Part 4

The Philosophers moreouer haue taken great paines in dissoluing, that the body and soule might the better be incorporate, for all those things that are together in contrition, assation, and rigation, haue a certaine affinitie and alliance betweene themselues, so that the fire may spoyle the weaker of nature, till it vtterly fade and vanish away, as also it again returneth vpon the stronger parts, vntil the bodie remaine without the Soule. But when they are thus dissolued and congealed, they take the parts one with another, as well great as small, and incorporate them well together, till they be conuerted and changed into one and the same thing. And when this is done, the fire taketh from the Soule as much as from the body, neither more nor lesse, and this is the cause of perfection. For this cause it is necessary (teaching the composition of Elixir) to afford one chapter for expounding the solution of simple bodyes and soules, because bodyes doo not enter into soules, but do rather withhold and hinder them from sublimatiõ, fixation, retention, commistion, and the like operations, except mundification go before. And thou shalt know, that solution is after one of these two wayes: for either it extracteth the inward parts of things vnto their Superficies, and this is solution (an example whereof thou hast in Siluer that seemeth cold and drie, but being dissolued, and that his inwards appeare, it is found hot and moyst) or else it is to purchase to a body an accidentall moysture, which it had not before, and to adde hereunto his owne humiditie, whereby his parts may be dissolued, and this likewise is called solution.

CHAP. XIII.

_Of the coagulation of the Stone dissolued._

Some among the learned haue said, Congeale in a bath with a good congelation as I haue tolde thee, and this is Sulphur shining in darknesse, a red Hiasinth, a firy & deadly poyson, the Elixir that abideth vppon none, a victorious Lion, a malefactor, a sharpe sworde, a precious Triacle, healing euery infirmitie. And _Geber_ the sonne of _Hayen_ sayd, that all the operations of this masterie are contained vnder sixe things: to put to flight, to melt, to incerate, to make as white as Marble, to dissolue and congeale. That putting to flight, is to driue away and remoue blacknesse, from the spirit and soule: the melting is the liquefaction of the body: to incerate belongeth properly to the body, and is the subtiliation thereof: to whiten, is properly to melt speedily: to congeale, is to congeale the body with the soule alreadie prepared. Againe, flight appertaineth to the body and soule: to melt, whiten, incerate, and dissolue, belong vnto the body, and congelation to the soule. Bee wise and vnderstand.

CHAP. XIIII.

_That there is but one Stone, and of his nature._

_Bauzan_ a Greeke Philosopher, when it was demaunded of him, whether a stone may be made of a thing that buddeth, made answere, yea, to wit, the two first stones, the stone _Alkali_, and our stone, which is the life and workmanship of him that knoweth it: but he that is ignorant of it, and hath not made it, and knoweth not how it is engendred, supposing it to be no stone, or that conceiueth not with himselfe whatsoeuer I haue spoken of it, and yet will make a tryall of it, prepareth himselfe for death, and casteth away his money: for if he cannot finde out this precious stone, another shall not arise in his place, neither shall natures triumph ouer him. His nature is great heate with moderation. He that now knoweth it, hath profited by reading this booke, but he that remaineth ignorant, hath lost his labour. It hath many properties and vertues, for it cureth bodies of their accidentall diseases, and preserueth sound substances, in such sort, that their appeareth in them no perturbations of contraries, nor breach of their bond and vnion. For this is the sope of bodies, yea their spirit and soule, which when it is incorporate with them, dissolueth them without any losse. This is the life of the dead, and their resurrection, a medicine preseruing bodies, and purging superfluities. He that vnderstandeth, let him vnderstand, and he that is ignorant, let him bee ignorant stil: for it is not to be bought with mony, it is neither to be bought nor sold. Conceiue his vertue, value, and worth, and then begin to worke: wherof a learned man hath said: God giueth thee not this masterie for thy sole audacity, fortitude & subtilitie, without all labour, but men labor, and God giueth them good successe. Adore thẽ God the creator, that hath vouchsafed thee so great fauor in his blessed works.

CHAP. XV.

_The maner how to make the Stone white._

Nowe therefore when thou wilt enterprise this worthy worke, thou shalt take the precious stone, and put it in a Cucurbite, couering it with an Alembicke, being well closed with the lute of wisdome, and set it in verie hote dung, then shalt thou distill it, putting a receiuer vnder it, whereinto the water may distill, and thus thou shalt leaue it, till all the water be distilled, and moysture dryed vp, and that drynesse preuaile ouer it: then shalt thou take it out drie, reseruing the water that is distilled, vntill thou hast neede of it: thou shalt take (I say) the drie bodie that remayned in the bottome of the Cucurbite, and grinde it, and put it in a vessel, in greatnesse answerable to the quantitie of the medicine, and burie it in verie hote horse-dung as thou canst get, the Vessell beeing well shut with the lute of Wisedome, and so let it rest. But when thou perceyuest the dung to waxe colde, thou shalt get thee other that is fresh, and very hot, and therein put thy Vessell. Thus shalt thou do by the space of fortie dayes, renuing thy dung so often as occasion shall serue, and the Medicine shall dissolue of it selfe, and become a thicke white water: which when thou beholdest to be so, thou shalt weigh it, & put thereto so much of the water which thou hast kept, as will make the halfe of his weight, closing thy Vessell with the lute of Wisedome, and put it againe in hote horse-dung, for that is hote and moyst, and thou shalt not omit (as I haue sayde) to renue the dung, when it beginneth to coole, till the tearme of fortie dayes be expired: for the Medicine shall be congealed in the like number of dayes, as before it was dissolued in. Again, take it, and note the iust weight of it, and according to his quantitie, take of the water which thou madest before, grind the body, and subtiliate it, and poure the water vpon it, and set it againe in hot hors-dung, for a weeke and a halfe, that is to say, ten daies, then take it out, and thou shalt see that the bodie hath already drunk vp the water. Afterward grinde it againe, and put thereto the like quantitie of that water, as thou didst before: bury it in dung, and leaue it there for ten dayes more: take it out againe, and thou shalt find that the body hath already drunke vp the water. Then (as before) grinde it, putting thereto of the foresayd water, the foresayd quantitie, and bury it in the foresayd dung, and let it rest there ten dayes longer, and afterward draw it out, so shalt thou do the fourth time also: which being done, thou shalt drawe it forth, and grinde it, and burie it in dung till it bee dissolued. Afterward, take it out, and reiterate it yet once more, for then the birth is perfect, and his worke ended. Now when this is done, and that thou hast brought this thing to this honourable estate, thou shalt take two hundred and fiftie drams of Lead, or Steele, and melt it: which beeing molten, thou shalt cast thereon one dramme of _Cinnabarus_: that is, of this Medicine, which thou hast brought to this honourable estate, and high degree, and it shall retaine the Steele or Leade, that it fly not from the fire: it shall make it white, and purge it from his drosse and blacknesse, and conuert it into a tincture perpetually abiding. Then take a dramme of these two hundred and fiftie, and proiect it vpon two hundred and fiftie drammes of Steele or Copper, and it shall conuert it into Siluer, better then that of the Myne. This is the greatest and last worke that it can effect, if God will.

CHAP. XVI.

_The conuersion of the foresaid stone into red._

And if thou desirest to conuert this masterie into Golde, take of this medicine (which as I saide, thou hast brought to this honourable estate and excellencie) the waight of one dramme (and this after the manner of thy former example) and put it in a vessell, and bury it in hors-dung for fortie dayes, and it shall be dissolued: then thou shalt giue it water of the dissolued body to drink, first as much as amounteth to halfe his waight, afterward vntill it bee congealed, thou shalt bury it in moyst hot dung, as is aboue sayd. Then thou shalt orderly proceed in this Chapter of Gold, as thou hast done in the former Chapter of Siluer: and it shall be Golde, and make Golde God willing. My Sonne keepe this most secret Booke, and commit it not vnto the handes of ignorant men, being a secret of the secretes of God: For by this meanes thou shalt attaine thy desire. Amen.

_Here endeth the secrets Alchimy, written in Hebrew by_ Calid, _the sonne of_ Iarich.

An excellent discourse of the admirable force and efficacie of Art and Nature, written by the famous Frier _Roger Bacon, Sometime fellow of Merton Colledge, and afterward of Brasen-nose in Oxford_.

Some there are that aske whether of these twaine bee of greatest force, and efficacie, Nature, or Art, whereto I make aunswere, and say, that although Nature be mightie and maruailous, yet Art vsing Nature for an instrument, is more powerfull then naturall vertue, as it is to bee seene in many thinges. But whatsoeuer is done without the operation of Nature or Art, is either no humane worke, or if it bee, it is fraudulently and colourablie performed: for there are some, that by a nimble motion and shewe of members, or through the diuersitie of voyces, and subtillitie of instruments, or in the darke, and by consent doo propose vnto men diuerse things, to bee wondred at, that haue indeede no truth at all. The worlde is euerie where full of such fellowes. For Iuglers cogge many things through the swiftnesse of their hands: and others with varietie of voyces, by certaine deuices that they haue in their bellies, throats or mouthes, will frame mens voyces, farre of, or neare, as it pleaseth thẽ, as if a man spake at the same instant: yea they will counterfeite the soundes of bruit beasts. But the causes hidden in the grasse, or buried in the sides of the earth, proue it to bee done by a humane force, and not by a spirit, as they would make men beleeue. In like maner, wheras they affirm things without life to moue verie swiftly in the twilight of the euening or morning, it is altogither false, and vntrue. As for concent, it can faigne any thing that men desire, according as they are disposed togither. In all these neither Physicall reason, nor Art, nor naturall power hath anye place: and for this cause it is more abhominable, sith it contemneth the lawes of Phylosophie, and contrarie to all reason, inuocateth wicked Spirites, that by theyr helpe they may haue their desire. And herein are they deceyued, that they thinke the Spirits to bee subiect vnto them, and that they are compelled at mens pleasures, which is impossible: for humane force is farre inferiour to that of the Spirites. And againe, they fowly erre, to dreame that the cursed spirits are called vppe, and figured, by vertue of those naturall meanes which they vse. Moreouer, they notoriously offende when they goe about by inuocations, deprecations, and sacrifices to appease them, and vse them for the benefite and commoditie of man. For this were without all comparison more easie to bee attayned at the handes of God, or of good spirites. But yet the malignaunt spirits will not yeeld vnto vs in those things which are very hurtfull and daungerous, saue so farre forth as it pleaseth God (who ruleth and gouerneth mankinde), for the sinnes of men to permit and suffer them. These wayes and meanes therefore are besides the rules and precepts of Wisedome (nay rather they are contrarie vnto them) and the Phylosophers did neuer make account of them.