A 1990R.A.M.S.

Pn oo uc Tr oN
THREE T RAC T S

of the

GRBAT MEDICINE

HULAN and METALLINE

BODIES

by

EirenaeusPhilalethesCosmopolita
 THREE TRACTS
O F T HE

GREAT TIEIIICIl{E
OF

PHIL()S(}PHERS
FOR

HUilAllE AilD tET AL L IIlE

BOIIIES

I. Irtrrureu, Ansterluonun llerrroRpHosEs.

II. BnevrsllnruoucrroADRusrrurCoelesren.
III. Fo r s Cn v r r c A L P Hr L o s o P Hr A E .

A r - r-r Rr r r Er m L lr r r BY
E t n E r l e u s Pn T L AL ET HEs
Co sn o p o L r r A.

Tnnrs ul rE o Ir{T o E r e u t s n F o R T HE B E I { E F I To F T HE
S ruol ous . B y A L o v e n o F A n r A ilD T n e n .

L o ro o r. P R IT TEDAr { D soLD By T. Soule AT THE

Cn o o r e o - B r r - l er i l H or - v- l{ e ll- L lr e , Sn o Re o r r cH,
An r o ; 1 6 94"
 T Hq PUBLISHER'S PREFACE
T O T HE

READER

Fleaden,

Being conveFsant Fon many yeans with Wnitings oF this kind, and

also with not a Few peFsions in punsuit of the Masteny, who together

with me have not only nead the tnue and False Books with equal cnedi

(by which thou may judge oF the event in pnactice] but also have im-

bnaced the notions on pnactice oF confident aFFinmens with suitable

cnedit to the hopes of attaining.

This labyninth havi ng no mol'e possession oF frr and the Theony

oF Principles so Fan pnevailing as to enable me to make ehoice oF

authons and pensons to convense with, can do no less than contFibute

as much as in me lies to the help oF those ingenious searchens unden

the same diFFiculty. In orden to eFfect this I have alneady commun-

icated a shont but candid Tnaet not long since, which was communicat

ed to me by my very good Fniendr Ers may be seen in his kind letten,

in which it was inclosed and pninted with it, called PHILADELPHIA;

which I think in no way'Falls short oF the Title.

This I thought might have tenminated my caFe oF that kind conten

ing myselF that evenyone, though penhaps mone capable, had not bonn

a Pnoportion; but Fecei ving this second kindness Fnom my Fniend,

whenein he Fneely communicates his thoughts acconding to his pnomise

and my nequest; which I pensuaded myselF could not pnove oF advantag

to the Seanchens oF Ant, especially in thein Beginnings. And let it

not be an objection, that he does not assume the title oF a PnoFesso

'1 .
but nathen an aFgument oF his sincenity, since I believe it possible

that something may be gained Fnom such eanly thoughts, which moFe

nipe expenience denies. I meet with confinmation in this Fnom a

gFeat Masten - vizz - Einaneus Philalethes, in his pneFace to his

Exposition on Fipleyts Compound oF Alehemy, whene speaking oF the

beneFit he had neceived Fnom Authons, has this expFession: "Some in

good sooth, who aFe not pnoFessons oF this Secnet, wnite mor-e edi-

fyingly to the inFonmation oF the Tino, than those whom skill hath

made cnafty." Howeven, least this should not be suFFicient to Fe-

compence thy expence I have added thnee excellent Tnacts which I

Feceived Fnom the hands oF a Fniend that had taken some pains and

caFe in thein tnanslation Fnom the Latin copies pninted in Holland;

and I take this oppontunity tha FatheF, because the Finst oF them is

so highly commended by my Fniend. This is intituled Ans Metallonu-lr

etc.,whichindeedwellansweFstheEnd.Henethe="il-*""

with help, the ignonant with light and inFonmation, and FepFoachens

and Myso-Chymicks with demonstration beyond dispute. The Second,

Bnevis Manuductio etc., in which not only the Field in which it Iies

and the neason oF its epithet, but the means to attain it is also

shadowed Fonth, and indeed thene atre some peculian hints that aFe

not common.

The Thind, Fons Chymicae, etc. As this answens the title so no

doubt it will the desine oF Seanchens. Fon as nothing is mone need-

FuI, so nothing is mone eannestly sought than the tFue Fountain,

Bath oF Menstnum in whieh SoI is dissolved and amended. Thus Flead-

Brr having penFonmed this in good will to the studious give me leave

to wi thdnaw, and spend my time mone pnivately; and do thou endeavoun

to bean a pnopontion with me in communicating, Fathen than canpr at

?.
what peFhaps thou cannot imitate I howeven since I seek no honoun

Fnom thee I shall be saFe Fnom the contFany.

By nemaining,

Philomathes.

?
Esteeoed Fniend,

Lying unden the Pnomise in my last (in which I sent Philadelphia.

aceonding to thy eaFnest nequest, that f would communicate my thought

concenning the secnet at't oF Henmes, and finding that Iittle Tnact sc

genenously communicated to the WonId, hastens the FulFilling it. But

in the Finst place, Iet me pnomise, that as these aFe my thoughts

and eoneeptions, let them menit no othenways than such, always pne-

Fenning the wnitings oF known Mastens to all, and no FaFthen than

these agnee with them, and by them ane eonFinmed tFust on embnaee

them.

Having observed in my conve!'se with those studious in this Ant,

that no one amongst many weFe possessed with so much as the theony of

the possibility oF it, though oF m?ny yeaFs considenati.on, it was a

motive to me to considen things nadically, especially nemembening the

saying oF Philosophens, tt ."

And in the Finst place the possibility oF the thing, whence I might

be assuned that it was, noF thet only, but that it was suFFicient to

necompence the Time, cost and laboun necessany to it.

I theneFone (aFten many eFt.onsJ betook myselF to the most valued

and candid authons tneating oF the Theony and Possibility oF the

Thing, such ai u,ene nec ommended by those centainly knowing; as Tnev-

isans Four Books, etc. Sendivogious and many moFe, but one small

piece FeIl into my hands oF gFeatest value which I think Fit to ment-

ion, it was intituled, Ans MetalIonum, etc., written by Einanaeus

Philalethes, this FuIIy maniFesting the possibitity and wonth oF the

aFt; in a stile not ambiguous but Full oF leanning and demonstnation:

which was confinmed by all but by none mone than Philadelphia.

Thus pnesecuting this eFFectually, I Found it not very diFFicult

4
to conceive the possibility oF such an exaltation oF impenFect bodier

to penFection; seeing that no essential diFFenence was between them

but only accidental, and that all had one and the same matten, which

is easily known to be Mencunial, and that Natuners Design oF End u,as

iF she could have bnought all to penFection.

TheneFone it will easily be gnanted and gathened Fnom hencer tha'

iF a plus quam penfection oF Tinctune endued with Fixity and penetn-

ability could be attained oF the same Natune these impenFect Bodies

(so much oF them as is Mencunial says Philadelphia) might be inFlu-

enced and enobled to the pcnFection oF gold; so that as much as any

body shall exceed in Ti nctune this Standandr so much it is capable of

communicating to those shont oF it, vide Philadelphia etc.

So we are not to think thiE tFansmutation oF metals is a changing

oF one species into anothen (as those who conceive metals diFfen aFte

that mannsn object) neithen anything contFany to Natune; but only

changing oF the same aur'eousi matteF Fnom the state oF cnudity to the

state oF matunity, in Natunets own way.

f could give examples in Nature oF this, but seeing it is plent-

ifully shown by MasteFs oF the Ant themselves it ought to suFFice.

And Fon the possibility oF multiplying this Tinctune it is plent-

iFully shown by many (at which some canp] neithen is it hard to con-

eeive sincc our- expeFience shows in common Fenments thene is no end,

as it wene, oF the porveF oF Fenmentr s it comes to have neitenated

openations on suitable matteFs.

These considenations lend us immediately, thnough an necessity tc

abandon all thoughts oF agents and patients out of kindr or that ane

not homogeneal to the bodies to be mended, and one to anothen; this

no small secunity to a young seanchen against the many pnetences and

5.
pFactices oF those who pnosecute those things blindly and connuptly.

How this may be eFFected is indeed wonth enquiny. TheneFone let

us considen that next.

Natune being annived at hen End in the penFection oF Gold the

standand, and Fallen shont oF it in impenfect metals thnough accid-

entsr w to panFect them, must go as neaF to penFection as we can to

begin, and as philosophens say whene Natune leFt. IF theneFone we

hope to move this penFection to a plus quam penfection, the penfect-

ion must die. Oun gt'eat caFe then must be to seek and Find such an

Agent that is capable to eFFect it. Which appeaFs to be, Fnom all

candid authons and Feason itseIF an homogeneous humid; which doth

not only kill the body but dies with it, and aFe both naised Fan mone

Noble and PerFec't, endued with a multiplicative Powen. Like as a

gnain oF coFn, when by its osrn humidity, in a pFopeF matrix, is thus

killed and naised, it putteth Fonth many gnains, each endued with the

same multiplicative vintue with the Finst seed, which may be multi-

pl ied as it u,ene, inf initely.

This humidity, I veny well know, is the desine oF all tnue seanch

ens oF aFt, who know by sad expeFience how diFFicultly it is obtained

but how diFFicult soeveF it may be thought oF Found to be, it must be

atta i ned on u,e I abour w i thout newand .

To neincnudate, necessanily nequines a cnudity; and as this is to

die, nise and dwell with the body reduced, must also thnough necessit

be the same in kind and only diFFen with Fespect to cnudity; which

then will naturally Follow to be that cnude out oF w hi ch penFect gold

is pnoducedl acconding to all candid wnitens.

Philadelphia has illustnated and Bennand Tnevisan with othens,

has aFFinmed that mencut y to metals is like common waten to vegetable

o.
viz; thein matteF. TheneFone the cnudest mencuny must be the only

agent to neincnudate nipe mencunial bodies.

I have obsenved a pFetty likeness between mencuny in metallick

wonks, and waten in vegetables. Fon iF f would pnoduce a vegetable

it must be by seed and wateF, iF a metat it must be by meFcuny and

its Fenment. IF I would puniFy a vegetable body (which is wateF con-

gealed) as sugan, salt, etc., which ane capable oF being mixed with

extFaneous eanth ot'Feces, I must dissolve it in wateF, which waten

being oF the unity oF its matten posses=ies it and nejects the Feces,

which being evaponated leave the body Fnee Fnom those impunities.

Just Eo in neFining metals (which ane mencuFy coagulated) we

dissolve them in a suFFicient quantity oF mencunial matten (by Fusion

then eyaponate the cnude mencunial matteF on a test, etc.r'and the

puFe metal nemains behind. In this wonk oF nefining nunning mencur-y

is not chose on used but conponeal; as in luna Satunn is chose, and

in Sol Antimony.

Silven being less penfect, is punified by lead, less cnude; gold

most penFect is puniFied by antimony most cnude. And as antimony is

too cnude Fon silverr so is lead not cnude enough Fon gold. Fnom henc

may be leanned the Feason and gnound oF the FleFinents AFt. And Fun-

ther to maniFest the diFFenence in matunity between lead and antimony

I have obsenved in the union of them with othen metals this difFen-

ence eFFected. When in the neduction oF Iead oFe, u,e add iron, and

what else may be nequisite and a fusion of both is made, the metal

that nesides is malleable. But iF the like be done with antimony,

we Find, instead oF that, a bnittle metalline mass.

The neason oF adding i non in such w onks is Fnom hence, t he m eFcun

ialit y o tr ma ta l l i n e paFt in the one is hel d in chai ns by th e abundanc

7.
oF impune sulphun, whic h violently attnacts to itseIF the metatlick

sulphun in the inon, thnough which union, the accidents in gneat

measuFe aFe thnown oFF, and the metal nesides in the bottom. Also

we see that when some nipe metal is mixed witH a gFeateF quantity

oF cnudity on immatune, the immatune is blown oFF and the nipe nemair

but iF the cnude too much exceed the nipe it will caFny that also;

whence it is easy to en!'in quantities and degnees oF Fine. Fon iF

a small quantity oF silven be mixed with a gneat quantity oF antimon!

and that hastily blown oFF, how easily do this crudity conqueF and

can!-y oFF the nipe body . This is the By.

But to FetuFn to that which is sooneF spoken than done, vizl- the

neductions oF a penFect body by a cnude agsnt; and as this is no dout

the end oF ouF labounr so wc shall Find it attended with many diFFic-

ulties. Finst in Finding tha sxtnemes; then in uniting them which

must be thnough mediums; and perhaps in puniFication; Fon cnudity is

genenally attanded with impunity, and eveFy penFect gener-ation and

union Fequines punity in the pninciples.

The mediums oF union ought to be adapted to the natuFe oF the

extFemesr lest they should alienate Fathen than unite. AI so mediums

imply middle natunes, that aFe not so enude as the one, noF so nipe

as the othen.

Now astFologens say that Mencuny is altened acconding to what

planet he is joined in aspect. and is a conveyen oF the inFluences

and vintues oF one to anothen. Fon thr-ough his open and easy natuFe,

he is Fit to Feceive, and thnough his swiFtness Fit to communicate.

But it is common in Embassys, that the Messengen oFten netunns beFone

a tt'ue Feconciliation be made between disagneeing powens. IF it be

so we must take a pnopet. time to imploy Mencuny when he is in con-

8"
junction with a Fieny planet and dnagons-tail on Venus, Fon then he

wilI have heat and Feminine vintue mixt with his own moist Natune:

which I conceive to be making oF the waten that is cold, wanmr s

Philadelphia admonisheth. Thus Meneuny seems to be the only medium

Fon this wonk. But worthy Fniend, I would impant one considenation

mo!-e, that thene is a gFeat distance between the knowledge oF pnin-

ciples and accomplishment oF the Wonkr yea the Finst Wonk, and then

how much moFe the nest, both in nespect to oppontunity and success.

Fon as oun Pnovenb has it, rrHow many accidents happen between the

cup and the lip?'rr so also how many things intenvene the seed-time

and hanvest, to cause disappointment to the caneFul labounen? How

many blasts and accidents aFten a Fain bloom?

TheneFone the diFficulties that attend so longr so secnet and

nice a Wonk, who can numben. Let uE theneFone take caFe to be pFo-

vided with a due theony oF pnactieer s well as pninciples ene we

begin to move, least we netuFn without Fecompence.

I am not ignonant that the pnactice is divensely conceived by

seanchens as well as pninciples; Fon the philosophens have spoken

allusively oF bothr w may easily mistake. But f am obliged by the

necessity oF it to believe the pninciples weFe the same to all tnue

phitosophensr FrEithen can I admit, Fon the same neason, of any othen

thoughts of the in op:Fat i ons .

f nememben a saying in Ans Metallorum veny conFinming, whene he

speaks oF the centainty oF the Ant Fnom Angument, and amongst othens

brings this as none oF the leastl rfThis at least is clean, that it

is so fan Fnom being a new device, that thene have been men skillFul

in it thnough many senies of ages, who being diFFenent both in Tongue

and Nation, and very many oF them contemponany have wnitten so agnee-

s"
ingly oF the At-t, that they cannot be pnoved by such as undenstand

them eithen to connupt ot'divensely to handle so much as one openat-

ion .tt

This penhaps may seem stnange at Finstr ds it did to me being

pFepossessed with a conceit oF the contFaFy, viz:- that thein seem-

ing contnadictions weFe wonking on divens pninciples. But considenir

the thing f Found that he said not this alone, but that all admonish

that we should obsenve whenein they all agnee and thene was the Tnutl'

This admits that they do all agFee, and consequently the same pnin-

ciples and pnactice on it could not be so. Thenefone nesolving to

make an essay, I deeply weighed thein sayings; pnosecuted them one

by one, obsenved thein explication one oF anothen, and at length pen-

ceived a hanmony beyond compaFe, most secFetly couched in thein wnit-

ingsr ye in those I beFone thought most diFfening; though not indeec

without jgg,, allegories, and Figunes, aFe these things expnessedl

to conceal them Fnom the Vulgar.

In shont thenefone let us not, Iike the alchemists oF Sendivog-

ius, pr-opose to accompli sh the thing by Mencuny alone oF Sulphun

alone, but let both be the subject oF out'contemplation and pnactice.

Fon iF I conceive anight the matteF oF this most secnet masteny is

a sulphuneous meFcuny, and the stone itselF nothing else but that

coagulated; which then is a mencunial sulphuniety penetnating, ting-

ing and Fixing. Admit oF my shont conceptions, but believe, this is

not obtained without the pFopitious smiles oF Diana Iwho panting Fnon

the conjunction oF the Sun appeaFs; honned, and eanth intenposi.gJ

and Venus Onient who Fonenuns the Sun and pnoclaims the joyFul day

approaching.

Excuse me with Fniendship, that I thus pnesume to mention things

10.
so secnet since we have little else but such s.hadows to satiate oun

longing mindsr till the Sun enise and oveFcome the night oF moon-

shine as well as dankness, and all the clouds and the honizon wholly

become Solrs, then is the time to wnite Adeptus.

Thus with haanty wisheE of success accept this condial communi-

cation oF my thoughts and continue the bond oF Fniendship inviolable

aE doth thy well-wishing and hearty Fniend.

PHILETAEHOS.

11.
 TnncrTneFrnsr
TneAnr oF Txe TRnnsrurATror{
oF
II .E T A L S

CnrprrnI.

Corce n r t r e r H E A u r r o n tr v o F T HEAn r , tr s Pn o r e sso n s,Ar D TH E

UA Y OF SE A RCHI lI GO UT T HE S E CRE T .

Seeing that all men, oF whatsoeven kind and Fontune, do propose

some bounds to themselves oF thein houns spent in seanching out of

things; to wit that they may obtain the skillFulness oF that Ar.t in

which they aFe convensant and use all industny that they may come to

the penFection.

No tw i th s ta n d i n g th i s Fontune bl esseth veny Few , For al though m an)

I aboun a fte n a n c h i te c tu n e but Few A nchi medes aFe Found. M any, how-

ev eF th e y addict th e ms e l ves to P hysi ck, yet there aFe not m any Pana-

c els us ' s , fe w endued with the Wit oF H el mont; nay iF they can annive

to an indiFFenency in t hei n A nt, they will not thi nk they have I ost

t hein cost and pains. H ence it comes to pass, that no one can t hink

he has s tu d i e d in vain, though eveny geometFi ci an cannot be equal to

A nc him e d e s r or Poet to H omenr or Fl hetori ci an to C i ceno. Fon t hat

als o F l h e to n i c i a n s oF an i nfeni on stamp may (accondi ng to t he t alent

bes t owe d on th e m) pnoFit the common-tveal th. A ny man may I say alt h-

ough s o me th i n g unskillFul in that A t.t in w hi ch they have been conven-

s ant , be th o u g h t u s e fu l in that common-w eal th w hene they 1ive, but

as m an y as do addict th emsel ves to the metamonphosi s oF met als, do

1?.
seem to pFess aFten a veFy useFul thingr Et least not unwisely nol-

unpnoFitably.FonthetoPoFthis4E'i=@itse1F,which

who hath attained, hath acquined the highest, but he that hath not

pnoceeded hithen, will canny no pnoFit. Fon nothing but the loss

both oF money and time, comes Fnom the Science oF Alchemy halF leann-

ed. Moneoven he will expose himselF both to be laughed tr and dis-

gnaced by Myso-Chymicks, but the object oF the Ant is so noble, that

it pnomises infinite niches to the possesson, and moFeover most per-

Fect health. Hence it comes to pass, that thene is handly any idiot,

who after he has heand nevet'so little oF the AFt, doth not pnesently

apply himselF to the disquisition theneoF, and pnesently puts on the

name oF chymist, and as soon as he hath conveived any hopes , by nead-

ing some receipts, he Fonthwith claims to the title oF Philosophen.

But least that he should seem to adone a Foolish philosophy, eveny-

one acconding to the happiness oF his own g4!5, Elxcogitates subtil-

ties, and acconding to what ability he is oF, builds Funnaces, gets

him glasses, and sets upon the wonk with a wondenFul solemnity. 5o

he lavisheth auray his money, till it is too late, and veny little, iF

any subsistence is leFt. Least in the meantime he should be nepnoved

oF mad nashness, he can talk ye oF the Finst metallick-matten; the

notation oF the elements, the manFiage oF gabnitus with bega, and

that in an idiom commonly unknown, he shall cite ye the Philosophens,

and expound them at his pleasune, and extnemely comFont himselF with

the hopes oF his Futune Fontune. But in the meanwhile he endunes lab-

ouns in this philosophy, even to a consumption both oF his stnength

and money, until he hath misenably pFacticed upon himselF that meta-

monphosis which he sought on the metals.

which thing, when some captious Myso-chymicks obsenve, and have

13.
seen the same event to happen to most, they laugh at the Ant fonth-

withr GS Fabulous and denide it. But they who have deceived them-

selves by thein ourn nashness do go about to intice othens into the

same way oF loss, and by thein devices, and feigned Feceipts, do

blunn papeF' that they may seem at least to have gained somE: skill

by the loss oF thein money.

With such sophistications, the wonld is so Full, that almost no

studious Tino oF the Ant, but is seduced by them. No despisen oF

sciencc, who may not take an occasion oF barking against it Fnom

henee. So that as well the Ant itselF, as its ingenious pnoFessons,

suFFen unwonthily Fon the baseness oF some nascals, who although

they aFe moFe stupid than a block in the Ant, yet wnite so as though

they tucne tFuly adepts, and do Fneely divulge thein impostunes so

Fan, that the Finst inextnicable rabyninth to a young chymist, is

to distinguish betweeri the tFue and False books, Fnom which sophist-

ical deceivens do build up no less specious an ediFice, then the tFue

Antists r nay Fon the most paFt they pnomise gFeateF things. Concenn-

ing these, Bernand Tnevesan (a man not unexperFienced in the cheat

oF this kind] wnites thus, "unless [saith he) thou avoid these as

the pl ague, thou wilt neveF taste any good in this Ar.t." TheneFone

I have wnit this Tneatise, to inFonm the blind moFe FuIIy in this

science, least wandering through desent places, they misenably Fover.

And Finst I have decneed to vindicate the Ant Fnom Calumnies: nextly,

I thought good to subjoin the qualiFications oF them who study this

Ant; and lastly I will desenibe the tnue mannen oF inquining; which

things being premised instead of a pneFace, I will pnesently betake

myselF to dilucidate the Ant itselF.

Fon that thene ane Found many deceiving sophistens tneating oF

'14.
Alchemy, should it be nepnoved eithen oF Falsity on FolIy. Fon that

the possibility oF things is to be weighed, by which, if the tFurh

oF the Ant can be dispnoved, ret it Farl, iF not, it is not only

FooIish, but unwonthy a philosophen to slanden it. Fon the baseness

oF men who handle this Ant nashly, makes nothing to the destnoying

it, Fon the light oF Natune is cleanen, than to be obscuned by those

dank Fellows. Moneoven, I will instnuct tha sons oF leanning, lest

they should be seduced by enFoFs, and it shall appean to these mone

evident than the Sun that the tnansmutation oF metals is neal, poss-

ible and tnue Fnom the state oF impenfection to penFeetion, and that
by the co-oPcFation oF natuFe and ant. Seeing that no matenial on

essential diFFenence is seen betwixt penfect and impenFect metals,

but only an accidental ona, which consists in the dispropontion oF

matunity. ThiE alone being gneateF oF lessen does divensiFy metals

in their sPacies, unless that some supenadventitious supenFluities

do appeaF distinct among metals, which being only dneggs, have no

coFFesPondence with the matteF, but being altogethen inneptitiously

sunnogated' not puniFied, because oF the defect oF digestion have

-
Femained mingled with the indigested pure. Hence the diFFenence oF

metallick Fonms. But iF at any time these supenFluities shall be

cast oFFr by the complete perFections oF digestion, then t he metals

is seen no longer impenFect but nathen penFect, hence out oF a minene

oF lead, in a convenient space oF time, without much tnouble, minens
do witness that a gneat deal oF silven is Found. And in t ike manneF,

iF this same thing could be penFonmed by triumphant ant, without the

means oF the Eanth, thene is nothing in Natune to hinden but the same

eFFect should FoIlow. But the centainty oF this thing is plain Fnom

hence, Ito wit, that aII metals anise Fnom the same matteFJ because
4E
Mencuny which is genenated in the bowels oF the Eanth, is the Uni-

vensal Matenial Mothen oF all those things which ane indued with a

metallick species, which will not be hand to be pnoved Fnom hence,

because Mencuny is accommodated to aIl those things and m ay be join-

ed by Ant; but it weFe altogethen impossible to penFonm thatr uhless

all panticipated oF one matten. Fon that Mencuny is a Waten, yet

such a one, as is mingled with nothing which is not oF the identity

oF its own Natune. TheneFone since it dninks up all metals, by

moistening them, that all those do netain a coFnespondency oF matten

with this. r add, that by Ant, the Handmaid oF Natune, Mencuny may

be so successively concocted with all metals, that one and the same,

unden the same colounl and Fonm of Fluxr may subaltennately show

and exPness, the tFue tempeFatuFe and the tFue pnopenties of all

oF them. Which would be impossible in Ant, unless Natune did supply

the Possibility oF this, by the connespondeney oF matten. Funthen-

moFer thene aFe not wanting othen aFguments to pr-ove the same. And

Finst oF all tnuly this is not light, that all metals may be neduced

into running Mencunyr ES also minenals that do consist oF metallick

pninciples. And moFeoveF, these metallick mencunies may be so change

that a Satunnine may become a Mantial (neglecting its own Fonce the

meanwhile) only by the decoction oF a mantial essence in the same,

by sagacious antiFice; moFeoveF the same Mantial may become VeneneaI,

by the Fenment oF Venus; the same also Lunan, Jovial, or- Solan, by

a FeFment of them, in the meanwhile no altenations being made eithen

in col oun on FIux, excepting that one Meneuny is moFe pune and dis-

sicated than the othen. An adminable meFcuny is sepanated also Fnom

Antimony, which will also put on the natuFe oF metallick mencunies,

by the subtile administnation oF Ant and Natune. Non this alone,

4F
but also those abovesaid Mencunies, will so change the common Men-

cunies, as well oF metallick aEi minenal, so that by its commixtion

it being digested with them, takes to itselF the same natuFal qual-

ities rrith them, that it makes one and the same Mencuny with them,

acconding to the speeias oF the Conponeal Mencuny, being joined

with it in a spinitual bond, and one and the same individual by

successive openations, can put on the fonms oF all, and choose one

new one, neglecting the Formen, until it has Fun thFough the kingdoms

oF all the Plancts. And what doth this aFgue, but that all claim to

thEmselvas one matten, Fnom which aIl come, and to which all t-etunn,

and that all things being nedueed to the mencunial matteF, acconding

to the vaniety oF digestion, may go Fnom one into anothenrs species,

and alone successively tFavel thnough all. Which aFgument: s being

tFue in itselF, so also it will nemain a finm Foundation to this Ant,

and inviolable. Against these most evident things f know not what

can be objeeted, unless some, the dullness of whose wit does not

neach to neceive these things, do complain that they have oFten tFiec

these things and that acconding to the pnescnipt oF most Famous au-

thonsr yet the event has no way answened thein hope. whom we may

answen, that thein ignonance makes nothing to nepnobate so noble an

aFt - let not this be imputed a Fault to the Ant, iF anything in

Natune possible by AFt, escape thein intellect; Fon this objection

wiII be no less a maFk oF aFFected aFnogance, than gnoss ignonance,

as though those things alone weFe to be penFonmed by the administnat-

ion of Natune, Ant co-openating, which without an exact sc r-uti-y,

Fall unden the capacity oF thein wit. The Fest being, ipso Facto,

excludedr ES though thene u,ene the same measune oF thein intellect,

and the Possibility oF Natune. MoneoveF, I would meet by an expeni-

'17.
mental aFfinmative knowledge, thein negative expeFience. I myseIF

that wnite these things can be a FaithFul witness oF Natune, that

all these aFonesaid things ane tnue, without any Falsity, and ceF-

tain without pnetence, and f have seen aII these things in and about

metals, have tnied them, and by expet-ience have Found tnue. Thene-

Fone they must not contend with bane negations (whose basis is ignor-

ance) against eye witnessesl of whom I pnofess myselF one, who also,

am backed, with one mouth, bV all tFue phitosophens, such ane, At-

bertus, Flaymondus, BipIey, Flammel, Monenrand many othens, whose

names it would be tediouE to neckon. I eonFess at least that it is

no tight wonk to penFonm that whieh f have said, but on the contnary

veny much hidden Fnom philosophens and I might aFFinm is the most

hidden thing in Natune. FunthenmoFe I make known, that the key oF

the AF t is delivered to us by philosophens, which whosoeven hath,

the key oF unlocking all the doons is committed to him, so that he

leann to hendle evenything in its onden and tnue method. Fon it is

not all one what metal on minenal is Finst took in handr or which

haYr ol- by what oPeFation it goes oh: but in knowing these an ingen-

ious sagacity is nequined, and besides the theony, a pnactical know-

Iedger or else he will enn let him do what he can. r courd hene

neckon up divens mutations oF metals, as Fon instance, Mans into

Venusr by the acid stalagma oF Vitniol, Mencuny into Satunn, Satunn

into Jupiter, Jupiter into Luna, which opeFations indeed, many vul-

gaF chymists (fan enough Fnom the top of Ant) know to penFonm. r

add that it is known to Few, (and those only tnue philosophens) that

thene is a middle substance, hidden, noble, betwixt a metal and a

minenal, ot- which the one end is a metal and the othen a minenal,

whose commixt heavenly vintues make one centain anonymous metal

1S.
when yet it is not a metal, but a chaos, that is a spinit because

wholly volatile, Fnom whence (although in itselF it be wholly vol-

atile) all metals may be dnawn without the tnansmuting elixin, even

SoI and Luna, also Mencuny, whose vintues f shall not willingly des-

cnibe, I have seen, g!gg, and known, the tFansmutation oF this into

all metals, and this the adept will witness with me to be tr.ue. I

will tell thee, (if thou wilt conceive) it is called Chalybs by the

AuthoF oF the New Light, and it is the tFue pninciple of the wonk,

the tnue key (as it may be handled) oF unlocking the most hidden

secnets oF philosophens. What in the meanwhile, iF philosophens have

hidden these things, and have pointed out panabolically the tnuth to

the sons oF Ant, unden a mask oF Falsehood; shall theneFone this so

Divine a Seience be contemned, Fan be it. Fon it is plain, that in

the nature oF an impenFect thing thene is no impediment, but it may

be changed into a penfect, since oF its own natur-e it netains a pno-

pensity oF putting on penfection, iF so be tnied by an homogeneous

agent pFevailing with a digestive pouren. Now then we will inquine

into its vintue, and Finst indeedr w will detenmine, that by which

this ought to be done. And then we will adjoin philosophical neasons

As Fon the Finst: wB do, and will pnofess it to be nothing else

but gold digested to the supneme degnee to which it can be bnought

by natuFe and aFt; which then will be seen not simply gold, but a

thousand times mone penFect than common gold. Whieh being so exalted

it nadieally penetFates metals, tinging and Fixing them. Neithen

let this seem wonderFul to anyone, since whilst it nemains in its

coFponeal existance, it can diFFuse its tinctune Fan and neaF, above

what is cnedible to anyone who doth not see it; insomueh that it

seems to coloun into its tinctuner ES though by littles, almost six

19.
pounds oF silven with one single ounce oF gold. Fon example, let a

mass oF silven be guilded (though it be veFy g!-eat) tet it aFten-

wand be drawn into a thnead (as small as a hain) tnat whole thnead

will appeaF aE though oF the punest gold, and the antist will soonen

be wanting to attenuate the thnead, then the gold to the powen oF

colouning. Moneoven, iF this cor-po.-eal metal, eanthy and dead is

able to penfonm this so unspeakabla a thing, Fnom whence I pnay, is

thisinconstancyoF!@'excePtbacauseabodycannotaltennat-

ively enten into a body, Fon thene is not wanting a tinctune to

change it, but thc conpoFality oF the tinging matteF hindens the

tFansmutation. But iF this conponeal eanthly, would become a spinit-

ual Fieny, its kind being altenedl then tnuly it would Fundamentally

entst., and what it did outwardly to thc sight, it would penFonm the

same altennatively intennally, yer and mueh moFe, by how much Fine

is oF a mot.r subtile pFopeFty and essence than canth. Thenefone this

being supposed, to wit, that teFnene vulgan gold may be so cinculat-

ed, until it be plaeed in the sea oF a Fieny esEience, it will easily

be gatheFed, that this FiFth cssence is a thousand times mone pen-

Fect than its Fonmen substance, and that Fnom the law oF the dispno-

portion oF subtility amongst the Foun elements and thereFone it is

oF powen to deFuse its tinctuFe FuFthen; it hath this moFeoveF,

that whilst it is a spinit, it may intninsically be mingled with

the least things, which a body oF gold, although it should be extend-

ed Fan, cannot attain to, because oF its cor-poFality, and iF it

shall so enten, without doubt it would tFansmute it, since eveny

natuFal ingnession by Iittles, is the tnansmutation oF the passive

Natuner uhless the idenity oF Natune be between the'thing entening

and entened r Gis wateF mixed with wateF.

20.
 This suPPosition instead oF a pneFace we do assent to be tnue,

and in its place will descnibe the mannen oF it. Hene at least we

will bning some aFguments conFinming the possibility. Amongst whieh,

this is oF no light moment that seed is the penfection oF everything

having seed, and that which has not seed is wholly impenFect, as sung

the Poet:

In Auno

Semina Sunt auni licet hoa

Abstnusa necedant,

Longius.

This is not only penFect, but the most penFect, in its metaltick

sPecies. IF theneFone thene be the seed oF gotd, it wilt Follow, tha.

this does ncside in wateF which is the habitation oF the spinit, Fon

seed is a cantain spinitual means oF consenving the species, hence

the possibility oF the dissolution oF gold. Although it is the wonk

oF a veny quick sighted philosophen, blessed by God with no mran

talent, to Find out a powenful agent to penFonm this. Moneoven, iF

gold could be dissolved to bning out its seed, Feason pensuades that

this is to be done no othen way than into waten homogeneous oF its

own kind. Which dissolution being once made, the body hath put oFF

its Fonm, to wit, a tennine Fonm oF gold, and hath put on anothen

ueateny-golden Fonm. MoneoveF, alI motion is Fnom something to

thing, and eveny penFect motion is the bound oF a genenative in -E-

the

same kind, whence motion is a pFognession, which will be done by vaF-

ious homogeneous mutations to the thing moved, wheneFone when auFe-

ity is the tenminus a quo the same wirl be ter-minus ad quem, and

thene will be intenmedial pFognessions in a metallick homogeneity,

by the neeessity oF the raw oF Natune, which being obsenved, the

e'l .
eFFect is Fonced to its end, thnough the necessity oF an end, iF so

be the openations shall not be intenmitted by the contnany. Whene-

Fone Fnom dissolved gold we put a negFess oF the same dissol.ved, to

auneity, and we conclude it to b" pEyS9. But this golden Form which

it shall ne-assume, in no wise shall be the same which it hath put

oFF, since a FegFesrs Fnom a pnivation, to a @[!.! is impossible.

ThereFone thene is necessarily anothen golden Form to this, which

will be so much mone noble, then the Fonmen, by how much mone sub-

tile and pune than Earth. I have wnit enough, and too much to din-

ect the sons oF leanning, now let the chieF Myso-Chymicks bank at

saFely those things they ane ignonant of, they can in no wise nebate

the Fonce oF those things whieh I have saidr or dispnove the tFuth,

and they shall centainly bean away this newand oF thein slandens,

deep ignonance. Fon I wnite nothing to the haten oF Ant, to the

nest what I have said is abundantly suFficient.

Now this science being established, and vindicated, something is

to be said oF its pnoFessons, Fon that (as is above said) it comes

to pass Fnom the wickedness oF some soFr-y Fellovys, thEt this Oivine

AFt as well as its Fniends, hath suFFened much by caluminatons. Fon

when some stupid mechanicks, seduced by blind pnesumption go about

the handling oF those things, being vexed they pnesently cut-se chy-

micat philosophy, speak evil oF its pFactitionens, and tean with

nailing the authons that wnite theneoF. Othens, although little

learned pFeposteFous men, blinded with the thinst aFten gold, do

gape aFten the AFt, and set upon the thing without matune delibenat-

ion, and enF, yet neventheless they eonceive a possibility oF the

Ant, and speak well oF it, and being ashamed to confess thein ignon-

ance thenein, pFetend a skillFulness to the ignonant, and penhaps go

??.
on to wnite about the Art, and being alluned with a silent hope oF

necovening at last what they have lost, will yet tny again, untir

they do multiply thein losses; they witl comFont thein Fniends with

the hope oF Futune good but in the meanwhile they ar.e pgf, and eveFy

day made.p1].g]1s!r so giving an occasion to the Foolish mockens oF Chy-

mistl'y to denide them. Indeed so gneat is thein wickedness, since

they aFe seduced themselves they go about to intice othens with thein

False neceipts, lies and sophistical wnitings, into the same pnedica-

ment oF ent.oF; at length some, howsoeveF skilled in the Ant, yet

being stinned up theneto by envy, do handle the thing veny scabiou-

sly and deceitFully, and under the promises oF the tFue Ooctnine, do

seduce Tinos with most misenable impostunes, so Geben, AnnoId, LuIly,

and almost all othensr amongst whom there is not Found one candid

wniten, and iF any yt he will be Found to handle the matteF ver-y

obscunely. Hence an inevitable labyninth to one that is to begin

chymistnyr that thene seems to be need, even oF the immediate fin-

geF of Godr iF any one shall desine to go the night path. Hence also

the name oF the Ant is so odious that a body cannot set to it easily

without the gFeatest denision. TheneFone it is veny necessaFy to

be known what is to be done in the Finst place by one that will be

a son oF science. To obtain this goldcn Ant, to obtain this Fleece

since thene will be many hindnances to dnive him backr uhless he has

a Firm Fesolution oF mind, many things to delude his hope and expect-

ationr UFrless he hath a quick sighted wit.

Finst indeed, that he may be made saFe Fnom them who denide his

undentakingr his couFse ought to be secFet, that his Laboun may be

known to none, theneFone the ancient wise philosophens commanded to

hide this seience, like a wond in the mouthr hrithen truly may it
seem unpnoFitable so to exhont, since that the disgnaces and calumnie

oF menr make not little towands the casting of a dispondency in the

mind oF a Tino, who abhonning the AFt themselves have its pnactition-

et's in the highest contempt. Moneoven if any one considen the event,

thene will appeaF to be need oF a secFet concealing oF the aFt. Fon

iF any one shall be fFustnated of his hope, can silence hunt him any-

thing. lrlhen othen ways, he shall be pnopounded. Who is so disappoint

ed, Fon an example of a Foolish thnowing away oF money and time (as

it is commonly neputed). But iF on the othen hand he shall obtain

this tneasune, it shall not only be Found pnoFitable, but also extFe-

mely necessany to have concealed it. Fon he is pnopounded a pFey to

Tynants and wicked persons iF any one Ehall enjoy and use openly slo

gFeat a tFeasuFe, and somc also being too impnovident in this thing,

having nepented too late. Moneoven he ought .to be oF a constant mind,

which would descend into this palaestra, diligent, industnous, leann-

ed, a devouren oF booksr ptrivater solitanyr uFtless that he hath onE]

Faithful companion, not mone, not poor-, Fon although a little quantity

may sufFice when the Ar.t is once tnyedr yet it will happen that he

will er.F sometimes, to nepain with ennons, he has need oF money, moFe-

oveF to supply changes necessaFy Fon Food and naiment, whilst he is

incumbent in this Ant, least by chance he should be obtiged to do

something else, when he natheF ought to be oF an undistunbed mind,

and that which is the gneatest thing, let him be honest and Feaning

God, abhonning sin and soliciting heaven with his pFayeFs to prospen

his undentakings, thus qualiFied let him go ohr but nithout the clean

light oF Natune he will eFt-. Moneoven let him get the books oF leann-

ed men, and not sophistens, Iet him ditigently mind those, let him

nead and nead, and nead again, and considen things deeply with him-

?4"
selFr and have a caFe least when he hath once concluded the thing,

he Pnesently tny it pnactically, but let him often ponden, examine

and weigh his conclusions, and compane it with the opinion oF the

most leanned authons, and alten it so long, until he shall have

chose someone, which shall endune all pnobationsi, then at length

let him begin a pnaxis, pnaying Fon Godrs assistahce, let him con-

siden his expeFiments, which as Fea=ion shaII pensuade, let him alten

and Fenew, until he shall see the signs descnibed by Philosophens.

And om itting enFoneous openations, Iet him insist only upon one tnue

complementr f,ithen let him despain, also he eFr- oFten, and yet let

him have a caFs of gneat changesr so by the blessing oF God, he shall

at length obtain his desine. I moFeoveF to instnuct sueh a one have

writ the Following Treatise lIEr pEE, penFect, without deceit.

And yet I would admonish all covetous, Fnaudulent pensrons and the

nest oF thein classes, that they let alone the Ant and this Tneatise,

For:

Centum est pnocu hinc ancene pnoFanum.

25.
 CxnprenI I.
()F IIETALS.
TRAI{SI{UTATI(}I{
0r rH E B E G
I l rt {I r G o F T HE A n r , I T s lln t r e n s
A rD ITs Founo lt t o t , m u HI c H I T I s T RE A T E D
oF TH E i ernul tc r p RI lt c I p L E s A r { I tr HE G RA I I UA L

P RODUCTIOTOI F I I E T A L S A I I D I I I I I E RA L S .

Henmes by sut.neme Tnismegistus the Fathen oF this Ant, is intno-

duced into the scEne of philosophens, oF whom vanious opinions oF

authons aFe neported, who he should be; thene ane not wanting who

afFinm him to have been Mosesr t least they agnee in this, that he

was an Egyptian, also a most quick sighted philosophen. He is called

the Fathen oF this philosophy, to wit, who Finst of alI (whose books

ane extant) handled this philosophy. Yet some will have this Science

denived Fnom Enoch, who Foneseeing the Flood, wnit the seven Liberal

Seiences (amongst which is Chymistny) upon tables, and leFt them to

posteFity. But Henmes entening into the valley oF Hebnon Found them,

which aFe yet called the Emenald Pillans and thence leanned his

wisdom. Othens shanply contend that Noah knew this Ant, and cannied

it into his Ank. Not a Few do endeavoun to establish this Ant Frsm

some places oF ScniptuFe and wnite that Solomon had it. Some bning

it down Fnom Adam himselF, to Aber and so to seth; but such rike

subtilitieE do not please mer. being about to wnite the simplieity

of Nature, they do not illustnate, nay Fathen obscune Ant, that it

seems enthysiastical, and they that so wnite, do nothing else but

yield an occasion oF deniding to Myso-chymicks. Fon that iF the

Ant has a neal Foundation in Natune, why should I be solicitous

<tl .
whethen this ot'that man undenstood it on hor since we know that its

lovers and the adepts have always concealed themselves with aII thein

endeavout', even as also it is declaned to othens in thein Books. Nei-

then have all, oF at least veny many been known but aFten thein Death,

but whilst they weFe alive they lay concealed with the gFeatest dili-

gence. This at least is clean, that it is so Fan Fnom being a new

devica, that thene have been men skillFul oF it thnough many senies

oF ages, who being diFFenent both in tongue and natuon, and veny many

oF them contempoFaFy, have wnit so agFeeingly oF the Ant, that they

cannot be pnoved, by such aE nightly undenstand them, eithen to cot-r-up

on divensely to handle so much as one openation. I conFess at least,

thene may appeaF a gneat diFFiculty in neading thein books, to a man

unskiIIFuI oF the thing, they write so obscunely, tr-opically, alleg-

onically and Figunatively; some also do intenmingle many FaLse things

to ensinaFe the unwonthy and unwary, that by this means they may dis-

tinguish philosophens Fnom Fools; but in sum, all of them do stnike

at one mank and lead to the same Inn. But those things which they

deliven moFe obscunely, they do this to no othen end, but that they

may exclude the unwonthyr Ers they oFten witness in thein books.

Bennand Tnevisan (much adoned by me) is Found most candid; also

Flipley an Englishman, Flammel a Fnenchmin, Sendivogius the Authon oF

the New Light, also the anonymous authon oF the Henmetick secnets,

yet whose name hath delivened a double anagnam as to wit (spes mea

est in agno) in a Book whose title is Enchinidion Physieae Flestitutae,

and (penes no unda tagi) in his Henmetick Arcanum, I would not pass

by hene the ladden of Philosophens, the gneat Rosany, the wonks oF

Annoldus, the Boys Play, the wonks oF Dionysis Zachanius, Aejidius

de Vadiar the wonks oF Moren, Augunellus his Poems of making Gold,

?7.
also Fine Tneatises oF the Flosany abbneviated, the wonks oF Peten

Bonus oF Fennana, in a wond I would have all the books included

which ane agneeable to these aFonesaid, and those which ane othen

ways excluded. Which bei ng companedr s is Fit, beFone the studious

scholan of Ant may leann the Lives, Kingdoms, mannens, and habits oF

mctals, and also oF minenals, noF delight himself in the bane notion,

but know them scientiFically, that is pnactically. But to this end,

thene is need oF a pnoFound meditative contamplation, that he may

leann and undenstand the oniginal oF natunal things in the genus and

oF minenal bodiEs in the species. As Fon il!r being only intentive to

the Ooctnine oF Metals, to wit, as fan Fonth as it s;eems to explain

the aFt oF tFansmutation, I willingly pasrs by tha oFiginal oF natunal

things in thc ggg; content to havc spoken thoEa things which may

satisFy thc aFonesaid puFposer yet I will bniefly touch the nest in

onden.

All the common philosophens havc delivened that thene at.e Foun

elements eompounding all thinge oniginally, Fnom whence ane all things

to whieh they nesolve, fnom whose divens coalition, divens things

pnoceed. Almost all chymical philosophens have subscnibed to this

unhappy opinion. No othen cause oF which I am able to conjectune

than that without matune delibenation (tfrey being pnepaned to thein

own intenest) ttrey have hastily descnibed these Finst Foundations oF

things. Which opinion of theins, I will not dane to disallow, upon

the account oF the honoun and neveFence I have Fon them, will handle

it philosophically othenways acconding to the tnuth oF the matteF.

Fon I only acknowledge thnee elements, which they contend to be

Foun, all which expeFience teacheth to be cold oF thein orvn natune,

to wit, ain, waten and eanth, Fon that the only defect being caused

e s.
by the Femote distance oF the caliFactive Sun, which doth bning a

coldness upon these things and that is mone nemiss, on intense, by

how much the gFeateF on lesser distanee it is nemoved. Fon I alto-

gethen neject an elementany Fine, also I deny that thene is any be-

sides oun common Fine which bunns in the kitchens, whose heat is

always destnuctive in itself. Neithen do I deny, notwithstanding,

that theFe is heat in things, Flowing eithen Fnom light oF motion,

on liFer or altenative Blas the motion oF the Stansr ho othen. The

Pynate Vulcan doth burn and lgggg concnete things, by feeding upon

them, and it is the most corFupt violent motion, caused Fnom the

Fepugnancy which anises Fnom two contFany active things, but yet it

is not an element r s being neithen substance noF accident as Fan

as appentains to the actuel bunning, but the cxpnession oF the act-

ivity oF two agents, mutually in themselves, in a capacious subject.

I would not show now what things aFe nequined in onden to Fine act-

ually bunning, besides the accident oF heat and substance in which

this qclioq is mader ?t least we asseFt this hene, although its heat

be an accident, yet that it itselF is neithen an accident nor- a sub-

stance, but the expness openation oF the activity oF two active

things and aeting mutually upon one anotheF, which activity I could

easily demonstFate in eveFy combustible thing bunning, but that it

would be Foneign to this place. And asr f do altogether neject ele-

mental Fine, in the meanwhile being content with a teFnaFy numben

oF the elements and do asset-t, the Finst native quality gg.,]5]r hEithen

do I attnibute to them heat, except accidental as is said; so nei-

then do I admit these thnee by thein commixtion to go into the com-

position oF natunal things.

Fon that the dispnopontion of things to be mingled, takes away

49.
the mixtune Fit Fon genenation, and the possibility theneoF. Fon

a natunal genenation is made by the union oF genenative ingnedients.

Moneoven, union is an ingnession oF things to be united pen minima,

but iF the least oF one thing be tenfold o!- a hundnedFold mone sub-

tile than the little oF anothen, the adequate littles cannot come

togethen, Fon that it behoves veny Iittle things to come togethen,

which we seek to unite peF minima. Fnom hence wateF mixed with

eanth is not united with it, sven as neithen wateF with winer ot-

Flegme with spinit, yea they may be sepanated, beeause oF this dis-

pnopontion amongst the littles. IF any one shall say in onden to

makE this mixtuner one thing undengoes the subtilty oF anothen, and

so by consequcnce aFe united, I uFge that iF it be equally subtile

(which was Finst thick) tnat it may cnteF liquid uniting itselF, it

behoves that it be altogethen brought to the same Natune, and what

then r pnay is eanth but watrF, (Fon that, waten witl not go into

eanthr that is to sayr a body will not enteF a body so unitively)

and iF so be sor how Foolish is it to imagine this, that eanth is

conveFtible to waten, that it should pnomote the generation of a

concFete with wateF, and iF this should be gnanted, the thing would

be said to pnoduced oF wateF, iF so be beFone it was posisible to be

pnoducedr thc eanth has gone into neal waten, but this is necessaFy,

ol'othenwise the little oF this wiII not be able to agFee with the

little oF the othen. And as yet ain is wanting, whose littre is

much moFe subtile than the little oF wateFr unless all things be

held to vanish into ain, that also the aFonesaid wateF may have it

a companion to itselF in genenating, which iF it should be gnanted,

it would Follow that all things did eonsist oF ain alone, which a5.n,

although it be oniginally in its own natuFe Fnom itselF, on gather--

30.
ed togethen oF eanth and wateF, changed between themselves yet it

will be the same thing, non divensiFied because oF the diFFenence

oF its oniginal, Fon unl ess it be the same it cannot be united, to

wit, that wateF may have the same subtilty with ain, it is obliged

to have the same Finst qualities with it, the same also is to be

judged oF the eanth, that it may be adequated to the nanity oF the

wateF, and iF it be so waten so subtilized will be neal ain, and

eanth so subtilized will be neal wateF, and nou, whene is the com-

position oF things geneFated by elements, when acconding to this

doctnine aII things ane necessaFy to pnoceed Fnom ain, and oF Fine

how much moFe subtily, a quatennity oF elements being admitted, with

this doctFine oF mixtune. But iF any one should sy, that it is

tnue that the elements aFe so convcnted, I would ask him by what

agent they weFe chenged: moFeoven iF eanth goes into wateF, wateF

into ain, that so thene may be an union oF compounding elements, to

make an elementany thing, I would ask again what need thene is to

untie anothen new to eanth neduced into neal water-r so also to min-

gle new ain to watet. subtilized to the nanity oF ain, as the one and

the same elementr so conventible into anothen, being convented could

not pnocneate an eFFect oF itselF, without any mixtune oF the othen.

IF it be said that eanth as aFonesaid, being subtilized, is equal

to wateF in nanityr and yet is not wateF, even as; neithen is wateF

ain, I would ask then whethen oF no the one can put on the Finst

qualities oF the othen, iF not, neithen will they have coFnespondence

in thein littles, Fon this is impossible; iF sor I desine to know

whether iF one Fiqst should put on the Finst oF anothen Finst, that

wourd not be Finst, whose Finst it Finst puts on.

"";the
To assent the contnany is not phitosophical, thenefone it is

31.
concluded that aII things matenially take thein oniginal Fnom one

element, which cannot be neithen eanth noF ain, which unless f stud-

ied bnevity I could easily demonstnate. The eanth is a soil ot- bed

in which aII bodies incnease and ane pneserved, the ain, into which

they gFow, it is the means and bningen of heavenly vintues, whene-

with it is Filled, and by which they ane communicated to all these

inFenion things, the seed oF all things is put into the waten by

the Cneaton in the Finst Cneation, which some do pnoduce into the air

asr vegetables, some keep within thein own neinsr s animals, in some

it iE hid veny obstruser s in metals, and thene is, even to the end

oF the wonld, seed suFFicient to pnoduee all things of seed, whose

habitation (as is said) tne wateF is Found to be. This seed (othen-

ways idle) Ueing stinned up by its Form (which fonm is a centain

paFticlc oF ineFFabIe Iight, heavenly vintue) which is pnesent to

endue (in neFenence to place and a convenient agent) with its Fonce,

inFenion things aptly disposed (and to stin them up to motionJr so

I say the seed being stinned up with an aetive vintue, does coagulate

the matenial wateF with its fenmentatious odoun, which as it s;o chan-

ges by vanious Fenmentations, the authon oF all changes, until it

has pnoduced that, to pnoduce which the seed was pFopensie. IF thene-

Fone thene be a metallick seed, thene grows Fnom thence Finst a dny

humoun slippeny not wetting the hands, to wit, !gt!-9.A. the mothen oF

all metals. I could hene teach the pnocneation oF stones oF eveny

sor-t, also note veny many things wonthy oF obsenvation, about the

Finst nativity of Mencuny; but I punposely pass by those t hings mak-

ing little to the punpose. Fon Mencuny has desenved to be called

the tnue matten oF metals, because beFone it was Mencuny t hat it

might be destined to metal, yet it might happen by some deFect, that

34.

it does not actually act by inFonming, that is by exciting to motion,

except as Fan Fonth as it is helped by extnincicks nightly accommod-
divensiFi ed to pnoduce divense tnansmutations, wheneFone iF Mencuny

bonn hene shall Find a place in itselF Fit Fon geneFation, although
in itselF without such a place it appean cold, Fon that it is dead,
yet within the centeF oF its own nativity, (the genenative action

not being yet intenmitted) tnis Fonce oF Heavenly Vintue, being

caused as well Fnom the Lightr s a notation oF supenion things,

and by means oF the ain most plentiFully diFFused to all things,

and thr-ough all things, I say this vintue (as it has neFeFence to

the Fotation oF the supcnions) will cause motion in this inFenion

subjectr this heat, and celestial motion, cannot be without its LiFe,

in which they arE (f mean not an animal liFe, noF yet vegetable, but

a Fonmal) Fnom thene, Fenments aFe pnoduced by an altening Blass

(N.9. Blass= the motion oF the Stars) which daily doth ehange the

matteF and tFansmute it, until the Heavenly pnedominate inducing a

gt'eatsl' ol' lcsscn Fixation, acconding to the aecommodation oF the

pIacc, helping oF netanding digestion, Fnom one and the same Mothen,

the aFonesaid diFFenent oFF-spning to proceed, only divensiFied by

the inequality oF the matunity. By Feason oF which inequality, some

cnude supenfluities which aFe not oF metallick imposition, but being

in the Mencuny ane sepanable Fnom it, these r say being not purged

neceiving a coagulation with the pune, does seem to speciFicate

amongst metals, and those feculent cnudities, being diFFenent by

Feason oF the vaniation oF the genenative matnix Mencuny, and it is

coagulated diFFenent, and possesses this difFenence, acconding to

the Embnio oF the place.

Moneoven the matten oF all metals is Eg, to wit, Mencuny which

pnopenly te n d s to p f' o c n e a te S ol on Luna, Fon the di fFenent t - espect

in t he degnee oF p e n F e e ti o n, 1r any Feees oF Mencuny be comm ixed in

34.
its genenation, these aFe accidentsr Ftithen do enten into a Men-

cuniar substance oF which paFtly the divensity, and pantly the

diFFenence oF the place in which the digestion is made, Fnom a

diFFenent coagulation with this one .g'g, the same one thing puts

on diFFenent masks, and so pnoduceth impenFect metals in thein

sPecies. I avoid a Panticulan descniption oF the genealogy oF atl

metals, because I make haste to the Flenovation, and multiplication

only oF Sol and Luna.

Thenefone I betake myselF to the task.

?E
 CnrprenI I I.
0r 6ol p A ro S rl v e n , HO ur HE y c o lt E o F lle Rc u n lll
IIAT TE R, A llD 0F THE PO S S I B I L I T Y 0 F CHA I I G I t { G I } I P E RF E CT

IIE TA LS , T0 T HE P E RF E CT I O T O F T HE S E .

Out oF the Fonesaid Fountainr 6s is saidr sptrings Sol and his

sisten Lunar to wit, this matteF is bnought to penFection by digest-

ion. Now penFection is two-Fold, eithen begun oF complete, that is,

pantly on wholly. Complete penFection is the outmost bound to which

Natune ai.ms oF hen own accond, to wit, that all cnudity being decoct-

edr and all dnegs cleansed out, the metallick natuFe may tniumph

without any coagulated dnosE. Thie Sun oF out's has its nising, and

does illuminatc the Eanth with its beams and splendon. But begun

penFection (as I may say) is not called penfection pnopenly, and yet

in nespect that which is Fonmally impenFect it desenves not impnopenly,

to be called penFection, Fon it is to be judged Fonmal impenFection

when the crudity is not so dccocted, which did stick to the pune in

geneFation (by accident) non yet the Hetenogeneous supenfluity is so

punged out, but it is left mingled with the pg in coagulation, in

so gFeat quantity that it pnedominates oven it, and at last overt.comes

it; so it happens to alt metals, (SoI and Luna excepted) whieh aFe

consumed bV E!-. But when the ry!!!y is so bound, and the Feculent

supenFluity so punged out beFone coagulation, that the pune has such

Dominion oveF the impune, to be delivened Fnom the connuptive tnyanny

theneoF, this is to be accounted the Finst degnee oF penFection. But

a total expungation oF the Feces, and the nejection oF the impune is

t he t op o r- h i g h e s t p e n F e c t i on oF metal l i ck openati ons. And yet these

35.
cFudities and Feces wene not oniginally oF the same imposition oF

Natune with metallick meFcut'yr hay they wene sepanable, whose sep-

anation beFone coagulation is the penFection oF metals. But iF they

be not punged out beFone coagulation, yet this has in no wise united

them to the E nay they ane sepanable.8, although not by Natune

without the help oF anothen, but by Ant the Hand-Maid oF Natune.

Hence thc oniginal and basis oF the tFansmutatoFy AFt, and thie the

tnue Foundation oF Alchemy, to wit, that a mone impune metal may

Possess in itselF the same.pg oF which Gotd is, with which although

some b" coagulatedr Vat this impune is no wise oF metallick

-i- gg1$.
imposition, although Fnom perFect, theneFone since it is Hetenogen-

eous it may bc sepanated by a tniumphant agent, which iF it could be

Found above the Eanth, most sunely an impune and impenFect metal

would go into puFe penFect Gold and Silven, with nespect to digest-

ive sepanation. Fon that eveFy sepanating agent, will be by the

same Feason a digestive agcnt, since this sepanation is impossible

to be eFFected without an eFFectual digestive powen. Such an agent

is out' Oivinc Ancanum, Fon it is a Heavenly Spinit and a Fieny vin-

tue, theneFone has the powen oF penetnating, and yet doth show the

native pnopenties oF Gold, Fon it is Gold digested to the supneame

degnee, (wheneFore it tnanscends and excells common gold by many

degneesr in an Homogeneity oF the same kind and natune. Although

Funthenmone it be a spiritual body, Vet) it doth over-come any othen

body in the wonld by its Fixity, to the end it may netain the Homo-

geneous Pune when it is cast upon impenfect metals, least they should

Fly atray Fnom the Fine, because oF thein cnudity; whilst the Feces

aFe exposed to be bunned by its Hetenogeneous violence, in whieh

thing alone aIl tFansmutative digestion consists. Fon Fine is the

37.
tFyal oF gold, f say oun Vulcan, which by bunning will take away

aII combustible impunity fnom the pune, iF so be that that whieh is

pune dontt Fty away Fnom the tnyal oF the Fine because oF its tenden

cnudity. But aIl impenFeet metals (although they contain a pune in

themselves) yet this puFe is so cnude, that is mixed with the impune,

that that not beaning the Fine, and yet pnedominating oven this, fly-

ing away Fnom the Fine snatches it along with it, which othenwise

would nejoiee at the Fine as its like. Moneoven outr 4I@,because

a spinitual homogeneous substance, does enten such like impenFect

metals peF minima, and whet it Finds like to itselF, and by its pFe-

vailing poweF, deFends it Fnom the violence oF the bunning Fine, and

netains its moFe than penFect Fixity, in the mean while bunning vul-

can does Faed upon thg combustible by his flame which being eonsumed

by the Fine, pure gold nemains, on silven, (acconding to the quality

oF the medicineJ sustaining all thc violence oF the Fine, and nemain-

ing in alf plgEligg, not at all inFenion to the mineral, but nathen

excelling it. WheneFone uve do not (as some detnactor-s object) pno-

Fess to cneate gold ot. silven, but to Find and eFFect an agent whieh

being cast upon impenFect metals, can enteF them pen minima, because

its Homogeneity and Spinituality. Moneoven that it may deFend the

puFe by its pFevailing poweF and vintue, Fnom the combustion of the

Fine, which Finding a Iike to itselF, netains it, until the supeF-

Fluous feees be destnoyed by the bunning tynanny of Vulcan: which

operaticn is chnysopoeticle tnansmutation. AII this oun secr-et

elixin perFonms. Moneoven it had this, that it as well communicates

its tinctuner tss it is to Fixity actually to the impenFect, since

that it is both oF the hi ghest exubenant eoloun and Fixity.

38.
 CnnprenIV.
Corcennrre
rHE SEED
oF Gou; ALsorHE ouEsrroil
A IIS UE RE I'UHE T HE RO T HE R I I E T A L S HA V E S E E D.

Fon the pneserving, pf'opagating, and pnoducing eveFy species

seed was given by the gFeat cneaton to things; and seed is the

penFection oF evenything; and that which has no seed, is desenvedly

to be judged impenFect; theneFone it is not to be doubted that thene

is metalliek seed. Eithen all those things wene cneated in the

Finst six days, whieh ane on have been in the Wonld, o!. at least

they have incneased being augmented daily. The Finst both Feason

and expeFiance denys. ThereFons iF the latten, then no body can

deny that there is mctallick seed; which iF thene be, sunery the

metal does not loose it in coagulation, Fon coagulation is the eFFect

oF penFection, (on nathen oF matunation which Ieads stnaight to peF-

Fection, iF the exteFions be nightly disposed) mone oven its seed

is a sign oF penFection, because it is so matuned, theneFone it is

not pnobable that the seed is lost by coagulation, but is Fathen

nendened mone noble. ft is plain by this, that metallick seed is

in metals; theneFone it may be asked, whethen all metals have seed

in themselves? f would answeF by saying all have one and the same

seedr but in somer it nesides nearer', in othens moFe Femote; but this

seed is the seed of gold. Fon it is in no wise IawFuI to think, that

Jove has the seed oF Jove, Satunn oF Satunn, and so of the Fest, that

is in a Jovial Fonm, satunnine, on.Mantiar, Fon it is punery accid-

ental, but the puFe matteF is Auneous, to which nothing is wanting

besides a bane digestion, sepanation oF the dneggs, consumption oF

39.
the cFudities and inducti ve oF Fixity. But the Fonm oF gold is sub-

stiantial, that is, Founded upon the substance oF matten itseIF so

puniFiedl theneFone thene is an Auneous seed in aII impenFect metals

tending to penFection, but accidentally hindened in its pr-ogness.

In digested gold thene is the same seed, closely shut up, tr.iumphing

in penFection; theneFone iF it should be sought to bning s eed out oF

impenFect mctals, it being Fan nemota, although tnuly existing, the

laboun will be in vain, Fon it is necessaFy that aII be exalted to

Sol, othenwise the seed is not sepanated Fnom them (being the peF-

Fection oF the thing) I mean seed, not Mencuny, which is in 4, and

is to be @, to that Fonce in which and by which, they

ane all multiplied; but Satunn is not multiplied in Satunn but in

GoId only, to wit, whene he shall come to GoId, that he may gftg-

wands emit his seed, that is, his most digested vintue, Fnom himselF,

that multiplieation may have its oniginal Fnom this. Concenning Luna

it may not be unpnoFitable hene to add something, whom anyone would

easily believe to have seed, because she is penFect. It seems to

make Fon this opinion, thene being an elixin senving to the pnoject-

ion oF the whitc. Tnuly f gnant that thene is a multiplicative seed,

both oF the white and ned, but this white is only contained in the

neins oF SoI. And although thene be a multiplication oF Lunar yet

the Seed will not be Found immediately in Luna, but has a necessity

to pnoceed Fnom Sol; theneFone as we have said this Luna whiteness

is the Finst degnee oF penFeetion, whose Solan yeltowness is the

comPliment. Fon the mothen oF oun Stone which is called Luna, (not

common but philosophical) is white, because it dealbates out SoI,

which is the Fathen oF oun StoneJ witfr its whiteness, Fnom whence

the oFFspning, which anises Fnom these two paFents, is whit e, Finst

40.
in im itation oF the moll-rE lE -F o n m, a n d t h e n it is P g ! @! 3 9 8 9 '

multiplicative white, aFtenwands it gnowsi ned with E noyal sanguin-

eous redness, indued with a chnysopoetick Powen.

41.
 Cnnpren
V.
C orc E ni l ri l GTH E v r RT u E o F T HE S E e o o F G o r o ,
A iID IiI UHA T IT I S I I { T I E DT A T E L YI NCL UDE D.

But that we may obtain this ancanum, with which we might bning

impenFect,s to penfection, by a pFojection upon them, Finst oF aIl

it is to be g!99, what we have said oF out. aFcanum, to wit, that

it is gold exalted to the supneame degnee of penFection to which it

can be bnought by Ant and Natune; also it will be obsenved that in

99.!g[, Natune hath obtained a @9 oF hen openation, neithen can it

move itselF oF its own accond any Funthen, and yet its seed is Fun-

then to be matuned with sagacious wit. But this lies Funthen abst-

t'user hithen easily appears to the sightr s othenways the seed oF

vegetables oF animals may be extFacted, and Eo fan exal.ted above its

own vintue, in which Natune has nested, that it may excell it a thous-

and times. I could nelate many things oF this seed, which aFe nathen

to be kept secnet; but the diFFenence between this metallick and veg-

etable oF animal seed is diligently to be obsenved; Fon this, because

the dissimilanity oF the pant bringing Fonth seed is discenned; when

panted Fnom the whole body, but that metallick is not so. But since

the least oF gold is neal gold, theneFone its seed lies by littles,

neithen can be sepanated From its body, the body in the mean while

nemaining a guest; but when the maniFestation of the seed it is done

with the plenany destnuction oF the metal; and so metal neduced goes

wholly into seed theneFone thene is made a multiplication oF the

seedr l.athen by vintue and dignity, than quantity and numben, that

is, it is nobilitated nathen than incneased (tne golden matten being

4?.
neduced into seed) because oF the similanity oF paFtsl because in

Fespect oF a stone, gold is wholly matteF, when the secFet pnoFund-

ity is maniFested is whoIIy spenm, whieh by cinculating neceives

the vi ntue oF , and then it becomes wholly

Fonm on heavenly Vintue capable oF communicating this to othens,

which aFe nelated to it by the Homogeneity oF matteF. The place in

which the Seed nesideth is immediately Waten, Fon in speaking pno-

penly and exactly, the least pant oF metal is Seed, but invisible;

but because this invisible is univensally pouned out, thnough aIl

the waten oF its kind and inhabits it, and exent its Vintue in it,

noF is anything else maniFested but wateF, although the intennal

agent, which pnopenly is seed, r'eason pensuades us to be t henel

wheneFone we pnomiscuously call the whole seedr etS ure caII a whole

gnain Eg.g!, when yet the germinating liFe is only the least panticle

of the But liFer otr seminal vintue is not so distinguished

-@,.
in metals, but is insepanably commixt, thnough the least oF the body

eontaining. I have added these things of the seed, because it is

said above that a netal, whose pnoFundity has been so maniFest unden

a Mencunial Form, doth all go into Seed; fon we name all t hat waten

the seed oF because it is exquisitely diFFused tht'ough it, in

-ry.!5[,
as much as it cannot be sepanated but by Feason alone. This is calle

Occult Fenment, Eg.!g by th= I also invis-

ible fine, the secnet agent. Neithen also have f alone named the

whole promiscuously Seed aFten a mannen, but these also have oFten

called thein Waten, liE. Sometimes they taught that Fine nesides in

thein waten. WheneFone they distinguished thls into Soul and S1a5!,

oF which the Fonmen is the means, the latten the active vintue, by

that means. TheneFone we name waten seed metonimically, when yet

43.
in speaking pnopenly, the seminal vintue univensally inhabits, and

is diFFused thFough the whole wateF, which indeed i= g|, but is

not sepanable Fnom the habitation oF its water'. IF it seem a wonden

to anyone that r assign waten the seat .r;seminal spinit, let

not this seem a wonden, that the spinit oF God in the Finst cneation

uuas cannied upon the wateFs, it enniched them with its portreF and pFo-

IiFick vintue. For in this alone all seeds which at'e in the univense

u,ere Founded Fnom the beginning, neithen eveF go out oF it, and Vetr

in vegetables they aFe pnoduced into the cnude ain, in animals pFe-

senved within thain neins, in minenals they aFe Finmly shut up in

thein pnoFundity. Fon it iE impossible that seed should go out oF

its oniginal seat, theneFone iF all things ane Fnom wate!- (as we have

Eaid) neason will teach usr that th"e seed cven as yetr doth neside

in waten, things aFe not pnesanved any otheF way than Fnom whence

thcy spning Fon the cause oF the being taken au,ay, the eFFec
-glgjlgf
is taken away, hence it comes to pass that the multiplication oF all

things is in humido and pel'humido, even as the nutniment. Vegetab-

les by a wateFy leFFas oF Eanthr dnimals by a liquid chile, metals

by a mencunial liquon. Hence vegetables being incneased and pnoduced

oF thein own aceond does sepanate a seed Fnom thein whole body, into

a cnude ain, which will be a coagulated body, but that it may be

known that it has pnoceeded Fnom tyaten and does netain its seminal

spinit in the wateF, it is committed to the Eanth to inenease its

species, in whose matnix, by a wateFy leFFas oF Eanth, it is nesol-

ved into its next wateFy matteF, and then begins the vegetation,

moneoven the water-y seminal, neceives this wateFy leFFas (by which

it is maniFest in the dissolution) and that genmination is Fon the

nadical nutnitive humon by which it Feceives incnease, to a plant oF

44.
tFeer accot-ding to the speciFick Fenment oF the seed. Animals do

keep within thein neins a seed spFung Fnom imagination, which by the

act oF genenation, being diFFused into a due matnix, Fonms a Foetus,

tendeF and abounding with much humidity, which aF.tenwands is incneas-

ed by the liquid Female menstFuums, and incneases into a penFect in-

Fant, and coming into the wonld, in the houns oF its Nativity, is

nounished by milk, which then unless they ane changed into a liquid

chile, (as bones in the Etomach oF a dog) dontt nouFish. rn like

mannF to all these things metals coagulated doth shut up their. seed,

penFeetly elebonated unden thick covensr yet being placed in water-,

this aFtenwands being extnacted by sagacious ant, incneases, and is

chenished in a due matrix, until by a pFevious conruption, it neceive:

itE gloniFication. But this wonk is veFy diFficult, bccause oF the

secFat Foulds oF metals in which this seed is shutr giving place to

no Fonce, unless there be a subtile wit. Moncoven I make it known,

that thene is a matnix, in which gotd being put (Fnom whence seed

alona is to bc soughtJ wilt emit its speFm Fneely and sweetly, until

it be waakaned and die, and by its death, shall be nenewed into a

most glonious Kingr having aFtenwands got the poweF oF delivening

all his bneathnen Fnom the Fean of Oeath.

45.
 Cnnpren
VI.
0r rHE inrren nro llears oF Exrnncrlre
ITs Seeo.

Those things ane always most diFficult which ane most excellent,

as the expenience oF all gg will bean ample testimony. It is not

to be wondened theneFone, iF so gneat a diFFiculty be Found in a sub-

jcct so noble beFone othens, Fon I do not wcll know any wonk in Benun

Natuna, encompassed with moFe diFFicultias than this is. WheneFone

iF any one shall enten upon this wonk, and yet would spar-e his mind

Fnom study and !3@, he must FetuFn back again, Fon he has missed

his way in thc vrt-y entFence. For that the evils which ane in the

wonk appean tennible, chieFly upon the account oF dispondency. But

if the Fathan oF Lights, shall grant the key oF the AFt to anyone,

thene nemains to him nothing moFe, than the work oF uromen and the

play oF childnen; as to delight his eyes as he labours with most

beautiFul appaening signs, until he shall neap his Hanvest, that he

may Possess the most pnecious tFeasur-e oF all the wonld. But with-

out this, eFFon and loss, cane and vexation, will be the Fnuits oF

his vain philosophy. Thenefone eveFy wise man, beFone he entens

upon his wonkr shall be Finst and chiefly solicitous oF knowing it

with its manks, that iF by chance any diFFiculties may appeaF in

itr he being anmed against themr may not aFten his wonk is begun, be

comPelled to netuFn with tnouble and sonFow. TheneFone let all sons

oF AFt know, that in onden to attain ouF ancanum, thene is need to

maniFest the most hidden seed oF Gold, which is not done by a plen-

3rY and elveFy way volati I ization oF the Fixed, and then the coFpupt
'
46.
ion oF its Fonm. Moneoven so to destnoy GoId is the most secnet

work oF the whole wonld. Fon this Oivine Science is not compleated

in a connosive detunpation oF the metal, nay all such coFt-osions are

False and eFFoneous r since that thene is nequined to out- Wonk not

any dissolution but philosophical, that is, into mencunial wateF,

made by a pFevious calcination, by a mencunial agent, which is pr-o-

duced by a subtle t'otation and convension oF elements, which calcin-

ation is a moFtiFication oF a homogeneous humid, with a dny oF its

own Natune that eFtenwands the dny may be viviFied by the said humid

so Fan, that the most digested virtue by dissolving, being extnacted

by the dissolventr ilay be the cause oF this calcination and dissolut-

ion. Is thene anything hene common with a connosive contnition oF

bodies by mineral watens? Nay Fathen the Fonesaid otrElr-ations ane

diametnically opposite. IF anyone shall considen these things night-

ly' he will easily penceive the tnouble oF the wonk. Fon Gotd being

the m ost solid' most Fixed oF all bodies and oF the stFongest com-

position, most patient oF the Fine and not at all obnoxious to cor-r-

uption, does not easily pass oveF into a Natune so contFaFy to this

of its own. TheneFone iF anyone shall attempt this by Fonce he will

pnoFit nothing; seeing thene is nequined an agent oF an excelling

vintue to do this, which ought to be homogeneal, amicable and spinit-

ual, namely that it may be nelated to the body, and yet be able to

ovencome it and fundamentally penetnate it whose srecnet paFts, since

they aFe distended so fan, and so tittle GoId, is tFue GoId wilt not

sro easily put oFF its Fonm; nay it wilr Fight untit it be wholry

oveFcomer it lies down and dies, also it Follows that out- agent

ought to have an enlivening vintue, that it may naise up a new pune

body, Fnom the dead cancass.

47.
 CxnprrnVII.
0r rH E FIR s r Pr t lo s o p HI c A L A e e r r r 0 R n A T RI X T
I rro uH rc H ouR S ee o I s r o B E E lt r r r E o A l{ D llr r o r HI c H
IT I S RT P E I I E D.

lrtoneoven such an Agent nemains to be sought out by usr whenewith

we may do all the aFonesaid things. fn which it is nequined, !!g.11

oF aII, that the Waten be homogeneal, that is, by a law oF necessity"

Fon that I have taught beFone, that the Golden seed doth lie hid in

th" !|g!91 alone, and doth obtain its Powen. But it is shut up in

the Body of the GoId unden most thick Folds, oF which is maniFest

a plain contnany on to that hidden one which we seek. TheneFore

this wateF nemains to be dnawn out by a subtile artiFice, but it

doth not enteF oF its own accond; theFeFor-e this is to be efFected

by anothen thing, which othen thing indeed ought to be of the same

Natune, with that which we seek to dnaw fonth. Fon eveFy like begets

its like, that is eveny agent exeFcising its genenative action upon

anything, changes that upon which it acts, into its own Natune as

neaF as it can. And nextly it behoves this waten to be nelated to

the Body to be dissolved, and thenefone pgE, g]gg and exquisitely

cleansed and punged Fnom a1l Filth. Neithen is this enoughr but GoId

is held to be contnaried in all qualities, in which it diFFens Fnom

the watens u,er seek, whenein the seed lies hid. The Fonmen is highly

Fixed, the othen highly volatile, the Fonmen a most solid Body, this

is a most penetnating Spinit, the one thick, the othen subtile, the

one dead, the othen Iiving and enlivening, and all the othen condit-

ions ane Fequined which we seek in it aFten dissolution, but they

48.
ane wanting in a dead coagulated body. TheneFone it is concluded

that Mencuny alone is the tnue key of the Chymical Ant, which is

indeed that dny Watenr so oFten descnibed by philosophens, FIuent,

slippeny, and yet not wetting the hands oF the touchenr otr any othen

thing, which is not oF the unity oF its matteF, and moneoveF it is

indued with the vintues above descnibed. This is the Keepen oF oun

$!g, out'Balsam, oil, Honey; oun Unine, May-dew, oun Female, mother

eggr socnet Funnace, Stone, Sieve, ManbIe, Tnue Fine, Venomous Dna-

gonr TneacIe, bunning Wine, Gr-een Lyon, Bind oF Henmes, Goose oF

Henmogenes; Oouble Swond in the hand oF the Chenub, that deFends

the way of the Tnee oF LiFe, and is Famous Fon InFinite othen names;

and it is ounVessel, tFue, hidden, also it is our philosophical gaF-

den in which ouF Sun nises and sets, it is out- Royal Minenal, and

tFiumphant vegetable satunnia, also the caduce of Meneuny because

it openates wondcnFul things and tnansFonms itselF acconding to its

own plaasune, that it mFy put on diFFenent masks. Concenning this

the philosophen saith: t'Let the Chymists boast as they will,

@!g!

but the tnansmutation oF metals is impossible without this.'r What

shall I sayr what shall f discounse, that f may Feport its pnaises.

It is not so in its own Natuner ds we nenden it by oun AntiFices;

it is a thing veFy vile, and yet the most pnecious Tneasune oF all

the wonld, O the penFection oF Natune! and the Head oF Met allick

Wonks! TheneFone thou Son oF Leanning, and studious oF Ar -t, attend

that thou mayst attain thy desine. Take that which is most unclean

oF itself , that is our- Hanlot, pur-ge thonoughly aI l the Fi tth and

dnaw Fnom thence what is the puFest, that is oun MenstFuum, on Regal

Oiadem. Behold I have Finished in a Few wonds that whieh enobles a

philosophen, delivers Fnom eFnons and leads For.thwith into a most

49.
Fain Field oF delights. TheneFone that I may conclude this Chapten,

I will Fepeat succinctly all things which hath been said beFone.

Thene is a centain and tnue science called AIchemy, wheneby eveny

impenFect metar is penFected into gold and silver, by the pnoject-

ion oF the tniumphant ancanum upon them, penetnating and tinging,

which secnet is no othen than gold exalted to is stupFeam degnee oF

pcnFection, and this by sagacious Ant, the Handmaid oF Natune. Fon

that all impenFect metals eFe oF the same matenial imposition with

Gold' noF do diFFen but in the accidents aloner s arso by the

manneFs and degnecs oF incompleated decoction. And that which being

impenFect, is mixed with them, is plainly hetet-ogeneous, and alth-

ough it stick externally to the puFe yet it is not united inwandly,

and theneFone may be nejectad, by a pFevalent agent, sueh is our-

comPlata alixin to obtain whieh secnet, the spenm (which lies sec-

Fet in the Body oF the Gold) is to be drawn out, which is shut up

in most thick covet'ts, and gives place to no powen, but only is mani.

fest by sagacious Ant, which where it appeaFs (being hid Finst) it

comes out unden a mencunial Fonm, Fnom whence it is exalted into the

FiFth essence, Finst white, then ned, by a continual decocting Fine.

And aIl this is done by a Homogeneous Mencunial Pontique Agent, puFe

cleanr chnistalline without transpaFency, Iiquid without humectation

which is wateF tFuly di viner hithen it is Found upon the Eanth, kno

the Son oF philosophens is made by this, Natune co-openating. Which

we know. have seen. have done. have. and possess, and study to make

it plain to the ingeneous, yet so that dniving away the unwonthyr w

may exclude them altogethen Fnom the Ant, who being cast oFf, we wiI

accom pany the studious into this most beautiFul ganden.

50.
 VIII.
Cnnpren
0r rH E 6ererLoev o F T HE P n r lo s o p Hr c A Lile Rc u Ry ,
ITS RIS E r B IRT H, A l{ D DI S T I T { G UI S HI t { G S I G I I S

THA T GO B E F O RE A I I D A CCO I I P A T YI T .

Somc boasting and anFogant sophistens, aFten having leanned

Fnom the neading oF books, that common Mencuny is veFy Foneign to

this Ant, also neading that Philosophens do call this by divense

Names, being lcd pnesently with a blind opinion, they think them-

selves Mastens oF this Seience, when in the mean time they aFe moFe

blockish than the wood itselF. Some will have this to be a.@,-

anous MsnstFuum and !!g.ESl, othcns a centain Ue'EaIlick Gum, when they

dneam it to be penmissible with metals, and to no pur-posel othens

whoseekthe3Ig.@',doendeavountodnawiteithenoutoF

common Mencuny, by infinite pFevious pungations, on oF metals, by

resuscitative salts (as they call them) neithen waten non gumr non

calx, noF powden, notwithstanding Fat oF unctuous. But those that

endeavoun to dnaw E!9g!.g out oF Henbs and such like, aFe thick skul-

led, and oF wnetched wit. But this opinion happens to them thnough

a deep ignonance oF metallick matteFs. They seek things put-e, but

what ane they ignonant oF, they do not appnehend the opet-ations oF

philosophical Mencuny in its causes, being uncentain they theneFone

seek something instead oF common Mencuny; Fon they do not know in

what, the Mencuny oF the vulgan, is wanting to be the tnue Mencuny

oF Philosophers, and yet they neject it; on lastly do seek, by wash-

ing, subliming and decocting, to alten it fnom its Natune, not doubt-

ing but it will put on its tFue philosophical Fonm, iF it has once

51.
put oFF its own. It would be a tnouble to neckon up such like opeF-

ations. WheneFone I pass oven to the thing itselF, whence thene may

be a tFue index oF its tf'uth and Falsity, oF its stnaightness on

obliquity. I have taught beFone, that all metals ane oF t he same

matenial pninciple, to wit, oF Mencuny, it Follows thenefone that

Mencuny is indeed a metallick thing, and theneFone although common,

yet oniginally doth obtain a Homogeneous matten with alI metals. IF

theneFone philosophical mencut'y will be an Homogeneous Met allick

wateF, it Follows that mateFially and Fundamentally it is not dis-

tinguished Fnom othen Mencury, unless so Fan Fonth as one is puFen

than the othen and mone hot, and yet both a dny minenal wateF. Thene

Fone let the Sons oF Leanning know that the metteF oF philosophick

meFcut-y, although not into the whole substance which is beheld in

it. Fon centainly all ingenious chymists know, that thene is no

othen Mencuny, Fnom whence come aIl Metals, then common (namely in

Fespect oF its oniginal) which is generated in the bowels of the

Earthr ES long as it hath nemained saFe Fnom the cnude ain, in a

place Fit and aceommodated to genenation, it is altogethen destined

to pt'ocFeate metal, and did netain its motion and excitation in it-

selF, that it might be stinned up to a perFect genenation, Fon the

Fitness oF the place being violatedr oF viciated by chance, this

mattenr s though it wene stFuck with a Hammen oF Oeath, altogetheF

looseth all Motion, neithen be moved funthen any moFe, like an eggr

(upon which a hen hath sat fon some time) Ueing cooled is thencefontl-

nendened unfit to pnoduce a foetus, the puFe liFe on intennal heat

alt ening , vanishes away, the outw and Fai l i ng, and so that which be-

Fone eveny day tended to penFection, now being hindened by chance,

becomes abontive, no hope being leFt oF a Futune spontaneous motion.

q?
I
 This is the cause when some have tnied with Heat antiFiciatly

invented, to heap Eanth upon Mencuny, they have obtained but a mock

newand oF thein labouns. TheneFone the Fonm in its access is taken

awayr or Father- hindened which (as above said) is a panticle of

ineFFabIe Light, which is pFesent enlightening its dwelling so long

as all things shall bs nightly disposed outwandly; and so it leaves

an impnession of itselF in things, whieh being neceived by things,

doth pnoduce thc Egg$, whieh is the tnue Authon oF tFansmuration,

altening things themsalves, in which it is, by its Fenmentatious

odouns' stinning up to a coFnuptive as well as a geneFative motion,

but tha accidentE nequined to these things, Faiting Fnom without,

all these things FalI oF thein own accond, neithen is the nuin eas-

ily napaired by any aFt. Thanefone, thena is teFt to us a cnude

metalliek, indigested, cold matteFr hEithen punged by decoction;

which ( in neEPect to mi nenals) imitates the Natune oF Fountain

Waten (in ncspect to vegetables'and animals) this is the tFue

matten to which the Fonm oF the philosophical Mercury is wanting,

Fon whieh it is held to change its own, that thene may be made

Fnom thence what we seek Fon. But it is diFFenent Fnom this Fonm,

in a double Fespect, Ijg! oF the supenFluity it natains in itselF;

secondly oF that Spinitual Vintue which is wanting in it. SupenFlu-

!-!y. i= Twofold, the Lepnous Eanthy paFt, and the Hydnopical water-y

PaFt. But thene is a defeet of tnuc sulphuneous heat, the addition

oF which will thnoughly put-ge out all its supenFluities. Fon philo-

sophical waten is the womb, but thene is no womb Fit Fon generation

without Egg, add theneFone and supply to Mencuny that which is

wanting, to wit, a Fieny Fonce to bunn, and his dneggs wiII Falt

Fnom him oF its own accond, which thou shalt exquisitely sepanate,

53.
iF thou shalt penFonm this, thou hast perFected the wonk oF a veny

quick sighted and skilFur phirosophen. Then Jupiten has got his

kingdom, and the lowening clouds oF Satunn being dispensed, he hath

made a bnight and glittening Fountain to appeaF unto thee. Thou

wilt wonden at the extnaondinary bnightness oF this waten, whose

extraoFdinary vintues, which it doth not neceive Fnom the matter-,

but the Fonm, ane to be Found in no othen thing in the whole wonld.

Fon instance, it dissolves GoId natunally, by a tFue philosophick

solution, not as endeavouning sophisteFs dissolve, by connosive

Filthy wateFs, and endeavouning to estnange it Fnom a metallick

matteF as Fan as they c an. This Mencuny doth pnoduce natuFally,

Gold and Silver oF itselF, also the Ancanum oF Aunum Potabile,

which I wnite knowingly, also the adepts do know and witness the

same.

TheneFone I will conclude this little Tneatise, because what

othen things do nemain to be spoken, aFe delivened in a peculian

Tneati.se candidly wFitten by me.

In the meantime, enjoy thou these things, expect the blessing

Fnom God.

Fanewel I .

Fon thou shalt obtain this Fnom the Fathen oF Lights alone.

So I have saidr so done,

Pnaise to God.

54.
 TRACTTHESECOI{D

A Snonrllnruoucrrorro rHE
CELESTIAL RUBY.

0r rH E P nrr - o s o p Hr c A S
L r o r e r A ilD T HE
SecnerTnEngor.

The S tone oF th"-ftlf3 g g g ! , g E is a c e n t a in c o e le s t ia l substance,

Spinitual, Fixt, penFecting all gglgfg into tnue Gold and !!r!41i!,

(acconding to the quality oF the medicine) exposed to all Tnyals

and that acconding to the Imitation oF Natune and it= 9p=.:!L8,

as; nean as it can be done.

Aboutthissubstanceth"@isconveFsant'which

handleth and teacheth the means and way oF doing it, but not by

divense things, but by one thing alone it is done, to which nothing

is to be added, nothing taken away but only the supenFluities Fe-

moved. But that which appentains to the Authority oF this f!, ex-

penience in this thing would be oF much value to convince menl fon

iFitcouIdbeprovedthat@Ewasmadetheneby'thenindeed

it would not be doubted both concenning the tnuth and beneFit thene-

oF. But it is plain that impenFect metals aFe tFansmutable aFten

this manneF, because aII in geneFal have been destinated to penFect-

ion, but some have !-emained impenFect Fon want oF digestion. Thene-

Fone iF they can be duly cocted would also be penFeet, and seeing

nothing hindens in the mat!{r but this may be done, because out oF

one lgg!$ all Metals have pnoceeded, to wit, Cnude Mencuny, cold

33.
and moist, in which thene hath been no diFFenence between SoI and

Satunn, but only what Natune wonks aFtenwands in this manneF, to

wit, Deeocting it more oF less. This alone hath made the Diven-

sity. TheneFone all othen q!+ may be penFected into Sol to wit,

by the help oF oun Oivine and most penFeet Magisteny, which being

pnojected upon penFect Metals is able so Fan to penFeet them, bV

Eecocting, as it is oF a moFe than due penFection nequined in Gold.

Henc theneFone we may obsenve oF how gFert Vintue and Spinitual a

Natune this our- Oivine Stone is, which can penFect that in one houn

above the Eanth by a bane pnojection, which Natune could not have

penFected by Subtennanean Openations. TheneFone it is maniFest hene

what Natune helped by Ant can do. Fon that oun Stone as it was peF-

Fected by Nature without tha help oF Ant, wasi only oF Unary Vintue,

but the Vintue which is acquired by AFt, Natune co-openating and

assiting is Denany, in eveFy Flegimen, that is aFten a mannen inFin-

ite, Fon it cannot be computed, Fon thet Finst by dissolving it, and

again coagulating and !g4S. it, one pat-t oF th" !Eg!!g!59 Falls

upon a thousand oF impenFect metals, penetrating and penFectly

tinging it; but iF the Oissolutions and coagulation being itenated,

Thou shalt tny to pnomote this Medicine Funthen, behold it is ex-

tended in inFinitum; Fon you shall soonen want to compute, than

the Elixin Vintue to penetnate and tinge; not that immediately by

its co!-poFeal touch, it tinges the whole, but by its Vintue and

InFluence, passes thnough the whoIe, since the Ieast particle oF

the fmpenFect Body is touched and lillgg immediately by the Medicine

But the matteF is sor every pa!-t is tinged by the contiguous paFt,

like leaven, theneFone the Elixin tinges that which it touches mone

im m edi a te l y , w i th a ti n ctune a l i ttl e moFe Feebl e than it was it -

56.
selF. This again Fenments that which is neaFest it, by communicat-

ing the Tinctune, and that so long until the whole mass be bnought

to the penfeetion oF Tnue Gold. But this is done in a shont space

oF time, because oF the Spinituality oF oun Ag4, whieh being a

tFue metallick Fine, Iike that elementany one, does impenceptibly

waFm and pggglgg.jlg the handest Bodies, even those paFts which wene

not touched by the coals, and so this doth penetFate with its vintue

Metals being nesolved by the Fine and Fused in a moment; so it hath

often times been obsenved that dough is Fenmented by the Fenment,

even that outnaFd paFt, which the Conponeal paFt oF the Fenment

neven touched; just so it is done in this wonkl obsenve theneFone

how natunal this pnogness is in this wonk. Fon we do not pnofess

to trFrate Gold and ry (ae some nepnoachens Falsely object) Uy

oun Ant, but out oF those things ure say only in which these aFe by

Natune, to wit, out oF metalE, which aFer oF the same matteF with

Gold and Silven, but oF an inequal digestion, and theneFone nemain

impenFect, which by the pFojection of ou!- Ancanum upon themr w

digest and penFect aften this mannen, since nothing else is nequined

to penFect them, besides this simple decoction oF thein cnudity,

which our Medicine can abundantly penForm.

Ho, thenefone you S ons oF leanning ! Attend to me ! Because I

will make known to you the whole secFet oF oun Stone, which is not

a Stone, and it is in eveFy Man, and may be Found in its own place

at all times.

IF you have this you have the most pnecious thing in the whole

wonld. But it is 9!11!9, and theneFone not to be communicated to

all. But to you Sons oF Leanning, I will maniFest the whole thing,

neithen will I conceal anything necessany to this MagisteFy. But

57.
be pnesent with attentive minds and penceive my wonds, and Iay them

up in youn secnet bneasts; you have heand beFone, the possibility

oF tnansmutation, to wit, that a thing destined to penFection, but

beingIeftimpenFect'thnoughdeFectoF@rmaYbytheappli-

cation oF an 4-Slgg, oF the same essence and E;!g with the penFectt

but oF gFeaten digestion, be penFected (to which these impenFect

weFe destinated) and matuned, in as much as the Agent is oF a mone

exubenant matunity, and more than penfect vintue. But ouF Stone is

such to all othen impenFect mgtals, whence we conclude without con-

tFoveFse that these aFe tFansmutable theneby into gold and g!!g.

Considen theneFone you EE oF !!99, what and oF what kind

that ought to be, which can penFonm this, which by the Philosophens

is callad a !;9gg, but it is in eveFy Man, and in eveFy thing, and

at eveFy time oF the yeaF to be Found in its place.

Obsenve my wonds! Note the Mysteny! Because it will most ceF-

tainly consist of the Elements, then which nothing is moFe univensal,

andthosenotsimp1y'but.@,4andanatLzed'thatis'eveFy

element being to be known by its quality; theneFone in evenything

is out' lgggr or evenything, on FatheF out of evenything, that is,

Element, Fon any one oF them, being destFoyed, the penisheth.

-@!!y.
Be not theneFone solicitous concenning anything combustible by the

Fine, Fon ceFtainly that which is made out oF evenything, that is,

contains the vintue on qualities of eveFy element anitized, nesistetl'

the violence oF the Fine without dangen.

Heanken theneFone you Sons oF Leanning! Behold I make known to

your the gneatest mysteFy! And God help you to conclal this Ancanum

Fnom all unwonthy pensons. Oun Stone does not dnaw its Oniginal

els ewhe n e th a n Fnom m e ta l s and those the most penFect; but ye shall

58.
suFFer Common Openatons in this Ant, to seek it in all things extnan-

eousr; but as many oF you as ane Lovens of @![, dontt attempt to

Find it out elsewhene than i. !g!*; Fon this is oun one' haVr only

tnue Pninciple, but what that is, it will not be youn Pant to obsenve

neithen to induce any Hetenogeneous thing into this wonk but to

'
leave that to othens, which seek oun Stone in such things, but they

shall always labounr s long as they shall be Ignonant, what oun only

tFue Pninciple is.

But I do make known this to your nememben theneFone, that a $[

is genenated oF a Lyon, a man of a g, but to expect the genenation

oF these Fnom otheF things, it would be absund and nidiculous; com-

bustibles ane pnoduced even as ggq@1i[!gg, inconruPtibles as in-

connuptibles. Eo you expect to gathen gnapes Fnom Thistlesr or Floses

Fnom Thonns? It would be so absund, iF any should go about to make

ounStoneoutoF@r!4soFsuchIikethingsr8Sthoughthe

Pninciple oF Gold making wene elsewhene to be sought than.in Gold;

thenefone our- Stone is not to be sought in such thingsr which ought

to have the Natunal Pnopenties oF tnue Gold, which aFe not in such

Iike thingsr hrithen to be Found in them, except we be able to cneate

.s,whichisinthePowenoFnoman'butisProPeFto@L

and iF anyone should pnomise himselF to efFect this, he would be

FalseandaIian.TheneFoneletitsuFFiceUSlto.@',and

administen spenms which ane neady to our Hands, but it is not to

the matteF, that new ones should be cneated Fnom Hetenogeneous things

which is both impossible to be done, and iF it should be doner these

antiFicial sper.ms would be oF no moFe vintue than those natunal onest

which Natune has Fitted to oun Wonkl thenefone we must in no wise

believe him that pnofesses to pnoduce the seed of metals, out oF

59.
vegetables, etc. Fon although he take to himselF the title oF a

WondenFut Philosgg@ and a skillFul antist, with the ignonant sont,

yet whilst he knows not to use cneated things, it is much less pr-o-

bable that he can gg!a5.rc,.

whosoeven theneFone will be a son oF Ant, Iet him leann and ack-

nowledge that ouF 9.@, the tFansmutoF oF metals into a penFect

species, is neanly included and contained in most penFect metals;

out of thesa theneFone let him be admonishad to leann its pnoduct-

ion, and not alsewhene. Now theneFone, iF r be not deceivedr vou

have heand plainly enough, whence the matten oF this secnet Stone

is to be sought; and iF you have well observed, it wirl not happen

that you will eFn in this thing; nou, let me say something oF its

ls,r Fon it is explained how it is in avery man and placer rrow r

will teach how, and why it is called a Stone and not a Stone; Iastly

f will adunbnate how it is to be Found. Fon thc Philosophens say

that it iE a stons, and not a @g, which some undenstand ill; but

the Vulgan Fon the most paFt, but it is intenpneted acconding to

the letten, to be something, but what they ane ignorantr to be rike

a stone, tinging eveFything, even by the veFy touch, into puFe Gold,

whethen it shall be Wood on Stone, which they Fepute Fon False (and

desenvedly) theneFone they judge it impossible to eveny ]!gE,(except

diabolical) theneFone the name oF a chemist being heand, t hey pne-

sentry abhon and detest him, noF look upon him any othen t han a

Foolish wasten oF his estate, being incited to this, by the False

and conFused undenstanding of oun most secFet stone; theneFone the

moFe ignonant men do suPenstitiously believe, that such men aFe to

be punished by the Civil Law; but unden the name oF ignonant men,

f do not only mean those that aFe plebeiansr or- illitenate and

60.
unleaFned, but also I mean somer naV many men othenwise leanned,

and penhaps pious, whom f theneFone name ignonant and unskillFul

in this Ant; and also that they indued with such nude mannens to

bank at evenything unknownr like dogs, and speak evil oF t hose

things, which they neithen, eithen have on could coneeive in thein

mindsr ily repr"oof extends to them most because they being both leann-

ed and pious, do what is contFar-y to piety and leanning, to wit,

Judge such things which they neithen do non can discenn. Fon when

leanning admonishes, piety pensuades that eveFyone should considen

and examina those things which he judges; these on the othen hand

condemn it undoubtedly, which yet aFten they have condemned, they

know not, and aFe ignonant what is is, which is veFy unwonthy eveny

wise man.

Moneoven, othens studious in the ant of Chemistny, although they

undenstand the thing a little moFe natunalr yet in this they eFF,

because thEy would make some stony congealation, to wit, they would

make something to bean the Fonm oF a stone, Fon this alleging the

wonds oF Philosophens which aFfinm it to be a stone. But f would

have you undenstand that it is not called a stone because it is like

a stone, but Fon this causre alone; that it Flies not Fnom the Fine,

but remains f ixed in it, I ike ar= it wene a stone, and Fon this it

is cal led a stone, Fon the sake oF hiding this sec!-et, but it is

like a stone no othen ways, and theneFone it is not a stone; but in

gg.E is GoId.mone pune than the punest, in Fixity on ineombustib-

ility, a stone, in Figune oF most subtle powden, to sight a gFave

94., to touch impalpable, to taste EIg*, oF good smell, in vintue

a most penetFating Spini t, being dny and yet unctuous, easily FIow-.

ing uPon a plate oF metal and tinging; theneFone it is desenvedly

61.
called the Fathen oF all wondenFul things, since it hath all the

elements in it, yet so anatized, that none pnedominates, but all

Foun make one FiFth Essence on Natune, which is none oF the Foun

butpantakesoFall'andisamosttemPeFate99.@''thoughit

be puF e metallic Fine, and this is out'!!g, which is not a stone,

noF has any name pnopeF to itselF, and yet thene is nothing in all

the wonld whoEe name it may not have, unden some considenation. Fon

that it is oF so wondenFul a Naturer s iF we call it spinitual it

i= .$, iF .ggg,ry'.! we speak pnopenly; Fon it is gold, and that

not !l4gg but spinitual, that is subtile, penetnative and noble;

wheneFone it is a spinit on FiFth essence, that most noble oF all

cFeatunes, aften the national soul, and bninging all distempens,

and alI impenFectionE both in animals and metals (acconding to the

quality oF the medicine) to a most cxact and penFect tempenatune;

and that is tnuly oul'micnocosm, which we esteem so much. Having

thiE stone on powden ot. Fifth esE;ence neithen riches noF @!1!

will be wanting, God giving, to whom be Glony Foneven.

But that f may come to the last pant oF my undentaken task, to

wit, that I may show by what means this oul'stone may be obtained,

fon it is not Fabnieated by natuFe, but it is to be sought, and to

be composed by the Atrt and oF the wonkman; yet natuFe

-L3g.g!;!1
helping and seconding his endeavoun, Fon as; it is abundantly enough

declaned, that the matten oF this stone is not to be Fetched else-

whene than Fnom metalsl yet neventheless these metals ane not our-

stone, Fon they have anothen Fonm diFFenent Fnom oun stone. Not-

withstanding, I do not deny that oun medicine is to be dnawn Fnom

them, but the Fonmen Fonm oF the metal must necessanily be taken

away, that it may be dnawn out, and that unden the conseFvation oF

6e.
the species, though unden the destnuction oF that panticulan and

individual metal. But the species oF metals dwells, and is consen-

ved in the spinit, which spinit nesides not in any othen thing, but

in wateF homogeneous oF its own kind; fon waten is the habitation

oF the spirit, which is especially to be Fetained in the conser-vat-

ion oF its species.

Thenefone Gold is to be changed Fnom its Fonm, and that into

@ oF its own kind, in which wateF and 9!11!_9 oF the

Gold is pnesenved, which aFtenwands ne-inspissates its wateF and

induces a new Fonm, aFten putFeFaction a thousand times moFe penFect

than the fonm oF gold, which it lost by being ne-incnudated.

TheneFone metallic bodies aFe to be neduced into homogeneous

wateF, not wetting the hands, that out oF this wateF a neu, metallic

species may nesult, Fan moFe noble than any metal. This is our- most

pnecious medicine and coelestial Fluby.

But all this wonk, veny well answeFs to the subtennaneal openat-

ions oF lg.1!g, Fnom whence the wonk is desenvedly called natunal.

Fon Nature doth pnoduce metals, acconding to thein species, out oF

meFcuny alone,949 and moist, by a daily digestion and coction in

the veins oF the Eanth. But Ant to shonten the wonk hath found out

a Fan mone subtile openation, yet like to this; Fon it conjoins with

cnude mcFcur-y, cold and moist, nipe gold, and both oF these by com-

mixtion and secnet conjunction, makes one mencuFy, which they name

Aqua Vitae, which mencuFy at last they decoct into gold, not vulgan,

but Fan mone noble; which FalIs upon all impenFect metals, and tin-

ges them into tnied gold, exposed to all tnials.

You undenstand, theneFone, as I believe, that though oun stone

be oF gold aloner yet it is not vulgan gold. That theneFone oun

63.
GoId may be Fetched Fnom vulgan gold, it is to be dissolved into

wateF, not elemehtany, but not wetting the hands, that is minenal;

which wateF is mencuny, which Fnom a ned senvant, hath means in it-

selF, to penFect the whole wonk, without any imposition oF hands,

and this at last is that only, tnue and natuFal pninciple, to which

nothing is to be added, nothing taken away, unless some supenfluit-

ies, which without any humane help, itselF will penFect, by its own

vintue and natuFal instinct. TheneFone thou having this mencuFy mind

nothing else.

With good neason theneFone the Philosophens said, imploy thy

whole study in decocting mencury, but I say to thee, let thy whole

study be imployed in getting this mencuny, that is in dealbating oun

F led Lat o n , which b .e i n g d one, thou hast done thy pant, w hat nem ains

is the wonk oF woman and the play oF Egyg; Fon Natune will be pFesent

to dispatch the nest, but in the meanwhile, a desined Fest is given

to t hee, which indeedr ?s the P hi l osophers sai d, is moFe desinable

than any Iaboun.

Fon know that oun albiFication is no light work, being nadical,

Fon this will be indicim oF an altened and neduced body. Neithen

willgolds o@'evennetuFntoitspnistineFonm;FonFnom

a body it is made a and From a Fixt, volatile, by this opetr-

-gg!51!.q,
ation. TheneFone be wholly intent in dealbating Laton, Fon it is

eas ien to make Go l d . Then so to destFoy i t, Fon he that di ss olves sor

congeals it nathen, Fon the solution oF the $!y, and the coagulation

of the !g!g!;! ane coincident in it.

But considen you Sons oF Wisdom, and note these mysteries; that

which dissolves is a spirit, but that which coagulates is a body.

ThereFone iF you would dissolve yout- body, Finst oF aI1, you have

64.
need oF a spir-itual substance, because a body cannot dissolutively

enten a body, but a spinit enteneth it, altennating and naniFying;

and because you nequine Waten, theneFone you have need oF wateF to

manifest this; Fon eveFy agent exeFcising any Act upon anything

assimilates that on which it acts to itselF (as fan as it can be

done) and eveFy'natunal efFect is confonmed to the Natune oF the

eFFicient, theneFone to dnaw waten out of the Eanth you have need oF

Waten.

I don't mean (as some badly think) by Waten, AquaFontis, Aqua

Regis, and othen connosivesrwhich common alehemists antiFicially

compound to themselves, and put them to dissolve these metallic spec-

ies, which yet they dontt dissolve, but connode, Foul and coFnupt,

F or wh o would believe th at those w ateFs can destnoy the ol d Fonm oF

the metal, unden consenvation oF a metallic species, which yet them-

selves at.e g',.!!g Fnom a metallic nature? Fon they aFe not suFFic-

ient enough to destnoy thonoughly the species! EIse they would con-

veFt them into thein own natune? But as Fan as; they can, they do

tnansFonm them into some sondid thing; Fon the moFe bodies aFe connod

ed, the mone they at-e estnanged Fnom a metallic natune.

But out'Waten is Waten oF Meneuny, and dissolves bodies into

m eF c ut - y , and insepanably is j oi ned w i th them, bei ng di ssol vedr co-

habit at e s and is c o n c o c te d, that Fnom them may be made that one all-

s pinit ual th i n g which is sought. Fon evenythi ng that anything nat -

unally dissolves, (th a t sl o the speci es oF the thi ng di ssol ved m ay

be pne s e n v e d J re m a i n s wi th the thi ng di ssol ved, mateFi al l y and Fon-

m enI y , and does coalesce, and is i nspi ssated by i t, and nou r - ishes it ,

as a body may see in a gnai n oF w heat, w hi ch bei ng di ssol ved by a

t eF nene h u mi d vapoun, thi s vapour- nemai ns w i th thi s gnai n aFt en

c l 3.
dissolution Fon its nadical humidity, and coaleses with it into a

plant. Anothen thing al so will be to be obsenved in eveny natunal

dissolution, which sense such like dissolution, is the enlivening

oF the dead thing, can be done by nothing else than that living

thing which was oF the essence oF the dead thing beFone it was

dead; as in a gnain the life is dead as tI may sayJ which we would

have viviFiad; this can be done theneFone by nothing else but the

vapoun oF the Eanth, the humidity and ggfi!l$4 oF the ain, Fon that

the gnain itselF wae extracted out oF the Eanth, and Fonmenly tvas

nothing else but such like vapoun which aFtenwands became dead by

Decoction, theneFoFe, by this alone natunally to be viviFied, unden

the eonsenvation oF its

-@..
TheneFonc I wnite this, bccause so many and sio leanned men aFe

Ero mueh deceived with that vulgan meFeuny, Fon although it is a min-

enal wateF, yet not oF a like natuFe on essence with gold. Fon who

will not conFess, that iF a gnain oF Wheat be cast into a pool oF

ryaten, it will not genmi nate noF incnease Iyet bull-nushes aFe wont

to vegetate there) whence is this I pnay? Except the Aquaous hum-

oun rras not essential to it, neither oF a- like Natune with the Wheat;

wheneFone it doth not natunally dissolve it, but destnoys it; not

othenways Gold iF it be mixed to be decocted with common quicksilven,

o'.anyothenmeFcu1.y.ExceptaloneoFitsown@.Y''itdothnot

neceive a dissolution in them, to wit, because these water-s being

too cnude, cold and unclean, aFe oF a Fan unlike natuFe with gold;

wheneFone in these matuned into a Fan moFe noble penFection, than

its Natune. TheneFone at length our- meFcur-y is not vulgan meFcuny,

fon it is a pure water, clean, clean, bnight and nesplendent, and

wot'thy oF much admination; it is cnude, cold and immatune, iF com-

t)E .
PaFed with SoI, but in nespect oF common meFcur-y digested, wanm and

matuner which has no qualitieE Iike to this, except alone in white-

ness oF coloun, and oF its Fonm oF Flux in which notwithstanding

thene is a gFeat diFFenence. But lastly that you may well unden-

stand what ouF waten is, by cineumstances, r terl thee (and that

moved with Chanity) that it is a living, nunning, clean, shining,

white like snou,, hot and moist, ainy, vaponous, and digesti.g, in
which gold is melted like iee in wanm ryaten, in this is contained

the whole negimen oF Fine and sulphur which exist but pnedominates

not. This is indeed the Keepcn oF oun Gates, the Bath oF the King
and his Queenr daily wanming and that incessantly, and yet is taken
elsewhene then Fnom the matter', and is distinguished Fnom the whiten-
ing Eubstance oF the wateFr yet joined and appeaFing, under the same
Fonm of Flux, and the same coloun.

This is that haat oF the Lamp, which iF it be tempeFate, eveny

day wil l cincumact thc mattEr-, (until by calcination the humidity
being dnied) a second Fine oF ashes is pnoduced, in which the vesser
ol- wateF is henmctieatly shut and sealed, acconding to the saying oF
the Philosophen - take a vessel stFike it with a swoFd, take its liFe
this iE closune. ThereFone this our- waten is oun vessel, and in that
ouFFunnace dwells secnetly, whose Fine ought to be modenate, Iest
the whole wonk be destnoyed, yet stnong cnough lest the life dispond
Fon want oF heat. TheneFone in this Waten the whole secFet oF ouF
vessel consists, also the stnuctut.e oF the hidden Funnace is Founded
in the composition oF this wateF, in the knowledge wheneoF all ouF
Fines, all oun weights, all oun negimens lie hid. This !flateF is the
crean, bnight Fountain in which oun !l1g is to be washed, t hat he may

ovencome all his enemies, oF this tirateF and its pr.epanation be caFe-

67.
Ful, because sunely without any othen help except the apposition oF

a perFect punged and cleansed body, natuFe wilI make Fnom hence oun

most secnet Stone.

And I say to thee in tFuth, that this waten is minenal, pune

and cl eanr itsither can it be extnacted elsewhene, but out oF those

things alone in which it is by Natune, and the things out oF which

it is immediately dnawn aFe most secFet above all othens. Also the

means oF extFacting it is most wondenFul. Also its vintues stupend-

ious. Fon it doth dissolve Sol without violence, and is made Fniend-

ly to it, and it washeth him Fnom all his Foulness; it is white,

waFm and clear; theneFone pnaised be the most High, who hath cneat-

ed this meFcul'y and given it a natuFe ovencoming all othens. Fon

ceFtainly the wonk oF Alehemy would be in vain and useless, without

this wateF. But consider thou what this waten is, and leann Fnom

the work as I have done. Fon having this meFcur-y thou hast the key

oF the whole AFt, with which thou mayest unlock all the most secr-et

things oF philosophens. TheneFone ouF waten is oF a like natur-e

with gold oF an unlike substance, in the making oF which t hene is

a gFeat stink. Considen thenefone and deeply weigh the possibility

of Natune, and do not mix any hetenogeneous thing; Fon natune is

only amended by its own netuFe, and by no othen.

But iF you do not yet undenstand, do not blame flr Fon I have

sincenely (as Fan as it is lawFul Fon a man to speak) expounded to

you the whole matteF; that theneFone you may undenstand the conclu-

sion oF the matten, be ver-y attentive. Oun Stone is made out oF

one thing, and Foun mencunial substances (wheneoF one is matut-e,

the Fest cnude, but pune, oF which turo ane dnawn out oF a minenal

by t he Thind, but w o n d e n ful l y j oi ned w i th a temper-ate, not violent

68.
Fine, and so cocted eveny day, until all be made one by a natunal

conjunction most secFet, not manual.

AFtenwands the Fine being ehanged, let it be digested with a

Fine daily incneased, at Finst mone modenate, and so eveny day in-

cneasedunti1thesevoIatiIesaneFixedbya.@'oftheinown

kind, Fixt and incombustible, until the whole compound possess the

same natuFe, Fixity and coloun. Fon then it securely nesists the

Fine, and this is the most powenFul poweF oF poweF, oveFcoming eveFy

subtile and penetnating eveFy solid thing; the vintue oF which being

turned into Eanth appeans complete.

But thene aFe, that I may descnibe the thing panticularly, mani-

Fold degnees oF this oun pnocess, in Numben Twelve, all whieh I wiIl

bnieFly nun over-. The Finst wheneoF is called Calcination.

OF CALCINATION.

And calcination is the Finst puFgation oF the stone, the exsic-

cation oF the humidity, by the vintue oF the natunal heat of out-

Waten, Fnom whence the composition is tunned into a calx on powden

oF a black colounr yet unctuous, and r-etaining the nadical humidity.

The final causer oF this calcination is tha-t the s_9fg$9g may be

the betten induced to the !.1!g, which without this cannot be had;

Fon gold is a ver'y Fixt body r Frithen can it be immediately dissol-

ved by oun ryateF, except only in paFt, that is, be made soFt, 1!g!-

ated and albificated; in which albiFication two natul.es appeaF, vol-

atil and Fixed; which u,e liken to tyro dnagonsr or senpents. Whene-

Fone that a FulI dissolution may be made, thene is need oF contnit-

ion, that the body by calcination may be made spongious and viscous

69.
because then at last it is Fit Fon dissolution.

The second Final cause is this, that we neconcile contnany qual-

ities, Fon whilst they Figh.t, they aFe unpnoFitable unto us; Fon in

the Finst conjunction one wateF distinguishes between sulphun and

meFcunyr volatile and Fi xt, and these aFe enemies to one anotheF,

and diFFenent things, but it is our- paFt to bning them to a union,

but contFany qualities ane not neconciled, but by a medium; thene

anE theneFone in oun Finst opeFation Foun contFany qualities, heat,

cold, dnyness and humidity, oF which two, hot and dny, aFe attFibuted

to sulphun, cold and humid to meFcur-y, theneFone they aFe opposed

diametnically, the heat oF sulphun and the cold oF mer-cut-y, also

the humidity oF meFcut'y, and the siceity oF sulphun; to neduce these

contnanies to Fniendship cannot be done without a medium, but the

medium muEt be pantaken oF both, also suited to both. Would we thene.

Fore neconcile cold and heat, the medium will be by siccity, which

may be joined to both heat and cold; by tunning thereFone the com-

position into eanth, heat and cold agnee in this thind thing, that

they may dwell togethen, to wit, the degnee being abated, but aFten-

wands being dissolved into water', also two othen enemies aFe necon-

ciled siccity and humidity by Fnigidity oF wate!-r so that now one is

made two by the conjunction, made aften a netunal sepaFation. But

the eFficient oF this calcination is, the openation oF heat upon

moistune, tunning eveFything that nesists it into most subtle powden,

but the moving instnument is the Fine contFany to natune, stinring

up heat in the body, and digesting the humidity into a viscous and

unctuous powden. But that this openation is pnion to dissolution

take these neasons; it is pnion, because a centain solution is made

(as I may so say) by oun Oivine Water. TheneFone the congea lat ion

70.
 oF oun sPiFitr will be expected in the next place, because spinits
aFe arways congeared aFten the dissorution oF the body; Fon they
have the same openation, such theneFone as the solution is, such
the congealation is to be expeeted aFten it.

Then the onden oF Natune nequines this, Fon a woman exenciseth

hen dominion Finst, then it is necessany to be ovencome by hen hus-
band, but the woman netains hen whole dominion in the waten; this
theneFore witl be the Fi nst wonk, oF the man exeFting his power- to

ovencome thatr in which the woman possesseth both hen qualities,

which being done, he will easily subject to himselF that, in which

she hath only one quality.

Lastlyr heat is not conseguentially joined necessanily to any

quality, but siccity wilt always be the end oF heat; Fnom whenee
it aPPeaFsr that the man ought Finst to exent his power, theneFone
calcination is the head oF the wonk, Fon without this, will neithen
be commixtion oF union, this theneFone is to be done in the Finst
days oF thy Stone, Fon in the Finst dealbation, the body is neduced
into its Finst pninciples, sulphun and mer-cur-y, oF which the Finst
is Fixed, the othen volatile, theneFone aFe compared to two seFpents,
on onagons, the one winged, showing its volatile natune, the othen
without wings, denoting Fixity, both these coming Fnom one Fountain,
tends to oner thing, theneFone is likened to a seFpent taking his tail
in his mouth to show that surphun is nothing without the substance
oF meFcuryr noF mencuny without the substance oF sulphun, but that
this Mencunial Sulphun and sulphuneous meFcut-y, penFect the whole
AFt. TheneFone it is desenvedly called one composition, that although
it aPPeans twoFold in the beginning oF the wonk, whence it is calIed
nebis, Yet by eonjunction they may be made one and the same, and this

71
is called one EIixin, which nevet'would be possible unless they

wene quite oF the same natuFe. TheneFone the natune oF sulphun and

mencur-y is diligently to be obsenved, and we must take caFe oF et'n-

or-s, Fon these two ane not contFany things, but one and the same

sulphuneal mencuFy, matuFe and digested, and mencunial sulphun,

cnude and immatune. TheneFone the Oivine Kind oF Genenation will

be necessary to be obsenved, to wit, how Natune has openated in

pnocneating metallic bodies in the mines unden the Eanth, because we

do all things in ouF wonk in imitation theneoFr s neaF as can be,

theneFone yre choose the same matteF which she hath made use oFr al-

though Ant hes Found out a Fan moFe subtile way to the abbneviation

oF thc wonk, and the moFe than penFect exaltation of the Stone. Fon

in metsllie veins, ona thing alone is Found, vlz. Mencuny, which is

vcf-y crudc and fnigid, and in which the sulphunial quality altogether

is inactiva, also no di' gestive heat is Found thene, but by an impen-

ceptablc motion aFten a long time, by little and little this metallic

pninciple is changed, until at last it be convented into f ixed sul-

phun; Fon that whilst it Femained Fnigid and humid it was called

mencuFy, in this elenation on excitation, it is named sulphun.

But the matter- is othenwise in this oun Wonk; fon besides mencuFy

cnude and cold wE! have anothen thing, to wit, matuFe gold, in which

moFe active qualities exist. This theneFone ure join to our- meFcur-y,

in which passive qualities aFe Found that the one may nelieve the

othen and that which Natune helped by no heat hath digested in the

minesr wB having a double Fine, digest, whence it comes to pass that

we dontt make simply gold, but some othen thing much mol.e noble and

excellent than goId.

You see th e n e F o n e w hat sul phun i s, w hat meFcur-y; how a lso ur e

7?.
have a double sulphun and a double meFcuny in ouF Ant, which yet

ane not distinet in esisence, but in matunity and penFection; also

you undenstand, as I think, aFten what mannen they ane wonked, since

the penFect body oF gold is incnudated by ouf- divine waten not wet-

ting the hands, and it is not without sulphun, panticipating of the

natunes of thc luminanies, theneFone in this openation the woman as;-

cends upon the man, and pnedominates oveF him fon a time, which in-

deed is unnatural, titl the man begins to exeFt his pou,eF, and then

Finst of all by his siccity-bninging heat, does exsiccate the humid-

ity oF the womn, by conventing all into a most subtile and viscous

powder , Fnom which powden by solution, wateF is aFtenwands dissolved,

in which wateF is the spinit oF the dissolvent and dissolved, the

man and the woman aFe joined together. But the excited heat doth not

hene Find a boundl but as yet wonks evet-y day by sepanation, by dis-

tinguishing batween the subtile and the gFoss, that the Finst may

swim at the top, the latten may subside so long till all aFe oF the

same quality, and then at length in the houn of thein nativityl they

ane insepanably conjoined, and the man ascends upon the woman, and

impnegnates hen; at length she bnings Fonth the cloud which she hath

conceived, in which she putnifies and is connupted, and aFtenwands

both oF them ascend on anise again glonious, not now divided, but

m adeone a n d th e 3 a m e b y c o n j u n c ti o n,andaFesocoaguIated' @

cibated and e1.g_!_!gd., into a most penFect natune and multipl ied in

weight and goodness on quality, acconding to youn discnetion; whose

excellent use will be pnovedr ds well in pnojection as in medicine.

TheneFone these black and stinking ashes ane not to be dispised,

since in them the Diadem of out King is contained, and I tell you

in alI tr-uth, that whiteness will never- be had unless you make it

73.
black Fon unless the body putniFies it will nemain without Fnuit,

but iF it be connupted then indeed thou shalt see them anising

fnom thence, whene it seemed they had lost thein bodies which they

had, and they witl appeaF that which they neven *"""TFone. Hon-

oun you theneFone the sepulchne oF oun King, Fon unless you do this,

you shall neven admire him coming Fnom the East. TheneFone you must

take caFa that you dontt eFF in this finst entFance, Fon t he wonk

is spoiled unless you bc wany hene. The common eFFons in this open-

ation aFe many and vanious, Finstly, oF them who know not what is

to be calcined, but seek the pninciple oF Gold making in extFaneous

things" Somc bning in Fon thein matenial pninciple those things

which aFe not oF the same imposition with metals, such ar-e Bonax,

AlIoms, AttFement, Vitniol, Ansenick, seeds oF plants, wine, vinegan,

unine, hain, blood, gums, and the nosins oF the Eanth; some do en-

deavour (such is theiF blockishness) to geneFate salts oF eveFy kind,

out oF the Flame, I paEs by these, undenstanding nothing at all in

Metals, yet desine to penFect calcination, eitheF with connosive

wateFsr spinit of salt, sulphun on Fine, and do indeed connode the

bodies, not calcine them. Fon this calcination is not made by the

native calidity of the Body, helped by a fniendly heat, but by a

connosive Fonee oF watens, without any pnopensity oF the metal to

it; theneFone metals ane Fouled and dissipated, and estnanged Fnom

a metallick natuFe, but not natunally calcined. TheneFone eveny cal-

cination, which is made elsewhene than in the penFect body oF gold,

is vain and unuseFul to our- wonk. Also eveny calcination oF Sol,

in which a dissolution, without laying on oF hands, does not Follow,

is F als e and vain.

TheneFone th i s o u t' cal ci nati on, is necessani l y to be made by

74.
Mencuny, which being joined to Gold (a due weight and pnopontion

both oF quantity and quality being obsenved) soFtens it and takes

away the solidity and incnudates it; and by this intennal heat, join-

ed with the outwands heat oF Vulcan, stins up that native heat of

the gold, which being stinned upr acts upon the humidity and exsic-

cates it into a subtile powden, viscous and black; and this is the

tnue key oF the wonk, to incnudate the gg;gg, by the eonjunction oF

an !!E_?.@, being incnudated, to calcine it, being calcined to dis-

solve it, philosophieally not vulganly.

The signs oF this oun calcination aFe thesc, Finst, aFten the

body shall be satiated with ggg, as soon as the Keepen oF the GateE

shall stin up the heat oF the bath, the waten begins to be obscured,

ot'that whieh was a splendid composition beFone, then it visibly

gt'ows tungid, and swells, aseanding and descending continually, until

the whole at last become a viscous a4d Fat powden; in which it appear

that the humidity is consenved in this opeFation, othenwise the lab-

out'would be in vain. Fnom thence theneFone, it is easily nesolved

into minenal waten, which is the last and most ceFtain sign, that

oun ealcination has been tnue and philosophical, Fon as soon as the

heat begins to opeFate, the Fnigid and humid, being impatient thene-

oF, goes to the top, Fnom thence it melts and descends, and so ned-

ucethit'a3muchasmaybe,toitsowng!@;doingthisdaiIy

until at last the whole be nesolved into Fat, and as it u,ere glutin-

ous wateF; Fon so oun openations ane concatinated, that one is the

cause and beginning oF anotheFr hrithen can one be had oF undenstood

without anothen. 8ut w r that we may instnuct the Sons oF Ant moFe

Fully, and dnive away the unwonthyr s fan as may be Fnom this Ant,

do handre, as it u,ene, divens opeFations, when thene is but one ne-

75.
cipe, one thing, one negimen, and successive disposition to black,

white and ned, neither ane we to be undenstood otherwise. Whene-

Fone eveFyone that will tnuly be a Philosophen, should negand the

sense, not the letten of wnitens in this Ant. But that we may come

to oun tFue ar.e to be considened that

""rJ]Io., "a"=" "hings
FoIlow. Finstly, that thou should get out- Mencuny, without which,

nothing iE done in this Ant; see then that thou be not deceived in

that common Mencuny, which is altogethen unuseFul to oun wonk, Fon

iF thou wonk in it to thy dying day, thou wilt Find nothing in it.

Secondly, thou must take cane, that the Fine oF the Funnace be

not too intense, but let it be clibanically measuned, which that

thou maist FuIly understand, know, that the sulphun which pnedomin-

ates not in the Mencuny oF Waten digests the matten, which togethen

with azoth is abundantly suFFicient Fon thee. Let not theneFone,

its intennal quality, confound the extennal Form, then be not sol-

icitous about the mannen of making the Fine, only have a cane that

it be not too gentle, Fon then thou wilt easily despond Fon want

oF heat, noF yet let it be oven violent, but of a modenate degnee,

acconding to the natune oF the Bodies, and exclusive oF cold; take

these things on the othen hand, concenning the intennal and natural

E, I call that intennal which incneaseth the wonk in the end.

Thindly, be caneFul oF the quantity that thou dost not put so

much to be dnunk by Laton, that he cannot aFtenwands eat, Fon iF

thou shalt put on too much, thene will be a sea oF tnouble, iF too

Iittle, it will be bunnt into smoke, be not theneFone covet ous or-

pnodigal, between the extnemes, keep a mean.

TheneFone, in joining the male with his Female, nememben that

it behoves the activity oF sulphun, to exsiccate the supenFluous

76.
humidity oF meFcuny, thereFone do not dnown the active with too much

cnude sPeFm, the woman will also desine to nule, theneFone do not

choak the humidity oF thy stone with too much eanth, but with dis-

cnetion mix it sweetly, and acconding to the exigence oF Natune,

Iest the vintue oF the stone be diminishedl make theneFone an amal-

94r not as the goldsmith does, with Four oF Five pants oF wateF, but

as the philosophens do, with a double oF treble to the last, but it

is betten, to take thneE to Foun then one to two, aince the solution

will be betten, because the calcination will bb mone natunal. Ftipley

witnesseth with ne rrthat by how much the moFe eaFth (says he) and Ies

wateF thou taker so much the betten solution shalt thou make." In

the Finst place theneFone, bewane that yout- Iand be not ovenwhelmed

with watFs, because thg Fine is hidden in thc eanth, which witl not

opeFEte iF thene be too much humid supenFluity; whence the eFFon wilt

be inconnigible, and the wonk vain.

Founthly, be eaneFul oF the closune of the vessel, rest the

spinits should Fty out and the wonk be destroyed. Keep theneFone

the vessel and its ligatune, noF look upon this to be oF little mom-

ent. Considen therefone man, who as he is genenated by Natuner so

also oun 99,,]51 is matuned by ant helped by NatuFe; theneFone considen

with how gneat caFe Natune has shut the womb oF a pFegnant !g,E,
lest anything should eithen get in oF pass out, othenwise the Foetus

would penish. With no less industny be thou cautious in penFecting

t his philosophieal wonk, l est thy l aboun be in vai n. H ean t heneFor e

the Philosophen, saying,'ftake a vessel and Fine, stnike it with a

swond r take the I iFe r this is the closune. r' Henmes says: rfrhe
-

vessel of the philosophens is thein wateF, and know Fon centain,

that the vErssrl oF Natune is only Fit Fon us in this Ant, whieh

77.
diligently is to be shut." Fon in Fonming the Embnio, thene ane

veny gFeat winds, which iF they should vanish we aFe undone; Fon

the eFt-or- is innepanable, whence the damage is most centain.

The wonk in the FiFth plaee is patience, that thou dontt dis-

pond oF study to make the solution too speedy, but Finmly believe,

that too much haste is the gneatest enemy to eonjunction, and hin-

dens it; Fot' the Body to b" !@.!59!, impentinently nubiFies ,

stinning up a Feaven, that is, a Fine against Natune. Whence being

struck as it ureFe with thc hammen oF Eleath, it becomes impentinently

passive Fnom active, and instead oF !!g!, it appear citnine, like

a wild poppy, but oun tt'ue calcination, consenves the nadical himid-

ity in the body to be dissolved, and it is Finished in no othen col-

oun but black, and becomes a discontinuous caIx, unctuous, Fat, and

Fit For @!g. Be theneFone patient, that thou maist obtain thy

desine, because you will have veFy much cause of dispain. When

thenefone we speak oF oun .9pg.1!i,9!9, do not think that wE! penFect

them in one on two daysr or see the colours or signs in the Finst

houn. No venily; but yve have expected much and long, till thene was

made an agFeemcnt betwixt contFaFy qualities, wheneFone Tnevesan

teaches in his pnaetice, who was a leanned and good man in this Ant,

that he staid in Pnison, that is, susipense oF mind and doubt, Fonty

days, but that he netunned aFtenwands and saw g.]g!g and mists.

Moneoven, iF thou should put gnain into good land, thou shalt not

look into the Eanth, by moving it eveny houn, that you may see, whe-

then, and how much it begins to incnease, iF you should do thisr you

could not expect a sweet vegetation, much Iess Fnuit Fnom thence.

So Foolish and insipid at.e they who as soon as even they have joined

the dissolvent with the dissolved, pnesently seek some signs oF the

7A.
oPenation, non can satisFy themselves, but they eithen move oF open,

on add, ot'detnact something, ot- at least incnease the Fine to acc-

elenate the wonk, and so by this means hinden the wonk oF Natune;

and theneFone do not attain the wished Fon ends. TheneFone attend

to my Doctniner ?s soon as thou hast pnepaned the matten, that is,

matuFe yellow sulphun, with his cnude white sulphun, and hast duly

espoused themr shut them up in a vessel and let them stand without

tnouble; iF thou nightly pnoceed, within ?4 houns, thou shalt see

thy compound swelling, and perhaps sending Fonth some bubbles, by

Feason oF the Heat oF thy EEg_l!g, stniving to excite the lleat

oF the included matten; but in the Finst entFance, thou shalt behold

the vaniation oF the colouns slowly, (as at least it will seem to

thee) because then the Keepen oF the Gates, necesranily sustains

many labours, because whateven is done, he alone then does it, be-

cause the Bath is not yet pnepaned, that is, the natuFal heat oF

the King, is not yet stinr-ed up.

But when the Bath is made hot, oun housekeepen shall sustain but

Few Iabouns, and the openations will be easily to be distinguished.

TheneFore let the Sons oF this Ant know Fon centain, that the Finst

coloun that will appean, aften the silven coloun oF the amalgama oF

the body will not be penFect black, fon this colour does not come

in a moment, but eveFy day the moFe the whiteness is diminished,

the moFe blackness will supeFvene, until at last it be compleated.

Fon blackness is a sign oF a dissolved body, which is not made in

one houn, but Iittle by little, but incessantly; Fon the tincture

pnoceeding Fnom th= glg of sol and Luna, shews itselF black to

the eyes, but is extnacted insensibly, and impenceptibly. TheneFone

the coming oF blackness and the depanture oF the tinctune, out oF

20
the bowels oF the dissolved body, is the same measune and tenm oF

!!g, because as soon as the tinctune is wholly gone out, so soon

the blackness wiII be penFect and absolute. Concenning thisr.hean

what Ludus Puenonum srays: t'Finst, by how much the mone thou decocts ,

so much moFe thou subtilizeth the gnoss, and blackens the compound.?r

And Bennand Tnevesan saith:- rrThe Earth oF the Fest beginning to

pnedom inate, the blackness oF the element appeaFs, but does not ob-

tain his dominion but by little and little."

To Finish in a wond, thene aFe only Foun pninciple colouns, the

Finst wheneoF is blackness, and that most slow in coming, and long-

est in duration, which iF it u,ene made penFect by a momentaFy in-

gnessl the wonk would be most expeditious, Fon it should not penish

moFe slowly than it came, and ncmain in the top oF blackness Fon an

hour; For thene is no intenEtitium in these opeFations;, but it in-

eneaseth to the height oF ons !.3ElEr dt which it no soonen annives,

but dacneases again, theneFore it ascends slowly Fnom it but thene

is not a moment in which it doth not ascend on descend, Fon nothing

nesteth but in its end, but blackness is not the end oF ouF stone,

et'go, etc.

How then shall blackness appean? To wit, even as night comes,

Fon Finst the twlight, at last Dank Night, and that by inscnutible

degnees, eveny moment thene being less Iight in the ain than anothen,

until at last there be no light at all, then it is deep night, but

all this is wont to be within an hounr yet the motion is inscnutible;

but oun wonk because it nequines a longen time, the motion must needs

be moFe impenceptible. Thou theneFone that seekest this, considen

the example pnoduced, and thou shalt have thy answen.

O b j e c ti o n . Bu t a F te n the Fi nst exci tati on oF the matten, t he

80.
tinctune goes out eveny houn and moment, but the coloun oF the Tin-

ctuFe going out, is blackest blackness, theneFone aFten the Finst

stinning up oF the matten, blackest blackness is oF the Tinctune

gone out, but not oF the going out, or- iF sor yet it goes out in-

scnutibly, but insensible blackness, although most bIack, when it

goes i nto much white, will not maniFest the blackest blackness in

the whole Compound, but a whitish coloun, but iF so be the subject

oF whiteness, be not subtile and weII depunated, even as this white

is now, then its tinctune in its Finst egt^essi, is not compleatly

b1ack, $! it obtains this by a putneFaetion, which is not a bane

egness_ oF the tinctune, and the extFacting waten, that is between

sulphun and meFcuny. Concenning this thing hean the saying oF Mon-

iens, "Out'openation is nothing elser but an extFacting oF waten

out oF its eanth, nonthat only, but a netunning oF the wateF upon

the eanth, until the eanth putneFy.r' TheneFone the tinctune is not

altogethen black oF itselF, but most white, because by how much.the

moFe the tinctune goes out, which is the soul, by so much the mone

the Eanth which is the Body, is dis-spinited, and so it putneFies

and blackens. How long time then, must we! expect, beFone it be peF-

Fectly black? In this thing attend to what Flammel says:-'rThe col-

oun which thou ought First to see is blackness and that not eveny but

most black, and that within the space of Fonty days.'f Also Flipley

says:- "SuFFen the commixt, and coequated natunes to lie togethen

six weeks, which time expect with a slow Fine." When the colouns

die they will show it, fon at that time they will boil like liquid

pitch, and wiIl putneFy. And Bennand in l.,i= panable says, r'The King

putting oFF his splendid nobes, gives the silken oners to $!g,

being croathed in brack, which he netains Fonty days." Arl this

81.
undeFstand oF blackness in its height, which is plain Fnom the above

nepeated wonds of Flammel, but a moFe nemiss blackness will appeaF

sooneF; so the Scala Phil osophonum says:- "Within sixteen days in

the degnee oF putneFactionr 6h easie Fine being kept, the matteF wilt

be continually covened with blackness." And this eithen Iaten on

sooneF, according to the ingenuity oF the openatoF, in adapting the

mattens. But whethen will intenmedial colouns appeaF, in a Pnogness,

Fnom white to blackr s in the pFogness Fnom black to white? It

seems 3or beeause thene is no tnangition Fnom one extFeme to anothen,

unless by mediums; and we answeF that they so appeanr although indeed

conFusedly, and some in Eome wonks will appeaF in a pnogFess to the

height oF blackness, which penhaps will not appean in anothen, be-

cau=te they aFe only accidental colouns; but not altogethen the same,

bctwixt the Finst whiteness and blackness, which aFe between this,

and ultimats whiteness, becauEe thcne is not the same Feason oF

matteF; in the Fonmen the thick tennestial matter- was to be bunned

and puniFied, but in thiE work the matteF is mone spinitual and pune;

theneFone in a puFe on depunated subject in a pFogness Fnom the ex-

tnemity oF blackness to the extnemity oF whiteness, and intenmedial

colouns will be much moFe clean and adminable than those whieh app-

eaned in an eanthly subject. But in both pnognesses they will appeaF,

in the Fonmen tnansition, between the extFemes, obscuFeF, fewen and

Foulen; in the IatteF, mone, moFe shining and splendid, witness the

philosophen:- ?faFten the heighth of blaekness, beFone whiteness, in

the houn oF conjunction gt'eat minacles will appean; Fon whateven col-

ouns could be thought on in the whole wonld then will be conspicuous."

And Bipley says: - "In our- wonk colouns will appelaF, than which neven

m one Fa in appeaned . ?r Also beFone penFect blackness the intenmedial

8e.
colouns will show themselves, witness the Philosophen, who painting

the colouns oF the dragons, saith: 'rThey aFe blackr yellow and azut-e,

and these intenmedial colouns, says he, denote that thy confections

aFe not yet penFectly putt'iFied. In a wond, the vanious colouns in

dying, will appeaF moFe obscune, but then a few, and this beFone

blaek night "gElgEj.!3.199" the whole honizon. But in nising again,

veFy many and veFy splendid ones will at-ise, because the body now

begins to bc gloniFied, and the light to pnedominate over- the dank-

ness and this in a depunated, and spinitual subject. But in what

onden will these FoneEaid colouns appean?

This tnuly cannot be detenmined, because they ar-e vanied many

weys, but the betteF the juice oF the wateF oF liFe shall be, the

betten the signs shall appcan.

The onden oF the Four pnineiple colouns is descnibed by all, but

no one can detenmine the ondeF oF the accidental ones, Iet it suFFice

thee iF within Four-ty days thou hast a complete blackness, don?t

mind othen things much, but it is good to attend, Fon blackness is

finst especially desinable, and though othens appeaF, unless thou

seest this without doubt thou hast enned. But as I said, othen col-

ouns aFe not to be despised, except the veneneal, ol. impenFect ned,

whieh iF it appears beFone blackness, is to be suspected, especially

when the siccity oF the Eompound, and discontinuity oF the pants

accomPany it, I say this pnecipitation is a Fatal index to the open-

atoF oF his lost time. This same thing the philosophen witnesses,

saying:- 'r A vehement Fine hindens conjunction, and tinges white,

with the coloun oF the wild poppy." And FIammeI in his hienoglyph-

ical Figunes says:- "Unless thou shalt behold, the blackest black

oF black whateven othen coloun thou seest, thou aFt in the way oF

93.
ennoF; but especially a neddish coloun is to be suspected, Fon iF

thou seest thatr thou hast bunnedr otr ant bunning, the lively vintue

oF the Stone.'?

But I must stay no longen in these things, since one wateF does

all thisr so that the intennal compound, continually be nuled, with

exteFnal heat; neithen is thene anything in the whole wonk moFe u,on-

denFul, than this oun waten, which I have Fully deEcnibed above, to

which place I send thee back.

Con c e n n in E S o lu t io n .

And the dissolution oF out' Stone is the neduction oF it into its

Finst mattet', the maniFestation of the humid, and the extnaction oF

natuFes, Fnom thein pnoFundity, which is finished by bninging them

into a minenal waten. This openation is oF no light wonk on moment,

Fon how hard it is, those that have toiled in it can attest.

FINTS

44.
 TRACT
THETHIRD.
TueFourrnlr oF CuynIcAL
Pnrr-osopny.

f will divide the whole oF the Ant into these paFts: The Finst

shall contain things substantially and essentially constituting the

wonk. The Second the disposition oF them the things essentially

constituting the Stone, ane a !gg!y on Matune Sulphunr or ned Bnass

and watenr or immatune Mencunvr or white Bnass, to which a vessel is

added, a Funnace and Tniple Fine. The Oisposition oF these things,

considens the Weight and the Flegimen. The Pondus is two-Fold, the

Flegimen two-Fold, those things which penFect these oper-ations aFe

Calcination, Dissolution, Sepanation, Conjunction, PutneFaction, Eis-

tillation, Coagulation, Sublimation, Fixation, and Exaltation, oF

which the two Finst at.e made espeeially by a tempeFate Incombunent anl

altening ignition of the Fine, heating the Kingrs Bath and changing

him Finst into a subtile viscous Eanth, discontinued black and stink-

ing, then into Minenal Waten, divensely colouned, and this is called

a Fine against Natune. The thnee sepanations which Follow ane made

Fnom the combining oF the Finst and thind Fine, to wit, oF the Natuna

and contFa-natunaI, which being so joined together, make an unnatunal

Fine by cineulating the matten eveny day, and sepanating the moFe

subtile Fnom the thick, till aII be oF the same Tempenament, and then

eonjoining the things sepanated, impnegnating them, and so putniFying

them.

T he F i v e .Ia s t o p e n a ti o ns al .e made by the Fi ne oF N atune; daily

inc neas i n g and p n e d o m i n a ti ng, w hi ch Fi nst ci ncumacts the pu t neFied

m at t en daily and c l e a n s e th it Fnom Fi l th, by an oFten ascension and

85.
descension, which theneFone is called Oistillation, VolatLzation,

Ablution, MundiFication, Cohobation, Imbibition, Cibation, Humectat-

ion oF the Eanth, and this is done so long by the heat, until the

Siccity begins to eoagulate, which is called Inspissation, which by

a longen Coction, on sublimation, bnings a Fixity, whose Bound is

Exaltation; this is not the change oF an inFenion place, fon the

Supenion, but oF the most vile thing, to make the most Noble.

These aFe alI oun openations and suceessive Oispositions, which

by siome ane called so many Regimens, which name iF any one had nather

impose, he may; howeven know thene is only a double Fine, natunal

and against Nature, of which the latten acts Finst, because the other

is not bnought to light, but by this, and PutneFaction must go beFone

Flegenenation; and when these two Fight with onc anotheF, they make

an unnatuFal Fine, and Fnom this contention nises putneFaet ion; and

aFter this is a glonious Fegenenation in which the $,,!g$g and wateF

become one thing, and also neceive a congealation, Fnom no Fine but

a NatunaI.

TheneFore ouF Body which is commonly called Tenna Lamnia, penfecl

the whole work; but it can in no wise be moistened but in its own

Waten, which Waten is tFuly pluvial, not such as the common people

know to getr but out's, wlrich none even saw, but a tFue philosophen,

believe me Fon I speak the tFuth. Fools know how to extnact many

watens, to wit wetting the hands, but oun Waten is the LiFe oF all

things about which thou must take pains, then neithen So1, non Luna

will be wanting to supply thee with Fliches. But I wilt tell thee,

and that FaithFully, what kind oF waten this is, it is the wateF oF

S aI t Pe tn e , which is k n ow n as Mencuny, but in the heant a puFe inf en

nal Fi n e ; but have a c aFe thou be not decei ved by Quicksilven, but

86.
undenstand that Mencuny, which the netunning Sun dufuseth evenywhene

in the Month oF March. Gathen thou it in the Month oF Octoben, be-

cause then sunely it is Found nipe, and the most pneeious Tneasune

in the whole wonld.

But that I may desc nibe oun Mencuny to thee, out- Flain Waten so

that thou mayst Find it, know that it is befone the eyes oF the wholr

wonldr that yet anG ignonant theneoFr or at least, does take the vul.

gaF Fon itr and detunpates it with vanious tontunes, but neglects oul

tFue Meneuny in its season, theneFone it neveF penFects out- Magisten:

Fon the common Alchemists do look upon it with a blue look, whence

it comes to pass that they sconn it; but it astonisheth the sons oF

leanning with its splendoun, and is gneatly accounted oF by them,

theneFong it is a vile thing, and yet the most pneeious, which no

one is eveF contemncd r{ithout a gneat judgement of God.

But thou when thou Eeest it, dontt despise it because it wiII

aPpeaF vctt'y dinty, and iF thou theneFone despise it, thou shalt be

depnived oF the Magisteny, but iF thou dost gneatly esteem this con-

temptible thing, then indeed it shaII seem glonious, having changed

its countenance; Fon oun Waten is a most clean vingin, and is loved

by many, but she meets all hcn wooeFs, cloathed in sondid gaFments,

that by this means she may distinguish philosophens Fnom Fools, Fon

whosoeven shall behold nothing but exteFnally, wiII scor-n him as un-

wonthy oF such a Eect-et, since whones show themselves to thein wooer-s

dnessed in splendid gaFments, but this chaste and most pr-ecious Maid

seems outwandly Foul, but is inwandly Fain, which indeed cheats many

Fools. But whatsoeveF mental man, can see the Spinit whic h lies hid

unden the patent body wiII not esteem hen little, also oun Vingin

look upon him as a Fniend, and putting oFF hen Filthiness, will

e7.
shine most amiable, whom then none but a FooI but must admine and

rove, Fon she will bestow upon him imFinite Fliches, and penFect

hearth. TheneFone honoun ye this Femare, the sisten and Wife oF

ouF King, to whom iF you be assistant in putting oFf hen dregs, she

will get most splendid gaFments Fon henselF, and bestow inFinite

niches upon thee.

ThenaFone this oun Queen is crean above measune, whom iF you

shall beholdr you will think you look upon a centain Heavenly Body,

Fon she is indeed the Heaven ot. the FiFth Essence oF Philosophens,

whose bnightness you cannot imagine, unless you see it; believe me

Fon I have Eeen hen snowy splendoun with my eyeei, touched with my

hands, then which nothing can be thought fainen. Oun Waten is then

tnuly Pontick, senene, chnistaline, puFe and clean, which is not so

in its Natune as we make it by oul- Ants, and its out- Sea, oun Hidden

Fountain, out oF which oun Gold natunalry is eneated, when yet it

pneFens itselF to gold, and conguens it, and in the houn oF its Nat-

ivity, Gold is joined with it, and is washed in it, and both incnease

togethen into a Stout Heno, which neithen Ceasan non the Pope can bu)

with Moncy. TheneFone with all thy strength get this wateF, oF whicr

an Ounce is wonth above a Thousand pounds, because by this alone,

without any othen laboun, cxcept the addition oF a penFect clean,

PuFe bodyr thou maist penFect oun most Honouned Stone, to which no

Tneasune in the lrlonld can be equaled.

But thene is need oF pnoFound meditation beFone thou canst con-

ceive ouF Sea, to wit, its Flux and nEFlux; but iF thou be ditigent,

by the help oF God, thou shalt obtain thy desine: r Fon my pant,

aFten I knew the Fietd in genenal, whene this ou.- Secnet Fountain

did punl r Yet I did not leann to get it out, tiII aFten a yeaF and

88.
a halF, giving myselF to daily study and pnoFound contemplations,

because the Fieny Funnace oF the wise men lay hid Fnom me long; but

aFten I knew this, and how it was Fitted to its pf'opeF vessel, aFten

a Few days I beheld the adminable bnightness oF ouF Waten, which

being seen I could not but be amazed, Fon as in the pnactice so it

is in the theony, and on the contFaFy; fon he that exactly knows

the Magisteny oF this Wateni no wonds on secnets oF the philosophens,

sayings, wnitings, on enigmas, will be concealed Fnon him; so whoso-

eveF hath once made up out'waten, nothing nemains to be done, but

to cast in a clean Body in a just quantity, shut the Vessel and so

let it stand, till the complement oF the Wonk. But we have anothen

twofold Fine, which thou shalt easily knowr tss sroon as thou hast

leanned this Finst; but that we may FetuFn to the Waten, in which

believe ma the rhole sccFat consists, which wateF although it be one,

yet is not simple but compound, to wit oF thc vesssl and Fine oF

Philosophens to which a third is added, namely the Bond. When thene-

Fone we speak oF out. Vessel, undenstand oun Waten, when oF the Fine,

in like manneF undenstand waten and when we dispute oF the Funnace

we would have nothing divenser or divided Fnom the wateF. TheneFone

the Vessel is one!, the Funnace one, the Fine one, and all these aFe

one, to wit, blaten.

TheneFone the Fine digesteth, the Vessel whiteneth, and pene-

tnates, and the Funnace or- Bond encompasseth and includeth aI1, and

the Fine is Mencuny, the Vessel also Meneuny, lastly the same Funnaee

is Mencuny, and note well, thene is no fine in the whole wonk but

Mencuny, when notwithstanding, the Fine is maniFold, and t he u,aten

manifoldl theneFone as well Fine as waten is divensiFied by thein

Vintue, in the wonk; as in numberr so they agFee in one and the same

89.
genden, to yrit Mencuny. TheneFone oun Fine is Living, oun waten

Living, out'Vessel Living, oun Funnace Living, and all these ane

one. Know also deanest! that thene is only one thing in the whole

wonld, in the which this oun Mencuny is to be Found, it is of a like

essence with GoId, unlike the substance, by conventing the elements

wheneoF, thou shalt Find what thou seekest. Join the Heaven with

the Eanth, upon a Fine of Fniendship, and in the midst oF the Finm-

ament, thou shalt see !!ry, his bind. Oo not conFound the Natunes,

but divide them and join them again, and thou shalt neign in honoun

aII thy liFe; hean theneFone this gneat secr-et, in the Southenn

Coast is Found a vet'y high Mountain, veFy neaF to the Sun, which is

one oF the ggyEg, and highest but one; this Mountain of which we!

now speak is oF a veny hot tempenatuFe, because it is not Fan fnom

the Sun, and in this Mountain a vapoun or spinit is shut upr which

is highly necessaFy Fon oun Wonk; but it does not ascend unless it

be enlivenedr hEithen is enlivened unless the Eanth be digged knee

deep in the top oF the Mountain, but iF this be done, the Spinit or-

thin exhalation ascends, which being congealed by the Ain, dnop by

dnop, Funs into most clean Waten, ruanm like a s![, which is pnesent-

ly gathened, Fon it is the tFue Caduce oF Mercuny, with which he

wonks wondens; this is oun hfaten, our- Fine, out- Funnace, and it is

our- Mencuny, and not the vulgans; but the hot and humid liquon oF

the most puFe salt which we name Mencunyl because companing it with

the Sun, its immatune and Fnigid. Venily I say unto thee, except

the !]g!g[gy had created this Mencuny, the tnansmutation oF metals

wet'e impossible, because the Sun does not tinge unless it be tinged.

But he is not tinged but by this oun Waten alone. O! this blessed

humidity! which is the philosophical Heaven, whence wise men have

so .
dnawn thein inestimable Dainties! O, penmanent Waten! dissolving

and amending Solr eUn Nitre and wondenFul salt petFe! whose pnice

is inestimable yet it is little esteemed. TheneFone the thing is

vile and yet veny pnecious, whom out. SoI loves as his only Bnide,

whose vintue if the vulgan knew, they would not sell a dnachm Fon a

thousand ounces oF silven; Fon it is most pFecious gold, lively and

penetFating, thcreFone it tuFns the body of gold into a meen spinit,

and is joined in manFiager ES the Woman to the EggEg!, whose Fain-

ness SoI admines and nejoiees in hen, and Fon love kills his own

wiFe, and she moved with lova makes him alive, and is impnegnated

by him , conceives and gnows big, also bnings Fonth a Son a most Senen

King. O happy they who can go to this Fountain oF oun Waten! Fon

iF they shall dnink of it, and shall eat aFterwands a little piece

oF Fat flesh, they shall naign aE Pninces all thcin Life on the Eanth

ThsneFone the whole secrat oF ouF wonk consists in knowing this

out'Sea, which who eveF is ignorant oF, he hath long ago destined

his money to pendition, iF he does not spend any about this wonk.

For our OcEan dnaws its oniginal, Fnom ons Mountain and that a veFy

high one, as I have said above. But iF ascending to the top thou

digkneedeep,aGentainexhalationon@wil1ascend,which

will penFect the whole magistery, but thene nemains anothen secFet,

which thou aFt obliged not to be ignonant oF, that thou maist obtain

thy desine, to wit, how thou must dig in the Mountain, since that

the Eanth in the supenFieie oF the Mountain, is to be cut with no

blow, Fon such is his dnyness, that it is concneted by means oF heat,

into a substa'nce handen than FIint. Attend theneFone to this secnet,

in Satunnine olaces is found a centain henb called Satunnia. whose

br anc hes aPpeaF dny, but j ui ce abounds in the Foot, gathen t his henb

91.
togethen with the Foot and caFFy it with thee, until thou come to

the Foot oF the !gg!g!5, unden which by the Ministny oF Vulean,

thou shalt dig and buny the henb* which pnesently goes thnough the

pones oF the Mountain, by loosing the Eanth theneoF, then at length,

climbing to the top, thou shalt easily bone knee deep, and shalt

poun so much Fat and so much dny l{aten, that descending to the bot-

tom oF the Mountain it may wet the henb thene laid, which pnesently

being made moist, togcthen with the Waten, ascends like smoke, and

hunnies with it the spinit oF the Mountain, cannying it up with it,

which spinit is a Fieny vintue, mingling itself with the watel., and

inhabiting thenein, and it is the waten into which thou shalt cast

thy Bondr or the Vessel on Funnace; the spinit oF Satunnia is a

whitening Fume, and the vapoun oF the Mountain is Fine, and all

these aFe Finer so thou hast Satunnia a vegetable, Foyal and minenal

henb, by which with Fat Flesh is made such a bnoth, to which no dain-

ties in the wonld may be companed. Now thou hast the whole secnet

oF ouF Waten, descnibed under an enigmatical discounse, yet not so

obscurely but thou maist easily iF thou be diligent and leanned, by

contem plations and expeFiments penFect the wonk. Fon aIl these aFe

tnue mateFial pninciples of ouF Stone, besides which, nothing can oF

ought to enten, into ou|. wonk to wit, the King and the Waten, which

is the Bath oF the King, and know that our- Waten is a Vessel, as

ounKing is contained in it; and a Funnace as oun Fine is included

in it; and oun Finer s the Vintue or Spinit oF the Mountain inhabits

in it; Femaler s it contains the Vapoun oF Vegetable Satunnia, whicF

is veny Fniendly to Sol; and penetnates, whitens and moliFies him

and make him to cast out spenm; then the Fiery vintue which is shut

uP in the Waten begins to wonk upon oun Body so neduced, by wasting

9e.
it and moFtiFying, by bunning and putneFying on nather exciting to

these things until the innate heat oF SoI is dedueed fnom poweF to

act, which dealbates. coagulates. Fixeth and tingeth; and theneFone

out' Stone is called the Wonld because it contains both the Agent

and Patient in it. It is the moving and the moved, active and

passive, Fixt and volatile, matuFe and cnude, one wheneoF succouns

thc othenr and the one is amended by the othen, because both is homo-

geneous in itselF. Fon Sulphun and Mencuny ane the same in Waten,

and in a Body in identity oF the Genus, and only aFe divensiFied by

decoction. KEep this Secnet. TheneFone we do not to that end, onder

cnude and volatile Mencuny, to bc mingled with matune and Fixt Sul-

phunr that we might aFFinm that Sulphun is diFFenent in one and the

othen' and thc Mcncuny diFFenent also; Fon whene would then the Homo-

geneity of Matals be, which wc afFinm in oun !!g, but theneFone

we mix these two species, that we by our- ft, might penFect Gold, a

thousand degnees moFe, in a Fan shonten space, than Natune has Fonm-

ed Simple GoId in the }!!g.

Fon slgg Fnom only cnude, @!5|, and Fnigid Mencuny, without

any addition, genenates Gold by a long decoction, unden the Eanth.

but Ant to contr-act the Wonk, thnows in matune and @ to

Mencuny made most pure by Ant, and so extnacts the most digested

vintue of Sulphun by Mencuny, which Sulphuneal Vintue, stnongly

changes and penFeets Mencuny i'nto a complete elixin.

Obsenve theneFone, the wonk and the pnocess theneoF, . whence thou

shalt undeFstand the cause oF the wondenFul abbneviation oF the Wonk.

Gold is a $!y hot and dny, Luna cold and moist, IS.S. the Medium

oF cannying the tinctunes; the Body oF Sol is most digested, oF Luna

impenFect and immatunel Mencuny the Bond, by which these two contraF:

93.
aFe united. Join Luna to Mencuny, with a due and convenient ignit-

ion, and mingle them sor that Luna and Meneuny may beeome one Men-

cuny Fetaining the Fine in itselF, and alI the Feces and supenFluit-

ies wi ll FaIl Fnom Mencuny, and he shall become cleanr ds the tean

oFthegyg'a1thoughnot.@',thenlastlyminglethisMeneuny

with Gold, in which is Luna and Fine, and then the hot and dny will

Iovc the cold and moist, and will lie down togethen in one bed, that

is in the Fine oF Fniendship, and the man will be dissolved upon the

woman, and the woman wil l be coagulated upon the man, and then the

spinit and the body will become one by commixtion. Go on aFtenwands

with that Foot thou hast begun, and so oFten neitenate the Heaven

upon i ts Eanth, until the Spinit put on the Body, and both be Fixt

togcther. For then oun Stone is penfect, and indued with Begal Vin-

tue, thc which no pnice can buy. Fon Mencuny is the Waten of all

Metals, they being decocted in it. And even as simple Waten, which

in itE own Natune is cold and moist, which not withstanding iF it be

mixed in decoction with any vegetable, Feceives and puts on othen

qualities of the thing mixt with it, whose Fonce and spinit or- liFe,

which nesides in the wateF, goes out by deeoction into the wateF,

and thc wateF conveFtibly, Feceives its Natune; yet the thick and

conpoFeal Eanthy pant oF the substance decocted, is not that spinit

that changes the quality oF the wateF, but is sepanable Fnom the

waten aFten decoction. In like manneF we must undenstand oF aFgent

vive, with its species yet diFfenently, Fon whatsoeven metal on min-

enal shall be so Familian with Mencunyr rs to be mixt pen minima,

and @, that Mencuny acconding to the gglgg oF the

metal so joinedr puts on othen qualities, and will cast oFF his own

dneggs. TheneFone metallick and minenal species at.e subondinately

94.
and subaltennately to be decocted in it, and it is thein waten, into

which minenal spinits aFe emitted, by decoction, and do alten it no

othen ways than vegetables decocted in thein simple waten. Yet a

double difFenence is to be noted, between the Fonesaid decoctions,

Finst the waten is not Fixt with the vegetablesr ds Meneur y with

glglgr theneFone these ane oF a stFongeF composition than those.

The Second, that in the deeoetion oF vegetables on animals, the

waten being a diaphanous humon, not only Feceives new vintue and

qualitieE, but also a diFFenent coloun to what it had. But it is

not so in Mencuny For its Natune is altened, but not its coloun non

Fonm oF Flux; but the coloun of a dissolved metal lies unden the

Fonm oF liquid angent vive, and by its vintue does not appeaF.

TheneFone Meneuny Finst acteth upon a metal by dissolving it, aFten-

wands the metal acts upon Mencuny by coagulating it, and as in dis-

solution, the Fonm and coloun oF the metal lay unden the Fonm and

coloun oF Mencuny r so also in coagulation the fonm oF the metal, so

neithen the qualities oF the metal in dissolution hindens the Flux

oF Mencunyr non the qualities oF Mencuny in coagulation, hinden the

Fixity oF the metal. Oost thou not see hene a certain wondenFul

agFeement betwixt Mencury and metals, Fon they love like mothen and

son' sisten and bnothen, male and Female. Thenefone thein bodies

aFe made betten by waten fon the genenation oF all things is by

wateF, and they take in it, and by it, a latitude of subtilty, that

i3 a spinitual and volatile Natune, and the waten in like manner- is

amended by the Bodies, and is netained and puts on a coFpoFeal Nat-

ul'e, and so the whole compound is matuned togethen, when t he Agents

become Patients, and on the contnany. But the neason that the colour

oF Mercuny is not ehanged in decoction by the Body dissolved, is

95.
this, that the Eanth and wateF at'e homogeneous in Mencuny, and so

tempe!'ate that niethen can be sepanated Fnom the othen, and they

at'e so strongly commixt, that in so wondenFul a tenuity oF matten,

thene is sueh gFeat density oF substance, as to hide the colouns,

whence if any pFopontion oF Mencuny be spoiled, eithen destnuctively

by detunpatinE things ot' genenatively with a Body appnopr^iated to

itselF, it will maniFest the coloun that is thnown into the substance

But thene aFe p.ryg!!g, oF lgggry, in nespect both oF Eanth and

Waten, in nespeet oF the second it flows and is liquid, in Fespect

oF the Finst it wEts nothinE that it touches, but that which is the

Unity oF itE Natune. Fnom what hath been said, all ennons oF opeFat-

ons in Mercuny ane detected. Fon some obstnuct or divide its homo-

gencity, by dnying it with vanioug Eublimations, othens spoiling and

dispnopontionating the eanth, to bning in a tFanspaFency. As many

as do this, do nothing but a sophistical wonk. Fon Mencuny is the

speFm oF metals, which Natune, with much sagacity hath Fonmed in the

veins oF the eanth, Fon metal; neithen is anything wanting to it but

puFe digestion, but it iE not digested unless by pune metallick in-

combunent sulphun, which indced it hath in it= Eg5!g!, by which Nat-

uFe would Fonm gold in a long time; but it is altogethen unknown to

man how he should make this by hiE Ant. Fon although GoId might be

made oF Mercuny alone without any addition, yet it would not be peF-

Fected but by long time and gneat cost, which would be Foolish to

undengo in making simple Gold. TheneFone Sulphun is the only thing

in the wonld which Natune has penFected, that is Familian to Mencuny.

This theneFone is mixt nadically with it, and by this Mencuny is de-

cocted and Mencuny because oF the Fepugnance oF qualities putneFies

it, and so by r-egenenation it nises again, not Gold such as is in

96.
the mines, but spinitual penetnative and tinging, in so much that

it easily enteFs all impenFect metals, when cast upon them, which

in a veny shont time, it digesteth to the analitical pnopontion oF

Gold, and the dnegs being cast ofF nestot-es them to penFect health.

Thou seest theneFone that Mencuny is by no means to be dispnopont-

ionated Fnom its own Natune, but to be matuned, and that not by it-

selF without any addition, and yet without any outwand addition, but

a nadical union oF a clean Body with it peF minima, which is done by

ouF sccnet conjunction. Yet see you be not deceived, Fon this con-

junction is not made by manual opeFation, but only by a Natural, man

not only not helping, but also not well undenstanding its cause,

theneFone this is called a Oivine Wonk. Fools can conFound the Body

oF Gold with Meneuny, and then they call it animated 6old, but they

Find nothing in it. Fon although these two should nemain togethen

a thousand yeEns, neveFtheless they would aFtenwands necede one Fnom

the othen in their ou,n pr.open Natune. Thenefone the conjunction was

not@butonlyaconFusionoFtwobetweenthemselves.But

in our" openation, the spinit oF Sol infuseth itselF into t he Spinit

oF Mencury r so that they nevet- depant the one Fnom the othen aFten-

wands, even as !|g!g does not, being mixt with waten. TheneFone

in this Openation the gneatest nay the whole secnet oF the Ant lies

hid. Attend theneFone thou son of Leanning and see wanily that thou

dost not enF hene. Thenefone the Body of SoI wiII neven be joined

with Mercuny inwardly, unless Luna mediatingr or an impenFect Body

and Fine; and this Luna is the juice of the Waten oF LiFe, which

lies hid in Mencuny, which is shanpened by the Fine, and is a spinit

entening a Body, and altening it and compelling it to netain its

SouI. Now theneFore thou seest oF what Mencuny we have thit hentoFone

97.
sPokenr not vulgaF but pluvial; which pnopenly is not called Mencuny

but Mencunial Wa@!i Fon the Mencuny-oF the Vulgan is waten, but a

spinit and Fieny vintue is wanting to it, supply iF thou canst that

which is wanting with all thy Ant, then it will no longen be Mencury

oF the Vulgan, but like to ouns. But iF thou canst not do this let

that Mencuny alone, Fon thou canst expect nothing but loss Fnom it.

Behold now God is my witness, I have told the whols g!!g, which if

thou ant wise thou cans t not be ignonant oF. Fon Vulgan Mencuny has

seduced moFer than anything else, Fon the wonkens thenein have Found

nothing, becausa they did not know oun Mencuny. But to FetuFn to

conjunction, which believc me is the whole secFet oF the Ant, Fon

the Eanth is not united insepanably with the wateF, but wateF adhene:

stnongly to !g;!g, hence it Follows, that this Iaudable con.iunction

is not eelcbnated till aFten dissolution; attend thou theneFone to

solution, and Natune wi ll join togethan, and this dissolution is

made in Mcncuny by the help oF included Luna, and Fine. Fon Luna

PenetFates and albiFies, and the Fine moFtiFies and tnituFates, but

the watar includes both thess vintues, acconding to the saying oF

the philosophen, I'the Fine which r will shew thee is wateF.r' And

anothcnr unless Bodies be subtilized by Fine and Waten, nothing is

done in the Magistany. O Blessed Mencuny oF ouFs, which Fnees us

Fnom those many labouns which sophisteFs endune! Fon they make many

openations with thcin handsr and pnoFit nothing, because they know

not the tnue couFse oF Nature. But we do nothing, but leave all

things to be done by oun Mencuny, which pnoceeds in a betteF method,

aeconding to its natuFal instinct, than any man could invent; Fon

he is constnained by the necessity oF his end, wheneFone he neveF

misses the night way iF he be not hindened"

98.
 But thene aFe some sophistical openatoFs, who take Gold and put

it to Mencuny, then shut them in a glass and set them oveF the Fine,

expecting some notable thing Fnom thence; but since they cast Fat

and good seed into bannen land, they ane deceived, For they Find

not the Hanvest they expected, beeause, as is abovesaid, and shall

be Funthen said mone plainly, Gold is not the matteF oF our !!9,,1g1,

in its whole eEsence, noF yet Mencunyr whenefone the bane mixtune

oF these cannot gcnenate oun Stone, Fon Gold, in the Wonk, is a

male to the wonk oF @!!g, in whosa most secFet neins the seed

Iies hid, which iF it once send Fonth, being Feceived in a due mat-

nix and conjoincd with the pessive Female seed, 'ti.s chenished with

a due heat, and cibated with a pFoper- aliment, then tnuly we shall

have Fnom GoId abundantly to penFonm ouF Wonk.

So neithen a man, as hc is a man, can neither be called the

Fathan, noF the matten oF the cmbrio; but he has in him such a

mattet', Fnom which by the conjunction oF a dissimilan speFmatick

matteF, in the same kind, by an apt disposition the inFant is Fonm-

cd; in like manneF we mugt understand oF Gold. For GoId is the most

penfect oF all metals, and the Fathen of oun Stoner yet it is not

the matteF theneoF Fon the spcFm which Gold sends Fonth iF it be

handled by Ant, wiII be the maseuline matteF oF oun Stone, and is

nothing else than a most digasted vintue oF GoId, which is extnacted

Fnom it by sagacious Art, and then is called oun Living 6old, and

not s!gg!, which is dead; so also in the pnocneation oF man, a

m an may be said to be dead; (nespect bei ng had to the act oF genen-

ation) until he pouns out the due matten which he hath in himselF

int o a Fit place, just so ?ti s in our- A nt; theneFone ouF G old is

not Vulgan Go l d , Fon th ey di ffen as a Fathen di FFens Fnom his speFm

ael
which he hath, the Finst is necessany to oun wonk, the Living, the

othen dead and unpnoFitable, that is, sends Fonth its seed, which

is the active vintue oF oun Stone. So theneFone go ye on with a

gndat deal oF caution, take this Body which I have demonstnated,

and sweetly extnact the seed Fnom it, then (and not till then) tnis

Gold (which beFone was dead, idle and useless) Ueing made living,

active and Fit Fon oun wonk, will supply thee with the Finst matteF

oF oun Stone, to wit the Masculine, and so is no longen called Gold

by usr but BnasE, Magnesia, Lead, Dung, noF can it indeed pnopenly

be called Gold, Fon Gold is a $!y but this a chaos, that is a

Spinit, noF will FetuFn by any Ant to its pnistine speeies oF Gold,

because the Body is tunned into spinit, Fnom hence saith Menaldes,

"In onden posteFity to make BodiEs ineonponate.rt Henmes also says,

?'O Son, extFact the shadow Fnom the Fladius, that is, extFact Fnom

the 6old which is ealled the Fladius, its seed which is called the

Shadow, both because it lies hidden and as it wer-e in a shade, and

also because it comes out unden an obscune shade oF blackness.

Anistotle also saith "The Finst thing that ye ought to do is to

sublime the Mencuny, then cast clean bodies into clean Mencuny.rr

But I would have the neader admonished what sont oF sublimation is

hene intended, Fon thene aFe inFinite False enFoneous and sophist-

ical openations, one tFue and natunal, which notwithstanding is

done by Ant, I omitting all these vulgan openations Follow the in-

tention oF the philosophens, and mran that sublimation which they

caII the pnepanation oF the thin matteF, by which the eclipse oF

the Eanthy intenpositon is taken Fnom Luna, that she may neceive

Light Fnom Sol, which comels to pass when the dank sphene oF Satunn

which obscunes the whole honizon is vanquished, then Jupiten obtain-

100.
ingtheempineascendsintotheainwitha@,whenee

sincene, beautiFul and lovely dew dnops upon the Eanth, which molI-

iFies it, and naiseth gneat winds in its belly on bosom, which bnings

oun Stone upwand whence it is endued with Heavenly vintue, which

Falling down again to the Eanth which is its Nunse, puts on a Ten-

nene and conponal Naturer so it neceives the Force oF inFenions and

supeFions. hfe conclude theneFore, that neithen gold non Mencuny,

can aFFond us the Finst matten oF oun !.1!9g, until the tinctuFe be

extracted fnom GoId, the dissolved, by Mencuny, the dissolvent, whicl-

tinctuFe is a Living active vintue, not dead as Gold was beFone its

dissolution. This is the matter. of the old philosophens; whieh vre

ought to take, which asl the authon oF the New Light says, "is, but

does not appeaF until the Artist pleaseth, in knowing which all the

penFection consists.'? Whanefone I onden you whoeven would be seanch-

eFs out oF this secFet, that you would take that which is vile, and

maniFest to the whole wonld, out oF which, by a wondenFul mannen,

ye shall extnact that which is most hidden thenein, that is, out-

Menstruum; and the Westenn Mercuny is oun Philosophical Field, in

which youf' Sol shall anise and ascend; join this with his delectable

Bridegnoom, and let them Iie in the bed oF Love without stinning,

until Fnom this hidden Natune (which i= @y. negenenated by the

Philosophen thene pnoceed a Living Vintue which may naise the dead,

then comes a Floyal OFF-Spning, oF which Sol is the Fathen, and Luna

the Mothen, and so you have a most true explication oF the New Light,

you must take (saitn the Authon) "that which is, and you must use

this, Fon the tnue matten oF the old Philosophens, and so we have

spoken Fully and plainly oF oun $!y, and oF oun ggg; and oF oun

Fled Sulphun, and White Bnass. We have said thene ought to be added

101 .
to these a Funnace, vessel and tFiple Fine; note well what, and about

what, I speak hene, Fon the Funnace is oF lute on bnick, the vessel

glass, and the Fine elementany, oF whieh we will speak lowen in the

laEt place oF this little Tneatise, concenning oun disposition, but

hene we speak oF thing essential and substantially conducing to the

wonk. Fon the Funnace oF Bnick, is not wont to be called by us oun

Funnace, noF elementany Fine ouns, non the glass vessel ouns, Fon

these commonly ane common to us and sophisteFs, and they will excel

us often in the cuniosity oF these extennals. But we call those

things ouns which they neither have noF can have, venily I say that

oun Fine, our Funnace, our- Vessel, aFe secnet, non obvious but to

Philosophens, Fon they enteF into the veFy eseence oF our- Wonk, hence

a certain Phitosopher wniting oF this Fine, saysr'rBchold the Fine

I Ehall show thce is WateFrr also anothen witnesseth thus, oF the

Vessel, "The Vessel of the Philosophens is thein WateFrrt anothen

also wnites, r?The intention oF aIl the philosophens is this, that

aII operations should be made in thein humid fine, in a secnet Fun-

nace and vessel.f' Which Testimony plainly enough declane anothen

Fine, Vessel and Furnace then are commonly known.

Moneover my Bnothen, let it not be a cause oF scnuple to thee,

that I have beFone numbened, oup Funnace, Fine and vessel amongst

the things essentially constituting oun Stone, Fon in this I Follow

the intention oF all phi losophens wniting in this Ant, coneenning

this VesseI Sendivogius wniting, names it the vessel oF Nature also

the Fine oF Natune. Flammel, Antephius, Lully, and all the nest

have kept the same method; it is plain theneFone that they would

have something hidden Fnom the eyes oF the Vulgan. But I in good

tt'uth sdy, that these thnee aFe but one, Fon Nature is but one,

10a.
the adept sons oF ant do know, and will witness this. Fon the Fine

isr to the exct'uciating oF Bodies, mone than Fine, theneFone it is

called bunning wine and a most stnong Fine, hence the Philosophen,
I'Egr!1-q!ll. gnass in most stnong Finel'? which whilst sophistens hean,

they ane deceived, thinking it to be a Fine oF coals on Flame, which

is contFaFy to oul' Fine. Concenning this John Mehungus speaks, "No

artiFicial Fine can inFuse so gneat a heat as that which comes Fnom

Hcaven. tt

THE FIFST 6ATE.

Concerning P h ilo s o p h ic a l t ra lc in a t io n .

Not printed in the Du t c h E d it io n .

Calcination pungeth ouF Stons, Festonss natuFal heat, destnoys

nothing oF the nadlcal humidity, and bnings a due solution to the

Stone; the caution is that it may be done philosophically, not vul-

ganly with salts ot- sulphun vaniously pnepaned, etc; whoeven thene-

Fone truly desines to calcine, should desist Fnom this wonk till

they undenstand ouF calcination better, Fon that eveFy calcination

destnoys Bodies, destFoying the humidity of the stone; we also do

nepnobate all dny calxcs, Fon that we incnease the nadical humidity

by calcining, but diminish none.

In calcination, we join Natune to its Natune, Fon that tike loves

like' iF any one denies this he will not be woFthy oF the name oF a

philosophenr noF even will get any beneFit Fnom ouF Wnitings, Fon he

undenstands them not.

TheneFone aPPly thou Natune to Natuner ES neason t-equines, seeing

all things have this Fnom Natune, that like begets its like, man is

103 .
begot by Man, a lion oF a lionr so let evenything be calcined Finst

in its Pl'open Natune. Leann this and neven doubt to be beneFitted

by it. TheneFone we make calxes unctuous both white and ned, which

a!'e not penFeeted but by thnee degnees, they ane Fluid like wax

othenwise to be nejected, non aFe perFected, but in a yean, to tinge

witho u t a E ueus. B ut tho u mu E t t a k e c a n e in the F in s t p la c e conceFn-

ing the weight, Fon it is possible Fon thee to doubt in this; lest

thenEFona thou shouldest looEe thy laboun, let the body be calcined

with Mencuny, made so subtile, in which thene is one pant oF the

Solan qualityr two oF the Luna, until thc whole will FIow togethen

like a liquid Wax.

AFtenwande incneese the Solan quality in Mencuny, that'thene may

bs Foun paFts oF him, two Lunarr so that thou shelt begin the wonk

at the Figurc oF thc Tninity. Thnee paFts oF Body- thnee oF Spinit,

and to complete the unity, lat there be one paFt moFe oF the Spinit-

ual, then the coFponeal subEtance. This is pnoved by the testimony

oF Flaymond, rF any one seek the pnopontiorl thene, the Docton hath

demonstnated to me the same. But Bacon hath taken thnee pants oF

the Epinit to one oF the body. r did not sleep oF many nights:

But choose which way thou wilt.

FINIS

104.