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 ...

Then make the Mercury four to the Sun, Two to the Moon as it should be.

NOw pluck up your attention, for my speech will be difficult. When your Body to your Mercury in outward pro∣portion is one to two, then must your Mercury in its inward proportion be just opposite, that is, four to two, else you shall never make Harmony that is good Musick; for do not think it is all one, with one and the same proportioned Mercury, to put either one of the Body to two of the Water, or one to three, or two to three, or three to four; no verily, till you come to this, to measure your Lamp clibanically to your Furnace, you are yet in the dark for Practice, though you may be true in Theory. I almost tremble to speak of this point, for it is the very wilde of all those who study this Art, and cannot come to the end of

their desires for want of true information in this particular. Know then, that when thy Mercury is to Sol in external pondus two to one, it must be as I said in respect of its own internal qualities, four to the Sun to two of the Moon; therefore, saith Artephius, that our Water is of kin to the Sun and to the Moon, but more to the Sun then to the Moon: Note this well, that is four to two, as Ripley hath it. This is indeed a great secret, which hath be∣fooled many.

Now know that our Eagles duly pre∣pared are accommodated to the Sun from three to ten, so that four to the Sun will be just seven; and thy Mercury thus pro∣portioned, let it be two of the Moon to one of its Body. Know also, that our Wa∣ter is not called the Moon, but in, or in reference to conjunction, and so let the Moon be two. In reference to its one Constitution, it is called Mercury, (for so it ought to be in that form and flux) and so it ought to be four to the Sun, that is seven Eagles, which are to the Sun not before three, to which adding four, you make seven.