Alchemy - RESPOUR (P. M. de). Rare experiments... Lot 50

[Alchemy - RESPOUR (P. M. de)]. Rare experiments on the mineral spirit, for the preparation and transmutation of metallic bodies. In which is taught the way to make the necessary Agens, which have been unknown & hidden to the Public until now. With the knowledge of the general and particular movement of the Elemental World and of what is contained in it. Paris, Langlois et Barbin, 1668. Small in-8 of [12] ff.-72-106-100-[2] pp. Brown basane, spine with ornate nerves (modern imitation binding). Very rare first edition of the only work published by Moras de Respour. "Very rare work and one of the most curious dealing with the philosopher's stone" according to Caillet who cites only 2 eighteenth century editions (the German reissue by Henckel in 1743 and the Leipzig edition in French of 1777) stating, "Lenglet-Dufresnoy (I, 274) in announcing the original edition, Paris, 1668, in-12 says: 'Rare and curious book, it looks especially at the operations by the zinck." Respour has no biographical article anywhere; Goret ('Anciens Minéralogistes'), who cites so many French metallurgical writers, does not mention him." The use of the term "zinc" is found for the first time. Although the title page mentions "tome premier", the edition is quite complete with its three parts: I. De la nature en général. II. Of the metallic agents. III. The return of Hermes, for the same subject. This last part in the form of dialogues between alchemists and Hermes, explaining the Emerald Table, ends with three parables on the Great Work. Ferguson. Bib. chemica, II, 256 : "The book had become extremely rare when it was translated by Henckel... A good deal of importance seems to have been attached to this book by the metallurgists of the time." First and last leaves restored. Underlined and a few modern marginal notes in pencil. (Caillet 9322-9323; Barbier IV, 14.)