I. our whole Work takes its Nativity (*) from

one only thing, and that in this thing the
Work finds its Perfection, Without having
need of any other thing whatfoever, butte
. be diffolved (*) and coagulated, which it
muft do of it felf, without the Affiltancc

of any foreign Thing.

When we put Ice into a Veffel placed oi

the Fire? we fee that the Heat makes it di
v folve into Water ; (*) we muft ufe the fam
way with our Stone, which only wants tf
heb of the Artift, the Operation or hi
4. Hands, and the ACtion of the (*) natur
T Fire : For it will never be dmolved of it lei
though it ftiould remain for ever on tl
Earth, ’tis for that reafon we muft alfiit 1.
in fuch a manner, however, that we add nti
thin? to it, which is foreign or contrary

it.

Juft as God produces the Corn in t:
Fields? and that it afterwards belongs to

1 R I Ü' M P H.

io reduce it into Meal, to knead it, and
make Bread of it : In like manner our Art
requires us to do the fame thing (*). God <
has cieated us this Mineral; to the end, that
we fhould take it by it feif, that|we fhould
un compound or diflblve the Compofition of
t ae giols and thick Body ; that we fhould
leparate and take for our felves whatever
good it enclofes inwardly, that we reiedc
what it has of fuperfluous, and that out of
a (mortal) Poifon, we learn to make a (So¬
vereign) Medicine.

. ^°rS|vc y 011 a more perfedl underhand-
mg of this agreeable Difcourfe ; I will recite
to you the Difpute which arofe between
the Stone of the Philofophers , Gold , and
Mercury, fo that thofe who have a lon^
time apply’d themfelves to the fearch (of
oui Ait>) and who know how we ou^ht
to deal with (*) Metals and Minerals, <c -
may be thereby fufficiently informed how ^
to arrive direddy at the End which they
piopofe to them felves. 5Tis nevertheleß

necefiary, that we fhould apply our felves
•to aiiow, (*) exteriorly, and interiorly the 7
Ejfence and the Properties of all things 7*
which are on the Earth, and that we pene¬
trate mto the Profundity of the Operations,
■S'liicn Nature is capable of.

B î The

The Her metical

The RECITAL.

Cold and Mercury went one Day with an
armed Hand, to (give Battle unto, and) fub-
due the Stone. Gold animated with Fury,
begun to (peak thus :

gold.

How have you the Boldnefs to raife your
fell above me, and my Brother Mercury ,
and to pretend a Preference before us ; you
, who are only a (*) Worm (fwollen) with
Poifon ? Do you not know that I am the:
mo ft precious, the moft durable, and the
chief of all the Metals ? (know^ you not):
that Monarchs, Princes, and Nations, dc
alike make all their Riches to conhft in me
and in my Brother Mercury , and that you
are on the contrary, the (dangerous; Enem^
of Men, and of Metals ; fo that the (mol:
able) Phyficians ceafe not to pubklh an<
extol the (Angular) Vertues which I polie:
(*) to give (and prcferve) Health to all ti

9' World ?

The STO NE.

To thefe Words (full of Anger) ti
Stone anfwer’d, ( without being moved II
iny dear Cold, why are you not rath!

5

Tri u m p h.

angry with God, and why do you not ask
him, for what Reafons he has not created
in you what is found in me?

G O L D.

’Tis God himfelf who has given me the
Honour, the Reputation, and the glittering
Brightnefs, which renders me fo eflimable,
it is for that Reafon that I am fo fearched
for by every one. One of my greateft Per¬
fections is to be a Metal unchangeable in
the Fire, and out of the Fire : So all the
World loves me, and runs after me ; but
you, you are only a (*) Fugitive, and a IOb
Cheat, that abufes all Men : This is feen
in that, that you fly away and efcape out
of the Hands of thofe who work with you*

The stone:

’Tis true, my dear Gold , ’tis God who
has given you the Honour, the Durability,
and the Beauty, which makes you preci¬
ous ; ’tis for that Reafon that you are
obliged to return (eternal) Thanks (to the
divine Bounty,) and not to defpife others
as you do; for lean tell you, that you
are not that Gold, of which the Writings of
the Philofiphers make mention ; (*) but
that Gold is hidden in my Bofom. .’Tis Ir*

B 3 true,

6 The Hermetic al

true, Î own in I flow in the Fire, (and
I abide not there,) neverthelefs you very
well know, that God and Nature have gi¬
ven me this Quality, and that this mud
be fo ; for as much as my Fluidity turns to
the advantage of the Artifl, who knows
'1 2. (*) the way how to extrade it ; know, ne¬
verthelefs, that my Soul remains confiant in
me, and that five is more fiable, and more
flxt than you are, altogether Gold as you
are, and more than are all your Brothers,
and all your Companions are. Neither Wa¬
ter, nor Fire, be they what they will,
can deflroy her, nor confume her ; though
they iliould aft upon her during as long a
time as the Work! fhall lad.

3Tis not then my Fault if I am fought for
by Artifls, who know not hove they ought
to work with me, nor in what way I ought
to be prepar’d. They often mix me with
foreign Things, which are (intirely) con¬
trary to me. They add to me Water,
Powders, and fuch other like things, which
deflroy my Nature, and the Properties
which are effential to me ; fo that there is
1 3. hardly found one in a Hundred (*) who
Works with me. They all apply them-
felvcs to fëarch out the (Truth of the) Art
in you, and in your Brother Mertury ;

’tis

Triumph. 7

*tis for that Reafon that they all err, and
’tis therein that their Works are falfe. They
are themfelves a (good) Example of it ; for
*tis unprofitably that they employ their
Gold) and that they endeavour to deftroy it ;
there remains nothing to them from all that,
but extreme Poverty, to which they fee
themfelves at lad reduc’d.

’Tis you, Gold , who art the firfl caufe
(of this ill Fortune ;) you very well know,
that without me it is impoffible to make
any Gold , or any Silver , which (hall be
perfedl, and that it is I alone who have
this (wonderful) Advantage. Why there¬
fore do you permit almod all the whole
World to lay the Foundation of their Ope¬
rations upon you, and upon Mercury If
you had yet any remainder of Honedy,
you’d hinder Men from abandoning them¬
felves to a mod; certain Lofs ; but as (in dead
thereof) you do quite the contrary, I may*
with Truth maintain, that it is you only
who are a Cheat.

GOLD .

I will convince you by the Authority
of the Philofiphers , that the Truth of the
Art may be accompli fhed with me. Read
Hermes, he fays thus : « The Sun is its Fa-

B 4 “ they

8 The Hermetical

14« a ther, and the Moon (*) its Mother ; now
I am the only one which they compare to
the Sun.

Ariflotle, Avicenn? Pliny ? Serapion ? Hippo »
crates? Diofiorides ? Mcfiue? Rafis ? Averroes ?
Geber ? Raymund Lully ? Albertus Magnus?
Arnold of’ Ailla JVova, Thomas Aquinas?
and a great Number of other PhiloJophersy
whom I pafs by in Silence, that I may not
be long, do all write clearly and diftinétîy,
that the Metals and the (phyftcal) Tinc¬
ture, are not made but of Sulphur and of
ATercurj? (*) that this Sulphur ought to be
red, incumbuftible, ftedfaftly refiïHng the
Fire ; and that the Mercury ought to be
clear, [or bright,] and well purify ’d. In
this manner they fpeak without any referve ;
they name me openly by my proper Name,
and fay, that in Gold? (that is to fay in me)
there is found the red digefted, fixt, and
incumbuftible Sulphur ? which is true, and
very evident ; for there is no Body who
does not know well, that I am a Metal,
the moft durable (and unalterable) that I
am endowed with a perfedf Sulphur? and in-
tirely fixt, over which the Fire has no
power.

Mercury was of the fame Opinion with
Gold, he approv’d of his Difcourfe, main¬
tained

Tr i u M p h.

tained that all which his Brother Bid was
true, and that the Work might be perfect¬
ed after the manner which the PhilofopheA
herein above-cited have written. He added
alfo, that every one (fufficiently) knew
how great a (mutual) (*) Friend th ip there
was between Gold and him, preferably be¬
fore all the other Metals ; that there was
no Body who could not eafily judge there¬
of by the Teftimony of his own Eyes,
that the Goldfmths, and other fuch like
Artificers knew very well, that when they
would gild any work, they could not do
without (a mixture of ) Gold and Mercury >
and that they make a Conjun&ion of them
in a very fmall time, without difficulty, and
with very little Labour ; what ought not
to be hop’d for with more Time, more La¬
bour, and more Application l

The STONE .

At this Difcourfe, the Stone begun to
Laugh, and told them, in Truth you de-
ferve both the one and the other of you>
that they fficuld jeer you, and your Demon-
flration ; but it is you Gold that Î fall the
more admire at, feeing that you are fo much
conceited of your felf, for having the ad¬
vantage which you ha\£ to be good for

feme

i A

ï o The Hermetical

i

fome certain Things. Can you be per*
fwaded that the ancient Philofiphers did write
as they have done, in a Senfe which ftiould
be unaerftood in a common Way ? And do
you believe that one ought plainly to inter¬
pret their Words according to the Letter ?

GOLD .

I am certain, that the Philofiphers , and the
Artifts, whom I cited, have not written a
Lie. They are all of the fame Sentiment
concerning the Vertue which I poffefs :
sTis very true that there are found fome
who would fearch in Things quite diftant,
for the Power and the Properties which
are in me. They have workt on certain
Herbs, on Animals, on Blood, on Urines,
on Hair, on Sperm, and on Things of this
Nature ; thofe have without doubt Bray’d
from the true way, and have fometimes
written Falfnoods : But it is not fo of thofe
Tv! afters whom [ have named. We have

we ought to give credit to their Writings,
The STONE.

I do not make any doubt at all of (thofe
Philofiphers) having had an intire Know¬
ledge

Triumph. i i

ledge of the Art; excepting, neverthelefs,
fome of thofe whom you have ailedged;
for there are among them, though a very
few, fome who knew it not, and have only
written what they have heard People fay
of it : But when they (the true Philosophers')
plainly name Gold and Mercury , as the
Principles of the Art, they only make
Ufe of thefe Terms thereby to hide the
Knowledge from the Ignorant, and from

O O

thofe who are unworthy (of this Science;)
for they very well know that ftich (vul¬
gar) Wits mind only the Names of things,
the Receipts, and the Procédés which they
find written, without examining whether
there be any (lolid) Foundation in what
they put into Practice. But the wife Men,
and thofe who read (good Books) with
Application and Exadlnefs, confider all
Things with Prudence, examine how con-
fonant and how agreeing one Thing (is
with another ; and by thefe means they
penetrate into the Foundation (of the Art,)
lb that by Reafoning, and by Meditation,
they difcover (at length) what the matter
of the Philofephers is, among whom there
is not any one to be found who would Row
it, or make it known openly, and by its
proper Name.

They

1 1 The Her metical

They declare themfelves plainly about it*
when they tell ye, that they never reveal
iefs (of the Secret) of their Art, than when
they fpeak openly, and in the common way
(of delivery :) But (they affirm) on the
*7# contrary (*), that when they ufe Simili¬
tudes, Figures, and Parables, it is in Truth
in thofe places (of their Writings) that they
difclofe their Art; for (the Philofophers ) af¬
ter having difcours’d of Gold and Mercury
fail not of declaring afterward and affuring
us, that their Gold is not the common Sd
for Gold) and that their Mercury is not the
common Mercury ; fee here the Reafon.

Gold is a perfed Metal, which by Rea¬
fon of its Perfection (which Nature has gi¬
ven it) cannot be carried further (by Art) to
a more perfeél Degree ; fo that in what way
foeve'r one may work with Gold , whatever
Artifice one makes ufe of ; though one
ffiould Extrad its Colour (and its Tin-
dure) a hundred Times, the Artifh will
never make more Gold , and ffiall never tinge
a greater Quantity of Metal, than there was
of Colour and Tindure in the Gold (from
whence it fhail have been Extraded ;) for
this Reafon it is that the Philofophers fay,
t%t that we ought to feek Perfedion (*) in
the impeded Things, and that we ffiall find

it

T K I U M P H. ' î

it there. You may read in the Rofary
what I have told you here. Raymond, Lully >
whom îy ou have cited to me, is of the fame
Sentiment, (he affures) that, that which
ought to be made better, ought not to be
perfeCf; becaufe in what is perfeCf, there is
nothing to be changed ; and one fhall fooner
deftroy its Nature, (than add any Thing to
its Perfection).

GOLD.

I am not ignorant, that the Philofophers
fpeak after this manner ; yet this may be
apply ’d to my Brother Mercury , who is?
as yet imperfeCt ; but if one join both of
us together, he then receives from me the
Perfection (which he wants :) For he is of
the Feminine Sex, and I am of the ADfculine
Sex ; which makes the Philofophers fay, that
the Art is one quite homogeneal Thing. You
fee an Example hereof in (the Procreation
of) Men, for there can no Child be Bom
.without (the Copulation of ) Male and Fe¬
male ; that is to fay, without the Conjun¬
ction of the one with the other. We have
the like Example thereof in Animals, and
in all living Beings.

The

14 T'be HermetïcaL

The S TO NE.

5 Tis true, your Brother Mercury is ini*
jp. perfect (*), and by confequence he is not
the Mercury of the wife. So though you
iliouîd be join’d together, and one Should
keep you thus ill the Fire during the Courfe
of many Years, to endeavour to unite you
perfe&ly to one another, there will always
happen (the fame Thing, namely,) that as
foon as the Mercury feels the A&ion of
Fire, it feparates it felf from yon, it is fub-
limed, it flies away, and leaves you alone
below* That if one diflblve you in u4qm-
fortis 5 if one reduce you into one only
(Mafs), if one melt you, if one diftil you,
if one coagulate you, you will never pro¬
duce any Thing but a Powder, and a red
Precipitate : That if one make a Projection
of this Powder on an imperfect Metal, it
tinges it not ; but one finds as much Gold as
one put therein at the beginning, and your
Brother Mercury quits you and flies away.

See here, thefe are the Experiments, which
thofe who apply themfelves to the Search
of Chymiflry have made to their great Da¬
mage, during a long 1 rain of Years : See
alfiy (where there endeth) all the Knowledge
which they have acquired by their Works*.

But

T R I Ü M P H. V5

But becaufe there is a Saying of the Anci¬
ents, whereof you would make ufe to your
Advantage, that the Art is all one (entire)
homogeneal Thing ; that no Child can be
Born without Male and Female ; and that
you imagine to your felf, that the Philofi-
phers do thereby intend to fpeak of you and
your Brother Mercury ; I ought to tell yon

S) that this is fàlfe, ana that it is
sod much amifs concerning you,
though in the fame Places the Philofophers
fpeak fincerely, and tell the 1 ruth. I make
it known to you, that here (*) lies the cor- 2,0*
ner (angular) Stone, which they have laid,
and at which many Thoufands of Men have
Bumbled.

Can you well imagine to your felf,
that it fhould be the fame ( f ) with Me- z i ,
tals, as with Things which have Life.
There happens to you in this, that which
happens to all falfe Artifts : For when you
read (fuch like Palfages) in the Philofiphers ,
you apply not your {elves any more to exa¬
mine them, to endeavour to difeover whe¬
ther (finch Expreffions) fquare and agree to-
ther, or no, with what has been faid be¬
fore, or what is faid afterward : Yet (you
ought to know) that all which the Philofi¬
phers have written in figurative Terms about
' . . the

lé The Her me xi cal

the Work) ought to be underflood of nie
only, and of no other Thing which is in
the World ; becaufe there is only me who
can perform that which they fay, and that

22. (*) without me it is impoflible to make
any true Gold , or any true Silver.

GOLD .

Good God ! have you no Shame of
telling fo great a Lie ? And do you not
think you commit a Sin, in boafling your
felf to fuch a Height) as to dare to attri-
bute to your felf alone, all which fo many
wife and knowing Men have written of
this Art, for fo many Ages ; you who are
only a thick, impure, and poifonous Mat¬
ter : And you acknowledge, notwithstand¬
ing this, that this Art is all one (perfectly)
Homogen eal Thing ? You fay further,
that without you, one can make no true
Gold*, nor true Silver , as being an uni-

23. verfal Thing (*). (Is there not a man:-
fell Contradi&ion there ?) For as much
as many knowing Perfons have applied them-
felves with fo much Care and Exablnefs to
thofe (curious) Searches, which they have
made, that they have found out other ways
(viz,. Precedes) which they call Particu'ars,

from

R I U M P H. tj

tuîars, from which, neverthelefs, one may
draw great Gain.

The ST O NE

My dear Gold, be not fiirprifed at what
I am going to tell you, and be not fo im¬
prudent as to impute a Lie to me ; to me,
who am (*) older than you : If fo be I 2 4*
were indeed miftaken in this Point, you’d
have Reafon to excufe my ( great) Age ;
fince you are not Ignorant that old Age
Ihould be refpected.

But to convince you that I have fpoken
Truth ; in order to defend my Honour, Ï
will rely on no other but (the Authority)
of the fame Maliers whom you have quo¬
ted, and whom for that Reafon you have
no Right to refufe. (For Infiance,) Her¬
mes in particular fays thus : It is true with¬
out a Lie, certain and very true, That that
which is below, is like unto that which is
above ; and that which is above, is like un¬
to that which is below ; (*) ’tis by thefe 25,
Things that one may make the Miracles of
one only Thing.

Ariftotle fays : O how admirable is this
Thing, which contains in it felf all Tilings
which we have need of. It kills it felf;
and afterwards it read urnes a Life of it felf ;

C (*) ÏE

1 8 The Hermetic 11

z6* (Y) it efpoufes it felf ; it impregnates it
fel fj it is born of it felf, it diffolves it felf
in its own Blood; it coagulates it felf agaim
with it, and takes a hard Confidence ; it:
makes it felf White, and it rubifies it felf, of
it felf; we add nothing more to it, and!
we change nothing in it, except that we
feparate the Großheß and the Terre fir eity.

Plato fpeaks of me in this manner : It
is one only (ingle Thing, of one and the
27. fame Species in it felf ; (Y) it has a Bodyr
a Soul, a Spirit, and the four Elements,,
over which it has Dominion. It wants no¬
thing ; it has no need of other Bodies
for it ingenders it felf all Things are from
it, by it, in /it. *

I could here bring you mmy other Teftii
monies, but it being unneceffary, I pal
them over in Silence, that I may not b
tedious. However, lince you happen t:
fpeak to me of ( Proccjfcs, or) Particular
I’ll explain to you in what they diff
ga. (from the Art) (*), fome Artifls v/ho lm
wrought with me, have carried on the:;
Works fo far, that they fucceeded fo far
to feparate from me my Spirit, which con
tains my Tincture , fo that mixing it with 0
ther Metals and Minerals they arriv’d thus fa;
that they communicated a (mall part of rr

Vertu«

T Rï U M PH. igt

Vertues, and or my Power to fuch Metals
as have fome Affinity and Friendffiip with
me. Yet thele Artiils who have fucceeded
in this way, and who have indeed found
one Part (of the Art*) are really but a ve¬
ry fmall Number : But as they knew not
(*) the Original whence the Tindures 19*
come, it was impoffible for them to carry
on their Works beyond that,* and at the
calling up of their Accounts, they have
found no vaft Profit in their Proceeding.

But if thefe Artifts had carried on their
Searches further, and that they had well
examined which is the (*) Wife who is
proper for me ; and that they had fought
for her, and united me with her ; I then
could have ting’d a thou fand Times (more ;)
but (inflead of that) they entirely deftroy-
ed my own Nature, by mixing me with
foreign Things ; dis truly for that Caufie,
that at the making up of their Accounts,
they have found fome Gain, however, bat
indifferent, in companion of the great Pow¬
er which is in me ; ’tis apparent, never-
thel els, that (this Gain) did not proceed,
nor had its Original, but from me, and not
from any other Thing whatfcever, (where**
with I might be mixed.)

C 2

G O L D*

no

The Hekmetical

GOLD.

What you have fakl is no fufficierit Proof v
for though the Philofophcrs fpeak of one on¬
ly Thing, which enclofes in it felf the tour
Elements : and which [Thing] has a Body,
a Soul, and Spirit ; and that by this Thing
they would give us to under Band the (Phy—
fical) Tincture ; at fuch time when the
fame has been carried on to its higheit (Per¬
fection) which is the Point they aim at ;
yet this Thing ought at its beginning to be:
compofed of me, who am the Gold, and.
of my Brother who is the Adercvrj, as be¬
ing (both together) the Male Seed, and the
Female Seed ; as has been faid before : For
after we have been fufBciently cook d, and
tranfmuted into a Tindturc, we are then
both the one and the other (together) the
one only Thing which the Philofipber.

fpeak of.

The STONE <

That goes not as you fancy; I hav
already told you before, that no true Uni:
on can be made of you two ; for you ai
31. not one only Body, (*) but two Bodie
together ; and confequently you are contra

rv, conhderin" the Foundation of Nature
' 0 - bu

Triumph. 2 ï

but as for me, I have an (*) imperfect 3 2 «
Body, a ftedfaft Soul, a penetrating Tin¬
cture. I have, befides this, a clear, tranlpa-
rent, volatile, and moveable Adercury : And
I can operate all thofe (great) Things, which
you boaft of with you both, and which
however you are not able to perform : For
his I who carry the PhilofophicaL Geld, and
! the Mercury of the wife [Men] in my Bo-
i fom ; wherefore the Philofiphers (fpeaking
: of me) fay, our Stone (*) is Invihble, and ^ ^ #
j it is not poffible to attain to the Poffeffion “

; of our Mercury, any othervvay than by
the Means of (*) two Bodies, whereof one . ,
cannot receive without the other the (re- ^
quifite) Perfection.

5Tis for this Reafon that there is no other
\ but only my felf, who poffeffes a Male and
a Female Seed, and who is (at the lame
I time) a Thing (entirely) Homogeneal; al-
i fo am I call’d an Hermaphrodite . Richardm
i Anglic m witneifes of me, faying, the fir ft
! Matter of our Stone is call’d Rehis (twice
a Thing) that is to fay, a Thing which
\ has received fom Nature a double occult
■ Property, which is the Realon that the
{ Name of Hermaphrodite is given to it, as if
1 one would fay, a Matter, whereof it is dif¬
ficult to be able to difhinguiOi the Sex (and

Ci to

a 2 The Her metical

to difcover) whether it be a Male, or a Fe«?
male, it inclining equally to both Sides :
The (Univerfal) Medicine is therefore made

35. of a Thing which is (Y) the Water, and
the Spirit of the Body.

This has given Occafion to the faying,
that this Medicine has deceived a great
Number of Fools, by Fveafon of the Mul¬
titude of lÆnigmd s (under which it is hid ;)
neverthelefs this Art requires but one only
Thing, which is known by every one, and
which many do wilh for ; and the whole
is a Thing, which has not its equal in the

36, World ; (*) it is however cheap, and to
be had at a fmall Expence : It ought not
to be defpifed for that; for it makes and
perfects wonderful Things.

AUnm the Philofopher fays, you that work
in this Art, ought to have a firm and con¬
fiant Application of Mind to your Work,
and not go about to try fometimes one,
Thing, fometimes another. The Art con-
lifls not in a Plurality of Species ; but in.
the Body, and in the Spirit. Oh ! how
true it is, that the Medicine of our Stone
is one Thing, one Veffel, one Conjundli-
on. All the Artifice begins by one Things
and ends by one Thing, altho’ the Philofo-
fhers, with a Befign to conceal this (great.

T RIUMPH. Il

Art) defcribe lèverai ways, viz,, a continual
Gonjun&ion, a Mixing, a Sublimation, a
i Deficcation, and as many other (Ways and
Operations ) more, as may be 'named by diffe¬
rent Names : But (Y) the Diffolution of the ^ ^
Body is not made, but in its own Blood.

Geber fays thus : There is a Sulphur in
the Profundity of Mercury , which cooks it,
and which digefts it in the Vein of the
Mines, during a very long time. * Thus you
fee my dear Gold, that I have fully de»
mon [Bated to you, that this Sulphur is on¬
ly in me ,* becaufe I do all my felf alone,
without your help, and without that of all
your Brothers, and of all your Compani¬
ons. I have no Need of you ,* but you all
have Need of me, for as much as I can
give Perfection to you all, and raife you all
above the State, which Nature has plac’d
i you in.

At thefe lad: Words, the Gold grew fu-
t rioufly enrag’d, not knowing what to an-
j fwer any further ; he confulted (however)

, with his Brother Mercury , and they agreed
: together, that they would affift one ano¬
ther, (hoping) that they being two again#
our Stone, which is but one and alone**
they might eafily overcome it ; fo that af-
: ter not having been able to conquer it by

C 4 dife

24- The He RMETICAL

difputing, they took a Refolution to put
it to Death by the Sword. In this dengn
they join’d their Forces, to make them the
ftronger by uniting their double Power.

Battle was given : Our Stone difplay’d
its Force and its Valour ; fought them both,
38. (*) overcame them, deftroy’d them, and
fwallowed up both the one and the other
in a manner that there remained no fign,
whereby one might know what was become
of them.

Thus, dear Friends, who have the fear
of God before your Eyes, what I tell you
ought to make you know the Truth, and!
illuminate your Minds as much as is necef-
fary to underftand the Foundation of the
greateft and the moft precious of all Trea¬
sures, which no Philofophcr has fo clearly
explained, difcovered, or brought to Light.

You have then no need of any Thing
elfe. This only remains, that you pray tc
God, that he would make you arrive a.
the PofTeiTion of a Jewel, which is of an
ineftimable Value. Next to this, fharpen
your Mind, read the Writings of the Wif'
with Prudence ; work with Diligence (am
Exa&nefs,) ad not rafhly in fo precious
39. Work. (*) It’s time is ordained by Na;
jure j in the like manner as the Fruits whicl:

at,

Triumph. 25

ate on the Trees, and as the Bunches of
Grapes which the Vine does bear. Be up¬
right of Heart, and propofe to your felf
(in your Work) an honeft End ; other-
wife God will grant you nothing ; (*)
for lie doth not communicate (fo great) a
Gift, except to thofe who will make a good
ufe of it ; and he depriveth them thereof
who defign to make ufe of it to commit
Evil. I pray to God that he may give
you his (holy) Bleffing. Amen .

A DIS-

ïG The He RM ETI CAL

DISCOURSE

BETWEEN

Eudoxus and pyrophihs ,

UPON THE

Ancient War

OF-THE

K N ï G H T S.

PYROPHILVS.

OST happy Moment, that
briags me fo luckily to meet
you here ! I have for a long
time mofl: earneftly wilh’d for
an opportunity of entertaining
you with the Progreß I have made in Phi-

lofiphy,

T

R I U M P H.

lofiphy , by reading thofe Authors, you ad-
vifed me to read, to inftruâ: me fundamen¬
tally in that Divine Science, which by way
of Excellency is call’d Philosophy .

E V D O XV S.

The feeing you thus again, gives me no
lefs Joy, and that will füll be increafed by
Learning the Advantages you have gained
by your Application to the Study of ou?
facred Science.

PYROP HJLVS.

I fhall be indebted to you, not only for
all that I now know of it, but likewife for
what I fhall hope to penetrate in the So-
phick^ Myfteries, if you will pleafe to con¬
tinue to lend me the Affiftance of your
Knowledge. It was you that infpired me
with all the needful Courage, to undertake
a Study, whofe firft Difficulties appeared
impenetrable ; and of a Nature, continually
to blunt the Points of Wits, that are molt
acute in the fearch of hidden Truth : But
thanks to your good Counfcl, I find my
felf but the more animated to piirfue my
Enterprise,

E V ,

The He RMETICAL

28

E V D 0 XV S.

1 am pleafed, that I have not been mif-
taken in the Judgment of the Charadter of
your mind, you have it of the temper it
ought to be of, for acquiring that Know¬
ledge that furmounts the Capacity of an
ordinary Genius, and not to foften under
fo many Difficulties as renders the Sandlu-
ary of our Philofiphy almoh unacceffible.
I very much applaud that Force with which
Ï know you have combated the ufual Dif-
courfes of certain Wits, who think them-
felves concerned in honour to treat as Whim -
fey and Chimera , whatever they do not un¬
derhand, becaufe they are unwilling it ffiould
be faid, that others can difeover Truths of
which they have no Knowledge»

PTRQ PHILVS.

I never thought there was much Attenti¬
on due to the Keafoning of fuch as will de¬
cide in Things they underhand not ; but I
confefs to yon, that had any thing been able
to turn me from a Science, for which I
have ever had a hrong natural Inclination,
it would have been that fort of Shame that
Ignorance hath fahped upon Inquirers into
this Philofiphy ; It is really troublefome to

Triumph. 29

be obliged to bide ones Application to it ;
as one muft either do, or pafs in the Opi¬
nion of the World, for a Man that bufies
himfelf in vain Chimera s ; but as Truth
where-ever it is, hath ineflimable Charms for
me, nothing has had the Power to divert
me from this Study. I have read the Wri¬
tings of a great many Philofiphers , no lefs
confiderable for their Learning, than for
their Probity ; and as it could never enter
into my Thoughts, thatfo great Perfonages
were lo many publick Impoftors, I would
needs examine their Principles with ferious
Attention, and was convinced of the Truths
they advance, altho’ I pretend not to com¬
prehend them all.

EVDOXVS.

You oblige me much by the Juftice
you render to the Mahers of our Art; but
pray tell me, what Philofiphers you have par¬
ticularly read, and which are thofe that have
given you moft Satisfaction ? I contented
my felf with recommending to you only

fome few.

P TR OP III LV S.

To reply to your demand, I fhould

make a long Catalogue, for 1 have read the

0 * ' Philo-

I

ERMETICAL

philoßphers many Years without ceafing. I
have fought Knowledge in its Source, I have
read the fmaragdine Table, the feven Chap¬
ters of Hermes, with their Commentaries.

Ï have read Geber, the Turba, Rofarjy Thea«
trum, Bibliothèque y Chjmical Cabinet y and par¬
ticularly Artephius, Arnold de villa nova , Raj«
fnond Lully y Trevißtny Flame /, Aacchary , and
many others, Antient and Modern, whom
Ï name not ; among others, Bafily Talent me ,
Coßnopoltta , and Philalethes .

I afFure you I was terribly put to it, to
try to find the effential Point in which they
all fhould agree, they making ufe of Ex-
preffions fo differing, and often, feem to be
oppolite. Some fpeak of the Matter in ab-
ftraéled Terms, others in Terms com¬
pounded : Some exprefs only certain Qua¬
lities of the Matter, others flick upon quite
different Properties ; fome confider it in a
State purely natural, others fpeak of it in a
State of fome of the Perfeàions it receives
from Art : And all this together flings one
into fuch a Labyrinth of Difficulties, that
it is no wonder that mo ft of thofe who
.read the Philoßophers , do form quite cii lie-
rent Conclufions.

I did not content my felf to read the
chief Authors you diredled me to barely

once I

Triumph. 3

once over ; I read them over again and a-
gain, even as often as I thought I could
draw new InBruddons from them, either as
to the true Matter, or as to its divers Pre¬
parations, whereon depends the whole Sue-
cefs of the Work. I have made Extradés
from all the beB Books. I have meditated
thereon Day and Night, until I thought I
knew the Matter, and its different Prepara¬
tions, which Property is but one and the
fame continued Operation. But f avow to
you, that after fuch folid Pains, I took a
lingular Pleafure to read the Antient Quar¬
rel of the Philofiphers Stone with Gold and
Mercury ; the Neatnefs, the Simplicity, and
the Solidity of this Trad: have charmed
me , and as it is a Banding Truth, that he
who underftands one true Philofopher per-
fed:ly, does moB certainly underBand them
all ; permit me, if you pleafe, to ask you
fome Queflions concerning this, and have
the Goodnefs to anfwer me with the lame
Sincerity that you have always ufed towards
me. I allure my felf, that after that, I lhall
be as much inBrucled as it is needfary to
be to put my Hand to the Work, and hap»
pily to arrive at the Poffeffion of the preateB
°f all thole temporal Bleflings* wherewith
it pleafes God to honour thofe who Labour
•in bis Love and leap, E V »

5 1 The Hërmetîcal

E V D 0 X V S.

I am ready to fatisfy your Demands, and
fhall be very glad to hear you touch the ef-
fential Point, whilft I am in the Refolution to
conceal nothing from you of what may ferve
for the InftruCtion you may think you
want : But I believe it will be proper that
I firft make you fome Remarks, that will
very much contribute to clear fome impor¬
tant Paffages of the Tract you have men¬
tioned.

Remark then, that the term Stone is ta¬
ken in many different Acceptations, and in
particular with regard to the three different
Stations of the Work ; which makes Geber
fay, That there are three Stones, which are
the three Medicines anfwering to the three
Degrees of Perfection of the Work ; fo
that the Stone of the firft Order, is the
Matter of the Philofiphers perfectly purified,
and reduced into a pure mercurial Subftance;
the Stone of the fécond Order, is the fame
Matter decoded, digefted, and fixed into
an incombuftible Sulphur ; the Stone of the
third Order, is the very fame Matter fer¬
mented, multiplied, and pufhed to the laft
Perfedion of TinCture fixt, permanent, and

tinging' ÿ

Triumph.

tinging i And thefe three Stones are the
three Medicines of the three Kinds.

Remark further, that there is a great
Difference between the Stone of the Philo -
fiphers , and the Philoflophick^ Stone. The
ftrft is the Subject of Philofiphy , confidered
I in the State of its firft Preparation, in which
I it is truly a Stone, fince it is folid, hard,

! heavy, brittle, frangible ; it is a Body (fays
: PhiUlethes ) becaufle it flows in Fire like a Me-
\ tal ; and yet it is a Spirit, flor it is wholly
■ Volatile . It is the Compound and the Stone that
] contains the Humidity , that runs in the Fire
t (fays Arnoldus in his Letter to the King of
\ Naples) it is in this State that it is a middle

ISubflance between a Metal and Mercury (as
the Abbot Sincfius expreffes it) it is in fine
in this State, that Geber conflders it, where
he fays in two Places of his Summa, Take
« our St one , that is to fay, (faith he,) the Mat -
j ter of our Stone , juft as if he had faid, take
j the P hilofiphers Stone, which is the Matter
of the Philofophick^ Stone.

The Philofiphick^ Stone, is therefore the
: fame Stone of the Philofophers ; when by
I the fecret Magi fiery it is exalted to the Per-
j feciion of the third Order, tranfinuting all
: imperfcd Metals into pure Gold or Silver,

; according to the Nature of the Ferment

D adjoined

The HèkmetïCâL

adjoined to it« Thefe D blindions will d
you confiderable Service, to unfold the dif
ficult Senfe of the Philofephieal Writing
and to clear up divers Paflages of this ver
Author, upon which you intend to di
courfe me.

PTRO P HIL V S.

I already difcern the Utility of thefe R
marks, and find in them the Explication
fome of my Doubts ; but before we ps
any further, pray tell me whether the Authi
of this little Trad, which I fpeak of, c
ferves the Approbation that many learni
Men do give it, and whether it contains t
whole Secret of the Work ?

E V D O XV S.

You need not doubt, but that this Treat
is done by the Hand of a true Adept, and cc
fequently merits the Efteemand Approbat:
of Philofophers. The principal Defign of t
Author, is to undeceive an almoft infir
Number of Arti-fts, who deceived by the Î
ral Senfe of our Writings, obffinately peri!
that the Magiftery is to be effected by
Conjunction of Gold with Mercury variou.
prepared ; and to convince them ahfolutt:
he maintains with the befl and moil: An

çnt Philofophers •, (*) that the

Herb

v

is

T R I U M P A.

biadc but of one only Things of one only etnd

the fame Species,

' 1 .

PTRO P HILV S.

That is the very foil of the Places that
rai fed me fome Scruples ; for methinks one
may reafonably doubt, that Perfection ought
to be fought in one only felf fame Subftance*
md that without adding any Thing to it,
3ne can be able to make all Things of it.
The Phllofiophcrs on the contrary fay, that
lot only we muft remote the Superfluities
rom the Matter, but what is wanting muft
ikewife be added to it.

I E V D O XV Si

] It is eafy to deliver you from that Doubt:
ly this companion ; in the fame manner as
)uices extracted from divers Herbs, depu¬
ted from their Fæces, and incorporated to-
tether, make but one Confection of one on-

1T and felf fame Species , fo the Philofiophers >
rith Reafon, call their prepared Matter, one
aly and felf fame Thing, although we are
at ignorant that it is a natural Compound
; certain Subftances from one fame Root,
id of one fame Kind, making together one
hole compleat Homogeneity ; in this Senfe
.e Philofiophers do all agree, tjiough fome

D i f y,

j 7

gé The Pî ER METICAL

fay, their Matter is compounded of tv
Things, and others of three ; though for
write, that it confifts of four, and fome
five ; and others again, that it is but o:
only Thing : They are all equally in t
right, becaufe divers Things of one and t
fame Kind naturally and intimately unite
even as feveral Waters diftilled from Her!
and mingled together, do indeed conftiti
but one only felf-fame Thing ; and this
done in our Art, and fo much more func
mentally, as the Subftances that make i
the philofophiqff Compound, differ lefs
mong themfelves, than forrel Water diff
from lettice Water.

PTROP HI LV S.

I have nothing to reply to what y
have faid, I comprehend the Senfe of it
ry well ; but there remains with me a Do*
upon this Occafion, that I know fevr.
Perlons well verfed in the reading of
beft Philofiphers , and who yet follow a H.
thod quite contrary to the firft Founda.ji
that our Author lays ,* that is to fay,

2. (*) the philo fiphical Aimer hath no fc
of any 'Thing whatfoevery other than t( I
dfolved and coagulated . For thefe Per p
begin the work by Coagulation ; they r -

til

Triumph.

therefore work upon a liquid Matter, in-
(lead of a Stone ; pray inform me, whether
this Method be that of Truth ?

E V D O X V S,

1 - :•

Your Remark is very judicious, the great-
eft part of true Phtlofophers are of the fame
Sentiment with this Author. The Matter has
no need but to be diffolved, and then coa¬
gulated ; Mixtion, Conjun&ion, Fixation,
^Coagulation, and other like Operations, are
§made almoft of themfelves ; but Solution is
3the great Secret of the Art. It is this ef-
jfential Point that the Philofiphers do not re¬
peal. All the Operations of the firft Work,
or of the firft Medicine, is nothing (to
fpeak properly) but a continual Solution ;
o that Calcination, ExtraéHon, Sublimati¬
on, Diftillation, is but a true Solution of
the Matter» Geber taught not the Necefli-
cy of Sublimation, but becaufe it not only
purifies the Matter from its grofs and com-
huftible Parts ; but alfo, becaufe it difpofcs
?o Solution, from whence refults the Mer-
c urial Humidity, which is the Key of the
W ork*

The Hermeiical

PTROPHILVS.

I am now well fortified againd thofe pre*
tended Philofiphers , who are of a contrary
Sentiment to this Author ; and I know not,
how they can imagine that their Opinion
fquares exa&ly with the bed Authors ?

E V D O XV S.

This very Author alone fuffices to let
them fee their Error, he explains himfelf
by a very right fimile of Ice, which melts ;
5 . with the lead Heat ; to let us know, (*)
T hat the principal Operation is to procure the'
Solution of a Matter hard and dry , coming' near
to the Nature of a Stone; which, neverthe-
iefs, by the Aéhon ot the natural Fire,*
ought to be refolved into a dry Water, as
eafily as Ice is melted by the lead Heat.

PTRO P HILVS.

I fhould be extreamly obliged to you, if
you would be fo kind to inform me, what
a. it is you call (*) the natural Fire. I very
well know it is the principal Key of the
Art, many Philofiphers have expreffed the:
Nature of it by very obfeure Parables ; but:
I do confefs to you, that I have not as yet:1
teen able to comprehend this Mydery.

E Zh

Triumph. 39

E v D o xv s.

It is indeed the great My ftery of the
Art, all other Myfteries of this fublime
Philofophy depending on the Knowledge of
this. How fatished fliould I be, might I
nakedly explain this Secret to you ; but I
cannot do that, which no Philofipher be¬
lieves to be in his Power, all you can rea-
fonably exped of me is to tell you, that the
natural Fire whereof this Philofipher fpeaks,
is a potential Fire, that burns not the Flands?
but makes its Efficacy appear, being a little
excited by the exterior Fire. It is there¬
fore a Fire truly Secret, that this Author in
the Title of his Work calls Lmar Vulcan*
Artephim has made a more ample Defcripti-
on of it, than any other Philofipher. Port-
iiïnns has copied him, and tells us, that he
erred two Hundred times, becaufe he knew
not this Fire, ’till he had read and under-
Hood Artephius ; this myfterious Fire is na¬
tural, becaufe it is of one fame Nature with
the phiiofophick Matter ; but, nevertheleffi
the Artift prepares them both.

PTROP HILV S.

What you have told me, rather excites,
than fatisfies my Curio lity, Blame not the

D 4 earned

4o The Hermetic al

earnefl: Rcqiied I make you, to inftrud me
more clearly, in a Point of fuch Impor¬
tance, that without the Knowledge of it,
it were in vain to pretend to the Work ;
for without it, one meets a full Stop, after
the firfl Step made in the pradick Part of
the Work.

E V D O XV S.

The wife Men have been no lels referved
concerning their Fire, than concerning their
Matter ; fo that it is not in my Power to
add any Thing to what I have faid of it.
I remit you therefore to Artephius and Pon-
tanns. Con fi der only with Application,
that this natural Fire is an artificial Inven¬
tion of the Artift, that it is proper to cal¬
cine, diflolve, and fiiblime the Stone of the
Philofephers ; and that there is but this one
fort of Fire in the World able to produce
the like EfFed*. Confider that this Fire is
of the Nature of Lime or Calx, and that it
i$ in no fort a Stranger, with regard to the
Subjed of Philofophy* Confider, in fine,
sno by what means Geber teaches to make
the Sublimations requifite to this Art ; for
my part I can do no more, but make for
you the lame wjfii that another PBilofipher

Triumph, ^

prde, That the Stars of Venus and horngä
ÏDiûpa may be propitious to you,

PTROPH I LU S.

I fhould have been glad you had fpoken
more intelligibly, but fince there are certain
Bounds, beyond which the Phdofiphers can¬
not pafs ; Ï content my felf with what you
have made me Remark ; I will again read
over Artephius with more Application, than
I have yet done, and I fhall not forget what
you have told me, that the fecret Fire of the
wife Men, is a Fire that the Artift prepares
according to Art, or at lead, that he caufe
' to be prepared by thofe that have a perfed
Knowledge of Chymiftry ; that this Fire is
not aâually hot, but that it is a fiery Spi¬
rit, introduced into a Subjed of one felf
fame Nature with the Stone y and which be¬
ing moderately excited by the exterior Fire,
calcines, diffolves, fublimes the Stone, and
refolves it into a dry Water, as Cofmopolite has
expreffed it.

EU D O XU S.

You perfectly comprehend what I have
been telling you ; I find fo by the Com¬
mentary^ you add to it. You mu ft know,
that from this firft Solution, Calcination, or

Sublima-

42 The Her METICAL

Sublimation, which are here one and the
fame Thing, there refults the Separation of
the tcrreflld and aduflible Parts of the Stone ;
efpecially if you follow Geber $ Counfel
touching the Regiment of the Fire in the
manner he teaches it, where he treats of the
Sublimation of the Bodies , and of Mercury .
You ought to hold it for a confiant T ruth,
that there is but this one way in the World,
to extract from the Stone its unctuous Hu¬
midity, which infeparably contains the Sul¬
phury and the Mercury of the wife Men.

P Y R O P H 1 L U S.

I am thus intirely fatisfied upon the prin¬
cipal Point of the find Work ; do me the
Favour to tell me, if the Comparifon that
,j#pur Author makes (*) of Wheat ? with the
Stone of PhilofopherSj with regard to their
necejfary Preparation , to make Bread with
the one, and the Univerfal with the other,
appears to you to be a proper and well fuited
•Comparifon*

EUDOXUS .

It is as proper as can be made, if the
ß ’tone be confiaered in the State wherein the
Artift begins to put it, to be able to be
fightly called the fubjedt and philofbphick;

Com«*1

Triumph.

Compound ; for juft as we are not non«
nftied by Wheat, fuch as Nature produces
it ; but we are obliged to reduce it into
Meal, to feparate from it die Bran, to make
it into Pafte with Water, to make Bread of
it, which muft be baked in an Oven to be¬
come a proper Aliment ; in the fame man¬
ner, we take the Stone^ we grind, or pow¬
der it, we feparate frGm it by the fecret
Fire its Terreftreity ; we fublime it, we
diftolve it with the Water of the Sea of the
wife Men ; we decod this fimple Con-,
fedion, to make of it a fovereign Medicine-

PT R O P H / L U S.

Give me leave to tell you, that there
feems to me fome difference in this Compa-
rifon. The Author fays, that one muft
take this Mineral alone, to make this great
Medicine, and yet with Wheat alone we
cannot make Bread , it is necelfary to add
to it, not only Water, but Leaven.

EU D O X U S.

You have already the Anfwer to this
Objection ; in as much as this Philofipher,
like all the reft, forbids not abfolutely to add
any Things but that nothing ftrange, vr con-
trary be added \ The Water that is added

44- The Her met i cal

to the Meal and the Leaven likewife, are
nothing ftrange, or contrary to the Meal ;
the Grain of which ’tis made was nourifhed
by Water in the Earth ; and Water is there¬
fore of a Nature analogical to Meal : So the
Water of the Sea of the Philofophers, is of
the fame Mature with our Stone ; becaufe all
that is comprized under the Mineral and
metallick Gendre, was formed and nourifhed
of that very fame Water in the Bowels of
the Earth, whither it penetrates with the
Influence of the Stars. You may plainly
fee, by what I have faid, that the Philofo¬
phers do not contradiâ themfelves, when
they fay it is one only felf Subftance, and
when they fpeak of it as a compound of
many Subfiances of one only, and felf fame
Species*

PTRO P H 1 L U S.

I think there is none but muft be con¬
vinced by fo fold Reafons as thofe you al¬
ledge. But tell, if you pleafe, whether I
am miftaken in the confequence I draw from
that Paflage of our Author, where he fàys,
<5. that (¥) thofe that know after what man¬
ner A4 et als and Minerals ought to he treat¬
ed , may go direElly to the Worf they aim at •
If this be fo, it is evident that the Mat*

T R I U M P H. 45

ter ând Subjed of the Art muft not be,
fought for, but in the Family of Metals and
Minerals, and that all that work upon other
Subjeds, are in the Road of Error.

EUDOXUS.

I will anfwer, your confequence is very
Well drawn ; this Philofopher is not alone in
fpeaking thus, he agrees therein with the
greateft Number, Antient and Modern. Ge¬
ber, who perfedly knew the Magiftery, and
who ufed no Allegory, treats throughout
his whole Summa only of Metals and Mi¬
nerals, of Bodies and Spirits, and of the
right manner of performing them, to make
the Work of them. But as the pi.ilofophick
Matter is partly Body, and partly Spirit,
as in one Senfe it is Terreftrial, and in ano¬
ther it is all Celeftial ; and as fome Authors^
confider it in one Senfe, and others treat of
it in another, this has given Occallon to
the Error of a great Number of Artifts ;
who under the Name of Vmverfdifls , re-
jed every Matter that hath received a de¬
terminative from Nature becaufe they can¬
not deftroy the particular Matter, to fepa-
rate from it the Grain which is the pure u-
niverfalSubftance, which the particular Mat¬
ter ihuts up in its Bcfom, and to which

tli

The Hermetic al

the wife and illuminated Artift can abfo*
lately render all the Universality neceffary
to it, by the natural Conjunction that he
makes of this Germ, with the moft univeN
fal Matter, from whence it hath drawn its
Original. Be not frighted at thefe Singular
iExpreffions, our Art is Cabililfick, You
will eafiiy comprehend thefe Myfteries be¬
fore you are got to the end of the Quefti-
ons, which you defign to make me upon the
Author that you examine.

PTROPH1LUS.

If you gave me not this hope* I pro-
teft to you, that thefe my fierions ObfcurN
ties were enough to put me quite off, and
make me Defpair of my good Succefs ; but
I repofe an entire Confidence in what you
tell me, and I very well comprehend. That
the Af étais of the F ulgar-, dre not the A fêtais of
the Philofophers ; for it is evident , that to he
fitch they muß he deßroyedj and ceafe to he
Afetals : And the wife Man wants nothing
but the vifcus Humidity, which is their
£rft Matter from which the Philofophers
make their living Metals by an Artifice, that
is as Secret as it is founded upon the Princi¬
ples or Nature ; is not that your meaning \

Jl- U-*

T R I U M P H.

E U D O X U S.

ïf you are as well acquainted with the
Laws of the Practice of the Work, as you
feem to me to comprehend tire Theory, you
have no need of my Inftrudions.

PY R O P H I LU S.

I beg your Pardon, I am very far from
being fo great a Proficient ; what you take
for an Effeft of a perfeft Knowledge of the
Art, is nothing but a Facility of Expref-
fion that I have got by reading of Au¬
thors, with whom I have filled my Memo¬
ry I am on the côntrary ready to De-
fpair of ever attaining to fuch a Pitch of
Knowledge, when I confider, that this Phi-
lofopher requires, as do divers others, that
he that afpires to this Science, (*) ftsouldy,
know externally and internally the Properties of
dll Things i and that he penetrate into the Depth
of the Operations op Nature. Tell me, if you
pleafe, who is the Man that can flatter him-
lelf to arrive at a Knowledge of (o vail an
Extent ?

E U D O X U S.

It is true, this Pbilofopher puts no Bounds
to the Learning or him, who pretends to

under-

48 The Hermeîïcal

underhand fo miraculous an Art ; for the
wife Man ought to be perfectly acquainted
with Nature in general, and her Operations,
as well in the Center of the Earth, in the
Generation of Minerals and Metals, as up¬
on the Earth in the produdive of Vegeta¬
bles and Animals. Ele ought alfo to know
the univerfa! Matter, and the Matter partur
cular and immediate, upon which Nature
works for the Generation of all Beings ;
he ought, in fine, to know the Affinity
and Sympathy, as alfo the Antipathy and
natural Aver! ion that is found in all Things
of the World. Such was the Science of
the great Herme sy and of the firft Phi--
lofophers , who like him arrived at the
Knowledge of this fublime Phiiofophy,
by their penetrating Minds, and by the
Strength of their Reafoning ; but fince this
Science was committed to W riting, and that
the general Knowledge of which I gave you
an Idea is to be found in good Books ;
Reading, Meditation, good Senfe, and a ful-
ficient Pradice in Chymiftry, may give al-
mofl all the neceffary Light to acquire the
Knowledge of this fupreme Phiiofophy ;
add thereto Uprightnefs of Heart, and of
Intention, without which it is impoffible
to fucceed.

p T K 0-

4 9

T RI U M P Si

P T RO P H I LU S.

You give me a moft fenfible joy, I have
read much ; I have meditated yet more ;

I have exercifed my felf in the Pradife of
Chymiftry ; I have verified the faying of
Artephius, who âffures, That he knows not
the Compofition of Metals, who is ignorant how
they muß be deflroyed , and without this De~
ftrudion it is impoffible to extrad the me-
tailick Humidity, which is the true Key of
the Art ; fo that I can allure my felf, that
I have acquired the greateft part of the
Qualities, that according to you, are requi¬
red in him that afpires to this high Under-
Handing : I have, be! ides, a very particu¬
lar Advantage, and that is the Goodnefs that
you have in being willing to communi¬
cate a part of your Knowledge to me in the
clearing of my Doubts ; permit me, there¬
fore, to go on, and to ask you upon what
Foundation Gold ufes fuch outragions Terms
to the Stone of the Philofophers , (*) Calling 8,
it a venomous Worm , and treating^ it with the
Appellation of Enemy of Men, and of Metals •

EUD O X U S.

Thefe Expreffions ought not to feem
(dränge to you, the Philofophers themfelves

E call

The Hermetic al

call their Stone Dragon and Serpent , im
fefting all Things with its Venom . Its Sub
fiance, and its Vapour, are indeed a Poifon
which the Philofopher ihould know how t*
change into an Antidote by Preparation an
Decodion. The Stone is moreover the E
nemy of Metals, fince it deflroys then
and devours them. Cofmopolite fays, the
is a Metal, and a Steel, which is as n
Water of Metals , which has the Power
con fume Metals , that there is nothing hut t
radical Moiflure of the Sun. , and of the Moa
that can refft it. But take heed that you do n
here confound the Philofopher s Stone, wii
the Philofophkf Stone > becaufe, if the fi
like atme Dragon defrroys and devours ti
imperfect Metals ; yet the fécond, as a 1
vereign Medicine, tranfmutes them into pi,
febt Metals, and makes the perfect more tk
perfed, and fit to make period the impede

PTROPHILUS.

What you fay not only confirms me
the Knowledge I have acquired by Re:
ing, Meditation, and Pradice ; but lii
wife gives me a new additional Light, wf
Splendour difpels that Darkneis, ur
which the mod important philofopi!
Truths have feemed to me 'till now tc

T R I U M P A. 5

Vailed. And I now conclude from our
Author’s Words, that thofe great Phyfici-
ans are miftaken, who believe (*) That the 9*
universal Adedicine is in Gold vulvar. Do
me the favour to tell me your Opinion in
this Point*

EUDOXUS .

There is no doubt but Gold poffefles great
Virtues for the Prefervation of Health, and
for curing the moft dangerous Difeafes.

2 U fi and d , are every Day ufefullv
employed by Phyf cians, as like wife is <f ;
becaufe their Solution or Decomposition
which manifèfts their Properties, is eafier
than that of @ ; and therefore the more fuch
Preparations as the vulgar Artifts make of
t, have an Agreement with the Principles
md Practice of our Art ; the more they
nake appear, the marvellous Virtues of (*) ;

>ut I tell you in Truth, that without the
knowledge of our Magi fiery (which only
an teach the effential Deftrudion of O)

:is impoifible to make the univerfal Medi~
ine of it ; but the wife can make it much
tore eaiily with the Gold of Philofiphers ,
tan with (•) vulgar ; and fo you fee this
vuthor makes the Stone reply to 0, That
might rather be angry with G cd, kfcauje

E 1 he

The He R METICAL

he had not given it thofe Advantages whew
with he had been pleafid only to endue thi

Stone •

ptroph I LUS.

To this firft Injury that does to é
Stone, it adds a fécond, (*) Calling it fug
tive and cheat , deceiving all thofe that pla
any hope in it. InflruCt me, pray, ovv
fupport the Innocence of the Stone, at
juftify it from a Scandal of this Nature,

EUDOXUS.

Call to mind the Remark, that I he
already caufed you to make, touching t
three different States of the Stone ; and }
will then know, as well as my felf, that
Neceffity it muff in its beginning be all A
latile, and by confequence Fugitive, for
be depurated from all manner of 1 errelt:
tv, and brought from Imperfeäion to
Perfection that the Magiftcry gives it
its other States ; and therefore me Reprc
intended it by ©, turns into its Praife ;
were it not Volatile and Fugitive in the:
oinnincr, it would be impoflible to give
laft the Perfection and Fixity that are
ceffaty to it ; fo that if it deceives am

Triumph. 53

is only the ignorant ; but it is always faithful
to the Sons of the Science.

PTROPH1L u $.

What you tell me is a certain Truth ; I
have learned from Geber , that only Spirits,
that is to fay, Volatile Subfiances are capable
to penetrate Bodies , to be united to them , to
change , tinge ^ and perfeEl them ; when thefi
Spirits have been cleared from their groß Parts ,
and adufiible Humidity . And thus I am

fully fatisfied upon this Point ; but as I
perceive the Stone (*) has a great Contempt r
for 0j and hoofs to contain in its Bofim a
Gold infinitely more precious ; do me the fa¬
vour to tell me how many forts of 0 the
\Philofophers own.

EUDOXUS.

To leave you nothing to clef re concern¬
ing the Theory, and the Practice of our
Philofophy , I will acquaint you, that ac¬
cording to the Philofiophers , there are three
t forts of

The firft is an Aftral 0, whofe Center
's in the Sun, who by its Rays communi¬
cates it, together with its Light to all the
ptars, that are inférieur to him. It is a
1er y Subfiance, and a continual Emanation

E 3 of

Tbs He R METICAL

of little folar Bodies, which by the Motion
of the Sun and Stars, being in a perpetual
Flux and Reflux, fill the whole Umverfe ;
all Things through the Extent ol the Hea*
yens, upon the Earth, and in its Bowels are
therewith penetrated, we breathe continual¬
ly this Aftral Gold , thefe folar Particles in-
celfantly penetrate into, and exhale from our
Bodies.

The fécond is an Elementary 0, that is
to fay, it is the moft pure and the mod
fixt Portion of the Elements, and of all the
Subfiances that are compofed of them ; fo<
that all the fublunary Beings of the three
Genders,- contain in their Center a precious

Grain of this elementary Gold.

The third is the beautiful Metal, whole
unalterable Splendour and Perfection give it
a Value, that makes it- efteemed by all Mer

as a fovereign Remedy of all the Ills, anc
all the Neceflities of Life, and as the only
Foundation of humane Power and Gran¬
deur ; and therefore it is no lefs the objeCr
of the Avarice of the greateft Princes, than
it is the wifh and deiire ct all manner o*

People.

After this
the metallick

you will eafily conclude, the
Gold is not the Gold of thr

philof others, and that it is not without

£00:

T R I U M P H. ' 55

good Foundation, that in this Controver¬
sy before us, the Stone reproaches G with
not being what it prefumes to be, but that
it is the Stone which hides in its Bofom
the true ® of the wife Man, that is to fay,
the two firft Sorts of 0, that 1 juft now
named to you ; for you muft know, that
the Stone being the mo ft pure Portion of
the metallick Elements, after the Separation
ahd Purification, which the wife Man has
made of it ; it follows, that it is properly the
Gold of the fécond fort ; but when this 0
perfedly calcined and exalted unto the Clean-
nefs, and to the Whitenefs of Snow, has
acquired by the Magiftery a natural Sym¬
pathy with the Aftral Gold , of which it is
vifibly become the true Magnet, it attrads
and concenters in it felf fo great a Quanti¬
ty of Aftral Gold , and or folar Particles,
which it receives from the continuai Emana¬
tion that is made of them from the Center
of the Sun , and of the A4oony that it is found
in the neareft Difpofition to be the living
Gold of the Philofephers , infinitely more no¬
ble, and more precious than the metallick
G, which is a Body without a Soul, and
cannot be vivyfied, but by our living Gold3
and by the Means of our Magiftery.

E 4 PTRO -

56 The Hermetic al

P r R O P H I L U s.

How many Clouds do you diiïipate in
my Mind, and how many philosophical
My Irenes do yon unfold to me at a time, by
the admirable Things you tell me ! I fhall
never be able to give you all the Thanks I
owe you. I confefs,! am no longer furprized,
that the Stone pretends to the preference
before ©, nor that it difpifes its Bright-
nefs, and its imaginary Merit ; fmce the
fmalleft Part of what the Stone gives to
the Philosophers , is of more value than all
the Gold in the World. Be pleafed to have
the Goodnefs to continue your favour to¬
wards me, as you have begun, and do me
the Kindnefs to tell me, how the Stone can
la.afcrihe to it felf as an honour (*) to he a
matter fluid , and not permanent ; ft nee all the
Philofophers affirm it to be more fixt then
© it felf.

EU D O XU S.

You fee, that your Author affures, that
the Fluidity of the Stone turns to the Ad¬
vantage of the Artift ,* but he adds, that
it is neceflàry at the fame Time, that the
Artift know how to extradé this Fluidity,
and which is tlie only Thing whereof the

Triumph. 57

Thilofopher has need, as T have told you
already ; fo that to be fluid, volatile, and not
permanent, are qualities as neceffary to the
Stone in its firfl State, as are its fixity and
permanency when it is in the State of its
utmoft Perfection ; it is therefore with rea-
fon that the Stone efteems that quality as
an honour, and fo much the rather as thç
Fluidity does not hinder, but that the Stone
is notwithftanding endued with a Soul
more fixt than Gold : But I tell you once
more, that the great Secret confifts in know-'
ing how to extraCt the Humidity of the
Stone. I have appraifed you, that this is in¬
deed the moil: important Key of the Art. And
upon this very Point it is, that the great
Hermes cries out, Blejfed be the watrj Form
which dijfohes the Elements . Happy then is
the Artift who not only knows the Stone,
but alfo can turn it into Water. Which
cannot be done by any other means, than
by our ficret Fire , which calcines, dif*
folves, and fublimes the Stone.

Ptrophilus.

Whence comes it then, (¥) That among a
hundred Hrtifls^ there is fcarce one to be found
that works with the Stone ; and that inftead
of flicking to this one and only matter ('alone

able

r3

9

The H ER METICAL

able to produce fo great Marvels) they do
on the contrary, almoft all of them, apply
themfelves to Subjects that have none of the
effential Qualities, that the Philofiophers at¬
tribute to their Stoned

EU D O XU S.

That happens in the firil Place, through
the Ignorance of Artifts, who have not fo
much Knowledge as they ought to have of
Nature, nor of what fine is able to operate
in every Thing ; and in the fécond Place, it
happens, thro* a want of Penetration of
Mind, which Occasions that they are ea-
fily deceived by the equivocal Exprefli-
ons, that the Philofiphers make Ufe of, to
hide from the Ignorant, both the Matte]',
and its true Preparation. T liefe two great
Defeats are the catife of the Mifhke of
thefe ArtiPts, and that they fix upon Sub¬
jects wherein they difeem fome of the ex¬
terior Qualities of the true Matter of the
Philofiphers , without making Reflection on
the effential Characters, that manifeft it to
the Wife ?

PTRO P HI LUS.

I fee plainly the Error of thofe who ima¬
gine, that vulgar © and 5 are the true

Matter

T R I U M P H. 59

Matter of Philofophers ; and ï am fully psr-
fuaded of it, feeing upon how weak a
Foundation ® builds the pretence of its
Advantage over the Stone, alledging for that
purpofe thefe words of (*) Hermes ; The 14*
Sun is its Father , and the Moon is its Aßt her,

EU D O XU S .

This Foundation is frivolous ; I have told
you what the Philofophers mean when they
attribute to the Sun and Moon the Prin¬
ciples of the Stone. The Sun and Stars
are indeed the firft Caufe of it ; they in-
fpire the Stone with that Spirit and Soul
that give it Life, and make all its Efficacy.
And therefore it is that they are its Fa¬
ther and Mother.

PTROPH PLUS.

All the Philofophers fay as this, (*) That 1 x ^
the phyfical Tintiure is cowpofed of a red
and incomb ttft ib le Sulphur, and of a clear
and a well purified 3 ; is this Authority
any {Longer than the laid, to make it to be
! concluded, that Gold and Mercury are the
Matter of the Stone ?

! EU D O XU S.

; You ought not to have forgotten, that

: all the Philofophers unanimoufly declare,

that

éo The Hermetic al

that vulgar O and Metals are not their
Metals ; that theirs are living, and that the
others are dead 3 nor fihould you have for¬
gotten that I flowed you by the Au¬
thority of the Philofophers , fupported upon
the Principles of Nature, that the metallick
Humidity of the Stone prepared and purify ’d,
contains infeparably in its Bofbm the Sul¬
phur , and the 5 of the Philofiphers ; that it
is by confequence that only thing of one
only and felf fame kind, to which nothing
ought to be added ; and that the only è
of the wbfe Men contains its own Sulphur 9
by means whereof it coagulates, and fixes it
felf ; you ought therefore to hold for an
undoubted Truth, that the artificial Mix**
ture of a Sulphur , and of a V , whatever
they be otherways than thofe which are na*
turally in the Stone, will never be the true
philofophick Confection.

PTROPHILUS .
l£>. But (*) that great and natural FriendßStp
which is between Gold and 5 3 and the 'Union of
them fi caßlj made ; are they not Proofs
that thefe two Subftances may be convert¬
ed by a due Digeftion into a Tincture ?

E U D O X U S.

There is nothing more abfiird then that,
for if all the 2 mingled with 0, fhould

be

Triump h. 6 i

be converted into ©, which is impoffible,
or that all the © fhould be turned into Q ,
ôr into fome middle Subifance, there would
never be found more of folar T indure in
this Confedion, than there was in the
Gold, thus mingled with the 5 ; _ and by
confequence it would have no tinging Vir¬
tue, nor multiplying Power. But k is
moft certain, that there never can be any
perfed Union of © and ^ ; for this fu¬
gitive Companion will abandon the © , as
foon as ever it is preffed by the Adion of
the Fire.

TYRO? H / L U S.

Î doubt not in any fort of what you have
now told me, thofe Sentiments being con¬
firmed by the Experience of the moft folid
Philofephers , who openly declare themfelves
again ft Gold and Mercury vulgar ; but . at
the fame Time I have a doubt, which
is this, that it being true* that the Philo¬
sophers never fpeak the Truth lefs, than when
they feem openly to explain themfelves,
may they not, as touching the evident
Exclufion of © , deceive thofe who take the
Senfe of their Expreffions according to the
Letter ? Or may one rely upon for a Cer¬
tainty? as this Author fays* (*} That the ^

Philofo- 1 1

The Hermetical

Philofophers do not manifefl their Art , but
when they make ufi of Similitudes , of Figures ,
and of Parables ?

EU D O X U S.

There is a great deal of difference be¬
tween declaring positively, that fiich or
fuch a matter is not the true Subject of the
Art, as they do, touching 0 and 5 ; and
giving to underhand under Figures and
Allegories, the moft important Secrets to the
Children of the Science, that have the Ad¬
vantage dearly to difcern the philofophick
Truths, thro’ the enigmatical Vails where¬
with the Sages fo artfully cover and conceal
them. In the firft Cafe, the Philofophers fpeak
the Truth negatively, without any double
meaning ; but when they fpeak both affirma¬
tively and clearly upon this Subjed, it
may be concluded, that thofe who ffick to
the literal Senfe of their Words, will un¬
doubtedly be deceived. The Philofophers
have no way more certain to hide their
Science from the unworthy, and open it
to the wife, then not to explain it by Al¬
legories in the effential Points of their Art ;
it was this made Artephm fay. That this Art
is intirely Cabalifiical , for the underhand ing
^hereof, there is need of a kind of Revelati¬
on ;

T R I U M P H.

on; the moft penetrating Wit, (without the
Afïi fiance of a faithful Friend, who is a Ma»
flier,) not being fufficient to diftinguifti
Truth from FaHliood ; it being next to
impohible, that by the only help of Books,
and of Labour, and Experiments, one
fhould be able to arrive at the Knowledge
of the Matter, and much lefs to acquire
the underftanding of the Pradiice of an Art
fo lingular, how plain, how natural, and
how eafy foever the fame may be.

PTROPHILUS.

I know by my own Experience, how
needful is the help of a ttue Friend, fiich
as you are. In the want of which, me-
thinks, fuch Artifts that have Wit, good
Senfe and Probity, have no better way than
to confer together often, fometimes upon
what Light they draw from the reading of
good Books, and fometimes upon the Dif-
coveries their Experiments afford them ;
that fo from the Diverfity and comparing of
their different Sentiments, there may fpring
new Sparks of Knowledge, by which they
may be enabled to carry their Difcoveries
to the la ft Period of this fecret Science. I
doubt not but you approve of my Opini¬
on ; but as I know that feveral Artifts re-

gaid

w

ézj. The Hermetical

gard [as vifîonary and paradoxical the Sen¬
timents of thofe Autnors, who maintain
i§. with this, (¥) That Perfection is to he fought
in Things imper fehl ; I frail be extreamly
obliged to you, if you pleafe to give me
your Senfe upon a Point that feems to me
to be of great confequence.

E V D O X V S.

You are already perfuaded of the Since¬
rity and Truth of your Author; and you
ought fo much the lefs to call it in Queflion
upon this Point, in that he is of one Mind
herein with the true Philofophers ; and I
cannot better prove to you the Truth of
what he ftys here, than by making ufe of
the fame Reafon, that he (quoting the
Learned Raymond Lully ) has given of it. For
it is certain, that Nature flops in her Pro¬
ductions, when fie Iras brought them to
their proper State and Perfection ; for Ex¬
ample, when from a mo ft clear and moft
pure mineral Water tinged by fome Porti¬
on of metallick Sulphur •> Nature produces a
precious Stone, fie flops there, as fie like-
wife does when in the Bowels of the Earth
flie hath formed G with mercurial W ater.
Mother of all Metals, impregnated with a
pure folar Sulphur ; fo that as it is not poiTi-

ble

Triumph.

ble to make a Diamond, or a Ruby* more pre¬
cious, than it is in its kind ; fb neither is
it in the Power of the Artift, nay, (I will
go further,) nor of Nature her felf, to pufli
on Gold to a greater Perfection, than what
Pie has given it. It is the Philofipher that
can only carry Nature from an undetermi¬
ned ImperfeCfion, even to a State more than
Perfect. It is therefore neceffary, that
our Magi fiery prod uce a plnfqmm Perfecti¬
on, which to accompli Pi, the Sage mu ft
begin with a Thing imperfeCt, which be¬
ing in the way of Perfection, is found in
the natural Difpofition to be carried on
even to plufqmm Perfection, by the help
of an Art wholly Divine, which is able to
exceed the limited Bounds of Nature ; and
indeed if our Art could not exalt a SiibjeCl
to a State of phtfqmm Perfection, neither
could we give Perfection to what is imper¬
feCt, and all our Phiiofophy were vain.

PTROPHÎLUS .

There is none but muft needs yield
to the Solidity of your Reafoning ; but
would not one be apt to think, that this
Author plainly contradicts himfelf there,
where he makes the] Stone fay, that com-
non g , ("how well foever it may be pur-

F ged,)

66 The H ER MET I CAL

ged,) is not the £ of the wife Men ; and
ip, that for this only Reafon, (*). Becaufe it is
imperfect ; when according to him, if it were
perfect, the intended Perfection were not
to be fought in it.

EUD O XU S.

Take good Notice of this, and obferve,
that if the $ of the wife Men hath been,
elevated by Art from an imperfect, to a per¬
fect State, yet this Perfection is not of the
Nature of that, whereat Nature Pops in the
Production of Things, according to the
Perfection of their kind, fuch as is that oi
Ç vulgar ; but on the contrary, the Per¬
fection which the Art gives to the $ of th
wife Men, is but a middle State, a Difpo
fition, and a Power that makes it fit to b
carried by the continuance of the Work
unto the State of phifquam Perfection, whic
gives it the Faculty by the Accompli fhmer
of the Magiftery, at laft to give PerfeCtia
to the imperfeCt.

P Y POP H I L U S.

Thefe Reafons, how ab (trad foever, a:
very plain, and make Imprefiion on t!
Mind ; for my part, I confefs, they fuT
convince me ; I befeech you, to have t:

Goo;

Triumph.

Goodnefs not to be offended at the Con¬
tinuation of my Inquiries. Our Author

2 ma US? t^le Êrror into which the
Artifts fall, in taking vulgar Sol and Mer¬
cury for the true Matter of the Stone, decei-
ved therein by the literal Senfe of the Philo-
ßphers, (*) Is the great fumbling Bloch to
rhoujands of Perjom ; for my part I can’t
imagine, how with any Readme, and eood
Senfe, it is poffible to harbour an Opinion fo
viiibly condemned by the heft Philofiphers ?

EU D O XU S.

, And yet the Tiling is fo. The Philo fi-
foers warn them to no purpofe, to take
heed not to be deceived by common Sol
and Mercury. Mod do, neverthelefs, obfti-
nateiy adhere to them, and very often after
having wrought in vain through a Ion«-
Courfe of Years upon Matters ftrange and
foreign, and are finfible of their fault, they
tuen corne to vulgar Sol and APercurj-> where¬
in they find their Account no better then
before. It is true, there are fome Philofi -
dtociSy who though other wife appearing ve¬
ry fincere, yet throw Art ids into this Er¬
ror, maintaining very ferioufly, that thofe
that know not the Gold of the Philofiphers ,
may neverthelefs find it in common Gold

* ' z decoded

* .

68 The He KMÊTÏCAL

decoded with the Mercury of the Philo fi-*
fhers. Philaletha is of this Sentiment ; he
allures, that Count Trevifan , Zachary , and
Flame l followed this Way ; but he adds,
F hat it is not the true Way of the wife Men ,
though it leads to the fame End . But thefe
Alfurances, however lincere they may feem,
fail not to deceive the Artifts, who, defi-
rous to follow the fame Philaletha in the
Purification and Animation, that he teaches
of common Mercury , to make the Philofo- j
fhers Mercury of it, (which is a molt grofs
Error, under which he hath hidden the:
Secret of the Mercury of the wife Men,)j
undertake upon his Word a mod painful
and almoft impoffible Work ; and after s
long Labour full of Cares and Dangers, the)
get nothing but a Mercury , a little more
impure than it was at firft, inftead of
Mercury animated with the celeftial Quint
EJfenccj a deplorable Error that hath loft an< J
ruin’d, and will ftill Ruin a very ureal'
Number of Artifts. I

PTROPHILUS. I

It is a great Advantage to become Wi i
at another’s coft; for my part I will e |
deavour to reap Profit from this Error Fiji
following the good Authors* and guiilf

Triumph. 69

my felf by the Inflru&ions your Goodnefs
is pleafed to give me. One of the Things
that mod: contributes to the blinding of
Artifls, who adhere to ® and is that
ufual Expreffion of Philofophers , i. e. that
their Stone is compofed of Male and Female,
that ® fupplies the place of Male, and Ö
of Female ; I know very well, (as my Author
here fays,j (*) That it is not after the fame 2 1*
manner with Metals , as with Things that have
Life ; but yet I fhall be very feniibly oblig¬
ed to you, if you will pleafe to explain
to me wherein this difference con fills.

E U D O XU S.

It is a confiant Truth, that the Copu¬
lation of the Male, and of the Female is
ordained by Nature, for the Generation of
Animals ; but this Union of the Male and
Female for the Production of the Elixir,
as likewife for the Production of Me¬
tals, is purely Allegorical, and is no more
neceffary than for the Production of Ve¬
getables, whole Seed contains in it felf all
that is required for Germination, Increafe,
and Multiplication of Plants. You will
then Remark, that the philofophical Mat¬
ter or £ of Philofophers is a true Seed, which,
tho* Homogenous in its Subfiance, is yet of

F 3 a dou-

r

no The Hermeti cal

a double Nature, wd. it participates equally of
the Nature of metallick Sulphur and 2 , inti¬
mately and infeparably united, whereof the
one reprefents the Male, and the other the
Female; for which caufe the Philofophcrs call
it Hermaphrodite y (i. e.) that it is endued
with both Sexes; fo that without having
need of the Mixture of any other thing, it
alone fuffices to produce the philofophick In¬
fant, whofe Family may be infinitely multi¬
plied in the fame manner, as a Grain of Wheat
with time and culture may produce a fuffi-
dent Quantity to fow a vaft Field.

PTROPH1LUS.

If thefe Wonders are as real as they are
probable, one mull: confefs, that the Science
which gives the Knowledge of them, and
teaches the Pradife, is almofl Supernatural
and Divine ; but not to digrefs from my Au¬
thor, pray tell me, whether the Stone be not
very bold to maintain confidently, and with-
2 2 . out fhewing very pertinent Reafons, (*)
‘That without it , no true 0 and D can poJJI-
bly he made . Gold difputes that quality with
him, and fuftains himfelf by an Argument,
that carries much of Probability ; he lays
before the Stone its great Imperfedions* as
being a grofs, impure, and venomous Mat¬
ter,

Triumph. 7 i

ter ; and that Gold on the contrary is a Sub-
dance pure, and without Fault ; fo that,
methinks, this high Pretenfion of the
Stone (oppofed by Reafons that appear not
to be without Foundation) deferves to
be fupported and proved by Reafons of
Weight.

E U D Ö XU S.

What I have already faid, is more than
fufficient, to eftablim to the Stone a Pre¬
eminence not only over Gold, but over all
created Things; if you confider attentively,
you will fee that the Force of Truth is fo
great, that ® in attempting to decry the
Stone by the Defeds it has in its Birth,
though not intending it, yet does indeed
eftablilh its Superiority, by the moil folid
Reafons that the Stone it felf could allege
in its own Favour ; for Inftance, Gold con-
feifes and acknowledges, that the Stone
founds its right of Pre-eminence upon this,

(Y) That it is a miverfd Thing . Needs 23,

there any more for the Condemnation of O,
and to oblige it to give place to the Stone ?

Y ou are not ipnorant how far univerlal Mat-

o

ter excels particular Matter. You have
been fnowed that the Stone is the mod:
pure Part of the metallick Elements, and

F 4 that

The He R MET IGA L

that by confequence it is the firft Matter
of the mineral and metallick Gender, and
that when this very fame Matter has been
animated, and made Fruitful by the natu¬
ral Union that is made of it with the Mat¬
ter purely univerfal, it becomes the vege¬
table Stone, alone capable to produce all the
great Effets that the Philojophers attribute
to the three Medicines of the three Kinds.
There is no need of any ffronger Reafons
to defeat, once for all O and 5 vulgar,
from their imaginary Prétendons j G and
5 , and all other particular Sub fiances, where-?
in Nature fini dies her Operations, whether
they be perfedf, or whether they be abfo-
lutely imperfect, are intirely unprofitable,
or contrary to our Art*

PTRO P HILV S.

I am wholly convinced of it ; but, I
know feveral Perföns, who ridicule the
Stone, for pretending to difpute Antiquity
with ©. Our Author here maintains the
fame Paradox, and reproves 0 with want
of refpeft to the Stone, in giving the Lie
(*) to one that is elder than it Je If. Yet as
* the Stone derives its original from the Me¬
tals, it appears difficult to me to comprehend
the Foundation of its Ancientnefs.

£ V ~

Triumph.

n

E U D O X U S.

There is no difficulty in giving you Sa¬
tisfaction as to this Point : Nay, I do won¬
der how you came to form fuch a doubt ;
the Stone is the firfh Matter of the Metals,
and confequently it is Prior to 0, and to all
other Metals ; and if it derives its Original
from them, or if it takes Birth from their
Deftructiom it does not therefore follow,
that it is a Production pofterior to Metals ;
but on the contrary, it is Prior to them,
fince it is the Matter from whence all Me¬
tals have been formed. The Secret of the
Art confffts in knowing: how to extraCfc
from Metals this firft Matter, or this me-
tallick Germ, which is to vegetate by the
Fecundity of the Philofophick Sea,

PTROPHILUS.

I am now convinced of this Truth, and
I find © to be inexcufable, to be thus
wanting in refpeCt to his Elder, who has
in its behalf the moft Ancient, and the great-
eft Philofephers. Hermes, Plato , and Hr iß ole
are in its Intereft. And every Body knows
them to beunqueftionable JudgesinthisCafe.
Permit me only to ask you a Queftion up¬
on each of the Paffages of thofe Philofophers%

whom

4 The He R METICAL

whom the Stone has here cited to prove by
their Authority, that it is the only and
true Matter of the wife Men.

The Paffage of the fmaraçdine Table of
the great Hermes , proves the excellency of
the Stone, in that it (hows that the Stone is
endued with two Natures, u e. with the
Nature of fuperior Beings, and with that of
inferior Beings ; and that thefe two Natures
both alike have one only and the fame Ori¬
ginal ; fo that we mufc conclude, that they
(being perfectly united in the Stone) compofe
a third Being of an inexpreffible Virtue : But
I know not whether you will be of my Sen¬
timents, as to the Tranflation of this Paffage,
and the Commentary of Hortulamu. One
reads after thefe words ; That which is below, is
as that which is on high ; and that which is on
. high, is as that which is below . One reads, (*)
(1 lay,) To do the /Tirades of one only Thing .
For my part, I take it, that the Latin Original
has quite another Senfe, for the quibus, which
makes the Connexion of the laft Words
with the proceeding, fignifies, That by thefe
Things (that is to fay, by the Union of
thefe two Natures) one does the /Tirades of
one 1 hing. The to, of which the Tran-
Bator and Commentator do make Ufe, de¬
stroys the Senfe and the Reafon of a Paf-

Triumph. '

fage, that of it felf is very proper and in¬
telligible. Tell me, if you pleafe, whether
my Remark be well founded.

EU D O X U S.

Your Remark is not only right, but it is
alfo important. I confeis, I had made no
Reflexion upon it ; in this you fpoil the
Proverb, For here the Scholar outdoes the
Mafler . But as I had read the Emerald
Table oftner in Latin than in French , the
fault of the Tranflation, and of the Com¬
mentary, had raifed no fort of doubt in
me, as it may do in thofe wlp read only in
French this fummary of the fubîime Philo-
fophy of Hermes . Indeed the fuperior and
inferior Natures are not alike to work Mi¬
racles ; but it is becaufe they are alike, that
one can do by them the Miracles of one
only Thing. You may fee now that I am
altogether of your Sentiment in this.

PT IiO P H I LU S.

I am then mightily well pleafed with my
Remark; I doubted whether it might deferve
your Approbation ; but I affure my felf af¬
ter that, that the Children of the Science will
alfo thank me to have drawn from you up¬
on this Sijbjcd an Explication that will quef-

tionlefs

nb The Hermetical

tionlefs fatisfy the Difciples of the great
Hermes. There is no doubt but that the

Learned Hr iß ot le perfectly underflood this
great Art. What he has written of it, is
an evident Proof he did fo ; and in this
difpute the Stone has the skill to make
ufe of the Authority of this great Philofo -
pher, by a Pafiage that contains its moft lin¬
gular, and moft furprizing Qualities. Have
the Goodnefs, if you pleafe, to tell me, how
26. you underiland this ; (*) It weds it filf

it is with Child by it ßlfi and it is Born of it
filf

E U D O XU S.

The Stone weds it filf ; in as much as:
in its firft Generation, it is Nature alone
aflifted by Art, that makes the perfed Uni¬
on of the two Sub fiances, which give it Be¬
ing, from which Union there refaits at:
the fame time the effential Depuration of
the Metallick Sulphur and Mercury . Am
Union and Marriage fo natural, that the:
Artift who lends his Hands to it in difpo-
fng all things requifite, can give no Demon-
itration of it by the Rules of Art ; fince:
he cannot even fo much as well compte?"
head the Myflery of this Union,

The

Triumph. 77

The Stone is with Child by it filf; when
Art continuing to aftift Nature, by mere
natural Means, puts the Stone in the Dif-
pofition requifite for it, to impregnate it
felf with the Aftral Seed, which renders it
fruitful, and gives it the Power of multi¬
plying its kind.

The Stone is Born of it felf ; becaufe after
having wedded it felf, and after being with
Child by it felf. Art doing nothing elfe than
to affift Nature, by the continuance of a
Heat neceffary to Generation, it takes a
new Birth from it felf, juft as the Phoenix
is born again from its Allies ; it becomes
the Son of the Sun, the univerfal Medi¬
cine of all Things, that have Life, and the
true living Gold of the Philofophers ; which
by the continuance of the Help of the Art,
and the Miniftry of the Artift, acquires in
a little time the Royal Diadem, and the fo-
vereign Power over all his Brethren.

PT RO PHIL U S.

I very well conceive, that upon the fame
Principles, it is not difficult to comprehend all
the other Qualities, that Arifiotle attributes to
the Stone , As to If l it felf ; to reaffume Life of
ft felf ; to be diffolv d of it felf in its own Bloody

to coagukte it felf therewith a-new ; and in

fine

78 The Hermetic al

fine to acquire all the Properties of the
philofophick Stone. Nor do I now find
any difficulty in the Paffiage of Plato . It
intreat you, neverthelefs, that you will
pleafe to tell me, what that Ancient Philo-
2j,fopher and his Followers meant by this, (*)<)
That the Stone has a Body , a Soul, and a.
Spirit, and that all Things are of it , by it, and\
in tt,

EUDOXUS .

According to natural Order, Plato ought:
to have preceded Ariftotle , who was his Scho¬
lar, and from whom probably he learnt the:
fecret Philofophy, wherein he was very defi—
rous that Alexander the Great ffiould believe:
him perfectly intruded ; if one may be al¬
lowed to judge of it by certain Paffiiges in the:
Writings of this Philofipher , but however,
fuch order is of no mighty Importance, if
therefore you well examine the Paffiage of
Plato, and that of Arifiotle, you will not
find them much different in Senfe : Put
yet to give you the Satisfa&ion of an An¬
swer to the Que ft ion you ask me, I will on¬
ly tell you, that the Stone has a Body, in as
much as it is, as I have told you before, a Sub-
ftance wholly metallick, which gives it the
Ponderoftty 5 that it hath a Soul, which is

T R I U M P H. 79

the mod pure Subfiance of the Elements, in
which confihs its Fixity, and its Permanen¬
cy; that it hath a Spirit, which makes the U-
nion of the Soul with the Body, which [Soul]
it acquires particularly from the Influence
of the Stars, and is the Vehicle of Tin-
dures. N or will you find it very hard to con¬
ceive, T hat all T kings are of it , by it9 and in
it ; fince you have already feen, that the Stone
is not only the firfl Matter of all Beings
contained in the mineral and metalliok Fa¬
mily, but that it is alfo united to the uni-
verfai Matter, from whence all Things have
taken Birth ; and this is the Foundation of
thofe lall Attributes that Plato gives to the
Stone .

PTROP HI LUS.

As I perceive that the Stone not only
attributes to itfelf the univerfal Properties,
but that it pretends alfo, (*) That the Sue- 28*
cefs that fome Artifis have had on certain par¬
ticular Procejfes , is only owing to it ; I muff
confefs, that I do not well underhand how
that can be.

E U D O X U S.

And yet this Pbilofipher explains it pret¬
ty clearly 3 h> %s? that fome Artifts who

have

8o The Hermetical

have imperfectly known the Stone, and have
alfo known but a part of the Work, having
yet wrought with the Stone , and found
means to feparate its Spirit, which contains
its Tindure, they have fucceeded fo far as
to communicate fome Parts of it to imper¬
fect Metals, v/hich have Affinity with the
Stone y but that not having a full Under-
Handing of its Virtues, nor of the manner
of working with it, their Labour lias not
turned to any great Account ; and even of
thefe Artifts the Number is very fmall.

TYRO? HI LU S.

It is natural to conclude from what you
have told me, that there are Perfons who
have the Stone in their Hands, without
knowing all its Virtues ; or if they knew
them, yet they are ignorant how to work
with it to fucceed in perfecting the great
Work, and that this Ignorance is the
Caufe that their Labours are not crowned
with Succefs. Pray tell me, if it be not
thus.

E U D O X U S.

Without doubt many Artifts have the
Stone in their Poffeffion ; fome defpife it as
a mean Thing, others admire it, becaufe of

the

T R I U M P H.

the Characters, in fome fort fupernaturaî,
which it carries in its Birth, and yet without
knowing all its Value. There are, in fine,
who are not ignorant of its being the true
Subject of Philo fophy ; but the Operations
which the Sons of Art are to make upon this
nöble Subjeét, are inrirely unknown to them ;
becaufe they are not taught in Books, and
becaufe all Philofiphers hide this admirable
Art which converts the Stone into the Mer~
cury of Philcfiphers-, and which teaches to
make the philofophick Stone of this A forestry.
This firxt Work is the Secret one, touch¬
ing which the Sages declare themfelves on-
1 y in Allegories, and by impenetrable Enig¬
ma s> or elfe are wholly filent in it. And
this as I have told you, is the great Block,
at which almofi all Artifls ftumble.

ptrophilus.

Happy thofe that are Mailers of fo great
Knowledge ! For my part, I can’t flatter
my felf to be arrived at fo high a Point ;
but I find my felf at a Lofs to know how
to thank you enough, for having given me
all the Infractions that I could reafonably
defire of you, upon the mod effential Points
of this Philofophy, and indeed upon all
thofe Points, touching which you have been

G ' -

8 a The Hermetic al

pleafed to return Anfwers to my Qucftions ;
Ï earneffly intreat you not to grow weary,
for I have dill fomething to ask you, which
fee ms to me to be of very great confequence.
T his Philofopher allures, that the Error of thofe
who have wrought with the St one y and have
not fucceeded, proceeds (*) from their not
having known the Original, from whence the
Tinänres come . If the Source of this philo-
fophical Fountain be fo fecret, and fo diffi¬
cult to difcover ; it is certain, that there
are very many deceived ; for it is generally
believed, that Metals and Minerals, and par¬
ticularly Gold , contain in their Center this
Tindure, which is capable to tranfmute the
impelled Metals.

E U D () XU S.

This Source of vivifying Water, Is be¬
fore the Eyes of all the Worlds fays Cofmopo-
Ute , and few Men know it . Gold, Silver,
Metals, and Minerals, contain not a Tin¬
dure able to multiply to Infinity, there are
none but the living Metals of the Philofo -
phers that have obtained from Art and Na¬
ture this multiplying Faculty : And it is
certain, that there are none but thofe who
are perfedly enlightned in the philofophick
My fiery, that know the true Original of

T R I U M P H.

le Tmâures. You are not of the Num-
-r °-' thofe, who are ignorant whence the
hilofiphers draw their Treafures, without
ar of draining the Source. I have told you
parly, and without Ambiguity, that the
.eaven, and the Stars, but particularly the
m an à Moon are the Principles of this Foun-
n of living Water, which 'is alone proper to
>erate all the Wonders that you know. It is
is that makes Cofmopolite fay in his Enigma*
it in the delicious I He, of which he gives
“ Defcription, there was no Water/ and
d that all the Water that was attempted
be brought thither by Engines, and by
t? IVas either ufilefs or poifined, except
u- which fome few Per fins knew how to ex-
cl from the Rajs of the Sun, or of the
eon. The Means to make this Water to
cend from Heaven is truly wonderful ;
s in the Stone, which contains the central
«ter, which is indeed one foie and die fame
ling with die celeftial Water, but the Se»

* con fils in the knowing how to make the
ne become a Magnet, to at traft, embrace,
unite this Aflral Quinte (ft nee to it feif,
s to make together but one foie Effence,
fit and more than perfeft, able to . give
■ection to the impeded, after the Ac-
ipliihment of the Magiftery.

P TR 0~

84 'The He R METICAL

PYROPHILVS.
blow many and great are my Obligatii:
ons to you, that you are pleafed to revet;
to me fo great Myfteries, to whofe Know
ledge I could never hope to attain, with¬
out the Afliftance of your Elucidations
Eut fince you are pleafed to indulge m
continuance, permit me, if you pleafe, t
tell you, that I never faw any Fhilofopk
till now, who fo precifely declares as tli
does, that there muft be a Wife given 1
the Stone, making it to that end {peak :

2 o. this manner. (Y) Ifthefc Artifis had card
their Enquiry further , and had examined whe¬
ts the Wife who is proper for rue ; if they h
fought her out , and had united me to hery
had been able to have tinged a thoufand Tin,
more . Although I am feniible in genet;:
that this PafTage has an entire Relation
the former ; yet, I mud confefs, that t
Expreßion of a Wife, proper for the Stoi
does notwith {landing perplex me.

£ V D O X V S.

It is very much, however, that you kn<
already of your felf that this PafTage he
Connexion with that which I but juft
fore explained to you, i. e. that you w

3?H

R I U M P H.

apprehend, that the Wife which is proper
for the Stone, and which ought to be united
to it, is that Fountain of living Water,
whofe Source altogether Celeftial, which
hath particularly its Center in the Sun, and
in the Moon, produces that clear and pre¬
cious Stream or Rivulet of the wife Men,
which gently Hides into the Sea of the Phi-
lofophers , which environs all the World ; it
is not without very good Reafon, that this
iDivine Fountain is called by the Author,
ithe Wife of the Stone; fome have repre¬
sented it under the Form of a heavenly
Nymph ; fome give it the Name of the
zhafte Dknty whole Purity and Virginity
s not defiled by the fpiritua! Band that
anites it to the Stone : In a word, this
ilnagnetick Connexion is the magical Marri¬
age of Heaven and Earth, whereof fome
Philofophcrs have fpoken ; fo that the fruit¬
ful Source of the phyfical Tindure, that
[performs fo great Wonders, takes Birth from
J his altogether myfterious conjugal Union.

PTROP HILUS.

I find with an unfpeakable Satisfaction the
vhole EfFed of the Elucidations, you have
)een pleafed to impart to me ; and fince we
ire upon this Point, I defire your leave to

C> ^ ask

86 The H ER METICAL

aslc you a Quefiion, whiclithough it rii
not from the Text of this Author* is y
eflential to this Subject I befeech you i
tell me, whether the magical Marriage *
Heaven and Earth can be celebrated at ar
time ? Or whether there be Seafbns of ti
Year more proper than others to folemni ;
thofe magical Nuptials \

EUDOXUS .

I am already gone too Ûr, to reft,
you an Explication fo neceffary, and
reafonable. Divers Ph'tk fop hers have to:
the Seafon of the Year, which is the me
proper for this Operation. Some have mai
no My fiery of it ; others more refer
have not explained thcmfelves upon tl
Point, but by Parables. The fir ft has
named the Month of March , and the Sprit*
Zachary , and other Philofiphers fay, tli
they begun the Work at Eaflery and tli
they ßniflied it happily within the Com
of the Year. Others are contented wl
reprefenting the Garden of Hefperides err
tnelled with Flowers, and particularly wi
Holet s and frimrofes , which, are the earlit
Productions of the Spring. Cofinopolite mo
ingenious than the rcfl to indicate, that ti
Seafon the moft proper for the philofophr

Wo?

Triumph.

Work, is that wherein all living Beings,
fenfitives and vegetables, appear animated with
a new Fire, which carries them reciprocally
to Love, and to the Multiplication of their
Kinds ; lie fays, that Venus is the Goddcfi of
this charming Ifie> wherein he faw naked all
the Myfteries of Nature ; but to denote
more precifely this Seafon, he lays, 7 hat
there were fien feeding in the Pafiures, Rams
and Bulls , with two young Shepherds , expref¬
ling clearly in this witty Allegory, the three
fpring Months, by the three celeftial Signs,
answering to them, viz,. Aries, Tastms, and
Gemini .

PYR OP H I LU s.

I am ravilhed with thefe Interpretations.
Thofe who are greater Proficients in thefe
! Myfteries than I am, perhaps may not put
! fo great a Value as I do on the Solution of
: the Enigma's, whofe Senfe has notwith-
I Handing been hitherto impenetrable to ma-

!ny of thofe, who in other Relpedls are
fuppofed to have very well underftood the
Philofiphers. I am perfuaded that one ought
n very much to efteeni fuch an Inftrudtion,
it being capable to make one fee clear into
other more important Obfcurities ; indeed
i few would imagine, that the Violets and

Q 4. Hya~

88 The Her metical

Hyacinths of Efpagnet , and the horned Bead
of the Garden of Hejperides ; and the Houfe
of the Ram of Cofinopolitc , and of Phddethe ;
the I Be of the Goddefs Venus y the two
Shepherds, and the reft that you but now
explained, fhould fignify the Seafon of the
Spring. I am not the only Perfon who
ought to give you a thoufand Thanks, that
you have been pleafed to unfold thefe My-
fteries ; Ï am affured, that in Procefs of
Time, there will be found a greater Num¬
ber of the Sons of Science, who will biefs
your Memory for having opened their Eyes
upon a Point more eflential to this grand
Art, than they would otherwife have been
inclined to imagine.

EUDOXUS .

You have Reafon in that, one cannot
be affured that one underftands the Philo -
fophers , without having an entire under-
ftanding of the leaft Things that they have
written. The Knowledge of the Seafcn
proper to begin the Work, is of no little:
confequence ; the fundamental Reafon there¬
of is this. Whereas, the Sage undertakes,
to perform by our Art, a Thing which is;
above the ordinary Force of Nature, as;
to foften a Stone, and to caufe a metallick:

‘ Germ:

T R I U M F H. 89

Germ to vegetate ; he finds himfelf indiifi-
penfably obliged to enter by a profound
Meditation into the mo ft leeret Recedes of
Nature, and to make ufe of plain, but effi¬
cacious Means that fine furniffies him with-
all ; now you ought not to be ignorant,
that Nature from the beginning of the
Spring, to renew it felfi and to put all the
Seeds that are in the Bofom of the Earth
into the Motion proper to V egetation, im¬
pregnates all the Air that environs the Earth,
with a moveable and fermentatious Spirit,
which derives its Original from the Father
of Nature ; it is properly a fubtile Nitre,
which gives the fertility of the Earth,
whereof it is the Soul, and which Cofinopolite
calls the Salt-Petrc of the Philofiphers, It is
therefore in this prolifick Seafcn, that the
wife Artifh to make his metallick. Seed to
bud, cultivates it, breaks it, moiftens it, wa¬
ters it with this prolifick Dew, and ^gives
it as much oi it to drink as the weight of
Nature requires ; after this, manner the phi-
lofophick Germ concentring the Spirit in
its Bofom, is animated and vivyned by it,
and acquires the Properties which are Elfen-
tial to its becoming the vegetable and multi¬
plying Stone. I hope you will be fatisfi-

ed with this Reafbninm which is founded

on the Laws and Principles of Nature.

*

PTROPHILU s.

It is impoffible for any to be more fatis»
fed than I am ; you give me that Light
that the Philofiphers have hidden under an
impenetrable Vail, and you tell me Things
fo important, that I would willingly pufh
on my Queftions, to draw what Benefit I
could from the Goodnefs you have, to dif-
guife me nothing, but not to trefpnfs too
far upon you ; I return to the Paffage of
my Author, where the Stone maintains to
Gold and Mercury , that it is impoffible to
make a true Union of their two Subftan-
ï . ces I becaufe, fays the Stone, (*) That you
are not one only Body , but two Bodies toge-
* ther ; and by conference you are contrary , if
the Laws of Nature be confidered. I know
very well, that the Penetration of Subftan-
ces, not being poffible according to the
Laws of Nature ; fo neither is their perfect
U mon poffible, and that in this Senfe two
Bodies are contrary to one another ; yet as
aimed all the Philofiphers allure, that Mer¬
cury is the hr ft Matter of Metals ; and that
according to Geber , it is not a Body, but
a Spirit that penetrates Bodies, and parti¬
cularly

T RIUMP H. 9

cularly that of Geld, for which it has a vi-
fible Sympathy ; is it not likely, that thefe
two Subftances, this Body, and this Spirit,
may*- be perfectly united, ta make but one
only and the fame Thing of one and the
fame Nature ?

EU D O XU S.

Remark that, there are two Errors in
your Reafoning ; the fir ft in that you fup-
pofe, that common Mercury is the firft
and foie Matter, whereof Metals are form¬
ed in the Mines, which is not fo. Mercury
is a Metal, which having lefs Sulphur , ancf
lefs terrene Impurity than other Metals,
remains liquid, and running ; it unites with
Metals, and particularly with Gold , as being
the pureft of all ; and is united ieis eafily
with the other Metals, in proportion as
they are more or lefs impure in their na¬
tural Compofition. You mull: therefore
know, that there is a firft Matter of
Metals, whereof Mercury it felf is form¬
ed ; it is a vifeous, and mercurial Water,
which is the Water of our Stone. And
this is the Sentiment of the true Philofi-
phers .

I fhould be too prolix, if I fhotild here
fet forth every particular that can be faid

upon

\ •$-

upon this Subjedh Î proceed to the fécond
Error of your Reafoning, which confifts
in that you imagine? that common Mercury
is a metallick Spirit? which according to
Geber, can interiourly penetrate and tinge
Metals? be united and remain with them,
after it dial! have been artificially fixt.
But you muft con (icier? that Ader cur y is
not called Spirit by Geber, but from its
dying the Fire? becaufe of the Mobility of
its homogenous Subfiance ,■ neverthelefs, that
properly hinders not its being a metallick
Body, which for that Reafon can never be
fb* perfectly united with another Metal? as
not to be always feparated from it? when¬
ever it finds it felf prelied by the Ac¬
tion of the Fire. Experience makes çood

i o

this Reafoning, and therefore the Stone is
in the right to maintain again ft Gold ? that
there never can be made a perfed: Union
of it with Mercury .

PTXOPHILUS.

I comprehend very well, that my Rea¬
foning was Erroneous? and to tell you the
Truth? I could never imagine, that common
Mercury was the firfl Matter of Metals;
though divers grave Fhilofiphers lay down
that Truth, for one of the Foundations of

the

T R I U M P H. 9

the Art. And I am perfwaded, that one
cannot find in Mines, the true fir ft Matter
of Metals, federated from metallic Bodies i it
is but a Vapour, a vifcous Water, an in-
vifible Spirit, and I believe, in a Word,
that the Seed is not to be found but in the
Fruit. I can’t tell whether I (peak proper¬
ly, but 1 take this to be the true Senfe of
the Inftrudions you ’have given me.

EU B O* X U S.

One cannot have better comprehended,
than you have done thefe Truths known
to fo i ewr. It is a Satisfaction to talk freely
with you, concerning the philofophical My-
fieri es. What further Qtiefttions have you
to ask me ? ■ .

PTROPH1LU S:

Does not the Stone contradid it felf,
when it fays, (*) That with an imperfcSl Ba™
dj? it has a confiant SouU and a penetrating Tin-
Ùiire ? Methinks thefe two great Perfections
are inconfiftent with an imperfect Body.

E U D O X U S.

One would fay here, that you have al¬
ready forgotten a fundamental Truth, of
which you were fully convinced before ;

recoiled

recoiled your felf, that if the Body of
the Stone were not impeded with an Im-
perfe&ion, neverthelefs," wherein Nature has
not fm lined her Operation, one could not
there feek for, and much led could one be
able to find Perfedion there. This being
laid down, it will be very cafy for you to
judge, that the conftancy of the Soul, and the
Perfedion of Tindtirc, are nor adually ; nc.r
in a State to immfdj themfelves in the Stone,
fo long as it remains in its impeded Being ;
but then, when by the continuance of the
vVork, me Sub fiance of the Stone hath pai-
fed from fmperfe&ion to Perfedion, and
from Perfedion to plufquam Perfedion, the
conftancy of its Soul, and the Efficacy of
the Tindure of its Spirit, are brought from
potentiality into Art ; ib that the Soul, the
Spmt, ana the Body of the Stone , being
equally exalted, compofeone whole [Thing]
of a Nature, and of a V irtue incomprehensible.

ptrophilus.

your ipeaKing I lungs (o extraordinary, I
beg you not to take" it amifs that I conti-

T R I U M PH. 95

T perceive this Author a Hures the contrary,
in faying, (*) Our Stone is Invißbk. I af- 3 3 »
fure you, that whatever good Opinion I
may have of this Philojbpher, he muft in
this Point give me leave not to be of his
Sentiment.

E U D O X U S.

And yet, I hope, to reconcile you quick¬
ly to it. This Philofopher is not the only one
who ufes this fort of Language ; the greater
Part of them fpeak after the fame manner
as he does ; and to tell you the Truth,
our Stone is properly Invifible, as well in
regard of its Matter, as in regard of its
Form. In regard of its Matter ; became,
although our Stone, or our Mercury (for
there is no difference) does really exift, it
is yet true, that it appears not to our Eyes ;
at leaf!, not unlefs the Artifts lend his
Hand to Nature to help lier to bring forth
this philofbphical Production ; and this
made Cofmopolite fay, That theSubjett of our
Philofiphy hath a red Exiflence ; hut that it
is not to be feen, but when it pie aß s the Ar¬
tiß to maire it appear.

The Stone is like wife no lefs Invifible in
regard of its Form ; I call here its Form,
the Principle of its admirable Faculties, for

this

The HêrmETIcal

this Principle, this Energy of the Stone,
and that Spirit in which refides the Efficacy
of its Tindxire, is a pure A Era! impal¬
pable Effence, that does not manifeft it felf
but by the furpriEng Effedls it produces.
The Philofephers often {peak of their Stone,
as considered in that Senfe. Hermes, under-
{lands it fo, when he fays, That the Wind
carries it in its Belly ; and Cosmopolite is
not remote from this Father of Philofo-
phy, when he aß u res. That our Subject is
before the Eyes of all the World ; that no
Body can live without it ; that all Creatures
make ufi of it ; but that few perceive its
Well then, are you not of your Author’s
Sentiment, and mull you not confefs, that
in whatfoever manner you consider the
Stone, it is truly faid to be Invifible.

P r RO P H I LU s.

Î mufl have neither Senfe nor Pveafon,
if I fhould not confent to a Truth, that
you make me as it were, touch with my
Finger, unfolding to me at the fame time,
the mofl obfeure, and mod my Ecrions Senfe
of the philofophical Writings. I find my
felf fo illuminated by what you tell me,
that, met b inks, the mofr obfeure Authors
will be no longer dark to me ; I ihall, how*

ever,

T R I U M P H. 97

ever, be obliged to you, if you pleafe to
tell me your Opinion concerning the Pro-
pofition that this Author advances ; (*) 34«
T'haï it is not pojjible to acqtiire the Pojfejfion
of the philofophical Mercury -, othenvife than
by the Means of two Bodies , whereof the one
cannot receive Perfection without the other.
This Paflage feems to me fo pofitive, and
fo precife, that I doubt not, but that it is
fundemental in the Practice of the Work.

EU V O XU S.

There is none mo ft certainly more fun-
damental, fince this Philofopher tells you
; in this Palfage, how the Stone is form’d,
on which is founded all our Philofophy ;
our Mercury or our Stone does indeed
take Birth from two Bodies ; but Note,
that it is not the Mixture of two Bo-
i dies which produces our Mercury , or our
1 Stone : For I have juft fhewn you, that
I Bodies are contraries, and there can be
: no perfect Union made of them ; but our
^ Stone on the contrary is born from the
' Deftruftion of two Bodies, which a&ing
one upon the other, as the Male and the
1 Female, or as the Body and the Spirit, af¬
ter a manner no lefs Natural than In-
comprehenfibîe to the Artift, who lends it

H the

The Hermetic al

the requifite Help, do intirely ceafe to be
that which they were before, to bring forth
a Produdion of a miraculous Nature and
Original, and which hath all the neceflâry
Difpofttions to be carried by Art and Nature,.,
from Perfedion to Perfedion, to a fovereign
Degree, which is above Nature it felf.

Remark alfo, that thofe two Bodies;
which deftroy themfelves, and confound/
themfelves one in the other for the Produ—
dion of a third Subftance, and of whom
the one holds the place of Male, and the
other of Female, in this new Generation,
are two Agents, who dripping themfelves;
of their grolfeft Subftance in this Adion,,
change tlieir Nature to bring forth a Son,,-
of an Original more noble, and more
illuftrious than the Parents that give hinu
Being, and in being Born, he carries vifi-
ble Marks, that evidently fhew, that Hea¬
ven prefided at his Birth.

Remark, moreover, that our Stone is
bom again many feveral Times, but that ini
every one of its new Births it ftill draws its
Rife from two Things. You have been
juft now frown how it begins to be born oil
two Bodies ; you have feen that it efpoufes
a celeftial Nymph, after it has been ftripti
of its terreftrial Form, to make but one

T

RiUMPH,

99

; and fame Thing with her ; you muft
)w alfo, that after the Stone hath appear-
a new, under a terreftrial Form, it muft
in be Married to a Spoufe of its own
>od ; fo that there are ftill two Things
ich produce one [Thing] only of one foie
l fame Kind ; and as it is a certain Truth*
t in all the different States of the Stone,
two Things that are united to give it
lew Birth, come from one foie and fame
ling ; it is alfo upon this Foundation of
ture, that Cofinopolite fupports an incon-
table Truth in our Philofophy, that is
fay, 'That of one is made two , and of two
, in which all Operations , Natural and Phi -
phical , are terminated without any Poffibili -
of going further.

P r R O P H J L u s.

How abftrufe foever thefe fublime Truths
, you render them fo intelligible, and
palpable to me, that I conceive them
oft as diftinéèîy, as if they were mathe-
:ical Demonftrations. Permit me, if you
fe, to make feme further Enquiry, that
may have no further remaining Scru-
about the Interpretation of this Author,
ve very well comprehended, that the
lie born of two Subftances of one fame

H z Kindi

loo The Heb. metical

Kind, is one whole Homogeneity, and
third Being, endued with two Natures
which render it of it felf foie fufficient to thi
Generation of the Son of the Sun ; but ye
I do not very well comprehend, how th
philofopher underftands, (*) That the m
3 ’ * ‘j'foinp whereof the univerfd Aiedicine is
is the Water, cmd the Spirit of the Body.

E V D O X V S.

You would find the Senfe of this Paflâ;
felf-evident, if you did but recoiled yo
felf, that the firft and moft important Of
ration of the Pradice of the firft Work,
to reduce into Water that Body, wmch,
our Stone, and that this is the moft Sec
Point of our Myfteries. I have ihew
you, that this Water muft be vivified a
fertilized by an aftral Seed, and by a ce
ftial Spirit, wherein refides the whole E
cacy of the phyfical Tindure : So that
you well refled upon it, you will coni
that there is no Truth in our Philofop
more evident than what your Author 11
advances, i. e that one only Thing, wh
of the Sage hath need to make all Thin
Is no other than the Water and the Spirit op
Body. The Water is the Body, and
Soul of our Subjed, and tire aftral See

Triumph. i o i

the Spirit of it ; and it is therefore that
the Philofofhers allure, that their Matter has
I a Body, a Soul, and a Spirit.

PTROPHILUS.

I confefs my Inattention, and that had
I well confidered, I had formed no man¬
ner of doubt upon this Paflage ; but here is
»another, which, however, is no great Sub-
fieft of Scruple ; but neverthelefs, I could
iwifh to know your Senfe of thofe Words,
wiz*. that the only Thing which is the
üSubjeâ; of the Art, and has not its like in
> the World; (*) k jet vile , and to be had ^6«
' for little coß.

EUDOXUS .

This Matter, fo precious by the excellent
Gifts, wherewith Nature has enriched it, is
jjtruly mean, with regard to the Sub fiances
Trom whence it derives its Original. Their
Price is not above the Ability of the Poor.
Ten Pence is more than fufficient to pur-
chafe the Matter of the Stone. But the
ïlnftruments, and the Means that are necefc
ifary to purfue the Operations of the Art,
If require fome fort of Expence ; which makes
j Geber fay, Eh at the Work^ is not for the Poor.
The .Matter therefore is mean, confidering

H 3 the

102 The Hermetical

the Foundation of the Art becaufe it coft:
but very little; it is no lefs mean, if one con-
fiders exteriourly that which gives it Per¬
fection, fince in that regard it cofts nothing
at all, in as much as all the World has it in
its Power y fays Coßnopolite ; fo that whe¬
ther you diftinguifh thefe Things, or whe¬
ther you confound them, as the" Philosopher.
do, to deceive the Sot and the Ignorant, it it
a confiant Truth, that the Stone is a Thing
mean in one Senfe, but that in another it it
moft precious, and that there are none bui
Fools that defpife it, by a juft Judgmen!
of God.

PTROPHILUS.

I fhall now be quickly as well inftructed
as I can wifti ; do me only the Favour tc
tell me, how one may know which is the
true way of the Philosophers ; becaufe they
defcribe many different, and often in Ap¬
pearance contrary. Their Books are filled
with an Infinity of various Operations ; a?
Conjunctions, Calcinations, Mixtions, Se¬
parations, Sublimations, Diftillations, Coa¬
gulations, Fixations, Deficcations, concern¬
ing each of which they make whole Chap¬
ters ; which throws the Artifts into flieh a
Labyrinth, that ’tisfcarcepoftible for them tc:

extricate

I

Triumph.

extricate thernfelves This Fhilofipher , me-
thinks, infinuates, that' as in this great Art,
there is but one Thing ; fo neither is there
but one way, for which he gives no other
! Reafon but this ; he fays, (*) That the So¬
lution of the Body is not made but in its own
Blood. I find not any T hing in this whole
Treatife, wherein your Inflrudtions may
prove more neceffary to me, than upon this
Point, which concerns the Pradice of the
Work, upon which all th & Fhilofipher s make
Profeffion of Silence : I befeech you, there-
l fore, not to deny me your Diredions in
) fo needful a Point.

E U D O XU S,

It is not without a great deal of Reafon
that you make me this Requeft, it Regards

I the effential Point of the Work, and I could
heartily wifh it were in my Power to anfwer
as diftindly to this, as I have done to divers
of your other Queftions. I proteft to you,
that I have every where told you the Truth
and I will dill continue to do fo ; but you
know, that the Myfleries of our facred
: Sciences may not be taught, but in myfte-
rious Terms : I will, however, tell you
i without any Ambiguity, that the general
i Intention of our Art, is exadly to purify,

H 4 and

104 The FI ER METICAL j

and to fubtilize a Matter of it feif unclean
and grofs. And this is a mo ft important
T ruth, that deferves you fhould make Re*
flection upon it.

Remark, that to attain this End, many
Operations are requifite, which tending all
but to one and the fame Scope, are not in the
main confidered by the Ploilofophers , but as
one foie and fame Operation diverfly con*
tinued. Obferve, that Fire feparates at firft
the heterogenous Parts, and conjoins the ho¬
mogenous Parts of our Stone ; that the fecret
Fire produces afterwards the fame Effect ;
but more efficacioufly in introducing into
the Matter a fiery Spirit, which opens in-
teriourly the fecret Gate which fubtilizes and
fublimes the pure Parts, feparating them
from thofe that are terreftrial and aduftible.
The Solution which is afterwards made by
the Addition of the aftral Quint ejfence ,
which animates the Stone, makes a third
Depuration of it, and Di (filiation compleats;
it entirely; thus purifying and fubtilizing the
Stone by many different Degrees, to which
the Philosophers ufe to give the Names of as
many feveral Operations, and of Converfi-
on of Elements, it is exalted to that Per¬
fection, which is the nigheft Difpofition toi
conduct it to plufqmm Perfection, by ai

Regimen»

Triumph. i

Regiment proportioned to the final Inten¬
tion of the Art, that is to fay, unto per-
fed Fixtion. You fee now, that to fpeak
properly, there is but one way, as there is
but one Intention in the firfi: Work, and
that the Philofophers defcribe not many ways,
but becaufe they confider the different De¬
grees of Depurations, as fo many Operati¬
ons, and different Ways, with defign (as
your Author very well Remarks,) to con¬
ceal this admirable Art.

As to the Words by which your Au¬
thor concludes, i. e. that the Solution of
the Body is not made but in its own Blood,"
I muft make you obferve that in our Art,
there is in three different Times, three ef-

I

fential Solutions made, wherein the Body
is not diffolved but in its own Blood, and
that is in the Beginning, in the Middle,
and at the End of the Work ; take good
Notice of this. I have already fliewed you,
that in the principal Operations of the Art,
there are always two Things which produ¬
ces one, that of thofe two Things, one
fupplies the place of the Male, and the
other of the Female ; one is the Body,
the other is the Spirit : You muft make
here the Application of it, u e. that in
the three Solutions that I mention to you,

the

ioé the He rmeti cal

the Male and the Female, the Body and
the Spirit, are no other Thing, but the
Body and the Blood, and that thefe two
Things are of one fame Nature, and of
one fame kind ; fo that the Solution of the
Body in its own Blood, is the Solution of
the Male by the Female, and that of the
Body by its Spirit. And this is the order
of thefe three important Solutions.

In vain you would attempt by Fire the
true Solution of the Male in the firffc Ope¬
ration, you could never fucceed in it, with¬
out the Conjundtion of the Female ; it is
in their mutual Embraces that they con¬
found and change each other, to produce
one whole Homogeneity, different from
them both. You would in vain open and
fublime the Body of the Stone, it would be
intirely ufelefs to you, unlefs you made it
efpoufe the Wife which Nature hath defign-
ed for it ; fhe is that Spirit, fspm whence
the Body hath drawn its Hrfb Original ;
which Body diffolves therein as Ice does
at the Heat of Fire, as your Author has
very well Remarked. In fine, you wrould
attempt in vain to make the perfedt SolutE
on of the fame Body, if you fhould not
reiterate upon it the Affufion of its proper
Blood, which is its natural Mcnßrtmmy its

Wife,

T K I U M P H. 107

Wife, and its Spirit altogether, wherewith
it fo intimately unites, that from thence¬
forth they become but one foie and fame
Subflance.

ptrophilus.

Aftei all this which you have revealed to
me, I have nothing more to ask you about the
Interpretation of this Author. I do very
well comprehend all the other Advantages
that he afcribes to the Stone, more than to
Gold and Mercury. I do alio conceive how
the Excefs of the Rage of thefe two Cham¬
pions, tranfported them to join their Forces,
to vanquifh the Stone by Arms, not being
able to fubdue it by Reafon ; but how is
it to be underflood, That the (*) Stone 39.
devour d them, , and fwallowed them both up>

Jo that they e remain dnot any TracJ^ of them.

E U D O X U S.

Know you not that the great Hermes
lays. That the Stone is the jlron ç Force of
all Forces ; for it will vanquijh all fub -
tile Things , and will penetrate every folid
Thing. And your Author exprelfes the
very lame Thing here in other Terms to
teach you, that the Power of the Stone
is fo great, that nothing is able to refill it.

It

io8 The Hermeti CAL

It furmounts indeed all the imperfed Metals,
tran fmuting them into perfed Metals in
fuch a manner, that there remains no Trad
of what they were before.

PYROPHILUS.

I very well comprehend thefe Reafons,
and yet I have ftill remaining one doubt
touching perfed Metals ; Gold, for Exam¬
ple, is a Metal confiant and perfed, which,
therefore, methinks, the Stone fhould not
be able to devour.

EU D O XU $.

Your doubt is grouhdlefs ; for as the
Stone, flridly fpeaking, does not devour
imperfed Metals, but fo changes their Na¬
ture, that there remains nothing to know by
what they were before ; fo the Stone not
being able to deflroy Gold, nor to tranfmute
it into a more perfed Metal, tranfmutes it
into a Medicine a thoufand Times more
perfed than Gold, fince it can then tranf¬
mute a thoufand Times as much imperfed
Metal, according to the Degree of Perfe-
dion that the Stone has receiv’d of the Art.

P Y RO~

Tri u m p h.

10^

PrROPHILUS.

I perceive the little Foundation there was
for my Doubt ; but to be plain, there is
fo much fubtilety in the ieaft Hints of the
Philofephers, that you ought not to think it
flrange, that I have often ftuck upon Things
that ought elfe to have appeared to me fum-
ciently intelligible of themfelves. I have
no more but two Qiieftions to ask you,
and they are on the Subjed of the two Ad¬
vices, that my Author gives to the Sons of
the Science, touching the manner of Proceed¬
ing, and the Scope they ought to propofe to
themfelves in their Search of the univerfal
Medicine. He advifes them in the firft
Place, to fharpen their Minds, to read the
Writings of the wife Men with Prudence*
to Labour with Exabinefs ; to proceed with¬
out Precipitation in a Work fo precious :
Becaufe, fays, he (*) That it hat its time
ordained hj Natures even as the Fruits which 3 9
are upon the Trees , and the clnfler of Grapes
that the Tine bears . I conceive very well

the Ufefulnefs of thefe Counfels ; but pray,
be pleafed to explain to me, how this Limi¬
tation of Time is to be underftood.

F, V

I IO The H ERMETICÂL

E U D O X US .

Your Author fufficientîy explains it to you
by the companion of Fruits, which Nature
produces in their due Seafon ; this compa¬
nion is Exact : The Stone is a Field which
the Wife cultivates, into which Art and
Nature have put the Seed, which is to pro¬
duce its Fruit. And as the four Seafons
of the Year are neceiTary to the perfect
Production of Fruits, fo the Stone has in
like manner its determinated Seafons. Its
Winter, during which Cold and Humidi-
ty have Dominion in this Earth thus pre¬
pared and fowed. Its Spring, wherein the
philolophick Seed being warm’d, gives
Signs of Vegetation and Increafe ; its
Summer, during which its Fruit ripens,
and becomes proper to Multiplication ; and
its Autumn, in which this Fruit being
perfectly Ripe, rejoices the Wife that have
the good Fortune to gather it.

. To leave you nothing to delire upon
this Subject, I mull here make you obferve
three Things. Firfi , That the Sage ought to
I imitate Nature in the Practice of the Work ;
and as this wile W orker [viz,. Nature J can
produce nothing perfect, if its Motion be
made violent, fo the ArtifI ought to fuffer

- - - u.

Triumph. iii

the Principles of his Matter to a£t interi-
ourly, by exteriourly adminiftring a Warmth
or Heat proportioned to its need, The
ficond Thing is, that the Knowledge of
the four Seafons of the Work, ought to
be a Rule, which the Wife fhould follow
in the different Regiments of the Fire, in
Proportioning it to each, according as Na¬
ture fhows it, who has need of lefs Heat
to put the Trees in Bloffom, and to Form
the Fruit, than to make them perfeddy Ripe.
Thirdly , That though the Work has its four
Seafons, fo as Nature has, it does not fol¬
low that the Seafons of Art, and of Na¬
ture, muft precifely anfwer to each other,
the Summer of the Work may happen with¬
out Inconvenience in Nature’s Autumn, and
its Autumn in her Winter. It fuffices,
that the Regiment of the Fire, be propor¬
tion’d to the Seafon of the Work; it is
in that only, that the great Secret of the
Regiment confifts, for which I cannot give
you a more certain Rule.

PT R 0 P H I L U s.

By this Reafoning, and by this Similitude,
you give me an open View upon a Point,
of which the Pbilofiphers have made one of

their

na

The Hermetic al

their grcâtdl My fieries ; for the DoXrine of
the Regiments is not to be {earn’d by their
Writings, but I fee with an extream Sa¬
tisfaction, that in imitating Nature and Be¬
ginning the order of Seafons of the Work
by the Winter, it cannot be hard to the Wife
to judge, how by the divers Degrees of
Heat, which anfwer to thofe Seafons, he
can affift Nature, and bring the Fruit of
this philofophical Plant to a perfect Ma¬
turity.

My Author in the fécond Place advifes
the Sons of Art, to have Uprightnefs of
Heart ; and to propofe to themfelves an ho-
neft End in this Work, declaring poiitive-
ly to them, that without thefe good Dif-
pofitions, they muff not expeX a Blefling
from Heaven upon their Labour, upon
which all good Succefs depends. He afures,
AO. That (*) God does not communicate fo great
a Gift, but to thofe that will make a good ttfi
of it ; and that he deprives thofe of it , ivho
defgn to ufe it for Commiffion of Evil. This
feems to be no other than a manner of
ufual fpeaking with the Philofophers ; pray
tell me what Reflexions ought to be made
upon this laft Point ?

E V-

Triumph.

iij

EUDOXUS.

You are fufficiently inftruhled in our Phi«
jbfophy, to comprehend, that the PofTeffi-
on of the univerfai Medicine, and of the
great Elixir, is of all worldly Treàfures the
greateft, the moft real, and the moft valu¬
able that Man can enjoy. Indeed, immenfe
Riches, fupream Dignities, and all the
Greatneffes of the Earth, are not compara¬
ble to this precious Treafure, which is the
foie temporal Good, able to fatisfy the
Heart of Man. It gives to him that pof-
feffes it, a long Life, exempt from all forts
lof Infirmities, and puts into his Power
more Gold and Silver , than is poffelfed by
lall the moft mighty Monarchs together.
This Treafure hath moreover this particu-

Iar Advantage, above all other Bleflings of
his Life, that he who enjoys it, finds him-
elf perfectly fatisfied, even with its only
Contemplation, and that he can never be
roubled with the fear of lofing it.

You are likewife fully convinced, that
Cod governs the World ; that his Di-
une Providence càufes, that there reigns
n Order, which his infinite Wifdom has
ilftablifhed in it from the beginning of
m 11 A ses, and that this Providence is not

I that

1 4 The Her metical

that blind Fatality of the Antients, nor
that pretended Chain of Caufes, or that ne-
ceffary Order of Things, that muft make
them follow without any Diftindtion : But
on the contrary, you are well perfuaded,-
that the VVifdom of God prefides over all
the Events that happen or appear in the
World.

Upon the double Foundation, which thefe
two Reflections effablifh, you cannot doubt
but that God who difpofes Sovereignly of
all the Polfeflions in the World, never per¬
mits that thofe who apply themfelves to the
Search of this precious T reafure, with delign
to make a bad ufe of it, fhould by their En¬
deavours come to its Poifdfion ; really what
Mifchiefs might not be caufed in the World
by a perverfe Spirit, who would have nc
other Aim but to gratify his Ambition;
and to indulge his Lufts, if he had it
his Power ana Poffeffion this certain Mean?;
of executing his moft criminal Enterprizes
Wherefore the Philofipbers , who perfectly
know what Mifchiefs and Diforders migh
accrue to civil Society, if the Knowledge
of this great Secret were Revealed to the
impious, do not treat of it, but with fear
nor fpeak of it, but enigmatically, to tin
end, that it may not be comprehended, bu

Triumph. i 15

by thofe whole Study and Endeavours God
will biefs.

PTROPHILUS.

. There can be none that are of good
! Senfe* and who fear God, but muft agree
in thefe Sentiments, and muft be fully per¬
il fuaded, that to fucceed in fo great and fo
i; important an Enterprize, the Divine Good-
I ne^s is to be inceffantly Explicated to illu-
jminate our Minds* and to give his Bleft
1 Eng to our Endeavours. It only remains*

.that I return you mo ft humble Thanks, that
cyou have been pleafed to treat me as a Son of
5the Science* to difcourfe with me ftncerely*
bind to inftrud me in fo great Myfteries* as
pearly, and as intelligible, as is lawful to
do, and as I would realonably déliré. I
froteft to you* that my Acknowledgment
luhall laft as long as my Life.

né The Hermetic al

A

LETTER

To the true

DISCIPLES

O F

HER MES,

containing

Six principal Keys of the fecre
Philofophy.

F I writ this Letter to perfiiacf
thofe to the T ruth of our Ph
lofophy, who imagine, that
is only a vain Idea, and
meet Paradox, I would folloT
the Example of many Mailers in this gre:;

Art j I would endeavour to convince the

fo:

T R ï

U M P H.

I

fort of Wits of their Errors, by demon-
drating to them the Solidnefs of the Prin¬
ciples of our Science fupported by the
Laws, and by the Operations of Nature,
and I would fpeak but flightly of what
belongs to the Pradèice : But as I have a
;; quite different Defign, and that I write
only for you, the wife Difciples of Her-
« mes , and true Sons of the Art, my only In-
I tention is to ferve you as a Guide in a way
:i fo difficult to be follow'd. Our Pradice
is in Effed a track in the Sands, where
one ought to condud one’s felf rather
J by the North Star than by any Footfleps
\ which are fee n imprinted there. TheCon-
fufion of the T racks, which an almofl in-
i finite Number of People have left there, is
c fo great, and one finds fo many different
j Paths, which almofl: all of them lead into
I mofi: frightful Defarts, that it is almofl im-
epoffible not to flray from the true Road,

' which only the Sages favoured by Heaven
I have happily known how to find out and
‘to difeover.

This Confufion flops the Sons of Art
at once ; fome in the beginning, o-
thers in the middle of this philofophical
JCourfe, and fome even when they ap-
iproach nigh the End of this painful Jour-

I 5 ‘ ney,

B The Hermetical

ney, and when they begin to difcover
the happy End of their Undertaking ,*
but perceive not, that the little of the
Way which remains for them to go, is
the mod; difficult. They know not that
the envious of their good Fortune have
dug Ditches and Precipices in the middle:
of the Way, and that for want of know¬
ing the fecret Windings, whereby the Wife
avoid thofe dangerous Snares, they unhap¬
pily lofe all the Advantage which they
had got, at the fame time, when they
imagined to have furmounted all the Dif¬
ficulties.

I vow fincerely to you, that the Practice
of our Art is the mod: difficult Thing o:
the World, not in regard to its Opera,
tions, but in refpefi: of the Difficultie
which are in it, to learn it didindly from
the Books of the Phllofophers : For ii
on one fide it is called with Reafon thi
Play of Children ; on the other it require
in thofe who fearch for the Truth by the

r

Labour, and their Study, a profound Know
ledge of the Principles, and of the Open
tions of Nature in the three Kinds ,• bu
particularly in the mineral and metallic
Kind. 5Tis a great Point to find out til
true Matter, which is the Subject of 01«

' ' Work

Triumph. no

Work; you muft for this pierce through
a thoufand obfcure Vails, wherewith it has
been fpread over ; you muft diftinguifti it
by its proper Name, among a Million of un¬
common Names, whereby the Philofiphers
have differently expreft it ; you muft un¬
der ftand all the Properties of it, and judge of
all the Degrees of Perfection, which the Art
is capable of giving to it; you muft know
the fecret Fire of the Wife, which is the
only Agent which can open, fublime, pu¬
rify, and difperfe the Matter to be reduced
into Water; you muft for this penetrate
into the Divine Source of the celeftial Wa¬
ter, which operates the Solution, the Ani¬
mation and Purification of the Stone; you
muft know how to convert our metallick
Water into an incombuftible Oil, by the
entire Solution of the Body, from whence
it draws its Original ; and to effecft this* you
muft make the Converfion of the Ele¬
ments, the Separation, and the Re-union of
the three Principles ; you muft learn to
rknow how to make thereof a white Mer~

\cury , and a citrine Mercury ; you muft
ifix this Mercury , nourifti it with its own
' Blood, to the End that it may be con¬
verted into the fixt Sulphur of the Philofo-
kphers* Thefe are the fundamental Points of

I 4 -of

1 30 The H ER METICAL

/

our Art ; the reft of the Work is found
clearly enough taught in the Books of the
Philofophers , that we have no need of an
ampler Explanation.

As there are three Kingdoms [or Reigns)
in Nature, fo there are alfo three Medicines in
our Art which make three different Works
in the Practice, and which are neverthelefs
but three different Degrees, which raife our
Elixir to its higheft Perfection. T liefe im¬

portant Operations of the three Works, are
by all Philofophers referved under the Key
of the Secret, to the End that the facred
Myfteries of our divine Philofophy may
not be revealed to the Profane ; but to you
who are the Sons of the Science, and car
underhand the Language of the Wife, the
Locks fliall be opened, and you fhall haw
the Keys of the precious T reafures of Na.
ture and of Art, if you apply all your Mine
to the Underftanding of what I do defigr
to tell you, in Terms as intelligible as ii
neceffary for thofe, who are predeftmate«
as you are, to the Knowledge of thefe full
lime Myfteries. I will put into your Hanc
fix Keys, wherewith you may enter inti
the Sandtuary of Philofophy, open all it
Receffes, and arrive at the Underftanding o
the moft hidden Truths.

* ’ 77

Triumph.

hi

The firfi Key .

The firfi Key is, that which opens the
dark Priions, in which the Sulphur is ifhut
up, this is it which knows howto extract the
Seed out of the Body, and which forms the
Stone of the Philofbphers , by the Conjun¬
ction of the Male with the Female ; of the
Spirit with the Body ; of Sulphur with
Mercury . Hermes has manifeflly demon-
flrated the Operation of this firfi Key, by
thefe Words : In the Caverns of the Metals
there is hidden , the Stone which is Venerable ,
bright in Colour , a Adind fublime , and an
open Sea . This Stone has a bright glitter*
ing, it contains a Spirit of a fublime OrK
ginal, it is the Sea of the Wife, in which
they Fifh for their myflerious Fifh. The
fame Philo fopher does flill more particularly
take Notice of the Nativity of this admi¬
rable Stone, when he fays : The King full
come out of the Fire , and fhall rejoice in his
Marriage and the hidden T hings fhall be laid
çpen • ’Tis a King crowned with Glory,
who has his Nativity in the Fire, who is
plcafed with the Union of the Spoufe, which
is given to him. ’Tis this Union which
makes manifcfl that which before was hid¬
den.

But

1 2 1 The Hermetic al

But before I go any further, I have
a Counfel to give you, which will be
of no fmall Advantage to you ; that is, to
reflect, that the Operations of each of the
three Works, having a great deal of Ana¬
logy and Relation to one another ; the Phi-
lofophers do defignedly fpeak in equivo¬
cal Terms, to the end that thofe who bave
not Lynx’ s Eyes, may purfue wrong, and
be loft in this Labyrinth, from whence it
is very hard to get out. In effedl, when
one imagines, that they fpeak of one
Work, they often treat of another ; take
heed, therefore, not to be deceived here¬
in : For it is a Truth, that in each Work
the wife Artift ought to diifolve the Bo¬
dy with the Spirit, he mu ft cut off the
Raven s Head, whiten the Black, and n>>
bify the White ; yet it is properly in the
firft Operation, that the wife Artift cuts off
the Head of the black Dragon , and of the
Raven. Hermes fays, that ’tis from thence
that our Art takes its beginning. What is
horn of the Crcnv, is the beginning of this
Art. Conflder, that it is by the Separati¬
on of the black, foul, and ftinking Fume
of the blackeft Black, that our aftral, white,
and refplendent Stone is formed, which
eontaineth in its Veins the Blood of the

Pelican ;

Triumph. 123

Pelican ; ’tis at this fir ft Purification of the
Stone, and at this Paining Whitenefs, that
the firft Key of the firft W ork is ended.

7* he fécond Key .

The fécond Key diflolves the Com¬
pound, or the Stone, and begins the Sepa¬
ration of the Elements in a philofophica!
Manner ; this Separation of the Elements
is not made but by railing up the fubtile
and pure Parts above the thick and terre-
ftrial Parts. He who knows how to fub-
lime the Stone phiiofophically, juftly de-
ferves the Name of a Philofopher , fince he
knows the Fire of the Wife, which is the
only Inftrument, which can Work this
Sublimation. No Philofopher has ever open¬
ly Revealed this fecret Fire, and this pow¬
erful Agent, which Works all the Won¬
ders of the Art ; he who fhall not under-
ftand it, and not know how to diftinguifti
it by the Characters wherewith I have en¬
deavoured to pomt it out in the Difcourfe
of Eudoxus and Pyrophilus , ought to make
a ftand here, and pray to God to make it
clear to him ; for the Knowledge of this
great Secret, is rather a Gift of Heaven,
than a Light acquired by the Force of Rea-
foiling ; let him, neverthelefs, read the Wri-

1^4 The Hermetic al

tings of the Philofiphers ; let him meditate,
and above all let him pray ; there is no dif¬
ficulty, which may not in the end be made
clear by Work, Meditation, and Prayer.

Without the Sublimation of the Stone,
the Conversion of the Elements, and the
Extraction of the Principles is impoffible ;
and this Converfion, which makes Water
of Earth, Air of Water, and Fire of Air,
is the only Way whereby our Mercury can
be prepared. Apply your felf then to know
this Secret Fire, which dilfolves the Stone
naturally, and without Violence, and makes
it diffolve into Water in the great Sea of
the Wife, by the Diftillation which is made
by the R ays of the Sun, and of the Moon,
*Tis in this manner that the Stone, which ac¬
cording to Hermes is the Vine of the Wife,
becomes their Wine, which by the Ope¬
rations of Art, produces their rectified Wa¬
ter of Life, and their mod: fharp Vinegar.
This Father of our Philofophy ctys out
concerning this Myftery ; O bleffed watry
Form-> 'which dffolveß the Elements ! T he
Elements of the Stone could not be dif-
folved, but by this Water wholly Divine ;
nor could a perfect Diffolution be made
of it, but after a proportioned Digeftion

Triumph. 125

and Putrefa&ion, at which the fécond Key
of the fir ft Work is ended.

F he third Key.

The third Key comprehends of it felf
alone a longer Train of Operations, than all
the reft together : The Philofophers have
fpoken very little of it, feeing the Perfecti¬
on of our Mercury depends thereon ; the
fincereft themfelves, as Artephius , Trevipm ,
Flameh have paft in Silence the Preparati¬
ons of our Mercury , and there is hardly
one found, who has not feign’d inftead
of fhowing the longeft and the moft im¬
portant of the Operations of our Pra6iice.
With a defign to lend you a Hand in this
part of the Way, which you have to go, •
where for want of Light it is impoflible to
follow the true Road, I will inlarge my
felf more than the Philof&phers have done,
on this third Key, or at leaft 1 will follow
in an order that which they have faid of this
SubjeÄ fo confufedly, that without the In-
fpiration of Heaven, or without the help of
a faithful Friend, one remains undoubtedly
in this Labyrinth, without being able to find
a happy Deliverance from thence. I am
fure that you who are the true Sons of the
Science, will receive a very great Satisfacli-

on

1 26 The Herme tic al

on in the explaining of thefe hidden My-
fleries, which regard the Separation, and
the Purification of the Principles of our
Mercury*, which is made by a perfect Dif-
folution and Glorification of the Body,
whence it had its Nativity, and by the in¬
timate Union of the Soul with its Body,
of whom the Spirit is the only Tie which
Works this Conjunction ; this is the In¬
tention* and the effential Point of the O-
perations of this Key, which terminate at
the Generation of a new Subfiance, infi¬
nitely nobler than the firfl.

After that the wife Artifl has made a Spring
of living Water corne out of the Stone*
that he has preft out the Juice of the Vine
of the Philofôphers , and that he has made
their Wine, he ought to take Notice, that
in this homogenous Subflance* which ap¬
pears under the Form of Water, there are
three different Subfiances, and three natural
Principles of ail Bodies : Salty Sulphur*
and Mercury , which are the Spirit, the
Soul, and the Body, and though they ap¬
pear pure and perfeClly united together,
there flill wants much of their being fo ;
for when by Diflillation we draw the Wa¬
ter, which is the Soul and the Spirit, the
Body remains in the bottom of the Veffel

like

Triumph. i

like a dead, black, and dreggy Earth, which
neverthelefs is not to be defpifed ; for in
our Subjeâ: there is nothing which is not
good. The Philofopher J ohn Pont anus pro-
tefts, that the very Superfluities of the Stone
are converted into a true Elfence; that he
who pretends to feparate any Thing from
our Subjeâ:, knows nothing in Philofophy,
and that all which is therein of fuperfluous,
unclean, dreggy, and in fine, the whole
Subftance of the Compound is made per-
feâ: by the Aâ:ion of our Fire. This Ad«
vice opens the Eyes of thofe, who to make
an exad: Purification of the Elements, and
of the Principles, perfuade themfelves, that
they muft only take the fubtile, and aft a-
way the heavy ; but the Sons of the Sci¬
ence ought not to be ignorant, that the
Fire, and the Sulphur are hidden in the Cen¬
ter of the Earth, and that you muH: wafli
it exaâly with its Spirit, to extrad: out of
it the Balm, viz ►. the fixt Salt, which is
the Blood of our Stone : This is the effen-
tial Myftery of this Operation, which is
not accornplifhed till after a convenient Di-
geftion, and a flow Difhllation. Follow
then, ye Sons of Art, the command which
the T ruth-telling Hermes gives ye, who
in this place :• Put with" this watrj Soul,

we

I a 8 The Hè RMÉTICAL

we muß mix our Vinegar , that we may pojfefi
the fulphurous Form ; for when the Compound
is diffolved, it is the Key of Refioration. Y ou
know that nothing is more contrary than
Fire and Water ; but yet the wife Artift
mud: make Peace between the Enemies,
who at the Bottom [or Radically] love
one another vehemently. Cofmopolite has
told the manner thereof' in a few Words :
‘The Things therefore being purged , make Fire
and Water to be Friends , which they will eafi-
ly do in their Earth which had afcended with
them . Be then attentive on this Point,

moiften oftentimes the Earth with its Wa¬
ter, and you’ll obtain what you feek. Mull:
not the Body be diffolved by the Water,
and the Earth be penetrated with its Hu¬
midity to be made proper for Generation ?
According to the Philofiophers, the Spirit is
Eve ; the Body is .Adam, they ought to be
joined for the Propagation of their Species.
Hermes fays the fame Thing in other Terms;
For Water is the flrongefl Nature, which fur-
mounts and excites the fixed Nature in the
Body, that is, rejoices it. In Effeff, thefe
two Subffances, which are of the fame Na¬
ture, but of two different Sexes, embrace
one another with the fame Love, and the
fame Satisfaction, as the Male and the Fe¬
male,

fry ?

X R I

U M P H.

I

male, and afcend infenfibly together, lea¬
ving but a little Fæces in the bottom of
the Veffel ; fo that the Soul, the Spirit,
and the Body, after an exad Purificati¬
on, appear at laid infepârahly united un¬
der a more noble and more perfed Form
than it was before, and as different from
its firft liquid Form* as the Alcohol of
Wine exactly redified, and accuated with
its Salt* is different from the Sub fiance of
the Wine fiom whence it has been drawn;
this Comparifon is not only very fitting,
but it furthermore gives the Sons of Science
ja precife Knowledge of the Operations of
ithis third Key.

Our Water is a living Spring, which
licornes out of the Stone, by a natural Mira¬
cle of our Philofophy. The firfi of all
i 'S the Water which ijfueth out of this Stone*
Tis Hermes who hath pronounced this
& great Truth. He acknowledges further,

3 that this Water is the Foundation of our
Art. The Philofophers give it rnany Names;
or fometimes they call it Wine, fome-
• limes Water of Life, fometimes Vinegar,
rometimes Oil, according to the different
] 3 Degrees of Preparation, or according to
be diverfe Effeds, which it is capable of
cingi Yet I let you know, that it is
K properly

30 The Hermetic a l

properly called the Vinegar of the Wife*
and that in the Diftillation of this divine
Liquor there happens the fame Thing, as
in that of common Vinegar ; you may
from this draw a great Inftrudion ; the.
Water and the Phlegm afcend firft ; the:
oily Subftance, in which the Efficacy ol
our Water confifts, comes the laft. ’Tie:
this middle Subftance between Earth anc
Water, which in the Generation of the Phi-,
lofophical Child, does the Office of the Male
Hermes makes us take particular Notice oi>
it by thefe intelligible 'Words r The indiffe¬
rent Unguent^ which is Fire , is the Aiediuw
between the Faeces and the Water. He is nor
content to give thefe Lights to his Scholars
he (hows further in his fmaragdine T able, in
what manner they ought to condud therm
Elves in this Operation. You fsall fiparar
the Earth from the Fire , the fubtile fron
the thief fveetlj , and with great Skill. Tak:
care above all Things not to fmother the
Fire of the Earth by the Waters of thi
Deluge. This Separation, or rather this Ex:
tradion, mo ft be done with a great deal oi
Judgment.

It is therefore neceffary to diftolve thi
Body entirely, to extrad all its Humidity
from it, which contains this precious Sul

phm

T ft i tr M p h. i

phar, this Balm of Nature, and this won¬
derful Unguent, without which you ought
not to hope ever to fee in your Veifel this
Blacknefs fo defired by all the Philofophers .
Reduce then the whole Compound into
Water, and make a perfed Union of the
volatile with the Ext ; ’tis a Precept of
Senior, which deferves you fhould give
i Attention to it. The highefl Fume*> fays
(ie, ought to be reduced to the loweft , and
he divine Witter is the King defending from
Heaven , it is the reducer of the Soul to its Bodp
which it at length revives . The Balm of
pife is hid in thefe unclean Faeces ; you
ught to walli them with this celefii-
Water, until you have remov’d awray
ie Blacknefs from them, and then your
Water fhall be animated with this fiery
ffence, which works all the Wonders of
r Art. I cannot give you a better Coun-
1 about it than that of the great Trifine-
dus ; You muß drive away from the Wa-
r, the Fume which is upon it , the Blacknefi
Cm the Unguent , and Death from the Faces .
t it the only Means to fucceed in this
peration is taught you by the fame PhF
\pher> who adds immediately ; And this
Dijfolmion , which being done , we have

K z the

a The Hermetical

the greatefl Philofophy, and the Secret of
Secrets .

Bur that you inay not be deceived w
the T erm of the Compound ; I will
you, that the Philofophers have two forts;
Compounds; The firft is the Compoi
of Nature ; 5tis that whereof I have fj>
in the fir ft Key ; for it is Nature wh
makes it, in a manner inccmprehenfible to j
Artift, who does nothing but lend a H
to Nature, by the adhibition of exte
Things, by the Means of which fhe br
forth and produces this admirable C
pound. The fécond is the Compound
Art ; ’tis the wife Man who makes it*
the fecret Union of the fixt with K
Volatile, perl eddy conjoined wfith all the [■
dence which can be acquired by the L k
of a profound Fhilofophy. The Cl
pound of Art is not altogether the I
in the fécond, as in the third Work;; I
it is always the Artift who makes it* K
her defines it a Mixture of .Argent r,
and Sulphur , that is to fay, of the Vor
and the Fixt, which adting on one an I-,
are volatilized and fixt reciprocally iij
perfect Fixity. Confider the Bxamnll,
Nature, you’ll fee that the Earth |i
never produce Fruit, if it be not pel '

Triumph. î

ted with its Humidity, and that the Hu^
midity would remain always Barren, if it
were not retained and fixt by the Drinefs
of the Earth.

You ought then to be certain, that one
cannot have any good fuccefs in our Art;
if you do not in the firft Work purify
the Serpent, born of the Slime of the Earth :
If you do not whiten thefe foul and black
Fæces, to feparate from thence the white
Sulphur, the Sal-Armoniack of the Wife,
which is their chafte Diana, who wafhes
her felf in the Bath. All this Myftery
is but the Extraction of the fixt Salt of
our Compound, in which the whole E~
nergy of our Ädetcury conflits. The
'Water which afccnds by Difhllation, car¬
ries up with it a part of this fiery Salt ;
jfo that the Affufion of the Water on the
:Body reiterated many times, impregnates,
fattens, and fertilizes our Mercury, and
tnakes it fitting to be fixt, whicn is the
fend of the fécond Work. One cannot
ibetter explain this Truth, than Hermes has
tdone by thefe Words : When I faw that
the Water began by Degrees to become [thicker
and harder , I did rejoice , for I certainly knew
that l fiiould find what l fought for .

K 5 Tho>

34 The Her metical

Tho’ you might have but a very indii
ferent Knowledge of our Art, what I an
going to tell you will be more than fui
Scient, to make you apprehend, that ail th
Operations of this Key, which put an en
to the fir ft Work, are no other than ti
digeft, diftil, cohobate, diflolve, feparat
and conjoin, the whole with Sweetne
and Patience : Thus you will have nc
only an entire Extraction of the Juice c
the Vine of the Wife ; but furthermor
you will poffefs the true Water of Life
and I let you know, that the more yc
iliall redify it, and the more you fha
work upon it, the more Penetration an
Virtue it will acquire 3 the Philofophers h a'1
not given it the Name of the Water c
Life, but becaufe it gives Life to the M»
tals ; It is properly called the great Lw*
ria , becaufe its ßrightnefs wherewith
Shines : They alfo call it a fulphureous Sul
fiance, a Balm, a Gumrn, the vifcous Hu
midity, and the moft fharp Vinegar of ti!
P'hiloßphersy See.

3Tis not without Reafcn that the PhiR
fipbers give this mercurial Liquor the nam
of a Pontic Ip Water , and of a moft ftiar
Vinegar : Its exuberant Ponticity is til
true Charader of its Vertue. There hap

Triumph. i

pens alfo in its Diftillation, as I have alrea¬
dy faid, the fame Thing which happens in
that of Vinegar : The Phlegm and the
Water arife fir ft, the fulphureous and the
faline Parts afcend the laft ; feparate the
Phlegm from the Water, unite the W ater
and the Fire together, the Mercury with
the Sulphur , and you lhall fee at laft the
blacked Black, you will whiten the Raven>
and rubefy the Swan.

Since I fpeak only to you, ye true Scho¬
lars of Hermes , I will reveal to you one
Secret, which you will not find entirely in
the Books of the Philosophers. Some of
them only fay, that of their Liquor
they make two Mercuries , the one White,
and the other fled. Flamel has faid more
particularly, that one muft make life of
the Citrin Mercury , to make the Imbibi¬
tions to the Red ; he gives Notice to the
Sons of Art, not to be deceived in this
Point ; he allures you alfo, that he had
therein been himfelf deceived, if Abraham
the Jew had not informed him of it.
Other Philo fophers have taught, that the
white Mercury is the Bath of the Moon,
and that the red Mercury is the Bath of
the Sun ; but there are none who have
been willing to fhow diftinciiy to the Sons

K 4 of

1 3 6 The Hermetical

of the Science, by what way they may get
thefe two Mercuries : If you apprehended
me well, you have this Point already cleared
up to you. I he Lunar ia is the white
Mercury , the moft {harp Vinegar is the red
Mercury ; but the better to determine thefe
two Mercuries , feed them with Fiefh of
their own Species ; the Blood of Inno¬
cents, whole Throats are cut, that is to
lay, the Spirits of the Bodies, are the Bath
w here the Sun and Mccn go to Bath therm
felves.

i have unfolded to you a great Myfie-
ry, if you ref eft well on it ; the Philo Co-
p hers y who have lpoken thereof, have paft
over this important Point very flightly,
Cofenopolite has very wittily mentioned it
by an ingenious Allegory, Tpeaking of the:
Purification of Mercury : This will he done ,
lays he, if you fmll give our old Man Gold
ana Saver to j wallow , that he conjume thorny
and at length ne aljo dying be burnt . He
makes an end of delcnhing the whole Mar
giflery in thefe Tenns j Let hisses be
jiY'ow d into the Hditer , boil it untd it is
enough, and yon have a Medicine to cure the
Leprojy . You muff not be ignorant, that
pm oid Man is our Mercury , that this;.
Nairn agrees with him, becaufe he is the:;

Triumph. i 37

firft Matter of all the Metals ; the fame
Philo fopher fays, that he is their Water, to
which he gives the Name of Steel, and of
the Loadftone, and he adds for a greater
Confirmation of what I am about to dif-
cover to you : If Gold couples with it eleven
Times , it fends forth its Seed, and is weakened
almofl to Death ; the Chaljbs conceives and
begets a Son more glorious than the Father •
Behold then a great My fiery, which I re¬
veal to you without any Ænigma ; this
is the Secret of the two / Mercuries , which
contain the two Tinctures, Keep them
feparately, and do not confound their Spe¬
cies, for fear they fhould beget a monftrous
Linage.

I not only fpeak to you more intelligi¬
bly than any Philofopher has done, but I
alio reveal to you all which is the moft
eflential in the Practice of our Art ; if you
meditate thereon, if you apply your felf
to underftand it well ; but above all, if you
work according tothofe Lights which I give
you, I in no wife doubt, but you will ob¬
tain what you feek for ; and if you come
not to thefe Knowledges, by the way which
I have pointed out to you, 1 am very
well affured that you will hardly arrive at
your Defign by only reading the Philofo -

8 The Hermetic al

phers. Therefore Defpair of nothing; iearch
the Source of the Liquor of the Sages,
which contains all which is neceffary for
the Work ; It is hidden under the Stone ;
ftrike upon it with the Rod of Magick
Fire, and a clear Fountain will iffue out of
it ; do afterward as I have fhown you,
prepare the Bath of the King with the
Blood of the Innocents, and you will
have the animated Mercury of the Wife,
which never lofes its Virtue, if you keep
it in a Velfel well clofed. Hermes fays,
that there is fo much Sympathy between
the purified Bodies and the Spirits, that
they never quit one another when they are
united together ; becaufe this Union refem-
bles that of the Soul with the glorified Bo¬
dy, after which Faith tells us, that there
Li all be no more Separation nor Death.
Becaufe the -Spirits defire to he in the cleanfed
Bodies , hut having had them , they enliven
them , and dwell in them . You fee by this
the Merit of this precious Liquor, to which
the Philofophers have given more than a
thou find different Names ; it is the Water
of Life of the Wife, the Water of Diana ,
the great Lunaria , the Water of Argent
vive > it is our Mercury , our incombuffible
Oil, which in the Cold i$ congealed like

Ice,

Triumph. 150

let, and is melted with Heat like Butter ;
Hermes calls it the foliated Earth* or the
Earth of Leaves, not without a great deal
of Reafon ; for if you well obferve, it is
all Leavy ; in a word, it is the mod clear
Fountain, which Count Trevifan makes men¬
tion of; in fine, it is the great Alchaheft
which radically diffolves the Metals ; it is
the true permanent Water, which after ha¬
ving radically dilfolved them, is infeparably
united to them, and increafes the Weight
and the Tindture.

The fourth Key*

The fourth Key of the Art, is the En¬
trance of the fécond Work ; ’tis that which
reduces our Water into Earth ; there is
but this only Water in the World, which
by a bare Boiling can be converted into
Earth, becaufe the Mercury of the Wife
carries in its Center its own Sulphur , which
coagulates it. The Ternhcation of the Spi¬
rit is the only Operation of this Work ;
boil then with Patience ; if you have pro¬
ceeded well, you will not be a long time
without feeing the Marks of this Coagu¬
lation, and if they appear not in their time,
they will never appear ; becaufe it is an un¬
doubted Sign, that you have failed in fbme

effential

1 4.0 The Her METICAL

effential Thing in the firfl Operations ; for
to corporify the Spirit, which is our Mer¬
cury, you muft have well diflolved the Bo¬
dy in which the Sulphur, v/hich coagulates
the Mercury, is inciofed. Hermes afllires,
that our mercurial Water fhall obtain all the
Virtues which the Philofophers attribute to
it, when it fhall be changed into Earth ;
Its Force will be entire, if it fha.ll be con¬
verted into Earth . An Earth admirable for
its Fertility : The Land of Promife of the
Wife, who knowing how to make the
D ew of Heaven fall upon it, make it pro¬
duce Fruits of an ineifimable Price. Cof-
mopolite very well expreffes the Advantages
of this bleifed Earth ; He who knows how
to congeal Water in Heat, and to join a Spi¬
rit with it, fhall truly find a F hing a thou -
fand Firnes more precious than Gold , and eve¬
ry F hing. Nothing comes near the worth
of this Earth, and of this Spirit, perfectly
bound together according to the Rules of
our Art ; they are the true Mercury, and
the true Sulphur of the Phdofophers , the li¬
ving Male, and the living Female, who
contain the Seed which only can beget a
Son more illuftrious than his Parents. Then
cultivate diligently this precious Earth, moi-
ften it often with its own Humidity, dry

it

Triumph. 141

lt as often) and you will not lefs augment
its Virtues* than its Weight* and its Fer¬
tility.

The fifth Key .

The fifth Key of our Work is the Fer¬
mentation of the Stone with the perfed
Body, to make thereof the Medicine of
the third Order. I will fay nothing in
particular of the Operation of the third
Work ; except, that the perfed Body is a
neceflary Leaven of our Pafte : That the
Spirit ought to make the Union of the
Pafte with the Leaven ; in the fame man¬
ner as Water moiftens the Meah and difi
folves the Leaven to compole a fermented
Pafte fit to make Bread. This Compa-
rifon is very proper ; Hermes fir ft made it
faying. For as a Pafie cannot he fermented
without a ferment ; jo when you fioail have
fuhUmed , cleanfed , and fe paraded the Foulnefs
from the Faces ; when yon would join them ,
put a ferment in them , and make the Water
Earth , that the Pafie may be made a ferment .
OntheSuhjed of Fermentation, the PhiloJK
pher repeats here the whole W ork, and fhows
that juft fo as the whole Lump of the Pafte
becomes all Leaven, by the Adion of the
Ferment, which has been added to it ; fo

all

Î42 The Hermetical

all the philosophical Confedion becomes
by this Operation a Leaven proper to fer¬
ment a new Matter, and to multiply it
even to Infinity,

If you obferve well how Bread is made,
you will find the Proportions which you
ought to keep among the Matters, which
compofe our philosophical Pafle. Do
not the Bakers put more Meal than Lea¬
ven, and more Water than the Leaven
and the Meal l The Laws of Nature are
the Rules you ought to follow in the
Pradice of our whole Magiftery. I have
given you upon all the principal Points, all
the Inftrudions which are neceffary for
you, fo that it would be fuperfluous to
tell you more of it, particularly concern¬
ing the lafb Operations, about which the
Philofophers have been lefs referved, than on
the firft, which are the Foundations of the
Art.

The ßxth Key.

The Sixth Key teaches the Multiplica¬
tion of the Stone, by the Reiteration of
the fame Operation, which confifts but in
opening and Shutting, diflolving and coa¬
gulating, imbibing and drying ; whereby
the Vertues of the Stone are infinitely aug¬
mented.

Triumph. i 4.3

mented. As my defign has not been to
defcribe entirely the Pradice of the three
Medicines, but only to inftrud you in the
* mod; important Operations concerning the
Preparation of Mercury , which the Philofi -
phers commonly pafs over in Silence, to
hide thefe Myfteries from the prophane,
which are only for the Wife ; I will tarrv
no longer upon this Point, and I will tell
you nothing more of what relates to the
Projedion of the Medicine, becaufe the
Succefs you exped depends not thereon.

I have not given you very full Inftrudi-
ons but on the third Key, becaufe it con¬
tains a long Train of Operations, which
though fimple and natural, require a great
U nderfianding of the Laws of Nature, and
of the Qualities of our Matter, as well as
a perfed Knowledge of Chymiftry, and of
the different Degrees of Heat, which are
fitting for thefe Operations.

1 have ccnduded you by the fbraight
Way without any Winding ; and if you
have well minded the Road which I have
pointed you out, I am jure that you will go
firaight to the End without Praying. Take
this in good part from me in the defign
which I had of fparing you a thoufand
Labours, and a thoufand i roubles, which I

my

44- The HërmëticAl

my felf have undergone in this painful Jour*«
ney for \Cant of an Affi fiance, fuch as this
which I give you in this Letter, which
comes from a iincere Heart, and a tender
Aifecfiion for all the true Sons of the Sci¬
ence; I lliould much bewail you, if like me,
after having known the true Matter, you
fhould fpend fifteen Years entirely in Work,
in Study, and in Meditation-, without be¬
ing able tö extract out of the Stone, the
precious juice which it inclofes in its Bo~
fom, for want of knowing the fecret Fire
of the Wife* which makes to run out of
this Plant (dry and withered in Appearance)
a Water which wets not the Hands, and
which by a magical Union of the dry Wa¬
ter of the Sea of the Wife, is dilfolved in¬
to a vifeous Watery into â mercurial Li¬
quor, which is the Beginning, the Foun¬
dation, and the Key of our Art ; Convert;
feparate, and purify the Elements as I have
taught you, and you will poliefs the true
Mercury of the Philofophcrs , which will give
you the fixt Sulphur , and the univerfal
Medicine.

But I give you Notice, that after you
fhall be arrived at the Knowledge of the
fecret Fire of the Wife, yet ftill you fhall
not attain your Point at your firfi Career.

I have

\

Triumph. 145

I have erred many Years in the way which
remains to be gone, to arrive at the my lie-
nous Fountain where the King bathes him-
felf, is made Young again, and retakes a
new Life exempt from all forts of Infirmi¬
ties. Befides this you muft know how to
purify, to heat, and to animate the Royal
Bath ; ’tis to lend you a Hand in this fe-
cret Way, that I have expatiated on the
third Key, where all thefe Operations are
defcrib’d. I wilh with all my Heart, that
the Inftruâfions which I have given you.

may make you go direéily to the End. But
remember, ye Sons of the Science, that the
Knowledge of our Magiftery comes rather
by the Infpiration of Heaven, than from
the Lights which we can get by our felves.
This Truth is acknowledged by all Philo-
rophers ; ’tis for that Reafon that it is not
nough to Work j Pray daily, read good
3ooks, and meditate Night and Day on the
operations of Nature, and on what fire
nay be able to do when fhe is affifted
>y the help of our Art, and by thefe
neans you will fucceed without doubt in
our Undertaking. This is all which Ï
ad to fay to you in this Letter : I was
10t willing to make you fuch a long
Difcourfe a5 the Matter feemed to. de-

L mand ;

1 46

HE R METICAL

mand ; neither have I told you any thing
but what’s effential to our Art ; fo that if
you know our Stone, which is the only
Matter of our Stone, and if you have the
Under ftanding of our Fire which is both
Secret and Natural, you have the Keys of
the Art, and you can calcine our Stone ;
not by the common Calcination which i
made by the Violence of Fire, but by ;
philofophical Calcination which is purely
Natural.

Yet obferve this with thé tnoft enlight
ned Phiiofiphers , that there is this DifFe
rence between the common Calcination
which is made by the Force of Fire, ano
the Natural Calcination ; that the fîrft de:
ftroys the Body, and confumes the great
eft Part of its radical Humidity ,• but th:
fécond does not only preferve the Humi
dity of the Body in calcining it, but ftii
it considerably Augments it.

Experience will give you knowledge ii
the Practice of this great Truth, for you wi:
in Effed find that this philofophical Calc:
nation, which fublimes and diftils the Stor
in calcining it, much augments its Hum
dity ; the Reafon is, that the igneous Sp:
rit of the natural Fire is corporified
the Subftances which are Analogous to :

O!

•77

Triumph«

Our Stone is an A Ural Fire, which fym-
pathizes with the natural Fire, and which
as a true Salamander receives its Nativity $
is nourifh’d and grows in the Elementary
Fire, which is Geometrically proportioned

to it.

The TSa?ne of the Author in Latin u
in this Anagram.

Dives fient Av clens S ' * A

To the Reader,

T bas been thought pro*
per ( as mentioned in the
Preface) to join 'with this
Treatife a Tranflation of
The Ancient War,
of the Knights, done from the
Original German • that fo the Lo¬
vers of this Science might be able to
compare it with that done from the
French :} which , by Re a f on of its puf¬
fing fr ft into Latin, and from thence
into' French, has loft of its prifline
Senfe , as will be found upon the pe-
rufal of the fame . And, to make the
Work ft ill more compte at, fome An¬
notations have been added (from a
German Edition ) upon the mo ft mate¬
rial Points , where the faid French
Tranflation differs from the German
Original*

The Antient

War of the Knights,

Being a Short Alchymiftical

DIALOGUE

Betwixt our v

Stone, Gold and Mercury,

Of the true Matter, of which thofe who
have traced Nature, do prepare the Philo^
fiphers Stone, by Means of a due Ma^
nagement, with Help of Lunar Vulcan.

Defc'rib’d by an Experienc’d Philofipher.

Tranflated from the German Original.

,u .j; J. .*« fl* fl* fl» {• fl» -J» fl» »J« fl» «J» fl» fl» fl» fl» fl»

Deputation of Gold and Mercury, with thé
Stone of the Philosophers.

True PPjilofopher writes thus : By
God Almighty, and upon my
Salvation, do I tell you (you
Lovers of this excellent Art )
form a Sincere Heart, and out of Com-
!pa(fion for thofe which have fought a long
time in vain, that our (*) whole Work

[ *] comes

The Hëumetica l

comes forth out of one Thing, which is
compleated in it felf, and needs no more
2. but tobe (*) diflolved and recoagulated:
and this it muft do of it felf, without all
foreign Things.

As Ice which is put over the Fire in s
dry Veil eh and by Heat turns into Water
3*(*) In the fame manner it is with ou
Stone, which wants nothing but the helj
of the Operation of the Artift, and of th
4* natural (*) Fire. For of it felf it cannot
do it, although it fhould lie [or remain'
for ever in the Earth, therefore it muft b
affifted,* yet not fo,. as to join foreign anc
contrary Things with it. But thus, as Goc
gives us the Com in the Field, and w
muft grind and bake it for to make Breao
5* thereof: In like manner in this ; (*) Goo
has created for us this Mineral, [or Oar
which we take by it felf, deftroy the groi
Body, extrad the interiour Goodnefs, pu
away the Superfluity, and make out of th
Poifqm a Medicine.

That you may underftand this the bet!
ter, TU recite you a fine Dialogue and Dii
putation which happen’d betwixt the Stow
of the PhUofiphers , Goldy and Adcrcurj , b>
which thole who know a little [ or in font
Mcafure] how to (*) deal with Metals an;

Mineral;

Triumph.

Minerals, (having fought a long time in
vain,) may eafily arrive to the true Foun-
dation. And it will be necefTary, that one
learn to know (*) the exteriour and interi- 7*
our Quality of each Thing in the Earth,
and what it is radically capable of, [or what
it is capable of by (the Foundation of) Na¬
ture.]

Gold and Mercury came at a certain time
to a Stone with an armed Hand, in the In¬
tention to fubdue it.

And Gold began thus in a rude mannen
faying.

GOLD .

You poifonous Worm and Dragon, (*) 8*
why do you pretend to be above me and
my Brother Mercury ? Being I am the molt
high, mod noble, and mod confiant Me¬
tal ; and all Princes and Lords, and likewife
all ordinary Men, feek to obtain Riches
from [or to grow Rich by working with]
me and my Brother Mercury , whereas you
are an Enemy of all Men and Metals, and
you know, that the Phyficians praife me ex¬
ceedingly to be (¥) for the Health ofp*
Men ?

4 The Hermeti cal

To which our Stone anfwereth.

Dear Gold, why are you not angry with
God, and enquire, why he hath not cre¬
ated in you, what is found in me ?

? r ~ r •* *

GOLD.

God has given me the Honour, the
Beauty, and the Praife, wherefore, I am de¬
bited by the whole World, and becaufe I
am the mod: confiant Metal, in the Fire
and out of the Fire, for that Reafon I am
loved by every Body. But as for you,
io. you are (*) Volatile, you turn Unfaithful
and deceive the People ; for one fees, that
you dy away [or efcape] out of the Hands-
of thofe that work with you.

The ST O N E.

Dear Gold, ’tis true, God has given you
Honour, Beauty and Conflancy, for which
you ought to be thankful unto God, and
not defpife others ; but as for your difpa-
raging me thus, you do it with Untruth
and I fay, you are not the Gold, of which
j i . the Philofiphers write, (*) but the fame is
concealed within me : For although it is
true that I am Volatile in the Fire, never--
thelefs you knowr, that God and Nature
j 2 « (*) have ordered me thus, and l mufl be fo,

for

5

Triumph.

for my Volatility is to the Advantage of the
Artift ; and if he (the faid Artift) can duly
extra# the fame, yet remains within me the
confiant Soul, which is much more con¬
fiant than you Gold, and all your Brothers
and Companions ; no Fire or Water can
confume or deftroy her, as long as the
World lafts. Nor is it to be imputed to
me, that I am fought for by thole, who
cannot duly work with me, or prepare me,
and join often foreign and contrary Things
with me, fuch as Waters and Powders,
whereby they deftroy my innate Nature and
Quality, [or Property.] Befidesthis, there
is (*) not one in an Hundred, that works r - ,
with me, but all of them feek to compleat
the Art with you Gold and your Brother
Mercury : Wherein however they err, and
work falfely, it being apparent, that all of
them bring nothing to effe#, but employ their
Gold in vain, deftroy [or ruin] themfelves
by it, and are reduced to Poverty ; which is
moft to be imputed to you Sol, who know
particularly well, that no true Gold or Sil¬
ver can be made without me, for I alone
have that Power. Why then do you allow
that almoft the whole World works chiefly
with you and your Brother Mercury ? If
then you were indeed ft n cere, and did de-

■ [* 3] frc

é

The Hermetic al

fire to deal honeftly, you would appraife the
People, and warn them to avoid Damages ;
wherefore I may well fay with Truth, that
you are the Cheat.

GOLD.

I’ll prove it by the Philofophers Sayings,
that the Art may be compleated by me and
my Brother Mercury ; For read Herme s>
14. who fays thus : (*) The Sun is its Father ,
and the Moon is its Mother , now ’tis I who
am compared to the Sun.

Like wife Arifiotle , Avicenn , Pliny , Sera **
pion , Hippocrates , Diofeorides , Mefne^ Rafis,
Averrhoès , Geber, Raymund Lully , Albertus
Magnus 3 Arnold of Tilla-APova, Thomas A-
quinas, and many others, which I omit for
Brevity’s fake ; all thefe fay plain and di-
ftindly, that the Tindures, as well as the
Metals, mu ft be compofed of Sulphur and
Mercury, and the (*) Sulphur mu ft be red,
incombuftible, and conftant [ or fix’d] in the
Fire, and the Mercury muft be bright [or
clean] and clearly purified, and they write
without any winding Expreifions [or Cir¬
cumlocution,] naming me openly by my
Name, and fay, that in me Gold, is the"
well digefted, confiant, [or fix’d] incombu-»
ftible, red Sulphur , which is alfo true ; and it :

7

Triumph.

is obvious to every Body, that I am the
mod: confiant Metal, and have the bed: Sul¬
phur of all, which cannot be confumed by
Fire, but is quite fixed.

Then Mercury affented with his Difcourfes
to what the Gold had advanced, and addl¬
ed : It were true, what his Brother, the
Gold had told, and might be prov’d by
the aforefaid Maliers. And that likewiiè
it were known commonly and by every
Body (*) what great Love and Unity there 16,«
were betwixt them two, above all other
Metals ; which might eafily be prov’d, by
only this ocular Demon fixation, that when
Goldfmithsy or fuch like Workmen will
gild Things, they cannot do without Gold
and Mercury , but take them and put them
together, and unite them with very little
Panins. What then might not be done, with
more Pains and Diligence, with more Work
I and longer Labour ?

Our S T O N E.

Then our Stone replyed in a merry Hu¬
mour : Truely, you both deferve to be
t laugh’d at with your Proofs ; and I admire
more efpecially of you Gold , who boafl fo
^ very much of your felf to be good for a
great many Things, [or UfesJ that you

[* 4] have

I

The H ERMETICAL

have no more Senfe than that comes to ;
do you think that the old Philofophers have
fitted their Writings barely to the common
literal Senfe or Interpretation, and will be
underflood in that manner \

GOLD .

The aforecited Maliers have Writ no,
Untruth, and they all agree concerning my
Virtue, but there have been fome, who have
fought for my Virtues in other improper
Things, viz,, in various Herbs, Animals,
Blood, Urine, Hair, Sperm, and the like,
who therefore have err’d, and perhaps have
Writ erroneoufly too ; but the aforefaid
Mailers have good Teftimony, that they
have^ poflefs’d the Art indeed ; for which
Realon their Writings may very well be
credited.

The ST ON E.

I do no ways doubt, and it is very true
that they have polfefs’d the Art indeed ;
fome however excepted of thofe whom you
have quoted. But when they name bare**
ly the Name of Gold and Ader cm y, they do
it to hide the Art from the fenfelefs [Dum
cesj and the unworthy, knowing very
well, that fuch only dwell upon Names anc}

written

9

Triumph.

written Frocdfes, without meditating fur¬
ther upon the Foundation of this Matter.
But the Prudent and Diligent read with
Prudence, and ponder how one Squares
with the other; out of which they get a
Foundation; finding thus by Speculation, and
from the Philofiphers Sentences, the true
Matter, which no Philoßtpher ever named
and defcrib’d openly by its true Name.

This they prove themfelves, when they
fay, where we write plained:, [or open] ac¬
cording to the common Senfe [or Interpre¬
tation] there we have mod concealed the
Art. (*) But where we fpeak by Para- ry8
bles and Sentences, there we have truly dif-
clofed the Art. And where they write
of Gold or Mercury , they however foon af¬
ter that, tell and explain themfelves, faying,
that their Gold is no common Gold , nor
their Mercury common Mercury ; by IFea-
fon, that Gold , becaufe oi its Perfection,
cannot be alter’d or chang’d, becaufe it is
grown already to a quite perfed Metal; and
although one fhould extra# its Colour a
hundred Times, and Work never fo art¬
ful with it, neverthelefs it cannot tinge any
more, than juft fo much as it has Colour
and Tincture in it felf. Therefore the Phi -
lofephers fay, (*) If you fearçh in imper- 1 8.

fed

IO

The Hermeti cal

feci Things, you there will find the Per¬
fection, as you may read in the Rofary.
Like wife Rammd Lully , whom your felf
have quoted as a Temmony, fays thus:
What lhall be meliorated, muft not be per¬
fekt nothing is changed [or altered] in
perfeCl Things, it rather is quite deftroy’d
and fpoil’d.

GOLD.

I know indeed that they fay thus ; but
that may be underftood of my Brother
Mercury, who as yet is imperfeCt ; and when
we two mix our felves with each other,
he then is made perfeCt by me ; for he is
of the Feminine, and I of the Mafculine Sex*
Therefore the Philofiphers fay, that the Art
is entirely an Homogeneum. You fee the
fame in Men, that no Child is produced,
but by conjunction of Male and Female.
And the fame is to be feen in all Animals
which have Life.

Our ST O N E.

Thy Brother Mercury is indeed imper*
jCöfeCt (*) yet therefore is not he the Mer¬
cury of the Philofiphers : And if you two
lia oui d mix your felves together and were
kept in the JFire [or in digeflion] for ma^

ny

Triumph. i i

ny Years, it were nevertheîefs impoffible
that you two could really be united toge»
ther ; for as foon as Mercury feels the Fire,
he flips from you going on high, and fub-
limes it felf on the top, leaving you in
in the bottom. Or if you are join’d to»
gether with corroflve Waters, and are dif-
iolved, diftilled, and coagulated, you yield
nothing elfe but a red Powder and Preci¬
pitate, which if it is thrown [by Projedli-
on] upon imperfect Metals, it tinges not;
but only fo much of you Gold is found
again, as was taken at the Beginning, and
your Brother Mercury efcapes entirely from
you ; which the Searchers in Alchimy have
experienc’d for many Years, and are con¬
vinc’d of it by their own no fmall damage.
But as for your referring to the Sentences
of the Ancients, who fay, that the Art
is wholly an Homogeneum, and that no
Child can be produced but by Male and
Female, which you fancy, the Philofiphen
did to hint at you and your Brother Mer-
çury by it; that is not thus neither, but
mifunderftood by you, altho’ they (writing
thus) fpeak very right and proper ; for I.
tell you in Truth, that even this is (*) the
Comerflone laid by the Ancients, at which
many Thouflmds have ftujnbkd. Do you

imagine

il The Her metical

% i- imagine it is with Metals (¥) juft as with
other Things, which have Life l You fare
in this, as all thofe who work wrongly in
this Art ; when you read thefe Things in
in the Philosophers Writings, you do not
meditate on the Scope, and whether it agrees
with what has been faid before, or what is
faid after that; for what the Philofophers have
defcrib’d of this Art with fuch parabolical
Words, is folely to be applied to me, and
to no other Thing in the World; for ’tis
-2. 1 alone that do perform it, and (*) with¬
out me no true Gold or Silver can be made*

GOLD.

Good God ! are you not afraid to com¬
mit a Sin, and have no fhame to tell fuch
a Lie ? And are you fo audacious, as to ap¬
ply [or attribute] folely unto you, what fo
many Philofophers and Learned Men have
written of this Art in feveral Ages ? You,
who are an only, grofs, poifonous, and
unclean Thing, and yet confefs, that the
Art is an Homogeneum ; and you affirm
befides this, that without you, who are (*)
* i ’ the Univerfal, no true Gold or Silver can
be made; whereas it is known, that many
have fought fo affiduoufly and diligently,
that they have found fome other ways,

which

Triumph. i?

which are called particulars, from which
they may have a good Profit.

Our STONE.

My Dear Gold , do not wonder at wliat
I have told you, and do not thus impudent¬
ly and imprudently give me the Lie, be-
caufe I am older than your felf. (*) And 24,
although I had been mi Laken in this, you *
Ought to fpare my Age ; for you are not
ignorant, that Age ought to be honour'd.

But to fave my Honour, 111 prove by
the Mafters you have cited, that I fpoke
Truth, whole Teftimonies [being quoted
by your own felf,] you bave no Reafou
to object againft. And firftly, Hermes fa vs
thus : In Truth, without Lie, certain, and
moft true, is this, that that which is un¬
der, is like to that which is above, and jhat
which is above, is like unto that below, (*) 2 ^ t
by this you may attain to Miracles and
Wonders of one Thing.

Item. , Arifiole writes thus ; Oh Î what;
a ftrange Thing is this, for it has in it felf,
all what we Land in need of; it kills it felf,
and gets Life again of it felf; (*) it efpoufes
it felf, it begets it felf, and brings forrh [or *
gene; ates] of it felf, it diffolves it felf in its
iwn Blocd, and recoagulates it fdf with the

fame ;

1 4. The Her met i cal

fame ; it grows White and Red of it felfi
and we add nothing more to it, nor do we
change any Thing* only we feparate the
Terreftreity and the Groffnefs from it.

Item , Plato the Philofipher fays thus of
me : ’Tis even but one and the fame [or
a 7. only] Thing in it felf ; (*) it has a Body, à
Soul, a Spirit, and the four Elements, over
which it has Dominion ; and it does not want
to borrow any Tiling of ether Bodies, for it
brings forth [ or generates it felf] only of it
felf, and all Things are in it*

Many T effimoiiies more of thefe Mailers
could I proffer, but it being unneceffary, I
omit them for Brevity’s Sake*

However, as for Particulars, of which
you make mention, it is thus with them :
Some are come thus far, that they have
s.8. been able to (*) extrad my tinging Spirit,
which they have joined to other Metals*
and brought it about by many Operations*
that I have participated to inch Metals as
had any Affinity with me, a imall Matter
of my Virtue and Power ; which, however,
but very few fucceedcd in : Likewife did
19. they partly find it by Chance* (*) And by
Reafon that they did not penetrate into the
Foundation, whence Tindures come, there¬
fore they could not proceed further, and

thus

1 5

Triumph.

thus they could not reap very great Advan¬
tages therefrom* But if the Artift (*) had jq.
looked further about for my own [proper]
Wife, and joined [or united] me with her,

I then could have tinged a thoufand Times
more : But they thus fpoiled my Nature
[or Property] with foreign Things. How¬
ever, whatever they found, (although but
a fmall Matter in Comparifon of my true
Power and Efficacy,) it proceeded from me,
and of no other Thing whatfoever.

GOLD.

What you have faid is no fufficient
Proof : For although they [the Philosophers']
write of one only Thing, in which are con¬
tained the four Elements, and a Body, a
Soul, and a Spirit ; they thereby infuriate
[or give to underftandj the Tindure, after
the fame has been compleatJy fnifhed : It
muH neverthelefs be ccmpofed in the begin¬
ning of me Gold, and my Brother Mer¬
cury, we being the Male and Female Seed,
as has been mentioned ,* and when we are
brought to Maturity [or completed by Di-
geftion] we then are both [that] one Thin?,
of which they write*

t . à

1 6 The Hermetic al

Our SION E.

It is no ways thus ; and I have told you
3 i . before, (*) that it is not poflible for you
two, [to perform it,] for you two are not
one Body, but two Bodies, and you are
in the Foundation of Nature [or Pvadically]
2. contrary to each other. (*) But as for me,
I have an imperfed: Body ; a pure, pene-
trating, tinging, and confiant [or fixed}
Spirit ; and belides this, a clear, bright, vo¬
latile, and moveable Mercury ; and am alone
capable of what both of you together do
indeed boafl: of, but are not able to perform
it ; for in me is the Philofophers Gold, and
the Mercury of the Wife. For this Reafon
* , # the Ancients fay : (*) our Stone is not Vi¬
able, nor our Mercury to be had, but out
^ 4. of the foft (*) uncorrupted [or proper] Bo¬
dies, and neither of the two can be attain¬
ed without the other ; wherefore I alone
do yield the Male and Female Seed, and
am wholly an Homogencum ; alfo am I called
an Hermaphrodite .

Rich ardus Anglus too, witneffes the fame
of me, flying : The firft Matter of our

Stone is called Refos> that is to fay, a Thing*

which

Triumph. \r

which by Nature has ä double quality [or
property] concealed in it felf ; and it is like-
wife call’d an Hermaphrodite, that is, a
Matter, which is not eahly to be diftin-
guifh’d, whether it be a Male or Female ;
by Realbn, that it inclines to both Parts.
Therefore a Medicine is made, (*) out of 35.
a Thing, [or one Thing] which is the
Water of the Body and Spirit*

This has occafioned the faying, that this
Medicine has by its zÆnigmas deceived ma¬
ny Fools. The Art, however, requires but
one Thing, which is known to every Bo¬
dy ; many with for it, and yet it is but one
only Thing; [or Matter;] (*) nothing is 5 <5.
to be compared to it, and yet it is mean
and cheap ; But for this it ought not to be
defpifed; for it makes and brings forth [or
compleats] admirable Things.

yllmm the Philofipher fays ; Y ou Opera¬
tors in this Art, you ought to be of a fixed
Mind in your Work, not beginning and
trying fometimes with one Thing, and fome-
times with another; for the Art confifts not
in Multitude of Species’s, but in Body and
Soul. And for a (certain) Truth, the Me¬
dicine of our Stone is one Thing, one Vef-
fel, one Compofition. For the whole [Ma-

, [**] flerpiece

1 8 The Hermetical

fterpiece of] Art is begun with one Thing,
and is ended with one Thing ; although
the Philofiphers , in order to hide the Art,
have pretended to point out many other
ways, as for Inftance ! continual Cooking,
for Digeftion,] Mixtion, Sublimation, Tri¬
turation, and Siccation, and as many other
Names [or Allegories] as the fame may be
17* named withal. (*) However, the Soluti¬
on of the Body is not brought about, but
in its own Blood.

Geber fays thus : In the Foundation (or
in the Root] of the Nature of Mercury , is
Sulphur, which perfects it, [viz,, the Mer¬
cury'] by cooking and digefting it during
a long time in the V eins of the Mines.

Thus, my dear Gold, with what has
been laid, you are fuflSciently convinced,
that it is only in me, and I alone can per¬
form all, without the Aihftance of you and
all your Brothers ; nor do I want you any¬
ways, although all of you want me : [Or
have Occafion for me :) For I can perfect
you all, and bring you to a higher Degree,
titan what you are by Nature.

Then the Gold grew angry, and not:
knowing any more what to anfvver, con-
full eel with its Brother Mercury, and agreed!

upon:

Triumph.

upon this, that they would affift one ano»
ther, who being two in Number, and our
Stone but Single, they (becaufe they could
get no Advantage upon it by deputing)
would by their double Power deftroy it
[or kill it] by the Sword,

But when the Fight began, our Stone if.

T9

(*) and deftroy- o
* And Swallow- ^

c

Sued Strength, [or Power,]
ed and conquered them bot
ed them [in Such a manner] that nothing at
all was to be fee n oF them , nor what was
become of them.

Thus, you my dearly beloved who fear
God, you have here a true and Sufficient
Narrative [or Inftru&ion] to underftand
the Foundation [or Root] of the higheft
and mo ft precious TreaSure. For no Philo -
fipher did ever declare himfelf So plain and
openly.

You therefore want nothing elfe, but
that you pray to God that he may grant
you, to attain to Such a dear and preci¬
ous Jewel : Next to this quicken your
Thoughts, and read with Prudence, work
with Diligence, and hafte not in [the Pre¬
paration of] this precious Work ; for (*)
it mu ft have its natural Time, [or its Time59'
ordained by Nature,] like Fruit on a Tree,

[** *]

or

so The Hermetic al

or G râpes on a Vine. Be like wife of a good
Will and Intention* or elfe the Lord will
grant you nothing ; for God gives it to
d.o.thofe, who defire to do good with it, (*)
and takes it, or detains it from fuch as
would employ it to ill Ufes.

The Lord give you his BleJJing. Amen*

il

ANNOTATIONS

Upon the moft

Where the French Tranilation of
The Ancient War of the
Knights, differs from the Ger*
man Original.

From a German Edition.

H E German Original lays
by Number 4. Of it felf it
cannot do it , alt ho' it jhonld
lie for ever IN the Earth ;
but the French Translation
fays : Though it ßjould far
ever remain ON THE EARTH. ’Tis
probable the Translator into Latin did fay in

[***] ferra?

2

The Hermetical

terra , which indeed fometimes may be under-
flood on the Earth , and is taken thus in the
Lord's Prayer : Sicut in Ccelo & in Terra >
thy Will be done on Earth ; but in this
place it fnould be otherways, viz. in the
Earth.

* *

*

By Number s>. the German Original fays :
To which GV R Stone anfwereth 3 but in the
French the word Our is omitted ; for it fays,
the Stone anßvered. ’Tis fuppofed the Tran-
ilator into Latin has omitted firft the word
Our , not knowing perhaps that there is a
difference between the Stone of the Philofi -
jphersy and between the Stone called thus lim¬
ply. But the French Commentator, as an in¬
genious Philofifher , would not have omitted
the word Our , but perhaps rather have gi¬
ven a learned Explication about it, if fo be
he had found it in the Latin Tranflation ;
For when the Philofiphers fay, Our Stone ,
they fpeak of it, as in that Condition, when
it is work’d upon to be brought to Perfecti¬
on, and plufqmm Perfection, viz. to the
Quality commonly called, The Philofophick t.
Stone. But when it is barely called The
Stone , without any other Epithet, in that
Cafe it may be applied to the Stone, either

generally,

Triumph.

generally in all and every one of its States
and Conditions, or elfe it is taken in parti¬
cular (to diilinguifh the Stone of the Phi -
bfifhers , or its Matter) when it is ffill un¬
der the Operations of Nature, and not yet
brought fo far as that, the Artift may aflift
j Nature by a prudent Imitation of her. But
i as f°°n as the Philofiphers work upon it, it is
j then properly and in particular called Their
\ Stone. Tis true, the Philofiphers fometimes
I confound on purpofe thefe two Denomina¬
tions, becaufe of the unworthy ; but fince
I the German Philofopher makes fuch a Di¬
minution, the Tranflator into Latin ought
mot to have deprived the Hermetick Difci-
iiples of the fame ; for they might take Oc-
'cafion thereby, to meditate, why ’tis called
I one time The Stone , and at another time
iOttr Stone ; as like wife in what manner the
Author fpeaks when he calls it merely The
Stone, and what he fays when he diftin-
buifhes it with the word Our. ’Twas wrong
therefore to be guilty of fuch an Omiffion,
its not to give it the Denomination of Out
i Stone , as often as it was found in the German
Driginal ; but in Lieu thereof^ to call it ak
?v ays merely The Stone .

By

The Hérmetical

¥

By Number io. the German Original
lays : Dear Gold , *tis true , God has given you
Honour , Beauty , Confiancy ; which is ren¬

dered by the French in this manner : ’Ti
true , my dear Gold \ ’tis God who has give ?
you THE Honour , THE Durability , ant-
7TTE Beauty. This is faid by the Stone ai
an Anfwer to what Gold advanced in it
Reproach juft before by Number 9. ii
which Reproach Gold ufes the Article the
viz. the Honour , &c. thereby to affume t
it felf <«// the Honour, Beauty, and Prail
which is to be found in the Operation an
Art of the Philojbphers ; for the Germa
Tongue has this Property, that the Additio
of the Article The takes in all, or the whol<
Therefore the Stone in its Anfwer faccorc
ing to the German Original) limits ver
much thofe Vertues (which Gold boaftsof
by the Omiffion of the Article, faying;
God has given it Honour, which is ti
fay : God has given it fome Honour, h
tending as it were, thereby to intimate, th
Gold poffeffes buta part of fuch Vertuen
and it alfo gives to unaerftand in the follow
ing Difcourfes, that the Stone it felf h
communicated in the Earth to Gold, th

Honou

Triumph. 25

ionour, Beauty, &c. which it poffeffes,
nd who is beholden for the fame to the
tone ; fo that it ought not to pretend from
hat, to have the Chief, or fo much as any
•art at all in the Philofophical Work, efpe-
ially with the Exclufion of the Stone, whom
3old wrongly vilifies»

5Tis, however, not the fault of ouremi-
tent French Philofopher, that the faid Arti-
le [The'] has been made ufe of in the reply
f the Stone, it having happened by Acci~
lent ; for as he did not tranflate the faid
rreatife, called, The War of the Knights , from
he German T ongue, but from the Latin^ in-
0 which it had been tranflated firft ; and
he Latin Tongue having no Articles, it was
Lot poffible for him to know, whether or
lo, or at what place the Article was made
fe of in the Original ; fo that it feems to
ave crept in, at the place aforefaid, by mere
Chance.

• ’Tis neverthelefs true, that the Latin Tran«?

!,tor is to blame ; for in Cafe he had been
refill to render the Author’s Intention ex-
t, he might have done it, although it was
it poffible to do it by an Article ; and it
ight have been given in thefe or the like
fords : Verum efi9 Denm tihi honoris , fttl-
r'ftndms & in kne conflantia AltIQfU ID
- APMMJ3] [or

The Hermetic al

[or NECESSARIV M TIBI D/,

Ai E NS U Ad ] concefßße .

\

*

* ic

By the laft mentioned Number there fol¬
lows foon after : But as for jour difparaging
me thus, you do it with 'Untruth , which W ords
have been left out in the French . VVhofe
Fault foever it be, it is certain, the Words
are very expreffive, (as almoft all the reft of
the faid Treatife,) and give to underhand,
that the Addition of Vulgar Gold to the
philofophical Work, tends to the faid Work’s
Deftrudion.

¥

* *

By Number 13. the German Original
lays : It being apparent, that all of them bring
nothing to EffeGt, but employ their Gold in vain
[ and \ DESTROY THEMSELVES
B Y IT. But the French fays : For Us im*
profitably that they emploj their Gold, and than
they ENDEAVOUR TO DESTRO I
IT ;

The Latin Tranflator has in this Paffag;
taken the German (for the word deftroy
quite wrong* having probably faid thus
Aurum inutiliter impendunt Si corrumpunt —
which is altogether againft the Senfe am
leaning of the Original.

' ^ “ ‘ TH

T RIUMPH.

The French Philofbpher has very well
perceived, that thisPaflage could not be right,
and therefore did not render it into French
in the fame .Senfe, viz,. That they defir oy the
Gold , but fays. That they endeavour to defir oy
it ; knowing very well, that it is not poffi-
ble for them to deftroy the Gold.

The Tranfiator into Latin finding the
word deftroy in the German , would have
kept the true Meaning of the fame Author,
if he had faid : Animadvert imus, quod hifce
nihil cjficianty fed potius aurum eorum inm tit¬
ter impendant , coque ipfio déficientes mificre pefi-
fum emt3 & in jummam cgefiatem incidant .

*

By the laft quoted Number, the German
Original fays in the reply of Gold : Til
prove it by the Philofipher s Sayings , that the
Art may be completed by me and my Brother
Mercury ; concerning which it is to be no¬
ted, that in the French , the Words : And
my Brother Mercury , have been omitted.

*

* ic

By Number 15. the German Original
fays : And they write without any winding
Expreßions . But the French fays, without
any Refirve.

I " [***4] By

o8 The Hermetical

¥

* ir

By Number 19. the German Original
fays : Thy Brother Avdercury is indeed imper*
fitl, yet therefore is not he the Ader car y of the
Philo j ophers . — B ut the French fays : T hy Bro¬
ther Aidercury is indeed imperfedl, and by con *
fcq’tence he is not the Avdercury of the IV fe. — -
In this manner it would be true indeed,
that the Author of The Ancient War of the
Knights had contradicted himfelf ; which
the French Commentator is obliged to own,
and therefore makes Pyrophilas to (täte a Que-
ition, how to folve this Doubt \ In anfwer
to which, Eudoxus has done what he could
to maintain the Honour and Credit of the
Author. But there would have been no
Occafion to form fuch Doubt, nor to dear
it, if the Tranflation had been true, and
Conform to the Intention of the Original.

However, as nothing is fo bad, but fome
good arifes from it, as the Proverb fays ; it
has been the fame with this Paflage ; it ha¬
ving given Occafion to the Commenting Phi-
lofopner to give feveral important and ufeful
Considerations upon this Paflage, although
he found it himfelf very hard. Perhaps the
Tranflator into Latin has been a German , and
rendered it thus : Frater tuns Aden arias efi

Triumph. 29

quidem mperfeliusy fed propterea non efi Mcr-
curius fapientum — . If it were thus, it were
a Germanißny whofe Senfe will be taken right
by a German who underhands Latin ; but
not eaffiy by a Frenchman t9 who is not ao
quainted with the Germamfin Sy which often
happen among ft the Germans in the Latin
Tongue ; For, one fees that the French Phi-
lofopher has taken the Senfe of the Latin
Words thus : He is imperfect y but for that
very Reafon {BECAVSE FIE IS I AL¬
TEREE CT) is not he the Aîercury of the
Wife* A German , however, unaerftands
it thus : He is imperfect y but therefore ( AL -
THOVGH HE IS IMPER-
FECT) he is not the Mercury of the Sages ;
or, it is therefore no Confequenccy that he fioould
be the Mercury of the Philofophers ; it being
no Argument at all, that an imperfeCt Mer¬
cury (of which there are many Kinds) ftiould
by Reafon of its Imperfection be the Philo-
fophick Mercury. And thus it’s very pro¬
bable to have been the fault of the Tianfla-
t©r, who, if he had been refolved to make
life of the word proptcreay (which neverthe-
lefs might better have been omitted,) he
ought at leaft to have put the word non be¬
fore it, viz,. Non tarnen propterea efi Mcrcu-
rius fapknttm ; or. Non tarnen inde confici -

tun

The Hermetical

tur-i mm propterea ejje Aiercurinm fapientuml
So that this eminent Philofopher (viz. the
Commentator) may have been led into an
Error, by the Æqui vocation of this Germa -
nifm ; and one fees how he is forced to turn
and wind himfelf in the Anfwer of Eudoxus ,
for to skreen the German Philofopher from
the blame of the fuppofed Contradiction ;
which if he has fucceeded in it, and whe¬
ther the Doubt, formed by Pyrophilus , has
been fufficiently cleared and taken away by
Eudoxus's Anfwer, (how learned and ufeful
foever it be,) is left to the Judgment of
thofe that are well skilled in this Art. May
be this Palfage has appeared to the faid Com¬
mentator as one of thofe which the Philo-
fophers make ufe o£ when, becaufe of the
unworthy, and alfo for other Reafons, they
contradià themfelves, which ought to be
no Obftacle to the true Difciples of Hermes ,
who fhould take Occafion from thence, to
meditate fo much the more upon the Reafon
and Caufe of fuch Contradiction ; by which
means they may unexpectedly difeover feme
Truths. For Cofmopohte fays in the Epi^
îogue of his Treatife : Noli mover i, quod
aliquando contradiPloria in meis Trdtdatibus . mo¬
re Pbilofopborum nfitato , tibi occur runt. N. B.
Opus babes Hits, fi intelligis. Non yeperituv

Triumph.

foßt ßne fpinis. And further in his Treatife
of Sulphur, Cap . de 3 ptincip. He fays : Nec
te moveaty cjuod fcripta cent? avia fibi vidcan-
tUT in ahqmbus locis it a enim opus efiy ne ays
proderetur : Tu autem elige ea, qua cum Nfa
tUT a cmvenmnt } accipe rojas 3 relinquc Jpinas. — *
And in the fame manner our eminent French
Commentator has (probably^ taken this re»
ply of the Stone for fuch an affumed Con¬
tradiction, which he deftgned to reconcile
by the Anfwer of Eudoxus .

*

^ *

By Number 32. the Germain Original
lays : But as for me , I have an imperfeCi
Body ; a pure , penetrating, tinging , and con -
fiant Spirit •— The French gives thele Words
with fome Variation) viz>, I have an imper¬
fect Body , a fiedfafi Soul , <2 penetrating Tin -
Sture.*”*« Which) neverthe!efs3 is much to the
fame purpofe. Only this ought to be ad¬
ded ; that there are two Editions extant
in the German Tongue) which differ from
the reft, and afciibe the Stone a perfect Bo¬
dy. But according to the firft Edition
printed 1604) and others more* the Stone
has an iwperfeCt Body ,

Here

2

The He R METICAL

Here it ought to be faid, that both* per*
feci and imperfeä is true, confidering that
the Stone is at different Times in a diffe¬
rent Station, which is fufftciently limited
by the Anfwer which Eudoxus gives upon
the Objection made by Pyrcphilus upon the
faid Number.

If however one would keep to the two
afore-mentioned Editions, in that Cafe there
would have been no Occafion for the Ob¬
jection of Pyrophilus, nor for the Anfwer of
Eudoxus .

*

k k

The Paffage by Number 34. is that of
which the French Commentator makes men¬
tion in his Preface, where the Old Philofo -
phers are quoted, and made to fay thus :
Our Mercury cannot he hud but out of the
fift unadulterated Bodies .

The Caufe why this Paffage has been cor¬
rupted in the tranflating it into Latin> feems
to proceed from the German word eT CUT,
which lignifies fo much as true, proper,
legitimate, uncorrupted, ftandard, and fine,
and ferves generally to diffinguifh a true
Matter from a Counterfeit ; but the fame
Word having fome Similitude with the

Word

Triumph. 5

Word ACHT which lignifies Tight, the
Tranflator has been led into the Miftake*
which the Commentator finds fault with.

Whether the French Commentator got
this grofs Error rectified from the Origi¬
nal, or whether he thought proper to ex¬
punge thofe dark and improper Words, and
infert others in their room, is not known ;
but it is certain, that if this laft be the
Cafe, a Philofopher , like himfelf, has Au¬
thority to do it ; efpecially when he inti¬
mates fuch his Intention, as the Commen¬
tator has done ; who likewife, as a Malier,
has the Prerogative to teach the Difciples
of Hermes , by what Words he thinks pro¬
per, from whence the Mercury of the Wife
is to be taken.

’Tis obfervable alfo, that this faid Com¬
mentator faying : It is not pofßble to attain
to the Pejfejfion of our Mercury any other
iv ay-> than by the means of two Bodies , where¬
of one cannot receive its requifite Perfection
without the other , has ordered this Paffage
in fuch a manner, that it agrees with the
Intention of the Original, altho* the Words
are varied *

^ • . • - . • Ÿ. VV •

\ " ;

34. The Hermetic A l

* *

*

By Number 35. the French Translation
lays : F he (fUniverfal) Medicine is therefore
made out of a Thing*, which is the Water*, and
the Spirit of the Body . But the German Ori¬
ginal fays : Therefore a Medicine is made out
of a Thing. , which is the Water of the Body
and Spirit,— Which laff however, contra¬
dicts no ways the Senfe and Meaning of our
Commentator, who fays himfelfin his third
Key : That in the Wine of the Philofiphers
(which appears in form of Water) there are
three divers Suhflances, and three natural Prin¬
ciples of all Bodies , viz. Salt, Sulphur, and
Mercury, which are the Spirits the Soul, and
the Body,— And thus it may be faid, accord¬
ing to the Senfe of the Original : That
1 hing , out of which the Medicine is made , is
the Wat er , (viz. the Wine of the Wife) of
the Body , (viz. of the Body in the Water,
who is the Male) and of the Spirit, (viz. of
the Body and Spirit ; for the Author him¬
felf takes them altogether in the aforecited
place, as the Feminine.) And with this,
j compare what is faid by Number 37.

I

1 ! , Seth

Triumph. 35

* ¥

*

By Number 38. the German Original
fays : When the Fight began , our Stone IS *
<S^£Z> STRENGTH.- But the French
fays : The Stone displayed ITS Force j and
IT S Valour. — Which intimates, as if the
Stone had employed all its Strength for to
conquer the two Companions 3 whereas the
German gives to underhand, that the Stone
employed only fo much of its Strength as
requifite to conquer them.

This Paffage may be compared with the
Annotation, which has been made about that
by Number 10.

¥ ¥
A

Lafilj , It is worth obftrving (and it ought
rather to have been mentioned firft of all,
being it is on the Title Page, as likewife
afterwards mentioned by Eudoxus in the
Commentary by Number 4.) that the Ger¬
man Original fays : That the Stone of the
Philofiphers is prepared bj thofi who trace
Nature , with the Ajfftance of LZJ N HR
W LC AN ; by which Lunar Vulcan (ac¬
cording to what is fid by the afore- menti«

oned

36 The Her metical

oned Number 4.) is meant the fecret and
natural Fire of the Philofiphers.

’Tis true, this Fire is, as to it felf, one
only Fire ; but as to the place, it is called
both Interiour and Exteriour ; for Inftance,
the faid Eudoxus calls it. The natural and
interiour Eire , becaufi , lays he, it is brought
to ASlion by the exteriour Fire .

PhilofophU tÆgyptiaca on the other Hand
fays : Ofiris & ifis uti conjuges fmt, fie &
frater dr fror, Plutarcho tefle3 fub ?nyflic4
quadam ratione habentes , quibus additur ter -
tins quidam. Typhon (forte ignis internus ma~
teria) niger dr ardens Spiritus, qui Oßridem
fratrem uterinum in minutijfima membra difi
fee at. Fife e adnumer ant VZJ L C ANZJ AÎ

SEV IGNEM EXTERNVM. - *

Therefore if taken according to this latter
Senfe, viz,, of its being Exteriour, it is not
part of the Matter, as Artephius fays ; but
if taken in the firft Senfe, it is part of
the Matter, according to the meaning of
Empedocles.

As to Tulcan being called Lunar, the Au¬
thor of the War of the Knights agrees in
this with the great Hermes , who lays : Pa¬
ter ejus Sol , mater vero Luna ; ana hereby
is intimated the Quality of the philofophi-
cal PA can, viz, that its bleat mu ft be tern-

Triumph.

37

pered by the Humidity proceeding from
Luna ; for, Hlgahel in ConfiL Conj . de maffia
Solis Sr Luna fays : Sol (which by our Au¬
thor is called Vulcan ) eft fins totius caloris :
Luna autem domina Humiditatis, And Her -
mes fays : Humiditas eft ex dominio Luna :
pinguedo autem ex dominio Solis . For that
Reafon fays Cofinopolite : Calor intr inficus nml~
to ejficacior eft hoc igne element alh fid tempe -
ratur t err en à aqua-, qua de die in diem poros
terra pénétrât illamque réfrigérât : Sic fiolem
cœleftem Sr ejus calorem temperat aêr} qui de
die in die circumvolat orb cm * And at ano¬
ther place ; Sicuti Sol centralis habet fiuum
mare Sr aquam crudam perceptibilem ; fee Sol
coelefiis habet etiam fiuum mare Sr aquam fab -
tilem Sr inpercept ibilem. — And thus for the
aforefaid Reafons, the Vulcan of the Philo-
Jbphers muft be Lunar .

As to the French Tranflation of thefe
Words, they are quite otherways; for the
fame Tranflation calls it Lunatic Vulcan*
lit is not to be fuppofed that thefe Words
are given with any other meaning than what
afore-mentioned ; for, Lunatic is in ano¬
ther Senfe mad, and it cannot be fuppofed
that the Title of F he War of the Km fits
would intimate, that the Stone of the Phi -

[****] lofiphers

3§ The Hermetical

lofiphers is to be prepared with the Affift*
anceof fuch a mad Vulcan. On the con¬
trary, the Turba lays : Ne incendatis bal¬
neum Citrini dr ejus uxor is plurimum^ ne
fenfu dr motu priventur. Item, Veneramini
Regem dr fuam uxorem dr nolite eos combu -
rere nimio igne . And therefore the Foun¬
tain (which Bernhard Trevijan fpeaks of)
in which the King bathes himfelf is fe¬
ared by a threefold Fence.— In the Expo-
fition or the EpilUe* Solis ad Lunam , are
thele Words i Ego Luna crefcens in lumine
Solar i frigida d)1 humida , quia fum mater hu -
worum dr tu Sol , calidus dr ficcus , quod efl
principium generations omnium , quando copu -
lati fuerimus , i. e. conjunct. N. B. In zÆ-
qualitate ßatus , i. e. in proportione dr man -
fione. ~ Now fuch a Copulation as that can¬
not be brought about by a mad Vulcan ,
and therefore The War of the Knights could
not fupnofe that the Tracers of Nature
had made ufe of the Affiffance of fuch Vio* -
lence, for to make the Stone of the Philo -
fophers.

The Reafon why in the French Tranr
flation is laid Lumuicf Vulcan , proceeds
piobably from the Tranflators into Latin. 1
having made another Error in this Paflige*

and

Triumph.

and laid : Auxilio Vklcant Lmatici ; when
he fhould have faid, Auxilio Vulcani Lana¬
rk ; which Error, however, is not to be
imputed to our eminent Commentator, who
was obliged to receive the Words as they
were given him ; and it is only in order to
dear our Learned Commentator from the
Sufpicion of fuch an Error, that this An«?
potation has been made thereupon.

FINIS,

ERRATA.

AGE 7. Line 15. dele all. p. lr.
1. 10. for Knowledge, read Art. p. 15.
Î. 25 and 2 6. r. and agree together, p. 16.
1. 3. f. me. r . I. 1. 22. dele there, p. 17.
1. i. dele culars. p. 19. 1. 6. r. Jmall in
Number. 1. 22. r. they have indeed found.
p. 27. 1. 8. for the* r. what. 1. 14. r. to
penetrate further, p. 31. 1. 10. f. Property.
l\ properly, p. 35. 1. 26. f. other than. r.
except, p. 44. 1. 15. r. one only felf-fame
Subfiance, p. 4 6. 1. 23. f.vifcus. vivifions*.
p. 73. 1. 23. r. Arifiotle.