The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I

Name: The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I
Author: Attributed to Abraham the Jew

Book of Hieroglyphic Figures

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The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume IThe Labors of Hercules · Manuscript 49v · Scan 126

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The Labors of Hercules · Manuscript 49v · Scan 126

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French

Ms. 49v

la nymphe Asie. De ce mariage naquit Atlas, c'est-à-dire l'esprit minéral le plus grand de tous, Hespérus, c'est-à-dire l'esprit végétatif et Prométhée qui dénote le feu céleste. Nous disons que de cette multiplicité de feux s'engendre la corruption universelle des choses, qui contient tous les secrets ou mystères de cet art comme nous l'expliquerons en son lieu.

11°. Que veulent enfin dire dans la philosophie chimique Géryon au triple corps, Cerbère aux trois gueules et le Sphinx sous trois formes, terrassé par Hercule. Pour dénouer ce nœud gordien, nous entendons la triple substance des choses; l'eau ou le soufre, le sel ou mercure qui dans toute génération doit être détruite par la corruption par un mouvement successif; car la corruption de Mercure est l'âme et la génération du soufre, et au contraire la mort et la corruption du soufre consiste dans la vie de Mercure, de même que nous disons que la génération du sel est la subversion de l'âme mercurielle et du soufre.

12°. Enfin le combat contre les Centaures, et la victoire remportée sur eux, et sur les étables d'Augias, nettoyées par Hercule

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I: The Labors of Hercules

Ms. 49v

the nymph Asia. From this marriage was born Atlas—that is, the greatest mineral spirit of all—Hesperus, that is, the vegetative spirit, and Prometheus, who denotes celestial fire. We say that from this multiplicity of fires arises the universal corruption of things, which contains all the secrets or mysteries of this art, as we shall explain in its proper place.

11. What, finally, do Geryon with his triple body, Cerberus with his three mouths, and the Sphinx in three forms, overcome by Hercules, mean in chemical philosophy? To untie this Gordian knot, we understand the threefold substance of things: water or sulfur, salt or mercury, which in every generation must be destroyed through corruption by a successive movement. For Mercury's corruption is sulfur's soul and generation; conversely, sulfur's death and corruption consist in Mercury's life, just as we say that salt's generation is the overthrow of the mercurial soul and sulfur.

12. Finally, the combat against the Centaurs, the victory won over them, and the stables of Augeas, cleaned by Hercules,

About This Reading Edition

The first manuscript in the Manly Palmer Hall collection at the Getty Research Institute: the Book of Hieroglyphic Figures, presented in French and English with 463 explanatory notes, 13 manuscript plates, 25 source details, an introduction, chapter outline, glossary, bibliography, and register of readings.

Historical Text and Translation

Book of Hieroglyphic Figures (Livre des figures hiéroglyphiques), attributed in the witness to Abraham the Jew. Getty Research Institute, Manly Palmer Hall collection of alchemical manuscripts, accession 950053, Box 1, Hogart manuscript 3; French witness catalogued circa 1800. Manly Palmer Hall is the collector, not the author.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The circa 1800 source manuscript is public domain. The supplied 2026 French reading transcription, English translation, introduction, notes, outline, glossary, register, and editorial arrangement are published with the site owner’s authorization. Source photographs are credited to the Getty Research Institute and Internet Archive in the supplied edition.