Alembic, cucurbit, retort, and pelican

Meaning

These are a repertoire of instruments named in criticism, not an inventory of equipment the reader is instructed to assemble. Nature's opening rebuke lists the learned names of alembics, cucurbits, distilling apparatus, and pelicans among the worker's unsuccessful attempts to congeal ordinary quicksilver. The Way of Truth separately asks what alembic heads, cucurbits, retorts, circulating glasses, or subliming glasses can be found in the earth's veins. Its question makes natural metal-formation a test of unnecessary artificial complexity. A pelican here belongs to the vessel list; nothing in this occurrence licenses substituting a bird allegory. The German and Latin instrument names form a related apparatus vocabulary without being interchangeable names for one vessel.