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 IFables and the Philosophical Work · Manuscript 24v · Scan 68

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French Page · Branch 61 of 351

Fables and the Philosophical Work · Manuscript 24v · Scan 68

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French

Ms. 24v

mais, qu’entendons-nous par Médée et son art ?

Enfin, par Médée, on entend ce soufre de nature parce qu’alors on l’appelle médecine propre à toutes les maladies, et par conséquent l’artiste de toute la médecine ou magie naturelle, et le fondement de la religion de la cabale, dont nous avons dit de grandes choses déjà plusieurs fois. Nous appelons le suc mixtionné qu’il fit avaler au dragon endormi, l’eau mercurielle qui, après la sublimation reste au fond du vaisseau dans lequel le corps de l’or a été dissous et cuit. C’est pourquoi on l’appelle médecine et très grand thériaque, dans laquelle les chairs de notre serpent ou vipères purifiées de leur sang, ont été dissoutes, et qui est nommée en conséquence par les philosophes vapeur engraissée et fleuve d’Achelous. Hercule avait besoin d’une force extrême, parce que ce fleuve de temps en temps prenait une nouvelle forme. Nous en parlerons plus au long dans son chapitre.

À la seconde figure du second septenaire des feuillets était la forme d’un serpent crucifié avec des grands clous de fer ; la tête du serpent pendait du haut vers l’orient, du côté droit, et sa queue du côté gauche pendait vers le

The Manly Hall Manuscript Collection, Volume I: Fables and the Philosophical Work

Ms. 24v

but what do we understand by Medea and her art?

Finally, by Medea we understand this sulfur of nature, because at that stage it is called a medicine suitable for every disease, and consequently the practitioner of all medicine or natural magic, and the foundation of the religion of the cabala, concerning which we have already said great things several times. We call the mixed juice he made the sleeping dragon swallow the mercurial water that, after sublimation, remains at the bottom of the vessel in which the body of gold has been dissolved and cooked. Thus it is called medicine and a very great theriac, in which the flesh of our serpent, or of vipers purified of their blood, has been dissolved; consequently the philosophers name it enriched vapor and the river of Achelous. Hercules needed extraordinary strength because this river took on a new form from time to time. We shall speak of it more fully in its chapter.

In the second figure of the second group of seven leaves was the form of a serpent crucified with large iron nails. Its head hung from above toward the east, on the right-hand side, and its tail on the left-hand side hung toward the

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.