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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition

Baro Urbigerus

Aphorismi Urbigerani

The Complete 1690 Volume · With Circulatum Minus

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Aphorismi UrbigeraniXLIV–LXIII: Creation, Separation and the Third Way · Modern English

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Modern English Page · Branch 83 of 194

XLIV–LXIII: Creation, Separation and the Third Way · Modern English

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Original English

LXI. To examine aright, whether the Mercury simplex is rightly prepar'd, or come to its Perfection, one only Drop, put upon a red-hot Plate of Copper, must whiten it through and through, and must not part with it, althô brought into a great Fusion: Which, if you find, it does not, it will be a plain Demonstration, that either your Mercury is not well prepared, or that it has not yet done separating it self from its own Earth.

Modern English

LXI. To test properly whether simple mercury has been rightly prepared, or has reached its perfection, a single drop placed on a red-hot copper plate must whiten it through and through, and must not part from it even when brought into strong fusion. If you find that it does not do this, it will plainly demonstrate either that your mercury is not well prepared, or that it has not yet finished separating itself from its own earth.

About This Reading Edition

The complete 1690 Aphorismi Urbigerani: historical frontispiece and Latin inscriptions, title and licence, dedication, all 101 grand-elixir aphorisms, the complete Circulatum Minus with its title, address and 31 vegetable aphorisms, and the full explanatory postscript with both printed endings. Original and modern English readings, fresh Latin translations, 115 annotations and the complete supplied Diotimos study apparatus.

Historical Text and Translation

Baro Urbigerus, Aphorismi Urbigerani, London: Henry Faithorne, 1690; with Circulatum Minus Urbigeranum and the concluding postscript. The Getty Research Institute copy supplies the governing images; EEBO-TCP A25684 supplies the structured transcription witness, corrected against those images. The frontispiece signed W. F. is attributed in library catalogues to William Faithorne.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The historical text and engraving are public domain. The EEBO-TCP Phase 2 transcription is released under CC0; that waiver does not cover associated images. The engraving is credited to the Getty Research Institute copy digitised by Internet Archive. The supplied 2026 reading, translations and Diotimos editorial material are published with the site owner’s authorization.