Brief an einen guten Freund / Brief an Meister Wilhelm

I. Basic information

Printing History, Manuscripts. Not printed. One manuscript.

Editions. Not edited by Huser or Sudhoff.

Relationship between different versions. Only one known version.

Structure, genre/form, perspective, style. Written in the form of a letter from Paracelsus to a “master Wilhelm”, in reply to a previous letter and referring to at least one more letter allegedly written by Paracelsus. Written in the first person, directly addressing “Meister Wilhelm.”

Relationship to other texts.

Authenticity, authorship. A rather crude forgery, inspired by other apocryphal letters and probably by De tinctura physicorum (§ ‎4.30).

Time of writing. Probably written in the 1610s.

II. Sources

Manuscripts:

• Haldensleben, Alvenslebensche Bibliothek: Alv. Mg 163, f. 217v–222v

First printed: not printed