Part 6

But nowe I will propose many strange things of another kind, which although they haue no great profite, yet are they a most apparent demonstration of wisedome, and may be vsed for the prouing of any secret things, which the rude multitude gainsay, being like to the attraction of Iron by the Adamant. For who would beleeue such an attraction, vnlesse he behelde it? and there be many wonders of nature in this drawing of the Iron, that are vnknowne to the common people, as experience teacheth the studious. But these things are greater and more in number: for there is the like attraction of all mettals by the Stone of golde and siluer: and the Stone runneth to Vineger. Yea plants, and the parts of liuing creaturs beeing locally diuided the one from the other, will notwithstanding by a naturall motion concurre and come together again. Now when I had beheld these and such like things, and considered them well, I thought nothing incredible, neyther in diuine nor humane things. Yet there are greater behinde then these. For the whole power of the Mathematickes (according to the practise of _Ptolemy_, in the .8. _de Almagesto_) setteth but an instrument vppon the superficies, wherein all things that are in the heauen shall be truely described with theyr lengths and breadths: but that they should naturally mooue with a daily motion, is not in the Mathematicians power. Yet doth the faithfull and industrious practisioner, earnestly desire to make it of such a matter and after such a manner. That the heauens should be naturally moued with a daily motion, seemeth impossible vnto him, because many things are carryed with the motion of the heauenly bodyes, as Comets, and the sea when it floweth, and other things: eyther wholy or in parte: for then should all instruments of Astrology be in vaine, as well those which haue beene inuented by the learned, as those that haue beene deuised by the common sort, neyther shoulde a Kings treasure bee skant comparable. Moreouer, there may yet greater things bee performed, though not in respect of their straungenesse, yet if wee regarde a publike or priuate commoditie, namely, to gette as great plenty of golde and siluer as we list, not by a possibilitie of Nature, but by the perfection of Art, forasmuch as there are seuenteene manners of golde, whereof eight in number haue a commixtion of Argent-uiue with gold. Now the first kinde of golde is made of certaine parts of golde, and some partes of siluer, vntill wee reach vnto the two and twentieth degree of Gold, alwayes augmenting one degree of gold with one of siluer: and there are as many more of the admixtion of Brasse with Golde. So that the last manner consisteth of foure and twentie degrees of pure golde, without the admixtion of any other mettall: and nature cannot proceede any further, as experience teacheth. But Art may augment gold very much in the parts of purity, and likewise accomplish it without fraude or couine. But this is a greater matter then the former, that although the reasonable soule cannot bee constrained, yet may she be effectually disposed, indued, and prouoked, freely to change her maners, affections and desires, according to another mans pleasures: and this may be effected, not in one particular person alone, but in the whole body of a Citie, or people of a Kingdome. And such a matter _Aristotle_ teacheth in his booke of Secrets, as well of a nation, as of an army or priuate person. These things are almost as much as nature or Art are able to performe. But yet the last decree, wherein the perfection of Art can doo oughts with all the power of nature, is the prolonging of life for a great space, and the possibilitie hereof is approued by many experimẽts. For _Plynie_ reporteth, that there was a Souldiour lustie and strong both in body & mind, that continued healthy beyond the accustomed age of man, who when _Octauianus Augustus_ asked him what he did that made him liue so long, made aunswere in a riddle, that he vsed oyle outwardly, and sweet wine inwardly. But afterwards there fell out many such things: for on a time, as a husband man was plowing, he chanced to finde a golden vessell with a precious licour, which he surmising to be the dew of heauen, washt his face with it, and dranke thereof, and was incontinently renewed in Spirite, in body, and in quicknesse of witte: for which cause, of a plow-man hee was made porter to the King of _Sicily_: & this hapned in the time of king _Ostus_. Besides, it is confirmed by the testimony of the Popes letters, that _Almanichus_ beeing Captaine among the Saracens took a medicine, by the benifit wherof, he prolonged his life fiue hundred yeares. For the king to whom hee was prisoner, receiued Ambassadors from king _Magus_ with this medicine, but forasmuch as he suspected it to be poyson, he would needes make a tryall of it in this Captiue. In like manner, the Queene of _Tormery_ in great Britany, seeking after a white Hart, lighted vppon an Oyntment, wherewith the Keeper of the forrest had noynted his whole bodie, the soles of his feete onely excepted: he liued three hundreth yeares without corruption, saue that hee was troubled with the goute in his feete. And wee haue obserued many Countrey-men in our dayes, who, without the counsell and aduise of Phisitions, haue liued a hundred and threescore yeares, or there abouts. And these things are approoued by the works of bruit beasts, as namely in the Hart, the Egle, the Serpent, and many other, that by the vertue of hearbes and stones renewe theyr youth. For which cause wise men haue addiected themselues to search out such a secret, prouoked thereunto by the example of brute Beastes, deeming it to bee possible for man to obtaine that which is not denied to vnreasonable creatures. And hence is it, that _Artephius_ in his Booke, intituled the Wisedome of _Secretes_, diligently obseruing the force and power of liuing creatures and stones, and such like things, to the end that he might be acquainted with Natures Secrets, but especially to attaine the knowledge howe to lengthen the life, boasteth of himselfe that he liued a thousande and fiue and twentie yeares.

And the possibilitie of the prolongation of life, is hereby confirmed, because the soule is naturally immortall, and able not to die: for euen after it had bin polluted with sinne, it was able to liue about a thousande yeares, and afterwardes by little and little the length of life was abbreuiated and waxed shorter. Now this abbreueation must needes bee accidentall, & therefore it may either in the whole or in parte bee prolonged. And if we will seeke out the accidentall cause of this corruption, we shall finde that it proceedeth not from the heauen, nor anie thing else, but for lacke of a due regiment of health. For in this age of ours, the fathers are corrupted, and therefore begette Sonnes of a corrupt complexion and composition, and theyr Sonnes for the same cause doo corrupt themselues, and this corruption descendeth from the fathers into the Sons, so long, till at the last, the shortnes of life doth continually preuaile, as it appeareth this day. Neuerthelesse, it cannot hence be necessarily inferred, that life shall alwayes bee shortned, because there is a time appoynted for humane things, and for the most, what men liue seuentie yeares, and the rest of theyr dayes are altogether labour and sorrow. But there may a remedie bee founde out for the particular corruption of euery man, that is to say, if euerie one for his parte from his youth vpwarde, will exercise a perfect gouernment of health, which consisteth in meate and drinke, in sleepe and watchfulnesse, in motion and rest, in euacuation and constriction, in the ayre and in the disposition of the minde: for if anie man would obserue this manner of gouernment from his natiuitie, he should liue as long as his nature (which he receiued of his parents) would permit him, and be brought to the farthest end of that nature falne from originall iustice: but this he can no way passe: for this regiment affoordeth no remedie against the auncient corruption of parents. Yet it is impossible that a man should with such moderation carrie himselfe in all these thinges, as the rule of health requireth: and therefore it is of necessitie that the abbreuiation and shortning of our dayes should spring from this head also, and not onely from the corruption of our parents. But the science of Physicke doth sufficiently prescribe and determine this maner of regiment: though neither rich nor poore, learned nor vnlearned, no not euen the Physitions themselues (howe absolute so euer they bee) are able indifferently to obserue these things in themselues, nor in other men. Notwithstanding, Nature fayleth not in things necessarie, nor Art beeing perfect and compact, yea rather it is able to breake out against accidentall passions, and either wholy or in part to abolish them. And in the beginning when the age of men first began to decline, a remedie might easily haue beene found out: but after sixe thousand yeeres and more, it is a difficult matter to prescribe a remedie. Neuerthelesse, wise men mooued with the foresaid considerations, haue endeuoured to finde out wayes, not onelye agaynst the defect of euery particular mans regiment, but also agaynst the corruption of Parents: not that men should be able to reach vnto the life of _Adam_, or _Artephius_, by reason of the corruption which daily encreaseth, but that they might prolong their liues for a hundred yeares or somewhat more, beyonde the common age of men now liuing, so that the diseases vsually accompanying olde age, might bee kept backe for a time, and though not vtterly prohibited and taken quite away, yet they might be mittigated and diminished, that the life might be profitably prolonged beyonde the expectation of men, but alwayes within the vtmost bounds and limits. For there is one tearme of Nature appoynted to the first men after sinne entered into the worlde, and another alotted to euerye man by the proper corruption of his parents. These two wee cannot passe: for though wee may passe the latter, yet are wee not able to arriue vnto the former: I am of opinion that a wise man may in this age attaine thereto, the possibilitie and aptnesse of humane nature, beeing the same nowe that it was in the first men: and no maruaile, seeing that this aptnesse extendeth it selfe to immortalitie, as it was before sinne, and shall bee after the resurrection. But if you say, that neither _Aristotle_, _Plato_, _Hippocrates_, nor _Galen_, attained hereto. I aunswere, that they were ignoraunt euen of manye meane vertues, which afterwarde were familiar to those that were studious. These therefore might easily bee hidden from them, though they laboured to finde them out: but they busied themselues too much in other matters, and waxed olde in a trice, spending their life in base and vulgar things, and yet they were acquainted with many secrets. For we knowe that _Aristotle_ sayth in the _Predicaments_, that the quadrature of a Circle may bee knowne, although it bee not yet knowne. Whereby hee confesseth, that both himselfe, and all men till his time were ignorant of it. But now a dayes wee see that the truth is knowne, so that _Aristotle_ might well be ignoraunt of the greatest of Natures Secrets. And againe, wise men are at this present ignorant of many things, which the common sort of Students shall knowe hereafter. So then this obiection is altogether vaine and foolish.

Thus hauing produced certaine examples declaring the power of Art and Nature, to the end that out of those few we might collect many, out of the parts gather the whole, out of particulars, inferre vniuersals, wee see howe farre forth it is altogether needlesse for vs to gape after Magicke, when as Nature and Art are sufficient. Nowe I minde to prosecute euery one of the foresayd things in order, and deliuer their causes, and the wayes howe to worke them particularly. And first of all, I consider that the secrets of Nature contayned in the skins of Goates and sheep, are not spoken of, least euery man should vnderstand them. As _Socrates_ and _Aristotle_ willeth: for he affirmeth in his booke of Secrets, that he is a breaker of the celestiall seale that maketh the secrets of Art and Nature common: adding moreouer that many euils betide him that reuealeth secretes. And in the booke intituled _Noctes Atticæ_, in the comparing of wise men togither, it is reputed a great folly to giue an Asse Lettice, when Thistles will serue his turne: and it is written in the booke of _Stones_, that hee impayreth the Maiestie of things, that diuulgeth mysteries. And they are no longer to bee tearmed Secrets, when the whole multitude is acquainted with them, if wee regard the probable diuision of multitude, which euermore gainsay the learned. For that which seemeth vnto all, is true, as also that which is so iudged of by the wise, and men of best account. Wherefore that which seemeth to many, that is to the common people, so farre forth as it seemeth such, must of necessitie bee false. I speake of the Common sort, in that Sence, as it is heere distinguished agaynst the learned. For in the common conceytes of the minde, they agree with the learned, but in the proper principles and conditions of Arts and Sciences they disagree, toyling themselues about meere appearances, and sophistications, and quirks, and quiddities, and such like trash, whereof wise men make no account. In things proper therefore, and in secretes, the common people do erre, and in this respect they are opposite to the learned, but in common matters they are comprehended vnder the lawe of all, and therein consent with the learned. And as for these commyn things, they are of small value, not worthy to bee sought after for themselues, but in regarde of things particular and proper. Now the cause of this concealement among all wise men, is, the contempt and neglect of the secretes of wisedome by the vulgar sort, that knoweth not how to vse those things which are most excellent. And if they do conceiue any worthy thing, it is altogither by chance and fortune, & they do exceedingly abuse that their knowledge, to the great damage and hurt of many men, yea, euen of whole societies: so that he is worse then mad that publisheth any secret, vnlesse he conceale it from the multitude, and in such wise deliuer it, that euen the studious and learned shall hardly vnderstand it. This hath beene the course which wise men haue obserued from the beginning, who by many meanes haue hidden the secrets of wisedome from the common people. For some haue vsed Characters and verses, and diuerse others riddles and figuratiue speeches, as _Aristotle_ witnesseth in his book of Secrets, where hee thus speaketh. O _Alexander_, I will shew thee the greatest secret in the world, God grant thou maiest keepe it close, and bring to passe the intention of the Art of that stone which is no stone, and is in euery man, & in euery place, and at all seasons, and is called the end of all Philosophers. And an infinite number of thinges are founde in many bookes and sciences obscured with such darke speeches, so that no man can vnderstand them without a teacher. Thirdly, some haue hidden their secretes by their maners of writing, as namely by consonants only: so that no man can reade them, without he knowe the signification of the words: and this is vsual among the Iewes, Chaldeans, Syrians, and Arabians, yea, and the Grecians too: and therefore there is a great concealing with them, but especially with the Iewes: for _Aristotle_ sayth in the aboue named booke, that God gaue them all maner of wisedome, before there were any Philosophers, and all nations borrowed the principles of Philosophy of them. And thus much we are plainly taught by _Albumasar_ in his booke named the larger Introductory, and other Philosophers, and by _Iosephus_ in his eight booke of Antiquities. Fourthly, things are obscured by the admixtion of letters of diuerse kinds, & thus hath _Ethicus_ the Astronomer cõcealed his wisdome, writing the same with Hebrew, Greeke & Latin letters, all in a row. Fiftly, they hide their secrets, writing them in other letters then are vsed in their owne country, to wit, when they take letters that are in vse in forreine nations, and feigne them according to their own pleasures. This is a very great impediment, vsed by _Artephius_ in his booke of the Secrets of Nature. Sixtly, they make certain formes, not of letters, but such as are vsed by diuiners and enchanters, which according to the diuersitie of pricke and notes, haue the power of letters: and these likewise hath _Artephius_ vsed in his science.

Seuenthly, there is yet a more cunning sleight of occultation behind by the helpe of Art notory: an art wherby a man may write or note any thing, as briefly as he will, & as swiftly as he can desire. And in this sort haue the Latine authours hidden many secretes. I deemed it necessary to touch these tricks of obscurity, because happily my self may be constrained through the greatnesse of the secrets, which I shal handle, to vse some of them, that so at the least I might helpe thee to my power. I giue thee therefore to vnderstand, that my purpose is orderly to proceed in the exposition of those things, whereof I made mention before: as to dissolue the Philosophers egge, and search out the partes of a philosophicall man. And this shall serue for a beginning to the rest. Take salt, and rub it diligently in water, and purifie it in other waters, after by diuerse contritions, rub it with Salts, and burne it with sundry assations, that it may bee made a pure earth, separated from the other Elements, which I esteeme worthy of thee for the stature of my length. Vnderstand me if thou art able: for it shall vndoubtedly bee composed of the Elements, and therefore it shall be a part of the stone, which is no stone, and is in euery man, which thou shalt finde at all tymes of the yeare in his owne place. This done thou shalt take oyle after the maner of a searecloath, and of viscous cheese, not able to be cut at the first, wherevnto all the fierie vertue must bee diuided, and separated by dissolution (now it must bee dissolued in a sharpe water of an indifferent sharpenesse, with a light fire) and decocted vntill his fatnesse be seuered, as the fat in flesh, by distillation, that no part of the oylinesse and blacke virtue, wherein the vrine is distilled, may get out. Afterward let it bee decocted in Vineger, till it be dryed into a coale (which is the cause of addustion) and that his blacke vertue do appeare. But if it be not cured therof, let it be done againe: be watchfull and attentiue, for my speech is difficult. The oyle will dissolue, both in sharpe waters, and in common oyle, that worketh more apparauntly, or in a tart oyle of Almondes ouer the fire, so that the oyle may bee sundred, and the hidden spirite remaine, both in the partes of liuing creatures, and in Sulphur, and Arsenicke. For the Stones (wherein there is an Oyle of a superfluous humiditie) haue certaine boundes of their humours: partly because there is no strong vnion, sithens one may be dissolued from the other, by reason of the nature of the water, which is put to liquefaction in the Spirite, which is the meane betweene his parts and the oyle. Dissolution therefore being finished, there will remaine a certaine pure humiditie in the spirit, which though it bee throughly mixt with the dry parts, which are mooued to and fro in it, yet is the fire able to resolue it, beeing called by the Philosopher a melting Sulphur, and sometime Oyle, sometime an ayrie humour, sometime a coniunctiue substaunce, which the fire dooth not separate, sometime Camphora, and wash it. This is the Philosophers Egge, or rather the ende and accomplishment of the Egge. And let so much of the Oyles as commeth to our hands bee reckoned among Seeny seede, which must bee separated from the water, or Oyle wherein it is purged.

Moreouer, the oyle is putrified as thou knowest, by braying it with drying things, as with salt and vitriall, and by burning it, (though passion arise from the contrarie) and afterward it must bee sublimed, vntill his oylinesse be quite taken away, and that the water bee like Sulphur or Arsenicke in the minerals: for it may be prepared in the same maner that they are. Neuerthelesse, it were better to decoct it in waters of a temperate sharpenesse, vntill it bee purged or made white. And yet there is another profitable concoction in a dry or moyst fire, where distillation must bee renued (if you would haue your worke come wel to passe) and the matter rectified: of which rectification the last signes are to bee white, and cleare as Christall. And whereas other things grow black in the fire, this waxeth white, is purified, and euen shineth againe through the notable clearness & brightnes that is in it. Of this water and earth is Argent-uiue engendred, being not vnlike the Argent-uiue that is in the Mynes. Now when the matter is waxed hot after this maner, it is cõgealed: but the ayrie stone (which is no stone) must be put into a Pyramis in a warme place, or (if you think good) into the belly of a horse, or oxe, and so be changed into a sharpe feuer. And when it hath passed frõ this into 10. and from that into 21. so that the lees of the oiles are dissolued in their water, before it be separated, they do so often reiterate dissolution & distillation, til at length it be rectified. And here endeth this intention. But thou must remẽber that whẽ thou hast made an end, thou art then to begin anew againe.

Now will I hide another secret from thee. Prepare Argent-uiue by mortifying it, with the vapour of Steele for Margarites, and with the vapour of Lead for the stone Iber: and rubbe it with drying things, and atraments, and such like (as before) and boyle it: this done, let it be sublymed: if for vnion, 10. if for rednesse, 21. vntill the moysture bee consumed in it. Neither is it possible that the humiditie shoulde bee separated for the vapour (as the foresayde oyle) because it is very strongly commixt with his drie partes, neither doth it set any bound, as we haue already taught in the foresaid mettals. In this chapter thou maist easily bee deceiued, except thou perfectly vnderstand the signification of the words.

Now it is high time obscurely to intreat of the third chapter, to the end thou maist behold the very key of the worke thou lookest for. The calcined bodie is sometime put to (which is done to this end, that the moysture in it might be consumed by salt, and Sal Armeniack and Vineger) and againe, sometime it is nourished with Argent-uiue, and sublimed by them, till it remaine as pouder. These then are the keyes of the Art, Congelation, Resolution, Induration, Proiection, and this is both the end and the beginning: but as for purification, distillation, separation, sublimation, calcination, and inquisition, they are fellow-workers with the former, and now thou maist sit downe and take thine ease.