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THE Mirror of Alchimy,

With certaine other worthie Treatises of the like Argument.

LONDON Printed for Richard Oliue. 1597.

The Preface.

Steele is a body cleane, imperfect, engendred of Argent-uine pure, fixed & not fixed cleare, white outwardly, but red inwardly, and of the like Sulphur. It wanteth onely decoction or digestion.

Leade is an vncleane and imperfect bodie, engendred of Argent-uiue impure, not fixed, earthy, drossie, somewhat white outwardly, and red inwardly, and of such a Sulphur in part burning. It wanteth puritie, fixation, colour, and fiering.

Copper is an vncleane and imperfect bodie, engendred of Argent-uiue, impure, not fixed, earthy, burning, red not cleare, and of the like Sulphur. It wanteth purity, fixation, and weight: and hath too much of an impure colour, and earthinesse not burning.

Iron is an vnclean and imperfect body, engendred of Argent-uiue impure, too much fixed, earthy, burning, white and red not cleare, and of the like Sulphur: It wanteth fusion, puritie, and weight: It hath too much fixed vncleane Sulphur, and burning earthinesse. That which hath bene spoken, euerie Alchimist must diligently obserue.

The generation of mettals, as well perfect, as imperfect, is sufficiently declared by that which hath bene already spoken. Now let vs returne to the imperfect matter that must be chosen and made perfect. Seeing that by the former Chapters we haue bene taught, that all mettalls are engendred of Argent-uiue and Sulphur, and how that their impuritie and vncleannesse doth corrupt, and that nothing may be mingled with mettalls which hath not beene made or sprung from them, it remaineth cleane inough, that no strange thing which hath not his originall from these two, is able to perfect them, or to make a chaunge and new transmutation of them: so that it is to be wondred at, that any wise man should set his mind vpon liuing creatures, or vegetables which are far off, when there be minerals to bee found nigh enough: neither may we in any wise thinke, that any of the Philosophers placed the Art in the said remote things, except it were by way of comparison: but of the aforesaid two, all mettals are made, neither doth any thing cleaue vnto them, or is ioyned with them, nor yet chaungeth them, but that which is of them, and so of right wee must take Argent-uiue and Sulphur for the matter of our stone: Neither doth Argent-uiue by it selfe alone, nor Sulphur by it selfe alone, beget any mettall, but of the commixtion of them both, diuers mettals and minerals are diuersly brought foorth. Our matter therefore must bee chosen of the commixtion of them both: but our finall secrete is most excellent, and most hidden, to wit, of what minerall thing that is more neere then others, it shuld be made: and in making choise hereof, we must be very warie. I put the case then, y^t our matter were first of all drawne out of vegetables, here wee must first make Argent-uiue & Sulphur, by a long decoction, from which things, and their operation we are excused: for nature herselfe offereth vnto vs Argent-uiue and Sulphur. And if wee should draw it from liuing creatures wee must likewise out of them extract Argent-uiue and Sulphur by decoction, fr? which we are freed, as we were before. Or if we should choose it out of middle minerals we should likewise, as afore, extract Argent-uiue and Sulphur by decoction: fr? which as from the former, wee are also excused. And if we should take one of the seuen spirits by it selfe, as Argent-uiue, or Sulphur alone, or Argent-uiue and one of the two Sulphurs, or Sulphur-uiue, or Auripigment, or Citrine Arsenicum, or red alone, or the like: we should neuer effect it, because sith nature doth neuer perfect anything without equall commixtion of both, neither can wee: from these therefore, as from the foresaide Argent-uiue and Sulphur in their nature we are excused. Finally, if wee should choose them, wee should mixe euerie thing as it is, according to a due proportion, which no man knoweth, and afterward decoct it to coagulati?, into a solide lumpe: and therefore we are excused from receiuing both of them in their proper nature: to wit, Argent-uiue and Sulphur, seeing wee know not their proportion, and that wee may meete with bodies, wherein we shall find the saide things proportioned, coagulated & gathered together, after a due manner. Keepe this secret more secretly. Golde is a perfect masculine bodie, without any superfluitie or diminution: and if it should perfect imperfect bodyes mingled with it by melting onely, it should be Elixir to red. Siluer is also a body almost perfect, and feminine, which if it should almost perfect imperfect bodyes by his common melting onely, it should be Elixir to white, which it is not, nor cannot be, because they onely are perfect. And if this perfection might be mixed with the imperfect, the imperfect shuld not be perfected with the perfect, but rather their perfections shuld be diminished by the imperfect, & become imperfect. But if they were more then perfect, either in a two-fold, foure-fold, hundred-fold, or larger proportion, they might then wel perfect the imperfect. And forasmuch as nature doth alwaies work simply, the perfection which is in them is simple, inseparable, & incommiscible, neither may they by art be put in the stone, for ferment to shorten the worke, and so brought to their former state, because the most volatile doth ouercome the most fixt. And for that gold is a perfect body, consisting of Argent-uiue, red and cleare, & of such a Sulphur, therfore we choose it not for the matter of our stone to the red Elixir, because it is so simply perfect, without artificiall mundification, & so strongly digested and sod with a natural heate, that with our artificiall fire, we are scarcely able to worke on gold or siluer. And though nature dooth perfect any thing, yet she cannot throughly mundifie, or perfect and purifie it, because she simply worketh on that which shee hath. If therfore we should choose gold or siluer for the matter of the stone, we should hard and scantly find fire working in them. And although we are not ignorant of the fire, yet could we not come to the through mundification & perfection of it, by reas? of his most firme knitting together, and naturall composition: we are therefore excused for taking the first too red, or the second too white, seeing we may find out a thing or som body of as cleane, or rather more cleane Sulphur & Argent-uiue, on which nature hath wrought little or nothing at all, which with our artificiall fire, & experience of our art, we are able to bring vnto his due concoction, mundification, colour and fixation, continuing our ingenious labour vpon it. There must therefore bee such a matter chosen, wherein there is Argent-uiue, cleane, pure, cleare, white & red, not fully compleat, but equally and proportionably commixt after a due maner with y^e like Sulphur, & congeled into a solide masse, that by our wisdome and discretion, and by our artificiall fire, we may attain vnto the vttermost cleannesse of it, and the puritie of the same, and bring it to that passe, that after the worke ended, it might bee a thousand thousand times more strong and perfect, then the simple bodies themselues, decoct by their naturall heate. Be therefore wise: for if thou shalt be subtile and wittie in my Chapters thou shalt taste of that delightfull thing, wherin the whole intention of the Philosophers is placed.

The matter of the stone thus ended, thou shalt knowe the certaine maner of working, by what maner and regiment, the stone is often chaunged in decoction into diuerse colours. Wherupon one saith, So many colours, so many names. According to the diuerse colours appearing in the worke, the names likewise were varied by the Philosophers: whereon, in the first operation of our stone, it is called putrifaction, and our stone is made blacke: whereof one saith, When thou findest it blacke, know that in that blacknesse whitenesse is hidden, and thou must extract the same from his most subtile blacknes. But after putrefaction it waxeth red, not with a true rednesse, of which one saith: It is often red, and often of a citrine colour, it often melteth, and is often coagulated, before true whitenesse. And it dissolueth it selfe, it coagulateth it selfe, it putrifieth it selfe, it coloureth it self, it mortifieth it selfe, it quickneth it selfe, it maketh it selfe blacke, it maketh it selfe white, it maketh it selfe red. It is also greene; whereon another sayth, Concoct, it till it appeare greene vnto thee, and that is the soule. And another, Know, that in that greene his soule beareth dominion. There appeares also before whitenesse the peacocks colour, whereon one saith thus. Know thou that al the colours in the world, or y^t may be imagined, appeare before whitenesse, and afterward true whitenesse followeth. Whereof one sayth: When it hath bin decocted pure and clean, that it shineth like the eyes of fishes, then are wee to expect his vtilitie, and by that time the stone is congealed rounde. And another sayth: When thou shalt finde whitenesse a top in the glasse, be assured that in that whitenesse, rednesse is hidden: and this thou must extract: but concoct it while it become all red: for betweene true whitenesse and true rednesse, there is a certaine ash-colour: of which it is sayde. After whitenesse, thou canst not erre, for encreasing the fire, thou shalt come to an ash-colour: of which another saith: Doo not set light by the ashes, for God shal giue it thee molten: and then at the last the King is inuested with a red crowne by the will of God.

I haue largely accomplisht my promise of that great masterie, for making the most excellent Elixir, red and white. For conclusion, we are to treate of the manner of proiection, which is the accomplishment of the work, the desired & expected ioy. The red Elixir doth turne into a citrine colour infinitely, and changeth all mettals into pure gold. And the white Elixir doth infinitely whiten, and bringeth euerie mettal to perfect whitenesse. But we know that one mettall is farther off from perfection then another, & one more neere then another. And although euerie mettall may by Elixir be reduced to perfection, neuerthelesse the neerest are more easily, speedily, and perfectly reduced, then those which are far distant. And when we meete with a mettall that is neere to perfection, we are thereby excused from many that are farre off. And as for the mettals which of them be neere, and which farre off, which of them I say be neerest to perfection, if thou be wise and discreete, thou shalt find to be plainely and truely set out in my Chapters. And without doubt, hee that is so quick sighted in this my Mirrour, that by his own industry hee can finde out the true matter, hee doth full well knowe vppon what body the medicine is to bee proiected to bring it to perfection. For the forerunners of this Art, who haue founde it out by their philosophie, do point out with their finger the direct & plain way, when they say: Nature, containeth nature: Nature ouercommeth nature: & Nature meeting with her nature, exceedingly reioyceth, and is changed into other natures. And in another place, Euery like reioiceth in his like: for likenesse is saide to be the cause of friendship, wherof many Philosophers haue left a notable secret, Know thou that the soule doth quickly enter into his body, which may by no meanes be ioyned to another body. And in another place, The soule doth quickly enter into his own body, which if thou goest about to ioyne with another body, thou shalt loose thy labour: for the neerenesse it selfe is more cleare. And because corporeall things in this regim?t are made incorporeall, & contrariwise things incorporeal corporeall, and in the shutting vp of the worke, the whole body is made a spirituall fixt thing: and because also that spirituall Elixir euidently, whether white or red, is so greatly prepared and decocted beyonde his nature, it is no maruaile that it cannot bee mixed with a body, on which it is proiected, beeing onely melted. It is also a hard matter to proiect it on a thousand thousand and more, and incontinently to penetrate and transmute them. I will therefore nowe deliuer vnto you a great and hidden secret. One part is to bee mixed with a thousand of the next body, & let all this be surely put into a fit vessell, and sette it in a furnace of fixation, first with a lent fire, and afterwardes encreasing the fire for three dayes, till they be inseperably ioyned together, and this is a worke of three dayes: then againe and finally, euery part heereof by it selfe, must be proiected vpon another thousand parts of any neere body: and this is a worke of one day, or one houre, or a moment, for which our wonderfull God is eternally to be praised.

The Smaragdine Table of Hermes, Trismegistus of Alchimy.

Laude, honour, power and glorie, be giuen to thee, O Almightie Lorde God, with thy beloued sonne, our Lord Iesus Christ, and the holy Ghost, the comforter. O holy Trinitie, that art the onely one God, perfect man, I giue thee thankes that hauing the knowledge of the transitorie things of this worlde of thy abundant mercie thou hast taken mee from it. But forsomuch as I haue knowne manie deceiued in this art, that haue not gone the right way, let it please thee, O Lord my God, that by the knowledge which thou hast giuen mee, I may bring my deare friends fr? error, that when they shal perceiue the truth, they may praise thy holy and glorious name, which is blessed for euer.

Amen.

And as wee see, that one liuing creature begetteth more liuing creatures like vnto it selfe: so artificially golde engendereth golde, by vertue of multiplication of the foresaid stone. It followeth therefore, the Sunne is his father, that is, Philosophers Gold. And as in euerie naturall generation, there must be a fit and conuenient receptacle, with a certaine consonancie of similitude to the father: so likewise in this artificiall generation, it is requisite that the Sunne haue a fitte and consonaunt receptacle for his seede and tincture: and this is Philosophers siluer. And therefore it followes, the Moone is his mother.

Know thou that the Philosophers haue giuen them diuerse names: for some haue called them Mynes, some Animal, some Herball, and some by the name of Natures, that is Natural: some other haue called them by certaine other names at their pleasures, as seemed good vnto them. Thou must also know, that their Medicines are neere to Natures, according as the Philosophers haue said in their bookes, that Nature commeth nigh to nature, and Nature is like to nature, and Nature is ioyned to nature, and Nature is drowned in nature, and Nature maketh nature white, & Nature doth make nature red, and generation is retained with generation, & generation conquereth with generation.

Know thou that the Philosophers haue named Decoction in their Bookes, saying, that they make Decoction in thinges: and that is it that engendreth them, and changeth them from their substances and colours, into other subst?ces and colours. If thou transgresse not, I tell thee in this booke, thou shalt proceed rightly. Consider brother, the seed of the earth, wheron men liue, how the heate of the Sunne worketh in it, till it be ripe, when men and other creatures feede vpon it, and that afterwarde Nature worketh on it by her heate within man, conuerting it into his flesh and blood. For like hereto is our operation of the masterie: the seed whereof is such, that his perfection and proceeding consisteth in the fire, which is the cause of his life and death, without somwhat comming betweene, and his spiritualtie, which are not mingled but with the fire. Thus haue I tolde thee the truth, as I haue seene and done it.

Know, that except thou subtiliate the bodie till all become water, it will not rust and putrifie, and then it cannot congeale the flitting soules, when the fire toucheth them: for the fire is that which congealeth them by the ayd therof vnto them. And in like maner haue the Philosophers commanded to dissolue the bodies, to the end y^t heat might enter into their bowels. Again we returne to dissolue those bodies, & congeale them after their solution, with that thing which c?meth nigh to it, vntil we ioyne all those things which haue beene mingled togither, by an apt and fit commixtion, which is a temperate quantitie. Whereupon we ioyne fire and water, earth and ayre togither: when the thick hath bin mingled with the thin, & the thinner with the thick, the one abydeth with the other, and their natures are changed and made like, wheras before they were simple, because that part which is generatiue, bestoweth his vertue vpon the subtill, and that is the ayre: for it cleaueth vnto his like, and is a part of the generation from whence it receyueth power to moue and ascend vpward. Cold hath power ouer the thick, because it hath lost his heate, and the water is gone out of it, and the thing appeared vp? it. And the moisture departed by ascending, & the subtil part of y^e aire, and mingled it selfe with it, for it is like vnto it, and of the same nature. And when the thicke bodie hath lost his heat and moysture, and that cold and drinesse hath power ouer him, and that their parts haue mingled themselues, and be diuided, and that there is no moysture to ioyne the partes diuided, the parts withdraw themselues. And afterwards the part which is contrary to colde, by reason that it hath continued, & sent his heat and decoction, to the parts of y^e earth, hauing power ouer them, and exercising such dominion ouer the cold, that where before it was in the thicke body, it now lurketh and lieth hid, his part of generation is changed, becomming subtil and hot; and striuing to dry vp by his heat. But afterward the subtill part when it hath lost his accidentall heat, & waxeth cold, then the natures are changed, and become thicke, and descend to the center, where y^e earthly natures are ioyned togither, which were subtiliate and conuerted in their generation, and imbibed in them: and so the moysture coupleth togither the parts diuided: but the earth endeuoureth to drie vp that moysture, c?passing it about, and hindring it from going out: by means wherof, that which before lay hid, doth now appear: neither can the moysture be separated, but is retained by the drinesse. And in like maner we see, that whosoeuer is in the worlde, is retained by or with his contrarie, as heate with colde, and drinesse with moysture. Thus when each of them hath besieged his Companion, the thin is mingled with the thicke, and those things are made one substance: to wit, their soule hote and moyst, and their body colde and drie: then it laboureth to dissolue and subtiliate by his heate and moysture, which is his soule, and striueth to enclose and retaine with his body that is colde and drie. And in this maner, is his office changed and altered from one thing to another. Thus haue I tolde thee the truth, which I haue both seene & done, giuing thee in charge to conuert natures from their subtilitie and substances, with heate and moysture, into their substances and colours. Now if thou wouldst proceed aright in this mastery, to obtaine thy desire, passe not the boundes that I haue set thee in this booke.

Knowe also, that when the bodie is mingled with moysture, and that the heate of the fire meeteth therewith, the moysture is conuerted on the body, and dissolueth it, and then the spirite cannot issue forth, because it is imbibed with the fire. The Spirits are fugitiue, so long as the bodies are mingled with them, and striue to resist the fire & his flame: and yet these parts can hardly agree without a good operation and continuall labour: for the nature of the soule is to ascend vpward, whereas the center of the soule is. And who is hee that is able to ioyne two or diuers things togither, where their centers are diuers: vnlesse it be after the conuersion of theyr natures, and change of the substance and thing, from his nature, which is difficult to finde out? Whosoeuer therefore can conuert the soule into the bodie, the bodie into the soule, and therewith mingle the subtile spirites, shall be able to tinct any body.

Thou art moreouer to vnderstand, that Decoction, contrition, cribati?, mundification, and ablution, with sweet waters is very necessary to this secret and mastery: so that he who will bestow any paines herein, must cleanse it very well, and wash the blacknesse from it, and darknes that appeareth in his operation, and subtiliate the bodie as much as hee can, and afterwarde mingle therwith the soules dissolued, and spirits cleansed, so long as he thinke good.

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 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 sublimati?, 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 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.

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 th?, 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 , for the sinnes of men to permit and suffer them. These wayes and meanes therefore are besides the rules and precepts of Wisedome and the Phylosophers did neuer make account of them.

Now will I begin to recount vnto you strange things, performed by Arte and Nature, and afterwards I will shew you the causes and manners of things, wherein shall bee nothing Magicall, so that you shall confesse all Magicke power to be inferior to these, and vnworthie to be compared with them. And first of all by the figuration of Art it selfe: There may bee made instruments of Nauigation without men to rowe in them: as huge Shippes to brooke the Sea, onely with one man to steere them, which shal saile farre more swiftly then if they were full of men. And Chariots that shall mooue with an vnspeakeable force, without any liuing creature to stirre them: such as the crooked Chariots are supposed to haue beene, wherein in olde time they vsed to fight, yea instruments to flie withall, so that one sitting in the middle of the Instrument, and turning about an Engine, by which the winges being artificially composed may beate the ayre after the maner of a flying bird. Besides, there may bee made a small Instrument in quantitie, to lift vppe, and let downe things of great waight, then which there is nothing more commodious to weigh with. For by an Instrument of three fingers high, and three fingers broad and lesse quantitie, may a man ridde himselfe, and his companions from all daunger of imprisonment, and lift them vp, and let them downe. Yea such an Instrument may easily be made, whereby a man may violently draw vnto him a thousand men, will they, nill they, and any other thing.

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 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 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 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, 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 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 c?gealed: but the ayrie stone must be put into a Pyramis in a warme place, or into the belly of a horse, or oxe, and so be changed into a sharpe feuer. And when it hath passed fr? 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 rem?ber that wh? 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 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 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 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.

Sixe hundred and two yeares of the Arabians being accomplished, thou didst aske me of certaine secrets. Take therfore the stone and congeale it with a gentle boyling, and strong contrition, but without sharpe things. And in y^e end mixe it a little with sweete water: and make a laxatiue medicine of seuen things, if thou think good, or of sixe, or of fiue: or of as many as thou wilt, but my mind is content with two: whereof the better shall be in sixe, rather then any other proportion, or there abouts, as experience may teach you. Neuerthelesse, resolue the gold by the fire, & restraine it better. But if you wil beleeue me, you ought to take but one thing. This is a secret of Natures secrets, able to worke wonders. It being therfore mixed with two things or more in number, or with the Phoenix at the fire, & incorporated by a strong motion, and that hereunto you putte warme liquor, foure or fiue times you shall be maister of your hearts desire. But afterward the celestiall nature is weakened, and waxeth feeble, if thou poure warme water into it three or foure times. Thou must therefore diuide the weake from the strong in diuers vesselles if thou dare credite mee, and draw out that which is good. Besides thou shalt take the powder, and throughly presse out the water that remained: for certainely it will make the partes of the powder spirituall: for which cause thou shalt saue this water by it selfe, because the powder dryed vppe herewith, hath the force of a medicine in a laxatiue body. Worke therefore as thou didst before, vntill thou hast remooued the weake from the strong, and put the powder thereto three, foure, or fiue times, or oftner, alwayes working after one and the selfe same manner. And if thou canst not worke with warme water, thou shalt offer violence. But if it bee broken by reason of the tartnesse and tendernesse of the medicine, together with powder thou must verie warily put more Gold to, and mollifie it: but if the plentie of the powder cause it to breake, thou shalt giue it more of the medicine, and if it bee long of the strength of the water: water it with a Pestill, and gather together the matter so well as thou canst, and separate the water by little and little, and it will returne to his former state. This water thou shalt drie vp, for it hath both the powder and water of the medicine, which are to be incorporate as dust. Be not asleepe nowe, for I haue tolde thee a great and profitable secret. And if thou couldest tell how to place and sette in order the partes of a burnt shrub, or of a willow, and many such like things, they would naturally keepe an vnion. Beware at any hand that thou forgettest not this, because it is very profitable for many things. Thou shalt mingle the Trinity with the vnion beeing first molted, and they will rise vp as I suppose like vnto the stone Iberus: doubtlesse it is mortified by the vapour of the lead, which lead thou shalt finde if thou presse it out of the dead body, and this dead body thou shalt burie in a stillitory. Hold fast this secret, for it is nought worth. And in like manner shalt thou deale with the vapour of a Margarite or the stone Tagus, burying the dead as before thou art commanded.

He that writ these things shall haue the key that openeth, and no man shutteth, and when hee hath shut, no man is able to open it againe.

FINIS.

Transcriber's note:

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. All other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

The typesetting has used VV for W, with variable spacing. This has been replaced with W throughout.

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