"The first and most ancient of men neither constructed temples no erected images, as they were unacquainted with painting, carving, and sculpture, and even architecture, as it might be easily proved. Nor was there amongst them the slightest memorial of those who were afterwards called gods and heroes; neither of Jupiter,' nor Saturn, nor Neptune, nor Apollo, nor Juno, nor Minerva, nor Bacchus, nor of those innumerable male and female deities, who were afterwards worshipped by the Greeks and Barbarians. Nor was there even a good or bad demon than acknowledged among mankind; but the stars of heaven alone were considered and adored as gods."

"The religious tenets of the Egyptians are much more ancient than those of the Greeks. They, however, held that Osiris and Isis were the sun and moon; and the ether difl'used through all space they named Jupiter; fire, Vulcan; the earth, Ceres; water, Oceanus, or their own river Nilus, to which also they ascribed the production of their gods; and the air, Minerva."

"Even at this day, paintings and sculptures exist which clearly attest that the notices of Egyptian mythology which occur … be Serapis, by others to be Dionusos (Bacchus), by others to be Pluto, by others to be Ammon, by others to be Jupiter,..."

"Many are of opinion that the proper Egyptian name of Jupiter is Amoun (which we pronounce Ammon); and Manethos, the Sebennite, thinks that this world signifies concealment, or that which is concealed."

"In Jupiter, his parents, his brothers, his sisters, and children, was there divided the province of presiding over all things natural and human; and each of them is distinguished from another by peculiar characteristics of age, symbols, names, and actions."

"Scythian religion given by Herodotus in any manner coincides with the accounts of the German religion given by Caesar and Tacitus. For he enumerates as Scythian deities Jupiter, Tellus, Apollo, Venus, Urania, Hercules, Mars, and Neptune; and he states Mars was the principal god of the Scythians, while amongst the Germans Tacitus ascribes this place to Mercury."

"But it is a very remarkable circumstance, that an acquaintance with the seven days of the week, so familiar from remote antiquity to the people who originally spoke Sanskrit language, though unknown to the Greeks and Romans, should have been preserved among the Germans. It is true, indeed, that among them the days received their names from their principal deities, and not merely from the planets, which, in Hindu mythology, are considered only as celestial beings of an inferior description. There seems, also, to be no doubt that Germans selected the names of the same planets to designate the days of the week, which have been immemorially used for the same purpose by the Hindus; and that, in both Germany and India, their consecutive order was the day of the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn."

"My Seal-Ring Mercury has cast aside The signs of intellectual pride, Freely offers thee the soul: Art thou noble to receive? Canst thou give or take the whole, Nobly promise and believe? Then thou wholly human art, A spotless, radiant, ruby heart, And the golden chain of love Has bound thee to the realm above"

"Know this: I, Mercurius, have here set down a full, true and infallible account of the Great Work. But I give you fair warning that unless you seek the true philosophical gold and not the gold of the vulgar, unless you heart is fixed with unbending intent on the true Stone of the Philosophers, unless you are steadfast in your quest, abiding by God’s laws in all faith and humility and eschewing all vanity, conceit, falsehood, intemperance, pride, lust and faint-heartedness, read no farther lest I prove fatal to you. For I am the watery venomous serpent who lies buried at the earth’s centre; I am the fiery dragon who flies through the air. I am the one thing necessary for the whole Opus. I am the spirit of metals, the fire which does not burn, the water which does not wet the hands. If you find the way to slay me you will find the philosophical mercury of the wise, even the White Stone beloved of the Philosophers. If you find the way to raise me up again, you will find the philosophical sulphur, that is, the Red Stone and Elixir of Life. Obey me and I will be your servant; free me and I will be your friend. Enslave me and I am a dangerous enemy; command me and I will make you mad; give me life and you will die."

"Mercury, the interpreting word and teacher of all."

"Where the light wings of Zephyr, oppress'd with perfume, Wax faint o'er the gardens of Gul in her bloom."

"The balmy zephyrs, silent since her death, Lament the ceasing of a sweeter breath."

"Lull'd by soft zephyrs thro' the broken pane."

"And on the balmy zephyrs tranquil rest The silver clouds."

"And soon Their hushing dances languished to a stand, Like midnight leaves when, as the Zephyrs swoon, All on their drooping sterns they sink unfanned."

"Fair laughs the morn, and soft the zephyr blows."

"While the wanton Zephyr sings, And in the vale perfumes his wings."

"Let Zephyr only breathe And with her tresses play."

"Soft o'er the shrouds aerial whispers breathe, That seemed but zephyrs to the train beneath."

"And soften'd sounds along the waters die: Smooth flow the waves, the zephyrs gently play."

"Soft is the strain when zephyr gently blows."