1652 - Ashmole, Elias - Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum

Elias Ashmole busted, frontispiece in Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2014-08-13. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-06-10.

Allusion

I shall in the First place acquaint the Reader, that the kinde Acceptance my former Endeavours received at the Hands of Candid Artists, in publishing some Chemicall Collections; very earnestly invited me to finde out a Second Piece [sig. B2^v:] wherewith to present those Gratefull Persons. Whereupon I intended to rally up some of my own Conceptions in this Science, and expose them also to the Test: But (to this end, reviewing the Philosophers) I found that many (assuming that Name) wrote what their Fancies, not their Hands had wrought, and further then in Apprehension had not seene Projection; (amongst whom our Ripley was sometime One, as appeares by his Ingenious Retractation, hereafter mentioned:) and being truly sensible of the great Injury such Workes have done young Students (at the first not able to distinguish, who have written upon their undeceavable Experience, who not; and consequently, not which to follow, or whiche to avoyde) I withdrew my Thoughts (having never as yet set my selfe Effectually upon the Manuall Practise) lest I should adde to the many Injuries the World has already suffered, by delivering the bare Medley of my Dubious Apprehensions, without the confident Attestation of Practise: and be justly esteemed as indiscreete as those whom Ripley mentions, that prate
     Of Robin Hode and of his Bow,
     Which never shot therein J trow.

Source notes

The body of the "Prolegomena", from which the above passage is taken, is printed in italics in the original, emphasized words being in ordinary type. I have reversed this above. The original has the two lines citing the Robin Hood proverb in black letter.

IRHB comments

George Ripley's Compound of Alchymy (1471), which Ashmole quotes, is one of the works contained in the Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum. A phrase to savour: "the bare Medley of my Dubious Apprehensions".

Lists

• Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 315-19.
• Outside scope of Sussex, Lucy, compil. 'References to Robin Hood up to 1600', in: Knight, Stephen. Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw (Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1994), pp. 262-88.

Editions

• Ashmole, Elias, ed. Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, Containing Severall Poeticall Pieces of Our Famous English Philosophers, Who have Written the Hermetique Mysteries in Their Owne Ancient Language (London, 1652); see sig. B2.

Background

• Wikipedia: Elias Ashmole.

Brief mention

• Halliwell, James Orchard, compil. A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, Obsolete Phrases, Proverbs, and Ancient Customs, from the Fourteenth Century (London, 1847) (and editions of 1850, 1852, 1852, 1855, 1860, 1865, 1869, 1872, 1874, 1881, 1889, 1904, 1970, 1973), vol. II, pp. 688-89 s.n. Robin Hood. Cites the proverb from Ashmole (see vol. II, p. 689).

Notes