MERMe PIC ALCREMY WORLD KOMAZEC DARKOHermetic Alchemy World MOST FAITHFULLY INSTRUCTING ALL DISCIPLES OF THE SOPHO-SPAGYRIC ART HOW THAT GREATEST AND TRUEST MEDICINE OF THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE MAY BE FOUND AND HELD. NOW FIRST DONE INTO ENGLISH FROM THE LATIN ORIGINAL PUBLISHED AT FRANKFORT IN THE YEAR 1678. Containing Twenty-two most celebrated Chemical Tracts. New York: Rotshild 201 1TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME | 1. -THECOLDEN TRACT conceming theStone of the Philosophers, by an Anonymous German Adept I.—THE GOLDEN AGE RESTORED: Having now appeared a second time, flourished beautifully, and brought forth fragrant and Golden Seed, This rare and precious Seed is shewn and imparted to ail the Sot’ of True Wisdom and the Doctrine, by Henry Madathanas I, -IHESOPHIC HYDROLITH, or, Water Stone of the Wise, that is,a Chemical Work, in which the Way is shown, the Maiter named, and the Process described namely, the Method of obtaining the Universal Tincture IV.~A DEMONSTRATION OF NATURE, made to the erring Alchemists, and complaining of the Sophists and other False Teachers, Set forth by John A. Mehung VA SHORT TRACT, or PHILOSOPHICAL SUMMARY, by Nicholas Flamell VI THE ONLY TRUE WAY; or, an useful, good, and helpful Tract, pointing out the Path of Truth \VIl_-THEGLORY OF THEWORLD; or, Tableof Paradise; thatis tosay, aTTrue Account ofthe Ancient Science which Adam learned from God Himself; which Noah, Abraham, and Solomon held as one of the Greatest Gifts of Ged; which alse all Sages, at all times, preferred to the wealth of the whole wor'd, regarded as the Chief Treasure of the whole world, and bequeathed only to Good Men, namely, the Science of the Philosopher's Stone Viti=A TRACT OFGREATPRICE pub GamnSaginthe yar 129 dr teflon VALS TRACT OF GREAT PCE publatedty » German Sogn ey ane te flo IX.—A VERY BRIEF TRACT CONCERNING THEPHILOSOPHICAL STONE. Writtenbyan unknown German Sage, about 200 years ago, and called The Book of Alze XX. THE BOOK OF LAMBSPRING, a noble ancient Philesepher, concoming the Philesophical Stone, bby Nicholas Baraud Delphinas XL. —THEGOLDEN TRIPOD; or, Three Choice Chemical Tracts, namely: That of Basilius Valentinus, ‘a Monk of the Benedictine Order, called Practica, with Twelve Keys and an AppendixTHE GOLDEN TRACT CONCERNING THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. ‘The Author’ Prefacettothe Ar-loving Reader. WORTHY reader, and true enquirer irto the secrets of nature, marvel not that inthe old age ofthis worl, when it ‘se2ms to have one feat already inthe grave, | heve determinedto wrte this tract, aough a itreries ale eed full ‘of books on this subjec:—af which, however, the greater part are false, and wear merely the rouge end power of philosophy. have writen tno for my own pleasure, but for your adventage, thet, by pointing tothe fourdstion oftruth, | might lead you back fram the pathiess wildemessinta tie right wal—aich i certain for your own nterest. As far ‘slam conoemed, Inave lang krawn el that| seekto know n regerdta this matter, and have na need of mary backs, ‘sezing thot during the last tertyno years | have read ard reread al the warks thet fel into my hends—incuding numerous manuscripts as well as many printed volumes. In this my trace you wil ana the subject set orth, an tre true solution gwen not ent theoretical, eutalsa rom 8 practical and aleyorcs! point of vw, mith a clesrness and uccty such as | Delve tobe slmost unpareieled in ary previous philosophical recise. In uotng, nave always been careful ia ge the exact reference, sathat youmey 00K (OU: tie passage for yourser, and by aligenty cansidenng f sharpen your understanding. | uid mare essity Nave. ‘composed this reetse, and inede mse known to the Brethren of the Gulden [yaragraph condnues} Cross, 1a left out those references, but for your sake | decided otherwise: Dp not worder that| conceal my neme, and refuse to ‘spoear to you face ta face Ihave come forward not forthe sake of ery palry pry, oF af wordy praise, butt do you (902d. Moreaver, my teachers, cven the true philbsophers,adviaedme nat thus to rek my fe forthe sekeaf abtainng {2 high place inthe word!'s earcem, to expose myzeif ta greed) rubbers or to gle occasion for many erimsa by He pprectiuton of his profeund escrat: Nadoubtthe gente roadares learredy he werks ofSendivogiucthat whenever heshsaved himoat apeniyta the poner he wertincanatan:foar othe lie. Emeriencateachees thst many rilecephere who gave no thaught te thairpavecnal safety, have boon kilad and deprived cf thor tincture by gready end powarul robbers; end itstancs te resson that any one going about with a greattreaaurain hishend, must olla preyto origands. ‘Sendivogius concsoled nis name by an anagram. Thus also a shart tine ago enethe>ghilosqaher and Brother of he Galden Crass, whose real namehas lang bean familiar ta me, canceled & beneath an anagram, and made himself known to his friends by an enigrticsl desigration. Wy then should I place myse at the mercy af this imoure world? Permit me rater. deer friend tofolow the exemple othe sages. and leave the rest tothe thrice goad and greet God, who ill meke my true seif known to you in qoot time. iit be fr the lary of His name, and for your end my good. DO for be eager tn enquire afer my name. For even if you should ge to know i. ar become pevsmaly eceunintes with me, you would have ta rest setisiee wth the contents of ths tract. For | have solemnly promised tvo philosopners— Bernard, Court of Trevisan, snd Neigens—that | wil not betrsy to any ane more then hes besn revealed inthis Bcok Nether be arious to ask whether l|c:uely possess this pracious tressure. Askrrsther whether | have seen hew the \woridwes crested; whether lam acqusinted with the nature ofthe Egyntian darkness: whatis the ceuseof tnersnbow, what willbe the eppesrence oi the gorfed bodies atthe general resurrection what isthe most indelible colour. Ofyou ‘hat rgtly understand his ite ocok, |wil enquire whether yau have seen thet grestsslt seo, without ary corrosion rasea sufficiency ofthe moisture ofallneture tcthe summits o' the highest maureains. Tele where there is sulphur (out of suphur,and mercury out cf mercurj—or where sulahur springs fram mercury. ard agahn mercuny from sulphur. ‘When was there placedbetre your eyes theides cf os: ferventlove, the mele andthe female evitracing eachother ‘50 cicsey that they could no more be tom esunder, but through unseerchable lave became one? Ifyou understand what | am alluding to, and have pe-formed the experiment wth your awn hends, ene seen it with your av eyes, Welcome you 6s fellow partakers ofthe mystery, and have no deerer wish then to enjoy your familie ntercourse—for Which reason nave alsa sentforth inte the word ths ite tract. Irenyone complan ofthe amcultyatour Ar, et him kriaw et inset eis pertecty simp, endicen presentnaobstacie ro tnese who love Goa, ancare rela worty ty Him arch Krowledge. f any one came metor sewing farin tne ruins lof his 4° to pisnly and clesry, so 8s Lo render t pussble for any one Lo gen Kowedge thereof, | swe that have indeed expsined vem with sufficent lucidby Tor Hose who Bre worthy and foreordained Uf Ged, wut List ie uunwortny can derive na prone tram them. Te seme foolish ang stalow persons | neve several umes excounded this ‘Arsinthe simplest manner, and even word for word, bubthey despised i only, rel would not befews me diet there is ‘exibiein aur works twrcfold resurrection of te dead. Our Ar, ts cheory as well sks practice is atogetner ogi ‘of Gad, Whe gies then anc'ta wham He eects: tisno: of him thet wile, or of Fim that uno, but simalyehraugh she money of Ged. Tough | nae digently otuciad thie Art for 7 ar 16 yoare, yor hed afar ll towat for ads av time, ‘ond eccent tee efree gif: No one need daub the truth or cortarty of ti Ar. eis es true ond coreain, and auraly ‘ordsined by God fr retire, 25 t = fret tha sun ahnae at neon, and the maon shew her 2c splancaur at night But I must conclude the rafsca, end giel mysolf for writing the tract itzolf. But ye, beloved Brathren ofthe GoldenCross, who are about to lezrn how to enjoy and use this most precious git of Gad in secret, donet remain unknown to ime, andif ye know me not, be sure thatthe faithful wil be approved and ther falth become known through the Cross, ‘hile security and pleasure overshadow it. God be with us, émen! CONCERNING THE STONE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS ANCIENT o8 wall aa modem philssoahers, mestbeloved reader, and deiated seckerafter true windom. when through ‘the gracs of Ga they had reached the goal their desires, have enceavoures tomake their discovery krovn to their {low inquirors inal part of she worle-—rot any beceuse they wished to irfarm them thar the tice great snd geod Ged had enighvened:her minds, sleazed te baurs oftheir nande, ard sewn tatners the gresteatendmestorefound ‘s02ret af earthly wieder (far which nenefiapries, Fonaur, and glory are uty cue ta Him]_bue ale thes thoy might ‘ffare assistance to baginnars in tha Art. bywhich, wh God's permsion, they too might atzan tothe Inawiedge of ‘this mas: haly mystery. Such men there hevebaen nll caurtriag. Arronget the Egypsions Hanes Triamegiawuehalds the highest alece:then come Chalezeans, Greets, Arabs itnfans. Gaile, ngisnman, Dutchmen, Spaniards, Germana, Poles, Hungarians, Hetrews, and mary ethers Though the aforementioned Sages wate ar dfferert tmes, and in ifferentlarquages. yttheir works ashibit 50 marvellous anagreement: that ny rus philesopher may eesiy see that, slltheirheerts hed heen glactlenes by Godin the discovery of ths stone. and that they all had pevformed this work with ther own hands. Now. asthe truth oftheir views s percehed by their egreemert. so te disagreement of certain others marks then as false philosoohers. Fer. nat knowing the foundation ofthis aleicus Ars, and making uo fanciful theones out oftheir own heads, they exhibit their ianorence to el. The aforesaid agreement exists in regard to the Matter és soluticn, ts weight. snd the regulation end increase of he fr, ‘As concerns tie Matter, itis one, and contains within tself l thats needed. Cut fi the erst prepares whatever ne went. ts "Birth isin the sand,” as the philosopher Anastretus seys in The Craw "Nothing is mare precous than the red sand othe searitis the distiled moisture cf the Moan pined tothe ligit ofthe Sun, and congealed" That only this one substance is required isattasted ay Agadmon inthe seme book He seys: "Know that unless yeu take my body [sulphur] witheut the sprit mercury] ye wil na cbtain what ye dasre, Cease tathink of many things. Neture is sctisfed vith one thing, and he wha does nat krow itis est In the same way Arrold, of Vila Nove, writes in tisFlawer af Powers"; ‘Our stane is made aut af ene thing, and with ‘one thing." To the same effect he says to the King of Naples "ll thetis in cur stone's essential i, nor does ieneed, ‘n/foregn ngresient. is nature s one, and tis one thing." And Fosnus says: "Know thatthe object cf your desire 1s, ‘one thing aut arwhicn al thngs are made” Liu: "Youneveneed anlar enething.whchet anystageafour exenment ‘can be ranged inta another nazure” So Geber seys n his 'Surnmary" ‘Dur store Is me, one mecicine, to which we ‘803 ratring, Tram whch We take nezhing awey, only removirg that whlch Is supernucus” Agan, Sots In "The Crower ‘5a/8:"The essence of tis Aris in Ike manner a certain one thing wnica is starge” and more exeted than ellomier ‘hngs, ns called the most powerfulacu, because L changes gold nwa 8 clesr spit, witout which Were naiser whiteness, nor blaciness, nor redress. Wher ie spin is joined to the body iebesories one wd i end yet again be-omes spirit and isseturated wth the spiritusland unchangeable tincture, sndthusagsinby combination receives 2 bodily tincture which cannot be anise Ifyou place the booy without the acid over the fire it wil ke burnt and destroyed!" From these words of Stes the reader might conclude, that no: one but two things, narmely a body endian ‘cd (20 he calls #) aro required, end thet © quid must be comsinad wth © dry thing lot the dry thing ehould be ‘consumed by the fre inarder that by the moist thing it may be preservecfrem auch combuction. To such ¢ cancion if ngtly accortec | gloaly aubscribe, 2ut fern the above morkionee phigsopnical dicta (nawaver abectrely worded ‘hey moy be tie clearer thon day that the substance of our Bloesed Stone ic are (slthaugh diferent aagoe cell by ciferent names}, and thet Nturs has made i resto the hand afthe ade, heving wiledthis one ting, andnacther hing n all te wand tae the materia\nfthe Stone. This Matter les hatore the eyes of all everjnody sees t touches it, eves but mows tnot. tis gloricusand vie, previous ancinfsmallaceaunt, and isfoundaveryuhere Thecpheasts Perscelss.jn his book corceming "The Thture of Prysicel Things." calls ithe Red Lon. which ismémed by many. but known by few. Hermes. in the fine: chapter of his Treatise. cells "Buick Siker cosguiated ints innermost charrbers.” In the "Fosery of the Philosophers" goes by the name of Sst. Eu to be bref, our Mater has as mary names as ‘heresre tings in the wort: thet why the foolish knew & not. Fooish| call thase who, withoutary prevous knowledae ‘of Nature and her propertes, urdertate to leam this Art. end comet t (6s Arnold says)lke the ess to the eri, not knowing for what they open theic mouins, Hence iis well sai by Geber, in the "Sum of Perfection "He who hasino c’lementary knowledge of Nature is farfrom a proper anoreciaion of ths Are’ And Rosarus says: ate na one to ‘sporcech this Ar: unless he incws the principle end the regimen of Nature: if he be accuented with these, tie is, \enting to him excent ene thing, nor reed he put himself te a grest expense, since the stone is ore, the medicine is ‘one, the vessel ane, the rul2 one, the dispositon ore." Ye this cne sunstance is 9 diced by the opersticn cf Nature, ‘and the skllofthe Artis, that tis transmuted into our White Eegle, nar does the splendour ofthe sun urinate mare ‘abundantiy the spagyric matter with its bearns; on, as Gasiius Velentinus hathit. tt, “thence isborne spit white as‘scow, ard enother spr red as blood, which twa spins are contained ine third hidden thing” Hence King Aros well ‘5ay8: Cur mecicine & comaoses ott of tuo things hauing ore essence, namely, through the mercurial union af solid ‘and aliquid. a spirtual nda corporeal, a calg ard « mais, awermerd ey, ain na other weyeenitbernade” And Fichard the Englishman seys: "The stone s one. the medicine ane, which, however, according to the phiascphers, is Caled Rebis [Twothing) being coraosed of two things, name. « body sn spit [red or white. Eut over this many {foolish persons have gone astray, explaining iin vers ways." Rebs is two thirgs..erd these twothngs ere ene thng, nnemely, waterjoined to's body, by which tne body s cssnved nce 8 Spr, thet, mineral water, QUE Of which i wes rst mace; ané this bacy ana sprit meke up ane mineral water, which Is Called Er, thetIs t say, ferment rar tren eter ard shirt are ane ting, oF wiich's composed a tincwure end meatine for purghigal badles. And hus, ccardng ‘othe philosopners, we have the neture cr sulpnur era mercury eoove graune, while uncengraunctney became gaia fend siver. Belnard, Count of Trevisan and te Merch, says: Cur werk & pervorned by mesns of one root, and bw Crude mercuris substances, drawn and extracted from mineral, pure and cer, beiry covjoired by the heat of ‘tiendshia, as tis matter requires, endcarefuly cooked untlthe two thirgs become one thing” Bc. Basis Valentinus (Lib. Note Superne, 4) aaye" wil rake ta knonnee thee nal un forthe lave cf God} that theract of philasaic| ‘suphur ohehie aheavenly apt is untedin tne same meteriolwvin the ractafthe aprtuoland supernetirel mercury, ‘ond the principle of epreual eatt-aut of which ie mada the Sean, ard nat out of anrarel things. That universal tong, the groctest tressure of earthly wisdam, is one thing ar the prices of three things are found in one, which hos, power to change all metals into ona. The three thirgs are the rus opiritof mercury. ard the soul of sulphur, unites to ‘spritusl eat, anc dueling in one body they sve regen and zople,kirg endlion, air end body, et" In thie way aur prapared mistarale lao called male and fernsla, active ard passive. Sa Zimon aaye, fn ‘The Crowd "kom that the secret of the wark eansins in rele and ferrale, ie, en active and a passe prieife. in lead i fcund the male. inorsiment the female Tre male rejoices whenthe femele s bravo tot, and the femalereceivesfrem the male atinging seed. nis calouredthereby” Ané Domedes says: "Join the male childafthe ret servant tathe fragrant ‘spouse, an they willaraduce the object cf our Art, But ou must no introduce eny foreign matter nether dust nor ‘any other thing. Tne conceation wil then be perfect, anda true sn will be bora. Oh, iow precious isthe nature of the "red senant! without wnom rotting can be effected!" Cahers cal it qucksiNer, ar mercury, ad sulphur. or fre, 08 Faoger Baccn says, inthe third chapter of his Mirren: ‘Cut o'suptur and mercury ae ell metals, and nothing acheres ‘other, nether is joined ta them, or trarsmrutes them, out whats of them. And thus we must accept mercury and ‘sulphur as the matter cf the stone. So also Mensbadus says: He who joirs cuicksiver to the body of magnesia, end the warran tothe man, exacts the secret essence by which bodies are coloured’ Lulits in his "Cosi" says: "he praperty of aurmercuryis to be coagulated by its sulphur” Ang, n the Practice his Testament: The siverisa fowing moisture, fling abave and preserving the wile rom combustion" Others use the names, bad, sprit, ad saul Thus Amo, in Fis Flower of Favers, says: "The Sages have atirmed that our Stone is composed af body, soul, and sprit, and they have spoken tru. For the imperfect part they have, ‘compsred to s body, because it's week. The weter they have called spr, and truly, because itis spit. The ferment, they have termed sou, because t gves ifs to the imperfect body [which before was dead], and makes its form more beaut Again, he sey6: "spits never pine io a body bus bythe interpostion af a soul. For the souls the medium beween bony and spin, Janing tem together.” Monienus says: "The sou! quickly enters ts awn Dody—but i you tried ta join 12.8 foregn boa, you would lsbour yan” And Litum Seys:"Sody Sou, and Soir rrake up one thirg, whens atin ise, and we which nagning is adaeat But why should we mertion and expsin athe narres by which our Metter i designated? We wll be conten with the {oregoing, seeing ust Wieyare the most Common sn the most germane La our purpose. In te following pages alter ‘endeovouring o find where our substence lies hid, and where it may be obtained, we will sey some words ebout the mode ofitsdissolution, ‘thet being efter ll the principal abjact of our inqury. nd feat, 8s concarns the search efter our Matter, we shoul remember tharinthe beginning, when there wes nothing but Himself, Go who i irinteh wisdom crestadtun classes ‘of tings, nary, those thet are in haven, and thass that ara under heaven, The heavenly things [2bout when we inesdinat here speak atiength] are the hesvenschemselves and the tlle in heaven The things that are uncer the heavens were created cut af four elements, and are carrmeniy chided ina three classes, Thasetthet le snfeel hale ‘the fist place. and are called animals, The second lass arethe plants that rewaus othe earth, tut da nat fee. The ‘thr class, that ofthe miners, has is avigin underground, These three classes include all that (beneath the moan) hes been crested out ofthe elements. They can never become mere less, and God has bound each shina tots awn ‘genus and species, so thet i cannot change from one genus to enatner.ifany one tied to make a men or 6 tree out fof stone, ora mankeyor led out af ape, or en rimal ara plant autof ead, he would be preverted from daina so by the eternal order of the Great King If such e tring were possible, all clesses of naturel objects could be changedinto ene. But, because euch e change would putan end ta the wor, the Ruler af the Universe doesnot permit. Nay Whats more, He not any restricted everthing tats avn knd, but geve each crested thing ts own seed, by which i might be prapagsted ster its awn menner—alveys remairing ints awn class, ané nat averstepring the bounds af ‘some other species. If any ons wished ta chenge man into a horse, an apple nia a lettuce, a ciamond or anyother Jewel inte Gold he would make an enarmaus mistake. Fer such an attempt would te egeinst the nature of subluner ‘ngs, And as't wasin the begining sot shall bein te end, when the Almighty, wha inthe tegnning sed "Letit te, ‘hall S2y"Let it perisi.” But amiang hase tings wrich nave a commn sunstance, seed, and elementary commpesttar, itis not amcut:to accompish an amevoretion and imarcvement, oy ine purest of ther metzer So we ray see & ‘man of @cleer end subse mind attain ta 8 higher degree & human excellence then others whe are less gited. This ‘irerence enses ‘ram the superar purty ana Suotetyar nis spreual substance, which egan nasits origin in erected, ‘9nd well corsubutzd body. Thus elsowe se ane norse excel ne suengln ard epeed of enathe” andicis the same wth tllkinds of ving beings. A tke rule holds good town even greater degree in regard ta pints end trees-with trees, by transplanting, grafting, and kindred methods well aril to gardeners; wile 2 to other vegetable natures, ve are oughtby oily sxperisnes haw plents and fowercofthe come kind fer from: exchother in lon, n Beaty, hfagro ‘ond anveur.Ofthis claves end tulis fforda sevking instance. Irto how many diferent speceshave these flowers bean