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First blank leaf missing
 | Aur iting C bye =
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COLLECTION:
| Of Fourteen fmall

TRE ATISES.
<

Concerning the

Eirft Siac
| hettor DE Af
Philofophers, |
For the difcovery of their;
(hitherto fo much concealed) |
i) MERCURY |
Which many have. ftudi-
oufly endeavoured to Hide,
. thefe to make Manic fe
- To the moft High and-
Mighty Monarch
CHARLES thell.
_ By theGrace of God, King
of Great Britain, France —
and Ireland, Defender of
the Faith.
Moft Gracious Soveraign,
His Treatife prompt-
: ‘ing us with the very.
Key, which alone w
- able to unlock the Philofo-
_ phers Inchanted Caftle, I
. thought it moft fit, that the
* fame flould be prefented to
Your most Excellent Maje-
Sty, a the greatest Patron of
t all Learning and Ingenuity.
_ The Philofophers Stone, or
; Elixir, ath been always
counted, and is the highest
:Secret in Nature, which by
wer ere ee
“The Epiftle Dedicatory.
that great Philofopher Mi-
-chael Sendivogius # deji-
ved, Aurum-in fupremum
gradum digeftum: the chief
and only means to perform
that digestion, 5 its appro-
priate Water extvatted out
of that Sul ett, which ts next
of Kin unto that King of
Metals. Concerning which
Subject, how it us brought to
tight, and how reduced inte
fuch a wonderful Water,
which hath both power to kill ©
that King, and to raife hime
againto life, yea perfectly to
regenerate and promote him
to anendlefs life and increafe, —
the Philofophers have writ- -
_ ten very obfcurely, and ftrove
ratherto hide the Secret,
than toreveal it. Only Bern-
Sendivow, and this
: cone + prefem :
 The Epiftle Dedicatoty, —
prefent Treatife-, feem the
mofbcandid, totrace us out
the way for ta travel through |
that Labyrinth of Paraboli4
Cal expreffions. Here the
place jet down where to find
the Philofophers Water, here
48 the Fire unriddled, which ,
according. to Axtephius and
Pontanus # the firft Agent,
yea the carrier on and per-
fetter of the whole Work,
Here areclearer hints giveiy
concerning the manner of
preparing this great Secret,
than any where elfe. Here
are the moft. charitable Ca-
veats for avoiding of wracks
in this Philofophical Navi-
gation.; which. te-the end
‘thofe of this Nation, that are
Siudions in thie Learning,
May take noticeAg.
of,Ithoaght
_ ‘, + Piaf pt
good
 The Epiftle Dedicatory: —
good to fix the fame on Your
moft Excellent Mazesties
Throne, as the higheft, emia —
-nenteft and moft confpicnous ©
place for all beholders of this
peculiar World: for which
prefamption, I hope Tour
Majefty will moft gracion|ly
pardon him, who moft hum-
bly commendsth himfelf and
his Studies .to Your Royal ©
Majefties woft gracious Pa-
tronage and Protection, and
Shall ever pray for Your Ma-
jefties health, happy conti-
nuance of Your glorious Go-
vernment, and all other feli- -
cities both here and here-
after.
__ Yottr Majefties moft Loyally,
ihe ; and moftHumbly devoted, -
John Frederick Houpreght, _
 THE.
“CONTENTS
of this BOOK,
i | pitts a
Hermeticum, or
the Metallick, Water-Fire:
pag: I.
2. The Privy Seal of Se-
crets, plainly Minune the
Firft Matter of the Philofo-
phers. | 4t.
3. 4 frrange Letter con-
cerning an Adept his curious
Learning and vaster Trea-
_ fure. $3.7
. Sir George Ripley's
Treutife of Mate ana
the Philofephers Stoné. » 69.
di
nn,

5. Colours to be obferved
in the operation of the Great
Work of Philofophers. 93.
Sere: ee
Ds Se
 =a
‘The Contents.
6.4 plain and true De-
| feription of the Treafure of
Treafures, or the Golden
}
p
|

Medicine. 97 |
9, 4 Treatife of the Phi-
lofephers Stone, the Bleffed:
f. Manna, &c. sini its won-
--drous Virtnes and Ufe, both.
for the curing the Body of;
Man, and making of precé~
ous Stones. 107s
8. Nic. Flammell. dis.
Summary of Plrilofophy , or
foort Treatife of the Pbilo--
fo
ophers Stone.
‘g. Raym. Lullie’s Clavie. ;
cula, Apertorium, or little:
Key explaining all the a
of-his Works. |
| meead difelos feae

passe { Philofophical.Ride
dle f Goldinee 185.a
=e 2-4 220 32. Berns
 The Contents. ~
12.Bern Trevifan's Epi-.
Sle to Thomas of Bononia,
Concerning the fecret work-
ings ofNature in the product
afshins. 187.
13. -- his foort Epistle
Dedicatory before bis Works,
to the fame man. 269.
14. 4 brief Preparation
Of the Philofophers Stone, for
the couclufion of this Book.
a 275s.
ig Ebydropyrographum a
“Elermeticum: —
OR, . ;

TRCONCERNING
EATISE
A Choice and moft Excellent

The True S10 or Fiery

Water of the Philofophers,
Which Artephius and Pontanus
call, their Fire which bringeth the
Matter into being in the begin-
ning ,fecond and third Work ;
jea, which perfeteth the whole
Work from the beginning to the
ending.

Written in the German Tongue, by

an Author Anonymus; and now -
publifhed in Engh/p by Fobx
Frederick Houpreght, a Student
of, and Searcher into the won
derful Secrets of Hermes.

ESin Hermete quidquid quar

pientes unt Saq
: ille {cilicet {lus inre
gno Na-
turee Trifmegiftus, imo
men, imo promus-sondusapexmira
. & cul-
biliug
 vary THE
-READER-
‘Here are many, which se
‘ing not well grounded, das
always hunt, and alfo lie:
in wait for Procefies 5 fuppoling:
that by trying’ a multitude of” |
them, they fhall chance at length:
to bait the Avicula Hermetis into»
their Net. But the grand Mafters:
of this Art are clean of anorher®
mind ;one whereof {fpeaketh homé,, |
faying, Scito pro certo, quod heer-
Scientia non in fortund,.neque ca=-
- fital inventione, fedin reali Scien-—
tia locata ef : © Know for atrath,”
‘that this Knowledge is not foun-- :
‘ded on chance, orcafual inven
‘tion, but in the reak Science...
And again, Muiti querunt novamas
maturam, novamanes materiam >
Pproprerea etiam inveniunt ‘eens
_ Pecenifque NIHIL, quia
ae ~
bifitatem nature, fedad
ee Philofiee
+,
 Tothe Reader,
eee ee Se eee ee Fi

:
j
= hoc inde fit, quod non ex funda-
;
mentis, fed ex auditu’e receptis
circumforaneis artem alfequi conan-
tur. *Many hunt after new Na-
“ture, new Matter, and find in lieu
* thereof fome frefh new Nothing;
*becaufe they interpret the Philo-
*fophers according to the extent
“of the Letter, not the poffibility
“of Nature ;They aim at the end,
* without the beginning ;and hence
‘it is that they acquire their Art -
‘not out of Fundamentals, but by
*Hear-fay, and common Receipts.
Yea he goeth further ; Etiam
_(ficut multoties accidit) cafu ab
aliquo tratatur materia Argenti
wivi nostri, tunc ubi incipere debet,
Opis fuum finit , & fic ficnt cafis
~_ invenitur, cafe amittitur, quin-
- nefeitSsper quid fuam intentionem
undare debeat. *So (as it often
“happens ) if by any chance the
‘matter of our Quick-filven be
‘touched, there the Work ends,
€ where it fhould begin;and fo as
-* itis found, it is loft, by chance,
| Maia afknows not liponwhat.
Sprig
 "4
- Yo the Reader,
* principle to ground his intention.
Therefore let none imagine, that —
€ver any true Philofopher that
Knew the Secret, betrayed the
fame into a Receipt, juit fo as how
to make Butrer or Cheefe out of
Milk;for it is not lawful for them
fotodo, Vetuit enim Deus (faith
@nother of the great Sages )omnz-
bus palam freri, quod valde paucis .
_ Notum effe bonum eft. ‘God denies
‘
“the knowledge of that to every
“one, that is communicablé only
‘toa few. And if any fhould prove
{o prefumptuous, as to proftitute
the Virgin-Nature without a Veil,
Anathema fieret Artis. Yea fappo-
fed, but not granted, that a man ~
by unwearied Anglihg for Re- -
Ccipts, fhould at length catch all
the neceffary requifites and cir-
cumftances of the Sectet, yet not
. §0ing in by the right door,of ob-
taining Grace and trne Knowledge
from above, but climbing and
breaking in by the furtive fide-
entry of Proceffes, let him be fure, —
that all his endeavours will pro
ve
addle, |
 Yothe Reader, — ba
‘addie, that he will be firuckeblind,
and for eyer be thrown out and
~ banifh’d from the Royal Palace.
Siena feras non aperit foris, .
wifiintis janitor peffulum [ubduxe-
vit; quod non tentat, nift figuo a
throni lamine fiti dato, faith one of
our late great Mafters : ‘The Key-
“bearer without opens not the door,
“ unlefs the Porter within remove
* the Bolt, which cannot be with-
Fouta fign’given him from. the
* Throne of Light. Therefore he
that is wife, will make his Addrefs
unto the giver of all Wifdom, and
by fervent Prayers, and deep Me-
ditations make his way into this
myfterious Science, and flee Pro-
ceffes, as being but Receffes from
~ truth. .Recipes are no other but
~ meer Decipes ; and Procefies make
no Philofophers, but only Mounte-
Sacks;in Chymia. Procefs-mongers
‘are in the fame proportion to Phi-
~ Tofophers, as pitiful Fiddlers, that
. Zot a few Tunes by rote, are in
_ ; refpedt of perfe& Muficians, who
Tunes by imengyable Mar
. Boy. ah
 ies To the Reader.
~ thematical grounds. Let none
think himflf-a Philofopher, un-
lefS he have firit accurately and
throughly acquainted himfelf with
Philofophy;elle jet him avoid the
ermetick Helicon. Etenim fine
<ognitione rerum nataralinm inftar
ceci ambulabis; qui principia
waturalia in feapfo ignoraverit ,
ile jam multim remotus eS ab hae
4rte: ‘For without the know-
* ledge of natural things, you walk
* in the dark ; and he rhat isigno-
“rant of the principles of Nature
* in himfelf, is far to feek in this
*Myftery. Nature is not fo eafily
courted, as fome fancy : Chymia
et caftifima Virgo, plurinos pro
cos habet, quos nunquam in pene-
tralia fua admittit :«Chymiftry
‘isa moft chaft Virgin, fhe hath
“many Rivals, but few admitted
* into her Bed-Chamber. She hath
‘many Waiting-women, and infe-
Tiour Attendants, which fhe delu-
+ deth fach Suiters with, ;as are un-
* Worthy of her: Multas habet per
A Riquasque
4 steal ivvetiti
2 — nege
 q
oe >i

To the Reader,
negligunt Reginam : She hath ma-
‘ny Handmaids, infnar’d by whofe
‘allurements they negle& their
*Miftrefs. There are fome that
are perfwaded, that becaufe they
are great Politicians, and have a
great meafure of the Serpents fub-
tilty and wifdom from beneath, for
compaffing of Worldly Interefts,
‘that therefore this Science mutt
“not efcape them, but that they
may eafily make it their own: But
let them know, that this Art is Sa-
cred, and that the Serpents wit
hath no fhare in jit, there being 2
great Gulf betwixt them; and that
none hath accefs unto it, but by
the wifdom from above, as holy
David faith, In thy light we freak
fee light. There are others that
think, that becaufe they have
great acutenefs in comprehending

|
all Humane learnings, that there-
fore the fharpnefs of their wit
muft needs reach this alfo: But
let them hear what one of our
great Leaders faith;Verum qui~
om ef,1 iin a Chymico requi=
reretur
baa To the Reader,
veretur fubtilis ingensi perfpicact-
tas, & ves ejufmodi effet, ut ab
sculis vnlge poffet conjpici, fatis
apta vidi illorum ingenia ad inda-
Senda talia: fed deprehend:: ilos
Philfophorum feripta longe fubti-
lus explicare, quam Natura, que
Simplex ef, requirebat : imo omnia
ditia mea veridica » ipfis femper
alta fapientibus ,videbantur ni-
minm vilia & incredibilia. Pro-
Pterea vobis dico, ut fitis fimplices -
& non nimium prudentes. ‘It’s
“Very true, if in the ftudy of Chy-
“miftry a great perfpicuity of wit
“were requifite, and the thing
“were of that nature, that it were
“perceptible to Vulgar Byes, I
‘have known their fancies very
“ripe for apprehending fuck
“things ; but I have difcovered
“them to interpret thé meaning of
_ “the Philofphers much more fub-
- “tilly, than Nature, which is
fim-
* ple, requires ; nay all my Truths
- “to them that are fo wife, are
but
* mean and incredible ; therefore
I
* advife you to befimple, and not
é
 — Tothe Reader.
- €over-wife. Hence faith Fob, There
is a way which the Vulture’s eye _
“hath not feen. Some fober Phyfi-
“cians , | though they have thts
“Science in efteem, yet fuppofe it
“needlefS for themfelves to ‘look
“anyfurther , but ouly for good.
Medicines’; and therefore, that
they ought not to trouble them+
‘felves abour the Philofophers
Elixir. But by their leaves, I do
“not conceive that one can be per-
feltusMedicus, abfque perfecia five
femme Medicind. Et cum primum
in wnoquogue genere fit menfure rer
~ Liquorum, qui fubordinata fua Me-
dicamenta. debite menfurare poffi
int
abfque prima illa Normé % imo qui
_wigor © vita ineffe oft pratentis
afits Medicarminibus , nift ab influ-
“entia: Solis. thus Philofophorum 2
"None can’ be an abfolare. Phyfi-
-*cjan, without the’ ott ‘periedt
~&and: ‘highett knowledge, A
eyhereas the firftin every kind,is
i
° “the
Be
‘meafareof the reft;icines
oa eh u dinate.
how i
-meafur Thabane ts
 othe Readers
“Rule? Nay how can he expedt.
“‘tifeand vigour in hisApplicati-~
-* ong,
but from the influence of this. .
“Sun of the Philofophers? Jn regna.
“éjus (faith.a great Adept} eff e-
culum, in quo totus mundus vtae-
tur. Ex ilo qui virtytes herbarum
BC Omnium rerum cognoverant , _
optini Medici faci fumt. Et certé
nif. Medicus talis ft, ut feiat ear
hee héerba talis veltalis, cur in bee .
Sradu talida aut ficca, cur humida
‘Jit, non ex libris Galeni aut Avi-
‘cena, [cd ex fonte Nature, funda-
“mientalis Mesicus eff} non porest..
“In his Kingdom is a Glafs, im.
~ *which.all the World is feen :out
 Se ee ie

_ To the Reader;
“*Phyfician is to” be eftablifhed.
* As for this Hydropyrographum Her-
~ = meticum, which I have ftript of the
German, and put into an Englifh
-drefs, Iknow that fome will find
fault with it, for finding no Pro-
cefs in it ; others will be offended
at the fimplenefs and homelinefs
of its garb; others becauie it
-{peaketh not quite out, and doth’
"= mot betray the Myftery to every
_ capacity. But let them weigh.all
_ that hath been faid in this Addrefs
to the Reader, and I am confident.
_ allthefe fumes will vanifh to no-
‘thing. —So Farewell.

hg |
{ :

2) Bes
 FZ dropyrogr apbum
Flermeticum.
Ear Son, to point out
wnto thee fuccinGly
Memorandum, as it
were , concerning the
underftanding of the true and ge-
Nuine Stone of the Philofophers,,
and the manner of proceeding: im:
ate preparation, I give thee this
information, that the
-
—
faid Stoze is compoun-. “4* ox
ded and engendred of corpore
estas oe.
:
two things, «wz. Body Spirita.
and Spirit. or of Mafcu-
line and Feminine Seed, that if .
a
of the Water of Mercury, and ofthe
Body ofSol; whereof we find {uh -
Cient proofs and atteftations in all
true Writings of the Philofophers,
@nd therefore I count it needlefs,
to enlarge my felfbyquoting of
eee 2a: theme
 2 Eydropyrographurs
them: ' The upfhot of all therefore
ess. dg, that firft of all Mer-
Smead cury be diffolved and
in aglipts reduced into a firitual
Water, which is termed
by the Philofophers, rhe firft Mat-
ser of Metals, the juice of Lune,
Aqua Vite, Quintefience, a fiery
ardent Water or Brandy ; by which
isi aqua Water or prime Matter,
Mercuri Metals are unlock’d or
gctaia ree untyed, and freed from
folvenda in their hard and ftiff
am ~~ bonds, and reduced in-
maria + their firft and uni-
form nature, fuch as the Water of
Mercury it {elf is. Upon this ac-
count the Philofophers prefented
unto us in their Books, the exam- —
ple of Ice, or frozen Water, which —
y heat is Pete into Water,
5 becaufe before its co-
aati agulation it hath been
tur in pri- Water. Alfotellingus, |
3 pearsieane thar by the very fame
‘Feria Per principles, from which
OS a eachthinghath its rife,
fwit, it may be reduced or
Ak See brought
 Hlermeticum, 3
brought back to what it was in the
beginning. And thence they in-
Ctr, that it is impoffible to tranf-
mute Metals into Gold or Silver,
, Without reducing them firft into
their prima materta. Concerning
therefore the bringing
about this Regeneration ae
of Metals, thou muft PISS
eraile~

diligently heed and ob- primam

ferve, my beloved Son, materiam
that the fame is to be 4xamode
performed only by the Pate
means of the prime Matter of Me-
tals, that is, the Water of Mer-
¢ury, and by nothing befides in the
whole World. For this Water is
next of Kin unto the
_ Metall ck nature, in fo oe J
Much that after their eusiees
mutual and uniform gmicg.
commixture, they can
~-heverbe any more parted afunder.
This the Philofophers in the Turba
and other Books fignifie unto us,
faying, Nature rejoyceth:in its Na-
ture; Nature fuftaineth Nature;
At amendeth Nature ; it reduceth
oe Bz Oe oe
|4 Nature;
«©Ltyaropyrographum =
Nature overcormeth Na-
ture. Confequently it is neceffary
to know this bleffed Water, and its .
preparation, which Wa-
“da ter is a hot, fiery, pier-
Mercurii be Ssirit th Philo-
Oe
artisef vapor 0S Spirit, the Philo
ignens. fophical Water, and the
: hidden Key of this Art.
For without this all the labour and
‘work of Alchymy is fruitlefs’ and
fruitraneous. Obferve therefore,
my Son, and mark, that ai the
ground-wirk of the Phi-*
Fundamen- Tof\phers Stone, coniitt-
tam Lapim< 22, ;
diss eth in this, that by
Sie means uf the prima ma-
teria metallorum,, that is with the —
Water of Mercury, we reduce and —
bring back the perfe# body of Sol
to a new birth, that jit be born
again by Water and Spirit, accor-
ding ‘to: our Saviour’s Do&trine:
Except a man be born again of Wa-
ter and of the Spirit, he cannot fee |
the Kingdom ofGod. So likewifein
this Art, I tell thee, my Son, uc- |
_ lets the Body of Sol be fowed in its
groper foyl, your labour is in vain,
pine and
4 ee 3 a Py - -: LS :
 e -
Hermeticum. 5
and it produceth no fruit; as
Chrift our Saviour faith, Unlef; a
Sain ofwheat fall into the ground,
and dye, and rot, it bringeth no
fruit. Sowhen the Body
of Sol is regencrated by oY ta he 6
Water and Spirit, there 9707.
ftoweth and cometh fit eftrale.
forth a clarified, aftral,
eternal, immortal Body, bringing
forth much fruit, and able to mul-
- Uply it felf like unto Vegetables.
And to this purpofe the Philofo-
pher Roger Bacon fpeaketh, I do
affure you, that if the frum do
caft and imprefs its inclination in--
to fuch a clarified Body of Gold,
that it will not lofe its power and
Virtue to the very laft affay or ©
judgment :For the Body is perfect,
and agreeing to all Elements. But
if it be not regenerated, no new,
nor greater, nor purer,
Ror higher, nor bene: pean
thing can come of it. sallorum
He that doth not know ignorantes.
Nor underftand thisRe- <Hfineant
Scneration of Metals, * “#4
B3 wrought
 Hyaropyrographume
wrought in nature by the Water —
and Spirit ofthe prima materia,
eught not to meddle at all with
this Art: For in truth, without
this, all is but falfities, lyes, un-
profitable-and to no purpofe ; yea
it is impoffible to effe&it other-
ways. Hence issthat excellent fay-
ing of the Philofophers, That every
thing bringeth forth its like; and
what aman foweth, the fame he
fhall alfo reap, and no other, “And
to the fame purpofe the Philofo-
pher Richardus Anglicus' faith ,
Sow Gold. and Silver, that by the
means of Nature they may bring
Fruit. * Confequently ,
Corpus So- cep: thou Rg)
‘lis eligen-
to choofe no other Body
;ee for thy Work but Gold,
becaufe: that all. other
Bodies are rank and imperfed.
And therefore .alfo the Philofo-
phers made choice of Gold before
all other Bodies, becaufe it is of all
things in the World the moft per-
fe&, illuminating all other Bodies,
and infufing life into them; and
Sys ws besaule
becaufe ir is of afixated incombu-
ftible nature, of a conftant or abi-
§ roor, and Fire proof; alfo,
becaufe (as Roger Bacon faith) the
Corporal Gold, as to its nobility
and perfection, cannot be changed,
2nd is the utmoft bound and term
of all Natural generation, and-
there is no perfecter thing in the
whole World. The like reacheth
alfo the Philofopher Ifsacus Hol-
landus, faying, Our Stome cannot
be extracted from any other but 2
perfe Body, yea the moft perfe&
in the World. And if it
sore not 2 perfec: Bo- 4 compere
y, what Stone could ©
be extraded thence? toe
in regard that it muft =~
have power to quicken all dead
Bodies, to purifie the unclean, to
mollifie thofe that are hard, and
harden thofe that are foft : And in
truth, it would be impoffible to ex-
tract fo powerful a Stone out of an
imperfe& and crafie Body, for a
800d perfect thing is not to be gor
from:-that which is imperfect and
B4 uh-
xe _Hydropyrographum or 2

unclean ;and although |many do

fancy, thatt,fuch an extraction may |
be brought to pafs, yet they erre >
grofly, and are very unwife.
Therefore, my Son,ob-
stared ferve, that the red Phi-
inet lofophical Sulphur isin
; the-Gold, as Richardus
teftifieth, and King Cid faith:
Our Sulphur is no common Sul-
hur, but is of a Mercurial nature,
fixated, and not flying from the
Fire. The fame all other Philofo-
phers alfo do witnefs, that their
red Sulphur iis Gold.
~ Tt is true, my Son, that the Phi-
aX ‘Jofophers do fay in their Books,
22 that the common Gold
aAurtm oy Siwver is none of
i their Gold or Silver, in
Philofphe- regardthat their Gold
wum, @ and Silver is quick or
quemedo living, but the common
.
Hoc intelli-
gendum.
42 dead, and therefore
not capable to bring
imperfe&t Bodies to perfection, nor
to communicate unto them the
dealtof their perfection. For if
they
 - Hermeticum, 9
they flould beftow feme of their
. pertection upon others, they them-
felves would be then imperfea, in
regard they have no more per-
fection, than what is needful for
themfelves. Thefe words of the |
Philofophers, my Son, are true, and
fpoken upon very good ground;
for it is impoffible for common
Gold and Silver, to perfec other
Bodies that are imperfeé, unlefs;
as before taught, that the Body of.
Sol and Lune be born anew, or re- -
generated by the Water and Spirit
of the piima materia, and thereby
a glorious, {piritual, clarified, erer-
nal, fixated, fubtle, penetrant Bocy
do grow forth, which afterwards
hath power to perfect other Bodies —
Which are imperfe&. gAnd there-
fore the Philofophers alfo faid pre-
- {ently after, that thofe labours are
_ to this end undertaken about their
ssStone, that its tincture sit
may be advanced and ig sr.
exalted ; for it is requi- tiplicatiy
fite, that the Stone be. per acuam
' digetted
and carried on Merewrii.
a BES Ba ek ae
nn * Wes os2 a ee
 10 Hydropyrographum - 1
To a far greater degree of fubtlety -
and excellency, than the common
Gold and Silver poffeffeth. To this -
purpofe the Philofopher Zernuhkard |
feaketh in his Book, in the words
following :Though we take this
Body juft as Nature hath produced
it; for al] thar it is neceffary, that
by Art, which in this point mutt.
?mitate Nature, the fame be high-
ly exalted in its perfection, to the
end that by the means of that fu-
perlative accomplifhmenr, and its
fuperabundant rayes, it may be
able to perfeét and compleat the
imperfect Bodies, as to weight, co-
lour, fubftance, yea as to their
Mineral root and principles. But
if it fhould have remained in that
degree, wherein Nature left it,
viz. in its fimple perfeCtion, and
not rendred more perfect or exal-
- ted, what fhould the time of nine ~
rig months and a half we
“am {pend about it ferve
eSram oeele
poten~ for? Arnoldu; in his
tiale & — Epiftle fpeaketh home,
virtnale, faying, Geld and Silver
s ee
 - Hermeticum.- 11
is in our Stone potentially and vir-
tually, after a powerful, invifible
and natural way ; for if it were
not fo, no Gold nor Silver could
come of it : but the Gold and Sil-
ver exifting in our Stone, is better
' than the common, becaufe it # L-
ving, but the common is dead. And
for this very reafon the Philofo-
phers called it their Gold and their
Silver, becaufe it is powerful in
their Stone, active in its effence,
but not vifible common Gold and.
Silver ; which is alfo confirmed by
Euclides in the great Rofary, fay-
ing, Nothing cometh of a perfeé
thing, in regard it is already per-
fea and compleat, being fo made
by Nature. Whereof we have an
example in Bread ; which being
fermented and baked, is perfect in
its degree or being, having. at-
tained to its intended end, fo that
it. can be brought to no further
fermentation, to make other Bread
of it. The cafe is the ,.
fame with the Gold, soi; pere
Which through length fete i
.
i2- Hydrepyrographum
J
fit, wifire- of time hath been de-
ducaturad duced by Nature to a-
— brimem fixated and perfec con-
materiam, =
dition : and fo confe-
quently it is impoffible by the
means of the fimple Gold to ‘per-
fe& other Bodies, unlefs the per-
fect Body be firft diffolved and re-
duced to its firft Matter ; which
done, it is introverted by our la-
bour and Art, and reduced -into a
true ferment and tin&ture. More-
over the Philofophers do fay, that
there is no coming to a good end,
until Gold and Silver be joyned.
together in one Body. Here, my
Son, thou muft under-
Luna me-
éaphorica,
ftand Lune metaphori-
cally, and nor accord-
ing to the letter, becaufe the Phi-
lofophers fay in their Writings,
that Lune is of a cold and moitt
nature, which defcription they at-
tribute alfo unto Mercury : and ?
therefore by Lune is underftood
Mercury, or the prime Matter,
which is the Philofophers Lune, or -
juice ofLune, as is made plain by
sag aie ees that
. <— Hermeticum, | 13
that excellent and deepty-fathom- _
ing piece, the Glangor buccine.
And thus, my Son, thou art in-
— ftruéted briefly, that no profit is to
be gor by this Art, uvlefs the per-
fect Bodies by means of the Philofe-
phers Fire, or Water of Mercury; be
reduced into their primum.Ens, —
which is a Sulphureous Water, and
not Mercury vive,as the Sophifters
fuppofe. For the firft poscbeaee.
matter of Metals is not 4. quid?
Mercury vive, but.a ‘
clammy Sulphureous Vapour, and
-a vifcous Water, wherein the three
principles, viz. Salt, Sulphur, and
Mercury, are coexiftent. Confe-
quently it is neceffary to know the |
true bleffed Water of Mercury, or
the Heavenly fupernatural Fire,
whereby the Bodies are diffolved
_ and melted like Ice.For =» "™
. the knowledge of this, Cognitiea
isthe greateft fecretof que Mer
all, and is wholly and SA
Only in the power of fecretwmm |
God, and is not to be
Obtained otherways, but by fer-.
a; Wont
 4 Hydropyrographum
_ vent prayer unto him. Concern-
ing this the Philofopher Rogerius
faith ;God hath created Man, and
placed him over Nature and all
Creatures, though himfe'f be na-
tural, and nothing elfe but Na- |
ture, except the Breath which God
breathed into him : The very fame
_ isto be thé judge of the Works,
and their nature. This divine Spi-
rit reprefenteth unto the fenfes
and thoughts, in a true Vifion as it
were, the firft principles of Na- °
ture, efpecially fince the nateral
inbred Spirit difcovereth fome fuch
. grounds, whereupon he may furely
‘relye, and in this Work and ear-
neftnefs of the Spirit, which is of
the natural Creation, the divine
Adam veprefenteth in us the dif-
folution of the whole
Ut macto- World. “And St. Peter
rumperar bY the kindled and
per ignem, burning fiery Spirit of
tta etiam the inbreathed Breath
microco[~ rsGod, declareth the
was ; Phile- me very clearly, fay-.
Cs _ ing: That the lement
 Hermeticum, = 15
fhall. mele with fervent heat; thé ~
Earth alfo, and the Works that
are therein, fhall be burnt up, and
- that there will be a new World,
Very glorious, excellent and good,
as in Apocalypfi is defcribed.. And
hereupon the Philofopher conclu- -
deth, according to what hath been
alledged, out of St. Petry, that
_ there shall happen a deftruGtion of
the Elementary World by Fire.
Obferve in this Art, that the Fire
’ muft perform the like in its type.
in Nature. Therefore, my Som, tet
thy thoughts upon this
Water, wherewith the —fj corrsm
Body of So/ ( which, as pendam per
Rogerius witnefleth, isa 4444 |
perfec created World) Mercuri. |
is burnt up, and deftroyed and dif
folved, that it is not a common
Fire, in regard the common is not
» Able to burn or deftroy the Gold ; ©
but jt is a fupernataral incombu->
ftible Fire, the ftrongeft. of all .
_ Fives, yea a Hellith Fire, which —
eoly hath powertoburn the:Gold,
andto fer the fame fiee. pd
i=
| 16 Hydropyrographum
_ .ftiff and hard bonds. .This fuper-
|natural Fire, which hath fuch a
power over the Gold and other
| Metallick Bodies, is nothing elfe
| but thePeters Sulphureous fiery
Water o Mercury, wherein the Bo-
’ dy of Sol is diffolved and burnt up,
|
}
|

| and of this diffolved and deftroyed

| Body, a new World likewife is
created and born, and the Heaven-
ly ferafalem, that is an eternal, .
clarified, fubtle, penetrant, fixated
Body, which is able to penetrate
and perfect all other Bodies.
ie "Hence Regerius faith, As that is to
|< bea fupernaturalFire, which is to
-break and melt into one another °
_ the Elements of the whole World ;
and as out of the broken cor-
__ ruptible Work of the diffolved Ele-
| ments, a new Work will be born,
' which will be aneverlatting Work,
even fo the Holy Trinity hath’ »
-Thewed and fignified unto us like- :
wife, a fupernatural Fire in the
- Heavenly Stone. This fupernatu-
ral Fire, my Son, the Philofophers
ave ys. in their Books in par-
“ -rabolical ;
< Hermeticum. - 17
~ Fabolical expreffions, naming the
» fame by innumerable names, and
efpecially they term it :
Balneum Marie,a moift Nomina a .
Horfe-dung , Menffru- pata?
um, Urine, Milk, Bloud, 5
Aqua vite, and the like. OF this
fire, faith Bernhardus, sein
make a vaporous Fire, oe a
continual digefting, not .
Violent, fubtle, airy, clear,. clofe,
Mcombuitible, penetrant and vi-
tal ;_and thereupon he’ fpeaketh —
further, Truly, I have told thee
all the manner and circumftances
of the Fire, which only performeth
all, and therefore he bids the Rea-
der, to confider well and often the
words he {aid concerning the Fire,
Confequently, he that is wife will .
€afily perceive thence, that thoie —
Words are not to be underftood of
* common, but of a fupernatural
ire ;which alfo Mary the Prophe- _
tefS doth hint, faying, that the
Element of Water doth. diffolve
the Bodies, and make them white.
d concerning this Fire Bene 7
“rhe ¥
 ec lie {peaketh in his Tefta-
a "» mentum novifimum, it
MAO Cadice, in Anind. Med
-tallorum, Luce Mercuriorum, Libro)
Mercuriorum, de fecretis Natur@,
de Quinta Effenri#, & in Eluci-
_ dario Teftamenti,c. 4. faying, that
/it is not Humane but Angelical to
reveal this Celeftial Fire, and that
it is the greateft fecret of all, how
“to attain to the knowledge of it.
And moreover he faith in figura-
“tive expreffions, that this Fire is.
compofed of Horfe-dung and Calx
vive. But what is prefigured by
’ “Calx vive, I will expound in ano-
‘ther place. And what is. fignified
“by Horfe-dung, I mentioned be-
“Venter e- —fore, viz. that by Horfe-
<qninusPhi- ung is meant the Wa-
Tofsphorum ter of the prima mate-
aft aqua —_vig, foritis warm an
Mercuri. woift like Horfe-dung ;
-but it is no common Horfe-dung,
as many ignorant perfons do fup-
-pofe ‘and underftand. Hence ran
: the
 t

the Philofopher Alamus, the Philo-.

“fophers called:the moift Fire Horfe- .
“dung, im which moifture is kept
the occult heat, becatfe it is the
“Property of the Fire exifting in the
_Horfe belly, not to: deftroy Gold,
“but by reafon of ‘its moifture to
“increafe it. To the like purpofe
fpeaketh Alchidomius :Our’ Medi- —
- Cine muft behidden in moift Horfe- -
“dung, which isthe Philofophers _
Fire. And Alanus :’Dear Son, be
Careful inthe work of Putrefachon
or Deftrugtion, which is to be per-
“formed in a gentle*heat, that is,
‘in moiit Horfe-dung. Arnvldus de
“Vilé novd, in the 9th. chap. faith,
“that -the heat of Horfe-dung is
“their Fire. So likewife Alphidius:
it is digefted and buried in the heat
‘of Horfe-dung. “And Ariftorle :the
Earth or Body: will enjoy no virtue, _
unlefs it be fublimed by the means
‘Sof Horfe-dung. “And therefore ,
— faith Hermes, roaft and cook it in
the heat of Hoxfe-dung. And Mo-
“tienus: if thou do. not find in
Horfe-dung what thou lookefttn
? “thew
E> 20° Hydropyrograpbum —
» thou hadft beft to fave thy char
s ges. With thefe agreeth 4rneldus
ER faying :. Let none feek
Mercurii for /any other Fire be
eff Ignis fides this, for ir, is th
Philfipho- Five of the Wife, rhe
< ela melting Furnace of the
Wife, and their Furnace for calcir
Hing, fubliming , reverberating,
diflolving, and performing of Cox
agulation and Fixation; for this
Water diffolveth all Metals, and
calcineththem, and melteth it felf
together with them, both into red
and white. In like manner alfo the
'urba and Senior {peaketh : Our:
ater isa Fire, and our Water is
fronger than any Five, for it re
duceth the Body of Gold into a
meer Spirit, which the natural Fire
isnot able to do, though the na-
tural Fire muft likewife be had. ;
For then-our Water enters into the
natural Bodies, and changeth it
felf into the primigenial Water,
and afterwards-into Earth or Pow-
der, which doth more forcibly
burn the Gold than the natural.
_ ermeticum. - 21
‘Fire ; and accordingly Ce¥d faith,
) It is truly. a Fire, which burneth '
and grindeth all things.
But the manner of _4ayg
Preparing this Philofo- Mercarit
Phick Water or Fire, qyomodo
“that is, the qua Mer- Preparan
curit, the Philofophers
have concealed ; however Ray-
Mund Lullie of all hath written beft
of it, though in dark expreffions.
Accordingly, firft of all it will be
requifite, to purge Mercury from its
extraneous humidity and terrene.
| terreftriety, yet fo, as not by means
of.corruptible things ;for by fuch
_ its noble, fruitful, viridefcent and
generating Nature would be mar-
ted. Avicen, Arnoldus, Geber, Ray-
mundus, in Codici#o,and other Phi-
lofophers befides, fay, that Mer-
cury is belt cleanfed by fubliming
¢ it from common Salt, which done,
“the fublimate to be thrown into -
Wirm Water, which will diffolve
and fever the Spirit of Salt from
It; afterwards the fublimate being
dryed aud mixed with Sale of Tar-
: ioe peeeaemetren a
 22: Hydropyrographum.-—
tar, and forced through a Retort,
it will revive again, and this to b
done divers times, and by thi
proceeding Mercury will be freed
fomewhat from its extraneous moi-
fture and feculency ; and Bernhar-
dus towaxds the end of his Epiftle
faith, that this purgation doth not
hurt Mercury, in regard that the
hot Water and Salt do not pene-
trate into its fubftance. But it is
., to be noted here, my
_Praparatio’ Son that in regard that
Kt uf. Mercury is of an uni-
cilis.. form indivifible f{ub-
ftance, it cannot be
truly and perfedily cleanfed by
fuch. an extraneous means, elpe-
cially becaufe its terrefirial impu-
rity lies hid in its inmoft center,
which by no Sublfmation is to be
fevered thence, as many ignorant
_men, though in vain, attempt.
And therefore other means mutt
be ufed to free Mercury vive trom
thofe bonds, wherewith Nature
hath tyed him uniformly in the
bowels of the
| Earth,| and to reduc
ears eeri ee
 Hermeticum, 23.
him into its primum .
Wi, which isa Sulphu- ere
Teous fpiritual Water, Swlphure-
Which must be done am redu-
without addition of any eendus abf-
eterogeneous thing, as cette
Rogerius Bacon under oer
the title of Mercury teftifietl; and
Raymundus in the Theoricd of his
Teftament faith, that if ir benot
putrefied and opened after the
forefaid manner, the Menffruum
Will not be worth a Fig. But when .
the quick Mercury without any ex-
traneous thing is fet free from its _
bonds, and diffolved in- :
t0 the primogeneal Wa- Merewrius
ter, then and but then fiat Pe
we are capable 70 gayi,
sleanfe his infide, and
4 adiftilation to fever the Spirit
om the Water, and terrene ter-
reftriety ; concerning which Sepa-
Tation the Philofophers have writ
M an occult ftile, fuch as no con-
Ceited perfon will eafily apprehend,
bur efpecially they deferibed it fi
Buratively in the diftillation of
5
Tf ee
Wine,
 24 Hyaropyrographum
prion Wine. For in the diftil-
€ ant @= lationof Wine appear-
Pilatiowe. ech evidently, efit the
Spirit of Wine is mixed with a
great deal of Water, and terrene
terreftriety : but by means of an
' artificial diftillation,
the dry Spirit
of Wing may be fevered from all
_ the phlegmatick humidity and ter-
rene terreftriety, in fo much that.
allthe Spirit is fevered from the
Water exiftent in Wine, and the
Water from the Earth, and then
remain the Lees, out .of which a
white Salt is extracted, and joyned
- again with the Spirit, and then
the Spirit is diftilled and cuhoba-.
ted divers times, until all the Salt
be gone over with it, whereby the.
Spirit is hugely fortified and acua-
_ted. And in truth, this is a nota-
ble typical. defcription reprefented
unto us by the Philofophers, which
‘ in the preparation of the Water of
Mercury we ought to imitate ; for
after its diffilution we ought in like
manner (as hath been taught of
the Wine) by Sublimation jever
AP
Saas ee
SS2 ? aegis et
+ Fay vw de Os
a a
oo. . pees: aes
— -Hermeticum: - 25
‘the Water or Phlegm from the Spi-
Nit, and the Spirit from the Earthy,
and to rettifiz2 the Earth, and joy
and diftil it together with the Spi-
‘Vit, untill all together come over the.
Helm. OF which preparation of
this Water, none of all the Philo-
‘ophers hath writtea more clearly:
Ror better : than Ray-
. ~ Lylli uspe-
Mund Lullie, viz. in riti ‘esi ’
Tefamento noviffimG, aS chin pram’
alfo in the firit Tefa- p4ratione
Ment, in Lovo Mercurio- 49%4 Mars.
4m , ebro Qiffentie, en
¢. where he doth piainly enough
Cclare, that after the Putrefacti-
©, Separation, Diftillation of tae
hilofophicai Spirit of Wine, the.
|
Pititual Water is to be mixed
28ain and diftilled. with. its own.
rth, that it come over with its
| he declareth alio, how this
Philofo- ——
Palcal Wine or Menfir wisn is torti~
€d and acuated with its own Salt. -
further it is to
Noted, that this; Waterbe Mercurinzs
, ftusus folm
tafruum, or Philofo- ‘vit sum,
Phical Spirit of Wine, ¢orpea. ee

= ra
 5 86 Hydeopyrographum
being thus prepared, doth diffl:
or open its own Body, or Mercur
vive, into the primum Ens, 07 pri
; mogenial Water, whereby it is
| multiplied without end, by means
«Of ~Putrefaéion anid Difiilation
, But what is faid of the Extraction
Of this Water, is confirmed by 4+
— noldus de Villd nové,faying : It is
_ afabftance full of Vapours, whith
_containeth in “it felf a fat humi-
dity, whereof the Artift fevereth
the Philofophers humidity, fuch as
is fic for the Work, and is as clear
__ agthe tears of eyes; wherein dwel-}
eth the Quinteffence in a Metal-
| +Hek Nature, very proper for the
‘Metals, and therein is the Tincture
to bring forth an intire Metal 7
for it containeth the nature both
of Argent vive, and alfo of Sul
phur. Rofarius Philofapherum faith
concerning the dittillation of this
Menstruum or Water,
 of this Spirit, muft be of Glafs, and
€xadtly clofed, to the end that the ~
Pirit may find no vent nor place
to fly through, it being very for- —
Ward to make its way through any
hole it findeth : And if the red :
Spirit fhould be gone, the Artit-
will lofe his labour: the Philofo-
Phers call the red Spirit Bloud, and
MenStruum ; therefore be very
Careful to have good Veffels, and
to have the joynts well luted, that
J0u may get the dry Spirit with its
Bloud into the Receiver by it felf,
Without evaporation of its Virtue,
and keep it, until thou have occa-
fion to work with it. But concern-~
Ng this diftillation, the ocular in-
feGion gocth beyond writing, and
None can be a Malter, before he
have been a Scholar or Apprentice.
provident therefore Set
2nd difcreet in thy Lege as
ork,Lay off 4 Reécei gone agus
Ver,and firft diftili by a s
Sentle Fire the Element of Water,
Wadich being over, put it afide, and
“*Y on another Receiver, and clof
a pent ae ee
 Sass ar ie aos atl
the joynts exactly, that the Spirit |
may not vapour away, increafe
the Fire a little, and there will
rife in the Helm a dry yellow Spi-
git :Continue the fame degree of
Fire, fo long as the Spirit cometh
yellow. But when the Alembick
beginneth to be red, then increafe
the Fire very gently; and keep it
“ going on thus, until the red Spirit
and Bloud be quite come over, *
which in its afcending and going
through the Helm will appear in
the form of Clouds in the Air:
And fo foon as the red Spirit is di- ”
ftilled over, the Helm will be white,
and then ceafe quickly; and thus
you have inthe Receiver the two
Elements of Air and Fire, having
extracted the true dry Spirit, and
fevered the pure from the impure.
Loe now youhave the prima ma-
teria Metallorum, wherein the Bo-
dies are reduced, For
Omniame- all the Metals have
eaipasy their rife from Water,
#* which is a root of all
Metals. And therefore they are re-
voles — dates
 = 7 -

Hermeticum. 29
duced into Water, like as the fro-
zen Ice by heat is reduced into
ater, becaufe it hath been Wa-
ter before. Do not marvel at it,
for all things upon Earth have
their root and rife from Water.
© how many there are that work
and never think upon the root,
Which’ is the Key to the whole
Work : it -diffolveth the
dies readily;it is Fa- Ffigiiat
ther and Mother; it :
Openeth and fhutteth, and redu-
eth Metals into what they have~
been in the beginning. It diffol- _
Veth the Bodies, and coagulateth .
it felf together with them; the
Spirit is carried upon the Water,
that is, the Power of the Spirit is
€en there operating, which is done
When the Body is put into theWa-
_ ter. Whereupon the Philofopher
faith: Look upon shat de(pica~
Olé thing, whereby our Secret is
opened. For it is a thing whichall -
Ow well, and he that knoweth it _
Rot, will hardly or never find it :
Ni pisinan Ligok o oni ae
+
© fool
30 throws
Hydropyrographum
it away,-and there-
}
duction is eafie to him that knows:
Refilusis it. But, my Son, it is
Mercurii the greateft fecret to.
maximum free this Stone, or Mey-
fecretum. cury Vive, from its na-
tural bonds, wherewith he is tyed
by Nature, that is, to diflolve and
reduce it into its primigenial Wa-
ter; for without this be done, all
-will prove but labour loft : for elfe_
we fhould not be able to fever and
extract the true Spirit or Watry
fubftance, which diffolveth the Bo- |
Orne phi. wes: And this Solution
lofopht' oc- hath been concealed by
—enltaruns all ‘the Philofophers,
confeétio~ who left it unto God Al--
nem age. mighty’s difvofing, ana-
. thematizing that maa that fhould
openly reveal it. And therefore
they {pake very fubtilly and con-—
cifely concerning the folution of:
this crude Body, to the end that it
ie may remain occult un-
ete to the unwife. But, my
non fit abf- Son, thou art to take
que medic. notice, that the folution.
 Hermeticum. 31
of Mercury vive will hardly be pere
formed without @ means, but none
fuch are to be ufed as are Sophifti- -
» Cal, as many rude, unwife andig- -
forant fools ufe to do, who by.
range extravagant ways reduce
Mercury into Water, fuppofing that
to be the right Water. They fub- |
lime Mércury with Cor- ‘
Sess eit all forts of hie
alts and Vitriols, from fe
Which the fublimed
Mercury attraGeth the Salty Spi-
Tits, and then afterwards they. dif-
folve the fublimate into Water in
Balnev, or in the Cellar, or divers
Other ways. Item, they reduce it
into Water by Salt-Armoniack, by
Herbs, Sope, Aquafort,. by means -
Of ftrange kinds of Veflels, and
Many the like Sophiftical proceed-
4ngs, all which are but grofs fan- —
. Sits, foolifh and fruftraneous la-
bours :Some alfe conceive to fe-
Ver thofe things afterwards from,
the Water of Mercury, and that
_ “Men it fhall be the true Water,
Which the Philofophers do defire.
C4 ~The
32 «©Hydropyrographum
Cail erro- The reafon of their Er-
rum in rors is, that they confi-
confettione der not the words of -
a the Philofophers, who
plainly do fay, that it ought not'to
be mixed with any heterogeneous —
_ thing in the whole World. And —
Bernhardus faith in his Epiftle,
that fo foon as Mercury is dryed up —
by the Salts, Aquafort, and other
things, that thenceforward it is —
‘unfit for the Philofophick work ;
for being dryed up by the Salts,
‘Allums, Aquaforts, it is not able
to diffolve. But, my dear Son, ob-
- ferve what now I tell thee, and
‘what information concerning this
- point the Philofophers left behind
- them in their Books; viz. that
this Water zs not to be
~ "Hee peed: prepared by any hetero-
notanda,
geneous means whatever
in the whole World, but only by
Natare, with Nature, and: out of
Nature. Thefe words are all plain
to the ‘underftanding, which J will —
“not now openly unfold, but referve
the =o for a peculiar Treatife; :
howe ;
— Hermeticum. 33
however for 2 Memorandum, 1 will
fet down thefe following Rhimes.
Take frefh, pure, quick, white and
clear, :
Tye him hands att] heels fo near,
With a.moft puiffant.cord and yoke,
That he ‘may be mortified and-
choakt.
Reduce him by his like homogeneous
Nature, a
| Do his first Being, or primigeneous
feature,
Within the clofe Chamber or Houfe
of Putrefattion, :
' According to Dame Nature's indi-
cation: 2
Then you wil have a living pri-
tual Fountain, ,
Flowing bright and clear from Hea~
ven's Mountain,
Feeding on its proper fief and bloud,
Therewithall insreafing to an cnd-
lef; Floud.

- Let him, that by Divine affitt-

Race obraineth this bleifed Water,
tender thazks unto God, for he
— . Ra
Cs = a
~ateg
34 Hydropyrographum
‘!
ess hath the Key io hig
warn hands , Shcreviai he
_may open the faft Locks:
eh all Metallick Chefts, out of
which Gold, Silver , Gems, Ho-
nour, Powis and Health are tobe
had. This blefled Water isby the
Philofophers ‘called, the Daughter
of Pluto, haying all the Treafures
~in her Power. It is alfo termed
_ the white, pure, delicate, undefiled
Virgin Beja, without which no ge- |
neration nor increafe can. be effe-
‘Ged. And therefore the Philofé-
“phers efpoufed this delicious pure~
.Virgin unto Gabricius, to thesend
they may raife up Fruit: and when
‘Gabricius lay with her, he dyed,
and Beja out of exceffive love fwal-
lowed and confamed him, as Art-.
: eth.
fieus in
i Turba Philofophorum f{peak-
of it. And Berzbard m his
Prafticd faith : the Fountain is as
a Mother unto the King, for fhe
doth attra& him, and caufeth him
to dye, but theRips
K: by her means ~
-rifeth again, an uniteth hindelts
®.ftuly unto her, that’no. man:
Pe
ee ae ee
e ee =~ 34
~>
“Hermeticum. 3.5 —
“tan hurt him. And therefore the —
Philofophers fay, although Galrd-
Cus be coftlier, dearer, and more
. €fteemed by the World than Beja,
yet he alone can bring no Fruit.
This Virgin and bleffed -yarie ap-
Water the Philofophers pellationes
naméd in their Books qua Mer-
With many thoufand 4”
Mathes ;they call ic Heaven, Ce-
leftial Water, Celeftial Rain, the
dew of Heaven, May-dew, Water
of Paradice, parting Water, 4qua
Regis, a corrofive Aquafort, fharp .
Vinegar, Brandy, Quinteffenceof
Wine, growthful green Juice, 2 _
Stowing Mercury, a viridefcent
Water, and Leo Viridis, Quick-
Silver, Menffruum, Bloud, Urine,
Horfe-pifs, Milk, and Virgins Milk,
white Arfnick, Silver, Lune, and
juice of Lune, a Woman, Feminine —
Seed, 2 falphureous vapouring Wa- _
ter and Smoak, a fiery burning
Spirit, a deadly piercing poyfon,
and Bafilisk that Killeth all, a ve-
~ Romois Worm, a venomous Ser-
Pent, a Dragon, a Scorpion de+
pee _ vouring
7 Ra Ke s fers as «

36 Hydropyrographum 4
vouring his Children, a hellifh—
- Fire of Horfe-dung,, a fharp Salty
and Salt-Armoniack ,° a common
Salt, fharp Soap, Lye,a vifcous
Oy), Eftrich’s Stomach. which doth —
devour and conco& all, an Eagle,
Vulture, Bird of Herme:, a Veffel
and Seal of Hermes, a melting and
calcining Furnace, and innumera-
ble other names of Beafts, Birds,
Herbs, Waters, Juices, Milk,
Blouds, dc. And they writ figura-
tively in their Books of this Water,
to be made of fuch things, whereas
all the unwife, which fought it in
fuch like things, have not found
the true defired Water. Know
fap therefore, my dear Son,
Aqua that it is only made of
Mercury vive, and of
no other heterogeneous
thing in the World ; and that the
Philofophers therefore gave it fo
many Names, that it might not be
known to the unwife. And with
this Item I will conclude this
Treatife, whereby thou mayft un-
derftand and learn, that ee
t
 Aermetichum — 37
this Fire all the labour of the
whole World is meerly loft, all
Chymical proceffes falfe, lying an¢é
ufelefs. The great Rofary faith,
there is no more but one Receipt,
and with this one Lock all the Phi-
lofophers Books both particularly
and univerfally are lock’d up, and
walled about, and fenced as it were
with a ftrong Wall; and hethat
knows not the Key, nor hash it in
pofieffion, is not able to open the
Lock, nor to obtain Fruit. For this .
Water is the only Key for to open
the Metallick Walls and Gardens.
And this Water is the ftrong Aqua -
fort, of which Jfaacus in his parti- —
cular Work is to be underftood,
wherewithall he diffolveth and fpi-
ritualizeth the Bodies. And there- _
fore it is very diligently to be no-
ted, that without this <4y7,
. Water nothing can be agua nihil
< effeed in Chemid, and fit in Cie- |
Without it all are but 74
falfities and lyés, both in Metals
and Minerals, as alfo in Vegeta-
bles and Animals. Whether they
nee ~_ diffolve,
238 Hydropyrographum
» diffolve, fublime, diftill, calcine,
. extract, mix or compound with any
. other thing whatfoever ; whether
: they diffolve per deliouium,in Bal-
eo, in Horfe-dung; in Aquafort,
and all forts of {trong Liquors,
» which feem to promife fome pro-
- bability, and according as the pre-
» tended proceffes of Alchymifts do
» teach or may be ‘invented: whe-
» ther there be made Oyl, Water,
» Calx, Powder, black, white, yellow
“and red; whether it be burnt, —
melted, or done any thing about it,
_ which the Alchymifts Receipts do
- teach and vent for true, whereby
- to make Gold and Silver, all ‘pro-
- veth but falfe and a cheat in the
- event,. For my {elf with my own
hand have experimented all fuch
things to my damage and lofs,
not believing’ them to be falfe be-
- fore I tryed them. Therefore be
exhorted, my Son, to
Sophifta in. fhun fuch. Sophitters,
virené, Cheats and Impottors,
~ + as much’ as the grand
Impoftor the. Devil, and avoid —
He 5 them 3
- Hlermetoume — 39"
them as, carefully as a terrible »
burning Fire, and Poyfon ; for by”
fuch Sophiftry, and {weetly infi-
Nuating falfe Alchymy,@ man runs
the hazard of Body and Soul, Re-~
putation and Wealth, yea this Im- ~
pofture is worfe than the Devil ©
himfelf. For though a man fhould ~
{pend a whole Province or King-)-
~ dom upon fuch deceitful procefles,
yet all would be confumed in vain, .
and no firm, trath thereby be ob- —
tained. Wherefore open thy eyes, -
own and acknowledge the only ©
Key, and flee front all falfity ;for“
it is impofible elfe to {peed, or dow
any: good. Par

Fut Nik ss
 TRH
- _
etrard”
>
 THE
PRIVY SEAL
OF

SECRETS,
WHICH _
Upon pain of Damna- |
tion is not unadvifed-
ly to be broken up, nor
Revealed to any but“with great
Care, and many. Cautions.
Bee a

’ THE
PRIVY SEAL *
OF
SECRETS,
O omit circumftances,
the firft Matter out of
which the Philofophers
Stone is to be had and
taken, is a fubje& common and
poor in outward appearance, and
therefore it is called a little thing,’
and it is in every Mine, yet is
hearer in fome things than in
others, and in a word in the Mine-
‘ral Kingdom you muft have it, in
the moft excellent work of the
Mineral Hierarchy ; therefore not
Animals or Vegetals. Know, ye
then, (althongh I deny not Ray-
mond: Canons to be true ) that
the lively Nature being conftrained
a \ with
 44 The Privy Seal
_ with the ftrength of Gold, in the|
moft fubtle-heat, the Tin@ure may
be made well eafily, and in a fhort
time, which will convert all Metals
into perfeé& Gold ; but the way of
the Philofophers in the Univerfal
Work, was out of the Mineral
‘Kingdom : leaving therefore Ani-
mals and Vegetals, I will acquaint
you with the Univerfal Subjeé.
Know that all Philofophers affirm,
that the Matter is but one thing,
and a vile thing which cofteth no-
thing, caft in High-ways and trod-
den upon, which is the hope of —
Metals, or a thing containing all
_ things needful for the Work with- |
in it{elf ; and albeit curious Wits |
hold all thefe to be £mizma’s, yet
are they true: according to the let-
_ ter. Briefly, to manifeft the truth, .
you fhall know thatin all Mines
whatfoever there doth lye certain
Beds, of a lutinous or clayith fub-
ftance, under the Earth, which in
ome places is harder than ia Le
a

- Others, the deeper the Mine is, the

More unduousts the Clay; a
EY. Se this;
ase
SS Of Secrets, AS
this Clay is the Mother of the Me-
tals, the feeder of the Mines, for
Mit lies hid the Spirits, or the
three Principles of Metals, (vz )
Sat the Body, Spur the Soul,
and Mercury the Spirit, not com-
; Mon nor running, but a white Va-
- pour which refolves it felf into a
White Water; I fay, invifibly in
th's confufed lump of Clay, lies
tid the aforefaid Principles.
And this is the true Matter or
Subje& of the Philofophers, and
mark how that it agreeth with that
I {aid before : Firft, that it is one
thing, which yet containeth three;
ccondly, that it is a vile thing,
and yet is not fo, for it is a lump
of Clay; Thirdly, thar it is fo vile
* and common, that Workmen throw
It out of their Mines, and tread on
.t; as a thiog of no value: Ihave
~4€en High-ways paved with it in
Hungary » and_it is no other in
other Countries. And is not this a
_ Chaos or confufed Matter? is not
this the hope of Metals? be you
Judge. I took my Matter in Hun
Sa gary
She a ‘ |
— 46 The Privy Seal
-_ gary out of the Mines of Sol, and
fo T was taught, becaufe more de-
cocted, and riper or hotter Spirits’
are there, than in any other Mines.
Paracelfus out of it wrought his
Elixir, but the Philofophers gene-
‘rally took their Matter ( which is
the fame in fhew and fubjtance, ©
but not fo ripe) out of the Mines
-of Saturn, and that is their Saturn
fo often mentioned in their Books;
~ not Oe of Saturn, nor Mercury of ‘

Saturn but the Sperm, where the

Vegetable Spirits are not fpecifi-
cated to Lead, but lye hid in the
lutinous lump of Clay.
Now the difference between that
which is taken out of the Mine of
‘Sol, and that which is had out of
the Mine of Saturn, is this ; in Sol.
the Matter is fo prepared, you fhall
have need but of one Putrefaction, ©
~ but in that taken out of the Mine
of Saturn, you mutt have three Pu-
_trefactions, which indeed is the .
“great and univerfal Work. And ~
Ahus I have fully and plainly re- -
vealed the Matter, the Work is
Salvik, _ The 4
\
Peery: * ae ae ee, a an ge toe

of Secrets. = 4
e

: The Prattice. j
BY this lutinous Clay out -
Bs of Sol or Saturn, ( for the
Working in either the Preparation
Walike.) I fay, take that which is
Trot clammy or unctuous, and ~
When you gather it, keep it from
the Air, as clofe as you can’in a°
Glafs or Earthen-Veffel, for it will
A Which Ihave admired ) in anin- ~
ant indurate and harden: But
Put it in a Glafs Veffel, and in
that digeft it, being well ftopped in
B.M. or in a Blind Head which is
better ;but let three parts. of the ©
Cel ‘be empty, and let the heat
of your Balneum be fuch, as you
May eafily hold your hand in it. -
Sore Philofophers digetted this a
ilofophical month, which is fix
Weeks, bur then their Matter was
Hot freth ;for if it be frefh, then
‘ixteen or twenty days is fufficient.
After Digeftion alter the head, and
diftill, and you shall have the Phi-
lofophers Oyl ; which being come,
Four it on the Matter again, and
oth rs this
48 The Privy Seal
_ this till you have fo much Vinegar
as will {wim four fingers over the
Matter; then let it ftand twenty
_ four hours, and it will be tinged
yellow ; pour that gently off, and
diftill away your Vinegar rill it
come toa gummy fub{tance; then
pour this Vinegar on the Matter
again, and it will be tinged yel-
low :-diftill and reiterate this un-
til your Vinegar be no more tin-
ged yellow, then hath it fucked
out all the Spirits out of the Clay:
then from the yellow Liquor diftill
away all the Vinegar, and you
fhall have a gummy fub‘tance like
Saccarum Saturn : digett this two
days, then diftill away all the
Flegm jm Balneo, then let it cool,
and put it in a Retort, with a
great Receiver well luted to ir as”
canbe; putit into an Ath Fur
nace, and diftill it again, and by”
degrees you. fhall have all your
Receiver become as white-as Milk,
~ which is crude Mercury of Philofo=
phers, or the Virgin Miik: con
tinue Diftillation, and a bloud re
Te MGDEIL SS 4
3

, Oy fhall afcend, which is Sulph.r

Of Philofophers incombuttible aad:
Undaous : continue till. no more,
Will come over, with fo violent a
Rat for twelve hours, that you do.
almoft melt the Glafs ;thea let it
Cool, and take of that Receiver, ~
and ftop ir up very clofe; break,
the Retort, and the Feces will be,
4s black as Pitch, and hard, which,
Stind {mall on a Marble, then Re-.’
Yerberate it in an Earthen Calci-
—Aing-pan, clofe covered for three:
“ys, ( but make not the Matter. ~
Ted-hot) and lay it two: fingers
ick in the Pan ; then take it:out,
and either with your, Vinegarregtie
"ed from its Feces,orwith Raia-
Rater diftilled, I have tried aud,
Pund it being well. Reverberated,
t at it will rake up the Salt,
bar
held the Vinegar the beit and
Mott proper ; digelt it therefore
With Vinegar twenty hours, then
! Biter and diftill icin B, ML till ic
ee diffolve it again
in that
g_Deear, but firft reife it» let ir
Aen €) philter:and diftill, and re-:
Pez cis D iterate
ro FD 4
Tr.
Go = The Privy Seat
iterate until the Salt be Cryftak
Hine and white, then put it in 2
white glafs Body, pour thereon
this red Oyl which is the Sulphur,
- and alfo the white Water which is
incorporated therewith: lute of
clofe and’ well a Blind Head, and
digeft in Balneo three days, and it
will be all one thing or pap: but
then diftill away all the humidicy
that will arife, and then put it im
_ an Egg-glafs with a fhort neck,
nip it up without heating the Mat-
ter, Tet the Egg be but a fourth
_ pare full. ©
Thisis the grofs Conjun@ion
and Preparation, without adding
any more thart Natures proporti-
on: put the Glafs in an Athanor,
in 2 gentle heat, and the Matter
fhall diffolve, putrifie, and per-
* form all the Work by ‘vertue of
Count Trevifan’s Fire, Which is
the Spirit ever working within the
Glafs, beginning vifibly before the
Matter begins to putrifie, for thea
it continually afcends and de
until Congelation.
Be
=
 t90 curious, only pray to God, and
€ will dire& your Work, and
Ting it to a period, which I judge:
» to be fixteen months, a bloud-red
Swder impalpable in the conclu~
‘on of the Work, be patient and
YoOucannot erre. Note, Iwas never
aught to multiply, but by increa-
ing wich his own Oyl and Salt,,
tis, with ren parts of Oyland _
one of Salt depurated, and fo in-
Sreafing the Medicine you fhall
Ming it as high as you will I
Ow not any more than this, nei-=
Mer can any more large or more ~
Phinly, Serve God, and you cas-
Rot crre, ae
. Know alfo, that-you may with
this Fire-Stone, which is the red
l,and this Salt prepared ftdm
“© white Water, increafe Pérti-
Pitate ofSol and Mercury, elevated
, together andithen mixed, or upon
@fubtle’Calx of Solalone, but not _
fuddenly, The manner is, tov
Pouronthe Galx the red Oy), till
he. like pap; then lute it, and
it im Afhes to circulate in a
Ms. ke 7 + SOirCe
ri

52 The Privy Seal, &c.

Circulatory, that if any Mercurial
Spirit fhould remain, .it may ftill
_arife and not hinder the fixation
of the Matter: continue the Fire
till it bea dry Powder, then in-
creafe more and more, till it be
in an Oylie fubfance fixt, which
* turns Luna into perfe Sol with
great profit. And thus you may
increafe with the Oyl of Antimonys
as I =e fhewed you,.
rand A

LETTER:
Communicated by the
moft Serene Prince

FREDERICK
Duke of
Folfatia and Slefwick,
» Concerning an Adepr,
AND
states things ee: :
and unheard-of.
ae
go =

*
.
A
4

7 we aiteSeat>
bd
 SIE
The following Letter wase
Communicated by the most —
Serene Prince Frederick
| Duke of Holfatia and Slef-
wick, and relates things
Strange and unheard-of.
My Friend,
OU have defired of me
an account of the Life’
and Death, Inheritance _
and Heirs of my Ma-,
fter B. F. of happy memory + I re")
turn you this Anfwer in Latine, as’
yours to me was, though Ibe not
exadly skill'd ia it. i
_ He was by Nation a ew,by Re-
ligion a Chriftian, for he believed
“in Chrift the Saviour, and openly
made profeffion of the fame: He
Was a man of great Honefty, and
Save great Alms in fecret.: He
~_ lived chaftly a Batchelor, and took
me when I was about twenty years
- D4 of
 . 56 A Letter, b
ofAge, out of the Houle where
Orphans are’ maintained -by the
_ , Poblick, and caufed me to be ine
_* ftru&ted in the Latine, French, and
Italian Tongues ; to which I after-
wards by ufe added the fewifh or
Helrew. He made yfe of me, fo
far as I was capable, in his Labo-
ratory, for he had great skill in.
Phyfick, and cured moft defperate
Difeafes. When I was twenty five
years of Age, he called
me into his
‘Parlour, and made me fwear to
‘him, that T would never marry
without. his confent and know-
| ledge; which I promifed, and have
_ -religioufly kept.
|5 When I was thirty years of Age,
|. en a morning he fends for me into
ie his Parlour, and {aid very lovingly
~ to mé, My Son, I perceive that the
| 7 ‘'Balf(m of my Life, by reafon of
_ extreme old Age coming on, (for
i}
{
| he was.eighty eight years of Age)
i

is well-nigh wafted, and that con-

fequently my Death isat the door:
_ wherefore I have writ my laft Will
and -Teftament, for the ufe and
<a : benefit
or
 A Letter. §7
‘benefir of my Brothers Sons, and
you, and have-laid it upon the
able of my Clofet, whither nei-
Mer you nor any mortal ever en-
tred ; for you darit not fo much
4s knock at the door, during the
ours fet apart for my Devotion.
‘Having faid this, he went to the
double. door of his Clofet, and-
daubed over the joynings thereof
_With a certain tranfparent and
Cryftalline Matter, ‘whicli he
Wrought with his fingers till it be-
Came foft and yielding like Wax,
and imprinted :his Golden Seal up-
01 it; the faid Matter was im-
Mediately hardned. by the ‘cold
-Ait, fo that without defacing the
Seal, the door could. no way be
Opened. *-
Then he took the Keys of the
Clofer, and fhut them up in a
fmall Cabinet, and fealed the fame
4% before with the faid Cryftal--
line Matter, and delivered the faid
: Cabinet, after he had fealed it, in-
_ to my hands, and charged me to)
— deliver the fame to nonce but his —
ne Fees aE Sian Bro- -
ne
 Teoh Sons, Ms. 4effi,Abrab, and)
Solomon Foelha, who at that time
lived in Switzerland, the eldett of
them being a Batchelor,
After this-he returned with me
into the Parlour, and in my pre-
- fence dropped the Golden- Seal he!
had made ufe of, into a Glafs of
clear Water, in which the {aid Sea]
was immediately diffolved’, like
Ice inchot Water, 2 white Powder -
féttling to.the bottom, and the Li+
quor was: ting’d with ‘the pale red
ofa Provence Rofe. Then he clo-
fed the faid Glas Vial, with the
above-mentioned tranfparent Mat-
ter, and charged me to deliver the
faid Vial, together with the Key%
toMr. Selle: .
This being done, he ‘repeated >

upon his berided kttces fone of Da=

wids Pfalms in Hebrew, and betook
himfelf td his Couch, where -he
was ufed to fleep after Dinner, and.|
commanded me 't6. bring him a
Glafs of. Malaga, which, now: and d

:
then “he. fparinaly snpade: afe ofs

As foot 43 he liad drach off his.

5 aad iy t a Winey:
 Ai Letter. §9
Wine, he bid me come to him, and
leaning his head upon my fhoul-
ders, He fell into a quict fl¢ep, and
after half an hours time fetched a
Very deep figh, and fo yielded his
Soul to God, to my great aftonifla-
ment.
* Upon this I according to my
Promife writ into Switzerland, te
Bive notice of his death to his Ne-
Phews; andto my great wonder,
the very day after my blefied Ma-
fter died, I received a Letter from
Mr. Jef, wherein he enquired whee
ther my Mafter were dead or alive,
as if he had known ‘every thing
that had paffed ; as indeed he did,
by means of a certain Inftrument,
of which hereafter I fhall make
_ Mention.
~ Alittle after his Nephews came,
to whom I gave an account of
What had paffed: all which: Mr.
‘Jefe heard with 2 fiile, ‘but the
h-
ther Brother not without aftonif
tent and wonder. -I gave him the
Keys, together with the: Glafs in
Which was the:aboelaid Gold
—pits S245.55 Us
4
iz
60 ALetter. -
- ‘Solution ; but they-refufed then t
Meddle with any thing thar day,
being tired with their Journey, but
on the morrow, after I had care:
fully fhut all the doors of the
houfe, and none but they and Ibe
ing prefent; Mr. Fefe took the
Glafs: Vial; and broke it-over a
China-difh, which might receive
the inclofed Liquor, and ‘took fome
of the faid Liquor and put it upon
the tranfparent Matter, with which
the Cabinet was fealed, and imme-
diately the Matter which» before
was hard as Chryttal, was refolved
‘intoa thickith Water ; fohe opened
thé Cabinet, and took thence the
Keys of the Glofet. |
°? Then.we ‘came to the door. of
the Clofet, where Mr. Feffe ha-
Ving~feen. the Seal; he wetted it
as ‘formerly with the foremen-
tioned Liquor, which immediate- _
ly gave way; and fo he opened
the faid double door, but thut
“it /again, and ‘falling down, upon
his “kneess:\ prayed, as we alo —
did; then we citred, mena the
lee. coors
 A Letter.
‘oors upon us. Here I faw great
Miracles. '
In the midft of the Clofet ftood.
- &Table, whofe Frame was.of Ebo-
hy ; the Table it felf was round, °
and of the fame Wood, but covered
with Plates of beaten Gold : before
the Table was placed alow Foot-
~ ftool, for to kneel..upon ;. in the
midi of the Table-ftood an Inftru-
Ment of aftrange and wonderful ~
contrivance, the lower -part»of it
or Pedeftal was of pure Gold, the
Middle part was of moft tran{pa-
rer. Cryftal, in which’ was inclo;
fed an incombuftible and perpetu-
ally-fhining Fire ; the upper) part
of it was likewife of pure ¢Gold;
Made in the form of a {mall Cup,
or Vial. ty
Jutt above this Inftrument hung
down a Chain of Gold, to which
Was faftned an artificial Cryfal,.
of an Oval form, filled with the
@forefaid perpetual Fire. oft
On the tight fide of the Table
We took notice of a Golden Box,
_ é8nd upon the -fame a little Spoon ;
this”
 62 (ALR CO .
this Box contained a Balfom of 2
Scarlet colour.
On the left fide we faw 2 little
Desk of maffie Gold, upon which
was laid a Book ‘containing twelve
leaves of pure beaten Gold, being
tractable and flexible as Paper; in
the midft of the leaves were feve.
ral Charaéers engraved, as like-
wife in the Corners of the {aid
leaves, but in the {pace between |
the Center and Corners of the
leaves, were filled with Holy |
Prayers.
~ Under the Desk we found the—
laft Will of my deceafed Matter;
whilft we were in the Clofer, Mr.
feffe kneeled down, leaning upon
the Desk, and with moft humble
devotion repeated fome of the
fotementioned Prayers, and then —
with the little Spoon took up a
{mall quantity of: the aforefaid
~Balfom,’ and put‘it into the top of
the Inftrument which was in the ~
‘midft of the Table, and: inftantly
a moft grateful Fame afcending;
‘Whichwith iitsmoft pleating odour
did
 ALletrer =3
did moft fenGbly refrefh us: but
that which to me {eem’d miracu~ *
ts Was, that the faid Fume afcer=
ding, caufed the perpetual Fire er °
clofed in the hanging Chryftal, to,
flafh and blaze terribly, like fome
Steat Star or Lightning.
After this, Mr. fefe read the —
Will, whercin he. bequeathed to’ _
Mr. Jefe all his. Inftruments and
Books of Wifdom, and the reft of
his Goods to be equally divided
tween him and his Brother; be-.
fides he left mea Legacy of S000
Golden. Ducatootis, as an acknow-~
ledoment of my fidelity--. Me
And. accordingly fir enquiry,
Was made for the Inftruments and.
Bosks of Wifdom ; of thofe that
Were oy and about the Table, T
¢ fyoke already > in the right
fide ofthe. Clofet ftood a Cheft of
omy, whofe infide was all co-
ed wish Plates of beaten Gold,
fad contained twelve. Chataders
Gagrayen apon them, ...5 0° 6,
Front thence we. went to view, 2
- Mesge: Chelt,. containing twelve)
_ Lookings--
Riba.
Sa
 64 - ALetter:
_ Looking- glafies not made of Glafs,
2 “but
laibeget! of a certain wonderful un-”
known Matter ; the Center of the’
faid Looking-glaffes were filled”
with wonderful CharaGers, the
Brims of them were inclofed in
pure Gold, and between the faid
Brims and Center they were po-
lifhed, Looking-glaffes receiving
all oppofite Images. .
After this we opened a very
large Cheft, or Cafe, in which we
found a moft capacious Looking-
__ glafs, which Mr. Feffe told us was
Selomons Looking-glafs, and the
Miracle of the whole World; in
which the Characterifms of the
whole Univerfe were united. . ~
~ We faw alfo in a Box of Ebony,
a Globe made of a wonderful Maré
ter; Mr. feffe told us; that in the
faid Globe was fhut up the Fire
and Soul of the World, and that
therefore the faid Globe of'iit felf.
performed all its motions, in an
- exa& Harmony and Agreementt
with thofe of the Univerfe. J
a = Box forementioned —
Ses tend
 A Letter: 6Y
flood another, which contained an
serument eT ee des ine
ing a Clock-Dial, ce.
“but inftead of the ina aan
Figures of the 12 led 4rs Noteria,
Ours, the Letters Printed in La-
of the Alphabet tine or Englifh,
Were placed around P88 bat
this, with 2 Hand of Index turning
nd pointing at them. Mr. Feffe
told us, that this Inftrument would
Move of it felf, upon the motion ~
®f a Correfponding and Sympa-
thetick Inftrument which he had
at home, and that by means of
this Inftrament, my happy Matter
had fignified to him his approach-
Ang death ; and that after this fig-
Rification, finding that his Inftru-
Ment remained without motion,he
Concluded my Matter was dead.
_ Laft of all we came. to the
Books of Wifdom, which he opened
Rot: near the faid Books was pla-
‘Ced a Box of Gold, full of amoft
Jonderous Powder of a at eo!
—#t colour, which Mr. Fefe {miling
Sok and put up. ie p SS
‘oe
Vw
Bones Near
 66 4 Letter.
Near to the Clofet where
were, was another Clofer adjoyn
‘ing, which we entred into, and
there found four targe Chefts full
of {mall Ingots of moft pure Gold,
out of which they gave me my Le
gacy of 6000 Golden Ducatoo
in a double proportion.. But Mr
Feffé refuled to take for himéfelf
any of the faid Gold ; for he faid,
that thofe things which were afore
bequeathed to. him, did fully con-
tent him, for he was skill’d in my
Mafters Art, and therefore ordered
his part of the Gold to be be-
_ towed upon feveral poor Virgins,
of Kin to them, to make up their
Portions. I my felf married one of
thefe, and had with her a
Portion out of the faid Gold; fhe
embraced. the Chriftian Religion,
and is yet alive.
Mr. Feffé packed up all his
' things, and carried them home
‘with him into Switzerland, though
fince that he hath chofe himfelf
quiet and well-tempered place it
the EaS-Indies, from whenceae
Pees
Adetter. OF
Writ to me Jaft year, offering me to
adopt my eldeft Son, whom I have
2ccordingly fentto him.
ye During the time we were inthe
Clofer, I faw ftrange Miracles ef-
Sed by the motions of the faid
—Tnftruments of Wifdom, which I
Neither can nor dare fet down in
Writing. Thus much, my intimate
Friend, I was willing you fhould
‘now, more I cannot add.

Farewell.

FINIS

Aa
~~
he
ared:LS srals eet fat 2
Eins cetet sels he
 A

TREATISE
OF

MERCURY
- And the
Philofopbers Stone.
= BY
“Sir GEORGE RIPLEY
 : - > 7®

“eee EATISEes:
TR
OF
MERCURT
And the
Philofophers Stone.
Will, my deareft Son, in-
ftruS: thee in this Blefled
~ Science, which was hid from
the Wife of old, to whom —
God was pleafedto fhew fo much
Vour. Know therefore, that our
Matterigthechiefett of all things
» 12 the Earth, and of Ieaft eftima-
Non and account, as will hereafter —
™ore plainly appear. For ifWater
wy. e it felf with Earth, the-
_ Water will belowett
ofall,and will
(Get benockepe down) with Fire,
 2 Lreatife
afcend higher ;and thus it maj
be feen, how Water will be highet
and loweft. Yer true it is, thatit
is of leaft eftimation, for in out
Earth and Water, and in that
drofiie Earth, you may find fomé
very pure and clear, which is ouf
Seed and fifth -Effence, and the
that feul and droffie Earth is good
for nothing elfe, and of no eftimas
tion. But thar Water, as I {aid, is
the chicfeft, ‘will appear manyl
ways: Know, Son, that without
Water we cannot make Bread, nof
any thing elfe, which God ~hath
created in Nature; and hence you
may ¢afily perceive, that Wate
is the fir! Matter of all things
which are born or generated inthe
World : for certainly ’tis manifelt
unto thee, that nothing grows or
receiveth in-reafe without the four
Elements ; therefore whatfoever is
Elementated by the virtue of the
four Elements,itmuft of neceffity.
be, that the original of all things
that are born or grow, fhould be
of Water: Yet ought you not to
of Mercury: 75
ais ese 4 he ee

Mnderftand, this before fpoken of

‘Water, but of that Water which is
the Matter of all things, out of
» Which all Natural things are pro-
“Suced in their kind. ‘Know there-
“fore, that firft ofall Air is engen-
“Sted of Water ;of Ait, Fire; of
Site, Earth. Now will I more fami=_
‘liarly and friendly difcourfe with
‘thee ; Vie further manifeft this.
Myftery unto thee by degrees, left
“Y too much haft it happen to us
_ ®ccording to the Proverb, That he
at makes too much haft, ofteri=
‘mes comes kome too late. Now
‘therefore that I may fatisfie a
) defire, I will difcourfe of the firff
Matter, which Philofophers. call,_
the fifth Effence, and many other.
Names they have for it, by which
)the May the more obfcure it. In
_ * for certain are four Elements,
Syite in their Exalration :_ Know
iftefore, that if you would -have
© fifth Effence, Man, you route”
* have Man, and you muft have”
_gahing elfe of that Matter ; and
_ “that you obferve this well.
ns E «',. This
 AT reabfo.
;
7
This I fay, that if you defire.to.
have the Philofophers Stone, you-
mutt of neceffity firfthave the fifth.
Effence of that. fame Stone, whe-.
ther it be Mineral or Vegetative 5
-* joyn therefore ppecies. with peciess.
and ‘Gems with.Gems, and not the.
one without the other, nor. any
thing contrary, which may be
ether than the fpecies or. proper.
Gems ; beware therefore of all,
that is not Effential : For of Bones,:
Stones cannot be made, neither do
Cranesbeget Geefe ; which if you
’ will confider, you’l find the profit
of it, by the help of Divine Grace 5.
- by the affiftance wheteof let us.
farther proceed to fpeak of this
‘bleffed Water, which is called the.
Waterofthe Sun and Moon, hid-.
den in the concavity of our Earth.
Concerning which Earth know,
that all that is generated mutt of
necelfity have Male and Females,
from which aétion and: paffion.
‘arife, without which Generation
never is. But you will certainly
never receive profit from things
pee i + differs
 ‘of Ader cCHry.

: Ciffering in kiads. Notwithftand-—

ing, if you haye this Water of the
tn and Moon, it will draw other
Odies and Humeurs to its own
Kind, by. the help of the virtue and
heat of the Sun and Moon, and
will make them perfect. As an In-
Nt inthe womb of its Mother,.de-
Cotion of temperate heat helping
it, turneth che Flowers into its na=-
tureand kind, that is, into, Flefh;
loud, Bones, and Life, with.the
Other properties of-a living Bodyoy
Of which. ’ris needlefs to’ fay any
More, And hence you may-unders,
fland, that our Water changeth- it
elf into a perfect kind,with things:
Of its own kind For “firft it willy
Congeal it felf into a fubftance like.
Oy! ; then it will change that Oyl,. °
Sy the means of-temperate heat,.
Mto Gum; and laftly, by the help,
aa ~ Of the perfec heat of the Sun, into:
* Stone. Now therefore know, that.
Sut of one thing you. have three,;
that is, Oyl, Gum,.and a Stone.
_ mow alfo, that when the Water is
‘Nirned into Oy!, thea you bave.a.
tatsSs E2 - ps
96 = A Treatife? -
perfet Spirit ;when the Oy! is
turned into hard Gam, then you
have a perfect Spirit and Soul ;
and when the Spirit and Soul are.
turned into a Stone, then you have
a perfe&t Body, Soul and Spirit to-
gether: which as it is called the
Philofophers Stone and Elixir, and
2 perfect Medicine of mans Body ;
fo alfo that which is leavened with |
its. genus, and the fifth Efence.
Know, Son, that fifth Effences are |
divers, one whereof is to Humane
Bodies, another to E/imr, and to
the imperfe& Bodies of Metals:
For you muft confider, that the ge-
- eration and growth of Metals, is
not‘as the growth of mans Body ;
for a genus agrees with its genus,
anda /pecies with its ppecies. More
over, know that the firft Matter of —
man, which begetreth the Flefh,
Bloud, Bones and Life, is a Sper-’
matick Humour, which canfeth ge-
neration, through a vital Spirit’
included therein: And when the’
Matter is generated and congealed —
into a Body , extract thence the —
 of Adercury.. = 77>
Fifth Effence of that Body, where-
With you may nourifh the Body. »
_1£&t Son, will I tell thee. moreover,
Water, or Matter; or Seed *
Whereof Man is begot, isnot the
augmenter of the Body. Know,
Son, that if the Body be fed with «
4s natural. food, then its firft Mat-
fer willbe increafed, and alfo the -
ly, (viz.) the: firft Matter in .
quality, and the. Body in quantity;
the firft Matter is that -which is
falled the fifth Effence. Yet know, .
Son, that the. fifth Effence is one
thing, and the Matter of augmen-
tation is another; and, as. I {aid -
fore, the inereafe of Metals, is »
Hot like the increafe
ofmans Body.
Although:the ffth Effince, which
Caufeth the augmentation of Me-
tals, may be a fit Medicine
for -
Humane Bodies ;as alfo the fifth
Effence, which caufeth the augmer-
tation of mans Body, may be a fit
Medicine for the Bodies of Metals :
and therefore, as before is faid,
the fifth Effence is one thing, and
*ugmentation another. You {é
a; E 3 there-.-
 78 A Treatife
therefore for what reafon our Wa-
ter is called, the fir? Matter and
Seed of Metals, viz. becaufe of it
all Metals are generated. There-
fore you will have netd of it intheé
beginning, middle, and end, for-as
‘much as it is'the caufe of all ge-
neration, becaufe by its Congela-
tion it is turned into all forts’of
Metals, to wit, into the: firft Mat-
ter ofthe forts. Thence it is-cale
ded, the Seed of Metals ,and thepe
Ve ick Wa-
#* all Met
“So itis in-the La-
: Wine, thouigh perhaps *¢7 of Life: bes
the Dee fhouldbe caufe it affords
Vita Metallica, that Life and Bloud
’ is, the Water of Me- “to fick and dead
tallick Life, that is,
Metals, & joyn-
of theLife ofMetals, eth:‘in + Matri-
- mony the Red man with the White
-. woman, that is; the Sun and the
Moon. It is called alfo* Virgins
Milk; for as long as. it is not —
_ joyned with the Sun and'the Moon, -
nor with any ‘thing elfe, except
only thofe which are of its own
‘kind, fo long it may be called'a
Virgin, But when it is-joyned with ©
‘3
 of Mercury, 4Q
@ Male and Female,'and marrieth
With them, then is it no longen2
Virgin, becaufe it adhereth to
them, and becomes ohe with thera
to whom it is joyned, that is, with ©
the Sun and Moon, whom it joyns
‘and is joyned with to gencration.
But as long as it remains a Virgir,
“it is called Virgins Milk, the Blefed
ater, and the Water ofLife, and
by many other Names. me
And now, my Son, that IT may
fay fomething of the Philofophers
Mercury, kuow that when thou hait
put thy Water of Life tothe Red
man, who is our Magnefia, and to
the White woman, whofe name is
Albifica, and they fhall, all have
been gathered together into one,
then you have the true Philofo-
Phers Mercury. For after that in
this manner all is joyned with 2
Male and Female, then it is called
the Philofophers Mercury, the Phi-
lfophers Water of Life, the Bloud
of Man, his red Flefh, his Body and
Bones. Know therefore, that there
are many fortsof Milk, (ute.ye
E4 Vir~
— BO Treatife
Virgins Milk, Womans Milk, and
alfo Mans Milk: For when firlt
tlicy are joyned in one, and fhe is
big, having conceived, then the
Infant muft be nourifhed with
Milk; But then you may know,
that this Milk is not Virgins Milk,
but rather the man and the wo-
mans Milk, wherewith it is always
to be nourifhed, till it is grown
to that ftrength, that it may be
brought up with ftronger and
fuller food. That food which I
mean is the leavening of it, which
ives it form, that it may perform
Virile work : For until the Infant,
that is, this our Stone, be formed _
- and leavened with its like, the
Bloud of the green Dragon, and
the red Bloud of the red Dragon,
_ whether it be the white Stone or
_ the red, it will never do a perfe&
work, Know therefore, Son, that
_ the firft Water is that Water Re-
_ bar, which God made of Nature,
\ and it is the canfe of Generation,
as I faid before ;but when after a

~ the conjunction which arifeth from

a
S
 of Adevcery, ‘Bx
the Marriage, it begets the Water
‘Life, and the Philofophers Milk,
With one of which, or both, you
~ Muft augment and feed your Stone.
Perpetually.
Much more could’I {ay to thee,
on, concerning this firft Matter,
“Dit let this fuffice, that ferting
e afide impertinencies of words, we
‘May now, Divine Grace favouring
Of us, proceed to the practice it Ay,

felF of the Philofophick Stone. See

therefore, my Son, that thou dili-
. Sctitly putreft all thefe Matters .
(which though they are three
things, yet are they but one only)
‘Ma Glafs Veffel, and letreft them
Wietly putrefie :then put an A-
lembick upon your Veffel, and
‘diffillarion draw out all the Wa-
ter, which may be thence diftilled:
y this firft in Maries Bath. Then
Place the Veffel in Afhes, and
make a gentle'Fire for 12 hours:
then take the Matter out of the
~ Veffet; grind it well by it felf,
Without the forefaid Water, then
; Wut ic again into the Veffcl with
Water,
 82 ATreatife
Water, and ftop the Veffel aloft
Pat it inthe Bath for three days,
and then diftill the Water as be-
fore in the Bath, and the Marter:
will be more black than before.
Do thus three times ever, and then
grind it no more ; but afterwards:
as. often as.you diftill ir, fo off
pour Water on.the top: but. be-
tween. each diftillation give it fo
much Fire for fix hours or more,.
till it become indifferent dry ;then:
pour Water on the top again, and
diffolve it-again in the Bath under
a blind. Alembick. « Alfo in.every
diftillation feparate the Flegm, by.
cafting away fix or feven drops of
Water in the beginning of each.
diftillatign And. obferving this-or-
}
er, caufe it to drink irs proper.
Water , till dt hath drauk; of it.
fever times its weight. which, it
had at.thefirft. But then, it will
be of a white:‘colour, and. fo much
the whitér, by how much the more.
of its own Water. it hath drank. |
This is white E//xir.
Moreover , this our Water is”
338
-_ - ~s called’
 ~ 83
Sei (g
‘
= ofMercury.
‘called Homogeneal, and by many
Other names. “Befides, know that
“this Water and Matter generate'as
»-Well the Red Stone, as the White:
Know alfo, when this firft Matter
‘AS brought to its compleat white- -
‘Nefs, then the end of one, is the
beginning of the other; that is, of
‘the Red Stone, which is our Red —
“Magnefia, and Virgins Brats; as we
{aid at firft :Son, fee’ thow well
underftand thefé words. Our Vir-
Bins Brafs, is our Gold; yet I'do
Not fay, that all Brafs is Gold:
alfo our Braf$, is our live Brim-
ftone ; but all live Brimftone,isnot
Our live Brimftone: alfo “Quick- -
filver, is:Mercury ; but I do ‘not fay,
_. that common Quickfilver, is our
Silver: as I faid before, that Wa-
ter of Life which is our Seed and
fir’ Matter, is our Mercury and
Our Spirit of Life, which is ex-
tragted out of the*blefiéd Land of
thiopia, which is called Magne-
Jia, and by many other names.
Befides, my Son, know ‘that there
1S no ‘perfec generation, without’
— : cor=
kee > -
 corruption ;for corruption caufet®
cleanlinefs, and cleanlinefs cor-
Tuption. .Gonfider therefore, Son,
our dying poifon, which dyeth-and
is: dyed perperially; and this is
our Body, our Soul, and oer Spirit,”
when they are joynedtogether in’
one, and become one thing, which”
with its parts ariferh alfo out of
one thingy. befides which there-is’
not any other, neither ever fhall
be. Wherefore, my Son, great folly
it is for anyone to believe, that®
any other Medicine can be turned
into Gold or Silvers which Medi- |
cine. will little profit thee of it felf, -
_€xcept it be mingled. with a Bod y>
for then Shall it perfe& -its work
according to its form to which it
isborn: Fort is never born that -
itmay of it felf become a Body, —
Moreover, know. that there is as-
much difference between the firft 3
Matters which is called the Seed of
Metals, and:the Medicine, as is be- —
tween the Medicine and Gold : For ~
the Seed will never be the Medie
Cine without a Body, neither walV8
ts the
/:; ee
 ofMercury. = BF
‘the Medicine ever be a Metal with-
Snt.a Body. Much difference alfo
there is betWween Elixir and the
Medicine, as between Mafculine’
&nd Feminine Seed, and alfo an In-
fant which is generated of thofe in.
the Matrice.. Now you may fee, —
that the Seed is one thing, and the.
dnfant another ;though they be »
lone and the fame in kind, one
thing, one operation, the Veffel
finally one, though it be called by
divers names : For of a Man and
Woman, is an Infant born, when as »
yet the Man is one thing, and the
lo Woman. another, though they be
©ne and the fame in kind : which «
You ought to underftand in our .
Stone,. But what I faid before, that »
Serruption is the caufe of genera--
tion; and of cleanlinefs, is true:
For; you muft know, that every
thing in its firft Matter is corrupt *
and bitter, which corrugtion and
bitternefs. is called dying poifor ,
Which is the caufe of Life in all
things, as will be fufficiently ma-
hifeft, if you with right reafon do
wegh.
a
 86 ° “ATreavife ;
weigh the Natures of things. Con-
fider well, O Son, that when Luci-_
‘fer the Angel of Pride, firft re-
‘belled“againft God, and ‘prevari-
- eared the Command of the moft |
High, be ‘affured that this was
made corrupt, bitter, and harfh,
tohim: No-lefs was the fall and
prevarication of our firft Parents
_ Adam and Eve, whom death and —
‘condemnation followed, made to
» them corruption and bitternefs,
and likewife to us: in whom the
’ {ame corruption is propagated?
Many more like examples I could
> :.

recite, if need were: But fetting

afide thefe, to come to what is
proper to our difcourfe ; confider
well, that of all precious Fruits
which grow out of the Earth, their
firft Matter is bitter and harfh; as
fill retaining fome foot{tep of the
former dorrupt ‘on and putrefaati-
on ; which bitternefs, by the means
of continual adtion of natural heat,
is with great’ virtue turned: into
-_Fweetnefs. Now therefore, ‘Sén, if
_. thou wilt be ingenious, this ai
ee . igi
© et
 ofMercury, = 3p
Will fuffice whereby to find out ~
Much more, and to perceive my *
Meaning :Confider. therefore well:
Son. that according to the old.
Proverb,
He ifweet deferves not, whe no bite
ter tafts.° bY

But. now. to {peak esctianies 4

“more of our. Brafs; know, thar *
Brafs fignifies continuance,orcon :
tinuing Water: But what is fare. -
ther to be confidered in the nature.
f the name of Brafs,-you mays °
fafily gather ,kom its Engkfe Tes, .
tragrammate name, that is, its.
hame_ ronfifting-of,four letters,:
to.wit, B.R. 4. Firft therefore, .
by B. is fignified_1Ae Body of ofre ©
ork, which is. {weet and bitter, .
©ur Olive and our Brafs. continue -
ingin its form: by R. is fignified, :
the. Root of our. Work, and the,
Spring of continuingI
Radical Hues -
Mours, which is our Red Tin‘ture,
and Red Rofe which purific,h all
in its kind; 4 figmfes our- Far? -
: theradam, who wis the3 man.
. ‘ “Oude. ae
" ee te
oo 9) aa
 88. A Treatife
ott of whom was born the firft. wo-
man Eve ;whence you may under-.
ftand, that therein is Male and Fe-
male. Know therefore, that our
Brafs is the beginning of our
Work, our Gold.and Olive, for-it
.is the firft Matter. of Metals, as
Man is the firft of Man and Wo- —
-man. S. fignifies the Soul of our’
Life, and Spirit of Life, which God
~breathed into Adam, and all the
Creatures ; which Spirit is called
the ffth Effnce. Moreover, Son,
“by thefe four Letters, we may un-
~derftand the four Elements, with-
out which nothingis generated in
Nature. They alfo fignifie Sof and
-Eune, which are the caufes of all
Life, Generation, and augmen-
tation of all things born in the
Warid. In this name therefor: of
finr Letters, confifteth our whole
Work: For our Brafs is Male and ~
Female, of which arifeth he who is —
called begor. Therefore, Son, take’
good notice what is fignified by—
our {weet Brafs, what is “called our
; Sands:ver, OFr the Salt of our Nitre,
os
&
2 ofMercury, 89
© Nitre ;what alfo by the Bloud
of the Dragon, what Se/and Lune,
Sur Mercury, and our Water of
» Life, and many other things, con-
Cerning which Philofophers have
froken darkly, and in Riddles,
Ow therefore, Son, that our firft
Matter is neither Gold, nor com-
Mon Silver, nor is-it of corrofives,
Or fuch like ousward things, which
“emgrators groping in the dark ©
Row-a-days do ufe. Take heed
€refore, Son, that by no means
Fag admit any thing contrary in
Ind; for be affured, that what a-
Man fhall have fowed, the fame
‘aall he reap. Moreover, know
lat when our Stone is compleated
IN its proper kind, then it will be
a hard Stone, which will not eafily .
Wy.diffolved ; yet if you add his
a: Ife to him, he will be diffolved
»iRto Oyl, which is called the Philo-
fophers Oyl, incombutftible. Oyl,
8nd by many other names. Know
“refore, Son, that there are di-
Vers leavenings, as well Corporal
*§ Spiritual, (viz) Corporal in.
ist. guan-..
fo Treatifé
A
- quantity, and Spiritual in quality ¢
“Corporal leavening increafeth thé
weight and quantity of the Medi
cine, Yet is not of fo great power!
‘as the Medicine it {elf, as is Spiri
tual leavening ; for it. only en
‘creafeth the Medicine in quantity»
hot in Virtue * but Spiritual lea-
~-yening increaféth it‘in both ; and
where the Corporal ruleth above
‘an hundred, the Spiritual above4
thoufand.’ Moreover, as long °as
the Medicine is Teavened by Spiri-
tual qualities, fo.long it is called
the Medicine ; but when it is lea-
vened with the Corporal fubftance,
it is called Elixir. There is there-
fore a divers manner of leavening;
and a difference between the Medi-
cine, and the Elixir ; for the Spi-
ritual is ‘one thing, the Corporal
another. ‘ Know alfo, that as Jong
as it is Spiritual leavening, it is lie
quid Oyl and Gum, which can-
mot conveniently be carried about
_ from one place’to another; but
when it is Corporal, then it will
~ be a Stone which you may carry
. about 4
an ene < ;
of Mercary.- -9T
About jnyour Pocket. Now there-
fore you fee what is the difference
Detween the’ Medicine, “and the
ixiy 5 nor is the difference lefs
Sil-
betwveen Elixir, and Gold anddiff-
Ver, fer Gold and Silver are
Sultto melt, but Elixir not fo, for
teafily diffolves' at the flame of a
andle ;' thence you may eafily
Perceive, how various the diffe-
Tehces of our cotpéfition and
‘temperartient' are. Laftly, that we
May fay fomething concerning .
theit food and drink, know that
their food is of airy Stones, and
their drink isdrawn out of two
Perfe& Bodies; namely, out of the
Sum dnd Moon; the drink that’is
tawn out of the Sum, is called li-
, Wid Gold, (or Potable, that is,
_ that may be drank; J ‘but that out
‘of the Moon, is called Virgins Milk.
Now , Son, we have-difcousfed
Plainly enough with thee, if Divine
Grace be not wanting. to thee ;
_for that drink that ‘is drawn out
~ f the Sun, is red, but that out of
“the Moon,iswhite ; and therefore
one
 92 ATreatife, Gc: “2s

one is called liquid Geld, but the

other Virgins Milk ; one is Mafcu
line, the other Feminine, though
both arifeth out of one Image, and.
one Kind. Son, ponder my words,
otherwife if thou wandereft in the
dark, that evil befalls thee from
defect of light : See therefore that
- thou beeft diligent in turning the
Philofophick Wheel, that thot
mayft make Water out of Earth,
Air out of Water, Fire out of Air,
ged Earth out of Fire, and all this
t of one Image and Root, that is,
out of its own proper kind, and
natural food wherewith its Life
may be cherifhed without end. He 1
who hath underftanding, let him “
underftand. '
Glory to God Omnipotent.

FINIS.
 Colours to be obferved inthe
~ Operation. of the Great
Work, 3

FOU muft expe& to have it

exceeding Black, within 40
‘ays after you have pat your Com-
Pofition into the Glafs over the
Fire;if it be not black, proceed
No further, for it is unrecoverable:
tt muft be as black as the Ravens
Head, and muft continue a long
Ume, and not utterly to lofe it du-
‘ing five months.
If it be Orange colour, or half
Red, within fome fmall time after
You have begun your Work, with-
Sut doubt your Fire is too hor; —
thefe are tokens that you have
- burn che Radical humour and vi-
Vacity of the Stone.
Know ye not, that you may
_ ave Blackofany thing mixed or
- SOmpounded together witha
 perfect-Metalline Bodies, by :a real
Putrefaction ,and to continue @
long time. .
“As for the’ colours of Blew and
Yellow, they fignifie that the So~
lution and Putrefaétion is not yet
perfectly finifhed, and that the.co~
lours of. our Mersury are not yet
well mingled with the reft. ‘
The. Black aforefaid is an evir
dent fign;: that in. the beginning
the Matter and Compofitién doth
begin to purge it felf, and to dif-
folye into {mall,Powder, lefs than
the. Motes in the Sun; or a glu-
_ tinous Water, which feeling the
heat, will afcend and defcend in”
_ the Glafs : arenes it will thicken
and congeal, and become like
Pitch, exceeding Black ; in the end.
it will become.a Body, and Earth, —
which fome call Terra fetida ; for
then by reafon of the perfect Pu-—
trefaction, it will have a {cent
or ftink like-unto Graves newly”
@pened, wherein the Bodies are
Se Pees ie
not)
Fe
 th the: orRs OF
Rot thorowly confumed. .Hermes
| th call it Terra foliis, but the
er name is Letom, which muft -
be blanched and made white.
This blacknefs deth manifeft a .
Omunction of the Male. and Fe-
~™ale, or rather of the four Ele- .
~™ents, .
! Orange colour then doth thew .
that the Body hath not yet had
“ficient digeftion, and. that the ,
Umidity (whereof the colours of -
» “ack, Blew, and Azure do come)
‘Sbut half overcome by the dry-
When drynefs doth: predomi-
hate, then all will be white Pow-..
®t: It firft beginneth. to whiren
0nd about the outward fides of .
= Glafs ; the Ludus Philofophorum
a fay, that the firit fign of per-.
8 whitenefs,. is the appearing of -
*little hoary circle pading upon .
the: Head, fhewing it felf round.
- ut the Matter on the outward
- adsofthe Glafs, in a kind of |
“rine colour.

| Thefan-
eS eee
2
THESAURUS;
|, Sive

i Medicina Aurea:
A plain and true=

DESCRIPTION.
OF THE

| Treafure of ‘Treafures, >

se OR THE tee,
\ Sag Medicires:.
| : “er
ae ee
 6

shila
i
ee ee
» RORSO
q\ ;
THESAURUS,
aie

) Sive

Medicina Aurea.
Any and great are
the Secrets of Nature,
and concerning them
. and the way to attain
them, the wife Philofophers have
Writ much, but in a very dark and
higmatical ftile, fo that very
‘w are thofe that attain to any
thing of their defires by them ; but
°athe contrary, after much time,
dour, and coft in vain expended
‘the {earch of them, are forced
» 0 give over at laft, and furceafe
— Ucir further inquiry, and inftead
_ ™ the. defired fatisfa&ion , con-
“lude from their loft labours, that
the Books of the Philofophers are
; ®nly fabulous, and writ to deceive
a ee 2 " th -
 AULT, [IVE~
2 a Lp p Zt rrr
TOO. “2:26 Atk!

the unwary, and thofe that thi tC

after fo great a Treafure. But 1
vow ‘unto thee by Almighty God,
that what they have wrote is 2
real Truth, though delivered in fo
dark and dubious a way, that few
are able to underftand and receivé
benefit from them: -I do therefore
atteft the truth of their Medicines,
as well for the tranfmuration 0
the bafer and imperfect Metals in-
to Gold and S Iver, as for the be-
~ nefit of Humane Bodies, and heal-
ing all Bodily Difeafes,. rill God
calls for the Soul ; and this above
all the Medicines of .Galen and
Hippocrates. But. becaufe many
great lovers of Knowledge, and
this Science, have fo often failed
of obtaining the end of their de-
> fires in thefe Myfteries of Nature
and not only failed as to rhe AC
ty
_ complifhment. of their defires it
full, but alfo came fhort. of know
ing the principal fubje&, and
_. ground of Philofophical Secrets
~
I have therefore thought fit 0
help them by this {mall Script,
8
much
 ‘Medivina Aurea, 10%
Thuch as I may, and fave'them the
‘toubles of that fearch ;and by
telling them in plain terms and
Words the trae Matter, enlighten
and encourage their dubious minds
te the farther {earch after what
they defire : for let them affure
themfelves, it is no fmall advan-
tage to be affured of the true
Matter and ground-work, or Bafis
Of fo great Arcana’s, and hereon
teat and innumerable bleffings
o depend. I do therefore moft
faithfully affure thee, that the
~ Tue Subje& of this Art is Quick
Flyer, in a double manner, viz.
Sther Quick-filver’ Natural , or
| Quick-filver of Bodies, viz. the
Bedies of Sol or Luna, reduced
0 Mercury vive, for many and -

Tange things maybe performed

_-Y either, fingly of themfelves, or
~ fe conjoyned. The conjunction
Sf the Mercury of Gold or Silver,
: With the common Mercury ;or the
eoties, or the Oyl of Gold and
eet diffolved in the 4qua Mer- _
ata G n hafte ope
the n
102 Thefaurus, five.
ration of Medicines for Metals?
But we need not (as abfolutely
neceffary) any mere than the
common Mercury or Quick-filvety
diffolved lightly, either for E/ixrs
or precious Stones; only {malt
Natural Stones mutt be diffolved
iri the Mercurial Water, fo hall
you have fuch Stones again as-you |
diffolye, and thofe of what bignef
you pleafe, far exceeding Natu-
ral ones.
_ The next great Secret of Phi
lofophers, is the preparation oF
common Quick-filver or Mercuryy
for common Mercury, as Natur
produceth it, is not fit for fuck
Operations, nor.can they any way
be performed by it: for our Ma
¢ury is not the common Mercurf
or Quick-filver, but is made of its
by a true Philofophical skill; #
isnot the white Mercury or Quick
filver, but. its fubtle, fpiritual
airie and fiery parts, the earthy
and watery being prudently fep4
rated. For the manifeftation©

ne alaal
sur Mercary, the true Mercury©
— Medstina AMYed. TO:
Philofophers, firft prepare the com-
Mon Mercury by a due Philofophi-
fal preparation, until thou halt
Sparated and purged him from
Wtwo extremes or excrements,
Earth and Water :diffolve it then,
after its purification, into a Milkie,
Cryftalline, and Silver Liquor or
ater, which in three or four
Months is to be done : being once
diffolved, thou mayft ever after
iffolye more and more Mercury
in fully fourty days, for Mercury
Once diffolved, diffolveth it felf
€ver after infinitely. And having
difolved it, diftill it perfe@ly,
Until it have no Faces in -the
Cornyce, after Diftillation, bring
itagain to Putrefaction, and when
It is blackith, diftill it again: fo
t thou have two Oyls, a white
Silver Oyl, and thickith, and at
laft a very red or Bloud-like Oyl,,
_ Which is the Element of Fire. The —
White Oyl ferveth for Multiplica-
Hon, or multiphying the whire
Elixiy, and for the making of all
_ Precious Stones, by diflolving
of
ye + faall
—-y04 | Thefaurus, five
fall precious Stones in it, for it
will prefently diffolve them : thet
ina gentle heat‘of Afhes congea:
them again, and they far exce¢
any Natural ones, both in luftré
and virtue, and hardnefs. The red
Oyl is for the multiplying the red
Elixir, evento an infinite height
in projection ; which when it is by
often multiplying or multiplica”
tion, brought to a fixt Oyl, thet
thou mayft do feveral Magical;
yet Natural and ftrange Opera
tions by it.
. Tomake the Elixirs thou muft
proceed thus : When thou haft
diffolved rightly the common Mer’
cury, which cannot be done before
it be duly prepared for fuch a Phi-
Tofophical diffolution, whén it i8
diffolved into a Milkie, Silvers
Cryftalline Liquor, it will in the
diftillation leave fome Feces, it
which remains its more fixt pat
or Salt, which thou muft warily
and wifely, after a gentle'and Phi-
lofophical Calcination, extra& an
_purifie to the higheft Purification
 - Medicina Aurea, toy
bY which means it will be very
White and clean: then take feven
- Stnces of the white Mercurial Oyl,
h. 8d diffolve.in. it as much of thig
Sale as-it will diffolve, until it will -—
iffolve no more : having fo done,
Put thy Liquor into.a Philofophi,
(Sal Ege, fealing*it Hermetically,
and by due degrees of Fire cone
_ Seal and fix ir: being fixed, it.is
_ the white. Medicine, which fer-
“™ented with Silver, may be caft
“pon purged Venus, which it wiil =
— tanfmute into moft fine Silver: —
‘Multiply it with the white Oyl, Gc.
; Tf thou wouldit ‘have it be a red
lixir, put .to it fome of the red >
Oy], and by requifite degrees of
€at congeal and fix it as before: .
_ <Stment it with Gold ; multiply it~
by the red Oyl, and the aforelaid
White Salt diffolve in it :diffolve
rex 4%, congeal and fix it often, until it
_ Will congeal no more, fo will it re-
Main an Oyl, which in its pro-._
Fetion is almoft infinite. Endea- ~
Your
ie nor to multiply it any fare
“Sher, uw lofeft it; it is~—
then.
 t06 ~Thefaurus,&C.
then fo fiery, that it will vani
out through the Glafs reddifh, of
Rubie-like. Make projection with
it on what Metal thou wilt; an
thou fhalt have mot fine Gold,
better than the Natural Gold:
Laus Deo, &c. : i

Mercurius albus & rubeus

ex Mercurio vulgs (per fe)
_foluto fiers ote tanguam
ex Mercurio Univer{ali*
4 Deo mihi cram
my
EB, &e.
-TRACTATUS
pe |
LAPIDE,
Manna Beneditto, &e.
 Trattatus de Lapide, Manna
beneditto, &c.
N this Book thou haft a_moft
faithful and plain Manuduction
to the greateft and moft noble Se-
‘ret of Nature : Enjoy them in fi-.
lence;blef$ God, and do 'good
“Unto thy Neighbour and Succeflor,
4s Ido hereby to thee; thon finder,
f this Book. Se
~ [have refolved with my felf to
Write this fhort Treatife, having
en not only an eye-witnefs, but
@lf an actor of fuch high Myfte-
Tes of Nature, as the World isnot
_ Worthy of, and the Wife of the
World do fcarce believe. Which
- difcourfe may be of fingular ufe.
» % fuch as God fhall pleafe (out
. °f his infinite’ mercy) to beftow —
__ the knowledge of this Stone upon, —
_ tomake the Stone of the Wife men
called, or the Philofophers Stone; *
_ Which fhall be of much ufe and
ss —
—11000— (De Manna. 7
benefit’ to thofé who are not yet
capable of making the Stone it
fel‘, for it fhall illuminate the un-
_ derftanding of all that read ity
_ more than all the Books they fhall —
_ yead.: For it fhall fet down the
Bafis and Foundation wherein thé-
wifdom of all the Philofophers
doth lye, (I except none;) yet
not fo as to name that ( which no
_ man durft) in fo plain words, that —
every fool or lewd fellow may un-
_.derftand it, as he may his 4.B.¢.
when he reads it, for that were to
make my {elf accurs’d. Whofo-
éver thou be that readeft this, let
|me advife thee rather to fix thy
' mind and Soul'on God, in keeping
_ his Commandments, than upon
the love of this Art; which al-
_ though it be the only, nay all the
/_wifdomof the World, yet doth it
come fhort of the Divine wifdom
[of the Soul, which is the love of
God in keeping his Command?
ments. Yet let me tell thee, he
“that fhall have the bleffing to_
make the Stone, and find this Wri-
ae ; r . _tings
-‘Beneditto, qit
fing,he fhall fee fuch Myfteries in
Nature, as fhall make him of a
Wicked, a good man, or elfe-a.very
Devil incarnate. But I am pere
faded it fhall never be permitted
to come to the hands of any but
Whom God-knoweth ft for it, and
; fach as fhall never abufe it. Hak
thou been covetous, prophane?, be
Meek and holy, and ferve in all
humility thy. mof glorious Crear
tor ; if thou xefolve not-to do this,
thou doft butwafh.an £rhiopian
White, and fhalt wafte an Earthly
fate, hoping to attain this Scie
» €nce, There is no Humane Artor
Wit can fnatch it from the Al-—
_ ‘Mighty’s hand ; nor was it ever,
* Ror I am perfwaded ever fhall be,
Biven but to fuch as fhall be of
Upright hearts. Remember what _
| King David faith, The fear of the
Lord, is the beginning of wifdom,
- 2 good underftanding have they
x that dothereafter :and fo ifthou
think to attain this wifdom, which
48 the top of all wifdom, and in-
Cord

.deed Angelical -wifdom, and yer 7

 doft not fear the Lord; thou dof
‘give King Dawid; and in him the
ats Spirit: the Lye, which be far|
"from every Chriftian ‘heart. But
“lét meconclude my-Preface with
|this ; If God blefs ‘thee with the
Stone, and thou have the enjoy*
ment of this little Script, and dof
make that ufe of it that here is fet
‘down, thou fhalt fee that which is
not fit to be written; yet I have fet
f ‘down in part what thou fhalr fee”
hereafter-: as thou fhalt read§
eet and ftudy; pray with a faithe |
ul-and earneft heart, ftudy with—
an honeft heart, and leave the-
iffue to God, to whom be. Glory.
cncpelgg ~
. ‘The folly of the Students in this
: ‘Noble Science and Art, is this
they fet their minds and inten-
‘tions on nothing but making of
_ Gold and Silver, and {© they fall
into this errour, that Gold and
;
Silver muft be the ground-work:
of this goodly piece ; but that is”
falfe : yet will I not now ftand t
megs it, for that were tedious;
_-Beneditto,&c. 113
4s fuficient that I vow upon my
Poul, it is not fo, nor any ‘fuch
Matter ; yet it is true, that ir hath
#true Golden ahd Metafline Na-
ire. But to proceed, briefly Know,
that the “changing of imperfed
=4€tals into Gold and Silver, asit
‘8 the chief intent of the Alchy-
Mifts, fo it was fcarce any intent
atall ofthe Ancieat Philefophérs;
nd although it be to’be done by
this Art; yet it is bur a’ part, and
Andeed the leaft ‘part ‘of the bene-
ft that cometh by the Art : ‘yet I
deny nor but the poffeffion
‘ofGold_
&nd'Silver is a great blelfing, efpe-
“lally got in this way, becaufe it
freethaman from want; and be-
40g beholden to others; as alfo
that a' man thaydogood to others,
'0 the poor and oppreffed ; nayit
sa happinefs in this World to
-Poffefs much, but yet I affirm it
the leaft happinefs that cometh by
the Philofophers Stone, if the full
Ue thereof be known. Gold and .
are goodly things, and the
ofthem very delightful
rts
 “Ya4e ' Manna
_ to covetous and wicked-minde¢
men, who do not truft in God, ané
know him as they ought ; but 4
true fearcher of this Wifdom, iis.
content, as the Aroftle faith, with
meat, drink, and cloaths, vzz. @
competency. I have a little om
ceeded in my .exclamation agai
Riches, becaufe I know it befits
not .a wife man to love them:
when thou haft read all that I
have fet down, thou wilt not value
Wealth, as thou wilt other Know
ledge herein fet down and con
tained ; for by the full knowledg¢
of it, the whole wifdom’of Nature
is to be grafped and embraced;
yea mot only infinite Wealth,’ and
perfect Health, (afar greatet
bleffing than Wealth) but al{o thé
’ knowledge of all Animals, Vege-
tables, Minerals, the Radix ant
Root of all which, is the true Root,
of all Philofophy ; nay more, #
all the feven. Liberal Sciences +
which in their fall perfegtion arro
to be known by the knowledge oF
‘this Art, and without it not ope
_—s* . Saree
o* tan
Lae ¢ =
 eR ee ee ee ee

ag Benedifto, &e. a1 a
8M be perfected ; nay more, the
| *ttificial making of all precious
. 2 Ones, better than the Natural,
4nd of what greatnefs you pleafe, .
®$Rubies, Carbuncles, Diamonds, -
_ Jacinths, Pearls, Topafes, Saphirs, -
Meralds, gc. But this is not all, -
for by the perfection of this Art,
Which very few: have attained un-
fo, all Natural Magick may be -
Sfown, all that Spirits can do -
€xcept velocity )may be perfor-
_ Med by a true Philofepher, though»
_ toignorant men it feemeth fuper--
Matural ; all that is natural may
be done by this Art, wicked Spirits
May be commanded and driyen :
away; in a word, whatever is fub-
Unary maybe done by it, All~
_ thefe things were known to ddam »
i his Innocency, who had .this
Art in the higheft perfection. This
. Man, our firft Father, was in his ~
— ‘Mward parts, or internal man,
_ Made according to the fimilitude
Ff God ; and to tell the plain
beth, (which when thou haft tryed
Whar is here fet down, thou wilt ©
es know ©
.
116° De Manna
know it tobe fo) was of the fame
Subftance and Matter, that the Al” |
_ gels were made of, I mean thé
~ ‘bleffed Angels. The Soul of mat
is an Angel, and fo.was'called thé
‘Son of God ; but for his Body and
‘Spirit, whence that came, and what
they are, I will {et down by and
by that which concerneth that
Man was the Son of the great
World, or Macrocofiz, and partici-
pateth of all the: influences and
virtues of the fuperiour and infe- |
-- riour Worlds, yea of all Creature
good and bad, and that for this
- caufe, becaufe he was made of that
‘very Matter and Chaos whereof all
the World was made, and a}! the
‘Creatures in it: which is a mof
high Myftery to underftand, and
~ muft, nay is altogether neceflary
‘to beknown of him that expecteth
_ good from this Art, being the
ground of the wifdom thereoh
Foolifh men, nay they that the
World holds for great Doctors, fay”
and tell it for truth, that Goe
: smade Man of a pieceofMud
*
‘ Clay, or Duft of the Earth; which _
Sfalfe, it was no fuck Matter, bue.
* Quinteffential Matter which is
. Called Easth, but is no Earth. The
Fall of Man depraved all things,
- Yea all the.Creatures fuffer’é in it,,
_ 8nd himéelf moft of all ; for as foon,
8 he had finned himfelf, and his. .
Wife, his Wife firft, both of them.
turned into Monfters in refpett of ~
What. they were in their Innocency~.
all
i” 4dam had another Body before. —
is Fall, than what he had after ;,
8nd’ {> far, different, that if we
thould behold Adam as he was in:
his Innecency, we fhould admire. |
the glory of him, and trémble at
the fight of him, as at the fight of. -
80 Angel. -I fay nothing of the.
_ ody of our bleffed Saviour, fave.
| Snly this; fuch a Body as he.
| fought from Heaven with him,
. “ch a Body fhali we. arife ‘with,.
© 8nd with fuch Bodies fhall our.
tls be endowed with flefh and
id; otherwifé men fhould not.
er from Angels, for this flefh
wbloud is put upon us Pythe
ee 3? 0 “
 ai8) De Mana
Holy Ghoft, that is, by Regener’-
- <tion: nor doth this crofs Sacred
_ Writ, if it were rightly: under
ftood. I {peak nothing Ithewifeof
our bleffed Lady, what Body fhe
had; but when thou fhalt have
| examined whatI fhall fer down
| then wilt thou find what I fay 18
‘true, and underitand them in @
_ plain manner : but I forbear to
“fpeak of thofe Myfteries, known to
fo few ;he that liveth according
_| to the written Word of God, thal
| be faved; but he that liveth to,bé
-bleffed with this Art, fhall glorifie
his Creator, and know him moré
|' than any man can do; but before
| the end of the World, all will be
; known, But to my former purpofe:
) Man, the Microcofm,or little World,
from the Aftres or Srars received
Spirit, from the great World his
Body, and from God immediately
his Sou), fo here is an illucidation
of the bleffed Trinity ;of thel
three Man confifteth, of thefe he i$
compounded, thus he had his pro*
duction from the World, For what
od Benedrtto, &c. “EIQ —s

oncerns his Body, or Humane

Part, let us now (as fully as we
may) fay fomething of the pro-
Uetion of the great World out of
Rothing :when there was neither
me nor place, did God create a
“ertain Chaos, invifible, intangi-
ble, which the Philofophers called
Hle, or the moft remote Matter;
ut of this he made an Extraét, or
““cond Matter or Chaos, which the
hilofophers know, not by fpecula-
Yon , but by fenfe : that Matter
Was and is vifible and tangible, in
ich were and are all the Seeds
8nd Forms of all the Creatures,
‘periour and inferiour, that ever
Were made: from this God divi-
44 the four Elements ; in a word,
“id make all things celeftial and
tetreftrial, the Angels, Sun, Moon,
“td Stars. The knowledge ‘and
Paice of the Philofophers upon
4.8 Chaos, brought them to the
Se of all wifdom, and from
g € (next God) feek thou and
find<a] wifdom. This is not 2 ~
~ “¥ or conceit that I tell thee, —
4 - ~ but
 but what I Selot and hire provedy
itis fuch a thing and fubftance, *
with the- bare knowledge: of, ity
‘makes thee know the: gener ration.
--and prefervation of all things, ane
yet this Chaos is fince the Fall:
likewife: corrupted. . Thus briefly,
MaveIdifcourfed of fuch things 4
perhaps. thou doft not believe, of
- never. heardit of. before,; ©but ib
a bet ordained to kaow this!
- Science, I have trod: the path fot
thee, but I fear thou underftandell,
me not: yer have
Ifaid more tha
wifdom would I fhould, but.I knows
t fhall be tovhis good only, 10:
whom. God appoints. it.’ My. inten
.._ is, forcertain veafons that I havey
mot to prate too much of the Mat
4 ter, which yet is but only on@
bi “thing, already too. plainly defcrie
: bed; nor of the Preparation ,BY:
< what means.it is to be done, which (
~ 4g the fecond and greateft, Secrets
- But [have conftitutcd thefe line!
- for the -good of. him that|
|
is

= make the Stone, if ir fall into thé

_ handsoffach,a onea for.
ri thal thew and ‘fetoun in plain
“rms, as plain as poffibly my Pen
" write to the very letter, {ach
:

ML.4eical and Natural ufes of it, as

‘Many that have had it never knew
or heard of ; and fuch as when I
*cheld them, made my knees to
"emble, and my heart to fhake,
8nd T to ftand amazed at the fighe
f them. I do therefore charge
thee, who(oever thou be that fhale
bleffed with the enjoyment of
- this Treatife, that asthou wilt an-
- Wer the contrary at the great day, ©
"ou let no man fee it, but him _ |
that hath the Scone perfe& ; for.if —
“dou fhalt meet with fuch a one,
’(Which is hard to do) and that.he -
28th brought it to the full per-
Sion, thou by imparting fach —
~“4gical and Phyfical things, and
St Tt rare Secrets which are here |
. “down, and by the Stone to be
She, he fhall nor only give thee
Sold Sufficient, but alf fhall fhew
4 .° the true and right way, and
" theMatter with all things belong-

a. Pate feat
 = ~ - Se peice § . 2s 7%

22 De Manna
fe& : for let me affure thee, I have
Known many that have had it, that
never knew. more than the bare
tranfmutation of Metals; and by
the Books of the Philofophers if
"appears, that fome of them, (nay
more than that ) many of them
have kill’d' themfelves by taking
it, for the. want of the knowledge
of. the ufé of it. Never doubt
therefore, but thou fhale obrait
. what thou. wilt of him that hath
it, by demonftrating the truth0
_ whatI here write; therefore agai®
and again I charge thee, nor 7
part with it, nor. to tell any maf
- of it,, although none can make ufé
of it, but he that hath the Sron®
in the higheft degree of perfeétion
And I will now fhew.thee the feve-
ral ufés of it: The firft, for Healthy
and the manner how to ufe it ; thé
fecond is for Multiplication, which”
- cannot be done without a Maftery
- Thirdly,
the-making-of all nanne
af precious Stones artificially, bet”
~ ver than the Natural; Fourthly
to turn all Mera!s into running
Quiske
 —- =

‘Quick-filver ;Fifthly, feveral Ma-

‘gical Operations of feverak kinds,
Which are paft belief, till thou
feeft them, and which indeed are
above all.the reft. And here I pro-
emife, that I will in fuch plain
words fet down what I have in-
tended, that thou canft not in do-
ing err, or do amifs, provided thou
have the Stone both red and white,.
although there be more works out
Of it than I dare fer down ; and in-
deed Angelical wifdomis attained:
by it. But'l proceed...
For Health, the ufe of it thus.
‘N the ufe of this Medicine, ma-
A ny great Philofophers them-
{elves, after they had obtained this
“Wonderful bleffing, defiring to have:
‘ Perfe& Health, have been fo bold’
~/8s to take a certain quantity of fit,
_ tome no more than a quarter of a
“rain, fome lefs, fome more, bur
“all thar did fo with it,. inftead of
Health, took Death it felf; for
. there is no {mall skillto ufe it fir
. Gu Medi-
 124
Medicine, thotighevery foo!
| think
“if he had it, he could cure all
difeafes, and himfelf too, and fet |
the Elements at unity, which few
men have known, neither is there
but oue way to it with fafery; if —
“this be not known, more hurt than —
~ good may be received by it: For
~ the method of Health, it is thus:
“Take the quantity of four grains,
Ido not mean the grains of Wheat,
or Barley grains or corns, but four |
grains of Gold weight, and diffolve
them in a pint of White or Rhe-
nith Wine, but in no hot Wine, a$
Sack, vc. put it into a great cleaa
“Glafs, and inftantly it will colout
all the Wine almoft as red as it
{elf was, which is the higheft red
in the World: let it ftand fo, clol@
covered from dutt, four days, fot
in refpe& it is an Oylie fubitances
» it will not prefently diffolve! #
- Wine ; then add to this a pint
© more by degrees, until it be not 9
“red, ftirring it witha clean (tick
of Wood, not of Metal, nor Glafs,,|
as % continue the eg one
ait “Pil a
 “Benedifto,&c. 125
frefh Wine, until it be jult of the.
Celour of Gold, which is a fhining
Yellow. Beware there be no.red-
Nefs in it ; for fo long as there is
any rednefs in it, it is not fuffici-
ently dilated, bur will fire the Bo-
dy, and exhauft the Spirits : nei-.
ther is it fufficiently brought to,
Yellow, until.the Wine have round.
®bout the fides a ring like Hair,.
ofa whitifh film, which will fhew
tt felf plain when well, diffolved, if
it ftand, but four hours quiet... As
foon as you {ee that whitifh film,
then. let it.run through a clean
linen Cloth, or Paper, fo the white.
film will ftay behind, and look like
Pearl on the Paper, and all the
teft will be yeliow like Gold. This
#8 the token of truth, that you
annot wrong your felf by this Li-
Wor ; and without this token, it
“Will be either. too weak, or fo
ftrong that it will fire the Body,
“Now this.tobe2 rare Secret. Of
pus Golden Water, let the party.
{of what difeafe foever hebe fick
~@f) take each morning 2 good
"a G3 Jarge
oe
“Aarge {poonful, and it fhall expel
the difeafe whatfoever it be, by 2
gentle fweat; for it purgeth not,
mor vomiteth, nor fweateth fo
much as to make faint, but to cor-
roborate : I fay, it ftrengthens the —
party ;and if the difeafe be of
many years continuance, or @
‘Chronical difeafe, it will then be
perhapstwelve days, otherwifé but.
twenty four hours, or two or three
days at moft. Thus it muft be-ufed’
for all difeafes internat: But for
all external difeafes, as Ulcers,
Scabs, Botches, Sores, Fiftula’s,
Noli me tangere’s, Gc. the place
mutt be anointed with the Oyl of
the Stone it felf, not dilated im
Wine ; and after this manner it.
mutt be done nine or ten days, and
be it whatfoever it will, it will cure —
all outward and inward difeafes.
And more than this, whofoever |
carries this Stone about him, no ~
_ evil Spirit can or will ftayin the
place; nay bringing or giving it
to 2 party poffeffed, pale dts
and expels the evil Spirits: for *;
—
 2) See
ae Den 7 XO 41 ih oees
oe
tes

a
8a Quinteffence, and there is rot
- Corruprible thing in it ; and where
the Elements are not corrupt, no
evil can ftay or abide, forhe is
> corruption of the Elements.
is Medicise taken nine days as.
aforefaid, and the Templesof the
Head anointed with the Oyl of the
Stone each day in the morning, it
will make a man as light as ifhe:
could fie, and his Body { aireal
it is not to be credited; but byhim
that ‘hath experienced it. Thefe
Toft. adm‘rable qualities it hath,
Perfe& health it giveth, till God
alls for the Soul ; and perfe®
knowledge it giveth, ( if the ufe
be known: } but even this part
hath been known but to a few that
have made it, for it is a Divine,
and as it were an Angelical Medi-
Cine. The white is not to be: ufed —
for any difeafe but Maduefs, in the
fame proportion, and way or pre-
Paration that the red Stone was:
And fo I proceed'to the fcond,
Which is Multiplication:
Ge The
 128 DeMana
The way to Multiply.

Any have made the Stone ©

both white and red, that —
never knew how to multiply ‘it, for —
the white Stone will be red, by con-
finuing it in the external natural -
Fire ;but never make projeétion
highe r than one upon ten, neither
white , nor the red: few have
kiown this, for if they be not
armed rightly, it will kill thems
but do thus, and thou fhalr multi-
ply it infinitely, that it fhall nar
congeal to Powder any more. ©
When thou haft made the Mercury
of the Philofophers, ( which in 40
days is to be done) a Water it is,
and no Water, clear as the Hea~ ~
vens, then as thou didft make it, -
reduce it back again into Putre- —
fadtion, E. F. which it will quick!
do in a Body with a blind Head, —
and never put into it above twelve _
ounces, ard. lute it with fuch lute
as I will dire& here-under, for in —
a Glafs nipr up it will nor work —
fe BERR ED
When it is like Pitch, take out thy
Gla(s, and remove it to 2 common
fire of Afhes in a Furnace, and
when thy Glafs hath ftood cold 24
hours, arm thy felf thus: Make
thee 2 Cafe for thy head and face
with Hog-skin, lined with Cotton,
and before thy race have Speda-
-cles of Glafs, and from thy mouth
clet go.a large Tunnel of Glafs, co-
vered with Leather, and let it be —
tyed under thy Girdle, ard touch’
. thy Aacles; let the bore of the
Glafs be as big asa Walnut, and
tye the Hyde of Hog-skin faft a-
bont thy Neck under thy Chia,
but fo as thou be fure no Air come
in.there, to which purpofe lap it
over with more Hog-skin, balted
with Later: and thus art thou
well armed, for otherwife it would
kill thee. Thus armed, take off
“thy blind Head, and-put ona di-
- filling Head, and a Receiver long |
"and large; lute the Receiver and
joynts of the Head with this lute,
(viz )'to one ounce of Powder of:
_ Egg-thels, calcined 24 hours, and
oe Gs ~ ground
 ground like Meal,take two ounces |
ofEnamel, fuch as the Goldfmiths —
ufe ; grind that with the Egg-
fhels, and add the white of an Egg
tomakc it into pafte, but the white —
muft be well beaten firft : then
firear this upon Bladders made
fupple, and herewith anoint the |
joynts of the Receiver three times
_ double ; let it dry 24 hours, Put
thy Glafs in ‘Afhes but fix fingers
above the Matter thus putrified,
and let the head of the Glafs be
very cold, and with a gentle heat
you fhall fee a white fume arife,
and make all the head of the Re-
_ ceiver like Milk; increafe eafily
that Fire, till no more will come,
then let all cool, andthefe white —
fumes fettle to 2 white Water
thickith ; this is that white Mer-
_ ¢ury to multiply the white Stone:
_ then put a new Receiver, luted aS ”
~ before ; put in as many Coals a&
_ the Furnace will hold or bear, till—
_ the Por be red hor, then fhall you !
- fee the yellowifh fume arife, and
iaftantly will. ir increafe redder
han
a oe a cd ie hi
My

8ndredder. Continue the Fire un-

lan Oy come redder than Bloud
Mto the Receiver, and it will be
alfo thickifh ; this is the red Mer-
cury, wherewith the red Stone muft
%¢ multiplied : each of thefe mut
new reétified, in a new Body.
and Head, rill they let no Faces,
Which will be, in feven times, and
then ftop them clofe with. the fame
lute till you ufe them; and when
they are cold, they are white and
ted Oyl flowing: in the bottom,
Which will melt with an eafie Fire,
and being cold, be as a Salt: thefe
are the thyee. principles of Sal,
Sulphur, and, Mercury, a plain Elu-
Cidation of the bleffed Trinity. Now.
when the white Stone is made, it
will not melr, but is like white,
Sand, but impalpable, and will
tinge no Body but Venus into Luna.
To three parts of the white Stone,
take one part of white. Mercury,
teGified, but firft diffolve in that.
white Mercury one third part uf
white Salt; then imbibe the white.
Stone, which will prefently take i
ie an
 132 De Manna
and be like Pap; then clofe your
Ess for fo is your Glafs: Multi-
pli er) with the aforefaid sute, and
_ fet it in your firft Fire, H. E. 1. E.F
‘and it will in 40 days putrifie, and —

~ pafs all the colours, and be white

fixed, and projet one part upon an
hundred: repeat that with more
white Mercury, as before, keeping”
the fame proportion and the fame’
Fire, and it will multiply each time
ten, at the third time it will be 2
thoufand, then ten thoufand, then
a hundred thoufand, fo you may
bring it to a white Oyl, like the |
Moon pale in the dark; then ‘it’
will multiply no more, neither will
any Glafs hold’ it. If you make’
projection with the white Srone,
then melt fine Silver a tenth part,
then caft in the Stone; keep it
24 hours melting, and this is
Fermentation. The firft time the |
white goeth only upon Venwsy1
fecond time upon all Bodies,
third time upon common Mercury,
and then it is Elixir of Spirits’ As
you did with the white, ae. wi ms
E? the
-—- Benediéko,
8c. 1335
he red exadlly ; but take the red
fo
Mercury, and white Gait; and
"that goeth one upon ten on Luna —
the firft time, the fecond upon an
hundred, and fo to an infinity;
and fo it will be a red Oyi like a
Carbuncle, and will fhine in the
darkett night with admirable fplen-
dor, and from it will fie all evil ,
Spirits. And this they muft have, —
before they cure all difeafes, and
give that exaltation to man, to
miake fuch Magical works as I fhall:
fer down.

To make Stones. |

Hi ‘made Mercury of the

Q Philofophers, and out of it
the two Mercuries white and red, -
if thou wilt of finall Pearls make
_ great and Oriental ones, do thus:»
Take white Seed Pearls, and dif-
folve them in the white: Water,
which. will inftantly of it felf dit;
folverthem :when it is like Pap,
that thou mayft work them with:
_ thy hand, make it into Pearls; and
have
EN ig ga

134 De Manna —
have a round mould of pure. Sil-
ver, put thy Pap into the mould,
but firft anoint thy mould with the
white Stone, which is an Oyl:
when they have layn three or four
days, open it, and lay the Pearls in
the Sun, but not too hot, and they
will grow hard, and more Orient
than any Natural ones.
To make Diamonds.

Ake the whiteft Flint Stone

you can get, beat off the
—outtide, and diffolve the reft, as
much as thou wilt, inthe white
Water : when it is diffolved to
clear Water, not’ to:Pap, pit it
into a little Vial, ftop it clofe, and
fet it in warm Afhes, and in twelve
days it will congeal toa hard gray
Stone : then increafe the Fire, that
“the Glafs may be red hot, then let
it cool ; take it out, and-it will be
like’ a Flint; but polith it, and,
thou never faw{t fuch afparkling.
Diamond, nor fo hard: but it will:
be Better if thou diffolye litle
Dia-
=
i Beneditto,&c. 135
| oS agi All Stones. that you
diffolve in the white Water, the
fame colour they were of, the fame
will they be of ; but for Rubies
and Carbuncles, and all red
Stones, they are made of the red
Mercury, and of Cryftal ;and for a
Carbuncle, you muft add to ten
parts of Cryital, diffolved in the
white Mereury/ one part of the red
Stone brought to the higheft, and
foas before congeal it with Fire,
and being polifhed it fhineth
in
the dark beyond all whatever.

To turn Metals inta Quick-filver.

O thus in the operation of

*the Stone white and red ;
when the white Stone firft is made,
“never after thou fhalt perceive lye
under the gliftering Powder, bit
thou canft not perceive it, till thou
tak’ our the Glafs; a grayifh
light fubtle Powder, and the pro=
portion is about -=-------- of the
' Matter pat in, Put any..Metal
What thou wilt int. a Silver Bafon,
t N = 2 {ex
 “336 De Mama ~
(except Gold or Silver) and make
~ a Plate as thick as you will, and in
' the middle a hole like a Barley
corn, and in chat hole pur rhe
Powder ; to each pound of the Me-
tal, fix grains of the Powder, and
no more ; and as foon as it is hot,
the Powder will eat into the Metal,
and turn it all into Quick-filver:
then pour it into Water, and the
fcurff will remain behind. ForGold —
and Silver, hold them fo.ufed over
~ the Fire, till they turn to Quick
filver, then hold them over a
wooden difh ; this Powder is the
- Tera damrara of the Stone. Now —
I will fhew thee that which is a- —
bove all, certain Magical opera- .
tions with the Stone, fuch as thou !
wilt wonder at,and blefs thy Crea-
tor, when thou fhalt fee “them =
~ Wonders above wondersgnér wilt ©
“thou believe till thou haft:dénevie.
ete.
The Creation. Pa 4

WV ke Ordinary Rain-water a
good guantity,
ten gallons |
ee A rf ate
_ Benedifto,&c. 137
— &t the leaft, flop it up clofe in.
Glaffes fourty days at leaft, and it
Will ftink, and fer a Feces at the
bottom ; pour off the clear, and fer
It in a Veffel of Wood, made round
like a Ball, cut. off in the midft,
and fill the Veffel one third pars
full of it, and fer it in the Sun at
Noon-day, in a private place : that
done, take one drop of the red
bleffed Stone, and let it fall ingo.
the midft of the Water, and pre-
-fently thou fhalr fee a mift and
thick darknefs upon the face of the
Water, as it was in the firft Crea-
tien; then. put into it two drops
-™More, and thon. fhalr fee the fe-
cond light come out of the firt
darknefs, or rather light come out
‘darknefs ; and then by degrees
. ach half quarter of an hour put
im three, four, five, fix drops, and —
then no more, and thou fhalt fee
&ppear before thy face on the fur-
_ face of the Water, by degrees one
thing after another, all things that
God did create in fix days, and.the
Banner of it, and Secrets sa |
be fpoken of or revealed ; which ©
to reveal T have no power, nor
ftrength, nor dare fer down. Be
‘on thy knees from the: beginning
“of this operation, let thine eyes be
judge, for thus was the World
created : You cannot but trem-
‘ble when you fhall fee it: let alt
alone, it will vanifh away in half
.an hour after it begins. By this
you fhall know and fee plainly
thofe Myfteries of Divinity, which
now you are ignorant of as a
Child, although you thought your
felfa wife-man, and that you did
underftand Mofés his Writings of
the Creation ; but I fay no more.
You will now fee-what Body .idam
and: Eve had before their Fall, and
what after their Fall; what the
Serpent was, what the Tree was,
and what Fruit they dideat; where
and what Paradice is, and what it -
. was, you will know : What Bodies
the Juft fhall-rife in, not thefe.we
received from Adam, but that.
fieth and‘bloud which is born and
begotten in us by the Holy Sra
‘7
 enearcte, XC. 3
and Water, fuch as our bleffed
Lord brought from Heaven. But
Ihave done.
The Heavens.

Ou fhall take feven pieces of"

: Metals, ofeachi of the Metals:
named. after the Planets, and: on
every one of them you fhall ftamp.
the fign or character of the Pla- |
hets, in the Houfe of the Planet,
and let each piece be as bigssa
Rofé-noble, only let Mercury beof
@ quarter of an ounce, and noime
preffion on it: Then put them (as
they ftand in’ order in the Firma-
iment) into aCrucible, and'clofe
all the windows in the Chamber,
and let it be dark, and in the midft.
of the’ Chamber ; then meit them
all together, and drop in feven
drops of the bleffed Stone, and pre-
fently (out of the Crucible will
come a fiery flame, and {preadit
felf round about the whole Cham-
ber;féar it not, it will nothurt
You )thewholeChambewill r fhine
: brighter
 140 . De Manna ia
brighter than the Sun and Moon,
and you fhall fee over your head.
the whole Firmament, as it is a-
~ bove the Statrie Skie ; and the
Sun, Moon and Planets will go all ,
——
—

round in their courfe, juft as itis

in the Heavens: Let it ceafe of iit
felf; ina quarter of an hour it
is,
§one to its proper place, f
Fellowfhip.

Ore then. this, if thou take

the Stone each Full Moon,
when it is over the Horizon whee |
thou art, and go apart in a Gar-
den, and take fome of the clear
Rain-water, as thou didf in the
operation, and drop of thy
white Stone as thou didi of thy
red, and there fhall prefently even
to the Orb of the Moon afcend Exe
halations in a ftrange manner; ‘
and if thou obferve this. every
month at the due time, there is no ‘
Philofopher in the Horizon where _
thou liveft, that hath the know-
Jedg
ofthee
Stone, with theufeof
= = It, 4
 —— Beneditto,&c. 141
‘it,but at the fame time goeth out
“@ad looketh Eaft and Weft, North
8nd South, and finding fuch an
Apparition, (ashe foon feeth it)
“he knoweth it is done by fome Ar-
“tift or other, that defireth acquain-
“tance with. ‘thofe that have the
fame Art, and will prefently in the
fame manner anfwer thee, when
thine is done : thus fhale thon
know all that have the ufe of the ©
Stone. To meet with thy fellow
Philofophers, do thus ; anoint thy
temples with the white Stone that
“night, and eayneftly pray to know
what that party is ; lay under thy
head three Bay-leaves newly ga-
thered, and fix thy Imagination
upon thy defire to know him, fo
repofe thy felf to fleep ;and when
thou doft awake, thou wilt pre-
~ {ently remember thy Vition, as the
‘Perfon, his Name; and the placeof
his abode: if thou go not to him, —
“he will come to thee, for perhaps
~ he thinks thou, doft not know this —
‘Secret. The reafon why this fhould
~~ be thus, is this ; the univerfal Spi-
rit
 Rh hi ie ee ok
¥42 «De Manna a
“rit of the Air, which is inclofed in
the Stone, caufeth ir. Thus mayft
thou accompany .thy felf with all
the wife men in the World, who
fhall appear unto thee rather Beg-
ars, than Rich men, and perhaps
¢an teachthee more than I can, oF
have done-by this ; for indeed all
things that are Natural are done
by it, Volume would hardly con-
tain them: As to command and
converfe with Spirits, which.Ifor-
bear to fet down, I mean good Spi-
rits, is not this Angelical wifdom
to know thefé things ? Aftronomy,
Aftrology, and all the-Arts of the
Mathematicks, are eafily known:in
their perfeation, this being done
that I have told thee ; nor is Scho-
larfhip required, it is the gift of
God: You muft know, before you:
do thefe things, you mutt take the
Stone -nine days, as I prefcribed
-firft, and it-will make thee have‘an: 4
Angelical. underftanding; thou wilt —
defpife the World, and alll im it =:
then thou wilt know: how to ferve_
- God, and underftand theScriptures...
k
 —- Benedifta,
&e. 143;
I have written that which was
Rever writ before; think whether
they be not Secrets and 4reana’s.
' and whether thou oughtr’ft to fhew.
this or not to any man; but to him
that hath the Stone. I have now
done, charging thee to have a care
of this Writing, commanding thee
to ferve God’; for without thou do
that, thou wilt never-have good of”
this Art: ferve him in Spirit and’
Truth, and fo to God I leave thee;.
to dire& thee in his ways.

Glory to God in the Higheff,

men.

Nich abzs
were pel seca: Ap
“th oh ase aS

oe ys FE
é = Gees

Peak fhe +.
 Nicolas Flameueell’s

SUMMARY
OF

Philofophy. |
 Nicolas Flammells -
Summary.ofPhilofophy, .
WE that defreth to know
how Metals are tranfmu-
4& ted, he muft know -from
‘what Matter theysare, and how
they be formed in their Minerals;
and left hercin we err, we muit fee
and obferve the.tranfmutations as
in the Veins of the Earth. “Mine-
‘als out of the Earth may be chan-
‘ged, if they be before fpiritual+
‘zed, that they mayome intothei
Sulphur and Argent vive Natures;
‘thefe are the'twol:Sperms, the one
‘Mafeuline ,,the other :Feminine
‘Complexions} and thefe are com-
‘pofed of: the Elements :: the Male
‘Sulphur, is nothing but Fire and
Air. and true Sulphur is as a Fire,
“Sut not the Vulgar, which is of no
-Metallick. fab@ance; the Feminine
me Qt 2 Sperm,,
 two Dragons, or Serpents, the one
is winged, the other not ; Sw/phur
not flying the Fire, is without
wings ; the’ winged Serpent, is A”
gent vive born up by the Wind,
thereforein her certain hour fhe |
Alieth from the Fire, being uncon-
ftant sin it; but if thefe two.
‘Sperms , feparated from them-
felves, be united again by trium-
‘phing Nature in the Book of Mer-
cury, which is the Fire Metalline,
then united it is called of Philofo-
phers the flying Dragon, becaufe
~ the Dragon kindled by his Fire,
while he flieth, by little and little
Apreadeth his Fire and poifonous
Vapours into the Air: the fame
thing doth’ Mercury, which placed
‘upon an exteriour Fire, being it .
‘his place in a Veffel, fetteth on
Yire his infide, which is hidden in
his profundity ; and then may any —
one fee how the external Fire doth |
anilame the natural of eae
 Summary ofPhilofophy. 145
8nd fhall fee a poifonous Vapour
to break out into the Air, which
fhall be of fuch a ftinking and
Pernicious poifon, which is no-
thing elfe but the Head of the Dra-
' Zon, which fpeedily went out of.
Babylon. But other Philofophers:
‘having compared this Mercury with:
the fying Lyon, becaufe a Lyon.
evoureth many Creatures, and:
recreates himfelf with his vora-
City, thefe things. excepted that,
Tefift his violent fury;fo alfo doth.
cury, which hath in himfelf.
h an operation, that it fpoileth.
2 Metal of his form, anddevoureth.
it: Mercury. too much. inflamed,
_Sevoureth and hideth Metals in.
“hisbelly ; but which of them fo-
€ver it be, it’s certainitis not con+
in his belly, for in their-
re they are perfect, and more
he indurate : but Mercury
hath in him a fubftance of per-
 x50: Nicolas Flaumell’s
followeth, where he is formed toy
.any. thing, he hath in hima dou |
ble Metallick fubftance:,
And firft-the fubftance.of the.
inteniour; then. of. the Sum, which
is.not like the other Metals ; of
thefe two fubftances. Mercury is
formed, which:in his Body is {piri-:
tually nourifhed: fo, foon there-,
fore as Nature- hath formed Mere,
cury of the two, mentioned. Spirits, .
then it.laboureth to,make,them
' perfect.and corporeal ;:but shen
_ the Spirits are. of gr. sg and the.
two Sperms. awakned, then. they,”
defixe to aflume their own Bodies :
which done, Mercury the, Mother
mutt dye; which being thus. natu+
rally mortified, cannot quicken it
-.
feltagain as before.
; Some arrogant Chymifts endear |
your in. obfcure_ words. to affims,
that. we ought to.tranfmute per=
fect and imperfeG Bodies into run-_
ning Mercury; butia Serpent. fiethy
seve Herbs.-:., its true, that Mere
éwry-may trap{nute.an imperfetty
Body, as Lead,orTin,an. may!
oh te 3 fei
Sumsmary of LDstofopey- °
Witheut labour multiply in.2.quaown-
y it lofe th its n
tity, but thereb
Perfection, and may. no. more for
this reafon be Mercury ; but if by
it
Art it might be mortified, that.
n
Might no more vivifie it felf, the
any
it would be cha nge d into
lim
thing, as in Cinabar or SubArt- ate
is done; for when it is by co-,
r
agulated, whether fooner or late
ies
it be donc, then his two Bod
affume not a fixed Body, neither,
are like to conferve it, as we may:
fee in the pores of the Earth. e Bue
left any one fhould err, ther are
d
in the Veins of Lead: fome. fixee
grains of Sol or Lune, in fubftanc
gua
@r nourifhment : the. firtt: coa
e of
lation of Mercury; is the Minmod
Lead, and:mott fit and com i«
ous it is to- bring-him unto-per*e
fedtion and fixation, for the Min
of Lead. isnot without a fixe d
which ait
grain. of Gold, and
. impart: {0 init,felfte
Naturedid
Ra multipli whereby itmay:
y
be
some to perfedtion and plenary:
‘Virtue, as Ihave tried and san
Min Hi seo
— ES2 LVicolas Flammells —
Alfo fo long as it isnot fepara-
ted from his Mine, that is, his
Mercury, but well kept, for every
Metal that is in his Mine, the fame
isaMercury, then may it multiply
it {elf, {2 it may have fubftance
from his Mercury ;then will it be
like fome green immature Fruit
on a Tree, which the Bloffom be-
ing paft, is made into Fruit, and
then the Apple: but if any fhould
€top away the immature Fruit,
then his firft forming would be
€orrupted, becaufe man knows not -
how to give fubftance or maturity,
_ 48 internal Nature,while the Fruit
yet hangs on the Tree, and may
have fubftance and nourifhment
from Nature; for f long as ma-
turity is expected, fo long the
t draws fap or liquor, and thae
by augmentation and nourifh-
ment, till it comes to perfect ma~
turity. So is it with So/, for ifby —
Nature a grain be made, and it is
reduced to his Mercury, then alfo
by the fame it is daily after an
dingeflane manner fuftained and
So le Mt —_——
‘Teduced into his place, Mercury a8
Re is in himfelf; and then muft
You expect till he fhall obrain
fome {ubftance from his Mercury,
8 it happens in Fruits of Trees :
for as the Mercury of both perfeé
‘and imperfect Bodies is a Tree, fo
they can have fo more nourifh-
Ment, otherwife than from their
Own Mercury : If therefore thou
Wouldit gather from Mercury Fruit,
Which is fhining So/ and Lune, if
‘it be that they be not far dif-
joyned, fo that it be without long
delay, then think not you as Na-
ture did in the beginning, you
will again conjoyn and multiply,
“and may without change aug-
ment them.
For if Metals be feparated from’
their Mine, then they (like the
Fruit of Trees too foon gathered )
Never come to their perfection ; as ~-

Nature and Experience makes it

Rppear, that ifa Pear or Apple be
nce plucked from the Tree, it
Would then bea great folly, if any
fhould again fatten it tothe Tree,
5 and
Sy H
854 Micolas Elammell’s
“and thence expe maturity ; for
Experience witneffeth, the. more it
is-handled; the»more it witheretl
And fo it is. with Metals, for. if
any would take -Vulgar So/ and
Lune, and endeavour +6. reduce
them into Mercury, he. would.al-
togetherplay «the: Fool’: for ne
fubtle Art is there «to ne founds.
whereby. he might «not deceive
him-;. although many Waters and
‘Cements, or infinitethings of that
-kind-he fhould-nfe, he would daily
- err, sand: that; wonld:-happen te
hits.that doth “them: who would
tye unripe: Fruits.to their Treess
Although fome:Philofophers have
faid well and truly, if So/and Lune
hy a right Mercury besightly cone
_joyned,: that then they will: make’
all imperfect Metals perfe&; yet
‘in this moft-men have-failed; \yko
having’ thefe three , Vegetables,
‘Animals and Minerals, which ‘in
‘one. thing «ase conjoyned; for
-they-regard not, that Philofophers
{peak not of Vulgar So/, Lune,and
eased which are all dead, and
4 - seceiye.
 ummaryofPhilofophy. 255
Teceiveno mote fubltante from’
Naturébut temain in their own’
Rffenite, and ‘carf help noné-other'
inotperfe@tion’: they ‘ate Fruits’
- plucked off from*theit Trees'be-’
fore their time, and are therefore
of to’ account’; ‘they having ‘no-
thing more then'what they want.
* "Therefore feeléthe Fruit’ inthe
Trdé that leadeth you ftraightun-
to theni, whole Fruit is daily made
"greater with increafe;’ fo ‘long as”
the Tree holdeth it forth, and this
work {een; is gteat joy ;by this
mearis any may tranfplant this
Tree; without gathering his Fruit;
and then tranfport him into’ mroi-
fter , better, and more ‘fruitful
places, which in one day mhay give
more nourifhment ‘to the Fruit}
than it received otherwife in an.
hundred years. ;
In this therefore“it: is: under?
ftood, that Mercury the much com-
“mended Tree muft be taken,‘ who
hatin hhis power indiffolvably Sof
“and Lujiej‘and then tranfplant him
santo ‘another Soy! nearer the Sum,
.. Se that
 156 Nicolas Flammell's —
that thence he may gain amicable
utility, in which thing Dew doth
abundantly fuffice; for where he
was placed before, he was fo:
weakned by wind and cold, that.
little Fruit was expe&ted from him,
where he long. ftood and brought
forth no Fruit at all,
For indeed: the Philofophers
have a Garden, where the Sun as
well inorning as evening remain-
eth with a:moft fweet Dew with-
out ceafing; with which it is fprin-
Kled and moiftned ; whofe Earth
bringeth forth Trees and Fruits,
which from thence are planted ;
who alfo receive defcent and nou-
rifhment from the pleafant Meads. _
And this is done daily, and there
they be both corroborated and
quickned, and do not fade; and
“this more in one year, than ina
thoufand where the cold: infects

Take them therefore, and nighs

and day cherifh themin a Stilla-
tory upon the Fire; but not with
@ Wood Fire,orCoal Bire, but ia
6 Jere

Aclear tranfparent Fire, not un-

like the Sun, which is never hot-
be
_ ter than ts requifite, but fhould the”
always alike ; for a Vapour is
_Dew and the Seed of Metals, which
Ought not to be altered.
We fee Fruits if they be toohos~
with no Dew, they abide on the:
boughs without perfection ; but if
heat and moderate moifture fa--
ftain them on their Trees, then:
they prove elegant and’ fruitful 3°
for heat and moifture are the Ele--
ments of all Earthly.things, Anie~
mals, Vegetables and Minerals.
Therefore Coal Fires and Wood |
Fires help not Metals; thofe are
violeat Fires, that nourifh not as
the heat of the Sun doth, which-
alfo conferveth all corporal things,
becaufe it is natural which they
follow.
— But a Philofopher doth nos:
what Narare doth, for Nature hath
created all Vegetables, Animals
‘ and Minerals in their own degree,
where Nature reigneth : I will not
fay shat men, aiter thefame fort
|
ae
58 Nicolas Flammell’s
“by Art make Natural things} when
’ Nature hath finifhéd thefe things; |
then by Humane Art: they ‘are
-made more perfe&t. After this fort’
Old Philofophers, for our informa-
tion, laboured with Lune, arid Mer-
cury her tru Mother, of which
they made the Mercury of the Phi-
lofophers, which in his operation is
much mote ftrong’ than Natifral
~ Mercury ; for this “is ferviceable
only to the fimple, perfea, imper?
, fet, cold and hot Metals; but the.
Philofophers Stone is ufeful tothe
more than’ perfect and imperfect
Metals. “Alfo thatthe Sun ‘may ~
‘perfe and refrefh them, without
diminution, addition or immuta-
tion, as they were created of Naé
ture, fo he leaveth'them ; feither
doth he negieét any thing. I will
not row fay the Philofophers con+
joyn the Tree, for the better per= *
feing their Mercury,"as fome un= _
- skilful of things and’ anlearned
Chymitts do, who take common
Sol and Lune and Mercury, and {6 -
jll-favour’dly “handle them, till
Sis the
 higheft they have need to look
downwards tothe fixt, which they
fhall {ec afar off.
<* In the height of this Mountain,
they fall Sada Royal Herb tric
‘ umphing, which fome have called
Mineral, fome Vegetable and Sa-
turnal ; but let-the Bones be left,
_ and jer a: pure clean Broth be ta-
ken. from, and thus the better pare
efthy work.is done.- And this is
the-right.and fubtle Mercury of the
Philofepbers,-ana is vo.be raken of
thee, and firfithe whise. work he
will make, and after the red: if
thou have .well underftood me,
both,ofthem are nothing elfe, as
they. call thém, bur. the Prattick,
asd T. - whicle.
which is fo light and fo fimple,
‘that 2 Woman fitting by her Di- |
ftaff may perfe& it; as if the
‘would in Winter put -her Eggs un.
‘der a Hen and not wath them, be-
caufe Eggs are put under a Hen
‘to fit upon without: wafhing them,
and no more labour is required
about them, than that they fhould
‘be every day turned, that the
Chickens may be the better and
fooner hatched; to the which
enough and morethan enough is
faid. But that I may follow the
example, firft wafh not the Mer- .
eury, but take it and with its like
which is Fire) place him in the
- Afhes, which is Straw, and in one ©
Glafs, which is the Neft, without
any other thing, in a convenient
Alimbeck, which is the Houfe, and
then thence will come forth @
Chicken, which with his Bloud
fhall free thee from all Difeafes,
and with his Flefh fhall nourith
thee, and with his Feathers hall
cloath thee, and keep thee warm
from cold. “ka Se
2 Theres
! ofPhilofophy. 16%
Therefore have I written unto
You this prefent Treatife, that you
May fearch with the greater de-
fire, and walk in the right way ;
and I have comprehended this
fmall Work’in a Summary, that
yeu might the better comprehend
the fayings of the Philofophers,
which I perfwade my felf you wilh
better underftand hereafter.

€INIS,
 pe TSbik
t ea

boslisieysoaredJ

ae ee ey
“CLAVICULA
OR,
“Alittle Key of Raymond
Lillie Majoriaane 5
‘Whichis alfocalled
AP ERTORIUM,
¢ the Opener )
‘Tn which‘all that is requi-
_ redin thé Work of
@LUCHY ME
2[s plainly declared.
Bos
eredMe
SEL ceBe,
af Ra stserk: D5
CLAVICULA,
| bi
A little Key of Raymond
Lullie Majoricane. |
E have called this our
Work Clavicula, or
the Little Key, for
without this Work none is able to
underftand what we have wrote in
‘our other Books, in which we have
fully declared the whole Art, al»
though with obfcure words, by
teafon of the Ignorant. I have .
‘written many and large Books, un-
‘der divers Se&tions and obfcure
“terms, .as appeareth in our Tefta-
‘tent, where we have handled of
the Natural Principle, where all
‘things are fet down that belong to
= ‘Art, yet under the Hammer in
‘the proper phrafe of Philofophers,
‘Wem, invour Chapter in the Philos
: Sophers
6G Clavicula, or
0
finders eirgent vive, and inthe fe
' cond part of the Teament of the
Exuberation of Phyfical Mines, and -
in our Book of the Fir/t Effence,of
the Quinteffence of Gold and Sit-
ver; afterwards “in other Books,
‘alfo made by me, wherethe whole
Art is compleatly fet down, but we
have hidden the Secret as much as
we could. But feeing that no man
~without this Secret can enter the —
Mines of the Philofophers\, ‘nor
omake any.\thing» that can profit.
‘him therefore by the help of the —
Almighty , whom it hath pleafed —
to reveal unto me this Secret), »
-I will declarethis:whole Art with--
out,any fiction: And therefore fee:
that you do not reveal this Secret ~
unto the wicked, but unto’ your
entire Friends ;, though yowought —
not to give it\to men, being:it.is
the. gift of God; who will give i »
to.whom he pleafeth, and whofo-
ever fhall have. it; fhalk have an -
everlafting Treafure. .Although
fm) Luna receiveth her clearnefs from”
ea of thefe.two Baiinscasiar d
 httle Key; 167
- dependeth ; but feeing Metals can-
Not be tranfmuted (as Avicen wit -
—Reffeth ) in the Minerals, unlefs
_ they be, reduced. into their firft
Matter, which is true, iz. that
» Ynlefs you reduce them into 4r-
Sent vive; not Valgar, that is, aot
Volatile, but.fixt ; for the Vulgar
‘ts volatile, and:full of flegmatick
Coldnefs, and therefore it needeth
to. be. reduced by» Argent vive- —
fixed, more hot and dry, in quali-
ties contrary to Argent vive Vui-
@ar.. Therefore I counfel you,©@ .
_ ‘Ty Friends, that you‘do not work
-< but about So/ and Luna, reducing
them into the firft Matter, our Suj-
bur and Argent vive : eS
n, you are to ufe this venerable
Matter; and I {wear unto you and
-Promife, that unlefs you take the
Argent vive of thefe two, you go
®n to the Pradtick as blind men
_ Without. eyes. and fence; therefore,
‘Sons, I befeech you walk in the
ight, with open eyes, and full not
into the ditch of Perdition as
mem oe
CHAP»
 CHAP. 1
(Of the difference between Argent.
vive Vulgar, and Argent vive
Nataral.
JE fay, that. Argent vive
Vulgar cannot be the 4r-
‘Sent vive of the Philofophers,
whatever Art it be prepared with,
for the Vulgar cannot be detained —
in thé Fire, but by another Argent
‘vive corporeal, which is hot and
dry, and more digefted there:
“E fay, that our Nature is of a more —
fixt and hotter Nature, than the
y Vulgar, and that therefore be-
caufe our Argent vive corporeal,
is turned into Argent vive cut-
‘Tent, not teyning the fingers ;and
when it is mixed with the Valgar, ©
they are joyned, and-embrace one q
another with the bord of Love;
“that they never part from One
-@nother, as Water mixt with’ Wa-
- ‘ter, for THUS it pleafeth Navuré:
‘But our Argent vive doth enter 4
and mix it {elf adtual
withly
the”
OTi)
 er Vulgar, paiup its Hiegs
_Matick humidity, and taking away
the coldnef$ from the Body, ma-
king it black asa’ Coal, which
afterward it turneth into Powder.
2 Note therefore, that Argent vive
_ ©unot fhew forth fuch Operations,
8S our Phyfical or Natural’, which
-inall irs qualities hath the heat of
Natare, and of true temperature,
‘nd therefore it turneth the Vul-
‘Sar into its temperate Nature;
Nay it doth moreover ‘fomewhent:
Ue, for after its tranfinutation, it
_ trneth it into pure Metal, that is,
into So/ or Lune, according as it is -
&xtended ; or from Sol and Lune,
Asis fhewed inthe fecond Chapter —
& Part of our Praftick: Befides
‘Nis, it. hath fomewhat greater, for
haat changeth and converteth Val-
beBar Mercury into Medicine, which
“Medicine can tranfmute the ime
fect. Metals into perfe&:. be
-it turneth the Vulgar into,
<=
and Lume,- better th:
172 =

tural jens can make an hur

dred. Marks, and {o until infinity
with gent vive, fo that the Mine
fhali never fail. Befides this, I
will have you know another thingy
shat Vulgar Mercury is not rightly
nor perfectly mixed with the Bo-

kind of Nature: And therefore’

when thou wilt mingle Luxe and
Sol in Mercury. Vulgar, then thefe
Bodies muft be reduced into the
kind of Nature, which is called!
Argent vive Vulgar, through the
bond of natural Love, and then)
the Male >is joyned with the Fer!
male ; for our <rgeut vive is ho
and dry actually , Argent vivt|
Vulgar is cold. and moiit paillivelfs
asa Female which is Kept in het
houfes with tempcrare heat untib
the Eclipfis, and then are madé
black as Coals, which is the Secr®
of our true Difiolution:; after they
are at lafttruly knit together on€
with, sce,“Ss fo. that aeey:my<a
 | MA littleKey. ryt -
mr from one another, and they:
‘come a white Powder, .
Which “are the Males and Females -
€agendred by true bond of Love;
bar the Children will multiply
their kinds to infinity, for of one -
' Sunce of this Powder, thou fhalt
“Take infinite So/, and reduce to -
ae better than any Metal. of ~
Mine. - :

CHAP. II.’
The extraction ofMes out of
the Perfeét Body.
R 2h Ake one ounce of Calx of
Luna, let it be calcined
I. thar manner as is faid in the
£nd of the Work of our Maftery;
Which Calx or Slime muft be-
Btound into fubtile Powder upon 2
P %phyr, which Powder ye fhall
*imbibe twice, thrice, or four times
|&aday with the beft Oy! of Tar-
*, made in that manner as fhall
= aid ini the end of our Maftery,
_ tying it in the Sun until the faid
Mii fhall drink up of the {id
aaa Io Oyl,
 Qyl, four or five parts more than
‘the Calx it felf was, grinding it
always upon the. Porphyrie, as is
faid: And in the end, let the Calx
Abe dried up well, that it may well”
be reduced into Powder; and when
it is well pulverized, let it be put
_ into 2 Boults-head with a long
_ neck: put of our ftinking ee
~~ ftrual made of two parts of Red
Vitriol,. and one part of Salt-peter,
and let the faid Menstruum firft be
diftilled feven times, and let it be
well redtified, by feparating the
‘ Earthly Feces, in fo much that
the {aid Menftrual be-altogether
Effential. Afterwards let the
Boults-head be well luted, and put
to the Fire of Afhes, with a little
Fire of Coals, until you fee the
faid'Matter boy] and be diffolved =
afterwards diftill it upon Afhes,
uatil it lofeth the MenStrunim, and
the Matter be altogether. cold 5
and when it is cold, let the Veffel
-be opened, and the Matter which
-is cold be put into another Veffel
that is very clean, with its Cap o!
 ahittle Key. 273 a a oe Ls
mht

Head on, well luted to a Furnace

Upon Afhes; and when the lute is’
Well dried, let the Fire be made by
_ degrees in the beginning ,, until
You get all its Waters : afterwards
augment the Fire until the Matter
be dried, and the ftinking Spirits
€xalted to the Cap or Head, and'in
the Receiver ; and when you fhall
fee fuch a fign, let the Veffel be
Cooled by diminifhing the Fire’:
And after the Veffel is. cooled, let
* the Matter be taken out and made
“into fubtil Powder upon: the Por-
Phyrie, fo that the Powder may be,
impalpable, which muft be fet in —
an Earthen Veffel well luted and
well glazed : afterward put upon
this faid Powder common Water
boyling, ftirring always the Mat=
ter with a clean Stick, until' the
Matter becomé thick as Muftard’;
‘and ftir: the faid Salrifh Matters
“with @ Stick, until ‘you’ fee appear
“Stains of Merétiy ‘from the Body,
“andthat-a great quantity of the
“faid quick Mercury appear, accor-
=Gingas you have put in of the
= 13 . perfect :
—°394 =~Clavioula, or |
perfe&-Body, that is of Luna; and
until you fhall have a great quan-
tity, pour upon it boyling Water,
and at length ftirring it: until all
_the Matter be refolved into.a Mat-
ter like unto Argent vive Vulgar :
let the terreftriety be taken away
\
“with cold Water, and dried up by
a.cloth ; afterwards let it give
through a Leather,.and you fhall
- fee wonders.

CHAP. III.
Of the Multiplication of our
Argent vive,
In the Name of God, Amen.
132O' pure Silver three groftes,
made into'thinPlates,and
make 4malgama with four groftes
of Argent vive Vulgar, well
wathed: ;and when the dmalgama
-is.made, then let it be put intoa
little Boults-head,
with a neck one
foot and, a half long. Afterwards
. three grofte of our Argent
vive, formerly, extragted and res
faved from the LanBoadyr,yand
Aoe ee Pk
little ee ea
Keys 875,
Actit beput upon the Amalgama,
‘made of the Body and Argent
Vive Vulgar: let the Veffel be
luted very well with the beft lute,
‘and let: it be dried, when this is
done, ftirring the Veffel exceeding
‘well, that the Amalgama maybe
well mingled ; and thus the Agent
wive may be well mixed with the
Body. Afterwards put the Veffel
in which the Matter is, in a little
Furnace, to a little Fire of Coals,
and. let its heat not exceed the
heat of the Sun, when So/ is in the
Sign of Leo, for another heat ex-
ceeding that would deftroy the
Matter, and the one would: fly
from the other: and let fuch 2
Fire be continued, until the Mate
ter become black as Coals, and
thick as Pultis; and let the Fire
continue in this degree, until the |
Matter be changed into a gray
brown colour ;and when the gray
- @ppeareth, increafe the Fire in one
point or degree, and let this fe-
ond degree continue until the
Matter
begin to. become white, to —
 a ae

Eve
76. Clavitula,or
- the moft pureft whitenefs ; after:
wards augment the Fire to the
third degree, continuing it until |
the Matter become whiter than-
Snow, and be converted into pure
‘ Powder, whiter than Afhes: and
then you have Ga/x vive, or the
quick Slime of the Philofophers,
and its Sulphury Mine, which: the
Philofophers have.fo much hidden,
- CHAP. IV.
The Property of the faid Cals,
: or Slime. vy ie

He faid Calx converteth Mer-

+s cury Vulgar iritomoft white
Powder infinitely, which can be re-
duced into true Silver, with fome.
of the Bodies of Luna.

CHAP. V.
Multiplication ofthe Calx.
oad NeeVeffel with the Mat- .
ter, wherein put two
Ounces of Argent vive Vulgar, —
Well wathed and dried; afterwards
lute |
 aR ; WP
lute the Veffel well, and put it,
Where it was before, governing My
and adminiftring to it the Fire of
the firit, fecond, and third de-
grees, as before, until the Matter
“be reduced into a moft white Pow-
‘der, and:fo you may multiply to
infinity:- * 2

CHAP. VI
The Redustion ofthis Calx viva,
into Luna. ~

X THenthow thus haft gotten ~

great quantity of our Calx
viva, or of our Mine, take a Cru-
cible not covered, in which put
one ounce of pure Lune, and whea
it is melted, put thereupon four
ounces of thy Powder in fmall
‘Pills, let thy Pills be the weight of
’ the fourth part of an ounce: let.
them be put upon the middie Laxe
__ by degrees, always continuing the
~ Fire ffrong, until all the Pills be
projected and’ melted, together
with the Lune, and in the end
te male a {rong F ire, until~ it be ine
a | ~l 5 eee
 ras

~ corporated: afterward project i

in an Ingot, and thou fhalt have
five ounces of. Silver more pure
than the Natural :. and thus thea
mayft multiply thy Philofophi.al .
Mine as thou pleafeit.
CHAP. VII, .
Of our great Work to rhe White,‘ .
and tothe Red.

' Educe the Calz.vusva; as is *

A faid before of Luna, into
Argent vive, which is our Secret:
Take therefore four ounces of our ~
Calx, and reduce them into Ar
Lent vive, as thou did with Luna,
of which Argent vive thou mayft
have at leaft three ounces: put -
this in a litrle Poult-head witha
long neck, as thou didit before; -
afterwards make dmalcama with
/ one ounce of true Se/, with rhree-
ounces ofArgent vive Vulgar,aud ©
put upon it Argent-vive of Lune, —
movingitftrongly with thy hands,
that all may be mingled together:
afterward put the. Veffel, well —
capa et lured.»
A hittle Key. 199 ©
Tated as before, in the Furnace,
making the Fire’ of the firft, {-
~ Cond, and third-degree?in the firft
\. degree thy Matter. will become
~ black, like to’ a°Coal, whichthen
“is called the Eclipfis of Luna and
~ So/, and'there will be.a true come
“ Mixtion,, whereby is begotten the
* Sun and Sulphur, which is full of
temperate bloud ; after the appea-
ring of his colour,. continueathe
Fire of the fecond degree, until
the Matter become gray, then ‘con
tinue the third degree: until the
Matter appear moft white; after-
wards augment the Fire. to the
fourth degree, continuing fo that
the Matter may appear. red’ as
Cinnabar, and the Afhes become
red: this Calx. you. may, reduce
into the finelt-So/, as.is {aid before *
_ Of Lune.

RINTS,
SECRETS
DISCLOS’D.
One Friend to another; as
Bloomfield /uppofe,
The Philofophers Stone the
Secrets doth difclofe..
J Shall tell it to you openly :.Our
» Medicine is a Stone, that is no
Stone; andit is one thing in kind,
and not divers things, of whom all
Metals be made ; and fo it is no —
"Salts, nor Waters, nor Oyl com-
. buftible, nor mans Hair, nor mans
Bloud, nor Iron, nor Goats:horns, ©
nor Herbs, nor none fuch things
that difcord from Metals, as ma-
ny, Fools devife : But he is tw.
e for he is Water and Earth;*
not Water of Clouds, nor of Cor- —
vofives, nor: Water' of Salts, but_
Water of the Sun and the Moon,
that burns our Earth more thart
any d
 5
Secrets difcls'd. 18
any Fire. And it is three things,
that is, Body, Spirit, and_ Souls
and it is four things, Earth, and
Water, and Air, and Fire; and
therefore he is found in every
place, and in every time. And he
is alfo unftable in colour, as a
- fhame-fac’d Woman that: changeth
her colour’for dread of her Love, -
that reproverh her of untruth; for
now fhe is pale, now green; now
red: {0 our Stone is turned to ail’
colours; for he is black, and white,
and pale, and blew, and green, and
red; of this Matter our Medicine
is made that we call Ixir, and’
Elixir, that is, the. Philofophers.
Stone. Take this Stone, and put
_ him in a well-clofed clear Vefiel, .-
that thou mayftfee his working
and when thou haft Water of Air,
and Air of Fire, and Fire of Earth, .
_ then it is done, for the? Spirit is”
/ departed from the Body, and lea-
~ -¥eth the Body dead. and black:
_ Bat. if the Sepulchre be well clofed, '
he will come-in again to the Body,
+.
‘@nd make him rife again to life,
and
eo
3682 Secrets difclosd.
: and then the Body and the Soul
2 fhall ever be together.
And therefore take a Red man,
: and a White woman, and wed
+ them together, and let them go to |
« Chamber both; and look that the —
« door and the windows be’ fatt
{ Gparr’d, for elfe the Woman will
? be gone away from ‘her Husband :
2 And if the lyewith himright warm
» on: Bed, then beware that fhe go
~ no where out, for if fhe do, he
4 {hall never overtake her, if he
> were as {wiftas a Faulcon; for if
+ fhe may no where out, fhe will
come to him again, and lye with
} bimy on Bed; and: then fhe fhall
- conceive and bear a Son, tharthall
-» worfhip: all his Kin, and then will
© fhe never after go away from her
+ Husband. -
For this Man and this Woman
» gettetli our Stone: But the Man
muft be fell and quaint to make.
her to: abide with him with meek-
nefs, and not with fturdinef$; for
if he be boifterous to her in the
beginning, the will fice away -_
e : IM)
 Sécrets-difelos'd, 183:
him, and if he be eafle with herin.
the beginning, fhe will‘he his Ma- - .
fer a good while. This is.a‘hard) 4
. Marriage, neverthelefs one com= -
fort this is, after that fhe hath: «
born a Child, and known fome-—
what of difeafe, ‘fhe will be the
More fober, and never leave‘him .
after. But fhortly, all our working
is no more but take our Stone,
and make. him rotten in ‘Horfe-
dung, and then feeth him in: his
own Water, and afterwards fry
him in his own Greafe, and then
roait him rill his Greafe and his -
Water be all dried up, and then +
burn him all to Powder, and then
bake him on an Oven till he will |
melt as Wax, and then thou haf ©
an end. And then thank God that *,
this Work is fo eafie, for thy Stone =
is but one thing, and all. one
Veffel, and all one working, from +
the beginning to the ending: but *
look that thy Fire be eafie and foft ad

~in the Putrefaétion, and in the So*o-

lution; and the Diftillation, till it
_ be black; but, then ftrengthen i¢ «
- Sean alway--y
 alway tillin.
an Deliccation, and.
the Imbibition, and in the Subli-
_ Mhation, and in the Coagulation,
- and the Cungelation, and fixing of
the Spirits, and in the Calcinarion,
and in the Incineration; but in
the Citrination, and Rubificat‘on,
and Inceration, and Liquefaction,
is all their ftrength. But if thou
~ underftand not this, Friend, med-
dle thou not of this Art, until thou
_have gone better to School ; and —
hold this in Counfel for my love, —
-asJ fhall truft to you hereafter.

Farewell.
 Philofophical Riddle.
A Strife late raftin Hesven,
yet undecided,
dnd the chief Deities were by pairs
divided:
Saturn end Luna one Opinion held,
Which Jove and Mercury ( com-
biw'd) refed:
Venus and Mars, that fill have lo-
ved either, .
Gainfaid them all,and would ales
with neither.
In this dire brawl, "tween - thefe
three pairs begun,
To Fudge and Umpire, they all chofe
the Sun:
Therefore amidft them all, hisplace
~ “fil,
With power? advance and grace °
which part he will,
+ »y all their* Jeymt affents, for as his -
“ might
Zi
Great is, fo cleareft is of allhis
Light 5
se
tend'thofe with whom he holds mu
maf
needs as belt
_ And: diet, bear the Glory from
the re]
Andfince heSeki muft joyn with
one (forodds )
“Cannot remain Tong» mong? agree-
ing Gods.
“Shew me (fome man that can) with
which of thefe
Three pairs the God. confents, and
; beft agrees;
. dnd (on the New Lights word)
I that before.
Knew nought, will re and ask mo
Queflion more.

THE
 “THE >

ANSWER
Me ee
Bernardus Trevifanus,
TO THE

rEPIS-ELS
OF

Thomas of Bononia,
Phyfician to
K CHARLES the 8%

4q
:
x
x

St |cotly tale
a
 — Pe ick Sh Meee ae:

ROQOOOC
€ 7 vant.

at

a Che

The Anfwer of Bernardus

Trevifanus, to the Epiftle
of Thomas of Bononia,
_Piyfician to King Charles
the Eighth,
~ Reverend Door, and Honoured Sir,
Ith the tender of all
pollible Refpects and
Services be pleafed to
~underftand, that I have received |
“your very large and copious Let-
ter by Mr.. Awary, together with -
the Stone of your moit fecret
Work ; which truly is a remarka-
ble argument of your Friendfhip,
by which the coafidence you put
in me appears manifeit and very
freat, and with:how great and
> picr.ing a Wit alfo you are illu-
> ftrated.. Now then-I “fhall very
Willingly Anfwer unto your Epi-:
file :-Some things I fhall approve,
» which you have written learnedly
=,
3 ; and
\
 _ and ingeniouily, other: things’ .
fhall briefly touch’; and ‘refute |
ftrictly and Philofophically , but ;
not arrogantly,-and throughly dit ;
cufs them with fubmiffion and re-
{pe& unto your Honour, and re- |
gueft: For in this facred and fe-
cret. Art, asin others, thé truth of.
* the Theory ought to be confirmed —
by PraStical. experience. Now ,
- therefore, Reverend Doétor, let us -
vifit one. another with fuch Re- -
_ turns and Treatifes, fince we may
not be bodily united. But it is-
your wifdom (as you very. well »
know) to know and infpe@ things ©
by their Caufes, for Experience is -
deceitful when not guided by a>
_ psevious underftanding. There is
necellary to the Students in Phi--
lofophy, a ftrong’and difcreet me-
_ ditation, thatthe Work they »
~ undertake. may _be conveniently ©
brought on to its urmott perfecti- »
on: For contingent errors happen
Unto them who will fall to work,
omitting or neglecting the judg-
ment of a mental practice, ao .
. >
a t. z
,
 — Bern. Trevifan, Xe. OX.
the Theory frameth in the mind
before the operations proceed to |
the compofure ofany Work: For
ork muft.attend Nature, and~
Rot Nature follow Work. He then .
that would effe& any thing, muft--
Prepare his mind with the know- -
ledee of the Natures and eventual.
Accidents -of things, and after-
Wards he may fafely put his hands’.
tothe Work. And indeed Iclearly- .
Perceive your mind to be highly ~
- nftru&ed in thefe things, by. your.
Experiment fet down fully in_your
. Epiftle: For as Water which is -
‘Cold and moi, if it be well mixe
with Vegetables, affumes another-
qualiry, and in decoGtion takes to
itand puts omit the quality of the
thing wherewith it is throughly.
Mixt ; fo alfo Quick-filver affumes:
ifferent natures and qualities in
things familiar unto it, and
oo.
throughly mixt with it as if itbe ©
_ Jjoyned to the Sum, the qualities of ©
_ the Suu; if to. the Moon, thofe of
AA

the Moun ; if to Venus, of Venus:

.and {0 inother kinds of Metals.
SS Their
 en ri fad
eir kinds therefore ought to be
_ decoéters therein, and Mercury is)
_ their Water, in which by a mutual |
alteration-it afumes ina conver"
tible manner their matations. And f
this Water contraéts unto it fel
from thema Nature in a refem=}
blance to Vegetables, deco<ted in J.
fimple Water : though thefe kinds }
are not altered in. their ‘colour |
_ outwardly, under the form of flui- |
_ dity, in refpe& of the thivknefs of }
the Matter and Earth immerfed in, }
and united proportionably to the |
Waterof Mercury; but we find it
otherwife in other diaphanous hu-'
midities : For this alrered, Nature
is altered, and its colour outward-
_ dy is hid under the appearance'o
Mercury, and is not man. felt to the |
fight. And this you at large dif]
cufs and fhew, how fimple River
Water is the firft Matter and nou~}
rifhment of Vegetables, and con-
~fequently
of all living and fenfi-
tive Creatures: therefore if any
of them all. be decoéted in ir, it
_-affames and puts on it felf the vir-
ok : : : tus
 and propriety
of their Nature:
Wherefore being init elf ‘cold in ~
the higheft degree, yet ‘by, means
Of things decosted iin it, it. works
“in us the effe& of a thing hot. in
the firtt degree, that ‘I. may ufe -
‘Your words. Moreover; there. is
“Nothing that nourifheth more than
the Broth or decoétion, of good
»Flefh ; and if the Water-in which
Fleh and Herbs are boyled, or the
things boyled in Water, be eaten
~Moift, or the fimple Water after
; boyling be taken or drank, it
—Aurts not at all, yea it will profit
4nd help much, although before in
tts fimplicity and nature it would
have been hurtful, Now this comes
to pafs becaufe that Water is not
tuch, as it was before. In like
Manner Quick-filver.is the Matter
»©f all Metals, and is as it were Wa-
‘ter, (in the Analogy betwixt ir,
“8nd Vegetables or Animals ) and
-Teceives into it the virtue of thofe
“things which in decodtion adhere
‘0 it, and are throughly mingle+
eek it; which being moft cold,
is K / my
 194° The Aafwer of — —
- may yet in‘a fhort time be made
moft hot :and in the fame man
ner with temperate things may be
made temperate, by a moft fubtle
_ artificial invention. And no Metal
adheres better to it than Gold, as
you fay, and therefore as’ fomé
think Gold is nothing but Quiok-
filver, coagulated by the powero!
Sulphur; Oc. And thence yot-
would conclude, as I think, and
well, that if Gold be decosted and
diffolved rightly in the natura
way of Art, Quick-filver it felf will
cbtain the natural properties 0
that Gold. But the way of this de
co étion and folution of Metals, -i
Known to very few, and it mani
feftly appears for the caufe of
this Solution isthe moiftnefs ©
~ Mercury, reflrained by the com’ |
anesofan Homogeneal Earth; |
and contrarywife, the coldnefs oF
the Earth, reftrained by a Watel
' P onogenéal to it felf, the Homo
' geneoufnefs -of ‘qualities remait- +
ing: So that there is init afingl® |
- drynefs, and double coldnefs, # |
Agitea “ae ‘ _ fimp*
 Bern: Trevifan,&c. 195
‘imple moiftnefs, but under a dif
‘Proportion of immaturity to the —
_ ‘@natical proportion of the ripe di-
. Belted Sun. The diffolver-therefore
differs from the diffolvend in pro-
. Portion and digeftion, and notin’
matter’: becaufe ‘Nature might
take this of that, without any ad-
ditional mixture, as‘ Nature doth . —
‘worderfully and: fimply produce
Gold of Quick-filver, as you have
learnedly difcourfed in your Ep»
ftie. For in Vegetables, the moi-
fture of fimple Water is taken
for an intrinfick diffolution, that
“things congealed by Art, might
diffufe into it their'effeds and the
‘diffolution’of things come about
with the coagulation of «Water,
and the coagulation of Water with
the diffolution of things, and con-
trarywife ;and fo.it is likewife in
. the Mineral Water; and things of
“its kind. He therefore that knows
“the Art and Secret of Diffolution,
“hath attained the fecret point of
»Art, which is tomingle throughly
“the kinds, and out of Natureste
ome Ka Xe
.. % :

~ extract Natures, which are effecia-

ally hid in them. How hath he
then found the truth, who detftroy$|
the moift nature of Quick-filver
as thofe Fools who deform its kind
from its Metallick difpofition of
diffolution, and by diflolving its
~ radical -moifture, corrupt it,’ and)
difproportion Quick-/:lver from its
firft Mineral quality, which needs
nothing but purity and fimple de-
cottion. For example, they who
defile it with Salts, Vitriols, and
aluminous things, deftroy, it, and
change it into fome other thing
than is the nature of Quick-filver?
-For that Seed which Nature by its
fagacity and.clemency compofed
they endeaveur to perfect by vio
» dating and deftroying it, which un’
' .doubtedly is dettruttive to it,
far as concerns the effect of ouf
Work. For the Seed in human’
and fenfitive things, is formed b
Nature, and-not by Art, but it #
joyned by Art, and welk mixed
but nothing is to betaken from’
enor added to it, if the famei pecs
Loe, « : ‘ ml
 ‘Bern. Trevifan, &e.:
tmnt be renovated by the procrea~’
— tion of its own kind : fo'the fame’
Matter muft abide and continue, .
4 that the fame Form may follow,
Which it doth not otherwife.
erefore, excellent Doétor, falfe
_ 8nd vain is all «their doétrine,
Which altereth Merenry, which is
the Seed, ‘before the Metallick /pe-
_ Ges be joyned with it: For ifitbe |
- Aryed up, it diffolves not. What
then ‘can it do inthe folution of
things of its own fpectes ? For ifit
heated beyond its natural dige~
_ Kion, it will not ‘caufe nor, gene-
Yate in the Metalline fpectes a Fe-
Verifh heat as it were, and will
“impertinently turn cold’ into hot,
and paffive into aGive; and the
€rrour from thence walk be incor-
Tigible, and labour loft. For ex-
&mple, Fools draw corrofive Wa-
ters out of inferiour Minerals, into:
Which they caft the fecies of Me
tals, and‘corrode them: For they
_ think that they are therefore dif-
Ived with 2 natural Solution ,
thc
c Solution truly requires a
fe K 3 per-
 ‘498 The Anfwer-of. -
permanency of the. diffolver: and.
diffolved together, that.a new /pe-~
. cies might refule from both. the
Mafculine and Feminine Sced :I~
tell you affuredly, that no Water
diffolves any Metallick jpecies bya.
natural Solution, fave that which
abides with them in matter and.
form, and which the Metals them-
felves. being diffolved, can recon.
geal: which thing happens.not in.
Aquafortis, but rather is a defile-
ment.of the Compound, that is, of
the Body to:be diffolved, Neither
is that Water proper for Solutions
of Bodies, which abides. not with
them in. their Coagulations ; and
_ finally Mereury is of this fort, and
not Aguafortis, nor that which
Fools imagine to be, a lympid and
diaphanous Mercurial Water ; For
if they divide or obftruct the ho-
mogeneity..of Mercury, how can
the: firft proportion of the Femi-
nine Seed confift and be preferved?
Becaufe:.Mercury cannot receive
Congelation with the diffolved Bo-
dy, neither will. the true kind.
r
 Bery: Trevifan, &e. 199
Tenovated afterwards inthe ad-.
Miniftration. of the Art, nay but
fome other filthy and unprofitable
\ thing... Yet thus they think they
diffolve, miftaking Nature, but dit
folve not.: For the 4guafortes bemg
' abftragted, the Body -becemeth
Meltable.as' before, and that Wa-
‘ter abides not with, nor fubfiftsin |
the Body, as its radical moifture,
The Bodies indeed. are corroded,
Da
but not diffolved; and by how
Much more. they are corroded ,
_ they are fo much more eftranged
from a Metallick kind. Thefe So-
lutions therefore are not the foun-
dation of the Art of Tranfmuta-
tion, but the impoftures rather of
Sophiftical Alchymifts, who think
that this. Sacred Art is hid in them.
They fay indeed, that they make
Solutions, but they cannot make
rlperfec Metallick fpecies, becaufe
they do:not naturally remain un-
der the firft proportion or kind,
_ Which Mercury the Water allows in
_ Metallick fpecies. For Mercury is
Sorrupted. with Metals by way of |
por
=» K 4 alte- “
— 200 «The Anfwersf ©
_ aleeration, not diffipation ‘ becaufe
Bodies diffolved therein are never
feparated from it, as in Aquafortis
and other corrofives, but one kind
puts on and hides another, retain-
ing: it fecretly and ‘perfealy : fo
Sol and Lume diffolved, are {ecret-
ly retained in it. For their nature
is hid in Mercury, even unto its!
condenfation, of which they lying
hid are the caufe, in as much as
they are latent in it: and as Mer-
cury diffolves them, and hides them
. inits-belly, fo they alfo congeal it,
and what was hard is made foft,
what.was foft, hard; and yet the
Kind, that: is, Metals and Quick-
filver, abide ftill. He therefore
who thus diffolves, congeals ra-
ther, and the corrupted fpecies con-
joyned, receive their old form by
an artificial decoftion: Notwith-
ftanding this diffolution makes fe-
veral colours appear, becaufe the
SPectes remain. as it were dead, yet
their intrinfical proportion is per-
manent and entire. So the Lord in
_ the Gofpel {peaks by way of fimili-
ve" tude
 tude of Vegetables, Unlefi a grain
of corn fallen on the' earth do aye,
tt abides alone; but if it dyz, it
brings forth much fruit : Therefore
this alterative corruption hides.
forms, perfeés natures, keeps pro-
Portions, and changes colours from
the beginning to the end: For
when the Water begins to cover
the Earth, the black colour begins -
to be hid under the white; when
the Air covers the Water and the
_ Earth, the citrine colour appears;
which is turned to red, when the
Fire covers the Air, or the other
three Elements. And thefe laft co-
lours abide ‘hiddenly and intrinfi-
cally, and appear under the fhew
of a white Spirit in liquid Mercury,
until it be recondenfed in the Pow-
der which is in the Bodies : be-
caufe the Soul lies hid in the Spi-
rit, as in the condenfation the
Sprit and the Soul lie hid in the
Powder or Body. For there ista :
“corruption in the things to be al-
‘tered, but no diffipation of parts,
unlefs fome fiperfluous parts: be
h
a Ks to’
202 The sAnfwer of@ —
tobe rejected as unprofitable for
‘generation, whereupon the Arti-
ficer purifies his Work,-that dige-
ftion may fucceed better. This is
manifeft by example in Grain, for
of two grains of Wheat, if the one
be caft into good ground, there it
putrifies, dies, anddofes its exter-
nal form;. but nothing thereof is
diffipated,. yea in its time it en
creafes into a. multiplicity of Fruir,
and there is indeed made a cor
ruption only of, the.form, and not
any diffipation ef the matter : But
ifthe other grain be caft into the
Fire; then both. matter and -form
-are corrupted, and: the whole is
difipated ; and:that corruptica
js unprofitable- for ~ generation.
- Wherefore Water diffolves not Bo-
dies, but thofe only of its own
kind, and by which it may: be con-
denfed: nor can Bodies be at all
nourifhed to; generation, but by
_ their -like,: which can_preferve the
Species deftroyed by that tranfmu-
ting Body, through the.artificeo
the Work; though. Vegetables are
nou
 Bern. Trevifan, &c, 203.
-Nourifhed’ by things of different’
Kinds, “yet ~before they*nourifh
_them, they are’ affimilated (the
\ diffolution “of them ‘being firft
made) according to the propor-
tion of the things which fuck and>
draw them to. them. It mutt be
noted'therefore, that the Solution
of Metals may be made by diffe-
rent ways: one, which Fools know,
as *is abovefaid, with Foreign
_ things, which abide not with the
diffolved Metals, which is rather
to be called a corrofive deftruction
and defilement of the Compound.
The fecond Solution “is made by
the power and force of Fire, which
is no true Solution, but.a melting
rather of the ‘colligatedElemen-
tary parts : for the outward heat
of the Fire, in diffolving the Com
pound, finds out its intrinfical; na+
tural or native Fire within, whith
internal -and© proportional Fire
dwells in the Airjtherefore it dit
folves the Air it felf : Bat thardif-
folved Air refides and dwellsin the
peed and “the ©Water - in. the
‘Earth,
204 . The Anfoer of
Earth, and the Water it’ felf diG
folves the Earth, fo that it melts |
both the adive'and paffive;but
this melting is no true Solution,
yea itis a diffipation, becaufe the
Elements there being homogene--
ous to one. another, and propor-
tionably fixed , by digeftion are
mixt, and ‘one ar them educed out
of the power of another generally :
And therefore this. falls out. even
in pure Bodies, in which the Ele-
mental natures are fixed. Where-
fore in them the flame of Fire
caufeth melting, and diffolves that
_ whole Body to fluidity, and not to
a feparation ;becaufe-Fire cannot
flow, unlefs the Air confubftantial
to it flow; neither.doth the Air
flow, unlefsthe Water be diffol-
ved ;nor doth-the Water flow, un-
lefs the Earth flow ; and, contrari-
wife, as the Earth is diffolved by.
the Water, fo,on the contrary, fide
the. Water:retaineth the Airjjand
congealeth it: and -in. the fame
manner afcending upwards, the
ir retaineth the Fire in Congelas
array a: tion,
Bern, Trevifan, &c. 20g:
tion, becaufe the more fixt and
fixing Elements, caufe fixation, by
acting together on. one another;
as Earth and Water, and in a con-
trary manner Fire and Air, act to»
_ gether each on other unto Solu-
tion. But this Solutions called a
melting of the Compound,
and not
properly a Solution of it, becaufe-
the parts féparable from-one:ano-
ther in the generation of the Com-
pound, are not diffolved, as is done
in the third and truly Philofophick .
Solution, when the Compound is» —
diffolved.in the manner aforefaid,. _
and. yet the parts abide unfepara- _
ted, though feparable; fo thar the
virtue of the moft digefted’ Ele-- _
ments may be extracted from =
things to be diffolved. by the dif-~
folyer, that is, Quick-filver, and- |
the groffer parts in fuch a diffolu--
tion acquire fome latitude of fub-
‘tilty,: becaufe the Body is turned —
into Spirit, and contrariwife the -
‘Spirit into Body ;fixed things are
turned into volatiles, and volatiles -
to fixed. For this Solution.is par |
es e-.
2206 “The Anfiwer-of
* dle and natural, tharis, by Art‘of
“Nature fubferving thereto ; and |
~ this is fole and neceffary Solution,
in the ‘Work of the Philofophers,
~ which can be done ‘by no other
thing than Quick-filver only, with
-. a prudent proportion: fo. asa good
Artificer knowing from within the
natures and proportions, ought to
» make the proportion’ from his firft
~ éntrance ‘upon ‘the Work. For
rt thefe two, Sir, are fufficient for
- this Work, and nothing élfe enters
“it, nor generates and‘ multiplies,
. as we have faid. Befides, you fay
% that Gold, as moft think, is no-
~ thing elfe than Quick-filver' coa-
« gulated naturally by‘the force of
. Sulphur ; yet fo, that nothing of
«the Sulphur which generatéd the
» Gold, doth remain in'the fubftance
« of the Gold: as in'an humane Em-
» bryo, when it is conceived in'the
“Womb, ‘there-remains nothing of
~ the Father’s “Seed ;-according ‘to
_Aviffotle’s opinion, but the Seed of
«the Man doth only coagulate the
_onenfiruat blood of the Woman :
; in
Bert. Trevifan, XC. 20F ~.
intthe fame.manner you fay, thac
after Quick-filver is fo coagulated, -
the form of Gold.is perfected.in it; .
by virtueof the, Heavenly Bodies, .
and efpecially of the Sun. Butby © ~
your good leave, and with refpect
I muft tell you, we:muft not think ~
fo For. being we are Philofophi-
cally perfwaded, that Gold. isno- -
thing but. Mercury-anatized,’ thar
is, equally digefted in the. bowels «=: ¥

of:a Mineral Earth ; and the Phis

lofophers -have fignified, that this- s
very thing is done by the contac «
of. Sulphur coagulating the. Mcr-
cui'y,, and by. reafon of its opera-
tion, that-is,from Mercury being ;
digefted.and thickned bya pros: -
portionate heat. Wherefore we -
mutt know, that Gold is Sulphur ‘

and Mercury together, that is, the » te

coagulant and the coagulated in”

one ; and nothing .added. from .
without thereto, but ouly- a pure
digeftion or maturation, :which .
multiplies qualities, aud excites =
one Element fram another-out of <
their, pure pofbility into.act, no s

c
other.
 er of
éthen fling whatfoever being fu-
peradded. ‘But this digeftion or:
anatutarion is produced actively,
from the fuperiour Elements, that
is, the Fire and Air, which are not
adually ‘but potentially in Mer-
eury ;which yet being excited and
affitted by an external heat, and
‘by the proper and’ natural digeft-
ing heat, the paflive Elements in
Mercury are by them {ubtilized,
“being not only petentially exiftent,
but actually, towards Water it felf,
and the Water is fubtilized to-
wards Air, and Air follows to Fire;
and in this proportionable aéSion
of Nature, and digeftion of Mer-
_«ury, the Male and Female abide
together in clofed Natures; the
Female truly as it were Earth and
Water, the Male as Air and Fire:
- which Earth and Water the Philo-
fophers do mingle in Gold, but
called the Ait and Fire a Sulphur
‘as it were therein : neither is there
any other Forcign addition in the —
‘dowels of the Earth. And there-
fore.in Art above ground neither
: eee |
4
 ~ ‘Bern. Trevi ‘an, &C. 20
- isthere found any Fore'gn’ ‘adie:
_ tion, to digeft or condenfe Mercury
into the nature of Gold, or other
| fpecies of Metals. Therefore the
_ Philofophers: have faid, that Sul
phur and Mercury make Sol, that is,
its corporeity and permanency:
And therefore it is not hence con-
_ Chuded, that the exterrial artificial —
- heat, ftirring up and affifting the
proportional intrinfick heat, to
digeft and ripen the-other two lefs
» digefted and immature Elements
in Mercury, namely its Water and
Earth, is of the fubftance of the
Compound. For the external heat
isnot permanent within, with the
quantity and weight of the Matter,
nor adds any thing thereto: But
_ the intrinfick proportionate natu-
ral and fimple heat is permanent,
with the quantity and weight of
the Mercury digefted by it; be-
caufe that heat is an intrinfick
and effential part of Mercury it
felf, to wit, the two more active
Elements in it, namely Air and
Fire. Therefore Fools do ill and
ab-
ts
2a0 Tae Anfwerof
iin nee oO BE Se eee SS ee

_abfurdly underftand that faying-of —

the Philofophers, that Se/phur and
Mercury beget Sol; becaufe, as.is
-faficiently known, as neither Air
enor Fire in the firft. Mercurial
compofition, nor afterwards in the
natural Metallick digeftion, depart
ncr are fevered from Water and
‘Earth ,. fo neithér. doth Su/phar
(which is-no other than. Air and
Fire) depart nor is feparated froma >
Mercury, which is the fame with
Water and Earth.. And he is not a
natural, Philofopher.who .imagines
or afferts the contrary : for the
digeftion of Gold happens and is
made of the firft Mercurial propor-
tion, without any addition made
thereto. by Nature under, or Art
above ground, as is faid. Neither
is that repugnant to what we have
faid, that a pure So/ and clean
Mercury mutt in this Art be con-
joyned, becaufe this is not done to,
that intent to affirm, that there_is
one Sulphur.in Sol, and another in
Mercury, or that there is one Mer
gury in Sol, and another in Mer-
Curry,
- Berne Trevifan, &¢C, 24
tury, but becaufe the digeftion is
More mature and perfect in Sol,
‘than Mercury. And alfo in the Sun
the. Su/phur is more mature and
digcfted, and therefore moreactive -
than in Mercury >, whence the Phi-
lofophers have affirmed Sol to be
nothing ¢elfe but Quick-/ilver ma-
tured: For in Mercury there are
only two. actual Elements, to wit,
Water and Earth, which are paf-
five ; but the active Elements, Air
and’ Fire, are only potentially
~ therein. But (as it is known) when _
thofe Air and Fire in a pure Mer-
-eury, are deduced from poflibility
into act, that is, to a due digeftion
and proportionable conca@ion ,
then it becomes Gold. Wherefore
in Gold there. are four Elements
conjoyned: in .equal and anatical
proportion, in .which therefore
there is actually.a more ripe and
active Sulphur, that.is, Air and
Fire, than in ‘Mercury :. Wherefore
Gold is-by..Art diffolved with Mer-
cury, that the unripe-may be hol-
pen by the ripe, and. fo, Art:de-
coding,
 2

are The Anfivyer of

costing , and Nature perfecting,©
the Compofition is ripened by the
favourof Chriit. Whence the caufe —
may be derived, why by the help
of the Philofophick Art, more per-
. fe&, noble, and by many degrees
more elevated Gold is made, fooner
and in lefs time, than by the work
of Nature. Becaufe Nature doth
a& and work this by boyling and
digetting Mercury alone in the
bowels of the Earth, without any
affiftant :which cannot be brought
on to the’ due proportion of Gold,
or any other Metal, in a little |
time, But our\Art helps the work
of Nature, by mingling with Mer-
eury ripe Gold, in which is a Sx/-
phur excellently digefted, and
therefore maturing and quickly
digefting Mercury it felf, to the
anatick proportion of Gold, by
fubtilizing its Elements : where-
upon there follows by Arta won-
derful abbreviation of this natu-
ral Work. Wherefore, my Doétor,
_ Treturn to the former points; we |
mutt not imagine , according to
their :
 their sida: who Ss that the —
Male Agent himflf approaches
the Female in the coagulation, and
departs afterwards, becaufe, as is
known in every generation, the
conception is active and paflive :
Both the active and paflive,that is,
all the four Elements, mutt always
abide together, otherwife there
would-be no mixture, and the hope
of generating an off-{pring would
be extinguifhed. For in every
man, the Mafculine Seed to the
end of his life is called inh'm the ©
“Agent, when it is fir’ mingled
with the Feminine; and whether
it be fhed out, or confumed ‘in
him, Nature for its fake doth ve-
getate, and is wonderfully increa-
fed and nourifhed, and makes to
it felf in the fame mans loins the
like fpecifick Seed. The like is to
~ be judged of the Feminine Seed in
the Women; wherefore both thefe
Seeds bide. ‘always, and areto be
efteemed. for original Agents, and
_-firft Patients, Yet there is a va-
tious.or different nativity or gene-
ait _-Fation
 214 The Anfwer of °
ration of Mixts and Vegetables:
For they are called Simple Mixts,
which grow under: ground, out of |
our fight, or about the furface
thereof, by the:commixture of the _

Elements alone compounded one

‘with another : or from their: firft
Solution ;- becaufe they grow not
as Vegetables; but how much fo-
ever of matter was compact and
“mixt in them,fo much of their firtt
weight is referved in the fame
Compounds. For example fake:
how much foever-at firft a mafs of
fome Mercurial fubftance doth
weigh: in-its Mineral difpofition in
/the bowels of the Earth;-fo much
weight of Gold will’abide digefted
therefrom : and the Scorie and
Feces rejected from it, will rather.
be diminifhed than multiplied, be. —
- caufe they receive no nourifhiment.
But there are manifold’ degrees of
this firft and fimple natural mix-
ture: The firft is, the naked ‘con- -
eretion and compofition of the
four Elements, and that imme--
diate,inwhich there-is not yet- any
Sie change
 Bern. Trevifan, &e. 245
change made, or exaltation of one
Element into another > but'a fim-
ple union of a fymbolizing compo-
fition of them, perfevering and
abiding ; of which fort Stones are. .
The fecond degree follows upon
the frit, becaufe from the afore-
faid Stones, Minerals (about which»
we difcourfe) are generated, and
the more noble fubterraneous pe-
cies emerge and.arife from hence: :
_ becaufe in thefe- begin the aGion
of Elements, and their mutual.
tranfmutation, though their action
is not in fo great vivacity and-
virtue as in- Vegetables and Senfi-
tives, becaufe they have neither.
‘growth nor fenfe, as we have
faid before. The third degree is. -
that which comprehends precious «
Stones and Gems, becaufe in them
is found a perfect and compleat
action, from the virtue of the Ele-
ments compacted and aéting mu-.
tually, as I have declared more
~ Yargely in my Philofophy :where
I have perfpicuoufly .manifefted
this third degree, together with
the
the fecond, to be a mean betwixt.
othe firft and-fecond compofition of
Natural things. Then another na-_
tivity or generation is that which _
is not accounted to be of Simple.
Mixts, but Compound Vegetables:
which are truly divifible into four
kinds, or Claffes, as I have dif
courfed: more largely in my other
_ Book which Ifent you. For there
-are Vegetables, but Senfirives:
more efpecially, which for the
‘moft part beget their like, by the
Seeds of the Male and Female for
the moft part coficurring and
commixt by copulation ; cwhich
work of \Natare the Philofophick
Art imitates in the generation of
Gold. No man can artificially
perfect any humane Seed, but we
can by Art difpofe a man to a pro-
ductive ‘generation of his like:
For the vital Seeds are only dige-—
fied ina vegetable manner by Na-
“ture, in the loins of both Parents ;_
but we can by coition mix the
Parents Seeds in natural Veffels,
: Shih copulation is as it were an

4
ee
 Art difpofing and mingling thofe
Natural Seeds, to the begetting of
Man. For example fake; the Seed
Of the Man, as more ripe, perfect
and active, is by this artifice
joyned with the Seed of the Wo-
man, more immature and in a fore
_paflive; which Seed of the Man,
becaufe it aStually contains in it
the working Elements, to wit, the
_Air and Fire, is therefore mere _
Tipe and active for digeftion. But
the Female Seed doth more aétu-
ally contain the undigefted and
paffive Elements, and which there-
fore are to be digefted, as the
Earth and Water, which being
fhed out and mingled together in
the natural Veffels of the Female,
ho Foreign thing being added
thereto, (but the external heat of
the Woman exciting and helping
_ the proportionable inward heat of
“the Mans Seed) the active Ele-
“tents. of the Mans Seed, digeft
and ripen the Feminine Seed, and
thence a Man is generated, com-
Pleat and perfect according to his,
| L o> Nae
: ;
 218 The Anfwer of 4
Nature. So it is in our Philofo--
phick Art, which is like this pro-
'_ ereation of Man for as in Mercury:
(of which Gold is by Nature ge-- ,
merated in Mineral Veffels) a na- —
ural conjunction is made of both.
the Seeds, Male and Female, fo by
our artifice, an artificial and like —
conjunction is made of Agents and
Patients. For the active Elements.
which, obtain the name of the.
Masculine Seed, are naturally con-_
joyned with the pafflive Elements,
which are-as it were the Feminine:
Seed; but herein the due natural
proportion is always to be obfer~
ved. Now.this firft Mercurial di-
geftion is called-ConjunGion, in
which the aé rifeth out of the
sea aip that is, the Mafculine
rom the Feminine, namely the Air
and Fire, from the Earth and Wa-_
ter, bymeans of a pure digeftiom
and {ubtilization of them. But
‘the Philofophers and ingenious Ar-:
tificers imitating Nature, befides
this natural digeftion of the Seeds
jm Mercury, have by a moft fubtle
3 . - inven-
Bern, Trevifan, Re, 219
invention made another conjun-- —
Gion and digeftion, whence they
have not generated fimple Gold
nly, but fome other far more no-
ble and=perfe& thing. For they
Commanded Gold (in which the
ERiements are more active) as the |
Male Seed, to be joyned with Mer-
tury, (in which the paffive- Ele- .
ments are exiftent:) that it: might -
be duly diffolved , excluding all.
Foreign things, fave that they ufed
an outward heat, which by help-
ing doth excite the internal natu-
tal heat of Gold, to-digeft aftively.
and ripen Mercury. And fo as 2
Man is generate by Nature, fo.
Gold by Art: Althoygh notwith-
ftanding their Sperm and Seed -
Cannot be generated by Art, be-.
Caufe Art knows not proportion of.
the mixture neceffary to pro--
Greate Seed ; and in Man it knows
Neither compofition, nor mixtion:.
®r firft proportion, nor the caufes_
_©ffubterraneous things, which flow.
Sut fromthe Earth; where is the |
Proper and natural place of their
— L2 genes ~
220 The Anfwerof — -
generation. But thofe Seeds pro- ;
duced by Nature are artificially
conjoyned, that out of them in a |
way of compofition, that which is |
to be generated may be produced,
in which both the Seeds abide to-
gether well mingled, although
Avifiatle, as you write, feem to
think .otherwife. Wherefore the
Mafculine Seed of Mercury, or our
Sulphur, goes not away after coa- —:
gulation ,as fome falfly affirm; —|
and that this falls out in Mercury, —
by the force of the Sun efpecially, )
‘and that by its heat chiefly the
form of Gold is perfected, as fome —
think in fubterrancous places :
Yea rather by the force of the mo-
tion of its Globe, or of its Orb, ©
ahd of the whole Heaven univer- |
fally, becaufe the Solar Rays do |
only heat the furface of the Earth,
ard not inwardly thofe its deep ~
places, in which the generation of
feveral kinds of Metals is brought —
about ;and neither do the influ-
ences of Heaven, brought down by —
the.Rays, reach unto thofe lower-
me if
- Ae A Pigs!
= tae oy Pm
- Bern. Trevifan, &c. 221%
moft parts, although the fubterra-
neous motion of the Elements pro-
ceed firft from the motion of the
Heavens, and not from its Rays of
light, nor from their heat, nor
other influence fave motion: but
how this comes about, and. what
is the caufe ofthis motion of fub-
terraneous things, I believe your
Reverence is not ignorant, and
therefore I forbear it at prefent.
Therefore the Sun is not the prin-
cipal caufe of Gold, or of its form,
though there be a refemblance in
names betwixt them; becaufe as
the Sun is hotter than the reft of
the Planets, fo Gold is hotter than
any of the Metals, with the like
difference of proprieties. The reft
of the Planets alfo have obtained
like names, whence this errour of
Fools doth arife: For they believe
‘that every one of the feven Pla-
nets, generally and fpecially by its
influence doth beget one fpecial
kind of Metal, whereunto by a cer-
tain propriety it agrees, and is in
its nature refembled, But it hap-
ors L 3 pens
Pens otherwife in fubterraneous
*hings, than in Vegetables, in —
which Heaven or the Sun is the
caufe of their generation or aug-
mentation, not only by its motion,
‘but alfo by reafon of the heat of ©
its Rays: For the Sun heats the
Vegetables themfelves, and the
fuperficies of the Earth, the Ele-
ements being very ftrongly r@-
fle&ted by its Rays to the furface
of the Earth, becaufe that its Rays
ean proceed fo far. To inftance:
for that from the twelfth Heaven —
which obtains the utmoft degree —
of height, proceeding to defcend —
lower, there follow always thicker —
or lefs fubtle Orbs, till you come.
to the concave of the Orb of the
‘Moon, where alterable things have
their place, or the mixt Elements —
begin, and are terminated under —
the Hemifphere of things genera- —
ble and corruptible. And therefore
the more fubtle and fimple Fire is
there found, though not altoge- —
ther pure: becaufe a fimple pure
Fire cannot befound apart amongft
<*
) . the
«Bern. Trevifan, 8c. 223°
the alterable forts of things, nor
any one of the other Elements,
albeit in every Compound thing
fimple Fire may be*found, mixed
‘with other fimple Elements, elf{e
there would notbemany Elements,
“but one only. Therefore the Rays
of the Stars of Heaven, of the Sun
*efpecially, pafs through the fore-
faid Regions unrefra&ed, until
‘they defcending farther down-
“wards, are reflected in the Fire by
reafon of its thicknefs ;afterwards
‘defcending farther through the
Sphere of the Fire, they by ma-
ving it refle& the Fire it {elf into
‘the Air which is thicker. And in
like manner the Rays proceeding
perpendicularly to lower things,
throngh the Sphere of Air, into
the Water thicker than the Air,
“from which they are reflected back
into the Air. And fo after its man-
ner they are reflected back by the
Water moved by them, which alfo
‘is much better perceived in ‘the
arth, with its thicknefs above
vother Elements. By this decogtion -
: a x 4 and }
 224 The Anfwer of —
and refle&tion the Elements are
‘moved invifibly, though not un-
perceivably :becaufe we perceive’
heat by the motion of the Hea-
‘wens, and it is always reflected
“from the fuperiour and fubtler
‘Element, into the inferiour and
‘thicker, unto the furface of the
Earth, by means of the Rays of the
Stars defcending perpendicularly
‘from aloft to the loweft things ;
‘and things thus reflected being
moved, and by the Rays of the
“Sun reflefted , accidental hear is
‘produced in the medium, though
fometimes by the Rays of other
Stars, other qualities are produced’
‘here below, as drynefs and cold-
‘nefs, as is manifeft in Aftronomy;
“not that the Rays are in them-
felves hot, but that they are the
‘caufe of heat in fuch manner as
“we have faid. Now that thefe
things are truce, is manifeftly
‘Known from Aftronomy and Per-
‘fpeétive, whence it is underftood
how generations happen in Vege-
tatives ard: Senfitives, thus much
AS there- |
 Bern. Trevifan, &c. 225
therefore may fuffice. But vain.
Attrologers have other conceits,
and think that the influences of
_ Heaven are from the virtue of irs’
activity, and not from the virtue
of its motion: which is falfe, be-
caufe the Rays of Heaven produce
or effet nothing in the fuperiour
Orbs. For fuch Rays cannot be
reflected on the aforefaid Orbs,
nor be mixed with them, as they
are reflected in the Elements. and
mingled with them, not by compo-
fition, but by a moving reflection
and mixture of the fame Elements,
as hath been faid: but in the fu-
perceleftials there is mo capacity
to receive new qualities, or Fo-
reign impreffion, although the
Rays themfelves produce wonder-
ful-qualities im the Elements, mo-
ved by their reflection. Where-
fore, my Doétor, the Sun in par-
ticular is not the caufe of the ge-
neration of Gold, nor yet is it by
means of its heat the caufe of Ve-
getables either above the Earth,
or of Mixts about its fuperficies,
Ls — which
226: The Anfwer of —
which namely we know to be-.
heated by the Rays of the Sun, as:
we have faid, which is alfo agree--
able to Aftronomy. But the know-
ledge of thefe things, need not»
any longer difputation, wherefore»
Ppafs on to what remains; for if
you apply your mind to thofe
things which we have faid ,you
will underftand and you will find
it true, that by the activity of Sul-:-
phur digefting and coagulating
Mercury 5 its form from Gold is,
fpecially perfected : but yer you .
muft not think that from any other
Metal, or any Star, this may be
done, as you have written in your ~
Ep:ftle. That which we have faid,
is alfo-to be underftood of other
Metals, in their kind and manner ;
but with difference, becaufe- in
other Metals there isa double Su/- -
phur: One which: is fuperfluous,..
and may be feparated, the form of
the Metal ftill remaining: Ano-
ther Sulphur is an effential part: —
of the Metal, but united to- its»
Quick-flver, and not feparable, fo
é
 ‘Bern. Trevifan, &c. 227
=.

that the form of the Metal conti-

nues: yet that imperfe& and Sul-
“phureous Metal may be perfected
by a Medicine corrupting the form
“of that Metal, and introduci
another. But what we are to thin
of the duplicity of this Sulphur,
“which you affert in this Philofo-
phick Art, I pray you, my re-
nowned Doétor, without violating
“the Law of our Friendfhip, or
“your Authority, that you would be
_ pleafed to confider. This duplicity
of Sulphur is not fo diftin& in
Mercury coagulated into divers
Metals, that one of them fhould
intrinfically and effentially apper-
tain to the generation of the Me-
tal, and be efteemed an effenrial
part thereof, and the other be
afcribed to corruption. But there
is inevery Metallick fpecies, equal-
iy as in Gold and Silver, a fimple
and fingle Su/phur ;which is ter-
med Quick-filver ,“from the firft
Mercurial compofition , as hath
been declared in the generation
of Gold: beaiis Sulphur and
Quick
 228. The Anfwer of —
Quick filver are nothing elfe but
the four Elements in Mercury it
felf, fo or fo proportionally dif-
pofed, as this or that Metallick
fpecies requireth. But that which
is reputed a fecond Sulphur, and
to be rejected, is a certain Scoria
and feculent part in the Metals,
-contraéted in the coagulation of
‘the Mercury ; or a certain fuper-
fluity; which being unclean and
impure, would not in the dige-
ftion of the Mercury, endure a
eongelation to the form of a Me-
tal: becaufe it was not of an ho-
mogeneal and proportionable Na-
ture of Mercury, apt to be congea-
bed and digefted into a Metal. But
fome Philofophers have called this
Scoria, a combuttible Sulphur, be-
caufeit cannot fubfift, but vanifh-
-eth in the tefting of Metals,or is
feparated from them into Faces.
And here I: may bring this exam-
ple: the bloud -in Senfitives, and
fap in Vegetables, in their coagu-
‘lation have feveral and different
offices; becaufe fome parts of the
Z bloud
Berns Trevifan, &¢. 229
bloud have a conformity unto
Flefh, and therefore may be coa-
gulated and turned into Flefh, and
retain the uniform nature of Fieth,
and obtain the name of Flefh. Bur |
fome parts thereof. refiding in the
pores,.are of a fuperfluous hu-
mour,. which can in no wife be
converted into folid Flefh, and
therefore are ejected by Sweat and
Medicines, and feparated from the
true Flefh. But in the Sanguine |
complexion there are many fewer
fuperfluities, than in others: So we
may conclude by way of refem-
blance,,. that: it is in Gold: and
other kinds of Metals; that the
purer or impurer Mercury, in. its
firft coagulation, contained or con-
traded more or lefs fuperfluities,
‘or natural impurities. Wherefore
the difference is made in the coa-
gulation of. Mercury, which {peci-
~ fies and caufes divers Metals ; and
whatever Mercury there is in any
fort of Metal, is termed incombu-
- ftible, and infeparably permanent,
though in fixed Bodies it is made
2230 “The Anfwer of
volatile by Art, yet by Nature-it
“remains infeparable iin an Elemen-
=tal proportion. But-what drofs fo- _
“ever was contracted in the Mer-.
. eury, and mixed with it from the
i beginning, (that is, in the conge- ©
‘lation of Mercury in its firft com-
~pofition, by heat digefting it toa
* Metallick kind ; and therefore-it is
&by the teft taken away from the
Mercury, that is, the homogeneous
Mercurial nature, and feparated
- from the Metallick kind as reje&ta-
“meous and heterogeneal ) this is
“not properly called a Sulphur, but
a drofs and certain fuperfluity:
“becaufe Sulphur is nothing elfe but
a pure a&t of Air and Fire, warm-
ing and digefting, or deco&ing
«the Earth and Water in Mercury,
proportionable and homogencous
<nnto it. But the drofs is that
“which in the firft compofition was
‘Mot pertinent unto the nature of
Mercury, nor had a proportion to
any Metallick kind in the compo-
fition and digeftion of the firit
‘Elements in Mercury. From thefe
things
 — Bern. Trevifan, XC. 237A
Fics it is known, that there are
not in other forts of Metals. any
diftin® or more Sulphurs, than are -
—
in:-Gold and Silver, but ong only =
and fimple Su/phur ; though there =
_are in them more and greater fu-.-
perfluities, than are inGold. From:
hence the truth of your faying 13,
known, that Gold, uf all Metals,,
cleaves moft unto Mercury: Now>
this comes to pafs by reafon of the:
purity of both, becaufe in them is:>
lefs drofs, dregs,.or fuperfluity,.
than in others: For every things
doth naturally defire, by. as
through mixture and union, to be:
joyned-to a thing of like nature ta:
- ity and proportionable in homoe-
geneity, rather than with athing;
unequal and’ unlike to. it, as we-
know-; like as Water very eafi-~
ly: pa without contradiction is
quickly joyned-toanother Water,’,
with an .identative and» uniting;
mixture.- Now in Gold there is naw.
thing but > Mercury, therefore being
there is in it little drofs, (which:
asnot.of a Mercurial nature, as we
have:
232 ©The Anfwer of —
have fhewed) there is thereinno —
great refiftance, but that a pure
Mercury may more eafily adhere to
* Gold and Silver, than to other
Metals, in which many fuperfui- —

ties and drofs do forbid and hin- -

der other Metals, or their con-
gealed Mercury, any contaé, or
through mingling with crude Mer-
' enry. For thofe fuperfluities, as we
have already faid, are not of the
firft compofition of Mercury, nor of
the fame natural or proportional
. homogeneity : and if happily they
be of its compofition, yet they are
‘not of its proportion ; for what-
ever is of any things proportion,
eis not fuperfluous. Wherefore they
cannot be infeparably throughly
mingled, neither with Mercury to
be coagulated by Art, nor with
Mercury coagulated, which in the
fiature of its Mineralnefs is joyned
with them in the fame kind of
Metal ; being fuch drofs is com-
buftible by Fire, and therefore {e-
parable. What wonder is it then
-G€ in thofe Metalsto which they
arc
>
 Bery: Trevifan, &c. 233
te

“are accidentally fuperadded, they

hinder their natural commixtion,
and permanent union with coagu-
lated Mercury, or other crude Mer-
cury? For this very caufé Gold it
felf, though never fo pure, can far
more difficultly abide with, be
joyned and adhere to an unclean
and droflie Mercury, coagulated or
not coagulated, than with a pure
and clean. one. Becaufe a fimple
Nature doth rejoyce in the fociety
of, and is perfected by a fimple
Nature, that is like to it, and fame
with it in its firft homogeneity and
Elemental proportion :but Gold,
as hath been faid, is nothing elfe
but Mercury thickned by its pro-
per digeftion, and Elemental acti-
en: therefore albeit in the Earth
there be a difference betwixt Gold
and Mercury in ripenefs, (becanfe
Gold is more ripe than Mercury)
yet there is no diverfity in their
Matter. Therefore whatfoever Gold
“hath acquited by the digeftion it
hath unto maturity, Mercury may
acquire the fame without any ex-
trancous. |
?
234 - The Anfwer of
“traneous thing, But Art to bre-_
-viate and contract the Work, joyns
“Gold with Mercury, as is faid, and
‘out of two Sperms it makes and —
“generates artificially that fame
“thing, which Nature doth create
“in the Mines of one aQual Seed,
“the identity of the Matter being
always everywhere obferved, but
not the fame a@ive power. And
“therefore.as nothing extraneous to
its Nature, doth enter this Work
"in its firft compofition, fo neither
“doth any thing multiply it, which
is not of the frft temperament
‘thereof Wherefore fome men
‘think falfly, that the Philofophers
Stone may -be compofed of divers
‘things, or of all things, and be
nourifhed by them, inftead of the
-aforefaid Sperms, notwithftanding
‘divers names have been impofed
-on them. Neither doth this Philo-
fophick Work eat any thing, or
convert if into its own. Nature,
which is extraneous , becaufe it
‘doth not vegetate. Wherefore
‘though there be in the {aid Philo-
ophick
‘fophick Stone, a Body and a Soul,
or a Spirit, itis not therefore ve-
“getably animated as Trees and
Plants: For this Stone, as all Mi-
nerals, is of the aforefaid firlt,
and not of the fecond, or any fu-
periour intention or -impofition.
-But Trees and Plants are of the -
f{econd impofition, as Vegetables
are of the third, fourth, fifth, or
laft impofition, for mixt things in
thofe four laft impofitions, do ve-
getate. For in them the Elements
by many tranfmutations, and by
being oftner alterated, are more
fubtle ; wherefore they are moré
ative and perfect, though they are
not more durable and permanent
in their permixtion, becaufe the
Elements in them are not of a.
fixt, but diffolvable compofition ;
wherefore they take in their nou-
rifhment vegetably. But our Stone,
as alfo all the Minerals, is of the
firft impofition ; becaufe it vege- —
tates not, nor is vegetably nou-
-rifhed, but nourifhment befalls it
_ gather by appofition of a nourifh-
ment.
 236 The Anfwer of =
ment of a like nature to it, and —
not by vegetation. For example
fake: becaufe, as is manifeft by
_ experience, out of a Feminine Seed, 4
to wit, out of Mercury put to it
unitively, infenfibly and by way
of compofition this Philofophers
Stone is nourifhed, but by means
of a digeitive heat. For it takes
and affimilates its like unto it felf,
to be multiplied by way of appofi-
tion, and not vegetably ; where-
fore it becomes weightier in quan-
‘tity, and more active and perfeé
in quality: neither doth Fire or
heat multiply this our Stone, as its
due nourifhment, becaufe it is not ©
~ of its firft compofition, but heats
_it by an extrinfical accident: For
how can Flame or Fire multiply
the Stone it felf, or make it of it
felf more weighty, when it cannot
be fixedly and permanently min-
gied with it, nor is not of its firft
compofition or form? Nothing
_ therefore nourifhes and multiplies
“the faid Stone, to the generation
ef the fame form, except the Femi-
BNE» .
Bern. Trevifan, &c. 237.
nine Seed, which nourifheth it by
means of heat, and nourifhes it
not vegetably , but by way of
- appofition and commixtion. He
therefore who thus multiplies and
nourifheth it, fhall not-erre, be-
caufe this multiplier and nou-
rifher is turned into the fame kind.
_ A man may indeed increafe the
Stone and its weight by extra-
neous things ; but this muft be
done.out of its natural kind, not
_ convertible into it : For that
weight would be made befides Na-
ture, that is, not into the fame
fpecies, nor into the unity of one
fpectes, yea it wouldbe an aggre-
gation of divers kinds, and an ac-
cidental compofition, which might
be feparated by the Teft. But
when the Philofophers faid, thar
the Stone might be made of every
thing, truly they underftood it
not, (as fome perverfly interpret
them) that thé Stone might be
made of divers things, unlike unto
it both in kind and nature; or,
which is more abfurd, that it
might |
238 ‘The Anfwer of
might be’ multiplied by a Flame:
-miniftredto it from without : for
this reafon efpecially, becaufe Fire
and its: Flame may. by a certain: —
produaion arife out of every
thing: Now the refutation of this
opinion is manifeit from what hath.
been faid before. But when the
Philofophers fay, that the Stone is
made of every thing, they mean,
‘that it-is made of the four Ele-
ments proportionally equalized to
- one another by a due and natural ;
digeftion ;out of which four Ele--
ments every thing that is gene-.
rable and corruptible is made,
_ Therefore by this fimilitude the
Philofophers fay our Stone is made,
out of every thing, that is, out of
every Element:; becaufe if any: one
of them were mortified or de-
ftroyed , the whole proportion of
the Golden Nature would perifh,
and its kind: and every thing in-
whatfoever latitude.
and fort of al-
terables;is generated out of the
four Elements either aGually, or
potentially mixt: yet it cannot be
pron
 Bern. Frevifan, &c. 239;
properly faid of every producible
thing, but of our Golden Stone; ”
and other things equally mixt, that
they are made out of every thing: .
for this reafon efpecially, becaufe
in thofe things which are not pro-.
duced by. an equal, but by an ad-
€quate proportion of the Elements,
all the Elements are not actually
éxiftent, but in their adequate
activity “and paffion :for fome_of
the Elements are therein either in.
an active or paffive power, and the
reft are therein aQually. But in
the Philofophers Stone, which is
Gold, being it is an uniform Work
of Nature, all the four. Elements
active and paffive are agtually
therein, and permanent: in. an
equal proportion. For the Effence
or Nature of Gold, is nothing elfe
but the four Elements equally:
mixed; not that their form and‘
matter may. be faid tobe therein
equal, but their paflive and active.
power’; that is, they. are each alike
and equal not in quantity, but in
. guality : becaufe that the active. |
doth:
 oe . 0
doth not exceed the ‘paffive in its
acting; nor on'the other fide, the
paffive doth not exceed the active
by fuffering more: becaufe there —
is an equal proportion as to mea~
fure in our Gold, or in our Medi-
cine, double hot, double moift,
double cold, double dry, and all
thefe are actually therein, by
adtual aétion and paffion ; that is,
Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, as we
have faid before. And all thefe are
faid to be alike, and equal in qua~ _
lity, not quantity, becaufe they
are equal in actives and paffives;
and they are therefore durably
permanent in Gold, becaufé the
paflive in it confifts permanently
in its ative, and on the other part
the paffive rifes not up againft the
active. And they ought not to be
alike in quantity ; that is, there
ought pot be fo much matter of
Fire, as there is matter of Earth :
becaufe then the Fire. by reafon of
its quality, would be everywhere —
of an unequal activity with its
paflive Earth, and of a far greater.
+
ek
§
Where-
 , : ~ we

Wherefore there is in Gold, as to .

its matter, but not as to its qua-
lity, much more of the. heavier
ind more paflive Element, than of
} the lighter and more active ;thae
| is, more in quantity ; there is in
ita greater quantity of Earth,
than Water; a greater quantity
of Water, than Air; a greater of
Air, than Fire: wherefore it is the
heavieit of all Metals. But in this
unequal proportion. of quantity,
there is an equal and like propor-
tion. of quality, of hot, dry, moift,
and cold, becaufe each of thefe is
in Gold, as hath been faid. The
caufe of whith weight is the per-
manency of the folidity of the
Karthand Water, and the folution
of an homogeneous Water with
the Earth, becanfe Water diffolves
an homogencous Earth. Alfo their
ntrinfical therow mixture in their
Very leaft particles, is the caufe of
the weight; becaufe the Water
“as well in Gold, as Quick-filver,
“fuffers not the’ Earth to have any
“pores init: which is otherwif in
“4 M . - other
7
 242 Lhe <infwerop
other Metals, in which pores are’
infenfibly made in their congela--
tion, becaufe of the drofs mingled
in thofe Metals all over, rejected
by the Mercurial nature and hete-
rogeneous : whereupon their light-
ne{s refults, which is nothing elfe
but want of matter, and porouf-
~ nefs of the fame, as weight is no-
thing elfe but a folid addition of
matter. Wherefore if there were
in an equal commenfurative quan-
tity, fo much of the folid matter —
of Fire, as there is of the matter
of Earth,Fire would be as weighty
as Earth. But the caufe of the
weight of Satura, is its immature
congelation, becaufe ir deth nor
_ yet reject the drofs of its parts,
- whence pores are made in it; but
- the pure and impure'abide through.
~mixt.together in it everywhere,
as in the firlt crude Quick-/ilver,
in wh'ch the infpiffation and coa-
gulation.is weak, for that caufe:
Saturn or Lead retains the weight —
of its Quick-filver, not becaufe of
the purity of its folid matter, but _
becaufe
 _ Bern, Trevifan, &c. 243°
becaufe of its immature coagula-
tion or coction. ‘Wherefore if in -
this Work you would not deftroy .
the Fire and Air, you muft pre-
ferve in a diftin& and like propor-
. tion the heat of the Compound:
But if you would not deftroy the
Air and the Water, then in the
fame Compound you muft cherifh
the humid: fo in the fame man-
ner you*may preferve the Water +
and Earth, or the Earth and the
Fire, in the faid Work, by prefer-; —
Ving rightly, and by the artifice
of the Philofophick skill, both the
cold and dry : becaufe if you de- -
ftroy any one of them, the propor-
tionable form and kind of Gold is
loft. For this caufé the Philofo-
_phérs fay, our Gold is made of
_ every'thing, that is, of every Ele-
ment, every Element being ‘in-
' trinfically preferved in it, and
- a@ually compounding it; where.
fore all the Elements are intrinfi-
:callyina& or power, the princi-
_ ples of ali compounded alrerable
_things, and for that caufe are faid
:. : M 2 .
 to be all ee Parthesiore. my
Reverend Dostor, for yout credits
fake, you muft underftand the fay-
ings of the Philofophers according
to the poffibility of Nature, and
not according to the found of
Words : For they have handled
this holy and hidden Art, and its
Secrets; under Similitudes, Fables,
‘Riddles, and obfcure words, and
have hid it purpofely, that it
might not be expofed to the un-
learnéd, impious, and unworthy.
Furthermore, that Imay go on to
' other Heads of your Epiftle, Iun-
derftand the artifice of your Stone
to be a compofure from Gold, but
from your writing I cannot appre-
hend it, becaufe you fer not down
the firft original of that Compo-
fition. Therefore I fhall not need
_ to handle it more at large, till
you inftruct me fully and more
plainly in its Compofition and
Operation : For I cannot neither
belicve that the EZxir, or Philofi-
phers Stone, can contift of the figns
Appearing in it, and of the proper-
“ties.
 Bern. Trevifan, &c. 245
ties of the nutritive vegetation of
the flaming Fire, which you attri-
bute to it,as Ihave openly fhewed
in what I have faid already. But
when I.received your Work, and
‘the gift of fo great a Secret fent
unto me, I at once underftood
your unfeigned love, and free con-
fidence in me. Wherefore for,your
Friendfhip fake, I referve your
Stone with me, and keep it as a
moft acceptable gift, and fhall
write unto you moré concerning
it, when you fhall declare it to me
more manifeftly. But whereas you
fay, that in_ your Stone there are
three, a Body, Spirit, and Soul,
(which is manifeft to you by your
experience and werk ) the Philo-
fophers when they. faid thofe three
natural things were in their arti--
ficial Stone, underftood it by way
of refemblance and. experiment ;
For they called the Earth, its Body
“and Bones;becaufe it is an aftrin-
_ gent Compound, and reftrains ‘the |
fluid Elements from their‘ raw
| -seereat he having the Fire alfo
M3 ~ with
 Fy
werop
with it fymbolicall yby its drinéfs,
But they called the Water and
“Air, its Spirit ; becaufe they are
the Elements. that moiften and
diffolve the Earth. But they called
. the Air and Fire, the Soul 3; be-
caufe they ripen and digeft the
whole Compound. “And they na-
-med them thus, with-refemblanee
unto Humane nature, becaufe ina
well-coriftituted Flefh there ought
to be Bones to fuftain the Body,
and likewife there ought to be in
the Fleth a vivacity of vegetable
Accidents, which :are called its
‘Spirits : contrary to the errors
Of the Pagan Bhilofophers, who
thought the vital: Spirits to be
fomething diftind from the Body
eae, Dyand parts compoun-
ding it: {o-alfo there muftbe in
Humane Fleth an informing Soul,
digefting in man the brutal ads,
and to work in him the. intel-
le&tual work. But we muft under-
ftand it otherwife in our Stone, in
which the Earth hath the name of
the Body, Air and Water obtain
2 : ? oe
 Bern. Lrevifan,
,
XC: | —
er =
the name of. Spirit, neither is im
it a Soul but becaufeit contains
the Air and Fire ;,which I perceive
-well, you'do perfeGly underftand..
But the Philofophers divided them
/

in this manner: By a crude Spirit,

they extracted a digefted Spirit
out of the. diffolved. Body, and
they had rentaining a fixed maf
_of Afhes to be farther diffolved, in
-which. they. found an incombutti-
ble and ftony oylinefs and gum-
minefs, which they called “the
Soul; which enlivens, unites, in-
cerates and produces united Na-
tures; and in the Spirit they dif-
joyned the Natures, fo in the Oyl
" ‘they re-conjoyned them, - For our
Stone hath not an informing na-
ture,,as a Vegetative or a Senfi-
tive, but it hath only a formed
form, which form is the very Ele-.
ments themfelves, becaufe it is ho-
mogeneous. But mans Body, and
that of other Senfitives, is hetero-
geneous : For Bones, Flefh, Bloud,
Marrow, Hair and Nails, are di.
ftinguifhed differently in it; which
is te en ig
240 The Anjwer of
“is otherwife in Gold, in which
whatfoever there is, isfound to be
of one kind. Wherefore, my Re-
verend Decor, the -
Philofophers
{peak this by way of fimilitude,
by reafon of the adminiftration of —
Art, and operation of Nature:
not becaufe there is a Soul in the
Stone, but metaphorically, (2s —
you well know) nor Spirit ,nor
Body, (as an informing form) as
it is found in Man, and other Sen-
fitives. Verily I tell you, that
Oy! which naturally incerates and
‘unites Natures, and naturally in-
duces the Medicine into other Bo~
dies that are to be tinged, is not
‘compounded of any other -extra-
neous thing, but out of the bowels |
of the Body that is tobe’ diffol-
ved : which Oy] retains the colour
of its Spirit- always, until it be re-
thickned, and then firft of all it
puts on the Royal Enfigns, that is;
a citrinenefs. and Metalline form,
which it manifefts to all; in Gold,
a Golden, in Silvet, a Silver-co-
Jour and form: which Oy] if it be
; - Sal
~ Sol, aes diffolved, isi perceived to
be red inwardly, though outward-
ly it appear white, under the form
of liquid Quick-filver. Now fome
think to compound an Oyl as ge-.
es
nerous and powerful as this Oyl
is, namely out of Mercury through-
ly dryed, or out of the fubftance
of Tin, or Body of the Sun, com-
mixed with ingredients of divers
kinds ; but for what concerns our
Work, their Experiment is falla-
' cious. They can indeed reduce the
fpecies of Metals into a ‘kind of
Oyl, but they cannot at any hand
reduce them into a Metallick
kind, obferving and keeping the
proportion of the things to be
mixed found and entire. But that
Oyl may be profitable for Medi-
cine to fenfitive Creatures, be-
caufe the nature of Gold is diffol-
ved therein ;but yet impertinent-
ly and unprofitably as to our Phi-
lofophick Work. Befides, my Ho-.
noured Door, that I may lightly
touch on the remaining Heads of
yoursa sr mutt diligently
Ms and
 250 Lhe Anfwer of
and wifely obferve, that Fire and’~
Axor, wath Laton: But Azor is
not raw Quick-filver. fimply ex-
traéted out of the Mine, but it is
that which is extracted by Quick- -
filver it felf, out of the diffolved —
Bodies ; which is found to be more
_ xipe upon tryal. Wherefore if La-
ton be an unclean Body, it is de-
purated by fuch an 4z0r, which |
you write that you have had for--
merly ; and by this Laton purie
fied by Azer, we make our Medi-
cine forcuring every fick perfon.
‘Indeed this Zzor is made of the
Elixir, becaufe Elixir is nothing
elfe but a Body refolved.into a
Mercurial Water ; -after which re-
_ folution, 4zer is extraded out of
it; that is, an animated Spirit. .
And it is éalled £iixtr, from E,
which is out of, and Lixi, which
is Water, becaufe all things are
made ort of this Warer: and
Elixir is the fecond part in the
Philofophick Work , as Rebus is
the firft in the fame Work. But ~
_the TinQure ccnftitutes the third
. wiser. (en Works
 Bern, LreVY an, AC. 2ST
Work; for as the matter of this
?

~Compofition produces divers ef- °

fe&ts, fo it obtains different names
one after another. Thence it ma-
nifeftly appears, that zor is not
~~

requifite to the Elixir, becaufe in

this Work the Elixir goes before
Azor, and not the contrary; like.
as Water precedes the Oyl, and
the Spirit the Soul: For 4zor is
drawn and extraéed out of the
Elixir, as Oyl out of Water, and
not contrariwife; as mention is
made elfewhere. For example fake;
as in the Art of Phyfick, pure fim-
ple Fountain-water, by boyling in
the firft concoction, is joyned with
the Flefh of a Chicken, and /

thence in the firft degree of con-

coction we obtain a Broth, a good,
and perfect decoction, the humid,
watry and airy parts of the
Chicken being actually diffolved
in the aforefaid Water; though
there be. other Elements thereia
alfo agtually. Bur that it may be
made a much more perfect Medi-
cine, and more generous for re-
ftoring
252° «~The Anfwer of \

ftoring man’s fick Body unto

health, the decoéted Body of the
Chick is beaten into-a mafh, with
the faid Water already Sitenat ‘in-
to a boyled Broth, or with part of
it, and is diftilled by a ftronger
décoétion, whence a Broth and de-
coction will be made much more
noble and generous, partaking of
the whole nature of the Chicken :
Becaufe by this fecond decoétion
not only the moift parts, but the
hot parts, that is, its aérial and
_ fiery parts, being melted into the
Broth or deco&ion, are throughly
- mingled and diffolved : and there-
fore the whole virtue, of the Chick
is in fuch a decoétion extracted
into the aforefaid Liquor. So it
falls out in the Philofophick Work,
becaufe the crude Mineral Spirit,
like Water, is joyned with its Bo-
dy, to diffolve it in its firft de-
coction ; whence it is called Re-
bis, becaufe it is compounded of
two, or a double thing, to wir, of
the Mafculine and Feminine Seed,
that is, * the thing to be diffol-
> ved,
F — Bern, Lrevifan, KC. 253
ved, though it be one thing and
matter : whence the Verfes,
Rebiséstao things joyn'd, yet it’s
but one
Diffole’d to their frft Seeds, the
Sun or Maon.
_ Now out of thefe two-things dit
folved together, the Elixir is com=
pounded, that is, a tinged Water :
whence the Verfes,
Pure Bodies are of Lixis made by
4rt;
Hence Greeks Elixir terms its fecond —
part.
Out of this Elrxir, my Venerabit
Doctor, a$ out of the firft Brot
or Bullion of a fimple decoStion;
vor -is extracted, to wit, by a
ftronger and iterated diitillation <.
which Azer refembles and partici- _
pates the nature of its Body from
which it was extracted, which is
hot, and retains its virtue in “it
felf , namely an Oylie nature,
which is hot and moift, becaufe it
is actual Fire and Air; though. all
the Elements are in it in Effence,
and
 a4 Pra
eee
and by Compofition.. Medicines
therefore to cure the Bodies of
Senfitives, may be compofed out
of the faid Metals by feveral arti-
fices; but they are not pertinent
to the Philofophick Work, as the
Elixir is to Azor: that is, the
vital Spirit and fugitive Soul are
not diaphanous, nor tranfparent
as the clear tear from the Eye :
_ . nor every diffolving Spirit, though
they be each of higher Natures
than another, according to their
degrees, as the Soul is higher than
the crude Spirit, being they are
not of one form. For.as the Soul
lies hid under the fbecies of a dif
folved Spirit, before its re-infpif-
fation, (for the Soul being ex-
trated out of the Body, always
“ appeareth like Quick-filver) {0
°

after its infpifiation the Soul and

Body lie hid under the fPecies of a
‘ Body. Your Worfhip hath feen an
- Experiment thereof, in the Powder
fometime fent to that King: whofe
Phyfician you are ; in which Expe-
riment, Quick-filver was found in
Biers ; Re -
j Bern. Trevifan, &e. 255
the fpecies of Quick-filver, ‘but if
- that which remained in the bottom
had been coagulated, it. would
certainly have affumed the fame
form of Powder : But that Powder
mutt be called a Tin&ure nomi- ,
nally only, not that it is a Medi-
cine for Metals, for ig is not yet
perfe Gly fixt ;yet as a Medicine
for Men, it is of very good force.
But the fixt Medicine without all
doubt exceeds this humane Medi-
-cine in all virtues, both as to Me-
tals, and to Men; which cannot
come to pafs in a clear diaphanoug
and tranfparent Liquor > Becaufe
if the aforefaid Elix7r and Axor,
that is, Spirit and Soul, did appear
in, and had a tranfparency, now
the Earth as to its proportion had
left the Water, and had been fepa-
rated from it, which had thickned
and coagulated its parts, caufing
an opacity in the Elixir and Axor,
and making a congealable Meta!
lick form to confift. For in the
condenfing of fixed Metallick /pe-
éies, the condenfer niu adtapoti —
“ the
PESO OlAGNES
the condenfable, and the coagula-
ting upon the coagulable ; which
cannot be in the aforefaid diapha-
nous, and clear Water. But it
happens otherwife in Vegetables,
‘in which.a fimple and diaphanous
Water is thickned by decoéction
_ into the Vegetables themfelves;
which yet by the Teft of the Fire
doth at length vanifh and evapo-
rate, becaufe it is not permanent
and fixed in its compofition, be-
. caufe it had not with it an Earth
‘ naturally .homogeneal to it in its
compofition, as Quick-filver hath :
which Earth indeed is the caufe
_ of permanent fixation in homoge-
neous things : wherefore fimple
Water cannot by coagulation be
fo fixed with Vegetables, as Mer-
eury with Metals. If therefore
Mercury fhould be reduced to a
' tranfparency in the Work of the
Philofophers, it would by good ~
‘ yeafon. remain of an uncoagulable |
Lubfance; nor would ig be con-
gealed upon Laton to,a Metallick
form, /pecies and proportion, which
cartics
 Bern. Trevifan, &c. 257 —
-“earries not with, nor in it felfits
“own congelation, namely Water
the Earth: which Earth (as was
faid ) is Mercurial, and the firft
caufe of Infpiffation, Coagulation,
. and Fixation. If then this Water
abide deftitute of Metallick pro-
portion, how fhould it be poffible
that fuch like pecies fhould be
“produced from this Compofition?
They alfo erre who think to ex-
tract a limpid tranfparent Water
out of Mercury, and out of it to _
-work many wonderful things : For
be it fo that they can perfe& fuch
.2 Water, that Work would ‘con-
“duce nothing: either to Nature or
‘proportion, |nor could it reftore or
‘build up any perfe& kind of Me-
‘tal: For fo foon'as Mercury is
throughly changed from his firft
Nature, fo foon he is forbidden
entrance into our Philofophick
Work, becanfe he hath loft ‘his -
Spermatick and Métallick Nature. -
From thefe things it is ‘manifeft,
what truth there is in your opi+
a and in what it is contrary
and,
2258 -The Anfwer of .
_ and improper, when you fay,there —
muft be had (as I think)to -per- —
fe&t the higheft Elixir, a. Gumin
~which» are all -things neceflary
thereunto, and containing the four —
“Elements, -and it is a moft clear
Water -as 2 tear from the Eye,
made.‘Spiritual, Oc... which make |
“Gold to be a mere Spirit :. For 2
Body penetrates nota Body, but.
~a fubtle congealed Spiritual fub-
ftance, which :penetrates and ¢o-
‘lours:a Body. ‘Let it be fo as you
‘fay, my Venerable Doétor, that —
Natures are not. joyned but. in 2
- Gum or Oylic fubftance., and
‘equal proportioned, having a Spi-
ritual. Nature; the Elements being
“yet fixedly fhut.up.in. it; unto
which Gumminefs>the whole .Phi-
dofophers Stone is at laft reduced
by Inceration, under: gentle flux,
after the manner of an Incera- -
“tion refembling all the Elements,
ftanding like ‘Copper and in. the
“nature of Copper, exifting alfo in
a fubtle Spiritual, Nature penetra-
‘ting and colouring. Metallick Bo-
dies.
 Bern. Trevifan, XC. zg
‘dies. For this Stone in the fubli-
mation of the firft crude Body,
“hath not loft its kind, namely of
' the fame Spirit; neither yet in the
-perfe& and- great .Gum doth ‘it
‘lofe ‘its firft Nature : Therefore
Gum and Oyl belong: not -other-
-wife unto this Work, but as Ele-
“ments equally proportioned fhut
up together, refolvable; united in
the Oylie vifcofity of the Earth,
retained, buried, infeparably mixt.
For this Gum or Oyl firft is ex-
- tracted out of the Body, drawn
into an incinerated Spirit, till the
{uperfluous humidity of the Water
>be turned into Air,-and one Ele-
ment be excited from another
Element by digeftion, and what
was of an Aqueous form, become
of :an Oylie nature: and-fo the
whole ‘Stone at laft affumes the
name of Gum and Salphur. For -
«Geber teacheth this, when he faith,
vas you have written in your Epi-
file, If-any perfon .know-to. joyn
- and friendly unite our Sulphur un-
_ to.Bodies, he hath found one of
ae, t
 260 The Anfwer of
‘the greateft Secrets, and one way
of perfeétion ; as if he fhould fay,
If any man can reduce a Body toaiaeae
podS

this, that it may be made aGum ‘

' which may be throughly mingled

_

with other imperfect Bodies, he |

hath found the greateft Secret of
Nature, Gc. becaufe this perfeé
Stone isa Gum anda Sulphur, as
is known by what we have already
faid. But you muft know, that
Geber with higheft prudence and
wonderful artifice hides the trath
under a Veil, intermingling with
it many obfcurities and falfities,
which thofe who are ignorant at
firft appearance imagine to be
‘truth ;yet he {peaking like a Phi-
lofopher fecretly under this craft,
doth openly, learnedly and Phi-
lofophically defcribe the truth:
wherefore the unexperienced and
Sophifters, not underftanding his <

mind and wit, nor the’ nature of

the thing, do perverflyiturn afide °
to the vulgar expofition.and found
“of the words. For he faith, Ifthou ,
knoweft that, we havefaid fome-
thing
- thing totineio ifthou inoue
not, we have faid nothing to thee.
Wherefore. in reading Philofo-
phick Books, confider efpecially —
the poffibijity of Nature ; not-
withftanding fome Writers of this
Art have alfo fometimes erred,
and have happened fometimes to
have handled ir, as to the natural
truth, either ill or ambiguoufly.
As it may be obferved that 4rnol-
dus de Villa Nova hath faid, in a
Book which he called his Rofary,
_ that raw Mercury, that is, Quick-
Jffver, which in its own nature is
cold and moift, by Sublimation _
may be made hot and dry; after-.g
wards being revived, it becomes
hot and moitt like the complexion
of Man. You will fay then, what
wonder is it if it be joyned with
the Sun, that it likewife becomes
of the nature of the Sun? For
Mercury is of a convertible nature,
_ as the Heavenly Mercury, which is
fuch as the Planet is with which it
is in Conjyin ‘tion. For that 4rnol-
dus, thoithin other Sciences he
* were
 were 2 Reverend Lid Ingenious
Doétor, yet in this Art he handled:
:
Experiments only, without the |
learning of the Caufes. Now when
he faith, that in the firft Sublima-
tion the crude Spirit is fublimed
from the inferiour falt Minerals,
and that Mercury it felf, which in
its own nature is cold and moift,
becomes a Powder of an hot and
dry. nature, as he faith, this yet
condtices nothing to our Work.
But let it be fo, that he makes:
of Mercury fuch a Powder as he
{peaks of, that is, throughly dried
and hot by. fublimation from
’ Salts’; yet thofe Purifications are
vain and impertinent to our
Work, yea asto the perfecting of
our Work they are hurtful. ed
though thefe inferiour Mg
communicate with Metals‘in. Ken
nature, -yet not in kind ahd pro-
portion:For the fuperiiour and in
feriour Mmerals, in-their nativity’
and fubterraneous formation, are
of one and the fate conftitution
ee and therefore of the |
fame
 — Bern. Trevifan,&c. 2
fame nature; but they differ in~
proportion, quality, and kind or:
form. Wherefore if Mercury be
diftilled with thofe inferiour Mine-
rals, and throughly dried, then
his internal nature is confounded ©
and difproportioned, and is. hin~
_dred and-made unprofitable, as to
the effe& of a Feminine Seed, and
- invalid for our Metallick Work.
For fo foon as he is turned into the -
form of a Powder, (exc@pt from
his Body of So/ or Luua) fo foo
he undergoes a through drinefs,
unprofitable to the Philofophick
Work. Yer I deny not, but that 2
_ droffie and impure Mercury may
_ and ought, by a fimple Salt, be
fublimed or purged once or oftner,
according to a due Philofophick
experience ,to take from it its
- drofs and outward Mineral impu-’
rity, fo that notwithftanding.the —
Auidity and iadical humici:y of
Mercury may always remain une -
altered; For the Mercurial kind’
and form in fuch a Work, ought -
to remain uncorrupted ; as--hath™
been
 been faidpies a yes its
outward form to be reduced. into
a throughly, dried Powder ; be-
canfe its external form being cor-
rupted, fhews its internal, nature -
“to be confounded, unlefs it be in
the way of géneration that it be
altered, as may be manifeftly feen
in the figns which appear in the
Work of the natural way. For
there are Sublimations of Mercury
‘from its ewn proper Bodies, which
are conjoyned and mingled with
it, by an Amalgamation with it in
its moft inward parts, from which
being oftentimes raifed and re-
United, it rejects and lofes its fu-
perfluities, and is not confounded
in its nature ;and afterwards it is
very agreeable to the Philofophick
Work, and powerful to diffolve
- Metallick jpecies; yet it is not
“greatly altered intrinfically for
the Philofophick Work, unlefs it
‘be altered by fixed Bodies diffol-
ved in it. But wonderful things
may be done in Medicines: for
' Senfitives from this dried Powder, =e
- whether —
_ Bern, Lrewyjan,XxC. 20$
whetheritbe reduced into an Oyl,
or into Water, or it abide in a
Powder ; but it is not at all perti-
nent to the Philofophick Experi-
‘ment. And therefore it muft be
‘univerfally noted, that fo foon as
Mercury is turned into a Powder,
‘of whatever fort, contrary to the
nature of its Body to be diffolved,
fo foon will it be unprofitable to
the Philofophick Work. There are
certain deceiving Sophifters, whe
by joyning Venus to it,or adding
other fpecies, make a Sophiftick
Work ; that is, they give unto im-
perfe& Copper a colour, but not
natural; they induce indeed a
kind of an apparency, but not 2
‘true nature, that is, tranfmuta-
tion: like as he that paints a dead
Image,or compofes a Statue of
Wood, which appears only, but is
Paes and as much as a living
__-differs from an Image and Pidture,
_ fo much differs their Work from
_ the Philofophick. Hence this mix-
‘ture perfeveres not in the Teft of
‘the Fire, though it be Mineral ;
. “aes N be
i a a inal
_becaufe Nature attra&s it not
from 2: propurtionable' digeftion, |
“nor hath Art vehemently decocted
it to.an alreration of the mixt na-
tures ; wherefore that Copper ap-
pears to be fuperficiallyonly, and ©
not permanently and: intrinfically
tinged. Wherefore we muft. not
adhereto the-Experiments of de-
ceitful, Sophifters, becaufe the
truth of the natural Art confutes
this Sophiftick Work, and fhews it
' to be falfe. And if you will in-
\.ftance farther, and fay, that as the ©
{aid Aynaldus by Sublimation pur-
ged away. the drofs.of Mercury,
and dried it-in-itsnature;' fo alfo
(as: you fay) he by: reviving it,.
moiftned. it again, and-made the
Mercury it {elf hot and moift,-and
in its nature conformable. to its
Body., This hinders not (my Re-
verend Dostor),nor. refutes the+
truth of the Philofophick Art, yea
rather an errour appears in the
Natural Art: For, as is manifeft,
- Avnaldus doth teach,if you regard
the found of his words, that Mer-
are 7 " _-eury
 rn. Trevifan, &C, 267—
cury thus throughly dried, is tes
vived by hot water into whith it
is cat; and he faith that it is
made hot and moift, when it —
-was fir fublimed hot and dry.
| But what true Philofopher would
fay, that Mercury or any other Me-
tal, is changed in nature and in-
ternal quality by fimple Water,
however hot or boyling, or that it
could thence acquire its natural
humidity, and fo be revived ?
Therefore Mercury in this revival
acquires nothing, becaufe common.
Water neither decogs nor alters
it, becaufe it geither hath en-
trance nor ingrefs into it, and
that which neither hath entrance -
“nor ingrefs, alters not; becaufe
_ every thing’ to be altered, muft
firft be throughly mingled. .For
indeed fuch a Water may. wipe
away from it fome fuperficial drofs
fwimming upon it, but cannot in-
fufe into it a new quality: For —
what nature foever Mercury redu-
ced into 2 Powder, and mortified
_ by Sublimations, retained, fuch
N 2 natuse
 fwver, Beesai
nature altogether it retains tevin
ved by Water.: Now this I would
have to be fpoken in honour and
refpe& unto the faid Arnaldus;.
but I contemplate and defend the
truth of Nature and Experience. —
Furthermore, honoured Doctor,
that I may by this my Anfwer fa- e
_ tishie your Epifile, and put anend
thereto, I humbly entreat you that
you would take in good part, and
favourably bear what I have writ-
ten, not by way of Confutation,
but Difputation : But if I have
anfwered any thing that offends
you, take it yet in good part and
- favourably, or fignifie it to me in
writing, and I will fatisfie you to
my power, asthe moft true Doctor
our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Son of
God, blefied for ever and ever,
fhall give and teach me,
Thanks be to Chrift.

THE -
 ~ a ee
ft aay See = pce aria ee eit ee

Ber-
The Prefatory Epiftle of
nard Earl of Trefne, to.
the noble Dottor and most
learned Philofopher Tho-
- _masof Bononia.
My Friend,
[ I had any thing more noble, _
imagine you with what good
will I fhould dedicate
‘it to thee,
. for having confidered the wonder-
ful virtue of this Science in its
height, which you are not igno-
rant of, therefore was I willing to
dedicate this my Labour unto
thee, intreating thee to accept it
with as good a.will as I give it un-
to thee, and conclude that whilft —
I give thee this my Labour, that
Ihave given a. greater Treafure
than was ever ordained. by the —
good pleafure of the omnipotent.
God, according to the courfe of
Nature. pgs
__ There isa way truly of arriving
to an Univerfal Knowledge, which
:we commonly cali the Philofophers
N3 Storey
4
 Stone, and thou fhalt find it in this .
2. _\* ‘my little Book a,’
a Bern. Trevifa- (little, I fay, in ©
‘nus de Tranfine~
eaiiebid’ MManallen words, but great _
rum, 4 libris, ©: and high in fub-
* dmpreffus eftcum {tance) alfo it con-
Jo.Fr.Pici opere taineth entirely e-
set. ellis very Science, that
isto fay, the be-
ginning, and ending. Thou fhalt
find this my Book divided into
- four parts, and thou mayft judge
- thereof after thou haft well undes-
food it. Farewell.
~ From Trefwe, May 12.1453.
FINIS.
This Epiftle I have caufed to be
printed, not for the fignification
thereof eitherasto quality or quan-
_ tity, but only to prevent the mifia-
king the one Epiftle for the other;
and could Ihave found more Epi-
files berween thefe two moft excellent
Authors, 1frould not have befitared
their publication, bat conclude that
rhey would have been as welcrm to
our Englifh Philfophers , as any -
sither Ancient or Modern Writers.
‘Vale. W, C. Bibl. \ A
ees

A brief Rehearfal of the

Preparation of the Philo-
fophers Stone.
Ecipe >, and fublime hinr
from his Earthly fubftance,
and then diffolve hina into his for-
mer fubftance: then if it be to the
Red Work take So/, if it be to the
White Work take Luna, and dif-
folve it in the faid Mercury, until +
they be both one Mercury, which
will not bewithout Putrefaction;
then feparate the Elements, and
deco& them according to their
due proportion. Note, this Sulphur
Philofophorum is the Earth of the
Elements calcined, fublimed_ and
fixed; then it is coloured with
either Sof or Lana, according as
thy Workis,the which So/ or Luna
is added to frefh or other Mercury
after the order of Amalgama;
then fixing the Sulphur and the
Elements, and that new So/ which
is called the Earth, according to
their due proportion ; the which
Names
gry ofweight “fhall noeee ss
_ made mention of here, for the love _
_ of him that taught it me, and left —
_ too common it fhould be; for ifit
fhould be named in two Books, “
then all the World would decay in
Husbandry and Induftry, if notin
Honefty, which I pray God pre-
_ vent. Amen. .

) ‘ oe :
4. o > ‘ 4

Shine ron 0. ove

— gs * See

ee
SS
~

“Books fold by Will. Cooper,

at the Pelican in Little
Britain. %

dees Philalethes his Prin--

ted Works, in number.1 f«
(viz.) ;
Introitus apergus ad occlufum Re-
gisPalatium./ - *
---. Idem in Enpligh, called Se-
crets'Reveald.
The Marrow of Alchymy, in ~
Two Parts. S.
Ars Metallorum Metamorphsfeos
Fons Chymice Philofoph'a.
Brevis Manuduftio ad Rubinuns
Carlestem. ;
Methodica Enarratio trium Ge-
bri Medicinarum, °
Vade-mecum Philofophicum, five
breve Manuduttorium ad Campum .
Sophie. . aS.
Experimenta de Preparations
Mercurit Sophici. Sa
An Expofition upon Sir George
Ripley's Epiftleto Edward the 4th.
King of England. &
Ss --- Idem
= > = 4
meee FeespeSe he s Prefiok
to. hisCompound of.Alchymy.
---- Idem upon Ripley’s firkt Six
Gates of his Compound.
_ e¢= Idem upon Ripley’s Vifion.
_ =--= Idem upon his Recagitula=
tion. *

---- His Experiments for’ the

Preparation of the SophickMercury.
The Philofophical Epitaph, with
Hieroglyphical Figuress.
Helvetius hisGolden Calf, with
~ Figures.
_ Glauber’s Extra&ion of Gold out
of Stones, Gravel, Sand, ¢c.
Fehior the three Principles or
_ Originals of all things.
_ ACatalogue of Chymical Books
in Three Parts.
_* The Principlesof the Chymifts
of London, in Two Parts.
| Simpfon’s Philofophical Difcourfe
of Fermentation.
- Ripley Reviv'd, or a Colleétion
of fix feveral Pieces of the famous
Eireneus Philalethes.
Opus Tripartitum de Philofepho-
Tum 4rcams.
 ee
. = ane
oe 7h oe
S. a

ifonsina1 Chymica, ora Cole.

Jedtion of 14 Pieces: cohcerning.
the Firft Matter of chePhilfophers s
Mercury.
Five Treatifes of the ‘Philofo- :
phers Stone.
Boyle’ s Efluviums ofFlame and
Air.
-- his Difcourfe of Gems and
precious Stones. 22
---- his Tracts of the Sewn of
Metals in their Ore. a
- Starkey’s Pyrotechny. ~
---- his Liquor Alchaheft.
The Art of Metals, how to find,. ah
* “know and refine them ‘from their
Ore.
Godfrey's Abufés of Phyficians,
in-giving Preventative Phyfick be-
fore that People be fick. aon
~ Geber the Zrabian his Chymical
Works, in Englifh.
St. Dunftan eethe Philofophers |
Stone.
Burgravius “his Vital or Aftral
Philofophy, in Englifhz \
Thompfon’s Chymical Method.
e--+ his Epilog: {mi Chymici.
aa: : Wi Br
 8
Synopfis Medicine.
Crollus hi Admonitory Preface, 4
or Introdegtion to his Bafilica Chy-
mica :but not printed with the
alience =
Aula Lucis, or Houte of Light,
Sins Di
ee Difcourfe of -Petre-
Paracel his Archidoxes, dif
epectag the way of making
Quinteffences, Arcanum, Magifie-
Hes,Elixirs, &c. :
“:aee<his Aurora, and: Treafure of .
‘the Philofophers ; together with
¢he Water-Stone ofthe Wife-mén
sac, Behmen bis Aurora, or che
i Rapeof Philofophy.
| e=-+ his Remains of his Works.
- ---- his Forty Queftions of the
Soul
+ A Vindication of the DoStrine
Of the State of Souls-departed-
Spencer's View of Ireland, fol.
-A Caveat for the “Proreftant.
or‘ByifPopery be reftored. > |
The ws eye
oa! y Saint Rana WE SE TW