PRECEDEDBY AN

EXPLICATIVE ITYPOTYPOSE
OF MAGAPIION

97
 fpnslator's Note

Thefollowingis a preliminary of Magaphon's

translation Frenchcommentary
of skilledproofreadersto
to the MutusLiber.Weare countingon the assistance
versionwhereerrorsof spellingas wellas suchpassages
producea finalimproved
wherethe idiomremainsunclearhavebeencorrected.
We thenhopethatthiswill
presenta valuableadditionto the presentlyavailableselectionof materialon
alchemyin the English language.
Magaphon wasthe pseudonym of PierreDujols,
one of the greatestFrencheruditesaroundthe beginningof the XXthcentury.He
(RobertAmberlain
belongedto the circlearoundFulcanelli. identifies
Fulcanelli
as
in his bookon Spiritual
JulesChampagne Alchemy).
The MutusLiberwas firstpublishedat La Rochellein 1677.The author's
namewasgivenas Altus,a pseudonym.
The MutusLiberalsooccursin Manget's
"BibliothecaChemicaCuriosa"of 1707.
Moreinformationmay be foundin "A Preludeto Chemistry"by John Read,
London1936,page155et seq.Recognize
thatthe MUTUSLIBERhas no words
and is simplya collectionof plates.fFheseshouldbe reviewedfirst)

Kjet t H e tI e s o e

Stavanger NorHay

98
 HYPOTYPOSE

This title, goodas it may seem,hasnot the leastpretension.It is all

technical,the only suitableandgenuineon the subject,becauseit traces,in
the plan of our study.A hypotypose( from{i$d
its conciseness , under,
andTdnoS,print, emblem) is an explanation
placedunderabstractfigures.
Well, the Mutus Liber is thena collectionof enigmaticimages.
Around the Mutus Liber an absurdlegendhas formed itself. One
school- which hasnothinghermeticexceptthe name- hasgiven this work
a reputationof impenetrableobscurity, and as such, worships it as a
sacrament,without understanding
it. This is an error; even as translating
MutusLiber by theMuteBook,withoutwords,is a philosophicalmisnomer.
All the signsadoptedby humanindustryto manifestthoughtarewords.The
Latins - this word suitablyintended- call drawing,painting,sculptureand
architecfure,by meansof whichtheHierogrammates t reservedfor the elect

the mysteriesof science,mutaeartes,which meansthe symbolicarts.

What is thena symbol?Ary1to7ns
a convention;andZtpPo2oXa sign
of recognition.Hencea symbol is that which we today call a "code", a tacit
system of writing adopted for diplomatic and even commercial

rsacredscribes,a lower rank of Egyptianpriesthood.

99
 communications
for telegraphicand semaphoric
correspondence, etc...
For an illiterateperson,all booksare mutus.A volume in Hebrew,
Sanskrit,Chineseis a mutus liber, a mute book, for the majority, even
thoughtheybe instructedin their properlanguage.Onehasthen, to get used
to this very simpleidea,that the Mutus Liber is a book like all the others
and canbe plainly read,onceonehasthe grille.
works,in verse,prose,Latin, Frenchor any
Moreover,thealchemical
Althoughwritten
nothingbut cryptogrammes.
otherlanguagearethemselves
with theordinarylettersof thecommonalphabetandvocabularytheyremain
for thosewho ignorethekey. To tell the truth, among
no lessindecipherable
procedures,
thetwo stenographic theoneof theMutusLiber is still the more
for the objectiveimageis certainlymorespeakingthanliterary
transparent,
tropes and rhetoricalfigures, especiallyin a matter as experimentalas
chemistry.
While attachingthesefew pagesof commentaryto the allegorical
plates of the Mutus Liber, we are proposing, without leaving the
philosophers
mantle,to facilitatethe lecture,by a sincereinterpretation,to
the true inquisitorsof science,honest,patientandlaboriouslike the diligent
bees, and not to the curious, idle and frivolous, who pass their lives
uselesslyflutteringfrom bookto bookwithouteverpausingat oneto extract
the maleficsubstance.
But what! Grammar, geography,history, mathematics,physics,
chemistry and the rest do not becomeaccessiblebut after long and
efforts,andwho wouldenterinto the "King's Palace"without
cumbersome
andsubmitto the laws of etiquette!A hastyand
observingthe conventions
superficiallecturewouldnot replacean austereandseriousstudy.Eventhe

100
profane sciencesare not to be penetratedand assimilated,but after sustained
and prolonged work.
One can object that the University counts some illustrious
grammarians, geographers, historians, mathematicians, physicians and
chemists, but that one never notices the least alchemist there. And if the
Bachelor of Alchemy is unknown, it is becausealchemy is a chimera. This
argumentad hominem is not without an answer: a thing hidden is not at all
to be taken for nonexistent,and alchemy is an occult science;or better: it
is occult science in its entirety, the universal arcanum, the soul of the
absolute,the magicalresort of religion, and that is why it has beencalled the
Sacerdotalor SacredArt.
There is in all faiths impressedupon the vulgar by means of an
appropriate mythology: Bible, Vedas, Avesta, Kings, etc., a positive
substratum,which is the foundationof the sanctuariesof all the cults that are
propagatedon our globe. This mystery, recognizedin the catechismas the
appanageof the Pontiffs - who are not the public Dignitaries - is alchemyon
all its planes: physical and metaphysical.The exclusive possessionof the
sacrarium, makesup the force of the Churches;they then also watch over
the {Masonic Secret} with a worried andjealous care, aidedby a suspicious
police and censorship.
We are not advancinganythinghazardous,and while theseallegations
may seemunfounded,becauseimpossible,note that since the invention of
printing, the hermeticbooks have alwaysbeenpublishedfreely with license
from the civil and religiousauthorities.And nothingwould really be opposed
to the spreading of these libels written in known languages,but for the
contents; over such a sign which the greatest school chemists - from

101
 Lavoiser to Berthelot- havebroken their headswithout result. And is not
this the placeto recall the disdainfuladdressof Artephiusand the haughty
warningsof the Adeptswho ambiguously
declare,write only for thosewho
know and allure the others! Thus one makesthe "Christ" speak in the
Gospels,and the disciplesmodel themselvesafter the "Master". It is
nonethelessa real and exact science,conformingto reasonand moreover
rationalistic.At all times there have been "goldmakers";the "gentleman
glassblowers"
who enjoyedsucha high consideration,
werehermetists.And
even in our own days, transmutationstill works miracles. After the
debatesa little while lEo 2, it wastold - andamongwhat stupor
sensational
-that the MonetaryAdministrationshouldhave seized,without any other
form of process- andnot withoutreason!- theproductionof a contemporary
alchemist:- "You are not supposed
to know how to makegold" he was told
with a threateningair, and was sentback with free but empty hands.Is it
then prohibitedto be a sage,or is alchemyperhapsa statesecret?This
shouldnot leadto the naiveconclusionthatthe ministerswho succeedeach
other are acquainted
with the Kabbala.The Kings rule but do not govern,
accordingto a famousaphorism.And for the momentit seemsas if there
still is, behindthe screen,somegrey eminencewho pulls the strings!The
famous"Galetasof theTemple"is perhapsnot asabolishedas onesupposes
him to be, and he would there have a surprisingbook to write with
watermarkson banknotesandwith sealson coins.
But in thatcase,onesays,why hasgoldbecomeso rare as to nearly
paralyzesociallife?The barshavenot evaporated,
but havebeendisplaced,

2This introduction was written before the first World War. (Editor's note)

t02
and one must keepin mind that they will return to their point of departure
by an inverseeconomicmovement.Only, too much slownessin this return
can haveincalculableconsequences.
The politics of nations is regulatedby a secret metallic pact, that
cannot be violated without entailing the most serious international
complications.Papermoneyis thereforeto be issuedwith much effort, but
no longer are gold coins to be minted.And yet, it is not the gold that is
lacking: it is openlydisplayed,and with what splendour,on innumerable
shoulders,aroundwrists, on fingers and even legs whose eleganceand
beautysometimesleavesomethingto be desired.Nothingwould therefore
its paperagainstthe preciousmatter
be easierfor the statethanto exchange
andto put the "coins"into circulation.This is paradoxical,yet true. There
is thenbehindthis momentaryeclipsein thevalueof gold a profoundreason
basedon wisdom. {Gold is whateveris gold worth} says an adage.If
coining was allowed to the nations who have exhaustedtheir normal
reserves,then over abundancewould lead to price-cutting.The paper
standardwould no longer offer any guaranteeand would be broken; this
would be the death of businessand world ruin. This is why even the
"natural"productionof gold is limited, evenas concessions
for new mines
are refusedanduntil its extractionat poor yield, river beachesand others.

In the meantime, the hour is near when science will totally

reclaim all its rights, and when the occult will again becomemanifest as it
was in former times. The sageGirtaner has announcedit, while basing his
opinion on ignored but certain Laws: "In the 20th century the Chrysopee
shall be in the public domain." This considerable event is evidently

103
subordinate to a social status quite different from the one that rules today;
but we are strongly going there, the world turns fast; and who can foretell
the charter of tomorrow!
However, if alchemyis limited solely to the transmutationof metals,
it would doubtlesslybe an inappreciablesciencefrom the industrial point of
view, but equally mediocrefrom the philosophicalpoint of view. In reality
it is not like that. Alchemy is the key to all knowledge, and its complete
divulgenceis called to overthrow from top to bottom, all human institutions
that are basedon falsehood,in order to reestablishthem in truth.
Thesepreliminary considerationsseemedto us to be opportune,before
charitablytaking the readerby the hand,to leadhim through the inextricable
meandersof the labyrinth. As our intentionis to be useful to the seeker,but
since we cannot, in a few pages,write a technicaltreatise,we must before
entering into the material, orient the disciple towards the work which best
seemsto correspondto the figures of the Mutus Liber. The major part of the
manipulationsindicatedin this collection of symbols, find themselveswell
enoughdescribedby the most notoriousphilosophers,in "An OpenEnffance
to the ClosedPalace of the King", by EirenaeusPhilalethes.
It is not that nothing more could be addedthereto. Far from it, on the
contrary. The practice of Philaletes, presented under an amiable and
persuasiveexterior, countsamongthe most subtleand perfidious fictions of
hermetic literature. Yet it does contain the truth, but similar to poison,
sometimesconcealsits own antidoteif one only knows how to isolateit from
its pernicious alkaloids. As occasionariseswe shall signal the traps, in so
far as they presentthemselvesto us along our way.
The Mutus Liber is composedof fifteen emblematic plates, some

104
truthful, others misrepresented,and disposedaccording to one of those
beautifuldisorders,that,followingthepreceptof Boileau,is an effectof the
art.
The first plate that servesas frontispieceis truly capital. On its
comprehension
dependsthe whole successof the Work.
One seesthere,insidea borderformedby two interlacingrosaries,a man
asleepon a rock whereongrow somelanguishingkermes- oaks.A limpid
water with metallic reflectionsflows out from it. Next to the sleeper,on a
ladder- the Stairwayof the Sages- two angelsare blowing their trumpets
to awakenhim.
Above,a propitiousandreposefulnight sky: the starsare shiningand
the moonoutlinesits horn of plenty.
This initial pageshouldbring with it a criticismnot directedtowards
the learnedauthor,but towardsthe profaneartist, who in reproducingthe
figureshascommitted,withoutsuspecting,
a gravemistake.And it is already
a greatachievement
merelyto noticethis, withoutit beingnecessary
to insist
moreuponit. The hermeticexpositions
will warn thedisciple,who doesnot
judge it uselessto inform himselfaboutit.
The sleepingman is the subjectof the Work. What is this subject?
Somesay that it is a body; othersaffirm that it is a water. They are both
right becausea watercalled{the silver beauty}springsfrom this body that
the Sagescall the Fountainof the Lovers of Science.It is the mysterious
selagoof the Druids, the matterwhich givesthe salt (from sel for salt and
agereto produce).
The secretof the Magisteryis to also disengageits sulphur,and to
utilize its mercury,for everythingis in everything.Certainartistspretend

105
 to turn elsewherefor this in effect, andwe do not deny that the hydrargyre
of cinnabarmaybe of somehelpin thework, if oneproperlyknowshow to
prepareit for oneself;but one shouldonly use it knowingly and at the right
time. For us, he who succeeds
to openthe rock with the staffof Moses,and
that is not a small secret,has found the first operatorykey. On this steep
rock then, will flower the two rosesthat hang from the branchesof the
sweetbriar,onewhite andthe otherred.
Onewill askus, andnot withoutreason,what magicword is capable
of exrractingfrom the arms of Morpheusour Epimenides3,
who really
seemsto be deaf to the clamourof the trumpets.This word comesfrom
God, carriedby the angels,the messengers
of fire, It is a divinebreaththat
stirs in an invisible, but certain, manner,and this is no exaggeration.
Without the concourseof the heavens,the work of man is useless.One
neither grafts trees, nor does one sow the grain during all seasons.
Everythinghas its time. The philosophicalWork is called the Celestial
Agriculture,and not withoutcause;one of the greatestauthorshas signed
his writingswith the nameAgricola,andtwo otherexcellentadeptsknown
underthe namesof GrandPaysanand PetitPaysan.
Thus,the disciplewill haveto meditatea long time on this first plate
and compareit with the apologuesin vulgar language.May he then be
fortunateenoughhimselfto heartheheavenlyvoice;but let him know ahead
of time that he will lendhis ear in vain, if he hasnot nourishedhimselfon
the Holy Scriptures.
The secondplate is not in the order of operations.It representsthe

3Religiousteacherand wonderworkerof Crete, who according

to the legend slept for 57
years(ca. 500 B.C.)

106
philosophicalegg, and yet, up to here there is nothing that could have
acquaintedus with the elementsthat must composeit.
In order to give us an idea of this, we must deliberatelygo over a
certainnumberof symbols.

All eggscomprisea germ, Purkinje'svesicle,which is our salt; the

yellow,which is our sulphur,andthealbumen,which is our mercury.These
are enclosedwithin a retort, which correspondsto the shell. The three
productsare here personifiedby Apollo, Diana and Neptune,the God of
ponticwaters.Traditionrequiresthatthis retortbe enclosedwithin a second
one, and this one againwithin a third one madeof wood from an old oak.
Flamelexpresslysays:"Notethatoak tree", andVico, the chaplainof the
Lords of Grosparmyand Valois recommends
it with no lessinterest.This
insistence
is significant,andwe mustrecallthatin thefirst plate,on the rock
of the Sagesgrows the Kermesoak, which is the Hermesof the Adepts,
because,in the Hebrewlanguage,K andH are but oneandthe sameletter,
takenalternativelyone for the other. But here one must be on guard, the
mineralkermesleadsto thetrapsetby Philaletes,Artephius,BasilValentine
and many others, and one should not loose view of the fact that the
philosophersdelightin certainverbalcollusions.'Ejlis "is the artificial
mercurythat amalgamates
the compost.
"
The size of the egg is of no importance.In Nature, the egg varies
from thatof a wren to thatof an ostrich;but, saysWisdom,in mediovirtus.
Somethingmustalsobe saidaboutthephilosophicglass.The authorsspeak
only little aboutit, andthenwith reserve.But we know, by experience,that
the bestis that from Venice.

t07
 It mustbe of a thoroughthickness,limpid, withoutbubbles.In former
times one still used the great glass of Lorraine made by the gentlemen
glassblowers;but a good practitioner must learn to make his retort by
himself.
The lower figure of this secondplate representsan athanorbetween
a man and a womanon their kneesas if they were praying, which has led
certain feeble spirits to believe that prayer intervenesin the work as a
ponderableelement.Here it is a non operatingfactor.The main thing is to
employexpedientmaterials;but the elanof the creaturetowardsthe creator
can havea favorableinfluenceon the directives,for the light comesfrom
God. One must nevertheless
liberateoneselffrom thesenot very effective
The artist'sprayeris yet morehis work, oftenhard,dangerous
suggestions.
and incompatiblewith too white hands. Count then above all on the
improbuslabor.
The third plateis no longerin its place.It leadsus into the empireof
Neptune.Onesees,frolickingin his waves,the dolphindearto Apollo and
on a boatsomefishermenputtingout their gear.In anothership a manlies
stretchedout in a nonchalantposition.In the second,a landscapewith on
onesidea ram, on the othera bull, whichwe shallfind backfurtheron and
shall studyat a moreopportunemoment.Below on the left a womanholds
a basketwhichis thesymbolof thegratedlanternof thephilosophers;
on the
right a man throws his (fish) line into the oceanwhich is found within the
third circle ( the one that enclosesthe two others).The third circle is
animatedby a flock of birdsto the left; a sirenbelowand Amphitriteup on
top. In the marginthe sun and the moon, and hoveringover this naustic

108
scene,Jupitercarriedby his eagle.This whole figure aims at showingthat
the operatormust deployall his facultiesand put to work all the resources
of the art in order to capturethe mystical fish, about which d'Espagnet
speaks.
The author shouldfirst have instructedus how to weavethe thread
necessary
for this miraculousfishing.Let us amendhis omission:The weir
mustbe braidedin a very fine mazefrom asbestos,which hasthe property
of being incombustibleand of stayingunaltered.The device being well
disposedin the deepwaters,onemustfurnishoneselfwith a lanternwhose
luster will attractthe prey into the nets. One may also, following other
symbols,employa line; but the arcanumis in thepreparationof the pocket,
andthe word is circumstantial,
for it concernsnothinglessthanto catchthe
goldenfish.
Onewill find the secretof this operationin a classicalwork underthe
title Ariadne'sThread,for we cannotreview the procedurein a few lines
within this restrictedframework.Concerningthe methodof lighting the
magiclanternindicatedby thebasket,it is only describedin somevery rare
works, and in a confusedmanner.Hencewe must say a few words about
that.
Certain authors,and not the lesserones, have pretendedthat the
greatestoperatoryartificeconsistsin capturinga solarray, andto imprison
it in a flask closedwith the sealof Hermes.This grossimagehas caused
rejectionof the operationas somethingridiculousandimpossible.And yet,
it is literally true, to the degreethat the imagecoincideswith reality. It is
moreoverunbelievable
that one shouldnot havethoughtof it. This miracle
in a way by the photographerwhen he makesuse of a
is accomplished

109
sensitiveplate which one preparesin different ways. In the Typus Mundi,
editedin the 17th centuryby the Fr. of the Societyof Jesus,one seesan
apparatus,describedalsoby Tiphaignede Laroche,by meansof which one
can steal the Heavenly fire and fix it. One can no longer say that the
procedureis scientific,andwe candidlydeclarethat we are here revealing,
if not a greatmystery,at leastits applicationto practicalphilosophy.
The eaglesthat are flying to the left, inside the great circle are
designatingthe sublimationsof the mercury.One needsfrom threeto seven
for the Moon, and from sevento ten from the Sun. They are indicatedby
for they preparethe nuptial
the flying of the birds and are indispensable,
robe of Apollo and Diana, without which their mysticalunion would be
impossible.That is why Jupiter,the god who governsthe eagle,presides
over theseoperations.
The fourth plate showshow the collectionof theflos coelf works.
Somesheetsarestretchedout on polesin orderto receivethe heavenlydew.
Belowa mananda womanarewringingthemto pressout the divine liquor,
that falls into a largevesselput thereto that purpose.To the left one sees
the Ram; on the right the Bull.
The flos coeli haveput the spirit of the bad puffersto torture. Some
have seenin it a kind of magicalinflux, for them magic is a supernatural
power, acquiredby concoursewith spirits, good or bad. Others, more
realistic and closerto the truth, haverecognizedin the morning dew. The
flos coeli is in fact calledthe water of the two equinoxes,from which one
hasdeducedthat it is obtainedin the springand in the fall, and is a mixture
still betterinformed,
of thesetwo fluids. Againothers,believingthemselves
would collect this mysteriousproductfrom a kind of algaeor lichenoid

110
 loo tooo.
Ioooo.efc.
 whosevulgarnameis nostoc.In the SevenHintson the Philosophical
Work,
Eteilla, who was perhapsmore worth than his reputation,seemsto have
obtainedsomesatisfactoryresultswith an analogousmoss;but one must
readhis tract with somegoodglasses.
The Rosicrucianscalledthemselves
the "Brothersof the ripe Dew"
accordingto thetestimonyof ThomasCorneille,a goodhermetistaswashis
brother,the greattragicwriter. Nevertheless,
Philaletesscoffsdisdainfully
at the collectorsof dew andrain water,in which,notwithstanding,
the abbot
of Vallemontrecognized
somevirtue.It is up to thediscipleto form his own
opinionaccordingto his ownjudgement.But it is beyonddoubtthatan agent
kept secret,called"CelestialManna"playsan importantpart in the work.
We mustdeclare,sincerely,that the Ram and the Bull in the plate,
which one alwaystakesfor the signsof the zodiacunder which one must
collectthe flos coeli,haveno connection
with the astrologicalsymbols.The
Ram is Hermes'Criophore,which is the sameas JupiterAmmon; and the
Bull, whosehornsdelineate
thecrescent,attributeof DianaandIsis, who are
identicalwith thecowIo, loverof Jupiter,andthephilosophers
moon.These
two animalspersonifythe two naturesof the Stone.Their union forms the
Azyme of the Egyptians,the Asimah of the Bible, hybrid monster
designatingthe orichalc,the Lattenor bronzeoryx, the bull of Phalarisor
of bronze,the goldenor chrysoealecalfl, which differs, most certainly,
from the pinchbecFof Mannheimand is in someways akin to German

4It is not irrevelantto recall herethat Helvetiushaswritten a treatiseon alchemyunderthe

title Vitulus Aureus(the GoldenCalf).
sPinchbeck: copper * zink * tin

111
 silver6.Briefly put, it is the electrumof the poets;but one shouldproperly
understandthis word, which enclosesthe magical arcanum. Philaletes
teachesthatthegold of the hermetistsis certainlynot similarto vulgargold.
Furthermore,we add that, accordingto mythology,the Stonedevouredby
Saturnwas calledbetulus,which is, really, the sameword as vitulus, calf
in Latin, andas vitellus, the yolk of an egg.The doughof unleavenedbread
was its hieroglyph.The priestsfrom the bank of the Nile never touchedthe
sacrificial breadswith any steel or iron cutting tool: that would have
amountedto a caseof sacrilegeFrom this derivesthe ancientcustom,still
in use, of breakingthe bread.Likewisein the Catholicrite, the officiating
priest divides the host by meansof the silver-gilt paten. This whole
logomachyTconcealsthe vermillion of the Sages,or the philosophic
amalgamof mercury,gold andthe silverof art, renderedindissolubleby the
flos coeli.
One will learn, not without surprise,that bullfightingis a dramatic
figurationof the GreatWork. All gameshavea hermeticorigin. The red
cockadeworn by the animaland to which it is attacheda prize bestowed
upon the victor, is the imageof the Roseof the Philosophers.The grand
concernis to be a goodMatador.Also, accordingto Spanishtradition,to
accedeto government,one must conquer the bull - the mystic bull,
evidently.This victory conferschivalry, true nobility, the one of Science,
andconsequently
the sceptre.This is why, underLouis XIII, the leadersof
the "Kabbaled'Etat" werenicknamed
Matadors.This speciesis not extinct,

6cermansilver : copper, zinc & nickel

Tbattleof words

t12
thoughobliteratedand not apparent.
The fifth plate initiatesthe discipleto the laboratoryoperations.One
therewitnesses
a sequence Onewill seethatit deals
of variedmanipulations.
with the coctionof the fluid collectedin the proceedingplate.A manand a
woman appearto be pouring it into a pot put over the fire. In the figure
below the man adds a viscousproduct and holds, in his other hand, a
which is not diffrcult to discover,if onebearsin mind that the egg
substance
of Hermogenes to the others.In the samepicture,on the side,
is analogous
a rrakedperson,decoratedby a half-moonand embracedby an infant,
receivesa flask, whereonenoticesfour smalltriangles.They representthe
proportionsof elementsput into the work, namelyone part of sulphurto
threeof mercury.A lunarbodyintervenes
in this operation,which hasbeen
carryinga silver moonon a field of gules.
indicatedby an escutcheon
The moonof the philosophers
is not alwayssilver, thoughthis metal
is convenientto the work at a certainpoint. In order to lead astray the
profane,the Adeptsgavethis nameto mercuryand its salt, the preparation
of which presentsthe mostgravedifficulties.In order that the mercurybe
suitableto the work, it is indispensable
to animateit. This animationis
performedby meansof the sulphurpreparedto this end. In Philaletesone
will find the practical directions,which however must not always be
followedword for word. He is exact,yet he fails to purgethe mercuryfrom
elementsby separatingthe pure from the impure, the
its heterogeneous
subtlefrom the gross.Onesees,in this plate,the womanwho getsreadyto
skim the compost.It is a presentation
overburdened
with work, but in the
main exact.In the Work it is in fact the feminineelementwhich performs
the selectionby meansof its constinrtivevirtues;but the artist must lend a

113
handand assistnaturewith prudence.
- The otherfiguresrepresent anddistillations.'Wewill not be
digestions
telling the sensiblereaderanythingnew, by sayingthat a man crammedup
with chemicalformulasandapt to resolveall schoolproblemson a pieceof
paper,is not entitledto call himselfa chemist.It is thereforenecessary
that
by practice,the one being the consequence
theory is accompanied of the
for what is practiceif not
other.Only laboratorypracticegivesmastership,
controlledby theory. The rigor of the former correctsthe vagariesof the
latter. Thus trredisciplemustexerthimselfto realizeall his concepts.
The sixth plate is the continuationof the fifth. One will noticethat
here the operationsare always effectuatedby a man and a woman,
symbolizingthetwo natures.The exterioractionof thetwo naturesindicates
the interior work of the mutuallyreactingbodies.In the first figure, the
femaleagentplays a passiverole, and the male agentan activerole. The
latter is the sulphur,the former: the moon.
One will doubtlesslywant to know which is the mysterioussulphur
concerningwhich the philosophers
alwaysspeakwithout designatingit by
anyothername.It is the sulphurof the metals.The secretof the art consists
in extractingit from malebodiesin orderto uniteit to femalebodies,which
requirestheirpreviousdecomposition.
Presentdayscienceseemsto consider
this fact an absoluteimpossibility.But someof the great chemistsof the
XVIIIIh centuryhave demonstrated,
in communications
addressedto the
academicsocieties,that the operationis realizableand that they had
accomplishedit. We have in our handsa magnificentsulphur of silver
obtainedby analogousmeansand which closelyapproaches
the tinctureof
the Sages.But, in order to arrive at this result, a certain practice and

tr4
 profoundknowledgeof the mineral kingdomis required.
Do not trust the authorswho speak of grindings, decantations,
separationsobtainedby what they call a slight of hand. The manualaction
only contributesto the resultsin the mannerof a kitchenmaidpreparingher
pot-au-feu.Whenthe ingredientshavebeenput into the pot, the water cooks
the compostbroughtto the requiredtemperatureby the exterior fire. The
coction completed,there remainsbut to extract the products and employ
themaccordingto formula.But all untimelyinterventionis detrimentaland
darknessto the work.
Very particularlywe mustpoint out the figure which representsthe
hermeticroseobtainedby the foregoingsublimations.On this therewould
be a lot to say. All alchemicaltractsare but (Novelsof the Rose)8,both
literallyandfiguratively.The artistsforemostconcernconsistsin separating
the true from the false.This dominatesand constitutes
hermeticliterature.
What is the Rose?It is the flower of the philosophictree which
forebodesthe fruit. Now the tree of the philosophersis the vegetable
mercury' the Roseis hencethe efflorescence
of the metallic sap put into
motionby the exteriorfire, whichexcitesthe internalfire of the bodies.But
the Sagesspeakof two differentfires vestedwith this function.The disciple
must thereforeconsiderthat there exists,outsideof naturalfire, another
agentof this name,andthis secretfire is the fermentof metals,which in the
work playsa role analogous
to the leavenin the bakersdough.But may the
additionof this new elementnot troublethe mindsof the sonsof science.
For evenas leavenis madeout of sugarandacidifiedwater, so the ferment

8Thisrefersto Jeande Meung's "Romande la Rose"

115
of metalsis a productof sulphurandmercury,broughtto a suitablestateby
meansof art. The proportionsare analogous
to thoseusedin breadmaking.
Our plateshowsa secondsmallerrose,anda third one smallerstill.
Vlould therebe severalroses?Yes andno. In principlethereare two roses,
accordingas one works for gold or for silver; and, basically there is but
one. Nevertheless,the Mutus Liber presentsthree well definedones.This
is correct; but they are daughtersof eachother, i.e., of three different
virtues.Duringtheregimenof coction,Philaletes
instructsoneto first obtain
the white rose, which he calls the moon; then the yelow or saffron; and
finally the red or perfect rose. We are not using this author's exact
terminology;but we arespeaking
with enoughclarityto makeourselveswell
understood.
The obtaining of the roses is subordinateto putrefaction.The
putrefactiongives rise to a succession
of colours.The first is the black; it
is the key to the others.Without the black there is no putrefaction;and
withoutputrefactionno transformation.
If suchan accidentshouldoccur, it
is becausethe materialsbrought into contactdo not possesthe desired
qualities,or havebeenpoorly prepared.SeePhilaletesfor the rest and
acceptthe subtleonly.
The seventhplateis very important,but difficult to comprehend.
Here
we again find the four small triangles with the already explained
correspondences;
but we are arriving at a delicateoperation,for it is here
that Saturndevourshis child.
The fableof SaturnandJupiteris well known.But what is this Saturn
and what is this Jupiter?The chemicalnomenclature,
to be found with the
authorities,will informyou to whatmetalsthesetwo namescorrespond.But

116
we remark, in all honesty,that the Saturnand Jupiter of the Sagesare not
the sameas thoseof the vulgarchemists.Onehasto be on onesguard,and
not try to produceit from the solder of plummer or tinman. We are not
working with grossproducts,andwhile they haveall beenderivedfrom the
family of metals, they are not proper to the Work before havrng been
submittedto a preparationthat rendersthem "philosophic".
If one adoptsthe humid way, one proceedsaccordingto art if one
brings our two elementsinto contactin such a way that one absorbsthe
other,which givesa new productthatwill containthe two, withoutit being
henceforthpossibleto separate
them,at leastnot in a chemicalmanner.The
dry way evidentlysupposes
a combinationobtainedby a procedureadapted
to the natureof the bodies.But one shouldnot mix the two ways: Liquids
will uniteto liquidsandsolidsto solids.
In this operationthe fire plays a certain role. One of the figures
represents
Saturndevouringhis sonin the midstof a fire. Here onepay the
greatestpossibleattentionto thewordsof thephilosophers.
Oneof themwill
assureyou thatelementary
fire is thedestructorof the bodies,andthattheir
fusionvolatilizesthe soul;anotheronewill declarethatthe Sagesburn with
water, andat the sametime prohibitingthe useof corrosiveliquorssuchas
acids.The disciplethusfindshimselfenclosedwithin a viciouscircle, from
which it is extremelydifficult for him to escapeadvantageously.
Onehasto
takethe meanbetweenthe two doctrinesin order to makethemagree.It is
a water which enclosesthe fire of Heaven;it is the dew, or the flos coeli,
which we haveseenbeingpressedout in a previousplate.One knowsthat
the dew containsan acid principle which literally burns. The objects
submittedto its action do not delay to turn to dust. We must observe,

L17
however,thatthe philosophicdew in realitydiffers from the commondew.
Nevertheless,it is formedfrom the true tearsof Dawn unitedto a terrestrial
substance,which is the substanceof the Work.
When Saturn has accomplishedhis horrible feast, one must, says
Philaletes,causeall the watersof delugeto passover him, not so that he
drowns, but in order to correct the effects of a laborious digestion and
eliminatethe toxins resultingfrom fermentation.This is what one calls "to
whitenthe negro".The operationis rude,but efficacious,if onepreserves,
for it has to be repeatedseveraltimes.This washingwith the noblewater
derobesthe body of its impurities,correctsits humors, and disposesit
towardsthe subsequent
operations.It is thendistilledhermeticallyin order
to loosenothing;oneprecipitatesits salt which presentsitself in small and
very hygroscopic
crystals,andwhichmustimmediatelybe removedfrom the
influenceof the air. This is why it hasto be shutup, as shownin another
figure, in a flask it hasto be shutup, as shownin anotherfigure, in a flask
with a groundstopper,andwhichonehasto havereadyat hand.The eighth
plateshowsus the realizedphilosophicmercury,whereasthe secondplate
principles.He is producedfrom the Sunandthe
only showedits constituting
Moon that are at his feet.The eaglesare flying aroundhim, becauseinside
the matrasshe hasto undergothe necessary
sublimations;which hasbeen
indicatedat the bottomof the plateby the athanorwherethe egg hasbeen
placed for incubation.The mercury of the philosophers,animatedand
sublimatedaccordingto the rules, must circulatea long time in the vase
beforeproducingthe happyeffectsthat oneexpectsfrom him. But thereare
severalmercuriesin the work, andPhilaletespointsout a secondone, very
emphatically,under the nameof virgins milk. This one differs in some

118
respectsfrom the first, thoughthey areboth of the sameessence.Philaletes,
Ripley and othersso far as to saythat it pertainsto commonmercury. Basil
Valentine,on the other hand, banishesit with malediction.Some have
believedthat the virgins milk could be obtainedby combiningthe two. We
are acquaintedwith one artist who has accomplishedthis tour de force
merelyfor the pleasureof overcomingthe diffrculty, without pretendingthat
it has any other advantages.
We are thus in a position to acknowledgethe
operationaspossible,which doesnot imply thatwe adhereto its usein the
actualpractice.Only with the utmost reserveshould one acceptall the
bizarrenames,imposedby thephilosophers
uponcertainingredients.These
different epithetsserve the sole purpose of disguising the course of
operations.In this mannerthe sameproductcarriesa different name all
accordingto whetherit hasor hasnot beenexalted.And it is aboveall true
that alcohol,thoughextractedfrom wine, differs from it in nameas well as
in appearance,
in virtue as well as in effect,evenas wine differs from the
grapefrom which it hasbeendrawn...
The ninthplatebringsus backto theflos coeli.Why this return,
andwhat is thepoint of repeatingit whenwe werealreadyprovidedwith it?
It is not thatthe authorof the MutusLiber would sendus back to the fields
to fetch somemore; but surelyhe was obligedto repeatthis symbol, the
momentthatthis celestialagenthadto enterinto a new combination.In one
of the figuresof this plate,we seeMercuryin the processof buyinga flask
of this divinewaterfrom a countrywoman.He thereforehasneedfor it for
prescribes,effectively,to washthe mercuryseveral
someuse. Philaletes
times, in sucha way as to makeit loosesomeof its oily nature.He very
carefullydescribesthis operationwhich is accomplished
by meansof the

119
celestialwater broughtto a cer0aintemperature,neverthelessmoderate,for
it takesonly a little too muchheatfor the fiery part to retakeits path to the
stars.Philaletesis a greatmaster,his word hasauthorityandhe presentsthe
work with such ingenuity,that no suspicionof fraud could possibly arise.
But we must here exposea ruse: In his work this author has purposely
confoundedthe dry way with the wet way. It would thus be an error to
applyto onemethodthatwhichbelongsto the other.But, havingmadethis
remark, we recognizethat the astral spirit plays a permanentpart in the
of Cyliani, let us pauseat
operations.rrnd sincewe areusingan expression
to whichthis very recentterm hasgivenrise.
the improbableinterpretations
Recentwriters haveseenin this astralspirit a magneticemanationof the
operator.Accordingto them,onemust,duringa certainperiod,submitto
a physicalandmoral training,in order to successfully
practicethis kind of
fakirism or yoga. The strengthof the productmustbe proportionalto the
power of the fluid in such a way that the powder of projectionobtained
multiplies100, 1000or 10,000times,etc., accordingto the potentialof the
artist. Thus thesephantasists
pretendto impregnatethe matterwith astral
spirit as one chargesa batterywith electricity.This is what the poorly
understood
andrandomlyappliedanalogyleadsto. We shallnot namethese
singulartheoreticians
whosesincerityis respectable;
but we hadto signalthe
fact, in order to put studiousandtoo confidentdiscipleon his guardagainst
the hazardous
readingof authorswithoutmandateandwithoutconsecration,
who haveneverproducedanythingbut books,but who from that time pass
for Masters.
The tenthplaterepresents
the conjunction.The first figure shows,on
the scalesof a balance,on one side the salt indicatedby the star, on the

r20
ffi:
#
other the sulphurdesignatedby a flower, which with its heart forms seven
petals.Theseare the proportionsof the product. A man pours a liquid
enclosedwithin a flask onto this flower. This is the Mercury. In his other
handhe holdsanotherreceiverfilled with astralspirit to be usedaccording
to the circumstances.
The woman placesall theseproductsinto a long
neckedmatrass;but herewe must recall what we have said concerningthe
role of the womanin the Work: the two agentspersonifiedin this way are
the mattersthemselves,
and the diverseaccessories
that accompanythem
declaretheir stateof exaltation.
In the secondline, theartistsealsthematrasswith the sealof Hermes.
He puts its neck into the flameof a lamp, in order to return the glassto a
pastyandductiblestate.Afterwardshe hasto draw it out very carefullyin
orderto makeit thinnerat the desiredpoint, while assuringhimselfthatnot
even the slightestcapillarity is producedthroughwhich the spirit of the
compostmightescape.Havingcomethusfar, after havingcut the glass,he
turns the part adheringto the matrassback on itself, and shapesit into a
thick cushion(pad).Todaythis operationis very easilyperformedwith gas,
by meansof the blow-lamp.Somevery competentpractitionersemployan
automaticprocedureof even greaterperfection.But whatevermethodis
used,one thereafterplacesthe egg in the athanorand the coctionbegins.
We shallsaynothingabouttheathanor.The MutusLiber
presentsits form and inner arrangement.Philaletesdescribesit very
carefully. We shall add but one importantremark to the sayingsof this
author:the construction
of the furnaceis partly allegoric,andthereis much
to learnedon the point of view of the governingof the fire and of the
regimen of the Work. Concerningthe latter, the Secret Work on the

12r
philosophy of Hermes, attributedto d'Espagnetand favorably quoted, will
be useful to follow, for one there finds the Zodiac of the Philosophers.
The last figure of this plate demonstratesthat the conjunction is
taking place: the Sun and the Moon are united. The work has given the
requiredcolors. Here they havebeensynthesizedinto a circle, at first black,
then white and finally yellow and red. The obtained product multiplies ten
times, as announcedby the numbers.
The eleventhplateproclaimsthat the operatorhas enteredthe regimen
of the Sun, i.e., he has obtainedthe gold of the philosophers,which is not
wlgar gold. Although Jupiterplays a nominal role in the operativeprocess,
it is not a questionof bisulphurof tin, but of real "mosaic" or secretgold.
Meanwhile we shall confessin all truth, that it is not a product of Nature,
but of art. Contemporary chemists - unduly taken for competent - have
believedto find it in commonvitriol, which they hopeto render philosophic.
They havepoorly understoodBasil Valentine. The stroma of the dissolution
of this salt, consideredby them to be "nascent gold", is nothing but a
fleeting mirage, and on analysisleavesnothing but deception.
One author, famous with other titles and who in certain circles has
enjoyed a certain prestige - we must name Strindberg to warn against his
strayings- got strandedon a puerile and ridiculous technique.His Book of
Gold is an aberrationthat calls for a charitablesilence.Philaletesand others
advise, to those who ignore artificial gold, to seek it in vulgar gold, albeit
signalling this work to be long and arduous.One must, in this case, submit
it to difficult and dangerousmanipulations,for one may transform the metal
into gold fulminate, and the memoirs of the XVIIIIh century report several
mortal accidentsfollowing upon this preparation.But if the disciple hasbeen

r22
instructedin a good school,he will avoid this sophisticsnareand operate
hermetically;he will thus avert this redoubtabledanger.The mastersknow
how to reachtheir goalby following otherpaths,which they takegood care
not to indicate,but which are not undiscoverableif one reasonswith ones
reasonratherthanwith the erroneousbooksof the Sages."One needsgold
in order to makegold", saysthe classicalaxiom;this is correct,only there
aretwo differentkindsof goldneededto bring thelVork to a goodend.This
plate showshow one hererecommences
all the precedingoperations.One
mustelevatethe mercuryto a higherdegreeof sublimationby meansof the
eagles,redistill it in order to give it a greateranimation.
The twelfth plateinstructsus how one may carry this mercuryto a
superiorgradation.To this endonemustrecommence
the imbibitionsof the
flos coeli, until the mercury,which is eagerfor them, is impregnatedby
them to saturation.
The thirteenthplate is a repetitionof the tenth, for in the work, all
operationsfollow each other and resembleeach other; but this new
conjunction,which operateswith substances
sublimatedto the extreme,is
nothingbut the beginningof the multiplication.The work is the sameas in
plateten and,in the coction,onewill seethe coloursreappear.Its duration
in proportionas the multiplicativepowerbecomesaugmented,
decreases in
sucha way thatin the endit takesbut oneday to obtainthe resultthatin the
beginningrequiredmonths.The numberson this plategive the transmuting
powersobtainedby the subsequent
coctions.
The fourteenthplateis mainlydedicatedto the instrumentation.
One
there seesthe matrasshermeticallysealedwith its pad, such as we have
describedit; the mortar and the pestlefor the grindings;the spoonfor

123
skimming; the balancesto determinethe right weights; the furnace of the
first operationsbeforeemployingthe athanor.
We recall that on mustunderstandthe grindings,the decantation,the
skimmingand all the rest in a philosophicmanner,althougha trituration, a
decantationand skimmingare positivelynecessaryto renderthe substances
fit for the work; but, after that, theseoperationstake placeby themselves
by the reactionof the bodieson eachother.
and, so to speak,automatically
The disciplewill haveto meditateprofoundlyon the womanwith the distaff,
they are not indifferent
and follow her with sagacityin his manipulations;
the will
andall-tellingto the true sonof science.We cannotheretransgress
of the author,who witnessesof his well settleddesignto let the symbol
aloneexpressall his thought.If theselinescomeunderthe eyesof an adept,
he will approveof our reserve,which nevertheless
is closeto indiscretion.
But for the rest qui potestcaperecapiat.
The fifteenth and last plate representsthe apotheosisof Saturn,
victoriousover his sonJupiterwho haddethronedhim, and lies inert upon
the ground.It is the solarizationof the vilestof metals,his resurrectionand
glorificationin thelight. The two branchesof sweet-briarof the frontispiece
arechargedwith red berriesandwhiteberriesfilled with activeseedswhere
eachone has the powerto maultall the impuremetalsinto gold or silver.
The so-calledmystics- who deny the possibilityof the metallicwork and
have found nothingin the allegoriesof the philosophersbut a treatiseon
ascesiswhere they would be very embarrassed
to explaineach symbol -
seein this platean imageof the resurrectionof man
thesepseudo-mystics
and of his return to the celestialfatherland,and they becomeblissfully
enrapturedby this discovery,which they are not far from considering

124
mgeruous.
But if we becomepure spirit again, it follows that our body has
underits (outer)grossform and,giventheseconditions,
enclosedits essence
onecannotdenythe samepropertyexistsin the metals.The spirit or the fire
is everywhereandin everything:it lies in the flint so cold in appearance,
in
the metalsthatonetransformsinto inflammablefulminatesthat explodeupon
the leastshock.But, transmutationis a phenomenon
that causesthe species
to passfrom an inferior to a superiorplaneby meansof a spiritual agent,a
true seedcalleApowderofprojection.This marvelousproductis obtainedby
the real deathandputrefactionof a metallicsubstance,
which, transfigured,
has the property of, in its turn, modifying the nature of other matter or
creatures.Under its action theselikewise undergoa prompt death and
resurrection,that elevatesthem to their highestdegreeof dignity. The
Hermetistscomparethis transformationto the one of wheat. The grain
the grosselementsof the soil to
becomescorruptedin the earth,assimilates
itselfand,throughthework of a longdigestion,moultstheminto purewheat
in the ratio of a hundredto one.This digestionis more or lessactivatedby
the environment.In certainclimatesthe harvesttakesplace three months
aftersowing,andin thetropicsthevegetation
obtainsalmostinstantaneously.
It is thus altogetherrationalthat a fermentendowedwith great power and
projectedontomattersubmittedto a hightemperature
maycauseit to evolve
at a speedthat borderson the miraculous.
Evolutionis the law of life: the mineralbecomesa plantandthe plant
an animal,by way of intussusception;
but this transitis subordinated
to the
mediationof an exterioragent,plantor beast.If thenthe metalsareadmitted
to passin this way from one kingdomto anotherwith the assistance
of a

125
suitable element, it is still more logical that a certain perfect and
gold, takenback to its radical and spermaticstatehas the
quintessential
virhre to exalt and to convertlike naturesinto itself. Is it not thus that the
humanembryo, during gestation,assumesand transformsthe substanceof
beingsof a lessnobleorigin?Nutrition is a continualmetamorphosis.
Just
as, in the threekingdoms,everythingconvergestowardsman, amongthe
mineralsall endsin gold. But one cannotdeducefrom this, that nature,in
the long run, makesgold from lead.For this effectsheneedsto be assisted
by art, i.e. by the magicalfermentthat operatesits transmutation.
Gold is calledthe sun, for, in Greekd;gjis light; it is the heavenof
of the species.The metalsthusbecomegold
the metals,the spiritualisation
as, in certainregards,our bodybecomesspirit by the work of posthumous
fermentation.Putrefaction,disgustingand hideous, is neverthelessthe
amazingfairy thatworks all the miraclesin the world. It is a grosserror to
believethat, in the caseof man, the soul abandonsthe body with the last
breath.It is itselfentirelyflesh,for matteris a modalityof spirit in different
to a greaterandmoresubtlespark,which is the God of
statessubordinated
eachorganism.And if sciencedeniesthe realityof the spirit because
it has
neverfoundanytraceof it, it is dishonouring
its own name.A corpse,rigid
and cold, is by no meansdeadin an absolutesense.An intenselife, but
and withoutperceptiblereflexes,continuesin the
fortunatelyunconscious
tomb, and it is from this horribleand more or lesslong combat- which is
the purgatory of the religions - that the matter, distilled, sublimated,
transmutedand vapoized by the action of the sun, surges up to the
plane,whichhasits gradesfrom air to elementarylight andfrom
amorphous
this one to the fire principle where all finishesby dissolutionand from

126
where all emanatesanew.
We believethat we haveaccomplished
our task with all the required
honesty,andcausedsomenew light to shinein an obscuredomain.It is now
up to the discipleto completethe work. As for thosewho pretendto acquire
wisdomwithout merit andonly for a vile andcontemptiblefarthing, we say
to them as Saint Jerome in the legend of the rich and idle Cratus:
"Philosophydoesnot fit you".
And you, sonof science,bearin mind the eloquentsignby which the
terminalfiguresof thefourteenthplateaddressyou, andtheglossthatcloses
theMutusLiber: "If you haveunderstood,
work in silenceandfor still some
time keepyour mouthshuton the Mystery".

MAGAPHON

Qtnted Awlwrs od Works

Agricola (GeorgBauer)1494- 1595

Artephius
Ariadne'sthread(Anonymous)
Marcellin Berthelot t827 - 1907
ThomasCorneille1625- 1709
Cyliani
d'Espagnet- the SecretWork on the Philosophyof Hermes
NicolasFlamel1330- 1418
Girtaner
Dr. Helvetius- Vitulus Aureus(1666)

t27
Tiphaignede Lavoisier 1743- 1749
Grand Paysan
Petit Paysan
EirenaeusPhilaletes- An OpenEntranceto the shut
Palaceof the King
GeorgeRipley
Tlpus Mundi - editedby the Jesuits
August Strindberg1849- l9l2 - The Book of Gold
the Abbot of Vallemont
Basil Valentine
the Lords of Grosparmyand Valois
the ChaplainVico
Boileau
Eteilla - SevenHints on the PhilosophicWork
Hermogenes

fin is

t28