The Hartlib Papers

Title:Letter, Sir Cheney Culpeper To Hartlib
Dating:20 May 1645
Ref:13/88A-89B
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Mr Hartlib; I received your 2: packets th'other weeke &your single one the laste; For my goinge to London, my lowe condition wowlde (I conceiue) haue kepte me from it, For thowgh (after 2: or 23: yeeres acquaintance with Chimistry) I haue nowe <at laste> attained to my first resolution in that study (i) of being satisfyed within my selfe &my owne reason concerning that which (Pontan saythe) is not de materia, &which others thowgh improperly to deceiue the readers) call the agente, beinge yet indeede &in itselfe (thowgh a correlatiue <cause> of action and motion &that which did at firste &dothe still cause cause <excite> the Spirite of the Lorde to moue in &vpon the waters) <yet> rather a patiente, &therefore onely deseruinge the name of an agente because the that true agente or spirit of the worlde (infused into the creature) cannot mo moue or actuate it selfe but vpon it; thowgh I say I haue that in my thowghts concerning this subjecte
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which (after 23: yeeres) wowld put many others vpon action or tryall yet I knowe not what depressed &sluggishe spirit wowlde haue kepte me at home; But I shall nowe (vpon your invitation) resolued to see London so about the middle or latter ende of nexte weeke; In the meane time let me tell you that this day seauennight I had (by strange accidente) tendred to my <viewe> suche a Chymicall woord woorke of Mr Plattes & as you haue noe way mentioned, &suche a further offer of another paper (vpon certeine conditions) as showld treate of the firste agente; Vpon a viewe of the firste I fownde it to be a translation onely of somethinge out of Mira a book called Miracula Chymica, which thowgh perhaps true, yet withoute the firste k agent or Key migh well (as it showlde <seeme> it was resolued) be [letters deleted] printed by Mr Plattes, I am promised I (yf I shall desire it) the sight other the other but it <muste be> on suche conditions as for the presente are difficulte
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to me, I pray let me vnderstande howe this comes about &whether I may (from you or by your meanes) expecte the sight of any suche paper, I am very confidente I showlde be able (vpon sight) to giue a neere judgemente on it, &withall (yf true) receiue some aduantage in the particular passages, such aduantage I meane as hathe coste euen those that haue knowen the truth in generall, some time &practise;    I reste
                    Your very louing frind
                         Cheney Culpeper
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Wednesday may 20th
     45
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          For Mr Hartlib at
             Dukes place
               London
[Seal: snail]