Ripley's Epistles

Ripley's Epistles. 17th century.
1. p1-80 Sir George Ripley's Epistle to King Edward unfolded. [English.]
[In later hand]: 'From D. of Marlborough's Library (Octr. 28. 1819.) F Stewart Ch Ch [Christ Church college] Oxon 1821.'
2. p81-128 Another copie of the same (from Mr Sympson) 1669 More perfect, and (as it seems) more genuine. [English.]
3. p129-139 Praeparatio Mercurij ad lapidem per Regulum c tum & Lunam ex Mss Philosophi Americani. [Latin.]
[A translation of this was published in Eirenaeus Philalethes, Ripley Reviv'd, London,1618, with the title: 'Experiment for the preparation of the sophick mercury, by Luna, and the Antimonial-Stellate-Regulus of Mars, for the Philosopher's Stone'. One of the experiments given in the printed version has here been inserted in the margin, in Latin, by a different hand, and is said to be from 'Mr. Cooper's copy 1677', presumably Willam Cooper, the publisher of Ripley Reviv'd.]
4. p141-163 A Breviary of Sr George Ripleys Compound of Alchemy Or a Paraphrasticall Epitome of his Twelve Gates.
[This second version is almost the same as that published in Ripley Reviv'd, with the title: 'An exposition upon Sir George Ripley's Epistle to King Edward IV'.]
5. p164-174 Epta amici [drawing of key] loco in Anonyma. Vidi Lib Mistrel 4to...
[Latin, in different hand. Mentions Sendivogius on p. 170.]
6. p176-180 [Bibliographical notes by F. Stewart, the owner of this manuscript in 1821.]
Inscribed: 'From D. of Marlborough's Library (Oct. 28, 1819), i.e., the White Knights Library, near Reading, property of George Spencer Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough. Also inscribed: 'Bought at Reading,' and, in a different hand, 'F. Stewart Ch Ch Oxon 1821.' At the end of the manuscript there is a long note by F. Stewart, dated 1821, and ending: 'The value of this is undoubtedly very great.' The manuscript was acquired by John Ferguson on March 16, 1887.
Formerly shelved at Bi16-e.1.

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