deceived for this Conjunction is not made by manual operation but only by a Natural man not only not helping but also not well understanding its Cause therefore this is called a Divine Work Fools can confound the Body of Gold with Mercury and then they call it animated Gold but they find nothing in it For altho these two should remain together a Thousand Years nevertheless they would afterwards recede one from the other in their own proper Nature Therefore the Conjunction was not alterative but only a Confusion of two between themselves But in out Operation the spirit of Sol Infuseth its self into the spirit of Mercury so that they never depart the one from the other afterwards even as water doth not being mixt with water Therefore in this Operation the greatest nay the whole secret of the Art lyes hid Attend therefore thou Son of Learning and see warily that thou dost not err here Therefore the Body of Sol will never be joined with Mercury inwardly unless Luna mediating or an imperfect Body and Fire and this Luna is the Juice of the water of Life which lyes hid in Mercury which is sharpened by the fire and is a spirit entring a Body and altring it and Compelling it to retain its Soul Now therefore thou seest of what Mercury we have hitherto spoken not vulgar but pluvial which properly is not called Mercury but Mercurial water for the Mercury of the vulgar is water but a Spirit and fiery virtue is wanting to it supply if thou canst that which is wanting with all thy Art then it will no longer be Mercury of the vulgar but like to ours But if thou canst not do this let that Mercury alone for thou canst expect nothing but loss from it Behold now God is my witness I have told the whole matter which if thou art wise thou canst not be ignorant of For vulgar Mercury has seduced more then any thing else for the Workers herein have found nothing because they did not know our Mercury But to return to Conjunction which believe me is the whole Secret of the Art for the Earth is not united inseparably with the water but water adheres strongly to water hence it follows that this laudable Conjunction is not celebrated till after Dissolution attend thou therefore to solution Nature will joyn together and this Dissolution is made in Mercury by the help of included Luna and Fire For Luna penetrates and Albifies and the fire mortifies and Triturates but the Water includes both these Virtues according to the saying of the Philosopher The Fire which I will shew thee is water And another Vnless Bodies be subtilized by Fire and water nothing is done in the Magistery O Blessed Mercury of ours which frees us from those many Labours which Sophisters endure for they make many Operations with their hands and profit nothing because they know not the true Course of Nature But we do nothing but leave all things to be done by our Mercury which proceeds in a better Method according to its Natural Instinct then any man could invent for he is constrained by the necessity of his End wherefore he never misses the right way if he be not hindred But there are some Sophistical Operators who take Gold and put it to Mercury then shut them in a Glass and set them over the Fire expecting some notable thing from thence But since they cast fat and good Seed into barren Land they are deceived for they find not the Harvest they expected because as is abovesaid and shall be further said more plainly Gold is not the matter of our Stone in its whole Essence nor yet Mercury wherefore the bare mixture of these cannot Generate our Stone for Gold in the Work is a Male to the Work of Generation in whose most secret Reins the Seed lies hid which if it once send forth being received in a due Matrix and conjoined with the passive female Seed 't is Cherished with a due Heat and Cibated with a proper Aliment then truely we shall have from Gold abundantly to perform our Work So neither a man as he is man can neither be called the Father nor the matter of the Embrio but he has in him such a matter from which by the Conjunction of a Dissimilar spermatick matter in the same kind by an apt Disposition the Infant is formed In like manner we must understand of Gold For Gold is the most perfect of all Metals and the Father of our Stone yet it is not the matter thereof for the Sperm which Gold sends forth if it be handled by Art will be the masculine matter of our Stone and is nothing else then a most digested Virtue of Gold which is Extracted from it by sagacious Art and then is called our Living Gold and not vulgar which is dead So also in the Procreation of man a man may be said to be Dead Respect being had to to the Act of Generation until he pours out the due matter which he hath in himself into a fit Place just so t is in our Art therefore our Gold is not vulgar Gold for they differ as a Father differs from his Sperm which he hath the first is necessary to our Work and Living the other dead and unprofitable that is sends forth its Seed which is the Active Virtue of our Stone So therefore go ye on with a great deal of Caution take this Body which I have Demonstrated and sweetly Extract the Seed from it then and not till then this Gold which before was Dead Idle and useless being made Living active and fit for our Work will supply thee with the first matter of our Stone to 〈◊〉 the masculine and so is no longer called Gold by us but Brass Magnesia Lead Dung nor can it indeed properly be called Gold for Gold is a Body but this a Chaos that is a Spirit nor will Return by any Art to its Pristine Species of Gold because the Body is turned into Spirit from hence saith Menabdes I order Posterity to make Bodies incorporate Hermes also says O Son Extract the Shadow from the Radins that is Extract from the Gold which is called the Radius its Seed which is called the Shaddow both because it lies hidden and as it were in a Shade and also because it comes out under an obscure Shade of Blackness Aristotle also saith The first thing that ye ought to do is to sublime the Mercury then cast clean bodies into a clean Mercury But I would have the Reader Admonisht what sort of sublimation is here intended for there are infinite false Erroneous and Sophistical Operations one true and Natural which notwithstanding is done by Art I omitting all these Vulgar Operations follow the Intention of 〈◊〉 Philosophers and mean that Sublimation which they call the Preparation of the Thin Matter by which the Eclipse of the Earthy Interposition is taken from Luna that she may receive Light from Sol which comes to pass when
if Compared with Sol but in Respect of Common Mercury Digested warm and Mature which has no qualitys like to this except alone in whiteness of Colour and of its form of Flux in which notwithstanding there is a great Difference But lastly that you may well understand what our Water is by Circumstances I tell thee and that moved with Charity that it is Living Running Clear Shining White like Snow Hot and Moist Airy Vaporous and Digesting in which Gold is melted like Ice in warm Water in this is Contained the whole Regimen of Fire and Sulphur which Exist but Predominates not This is indeed the keeper of our Gates the Bath of the King and his Queen davly Warming and that Incessantly and yet is taken elsewhere then from the Matter and is distinguished from the whitening Substance of the Water yet joyned and appearing under the same form of Flux and the same Colour This is that heat of the Lamp which if it be Temperate every day will Circumact the Matter until by Calcination the Humidity being dryed a second Fire of Ashes is produced in which the Vessel or Water is Hermetically shut and Sealed according to the Saying of the Philosopher take a Vessel strick it with a Sword take its Life this is the Closure Therefore this our Water is our Vessel and in that our Furnace dwells secretly whose Fire ought to be moderate least the whole Work be destroyed yet strong enough least the Life Dispond for want of Heat Therefore in this Water the whole Secret of our Vessel confists also the Structure of the hidden Furnace is founded in the Composition of this Water in the Knowledge whereof all our Fires all our Weights all our Regimens lye hid This Water is the Clear Bright Fountain in which our King is to be washed that he may overcome all his Enemies of this Water and its Preparation be Careful because surely without any other help except the Apposition of a perfect purged and Cleansed Body Nature will make from hence our most Secret Stone And I say to thee in Truth that this Water is Mineral pure and Clean neither can it be Extracted elsewhere but out of those things alone in which it is by Nature And the things out of which it is immediatly Drawn are most secret above all others Also the Means of Extracting it is most wonderful also its Virtues Stupendious For it doth Dissolve Sol without violence and is made friendly to it and it washeth him from all his Foulness It is White Warm and Clear therefore praised be the most High who hath Created this Mercury and given it a Nature overcoming all others For certainly the Work of Alchymy would be in vain and useless without this Water But consider thou what this Water is and Learn from the Work as I have done For having this Mercury thou hast the Key of the whole Art with which thou mayest unlock all the most secret things of Philosophers Therefore our Water is of alike Nature with Gold of an unlike Substance in the making of which there is a great Stink Consider therefore and deeply weigh the possibility of Nature and do not mix any Heterogeneous thing For Nature is only amended by its own Nature and by no other But if you do not yet understand do not blame me for I have sincerely as far as it is Lawful for a Man to speak Expounded to you the whole Matter That therefore you may understand the Conclusion of the Matter be very attentive Our Stone is made out of one thing and four Mercurial Substances whereof one is Mature the rest Crude but pure of which two are drawn out of a Mineral by the third but wonderfully joyned with a Temperate not Violent Fire and so Cocted every day until all be made one by a Natural Conjunction most secret not Manual Afterwards the Fire being changed let it be Digested with a Fire daily increasing at first more Moderate and so every day increased until these Volatiles are fixed by a Sulphur of their own kind fixt and incombustible until the whole Compound possess the same Nature Fixity and Colour For then it securely Resists the Fire and this is the most powerful Power of Power overcoming every subtil and penetrating every solid thing the virtue of which being turned into Earth appears compleat But there are that I may describe the thing particularly manifold Degrees of this our Process in Number Twelve all which I will hriesly run over the first whereof is called Calcination Of Calcination And Calcination is the first Purgation of the Stone the Exsiccation of the Humidity by the virtue of the Natural Heat of our Water stirred up by the External Heat from whence the Composition is turned into Calx or Powder of a black colour yet unctuous and retaining the Radical Humiaity The final Cause of this Calcination is that the Solution may be the better induced to the Stone which without this cannot be had For Gold is a very fixt Body neither can it be immediatly Dissolved by our Water except only in part that is be made soft Incrudated and Albificated In which Albification two Natures appear volatile and fixt which we liken to two Dragons or Serpents Wherefore that a full Dissolution may be made there is need of Contrition that the Body by Calcination may be made spongious and viscous because then at last it is fit for Dissolution The Second final Cause is this that we Reconcile contrary Qualities for whilst they fight they are unprofitable unto us For in the first Conjunction our Water distinguishes between Sulphur and Mercury volatile and fixt and these are Enemies to one another and Different things but it is our part to bring them to a Union but contrary qualities are not reconciled but by a Medium there are therfore in our first Operation four contrary qualities Heat Cold Dryness and Humidity of which two Hot and Dry are Attributed to Sulphur Cold and Humid to Mercury therefore they are opposed Diametrically the heat of Sulphur and the Cold of Mercury also the Humidity of Mercury and Siccity of Sulphur To reduce these Contraries to friendship cannot be done without a Medium but the Medium must be partaker of both also suited to both Would we therefore reconcile Cold and Heat the Medium will be by Siccity which may be joyned to both Heat and Cold by turning therefore the Composition into Earth heat and Cold agree in this third thing that they may dwell together to wit the Degree being abated But afterwards being dissolved into water also two other Enemies are Reconciled Siccity and Humidity by the Frigidity of Water so that now one is made of two by the Conjunction made after a Natural Separation But the Efficient of this Calcination is the Operation of Heat upon Moisture turning every thing that resists it into most subtile Powder but the moving Instrument is the Fire contrary to Nature which is hid in our dissolving
is a Fire against Nature whence being struck as it were with the Hammer of Death it becomes impertinently passive from active and instead of black it appears citrine like a wild Poppy But our true Calcination conserves the Radical Humidity in the Body to be dissolved and it is finished in no other colour but black and becomes a discontinuous Calx unctuous fatt and fit for fusion Be therefore Patient that thou maist obtain thy Desire because you will have very much cause of Dispair When therefore we speak of our Operations do not think that we perfect them in one or two days or see the colours or signes in the first hour No verily but we have expected much and long till there was made an Agreement betwixt contrary qualities wherefore Trevesan Teaches in his Practice who was a Learned and good man in this Art that be staid in Prison that is suspence of mind and Doubt fourty days but that he returned afterwards and saw Clouds and Mists Moreover if thou should put Grain into Good Land thou shalt not look into the Earth by moving it every hour that you may see whether and how much it begins to increase if you should do this you could not expect a sweet vegetation much less Fruit from thence So foolish and Insipid are they who as soon as ever they have joined the Dissolvent with the Dissolvend presently seek some signes of the Operation nor can satisfie themselves but they either move or open or add or detract something or at least increase the Fire to accelerate the work and so by this means hinder the work of Nature and therefore do not attain the wished for Ends. Therefore attend to my Doctrine as soon as thou hast prepared the Matter that is mature Sulphur yellow with his Crude white Sulphur and hast duely espoused them shut them up in a vessel and let them stand without trouble if thou rightly proceed within twenty four Hours thou shalt see thy Compound swelling and perhaps sending forth some Bubbles by reason of the Heat of thy Sea water striving to excite the heat of the Included Matter but in the first Entrance thou shalt behold the variation of the colours slowly as at least it will seem to thee because then the keeper of the Gate necessarily sustains many Labours because whatever is done he alone then does it because the Bath is not yet prepared that is the Natural heat of the King is not yet stirred up But when the Bath is made hot our House-keeper shall sustain but few Labours and the operations will be easily to be distinguished Therefore let the Sons of this Art know for certain that the first colour that will appear after the si ver colour of the Amalgama of the Body will not be perfect black for this colour does not come in a moment but every day the more the whiteness is diminished the more blackness will supervene until at last it be compleated For blackness is a signe of a dissolved Body which is not made in one hour but by little and little but Incessantly for the Tincture proceeding from the Reins of Sol and Luna shews it self black to the Eyes but is Extracted insensibly and imperceptibly Therefore the coming of Blackness and the departure of the Tincture out of the Bowels of the Dissolvend Body is the same measure and term of time because as soon as the Tincture is wholly gone out so soon the blackness will be perfect and absolute Concerning this hear what Ludus Puerorum sayes First by how much the more thou Decocts so much the more thou subtilizeth the Gross and blackens the Compound And Bernard Trevesan saith The Earth of the rest beginning to predominate the blackness of the Element appears but does not obtain his Dominion but by little and little To finish in a word there are only four Principle Colours the first whereof is Blackness and that most slow in coming and longest in duration which if it were made perfect by a momentary Ingress the work would be most expeditious for it should not perish more slowly then it came and remain in the top of blackness for an hour For there is no Interstitium in these Operations but it Increaseth to the height of one Degree at which it no sooner arrives but Decresses again therefore it ascends slowly to blackness and descends slowly from it but there is not a Moment in which it doth not ascend or descend for nothing resteth but in its End but blackness is not the end of our Stone ergo c. How then shall blackness appear to wit even as night comes for first the Twilight at last Dark Night and that by insensible Degrees every moment there being less Light in the Air then another until at last there be no Light at all then it is deep Night but all this is wont to be within an hour yet the Motion is Insensible But our work because it requires a longer time the motion must needs be more Imperceptible Thou therefore that seekest this consider the Example produced and thou shalt have thy Answer Objection But after the first Excitation of the Matter the Tincture goes out every hour and moment but the colour of the Tincture going out is blackest blackness therefore after the first stirring up of the Matter blackest blackness will appear in an hour We Answer the blackest blackness is of the Tincture gone out but not of the going out or if so yet it goes out Insensibly but insensible blackness altho most black when it goes into much white will not manifest the blackest blackness in the whole Compound but a whitish colour but if so be the Subject of Whiteness be not subtile and well depurated even as this white is now then its Tincture in its first Egress is not compleatly Black but it obtains this by a Putrefaction which is not a bare Egress of the Tincture but a Repugnance and Resistance from it which ariseth between the outgoing Tincture and the extracting Water that is between Sulphur and Mercury Concerning this thing hear the saying of Morienus Our operation is nothing else but an Extracting of Water out of its Earth nor that only but a returning of the Water upon the Earth until the Earth putresie Therefore the Tincture is not altogether black of it self but most white because by how much the more the Tincture goes out which is the Soul by so much the more the Earth which is the Body is dispirited and so it putrefies and Blackens How long time then must we expect before it be perfectly black In this thing attend to what Flammel sayes The colour which thou ought first to see is blackness and that not every but most black and that within the space of Fourty dayes Also Ripley sayes suffer the Commixt and Coequated Natures to lye together six Weeks which time expect with a slow Fire VVhen the Colours dye they will show it for at that time they will
the Dark Sphere of Saturn which obnubilates the whole Horizon is vanquished then Jupiter obtaining the Empire ascends into the Air with a splendid Cloud whence sincere Beautiful and Lovely Dew drops upon the Earth which mollifies it and raiseth great Winds in its Belly or bosom which brings our Stone upward whence t is endued with Heavenly Virtue which falling down again to the Earth which is its Nurse puts on a Terrene and Corporeal Nature so it receives the Force of Inferiours and Superiours We conclude therefore that neither Gold nor Mercury can afford us the first matter of our Stone until the Tincture be Extracted from Gold the Dissolvend by Mercury the Dissolvent which Tincture is a Living active virtue not Dead as Gold was before its Dissolution This is the matter of the old Philosophers which we ought to take which as the Author of the new Light sayes is but does not appear until the Artist pleaseth in knowing which all the Perfection consists Wherefore I order you who ever would be searchers out of this Secret that you would take that which is vile and manifest to the whole world out of which by a wonderful manner ye shall Extract that which is most hidden therein that is our Menstruum and the Western Mercury is our Philosophical Field in which your Sol shall arise and ascend Join this with his Delectable Bridegroom and let them lye in the bed of Love without stirring until from this hidden Nature which is Mercury regenerated by the Philosopher there proceed a Living Virtue which may raise the Dead then comes a Royal Off-spring of which Sol is the Father and Luna the Mother and so you have a most true Explication of the new Light you must take saith the Author that which is but is not seen till the Artist please and you must use this for the true matter of the old Philosophers and so we have spoken fully and plainly of our body and of our water and of our Red Sulphur and white Brass We have said there ought to be added to these a Furnace Vessel and triple Fire Note well what and about what I speak here for the Furnace is of Lute or Brick the Vessel Glass and the Fire Elementary of which we will speak lower in the last place of this little Treatise concerning our Disposition but here we speak of things Essentially and Substantially Conducing to the work For the Furnace of Brick is not wont to be called by us our Furnace nor Elementary fire ours nor the Glass vessel ours for these commonly are common to us and Sophisters and they will excel us often in the Curiosity of these Externals But we call those things ours which they Neither have nor can have verily I say that our Fire our Furnace our Vessel are secret nor obvious but to Philosophers for they enter into the very Essence of our Work hence a certain Philosopher writing of this fire sayes Behold the fire which I will show thee is Water also another witnesseth thus of the Vessel The vessel of Philosophers is their water another also writes The Intention of all the Philosophers is this that all operations should be made in their humid fire in a secret furnace and vessel which Testimonies plainly enough declare another Fire Vessel and Furnace then are commonly known Moreover my Brother let it not be a cause of scruple to thee that I have before numbred our furnace fire and vessel amongst the things essentially Constituting our Stone for in this I follow the Intention of all Philosophers writing in this Art Concerning this Vessel Sendivogius Writing names it the Vessel of Nature also the Fire of Nature Flammel Artefius Lully and all the rest have kept the same Method it is plain therefore that they would have something hidden from the eyes of the Vulgar But I in good truth say that these three are but one for Nature is but one the Adept Sons of Art do know and will Witness this For the Fire is to the Excruciating of Bodies more then fire therefore it is called burning Wine and a most strong fire hence the Philosopher ' Burn our Brass in most strong fire which whilst Sophisters hear they are deceived thinking it to be a fire of Coals or flame which is contrary to our fire concerning this John Mechungus speak No artificial fire can infuse so great a heat as that which comes from Heaven The First Gate Concerning Philosophical Calcination Not Printed in the Dutch Edition CAlcination Purgeth our Stone Restores Natural Heat destroys nothing of the Radical Humidity brings a due Solution to the Stone The Caution is that it may be done Philosophically not vulgarly with Salts or Sulphur variously prepared c. Whoever therefore truly desires to Calcine should desist from this Work till they understand our Caleination better for that every Calcination destroys Bodies destroying the Humidity of the Stone we also do Reprobate all dry Calxes for that we Increase the Radical Humidity by Calcining but diminish none In Calcination we joyn Nature to its Nature for that like loves like if any one denies this he will not be worthy of the Name of a Philosopher nor ever will get any benefit from our Writings for he understands them not Therefore apply thou Nature to Nature as Reason requires seing all things have this from nature that Like begets its Like Man is begot by a Man a Lion by a Lion so let every thing be Calcined first in its proper nature Learn this and never doubt to be benefited by it Therefore we make Calxes unctuous both white and Red which are not perfected but by three Degrees they are fluid like Wax other ways to be rejected nor are perfected but in a year to Tinge without a Fucus But thou must take care in the first place Concerning the Weight for it is possible for thee to doubt in this Lest therefore thou shouldest loose thy Labour let the body be Calcined with Mercury made so subtile in which there is one part of the Solar quality two of the Lunar until the whole flow together like a Liquid Wax Afterwards Increase the Solar quality in Mercury that there may be four parts of him two Lunar so that thou shalt begin the work at the Figure of the Trinity Three parts of body three of spirit and to Compleat the Unity let there be one part more of the spiritual then the corporeal substance This is proved by the testimony of Raymond If any one seek the Proportion there the Doctor hath demonstrated to me the same But Bacon hath taken three parts of the spirit to one of the body I did not sleep of many nights But choose which way thou wilt FINIS
in Mature and fixed Sulphur to Mercury made most pure by Art and so Extracts the most digested virtue of Sulphur by Mercury which Sulphureal Virtue strongly Changes and perfects Mercury into a Compleat Elixir Observe therefore the Work and the Process thereof whence thou shalt understand the Cause of the wonderful Abreviation of the Work Gold is a Body hot and dry Luna Gold moist Mercury the Medium of Carrying the Tinctures The Body of Sol is most digested of Luna imperfect and immature Mercury the Bond by which these two Contraries are United Join Luna to Mercury with a due and Convenient Ignition and mingle them so that Luna and Mercury may become one Mercury retaining the fire in it self and all the feces and superfluities will fall from Mercury and he shall become clear as the tear of the Eye altho not Diaphonous then lastly mingle this Mercury with Gold in which is Luna and Fire and then the hot and Dry will love the cold and moist and will lye down together in one bed that is in the Fire of friendship and the Man will be dissolved upon the Woman and the woman will be Coagulated upon the Man and then the Spirit and the Body will be one by Commixtion Go on afterwards with that foot thou hast begun and so often Reiterate the Heaven upon its Eearth until the Spirit put on the Body and both be fixt together For then our Stone is perfect and indued with Regal Virtue the which no price can Buy For Mercury is the water of all Metals they being decocted in it And even as simple water which in its own Nature is cold and moist which notwithstanding if it be mixt in decoction with any Vegetable receives and puts on other Qualities of the thing mixt with it whose force and spirit or life which resides in the water goes out by Decoction into the water and the water Convertibly receives its Nature Yet the thick and Corporeal Earthly part of the substance decocted is not that spirit that Changes the quality of the water but is separable from the water after decoction In like manner we must understand of Argent Vive with its Species's yet differently for whatsoever Metal or Mineral shall be so familiar with Mercury as to be mixt per minima and decocted with it that Mercury according to the Species of the Metal so joined puts on other Qualities and will cast off his own Dreggs Therefore Metallick and Mineral species's are subordinately and subalternately to be decocted in it and it is their water into which Mineral spirits are emitted by Decoction and do alter it no other ways then Vegetables decocted in their simple water Yet a double difference is to be noted between the foresaid Decoctions first that water is not fixt with the Vegetables as Mercury with Metals therefore these are of a stronger Composition than those The Second that in the Decoction of Vegetables or Animals the water being a Diaphanous Humor not only receives new Virtue and Qualities but also a different Colour to what it had But it is not so in Mercury for its Nature is altered but not its Colour nor form of Flux but the colour of a dissolved Metal lyes under the form of Liquid Argent vive and by its virtue does not appear Therefore Mercury first acteth up a Metal by dissolving it afterwards the Metal Acts upon Mercury by Coagulating it and as in Dissolution the form and colour of the Metal lay under the form and colour of Mercury so also in Coagulation the form and Colour of Mercury is hid under the Colour and form of the Metal so neither the Qualities of the Metal in dissolution hinders the Flux of Mercury nor the Qualities of Mercury in Coagulation hinder the fixity of the Metal Dost thou not see here a certain wonderful Agreement betwixt Mercury and Metals for they Love like Mother and Son Sister and Brother Male and Female therefore their Bodies are made better by Water for the Generation of all things is by water and they take in it and by it a Latitude of subtilty that is a spiritual and volatile Nature and the Water in like manner is amended by the Bodies and is retained puts on a Corporeal Nature so the whole compound is matured together when the Agents become Patients and on the contrary But the reason that the Colour of Mercury is not changed in Decoction by the Body Dissolved is this that the Earth and Water are Homogeneous in Mercury and so temperate that neither can be separated from the other and they are so strongly Commixt that in so wonderful a tenuity of matter there is such great density of Substance as to hide the Colours whence if any proportion of Mercury be spoiled either destructively by deturpating things or Generatively with a Body Appropriated to its self it will manifest the colour that is thrown into the substance But there are Proportions of Mercury in respect both of Earth and water in respect of the second it flows and is Liquid in respect of the first it wets nothing that it touches but that which is of the Vnity of its Nature From what hath been said all Errors of Operators in Mercury are detected For some Obstruct or Divide its Homogeneity by drying it with various sublimations others Spoiling and Disproportionating the Earth to bring in a Transparency As many as do this do nothing but a Sophistical work For Mercury is Sperm of Metals which Nature with much sagacity hath formed in the Veins of the Earth for Metal Neither is any thing wanting to it but pure Digestion but it is not Digested unless by pare metallick incomburent sulphur which indeed it hath in its Center by which Nature would form Gold in a long time but it is altogether unknown to man how he should make this by his Art For altho Gold might be made of Mercury alone without any addition yet it would not be perfected but by long time and great cost which would be foolish to undergo in making simple Gold Therefore Sulphur is the only thing in the world which Nature has perfected that is familiar to Mercury This therefore is mixt Radically with it and by this Mercury is decocted and Mercury because of the Repugnance of Qualities putrefies it and so by Regeneration it rises again not Gold such as is had in Mines but spiritual Penetrative and tinging in so much that it easily enters all Imperfect Metals when cast upon them which in a very short time it Digesteth to the Anatical proportion of Gold and the dregs being cast off Restores them to perfect Health Thou seest therefore that Mercury is by no means to be Disproportionated from its own Nature but to be Matured and that not by it selt without any addition and yet without any outward addition but a Radical Vnion of a clean Body with it per minima which is done by our secret Conjunction Yet see you be not