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The catalogue of the Ripley Corpus: alchemical writings attributed to George Ripley (d. ca. 1490)
1Deapartment of History and Philosphy of Science, University of Cambridge, UK. jmr82@cam.ac.uk
Ambix
|October 27, 2010
Summary
This study catalogues alchemical works attributed to George Ripley (fl. 15th century). The Catalogue of the Ripley Corpus (CRC) helps organize these texts, aiding research into Ripley
Area of Science:
- History of Science
- Alchemy Studies
Background:
- George Ripley (d. ca. 1490) was a prominent English alchemist.
- A significant body of alchemical texts was attributed to him between 1471 and 1700.
Observation:
- Evaluating Ripley's alchemical corpus is challenging due to uncertainties in text composition, dating, and attribution.
- Many texts attributed to Ripley may be spurious.
Findings:
- The Catalogue of the Ripley Corpus (CRC) is presented as a descriptive catalogue.
- It details approximately forty-five alchemical treatises, recipes, and poems attributed to Ripley.
- An index of all known manuscript copies is included.
Implications:
- The CRC serves as a foundational tool for scholars studying Ripley and his alchemical legacy.
- It facilitates more accurate research by clarifying the corpus and manuscript sources.
- This work aids in distinguishing genuine Ripleyan texts from later attributions.
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