Cremer, Abbot

Maier, Michael. "The golden tripod, or, three choice chemical tracts. Namely (i.) That of Basilius Valentinus, a monk of the Benedictine Order called Practica, with twelve keys and an appendix, (ii.) The Crede Mihi, or Ordinal, of Thomas Norton, an English sage, (iii.) The Testament of a certain Cremer, Abbot of Westminster. Edited by Michael Maier." In From the Hermetic Museum. The Book of Lambspring..., ed. Derek Bryce, 41-160. Lampeter Llanerch Enterprises, 1987. 

Cremer, John. "The Testament of Cremer, Abbot of Westminster and Brother of the Benedictine Order." In From the Hermetic Museum. The Book ofLambspring..., ed. Derek Bryce, 151-160. Lampeter Llanerch Enterprises, 1987. 

According to one story his reputation eventually reached Cremer, Abbot of Westminster at the time, who after working at alchemy for thirty years, had still failed to achieve his aim, the Philosophers Stone. Cremer therefore sought out Lully in Italy, and having gained his confidence, persuaded him to come to England, where he introduced... 

Yet scorn not a friend who spoke as plainly as he might. Beneath the shadowy foliage of words is concealed the golden fruit of Truth. The Testament Of Cremer, The Englishman, Abbot of Westminster, and Friar of the Benedictine Order. rhttp //www.levitv.com/alchemv/cremer.htmll. 

John Cremer, a fourteenth-century abbot who lived in Westminster, was reputed to have joined Raymond Lully in alchemical works in Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. Thomas Norton, author of the Ordinall of Akhimy, began writing this famous work in 1477. The reputed Basil Valentine is mentioned later in our Chemical History Tour and also by Read. Vulcan is the god of fire. Arms of Vulcan refers to fire as an instrument of chemical change. The picture depicts an immediate proximity between a chemical laboratory and a chemical library—the duality of practice and theory. Although the American Chemical Society recommends location of a university chemical research library in the chemistry laboratory building, it is unlikely that they have quite this closeness in mind. 

It appears from a remark in the Symbola that in England Maier was principally occupied with alchemical studies.This seems quite plausible, since his first generally known book, Arcana arcanissima, was apparently sent to the press in London between May 1613 and the Frankfort Lenten fair of 1614. Again, he must have had manuscripts of several further works more or less ready for publication on his return to Germany in mid-1616 for instance the three treatises by Basil Valentine, Thomas Norton and Abbot Cremer -translated by Maier from German or English into Latin - which appeared as Tripus aureus in 1618. ... 

---