inuentors of liberall Arts earnestly approuing the vertues of things vnder the Heauens did inquire with great desire if any thing was amongst the creatures that might saue mans body from all corruption and preserue it aliue for euer Vnto whom it was answered that there was nothing that could deliuer our corruptible body from death but that there was one thing that could remoue all corruptions renue youth and prolong short life as in the first Patriarches because vnto the first Parents Adam and Eue for penance of sinne death was giuen which will neuer be separated from the whole posterity Wherefore the said Philosophers and many others most painfully seeking that one thing amongst all things haue found that it which should preserue mans body from corruption and prolong life is such amongst qualities as the Heauen amongst Elements They vnderstood the Heauen to bee aboue the Essence of the foure Elements and so that to bee aboue the Essence of the foure qualities The Heauen in comparison of Elements is called Quintessence because it is incorruptible vnchangeable not receiuing strange impressions so also that thing in respect of the qualities of our body is in corruptible expelling al superfluities from the body It is called of the Philosophers by the foresaid name neither hot and dry with the fire nor cold and moist with the water nor hot and moist with the aire nor cold and dry with the earth but of all the elementary qualities a perfect proportion a true coniunction of naturall power a speciall addition of spirituall vertue and an inseparable vnion of body and soule a substance most pure most pretious artificially extracted from an incorruptible body which no waies can be destroyed nor in any thing be defiled with the Elements Whereof Aristotle did make an Apple with whose smell hee did prolong his life when through length of age he could not eat nor drink fifteene daies before his death This spirituall substance is that onely thing which from aboue was shewed vnto Adam and most desired by the holy fathers which Hermes and Aristotle doe call the truth without lye the certaine most certaine and the secret of all secrets hid 〈◊〉 in nature and the maruellous finall conclusion of all philosophicall workes In the which is found the dew of the Heauen the fat of the earth and what the power of man cannot expresse in this spirit is found because as Morien saith who hath it possesseth all things and shall need the helpe of no body in any thing because in it is all temporall felicity corporall health and earthly prosperity This is the Spirit of the Quintessence the Spring of sublunary health vpholder of Heauen retainer of Earth mouer of Sea stirrer of winde sender of Raine container of all things and vertues and spirituall and chosen aboue all subcelestiall Spirits giuing health and prosperity ioy and peace it yeeldeth loue dissolueth hatred chaseth away sadnesse bringeth in mirth and generally remoueth all euils most speedily cureth all diseases finally destroyeth misery and pouerty maketh and bringeth all good cannot speake or thinke euill giueth vnto man what his heart desireth vnto the good temporall glory and long life but perpetuall paine vnto the euill that vse it This is the spirit of truth which the world cannot apprehend but by the grace of inspiration or the teaching of them that know it it is of an vnknowne nature wonderfull vertue and infinite power this the Saints from the beginning of the world haue wished to see This Spirit by Auicen is called the soule of the world because as the soule moueth the members so this Spirit moueth all bodies and as the soule is in euery part of the body so in euery elementary thing this Spirit is found which is sought by many but found by few it is thought to be farre of and found neere at hand because in euery thing place and time it is found hauing the vertues and effects of all things and being equall in all the Elements and whatsoeuer is proper to euery thing in this onely thing is found most effectually By whose vertues Adam and the Patriarches had health of body and length of life and many others haue flourished in riches Which being laboriously sought and carefully found the Philosophers haue hid in aenigmaticke termes that they should not shew so worthy a thing to the vnworthy nor throw so pretious a pearle amongst Hogs which if it were knowne to all the study and labour of all men would cease and man would desire no other thing but only it and so men would liue vnworthily and it would bee the cause of the ruine of the whole world as well through health as through abundance men would much more offend God Because the eye hath not seene nor the eare hath not heard nor it hath not hitherto entered into the heart of man what the Heauen hath naturally placed into this Spirit Therefore I haue briefly compiled certaine properties of the said Spirit approued by Philosophers vnto the praise of God and the profit of good men that they might most deuoutly magnifie God in his gifts at least they who hereafter shall receiue such a gift because these gifts are not belonging to euery one but to them whose minds shall bee good Now what properties and vertues that Spirit hath in euery essence and how it appeareth corporally that it may the sooner be found and knowne hearken with the vnderstanding of the heart In its first essence it appeareth in an earthly body foule and full of infirmities in which it hath a property and vertue of curing wounds and corruptions in the entrails of men it purgeth putrifaction and stinke abiding in any place whatsoeuer it cureth all things inwardly and outwardly In the second Essence it appeareth vnto the sight in a watry body somewhat fairer than the first containing corruptions but more plentifully working his vertue neerer vnto the truth and in euery worke more powerfull in which generally it giueth aid to all sicknesses both hot and cold because it is of an hid nature chiefly it helpeth them that suffer venome in the breathing parts for it chaseth venome from the heart dissolueth without violence things contained in the lungs and notwithstanding the commotion it doth consolid the same vlcerated it cleanseth bloud it purifieth corruption contained in the breathing parts and it preserueth them cleansed from corruption being thrice a day drunke by any that languisheth it maketh good hope c. But in the third Essence it appeareth in an airy body oyly almost freed from all diseases in which it sheweth wonderfull workes for it helpeth young men to last in body state strength and beauty if they vse it by little and little and in a small quantity in their meat because it suffereth no waies melancholy to exceed nor choller to burne Moreouer aboue measure it encreaseth bloud and feed and therefore it behoueth them who vse it often to bee let bloud Also this oyle doth open the Nerues
the Science is not deliuered without interruption because the wicked as well as the good would vsurpe it vnworthily The other cause is for the difficulty of the matter or subiect but considering that this secret is the gift of the most high God as all the Philosophers say and chiefly Morien with these words And know you that this Mastrie is no other thing but the mysterie and secret of secrets of the most high and great God Therefore I hope that our Lord Iesus will put such forme to my speech that without offending his most high Maiestie I may helpe the children of the truth And if about the difficulty and depth of the matter my forces be not sufficient the minde neuerthelesse is most ready and most desirous to make the vertuous spirits professours of this noble Science participant of a part of my long trouble and study made therein not yet as one that would perswade my selfe to be such that I vnderstood the secret hereof but as a louing professor of the search of it wherein I haue wearied my selfe for the time of twenty fiue yeeres Now to returne to our first purpose I say then for to beginne this second part that in the beginning of the booke called the blast of the trumpet it is written thus Of the first essence the first Philosopher Thales the Milesian saith God is the most ancient of things vnbegotten eternall and therefore Pythagoras saith I say that God was before all things nothing was with him when hee was and vnderstand that God when hee was alone in the beginning created one substance which he called the first matter and of that substance he created other foure fire aire water and earth of which now being created hee created all things as well high as low and so before all other things except the first matter hee created the foure elements out of which he created afterward what he would to wit diuers natures c. And Raymund Lully in the third chapter of the Theoricke of his Testament saith God created that nature of nothing into one pure substance which wee call quintessence in which whole nature is comprehended c. And in many other places hee saith the like because hee considereth that this Science proceedeth from God as all the Philosophers doe affirme therefore Mireris saith that this stone proceedeth from the most glorious high place and of the greatest Creator which hath put to death many wise men which is like vnto euery thing whose name cannot be spoken Where I considering the height and difficulty of this matter as I haue aboue said seeing that out of the Philosophers the construction concerning this thing cannot be had I purpose to see if out of the holy new or old Testament some iuyce may bee extracted studying the which in my iudgement many most excellent sentences may be taken to the purpose of this matter and of the whole science the which shall bee left out and onely I will serue my selfe with that which seemeth vnto me most to the purpose of this passage I finde the first thing that our Lord God created was the light as it appeareth in the first of Genesis there after hee made that wonderfull separation of the elements whereby there commeth in my minde some sentences of Vincentius in his Naturall mirrour in the second booke the three and thirtieth chapter where he saith Therefore his Spheres which is true light are begun from light and in light all things are accomplished c. And furthermore from the light he begun that he might shew his workes to be the workes of light not of darknesse c. And after he saith So also by his example hee hath taught man to worke in the light And in the thirty fifth he saith Therefore the first substance is light c. and after following he saith Euery thing therefore how much it hath of light so much it holdeth of diuinity because God is light and every thing hauing more of light than another is called more noble than it for in all things nobility is remarked according to the greater neerenesse and partaking of diuine essence And this also is manifest by induction in the first bodies when they are compared together the water is nobler than the earth because it hath more light than the earth Likewise the aire than the water and the fire than the aire and the fifth body than all other therefore it is called amongst them the first and most noble therefore the perfection of all these things which are in euery order of the world is light And in the thirtie eight chapter he saith Therfore worthily amongst all bodies the light holdeth the first place For as S. Augustine saith Euery substance common to two substances according to nature is before them both but light is a substance common to fire and starres which precede all other bodies Wherefore the first of all bodies is light After in the thirty nine chapter he saith But light is caused in the aire not from the aire it selfe or the forme of the aire but from the Sunne c. And he speaketh many other notable sentences which shall be left to be studied by studious men Now seeing the light is the first thing which God created I may say vnto you that the selfe nature is deriued from that light as all Philosophers doe affirme saying vse venerable nature And for confirmation hereof I will see if wee can agree many pretty sentences of diuers Philosophers who speake of this Science in fauor of this opinion But before that wee come thus farre I would know by what occasion many and diuers wise Philosophers haue entitled many of their bookes belonging to this Science vnder the name of Light As Aristotle called one the light of light Rasis fiue to wit the light of lights the booke of the Sunne the booke of the Moone the booke of cleerenesse and the booke of Light Iohn of Damascus the Rosary of the Sunne Iohn of Vien the mirrour of the elements Arnold de Villa noua the new light Roger Bacon the mirror of Alchymy Iohn de Rupescissa the booke of light and many and diuers others the like which truly I cannot thinke that they would doe it but because this diuine Science is the worke of light But perhaps some may say the Philosophers vse to say when they will declare any thing obscure that they giue light or illuminate But I my selfe doe not finde that they haue entitled their bookes of other Sciences vnder the title of Light as they haue done this Let euery one beleeue as most pleaseth him Now let vs come to the foresaid sentence and first Aristotle in his first booke of the Secret of Secrets saith For with thee is the Light of Lights and for this all darknesse shall flie from thee And Mireris in his booke of documents speaking of that secret spirit vnder the name of water he saith And know that the Philosophers declare that the
and Veines and if any member bee fading it reduceth it to his due measure and if a young man before the state of age hath an eye burst if one drop bee put therein euery day and that he be quiet for a month without doubt his sight shall bee restored And if any thing be putrified in any member or superfluous it dissolueth it speedily and separateth it And if it find it diminished it restoreth it c. But in the fourth Essence it appeareth in a fiery body not fully cured from all diseases containing water and not fully dried in the which it produceth many vertues The old it maketh young and if in the houre of the hickocke of death there be giuen of this fire so much as the weight of one graine of wheat tempered with Wine so that it goe downe the throat it reuiueth and entreth and warmeth and pierceth euen to the heart and suddenly annihilateth all superfluous humours and expelleth poison and viuifieth the nature of heat vnto the Liuer And if old folke vse this fire in a moderate quantity and ioyne thereto the water of gold it remoueth the infirmity of age So that they may enioy young hearts and bodies and for this it is called the Elixir of life In the fifth and last Essence it appeareth in a body equally glorified wanting all faults shining like the Sunne and Moone In which it hath all the foresaid vertues and properties which it possesseth in other essences both fairer and more wonderfull For his natural workes are esteemed the miracles of GOD because if it bee put to the roots the bodies of trees long dead and dried are made liuing flourishing and fruitfull and if the lights of a Lampe bee mixt with the selfe Spirit they are not extinguished but are burning eternally without diminishing And it maketh the pretious stones of Crystall most costly with diuers colours they that are of the Mine shall neuer bee better and it doth many other things which are not lawfull to bee reuealed vnto the vniust which are esteemed vnpossible vnto man because it cureth all bodies both dead and quicke without any other medicine By Christ Iesus witnesse I doe not lie in any thing because the influences of all heauenly bodies which in all and euery thing are infused are found in it In this Essence it sheweth the treasures drowned in the Sea and hid in the earth and it maketh all the bodies of metals most pure gold and siluer and nothing like to it is contained vnder the Heauen This Spirit is the mystery which was hid from ages reuealed to some Saints to whom it pleased God to make knowne the riches of glory which remaineth fiery in water and carrieth with it earth in the aire and out of his belly floweth flouds of liuing water and life This Spirit flies through the midst of the Heauen as a morning cloud containing burning fire in water and earth clarified in aire It expelleth the malice of Saturne and Mars ioyning Iupiter with the Moone and Mercury and in the light of the Sunne giuing vnto his sister Venus hony of the rock and liueth with her for euer And albeit these works appeare erronious and false vnto the Readers yet to the skilfull and those that proue them actually they are true and possible if the figuratiue speech be faithfully vnderstood and therefore vnlesse thou vnderstand sufficiently do not intrude thy selfe any waies into this Spirit because God is maruellous in his works and there is no number of his wisdome This Spirit in a fiery nature is called Sandaracha in airy Alkebrit in watry Azoch in earthly Aliochaph by which meanes they who seeke him are deceiued thinking the Spirit of life to bee in such things which to our knowledge bee of no value And albeit this Spirit whom wee seeke by reason of his property is called by these names yet in these bodies hee is not nor cannot be for the glorified Spirit cannot appeare but in a bodie agreeing to his kinde albeit he is named by these and many other names Neither should any man thinke that there be diuers spirits but howsoeuer it is called it is one and the selfe same spirit that worketh all in all things This is the spirit whom in ascending the cleernesse of the Heauen hath ouershined and in descending the puritie of the earth hath incorporated and flying about the widenesse of the Sea hath receiued It is not of the lower Hierarchie where is Raphael called the Angell of God most subtill most precious and most pure vnto whom as vnto a King all the rest obey This spirituall substance is not celestiall nor infernall but a certaine airy body gloriously purified betwixt the highest and lowest placed in the midst spiritually animated wanting reason but fruitfully profiting aboue all things vnder the Heauens choised and adorned This diuine worke is made too profound that the foole may not vnderstand it because it is the last of the secrets of nature This is the Spirit of the truth of the Lord who hath replenished the Globe of the earth and in the beginning was carried vpon the waters whom the world cannot conceiue but by the grace of inspiration or the teaching by those that know it and whom the whole world hath desired for his vertues that appeare inestimable For it entreth the Planets chaseth away the Clouds giueth cleernesse to euery one and conuerteth all vnto Sunne and Moone it giueth all health and abundance of treasure it cleanseth the leprosie cleareth the sight comforteth the sad healeth the sicke rendreth hid treasures and generally cureth all diseased By this Spirit the Philosophers haue found out the seuen Sciences and had abundance of riches By this Moses made the Vessels of pure gold in the temple and King Solomon many and pretious ornaments to the worshipping of God And many others haue made wonderfull and great workes Noe built the Arke Moses the Tabernacle Solomon the Temple Esdras recouered the Law Mary the sister of Moses kept hospitality Abraham Isaac Iacob and other godly personages obtained length of daies with abundance of riches flourished the godly knowing it glorified God Therefore the obtaining thereof is better than the trafficke of gold or siluer because it is more pretious than any workes and all things that are desired in this age cannot be compared vnto it because it is proued and found perfect and infallible For in it only consisteth the truth wherefore it is called the stone or spirit of truth in his workes there is no vanity whose praises I cannot expresse because I am not sufficient to tell his vertues For his goodnesse property and vertue is greater than the minde of man can conceiue or the tongue expresse by words because the properties of all things are hid in it and all that nature hath giuen to other things in it being true is truly found What shall I say more there is not was or euer shall be any who shall search nature
Alchymy is raised a substance like vnto a stone And he calleth it blessed because beyond the foure Elements there resteth a fifth Essence called the Spirit because the Spirit cannot bee seene by vs nor felt without a body assumed in some Element c. This Spirit for the noblenesse of his nature taketh a body in a nobler and superiour Sphere to wit of the Elements namely of the fiery Sphere of the noble fire but yet his spirituall nature remaining therefore neither is it fire nor hath it the nature of fire so much as is of it selfe And againe Because that body of the Spirit is fiery for his subtilty and purity and this cannot be seene by vs therefore with fit instruments by meanes of the workemans industry thickning its subtill substance it is conuerted in the forme of water and floweth Therefore separate the said Spirit and conioyne it with the Elements But the operation in the coniunction is twofold to wit one that the Elixir may be made to congeale Quickesiluer another that the Elixir may bee made for to preserue the life of man and to throw away all superfluity of bad humors and to eschew all corruption of the body Therefore if thou wilt make the Philosophers Stone to congeale Quickesiluer do in this manner Separate first the Spirit and the soonest that thou canst because thou shalt neuer separate him so warily but that hee will retaine some part of the former substance of Phlegme This Spirit once separated is called the burning water whose signe is that if thou dip a linnen cloth in it the cloth will be inflamed and not burne But if you separate oftner it is called the burning water rectified whose Signe is because a cloth dipt is altogether burned So haue you one Element made spirituall with the Spirit of the Quintessence And so the first apparition of that secret Spirit becommeth manifest in forme of water The which is that water whereof the Philosophers say The secret of the Art is to know the celestiall water diuine and glorious c. It followeth And so it behoueth the other three Elements to be made spirituall with the said Spirit retaining the corporall vertue in this manner Separate the whole superfluous Phlegme from the said stone vntill the oyle come to fume out and nothing at all remaine of the Phlegme and it shall be turned like vnto pitch And then mixe the first burning water rectified with this substance made like pitch well stirring till it be incorporated And then againe distill twice or thrice and then it is called mans bloud rectified and of this saith the Philosopher the winde hath carried him in his belly And so haue you two Elements exalted in the vertue of the fifth Essence to wit water and aire And this is the second apparition of that secret Spirit in the forme of aire of which another Philosopher saith This is truly humane bloud the true Celandine in which the secrets of nature are hid c. It followeth Thereafter take the foresaid substance which remaineth like pitch and separate all the superfluous oyle by a glasse Alembicke vntill that no oyle remaine And then it will be a blacke dry substance which powder well and grinde well with humane bloud rectified and let it so stand for the space of three houres Thereafter distill and then it is called the fiery water and doe in the same manner the second time and then it is called the fiery water rectified And so haue you three Elements in the vertue of the Quintessence to wit aire fire and water And so appeareth the third apparition of that secret Spirit in forme of fire But because this Philosopher maketh no mention of the separation of one Element from another and this I thinke is because the separation of the airy Element is not necessary to desire to follow the whole worke But who wil separate it to vse it for the vertue described by the Author of the secret Spirit many Philosophers haue told the manner But if you read the manner of the separation of the foure Elements of Celandine described by many Authors chiefly by Philip Vlstadius in his Heauen of Philosophers there you shall finde the manner of the said separation therefore I will not enlarge my selfe otherwise to write it And more I will say that the Philosopher who hath written the separation of the Elements of Celandine is that same of the secret Spirit who would serue himselfe vnder the name of Celandine that is the gift of the Heauen and that this is true you shall find described the vertues of these Elements word by word as those of the secret Spirit in the fifth apparition outward And the like did another vnder the name of humane bloud And as it is aboue spoken at full it is no matter of the names otherwise because all doe vnderstand one onely thing Now followeth here a most pretty glosse worthy to be noted vpon this passage of 3. houres the which will giue great light to the children of the truth and it saith thus And in that space is melted all the white volatill Salt which is in the blacke earth with the foresaid water and the water becommeth more sharpe and burning which whiles it is distilled it carrieth with it all this Salt volatill and spirituall and flieth out in the stilling The which Salt is called fire and therefore this water is called fiery of the which Salt the names are these the Salt of the yolkes of eggs the Starre Diana the morning Starre the flying Eagle the Secret of Nature and infinite other names Therefore Mercury is sublimed and made Salt and so when you heare in the bookes of Philosophers any thing of these names know that it is no other thing but the honored Salt and in it there are more than fifty names And so oft rectifie vntill that it destroy all things by burning Followeth After take the said blacke substance and calcine it in a furnace of reuerberation vntill it become like lime and with this lime mixe the fiery water rectified and distill it and then it will be a water of life rectified And so haue you the foure Elements rectified and purified with the fifth Essence and with the Spirit of the fifth Essence and this is the water of life which is sought in the worke And here endeth the separation of the foure Elements with the fourth apparition of the secret Spirit in an earthly forme as more cleerely appeareth in this glosse which followeth vpon that place vntill it become like lime which saith And this shall be when all superfluities and foule humidities shall flye out and be separated by the flame of fire and no otherwise and the lime shall not be white but blacke rusty And this is the true earth of the Philosophers which is called the secret of the Stone in this lurketh the hid gold and this hid gold cleansed from his earthlinesse and filth I haue touched with mine owne fingers
Villa noua in the first Chapter of his Rosary saith It is therefore manifest that the operation of the Medicine is the operation of nature and that the Medicine it selfe is the same nature for the Medicine it selfe only is composed of nature c. And Raymund Lully in the 72. chapter of the Theoricke of his Testament saith Our Mastry is by nature and with nature and of nature and is made by the meanes of nature And in the 76. Chapter Wherefore who will make any thing let him make it by nature and let him know the concordance of nature because without that neuer any thing can bee done Seeing that nothing of the world which is facible is beyond the limited bounds or waies of nature because by it and with it it is made and is to be made And in the 14. Chapter of the Practicke he saith Sonne if thou vnderstand this thou shalt vnderstand know how all things of the world are made by nature and how thou may make them to the respect of nature if thou can haue the aire which is caused by nature c. And in many other places hee maketh mention and the Rosary of the Philosophers saith Wherby first we make knowne that all workers beyond nature are deceiuers and that they worke in a thing vnfit And thereafter he saith In the Art of our mastry nothing is hid by the Philosophers except the secret of the Art which is not lawfull for any man to reueale which if it were done he should be cursed and should incurre the indignation of the Lord and should die of an Apoplexie Wherefore all errour in the Art ariseth of that that they take not the due matter therefore vse venerable nature because of it by it and in it our Art is engendred and in no other And therefore our mastry is a worke of nature and not of the workeman and so who knoweth not the beginning doth not obtaine the end and who knoweth not what hee seeketh shall not know what he shall find But because vpon this authority some may say that this Philosopher intendeth and speaketh of the true matter on which wee must lay the foundation I say that it is true but out of what matter it behoueth vs to take the same nature as yet hee maketh no mention which is inclosed in the centre of the same matter witnessing Raymund in his 7. Chap. of the Theoricke of the Testament Where he saith And wee haue said aboue that in the centre of the earth is the virgin earth and the true Element and that it is created by nature therefore nature is in the centre of euery thing c. As yet also more manifestly shall be shewed when it shall bee declared which followeth what thing is this nature Now hauing aboue shewed the necessity to reduce the body vnto the first matter and in this chapter proued that it behoueth to worke with nature so that it appeareth almost that this first matter is the selfe same nature by the meanes of the authorities aboue alledged of the Philosophers therefore for better declaration it is good to proceed from degree to degree First it is said the matter to bee one sole thing there after wee haue spoken of the reduction vnto the first matter and now it appeareth that this first matter is as said is the same nature It remaineth then to be seene what thing is this nature and it shal be the last conclusion about this passage I say that of diuers Philosophers it hath beene named with diuers and infinite names some doe call it Chaos some Hyle others the first Matter others a confused Masse Matter without Forme Confused Clodde others Mercurie alledging that speech of Hermes who saith In Mercurie is all which the Philosophers seeke c. and with many other infinite names as I haue aboue said the which would bee too much to desire to remember all But I my selfe am disposed leauing all other names to name it vnder the name of Salt in this my little treatise alledging for confirmation of my opinion a number of sentences of diuers Philosophers And first we shall begin with Geber who in his Testament speaketh of no other but of the salt of metals and sheweth that therewith is made the Elixir as he may see who would study it And the Rosary of the Philosophers saith The salt of metals is the Philosophers stone And a little further The ancient wise men because they spoke many things did conclude vpon salt which they call the sope of the wise and the little key which closeth and openeth and againe shutteth and no man openeth without which little key they say none in this age can attaine to the perfection of this science that is vnlesse he know to calcine salt after his preparation c. And after he saith Who hath not tasted the taste of salts shall neuer obtaine his wish And Gratianus saith Of euery thing may be made ashes and of that ashes may be made salt and of that salt is made water and of that is made Mercurie and of that Mercury through diuers operations is made Sol. And Auicen saith Sonne if thou wilt bee rich prepare salts vntill they be a pure water because salts are converted into a spirit by fire And Raymund in the seuenty two chapter of the practicke of his Testament saith And we say vnto thee that the said natures are nothing but sharp salts c. And there after But sonne we speake to thee with reuelation that thou remember of the salt which we haue told thee aboue with one part of his propertie because at no time must you vnderstand here of other salt vnlesse it be of metals which are resolued vnto it as by artifice you may see to the eie If therefore thou know how to sweeten this salt it will enter in the bodies as the true nature which will stand inwardlie and can transforme them from one kinde to another because seeing salts are the first nature of metals of a metallicke propertie by the friendship of that thing they are conioyned together Seeing salt is nothing but fire nor fire is but sulphure nor sulphure is but quicksiluer reduced into a stone after that it is the matter of a nature altered and changed from basenesse to nobility Heere clearely is verified and confirmed that passage aboue said That in the centre of the earth is the virgin earth c. and that nature is in the centre of euery thing c. And in many other places mention is made which for shortnesse sake shall be left out O what labours what sweats what troubles must be done What most thicke and most hard walls must be broken and passed and what ports and locks must bee opened before it can bee penetrated and entred into that centre where that blessed virgin earth is found otherwaies by the said Raymund called the earth of labour And truly the earth of labour it may be called because it is
in his apertory where he saith Take of the best iuyce of Lunary which thou canst finde c. And the Rosary of the Philosophers where it saith The iuyce of Lunaria the water of life the fift essence the burning wine the Mercury vegetable are all one the iuyce of Lunary is made of our wine which is knowne to few of our children And with it by the meanes of it is made our potable gold and without it no waies And more he said that after he had taken his Mercury out of the same dregs or earth he could take as much of the same Mercury as he pleased without end the same earth remaining neuerthelesse euer in his proper weight and quantity as at first Which appeared wonderfull vnto me And I asking the reason thereof hee answered me with Vincentius in his naturall The light hath the property of the fountaine the cause of multiplication And more he said that this his earth was like a well of such water as neuer could be dryed and it was the body vnderstood by Iohn Augustine Pantheus in his Voarcha dumia where he saith That the vegetable body is full of iuyce c. And moreouer he said that this was that true Salamander that was ingendred and nourished in the fire alledging many authorities of Philosophers amongst which he made vse of a booke intitled The water of life perpetuall which said it is fire of fire and is ingendred of fire and is nourished in the fire and it is the daughter of the fire c. And that more he said that it was also that thing and the spirit of the world which Henricus Cornelius Agrippa speaketh of in the foureteenth chapter of the first booke of his Philosophy where hee saith But it is more infused into those things which haue taken most of this Spirit For it is taken by the beames of the starres according as things render themselues conforme vnto them Therefore by this Spirit euery hid property is propagated in herbes stones and metals and beasts by the Sunne by the Moone by the Planets and by the Starres higher than the Planets yea this Spirit may be more profitable vnto vs if any man know how to separate him well from other elements or at least vse those things which abound most in this spirit So that he made me remaine so confused that I knew not what to answer Whereby I am disposed to stay no more with these melancholicke and fantasticke humors that I make not my selfe fall into some Heresie to no purpose For the which I will exhort the true searchers of this noble science that they suffer not themselues to be fooled with vaine opinions nor to set a worke in the day that which they dreamed in the night as these two my foresaid friends haue done But to bee constant and follow the documents of the foresaid good Philosophers And so shall be made an end of this my shore discourse which is dedicated and presented to the children of the truth who delight in a solitary life Now my deare and rude booke thou hast endeuored to set forth all thy will in speaking and declaring by a method and continued order Gathering together so many fine sentences described by so many worthy and wise Philosophers and scattered not only in many chapters but in diuers bookes against their precept Who doe command that this noble Science should be written obscurely and not with a cleare and continuated stile to the end it bee not vsurped by the ignorant and vnworthy people But seeing that so it hath pleased thee to doe at least flie from the multitude of men and learne the solitary life and conuerse only with those noble and solitary spirits to which thou art dedicated because in the solitary life is found this most noble secret spirit secret it is called because also it truly shunneth the conuersation of the vulgar and goeth to hide it selfe in solitary and secret places And moreouer because that in the solitary life is learned to know God In a solitary life is learned to loue God In a solitary life I say is learned to giue glory and praise to the most high and most glorious creator of all to whom bee praises through infinite ages of ages Amen FINIS