(Grasshoff), Johann

Le mistère de la nature cachée. Par Valchius disciple de Jean Grasseus dit Cortolassée. Traduit du latin en françois par Raymond Baçon S[ieur] de Presle. 1690. Ff. 1-15 contain an 'Epitre de Cortolassée à l'électeur de Cologne', originally dated 1603. A marginal note in the original hand states: 'Cest Epitre de Cartolassée est exellente, écritte à S. A. Ernest, Électeur de Cologne, où il est traité du Beurre blanc phi[loso]phique qui paroit avant la noirceur.' Following Jöcher's 'Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexicon', 1750, Vol. II, col. 1134, this MS. has been entered under Grasshoff, writing under the pseudonym of 'Joannes Walchius' or 'Johann Walch'. Grasshoff also wrote under the names of 'Johannes Chortalasseus' 'Grassaeus', 'Grasseus', and 'Hermannus Condeesyanus'. No French printed translation of this work seems to be recorded, but the original (?) German version was published in Hamburg in 1657, and a Latin translation in Zetzner's 'Theatrum Chemicum', Vol. VI, 1641, pp. 523-542. [Cf. Ferguson 'Bibliotheca Chemica' s.v. Grasshoff, Mysterium, Walch.] The preface to the main work (ff. 16-22) is stated to be by 'Haprec, Fils de Sandivogius [sic]', and ff. 54-57 contain 'Remarques sur Harpricht'. According to Ferguson (op. cit. s.v. Hautnorthon), 'Johann Harprecht' was a pseudonym of Josaphat Friederich Hautnorthon, a Swedish alchemist, but in the B.M. Catalogue this is reversed and 'Hautnorthon' is entered as a pseudonym of 'Joannes Harprech, the younger'. Ff. 52-54 contain a 'Relation de M. Helvetius' extracted from his 'Vitulus aureus', dated 1664, concerning an alleged transmutation of lead into gold by a goldsmith named Grib at the Hague.

Early 18th century

1 volume 76 ff. 4to. 241/2 × 18 cm. Modern calf-gilt binding. Written on the rectos only, with marginal notes by a later 18th cent. French Alchemist.

Purchased 1936.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).