Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum - British Chemical Theatre

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Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum

First published in 1652, this compilation of English alchemical literature was collected and annotated by Elias Ashmole. The book made available many works that had previously existed only in privately held manuscripts, and features alchemical verse from Thomas Norton, George Ripley, Geoffrey Chaucer, John Dastin, Abraham Andrews, Thomas Charnock, William Bloomefield, Edward Kelley, John Dee, Thomas Robinson, William Backhouse, John Gower, John Lydgate, W. Redman, as well as several unknown authors. Individual plates from the volume are digitized here, with additional item-level description available for select plates.

Quote of the Day

“the vulgar Mercury, and the other imperfect Bodies, by transmuting them into Gold and Silver It is therefore necessary to seek this transmutative Virtue, where it is, and cannot be more suitably found, than in perfect bodies: vain would one seek this Virtue in Copper or in another imperfect Metal. I say the same thing of Silver; for in all the Genus of Metals, only Gold and Silver are perfect.”

Bernard Trevisan

Verbum Dismissum

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