help of Vulgar Argent Vive And the Crow is the Infancy of the Work wherein the said Philosophick Mercury is United with its Solar Ferment The blackness of the Night is the Putrefaction thereof and the clearness of the Day its Resurrection into a State of Purity It flies without Wings being Born or carried by the fixt Nature and the bitterness in the Throat is the Death of the first Life whence is Educed the Soul which is the Red and Living Tincture taken from the Body And the Water is the Viscous Humidity made of the Philosophers Argent Vive which radically dissolves all Metals and reduces them into their first Ens or Water and also reduces common Quick-Silver into the same by a Simple Imbibition for ever VI. Hermes Understand and accept of this gift of God which is hidden from Ignorant and Foolish Men. This hidden Secret which is the Venerable Stone splendid in Color a sublime Spirit an Open Sea is hid in theCaverns of the Metals Behold I have exposed it to you and give thanks to the Almighty God who teaches you this knowledge If you be grateful be will return you the Tribute of your Love Salmon Fools and unlearned are excluded from the knowledge of this Mystery viz. Such as are unacquainted with the gift of God which is a measure of his Holy Spirit He calls it a Stone yet says it is a Spirit for was it not a Spirit it could not Penetrate and Tinge other Bodies by an absolute Unity and Conjunction Bodies and Matter cannot do this the most that they can do is but to touch one another in their Superficies for all matter is Dead and no Dead thing can penetrate into the property of another but only at most lie side by side with it And to make the matter the more sensible to your understanding he compares it to an open Sea for that this Spirit peirces Bodies and is joyned to them even as Water is joyned to Water or as the Salt Body thereof is joyned with its Aqueous parts It is hidden in the Caverns of the Metals that is if you seek for it in any thing that is not Metalline you stumble at the Threshold VII Hermes You must put the matter into a moist fire and make it to Boil which Augments the Heat of the Humour or Matter and destroys the Dryness of the incombustible Sulphur continue Boiling till the Radix may appear then Extract the Redness and the light parts till only about a third remains Salmon There are said to be three Species of Decoction 1. An external Fiery heat in Humido and is called Elixation 2. An external heat in Sicco which is called Assation 3. An internal natural heat in Humido called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Maturity or the Ripening and perfecting heat Now which of these it is that Hermes speaks of is the question The first and the third differ in this The first is an external Fiery Heat The latter an Internal Natural Heat In my Opinion both are to be admitted The Natural Heat Internal is the Cause of Generation and without that the External Heat can do nothing Hence we conclude the Heat to be twofold 1. External to excite 2. Internal to perfect both which ought to be made in humido for all Generation is naturally made in Calido Humido in a moist Heat which Hermes calls Ignem Humidum as if he should say the Fire is twofold which you must use viz. External and Internal He seems to make his Coction double 1. In the time of Augmentation 2. In the Ultimate perfection or Maturity and so long this Fire is to be continued till the Radix does appear i. e. the Seed of Metals The same method that Nature takes in Generating Herbs and Plants she takes in Generating Metals whose Seed is extracted by the help of Art which Seed is only and truly the Philosophers Mercury in which all the Metals are resolved into their first principles and in which is imprest the Character or Power of Transmutation They all err who think to reduce Metals only into Crude Mercury and not into their Radix as Hermes speaks viz. into their Seeds which is the first Matter living in Metals and from thence Nature ever goes forward never back-ward till she comes to perfection VIII Hermes For this Cause-sake the Philosophers are said to be Envious or Obscure not for that they Grudged the thing to the honest or just Man to the Religious or Wise or to the Legitimate Sons of Art but to the Ignorant the Vitious the Dishonest lest evil Persons should be made powerful to perpetrate sinful things for such a fault the Philosophers must render an account to God Evil Men are not worthy of this Wisdom Salmon It appears that neither Hermes nor any of the other Philosophers did Envy or Grutch the true knowledge of the matter to the Pious Just and good Man but only to the Profane and Wicked they did not think it fit to give the Childrens Bread to Dogs for which Cause-sake they always keep the Prima Materia Secret and left it as a Legacy to the Legitimate Sons of Art but the manner and way of working it through all its various Operations they have faithfully and plainly declared to the least Iota or Tittle CHAP. III. The Names and First Operation Explicated I. HERMES Now this Matter I call by the Name of the Stone the Feminine of the Magnesia the Hen the White Spittle or Froth the Volatile Milk the Incombustible Ashes so that it might be hidden from the simple and unwise who want understanding honesty and goodness which notwithstanding they signified it to the Wise and Prudent by one only Name which is the Stone of the Wise or the Philosophers Stone Salmon There are various Names by which the Philosophers call it as Sol Gold Brass of the Philosophers Magnesia the pure Body clear Ferment Elixir Masculine Fixt Argent Vive Incombustible Sulphur Red fixed Sulphur the Rubin Kibrick Green Vitriol the Greenness Redness burnt Brass Red Earth the Water of Sulphur Aqua Mundi Spittle of Luna Shaddow of the Sun Eyes of Fishes Sulphur sharp Wine Urin Light of Lights Father of Minerals Fruitful Tree Living Spirit Venom most strange Vinegar White Gum Everlasting Water Aqua Vitae a Woman Man Masculine Feminine a Vile thing Azot FirstMatter Principium Mundi and therefore Argent Vive Mercury Azot Plentlunam Hypostasis White Lead Red Lead Water the Crow Iron Silver Lime Jupiter Vermilion Whiteness all signifie but one thing Our Stone but in diver times and degrees of Operation So also White Earth White Sulphur Ethel Auripigmentum Arsenick Chaos a Dragon Serpent Toad Green-Lyon Red-Lyon Camelion Quintessence Virgins Milk Radical Humidity Unctuous Moisture Sperm Sal Armoniack Hair Urine Antimony Philosophers Lead Salt a Bird Microcosmus Cinnaber do all signifie but one and the same thing II. Hermes Conserve therefore in this the Sea the Fire and the
Calces of all Bodies may be so depurated and Citrinated that thereby they may become most pure Gold IX When also Argent Vive is dissolved then dissolve in it a little of the aforesaid Red Ferment and so put all into Kemia or a proper Vessel which firmly close up with a Philosophick Seal Then with a continual and easie or gentle Fire draw out the Charriot of the four Elements through the Depth of the Sea until the Floods being dryed up there appears in the Matter a bright shining substance like to the Eyes of the Fishes X. For by this Operation if you keep your Temperate Fire continually alive the Floods shall dry up with an exceeding drought and the dry Land or Earth shall appear as in the days of Noah the waters were dryed up from off the Earth and behold the Face of the Ground was dry And by lifting up the Rod of Moses and stretching out his hand the waters were dryed up and the dry Ground appeared in the midst of the Sea for so says David He Rebuked the Red Sea and it was dryed up he led them through the Depths as through the Wilderness XI And then by the Space of Forty days following it shall be Rubified as the Philosophers Demonstrate by the help of a Vehement Fire as the Nature of it requires continuing and remaining in the same strong Fire till it melt and flow like Wax whereby it will be able to transmute all Bodies into pure fine Gold XII And thus the White and Red Medicines are multiplied with their own proper humidities viz. only by the solution of the White Medicines in their own proper White and Red humours and by their Coagulation again of the same as necessity requires Thus have we explicated with singular plainess of Speech the Elixiration of Mercury per se or Argent Vive alone CHAP. LXVIII The second of the former Elixirs with Mercury and the Body Alchymick I. TO Elixirate with Mercury and the Body Alchymick Take One part of the most pure Kibrick quod est pater Mercurij omnium Liquabilium Sea water twelve parts in which dissolve the Kibrick being dissolved strain the water through a Linnen Cloth and what remains undissolved which will not go through put into the Vessel called Kemia set it over a gentle fire as it were the heat of the Sun untill there appears on the Top a Red Color II. Then put to it a quarter more of the sea-Sea-water aforesaid being kept in a very clean Vessel set it on a very gentle fire and dry it up again as you did before by little and little at a time III. For in this Work by so much less there is put of the Spirit and more of the Body by so much the sooner and better shall the Solution be made the which Solution is made by the Congelation of its water IV. And therefore as the Rosary saith you must beware that the Belly be not made over moist for if it be the water shall not receive or attain to its dryness V. This manner of Imbibition must be Observed and continued so long till the whole water by several Imbibitions shall be dryed up into a Body VI. This done let the Vessel be firmly and Philosophically Sealed up and placed in its proper Fornace with a mean or gentle fire which must not wax cold from the first hour you begin to set the same into the Fornace till you have made an end of the whole work VII And when the matter is sublimed then let it be made to Descend by little and little without Violence the fire being Artificially made or set over it which done let it be again sublimed as before VIII And so let the Soul of the Sun of the Vulgar the which Soul is Our unclean Oyntment the Spirit not yet conjoyned with the Body Ascend from the Earth to the Heaven and again make it to Descend from Heaven to the Earth till all becomes Earth which before was Heaven IX To the end there may be made a substance not so hard as the Body nor yet so soft as the Spirit but holding a mean disposition standing fixed and Permanent in the fire like a White peice of melted Wax flowing in the bottom of the Vessel X. The which White substance of a mean or middle consistency must be fed and nourished with Milk and Meat till the quantity thereof be increased according to your desire XI This Medicine being Fermented to the Red with a portion of Sol Dissolved in the water of the Sea by reason of separating the first the form from the Matter to the end that it may be in a more noble form than it was before when the first qualities did remain undivided and that it may be brought into a Purple Colour by the help of a strong and continual fire whereby is made the true Elixir both for the White and Red Work XII Now this Elixir be it White or Red shall be increased an hundred fold more both in Virtue and Goodness if its Quintessence be fixed with it and that then afterwards it be brought and reduced by the Fire of Nature into a thin Oyl the which must be done in a Circulatory Vessel for truly then the least drop thereof does Congeal a thousand drops of Mercury into the very greatest Medicine CHAP. LXIX Of the Vegetable Stone I. THe Vegetable Stone is gotten by Virtue of the Fire of Nature of the Composition of which fire we now intend plainly to treat and of the way how to work with it in every respect II. Its Composition is of four things as Raymundus saith in his Book of Quintessences It is a Composition of Sal Amarum which is Ignis adeptus a fire that is gotten without Wood or Coal and by an easie working does work against all manner of sharpness of Action of the Visible Fire like as if it were the fire of Hell and therefore altho' Wine be hot yet this water of Mercury is hotter for it is able to dissolve all Bodies to putrefie and also to divide the Elements which neither common Fire nor Wine can do III. Some think that this Fire of Nature is extracted or drawn from Wine according to the common way and that it must be rectified by often Distillations until its Flegm is wholly abstracted which hinders its Heat Virtue Strength and Burning But this when it is done to all advantages and its highest perfection which Fools call the pure Spirit and then put to the Calx of the Body never so well prepared yet will it be weak and ineffectual to Our purpose for Dissolution Conservation c. IV. The true and Pure Spirit is Our Silverish Spirit of Wine which is our Vegetable Mercury and the true water of the Philosophers Concerning which see in Ripley's secret Concord V. Wherefore since the vulgar Spirit or Wine is such it is evident that there is an Error in choosing of this Principle for the true Principle which is
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
Blood and Flesh viz. Fixity Tincture and Substance The Earth or Mercury is the subject or receptacle of all the Coelestial Radiations VII Hermes The Son saith Father which of these is more worthy one than another whether is the Heaven or the Earth The Father answers Both want the help of one another but a Medium is proposed by precepts But if thou shalt say that Wisdom or the Wise Man does Rule or Command among all Mankind to this Hermes The indifferent or ordinary things are better with them because every Nature delights or desires to be joyned in Society with its own kind We find even in Wisdom it self that equal things are joyned together Salmon If by a Magical Matrimony the Heavens and the Earth are Conjoyned neither seems to be more worthy for as the Earth cannot Generate without the Heavens so neither can the Heavenly Influences multiply themselves without the Earth But there is a mean proposed which he explicates in the following Paragraph which is the making the one equal with the other viz. by bringing forth a new Off-spring out of both which shall excede Sol himself in perfection because it is more than perfect and able to make the imperfect Bodies or Metals perfect which Sol himself cannot do and is also able to make the most imperfect Bodies more than perfect by multiplying their Tincture a thousand times more than what they had Originally by Nature which is performed by Precepts saith Hermes that is by Art And since every Nature Delights to be joyned with its own kind you must be sure to joyn Metalline Bodies only with Metalline Principles for Water joyned with Water cannot be separated no more can Silver being joyned with Silver or Gold with Gold that is to say their Seed VIII Hermes The Son saith But what is the mean among them To whom Hermes answers To every thing in Nature there are three things from two 1. The Beginning 2. The Middle 3. The End viz. First the profitable and necessary Water Secondly the Fat or Oyl Thirdl'y the Foeces or Earth which remains below Salmon By the Beginning he me ans the Deundation of the first Principles for the Prima Materia must be prepared and made fit for the Operation the Middle which are the Operations of the Work from the Beginning to the End the End which is the Perfection or consummation of the matter these are the three things from the two Principles Sulphur and Mercury Or possibly by the three things from the two he may mean the Spirit Soul and Body i. e. Fixity Tincture and Substance from the two Principles Sulphur and Mercury being in Conjunction Other Interpret it thus by the two things he means Heaven and Earth which cannot be Conjoyned without a Medium which is the Air no otherwise than Soul and Body which cannot be Conjoyned in one Body without the Spirit to Unite them The Spirit then is the Legitimate Mediator of the true and perfect Conjunction whether Natural or Supernatural By the Heaven is understood the Soul By the Earth the Body By the Spirit the Uniting Principles these indeed are the three things from the two i. e. the two Principles Sulphur and Mercury the Spirit being Latent in them both But however Our Hermes lest he should not be understood has explicated them himself viz. the profitable Water the Fat Oyl the Foeces or Earth By the Water is meant the Mercury by the Fat or Oyl the Sulphur which by the Mediation of the Internal or Latent Spirit are United into one Body and make the Foeces or Earth IX Hermes But the Dragon dwells in or Inhabits in all these things And his Houses are the darkness and blackness in them and by them he Ascends into the Air from his rising which is their Heaven But while the Fume or Vapour remains in them they are not perpetual Permanant remaining or fixt Take but away the Fume or Vapor from the Water and the blackness from the Fat or Sulphur and Death from the Foeces and by Dissolution you shall possess a Tryumphant Gift even that in and by which the Possessors Live Salmon We have spoken now concerning the Heavens and the Earth and their Matrimonial Conjunction by a Medium viz. the Air or Water which we also call the Spirit for the Water is nothing but the Air Coagulated and the Air is the Vital Spirit running through and peircing all beings giving Life and Consistency to every thing the very Agent which Ties the Particles of all Matter and Bodies together and without which every Body and Metal would fall to pieces and become nothing but Dust and Ashes even the smallest of Atoms And this Spirit is that which moves and sills all things It is the Philosophick Heaven which in its prime Resolution or putrefaction is wonderfully defiled so that like the most Poisonous Dragon or Serpent it destroys all things it touches from whence it is said to have its House in Darkness and Blackness and to possess Blackness and Clouds and defilements and Death it self So long therefore as the Heaven shall be thus infected it is impossible for it to return to its Pristine Nature Simplicity Purity Fixity and Permanency By the Dragon then is signified this Black Matter Ascending into Air which is difficultly done by Reason of its thick glutinous and Ponderous Body which would not tend upwards unless it be first resolved by Force and Power of the Fire in a Philosophick Glass into an Aereal and Vaporous substance being thus Dissolved by a frequent Ventilation of the Air or Spirit it will be perfectly purged and recover its Primaeval Nature of Heaven which is the thing sought after CHAP. VI. The Several Operations by and Various Matters of which the Stone is Composed I. HERMES Now the temperate Fat or Sulphur which is the Fire is the Medium or Middle Nature between the Foeces and the Water and the through Searcher of the Water The Fat 's are called Sulphurs for between Fire Oyl and Sulphur there is so little difference that there is a propinquity or nearness because as the Fire does Burn so also does the Sulphur Salmon He here makes the Fire to be the Medium between the Sulphur and the Mercury which Fire we have before declared to be both Internal and External The first is Innate in the Principles and Essential the latter Elemental and Accidental it is the through Searcher of the Water that is the stirer up of Internal Life and Efficacy so that the Internal Fire may properly be called the Spirit of the Matter which disposes the Particles of it to their Change But the difference between this Fire or Spirit and Oyl or Sulphur is so little that we want fit Words to express it but it is like the Spirit to the Soul which are inseparable But this is to be understood that of Sulphurs such only are to be chosen which are the more near in their principles the Sulphurs of Minerals are
the Water and the Fire dwelling therein which does contain its own Water drawn from the Four Elements and their Waters This is not Water in its form but Fire containing in a strong and pure Vessel the Ascending Waters lest the Spirits should flie away from the Bodies for by this means are they made Tinging and Permanent or Fixed Salmon That is the Mercury and the Sulphur dwelling in the Salt or the Spirit and the Soul dwelling in the Body which is our Stone The Fire saith he contains its own Water drawn from the Four Elements That is the Sulphur contains the Mercury drawn from its Original Fountains This is not Water in Form but Fire Nor is it Quick-Silver in form but Sulphur nor Spirit in form but Oyl or Tincture containing the Clouds and Ascending Waters which are of a dry consistency or Body sticking to the sides of the Glass lest they should flie away in sublimation from the Bodies by this means being often iterated at least three times but if it be six or seven times it is yet better the Spirit enters into and peirces and penetrates the Body in Order to its Fixation which at length is perfected which the highest Fixation and Tincture by the Fixing Oyl or Sulphur VII Hermes O Blessed Water in the form of Sea which Element thou dissolvest Now it behoves us with this watery Soul to possess a Sulphurous Form and to mix or joyn the same with our Vinegar Salmon Great is the Virtue and Power which dwells in the Aqua Philosophica from whence it is caled Blessed For as common Water washes away the Filth from things and cleanses them outwardiy so this our Elementated Water not only Dissolves Bodies but also Washes away and Cleanses them inwardly from all manner of Defilemens and Impurities and being joyned with the Philosophick Vinegar brings forth from them their incombustible Sulphur which by projection tinges and transmutes all imperfect Metals into most pure fine Gold and Silver This Water is the Key of the Art by which the Bodies are oftentimes to be opened that is they are to be Dissolved and by the same to be again Coagulated to be made more noble pure and perfect So that no Foot-steps of Death Blackness Corruption or Imperfection may any more remain in them The preparation of this Water is known but to a few nor do many attain to it because the Well is Deep out of which it is drawn nor do the Vulgar Chymists understand it But whatever you do you can do no great Matter without the help of Nature and tho' Aqua Fortis and Aqua Regis and such-like are usefull in their places to dissolve and Tear Bodies into Atoms yet are they Alien and far from the true Aqua Philosophica which has the Power to enter into the insides of Metals whereas they only divide them into many Superficies And therefore say the Philosophers the preparation of this Water is not to be Learned of Masters but it must be taught by the Dictates of Nature her self VIII Hermes For when by the Power of the Water the Compositum also is Dissolved you have the Key of the Restauration then Death and Blackness flie away and Wisdom proceeds on to the Finishing of the Work Salmon This Water does not Tear or Gnaw Bodies into Pieces and Bits but it Radically Dissolves them and reduces them into their Prima Materia as they were in their Original Generation Of this Nature are those Fountains Springs in Hungaria which have a Faculty of Transmuting what Iron soever is cast into them into good Coper and those other Fountains into which if any Wood be cast so as it remains but some certain time by the Lapidescent Virtue of the Water it is transmuted through its whole substance into Stone which Memorable and well known Powers and Operations of Nature in these particular things are in part a demonstration or at least an Argument to persuade one to the belief of other Operations and Transmutations in the Metalline Kingdom Ignis Azoth say the Philosophers are enough for the whole Work Learn therefore from Nature the preparation of this Azoth or Water of the Philosophers which Water being prepared does with a simple Operation through the help of Nature gently boyling in a soft Fire bring the work to a conclusion and perfect the same This Operation indeed or simple Coction is that which opens the Door into the Chambers of Life making Putrefaction and Death and blackness and darkness to vanish and flie away This Water and this Fire tho' simple and simple in their Operation yet are they hid and known but to a few for that they lead into the most recluse and abscondite recesses of Nature CHAP. VII The Operations of Nature in the Aqua Philosophica as in a Seed I. HERMES Now know my Son that the Philosophers chain up the Matter with a strong chain or band when they make it to contend with the fire because the Spirits in the washed Bodies desire to dwell therein and to rejoyce there In these habitations they vivifie themselves and dwell therein and the Bodies hold or contain them nor from them can they ever be separated Salmon The Bodies before they can be 〈◊〉 united with the Spirit and joyned one to another in a strong Confederation must first be purified and washed with Azoth and 〈◊〉 for the washing is that which puts an end to the blackness and the purification is made and continued till the White Elixir is made perfectly white and till the red is made perfectly red being thus cleansed and purified the Spirit out of a natural propension is drawn to the Bodies in which being ardently inflamed it immediately commixes with them and they are conjoyned with an indissoluble conjunction under the Chains of which they remain inseparable for ever Now this conjunction is not made by chance but from the meer affinity which is between the Bodies and Spirit for they both proceed from one fountain and principle though of the two the spirit by reason it vivifies and holds the Particles of the Bodies together is much the more noble the more excellent and most powerful Agent II. Hermes Then the dead Elements are revived and the Compositum or 〈◊〉 Bodies are tinged and altered and by wonderful operations they are made permanent or fixed as the Philosopher saith Salmon The Domicils of themselves remain dead but the Inhabitants in them are alive Now the Bodies of the Metals are the Domicils of their Spirits which when they are received by the Bodies their terrestrial substance is by little and little made thin extended and Purified and by their Vivifying Power the Life and Fire hitherto lying Dormant is excited and stirred up For the Life which dwells in the Metals is laid as it were asleep nor can it exert its Power or shew it self unless the Bodies be first Dissolved Exalted and turned into Spirit for that the Spirit does only Vivifie being brought to this
dwell Nor is the Spirit by it self the Seed of things nor yet the Corporeal Particles by themselves but a certain portion of Spirit joyned with a fit proportion of Idoneous Matter conjoyned with an Eternal Soul which in the beginning of our Work is to be Putrefied and made blackness and darkness that the whole Corporeal form may be made spiritual and the Seed which before was Corporeal and Visible or a Spirit joyned with a Soul and a Body may become wholly spiritual From this third Immixt Incorporeal and Invisible Seed as from the Crow in the blackness and darkness of the Night is our Stone the true Seed brought forth which saith Our Hermes is the beginning of this Art II. Hermes See here how I have obscured the matter spoken of to you by a kind of Circumlocution and I have deprived you of seeing the light by giving you too much light And 1. This dissolved 2. This joyned 3. This nearest and longest I have named to you Salmon He tells us he has not nakedly demonstrated the whole thing to us but he has Indigitated the Matter with what fincerity he could Circumscribendo by a certain going about or Circumlocution which the Sons of Art by thinking and Meditating upon may at length happily find out The Philosophers say there are three several Birds which from the Name of Hermes they call Aves Hermeticae which fly by Night without Wings The first is Corvus the Crow or Raven which from its blackness is said to be the beginning of the Art and is of the Nature of the Element of the Earth Another is the Swan and is so called from the Whiteness in the middle and answers to the Element of the Water in which the Swan is Conversant The third is the Eagle which is the Oleum seu Sulphur Philosophorum and answers to the Air for that it flys longest in the Air and nearest to the Sun But that you may not be deceived by Names these Birds answer to so many Spirits or rather to one only Spirit under that threefold appearance or manifestation III. Hermes Roast them therefore then boyl them in that which proceeds from the Horse Belly for 7 14 or 21 days that it may eat its own Wings and kill or destroy it self This done let it be put in Petta Panni and in the fire of a Fornace which dili gently lute and take care of that none of the Spirit may go forth And observe that the times of the Earth are in the Water which let be as long as you put the same upon it Salmon Hitherto he has for the most part delivered the Art Theorically now he comes to the Practical part ordering the matter before demonstrated in divers manners to be roasted and to boil it in Horse-dung for a certain number of days There is a time of digestion which is the prime or first Assation or Decoction with a fire weak and soft like that of horse-dung which is sufficient for the first degree of Digestion This being done the Dragon will eat his own Wings and kill or destroy himself that is the matter will begin in the Terra Philosophica to be dissolved and corrupted Then after the time of the solution is absolved or compleated the heat of the fire is by little and little to be augmented and the matter to be decocted in a Philosophick Fornace or 〈◊〉 with a continual fire But the Vessel which must hold the matter must be exactly sealed lest the Mineral Spirits which have a most vehement and penetrating fire should transpire or go forth and leave the dead Body This may be done with Lutum Sapientiae which you may prepare after this manner Take Glue dried into powder one ounce Barly flower two ounces green Wood Ashes Salt Calx Vive Sand Crocus martis or Caput mort of Vitriol ana one ounce all being in fine powder let them be mixed with juice of Comfrey and Whites of Eggs to the just consistency of Lute with this the Mouths and junctures of the Vessels must be stopt and closed so that the least Spirit or Vapour may not go forth IV. Hermes The mat ter then being melted or dissolved and burnt take the brain thereof and grind it in most sharp Vinegar or Childrens Urine till it be obscured or hid this done it does live in putrefaction Salmon Our Stone contains secretly or hiddenly in its self all the Colors of the World which are not manifested unless it be first melted or dissolved As often therefore as it is melted in the fire so often a new color arises from it till all the colours are vanished and the whole matter is reduced to ashes And in these Philosophick Ashes is the Phoenix hidden and out of them will it arise with glory and splendour at first weak like a Worm which in success of time will become a Bird even the most glorious Phoenix By the Brain thereof he means the Spirit But here he calls the Ashes the Brain Metaphorically for as the Brain is the Seat of the most pure and subtil Animal Spirit in an Animal so these Ashes are the place of the most subtil Mineral or Metallick Spirit and the matter in which the said Spirit is hidden even the most noble and most pretious Spirit of this whole greater World By the most sharp Vinegar or Childrens Urine he means the Acidity or Spiritual juices of the Metals or Metalick bodies And by grinding the Ashes therewith he means dissolving them therein which is the Philosophick way of speaking And this dissolution must be so long till it putrefies and the first color of the operation appears which is blackness which color must twice appear The Stone must become Black twice twice White and twice Red the cause of which is but one only for that the putrefaction is twice repeated and therefore it is said the second time to live in Putrefaction that is being once corrupted and putrefied the second time it does putrefie By the Brain as I have said is understood the Spirit or the most subtil Mineral substance dissolved in the Radicated Vinegar of the Philosophers if you know not the preparation or rectification of this Radicated Vinegar you know nothing of the true Philosophick Menstruum or dissolvent there is no other Aqua Vitae Metalica Aqua Vitae Mercurialis Aqua Lapidis but this Acetum Radicatum for that it contains in it self all things necessary for this Work V. Hermes The Dark Clouds will be in it before it is Kill'd let them be converted into its own Body and this to be reiterated as I have described Again let it be Killed as aforesaid and then it does Live Salmon That is to say while the Matter is in Dissolution and Putrefaction in Killing but not Killed the Clouds like a Tempest will arise which is an effervescence caused from the contest of the contending principles as is evident in all sorts of Fermentations These Clouds must revert again and be converted into
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
Superior and Masculine Seed the Air or is the VVomb wherein the two Seeds are conjoyned The Air arises from Fire and Water as he Heaven from Fire and Air. Under the Appellation of Fire is comprehended the most pure substance of the Earth ascending with Fire and under the Name of Air the most pure Substance of Water The Belly or Wonib of Nature is a most pure Breath or Matter raised from all the inferior Elements converted into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Air in which is conceived by the help of Luna the Universal Seed of the Sun specificated also by the other Lights or Stars Hermes will have three Elements two under the Names of Sol and Luna the third under the Name of Ventus the Wind. The Earth is the Nurse of this Birth of the Air by whose Breasts it is Nourished whence it Sucks the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the more thick substance of the Inferior Water remaining yet in the Earth by which it grows and 〈◊〉 to its Substance and Perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 and Strength of a Man IV. Hermes This is the 〈◊〉 Fountain of all Perfection and its Power is Perfect and Intire if it be changed into Earth Salmon As if he should say this 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew you is the Original and Fountain of all Arcanums and Mysteries the secret treasure of the whole 〈◊〉 But it is not brought to its Perfection till it is 〈◊〉 into Earth then indeed is its Power perfect and intire that is if the Soul of the Stone of which we have spoken before and which may be called the Wind or Air which is also the Life Virtue Power and Spirit be converted into Earth viz. a fixt Substance or Matter so that the whole Air Spirit Life and Soul of the Stone may be conjoyned to its Earth which is its Nurse and be all turned into Ferment As in making of Bread a little Leaven Ferments and Transmutes 〈◊〉 great deal of Meal or Paste so also must Our Stone be Fermented that it may be come Ferment to the 〈◊〉 Multiplication thereof That which the Wind does bear in its Belly must be converred into Earth then is the Work compleated which is done by a long and Unwearied Decoction not by evaporating but 〈◊〉 the Spirits till it becomes 〈◊〉 and in success of time is dryed into a Pouder or 〈◊〉 But the time will be long and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you must attend it with Patience according to the Matter you work upon Some things are remote from Perfection other things more remote and others most remote whilst other things are near to Perfection others neerer and some things nearest of all He that knows not these things before he begins his Work may afterwards deplore his Error with very great loss V. Hermes Separate the Earth from the Fire and the Subtile and Thin from the Gross and Thick but prudently with long Sufferance Gentleness and Patience and Wisdom and Judgment Salmon Hetherto he has only discoursed the Theory he now comes to shew you the Practical part shewing first the Purification of the Matter of the Stone You must do it gentlv by little and little not Violently but Prudently and Wisely after a Philosophick manner By Separating he means Dissolving for Dissolution is the Separation of parts Some will have it that by the Earth here he means the Lees or Dreggs of the Matter which is to be Separated from the Fire the Air and the Water and the whole Substance of the Stone that it may become Pure and free from any Putrefaction or Defiled Matter and this the Spagyrick Philosophers say is the first Operation or Preparation of the Matter or Parts of their Stone But some understand hereby the Separation of the four Elements and this doubtless is the thing if it be spoken of a Spagyrick and not Vulgar Separation Under the Appellation of Fire the two other are understood viz. Air and Water for the Fire cannot want or subsist without Air nor is the Air without Water for Air is made of Water by the Mediation of the Fire by which it is forced to Ascend upwards But as to the Earth it partly Ascends and is made Volatile and partly remains fixed below By separating the Earth from the Fire some will have it that he would have the Thick to be separated from the Thin not the Thin from the Thick because the Earth is thicker than the Fire But by separating the subtil from the gross is to be understood the subtilizing of the Thick Matter and Spagyrically to reduce that subtilized Matter into AEther or Spiritual Air. But this must prudently be done with gentleness long Suffering Patience c. that is according to the Laws of Art but gently even with a gentle Heat according to Natural Generation The Instrument of Nature and of the Spagyrists Fire without which the Work cannot be done This Fire is either Internal or External The Internal is proper to the substance or Matter and Naturally dwells within it which you must prudently stir up and Excite The External is either Violent or Temperated in four several Degrees The Violent is that with which some things are Calcined others Sublimed others as Metalls Liquified or Melted The Temperate in its several Degrees imitate or resemble Nature and are used for Putrefaction Digestion and Congelation or Circulatorily to dissolve and fix But Various are these kinds of Fire which are to be applyed according as the Subject requires and the Prudence of the Artist directs being continual without interruption from beginning to the End VI Hermes It Ascends from the Earth up to Heaven and Descends again from the Heaven to the Earth and receives the Powers and Efficacy of the Superiors and Inferiors Salmon Here is to be observed that though Our Stone be divided in the first Operation into four Parts which are the four Elements yet as we have already said there is but two principal Parts of it One which Ascends upwards and is Volatile and another which remains below and is fixed which is called Earth and ferment which Nourishes and Ferments the whole Stone But of the unfixed or Volatile part we must have a great quantity that it may Nourish the purified Matter of the Stone till it be made to Ascend is sublimed and subtilized then being thus subtilized and made Volatile it must be incerated with the Oyl extracted from it in the first Operation which is called the Water of the Stone and so often Boyled by Sublimation till by Virtue of the Fermentation of the Earth exalted with it the whole Stone again does descend from the Heaven to the Earth and remains fixed and flowing that is that the Corporeal be made Spiritual by Sublimation and the Spiritual be made Corporeal by Descension Here is a Circulatory Distillation admirably declared and the Construction of a Spagyrical Vessel to the Similitude of Nature It Ascends from the Earth i. e. from the inferiour part of the vessel to Heaven i. e. the
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
rei volatilis quae est sui generis II. Per quam Corpora redduntur volatilia spiritualia sese elevando subtiliando sublimando contra naturam propriam corpoream gravem ponderosam III. Et hoc modo fiunt non Corpora quinta essentia de natura Spiritus quae vocatur Avis Hermetis Mercurius extractus à servo rubeo IV. Et sic remanent inferius partes terrestres aut potius grossiores Corporum quae perfectissimè non possunt solvi ullo ingeniorum modo V. Et fumus ille albus album illud aurum id est haec quintessentia dicitur etiam magnesia composita quae continet ut Homo vel composita est ut Homo ex Corpore Anima Spiritu VI. Corpus ejus est terra Solaris fixa plusquam subtilissima per vim Aquae nostrae divinae ponderositer elevata VII Anima ejus est Tinctura Solis Lunae procedens excommunicatione horum duoruns VIII Spiritus verò est virtus mineralis amborum aquae quae defert animam five tincturam albam super Corpora ex corporibus sicut portatur tinctura tinctorum per aquam supra pannum IX Et ille spiritus Mercurialis est vinculum animae Solaris corpus Solare est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continens cum Luna spiritum animam X. Spiritus ergo penetrat corpus figit anima copulat tingit dealbat XI Ex his tribus simul unitis fit lapis noster id est ex Sole Luna Mercurio XII Cum ergo aqud nostra aurea extrahitur natura omnem superans naturam ideoque nisi corpora per aquam hanc diruantur imbibantur terantur parce diligenter regantur donec ab spissitudine abstrahantur in tenuem spiritum impalpabilem vertantur vacuus est labor XIII Quia nisi corpora vertantur in non corpora id est in Mercurium Philosophorum nondum operis rogula inventa est XIV Et illud ideo quoniam impossibile est illam tenuissimam animam omnem in se tincturam habentem à corpori bus extrahere nisi prius resolvantur in aqua nostra XV. Solve ergo corpora in aurea aqua decoque quousque tota egrediatur tinctura per aquam in colorem album sive in oleum album cumque vide ris illam albedinem super aquam scias tunc corpora esse liquefacta XVI Continua ergo decccti onem donec pariant nebulam quam conceperunt tenebrosam nigram albam I. IT is most certain therefore in this Art That this Soul extracted from the Bodies cannot be made to ascend but by adding to it a volatile Matter which is of its own kind II. By the which the Bodies will be made volatile and spiritual lifting themselves up subtillizing and subliming themselves contrary to their own proper nature which is corporeal heavy and ponderous III. And by this means they are unbodied or made no bodies to wit incorporeal and a Quintessence of the nature of a Spirit which is called Avis Hermetis and Mercurius Extractus drawn from a red Subject or Matter IV. And so the terrene or earthy parts remain below or rather the grosser parts of the Bodies which can by no Industry or Ingenuity of Man be brought to a perfect dissolution V. And this white Vapor this white Gold to wit this Quintessence is called also the Compound Magnesia which like Man does contain or like Man is composed of a Body Soul and Spirit VI. Now the Body is the fixed solar Earth exceeding the most subtile Matter which by the help of our divine Water is with difficulty lifted up or separated VII The Soul is the Tincture of Sol and Luna proceeding from the conjunction or communicating of these two to wit the Bodies of Sol and Luna and our Water VIII And the Spirit is the mineral power or virtue of the Bodies and of the Water which carries the Soul or white Tincture in or upon the Bodies and also out of the Bodies like as the Tinctures or Colours in Dying Cloth are by the Water put upon and diffused in and through the whole Cloth IX And this Mercurial Spirit is the Chain or Band of the solar Soul and the solar Body is that Body which contains the Spirit Soul having the power of fixing in it self being joyned with Luna X. The Spirit therefore penetrates the Body fixes and the Soul joyns together tinges and whitens XI From these three united together is our Stone made to wit of Sol Luna and Mercury XII Therefore with this our Golden-Water a natural Substance is extracted exceeding all natural Substances and so except the Bodies be broken and destroyed imbibed made subtile and fine thriftily and diligently managed 'till they are abstracted from or lose their grossness or solid Substance and be changed into a thin and subtil Spirit all our Labour will be in vain XIII And unless the Bodies be made no Bodies or incorporeal that is be converted into the Philosophers Mercury there is no Rule of Art yet found out to work by XIV The reason is because it is impossible to draw out of the Bodies all that most thin and subtile Soul which has in it self the Tincture except it be first resolved in our Water XV. Dissolve then the Bodies in this our Goldenwater and boil them till all the Tincture is brought forth by the Water in a white Colour and a white Oil and when you see this whiteness upon the Water then know that the Bodies are melted liquified or dissolved XVI Continue then this boyling till the dark black and white Cloud is brought forth which they have conceived CHAP. XII Of Digestion and how the Spirit is made thereby I. PONE ergo corpora perfecta in aqua nostra in vase Hermeticè sigillato super ignem lenem coque continuò donec perfectè resolvantur in oleum pretiosissimum II. Coque inquit Adfar igne leni sicut per ovorum nutritionem donec solvantur corpora eorum tinctura conjunctissima nota extrahatur III. Non autem extrahitur tota simul sed parum ad parum egreditur omni die omni borâ donec in longo tempore compleatur hujusmodi solutio quod solvitur semper petit superius IV. Et in tali dissolutione sit ignis lenis continuus donec in aquam viscosam solvantur impalpabilem tota egrediatur tinctura in colore nigredinis primum quod est signum verae solutionis V. Continua deinde decoctionem quousque fiat aqua permanens alba quia in suo regens balneo fiet postea clara tandem deveniet sicut argentum vivum vulgare scandens per aêra super aquam primam VI. Ideoque cum videris corpora soluta in aquam viscosam scias tunc corpor is esse conversa in vaporem te habere animas à corporibus mortuis separatas in spirituum ordinem sublimatione delatas VII Unde ambo cum
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
be of a ripe or perfect Age. CHAP. XXI Of the Secret Operation of the Water and Spirit upon the Body I. AUdi hoc secretum Custodi corpus in aqua nostra Mercuriali quousque ascendat cum anima alba terreum descendat ad imum quod vocatur terra residua II. Tunc videbis aquam co agulare seipsam cum suo corpore ratus eris scientiam esse veram quia corpus suum coagulat humorem in siccum sicut coagulum agni lac coagulat in caseum III. Et sic spiritus penetrabit corpus commixtio fiet per minima corpus attrahat sibi humorem suum id est animam albam quemadmodum Magnes ferrum propter naturae suae propinquitatem naturam aevidam tunc unum continet alterum IV. Et haec est sublimatio coagulatio nostra omne volatile retinens quae facit fugam perire V. Ergo haec compositio non est manualis operatio sed ut dixi naturarum mutatio earum frigidi cum calido humidi cum sicco admirabilis connexio Calidumenim miscetur frigido siccum humido VI. Hoc etiam modo fit mixtio conjunctio corporis spiritus quae vocatur conversio naturarum contrariarum quia in tali dissolutione sublimatione spiritus convertitur in corpus corpus in spiritum VII Sic etiam mixta in unum redacta se invicem vertunt nam corpus incorporat spiritum spiritus verò corpus vertit in spiritum tinctum album VIII Quare ultima vice inquam decoque in nostra aqua alba id est in Mercurio donec soluatur in nigredinem deinde per deeoctionem continuam privabitur à sua nigredine corpus sic solutum 〈◊〉 ascendit cum anima alba IX Et 〈◊〉 unum alteri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se amplecte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potuerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separari tune 〈◊〉 reali concordantia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum corpore 〈◊〉 unitm permanens X. Et haec est solutio corpo ris coagulatio spiritus quae unam eandem habent operationem XI Qui ergo noverit ducere praegnantem facere mortificare putrefacere generare species vivificare lumen album inducere mundare Vulturem à nigredine tenebris quousque igne purgetur coloretur à maculis ultimis purificetur adeo majoris dignitatis erit possessor ut Reges eum venerentur I. HEar now this Secret keep the Body in our Mercurial Water till it ascends with the white Soul and the earthy part descends to the bottom which is called the residing Earth II. Then you shall see the Water to coagulate it self with its Body and be assured that the Art is true because the Body coagulates the moisture into dryness like as the Rennet of a Lamb or Calf turns Milk into Cheese III. In the same manner the Spirit penetrates the body and is perfectly commixed with it in its smallest Atoms and the body draws to its self his moisture to wit its white Soul like as the Loadstone draws Iron because of the nearness and likeness of its nature and then the one contains the other IV. And this is our Sublimation and Coagulation which retaineth every volatile thing making it fixt for ever V. This Compositum then is not a mechanical thing or a work of the Hands but as I have said a changing of Natures and a wonderful connection of their cold with hot and the moist with the dry the hot also is mixed with cold and the dry with the moist VI. By this means also is made the mixtion and conjunction of body and spirit which is called a conversion of contrary Natures because by such a dissolution and sublimation the spirit is converted into a body and the body into a spirit VII So that the natures being mingled together and reduced into one do change one another and as the Body corporifies the Spirit or changes it into a Body So also does the Spirit convert the Body into a tinging and white Spirit VIII Wherefore as the last time I say decoct the body in our white water viz. Mercury till it is dissolved into blackness and then by a continual decoction let it be deprived of the same blackness and the body so dissolved will at length ascend or rise with a white Soul IX And then the one will be mixed with the other and so embrace one another that it shall not be possible any more to separate them but the Spirit with a real agreement will be united with the body and make one permanent or fixed substance X. And this is the solution of the Body and coagulation of the Spirit which have one and the same operation XI Whoso therefore knows how to conjoyn the principles or direct the work to impregnate to mortifie to putrifie to generate to quicken the Species to make white to cleanse the Vulture from its blackness and darkness till he is purged by the fire and tinged and purified from all his spots shall be possessor of a treasure so great that even Kings themselves shall venerate him CHAP. XXII Of the Signs of the end of the Work and the perfection thereof I. QUare maneat corpus in aqua donec solvatur in pulverem novum in fundo vasis aquae qui dicitur cinis niger haec est corruptio corporis quae vocatur à sapientibus Saturnus AEs Plumbum philosophorum Pulvis discontinuatus II. Et in tali putrefactione resolutione corporis tria signa apparent scilicet color nigèr discontinuitas partium odor foetidus qui assimilatur odori sepulchrorum III. Est igitur ille cinis de quo philosophi tanta dixêre qui in inferiori parte vasis remansit quem non debemus vili pendere IV. In eo enim est Diadema Regis Argentum vivum nigrum immundum à quo nigredinis debet fieri purgatio decoquendo continuò in nostra aqua donec elevetur sursum in album colorem qui vocatur Anser Pullus Hermogenis V. Quia qui terram rubeam denigrat albam reddit habet magisterium ut etiam ille qui occidit vivum resuscitat mortuum VI. Dealba ergo nigrum rubefac album ut perficias opus VII Et cum videris albedinem apparere veram quae splendet sicut gladius denudatus scias quod rubor in ista albedine est occultus VIII Ex tunc non oportet illam albedinem extrahere sed coquere tantum ut cum siccitate caliditate superveniat citrinitas rubedo fulgentissima IX Quam cum videris cum tremore maximo laudabis Deum optimum maximum qui cui vult sapientiam dat per consequens divitias secundum iniquitates eripit ac in perpetuum subtrahit detrudendo in servitutem inimicorum sui laus gloria in saecula saeculorum Amen I. WHerefore let our body remain in the water till it is dissolved into a subtil
with moisture you may have a blackness by fire XXXII But here you must have a blackness which comes from the perfect Metallick Bodies and lasts a long space of time nor can be destroyed in less than the space of five Months after which immediately follows the desired whiteness if you have this you have enough but not all XXXIII The blueish and yellowish colours signifie that solution and 〈◊〉 is not yet finished and that the colours of Our Mercury are not as yet well mingled and rotten or putrified with the rest XXXIV This 〈◊〉 them and these colours plainly demonstrate that the matter or composition begins to rot or putrifie and resolve into powder siner and smaller than the Atoms in the Sun the which is afterwards changed into a permanent or fixed water XXXV This dissolution by the AEnigmatick Philosophers is called Death Destruction Perdition because that the Natures change their form and from hence they raised so many Allegories of Dead Men Tombs Sepulchres c. XXXVI Others have called it Calcination Denudation Separation Trituration and Assation because the Compositum is changed and reduced into most small Atoms and parts XXXVII Others have called it Reduction into the first matter Mollification Extraction Commixtion Liquefaction Conversion of Elements Subtillization Division Humation Impastation and Distillation because that the particulars of the Compositum are melted brought back into seed softned or meliorated and Circulated within the Glass XXXVIII Others have called it Ixir Iris Putrefaction Corruption Cymmerian darkness a Gulf Hell Dragons Generation Ingression Submersion Complexion Conjunction and Impregnation because that the matter is black and waterish that the Natures are perfectly mixed and now subsist one by another XXXIX For when the heat of the Sun works upon him they are converted first into a Powder or into a fat and glutinous Water which feeling the heat flies on high to the top or head with the Vapour or Fume with the Wind and Air. XL. From thence this wa ter drawn out of the matter or Compositum descendeth again and in descending reduces and resolves as much as may be the rest of the Compositum continually doing so till the whole be like a black Broth somewhat fat XLI A while after this water begins to coagulate or thicken somewhat more growing very black like to Pitch Lastly comes the Body and Earth which the Obscure Philosophers have called Terra foetidae XLII For then by reason of the perfect or compleat putrefaction which is as natural as any can be this Earth stinks and yields a smell like to the Scent of Graves filled with rotten and putrified Carkases not yet perfectly consumed XLIII This Earth was called by Hermes Terra foliata but its true and proper Name is Leton or Laten which must afterwards be whitened XLIV The Ancient Philosophers who were Cabalists have decyphred it in their Metamorphoses under the History of the Serpent of Mars which devoured the Companions of Cadmus who slew him by piercing him with his Lance against a hollow Oak which Oak you ought seriously to contemplate and consider CHAP. XXX Of the Man and Woman cloathed in an Orange coloured Gown in a Field Azure and Blue with their Motto's I. THe Man depicted in that Figure exactly resembles my self even as the Woman does lively represent Perrenelle But the representation to the life was of no necessity as to this work to figure forth a Male and a Female was all that our design required which answers to our Sulphur and Mercury II. It was the Painters pleasure to put our resemblance upon those Figures as he did in those kneeling by the feet of the Apostles Paul and Peter according to what we were in our youthful days III. These here then I made to be painted one a Male the other a Female to teach thee that in this second Operation thou hast truly but not perfectly two natures conjoyned and Married together the Masouline and the Feminine or rather the 4 Elements IV. And that the four natural Enemies the hot and cold the dry and moist begin to approach kindly one to another and by means of the Mediators or Peace-makers lay down by little and little the ancient Animosity or Enmity of the old Chaos V. Who these peace-makers are you must know between the hot and the cold there is moisture who is of the Kindred and allied to them both to the hot by its heat and to the cold by its moisture VI. And to begin this Conciliation you must as in the precedent operation first convert all the Bodies or the whole Compositum into water by Dissolution VII And afterwards you must coagulate this water which will be turned into black earth black even of the most black whereby this Peace and Union will be wholly and most happily accomplished VIII For the Earth which is cold and dry finding it self akin and allyed to the dry and moist which are Enemies will wholly conciliate and unite them IX Thus have you a perfect mixture of all the four Elements having first turned them into Water and afterwards into Earth I will hereafter teach you other Conversions into Air when it shall be made all White and into Fire when it shall be converted into a most perfect Purple X. Thus have you two Natures Conjoyned or Married together whereby the one conceives by the other and by this Conception the Female is Converted into the body of the Male and the Male into the body of the Female XI That is to say they are made one only body which is the Androgyre or Hermophrodite of the Ancients which they have called The Crow's Head or Nature Converted XII In this manner therefore I depict them here because you have two Natures reconciled which if they be order'd and managed wisely will form an Embrion in the Womb of the Vessel and afterwards bring forth a beautiful birth which will prove a most Powerful and Invincible King incorruptible and also be a most admirable quintessence XIII Thus have you the principal and most necessary Reason or Cause of this Representation The other Cause which is also well to be noted from the necessity of having two bodies for that in this Operation you must divide that which has been coagulated to give an afternourishment of the Milk of Life to the little Infant when it is born which is endued by the Living God with a Vegetable Soul XIV This is a rare and admirable secret which for want of 〈◊〉 right understanding has made Fools of all such as have erred in seeking after it but has made him wise who has viewed it with the Eye of his Mind XV. This Coagulated body you must divide into two parts the one of which shall serve for Azoth which is to wash and cleanse the other which is called Laten which must be whitened XVI He which is washed is the Serpent 〈◊〉 who takes his beginning or Original from the Corruption of the Earth gathered together by the Waters
or dwindling away But if they be fed with heat and due moisture on their Trees then they prove Elegant and fruitful For heat and moisture are the Elements of all Earthly things Animal Vegetable and Mineral XXXV Therefore Fires of Wood and Coal produce or help not Metals those are violent Fires which nourish not as the heat of the Sun does that conserves all Corporeal things for that it is natural which they follow XXXVI But a Philosopher acts not what Nature does For Nature where she rules forms all Vegetables Animals and Minerals in their own degrees Men do not after the same sort by their Arts make natural things When Nature has finished her work about them then by our Art they are made more perfect XXXVII In this manner the ancient Sages and Philosophers for our information wroughr on Luna and Mercury her true Mother of which they made the Mercury of the Philosophers which in its Operation is much stronger than the Natural Mercury For this is serviceable only to the simple perfect imperfect hot and cold Metals But our Mercury the Philosopher's-Stone is useful to the more than perfect imperfect Bodies or Metals XXXVIII Also that the Sun may perfect and nourish them without diminution addition or immutation as they were created or formed by Nature and so leaves them not neglecting any thing XXXIX I will not now say that the Philosophers conjoyn the Tree for the better perfecting their Mercury as some unskilful in the nature of things and unlearned Chymists affirm who take common Sol Luna and Mercury and so unnaturally handle them till they evanish in smoak These Men endeavour to make the Philosophers Mercury but they never attained it which is the first matter of the Stone and the first Minera thereof XL. If you would come hither and find good and to the Mountain of the seaven where there is no plain you would betake your self from the highest you must look downward to the sixth which you will see afar off XLI In the height of this Mountain you will find a Royal Herb triumphing which some have called Mineral some Vegetable some Saturnine But let its Bones or Ribs be left and let a pure clean Broth be taken from it so will the better part of your work be done XLII This is the right and subtil Mercury of the Philosophers which you are to take which will make first the white work and then the red If you have well understood me both of them are nothing else as they term them but the practick which is so easie and so simple that a Woman sitting by her Distaff may perfect it XLIII As if in Winter she would put her Eggs under a Hen and not wash them because Eggs are put under a Hen without washing them and no more labour is required about them than that they should be every day turned that the Chickens may be the better and sooner hatched concerning the which enough is said XLIV But that I may follow the Example first wash not the Mercury but take it and with its like which is fire place it in the Ashes which is Straw and in one Glass which is the Nest without any other thing in a convenient Alembick which is the House from whence will come forth a Chicken which with its Blood will free thee from all Diseases and with its Flesh will nourish thee and with its Feathers will cloath thee and keep thee warm from the Injuries of the cold and ambient Air. XLV For this cause I have written this present Treatise that you may search with the greater desire and walk in the right way And I have written this small Book this Summary that you might the better comprehend the Sayings and Writings of the Philosophers which I believe you will much better understand for time to come The End of Flammel's Book ROGERII BACHONIS RADIX MUNDI Translated out of Latin into English and Claused By WILLIAM SALMON CHAP. XXXVII Of the Original of Metals and Principles of the Mineral Work I. THE Bodies of all Natural Things being as well perfect as imperfect from the Original of time and compounded of a quaternity of Elements or Natures viz. Fire Air Earth Water are conjoyned by God Almighty in a perfect Unity II. In these four Elements is hid the Secret of Philosophers The Earth and Water give Corporeity and Visibility The Fire and Air the Spirit and Invisible Power which cannot be seen or touched but in the other two III. When these four Elements are conjoyned and made to exist in one they become another thing whence it is evident that all things in nature are composed of the said Elements being altered and changed IV. So saith Rhasis Simple Generation and Natural Transformation is the Operation of the Elements V. But it is necessary that the Elements be of one kind and not divers to vit Simple For otherwise neither Action nor Passion could happen between them So saith Aristotle There is no true Generation but of things agreeing in Nature So that things be not made but according to their Natures VI. The Eldar or Oak Trees will not bring forth Pears nor can you gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles things bring not forth but only their like or what agrees with them in Nature each Tree it s own Fruit. VII Our Secret therefore is to be drawn only out of those things in which it is You cannot extract it out of Stones or Salt or other Heterogene Bodies Neither Salt nor Alum enters into our mystery But as Theophrastus saith The Philosophers disguise with Salts and Alums the Places of the Elements VIII If you prudently desire to make our Elixir you must extract it from a Mineral Root For as Geber saith You must obtain the perfection of the Matter from the Seeds thereof IX Sulphur and Mercury are the Mineral Roots and Natural Principles upon which Nature her self acts and works in the Mines and Caverns of the Earth which are Viscous Water and Subtil Spirit running through the Pores Veins and Bowels of the Mountains X. Of them is produced a Vapour or Cloud which is the substance and body of Metals united ascending and reverberating upon its own proper Earth as Geber sheweth even till by a temperate digestion through the space of a Thousand Years the matter is fixed and converted into a Mineral Stone of which metals are made XI In the same manner of Sol which is our Sulphur being reduced into Mercury by Mercury which is the Viscous Water made thick and mixt with its proper Earth by a temperate decoction and digestion ariseth the Vapour or Cloud agreeing in nature and substance with that in the Bowels of the Earth XII This afterwards is turned into most subtil water which is called the Soul Spirit and Tincture as we shall hereafter shew XIII When this Water is returned into the Earth out of which it was drawn and every way spreads through or is mixed with it as its
and then always augmenting the fire gradually for three days so will they be inseparably conjoyned This is a work of three days XVI Then again and lastly take one part of this mixture and project it upon a Thousand parts of another Body or Metal the nearer to perfection the better so the whole will be a most fine and perfect Body according to the kind and according to your intended work whether for the White or for the Red. XVII And all this is but the work of one day or rather but of an hour or of a moment for which wonderful work Praises be perpetually rendred to the Lord our God for Ever and Ever CHAP. LX. A Short Recapitulation of the whole Work I. OUR Tincture then is only generated out of the Mercury of the wise which is called the Prima Materia Aqua permanens Acetum Pilosophorum 〈◊〉 Lac Virginis Mercurius Corporalis with which nothing extraneous Alien or Forreign is commixed such as are Salts Alums and Vitriols II. Because from this Mercury alone the Virtue and Power of this our Magistry is generated and it so resolves every Metalline Body that it may be augmented or multiplied III. This our aforesaid Mercury is both the Root and the Tree from whence many and almost Infinite Branches Spring and increase IV. The first work for the making of this Elixir is sublimation which is nothing else but the subtilization of the matter of our Stone by which it is cleansed from all its supersluities V. The fixed and Volatile parts are not separated one from another but they remain United and are fixed together till they both may have an easie fusion together in the fire VI. Take therefore our aforesaid Mercury which in a Sealed Glass put into its hot bed for one whole Philosophick month which is 40 days till it begins in its own body to putrisie and be Coagulated and all its Humidity be Consumed in its self and also converted into a black Earth VII In this Sublimation is compleated the true separation of the four Elements VIII Because the cold and watery Elements is changed into a hot and dry Earth which is the head of the Crow the Mother of the remaining Elements IX Thus our work is nothing else but a transmutation of Nature and a Conversion of the Elements X. The Spiritual is made Corporal the Liquid is made thick and the water is made Fire XI Moreover the black Earth is imbibed with its own water and dryed so long till it is sufficiently cleansed and brought on to Whiteness XII Which then is called the White Earth foliated Sulphur of Nitre Sulphur of Magnesia and then there is a new Conjunction of Sol and Luna and a Resurrection of the Dead Body XIII When our Earth bearing Fruit is moistned with its own proper water it drinks it up in that its thirst with much greediness till it generates or is made pregnant and then brings forth Fruit an Hundred Fold XIV Now proceed farther with the White Earth augmenting or increasing the Fire 〈◊〉 it till by the motion of the Continual Heat it is digested and brought into the highest and most pure Red. XV. And now it is called our Red Coral Red Sulphur Blood our Purple Gold our burnt Crocus XVI This very Work repeat three or four times with new Materials and you shall have the most perfect Red Stone of the Philosophers Red as Blood it self with which you may tinge Mercury and all other imperfect Metals XVII But it behoves you to take of our aforesaid Sulphur three parts adding one part of fine Gold reduced into a subtle Calx and of the water thereof two parts these three mix subtilly till they become one Inseparable Matter these then digest in a proper Fornace till they become a Red Stone Operis Rogerij Bachonis Alchymici FINIS Georgij Riplei MEDVLLA ALCHYMIAE The Marrow of Alchymie Written in Latin by George Ripley Cannon of Bridlington which he sent out of Italy Anno 1476. To the Arch-Bishop of YORK Translated into English and now Revised and Claused By WILLIAM SALMON Professor of Physick CHAP. LXI The Preface to the Arch-Bishop of York I. I Shall endeavour Sir to explicate open and make plain to you the Secrets of Alchymie which I have attained to by my Travels through Italy and other Countries and Kingdoms for the space of Nine Years drawing Forth and Selecting the true Root and Marrow of Nature by a series of Experiences from its most inward Recesses and secret Habitations II. The which I am moved and compelled to from the singular Good-will entire Affections and Sincere Love which as well as in times past I now at present bear unto you And therefore shall faithfully tho' briefly declare the Secrets of this Art to you plainly and openly not Darkly and AEnigmatically as if it was done under a Shadow or Vail III. Such indeed is your Life your Works witnessing the same that you are as a healing Balm a Refuge of Defence and Shelter to the Church of God a Pillar of his Holy Temple for which Reasons I am obliged to reveal these hidden Mysteries and make known to you the abscondite Paths of Nature not to rejoyce your outward Man only by adding Health and long Life heaping up Treasures and external Honours and Applause in the World but to excite in you the highest Devotion to God Almighty that you might become good to all Men profitable to the Church a Father to the Fatherless and a Sanctuary to the Needy and Distressed IV. And in these things I am confident of you in whom is found such a Portion and Treasure of Vertue Prudence Piety and true Wisdom but most chiefly for that I know you to be such a one who has God always before your Eyes V. And therefore I speak truly and fervently and I will declare the Truth to you with all faithfulness according to the reality of my Soul I shall Elucidate the undoubted Verity and declare such things as with much Labour Care and Diligence I have sought out and obtained the knowledge of which I have seen with my Eyes and have handled with my Hands and which my own self has done And in this matter I will neither be tedious nor obscure lest that love which I profess to you should seem to be deficient or imperfect VI. Whatever I write I shall open the same briefly and plainly beseeching God that the matter whereof I shall entreat may become profitable unto you and that if you shall please to put the same into practice you may find the faithful experience thereof and not be deceived or spend your time in vain For we know certainly that of all transitory things Time is truly the most pretious VII Wherefore I write unto you honourable and dearly beloved Friend such things only as may be profitable making this humble suit unto your Excellency that the Revealed Secrets and Experiments which I send you in this little Book may not
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
the water begins to whiten the whole Mass. XXVII A temperate heat working in moist Bodies brings forth blackness which having obtained there is nothing that you need fear for in the same way the Germination of our Stone does follow and forthwith to wit in the space of thirty or Forty days you have Gas or Adrop which is our Uzifer or Cinnabar and our Red Lead XXVIII Takeheed to defend your Glass from a Violent Heat and a sudden Cold make use of a moderate Fire and beware of Vitrification Beware how you bind up your matter mix it not with Salts Sulphurs nor the middle Minerals let Sophisters prate what they will Our Sulphur and our Mercury are found in Metals only XXIX 7. De Coagulatione Coagulation or Congelation is the induration or hardning of things in Calore Candido and the fixing of the Volatile Spirit The Elements are forthwith converted but the Congelation is no way impeded for those things which are Congealed in the Air melt or soften not in the Water for if so Our work would be destroyed and come to nothing XXX When the Compositum is brought to Whiteness then the Spirit is United and Congealed with the Body but it will be a good length of time before such a Congelation will appear in the likeness or Beauty of Pearls The cause of all these things is the most temperate heat continually working and moving the Matter Believe me also that your whole Labour is lost except you revivifie your Earth with the Water without that you shall never see a true Congelation XXXI This Water is a Secret drawn from the Life of all things existing in Nature for from Water all things in the World have their first beginning as you may easily perceive in many things The substance or Matter is nourished with its proper Menstruum which the Water and the Earth only produce whose proper Colour is Greenness XXXII Understand also that our fiery Water thus acuated is called the Menstrual Water in which Our Earth is dissolved and naturally Calcined by Conge lation when you have made seven Imbibitions then by a Circumvolution putrifie again all the Matter without addition beholding in the first place the blackness then the Whiteness of the Congealed Matters XXXIII Thus your Water is divided into two parts with the first part the Bodies are purified the second part is reserved for Imbibitions with which afterwards the Matter is made black and presently after with a gentle fire made White then reduce to Redness XXXIV 8. De Cibatione Cibation is the Feeding or Nourishing of our dry Matter with Milk and Meat being both administred moderately till it is reduced to the third Order you must never give so much as to cause a suffocation or that the Aqueous humour should exceed the Blood if it drinks too much the work will be hurt XXXV Three times must you turn about the Philosophick Wheel observing the Rule of the said Cibation and then in a little time it will feel the Fire so as to melt presently like Wax XXXVI 9. De Sublimatione Sublime not the matter to the top of the Vessel for without Violence you cannot bring it down to the bottom again by a temperate heat below in the space of 40 days it will become black and obscure When the Bodies are purified let them be sublimed by degrees more and more till they shall be all elevated or converted into Water XXXVII We use Sublimation for three Causes First that the Body may be made spiritual Secondly that the the Spirit may be made Corporeal aud fixed with it and become Consubstantial with it Thirdly that it may be purified from its Original Impurities and its Sulphurous Salt may be diminished with which it is infected subliming it to the Top as White as Snow XXXVIII 10. De Fermentatione Fermentations are made after divers manners by which our Medi cine is perpetuated Some dissolve Sol and Luna into a certain clear Water and with the Medicine of them they make the same to Coagulate or be Coagulated but such a Fermentation we propose not XXXIX This only is our Intention that first you must Break or Tear or Grind the matter to Atoms before you Ferment it Mix then presently your Water and Earth together and when the Medicine shall flow like Wax then see the above mentioned Amalgamation and put forth the same and when all that is mixed together above or on the top of the Glass being well closed make a Fire till the whole be Fluxed then make projection as you shall think fit because it is a Medicine wholly perfect Thus have you made the Ferment both for the Red and the White XL. The true Fermentation is the Incorporation of the Soul with the Body restoring to the same the Natural Odour Consistency and Colour by a Natural Inspissation of the separated things And as the Magnet draws Iron to it self so our Earth by Nature draws down its Soul to it self Elevated with Wind For without doubt the Earth is the Ferment of the Water and by Course or Turns the Water is the Ferment of the Earth XLI We make the Water most Odoriferous with which we reduce all the Bodies into Oyl with which Oyl we make our Medicine flow We call this Water a Quintessence or the Powers and it Heals or Cures all humane Diseases Make therefore this Oyl of Sol and Luna which is a Ferment most fragrant in smell XLII 11. De Exaltatione Exaltation differs a little from Sublimation if you understand aright the words of the Philosophers If therefore you would Exalt your Bodies sublime them first with Spiritus Vitae then let the Earth be subtiliated by a Natural rectification of all the Elements so shall it be more pretious than Gold because of the Quintessence or Powers which they contain XLIII When the Cold does overcome the Heat then the Air is converted into water so two contraries are made by the way till they kindly conjoyn and rest together after this manner you must work them that they may be Circulated that they one with another may speedily be Exalted together In one Glass well Sealed all this Operation is to be done and not with hands XLIV Convert the Water into Earth which will quickly be the Nest of the other Elements for the Earth is in the Fire which rests in the Air. Begin this Circulation in the West then continue it till past the Meridian so will they be exalted XLV 12. De Multiplicatione Multiplication is the thing which makes the augmentation of the Medicine in Color Smell Vertue and Quantity for it is a Fire which being Excited never dies but always dwells with you one spark of which is able to make more Fire by the Virtue of Multiplication XLVI He is rich which has but one Particle or Grain of this our Elixir because that Grain is possible to be augmented by one way to Infinity if you dissolve this our dry Pouder and make a
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-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-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
Vaporosum and let it stand 〈◊〉 Weeks in digestion or to putrifie and it will become a slimy Water Take the Retort open its neck and lay the Retort in a Sand-furnace and cover it with an earthen Pan fixing to it a Receiver well luted give first a slow fire then a stronger which continue till the Spirits be well resolved into water First the Spirits will come forth in white Clouds or in smoak and at last in red Clouds or smoak give fire so long till all the Spirits are come over in a clear white water and when you have this sign take the Receiver from the Retort stopping the said Receiver very well with Wax that no Spirits may fly away then let the Fire go out XX. The Matter which remains in the Retort take out and put it into a Bolt-head and stop it well and set it in a warm place then rectifie once the Spirits which are in the Receiver and keep them carefully Now observe this you remember that when the Mercury hath lost its Praecipiolum that the same Mercury will be as bright as a Venice Looking-glass Take of this bright Mercury one part of the Spirit aforesaid two parts put them into a Bolt head stop it very close and let it stand in a little warmth and the Mercury will mix with the Spirit then distil all through a Retort in Sand. Take again of the aforesaid Mercury which is clear as a Venice Looking-Glass p. i. of the Spirit p. ij put them into a Bolt-head and set it in a warm place and the Mercury will mix with the Spirit and dissolve then distil again in a Retort in Sand ut supra and it will come over in form of VVater this continue so long 'till all the one half part of the might Mercury is brought to a clear thin VVater which keep very close stopped with VVax Take the Pouder which I ordered to be kept in a Bolt-head and place it very deep in a sand Capel and give a strong Fire for twenty four Hours then let the Fire go out and take the Bolt-head forth and stir the Pouder with a wooden Stick and put it upon the half part of the clear Mercurial Water closing the Glass with Hermes Seal shake it and let it stand in digestion in a warm place for three or four days then pour off this into another Glass and pour upon the remainder of the Pouder the other half of the VVater sealing the Glass again and letting it stand ut supra for three or four days then put it to the former VVater and Seal up the Glass Hermetically letting it stand in Balneo Vaporoso eight Days after distil it through a Retort and if any thing remain in the Retort which will be very little pour upon it the Spirit again and distil it 'till all is come over Now is the Salt with its own Spirit and brought into its first Matter keep it well stopped XXI This is the VVater which the Philosophers have given divers Names to as their Horse-dung Balneum Mariae and Calx Viva and in Sum this is the Philosophers true Fire without which no true work can be done in Chymistry XXII The Philosopher has brought forth this Salamander which will never wast in the Fire the longer the stronger This Water will increase and multiply per Infinitum that is to say if all the Sea were Mercury it would turn the same into its first Matter First you must wash your Mercury with Salt and Vinegar divers times and at last with Water to wash away the Salt Then mix this Mercury with Calx Vive and Calcin'd Tartar and by Sect. 8. aforegoing distil it in a Retort in a sand Furnace and fix to it a Receiver fill'd almost half full of Water that the Mercury may fall into it and coagulate which dry and squeeze eight or ten times through Leather so will your Mercury be well purged and cleansed from all its filth and uncleanness XXIII This is the Mercury which you must use in the multiplying your Spirit or Astrum Mercurij Take of this Mercury p. i. of the Astrum Mercurij p. ij put them into a Bolt-head stop it close and let it stand in a warm place one Night so will the Mercury melt in the Spirit or Astrum Mercurij and turn into Water then distil it through a Retort Thus may you do by repeating the Spirit with fresh Mercury as long as you please XXIV This Water will dissolve Gold and Silver and all sorts of Stones and bring them over with it through a Retort Gold and Silver thus dissolved can never be separated one from another The reason is because they and all other Mettals are of the same Nature and have beginning from the same Water there is nothing in the World but has its beginning from it XXV Medicina Universalis the Universal Medicine Take of your fine Gold in Powder viz. the same which did remain when you made the Praecipiolum one part of your finest Silver two parts in fine Powder put each by it self into a Glass pour upon each the Astrum Mercurij so much as may overtop them a Fingers breadth stop each Glass very close and let them stand in a warm place for eight days and the Gold and Silver will be almost all dissolved into Water pour off this Water each by it self into a Glass and put more Water to the Gold and Silver which yet remains let it stand again eight days in a warm place and then pour off these Waters to the former Waters so will the Gold and Silver be dissolved into Water but there will remain some Foeces XXVI Take of both these Waters a quarter part and put them together into a Bolt-head so as three quarters may be empty seal it Hermetically digest it in an Athanor in a continual warm heat 'till it comes to a fixed red Stone or Pouder Before it becomes a red Pouder there will appear many Colours as Black then Green then Yellow lastly Red When it is very Red and a Pouder take the Bolt head and bury it in a sand Capel very deep and give Fire by degrees and at last a very strong Fire and it will melt like Wax Let it stand one whole Week but the longer the better then take it out and let it cool after break up your Glass and you will find a fird Stone or Pouder and Red as Scarlet XXVII Now you may remember that I bid you keep three parts of your Gold and Silver which were dissolved into Water put both these Waters together into a Retort distil them and both the Gold and Silver will go over with the Water through the Retort with which Water you shall multiply your Medicine Now take of your Medicine p. i. in fine Pouder and put it into a little Bolt head putting upon it twice as much of your Waters as of Gold and Silver Seal it again and digest it in an Athanor 'till it comes to a Red Pouder
Degree of purity and spirituality and at length to perfection by their abundant Virtue they communicate their tinging property to the other imperfect Bodies and Transmute them into a fixed and permanent Substance This is the property of our Medicine into which the Bodies are reduced that at first one part thereof will tinge ten parts of an imperfect body then an hundred after a thousand then ten thousand and so infinitely on By which the Efficacy of the Creators Word is most apparently Evident Crescite Multiplicamini encrease and multitiply And by how much the oftner the Medicine is dissolved by so much the more it encreases in Virtue and Power which otherwise without any more solutions would remain in its simple or single State of perfection Here is a Celestial and Divine Fountain set Open which no Man is able to draw dry nor can it be wholly exhausted should the World endure to Eternal Generations III. Hermes O Beautiful and Permanent or Fixed Water the Formator of the Royal Elements who having obtained with thy Brethren joyned with a moderate Government the Tincture hast found a place of rest Salmon He does not call the Matter of the Stone simply Water but a fixed Watery form which whoso is ignorant of knows nothing of the principles of this Science This Fountain saith Bernard Trevisan is a wonderful Fountain of Virtue above all other Fountains in the whole World it is as clear as Silver and of a Celestial Color It is the Formator of the Royal Elements that is as Bernard explicates it it draws to its self the King who after 130 days it brings forth splendid shining and Crowned with a Royal Diadem who afterwards Adorns his Brethren they being first Purified in the same Fountain and freed from all their Internal Leprosie and Impurities By this he means Concord and Peace is produced and a Stable Place of Rest by which is prefigured Tincture and Fixation IV. Hermes Our Stone is a most pretious thing yet cast forth upon the Dunghil It a most dear and Valuable yet Vile and the most Vile i. e. found among the most Vile things Because it behoves us to kill two Argent Vive's together and yet to Value Prize and Esteem them Viz. the Argent Vive of Auripigment and the Oriental Argent Vive of Magnesia Salmon It is the most pretious because it is the Fountain of all Treasures but cast forth upon a Dunghil because it is found in the Putrefaction of the Matters which is filthy and stinks like a Dunghil and so tho' it be most dear being perfected yet it is most Vile as being found amongst the most Vile things in the midst of Corruption and defilements Our Stone is Composed of a double Argent Vive The first of which Argent Vive's is Vile and Abject and found in all places in the Dunghil in the High-way in Plains in Mountains and in Vallies and without which Man is not able to live one Moment of an hour for it enlivens all things both Animals and Vegetables even Herbs Plants and Trees stand in need thereof it preserves all things from Corruption and every Mineral without exception But would you know what it is it is not Gold nor Silver nor Gems nor pretious Stones these are things of great Price and therefore not to be enumerated among those things which are Vile and Mean What is it then It is Salt but not the Vulgar Salt with which Food is Drest altho' that has one of the Qualities of this our Stone viz. that of Dissolving but it is Sal Petrae Salt of the Rock of the Rock I say by which running Mercury is transmuted into the best and most perfect of Metals and the Flint into the most hard Adamant but few will believe this but such whom Experience and true Philosophy has taught how it is found in all things and by what Artifice it may be extracted out of them This is that which without doubt our Author as under a Veil calls Auripigment And this is enough to be said concerning this Argent Vive that it is Vile and most Vile But the other which he calls Oriental Argent Vive of Magnesia is most Valuable and Pretious this is not spoke of Vulgar Argent Vive nor of the Vulgar Magnesia But by this Argent Vive he means the humidity of the Mixture which is the Radical Humidity of our Stone By Magnesia he understands the Total Mixion or Compositum from which this Humidity is extracted and which Moisture is called our Argent Vive which Humidity does indeed run in the Fire and in the same does dissolve the whole Compositum and also congeal it makes it grow Black makes it grow White and also makes it grow Red and in the end compleatly perfects it and it is that which does all in all being a most pretious Treasure to such as know it and possess it This Magnesia is the Power and Virtue of our Stone which like an Universal Magnet draws all things to their Center whether in the superior or inferior Worlds And the greater part of this Secret Arcanum lies rather in this pretious Magnesia than in the former Vile Argent Vive of which tho the Philosophers have variously hid it under Clouds and Veils we have here said enough V. Hermes O Nature the greatest the Creator of Natures which makest containest and separatest Natures in a middle principle Our Stone comes with Light and with Light it is Generated and then it Generates or brings forth the Black Clouds or Darkness which is the Mother of all things Salmon Universal Nature is but one thing which is the very principle of Motion and Rest and which as Hermes saith is the Creator of Nature or the producer of all things But God Almighty is the Supream Work-Master and great Architect of the whole World who created and brought forth this Universal Nature that according to his Determination it might bring forth all other things in a middle principle which is that of Generation by a proper and specifick Power So if Grain be cast into the Ground God Almighty by his Instrument Nature causes it to Spring and Grow but this Eduction is in the middle principle viz. the inward and latent Life and energetick Spirit which specificates it to its own right particular form bringing forth from Wheat Wheat and not Barly Rye Oats or Pease c. so if the Seed of Gold which is Light be Sown in a proper and fit Earth Meliorated and made fit for the purpose Nature by Virtue of the energetick Spirit or Light lodged in the Seed of Gold specificates that production and makes it bring forth Gold again 10. 100. or a 1000. fold according to the goodness of the Earth in which it is Sown But before it is brought to perfection the Light must be Eclipsed the Seed must Die Corruption must prevail and Darkness must Over-spread the Face of the Earth By which say some Philosophers nothing
Now that Water in or by which the blackness is washed away is the Sweat or Moisture of the Sun and Childrens Urine i. e. the Virgins Water The thing which I tell you is sufficient for you to know V. In like manner take the Water of the Water Mercury of Mercury and with it cleanse and purifie the Wind Fume or Vapor and Abolish the blackness Understand what this signifies and rejoyce therein VI. Also in the same manner take the blackness and Conjoyn it then have respect to the White and Conjoyn the Red so will you go through the thing desired and come to the end of the Work VII It is also to be noted that it is the Fire-Stone which Governs the Matter or Work by the good pleasure of God Boyl it therefore with a gentle Fire Night and Day lest the Water should be separated from it even till it becomes of a Golden Color Understand well what I say VIII That also which Congeals does Dissolve and that which does Whiten does in like manner make Red. IX I have made plain to you the nearest way that you may be easie and satisfied Understand therefore these things and Meditate upon them and you shall certainly attain to the perfection of the Work X. It is also to be noted that as Sol is among the Stars so is Gold among the other Metalline Bodies For as the Light of the Sun is joyned to the Lights and contains the Fruit of this Operation so in like manner Gold Meditate upon these Words and by the Permission of God you may find it out CHAP. XVI The Nature of the Medicine and Government of the Metals I. HERMES Moreover saith he that outwardly takes in this Medicine it Kills him but he that inwardly drinks it in it makes him to Live and rejoyce Understand what this means II. And as for this cause sake this Water is said to be Divine so it is said to be the greatest Poyson and it is preferred before all other things by so much as that without it nothing of the Work can be done III. It is also called Divine for that it cannot be mixed or joyned with any filth or defiled thing and this Water of our Stone purifies and cleanses the Natures of the Metals and washes away their defoedations or defilements IV. And as Sol Acts upon Bodies so also does this Water upon the Philosophick Stone Yea it penetates and sinks through it and is constant fixed and perfect V. This indeed is seen in Sol but it is to be understood that the Work may be made through all the seven Planets as first from Saturn then from Jupiter Mars Venus Mercury and lastly from Luna VI. The first is the government of Saturn to wit to cause Sol to putrefie or bring the Body to putrefaction which is done in the space of 40 days and nights The second is the government of Jupiter which is to grind or break the matter and in 12 days and nights to Imbue or moisten it which is called the Regiment of Tin VII The third is the government of Mars which is to induce Death or blackness or to separate the Spirit from the Body by which it is said to be changed The fourth is the government of Sol which is to Work away the Blackness and Poyson and is indeed to make it White VIII The fifth is the government of Venus which is to joyn the moist to the dry and the hot to the cold and to Unite them together in one This is the Dominion of Brass or Copper or the the making of the matter of a changeable Yellow The sixth is the government of Mercury which is to burn and is called the Dominion of Argent Vive IX The seventh is the government of Luna which is to Decoct or Boyl and make Hot and so to perfect the matter with the fixed Citrine Tincture in 25 days and this is the Dominion of Silver See here I have gone with you through the whole Work take heed therefore lest you err CHAP. XVII The Difference of the Ferments and Quality of the Spirit I. AND know that the White Body is made with the Whiteness and its Ferment is that which you already know Whiten therefore the Body and understand what I say II. Also in like manner you are to note that the Stone sought after has not its like or equal in the whole Earth It is both outwardly and inwardly of a Citrine Golden Color but when it is altered or changed it is made a Body dark and black like burnt Coals III. Now the Color of the Spirit taken from it is White and the substance thereof is Liquid as Water but the Color of the Soul thereof is Red. IV. But the Soul and the Spirit thereof is returned to it again and it doth Live and Rejoyce and its Light and Glory returns again and you shall see it overcome and Triumph And that which was even now Dead shall have Conquered Death and then it shall Live and arise from the Dead and Live as it were for ever V. Happy and Blessed therefore is he in whose Power the disposition of this Matter is who Kills and makes Alive and is Omnipotent over all for ever VI. I therefore advise you not to do any thing in this work till you get an understanding thereof For if you be Ignorant and void of true Knowledge you will err in whatsoever you do you will wholly Labour in Vain and your work will Perish VII So that thus mistaking in your Operation you blame presently your instructors the Philosophers and think that they have erred or taught you wrong when it is only your Ignorance and none understanding of their words VIII This then know and understand that the Day is the Nativity or bringing forth of the Light but the Night the Nativity or bringing forth of the Darkness IX Sol also is the Light of the Day and Luna the Light of the Night which God Created to govern the World X. But Luna does receive her Light of the Sun by Combustion and is dilated or enlarged therewith and by so much as she receives of the Light of the Sun or does contain in her of his Light by so much does the Nature of Sol bear Rule over the Nature of Luna XI If therefore you contemplate what I say and Meditate upon my Words you will find that I have spoken the Truth and you will understand the signification of all that I have said and the demonstration of the whole Matter XII Know then that the Spirit is enfolded or circumscribed within as it were its Marble House or Walls Open therefore the Passages that the Dead Spirit may go out and be cast forth from our Bodies then it will become beautiful which is only a Work or undertaking of Wisdom XIII Sow therefore O God thy Wisdom in our Hearts and Root out the corrupt Principles which lodge therein and leads us in the way of thy Saints by which our Spirits
and Souls may be Purified Thou art Omnipotent O Lord God Almighty and canst do whatever thou pleasest CHAP. XVIII Of Argent Vive Tincture Order of the Operation and of the Fire I. THere is one thing which is to be wondered at viz. after what manner Carmine to wit Grana Nostra doth tinge or Dye Silk which is of a contrary Natue and tinges not a Dead thing and after what manner Uzifur to wit Our Vermilion doth tinge Vestem which is of a contrary Nature and tinges not Live or growing things II. For it is not Natural for any thing to tinge other substances not agreeable to their Natures If therefore you put into your Composition Red Gold you shall find in the Tincture a pure and perfect Red and if you put into it White Gold the most passive Red will vanish or go forth There is nothing indeed does tinge any thing but what is Consimilar to or like it self III. And I testifie to you by the Living God maker of Heaven and Earth that the Stone which I have described you have permanent or fixed nor are you kept from it by the Earth or the Sea or any other matter IV. Keep then your congealed Quick-Silver many parts of which are lost because of its subtilty Also the Mountain in which is the Tabernacle which crys out I am the Black of the White and the White of the Black I speak the Truth indeed and I lye not V. Now know that the Root of the Matter is the Head of the Crow flying without Wings in the dark and black of the Night and in the appearance of the Day from the Throat the fixing Spirit from its Gall the Coloring or Tinging Matter is taken from its Tail the desication or drying of the matter from its Wings the liquid Water and from its Body the Redness VI. Understand the meaning of the words for hereby is understood our venerable Stone and the Fume or Vapour thereof which is exalted lifted up or sublimed and the Sea eradicated and a Light shining VII You are also to note what Alums and Salts are which flow from Bodies if you put the Medicines or Matters of the Medicine in a just or true proportion you shall not fear to err but if you mistake the proportion you must add or diminish according as you see it tends to the emendation or performing of the Work lest a Deluge should come and overflow all drowning the Regions and overturning the Trees by the Roots VIII And tho the Matter be unknown yet consider these things how or after what manner these two Colors are distinguished or diversified by their Vapours look into the sweetness of Sugar which is one kind of sweet Juice and into the sweetness of Honey which is yet more intense or inward IX Except you make the Bodies spiritual and impalpable you know not how to putrefie Ixir or proceed on in the Work nor how the three Volatile Matters or Principles fight one against another and how they fail not each in their turns to devour one another till of two being left one only remains X. Be careful also how you increase your Fire tho it is not to be very small when you dry up the Water and take heed that you burn not the Matter because if the Vessel breaks it will be with a mighty impetus or force XI And unless the Matter of the Stone prove inimical one to another or contend and fight with and strive to destroy one another you shall never attain to the thing you seek after XII If you mix your Calx with Auripigment and not in a mean or due proportion the splendor and glory of the Operation will not succeed but if you interpose a medium the effect will immediately follow XIII Now know that it is our Water which extracts the hidden Tincture Behold the Example and understand it if you have once brought the Body into Ashes you have operated rightly XIV And the blood which is in the Philosophick Water of the animated Body is the Earth of the Wise to wit the permanent or enduring perfection CHAP. XIX That the Beginning of this Work is in the Blackness and Darkness and of conjoyning the Body with the Soul I. NOW it is that which is dead which you ought to vivisie or make alive and that which is sick which ought to be cured It is the White which is to be rubified the Black which is to be purified and the Cold which is to be made hot II. It is God himself who does create and inspire or give life and replenishes Nature with his Power that it might follow and imitate his Wisdom and act as an Instrument subservient to him III. Iron is our Gold and Brass or Copper is our Tincture Argent Vive is our Glory Tin is our Silver Blackness is our Whiteness and the Whitness is our Redness IV. From hence it appears necessary that we should have a Body purifying Bodies and a Water subliming Water Our Stone which is a Vessel of Fire is made of Fire and is converted into the same again V. And if you would walk in the true way you must persue it in the evident or visible Blackness for saith our Stone it is that which is hidden within which does make me white and the same thing which makes me White makes me also Red. VI. Conceal this thing from Men like as a word which is yet in thy Mouth which no Man understands and as the Fire Light or Sight which is in thine Eye I will not tell it plainly to thee thy self left by thy words thou conveyest my Breath to another to thine own damage This is the caution I give thee VII Now know that this our Work is made or compounded of two Figures or Substances the one of which wants the White Rust Ceruse and the other the Redish Rust Crocus Our Matters also are searsed thro our Sieves or Searses made of pure or clean Rinds and a most blessed Wood. VIII You are also to take notice that the Fire-stone of the Philosophers sought after wants Extention but it has quantity It behoves you therefore to support and nourish it on every side and to continue it as in the middle IX You must also conoyn the Body with the Soul 〈◊〉 beating and grinding it 〈◊〉 the Sun and imbuing it with the Stone then puting it into the Fire so long till all its Stains and Defilements are taken away let it be a gentle Fire for about seven hours space thus will you get that which will make you to live X. I also tell you that its habitation or dwelling place is posited in the Bowels of the Earth for without Earth it cannot be perfected Also its habitation is posited in the Bowels of the Fire nor without Fire can it be perfected which is the perfection of our Art XI Again Except you mix with the White the Red and presently bring or reduce the same into a perfect Water it
will tinge nothing for it never tinges any thing Red but that which is White and while the Work is now perfecting add them to the light of the Sun and it will be compleated Regimine Marino as we have already declared and by this conjunction above your Stone will attain to its Beauty and Glory XII Thus have you a dry Fire which does tinge an Air or Vapour which fixes and chains the Volatile Matter binding the Fugitive in Fetters and also whitens expelling the blackness from Bodies and a fixed Earth also receiving the Tincture CHAP. XX. The Order of the Practical part of the Operation I. WAsh your Mercury with the Water of the Sea till you have taken away from it all its Blackness so will you accomplish your work to perfection in which rejoyce II. If you understand how a Resurrection is ac complished i. e. how the living Principle or Spirit comes forth from the dead Matter or Substance how that is made apparent which was hidden and how Strength is drawn forth through Weakness you cannot be Ignorant how to compleat and perfect this Work III. How Manifest and Clear are the Words of the Wise yet so as the internal Life and Principal is still hidden you understand them not perfectly by their Expressions IIII. Two Bodies equally taken from the Earth grind in the Oyl of the Decocted Matter and in the Milk of the White Volatile Now mighty and wonderful are the powers and force of these Bodies which are freely bestowed upon you through this whole Science which you shall possess and therewith a long and enduring Life V. Take by force the most Intense Wisdom from whence you must draw forth the Eternal perpetual or fixed Life of the Stone till your Stone is congealed and its dulness is vanished so will you accomplish the Life thereof sought after VI. Give therefore of this Life sufficienly to your Matter and it will mortifie it or bring it to putrefaction but repleat your Earth and it shall make it to live Spring Bud Grow Germinate VII Plant this Tree upon your Stone that it may not be in danger of the violence of Winds that the Volatile Iufluences or Bird of Heaven may fall upon it and by virtue thereof its Branches may bring forth much Fruit from thence Wisdom does arise VIII Take this Volatile Bird cut off its Head with a fiery Sword then strip it of its Feathers or Wings undo its Joynts and boil it upon Coals till it is made or becomes of one only Color IX Then put the Venom or Poyson to it so much as is enough to bury or cover it govern it now with a gentle Fire till your Matter is mortified or putrefied which done grind it with White Water and manage it rightly X. For we bought two Black Crows and we put them into a Paropsidem or Crucible or Cupel which we had by us and Eggs or Silver Gobbets came out White as Salt these we tinged with our Saffron of them we sold publickly two hundred times with which we have been made Rich and our Treasures are multiplied XI And whosoever you shall imbue or fill with the Powers thereof should they be hurt with the Poyson of Vipers or the Malignity of Brass or Verdigrise they shall be in no danger for that it quickens and revives the Dead and kills the Living It destroys and restores again it casts down that which is elevated and lift up and elevates that which is abjected and cast down and gives you a dominion over the Heavens of the Earth XII Now you must note that there are two Stones of the Wise found in the Shores of the Rivers in the Arms of the Mountains in the Bowels of the Floods and in the back parts of the Kings House which by instruction and prudent management may be brought forth Male and Female XIII By these being conjoyned and made complex or perfectly united into one consimiliar substance you will be made wiser you will see the reason of the Operation and the end of the Work Blessed God how great and how wonderful a thing is this XIV A certain Philosopher dreamed that the Kings Messenger came to a certain Podagrick and the Podagrick desired that he might go with him to whom the Messenger answered since thou hast the Gout how canst thou go with me for thou canst not walk XV. To whom the Podagrick answered Thou knowest that in the Root of this Mountain there is a certain Tabernacle bearing me then thither leave there the burthen so shall I be presently freed or delivered from my Gout XVI Then said he to me thou art not able to touch the foot thereof but going back he took him up and placed him in the Tabernacle the foot of which the Messenger said he was not able to touch And waking from his Dream he saw nothing Behold the Similitude XVII Another also saw in a Dream wherein it was said if any one truly should sit down by the way and should ask you whether you would think fit to do this thing would you do it He answered I know not the other said thar he should lie or generate with his Mother in the middle of the Earth then awaking he saw nothing Consider well this similitude CHAP. XXI The remaining Operations and conclusion of this whole Work I. BUT leading you to the knowledge of Phylosophy and exposing the Demonstrations thereof in a Philosophick manner we should make it the dirision and mockery of Women and the play of Children II. Take also the fresh Bark or Rind in the same moment in which you shall after another manner extract the matter or thing it self in the place where it is generated and put it into a Cucurbit and sublime it III. And that which is or shall be sublimed separate it for it is the Vinegar of the Philosophers and their Sapience i. e. their Salt IV. Then take this Vinegar and melt or pour it forth upon another Cortex Bark or Superfices of the Sea and put it into a Glass Vesica in which put so much of your Vinegar as may over top it the heighth of Four Inches this bury in warm Horse dung for Thirty One or Forty Daies V. This time being past take the Vessel forth and you will find it now dissolved and turned into a black and stinking Water more black and stinking than any thing in the whole World VI. Take then this very thing it self and very gently elevate it in its tabernacle till all the moisture is consumed so as no more will ascend this sublimed Matter keep carefully for your use VII Then take the Foeces which remain in the bottom of the Cucurbit and keep them for they are the crown and rejoycing of the Heart Die then the same and grind them and add there to fresh or new Cortex of the Sea that is say Mercury and grind them together drying them in a warm Sun VIII And the Waters from the same first sublimed
sink down to the bottom which diligently grind and dry and put them in the Crucible or Test of Ethel and sublime and the Matter being sublimed purely White as fine Salt keep it safely for it is the Auripigment and Sulphur and Magnesia of the Philosopers IX Understand now and see that you govern your Work with Wisdom and Prudence and make not too much haste X. Then take the Cucurbit put half way into lute and put into the same your dissolved black Water which you have sublimed that is to say nine parts and of this whitned Auripigmentum which you sublimed from the Ethel two parts XI I say that this opened or decocted Auripigment is immediately dissolved in the Water and made like to Water that nothing can be seen by mankind of a more intense fixt and perfect Whiteness nor any thing more beautiful to the Eye which the Philosopers call their Sal Virginis or Virgin Salt XII Put this into a little Vessel called a Cucurbit close well the Joynts which put upon a gentle Fire making it as it were but with two Coals at first and then adding two others and look into it to see how the Water ascends and descends XIII When you see the Vapour is consumed and nothing more will ascend of that which is elevated nor descend know that the Matter it self is now coagulated make therefore a more intense and vehement Fire for the space of three hours of the day XIV Then lastly take away the Fire or let it go out and the next day all things being cold open the mouth of your 〈◊〉 and take forth the Matter which is of a substance white sincere and melted or dissolved XV. This is your Substance sought after and now you have comethrough to the end of your Work manage it according to your Reason and Prudence for God assisting you may make of it what you please KALIDIS PERSICI SECRETA ALCHYMIAE Written Originally in Hebrew and Translated thence into Arabick and out of Arabick into Latin Now faithfully rendred into English By WILLIAM SALMON CHAP. XXII Of the Difficulties of this Art I. THanks be given to God the Creator of all things who hath made us renewed us taught us and given us knowledge and understanding for except he should keep us preserve us and direct us we should wander out of the right way as having no Guide or Teacher Nor can we know any thing in this World unless he teach us who is the begining of all things and the Wisdom it self his power and goodness it is with which he over-shadows his People II. He directs and instructs whom he pleases and by his long-suffering and tender Mercies brings them back into the way of Righteousness For he has sent his Angels or Spirit into the dark places and made plain the Ways and with his loving kindness replenishes such as love him III. Know then my Brother that this Magistery of our Secret Stone and this Valuable Art is a secret of the Secrets of God which he has hidden with his own People not revealing it to any but to such who as Sons faithfully have deserved it who have known his Goodness and Almightiness IV. If you would request any Earthly thing at the Hand of God the Secret of this Magistery is more to be desired than any thing else For the Wise Men who have perfected the knowledge thereof have not been wholly plain but speaking of it have partly concealed it and partly revealed it And in this very thing I have found the preceeding Philosophers to agree in all their so much valued Books V. Know therefore that Musa my own Disciple more valuable to me than any other having diligently studied their Books and laboured much in the Work of this Magistery was much perplexed not knowing the Natures of things belonging thereto Whereupon he humbly begged at my Hands my Explanation thereof and my Directions therein VI. But I gave him no other Answer Than that he should read over the Philosophers Books and therein to seek that which he desired of me Going his way he read above an hundred Books as he found or could get them the true Books of the Secret of the Great Philosophers But by them he could not attain the knowledge of that Mistery which he desired tho continually studying it for the space of a Year for which reason he was as one astonished and much troubled in mind VII If then Musa my Scholar who has deserved to be accounted among the Philosophers has thus failed in the knowledge of this Mistery what may be supposed from the Ignorant and Unlearned who under stand not the Natures of things nor apprehend whereof they consist VIII Now when I saw this in my most dear and chosen Disciple moved with Piety and Love to him by the Will also and Appointment of God I wrote this my Book near the time of my Death in which tho' I have pretermitted many things which the Philosophers before me have mentioned in their Books yet have I handled some things which they have concealed and could not be prevailed withal to reveal or discover IX Yea I have explicated and laid open certain things which they hid under AEnigmatical and dark Expressions and this my Book I have Named The Secrets of Alchymie for that I have revealed in it whatsoever is necessary to the knowledge of this Learning in a Language befiting the matter and to your sence and understanding X. I have taught four Magisteries far greater and better than the other Philosophers have done of which number The one is a Mineral Elixir another Animal The other two are Mineral Elixirs but not the one Mineral whose Virtue is to wash cleanse or purifie those which they call the Bodies And another is to make Gold of Azot vive whose Composition or Generation is according to the Natural Generation in the Mines or in the Heart and Bowels of the Earth XI And these four Magisteries or Works the Philosophers have discoursed of in their Books of the Composition thereof but they are wanting in many things nor would they clearly shew the Operation of it in their Books And when by chance any one found it out yet could he not throughly understand it than which nothing was more grievous to him XII I will therefore in this Work declare it toge ther with the way and manner how to make it but if you read me learn to understand Geometrical proportion that so you may rightly frame your Fornaces not exceeding the mean either in greatness or smalness with all you must understand the proportion of your Fire and the form of the Vessel fit for your Work XIII Also you must consider what is the ground work and beginning of the Magistery which is as the Seed and Womb to the Generation of Living Creatures which are shaped in the Womb and therein receive their Fabrick Increase and Nourishment For if the prima materia of our Magistery is not conveniently managed the
part which causes the Natures to ascend when it has lost its Occidental heat and waxes cold then the Natures are changed and become thick and descend to the center where the earthly Natures are joyned together which were subtilized and converted in their generation and imbibed in them IX And so the moisture joyneth together the parts divided But the Earth labours to dry up that moisture compassing it about and hindering it for going out by means whereof that which before lay hid does now appear nor can the moisture be separated but is held fast and firmly retained by dryness X. In like manner we see that whatsoever is in the World is held or retained by or with its contrary as heat with cold and dryness with moisture thus when each of them has besieged its Companion the thin is mixed with the thick and those things are made one substance viz. their hot and moist Soul and their cold and dry Body are united and made one XI Then it strives to dissolve and subtilize by its heat and moisture which is the Soul and the Body labours to enclose and retain the hot and moist Soul in its cold and dry substance And in this manner is their Virtues and Properties altered and changed from one thing to another XII I have told you the Truth which I have seen and my own self has done And therefore I charge you to change or convert the Natures from their Substances and Subtilties with heat and moisture into their Substances and Colours If you proceed aright in this Work you must not pass the bounds I have set you in this Book CHAP. XXVII The manner of Fixation of the Spirit Decoction Trituration and Washing I. WHen the Body is mingled with moisture and that the heat of the fire meets therewith the moisture is converted into the Body and dissolves it and then the Spirit cannot go forth because it is imbibed with the Fire II. The Spirits are fugitive so long as the Bodies are mixed with them and strive to resist the fire its heat and flame and therefore these parts can scarcely agree without a good and continual Operation and a steadfast permanent and natural heat III. For the nature of the Soul is to ascend upwards where its Center is and he that is not able to joyn two or more divers things together whose Centers are divers knows nothing of this Work IV. But this must be done after the conversion of their Natures and change of their Substances and matter from their natural Properties which is difficult to find out V. Whoever therefore can convert or change the Soul into the Body and the Body into the Soul and therewith mingle the subtil and volatile Spirits they shall be able to tinge any Body VI. You must also understand that Decoction Contrition Cribation Munidification and Ablution with Sweet Water are most necessary to the Secret of our Magistery VII And if you bestow pains herein you may cleanse it purely for you must clear it from its blackness and darkness which appear in the Operation VIII And you must subtilize the Body to the highest point of Volatility and Subtility and then mix therewith the Souls dissolved and the Spirits cleansed and so digest and decoct to the perfection of the matter CHAP. XXVIII Of the Fire fit for this Work I. YOu must not be unacquainted with the strength and proportion of the fire for the perfection or destruction of our Stone depends thereupon For Plato said The fire gives profit to that which is perfect but brings hurt and destruction to that which is Corrupt II. So that when its quantity or proportion shall be fit and convenient your Work will thrice prosper and go on as it ought to do but if it exceed the measure it shall without measure corrupt and destroy it III. And for this cause it was requisite that the Philosophers have instituted several proofs of the strength of their Fires that they might prevent and hinder their burning and the hurt of a violent heat IV. In Hermes it is said I am afraid Father of the Enemy in my House To whom he made Answer Son Take the Dog of Corascene and the Bitch of Armenia and joyn them together so shall you have a Dog of the colour of Heaven V. Dip him once in the Water of the Sea so will he become thy Friend and defend thee from thine Enemy and shall go along with thee and help thee and defend thee wheresoever thou goest nor shall he ever forsake theee but abide with thee for ever VI. Now Hermes meant by the Dog and Bitch such Powers or Spirits as have power to preserve Bodies from the hurt strength or force of the Fire VII And these thing are Waters of Calces and Salts the Composition whereof is to be found in the Writings of the Philosophers who have discoursed of this Magistery among whom some of them have named Sea-water Virgins Milk food of Birds and the like CHAP. XXIX Of the Separation of the Elements I. AFterwards take this precious Stone which the Philosophers have named yet hidden and concealed put it into a Cucurbit with its Alembick and divide its Natures viz. the four Elements the Earth Water Air and Fire II. These are the Body and Soul the Spirit and Tincture when you have divided the Water from the Earth and the Air from the Fire keep each of them by themselves and take that which descends to the bottom of the Glass being the Faeces and wash it with a warm fire till its black ness be gone and its thickness be vanished III. Then make it very white causing the superfluous moisture to fly away for then it shall be changed and become a white Calx wherein there is no cloudy darkness nor uncleanness nor contrariety IV. Afterwards return it back to the first Natures which ascended from it and purifie them likewise from uncleanness blackness and contrariety V. And reiterate these Works upon them so often till they be subtilized purified and made thin which when you have done render up thanks and acknowledgments to the most Gracious God VI. Know then that this Work is but one and it produceth one Stone into which Garib shall not enter i. e. any strange or foreign thing The Philosopher works with this and therefrom proceeds a Medicine which gives perfection VII Nothing must be mingled herewith either in part or whole And this Stone is to be found at all times and in every place and about every Man the search whereof is yet difficult to him that seeks it wheresoever he be VIII This Stone is vile black and stinking it costs nothing it must be taken alone it is somewhat heavy and is called the Original of the World because it rises up like things that bud forth this is the manifestation and appearance of it to them that seek truly after it IX Take it therefore and work it as the Philosopher has told you in the the Book
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
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
prevail that the parts of it may appear in the converted Element and being thus mixed with the Elementated thing then that Element will have that matter which made it an Element and the virtue of the other converting Element will be predominant and remain this is the great Arcanum of the whole Art CHAP. XXXVI The Key which opens the Mystery of this Grand Elixir I. THIS is the true Copy of a Writing found in a Coffin upon the Breast of a Religious Man by a Soldier making a Grave at Ostend to bury some slain Soldiers Anno 1450. 2. My Dear Brother if you intend to follow or study the Art of Alchymie and work in it let me give you warning that you follow not the literal prescripts of Arnoldus nor Raymundus nor indeed of most other Philosophers for in all their Books they have delivered nothing but figuratively so that Men not only loose their time but their Money also III. I my self have studdied in these Books for more than 30 Years and never could find out the Secret or Mistery by them But at length through the goodness of God I have found out one Tincture which is good true and absolutely certain and has restored to me my Credit and Reputation IV. Now knowing as I do how much time you have lost and what Wealth you have consumed being touched with it as a Friend and in regard of our faithful promise to each other in our beginning to participate each of others Fortunes I have thought it fit here to perswade you not to loose your self any longer in the Books of the Philosophers but to put you in the right way which after long Wanderings I have found out and now at this present I on my Death-Bed bequeath you V. I advise you to take nothing from it nor add any thing to it but to do just as I have set it down and observe these following directions so will you succeed and prosper in the work VI. First Never work with a great Man lest your life come into danger 2. Let your Earthen Vessels be well made and strong lest you lose your Medicine 3. Learn to know all your Materials that you be not cheated with that which is sophisticate and nothing worth 4. Let your Fire be neither stronger nor soster but what is fit and just as I have here directed 5. Let the Bellows and all the other Materials be your own 6. Let no man come where you Work and seem Ignorant to all such as shall enquire any thing of you touching the Secret 7. Learn to know Metals well especially Gold and Silver and put them not into the Work till they be first purified by your own hands as fine as may be 8. Reveal not this Secret to any one but let this Writing be Buried with you giving a confirmed charge concerning the same to him you Trust. 9. Get a Servant that may be Trusty and Secret and of a good Spirit to attend you but never leave him alone 10. Lastly when you have ended the Work be Kind and Generous Charitable to the Poor publick Spirited and return your Tribute of Thanks to the Great and most Merciful God the Giver of all good Things VII Take mineral Quick Silver three pounds made neither of Lead nor Tin and cause an Earthen Pot to be made well burned the first time glaze it all over except the bottom the which anoint with hogs Grease and it will not Glaze This is done that the Earth of the Quick Silver may sink to the bottom of the Pot which it would not do being glazed nor become Earth again VIII The Pot must be made a good foot long of the Fashion of an Urinal with a Pipe in the midst of it The Fornace must be made on purpose that the Pot may go in close to the sides of the Mouth of the Furnace Set on the Pot a good great Cap or Head with its Receiver without Luting of it give it a good fire of Coals till the Pot be all on fire and very red then take the fire out quickly and put in the Quick Silver at the Pipe and then with as much hast as you can stop it close with Lute IX Then will the Quick Silver by the heat and force it finds both Break and Work a part thereof you shall see in the Water as it were a few drops and a part will stick to the bottom of the Pot in black Earth Now let the Pot cool within the Fornace as it is then open it and you shall find the Quick Silver in it all Black which you must take out and wash very clean and the Pot also X. As for the Water which does distil out put it a side or cast it away for it is nothing worth because it is all Flegm Set the Pot into the Fornace again and make it red hot put in the Quick Silver lute well the Pipe and do as you did the first time and do this so often until the Mercury becomes no more black which will be in ten or eleven times XI Then take it out and you shall find the Mercury to be without Flegm but joyned with Earth of which two Qualities it must be freed being Enemies to Nature thus the Quick Silver will remain pure in color Caelestial like to Azure which you may know by this sign viz. Take a piece of Iron heat it red hot and quench it in this Mercury and it will become soft and white like Luna XII Then put the Mercury into a Retort of Glass between two Cups so that it touches neither bottom nor sides of the Cups and make a good fire under it and lay Embers on the top the better to keep the heat of the fire and in Forty hours the Mercury will Distil into a slimy Water hanging together which will neither wet your Hands nor any other thing but Metals only XIII This is the true Aqua Vitae of the Philosophers the true Spirit so many have sought for and which has been desired of all Wise Men which is called the Essence Quintessence Powers Spirit Substance Water and Mixture of Mercury and by many other the like Names without strange things and without offence to any Man XIV Save well this precious Liquor or Water obscured by all Philosophers for without it you can do no good or perfect Work Let all other things go and keep this only for any one that sees this Water if he has any Practice or Knowledge will hold to it for it is Precious and worth a Treasure XV. Now resteth to make the Soul which is the perfection of the Red without which you can neither make Sol nor Luna which shall be Pure and Perfect With this Spirit you may make things Apparent and Fair yea most True and Perfect all Philosophers affirm that the Soul is the substance whichsustains and preserves the Body making it Perfect as long as it is in it XVI Our Body must have a Soul otherwise
and inflamable substance with due proportion This Calx grind to a most subtil pouder wash it with Vinegar till water will come from it free from blackness Again 〈◊〉 it with more Salt and Vinagar and grind and then calcine again in an open Vessel for 3 days and nights Take it out grind it subtily and long and wash it with Vinegar till it is cleansed from all uncleanness This done dry it in the Sun Add to it half its weight of Sal Armoniack grinding it long to an impalpable substance Then expose it to the Air or set it in Horse-dung to be dissolved To what is undissolved add a new clean Sal Armoniack thus continuing till the whole be made water Esteem and value this water which we call the water of fixed Sulphur with which the Elixir is tinged to infinity II. Venus is a Metalick Body livid pertaking of a dusky redness subject to ignition fusible extensible under the Hammer but refusing the Cupel and Cement It is in the profundity of its substance of the color and essence of Gold and is hammered being red hot as Silver and Gold is It is the medium of Sol and Luna and easily converts it nature to either being of good conversion and of little labour III. It agrees very well with Tutia which citrinizes it with a good yellow from whence you may reap profit we need not labour to indurate it or make it ignitible therefore it is to be chosen before other imperfect Bodies in the lesser and middle Work but not in the greater Yet this has a Vice beyond Jupiter that it easily grows livid and receives foulness from sharp things to erradicate which is not an easie but a profound Art IV. Copper therefore is unclean Argent Vive mixed with Sulphur unclean gross and fixed as to its greater part but as to its lesser part not fixed red and livid in relation to the whole not overcoming nor overcome It s volatile Sulphur is evident from its sulphurous fume and loss of quantity by frequent fluxing and combustion Itt fixt Sulphur is evident from its slowness of fusion and induration of its substance And that there is an unclean red Sulphur joyned with unclean Argent Vive is evident even to the senses V. When the fixed Sulphur comes to fixation by heat of Fire its parts are subtilized but that part which is in the aptitude of solution of its substance is dissolved the sign of which is the exposing it to the vapours of Vinegar which makes the Aluminosity of its Sulphur flow in its Superficies And being put into a saline liquor many parts of it are easily dissolved by Ebulition this Aluminosity by a saline watriness and easie solution is changed into water For nothing is watery and easily soluble except Alum and what is of its nature This understand also of the body os Iron VI. But the blackness in either Venus or Mars created by the Fire is by reason of the Sulphur not fixed much indeed in Venus but little in Mars and it approaches nigh to the nature of fixed Sulphur Hence it is evident that fusion is helped and partly made by Sulphur not fixed but hindred from Sulphur fixed This he certainly knew to be true who by no art of fusion could make Sulphur to flow after its fixation But having fixed Argent Vive by frequently repeating the sublimation thereof found it apt to admit good fusion VII Hence it is evident that those Bodies are of greater perfection which contain more of Argent Vive those of lesser perfection which contain lesser Therefore study in all your Works to make Argent Vive to exceed in the Commixtion And if you could perfect by Argent Vive only you would have attained to the highest perfection even the perfection of that which overcomes the Works of Nature For you may cleanse it most inwardly to which purification nature cannot reach VIII This is manifest for that those Bodies which contain a greater quantity of Argent Vive should be of greater perfection arises from their easie reception of Argent Vive into their substance and we see Bodies of perfection amicably to embrace each other IX Out of what has been said it is also apparent that in Bodies there is a two fold sulphureity One indeed included in the profundity of Argent Vive in the begining of their mixtion The other supervenient from other Accidents The one of them may be removed with labour but the other cannot possibly be taken away by any Artisice or Operation of the Fire to which we can profitably come it being so firmly and radically united therein And this is proved by experiment for we see the aductible sulphureity to be abolished or destroyed by fire but the fixed sulphureity not so X. Therefore when we say Bodies are cleansed by Calcination understand that to be meant of the earthy substance which is not united to the Radix of their nature For it is not possible by Art or force of fire to cleanse or separate what is united unless the Medicine of Argent Vive has access XI Now the separation of an earthy substance from its compound which in the root of nature is united to a Metal is this Either it is made by elevation with things elevating the substance of Argent Vive and leaving the sulphureity by reason of its conveniency with them of which nature are Tutia and Marchasite because they are Fumes part of which has a greater quantity of Argent Vive than of Sulphur XII The proof of this you may see when you joyn those things with Bodies in a strong and sudden fusion for these Spirits in their flight carry up the Bodies with them and therefore you may elevate them with them Or else by a Lavation or Commixtion with Argent Vive as we have already said For Argent Vive holds what is of its own nature but casts out what is alien or forreign XIII The preparation of Venus It is manifold one by Elevation another without Elevation The way by Elevation is that Tutia be taken with which Venus well agrees and that it be ingeniously united therewith Then put it into a Vessel of sublimation to be sublimed and by a most exceeding degree of Fire it s most subtil part will be elevated which will be of most bright splendor Or it may be mixed with Sulphur and then elevated by sublimation XIV But without sublimation it is prepared either by cleansing things in its Calx or in its Body As by Tutia Salts and Alums Or by a Lavament of Argent Vive as all other imperfect Bodies are XV. The Preparation or Purgation of Venus also is two-fold viz. one for the White and the other for the red for the White it is thus Take Venus calcin'd by fire only as aforesaid ground fine 1 pound Arsenick sublimed 4 ounces Grind them together and imbibe the mixture 3 or 4 times with water of Litharge and reduce the whole with Sal
Sons of Learning wonder not for we have not concealed it from you but have delivered it in such Language as that it may be hid from evil Men and that the unjust and Vile might not know it But ye Sons of Doctrine search and you shall find this most excellent gift of God which he has reserved for you Ye Sons of folly impiety and prophaneness avoid you the seeking after this Knowledge it will be Enimical and destructive to you and precipitate you into the State of Contempt and Misery This gift of God is absolutely by the Judgment of the Divine providence hid from you and denyed you for ever XIV A solar Medicine of the third Order It is made of Sol dissolved and prepared after the manner of Luna in Chap. 46. Sect. 11. aforegoing to which you must add of Sulphur dissolved 3 parts of Arsenick one part as afterwards is shewed through all things doing as in the place now cited is directed and it will be a Medicine tinging every Body and Mercury it self into true Sol or better according to the way now shewed Read and peruse what we shall direct and thereby you will be able to tinge to Infinity if you have understanding and erre not by the ambiguous sayings of the Philosophers XV. The Ferment of Sol for the Red. The Ferment of Sol is made of Gold dissolved into its own Water Aqua Regis and decocted and prepared by the directions in Chap. 46. Sect. 16. aforegoing So will you have the Ferment of Sol for the Red which keep for use XVI The Ferment of Ferments upon Mercury for the Red. Dissolve Sol in its own water which we shall hereafter teach i. e. Aqua Regis to this Gold dissolved 1 ounce add Sulphur 2 ounces dissolved in the same Water together with it Mercury 3 ounces also disolved Let all these be truly dissolved into most clear Water which being mixt decoct for one day that they may be Fermented then draw off the Water 15 times each time cohobating Incerate with Yellow Virgins Wax that is with half its Weight of Oyl of Blood or Oyl of Eggs then project upon crude Mercury as you see requisite Here note that if you perfect this Medicine as we teach in our third Order in Chap. 47. Sect. 21.22 c. following of the Congelative Medicine of Mercury you will find by Reiteration of the Work and by Subtilization thereof that one part will tinge infinite parts of Mercury into most fine and high Gold more Noble than any natural Gold whatsoever CHAP. XLVIII Of the Alchymie of Mercury I. ARgent Vive which is also called Mercury is a Viscous Water in the Bowels of the Earth by most temperate heat United in a total Union through its least parts with the substance of White subtil Earth until the humid be contemperated with the Dry and the Dry with the humid equally There fore it easily runs upon a plain Superfices by reason of its watery humidity but it adhers not although it has a Viscous humidity by reason of the dryness of that which Contemperatesit and permits it not to adhere II. This is also as some say the matter of Metals with Sulphur and easily adheres to three Minerals viz. Saturn Jupiter and Sol but to Luna more difficulty and to Venus more difficulty than to Luna but to Mars in no wise but by Artifice Hence you may collect a very great Secret For it is amicable and pleasing to the Metals and the Medium of conjoyning Tinctures and nothing is submerged in Argent Vive unless it is Sol. Yet Jupiter and Saturn Luna and Venus are dissolved by it and mixed and without it can none of the Metals be gilded It is fixed and the Tincture of Redness of most exuberant perfection and fulgid splendor and receeds not from the Commixtion till it is in its own nature But it is not our Medicine in its Nature but it may sometimes help in the Case III. Of the Sublimation of Argent Vive This Work is compleated with its Terrestreity is highly purified and its Aquosity wholy removed We remove it not by adustion because it has none so the Art of separating its superfluous Earth is to mix it with things where with it has not Affinity and often to reiterate the Sublimation from them Of this kind is Talck and the Calx of Egg-shells and Calx of white Marble as also Glass in most subtil Pouder and every kind of Salt prepared for by these it is cleansed but by other things having affinity with it unless they be bodies of perfection it is rather Corrupted because all such things have a Sulphureity which ascending with it in Sublimation corrupt it And this you may find to be true by Experience because when you sublime it from Tin or Lead you find it after Sublimation infected with blackness Therefore its Sublimation is better made by those things which agree not with it but it would be better by things with which it does agree if they had not Sulphureity Wherefore this Sublimation is better from Calx than from all other things because that agrees little with it and has not Sulphureity IV. But the way of removing its superfluous aquosity is that when it is mixed with Calces from which it is to be sublimed it be well Ground and commixt with them by Imbibition untill nothing of it appear and afterwards the Wateriness of Imbibition removed by a most gentle heat of Fire which receeding the Aquosity of Argent Vive receeds with it yet the Fire must be so very Gentle as that by it the whole substance of Argent Vive ascend not V. Therefore from the manifold reiteration of Imbibition with Contrition and gentle Assation it s greater Aquosity is abolished the residue of which is removed by repeating the Sublimation often And when you see it is most white excelling Snow in its whiteness and to adhere as it were dead to the sides of the Vessell then again reiterate its Sub limation without the feces because part of it adheres fixed with the Feces and can never by any Art or Ingenuity be separated from them Or afterwards fix part of it as we shall teach you and when you have fixed it then reiterate Sublimation of the part remaining that it may likewise be fixed VI. Being fixed reserve it but first prove it upon Fire if it flow well then you have administred sufficient Sublimation but if not add to it some small part of Argent Vive sublim'd and reiterate the Sublima tion till your end be accom plished for if it has a Lucid and most white Color and be porous then you have well sublimed it otherwise not therefore in the preparation of it made by Sublimation be not negligent because such as its cleansing shall be such will be its Perfection in projecting of it upon any of the imperfect Bodies and upon its own Body unprepared VII Yet here note that some have by it formed Iron
suum colorem album XIII Illa namque aqua fumus albus est ideo cum illa dealbatur corpus XIV Oportet ergo dealbare corpus rumpere libros inter illa duo id est inter corpus aquam est libido societas ut Maris Foeminae propter natura similis propinquitatem XV. Nam Aqua nostra viva secunda dicitur Azot abluens Latonem id est Corpus compositum ex Sole Luna per Aquam nostram primam dicitur etiam Anima corporum solutorum qusrum animas jam simul ligavimus ut serviant Sapientibus Philosophis XVI Quantum ergo pretiosa est magnifica haec Aqua Namque absque illa Opus non posset perfici Dicitur etiam vas naturae uterus matrix receptaculum tincturae terra nutrix XVII Et est Fons in quo se lavant Rex Regina Mater quam oportet ponere sigillare in ventre sui infantis qui est Sol qui ab ea processit ipsum parturiit ideo sese mutuo amant diligunt ut Mater Filius conjunguntur simul quoniam ab una eadem radice venerunt ejusdem substantiae naturae XVIII Et quoniam Aqua ista est Aqua vitae Vegetabilis ideo ipsa dat vitam facit vegetare crescere pullulare ipsum Corpus mortuum ipsum resuscitare de morte ad vitam solutione subli matione XIX Et in tali operatione vertitur Corpus in Spiritum Spiritus in Corpus tunc facta est amicitia pax concordia unio contrariorum id est Corporis Spiritus qui mutant invicem naturas suas quas recipiunt sibi communicant per minima XX. Sic quod calidum miscetur frigido siccum humido durum molli hoc modo fit mixtio naturarum contrararum frigidi scilicet cum calido humidi cum sicco at que admirabilis inter inimicos connexio I. THese Bodies thus dissolved by our water are called Argent Vive which is not without its Sulphur nor the Sulphur without the fixedness of Sol and Luna because Gold and Silver are the particular means or medium in the form through which Nature passes in the perfecting and compleating thereof II. And this Argent Vive is called our esteemed and valuable Salt being animated and pregnant and our fire for that it is nothing but Fire yet not fire but Sulphur and not Sulphur only but also Quicksilver drawn from Sol and Luna by our water and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a Stone of Great price III. That is to say it is the matter or substance of Sol and Luna or Silver and Gold altered from Vileness to Nobility IV. Now you must note that this white Sulphur is the Father and Mother of the Metals it is our Mercury and the Mineral of Gold also the Soul and the ferment yea the Mineral Virtue and the living Body our Sulphur and our Quicksilver that is Sulphur of Sulphur Quicksilver of Quicksilver and Mercury of Mercury V. The Property therefore of our Water is that it melts or dissolves Gold and Silver and encreases their native Tincture or Color VI. For it changes their Bodies from being Corporeal into a Spirituality and it is this water which turns the Bodies or corporeal substance into a white vapour which is a Soul that is whiteness it self subtile hot and full of fire VII This water is also called the tinging or bloodcolour-making stone being the virtue of the Spiritual Tincture without which nothing can be done and it is the subject of all things that may be melted and of liquefaction it selt which agrees perfectly and unites closely with Sol and Luna from which it can never be separated VIII For it is joyned in affinity to the Gold and Silver but more immediately to the Gold than to the Silver which you are to take special notice of IX It is also called the medium of conjoyning the Tinctures of Sol and Luna with the inferior or imperfect Metals for it turns the Bodies into the true Tincture to tinge the said other imperfect Metals also it is the water which whiteneth as it is whiteness it self which quickeneth as it is a Soul and therefore as the Philosopher saith quickly entreth into its Body X. For it is a living water which comes to moisten the Earth that it may spring out and in its due season bring forth much fruit for all things springing from the Earth are educed through Dew or Moisture XI The Earth therefore springeth not forth without watering and moisture It is the water proceeding from May Dew that cleanseth the Body and like Rain it penetrates them and makes one new Body of two Bodies XII This Aqua Vitae or Water of Life being rightly ordered and disposed with the body it whitens it and converts or changes it into its white colour XIII For this water is a white vapour and therefore the Body is whitened with it XIV It behoves you therefore to whiten the Body and open its infoldings for between these two that is between the Body and the Water there is a desire and friendship like as between the Male and Female because of the propinquity and likeness of their Natures XV. Now this our second and living water is called Azoth the Water washing the Laten viz. the Body compounded of Sol and Luna by our first Water It is also called the Soul of the dissolved Bodies which Souls we have even now tied together for the use of the wise Philosopher XVI How precious then and how great a thing is this Water For without it the Work could never be done or perfected It is also called the Vas Naturae the Belly the Womb the Receptacle of the Tincture the Earth the Nurse XVII It is the Royal Fountain in which the King and Queen bathe themselves and the Mother which must be put into and sealed up within the belly of her Infant and that is Sol himself who proceeded from her and whom she brought forth and therefore they have loved one another as Mother and Son and are conjoyned together because they come from one and the same Root and are of the same Substance and Nature XVIII And because this Water is the Water of the Vegetable Life it causes the dead Body to vegetate increase and spring forth and to rise from Death to Life by being dissolved first and then sublimed XIX And in doing this the Body is converted into a Spirit and the Spirit afterwards into a Body and then is made the Amity the Peace the Concord and the Union of the Contraries to wit between the Body and the Spirit which reciprocally or mutually change their Natures which they receive and communicate one to another through their most minute parts XX. So that that which is hot is mixed with that which is cold the dry with the moist and the hard with the soft by which means
there is a mixture made of contrary Natures viz. of cold with hot and moist with dry even a most admirable Unity between Enemies CHAP. IX Of Sublimation Or the separating of the Pure from the Impure by this Water I. NOstra ergo dissolutio Corporum quae fit in tali prima Aqua non est nisi mortificatio humidi cum sicco humidum verò coagulatur per siccum II. Quia humiditas tantum siccitate continetur terminatur ac coagulatur in Corpus sive in terram III. Corpora igitur dura sicca ponantur in nostra prima Aqua in vase bene clauso ubi maneant donec solventur ascendant in altum quae tunc dici possunt novum Corpus aurum album Alchimiae Lapis albus Sulphur album non urens Lapis Paradisi hoc est convertens Metalla imperfecta in Argentum album finum IV. Tunc etiam habemus simul Corpus Animam Spiritum de quo Spiritu Anima dictum est quod non possunt extrahi à Corporibus perfectis nisi per conjunctionem nostrae Aquae dissolutivae V. Quia certum est quod res fixa non potest elevari nisi per conjunctionem rei volatilis VI. Spiritus igitur mediante Aqua Anima ab ipsis Corporibus extrahitur redditur Corpus non Corpus quia statim Spiritus cum Anima Corporum sursum ascendit in superiori parte quae est perfectio Lapidis vocatur sublimatio VII Haec sublimatio in quit Florentius Cathalanus fit per res accidas Spirituales Volatiles quae sunt de natura Sulphurea viscosa quae dissolvunt faciunt elevari Corpora in Aeram in Spiritum VIII Et in hac Sublimatione pars quaedam dictae Aquae primae ascendit cum Corporibus simul se jungendo ascendo sublimando in unam mediam substantiam quae tenet de natura duorum scilicet Corporum Aquae IX Proinde dicitur Corporale Spirituale Compositum Corjufle Cambar Ethelia Zandarith Duenech bonus sed proprie tantum nominatur Aqua permanens quia non fugit in igne X. Perpetuò adhaerens Corporibus commixtis id est Soli Lunae illisque communicans Tincturam vivam incombustibilem ac firmissimam praecedenti nobilicrum pretiosiorem XI Quia potest currere debinc haec Tinctura sicut Oleum omnia perforando penetrando cum fixione mirabili quoniam haee Tinctura est Spi ritus Spiritus est Anima Anima Corpus XII Quia in hac operatione Corpus efficitur Spiritus de natura subtilissima pariter Spiritus incorporatur fit de natura Corporis cum Corporibus sic Lapis noster 〈◊〉 Corpus Animam Spiritum XIII O Natura quomodo vertis Corpus in Spiritum quod non fieret si Spiritus non incorporaretur cum Corporibus Corpora cum Spiritu fierent volatilia postea permanentia XIV Transivit igitur unus in alterum sese invicem conversi sunt per Sapientiam O Sapientia quomodo facis Aurum esse volatile ac fugitivum etiamsi naturaliter fixissimum esset XV. Oportet igitur dissolvere liquefacere Corpora ista per Aquam nostram illa facere Aquam permanentem Aquam auream sublimatam relinquendo in fundo grossum terrestreum superfluum siccum XVI Et in ista Sublimatione ignis debet esse lentus quia si per hanc Sublimationem in Igne lento Corpora purificata non fuerint 〈◊〉 ejus partes nota bene terrestres seperatae à Mortui immunditia impedieris quominus ex his possis perficere Opus XVII Non indiges enim nisi tenui subtili naturâ Corporum dissolutorum quam tibi dabit Aqua nostra silento Igne procedis separando beterogenea ab homogeneis I. OUR Dissolution then of Bodies which is made such in this first Water is nothing else but a destroying or overcoming of the moist with the dry for the moist is coagulated with the dry II. For the moisture is contained under terminated with and coagulated in the dry Body to wit in that which is Earthy III. Let therefore the hard and the dry Bodies be put into our first Water in a Vessel which close well and there let them abide till they be dissolved and ascend to the top then may they be called a new Body the white Gold made by Art the white Stone the white Sulphur not inflamable the Paradisical Stone viz. the Stone Transmuting imperfect Metals into fine white Silver IV. Then have we also the Body Soul and Spirit altogether of which Spirit and Soul it is said That they cannot be extracted from the perfect Bodies but by the help or conjunction of our dissolving Water V. Because it is certain That the thing fixed cannot be lifted up or made to ascend but by the conjunction or help of that which is volatile VI. The Spirit therefore by the help of the Water and the Soul is drawn forth from the Bodies themselves and the Body thereby is made Spiritual for that at the same instant of time the Spirit with the Soul of the Bodies ascend on high to the superiour part which is the perfection of the Stone and is called Sublimation VII This Sublimation saith Florentius Cathalanus is made by things Acid Spiritual Volatile and which are in their own nature Sulphurous and Viscous which dissolve Bodies and make them to ascend and be changed into Air and Spirit VIII And in this Sublimation a certain part of our said first Water ascends with the Bodies joyning it self with them ascending and subliming into one neutral or complex Substance which contains the nature of the two viz. the nature of the two Bodies and of the Water IX And therefore it is called the Corporeal and Spiritual 〈◊〉 Cor jufle Cambar Ethelia Zandarith Dueneck the Good but properly it is called the permanent or fixed Water only because it flies not in the Fire X. But it perpetually adheres to the commixed or compounded Bodies that is to Sol and Luna and communicates to them the Living Tincture incombustible and most fixed much more noble and precious than the former which those Bodies had XI Because from henceforth this Tincture runs like Oil running through and penetrating the Bodies and giving to them its wonderful Fixity and this Tincture is the Spirit and the Spirit is the Soul and the Soul is the Body XII For in this operation the Body is made a Spirit of a most subtile nature and again the Spirit is corporified and changed into the nature of the Body with the Bodies whereby our Stone consists of a Body a Soul and a Spirit XIII O God how thro' Nature dost thou change a Body into a Spirit Which could not be done if the Spirit were not incorporated with the Bodies and the Bodies made volatile with the Spirit and afterwards permanent or fixed XIV For this Cause sake they have passed over into
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
of the Deluge when the whole Composition was water XVII This Serpent must be slain or 〈◊〉 and overcome by the Arrows of Apollo by the yellow Sol that is to say by our fire which is equal too that of the Sun XVIII He who 〈◊〉 or rather the Washings which must be continued with the other half are the Teeth of that serpent which the Wife 〈◊〉 will sow in the Earth from whence shall spring up Armed Men who in the end shall 〈◊〉 themselves suffering themselves by opposition to resolve into the same nature of the Earth and the Artist to obtain his deserved Conquests XIX It is of this very thing that the Philosophers have 〈◊〉 written and so often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dissolves it self it 〈◊〉 it self it makes it self Black it makes it self White it 〈◊〉 it self and makes it self alive again XX. I caused their Field to be painted Azure and Blue to shew that we do now but begin to get out from the most black darkness For that the Azure and Blue is one of the first Colours that the dark Woman let us see to wit moisture giving place a little to heat and dryness XXI The Man and Woman are almost all Orange colourd to 〈◊〉 that our Bodies or our body's which the Philosophers here call Rebis are not yet decocted enough and that the 〈◊〉 from whence the black Blue and Azure comes is but half vanquished by the dryness XXII For when the 〈◊〉 has got the Dominion all will be white and when it fights with or is equal to the moisture all will be in part according to these present colours XXIII The Philosophers have also called the Compositum in this Operation Nummus 〈◊〉 Arena Boritis 〈◊〉 Cambar Albar 〈◊〉 c. which they have commanded to make white XXIV The Womans Motto is as it were in a white Circle round about her body to shew that Rebis will become white in that very manner beginning first at the Extremities round about the white Circle XXV In Schola 〈◊〉 it is said That the Sign of the first perfect whiteness is the manifestation of a little Circle of hair which is 〈◊〉 over the Head and will appear on the sides of the 〈◊〉 round about the matter in a kind of a 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Colour XXVI The Motto belonging to the Male is Homo veniet ad judicium Dei That belonging to the Female is Vere illa dies 〈◊〉 These are not Sentences of Holy Scripture but only words which speak according to the Theological sense of the Judgment to come XXVII I have put them there not only for the Theological sense concerning the Resurrection which may serve them which only behold the outward Figures but know nothing of the Scientifick Mystery XXVIII But also for them who gathering together the AEnigmas and Parables of the Science and viewing them with Lynceus's Eyes are able to pierce in to the mysterious sense through the visible Objects XXIX Thus then Man shall come to the Judgment of God it signifies that to bring the Compositum or Matter to the colour of perfection it must be judged that is cleansed from all its blackness and Filth be spiritualized and whitened XXX Again Surely that day will be terrible Such indeed is the day of cleansing and purifying Horrour holds the body in Prison for the space of fourscore days in the darkness of the waters in the extream heat of the Sun and in the Troubles of the Sea XXXI All which things ought first to pass over before our King can become white arising from Death to Life to Conquer and overcome all his Enemies XXXII To make you understand something better this Allification or Whitening which is harder and more difficult than all the rest for till that time you may err at every step but afterwards you cannot except you break your Vessels I give you the following Explication CHAP. XXXI Of the Figure like Paul the Apostle cloathed with a White and Yellow Robe bordered with Gold holding a naked Sword with a Man kneeling by his Feet clad in a Robe of Orange Colour Black and White with his Motto I. VIew well this Man cloathed in a Robe intirely of a Yellowish White and see him as it were turning his Body so as if he would take the naked Sword either to cut off the Head or do some other thing to the Man kneeling by his feet clothed in a Robe of Orange colour White and Black who crys out Dele mala quaetion Blot out all the evil which I have done II. As if he should say Tolle nigredinem Take away from me my blackness which is a term of Art For Evil signifies in the Allegory Blackness as you may often read in Turba Philosophorum Deeoct it until it come to Blackness which will be thought evil III. But would you know what is meant by this Man taking the Sword into his hand Truly it signifies that you must cut off the Head of the 〈◊〉 to wit of the Man clothed in divers Colours kneeling IV. I have taken this Portraicture and Figure out of Hermes Trismegistus his Book of the secret Art where he saith Take away the Head of the Black Man cut off the Head of the Crow all which signifies no more than these few words Whiten our Black V. Lambspring that Noble German hath also used it in the Commentary of his Hierogly phicks where he saith In this Wood there is a Beast all over covered with Black if any one cut off his Head he will loose his blackness and put on a most white Colour VI. Will you understand saith he what that is The blackness is called the Head of the Crow the which being taken away at that instant comes the white colour which is as much as to say that when the Cloud appears no more this Body is said to be without an head These are his words VII In the same sense the Wise Men have also said in other places Take the Viper called Derexa and cut off his Head c. That is to say Take away from him all his Blackness VIII They have also used this Periphrasis When they would express the multiplication of the stone they have feigned the Serpent Hydra for that it is 〈◊〉 that if one Head be cut off there will spring up ten in the place thereof IX For the stone multiplies or encreases it self ten fold every time that they cut off this Head of the Crow that they make it black and afterwards white that is to say that they dissolve it anew and afterwards make it white again viz. They dissolve it anew and afterwards coagulate it again X. Observe also how the naked Sword is wreathed about with a black Girdle yet that the ends thereof are naked and bare and not wreathed at all XI This naked shining Sword is the stone for the White or the White-stone so often by the Philosophers described under this Form XII To come then to this perfect and sparkling whiteness you must
Decoct V. And therefore to Grind is to Decoct of which you are not to be weary saith Rhasis Digest continually but not in haste that is not with too great a Fire cease not or make no intermission in your work follow not the Artifice of Sophisters but pursue your Operation to the Complement and perfection thereof VI. Also in the Rosary it is advised to be cautious and watchful lest your work prove dead or imperfect and to continue it with a long Decoction Close up well thy Vessel and pursue to the end VII For there is no Generation of things but by Putrefaction by keeping out the Air and a continual internal motion with an equal and gentle Heat VIII Remember when you are in your work all the Signs and Appearances which arise in every Decoction for they are necessary to be known and understood in order to the perfecting the matter IX You must be sure to be incessant and continual in your Operation with a gentle Fire to the appearing of the perfect Whiteness which cannot be if you open the Vessel and let out the Spirit X. From whence it is Evident that if you mannage your matter ill or your Fire be too great it ought to be extinguished Therefore saith Rhasis pursue your business incessantly beware of instability of mind and too great expectations by a too hasty and precipitate pursuit lest you lose your End XI But as another Philosopher saith Digest and Digest again and be not weary The most exquisite and industrious Artist can never attain to perfection by too much haste but only by a long and continual Decoction and Digestion for so Nature works and Art must in some measure imitate Nature CHAP. XLIV Of the Various Signs Appearing in every Operation I. THis then is the thing that the Vessel with the Medicine be put into a moist Fire to wit that the middle or one half of the Vessel be in a moist Fire or Balneo of equal Heat with Horse-Dung and the other half out of the Fire that you may daily look into it II. And in about the space of Forty Days the superficies or upper part of the Medicine will appear black as melted Pitch and this is the Sign that the Citrine Body is truly converted into Mercury III. Therefore saith Bonellus when you see the blackness of the Water to appear be assured that the Citrine Body is made Liquid The same thing saith Rhasis the Disposition or Operation of our Stone is One which is that it be put into its Vessel and carefully Decocted and Digested till such time as the whole Body ibe Dissolved and Ascended IV. And in another place he saith continue it upon a temperate or gentle Balneo so long till it be perfectly Dissolved into Water and made impalpable and that the whole Tincture be extracted into the blackness which is the Sign of its dissolution V. Lucas also assureth us that when we see the blackness of the water in all things to appear that then the Body is dissolved or made Liquid VI. This blackness the Philosophers called the first Conjunction for then the Male and Female are joyned together and it is the Sign of perfect mixtion VII Yet notwithstanding the whole Tincture is not drawn out together but it goes out every day by little and little until by a great length of time it is perfectly extracted and made compleat VIII And that part of the Body which is dissolved ever Ascends or Rises to the Top above all the other undissolved Matter which remains yet at Bottom IX Therefore saith Avicen That which is spiritual in the Vessel Ascends up to the Top of the Matter and that which is yet gross and thick remains in the Bottom of the Vessel X. This blackness is called among the Philosophers by many Names to wit The Fires the Soul a Cloud the Revens-Head a Coal Our Oyl Aqua vitae the Tincture of Redness the shadow of the Sun Black Brass Water of Sulphur and by many other Names XI And this Blackness is that which conjoyneth the Body with the Spirit XII Then saith Rhasis The Government of the Fire being observed for the space of Forty Days both to wit the White Liquor and the Citrine Body are made a Permanent or fixt Water covered over with blackness which blackness if rightly ordered cometh to its perfection in Forty Days space XIII Of which another Philosopher saith so long as the obscure blackness appeareth the WOMAN hath the Dominion and this is the first Conception or strength of our Stone For if it be not first Black it shall never be either White or Red. XIV Avicen saith That Heat causeth blackness first in a moist Body then the humidity being consumed it putteth off or loseth its blackness and as the Heat encreaseth or is continued so it grows white XV. Lastly by a more inward Heat it is Calcin'd into Ashes as the Philosophers teach XVI In the first Decoction which is called Putrefaction Our Stone is made all Black to wit a Black Earth by the drawing out of its Humidity and in that Blackness the Whiteness is hidden XVII And when the Humidity is reverted upon the Blackness again and by a continued soft and gentle Digestion is made fixed with its Earth then it becomes White XVIII In this Whiteness the Redness is hidden and when it is Decocted and Digested by augmentation and continuance of the Fire that Earth is changed into Redness as we shall hereafter teach CHAP. XLV Of the Eduction of the Whiteness out of the Blackness or Black Matter I. NOw let us revolve to the Black matter in its Vessel not so much as once opened but continually closed Let this Vessel I say stand continually in the moist fire till such time as the White Colour appears like to a white moist Salt II. The Colour is called by the Philosophers Arsenick and Sal Armoniack and some others call it The thing without which no profit is to be had in the Work III. But inward whiteness appearing in the Work then is there a perfect Conjunction and Copulation of the Bodies in this Stone which is indissoluble And then is fulfilled that saying of Hermes The thing which is above is as that which is beneath and that which is beneath is as that which is above to perform the Mystery of this matter IV. Phares saith Seeing the Whiteness appearing above in the Vessel you may be certain that in that Whiteness the Redness lies hid but before it becomes White you will find many Colours to appear V. Therefore saith Diomedes Decoct the Male and the Female or Vapour together until such time as they shall become one dry Body for except they be dry the divers or various Colours will not appear VI. For it will ever be black whilst that humidity or moisture has the dominion but if that be once wasted then it emits divers Colours after many and several ways VII And many times it shall be changed from
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
defined V. The Elemental fire is that which does Fix Calcine and Burn and is nourished by Combustible things VI. The fire against Nature which is a violent strong Corrosive destroying the special form of that which is dissolved therein is that which in Power Dissolves Frets Infects and destroys the generative Power of the form of the Stone it does Dissolve the Stone into Water of the Cloud with the loss of its Natural Attractive and special Form and is called Fire against Nature as Raymundus 〈◊〉 from its Operation for that which Nature does make this fire against Nature destroys and brings to Corruption unless there be fire of Nature put to it VII Here as Raymundus saith lies contrary Operations as in the Compounded Water for as the fire against Nature does Dissolve the Spirit of the fixed Body the Volatile Spirit is thereby constrained to retire into a fixed Earth a Congealed Earth as White as Snow VIII For the fire of Nature does Congeal the Dissolved Spirit of the fixed Body into a glorious Earth and the Body of the Volatile being fixed by the same fire against Nature is here again by the fire of Nature resolved into the Water of Philosophers but not into the Water of the Cloud and so by this means the fixed is returned back again into its wonted Nature of Flying and the moist is made dry and the ponderous is made light IX But yet he saith this fire which is against Nature is not the Work of Our Magistery but it is the fire which is purely Natural This he saith because he would shew us thereby the difference between the Mineral Elixir and the Vegetable and the Animal For that these three several Elixirs are made of three several Waters viz. Mineral Vegetable and Animal which serve for the Work divers ways X. And First we will Treat of the Mineral Elixir then of the other in order The Fire against Nature is a Mineral Water viz. the Humour or Tincture drawn out of Body of Venus Dissolved in its Mineral Spirit very strong and Mortal serving only to the Mineral Elixir XI This Mineral Water or Fire against Nature is drawn with fire Elemental from a certain stinking Menstruum as Raymundus saith and is made of four things It is the strongest Water in the World whose only Spirit saith he does wonderfully increase and multiply the Tincture of the Ferment for here Sol or Gold is Tinged with the Mineral Spirit the which Mineral Spirit is the strength of the most simple Sulphur without much Earthiness XII Thin Mineral Water is the dropping of Adrop or Adrup Venus which is the noble Tincture called the natural Roman Vitriol and which for the abundance of its noble Tincture is called Roman Gold XIII This some do call the Spirit of the Green Lyon others the blood of the Green Lyon wherein almost all Err and are deceived for the Green Lyon of the Philosophers is that Lyon by whose Virtue attractive all things are lifted up from the Bowels of the Earth and the Winter-like Caverns making them to Wax green and flourish whose Child for all the Elixirs are to be had from it is to us most acceptable and sufficient XIV The Child of Philosophers is generated of their Green Lyon of which Child is had the strength of Sulphur both White and Red Our two Sulphurs of Nature are the Gold and Silver of the Philosophers and their hidden Treasure XV. Of this Child of the Green Lyon of the Philosophers is drawn the strength of Sulphur White and Red but not Burning as Avicen saith which are the two best things the Alchymist can take to make his Gold and Silver of and this is sufficient to be said for the attaining the knowledge of the Green Lyon which is so called because that when he is dissolved he is streight ways adorned with a green Vesture i. e. When our Sulphur of Nature is dissolved in its own Menstruum which is the Virgins Milk it is clothed with this greenness and therefore called the Green Lyon XVI But of the Green Lyon of Fools this we say that from it with a strong fire is drawn Aquafortis in the which the aforesaid Philosophers Lyon of the Mineral Stone ought to be Elixirated and assumes its Name Raymundus saith it were better or fafer to eat the Eyes of a Basalisk than that Gold which is made with the Fire against Nature XVII And I say also that the things from whence the same Aquafortis is drawn is green Vitriol and Azoth i. e. Vitriol Natural not Artificial viz. the droppings of Copper called also Roman Vitriol Roman Gold by many of the Philosophers from the abundance of its noble Tincture the which Tincture must be Fermented with Common Gold XVIII How great and Secret a Virtue then and of what strength the Fire against Nature is evidently appears in the construction of the Body of the Volatile Spirit being by it vulgarly sublimed in the form of Snowy Whiteness Raymundus in the end of the Epistle of his Abridgment saith feed Argent Vive with this Oyl viz. with the Oyl wherewith the Spirit of the Quintessence is thickened c. XIX For want of such Natural 〈◊〉 the true and natural Principle not Artificial as Vincent saith made of Salts Sulphurs and Alums which cut and gnaw Metals is to be chosen lest in the end of your work you fail of your desire The Philosophers will you to Calcine Sol with Mercury Crude till it be brought into a Calx Red as Blood Here comes in the work of Sol and Mercury together brought into a dry Red Pouder and fixed but whether it is to be done with Mercury or Sulphur the Water of him is doubtful CHAP. LXIV The manner of Elixiration with the Fire against Nature I. TAke the first Sol Calcined with the first Water viz. the Mercurial Spirit very clean and brought into the Color of Blood in the space of 20 days in lesser time it is not to be done This Calcination cannot be so profitable as it would be unless Sol be first Mercurializ'd into such a thinness as it may cleave together to that to which it must be joyned in a 24 fold proportion viz. as 1. to 24. strain ed through a clean Linnen Cloth without any remain ing substance of the Gold II. I my self have seen it so ordered and done and then it may certainly in a strong Bolt Head well Luted on every side except on the Top boyling in a strong Fire for the space of 20 days be precipitated into a Red Pouder like Cinnaber all which I have seen performed Every particle of this Pouder you shall so fix as that if it be put upon a Red-Hot Iron Plate its Spirit shall not fume or fly away III. This Pouder Dissolve with or in our Fire against Nature being Dissolved abstract the Water of the Fire against Nature from it so long till the substance of the Pouder so Dissolved do remain in the Vessel as
thick as an Oyl which Oyl first with a soft fire and after with a stronger fix into dry Pouder IV. This Work is not to be done all at once but by little and little at a time till it goes through with it in the Color of Blood then will it precipitate into a Red Pouder called by the Philosophers Sericon Dissolve it with as much of Our Vegetable Sal Anatron the space of an hour then set it in Balneo in a long Receptory till it be clearly dissolved and becomes as it were a fine Wine which with the very softest heat make it to Evaporate and Congeal so will you have a pure Stone and of subtil parts V. Also if you dissolve this same Red Pouder of Mercury in Water or Spirit of Common Salt prepared as Bachon and Albertus have taught you shall have an Oyl or Salt of Gold which no Fire can destroy which will melt and tinge with a solar Color upon a Plate of Venus This Treasure carry always with you wheresoever you go Who knows not the Secret of this prepared Salt in Our lesser Works knows little of the hidden things of Alchymie VI. Try this fixt Pouder at Sect. 3. above for the fixation reiterate still the Work with the same Fire against Nature upon the same Pouder Ten times and it will be dryed up no more into Pouder but remain in a thick Oyl the which will turn Argent Vive and all Bodies into pure Alchymick Gold sufficiently good for all works of the Goldsmith but not for Medicine for Man's Body VII A Second way Gold is much more wonderfully Elixirated by the said Fire against Nature compounded with the Fire Natural after this manner Let Vitriol of the Fire of Nature made of the most sharp Humidity or moisture of Grapes and Sericon joyned together in a Mass with the Natural Mineral Vitriol called the Gum of Adrop or Vitriol Azoth made somewhat dry and with Sal Nitre be dissolved VIII First Ascends a Fair Weak Flegmatick Water which cast away Then a White Fume making the Vessel appear White like Milk which Fume must be gathered into the receiver so long till it ceases and the Vessel becomes clear of its own Color This water of the White Fume is the stinking Menstruum which is called Our Dragon against Nature This Menstruum if the said Dragon against Nature was absent would be our Fire Natural of which we shall hereafter speak in its proper place IX Raymundus saith this Water is made of four things 1. The Composition of Sal Amarum 2. Menstru um Foetens 3. Argent Vive which is a common substance in every Corruptible Body 4. Mineral Vitriol X. This compounded Water Mineral and Water Vegetable being mixed together and made one Water as aforesaid doth work contrary Operation which is wonderful it Dissolves and Congeals it makes moist and dry it putrifies and purifies it divides asunder and joyns together it destroys and restores it kills and makes alive it wounds and heals again it makes soft and hardens it makes thin and thick it resolves Compounds and Compounds again It begins the Work and makes an end of the same XI These two Mineral Waters Compounded together in one are the two Dragons Fighting and striving to gather one against the other in the Flood of Satalia viz. the White Fume and the Red and one of them shall devour the other And here the Solutory Vessels ought to be Luted but gently or closed with Linnen Cloth or with Mastick or common Wax or Cerecloth XII These two Dragons are Fire and Water within the Vessel and not without and therefore if they feel any exteriour fire they will rise up to the top of the Vessel and if they be yet forced by the violence or strength of the Fire they will break the Vessel and so you will lose all your Work XIII This Compounded Water aforesaid does Congeal as much as it does Dissolve and lists it up into a glorious Crystalline Earth This is our Secret dissolution of the Stone which is always done with the Congelation of its Water The Fire of Nature is here put to the Fire against Nature therefore as much as the Stone has lost of its form by the power and strength of the Water or Fire against Nature so much has it gotten and recovered again of its form by the Virtue of the Water or Fire of Nature But the Fire against Nature by the means of the Fire of Nature cannot be destroyed CHAP. LXV The Practice with the said Compounded Water upon the Calx of the Body Dissolved I. THE Practice with the said Compounded Water upon the Calx of the Body duly dissolved and prepared Take the prepared Body made with a thick Oyl put to it so much of the Compounded Water as may cover the same Calx i. e. Our prepared Calx with Our Vege table Menstruum by the depth of half an Inch. The Water will presently boil over the Calx without external dissolving the Stone and lifting it up into the form of Ice with the drying up also of the said Water II. The said Calx being so dissolved and sublimed into the form of Ice you must take away after this is done the residue of the Calx remaining in the Vessel undissolved shall again be well dryed by the Fire upon which put so much of the said Compounded Water as you did before dissolving subliming and drying till the Calx is wholly dissolved III. The substance thus dissolved subtily separated and brought into a Pouder must be put as thereafter shall be shewed into a good quantity of the Fire of Nature which is a Quintescence the same being first well rectified and the Vessel well stopp'd to the end that the means of the heat outwardly administred unto it procuring the inward heat to work it may be dissolved into an Oyl the which will soon be done by reason of the simplicity of the Water or simple Fire of Nature IV. And therefore when you have brought the said Pouder so dissolved sublimed and prepared with the said Compounded Water into an Oyl 〈◊〉 is our Menstruum Visible unto sight by putting thereto a good quantity of the aforesaid rectified simple Fire of Nature as before declared then abstract or draw away the said Water again from the same Oyl by Distilling the same in a moist Temperate heat so long till there remains in the bottom of the Glass a thin Oyl V. This Oyl the oftner it is dissolved with the said simple rectified Fire of Nature and the said Water Abstracted or Distilled by a Temperate heat so much the more will the said Oyl be made subtil and thin VI. With the said Oyl provided the Calx be the Calx of Sol or Luna you may incere the substances or Calces of other Bodies the said Bodies being first dissolved exalted sublimed and prepared with the said Compounded Water in manner and form of Ice aforesaid till that by the Inceration of 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
of his natural Magick that there is a Salt made of the Lees or Tartar of Wine or Aquae Vitae called the Salt of Art and Mercury without which Salt saith he there is nothing can be done Also he begins his Practice with this Salt in the first and last Chapter of his Codicil XXIV Wherefore as the same Philosopher affirms among these things is this Menstruum one of the Secrets of this Art whose Virtue must be increased by a wise management of the Matter you must circulate this Menstruum in the Unctuous humidity in a Vessel of Circulation by rotation continually an hundred and twenty days in the hottest Fornace CHAP. LXX The Remaining Process of the Vegetable Stone I. HItherto the Process of the Vegetable Stone has been long and Obscure but that nothing may be doubtful to the prejudice of my professed Love to your Lordship I say that all these things spoken by Raymundus are covered with the Mantle of Philosophy Truly his intention is that there should be made a dissolution with the Spirit of Wine but that this Spirit of Wine should be joyned with another Menstruum resoluble without which Resolution can never be attained II. Here the two Spirits are joyned together the Vegetable Menstruum or White Oyl of Tartar and our Metalline Oyl III. And that Menstruum Resoluble is generated only of a Metalline kind for it is a potential or mighty Vapour being in every Metalline Body joyning together two extreams Sulphur and Argent 〈◊〉 IV. And so indeed after this sort Our water is a Metalline water which because it does savour of the Nature of either extream it therefore brings our Resolutive Menstruum into Act. V. Now how this Menstruum which is Unctuous Moist Sulphurous and Mercurial agreeing with the Nature of Metals and wherewith Bodies must be Artificially Dissolved may be had we will here shew by clear practice VI. Take the sharpest humidity of Grapes and in it being Distilled dissolve the Body well Calcin'd into a Redness into a Cyrstalline clear and Ponderous water the which Body Calcin'd into Redness is of the Masters of this Science called Sericon VII Now comes in the Practice of Pupilla of the dissolution of the Red Lyon for the Fire of Nature called also Red Lead Red Coral Sericon is of the Nature of Black Pepper Euphorbium c. of a hot biting and fiery Nature all which things are spoken only by way of Comparison VIII Then of this Crystalline water let there be made a Gum the which in Taste will be like to Alum This Gum by Raymundus is called Vitriol Azoth from which let there be drawn with a gentle Fire first a weak water with no more Taste or sharpness than simple Well water Fresher water there is none in Taste yet will it never Consume or Waste tho' it be used never so often nor will it be ever less in quantity IX And when the White Fume shall begin to appear change your Receiver and Lute it strongly that it breath not forth so shall you have our burning water Our Aquae Vitae and Resolutive Menstruum the which before was Resoluble a Vapour potential a mighty Vapour able to dissolve Bodies to Putrifie and to Purifie to divide the Elements and also to exalt theEarth into a wonderful Salt by the force of its attractive Virtue This is our Fire of Nature X. This water has a bitter sharp Taste upon the Tongue and also a kind of stinking Menstruum and because it is a water which is very Spirituous and Volatile therefore within a Month after it is Distilled it ought to be put upon its Calx When it is Affused upon the Calx it will without any external Fire boil if the Vessel be closely shut and it will not cease to Ferment or work till it be all dryed up into the Calx XI Therefore you must put no greater a quantity of it to the Calx but what may just cover it as it were and so proceed when the Fornace is dryed up to the whole Complement thereof as in the Operation of the Compound water and as the work requires XII And when the Elixir shall be brought into a Purple Color then let it be dissolved with the aforesaid Vegetable Menstruum into a thin Oyl the same Menstruum being first rectified and let the same by the Circulation of the Spirit of our water be fixed so will it have Power to transmute or change all Bodies into pure Gold and to Heal and Cure all Infirmities and Diseases in Man's Body ten thousand times better than all the Potions and Prescriptions of Galen or Hippocrates XIII This Elixir is the true Aurum potabile and no other for it is made of Gold Elementated and Circulated by the spirituous wheel of Philosophy and it is so wrought with the Air Gass potency or spirit of Mercury dissolved by its self sublimed and rectified as that the body of Gold by it may not only be curiously and exquisitely Elixirated but also that it may then afterwards be brought to such a perfection by this our Art as to be applied profitably to the most desirable work XIV Thus you may see we have hid nothing concerning this our desired Elixir of the Vegetable Stone I shall now proceed to that of the Animal Stone which is but a work of three days and in three days will be compleatly ended My advice to you is not to gather the Leaves of Words but the Fruits of Works the profit of the things sought after XV. And know that in this Work I have not so much affected the Curiosity of Language or Elegancies of Stile as the denudating the Essential Verity and exposing the very Power of Truth to your View which by reason of my haste I have now concisely done in few words CHAP. LXXI Of Our Animal Stone I. WE now come to reveal the most noble and High Secret of Secrets viz. the Mystery of our Animal Stone desired of all Mankind and the way and manner of its Elixiration But this Animal Elixir is neither from Wine as it is Wine nor from Eggs Hair or Blood as they are such things but only from the Elements And these Elements we ought to search out in the Excellency of their exceeding Simplicy and Rectification II. The Elements as Roger Bachon saith are the Roots of all things the Mothers of every thing yet the Elements of the said things do not enter into the Work of this Our Elixir but only by the Virtue and Commixtion of those Elements with the Elements of Spirits and Bodies of Metals III. Yet so indeed as Roger Bachon saith the Elements of those things aforesaid do so enter in as to pierce through tho' not to dwell there and to Accomplish this Our great Elixir IV. Notwithstanding among all those things which be Natural as all the rest be which Philosophers have taken there is one thing yet which is found more pretious more excellent more proper and more Natural