Reason Tried by Fire: The Rota Alphabetalis and Other Logical and Mnemonic Devices in the Pseudo-Lullian Alchemical Codicillus

Abstract

This article explores the Codicillus, a pivotal yet understudied text within the pseudo-Lullian alchemical corpus, dating back to the mid-fourteenth century. The aim is to present the conceptual development of the alchemical doctrine contained in the work by elucidating its key logical and mnemonic devices. These include the three alchemical principles (material, demonstrative and operative), the division of the opus in four stages, the so-called ‘science of middles and extremes’, and an alphabetical wheel of the elements. Through this analysis, the Codicillus emerges as a remarkable instance of operational rationality in medieval experimental science, as well as an early application of the ‘Art of Memory’ to alchemy.