Signature a1r
Folio 1r, Quire a
British Library, London — C.60.o.12
HIGH
Biblioteca degli Intronati, Siena — O.III.38
HIGH Unverified
Biblioteca degli Intronati, Siena — O.III.38
HIGH Unverified
Alchemical Analysis
Dawn as Albedo: The Sun's First Emanation
At the opening of Poliphilo's narrative, Hand B annotates the dawn scene with careful precision: 'Tempus ergo matutinum erat, sine diluculo, uel crepusculum' (It was the early morning, before dawn, or later in the evening). This is not mere translation. The annotator identifies the exact solar position -- the moment before the sun crests the horizon -- because in d'Espagnet's framework, the sun is the origin of the world spirit whose emanations are most potent at dawn. The passage heading is labeled 'AURORAE DESCRIPTIO' (Description of the Dawn). Hand B also notes the etymology of Leucothea: 'Leucos albus, candidus' -- white, bright -- connecting the dawn goddess to the alchemical stage of Albedo (whitening).
Element: Sol (Sun) and Albedo (whitening stage)
Process: Solar emanation at dawn; beginning of the Work
Framework: d'Espagnet: sun as source of world spirit
Russell, pp. 165-166
LLM-assisted synthesis from Russell
Alchemical Symbols Present
| Symbol | Metal | Planet | Gender | Hand | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sol | Gold (Aurum) | Sun | masculine | Hand B | HIGH |
Vision Reading (Phase 3 deep analysis)
Primary hand: Multiple (at least 3) · Hands: 3 · Type: text_page · Sig: a1r
Transcription Attempts
top · Italian · HIGH
POLIPHILO INCOMINCIA LA SVA HYPNEROTOMACHIA AD DESCRIVERE ET IL TEMPO QVANDO GLI APPARVE IN SOMNO DI RITROVARSI IN VNA QVIETA ET SILENTE PLAGIA DI CVSTO DISECTA...
PRINTED: Chapter heading in majuscule. Poliphilo begins his Hypnerotomachia, describing the time when he found himself in a quiet and silent place
right_margin · Latin/Greek · LOW
[...] Synephorus [...] diman [...] se [...] pontur [...]
'Synephorus' — a Greek-derived word (syn+ephoros = companion/bearer). Reader may be glossing the characters or applying a classical vocabulary
bottom · Latin · LOW
[...] quam [...] Calor [...]
'Calor' (heat). The printed text here describes the setting sun and heat. Reader glosses the atmospheric description
Scholarly Significance
Page 1 — the opening of the HP proper. The annotations are dense but mostly illegible at this resolution. The presence of Greek-derived terminology ('Synephorus') in the very first annotations shows that at least one reader brought classical philological training to the text from its opening lines. This is consistent with the humanist reading tradition documented by Russell.
Cross-references: Russell thesis Ch. 3 (opening section), Photo 8 (Argomento — interpretive framework)
Vision reading (Claude Code, Phase 3)
Annotations
CROSS_REFERENCE (3)INDEX_ENTRY (3)MARGINAL_NOTE (1)SYMBOL (3)
Index Entry
“nero”
erlining which does not culminate in a point like a bracket, whereas
‘machia’, which is a stand-alone word, (μαχία), does. The division between ‘Hyp’ and
‘Nero’ is uncertain. The full Greek etymon would include the ‘n’ of ‘Hypn’, while ‘Nero’ is
a word of Latin derivation, not Greek. One could propose a division according to
syllabification, but in that case, one would expect ‘nero’ to be divided after ‘ne’.
A similar approach is followed in the body text. The following is taken from ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 148 (Ch. 6)
Hand B: Anonymous (possibly Royal Society circle) (Jean d'Espagnet (Enchiridion Physicae Restitutae)) Alchemist
Symbol
“AURORAE DESCRIPTIO”
ve material for future research. This study has,
for the present, confined itself to highlighting some of the annotator’s ideographic
vocabulary, and identifying the alchemical framework behind his or her analysis. Alchemy is
B’s primary, but not sole interest. The second hand in the BL copy also took a literary and
philological interest in the text, noting the Greek origins of names. On the opening leaf, B
identifies the lexical components that make up the name Leucothea.
Detail, ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 165 (Ch. 6)
Hand B: Anonymous (possibly Royal Society circle) (Jean d'Espagnet (Enchiridion Physicae Restitutae)) Alchemist
Symbol
“Tempus ergo matutinum erat, sine diluculo, uel crepusculum”
155
vehiculo suo cum il Mulo, lo uno candido et l’altro fusco, trahenti ad l’ultimo Horizonta discriminante
gli Hemisperii pervenuta ... (a1r)
His [Phoebus’] curling hair was already sending its rays scintillating over the restless blue waves. As
he arrived at this point, hornless Cynthia was setting opposite, urging on the steeds of her vehicle
which was drawn by a white and a dark mule. She reached the far horizon separating the hemispheres
and gave way... (G 11).
Adjacent to thi...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 166 (Ch. 6)
Hand B: Anonymous (possibly Royal Society circle) (Jean d'Espagnet (Enchiridion Physicae Restitutae)) Alchemist
Symbol
“Therefore
it was the early morning, before dawn, or later in the evening, after sunset”
As
he arrived at this point, hornless Cynthia was setting opposite, urging on the steeds of her vehicle
which was drawn by a white and a dark mule. She reached the far horizon separating the hemispheres
and gave way... (G 11).
Adjacent to this image of the sun cresting the horizon, the annotator writes, somewhat
obviously, ‘Tempus ergo matutinum erat, sine diluculo, uel crepusculum’, or ‘Therefore
it was the early morning, before dawn, or later in the evening, after sunset’.
Detail, ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 166 (Ch. 6)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Naturalis historia”
e copy at INCUN A.13 in the Biblioteca Pubblica di Como is a complete copy of the 1499
edition. The errata corrige is intact, and the Sacrifice to Priapus is uncensored. During this
study some photographs were taken with my personal camera, but they did not resolve to
sufficient detail to be of utility, and as a consequence I have only used one photograph of a
large-scale illustration. Of the approximately 70 pieces of marginalia, the majority were
concentrated in the cluster of focus (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 119 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Naturalis historia”
e copy at INCUN A.13 in the Biblioteca Pubblica di Como is a complete copy of the 1499
edition. The errata corrige is intact, and the Sacrifice to Priapus is uncensored. During this
study some photographs were taken with my personal camera, but they did not resolve to
sufficient detail to be of utility, and as a consequence I have only used one photograph of a
large-scale illustration. Of the approximately 70 pieces of marginalia, the majority were
concentrated in the cluster of focus (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 119 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Molÿ”
e ‘ne Magar ne magalia se vide’, the annotator writes
‘Magar’. The word ‘syringe’ is extracted from the phrase ‘cum le sue bifore syringe rurale’.
In a particularly idiosyncratic co-annotation with Modena, remarked on by Stichel, the
annotator rewrites the phrase ‘subderi’ from the phrase ‘corticosi Subderi apto additamento
muliebre’, a Plinian reference to women’s footwear.
The botanical marginalia continue through the folios of which a complete transcription
was made in each copy (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 120 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Molÿ”
e ‘ne Magar ne magalia se vide’, the annotator writes
‘Magar’. The word ‘syringe’ is extracted from the phrase ‘cum le sue bifore syringe rurale’.
In a particularly idiosyncratic co-annotation with Modena, remarked on by Stichel, the
annotator rewrites the phrase ‘subderi’ from the phrase ‘corticosi Subderi apto additamento
muliebre’, a Plinian reference to women’s footwear.
The botanical marginalia continue through the folios of which a complete transcription
was made in each copy (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 120 (Ch. 5)
Marginal Note
162
Detail, (a1r)
D: Writing in a careful Italian script, this hand responds to the comments of the first French
hand. In one instance, this annotator crosses off A’s comments and offers a more abbreviated
summary. D’s primary interest is in architecture. This hand switches to Latin when labelling
architectural features.
Detail, (b1r)
E: The final distinguishable hand, writing in Latin in a notably larger script than the other
annotators, applies an alchemical reading to ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 173 (Ch. 7)
Marginal Note
162
Detail, (a1r)
D: Writing in a careful Italian script, this hand responds to the comments of the first French
hand. In one instance, this annotator crosses off A’s comments and offers a more abbreviated
summary. D’s primary interest is in architecture. This hand switches to Latin when labelling
architectural features.
Detail, (b1r)
E: The final distinguishable hand, writing in Latin in a notably larger script than the other
annotators, applies an alchemical reading to ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 173 (Ch. 7)
Hand Primary: Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi)
Index Entry
“quassabondo mandavano ad.”
‘Due esemplari’, p. 422. ‘senza paragone, la copia più interessante fra quelle me note fino ad oggi,
per le numerose e dense postille che accompagnano una gran parte dell’opera.’ For the sake of consistency I
have retained Fumagalli’s assignations of letters to hands, although it might be more logical for the most
significant hands to be labelled ‘A’ and ‘B’ rather than ‘A’ and ‘C’.
3 Ibid., p. 423.
4 Ibid., p. 422 ‘anticipare alcune linee d’indagine’.
5 Ibid., p. 428. The emendation ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 217 (Ch. 8)
Hand Primary: Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi)
Index Entry
“quassabondo mandavano ad.”
‘Due esemplari’, p. 422. ‘senza paragone, la copia più interessante fra quelle me note fino ad oggi,
per le numerose e dense postille che accompagnano una gran parte dell’opera.’ For the sake of consistency I
have retained Fumagalli’s assignations of letters to hands, although it might be more logical for the most
significant hands to be labelled ‘A’ and ‘B’ rather than ‘A’ and ‘C’.
3 Ibid., p. 423.
4 Ibid., p. 422 ‘anticipare alcune linee d’indagine’.
5 Ibid., p. 428. The emendation ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 217 (Ch. 8)
Index Entry
“nero”
erlining which does not culminate in a point like a bracket, whereas
‘machia’, which is a stand-alone word, (μαχία), does. The division between ‘Hyp’ and
‘Nero’ is uncertain. The full Greek etymon would include the ‘n’ of ‘Hypn’, while ‘Nero’ is
a word of Latin derivation, not Greek. One could propose a division according to
syllabification, but in that case, one would expect ‘nero’ to be divided after ‘ne’.
A similar approach is followed in the body text. The following is taken from ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 148 (Ch. 6)
Hand B: Anonymous (possibly Royal Society circle) (Jean d'Espagnet (Enchiridion Physicae Restitutae)) Alchemist
Symbol
“AURORAE DESCRIPTIO”
ve material for future research. This study has,
for the present, confined itself to highlighting some of the annotator’s ideographic
vocabulary, and identifying the alchemical framework behind his or her analysis. Alchemy is
B’s primary, but not sole interest. The second hand in the BL copy also took a literary and
philological interest in the text, noting the Greek origins of names. On the opening leaf, B
identifies the lexical components that make up the name Leucothea.
Detail, ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 165 (Ch. 6)
Hand B: Anonymous (possibly Royal Society circle) (Jean d'Espagnet (Enchiridion Physicae Restitutae)) Alchemist
Symbol
“Tempus ergo matutinum erat, sine diluculo, uel crepusculum”
155
vehiculo suo cum il Mulo, lo uno candido et l’altro fusco, trahenti ad l’ultimo Horizonta discriminante
gli Hemisperii pervenuta ... (a1r)
His [Phoebus’] curling hair was already sending its rays scintillating over the restless blue waves. As
he arrived at this point, hornless Cynthia was setting opposite, urging on the steeds of her vehicle
which was drawn by a white and a dark mule. She reached the far horizon separating the hemispheres
and gave way... (G 11).
Adjacent to thi...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 166 (Ch. 6)
Hand B: Anonymous (possibly Royal Society circle) (Jean d'Espagnet (Enchiridion Physicae Restitutae)) Alchemist
Symbol
“Therefore
it was the early morning, before dawn, or later in the evening, after sunset”
As
he arrived at this point, hornless Cynthia was setting opposite, urging on the steeds of her vehicle
which was drawn by a white and a dark mule. She reached the far horizon separating the hemispheres
and gave way... (G 11).
Adjacent to this image of the sun cresting the horizon, the annotator writes, somewhat
obviously, ‘Tempus ergo matutinum erat, sine diluculo, uel crepusculum’, or ‘Therefore
it was the early morning, before dawn, or later in the evening, after sunset’.
Detail, ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 166 (Ch. 6)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Naturalis historia”
e copy at INCUN A.13 in the Biblioteca Pubblica di Como is a complete copy of the 1499
edition. The errata corrige is intact, and the Sacrifice to Priapus is uncensored. During this
study some photographs were taken with my personal camera, but they did not resolve to
sufficient detail to be of utility, and as a consequence I have only used one photograph of a
large-scale illustration. Of the approximately 70 pieces of marginalia, the majority were
concentrated in the cluster of focus (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 119 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Naturalis historia”
e copy at INCUN A.13 in the Biblioteca Pubblica di Como is a complete copy of the 1499
edition. The errata corrige is intact, and the Sacrifice to Priapus is uncensored. During this
study some photographs were taken with my personal camera, but they did not resolve to
sufficient detail to be of utility, and as a consequence I have only used one photograph of a
large-scale illustration. Of the approximately 70 pieces of marginalia, the majority were
concentrated in the cluster of focus (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 119 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Molÿ”
e ‘ne Magar ne magalia se vide’, the annotator writes
‘Magar’. The word ‘syringe’ is extracted from the phrase ‘cum le sue bifore syringe rurale’.
In a particularly idiosyncratic co-annotation with Modena, remarked on by Stichel, the
annotator rewrites the phrase ‘subderi’ from the phrase ‘corticosi Subderi apto additamento
muliebre’, a Plinian reference to women’s footwear.
The botanical marginalia continue through the folios of which a complete transcription
was made in each copy (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 120 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Cross Reference
“Molÿ”
e ‘ne Magar ne magalia se vide’, the annotator writes
‘Magar’. The word ‘syringe’ is extracted from the phrase ‘cum le sue bifore syringe rurale’.
In a particularly idiosyncratic co-annotation with Modena, remarked on by Stichel, the
annotator rewrites the phrase ‘subderi’ from the phrase ‘corticosi Subderi apto additamento
muliebre’, a Plinian reference to women’s footwear.
The botanical marginalia continue through the folios of which a complete transcription
was made in each copy (...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 120 (Ch. 5)
Marginal Note
162
Detail, (a1r)
D: Writing in a careful Italian script, this hand responds to the comments of the first French
hand. In one instance, this annotator crosses off A’s comments and offers a more abbreviated
summary. D’s primary interest is in architecture. This hand switches to Latin when labelling
architectural features.
Detail, (b1r)
E: The final distinguishable hand, writing in Latin in a notably larger script than the other
annotators, applies an alchemical reading to ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 173 (Ch. 7)
Marginal Note
162
Detail, (a1r)
D: Writing in a careful Italian script, this hand responds to the comments of the first French
hand. In one instance, this annotator crosses off A’s comments and offers a more abbreviated
summary. D’s primary interest is in architecture. This hand switches to Latin when labelling
architectural features.
Detail, (b1r)
E: The final distinguishable hand, writing in Latin in a notably larger script than the other
annotators, applies an alchemical reading to ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 173 (Ch. 7)
Hand Primary: Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi)
Index Entry
“quassabondo mandavano ad.”
‘Due esemplari’, p. 422. ‘senza paragone, la copia più interessante fra quelle me note fino ad oggi,
per le numerose e dense postille che accompagnano una gran parte dell’opera.’ For the sake of consistency I
have retained Fumagalli’s assignations of letters to hands, although it might be more logical for the most
significant hands to be labelled ‘A’ and ‘B’ rather than ‘A’ and ‘C’.
3 Ibid., p. 423.
4 Ibid., p. 422 ‘anticipare alcune linee d’indagine’.
5 Ibid., p. 428. The emendation ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 217 (Ch. 8)
Hand Primary: Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi)
Index Entry
“quassabondo mandavano ad.”
‘Due esemplari’, p. 422. ‘senza paragone, la copia più interessante fra quelle me note fino ad oggi,
per le numerose e dense postille che accompagnano una gran parte dell’opera.’ For the sake of consistency I
have retained Fumagalli’s assignations of letters to hands, although it might be more logical for the most
significant hands to be labelled ‘A’ and ‘B’ rather than ‘A’ and ‘C’.
3 Ibid., p. 423.
4 Ibid., p. 422 ‘anticipare alcune linee d’indagine’.
5 Ibid., p. 428. The emendation ...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 217 (Ch. 8)