CHAPTER XVJl.

Concerning the Threefold Sulphur of Minerals,
Sulphur should properly be called the resin of the earth, and in it are latent numberless virtues available in both faculties, thoug-h its crude form is useful in neither. Its arcanum alone, when cleansed from impurities, operates in a wonderful way, having" been washed to that whiteness which is seen in snow, by means of the Isopic art. It has as many diiferent virtues as it has variety of sources : for every metal or mineral contains Sulphur in itself. As we said above, under the similitude of chestnuts and other nuts, that minerals were likewise enclosed in their rinds^ and that the chief excellence lay concealed in their nucleus, which is sustained and nourished by the external integuments, so w^ith regard to Sulphurs, it must be understood that it is the interior one which excels the others, and is Spagyrically termed enibrj^onated, on account of its specific origin, as being the Sulphur of gold, stone, etc. The external Sulphur, in which the embryonated lies concealed, is our mineral. There is also a third kind, extracted from the nuclei of minerals or of metals, which cannot have a better name in the art than ** animated *' and ** Spagj-ric." It is of universal application in both faculties. In order to better comprehensioni the first Sulphur, which we have said to be a resin of the earth, as it were, the mother and the father of other sulphurs, we name universal. The second kind is where it assumes a metallic or mineral appearance, but it is now em- brj'onated ; the third, which is rcpurged from these and exists SpagjTically pure from all superfluities, is Animated Sulphur, There are two conditions of this embryonated Sulphur which are worthy of notice. One, passing from the fixed stage, is made volatile ; the other is a pure and living fire which destroys with equal facility a log of w^ood or a disease. The extraction of the embryonated Sulphur is brought about either by sublimation or by descent. But sometimes it is not found mixed naturally with other ingredients, so that being unable through its great subtlety to stand the heat of the fire in prepara- tions of this kind, it has to be extracted from its minerals by means of aqua- fortis, and afterwards coagulated. This, when set aside according to its true concordance^ contains within itself a golden nature, on which account it is to be sought before all others in Alchemy » because it easily admits of fixation, nay, it fixes the gold in cements, and in other metals where it is not yet mature or volatile. But gold is vainly sought therefrom unless it shall have previously existed there by Nature, it contains no silver, but only gold, one containing more than another, as in the embryonate of Venus, of red talc, o{ gold or iron marcasite, these rarely lack gold. Now, whoever wishes to turn his hand to these things, let him first of all remember and carefully note to separate Sulphur of this kind from gold with the greatest activity, and cleverly withal, so that nothing shall perish with the gold. I could say more than this, but I must be silent. If it were not diametrically to oppose the will of God, it would be the easiest thing possible to make all rich alike by a very
io6 Tlu Hermetic and Alckemical Wriiings of Paracelsus.
few words, and to fulfil the wishes of everj^body. But since riches altogether lead aside the poor frora the right path, taking away humility and piety, and
putting pride and self-sufficiency in their piace» together with petulance and incontinence, one would rather hold one's tongue, leaving poverty as a bridle against these faults in those who are at once poor and greedy of wealth. To come to mineral Sulphur. The leader of our Art has directed his disciples to a recognition of this fact, that nothing can be generated from the woman with- out her husband. They have seen, therefore, that this Art is the father which arranges all things. He has summoned the spirit of transmutation whereby the mineral Sulphur is joined to linseed oil, and thence, by means of decoction a certain form results in the shape of a liver or a lung, and from thence afterwards a twofold liquid, one as white as milk, thick and oily; the other like oil, \cry red and as thick as blood ; but both oi such a nature that one will not mix with the othen The white liquid sinks to the bottom, the red floating on the surface. Attempts have been made to go farther, and make a white tincture from the white liquid ; but to no purpose. I know that nothing has been done or can be done in this way, because the matter is weak and use- less for this Art. But any crystal or beryl placed therein at the proper time, and remaining there for three years at least, is transmuted into a stone very like a jacinth. Likewise a ruby, which has not been sufliciently tinted by Nature, is, in course of time, rendered so clear and bright that it shines by night like a natural carbuncle, and wherever it is placed it can be found at night without a light. The same result follows with a jacinth ; and in the sapphire the coerulean colour is increased beyond the natural hue, with a translucent green tint inserted, It is also a most excellent tincture for dlher gems, as well as for Luna. If this be placed therein» it grows black, and lays aside the calx of Sol, though it be not fixed until it has arrived at its complete stage of per- fection. Enough on this topic. Whoever wishes to work with this tincture, must first learn by means of Alchemy carefully to accomplish its preparation. It is well nigh the most difficult of all alchemical operations so far as prepera- tion is concerned. This oil excels only in tints. In the greater virtues it is not so much to be trusted for acting, because there is a tincture of colour only in it, not of virtue. Some persons have tried also to extract tinctures from the metals. They have failed ; but it would not be well to set down here the cause of their failure. This, however, is very certain, whoever has the Tincture of Sol, will be able to bring the body of gold beyond Its natural degree, that is to say, from twenty-four to the thirty-six, and beyond, so intensely that it cannot ascend higher, though it still remains constant and fixed in antimony and in every quartation. The Sulphur of Luna, too, exalts its own body to such a degree that Venus, with an equal weight of this Luna, is taken for the Lydian stone. The Sulphur of Venus fixes copper, so that it will stand the test of lightning, but, nevertheless, it does not tinge. With the Sulphur of Saturn [it is transmuted into] the best steel ; with the Sulphur of Jupiter, into excellent iron. So, too, tin is fixed with its own
Tlie Ecofwniy of Minerals.
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Sulphur, so that it stands lightning, and Saturn is strengfthened and fixed by its own [sulphur], so that it no longer affords any ceruse . or minium, or spirit. The Sulphur of Mercury renders its own body malleable, so that it bears the ignition of Venus, but not its ashes. The Sulphur of Sol tinges Luna, but does not fix it. There occur also with the other sulphurs transmutations oi things put in them into some other bodies than their own. But this experi- ment does not turn out as desired. It should be remarked, meanwhile, that Sulphur demands a ver)^ expert operator, not a mere boaster or charlatan.