means wherof that which before lay hid doth now appear neither can the moysture be separated but is retained by the drinesse And in like maner we see that whosoeuer is in the worlde is retained by or with his contrarie as heate with colde and drinesse with moysture Thus when each of them hath besieged his Companion the thin is mingled with the thicke and those things are made one substance to wit their soule hote and moyst and their body colde and drie then it laboureth to dissolue and subtiliate by his heate and moysture which is his soule and striueth to enclose and retaine with his body that is colde and drie And in this maner is his office changed and altered from one thing to another Thus haue I tolde thee the truth which I haue both seene done giuing thee in charge to conuert natures from their subtilitie and substances with heate and moysture into their substances and colours Now if thou wouldst proceed aright in this mastery to obtaine thy desire passe not the boundes that I haue set thee in this booke CHAP. VI. The manner how to fixe the Spirit KNowe also that when the bodie is mingled with moysture and that the heate of the fire meeteth therewith the moysture is conuerted on the body and dissolueth it and then the spirite cannot issue forth because it is imbibed with the fire The Spirits are fugitiue so long as the bodies are mingled with them and striue to resist the fire his flame and yet these parts can hardly agree without a good operation and continuall labour for the nature of the soule is to ascend vpward whereas the center of the soule is And who is hee that is able to ioyne two or diuers things togither where their centers are diuers vnlesse it be after the conuersion of theyr natures and change of the substance and thing from his nature which is difficult to finde out Whosoeuer therefore can conuert the soule into the bodie the bodie into the soule and therewith mingle the subtile spirites shall be able to tinct any body CHAP. VII Of the Decoction Contrition and washing of the stone THou art moreouer to vnderstand that Decoction contrition cribatiō mundification and ablution with sweet waters is very necessary to this secret and mastery so that he who will bestow any paines herein must cleanse it very well and wash the blacknesse from it and darknes that appeareth in his operation and subtiliate the bodie as much as hee can and afterwarde mingletherwith the soules dissolued and spirits cleansed so long as he thinke good CHAP. VIII Of the quantitie of the Fire and of the commoditie and discommoditie of it FVrthermore thou must bee acquainted with the quantity of the fire for the benefit and losse of this thing proceedeth from the benefit of the fire Wherupon Plato said in his booke The fire yeeldeth profit to that which is perfect but domoge and corruption to that which is corrupt so that when his quantitie shall be meete conuenient it shal prosper but if it shall exceed measure in things it shal without measure corrupt both to wit the perfect and corrupt and for this cause it was requisite that the learned should poure their medicines vpon Elixir to hinder and remoue from them the burning of the fire his heate Hermes also said to his father I am afraide Father of the enemie in my house to whom he made answer Son take the dog Corascene the bitch of Armenia put them together and they shal bring a dog of the colour of heauen and dip him once in the sea water for he shall keepe thy friend and defend thee from thy enemie and shall helpe thee whersoeuer thou become alwaies abiding with thee both in this world and in the world to come Now Hermes meant by the dog bitch such things as preserue bodies from the scorching he ate of the fire And these things are waters of Calces and Salts the composition whereof is to be found in the Philosophers books that haue written of this mastery among whome some haue named them Sea-waters and Birdes milke and such like CHAP IX Of the Separation of the Elements of the Stone THou must afterward bother take this precious Stone which the Philosophers haue named magnified hiddē concealed put it in a Cucurbit with his Alembick diuide his natures that is the foure elemēts the Earth the Water the Aire and the Fire These are the body and soule the spirit and tincture When thou hast diuided the water from the earth and the aire from the fire keepe both of them by themselues and take that which descendeth to the bottom of the glasse beeing the lees and wash it with a warme fire til his blacknesse be gone and his thicknesse departed then make him very white causing the superfluous moysture to flie away for then hee shall bee changed and become a white calx wherein there is no cloudie darkenesse nor vncleannesse and contrarietie Afterward returne back to the first natures which ascended from it and purifie thē likewise from vncleannes blacknesse and contrarietie and reiterate these works vpon thē so often vntil they be subtiliate purified and made thin which when thou hast done thou shalt acknowledge that God hath bin gracious vnto thee Know brother that this work is one stone into which Gatib may not enter that is to say any strange thing The learned work with this and from hence proceedeth a medicine that giueth perfection There must nothing be mingled herewith either in part or whole This Stone is to be found at all times in euerie place and about euery man the search whereof is not troublesome to him that seeketh it wheresoeuer he be This Stone is vile blacke and stinking It costeth nothing it must bee taken alone it is somewhat heauie and it is called the Originall of the world because it riseth vp like things that bud sorth This is his reuelation and apparance to him thut maketh inquirie after it CHAP. X. Of the nature of the Stone and his birth TAke it therefore and worke it as the Philosopher hath told you in his booke when he named it after this maner Take the Stone no Stone or that is not a Stone neither is of the nature of a Stone It is a Stone whose myne is in the top of the mountaines and here by mountaines the Philosopher vnderstandeth liuing creatures wherupon he saide Sonne go to the mountaines of India and to his caues pull out thence precious stones which will melt in the water when they are putte into it And this water is that which is taken from other mountaines and hollow places They are stones Sonne and they are not stones but we call them so for a Similitude which they haue to stones And thou must know that the rootes of their mynes are in the ayre and their tops in the earth and it wil easily be heard when they are pluckt out of
THE Mirror of Alchimy Composed by the thrice-famous and learned Fryer Roger Bachon sometimes fellow of Martin Colledge and afterwards of Brasen-nose Colledge in Oxenforde Also a most excellent and learned discourse of the admirable force and efficacie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written by the same Author With certaine other worthie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the like Argument Vino 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed for Richard 〈◊〉 1597. The Preface IN times past the Philosophers spake afters diuers and sundrie manners throughout their writings sith that as it were in a riddle and cloudie voyce they haue left vnto vs acertaine most excellent and noble science but altogither obscure and without all hope vtterly denied and that not without good cause VVherefore I would aduise thee that aboue all other bookes thou shouldest firmly fixe thy mind vpon these seuen Chapters conteining in them the transmutation of mettalls and often call to minde the beginning middle and end of the same wherein thou shalt finde such subtilitie that thy minde shal be fully contented therewith The Mirrour of Alchimy composed by the famous Fryer Roger Bachon sometime fellow of Martin Colledge and Brasen-nose Colledge in Oxenforde CHAP. I. Of the Definitions of Alchimy IN many ancient Bookes there are found many definitions of this Art the intentions wherof we must consider in this Chapter For Hermes saith of this Science Alchimy is a Corporal Science simply composed of one and by one naturally conioyning things more precious by knowledge and effect and conuerting them by a naturall commixtion into a better kind A certain other saith Alchimy is a Science teaching how to transforme any kind of mettall into another and that by a propermedicine as it appeareth by many Philosophers Bookes Alchimy therefore is a science teaching how to make and compound a certaine medicine which is called Elixir the which when it is cast vpon mettals or imperfect bodies doth fully perfect them in the verie proiection CHAP. II. Of the naturall principles and procreation of Minerals SEcondly I will perfectly declare the naturall principles procreations of Minerals where first it is to be noted that the naturall principles in the mynes are Argent-uiue and Sulphur All mettals and minerals whereof there be sundrie and diuers kinds are begotten of these two but I must tel you that nature alwaies intendeth and striueth to the perfection of Gold but many accidents comming between change the mettalls as it is euidently to be seene in diuers of the Philosophers bookes For according to the puritie and impuritie of the two aforesaide principles Argent-uiue and Sulphur pure and impure mettals are ingēdred to wit Gold Siluer Steele Leade Copper and Iron of whose nature that is to say puritie and impuritie or vncleane superfluitie and defect giue eare to that which followeth Of the nature of Golde GOld is a perfect body engendred of Argent-uiue pure fixed cleare red and of Sulphur cleane fixed red not burning and it wanteth nothing Of the nature of Siluer SIluer is a body cleane pure and almost perfect begotten of Argent-uiue pure almost fixed cleare and white of such a like Sulphur It wanteth nothing saue a little fixation colour and weight Of the nature of Steele STeele is a body cleane imperfect engendred of Argent-uiue pure fixed not fixed cleare white outwardly but red inwardly and of the like Sulphur It wanteth onely decoction or digestion Of the nature of Leade LEade is an vncleane and imperfect bodie engendred of Argent-uiue impure not fixed earthy drossie somewhat white outwardly and red inwardly and of such a Sulphur in part burning It wanteth puritie fixation colour and fiering Of the nature of Copper COpper is an vncleane and imperfect bodie engendred of Argent-uiue impure not fixed earthy burning red not cleare and of the like Sulphur It wanteth purity fixation and weight and hath too much of an impure colour and earthinesse not burning Of the nature of Iron IRon is an vnclean and imperfect body engendred of Argent-uiue impure too much fixed earthy burning white and red not cleare and of the like Sulphur It wanteth fusion puritie and weight It hath too much fixed vncleane Sulphur and burning earthinesse That which hath bene spoken euerie Alchimist must diligently obserue CHAP. III. Out of what things the matter of Elixir must be more nearly extracted THe generation of mettals as well perfect as imperfect is sufficiently declared by that which hath bene already spoken Now let vs returne to the imperfect matter that must be chosen and made perfect Seeing that by the former Chapters we haue bene taught that all mettalls are engendred of Argent-uiue and Sulphur and how that their impuritie and vncleannesse doth corrupt and that nothing may be mingled with mettalls which hath not beene made or sprung from them it remaineth cleane inough that no strange thing which hath not his originall from these two is able to perfect them or to make a chaunge and new transmutation of them so that it is to be wondred at that any wise man should set his mind vpon liuing creatures or vegetables which are far off when there be minerals to bee found nigh enough neither may we in any wise thinke that any of the Philosophers placed the Art in the said remote things except it were by way of comparison but of the asoresaid two all mettals are made neither doth any thing cleaue vnto them or is ioyned with them nor yet chaungeth them but that which is of them and so of right wee must take Argent-uiue and Sulphur for the matter of our stone Neither doth Argent-uiue by it selfe alone nor Sulphur by it selfe alone beget any mettall but of the commixtion of them both diuers mettals and minerals are diuersly brought foorth Our matter therefore must bee chosen of the commixtion of them both but our finall secrete is most excellent and most hidden to wit of what minerall thing that is more neere then others it shuld be made and in making choise hereof we must be very warie I put the case then y t our matter were first of all drawne out of vegetables of which sort are hearbs trees and whatsoeuer springeth out of the earth here wee must first make Argent-uiue Sulphur by a long decoction from which things and their operation we are excused for nature herselfe offereth vnto vs Argent-uiue and Sulphur And if wee should draw it from liuing creatures of which sort is mans bloud haire vrine excrements hens egs and what else proceede from liuing creatures wee must likewise out of them extract Argent-uiue and Sulphur by decoction frō which we are freed as we were before Or if we should choose it out of middle minerals of which sort are all kindes of Magnesia Marchasites of Tutia Coppres Allums Baurach Salts and mary other we should likewise as asore extract Argent-uiue and Sulphur by decoction frō which as from the former wee are also excused And if we should take one of the seuen spirits by it selfe as Argent-uiue
or Sulphur alone or Argent uiue and one of the two Sulphurs or Sulphur-uiue or Auripigment or Citrine Arsenicum or red alone or the like we should neuer effect it because sith nature doth neuer perfect anything without equall commixtion of both neither can wee from these therefore as from the foresaide Argent-uiue and Sulphur in their nature we are excused Finally if wee should choose them wee should mixe eueriething as it is according to a due proportion which no man knoweth and afterward decoct it to coagulatiō into a solide lumpe and therefore we are excused from receiuing both of them in their proper nature to wit Argent-uiue and Sulphur seeing wee know not their proportion and that wee may meete with bodies wherein we shall find the saide things proportioned coagulated gathered together after a due manner Keepe this secret more secretly Golde is a perfect masculine bodie without any superfluitie or diminution and if it should perfect imperfect bodyes mingled with it by melting onely it should be Elixir to red Siluer is also a body almost perfect and feminine which if it should almost perfect imperfect bodyes by his common melting onely it should be Elixir to white which it is not nor cannot be because they onely are perfect And if this perfection might be mixed with the imperfect the imperfect shuld not be perfected with the perfect but rather their perfections shuld be diminished by the imperfect become imperfect But if they were more then perfect either in a two-fold foure-fold hundred-fold or larger proportion they might then wel perfect the imperfect And forasmuch as nature doth alwaies work simply the perfection which is in them is simple inseparable incommiscible neither may they by art be put in the stone for serment to shorten the worke and so brought to their former state because the most volatile doth ouercome the most fixt And for that gold is a perfect body consisting of Argent-uiue red and cleare of such a Sulphur therfore we choose it not for the matter of our stone to the red Elixir because it is so simply perfect without artificiall mundification so strongly digested and sod with a natural heate that with our artificiall fire we are scarcely able to worke on gold or siluer And though nature dooth perfect any thing yet she cannot throughly mundifie or perfect and purifie it because she simply worketh on that which shee hath If therfore we should choose gold or siluer for the matter of the stone we should hard and scantly find fire working in them And although we are not ignoranr of the fire yet could we not come to the through mundification perfection of it by reasō of his most firme knitting together and naturall composition we are therefore excused for taking the first too red or the second too white seeing we may find out a thing or som body of as cleane or rather more cleane Sulphur Argent-uiue on which nature hath wrought little or nothing at all which with our artificiall fire experience of our art we are able to bring vnto his due concoction mundification colour and fixation continuing our ingenious labour vpon it There must therefore bee such a matter chosen wherein there is Argent-uiue cleane pure cleare white red not fully compleat but equally and proportionably commixt after a due maner with y e like Sulphur congeled into a solide masse that by our wisdome and discretion and by our artificiall fire we may attain vnto the vttermost cleannesse of it and the puritie of the same and bring it to that passe that after the worke ended it might bee a thousand thousand times more strong and perfect then the simple bodies themselues decoct by their naturall heate Be therefore wise for it thou shalt be subtile and wittie in my Chapters wherin by manifest prose I haue laid open the matter of the stone easie to be knowne thou shalt taste of that delightfull thing wherin the whole intention of the Philosophers is placed CHAP. IIII. of the maner of working and of moderating and continuing the fire I Hope ere this time thou hast already found out by the words alreadie spoken if thou beest not most dull ignorant and foolish the certaine matter of the learned Philosophers blessed stone whereon Alchimy worketh whilest we indeuour to perfect the imperfect and that with things more then perfect And for that nature hash deliuered vs the imperfect onely with the perfect it is our part to make the matter in the former Chapters declared vnto vs more then perfect by our artificiall labour And if we know not the maner of working what is the cause that we do not see howe nature which of long time hath perfected mettals doth continually work Doo wee not see that in the Mynes through the continuall heate that is in the mountaines there of the grosnesse of water is so decocted thickned that in continuance of time it becommeth Argent-uiue And that of the fatnesse of the earth through the same heate and decoction Sulphur is engendred And that through the same heate without intermission continued in thē all mettals are ingendred of them according to their puritie and impuritie and that nature doth by decoction alone perfect or make al mettals as well perfect as imperfect O extreame madnesse what I pray you constraines you to seeke to perfect the foresaide things by straunge melancholicall and fantasticall regiments as one sayth Wo to you that will ouercome nature and make mettals more then perfect by a new e regiment or worke sprung from your owne senselesse braines God hath ginen to nature a straite way to wit continuall concoction and you like fooles despise it or else know it not Againe fire and Azot are sufficient for thee And in an other place Heat perfecteth althings And elsewhere seeth seeth seeth and be not wearie And in an other place let thy fire be gentle easie which being alwayes equall may continue burning and let it not encrease for if it do thou shalt suffer great losse And in an other place Know thou that in one thing to wit the stone byone way to wit decoctiō and in one vessel the whole mastery is performed And in an other place patiently and continually and in another place grinde it seuen times And in an other place It is ground with fire And in an other place this worke is verie like to the creation of man for as the Infant in the beginning is nourished with light meates but the bones beeing strengthened with stronger so this masterie also first it must haue an easie fire whereby wee must alwaies worke in euery essence of decoction And though we alwayes speake of a gentle fire yet in truth we think that in gouerning the worke the fire must alwayes by little and little bee increased and augmented vnto the end CHAP. V. Of the qualitie of the Vessell and Furnace THe meanes and manner of working wee haue alreadie determined
may by no meanes be ioyned to another body And in another place The soule doth quickly enter into his own body which if thou goest about to ioyne with another body thou shalt loose thy labour for the neerenesse it selfe is more cleare And because corporeall things in this regimēt are made incorporeall contrariwise things incorporeal corporeall and in the shutting vp of the worke the whole body is made a spirituall fixt thing and because also that spirituall Elixir euidently whether white or red is so greatly prepared and decocted beyonde his nature it is no marnaile that it cannot bee mixed with a body on which it is proiected beeing onely melted It is also a hard matter to proiect it on a thousand thousand and more and incontinently to penetrate and transmute them I will therefore nowe deliuer vnto you a great and hidden secret One part is to bee mixed with a thousand of the next body let all this be surely put into a fit vessell and sette it in a surnace of fixation first with a lent fire and afterwardes encreasing the fire for three dayes till they be inseperably ioyned together and this is a worke of three dayes then againe and finally euery part heereof by it selfe must be proiected vpon another thousand parts of any neere body and this is a worke of one day or one houre or a moment for which our wonderfull God is eternally to be praised Here endeth the Mirror of Alchimy composed by the most learned Philosopher Roger Bacon The Smaragdine Table of Hermes Trismegistus of Alchimy THe wordes of the secrets of Hermes which were written in a Smaragdine Table and found betweene his hands in an obscure vaute wherin his body lay buried It is true without leasing certain and most true That which is beneath is like that which is aboue that which is aboue is like that which is beneath to worke the miracles of one thing And as all things haue proceeded from one by the meditatiō of one so all things haue sprung from this onething by adaptation His father is the sun his mother is the moone the wind bore it in hir belly The earth is his nurse The father ofallthe telesme of this world is here His force and power is perfect if it be turned into earth Thou shalt seperate the earth from the fire the thinne from the thicke and that gently with great discretion It ascendeth from the Earth into Heauen and and againe it descendeth into the earth and receiueth the power of the superiours and inferiours so shalt thou haue the glorie of the whole worlde All obscuritie therefore shall flie away from thee This is the mightie power of all power for it shal ouercome euery subtile thing and pearce through euery solide thing So was the worlde created Here shall be maruailous adatpations whereof this is the meane Therefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus or the thrice great Interpreter hauing three parts of the Philosophy of the whole world That which I haue spoken of the operation of the Sunne is finished Here endeth the Table of Hermes A briefe Commentarie of Hortulanus the Philosopher vpon the Smaragdine Table of Hermes of Alchimy The praier of Hortulanus LAude honour power and glorie be giuen to thee O Almightie Lorde God with thy beloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost the comforter O holy Trinitie that art the onely one God perfect man I giue thee thankes that hauing the knowledge of the transitorie things of this worlde least I should bee prouoked with the pleasures thereof of thy abundant mercie thou hast taken mee from it But for somuch as I haue knowne manie deceiued in this art that haue not gone the right way let it please thee O Lord my God that by the knowledge which thou hast giuen mee I may bring my deare friends frō error that when they shal perceiue the truth they may praise thy holy and glorious name which is blessed for euer Amen The Preface I Hortulanus so called for the Gardens bordering vpon the sea coast wrapped in a Iacobin skinne vnworthy to be called a Disciple of Philosophie moued with the loue of my welbeloued doo intend to make a true declaration of the words of Hermes the Father of Philosophers whose words though that they be dark and obscure yet haue I truely expounded the whole operation and practise of the worke for the obscuritie of the Philosophers in their speeches dooth nothing preuaile where the doctrine of the holy spirit worketh CHAP. I. That the Art of Alchimy is true and certaine THe Philosopher saith It is true to wit that the Arte of Alchimie is giuen vnto vs. VVithout leasing This hee saith in detestation of them that affirme this Art to bee lying that is false It is certaine that is prooued For whatsoeuer is prooued is most certaine And most true For most true golde is ingendred by Art and he saith most true in the superlatiue degree because the golde ingendred by this Art excelleth all naturall gold in all proprieties both medicinall and others CHAP. II. That the Stone must be diuided into two parts COnsequentlie he toucheth the operation of the stone saying That which is beneath is as that which is aboue And this he sayth because the stone is diuided into two principall parts by Art Into the superiour part that ascendeth vp and into the inferiour part which remaineth beneath fixe and cleare and yet these two parts agree in vertue and therefore hee sayeth That which is aboue is like that which is beneath And this diuision is necessarie To perpetrate the myracles of one thing to wit of the Stone because the inferiour part is the Earth which is called the Nurse and Ferment and the superiour part is the Soule which quickeneth the whole Stone and raiseth it vp Wherefore separation made and coniunction celebrated manie myracles are effected in the secret worke of nature CHAP. III. That the Stone hath in it the foure Elements ANd as all things haue proceeded from one by the meditation of one Heere giueth hee an example saying as all things came from one to wit a confused Globe or masse by meditation that is the cogitation and creation of one that is the omnipotent God So all things haue sprung that is come out from this one thing that is one confused lumpe by A daptation that is by the sole commaūdement of God and miracle So our Stone is borne and come out of one confused masse containing in it the foure Elements which is created of God and by his sole miracle our stone is borne CHAP. IIII. That the Stone hath Father and Mother to wit the Sunue and Moone ANd as wee see that one liuing creature begetteth more liuing creatures like vnto it selfe so artificially golde engendereth golde by vertue of multiplication of the foresaid stone It followeth therefore the Sunne is his father that is Philosophers Gold And as in euerie naturall generation there must be a
it self be brought to the effect of generation for where one cannot meete with the cause of generation or the roote and heate it selfe it will fall out that the labour shall be lost and the worke nought worth The like mischiefe will happen in respect of weight which if it be not aright in the compound the partes of the same nature passing their boundes by augmentation or diminution the propertie of the compound is destroyed the effect therof voyd and without fruit whereof I will giue you an example Doo not you see that in Sope with which cloathes are washed cleane and made white there is this property if it be rightly made by reason of equalitie one proportion which participate in length and breadth wherupon through this participation they agree and then it appeareth because it was truely made and so the vertue which before lay hid is nowe made known which they cal a property being the vertue of washing engendred in the compound but when the grauity of the compound passeth his bounds either by addition or diminution y e vertue it self breaketh the limits of equality becōmeth contrary according to y e distēperāce of the cōpound And this thou must vnderstād to happen in the cōposition of our mastery CHAP I. Of the foure Masteries or principall works of the Art to wit solution congelation albification and rubification NOw begin I to speake of the great worke which they call Alchimy wherein I will confirme my woordes without concealing ought or keeping backe any thing saue that which is not conuenient to bee vttered or named We say then that the great work containeth in it foure masteries as the Philosophers before vs haue affirmed that is to say to dissolue to congeale to make white and red And these foure quantities are partakers whereof two of them are partakers betweene themselues and so likewise are the other two And either of these double quātities hath another quantity partaker which is a greater quantity partaker after these two I vnderstand by these quantities the quantitie of the natures and weight of the medicines which are orderly dissolued and congealed wherin neither addition nor diminution haue any place But these two to wit solution and congelation shal be in one operation and shall make but one worke and that before composition but after composition their works shall bee diuers And this solution and congelation which wee haue spoken of are the solution of the bodie and the congelation of the Spirite and they are two yet haue but one operation For the Spirites are not congealed except the bodies beedissolued is likewise the bodies is not dissolued vnlesse the spirit be cōgealed when the soule the body are ioyned togither either of them worketh in his companion made like vnto him as for example when water is put to earth it striueth to dissolue the earth by the moisture vertue and propertie which it hath making it more subtile then it was before and bringing it to be like it selfe for the water was more subtile then the earth and thus doth the soule worke in the bodie and after the same manner is the water thickened with the earth and becommeth like vnto the earth in thicknesse for the earth is more thicke then the water And thou must knowe that betweene the solution of the bodie and congelation of the spirit there is no distance of time or diuerse work as though one should be without the other as there is no difference of time in the coniunction of the earth and water that one might be knowne discerned from the other in their operations but they haue both one instant and one fact and one and the same worke conteineth them both at once before composition I say before composition least he that shall read this booke and heare the names of resolution and congelation shoulde suppose it to be the composition which the Philosophers entreat of for so he should fowly erre in his worke and iudgement because composition in this worke or masterie is a coniunction or marriage of the congealed spirit with the dissolued bodie and this coniunction or passion is vpon the fire For heate is his nourishment and the soule forsaketh not the bodie neither is it otherwise knit vnto it then by the alteration of both from their owne vertue and properties and after the conuersion of their natures and this is the solution and congelation which the Philosophers first spake of which neuerthelesse they haue hidden in their subtile discourses with darke obscure words that so they might alienate and estrange the mind of the reader frō the true vnderstanding thereof where of thou maist take this for an example Annoynt the leafe with poyson and ye shall approue there by the beginning of the worke and mastery of the same And againe labour the strong bodies with one solution til either of them be turned to his subtilitie So likewise in these folowing except ye conuert the bodies into such subtilitie that they may bee impalbable yee shall not find that ye looke for and if you haue not ground them returne backe to worke till they bee ground and made subtill which if you do you shall haue your wish And many other such sayings haue they of the same matter The which none that euer proued this Art could vnderstand til he hath had a plaine demonstration thereof the former doubt being remoued And in like maner haue they spoken of that cōposition which is after solution congelation And afterward they haue said that Cōposition is not perfect without marriage and putrifaction yet againe they teach solution congelation diuision mariage putrifaction and composition because composition is the beginning and verie life of the thing For vnlesse there were composition the thing should neuer be brought to passe Diuision is a separatiō of the parts of the cōpound so separation hath bin his coniunction I tell you againe that the spirit wil not dwel with the body nor be in it nor by any meanes abide with it vntill the body be made subtil thin as the spirit is But when it is attenuate and subtill and hath cast off his thicknes put on thinnes hath forsaken his grosnesse corpority is become spirituall then shall he be mingled with the subtill spirits imbibed in them so that both shall become one and the same they shall not be seuered like as water put to water cannot be diuided Suppose that of two like quantities that are in solution and congelation the larger is the soule the lesser is the body adde afterward to the quantitie which is the soule that quātity which is in the body it shall participate with the first quantity in vertue only then worke them as we haue wrought them and so thou shalt obtaine thy desire and Euclide his line shall bee verified vnto thee Afterwarde take his quantity and know his waight and giue him as much moysture as he will
drink the weight of which moysture we haue not here determined Then againe worke them with an operation vnlike the former first imbibing and subliming it and this operation is that which they call Albification and they name it Yarit that is Siluer and and white Leade And when thou hast made this compounde white adde to him so much of the Spirit as maketh halfe of the whole and set it to working till it waxe redde and then it shall be of the colour Alsulfir which is verie red and the Philosophers haue likened it to golde the effect hereof leadeth thee to that which Aristotle saide to his Disciple Arda wee call the claye when it is white Yarit that is Siluer and when it is red wee name it Temeynch that is Golde Whitenesse is that which tincteth Copper and maketh it Yarit and that is rednesse which tincteth Yarit that is siluer maketh it Temeynch that is Gold He therefore that is able to dissolue these bodies to subtiliate thē to make them white and red and as I haue said to compound them by imbibing and conuert them to the same shall without all doubt attaine the masterie and performe the worke whereof I haue spoken vnto thee CHAP. II. Of the things and instruments necessarie and fit for this worke IT behoueth thee to knowe the vessels in this masterie to wit Aludela which the Philosophers haue called Church-yards or Cribbles because in them the parts are diuided and cleansed and in them is the matter of the masterie made compleat perfect and depured And euery one of these must haue a Furnace fit for it and let either of them haue a similitude and figure agreeable to the worke Mezleme and many other Philosophers haue named all these things in their bookes teaching the maner and forme there of And thou must know that herein the Philosophers agree togither in their wrytings concealing it by signes and making many books thereof instruments which are necessarie in these foure foresaid things As for the instruments they are two in number One is a Cucurbit with his Alembick the other is Aludel that is well made There are also foure things necessarie to these that is to say Bodies Soules Spirites and VVaters of these foure dooth the masterie and minerall worke consist These are made plaine in the Philosophers Bookes I haue therefore omitted them in mine and onely touched those things which they passed ouer with silence which he shall easily discerne that is but of indifferent iudgement And this booke I haue not made for the ignorant and vnlearned but for the wise and prudent CHAP. III. Of the nature of things appertaining to this worke KNow thou that the Philosophers haue giuen them diuerse names for some haue called them Mynes some Animal some Herball and some by the name of Natures that is Naturall some other haue called them by certaine other names at their pleasures as seemed good vnto them Thou must also know that their Medicines are neere to Natures according as the Philosophers haue said in their bookes that Nature commeth nigh to nature and Nature is like to nature and Nature is ioyned to nature and Nature is drowned in nature and Nature maketh nature white Nature doth make nature red and generation is retained with generation generation conquereth with generation CHAP. IIII. Of Decoction and the effect thereof KNow thou that the Philosophers haue named Decoction in their Bookes saying that they make Decoction in thinges and that is it that engendreth them and changeth them from their substances and colours into other substāces and colours If thou transgresse not I tell thee in this booke thou shalt proceed rightly Consider brother the seed of the earth wheron men liue how the heate of the Sunne worketh in it till it be ripe when men and other creatures seede vpon it and that afterwarde Nature worketh on it by her heate within man conuerting it into his flesh and blood For like hereto is our operation of the masterie the seed whereof as the learned haue sayde is such that his perfection and proceeding consisteth in the fire which is the cause of his life and death without somwhat comming betweene and his spiritualtie which are not mingled but with the fire Thus haue I tolde thee the truth as I haue seene and done it CHAP. V. Of Subtiliation Solution Coagulation and commistion of the Stone and of their cause and end KNow that except thou subtiliate the bodie till all become water it will not rust and putrifie and then it cannot congeale the fitting soules when the fire toucheth them for the fire is that which congealeth them by the ayd therof vnto them And in like maner haue the Philosophers commanded to dissolue the bodies to the end y e heat might enter into their bowels Again we returne to dissolue those bodies congeale them after their solution with that thing which cōmeth nigh to it vntil we ioyne all those things which haue beene mingled togither by an apt and fit commixtion which is a temperate quantitie Whereupon we ioyne fire and water earth and ayre togither when the thick hath bin mingled with the thin the thinner with the thick the one abydeth with the other and their natures are changed and made like wheras before they were simple because that part which is generatiue bestoweth his vertue vpon the subtill and that is the ayre for it cleaueth vnto his like and is a part of the generation from whence it receyueth power to moue and ascend vpward Cold hath power ouer the thick because it hath lost his heate and the water is gone out of it and the thing appeared vpō it And the moisture departed by ascending the subtil part of y e aire and mingled it selse with it for it is like vnto it and of the same nature And when the thicke bodie hath lost his heat and moysture and that cold and drinesse hath power ouer him and that their parts haue mingled themselues and be diuided and that there is no moysture to ioyne the partes diuided the parts withdraw themselues And afterwards the part which is contrary to colde by reason that it hath continued sent his heat and decoction to the parts of y e earth hauing power ouerthem and exercising such dominion ouer the cold that where before it was in the thicke body it now lurketh and lieth hid his part of generation is changed becomming subtil and hot and striuing to dry vp by his heat But afterward the subtill part that causeth natures to ascende when it hath lost his accidentall heat waxeth cold then the natures are changed and become thicke and descend to the center where y e earthly natures are ioyned togither which were subtiliate and conuerted in their generation and imbibed in them and so the moysture coupleth togither the parts diuided but the earth endeuoureth to drie vp that moysture cōpassing it about and hindring it from going out by
their places for there will be a great noyse Goe with them my sonne for they will quickly vanish away CHAP. XI Of the commistion of the Elements that were seperated BEgin composition which is the circuite of the whole worke for there shall be no composition without marriage and putrefaction The Marriage is to mingle the thinne with the thicke and Putrefaction is to rost grinde and water so long till all be mingled together and become one so that there should bee no diuersitie in them nor separation from water mingled with water Then shall the thicke labour to retaine the thinne then shall the soule striue with the fire and endeuour to beare it then shall the Spirite labour to be drowned in the bodyes and poured foorth into them And this must needes bee because the bodye dissolued when it is commixt with the Soule it is likewise commixt with euerie part therof other things enter into other things according to theyr similitude and likenesse and are changed into one and the same thing And for this cause the soule must partake with the commoditie durablenesse and permanencie which the body receiued in his commixtion The like also must befall the Spirite in this state or permanencie os the soule and boby sor when the Spirit shall bee commixt with the soule by laborious operation and all his partes with all the partes of the other two to wit the soule and bodie then shall the Spirite and the other two bee conuerted into one indiuisible thing according to their entire substance whose natures haue beene preserued and their partes haue agreed and come together whereby it hath come to passe that when this compounde hath met with a body dissolued and that heate hath got hold of it and that the moysture which was in it appeareth and is molten in the dissolued body and hath passed into it and mixt it selfe with that which was of the nature of moysture it is inflamed and the fire defendeth it self with it Then when the fire would been flamed with it it will not suffer the fire to take holde of it that is to say to cleaue vnto it with the Spirit mingled with his water The fire will not abide by it vntill it be pure And in like manner doth the water naturally flie from the fire wherof when the fire hath taken hold it doth forth with by little and little euaporate And thus hath the body beene the meanes to retaine the water and the water to retaine the oyle that it should not burne nor consume away and the oyle to retaine tincture and tincture the precise cause to make the colour appeare and shew forth the tincture wherein there is neither light nor life This then is the true life and perfection of the worke and masterie which thou soughtest for Be wise therefore and vnderstande and thou shalt find what thou lookest for if it please God CHAP. XII Of the solution of the Stone compounded THe Philosophers moreouer haue taken great paines in dissoluing that the body and soule might the better be incorporate for all those things that are together in contrition assation and rig ation haue a certaine affinitie and alliance betweene themselues so that the fire may spoyle the weaker of nature till it vtterly fade and vanish away as also it again returneth vpon the stronger parts vntil the bodie remaine without the Soule But when they are thus dissolued and congealed they take the parts one with another as well great as small and incorporate them well together till they be conuerted and changed into one and the same thing And when this is done the fire taketh from the Soule as much as from the body neither more nor lesse and this is the ceuse of perfection For this cause it is necessary teaching the composition of Elixir to afford one chapter for expounding the solution of simple bodyes and soules because bodyes doo not enter into soules but do rather withhold and hinder them from sublimatiō fixation retention commistion and the like operations except mundification go before And thou shalt know that solution is after one of these two wayes for either it extracteth the inward parts of things vnto their Superficies and this is solution an example whereof thou hast in Siluer that seemeth cold and drie but being dissolued and that his inwards appeare it is found hot and moyst or else it is to purchase to a body an accidentall moysture which it had not before and to adde hereunto his owne humiditie whereby his parts may be dissolued and this likewise is called solution CHAP. XIII Of the coagulation of the Stone dissolued SOme among the learned haue said Congeale in a bath with a good congelation as I haue tolde thee and this is Sulphur shining in darknesse a red Hiasinth a firy deadly poyson the Elixir that abideth vppon none a victorious Lion a malefactor a sharpe sworde a precious Triacle healing euery infirmitie And Geber the sonne of Hayen sayd that all the operations of this masterie are contained vnder fixe things to put to flight to melt to incerate to make as white as Marble to dissolue and congeale That putting to flight is to driue away and remoue blacknesse from the spirit and soule the melting is the liquefaction of the body to incerate belongeth properly to the body and is the subtiliation thereof to whiten is properly to melt speedily to congeale is to congeale the body with the soule alreadie prepared Againe flight appertaineth to the body and soule to melt whiten incerate and dissolue belong vnto the body and congelation to the soule Bee wise and vnderstand CHAP XIIII That there is but one Stone and of his nature BAuzan a Greeke Philosopher when it was demaunded of him whether a stone may be made of a thing that buddeth made answere yea to wit the two first stones the stone Alkali and our stone which is the life and workmanship of him that knoweth it but he that is ignorant of it and hath not made it and knoweth not how it is engendred supposing it to be no stone or that conceiueth not with himselfe whatsoeuer I haue spoken of it and yet will make a tryall of it prepareth himselfe for death and casteth away his money for if he cannot finde out this precious stone another shall not arise in his place neither shall natures triumph ouer him His nature is great heate with moderation He that now knoweth it hath profited by reading this booke but he that remaineth ignorant hath lost his labour It hath many properties and vertues for it cureth bodies of their accidentall diseases and preserueth sound substances in such sort that their appeareth in them no perturbations of contraries nor breach of their bond and vnion For this is the sope of bodies yea their spirit and soule which when it is incorporate with them dissolueth them without any losse This is the life of the dead and their resurrection a medicine preseruing bodies and