Manuscripts of the Sworn Book of Honorius
Shelf Mark Author(s) 1 Title(s) 1 Date Language(s) Size/Material Foliation Collation Written Space Script Binding Contents History Bibliography Origin First Word 2nd Fol MSS/Print
London, British Library, Royal 17. A. XLII Honorius. Liber Sacratus/Juratus (Liber sacer) s. xvi (Mathiesen) English and Latin Vellum. ff. 82. 7.5*5.5 in. Pages 140*185mm. 2 of q 20 unfoliated. 1-7[4] 8[5] (5 of 6 missing) 9-13[4] 14[6] 15[10] 16-18[4] 19-20[2] q i has 1&2 blank except for cat# on i.
s. xv. Pen drawings of angels and spirits and marginal floral ornament, usually coloured, sometimes in gold; chapter headings in red, blue or green. Modern binding. f. 1 "R.T." in modern hand between what looks to be thistle, rose and oak.
"The SWORNE BOOKE" of "Honoryus" (se f. 4 b, ll.3, 6): a translation of a book of magic, entitled (see Sloane MS. 3854, f. 138b) "Liber de vita anime racionalis, qui liber sacer uel liber angelorum vel liber iuatus nuncupatur, fquem fecit Honorius magister Thebarum," purporting to be compiled by Horoius filius Euclidis as the result of a conference of 89 magistri from Naples, Athens, and Toledo, convened by the authority of the Pope and cardinals (cf. also Sloane MSS 313, f. 1, 3885, f. 58). Beg. "When wycked sprites ware gathered together."
On f. 82 is a charm, in a 16th cent. hand, on the workd "Caledant" against ague.
T2, 287ff. Not in Ker ML. England and ye cause MSS
London, British Library, Sloane 313 Solomon; Honorius; Ben Johnson (1573-1637), owner. Liber sacer or Liber juratus s. xvi. (Ays. lists as xiv as does anonymous catologue.) Latin. Quarto, ff26, parchment. Mutilated. iii+26+iii There was an old foliation and codex has been rearranged. ff 1-8 foliated 9-16; ff 9-16, 1-8; ff 17-25, as they should be. 1-3[8] 4[5] (first 3 are only fragments at spine) This based on catchwords on f. 16v, 24v, and 8v indicating original collation in quires of 8. 120*180mm.
19th c. re-bound and reconstructed. Liber sacer or Liber juratus [council of necromancers; necromancy]. 26 fols.
Contents:
Salomonis opus sacrum ab Honorico ordinatum, tractatus de arte magica; folia sic in ordinem redigenda 9-16, 1-8, 17. Incomplete version. Only gets to second section.
Inipit prologus, "cum convenissent maligni spiritus."
Desninit prologus, "ob hanc causam librum istum vocitamus juratum.... In nomine igitur omnipotens Dei vivi et veri Ego Honorius opera Salamonis in libro modo taliter ordinavi quam praemisi 92 capitula, ut pateant clarius quae sequuntur."
Incipit liber, "Nos igitur cum divino adjutorio praecepta Salamonis."
[Ays. lists as:
Fragmentum magicum voc. opus sacrum. In perg. S. xiv. In folio primo script. est, "Sum Ben Jonsonii liber."] This note now on f 9r, see file.		 William of Auvergne refered to the liber sacer as a "cursed and execrable book". de legibus, caps. 24 and 27. (T 2, 281). This copy once property of Ben Johnson. Thorndike II, 281, 286, 284; notes "Necromancy" Ayscough, S. A catalogue of the MSS preserved in the BM hitherto undescribed" London 1782. p. 880 MFM IMS Z 6621 .B84 A9 Not in Ker. For a discussion of the Books of Ben Johnson see the edition by Percy and Simpson vol I, 250-71 and vol XI, 593-603. A.N.L. Munby, "The Libraries of English Men of Letters," in Essays and Papers ed. and intr. by Nicolas Barker (London: The Scholar Press, 1977), pp. 101-120. England
MSS
London, British Library, Sloane 3854 Honorius; Cyprian; Aristotle. Liber sacer or Liber juratus; Liber spiritualium operum Aristotilis, sive liber Antiquis qui est liber Secretorum Hermetis. s. xiv - xvii Latin. Parchment. Quarto. ff. 139


To art. 4 s. xvii poss 5 too might be earlier. ff. 88-112 is Secretary s. xv med? Cataloguer this it is Engl. as well but art in Speculum calls it s xiv italian.... ff 112-end s. xiv gothic.
1. ff. 3b-7 Praeparatoria pro operatione, collecta ex S. Cypriano.
2. ff. 8b-67 Corjurationes plurimae ed diversis.
3. ff. 68-76 "The boke of Consecrations."
4. ff. 76- Experimenta de speculo, etc.
5. ff. 81- Exorcizationum fomulae. (Clulee, Dee's Natural Philosophy, p. 280, n. 108 cites this as having something to do with divination/seance.)
6. ff. 88- "The cheiffe powers rulling the 7 clymates.
7. ff. 104- Historiunculae quaedam facetae (Imperf.) Sec. xv.
8. ff. 105b-110 "Liber spiritualium operum Aristotilis, sive liber Antimaquis qui est liber Secretorum Hermetis: opera mira possunt operari per hunc librum, et est liber antiquus septem planetarum." (Imperf.) s. sv. Incip."Cuilibet populo quarto climatis pertinet unus modus spirituum."
9. ff. 112-139 Honorii Magisti Thebarum, liber cui titulus "Juratus", cum proaemo. s. xiv. Incipit proaemium, "Cum convenissent maligni spiritus demonici in cordibus hominum intonantes--" Incipit liber "In nominee, etc. Ego honorius opera Salomonis in libro meo taliter ordinavi--" In fine "Explicit liber de vita anime rationaliter, que liber sacer vel liber Angelorum nuncupatur; quem fecit Honorius Magister Thebarum. Hic est liber quo Deus in hac vita facialiter qui videri: Hic est liber quo quilibet potest salvari et in vitam eternam procul dubio deduci. Hic est liber quo infernus & purgatorium queunt sine morte videri: Hic est liber quo quo onmnes creatura, excerptis novem ordinibus angelorum possunt subjugari; Hic est liber quo onmnes scientiae possunt haberi. Hic ext liber, quo substantia imbecillissima potest substantias robustissimas et devincere et sujugare. Hic est liber quem nulla lex habe nisi Christiana, et si habet, nil sibi prodest. Hic est liber qui est majus jocale, a Deo datum omni alio jocali exceptis sacramentis. Hic est liber quo natura corporalis et visibilis cum corporali et invisibili alloqui, rationari et instrui potest. Hic est liber, quo innumerabiles thesauri haberi possunt. Ex multa alia per hunc fieri quenunt[?], que narrare distendium seest, ideo merito Sacer nuncupatur." In perg. S. xiv. [council of necromancers; necromancy].

Contents in Ays.:
1. Praeparatoria pro operatione, ex S. Cypriano.
2. De compositione circulorum, p. I. b.
3. Conjurationes, p. 6. b
4. Book of consecrations, p. 66
5. Experimenta de speculo, p. 74
6. Modus amicitiae & inimicitiae planetarum. Inperg. p. 89.
7. Opinio philosophi, p. 106. In perg.
8. Liber spiritualium operum, qui est liber secretorum Hermetis. p. 106.
9. Liber Juratus, bel liber de vita anima rationalis: qui sacer vel liber Angelorum nuncupatur, hic est liber quo Deus in hac vita facialiter quilibet videri: hic est liber quo omnis creatura exceptis novem ordinibus Angelorum potest subjogari: hic est liber quo quilibest potest salvari, et in vitam aeternam procul dubio duceri: hic est liaber quo infernus & purgatorium queunt sine morte videri: hic est liber quo infernus & purgatorium queunt sine morte videri: hic est liber quo onmnes scientiae possunt haberi; hic est liber qui est majus jocale, a Deo datum omni alio jocali exceptis s. facramentis, etyc. ideo merito sacer nuncupatur, p. 117. In perg. S. xiv.
Somewhere included in there is Tho. Conset. Ruffian copy-book and grammar. according to Ays. 709		 William of Auvergne refered to the liber sacer as a "cursed and execrable book". de legibus, caps. 24 and 27. (T 2, 281). Thorndike II, 269, 281, 284, 286, 289; notes "Necromancy" Ayscough, S. A catalogue of the MSS preserved in the BM hitherto undescribed" London 1782. p. 709, 871, 874, 879 MFM IMS Z 6621 .B84 A9 Bond. Look for Engl. Translation.~~Charles S. F. Burnett with Marie Stoklund, "Scandinavian Runes in a Latin Magical Treatise" Speculum 58 (1983), pp. 419-429. says this is a Italian Ms of s. xiv "containing a Latin Version of an Arabic hermetic treatise. The a. has succeeded in restoring the proper order of the folios int he ms. Inserted into the treatise is a digression which provides instructions for casting spells using runes. The a. edits this passage and his collaborator discusses the runes. The Italian responsible for Sloane 3854 shows a remarkable knowledge of Scandinavian runes and their names." (J.C. Scriptorium 40 (1986) B 451.) Not in Ker. Italy and Engl.
MSS
London, British Library, Sloane 3883 Hororius; Thebit ben Corat; Toz Graecus; Ptolomey De imaginibus (Ptolomey); Liber sacer or sacratus; Liber veneris (Toz); De imaginibus (Thebit ibn Qurra); De modo ministrandi librum sacrum; De imaginibus septem planetarum (Hermes)?. s. xvii [Scott 330] Paper, Duodecimo, ff. 99.





ff 1 - 25 "De modo ministrandi librum sacrum" (revealed to Solomon by an angel) Incipit. "Hec ars artium et divina ab antiquis sanctis patribus olim originem traxit, et primo a Rege Salomonis ab angelo revelata fuit." [T2, 281]
ff 82 - 85, Libri de Magica in Bibliotheca Bodleiana apud Oxoniam inventi, 17th c. [Scott 330]
ff 87 - 93 s. xvii Dixit Thebit ben Corat, Dixit Aristoteles, qui philosophiam... " Thorndike [T1 663-666] describes as a book of instructions for making talismans very popular in the MA translated twice by Adelard of Bath and by John of Spain. But T cites this as s. xvii. [Thebit, De ymaginibus. Ed. Frankfurt, 1559. L Thorndike in Mélanges Auguste Pelzer, 1947, p. 235, lists twenty-eight manuscripts, one of which, Erfurt Q. 189, has the same ending as this. This work is described in T1 663-666.]
f. 95. T notes De imaginibus septem planetarum (Hermes) T2, 225.
ff 96r - 99, "Liber Toc; et vocatur liber veneni (sic), et liber de lapidibus veneris. Dixit Toc Graecus observa Venerem cum perveniret ad pliades et coniuncta fuerit." In the text and Explicit however, the author's name is spelled Toz. This MS seems to be directly copied from Bodleian 463, for not only is it preceded by the Hermes on images for the seven planets and also by an "Instructio ptholomei" which deals with the subject of astrological images, but furthermore it exactly reproduces its text, down even to such a manuscript copyist's pi as "ad dumtanpo itulia" for "alicui ad potandum." [T2, 225]
Scott has as s. xvii [Scott 330]
Ays. lists codex as follows:
1. De modo ministrandi librum sacrum.
2. Invoctaions, constrictions, conjurations, etc.
3. Catalugus librorum magicorum in bibl. Bodleiana.
4. Thebit ben Corat. Liber imaginum.
5. Instructio Ptolomaei
6. Liber Toc, & vocatur liber Veneris.
More in Bond.
Ayscough, S. A catalogue of the MSS preserved in the BM hitherto undescribed" London 1782. p. 679 (?? no ref there), 877, 879 MFM IMS Z 6621 .B84 A9 Not in Ker ML.

MSS
London, British Library, Sloane 3885. Solomon. Liber Sacer. Scott has as s. xvii [Scott 330] Scot also has as s. xvi. [Scott 261] Latin. Parchment. Duodecimo. ff. 125.




1. ff. 1-25 Liber sacer.
2. ff. 26-57 Practica nigromancie
3. ff. 58 - 96. Liber sacer or Liber juratus. Incomplete version. Only gets to second section. [council of necromancers; necromancy].
4. ff. 96b-125 Liber sacer
Whole Ays. entry reads: "1. Solomon. Ars artium. 3. Solomon. Opera ab honori ordinata. 4. Solomon. De modo administrandi per librum sacrum, seu ars artium. 5. Orationes variae magicae. 5. Orationes variae magicae."		 William of Auvergne refered to the liber sacer as a "cursed and execrable book". de legibus, caps. 24 and 27. (T 2, 281). Liber Sacer: Thorndike II, 284; notes "Necromancy". Ayscough, S. A catalogue of the MSS preserved in the BM hitherto undescribed" London 1782. p. 876, 875, 880 MFM IMS Z 6621 .B84 A9 Not in Ker ML.

MSS
Paris, Bibliothèque natonale, latin 24245 Peter Abano; Solomon; Honorius le Grand; Gregorius Niger; Petit Albert, Expériences des magiciens réunis à Rome par Honorius le Grand (related to Liber Sacer?) s. xviii french





Expériences des magiciens réunis à Rome par Honorius le Grand
Liber conjuracionis pro septem diebus, factus a Petro de Abano
La grand oeuvre de la clavicule de Salomon
La véritable clavicule de l'Enchiridion
Grégorius Niger, de rebus omnibus perficiendis thesaurus.
Vertus des psaumes du roi David.
Clef de petit Albert ou du Paisan réformé
Grimoire du pape Honorius le grand, etc.
Inventaire générale et methodique des manuscrits francaise de la biliothèque nationale, II, 276. france
MSS
York, Austin Friars A8 362 al-Kindi; Hermes; Salomon; Gyrgit filie Circis; Honorius; Eleazar of Worms(?); Belemith (?); Thomas Aquinas (?); Achmet (Ahmed) ibn Sirin; Thomas Erghome (owner, donor); Toz Graecus? Ars Notoria; De radiis stellarum; Clavicula Salomonis; Liber Sacer; de imaginibus; nova ars; liber imaginum; tractatus de Floron; de quatuor annulis; Liber Veneris (Toz?); de secretis philosophorum; Imagines secundum Aristotelem; Ad includendum in speculo spiritum Pre 1400 Latin





a. Liber sompniarii Ybin Cyrin' in 8 partibus et pars in cifra (Achmet (Ahmed) ibn Sirin , Oneirocriicon, prob. tr. Leo Tuscus as in Oxford Bodl. Digby 103; Thorndike HMES II.291-3.)
b. liber qui intitulatur de iudiciis astrorum(Perhaps Alkindi, tr. Robert of Chester, but title is common; Carmody 78. Also 366c.)
c. 9 ymagines extracte de libro veneris(Cf. 364b; perhaps De lapidibus Veneris of Toz Graecus, see D. Pingree, "The Diffusion of Arabic magical texts in Western Europe" in La Diffusione delle scienze islamich nel Medio Evo europeo 1987 57-102)
d. brevis tractatus quatuor capitulis de sompno et visione (Alkindi, tr. Gerard of Cremona: pr. Beitra;ge zur Geschichte der Philosophie des Mittelalters, 2.5 (1897) 12-27; Carmody 83-4)
e. tractatus de operibus et occultis actionibus naturalium (Perhaps Thomas Aquinas: Thorndike/Kibre 1280.)
f. liber Hermetis de celo et mundo distinctus in 6 partes
g. theorica artis magice in 56 capitulis (Title given (as in Selden MS) to Alkindi's De radiis stellarum; Carmody 82.)
h. flores coniunctionis veritatis gomancie distinctus in theoricam et practicam (Cf. Flores questionum veritatis et iudiciorum geomanciae in Bodl. Bodley 581 (2191), identified by T. Charmasson, Recherches sur une technique divinatoire: la ge'omancie dans l'Occident me'dieval, Geneva-Paris 1980, 136 n8 as an excerpt from Gerard of Cremona, Geomanctia.)
i. introductorium ad geomanciam docens terminos artis
k. tractatus de penthagono Salomonis (Thorndike HMES II.279ff.)
l. tractatus ad inclusionem spiritus in speculo
m. opus capitis magni cum aliis capitibus pertinencibus
n. tractatus ymaginum secundum mouimentum planetarum et operacionibus eorum (Possibly Liber Belemith de imaginibus septem planetarum: Carmody 72-3; Pingree 78. Cf. 375d).
o. tractatus ymaginum Gyrgit filie Circis de opere ymaginum distincus in theoricam et practicam (Cf. Bl. Royal 12 C.xviii art. 3.)
p. Hermes de ymaginibus (Pingree 91ff. Tanner (1947) lists a number of works on astrological images attrib. Hermes (cf. Carmody 58ff), but these and 362al have not been clearly identified.); q. idem in alio gractatu de ymaginibus
r. tractatus Hyllonii de arte ymaginibus (Cf. 383k.)
s. tractatus de nominibus angelorum et effectubus eorum
t. vinculum Salomonis (See 362k)
u. tractatus de valeriana
x. tractatus de spiritu cibile
y. tractatus de capite Satruni
z. liber Honorii diuisus in 5 tractatus (Perhaps Honorius Augustodunensis Clavis physicae, said to be in five books, but most likely Honorius Thebensis, Liber sacratus: Thorndike HMES II.283-9.)
aa. tractatus ad habendam loquelam cum spiritu et effectum eternum
ab. aliud opus preciosum ad magnum effectum
ac. liber rubeus qui aliter dicitur sapeincia nigromancie
ad experimentum bonum sortis
ae. tractatus Fortunati Elaezari de arte euthontica ydaica et epytologica (Eleazar of Worms or Salomon De quatuor annulis (Thorndike/Kibre 366)?) [Cf. Sloane 3847]
af. tractatus de nominibus angelorum ordine forma et potestate et mansione
ag. tractatus de Floron (On the demon Sloron see HMES II.965)
ah. tractatus qui dicitur secretum philosophorum diuisum in 7 partes secundum quod pertractat 7 artes (HMESII.788-91, 811-2)
ai. liber veneris in tres partes diuisus (Prob. Toz Graecus: Thorndike (1947) 248-9)
ak liber ymaginum Aristotelis (ibid.)
al. tractatus Hermetis de ymaginibus
am. alius tractatus ymaginum
an. exceptciones horarum a Ptholomeo descripte (Exceptiones synon. electiones; most likely T/K 707.)
ao. fforme ymaginum in sinculis signorum faciebus
ap. ffinis artis notorie veteris(Cf. 371h; Throndike/Kibre 485, 1369.)
aq ars notoria noua completa (ibid.)
ar. multa esperimenta
Catalogued under the heading "Prophecie et Supersticiosa."		 From the catalogue of the Library of the Austin Friars of York, 1372 and Later. The catalogue likely completed by the early 15th century. It is divided into two hands, one for Erghome's books and the other for the library. Also a later hand for Buckwode's items and later additions. "The inventory is divided according to the following subjects: Bible*, Historie Scolastice, Textus Biblie glosati,* Postille, Concordancie et interpretationes nominum Hebreorum, Originalia, Excerpta subscriptorum,* Historie gentium, Summe doctorum, Scripta super Sententias, Quodlibeta et questiones,* Tabule,* Logicalia et philosophia cum scriptis et commentis,* Philosophica Aristotelis,* Prohecie et supersticiosa,** Astronomia et Astrologia,* Instrumenta Astrologica magistri Johannis Erghome, Libri diuini oficii magistri Johannis Erghome, Jura ciuilia,* Jura cononica et leges humane,** Jura canonica, Auctores et philosophi extranei,* Grammatica,* Rhetorica,* Medicina,* Hystorie et Cronice, Sermones et materie sermonum,* Summe morales doctorum et sermones, Arsmetrica,** Mustica,** Geometrica,** Perspectiua**..... Erghome books are entered under 16 of the 24 subjects(*) (excluding the instruments and service books); 9 sections are specifically devoted to Erghome so that his collections set the pattern for the latter half of the catalogue(**)." (Humphreys, p xxvi) Erghome's gift made this an important centre for scholarship (Ibid., xxviii) K.W. Humphreys, ed., The Friars' Libraries (London: British Library in Association with the British Acedemy, 1900).

CAT
York, Austin Friars A8, 364 Alkanus(?); Peter Abelard; Honorius (?); Thomas Erghome (owner, donor); al-Kindi; De radiis stellarum(?); Liber sacer (?); Liber lune; Liber imaginum veneris Pre 1400 Latin





a. Liber ymaginum lune (Cf. A8.375 b-c; see Pingree 82.)[quite likely this is the Liber Lune]
b. liber ymaginum veneris.
c. liber radiorum (Possibly Alkindi, De radiis stellarum (362g)
d. liber prestigiorum Alkani philosophi (Poss. the Alkanus of Thorndike HMES II.794; or Adelard of Bath; see C.S.F. Burnett, ed., Adelard of Bath, London 1987, 195.)
e. liber sacratus Petri Abellardi [I would think, given the contents, that this is the Liber sacer, the Sworne Book of Honorius.]
Catalogued under the heading "Prophecie et Supersticiosa."		 From the catalogue of the Library of the Austin Friars of York, 1372 and Later. The catalogue likely completed by the early 15th century. It is divided into two hands, one for Erghome's books and the other for the library. Also a later hand for Buckwode's items and later additions. "The inventory is divided according to the following subjects: Bible*, Historie Scolastice, Textus Biblie glosati,* Postille, Concordancie et interpretationes nominum Hebreorum, Originalia, Excerpta subscriptorum,* Historie gentium, Summe doctorum, Scripta super Sententias, Quodlibeta et questiones,* Tabule,* Logicalia et philosophia cum scriptis et commentis,* Philosophica Aristotelis,* Prohecie et supersticiosa,** Astronomia et Astrologia,* Instrumenta Astrologica magistri Johannis Erghome, Libri diuini oficii magistri Johannis Erghome, Jura ciuilia,* Jura cononica et leges humane,** Jura canonica, Auctores et philosophi extranei,* Grammatica,* Rhetorica,* Medicina,* Hystorie et Cronice, Sermones et materie sermonum,* Summe morales doctorum et sermones, Arsmetrica,** Mustica,** Geometrica,** Perspectiua**..... Erghome books are entered under 16 of the 24 subjects(*) (excluding the instruments and service books); 9 sections are specifically devoted to Erghome so that his collections set the pattern for the latter half of the catalogue(**)." (Humphreys, p xxvi) Erghome's gift made this an important centre for scholarship (Ibid., xxviii) K.W. Humphreys, ed., The Friars' Libraries (London: British Library in Association with the British Acedemy, 1900).

CAT