C. and D. he calls the purer mediums cap. 5S. Theor, Test, page

96- You must know, son, saitli he, our bath, you may wash the
nature of (phil.) argent vive so, as nature could never do, that
is, to make argent vive a complete elixir. But (phil.) ar-
gent vive and metals being both in nature, and in your work,
extremes, and extremes not being able to join themselves, with-
out the virtue of a middle disposition, which is between the
softness of argent vive, and the hardness of metal, because there
is by reason of that middle disposition a natural compliance,
which is the cause of conjunction between body and spirit, as
it is in every thing generated, or in capacity of being generated.
In nature are many mediums, whereof two are more pure, and
more viscous, the green azoquean vitriols, with the stony nature,
which is tl*e salt and nature of stones. By the help my son, of
this contemptible matter is our stone, which we have so much
sought for, procreated, &c.

With the other of these mediums, C. the stony nature, salt pe-
ter, salt of peter, or niter, we have no business at present j but be-
ing solicitous of D. gum adrop, or the azoquean vitriol of Lully,
it will be worth while to consult Lnlly himself; of which the phi-
losopher, cap. 59. Thcor. Testament!, thus : son, saith he, the
azoqucan lion, which is called azoquean vitriol, is by nature
made of the peculiar substance of common argent vive, which is
the natural root, from whence metal is procreated in its own
mine. By common argent vive, he meant not the vulgar but
philosophical argent vive, the natural root as well of metals as
minerals. When we say common mercury, saith he, we speak
of that which the philosophers understand, and when we name
the vulgar, we speak of that which is known to the country-
men, and sold in shops. Cap. 1. Lib. Mercuriorum, which the
following synonyma's of this mercury, namely, chaos, nature,
origo, green lion, argent vive, unguent, oil, pasture and liquor
of great value, do also testify in cap, 45. Theor. Test, page 75.
Vol. 4. Th. Chym.

This common argent vive, or green lion, must be purged
from its superfluities, before the azoquean vitriol of Lully,- °r
the gum adrop of Ripley, can be made of it. Yon must saitb

Wcidenfeld on Paracelsus. 197

he, my son, being a student of this science, be stedfast, and
not search after this or that, because this art is not perfected
with many things ; and therefore we tell you, there is but one
only storie, that is sulphur, and one only medicine, namely,
the composition of sulphur, to which nothing is to be added,
only the terrestrial and phlegmatic superfluities taken away,
because they are and ought to be separated from our argent
yive, which is more common to men, than vulgar argent vive,
and is of greater price, merit, and stronger union of nature,
from which and the first forms of it, it is necessary to separate,
by the known degrees of separation, all that belongs not to
the sal armoniac of metals, &c. Cap. 18. Theor. Test, page
S3, vol. 4. Th. Chym. We say there is but one only philo-
sophical stone, volatile not yet fixed, or matter of a menstru-
um, extracted from the things aforesaid by our magistery.
And therefore when it comes newly into the world, you must
not add any other powder, or any other water, nor any thing
incongruous to it, more than that, which is born in it, being
radical to its own nature, and the mother of it, which feeds
and carried it, that is sulphur, which formed the stone in a
celestial colour. But before you extract (distil) it, (the stone)
thoroughly purge and cleanse it, from all its phlegmatic,
terrestrial, and corruptible infirmities, which are contrary
to its nature, because they are the death of it, with which
it is surrounded, which do mortify its vivificative spirit.
Cap. 7. Theor. Test, page 20, of the said vol. It is to be di-
ligently noted, that one of the two aforesaid natural principles*
sulphur and argent vive, is more truly natural in the whole,
fend through the whole substance of it, as well within as with-
out, and that is the pure sulphur, hot and dry, introducing
its form, that is, according to which the form of a metal pur-
sues a pure effect. But the other argent vive is unnatural,
that is inwardly natural, and outwardly against nature; but
the internal natural part is made proper, and also con-natural to
itself, because it comes by its own nature, but the external