Parasarchum

From Theatrum Paracelsicum
also:
Theophrastia, book two


I. Basic information


Printing History, Manuscripts. Not printed, no known manuscripts. Parasarchum is the second of three works composing the book Theophrastia, according to Valentius de Retiis (see § ‎1.24). Like the Carboantes (§ ‎4.22), it is apparently spurious, although nowhere to be found.

Editions. Not edited by Huser or Sudhoff. No text available.

Relationship between different versions. It is not certain that the text existed at all.

Structure, genre/form, perspective, style. Valentius de Retiis described it thus: “The other [is] Parasarchum, in which he [Paracelsus] deals with the summum bonum in eternity.” Karl Widemann characterized the text as follows: “The Parasarchum of Theophrastus treats theological and cabalistical matters much like the Paragranum.” The Dresden Libri Theophrasti summarizes the text: “Parasarchum id est Summum Bonum et Aeternitas. De Sapientia Lib. 3. Philosophiae Lib. 4.”

Relationship to other texts.

Authenticity, authorship. Both Parasarchus and Carboantes are mentioned in various 16th and 17th century lists of works written by Paracelsus. Gerhard Dorn and Michael Toxites both believed in the existence of Theophrastia, Sudhoff denotes it as “more than legendary,” Gilly doubts its existence while Kühlmann and Telle reject any such doubts as “unjustified”.

Time of writing. Further study required.

II. Sources


Manuscripts: no manuscripts known

Historical Manuscript Catalogues: Libri Theophrasti (Dresden), fol. 5vb; Widemann, Unausgangene Bücher (Hannover), n° 34

III. Bibliography


Essential bibliography: Sudhoff, Bibliographia Paracelsica, 142; Sudhoff, Paracelsus-Handschriften, 700; CP 1: 585, 590, 591, 593, 595–596, 617; CP 2: 165.

Further bibliographical references:

Peuckert, Pansophie (1956), 460.

Gilly, Paracelsus in der BPH (1993), 37, 38.

Gilly, Adam Haslmayr (1994), 97, 103.