Alia explicatio uberior in Magnificat Eremitae
Printing History, Manuscripts. Not printed. Two manuscripts, one Latin translation.
Editions. Not edited by Huser or Sudhoff.
Relationship between different versions. “This fragment, found in one version only among excerpts, [other] fragments and texts not found anywhere else is obviously part of a larger text since it ends abruptly in the middle of a sentence.” There exists a Latin translation which shows “that in earlier times the fragment was considered genuine and worthy of translation along with other important theological treatises written by Paracelsus.”
Structure, genre/form, perspective, style.
Relationship to other texts. According to Biegger there were four different explications of the “Magnificat” written by Paracelsus, all of them written as part of larger texts. The Latin text of the London manuscript represents, according to Biegger, the same text as the German explication found in the Leiden and Fulda manuscripts. Further study required.
Authenticity, authorship. The authenticity of the Explicatio was not questioned by Sudhoff. According to Goldammer, “there might be some concerns in regard to the authorship of Paracelsus although the vocabulary is essentially the common Paracelsian, and also the imagery and the forms of thought correspond to those of Paracelsus.” The text is found “amidst texts of doubtless authenticity” while, on the other hand, the text is not directly attributed to Paracelsus.
Time of writing.
Manuscripts:
German
- Fulda, Hochschul- und Landesbibliothek: Cod. 22a (1), 2°, f. 158r–162v
- Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek: Voss. Chym. F.24, f. 373r–376r
Latin
- London, British Library: Harley ms 516, f. 89v–93v
First printed: not printed
