The compound of alchymy. Or The ancient hidden art of archemie conteining the right & perfectest meanes to make the philosophers stone, aurum potabile, with other excellent experiments. Diuided into twelue gates. First written by the learned and rare philosopher of our nation George Ripley, sometime Chanon of Bridlington in Yorkeshyre: & dedicated to K. Edvvard the 4. Whereunto is adioyned his epistle to the King, his vision, his wheele, & other his workes, neuer before published: with certaine briefe additions of other notable writers concerning the same. Set foorth by Raph Rabbards Gentleman, studious and expert in archemicall artes.

Of Exaltation. The tenth Gate.

PRoceede we now to the chapter of Exaltation, Of which truly thou must haue knowledge pure, But little it is different from Sublimation, If thou conceiue it right I you ensure, Hereto accordeth the holy scripture, Christ saying thus, if I exalted be, Then shall I draw all things vnto me.

Our medicine if we exalt right so, It shalbe thereby nobilitate, That must be done in manners two, From time the parties be dispousate, Which must be crucified and examinate, And then contumulate both man and wife, And after reuiued by the spirit of life.

Then vp to heauen they must exalted be, There to be in bodie and soule glorificate, For thou must bring them to such subtiltie, that they ascend together to be intronizate, In cloudes of clearenes to Angels consociate, Then shall they draw as thou shalt see, Al other bodies to their owne dignitee.

If thou therefore the bodies wilt exalt, First with the spirit of life thou them augment, till time the earth be well subtilizate, By naturall rectifying of euery Element, Them vp exalting into the firmament, Then much more precious shall they be than gold, Because of the quintessence which they doe holde.

For when the colde hath ouercome the heate, Then into water the Ayre shall turned be, And so two contraries together shall meete, Till either with orher right well agree, So into Ayre the water as I tell thee, When heate of colde hath got domination, Shall be conuerted by craft of our circulation.

And of the Ayre then fire haue thou shall, By loosing putrifying and subliming, And fire thou hast of the earth materiall, Thine Elements thus by craft disseuering, Most especially thine earth well calcining, And when they be each one made pure, Then doe they holde all of the first nature.

On this wise therefore make them be circulate, Each into other exalting by and by, And all in this one glasse surely sigillate, Not with thine hands, but as I teach thee naturally, Fire into water then turne first hardly, For fire is in Ayre, which is in water existent, And this conuersion accordeth to our intent.

Then furthermore turne on thy wheele, That into earth the ayre conuerted be, Which will be done also right well, For Ayre is in water being in earth trust me, The water into fire contrarious in her qualitie, Soone turne thou mayst for water in earth is, Which is in fire, conuersion true is this.

The wheele is now neere turned about, Into ayre turne earrh which is the proper nest, Of other Elements there is no doubt, For earth in fire is, which in ayre taketh rest, This circulation beginne thou in the west, Then into the south, till they exalted bee, Proceede duely, as in thy figure I haue taught thee.

In which processe clearely thou mayst see, Frō one extreame how to another thou mayst not go, But by a meane, since they in qualities contrarious be, And reason will forsooth that it be so, As heate into colde, with other contraries ••o, Without their meanes as moyst to heate and colde, Examples sufficient before this I haue tolde.

Thus haue I taught thee how to make Of all thine Elements a perfect circulation, And at thy figure example to take, How thou shalt make this foresaide Exaltation, And of thy medicine in the Elements true graduation, Till it be brought to a gueneritie temperate, And then thou hast conquered the tenth gate.

The end of the tenth Gate.