2020 Essays

Natural Philosophy and Chemistry in Manuscripts of the Béthune Collection

Muñoz, Sarah

This essay explores a set of seventy-five manuscripts that belonged to Philippe de Béthune, now in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, containing encyclopedic knowledge and writings on natural philosophy and alchemy (Ms. Fr. 2513-2589). The themes reflected in these manuscripts give insight into Philippe de Béthune’s interests and help situate Ms. Fr. 640 within them. Although some of these manuscripts touch on similar themes to Ms. Fr. 640, and others treat observations about materials and information related to artisanal techniques, none display the compilation of practical recipes that characterizes Ms. Fr. 640.