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The Mirror of Alchimy

Attributed to Roger Bacon · 1597 · 22,307 words

The first alchemical book printed in English: the Mirror of Alchimy with the Smaragdine Table of Hermes and other short tracts.

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Opening

The Preface

n times past the Philosophers spake afters diuers and sundrie manners throughout their writings, sith that as it were in a riddle and cloudie voyce, they haue left vnto vs a certaine most excellent and noble science, but altogither obscure, and without all hope vtterly denied, and that not without good cause. Wherefore I would aduise thee, that aboue all other bookes, thou shouldest firmly fixe thy mind vpon these seuen Chapters, conteining in them the transmutation of mettalls, and often call to minde the beginning, middle, and end of the same, wherein thou shalt finde such subtilitie, that thy minde shalbe fully contented therewith.

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Contents

  1. The Preface
  2. The Mirrour of Alchimy, composed by the famous Fryer, Roger Bachon, sometime fellow of Martin Colledge,…
  3. The Smaragdine Table of Hermes, Trismegistus of Alchimy
  4. A briefe Commentarie of Hortulanus the Philosopher, vpon the Smaragdine Table of Hermes of Alchimy
  5. The Booke of the Secrets of Alchimie, composed by Galid the sonne of Iazich, translated out of Hebrew…
  6. An excellent discourse of the admirable force and efficacie of Art and Nature, written by the famous…

About this edition

Source: Project Gutenberg #58393

Public domain: Public domain worldwide (1597).

What’s included: The complete 1597 text in its original spelling.

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