Book IV.

CHAP. I.

How to Change, alter. Cure and

amend thefiate of Mans Bo*

dy y when nature makes

it deformed.

j . Of the Compofttions of man : 2. The dore of
Light: 3. Order of (feech: 4. Of Hermes
Medicines and other things* 5. That an ounce
of Gold in a year mil makg a Medicine as
the Philofof hers (lone: 6. Of the fonof Gold.
7. Of the heavenly vertue of Wights: 8.0/
Creating Mice and other things: 9. Of the
learns of Heaven : 1 o . OJ Cdeftiall faints
in Minerals : 1 1 . the force of Heavenly fpi»
rits: 12 Envious Leeches: 13. Of Stones y
Zrockifcs, Pills, Elefiuaries, Nile Water and
Qtber things ; 14. Of the vertue of calcined

{details

The Holy Guide. LlB.4 ■

Mtttalls in Fbyfick, andChirurgery : 15. Of
tbejecretVertue of minerals: j6. Of diffol-
ved Gold and raw G&ldy and other things:
17. Of our fijt Nature: 18. Oftheperfetl-
ing of the minde and body: 1 9. Paracelfus
Opinion, and of Voyjon*

*• ""^^QyOufeehow we have mown*

1 heretofore in the JxioMataJib.%.

£~S divers wayes to our Guide to bap-

pineffe, &c. and fhndry roe ins whereby the

wholckinde of men may come to the know-

lcdpof the Compofition of man, and of the

infilling <f the foul, and bow the fuperna-

tural things being the fecrets of God alone,

are artificially made helpfull to mankir>dc,

and of the power of the foule being (tpara-

ted from the body, at the command of the

fpirit, and how it becomes like the heavens,

and of the vertucs of the minde and foul and

how God wonderfully work* efTcfts in the

imagination, and what is the firft matter

of all thingSt Yet in truth they arc all by

long and comber fome ways, fit rather to

put them in minde of a better way (which

was the drift of .that purpofe) then to be

gone and travelled by lovers of wifdome

and v rtue: wherefore 1 would notwim them

towrrive their councells in many'of thofc

places, but to feck to the haven of Hemes

or

LiB4» The Holy Guide. 5

, . — i .»-- i >■

or jRo// Crucians, and of their fons the wife
Philosophers as to the only one, ready and
eafy way to our Gnid to kap?ine(fe , then we
arc come at laft to thaG which Wis the firft
intent and meaning of all this labour, that
Hermes and the Philofophers medicines arc
the true and ready way to eternal happinefs
in Phyfick.

2. But how (hall we prove this unlefs we
unlock the doorc of fecrcts, and let in light
to thofe matters which hive been ever moft
clofelykept and hid in darknefle? we mull
I fay firft open what is Hermes medicine, ex-
cept we would put on a vizard, and make a
long buzz and empty found of words, about
that which no man understands. We are
like now to be driven into a marvailous
ftraight either to fly the field, or to venture
upon the curfe and difpleafure of many
wife and Godly men, yci and of God him-
fclf as we heard at the beginning. If Vhto
thought he had caife when he took in hand
that mighty piece of work, the world, firft
to make his prayer; how much more may
we in fuch a world of doubts and dangers t
and tedefire of God that we may prove our
qucftion, not only with fufficienc evidence,
but with fuch difcretion alfo , that thofe
men which can ufe it, and arc worthy of
it, may fee the t^uth, and the reft may be
blinded.

3 » Then

The Holy Guide- L1B.4

3. Then both to direfr my fpecch,
which muft have fomc ground to ftand
upon, and their ftcps which crave a little
light to guide them, 1 think it beft to come
to the entrance of this way , and to point
afar off unto the end , leaving the righs
unto their own wit and labor , for I
may not be their guide* lcaft the reft (hould
cfpy us and follow us as faft.

4. Hermes Medicines and the Rofie Cru-
cian* Medicines lye among them, even in
Gold; and the end of this Journey where
happinefs begins, is the fon of him; albeit
thatlamnot ignorant'thac father Hermes
and the reft of his wife fofor children,hold
and teach that out of any plant, wight or
mineral, may be fetched a medicine for all
difeafes of men and mectals , as good as
this which we have defcribed ; neither
dowc, as though we had drunk thcw.uec
of Lethe , forgot the reafon of it above
declared, becaufe all things are in all
things, and the fame and one thing, at
having all one fluffand foul ; if their ftuffo
had the like and not divers minglings, and
for that all things if th?y were wrought to
the top and higheft of perfc&ion fas they
may be) (how a like with all the venues
of heaven and earth, foul, body, lire and<
qualities; but thofe wayes arc long, cum •
berfqmc and coftly, as well as the reft, and

L1B4. The Holy Guide. 5 *°

\ know you feck the moft^ready^^rl^d
eaiie, vvhicn is gold far above all other
things in the world.

5. The reafon is tccaufc nature hath
powered her felt wholly upon him, and in-
fcotfed h;m cffar more and greater gifts
>oth of foul and body then all the reft
laving given him not orely greater ftore
B the heat of heaven , but alfo the meff
jne, temperate and lafting body, whereby
>ut efpecialiy by reafon of his exceeding
ioughand lafting body, wherein he won-
derfully pattern all things , we have him
ialf ready dreft to our hands, and brought
ery near the jourmys end, quickly to be
cd forward and finiflied wuhlirtlc labor;
then as the reft are left in a very hard way
ery many mile* b:hind him •, it U ftrargc
am perfwaded that a thoufand ounces of a
lant, or wight (as for Minerals, they fcc
nuch better) cannot with gi eat labor, coft,
kill, and time, be brought to that good*
cfsand nearnefs to ptrfe&ioa, as an ounce
f Gold hath already given him by nature;
nd I durft warrant you , thai out of an
unee of Gold in lefs then one years fpaee5
»ith a few pounds charge may be gotten a
Iedicine as good as the Philofophers Pan-
|irva, of flant or wi?ht, that takcth a
lioufand ounces of fluff, many hundred
sounds oi charge, three years rime;, and

6 the Holy Guide. LiB. 4,

the wearing ouc of many mens bodies, that
we may think , although the wife Philofo-'
pherB in Egypt faw and (hewed the depth of
Nature, and thffe works, yet they were
net fo mad and fond as to put them in
pracYice 5 and therefore Uain Geberin faith,
it is poffi'ole out of Plants to make the Me-
dicine!, and y t ailmoft impoffible alfo,
becaufc thy life would firft fail thee; where-
fore we may be content alfo to know the
fecret, but let us ufe no other way but this,
and fo difpatch not only plants and ivights
a* foul earthly things , but alfo middle Mi-
nerals, which arc like the ftanding lights of
heaven in this comparifon. Nay, neither
hold we his fellow plants to be his equals,
no though th y be Quick-filvcr or Silver
themfeives, the beftand neareft of all thcl
reft, cfpecially Silver the wife of Gold, but!
even let her pack away w'uh the reft ; for as
her fire above glitters and makes a fair (hew
until! (he come in prefence of her husband
(as the want of had women is) fo this our
earthly Moon be (he never fo bright and ex-
cellent in another* company, y«tinfight&
regard of Gold her husband, (he appcareth
as nothing ; if y ou marvail why > it is
becauft (he wantetb much of the heat of
heaven , temperatenefs and toughnefs of
body, but in finenefs an hundred fold;
ihcfe things arc high and lofty, and foar

above

Lib. 4« TAe Holy Guide.

above the common fight , |wc will (etch
•them down anone and make them plain and
catie.

6. Then let us fall to the matter, that
the ion of Gold may be found , the ready
way to Gold, the perfeft Medicine both of
man and mettals •, and tirft as it is meet, let
us regard our felves and cure our own bo-
dies before we help a Granger. There is
is no gift properly or vertue but it fpring-
eth either from the foul or the body 5 the

I beft gift of the foul is moft ftore thereof ,
as we the wed before 5 and of the body fit ft

! temperatenefs thereof in the firft qualities*
and then finenefs and clofcncfs, which cau-

1 feth laftingne'Sj in the fecond^ let us fee
how Gold exccllcth in all thofe vertucs and

■ ovcrgoech all other things, firfl by the gift

I of nature , and then by a divine Science*

• but it were not good in fuch an heap of
1 matters to be difpofed and difpatched at
: once, co regard thofe that be clear and re-

• ecivtd; fo then let the finenefs of Gold
go his ways, as clear in all mens eyes, and
his tem peratcoefs, which all Leaches grant,
and take th? reft as things both more in
doubt and of greater worth.

7. Thofe thit arelongefta ripening and
growing to perfection , are both the moft
tough and lafting, and fullcft of heavenly
vcrtues 5 whereas on the other fide, foon

1 i 2 ripe,

8 1 he Holy Guide. LlB.

ripe, foon rotten, as they fay, and an ill
weed grows a pace and (o forth ; the ciufe
or this in bodies 5 is beciufe the firft moi-
ftut e , it it be faft and clofe , that is full,
proceedeth and fpreadcth (lowly and is
hardly confumed and eaten up with the fire
of life, when thinne and watcrifh moifturc
fpreads apace, and fpends as faft ; and for
that heavenly venue'", when the ftuffe hath
long Iain open under the hands of the fpi-
ritsof heaven, it muft needs receive grea-
ter ftore of them , and hold them furely
with his ftrength & toughnefsj what rcafon
can (hew this more plainly, except you will
call me to examples? then bend your ears a
wfrle and mark the Elephant, swo years in
making in his mothers womb, and a long
time in growing to his beft cltatc and lufti-
nefs, tonachthe hightft and beft pitch in
mortality (for man is mortal) and nos one-
lybyhis ftrength and long life which you
heard before , but through a kind of wk
and good conditions alfo, drawing neer
to the nature of mankind.

8. Conflder again of Mice, thofc little
verroine, how foon they be bred, as forne-
times the earth creates them, fometimes
the mother without the male by licking
fait, and other whiles ( for a wonder in
nature ) they conceive and arc big with
young in their mothers btlly. Confider I

fey*

LlB.4* The Boly Guide.

fay, howfoon again chcy be fucpt away,
even with a mower of rain , as Aritfotk re-
porteth, who tells of a one-day flye bred
in a leaf in the forenoon,at midday fledged,
and ever dying at night vfith the fetting of
the Sun.

9. Again Pliny write th of a child that
wkhin three y*ari fpace grevf three cu-
bits,- and was now grown to mans ftatc
(which they calif ubeYtateuni)h\xi hafte made
waft as thsy fay, and within three years
after his limbs mrunk upa^ain, an « he dy-
ed- Nay he faith , thu the whole kinde
of women among the Caiingians> conceive
at five years of age, and live but eight.

To cut off living wights, and come to
plants, are not trees the longer -lived the
bettcc in ufe,for the long growth and ripen-
ing ? and among trees, doth not the Oak,
after his long growth to perfection , fland
to our great profit even for ever slrnoft ? It
is orange that I fay, and yet Jofefbus writes
of one that flood from Abrahams time 9 to
the razing of Jerufalem , ivfo thoufand
years at leaft; and God knows how long
after that time it lafted; to befhort, rhe beft
tree of all the earth that brings forth the
Coccus of/wfidjin one mans age, fear ce begins
to bear any fruit,and Iafteth after that almoft
Raft all ages.

Ii 3 Where-

io 1 he Holy Guide. Lib. 4,

Wherefore the minerals by the courfe of
rcafonand cuflome , bting by thegrantof
all men, longcft in making and perftcYmg,
muft needs of all other bothbebeftin ver-
tue, and laft thclongeft, and among them
GoldaboveaU, becaufe it is the end of all,
and fo far in that point paffcih themoft
part of them , that as fome men think, a
thoufand years arc fpent before it come to
perfection; for his long lafting we fee
plainly he is evcrlafting •, and if we doubt
or h's heavenly vertue, Jet us weigh the
place and womb where he is fafhioned, and
we (hall fee it a common gulf of all the
beams of heaven , as the Sea is the receipt
of all the rivers that run.

10. How is this? albeit the beams of
heaven (it forth from a round and wide
compaffe, and likewife leave a circle after
they have traveled a great wide way one
from another,domeet at laft together,;* amp
in thcNavill of the Earth, yea and with
great force and ftrcngth, above all other fpi-
rits in their places, not only by thercafon
and the length of their jonrney (for all na%
turall things the further they go, the more
they mend their pace,) but chiefly becaufe
meeting in fuch a flrait, with fuch abun«
dance, they violently thruft,and throw one
another on heaps together, as we fee the
force of win.de and wat^r meeting in that

order.

J

II The Holy Guide. L1B.4

order,or rather as the Sun - beams, falling
upon the ftone Hephcfiites^ or the Steeple fa-
(hioncd burning -glafle, thereby (hews
fuch flrange and unwonted force to
burn drythings,mcltmettals and fuch- like,
bceaufe the beams that light upon it, do
meet all in heaps and apace, in one narrow
point of the Middle.

11. Wherefore the Minerals, becaufe
they be bred and brought up about that
place, firft receive great plenty ofthof hea-
venly fpirits, and then thofe very furely fct
on by the fwiftnefieof the ftroak, and a? faft
held and kept, for the found end ckfc
bodyes that take the Printings when as
plants and wights, dwelling in one place.,
and outfide of the ground aloft, where
thofe b?ams and breaths of heaven^are more
fcarfe, flack and weak, rouft needs have net
onely leflc ftore, faintly put upon tbem,but
alio thofe which th y have, for their loofe
and foft fturFj quickly loft and forgon 2-
gain.

12. But if the edg of fome mens mts, be
too blunt and dull to cut ip deeply into the
earrh,to finde this marter,Iet them caft their
eyes and behold the daily experience, how
thefc heavenly fpirits in Minerals, for all
they (hut up and bound Co Faft in the prifon
ofthe hard and fturdy ftu-ffj yet are able to
(how their forcc> as much and woik as

I i 4 mightily*

I a The Holy Guide. L1E.4

mightily, as the free breaths of other things
enlarged in their fofc and gentle bo- ;
dies.

13. It would not be amiffe to bring in a
few and fct before us, becaufefor the (loth
of the tim-s paft, and fpite of th* latter lea-
ches, thefe things have laine for the mod
part, bur'edas theyb?, and hid from the
light and common knowledg.

14. Ttien to paffe by r he-Pearl, that hcl-
psth iwouning and withftands the Plague
of poyfon-, the Smarage and Jacinth like-
wire , which keep off the plague, and heal
the Wounds, Venemous Stings, and many
more fuch rare and worthy vcrtucs, which!
tfafy themfclves grant and give to pretious
{tones in their wi icings, nay iniheirTro-
chifes, Pills, and Electuaries, let us come
to hard Joyces and middle minerals, the
Water of Niel, which makes the women of
Mgyft fo quick of conceit, and (o fruit full,
as to bear fea-men at a birth, as Vbroates
writes, is known to be a Salt-peter- water;
it is foun \ by common proof that the fame
Sale- peter, or common Salt, or Coppere*
Matter, made a water, kills the poyfon of
theToad-ftoole, and Joyce of Poppy: that
a Plaifter of Salt and brimftone heals the
hurt of vrnom infringed; That Amber which
is no ftone but a hard C'lany Juyce, calfed
Bitumen, eafeth the labour of women and

the

L > B.4* The Holy Guide. 1 3

the falling fukneflc ofChildren^it is known
likewise that all wholfo me bathes, both wee
and dry, of wucr or its vapours, which ai\'
wirhouc number in the world, butefpeci-
ally that famou* Hott - houf* in Z-
tally, called Salviati, for the (pace ofthrre
miles compaffe wrought and hewn out of
the ground very daintily, deferveth to be
named and delivered to the memory of men
to come J flow from a brimftony ground,
and draw from thence,all their nature, qus-
Ji:y, force, and vercue;except a few of Cop-
peres water, as appears by ihcir dying pro-
perty, whereby thsy give any white rnettal
thdr own yclow and Copper colour; Now
for Mettals,if ic be true that precious ftoncs
in that hard and ungentle faQilon , (hew
fuch vertuc and power of healing , why
mould we mark the German for a lyar, when
he awards great praife to the mixture of all
theMettals,madein theconvertion of their
own Planets which he calls Elc&rum, fay-
ing it will cure the Cramp, benuming Pal-
fy, falling fickneffe, if it be worne on the
hearty finger: and give fignes befidesifthe
body ayleth any thing, by fpots and fweat-
nitig; and bewray poyfon, if it be made in
Plate by the fame tokens? for all that Pliny
will have poyfons fo difcribed by the natu-
rall Ele&rum and Maffe of Gold and filvcr,
and not by the artificial mixture to be made

of

The Holy Guide. IjB.4,

of filverand Gold and Copper, Adulter an-
da. adulteria nature^ as he more finely then
conftantlyfaith, when he allotcd fo chaft
vertue before unto her.

15. But fuppofe this vertue in the hard
form of mcttalls nor fo apparent; yet no
man fhall den^ the daily proofs of them o
penly by rude skill, and fct a little at liber-
ty^ the great ufe of burnt brafIc,lron-faf-
ron,Metta!-fmoak(and this by Gallens own
witrjeft) and marvailous help in Chirurge-
ry ; nay the mighty power, both within
and without of Antimony, which is unripe
Lead^nd of Qiiick-(ilver,very raw and run-
ning fiber, fo after tryed before their eye*,
hath amafed and daunted the better Lee-
chcSjthough Gallen himfelf in times paft hath
termed this rank poyfon , fer ftraighc
sgainft our nature, and the lcaft part there-
of taken inward, to hurt and annoy us, to
the great laughter of the Country witts,
which even Children , a dangerous time
to take Piylick in3 take , without any
hurt at all,nay which they ufe to drink it a-
gainftwormes in great quantity ; but Gal-
hn did but rove by g u eft at the matter,
when as in another place (forgetting him-*
felf as he doth often) -he faithhe never
had tryed its force neither within nor
without the Body.

16. Rue

JL1B.4. the Hoi) Guide. I %

1 6. But if thofe ftonesjuyces and mutals
Were by great skill more finely dreft, and
freely fct at liberty (as they be by the Ger-
mane') what wonder were they like to work
in the Ait of healing ? neither let us think
(as Gallen and his herd think of all things^
thofe great and rare mineral vermes, could
iffue out, and come from the grofle and foul
body, but from an heavenly gift erf a migh-
ty foule, which cannot be kept in awe, and
held fo ftraight, with thofe earthly bound?,
as it (hall not be able in fome fore to fiirr
and break through and fticw its force and
power.

1 7. Wherefore to rcturne to my purpofe,
if nature hath beftowed upon thefe three
forts and fuits of minerals, fo large gifts
and vcrtuesjwhen (he hath given to gold the
end and perfection of them all, fo receiving
and holdin g the vcrtues ofthem all at oncej
What fays the Leachc5 to this matter > They
are loth to fay any thing, albeit i heir deeds
fpeak enough, when they lay raw Gold to
the right fide of the head to h e « 1 his ach;
right againft the heart to comfort his fad-
nelle and trembling: arid when in fuch fore
ihey apply it to fuch purpofes ; again why
dotheyboyle it in their cullifTe, mix it
in their pills and their ele&uaryes, bid the
Lepers (wallow h> do they not feem to
fmcll its great and matchless power againft

difeafes

1 6 The Holy Guide* L1B.4

difcafcs and marvcylous Comfort and
wholfomncffe to our nature? But lik* rude
and unskiilfull Cooks they know not how
to drefie it? but if t icy know the skill,thcy
{hpuid Tee it rife in power and vertue, ac-
cording to his degrees in freedom?, & when
H comes ( o the top* which I call the fon of
Gold, to prove almighty > I mean within
our compaffc; for confider Gold is now
good and friendly above all unco us, for his
exceeding ftore of com for table heat of hea-
ven, (liming through the mift of a moft fine
and temperate body. Then what would ie
be if the properties of the body were by
great, mingling and breaking of the fluff,
refined and rai fed in their ktnde,an hundred
degress at leaft? (which our Art profeffeth)
and thofe lively and piercing helps of
comfortable fpirits, freed and fet at full li-
berty, and all rhefe feated, upon a mighty
bocty fubduing all things? is there any thing
In the world to be compared,to the mighty
and nnrvailous work which he would
make in our bodies > could any of thefe ve-
ry violent and mortall poyfons, which I
brought in above,fo eafily and roundly de-
ftroy us, as this would help and fave us? but
to come to the point.

18. Ifthat our old clofe fine and Mi he-
real oyls which they call a fift nature, was
able alone/or thercafons fee down in their

places,

L 1 B 4. The Holy Guide. 1 7

places, to breed and beget all thofe blefied
bodily gifts and properties, that is , health
and youth, and the two fpringsof wifdom
andvertue, clearneflc and temperate nsfTc ;
how much more (hall this Ton of Gold the
rocdecine and ftone of Hermes, and bh ofl-
fpring be fufficknt and fumifhed for
it?

19. For fir ft, when his foul and heat of
heaven is much more great and mighty, and
his body a more fine and faft Oylc, that is a
more like and lafting focd of life, it both
upholdcth andftrengtheneth life, and natu-
rall hca* the better, and 10 proves the better
caufe of long life and youth; then being
temperate9 and that quality carried upon,
and that quality and finer and tougher thas
is a ftronger body, it is able v»ith more cafe
and fpced to fubdue his and our eccmies>the
diftempcred difeafes.arad to elenfe and cleare
fafhion and bring into good order and tem-
per the whole frame of our body 8c to pro-
cure health, wifdome and vertuc, in better
fort, and in more full and heaped meafure;
for you muft not think thata fit natureof
wine or fuch like that I brought in above,
and which many men do make for their
bodies, is fo good by twenty degrees as the
Philofophers ftone ; I mean the fame raea-
fureofboihs when befides that ic is noc
temperate and neare unio Heaven, (though

the

1 8 7 he Holy Guide. Ll B.4

the name be never foncarc) for it wantcth
twenty parts of the foul, and as much of
trut fine fluff, clofely and finely tyed up to*
gehcr ; and therefore one part thereof will
iaft longer, and fpread further with all his.
veitues,and fo do more good in our bodies,
then twenty time as much as the formcr;de-
liver to minde what I fay; it is worth mark-
ing; I (hall not need to ftand to fhew you
the reafons why,and manner how this great
Medicine of Her wes, (hall be able to get and
purchafe thofc pleafurcs of mind and body,
becaufc it is already done at large elfc-
where, and it may fufTer in this place co win
by force of reafon (which hath been done
as much as needs)thzt this medicine is much
bctter^and more able then an /Fther,Heaven
ot fift nature.

20. Then thofc men may fee ( Imeane
Varacelfa and fuchas .know whereof th«y
ipeak, let the reft go) how ram and unad-
vised they prove themfelves when they arc
content to let in the name of Poyfon into
this happy medicine, and to avowthniE
workethall thofc wond.°rsin our body^s,
by that v^y of curing which 1 (hewed, by
ftronge -like poyfons : for then it would
be at moft but a gcmrall mcdicine,and cure-
all again ft difeafe*, and fit for health alone,
but no Phyfkall or joyfull way to long life,
yemhj wifdomc, andvertuej which grant

Ia B.4. The Holy Guide. 1 9

r e well as the other, both he and all the reft
r?o give unto him 5 for it might not be ta-
ken and ufed in a fecond body, no more
then a purging medicine f except it were of
the Viperous kindc aforefaid; for he then
would battail with our nature, fpoyle and
overthrow the fi. ft moyfturc, and the whole
frame of the body; fo farr it would be from
nourifhing the naturall heat and rooy-
fture, from clearing and tempering the
body to caufe long life,youth wifdome and
vertue;

And the rtafon of this reproof is, becaufe
every poyfon is very barren and empty of
the heat of heaven, and very diftemperedly
cold and dry in body , fet ftraight againft
cur hot and moift nature (as appears by fly*
ing the fire, and oyle his enemies} the Phi*
lofophers ftone was temperate in refpe&,at
firft, and is nowexaftly fo and a very fine
c yle, and full of heavenly fpirits; and fo for
thofc three caufes, not only moft friendly
and like to naturc3but alfo a very deadly *-
ncmy and moft craffe contrary to all poy-
fon.

CHAP.

io The Holy Gride. L1B.4,

CHAP. II.

I

Hermes and Paracelfus
tSMedicines.

i . Of the foure Complexions of the body, 2 Of
Malice and Ignorance ; 3 . Of Difeafes ,
Age and Death ; 4. How to makf minerals
&ow; 5. How to mak^. Lead grow, 6. That
Goldha-ih lire; 7. Tbe unwinding of fecrets-,
2. Authors Opinions ; 9, How to order the
feed of Gold 5 10. Experienced truths 5 11.
Campari fons; 12. Of turning wood into Iron
and slone; 1$. Of turning Iron into Copper,
1 4. Abraham Judseus experiment; 15. lr-
i(h fritter j and other things 5 16. Of Gcbcr
cwdAgricoia; ij. Of fait Gemm; 18- Iron
m^ &e w^e to car Ste*/ 0* j<*//* as /tee/ cuts
wood-, 19. Of Silvery and G olden C operas;
20. T6e iwfKe of Copperas Water; 2 1. , 0/
Art and Katurall changes ; 22. Natures
Medicines j 23. Oft be food of Gold and other
things.

OVer this we have lightly run,bcing the
former part of long life, health, youth

flefrntijj^

— *—— — — a <¥/

L1B4. the Holy Guide. a 1

clearneile, and temper a tentffc, which make
up all good gifts of body needfulJ ; let us
now come to the outward help of riches,
and borrow fo much leave again, as to ufe
thecaufefor the effeft, and take gold for
riches, and ftrive to (how that the fon of
Gold is able to turne any mettal into gold;
and net fo fparinglyand hardly as wc did
before, by thofc baftred kinds of binding
and colourin&frf though a little of it were

I without mif-pene •? of time & travail would
fervc our turn) but as fully and plentifully
as any of our men allow to that amazemene

I of the world ; they fct not down nor flint,
which I will do, becaufe I have to do with
thirft ing ears, and becaufe again I love noc
tornn.t randum* but to make a certain
mark whereat to aime and levell all my
fpeeches.

Then let us fay> by this great skill of Met"
mej,& a little labour and coft we may fpend
with the greateft Monarch in the world, &
reach the Turks revenew, yea though it be
fifteen millionsStarling,as 1 find it credibly
reported; yea let us be bold, and not as So-
crates did when he fpake of love,hid his face
from the matter, the truth is vouchablc be-
fore God and man, and will beare is Mi
outatlaft, though it be my luck ft ill to be
Croft by men of our own coat, Hermes fofter
Children: But why do 1 call chem fo .? al»
Kk fecif

12 the Holy Guide. L1B.4.

btit Patactlfus of whom we deal of late, was
plainly fo; Yec his Schollers Phyfick, which
iijw comes in place, is out of this account
as clearly; thismaa<I fay toexcufehisown
Ignorance, hath learned a new trick^in un-
folding Hermes Riddle, that neith?r Hermes
nor anyof his follower*,in fayingthcy turn
the foure foule Murals, Lead, Iron, Tinn,
Copper, into Silver and Gold,mcan plainly
according unto common^eech, but (till
riddle and double the matr^underftanding
the foure Mcttalis in fo good forme and
temper changed ; and thefc to be filver and
gold which they make at any time;and that
by this tok^n,becaufe they fetch their mcdi«
cine asyou heard even now out of all t hings;,
then heflyethotuandliftcthup his matter*;
with high piaife*, for finding firi), and up-
turning the knot and riddle; whereas there
is nothing fo plain both In Par ace If us and
all uther ofhis hidden fcience, as their opi-
nion as touching this matter : nay fceth<
worthy memory of the rnan himfelf, in con-
ftiuing the words of his Matter concerning^
the famw matter, makes it as well as he andji
the rtft, a plain division of this msttcr, and ;
yildrth in open termer, that our Medicine :
Ictvech both for tmn and mettals.
1 2. This noble Dr. Elias Avery when 1 was a
novice and fi filing in this ftudy, zi he mif-
li ad me in otiur things which he took upon

hirv

Lib. 4. % the Holy Guide. 23

him co unfo'd, (o he amazed me in this, be-
fore he himfelf knew the leaft of them : but
after I went forward and be£ an to confiier
earntftly3and weigh die things by their own
weight (^and not by the wught of words
and amhorkies)the only way to knowledge
i qu;ckly faw the wifehood of the new op -
n*on, and more plain rcafbn and caufe of
belief, for this point then for all the reft,
which he at!ows>and which S flawed befo e :
then let us not ftay3 for him nor for any
thing elfr, but lee us march forward wit'i
all fprcd and courage, and if ic be never
good in difcourfc of fpcech to heap and
huddle up all together, but for light fakd
to joyn the matter and cue it in divers pic*
ces,le» us do fo too3 and j rove that the Son
of Gold is able to turn metcalh that are
bafe into Gold, then that he can change (b
much, astomake up th: fummel Jcfe aS
neediull. Hey don is to turn mettata two
ways •, firft.as a feed if a man lift to few hint
upon them; and then after his birth, by
fiourimment,and turning them into his owri
Nature, and this is either into his father?,
vnichis his own afrerafort, or into his
new being, and felf fame nature; of thefe f
will treat fcverally ; and rkftof feed which
cann jtbedenyed unto gold, if all things
have life, and life have three powers and a-
1 bilitvcsj to h* nourifhed and so wax^and to
K k 2 bfget

34 ?he Holy Guide. L ! B. 4 .

get his like alfo; the fecond part is clear and
granted among all Philofophers ; and that
all things have life, it hath been often (hew-
ed before by their feeding and divers other
arguments.

But becaufe it is a thing whereon al-
moft all the frame of my fpeech lcancth,and
yet much in doubt and hardly believed a-
mong the learned \ let us take it again, and
prove it by name in Mineral! s, becaufe
they be both fartheft from belief, and nea-
reft our drift and purpofe.

3. Thofe things that hjfve difeafes, age,
and dcathjCannot but live,and we fee plain-
ly the difeafes, age and death of pretious
ftone*;but mod: clearly in the pretiousLcad-
ftonc (though he be foul in fight) which is
tept,fedd and nourifhed in the fillings of I-
ron, his proper and like food, when quick-
filver, or Garlike quite deftroys him, and
puts out all his life, ftreogth, and ver-
tuc.

4. But how if the Mineralls by feeding
wax and grow as well as plants or wight* >|
as miners have good experience of that,i
when they fee them, by thofe due and con-:
Irani fits, fo dangeroufly void their leaning.
Agricola faith, that Salt-peter , after that
by draining it hath loft his taift & vcrtae,
if it be layed open in the weathcr,wil with-
in five or fix years (pace, grow and ripen,

and

LiB.4* The Holy Guide- 1 5

and recover his power and ftrength again;
the fame man tellcth of one lead Mine, and
iwo other of Iron, which after ttuy be dig-
ged and Emptied, within few years fpacr,
ripen and grow to be full again, and one
of thefe every tenth year.

5. Btic admit th (e by the flight and can-
yafie of a crafty witt maybefhifcedofFjyet
they (ball never read the next that follows
of Lead, after he hath been taken out of his
proper womb, where he was bred and nou-
riflicd, and fafhioned into his forme for our
ufe requifite; yet if he be layd in a moid
place under ground, it will wax and grow
both in weight and bignefTe by many good
Authors,yea and by Gallenhh own witnefs,
which although it be light otherwifc,yet is
of weight in this matter, becaufc it maketh
fo much againft his own caufe; nay marke
what AgricoU reporteth that the fame hath
been found true on the top of houfcs, and
(howes where and how the proof was taken;
but to come to the very point, Taracelfus
faith, that Gold buried in good foyle that
lyeth Eaft,and cherifhed well with Pigeons
Dung and Urine,wi)Ido the fame; and fure
I dare not condemn his witnefs in this mat-*
tcr, becaufe the reft that went before, fee me
to fay as much in effect, and to vow the
truth of thig ftory.
6. Then if it be fo certain, that Gold
Kk 3 hath

2 6 'I he Holy Guide . L i B. 4 .

hath life, there 13 no help, but it (hall be-
get his like alio; if Philofophy and Com-
mon proof be received, but they vrill fay
that nothing doth foD that win.tetb feed,!? I
many wights and plants do, and all Minei*
rals; no man faith fo > that knoWeth what
feed i$;fecd is no grofle thing, that may be
feen with ey'l.f»but a fine and hot heavenly
breath, which we call life and foule, where*
w'.th not only the common rule of ths
world, but alfo wiahts, yei and perfect
Wlglus Tome times beget without the com-
pany and fmce of that frothy ftuffand (he!,
aslfaid above; but yec more commonly
nature tskes the h Ipt& guard of that body
called feed, tint was prov d,not only to be
a branch and parrfiipt from the whole bo-
dy , but the whole it felf (on, times, as, b;
kinds in the foure be ginnlngs,and in Mine*
itflr, and in fcedlefs plants and wights, and
by skill in all.

Therefore minerals andal! have theif
Hcd , and 1 heir whole body in their
feed.

7. Then as by nature they are wholy,'
fowne, anddy, and forelfc under- Moon
things would prove Mcttals) rife again the
fame I< .created according to the wont ofl
( nature, even fo they will above ground if'
We can *.y skill ufe them kindly, which w<i
ipay as \»c)l as qatrjf ^ if we could efpy her .

footing

Li B. 4 The Holy Guide. 2 7

footing, not unpoffiblc to be fe^n as I could
fhow you quickly 9 if I Slight a lhtl« un«
winde the bottome of fecret?, and lay them
open; but I muft take heed.

Then as the feeds of p'am* and wights
rife again, much increaftd in ftore and
bignefle,b?caufe it draw? muoir, and turns
into it in his own nature,much of he kind-
ly fluff and ground that lycth about it to
corrupt itjeven lb if you make the mettals
and groun d fit to receive and corrupt the
feed of Gold, it will after his due t J me rife
again, turning them, or much of 1 hem h*-
to his own nature.

8.„ Now Dofror Freeman or Moore ma/
fee if they be not blinded , that rhis h no
iridled mattcr,but a plain and certain truth,
grounded upon the open and daily race of
nature, which not I efpied out mil (as they
fpyed outthefubtill falfe - hood) bur the
fame tell the troop or the wife ^Egyptians
faw, and taught before me, yea and iome
of them thatfee in dajknefle asthofc wor-
thy Leaches, whofe ayd we took before*
F«i#e, Fernet, and Card \tn , especially ihe
two fir ft, becaufe th y bearc ^ood Will to the
truth of this (cience : Bu Cardan as a mate
that neither knew nor* loved ir, halts a lit-
tle; for when he had all about held for cer-
tain, tfrat Minerals and all had life and
Kk 4 y$&t

2 8 the Holy Guide. L1B.4

wcf£ nourifhsd, and greWfani wax?d,yet
he buryed the third point with fi-
lence,

9; But let us not urge this fo much in
this place, becjufcit is not the right Son
of Gold, and ftoneof Herntes> but a letter
skill and lower way to rich ■*, fit to have
been followed in the frcondBook. Then
how doth the Philosophers done, and the
naturall Son of Gold, turncbafe Mcttals
into Gold > For that was the fecond ning
8:0 be handled in this place; when this chili
is borne, keep him in his heat, which is his
lifc,and given him his due and natural food
of Mcttals; and he muft needs, if he be quick
and ablcd to be nourifhed, digeft, change
and turn them into his own Nature, much
more cafy then lead; and he in a cold place ,
and rudr,and hard fafhion, Was able before
toturne ftrange meats and digeft ir, as I
fewed above the change of natural thinga
when they meet in Combate, to be either
throughout or half way* that is cither by
conf uming to raze one another quite our,
and turn him into his own naturc,or when
by mixture, both their forces arc broken
and dulled equally; Even fo in this great
skillfull change, we may fo order the mat-
ter, and match the two Combatants, that
is the meat and feeder, fluff or doer, with
fuch proportion that one (hall either gee

the

L i B.4. The Holy Guide. 7 9

the vifrory, and eat up the other quite, or
both maimed alike and weakened-

10. To be plain, if wc give this mighty
child and fon of Gold, but a little food
(the quantity 1 leave to difcretion) be will
be able to turn it throughly into his own,
felf-fame nature, and thereby to mend hirri-
fclf and increafehis own heap and quan-
tity ; but it you will make Gold which
isyourlaft ind andpurpefc, match your
Medicine with a greit deal and hundred
times as Ynuch, or Co (your eyes (ball teach
you) and bo:h (hall work alike upon each
other , and neither fhali be changed
throughly, but make one mean thing be-
tween both , which may be Gold if you
will,or what you will, according to your
proportion.

ii. And if you perceive not, mark
how (the comparison is fomewhat bafe,but
fit and often ufed by our men) thqjf make a
fliarpeand flrong Medicine, called leaven
of the beft wrought flower which is dough;
and fuch another of milk well mingled in
the calves bag, called Rennet ; and how by
matching them with juft proportion of
flower and milk , they turn them into the
middle natures of dough and curdes, no-
thing fo fit; mark it well; nayfith you
begin to call meto examples, I will play
and load you with them , and yet I will lay

no

30 The Holy Guide. L1B4.

no ftrangc burthens upon you, nonet the
quick nature of the ScotcifhS«:a , turning
Wood into Gccfe; nor yctthc Eagles fea-
ther* that lying among Goofc quiils, eat
them up, twj more marve^us changes,
then all thefe that are profeffed in the Art of
changing; yet I leave them, I fay for
things too ftrangc, and far off my pur-
pofe.

12. There are many witcrs and ear.h?*
which lam credibly informed by ,G. AgrU
Cc/i, and others as good Au hors , are in-
dued with the properties to 1 urn any plant,
wight, or liiettal into ftone. Cardan tells
of a lake in Ireland , wherein a flake ftuck
down, will turn in one years fpacc, fo
much as flicks in t^c mudde into ftone, and
(o much asftands in the water into Iron,
th* reft remaining Wood ftill.

13. There is an old mine pic in the hill
Car^axt in Hungary , wherein the people
daily ftcep their Iron and wake it Copptr 5
thereafons of thefc things is plainly, that
which I brought for our great and golden
change, and likened to R ennet atfd haven
here be for:.

1 4. The waters and earth which afionifh
things in that order, are ever more infeft-
ed and mixed with fume very irange ftony ,
Juice, as A&rkda faith? and reafon agrceth

Wnly in the matters, when they no foon-

W

Lib. 4. The Holy Guide. 31

er reft from running then they go into
ftone •, nay Pliny faith the ftony (ticks in,
Arcadia goes into (lone running. J. Ho-
tham meanc thereby to try fuch a thing
upon his Lord the great Grecian M narch,
when he gave it him to d rink , it killed
him.

15. The Iiifh wat*r is without doubt
mineral, and as I gather by the difcription
tempered and dyed- with the Iron juice
which is calted Ferrugo; but every man
knowvth for ccrrain that that the matter of
Car fat is Copperas water; now Car fat is
as near the nature as the name of Copper,
which the Greeks fee out moft clearly, cal-
ling Copper ChalcuW) and that other Cbdl-
canihus, aad the done Pyrites or Marcafite
(as it is terr.-d in Arabia} that breeds them
both, it is like leaven to dough made of
Coppepjand raifed to a (harp quality which
when it. is loofened into water, and by
draining and by difti. ling up and down in
that hiJI , refmcd,it becomes yet more (harp
andftrong, able eafi'y to overcome Iron, a
like and near weaker thing ( for -what is
near to Iron as Copper?) and turn him
into his own foilemcan and middle na-
ture.

But how {hall we (hew that Copcrag
comes of Copper in that order? Firft the
proof of our men makech clcar3when they

turn

g* The Holy Guide. L1B.4

turn that into this, and this into that fo
commo'ly.

16. Then the authorities of Geber and
Agrkoli (the beft skilled in mineral mat-
ters of all that ever wrote) the one after
th it h tad obierved it long in Mines, fee-
ling it down for a rule* and Geber calling it
the Gum, as it were dropingsof Copper;
but chiefly the workmen^ da ly practice
who by following the (repp* of nature,
ibftening and diflMving t\u brazen ftone
Pyrites , do commonly make Copper; let
u? now fee what arc hath done by counter-
feiting thsfc patterns by Nature fet (o
plainly before her ; if (he hath not dons
as much and more, furcly (he was but a
rude and untoward child ; let us fee what
is done,

17. She hath likewife, and as well as Na-
ture ; by a ftiarp ftony water , calied Salt
G^mrne water, turned wood into ftone,
yea and niettals alfo into precious ftones,
not by aoy counterfeit way which Glafs-
makers ufe, but Philofophicaliy and natu-
rally , by a marvdlous clear and ftrong
Water of Qjick-filver , leading them back
to the middle nature of Rnc ftones.

18. To lit pafs middle minerals which
by the fame cou rfe we eafily change one in-
to another, (he rurncti Antimony into
Lead, and this into Tin eafily, becaufcas

that

Lib, 4- The Holy Guide. 33

that is unripe Lead > fo this is unripe Tin
alfo. Thefe things AgrkoU reported* and
tells the way of the firft by conco&ion on-
ly, but not of the fecond , which Paraccl-
jm fupplicth, by purging him our way of
binding with Sal Armoniack. I coullfet
down a way to turn Iron into fuch Steel as
will cut Iron as faft as this will cut wood,
and bare out all fmall (hot, but that they
arc both but on kinde, one better purged
then the other , as indeed fo arc all the
mettals, though net io neareiy ; II led.

19. Even fc Ieftccmcf the Silvery and
Golden Copperas, which nature fome-
times yeilds under ground, and Art coun*
tcrfeits by our binding, and colouring rules
above fet, as Jgrkcla tells andteacheth;
neither think thefe baftard wits cut quite
out of rule, but fo follow the fame rea-
fons of nature 5 and as the reft take the fin-
er like part, and leave the profs unlike, fo
do thefe feed upon their like, the fowler
parts, and leave the better as unlike their
Nature.

20. But to proceed to turn Iron into
Copper by Copperas -water , is fomewhat
more ordinary then the reft 5 Agriceh faith
an old parting water which is made there-
of (as we know) will do it, but the work-
men in the hill Kuttenberg in Gemany, do
more nearly follow nature in that hill of

Carf&t2

34 The Holy Guide. Li B.4,

Carpaty for they drain a ftrong Lee from
the brazen ftone, that is, they make Cop-
pras^water ftrongly and kindly , and by
flecping their Iron in it make very good
Copper -9 nay i\mhtr>?aracelfus faith again,
lhac in Caften they turn Lead alfo into
Copper, and though he nanieth not the
means in that place,yet otherwhere he do:h,
and teacheth how by Copperas fundry
ways (harptnedj to turn both Lead and
Iron into Copper , in which place he de-
livereth another pretty feat tounloofeboth
Iron and Copper into Lead again, and this
into Quick»iiiver, by the force of a (harp
melting duft which Miner* ufe, and this
our common rule (fill of (hanger likes;
for this duft being of the fame nature ftill,
which exalted Lead and Qnick-filvt r , two
great foftners and loofencrs of hard bodies,
is able to make tic ftubborn mettals, retire
and ycild into the middle place of Leadj
and this is Quitk filver.

21. Now then wc fee that Art hath
reached and overtaken all the Natural
changes of Minerals ; why may not (he by
the pattern divife more of her ff If, as the
grief of good workmen is, and go beyond
nature, and turn ihe foul mttta?s into fine
Silver and Gold ? She hath a gre:t advan-
tage of nature 5 fift for patrerns, andthui
her helps ia woiking; and hilly the help

and

LiB4- The Holy Guide.

and inftru&ioa of a divine wic and under-
(landing , whereby no marvail if all wife-
men have faid^ (he paffeth nature.

22. Albeit it is uncertain whether nature
have fuch a Golden Medicine in her bofom
hid, or no, as well as thofe of Copper y
Stoncs,and (uch, yet this is fure, that by the
baftard way of binding (as we have heard
before) {he turneth Lead and Tin , and
perhaps Copper too , but futely by Quick-
fiver and Silver into Gold.

Then I fay it is a fign of a weak and
(hallow wit, if Art cannot by thefe pat-
terns aforefaid, devife further to turn other
masals into Silver and Gold; is It any
rrore then to raifc and exalt Silver into
Gold? but this will ferve for both inro
very fharpc, ftrange qualities, able Ike
the reft, to devour and turn their own like
meat into their own middle nature from
whence they fprung. Certainly thereafon
is (o plain and ready5that 1 mufi needs deem
him left f hen a child that cannot conceit its
nay bend your ears and minds.

23. By rcafon, if tbe workmanbe very
ftrong over the ftuffe, he will turn in try*
al , things unlike and contrary a* well,
though not fo e iiely as like and friend-

ry;

And for the proof of (tony juices, turn-
ing all (ores of things, even metulsthem-

felves

3 6 The Holy Guide. LiB.4#

fclves into ftone, as hath been found by the
ftampe remaining ; of Antimony and
Copperas turned into Lead and Copper,
of the ripening of the Mineral Mines of
Lead and Gold eating dung and urine, and
l'uchlikc exchanges fee down before, I am
led to think that a tery lufty andftrong
Medicine would be able to change other
things as well as mettals , cfpecially Mine-
rals into Gold ; fome of our men fay no,
becaufc their wants in the reft the ground
of Qii'ick-fiiver , the knot of friendfliip
and unity, I grant it were hard in re~
fpeft of the right way, and yet 1 holdic
poffible.

And thus you have feen the ability of
Hermes medicine, to turn bafc mettals into
Gold by three fundry ways; firft as he is
fown and rifeth again to be made medicine,
which I call begetting; and then by chang-
ing the little food that is given him into
his own nature; to make him wax and
grow in heap and bignefs , which I term
nourifhment ; and laftly by changing the
great ftorc of ftuffc 5 wherewith we march
half way into the middle nature of Gold*
yrhich is the beft change and drift of our
purpofe. And this I may do well to call
mixtion, though Sir Cbrijlopher Heydon and
Fernei name it begetting alio , as it is a
kind indeed ? bun beeaufe it gocth not the

kind

-^ *t

L1B.4. The Holy Guide. 37

kind way, let it go and us keep our order
with our brethren.

CHAP. III.

The Rofie Crucian
Medicines.

Of feed. 2. Of increaftng Gold. 3. 7be
quality of Gold. 4. Of nature in concoft'wn.
5. Changeable fluff e. 6 How nature made
Quich^filver and turned it into Gold 7. Of
purging. 8. Of Lightnings 9. Of fire-flyes.
10. Of the Star-fi(b9 and other things. 1 1 Of
the nature of fires. 12. Of Hellen slar and
cauje of lightning and thunder. 13, The
power and venue of Kofte Crucian Medicines.
14 The firfi matter of Gold. 15. Of hot fti*
rits. 16 Of the fiery quality of Gold and it i
power. iJ*Of the fernitious quality of cold
frozen countries. 18. Of the under [landing
(fir its of the airy and the lively jfiri ts of hea-
ven. 19. Ofthefpiritofrnettals. 20* Of a
natural flone that confumetb all the fltfh and
hones of a dead man in fourty dayes3 and of
other things. 21. Why Copper-water parts
fiver frfffygbli. 22; Hotflomackf. 23. Di-
h 1 teftim

3^ the Holy Guide. Lib. 4.

re&ions to Pbilofopbers* , 245. Examples.
25. How gold got its hi^b red colour.

NO v, how (hill our fon of Gold be!
able to lubdue and turn fo much ol|
bafe mettds with Co little change andtra
vail, and fo great return again as we hive
promifed? it is for three caufes; rlrft, fo
thebitctrnefs and readinefs of th? ftuffc tc
be changd; and then for the great ftorc
and ftrength of the changing workman
to (cnda.wuy the lightdt ftill firft end fore
moft; and laftiy for his increafe in ftor
and quantity, which may be made by fow
ing and nourifhing the fon of Gold with
out number; for fowing firft, There b
lundry forts of fowing and making th
our medicine; one is an excellent way, bq
abareand naked and lorfe way; becaufe i
Gold can be made fie and open to b<
wrought, as beh ves a feed, he hath al
b th fluff? and wot krran, male and frmali
feed within himl'tlf; and the lefs contaguj
there is of unclean (tuff • , the more excel
lent and mighty will he rife again-, this waj
by deep and painful wit , hath been ibvn
times tdksn, but very feldom, becauftiti
viry hard, long, andirkfome, and iherc
fore we will leave italfo; but chLrlybe
caufe it crofTeih my purpcte above (did;
for if it befown alone, he cannot rife in

creafedl

L I B . 4. The Holy Guide* 3 9

created; whereas we ddircto augment hi*
quantity, thtn thc^e are two kinds of
grounds, and y<;t both one kindc, which
we m^y put unto him to corrupt him cafily
and raife him again with great increafe, md
quantity; one nearer his nature then ano-
ther. To much is enough for that.

Now for the ftore of ground fitt to be
laid about hitr, thirds a chcycebttteror
WorfeaKb; but that is no great muter, fo
you ksepthemeafure and diflretion which
a common feds -man can keep, neither to
ioverl y and drownchim, nor to leave him
dry and barren; then to our purpofeicaftin
your felf what iricfeafe in ftore one grain of
corne will yieM , within few times fowing;
when I had a little leafu're I did once carl
what one grain?, by the incnafe cf fifty
(which happens often) would arife to in
f.vcn times fowlng, and I wearied my (elf
with an endleffe matter.

A gi eater fumme then any msn would

think. I have forgotten it5caft you that have

leifure : Now a graine, I mean an ounce,

of our feed, though it rifrth not with fuch

advantage(for if it were fofowne, it would

be quite drowned, or at icaft not worth the

tarrying) y^t it rewards it another way,

I with fpced in working: For albeit, the firft

time be much a like, about forty weeks or

rfiich a matter; yet the fecond is run much

LI 2 fboner^

-

i-" ■ -■ i-r .

40 'Ike Holy Guide. LiB»-4.

(ooner, both becaufenow he is fofter then
the firft feed, and eafierrobe loofned, and
aifo mightier, and more able to turn the
work over, fo that we keep our fclvcs with-
in the number of ten, as fomc do f«t the
boundsjyet 1 think the midft bctvic^duplum
and dtcuflmn a notable mean, although thaC
be as it happcneih, yet by this great h-fte &:
fpeed, we may quickly overtake lnhni-

cv A

1, But if you think this too flow a courfe
let us runn to the next; increafc by nourifh*
menr^whofe great fpecd and rcadinefls will
eafi'yfupplyall and fill tbebtsgeftdefirc in
the world* after the Son or Gold hath been JC
once fowne , and raifed again, he is now a« n\
blc to wo) k mighti!y,and not before,and [d m
turne one hundred parts of his due meat, \m
into a third middle thing, Gold his fathers *l
nature 5 this no w will (how hereafter; then ^
if h. be able to turne an hundred times as
much half way, he can furtly a> eaiiiy an
quickly one part.thacis no more then him
klf, quite through into his own fe'f-Gm
nature, efpecially if that food befiiver o
Gold, which is beilof^al! to the purpofe
then he is now twice as oig and as llrong a
h« was before, able to devoure as much
gain;and (o for ever, for chisftrer.gth (h
mver bt aba ed, w.ien after his feeding
u left the fame ftilJ, or even as one Ca

at

Ll B. 4 rhc Holy Guide. 4 1

die lights another $iil or more ftrangely,
though nor To largely, like unto th*e Load-
ftone, which as Plato reporitth, afte it
hath drawn one ri? g oflron,it giveth pow-
er to draw another, and thus mito 1 he ne^t
until! yon nuk: a Jong row dni jink of
rings , dote and faf}3 one hanging upon a-
nother.

3. Then fith we may To foon heap up To
great a quantity of this Golden medicine,
jt nuy chance we (hail no? need any great
belpofthereadincfs cf the ftuf] and fireng<h
Df the woikman; and if but ten parts of the
Cjold mighc bs made at ones , between a
weak woikman and a fluff, vet perhaps it
would ftrve the turne to raife the fumm ap-
pointed : But fuppcfc it comtneth fhort
|:cn pares of the way, yet, if through the
neans of the nearneffe of the (tuff, and force
^f the doer, one part may came to turne a
lundred, then we (hall fupply and ovci-
akcal! the want and hinderance : Let u«
fee.

4. And firft apain of the ffuf£ becaufe ic
is the fhoncr and eafier matter ; a thing fit
,ind eafy to be changed w^en it is Jik. the
.uture of the workman, & nearer the ways
:nd.

The (traight affinity and nearnefle of the
fottals one to another we have opened < -.
>ove, when we found them all to re one
L I 3 (faing,

42 I he Holy Guide. L1B.4.

thing, differing only by certain hang-byes'
of clearrieis.clofericfr^and colour fpringing
out from the odds ofconco&ion,and that
if the fame concoction hold,they wil come
at length to their journeys < nd, which they
ftrive unto, the perfection of gold, except
pc: hap? Iron and Coppc* 5 by over (udditn
beat orfome other foule means , have ben
led out of the way , yet they may be led
back again snd deanfed as we beard before,
and yet they were all midc at fir ft ofquick-
iilver, afoul and greafy thing in refpeft,
and ih:n wer grimed and bcfporred great-
ly again 5 with the fouie earthly B.imftone
which afterwards Came upon the m, where*
by they were all groff; and ill coloured, o-
pen and fubjeft to fire, and other fpoyling
enemie?, before by long,gcntlc and kindly
cmcocVioo, all the foule and grofe ftuff was
cleanfed and rcfi"<cd,and fo made apt to take
good colour, (as we fee in plants and all
things) andto'gatbcf it (elf up clofe toge
th^andl ktncfle to be weighty, for the
much fine fluff in a narrow room, when
Lada'qd Qj-ick-filver , heavineffe follow
from the r^wneffc; and laftly, to be fledfa
and Cic from the hre^ and all other enemli
tuft there wa„s never any way of •en
ncc info great clofeneffe, left, to majc
•ion and diifolu.ion, thtis dcftruM

9nJ

L1B4. ihe Holy Guide. 43

on,nor yctanygrcafy ftuiTthe food of fyre
itmaining.

5. Wherefore we fre the neir neighbour-
hood ci mcttals, and caiinefle to be changed
one into another, (cfpeciaUy if we work
upon Silver, which is half Gold already )
when they want nothing of Geld, but ei-
ther long or gentle concoction, crinflcjd
there* f (becaufe we cannot tar.yJasnYong
ard tierce one ani'werable unto it, flrft to
cltnfe out all the grofle and grcafy ftuff,
and then to bring colour upon it.

£0 that I cannot but wonder at thofe men
if th ybe learned, who, in reproof of this
Art unknown, vouch, unfitn efl« of the ftuff
to be changed, faying that Men als being of
fundry kindes and natures , cannot be tur-
ned before they be brought into that fluff,
whereof they were flrft made and falhioncd,
which we do not when we melt them only,
and which is not edily to be done. It is a
fign that either they never knew, or at that
time reitefnbred not that nature of a Mct-
tal, or ot the firftftufli for if they mean the
Grecian fuppofed firft empty and n?.k*d fturT
without fhapf, but apt to recieveali, e-en
that which is the middle (late of a thing
lading but a moment, when by the way ci
making and marring (which our men with
Hi$Q:raies call changing) it is paffing from
One to another, then if yielded and quickly
L 1 4 gran^d (

44 * he Holy Guide . LiB,^

granted with Ge&er, Arnald^Lully and many-
more learned men, pn our fide, that in that
very violent work of changing the Mettall
being fo farr altccd and broken, even in-
to duft of another fdfhion, I think I muft
drive them to blow tni f^d,as they fay, and
thcykaow not whu to anfwer.

6. But ifthey mcanc as they fcemed to
do, we fhould not melt our tYIcttal, but
bring him back unto his neareft beginning
and fluff Quick iilver, and then put on our
fh^pe and forme upon him, according to
the kindly fenving of Gold, upon his bafe
ground abov; faid, they arc deceived not
knowing the nature of Matals; for they be
not of fundry kinds and beings (as they
fayj but all one thing differing by degree of J
bakeing,like divers loaves of one pafte, that
it were madneiTe if any of them lacked bake*
ingtolead him back, or irair or fpoyh
him of his fafhion, but in the fame forme
and being to bake him better, and fo did
nature in the Ground, in bikeingquick-fil-
v<r , or lead into Gold, (he went forward
and not backward with the matter; Nay
why go I fo farr with them? they never
maiked the nature of their own words,
which they ufe in their own Rhilofophy,
where changing is fitting only, and fhift of
thofe hang • byes called accidents, the

forme,

:

JLiB.4« The Half Guide. 4^

form?,kirde and being of the thing remain-
ing.

Then "if the fluff be Co fit, let us fee what
the work is, not in (tore which is done al-
ready, but in force and power; his ftreng?h
and power is (ten in two things purging
and colouring; Firft hemufl mightily Chew
himfcif in purging and driving out ail the
gfciTcgrcafineffeof thefiuffe,and then when
all is fine, clezre, and clofe, be ought to
ftretchhimfelf at large, and to fprcad farr
forth in colour upon it; for albeit long &
gentle heat purging by concoction, of ic
feJf breeds and brings good colour, yet this
over-fhort, and violent hen proportioned
doth not fo (as I (hewed above in th? dif-
courfc of binding and colouring)but needs
bring colour wi'h him already coyned.

7. So that v*h< n he purge* h the ftuffun-
derftand; hedraweth not cut the foulear.d
grofs ftuffjand depart* away from the work
frit hall, as the foul purging binder did;
but being a clean and fine thing like the na-
ture of a wight, he purgcth by digeflion and
cxpuliion, driving out the foul and unlike
parts as leavings, taking and embodying
with him fejf the iUnc and dearc for food
and nourimment.

Then let us fee how this work of purging
is performed, for that is all,?.nd the colour
hangeth upon the fame-, and is done all un-
der

46 The Holy Guide. L1B.4.

derone, as we ihali hear in going out of
this treat ife, if nothing purg<th but heac
through conco&ion, and this ever to be
meafured according to the ne^i and behoof
of the work underhand$and we muli fcour e
an hundred time* as much fluff in one or
two or three hours fpace at mod (Tor that
is their tas-k)thcn we had need of a marva-
lous fiery Medicine, befides the great out-
ward hear, to prick him forward5fcarce to
be found within the compaflc of the world
and niturc; ic muft (hew it ielf an hundred
times fiercer then a binder, which was fcant
able in longer time and firungcr heat to
fcoure and purge one parr, and as much of
the fame fluff.

8. This is a marvailous hard point: 1
had need whet my thoughts and memory,
and all the weapons of wit unto this mat-
ter; ifwe frarch all about and rifle the
corners of kinde, we (hall fi.ideno fire i\
the world fo hot and fierce, 2nd the light-
ning able to kill plants and wights & melt
mtttalls, and to perfcrme other fuch like
marvailous things in a niomeir.

As (to Ie: pafleplanrs noc fo ftrong) I
have read of eightLep*rsin the Id; oiLermos
wh'ch as thty fat at me t under an Oak?,
wcie all fuddainly ft: ucken ftarke dead
therewith, feiting fiill in the fame guife of
living and eating creatures; agtin that ic

harh

Lib. 4- The Holy Guide. 47

hath fometimes paflcd through apurfe at a
mans fide , ard meted the Coyne withou*
hurting the leather, becaufe fitch a fuUa"
ble and fpeedv fire found that rcfti~Pg flay to
work on, in the Mcttal which it wanted in
the ope nind yielding leather, and many
more fuch ftrangc deeds we may finde done
by that molt violent fire,thcn our firy work;
man if he be tasked as he is to work as greet
winders as thefe be, had need to he fierce
and vehement, as the fire of lightning',
as ids fometimes termed in our Philofo-

-. Let us match inefe two together, and fee
how they can agree, that all things n a e
Lyed, and as it were ftrucken together, the
light of truth may at laft appear, and (hine
foith of the comparison-, lec us as ful-
ly faith , ar. the fi.ft fetting out , lanch
and row a little eafy bciore we hoyfeup
fayle.

Gold of it felt in Philofophy is a
fire that if it he raifed and increafed cne
hundred degrees in quality it may Well
item to prove the grtauft fie in the
world.

9. But our men as they fpeak all things
darkly3 fo thispethapsin reeard of oher
mettals, or rather becaufe like the SaLi-
tnandtYy not like the fire fli-s (for though
the Salamander can as well as Serptnts egs,

4# The Holy Guide. L1B.4.

byhis extrcam coldncfle3qucnch a little fire,
yet a ftrong fire confumes him and puts him
out of being ) becaufe I fay^ike the fire fiy
he doth live and fumifh in the fi c, when at
indeed Gold3as all ether mctta!s,is cold and
vraterifh farr from the fire.

10. And yet it is not the owtward (low
of the body*'One that m.kes a fiery n.-turr,
but femetime? the inward qualify doth the
deed of fire 5 (if we fpeak at Janrc as the
common cuftome is) and fo the Srarr Fifh
in the Sea burrs all (he touched, and a
cold fpring in Sdavonia. fcts on fire any
cloarh fpread over upon it* and to come
ncare by fuch fid v force dr th the water fix.
in Tbeffaiy pierce through in any vr (fell fave
an horfe hoofe-

11. But now we are come unto the deep,
let us hoyfe up fail* and fpczk more proper-
ly and Philojyhically, and more neare the
J urpofe; let us I fay h?arc the ni! ure of fire
and how it commcth fire, as they bound it,
and wc (hall find* it if we mark this off--
fprlng, as a very hor and dry (u.bftance; the
flrft caufe of fire is motion, a gathering and
driveing much dry fluff into a rairow.
(traJghr, which by (tirring and ftrivingfor
his life and being, is ftill made more clofc,
fi fie, and hot , that its nature will bearc
and fufTer ; and fo it breaketh out at laff,
and is turned into another larger, and

thinner,

LlB4- rf>e Holy Guide. 4-9

thinner,riryer and hotter naturc,called fire:
hence the great underground fires, in JEtna
Hecli and many other places, grow and
fpring at fir ft, when the cold drweth a heap
ot hot earthly breaths and vapours, either
round up and clofe together , or along
thtough the narrow and rough place?, rub-
ing and wringing out fire, which the natu-
ral fatnefle of the ground feeds for c-
ver.

12. So the Starr called Helleri-flarr, that
lights a fign (o dangerous upon the table of
the (hip, and falling melts Copper veflall?,
and commtth of an heap of fuch yapours ,
carried up by violent erode windes, (o that
by rubbing Milftones, Flints and fuch like,
we fee fire arifc after the fame manner; and
this is the manner of the fpring of all fire,
others flow from rhif, one ftill Towing as ic
were one anothcr^but if the ftufFof this fire
be tough and hard, and then when it is
wrought into fire, if it be moved again a»
pace, it provtth for thefc two caufesa mar-
vailous hor and violent fire, whence fprin-
gesh all tre torcc of Lightning; for it is no-
thing tile out a heap of thick andbrimftony
Vapoursfas fome hold withfeafonjby the
cclneHiof the cloud; beaten up clofe in
that order, and now being turned of a fud-
dain into a larger and thinner Element then
it was before, when ic was earth and Water,

his

50 'ihe Holy Guide. L1B.4

his own phcc will not hoi 1 him, and fo by
the force of nature, ftriving for room and
liberty, he ic^ts the clouds in that manner
which we heare in thunder,and burflcth out
out at laft\a great and fwift pace, as we Tea
in lightning* much fwifrnefTe together with
the to ugh neffc of the fluff, finely wrought,
mak^s up his violence above all fires la the*
world

13. Now for the Son of GoM and Her*
tnes his /Vledicinc, what kinie of n\e is he,
when he can be no fuch Element, extrcatn
hot and dry fire} for he is temper ue, and
frarhall the qualities equal!, & none work-
ing above an>ther,and yet indeed by reafon
of itafine and sough (an 1 therefore migh-
ty body)wh reon they be feared, they work
in equality together, much more torcibly,
thac thi extreamly diftempered cold and
drypoyfon* can worke alone and as fan*
and teftr then they dtvoureand deftroydi-
(lemp-red bodies; thefc do overthrow the
contrary ; Then what fire he is I (hewed be-
fore, how full fluffed with heavenly fpirks
above all things, and fo he is an heavenly
fire, which is much mor^ eflfe&uali in pow-
er, and mightier in Action then t^ato-
ther ; by reafon of his exceeding fubcilj
a Ss , able to pierce through ro;k?, all
thing?, where that other fmall quickly
days,

14. Admifi

L t B.4. The Holy Guide. 5 1

14. Admit it fay you, if that heavenly
fire were quick3frtc and at full liberty : but
it is faft bound up in a hird body ; th<n I
will give you all the r<afon,rend your wits
unto it; Gold at firft was fully. fraugbted
with the rnoft piercing fi e«n the world,
and then came and wrought it into a moft
fine flowing oyle, and fo unbound it and
fet it at full liberty : not fo freely indeed
as in heaven , but as it can be in a earthly
body, clofely crouded up together, (which
help) heats as in a burning - glsfle, upon a
nioft ftrong and mighty body farr above all
things in the world; and Iaft ly with a vio-
lent outward fire, me feat all thefe apart
away to work together.

1 5. Judge then ycuthat have Judgement,
whetfcerit were not like tobeftir it ft If as
lightning; Coppar* the heat of the hot.
fpirits, is as great; and if it were not, yet
th irpaflingfubrilnelTc would requite thac
matter esfit'y, and make him even; yea and
perhaps when they be diawn and carried
up clofe togeiher, make fome odds and dif-
ferences between them ; but furely the ex-
creding tcughrefle of the body (as we fee
in Iron and ths reft) augments heat great-
ly , and carrieth him farr beyond it.

16. Now for the pace, it is much fwif-
rer , and drivin by a much (tronger mover,
even fo much as a founders fire pafieth in

ftrcngth

5 2 The Holy Guide. Ll B.4

ftrcngtb, the top of a thick cloud; for this

ishettut fends that lightning which tlfe

would tnve flowne upward?; thti eforc bc-

eauic ihc fire is ftronger, and hath the helps

of body ?"nd motion farr more favourable,

the fire of the Son of Gold muft needs palTe

the lightnings in power, and woixkifull

working. Then bethink y^ur ftlf, wTth

what calc and fpeed, (uch a fiery rreciant

were like to pierce and breakthrough, fift

ani fearch all about, and fo fc urc and

clenfe a great made of foule installs? how

many times more then a weak and grofle

miner all binder ? fatten and bfnd your

mindes upon it : we fee how a weak waref-

ifh or earth y breath in a narrow place,

within a cloud* the groundj or a GtinnJ

fall is but thunder) becaufe he is fo fud-

dainly turned into a Jarge Element, and

lackuh roonic, beftirrs himfelf, and wor*

kcth marvailous deeds; what may we think

then of the heaps of thofe falfe reports pf

heaven , and of that moft flrong Golden

body>c!ofcly couched up together in a little

rcom,whtn they be in a narrow veflel drc-

ven out, and (pred abroad at large by a

mighty fire, and thereby (rill pricked and

egged forward, (for as long as the fire

holderh, jhey cannot be ftill, nor draw in

themfelves again) what thing in the fturdi-j

eft Mcctal can be able to withfiand? how tM

fily

LlB4. Ihe Holy Guide. 53 W

hiiV.y (hall they aft down all that comes

[in their way, brake and bruize all topow-

H?r. May not we all fay plainly tint

l.vhkh the Poet bybonowed fpecch avouch*

I:th, that Gold lovcth to pafs through the

•nid left of the Goards , yea and to pafs

hroutih the rocks , being more mighty

:hcn the ftroak of lightning, it is fo fic5as

f it had been made for- the matter.

17. I have heard t. at* the extream cold
weather in Layii and Finland ('which are
mder ne poles girdle of the wotldj peir-
:e:h and freezeth, and cracketh the rock?,
/caandM ttalline vefTls \ again that the
Doyfomd Cockatrice by his violent, cold,
mcl dry breath , doth the fame on the rock
where fbe treadeth 5 then what may we
udge of the force of our fiery medicine up-
on the mettals, by thefe comparifons? How
lercely and quickly were ic like to divide
ind break them . having an extream fire,
the greateft fpoiler of all things, to over
match the cold and dry quality? and a much
ftrongcrbody then thefe vapors which car-
ried the former qualities, and both thefe

Jfent with far greater fpced and ftaifc-
nefs , as appears in the difference of the
1 movers >

18. Lift up your ears U mark what I fay?a
deaf Judge had nomeed hear thefe matters;

Mm «wh©

5* the Holy Guide. L1B.4

who bath not feen how Quick- fiiver enters,

cuts and rents the me tals, though many

doubt and differ about the caufe thereof ?

Cardan thinks thst ^ like a- we find of the

eo!d weather in thofc frozen count »ic?a

fo this marvailous cold m-ttaiine water ,

entering the metuls freezrth their moifture

within thcm,*nd make then crackc zvA fall

afunder, and therefore Gold iooneft of all

other, became his moifture is ftnzftt even as

foddm water foi* his finenefs fretzeth foon-

tr then cold. Surely very wittily Vatacel-

fus deems this dons by th? fpirkua] fubtil-

ty of the body, even as ths under (landing

fpiritsof the air, and the lively Spirits of

heaven ufc to peirce through ftone walls

and rocks , by the fame frrength5 without

the force of qualities \ but t think his ra«

for his hxonger-like qualities, feeking

to devour them ; elfc he would peirce your

your hand and leather, and fuch Iikeeafie

things which he leaved 1 untouched as un«

likes and ftrangers •, as for thr qualities of

Q2i;k-fi'ver, it is a qucftion what they are,

and which excelleth ; forejudge her vc:y

cold, feme again marvailous lios (as Vara*

(elfui for one ) fom^moift, other dry, but

as (he bah' them all apparently, foldecra

her temperate, like Ttu 1 hat fprung from

Ur, and aliayft like unto her. Gold J

mean

LlB.4> the Holy Guide* % 5

mean, though perhaps the quAidc* be not
all in her, as in him, (o equally bal-
anced.

} 1 9. But let the cafe be what it will (I
love cot to fettle upon uncertain matters)
the great fpiritof rrjettal* after (he is firir
wrought into Gold , and then into his fon
our medicine , (hall be in any rea.oabotli
•for body and foul an hundred times ftrong-
•r and more able to do it j nay Antimony
and Lead are much groier thro Qokk- til-
?cr , and yet you fee how they rend, t«ar,
andconfumebafc met tals even to nothing;
but wha? fay we to plants ? there is a great
difference in fharpenc fs aDd ibiiity to
peircc and enter between a thor nc and a
needle, and yet you heard abev^ the gen-
tle plants of the vine , aod the middle dt\v
of heaven yeild ftuile to an eating wj ter,
able within three or four dift.l lings to de-
vour and diflblvc mettals ; then what (hall
not onely (harpc mineral racers, but this-
our almighty Gold medicine (tew upon
them , which bciiclca that wcndcri'ulpaf-
fing, (harp, tnd peirting body hath the
great help (which i hey want) of that hea-
venly fire, and of her fwiftnefs, ftirrcdup
by a mighiy mover? Thefe things are e-
nough tofum:cany rcafonable man(if they
will not ftop their ens agair.ft the found
M m 2 of

5*

The Holy Guide. Lib. 4,

of rcafonj touching the power, might,and I
ftrength of our Medicines.

20. What is then bchinde, the holyi
Guide hath taught us all things ; yet I hearl
them wif per, that albeit thefe medicines of 1
ours have fuch thundering power, yci|
they may not force (o our purpofc of con-
fuming all the mettals ( as the guife and]
forcible ufe of fuch fiery things as ) with-
out: regard or choice of any part or porti-
on; but it is not always 1 hope the guifc
of violent things; I need not go far
there is a natural ftonc in Hazo, which b]
a mighty and ftrangc property ufeth, b
feurty da)esfpaceto con fume and makf away ai
theflepand bones of a dead mans body> \av\n\.
the teetby which he leaveth everfafe and whok'y\
and therefore they called it in times pal
. fltfh cater, and made tombes thereof foi
dead , and boots for Goutty men ; I couh
clog a world ©f readers with like exam*
pies, if I might be fuffered, but weigl
this one and our artificial Pantarva togcj
ther. Why m ay not it as well have
choice and fame, a part of this great waft<
and fpciling/* they know not why, anc
how then? there are many deep > hidden]
and caufclcfs properties in the bofom
kind and nature , which no mans wit
able to reach and fie into, the world is

L1B.4 TheHoly Gnide. 57

of them , when Art is open, and all his
Ways known. Indeed the world is full, of
late of fuch fcncelefs and blind Philofo*
piers (which like as the Poers when the
Stoick a little calls on Jove by many names,
to help to (hors upthefallof averfe, or
flop the gap in the number) fothty when
their eyes are dazled upon the view of a
deep matter, flye to nature as faft , and to
hide her unfearchablc iccrets , to cover the
fhame of ignorance , as though God mo-
ved all with his finger (as they fay) with-
out any middle means and inftruments.
. There is nothing done without a middle
"; caufe fore-running, if it were known , as
J I think it is to Tome, though never fo dark
jj and hid from others 5 and therefore to
come to the purpofc , as the reafon of the
1 natural eating ftonc , was clear to Agxkola
though unknown to P/ircy, and many more
j" the reporters ) and found to be for the
loofc and light temperatures, and Cop-
peras water, fie to eat the flefh and fofter
, bones, and yet unable to do a thing above
his ftrength, thatis, to overcome thehar-
der ; even fo you may think the reafon in
this like property of the FL C. Phyfick,

IPantarva,^. is feen to fome: for certainj&
howfoerer it was my luck to fee it , I can.
not tell, it hath been fure unfolded twenty
Mm 3 times

58 7 he Holy Guide.

Lib.

times at leaftj in the fpeech going before, if
you renumber well, itfollawcth the high
and common way of all nature, I mean
that eating nature; for all things eat, and
that is the caufe of things done below; then!
there is nothing eats and devours all the
ftuflfe wUch ic overcometh, but fomuch as
is like and turnablc, the reft hcleaveth as|
ftrang* and untouchable* fodid all the foul
bidders purge above; nay (o aad nooihr]
ways, doth the lightning and all firceai
andconfume the ftuff fubducd, turning th<
aire and water into fire, and leaving th<
earth and aftes ; even fo doth our rocdi«
cine > after ic hath driven out and (batterer
all uaclcanncfs, is t*ke« and (tokesuntx
the fine part, like unto it {elf, and makes it|
like himfelf , as far as his ftrength will
carry.

What need 1 pray> is there need any of an'
more examples ? is it not clear enough thai
all things fctk their like and (hun theii
concraries ? yet becaufe thefc Mineral Mil-
ters have been evermore very ftrmgeam
nn acquainted with the Grecians, I will fet
down one or two of the clearer cxam«
pies.

21. Why doth dfperas- water part ant
draw away filver from Gold> but Copper as i
i to Copper ; and this to filver $ for

Lcac

L1B.4. the Holy Guide. 59

Lead is to Gold) )ois this to Silver \ caft in
pla es of L ad and Copper, and that will
cle veto the Gold, and thi* to the Silver.
But Si ver is liker to Lead then Copper,
therefore to partfiiv*r from Copper , the
Miners ufe to f^fon a lump of Lead with
a little Silver that fofteneth the work and
maketh it ready, then one Silver draweth
the other part unto her , nay raw Q<nck-
,fi!vcr as (hi is ftrong in all things, fo in
this veiy wonderful, Quick-filvtr I fay the
gr-nd mother of cur medicine, and the
fpring of all her goodnefs , will quickely
receive and fwallcw, either in heat or cold,
her near friend, or very like clean, tempe-
rare,and very finebody of Gold {m& there-
fore as the one is termed unripe Gold, fo
At ocher ripe Quick-fiiver ) when the reft
Hie refufethj and bearsth aloft as foul,
grofr, and unlike her nature ; and this fe-
crct the miners alfo by thiir practice have
opened unto us when they to part Gold
from the reft, mafhed altogether inaduft
heap ; wherefore when this fine and clean
body QMck-filver a is made*by nature^and
h\ t ytt much finer and cleaner , and again
asmucn more pcircdng and fplritual, and
able to perform it , how much more deadly
will (he run to her like and devour h> the
clean 3 fine, and fplritual, that is the Quick-
IVIm 4 filvcry

60 the Holy Guide. Lib, 4.

filvcry pare of the mtttal, and if me devour
it, then ic cannot be loft, but muftweds
go into a better nature 3 even to the nature
which wedefire.

What is then to be faid more > I have not
yet bounded the matter, as I promifed, and
fhewed how ihs golden ftonc mould turn an
hundred times as much irto Gold , I have
ftiot a large cornpafs? but all at randome ;
now it is time enough every thing hath its
due time and place.

22. You have heard lam fure of the hot
flomach of the Elephant, Lizard, and Sea-
calfe, able to digeft and con fume ftonr, yea
and to come to the point, the Srruchio
(EftridgeJ thatmarvailous beaft, Iron alfo;
if the ftomach of a wight be able in a fhoi t
fpace to divide j expel, and turn the fine
part of a mctcal into his own ftlf famcli
nature. How much5and how foon may theji
ftomach of our medicine turn into Gold >
notonely an hundred times mere then the
beaft, becaufe it is an hundred times more
fitter and able to do it ; firft for the likenefs
and ncarnefs pf the fturfe, and then for the
two great heats I (peak of 5 and thirdly for
the wonderful, (ubtlc, ftrong, peircingand
cutting workman , but efpecially becaufe
he goeth not quite through with the work,
as the beafls did, but half way to the middle

Na«

1.1

Lib.*. the Holy Guide. 6i

Nitureof his fuhsr : confider and weigh

tne matter, but if he be fomewbat faroflF

the mirk, fee how woade & other things of

'< like ftrong gifts and qualities are eafily a-

blcto overcome aiu change, with whom

j they racer, even without (his preat ming-

f ling and boylihg: why (hall ic then be hard

Irforour Me iicine, with great concoSion,

J-to do the like upon his own fubjefts, for

proportion of ftrength , for ftrength will

foil jw him , as able to overcome the

ftubborne Mettais, as thefc two thcwca«

ker wafer.

23. Toclofeup all, remember what I,
f.id, and what is tnoft true and certain,
that gold is clofcft and moft full of fine larg
fpreading fluff, of any thing elfc in the
world,pafling the wonderful! gift of Silver,
in this point an hundred fold, in Co much
that one ounce of Gold, by the blunt skill
of the hammer,may be drawn out and made
to ftretch ovcr3 above twoAchcrs of ground;
Confidtr well this one point, allfhall be
plain and eafy-,1 mean to them that are lear-
ned, for theft be, no matters for dull and
mazed wits to think jn 5 then after this
fpreading Mcttal , is made a fine flowing
oylq and drawn out at length; and layed
out a broad moft thinly, by a vehement heat
of fire upon, how much will ic fpreadj may

yo«

6% The Holy Guide. L1B.4.!

you think in reafon? but inch a vUw may
qiickly dazle the eye of the undcrflandingjj
let us pifture out the matter as Plat*
ufeth.

24. Think the difference in fineneffe, in
colourbecweentheSon of Gold a >d Sil-
ver (if you will t^ake him to tu me as I bade
you) to be like the odds between very fine
Scarlet, and course white fack- clothe lee
rim be clofely (hut up together in a Walnut
(hell, this packed up as hard in a very round
pot of a quart, or of that bigneffe, whicb
willcak: the meafureof an hundred Wal
nuts; you fee the bulk of both ; and fo, if
you weigh them , one will prove an hun
dred times as much in weight as the other :
but draw them out , and fpread them one
upon another, & one (hall overtake, match
and fit another on all fides ; Now owne is
very courfe and bigg, and she Other is very
dn^ and fmall, as appears by their threeds ,:
yet the fmall may be full as flrong as the
bigg, as we fee in a lirtle gall, poyfons, &c.
it is common.

Then thefe two encountring (as we muft
fdppofe)fhall of force,hurt and chaDgeeach
other equally,and fo the exceeding fine and
grofle mingled, mike a middle thread, and
the extream read and white colour? carried
with their bodies, take a yellow mc*ne al*

fo;

JLiB,4* T A* Holy Guide. 6 3

fo : even fo you mufl think when an hun-
dred ounce* of filver, and one ounce of our
Medicine, arc both by the fire beaten, and
driven out at length and to the furtheft
thinnefle , every part overtakes , fits, and
reaches other, and the fmali part being as
ftrong as the bigger, in ftriving one over-
comes, confumea, and turncs theother,thst
neither fhail be quite raifed,but both equal-
ly changed and mingled unto a third mean
thing,both in finenefs and colour,and all o*
ther proporties whatfocvov

25. And fo you fee the colour alfo dif-
patched vfhica 1 kept in their place, and
which femeth a wonder in fomemens lights,
fol hope you will not a?k me how GoM
got this high red and unkindly colour un-
ltflc you be ignorant how all fuch hang-
byes flirt and change up and down, without
hurt to the thing that carricth them; and
except you know not, that by a kindly
courfcf whereby all foft & alterable things,
gently and foft boyled, Wax firft black, then
whitc,next ycllow,and laftly red, where they
ftopp in the top of Colour) we fee changed
and drawn up our feceds of Gold unto this
new unwonted colour; of this 1 havefpo-
ken largely in she nature and dignity of
Angel?,

• And

H

The Holy Guide. Lib 4.

And thus you have ai laft, all the reafonli
which 1 (how , or at leaft thought good tore
deliver in writing; for the truth of Her-p
me/orthcPhylofophers (lone and Medicine,*;
why is it the ready way ro bring all men ton
all Kefte Cr«//dtf-happinefle in the world I
ihuis tolongLife, Health, Youth, Riches J
Wifdome, and Vertue : it is no*w tirreto
fit down and take our reft.

Chap.

LlB.4« The Holy Guide. 65

CHAP. IV.

What the Pantarva is : The true natter

in Nature and Art : The manner

. of working: C anonic ally and or<*

derlj made manifeU in

this Book:

The place for wor\ing; 2. Heaven uncban-
gable^ all beginnings even and of other things-,
3. Of end and everlaftingnefje; 4 Heaven
and Earth\ 5 . Of God and Man; 6. Of blood;
7. Of Making and peri [hmgi, 8. Of the foure
jeedsof firife in the world; 9. The difolver
and de sir oyer of Gold; 1 o. The way of make-
ing and wording the thing [ought after;ii.Of
the body> fire and bloedof our matter; 12. The
due of Starry blood and womb for feed; ^.In-
fluences of Heaven ; 14 . Of lnflrufiions.;
15* The Quality of Countries; \6. The
Pantarva*, 17. Dr. More andVr. Freeman
Convin:td , and all the Art nta.e mani-
fest.

1. Eugenius

66 the Holy Guide* L1B.4

1. I? Vgenius Tbeodidadus he ire* them
l^mutter among themfclves, that
there Is never a reafon given asyet,
no not one, beciufc all ftandeth upon a hi-
ncd and fuppofeJ ground, which being
nothingfall that is built upon it muft needt |
come 10 nothing ; For even as Paraceljut in
his fuppofed Paradife , in the end of high o-
pinions, concludes, that if it were poflibl*
to be made, by any labour or wifdome, ic
would prove no doubt, a notable place for
long Life and Health ; even (o may be
thought of this ftone of Gold, if any A» t or
skill were able to contrive tr, that it would
without doubt work thefc wonders afore-
Uid ; but as his Paradice (if he m?an plain-
ly as hsfayes,aud of the Philosophers ftone
whereto it may be wrcflcd) is unpoffiblc to
be made, unlelfe he would include himfelf
in a place free, firft from a the contagion
and force of outward Earth, Water and
Weather, y«a and therefore of ihc fire of
Heaven , and light alfo ; and fecondly
where all their beginings were in their
pure and naked Nature, which they call
the fift nature , which it nowhere iavein
ruaven, and which were a miracle to be
onccived ; snd laftly except he would live
without meat and his leavings which both

lcar-

LiB.4* The Holy Guide. 67

learr edand unlearned hold ridiculous to
think.

Even fo it 18 ai hard in opinion and un-
like 3 tht Gold may be fpoyhd and
brought to nothing, as hemuftbc firft, and
then reftoredandraifed to fuch dignity:
becaufe as heaven is cv^r one and unchaa-
gable : for that in it all the beginnings are
Weighed fo even, and furcly tyed together,
In a full content, unable even to iarr and he
loofnedj in the like manner Gold is fo
clofeandfaft, for his fare and eq»jull mix-
ture of his fine earth and water, ihat no
force of nature , neither of Earth, Aire,
Or Water, no nor fire, although he bs hol-
pen with Lead, Antimony, or any fuch like
fierce or hoc ftomack, eafily confuming all
other things, will ever touch him: nay
which is ftrange, thegreateft fpoylera iu the
wo»:ld, fire and r is helps, are (o farr from
touching him; that they mend him and
make him Rill better, and better; what is
to be faid to this ? albeit I con kuv chat ro
be :.hrt main ground and ftateofallthe
Work and building, yet I fuppofe it not
nor rook i t as grantrd, as if 1 ',ad been f n
Geometry, but left it to be proved in the fit-
ter place; as for that fuppo fed paractife it
U ha> d to judge , becaufe hs did but
glance at it, and fo leavss h unlawful

to

66

The Holy Guide. Lib.

V .

10 be told; albck a man may divife inj
thought as well as be, (for 1 think he had|
nottiy?d it) whit may be done and whai
nature will fuffer.

Then what if a man inclofed himfclf if
a little Chamber, free from outward in-
fluence which is eafy; overcaft for light
fke, if.ncccTbe with fuch Marble ssTert
made hi* Temple5fhining in darkmffowhl
all floured thick wt: h Terra Lemnia^ or tht
earth of a fifh nature (which is better, bui
much harder to be gotten) and had fuel
water within the lodging, as that not lonj
fince found under ground in Italy between1
twofilverCupps; then if he could evef Fivt
quire without meat, (which I (hewed not
Impoffible) or prderved himfclf with a flfi|
Nature? which breeds no leavings; what
think you of the matrer leaving?; but thin]
what you will: if it jarr and found nol
well in the cares of any man , let it be a«
mong other his Incredible and impoffibh
Hionfters ; yet our caufe (h?.ii not be thi
worfe for it, but eafily poflible, as I will o«
pen unto you, as farr as my leave will fufj
fer me, which hath bf en large indeed, an<
mufi be , becaufe I made a large promife ai
firft perhaps too rafhly; but lor the got
meaning) which muft be payed and rcrfor-
med to my brethren of the R. Croffe*

3, Arlhllt

LiB.4' Ike Holy Guide- 6$ *^

3. Ariflotle faith like a wife Philofopher,
that nature makes her creatures and Tub-
. jc&a apt to move and reft, that is, change*
able ; and again that a body that is bound-
ed cannot be without end and everlafling ;
\ and therefore that when heaven ever mo-
, veth, and earth ever reffeth , it is beyond
the compafs of nature , and fprings from
. a roorc divine caufe; if this rule be true, as
litis moft certain, then Gold a thing not:
'. unbounded, nor yet an extraordinary and
l divine work , but made by the ordinary
hand of kind , as we heard above, mu§
needs decay and perllh again , and cannot
iaft for ever 5 and if nature can diflolve
him, much more (hall (he with the help of
Art perform it ; and that which was faid of
.fire and his helpers, is nothing; for why
doth fire better Gold , but by removing his
enemies, which nature hadfecretly laid a-
bove him to deftroy him? and fb every
flick as I faid above, may be faved from de-
ay; but let nature have her fwing under
ground, or skill above, they (hallcaufc
his enemies in time to fpcil andconfume
him.

We cannot tell (fay they country-likej
it may be a divine and no natural work,
for wc fee it evcrlaftingi

Nft 4.G9

;o The Holy Gride. Lib. 4

4. Go toojbcit (o, 1 will over-take then
that w*y too ; for as we know that whicl
Ariftofle knew not , that borh heaven an<i
earth by the Tame divine caufe that mad'
them both, may be, and once muft be mar
red and changed ; fo we may think tha
Gold, although it were a divine work, ye
by the Ike skill folio wcth the divine pa
tern, might fall to decay and pciifh.

5 But what is" that divine pattern > an
how (hall men be like unto God > even b;
the goodneft of God, who hath , as I fai«
above, !cf< his pattern open in all place*
and cafic to be feen to them that fetk to b
like the main pattern wh refore wcarea
made ; and this as hiermes faith, gentle an
wity feparadon, wherewith he avowed
both the great, and our little work ma
and woven 5 and fo to be marred and un
woven again , to figure unto us privirj
that there is no great and cunning wor
performed by fuh rude and Smith*lik
violence as you fpeak of .( vis confilri exfei
mole ruit jua) but by this geiulc skill anc
Counfel , as vte may ftc very plainly a
fitly, by a thing in vertue and price,
Itiean in the worldly eftimation moft nea
unto Gold, the noble and untamed Di
mond , which when he comes into thi
Smiths hands, will neither yeildto Ft

001

JL1B.4. The Holy Guide. jl

nor Hammer, but will break this rather
Ijjun he will break, and not fo much a* be
h t (as Pliny faifh) but not b* hurt fas
Ijfchey all grant) by that other , and yet
iby gentle meanes ot Lyon or Goates
Jjblood.

116. Though they be hot bloods (that by
kinde, and this by a difeafe of a continual
:ijAgue) you may fo (often and bring Under
fythis flout and noble ftone , as he will ycild
ijfeo be handled at your pleafurc, nay by
ttjthc flawing tears of Molten Lead (a thing
Moot fo hot as may he) he will quite relent
iljan.i melt withalL Even fo we may judge
rlbf Gold ; that albeit the more roughly he
itipe handled, the lefs heftoops , astheNa-
!(yture of ftone things is, yet there is a gen-
tle and heavenly skill and way to (often
Vim, and make him willingly yeild and go
j:o corruption, though this as well as that
be not common and known abroad, as no
rcafon it mould.

7. But what need we flye with Ariftotle

:o any divine (belter > as Gold was made

Dy a common courfe of kihdc, and muft

. dye and perifh the fame way 5 To th7s skill

f ours needs not be fetched from any hid

Sand divine fecret (whatfoeverour men fay,

Jtokeep off the unworthy) buc fr< m a plain

'^"Arc following the daily and ordinary ftcp§

N n 2 ei

72 The Holy Guide. Lib.]

of nature in all her kindly works ani
changes; then mark and chew my word)
well, and I will open the whole Art uatl
you.

8. Godbecaufc he would have nonce]
thefe lower creator** eternal ( as is aforcj
faid) firft fowed the four feeds of ftrife i
the world, one to fight and deflroy the c|
ther; and if it would net ftrveasit will
not here, he made thofe that fprung frot
them of that fame nature; and there is nc
thing in the world that hath not h
match , cither like or contrary, able t
combatc with him and deftroy him.

9. But ths like eats up and confume
the like, with more cafe and more kind
then the contrary, for their nearnefs and <
greement ; then if nature mean to fpo
Gold and mata him perifh, becaufc it
fo ftrong a thing, {he takes the nearcft
mod kindly way, (he fcts a ftronge like ur.
on him to eat him up and confume hin
What mould I fay more or more plainly
you know the thing moft like and nearc
unto this, is in all mens fight corrupt,an
iubjeft to decay , and then when it is loo;
ned, very ftrong and fierce; it is ever moi
wrapt about him, and fo by contagion
firikes and enters, and fo pulls him aft
and all in their own nature, heat and

L:b.4. The Holy Guide. 75

nace rot together, and in due time rife a-
] gain and the fame ; for being all one in
effect, as the feeds of male and female, it
booteth nothing whether overcome in the
end, and a new thing like the old muft
needs arifc, if fome occasion in the place
(as I faid of heat and Brimftone) come not
^efwecn and turn the courfe.

10. You have heard of nature, let us

come to Art; if (he cannot follow thefteps

of nature, fhe is but a rude skill; nay fhe

muft pafs them far, if fhe mean to take

profit by the work ; for albeit I deny not

that all things may fall out fo luckily, that

our fon of Gold may flare up underground

("though never found,for who would know

it? J yet nature may fo eafily fail in the

choice of corrupting ground 0 but cheifiy

in tempering the degrees of her kindly

heat (without which the work will never

"fee end) and again the lets are Co many

?f and fo cafual, that perhaps we would be

'" ;worn before the work be finifh«d.

Then how mould Art her counterfcic
; J pafs this kindly pattern > very eafily , by
1 the undemanding skill of a divine minde,
which I faid doth pafs nature in her own
: works; firft in chufing the beft ground,
I and beft proportioned for generation,
* which nature in this refpeft cannoe , as
Nn 3 aiming

ir

I

74 The Holy Guide

L'B,

aiming at dcftrucYion onely , then in re-
moving all lets to come between.

But efpecially in well ordering thai
gentle and witty fire of Herwej, wherewitl
ail the workisfundred, that is turned, al-
tered and mingled.

But what is this wirtyfire? for here it
all the hardnefs, h?re all the world* ii
blinded, all the reft is eafie ; bend y m
mindes5 1 fay, I will tell you all the Art;En«
rlofe the feed of Gold in a Concra, yet
kindly place ; Lo here is all the Art , all th<
reft is written to blind and fhaddow this?
fo far as 1 may do good and avoid hurt,
will unfoh! this.fhort^hid and dark matter3
and yet Hermetically and PhiJofophically.
A» the Sun is the father of all things , an<'
the Moon his wife the mother ( foi
he fends not down thofe begetting beams!
immediately but through the belly of the
Moon) and this double ieed is carried in a
winde and fpiric into the earth, to be made
up and nourimed ; fo our Sun hath hisl
wife and Moon, though not in fundry Cir-
cles, but Adawlikc, and both thefc are,
carried in a fpiric alfo 3 and put into a
kindly furnace.

ii. To be more plains this feed of Gold
is his whole body loofned and foftned with
his own water ( I care not how, but beft

for

^ Lib. 4 TJ>e Holy Guide. 7 5

'' for his beloved for eafe in working ) there
[is all the ftuffcand preparation, a very con-
temned (trite; here is the fire , this belly is
full of blood of a ftrange nature ; it is
jcjrthly and yet watery, airy and very firy;
, [Jfis a bath, it is, a dung-bill, and itisafhes
,,[alfo, and yet thefe are not common ones,
8|mt heavenly and Philofophical, zs it bc-
•"[fcnics Philofophers to deal with norbing
njput heavenly matters or things; fearch then
,*:his rare kindeof heat, for here is all the
"* winning ; this is the key of all ; this makei
he feeds, and brings them forh ; fearch
irifely and where it is, in themiddeft of
icaven and earth ; for it is in the middeft of
•oth thefe places, and yet but one indeed;
ou may think I crofs my felf and know
ot what I (ay , but compare and look a-
.out, and you (hall finde nothing profper
jut in his own place.

1 12. Let the dew of his (tarry blood beat
jbout the womb, and the feed (hall joy and
rofper, yet fo much the better and fo neai?
Ifo, if that blood be whole and found,
ad (landing of all his parts; wherefore
o marvaii though the world miflcth this
appy ftone, when they think to make it a-
ove the ground; 1 fay they rauft either
imbe up to heaven , or go down deep
ithin the earth; for there and no where-
fe is this kindly heat.

Nn 4 13* Wights

» ' ' ■ -

76 1 'he Holy Guide. LlB.^,

13. Wights are h:at with blood, anc
plants with earth , but Minerals with ai
heavenly breath ; to be fhort, becaufc men
are too heavy to mount up to heaven, yoi
muftgodownto therniddeft of the car. hi
and put the feed in the mine again,that h
may take that influence of heaven equallj
rotmd about htm again.

14. Mufe and conjecture well upon ml
words, you that arc fit and skilled in Naf
turc, for this is a very nitural heat, am
ytt here all the world is blinded. Naj
indeed if a roan could read little and thin!
much upon the wayes of nature , fc|
might eafily hit this Art , and before th;
never.

Whit doth now remain? we have a
the way to mar and fpoil the Gold , ai
that was all the doubt; I anfwcr,for if he I
once down fo kindly, he will rifcagaij
Cure, or elfe all nature will fail and 1<
her cuftome j and if he rife, he (hall
ever in vertuc tenfold increased 5 I mean
Jt be not embafed as the feeds of wights ai
plants are , and as the feeds of Gold
by th&t bafe way abovefaid , with tl
ground that corrupteth it. So if a poifoi
t& plamt or wight be rotted in a glafs, f
will rife again a molt venemous beaft , an
perhaps a Cockatrice, for that is the of

fprinj

Lib.*. The Holy Guide. 77

fpring; corrupt in like fort a good plant*
and it will prove a worm or fuch like, with
much increafed virtue; what is the rcafon*
becaufe the fame temper and meafure of
qualities, ftill rifcth in power at the body
is refined, and the grofs fluff that hindrcth
the workingjftript off and removed.

15. Wherefore Gold is now temperate;
loofen and refine him often over by cor-
ruption, that is, ftripe ofTthelets of the
body, and all the qualities (hall beraifecj
equally, and (hall work mightily, devour,
and draw things to their own nature,morc
then any thing elfc-, becaufe they be not
onelyfrec, and in their clean and naked na-
ture, but alfo feated upon a moft fubtle
and tough body, able to peirce, divide, and
fubdue all things. Again both mettals
andftone?, the more heat they have (as in
hot countries) the finer and better; and
therefore the oftner they be brought back
to their firft matter , and baked withtcm-
pcrate heat, the more they increafe in
goodnefs.

\6. And if he be brought to fuch a tempe-
rate finene(8,that is,to fuch a heavenly na-
ture, then he keeps no longer the nature of
mettal in refpeft of any quality fave the
laftingnefs of the body, nor of any other
grofs meal nor medicine, and therefore he

can-

78 The Holy Guide. L1B4.

cannot be an enemy to our Attare, nor yet
any ordinary digeftion in our body, but
(freight way fiyes out , as I fa id before,
and by extraordinary means and paflage*
as we'l as nature her felt, and fo joyn th
with ourrlrft moifturc, and doth all other
good deed? belonging to this fiofie Crucian
infallible Axiomata of long life, health,
youth, richrf, tvifdom and vertue in fuch
fort and better then I have (hewed thee of a
fife rmu*re *<i that book above faid ; and fo
AppolloniusiFkilofiratus and Eraftus, and all
other fUnderousmouthes may now begin
again; for there is not a word fpoken to
any purpofe, becaufe all runneth upon a
falfe and unknown ground; a wife man
wouM firft have known the nature of the
thing he fpeaketh of, if he mean not to
move laughter to them that hear him and
knowth martcr.

17. But indeed Van Bdmomt G^bory
and Bthemon the Coblcr, and other railers,
are fare enough, becaufe thefc things are fo
hid and unknown to the world, that no
jnan, but one of this our houfhold can efpy
them orcontrole them 5 therefore I took
in hand this hard and dangerous labor,
which ">U other of our anccftors to this day
have refufed, both that they might be a-
fliamcd of their wrongful (landers , and the *

wife

LiB.$. The Holy Guide. 79

wife and well difpofed fee and take profit
by the truth of fo great a bh (Ting freely be*
flowed upon them. If they find it5lcc them
thank God, and ufe it; no doubt they will
do good unto good men. If I have flipt in
tyords, or abounded in truth of matter, or
failed hi herto, mark well the fubfequent
difcourfe; although you think I fjpeak
flrangely, yet aflu redly youfh?.ll find fomc-
thing hat was never revealed to any, but
of our laudable order ; if in this or thac
Chapter you find any thing amifs, think
how common it is among men , efpecially
of my ^gej I may be excused •, and weigh
the good and bad together, or elfc Homer
himfelf an old man in his time, when he
skips now and then could never efcape it,
and yet he was in an eafie matter ( a man
may find I think howfoever ) and he had
Orpheus and Mig^aj, I think,beforc him;but
you fee the hardnels of this fhift, although
my pattern you do not fee, becaufcit is
not to my knowledge in the world to be
feen, buc what care 1 5 thefe men whom 1
regard, will take all things in good part,
and then the reft I patted by long fince un*
regarded ; now let us fit down and reft a
while, having perufed the way to happi-

Inefs, knowledge of all things, paft,prefcnc
and to come, long life, health 3 yonth,
blcflcd-

80 The Holy Guide. L1B.4.

blcflednefs, wifdom and vertue; how to
alter, cure, change , and mend the ftate of
the body In young or old ; and (h: wed you
the golden trcafures of Nature, and the
Fountain of Phvfick and Medicines ; and
this being all poffible to be obtained? we
fhJl next lead you the way to prepare the
Medicines which are experienced to be fafe
and cffrftual for all bodies, and you (hall
find tbeir wonderful, incredible, extraor-
dinary vcrtues, if you pra&ife and ufe them
a* you are taught in the fifth Book*, but you
muft remember to know the name of your
patient, and the number of his name, Ge-
nius and PJantt , and chufc a fie time aa
you are taught by the numbers in the fc-
cond Book; then prepare the Medicines as
followeth in the fifth Book ; and now ha-
ving guided all men to happinefs, know-
ledge of all things paft , prefent , and to
come, long life , health , youth , blefled-
rufs, wifdom, and vertue ; and to aktr^
cure, change, and mend all difeafes in
young or old , I have proved thefe myfteri-
ous truths practical, and therefore next wc
will teach you the receipts, their vertuel
and ufe in the fifth Book. The Theory be-
ing i ufficien^y cleared from all obje&ionf,
and the myfterics of nature made plain and
safic » both in the ftru&urc of mans body3

mind

L i B.4. The Holy Guide. 8 1

mind, foul, and fpirir, of the nature of
Stones, Herbes, and Plants, Minerals and
MettalS; then 1 having proved the power
of nature , and the temper and order of
happinefs what it is, and how all may ob-
tain h>viz. knowledge of the time when
to give Phyfick, when the party will re-
cover.

And thus having pafled the Theory and
Pra&ique part of Art and Nature, I fhall
proceed to the pra&ique part of Phy-
fick.

And firftyoumuft obferve the nature of
your patients, their Ages, what number
Governs each name , and what Genius at-
tends that name ; what Phyfick is proper
for that perfon , when it is good to give
it; this you will find in the fecond Book
tage 61. if the number be in the Law-
reljtis good, if the number be in theScr-
penr ,k is evil. Again the number of your
qucftion , name , Planet 3 and the day of
the wetk muft be added together 3 and di-
vided by thirty, and what remains you (hall
find in that Figure; and if it be in the Law-
rel, your qutftion or what you defire (hall
be obtained, and your patient (hall be
cured ; if it be long life, it *4 good , for
you (hall live long; and if the number be
in the Serpent, it is evil, and the patient

will

8 2 The Holy Guide. L l B . 4

\s\\ dye. And thus may you do of any
other queftion whereof you would be re-
ceived; you mull note the numbers in
the Figure exceed noc thirty 5 as you
are taught in the fecund Book in the
fluids of the hold Guide. The young
Vitm that fir* upon the Mountain of Dia
monds , is the fervent and childc of the
hcly Guide 5 he receives his knowledge
from Mercury in Virgo , and his compleat
nefs of body from Caput Draconis in Ge-
mini; Saturne and Venus in Libra direct
him to the light of Nature ; Fortuna Ma-
jor & populas Figucrs of Geomancy give
him heahh , and they receive it from ths
Sun anci Moon ; the Angel defends him
from the Dragon, and the fpiteful Dra-
gon bites his tail in Sagittarius in anger3
fcecaufe he cannot deftroy the yourh; Ju-
piter in Capricorne with two Ideas o{
Geomancy con fpire againft him; but he
receive Medicines and treafures from the
"Sunnc, and Jewels from the Moon, and
gives them to Mars in Cancer, and Ju-
piter in Capricorne 5 who regard him evil
for his good will ; the numbers in the
Lawrel are heavenly and defended by an
Angel ; they grant you your rtquefls;
and the numbers in the fold of the Ser-
pent deftroy all your hopes ^ being earthly

and

LlB»4- The Holy Guide. 83

and evil. And now the Medicines follow;
pra&he them to the Glory of God, and
help your difcafed neighbour. And To we
end our fourth Book.

7he end of the Fourth Book*

THE

Holy Guide:

Leading the Way to the

Golden Treafures of Nature.

Where is found the Foun-

tain of Phyfickor Medicines,

fitted to the ufe and profit

ok mean Capacities.

By John Hey don Gent. $a^©-3A Sen
vant of God3 and Secretary of Nature.

Penes Nos unda Tagi.

LONDON,

Printed by T* M. 1 66^

)

CTO f CTK) C/TO _ C&3 C7K> tffo CJ» C7K>C7Tv3 C/T>
cij£ cfl£ C£P " c#» c*W ctf# ttft? c*fl& ^; & c^*

To the Learned

?8\ EMI AH

Mount, Efq;

Caeleftial and Terreftrial Bliflc
and happinefs be wiftied.

SIR,

YOur own worlff and their attendants have
in ways of Civility, to whom I bold my
felf obliged for your Favour to meey
orced this publicly Action, which perhaps you
tay think^ slrange, that a F erf on fo wholly a
ranger as I, flxjuldtenderyoufucha peece as
bis: let w ill i I doubt not, acquit meof rude-
efs and incivility in fo doing, when you con*
derthe prefent difcourfe, as there is no hu-
lour at all in it , fo 1 hope there is Uf hazard
* Qenfure ; For here's no lav+jh mirth, no
ztyrical (haypenefs, no writing cr dijlorting
*e Genuine Frame and Compofure of wine
Oo 2 iwn

The Epiftle,

own mind) to ft out the deformity of Another s
no Kapture, m Poetry, no Enthufafme , n
no more then there is in Euclids Elements, o
Hippocrates his Aphorifmesybut though 1 hav\
beenfo bold as to recite what there is not in th\
Book: yet 1 had rather leave it to your wifdom]
to judge what there is, then be put upon jj
much modefiy my felf as to fpeak any thin
that may feem to give it any precedency abon
what is already extant in the world about Phili
fophy andPhyfak: Only I may fay thus much
that I did onpurpofe abfiain from reading ai
Ireatifes concerning this Subjecl, that I mig
the more undiflurbedly write the eafy Eman
tions of mine own Mind, and experienced
dicines'j and not be carried off from what
knew to be true 9 which fiould naturally fMk
from my felf by prepoffeffing my thoughts
the inventions of others : I have writ therefo
after no Copy but the Eternal Characters oft
mind, and thefafe^ eafie and effeilual Med
cinesfor all difeafesin the known Vh^nomentt
Nature, And all men Confulting with thi
that indeavcur to write fen fe in thefe Mattel
though it may be not done alike by all men,
could not happen but I Jhould touch upon ;
fame heads that others have, that have
before me, who though they merit very hi
commendations for their learned atchievemen
yet I hope my indevours have been fuch0 tb
though they may not be Corrivah or Partnt

m

TheEpiftie.

in their praife and credit , yet I doe mi di\\ru\l
but they may doe their flour e towards that pub~
"lick.good, under yoxir protection and patronage
j I aim at.

>>For that which did embolden metopuhUJh this
foprefent Jreatife -, and dedicate it to youjvas not
if si faid before, b ec an f 1 flatter d my fd fin
:j* Conceittthat it was better or more plaufible9
tfben what is already in the hands of men :
Sut that it was of a different fort, and has its
peculiar fervkeablenefs and advantages apart
knd diilinct from others, whofe proper prebe-
r^tinencies it may aloof off admire, but dare not
yt« any wife compare with. So that there is no
t tautology committed in recommending what
f]r have written to the public]^ view , nor any
j 'Jftning the Labours of other by thus offering
4 be fruit of mine own, for confidering there
0 ye fuch fever al complexions and tempers of
if! ten in the world, I doe notdiftruji but that as
i >hat Dr. Gulpeper and others have doney
tj as been very acceptable and profitable to many,
,i, » thh of mine may be ufefultofome or other, and
S( • feem not to have been writ in vain. Such as
„ fis,IJhall leave it here under your Patronage :
,r nd fubmit it to your judgement , if you jhall
j hiiikjt worth the while U takg cognizance ofit9
whether to perufe and confider the truth of it>
'which by Keafon of your good accomplifhmenV
t thefe, afwel as in ether parts of Learning,you
re well able to doc ) or to lay it by for thofe that
Oo 3 will:

The Epiftle.

will : as being unwilling by any importun
Solicitation to trefpafs upon your Lea fur ey o
divert your thoughts from matters of more Con
cernment , to confider of fuch things as theft
defiring mean while your Favour fo far as t
give me leave to honour youy and ( though
have not hitherto had the honour to be well kjicw
%o you ) tofubfcribe myfelfy

June, ii. 1662.

Sir,

lour woft humble
*-> ' '■ Servant^

John Heydon.

THE

HOLTg U1V E.