NATURAL

PHILOSOPHY

BY THREE RENOWNED ANCIENT

PHILOSOPHERS,

ARTEPHIUS, FLAMEL, AND SYNESIUS,

A small rectangular stamp on the left with a decorative border contains the text: "Library of Falconet, Donation." Camille Falconet (1671–1762) was a celebrated physician and bibliophile who bequeathed his extensive collection to the Royal Library. A circular library stamp on the right contains the text: "Royal Library" surrounding a coat of arms with three fleur-de-lis topped by a crown, identifying this as an official volume from the French Royal collection.

Treating of the occult Art, and of

metallic Transmutation.

LATEST EDITION.

Augmented with a short Treatise on Mercury, and

the Philosophers' Stone by G. Ripley,

newly translated into French.

George Ripley was a famous 15th-century English alchemist; this edition highlights a new translation of his works for the French public.

A decorative woodcut printer's mark features a central monogram (likely LDH for the publisher Laurent d'Houry) intertwined with scrolling foliage and clusters of grapes, a common motif in 17th-century French publishing.

Handwritten signature in ink on the right side: Promhet. This likely denotes a former private owner of the book before it entered the Royal Library.

IN PARIS;

At the house of LAURENT D'HOURY, on the Quay of the

Augustins, at the Sign of Saint John.

In the 17th century, shops were identified by hanging signs or "images" rather than street numbers.

1682.

WITH THE KING'S PRIVILEGE

original: "AVEC PRIVILEGE DV ROY"; this was a legal authorization granted by the French crown, giving the publisher exclusive rights to print the work for a set period.