Section 39

Argument of which Boo\e gcorgim Riplatm Canonicus Anglus doRijjimm ( mirandui in quo nihil falfi & fupervacui ad metallorum omnium proprictates,^ Mturas majiifeftandtiSt is thus Ingenioufly acknowledged. He further affuresus chat his Worses are worthy to keep pace with the beft Thilofophers f$ and knowes that Policie in Vrinting is fureft,and takes well with the Iudicious, to begin with a good lVorhKe, and end with the beft ; to which place he refers ou Ripley. But 1 muft needs tell the Reader that in pag. $38. and fo to the end, he is by miftake called Triplanm inftead of Riplaus. There are other the like notorious faults which the Printer (moft likely) is guilty of, as giving Ifaac Holland the name of Ir facta. Cornelius Vrebble he prints Tornelius, (and fometimes Fornclm) ^Prcbellianm 5 and beli des thefe, further caufes of Ex- ception to other parts of the Worfy (too many to be mentioned here) amongtt the reft where Faberhycs they were all rendred intoL that this peece otRipley's, which he there calls Triplanm de lapide Pbilofopborum (hut is indeed an Ephomy of thefe 1 1. Gates) was by one Nicholas ^Barnard a jPbilofopber Translated out of Vutcb into Latin, intimating withall that it was Originally written in the Germain Tongue 5 which is very falfe, injurious to our Author , and dlihonourable to ova Ration. Thus much for the Wor\e, and now to fay fomething touching our Author. Philemon Holland in his Tranflation of Cambden's Brinnia Printed 16 $6.
is
(4*7)
is pleafed to take the liberty to tell us that the place of his Nativity was (m) w)fol.2£5\ Ripley ,% Village in the County of Surrey, and calls him a Ringleader cfour Alcbimids, and a myfticali Impojior. This Imputation otMjQicall Impoflor fmells more of Envious difli^e then faithfull Account, and therefore I'le pafleit by. But as to the place of his Birth, 2 am induced to believe it to be about Tor kflrire, (not that he was a Foundling at Ripley in that County ,or of fo obfeure Ptfrf Hf/j that the name of the place of his Nativity muft be im- posed upon bimin defed of abetter) No certainly, his Name, Relation, and Xjndred difcover him to be the Sonne of a Gentleman; and though I cannot exhibite his Vedigree, yet it appeares in fome ancient Manufcript Copies oi his (n) Medulla (which I have kene) that his Relation of Jtfndred lay in the njttnwrrfi the Northern* pant, where (he faich) cc Yorkshire and Lincolnftiire,as Tevarfall, Ripley, Medlay3lViUougbbie3Burbam, fC Waterton, F 'lemming and Talboyes, who (as he there complaines to the Arch- . cf Sword of Edward the fourth, (God fo permitting,/ lamentably deftroyed. *Tisalfo considerable that his Ecckfiafticall ^Promotion hapned to be at 'Brid- lington, a (o) Tome in the Eaft Riding of Torkjhire. ojCamb.'Brit.
p; 9cce»ting to mp $r ofrffta it, piinfte hk
3 n 4D jter C^anon IS egnlat of 015 r i&Ungton« „t G^/#
And probably fuch his B/2iiW*weK*,might be procured rather in that Co#»- try where his J^indred and Friends lived , and himfelt that Country-man, then if he had been a Stranger.
I determine not whether Holland has done the learnedyte'^ry or profound Thilofopber the greater Iw/Kry, in what heputsdowne concerning *he place of his Birth $ for I muft let the world know, 'tis not to be found in.the Origiuall Latin which #imMeMpublimede/&W0 1607. nor can I learne that there was any other Tmprefjion, to the time of Tranjlation, nor in probability could there be when Holland (q) fell to worke immediately upon the coming out of the q)PoftcripUo faid Imprefion in 1 607. and fet forth his Translation within foure Yeares. samb.Briu '
So that I cannot but wonder at the Boldnefle of this Tranjlator, not onely in adding many things of his owne fcore, but for abufing fo learned a Vbilofophet with the Tearm Jif CMyfticall Impoflor, and putting it upon the Account of an Author, who (hould he thus vilifie one of fo cleere a Reputation, ingenious Scbollars might have juft caufe to queftionthe Candidnejjc efhis Pes in other things. But this kind of liberty I flnde Holland hath taken in other parts of that worthy wrl(e, The effects whereof, hath rendred Banbury (amongfto- thers) much beholding to him for an eminent Flout : For, where Cambdett fames it for (t) Checfe onely, he addes Ca\es and Zcale : Neither of which are i)Nunc confici* to be found in the Originall, though doubtlefle both in the Tewie, and iotcndoCafeono- better purpofe then to be boafted of. tifjimim 10.266
But to leave this Vigrefion & returne toRiplcy. Pitts tells us, cc He was a Man s) Pitts de illu- " of a «^Jw/V£,&(more then can be expreffed) curious Wit^nd that Totamfere ftr.tAxg.Scrip* ct fua atate inpe,(crutandis reru Natwaliu occultist? abBrufis Cmfis G? effeftibu* pag.^77. et confumpfit 5 He wafted almoft his whole Life in fearching out the occult and cc abftrufe Caufes and Effects' otNaturall things. And that he might more
Ooo "copi-
(4-58)
u copioufly and plentifully ftudy Pbilofcpby&nd accomplifli what he Conceived " his mind, he boldly travailed through France, Germany, and Italy, where he r a
t) Bate Cent.*, uland faith truly, that he (t) laid the foundation of bis Studies in Italy,
°'6xu . r for there indeed he had the blefing firft to fee Projection*
u) Cantakna O. ^ ln jL0mnfr pnibm nuptiU Mercurii,
Rtpley tAccidit poft ftudium fcmel quod inter jui.
n)Pitts p. 677 »jjs furEher teftified,that He alwayes either fw) Writ, or Learnt, or ttfl/gfo
fomething ; He was perfectly learned mall the liberall Arts, and well red in all
\ni f A i manner °^ TPbilofopbj/i a moil famous Mathematician , a Rhetoritun
x) ™f'^ and Po#, (x) per mot *mjwi , woa vulgaris effeftus. Combachim ftyles
yj Z?*J; " him (yj Author procul dubio dignus, qui ab Amatoribus Chemia fedulo evolvatw*
CKip.fe cm jn j-€rmne apertrnfit, rotundas &> planus, nee ullis fpinfs aliorum more obfim :
A worthy Author without exception, who is diligently ftudyed by the lovers otCbimeftry, forafmuch as he is open, well tompaft, and plaine of deli very ,and not , wrapt m any Thornes, after the cuftome of others. Habet infuper (faith the fame Author) cum LuliifcriptU maguam affinitatem, ut units alterum explicct,&c. Betides, he hath great Affinity with the Writings of Lully, infomuch that the one explaineth the other*
Amongft other parts, abroad, he vifited the IJle of Rhodes, and refided there for fome time with the Kjiights of the Order of Saint lobnof lerufalem. An Ac- quaintance of mine hath in his custody certaine private Observations ofanE»- glifh Gentleman of good quality and credit, who in his Travells abroade, Ob- ferves (amongft other things,/ that in the Ijle of (Malta he faw a Record, which declares that this Sir (jeorge Ripley gave yearely to thofe flights of Khodes ioooool. towards maintaining the war (then on foot) againft the Turfy.
But at length, that !he might bid his farewell to the World, and wholly comecrate himfelfe to God, and betake him to his private Studies, upon his
%) Bale CentS* (fc) -recur ne inco England he obtained an Indulgence of Pope Innocent the eighth '> that for the future he might be
a) Tiuoper. a)
and alwaies difcharged and freed from the burthen of the Ceremonies and
Obfewwcy of his Ordery 6ut in regard the Cbanons admit % fuch things, be
_ became z(b)Cam elite in the Mmaftery of Saint2«ro^,which (faith Leknd)is a
^n?'/* famot,s {c)MartTowne nigh the Banks of the River Lindus: This River I
A\r hi ?*' take t0 be the River Withm in Limoln)bire (anciently called ( d) Lindis) which
djCamb.Briu paf|jng {rom tincoln, runs towards the maine Sea by Lofton, more truly called
f0*^ . • fey 'Bwolpbs Towne, (for it carried that name from Butolph, a moft holy and
g)l0W.io.?$x. devote Saxon:) Andityv&obkzveCambdens Map of Lmolnjhire, you fhall fee
St* Butolph ftands neere to Bo/fa*. So that in alllikelyhood this was theplace of
Ripley's Retirement, where he continued an Anchorite until! his Death, and was
there Buried Anno 1490,
The probability whereof,may be further confirmed from hisMcdulla,whetc it
f) See the latter appeares he had tben(f) a-great defire to return into England, and to that end
end ofthat therein became a Suter to the Archbishop 0/70%,. that by his meanes he might
works* ©btaine an abiding place in fome Religious houfe, within his Vioces.. Which*
Arcfci
(4-5?)
Arcbbifbop pre fently after dying, he could not performs, but not unlike Ripley having ftili an ear n& longing thereto, (becaufe k was his native Country,) might without doubt otherwife efteft.
And whereas Bale faith he obteined Pope Innocents Indulgence upon hit returne into England ^nd thereupon became a CarmelitejAn.i+BS . It is mani- feft from the aforetaid Mei»lU> that at the writeing thereof, which was io 1476. fatleaft 11. yeares before the time Bale makes him to enter into thac Order) he had this *DiJpenfation3 for fo he tells the Arcbbijbop : And if fo, then it muft be either (g) Sixtns the fouith,or?*»/ the fecondfhis PredecefforJ that %) *[*&• Cbron.
maft grant it unto him.
fo.3*&
He wrote divers Bootes worthy of peftafing, but amongft thofe which Bate RegifterSjI mall onely culi out thefe, vi%.
1. Compendium Jlcbimia, feu Qafal-
lum Vuodecim Pomrum. 1. Ccncordantias Guidonk (p Raymun-
di.
3. Secret* Pbilofophorum.
4. Alcumiftarum Mifteria.
1. Artcm brevem vel Clangorem,
6. Praftkam Ceremonialem,
7. VictAtao/Egru
8. 2)e GHagia Hamrali.
?, Ve Upide Pbiiofipbico, ktini Tract* turn rythimicunt.
All which THittt recites, and to them adds the following worses*
13. Experiment* Vbilofipbiea. 14. T>e rerum temperature
1 Ok Medullam Thihfopbfe.
11. Pupillam Alcbimia.
12. Terr am Terr arum.
What followes Ludov: Qombacbius has lately printed, and added to * fome of the aforementioned Veeces*
1 $,Ve Mercurio & lapidePbilofopboru,
16. Vbilorcium Alcbimiftarum.
17. ClavU AuraVortce.
1 8. Viaticum feu Varia Atactica.
19. Accumtiones & practice Raymun*
dince. io. Qanulena.
And laSly take into the Number the fmali Veeces publifhed in this Tbeatrum. vi% His
1 1 . ltp//f le to Edvt,tbcfourtb$ag. 1 09 ix« tfrjfon.pag. 374. *l.Vtrfabel Scrowle—— £iaS-37*.
14. Pre/dfe (0 fcfc Medulla, 380. 2?. ytf ./for* nwfcc fuppofed to be bits Pag-3^J.
Pag. 1 7 7.1in.ult. % £luf wteffence tljfe mater S»e call, 3!n#an,txM&t)ri|Ktij 2Mffcafe0aii.
PUjpk is a rf«//»e StoVwe, even Gods Tbeclogie ; for the Almighty wrote his Scriptnre in that language, before he made Adam to reade it.. The Ten Fa* tbers before the Flood, and thofe that followed, together with Mofer and Silo* rawijwere the great Pbyfitimsin former ^ge/, who bequeathed their heavenly
Ooo
knowledges
C^o)
knowledges offfcttwwKhelpes tothofe they judged as well worthy in honefty and induftry, as capable thereof: and from their piercing 'Beamet all Nations enlightned their Tapers. Abraham brought it out of Cbaldea, and bellowed much thereof upon Egypt3znd tbencea refulgent Beame glanced into Qreece. The Cc'dcfy and &£fculapian Family , &c. God greatly incouraged to ferve that tAge. Vemocritm and Hypocrates fupportedRK/Tw^s Man\i?ide3 with their Tbifi- call adminiftrations, and Schollers {ucceflively fupplyed their places for at leaft 40O.yeares> untill Gakn undertooke by his ftrong Abilities and incefTant Paines to vivifie the then dying Genius of Fbific\: which hath fince moft no- bly becne Augmented, by the ftupendious paines of Arabians and Euro-
And in the Trogrcfie this Science has made into feverall parts of the World3 we may finde, that God hath evermore been pleas' d to call upon the ffage thereof in fundry Ages, fome choyce and eminent Men3 whom (6y the Illumination of his blejfed Spirit) he hath furnifhed with ability to reade the 0araSfers of his bleifed will, writ in that ample and facred Volume of the Cre- ation, and the feverall Pages of individuall Matures. And further, to teftifie his care of his Creatures? hath alfo given them "Balme in their hands to ftoppe the over-fpreading.contagioufneffe of bainefull Z)ifeafes. But to contract the Rayes of my ProfpeSive to our ovtnebomes, the Pbifitians Colledge of London doth at this day nourifh moft noble and able Sons of Arts no way wanting in the choyceft of Learning 5 And though we doe not, yet the World abroad has taken notice of fundry learned Felloxves of that Socictie, as Linacres3 Gilbert, Ridley, Dec, Flood, &c. and at prefent Vo&or Harvey 3 who deferves for his ma- ny and eminent Pifcoverie^ to have a Statue erected rather of Gold then 0$ Marble.
Neverthelefie, it has beene obfei ved in other parts that we Englijh will Coc- ner abufe and detract from the worth of any of our owne Nation (though ne- ver fo well deferving) then render them what they juftly merit by a worthy Applaufe: And rathercry up a Frie of Illiterate ^uac^sflov every Galen hath his Plague, [a mounting ignorant Tbeffalus'] that cheatethe poore and fimple of their Money, and (I wilh they #did not) often in Conclufion murder theie h)Ecclef$8. over-credulous Patients 3 ) then give the learned Vb'ifitian the due (b) Honour God has appointed us to pay him.
Now as God hath formerly died moft eminent Beames of the firft light up- on a few particular (Men (as it were to gratifle the deferving Labourers at all times of his day^So I am confident there are yet moft noble feeds of that light of Nature appointed to fpring up for the Benefit of Vofterity* The Gloty whereof we fee hath (hin'd in other Horizons , (hortly it will draw-neereto ours ; and that which wkhincenant7ty/e cannot yet be 7)ifcovered3 (hail in thofe dayes be freely Revealed to fome that iittle dreame of it. I am more then Con- MtntSucceflion will meete with many advantages and belpes, which this cor- rupt and ingratefull Age deferves nots-nor (hall have j becaufe we deride, what Vefterity will adore with a lafting admiration: The Cirmt of that great and S&btiatbicaU Conjunction of the two Superiour Vlanets which- began An. 160$. in the Fiery Triplicity ,will lUuftme, Enlarge, and Refine Arts like the tryed Cfold, U (hall produce more pregnant and famous Vhilofopbers by Fire3 (I meane fuch as isEtfarM) then yet the world ere fa w y and fo purifiefome
inge-
C4*0
ingenious Inqutfttors, as to make tbem fit MettaU for tAngeUs to Project on. This Fiery Trigon rtiall not pafTe, before that god maktmanifejt what he com- manded former Ages to keepe Secret , Where old Hermes his &£tbtriall 'Phi- pcfi (vil- *his ^nuintefTentiall Crater which R/pty here fpeakesof, and which is
(i)jgwc& a$ atmciettt$2>l)t(fc&tatig^t, i) Sir E.^. to
g 5".
mail be Reftoiei $ whofe />cr/ MoiSure and Vrimfie are able not onely to Nourifh, Fortifie, and Encreafe the Fitall Spirits, but Z>/ge/f, Corrctf zndConfumc all Impediments and Corruptions , thofe hurtfull and Impure Stoifo which crept in with the C«r/e, (and joyning themfelves with the Good,) have ever fince ('like a growing Tydt) encroached fo far upon the Body of Man, till he is almoft overwhelmed and ready to Pcnfi.
But it is to be acknowledged that thofe Cbemifls defjprve a confiderablc mate of HoK0Ki%who,for want of thiso/£ tberiaU and Univerfall Medicine (which Gc^hath hitheno granted to few) iealoufly apply themfelves to finde out a Particular one, (that (edulout Indufiry may afford to more ) andtoraife up a Body oWbifick) from thofe (ft) Three Vrithiples which are to be found in every ]ABoft.Pbif Body, becaute compounded of them 5 (though ftrongly lockt up) namely Sal, ciPtlm ' Sulphury and Mercury: (to which DtQave of late adds two more, vi%. Earth znAPhleagme) and fo comfortably relieve decaying Mortality, and heale J) if" e fifes by the meanes they are Cured.
In the painefull andcurious/fowib of which Experiments, where there is more of Nature .that ftill lyes hid, (yea (he is as Infinite in her productions, as the M/nieof Mas can be Unfatiable,\n the fearch) lee the farisfa&ion the Ingenious Artift findes in one Truth, leade him cheerfully on to make Inquifition after a further, perhaps the Even* of his Labours may difcover a "Perfection iu the \ww- ledgeht hunts after, and Providence may be as kinde to fo diligent an Inquifitor, as "Nature is to the >tf«f, who beftows Wings on her in her declining Age, as a reward for her former Labours.
And albeit I magnifie Cbemicall Tbiftqm, yet I do not leffen the due com- mendations that belong to galtnicaU : nor dare I, when fo great an Hermetic^ Pbilofopber as Amoldta de villa Nova has taken fo much paines to Joyne them together. And befides him, it has been the worke of Maierus, Faber, and many other conJciencious Pbilofephers ,to reconcile them. Who laying afide (indeede abhorring) all thought of Faction, conceive nothing to come neerer theVivi- nity of Nature,ov be any way more gratefull to God and Goodmen,thtn to help the Afflicted, and relieve the Sick ', nor greater Charity then to beftow health, and fupport dejefted Nature* Nor is Galenicall Phifiefih^rd to come by, it being at all timts eafy to be met with, the Superficies of the Earth never deny- ing us fome thing or other for {Medicine, and they, Milde, Gentle, and Safe for weake and tender N««rej.Moreover,it is obferved by Nclliut and others, that where God ftrikes with any Vifiafe, in thofe parts he alfo fends forth ^Plant that he endowes with vertue to cure it. And truly I cannot but admire h thofe fnarling humours, who make it their Tai\e to difparage w hat they affed not, . fnay oftentimes what is beyond their owne worth) and rent thofe noble
O003 parts
C^6i.)
17*
parts of Art afunder, which Nature has conjoyned in an harmonious Agree- * mcnt,a.nd whofe wide breaches, honeft hearted ftfilofophers endeavour to make
up by a friendly Reconciliation, it being not to be denyed, but that each hath their peculiar Eminencies for which they deferve both Pmife & Honour* For my owne part, I am none of the Vetraffors from Learning, but beare an Qntverfall affection to Arts, and am in freindfhip with each of their particular 'Branches j Nay even in thofe I underftand not, for I am perfwaded by the fatisfa&ion I have received in things which before time I knew not, that there may be fomething deferving of my faire Opinion , in what I am yet to know. l)B*tt.&fv.pag. It has proved a great (l)Errour in fome Trd#«/0RffJ'iWhof tumbling up and downe their owne Speculations) feeke out for Truth in the Little world, and withdrawing themfelves too much from the Contemplation of Experiment all Naturall Obfevations ^neglect to looke for it in the greate and common World: When certainly fuch may far fooner arrive at that Truth they feekefor in Man, if they would but obferve the Beginnings, Change, declination, and death of all things, in and upon this inferiour Ghbe, and compare their vermes with our owne ituernall Natures for they are certainly (rn) united by a Noble,excel- lenr,and fecret^Harmony and Relation.