fire for 40 days of Elemental heat and in that decoction of 40 days the Body will rejoyce with the Soul and the Soul will rejoyce with the Body and Spirit and the Spirit will rejoyce with the Body and Soul and they will be fixed together and dwell one with another in which Life they will be made perpetual and immortal without separation for ever CHAP. XXXV A farther Explication of this matter I. OUR Medicine is made of 3 things viz. of a Body Soul and Spirit There are two Bodies to wit Sol and Luna Sol is a Tincture where with imperfect Bodies are tinged into Sol and Luna tingeth into Luna for nature brings forth only its like a Man a Man a Horse a Horse c. II. We have named the Bodies which serve to this Work which of some are called ferment for as a little leven levens the whole lump so Luna and Sol leven Mercury as their Meal into their Nature and Virtue III. If it be demanded Why Sol and Luna having a prefixed Tincture do not yet tinge imperfect Metals I Answer A Child tho' born of humane kind acts not the Man it must first be nourisht and bred up till it comes to Maturity So is it with Metals also they cannot shew their power and force unless they be first reduced from their Terrestreity to a Spirituality and nourisht and fed in their Tinctures through heat and humidity IV. For the Spirit is of the same matter and nature with our Medicine We say our Medicines are of a siery nature and much subtiler but of themselves they cannot be subtil nor simple but must be maturated or ripened with subtil and penetrating things V. Earth of it self is not subtil but may be made so through moist water which is dissolving and makes an ingress for Sol that it may penetrate the Earth and with its heat make the Earth subtile and in this way the Earth must be subtilized so long till it be as subtil as a Spirit which then is the Mercury more dissolving than common water and apt to dissolve the said Metals and that through the heat of fire to penetrate and subtilize them VI. There are several Spirits as Mercury Sulphur Orpiment Arsenick Antimony Nitre Sal-armoniack Tutia Marchisits c. but Mercury is a better Spirit than all others for being put into the fire they are carried away and we know not what becomes of them But Mercury as it is much subtiler clearer and penetrative so it is joyned to the Metals and changed into them whereas the others burn and destroy them making them more gross than they were before VII Now Mercury is of such a subtil nature that it transmutes Metals into simple and pure substances as it self is and attracts them to its self But no Metal can be transmuted by any of the other Spirits but they burn it to Earth and Ashes which Mercury it becomes impalpahle and therefore is called Argent Vive VIII We take nothing else to subtilize Metals to make them penetrative or to tinge other Metals Some call it Argent Vive or a Water an Acetum a Poyson because it destroys imperfect Bodies dividing them into several parts and forms our Medicine is made of two things viz. of Body and Spirit And this is true that all Metals have but one Root and Original IX But why cannot this Medicine be made of two compounded together I Answer It may be made of all these together but they must be reduced into a Mercury which would be difficult of the shortness of Man's Life Therefore we take the next matter which are the two aforesaid things viz. Body and Spirit X. Some Philosophers say our Medicine is made of four things and so it is For in Metals and their Spirits are the four Elements Others say true also That Metals must be turned into Argent Vive Here many Learned and Wise Men err and loose themselves in this path Thus far of the matter of which our Medicine is made or with which it is ioyned Now of the Vessels XI The Vessel ought to resemble the Firmament to enclose and encompass the whole Work For our Medicine is nothing else but a change of Elements one into another which is done by the motion of the Firmament for which reason it must needs be round and circular XII The other or second Vessel must also be round and be less than the outward Vessel 6 or 7 Inches high called a containing Cucurbit on which you must place an Alembick or Head through which the Vapors may ascend which must be well luted with Lute made of Meal sifted Ashes Whites of Eggs c. Or of Meal Calx Vive ana j. part tempered with Whites of Eggs which you must immediately use Lute it so well that no Spirits may fly away the loss of which will prejudice your Work extreamly therefore be wary XIII The Fornace or Oven must be round 12 or 14 Inches high and 6 or 7 Inches broad and 3 or 4 Inches in thickness to keep in the heat the better XIV Our matter is generated through or by help of the heat of the fire through the Vapour of the Water and also of the 〈◊〉 which must be nourished be wise and consider and meditate well upon the matter XV. Now in order to this Work there is 1. Dissolution 2. Separation 3. Sublimation 4. Fixation or Congelation 5. Calcination 6. Ingression XVI Dissolution is the changing of a dry thing into a moist one and belongs only to Bodies as to Sol and Luna which serve for our Art For a Spirit needs not to be dissolved being a liquid thing of it self but Metals are gross and dry and of a gross nature and therefore must be subtilized XVII First Because unless they be subtilized through dissolution they cannot be reduced into water and made to ascend through the Alembick to be converted into Spirit whose remaining foeces are reserved for a farther use XVIII Secondly Because the Body and Spirit must be made indivisible and one For no gross matter joyns or mixes with a Spirit unless it be first subtilized and reduced into Argent Vive then the one embraces the other inseperably For Argent Vive meeting with a thing like it self rejoyceth in it and the dissolved Body embraces the Spirit and suffers it not to fly away making it to endure the fire and it rejoyces because it has found an equal viz. one like it self and of the same nature XIX Dissolution is thus done Take Leaves of Sol or Luna to which add a good quantity of pure Mercury putting in the Leaves by little and little into a Vessel placed in so gentle a heat that the Mercury may not fume when all is dissolved and the Mass feems to be one Homogene body you have done well If there be any foeces or matter undissolved add more Mercury till all seems to be melted together XX. Take the matter thus dissolved set it in B. M. for
the Regions above but truly by forbearing to Flie. Salmon In this our Art are two Principles which spring from one Root and which are the subject of our Stone viz. Argent Vive and Sulphur of which the one is Volatile and superior the other fixt and below from the Conjunction of which often repeated is made the true and Philosophical sublimation and fixation And that is the fixation when the Body receives the Tinging Spirit and takes from it its Volatility this is done by frequent Reiterations till a Calx of perpetual duration is produced and will remain for ever in the Fire But in the very beginning of this work the substance of the Stone which in it self is most fixed by a Spirit not fixed or Volatile as Sea Water acetum radicatum and such like is to be made Volatile And by this means it will be more fit to be cleansed of its Filth or Rust which in metals is a most certain sign of Imperfection V. Hermes If therefore you shall deliver it out of its Imprisonment or Cage or Straights then afterwards you shall Order and Govern it according to the number of days I shall note to you according to Reason and then it shall be a Companion to thee and by it thou shalt be made great and powerful Salmon That is the fixed Body is to be lifted up by sublimation and to be so often repeated till the Volatile is made fixed or fixed with it But this is not to be done hastily or all at once but by little and little and by degrees Lest by too great a haste you break the Vessel or come to some other hurt God himself made all things in Number Weight and Measure that is in due and just proportion as well in respect of Time as Matter If you proceed wisely in this Case you will receive the fulness of your expectations VI. Hermes Extract from the Sun Beams the shadow and the sordid Matter by that which makes the Clouds hang over it and Corrupts it and keeps it from the Light because by its Torture and Red Fiery Heat or Redness it is Burned Salmon The shadow always goes along with the Body walking in the Sun Now that a clearer Light may appear through the Body without any shadow the Body must be opened made thin and dissolved which is the Patient by the Spirit or Sun-Beams which are the Agent the living Fire by whose Power it is brought to a Calx and the Corruptible part is Burnt up and destroyed or made fit to be separated VII Hermes Take this Redness Corrupted with the Water which resembles the Matter holding the Fire as in a live Coal from it As often as you take this Redness Corrupted in Water away from it so often you have the Redness Purified then will it Associate it self viz. become fixed and Tinged in which 〈◊〉 it will rest for ever Salmon That is Our Magnesia which is sown in our Philosophick Earth is to be Corrupted or Putrefied and then to be Digested Coagulated Sublimated Incerated and Fixed This Magnesia or Redness is thus made pure by separation and then it becomes Dissolved Digested Coagulated Sublimed Incerated and Fixed and Tinged being first lift up into the highest Heavens and then Buried again in the deepest Earth that therewith it may arise and in the same have a Habitation and be fixt for ever The Water is the Spirit the Redness is the Soul or Tincture and the Earth is the Body Now the Spirit is the Life of the Soul as the Body is the Clothing or Habitation thereof so that the Body is a substance fixed dry and containing both the Spirit and the Soul The Spirit Penetrates the Body the Body fixes the Spirit the Soul conjoyned Tinges of its own Color whether it is White or Red. VIII Hermes Return the Coal being extinct in its life to the Water in the thirty days I note to thee so will you have a Crowned King resting upon the Fountain or Well but drawing it from the Auripigment and wanting the Humour or Moisture Now have I made the Hearts of the attentive who hope in thee glad and their Eyes beholding thee in the hope of that which thou possessest Salmon The Life of the Coal is Fire which being removed from it is like a Dead Body nor in a Coal only but in all other things it is Fire that excites or stirs up the Life comforts it and conserves it Yea the Essence of Life is nothing else than Pure Naked Unmixed Fire not that which is Corrupting and Elementary but that which is Subtil Coelestial and Generating all things This in Metals is the Aqua Philosophica Oleaginosa Sulphurea and in this the Earth is to be raised up in the space of 30 days which is a certain Number for an uncertain By the Crowned King is meant the perfection of the Tincture The Well is the Fountain of the Philosophers inexhaustible out of which it draws the Auripigment or eternal Tincture but wanting indeed its moisture or Running-Water which is for so long time to be Digested and Boiled with Fires c. IX Hermes Now the Water was first in the Air then in the Earth restore thou it then to the superior places through its own meanders or passages and not foolishly or indiscreetly change or alter it and then to the former Spirit gathered in its Redness you must carefully and leisurly joyn it Salmon Convert the Elements and you shall have what you seek The Earth which is Cold and Dry agrees with the Water in one quality which is cold The Air which is Hot and Moist participates with the Fire which is Hot and dry and consequently the Earth with the Fire because of its Driness The Earth is the only true and first Element of the Stone which by a Philosophical Calcination is to be Burnt up and Rarified afterwards to be Dissolved in a Moist place into a Ponderous Water This by Sublimation is made more subtil and converted into Fire This Oyl by a most strong Fire into Ashes or a Red Rubicund Earth Thus the Dragon devours his own Tail and the Pelican with her own Blood nourishes her Young ones The Blood of the Pelican is this Red Spirit Now nothing is joyned together with it but that which before was separated from it This Mixtion of the Elements is not Corporeal but Spiritual not with Hands done but the work of the Metalline Archeus or Spirit which you ought well to know and then you will not long err from the Truth CHAP. V. A Dialogue between Hermes and his Son I. HERMES Know thou my Son that the fat of our Earth is Sulphur that Sulphur is Auripigment Siretz or Colcothar of which Auripigment Sulphurs and such like some are more vile or mean than others in which there is a difference or diversity Of this kind also is the Fat of Glewy substances to wit of Hair Nails Hoofs and Sulphur it self Oyl of Peter and the Brain or
to be taken not those of Vegetables or Animals and of Minerals that which is drawn from Mercury or Quick-Silver Gold and Silver which is to be Purified and exalted by some Power or Principle which is without length breadth or thickness viz. Incorporeal and yet comprehends all those properties in it without form or shape yet comprehending under its formless being the highest and most exact of Beauties this is the Internal Fire of the Mineral Sulphur And of these the Sulphur of Mercury is yet said to be the most noble because it is more at Liberty and free to Act than the Sulphurs either of Sol or Luna which are Fixt and bound up in a Dead or Lifeless Body The Sulphur of all the other Metals are yet more remote And tho' they might serve the end yet it is with more labour trouble and difficulty II. Hermes All the Wisdom of the World is comprehended within this Learning the Art is placed in these wonful hidden Elements which it does obtain finish or compleat It behoves him therefore who would be introduced into this our hidden Wisdom to quit himself from the Usurpation of Vice to be Just and Good of a profound Reason and ready at Hand to help Mankind of a Serene and pleasing Countenance Courteous in his Conversation to others and to himself a Faithful Keeper of the Arcanums being once revealed to him Salmon The knowledge of this nearest Sulphur and how to prepare and use it in this work is the Summ of the whole Art it begins compleats and finishes the whole thing But how this Sulphur is educed out of a determined Matter few Authors have yet taught The Volatile must be first fixed and the Wild Tamed before you can Operate rightly else you will never be able to hold the Matter to Operate upon it the Dragon must be then Mastered and overcome being once Slain you must endeavour to give it again a new Life by raising it up into a new form and restoring to it a new Volatility to wit the Life of Sol and Luna which by a Conjunction and Legitimate Digestion with and in the Mercury of the Philosophers gives to the new generation a new Body yet such a one as is Spiritual Subtil full of Life and Power and able to penetrate into the most inward recesses of the most solid and compact Bodies enriching even Vulgar Sol himself with a thousand fold a greater Treasure than he contained before III. Hermes And this know that except you know how to Mortifie and induce Generation to Vivifie the Spirit to Cleanse and introduce Light how things fight and contend one with another are made Colorless and freed from their defedations or Spots and Foulnesses like as from Blackness and Darkness you know nothing nor can you perform any thing Salmon This Mortification is intended of the first Life and form without which you can do nothing in order to Generation You must make Alive by Killing and Cleanse by first defiling or bringing to Putrefaction and bring forth Light by first introducing Darkness The two contrary Principles must first fight and contend one with another and a Fatal War must be begun and carried on to the Destruction of the first form and Life before the second form and Life can appear and the Matter must be first made Colorless that it may be able to receive the true Color and Tincture In Order to this the Philosophical Calcination is the beginning of the Work then Dissolution that the sublimed Matter may receive its determination To mortifie is to Dissolve any thing into the principles of which it is Compounded Therefore saith Senior there is no Generation without Corruption and in this Putrefaction is the beginning of our Secret which none but the initiated Sons of Doctrine and Philosophy do rightly understand There must be a most close Conjunction or Matrimony between the Superiors and the Inferiors between the Spirit and the Body which is made by Ascention and Descention through the Power of the Invisible Life IV. Hermes But this you may know that this great Arcanum is a Matter of so great Worth that even Kings themselves shall Venerate it the which Secrets it behoves us to keep close and to hide them from every profane and worthless Person Salmon That is there is such a Vital Power Strength Efficacy and Virtue in this our Philosophick Tincture that it is able to transmute all the Mercury in the World into fine Gold and not noly all simple Quick-Silver but also the Mercury of all other Bodies as of Saturn Jupiter Mars Venus and Luna which Power it exerts not only in those Inferiour Bodies but is also able to transmute the whole Body of Gold into pure Tincture and to exalt it to a thousand Degrees above what Nature has determined it to be V. Hermes Understand also that our Stone is Conjoyned with and Composed of many things of Various Colours and of Four Elements which it behoves us to Divide and Cut in Pieces and to Disjoynt them and partly to Mortifie the Nature in the same which is in it Salmon The Various things are Salt Sulphur and Mercury the Body Soul and Spirit which Spirit is that which joyns the Soul and Body together In Mercury it self there is a Salt Sulphur and Spirit The Salt of that Mercury is the Philosophick Earth which is to be Dryed or Drained Ploughed up Manured and Cultivated and the Sulphur thereof is the Internal Tincture which Transmutes but it is the Spirit or living Principle which gives the Permanency or Fixity and without which all Bodies whatsoever would fall to Dust and Ashes that is it which ties the Particles and Atoms of every thing together In Sulphur there is a Volatile Body but a Fixing Spirit and a Rubine Soul which tinges This Body in the Putrefaction is cast away and only the Spirit and Soul which are without Parts or Proportion without length breadth or thickness without substance or corporeity are retained and Conjoyned to the Mercury of the Philosophers by the Medium of Salt in which Salt lies the depth of the whole Secret This Salt is Vegetable Mineral and Animal from whence the Philosophers were wont to say that their Stone was Threefold according to that Ternary of Generations In this Salt there is a Corporeity joyned whith a Soul and a Spirit that is with a Sulphur and Mercury spiritual which are the Chains which tie all the Particles of the Body together All these must be Cut in Pieces separated and divided in the beginning of the Work which is done by joyning of the three together this is a Mystery which only the true Philosophers and Sons of Doctrine can understand You must joyn Body to Body Soul to Soul and Spirit to Spirit by which means you will make the separation because the Soul will joyn with Soul yet the Soul of the one will not joyn with the Body of the other but separate VI. Hermes And also to keep safe
and Water too soon it will not be Levened If it lies too long it will be over done so in our Work if you be too hasty you will perform nothing at all If too long and with too Violent a Fire you will hazard the breaking of your Vessel and by an over Volatility frustrate the fixity of your Medicine The making of Cheese is Famous for almost every Housewife can tell you how easie it is to ruin or spoil all how good soever your Milk and Rennet may be if you be unskilful in the Art If the Milk be too hot or too cold or the Rennet be too much or too little or the Coagu lum lies too short a time or too long you may spoil your Cheese and miss the Perfection or Goodness which therein you seek after These are Familiar examples and need no farther exposition The Matter therefore is first by our Ferment corrupted and brought into a blackness by Death but not such a blackness out of which it cannot be recovered but so that in the Course of the Fermentation the Mass of the Confection may pass through the mutation or changes of all the Colors Now Heat working at the first in humidity brings forth the blackness but Heat working in the dryness causeth Whiteness and in the White the Citrinity and wonderful deep Redness These Varieties of Colors are caused only by the Ferment in a proper and fit heat so that the Corruption of one is the Generation of another and the Ferment becomes the Ferment of the Ferment as the Philosophers speak He who cannot taste the Sapor of Salt will never attain to this desired Ferment of Ferments which is the Soul even before Fermentation If therefore this Ferment be not well prepared your Magistery will be nothing worth and know that this Fermentum is taken only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Luna that is from Gold and Silver and converts the other Bodies into its own Nature Therefore it behoves you to know how to introduce this Ferment into Dead and imperfect Bodys that is to make Ingression because it is the Soul and this Soul gives to them Life and Perfection so that together with this living and perfect Soul they are made alive and perfect and one perfect Body II. Hermes The certain Color of the Golden matter for the Red and the Nature thereof is not sweetness therefore of them we make Sericum which is Ixir the Ferment and of them we make Enamel of which we have Written Salmon Altho' it does not here sufficiently appear what our Author means by Sweetness and Sericum yet afterwards he so explains himself that we may guess at it and that it is the Golden Ferment for the Red the adumbration whereof he gives us under the Mask of Encaustum or Enamel and truly by Figures 〈◊〉 and Tropical ways of speaking he has been pleased to deliver himself through this whole Work I suppose he uses the Similitude of Sweetness here in respect of Leven for that Leven is not Sweet III. Hermes And with the King's Seal we have tinged the Clay and in that we have put or placed the color of Heaven which augments the sight of them who can already in some measure see Salmon By the King's Seal is meant the Virtue Power Character or Tincture of Gold which tinges Lutum the Clay that is the Mercurial Mass or Earth which is now but one thing and a Secret drawn out of the Fountains of the Wise for which reason it is by some called Sigillum Sapientum Also Sigillum Hermetis and Sigillum Mercurii This is the thing which many have sought after in vain and could never find that is the outward turned inward and the inward parts turned outwards that which was below raised up and that which was above laid down below the Superiors and Inferiors the Heavens and the Earth joyned together in one Globe or Mass and digested together in one till they produce the heavenly color the light of Sol which gives such as have Eyes to see the happiness of seeing a Fountain inexhaustible an Eternal Spring the permanent and endless Treasure IV. Hermes Gold therefore is the most pretious Stone without Spots also temperate which neither Fire nor Air nor Water nor Earth is able to corrupt or destroy the universal ferment rectifying all things in a middle or tempe rate Composition which is of a Yellow or true Citrine colour Salmon Our Hermes here confesses plainly that the Philosophick Gold is this most pretious Stone without blemish and incorruptible and differs as much from vulgar Gold as Leven does from the Paste or Yest from the Ale or Beer which is made by it For as clear well-wrought Ale cannot change other Wort into Ale nor Levened Paste leven another Mass of Meal and Water till it 〈◊〉 brought to the perfection of Leven so neither can vulgar Gold which is the product of Mercury and Sulphur transmute or change any other body into its own Purity Tincture and Fixity No This is only the work of our Stone Elixir Tincture the true Philosophick Gold V. Hermes The Gold of the Wise Men boiled and well digested with a fiery Water makes Ixir Salmon The Gold is to be exquisitely boiled as much as you please with a fiery water and digested This fire is found no where more perfect better or more powerful than in Minerals and their Roots which Roots the Philosophers say are in the Air And the Gold is Spiritual Gold not the body of vulgar Gold unprepared This Aqua Ignea is nothing else but the Mercury of the Philosophers drawn from its Mineral Root This Water is the Mother which does dissolve the Gold conceived in its Belly being digested and nourished there for forty Weeks at the end of which digestion like as in the hour of a mans Nativity the Soul i. e. the Tincture arises but not first nor quickly In this point is all the hazard but this being past there is no more peril the danger is wholly over VI. Hermes For the Gold of the Wise Men is more weighty or heavy than Lead which in a Temperate or due composition is the ferment of Ixir and contrariwise in a distemperature or undue Composition the distemperature or hurt of the whole Work or Matter Salmon Our Gold the Off-spring of this great Work is much heavier than Lead because of its Weakness Volatility and Intemperature Our Infant is of a most strong and temperate Composition healing the Infirmities of its proper Parents and tinging the Mercury of all Bodies whatsoever into the best and most pure fine Gold By this is understood the Vital Roots of the Minerals into which if the Bodies be reduced they are made apt or fit for a new Regeneration so that from the same you may have the true Tincture of the Philosophers VII Hermes For the work is first made from the Vegetable Secondly from the Animal in a Hens Egg in which is the greatest assistance and the constancy of the Elements
superiour part The matter generated of Sol and Luna ascends i. e. the thick Terrean substance thereof is converted or resolved into Heaven 〈◊〉 into a subtile substance like to Heaven he demonstrates the Spagyrick solution by what Instrument and Artifice it is done then he teaches the Fixation It Decends again to the Earth as if he should say after its substance is dissolved and made to Ascend under the Obedience of the Internal Celestial Virtues or Powers standing there the determined time of its Maturity it returns again or descends that is to say the Spirit is made Corporeal which was before a Body or made from a Body Spiritual which is nothing but the Philosophick Riddle Fac Fixum Volatile rursus Volatile fixum totum habebis Magisterium And by this means it will obtain the Virtues of the Superiour and Inferiour Powers i. e. the Heavenly and Volatile Power to penetrate grow increase or multiply and the Earthly Power to give Substance Corporeity and Fixity VII Hermes In this Work you acquire to your self the Wealth and Glory of the whole World Drive therefore from you all Cloudiness or Obscurity Darkness and Blindness Salmon Possessing this Stone thus perfected you possess all the Wealth and Treasures of the World so that you may live free from Care and Trouble from Discontent and Fears from every Sickness and Disease It is a Remedy for all Diseases both of Body and Mind It strikes at the root of Infirmities and destroyes that which would destroy or undermine the Health and Prosperity of the Humane Body This Stone this Wealth this Treasure though it be but like to a Grain of Mustard-seed yet it grows to be the greatest of all Trees in whose Branches the Birds of the Air make their Nests and under whose shadow the Beasts of the Field dwell VIII Hermes For the Work increasing or going on in Strength adds Strength to Strength forestalling and over-topping all other Fortitudes and Powers and is able to Subjugate and Conquer all things whether they be thin and Subtil or thick and Solid Bodies Salmon There is no Comparison of the Powers of other Natural things to the Power of the Stone for it is able to overcome and master all other Powers it can convert common Quick Silver into a Congealed substance and Transmute it into fine Gold or Silver and it can Penetrate and Peirce through all other hard solid or compact Bodies and strike them with a never fading Tincture so firm and fixt which the Power and Strength of the Strongest and most Violent Fire can never conquer or overcome This is as much as if he should say it is the compleat Virtue of total Nature the Power Efficacy and Potency of all things and even as it were above Nature so that it may not improperly be said to be a Work Metaphysical for that it seems to act above or beyond Nature It overcomes or conquers all things that is it makes all subtil and thin things as Quicksilver thick and coagulates them and on the contrary it Penetrates all thick and solid things i. e. It makes every hard Metal whether Perfect or Imperfect as Sol Luna Saturn Jupiter Mars and Venus subtile and thin and brings them to the greatest Perfection expelling all the Malign and Dark Spirits possessing them and giving to them Tincture and Fixity by its Subtility and Spiritualty IX Hermes In this manner was the World made and hence are the wonderful Conjunctions or Joynings together of the Matter and Parts thereof and the Marvellous Effects when in this way it is done by which these Wonders are Effected Salmon The Creation of the World he brings as a Prior Example or Exemplification of the VVork of Our Philosophick Stone for as the VVorld was Created so is Our Stone composed As in the beginning the whole VVorld and all that is therein was a Chaos or confused Mass but afterwards by the Virtue VVord Power or Spirit of the Great Creator a Separation was made the Elements were divided and rectified and the Universal VVorld was produced and brought forth Beautiful and Perfect in Number Weight and Measure So also in this our work we separate the Elements which we divide and rectifie by many sublimations depressions and precipitations whereby the perpetual and wonderful conjunction is made which is the product of the prime matter and the root of the Golden Kingdom in which power is produced into Act. X. Hermes And for this Cause I am called Hermes Trismegistus for that I have the knowledge or understanding of the Philosophy of the three principles of the Universe My Doctrine or Discourse which I have here delivered concerning this solar Work is compleat and perfect Salmon Hermes Trismegistus signifies the Thrice greatest Hermes for that he had the knowledge of the three Principals of the Universe viz. Salt Sulphur and Mercury answering to the Body Soul and Spirit Mineral Vegetable and Animal of which he had the true Knowledge he knew the way how to seperate them and conjoyn them again to make the fixt Volatile and the Volatile fixt to take away Tinctures and restore better again all which are contained in Our Philosophick Mercury which is the VVomb in which Our Philosophick which is the true Gold is Generated It is said to be perfect because 1. It contains all the Principles 2. From its never fading Coler 3. Its never perishing Body It is resembled to a grain of VVheat which unless it Dies it brings forth no Fruit but if it Die and is Putrefied passing through Death and Putrefaction or Dissolution to Life and Heaven there by perfecting its Nature it is infinitely profitable VVhat he has delivered concerning this Matter viz. of the three Colers Black White and Red of the three Principles Salt Sulphur and Mercury of the three Subsistences Body Soul and Spirit of the three Operations Volatilization Tincture and Fixation of the three States Imperfection Anihilation and Perfection he declares to be True and Compleat and that the Stone thus Generated existing and being in one only thing viz. the Philosophick Mercrry by a series of Natural Operations is Perfect and Intire wanting nothing Libri Hermetis Primi FINIS THE SECOND BOOK OF HERMES TRISMEGISTVS CHAP. XV. The Enterance into the Work beginning with Argent Vive I. HERMES the Wise saith if you Conserve a third part of your Camels viz. of the swift or Volatile Matter or that which must bear the Bur then and Consume the remaining two thirds you have attained to the thing desired you have perfected the Work II. In like manner you must be careful of your Argent Vive for the black Matter does Whiten the Flesh and the Work is perfected by the Fire of the Wise. III. And the Work is to be performed by a Spiritual Water in which the blackness is washed away and by that Instrument in which the Foundation of the Work is laid and in that time and moment in which the Clouds appear IV.
be dissolved and converted into a viscous Water or white Oil as aforesaid IV. Thus it mollifies the Body and prepares it for fusion and liquesaction yea it makes all things fusible viz. Stones and Metals and afterwards gives them Spirit and Life V. And it dissolves all things with an admirable solution transmuting the perfect Body into a sufible Medicine melting or liquifying moreover fixing and augmenting the weight and colour VI. Work therefore with it and you shall obtain from it what you desire for it is the Spirit and Soul of Sol and Luna it is the Oyl the dissolving Water the Fountain the Balneum Mariae the praeternatural Fire the moist Fire the secret hidden and invisible Fire VII It is also the most acrid Vinegar concerning which an ancient Philosopher saith I bosought the Lord and He shewed me a pure clear Water which I knew to be the pure Vinegar altering penetrating and digesting VIII I say a penetrating Vinegar and the moving Instrument for putrifying resolving and reducing Gold or Silver into their Prima materia or first matter IX And it is the only agent in the Universe which in this Art is able to reincrudate Metallick Bodies with the conservation of their Species X. It is therefore the only apt and natural medium by which we ought to resolve the perfect Bodies of Sol and Luna by a wonderful and solemn dissolution with the conservation of the species and without any destruction unless it be to a new more noble and better form or generation viz. into the perfect Philosophers Stone which is their wonderful Secret and Arcanum XI Now this Water is a certain middle substance clear as fine Silver which ought to receive the Tinctures of Sol and Luna so as they may be congealed and changed into a white and living Earth XII For this water needs the perfect bodies that with them after the dissolution it may be congealed fixed and coagulated into a white Earth XIII But their solution is also their coagulation for they have one and the same operation because one is not dissolved but the other is congealed Nor is there any other water which can dissolve the Bodies but that which abideth with them in the matter and the form XIV It cannot be permanent unless it be of the nature of the other Bodies that they may be made one XV. When therefore you see the water coagulate it self with the Bodies that be dissolved therein be assured that thy knowledge way of working and the work it self are true and Philosophick and that you have done rightly according to art CHAP. VI. Of what Substance Metalls are to consist in order to this work I. ERgo natura emendatur in sua consimili natura id est aurum argen tum in nostra aqua emendantur aqua etiam cum ipsis corporibus quae etiam dicitur medium animae sine quo nihil agere possumus in arte ista II. Et est ignis vegetabilis animabilis mineralis conservativus spiritus fixi Solis Lunae destructor corporum ac victor quia destruit diruit atque mutat corpora formas metallicas facitque illas non esse corpora sed spiritum fixum III. Illasque convertit in substantiam humidam mollem fluidam habentem ingressum virtutem intrandi in alia corpora imperfecta misceri cum cis per minima illa tingere perficere IV. Quod quidem non poterant cum essent corpora metallica sicca dura quae nonhabent ingressum neque virtutem tingendi perficiendi imperfecta V. Benè igitur corpora convertimus in substantiam fluidam quia unaquaeque tinctura plus in millesima parte tingit in liquida substantia molli quam in sicca ut patet de creco VI. Ergo transmutatio metallorum imperfectorum est impossibilis fieri per corpora perfecta sicca nisi prius reducantur in primam materiam mollem fluidam VII Ex his oportet quod reventatur humidum reveletur absconditum Et hoc est reincrudare corpora id est decoquere mollire donec priventur corporalitate durâ siccâ VIII Quia siccum non ingreditur nec tingit nisi seipsum Corpus igitur siccum terreum non tingit nisi tingatur quia ut dictum spissum terreum non ingreditur nec tingit quia non intrat ergo non alterat IX Non idcirco tingit aurum donec spiritus ejus occultus extrahatur à ventre ejus per aquam nostram albam fiat omnino spiritualis albus fumus albus spiritus anima mirabilis I. THus you see that Nature is to be amended by its own like Nature that is Gold and Silver are to be exalted in our water as our water also with those Bodies which water is called the medium of the Soul without which nothing is to be done in this Art II. It is a Vegetable Mineral and Animal fire which conserves the fixed Spirits of Sol and Luna but destroys and conquers their Bodies For it destroys overturns and changes Bodies and metallick forms making them to be no Bodies but a fixed Spirit III. And it turns them into a humid substance soft and fluid which hath ingression and power to enter into other imperfect bodies and to mix with them in their smallest parts and to tinge them and make them perfect IV. But this they could not do while they remained in their metallick Forms or Bodies which were dry and hard whereby they could have no entrance into other things so as to tinge make perfect what was before imperfect V. It is necessary therefore to convert the Bodies of Metals into a fluid substance for that every tincture will tinge a thousand times more in a soft and liquid substance than when it is in a dry one as is plainly apparent in Saffron VI. Therefore the transmutation of imperfect Metals is impossible to be done by perfect Bodies while they are dry and hard for which cause sake they must be brought back into their first matter which is soft and fluid VII It appears therefore that the moisture must be reverted that the hidden treasure may be revealed And this is called the reincrudation of Bodies which is the decocting softning them till they lose their hard and dry substance or form because that which is dry does not enter into nor tinge any thing besides it self VIII Therefore the dry terrene Body doth not enter into nor tinge except its own body nor can it tinge except it be tinged because as I said before a thick drie earthy matter does not penetrate nor tinge and therefore because it cannot enter or penetrate it can make no alteration in the matter to be altered IX For this reason it is that Gold coloureth not until its internal or hidden spirit be drawn forth out of it bowels by this our white water and that it be made altogether a spiritual substance a
one another and by the Influence of Wisdom are converted the one into the other O Wisdom How thou makest the most fix'd Gold to be volatile and fugitive yea though by nature it is the most fixed of all things in the World XV. It is necessary there fore to dissolve and liquifie these Bodies by our Water and to make them a permanent or fixed Water a pure golden Water leaving in the bottom the gross earthy superfluous and dry Matter XVI And in this Subliming making thin and pure the Fire ought to be gentle but if in this Sublimation with a soft Fire the Bodies be not purified and the grofs or earthy parts thereof note this well be not separated from teh impurities of the Dead you shall not be able to perfect the Work XVII For thou needest nothing but that thin and subtil part of the dissolved Bodies which our Water will give thee if thou proceedest with a slow or gentle Fire by separating the things heterogene from the things homogene CHAP. X. Of the Separation of the pure Parts from the Impure I. REcipit ergo compositum mundationem per Ignem nostrum humidum aissol vendo scilicet sublimando quod purum album est ejectis foecibus ut vomitus qui sponte fit inquit Azinabam II. Nam in tali dissolutione sublimatione naturali fit Elementorum deligatio mun dificatio separatio puri ab impuro III. Ita ut purum album ascendat sursum impurum terreum fixum remaneat in fundo Aquae vasis IV. Quod est dimittendum removendum quoniam nullius est valoris recipiendo solum mediam substantiam albam fluentem fundentem dimittendo terram foeculentam quae remansit inferius in fundo V. Ex parte praecipuè Aquae quae est scoria Terra damnata quae nihil valet nec unquam aliquid boni praestare potest ut illa clara Materia alba pura nitida quam solam debemus accipere VI. Et ad hunc Caphareum Scopulum saepe numerò navis atque scientia discipulorum Philosophiae ut mihi etiam aliquando accidit imprudentissimè colliditur quia Philosophi saepissimè centrarium asserunt VII Nempe nihil removendum praeter humiditatem id est nigredinem quod tamen dicunt ac scribunt tantum ut possint decipere incautos qui absque Magistro aut indefatigabili lectura oratione ad Deum omnipotentem aureum hoc vellus avellere cupiunt VIII Notate igitur quod separatio diviso sublimatio ista absque dubio est Clavis totius Operis IX Igitur post putrefactionem dissolutionem horum Corporum Corpora nostra se elevant in altum usque ad superficiem Aquae dissolventis in colorem albedinis haec albedo est vita X. Nam in illa albedine Anima Antimonialis Mercurialis infunditur cum spiritibus Solis Lunae nutu naturae quae separat subtile ab spisso purum ab impuro XI Elevando paulatim partem subtilem Corporis à suis foecibus donec totum purum separetur elevetur XII Et in hoc completur nostra sublimatio philosophica naturalis XIII Et cum haec albedine infusa est in Corpore Anima id est virtus mineralis quae subtilior est Igne cum sit vera quinta essentia Vita quae nasci appetit sese spoliare à grossis foecibus terrestribus quae illi advenerant ex parte menstrualis corruptionis XIV Et in hoc est nostra philosophica sublimatio non in vulgari iniquo Mercurio qui nullas habet qualitates similes illisquibus ornatur Mercurius noster extractus à cavernis suis vitriolicis sed redeamus ad sublimationem I. THis Compositum then has its mundification or cleansing by our moist Fire which as Azinabam saith by dissolving and subliming that which is pure and white it casts forth or rejects its foecis or filth like a voluntary Vomit II. For in such a dissolution and natural Sublimation or lifting up there is a loosening or untying of the Elements and a cleansing and separation of the Pure from the Impure III. So that the pure and white substance ascends upwards and the impure and earthy remains fixed in the bottom of the Water and the Vessel IV. This must be taken away and removed because it is of no value taking only the middle white substance flowing and melted or dissolved rejecting the foeculent Earth which remains below in the bottom V. These Foeces were separated partly by the Water and are the Dross and Terra damnata which is of no value nor can do any such service as the clear white pure and clean Matter which is wholly and only to be taken and made use of VI. And against this Capharean Rock the Ship and Knowledge or Art of the young Philosopher is often as it happened also to me sometimes dasht together in pieces or destroyed because the Philosophers for the most part speak by the contraries VII That is to say That nothing must be removed or taken away except the moisture which is the blackness which notwithstanding they speak and write only to the unwary who without a Master indefatigable Reading or humble supplications to God Almighty would ravish away the Golden Fleece VIII It is therefore to be observed That this separation division and sublimation is without doubt the Key of the whole Work IX After the putrefaction then and dissolution of these Bodies our Bodies also ascend up to the top even to the surface of the dissolving Water in a whiteness of colour which whiteness is Life X. And in this whiteness the Antimonial and Mercurial Soul is by a natural compact infused into and joyned with the Spirits of Sol and Luna which separate the thin from the thick and the pure from the impure XI That is by lifting up by little and little the thin and pure part of the Body from the Foeces and Impurity until all the pure parts are separated and ascended XII And in this work is our natural and philosophical Sublimation compleated XIII Now in this whiteness is the Soul infused into the body to wit the mineral virtue which is more subtil than Fire being indeed the true Quintessence and Life which desires or hungers to be born again to put off the defilements and be spoiled of its gross earthy Foeces which it has taken from its menstruous Womb and corrupt place of its original XIV And in this is our Philosophical Sublimation not in the impure corrupt vulgar Mercury which has no properties or qualities like to those with which our Mercury drawn from its vitriolick Caverns is adorned But let us return to our Sublimation CHAP. XI Of the Soul which is extracted by our Water and made to ascend I. CErtissimum igitur est in arte ista quod Anima haec extracta à Corporibus elevari non potest nisi per appositionem
Sybills said that the Son of the Virgin be exalted from the Earth and that the white Quintessence after its rising out of the dead Earth be raised up towards Heaven the gross and thick remaining in the bottom of the Vessel and of the Water II. Afterwards the Vessel being cooled you will find in the bottom the black Faeces scorcht and burnt which separate from the Spirit and Quintessence of Whiteness and cast them away III. Then will the Argent vive fall down from our Air or Spirit upon the new Earth which is called Argent vive sublimed by the Air or Spirit whereof is made a viscous Water pure and white IV. This Water is the true Tincture separated from all its black Faeces and our Brass or Latten is prepared with our Water purified and brought to a white Colour V. Which white Colour is not obtained but by decoction and coagulation of the Water Decoct therefore continually wash away the Blackness from the Latten not with your Hands but with the Stone or the Fire or our second Mercurial Water which is the true Tincture VI. This separation of the pure from the impure is not done with hands but Nature her self does it and brings it to perfection by a circular Operation VII It appears then that this Composition is not a work of the Hands but a change of the Natures because Nature dissolves and joyns it self sublimes and lifts it self up and grows white being separate from the Faeces VIII And in such a Sublimation the more subtil pure and essential parts are conjoyned for that with the fiery nature or property lifts up the subtil parts it separates alwaies the more pure leaving the grosser at bottom IX Wherefore your Fire ought to be a gentle and a continual Vapour with which you sublime that the matter may be filled with Spirit from the Air and live X. For naturally all things take Life from the inbreathing of the Air and so also our Magistery receives in the Vapour or Spirit by the sublimation of the Water XI Our Brass or Laten then is to be made to ascend by the degrees of Fire but of its own accord freely aand without violence except the body therefore be by the Fire and the Water broken or dissolved and attenuated until it ascends as a Spirit or climbs like Argent vive or rather as the white Soul separated from the Body and by sublimation delated or brought into a Spirit nothing is or can be done XII But when it ascends on high it is born in the Air or Spirit and is changed into Spirit and becomes Life with Life being only Spiritual and Incorruptible XIII And by such an Operation it is that the Body is made Spirit of a subtil nature and the Spirit is incorporated with the Body and made one with it and by such a sublimation conjunction and raising up the whole both Body and Spirit are made white CHAP. XX. Of Digestion Sublimation and Separation of the Bodies for the perfection of the Work I. ERgo necessaria est haec sublimatio philosophica naturalis quae componit pacem inter corpus spiritum quod est impossibile aliter fieri nisi in has partes separentur II. Idcirco oportet utrumque sublimare ut purum ascendat impurum terrenosum descendat in turbatione maris procellosi III. Quare oportet decoquere continuò ut ad subtilem deducatur naturam quousque corpus assumat attrahat animam albam Mercurialem quam retinet naturaliter nec demittit eam à se separari quia sibi compar est in propinquitate naturae primae purae simplicis IV. Ex his oportet per decoctionem separationem exercere ut nihil de pinguedine ani mae remaneat quod non fuerit elevatum exaltatum in superiori parte sic utrumque erit reductum ad aequalitatem simplicem ad simplicem albedinem V. Vultur ergo volans per aerem Bufo gradiens per terram est magisterium VI. Ideo quando separabis terram ab aqua id est ab igne subtile ab spisso suaviter cum magno ingenio ascendet à terra in coelum quod erit purum descendet in terram quod erit impurum VII Et recipiet subtilior pars in superiori loco naturam spiritus in inferiori verò naturam corporis terrei VIII Quare elevetur per talem oporationem natura alba cum subtiliori parte corporis relictis foecibus quod fit brevi tempore IX Nam anima cum sua adjuvatur socia per eam perficitur X. Mater inquit corpus me genuit per me gignitur ipsa postquam autem ab ea accepi volatum ipsa meliori modo quo potest fit pia fovens nutriens filium quem genuit donec ad statum devenerit perfectum I. THIS Philosophical and Natural Sublimation therefore is necessary which makes peace between or fixes the Body and Spirit which is impossible to be done otherwise than in the separation of these parts II. Therefore it behoves you to sublime both that the pure may ascend and the impure and earthy may descend or be left at bottom in the perplexity of a troubled Sea III. And for this reason it must be continually decocted that it may be brought to a subtil property and the Body may assume and draw to it self the white Mercurial Soul which it naturally holds and suffers not to be separated from it because it is like to it in the nereness of the first pure and simple nature IV. From these things it is necessary to make a separation by Decoction till no more remains of the purity of the Soul which is not ascended and exalted to the higher part whereby they will both be reduced to an equality of Properties and a simple or pure Whiteness V. The Vulture flying through the Air and the Toad creeping upon the Ground are the Emblems of our Magistery VI. When therefore gently and with much care you separate the Earth from the Water that is from the Fire and the thin from the thick then that which is pure will separate it self from the Earth and ascend to the upper part as it were into Heaven and the impure will descend beneath as to the Earth VII And the more subtil part in the superior place will take upon it the nature of a Spirit and that in the lower place the nature of an earthy body VIII Wherefore let the white property with the more subtil parts of the body be by this Operation made to ascend leaving the faeces behind which is done in a short time IX For the Soul is aided by her associate and fellow and perfected by it X. My Mother saith the Body has begotten me and by me she her self is begotten now after I have taken from her her flying she after an admirable manner becomes kind nourishing and cherishing the Son whom she has begotten till he comes to
with moisture you may have a blackness by fire XXXII But here you must have a blackness which comes from the perfect Metallick Bodies and lasts a long space of time nor can be destroyed in less than the space of five Months after which immediately follows the desired whiteness if you have this you have enough but not all XXXIII The blueish and yellowish colours signifie that solution and 〈◊〉 is not yet finished and that the colours of Our Mercury are not as yet well mingled and rotten or putrified with the rest XXXIV This 〈◊〉 them and these colours plainly demonstrate that the matter or composition begins to rot or putrifie and resolve into powder siner and smaller than the Atoms in the Sun the which is afterwards changed into a permanent or fixed water XXXV This dissolution by the AEnigmatick Philosophers is called Death Destruction Perdition because that the Natures change their form and from hence they raised so many Allegories of Dead Men Tombs Sepulchres c. XXXVI Others have called it Calcination Denudation Separation Trituration and Assation because the Compositum is changed and reduced into most small Atoms and parts XXXVII Others have called it Reduction into the first matter Mollification Extraction Commixtion Liquefaction Conversion of Elements Subtillization Division Humation Impastation and Distillation because that the particulars of the Compositum are melted brought back into seed softned or meliorated and Circulated within the Glass XXXVIII Others have called it Ixir Iris Putrefaction Corruption Cymmerian darkness a Gulf Hell Dragons Generation Ingression Submersion Complexion Conjunction and Impregnation because that the matter is black and waterish that the Natures are perfectly mixed and now subsist one by another XXXIX For when the heat of the Sun works upon him they are converted first into a Powder or into a fat and glutinous Water which feeling the heat flies on high to the top or head with the Vapour or Fume with the Wind and Air. XL. From thence this wa ter drawn out of the matter or Compositum descendeth again and in descending reduces and resolves as much as may be the rest of the Compositum continually doing so till the whole be like a black Broth somewhat fat XLI A while after this water begins to coagulate or thicken somewhat more growing very black like to Pitch Lastly comes the Body and Earth which the Obscure Philosophers have called Terra foetidae XLII For then by reason of the perfect or compleat putrefaction which is as natural as any can be this Earth stinks and yields a smell like to the Scent of Graves filled with rotten and putrified Carkases not yet perfectly consumed XLIII This Earth was called by Hermes Terra foliata but its true and proper Name is Leton or Laten which must afterwards be whitened XLIV The Ancient Philosophers who were Cabalists have decyphred it in their Metamorphoses under the History of the Serpent of Mars which devoured the Companions of Cadmus who slew him by piercing him with his Lance against a hollow Oak which Oak you ought seriously to contemplate and consider CHAP. XXX Of the Man and Woman cloathed in an Orange coloured Gown in a Field Azure and Blue with their Motto's I. THe Man depicted in that Figure exactly resembles my self even as the Woman does lively represent Perrenelle But the representation to the life was of no necessity as to this work to figure forth a Male and a Female was all that our design required which answers to our Sulphur and Mercury II. It was the Painters pleasure to put our resemblance upon those Figures as he did in those kneeling by the feet of the Apostles Paul and Peter according to what we were in our youthful days III. These here then I made to be painted one a Male the other a Female to teach thee that in this second Operation thou hast truly but not perfectly two natures conjoyned and Married together the Masouline and the Feminine or rather the 4 Elements IV. And that the four natural Enemies the hot and cold the dry and moist begin to approach kindly one to another and by means of the Mediators or Peace-makers lay down by little and little the ancient Animosity or Enmity of the old Chaos V. Who these peace-makers are you must know between the hot and the cold there is moisture who is of the Kindred and allied to them both to the hot by its heat and to the cold by its moisture VI. And to begin this Conciliation you must as in the precedent operation first convert all the Bodies or the whole Compositum into water by Dissolution VII And afterwards you must coagulate this water which will be turned into black earth black even of the most black whereby this Peace and Union will be wholly and most happily accomplished VIII For the Earth which is cold and dry finding it self akin and allyed to the dry and moist which are Enemies will wholly conciliate and unite them IX Thus have you a perfect mixture of all the four Elements having first turned them into Water and afterwards into Earth I will hereafter teach you other Conversions into Air when it shall be made all White and into Fire when it shall be converted into a most perfect Purple X. Thus have you two Natures Conjoyned or Married together whereby the one conceives by the other and by this Conception the Female is Converted into the body of the Male and the Male into the body of the Female XI That is to say they are made one only body which is the Androgyre or Hermophrodite of the Ancients which they have called The Crow's Head or Nature Converted XII In this manner therefore I depict them here because you have two Natures reconciled which if they be order'd and managed wisely will form an Embrion in the Womb of the Vessel and afterwards bring forth a beautiful birth which will prove a most Powerful and Invincible King incorruptible and also be a most admirable quintessence XIII Thus have you the principal and most necessary Reason or Cause of this Representation The other Cause which is also well to be noted from the necessity of having two bodies for that in this Operation you must divide that which has been coagulated to give an afternourishment of the Milk of Life to the little Infant when it is born which is endued by the Living God with a Vegetable Soul XIV This is a rare and admirable secret which for want of 〈◊〉 right understanding has made Fools of all such as have erred in seeking after it but has made him wise who has viewed it with the Eye of his Mind XV. This Coagulated body you must divide into two parts the one of which shall serve for Azoth which is to wash and cleanse the other which is called Laten which must be whitened XVI He which is washed is the Serpent 〈◊〉 who takes his beginning or Original from the Corruption of the Earth gathered together by the Waters
Soul and that by the help of art it is made to grow into a true and pure Tree to spring up and bud forth abundantly and afterwards to send forth infinite little Springs and Branches III. O Noble and Blessed Green saith the Rosary which produces all things and without whom nothing can Increase Vegetate nor Multiply IV. The three Persons rising again cloathed in Sparkling White represent the Body Sonl and Spirit of our white stone V. The Philosophers do commonly use these terms of Art to hide the Secret from Unworthy Men. VI. They call the Body that black Earth which is obscure and dark and which we make white VII They call the Soul the other half divided from the body which by the purpose of God and work of Nature gives to the body by its Imbibitions and Fermentations a Vegetable Soul viz. a Power and Vertue to bud or spring increase multiply and become White like a naked shining Sword VIII They call the Spirit the Tincture and dryness which as a Spirit has power to pierce all things IX It would be too tedious to tell you how great reason the Philosophers had to say always and in all places Our Stone hath answerable to human kind a Body a Soul and a Spirit X. I will only inculcate to you that as a Man endued with Body Soul and Spirit is notwithstanding but one Man or substance So likewise in this your white Compositum you have but one only substance yet containing a Body Soul and Spirit which are inseparably united XI I could very easily give you most clear Comparisons and Expositions of this Body Soul and Spirit not fit to be divulged but should I explicate them I must of necessity declare things which God reserves to himself to reveal to a select choice of such as fear and love him and therefore ought not to be written XII I have then caused to be depicted here three persons all in white as if they were rising again thereby typifying forth this Body Soul and Spirit to shew you that Sol Luna and Mercury are raised again in this Operation viz. That they are made Elements or Inhabitants of the Air and Whitened XIII For we have before called the blackness Death and so continuing the Metaphor we may call Whiteness Life which comes not but with and by a Resurrection XIV The Body To explicate this more plainly I have made to be painted The Body lifting up the Stone of its Tomb wherein it was inclosed XV. The Soul This because it cannot be put into the Earth it comes not out of a Tomb and therefore I only depicted or placed it among the Tombs seeking its Body It is in the form of a Woman having her Hair dishevelled or hanging about her Ears XVI The Spirit This neither can be put into a Grave and therefore I depicted it like a Man coming out of the Earth but not from a Tomb. XVII These are depicted all in White thereby signifying that the blackness which is Death is conquered or vanquished and overcome and being whitened they are brought into a state of Life and made thenceforth incorruptible XVIII Behold and lift up your Eyes on high and see the King Ascended who being raised again by the power of Life and Crowned with the Glorious Tincture has overcome Death the Darkness and Moisture XIX And as our Lord and Saviour shall eternally unite unto him all pure and clean Souls and separate from him all such as are impure unclean and wicked as being unworthy to be united to his Divine Nature XX. So also our White Elixir will from henceforth inseparably unite unto its self every pure Metalick nature into its own fine pure and fixed Silvery nature but reject all that is Heterogeneal or strange and 〈◊〉 XXI Thanks be given to God who thus bountifully has bestowed his Goodness upon us and has given us Hearts fit to consider the Philosophical Mystery of this most pure and sparkling White more shining and perfect than any compounded matter XXII And more Noble next after the Immortal Soul of Man than any substance whether having life or not having life For it is a Quintessence most pure Silver having passed the Coupel yea all assays and in the words of David the Royal Prophet It is fine Silver seven times refined XXIII What the 2 Angels playing on Instruments over the heads of them which are raised signifie is needless here to be declared They are Divine Spirits singing the Wonders of God in this Miraculous and Admirable Operation XXIV The like may be said of the three Angels over the head of the Picture representing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the one of which Crowns him and the other two assisting say O Pater Omnipotens O Jesu bone Rendring unto him Immortal Praise with Eternal Thanksgiving CHAP. XXXIII Of the Field Violet and Blue with the two Angels of an Orange Colour and their Motto's I. THe Violet and Blue Field shews forth that being to pass or to be changed from the White Stone to the Red you must imbibe it with a little Virgins Milk of Sol that these Colours may come forth from the Mercurial Moisture which you have dryed upon the Stone II. In this Work of Rubifying although you do imbibe you shall not have much black but Violet Blue and the Colours of the Peacock's Tail III. For this our Stone is so absolute and triumphant in dryness that assoon as your Mercury touches it the nature thereof rejoycing in its like nature it is joyned unto it and drinks or swallows it up greedily IV. And therefore the black that comes of Moisture can shew it self but a little and that under the Colours of Violet and Blue because that Dryness as is said does in a very short time govern absolutely V. I also caused to be de picted two Angels with Wings to point out to you the two Substances of our Matter or Compositum viz. The Mercurial and Sulphurous substance and the fixed as well as the Volatile which being perfectly united together do also flie together within the Vessel VI. For in this Operation the fixed Body will gently ascend up to Heaven being wholly spiritual and from thence it will descend unto the Earth even whither soever you please following the Spirit every where which is always moved by the fire VII Whereby at length they are made one and the self same nature the Compositum or Body being made wholly spiritual and the spiritual wholly Corporeal so much has it been ground or subtilized upon our Marble i. e. decocted in our Fire by the precedent Operations VIII The Natures then are here transmuted into Angels viz. they are made til and spiritual and so are become the true Tinctures IX Now you must remember to begin the Rubifying by the apposition of the Citrine Red Mercury but you must not pour on much only once or twice according as you shall see occasion X. For this Operation ought to be done by
said subtil and thin Oyl of Sol and Luna the said substances of other Bodies be made fixed and to flow like Wax VII With which flowing substance you shall not only congeal Argent Vive into perfect Sol and Luna according as you have prepared your Medicine but you shall also with the same fluxible and flowing substance transmute and change all such other imperfect Bodies as they were whose Calces were so sublimed and from whom at their first subliming or lifting up they took their beginning into Sol and Luna aforesaid VIII And this thin and subtil Oyl being put into Kemia its proper Vessel first sealed up to putrifie in the Fire of the first degree being moist it becomes as black as liquid Pitch The fire may then have its Action in the Body to corrupt it the same Body as before so opened IX Therefore it grows first black like melted Pitch because the bear working in this moist Body does first beget a blackness which blackness is the first sign of Corruption and since the Corruption of one thing is the generation of another therefore of the Body corrupted is generated a Body Neutral which is certainly apt declinable and applicable unto every Ferment whatsoever you please to apply it to X. But the Ferment must be altered together with the Alchymick Body and the whole substance of our Stone or Elixir must partake of the Nature of the Quintescence otherwise it will be of no effect XI And between the said sign of blackness and perfect whiteness which will follow the said blackness there will appear a green Color and as many variable Colors afterwards as the mind of Man is able to conceive XII When the present White Color shall begin to appear like the Eyes of Fishes then may you know that Summer is near at hand after which Autumn or Harvest will happily follow with ripe fruit which in the long looked for Red ness This is after the Pale Ashy and Citrine Color XIII First the Sun does perfectly Descend by its due Course from its Meridional height and Glory through its gross and natural solution into an imperfect Pale and Ashy Color shining in the Occidental parts of the West which is somewhat of a yellowish or Brick dust Color from thence it goes to the Septentrional parts of the Earth being of a Variable watrish blackness of a dark cloudy alterable putrefactive watrishness XIV Then it Afcends up to the Oriental parts shining with a more perfect Crystalline Summer-like and Paradisical White Lastly he Ascends his Fiery Chariot directing his Course up again to his Meridional Life Perfection and Glory there to Rule and Shine in fire brightness splendor and the highest perfection even in the highest most pure and Imperial Redness XV. When this aforesaid simple Oyl of the altered Body being in its Vessel duly sealed is by the Fire thus disposed what is there more than one simple thing which nature has made to be generated of Sulphur and Mercury in the Bowels of the Earth XVI Thus it is evident that our Stone is nothing else but Sol and Luna Sulphur and Mercury Male and Female Heat and Cold. And therefore to be more short when all the parts of our Stone are thus gathered together it appears plainly enough what is our Mercury Our Sulphur Our Alehymick Body Our Ferment Our Menstruum Our Green Lyon And what Our White Fume Our two Dragons Our Fires and Our Egg in which is both the Whiteness and the Redness XVII As also what is Man's Blood Our Aquae Vitae Our Burning Water and what are many other things which in this Our Art are Metaphorically or figuratively named to deceive the Foolish and unwary XVIII Also there is a similitude of a Tri-une shining in the Body Soul and Spirit The Body is the substance of the Stone The Soul is the Ferment which cannot be had but from the most perfect Body and the Spirit is that which raiseth up the Natures from Death and Corruption to Life Perfection and Glory XIX In Sulphur there is an Earthiness for the Body In Mercury there is an Aerealness for the Spirit and in them both a Natural Unctuosity for the Soul or Ferment all which are inseparably United in their least parts for ever From this Fermental Body the Stone is formed and without it it cannot be made XX. It is the peculiar property of Sol and Luna the which property appertains to the Stone it self to give the form of Gold and Silver And therefore the Elixir whether it be White or Red may be Infinitely augmented with the Fermental Oyl if you do cast the same upon Mercury it shall transmute it into the Elixir which Elixir must be cast afterwards upon the Imperfect Bodies XXI Moreover the said White Elixir is augmented with Mercurial Water and the Red Elixir with the Mercurial Oyl the which two viz. the Mercurial Water and Mercurial Oyl can only be had of Mercury dissolved of it self XXII See what the Scripture saith He stroke the Stone and Water flowed out and he brought forth Oyl out of the Flinty Rock We may Note the whole composition of the Elixir in these four Verses following XXIII He stretched forth the Heavens as a Curtain The Water stood above the Mountains This is the Water which does cover Our Matter and performs the dissolution thereof causing a cloudy Ascension That does walk upon the Wings of the Wind. This figures forth the sublimation of ourStone XXIV Who makes his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of Fire By this is shadowed forth the rectification separation and disposition of the Elements Who has founded the Earth upon its Basis so fixt that it shall not be moved for ever Under which is described the fixation of the Elements and the perfection of the Philosophick Stone CHAP. LXVI Another way of Elixirating Gold by the Fire against Nature I. ANother way by which the Body of Gold is Elixirated by the power of the Fire against Nature through the help of the Operation of the Fire of Nature which is thus Dissolve the Body of pure Gold in the Fire against Nature the same fire being well rectified Arsenick Mercury sublimate as the manner is from which Gold being so dissolved into a Citrine clear and shining Water without any Heterogenity or Sand remaining let the water be abstracted till the Body does remain in the bottom of the Glass like a fixt Oyl II. Upon this Oyl affuse the said Water or Fire against Nature again and abstract again and this work so often repeat till the water or fire against Nature have no more sharpness upon the Tongue than common Well-Water III. This done draw such another new water or fire against Nature which Affuse upon the former Oyl and abstract in all respects as before is taught then Affuse upon this Oyl the water or fire of Nature well rectified and let it be double in quantity or proportion of the said Oyl of the Body so
Chap. 18. Of the Cachexia 110 Chap. 19. Of the Stone in the Reins 118 Chap. 20. Of the Stone in the Bladder 153 Chap. 21. Praecipiolum The Universal Medicine of Paracelsus 163 The Key of Helmont and Lully 175 The opening of Sol and Lunae 176 The Contents of the Second BOOK or Clavis Alchymiae I. The Golden work of Hermes Trismegistus CHap. 1. The Preface Explicating in part the Prima Materia 179 Chap. 2. The first Exposition of the Matter 184 Chap. 3. The Names and first Operation Explicated 190 Chap. 4. A Continuation of the Explication of the first Operation 193 Chap. 5. A Dialogue between Hermes and his Son 199 Chap. 6. The several Operations by and Various Matters of which the Stone is Composed 206 Chap. 7. The Operations of Nature in the Aqua Philosophica as in a Seed 213 Chap. 8. The Philosophick Riddle laid down after a new Manner 223 Chap. 9. The last Act or Conclusion of the Theory of the Philosophers Tincture 227 Chap. 10. The Practical part of the Philosophick Work 233 Chap. 11. The Practical part farther Explicated 240 Chap. 12. The Praxis Exemplified from the Nature of Leven and Paste 246 Chap. 13. The Nature of the Ferment farther Explicated 252 Chap. 14. The Smaragdine Table of Hermes 258 The Second Book of Hermes Trismegistus Chap. 15. The Entrance into the Work beginning with Argent Vive 268 Chap. 16. The Nature of the Medicine and Government of the Metals 270 Chap. 17. The Difference of the Ferments and Quality of the Spirit 271 Chap. 18. Of Argent Vive Tincture Order of the Operation and of the Fire 273 Chap. 19. That the beginning of this Work is in the Blackness and Darkness and of the Conjoyning the Body with the Soul 276 Chap. 20. The Order of the Practical part of the Operation 278 Chap. 21. The remaininging Operations and Conclusion of this Work 281 II. The Alchymick Secrets of Kalid Persicus Chap. 22. Of the Difficulties of this Art 284 Chap. 23. Of the four Principal Operations Solution Congelation Albification and Rubification 288 Chap. 24. Of the Latter two Operations viz. Albification and Rubification 291 Chap. 25. Of the Nature of things appertaining to this Work of Decoction and its Effects 293 Chap. 26. Of Subtilization Solution Coagulation and Commixion 295 Chap. 27. Of Fixation of the Spirit Decoction Trituration and Washing 297 Chap. 28. Of the Fire fit for this Work 299 Chap. 29. Of the Separation of the Elements 300 Chap. 30. Of the Commixion of the Elements which were Separated 302 Chap. 31. Of the Solution of the Stone compounded and Coagulation of the Stone Dissolved 304 Chap. 32. That Our Stone is but One and of the Nature thereof 306 Chap. 33. How to make the Stone both White and Red 307 Chap. 34. Kalid's Secret of Secrets or Stone of the Philosophers Explicated 310 Chap. 35. A farther Explication of this Matter 315 Chap. 36 The Key which opens the Mystery of this Grand Elixir 327 To make Aurum Potabile 333 III. The Summ of Geber Arabs Chap. 37. An Introduction into the whole Work 335 Chap. 38. Of the Alchymy of Sulphur 340 Chap. 39. Of the Alchymy of Arsenick 343 Chap. 40. Of the Alchymy of the Marchasite 346 Chap. 41. Of the Alchymy of Magnesia Tutia and other Minerals 349 Chap. 42. Of the Alchymy of Saturn 352 Chap. 43. Of the Alchymy of Jupiter 359 Chap. 44. Of the Alchymy of Mars 366 Chap. 45. Of the Alchymy of Venus 372 Chap. 46. Of the Alchymy of Luna 383 Chap. 47. Of the Alchymy of Sol 391 Chap. 48. Of the Alchymy of Mercury 397 The Second Book of Geber Arabs Chap. 49. The Introduction to this Second Book 413 Chap. 50. Of Sublimation Vessels Fornaces 415 Chap. 51. Of Descention and Purifying by Pastils 424 Chap. 52. Of Distillation Causes Kinds and Fornaces 426 Chap. 53. Of Calcination of Bodies and Spirits Causes Methods 430 Chap. 54. Of Solution and its Causes 436 Chap. 55. Of Coagulation and its Causes 440 Chap. 56. Of Fixation and its Causes 442 Chap. 57. Of Ceration and its Causes 443 Chap. 58. That our Medicine is two fold one for the White and one for the Red yet that we have one only Medicine for both 446 Chap. 59. Of the Medicine Tincture Elixir or Stone of the Philosophers in General 449 Chap. 60. Of the three Orders of the Medicine 454 Chap. 61. How Ingression is procured 458 Chap. 62. Of the Cineritium 460 Chap. 63. Of Cementation and its Causes 463 Chap. 64. Of the Examen by Ignition 466 Chap. 65. The Examen by fusion or Melting 467 Chap. 66. The Examen by the Vapors of Acute things 469 Chap. 67. The Examen by the Extinction of Bodies Red Hot 470 Chap. 68. A Recapitulation of the whole Art 471 The Contents of the Third BOOK I. The Secret Book of Artefius Longaevus CHap 1. The Preface to the Reader 433 Chap. 2. The Epistle of Johannes Pontanus of the Secret Fire 437 Chap. 3. Of the Composition of our Antimonial Vinegar or the Secret Water 444 Chap. 4. Of the Operations of our Antimonial Vinegar or Mineral Water 447 Chap. 5. Of other Operations of our Secret Mineral Water and its Tincture 450 Chap. 6. Of what substance Metals are to Consist in order to this Work 455 Chap. 7. Of the Wonderful things done by our Water in altering and changing Bodies 458 Chap. 8. Of the Affinity of our Water and other wonderful things done by it 461 Chap. 9. Of Sublimation or the separating of the Pure from the Impure by the Water 467 Chap. 10. Of the Separation of the Pure parts from the Impure 472 Chap. 11. Of the Soul which is extracted by our Water and made to Ascend 475 Chap. 12. Of Digestion and how the Spirt is made thereby 480 Chap. 13. Of the beginning of the Work and a Summary of what is to be done 484 Chap. 14. Of the Easiness and Simplicity of this Work and of our Philosophick Fire 489 Chap. 15. Of the three kinds of Fires of the Philosophers in particular 492 Chap. 16. Of the Colors of our Philosophick Tincture or Stone 495 Chap. 17. Of the Perfect Bodies their Putrefaction Corruptions Digestion and Tincture 498 Chap. 18. Of the Multiplication of the Philosophick Tincture 504 Chap. 19. Of Sublimation in particular and Separation of the Pure from the Impure 508 Chap. 20. Of Digestion Sublimation and Separation of the Bodies for the perfection of the Work 512 Chap. 21. Of the Secret Operation of the Water and Spirit on the Body 515 Chap. 22. Of the Signs of the end of the Work and the perfection thereof 518 II. The Hieroglyphicks of Flammel Chap. 23. The beginning of Flammels Book which is the peroration of the whole 521 Chap. 24. The Explication of the Hieroglyphick Figures and of the Book of Abraham the Jew 522 Chap. 25. Of his Pilgrimage into Spain and meeting with a Jewish Priest who in part interpreted the said
Spirit of God which goes through and pierces all things which generates and preserves that which is generated His Spirit of heat decocts and coagulates that which is thin rarifies that which is too thick warms the cold and raises up to life that which has been dead and buried II. Hermes Who has given to or bestowed upon rational Creatures the power and faculties of truly judging and determining not forsaking any so as to give them an occasion to cease searching after the Truth Salmon 'T is true that Adam before the Fall was adorned with the fulness of light and knowledge above all other Creatures shining like Sol among the Stars but after his Fall that prime perfection was much eclipsed and he was drove out of the Garden into a Wilderness among the Beasts which perish yet not without a promise of Restauration and remission of his Transgression by one Eternal Sacrifice through the diffluence and power of whose Spirit Man is put into a possibility of attaining a measure of the true and perfect knowledge and understanding even in this life III. Hermes For my part I had never discovered any thing of this matter nor revealed it to any one had not the fear of the Judgments of God or the hazard of the Damnation of my Soul for such a Concealment prevailed with me It is a debt I am willing to pay to the Just as the Father of the Just has liberally bestowed it upon me Salmon That is revealed them so as that the Sons of Art might understand them not to the Profane and Unworthy and Scoffers For the Oracle of Truth himself has long since told us It is not fit to give the Childrens Bread to Dogs though they may eat of the Crumbs which fall from the Masters Table Some Men the Scriptures of Truth have compared to Dogs yea Greedy Dogs Wolves Foxes c. These can never come to sit at the Table and feed of the Divine repast 'T is a Transgression against the Law of Nature which is the Law of God which deserves the Divine Vengeance for a punishment And such indeed is the revealing of forbidden Secrets to such to whom they do not belong And saith Raimand Lully Thou shalt reserve and keep that Secret which is proper only to God to reveal and thou dost justly conceal those things whose revelation belongs to his Honour otherwise thou shalt be condemned in the Great day as a Traytor to the Majesty of God nor shall thy Treason be forgiven thee IV. Hermes Now understand O ye Children of Wisdom that the knowledge of the four Elements of the Ancient Philosophers was not Corporally nor Imprudently sought into Which are through patience to be attained according to their kind which through their own operation are hidden or obscured You can do nothing except the matter be compounded because it cannot be perfected unless first the various Colours are throughly accomplished Salmon Hermes now begins to give a description of the Great Work which he calls the knowledge of the Elements but not of those Elements which are foolishly discoursed of in the Schools of the Peripateticks They speak of an Element to be Corpus Simplex but our Hermes saith They are not to be understood Corporaliter Ergò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Spiritualiter Sapienter that is Spiritually and Wisely Thus the Principles of Art are said to be four Elements Earth Water Air Fire as Hermes indigitates but what these are in a Spiritual sense the Peripatetick knows not which the same Hermes interprets in another place the Soul Spirit and Body and which Paracelsus calls Salt Sulphur and Mercury Others make but two as the Agent and Patient Masculine and Feminine Sulphur and Mercury Others but one only viz. The Aqua Philosophica There are many other Names by which this Matter is called but the Subject or Prima materia is one only because it is as it were the Cardinal hinge upon which all the rest turn which the Philosophers explicate to be their Mercury which is the beginning the middle and the end of the Work and without which whoever labours labours in vain and yet it will do nothing without it be compounded because it cannot be perfected without its colours are throughly accomplished The Body and the Soul or the Salt and the Sulphur cannot be united in their most minute parts without the help of the Spirit which is Mercury Luna and Sol cannot procreate without the help of Mercury which extracts the Semen from both the Bodies and in the center of the Earth as its proper Vessel digests and perfects it Therefore Mercury does nothing of its self except something be added to it by which it may be mortified V. Harmes Know then that the Division which was made upon the water by the Ancient Philosophers is that which separates it or converts it into four other substances one into two and three to one the third part of which is color or has tincture to wit the coagulating humour or moisture but the second and third Waters are the Weights of the Wise. Salmon This Water to be divided is the same with the four Elements before spoken of viz. The Aqua Philosophica This must be divided into four parts viz. The one part into two adding three parts to one from whence arises seven parts He divides the differences of the Colors into two threes that is into three Red Spirits and three White which three Spirits have their rise from the one Aqua Philosophica and are resolved into the same again VI. Hermes Take of the humidity or moisture an ounce and half of the Southern Redness viz. Anima Solis a fourth part i. e. half an ounce of the Citrine Seyre in like manner half an ounce of Auripigment half an ounce which are eight that is three ounces Now understand that the Vine of the Wise Men or Tree of the Philosophers is extracted or drawn forth in three but the Wine thereof is not perfected till at length thirty be compleated Salmon He Essays to explicate the proportions of the Philosophick Ingredients under various Names for that which he calls the Humidity the Southern Redness Anima solis Seyre Citrinum Auripigment the Vine of the Philosophers and their Wine have no other signification but that the Aqua Mercurii should be seven times distilled which after the eighth Distillation the Compositum by the force of the fire is converted into Ashes or a most subtil pouder which by reason of its purity and perfection resists the fire neither wonder that eight parts and three ounces are equivalent for by the former Section the one part is divided into two to each of them there is added three parts which are the true and Philosophick Proportions called by Hermes the Weights of the Wise. VII Hermes Understand then the operation The Decoction doth diminish the matter but the Tincture does augment it Because Luna in 15 days is diminished in the Heaven and in the third
operation viz. after the Conjunction with Sol it is augmented This is then the beginning and the end Salmon Here Hermes eludicates the Philosophick Work by a most familiar Example of the Phases of Luna and so it is the Mineral Process in this Philosophick Work exactly answering to that Parallel in Heaven Some divide the Operation of the Stone into two parts viz. the former and the latter The former Hermes explicates by the notion of Decoction which does diminish the matter dissolves it as it were destroys it but being thus Dissolved and Corrupted it is through Regeneration by the Medium of perfection restored again This done then follows the latter part of the Operation by means of which the Virtue and Power of the Stone is made wonderful brought to its highest perfection and multiplied as it were in infinitum In these few words of Hermes are comprehended the whole Work and in them it is plainly laid open from the beginning to the end In a word it is like the Husbandman Sowing his Seed in the Ground which must first Die be Corrupted and Putrefied before it can be possest of a new Life by which it must arise and yeild its Hundred Fold Increase the first Life the first Birth the first Body must Die and give place to the second CHAP. II. The First Exposition of the Matter I. HERMES Behold I have Exposed to you that which was hidden and the work is both with you and for you that which is within is quickly taken out and is Permanent or fixt and you may have it either in the Earth or in the Sea Salmon This secret Work commends it self to its Children and the series of the Operation demonstrate that the Regenerating Spirit is within the Matter but adhears to it invisibly In Elementary and Gross Bodies it is not manifest except they be reduced into their first Essential Nature or Being for so this Spirit of Regeneration which is the Seed of the Promise the Heaven of the Philosophers out shining the Glory of the Stars is brought forth to View That which is Sown is not quickned except it Die it is Sown in Corruption it Rises in Incorruption it is Sown in Dishonour it is Raised in Glory The Sea is the Aqua Philosophica which entring into and Opening the Terra Philosophica brings forth the Gold bearing Vine of the Philosophers II. Hermes Keep therefore your Argent Vive which is prepared in the innermist Chamber of the Bridegroom in which it is Coagulated for that is the Argent Vive it self which is spoken of the remaining Earth Salmon Argent Vive is indeed the Prima Materia of the Philosophick Work but say the Philosophers beware that you use not the Vulgar Argent Vive or Quick-Silver for if you do you will be deceived Our Silver is not Vulgar for that is Dead and unfit for Our Work you must have that which is Living which is rightly Prepared by Art for the perfection of Nature Our Mercury is Philosophick Fiery Vital Running which may be mixed with all the other Metals and separated again from them It is prepared in the innermost Chamber there it is Coagulated Now where Metals grow there they must be found If you have found this Argent Vive the residence of the Philosophick Earth keep it safely for it is worthy If you have brought your Argent Vive to Ashes or Burnt it by the Power of the Fire you have an incomparable Treasure a thing much more Pretious than Gold This is that which Generarates the Stone and it is Born of it it is the whole Secret which Converts all the other Metalline Bodies into Sol and Luna making Hard Soft and the Soft Hard putting Tincture and Fixity upon them III. Hermes He therefore that now hears my Words let him search into and inquire from them it is not for the justification of the Work of any Evil Doer but to give to every good Man a Reward that I have laid Open or Discovered all things which were bid relating to this Science and Disclosed and made Plain and Open to you the greatest of Secrets even the Intellectual knowledg Salmon The Philosophers ever Discourse in Parables and Figures nor is it fit that all things should be revealed to every Body the matter is to be enquired after and diligently Searcht into without Labour and Pains nothing is to be obtained but Wisdom enters not in to profane Souls nor dwells in a Body subject to sin as the Wise Man affirms And altho' Hermes has spoken in this Book many things concerning this most noble Arcanum and has over-past nothing yet he has not spoken so plainly as that every profane and unworthy Person may understand it but has left the Mystery to be unfolded by the Sons of Wisdom IV. Hermes Know therefore ye Children of Wisdom and ye seekers after the Fame thereof that the Vulture standing upon the Mountain cries out with a great Voice saying I am the White of the Black and the Yellow of the White and the Citrine of the Yellow and behold I speak the very Truth Salmon The Mountain upon which the Vulture stands is a fit Vessel placed in a well Built Fornace encompassed with a Wall of Fire at the foot of which Mountain is a watchful Dragon who is full of Eyes and can see before him and behind him who is Vigilant and Careful in keeping the Entrance or Passage into the Mountain lest the unworthy should Ascend to the height theirof where is hid the Secret Stone of the Philosophers It is unpossible for any to enter here unless the Dragon be laid a Sleep Hoc opus hic Labor est to find out the means how this is to be done how this Beast is to be circumvented that we may obtain this so desirable Treasure is the Work of the Philosopher Three things are commended for this purpose first Crude Argent Vive made into Pills and Gilded with Gold Second a Sulphur of Mars extracted with Sol. Third The water of the Philosophers These things being rightly given will so lay him a Sleep that Night and Day you may continually have Egress and Regress Being once entred and Ascended the Mountain the Vulture or Crow will shew you the way where the Colors appear 1. Black which is the beginning of the Art 2. White which is the middle 3. Red which is the end of the whole Work V. Hermes Now the chief principle of Art is the Crow which in the Blackness of the Night and Clearness of the Day flys without Wings From the bitterness existing in the Throat the Tincture or Tinging matter is taken But the Red goes forth of its Body and a meer Water is taken from its back parts Salmon The Vulture and the Crow are both but one thing but in differing States it is the Vulture while it is Active and devouring and the Crow when it lies in a more passive Nature The Vulture is the Mercury of the Philosophers prepared by
Blood and Flesh viz. Fixity Tincture and Substance The Earth or Mercury is the subject or receptacle of all the Coelestial Radiations VII Hermes The Son saith Father which of these is more worthy one than another whether is the Heaven or the Earth The Father answers Both want the help of one another but a Medium is proposed by precepts But if thou shalt say that Wisdom or the Wise Man does Rule or Command among all Mankind to this Hermes The indifferent or ordinary things are better with them because every Nature delights or desires to be joyned in Society with its own kind We find even in Wisdom it self that equal things are joyned together Salmon If by a Magical Matrimony the Heavens and the Earth are Conjoyned neither seems to be more worthy for as the Earth cannot Generate without the Heavens so neither can the Heavenly Influences multiply themselves without the Earth But there is a mean proposed which he explicates in the following Paragraph which is the making the one equal with the other viz. by bringing forth a new Off-spring out of both which shall excede Sol himself in perfection because it is more than perfect and able to make the imperfect Bodies or Metals perfect which Sol himself cannot do and is also able to make the most imperfect Bodies more than perfect by multiplying their Tincture a thousand times more than what they had Originally by Nature which is performed by Precepts saith Hermes that is by Art And since every Nature Delights to be joyned with its own kind you must be sure to joyn Metalline Bodies only with Metalline Principles for Water joyned with Water cannot be separated no more can Silver being joyned with Silver or Gold with Gold that is to say their Seed VIII Hermes The Son saith But what is the mean among them To whom Hermes answers To every thing in Nature there are three things from two 1. The Beginning 2. The Middle 3. The End viz. First the profitable and necessary Water Secondly the Fat or Oyl Thirdl'y the Foeces or Earth which remains below Salmon By the Beginning he me ans the Deundation of the first Principles for the Prima Materia must be prepared and made fit for the Operation the Middle which are the Operations of the Work from the Beginning to the End the End which is the Perfection or consummation of the matter these are the three things from the two Principles Sulphur and Mercury Or possibly by the three things from the two he may mean the Spirit Soul and Body i. e. Fixity Tincture and Substance from the two Principles Sulphur and Mercury being in Conjunction Other Interpret it thus by the two things he means Heaven and Earth which cannot be Conjoyned without a Medium which is the Air no otherwise than Soul and Body which cannot be Conjoyned in one Body without the Spirit to Unite them The Spirit then is the Legitimate Mediator of the true and perfect Conjunction whether Natural or Supernatural By the Heaven is understood the Soul By the Earth the Body By the Spirit the Uniting Principles these indeed are the three things from the two i. e. the two Principles Sulphur and Mercury the Spirit being Latent in them both But however Our Hermes lest he should not be understood has explicated them himself viz. the profitable Water the Fat Oyl the Foeces or Earth By the Water is meant the Mercury by the Fat or Oyl the Sulphur which by the Mediation of the Internal or Latent Spirit are United into one Body and make the Foeces or Earth IX Hermes But the Dragon dwells in or Inhabits in all these things And his Houses are the darkness and blackness in them and by them he Ascends into the Air from his rising which is their Heaven But while the Fume or Vapour remains in them they are not perpetual Permanant remaining or fixt Take but away the Fume or Vapor from the Water and the blackness from the Fat or Sulphur and Death from the Foeces and by Dissolution you shall possess a Tryumphant Gift even that in and by which the Possessors Live Salmon We have spoken now concerning the Heavens and the Earth and their Matrimonial Conjunction by a Medium viz. the Air or Water which we also call the Spirit for the Water is nothing but the Air Coagulated and the Air is the Vital Spirit running through and peircing all beings giving Life and Consistency to every thing the very Agent which Ties the Particles of all Matter and Bodies together and without which every Body and Metal would fall to pieces and become nothing but Dust and Ashes even the smallest of Atoms And this Spirit is that which moves and sills all things It is the Philosophick Heaven which in its prime Resolution or putrefaction is wonderfully defiled so that like the most Poisonous Dragon or Serpent it destroys all things it touches from whence it is said to have its House in Darkness and Blackness and to possess Blackness and Clouds and defilements and Death it self So long therefore as the Heaven shall be thus infected it is impossible for it to return to its Pristine Nature Simplicity Purity Fixity and Permanency By the Dragon then is signified this Black Matter Ascending into Air which is difficultly done by Reason of its thick glutinous and Ponderous Body which would not tend upwards unless it be first resolved by Force and Power of the Fire in a Philosophick Glass into an Aereal and Vaporous substance being thus Dissolved by a frequent Ventilation of the Air or Spirit it will be perfectly purged and recover its Primaeval Nature of Heaven which is the thing sought after CHAP. VI. The Several Operations by and Various Matters of which the Stone is Composed I. HERMES Now the temperate Fat or Sulphur which is the Fire is the Medium or Middle Nature between the Foeces and the Water and the through Searcher of the Water The Fat 's are called Sulphurs for between Fire Oyl and Sulphur there is so little difference that there is a propinquity or nearness because as the Fire does Burn so also does the Sulphur Salmon He here makes the Fire to be the Medium between the Sulphur and the Mercury which Fire we have before declared to be both Internal and External The first is Innate in the Principles and Essential the latter Elemental and Accidental it is the through Searcher of the Water that is the stirer up of Internal Life and Efficacy so that the Internal Fire may properly be called the Spirit of the Matter which disposes the Particles of it to their Change But the difference between this Fire or Spirit and Oyl or Sulphur is so little that we want fit Words to express it but it is like the Spirit to the Soul which are inseparable But this is to be understood that of Sulphurs such only are to be chosen which are the more near in their principles the Sulphurs of Minerals are
the Water and the Fire dwelling therein which does contain its own Water drawn from the Four Elements and their Waters This is not Water in its form but Fire containing in a strong and pure Vessel the Ascending Waters lest the Spirits should flie away from the Bodies for by this means are they made Tinging and Permanent or Fixed Salmon That is the Mercury and the Sulphur dwelling in the Salt or the Spirit and the Soul dwelling in the Body which is our Stone The Fire saith he contains its own Water drawn from the Four Elements That is the Sulphur contains the Mercury drawn from its Original Fountains This is not Water in Form but Fire Nor is it Quick-Silver in form but Sulphur nor Spirit in form but Oyl or Tincture containing the Clouds and Ascending Waters which are of a dry consistency or Body sticking to the sides of the Glass lest they should flie away in sublimation from the Bodies by this means being often iterated at least three times but if it be six or seven times it is yet better the Spirit enters into and peirces and penetrates the Body in Order to its Fixation which at length is perfected which the highest Fixation and Tincture by the Fixing Oyl or Sulphur VII Hermes O Blessed Water in the form of Sea which Element thou dissolvest Now it behoves us with this watery Soul to possess a Sulphurous Form and to mix or joyn the same with our Vinegar Salmon Great is the Virtue and Power which dwells in the Aqua Philosophica from whence it is caled Blessed For as common Water washes away the Filth from things and cleanses them outwardiy so this our Elementated Water not only Dissolves Bodies but also Washes away and Cleanses them inwardly from all manner of Defilemens and Impurities and being joyned with the Philosophick Vinegar brings forth from them their incombustible Sulphur which by projection tinges and transmutes all imperfect Metals into most pure fine Gold and Silver This Water is the Key of the Art by which the Bodies are oftentimes to be opened that is they are to be Dissolved and by the same to be again Coagulated to be made more noble pure and perfect So that no Foot-steps of Death Blackness Corruption or Imperfection may any more remain in them The preparation of this Water is known but to a few nor do many attain to it because the Well is Deep out of which it is drawn nor do the Vulgar Chymists understand it But whatever you do you can do no great Matter without the help of Nature and tho' Aqua Fortis and Aqua Regis and such-like are usefull in their places to dissolve and Tear Bodies into Atoms yet are they Alien and far from the true Aqua Philosophica which has the Power to enter into the insides of Metals whereas they only divide them into many Superficies And therefore say the Philosophers the preparation of this Water is not to be Learned of Masters but it must be taught by the Dictates of Nature her self VIII Hermes For when by the Power of the Water the Compositum also is Dissolved you have the Key of the Restauration then Death and Blackness flie away and Wisdom proceeds on to the Finishing of the Work Salmon This Water does not Tear or Gnaw Bodies into Pieces and Bits but it Radically Dissolves them and reduces them into their Prima Materia as they were in their Original Generation Of this Nature are those Fountains Springs in Hungaria which have a Faculty of Transmuting what Iron soever is cast into them into good Coper and those other Fountains into which if any Wood be cast so as it remains but some certain time by the Lapidescent Virtue of the Water it is transmuted through its whole substance into Stone which Memorable and well known Powers and Operations of Nature in these particular things are in part a demonstration or at least an Argument to persuade one to the belief of other Operations and Transmutations in the Metalline Kingdom Ignis Azoth say the Philosophers are enough for the whole Work Learn therefore from Nature the preparation of this Azoth or Water of the Philosophers which Water being prepared does with a simple Operation through the help of Nature gently boyling in a soft Fire bring the work to a conclusion and perfect the same This Operation indeed or simple Coction is that which opens the Door into the Chambers of Life making Putrefaction and Death and blackness and darkness to vanish and flie away This Water and this Fire tho' simple and simple in their Operation yet are they hid and known but to a few for that they lead into the most recluse and abscondite recesses of Nature CHAP. VII The Operations of Nature in the Aqua Philosophica as in a Seed I. HERMES Now know my Son that the Philosophers chain up the Matter with a strong chain or band when they make it to contend with the fire because the Spirits in the washed Bodies desire to dwell therein and to rejoyce there In these habitations they vivifie themselves and dwell therein and the Bodies hold or contain them nor from them can they ever be separated Salmon The Bodies before they can be 〈◊〉 united with the Spirit and joyned one to another in a strong Confederation must first be purified and washed with Azoth and 〈◊〉 for the washing is that which puts an end to the blackness and the purification is made and continued till the White Elixir is made perfectly white and till the red is made perfectly red being thus cleansed and purified the Spirit out of a natural propension is drawn to the Bodies in which being ardently inflamed it immediately commixes with them and they are conjoyned with an indissoluble conjunction under the Chains of which they remain inseparable for ever Now this conjunction is not made by chance but from the meer affinity which is between the Bodies and Spirit for they both proceed from one fountain and principle though of the two the spirit by reason it vivifies and holds the Particles of the Bodies together is much the more noble the more excellent and most powerful Agent II. Hermes Then the dead Elements are revived and the Compositum or 〈◊〉 Bodies are tinged and altered and by wonderful operations they are made permanent or fixed as the Philosopher saith Salmon The Domicils of themselves remain dead but the Inhabitants in them are alive Now the Bodies of the Metals are the Domicils of their Spirits which when they are received by the Bodies their terrestrial substance is by little and little made thin extended and Purified and by their Vivifying Power the Life and Fire hitherto lying Dormant is excited and stirred up For the Life which dwells in the Metals is laid as it were asleep nor can it exert its Power or shew it self unless the Bodies be first Dissolved Exalted and turned into Spirit for that the Spirit does only Vivifie being brought to this
tho' most Vehement and Fusory or in the strongest reverberation without the least Diminution Detriment or Corruption But the Mercury is fixed by the Spirit of the Sulphur not by its Corporeity the Corpo real Particles only give form and convey the Spirit to the Mercury which could not be brought to it in or by any other Vehicle By the Fire all the Heterogene or impure parts of the Mercury are destroyed the pure left behind and held fast by the Power of the fixing Spirit which otherwise without the assistance and help of that Spirit would have vanished also This Volatile substance it seizes upon changes or trans mutes and fixes that is brings over into its own property This tho' a Spirit contains in it the highest fixity and its Body being Opened is the Sulphur or Seed which must be sown in the Philosophick Earth or Mercury as we have often said that it may there Die and resume a new Body a thousand fold more in quantity than its own which by the enforming Power of the Energetick Spirit will be made to live spring up and grow to be a Tree of the first Magnitude bearing Golden Apples whose Seed will be and remain in its self for ever and bring forth a new to infinity of Generations It s perpetual new Substance or Body being made out of the Substance of the Mercurial Earth by the Power of the transmuting or Vegetating Spirit and Soul VI. Hermes And that which rests or remains upon a strong Fire is fixed and is also a strong Fire it self And that which in the heat of a strong or boyling Fire is corrupted or destroyed or made to sly is Cambar Salmon By Cambar also he means the self same thing to wit our Volatile Mercury in its Corruptible State or rather the Corrubtible and impure part thereof which must be corrupted or destroyed and made to fly away that that which is pure and will not fly may appear and remain but the purifying Fire must be known in which the great Secret of the Operation lies and without which nothing can be done which Fire as we have formerly said is two fold viz. Internal and External the latter being used only to excite the former VII Hermes And know ye that Our AEs Brass or Laton is Gold which is the Art of the premanent or fixed Water and the Coloration of its Tincture and Blackness is then turned or changed into Redness Salmon That is Our Gold or Stone or Tincture is the product of the permanent or fixed Water by which he means the Philosophick Mercury impregnated with the Spirit of the fixed and incombustible Sulphur And by this you may perceive he puts a difference between the AEs Brass or Laton which is made by this permanent Water and the Corpus aeris or Body of common Brass Now the Aqua permanens is that which contains in it self the Tinctures of all Colors Black only excepted which is taken away from it for that it is a sign-of imperfection and impurity By this Water alone Mercury is turned or changed into the true Red that is into the Tincture of Sol. But to take away its Corruption and to reduce it into the incorruptible and fixt Nature of Sol that must be done by Sol alone and not by any corruptible and Forreign Matter or Substance for that Sol contains in himself the Seeds of fixity and Tincture which no other Body in the World does besides But to make Sol do or perform these things its Body must be opened prepared and made fit for this purpose by Virtue of the Aqua permanens or Aqua Philosophica VIII Hermes I confess that through the help of God I have spoken nothing but the Truth That which is destroyed must be restored and renewed and from thence Corruption is seen in the Matter to be Renovated and from thence the Renovation appears And on both or either side it is the sign of Art Salmon He has 〈◊〉 erto been teaching you the first part of the Work which is the Destruction of the first Birth and Life concerning which he assures us he has spoken nothing but the Truth Our Mercury must be undone and unmade that is corrupted and destroyed and brought through Putrefaction into a pure and Limpid Water that it may be able to peirce the Metalline Bodies from which State by Conjunction with a pure fixt and incombustible Sulphur and by Virtue of a subtle living and fixing Spirit invisible without length breadth or thickness which Spirit is the Philosophick Fire it is to be renewed and regenerated the Water is to be dryed up the spiritual is to be made corporeal the thin to be made thick the Volatile to be made fixt and the changeable Colors reduced to a Unity and Permanency either White or Red according to the Order and Root of the Operation one and the same Mercury does corrupt and destroy the Bodies and again exalt perfect and fix them The Matter of Our Stone is but one and therefore nothing can be more Alien from the Art than to fetch it from many things Nature is not mended or made better but by a Nature of its own kind as Vinegar makes Vinegar so Our Art begins with Mercury and with the same Mercury it is Finished It is a kind of Proteus which creeping upon the Earth assumes the Nature of a Serpent but being Immersed in Water it represents a Fish presently taking to it self Wings it ascends a loft and flies like a Bird yet notwithstanding it is but one and the same Mercury with this the Artist does Work and with it he transacts all the necessary Operations of our Stone being fit and proper for them all viz. for Putrefying Distilling Coagulating Mortifying Vivifying Subliming and Tinging without which seven Operations you labour wholly in vain Till you have Putrefied the Matter you have not made one step in the true way but that being done you have accomplished the first sign of the Art as Hermes testifies CHAP. X. The Practical part of the Philosophick Work I. HERMES My Son that which is born of the Crow is the beginning of this Art Salmon The Crow is the Blackness and Darkness of the Matter being Corrupted Now nothing was ever Generated or brought to light which had not its beginning from blackness and darkness ex nocte Orphei i. e. from principles Invisible for so it is said concerning the Creation of the great World In the beginning when God Created the Heavens and the Earth the Earth was empty and void and darkness was upon the Face of the Deep and God said let there be Light and it was so From whence we may gather that Darkness was Prior to Light And so it is in this our Philosophick Work and altho' it is commonly thought that the darkness or Dark principle is taken for the true Seed of things yet it is no such thing but only certain Rudiments or rather the Domicil wherein the true Seeds of things
their own Body and this Work must be so often reiterated till no more Clouds arise viz. till the Dragon is wholly Slain This done he must be restored to Life again and made to live and then killed again as aforesaid and then it does live as we have demonstrated in the Explication of the former Paragraph even in Putrefaction from which it must at length by the order and course of the Operations be freed and brought to its Ultimate Perfection VI. Hermes In the Life and Death thereof the Spirits Work For as it is Killed by taking away of the Spirit so that being restored it is again made Alive and rejoyces therein Salmon The Spirit is used both in the Killing of it and in the making of it Alive again but this is by some doubtfully understood whether it be meant of the innate or indwelling Spirit only or of that Spirit joyned with another Metallick Spirit because he uses Spirits in the Plural number However this is certain that as Death is induced by taking away the Spirit so Life is retrieved by restoring it again VII Hermes But coming to this that which ye seek by affirmation ye shall see I declare also to you the signs of joy and rejoycing even that thing which does fix its Body Salmon That is he declares the cause of life and death to be in the Spirits to wit in the natural Spirits whether Animal Vegetable or Mineral He who knows how to revive dead Minerals and to purify them knows how to exert their powers and is in the High-way to the greatest of Secrets 'T is this Spirit joyned with its Philosophick Earth which has power to fix both perfect and imperfect bodies and to tinge them into the highest perfection of Silver and Gold which he calls the signs of joy and rejoycing VIII Hermes Now these things our Ancestors gave us only in Figures and Types how they attained to the knowledge of this Secret but behold they are dead I have now opened the Riddle I have demonstrated the proposition so much desired so much aimed at I have opened the Book of Secrets to the Skilful and Learned yet I have also a little concealed the hidden Mystery Salmon He declares that the ancient Philosophers delivered the Matter and Process of the Philosophick Tincture in AEnigma's and Types Shadows only they left no footsteps of the true thing behind them but what every one might think of at pleasure therefore from them our Hermes could receive nothing and he professes Ch. 1. Sect. 1. That he obtained the knowledge of this Art by the inspiration of the Living God only God it was who did reveal and open the Secret to him This Secret he has opened in this Work and made so plain that the skilful and learned may understand it 'T is true he has not unfolded every particular but yet he has made things so plain that he who can read him with a Philosophick mind may at length haply find out the truth notwithstanding what he has revealed he declares he has a little concealed the hidden Mistery IX Hermes I have kept the things which ought to be put a part within their own bounds I conjoyned the various and divers figures and forms of its appearance in the operation and I have confederated or joyned together with them the Spirit Receive you this as the gift of God Salmon The meaning of which is that he has first separated what ought to be separated viz. the pure from the impure and the Spirit from the Body which is the first work in order to putrefaction corruption and death Then secondly he has joyned again what ought to be conjoyned to wit the various and divers figures and forms the Soul with the Body that it may again be enformed with Tincture and Substance Thirdly he has confederated or joyned together with them the Spirit which ties the Particles of the Body and Tincture so firmly together that they can never be separated and unites them in a perpetual conjunction with a fixity which will endure for ever CHAP. XI The Practical part farther Explicated I. HERMES It behoves you therefore to give thanks to God who has largely given of his bounty to all the Wise who delivers us out of the Snares and Clutches of Misery and Poverty Salmon For this inestimable Gift of God it is but gratitude to return him the Tributes of Humility and Thanksgiving to abase our selves before his Divine Majesty with all humbleness and submission who thus raises you out of the Dust to sit among Princes making you to despise the Glories of Crowns and Scepters as insignificant Baubles and to rest with infinite content in the meanness of a despicable Cottage for that you carry within your Brests the true Treasure more valuable than all the whole World besides II. Hermes I am proved and tried with the fulness of his Riches and Goodness with his probable miracles and I humbly pray God that whilst I live I may pass the whole Course of my life so as I may attain him Salmon When a Man becomes Master of this Arcanum he is then tried and proved indeed how in the midst of such a fulness of Riches and Happiness he can humble himself and sink in to the deep Abyss of nothingness abstracting himself from all the goodly things of this life In this humble state God is only to be met with for the proud he beholds afar off and in this abjection and self-denial in this mortification of the first life and birth a second is to be found a being brought forth in the love of God the birth of the new Man formed after the Image of the second Adam a new Spirit a new Life joyned and United to the Life of God which can never Perish or Decay a Fountain of Eternal Delights an inexhaustible Treasure infinitely exceeding that which we have all this while thus earnestly been seeking after and pursuing III. Hermes Take then from thence the Fat 's or Sulphurous Matter which we take from Suets Grease Hair Verdigrease Tragacanth and Bones which things are written in the Books of the Ancients Salmon By the Fat 's or Sulphurous Matter understand the Sulphurs of all kinds educed by the Alchymick Art out of Natural things of which Sulphurs one only is fixed and incombustible and it is a thing which is both in the Earth and in the Heavens it is in Act Animal Vegetable and Mineral found every where known but by a few and expressed by its proper Name by no Body shadowed forth under Various Figures and AEnigmaes This fixed Sulphur the Philosophers understand to be nothing else but the true Balsam of Nature with which the Dead Bodies of the Metals are imbibed and as it were throughly moistned to preserve them perpetually from Corruption The more any thing abounds with this Balsam the longer it lives and is preserved from perishing From things therefore abounding with a Balsam of this kind is this Our
with the Water Salmon Our Hermes a little before has made mention of Ferment which he has in plain open and manifest Words declared to be Gold He now comes to demonstrate the necessity of Fermentation setting some of its Operations in Order The other Imperfect Bodies are the Meal or Dough and unless they be Fermented with their proper Leven which is Gold they cannot be brought into the property of the Leven or Gold but this Gold must be made spiritual and living and the Bodies must be Dissolved Sublimed and Putrefied before they can be mixed with the Ferment this being done viz. being made clean subtil and spiritual the Ferment or prepared Gold is to be mixed therewith making up the Earth with the Water that is the Body with the Spirit Now to bring the Bodies into this State to be fit to be joyned with the Ferment you must sublime them purifie them make a separation of the Foeces then conjoyn and mix all which are necessary in Order to this Fermentation The Ferment to the prepared Body is as the Soul to the Body or as Leven to Paste without which the Mass could not be levened IV. Hermes And you must Decoct and Digest till Ixir the Ferment makes the alteration or change like as Leven does in Paste Meditate upon this and see whether the Ferment to this Compositum does make or change it from its former Nature to another thing Consider also that there is no Leven or Ferment but from the Paste it self Salmon Now he teaches us the Art of Levening which is to Decoct or Digest till the Ferment makes an alteration or change like as Leven does in Paste This is a high point of Art and ought to be seriously considered even what the end of the intention is which is to produce or generate Gold and therefore as I said above Gold must be your Ferment As Leaven is to Paste so is this Gold or Ferment to Our Mercury which is the prepared Body And as Leven is made out of the same matter out of which the Paste is made so this Gold or Ferment is made out of the same prin ciples viz. Mercury and Su l phur which our prepared Bodies come from therefore Hermes bids you consider it and tells you plainly that there is no Leven or Ferment but from the Paste it self and therefore Our Philosophick Gold which is Ixir the Ferment must be prepared from the Philosophick Mercury and Sulphur in a fit proportion that when it Works it may purge out the Old Leven with all its effects which are uncleanness want of Tincture and want of fixity and so bring forth a regenerate matter even a new substance or body not according to the Old Leven but according to the Nature of the New which is wholly purity in the height of Tincture and the strongest fixity Now this Fermentum is said sometimestobe two fold viz. Fermentum Lapidis Aurifici which is from Gold and Fermentum Lapidis Argentifici which is from Silver This is a weighty thing and worthy to be seriously considered of and therefore advises us to meditate upon it except the Paste does receive the Virtues and Properties of the Leven into it self it cannot be Levened If it does it becomes by a sufficient Digestion absolutely the same thing with the Leven both in its substance and properties and all other respects V. Hermes It is also to be noted that the Ferment does Whiten the Confection or Compositum and forbids or hinders the Burning It contains holds or fixes the Tincture so that it cannot fly away and rejoyces the Bodies and makes them mutually to joyn and to enter one into another Salmon He says here that the Ferment does Whiten the Confection concerning which Ferment a great doubt does arise but it is easily solved Philosophically thus It is not Gold except it be first Silver Our Gold is the Tincture or Soul or Nourisher of the Work without which it can never be done nor is it made Silver unless it be first Mercury so that our Sol seems to appear with 3 Faces first Black which is the Putrefaction of the Mercury 2. White which is the change or transmutation of the black Mercury into a White body or Silver 3. Red which is also the transmutation of the White body or Silver into a Red Tincture or Gold so that you may see that this Fermentum not only Whitens the Confection but also keeps it from Burning and so fixes the Tincture that it cannot change vanish or fly away By rejoycing the Bodies he means a replenishing them with a fixed Tincture and a fixed substance to wit the Ingression of the Ferment into them by Projection but because the Ferment is not able to enter into Dead Bodies therefore they must be removed and made Alive by help of the Aqua Medians or Mediating Water which is the Aqua Philosophica which dissolves subtilizes and spiritualizes them which makes also a Marriage or Conjunction between the said Ferment and the White Earth And in every Fermentation you ought to take notice of the Weight of every thing If therefore you would Ferment the White Foliated Earth to the White Elixir that it may be projected upon bodies diminished from perfection you must take of the White or Foliated Earth three parts Of the reserved Aqua Vitae two parts Of the Ferment half part Now if you work for the White your Ferment must be so prepared that it may be made a White Calx fixt and subtil but if for the Red a most pure Yellow or Citrine Calx of Gold VI. Hermes And this is the Key of the Philosophers and the end of all their Works And by this Science the Bodies are meliorated and restored and the Work of them Deo annuente is performed and perfected Salmon This Art of Levening or Fermentation is that which he calls the Key of the Philosophers i. e. the Key which opens the Door into the Secrets and Mysteries of this whole Work Of so great Virtue and Power is this Work of Fermenting that he is bold to call it even the Key of the Philosophers that is the beginning middle and end of the Work both for the White and the Red so that by the Power and Efficacy thereof the Bodies may be Renovated and Exalted into a higher State of Perfection than what they are by Nature CHAP. XIII The Nature of the Ferment farther Explicated I. HERMES But by Negligence and an ill Opinion of the matter the Operations may be spoiled and destroyed as in a Mass of Levened Paste Or Milk turned with Rennet for Cheese and Musk among Aromaticks Salmon Without doubt an error may easily be committed in the Work of Fermentation if you have a a false Conception thereof or be ignorant of its Power whereby you may miss the end and be frustrate of your Expectations losing all your cost and time as is seen in the Levening of Bread if you trouble the Mass of Meal
And Gold is our Earth of all which we make Sericum which is our Ferment or Ixir Salmon He here divides the great Work into two parts viz. Vegetable and Animal which is a Philosophical fiction But the true Work is but one consisting of an equal and temperate mixtion of the Elements to a perfect fixity The Foundation 〈◊〉 this Work is laid in the Earth of the Gold of which 〈◊〉 Ixir Elixir or Ferment is made which is two fold 1. For Luna 2. For Sol. By the Ferment of Sol is understood the Seed of the Male and by that of Luna the Seed of the Female of these there must be made 1. A Conjunction 2. A Generation The Ferment of Sol is from Sol as Leaven is made of the substance of the Bread and as a little Leaven Ferments or Leavens a great quantity of Paste at least 〈◊〉 times its quantity so likewise a little Portion of this our Earth suffices to nourish and perfect the whole Stone The Ferment saith Avicenna reduces the Matter to its own Nature Color Sapor and Form reducing Power into Act. For it Whitens the Confection Multipies it makes it Spiritual Strengthens it makes it resist the Fire makes it contain the Tincture that it shall not fly away opens the Bodies and makes them with it to enter one into another and to be perfectly 〈◊〉 as Water with Water which cannot be 〈◊〉 and is the end of the Work Without this Ferment no Elixir can be made no more than Paste or Dough can be Levened without Leven And this Elixir is the Ferment of Ferments and the Coagulum of the Coagulum For it not only Ferments the Inferior and imperfect Bodies but also Gold it self making it from a perfect Body much more than perfect It is the most 〈◊〉 Mother which by how much the 〈◊〉 it is impregnated by so much the more it conveives and brings forth propagating its Off-Spring to an 〈◊〉 of Generations It is the only Key which opens and shuts the Gates leading to the Kingdom of the Mineral Treasure the Golden Mountain the Gardens of the Hespenides where all the Trees perpetually bear Golden Fruit. Without this Key it is not possible for any Man to attain to the perfection of this Art CHAP. XIV The Smaragdine Table of Hermes I. HERMES This is true and far distant from a Lie whatsoever is below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that which is below By this are acquired and perfected the Miracles of the One Thing Salmon That is to say the truth of this our Art is confirmed by Experience we know it to be truth by very matter of Fact and notwithstanding all the Sophisms and Logomachia of the Schools there is no Argument can stand against Experience The Waters of the Cataracts of Heaven above are like to the Waters below when the great Fountain of the deep is broken up and the Waters below are like to the Waters above There are two parts in our Stone a Superior part that ascends up and an Inferior part which remains beneath and yet these two parts agree in One. The inferior Part or Earth is called the Body or Ferment The superior part or Spirit is called the Soul or Life which quickens the Stone and raises it up The first must be dissolved and made Water like the Superior and the Superior must be coagulated and made Earth like the Lower that they may be united and become the Miracle of the one Thing then will it be evidently demonstrated that whatsoever is below is like that which is above and contrarywise Nor do they differ one from another but by Accident as Corruptible and Incorruptble Pure and Impure Heavy and Light Clear and Opake Agent and Patient Masculine and Feminine c. all which are Accidents not Substances Heaven or that which is above is Incorruptible where the pure Elements are made from a Corruptible matter elevated or lifted up in the Concavity of which Firmament the Body or Substance of Luna is Graduared Hence it is apparent that this our Medicine must resemble Heaven it self in Activity Penetrativeness and Incorruptibility nor must it work as the Elements in Natural Bodies which are as it were Dead and destitute of any Power or Action II. Hermes Also as all things were made from One by the help of One So all things are made from One thing by Conjunction Salm. That is as all things were made or came from One Confused Chaos by the help of One Omnipotent or Almighty God so Our Stone is born or brought fourth out of one Confused Mass by the help of one particular Matter or Thing which contains in it four Elements Created by the determination of God Here Hermes points forth the Universal Medicine in imitation of the Worlds Creation which is performed by one Universal Spirit and so by a Supernatural Experiment points forth this Our Natural Work It is the Opinion of many Philosophers that the Spirit of Natural things or the Spirit of Nature is the Medium between the Soul and the Body as being that which makes the absolute and firm Conjunction But the Opinion of some is though the Spirit may be said to be the more subtile Subsistance yet it can be no more separated from the Soul than Light from the Sun III. Hermes The Father thereof is the Sun and the Mother thereof is the Moon the Wind carries it in its Belly and the Nurse thereof is the Earth Salmon As living Creatures beget their Like or Kind so Gold generates Gold by the Virtue of Our Stone The Sun is its Father that is Our Philoso phical or Living Gold And as in every natural Generation there must be a fit and convenient receptacle with a certain likeness of kind to the Father so likewise in this Our Artificial Generation it is requisite that the Sun or Our Living Gold should have a fit and agreeable Receptacle or Womb for its Seed or Tincture and this is Our Philosophical or Living Silver i. e. Mercury which is the Mother thereof What Sol and Luna are in the Heavens above the same are Our Gold and Silver in Our Heavens below The Universal Masculine Seed is the Sulphur Nature the first and most Potent cause of all Generation And if Sol does Live it is necessary as Paracelsus saith to live in some things viz. in its own Radical Humidity and most pure and simple Air which contemperates the heat there of by its Humidity The Wind is the Air and the Air is the Life and the Life is the Soul which quickens the whole Stone And therefore the Wind Air Life or Soul must carry the Stone viz. bring forth Our Magistery which being brought forth it must be nourished by its Nurse which is the Earth for The Earth saith Hermes is its Nurse The Wind Carries it in its Belly by which the Universal Inferior and Feminine Seed is dilated through the Air and joyned to the Universal
Now that Water in or by which the blackness is washed away is the Sweat or Moisture of the Sun and Childrens Urine i. e. the Virgins Water The thing which I tell you is sufficient for you to know V. In like manner take the Water of the Water Mercury of Mercury and with it cleanse and purifie the Wind Fume or Vapor and Abolish the blackness Understand what this signifies and rejoyce therein VI. Also in the same manner take the blackness and Conjoyn it then have respect to the White and Conjoyn the Red so will you go through the thing desired and come to the end of the Work VII It is also to be noted that it is the Fire-Stone which Governs the Matter or Work by the good pleasure of God Boyl it therefore with a gentle Fire Night and Day lest the Water should be separated from it even till it becomes of a Golden Color Understand well what I say VIII That also which Congeals does Dissolve and that which does Whiten does in like manner make Red. IX I have made plain to you the nearest way that you may be easie and satisfied Understand therefore these things and Meditate upon them and you shall certainly attain to the perfection of the Work X. It is also to be noted that as Sol is among the Stars so is Gold among the other Metalline Bodies For as the Light of the Sun is joyned to the Lights and contains the Fruit of this Operation so in like manner Gold Meditate upon these Words and by the Permission of God you may find it out CHAP. XVI The Nature of the Medicine and Government of the Metals I. HERMES Moreover saith he that outwardly takes in this Medicine it Kills him but he that inwardly drinks it in it makes him to Live and rejoyce Understand what this means II. And as for this cause sake this Water is said to be Divine so it is said to be the greatest Poyson and it is preferred before all other things by so much as that without it nothing of the Work can be done III. It is also called Divine for that it cannot be mixed or joyned with any filth or defiled thing and this Water of our Stone purifies and cleanses the Natures of the Metals and washes away their defoedations or defilements IV. And as Sol Acts upon Bodies so also does this Water upon the Philosophick Stone Yea it penetates and sinks through it and is constant fixed and perfect V. This indeed is seen in Sol but it is to be understood that the Work may be made through all the seven Planets as first from Saturn then from Jupiter Mars Venus Mercury and lastly from Luna VI. The first is the government of Saturn to wit to cause Sol to putrefie or bring the Body to putrefaction which is done in the space of 40 days and nights The second is the government of Jupiter which is to grind or break the matter and in 12 days and nights to Imbue or moisten it which is called the Regiment of Tin VII The third is the government of Mars which is to induce Death or blackness or to separate the Spirit from the Body by which it is said to be changed The fourth is the government of Sol which is to Work away the Blackness and Poyson and is indeed to make it White VIII The fifth is the government of Venus which is to joyn the moist to the dry and the hot to the cold and to Unite them together in one This is the Dominion of Brass or Copper or the the making of the matter of a changeable Yellow The sixth is the government of Mercury which is to burn and is called the Dominion of Argent Vive IX The seventh is the government of Luna which is to Decoct or Boyl and make Hot and so to perfect the matter with the fixed Citrine Tincture in 25 days and this is the Dominion of Silver See here I have gone with you through the whole Work take heed therefore lest you err CHAP. XVII The Difference of the Ferments and Quality of the Spirit I. AND know that the White Body is made with the Whiteness and its Ferment is that which you already know Whiten therefore the Body and understand what I say II. Also in like manner you are to note that the Stone sought after has not its like or equal in the whole Earth It is both outwardly and inwardly of a Citrine Golden Color but when it is altered or changed it is made a Body dark and black like burnt Coals III. Now the Color of the Spirit taken from it is White and the substance thereof is Liquid as Water but the Color of the Soul thereof is Red. IV. But the Soul and the Spirit thereof is returned to it again and it doth Live and Rejoyce and its Light and Glory returns again and you shall see it overcome and Triumph And that which was even now Dead shall have Conquered Death and then it shall Live and arise from the Dead and Live as it were for ever V. Happy and Blessed therefore is he in whose Power the disposition of this Matter is who Kills and makes Alive and is Omnipotent over all for ever VI. I therefore advise you not to do any thing in this work till you get an understanding thereof For if you be Ignorant and void of true Knowledge you will err in whatsoever you do you will wholly Labour in Vain and your work will Perish VII So that thus mistaking in your Operation you blame presently your instructors the Philosophers and think that they have erred or taught you wrong when it is only your Ignorance and none understanding of their words VIII This then know and understand that the Day is the Nativity or bringing forth of the Light but the Night the Nativity or bringing forth of the Darkness IX Sol also is the Light of the Day and Luna the Light of the Night which God Created to govern the World X. But Luna does receive her Light of the Sun by Combustion and is dilated or enlarged therewith and by so much as she receives of the Light of the Sun or does contain in her of his Light by so much does the Nature of Sol bear Rule over the Nature of Luna XI If therefore you contemplate what I say and Meditate upon my Words you will find that I have spoken the Truth and you will understand the signification of all that I have said and the demonstration of the whole Matter XII Know then that the Spirit is enfolded or circumscribed within as it were its Marble House or Walls Open therefore the Passages that the Dead Spirit may go out and be cast forth from our Bodies then it will become beautiful which is only a Work or undertaking of Wisdom XIII Sow therefore O God thy Wisdom in our Hearts and Root out the corrupt Principles which lodge therein and leads us in the way of thy Saints by which our Spirits
and Souls may be Purified Thou art Omnipotent O Lord God Almighty and canst do whatever thou pleasest CHAP. XVIII Of Argent Vive Tincture Order of the Operation and of the Fire I. THere is one thing which is to be wondered at viz. after what manner Carmine to wit Grana Nostra doth tinge or Dye Silk which is of a contrary Natue and tinges not a Dead thing and after what manner Uzifur to wit Our Vermilion doth tinge Vestem which is of a contrary Nature and tinges not Live or growing things II. For it is not Natural for any thing to tinge other substances not agreeable to their Natures If therefore you put into your Composition Red Gold you shall find in the Tincture a pure and perfect Red and if you put into it White Gold the most passive Red will vanish or go forth There is nothing indeed does tinge any thing but what is Consimilar to or like it self III. And I testifie to you by the Living God maker of Heaven and Earth that the Stone which I have described you have permanent or fixed nor are you kept from it by the Earth or the Sea or any other matter IV. Keep then your congealed Quick-Silver many parts of which are lost because of its subtilty Also the Mountain in which is the Tabernacle which crys out I am the Black of the White and the White of the Black I speak the Truth indeed and I lye not V. Now know that the Root of the Matter is the Head of the Crow flying without Wings in the dark and black of the Night and in the appearance of the Day from the Throat the fixing Spirit from its Gall the Coloring or Tinging Matter is taken from its Tail the desication or drying of the matter from its Wings the liquid Water and from its Body the Redness VI. Understand the meaning of the words for hereby is understood our venerable Stone and the Fume or Vapour thereof which is exalted lifted up or sublimed and the Sea eradicated and a Light shining VII You are also to note what Alums and Salts are which flow from Bodies if you put the Medicines or Matters of the Medicine in a just or true proportion you shall not fear to err but if you mistake the proportion you must add or diminish according as you see it tends to the emendation or performing of the Work lest a Deluge should come and overflow all drowning the Regions and overturning the Trees by the Roots VIII And tho the Matter be unknown yet consider these things how or after what manner these two Colors are distinguished or diversified by their Vapours look into the sweetness of Sugar which is one kind of sweet Juice and into the sweetness of Honey which is yet more intense or inward IX Except you make the Bodies spiritual and impalpable you know not how to putrefie Ixir or proceed on in the Work nor how the three Volatile Matters or Principles fight one against another and how they fail not each in their turns to devour one another till of two being left one only remains X. Be careful also how you increase your Fire tho it is not to be very small when you dry up the Water and take heed that you burn not the Matter because if the Vessel breaks it will be with a mighty impetus or force XI And unless the Matter of the Stone prove inimical one to another or contend and fight with and strive to destroy one another you shall never attain to the thing you seek after XII If you mix your Calx with Auripigment and not in a mean or due proportion the splendor and glory of the Operation will not succeed but if you interpose a medium the effect will immediately follow XIII Now know that it is our Water which extracts the hidden Tincture Behold the Example and understand it if you have once brought the Body into Ashes you have operated rightly XIV And the blood which is in the Philosophick Water of the animated Body is the Earth of the Wise to wit the permanent or enduring perfection CHAP. XIX That the Beginning of this Work is in the Blackness and Darkness and of conjoyning the Body with the Soul I. NOW it is that which is dead which you ought to vivisie or make alive and that which is sick which ought to be cured It is the White which is to be rubified the Black which is to be purified and the Cold which is to be made hot II. It is God himself who does create and inspire or give life and replenishes Nature with his Power that it might follow and imitate his Wisdom and act as an Instrument subservient to him III. Iron is our Gold and Brass or Copper is our Tincture Argent Vive is our Glory Tin is our Silver Blackness is our Whiteness and the Whitness is our Redness IV. From hence it appears necessary that we should have a Body purifying Bodies and a Water subliming Water Our Stone which is a Vessel of Fire is made of Fire and is converted into the same again V. And if you would walk in the true way you must persue it in the evident or visible Blackness for saith our Stone it is that which is hidden within which does make me white and the same thing which makes me White makes me also Red. VI. Conceal this thing from Men like as a word which is yet in thy Mouth which no Man understands and as the Fire Light or Sight which is in thine Eye I will not tell it plainly to thee thy self left by thy words thou conveyest my Breath to another to thine own damage This is the caution I give thee VII Now know that this our Work is made or compounded of two Figures or Substances the one of which wants the White Rust Ceruse and the other the Redish Rust Crocus Our Matters also are searsed thro our Sieves or Searses made of pure or clean Rinds and a most blessed Wood. VIII You are also to take notice that the Fire-stone of the Philosophers sought after wants Extention but it has quantity It behoves you therefore to support and nourish it on every side and to continue it as in the middle IX You must also conoyn the Body with the Soul 〈◊〉 beating and grinding it 〈◊〉 the Sun and imbuing it with the Stone then puting it into the Fire so long till all its Stains and Defilements are taken away let it be a gentle Fire for about seven hours space thus will you get that which will make you to live X. I also tell you that its habitation or dwelling place is posited in the Bowels of the Earth for without Earth it cannot be perfected Also its habitation is posited in the Bowels of the Fire nor without Fire can it be perfected which is the perfection of our Art XI Again Except you mix with the White the Red and presently bring or reduce the same into a perfect Water it
Work will be spoiled and you will not find that which you seek after nor shall you bring your Work to perfection XIV For where the cause of Generation is wanting or the root of the matter and heat it self your labour will be lost and the Work come to nothing The same also will happen if you mistake in the proportion or weight for if that be not right to wit the proportion of the parts compounding the matter compounded missing of its just temperature will be destroyed and so you shall reap no fruit the which I will shew you by an Example XV. See you not that in Soap with which Cloaths are washt clean and white that it has its virtue and property by reason of the just proportion of its Ingredients which spread themselves in length and breadth and because of which they agree to the same end by which it appears that the Compositum was truly made and the power and efficacy which before lay hid which is called Property is now brought to light which is the quality of washing and cleansing in a proper Laver XVI But should the Ingredients have been put together without proportion being either too little or too much the virtue and efficacy of the Soap would be destroyed nor would it any ways answer the end desired for that that end or effect ariseth from the just proportion and mixion of each Ingredient The same you must understand to happen in the Composition of Our Magistery CHAP. XXIII Of the four principal Operations Solution Congelation Albification and Rubification I. BEgining now to speak of the Great Work which they call Alchymie I shall open the matter without concealing ought or keeping back any thing save that which is not fit to be declared We say then that the great work contains four Operations viz. to Dissolve to Congeal to make White and to make Red. II. There are four quantities partakers together of which two are partakers between themselves so also have the other two a coherence between themselves And either of these double quantities has another quantity partaker with them which is greater than these two III. I understand by these quantities the quantity of the Natures and weight of the Medicines which are in order dissolved and congealed wherein neither addition nor diminution have any place But these two viz. Solution and Congelation are in one Operation and make but one Work and that before Composition but after Composition those Operations be divers IV. And this Solution and Congelation which we have spoken of are the solution of the Body and the congelation of the Spirit which two have indeed but one Operation for the Spirits are not congealed except the Bodies be dissolved as also the Bodies are not dissolved unless the Spirit be congealed And when the Soul and the Body are joyned together each of them works its Companion into its own likeness and pro perty V. As for Example When Water is put to Earth it strives to dissolve the Earth by its virtue property and moisture making it softer than it was before bringing it to be like it self for the Water was more thin than the Earth And thus does the Soul work in the Body and after the same manner is the Water thickened with the Earth and becomes like the Earth in thickness for the Earth was more thick than the Water VI. Know also that between the solution of the Body and the congelation of the Spirit there is no distance of time nor diversity of work as though the one should be without the other as there is no difference of time in the conjunction of the Earth and Water that the one might be distinguished from the other by its operation But they have both one instant and one fact and one and the same work performs both at once before Composition VII I say before Composition lest he that should read my Book and hear the terms of Solution and Congelation should suppose it to be the Composition which the Philosophers treat of which would be a grand Error both in Work and Judgment Because Composition in this Work is a Conjunction or Marriage of the congealed Spirit with the dissolved Body which Conjunction is made upon the fire VIII For heat is its nourishment and the Soul forsakes not the Body neither is it otherwise knit unto it than by the alteration of both from their own virtues and properties after the Conversion of their Natures and this is the solution and congelation which the Philosophers first speak of IX Which nevertheless they have absconded by their AEnigmatical Discourses with dark and obscure Words whereby they alienate and estrange the minds of their Followers from understanding the Truth whereof I will now give you the following Examples X Besmear the Leaf with Poyson so shall you obtain the beginning of the Stone and the Operation thereof Again Work upon the strong Bodies with one solution till either of them are reduced to subtilty Also Except you bring the Bodies to such a subtilty that they may be impalpable you shall not obtain that you seek after And If you have not ground them repeat the Work till they be sufficiently ground and made subtil so shall you have your desire With a thousand such other like unintelligable and not to be understood without a particular demonstration thereof XI And in like manner have they spoken of that Composition which is after solution and congelation Thus. Our Composition is not perfect without Conjunction and Putrefaction Again You must dissolve congeal separate conjoyn putrefie and compound because Composition is the beginning and very life of the thing These things who can understand without being taught XII But 't is true that unless there be a compounding the Stone can never be brought to light There must be a separation of the parts of the Compound which separation is in order also to a conjunction I tell you again that the Spirit will not dwell with the Body nor enter into it nor abide in it until the Body be made subtil and thin as the Spirit is XIII But when it is attenuated and made subtil and has caste off its thickness and grossness and put on that thinness has forsaken its Corporeity and become Spiritual then shall it be conjoyned with the subtil Spirits and imbibe them so that both shall become one and the same thing nor shall they for ever be severed but become like water mixt with water which no Man can separate CHAP. XXIV Of the latter two Operations viz. Albification and Rubification I. SUppose that of two like quantities which are in solution and congelation the larger is the Soul the lesser is the Body Add afterwards to the quantity which is the Soul that quantity which is in the Body and it shall participate with the first quantity in virtue only Then working them as we have wrought them you will have your desire and understand Euclid his Line or Proportion II. Then
take this quantity weigh it exactly and add to it as much moisture as it will drink up the weight of which we have not determined Then work them as before with the same Operations of a first imbibing and subliming it This Operation is called Albification and they name it Yarit that is Silver or White Lead III. When you have made this Compound white add to it so much of the Spirit as will make half of the whole and set it to working till it grows red and then it will be of the colour of Al 〈◊〉 Cinnabar which is very red and the Philosophers have likened it to Gold whose effects lead to that which the Philosopher said to his Scholar Arda IV. We call the Clay when it is white Yarit that is Silver But when it is red we name it Temeynch that is Gold Whiteness is that which tinges Copper and makes it Yarit And it is redness which tinges Yarit i. e. Silver and makes it Temeynch or Gold V. He therefore that is able to dissolve these Bodies to subtilize them and to make them white and red as I have said that is to compound them by imbibing and convert them to the same shall without doubt perform the work and attain to the perfection of the Magistery of which I have spoken VI. Now to perform these things you must know the Vessels for this purpose The one is an 〈◊〉 in which the parts are separated and cleansed in them the matter of the Magistery is depurated and made compleat and perfect VII Every one of these Aludels must have a Furnace fit for them which must have a similitude and figure fit for the Work Mezleme and some other Philosophers have named all these things in their Books shewing the manner and form thereof VIII And herein the Philosophers agree together in their Writings concealing the matter under Symbols in many Books but seting forth the necessary Instruments for the said four Operations The Instruments are chiefly two in number one is a Cucurbit with its Alembick the other is a well made Aludel or sublimatory IX There are also four things necessary to these viz. Bodies Souls Spirits Waters and of these four does the Mineral Work and Magistery consist all which are made plain in the Books of Philosophers X. I have therefore omitted them in mine only touching at them and created of those things which they over-passed with silence which what they are by the sequel of the Discourse you will easily discern but these things write I not for the Ignorant and Unlearned but for the Wise and Prudent that they may know them CHAP. XXV Of the Nature of Things appertaining to this Work Of Decoction and its Effects I. KNow then that the Philosophers have called them by divers names Sometimes they call them Minerals sometimes Animals sometimes Vegetables sometimes Natures for that they are things natural and others have called them by other names at their Pleasures or as they liked best II. But their Medicines are near to Natures as the Philosophers have taught in their Books for that Nature comes nigh to Nature and Nature is like to Nature Nature is joyned to Nature Nature is drowned in Nature Nature makes Nature white and Nature makes Nature red III. And Corruption is in conjunction with Generation Generation is retained with Generation and Generation conquereth with Generation IV. Now for the performance of these things the Philosophers have in their Books taught us how to decoct and how decoction is to be made in the matter of our Magistery This is that which generates and changes them from their Substances and Colours into other Substances and Colours V. If you err not in the begining you may happily attain the end But you ought to consider the seed of the Farth whereon we live how the heat of the Sun works in it till the Seed is impregnated with its influences and Virtues and made to spring till it grows up to ripeness This is the first change or transmutation VI. After this Men and other Creatures feed upon it and Nature by the heat that is innate in Man changes it again into Flesh Blood and Bones VII Now like to this is the Operation or Work of our Magistery the Seed whereof as the Philosophers say is such that its progress and perfection consifts in the fire which is the cause of its Life and Death VIII Nor is there any thing which comes between the Body and the Spirit but the fire nor is there any thing mingled therewith but the fire which brings the Magistery to its perfection this is the truth which I have told you and I have both seen and done it CHAP. XXVI Of Subtilization Solution Coagulation and Commixion of the Stone I. NOW except you subtilize the Body till it becomes water it will not corrupt and putrefie nor can it congeal the Fugitive Souls when the fire touches them for the fire is that which by its force and spirit congeals and unites them II. In like manner the Philosophers commanded to dissolve the Bodies to the end that the heat might enter into their Bowels or inward parts So we return to dissolve these Bodies and congeal them after their solution with that thing which comes near to it till all the things mixed together by an apt and fit commixtion in proportional quantities are firmly conjoyned together III. Wherefore we joyn Fire and Water Earth and Air together mixing the thick with the thin and the thin with the thick so as they may abide together and their Natures may be changed the one into the other and made like and one thing in the compound which before were simple IV. Because that part which generates or ferments bestows its virtue upon the subtil and thin which is the Air for like cleaves to its like and is a part of the Generation from whence it receives power to move and ascend upwards V. Cold has power over the thick matter because it has lost its heat and the water is gone out of it and the driness appears upon it This moisture departs by ascending up and the 〈◊〉 part of the Air has mingled 〈◊〉 self with it for that it is like unto it and of the same nature VI. Now when the thick body has lost its heat and moisture and that the cold and dryness has power over it and that their parts have mixed themselves by being first divided and that there is no moisture left to joyn the parts divided the parts withdraw themselves VII And then the part which is contrary to cold by reason it has continued and sent its heat and decoction to the cold parts of the Earth having power over them and exercising such dominion over the coldness which was hidden in the said thick Body that by virtue of its generative power changes the thick cold Body and makes it become subtil and hot and then strives to dry it up again by its heat VIII But afterwards the subtil
part which causes the Natures to ascend when it has lost its Occidental heat and waxes cold then the Natures are changed and become thick and descend to the center where the earthly Natures are joyned together which were subtilized and converted in their generation and imbibed in them IX And so the moisture joyneth together the parts divided But the Earth labours to dry up that moisture compassing it about and hindering it for going out by means whereof that which before lay hid does now appear nor can the moisture be separated but is held fast and firmly retained by dryness X. In like manner we see that whatsoever is in the World is held or retained by or with its contrary as heat with cold and dryness with moisture thus when each of them has besieged its Companion the thin is mixed with the thick and those things are made one substance viz. their hot and moist Soul and their cold and dry Body are united and made one XI Then it strives to dissolve and subtilize by its heat and moisture which is the Soul and the Body labours to enclose and retain the hot and moist Soul in its cold and dry substance And in this manner is their Virtues and Properties altered and changed from one thing to another XII I have told you the Truth which I have seen and my own self has done And therefore I charge you to change or convert the Natures from their Substances and Subtilties with heat and moisture into their Substances and Colours If you proceed aright in this Work you must not pass the bounds I have set you in this Book CHAP. XXVII The manner of Fixation of the Spirit Decoction Trituration and Washing I. WHen the Body is mingled with moisture and that the heat of the fire meets therewith the moisture is converted into the Body and dissolves it and then the Spirit cannot go forth because it is imbibed with the Fire II. The Spirits are fugitive so long as the Bodies are mixed with them and strive to resist the fire its heat and flame and therefore these parts can scarcely agree without a good and continual Operation and a steadfast permanent and natural heat III. For the nature of the Soul is to ascend upwards where its Center is and he that is not able to joyn two or more divers things together whose Centers are divers knows nothing of this Work IV. But this must be done after the conversion of their Natures and change of their Substances and matter from their natural Properties which is difficult to find out V. Whoever therefore can convert or change the Soul into the Body and the Body into the Soul and therewith mingle the subtil and volatile Spirits they shall be able to tinge any Body VI. You must also understand that Decoction Contrition Cribation Munidification and Ablution with Sweet Water are most necessary to the Secret of our Magistery VII And if you bestow pains herein you may cleanse it purely for you must clear it from its blackness and darkness which appear in the Operation VIII And you must subtilize the Body to the highest point of Volatility and Subtility and then mix therewith the Souls dissolved and the Spirits cleansed and so digest and decoct to the perfection of the matter CHAP. XXVIII Of the Fire fit for this Work I. YOu must not be unacquainted with the strength and proportion of the fire for the perfection or destruction of our Stone depends thereupon For Plato said The fire gives profit to that which is perfect but brings hurt and destruction to that which is Corrupt II. So that when its quantity or proportion shall be fit and convenient your Work will thrice prosper and go on as it ought to do but if it exceed the measure it shall without measure corrupt and destroy it III. And for this cause it was requisite that the Philosophers have instituted several proofs of the strength of their Fires that they might prevent and hinder their burning and the hurt of a violent heat IV. In Hermes it is said I am afraid Father of the Enemy in my House To whom he made Answer Son Take the Dog of Corascene and the Bitch of Armenia and joyn them together so shall you have a Dog of the colour of Heaven V. Dip him once in the Water of the Sea so will he become thy Friend and defend thee from thine Enemy and shall go along with thee and help thee and defend thee wheresoever thou goest nor shall he ever forsake theee but abide with thee for ever VI. Now Hermes meant by the Dog and Bitch such Powers or Spirits as have power to preserve Bodies from the hurt strength or force of the Fire VII And these thing are Waters of Calces and Salts the Composition whereof is to be found in the Writings of the Philosophers who have discoursed of this Magistery among whom some of them have named Sea-water Virgins Milk food of Birds and the like CHAP. XXIX Of the Separation of the Elements I. AFterwards take this precious Stone which the Philosophers have named yet hidden and concealed put it into a Cucurbit with its Alembick and divide its Natures viz. the four Elements the Earth Water Air and Fire II. These are the Body and Soul the Spirit and Tincture when you have divided the Water from the Earth and the Air from the Fire keep each of them by themselves and take that which descends to the bottom of the Glass being the Faeces and wash it with a warm fire till its black ness be gone and its thickness be vanished III. Then make it very white causing the superfluous moisture to fly away for then it shall be changed and become a white Calx wherein there is no cloudy darkness nor uncleanness nor contrariety IV. Afterwards return it back to the first Natures which ascended from it and purifie them likewise from uncleanness blackness and contrariety V. And reiterate these Works upon them so often till they be subtilized purified and made thin which when you have done render up thanks and acknowledgments to the most Gracious God VI. Know then that this Work is but one and it produceth one Stone into which Garib shall not enter i. e. any strange or foreign thing The Philosopher works with this and therefrom proceeds a Medicine which gives perfection VII Nothing must be mingled herewith either in part or whole And this Stone is to be found at all times and in every place and about every Man the search whereof is yet difficult to him that seeks it wheresoever he be VIII This Stone is vile black and stinking it costs nothing it must be taken alone it is somewhat heavy and is called the Original of the World because it rises up like things that bud forth this is the manifestation and appearance of it to them that seek truly after it IX Take it therefore and work it as the Philosopher has told you in the the Book
where he speaks of it after this manner Take the Stone and no Stone or that which is not a Stone neither of the nature of a Stone it is a Stone whose Mine is in the top of the Mountains X. By which the Philosopher understands Animals or living Creatures whereupon he said Son go to the Mountains of India and to its Caves and take thence precious Stones which will melt in the water when they are put into it XI This Water is that which is taken from other Mountains and hollow places they are Stones and no Stones but we call them so for the resemblance they have to Stones XII And you must know that the Roots of their Mines are in the Air and their Tops in the Earth and they make a noise when they are taken out of their places and the noise is very great Make use of them very suddenly for otherwise they will quickly vanish away CHAP. XXX Of the Commixtion of the Elements which were separated I. NOW you must begin to commix the Elements which is the compass of the whole Work there can be no commixti on without a Marriage and putrefaction The Marriage is to mingle the thin with the thick and Putrefaction is to rost grind water or imbibe so long till all be mixt together and become one so that there be no diversity in them nor separation as in water mixed with water II. Then will the thick strive to retain the thin and the Soul shall strive with the fire and endeavour to sustain it then shall the Spirit suffer it self to be swallowed up by the Bodies and be poured forth into them which must needs be because the dissolved body when it is commixed with the Soul is also commixed with every part thereof III. And other things enter into other things according to their similitude and likeness and both are changed into one and the same thing For this cause the Soul must partake with the conveniency propensity durability hardness corporcity and permanency which the body had in its commixtion IV. The like also must happen to the spirit in this state or condition of the Soul and Body For when the Spirit shall be commixt with the Soul by alaborious operation and all its parts with all the parts of the other two viz. of the Soul and Body then shall the Spirit and the said two be changed into an inseparable substance whose natures are preserved and their Particles agreed and conjoyned perfectly together V. Whereby it comes to pass that when this Compositum has met with a body dissolved and that heat has got hold of it and that the moisture which was in it is swallowed up in the dissolved body and has passed into it into its most inward parts and united or conjoyned it self with that which was of the nature of moisture it becomes inflamed and the fire defends it self with it VI. Then when the fire would enflame it it will not suffer the said fire to take hold of it to wit to cleave to it i. e. to the Spirit commixt with the water The fire will not abide by it until it be pure VII And in like manner does the Water naturally fly from the Fire of which when the fire takes hold it does by little and little evaporate VIII And thus is the Body the means to retain the Water and the Water to retain the Oyl that it might not burn and consume away and the Oyl to retain the Tincture which is the absolute matter and cause to make the colours appear in that wherein otherwise there would be neither light nor life IX This then is the true life and perfection of this great Work even the work of our Magistery which we seek after Be wise and understand search diligently and through the goodness and permission of God you shall find what you look for CHAP. XXXI Of the Solution of the Stone compounded and Coagulation of the Stone dissolved I. THE Philosophers take great pains in dissolving that the Body and Soul might the better be incorporated and united for all those things which are together in Contrition Assation and Rigation have a certain affinity and Alliance between themselves II. So that the fire may hurt or spoil the weaker principle in nature till it be utterly destroyed and vanish away and then it turns it self also upon the stronger parts till it divests the Body of the Soul and so spoils all III. But when they are thus dissolved and congealed they take one anothers parts striving in each others mutual defence as well the great as the small and they incorporate and joyn them well together till they be converted and changed into one and the same thing IV. When this is done the fire takes as much from the Soul as it does from the Body nor can it hurt the one more than the other neither more nor less which is a cause of perfection V. For this reason it is necessary in teaching the composition of the Elixir to afford one place for expounding the solution of simple Bodies and Souls because Bodies do not enter into Souls but do rather prevent and hinder them from Sublimation Fixation Retention Commixtion and the like Operations except purification go before VI. Now understand that Solution is done by one of these two ways either by extracting the inward parts of things unto their Superficies an Example whereof we have in Silver which seems cold and dry but being dissolved so that the inward parts appear outward it is hot and moist VII 〈◊〉 to reduce it to an accidental moisture which it had not before to be added to its own natural humidity by which means its parts are dissolved and this is likewise called Solution VIII But as to Congelation the Philosophers have said Congeal in a Bath with a good Congelation This I tell you is Sulphur shining in Darkness a Red Hyacinth a fiery and deadly 〈◊〉 the Elixir the which there is nothing better a Lyon a Conqueror a Malefactor a cutting Sword a healing Antidote which cures all Infirmities and Diseases IX And Geber the Son of Hayen said That all the Operations of this Magistery are comprehended under these six things 1. To make fly ascend or sublime 2. To melt or liquify 3. To incerate 4. To make white as Marble 5. To dissolve 6. To congeal X. To make fly is to drive away and remove blackness and foulness from the Spirit and Soul to melt is to make the Body liqnid To incerate is properly to subtilize the Body To whiten is to melt speedily To dissolve is to separate the parts And to congeal is to mix joyn and fix the Body with the Soul already prepared XI Again To fly of ascend appertains both to Body and Soul To melt to incerate to whiten and to dissolve are accidents belonging to the Body But congelation or fixation only belongs to and is the property of the Soul Be wise understand and learn CHAP. XXXII That Our Stone
is but One and of the Nature thereof I. WHEN it was demanded of Bauzan a Greek Philosopher whether a Stone may be made of a thing which budeth Answered Yea viz. the two first Stones to wit the Stone Aleali and our Stone which is the Workmanship and Life of him who knows and underftands it II. But he that is ignorant of it who has not made nor knows how it is generated supposing it to be no Stone or apprehends not in his own mind all the things which I have spoken of it and yet will attempt to compose it spends away foolishly his precious time and loses his Money III. Except he finds out this precious Treasure he finds indeed nothing there is no second thing or matter that can rise up and take its place or stand it self instead thereof there is no other Natures that can triumph over it IV. Much heat is the nature thereof but with a certain temperature If by this saying you come to know it you will reap profit but if yet you remain ignorant you will lose all your labour V. It has many singular Properties and Virtues in curing the Infirmities of Bodies and their accidental Diseases and preserves sound Substances so that there appears not in them any Heterogenities or Contrarieties No possibility of the dissolution of their Union VI. It is the Sapo or Soap of Bodies yea their Spirit and Soul which when it is incorporate with them dissolves them without any loss VII This is the Life of the Dead and their Resurrection a Medicine preserving Bodies cleansing them and purging away their Superfluities VIII He that understands let him understand and he that is ignorant let him be ignorant still For this Treasure is not to be bought with Money and as it cannot be bought so neither can it be sold. IX Conceive therefore its Virtue and Excellency aright consider its value and Worth and then begin to Work How excellently speaks a Learned Philosopher to this purpose X. God saith he gives thee not this Magistery for thy sole Courage Boldness Strength or Wisdom without any labour but thou must labour that God may give thee success Adore then God Almighty the Creator of all things who is pleased thus to favour thee with so great and so precious a Treasure CHAP. XXXIII The Way and Manner how to make the Stone both White and Red. I. WHen you attempt to do this take this our precious Stone and put it into a Cucurbit covering it with an Alembick which close well with Lutum sapientiae and set it in Horse-dung and fixing a Receiver to it distil the matter into the Receiver till all the water is come over and the moisture dry up and dryness prevail over it II. Then take it out dry reserving the water that is distilled for a future occasion take I say the dry body that remained in the bottom of the Cucurbit and grind it and put it into a Vessel answerable in magnitude to the quantity of the Medicine III. Bury it in as very hot Horse-dung as you can get the Vessel being well luted with Lutum sapientiae And in this manner let it digest But when you perceive the Dung to grow cold get other fresh Dung which is very hot and put your Vessel therein to digest as before IV. Thus shall you do for the space of forty days renewing your Dung so often as the occasion or reason of the Work shall require and the Medicine shall dissolve of it self and become a thick White water V. Which when you shall see you shall weigh it and put thereto half so much by weight of the water which you reserved close and lute your Vessel well with Lutum sapientiae and put it again into hot Horse-dung which is hot and moist to digest not omitting to renew the Dung when it begins to cool till the course of forty days be expired VI. So will your Medicine be congealed in the like number of days as before it was dissolved in VII Again take it weigh it justly and according to its quantity add to it of the reserved water you made before grind the Body and subtilize it and put the water upon it and set it again in hot Horse-dung for a Week and half or ten days then take it out and you shall see that the Body has already drunk up the Water VIII Afterwards grind it again and put thereto the like Quantity of your reserved water as you did before bury it in very hot Horse dung and leave it therefore ten days more take it out again and you shall find that the Body has already drunk up the Water IX Then as before grind it putting thereto of the afore reserved Water the aforesaid quantity and bury it in like manner in hot Horse-dung digesting it 10 days longer then taking it forth and this do the fourth time also X. Which done take it forth and grind it and bury it in Horse-dung till it be dissolved Afterwards take it out and reiterate it once more for then the Birth will be perfect and the Work ended XI Now when this is done and you have brought your matter to this great perfection then take of Lead or Steel 250 Drams melt it and caste thereon 1 Dram of Cinnabar to wit of this our Medicine thus perfected and it shall fix the Lead or Steel that it shall not fly the fire XII It shall make it white 〈◊〉 cleanse it from all its dross and blackness and convert it into a Tincture perpetually abiding XIII Then take a Dram from these 250 Drams and project it upon 250 Drams of Steel or Copper and it shall whiten it and convert it into Silver better than that of the Mine which is the greatest and last Work of the White which it performs XIV To convert the said Stone into Red. And if you desire to convert this Magistry into Sol or Gold take of this Medicine thus perfected at 10. above the weight of one Dram after the manner of the former Example and put it into a Vessel and bury it in Horse-dung for forty days till it be dissolved XV. Then give it the Water of the dissolved Body to drink first as much as amounts to half its weight afterwards bury it in hot Horse-dung digesting it till it is dissolved as aforesaid XVI Then proceed in this Golden Work as before in the Silver and you shall have fine Gold even pure Gold Keep my Son this most secret Book containing the Secret of Secrets reserving it from Ignorant and Profane Hands so shall you obtain your desire Amen CHAP. XXXIV Kalid's Secret of Secrets or Stone of the Philosophers Explicated I. IF you would be so happy as to obtain the Blessing of the Philosphers as God doth live for ever so let this verity live with you Now the Philosophers say it abides in the Shell and contains in it self both White and Red the one is called Masculine the other Feminine and they are
Animal Vegetable and Mineral the like of which is not found in the World besides II. It has power both Active and Passive in it and has also in it a substance dead and living Spirit and Soul which among the ignorant the Philosophers call the most vile thing It contains in it self the four Elements which are found in its Skirts and may commonly be bought for a small price III. It ascends by it self it waxes black it descends and waxes white increases and decreases of it self It is a matter which the Earth brings forth and descends from Heaven grows pale and red is born dieth rises again and afterwards lives for ever IV. By many ways it is brought to its end but its proper decoction is upon a fire soft mean strong by various degrees augmented until you are certain it is quietly fixed with the Red in the fire This is the Philosophers Stone V. Read and Read again so will all things become more clear to you But if hereby you understand not the matter you are withheld by the Chains of Ignorance for you shall never otherwise know or learn this Art VI. Hermes saith The Dragon is not killed but by his Brother and his Sister not by one of them alone but by both together Note these things There are three Heads yet but one Body one Nature and one Mineral This is sufficient for you if you have a disposition to understand this Art VII The Dragon is not mortified nor made fixed but with Sol and Luna and by no other In the Mountains of Bodies in the Plains of Mercury look for it there this Water is created and by concourse of these two and is called by the Philosophers their permanent or fixed Water VIII Our Sublimation is to decoct the Bodies with Golden Water to dissolve to liquifie and to sublime them Our Calcination is to purifie and digest in four ways and not otherwise by which many have been deceived in Sublimation IX Know also that our Brass or Latten is the Philosophers Gold is the true Gold But you strive to expel the Greenness thinking that our Latten or Brass is a Leprous Body because of that Greenness but I tell you that that Greenness is all that is perfect therein and all that is perfect is in that Greenness only which is in our Latten or Brass X. For that Greenness by our Magistery is in a very little time transmuted into the most fine Gold And of this thing we have experience which you may try by the following Directions XI Take burnt or calcined Brass and perfectly rubified Grind it and decoct it with Water seaven times as much every time as it is able to drink in all the ways of Rubifying and Assating it again XII Then make it to discend and its green color will be made Red and as clear as a Hyacinth and so much redness will descend with it that it will be able to tinge Argent Vive in some measure with the very color of Gold all which we have done and perfected and is indeed a very great Work XIII Yet you cannot prepare the Stone by any means with any green and moist liquor which is found and brought forth in our Minerals this blessed might power or virtue which generates all things will not yet cause a vegetation springing budding forth or fruitfulness unless there be a Green color XIV Wherefore the Philosophers call it their Bud and their Water of Purification or Putrefaction and they say truth herein for with its water it is putrefied and purified and washed from its blackness and made White XV. And afterwards it is made the higheft Red whereby you may learn and understand that no true Tincture is made but with our Brass or Latten XVI Decoct it therefore with its Soul till the Spirit be joyned with its Body and be made one so shall you have your desire XVII The Philosophers have spoken of this under many Names but know certainly that it is but one matter which does cleave or joyn it self to Argent Vive and to Bodies which you shall have the true signs of Now you must know what Argent Vive will cleave or perfectly joyn and unite it self unto XVIII That the Argent Vive will cleave joyn or unite it self to Bodies is false And they err who think that they understand that place in Geber of Argent Vive where he saith When in searching among other things you shall not find by our Invention any matter to be more agreeable to Nature than Argent Vive of the Bodies XIX By Argent Vive in this place is understood Argent Vive Philosophical and it is that Argent Vive only which sticks to and is fixed in and with the Bodies The old Philosophers could find no other matter nor can the Philosophers now invent any other matter or thing which will abide with the Bodies but this Philosophick Argent Vive only XX. That common Argent Vive does not stick or cleave to the Bodies is evident by Experience for if common Argent Vive be joyned to the Bodies it abides in its proper nature or flys away not being able to transmute the Body into its own nature and substance and therefore does not cleave unto them XXI For this cause many are deceived in working with the vulgar Quicksilver For our Stone that is to say our Argent Vive accidental does exalt it self far above the most fine Gold and does overcome it and kill it and then make it alive again XXII And this Argent Vive is the Father of all the Wonderful things of this our Magistery and is congealed and is both Spirit and Body This is the Argent Vive which Geher speaks of the consideration of which is of moment for that it is the very matter which does make perfect XXIII It is a chosen pure substance of Argent Vive but out of what matter it is chiefly to be drawn is a thing to be enquired into To which we say That it can only be drawn out of that matter in which it is Consider therefore my Son and see from whence that Substance is taking that and nothing else By no other Principle can you obtain this Magistery XXIV Nor could the Philosophers ever find any other matter which would continually abide the fire but this only which is of an Unctuous substance perfect and incombustible XXV And this matter when it is prepared as it ought will transmute or change all Bodies of a Metallick substance which it is rightly projected upon into the most perfect Sol or the most pure fine Gold but most easily and above all other Bodies Luna XXVI Decoct first with Wind or Air and afterwards without Wind until you have drawn forth the Venom or Virtue which is called the Soul out of your matter this is that which you seek the everlasting Aqua vitae which cures all Diseases Now the whole Magistery is in the Vapour XXVII Let the Body be put into a
prevail that the parts of it may appear in the converted Element and being thus mixed with the Elementated thing then that Element will have that matter which made it an Element and the virtue of the other converting Element will be predominant and remain this is the great Arcanum of the whole Art CHAP. XXXVI The Key which opens the Mystery of this Grand Elixir I. THIS is the true Copy of a Writing found in a Coffin upon the Breast of a Religious Man by a Soldier making a Grave at Ostend to bury some slain Soldiers Anno 1450. 2. My Dear Brother if you intend to follow or study the Art of Alchymie and work in it let me give you warning that you follow not the literal prescripts of Arnoldus nor Raymundus nor indeed of most other Philosophers for in all their Books they have delivered nothing but figuratively so that Men not only loose their time but their Money also III. I my self have studdied in these Books for more than 30 Years and never could find out the Secret or Mistery by them But at length through the goodness of God I have found out one Tincture which is good true and absolutely certain and has restored to me my Credit and Reputation IV. Now knowing as I do how much time you have lost and what Wealth you have consumed being touched with it as a Friend and in regard of our faithful promise to each other in our beginning to participate each of others Fortunes I have thought it fit here to perswade you not to loose your self any longer in the Books of the Philosophers but to put you in the right way which after long Wanderings I have found out and now at this present I on my Death-Bed bequeath you V. I advise you to take nothing from it nor add any thing to it but to do just as I have set it down and observe these following directions so will you succeed and prosper in the work VI. First Never work with a great Man lest your life come into danger 2. Let your Earthen Vessels be well made and strong lest you lose your Medicine 3. Learn to know all your Materials that you be not cheated with that which is sophisticate and nothing worth 4. Let your Fire be neither stronger nor soster but what is fit and just as I have here directed 5. Let the Bellows and all the other Materials be your own 6. Let no man come where you Work and seem Ignorant to all such as shall enquire any thing of you touching the Secret 7. Learn to know Metals well especially Gold and Silver and put them not into the Work till they be first purified by your own hands as fine as may be 8. Reveal not this Secret to any one but let this Writing be Buried with you giving a confirmed charge concerning the same to him you Trust. 9. Get a Servant that may be Trusty and Secret and of a good Spirit to attend you but never leave him alone 10. Lastly when you have ended the Work be Kind and Generous Charitable to the Poor publick Spirited and return your Tribute of Thanks to the Great and most Merciful God the Giver of all good Things VII Take mineral Quick Silver three pounds made neither of Lead nor Tin and cause an Earthen Pot to be made well burned the first time glaze it all over except the bottom the which anoint with hogs Grease and it will not Glaze This is done that the Earth of the Quick Silver may sink to the bottom of the Pot which it would not do being glazed nor become Earth again VIII The Pot must be made a good foot long of the Fashion of an Urinal with a Pipe in the midst of it The Fornace must be made on purpose that the Pot may go in close to the sides of the Mouth of the Furnace Set on the Pot a good great Cap or Head with its Receiver without Luting of it give it a good fire of Coals till the Pot be all on fire and very red then take the fire out quickly and put in the Quick Silver at the Pipe and then with as much hast as you can stop it close with Lute IX Then will the Quick Silver by the heat and force it finds both Break and Work a part thereof you shall see in the Water as it were a few drops and a part will stick to the bottom of the Pot in black Earth Now let the Pot cool within the Fornace as it is then open it and you shall find the Quick Silver in it all Black which you must take out and wash very clean and the Pot also X. As for the Water which does distil out put it a side or cast it away for it is nothing worth because it is all Flegm Set the Pot into the Fornace again and make it red hot put in the Quick Silver lute well the Pipe and do as you did the first time and do this so often until the Mercury becomes no more black which will be in ten or eleven times XI Then take it out and you shall find the Mercury to be without Flegm but joyned with Earth of which two Qualities it must be freed being Enemies to Nature thus the Quick Silver will remain pure in color Caelestial like to Azure which you may know by this sign viz. Take a piece of Iron heat it red hot and quench it in this Mercury and it will become soft and white like Luna XII Then put the Mercury into a Retort of Glass between two Cups so that it touches neither bottom nor sides of the Cups and make a good fire under it and lay Embers on the top the better to keep the heat of the fire and in Forty hours the Mercury will Distil into a slimy Water hanging together which will neither wet your Hands nor any other thing but Metals only XIII This is the true Aqua Vitae of the Philosophers the true Spirit so many have sought for and which has been desired of all Wise Men which is called the Essence Quintessence Powers Spirit Substance Water and Mixture of Mercury and by many other the like Names without strange things and without offence to any Man XIV Save well this precious Liquor or Water obscured by all Philosophers for without it you can do no good or perfect Work Let all other things go and keep this only for any one that sees this Water if he has any Practice or Knowledge will hold to it for it is Precious and worth a Treasure XV. Now resteth to make the Soul which is the perfection of the Red without which you can neither make Sol nor Luna which shall be Pure and Perfect With this Spirit you may make things Apparent and Fair yea most True and Perfect all Philosophers affirm that the Soul is the substance whichsustains and preserves the Body making it Perfect as long as it is in it XVI Our Body must have a Soul otherwise
it would neither move nor work for which reason you must consider and understand that all Metals are compounded of Mercury and Sulphur Matter and Form Mercury is the Matter and Sulphur is the Form According to the pureness of Mercury and Sulphur such is the Influence they assume XVII Thus Sol is engendred of most pure fine Mercury and a pure red Sulphur by the Influence of the Sun and Luna is made of a pure fine Mercury and a pure white Sulphur by the Influence of the Moon XVIII Thence it is that Luna is more pure than the other five Metals which have need of cleansing being cleansed they need but onely the pure Sulphur with the help of Sol and Luna Sulphur is the Form of Sol and Luna and the other Metals their other parts are gross matters of Sulphur and Mercury XIX Husband-Men know many times more than we do They when they reap their Corn growing on the Earth gather it with the Straw and Ears The Straw and Ears are the Matter but the Corn or Grain is the Form or Soul XX. Now when they sow their Corn then they sow not the Matter which is the Straw and the Chaff but the Corn or Grain which is the Form or Soul So if we will reap Sol or Luna we must use their Form or Soul and not the Matter XXI The Form or Soul is made by Gods help after this manner You must make a good Sublimate that is seven times sublimed the last time of the seven you must fublime it with Cinnaber without Vitriol and it will be a certain Quintessence of the Sulphur of that Antimony XXII When this is done take of the finest Sol one Ounce or of the finest Luna as much file it very fine or else take leaf Gold or Silver then take of the aforesaid Sublimate four Ounces sublime them together for the space of Sixteen hours then let it cool again and mix them all together and sublime again Do this four times and the fourth time it will have a certain Rundle like unto the Matter of the White Rose transparent and most clear as any Orient Pearl weighing about five Ounces XXIII The sublimate will stick to the brims and sides of the Vessel and in the bottom it will be like good black Pitch which is the Corruption of Sol and Luna XXIV Take the Rundle aforesaid and dissolve it in most strong Spirit of Vinegar two or three times by puting it into an Urinal and seting it in B. M. for the space of three daies every time pouring it into new Spirit of Vinegar as at the first till it be quite dissolved Then distill it by a filter and save that which remains in the Pot for it is good to whiten Brass XXV That which passed the filter with the Vinegar set upon hot Ashes and evaporate the Moisture and Spirit of Vinegar with a soft fire and set it in the Sun and it will become most White like unto White Starch or Red if you work with Sol which are the Form or Soul or Sulphur of Luna and Sol and will weigh a quarter of an Ounce rather more than less save that well XXVI Take an Urinal half a foot high and take of the firm body five Ounces of the Soul or Sulphur of Sol or Luna a quarter of an Ounce and of the Spirit four Ounces Put all of them into the Urinal and put on its head or Cover with its Receiver well closed or Luted Distil the Water from it with a most soft Fire and there will come off the first time almost three Ounces XXVII Put the Water on again without moving the Urinal and distil it again until no more liquor will distil which do 6 or 7 times and then every thing will be firm Then set the same Urinal in Horse-dung seven days and by the virtue and subtilty of the heat it will be converted into water XXVIII Distil or filter this water with stripes or shreds of Woolen-cloth a gross part will remain in the bottom which is nothing worth All that which is passed the filter congeal which will be about 4 or 5 Ounces and save it When you have congealed it three times melt ten ounces of the most fine Sol or Luna and when it is red hot put upon it 4 Ounces one Coppy said 13 Ounces of this Medicine and it will be all true and good Medicine XXIX Likewise melt Borax and Wax ana one ounce to which put of the former Medicine 1 ounce Put all these upon Mercury or any other Metal 3 pound and it will be most fine Sol or Luna to all Judgments and Aslays Thus have I ended this process in which if you have any practise or judgment and know how to follow the Work you may finish it or compleat it in 40 days XXX An Appendix teaching how to make Aurum Potabile Take Sal Armoniack Sal Nitre ana 1 pound beat them together and make thereof an AR Then take of the most fine Sol q. v. in thin leaves and cut into very small pieces which roul into very thin Rowls and put them into an Urinal or like Glass to which put the AR so much as to overtop it the depth of an inch XXXI Then nip up the Glass and put it to putrefie in Sand with a gentle heat like that of the Sun for 3 or 4 days in which time it will come to dissolution then break the Glass off at the Neck and pouring off the AR. easily and leisurely leave the dissolved Sol in the bottom and repeat this work with fresh AR. 3 or 4 times and keep the first water then put on a Helme with Lute and distil off in Sand Being cold break the Glass and take the Sol and wash it 3 or 4 times in pure warm water XXXII When the Sol is clean from the AR take of it and put it into the like Glasses with rectified S. V. 2 or 3 inches above it put it into putrefaction as before in Sand stoping the mouth thereof very close for 3 or 4 days then put the S. V. out which will be all blood red If any thing remains in the Glass undissolved put in more S. V. and let it stand as before Do this as long as you find any Tincture therein This is Aurum Potabile XXXIII But if you would have the Tincture alone distil off the S. V. with a very gentle fire and you shall find the Tincture at the bottom of the Glass which you may project upon Luna Gebri Arabis Summa The Sum of GEBER ARABS Collected and Digested By WILLIAM SALMON Professor of Physick CHAP. XXXVII An Introduction into the whole Work I. PErfection and Imperfection of Metalline Bodies is the Subject of this present discourse and therefore we treat of things perfecting and corrupting or destroying because opposites set near to each other are the more manifest II. That which perfects Imperfect Minerals is a commixtion of Argent Vive and Sulphur
them is thus You must sublime them so often upon the thing to be Cerated until remaining with their humidity in it they give good Fusion But this cannot be effected before the perfect cleansing of them from every Corrupting thing VIII And it seems better to me that these should be first fixed by Oyl of Tartar and every Ceration fit and necessary in this Art be made with them IX Our Philosophick Cerative Water is thus made Take Oyl Distilled from the Whites of Eggs Grind it with half so much of Sal Nitre and Sal Armoniack ana and it will be very good Or Mix it with Sal Alkoli and distil as before And the more you reiterate this labour the better it Incerates Or Conjoyn the aforesaid Oyl with Oyl of Tartar and thence Distil a White Incerative Oyl X. A Red Incerative Oyl is thus made Take Oyl of Yolks of Eggs or of Humans Hair to which adjoyn as much Sal Armoniack mix and distil Repeat this Distillation three times and you will have a most Red Incerative Oyl XI Oyl of Verdigrise is thus made Dissolve Verdigrise in Water of Sal Armoniack with the same coagulated mix Oyl of Eggs and distil the mixture which Distillation repeat thrice so shall you have Oyl of Verdigrise fit and profitable for Inceration XII Oyl of Gall it is made by Distilling an Oyl from the Gall as from human Hair doing in all things as in the former XIII I do not say that these Oyls can give a Radical Mineral Humidity as in Sulphur and Arsenick But they preserve the Tincture from Combustion until it enters or makes an Ingress and afterwards they fly in the Augmentation of the fire XIV After the Matter is Incerated it may be necessary to melt it which you must do in a Fusory or Melting Fornace This Fornace is that in which all Bodies are easily melted by themselves It is a Fornace much in use among Melters of Metals Also Aurichalcum is melted in this Fornace and Tinged with Tutia or Calaminaris as is known to such as have made Tryal CHAP. LVIII That Our Medicine is two-fold One for the White and One for the Red. Yet that we have One only Medicine for both which is most perfect I. WE Demonstrate that Spirits are more assinuated to Bodies than any other thing in nature for that they are more United and more friendly to Bodies than all other things so that we affirm that these alterations of Bodies in the first Invention are their true Medicines II. And as we have been exercised in all kinds in the tranformation of imperfec Bodies with firmutation into a perfect Lunar and Solar Body so we find that the Medicine for them must be divers according to the intention of the Bodies to be transmuted III. And since Metals to be transmuted are of a twofold kind viz. Argent Vive Coagulable in Perfection and Bodies diminished from Perfection and these again manifold some being hard sustaining Ignition as Mars and Venus others soft not enduring it as Saturn and Jupiter the Medicine perfective must also be necessarily manifold IV. And altho Mars and Venus be of one kind yet they differ in a certain special property the one being not Fusible the other fusible therefore Mars is perfected with one Medicine and Venus with another The first indeed is totally unclean but the other not the former has a Dull whiteness the latter that of Redness and Greenness all which force a necessity of a Diversity in the Medicine V. Also the soft Bodies Saturn and Jupiter seeing they less 〈◊〉 do necessarily require also a Divers Medicine the first of them is indeed Unclean the latter Clean and they are all rendered more Mutable now made Lunar than Solar Bodies therefore the Medicine for each of them must be two-fold One White changeing into a White Lunar Body and one Citrine changeing into a Citrine Solar Body VI. Since then in every of the Imperfect Bodies is found a two fold Matter Solar and Lunar the Medicines perfecting all Bodies will be in number Eight VII So also Argent Vive is perfected into a Lunar and Solar Body therefore of the Medicine altering or perfecting it there is a twofold difference so that all the Medicines which we have invented for the Compleat alteration of every imperfect Body will be in number Ten. VIII-However with constant and continued Labor and great search and invention we have been desirous to exclude the Use of these Ten Medicenes by the Invention and advantage of One Only Medicine and with our long and very Laborious search by certain Experience we have found One Medicine by which the hard was softned the soft Body hardned the fugitive fixed and the Soul illustrated with Splendor or Brightness ineffable and beyond Nature IX Notwithstanding it is here expedient that we should particularly speak of all these Medicines with their Causes and the evident experiences of their probations We will first then declare the series of the Ten Medicines fitted to all the Bodies then to Argent Vive and lastly proceed to the Medicine of the Magistery perfecting all Bodies yet with the preparation imperfect Bodies need X. And least we should be carped at by the Envious as Writing an insufficient Treatise of Art We here first of all present the preparation of all the imperfect Bodies assigning the Causes of the necessity thereof by which in Our artifice they are made apt to receive the Medicine of Perfection in every degree of Whiteness and Redness and to be perfected by the same and after these a Narration of all the Medicines before mentioned themselves The Preparations of Saturn Jupiter Mars Venus and Argent Vive here mentioned See Chap. 42. Sect. 14. ad 20. Chap. 43. Sect. 11. Chap. 44. Sect 12 13 14. Chap. 45. Sect. 12 13. Chap. 48. Sect. 33. The preparation of the Medicines see Chap. 44. Sect. 15 16 17. Chap. 45. Sect 18. ad 23. Chap. 46. Scte. 6. Chap. 48. Sect. 33. c. XI From what has been said 't is evident that what Nature left Superfluous or deficient in every of those Bodies that are imperfect has been in part declared and since it happens that the mutable Bodies of Imperfection are of a twofold kind viz soft and Ignible as Saturn and Jupiter and hard and not fusible with Ignition as Mars and Venus the first indeed not fusible but the other fusible with Ignition Nature has taught us That according to the diversity of Essences in the Radix of their Nature divers Preparations according to their Wants must be administred to them XII There are two Bodies of Imperfection of one kind viz. Lead which is Black or Saturn and Tin which is White or Jupiter which from the innate Root of their nature are divers each from other in the profundity of their hidden parts as well as in those which are outward XIII For Saturn is cloudy livid ponderous black without stridor or crashing totally mute But Jupiter
suum colorem album XIII Illa namque aqua fumus albus est ideo cum illa dealbatur corpus XIV Oportet ergo dealbare corpus rumpere libros inter illa duo id est inter corpus aquam est libido societas ut Maris Foeminae propter natura similis propinquitatem XV. Nam Aqua nostra viva secunda dicitur Azot abluens Latonem id est Corpus compositum ex Sole Luna per Aquam nostram primam dicitur etiam Anima corporum solutorum qusrum animas jam simul ligavimus ut serviant Sapientibus Philosophis XVI Quantum ergo pretiosa est magnifica haec Aqua Namque absque illa Opus non posset perfici Dicitur etiam vas naturae uterus matrix receptaculum tincturae terra nutrix XVII Et est Fons in quo se lavant Rex Regina Mater quam oportet ponere sigillare in ventre sui infantis qui est Sol qui ab ea processit ipsum parturiit ideo sese mutuo amant diligunt ut Mater Filius conjunguntur simul quoniam ab una eadem radice venerunt ejusdem substantiae naturae XVIII Et quoniam Aqua ista est Aqua vitae Vegetabilis ideo ipsa dat vitam facit vegetare crescere pullulare ipsum Corpus mortuum ipsum resuscitare de morte ad vitam solutione subli matione XIX Et in tali operatione vertitur Corpus in Spiritum Spiritus in Corpus tunc facta est amicitia pax concordia unio contrariorum id est Corporis Spiritus qui mutant invicem naturas suas quas recipiunt sibi communicant per minima XX. Sic quod calidum miscetur frigido siccum humido durum molli hoc modo fit mixtio naturarum contrararum frigidi scilicet cum calido humidi cum sicco at que admirabilis inter inimicos connexio I. THese Bodies thus dissolved by our water are called Argent Vive which is not without its Sulphur nor the Sulphur without the fixedness of Sol and Luna because Gold and Silver are the particular means or medium in the form through which Nature passes in the perfecting and compleating thereof II. And this Argent Vive is called our esteemed and valuable Salt being animated and pregnant and our fire for that it is nothing but Fire yet not fire but Sulphur and not Sulphur only but also Quicksilver drawn from Sol and Luna by our water and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a Stone of Great price III. That is to say it is the matter or substance of Sol and Luna or Silver and Gold altered from Vileness to Nobility IV. Now you must note that this white Sulphur is the Father and Mother of the Metals it is our Mercury and the Mineral of Gold also the Soul and the ferment yea the Mineral Virtue and the living Body our Sulphur and our Quicksilver that is Sulphur of Sulphur Quicksilver of Quicksilver and Mercury of Mercury V. The Property therefore of our Water is that it melts or dissolves Gold and Silver and encreases their native Tincture or Color VI. For it changes their Bodies from being Corporeal into a Spirituality and it is this water which turns the Bodies or corporeal substance into a white vapour which is a Soul that is whiteness it self subtile hot and full of fire VII This water is also called the tinging or bloodcolour-making stone being the virtue of the Spiritual Tincture without which nothing can be done and it is the subject of all things that may be melted and of liquefaction it selt which agrees perfectly and unites closely with Sol and Luna from which it can never be separated VIII For it is joyned in affinity to the Gold and Silver but more immediately to the Gold than to the Silver which you are to take special notice of IX It is also called the medium of conjoyning the Tinctures of Sol and Luna with the inferior or imperfect Metals for it turns the Bodies into the true Tincture to tinge the said other imperfect Metals also it is the water which whiteneth as it is whiteness it self which quickeneth as it is a Soul and therefore as the Philosopher saith quickly entreth into its Body X. For it is a living water which comes to moisten the Earth that it may spring out and in its due season bring forth much fruit for all things springing from the Earth are educed through Dew or Moisture XI The Earth therefore springeth not forth without watering and moisture It is the water proceeding from May Dew that cleanseth the Body and like Rain it penetrates them and makes one new Body of two Bodies XII This Aqua Vitae or Water of Life being rightly ordered and disposed with the body it whitens it and converts or changes it into its white colour XIII For this water is a white vapour and therefore the Body is whitened with it XIV It behoves you therefore to whiten the Body and open its infoldings for between these two that is between the Body and the Water there is a desire and friendship like as between the Male and Female because of the propinquity and likeness of their Natures XV. Now this our second and living water is called Azoth the Water washing the Laten viz. the Body compounded of Sol and Luna by our first Water It is also called the Soul of the dissolved Bodies which Souls we have even now tied together for the use of the wise Philosopher XVI How precious then and how great a thing is this Water For without it the Work could never be done or perfected It is also called the Vas Naturae the Belly the Womb the Receptacle of the Tincture the Earth the Nurse XVII It is the Royal Fountain in which the King and Queen bathe themselves and the Mother which must be put into and sealed up within the belly of her Infant and that is Sol himself who proceeded from her and whom she brought forth and therefore they have loved one another as Mother and Son and are conjoyned together because they come from one and the same Root and are of the same Substance and Nature XVIII And because this Water is the Water of the Vegetable Life it causes the dead Body to vegetate increase and spring forth and to rise from Death to Life by being dissolved first and then sublimed XIX And in doing this the Body is converted into a Spirit and the Spirit afterwards into a Body and then is made the Amity the Peace the Concord and the Union of the Contraries to wit between the Body and the Spirit which reciprocally or mutually change their Natures which they receive and communicate one to another through their most minute parts XX. So that that which is hot is mixed with that which is cold the dry with the moist and the hard with the soft by which means
there is a mixture made of contrary Natures viz. of cold with hot and moist with dry even a most admirable Unity between Enemies CHAP. IX Of Sublimation Or the separating of the Pure from the Impure by this Water I. NOstra ergo dissolutio Corporum quae fit in tali prima Aqua non est nisi mortificatio humidi cum sicco humidum verò coagulatur per siccum II. Quia humiditas tantum siccitate continetur terminatur ac coagulatur in Corpus sive in terram III. Corpora igitur dura sicca ponantur in nostra prima Aqua in vase bene clauso ubi maneant donec solventur ascendant in altum quae tunc dici possunt novum Corpus aurum album Alchimiae Lapis albus Sulphur album non urens Lapis Paradisi hoc est convertens Metalla imperfecta in Argentum album finum IV. Tunc etiam habemus simul Corpus Animam Spiritum de quo Spiritu Anima dictum est quod non possunt extrahi à Corporibus perfectis nisi per conjunctionem nostrae Aquae dissolutivae V. Quia certum est quod res fixa non potest elevari nisi per conjunctionem rei volatilis VI. Spiritus igitur mediante Aqua Anima ab ipsis Corporibus extrahitur redditur Corpus non Corpus quia statim Spiritus cum Anima Corporum sursum ascendit in superiori parte quae est perfectio Lapidis vocatur sublimatio VII Haec sublimatio in quit Florentius Cathalanus fit per res accidas Spirituales Volatiles quae sunt de natura Sulphurea viscosa quae dissolvunt faciunt elevari Corpora in Aeram in Spiritum VIII Et in hac Sublimatione pars quaedam dictae Aquae primae ascendit cum Corporibus simul se jungendo ascendo sublimando in unam mediam substantiam quae tenet de natura duorum scilicet Corporum Aquae IX Proinde dicitur Corporale Spirituale Compositum Corjufle Cambar Ethelia Zandarith Duenech bonus sed proprie tantum nominatur Aqua permanens quia non fugit in igne X. Perpetuò adhaerens Corporibus commixtis id est Soli Lunae illisque communicans Tincturam vivam incombustibilem ac firmissimam praecedenti nobilicrum pretiosiorem XI Quia potest currere debinc haec Tinctura sicut Oleum omnia perforando penetrando cum fixione mirabili quoniam haee Tinctura est Spi ritus Spiritus est Anima Anima Corpus XII Quia in hac operatione Corpus efficitur Spiritus de natura subtilissima pariter Spiritus incorporatur fit de natura Corporis cum Corporibus sic Lapis noster 〈◊〉 Corpus Animam Spiritum XIII O Natura quomodo vertis Corpus in Spiritum quod non fieret si Spiritus non incorporaretur cum Corporibus Corpora cum Spiritu fierent volatilia postea permanentia XIV Transivit igitur unus in alterum sese invicem conversi sunt per Sapientiam O Sapientia quomodo facis Aurum esse volatile ac fugitivum etiamsi naturaliter fixissimum esset XV. Oportet igitur dissolvere liquefacere Corpora ista per Aquam nostram illa facere Aquam permanentem Aquam auream sublimatam relinquendo in fundo grossum terrestreum superfluum siccum XVI Et in ista Sublimatione ignis debet esse lentus quia si per hanc Sublimationem in Igne lento Corpora purificata non fuerint 〈◊〉 ejus partes nota bene terrestres seperatae à Mortui immunditia impedieris quominus ex his possis perficere Opus XVII Non indiges enim nisi tenui subtili naturâ Corporum dissolutorum quam tibi dabit Aqua nostra silento Igne procedis separando beterogenea ab homogeneis I. OUR Dissolution then of Bodies which is made such in this first Water is nothing else but a destroying or overcoming of the moist with the dry for the moist is coagulated with the dry II. For the moisture is contained under terminated with and coagulated in the dry Body to wit in that which is Earthy III. Let therefore the hard and the dry Bodies be put into our first Water in a Vessel which close well and there let them abide till they be dissolved and ascend to the top then may they be called a new Body the white Gold made by Art the white Stone the white Sulphur not inflamable the Paradisical Stone viz. the Stone Transmuting imperfect Metals into fine white Silver IV. Then have we also the Body Soul and Spirit altogether of which Spirit and Soul it is said That they cannot be extracted from the perfect Bodies but by the help or conjunction of our dissolving Water V. Because it is certain That the thing fixed cannot be lifted up or made to ascend but by the conjunction or help of that which is volatile VI. The Spirit therefore by the help of the Water and the Soul is drawn forth from the Bodies themselves and the Body thereby is made Spiritual for that at the same instant of time the Spirit with the Soul of the Bodies ascend on high to the superiour part which is the perfection of the Stone and is called Sublimation VII This Sublimation saith Florentius Cathalanus is made by things Acid Spiritual Volatile and which are in their own nature Sulphurous and Viscous which dissolve Bodies and make them to ascend and be changed into Air and Spirit VIII And in this Sublimation a certain part of our said first Water ascends with the Bodies joyning it self with them ascending and subliming into one neutral or complex Substance which contains the nature of the two viz. the nature of the two Bodies and of the Water IX And therefore it is called the Corporeal and Spiritual 〈◊〉 Cor jufle Cambar Ethelia Zandarith Dueneck the Good but properly it is called the permanent or fixed Water only because it flies not in the Fire X. But it perpetually adheres to the commixed or compounded Bodies that is to Sol and Luna and communicates to them the Living Tincture incombustible and most fixed much more noble and precious than the former which those Bodies had XI Because from henceforth this Tincture runs like Oil running through and penetrating the Bodies and giving to them its wonderful Fixity and this Tincture is the Spirit and the Spirit is the Soul and the Soul is the Body XII For in this operation the Body is made a Spirit of a most subtile nature and again the Spirit is corporified and changed into the nature of the Body with the Bodies whereby our Stone consists of a Body a Soul and a Spirit XIII O God how thro' Nature dost thou change a Body into a Spirit Which could not be done if the Spirit were not incorporated with the Bodies and the Bodies made volatile with the Spirit and afterwards permanent or fixed XIV For this Cause sake they have passed over into
rei volatilis quae est sui generis II. Per quam Corpora redduntur volatilia spiritualia sese elevando subtiliando sublimando contra naturam propriam corpoream gravem ponderosam III. Et hoc modo fiunt non Corpora quinta essentia de natura Spiritus quae vocatur Avis Hermetis Mercurius extractus à servo rubeo IV. Et sic remanent inferius partes terrestres aut potius grossiores Corporum quae perfectissimè non possunt solvi ullo ingeniorum modo V. Et fumus ille albus album illud aurum id est haec quintessentia dicitur etiam magnesia composita quae continet ut Homo vel composita est ut Homo ex Corpore Anima Spiritu VI. Corpus ejus est terra Solaris fixa plusquam subtilissima per vim Aquae nostrae divinae ponderositer elevata VII Anima ejus est Tinctura Solis Lunae procedens excommunicatione horum duoruns VIII Spiritus verò est virtus mineralis amborum aquae quae defert animam five tincturam albam super Corpora ex corporibus sicut portatur tinctura tinctorum per aquam supra pannum IX Et ille spiritus Mercurialis est vinculum animae Solaris corpus Solare est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continens cum Luna spiritum animam X. Spiritus ergo penetrat corpus figit anima copulat tingit dealbat XI Ex his tribus simul unitis fit lapis noster id est ex Sole Luna Mercurio XII Cum ergo aqud nostra aurea extrahitur natura omnem superans naturam ideoque nisi corpora per aquam hanc diruantur imbibantur terantur parce diligenter regantur donec ab spissitudine abstrahantur in tenuem spiritum impalpabilem vertantur vacuus est labor XIII Quia nisi corpora vertantur in non corpora id est in Mercurium Philosophorum nondum operis rogula inventa est XIV Et illud ideo quoniam impossibile est illam tenuissimam animam omnem in se tincturam habentem à corpori bus extrahere nisi prius resolvantur in aqua nostra XV. Solve ergo corpora in aurea aqua decoque quousque tota egrediatur tinctura per aquam in colorem album sive in oleum album cumque vide ris illam albedinem super aquam scias tunc corpora esse liquefacta XVI Continua ergo decccti onem donec pariant nebulam quam conceperunt tenebrosam nigram albam I. IT is most certain therefore in this Art That this Soul extracted from the Bodies cannot be made to ascend but by adding to it a volatile Matter which is of its own kind II. By the which the Bodies will be made volatile and spiritual lifting themselves up subtillizing and subliming themselves contrary to their own proper nature which is corporeal heavy and ponderous III. And by this means they are unbodied or made no bodies to wit incorporeal and a Quintessence of the nature of a Spirit which is called Avis Hermetis and Mercurius Extractus drawn from a red Subject or Matter IV. And so the terrene or earthy parts remain below or rather the grosser parts of the Bodies which can by no Industry or Ingenuity of Man be brought to a perfect dissolution V. And this white Vapor this white Gold to wit this Quintessence is called also the Compound Magnesia which like Man does contain or like Man is composed of a Body Soul and Spirit VI. Now the Body is the fixed solar Earth exceeding the most subtile Matter which by the help of our divine Water is with difficulty lifted up or separated VII The Soul is the Tincture of Sol and Luna proceeding from the conjunction or communicating of these two to wit the Bodies of Sol and Luna and our Water VIII And the Spirit is the mineral power or virtue of the Bodies and of the Water which carries the Soul or white Tincture in or upon the Bodies and also out of the Bodies like as the Tinctures or Colours in Dying Cloth are by the Water put upon and diffused in and through the whole Cloth IX And this Mercurial Spirit is the Chain or Band of the solar Soul and the solar Body is that Body which contains the Spirit Soul having the power of fixing in it self being joyned with Luna X. The Spirit therefore penetrates the Body fixes and the Soul joyns together tinges and whitens XI From these three united together is our Stone made to wit of Sol Luna and Mercury XII Therefore with this our Golden-Water a natural Substance is extracted exceeding all natural Substances and so except the Bodies be broken and destroyed imbibed made subtile and fine thriftily and diligently managed 'till they are abstracted from or lose their grossness or solid Substance and be changed into a thin and subtil Spirit all our Labour will be in vain XIII And unless the Bodies be made no Bodies or incorporeal that is be converted into the Philosophers Mercury there is no Rule of Art yet found out to work by XIV The reason is because it is impossible to draw out of the Bodies all that most thin and subtile Soul which has in it self the Tincture except it be first resolved in our Water XV. Dissolve then the Bodies in this our Goldenwater and boil them till all the Tincture is brought forth by the Water in a white Colour and a white Oil and when you see this whiteness upon the Water then know that the Bodies are melted liquified or dissolved XVI Continue then this boyling till the dark black and white Cloud is brought forth which they have conceived CHAP. XII Of Digestion and how the Spirit is made thereby I. PONE ergo corpora perfecta in aqua nostra in vase Hermeticè sigillato super ignem lenem coque continuò donec perfectè resolvantur in oleum pretiosissimum II. Coque inquit Adfar igne leni sicut per ovorum nutritionem donec solvantur corpora eorum tinctura conjunctissima nota extrahatur III. Non autem extrahitur tota simul sed parum ad parum egreditur omni die omni borâ donec in longo tempore compleatur hujusmodi solutio quod solvitur semper petit superius IV. Et in tali dissolutione sit ignis lenis continuus donec in aquam viscosam solvantur impalpabilem tota egrediatur tinctura in colore nigredinis primum quod est signum verae solutionis V. Continua deinde decoctionem quousque fiat aqua permanens alba quia in suo regens balneo fiet postea clara tandem deveniet sicut argentum vivum vulgare scandens per aêra super aquam primam VI. Ideoque cum videris corpora soluta in aquam viscosam scias tunc corpor is esse conversa in vaporem te habere animas à corporibus mortuis separatas in spirituum ordinem sublimatione delatas VII Unde ambo cum
parte aquae nostrae facta sunt spiritus in aêra scandentes ibique corpus compositum ex mare foemina ex Sole Luna ex illa subtillissimanatura mundata per sublimationem accipit vitam inspiratur à suo humore VIII Id est à sua aqua sicut homo ab aêre quare multiplicabitur deinceps ac crescet in sua specie sicut res omnes caeterae IX In tali ergo elevatione sublimatione philosophica conjunguntur omnes ad invicem corpus novum inspiratum ab aêre vivit vegetabiliter quod est miraculosum X. Quare nisi corpora igne aqua attenuentur quousque ascendant in spiritus quousque fiant ut aqua fumus vel Mercurius nihil fit in Arte. XI Illis tamen ascendentibus in aêre nascuntur in aêre vertuntur fiuntque vita cum vita ut numquam possint separari sicut aqua mixta aquae XII Ideoque natus in aēre sapienter dicitur quoniam omnino spiritualis efficitur XIII Ipse namque Vultur sine alis volans supra montem clamitat dicens Ego sum albus nigri rubeus albi citrinus rubei filius vera dicens non mentior I. PUT the refore the perfect Bodies of Metals to wit Sol and Luna into our Water in a Vessel Hermetically sealed upon a gentle Fire and digest continually 'till they are perfectly resolved into a most precious Oyl II. Digest saith Adfar with a gentle Fire as it were for the hatching of Chickens so long 'till the Bodies are dissolved and their perfectly conjoyned Tincture mark this well is extracted III. But it is not extracted all at once but it is drawn out by little and little day by day and hour by hour till after a long time the Solution thereof is compleated and that which is dissolved always swims a top IV. And while this dissolution is in hand let the Fire be gentle and continual till the Bodies are dissolved into a viscous and most subtile Water and the whole Tincture be educed in colour first black which is the sign of a true dissolution V. Then continue the digestion till it becomes a white fixed Water for being digested in Balneo Mariae it will afterwards become clear and in the end become like to common Argent vive ascending by the Spirit above the first Water VI. When therefore you see the Bodies dissolved in the first viscous Water then know that they are turned into a Vapour and that the Soul is separated from the dead Body and by Sublimation brought into the order of Spirits VII Whence both of them with a part of our Water are made Spirits flying up into the Air and there the compounded Body made of the Male and the Female viz. of Sol and Luna and of that most subtile Nature cleansed by Sublimation taketh Life and is made Spiritual by its own humidity VIII That is by its own Water like as a Man is sustained by the Air whereby from thenceforth it is multiplied and increases in its own kind as do all other things IX In such an ascension therefore and philosophical Sublimation all are joyned one with another and the new Body subtilized or made living by the Spirit miraculously liveth or iprings like a Vegetable X. Wherefore unless the Bodies be attenuated or made thin by the Fire and Water 'till they ascend in a Spirit and are made or do become like Water and Vapour or Mercury you labour wholly in vain XI But when they arise or ascend they are born or brought forth in the Air or Spirit and in the same they are changed and made Life with Life so as they can never be separated but are as Water mixt with Water XII And therefore it is wisely said That the Stone is born of the Spirit because it is altogether Spiritual XIII For the Vulture himself flying without Wings cries upon the top of the Mountain saying I am the white brought forth from the black and the red brought forth from the white the citrine Son of the red I speak the Truth and lye not CHAP. XIII Of the beginning of the Work and a Summary of what is to be done I. SUfficit ergo tibi corpora in vase in aqua semel ponere diligenter claudere vas quousque vero separatio sit facta II. Quae vocatur ab invidis conjunctio sublimatio assatio extractio putrefactio ligatio desponsatio subtiliatio generatio c. III. Et totum perficiatur magisterium Fac igitur sicut ad generationem hominis omnis vegetabilis imponito semel matrici semen bene claude IV. Vides ergo quomodo pluribus rebus non indiges quod opus nostrum magnas non requiret expensas quoniam unus est lapis una medicina unum vas unum regimen una dispositio ad album rubeum successivè faciendum V. Et quamvis dicamus in pluribus locis ponito hoc ponito istud tamen non intelligimus nos opportere nisi unam rem accipere semel ponere claudere vas usque ad operis complementum VI. Quia haec tantum ponuntur à philosophis invidis ut decipiant ut dictum est incautos Nunquid enim etiam haec ars est Cabalistica arcanis plena tu fatue credis nos docere apertè arcana arcanorum verbaque accipis secundum sonum verborum VII Scito verè nullo modo sum ego invidus ut caeteri qui verba aliorum philosophorum accipit secundum prolationem ac significationem vulgarem nominum jam ille absque filo Ariadnae in medio amfractuam Labyrinthi multipliciter errat pecuniamque suam destinavit perditioni VIII Ego vero Artephius postquam adeptus sum veram ac completam sapientiam in libris veridici Hermetis fui aliquando 〈◊〉 caeteri omnes IX Sed cum per mille annos aut circiter quae jam transierunt super me à nativitate mea gratia Soli Dei omnipotentis usu hujus mirabilis quintae essentiae X. Cum per haec inquam longissima tempora viderem neminem magisterium Hermeticum obtinere posse propter obscuritatem verborum philosophorum XI Pietate motus ac probitate boni viri decrevi in his ultimis temporibus vitae meae omnia scribere sineere ac veraciter ut nihil ad perficiendum lapidem philosophorum possis desiderare XII Dempto aliquo quod nemini licet scribere quia revelatur per Deum aut magistrum tamen in hoc libro ille qui non erit durae cervicis cum pauca experientia faciliter addiscet XIII Scripsi ergo in hoc libro nudam veritatem quia paucis coloribus vestivi ut omnis bonus sapiens mala Hesperidum mirabilia feliciter pos sit ex arbore hac philosophica decerpere XIV Quare laudetur Deus altissimus qui posuit in anima nostra hanc benignitatem cum senectute longinquissima dedit nobis veram
ideo dealbandus est laton rumpendi libri ne corda nostra rumpantur quia haec albedo est lapis perfectus ad album corpus nobile necessitate finis tinctura albedinis exuberantissimae reflexionis fulgidi splendoris quae non recedit à commixto corpore V. Nota ergo hic quod spiritus non figuntur nisi in albo colore qui ideo nobilior est caeteris semper desiderabiliter expetenda cum sit totius operis quodammodo complemen tum VI. Terra enim nostra putrescit in nigrum deinde mundatur in elevatione postea desiccata nigredo recedit tunc dealbatur perit tenebrosum dominium humidum mulieris 〈◊〉 etiam fumus albus penetrat in corpus novum spiritus constringuntur in siccum VII Atque corrumpens deformatum nigrum ex humido evanescit tunc etiam corpus novumresuscitat clarum album ac immortale ac victoriam ab omnibus inimicis reportat VIII Et sicut calor agens in humido generat nigredinem primum colorem sic decoquendo semper calor agens in sicco generat albedinem secundum colorem deinde citrinitatem rubedinem agens in mero sicco satis de coloribus IX Sciendum igitur nobis est quod res quae habet caput rubeum album pedes verò albos postea rubeos occulos antea nigros haec res tantum est magisterium I. NOW as to the Colours that which does not make black cannot make white because blackness is the beginning of whiteness and a sign of Putrefaction and Alteration and that the body is now penetrated and mortified II. From the Putrefaction therefore in this Water there first appears blackness like unto Broth wherein some bloody thing is boyled III. Secondly The black Earth by a continual digestion is whitened because the Soul of the Two Bodies swims above upon the Water like white Cream and in this only whiteness all the Spirits are so united that they can never flie one from another IV. And therefore the latten must be whitened and its leaves unfolded i. e. its body broken or opened lest we labour in vain for this whiteness is the perfect Stone for the white work and a body enobled in order to that end even the Tincture of a most exuberant glory and shining brightness which never departs from the body it is once joined with V. Therefore you must note here that the Spirits are not fixed but in the white Colour which is more noble than the other Colours and is more vehemently to be desired for that it is as it were the Complement or Perfection of the whole work VI. For our Earth putrifies and becomes black then it is putrified in lifting up or Separation afterwards being dried its blackness goes away from it and then it is whitened and the feminine dominion of the darkness and humidity perisheth then also the white Vapor penetrates through the new Body and the Spirits are bound up or fixed in the dryness VII And that which is corrupting deformed and black through the moisture vanishes away so the new body rises again clear pure white and immortal obtaining the Victory over all its Enemies VIII And as heat working upon that which is moist causeth or generates blackness which is the prime or first Colour so always by decoction more and more heat working upon that which is dry begets whiteness which is the second Colour and then working upon that which is purely and perfectly dry it produceth Citrinity and Redness Thus much for Colours IX We must know therefore that the thing which has its Head red and white but its Feet white and afterwards red and its Eyes before hand black that this thing I say is the only matter of our Magistery CHAP. XVII Of the perfect Bodies their Putrefaction Corruption Digestion and Tincture I. DIssolve ergo Solem Lunam in aqua nostra dissolutiva quae illis est familiaris amica de eorum natura proxima illisque est placabilis tanquam matrix mater origo principium finis vitae II. Et ideo emendantur in hac aqua quia natura laetatur natura natura naturam continet vero matrimonio copulantur adinvicem fiunt una natura unum corpus novum resuscitatum immortale III. Sic oportet conjungere consanguineos cum consanguineis tunc istae naturae sibi obviant se prosequuntur adinvicem se putrefaciunt generant gaudere faciunt quia natura per naturam regitur proximam amicam IV. Nostra igitur aqua inquit Danthin est fons pulcher amoenus clarus praeparatus solummodo pro Rege Regina quos ipse optimè cognoscit hi illum V. Nam ipsos ad se attrahit illi ad se lavandum in illo fonte remanent duos aut tres dies id est menses hos juvenescere facit reddit formosos VI. Et quia Sol Luna sunt ab illa aqua matre ideo oportet ut iterum ingrediantur uterum matris ut renascantur denuo fiant robustiores nobiliores fortiores VII Id circo nisi hi mortui conversi fuerint in aquam ipsi soli manebunt sine fructu si autem mortui fuerint resoluti in nostra aqua fructum centesimum dabunt ex illo loco ex quo videbantur perdidisse quod erant ex illo apparebunt quod antea non erant VIII Cum Sole ergo Luna figatur maximo ingenio spiritus aquae nostrae vivae quia hi in naturam aquae conversi moriuntur mortuis similes videntur inde postea inspirati vivunt crescunt multiplicantur sicut res omnes vegetabiles IX Sufficiat ergo tibi materiam sufficienter disponere extrinsecus quoniam ipsa sufficienter intrinsecus operatur ad sui perfectionem X. Habet enim motum sibi inhaerentem secundam veram viam verum ordinem meliorem quam possit ab homine excogitari XI Ideo tantum praepara natura perficiat quia nisi natura fuerit impedita in contrarium non praeteribit motum suum certum tam ad concipiendum quam ad parturiendum XII Cave quocirca tantum post materiae praeparationem ne igne nimio balneum incendatur Secundo ne spiritus exhalet quia laederet laborantem id est operationem destrueret multas infirmitates induceret id est tristitias ac iras XIII Ex jam dictis patet hoc axioma nempe cum ex cursu naturae ignorare necessa riò constructionem metallorum qui ignorat destructionem XIV Oportet ergo conjungere consanguineos quia natu rae reperiunt suas consimiles naturas se putrefaciendo miscentur in simul atque se mortificant XV. Necesse est ideo hanc 〈◊〉 corruptionem generationem quemadmodum sese naturae amplectuntur pacificantur in igne lento quomodo natura laetetur natura natura
be of a ripe or perfect Age. CHAP. XXI Of the Secret Operation of the Water and Spirit upon the Body I. AUdi hoc secretum Custodi corpus in aqua nostra Mercuriali quousque ascendat cum anima alba terreum descendat ad imum quod vocatur terra residua II. Tunc videbis aquam co agulare seipsam cum suo corpore ratus eris scientiam esse veram quia corpus suum coagulat humorem in siccum sicut coagulum agni lac coagulat in caseum III. Et sic spiritus penetrabit corpus commixtio fiet per minima corpus attrahat sibi humorem suum id est animam albam quemadmodum Magnes ferrum propter naturae suae propinquitatem naturam aevidam tunc unum continet alterum IV. Et haec est sublimatio coagulatio nostra omne volatile retinens quae facit fugam perire V. Ergo haec compositio non est manualis operatio sed ut dixi naturarum mutatio earum frigidi cum calido humidi cum sicco admirabilis connexio Calidumenim miscetur frigido siccum humido VI. Hoc etiam modo fit mixtio conjunctio corporis spiritus quae vocatur conversio naturarum contrariarum quia in tali dissolutione sublimatione spiritus convertitur in corpus corpus in spiritum VII Sic etiam mixta in unum redacta se invicem vertunt nam corpus incorporat spiritum spiritus verò corpus vertit in spiritum tinctum album VIII Quare ultima vice inquam decoque in nostra aqua alba id est in Mercurio donec soluatur in nigredinem deinde per deeoctionem continuam privabitur à sua nigredine corpus sic solutum 〈◊〉 ascendit cum anima alba IX Et 〈◊〉 unum alteri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se amplecte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potuerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separari tune 〈◊〉 reali concordantia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum corpore 〈◊〉 unitm permanens X. Et haec est solutio corpo ris coagulatio spiritus quae unam eandem habent operationem XI Qui ergo noverit ducere praegnantem facere mortificare putrefacere generare species vivificare lumen album inducere mundare Vulturem à nigredine tenebris quousque igne purgetur coloretur à maculis ultimis purificetur adeo majoris dignitatis erit possessor ut Reges eum venerentur I. HEar now this Secret keep the Body in our Mercurial Water till it ascends with the white Soul and the earthy part descends to the bottom which is called the residing Earth II. Then you shall see the Water to coagulate it self with its Body and be assured that the Art is true because the Body coagulates the moisture into dryness like as the Rennet of a Lamb or Calf turns Milk into Cheese III. In the same manner the Spirit penetrates the body and is perfectly commixed with it in its smallest Atoms and the body draws to its self his moisture to wit its white Soul like as the Loadstone draws Iron because of the nearness and likeness of its nature and then the one contains the other IV. And this is our Sublimation and Coagulation which retaineth every volatile thing making it fixt for ever V. This Compositum then is not a mechanical thing or a work of the Hands but as I have said a changing of Natures and a wonderful connection of their cold with hot and the moist with the dry the hot also is mixed with cold and the dry with the moist VI. By this means also is made the mixtion and conjunction of body and spirit which is called a conversion of contrary Natures because by such a dissolution and sublimation the spirit is converted into a body and the body into a spirit VII So that the natures being mingled together and reduced into one do change one another and as the Body corporifies the Spirit or changes it into a Body So also does the Spirit convert the Body into a tinging and white Spirit VIII Wherefore as the last time I say decoct the body in our white water viz. Mercury till it is dissolved into blackness and then by a continual decoction let it be deprived of the same blackness and the body so dissolved will at length ascend or rise with a white Soul IX And then the one will be mixed with the other and so embrace one another that it shall not be possible any more to separate them but the Spirit with a real agreement will be united with the body and make one permanent or fixed substance X. And this is the solution of the Body and coagulation of the Spirit which have one and the same operation XI Whoso therefore knows how to conjoyn the principles or direct the work to impregnate to mortifie to putrifie to generate to quicken the Species to make white to cleanse the Vulture from its blackness and darkness till he is purged by the fire and tinged and purified from all his spots shall be possessor of a treasure so great that even Kings themselves shall venerate him CHAP. XXII Of the Signs of the end of the Work and the perfection thereof I. QUare maneat corpus in aqua donec solvatur in pulverem novum in fundo vasis aquae qui dicitur cinis niger haec est corruptio corporis quae vocatur à sapientibus Saturnus AEs Plumbum philosophorum Pulvis discontinuatus II. Et in tali putrefactione resolutione corporis tria signa apparent scilicet color nigèr discontinuitas partium odor foetidus qui assimilatur odori sepulchrorum III. Est igitur ille cinis de quo philosophi tanta dixêre qui in inferiori parte vasis remansit quem non debemus vili pendere IV. In eo enim est Diadema Regis Argentum vivum nigrum immundum à quo nigredinis debet fieri purgatio decoquendo continuò in nostra aqua donec elevetur sursum in album colorem qui vocatur Anser Pullus Hermogenis V. Quia qui terram rubeam denigrat albam reddit habet magisterium ut etiam ille qui occidit vivum resuscitat mortuum VI. Dealba ergo nigrum rubefac album ut perficias opus VII Et cum videris albedinem apparere veram quae splendet sicut gladius denudatus scias quod rubor in ista albedine est occultus VIII Ex tunc non oportet illam albedinem extrahere sed coquere tantum ut cum siccitate caliditate superveniat citrinitas rubedo fulgentissima IX Quam cum videris cum tremore maximo laudabis Deum optimum maximum qui cui vult sapientiam dat per consequens divitias secundum iniquitates eripit ac in perpetuum subtrahit detrudendo in servitutem inimicorum sui laus gloria in saecula saeculorum Amen I. WHerefore let our body remain in the water till it is dissolved into a subtil
shall the Tincture be made and more plentiful in quantity and the more perfect it is the more it shall transmute IX In the Fourth Distillation then it shall receive such a Virtue and Tincture that one part shall be able to transmute a thousand parts of the cleansed Metal into fine Gold or Silver better than that which is Generated in the Mines X. Therefore saith Rhasis The goodness or excellency of the Multiplication hereof depends only on the Reiteration of the dissolution and fixation of the perfect Medicine XI For so much the oftner the work is Reiterated so much the more fruitful it will be and so much the more augmented XII So much the oftner you sublime it so much the more you increase it for every time it is augmented in Virtue and Power and Tincture one more to be cast upon a thousand at a second time upon ten thousand at the third time upon one hundred thousand at the fourth time upon a Million And thus you way increase its Power by the number of the Reiterations till it is almost infinite XIII Therefore saith Meredes the Philosopher know for certain that the oftner the Matter or Stone is dissolved and congealed the more absolutely and perfectly the Spirit and Soul are conjoyned and retained XIV And for this cause every time the Tincture is Multiplied after a most admirable and unconceiveable manner CHAP. XLVIII Of the Augmentation or Multiplication of Our Medicine by Fermentation I. OUr Medicine is Multiplied by Fermentation and the Ferment for the White is pure Luna the Ferment for the Red is pure fine Sol. II. Now cast one part of the Medicine upon twenty parts of the Ferment and all shall become Medicine Elixir or Tincture Put it on the Fire in a Glass Vessel and seal it so that no Air go in or out dissolve and subtilize it as oft as you please even as you did for making of the first Medicine III. And one part of this second Medicine shall have as much Virtue and Power as Ten parts of the former IV. Therefore saith Rhasis Now have we accomplished our Work by that which is hot and moist and it is become equally temperate and whatsoever is added or put to it shall become of the same temperament and Vertue with it V. You must then Conjoyn it that it may Generate its like yet you must not joyn it with any other that it might convert it to the same but only with that very same kind of whose substance it was in the beginning VI. For in Speculo Terrae Spiritualis it is written that the Elixir is figured in the Body from whence it was taken in the beginning when it was to be dissolved VII That is to say to dispose Marry or Conjoyn that Earth revived and in its Soul purified by commixtion of its first Body from whence it took beginning VIII Also in Libro Gemmae Salutaris it is said that the White work needs a White Ferment which when it is made White is White Ferment also and when it is made Red is the Ferment of Redness IX And so the White Earth is Ferment of Ferment for when it is Conjoyned with Luna or shall be made a Medicine it is to cast upon Mercury and every imperfect Metaline Body to be converted into Luna X. And to the Red ought Sol to be joyned and it will become a Medicine or Tincture to project upon Mercury or upon Luna XI Rhasis also saith You must now mix it with Argent Vive White and Red after their kind and be so chained that it flies not away XII Wherefore we command Argent Vive to be mixed with Argent Vive until one clear water be made of two Argent Vive's Compounded together XIII But you must not make the mixture of them till each of them apart or separately be dissolved into water and in the Conjunction of them put a little of the matter upon much of the Body viz. First upon four and it shall become in a short time a fine Pouder whose Tincture shall be White or Red. XIV This Pouder is the true and perfect Elixir or Tincture and the Elixir or Tincture is truly a simple Pouder XV. Egidius also saith to Solution put Solution and in dissolutionput desiccation viz. make it dry putting all together to the fire XVI Keep entire the sume or vapour and take heed that nothing thereof flie out from it Tarry by the Vessel and behold the wonders how it changes from Colour to Colour in less space than an hours time till such time as it comes to the Signs of Whiteness or Redness XVII For it melts quickly in the Fire and congeals in the Air. When the fume or vapor feels the sorce of the fire the fire will penetrate into the Body and the Spirit will become fixed and the matter made dry becoming a Body fixt and clear or pure and either White or Red. XVIII This Pouder is the compleat and perfect Elixir or Tincture now you may separate or take if from the fire and let it cool XIX And first part of it projected upon 1000. parts of any Metalline Body transmutes it into fine Gold or Silver according as your Elixir or Tincture is for the Red or the White XX. From what has been said it is manifest and Evident that if you do not congeal Argent Vive making it to bear or endure the fire and then conjoyning it with pure Silver you shall never attain to the Whiteness XXI And if you make not Argent ViveRed and so as it may endure the greatest fire and then conjoyn it with pure fine Gold you shall never attain to the Redness XXII And by dissolution viz. by Fermentation your Medicine Elixir or Tincture may be multiplied infinitely XXIII Now you must understand that the Elixir or Tincture gives fusion like Wax for which cause saith Rhasis Our Medicine ought of necessity to be of a subtle substance and most pure cleaving to Mercury of its Nature and of most easie and thin liquifaction fusion or melting after the manner of water XXIV Also in the Book called Omne datumOptimum it is said when the Elixir is well prepared it ought to be made liquid that it may melt as Wax upon a Plate Red-Fire-Hot or upon Coals XXV Now observe what you do in the White the same you must do in the Red for the work is all one The same Operation that is in the one is in the other as well in multiplication as projection CHAP. XLIX Of the Differences of the Medicine and Proportions used in Projection I. GEBER the Arabian Prince Alchymist and Philosopher in lib. 5. cap. 21. saith That there is three orders of Medicines The First Order is of such Medicines which being cast upon imperfect Bodies takes not away their Corruption or Imperfection but only give Tincture which in Examination flies away and vanishes II. The Second Order is of such Medicines which being cast upon Imperfect Bodies tinge
than all the rest for this our purpose V. The which one thing because it is more excellent than all the rest the Philosophers have taken for the nearest because of the singular perfection which God has given to the Microcosm or lesser World in whom are not only the Idea's of the Courses and effects of the Planets Stars and Asterisms but also the Complexions humours Spirits and Natural Virtues of the Elements VI. And therefore consider the most noble Bird of Hermes which when the Sun is in Aries begins to fly and as it is advised so let it be brought forth and sought for Seek out the true Sulphur from his Mine or Minera not being corrupted for the whole perfection lies in the uncorrupt Sulphur VII This is our Stone the which as Aristotle saith in his Secret of Secrets is generated in the Dunghil High-ways and must be divided into four parts because saith he each part has one Nature the which parts must be joyned together again till they resist or strive no more when they are joyned unto it it shall be White is Fire Red as you please VIII But understand that this Division must not be a Manual Division but in Power and Effect wherefore let this one thing which all Men have its over-flowing Flegmatick property being somewhat Evacuated be put into Kemia or proper Vessels which Seal up Philosophically let it putrifie in a moist Fire a long Season into a black thickness IX Then by the second Degree of Fire let it be Coagulated into a dryness after many Bublings which it will make wherein shall shine innumerable Colors and when all that which is fine and subtil shall Ascend upwards or sublime in the Vessel moft White like as the Eyes of Fishes the work is compleat in the first part X. This truly is a marvelous thing more to be wondred at than any Miracle of Nature for then the self same White has fully the Nature of White Sulphur not Burning or Silver and is the very Sulphur of Nature and Argent Vive XI Let some quantity of Luna be added to it in the manner of an Amalgama then it brings forth by Operation or generation of White into White and the same thing worketh it into Red and is made compleat into Red by a greater Digestion in the Fire XII Then as the Philosophers advise let the two Sulphurs viz. the White and the Red be mingled with the Oyl of the White Elixir that they may work the more strongly upon which if the Quintescence of the Vegetable Stone shall be fixed you shall have the highest Medicine in the World both to Heal and Cure Humane Bodies and to transmute the Bodies of Metals into the most pure and fine Gold and Silver CHAP. LXXII The Reserved Secret Explicated I. AND now we are drawing near to the end of this work we shall hereunto add and Explicate one Secret even our reserved Secret hitherto Buried in the Abyss of AEnigma's and deep Silence II. We say that the Body of the Volatile Spirit fixed by Fire against Nature ought to be dissolved in the Vegetable Water that is to say in our Vaporous Menstruum not in water of the Cloud but in water of the Philosophers III. In which Dissolution the Body is made light for its more pure and subtil part is lifted up or sublimed from Salt and Combustible Faeces by Virtue of the water attractive which is more clear than the water of the Margarite as I have seen IV. And of this substance Fermented with the Oyl of Luna or Sol is made the great Elixir for the transmutation of imperfect Bodies V. It must oftentimes be dissolved and Coagulated with its Ferment that it may work the better and with this said Mercurial substance thus Elevated or sublimed we Counterfeit the most pretious Margarites or Pearls not inferior to the sight to the very best that ever Nature produced VI. And with these Artificial pretious Stones we shall finish the discourse of Our pretious Stones Mineral Vegetable and Animal the abscondite Mysteries of which being by the Wise and upright Sons of Art prudently kept Secret VII I Pray the most Good and Gracious God to open and reveal the same at one time or another even as it shall please him to his despised Servants and little ones VIII O most incomprehensible light most Glorious in Majesty who with the Charity of thy Heavenly Rays dost Darken our Dimmer Light O substantial Unity the Divine three the joy and Rejoycing of the Heavenly Host the Glory of Our Redemption IX Thou most Merciful the Purifier of Souls and the perpetual subsistance O most Grations through daily Dangers and Perils which thou suffers us to undergo and through this Vexatious vail of Vanity bring us to thy heavenly Kingdom X. O Power and Wisdom thou goodness inexplicable uphold us daily and be Our Guide and Director that we may never displease thee all the days of our Lives but obey thee as Faithful Professors of thy Holy Name XI Early even betimes O Lord hear thou my Prayers by the Virtue of thy Grace help forward my desires and enable me I beseech thee to perform thy Holy Will XII O most excellent Fountain boundless in Treasures thou scatterest thy good things without measure amongst the Sons of Men and thou makest every other Creature to partake of thine especial kindness XIII Thou art worthy O Lord to behold the Works of thy Hand and to defend what thy Right Hand has planted that we may not live unprofitably nor spend the course of our Years in Vanities XIV Grant therefore we beseech thee that we may live without falshood and deceit that avoiding the Great danger of a sinful course of Life we may escape the Snares of Sin XV. And as I Renounce the Loves of the things of this Life and the Concupiscences or Lusts thereof so accept of me thy Servant as a true and Spontaneous Votary who wholly depends on thy goodness with all Confidence possessing nothing more XVI We submit our selves to thee for so it is fit vouchsafe thy Light to discover to us the Immortal Treasures of Life shew us thy hidden things and be merciful and good unto us XVII Among the rest of thy Servants who profess thy Name I offer my self with all humble Submission And I beseech thee O Lord to forgive me if I open and reveal thy Secrets to thy Faithful Servants Amen CHAP. LXXIII Ripley's Philosophical Axioms out of the Theatrum Chymicum I. OUr Stone is called the Microcosm One and Three Magnesia and Sulphur and Mercury all proportioned by Nature her self Now understand that that there are three Mercuries which being the Key of the whole Science Raymundus calls his Menstruums without which nothing is to be done in this Art but the Essential Mercury of the Bodies is the chief material of our Stone II. Our Stone is a Soul and a substance by which the Earth does receive its splendor what other thing
is Sol or Luna than a Terra Munda a pure Earth Red and White The whole Composition we call Our Plumbum or Lead the Quality of whose splendor proceeds from Sol and Luna III. No impure Body one excepted which the Philosophers vulgarly call the Green Lyon which is the Medium which Conjoyns the Tinctures between Sol and Luna with perfection does Enter into our Magistry IV. These Menstruums you ought to know without which no true Calcination or natural dissolution can possibly be done But our principal Menstruum may be said indeed to be Invisible or Spiritual yet by the help of our Aqua Philosophica secunda through a separation of the Elements in form of clear water it is brought to light and made to appear V. And by this Menstruum with great Labour is made the Sulphur of Nature by Circulation in a pure Spirit and with the same you may dissolve your Body after divers manners and an Oyl may be extracted therefrom of a Golden Color like as from Our Red Lead VI. 1. De Calcinatione Calcination is the Purgation of our Stone restoring it to its own Natural Color inducing first a necessary dissolution thereof but neither with Corrosives nor fire alone nor A. F. nor with other Burning waters or the Vapour of Lead is our Stone Calcined for by such Calcinations Bodies are destroyed for that they diminish their humidities VII Whereas in our Calcination the Radical humidity is Augmented or multiplied for like increases like he which knows not this knows nothing in this Art Joyn like with like and kind with kind as you ought every seed answers and rejoyces in seed of its own kind and every Spirit is fixed with a Calx of its own kind or Nature VIII The Philosophers make an Unctuous Calx both White and Red of three Degrees before it can be perfected that shall melt as Wax till which it is of no use If your water shall be in a right or just proportion with your Earth and in a fit Heat your Matter will Germinate the White together with the Red which will endure in a perpetual Fire IX Make a Trinity of Unity without dissention this is the most certain and best proportion and by how much the lesser part is the more spiritual by so much the more easily will the dissolution be performed drown not the Earth with too much water lest you destroy the whole Work X. 2. De Dissolutione Seek not that in a thing which is not in it as in Eggs Blood Wine Vitriol and the other middle Minerals there is no profit to be had in things not Metallick In Metals from Metals and by or through Metals Metals are made perfect XI First make a Rotation of all the Elements and before all things convert the Earth into water by dissolution Then Dissolve that Water into Air and then make that Air into Fire this done reduce it again into Earth for otherwise you labour in vain XII Here is nothing besides the Sister and the Brother that is the Agent and the Patient Sulphur and Mercury which are generated Co-essential substances The dissolution of one part of the Corporeal Substance causeth a Congelation of another part of the spiritual XIII Every Metal was once a Mineral Water wherefore they may all be dissolved into Water again in which Water are the four repugnant Qualities with diversity In one Glass all things ought to be done made in the form of an Egg and well closed XIV Let not your Glass be hotter than you can endure your naked Hand upon so long as your matter is in dissolution When the Body is altered from its first form it immediately puts on a new form XV. 3. De Dispositione Beware that you open not your Glass nor ever move it from the beginning of the work to the end thereof for then you will never bring your work to perfection Dry the Earth till it becomes thirsty in Calcination otherwise you Act in vain Divide the matter into two parts that you may separate the subtil from the gross or thin from the thick till the Earth remains in the bottom of a Livid Color XVI One part is Spiritual and Volatile but they ought all to be converted to one matter or substance And distil the Water with which you would Vivifiethe Stone till it be pure thin as water shinning with a Blew Livid Colour retaining its Figure and Ponderosity with this Water Hermes moistens or waters his Tree whilst in his Glass and makes the Flowers to increase on high XVII First divide that which Nature first tyed together converting the Essential Mercury into Air or a Vapour without which natural and subtil separation no future Generation can be compleated XVIII Your Water ought to be seven times sublimed otherwise there can never be any natural Dissolution made nor shall you see any Putrefaction like Liquid Pitch nor will the Colors appear because of the defect of the Fire Operating in your Glass XIX 4. De Ignibus There are four kinds of Fires which you ought to know the Natural the Innatural that contrary to Nature and the Elemental which burns Wood These are the fires we use and no others XX. The Fire of Nature is in every thing and is the third Menstruum The Innatural Fire is occasionally so called and it is the Fire of Ashes of Sand and Baths for putrefying and without this no Putrefaction can be done XXI The Fire against Nature is that which tears Bodies to pieces or Atoms which is the fiery Dragon violently burning like the fire of Hell Make therefore that your fire within in your Glass which will burn the Bodies much more powerfully than the vulgar Elemental fire can do XXII 5. De Conjunctione Conjunction is the joyning together of things separated and of differing Qualities or the Adequation or bringing to an equality of principles he which knows not how to separate the Elements and to divide them and then to conjoyn them again errs not knowing the true way XXIII Divide the Soul from the Body and get that for it is the Soul which causes the perpetual Conjunction the Male which is our Sol requires three parts and the Female which is his Sister nine parts then like rejoyces with like for ever XXIV Certainly Dissolution and Conjunction are two strong principles of this Science tho there may be many other principles besides XXV 6. De Putrefactione The Destruction of the Bodies is such that you are diligently to Conserve them in a Bath or our Horse-Dung viz. in a moist heat for ninty days Natural but the Putrefaction is not compleatly Absolved and brought to whiteness like the Eyes of Fishes in less than 150 days the blackness first appearing is the Index or Sign that the matter draws on to Putrefaction XXVI Being together Black like Liquid Pitch in the same time they swell and cause an Ebullition with Colors like those of the Rainbow of a most beautiful aspect and then
the water begins to whiten the whole Mass. XXVII A temperate heat working in moist Bodies brings forth blackness which having obtained there is nothing that you need fear for in the same way the Germination of our Stone does follow and forthwith to wit in the space of thirty or Forty days you have Gas or Adrop which is our Uzifer or Cinnabar and our Red Lead XXVIII Takeheed to defend your Glass from a Violent Heat and a sudden Cold make use of a moderate Fire and beware of Vitrification Beware how you bind up your matter mix it not with Salts Sulphurs nor the middle Minerals let Sophisters prate what they will Our Sulphur and our Mercury are found in Metals only XXIX 7. De Coagulatione Coagulation or Congelation is the induration or hardning of things in Calore Candido and the fixing of the Volatile Spirit The Elements are forthwith converted but the Congelation is no way impeded for those things which are Congealed in the Air melt or soften not in the Water for if so Our work would be destroyed and come to nothing XXX When the Compositum is brought to Whiteness then the Spirit is United and Congealed with the Body but it will be a good length of time before such a Congelation will appear in the likeness or Beauty of Pearls The cause of all these things is the most temperate heat continually working and moving the Matter Believe me also that your whole Labour is lost except you revivifie your Earth with the Water without that you shall never see a true Congelation XXXI This Water is a Secret drawn from the Life of all things existing in Nature for from Water all things in the World have their first beginning as you may easily perceive in many things The substance or Matter is nourished with its proper Menstruum which the Water and the Earth only produce whose proper Colour is Greenness XXXII Understand also that our fiery Water thus acuated is called the Menstrual Water in which Our Earth is dissolved and naturally Calcined by Conge lation when you have made seven Imbibitions then by a Circumvolution putrifie again all the Matter without addition beholding in the first place the blackness then the Whiteness of the Congealed Matters XXXIII Thus your Water is divided into two parts with the first part the Bodies are purified the second part is reserved for Imbibitions with which afterwards the Matter is made black and presently after with a gentle fire made White then reduce to Redness XXXIV 8. De Cibatione Cibation is the Feeding or Nourishing of our dry Matter with Milk and Meat being both administred moderately till it is reduced to the third Order you must never give so much as to cause a suffocation or that the Aqueous humour should exceed the Blood if it drinks too much the work will be hurt XXXV Three times must you turn about the Philosophick Wheel observing the Rule of the said Cibation and then in a little time it will feel the Fire so as to melt presently like Wax XXXVI 9. De Sublimatione Sublime not the matter to the top of the Vessel for without Violence you cannot bring it down to the bottom again by a temperate heat below in the space of 40 days it will become black and obscure When the Bodies are purified let them be sublimed by degrees more and more till they shall be all elevated or converted into Water XXXVII We use Sublimation for three Causes First that the Body may be made spiritual Secondly that the the Spirit may be made Corporeal aud fixed with it and become Consubstantial with it Thirdly that it may be purified from its Original Impurities and its Sulphurous Salt may be diminished with which it is infected subliming it to the Top as White as Snow XXXVIII 10. De Fermentatione Fermentations are made after divers manners by which our Medi cine is perpetuated Some dissolve Sol and Luna into a certain clear Water and with the Medicine of them they make the same to Coagulate or be Coagulated but such a Fermentation we propose not XXXIX This only is our Intention that first you must Break or Tear or Grind the matter to Atoms before you Ferment it Mix then presently your Water and Earth together and when the Medicine shall flow like Wax then see the above mentioned Amalgamation and put forth the same and when all that is mixed together above or on the top of the Glass being well closed make a Fire till the whole be Fluxed then make projection as you shall think fit because it is a Medicine wholly perfect Thus have you made the Ferment both for the Red and the White XL. The true Fermentation is the Incorporation of the Soul with the Body restoring to the same the Natural Odour Consistency and Colour by a Natural Inspissation of the separated things And as the Magnet draws Iron to it self so our Earth by Nature draws down its Soul to it self Elevated with Wind For without doubt the Earth is the Ferment of the Water and by Course or Turns the Water is the Ferment of the Earth XLI We make the Water most Odoriferous with which we reduce all the Bodies into Oyl with which Oyl we make our Medicine flow We call this Water a Quintessence or the Powers and it Heals or Cures all humane Diseases Make therefore this Oyl of Sol and Luna which is a Ferment most fragrant in smell XLII 11. De Exaltatione Exaltation differs a little from Sublimation if you understand aright the words of the Philosophers If therefore you would Exalt your Bodies sublime them first with Spiritus Vitae then let the Earth be subtiliated by a Natural rectification of all the Elements so shall it be more pretious than Gold because of the Quintessence or Powers which they contain XLIII When the Cold does overcome the Heat then the Air is converted into water so two contraries are made by the way till they kindly conjoyn and rest together after this manner you must work them that they may be Circulated that they one with another may speedily be Exalted together In one Glass well Sealed all this Operation is to be done and not with hands XLIV Convert the Water into Earth which will quickly be the Nest of the other Elements for the Earth is in the Fire which rests in the Air. Begin this Circulation in the West then continue it till past the Meridian so will they be exalted XLV 12. De Multiplicatione Multiplication is the thing which makes the augmentation of the Medicine in Color Smell Vertue and Quantity for it is a Fire which being Excited never dies but always dwells with you one spark of which is able to make more Fire by the Virtue of Multiplication XLVI He is rich which has but one Particle or Grain of this our Elixir because that Grain is possible to be augmented by one way to Infinity if you dissolve this our dry Pouder and make a