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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61332	Three tracts of the great medicine of philosophers for humane and metalline bodies ... all written in Latine by Eirenæus Philalethes ... ; translated into English for the benefit of the studious, by a lover of art and them.; Tres tractatus de metallorum transmutatione. English	Philalethes, Eirenaeus.; Starkey, George, 1627-1665.	1694 (1694)	Wing S5290; ESTC R13309	63,120	206

For Gold being the most solid most fixed of all Bodies and of the strongest Composition most Patient of the fire and not at all obnoxious to Corruption does not easily pass over into a Nature so Contrary to this of its own Therefore if any one shall attempt this by force he will profit Nothing Seeing there is required an Agent of an Excelling Virtue to do this which ought to be Homogeneal Amicable and Spiritual namely that it may be related to the Body and yet be able to overcome it and fundamentally penetrate it whose secret Parts since they are distended so fart and so little Gold is true Gold will not so easily puting off its form nay it will fight until it be wholly overcome it lyes down and Dyes also it follows that our Agent ought to have an enlivening virtue that it may Raise up a new pure Body from the dead Carkasses CHAP. VII Of the first Philosophical Agent or Matrix into which our Seed is to be Emitted and into which it is Ripened MOreover such an Agent remains to be sought out by us where with we may do all the aforesaid things In which it is required first of all that the Water be Homogeneal that is by a Law of Necessity For that I have Taught before That the Golden seed doth lye hid in the Water alone and doth obtain its Power But it is shut up in the Body of the Gold under most thick Foulds of which is manifest a plain Contrary one to that hidden one which we seek Therefore this Water remains to be drawn out by a subtile Artifice but it doth not enter in of its own accord therefore this is to be effected by another thing which other thing indeed ought to be of the same Nature with that which we seek to draw forth For every like begets its like that is every Agent Exercising its Generative Action upon any thing changes that upon which it acts into its own Nature as near as it can And nextly it behoves this water to be related to the Body to be dissolved and therefore pure Clean and exquisitely cleansed and purged from all filth Neither is this enough but Gold is held to be Contraried in all its qualities in which it differs from the Water we seek wherein the Seed lyes hid The former is highly fixed the other highly Volatile the former a most solid Body this a most penetrating Spirit the one thick the other subtile the one dead the other living and enlivening and all the other Conditions are required which we seek in it after dissolution but they are wanting in a dead Coagulated Body Therefore it is Concluded that Mercury alone is the true Key of the Chymical Art which is indeed that dry Water so often described by Philosophers sluent stipery and yet not wetting the hands of the Toucher or any other thing which is not of the unity of its Matter and moreover it is indued with the Virtues above described this is the Keeper of our Gates our Balsam Oyle Honey our Vrine May-dew our female Mother Egg Secret Furnace Stove Sieve Marble true Fire venomous Dragon Treacle burning Wine Green Lyon Bird of Hermes Goose of Hermogenes Double Sword in the hand of the Cherub that defends the way of the Tree of Life and is famous for Infinite other Names and it is our Vessel true hidden also it is our Philosophical Garden in which our Sun rises and sets it is our Royal Mineral and Triumphant Vegetable Saturnia also the Caduce of Mercury because it Operates wonderful things and transforms it self according to its own pleasure that it may put on Different Masks Concerning this water the Philosopher saith Let Chymists boast as they will but the Transmutation of Metals is impossible without this What shall I say what shall I Discourse that I may report its Praises It is not so in its own Nature as we render it by our Artifice it is a thing very Vile and yet the most precious Treasure of all the World O the perfection of Nature and the head of Metallick Works therefore thou Son of Learning and studious of Art attend that thou mayest attain thy desire Take that which is most unclean of its self that is our Harlot purge throughly all the Filth and draw from thence what is the purest that is our Menstruum or Regal Diadem Behold I have finished in few Words that which Enobles a Philosopher delivers from Errors and leads forthwith into a most fair field of Delights Therefore that I may conclude this Chapter I will repeat succinctly all things which hath been said before There is a Certain and true Science called Alchmy whereby every imperfect Metal is perfected into Gold or Silver by the projection of the Triumphant Arcanum upon them penetrating and tinging which Secret is no other then Gold Exalted to its supream degree of perfection and this by Sagacious Art the Handmaid of Nature For that all Imperfect Metals are of the same Material Imposition with Gold nor do differ but in the Accidents alone as also by the Manners and Degrees of incompleated Decoction And that which being Imperfect is mixed with them is plainly heterogeneous and altho it stick Externally to the pure yet it is not United Inwardly and therefore may be rejected by a prevalent Agent such is our compleat Elixir to obtain which Secret the Sperm which lyes secret in the Body of the Gold is to be drawn out which is shut up in most thick Coverts and gives place to no power but only is manifest by Sagacious Art Which when it appears being hid first it comes out under a Mercurial form from whence it is Exalted into the fifth Essence first white then Red by a Continual decocting fire And all this is done by a Homogeneous Mercurial Pontique Agent Pure Clean Christaline without Transparency Liquid without humectation which is Water truly Divine neither it is found upon the Earth know the Son of Philosophers is made by this Nature Cooperating Which we know have seen have done have and possess and study to make it plain to the Ingenious yet so that driving away the unworthy we may Exclude them altogether from the Art who being Cast off we will accompany the studious into this most beautiful Garden CHAP. VIII Of the Genealogy of the Philosophical Mercury its Rise Birth and distinguishing Signes that go before and accompany it SOme Boasting and Arrogant Sophisters after having Learned from the Reading of Books that Common Mercury is very Forraine to this Art also reading that Philosophers do call this by diverse Names being led presently with a blind Opinion they think themselves secure of the Art and do not blush to Affirm themselves Masters of this Science when in the mean time they are more blockish then the Wood it self Some will have this to be a Diaphanous menstruum and Limped others a certain Metallick Gum when they Dream it to be permissible with Metals and to no

pass from the Wickedness of some sorry Fellows that this Divine Art as well as its Friends hath suffered much by Calumniators For when some stupid Mechanicks seduced by blind Presumption go about the handling of these things being vexed they presently curse Chymical Philosophy speak evil of its Practitioners and tear with railing the Authors that write thereof Others altho little Learned preposterous Men blinded with the thirst after Gold do gape after the Art and set upon the thing without Mature Deliberation and err yet nevertheless they conceive a possibility of the Art and speak well of it and being ashamed to consess their Ignorance therein pretend a skilfulness to the Ignorant and perhaps go on to Write about the Art and being allured with a silent hope of recovering at last what they have lost will yet try again untill they do multiply their Losses they will comfort their Friends with the hope of future Good but in the mean while they are poor and every day made poorer so giving an occasion to the foolish Mockers of Chymistry to deride them Indeed so great is their Wickedness since they are seduced themselves they go about to intice others with their false Receits Lyes and Sophistical Writings into the same predicament of Error at length some howsoever skil'd in the Art yet being stirred up thereto by envy do handle the thing very Scabiously and deceitfully and under the promises of true Doctrine do seduce Tiro's with most miserable Impostures so Geber Arnold Lully and almost all others amongst whom there is not found one Candid Writer and if any yet he will be found to handle the Matter very obscurely Hence an inevitable Labyrinth to one that is to begin Chymistry that there seems to be need even of the Immediate finger of God if any one shall desire to go the right Path. Hence also the Name of the Art is so odious that a body cannot set to it easily without the greatest derision Therefore it is very necessary to be known what is to be done in the first place by one that will be a Son of Science to obtain this Golden Art to obtain this Fleece since there will be many hindrances to drive him back unless he has a firm Resolution of mind many things to delude his hope and expectation unless he hath a quick sighted Wit First Indeed that he may be made safe from them who Deride his undertaking his Course ought to be Secret that his Labour may be known to none therefore the ancient wise Philosophers Commanded to hide this Science like a word in the Mouth Neither truly may it seem unprofitable so to Exhort since that the disgraces and Calumnies of Men make not little towards the Casting of a dispondency in the mind of a Tiro who abhorring the Art themselves have its Practitioners in the highest Contempt Moreover if any one consider the Event there will appear to be need of a Secret Concealing of the Art For if any one shall be frustrated of his hope can Silence hurt him any thing when otherways he shall be propounded who is so disappointed for an Example of a foolish throwing away of Money and time as it is commonly reputed But if on the other hand he shall obtain this Treasure it shall not only be found profitable but also extreamly necessary to have concealed it For he is propounded a Prey to Tyrants and wicked persons if any one shall enjoy and use openly so great a Treasure and some also being too improvident in this thing having endangered the safety of Life have repented too late Moreover he ought to be of a Constant mind which would Descend into this Palestra Diligent Industrious I earned a devourer of Books Private Solitary unless that he hath one faithful Companion not more not Poor for altho a little quantity may suffice when the Art is once tryed yet it will happen that he will err sometimes to repair which errors he has need of money moreover to supply Charges necessary for Food and Raiment whilst he is incumbent in this Art least by chance he should be obliged to do something else when he rather ought to be of an undisturbed Mind And that which is the greatest thing let him be honest and fearing God abhorring Sin and soliciting Heaven with his Prayers to prosper his Undertakings thus qualified let him go on but without the clear Light of Nature he will err Moreover let him get the Books of Learned Men and not Sophisters let him diligently mind those let him read and read and read again and Consider things deeply with himself and have a care least when he hath once Concluded the thing he presently try it Practically but let him often ponder examine and weigh his Conclusion and Compare it with the Opinion of the most Learned Authors and alter in so long untill he shall have chose some one which shall endure all probations then at length let him begin a Praxis Praying for Gods Assistance let him consider his Experiments which as reason shall perswade let him alter and renew until he shall see the Signs Described by Philosophers And omitting erroneous Operations let him insist only upon one true Complement neither let him dispair altho he err often and yet let him have a Care of great Charges so by the blessing of God he shall at length obtain his desire I moreover to instruct such a one have writ the following Treatise true plain perfect without Deceit And yet I would admonish all Covetous Fraudulent Persons and the rest of that Classis that they let alone the Art and this Treatise For Certum est procul hinc arcere profanum CHAP. II. Of the beginning of the Art its Writers and its Foundation in which it is Treated of the Metallick Principles and the gradual Production of Metalls and Minerals HErmes by Sirname Trismegistus the Father of this Art is introduced into the Scene of Philosophers of whom various Opinions of Authors are reported who he should be there are not wanting who affirm him to have been Moses at least they agree in this that he was an Aegyptian also a most quick sighted Philosopher He is called the Father of this Philosophy to wit who first of all whose Books are extant handled this Philosophy Yet some will have this Science derived from Enoch who foreseeing the Flood Writ the seven Liberal Sciences amongst which is Chymistry upon Tables and left them to Posterity But Hermes entring into the Valley of Hebron found them which are yet called the Emrald Pillars and thence Learned his Wisdom Others sharply contend that Noah knew this Art and carryed it into his Ark. Not a few do indeavour to establish this Art from some places of Scripture and write that Solomon had it Some bring it down from Adam himself to Abel and so to Seth but such like subtilties do not please me being about to write the Simplicity of Nature they do not Illustrate nay rather obscure