English: VI. CLAVIS, the sixth key, engraved by
Matthaeus Merian (1593–1650). From
Tripus aureus, hoc est, Tres tractatus chymici selectissimi, nempe I. Basilii Valentini, benedictini ordinis monachi, Germani, practica una cum 12. clavibus et appendice, ex germanico; II. Thomae Nortoni, angli philosophi crede mihi seu ordinale, ante annos 140. ab authore seriptum, nunc ex anglicano manuscripto in latinum translatum, phrasi eujusque authoris ut et sententia retenta; III. Cremeri cuiusdam abbatis westmonasteriensis angli testamentum, hactenus nondum publicatum, nunc in diversarum nationum gratiam editi, et figuris cupro affabre incisis ornati operâ et studio. Michaelis Maieri, phil. et med. d. com. p. &c. Francofurti, apud Hermannum à Sande. MDCLXXVII. as published in the collection
Musaeum hermeticum, reformatum et amplificatum. Francofurti : Apud Hermannum à Sande, 1678. In Latin.
The part in question 'I. Basilii Valentini, benedictini ordinis monachi, Germani, practica una cum 12. clavibus et appendice, ex germanico;' or 'Basil Valentine, a German monk of the Benedictine order, one study with the twelve keys and the appendix, [translated] from the German.'
At the center of the picture is a bishop, right hand raised to bless the wedding of a King (left) and Queen (right). They stand under a dark cloud from which heavy rain is falling. Above the cloud forms a rainbow. To the left of the King is the Sun and on the right of the Queen is a crescent Moon. Below the sun is a swan or goose. On the left near the King is a cylindrical vessel is being heated on a fire. The top of the vessel is a double-faced head, from whose mouths come collecting flasks. The top of the head has flames for hair. To the right of the Queen stands an alchemist with a trident, pouring water from a flask into a water bath in which an alembic or retort is being heated atop a furnace. The fumes which are emitted condense and are collected in a flask below, which contains a layer of liquid.