Alchemical poetry 1575-1700 : from previously unpublished manuscripts

List of Illustrations viii
General Introduction xi
Introduction xv
Acknowledgments xlviii
Bibliography 1

PART ONE:

ELIZABETHAN VERSIFYING ALCHEMISTS 1
Edward Cradock
I. A Treatise Touching the Philosopher's
Stone (ca. 1575) 3
Simon Forman
II. Of the Division of the Chaos (ca. 1595)
III. Compositor ad Lectornm (1597) 49

PART TWO: THREE VERSE TRANSLATIONS FROM
MIDDLE FRENCH BY WILLIAM BACKHOUSE (1644) 71
Jean de La Fontaine
IV. The Pleasant Fobuteine of Knovledge (1413) 79
Pseudo-Jean de Meun

V. The Complaint of Nature against the Erronions Alchymist (ca. 1500)

VI. The Alchimyst's Ansvere to Natbre (ca. 1500) 123

PART THREE: INTERREGNUM "EPIC":
CHYMICAL MEDICINE AND SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY 201
Bassett Jones
VII. Lithochymicus (ca. 1650) 203
The Whole Woorke's Emblem 229
To the Industrious & Worthy Authour 230
The Preface 231
The First Chapter 238
The Second Chapter 253
The Third Chapter 269
The Fowerth Chapter 274
The Fift Chapter 288
The Sixt Chapter 314
The Author's Corollarie 324
An Index 327
[Appendix] 349

PART FOUR:
SIX ANONYMOUS VERSE TRANSLATIONS (ca. 1700) 413
Mary the Prophetess
VIII. Epigram from her Practica 420
Dionysius Zacharias
IX. The Practice of the Divine Work: (1567) 429

Bernardus Trevisanus
X. The Practise of the Philosophick Stone (15th century?) 446
Aristeus Pater
XI. The Words of Father Aristeus to his Son (ca. 1600) 464
Michael Sendivogius
XII. The Philosophicall Enigma (ca. 1610) 480
XIII. A Dialogue of the Allchymist and Siblphur (ca. 1610) 514

PART FIVE: HERMETIC MYSTICISM AND
AUGUSTAN SATIRE 541
"Torrescissa"
XIV. Hermetick Raptures (ca. 1700) 543

INDEX 641