| Preface |
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xv | |
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Of books written within and without |
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Its affirmed Transmission as a Secret Knowledge |
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Fact of the Literature and its Problem |
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Whether and to what extent it may be explicable as emanating from an Initiating Centre |
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Difficulties about this view |
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Proposition that the Alchemical Secret belongs to Spiritual Science and not to an Art of Metals |
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Estimation of the Evidence, if any, as the object of this work |
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Chapter I Alchemy and Supernatural Life |
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1 | (15) |
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Extent of Alchemical Literature |
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Its Veil of Allegory and Symbolism |
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Alleged to conceal a Mystic Science of the Soul |
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Proposed Investigation of the Claim |
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Deep Searchings of Jacob Bohme |
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The Stone of Philosophy and Christ as the Corner-Stone |
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Work of the Tincture and Seal of God thereon |
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Alchemy and the Second Birth |
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The Transmutation of Metals in the Light of Divine Magic |
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A Second Witness on Spiritual Alchemy |
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The Kentish Theosophist Robert Fludd |
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Of True and False Alchemy |
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Spurious Chemia and the Gold of God |
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The Life communicated by Christ |
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Spiritual Chemistry and Man as its Subject |
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The Soul and Contemplation of God |
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Alchemy and Natural Philosophy |
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The Theo-Philosophical Stone |
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Chapter II Modern Views on the Hermetic Mystery |
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16 | (17) |
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Bohme and contemporary Alchemists |
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Fludd and Experimental Chemistry |
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The next stage of the Subject |
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Publication of the Suggestive Inquiry |
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Views on Alchemy and Chemistry |
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Mesmerism as a Key to the Hermetic Mystery |
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Alchemy a Secret Method of Self-Knowledge |
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Union with the Source of All |
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Identity of the Hermetic Object with that of the Ancient Mysteries |
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Critical Examination and Rejection of this Thesis |
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Alleged identity of Term in Alchemy and Neoplatonic Theosophy |
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The Alchemists do not appear in their lives as Hierophants of Divine Mystery |
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Their general concern exhibited |
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Exploration of their Religious and Devotional Character |
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The Philosopher's Stone and its alleged Spiritual Generation |
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Chapter III Further Speculations on Philosophical Gold |
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33 | (15) |
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Analogical Speculations and Reveries of Eliphas Levi |
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His Search for the Absolute |
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Hypothesis concerning the Quintessence |
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Appeal to a Traditional Science |
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The Will in Transmutation |
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Hitchcock's Remarks on Alchemy |
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His Concealed Subject of Hermetic Adepts |
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Ethical Culture of Triune Man |
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Unity of Human and Divine Nature |
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The New Birth, New Condition of Being and Donum Dei |
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Concerning Salt, Sulphur and Mercury |
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Of Conscience understood Hermetically |
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The Still Small Voice in Alchemy |
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Long Life and Immortality |
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Transmutation and the Conversion of Man |
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Subject and End of the Art |
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A Reservation in this Respect |
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The Speculation left in Suspension |
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Its failure for this reason as well as on other grounds |
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Super-physical production of Precious Metals |
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The views of Jacob Bohme unknown or ignored by Hitchcock |
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Distinctions on Alchemy and Chemistry |
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Last Words on the Way of the Wise |
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Of Swedenberg as a Hermetic Philosopher |
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Hitchcock on the Mystery of Godliness |
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Chapter IV Ancient Hermetic Books and the Way of the Soul Therein |
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48 | (7) |
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Hermes as Protagonist of Alchemy |
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Doctrine of the Literature |
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Origin and Destiny of Man |
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Gnosis and the Virtue of the Soul |
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Path of Devotion and Path of Doctrine |
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Of Intimations and Developments |
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Its Doctrine of Alleged Experience |
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The Practice and the Theory |
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Chapter V Alchemy in China |
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55 | (7) |
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Classical Mythology as a supposed Veil of the Magnum Opus |
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Berthelot on Alchemy in Egypt |
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The Silence of the Sphinx |
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Alleged antiquity of the Art in China |
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Evidence of William A. P. Martin |
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Similarity of Theory and Symbolism in the Far East and the West |
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A Material and Spiritual Side |
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Uncertainty on the Point of Antiquity |
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Martin's later work on the Chinese |
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Chinese Texts on the Elixir of Life |
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Chapter VI The Testimony of Byzantine Alchemy |
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62 | (25) |
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The Four Periods of Alchemical Literature |
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Berthelot's Collection of Greek Alchemists |
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Alleged Debt of Greek Alchemy thereunto |
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But it understood the Processes of the Text after another manner |
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The Idea of Transmutation developed from Sophisticating Arts |
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So-called Mystical Elements in Greek Alchemy |
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Date and Content of the Byzantine Collection |
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Its Art as Sacred and Divine |
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Its analogies with Latin Alchemy |
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Its high importance in the Literature |
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Examination in full of its Content |
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The Lexicon of Chrysopœia |
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Various Fragments of Treatises |
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An Address of Isis to Horus |
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The Diplosis of pseudo-Moses |
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A Discourse referred to Synesius |
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Olympiodorus on The Sacred Art |
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Works of Zosimus the Panopolite |
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His Two Sciences and Two Wisdoms |
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The Tract of Agathodaimon |
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A supposititious Moses on The Eight Tombs |
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Tracts of the Christian Philosopher |
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Inferences from the Byzantine Collection |
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General Position of Berthelot on the Critical Side |
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Chapter VII Arabian and Syriac Alchemy |
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87 | (16) |
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Later Collections of Berthelot |
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Transmission of Technical Processes to Mediæval Times |
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Translations of pseudo-Democritus and Zosimus |
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Preamble on Arabian Texts |
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A Short Examination of Syriac Alchemy |
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Alleged Mystical Doctrines |
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An Arabian Text and its Content |
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Sources of Arabian Alchemy |
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The Book of Ostanes the Wise |
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The Arabian Djaber or Geber |
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The Matter of the Work, according to this Adept |
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Concerning Philosophical Mercury |
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The Principle of Transmutation |
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The Perfect Stone and its Virtue |
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Conclusion on Syriac and Arabian Alchemy with special reference to the Arabian Geber |
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Chapter VIII The Early Latin Literature |
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103 | (17) |
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The story of Turba Philosophorum |
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Its Authority and Influence |
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Analogies with the Byzantine School |
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Its connection with Greek Alchemy |
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Khaled and his Book of Secrets |
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The Book of the Three Words |
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Memoirs presented by Himself |
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Story of the Servant Galip |
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Liber de Compositione and its Theme in Alchemy |
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Artephius and the Texts ascribed to him |
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Content of Liber Secretus |
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Office of Fire in Alchemy |
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Aristotle on the Perfect Mastery |
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His Witness to the Great Work |
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Chapter IX The Later Chain of Hermes |
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120 | (17) |
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Mythical Names in Latin Alchemy |
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Roger Bacon on the Power of Art and Nature |
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Process of the Great Work |
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False ascription of Alchemical Works in his name |
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Concordantia Philosophorum |
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The pseudo-Thomas Aquinas |
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Questions concerning his life |
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Charges preferred against him |
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The Work according to Arnold |
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His Thesis on the Transmutation of Metals |
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The quality of his affirmed Adeptship |
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Pietro Bono and Janus Lacinius |
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The New Pearl of Great Price |
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Its testimony on the end of the Art |
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Chapter X The Myth of Flamel |
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137 | (26) |
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The Alleged Memoir of a Paris Scrivener |
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The Book of Abraham the Jew |
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Its Pictorial Designs and Letterpress |
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A Revelation of the Great Work |
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Meeting with a Jewish Doctor |
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Secret of the First Matter |
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Excavations on the Premises of Flamel |
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His Sculptures and Symbolic Paintings |
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Alleged Written Memorials |
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His Will and that of his Wife |
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Early Hostile Criticism of his Story |
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Circumstances of its first Publication |
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Its unsatisfactory Position |
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Examination of his alleged Alchemical Designs |
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The Romance of Paul Lucas |
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Conclusion on the Historical Side of the Flamel Legend |
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The autobiographical Memorial of Bernard Trevisan |
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Tale of a thousand Processes |
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Bernard's years of Travel |
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Another Monk and his Process |
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The Written Record and its Value |
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Chapter XI The Chariot of Basil Valentine |
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163 | (14) |
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His own story concerning the Way of Attainment |
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His autobiographical Allusions |
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Views of Stoel and Boerhaave |
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Identified with Tholden and Estchenreuter |
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Examination of these Theories |
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Reasons for placing it in the Sixteenth Century |
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The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony |
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Its importance in the History of Chemistry |
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Basil's Preparations for Study |
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Their light on the claims of so-called Spiritual Alchemy |
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Basil on the Alchemical Work |
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The Tincture and its virtue |
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The Fixed Gold of Transmutation |
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177 | (11) |
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The two Isaacs of Holland |
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Solomon Trismosin as an alleged teacher of Paracelsus |
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His Quest in Mines and among Miners |
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His alchemical operations in Venice |
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Paracelsus on the First Matter and its Cosmic Aspects |
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His Commentary on the Revelation of Hermes |
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The Secret Subject of Art |
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The Stone according to Paracelsus |
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The Indestructible Essence |
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A Perfect Equation of Elements |
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Chemical Path of Paracelsus |
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The Tincture of Philosophers |
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The Primal and Ultimate Matter |
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Paracelsus and Jacob Bohme |
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Chapter XIII Denys Zachaire and Others |
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188 | (14) |
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Bibliographical and textual Problems of Alchemical Literature |
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Memoirs of Denys Zachaire |
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His Studies at Bordeaux and Toulouse |
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His Book of Alchemical Processes |
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Law abandoned for Alchemy |
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Zachaire proceeds to Paris |
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A Summons from the King of Navarre |
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Recommendation of a Natural Philosopher |
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New Doubts and Difficulties |
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A discovery in Rosarium Magnum |
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Zachaire arranges his Future |
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Palingenius and his Zodiacus Vitœ |
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Its account of the Great Work |
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Palingenius as a Master of Alchemy |
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Johannes Aurelius Augurellus |
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Chapter XIV Famous English Philosophers |
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202 | (15) |
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The Collection of Ashmole |
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Views of Eirenæus Philalethes on this Adept |
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The Stone according to Ripley |
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A book on the Increase of Riches |
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The Medicine of Philosophy |
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Tales of other Alchemists |
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Charnock's Breviary of Philosophy |
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Chapter XV Alchemy and Exploitation |
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217 | (20) |
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An Aspiration of Edward Kelley |
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The Charges laid against him |
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Alleged refuge in Somerset |
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The Treasures secured by Kelley |
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His Introduction to Dr. Dee |
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Dee and Kelley proceed with this Prince to Poland |
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He receives counsels from Dee |
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The Pope banishes Dee and Kelley from Prague |
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Kelley "opens the Great Secret" to Dr. Dee |
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Stories of Kelley's Transmutations |
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Arthur Dee and Sir Thomas Browne |
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Critical Study of Kelley's Pretensions |
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Chapter XVI The New Light of Alchemy |
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237 | (16) |
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The New Light and the Open Entrance |
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A Wreck on the Scottish Coast |
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His Transmutation of Metals |
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He convinces Wolfgang Dienheim and Jacob Zwinger |
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Basle, Strasbourg and Cologne |
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Imprisonment and Sufferings of Seton |
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He inherits Seton's Powder |
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Marries the widow of Seton |
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Ennobled at the Court of Wurtemberg |
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Astonishes the King of Poland |
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Alleged exhaustion of the Powder |
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The Rosicrucian Brotherhood |
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Analysis of the New Light |
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Chapter XVII The Reformation and German Alchemy |
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253 | (12) |
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Reform of Paracelsus and Reform of Luther |
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Khunrath and Spiritual Alchemy |
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Amphitheatre of Eternal Wisdom |
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The Mystic Stone of Philosophers |
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The Stone which transmutes Metals |
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The Doctrine of Regeneration |
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The Stones confused together |
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Khunrath antecedent to Bohme |
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Other texts of the Period |
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The Water Stone of the Wise |
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The Heavenly and Earthly Stone |
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His Golden and Blessed Casket |
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The Great Work and the creation of the Greater World |
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The Stone and the Perfect Medicine |
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Suchten as a Precursor of Bohme |
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Chapter XVIII Thomas Vaughan |
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265 | (27) |
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The Rosy Cross in England |
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Its reflections in Eugenius Philalethes |
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Consideration of Lumen de Lumine as his chief text |
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His Spiritual or Divine Magic |
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Judgment on Lapis Chemicus |
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Work of Christ in the Soul |
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Vaughan's Supernatural Centre |
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Progression and Return of the Soul |
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The Ether and its Divine Virtue |
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Vaughan's interblending of Spiritual and Physical Things |
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His notions of the First Matter |
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Tincture of Physical Things and the Soul's Tincture |
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Vaughan as Mystical and also Hermetic Philosopher |
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His Secret of Art and Gift of God |
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A Letter from the Rosy Cross |
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Chapter XIX The Cosmopolite |
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292 | (15) |
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A recent proposal to identify him with George Starkey |
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Examination and rejection of this view |
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Testimony of Eirenæus concerning himself |
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His attainment of the Great Work |
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The Stone as a Gift of God |
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How it was vouchsafed to him |
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His dealings with other Adepts |
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His debt to other Writings |
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The works to which he confessed |
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The Story of George Starkey concerning Eirenæus and his alleged Pupil |
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Chapter XX John Frederick Helvetius |
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307 | (13) |
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Evidence of Transmutations by some who were not Adepts |
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Helvetius and his Golden Calf |
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His account of Elias the Artist |
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He receives a minute fragment of the mysterious Powder |
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Theory and Process of the Work |
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Elias promises to visit Helvetius for a third time |
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The Promise is not redeemed |
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Helvetius transmutes lead in his wife's presence |
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Tests applied to the gold thus produced |
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Impressions concerning the Artist |
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Other tales of Transmutation |
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His testimony to the fact of the Stone |
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Conclusion on the evidence of Helvetius |
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Chapter XXI An Alchemist of Mitylene |
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320 | (14) |
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He presents Powder of Projection to J. F. Botticher |
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Is honoured by the Elector of Saxony |
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Lascaris employs Pasch to save him |
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Later History of Botticher |
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Other persons enriched by the Powder of Lascaris |
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His own alleged Transmutations |
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Yet other Tales of Wonder |
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Richthausen and Busardier |
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Three centuries of the Physical Stone |
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Chapter XXII The Mystic Side of Alchemy |
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369 | (8) |
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The chaos of Religious Reform in Germany |
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The Four Stones of Elias Ashmole |
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Intimations of his Arcanum |
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Transmission of an Operative Secret |
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Possibility of an Occult School |
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Succession of historical Adepts |
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Later Records on the Spiritual Side |
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Harprecht and his Lucerna Salis |
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The Rosy Cross in the late Eighteenth Century |
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Testimonies from various Sources |
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The Old Birth and the New |
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Furthest Development of Spiritual Alchemy |
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Whether it connotes mental conceptions only or Inward Realisation |
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Spiritual Alchemy as a Way of Life |
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Summary of the Whole Subject |
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I Animal Magnetism in 1850 |
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334 | (35) |
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377 | (18) |
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III Recent Editions of the Suggestive Inquiry |
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395 | (3) |
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IV The Mutus Liber and Janitor Pansophus |
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398 | (11) |
| Index |
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409 | |
Rohkem infot Taylor & Francis e-raamatute kohta