British Library MS. Sloane 3729.

British Library MS. Sloane 3729.
Paper. Small quarto. 84 folios. 17th Century.
Bound with MS. Sloane 3732.
1. 'The Practicke', or second part of an alchemical treatise, by an author of the latter part of the 16th or of the 17th Century; written on alternate pages. ff.1-18.
Begins: 'And first the preparacion of the materiall of one selfe same roote with divers times.'
2. Tractatus de mineralium quorundam virtutibus chemicis. ff.3b-16b.
Begins: 'De argento vivo. Multifaria argenti vivi sund genera, Mercurius ex animali et vegetabeli fumus tantum est.'
Ends: 'Amasones solertia sua preliis incumbentes victores existebant. Externus celestis spiritus animas nostras recreet, et post terrenam veram illam effugiem et celestem ambulare viam valeamus. Amen'.
3. 'Physichymicall operations'; Alchemical processes illustrated by analogous operations of nature: in double columns. ff.17b-23b.
The first column begins: 'The Alchymistes in there severall operations and extractes drawne from planets and vegetables'.
The second column begins: 'The like preparation of all harder and more solide substances is performed by the teeth in mastification'.
4. 'Quersitan's Dafters letter'; an alchemical tract translated from the Latin. ff.19-26.
Begins: 'Although the things under the sunne being composed of the 4 elements be a principall ground of all those that treat of and travill in search of the secrit stone.' See another translation of this tract, infre art 8.
5. Alchemical processes, partly in cipher. ff.25b-30b.
6. Two practises of Multiplication: a portion of an alchemical tract. ff.28-32.
Begins: 'The first practise of Multiplication in two divers sortes (as God gave mee the grace), brought to a happy ishu. The which ferment or pouder I also augmented by two several digestiones or multiplications'.
7. 'George Ripley's bosome booke of the composition of the greate elixer: and first of the solution of the grosse body.' ff.32b-41b.
Begins: 'First take 30 lb of sericon, which will make 21 lb of gumme, if it is well dissolved'.
Ends: 'By this maner thou mayest convert all bodies into [Sun} obuson'.
8. 'A coppy of a letter': agreeing in substance with the tract described above [art. 4] underthe title of 'Querstan's Dafters letter'. ff.34-38.
9. 'The preparation and use of a universall menstruum, which is powerfull to extract the quintessence of all vegetables, animals, and mineralls; and to corrrect and prepare them into good and howlesome physicke'. f.39.
Begins: 'That philosopher Van Helmont maketh mention of the famous menstruum, ascribing to it most wonderfull effectes'.
10. A treatise of the composition of the Elixir Vitae. ff.42-75.
Begins: 'For to come to attaine such a medisine as cures or heales all sicknesses, and keepes all men in health'.
Ends: 'And you shall know that a vegetable stone can be made out of all things in the world; the same way that is taught before, for to cure all diseases, internall or externall'.
11. An Alchemical process out of Ripley. f.43b.
12. Tracatarus moderni de transmutatione metallorum in octo capitula partitus. ff.44b-63b.
Preface Begins: 'De jure artis, ejus cultoribus veroque arcanum exquirendi modo. Quando quidem omnes (cujuscunque ordinis generis et fortunae) homines aliquam sibi proponunt'.
Last chapter ends:'Tu interim vale, his finere; et a Deo benedictionem expectes: nam a Pater (sic) solo luminum hoc impetrabis. Sic feci. Sic dixi'.
13. 'Excerpta ex MSS. Americani Philosophi'. ff.64b-67b.
15. Alchemical processes. ff.75b-84.