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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English Page · Branch 22 of 351

Model of the Hieroglyphic Figures · Manuscript 7r · Scan 27

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French

Ms. 7r

en sa main une faux courbée dont il tâchait de couper les pieds et les jambes du jeune; il était vêtu de bleu et retroussé jusqu'aux genoux, et nu quant au reste du corps; il portait sur la tête une horloge de sable et avait des ailes aux épaules, étendues de telle sorte que la bouche béante et ouverte, il semblait vouloir se jeter sur le jeune pour le dévorer, de même que les mécabales des Hébreux avaient coutume de le représenter dans leurs figures hiéroglyphiques pour annoncer Mercure le messager des Dieux des païens, et la longue durée du temps dont nous parlerons ci-dessous en son lieu.

Dans une autre page du quatrième feuillet, il représentait sur le sommet d'une très haute montagne une très belle fleur dont la tige ou la plante était d'un bleu changeant, et les feuilles émaillées de rayons dorés, contre laquelle le vent du nord soufflait violemment. Autour de cette montagne demeurent sept dragons, et autant de griffons ou tigres, dont l'un a des ailes, et l'autre en est dépourvu, et le plus grand qui a des ailes se jettent cruellement sur le plus petit qui n'en a point pour le dévorer. Les dragons sont noirs, les tigres tiennent du jaune sur une couleur pâle.

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I: Model of the Hieroglyphic Figures

Ms. 7r

in his hand a curved scythe with which he tried to cut off the young man's feet and legs. He was dressed in blue, with his garment tucked up to the knees, and the rest of his body bare. On his head he wore an hourglass, and he had wings at his shoulders, extended in such a way that, with his mouth wide open, he seemed about to fling himself upon the young man to devour him. This was how the Hebrew mecabales were accustomed to represent him in their hieroglyphic figures, to signify Mercury, the messenger of the pagan gods, and the long duration of time, of which we shall speak below in its proper place.

On another page of the fourth leaf he represented, upon the summit of a very high mountain, a very beautiful flower whose stem or plant was an iridescent blue, its leaves studded with golden rays. The north wind blew violently against it. Around this mountain dwell seven dragons, and as many griffins or tigers, one of which has wings while the other has none. The larger winged creature throws itself cruelly upon the smaller wingless one to devour it. The dragons are black; the tigers have a yellowish cast against a pale ground.

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.