I love a good provenance in the morning! This manuscript is Codicillus (approx. 1470-1500), an early text from the Pseudo-Lullian alchemical corpus assembled before the 16th century. The work is signed by Carlo Maria Bonaparte on the first leaf shown above. The work was possibly owned by Carlo Maria Buonaparte (1746-1785), father of the Emperor, Napoleon, as is suggested by his signature located on the work's flyleaf.

The text is presented as a compendium of the secrets of nature. The opening chapters discuss the relationship between the micro and macrocosm, the bond of love uniting the world, and the need for reformatiomateriae (a reformation of matter that can be achieved by the true alchemist who receives illumination from God). A practical section begins in chapter twelve and includes a detailed discussion of the four stages of the alchemical opus, described in terms of the generation of the human body.

˖ ࣪ ◦ 𝆣 ⁓ . 📺

꒰ 𔔀 🥦 ˎˊ˗ 𐦲

𐨹 . · ˖ ࣪ ◦ 🦹

* ﾟ. · . ° ╭ 🍲

<3 ‼️

Скопје / Skopje

Yes, there are ways to confirm the age of an old text without having the original text itself.

I’ve seen people basically claim that it’s impossible to know when, say, certain books of the Bible first emerged because we don’t have the original texts. They often use this to argue for a later date in their composition, often to make the argument that their own favored form of Christianity is the older one.

However, there are ways to know that a text goes back pretty far even if you don’t have the original. I’m going to list a few here:

Quotations and references: If a text is quoted or mentioned in documents you actually can date, then you can be pretty sure that the text existed (at least in some form) prior to these documents.

Language: Language is always changing, and it’s often possible to date the contexts of a text based on the language its author used. If the language in a text is consistent with the time and place it was claimed to have been written in, then that’s probably when and where it was written.

Historical accuracy: If an ancient text accurately describes historical events in detail, then there’s a good chance it was written around the same time as these events; or at least not too long afterward.

Of course there are exceptions. Just because horror writers quoted the Necronomicon, doesn’t mean the Necronomicon was a real grimoire that existed prior to the 20th century. But in this case, the fact that nobody mentions or quotes the Necronomicon before the 20th century (even if just to condemn it), plus the fact that there are no copies of the book that date before the 20th century, nor any old books that contain even parts of the Necronomicon, tell us it’s a 20th century invention.

Someone who is well-studied in an ancient language might be able to fake an ancient text, but once again we can look at what other evidence is or isn’t there. Does anyone throughout history actually quote or mention the book, even if just to argue against it or condemn its ideas? (Remember, Christians spilled a lot of ink to argue against their opponents - just take Irenaeus for one example.)

Someone with access to accurate historical documents might be able to write a passable historical fiction. However, if the book proclaims extraordinary and sensational events that somehow nobody else who lived in the same time and place saw fit to record, that somehow nobody throughout history found interesting enough to cite or mention, then that’s a pretty good indication that the book is a recent fabrication. But yeah, even without the existence of an original text, there are ways we can be reasonably certain that a book dates back to a certain time period.

I wish I could ask you

#1: I wish I could ask you if you think about me. 

We´re still friends, so I´m sure you think about me. But you don´t think about me like you used too. It´s been a while since we broke up, and even if some may not believe me I know I´m over you. But at times I just remember you, remember us. And I start thinking how can we even be friends after what we were. And I just wonder if you still think of me.

#2: I wish I could ask you if you miss me.

I miss you. Not everyday not at all times, but I miss you. I miss blushing at a text from you. I miss feeling happy from seeing a picture of you. I miss being your favorite person. I miss the special treatment we gave each other. And not everyday not at all times, but once in while I wonder if you miss me how I miss you. 

#3: I wish I could ask you if you wonder.

While talking to you I always notice, you don´t treat me like you would´ve. I wonder what we could´ve been. If the world wasn´t so cruel, if the world wasn´t so shunning. We would've been great. Oh dear, I know it. I know we weren´t perfect, but we were so close to it. And it just makes me wonder, if you ever take your time to wonder.

4#: I wish I could ask you what it meant to you.

I know you love me and care for me. You always have. But ever since we were forced apart, you talk of me as if we never had a thing. Now I know I mean a lot to you. I know our bond means a lot to you. But every time you talk about the past and us, I wonder what it meant to you.

Transcribing a Middle English text

— "Of seint Alex of Rome”, from the Naples Manuscript, National Library, MS XIII.B.29

"Grace can never properly be said to exist without beauty; for it is only in the elegant proportions of beautiful forms that can be found that harmonious variety of line and motion which is the essence and charm of grace."

Winckelmann

Re-reading old conversations is such a weird feeling.

I feel the things I felt before but this time, I know the importance of all the words we spoke before, and how they didn't last, but in that one moment when I texted you "good night my love", I felt forever was within reach. You made me laugh, and cry, and you hurt me and you healed me, all those feelings are now so precious. I won't feel them for the very first time again.

Soy tuyo, siempre soy tuyo, cuando quiero que seas mía. Cuando no me siento tuyo & yo no te siento mía entonces me acerco para ser tuyo, pero te alejas para ser mía.

|Bₗₓcₖₛₕₑₑₚ|

i just don’t understand how you don’t miss me..