Here is Elias Ashmole's prologue to Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum (TCB).

A table of contents of the prologue appears below. The whole compilation of TCB is focussed on Hermetic philosophy in England, 1200-1600s, in poetry/verse, and was published in 1652. Essentially, a Bible of English alchemy, but of more than mere "lead to gold", as the prologue discusses. The prologue also describes the history of Ashmole's TCB project, the acquisition of the individual manuscripts, the notes at the back, and more.

Table of contents:

00:00:00 video titles
00:00:30 Personal intro
00:01:00 Carl Gustav Jung
00:01:16 Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum
00:01:56 Prologue begins
00:03:20 England, and philosophy through translations
00:05:25 Rescuing, preserving philosophy in England
00:07:16 Old History of Learning and Learned Men in England
00:12:40 Recent History of Learning and Learned Men in England
00:14:16 The collection of works herein
00:17:24 NOTE 1: Much value in the mystery hidden in Rhyme
00:18:25 On Philosopher's Stone
00:19:01 Mineral Stone
00:19:47 Gold vs Wisdom (simple Alchemists vs Adepti)
00:21:00 Vegetable Stone
00:23:00 Biological alchemy (union of opposites)
00:25:19 Magical Stone (Prospective Stone)
00:26:26 Angelical Stone (Tree of Life, Food of Angels)
00:29:14 Red Stone (Prophesy)
00:29:50 Summarize the Philosopher's Prima Materia (Wisdom of Nature)
00:31:41 Publication thoughts
00:34:02 NOTE 2: Beware of false teachers
00:36:09 Collecting manuscripts of English Hermetic Philosophers
00:37:22 Enlightening Students and honouring Teachers NOTE 3 read twice here for emphasis and discuss Annotations
00:39:02 Question: Prose or Poetry/Verse?
00:42:16 Poetry's qualities over prose
00:44:38 Poetical selected
00:44:48 TCB by Ashmole as an alchemical "Noah's Ark"
00:45:33 The Elixir manifest (Restoring the authors works to Spring and Summer of life)
00:46:04 The Whole Work itself
00:46:43 Archaic old English words
00:46:55 NOTE 4: 13th century, 17th century, 21 century words
00:47:32 Archaic old English Words again
00:50:27 The Spirit of the dead in writing, more than they would speak
00:51:14 Annotations section
00:51:59 And now to Conclude
00:53:15 Closing Salutation
00:53:35 TCB online, evolving project
00:53:50 NOTE 5: Manicule notes in side-margins, by Jung or not?
00:54:13 My learning of Carl Jung and Alchemy


Notes on the 3rd edition (March 2024):
It is now two years since 2nd edition. Most of the works in TCB I have read many times, and while the read-aloud is not absolutely perfect in 2-3 places, I have polished my approach and present here, as well as I can, a new 3rd edition of Elias Ashmole's Prologue. I attempt to read with a living spirit, from a deeper understanding of Ashmole's mind as he wrote these words, after his adventure in compiling and editing.

Notes from the 2nd edition (March 2022): The complexity of reading such grammar and fonts/typeface, and some words unfamiliar, this means I am making regular mistakes. The times when not making mistakes are those words I've read previously. After the Prologue, the reading slowly becomes smoother, from reading before and re-reading instead of reading on first-exposure.


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