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 ...

Thus causeth true Separation true Conjuncti∣on to be had, Of Water and Air, with Earth and Fire; But that each Element into other may be led, And so abide for ever at thy desire, Do as do Dawbers with Clay or Mire, Temper them thick, and make them not too thin, This do up-drying the rather thou shalt win.

THus the Proverb is verified, Aman∣tium irae amoris redintegratio est, for Love brought them together, Love par∣ted them with a seeming discontent, and at last Love unites them with a perpe∣tual tye, that they can no more part for ever, without a new Resolution in this dissolving Water, after they are first be∣come perfect.

Now the same thing is both moist and dry, hot and cold, according to the qua∣lities of the Elements, (that I may speak according to the usual voice of Philoso∣phers) for now is of two made three, and of three made four, and of four one;

the Quadrangle is turned into a Circle, to the amazement of Nature.

For the essence of one Element now penetrateth the essence of another, that is, the essential properties are so through∣ly mixed, that all four now make but one partaking of all.

These are those principles which God now hath conjoyned, and therefore no∣thing can separate: Rejoyce now, O Son of Art, for thou hast the Sun for thy Diadem, and the Moon Crescent for thy Garland.

That thou mayst the more certainly, easily and speedily attain to this, and that thy signs may the better and or∣derly appear, next to thy care of pre∣paring true and purged Mercury, and pure Gold, first be sure of thy mixture, mix them like as a Potter mixeth his Loam.

Be sure you do not over-glut your Earth with Water, nor cloy your Water with Earth, but impast them, and then grind them together as diligently as a Painter would grind his Colours; for the more exactly thou mixest them, the

better and sooner will they work one upon another in heat.

Then set thy Glass in a Furnace made for thy Work, and give a convenient Fire, in which it may boyl night and day perpetually, without a minutes ceasing; order the Fire so that it may in 12 or 24 hours begin to boyl, and from that hour not to cease boyling, subliming, ascending and descending, until such time as the moisture be dried up, and all re∣main below (at least greatest part) in form of a discontinuous Calx.