Johann de Monte Raphaim frontispiece

[Adam McLean]

Hermes with a winged helmet and heels, holds a caduceus in his left hand and a key marked 'I close' in his right. 
Attached to his left arm is a key marked 'I open'. 
He stands upon a circle, around which is labelled the Animal, Vegetable, Mineral and Starry realms.
Inside the circumference is Materia Prima, Magnesia, Lapis and Chaos, and within this is a square with the four elements labelled each on one of the sides. 
Within this is a triangle with Agens, Patiens and Quinta Essentia; at the vertices are salt, sulphur and mercury, and its edges are labelled on the outside - separation, dissolution and depuration, and on the inside - soul, spirit and body.

From Johann de Monte Raphaim, (probably a pseudonym), Vorbothe der am philosophischen Himmel hervor-brechenden Morgen-Röthe. 
Hamburg: zu finden bey Samuel Heyl, 1716.


   

[Paul Ferguson]

Article here by Alexander Kraft about who might have been lurking behind the Monte Raphaim pseudonym. He fingers Jacob Rösser.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication...te_Raphaim

Only in German unfortunately.

[Adam McLean]

The figure of Mercury on the frontispiece to the Monte Raphaim would appear to have been inspired by the title page of :-


Hiebner, Israel, 1619-1668. Mysterium Sigillorum, Herbarum & Lapidum Oder Vollkom[m]ene Cur und Heilung aller Kranckheiten Schäden und Leibes- auch Gemüths-Beschwerungen durch unterschiedliche Mittel ohne Einnehmung der Artzney. - [Erfurt] : Birckner, 1651.