A Short Enquiry Concerning the Hermetic Art

There is great reason to believe that this "Enquiry into the Hermetic Art", first published in 1714, led to the composition of the still more extended and more spiritually conceived volume, the "Suggestive Enquiry into the Hermetic Mystery and Alchemy", which was published anonymously in 1850. This latter volume is an almost complete review of Alchemy on the spiritual plane. This volume has a distinct reference to the science of Alchemy referred to the plane of human improvement, although it is also definitely concerned with the equally possible, though almost incredible power of transmutation upon the material plane. The Collectanea Hermetica is a 10 volume set of Occult Hermetic books edited by William Wynn Westcott. The volumes are as follows: 1) Hermetic Arcanum, 2) The Divine Pymander, 3) A Short Enquiry Concerning the Hermetic Art, 4) Æsch Mezareph, 5) Somnium Scipionis, 6) Chaldæan Oracles of Zoroaster, 7) Euphrates, or the Waters of the East, 8) Egyptian Magic, 9) Numbers, 10) Sepher Yetzirah. The volumes include several original translations, commentaries, and copious notes. It is a valuable resource for all students of Hermeticism, Alchemy, Kabalah and western esotericism in general.