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LXXX–CI: Nourishment, Perfection and Fermentation · Grand Elixir · Aphorism LXXXII
Original English
LXXXII. Take great Care, that you do not begin your Imbibitions of your Earth, before you find it to be very well purify'd, clarify'd, dry'd, and brought to be very subtil, and extremely frangible: for it would be a great Detriment as well to your Work, as to your Mercury; and, althô it should not spoil your Work, yet it would be to you a great loss of Time.
Modern English
LXXXII. Take great care not to begin the imbibitions of your earth before you find it thoroughly purified, clarified, dried, made very fine and rendered extremely brittle. Otherwise you would greatly harm both your work and your mercury. Even if it did not spoil your work, it would cause you a great loss of time.
Socrates
Reading Aphorismi Urbigerani · LXXX–CI: Nourishment, Perfection and Fermentation · Grand Elixir · Aphorism LXXXII
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.
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