Stonehenge

A circular emblem, likely a bookplate, pasted onto the center of a blank page. The emblem is bordered by an Ouroboros, a serpent devouring its own tail. Within the circle, the text "Hermetic Philosophy" original: "PHILOSOPHIA · HERMETICA" is printed in a golden serif font. The central illustration, set against a blue background, depicts a white pelican in its piety, wounding its breast to feed its young with its own blood. Above the pelican, golden rays of light emanate from the top of the circle. Below the pelican's nest is a heraldic shield featuring four red roses arranged around a red cross on a white field. To the top left of the bookplate, the letter "E" is handwritten in ink.

The Ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail, is a symbol of eternity and the cyclical nature of the universe. The "pelican in her piety" is a traditional emblem of self-sacrifice, as the mother bird was once believed to feed her chicks with her own blood. The red cross and roses are the central symbols of the Rosicrucians, a secret mystical society. These images indicate that the author, William Stukeley, associates the history of Stonehenge with ancient, hidden traditions of wisdom.