similis maio | rane cuius folia celestis coloris similis foliis viticelle . sunt ro | tunda ad modum denariorum. hac una herba nascitur sine foliis a nove | lunio usque ad plenitudinem lune cotidie unum folium producit. | … medietate mensis lunaris. xv habet folia. deinde [?] cum luna | deminuitur cotidie unum folium amitit. donec sine foliis pe | [97r] nitus denudata	Capitulum Hermetis sapientissimi de arbore que dicitur borissa id est lunatica, que est similis folie maiurane, cuius folia celestis colloris similia sunt foliis viticelle, hec quidem nascitur sine foliis a prima Luna usque ad plenum Lune quotidie unum folium producit et sic usque ad medium mensis lunaris 14 habet folia. Deinde cum Luna minuatur quotidie folium unum perdit donec sit foliis penitus denudata sicut fuit procreata.
(+) unum accipiens [?] hanc herbam cum hoc car[mine?] | et vade ad eam mundus et nitidus sic ut de […] et […] | orientem. O magne Rex adonay in cuius sunt omnes potestates et virtu | tes et medicamina omnium herbarum. per omnia sancta nomina tua. et per glorio | sam assensionem tuam ac ressiurectionem et per beatissimam virginem mariam | matrem tuam desponsatam ioseph. te deprecor ut non custodias ad | peccata mea nec ad miseriam meam. sed custioas ad misericordiam | ac pietatem tuam. ut des huic herbe omnes virtutes et omnes potestates | ut qui de hac herba […] habet virtutem efficacem[?] . per te regnante | dominus per infinita secula seculorum amen. + hic signes eam post evellendo | eam dicas hac sancta nomina dei. alpha et omega. agla. octinomos tetragrammaton. | pantoncraton. Emanuel. Enecphaton + . ya vau. Rex [...] . et per semper [...] altera[?] inmortalis agnus inmaculatus sabaoth. | hoc dicendo flexis genibus evelle ipsam uno ictu. Qui tali modo | hanc herbam carminaverit eam tenebit quod sine hac precationem hec | erba evanessetur ante te. et ipsa collecta amiteres ipsam. Quia | a te fugeret +
De hac herba accipe et eius sucum extrahe in quo suco | mercurium fac bolire et fit lapis rubeus. et de hac lapide pone super […] et | fiet sol. et de hoc sole pone unam partem super C eius et fiet[?] sol. | Item de radice huius herbe fac pulverem vel de eius stipite. et de hac pulvere | pone super saturnum uncie[?] i super C et fiet optimus sol . Item de […] | herba cum sua radice fac pulverem si est […] ut non habet[?] sucum. | Et pone de hac pulvere uncie[?] i super C . eius et fiet optima luna. Et de hac luna si posueris uncie[?] i super C saturni. fiet sol […] | Hac herba nascitur in montibus et in ripis fluminum. […] | folia sunt rotunda ad modum denariorum[?]. lignum eius ru[be?]um […] | et sucus eius similiter. et eius folia sunt similima in colore […] | viola[rum?] ipsius odor est[?] . ut odor musci. […] | [97v] […] et virtuti in sole. et de ipso sole pone super | […] sol de quo sole simile si super saturnum posueris ut [...] est | […] fiet sol. Item de suco radicis huius herbe. unge ferrum | et fiet luna.	Accipe igitur hanc herbam et eius succum extrahe in quo mercurium fac bullire et fiat lapis rubeus et de hoc lapide proice supra cuprum id est ramum et fiat aurum cuius V° pars super centum. Hec erba nascitur in ripis fluminum et in montibus cuius folia sunt rotunda ad modum dinariorum lignum eius est rubeum et flos eius est citrinus et eius odor sicut muschii et habet lac simile croco. Accipe aquam huius erbe quam terendo et comprimendo extrahe et pone super argentum et vertitur in aurum optimum et de hoc accipe partem unam et pone super plumbum et fiet aurum et de radice huius herbe extrahe succum terendum et unge ferrum aridum et exinde mollificabit fietque lime et de hac lima pone super mercurium et fiet lapis. Accipe de foliis eius et sicca et pone inde super argentum et fiet aurum et si exinde super es posueris fiet luna
Item de pulvere huius herbe vel radicis. pondus unius carobie. | accipiatur. et ponatur cum eoque[?] pondere de spica nardi. et ligni[?] aloes. et mirre. | […]. et de hac quis biberit per ix dies pondus trium carubiorum . Omnes pilli | albi et cani cadent. et nigri[?] nascentur. et totum corpus eius efficietur quasi | in forma et etate xxx annorum. et in illo robore erit. Et in | hos ix dies scit[?] dieta ut lac vacinum et suco […]. et lac | amigdalarum. Et in hos ix dies stet in thalamo oscuro ut aliquem | splendor diei scit.	et si de ipso pulvere ponderis unius carube acciperis et equo pondere cum spica romana mescueris et in urina posueris de ipso usque ad octo dies quotidie biberis pondere unius unzie, vel carube omnes albi pilli de tuo corpore cadent et in loco eorum nigri nascentur et infra hos octo dies sit dieta tua in lacte vacce dulci et ita de sene fiet fortis et iuvenis et si vis ad lumen oculorum mirablilem reddit visum
Hec dicunt herba invensta[?] fuit a pastoribus | quod […] pastores per hanc herbam sciunt renovationem lunationis. | Et nascitur in montibus magnis sasoxis. et specialiter in illis montibus | invenitur ubi currunt flumina. Quidam eam[?] inveniunt circa aliquas | insulas maris. Item inveniuntur in monte qui dicitur laguarda. quod est super bono | niam. et in ex partia et in monte quod dicitur montbon quod est inter florencem | et bononiam. et in monte habraham quod est super veronam. et in cicilia. | et in apullia. Item invenitur in quodam insula maris ethiopie. qua dicitur | sene et in quodam monte quod est in barbaria.
Item de sole facto[?] huius herbe | fac anulum in quo pone margaritam. et sub illa margarita sit de radice | fu[?] si quis hanc anulum super se portaverit omnes homines et mulieres. et | [...] demones obedient ei. Et si quis demoniacus ad collum suum | habuit liberabitur ademonio et fugient ab eo. et dicet […] | […] sua. Ad partum mulieris. Item si hoc anulum | suspenderis[?] ad coxia mulieris parturientis cito pariet et absque | dolore. Ad caducos. Item si quis caducus in digito suo | […] dextera manus habuit[?] numquam cadet. Quis super se habuit[?] numquam dentes doleb[unt?] | […] tenuerit propter magnum calorem non faciet |[...] caloris quod [...] propter febres in estivo tempore.	et si vis omnes demones et homines obedient tibi fac de dicto auro facto de dicta erba fieri anulum in quo ponas unam de margaritis quas tinxisti in qua fac scolpire imaginem bovis que habet caput ad similitudinem piscis et cauda sit sicut cauda pavonis. Deinde cum cera virginea lavetur cum aqua celesti callida et quod decima pars huius aque callide remaneat postea distilletur. Explicit.

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Translation:

Trinity College MS O.2.48	Wellcome MS 261
[96v] Enchantment of the Lunatica plant, others call it Borixea, others Borixa, others Bonamitos, | others plant of Constantine, others Lucernalis, because its flowers and the whole plant | shine in the night, and the shepherds , seeing it shine in the night, are almost | afraid, mistaking it for phantoms. This plant is similar to marjoram | whose leaves are of a bluish color, they are similar to the leaves of Viticella. They are round like coins. This plant is born without leaves, From the new | moon to the full moon, it produces a new leaf every day. | [In the?] middle of the Lunar month, it has fifteen leaves. Then, as the moon wanes, it loses a leaf every day, until it is without leaves, thoroughly [97r] denuded.	Essay by the most wise Hermes about the tree that is called Borissa i.e. Lunatica, which has leaves similar to Marjoram, whose leaves, of a blue color, are similar to the leaves of Viticella. Indeed it is born without leaves; from the first Moon to the full Moon, it produces a leaf every day until, at the middle of the Lunar month, it has fourteen leaves. Then, as the Moon wanes, it loses a leaf every day, until it is thoroughly denuded of leaves, as it was procreated.
+ Pick[?] this plant with this prayer[?] | and go to it being clean and neat as […] | Eastward. O Great King Adonay in whom are all powers and | virtues and the medicines of all plants, for all your sacred names, for your glorious | ascension and resurrection, for your very blessed mother | the Virgin Mary, wife of Joseph, I pray you: do not observe | my sins nor my misery, but observe your mercy | and compassion. Give to his plant all virtues and all powers. | Let he who [picks?] this plant benefit[?] of its effective virtue. By you, Lord, ruling for infinite ages, amen. + Here sign it and, after plucking | it, say these sacred names of God: Alpha and Omega, Agla, Octinomos, Tetragrammaton, | Pantoncraton, Emmanuel, Enecphaton + ya vau King [...] and forever […] [?] immortal, immaculate lamb, Sabaoth. Saying these words, kneeling, pluck it with a single strike. Whoever prayed | the plant in this way, will be able to keep it. Because, without this prayer, this | plant will disappear in front of you: even if it was picked, you will lose it, because | it will flee from you. +
Take this plant and extract its juice. Boil mercury | in this juice and a red stone will be produced. Put some of this stone on […] | and the Sun [i.e. gold] will be produced. Put part of this Sun on its body [?Corpus] and the Sun will be produced. | Make powder of the root or stem of this pant, and put one ounce[?] | of this powder on Saturn [i.e. lead] on its body[?] and an excellent Sun will be produced. | Make a powder of this plant, if it is so [dry?] that it has no juice. | Put one ounce[?] of this powder on its body[?] and an excellent Moon [i.e. silver] will be produced. And if you put one ounce[?] of this Moon upon the body[?] of Saturn, the Sun will be produced […] | This plant grows on the mountains and the shores of rivers. […] | [Its?] leaves are round like coins. Its wood is red […] | and its juice similarly. | And its leaves are very similar in color […] | of violets. Its smell is like the smell of musk. […] | [97v] […] put of this Sun on | […] the Sun, of which Sun similarly […] as if you put it on Saturn, | the Sun is produced. Oil iron with the juice of this plant and the Moon will be produced.	Take then of this plant and extract its juice in which you will boil mercury, a red stone will be produced. Put of this stone on Cuprum i.e. Copper and gold will be produced by a five percent of it. This plant grows on the shores of rivers and on mountains. Its leaves are round like coins. Its wood is red and its flower is citric [yellow?] with a smell like musk. It has a milk similar to Crocus. Take the water that you extract from this plant by rubbing and compressing ant put it on silver and it will change into excellent gold. Take a part of this [gold] and put it on lead and gold will be produced. Extract juice of this plant by rubbing and oil dry iron, it will become soft. Make powder by filing and put of this powder on Mercury, the Stone will be produced. Take its leaves, dry them and then put them on silver, gold will be produced. If you then put it on Es[?], the Moon will be produced.
Take the powder of this plant or of its root, the weight of one carob, | together with the same quantity of Spica Nardi and aloe wood and myrrh. | If one drinks of it the weight of three carobs for nine days, all the white | and gray hair will fall, and black [hair] will grow. All his body will be transformed almost | in the shape and age of thirty years, and he will have the same strength. During | those nine days, one should have a diet of cow milk, and juice [of …] and almond | milk. During those nine days, one should stay in a dark bedroom [without?] any | daylight.	And if you take the weigh of one carob of that powder and mix it with the same weight of Spica Romana and put it into urine and for eight days drink of it daily the weigh of one ounce or carob, all the white hair will fall from your body; in their place, black hair will grow. During those eight days, your diet will be of sweet cow milk: in this way, from old you will become strong and young and, if you want, it wonderfully restores sight to the light of the eyes.
They say this plant was found by the shepherds, | because […] shepherds can tell the phase of the Moon by [observing] this plant. | It grows on great stony mountains, in particular it is found on those mountains | on which rivers flow. Somebody found it in some islands | of the sea. It is found on the mountain called Laguarda [La Guardia?], which is above Bologna, | and in the surrounding areas, and on the mountain called Montbon, which is between Florence and Bologna, and on the Habraham mountain, which is above Verona, and in Sicily, | and in Apulia. It is also found in some island in the Sea of Ethiopia and on some mountain in Barbaria.
Of the Sun [i.e. gold] made with this plant | make a ring in which you shall put a pearl, and under that pearl a bit of Fu [i.e. Valerian] root. | If one wears that ring upon himself, all men and women and | devils will obey him. And if one was possessed by the devil and had | [this ring] at his neck, he will be freed and the devils will flee from him. […] | For women giving childbirth: if this ring | is hanged to the tights of a woman giving birth, the childbirth will be fast and without | pain. For the epileptics: if one was epileptic and had it at his finger | […] of the right hand, he will never fall. If one has it upon himself, his teeth will never ache. | […] because of the great heat […] | because of fevers during summertime.	And if you want that all devils and men obey you, have a ring made of the said gold of the said plant in which you will put one of the pearls that you imbued. Have the image of an ox with a head like a fish and a tail like the tail of a peacock engraved on it. Then it should be washed with virgin wax and hot rain water: a tenth of the remaining rain water should be distilled. The end.

Brescia Ms B.V.24 – Herba Caspitres

Brescia, Biblioteca Queriniana, Ms B.V.24 is a XV Century manuscript written in North-Western Italy. Two pages from the manuscript have been published in “Di Sana Pianta”, Modena, 1988.

This page contains four plants from the “Alchemical Herbal”: Caspitres (#66, Caspetres, in the list published by Segre Rutz - “Il Giardino Magico degli Alchimisti”), Arteticha Montana (#51 Artetica montaria), Lucia Minore (#47 Herba Bazea minor et de nouem una), Oculus Domini (#54).

I present the description of the first plant, which, together with a medical use, includes an interesting magical application.

Link to larger image

Transcription: De lerba Caspitres | L'Erba caspitres achi non po fa ventosita di sotto. To questa | erba dagene beuere /o/ manzare. Subito petezara /e/ non fara | may altro che petezare fin che non sia fora la uentositade. | E se tu uo andare inuisibile. To questa erba pontela in bocha /e/ tene | schiusa la bocha non ha persona che te possa videre. / nasse alamarina. /

Translation: About the Caspitres plant | The Caspitres plant for who cannot make wind from below. Take this | plant and give it to drink or eat: he will immediately fart and he will do nothing | but fart until all windiness is out. | And if you want to go around invisible, take this plant and put it in your mouth and keep | your mouth open: nobody will be able to see you. It grows near the sea.

Trinity College MS O.2.48 – Barthifos

Cambridge, Trinity College MS O.2.48 is a late XIV Century herbal which is thought to have been written in Germany. Rene Zandbergen has linked the digital scans on the Voynich.ninja forum.

The text about Herba Barthifos or Barthifas (f94v) is partly lost because the outer margin of the folio is worn.

Transcription: Nomen herbe barthifas. greci dicunt sc[r]onos. | ebrayci landufius vocant. tartari vocant | eam columbanes. herba ista [?] in india nascens | folia huius formata ut manus unam | […] huius in qua sunt folia ab utraque parte | […] cum floribus purpureis semen simile | […]. odorem bonum habens et suave | […] sicata et in pulvere reddata et | […] cum vino allio | […] vini bibita per xv dies. | […] sanat [?] efficacissime. semen huius herbe | […] multa ciatos duos et semen a is | […] potiu jeiuno per ix dies ydropices | […] sanat. flos eius si a mulier | […] vino mero statim menstrum imperat. | Lege eam mense augusti. | Nomen herbe | barthifos | ii [sunt?] species

Translation: The name of the plant is Barthifas, the Greek call it Scronos, | the Hebrew call it Landufius, the Tartar call | it Columbanes. This [?] plant grows in India. | Its leaves are shaped like hands. | […] with leaves on both sides | […] with purple flowers. Its seed is like | […] It has a good and delicate smell. | […] Dried and reduced into powder and | […] with wine, with garlic [?] | […] drunk with wine for fifteen days | […] is very effective in healing [?]. The seed of this plant | with much […] two ciatos [i.e. three ounces] and the seed [?] | […] drunk without food for nine days heals hydropsy. | […] If a woman [drinks?] its flowers | […] with pure wine, menses are immediately provoked. | Pick it in the month of August. | [To the right ot the illustration:] The name of the plant is Barthifos. | There are two kinds [of this plant].

Trinity College MS O.2.48 – Conoriel

Cambridge, Trinity College MS O.2.48 is a late XIV Century herbal which is thought to have been written in Germany. Rene Zandbergen has linked the digital scans on the Voynich.ninja forum. Herba Conoriel (246r top) looks more similar to Dandelion than the previously discussed Dabelion. The paragraph is also interesting because Latin names for the plant are provided (Oculus Bovis and Lactuca Asinina).

Link to larger image

Transcription: Nomen herbe Conoriel Greci stakis | Ebrayci leueyr. Nascitur montibus calidis | sine stipite crescit. folia similia infoliis | sponse solis. plures uocant eam oculus bovis | vel lactuca asininia. florem facit croceum [?] brevem [?]. | radicem nigrum longam. totam herba lac emitit album. | […] cum aceto […] comesta | ieiuno epar et splen et tota interiora per dies xxx. | omnino sanat. et si totum epar esset putridum. sanaretur | lege eam mense aprilis vel madij

Translation: The name of the plant is Conoriel, Stakis in Greek, | Leueyr in Hebraic. It grows on hot mountains, | without a stem, with leaves similar to the leaves | of Sponsa Christi. Many call it Oculus Bovis | or Lactuca Asinina. It makes a short [?] yellow [?] flower. | The root is black and long. All the plant produces a white milk. | […] Eaten with vinegar, | without food, for thirty days, it entirely heals the liver, the spleen and all entrails. | And if the liver were all rotten, it will be healed. | Pick it in the month of April or May.