do voluntarily rise out of the Earth nor are submitted by the industry and labour of man but the seeds having attained a fit matrix they proceed unto the Generation of perfect Animals where they perfect the animals complementally The Laws and Foundations of Generations and Mixtions being demonstrated and the spiritual beginnings of Generations being explained and also the manners and differences of the Generations of Vegetables Minerals and Animals being adduced and inferred it remaineth that we handle of Transplantation superadded to Generation which happeneth to all the orders of Generation for those which put the light of Generation and Transplantation before things unknown in Philosophy and the art of Medicines the difference being rightly understood they prepare for us not any passage and entrance unto any vulgar Philosophy and art of Medicine insisting in qualities but unto Philosophy grounded on the Laws of Nature Certainly none can understand the death of things and the dissolution of the Soul from the Body which knows not throughly this difference and if he know not the death of things and the dissolution of the Soul from the Body that Physician will never attain unto the preparations of medicines for how shall he separate things from life which hath neither known life nor death and attributes the functions of life unto dead things what shall I say of the knowledge of Diseases Those which absolve this difference by qualities will never see how death comes to life or how by the Laws of Nature the dissolution of the Soul and Body happens But that we may come to the matter we say that Transplantation is a symptom of Generation but this is not to be understood in general of every Transplantation but in particular for Transplantation is considered Transplantation is twofold two ways for either it is subject to the will of man or it depends of Nature alone That which is subject to the industry and labour of man is perfected either by seed or cutting In this Transplantation whether it be effected by material seeds or incision two things are to be considered Times and Place It is behoveful to observe times in the Transplantation which is to be perfected by the ministery of hands because there are defined and set Periods in which the force of the seminal flowr appears in Plants and Vegetables for unless the flourishing and vigour of the flowr were transplanted by the time all labour were frustrate and Generation were in vain So some material seeds of Plants have their flourishings and vigour of the seminal flowr in the beginning of the Spring some in the midst some in the end some in Summer some in Autumn There is the same reason of trees which also have divers times of their flourishing and seminal vigour of the matter as the Quince-tree and the Damsin-trees are transplanted very seasonably after Winter the Cherry-trees and Almond-trees about Winter Mulberry-trees before the Springs Equinoctial It is also convenient that there be places fit for the Transplantations done by mans labour for except these subjects of mans Transplantations shall find a fit matrix the Transplantation will be frustrate and in vain whether it be done by incision or by seed Therefore it is behoveful to observe such places in our Transplantations as Nature affecteth and in which places Nature will bring forth freely and planteously fruits of this or that kind for every ground doth not bring forth all fruits some fruits Spring pleasantly in funny places some in shadowed places which Nature he observeth thus such like and such Plants being transplanted our Ladiesgloves love little Hillocks the Poplar the Willows and Arsemart love the Waters and Mercuries Fingers and Melilot as we have explained in the Generation of Vegetables We will apply this first Generation of Transplantation fitly in the difference of the Generation of Diseases The other kind of Transplantation is that which proceeds from Nature alone or it is that which is caused by the more effective tinctures of the Elements neither is it subject to mans sense For the right understanding of this Transplantation it is behoveful to explain the roots or tinctures of things which help both for Generation and Transplantation though the roots or effective tinctures the efficient causes of Transplantations have not been explained at any time of any Philosopher but they have adumbrated or over-shadowed them by figures metaphors and allegories And these tinctures are twofold either perfect and first or else corruptible and superadded The perfect and first Roots of things are Stars Seeds Roots of Transplantations and of the Philosophers they are called the tinctures of the Elements The seeds or roots of Transplantation shew the cause of death and dissolution The seeds or stars of Generation are explained both in Philosophy and in the difference of the Generation of natural things now we will handle of the Stars Seeds and Roots of Transplantation For we say that every Generation by the superadded Transplantation is removed and displaced from the degree of dignity whereby the Seeds Stars and Roots of Generation are lesse able to manifest their gifts and in-bred sciences for every transplanted Generation that is Transplantation of spirits doth not change unto the better but unto worse and the properties and gifts of every transplanted Generation namely of the spirits are much weakned by the superadded impressions and concurring Stars of Transplantation The tinctures of the Elements Stars Seeds and Roots of Transplantation or Impressions which cause Transplantation are the Being or Essence of poison which especially is found forth and appeareth in Minerals as in Arsenick Sulphur Vitriol Mercury Antimony and in Saturn In Vegetables as the Nettle Woolf-bane Hemlock and the Poppy But it is circumspectly to be observed that Transplantation in regard of the tinctures is twofold namely the universal and the particular The universal Transplantation is that which extends together unto all natural things by Gods curse for there is nothing free from Transplantation in the whole Nature of things but it hath impurities admixt and adjoyned unto the veins guests and tinctures of the Elements and unto the Stars Seeds and Roots of Transplantation for the Stars themselves as Job witnesseth are not free from this Transplantation neither Gold Silver or Gemms are excepted from this Transplantation though they seem to carry an anatomy of soundness or purity Paracelsus in Chirurgiamajore 2 Book cap. 8. of his 3 Tractate saith that Gold by his Nature hath Realgar or being of poison which is separated from her by Antimony for if that Gold wanted Realgar or poison as Paracelsus speaks the Spagirical Philosophers would not so strictly command that before the preparation of potable Gold that the body of Gold should be separated from poison and impurities So amongst Vegetables every body hath poison and those which be called alimental of Physicians That Vegetable which cannot be rightly separated neither by artificial or natural concoction of the Ventricle is the cause of many
and utility of this Philosophy it is so great that none can open and unlock the doors of Nature which are shut and lockt much less can he enter into the inmost closets of Nature which knoweth not and throughly seeth the nature of this undefiled Virgin What can Philosophers perform or what can Physicians or what can Chemists unless they kiss this Virgin with a sweet kiss This Virgin might have come forth into the conspect of her Lover more trim and deckt but she like unto a chaste Virgin which abhorreth frizling and painting had rather offer her self untrimmed at the first by so diligent negligence hoping that though she were seen bare and naked yet she might provoke wonderful love PART I. CHAP. I. The assigned Star of the Ancients IN that I am about to unfold and explain the sacred and ancient Philosophy which is collected forth of the Philosophy of the Academicks and Peripateticks I have thought it meet to set before your eyes the Opinions of the ancient Philosophers concerning the nature of things and that in brief to repeat that whereby it may appear now far Vital Philosophy hath excelled and surpassed the rude and corpulent Philosophy Which things being understood and throughly viewed it will be convenient to descend to the fountains of things All the precepts of ancient Philosophers which concerned the knowledge of Natural things have been hidden and concealed of them under feigned and dark shadows and fables for all those things which divine Plato and after him Aristotle have writ concerning the World and nature of things as also whatsoever Empedocles or Parmenides or Pythagoras have brought into the light all those precepts have been the precepts of those which writ ancient fables from whose precepts every one hath so much profited as he could attain unto by the faculty of his Wit Their precepts did signifie that the World was created of God and that it consists of one universal and common matter Wherefore they held there was but one World and not many and that Time was caused from the motion of the Heaven and that the Heavens while they were moved did effect a musical harmony by reason of the magnitude of their bodies and that the eternal Matter of the Heaven existed and that the Elements were obnoxious to corruption and transmutations according to their parts Whenas yet the whole substance is so created of him that it might be eternal All these are conserved from corruption by the Soul of the World or Divine power They alâ—o did express by fables that the Earth was unmoveable and that all other things were moved with perpetual motions and that the parts of the Elements mutually amongst themselves were generated and corrupted by the heat and cold of the Heaven and that there were made more frequent mutations of all these about the Earth They also did lay open by fables the generation of Hail Rain and Thunder and other Meteors which are caused by the Sun from Vapours elevated upwards And also they expressed how Living creatures and Plants were generated by the commixtion and corruption of the Elements of all which the Sun is the efficient cause by his moderate heat Again they affirmed that all the living bodies should die which were composed of many principles or beginnings because every compounded body is at length to be resolved into his principles Now at length we come to explain the nature of Plants and Fruits They in their fables declared that the seasons of Time were profitable to them when the Fruits and Plants are fit to gather strength and yield fruit Lastly the generation of all things whether it be by corruption of life or conjunction of Male and Female it is governed and holpen by the temperature of the Heaven both in procreating and conserving or bringing them up for from that temperature there arises an appetite and desire of procreating Again they have entreated of the Changes and Virtues of the Moon whose humour is expedient in the Full Moon to those that bring forth and for the increase of Plants and the conservation of living things which are bred And they said that the principal author of this power was the Sun which therefore the Physicians thought to be a skilful governour of Health and Diseases for seeing the mediocrity and temperature and the grievousness and magnitude of the Heat is caused by it this power is not undeservedly attributed to the Sun They judged the Sun to be the ministrant cause of God by which all things are made and generated seeing that he by this mixeth the Elements from whose commixtions all things are generated This was their Philosophy which is no other vise explained than in the sense of Fables CHAP. II. Of the Philosophy of Hermes and Hippocrates TRue Philosophy is the breathing of God and a Divine Illustration which is plaâ—e in the power and reason of no man but wholly depends on the good blessing of God Whereupon no man ought to wonder or admire that there be so few scarce one of a thousand which attains it seeing it is the gift of God yea and that a perfect gift descending from the Father of lights wisdom and truth Assuredly that the decree of God may stand firm and unviolated God hath not imparted this Philosophy to any man without labour watchings study for God still works mediately and by hands at all times unto all Nations Furthermore we must study and learn in Gods school very diligently Plato being allured by the wonderful study sweetness and desire of Philosophy went into Egypt that he might throughly learn Philosophy of the Priests that he might attain the true and sound knowledge thereof After this he coming into Brachmana and there he saw Jarcha the chief of the Philosophers of India sitting in a golden seat and he heard him reason concerning the motion of the Heaven and the Stars and the nature of sublunary things Not to trouble you with many the true Monarch of true Philosophy and Physick namely Paracelsus remained captive with the Egyptians certain years that he might be instructed by them from whom he received so many excellent Medicines Seeing there is but one onely true Philosophy and the unity thereof is from the unity of the subject therefore it is meet that one subject of the whole Philosophy should be determined The subject is the inward and essential form of everything The Subject of Philosophy existing in the superiour and inferiour Globe whose essence and properties constitute whole Philosophy namely Astronomy Physicks and Alchymy The Astronomers and Magicians have called it The invisible Sun Philosophers and Physicians called it The First Matter Physick-chemists called it The simple Radix or Root of Minerals as most learned Geberus witnesseth in the third book Rei Metallicae I am sure that many now-adays do love and esteem this sound Philosophy I am also sure that many do reject and despise it as vain and unprofitable but we must exclaim with Fabius
diffused abroad very much it begins to decay and corupt and so the dry and cold matter is left which is held to be the last of all For the vital spirits whose force is fiery do consume nutriments and aliments hourly so that there is need of continual restitution mixtion and composition therefore it is most truly said of Hippocrates I find saith he that we are nourished from those things of which we consist and that by them generation and nutrition is continued From hence Aliment is named of Paracelsus seed because in all aliments there is the Balsam of the animal Whether doth Gaeln make Hippocrates the chief in his folly or no Let us I pray you pardon Galen for he is ignorant of the Spagirical art and hath never attained unto the secrets of Hippocrates whereby it is come to pass that he hath left the Essence of Nature untouched and uncomprehended As likewise he was ignorant of the forms of things and therefore he could not obtain the forms of things from their bodies For the confirmation of this namely that Hippocrates understood by the name of Fire Nature it self we may bring the testimonies of other Philosophers lest that we be thought to depend on the authority and judgment of one man alone though that the testimony of Hippocrates being an excellent Philosopher might abundantly suffice us Paracelsus also in his book writ of the Generation of Natural things so also in his book de Electro he calleth the Soul or Nature by the name of Fire with whom Fernelius Alanus consents in his Sayings which he hath consecrated to posterity he calleth Nature by the name of Fire of Wisdom Alexander a Suchten calleth Nature by the name of Living Fire Raimundus Lullius calleth Nature the Living Fire of Nature so also he calleth Living Fire by the name of Nature Geber the Prince of Philosophers calls this Fire of Nature the Incombustible Sulphur Paracelsus in his first book of the Secrets of Creation calleth this Fire by the name of Middle Nature and forthwith in the same place he annexeth some few things and calls it the Nature of Viridity or Greenness for this is the blessed and happy Greenness which makes all things bud This is the Green Lion of the Physicochemists to the which Paracelsus ascribes all the cures of all diseases in his book de tincturaphysicorum The ancient Author in the Apocalyps of the Spirit of the secret world amongst the rest he affirmeth this celestial spirit the Heaven to exist in a waterish body more than perfect and clarified he affirmeth this to be the inferious Heaven whose sparkle is the Alcool of wine which is spirit water and fire This is that which is so much commended of Paracelsus in his writings as also of other great Philosophers of notable wits affirming thus The Fire and Azoth are sufficient for thee which are the great mysteries of Nature as Paracelsus speaks in his Archidoxes In this place I have communicated and opened the gates of Nature by these which are said very benignly I might also bring more without envy but that it is a caution in the laws of Philosophy That there be some tedious things left for the Scholars Concerning the cited place of Hippocrates Hippocrates explains himself in his first book de diaeta which may fully certifie what he meaneth by the name of Fire for saith he either Fire hath distinguished in the generation of Man three circuits diverse in faculties yet conspiring both in vardly and outwardly by a mutual society which have circuits in the cavities which are workhouses of the humours That is in the Bowels which serve for nutrition They relate the power motion and maturity of the Moon but those which absolve the resolutions outwardly where the more solid members consist do imitate the properties of the Stars which do consist in the midst that is in the heart they contain the nature of most forcible fire which is present without and within through all the parts and hath dominion over them all and it in secret silence is not perceived by sight nor feeling In this fire that is in the Stars the soul of this middle revolution understanding prudence augmentation motion diminution transmutation sleep watchings are secretly contained The spirits being there mechanical workers are ascending spiritual bodies and they are the immediate instruments of the actions and have roots In the same book he hath described the faculties and sciences of this Divine Nature Hippocrates saith that Nature is the governour of men this causes the attractions of the elements the mixtions of the parts dispensations conspiâ—ations of those which agree the expulsion of those which disagree This is that which expells which attracts which gives and receives and which proportionateth less things for less places but greater things for greater places and this it doth by altered and well-tempered mixtion Furthermore Orpheus calls Nature as it were a thing adorn'd with the Laws of the Fates which word Hippocrates uses for there is a Law or Reason grounded in the essence of Nature and it is that essence which impells moves and governs all things and because it is in bred it perfects the decrees more sorcibly Because of the diverse in comprehensible gifts of Nature Hippocrates said that Nature was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is taught or instructed of none This is the Light of Nature this is the Predestination of Paracelsus in which he deservedly glories that he knew it wholly and perfectly I say this Nature is the Vegetable secret of Nature the vigour or efficacy of the name the fruitful vertue of the light which is of a perfect body the bright force of Sulphur the hidden virtue of the Heaven the most pure laâ—p the fire of truth which cannot be attained the ensigns of a living form the flower of Nature the house of tincture and the noble branch CHAP. VII Of the Soul What the Soul is and the substance of it ALL living bodies inasmuch as they live whether they be contained in the bosom of the Elements and live obscurely or they live manifestly I say all these are compounded of three parts namely Soul Sâ—irit and Body The Body and Spirit may in some sort be sought forth by sense but the Soul and the essence of it seeing it flies sense is obsecurely and too darkly known for it is no obvious or easie thing to attain thereunto Wherefore the understanding must apprehend it from the operations functions and effects arising from thence conspicuous and objected unto the sense even as every occult cause is to be enquired and sought forth These are Aristotelical and Galenical opinions taken from the same ground They endeavour to proportionate the anatomy of Troy by Geometrical partitions and figures but in vain Thus they define the Soul The Soul is the beginning and cause of the functions of a living body Or the Soul is the perfection of an Organical body Seeing that every living body is forthwith
an Organical body every thing that giveth it life and causes the vital actions is to be judged to be the Soul which is the perfection of the whole Furthermore seeing that they can no other way know the essence they leaving the obscurity of essence do pass unto the proper functions of it which are more manifest and they attain knowledge from the differences of the Soul so they define the Soul to be life as from the proper functions of it and from the differences of life they make certain kinds of the Soul and so they comprehend in their mind three differences of living things namely Natural Sensitive and Intelligent because that some bodies do live by the benefit of sole Nature others have Sence others are induced with Reason and Understanding as if Sence and Reason were not aswell natural and have their foundations in the very essence of Nature which thing Hippocrates expresses manifestly by a luculent testimony in his first Book de diata And these differences of living things are not to be ascribed to their functions faculties sciences gifts and interior signatures but rather to the Essence of the Soul Here you may see the calamity of Aristotle and Galen which are fallen and do cast themselves headlong into very foul and unfortunate errours by their subtilty for they do attribute that to the faculties and functions of the Soul which are to be attributed to the very Essence But they may say that that which is natural in Plants is a Soul from which we say that Plants are animated though they be not animals and that Sensitive faculty which governs and directs brute Beasts is also a Soul which doth not only make them animated but also animals Lastly there is none which will say that the Intellective faculty of man is not a Soul These Souls are so severed and distracted that neither the Intelligent Soul of Man is a Sensitive Soul nor the Sensitive Soul of a Beast is a Natural Soul So that Man is not Beast nor Beast is a Plant otherwise there would be great confusion of the kinds and natures of things To whom I answer with Hippocrates Of what kind the sciences and gifts of the natural spirits of the Soul of the hot Fire are there are such like signatures or sealings exprest in the bodies and the whole ornature or comeliness of the whole body is contained in the anatomy that is in the Soul for the Soul is the cause or beginning of the organical body for from this the body is caused by the vertue and power of it the elements and principles are mixed augmented and changed from spiritual into bodies having their figures magnitude colours and such paintings that is signatures agreeable to the Soul which make much for the absolving of the pre-ordinated functions and offices Hippocrates doth illustrate the unity of the Soul by an excellent testimony in his Book de diaeta saith he Male and Female may consist together and each one constitute other and he addeth this reason because the same Soul is in all living bodies but the body of them all do differ Therefore the Soul is the like as well in a greater as a less that is in an infant as one come to years for it is not altered neither by Nature or Necessity but the body is never the same either by Nature or Necessity Now it is separated from all otherwise it were commix'd Here he calleth the Soul the Root and the vital beginning because this thing is common to both Sexes in all kinds of animals therefore they may consist together Again the Male and Female are rooted in the same root and mutually propagate themselves for the Souls which are vital beginnings and the radical tinctures of things are stable and perpetual not subjected to mixtion therefore they persist the same and altogether like themselves The natural description of the Soul whether they be in less Individual things that is in weaker and unfirmer or in greater that is in more stronger and firmer The unity of the Soul being thus demonstrated I call the Soul Vitalspirits the Chorionium of Paracelsus the Powers of Hippocrates Spiritual and Vital powers Tinctures Vital qualities which being dispersed through the whole anatomy of the living body nevertheless they are concentred and united in the more principal parts which communicate true essence to the body The Essence of this Soul though it be obscure and unknown of Aristotle and Gallen nevertheless it is perspicuous and manifest enough to us for by the industry of the workman it is subjected to the eye which we call the Native liquor the Radical moisture the mystery the mean of the Soul the golden vigour of the Soul the flowr of the Soul and the efficacy of the spirit in the elements which we call Jupiter in heaven Juno in the air Neptune in the water and in each of the parts of these the Ancients have called it by divers names of the Gods PART II. CHAP. I. Of the Original of Forms THe most have supposed Heaven to be the Father of all things which are generated upon Earth and the Earth to be the Mother They called the Heaven the Father because the Water falling from thence supplies the place of Seed they call the Earth the Mother because it receiveth it after the manner of a Mother and brings forth For the same cause we find the Moon called of many after Mankind because it is affirmed to have the Dominion over the humours and doth perform a manly work in the administration thereof Which thing Tertullian and Cornelius Severus profess which Charisius cites the Epithete of Phoebus being adduced from the Male kind he saith Now the fiery Stars did shine in the Heaven O Phoebus the succeeder with thy Brothers Horses In the secrets of the Hebrews which they call Cabalistical all the vertues of the Stars and the heavenly images are received and contained in the body of the Moon from which afterward the species of things fruits animal sand all new things which are in power to be generated by the several elements are immitted into the inferiour matter and genital seed Aristotle and other which imitate him deduce the forms and first substances of all things from heaven Galen derived the specifical form or essential property of every thing from a certain congress mixtion and temperature of the elements These are the famous doubts which obscure very much the knowledge of natural things from this fountain there is derived an overthrow which hath corrupted all Philosophy and begot obscurity and transplantation by the Laws and confuse administration of mixtion In whose steps must we now insist whom shall we trust shall we trust ancient Writers as Aristotle and Galen Unto these Aristotelians methinks I hear Moses speak who many years before the history of the created World following the Eternal God and instructed in all kind of things said that God had put a natural power or vertue in the created
therein are privily contained CHAP. III. Of the Beginnings of Bodies and their Original Differences and Properties PHilosophers do greatly dissent in the handling of the Principles and every one almost led by his own Opinion doth bring his own beginnings Some do consist in Reason only and are not grounded in Nature they admit no demonstrations from the light of Nature Those which hold these imaginary beginnings are conversed in the Knowledge and Inquisition of the Essential Causes they are drawn by a blind and a terminary endeavour upward and downward they admit a dissolute and futile or vain confusion of things wavering this way and that way without sinews and joynts they stick in all things as if they were but beginners they hold nothing which is ratified nothing that is comprehended and nothing that is fixed and sure But they ever stand in that place and in doubt from which they may be moved with a light moment which daily Experience not only in Philosophy but also in Physicks doth testifie and approve But according to these fine Philosophers and Physicians if it please God some beginnings are of Philosophy some of Physick and where the Philosopher endeth there the Physician beginneth Aristole the chief of the Peripatetical Family or Sect made three beginnings of Nature two Essential as he calleth them Namely the Matter and the Form and one Accidental namely Privation which beginnings seeing they do alone comprehend them in mind and abstract them from the very Essence of the thing and do not explain what the Matter of a natural thing is nevertheless they would be thought to explain and lay open the Knowledge of the Matter Let me define them The Matter is of which a thing is made The Form is by which a thing is made Privation is the absence of the Form But yet it remaineth unexplained altogether what the true real and essential beginnings of Nature are All the Spagirical Philosophers have made a Matter and confessed there was a Form and that a new Form was forthwith induced the old being abolished and deprived where closely the necessity of Privation is included But while they imagine of these in their mind they consider the true subjects of Nature Wherefore whosoever is instructed with these imaginary beginnings will never come to the Bath of Diana wherefore he need not fear the punishments of Acteon Galen held that the Elements adorned with their Qualities were the Foundations of Nature Hermes ter maximus the Father of the Phlosophers taught that all things were generated of three things he explains the terminary number calling them Spirit Soul and Body though he doth not expresly shew what he meaneth by Spirit Soul and Body yet our Paracelsus hath so expounded them no less artificially than naturaly in his Book de Naturarerum The Spirit is Mercury the Soul is Sulphur the Body is Salt The mean betwixt the Spirit and the Body of which Hermes speaks is the Soul so that the mean betwixt Mercury and Salt is Sulphur which unites conjoyns and couples diverse things and compounds them into one substance of a Body Now we will seek forth the Original differences and properties of these three these are they which have wearied and astonied the Wits of many Philosophers our beginnings of our Paracelsus have true Foundations in Nature Sulphur Salt and Mercury are the issues and off-spring of the Seeds In the first framing of creatures it was needful that the Seeds should have their Foundations in others seeing they were gone from the Fountain of Unity If the images of the Seeds that is the Seeds themselves should be dispersed it was also convenient for the images of the Elements that is for the beginnings to imitate Nature So the Essence Existence Life and Act of all things are the Elements that is the Seeds which are beginnings but yet not common or general beginnings For the more full understanding of this thing in the first place the difference of Bodies is to be observed Some Bodies are more nigh their beginnings namely the Seeds and Vital beginnings Others have gone further from them as the mix'd Elements Those which are more nigh by reason of the likeness of their Nature are called Heavenly Bodies Spiritual and Vital and constant Vegetable Bodies in which the constant property of every body is apprehended These are called of Paracelsus Mercury Sulphur and Salt Not that they are altogether like to the vulgar Salt Sulphur and Mercury in Substance but in Essence Actions and Properties and as much as those perfect individuals in their kind do differ amongst themselves so much do these Vital beginnings differ in Essence Actions and Properties Those which are more remote from the Seeds are called Earthly Crass Mixt Dead and Unfixt Bodies these are the common Elements commixed with the beginnings which do exhibit or propound before our senses one similar substance of the Bodies by the virtue of mixtion The beginnings which we name first of the two are formal and natural Bodies but yet spiritual they are Spirits yet corporeal so that in some sort they are means betwixt the corporeal and incorporeal Nature The latter are bonds of visible and invisible things of temporal and eternal corruptible and incorruptible of superiour and inferiour therefore they ought to manifest the properties of the superiour and inferiour Nature So that they purely and exquisitely do not represent the conditions of either of them He which knows not these bonds hath not learned the power of life because he hath only exercised the anatomy of death Aristotle and Galen coupled death and life together and they would have attributed things belonging to dead things without qualities to the living things they both laboured for one end Furthermore in these spirits and spiritual Bodies the properties of all natural actions do bear sway and all separations digestions and concoctions in Nature are absolved and perfected by the benefit of Salt Sulphur and Mercury and not by the benefit or ministery of Heat and Humidity The temperament of all the parts are not integrated or compounded from the mixtion of Heat Cold and Driness but from the mixtion of Salt Sulphur and Mercury amongst themselves and with the Elements which agree in the Sciences and Predestinations of the foresaid beginnings and root or ground And this is the temperament of Nature Nature it self and the towardness or good disposition of things produced from the Sciences and Signatures of the beginnings for the properties of the actions which are contemplated and beheld in the natural parts as of Attraction Retention Separation Digestion and Evacuation we deprehend them to be in the anatomy of Salt Sulphur and Mercury even as the Sulphur of the Loadstone attracteth iron and worn Amber attracteth straw oftentimes also we deprehend it to be in outward things And though these three beginnings of Bodies seem to have their forces united in Nature yet they reserve the properties without hurt and confusion The office and property
of Salt is to congeal Bodies and to make them solid and firm from hence is the hardness of the Adamant and the solidness of Gold which Aristotle and Galen ascribe to Cold. The office of Sulphur is being of a fat and clammy substance to temperate the foresaid congelation with a benign commixtion lest that the mechanical Spirits being bound and girded with the solidness and commixt proportion of Salt should commit unjust losses of their actions and offices The office of Mercury is to repair and cherish by continual moistning those which hasten unto driness and age and to make the mixtion of them to be of a sluid and moveable substance for this necessity Mercury is adjoyned to Salt and Sulphur but more sparingly and in a less measure in the Vital beginning the Elements are in the Vital sulphur the First Matter and the Balm and these three Bodies Salt Sulphur and Mercury that is the Balm makes and compounds the Domestical principles or beginnings like unto themselves from the Elements so that it requires the common and latter Elements as external Vestments These three by whose ministery or benefit all things are connext and do conspire together are the Bonds of the corporeal continuity of all Bodies Sometimes Hippocrates designs these spiritual Bodies by the name of the Soul as when he saith that the Soul of Man is united to the Soul and that by a Physical liberty Those three beginnings of Bodies in which the faculty of every beginning doth manifestly shew it self are adorned of Philosophers by the name of Spirits These means in Nature and mean Bonds that is the three beginnings of Bodies seeing they agree most highly with the Architectonical spirits and roots or seminary beginnings of things they are named of Philosophers by the name of the First Matter Now follows the tractate of the Causes and Cures of Diseases The general and special Explication of all Diseases Astral and Material or of all Elementated and Hereditary Diseases from the Book of Nature the Book of Philosophical and Physical truth with the Opinions of Ancient Writers added as Hippocrates Galen and Celsus and others In the particular curing of Diseases it is handled of the mysteries of Cures of the brevity of the Signs of the secrets of the Remedies And first the old Precepts of Galen and of others are brought and afterward it is demonstrated by the Experience of Paracelsus Thurniserus and of Excellent new Writers and Philosophers and the Medicines for all the Diseases from anatomy and the signed art as well simple Remedies as compound by shewing the work Man the Microcosmus or little World out of the Macrocosm or great World containeth in him the anatomy of health and sanity In Man are threefold Diseases Namely 1 From Fire and Air. Which two Elements generate and infect the Spirit of man from whence there are Diseases in man which they call Epidemical or Astral Diseases 2 From Water and Earth These two Elements cause the Tartar and the â—tone and all Tartaâ—ous Diseases which â—â—â— many in man 3 From the seed of Parents and they contain in them 4 courses 1 The 4 courses of the Elements from whence all sharp Diseases arise 2 The 7 courses of the Planets from whence the Chronical Diseases arise which ensure as long as the couse of the Planet 3 4 courses of the humours from whence are Salts and that of divers Tasts 4 Courses of the qualities from whence the complexions are The Microcosmus man hath not been only created according to the Macrocosm but also made subject to Diseases and Death as in the book of Theophrastus of the Astral Diseases so also of the Invisible Diseases as also of the falling Sickness as also of the Meteors and that part is called Astronomy read the books of Theophrastus of the Tartareous Diseases The old Physicians have writ nothing of these things neither knew they any thing of them if they knew any thing it was not much Saturn Hath Dominion in the Milt Jupiter Hath Dominion in the Liver Mars Hath Dominion in the Gall Sol Hath Dominion in the Heart Venus Hath Dominion in the Reins Mercury Hath Dominion in the Lungs Luna Hath Dominion in the Brain Bloud Phlegm Choler Melancholy Is Savory Sweet Bitter Sowr Salt The Galenists call the Salts Humours when as they are Salts and of divers Tasts and qualities Of these Galen writ Hot and moist Cold and moist Hot and dry Cold and dry But Theophrastus from the light of Nature found forth that all beginnings consist in Salt Sulphur and Mercury In these three the substance of all creatures consists and is conserved to the Predestinated term or limit as Paracelsus in his book de tribus Principiis and in his book Paramid Philosoph de quatuor Elementis which four Ements do arise from three beginnings Of Generation Mixtion and Transplantation The solid and firm ground of Nature being laid and the truth and Nature of the Principles being found and established and confirmed and the original differences and degrees of Forms being set down we come to the engendring of Diseases And first it is needful to prepose the Generation of natural things and the Laws and grounds of mixtion and Transplantation And then we will shew whether the beginnings of generation be spiritual or corporeal Again it is behoveful to consider whether Animals Minerals and Vegetables are generated after the same manner for those that know not the Laws and Foundations of Generations Mixtions and Transplantations and those which do not consider the Powers and Vertues and Courses of the Spirits they persist in a great Errour that bodies are only of bodies Veâ—ily they cannot tell how to free themselves in the Inquisition of Diseases which are from the bodies from whence it comes to pass that many proclaim divers Diseases to be incurable Concerning the Foundation or ground of Generation Three things are required necessary to the administration of every Generation First the Elements and Matrices Secondly Seeds Stars First Matter or Soul Thirdly the beginnings of bodies All which though divers yet they are contained in the least portion of the matter which is altogether similar as appeareth by the testimony of the sense and so they command us to worship the Divinity of Nature neither are they confusedly or rashly comprehended but they are instructed with a Vital and most forcible Power or Vertue and with an infallible science It will bring much light to our contemplations if we explain the offices of these There are more common offices of the Elements the Matrices or Receptacles and they obtain the name of the matter they are the offices of the seeds the first matter or stars Furthermore they are called fruitful because they are the Bonds of visible and invisible things and because they contain in them the Laws of Motions the Predestination of Times and the Laws of Generations Mixtions and Transplantations as in the efficient agent cause from which all actions proceed