Chapter 7

By reason of its abounding _Sulphur_, which is therein; for I find no fluxibleness or fusibleness in any thing saving in _Sulphur_, _Mercury_ and _Arsenick_, and all these three are in _Saturn_; so that _Saturn_ is quickly fluxible, but all these three are cleansed with it from their uncleanness. And do you not know, that the Philosophers call their Stone _Arsenick_, and a white thing; and they say their _Sulphur_ is incombustible; they call it likewise a red thing, all this is _Saturn_, in it is _Arsenick_; for _Luna_ is principally generated of a white _Sulphur_, as is plainly taught in the Book of _Sulphurs_, and all _Arsenick_ is internally red as Bloud, if its inward part be brought outwards, as is demonstrated in the Book of Colours, _&c._ _Saturn_ stands almost in the degree of fix'd _Luna_. So that in it there is a red Sulphur, as you see, when its internal is placed outwards, it will be red as a Ruby; there are no Colours but in the Spirits, so that there is in it a red and a yellow Sulphur. In it is _Mercury_, as may be seen, for _Mercury_ is extracted out of _Saturn_ in a short time, and with little labour.

So that all three are in _Saturn_, but they are not fix'd therein, but they are clean, pure, incombustible, fluxible as Wax; in it are all things which the Philosophers have mentioned. They say, our Stone is made of a stinking menstruous thing: What think you, is not _Saturn_ digg'd out of a stinking Earth? for divers are killed with the ill Sents and Vapours where _Saturn_ is digg'd, or they live not long who labour in that stinking black Mine, whence _Saturn_ is digg'd. And the Philosophers say, our Stone is of little value, being unprepared; they say, the poor have it as well as the rich, and they say true; for there are not poorer or more miserable people to be found than those which dig and work _Saturn_ in the Mine; and they say it is to be found in all Towns and places, wheresoever you come _Saturn_ is there. They say it is a black thing: What think you, is it not black? They say, it is a dry water, if Gold or _Luna_ be to be refined upon the test, must it not be done with _Saturn_? they must be wash'd and tried with it, as a foul garment is made clean with Sope. They say, in our Stone are the four Elements, and they say true; for the four Elements may be separated out of _Saturn_. They say, our Stone consists of Soul, Spirit and Body, and these three become one. They say true; when it is made fix'd for the white _Mercury_ and Sulphur with its Earth, then these three are one.

Whereby is to be observed, that the Philosophers have said true; they concealed its Name for the ignorants sake, who are not their Children, to keep them still in their Ignorance. Thus, my Child, the Ancients took care to conceal the name of the Stone; now let us return to our purpose.

You have now _Saturn_ wash'd and cleansed from all its impurity, and made as white as Snow, fusible as Wax, but is it not fix'd yet; we will make it fix the _Mercury_ and Sulphur with its Earth.

Take a Glass-Vial, put half of your purified _Saturn_ into it, reserve the other half till you have occasion to use it; lay a polish'd Glass upon the mouth of the Glass, set it in a Cuple with sifted Ashes upon a Furnace; or set it on the _Tripos_ of Secrets, or in the Furnace wherein you calcine Spirits; give it Fire so hot as the heat of the Sun at _Midsummer_, and no hotter, either a very little hotter, or a very little cooler, as you can best hit it. But if you give it a greater heat, such as you may keep Lead in flux, then your Matter would melt as if it were Oil; and having stood so, ten or twelve days, its Sulphur would fly away, and your Matter would all be spoiled, for the Sulphur which is in your Matter is not yet fix'd, but is in the external. Wherefore the Matter melts presently, and though it be clean, yet it is not fix'd; wherefore give so gentle a fire to it, that it may not flux; so keep it six weeks, then take out a little of it, lay it on a glowing hot Plate, if it immediately melts and fumes, it is not yet fixed, but if the Matter remain unmelted, the Sulphur is then fix'd which is therein; then strengthen the Fire notably, till the Matter in the Glass begins to look yellow, and continually more and more yellow, like to powdered Saffron, then augment the fire yet stronger, till the Matter begin to be red, then prosecute your Fire from one degree to another, even as the Powder becomes redder and redder by degrees, so hold on your Fire, till the Matter be red as a Ruby, then augment the Fire yet more, that the Matter may be glowing hot, then is it fixt, and ready to pour the curious Water of Paradise upon it.

My Child must know, that there are two ways of pouring on the Water of Paradise; I will teach you to make and prepare both, then may you take which you will; for the one is half as good again as the other.

My Child, you may remember, that I ordered you to reserve the one half of the purified _Saturn_, which take and put into a Stone-pot, pour upon it a bottle or more of distilled Wine-Vinegar, set a head on, distil the Vinegar again from it in a Bath, the head must have a hole at the top to pour fresh Vinegar upon the Matter, and abstract the Vinegar again from it, pour fresh Vinegar again on, and again abstract it, this pouring on, and abstracting or distilling off must continue so long, till the Vinegar be drawn off as strong as it was when it was put in, then is it enough, and the Matter hath in it as much of the Spirit of Vinegar as it can contain; then take the Pot out of the Bath, take off the head, and take the Matter out, and put it into a thick glass which can endure the Fire, set a head on it, put it in a Cuple with Ashes, which set on a Furnace, first make a small Fire, and so continually a little stronger, till your Matter come over as red as Bloud, thick as Oil, and sweet as Sugar, with a Celestial Sent, then keep it in that heat so long as it distils, and when it begins to slack, then increase your Fire till the Glass begin to glow; continu this heat till no more will distil, then let it cool of it self, take the Receiver off, stop it very close with Wax, take the Matter out of the Glass, beat it to powder in an Iron Mortar, with a steel Pestle; and then grind it on a Stone with good distilled Vinegar, put this Matter so ground into a Pot, poure good distilled Vinegar upon it, that two parts be full, set the Pot into a Bath with a head upon it, distil the Vinegar off, poure fresh Vinegar again upon it, distil it off again: thus do so long, that the Vinegar be as strong as it was when it was first poured upon it, then let it cool, take the Matter out of the Bath, take the head off, take the Matter out of the Pot, put it into a stronger round Glass which can endure the Fire, as you did before, set it upon a Furnace in a Cuple with sifted Ashes, set a head on, and a Receiver luted to it, then distil it, first with a small fire, which augment by degrees, till a Matter come over red as Bloud, and thick as Oyl, as aforesaid; give it fire till no more will distil, then let it cool of it self, take off the head, break the glass-pot, and take the Matter out, powder it again, and grind it on a Stone with distilled Vinegar, put it again into the Stone pot, poure fresh Vinegar upon it, set it into the Bath, and its head on, distil the Vinegar from it, poure it on again as hath been taught, till the Vinegar remain strong as it was.

Reiterate this distillation in the Bath until the Matter hath no more Spirit of the Vinegar in it, then take it out, set it in a glass-pot, distil all that will distil forth in ashes, till the Matter become a red Oil, then have you the most noble water of Paradise, to pour upon all fix'd stones, to perfect the Stone; this is one way. This water of Paradise thus distilled, the Ancients called their sharp clear Vinegar, for they conceal its name.

My Child, I will now teach you other ways to make the Water of Paradise; this is an easie way, but not so good, nor doth it that high projection in humane Medicines, yet it cures all Diseases within and without, but the other cures miraculously in a short time.

_The second way of preparing the Water of Paradise._

My Child, if you would make it after this manner, you must take the half of your prepared _Saturn_ which I ordered you to keep, upon which poure the half of your fix'd and prepared Water of Paradise, take the half, put it into a Stone-pot, poure weak Wine Vinegar upon it, mix it well together, then take two pounds of calcined _Tartar_, which is well clarified by solution and coagulation, so that it leave no more _Faeces_ behind it, _Salt Armoniac_ one pound, which is likewise so clearly sublimed, that no _Faeces_ remain after its sublimation, pound both together to a Powder, put them speedily into a pot, and stop it close immediately, or else it will run out; for so soon as the _Tartar_ and _Salt Armoniac_ come to the Vinegar, they lift themselves up, and would immediately run out of the mouth of the pot, wherefore stop the pot presently, set the pot in a Vessel of Water, they will cool speedily, otherwise if the cold and hot Matter should come together suddenly, they would contest together, rise up, and become so hot, that the pot would break for heat, if it were not set in cold Water; therefore take heed, when you put the powders in, that you stop it immediately, and set it in cold Water before you put the other Powder to it, then will they unite, let them stand a day and a night in that Vessel, then take them out, set them into a lukewarm Bath two days and nights, let it cool of it self, take the Stopple off from the pot, and set a head on, set the pot in sifted Ashes, upon a Furnace, distil with a small fire, and continually greater till all the Vinegar be over, then augment your Fire notably, till you see quick _Mercury_ drop out of the Pipe, when it ceases to drop, then augment the Fire by little and little and drive it so long as it drops; you may observe when it will leave dropping, if in the space of one or two _Pater-nosters_ one drop doth fall, then augment the Fire till the pot glow at the bottom, for twelve hours and when the _Mercury_ is over, then should the _Salt Armoniac_ sublime up into the head, and the _Tartar_ remain with the Body of _Saturn_ at the bottom of the Pot, which take out, put it into a Linnen Bag, hang it in a moist Cellar, the _Tartar_ will dissolve, receive it in a Glass, the body of _Saturn_ remains in the Bag, take it out, and calcine it in a reverberating Furnace three days and nights, with a great heat, as is taught elsewhere, then extract the Salt out, as is taught in the Mineral Book. You may make projection with the Salt, and coagulate your _Tartar_ again, it will be as good or better than it was, likewise take your _Salt Armoniac_ out of the Head, it is good again, and if you could have no _Salt Armoniac_, then take three pound of calcined _Tartar_, likewise so clarified, that it leave no _Faeces_ behind, you then need no _Salt Armoniac_, therewith may you likewise extract the _Mercury_ out of _Luna_ and _Jupiter_, wherewith you may do wonders, as is taught in the Miner. Book, where is spoken of the Quintessence of Metals.

Now my Child must know, that this _Mercury_ or Quintessence of _Saturn_ is as good in all works as the _Mercury_ of _Sol_, they are both alike good, and herein all Philosophers agree. My Child, take this _Mercury_ of _Saturn_, so drawn out of the Receiver, put it into a Glass Box.

I have now taught you to make two sorts of the Water of Paradise; and know, my Child, that the first way is the best; though it be made with some danger, longer time, and more charge; for the Vinegar is all good, yet the red Oil is the best; its time is alike unto the end, and though it be more tedious before you obtain the red Oil, yet it fixes it self in a short time, if it come to the Matter or fix'd Stone, into a simple Essence in greater redness; but when the _Mercury_ comes to the fix'd stone, it holds on a long time in ascending and descending before it die, and when it is quite dead, it makes the red fix'd Stone again into a fixt colour, so covering the red stone with its coldness, that the red stone becomes white again, then must you boil it again gently with a small Fire, till it begin to be yellow, prosecuting the Fire from one degree to another, as the Colour is higher and stronger, and that so long till it attain to a perfect redness, which requires a long time before it be done, which is not requisite in the red Oil; for the red Oil dies or coagulates forthwith the stone, the one fixing it self with the other into a simple Essence, in a short time. Therefore I tell thee, my Child, that the time of the Oyl is alike long in the end, though it appear to be of a shorter time with the _Mercury_, but it is equally long at the end of the Work, therefore I tell you the Art of both Works, that you may the better understand the Art to make the Oyl from the innermost Nature of the Stone, which is found afterwards.

The Oyl was unknown to the Ancients, for my Grandfather with his Companions found it with great labour and length of time.

So there are two ways to dissolve the Stone, and to poure upon it the clear water of Paradise. Our Ancestors called the Oyl their sharp Vinegar; therefore, my Child, keep the Name private, and I will teach you first of all how you shall join the _Mercury_ to your Stone, which you extracted out of _Saturn_, to dissolve it; afterwards I will teach you to bring over the helm that red Oil which you extracted out of your prepared _Saturn_, into a fixt stone, to dissolve your stone.

My Child, weigh your fixt stone, take half as much of your _Mercury_, poure it upon the stone in the Glass, cover the Glass again with a polish'd Glass which may just fit it, set it in a Cuple with sifted Ashes, make a small Fire like the Suns heat at _Midsummer_, and give no more Fire to it, until the Water of Paradise or _Mercury_ become all a dead Powder. And know, my Child, that the red or fixt Stone, which before was darkned, when it hath drunk up the Water of Paradise, or _Mercury_, or how you will call it, that it be a Powder between black and gray, then augment the Fire from one degree to another, till the Matter be perfect white, and when it is white, strengthen the Fire yet more, from one degree to another, till it be of a dark yellow Colour, then make it yet stronger, till it be of a perfect red; then rejoice, for your Stone is perfect, and fluxible as Wax. Praise God, who gives unto us part of his Miracles; and do good to the poor; you may see it with your fleshly Eyes, and use Gods goodness miraculously in this corrupt Life, for I tell you in good Charity, that if any one principally attain to this Stone, that it is given, afforded, and lent him from God. Whosoever hath this Stone, may live in a healthful state, to the last term of his Life, appointed him by God, and may have all whatsoever he desires on Earth.

He shall be loved and esteemed of all people, for he can cure them all internally and externally of all Diseases which may befall them; but if the Stone doth not so, it is false, and deserves not the name of the Vegetable Stone, or Philosophers Stone.

Therefore my Child, if God give you this Stone, look diligently to it, that you keep your self from offending God, that you make not this Stone on earth to be your Heaven; govern and rule your self to Gods glory and to the comfort of poor people, that Gods praise may be augmented, to the defence of the Christian Religion, and to the relief of poor exiled Christians I tell you, my Child, if you use it otherwise, God will leave you here a little while to your own Will, but afterwards he will speedily send a punishment, either you shall be struck dead, or die by a Fall; or die some other sudden death, and go Body and Soul to Hell, and be damned eternally, for your Ingratitude to God, who so graciously vouchsafed you so precious and great a Gift.

Therefore, my Child, look carefully to it, so to govern your self to Gods Glory, and the Salvation of your Soul, that the eternal Curse may not fall upon you; and therefore I have left you this Writing as my Testament. Enough hath been said to the wise, therefore look to your self.

_The Multiplication of the Stone now perfected._

Now my Child, you may take the half of your Powder, put it into a Glass and melt it, have in readiness a Mould made hollow, of Box-wood, great or small as you please, it must be made smooth and even within with an Instrument, anoint it with Oil Olive, and when your red Powder is flux'd, poure it into the Mould, it will be a precious Stone, red as a Ruby, clear and transparent, take it out of the Mould, and make projection upon the imperfect Metals, and in the Body of Man.

Take ten times as much of prepared _Saturn_ as I taught you before, by Coagulation and Solution, till it leave no _Faeces_ behind, then take your precious red Powder out of the Glass, that two parts be full, set it into your warm Bath, and let it dissolve: when any thing is dissolved, decant off that which is clear on the top into another Glass, poure other Vinegar upon it, let it dissolve again as before, decant and poure fresh Vinegar upon it so often, till all be dissolved into a clear Water, which is done usually in ten or twelve days, then set all that which is dissolved into a Bath, and a head upon it, distil the Vinegar from it again, and coagulate the Matter so long till it be dry and shine, then put it into another Glass, which set upon a Furnace in a Cuple with sifted Ashes, laying a polish'd Glass upon the Mouth of the Glass.

My Child, know that your Matter is become fixt with the Stone in the solution, make an indifferent hot fire in the furnace, so hot as the heat of the Sun at _Midsummer_, or somewhat hotter; till the Matter begin to be yellow, then go on with the Fire from one degree to another, till you have a perfect yellow, then increase the Fire from one degree to another, till you have a perfect redness, which is quickly done, in half the time for the colour to come, and in the multiplication, but operate as before in the beginning, and poure Paradise water upon the Stone, as was taught you before in this Work, boil and mortifie it in every point to a perfect redness as hath been taught.

Then may you again take half of it out, and make projection therewith, and multiply the other half again in all points as abovesaid, so may you always continue working.

Now I will teach you the other way, and the best that is to water your red fixt Stone or powder with the red Oil, that it be fusible; you must know how much your red powder weighs, then take half the weight of your red Oil, to the full weight of the Stone, and poure it upon the red powder, and when the Oil is poured into the Glass, you may set a small head on, upon a Furnace in sifted Ashes, joining a Receiver to the Nose of the head, make a small fire under it, as the heat of the Sun in _March_, and no hotter; for there is yet some moisture of the Vinegar in the Oil, that it may be abstracted, continue it in that heat, that can perceive no moisture in the Head, then augment the fire a little, as the heat of the Sun at _Midsummer_, and if there be yet more moisture in it, you will perceive it in the head, but if you perceive it not in 6 or 8 days, then take the head off, and lay the polish'd Glass again upon the mouth of your Glass, increase the fire, that you can scarce endure your hand or finger in the Ashes an _Ave-Mary_ while, continue the fire in that heat till the red Oil be all fixt with the Powder in the Glass, which you may know thus;

Take a little of the powder out of the Glass, lay it on a glowing Silver Plate, if the powder melts as wax, and penetrates through the Plate as Oil doth through a dry Leather, and makes it Gold throughout, as far as the powder went, then is the Stone finish'd, and if it do not this, you must then let it stand in that heat till it do so without fuming.

Now, my Child, when the Stone is finish'd, take half of it out of the Glass, put it into a Glass melting-pot, and melt the powder gently, which should be done presently, for it melts as Wax; and being melted, poure it into the Mould of Box-wood as aforesaid, it will be a red stone clear and transparent as Crystal, red as a Ruby, then make projection therewith, and set the other half again to multiply.

Then take in Gods Name twenty parts of _Saturn_, which is prepared by Solution and Coagulation, till it leave no more _Faeces_ behind, as hath been said at the beginning. Dissolve these twenty parts of _Saturn_, dissolve by itself in a Glass with distilled Vinegar; likewise dissolve the powder of your Stone alone by it self in a Glass with distilled Vinegar, and when both are dissolved into clear water, poure both the Solutions together into a great Glass, set it into a Bath, a head on, and a Receiver to it, distil the Vinegar from it in the boiling Bath, till the Matter be dry, then let it cool of itself, put it into a Glass, lay a polish'd Glass over the mouth of the Glass, and set it into a Furnace in a Cuple with sifted Ashes, make a fire under it like to the Suns heat in _March_, till the powder be perfect white, which is quickly done.

Then augment your fire from one degree to another, till the Matter become yellower and yellower, to a perfect yellow; then increase it yet stronger, from one degree to another, till it be redder and redder, to a perfect redness; then poure your water upon the red powder with the red Oil, or with the water of Paradise, or with the clear sharp Vinegar, or call it how you will, doing in all points as hath been taught, till the red powder flux like Wax upon a Silver Plate, without fuming, penetrating it as Oil doth dry Leather, that it become good Gold within and without; then render thanks unto God, be obedient to him for his Gifts and Graces.

You may again take one half out of the Glass, and make projection, setting the other half in again, as hath been taught, so may you work all your Life-time, for the poor, and perform other duties to Gods Glory, and Salvation of your Soul, as I have said before; enough to the wise.

_Projection upon Metal._

Know, my Child, how and in what manner you must use this Stone, which makes projection upon _Mercury_, and all imperfect Metals and Bodies of _Mars_, _Jupiter_ and _Venus_, whereof make Plates glowing hot, whereon straw the Stone, and lay Coals on for a season, that the Stone may penetrate, but the Stones must be made quick with Gold, and _Jupiter_ also, which is very laborious, as is taught in the projection. But you must project upon _Saturn_ or _Luna_, which need not be made quick, only flux them, and cast one part upon a thousand parts, it will be a Medicine, cast one part of these thousand parts upon ten parts, it will be the best Gold that ever was seen on earth.

_Its Use in Physick._

This Stone cures all Leprous people, Plague, and all Diseases which may reign upon Earth, or befal Mankind; this is the true _Aurum potabile_, and the true Quintessence which the Ancients sought; this is what thing whereof the whole Troop of Philosophers speak so wondrously, using all possible skill to conceal its Name and Operation, as aforesaid.