Basilius Valentinus (also known under the Anglicised version of his name, Basil Valentine) is shrouded in mystery. It is said that he was a 15th century alchemist and there are also claims that he was the canon of the Benedictine Priory of Saint Peter in Erfurt, Germany - a claim that cannot, so far, be substantiated. All that can be said for certain is that numerous publications on alchemy were published in both Latin and German under the name of Basilius Valentinus, many of which were widely translated into various European languages. What makes this edition so special are the additional treatises by both John Holland and Roger Bacon. John Isaac Holland (active 1572-1610? ) was a Dutch alchemist who is thought to have lived in the 15th century. It was said that he was the first alchemist of Holland. Roger Bacon, (c. 1214-1294), also known as Doctor Mirabilis (Latin: "wonderful teacher"), was an English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empirical means.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

The Franciscan Roger Bacon (c.1214-92?) was one of the most significant intellectuals of the thirteenth century. His most important work was the Opus Majus of 1267 (also available in this series). The works included in this volume, edited by J. S. Brewer, had not previously been published, and only one volume of the unpublished works ever appeared, because of Brewer's other commitments. The Opus Minus was a precis of the larger work, written at the same time. The Opus Tertium, written the following year, was Bacon's attempt to cover topics which he felt had been omitted, or inadequately explained, in the previous versions; it also includes autobiographical information. Neither the Opus Minus or Opus Tertium survive in their entirety, but Brewer includes all the parts known in 1859. The Compendium Philosophiae deals with Bacon's wide-ranging intellectual interests in all aspects of medieval scholarship.

The Mirror of Alchemy Composed by the Famous Friar Roger Bacon Sometime Fellow of Martin College and Brasen-nase College in Oxenforde; Roger Bacon's Letter; and Root of the World and the Magical Letter.

1597. The Mirror of Alchemy is an alchemical classic written by Roger Bacon, (Doctor Mirabilis: Latin for Wonderful Teacher), English Franciscan philosopher and educational reformer was a major medieval proponent of experimental science and is thought of as one of the earliest advocates of the modern scientific method. He studied mathematics, astronomy, optics, alchemy, and languages. His Opus Majus contains treatments of mathematics and optics, alchemy and the manufacture of gunpowder, the positions and sizes of the celestial bodies, and anticipates later inventions such as microscopes, telescopes, spectacles, flying machines and steam ships.

THIS 46 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Opus Majus of Roger Bacon Part 1, by Roger Bacon. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766126048.

Roger Bacon, the medieval natural philosopher who broke new ground in promoting scientific method, produced the encyclopedic Opus Majus or 'Greater Work' in the mid-thirteenth century. This 1897 publication in two volumes was the first complete edition of the work to appear in print. Written at the request of Pope Clement IV, the Opus Majus is the most significant and most influential of Bacon's works, containing his observations of the natural world and theories on knowledge acquisition. Bacon's text appears in the original Latin, and Bridges includes a substantial introduction and brief analysis of each chapter in English, as well as extensive footnotes and an analytical table to aid the reader. Volume 1 contains the first four parts of Bacon's treatise with sections on 'Wisdom and Truth', 'The connection of Philosophy with Theology', 'The Study of Language', and 'Mathematical Science'.

Roger Bacon, the medieval natural philosopher who broke new ground in promoting scientific method, produced the encyclopedic Opus Majus or 'Greater Work' in the mid-thirteenth century. This 1897 publication in two volumes was the first complete edition of the work to appear in print. Written at the request of Pope Clement IV, the Opus Majus is the most significant and most influential of Bacon's works, containing his observations of the natural world and theories on knowledge acquisition. Bacon's text appears in the original Latin, and Bridges includes a substantial introduction and brief analysis of each chapter in English, as well as extensive footnotes and an analytical table to aid the reader. Volume 2 contains the last three parts of Bacon's treatise, on Optics, Experimental Science, and Moral Philosophy. This volume also incorporates a later supplement containing additional material and corrections.