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
declared And these things I thought fit to speak as a warning to the prudent Sons of Art that they spend not their Money unprofitably but may know what they ought to look after for by this only they may attain to the perfection of this Secret and by no other means Farewel The Secret Book of Artephius CHAP. III. Of the Composition of our Antimonial Vinegar or Secret Water I. ANtimonium est de partibus Saturni in omnibus modis habet naturam ejus Antimonium Saturninum convenit Soli in eo est argentum vivum in qu◠non submergitur aliquod metallum nisi aurum id est Sol submergitur verè tantum in argento vivo Antimoniali Saturniali II. Et sine illo Argento vivo aliquod metallum dealbari non potest Dealbat ergo latonem id est aurum reducit corpus perfectum in suam primam materiam id est in sulphur argentum vivum albi coloris plusquam speculum splendentis III. Dissolvit inquam corpus perfectum quod est de sua natura Nam illa aqua est amicabilis metallis placabilis dealbans Solem quia continet argentum vivum album IV. Et ex hoc utrique maximum elicias secretum videlicet quod aqua Antimonij Saturnini debet esse Mercurialis alba ut dealbet aurum non urens sed dissolvens postea se congelans in formam cremoris albi V. Ideo dicit Philosophus quod aqua ista facit corpus volatile propterea quod postquam in haec aqua dissolutum fuerit infrigidatum ascendit superius in superficie aquae VI. Recipe inquit 〈◊〉 crudum foliatum vel laminatum vel calcinatum per Mercurium ipsum pone in aceto nostro Antimoniali Saturniali Mercuriali salis armoniaci ut dicitur in vase vitreo lato alto quatuor digitorum vel plus dimitte ibi in calore temperato videbis brevi tempore elevari quasi liquorem olei desuper natantem in modum pelliculae VII Collige illud cum cocleari vel pennâ intingendo sic pluribus vicibus in die collige donec nihil amplius ascendat ad ignem facies evaporare aquam id est superfluam humiditatem aceti remanebit tibi quinta essentia auri in modum olei albi incombustibilis VIII In quo oleo Philosophi posuerunt maxima secreta hoc oleum habet dulcedi nem maximam atque valet ad mitigandos dolores vulnerum I. ANtimony is a Mineral participating of Saturnine parts and has in all respects the nature thereof This Saturnine Antimony agrees with Sol and contains in it self Argent vive in which no Metal is swallowed up except Gold and Gold is truly swallowed up by this Antimonial Argent Vive II. Without this Argent Vive no Metal whatsoever can be whitened it whitens Laton i. e. Gold and reduceth a perfect Body into its prima Materia or first Matter viz. into Sulphur and Argent Vive of a white Colour and out-shining a Looking-Glass III. It dissolves I say the perfect Body which is so in its own Nature for this Water is friendly and agreeable with the Metals whitening Sol because it contains in it self white or pure Argent Vive IV. And from both these you may draw a great Arcanum viz. a Water of Saturnine Antimony mercurial and white to the end that it may whiten Sol not burning but dissolving and afterwards congealing to the consistence or likeness of white Cream V. Therefore saith the Philosopher this Water makes the Body to be volatile because after it has been dissolved in it and infrigidated it ascends above and swims upon the surface of the Water VI. Take saith he crude Leaf-Gold or calcin'd with Mercury and put it into our Vinegar made of Saturnine Antimony Mercurial and Sal Armoniack as is said in a broad Glass Vessel and four Inches high or more put it into a gentle heat and in a short time you will see elevated a Liquor as it were Oyl swimming a top much like a Scum VII Gather this with a Spoon or a Feather dipping it in and so doing oftentimes a day till nothing more arise Evapourate away the Water with a gentle heat i. e. the superfluous humidity of the Vinegar and there will remain the Quintessence Potestates or Powers of Gold in form of a white Oyl incombustible VIII In this Oyl the the Philosophers have placed their greatest Secrets it is exceeding sweet and of great virtue for easing the pains of Wounds CHAP. IV. Of the Operations of our Antimonial Vinegar or Mineral Water I. EST igitur totum secretum istius secreti Antimonialis ut per hoc sciamus extrahere argentum viv de corpore magnesiae non urens hoc est Antimonium sublimatum Mercuriale II. Id est opportet extrahere unam aquam vivam incombustibilem dein illam congelare cum corpore perfecto Solis quod inibi dissolvitur in naturam substantiam albam congelatam ac si esset cremor totum deveniat album III. Sed prius Sol iste in sua putrefactione resolutione in hac aqua in principio amittet lumen suum obscurabitur nigrescet demum elevabit se super aquam paulatim illi albus supernatabit color in substantiam albam IV. Et hoc est dealbare latonem rubeum eum sublimare Philosophicè reducere in suam primam materiam id est in sulphur Album incombustibile in argentum vivum fixum V. Et sic humidum terminatum id est Aurum corpus nostrum per reiterationem liquefactionis in aqua nostra dissolutiva convertitur reducitur in sulphur argentum vivum fixum VI. Et sic corpus perfectum Solis accipit vitam in tali aqua vivificatur inspiratur crescit multiplicatur in sua specie sicut res caeterae VII Nam in ipsa aqua corpus ex duobus corporibus Solis Eunae sit ut 〈◊〉 tumeat ingrossetur elevetur crescat accipiendo substantiam naturam animatam vegetabilem VIII Nostra etiam Aqua ceu acetum supradictum est acetum montium id est Solis Lunae ideo miscetur Soli Lunae illisque adhaeret in perpetuum ac corpus ab illa accipit tincturam albedinis splendet cum ea fulgore inaestimabili IX Qui sciverit igitur convertere corpus in Argentum album medicinale facile deinde poterit convertere per istud Aurum album omnia metalla imperfecta in optimum Argentum finum X. Et 〈◊〉 Aurum album dicitur a Philosophis Luna alba Philosophorum Argentum vivum album fixum aurum Alchimiae fumus albus Ergo sine illo aceto nostro Antimoniali Aurum album Al chimiae non 〈◊〉 XI Et quia in aceto nostro est duplex substantia Argenti vivi una ex Antimonio altera ex Mercurio sublimato ideo dat duplex pondus
keep the Mixture for use Dose from six Drams to an Ounce every Night going to Bed drinking after it three Ounces of the Essence of Speedwel in a Glass of Rhenish-wine and Sugar Salmon XXXII Beverovicius de Calculo Cap. 12. saith That when the ways are loosned I suppose he means with Oily and Mucilaginous things nothing is more effectual to remove the Stone than one Dram of Sal Prunellae to be given in Rhenish-wine warm by which Medicine alone saith he I have often brought away the Stone of the Bladder from Children Crabs-Eyes are of tenuious Parts and Diuretick they break the Stone and force it away by Urine especially the Liquor of them which prepared after this manner is best Take Crabs-Eyes finely poudred two Ounces Acetum Terebinthinatum four Ounces stop and digest for a Night in hot Ashes the next Day decant what is clear and pour on as much more repeating this work so often 'till all the Pouder is dissolved These Liquors filterate and evaporate to dryness and the Salt will remain at bottom which dissolve in a Cellar into Liquor per deliquium Dose gut ten or twelve in Horse Radish Water or some such like This Liquor is much more efficacious than the Crabs-Eyes in substance XXXIII Quercetan his nephritick-Nephritick-water is of great account and it is thus made Take Juice of Horse-Radish of Limons ana one Pound and a half Waters of Betony Saxifrage Wild Tansey Vervain ana one Pound Hydromel Malmsey ana two Pound Juniper-berries three Ounces Seeds of Millet great Burdock Nettles Onions Anise Fennel ana one Ounoe and a half of the four greater cold Seeds Marsh-mallows ana six Drams burnt Egg-shells Cinnamon ana three Drams Cloves two Drams digest all four or five days in a gentle Balneo then strain out and distill in Ashes He says this Water does wonders in the Stone and against suppression of Urine Dose from two Drams to an Ounce He adds a Dram of two sorts of Lithontriptick Species to the Composition but the smalness of the proportion to the former large quantity signifies but little I am of Opinion the Juice of Limons alone depurated without that specious preparation or given in Malmsey-wine as Guarinonius advises may be as good it is found by experience effectually to purge and cleanse the Reins and to give help to many and that without any harm to the Stomach especially if sheathed with Honey or Sugar XXXIV Brannerus de Calculo commends the following Syrup as an excellent Remedy leaving no calculous Matter behind in the Kidnies if after Purging two Spoonfuls of it be taken at a time in the Morning Fasting Take Juice of Speedwell one Pound Juice of Ground Ivy six Ounces of Purslane three Ounces mix and make a Syrup with Honey one Pound and a half Both Helmont and Faber commend the Liquor of the Birch-Tree which we call Birch-wine as a Remedy that does not only expel the Stone and Gravel but also prevents the Bleeding thereof XXXV Riverius saith The Ashes of Egg-shells given from half a Dram to one Dram in White-wine powerfully expels the Stone lodged in the passages of the Urine So also the Salt of Bean-Cods and Stalks of which half a Dram in White-wine operates after a wonderful manner Also Tartar Vitriolate given in the same Dose Spirit of Salt is also praised some drops of it being taken in the Morning Fasting in Broth or some other Liquor as Wine Decoction of Eringo c. He commends this Potion not a little Take Strawberry and Saxifrage-waters ana two Ounces White wine six Ounces Oyl of sweet Almonds two Ounces Spirit of Vitriol one Dram mix for three Doses to be given six Hours one after another Take Sal Prunellae Crystals of Tartar Pouder of Ivy-berries and Leaves of Cresses ana partes equales with some proper Syrup make Pills of which take one Dram every Morning Fasting XXXVI AEtius Sextus Platonicus and Guarinonius do all of them commend a Hare baked in an Oven 'till it is dry then poudred but Poterius saith the Ashes of a Hare given from one to two Drams in Wine is profitable to expel the Stone some say to dissolve it as also to prevent its breeding for the future made into Pills with Turpentine it is indeed of good use The Pouder of Deers-blood given to one Dram is commended to expel the Stone as Hoferus affirms Motherwort and the Roots of Vervain in Pouder or the Essence of those Plants prepared as we have taught in Chap. 5. Sect. 35 and 37. and drank with White-wine or Mead a little warmed are incredible Remedies in removing all things that hinder the passage of the Urine as Hofman and Marquardus say XXXVII For Medicines given Clyster-wise Fontanus commends the Decoction of Millet given to half a Pint but without doubt it may be much more effectual if half an Ounce of Turpentine be added to it being first ground with the Yolk of an Egg to open its body XXXVIII Zecchius in his Consultations commends yea says nothing is better to bring away the Stone in the Kidnies than warm Water or Veal or Mutton or Chicken-broth five or six Ounces being drunk pretty warm Morning and Evening before Eating And the great heat of the Reins will be taken away which is the essicient cause of the pains of the Stone returning if boyled Water to the quantity of seven or eight Ounces be drank before Meals twice a day for nothing renders the Kidnies so free from Recrements and so temperate and their fiery heat is at length extinguished with the warm Water so that they can never after breed the Stone If to what our Author here says you add to each Draught half a Dram of Salt of Tartar or pure Nitre it will in my Opinion be much more effectual because those Salts do in some measure direct the Water to the parts afficted If also it be sweetned with Honey the Medicament will be still the better for that it will less disaffect the Stomach which in some People it will be apt to do Salmon XXXIX Saxonia in prescribing some familiar Purge for such as are troubled with the Stone mightily discommends the use of Cassia whether for Prevention or Revulsion Petrus Pigray Lib. 7. Cap. 4. says That Cassia agrees very ill with those that are troubled with the Stone Others say that Cassia has increased the Disease and that the heat of Urine always followed the taking of it Fabritius Hildanus tells us That two Ounces of Cassia being given one in a continual Fever it raised such a Flux of Urine that for three days together he made his Urine so hot every time that he thought a red hot Wire had been drawn through his Yard XL To all this we answer 1 That very famous Physicians no ways inferior to the former have constantly used Cassia with very good success Platerus scarcely gave any thing in the Stone without it and often gave it mixt with Manna And the learned
the Gold Take the Gold which you have scraped out of the Retort and pouder it very small in your Glass Mortar with which mingle your Mercury by degrees or by little and little your Mercury will hardly mix with your Gold the reason is the Gold is full of the Praecipiolum and then it is time to separate the Praecipiolum from the Gold and Mercury which is a Womans work when her Cloths are foul she washes them from their foulness The same way you must cleanse or separate the Praecipiolum from the Gold and Mercury as followeth XI When you have the sign that your Mercury will hardly amalgamate or mix with your Gold or that the Gold will not enter into the Mercury then pour on it the fairest Water distilled Water is best three Fingers breadth above the Sol or Luna and Mercury which wash together in the Mortar with a Pestel very well till the Water is blewish black then it is a sign that the Gold le ts fall its Tartar or Praecipiolum into the Water Pour off this Water into a Glass but be careful that not any of the Mercury goes off with it for this Mercury will no more mix with common fair Water than Oil and Water will mix Put more fresh Water upon your Gold and Mercury and wash it again 'till the Water is blew again pour it off as aforesaid Thus continue washing 'till your Water remains white Put this last Water to the other Waters in the Glass and cover the Glass very close that not any foulness may fall into the Glass XII The Praecipiolum being thus washed away the Mercury will again amalgamate with the Gold as Oil will dissolve Wax Take the Amalgama dry it upon warm Ashes very softly with a Sponge or on Paper and by a little heat that the Amalgama may be dry which put again into the Retort and distil it as aforesaid by Sect. 8. 9. so long 'till the Gold will hardly Amalgamate with the Mercury then separate the Praecipiolum as aforesaid by Sect. 10. 11. XIII Now observe I gave you a charge that you should keep your Glass close wherein you put your blewest Water which will be clear and a Pouder at bottom which is some of the Praecipiolum The clear Water pour off without disturbing it as soon as you can into another Glass Now when you see that your Gold will hardly mit with your Mercury or not without great trouble pour the same Water which you poured off from the Praecipiolum upon your Amalgama and wash it again 'till the Water is blewish as aforesaid which pour off and continue so doing 'till the Water is colourless by Sect. 11. XIV Then take the Amalgama again and dry it and repeat the same Work again by Sect. 12. 'till you have the sign which wash again with the aforesaid Water by Sect. 13. and you will find that your Praecipiolum will 〈◊〉 daily This distillation and washing you shall continue 'till the Mercury is freed from the Mercurium coagulatum or Praecipiolum XV. Observe that as the Water grows less you add to it as need requires fresh Water Now the sign when the Mercury has lost all its Sperm or its Tartar or Coagulum or Praecipiolum is That that Mercury will Eternally Amalgamate with the Gold so that they will always mix well together And if you should a thousand times Amalgamate that Gold and Mercury and as often distil the one from the other yet they will still Amalgamate again or mix And if you should wash them a thousand times with fresh Water the Water will be clear and not blewish As long as any Salt or Praecipiolum is in the Mercury you cannot distil two three or four times the Mercury from the Sol but it will be difficult to Amalgamate or mit the one with the other and when you will have it to mix you must wash it and then it will Amalgamate well again But when that the Salt or Praecipiolum is all separated from the Mercury it will Amalgamate or mit after a thousand distillations as aforesaid And if it be wash'd a thousand times the Water will always be clear XVI To prepare the Praecipiolum to a Medicine Pour the clear Waters from the Pouder which lies at the bottom in the Glass that no Water may be left on the Pouder put the Glass on a little warm Ashes that the Pouder may dry which will look blewish Yellow Put this Pouder into a little Cucurbit Glass or Bolt-head and distil off from it the Water of Eggs five or six times or so long 'till the Pouder becomes Red and distil off from it five or six times Spirit of Wine so is it fitted for Medicine Dostwo or almost three Grains XVII To make the Water of Eggs. Take a good quantity of Eggs boyl them very hard take the Whites and cut them very small and distil them in an Alembick per Cineres very softly 'till you have got all the Water from the Whites then take the Egg-shells calcine them put them into a Retort put upon them the former that is their own Water and distil per Arenam with a strong Fire put this Water upon Ashes again and distil it again Thus continue it five or six times so the Water will be fitted for the Praecipiolum XVIII The Philosophers Key which is the Sal Prae cipioli or Salt of the Mercury coagulate You may remember that I gave you Instruction that you should pour off the clear VVater from the Praecipiolum and you should make dry the Praecipiolum and bring it into a Medicinal red Pouder Or you should bring it into its first Matter which shall bring all Mettals principally its own Body into its first Matter which cannot be done without the Sal Praecipioli which is hidden in the VVater you pour off from the Praecipiolum That same VVater filtre through brown Paper and set the VVater to evaporate in a round Glass very softly in Ashes VVhen the VVater is evaporated away you will find at the bottom of the Glass a yellow whitish Salt which is Sal Praecipioli and the Clavis Philosophorum wherewith they do unlock the Lock of the Praecipiolum which brings the same into its first Matter If you know not this Salt you know nothing of the true Chymistry This Salt does decrease in the decrease of the Moon and increase in the full One Grain will purge very safely all Podagra's Struma's venerial and hydropical Humors with two Grains of the Praecipiolum prepared XIX To bring the Praecipiolum into its first Matter or slippery Water Take of the Salt p. 1. of the Praecipiolum p. 2. being dry first dissolve the Salt in warm Water and put it upon the Praecipiolum and evaporate it away very gently in warm Ashes with a very gentle fire then is the Praecipiolum with its own Salt put it into a little Retort nip up the neck of the Retort very close put it into Balneum
substantiam Argenti vivi fixi etiam augmentat in eo suum nativum colorem pondus substantiam tincturam I. THE whole then of this Antimonial Secret is That we know how by it to extract or draw forth Argent Vive out of the Body of Magnesia not burning and this is Antimony and a Mercurial Sublimate II. That is you must extract a living and incombustible Water and then congeal or coagulate it with the perfect body of Sol i. e. fine Gold without allay which is done by dissolving it into a nature and white Substance of the consistency of Cream and made throughly white III. But first this Sol by putrefaction and resolution in this Water loseth all its light or brightness and will grow dark and black afterwards it will ascend above the Water and by little and little will swim upon it in a substance of a white colour IV. And this is the whitening of Red Laton to sublime it philosophically and to reduce it into its first Matter viz. into a white incombustible Sulphur and into a fixed Argent Vive V. And so the fixed moisture to wit Gold our Body by the reiterating of the Liquifaction or Dissolution in this our dissolving Water is changed and reduced into fixed Sulphur and fixed Argent Vive VI. Thus the perfect body of Sol resumeth Life in this Water it is revived inspired grows and is multiplied in its kind as all other things are VII For in this Water it so happens that the body compounded of two bodies viz. Sol and Luna is puffed up swells putrefies is raised up and does increase by receiving from the Vegetable and animated Nature and Substance VIII Our Water also or Vinegar aforesaid is the Vinegar of the Mountains i. e. of Sol and Luna and therefore it is mixed with Gold and Silver and sticks close to them perpetually and the body receiveth from this Water a white Tincture and shines with an inestimable brightness IX Who so therefore knows how to convert or change the body into a medicinal white Gold may easily by the same white Gold change all imperfect Metals into the best and finest Silver X. And this white Gold is called by the Philosophers Luna alba Philosophorum Argentum vivum album fixum Aurum Alchymiae and fumus albus And therefore without this our Antimonial Vinegar the Aurum album of the Philosophers cannot be made XI And because in our Vinegar there is a double substance of Argentum vivum the one from Antimony the other from Mercury Sublimate it does give a double weight and substance of fixed Argent vive and also augments therein the native colour weight substance and tincture thereof CHAP. V. Of other Operations of our secret Mineral Water and its Tincture I. NOstra igitur Aqua dissolutiva portat magnam Tincturam magnamque fusionem propterea quod quando sentit ignem communem si in ea est conpus perfectum Solis vel Lunae subitò illud fudi facit liquefieri conperti in suam substantiam albam ut ipsa est addit colorem pondus Tincturam corpori II. Est etiam solutiva omnium liquabilium est Aqua ponderosa viscosa praetiosa honoranda resolvens omnia corpora cruda in eorum primam Materiam hoc est in Terram pulverem viscosum id est in Sulphur Argentum vivum III. Si ergo posueris in illa Aqua quodcunque Metallum limatum vel attenuatum demittas per tempus in calore leni dissolvetur totum vertetur in aquam viscosam sive Oleum album ut dictum est IV. Et sic mollificat corpus praeparat ad fusionem liquefactionem imò facit omnia fusibilia id est lapides Metalla postea illis dat Spiritum Vitam V. Dissolvit ergo omnia solutione mirabili convertens corpus perfectum in Medicinam fusibilem fundentem penetrantem magis fixam augens pondus colorem VI. Operare ergo cum ea consequeris quod desideras ab ea Nam est Spiritus anima Solis Lunae Oleum Aqua dissolutiva fons balneum Mariae ignis contra naturam ignis bumidus ignis secretus occultus in visibilis VII Atque acetum acerrimum de quo quidam antiquus Philosophus dicit Rogavi Dominum ostendit mihi 〈◊〉 aquam nitidam quam cognovi esse purum acetum alterans penetrans digerens VIII Acetum inquam penetrativum Instrumentum movens ad putrefaciendum resolvendum reducendum aurum vel argentum in sui primam materiam IX Et est unicum agens in toto mundo in hac arte quod videlicet potest resolvere reincrudare corpora metallica sub conservatione suae speciei X. Est igitur solum medium aptum naturale per quod debemus resolvere corpora perfecta Solis Lunae mirabili solemni solutione sub conservatione suae speciei absque ulla destructione nisi ad novam nobiliorem meliorem formam sive generationem scilicet in lapidem perfectum philosophorum quod est secretum arcanum eorum mirabile XI Est autem aqua illa media quaedam substantia clara ut argentum purum quae debet recipere tincturas Solis Lunae ut congeletur convertatur in terram albam vivam XII Ista enim aqua eget corporibus perfectis ut cum illis post dissolutionem congeletur fixetur coaguletur in terram albam XIII Solutio autem eorum est etiam congelatio eorum Nam unam eandem habent opera tionem quia non solvitur unum quin congeletur alterum nec est alia aqua quae possit dissolvere corpora nisi illa quae permanet cum eis in materia forma XIV Imo permanens esse non potest nisi sit ex alterius natura ut fiant simul unum XV. Cum videris igitur a quam coagulare seipsam cum corporibus in ea solutis ratus esto scientiam methodum operationes tuas esse veras ac philosophicas teque in arte rectè procedere I OUR dissolving Water therefore carries with it a great Tincture and a great melting or dissolving because that when it feels the vulgar Fire if there be in it the pure or fine bodies of Sol or Luna it immediately melts them and converts them into its white Substance such as it self is and gives to the Body colour weight and tincture II. In it also is a power of liquifying or melting all things that can be melted or dissolved it is a Water ponderous viscous precious and worthy to be esteemed resolving all crude Bodies into their prima Materia or first Matter viz. into Earth and a viscous Pouder that is into Sulphur and Argentum vivum III. If therefore you put into this Water Leaves Filings or Calx of any Metal and set it in a gentle Heat for a time the whole will
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
Womans Work and the Play of Children III. Go to then my Son put up thy Supplications to God Almighty be dilligent in searching the Books of the Learned in this Science for one Book openeth another think and meditate of these things profoundly and avoid all things which vanish in or will not endure the Fire because from those adustible perishing or consuming things you can never attain to the perfect matter which is only found in the digesting of your Water extracted from Sol and Luna IV. For by this Water Colour and Ponderosity or Weight are infinitely given to the matter and this Water is a white Vapor which like a Soul flows through the perfect Bodies taking wholly from them their blackness and impurities uniting the two bodies in one and increasing their Water V. Nor is there any other thing than Azoth to wit this our Water which can take from the perfect bodies of Sol and Luna their natural Colour making the red Body white according to the Disposition thereof VI. Now let us speak of the Fire Our Fire then is Mineral equal continuous it fumes not unless it be too much stirred up participates of Sulphur and is taken from other things than from the Matter it over-turns all things dissolves congeals and calcines and is to be found out by Art or after an Artificial manner VII It is a compendious thing gotten without cost or charge or at least without any great purchase it is humid vaporous digestive altering penetrating subtile spirituous not violent incombustible circumspective continent and one only thing VIII It is also a Fountain of living Water which circumvolveth and contains the place in which the King and Queen bathe themselves through the whole Work this moist Fire is sufficient in the beginning middle and end because in it the whole Art does consist IX This is the natural Fire which is yet against Nature not natural and which burns not and lastly this Fire is hot cold dry moist meditate on these things and proceed directly without any thing of a forreign Nature X. If you understand not these Fires give ear to what I have yet to say never as yet written in any book but drawn from the more abstruse and occult Riddles of the Ancients CHAP. XV. Of the three kinds of Fires of the Philosophers in particular I. TRES proprìe habemus ignes sine quibus ars non perficitur qui absque illis laborat in unum curas sus cipit II. Primus est lampadis is continuus est humidus vaporosus aêreus artificialis ad inveniendum III. Nam lampas debet esse proportionata ad clausuram in hac utendum est magno judicio quod non pervenit ad artificem dura cervicis IV. Quia si ignis lampadis non est geometricè debitè proportionatus aut per defectum caloris non videbis signa in tempore designata atque prae nimia mora expectatio aufugiet tua aut 〈◊〉 ardore nimio flores auri cemburentur laborem tuum iniquè deflebis V. Secundus ignis est cinerum in quibus vasrecluditur Hermeticè sigillatum aut polius est calor ille suavissimus qui ex vapore temperato lampadis circuit aequaliter vas VI. Hic violentus non eft nisi nimium excitetur digerens est alterans est ex alio corpore quam à materia sumitur unicus est est etiam humidus innaturalis c. VII Tertius est ignis ille naturalis aquae nostrae quae vocatur etiam contra naturam quia est aqua nihilominus ex auro facit merum spiritum quod ignis communis facere non potest VIII Hic mineralis est aequalis est de sulphure participat omnia diruit congelat solvit ac calcinat hic est penetrans subtilis incomburens est fons aquae vivae in quo se lavant Rex Regina quo indigemus in toto opere in principio medio fine IX Aliis vero duobus supradictis non sed tantum aliquando c. X. Conjunge ergo in legendis libris philosophorum hos tres ignes proculdubio intellectus eorum de ignibus non te latebit I. WE have properly three Fires without which this our Art cannot be perfected and whosoever works without them takes a great deal of Labour in vain II. The First Fire is that of the Lamp which is continuous humid vaporous Spiritous and found out by Art III. This Lamp-fire ought to be proportioned to the enclosure wherein you must use great Judgment which none can attain to but he that can bend to the search thereof IV. For if this Fire of the Lamp be not measured and duly proportioned or fitted to the Fornace it will be that either for want of heat you will not see the expected Signs in their limited times whereby you will lose your hopes and expectation by a too long delay Or else by reason of too much heat you will burn the Flores Auri the Golden Flowers and so foolishly bewail your lost Expence V. The Second Fire is Ignis Cinerum an Ash heat in which the Vessel hermetically sealed is recluded or buried Or rather it is that most sweet and gentle heat which proceeding from the temperate Vapours of the Lamp does equally surround your Vessel VI. This Fire is not violent or forcing except it be too much excited or stirred up it is a Fire digestive alterative and taken from another body than the matter being but one only moist also and not natural VII The Third Fire is the natural Fire of our Water which is also called the Fire against nature because it is Water and yet nevertheless it makes a mere Spirit of Gold which common Fire is not able to do VIII This Fire is Mineral equal and participates of Sulphur it overturns or destroys congeals dissolves and calcines it is penetrating subtil incombustible and not burning and is the fountain of Living Water wherein the King and Queen bathe themselves whose help we stand in need of through the whole Work through the beginning middle and end IX But the other Two above-mentioned we have not always occasion for but only at some times X. In reading therefore the books of Philosophers conjoin these Three Fires in your Judgment and without doubt you will understand whatever they have wrote of them CHAP. XVI Of the Colours of Our Philosophick Tincture or Stone I. QUoad Colores qui non nigrefacit dealbare non potest quia nigredo est albedinis principium signum putrefactionis alterationis quod corpus penetratum mortificatum jam est II. Ergo in hac putrefactione in hac aqua primò apparet nigredo sicut brodium saginatum piperatum III. Secundò terra nigra continuò decoquendo dealbatur quia anima horum supernatat ut remor albus in hac albedine uniuntur omnes spiritus sic quod denuò aufugere non possunt IV. Et
be prostituted or bestowed upon unworthy Men who are naughty or swoln up with Pride or whose Souls are bound up in their Covetousness VIII I require not of you for this Secret a great Summ of Gold or Silver nor do I put this Secret in writing for you to bestow much Cost and Expences upon it nor do I for my self desire any reward these things agree not with the Philosophick Verity which professes that its Works are not chargeable and Expensive Morienus saith beware that you spend nothing in this Magistery of Gold And Dastine saith with the Value of one Noble is the whole Magistery performed IX Since then it is so in what thing is our Gold to be found Is it not in Mercury which is called Quick or living Gold Raymandus saith He that will reduce Quick-Gold into thin water must make it doe it and Work it by its contrary 〈◊〉 saith he Quick or living Gold has in its self four Natures and four humours or Elements And therefore saith he if you putrefie its Cold with its Hot and its Dry with its Moist you shall not only have the Humidity of all Bodies but you shall have a Menstruum which will dissolve Argent Vive for ever For the least part of Mercury being once dissolved the dissolved Mercury will always dissolve Mercury ad Infinitum X. Mercury may as well be called Quick-Gold as Quick-Silver for it contains them both If Air will make this separation we must put thereto divers contrary things as Roger Bacon saith in Speculo But this putrefaction cannot be done till it is dissolved in Water white as Milk putrifie that Milk 15 days in B. M. then separate its Element and cleanse its Earth and after that joyn it again in equal weight then is the Elixir made compleate for Saturn and Jupiter Quick Gold is Crude Imperfect and unfixt in every degree and yet it is accounted a Body altho' there be no fixation in it and therefore it may be much sooner brought to its first matter than any other of the Bodies that have any part of fixation in them for they must have much Labour and long time to separate them and bring them back into their fixt matter XI For saith Lully The Elements of Mercury may be dissolved and being so dissolved they may be separated There be some that think our Resoluble Seed or dissolved Menstrum is the water of Argent Vive made only by it self because it does dissolve both Metals and pretious Stones which we call Pearls and so it is Now how this dissolving Menstrum is made not only Raymund seems to shew but Roger Bacon in like manner in his Speculum Alchymiae where he saith put the Body which is most weighty into a Distillatory and draw forth thereof its Sweet Ros or Dew with a little Wind or Breath for betwixt every drop of Water comes forth a Breath as it were of a Man which is the substance of Argent Vive and which the Philosophers call our Mercury which if it be well putrefied before hand will then yield the more and Issue out forcibly as if it were Wild-Fire out of a Trunk especially when the Red Fume comes Thus have you one of our Argent Vives XII To the same thing Raymundus assents where he saith then have you that Argent Vive which is called Ours and so it is indeed one of Our Argent Vive altho' the intent of the same Philosopher in Libro Animae Artis Transmutatoriae Cap. 2. was touching another more noble and more excellent Water supposed by some to be Our Burning-Water drawn out of the Gum of Vitriol by the Virtue of which most Noble and Excellent attractive Water he did not only often dissolve the Body of Sol not as he doth it with the aforesaid Argent Vive commonly dissolved but also the same solar Body by force of that attractive Virtue is disposed in a more noble manner as I my self have seen done not only in the Metalline Elixir but also in the Elixir of Life as hereafter shall be declared Chap. 71 72. Sect. XIII It is fansied by an Experienced Philosopher that Mercury did speak and said I am the Father of Enchantments Brother to the Sun and Sister to the Moon I am the Water of Life drawn out of Wine i. e. out of the Wine of Mercury I kill that which was alive and make alive that which was dead I make Black and I make White and I carry in my Belly the Sol of Philosophers and therefore he that can joyn me after that I am dissolved and made the pure clear and Silver like Water called Lac Virginis with my Brother the Sun he shall tinge him with my Soul not only much more than he was before by an hundred fold but also if he be joyned with my Sister Luna he shall make all things fair and bright this Lac Virginis is a Silver-like Water somewhat thick CHAP. LXII A farther Discourse of the Philosophers Mercury I. OF this Mercury speaks another Philosopher thus when its Elements are separated and again joyned and mixed together by equal weight then is it made a compleat Elixir upon Saturn and Jupiter but its Elements cannot be separated until such time as it is dissolved and of this Metalline Water ought the Artist to draw the Tincture II. The Elements of Mercury being separated and again commixed by equal weight or proportion make the Elixir compleat with often dissolving and congealing of the Spirit which must be done upon a Marble Stone weighing the Body and then taking its weight of the Secret Salt grinding them together very subtil then putting them into Balneo that they may be dissolved which done take it out and make your congelatiin a dry Fire do so oftentimes and then c. III. And therefore to confirm this Raymundus saith O my Son Our Tincture is drawn out of one Vile thing and is decked finished and ended with another thing which is more Noble for we do Ferment it with Vulgar Gold He calls it Vile because he saith it is sometimes found in Vile places as in Old draughts also it is Vile because as Raymundus saith it is found not only in a filthy form and ugly shape but because it is in every thing of the which saith Albertus is made a Permanent or fixt Water IV. Here is to be Noted that Raymundus commands this Tincture to be drawn out of the Body of Venus which Tincture he does Ferment with the prepared Calx of common or Vulgar Gold V. And therefore saith Avicen it behoves you to have a great quantity of our Gold and of our Silver to the end that thereby the humours may be drawn forth viz. to have at the least sixty pounds weight which will be a sufficient quantity for your whole life He also saith the best Mercury is brought in skins from Mount Passulane Of this Mercury Geber saith you must labour in all your work to separate Mercury or as others
dissolved and put it into a Vessel which stop well and set it in Balneo for seven days so will the water or fire of Nature become a Citrine Color IV. This water or fire of Nature by its attractive Virtue will draw away the Tincture from the fire against Nature as Raymundus saith in his practical Alphabet And altho' it is somewhat opposite to Nature to dissolve the Bodies with the fire against Nature yet if you know how to comfort the matter with the fire of Nature and by Balneation in 15 days to draw it from the blackness of the water or fire against Nature the which may be done as I have proved in 6 days you shall perfect the work and attain the desired end V. Let the aforesaid Natural Water or fire of Nature so tinged with a Yellow Color be always warily emptied and poured off from the aforesaid dissolved Bodies into another Vessel with a narrow Mouth that may be firmly stopped and then with more of the said fire let there be made in Balnco in the space of time aforesaid another quantity of the said Oyl VI. And so the same water being tinged with Sol or Gold let it be warily emptied and poured off as before and when the water of Nature will be tinged no more then it is a sign that the Tincture is all drawn forth from the dissolved Body by the Fire against Nature VII Put the Tinctures thus decanted off into a Glass Stillatory and with a soft or easie Fire abstract the Water or Fire of Nature from the same so long till you see in the bottom an Oyl to which you must put New Fire of Nature again well rectified and after the Matter has stood in Balneo for the space of 6 days then abstract the said water or fire of Nature by distillation VIII And let the work with the same water be repeated upon and from the said Oyl after the same manner so long till you have brought your Oyl of Gold to be most subtil and pure without any Foeculent grossness wherein let nothing of the water or fire of Nature be left behind but the substance of Gold only turned to Oyl IX This subtil and pure Oyl of Gold being put in Kemia or its proper Vessel and firmly sealed up may by the aforesaid Regiments be changed into the great Elixir as it is shewed before with the other simple Oyl made with the Compounded Water in the former practice at Sect. 8. Chap. 65. aforegoing X. But to proceed sublime Quick-Silver with Roman Vitriol and prepared or Calcined Salt and after that sublime it by it self alone three times from its Foeculent substance This done and the same made into Pouder put this sublimate Pouder into a fixatory Vessel and put thereto a certain quantity of your aforesaid Oyl of Gold but so much only as may scarcely cover the sublimate firmly close the Vessel and set it in a soft Fire till the Natures are perfectly joyned together XI This done grind it upon a Marble and Incerate it again with your said Oyl of Gold and after put it again into its Fixatory Vessel under a Fire of the first Degree as before and let the same Vessel stand twice as long as it did before to the Intent that the Natures may be firmly Compact and United together XII Now this Rule is generally to be Observed that the Vessel with the Matter in it to be fixed ought always to be set over the fire from time to time to be augmented and this Inceration to be continued still upon the Argent Vive sublimed until the same is perfectly fixed with the said Oyl or substance of Gold XIII The which must be proved upon a Plate of Silver Red Hot And if it be found fixed let it have for the greater certainty one Inceration more of the said Oyl which set under a strong fire for the space of three days then grind it with your Oyl upon the same Stone till it be as thick as an Oyntment which make perfectly dry with an easie fire and then let it be Calcined with a strong fire for the space of eight hours XIV Which done then Incerate it and dry it again with a soft or gentle fire oftentimes till it stands in the fire like melted Wax This Medicine will transmute Silver substantially and perfectly into fine and pure Alchymick Gold perfect to all the works of Goldsmiths but not to Medicine for Man CHAP. LXVII Two other Mineral Elixirs or Two other Processes of Mercury I. THere be many other Noble and Profitable Secrets in this Art or Mystery of our Mineral Stone viz. good Elixirs to be made out of Metalline Bodies of which Mineral Elixirs two are more excellent than the rest the first of which we shall handle in this Chapter Here comes in the Process or Practical Operation of Mercury mentioned Chap. 61. Sect. 13. aforegoing II. The first of these Elixirs is only in Mercury The second in Mercury and the White Body for the White Elixir and with the same to the Red too if you so please being prudently pursued and sought after III. The first manner to Elixirate only with Mercury is thus Dissolve Mercury only by it self into a Milky water with the which Mercury so dissolved you may dissolve so much more Mercury and so continually as long as you please IV. Put this into a gentle Fire to be Distilled so shall you have Our Virgins Milk White and Chrystalline wherewith all Bodies may be dissolved into their first Matter Washed and Purged V. This water is of a Silver Colour which if you fix with its Earthy Faeces Calcin'd and after that dissolved again in the quantity of its remaining water and then again Coagulated and Congealed which work is to be done upon a Stone you will have at length the Elixir of Argent Vive which will transmute all Imperfect Bodies to a perfect Whiteness VI. And so of this Mercurial substance is made a water permanent or fixt wherewith the Calces of all Bodies may be so depurated and Whitened as thereby to become the most pure and fine Silver VII And therefore as I have said before in the beginning of this work when Mercury is dissolved then are its Elements separable and after the separation of its Mercurial Liquor and that a competent putrefaction is performed after the same White Liquor there will Distill a Golden moisture or humour to which if you add a small quantity of the Ferment of the Gum of the aforesaid Elixirated White Stone that then the same White Stone with the said Golden humour shall be made the Red Stone which shall transmute Argent Vive and all Metalline Bodies into the finest and most pure Gold VIII Again if you take the aforesaid Red humour of Mercury and Dissolve in it a little of the aforesaid Red Ferment being made as aforesaid of the White Stone and then with the same Red humour of Mercury so Fermented with it self the
the beginning is the Resolutive Menstruum which is the Soul of Mercury and this Tincture is a very Oyl separate from its foul Earth and faint Water which as we know and according to the traditions of the Wise Philosophers is an Unctuous moisture which is the nearest Matter of Our Vegetable and Philosophick Mercury VI. The which Principle Resolutive Menstruum Near Matter or Unctuous Moisture Raymundus in Cap. 6. and Cap. 8. of his Clavis does call Black Blacker than Black The which Black thing or Matter I certainly know VII But since Raymundus saith that this Resolutive Menstruum does come from Wine or the Lees or Tartar thereof how is he to be understood Truly he himself unfolds the Mystery Our Water or Menstruum is a Metalline Water generated of a Metalline Matter only So that Raymundus speaks either of the Resolutive Menstruum or of the Resoluble Menstruum VIII This Menstruum springs from a Silver Wine which does Naturally make a dissolution of its own Sulphur It is apparent in the 11. Cap. of Raymundus that Our Mercurial and Radical moisture is not only Congealed into perfect Metal by Vapour of its hot and dry Sulphur but that also the same Metalline Water being so terminated in the form of a Metal after its Resolution in Ashes has power naturally of a Menstruum to dissolve Our Stone or Sulphur and change it to its Vegetable Nature without prejudice or hurt to its own Nature IX Wherefore he says that from whatsoever any thing does spring or grow by Nature that into the same it may again be resolved X. If he viz. Raymundus speaks of the first water or Resolutive Menstruum you are to understand that it is so as he speaks not a Metalline Water but after a certain manner for this water of the Resolutive Menstruum is both a Sulphurous and a Mercurial Vapour Ignis and Azoth and by reason of its Sulphurity it burns with the fire XI This Resolutive Menstruum is our Vegetable Mercury which is our Vapourous Menstruum and every burning water of Life Aqua Vitae ardens by whose attractive Virtue the Body of the Volatile Spirit being fixed by the fire against Nature is dissolved naturally into the water of Philosophers and exalted and lifted up from its Salt and Combustible Dregs into 〈◊〉 Mercurial and Natural substance which must be Fermented with the Oyl of Sol and Luna and then is made there of the great Elixir with which Mercurial substance we also counterfeit Pearls and Pretious Stones XII We see also that in Tartar dryed only in the Sun there are certain Mercurial Qualities shining and giving of light to the Eye but the kind of Metals is a Composition of Sulphur and Argent Vive And therefore if he means after this sort then the Resolutive Menstruum may be taken for a Metalline water for otherwise it is not Answered XIII Again Raymundus proves clearly to the contrary where he answers him who demanded of him in what is the Vegetable Mercury in Gold or in Silver It is saith he a simple Coessential substance the which is brought from its own Concrete parts and proper Veins to such a pass or point by the Dissolutive Menstruum that by Virtue of the simple and Co-essential substance they are able to multiply their similitudes in Mercuries which have none in themselves and are also apt Medicines for Mens Bodies and to expel and put away from them many Diseases to restore to the Old and Aged their former Youth and preserve them in Health so long a time as God has designed them to Live XIV This Coessential substance is Our White and Red Tincture by whom these Earths that are wanting are multiplyed in Tincture whereby they are made Elixirs to purge Metals and a Medicine for Man's Body XV. Therefore Our true Metalline Water is an Uctuous humidity of the Body dissolved to the similitude of Black Pitch Liquid and Melted and this Unctuous and Black humidity is called the true Resoluble Menstruum And because we shall afterwards demonstrate the true Resolutive Menstruum required in this Work we will here only declare from what principles and how the said Resolutive Menstruum is drawn XVI Our Metalline Water is separated from the Body of Lunaria which is its terminated and Radical humidity in the kind and Color of White shining Silver and its Body is Our black Sulphur Therefore see Chap. 63. in the Lunary Branch and in his Clavis where you will find the Radical humidity to be the true Mer struum wherewith the solemn dissolution of its own black Body is made XVII Raymundus doth say that an Unctuous Humidity is the last comfort and support to the Humane Body which what it is is manifest to the Philosophers it makes a noise or sound in the Vessel and is Distilled with a great deal of Art He also saith that Our Stone is made of the hottest Matter or substance in Nature And I say that Wine is hot but there is another thing which is much hotter than Wine whose substance by reason of its exceeding Airyness or Spirituosity is most quickly inflamed by the Fire XVIII And the Lees or Tartar and Dregs of this Unctuous humidity is gross like the Rinde or Bark of a Tree and the same Tartar is blacker than the Tartar of the black Grape of Catalonia for which cause it is called by Raymundus a Black more Black than Black By these Lees or Tartar and Dregs is meant the Lees of our Silver Wine separated from the Lunary Body XIX And because that this humidity is Unctuous therefore it better agrees with the Unctuosity of Metals than the Spirit drawn from Common Wine for through its Liquefactive Virtue Metals do Melt and are made flowing and moist in the Fire the which Operation truly the Spirit of Common Wine cannot do XX. For the Spirit of Wine how strong soever it be is comparatively but clear Flegm or Water whereas contrariwise in Our Unctuous Distilled Spirit there is no watrishness at all But this thing being rare in our parts as well as other Countries Guido Montanor found out another Untuous humidity which swims upon other Liquors which humidity proceeds from Wine which Raymundus Arnoldus knew with some others but they taught not how it should be obtained XXI Our Tincture in Distilling is separated both from the Flegm and its gross Faeces till it be like an Oyl and that is the Soul of Mercury which is Air and Fire separate from its two extreams and so it being an Unctuous moisture is the mean See the first and last Chapter of Raymund's Codicil XXII Notwithstanding Raymundus saith it must be drawn from Death and from the Faeces of Wine by rectification that it may be acuated in Distillation by hot Vegetable substances thereunto appertaining as Pepper Euphorbium c. for without these things he saith the Virtue thereof is not sufficient but by long time to dissolve Metals XXIII Raymundus saith in the end
has it under his consideration 21. The Works of Hermes we Translated with what care and circumspection we could The First Book was in the Latin Copy divided only into Seven Chapters we for more convenient reading have divided it into Thirteen to which as a Fourteenth 〈◊〉 added the Smaragdine Table The Latin was barbarous and uncouth scarcely intelligible and done out of other Languages when Learning was at its lowest ebb so that it may easily be believed a free natural and true Version would have been difficult to be made by the best of Scholars who had been unacquainted with Chymical Learning 22. As it was one of the first of Writings and wrote in the first of times so its Method seems to be rude the Language obscure and the Connection of the Discourse not natural whether it was designed in respect to the subject matter or was Accidental as being written in the Infancy of the World before the knowledge of Logical method and reasoning was invented I shall leave to others to determine 23. This I am confident of it contains the substance of the Philosophick Learning the root of the matter the true Process of the great Elixir but clouded with AEnigmatical Discourses yet not so absolutely obscured but that in some places he seems to unvail the truth and expose the Secret as they who seriously Contemplate the 12th and 13th Chapters will easily perceive I have heard several Great and Learned Men say that they received a greater light into the Philosophick Work from these Discourses of Hermes tho' seemingly rude and unpolished than from all the Writings in the World how speciously soever they were composed 24. For this reason sake we essayed to write a Comment upon his first Book or explicate the meaning of the Ancient Hermes 1. From the Analogy of Principles 2. From the natural reason of things 3. From manifold Experiments 4. From the Universal Consent and Sentiments of the Philosophers being compared So that we cannot say the Comment is so much ours as that we have deduced it by a Rational Argumentation out of the many and Voluminous writings of the Ancients and others the most Learned in this Science 25. I determined at first an Explication of the second Book of Hermes but the work swelling so big my daily business in my Profession and other manifold Avocations have diverted that intention If what I have done in the first be acceptable and approved I shall be contented and it will incourage me to a second Essay of this kind However this socond Book as it is shorter so it is plainer and in many places may be its own Comment In Chap. 18. Sect. 13. he speaks plainly Now know says he 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 In the Water and the Ashes is the depth of the Mystery 26. The Book of Kalid seems to be of great Antiquity and has many Excellent things in order to this great Work yet needs an Explanation and unlocking which I had attempted but meeting with a Key which was a Writing found in a Coffin upon the Brest of a Religious Man which seemed to fit the Wards of this Lock as being a Process derived from the same Principles I desisted from my own thoughts and have given you that instead of them 27. As to Geber I am not ignorant that it was some Years since published in English by another hand who has no ways answered my Intention neither as to the Translation nor the method of the Work As to the Translation it was very mean and in some places false for instance see the Latin Copy Printed at Basil Anno 1572. pag. 765. calce Capitis 29. at these words Lunam Amalgamatam cum Mercurio c. and compare them with the said English Translation Printed Anno 1678. page 300. and with our Version in this work Chap. 45. Sect. 29. so will you easily see the difference 28. As to the method of the Work tho' it was Geber's own we wholly dislike and decline it for several Reasons which we have gathered out of the Author for in Chap. 13. of his Investigation of Perfection he says That all the words are true which are now by us written in our Volumes as found out by Experiment and Reason but the things experimented which we have seen with our Eyes and handled with our Hands we have writ in our Sum of Perfection therefore studiously peruse our Books and collect our dispersed Intention which we have described in divers places that it might not be exposed to Malignant and Ignorant Men. So that he who would understand him must make a Collection of like things together without which the matter will never be understood or accomplished for which reason I rather chose to common place him than to deliver him in his own order 29. Again in the Preface of his Sum of Perfection he says And what we have diminished in other Books we have sufficiently made up in this Book and supplyed the defects of them very briefly and what we absconded in one part we have made up in another in this our Volume that the compleatment may be apparent to the Wise so that it appears even from this that he wrote nothing of the matter in any continued order And in the same place he affirms That he who in himself knows not Natural Principles is very remote from our Art because he has not a true root whereon to found his intention And therefore says he labour studiously in our Volumes and ponder them often in your mind 30. And in the last Chapter of his Sum of Perfection he has these words But that the Malitious may not Calumniate us we declare That we have not treated of this our Science with a continued Series of Discourse but have dispersed it in divers Chapters and this was done because if we had wrote it in a continued Series of Discourse the Evil Man as well as the Good would have unworthily usurped it therefore we have concealed it in some places and speak it more openly in others not under an AEnigma but in plain Language Let not therefore the Industrious Artist despair for if he seeks it he may find the same but he who follows Books only will very slowly attain the knowledge of this most Excellent Art 31. In his Invention of Verity Par. 3. cap. 13. he says Wonder not that we have dispersed the special things pertinent to this Operation in divers Volumes seeing we endeavour to hide our Art from Evil Men And in Par. 4. Cap. 21. he further says Considerately ruminate upon what we have taught in our Sum of Perfection for our purpose was not in one only Volume to demonstrate all things but that Book should declare Book and expound the same 32. Now to manifest that he treated not of things in a direct order see Chap. 12. of
Ounce dissolve it in Aqua Regia All these three Menstruums with their Praecipitates put into a well Luted Retort and with a gradual Fire distil to dryness which repeat by Cohobation twelve times then wash the Powder five times with some Cordial Water and dry it put to it of the best Spirit of Wine a Quart and distil it from it in a well Luted Glass Retort Cohobating six times and the remaining Powder put into a strong Crucible well Luted which place in a Circulary Fire for three Hours remove it from the Fire and being cold burn off the best Spirit of Wine from it Dose à Gr. six ad twenty with Scammony from twelve Gr. to twenty five the day before the Fit or the same morning if the Fit salls towards night Salmon XVIII A most excellent Medicine against all sorts of burning Feavers There is nothing better in the World that I know of than my Febrifuge mentioned in my Phylaxa Lib. 2. now in the Press You may take about twenty Grains to thirty or thirty five Grains in a Glass of fair Water sweetned with Sugar or in Wine well sweetned just at the coming of the Heat and you may give another Dose about an Hour after and if the Heat be vehement you may give a third Dose in like manner 't will take off the Feaver as it were by Inchantment This Course being taken for two three or four returns of the Fit 't will at length certainly vanish If the Fever be Continent you ought to give it every Day 4 or 5 Doses a Day as before directed 'till the Feaver is wholly taken off 'T is one of the best of Antifebriticks I speak experimentally from I veryly Believe a Thousand Proofs the greatest of all which was made upon my own Person in the West-India's when it was supposed there was scarcely an Hour betwixt me and Death Salmon XIX Agues chiefly Quartans cured by our Aurum Vitae Cathartick in Phylaxa Lib. 1. Chap. 41. Sect. 1. Tho' I did always know this Medicine to be a very good Antifebritick yet my late Experience thereof since the Writing of that Book has much more confirmed me in the use of it I have Cured many Quartans with it of long continuance when the hopes of Cure were almost past by a declivity into other more dangerous Diseases Dose is from two Grains to twelve according to Age and Strength Let it be given in a Bolus over Night and a Purge the next Day or it may be given in the Morning Fasting in a simple Extract of Aloes Salmon XX. Another Remedy against all sorts of stubborn Agues Take of our Royal Powder in Phylaxa Lib. 1. Cap. 44. Sect. 1. from fifteen Grains to thirty or thirty five and mix it with the Pap of an Apple or a stew'd Prune or with a little Conserve of Roses or a little Syrup and so let the Sick take it early the Day before the Fit or the same Morning if the Fit comes towards Night Drinking warm Posset Drink or Broth liberally after it it is a good thing and scarely ever fails Salmon XXI A Tedious Quartan and Tertian I have oftentimes Cured Tedious Quartans and Tertians by giving half a Pint of the Crude Juice of Camomil an Hour before the coming of the Fit and repeating the same Dose for four or five Fits Salmon XXII A good Observation If in any Ague whatsoever when any Concoction though not perfect appears in the Urine then give a Purge on the Ague Day so as it may have done Working before the Fit comes viz. four or five Hours before the coming of the Fit you will find the Ague will never return any more after the Fit but will be quite removed as if done by Inchantation It has been often tryed with answerable Success In Tertians do it after the third or fourth Fit In Quotidians you may tarry longer In Quartans scarcely before the thirtieth Day And in this case we may fly to Antimonial and Mercurial Medicines especially if of long continuance For as the Matter lies in several places so chiefly in the Mesentery whence unless it be fetcht the Cure seldom succeeds as it ought to do If the Disease vanish not upon Purging I always give my Volatile Laudanum before the Fit Salmon XXIII Another method in Quartans and long continued Agues Take Water half a Pint Salt of Tartar 2 Drachms Oyl of Sulphur half a Drach Sena three Drachms Jalop in Powder one Drachm Make an Infusion for two Doses the next Day Purge also with this Take Calomelanos Scamony in powder of each alike mix them Dose from half a Drachm to one Drachm Salmon CHAP. IV. Of BLEEDING I. To stop the Bleeding at the Nose TAke Bole Armoniack stamp it finely to powder Ashes of an Old Hat of each alike mix them then blow up some of it with a Quill into the bleeding Nostril of the Patient and it stops presently Salmon II. Against Pissing of Blood Take Sheeps Milk highly praised herein above all Fasting four Ounces mix with it a Drachm of fine Bole Armoniack in Powder and one or two Grains of my Volatile Laudanum dissolved and so give it Salmon III. Against the Bloody-Flux and Pissing of Blood Take Conserve of Roses one Ounce Crocus Martis one Scruple Volatile Laudanum two Grains mix them well then take it on the point of a Knife in a Morning Fasting and do so three several Mornings together Salmon IV. Against spitting of Blood Take Mastick and Olibanum in Powder two Scruples of each Conserve of red Roses 2 Ounces Diascordium half an Ounce Guttae Vitae three Drachms mix them together and make an Electuary then take thereof Morning and Evening on the point of a Knife as much as a Nutmeg at a time Salmon V. A good Remedy against Bleeding at Nose I commend this Powder of Heurnius Take Seeds of white Henbane white Poppy ana one Ounce Blood-stone red Corral ana two Ounces Camphire two Scruples Terra Lemnia two Scruples mix them Dose half a Drachm or two Scruples Morning and Evening with Conserve of red Roses If Opium in fine Powder eight Grains were added 't would be so much the better Salmon VI. Another against Bleeding of a Wound If a Fuss-Ball tough and soft be cut into slices and squeezed hard in a Press those pieces applyed are sufficently able to stop any Bleeding especially if any Stegnotick Powder be strewed on So also the Fungus growing on a Birch Tree the Powder of Agarick being first strewed on the place Salmon VII Another for the same The Powder of Man's Blood is almost an Infallible Remedy strewed upon the place or if it be in the Nostrils blow it up with a Quill or put up in a Nasale the Mouth being held full of cold Water Salmon VIII A most effectual Remedy O I commend as one of the greatest Secrets our Aqua Regulata see it Phylaxa Med. Lib. 1. Cap. 1. Sect. 1. being applyed by washing the Part and then laying
and speedy suffocation if the congregated Matter be from Phlegm which refuses Repercussives And Humours extravasated sticking in the Flesh whilst thick cannot flow therefore they are to be made Fluxile with hot Remedies If one taken with a Quinsey do saith Wallaeus in the beginning of the Disease gargle with Spirit of Wine all Inflammations will cease in about three hours time XXIII There has been a great noise made in the World about the use of a Swallow's Nest but the Virtue truly lies in the Dung which is found in the Nest And because the Dung is full of nitrous Salt 't is possible it may have a specifick Virtue against this Disease and though it is sharp yet it is withal discutient and therefore may be proper where the Disease arises from thick Phlegm The Tincture of it may be made with Wine or Spirit of Wine and Water and a Gargarism made thereof to be used four five or six times a day hot XXIV Scultetus commends this highly in the beginning of any Quinsey whatsoever Take Plantane Water three Ounces sharp Wine-Vinegar one Ounce Sugar two Drams Saffron in Pouder half a Dram mix and make a Gargarism to be often used XXV Platerus commends the Juice of Tree Ivy swallowed slowly from three Drams to half an Ounce for that it both digests and repels Sennertus saith that the Decoction of the inner Rind of the Hazle or of the Barberry-wood is excellent So also a Decoction of Alder flowers and Leaves with Jews-Ears sweetned with Honey of Roses for a Gargarism An Infusion of Mustard-seed in Wine is also an approved thing XXVI Outwardly Things also ought to be applied to induce the ripening such as this Take of our Antidote one Ounce Hens Dung Turpentine Saffron ana one Dram mix them and apply it hot Or this Take a roasted or baked Turnep split in balves moisten it well with Balsam of Amber and apply them on both sides the Jaws warm But the old Remedy you know is Album Graecum dried poudered and mixed with Honey to be applied as a Cataplasm outwardly and to besmear the parts withal inwardly XXVII Some affirm that the Ashes of an Owl burne in an earthen Pot being blown into the Throat are a specifick against a Quinsie softning it to admiration and breaking of it Others commend as a great Secret this Take Nitre half an Ounce Cream of Tartar one Ounce white Sugar two Ounces make each into a fine Pouder and mix them which put upon the Part leisurely to dissolve there or make a Gargarism therewith with this following Water Take Juice of Housleek one Pound Sal Armoniack half an Ounce dissolve and filter through brown Paper XXVIII I commend this following as a thing I have had great Experience of Take Wine half a Pint Tinctura Stomachica a spoonful mix and give it for a draught It dissipates the Inflammation and by its heat it discusses the Tumor at three or four times using provided it be used at the beginning If used afterwards it does good either discussing the swelling or hastning the maturation it is certainly one of the best of Remedies in this kind but at first it seems to set on fire the whole Mouth and Throat afterwards it is more moderate XXIX Among the number of the rest of the Things which I cannot enough commend our Spiritus Anticolicus has place In Extremity the Parts ought to be smeared or moistened with it with a Rag alone or you may mix a spoonful of it with three four five or six spoonfuls of Wine and gargle with it often warm viz. five or six times a day XXX When a Quinsey is in beginning the only thing and truly the best of Remedies is to take about one ounce of our Spiritus Cosmeticus in a Glass of Sack this given two or three times is indeed an admirable Remedy for it not only discusses or dissipates the Tumor but it brings on a most necessary Diaphoresis by which not only the afflux of new Matter is prevented but the Disease and all its Relicks perfectly cast off CHAP. XVI Of Deafness I. YOu ought to consider whether there be a perfect deafness or a difficulty of hearing only If the deafness be perfect so that the Patient can hear nothing no not the very beating of Drums nor the noise of Guns or Cannon the Tympanum or Drum of the Ear may be supposed to be broken and therefore the Disease to be incurable In this case you ought to attempt nothing for you will reap nothing but Disgrace But if with much gaping hollowing or making a noise the Patient can hear you there is hopes and you may hopefully make a trial II. If Deafness is either attended or begun with Pain it is either through a sharp Vapour or Matter offending the Part In this case according to the Rule of Hippocrates Sect. 4. 〈◊〉 48. you ought to evacuate by vomit For Diseases as he saith in another place are to be discharged by the part next to them and to be drawn out by that part that has a passage nearest to them In Libro de Affectibus he advises That if pain arises in the Ears to wash in much hot water and apply a fomentation to the Ears that the Phlegm may be attenuated and the pain eased but if it cease not yet an emetick Potion is then best to be used III. There are many kinds of Vomits prescribed by Physicians as the Vinum Benedictum Vinum Antimoniale Aqua Benedict a Rulands and a great many more of that kind which without doubt may be profitably given But there is no Vomit which I ever met withal has out done nay scarcely equalled my Caetharticum Argenteum which may be given from two Scruples to a Dram in a little Posset-drink or Ale or in place thereof you may give from four to six Grains of our Impetus Mineralis in a little Conserve or Syrup taking a large quantity of warm Broth after it IV. Now this is to be understood when the seat of the Phlegm and cause of the Pain is above but if it lies lower or vomiting does no good cooling things must be dropt in and that actually cold as Juice of Plantane Fumitory and the like and a Potion or Pills must be given that purge downwards Our Vinum Catharticum is here of excellent use if you give a Potion but if the Sick loaths a Potion and you desire to use Pills our Pilulae Mirabiles are admirable given from twenty Grains to half a Dram If any thing can be said to exceed them it is the Pilula Lunaris given to six Grains which I have several times given with success even in this case See these Medicines in my Phylaxa Med. Lib. 2. Cap. 59 61 62. V. You ought also to consider whether the Pain and Deafness proceeds from a hot or cold cause though what proceeds only from those simple Intemperatures seldom lasts long yet you ought to have some respect to them because hot
distinguished from it because in the Stone the pain continues 〈◊〉 in one place and in the beginning the Urine is clear but afterwards of a troubled Substance bringing forth with it at length Gravel Stones and such-like whereas in the Colick the Pain is different or in different Parts afflicting for the most part the Colon and in the beginning the Urine is of a troubled Substance afterwards more clear III. How Gravel which is the Progenerator of the Stone is bred there is various Opinions Spigelius by his Discourse seems to believe it to be bred in the Veins for he saith That he has found the Blood in the Veins full of small Gravel and if so it is natural for it to descend with the Substance of the Blood into the emulgent Arteries and from thence with the Serum to the Reins and Bladder IV. But by what Artifice Gravel is generated is another Question II care not greatly if I relate to you a singular Observation which I made whilst I was in the West-Indies In those Countries for clearing of Ground the People commonly lay all the Wood on heaps and burn it I did the like of Wood growing upon a very sandy piece of Land the Substance of the Earth under its upper Crust being a pure white Sand. I had very white and soft Ashes not inferiour in softness to our finest Wheat-flour or white Starch in which not the least appearance of Gravel or Sand could be discerned by any means Of these Ashes I had occasion to make a Lixivium sometimes for Expedition sake by boiling The Lixivum being decanted and the Ashes cast away I had the curiosity to view and by an exact scrutiny found them to be nothing but pure white Sand without any of the small and soft particles of Ashes which before the elixiviating of them made them feel like pure fine and soft Wheat-flour This I did 't is possible an hundred times and always produced the same Sand From whence I deduced these things 1. That those Trees which in those Countries are mostly of a mighty bigness chiefly Pine Oaks Hickeries and such-like Herbs Plants and the like growing upon such sandy ground have all their Nourishment and Substance from that Sand whether white red yellow or of what Colour soever 2. That by the plastick Virtue of the Plant the Substance of the said Sand is dissolved and fitted for the Norishment of the same Plant. 3. That the said Sand is dissolved into a moist Humor and it may be resinous or glutinous or aqucous consonant to the Nature of the same Vegetable the same kind of Sand which produces an Oak makes also a Pine Hickery Ash or other Plant growing upon the same For if they were not generated or produced of Sand the Earth being scarcely any thing else ten or twenry Foot deep in those Places Of what other Matter can they be made 4. That an Analysis being made by burning and elixiviation the whole Substance of the Plant in a manner resumes its prima Materia or first Matter again converting its Body into Sand and not into any other Principle 5. That the Extremity and Violence of the Fire has not power to destroy the Idea of the prime Cause but it still retains the same through all Vicissitudes and Changes even of the strongest Fire it self V. I. made also another Observation of the same kind of Trees Herbs and Plants growing upon the same kind of Land from their rotting Great Pine-Trees four or five Foot in Diametre and others being rotted upon the Ground although the rotten Wood at first become only light and chaffie then a Slime and Mud yet that Slime or Mud and Rottenness gra dually converted from that brown dark or black Colour and soft clammy mucillaginous and rotten Substance into a pure white Sand no ways unlike to the first Substance or that of which they were primarily generated all which things might clearly be discerned in many of them according to the differing Degrees and Times of Rotting or Putrifying as Nature had been several Years in performing that Work and Operation Those which were produced of white Sand reverted into white Sand again those of red Sand into red Sand c. VI. Out of what has been said it clearly appears that Things by resolution naturally return into the Matter of which they were first generated so that according to the Food and the Place or Matter that Food was generated from being again resolved in Man's Body is the Production of Juices Humors Blood Flesh and other Substances of the same So true and faithful is the Work of GOD in the Universe that as He cannot deny Himself so neither can the Things He causes to be produced lose their first Ideas and Potentialities though they never so often change their Forms and Appearances but will after a long race or course of Vicissitudes and Alterations return to their first Matter again VII And thus the first Cause of the Stone is to be sought into farther than the Parts in which it is generated or the natural Spirits possessing the same though I do not deny what Riverius says upon the point but that there may be a petrifactive Spirit which may be assisting in that Generation Both which considered may be the Reason that some People may be troubled with this Disease and some not VIII Gravel subsiding does not nocessarily indicate the Stone but sometimes the material Cause only thereof for multitudes of People that are perpetually free from the Stone do many times make much Gravel yet possibly it may signifie a Disposition to that Disease For if Gravel which used constantly to come away is afterwards suppressed and Pain is felt the Urine being clear and thin there is great danger that the Gravel may concrete into a Stone and when it is made again with Pain and Stranguary it is a sign there is a Stone generated IX Gravel which is bred in the Veins comes away with the Urine and is mixt with the Sediment but what is bred in the Kidneys Ureters and Bladder presently resides as the Urine is made Authors say it proceeds from adustion of the Humors bred in the Liver and Veins and sticks to the sides of the Pot nor does it sink to the bottom as that which comes from the Reins it also breaks by rubbing with ones Fingers and appears of a more saline Substance whereas the other neither yields to the Fingers nor can it easily be dissolved This Gravel of a saline Substance is dissolved in warm Urine and appears not whilst it is yet hot but the Urine being cold it coagulates and sticks to the sides of the Chamber-pot or Urinal not much unlike Tartar in a Cask of Wine or which is dissolved in hot Water which cooling again sticks to the sides of a Vessel so that the very Nature of this Gravel and Tartar seem to be much alike X. And this possibly may in a great measure proceed from the same Cause viz.
in this I think Galen was wholly in the wrong I am clearly of the contrary Opinion for the curdy part of Milk is only Nutritive and the greatest part of it dissolves in the Stomach into a chylous Juice God Almighty Himself seeing it the best and most innocent Nourishment even for Infanes as soon as they are Born And who dares to doubt His Wisdom whilst the oily and serous parts of it cool moisten open cleanse and make slippery the Passages XIX Now things are said to open rather in respect to their emollient attenuating and discussive Qualities than to their Diuretick because there are many things-which powerfully open Obstructions that provoke not Urine at all amongst which are most bitter Herbs and Plants which open by a Specifick Virtue as Centory Wormwood Hops Gentian Carduus Camomil and Carminatives which do it by a discussive property such are Angelica Southernwood Parsly Smallage Anniseed Cuminseed all the sorts of Pepper Cloves Nutmegs Fennelseeds Caraways Carotseeds c. And Emollients which do it by their softning and making slippery such are Oil Olive Mallows Marshmallows Lillies Spinage boiled Onions Garlick Leeks c. But the true great and chief of all Openers is Iron and the aperitive Preparations thereof which do that in a Day which none of the others will do in a Month for which purpose I commend my Tinctura Martis as one of the most famous things in the World to which may be added Tinctura ad Chlorosin an approved thing for opening the most obdurate Obstructions XX. The Matter being prepared the next thing is to cleanse the Vessels and Passages of slime filth matter sand or gravel which does or may obstruct the Passages of the Urine and this is properly done with Diureticks of which kind of Medicaments Authors admirably abound We shall not here tell you all that has been said upon that Subject but rather give you an Abstract of the choicest and most approved Experiments of that kind Take of our Tinctura Stomachica two Dra. Juice of Garlick one Dram White or Rhenish-wine six Ounces mix for a Draught I have often proved it with good success Or this Take Juice of Onions two Ounces Juice of Hydropiper half an Ounce White or Rhenish-wine eight Ounces mix for a Draught I gave this to one in extremity a Woman that had not made Water in eight or nine Days it made her make Water and gave her ease in less than an hour Take Onions four Ounces bruise them Anniseeds Caraways ana two Drams bruised Infuse them all Night in White-wine then squeeze forth the Wine and let the Sick drink it it is a singular Experiment XXI Sennertus commends Lignum Nephriticum and Lapis Nephriticus and so does Experience too Take Raspings of Lignum Nephriticum two Ounces Spring water two Pound infuse 'till the Water is blewish for twenty four or forty eight Hours then decant for three Doses Or thus Take Raspings of the Wood two Ounces Spring-water White-wine ana one Pound digest for forty eight Hours then decant or strain out the clear for use for three Doses Or thus Take Raspings of Lignum Nephriticum two Ounces Winter-Cherries bruised one Ounce White or Rhenish wine two Pound mix digest forty eight Hours and strain out for use XXII Or you may draw forth the Tincture with our Spiritus Universalis after this manner Take Raspings of Lignum Nephriticum two Ounces Spiritus Universalis one Pound digest twenty four Hours so will a substantial Tincture he drawn decant and filtre to the filtred Liquor put Alchool of Spirit of Wine one Pound digest twenty four Hours more so will the Sulphur of the Wood be drawn into the Wine which you may decant leaving the Spiritus Universalis at the bottom with which you may perform the like again Dose one Dram to two in any convenient Vehicle as Waters of Onions Parsley or Hydropiper Mead White or Rhenish-wine or the like The Lapis Nephriticus is seldom given inwardly if you do it give the levigated Pouder from one Scruple to half a Dram or two Scruples in Syrup or other fit Liquor But the usual way of using the Stone is to wear it as a Jewel being tied to the Wrist or Arm or hung about the Neck or Hip. I once knew a Lady which experimented the truth of this as long as the Stone was tied to the brawn of her Arm she had ease and voided much Gravel continually upon making Water but as soon as the Stone was removed the Gravel stopt and the pains returned and that she might be sure this was the effect of the Stone she oftentimes laid it by for experiment sake and the stoppage and pains in some few Hours would return upon the taking it off and again upon the putting it on she would have as sensible ease and freedom of passage as before XXIII Trallianus Lib. 3. Cap. 39. saith The Herb Peony in Pouder drunk with honied Wine is an excellent thing against obstruction of Urine caused by a Stone so hard as not to be broken But the Tincture drawn from the Herb with our Spiritus Universalis as above directed and then with Spirit of Wine being drunk with the said honied Wine is much more effectual After the same manner you may make a Tincture of Golden-Rod which will be no less effectual for that the Crude Herb had been proved in this case in innumerable Persons as Carolus Piso saith with happy success XXIV Zacutus Lusitanus Praxis Lib. 2. Observ. 58. saith A Man sixty Years old of a cold Constitution was cured of the Stone by Purgations made of Turpentine which he took divers ways and a daily use of a Decoction of Lignum Nephriticum by which he voided red Gravel and a Stone and was well for two Years together His Disease afterwards coming upon him again Clysters Ointments Fomentations Plasters Phlebotomy Baths were all used in vain his Urine being retained eighteen Days he began to be afflicted with the Falling-Sickness by Fits and the Sick was given over as desperate at length he took Oyl of sweet Almonds with drops of Natural Balsam I suppose he means Balsam of Peru it made him void a clammy Humor by Stool and small Gravel by Urine and continuing the use of the said Remedy he voided with Bloody Urine a Stone of the bigness of a Date-stone of a purple colour long round rough and very hard and now making Water very freely he took a greater quantity of the Oyl of sweet Almonds viz. to three Ounces and the Balsam to the quantity of half an Ounce and in the space of ten days he voided sixty five Stones hard and of the bigness and shape of Vetches And with this Remedy alone he was preserved for the future for he used every Morning to take half an Ounce of the Oyl with six drops of the said Balsam by which he voided gravelly Urine and lived many Years By this Balsam Avenzoar saith he cured a Scrivener who was at
Compounds you may see in our Phylaxa Medicinae Lib. 1. and 2. Salmon LXI In a hot Cause and Constitution Barbet gives this Take Roots of Al theae one Ounce Liquorice two Drams Mallow-Leaves M. ij Melon-seeds half an Ounce boyl them in Barley-water in a Quart of the Colature dissolve Syrup of Corn Poppies two Ounces raw Crabs-Eyes bruised one Dram mix them Dose two Ounces three or four times a Day Or thus Take Rose-water Strawberry and Purslane-water ana one Ounce Prophylactick-water Cinnamon water ana half an Ounce raw Crabs Eyes bruised one Scruple Laudanum Opiatum two Grains Fernelius his Syrupus de Altheae one Ounce mix them and let it be given by Spoonfuls LXII In a cold Cause and Constitution Take Roots of Rest harrow white Saxifrage ana one Ounce Liquorice half an Ounce Goats blood six Drams Crabs-Eyes bruised Nutmegs Cinnamon ana one Ounce Saffron three Drams Cloves two Drams Strasburgh Turpentine one Pound Spirit of Malmsey-wine five pound the Ingredients being cut and bruised digest fourteen days then distil in B. M. Dose one Ouuce Fasting and twice or thrice a day besides Barbet also saith That Cochinele being taken in fine Pouder in Rhenish-wine to one Scruple is a pleasant and sweet Medicine and of great efficacy LXIII Deckers advises the following Pouder Take Mustard-seed Tartar Vitriolate ana one Dram and a half Crabs-Eyes Salt of Bean-stalks of Broom of Rest-harrow of Pidgeons Dung ana one Dram mix and make a Pouder Dose from one Scruple to half a Dram in Parsly-water The Tincture of the Nephritick Stone is also very good but it is no where described but Moebius has this preparation Take Pouder of the Nephritick Stone put upon it rectified Spirit of Salt digest and there will be a green Tincture Dose from six Drops to twelve or twenty in Wine or proper Water Seeds of Violets are very convenient because they purge and expel the Stone especially if they be used in an Emulsion and is called by Schroder the Nephrocathartick Emulsion it is much commended both by Crato and Hartman and is a good thing against suppression of Urine LXIV Spiritus Acetosae Mineralis Take Tartar Vitriolate one Ounce Julep of Roses one Pound Cinnamon-water four Ounces mix them Dose two Ounces 't is an excellent thing Or Take Tartar Vitriolate one Ounce Radish-water one Pound Juice of Limons two Ounces Syrup of Corn-Poppies and de Altheae ana one Ounce Crabs-Eyes two Drams mix them Dose two Ounces Also Spirit of Juniper-berries affused upon Rob of Elder and Juniper and digested becomes of a pleasant red Colour and in Taste like Malmsey-wine and is truly a Medicine of great efficacy So also a Nephritick Liquor made of Nitre and Sal Gem calcin'd and dissolved per deliquium is a Nephritick of singular use LXV The Urinary Laudanum of Michael Take Spanish Juice of Liquorice dissolved in Winter-cherry-water one Ounce and a half Camphire one Dram Saffron four Scruples Winter-cherries half an Ounce Gum Tragacanth Mastick ana one Dram and a half Laudanum Opiatum two Drams mix them It is much commended for a peculiar Quality of provoking Urine opening Obstructions and expelling the same Michael his Nephritick Liquor Take Lynx-stone Jews-stone Nephritick-stone Sponge Crystal Crabs-Eyes ana q. v. dissolve them in rectified Spirit of Salt filtre the Solutions and distil to dryness so have you at bottom a coagulated Nephritick Liquor LXVI 〈◊〉 his Lithontriptick Pouder Take Crabs-Eyes prepared Goats-blood prepared ana one Dram and a half Jews-stone Nephritick-stone ana one Dram Pikes-Eyes Millet-seed ana two Scruples Crystals of Tartar half a Dram Salt of Tartar one Scruple mix and make a Pouder Dose from half a Dram to one Dram in any appropriate Water LXVII Forrestus his Decoction which some say exceeds all other things Take Red Tares three Ounces Barley hull'd two Drams Seeds of Marsh Mallows Mallows ana three Drams of the four greater cold Seeds ana one Dram fat Figgs nine Sebestens seven Liquorice scraped six Drams fair Water one Pound and a half boil 'till half be consumed then strain for an Apozem These Pills also are esteemed Take Pouder of Millepedes Crabs-Eyes Jews-stone ana one Dram Turpentine two Drams mix and make Pills Dose from half a Dram to one Dram every Morning Fasting Deckers his Apozem is yet better Take Spring-water three Pound red Vetches hull'd Barley ana two Drams Liquorice bruised Juniper-berries bruised ana one Ounce Seeds of Daucus Violets white Poppies Nettles Mallows ana half an Ounce fat Figgs nine Sebestens seven boil to a Quart strain and dissolve therein Syrups of Corn Poppies of the five opening Roots of Diacnicu ana one Ounce and a half Spirit of Sal Armoniack one Dram mix them Dose six Ounces twice or thrice a Day dropping into it at taking 2 or three Drops of the Juniperated Balsam of Sulphur LXVIII The same Deckers commends this Mixture Take Parsly-water two Ounces Fennel and treacle-Treacle-water ana one Ounce Spirit of Vinegar half an Ounce Crabs-Eyes one Dram Oyl of Juniper-berries six Drops Spirit of Nitre one Scruple Laudanum Opiatum two Grains Syrup of the five Roots or rather Syrup of Corn Poppies one Ounce mix them If the same be great this Emulsion may be given Take Hull'd Barley boil'd 'till it cracks two Ounces sweet Almonds blancht Violet-seeds ana half an Ounce white Poppy-seeds one Ounce with a sufficient quantity of Barley-water make an Emulsion to twenty four Ounces of which add Diacodium Syrup of Corn Poppies ana one Ounce mix them He also commends to all the Spirit of Sal Armoniack given in Rhenish-wine or some Diuretick Spirit or Water as a Specifick Medicine not only to prevent but to cure the Stone if brittle or easie to be broken Universals being given before-hand LXIX Junken Medicus Pars 2. Sect. 1. Cap. 18. prescribes this Take Strawberries fresh gathered a Gallon Winter-cherries half a Pound Horse-Radish Roots scraped two Pound Daucus-seeds half a Pound Juice of Birch or Birch-wine twenty four Pound mix and distil in B. M. Dose frome one Ounce to three with Syrup de Althaea half an Ounce sweet Spirit of Nitre ten or twelve Drops Or thus Take ripe Strawberries four Pound Winter-cherries two Pound Malaga-wine two Pound Juniper-water of Parsly-roots ana two Pound Ground-Ivy white Saxifrage-roots ana one Ounce Peach-kernels two Ounces digest in a Vessel close stopt for a Month then distil Dose from a Spoonful to four in the Morning Fasting it is said both to preserve from and cure the Stone Again Take Crabs-Eyes Sperma Coeti ana half a Scruple Volatile Salt of Amber six Grains mix for a Dose and to be often repeated Or thus Take Wild Bryar Seeds half an Ounce Crabs Eyes pure Nitre ana one Ounce mix them Dose one Dram. Or thus Take Crabs Eyes one Scruple Volatile Salt of Amber six Grains Laudanum Opiatum one Grain or two mix them for a Dose Again Take Malaga-Wine one Quart Opium in pouder Salt
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
Marrow which is Auripigment Of the same kind also is the Cats or Lyons Claw which is Sirezt The Fat of the White Bodies and the Fat of the two Oriental Argent Vives which Sulphurs are caught hold of and retained by the Bodies Salmon All these are only Various Names by which the Philosophers call the one thing and under which they Cloud it But the most Acute Ripley saith it is Argent Vive but not the Vulgar that without which nothing that exists is able to be If therefore there be nothing under the Sun in which this Argent Vive is not Our Hermes has not done absurdly to call it by these Names tho' possibly there may be some one thing which may contain more of it that which is more pure also generous and more ripe or perfectly digested than all the other things besides Authors say it is chieflly found in the Roots of Metals which Roots are in the Air and the Tops of the Mountains It behoves you therefore to have a perfect and solid knowledge of this Argent Vive before you attempt any thing in this Art And this is to be Communicated only to the Faithful Disciples of this Science Be diligent with your whole mind consider think ruminate volve and revolve meditate and reason with your self concerning it and through the Divine Assistance you will certainly attain to the knowledge there of II. Hermes I say more that this Sulphur does Tinge and Fix and is contained and held by the Conjunctions of the Tinctures Fat 's also Tinge but withal they fly away in the Body which is contained which is a Conjunction of Fugitives only with Sulphurs and Aluminous Bodies which also contain and hold the Fugitive Matter Salmon He distinguisheth here between the true and Philosophick Tincture and the Fictitious or Sophisticate The true is made of a Fixt and Incombustible Sulphur for which Cause also the Bodies are rendred fixt and Incombustible for every Transmutation is made subject to the nature of the thing Transmuting and not of the thing to be Transmuted it is needful therefore that you make choice of the best Sulphur for this Work The Vulgar is Forreign for that it is deficient Blackens and Corrupts having also a double superfluity viz. an Inflamable substance and an Earthly Faeculency Therefore you must find out another which is a simple Fire and Living and is able to Revivifie Dead Bodies to bring them to the highest perfection and to perfect them with the ultimate maturity Such a Sulphur saith Avieenna is not to be found upon Earth except in the Bodies of Sol and Luna In Sol indeeed is the highest of Perfection because it is more digested and decocted when therefore the Tincture is prepared with this Sulphur down below in the Bottom of Obscurity it is carried Gradatim up for the highest Glory with the greatest splendor of spirituality so that any Body whatsoever being melted with the Fire it Tinges and so firmly adheres to it that it cannot for ever be any more separated therefrom But the Sophisticate Tincture which is made from the middle Minerals from burning Sulphur Arsenical Aluminous and such like are not able to defend either Bodies upon which they are projected nor yet their own proper substance from the violence of Fire but together with the Bodies they flie away and by the force of Fire Vanish into Air. III. Hermes The order method managment and dis position of the Matter sought after by the Philosophers is but one in Our Egg. Now this in the Hens Egg is in no wise to be found But lest so much of the Divine Wisdom as is seen in a Hens Egg should be distinguished we make in imitation thereof a Compositum from the four Elements joyntly fitted and compacted together Salmon The Description of the Philosophick Egg is various which the Philosophers divide into four parts according to the number of the four Elements 1. Putamen the Shell which they make the Earth 2. Albumen the White which is Water 3. Pellicula the Skin which is Air. 4. Vitellus the Yolk which is Fire Some make only three parts thereof 1. Vitellus the Sulphur 2. Albumen the Mercury 3. Putamen the Salt Some again will have the Yolk to signifie Mars Sol and Venus and the White Saturn Jupiter Mercury and Luna and the Shell the Firmament and Earth or Combustible Ashes but to speak plainly the Shell represents the Philosophick Glass wherein the Skin the White the Tread and the Yolk answer to the four Elements Fire Air Water and Earth Or rather the Tread Yolk and White to the three pure principles Salt Sulphur and Mercury or Spirit Soul and Body that is Fixity Tincture and Subsistence IV. Hermes Now in a Hens Egg there is the greatest help that may be for herein is a nearness of the Matters in their Natures a spirituality and gathering and joyning together of the Elements and the Earth which is Gold in its Nature Salmon The Ovum Philosophorum or our Mercury has in it self whatever is necessary thereto We call it Our Mercury because it is reduced into one pure Homogene Body where is 1. A Propinquity of Natures as Earth Water Air and Fire or Salt Sulphur and Mercury 2. A Spirituality which is the formative faculty the hidden Work-Master which brings the Stone to perfection 3. A gathering together of the Elements for that the Earth is made Water and Air and Fire by Sublimation and they are made Earth again which Earth is Gold in its inward principle or Nature V. Hermes The Son saith to him the Sulphurs which are convenient or fit for Our Work are they Coelestial or Terrestial Heavenly or Earthly To whom Hermes answers some of them are Heavenly and some are from the Earth Salmon This is a short Dialogue between the Father and the Son Hermes makes answer to his Son concerning the Sulphurs that they are not of one or the same kind but that some are of a Heavenly and some are of an Earthly Nature yet he confesses both to be Sulphurs by the Heavenly is meant the Solar Sulphur and by the Earthly the Sulphur of Luna For Sol is a Body Masculine hot fixt red and incombustible which perfects Luna who is Feminine Cold Volatile White and Combustible exalting her to his own Glory and Splendor VI. Hermes The Son saith Father I think the Heart in the Superiors to prenote Heaven in the Inferiors the Earth To whom Hermes saith It is not so the Masculine truly is the Heaven of the Feminine and the Feminine the Earth of the Masculine Salmon The Heaven is the Masculine of the Earth and Earth is the Feminine of the Heaven Heaven or Sol which is pure fixt and incombustible Sulphur is the generating Seed and Mercury which is the Magical Earth is the Womb or Feminine principle receiving the Seed in which the Seed is keept nourished digested and brought to the Birth or Perfection Even that in which it obtains Spirit
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
Spring and Grow bringing forth much Fruit. XI Hermes Come ye Sons of Wisdom and rejoyce be ye glad and exceeding joyful together for Death has received its Consummation and the Son does Reign he is invested with his Red Garment and the Scarlet Color is put on Salmon Having Conquered and overcome this horrible Monster this terrible Dragon this Poysonous Serpent this Malign and profligating Spirit this Putrefaction Corruption and Darkness this almost invincible Death and brought forth a new Off-spring to Life Glory and Perpetuity full of Spirit and Power of Sulphur and Tincture even the highest Redness enjoying a most fixt substance always encreasing ad infinitum which is the Reign and Dominion of this new Birth Clothed with his Red Garment of Scarlet Color I say having done all this Hermes advises us to rejoyce and be glad yea exceeding joyful for this is the final end of Care and Trouble and Sorrow making Rich with a Treasure that can never be Consumed Wasted or brought to an end CHAP. VIII The Philosophick Riddle laid down after a new Manner I. HERMES Now understand that this Stone cries out nourish and perfect me and I will reward you give to me mine that which is my own and I will bountifully recompence you Salmon It ought to be nourished and brought to perfection with proper Food of its own Nature that is with Fire and Azoth with Spirit and the Virgins Milk The true Aqua Philosophica which gives it substance Tincture and Fixity This is its own and is like Leven made out of the same Paste which for ever afterwards levens the whole Lump if you do this you will reap the Recompence of reward the Fruits of your Labour Riches and Honour and Glory and every good thing II. Hermes My Sol and my Beams are most inward and secretly in me my own Luna also is my Light exceeding every Light and my good things are better than all other good things Salmon That is our Mercury contains inwardly within its own Bowels the Aurifick Seed but it is most inward even Centeral so that it seems to be hid from the Vulgar Eye this substance must be turned the inside outward which can be done no ways but by Putrefaction that the solar Sulphur may be made to appear It contains also in its self Luna which is unripe untinged Gold yet it is said to be the Light as being the Seed from which the Philosophick Tree the good things of our Stone do proceed the Aurora the Morning of the Glorious Day III. Hermes I give largly and plentifully I reward the understanding with Joy and Gladness with Delight with Riches and Honour and Glory And they that seek after me I give them oportunities to Know and Understand and to possess Divine things Salmon This is a Prosopopaeia shewing the liberality of the Donor the Infinite and immense Treasures as it may in a sense be said with which all the worthy Searchers after this wonderfull Mystery are Blessed the Rewards are Honour and Glory and Treasure infinitly exceeding that of Kings The possessors of which slight and undervalue all temporal things in comparison thereof and despise their uncertain and fading satisfactions for that this can never be lost nor spent never be Exhausted or consumed but remains as a fountain always running an Eternal Spring for ever IIII. Hermes Now know that which the Philosophers have hidden and obscured is written with seven Letters Alpha and Yda follow the two And Sol in like manner follows the Book of Nature notwithstanding if you are willing or desire that he should have the Dominion you must watch the motions of Art to joyn the Son to the Daughter of the Water which is Jupiter This is a hidden Secret Salmon Under the notion of seven Letters signifying the seven Planets and the seven Metals answering to them Hermes has hid the Secret and in the following words as in an AEnigma has lockt up the Great Mystery so that it is hard for any one positively to give a true interpretation Tho' by Alpha and Yda t is probable he means the Spirit and the Soul which follow the two Mercury and Sulphur which is the Conjunction of Sol and Luna a Mercury and a Sulphur fixed and Incombustible And by Sol following the Book of Nature is meant the natural Course of Generation which is the same thing in Metals as in all other things By the Daughter of the Water or Jupiter is meant Mercury and by the Son a Sulphur fixt and incombustible such as are Sol and Luna in the Conjunction of which Mercury and Sulphur lies the whole Secret These two when conjoyned are but one thing but there are two several kinds of fixed Sulphurs the one and the more excellent is Solar and Red the other Inferior to it is Lunar and White out of which are made the different Ferments for the Elixirs White and Red. V. Hermes Auditor understand let us then use our Reason Consider what I have written with the most accurate Investigation and in the Contemplative part have demonstrated to you The whole matter I know to be but only one thing Salmon He which easily believes may easily be deceived and therefore he advises us to use our Reason not to take things according to the Naked sound of the Letter but to consider the weight of the Matter the Power of the words and the attendant circumstances to the same what he has here most subtilly investigated you ought to consider with a profound contemplation However the Root of the matter he positively and plainly tells you is but one thing which is the Aqua Philosophica VI. Hermes But who is it that understands the sincere investigation and inquires into the Reason of this Matter It is not made from Man nor from any thing like or akin to him nor from the Ox or Bullock If any living Creature conjoyns with one of another Species the thing is Neutral indeed which is brought forth Salmon Our Hermes has given us the sincere investigation of Matter the true and right reason of the Operation consentaneous to the Laws of Nature but in some things he has left us in the Dark at least to the use and exercise of our Reason and Judgment And tho' he does not expresly say what the matter is taken from yet he plainly tells you what it is not taken from you cannot gather Grapes of Thorns nor Figs of Thistles is a Dictate from the Oracle of Truth and so Hermes tells you a Metalline Body and Substance cannot be taken from an Animal being But Man brings forth Man and Beast Beasts the Ordination of God in the Creation of things remains inviolable and if different Species of the same Genus mix together a contamination of both the Species follows this is plain to the senses the same thing happens also in Metals VII Hermes Now Venus saith I beget the Light nor is the Darkness of my Nature and unless my Metal be dryed
Body these three Vapor Blackness and Death are latent which three are also one The Caput mortuum must be dissolved for except the Body be dissolved there can be no Coagulation of the Spirits for the Solution of the impure and vaporous Body induces and brings forth more pure and Noble Spirits indued with a mighty Strength and Power And by means of this Solution a more perfect mixtion is made as of Water with Water which cannot be separated not like that of Sand with Sand whose Superficies only touch one another which is indeed no true mixtion And thus by making a dissolution of the Metalline Principle that which is not Metalline nor will dissolve nor mix with the dissolved Matter as the Vapor the Blackness and the Death or Putrefaction comes to be separated and removed whereby the Dead comes to Live and that which was in Captivity and Chains comes to be made free delivered and set at Liberty IX Hermes It behoves us therefore to chase or drive away and expel the Superexistent Fume or Vapor from the Water the Blackness from the Fat And the Death from the Foeces and this by Dissolution By which means we attain to the knowledge of the greatest Philosophy and the sublime Secret of all Secrets Salmon In these three that is in the One Composed of the three lie these other three the Fume the Blackness and the Death that is the want of Ponderosity of Tincture and of Fixity both which threes in their own principles are also but one thing to wit the Caput mortuum which is depurated and revived by Dissolution only And except the Body is Dissolved there can be no Coagulation of the Spirits as we have said before And therefore if you would remove the Fumes you must dissolve the Fumous or imperfect Body that it may mix with the Ponderating Spirit The Fat or Sulphur is cleared from the blackness by manifold Sublimations bringing forth the pure Philosophick White and Red Flowers which are the Tincture And the Death is expelled by the Mercurial or Metallick Spirit which gives the Eternal fixity CHAP. XII The Praxis exemplified from the Nature of Leven and Paste I. HERMES Now there are seven Bodies of which the first is Gold the most perfect the King and the Head of them which the Water cannot alter nor the Earth Corrupt nor Fire Devastate because its Complexion is Temperate or in a mean and its Nature direct in respect of Heat Cold Moisture or Dryness nor is any thing that is in it Superfluous Salmon The seven Bodies are the seven Metals the first of which is Gold and the most perfect of them Now tho' it be all that can be or is requisite to be in a Body truly perfect yet something more than perfect is designed by our Tincture For Sol of him self cannot tinge nor melio rate any other Body nor bring it to his own perfection therefore he is to be made more than perfect by Virtue of this Philosophick Tincture which opening his Body shall exalt it a thousand fold beyond the degree of its perfection making him able to transmute other Bodies into his own form fixity and likeness The other six Bodies are Silver Tin Copper Iron Lead and Quick Silver which last is also among the number of Spirits Now there is a difference between the Common and Vulgar Gold and our Gold say the Philosophers Ours 〈◊〉 the AEs or Electrum Minerale whose Composition comprehends in it self all the Metals according to this saying Omne Aurum est AEs sed non omne AEs est Aurum This AEs or Aurum is rightly compared to Sol who by the Testimony of Hermes next after God governs the World and Illuminates all things both Animate and Inanimate of whom well Sung Palingenius O Sol qui tempora mutas Et cum temporibus quicquid generatur in Orbe And as the Stars and all the other Planets receive their Light and Virtues from the Sun so also do all the other six Metals and Minerals receive theirs from Our Gold almost in like manner by the Emission of its Rays or Beams which is indeed its tinging Sulphur and multiplying and fixing Spirit All that is perfect 〈◊〉 Sol is its Viridity 〈◊〉 eternally generates 〈◊〉 multiplying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ferment of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the Elixir saith the Rosary the compleat Medicine the most depurated and digested Substance more than perfect and perfecting all other bodies whether perfect or imperfect making those that are perfect much more than perfect This is the true Philosophick Gold i. e. Gold in a mean or Gold after a manner more worthy more Noble and more Pretious than Vulgar Silver or Gold or any Gem or Pretious Stone Many have sought this AEris Viriditatem in Vitriol and Copper or Vulgar Brass but they erred and were deceived following the literal Discourse of the Philosophers and not their Sense For they ought not to have contemplated the Metals as they are Bodies but as they are redu-Ced into a most Subtil Spirituous and Celestial Substance II. Hermes Therefore the Philosophers bear up and magnifie themselves in it saying that such Gold in Bodies is like the Sun among the Stars most Light and Splendid And as by the Power of God every Vegetable and all the Fruits of the Earth are perfected so by the same Power the Gold and the Seed thereof which contains all these seven Bodies makes them to spring to be ripened and brought to perfection and without which this Work can in no wise be performed Salmon As Sol is among the Stars and other Planets and Vulgar Gold among the other Vulgar Metals and Minerals so also is our Gold which is the true Philosophick Tincture among the other Metals or Bodys reduced to a Spirituality and pure Tincture And as Sol in the Heavens is the Medium that perfects all Sublunary or Inferior things by his Beams Light and Heat So also Our Sol the true Seed of Gold and the Seminal Power of the Aurifick Principle is also the Medium which makes all the other seven Bodies not only perfect but more than perfect that they thereby may perfect other quantities of their own kind yet lying in imperfection viz. wanting Purity Tincture and Fixation All which is done by Virtue of its subtle Spirit Tincture and Fire Therefore say the Philosophers Our Gold is not Corporeal but a depurated substance in the highest degree and brought to an Astral or Heavenly Nature This is the Ixir Elixir or Fermentum the true Tincture and Spirit tinging and fixing all other Bodies and without which they cannot be perfected III. Hermes And like as Paste or Dough is impossible to be Fermented or Levened without Leven so is it in this case without the proper Ferment you can do nothing When you sublime the Bodies and Purifie them separating the filthiness and uncleanness from them or from the Foeces you must conjoyn and mix them to gether and put in the Ferment making up the Earth
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
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
7 days then let it cool and strain all through a Cloth or Skin if all goes through the dissolution is perfect if not you must begin again and add more Mercury so long till all be dissolved XXI Separation is the dividing of a thing into parts as of pure from impure We take our dissolved matter and put it into the smaller Vessel which stands in the Cucurbite well luting to the Alembick and seting it in Ashes continuing the fire for a Week One part of the Spirit sublimes which we call the Spirit or Water and is the subtilest part the other which is not yet subtil sticks about the Cucurbite and some of it falls as it were to the bottom which is warm and moist this we call the Air. And a third part remaining in the bottom of the inner Vessel which is yet grosser may be called the Earth XXII Each of these we put into a Vessel apart but to the third we put more Mercury and proceed as before reserving always each principle or Element apart by it self and thus proceeding till nothing remains in the inner Vessel but a black pouder which we call the black Earth and is the dregs of Metals and the thing causing the obstruction that the Metals cannot be united with the Spirit this black pouder is of no use XXIII Having thus separated the four Elements from the Metals or divided them you may demand What then is the fire which is one of these four To which I Answer That the Fire and the Air are of one nature and are mixed together and changed the one into the other and in the dividing of the Elements they have their natural force and power as in the whole so in the parts XXIV We call that Air which remained in the bigger Vessel because it is more hot than moist cold or dry The same understand of the other Elements Hence Plato saith We turned the moist into dry and the dry we made moist and we turned the Body into Water and Air. XXV Sublimation is the ascending from below upwards the subtil matter arising leaving the gross matter still below as he said before in the changing of the Elements Thus the matter must be subtilized which is not subtil enough all which must be done through heat and moisture viz. through Fire and Water XXVI You must then take the thing which remained in the greater Vessel and put it to other fresh Mercury that it may be well dissolved and subtilized set it in B. M. for three days as before We mention not the quantity of Mercury but leave that to your discretion taking as much as you need that you may make it fusible and clear like a Spirit But you must not take too much of the Mercury lest it become a Sea then you must set it again to sublime as formerly and do this Work so often till you have brought it through the Alembick and it be very subtil one united thing clear pure and fusible XXVII Then we put it again into the inner Vessel and let it go once more through the Alembick to see whether any thing be left behind which if so to the same we add more Mercury till it becomes all one thing and leaves no more sediment and be separated from all its Impurity and Superfluity XXVIII Thus have we made out of two one only thing viz. out of Body and Spirit one only congenerous substance which is a Spirit and light the Body which before was heavy and fixed ascending upwards is become light and volatile and a mere Spirit Thus have we made a Spirit out of a Body we must now make a Body out of a Spirit which is the one thing XXIX Fixation or Congelation is the making the flowing and volatile matter fixt and able to endure the fire and this is the changing of the Spirit into a Body We before turned the dryness and the Body into moistness and a Spirit now we must turn the Spirit into a Body making that which ascended to stay below that is we must make it a thing fixed according to the Sayings of the Philo sophers reducing each Element into its contrary you will find what you seek after viz. making a fixt thing to be volatile and a volatile fixt this can only be done through Congelation by which we turn the Spirit into a Body XXX But how is this done We take a little of the ferment which is made of our Medicine be it Luna or Sol as if you have 10 Ounces of the Medicine you take but 1 Ounce of the ferment which must be soliated and this ferment we amalgamate with the matter which you had before prepared the same we put into the Glass Vial with a long Neck and set it in warm Ashes Then to the said ferment add the said Spirit which you drew through the Alembick so much as may overtop it the height of 2 or 3 Inches put to it a good fire for 3 days then will the dissolved Body find its Companion and they will embrace each other XXXI Then the gross ferment laying hold of the subtil ferment attracts the same joyns it self with it and will not let it go and the dissolved Body which is now subtil keeps the Spirit for that they are of equal subtilty and like one to another and are become so one and the same thing that the fire can never be able to separate them any more XXXII By this means you come to make one thing like another the ferment becomes the abiding place of the subtil body and the subtil body the habitation of the Spirit that it may not fly away Then we make a Fire for a Week more or less till we see the matter congealed which time is longer or shorter according to the condition of the Vessel Furnaces and Fires you make use of XXXIII When you see the Matter Coagulated put of the abovesaid Matter or Spirit to it to over top it two or three inches which digest as before till it be coagulated also and thus proceed till all the Matter or Spirit be congealed This Secret of the Congelation the Philosophers have consealed in their Books none of them that we know of having disclosed it except only Larkalix who composed it in many Chapters and also revealed it unto me without any Reservation or Deceipt XXXIV Calcination We take the known Matter and put it into a Vesica setting a Head upon it and luting it well put it into a Sand Furnace making a continued great Fire for a Week then the Volatile ascends into the Alembeck which we call Avis Hermetis that which remains in the bottom of the Glass is like Ashes or sifted Earth called the Philosophers Earth out of which they make their Foundation and out of which they make their increase or augmentation through heat and moisture XXXV This Earth is composed of four Elements but are not contrary one to another for their contrariety is changed to an agreement unto
in due proportion by a due and temperate decoction in the bowels of clean inspissate and fixed Earth joyned with an incorruptible radical humidity whereby it is brought to a solid fusible substance with a convenient fire and made maleable III. But Imperfect Minerals are made of a commixtion of pure Argent Vive and Sulphur without due proportion or a due de coction in the bowels of unclean not fully inspissated nor fixed Earth joyned with a corrupting humi dity whereby are brought forth Metals of a porous substance and though fusible not sufficiently or so perfectly maleable as the others IV. Under the first definition are concluded Sol and Luna each according to their perfection Under the second Saturn Jupiter Mars and Venus each according to their imperfection in which that which is manifest must be hidden or taken away and that which is hidden must be made manifest and brought into operation which is done by preparing them by which their Superstuities will be removed and their defects or imperfection supplied and the true perfection inserted into them V. But the perfect Bodies as Sol and Luna need none of this preparation yet such a preparation they must have as may subtilize their parts and reduce them from a Corporality to a fixed Spirituality that from thence may be made a fixed Spiritual Body in order to compleat the Great Elixir whether White or Red. VI. In both these viz. the White and Red Elixirs there is no other thing than Argent Vive and Sulphur of which one cannot act nor be without the other It would be a foolish and vain thing to think to make this Great Elixir or Tincture from any thing in which it is not this was never the intention of the Philosophers though they speak many things by similitude VII And because all Metalick Bodies are compounded of Argent Vive and Sulphur pure or impure by accident and not innate in their first nature therefore by convenient preparation 't is possible to take away their impurity the end of preparation is to take away Superfluities and supply the defects VIII For we have considered the substance of Metaline Bodies perfect and imperfect to be but one viz. Argent Vive and Sulphur which are pure and clean before their commixtion and by consideration and experience we found the Corruption of Imperfect Bodies to be by accident but that being pre pared and cleansed from all their Superfluities Corruption and fugitive Uncleanness we found them of greater brightness clearness and purity than the naturally perfect Metals not prepared by which consideration we attained to the perfection of this Science IX The Imperfect Bodies have accidentally Superfluous Humidities and a Combustible Sulphureity with a Primary Blackness in them and corrupting them to gether with an Unclean Faeculent Combustible and very gross Earthiness impedeing Ingress and Fusion Therefore it behoves us with artificial fire by the help of purified Salts and Vinegars to remove superfluous accidents that the only radical substance of Argent Vive and Sulphur may remain which may indeed be done by various ways and methods according as the Elixir requires X. The general way of preparation is this 1. With fire proportional the whole superfluous and Corrupt humidity in its essence must be elevated and the subtil and burning Sulphureity removed and this by Calcination 2. The whole Corrupt substance of their superfluous burning humidity and blackness remaining in their calx must be corroded with the following cleansed Salts and Vinegars till the Calx be White or Red according to the nature of the body and is made clean and pure from all Superfluity and Corruption These Calxe are cleansed with the 〈◊〉 Salts and Vinegars by grinding imbibing and washing 3. The whole 〈◊〉 Earthiness and Combustible gross Faeculency must be taken away with the aforesaid things not having Metallick Fusion by commixing and grinding them together with the aforesaid Calx depurated in the aforesaid manner Forthese in the Fusion or Reduction of the Calx will remain with themselves the said uncleanness and gross Earthiness the Body remaining pure XI Being thus cleansed it is Meliorated thus First This Purged and Reduced Body is again Calcined by Fire with the Salts as aforesaid Secondly Then with such of these as are Solutive it must be Dissolved For this Water is Our Stone and Argent Vive of Argent Vive and Sulphur of Sulphur abstracted from the Spiritual Body and subtilized or attenuated which is Meliorated by confirming the Elemental Virtues in it with other prepared things of its own kind which augment the Colour Fixion Weight Purity and Fusion with all other things appertaining to the true Elixir XII The Salts and Vinegars for this work are thus prepared and cleansed Common Salt and Salt Gem as also Sal Alcali and Sandiver are cleansed by Calciing them and then casting them into hot water to be Dissolved which Solution being Filtred is to be coagulated by a gentle fire then to be Calcined for a Day and a Night in a moderate fire and so kept for use XIII Sal Armoniack is cleansed by Grinding it with a preparation of Common Salt cleansed and then subliming it in an high Body and Head till it ascends all pure then dissolving it in a Porphyrie in the open Air if you would have it in a water or otherwise keeping the sublimate in a Glass close stopt for use XIV Roch Alums or Factitious or other Alums are cleansed by putting them in an Alembick and extracting their whole Humidity which is of great use in this Art The Faeces remaining in the Bottom Dissolve on a Porphyrie in a moist place or in water and then again extract and keep it for use XV. Vitriol of all kinds is cleansed by dissolving it in pure Vinegar then Distilling and Coagulating Or first abstract its Humidity over a gentle fire the Faeces Caleine and Dissolve per deliquium or in their own water filtre and Coagulate or if you please the water and keep it for use XVI Vinegars of what kind or how acute and sharp soever are cleansed by subtilization and their Virtues and Effects are Me liorated by Distillation With these Salts and Vinegars the imperfect Bodies may be prepared purified meliorated and subtilized by the help of the Fire Glass and Borax are pure and need no preparation XVII Out of the Metalline Bodies we compose the Great Elixir making One substance of many yet so permanently fixed that the strongest or greatest force of Fire cannot hurt it or make it flie away which will mix with Metals in Flux and flow with them and enter into them and be permixed with the fixed substance which is in them and be fixed with that in them which is incombustible receiving no hurt by any thing which Gold and Silver cannot be hurt by XVIII Hence we define Our Stone to be agenerating or Fruitful Spirit and Living water which we name the Dry water by Natural proportion cleansed and United
soft substance This is done with Ignition in their Fusion thus With Saturn or Jupiter the substance of Argent Vive or Sulphur fixed or of Arsenick must be mixed in their profundity Or they must be mixed with hard and not fusible things as the Calx of Marchasite and Tutia for these are united with and embraced by them and harden them so that they flow not till they are red hot The same thing is also compleated by our Medicine perfecting them of which hereafter XX. Fixation by removal of their fugitive substance This is done by calcination in a fire proportional to their substance In order to which 1. All their corrupting adustive substance must be cleansed from them as aforesaid 2. Then their earthy superfluity must be taken away 3. They must be dissolved and Reduced or compleatly washed in a Lavement of Argent Vive This is necessary and profitable XXI Saturn is specially hardened by a Calcination with the Acuity of Salt and by Talk it is especially dealbated as also by Marchasite and Tutia Calcine Saturn fluxed with common Salt putrefied stirring it continually with an Iron Spatula till it comes to Ashes Decoct it for one Natural day and let it be a little Fiery hot but not much then wash it with pure clean water and Calcine it for 3 daies till it be Red both within and without If you would have it to be prepared for the White Imbibe it with water of White Alum and reduce it with Oyl of Tartar or its Salt But if you would have it for the Red Imbibe it with the water of Crocus Martis and of Verdigrise and reduce it with Salt of Tartar as before This work Reiterate as often as need requires XXII The Calcination of Saturn and Jupiter Let a great Test or Calcining Pan be placed in a Fornace and put Saturn and Jupiter into it with as much common Salt prepared and Roch Alum Calcined being in Flux let the Metal be continually stirred with an Iron Spatula full of holes till the whole be reduced to Ashes which sift and set chem in the Fire again keeping them continually Red Fire Hot till the Calx of Jupiter is whitened or that of Jupiter is rubified as Minium XXIII The Regimen of Saturn and Jupiter for the White Take Saturn purified three Pound melt or add to it clean or purified Mercury twelve Pound stirring the whole that they may be mixed This mixture put into a Bolt-Head of a Foot in Length which place in the Athanor with a gentle Fre for a week Take purified Jupiter one Poind melt and add purified Mercury 12 Pound doing in all respects as before with Saturn In this weeks time you will have a Paste dissolved fit to be Fermented with the White Ferment Thus. XXIV Take of the White Ferment one Pound of the Paste of Saturn two Pounds of the Paste of Jupiter three Pounds These being dissolved mix through their least parts and set in putrefaction in a moderate Fire like as in dissolution for seven daies Then take them out well mixed and Strain or Squeeze their more Liquid parts through a Cloth The thick Matter remaining put into a Glass Seal it well up and place it in an Athanor for the time aforesaid which do thrice till it has Imbibed all the humidity Then put the Vessel with its Matter into a Fornace of Fixation for twelve daies which done take it forth and reduce it with things reducing so will you find that which our Ancestors found not without great Study viz. The Generated generating Prove this upon the Cineritium or Cupel with Lead and you will find the Body perfect in Whiteness perpetually generating its like XXV The Regimen of Saturn is also compleated if being prepared and dissolved I suppose he means in his dissolutive Water made of Nitre and Vitriol it be mixed with a third part of its Red Ferment dissolved also and then Distilling off the Water and Cohobating seven times Reduce it to a Body and prove it by its Examen and you will rejoyce in the bountiful Body which is generated XXVI White Medicines for Saturn also solar Medicines for Saturn Because the Medicines and the work are wholly or altogether the same as for Jupiter and that in the Chapter of Jupiter we have explicitely and largely declared the matter we shall refer you thither saying no more thereof in this place see Chap. 43. Sect. 16 17 18 19 20 21. following CHAP. XLIII The Alchymie of Jupiter I. TO prepare Jupiter Put it into a fit Vessel in a Fornace of Calcination and make a good Fusion stirring the melted Metal with an Iron Spatula full of holes drawing off the Scum as it arises and again stirring the Body and thus continuing till the whole quantity is reduced to Pouder or Ashes This Pouder sift and replace it in the Fornace again in the same heat of Fire stirring it often for 24 hours till its whole accidental and superfluous humidity is abolished with all its combustible and corrupting Sulphur Then often well wash it with common Salt cleansed and Alum purified and sharp Vinegar and dry it in the Sun or Air. Grind it again washing and drying it doing this so long till by the acuity of the Salts Alums Vinegar its whole humidity blackness and uncleanness is taken away This done add Glass in fine Pouder to it impaste the whole together and with a sufficient Fire make it flow in a Crucible with a hole in its bottom set within another so will the pure and clean Body descend the whole Earthy and Faeculent substance remaining above with the Glass Salts and Alums in which pure Body is an equal and perfect proportion Argent Vive and White Sulphur not burning Then Calcine this pure Body with pure and clean Sal Armoniack till it be in weight equal or thereabout being well and perfectly Calcined Grind the whole well and long upon a Porphyrie and set it in the open Air in a Cold moist place or in a Glass Vessel in a Fornace of Solution or in Horse-Dung till the whole be dissolved augmenting the Salt if need be This Water ought to be esteemed for it is what we seek for in the whole II. Tin is a Metallick Body White Livid not pure and a little sounding partaking of little Earthiness possessing in its Root harshness softness easiness of Liquefaction without Ignition not abiding the Cupel or Cement but extensible un der the Hammer Therefore Jupiter among Bodies diminished from perfection is in the Radix of its Nature of affinity to Sol and Luna but more to Luna and less to Sol. III. Jupiter because it receives much whiteness from the Radix of its generation it whitens all other Bodies which are not White but it has a fault that it breaks or makes brittle all other Bodies except Saturn and most pure Sol Jupiter adheres much to Sol and Luna and therefore does not easily receede from them in the examen or Tryal by the
a commixtion through their least parts which keep in sufficient heat as in the White is said Extract the Water and what remains in the Cloth put into a well sealed Glass for 3 Weeks Then take it out and add to it a third part of its own reserved water and decoct by Chap. 42. Sect. 23. aforegoing which Work do thrice When it has imbibed all its proper Water put it in its proper Vessel and Fornace to be fixed When fixed with things reducing reduce it into a Body ready to be reduced and tinged XXVIII We more espe cially handling the Regimen of Venus do declare that you ought seven times or oftner to rectifie it when prepared and dissolved distilling off the Water and cohobating thereon each time which being coagulate thence make a most noble Greenness with Sal Armoniack dissolved in Spirit of Vinegar That greenness rubisie in a Vessel of Mars and again dissolve it to which solution adjoyn a third part of prepared and dissolved Luna afterwards extracting and cohobating the water of Ferment 7 times Then reduce this into a Body and you will rejoyce The Regimen of Mars is as of Venus but by reason of its foulness no great good arises from it XXIX Grind Luna amal gamated with Mercury with twice so much Metaline Arsenick Quaere Whether Regulus of Arsenick be not intended To which adjoyn a tenfold proportion of Venus amalgamated with Mercury Grind the whole and fix and reduce into a Body so will you have a pure White Metal XXX The first Dealbation of Venus Take Realgar 1 ounce Argent Vive sublimed 3 Ounces and half Tartar calcin'd 1 ounce grind and incorporate put them into a Bolt head a Foot and half high and its Orifice so wide as two Fingers may go into it lute it and set it over a Fire covered with a Cloth First make a gentle Fire for a quarter of an hour afterwards augment the Fire underneath and round about until the Fornace be very hot with Ignition when all is cold break the Vessel and take out what you find Metalline and make of this a great quantity XXXI A Second Dealbation Upon Tutia sublime one part of Mercury sublimate and two parts of Arsnick sublimed until it shall have ingress This clearly and very speciously whitens Veuus XXXII A Third Dealbation Take Mercury sublimate 3 Ounces Arsenick sublimed 2 Ounces dissolved with Litharge till they become 8 Ounces to these 8 Ounces adjoyn other 8 Ounces of Arsenick sublimed grind them together and flux them with Oyl of Tartar and there with you may whiten prepared Venus at pleasure XXXIII A Fourth Dealbation Grind Metaline Arsenick with as much of the Calx of Luna and imbibe the Mixture with the Water of Sal Armoniack and dry and grind then dissolve Salt of Tartar in the Water of Salt Nitre some suppose Spirit of Nitre with which Oyl imbibe the Medicine repeat this thrice incerating and drying and you will rejoyce XXXIV A Fifth Dealbation which is of our own Invention Imbibe Jupiter calcined washed and dryed so often with metaline Arsenick and hals so much Mercury sublimate as untill it flows and enters Venus which if first prepared it whitens speedily XXXV A Sixth Dealbation Vpon Tutia calcined dissolved and Coagulated sublime White Arsenick so that the Arsenick be 3 parts to 1 of the Tutia reiterating the sublimation upon it four times for it has Ingress With them mix half as much as the whole is of Mercury sublimate grinding and incerating 4 times with the Water of Sal Armoniack Nitre and Tartar ana Quere whether that may not be Aq. Regis with this when coagulated cement prepared plates of Venus and melt so will you have a very beautiful Body XXXVI A Seventh Dealbation Grind Venus calcined and incerated adding to it Arsenick sublimed and half a part of Mercury sublimate with which being well ground and mixed add a little of the Water of Sal Armonoick Quer. if not A. R incerating upon a marble after dry and sublime Revert the sublimate upon the Foeces again imbibing which do thrice the fourth time imbibe with Water of Nitre Spirit of Nitre and sublime what can be sublimed reiterate this Labor till it remains fluid in the bottom This in Copper prepared will be Resplendent with brightness XXXVII An Eighth De albation Upon the prepared Calx of Venus so often sublime Arsenick sublimate till some part of the Arsenick remaine with it in the strongest Fire That imbibed with the Water of Nitre Spirit of Nitre and lastly incerated with Water of Luna and Mercury precipitate and in the end with Oyl of Tartar Rectified until it flows wonderfully whetens Venus and enters the second order if you have operated right For I have else where said that if you obtain any part of Mercury precipitated in the mixture your Work wil be more splendid especially if the White Ferment dissolved with the Mercury dissolved after a certain fixation of it be added by the medium of Inceration by which you will find you have traced the high way it self Geber our Author here saith that the last 8 Sections are all proved Experiments the first 4 of them being Experiments of the Ancients by him again proved the latter 4 Rectifications of the Practises of the Ancients or rather Experiments of his Own All which he affirms to be absolutly true and by him proved so CHAP. XLVI Of the Alchymie of Luna I. THE preparation of Luna It is subtilized attenuated and re duced to a Spirituality in the same manner as hereafter in Chap. 47. Sect. 1. we shall teach concerning Sol. Therefore in all and every part of the Work do the same as we shall there teachwith Gold and this work of Luna dissolved is the Ferment for the White Elixir made Spitual II. It is a metalick Body white which pure whiteness clean hard sounding very durable in the Cupel extensible under the Hammer and fusible It is the Tincture of whiteness hardens Tin by Artifice and converts it to it self and being mixed with Sol it breaks not but in the examination it perseveres without Artifice III. He who knows how to subtilize it and then to inspissate and fix it associated with Gold brings it into such a State that it will remain with Sol in the Test and be in no wise separated from it being put over the fumes of sharp things as Vinegar A. F. or Salarmoniack and it will be of a wonderful Caelestine Color It is a noble Body but wants of the Nobility of Sol and its Minera is found determinate but it has often a Minera confused with other Bodies which Silver is not so Noble It is likewise dissolved and Calcin'd with great Labor and no Profit IV. If therefore clean fixed Red and clear Sulpher fall upon the pure substance of Argent Vive thereof is made pure Gold then in like manner if clean fixed white and clear Sulphur falls upon the substance of Argent Vive there
perfect Luna XIII The Regiment of Luna Dissolve and Coagulate it 7 times or at least 4 times and to it dissolved adjoyn the fixed Rubifying Waters which we shall declare and you will find the body aptly solar for it agrees with Sol and remains quietly with it In this Venus admirably well purged and dissolved may be a great help to you because a most clean tinging and fixed Sulphur may be extracted from it And I tell you that Mercury purified and fixed has power to palliate or illustrate the foulness of imperfect Bodies and fixed Sulphur extracted pure from bodies to tinge them with splendor XIV Hence you may gather a great Secret viz. That Mercury and Sulphur may be extracted as well from imperfect Bodies as from perfect For purified Spirits and middle Minerals are an help and very peculiar for deducing the Work to perfection XV. Another Regiment of Luna This is to reduce it to a more noble state Take Luna dissolved 3 Pounds of Venus dissolved 4 Pounds of Ferment dissolved 1 Pound conjoyn the dissolutions decoct them sor 7 days with gentle fire in a sealed glass as in Mars with their whole water then augment the fire leisurely for other 7 days and let it be as a fire of Sublimation For other 7 days give it fire yet stronger that the whole water may be fixed with it This pouder reduce in a small quantity and if it retains with it self part of the Mercury which you will easily perceive if you know how to calcine it is well indeed but if not put it again to be fixed until it is sufficiently fixt This must be reduced with red reducing Medicines so will you find your Luna tinged transmuted and fixed XVI The Ferment of Luna for the White It is made by dissolving Luna in its own Corrosive water and then boiling this water away to a third part it is to be exposed to the Air or set in B. M. or in Dung for certain days so will it be Oyl of Luna and Ferment which keep for the White Work XVII The Ferment of Ferments upon Mercury for the White Take of the Ferment of Luna which is its Oyl add to it twice as much of Arsenick sublimed and dissolved in water Quaer what Water then to both these add of Mercury dissolved as much as of the Arsenick mix the Waters set them over the fire for one day to be incorporated then draw off the water by an Alembick and cohobate fifteen times so incerating it will be fluid as fusible Wax Add to it as much Virgin-Wax melted commix them and project the mixture upon Mercury washed Quaere What is meant by washing here according as you see fit for that resolved is augmented in Virtue and Weight XVIII A Work upon Luna and Mercury Take Litharge Salt of Pot-Ashes mix and make a Cement Put the Cement first into a Crucible an Inch thick upon which put a Ball of the Amalgamation of Mercury and Luna upon which put the remainder of the Cement that the Ball may be in the middle Dry lute and set the Crucible in a gentle fire for half a day leisurely augmenting the fire and so continue its leisurely in crease from the Evening unto the dawning of the day with moderate ignition at last then take it out and prove it by Cineritium and it will be Luna in weight and surdity and much better in fixation XIX Another Work Amalgamate Luna with Mercury to which add as much Saturn as there is Luna put it into such a Crucible that a fourth part of it may be empty Affuse on it Oyl of Sulphur and decoct it unto the consumption of the Oyl Afterwards keep it for two hours in a moderate fire and there will be generated a black Stone with a little Redness This Stone prove by Cineritium and you will find your Luna augmented in Weight Surdity and Fixation XX. Another Work Take Luna amalgamated with Mercury Grind it with twice so much Metaline Arsenick to which a tenfold proportion of amalgamated Venus viz. That the Amalgamation of Venus may be 10 times as much as the whole Amalgama of Luna and Mercury mixed with the duple quantity of Arsenick grind the whole and fix Then reduce it into a Body and you will find a good augmentation XXI Of the Citrination of Luna or tinging its Body yellow Dissolve 〈◊〉 Philosophick Zyniar which is Verdigrise deduced from Venus prepared in the water of the dissolution of Luna Aqua Fortis to which adjoyn half so much as its self is of Mercury rubified by sublimation and in some sort fixed and dissolved to these add as much of Luna dissolved as the Zyniar Verdigrise is from which fermented for one day extract the water by distillation and cohobate 10 times then coagulate and reduce into a body and you will find it a good Work XXII Or thus Dissolve Zyniar 1 Ounce and our Crocus prepared with Mercury sublimate till it wax red 1 Ounce add as much Sal Armoniack and sublime it thrice from that Crocus which dissolve To which add of Luna dissolved 2 Ounces Then do as in the former incerating and reducing and you will find satisfaction XXIII Or thus Take of Crocus and Zyniar dissolved ana add as much Sol dissol ved incerate as before then coagulate to the coagulate add a fourth part of its weight of the Oyl of Salt-peter and project upon so much of Luna and will be a Tincture of a Citrine aspect XXIV Or thus Make a Water of our Zyniar and of our said Crocus and imbibe the Calces of Sol and Luna of each equal parts therewith until they have drunk in their own weight of it Then incerate with the Oyl of Sal Armoniack and Nitre and reduce the Mass into a Noble Body XXV Or thus Sublime Sal Armoniack from our greenness to which add Crocus and Zyniar from which well commixed sublime the Sal Armoniack and repeat it twice or thrice Then dissolve the whole to which add a third part of Gold dissolved incerate as before and congeal then project upon Sol 1 ounce Luna 2 Ounces mixed together and it will be good CHAP. XLVII Of the Alchimie of Sol. I. PErfect Bodies as Sol is need no preparation in relation to their farther perfection but that they may be more subtilized and attenuated we give you this Preparation Take Leaves of fine Sol which lay stratum superstratum with common Salt well prepared in a Vessel of Calcination Set it into a Fornace and calcine well for 3 days until the whole be subtily calcined Then take it grind it well wash it with Vinegar Quaer Whether Spirit of Vinegar or some other acid Spirit and dry it in the Sun Then grind it well with half its weight of prepared or purified Sal Armoniack and set it to be dissolved until the whole by help of the Common Salt and Sal Armoniack is reduced into a most clear water This is the pretious ferment for
is white a little livid crashing much a little sounding and something bright Of the Differences of which we have already spoken in their particular Chapters aforegoing XIV From which Causes of Difference according to more and less you must collect the order of the Preparations wherein we have shewed first The Preparation of Bodies afterwards of Argent Vive coagulable Now in the preparation of Bodies nothing of Superfluity is to be removed from their profound or inward Parts but rather from their manifest or outward CHAP. LIX Of the Medicine Tincture Elixir or Stone of the Philosophers in General 1. The five different Properties constituting this Medicine I. UNless every thing superfluous be taken away either by Medicine or preparation from imperfect Bodies viz. Every superfluous Sulphureity and every unclean Earthiness they cannot be purified so as that in Fusion they be not separated from the Commixtion after prolection of the Medicine altering them when you have formed this you have found one of the five differences of perfection II. Also if the Medicine do not illustrate and alter and alter into a White or Citrine Color according to what your intention is inducing a splendent brightness and admirable Lucidity Bodies diminished from perfection are not perfected to the utmost III. So also if it abides not Lunar or Solar Fusion it is not changed into perfection because it abides not in the Tryal but is altogether separated and receeds from the Commixtion which you may more amply determine by the Cineritium of which we shall speak hereafter IV. If likewise the Medicine be not perpetuated with 〈◊〉 firm alteration so that the Impression of Tincture and Finity is not permanent but vanishes in the Fire upon probation V. If it attains not to the weight of Perfection having the true ponderosity of Luna and Sol it is not firmly changed to a perfect compleatment of Nature for this weight is one of the signs of perfection Seeing therefore these differences of perfection are five there is a necessity that our Medicine should exhibit these Differences in Projection Also it is evident from hence That this Medicine must be prepared from Things having Affinity to Bodies readily altering and amicably adhering to them in their profundity But searching through Universal Nature we have found nothing which can do all this so well as Argent Vive prepared according to our Directions of which the true Medicine is made to the highest Perfection 2. The Preparations of the Medicine that it may give the aforesaid different Properties VI. Now since it changes not without the alteration of its Nature therefore it ought necessarily to be prepared that it may be mixed even in the profundity of Bodies viz. That its substance may be made such that it may be mixed even in the profundity of the Body alterable without separation for ever VII But this cannot be done without it be very much subtilized with certain and determinate sublimations as we have taught in Chap. 48. Sect. 3 4 5 6 7. aforegoing Likewise its Impression cannot be permanent unless it be fixed nor can it illustrate unless its most splendid substance be extracted from it according to Art with a fit fire VIII Nor can this Medicine have perfect Fusion unless great Caution be used in its fixation that it may soften hard Bodies and harden the soft And it can only do that when a sufficiency of its humidity is preserved proportionate to the necessity of the 〈◊〉 desired IX Whence it is evident that it should have such a Preparation as may make it a most fulgent and purely clean substance and fixed also but these things must be done with such great Caution in respect to the regulation of the fire and way of fixing that in removing its Humidity so much may be still left for compleat and perfect Fufion X. If by this Medicine you would soften Bodies hard of Fusion in the beginning of its Preparation a gentle sire must be adhibited For a soft fire is Conservative of Humidity and Perfective of Fusion XI There is also many other Considerations of the Weight with their Causes and Order The Cause of great weight is the subtiltv of the substance of Bodies and uniformity in their Essence By which the parts of them may be so condensed that nothing can come between And the Density of Parts is the encrease of weight and the Perfection thereof 3. The Six Properties of things from which the Medicine is extracted XII First They have in themselves an Earth most subtil and incombustible altogether fixed with its own proper Radical Humidity and apt for fixing XIII Secondly They have an airy and fiery Humidity so uniformly conjoyned to that Earth that if one be Volatile so is the residue And this same Humidity abides the fire beyond all Humidities even to the compleat termination of its own Inspissation without Evaporation inse parable from the Earth annexed to it with a compleat permanency XIV Thirdly The Disposition of their Natural Humidity is such that by help of its own Oleaginity in all differences of its Properties it contemperates the Earth annexed to it with such an Unctuosity and with such a Homogene and equal Union and bond of inseparable Conjunction that after the degree of final Preparation it gives a good Fusion XV. Fourthly The Oleaginous Property is of so great purity of Essence and so artificially cleansed from all Combustible matter that it burns not any Bodies with which it is conjoyned through their least parts but preserves them from Combustion Hermes Chap. 12. Sect. 5. aforegoing XVI Fifthly It has a Tincture in it self so clear and splendid White or Red clean and incombustible stable and fixed that the fire cannot prevail against it to change it Nor can Sulphurous Adustive or Sharp Corroding Bodies Corrupt and Defile the same XVII Sixthly The whole Compositum incerated with its final Compleatment is of so great Subtilty and Tenuity of Matter that after the end of its Decoction it remains in Projection of most thin Fusion like water andis is of profound Penetration to the greatest perfection of the Body to be Transmuted how Fixed soever it be adhering thereto with an inseparable Unity or Conjunction against the force of the strongest Fire and in that very hour by virtue of its own Spirituality reducing Bodies to Volatility 4. The Seven Properties of the Medicine it self XVIII First Oleaginity Giving in Projection Universal Fusion and Diffusion of the Matter For the first thing after Projection of the Tincture is the sudden and due Diffusion of the Medicine it self which is perfected and rendered Viscous with a Mineral Oleaginity XIX Secondly Tenuity of Matter or the Spiritual substance thereof flowing very thin in its Fusion like Water Penetrating to the Profundity of the Body to be Transmuted for that immediately after Fusion the Ingression thereof is necessary XX. Thirdly Affinity or Vicinity between the Elixir or Tincture and the Body to be Transmuted giving
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
Execrations and Cruses with this word MARANATHA which was oft repeated against any one that should look into it to unfold it except he were either Priest or Scribe XIV The person that sold me this Book was Ignorant of its worth as well as I who bought it I judge it might have been stolen from some of the Jewish Nation or else found in some place where they anciently abode XV. In the second Leaf of the Book he consolated his Nation and gave them pious Councel to turn from their Wickedness and evil ways but above all to flee from Idolatry and to wait in Patience for the coming of the Messiah who conquering all the Kings and Potentates of the Earth should reign in Glory with his people to Eternity Without doubt this was a very Pious Wise and Understanding Man XVI In the third Leaf and in all the writing that followed he taught them in plain words the transmutation of Metals to the end that he might help and assist his dispersed people to pay their Tributes to the Roman Emperors and some other things not needful here to be repeated XVII He painted the Vessels by the sides or margin of the Leaves and discovered all the Colours as they should arise or appear with all the rest of the Work XVIII But of the Prima materia or first matter or Agent he spake not so much as one word but only he told them that in the fourth and fifth Leaves he had en tirely painted or decypher'd it and depicted or figu red it with admirable Dexterity and Workmanship XIX Now though it was singularly well and materially or intelligibly figured and painted yet by that could no Man ever have been able to understand it without having been well skill'd in their Cabala which is a series of old Traditions and also to have well studied their Books XX. The fourth and fifth Leaf thereof was without any writing but full of fair Figures bright and shining or as it were enlightned and very exquisitely depicted XXI First there was a Young Man painted with Wings at his Ancles having in his hand a Caducaean Rod writhen about with two Serpents wherewith he stroke upon an Helmet covered with its Head XXII This seemed in my mean apprehension to be one of the Heathen Gods viz. Mercury Against him there came running and flying with open Wings a great Old Man with an Hour-glass fixed upon his Head and a Sithe in his hands like Death with which he would as it were in Indignation have cut off the Feet of Mercury XXIII On the other side of the fourth Leaf he painted a fair Flower on the top of a very high Mountain which was very much shaken with the North Wind. Its foot Stalk was blue its Flowers white and red and its Leaves shining like fine Gold and round about it the Dragons and Griffins of the North made their Nests and Habitations XXIV On the fifth Leaf was a fair Rose-tree flowered in the midst of a Garden growing up against a hollow Oak at the foot whereof bubled forth a Fountain of pure white water which ran headlong down into the depths below XXV Yet it passed through the hands of a great number of people who digged in the Earth seeking after it but by reason of their blindness none of them knew it except a very few who considred its weight XXVI On the last side of the fifth Leaf was depicted a King with a Fauchion who caused his Soldiers to slay before him many Infants the Mothers standing by and weeping at the feet of their Murtherers XXVII These Infants blood being gathered up by other Soldiers was put into a great Vessel wherein Sol and Luna came to bathe themselves XXVIII And because this History seemed to represent the destruction of the Innocents by Herod and that I learned the chiefest part of the Art in this Book therefore I placed in their Church-yard these Hieroglyphick Figures of this Learning Thus have you that which was contained in the first five Leaves CHAP. XXV Of his Pilgrimage into Spain and meeting with a Jewish Priest who in part Interpreted the said Book to him I. AS for what was in all the rest of the written Leaves which was wrote in good and intelligible Latin I must conceal lest God being offended with me should send his Plagues and Judgments upon me It would be a wickedness much greater than he who wisht that all Men in the World had but one Head that he might cut it off at one blow II. Having thus obtained this delicate and pretious Book I did nothing else day and night but study upon it conceiving very well all the Operations it pointed forth but wholly ignorant of the Prima materia with which I should begin which made me sad and discontented III. My Wife whose Name was Perrenelle whom I loved equal with my self and had but lately Married was mightily concern'd for me and with many words comforting me earnestly desired to know how she might deliver me from this trouble IV. I could no longer keep counsel but told her all shewing her the very Book which when she saw she became as well pleased with it as my self and with great delight beheld the admirable Cover the Engraving the Images and exquisite figures thereof but understood as little of them as I. V. Yet it was matter of Consolation to me to discourse and entertain my self with her and to think what we should do to find out the interpretation and meaning thereof VI. At length I caused to be painted within my Chamber as much to the life or original as I could all the Images and Figures of the said fourth and fifth Leaves VII These I shewed to the greatest Scholars and most learned Men in Paris who understood thereof no more than my self I told them they were found in a Book which taught the Philosophers-Stone VIII But the greatest part of them made a mock both of me and that most excellent Secret except one whose Name was Anselme a practiser of Physick and a deep Student in this Art IX He much desired to see my Book which he valued more than any thing else in the World but I always refused him only made him a large demonstration of the method X. He told me that the first Figure represented Time which devours all things and that according to the number of the six written Leaves there was required the space of six years to perfect the Stone and then said he we must turn the Glass and see it no more XI I told him this was not painted but only to shew and teach the Prima materia or first Agent as was written in the Book He answered me that this digestion for six years was as it were a second Agent and that certainly the first Agent was there painted which was the White and heavy water XII This without doubt was Argent Vive which they could not six i. e. cut off his feet or take away his
a Bird is made the Shell being whole until the coming forth or Hatching of the Chicken so is it in the work of the Philosophers Stone Of the Citrine Body and White Liquor with a temperate or gentle Heat is made the Avis Hermetis or Philosophers Bird. X. The Vessel being well and perfectly closed and never so much as once opened till the perfection or end of the work so that you see the Vessel is to be kept close that the Spirit may not get out and evanish XI Therefore saith Rhasis Keep thy Vessel and its junctures close and firm for the Conservation of the Spirit And another saith close thy Vessel well and as you are not to cease from the work or let it cool so neither are you to make too much haste neither by too great a heat nor too soon opening of it XII You must take special care that the Humidity which is the Spirit gets not out of the Vessel for then you will have nothing but a Dead Body remaining and the work will come to nothing XIII Socrates saith Grind it with most sharp Vinegar till it grows thick and be careful that the Vinegar be not turned into fume and perish CHAP. XLII Of the Philosophers Fire the kinds and Government thereof I. THE Philosophers have described in their Books a two fold Fire a moist and a dry II. The moist Fire they called the warm Horse Belly in the which so long as the Humidity remains the Heat is retained but the Humidity being Consumed the Heat vanishes and ceases which Heat being small seldom lasts above five or six days but it may be Conserved and renewed by casting upon it many times Urine mixt with Salt III. Of this Fire speaks Philares the Philosopher The property of the fire of the Horse Belly is not to destroy with its dryness the Oyl but augments it with its humidity whereas other fire would be apt to consume it IV. Senior the Philosopher saith Dig a Sepulchre and bury the WOMAN with her MAN or Husband in Horse-dung or Balneo of the same heat until such time as they be intimately conjoyned or united V. Altudonus the Philopher saith likewise you must hide your Medicine in Horse-dung which is the fire of the Philosophers for this Dung is hot moist and dark having a humidity in it self and an excellent light or Whiteness VI. There is no other fire comparable to it in the World excepting only the natural heat of a Man or Womans Body VII This is a Secret The Vapour of the Sea not burned the Blood of Man and the Blood of the Grape is our Red Fire VIII The Dry Fire is the Fire of the Bodies themselves and the Inflammability of every thing able to be burned Now the government of these Fires is thus IX The Medicine of the White ought to be put into the moist fire until the Complement of the Whiteness shall appear in the Vessel For a gentle fire is the conservation of the Humidity X. Therefore saith Pandolphus You are to understand that the Body is to be dissolved with the Spirit with which they are mixed by an easie and gentle decoction so that the Body may be spiritualized by it XI Ascanius also saith A gentle fire gives health but too much or great a heat will not conserve or unite the Elements but on the contrary divide them waste the humidity and destroy the whole work XII Therefore saith Rhasis Be very diligent and careful in the sublimation and liquefaction of the matter that you increase not your fire too much whereby the water may ascend to the highest part of the Vessel For then wanting a place of Refrigeration it will stick fast there whereby the Sulphur of the Elements will not be perfected XIII For indeed in this work it is necessary that they be many times elevated or sublimed and depressed again XIV And the gentle or temperate Fire is that only which compleats the mixture makes thick and perfects the work XV. Therefore saith Botulphus That gentle fire which is the White fire of the Philosophers is the greatest and most principal matter of the Operation of the Elements XVI Rhasis also saith Burn our Brass with a Gentle Fire such as is that of a Hen for the hatching of Eggs until the Body be broken and the Tincture extracted XVII For with an easie decoction the water is congealed and the humidity which corrupteth drawn out and in drying the burning is avoided XVIII The happy prosecution of the whole work consists in the exact temperament of the fire Therefore beware of too much heat lest you come to solution before the time viz. before the matter is ripe For that will bring you to despair of attaining the end of your hopes XIX Wherefore saith he Beware of too much fire for if it be kindled before the time the matter will be Red before it comes to ripeness and perfection whereby it becomes like an Abort or the unripe Fruit of the Womb whereas it ought to be first White then Red like as the Fruits of a Tree a Cherry is first White then Red when it comes to its perfection XX. And that he might indigitate a certain time as it were of Decoction he saith That the dissolution of the Body and Coagulation or Congeiation of the Spirit ought to be done by an easie decoction in a gentle fire and a moist Putrefaction for the space of one hundred and forty Days XXI To which Orsolen assents saying In the beginning of the mixture you ought to mix the Elements being sincere and made pure clean and rectified with a gentle fire by a slow and natural digestion and to beware of too much fire till you know they are conjoyned XXII Bonellus also saith That by a Temperate and Gentle heat continued you must make the pure and perfect Body CHAP. XLIII Of the AEnignia's of Philosophers their Deceptions and Precautions concerning the same I. YOu ought to put on Courage Resolution and Constancy in attempting this great work lest you Err and be deceived sometimes following or doing one thing and then another II. For the knowledge of this Art consisteth not in the multiplicity or great number of things but in Unity Our Stone is but One the matter is One and the Vessel is One The Government is One and the disposition is One. The whole Art and Work thereof is One and begins in One manner and in One manner it is finished III. Notwithstanding the Philosophers have subtily delivered themselves and clouded their instructions with AEigmatical and Typical Phrases and Words to the end that their Art might not only be hidden and so continued but also be had in the greater Veneration IV. Thus they advise to Decoct to Commix and to Conjoyn to Sublime to Bake to Grind and to Congeal to make Equal to Puttefie to make White and to make Red of all which things the order management and way of working is all one which is only to
read it to convince or over-come Mercury in commixing and conjoyning for he that cannot destroy Mercury or undoe it in its composure cannot repair or restore it nor may you work with it as Raymund saith till it is dissolved VI. And therefore it is said joyn not that which is Crude with that which is Decocted for of that only with the Ferment is made the Elixir which does congeal all manner of Argent Vive Wherefore as Raymund saith it is never congealed without a congealing Sulphur and being congealed you have a great secret for in the dissolved Decocted Mercury is a great and hidden Mystery VII Another Philosopher also saith that there is a certain subtil Fume which does spring forth from its proper Veins dispersing and spreading its self abroad the which thin Fume if it be wisely gathered together again and sprinkled upon its proper Veins or Matrix it will make not only a certain fixation of which thin Fume in short space is made the true Elixir but also cleanses the Impure Metals or Alchymick Body VIII As to the Tincture mentioned at Sect. 4 above it rather seems by other words of the said Raymundus that he drew it out of Quick-Silver and no other vile thing of which Mercury is made What is meant at Sect. 6. by not joyning the Crude with the Decocted is to be understood of not joyning Crude Mercury to the Decocted Bodies or Metals but to put to them Decocted i. e. dissolved Mercury And herein is hidden a great secret for Mercury being dissolved is an hot and moist Sperm but Crude it is cold and dry Saturn So that if you putrifie its hot and moist Sperm with its cold and dry Earth you will have Quick-Silver dissolved which is not Crude but Decocted Mercury So that in Crude Mercury dissolved is hidden a great Mystery And however it is dissolved by a Fire not natural or against Nature yet it must be mixed conjoyned fixed IX This Alchymick Body is called Leprous Gold wherein Gold and Silver are in Essence and Power but not in sight or appearance in its Profundity or Depth it is Airous or Spiritual Gold which none can obtain unless the same Body be first made clean and pure The which impure Body after mundification is a thousand times better than are the Bodies of common Sol and Luna Decocted by natural heat X. This Leprous Gold the Philosophers call Adrop or Adrup which Gold is the Philosophers Lead This Alchymick Body in his Concord he calls Venus in the lesser Work both for Gold and Silver because it is a Neutral Body and very easie to be changed to either and by this the sense of Sect. 4. and 8. aforegoing may be more easily understood The Earth the uncleansed Body is to be purified with its own Water and afterwards nourished with its Mothers Milk which is called the Sulphur of Nature XI The first Matter of this unclean Alchymical Body is a Viscous Water which is thickened in the Bowels of the Earth And therefore of this Impure Body as Vincent saith is made the great Elixir of the Red and White whose Name is Adrop or Adrup viz the Philosophers Lead From the which Raymundus commands an Oyl to be drawn from the Lead of the Philosophers saith he let there be an Oyl drawn of a Golden Colour if you can separate this Oyl wherein is Our second Tincture and Fire of Nature from its Flegm which is it watrishness and wisely search out the Secret thereof you may in the space of thirty days perform the Work of the Philosophers Stone XII This Oyl does not only make the Medicine penetrable being amicable and conjoynable to all Bodies or Corporeal things but it is also the hidden or Secret fire of Nature which does so augment the Excellencies of those Bodies to whom it is so joyned that it makes them to exceed in infinite proportions of goodness and purity So much as does appertain to the Work of Alchymiae which is only for the Elixir of Metals is now sufficiently opened which if you rightly understand you will find that no great cost is required to the performance of this Philosophick Operation XIII The Innatural Fire is Our Aqua Foetens or Sea-Water sharp peircing and burning all Bodies more fiercely than Elemental Fire making of the Body of Sol a meer Spirit which common Elemental Fire has not power to do XIV But this Elixir of Metals is not all that I intend to shew you the Elixir of Life is that which I chiefly designed infinitely exceeding all the Riches of this World and to which the most excellent of all the Earthly things cannot be compared And therefore I shall 1. Shew in the Mineral Kingdom the Elixir of Metals and that after divers manners 2. In the Vegetable Kingdom the Elixir both of Metals and of Life 3. In the Animal Kingdom the Elixir of Life only albeit the same Elixir of Life is most excellent for the transmutation of Metalls XV. There are three things necessary to this Art of which you ought not to ignorant viz. 1. The Fire wherewith The fire of Nature Innatural Elemental and which is against Nature destroying the special form of all that is dissolved therein 2. The Water whereby as in the Compound Water 3. And the thing whereof is made the congealed Earth as White as Snow Of all which in their proper order CHAP. LXIII Of the Mineral Stone and Philosophick Fires I. ON a time as I have learned there was an Assembly of Philosophers where the Matter of the Secret Stone and the Manner of working it was propounded Several spoke their Opinions but at length one younger in Years and as was thought Inferiour in Learning declared his thoughts and knowledge concerning that Secret I know saith he the Regiments of the Fires When they had heard what he could say they all as a mazed held their peace for a while II. At lenght one of the Company made answer If this be true which thou hast said thou art Master of us all and thereupon with one consent they gave him the Right Hand of Fellowship Whereupon they gathered that the Secret of this wonderful Tincture lay chiefly in the Fire III. But the Fire differs after several manners one Natural another innatural or preternatural another Elemental another against Nature The Natural Fire does come from the Influence of Sol and Luna and the Asterisms or the Sun Moon and Stars of the which are Ingendred not only the burning Waters and potential Vapours of Minerals but also the Natural Virtues of living things IV. The Innatural or Preternatural Fire is a thing accidental as Heat in an Ague being made Artificially and called by the Philosophers a moist Fire Our generating Water the fire of the first Degree and for the temperature of its Heat is called a Bath a Stew a Dunghil in which Dunghil is made the putrefaction of our Stone See Sect. 13. of the former Chapter where it is more amply
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