The work from which this text has been extracted is one of the alchemical treatises attributed to Albertus Magnus (c. 1193 - 1280), German Dominican friar, bishop, theologian and philosopher, labelled Doctor universalis due to his impressive knowledge. Although Albertus' interest for some aspects of alchemy are documented from his authentic writings and the Semita recta show a clear and concise style which is similar to Albertus' own, the authenticity of this text has not been established. In the manuscript, it is not presented as a work of Albert, but anonymously as a collection of 'notable exceptional things about the art of alchemy'.

The texts begins on f. 112r and it is introduced by the rubric Notabilia pulchra circa artem. It starts with the words Alkimia est ars ab alkimio inventa ut dicitur alkimia grece; it ends on f. 115r with the words non quod oleum apponatur et habebis materiam optimam.