Alchemical Hands in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili

Top margin has dense commentary in multiple hands. Partially illegible. 'Frances' might be a personal name or a reference to French scholarship

'musices' (of music), 'misterio' (mystery). The printed text here discusses ritual or ceremonial content. The reader is annotating the mystery/musical dimensions. The entire left margin is filled

Right margin also filled but extremely dense and largely illegible at this resolution. Multiple hands compete for space

'fatigues' may be English. Bottom annotation continues from margins

177 Detail, (c6v) E writes ‘Bacchus et Ceres [Demeter] id est sol et luna’. Hand D elaborates, equating Bacchus with the principle of growth, ‘Baccho era creduto dagli antichi esser quella virtù occulta che aiuta le piante a forza de produrre in maturi frutti.’ E found ample expression of the Sol and Luna duality in the human chess match held at Queen Eleutherylida’s palace (g8r-g8v). E also described the game as a ‘chorea elegantissima’ that was ‘festivamente iocando.’ (g8r). ...

177 Detail, (c6v) E writes ‘Bacchus et Ceres [Demeter] id est sol et luna’. Hand D elaborates, equating Bacchus with the principle of growth, ‘Baccho era creduto dagli antichi esser quella virtù occulta che aiuta le piante a forza de produrre in maturi frutti.’ E found ample expression of the Sol and Luna duality in the human chess match held at Queen Eleutherylida’s palace (g8r-g8v). E also described the game as a ‘chorea elegantissima’ that was ‘festivamente iocando.’ (g8r). ...

arriage and the eventual triumph of the more refined element. Surprisingly, the silver side wins the first match. The annotator records this fact, writing ‘Argentum,’ and draws in a small sketch of a moon’s crescent, representing Luna. Below he writes ‘Rex ex argento factus victor remanet.’ One would expect Gold to be the initial victor, but the highest of elements wins out only after multiple rounds of play, presumably symbolizing distillations. Silver wins the second round as well (...

arriage and the eventual triumph of the more refined element. Surprisingly, the silver side wins the first match. The annotator records this fact, writing ‘Argentum,’ and draws in a small sketch of a moon’s crescent, representing Luna. Below he writes ‘Rex ex argento factus victor remanet.’ One would expect Gold to be the initial victor, but the highest of elements wins out only after multiple rounds of play, presumably symbolizing distillations. Silver wins the second round as well (...

192 Another instance of Chigi subdividing a description into phases is that of the human chess match. He marks out the beginning of the game itself, while also marking a starting point or boundary for the sub-comments that are to follow. On g8r he writes ‘comincia a descrivere il ballo in figura del gioco di scacchi cosa bella’. Like the Buffalo annotator, he records the beginning of the three rounds the match as follows. g8v: ‘Torna di nuovo al gioco ò ballo’ h1r: ‘terzo ballo ò g...

192 Another instance of Chigi subdividing a description into phases is that of the human chess match. He marks out the beginning of the game itself, while also marking a starting point or boundary for the sub-comments that are to follow. On g8r he writes ‘comincia a descrivere il ballo in figura del gioco di scacchi cosa bella’. Like the Buffalo annotator, he records the beginning of the three rounds the match as follows. g8v: ‘Torna di nuovo al gioco ò ballo’ h1r: ‘terzo ballo ò g...

He marks out the beginning of the game itself, while also marking a starting point or boundary for the sub-comments that are to follow. On g8r he writes ‘comincia a descrivere il ballo in figura del gioco di scacchi cosa bella’. Like the Buffalo annotator, he records the beginning of the three rounds the match as follows. g8v: ‘Torna di nuovo al gioco ò ballo’ h1r: ‘terzo ballo ò gioco’ h1r: ‘finito il 3o ballo la regina parla al Polifilo e gli dice che vada dalla regina Telosia.’ g...

He marks out the beginning of the game itself, while also marking a starting point or boundary for the sub-comments that are to follow. On g8r he writes ‘comincia a descrivere il ballo in figura del gioco di scacchi cosa bella’. Like the Buffalo annotator, he records the beginning of the three rounds the match as follows. g8v: ‘Torna di nuovo al gioco ò ballo’ h1r: ‘terzo ballo ò gioco’ h1r: ‘finito il 3o ballo la regina parla al Polifilo e gli dice che vada dalla regina Telosia.’ g...