Beschreibung:

A COLLECTION OF KABBALISTIC MANUSCRIPTS, in Italian and Latin, illustrated manuscripts on paper [Italy, 18th and 19th century] A veritable treasure-trove of kabbalistic knowledge, with several excerpts from the great Italian mathematician and astrologer Rutilio Benincasa, and including the keys to answering all-important questions such as ‘What are next week’s lottery numbers?' 12 volumes, c.270 x 200mm, in a variety of different hands, some with fold-out tables, all with computational grids and diagrams, contemporary annotations throughout (variously thumbed, with some ink erosion, offsetting and marginal staining). All bound in patterned paper over pasteboards (a little scuffed and stained). Including : (1) ‘Nodo di Salomone’. 264 x 194mm. ii + 14 + ii leaves, containing pyramids of numbers to be used as tools to answer specific questions (e.g. ‘What is the name of the guardian Angel of Francesco Maria Balli’, f.2, or ‘Will Raffaele Cassano be re-elected senator this December?’, f.6). (2) ‘Tavola dell’alfabeto’. 262 x 192mm. i + 18 + i leaves, first leaf with an ink stamp with the initials ‘DO’, the opening table with an alphabetical key by which to interpret the remainder of the text. A reference is made to Ponte Pattoli, near Perugia. (3) ‘Cabala responsiva per uso e divertimento di me P. Allieri copiata per [...]’. 270 x 200mm. i + 24 + ii leaves, with 20 computational tables. (4) [BENINCASA, Rutilio, ‘Kabala Astronomica del R[utilio] B[enincas]a fatta l’anno 1553 [...]’. 264 x 198mm. i + 16 + i leaves, containing kabbalistic and astrological texts taken from the mathematician and astrologer Rutilio Benincasa, known for his Perpetual Calendar. (5) [BENINCASA, Rutilio], ‘Rota massima divisa in dodici tavole, vera cabala responsiva di Rutilio Benincasa Cosentino’ and ‘Magnum arcanum Sartorelli. Altra Gabala della Ruota Massima’. i + 14 + i leaves . 270 x 200mm. (6) [BENINCASA, Rutilio], ‘Cabala Numerica dell’ Cardinale Rutilio Benincasa 1553’. 268 x 195mm. i + 21 + i leaves, with texts drawn from the works of Benincasa and including several kabbalistic rotae and computational tables. (7) XXV numerical tables followed by the key (‘Dimmi chi fu in mia casa ieri al giorno’ and instructions on how to interpret it. 264 x 190mm. ii + 6 + i leaves, first leaf with an ink stamp with the initials ‘DO’. (8) Kabbalistic tables with explanatory texts, including the ‘Cabala di Pico Mirandola’. 262 x 190mm. i + 12 + i leaves, one of the texts with the scribe saying he is 49 years old and is writing at 11pm on Thursday 2 November 1762. (9) ‘Cabala dell’almanacco’. 266 x 194mm. ii + 5 + i. (10) ‘Cabala minore’. 265 x 200mm. ii + 3 + i leaves, first leaf with an ink stamp with the initials ‘DO’, large fold-out table, some of the example questions including ‘Will Julianus Amadeus be made Cardinal’ (f.1) and, in a later hand, ‘I want to know the lottery numbers that will be extracted in Rome on 10 December 1859’ (f.3). (11) ‘Cabala numerica’. 263 x 190mm. i + 9 + ii. (12) ‘Scientia quan vocant ludum numerorum’. 267 x 200mm. iii + 20 + iii.