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 of them thus a temperament may forth go, A temperament not so thick as the Body is, Neither so thin as Water withouten miss.

BEtween the dry Body and the fluid Water, we make a temperament which is called Impastation, for it is made like unto Paste; and Inceration, for it brings it to the temper of Wax; but most properly Amalgamation, or gross Con∣junction, which is a middle consistence between Mercury, and a Metal not so hard as the one, for it may with a Knife or ones Finger be spread to and fro easi∣ly;

nor yet is it so currant as Mercury, for no Mercury will run out of it, though it be inclined one way or other. I need say no more, for there is hardly any vul∣gar Chymist who is not acquainted with the notion of an Amalgama, and knows what temper that is, when it will spread like Butter, and yet laid declining, will let nothing run from it which is thinner then the whole Compound; for in a thin Amalgama, the Mercury if it be declined will run to the declining side, like Hydro∣pical intercutis Water. But ours is not so thin, and yet so soft that it is easily ply∣able, yet so that it may be rouled up in Balls, and no quick Mercury run down or sink to the bottom. He that can miss in this direction, would hardly find the shi∣ning Sun at Noon-day.