Abstract
Philosophy. This manuscript is now IO Islamic 673 in the India Office collections. [metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office,, no. 473 here with further notations and hyperlinks]. 473. 673. Size 8 in. by 41/2 in.; foll. 59. Fifteen lines in a page. A treatise on Elixirs and Talismans, called ذخیرة الاسکندر. Cf. Stewart’s Catal. 121 sqq. Preceded by an introduction by MUḤAMMAD B. KHÂLID, the geometrician, giving an account of the alleged origin of the work, which is said to have been translated from the “Greek and Roman languages”, by order of the Khalif al-Mu’taṣim. The original work was discovered by the writer of this introduction in a Christian church at Amorium, after the capture of the that place. It consisted of 360 leaves, being entirely of gold, and was deposited in a chest of the same material, and declared to be “the Treasure of Alexander”ذخیرة الاسکندر الملک بن فَیْلَقُس ذی القرنین. It had been buried there, after his death, by his disciple Antiochus. The original preface is by ARISTOTLE and contains a dedication to Alexander. It begins : باسم الواحد الواجب الوجود. We are told in it that this is a work of HERMES, which was discovered by Balînâs, and made over by him to Aristotle. It consists of ten chapters:1 I. فی ذکر اصول و مقدّمات; II. فی ذکر اصول الصنعة و تدبیر الاکسیرات; III. فی الترکیبات السمّیّة; IV. فی صنعة التریاق; V. فی صنعة الحِرْز الطلسمیّة النافعة للامراض العَسِرة البُرْءِ; VI. فی ذکر خواتیم الکواکب السبعة; VII. فی ذکر فنون شتّی من الطلسمات; VIII. فی اتّحاد القلوب و تالیف النفوس; IX. فی خواصّ تتعلق بالنبات المستحیلة; X. فی..خواصّ الحیوان; and it concludes with an epilogue which was added by ALEXANDER. Well written with all the vowel-points. Illustrated with drawings. Dated 1st Dhû-alḳa’dah. Scribe, Imâmwardî. Another talisman has been added on the last page. [Tippu.] 1 The following headings differ occasionally from the list of contents given on fol. 5.