A philosophical treatise of a somnambule upon God: man: & nature.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Contributor:

Rainsford, Charles, 1728-1809, former owner.

Northumberland, Hugh Percy, Duke of, 1742-1817, former owner.

Charles Rainsford Collection of Alchemical and Occult Manuscripts (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

French

Subjects (All):

Animal magnetism--Early works to 1800.

Animal magnetism.

Sleepwalking--Early works to 1800.

Sleepwalking.

Occultism--Early works to 1800.

Occultism.

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

treatises

Manuscripts, English.

Manuscripts, European.

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Charles Rainsford (British army officer, fellow of the Royal Society, and alchemist); bequeathed by Rainsford to Hugh Percy, Second Duke of Northumberland.

Owned by the 2nd through 12th Dukes of Northumberland, ms. 616.1 and 616.2, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, 1809-2014 (bookplate, inside upper cover; stamps throughout).

Sold at auction at Sotheby's (London), 15 July 2014, as part of Lot 411.

Physical Description:

2 volumes (138, 177 leaves) : paper ; 193 x 160 mm bound to 203 x 165 mm

Production:

Gibraltar, 1794.

Summary:

Collection of treatises purported to be written in French by a young woman while in a state of somnambulation in the year 1786 and translated into English in Gibraltar in 1794 by a student of magnetism (v. 1, p. 36-37), most likely by Charles Rainsford. Sections include the definition of the Holy Trinity (v. 1, p. 1-36), discussion of mankind and nature (v. 1, p. 37-172), an overview of magnetism (v. 1, p. 173-218) and magnetic sleep (v. 1, p. 219-267; v. 2, p. 1-28), spiritual and natural magnetism and instructions on how to magnetize (v. 2, p. 29-71), a translation of a letter originally printed in French at Stockholm in 1787 that gives an explanation of animal magnetism and somnambulism (v. 2, p. 73-171), and extracts from the works of Emmanuel Swedenborg that explain animal magnetism and somnambulism (v. 2, p. 172-215). Also includes a list of contents for the first volume (v. 1, p. [268].

Notes:

Ms. codex.

Title from title page (v. 1, p. 37).

Pagination: V. 1: Paper, 138 leaves; [iv], 1-241, [ii], 257, [ii], 258-267, [268]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners from p. 1-36, and upper center from p. 37-267. Second set of contemporary pagination in ink, 1-213, upper outer corners. starting on p. 58 of first set of pagination. V. 2: Paper, 177 leaves; [ii], 1-215, [216-352]; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners.

Layout: Written in 16-18 long lines.

Script: Written in a cursive script in the hand of Charles Rainsford.

Binding: Contemporary parchment.

Origin: Written in Gibraltar in 1794 (v.1, p. 37).

Local Notes:

Purchased with support from the B. H. Breslauer Foundation.

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1698.

OCLC:

919322162

Online:

Unique at Penn blog post