The New Pearl of Great Price
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Christian mysticism and Hermetic occultism

The New Pearl of Great Price: A Treatise Concerning the Treasure and Most Precious Stone of the Philosophers

Arthur Edward Waite1894
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A. E. Waite's 1894 translation of the "Pretiosa Margarita Novella" (c. 1330) by Petrus Bonus of Ferrara, a major medieval alchemical treatise that attempts to reconcile the Art with Christian theology and Aristotelian natural philosophy. Bonus argues that alchemy is a divinely revealed science, not mere metallurgical trickery, and that the Philosopher's Stone — which transmutes base metals into gold and grants physical immortality — is an analogue to the mystery of the Incarnation. Waite's edition includes his critical introduction placing the work in the history of alchemical literature. Essential for understanding the theology of alchemy.

This edition1894
EditionA. E. Waite translation and edition 1894; original Pretiosa Margarita Novella by Petrus Bonus of Ferrara, c. 1330
Rosicrucian philosophyHermetic magicAlchemy and the Great WorkAlchemical TransformationSpiritual alchemyAlchemical transmutationRenaissance HermeticismMagnus Opus (Great Work)HermeticismChristian alchemyAlchemyAlchemical Initiation

Contents464 chapters

  1. 01THE EPIGRAMS OF PIERIUS ROSEUS AND HIPPOLYTUS FANTOLIUS DELPHICUS
  2. 02THE GREETING OF JANUS LACINIUS, THE CALABRIAN MINORITE FRIAR
  3. 03PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
  4. 04NUNCUPATORY DISCOURSE
  5. 05A FORM AND METHOD OF PERFECTING BASE METALS, BY JANUS LACINIUS
  6. 06THE NEW PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
  7. 07THE EPISTLE OF BONUS
  8. 08EXTRACTS MADE BY LACINIUS FROM THE WORKS OF ARNOLDUS DE VILLA NOVA
  9. 09EPITOME OF THE WORK OF RAYMONDUS LULLIUS
  10. 10EXTRACTS FROM THE LIGHT OF LIGHTS BY RHASIS
  11. 11EXTRACTS FROM ALBERTUS MAGNUS, S. THOMAS, AND OTHER SAGES
  12. 12CURIOUS INVESTIGATION CONCERNING THE NATURE OF THE SUN AND MOON, FROM MICHAEL SCOTUS
  13. 13ANALYTICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS
  14. 14Page 1
  15. 15Page 2
  16. 16Page 3
  17. 17Page 4
  18. 18Page 5
  19. 19Page 6
  20. 20THE NEW PEARL OF
  21. 21Page 8
  22. 22ANALYSIS OF CONTENTS.
  23. 23Page 10
  24. 24PREFACE
  25. 25Page 12
  26. 26Page 13
  27. 27Page 14
  28. 28Page 15
  29. 29Page 16
  30. 30AN EPIGRAM
  31. 31Page 19
  32. 32Page 21
  33. 33Page 22
  34. 34Page 25
  35. 35Page 26
  36. 36Page 27
  37. 37Page 28
  38. 38Page 29
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  74. 74Page 67
  75. 75Page 68
  76. 76REASONS APPARENTLY MILITATING AGAINST THE REALITY OF OUR ART.
  77. 77Page 70
  78. 78Page 71
  79. 79Page 72
  80. 80Reason Seventh.
  81. 81Page 74
  82. 82Reason Eleventh.
  83. 83Reason Fourteenth.
  84. 84Reason Fifteenth.
  85. 85Page 78
  86. 86Page 79
  87. 87Page 80
  88. 88Page 81
  89. 89Page 82
  90. 90Page 83
  91. 91Reason Twenty-first.
  92. 92Page 85
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  103. 103Page 96
  104. 104Page 97
  105. 105Page 98
  106. 106Page 99
  107. 107ARGUMENTS [PARTICULARLY TWO STRONG ONES] IN FAVOUR OF OUR MOST GLORIOUS ART.
  108. 108Page 101
  109. 109Page 102
  110. 110Page 103
  111. 111Page 104
  112. 112Page 105
  113. 113Page 106
  114. 114Page 107
  115. 115Page 108
  116. 116THE TRUTH OF OUR ART PROVED
  117. 117Page 110
  118. 118Page 111
  119. 119Page 112
  120. 120Page 113
  121. 121Page 114
  122. 122Page 115
  123. 123Page 116
  124. 124Page 117
  125. 125Page 118
  126. 126Page 119
  127. 127Page 120
  128. 128EXPLANATORY OF OUR METHOD OF PROCEDURE IN DETERMINING THIS QUESTION.
  129. 129Page 122
  130. 130Page 123
  131. 131Page 124
  132. 132AFTER SHEWING THE TWO CHIEF DIFFICULTIES OF ALCHEMY, WE PROCEED TO EXHIBIT ALL THE DIFFERENT MODES OF THESE DIFFICULTIES.
  133. 133Page 126
  134. 134Page 127
  135. 135Page 128
  136. 136Page 129
  137. 137Page 130
  138. 138Page 131
  139. 139Tenth Cause of Difficulty.
  140. 140Page 133
  141. 141Page 134
  142. 142Page 135
  143. 143Page 136
  144. 144Page 137
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  146. 146Page 139
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  160. 160THIRD DISTINCTION, SHEWING THAT THIS ART IS MORE CERTAIN THAN OTHER SCIENCES, AND THAT IT IS NOBLE, BRIEF, AND VERY EASY.
  161. 161Page 154
  162. 162Page 155
  163. 163Page 156
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  174. 174Page 167
  175. 175REFUTATIONS OF
  176. 176Page 169
  177. 177Page 170
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  230. 230EPILOGUE AND CONCLUSION.
  231. 231Page 224
  232. 232Page 225
  233. 233A DEMONSTRATION OF ALCHEMY AFTER ANOTHER MANNER.
  234. 234Page 227
  235. 235Page 228
  236. 236Page 229
  237. 237Page 230
  238. 238Page 231
  239. 239Page 232
  240. 240Page 233
  241. 241Page 234
  242. 242Second Argument.
  243. 243Page 236
  244. 244Fourth Argument.
  245. 245Page 238
  246. 246AN EXCELLENT INTRODUCTION
  247. 247Page 240
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  313. 313The Analogy of Common Quicksilver.
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  333. 333CHAPTER I.
  334. 334CHAPTER II.
  335. 335CHAPTER III.
  336. 336CHAPTER IV.
  337. 337CHAPTER V.
  338. 338Page 333
  339. 339How Mercury is Cleansed.
  340. 340Page 335
  341. 341CHAPTER VI.
  342. 342CHAPTER VII.
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  381. 381NOTES OF LACINIUS ON THE EPISTLE OF RAYMONDUS.
  382. 382Page 378
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  389. 389Of salt armoniac.
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  394. 394Page 391
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  396. 396Of gold.
  397. 397Page 394
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  400. 400Page 397
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  402. 402Page 399
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  404. 404Page 401
  405. 405Of lead.
  406. 406Page 403
  407. 407Page 404
  408. 408Of spirits.
  409. 409Page 407
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  413. 413Page 411
  414. 414Page 412
  415. 415Page 413
  416. 416Of arsenic.
  417. 417Page 415
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  421. 421How the aforesaid Sulphur acts on Venus.
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  430. 430Sublimation
  431. 431Page 429
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  433. 433Precepts of Albertus.
  434. 434Page 432
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  439. 439Why it is called a Stone.
  440. 440Page 439
  441. 441Third part.
  442. 442Page 441
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  444. 444Page 443
  445. 445Page 444
  446. 446PROOFS OF THE TRUTH OF ALCHEMY.
  447. 447THE ART PROVED BY ANALOGY.
  448. 448Page 448
  449. 449Page 449
  450. 450Page 450
  451. 451Page 451
  452. 452A DEMONSTRATION OF ALCHEMY AFTER ANOTHER MANNER.
  453. 453Page 453
  454. 454Page 454
  455. 455Page 455
  456. 456Page 456
  457. 457ANALYSIS OF THE COLLECTANEA OF RHASIS.
  458. 458Page 458
  459. 459The Hermetic Museum
  460. 460A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels.
  461. 461Page 461
  462. 462Page 462
  463. 463
  464. 464Page 464

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