New Light of Alchymie

London: Richard Cotes, for Thomas Williams, 1650. FRENCH, John. . A New Light of Alchymie. Taken out of the Fountaine of Nature, and Manuall Experience. To which is added a Treatise of Sulpher... Also Nine Books of the Nature of Things, Written by Paracelsus, vis... Also a Chymicall Dictionary explaining hard places and words met withall in the writings of Paracelsus, and other obscure Authors. All which are faithfully translated out of the Latin into the English tongue, By J.F. M.D. London: Richard Cotes, for Thomas Williams, 1650.

Full Description:

SENDIVOGIUS, Michael. FRENCH, John, [translator]. A New Light of Alchymie. Taken out of the Fountaine of Nature, and Manuall Experience. To which is added a Treatise of Sulpher... Also Nine Books of the Nature of Things, Written by Paracelsus, vis... Also a Chymicall Dictionary explaining hard places and words met withall in the writings of Paracelsus, and other obscure Authors. All which are faithfully translated out of the Latin into the English tongue, By J.F. M.D. London: Richard Cotes, for Thomas Williams, 1650.

First edition in English. The first edition in Latin was published in Prague, 1604. This English translation by John French is the first of any work by Sendivogius. Three works in one small quarto (7 x 5 1/2 inches; 180 x 140 mm). [16], 147, [1, blank], [3, contents], [1, blank]; [8], 104, 107-145, [1, blank]; [50] pp. A jump in pagination, but collates correct and complete. With general title, and separate title for "Nine Books" and Chymicall Dictionary". With engraved initials, head-and-tail-pieces.

Full contemporary calf, rebacked to style. Boards double-ruled in blind. Brown morocco spine label, lettered in gilt. All edges speckled red. Ink ownership inscriptions to pastedown and head of title. Lacking endpapers. General title trimmed close at bottom margin, affecting ruled-border. Small hole o leave 4C4, just touching a few letters. Boards a bit scuffed. Some general foxing and toning. A bookplate from the Fox Pointe Collection on inside of rear board. Overall very good.

One of the great works of alchemy, and highly influential on Sir Isaac Newton.

"Micha? S?dziwój, otherwise known as Michael Sendivogius, was a Polish alchemist and diplomat who lived a fascinating life in the 16th and 17th century. His groundbreaking alchemical works, which were much valued by the likes of Isaac Newton and Antoine Lavoisier, were milestones on the path to the discovery of oxygen...S?dziwój's most important alchemic conclusion was that air contains a "food of life", a substance that "gives life to everything", which is also contained by saltpeter (potassium nitrate). In his works, amongst others in Treatise on Salt which was written around 1598, one can find proof that S?dziwój knew that saltpetre, in certain conditions, releases this "food of life". This shows that the Pole was the first one to write about the existence of oxygen and also knew how to obtain this element (saltpetre, when heated appropriately, releases oxygen). In his alchemical system this element was called, amongst others, "the food of life" and "the Spirit of the World". Joseph Priestly and Antoine Lavoisier who are usually alternatively credited with discovering oxygen gas in the 1770s both were acquainted with S?dziwój's works. Also Isaac Newton, who was a collector and admirer of S?dziwój's books, was familiar with the Pole's ideas." (Marek K?pa)

"Isaac Newton actively experimented with alchemy over a span of some four decades, from his first serious engagement with the sciences in the mid-1660s up until the first decade of the eighteenth century when he became President of the Royal Society and was knighted. Throughout this period, Newton kept careful records of his alchemical experiments and copied numerous books and manuscripts on the subject... He was heavily influenced by such popular alchemical authors as the Polish courtier and mining expert Michael Sendivogius." (Newton's Alchemical Sublimations- William R. Newman).

ESTC R203736.

HBS 69440.

$5,000.