File:Musaeum Hermeticum 1678 IX. Clavis AQ37 Key 9.tif

English: IX. CLAVIS, the ninth 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.'

In a circle at the bottom are three hearts out of which three serpents or snakes emerge, each one's head curving around towards the base of the next one's tail. On top of the circle are a man and woman: their bodies are bent so that together their heads and feet point in the four directions. At each of the hour directions is a bird: at the woman's feet (South) is a Peacock, at her head (West) a Swan, on the man's feet (North) is a crow or black bird, and at his head (East) is a Eagle with wings outspread.