BOOK II.

Concerning the Growth of Natural Things.
IT is clear enough, and well known to everybody, that all natural things grow and mature by warmth and moisture, as is plainly demonstrated by the rain followed up with sunshine. None can deny that the earth is rendered fruitful by the rain, and all must confess that every kind of fruit is ripened by the sun. Since, then, by the Divine institution, this is possible to Nature, who will deny or refuse to believe that man possesses this same power by a prudent and skilful pursuit of the Alchemical Art, so that he shall render the fruitless fruitful, the unripe ripe, and make all increase and grow ? The Scripture says that God subjected all created things to man, and handed them over to him as if they were his own property, so that he might use them for his necessity, that he might have dominion over the fishes of the sea, the fowls of the air, and everything on the earth without exception. Wherefore man ought to rejoice because God has illuminated him and endowed him, so that all God's creatures are compelled to. obey Him and to be subject to Him, especially all the earth, together with all things which are born, live, and move in it and upon it. Since, then, we see with our eyes, and are taught by daily experience, that the oftener and the more plentifully the rain moistens the earth, and the sun dries it again with its heat and glow, the sooner the fruits of the earth come forth and ripen, while all fruits increase and grow, whatever be the time of year, let none wonder that the alchemist, too, by manifold imbibitions and distillations, can produce the same effect. For what is rain but the imbibition of the earth ? What are the heat and glow of the sun other than the sun's process of distillation, which again extracts the humidity ? Wherefore I say that it is possible by such co-optation in the middle of winter to produce green herbs, flowers, and fruits, by means of earth and water, from seed and root. Now, if this takes place with herbs and flowers, it will take place in many other similar things too, as, for instance, in all minerals, the imperfect metals whereof can be ripened with mineral water by the industry and art of the skilled alchemist. So, too, can all marchasites, granites, zincs, arsenics, talcs, cachimiae, bismuths, antimonies, etc., all of which carry with them immature Sol and Luna, be so ripened as to
Concerning ike Nature of Things.
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be made equal to the richest veins of gold and silver^ only by such co-optation. So, also, the Elixir and Tinctures of metals are matured and perfected.
Since, therefore, humidity and warmth mature all things and make them grow, let none wonder that, after a long timCi in the c^ase of a criminal on the gibbet, the beard, hair, and nails grow ; nor let this be taken for a sign of innocence, as the ignorant read it. It is only natural, and proceeds from natural causes. As long as there is moisture in the body, the nails, beard, and hair grow ; and, what is more, in the case of a man buried in the earth itself, nails, beard, and hair grow up to the second year, or up to the time of the man's decay.
It should be known, too, that many substances grow and increase perpet- ually in size, weight, and virtue, both in water and on land, in each of which they remain good and effective, such, for example, as metals, marchasites, cachymiae, talcs, granites^ antimony, bismuths, gems, pearls, corals, all stones and clays. So also it can be brought about that Sol shall grow and increase in weight and in body, if only it be buried in land looking east, and be constantly fertilised with fresh human urine and pigeons* dung.
It is also possible for gold to be so acted upon by the Industry and art of the skilled alchemist that it will grow in a cucurbite with many wonderful branches and leaves, which experiment is very pleasant to behold, and full of mangels. The process is as follows : Let gold be calcined by means of aqua regis so that it becomes a chalky lime ; whiclT^place in a cucurbite, pouring in good and fresh aqua regis and water of gradation so that it exceeds four fingers across. Extract it again with the third degree of fire until nothing more ascends. Again pour over it distilled vi^ater, and once more extract by distillation as before. Do this until you see the Sol rise in the glass and grow in the form of a tree with many branches and leaves. Thus there is produced from Sol a wonderful and beautiful shrub which alchemists call the Golden Herb, or the Philosophers* Tree. The process is the same with the other metals, save that the calcination may be different, and some other aqua fortis may have to be used. This I leave to your experience. If you are practised in Alchemy you will do what is right in these details.
Know also that any flint may be taken out of river water, placed in a cucurbite* and sprinkled with Its own running water until the cucurbite is full. This may again be extracted by distillation, as long as a single drop ascends, until the stone be dry. Let the cucurbite be again filled with this water, and once more extracted. Repeat this until the cucurbite is filled with this stone. In this way, by means of Alchemy, in a few days you will see that a very large stone can be made, such as the Archeus oi the waters could scarcely make in many years. If you afterwards break the cucurbite on a stone you will have a flint in the shape of the cucurbite, just as though It had been poured into the glass. Though this may be oi no profit to you, still it is a very wonderful thing.
CONCERNING THE NATURE OF THINGS.