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 ...

From violent heat and sudden cold defend Thy Glass, and make thy Fire so temperate, That by the sides the Matter be not vitri∣ficate.

TAke diligent heed then that thou ex∣ceed not this measure, especially have a care that your Furnace be not apt to exceed, but that you may govern it at your pleasure, without uncertain in∣creasing or slacking of heat, but that your Fire be equal and continually va∣porous and boyling, for such a degree is altogether agreeable to the intention of Nature.

Whereas if thou be too hasty, with Vulcan thou art always subject to errour; for even then when a discreet Work-man is past fear, I mean in the fourth Opera∣tion, in which the Elements are fixed and incerated, a hasty rash Vulcanist shall make his Medicines to grow hard at the first, and with a stronger and continuate degree of heat, to melt into a vitrificate substance, without any hope of future profit.

Now then that Vitrification is an er∣rour which is incident in the last Opera∣tion, as burning of the Flowers is in the first Operation; for if in Calcination the Fire be too violent, instead of black thou shalt have a Citrine, or half red unpro∣fitable Calx: so in the fourth Operation, by too violent Fire thy Elixir will melt being vitrified, instead of a natural flow∣ing or Inceration.