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 ...

But do not after the common guise.

THen I passed along, and was no soon∣er out of that place, but a very thick misty darkness apprehended me, so thick that I might fell it; and though my head were as it were transparent and very light, and I took also a Candle with me, which was burning there continual∣ly

at the entrance of the Tower, yet the darkness was such, that it would not re∣ceive the light, for they were not homo∣genial, but were a little dis-joyned by the Rays of the Light, and as it were here and there condensed into strange fi∣gures, as of Birds, Beasts, and creeping things of monstrous shapes: And by reason of this opposition the Rays of the Light extended but a little way, and the Light most clear did shoot as it were in Beams, and the darkness stood as it were in clusters by it self.

There were as it were a multitude of men, who seeing my Light in my hand, which they could not discern well, they being in that dark which would not be inlightned, but as through a thick cloud they beheld my Candle, and judged it ominous, and left their stations: for their eyes with dark and smoak were so tender, that my Candle over-poured them, and they could not bear its lustre; therefore they crying out, ran away. I mused much at this, how they could be in such Cimmerian Darkness; and as I wondered, I espied that they had with

them Light as it were of Fox-fire, or rotten Wood, and Glow-worms Tails, and with this they sat in consultation, reading Geber, Rhasis, and such whom I heard them name, and commenting on them, not without much pleasantness: Then I considered that the Light which I had brought with me, did not enligh∣ten the place, but stood separated as it were from the darkness; and withal I remembred that once there was Light in the World, and the darkness comprehen∣ded it not, and that darkness had a false fire Light of its own, with which it seemed to its inhabitants wonderous well inlightned: I set down my Candle, and went with my Thread in my hand, by which I intended to return. When I was gone out of sight of my Candle, my head began to seem as it were opacous, and a wind had almost blown me down: Then I took my bottom of Thread, and made it fast to my Girdle, lest it might drop out of my hand; and well it was that I did so, for soon a Vertigo came upon me, and I fell and slumbered; and when I awaked, methoughts it was no more

darkness, but day-light about me: I won∣dered at the very strange change, and still felt for my Thread, which by that Light I could not see, but only feel it. I began to look about me, to see where I was, and behold I was in a ruinous place of many millions of turnings, each lead∣ing several ways; and every room was so inlightned with Fox-fire and Glow∣worm-Tails, that for want of a better Light it seemed as if it were day: I took out of my Pocket a small Book to see if I could read in it, it was called Enchiri∣dion Physicae Restitutae, with an Arcanum at the end of it, and I could not read one word in it. There met me a man aged and decrepit, his Face rugged, his Eyes bleared, his Hands and Fingers corraded, and saluted me, and said merrily, What Book have you there? It is, said I, Ar∣canum Hermeticum. It is a good Book, saith he. He and Sendivow are the two best that ever wrote. I but, said I, I went to peruse my Book, and I can read not one word in it. That's strange, quoth he; let me see it: Then I shewed it him, and he read out of it such strange things

that I never had heard of before; and Sandivogius, saith he, is of the same mind. Then he begun to read in him, and read such Processes that I had never heard of. I do remember well the Authors, and what they wrote, but never to my re∣membrance did I find what you read in them, said I. Look on them your self, said he, and you shall find it plain: I went to look on the Book, but could not di∣stinguish any word in it; which made me wonder. Then I thought with my self, that as that Light had a peculiar dif∣ference from that Light which I saw a∣bout the Tower where I was before, so it might have its peculiar Objects: This Opinion I had confirmed by this, for that having Geber and Rhasis with me, I tried how I could read there, and all the Pro∣cesses I could read very well, only some places seemed as it were left out, and a distance of white left: I knew that my Books were perfect, and some of the pla∣ces (which were (as they seemed to me) left out) I remembred very well to be those places in which the Truth was cou∣ched in few words: Then I returned by

my Thread to my Candle, and straight my head returned to its former diaphani∣ty: I took my Candle in my way, and of a sudden all my places that seemed light before, returned to be Cimmerian dark∣ness; only with the time that I had been there, I found my Eyes were beginning to grow tender, and smarted and itched at the first glimpse of this true Light, which then in comparison of the Light I had before seen, did not seem barely Light, but the Super-Coelestial Light of Paradise. Then I demanded of her with whom in the Glass I had former con∣verse, concerning what I had seen. She told me, That they were such who wrot in Alchymy according to the Light of Fan∣cy, and not of Nature; though to them their Light seem clear enough, yet can they see nothing by it but what is phan∣tastical, and mystically or sophistically written by the Envious, for the seducing of such fanciful Doters: therefore when once the Light of Nature is brought to their station, it discovers Cimmerian dark∣ness there, where their imaginary Light only shines, such as is Fox-fire and Glow∣worms

Tails, that shine only in the dark; This Light makes their Eyes so tender, that the Lamp of Nature makes them fly. Moreover, whatever is written accord∣ing to this Light, they cannot see, nay they cannot endure the Light of the true Luna of the wise men: for any true Light discovers their Darkness, and yet their Darkness is uncapable of apprehen∣ding the Light. Now in that you went in among them without your Candle, it was a bold adventure, for had you lost your Thread, you could never have re∣turned. Then I looked into my Tower, and did as I was directed; and again I went to view those parts of Cimmerian Darkness once more, yet with my Can∣dle in mine hand, and my Thread at my Girdle; when I came the second time, at the sight of this Light all fled, so that I could not meet with any, but I entered into several turnings which I saw, and found in them several works curiously erected, in which I might guess they aimed at nothing less than the Philoso∣phers Stone.