London, Wellcome Institute MS. 4775. 123 pages. 330x205mm. 18th Century [c.1725] Thesaurus thesaurorum et secretum secretissimum. Illustrated with numerous symbolic water-colour drawings. +G+G+G+ In Nomine Domini Dei Omnipotentis totiusque Naturae Directoris. +++ Incipit Thesaurus thesaurorum, et Secretorum Secretissimum, in quo omnia mundi arcana latent, quodque Deus per ineffabilem suam misercordiam homini vili et abjecto, peccatorique maximo revelavit. [Figure 1. 'Menstrui Praeparatio'. Saturn with scythe, hour-glass and wooden peg leg, confronts a dragon with three heads, each breathing fire. The dragon whose body contains the symbols of the seven planets, stands outside the entrance to its cave. Above in the sky are the Sun and Moon. Below we see a furnace with alembic distilling, and below this again is a waterbath with the flask removed and lying on the ground. Figure 2. 'Acetum Solvens'. A man with a feathered hat shoots a falling arrow from his bow at a Lion. The blood runs from the Lion's wounded breast onto the ground from which grows a plant with three roses. Above we see a Flask with a red liquid and a lower layer of dark matter. Figure 3. A Seven pointed star is seen in the sky each point differently coloured. It sends down yellow rays of light upon a Flask with a cover round its neck sitting in a wooden bucket. Figure 4. Purificatio. Mercurius aquorum. On the left, Mercury in the form of a winged woman carrying a red caduceus steps into a wooden bath, while above her a cerub wind blows down upon her. On the right we see a furnace with a vessel of water boiling upon it emitting steam. Below is depicted some alchemical distillation apparatus, mounted on a furnace, paralleling the process of purification above. Figure 5. A three headed serpent (one white, another red and the other yellow) emerges on the bank of a lake. The yellow head is seen in the act of devouring a small winged dragon. Reference is made to a texts from Genesis chapter 1 'Producant aquae reptile animae viventis'. Below is seen a distillation apparatus with three flasks one with a white, another with a yellow and the third with a red liquid. Figure 6. A young man is in the act of whipping a naked woman rushing away to the left. On her head is the sign for venus, and in her hand she holds a flaming heart pierced with an arrow. The young man holds fast by the wrist another figure clothed with the sign for vitriol on (his or her head). Below we see a flask set on a furnace. It has a cover upon it with holes through which a steam or fume escapes. Beside it the flask is placed in a wooden bucket of water. Below we see an alembic and collecting vessel.]