II. All the masters of alchemy, who have ever treated of this

celebrated stone, and left us any thing in writing, have declared
the matter and subject (which is the chief part of this art) so
obscurely, that Apollo himself would be tired in unriddling the
aenigma's they have invented concerning it. And this doubtful
declaration of the matter, is the reason why many who seek this
science without the light of nature, are precipitated into very
great errors; because they know not the true subject of this art,
but busy themselves about other things altogether unfit for the
w-ork. But they ought to consider what the philosopher's stone
is in its own nature, and what qualities it hath, and so com-
paring the qualities of their matters, with the qualities of the
stone, the thing itself will discover what is truth and what not.

1. The stone in its perfection is permanent in the fire, and
despiseth the most cxtream, violence of the flames. 2. It con-
taineth in itself, in great abundance the vital fire, and the virtues
and powers of the superiors and inferiors concentrated in it.
3. It is resolvcable in any liquor. 4. It abounds with fixed and
tinging spirits, which befcre its complete perfection were volatil.
5. Before its perfection it hath two distinct parts, one volatil, the

S.i?iguls Naturae. 2S3

other hxt. 6. It is of most easy fusion. 7. It containeth the
three principles of nature in the highest purity, namely salt,
sulphur, sod mercury. 8. It containeth in potentia gold and
silver. 9. It is made out of one thing.

Seeing the stone hath the qualities above-mentioned, it is
plain and evident that the subject of it ought to have the like.
Namely,

1. That the subject of the stone be only one thing. 2. That
it have in it, in potentia, gold and silver. 3. That it contain in
it the three principles of nature. 4. That it be of most easy
fusion. 5. That it consist of volatile and fixt parts. 6'. That it
abound with tinctures both red and white. 7. That it be re-
sol veable in any liquor. 8. That it be the place of residence of
the vital fire, and the virtues of the superiors and inferiors*
9. That it endure the utmost force of the flames.

Now let the seekers compare the qualities of their subjects
with the fore-mentioned qualities, and then they will see whether
thev are right or wrong.

Now for the sake of some good men, who perhaps bear an
honest mind, I will discourse something of the elements, and
their operations, and first and chiefly of the mover of the ele-
ments, and of its life ; which not being known, the whole ope-
ration of the elements is unknown.

This mover of the elements which, not without good reason,
I will call the living fire, is two-fold, the one volatil, the other
fixt, residing in the center of the earth, of which at present I
will not speak, but of the volatil; which is a substance invisible,
spiritual and wholly fiery, an eternal light nearest to God, the
life of the elements, from which the sun and moon, the radiant
stars, and whatsoever giveth forth, a lustre in the heavens, takes
its original and splendor, flying through the universe, every
where present, and most of all in those things which stand in
need of continual nourishment, endowed with innumerable vir-
tues. This ccelestial light is originally most pure in itself, as
long it is not defiled by impure bodies; the knowledge whereof
is the sea of wisdom, which all who have obtained light from
the holy spirit,- and faith from the father of lights, ought to keep
safe, if they desire a happy success in this mysterious philosophy.
This light deseendeth daily into the elements, which are bodies
internally spiritual, very simple, and most powerful; which con-
tain in themselves a certain seminal spirit, which is the very
element ; and which spirit of every element is stirred up to mo-
tion by the living fire; and if it were absent, the elements would
be dead, especially the fire, if it were deprived of this fiery
.splendor, which by itself, and not by accident, is the true prin-
ciple of motion in all things; and to this the passive elements
are obedient. But yet this agent cannot act without the elements,
itor the elements upon one another without it. For this ca

284 Alchemical Treatises.

the elements were made, by the most high creator, which to-
gether with their body contain a certain seminal spirit, very
powerful, which lieth hid as a soul in them, out of which by the
action of the living fire upon it, daily new seeds are produced-
This living fire, with which the heavens and all things are filled
by the creator, descendeth through the elements into the sub-
ject, which is called the balsom of nature, electrum immaturum,
magnesia, the green dragon, azoth vitreus, the fire of nature,
the universal seed, the salt of the earth, out of which all bodies
which consist of the elements are produced by nature; and out
of this matter, by the administration of an ingenious artist, by
means of a spagiric destruction, new forms of natural bodies
may be produced : which is one of the greatest arcana of secret
philosophy. For in this subject lie secretly hidden all the vir-
tues, properties, and splendors of animals, vegetables, and mi-
nerals, metals, and precious stones ; which by the help of Vwlcan,
are brought from darkness to light.

Now I will describe the action of our living fire upon the
elements, which descendeth out of the fire into the heavens as
on the element of fire, and there whatsoever is lucid or glittering,
as the sun, moon, and stars, doth secretly derive its original
from this living fire, and constituteth this principal element,
and obeyeth it as a son the father, and a patient its agent. And
from this living fire, the heaven hath its chief power of acting ;
and is of so great consequence, that if its action upon the heaven
should cease for one moment of time, whole nature would be
ruined. For the sun, moon, and stars, would lose their active
and influential virtue, the elements would not move, and nothing
for ever would have any action ; which would be a great mis-
chief to the earth, and extremely hurtful to all mixts. For the
power and virtue of this living fire is so great, that if that were
absent, the elements would be dead, especially the heaven, an
element which most of all stands in need of this light. Having
passed through the heaven, it comes into the air, that great and
most thin element, and insinuateth itself most intimately into it.
In this element the virtue of this fire doth chiefly manifest itself;
because in it is inspissated, and constituteth the vital air ; which
air is then agreeable to the creatures, for sustaining of life. For
this living fire simply is not convenient for the creatures, nor
yet the simple air; but fire congealed with the most pure part of
the air, and air impregnated with the coelestial living fire ; and
so they constitute vital airs, which every living creature receiveth
for the conservation of its life. This living fire needeth the soul
of the elements, chiefly of the air, which it makes use of for a
vehicle, that thereby it may more easily enter into the other
elements, that is to say the water, a subtile and thin element,
in which it is yet more inspissated, and taketh a more gross
body of which it standeth in need for irrorating of all terestml

Sanguis Nature. S85

things, especially salts, minerals and stones ; all which need such
irroration ; then being cloathed with a thick garment, it passeth
into the earth, a dark and thick element, and of a very powerful
fixing virtue; and there it puts on a saline body, whic! predomi-
nates over all things, and contains the rest of the principles,
which it had received in the air, heaven and water, that is to
gay, sulphur and mercury, by virtue of which it becometh ca-
pable of production. This salt is the soul of the earth, and all
other things. Therefore if the earth were deprived of this salt,
it would want the power of sprouting and budding, which con-
sisteth only in this salt, of which also Moses was not ignorant,
saying (in the second chap, of Gen.) And there went up a mist
from the middle of the earth, and watered the superficies of the
ground ; which vapour can be nothing else, but the subtile parts
of this salt, which hath settled itself in the center of the earth,
and by the warmth of the corporeal water are made to ascend,
and so do water the whole superficies.

Thus we clearly and evidently see, that this living fire putteth.
en no other body than that of salt ; because that alone is fit for
generation. And so the balsam of nature is generated by the
action of the fire upon the elements.

Now I will speak but a very little of the fixed living fire,
which is hidden in the earth or center of the world, and there
hath taken up its most fixed habitation ; and by many philoso-
phers is called the corporal water ; but it may better be called
the fire of bodies. To know this is the most secret mystery in
all our philosophy. This fixt fire hath a great sympathy with
the volatil fire ; for it wanteth it as an aliment, and to its nourish-
ment, which it continually attracteth out of the water and air,
and converteth into its own substance; and in this as in a center
all the virtue lyeth concentrated, which being scattered, flyeth
in the circumference ; as may be observed in man, in whom this
fire fixed in the center of the heart, hath its seat as the yolk in
the egg. But its operation is invisible and very secret, and yet
very powerful, which also few know ; for it operates by its heat
in all things, which lie in the earth, and exciteth the flux and
reflux of the sea, as the pulse in man is excited by the fire which
lieth hid in the center of his heart. Hence also all the watery
and airy vapours, by the help of this fire are elevated from the
earth and sea into the air, which compose the clouds, and by
rarefaction of the winds (being impregnated by the vital spirit)
fall down again to the earth in form of water.

And thus every searcher of nature must acknowledge it to be
true, that there is only one subject under the concave of the
moon, in which alone the virtues as well of the superiors lie
concentrated ; out of which by the chemical art, stupendious
things may be brought to pass. This body is salt, but no com-
mon salt, or any other salt of this kind, but a rotuir.ine and

286 Alchemical Treatises.

mineral salt, which hath chosen to itself a residence in ihc
sphere of saturn ; and is also culled the heart of salurn; out of
which being made clean and bright, and purged from all excre-
ments, by easy art, a certain gummy liquor is drawn, called by
the name of a Morions mercury. But you must be wary in the
choice of this salt. There is only one salt which is useful to us,
a pontick fiery, bitter and mineral salt of a saturnine nature,
out of which this famous liquor is extracted; which is of so
great moment, that without it, no transmutation of metals can
be made. In this mercurial liquor may be seen what is sulphur
and mercury ; for the sulphur at first sheweth itself in a purple
and yellow colour ; but the mercury is invested with a watery
and airy humidity; and though the salt appeareth not, yet its
virtue is eminent in this liquor. For it is wholly saline, and by
an easy fire, is coagulated into a permanent earth, which re-
prcsenteth salt. And so you have three principles of nature,
salt, sulphur and mercury. These are but a few things which I
have said of the matter ; which though it be very secret, yet the
operation of it is more secret which nevertheless in my following
discourse I will reveal, so that its occult may be made manifest
only to men elected by God.