Ripley reviv'd, or, An exposition upon Sir George Ripley's hermetico-poetical works containing the plainest and most excellent discoveries of the most hidden secrets of the ancient philosophers, that were ever yet published / written by Eirenæus Philalethes ...

To this I answer, That Mercury it is I wis.

YEt trust me, though the wise men thus write, and it be true, there is notwithstanding something to be added to their Sentence, according as the Au∣thor of Novum Lumen well observed, as namely, That this Art is easie to him that understands it, as Artephius plainly ex∣presseth; but to him that is ignorant of it, there is nothing can appear so hard; The Wise Man, saith Sendivogius, finds it in a Dunghil, but the Fool cannot believe that it is in Gold. I for my part (through the great mercy of God to me an un∣worthy and unthankful Creature) I know the Art to be true, and not that only, but also very easie; and I wonder that men of so great parts have studied for it so long in vain; only this I am confident of, it is the gift of God; nor is it in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that giveth mercy: In which respect I am bold, to the glory of God, to confess that I have the Art, and have Natures Opera∣tions in these so hidden Secrets, before

mine eyes at this present writing, which I see hourly with admiration of the infi∣nite Glory, in the beholding of such a great Glory in the Creatures, which, trust me, will ravish the Beholder, to see such a despised Infant as our Mercury is, to grow into so strong a Heroe, which the World cannot purchase.