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 ...

Which if they were not by craft made quick, And their fatness with Water drawn out, And so the thin dissevered from the thick, Thou shouldest never bring this Work about. If thou wilt therefore speed without doubt, Raise up the Birds out of their Nest, And after bring them again to rest.

THese Bodies do send forth a thin sub∣tle fume, which may be compared to their breath; and the returning of it, and fuming continually, may be likened to the breathing in and out of Air, for saith Artephius, all things live by Air: and so our Stone it is inspired by the Air, which Air is the fume which ascends continually, which partakes of both Na∣tures as well as the Body below doth. Also this makes that below to boil and swell continually, which it would not do, did not the Earth retain the moi∣sture; and the Sublimation carries with it the subtilest part, or Soul of the Body, which easily appears by its changing of colours, for whatever coloureth is of Sulphur, which is unctuous, and therefore

the Sublimation appears pinguous: the medium of this Extraction is Water, be∣cause our Water and the Sulphur are Ho∣mogeneal.

Wherefore in this Circulation there are two things to be considered, the bottom, and the top; the bottom is not only the Body of Sol, for so it would not stand liquid, and flow, and boil, and bub∣ble as it doth: therefore it is certain, that the Body retains part of the Water, which is more thick, which thickness di∣gestion and mixture hath caused; which grosser part of the Water is joyned with the Body, but not perfectly united. The uppermost part is not only from the Wa∣ter, nor yet the most whole of the Wa∣ter, but a certain subtle portion of your first Vinegar, which hath in it the most pure part of your Gold, which is subli∣med with it, which both together make a medium of much Firiness: So then by reason of the mixture both the upper∣most and the subsident part are reduced to a mean, which hold one of another; therefore our Body at this time, and in this Operation, is called the Body both

of the Sun and Moon, and the Vapour contains both the Soul of the Sun, and the Spirit of the Mercury. Take this for your prey, for I have reveal'd what Phi∣losophers upon penalty of an Anathema would never disclose.

If you have well attended to what I have said, I have said enough, and if this do not suffice you, I know not what will. Remember well what I have said, if you ever expect success.

To sum up all therefore in one word, for I have been so long that I fear I have been too prolix: Remember what you go about, and what you work on. You take in hand an Earthly Body, which you would bring to a Heavenly Tincture. This you would effect by Mercury, which is the only way or medium in the World. First then, sublime till by Mercury thou hast brought thy Body to the height of volatility, and thou shalt find that in this dissolved Body there will be such a fer∣ment, which will recongeal the Spirit.