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Elements:
  • 🜁 1f701
  • 🜂 1f702
  • 🜄 1f704
  • 🜃 1f703

Solvents:
  • e035
  • 🜅 1f705
  • e00d
  • e05a
  • 🜆 1f706
  • 🜇 1f707
  • e036
  • 🜈 1f708
  • 🜋 1f70b
  • 🜌 1f70c

Mercury:
  • 263f
  • e042
  • e043
  • e044
  • e045
  • 🜐 1f710
  • e055
  • e00f
  • e041
  • 🜑 1f711

Sulfur:
  • 🜍 1f70d
  • e056
  • e00e

Salt:
  • 🜔 1f714
  • 🜭 1f72d
  • 🜦 1f726
  • e040
  • 🜮 1f72e
  • e016
  • 🜧 1f727
  • e012

Vitriol and niter:
  • 🜖 1f716
  • 🜗 1f717
  • e05c
  • 🜕 1f715
  • e03a
  • e047
  • e046
  • e053

Sal ammoniac:
  • 🜹 1f739
  • 26b9
  • e05e
  • e04b
  • e04c
  • e04a
  • e04e
  • e04d

Gold / Sun:
  • 2609
  • e03e
  • e03d

Silver / Moon:
  • 263d
  • 263e
  • e051
  • e052
  • e050
  • e044

Iron / Mars:
  • 2642
  • 🜜 1f71c
  • 🜝 1f71d
  • e010
  • 🜡 1f721
  • 🜟 1f71f

Copper / Venus:
  • 2640
  • 🜥 1f725
  • e038
  • 🜠 1f720
  • e011
  • 🜢 1f722
  • 🜡 1f721
  • e017
  • 🜧 1f727
  • e012
  • 2647

Tin / Jupiter:
  • 2643
  • e059
  • 🜩 1f729
  • e013

Lead / Saturn:
  • 2644
  • e009
  • e03f
  • 🜪 1f72a
  • e014
  • e04f

Antimony and regulus:
  • 2641
  • 🜫 1f72b
  • 🜭 1f72d
  • 🜦 1f726
  • 🜥 1f725
  • 🜰 1f730
  • 🜳 1f733
  • 🜵 1f735
  • 🜴 1f734
  • 🜟 1f71f
  • 🜱 1f731
  • e015
  • 🜬 1f72c
  • 🜯 1f72f

Other substances:
  • e01e
  • e034
  • 2646
  • e018
  • 🜾 1f73e
  • 🝏 1f74f
  • 🝐 1f750
  • e037
  • 🝎 1f74e
  • e03b
  • e03c
  • e033
  • e022
  • 🝆 1f746
  • e061
  • e048
  • e029

  • e054
  • 🜿 1f73f
  • e057
  • e05f
  • e060
  • e058
  • 🝑 1f751
  • 🝒 1f752
  • 🝈 1f748
  • e019
  • 🝕 1f755
  • e05b

Apparatus / processes:
  • 🝫 1f76b
  • e05d
  • 🜊 1f70a
  • e039
  • e01c
  • 🝞 1f75e
  • 🝧 1f767
  • e01d

Astrology:
  • 2648
  • 2652
  • 264b
  • 2651
  • e00b
  • 🜨 1f728
  • 264a
  • e00a
  • 264c
  • 264e
  • 2653
  • e049
  • e00c
  • 2650
  • 264f

  • 2649
  • e01f
  • 264d
  • 🝰 1f770
  • 2645

Measures and weights:
  • e002
  • e004
  • ʒ 0292
  • 🝳 1f773
  • e02b
  • e003
  • 2125
  • e001
  • e005
  • 2114
  • 2108
  • 211e

Paleography:
  • e100
  • e11b
  • e200
  • e101
  • e102
  • e201
  • e103
  • e104
  • e105
  • e106
  • e122
  • e107
  • e108
  • e109
  • e10a
  • e10b
  • e10c
  • e10d
  • e202
  • e204

  • e023
  • e203
  • e025
  • e10e
  • e020
  • e205
  • e206
  • e207
  • e10f
  • e11a
  • e127
  • e120

  • e110
  • e121
  • e123
  • e111
  • e124
  • e112
  • e113
  • e125
  • e114
  • e126
  • e115
  • e116
  • e117
  • e118
  • e119
  • e11e

Editorial marks:
  • 26b9
  • e031
  • 2041
  • e026
  • e027
  • e02c
  • e006
  • e02d
  • e021
  • e02a
  • e028
  • 229e
  • e02f
  • e030
  • e02e
  • 261e
  • 🝮 1f76e
  • 25a1
  • e032

Keynes MS. 53, King's College Library, Cambridge University

Author: Newton, Isaac
Title: Of ye first Gate
Contents: A compilation of abbreviated alchemical extracts taken from a variety of sources, sometimes with brief commentary.
Physical Description: 
Keynes MS. 53 consists of two full-sheets. The first is folded and slit like CU add. 3973. The second is folded but not slit.
The handwriting of this MS. is not nearly as small as that of Keynes 51 and 52. 1r, which is similar in size to the folios of those MSS., has only 32 lines. In fact, this is similar to the Sheet 3 inserted in Keynes 52 (which has 38 lines).
Measurements
  • Sheet 1: 392 x 300 mm (vertical x horizontal).
  • Sheet 2: 380 x 301 mm.
Watermarks
  • Sheet 1: Crowned fleur-de-lis within a shield. The inside of the crown is not visible. The fleur-de-lis is inserted into a single band towards its bottom and extends out below, forming an upside-down and smaller image of the flower. There is no countermark or attendent mark.
  • Sheet 2: Same as Sheet 1 but much clearer.

Languages: English, Latin, Greek

Custodial History:  From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by Heffers for £12.10s.; Keynes expressed an interest on 12 August 1936 and presumably went on to buy it.

Physical Location: Keynes MS. 53, King's College Library Cambridge University Cambridge , England, United Kingdom

Electronic Publication: Keynes MS. 53.  Published 2006, Indiana University Bloomington, IN.

General Editor: William R. Newman
Transcription Editor: Lawrence Principe
Transcriber/Encoder: John A. Johnson

Preferred Citation: 
Newton, Isaac. "Keynes MS. 53". The Chymistry of Isaac Newton. Ed. William R. Newman 2006. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from: http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/newton/ALCH00042.
10    Of ye first gate                                         1
Duc nigras pecudes ea prima piacula sunto.
ffirst calcine & after yt putrefy, dissolve destill sublime de
scend & fix wth aqua vitæ oft times. Ripl. Epist.
We have 3 mercuries wch Raymond calls his 263fies menstrues
two of wch are superficial ye 3d essential to sun & moon
Wth ye first we naturally calcine bodies perfect bodies, but not
caret insertion pointany uncleane ones except ye green Lyon, who is ye mean of
joyning tinctures between ye 2609 & 263d of joyning tinctures. With
ye 2d, wch is a vegetable humidity reviving wt was dead ye
material & formal principles most be losed. Wth ye 3d
wch is a permanent incombustible unctuous humidity, or fire
natural, Hermes tree is burnt to ashes. Ripl. Epist Pref.
Solution (wch is ye 2d Gate) intenuates thick things by ver
tue of ye first menstrue clear & bright in wch or bodies
eclypsed be to sight (viz in ye black pouder) & from their
hard & dry compaction form relent into their first matter
Ripley <illeg.> Gate 2.
The stone congeled caret insertion point& not yet cold is nourished wth its own menstrual
wch water caret insertion pointonly [our 1st fire] did bring out of ye earth [our matter] whose colour is green
in ye first showing [during ye digestion to caret insertion pointye 1st putrefaction] & for
that time ye Sun is eclipsed & darkned taking his course by
night through ye north. This menstrue [brought out of or
earth caret insertion pointby the water] is ye blood of ye green Lyon & not of Vitriol, as dame
Venus caret insertion point[that water] can tell you if you ask her in ye beginning of ye
work. ffor this secret is hid by all Philosophers. Ripl. Gate
6 pag 167
Our Vulcan lunatie123 or ye watery fire (chiefly described
by Artephius & Pontanus) is of ye same nature wch or matter
& both must be prepared by the Artist. The sages are very
reserved about both. The property of this fire is to calcine
[by a putrefaction of 40 days caret insertion pointin ye first Gate & afterwards to] dissolve &
sublime ye stone [in ye 2d.] Tis ye only fire in ye world
that can do this. Tis of ye nature of calx & no wise
a stranger to ye subject of Philosophy. Consider how
Geber teaches ye sublimations of this art. ffor my part
I can say no more then Sidera Veneris et cornicula
tæ Dianæ tibi propitia sunto. Le Triomphe p caret insertion point42 43, 44
Happy is he yt doth not only know ye stone but
also how to convert it into water. This is ye chief secret
& Key of ye art, & cannot be otherwise done then by
or secret fire wch calcines, dissolves & sublimes ye stone.
ib. p. 61.
The heaven & stars & particularly ye sun & moon
are ye principle of this fountain of or living water. ffor
saith Cosmopolite ye water was useless unles drawn out
of ye rays of ye sun or of ye moon ib p 87, 88
To <illeg.>
Despaire not. seeke ye source of ye liquor of ye sages
wch conteins all yt is requisite for ye work. 'Tis hidden
under a stone. Strike upon it wth ye rod of ye magical
fire, & then will come out of it a clear fountain.
Afterwards prepare ye kings bath wth ye blood of ye inno
cents & <illeg.> (wch is ye 1f70d🜍s of                             )
& you shall have ye mercury of ye sages animated, that is ye
grand Lunary, or incombustible oyle wch congeles in cold like
ice & melts in heat like butter, wch is Trevisans clear
fountain & ye great Alkahest ib. p. 144, 145.
The purification of metalls is done by many opera
tions. ffirst ye culinary fire separate ye heterogeneities
Then ye secret fire produces ye same effect but more
efficaciously by introducing a fiery spirit into ye matter wch
opens
2
inwardly ye secret gate wch sublitises & sublimes the pure
parts separating them from ye terrestrial & adust parts.
The solution wch follows by the addition of ye astral quin
tessence wch animates ye stone makes in it a third
depuration & the destillation completes it. To these caret insertion pointseveral degres
of purgations philosophers give the many names of as many
operations & of ye conversion of ye elements. ib p. 109
After I knew ye true matter I studied five years
before I could extract out of ye stone its pretious juice
by reason I knew not ye fire secret fire of ye sages
a water wch wets wch makes to flow out of this
Plant wch is dry in appearance, a water wch wets
not ye hands & wch by ye magical union of ye dry
water of ye sea of ye sages resolves it self into a
viscous water, a dry li mercurial liquor wch is ye
principle the foundation & ye Key of or art. ib p. 150
After I had this fire I erred several years be-
fore I could arrive at ye misterious fountain where
the King baths & renues himself [yt is at ye 3d men
strue made by conversions of Elements] ib. p. 151.
We first triturate ye stone; then separate by ye
secret fire the feces & terrestrial heterogeneities, then
sublime, then dissolve it wth ye [saturnal] water of ye sea of
the sages, then coct it to make it a perfect medi-
cine ib p 46.
The work beginns wth two Parabolic Rivers mixing
secretly in ye triangular stone & then ye secret fire
burns ye matter to separate ye feces. ib in Emblem.
caret insertion pointIntroitus apertus cap 2 saith The work begins wth thre things the fire, the liquor
of ye vegetable saturnia & ye caret insertion pointvenereal bond of 263f described in ye 3
next chapters under ye names of ye Chalybs ye magnes
& ye caret insertion point<illeg.> Chaos of ye sophi, wch caret insertion pointChaos is composed of heaven & earth
& ye things therein, & is there called a volatile air.
This <illeg.> chaos he tells you is composed of ye fire <illeg.> fiery
Dragon & juice of Saturnia (that is of ye fire & liquor
of ye vegetable saturnia) & ye f<illeg.> & flows in ye fire
like a melted metal, & yet is volatile, & yt in respect
of its various states tis called or Arsenick (or Orpiment)
our Air, or 263d our magnet or Chalybs. And in ye next
words teaches ye further preparat how to caret insertion pointperfect & proceed on
wth this Chaos: Learn saith he who ye companions of
cadmus are caret insertion point[ye infants of Abraham ye Iew] & wt yt serpent is wch devoured themcaret insertion point[ye King wth a great sword] &
what ye hollow oak is to wch Cadmus fastned ye serpent
unto. Learn wch Dianas Doves are wch do vanquish
ye Green Lyon by aswaging him, [that is, learn to sublime
this oak by ye central salt of Venus, (as he elswhere
expresses it) to infold Diana in ye arms of Venus, by
wch means ye activity & dissolving faculty of ye salt is
asswaged.] And then learn to turn these Doves into ye
Caducean rod of 263f wth wch he worketh wonders & what ye
nymphs are vizt two serpents about his rod &c wch
he infects by incantation, & calcines into a black powder caret insertion pointFor wthout this golden rod upon wch ye two doves sit, there is no going down to hell.
The hollow oak ye rose tree & ye white caret insertion pointheavy water, in ye 3d Embl. of Abraham ye Iew, compose this rod. Thus
also, as saith Mary, fumus complectitur fumum et herba alba crescens super monticulis capit utrume123. Maier. symb. l. 2.
&c. Thus do
This rod as was said is ye fire of ye Sophi called above
ye bond of 263f. Vnless you had rather there understand by
that bond, the mountain of 2640 & 263f without yecaret insertion pointother two principles of ye fire & ye liquor of saturnia fire. This
rod is also Philaletha's waterbearer <illeg.> who was all one wth
his water & <illeg.> his silver-coloured pitcher; in wch pitcher
was conteined fire shining like a lamp from ye center on ye starry
surface. ffor ye water saith ye Cosmopolite is extracted
out of ye rays of ye Sun & Moon. This rod was anciently
painted thus caduceus with wings with wings (whence this figure 263f) & therefore
tis
3
volatile caret insertion pointMaier Embl. 10.. e02aThe two serpents saith Flamel are the two
Dragons wch in ye whole work devour each other ye
one male wthout wings ye other female & winged &
therefore they are ye Chalybs & Magnet prepared.
They are the king & Queen wth wch Philo together
wth ye waterbearer Philaletha begins ye work. The
King was <illeg.> is caret insertion pointthere descibed <sic> one of ye 7 metals cloathed down to ye
ground wth a roab of Gold & wth a crown of gold
He is prepared artificially for he called ye Son of
ye waterbearer & of ye Queen that is of a substance
common to them both whereby he is extracted. He
lies hid in ye bottom of ye great sea of ye world
wthout blood & bone & can stop the high ships of this sea
that is of retain ye spirits of ye world. He is ye treasure lying
hid in ye cælestial aqua vitæ of or sea & is extracted
out of it by ye great sea by or Magnet. The natural
way to take him is to turn him first into water &
then into earth (Instructio patris de arb. solar. c.3.) This
is the metallie123 fixt salt, through ye 263f help of wch Mercu
after he had by his wings brought ye King
up to his throne, (that is ye rod of 263f after
he became ye rod of 263f) established an
everlasting Kingdom (Snyders Metamorp. Cap.6
p.15.) the carbuncle set in Mars's crown (Sny
ders
ib p 23) the martial ruby wch wth ye venereal
Emrauld wch were stuck in Diana's crown &, by ye
help of wch Diana was to bear solary children (ib.
p. 42.) This is ye spere of 2642 & ye living gold of Pe107e104rs.
Our Vulcan
The other serpent is or matter, caret insertion pointSaturnia vegetabilis The Queen called by
Philaletha, Dame nature wch saith he must is pre saith he, is naked
(that is divested of its impurities,) & metamorphised <illeg.>
from its first state, after wch change she is beautifull
& a body wch is all spirit, that is a spiritual body. She
is the waterbearers daughter conteined in his pitcher invisibly
& arising out of ye water whereof caret insertion pointof ye pitcher in wch was seen a lamp
burning, that is (as cosmopolite saith) out of ye rays of ye
moon. ffor this matter must be taken before ye sun hath
cast his rays upon it. This matter saith ye author of instructio
de arbore solari is or terra virginea or first matter no
no <sic> where to be found above ye earth tis a corporeal spirit
& spiritual body, fat, caret insertion pointviscous heavy & juicy. Our niter, the mother
of caret insertion pointall metalls, or Hermaphrodite consisting of two natures 1f70d🜍 &
263f (ye wch Snyders calls ye Solary soul & doubled spirit.)
Tis or Chameleon & Proteus. Tis not that earth wch we
tread on but that wch (by sublimation) hangs over or heads.
wch ye wise call their terrra virginea foliata, (called
by Hermes a terra alba foliata in qua aurum seminan
dum & by Pierce Terra terræ, that is after its prepa
tion. Tis ye heavenly benediction indowed wth ye
<illeg.>tue of ye starry heaven. Tis prepared by bringing
down ye caret insertion point[sublimed] moon from heaven & caret insertion point[by precipitation] placing her upon earth
& caret insertion pointthen Turning her caret insertion pointfirst first into water & then into earth. For tis
necessary in ye beginning to turn this matter into wa
ter by a singular & hidden artifice & after it has
naturally evaporated caret insertion pointthen by a gentle & natural caret insertion pointhidden means
to turn it into earth: wch being done you shall have
the terra virginea of the wise. Thus far ye author of
Instructio de arbore solari: Our Antimony, saith Maier, is ye
4
King wch crys in the waters of ye Sea, Qui me liberabit
<illeg.> ego illum beabo abex aquis et in siccum: [denuò] reducet
Ego hunc divitijs beabo. caret insertion pointThis is ye aqua salis nitri de terra alba in qua est rivulus et unda riva si ad genua fovee100 foderis. Di Thomas Antimonio Hispanico, non
tamen abse123 singulari præparatione usus est, cum ex vulgari
bus ut Greverus loquitur, physica faciendæ sint Quicquid
enim opus philosophicum ingreditur, debet esse purum
homogeneum ab omni sua heterogeneitate et terra su
perflua purgatum in substantiam claram, operi physico
conventientem, quæ vel tota volet vel tota in fundo re
maneat pro operationis diversitate. Hæc Mayerus l.8 Symb.
Our Vulcan Lunatie123 or fire described by Artephius, (saith ye Triumph p 42) is of ye same
nature wth or matter & both must be prepared by the
Artist. The sages are very reserved about both. Alij
appellaverunt hanc terram, saith Lullius, Leonem viride104
fortem in prælio, alij draconem devorantem congelan
tem vel mortificantem caudam suam, i. e. suum argentum
vivum; alij appellaverunt illum locum desertum quia
depopulata est a suis spiritibus, alij Hyle occultum quia
totius naturæ est fundæmentum. et sub, Hæc Lullius
apud Maierum, Symb. l. 9. Cadmus in Rhodum veniens
Neptuno ædificavit templum et ollam æream obtulit
cum hac inscriptione vatidica, Terram Rhodum a ser
pentibus vastatum iri: quæ verba totam rite intellecta totam
artem continent. Maierus Hierogl l.1. p. 45 The double
saturn is ye earth of ye high mountain [or sublimed matter]
in wch ye Dragons & Griffins of ye north made their nests
& abode, in ye second ffigu Emblem of Abraham ye Iew. <illeg.>
<illeg.> Ascende in montem saith Flammel ut vegetabilem
Saturniam regalem et mineralem herbam videas, succus
eius sumatur purus abjectis fæcibus verus est hic 263fus Philos.
Flamm
Saturn, saith Basil Valentine, will put into thy hand a
deep glittering minera wch in his mine is grown of ye
first matter of all metalls. If that minera after its pre
paration wch he will shew unto thee, is set in a strong
sublimation mixed wth three parts of bole or tyle meal
then riseth to ye highest mount a noble sublimate,
like feathers or alumen plumosum wch in in due time
dissolveth into a strong & effectual water wch bringeth thy
caret insertion point[martial] seed very suddenly into the first volatility if so there
be added to it a due quantity of [or fiery] water that it
may be dissolved therein. ffor then these two [mercuries] the
soul & ye spirit unite & are able to ascend above ye
highest mountain & stay inseparably together. Bas. Val. Elucid
dation of ye Keys
p. 127.
Now the rod & these two serpents are ye three
principles & 4 elements, one of ye principles vizt ye earth
or 263f caret insertion pointin several states being put for two prin elements air & earth. These
are ye elements wch Turba mentions in ye beginning & wh
whose conjunction he thus describes. Our Gumm, saith he, is ye
water permanent wch is not mended but by Gold & wch Mer-
chants would not sell so cheap if they knew it. Accipe itae123
gumæ candidissimæ [i.e. sublimatæ præparatæ] partem unam et
urinæ albi vituli partem [i.e. 2640is vel materiæ e10de111æ] partem aliam
at ex felle piscis [Echineis] qui aurum et partem unam et
de corpore gumæ [i.e. vel caret insertion pointpurpuri impuri vel potius auri de quo sine quo jam ante dixit
gumam emendari non posse] partem unam, & decoquite per
quadraginta dies. Whence Bacon, Fac Elementorum æ-
quationem et habes. But yet ye urin or water hides
in it two other substances not here mentioned. For Hermes
describes the first conjunction thus Intelligite filij sapien
tum scientiam quatuor Elementorum. Est enim eorum occul
ta operatio nam nihil agit nisi componatur Scitote filij
Sapiente114
5
sapientum quod priscorum Philosophorum aquæ est
divisio, quæ dividit ipsam in alia quatuor: unum [Solis]
duobus [Lunæ] & tria [Cad. 263fij] uni [2609is]: quorum colori [i.e.
Sulphuri colorum causæ] tertia pars est, humori scilicet
coagulanti Duæ verè tertia [in 2609e et 263fio,] duæ verò
tertiæ aquæ sunt pondera. Accipe de humore <illeg.>
[i.e. caduceo[ mercuriali] partis[i.e. aqua] unciam unam
et mediam & de rubore meridionali [i.e. <illeg.>] id est
anima solis [seu igne] quartam partem id est mediam
unciam & de Seyre citrino [i.e. terra folijs aureis mi
cante] similiter unciam mediam & de auripigmento
[i.e. aere albo] dimidium quæ sunt octo id est unciæ
tres. Scitote quod vitis sapientum caret insertion pointsuccus [liquor vegetabilis] in quibus [diebus] (maier sym) in tribus extrahitur,
& vinum [forte sanguis leonis viridis] in fine triginta per
agitur. Intelligite igitur operationem: decoctio ipsum
minuit, tinctura ipsum augmentat, quia Luna post 15
dies diminuitur & in tertio [trigentatricesimo] augmentatur. Hoc
igitur est initium et finis. Ecce vobis exposui quod
celatum fuerat. cap.1. And a little after in ovo nostro
compositio ex quatuor elementis coaptata et composita.
cap 2. And again Et scias fili quod lapis noster ex plu
ribus rebus & varijs coloribus caret insertion point[id est sulphuribus] & ex quatuor coadu
natus et compositus est elementis quæ nos oportet di-
videre. cap.2. The proportion in this first work
(or perhaps in that of 2644 & his sith) Maier describes by
say that his Mare & Mule would ingender wthout this
proportion of their foder,
Dimidia quod agentis et illius adjice duplo.
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