Part 4

Take of our earth, through eleven degrees, eleven graines, of our Gold, and not of the vulgar one grain, of our Lune, not the vulgar, two grains: but be thou well advised, that thou takest not common Gold, and Silver, for these are dead, take ours which are living: then put them into our fire, and let there be made of them a dry liquor; first of all the earth wil be resolved into water, which is called the Mercury of Philosophers; and that water shall resolve those bodies of Gold, and Silver, and shal consume them so, that there shall remain but the tenth part with one part; and this shall be the radicall moisture of Metalls. Then take water of salt-nitre, which comes from our earth, in which there is a river of living water, if thou diggest the pit knee deep, therefore take water out of that, but take that, which is cleer; upon this, put that radicall moisture; and set it over the fire of putrefaction, and generation, not on such a one as thou didst in the first operation: govern all things with a great deale of discretion, untill colours appear like a Peacocks tail; govern it by digesting it, and be not weary, untill these colours be ended, and there appear throughout the whole one green colour, and so of the rest; and when thou shalt see in the bottome ashes of a fiery colour, and the water almost red, open the vessel, dip in a pen, and smeare some Iron with it, if it tinge, have in readinesse that water, which afterwards I shall speak of, and put in so much of that water as the cold aire was, which went in, boil it again with the former fire, untill it tinge again. So far reached my experience, I can doe no more, I found out no more. Now that water must be the menstruum of the world, out of the sphere of the Moon, so often rectified, untill it can calcine Gold: I have been willing here to discover to thee all things; and if thou shalt understand my meaning sometimes, and not the letter, I have revealed all things; especially in the first, and second work. Now it remains that we speak next of the fire. The first fire, or of the first operation is a fire of one degree, continuall, which goes round the matter; the second is a naturall fire, which digests, and fixeth the matter: I tell thee truely that I have opened to thee the governance, or rules of the fire, if thou understandest Nature: The vessell remains yet to be spoken of. It must be the vessel of Nature, and two are sufficient; the vessell of the first work must be round; but in the second a glasse, a little lesse like unto a viall, or an egge. But in all these know, that the fire of Nature is but one, and if it works variously, it is by reason of the difference of places. The vessell therefore of Nature is but one; but wee for brevities sake use a couple: the matter is one, but out of two substances. If therefore thou wilt give thy mind to make things, consider first things that are already made; if thou canst not reach, or understand things presented to thy eyes, much lesse things that are to be made, and which thou desirest to make. For know that thou canst create nothing, for that is proper to God alone, but to make things, that are not perceived, but lye hid in the shadow, to appear, and to take from them their vaile, is granted to an intelligent Philosopher by God through Nature. Consider, I beseech thee, the simple water of a cloud: who would ever beleeve that that contains in it selfe all things in the world, hard Stones, Salts, Aire, Earth, Fire, when as yet of it selfe it seems to be simple? What shall I say of the Earth, which contains in it Water, Fire, Salts, Aire, and of it self seems to be but meer earth? O wonderfull Nature, which knows how to produce wonderfull fruits out of Water in the earth, and from the Aire to give them life. All these are done, and the eyes of the vulgar doe not see them; but the eyes of the understanding, and imagination perceive them, and that with a true sight. The eyes of the wise look upon Nature otherwise, then the eyes of common men. As for example, the eyes of the vulgar see that the sun is hot; but the eyes of Philosophers on the contrary see it rather to bee cold, but its motion to be hot. The acts and effects of it are understood through the distance of places. The fire of Nature is one and the same with it: for as, the Sun is the Center amongst the spheres of the Planets; and out of this Center of the heaven it scatters its heat downward by its motion; so in the Center of the earth is the sun of the earth, which by its perpetuall motion sends its heat, or beams upward to the superficies of the earth. That intrinsecall heat is far more efficacious then this Elementary fire; but it is allayed with an Earthy water, which from day to day doth penetrate the pores of the earth, and cooles it: So the Aire doth temper, and mitigate the heavenly Sun, and its heat, for this aire doth day after day fly round the world: and unlesse this were so, all things would be consumed by so great a heat, neither would any thing be brought forth. For as that invisible fire, or Centrall heat would consume all things, if the water coming betwixt did not prevent it; so the heat of the Sun would destroy all things; if the Aire did not come betwixt. But how these Elements work one with another, I will briefly declare. In the Center of the earth is the Centrall Sun, which by its own motion, or of its firmament doth give a great heat, which extends it self even to the superficies of the earth. That heate causeth aire after this manner. The Matrix of aire is water, which bringeth forth sons of its own nature, but unlike, and far more subtill then it selfe; for where the water is denyed entrance, the aire enters: when therefore that Centrall heat, which is perpetuall, doth act, it makes water distill, and be heated, and so that water by reason of the heat is turned into aire, upon this account it breaks forth to the superficies of the earth, because it will not suffer it self to be shut in: then when it is cold, it is resolved into water. In the mean time it happens also that in opposite places not only air but water goes out; so you see it is, when black clouds are by violence carried up into the aire: for which thing take this as a familiar example. Make water hot in a pot, and thou shalt see that a soft fire causeth gentle vapours, and winds; but a strong fire maketh thick clouds appear. Just in the same manner doth the Centrall heat worke; it lifts up the subtill water into aire, that which is thick by reason of its salt or fatnesse, it distributes to the earth, by meanes of which divers things are generated, that which remaines becomes stones, and rocks. But some may object, if it were so, it would be done constantly, but oftentimes there is no wind at all perceived. I answer, if water be not poured violently into a distillatory vessell, there is made no wind, for little water stirs up but little wind: you see that thunders are not alwaies made, although there be rain, and wind; but only when by force of the aire the swelling water is carried to the sphere of the fire; for fire will not indure water. Thou hast before thine eyes an example, when thou pourest cold water into a hot furnace, from whence a thundering noise is raised. But why the water doth not enter uniformly into those places, and cavities, the reason is, because these sorts of vessells, and places are many; and sometimes one cavity by blasts, or winds drives away from it self water for some dayes, and months, untill there be a repercussion of the water again: As wee see in the sea, whose waves are moved and carryed a thousand miles, before they find, or meet with a repercussion to make them return back; but to return to our purpose. I say that Fire, or Heat is the cause of the motion of the Aire, and the life of all things; and the Earth is the Nurse of all these things, or their receptacle. But if there were not Water to coole our Earth, and Aire, then the Earth would be dryed, for these two reasons, _viz._ by reason of the Motion of the Centrall Sun, and heat of the Celestiall: Neverthelesse it happens sometimes in some places, when the pores of the earth are obstructed, that the humidity, or water cannot penetrate, that then by reason of the correspondency of the Celestiall, and Centrall Sun (for they have a magnetick vertue betwixt themselves) the earth is inflamed by the Sun: so that even sometimes there are made great chops, or furrows in the earth. Cause therefore that there be such an operation in our earth, that the Centrall heat may change the Water into Aire, that it may goe forth into the plaines of the world, and scatter the residue, as I said, through the pores of the earth; and then contrariwise the Aire will be turned into Water, far more subtill then the first Water was: and this is done thus, if thou givest our old man Gold, or Silver to swallow, that he may consume them, and then hee also dying may be burnt, and his ashes scattered into water, and thou boil that water untill it be enough, and thou shalt have a medicine to cure the leprosie. Mark, and be sure that thou takest not cold for hot, or hot for cold, but mixe natures with natures, and if there be any thing that is contrary to nature (for Nature alone is necessary for thee) separate it, that Nature may be like Nature. Doe this by fire, and not with thy hand: and know that if thou dost not follow Nature, all is in vain: and here I have spoken to thee through the help of God, what a father should speak to his son; Hee which hath ears let him heare, and he which hath his senses, let him set his mind upon what I say.

_THE TWELFTH TREATISE._

_Of the Stone, and its vertue._

In the foregoing Treatises it hath been sufficiently spoken concerning the production of Naturall things, concerning the Elements, the First matter, and Second matter, Bodies, Seeds, and concerning the Use and Vertue of them: I wrote also the Praxis of making the Philosophers Stone. Now I will discover so much of the vertue of it, as Nature hath granted to me, and experience taught me. But to comprehend the argument of all these Treatises briefly, and in few words, that the Reader which fears God may understand my mind and meaning, the thing is this. If any man doubt of the truth of the Art, let him read the voluminous writings of ancient Philosophers, verified by reason, and experience; whom wee may deservedly give credit to in their own Art: but if any will not give credit to them, then we know not how to dispute with them, as denying principles: for deaf, and dumbe men cannot speak. What prerogative should all things in this world have before Metalls? Why should these alone by having seed without cause denyed to them, be excluded from Gods universall blessing of multiplication, which holy writ affirms was put in, and bestowed on all created things presently after the world was made? Now if they have Seed, who is so sottish to think that they cannot bee multiplyed in their Seed? The Art of Alchymie in its kind is true, Nature also is true, but the Artificer is seldome true: there is one Nature, one Art, but many Artificers. Now what things Nature makes out of the Elements, she generates them by the will of God out of the first matter, which God onely knowes: Nature makes and multiplies those things of the second matter, which the Philosophers know. Nothing is done in the world without the pleasure of God, and Nature. Every Element is in its own sphere; but one cannot be without the other; one lives by vertue of the other, and yet being joined together they doe not agree; but Water is of more worth then all the Elements, because it is the mother of all things: upon this swims the spirit of Fire. By reason of Fire Water is the first matter, _viz._ by the striving together of Fire, and Water, and so are generated Winds, and Vapours apt, and easy to bee congealed with the earth, by the help of the crude aire, which from the beginning was separated from it. And this is done without cessation, by a perpetuall motion; because fire, or heat is stirred up no otherwise then by motion, which thing you may easily conceive by a Smith filing Iron, which through vehement motion waxeth hot in that manner, as if it were heated in the Fire. Motion therefore causeth heat, heat moves the water, the motion of the water causeth aire, the life of all living things. Things therefore grow after this manner (as I said before) _viz._ out of water; for out of the subtill Vapour of it, subtil and light things proceed; out of the oylinesse of it, things that are heavy, and of greater price; but of the salt things far more excellent then the former. Now because Nature is sometimes hindred, that it cannot produce pure things; seeing the Vapour, Fatnesse, and Salt are fouled or stained, and mixe themselves with the places of the earth: Moreover, experience teacheth us to separate the pure from the impure. Therefore if thou wilt have Nature be bettered, or mended in her actings, dissolve what body you please, and that which was added or joined to Nature, as heterogeneous, separate, cleanse, joine pure things with pure, ripe to ripe, crude to crude, according to the poise of Nature, and not of Matter. And know that the Centrall salt Nitre doth not receive more of the Earth then it hath need of, whether it be pure or impure: but the fatnesse of the water is otherwise, for it is never to be had pure; art purifies it by a twofold heat, and then conjoins it.

_THE EPILOGUE, or CONCLUSION OF THESE TWELVE TREATISES._

FRIENDLY READER,