incombustible with this oyle wee imbibe our medicine which will bee like soap then wee distill by the Alimbeck and receive the fumes which come over and put it on againe three or foure times if it hath not enough then put more of this Oyle to it being thus imbibed then put fire under that the humors may come away and the medicine be firme and fusible on the body of the glasse Then we take Avis Hermetis which we reserv'd formerly and put it to it by degrees till all be made fix CHAP. 37. Laus Deo ACcording to Avicen it is impossible to convert mettals unlesse they be reduced to their first matter But by Arts help they are converted into other mettall we know that Artists do like Physitians purging first the corrupted matter which is obstructive to mans health then Cordials are ministred which restore health so good Artists must proceed in like manner by converting of mettals first Mercury and Sulphur in metals are purged whereby they strengthen the heavenly elementall parts in them according to their desired preparation of metals then nature worketh further and not Art but instrumentally helpeth and then is seen that she really maketh Sol and Luna For as the heavenly elementall vertues worke in naturall vessels even so do the Artificiall being made uniforme and as nature worketh through the heat of fire and stars the same Art effecteth by fire if temperate and not excessive for the moving vertue in the matter for the heavenly vertue in it mingled at first inclinable to this or that is furthered by Art heavenly vertues are communicative to their subjects as is seen in naturall created things chiefly in things generated by putrefaction where the astrall influences are apparent according to the matters capacity Artists do imitate herein destroying one forme to beget another and his proceedings are best when they are according unto nature as by purging the Sulphur by digesting subliming and purging Mercury vive by an exact mixture with the mettals matter and thus out of their vertues every mettals forme is produced The vertue of the converting Element must be predominant and the parts of it must appeare in the Element converted and being thus mingled with the Elementated thing then that Element will have that matter which made it an Element and hath the vertue of the other vert Element This is that great mystery in this Art Scito quod ejus principium est siout finis FINIS The names of the Philosophers Stone Collected by WILLIAM GRATACOLLE GOld Sol Sun Brasse of Philosophers the body of Magnesia a pure body clean ferment of Elixir Masculine Argent vive fixt Sulphur incombustible Sulphur red fixed the rubine stone kybrik a man greene vitrioll burnt brasse red earth the water that is distilled from these things is named of the Philosophers the taile of the Dragon a pure wind ayre life lightning the house the afternoone light virgins milke sal armoniack sal niâ—eâ— the wind of the belly white fume red water of sulphur tartar saffron water the white compound stinking water the filthinesse of the dead bloud Argent vive a Cucurbite with his Alimbeck the vessell of the Philosophers a high man with a Sallet the belly of a man in the midst but in the end it is called the foot or the feet or on the which feet or earth is calcined rosted congealed distilled or made still and quiet the shaddow of the Sun a dead body a crowne overcomming a cloud the bark of the Sea Magnesia black a Dragon which eateth his tayle the dregs of the belly earth found on the dunghill putrified or in horse dung or in soft fire Sulphur Mercury secondly in number and one in essence name in name a stone body spirit and soule it is called earth fire aire all things because he containes in him foure Elements it is called a man or beast that hath soule life body and spirit and yet some Philosophers do not thinke the matter to have a soule But as it is a stone it is called the water of Sulphur the water of the world the spittle of Lune the shaddow of the Sun a denne Sol Elephas white Jayre eyes of fishes Beyia Sulphur vine sharpe water milke vineger of life tears joyning water Urine the light of lights a marvelous Father Father of Minerals a fruitfull tree a living spirit a fugitive servant certore of the earth venome most strong vineger white gumme everlasting water a woman a feminine a thing of vile price Azot menstruous Brazill in nature Azot water the first matter the beginning of the world and mark this that Argent vive Mercury Azot the full moone Hypostasis white lead or red do all of them signifie but one thing our stone our brasse our water Iron Silver Lime whitenesse Jupiter Vermilion white after divers times and degrâ—es of operation And note that the Philosophers washing is to bring againe the whole soule into his body wherefore you may not understand thereby the common white washing is convenient to be done with vineger and salt and such like Also note that when blackness doth appeare then it is called dispensation of the man and woman between them and that the body hath gotten a spirit which is the tears of the vertues of the soule upon the body and the body doth revive the action of the soule and spirit and is made an Eagle and the meane of natures And note that white earth white Sulphur white fume Auripigmentum Magnesia and Ethell do signifie all one thing Also the stone is called Chaos a Dragon a Serpent a Toad the green Lion the quintessence our stone Lunare Camelion most vild black blacker than black Virgins milke radicall humidity unctuous moysture liquor seminall Salarmoniack our Sulphur Naptha a soule a Basilisk Adder Secundine Bloud Spearne Metteline haire urine poyson water of wise men minerall water Antimony stinking menstrues Lead of Philosophers Sal Mercury our Gold Lune a bird our ghost dun Salt Alome of Spaine attrament dew of heavenly grace the stinking spirit Borax Mercury corporall wine dry water water metelline an Egge old water perminent Hermes bird the lesse world Campher water of life Auripigment a body cynaper and almost with other infinite names of pleasure The Secret of Secrets and Stone of Philosophers IF thou desirest to bee so lucky as that thou mayest obtaine the blessing of Philosophers as God doth live for ever so let this verity live with thee The Philosophers do very properly say it tarrieth in the shell and containeth in himselfe both white and red the one is called masculine the other feminine Animall Vegetable and Minerall there is no such other thing found in this world that hath both power active and passive in it and also hath within him a substance dead and quick spirit and soule which to the ignorant the Philosophers do call it the most vile thing it holdeth in him the foure Elements contained in his skirts where he is found
be dissolved into water impalpable and that all the tincture do go forth into blackness which is a signe of solution Also Lucas sayth When thou seest blacknes inure to that water in all things then know that the body is liquefied for the Philosophers doe call this blacknes the first mariage for that the man is joyned to the woman and it is a signe of a perfect medicine and mixtion but all the tincture is not drawne forth all at once but it goeth forth by little and little every day untill that in a long time it be compleat and finished and that that is dissolved doth ever goe up to the topward although that which is remayning beneath bee the more whereupon Avicen sayth that which is spirituall doth ascend up into the Vessell and that which is thicke and grosse remayneth in the Vessell beneath but this blacknes is named by the Philosophers with many and sundry names as the fire the soule the clouds the crowes head oyle tincture rednesse or shadow Sol brasse blacklead black water sulphur and by many other names and that the blacknes doth conjoyne together the spirit to the body wherefore Rosarius sayth by the continuance of the fire in the Regiment to the number of forty dayes both shall be made a water permanent the blacknesse being covered which sayd blacknesse if it bee governed as it ought to be it doth not stay away above forty dayes of the colour of blacknesse Also Pythagoras sayth as long as the obscure blacknesse doth appeare the woman doth rule which is the first strength of our stone for unlesse that 〈◊〉 be black it cannot be white nor red Also Avicen in the Chapter of Humors saith heat in moistnesse doth first make blacknesse and his moistnesse endureth untill the superfluity thereof bee removed and then it becommeth white Also in our works first they be made blacke secondly white and thirdly by a greater intention and composition of fire it behoveth to be made yellow whereupon it is written in the Booke called Multifary in the sixth Chapter in the first detection which is called putrifaction when our Stone is made black that is to say black earth by the drawing forth of his moistnesse wherein the whitenesse is hid and when the same whitenesse is reversed upon his blacknesse and is fixed with his earth by easie rosting then is made the white in which whitenesse the rednesse is hid and when it is well sodden by augmentation of the fire the same earth is then turned into rednesse as after it shall be taught Now againe let us returne to our black Stone being strongly closed in his Vessell let it stand therefore continually in the moist fire untill that the white colour doe appeare like unto the manner of most white Salt and this colour according to the Philosophers is called Sal Armoniack without which nothing can be made or is profitable in our work And so the intensive whitenes appearing the perfect mariage copulation indissoluble of the Stone is made then is that of Hermes fully fulfilled saying That which is above is as that which is beneath is That which is above is to obtaine Miracles of one thing But Pithagoras saith when that you do see whitenes comming above then be you sure that rednesse is hid in that whitenesse but before that the white doe appeare many colours shall appeare Therefore Diademes saith seeth the man and vapour together untill that both of them be congelate into drynesse for unlesse that it be made dry divers colours will not appeare for it is ever black as long as moystnesse doth rule and then it sendeth forth divers colours for in divers manners and at divers times it will be moved from colour to colour untill it come to a firme whitenesse Also Zenon saith all kinde of colours will appeare in it untill the black humidity be dryed up but of such colours take you no great care for they be no true colours for it shall very often times be citrine and very often times rednesse will appeare and often times it will be dry and also liquid before whitenesse but the Spirit will never be fixed with the body but with white colour Astavus sayth betweene the blacknesse and the white there shall appeare all colours even as many as can be named or thought of from diversity of which colours divers men gave it divers names and almost innumerable names for some did it on purpose to conceale and obscure the Art and some did it of envie but in the Chapter of the appearing of divers colours in the medicine there is a definition of his blacknes for wheras the blacknes and the white be extreme colours and all other colours be meane colours therefore as often soever as any thing of the blacknes doth descend so often another colour and another doth appeare untill it be an extreame whitenesse But for descending and ascending Hermes saith it ascends from the Earth up to Heaven and descends againe from the Heaven to the Earth and receiveth the superiour strength and the inferiour strength And note that if there appeare between the black and the white any yellow colour care not for them for they do not continue nor are permanent but they are slippery and passing away for there can be no permanent nor perfect Red except that go before it Rosarius saith no man can come from the first to the third but by the second for it appeareth that the white is to be looked for in the second when that it is the compliment of all the worke for afterwards it will never be varied into any other true permanent colour but Red Now we have the white therefore now it behooveth thee to make Red for the white medicine and the red do not differ between themselves in any essence but onely in this poynt that the red medicine hath need of a greater subtiliation a longer digestion and a hotter fire in his Regiment And therefore forasmuch as the end of the operation of the white is the beginning of the operation of the Red and forasmuch as that which is the compliment of the one is the beginning of the other therefore unless that thou do first make white the medicine thou canst never make true red But now how it shall be made Red we will tell thee shortly First the medicine to the Red must be put into our moyst fire untill the white colour appeare as is aforesaid afterwards let the vessell be drawn out of the fire and put it in a pot of sifted ashes and warme water halfe full and set your vessell of glasse with the medicine in the ashes unto the midst and under the earthen pot make a dry temperate fire and continuall but the heat of this dry fire must be greater by double at the least than was the heat of the moyst fire and by the benefit of this fire the white medicine shall receive Red tincture truly thou canst not erre if thou wilt
and keepe the fume and take heed that nothing flye from it tarry and dwell nigh the Vessell and behold and observe the marvellous working how it shall be removed from colour to colour in lesse then an houre of a day untill that it commeth to the marke or prick or butt of whitenesse or rednesse for it will soone melt in the fire and come all into the Ayre for when the fume doth fill the fire it will enter into the body and the spirit will then be pulled together and the body will then be fixed cleare white or red Then divide the fire suffering it to coole and be cold For and if one of these doe fall upon 1000. or Mercury or any other body it turneth it into the best Gold or Silver according as his firment is prepared wherefore it doth appeare that he who doth not congeale quick-silver that will suffer the fire and joyne it to pure Silver he desireth no right way to the white worke and he who doth not make a red quicksilver that can sustaine all fire and joyn it to meer gold he taketh not the right way to the Red worke for by solution and fermentation the worke or medicine may be multiplyed into an infinite and note that the Elixir giveth a very light fusion or melting even like wax whereupon Rosarius saith our medicine necessarily ought to be of a most subtile substance and pure adherence cleaving to Mercury of his nature and of a most thin and easie liquefaction as water also in the booke which is named Omne datum optimum when the Elixir is well prepared it ought to be melted upon a burning plate or upon a burning cole even as wax melteth for that thou dost in the white doe it in the red for the same is the operation of both as well in the multiplication as in the projection Geber the Philosopher doth beare witnesse in his fift Booke and tenth Chapter that there be three Orders of Medicines of the first Order is that which is cast upon imperfect bodies and doth not take away the corruption but imperfection for it doth give tincture but that tincture doth go away in examination The medicine of the second Order is that which is cast upon imperfect bodies and doth give tincture to them in examination for after the examination the tincture doth remaine but all the corruption of the bodies is not cleare taken away for ever by that medicine In the third Order the medicine is that which is cast upon imperfect bodies and taketh away all their imperfection and corruption and from corrupt Mineralls it bringeth them into incorruptible But the two first of these medicines being left off we will speake something of the projection of this medicine of the third degree The perfect medicine truly is cast 1000. or upon more according as the medicine is prepared or advanced by dissolution sublimation and subtilliation but because so little that is so little is cast upon so little by reason of the littlenes thereof it should not be lift up before his virtue be fulfilled Therefore the Philosophers made their projection diversly wherefore this is the best way Let one part be cast upon a hundred of Mercury and all is medicine and it is called the second medicine and let every one part of this second medicine be cast upon a hundred of Mercury and all is medicine and is called the third medicine and is made 1000. yet againe let every part of this third medicine be cast upon 1000. of mercury and it shall be medicine and all shall be the best Luna or Sol And note that the third and the second may be so much dissolved and subtilliate that it shall receive a greater vertue and that it may be multiplyed in an infinite after receive and make projection first multiply 10. into 10. and it will make 100. and 100. by 10. multiplyed will be 1000. c. But how the projection ought to be made shall be now taught Put the body upon the fire in a Crucible also if it be a spirit tepescat let it do like luke-warme water and cast the Elixir into it as is aforesaid moving it well and very soone when the Elixir is liquefied and hath mingled it selfe with the body or with the spirit remove it from the fire and thou shalt have by the grace of God gold and silver according as the Elixir is prepared In short therefore it appeareth by the premisses that our worke doth consist in the body of Magnesia finished that is of Sulphur the which is called Sulphur of Sulphur and Mercury which is called Mercury of Mercury Therefore as it is aforesayd with one thing that is our Stone with one part that is to say seething and one disposition that is to say first making of it blacke secondly with making of it white thirdly with making of it red and fourthly with making of projection all the whole mastery is finished Of the other part of the false Alchymists and they who doe beleeve them by their distillations sublimations calcinations conjunctions seperations congelations preparations dissolutions manuall contritions and other deceptions saying that it is by a similitude onely called an Egge and teaching another sulphur from ours and another Mercury from ours and that it may be drawne from some other thing or effected by some other then our light fire These be all either deceivers or mightily abused For by what and how many soever names it bee called it is but one and the same thing Also Lucas sayth Doe not thou passe or regard for plurality of compositions in nature which the Philosophers diversly set downe in their Bookes for certainly there is but one thing in all the World wherein the spirit we seeke for is to be found of any profitable and comfortable use with which every body is coloured for in the Philosophers diversity of names and compositions they but cover and hide their Science FINIS A Treatise of Florianus Raudorff of the Stone or Mercury of the Philosophers In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost A short Declaration of the Great Matter CHAP. 1. KNow yee that our Medicine is made of 3. things viz. of a body soule and spirit There are 2. bodies viz. Luna and Sol Sol is a tincture wherewith imperfect bodies are tinged into Sol and Luna tingeth Luna for Nature produceth or bringeth forth only its like as a man a man a horse begets a horse c. Proved by Examples We told and named it with names namely the bodies that serve to our worke which of some are called Ferment for as a little leaven leaveneth the whole masse so Luna and Sol turne Mercury as their meale into their nature and vertue CHAP. 2. YOU may say if Luna and Sol have a prefixed tincture why doe they not tinge imperfect mettalls Answer A babe though borne a man doth not mans actions it must first bee nourisht and bred to an age so it is with
and commonly of all men it may be bought for a small price it doth ascend by it selfe he waxeth black he descendeth and waxeth white increaseth and decreaseth by himselfe It is a matter which the earth bringeth forth and descends from heaven waxeth pale and red is born is dead riseth againe and after liveth for ever by many wayes it comes to his end but his proper decoction is upon a fire soft meane strong it is augmented untill they be sure it resteth quietly with red in the fire this is according to the vow of all good Philosophers called the Philosophers Stone read and read againe and every thing more cleare thou shalt never find and if hereby thou understandest not the matter thou shalt never otherwise know it or learne this Art Hermes saith the Dragon is not dead but with his Brother and his sister not by one but by both together note these things three heads and one body one nature and one Minerall and this is sufficient for them which have any aptnesse of understanding in this Science the Dragon is not mortified nor made fixed but with Sol and Luna and by none other as saith Hortulanus by mountaines in bodies in the plaine of Mercury and in these looke for it and this water is created and by concourse of these two is called water permanent of Philosophers Our sublimation is to seeth the bodies with golden water to dissolve to liquefie and to sublime them Our calcination is to putrifie and digest by foure days and to do no other wayes wherefore many be deceived in sublimation Thou mayest know that brasse which is the Philosophers Gold is their Gold and that is true but thou hast searched for greennesse thinking that brasse is a Leprous body which he hath for his greennesse wherefore I say unto thee that all that is perfect in brasse is that greennesse only that is in him because that that greennesse by our mastry is turned shortly into gold and of this thing we have experience and if thou wilt prove it we will give thee a rule Take therefore burnt brasse and perfectly rubified and breake and imboyle him with drinke seaven times as much as he is able to drinke in all the wayes of rubifying and roasting him againe afterward make him to discend and his greene colour will be made red as cleare graynes and thou mayst know that so much redness wil descend with him that it wil tinckt Argent vive in some part with the very colour of gold and all this we approved for it doth worke very great operations yet thou canst not prepare the Stone by any meanes with any drinke greene and moist which is seene to be borne in our Minerals O blessed greatnesse which doth ingender all things whereby thou mayst be informed that no vegetable or fruit in budding will appeare except there be a greene colour wherefore Philosophers call it their bud and likewise they call it the water of purifying or putrifaction and they say the truth heerin for with his water he is purified washed from his blackness and made white and afterwards he is so made red whereby thou mayst learne to know that no true tincture is made but of our brasse seeth him therefore with his soule till the spirit be joyned with his body and be made one and thou shalt have thy desire Wife men have spoken of this in many names but know thou right well that it is but one matter which doth sticke unto Argent vive and to bodies and thou shalt have the true signes yet left thou shouldest be deceived heereby thou mayst know what Argent vive is to stick unto Argent vive doth stick to the bodies which is false for they think that they do understand that Chapter of Gebar of Argent vive wherein he saith when in searching in other things he doth not find by our invention any matter to be more agreeable unto nature then Argent vive of the bodies for this place is to be understood of Argent vive Philosophicall for that Argent vive only sticketh and tarrieth in and with the bodies and the old Philosophers could find no other matter nor can those which be Philosophers now invent any other matter which will abide with the bodies but Argent vive of the Philosophers for common Argent vive doth not stick to the bodies but the bodies do stick to that Argent vive and this is certaine by experience for if the Argent vive common be joyned with any bodies the Argent vive abides in his proper nature or flies away and doth not turne the body into his proper nature and therefore he doth not cleave unto the bodies and for this cause many be deceived in working in common Argent vive for our Stone that is to say Argent vive accidentall which doth advance himselfe far above Gold and doth overcome it and he doth kill and he doth quicken for thou must know that Argent vive father of all marvellous things of this our mastery is congealed and is both spirit and body and this is that Argent vive which Gebar did speake of the consideration of a very matter which doth make perfect is the consideration of a chosen pure substance of Argent vive but chiefly out of whom the substance of Argent vive may be drawne out is to be inquired of and we making answer do say that in them in whom it is out of them it may be drawne therefore Sonne consider well and see from whence that substance is and take that and none other if thou desire to come to knowledge I say unto thee for love of Christ that by no other means we can it finde now the Philosophers never might finde any other matter that would continue in the fire but that only which is unctuous perfect and incombustible and that matter when it is prepared as it ought will turne all bodes Minerall which it toucheth rightly unto most perfect Sol compleat and above all bodies Lune Seeth first with wind and afterwards without winde untill thou hast drawne out of thy subject or matter the venome which is called the soule that is it which thou seekest called the everlasting aqua-vitae for alldiseases the whole mastery is in the vapor Avicen Let the body be put in a fire kindled for forty dayes by elementall heat then in that decoction of forty dayes the body will rejoyce with the soule and the soule will rejoyce with the body and spirit and the spirit will rejoyce with the body and soule and they are made immortall and perpetuall without separation FINIS
such other unfruitfull matters whereas neither salts nor alloms doe goe into or be compounded in our worke but the Philosophers named it salts and allomes in stead of the Elements as Theophrastus saith But if thou desire to make the Elixir wisely and perfectly then learne to know the Minerall Roots and make of them thy worke for as Geber sayth thou shalt not finde the terme or end of the thing in the veines of the earth for sulphur and mercury which be the roots minerall and naturall principles that Nature doth make the foundation of her operations once as in the mineralls and chambers of the Earth be water viscous and a stinking spirit running by the veines and bowells of the Earth and of them doth spring a fume which is the mother of all mettalls joyned by a moist temperate heat ascending and verberating againe upon his upper Earth untill that by temperate decoction in the term of 1000. years is made a certaine naturall fixation as more plainly it doth appeare and so is made mettall as appeareth in the bookes of Geber Even so of Sol which is our Sulphur reduced into Mercury by Mercury is made a water thicke and mixed with his proper Earth by temperate decoction and from it riseth a fume of the veins of this proper Earth viz. of himselfe which afterward is changed into a water most subtle which is called Anima Spiritus Tinctura that is the Soule the Spirit and Tincture and when the same water is reduced upon the Earth from whence it came and sprinkled upon his owne veines it commeth into a certaine fixation and is made the Elixir compleat and so Art doth worke in a short time by the wit of man more then Nature doth work in 1000. yeares But yet wee doe not make mettall but Nature doth make it we doe not change mettals but Nature doth change them but we be Natures helpers or Ministers Whereupon Medus in Turba Philosophorum sayth That although our Stone being perfectly created in the Earth doth naturally contayne in himselfe tincture yet by himselfe he hath no motion or moving to be Elixir unlesse thereto hee bee moved by Art Therefore let us choose the naturall and next mineralls according to the words of Aristotle for Nature hath procreated all metalique bodies of a fume Sulphur and Mercury wherein thou shalt finde no Philosopher disagreeing therfore it behoveth thee to know the principles of this Art and the principall Roots thereof for hee that doth not know the right beginning shall never finde the right end thereof for Geber sayth in the beginning of his Booke Hee that knoweth nor our beginning in himselfe is farre from the attayning or understanding of this Science for hee hath not the true Root or ground whereon he should rayse this Art or Science or Worke also in another place he sayth It behoveth that our Art be found out by a naturall wit and a subtile soule searching forth the naturall principles and true foundations But although that a man may know his principles yet neverthelesse he cannot in this follow Nature in all things as Geber testifieth Sonne of this Art of Alchymy we doe open to thee a great secret Many Artificers in this Art doe greatly erre which do think to follow Nature in all properties and differences Therefore these things thus shortly passed over as is aforesayd let us come to that part of the worke artificiall many men doe write of the Stone named the Philosophers Stone but how or of what it is made no Philosopher did plainly and openly name for in these points divers men taught divers things whereas the truth doth consist in one thing onely but without doubt and without all errour we say that this Stone which is the root of our Art and privity or hidden secret of God and whereof many wise men did treat who did of it make and did knit many knots and so deceived many men in making them thereby fooles is none other thing but man and woman Sol Luna hot and cold Sulphur and Mercury and heere sticke downe your stake staying only and leaving to search further for any other stone or foolishly to consume thy money and to bring to thy soule heavy thoughts or sadnesse for what thou sowest thou shalt reape And forasmuch as this Stone is divided into two parts we will speake a little of the first part Sol and note that without it our worke cannot be done as I well prove by authority of learned Philosophers For Aristotle sayth of all things in this world Sol is most and it is the firment of white and red without which it is not done Also Hermes sayth There is no true tincture but of our Brasse that is to say Sol for all Sol is brass but all brasse is not Sol so all Sol is Sulphur but contrary for in it is nothing of the corruption of Sulphur but when it is made white in the worke then it worketh the operation of white Sulphur congealing and converting Mercury into Sol of the colour named Obrison in Latine therefore use alwayes the nobler member that is to say Sol for it is the kinde of kindes and forme of formes for it is the first and last in mettals and it is amongst them in their natures as the Sun is amongst the Stars but it doth concerne thee to understand well how to choose in what noble member materiam vel rem homogeneam amborum mundi Luminum that is a thing of that kinde which is a kindred to both the lights in the world that is to say Sol for Sol is homogeneam and the spirit hid and covered in that noble member without which the work is not done Wherefore Rasis sayth Doe not colour it untill his hid spirit be drawne out and made all spirituall and therefore worke thou nothing but that which is very light and of the most pure Sol which doth illuminate and lighten all lights and casteth away all darknesse of the night by his power viz. the superfluity of Mercury and other imperfect bodies when that it is cast upon them wherefore Geber saith in the Chapter of the Quintessence and Projection of the Stone this Sulpher lightning and easting forth his beames and shining abroad of his most cleare substance doth irradiate and giveth light not only in the day but also in the darknesse wherupon Pandulphus in turba Philosophorū saith my Brethren know ye that there is no body more precious or purer than Sol for as the Rubie hath in it selfe the effect of all precious stones so Sol hath in it selfe the vertue of all stones and Mettals ductible for it containeth in it selfe all mettals and coloureth and quickeneth them when he is most noble of them and of all bodies and the head and the best of them and consider this one poynt more that Sol is equall in the qualities and parts of it and it is of a compleat nature of the foure Elements
Euclides being a wise man counselled us that we should worke but in Sol and Mercury which joyned together doth make the Philosophers Stone whereupon Rasis saith white and red do proceed of one Roote no body of any other kinde comming between or meddling of the kind of Sol yet it being matter and forme absent all the effect is deprived quoniam ex materia forma sit generatio vera that is to say very true generation is made of forme and matter therefore it behooveth thee to know that no Stone or precious stone nor any other thing besides this Stone is convenient nor yet doth agree to this worke but thou hadst need to labor about the solution of the yellow body reducing it to his first matter wherefore Rasis saith we truly do dissolve Gold that it may be reduced into his first nature that is to say Mercury and when that they be brused asunder then they have in themselves tincture abiding wherefore Rasis in the flowers of Socrates saith make the marriage between the Red husband and the White wife and thou shalt have the mastery Also Merlyn saith in his Booke Candida si rubeo mulier sic mixta marito Mox amplectuntur complectaque concipiuntur Per se solvuntur per se quoque conficiuntur Et duo qui fuerant unum quasi corpore fiunt And truly our dissolution is no other thing but that the body be turned againe into moistnesse and his quicksilver into his owne nature be removed againe Therefore unlesse our brasse be broken and crushed asunder and ruled by himselfe untill it be drawn from his thicknes and that it be turned into a thin spirit this labour is in vaine whereupon it is sayd in the Booke called Speculum Alchymiae that the first worke of this worke is the body reduced into water that is to Mercury and that is that the Philosophers call solution which is the foundation of all the worke and it maketh the body of more liquefaction and of a more hid and privy subtiliation which said solution by little and little is done by contritions and light rosting wherfore Rasis saith the disposition of our Stone is that it be put into his vessell and be sod diligently untill all do ascend and rise up and be dissolved And it is spoken in Specula Philosophorum that the Philosophers Stone doth arise from a vile thing unto a more precious treasure that is to be understood that the sperme of Sol is to be cast into the matrix of Mercury by bodily copulation or conjunction and joyning of them together Also Pithagoras saith that when it is put together with his like and be mercurified it is a young tree bringing forth fruit for the soule the spirit and the tincture may from thenceforth be drawn out of him by temperate heat whereupon he saith you Artificers of Alchymie know you that their kindes cannot be truly transmuted unlesse that it be reduced into his first matter Also Geber saith all the whole thing may be made only of Mercury or Lune for when that Sol is brought into his first beginning by Mercury then nature embraceth his owne proper nature and then there is in it an easinesse of drawing forth his subtill substance wherefore Alfidius saith take things of their owne mindes and exalt them to their Roots and beginnings Also the Booke called Lumen Luminum saith that except that a man do cast the red with the fairnesse away he can by no means come to the Sulphur Lightning and Ruddiness Also Rasis saith in the seventh Chapter he that knoweth how to turne Sol into Luna hee knoweth also how to turne Sol into Sol wherefore Pandulphus in Turba Philosophorum saith he that hath wisely brought forth the venome out of Sol and his shaddow without which no colouring venome is ingendred and he that goeth about by any manner of wayes to make colouring venome without this he loseth his labour and enjoyeth nothing but sorrow for all his hopes The Vessell of our Stone is one wherein all the mastery is fulfilled and it is a Cucurbit or Gourd with a Limbeck round above and beneath plaine without any scapolis not too high whose bottome be round after the fashion of an Egge or of an urinall with plaine sides that it being made thin it may ascend and descend most freely and easily and let the Vessell be of such quantity that the fourth part thereof may containe all the matter and note that it is not of any other mettle but Glasse cleane which is a body full of light and shining every thing through it and lacking poores shewing also the colours in the worke appearing whereby the spirits passing may successively vanish away it must also be made right convenient and meet wisely that nothing may enter in by it whereupon Lucas saith let the Vessell be shut strongly with Lutum sapientiae that nothing may passe forth nor enter into it for if his dew should passe forth or some other strange humour should enter in all the worke should thereby lose his effect and although it is sayd by the Philosophers very often put it into his Vessell and shut it strongly yet sufficeth but once to put it in and shut it and in that thou hast fulfilled all the mastery for that that is more is done of evill Whereupon Rasis saith keepe it continually wisely shut and set it about with dew ever taking heed that this dew doe not passe forth into a Fume also in Speculum Alchymiae it is sayd the Philosophers Stone must remaine close shut in his Vessell untill it hath drunke up his humidity and that it be nourished perfectly with the heate of the fire till it be made white Also it is sayd in the Booke called Beneloquium even as there be in a naturall Egge three things viz. the Shell the White the Yolke even so there be in the Philosophers Stone three things viz. the Vessell the Glasse for the Egge shell the white liquor for the White of the Egge and the yellow body for the Yolke of the Egge and there becomes a Bird of the yellow and white of the Egge by a little heate of the Mother the Egge-shell still remaining whole untill the Chicken doe come forth even so by every manner of wise in the Philosophers Stone is made of the yellow body and white Liquor by mediation of a temperate heat of the mother the earthly substance Hermes bird the vessell still remaining whole and never opened untill his full perfection keep therefore the vessell diligently and wisely closed with Lutum sapientiae Philosophorum that the spirit do not passe forth Also Rasis saith keep the vessels with his tiolls and closures that thou mayest be able and strong in the keeping of his spirit also in another place shut thy vessell diligently and doe not in any sort make hast nor cease from thy worke also take heed that the humiditie do not pass out of the vessell