Alchemy.- Basilius Valentinus. Les Douze Clefs de Philosophie...Traictant de la Vraye Medecine Metalique. Plus l'Azoth, ou le moyen de faire l'Or caché des Philosophes Paris, Pierre Moët, 1659 bound with Bernardus Trevisanus. Traicté de la Nature de l'oeuf des Philosophes, Paris, [Pierre Moët], 1659, together 3 works in 1 vol., first work (Douze Clefs) with full-page engraved illustration of a phoenix and other emblems and an emblematic woodcut, lacking engraved "keys" plates found in some copies, second work (Agoth) large woodcut vignette to title and 14 alchemical illustrations within text, 1st work A4 short tear at foot, with loss of a couple of letters, first 30 ff. water-stained to varying degrees at lower corner, second work I1v printing flaw at lower corner, 3rd work D1 small section of outer margin torn away with loss of some text (supplied in later ink), final f. with small hole at head with loss of a few letters, all 3 parts occasional spotting and a few small stains, contemporary calf, gilt spine in compartments and with red morocco label, joints repaired, corners worn, scuffed, varnished, [Caillet 798 & 802; 1043; Duveen 48; Ferguson I, 77], 8vo

⁂ A rare edition of these two most important alchemical texts, bound here with Bernard of Treviso's work on the philosopher's stone. The 1659 edition is important for its dedication to the English natural philosopher Sir Kenelm Digby (a later ms. Digby coat of arms is mounted on verso of first title), who was at the time in Paris studying Paracelsian chemistry. While some copies of Les Douze Clefs include an engraved suite of plates, there exists perhaps a preliminary issue without them, as with the copy described by Ferguson.