I. If you would be so happy as to obtain the blessing of the

philosophers, as God doth live for ever, so let this verity live
with you. Now the philosophers say, it abides in the shell, and
contains in itself both white and red, the one is called masculine,
the other feminine J and they are animal, vegetable, and mineral,
the like of which is not found in the world besides. It hath
power both active and passive in it, and has also in it a substance
dead and living, spirit and soul, which, among the ignorant,
the philosophers call the most vile thing: it contains in itself the
four elements which are found in its skirts, and may commonly
be bought for a small price. It ascends by itself, it waxes black,
it descends and waxes white, increases and decreases of itself: it
is a matter which the earth brings forth, and descends from
heaven, grows pale and red, is born, dieth, rises again, and
afterwards lives for ever. By many ways it is brought to its

Kalid. 355

end, but its proper decoction is upon a fire, soft, mediate, strong,
by various degrees augmented, until you are certain it is quietly
fixed with the red in the fire. This is the philosophers stone.

2. Read and read again, so will all things become more clear
to you : But if hereby you understand not the matter, you are
withheld by the chains of ignorance; for you shall never other-
wise know pr learn this art. Hermes saith, the dragon is not
killed, but by his brother and his sister; not by one of them
alone, but by both together: note these things; there are three
heads, yet but one body, ope nature, and one mineral. This
is sufficient for you if you have a disposition to understand this
art. The dragon is not mortified, nor made fixed, but with sol
and luna, and by no other. In the mountains of bodies, in the
plains of mercury, look for it, there this water is created, and
by concourse of these two, and is called by the philosophers,
their permanent or fixed water. Our sublimation is to decoct
the bodies with golden water, to dissolve, to liquify, and to sub-
lime them : our calcination is to purify and digest in four ways,
and not otherwise, by which many have been deceived in subli-
mation.

3. Know also that our brass, or latten, is the philosophers
gold, is the true gold ; but you strive to expel the greenness,
thinking that our latten, or brass, is a leprous body, because of
that greenness, but I tell you, that that greenness is all that is
perfect therein, and all that is perfect, is in the greenness only
which is in our latten, or brass. For that greenness, by our
jnagistery, is in a very little time transmuted into the most fine
gold ; and of this thing we have experienced, which you may try
by the foljowiug directions : Take burnt or calcined brass, and
perfectly rubified, grind it, and decoct it with water seven times,
•s much every time as it is able to drink, in all the ways of rubi-
fying and assating it again. Then make it to descend, and its
green colour will be made red, and as clear as a hyacinth ; and
so much redness will descend with it, that it will be able to tinge
argent vive, in some measure, with the very colour of gold ; all
which we have done and perfected, and is indeed a very great
work. Yet you cannot prepare the stone by any means with any
green and moist liquor, which is found and brought forth in ouv
minerals ; this blessed might, power, or virtue, which generates
ail things, will not yet cause a vegetation, springing, budding
forth, or fruitfulness, unless there be a green colour. Where-
fore the philosophers call it their bud, and their water of puri-
fication, or putrefaction ; and they say truth herein ; for with its
water it is putrefied and purified, and washed from its blackness
and made white. And afterwards it is made the highest red ;
whereby you may learn and understand, that no true tincture is
made but with our brass or latten.

4. Decoct it therefore with its soul, till the spirit be joined with
jts body, and be made one, so shall you have your desire. The

356 Alchemical Treatises.

philosophers have spoken of this under many names, but know
certainly, that it is but one matter which does clear or join itself
to argent vive, and to bodies, which you shall have the true
signs of. Now you must know what argent vive will cleave, or
perfectly join and unite itself unto. Tliat the argent vive will
cleave, join, or unite itself to bodies is false. And they err who
think that they understand that place in Geber of argent vive,
where he saith, ' when in searching among other things, you
shall not find by our invention, any matter to be more agreeable
to nature, than argent vive of the bodies.'

5. By argent vive in this place, is understood argent vive
philosophical ; and it is that argent vive only which sticks to, and
is fixed in, and with the bodies. The old philosophers could
find no other matter; nor can the philosophers now invent any
other matter or thing, which will abide with the bodies, but this
philosophic argent vive only. That common argent vive does
not stick, or cleave to the bodies, is evident by experience, for
if common argent vive be joined to the bodies, it abides in its
proper nature, or flies away, not being able to transmute the
body into its own nature and substance, and therefore does not
cleave unto them. For this cause, many are deceived in work-
ing with the vulgar quick-silver: for our stone, that is to say,
our argent vive accidental, does exalt itself far above the most
fine gold, and does overcome it, and kill it, and then make it
alive again. And this argent vive is the father of all the wonder-
ful things of this our magistery, and is congealed, and is both
spirit and body. This is the argent vive which Geber speaks ofj,
the consideration of which is of moment, for that it is the very
matter which does make perfect. It is a chosen pure substance
of argent vive; but out of what matter it is chiefly to be drawn,
is a thing to be enquired into. To which we say, that it can only
be drawn out of that matter in which it is: Consider therefore
my Son, and see from whence that substance is, taking that and
nothing else : by no other principle can you obtain this magis?
tery. Nor could the philosophers ever find any other matter,
which would continually abide the fire, but this only, which is
of an unctuous substance, perfect and incombustible. And this
matter, when it is prepared as it ought, will transmute, or
change all bodies of a metallick substance, which it is rightly
projected upon, into the most perfect sol, or the mpst pure fine,
gold ; but most easily, and above all other bodies luna.

6. Decoct first with wind or air, and afterwards without wind,
until you have drawn forth the venom, which is called the soul,
out of your matter ; this is that which you seek, the everlasting
aqua vitae, which cures all diseases. Now the whole magistery
is in the vapour. Let the body be put into a fire for forty days,
of elemental heat: and in that decoction of 40 days, the body
will rejoice with the soul, and the soul will rejoice with the body
and spirit^ and the spirit will rejoice with the body au<J souf,

Kalid. 357

and they will be fixed together, and dwell one with another, in
which life they will be made perpetual and immortal without se-
paration for ever.

7. Our medicine is made of three things, viz. of a body, soul,
and spirit. There are two bodies, to wit sol and luna : sol is a
tincture, wherewith imperfect bodies are tinged into sol ; and
luna tingcth into luna ; for mature brings forth only its like, a
man, a man, a horse, a horse, &c. We have named the bodies
which serve to this work, which of some are called ferment; for
as a little leven levens the whole lump, so luna and sol, leven
mercury as their meal into their nature and virtue. If it be de-
manded, why sol and luna, having a prefixed tincture, do not
yet tinge imperfect metals ? 1 answer : a child, though born of
human kind, acts not the man ; it must first be nourished and
bred up till it comes to maturity: so is it with metals also ; they
cannot shew their power and force, unless they be first reduced
from their terrestreity to a spirituality, and nourished and fed
in their tinctures through heat and humidity. For the spirit is
of the same matter and nature with our medicine: we say our
medicines are of a fiery nature, and much subtiler, but of them-
selves, they cannot be subtil nor simple, but must be maturated,
or ripened with subtil and penetrating things.

8. Earth of itself is not subtil, but may be made so through
moist water, which is dissolving, and makes an ingress for sol,
that it may penetrate the earth, and with its heat make the earth
subtile; and in this way the earth must be subtilized so long,
till it be as subtil as a spirit, which then is the mercury, more
dissolving than common water, and apt to dissolve the said me-
tals, and that through the heat of fire, to penetrate and subti-
lize them. There are several spirits, as mercury, sulphur, orpi-
ment, arsenic, antinmny, nitre, sal-armoniac, tutia, marcasites,
&c. but mercury is a better spirit than all others ; for being put
into the fire they are carried away, and we know not what be-
comes of them : but mercury, as it is much subtiler, clearer, and
penetrative, so it is joined to the metals, and changed into them,
whereas the others burn and destroy them, making them more
gross than they were before. Now mercury is of such a subtil
nature, that it transmutes metals into simple and pure substances
as itself is, and attracts them to itself; but no metal can be trans-
muted by any of the other spirits, but they hum it to earth and
ashes ; which mercury it becomes impalpable, and therefore is
called argent vive. Wetakenothing else to subtilize metals, to make
them penetrative, or to tinge other metals : some call it argent
vive, or a water, an acetum, a poison, because it destroys im-
perfect bodies, dividing them into several parts and forms ; our
medicine is made of two things, viz. of body and spirit : and
this is true, that all metals have but one root and original. But
why cannot this medicine be made of two compounded together ?
I answer : it may be made of all these together ; but they must

3F)8 Alchemical Treatises.

be reduced into a mercury, which would be difficult in respect
of the shortness of mans' life: therefore we take the next matter,
which are the two aforesaid things, viz. body and spirit. Some
philosophers say, our medicine is made of four things, and so
it is : for in metals, and their spirits are the four elements,
Others say trije also, that metals must be turned into argent
vive : here many learned and wise men err, and loose themselves
in this path. Thus far of the matter of which our medicine is
made, or with which it is joined : now of the vessels.

9. The vessel ought to resemble the firmament, to enclose and
encompass the whole work : for our medicine is nothing else but
a change of elements one into another, which is done by the
motion of the firmament ; for which reason it must needs be
round and circular. The other, or second vessel, must also be
round, and be less than the outward vessel : six or seven inches
high, called a containing cucurbit; on which you must place
an alembic or head, through which the vapors may ascend, which
must be well luted, with lute made of flour quicklime and whites
of eggs, &c. Or of flour and lime equal parts tempered with
whites of eggs, which you must immediately use : lute it so well
that no spirits may fly away ; the loss of which will prejudice
your work extremely ; therefore be wary. The furnace or oven
must be round, twelve or fourteen inches high, and six or seven
inches broad, and three or four inches in thickness to keep in
the heat the better.

10. Our matter is generated through, or by help of the heat
of the fire, through the vapour of the water, and also of the
mercury, which must be nourished ; be wise and consider, and
meditate well upon the matter. Now in order to this work,
there is 1. Dissolution. 2. Separation. 3. Sublimation. 4T
Fixation, or congelation. 5. Calcination,. 6. Ingression. Dis-
solution is the changing of a dry thing into a moist one, and
belongs only to bodies, as to sol and luna, which serve for our
art: for a spirit needs not to be dissolved, being a liquid thing
of itself; but metals are gross and dry, and of a gross nature,
and therefore must be subtilized. First, because unless they be
subtilized through dissolution, they cannot be reduced into water,
and made to ascend through the alembic, to be converted into
spirit, whose remaining fceces are reserved for a farther use,
Secondly, because the body and spirit must be made indivisible
and one: for no gross matter joins or mixes with a spirit, unless
it be first subtilized, and reduced into argent vive, then the one
embraces the other inseparably. For argent vive meeting with
a thing like itself, lcjoyccth in it; and the dissolved body em-
braces the spirit, and suffers it not to fly away, making it to
endure the fire; and it rejoyces because it has found an equal,
viz. one like itself, and of the same nature. Dissolution is thus
done; take leaves of sol, or luna, to which add a good quantity

1 pmc mercury; putting in the leaves by little and little, into

Kalid. 359

a Vessel placed in so gentle a heat, that the mercury may not
funic : when all is dissolved, and the mass seems to be one homo*
gene body, you have done well : If there be any feces, or
matter undissolved, add more mercury, till all seems to be melt-
ed together. Take the matter thus dissolved, set it in B. M«
for seven days, then let it cool : and strain all through a cloth
or skin ; if all goes through, the dissolution is perfect: if not,
vou must begin again, and add more mercury, so long till all
be dissolved.

1 1. Separation is the dividing of a thing into parts, as of pure
from impure. We take our dissolved matter, and put it into
the smaller vessel which stands in the cucurbit, well luting to
the alembic, and setting it in ashes, continuing the fire for a
week : one part of the spirit sublimes, which we call the spirit
or water, and is the subtilest part; the other which is not yet
subtil, sticks about the cucurbit, and some of it falls as it were
to the bottom, which is warm and moist, this we call the air.
And a third part remaining in the bottom of the inner vessel,
which is yet grosser, may be called the earth. Each of these
we put into a vessel apart ; but to the third we put more mer-
cury, and proceed as before, reserving always each principle or
element apart by itself, and thus proceeding, till nothing re-
mains in the inner vessel, but a black powder, whieh we call
the black earth, and is the dregs of metals, and the thing causing
the obstruction, that the metals cannot be united with the spirit;
this black powder is of no use. Having thus separated the four
elements from the metals, or divided them, you may demand,
what then is the fire, which is one of these four? To which I
answer : that the fire and air are of one nature, and are mixed
together, and changed the one into the other; and in the dividing
of the elements, they have their natural force and power, as ia
the whole, so in the parts. We call that air which remained in
the bigger vessel, because it is more hot than moist, cold, or
dry : the same understand of the other elements. Hence Plato
»aith, we turned the moist into dry, and the dry we made moist,
and we turned the body into water and air.

12. Sublimation is the ascending from below upwards, the
subtil matter arising, leaving the gross matter still below, as he
said before in the changing of the elements : thus the matter
must be subtilized, which is not subtil enough, all which must
be done through heat and moistnre, viz. through fire and water.
You must then take the thing which remained in the greater
vessel, and put it to other fresh mercury, that it may le well
dissolved and subtilized : set it in B. M. for three days as before.
We mention not the quantity of mercury, but leave that to your
discretion, taking as much as you need, that you may make it
fusible, and clear like a spirit. But you must not take too much
of the mercury, lest it become a sea; then you must set it again
to sublime, as formerly, and do this work so often, till you ' •

360 Alchemical Treatises.

brought it through the Alembic, and it be very subtil, one
united thing, clear, pure, and fusible. Then we put it again into
the inner vessel, and let it go once more through the alembic,
to see whether any thing be left behind ; which if so, to the same
we add more mercury, till it becomes all one thing; and leaves
no more sediment, and be separated from all its impurity and
superfluity Thus have we made out of two, one only thing, viz.
out of body and spirit, one only congenerous substance, vliich is
a spirit and light ; the body, which before was heavy and fixed,
ascending upwards, is become light and volatile, and a mere
spirit : thus have we made a spirit out of a body, we must now
make a body out of a spirit, which is the one thing.

Fixation, pr Congelation, is the making the flowing and vola-
tile matter fixed, and able to endure the fire; and this is the
changing of a spirit into a body : we before turned the dryness
and the body, into moistness and a spirit ; now we must turn the
spirit into a body, making that which ascended to stay below ;
that is, we must make it a thing fixed, according to the sayings
of the philosophers, reducing each element into its contrary, you
will find what you seek after, viz. making a fixed thing to be
volatile, and a volatile fixed ; this can only be done through
congelation, by which we turn the spirit into a body. But how
is this done? We take a little of the ferment, which is made of
our medicine be it Luna or sol ; as if you have 10 ounces of the
medicine, you take but 1 ounce of the ferment, which must be
foliated ; and this ferment we amalgamate with the matter which
you had before prepared, the same we put into the glass vial with
a long neck, and set it in warm ashes : then to the said ferment,
add the said spirit which you drew through the alembic, so much
as may overtop it the height of 2 or 3 inches; put to it a good
fire for 3 days, then will the dissolved body find its companion,
and they will embrace each other. Then the gross ferment,
laying hold of the subtil ferment, attracts the same, joins itself
with it, and will not let it go; and the dissolved body, which is
now subtil, keeps the spirit, for that they are of equal subtilty,
and like one to another ; and are become so one and the same
thing, that the fire can never be able to separate them any more.
By this means you come to make one thing like another ; the
ferment becomes the abiding place of the subtil body, and the
subtil body the habitation of the spirit, that it may not fly away.
Then we make a fire for a week, more or less, till we see the
matter congealed: which time is longer or shorter, according to
the condition of the vessel, furnaces, and fires you make use of.
When you see the matter coagulated, put the abovesaid matter
or spirit to it, to overtop it two or three inches, which digest as
before, till it be coagulated also, and thus proceed, till all the
matter or spirit be congealed. This secret of the congelation,
the Philosophers have concealed in their books, none of them
that we know of having disclosed it, except only Larkalix, who

Kalid. 361

composed it in many chapters; and also revealed it unto me,
■without any reservation or deceit.

13. Calcination. We take the known matter, and put it
into a vesica, setting a head upon it, and luting it well, put it
into a sand furnace, making a continued great fire for a week:
then the volatile ascends into the alembeck' which we call avis
hermctis : that which remains in the bottom of the glass, is like
ashes or sifted earth, called, the philosophers earth, out of which
they make their increase or augmentation, through heat and
moisture. This earth is composed of four elements, but are not
contrary one to another, for their contrariety is changed to an
agreement, unto an homogenc and uniform nature: then we take
the moist part, and reserve it a part to a farther use. This
earth, or ashes, (which is a very fixed thing) we put into a very
strong earthen pot or crucible, to which we lute its cover, and set
it in a calcining furnace, or reverberatory, for three days, so
that it may be always red hot : thus we make of a stone, a white
calx ; anrt of things of an earthy and watery nature, a fiery nature:
for every calx is of a fiery nature, which is hot and dry. We
have brought things to the nature of fire; we must now further
subtilize our elements ; we take apart, a small quantity of this
calx, viz. a fourth part : the other we set to dissolve with a good
quantity of fresh mercury, even as we had done formerly (in all
the processes of the aforegoing paragraphs) and so proceed on
from time to time, till it is wholly dissolved. Now that you may
change the fixed into a volatile, that is, fire into water, know,
that that which was of the nature of fire, is now become the
nature of water; and the fixed thereby is made volatile and very
subtil. Take of this water one part, put it to the reserved calx,
and add to it as much of the water, as may over top the calx
two or three inches, making a fire under it for three days ; thus
it congeals sooner than at first, for calx is hot and dry, and drinks
up the humidity greedily. This congelation must be continued
till all be quite congealed ; afterwards you must calcine it as for-
merly; being quite calcined, it is called the quintessence, because
it is of a more subtil nature than fire, and because of the trans-
mutation formerly made. All this being done our medicine is
finished, and nothing but ingression is wanting, viz. that the
matter may have an ingress into imperfect metals. Plato and
many other philosophers, began this work again, with dissolving,
subliming, or subtilizing, congealing, and calcining, as at first.
But this our medicine, which we call a ferment, transmutes mer-
cury into its own nature, in which it is dissolved and sublimed.
They say also, our medicine transmutes infinitely imperfect metals,
and that he who attains once to the perfection of it, shall never
have any need to make more, all which is philosophically to be
understood, as to the first original work.

14-. Seeing then that our medicine transmutes imperfect metals
into sol and luna, according to the nature and form of the matter

yy

3#£ Alchemical Treatises.

out of which it is mack* ; therefore we now a second time .-.
that this our medicine is of that nature, that it transmutes 01
changes, converts, divides asunder like fire, and is of a more-
subtil nature than lire, being of the nature of a qui n res ence *£
aforesaid, converting mercury, which is an imperfect substance,
into its own nature, turning- the grossness of nietal into dust and

• allies, as you see fire, whieli does not turn all tilings ratio its nature,
but that which is homogene with it, turning the heterogene mat-
ter into ashes.. Wc have taught how a body is to be .changed

• into a spirit; and again how the spirit is to be turned into;,
body, viz. how the fixed is made volatile, and the volatile fixed
again: how the earth is turned into water and air, and the air
into iire, and the fire into earth again : then the earth into fire,

" and the fire into air, and the air into water;: and the water again
into earth- Now the earth which was of the nature of fire, is

' brought to the nature of a quintessence.- Thus wc have taught

■ the ways of transmuting, performed through heat and moisture;
making cut of a dry a moist thing, and out of a moista dry one :.
otherwise natures which are of several properties, or families,
could not be brought to one uniform thing, if the one should be
turned into the others nature. And this is the perfection accord-
ing to the advice of the philosopher : ascend from the earth into
heaven and descend from the heaven to the earth ; to the intent
to make the body which is earthrinto :v spirit which is subtii, and

" then to reduce that spirit into a body again which is gross,
changing one clement into another, as earth into water, water
into air, air into fire; and fire again into water, and water into
tire: and that into a more subtil nature and quintessence. Thus
have von accomplished the treasure of the whole world.

15: Ingrkssion. Take sulphur vive, melt it in an earthen

• vessel well glazed, and put to it a strong lye made of quicklime
and pot ashes: boil gently together, so will an oil swim on the
top, whieh take and keep: having enough of it, mix it with sand,
distil it through an alembic or retort, so long till it becomes
incombustible. With this oil we imbibe our medicine, which

•will be like soap,- Uhcv we distil by an alembic, and cohobatc

• three or four times, adding more oil to it if it be not imbibed
enough. Being thus imbibed-, put fire under it, that the moisture
nay vanish r and the medicine be fit anil fusible, as the body of
glass. Then take the avis hennctis before reserved, and put it
to it gradatim, till it all becomes perfectly fixed. Now according
to Avicen, it is not possible to convert or transmute metals, unless
they be reduced to their first matter; then by the help of art
they are transmuted into another metal. The alchymist doe*
like the physician, who first purges off the corrupt or morbific
matter, the enemy to man's health, and then administers a cor-
dial to restore the vital powers : so we first purge the mercury
and sulphur in metals, and then strengthen the heavenly elements
in them, according to their various preparations. This nature

A ulid. 363

vork.-, farther Ivy ib^ help of art, as her instrument; and really
makes ;i. % most pure and fine sol and Iuiki: tor as the heavenly
eli mental virtues work in natural w sols : even so do the artificial,,
being made uniform, aareeable with nature; and as nature worlds
by means of the be.:','.* i\:' iiiv and ot the bodies, so also art work-
■:li by a like% temperate and proportionate lire, by the moving;
and living virtue in ihe matter.. 1'or the heavenly virtue rnjwd
with it at lirst, and inclinable to ibis or thai i-- furthered by ttj
heavenly virtues are commurHeared to their subjects, as it is in.
all natural things, chieily in things generated by putrefaction,,
where the astral influence.- are apparent according- to the capacity
of the matter. The alchvmist imitates the same thing, destroy-
ing one form to beget another, arul his operations are best when

pey are according to nature, as by putriiying the sulphur, by
digesting, subliming, and purging argent vive, by an exact
mixtion, with a metallic matter.; and itics out of their principles '
the form of every metal is produced The power of the conven-
ing element must prevail, that the parts of it may appear in the
converted clement; and being thus mhed with the elemented,
thing, then that element will have that matter which made it an
clement, and the virtue of the other converting element will
be predominant and remain ; this is the great arcanum of the
whole art.

MARY OF ALEXANDRIA.

Translated from an Arabic M. S. in the Royal Library at Lar.s

The philosopher Aros went to see Mary the prophetess, and
ifter saluting her, said, * is it true that you can make the stone
white in one day;' — ' yes,' replied Mary, ' and even in less than
a day :' — £ I cannot conceive,' answered Aros, ' the possibility
of doing what you say, nor by what means one can whiten it so
quickly by the magistery :' Mary replied, ' you know that a
water, or thing can be made, which whitens it in a month :' —

* yes,' said Aros 'but a longtime is necessary to make that thing
of which you speak :' — « Hermes,' replied Mary, ' says in all his
books, that the philosophers can whiten the stone in an hour:' —

* O,' said Aros, ' you tell me a strange thing :' — c very strange,'
replied Mary, ' to those who are unacquainted with it :' — ' but,'

5'64 Alchemical Treatises.

answered Aros, * as the body of metals, as well as the human
body, is composed of elements. — You must then say that the/
can be fixed and moderated, their fumes coagulated and retained
in a day, till all that ought to be done is fully accomplished.

* I assure you Arcs,' said Mary, * and I take God to witness,
that if you were not such as you are, I would not say a word of
what I am going to declare to you ; and I will only reveal so far
as God is pleased to inspire me. T:tke then of alum, of the
white gum, and of the red gum ; which is the kibric of the philo-
sophers, their gold, and their greatest tincture, and join them
by a true marriage, the white gum with the red. Do you under-
stand me?' — * Yes,' said Aros, * I comprehend what you have
said.' ' Keduce all this into running water,' continued Mary,
' and by means of the fixed body, purify this truly divine water
which was drawn from the two sulphurs; cause this composition
to become liquid, by the secret of nature, in the philosophical
vessel. Do you conceive Aros r' — ' Yes,' replied Aros, ' I under-
stand you very well. ' Preserve the fume,' pursued Mary 'and
let not any of it escape, make the proportion of your fire similar
to the sun's heat in June or July : stay near your vessel, and you
will see things in it which will surprize you : for in less than three
hours your matter will become black, white, and orange; and
the rume will penetrate the body, and the spirit will become
fixed, the whole of it will afterwards seem as milk, which will
make itself incerating, melting and penetrating. This is the
concealed secret. Then Aros said, ■ I know not how to believe
that it can be always in this manner.' ' Behold a thing highly
admirable,' said Mary, ' which has not been known to the
ancients ; it never entered their minds. Take the white clear
and dignified herb, which grows upon the little mountains, grind
it fresh, when it is at its determined hour, for in it is the genuine
body which evaporates not, neither does it at all fly from the fire/
* Is not this the true stone you speak of?' said Aros. ' Yes Aros,
it is,' replied Mary, ' but men do not know the regimen of it,
because they go on with the work before they are prepared/
' What is there to do after this,' asked Aros. * It is necessary,'
said Mary to him, t to rectify kibric and zibeth upon this body,
that is to say, the two fumes, which comprise and embrace the
two luminaries, and to put them upon that which softens them,
which is the accomplishment of the tinctures and spirits, the true
weights of the science; then having ground the whole, put it tb
the fire: admirable things will be seen. There is nothing further
required but to keep a moderate fire ; after which it is surprizing
to see, how in less than an hour, the composition will pass from,
one colour to another till it comes to the perfect red, or white :
when it does, then abate the fire and open the vessel ; when it is
cold there will appear in it a body, clear and shining like a
pear), the colour of wild poppy mix'd with white. It is then
;nccrating, melting, and penetrating, and a weight of this body

Mary of Alexandria. 363

CSSt upon twelve hundred weight of imperfect metal, will convert
it into gold. Behold the concealed secret.' Here Aros pros-
trated himself on the earth. Mary said to him, • rise Aros, I will
?hew you a further abridgement of the work. Take the clear
body, formed upon the little mountains, which are not at all
made by putrefaction, but by the one movement; grind this
body with the gum elzaron, and the two fumes, for the gum
elzaron is the body which seizes and keeps hold of the spirit.
Grind the whole, place it near the fire, it will melt, and if you
project it upon its feminine part, the whole will become like the
water which was distilled, it will congeal in the air, and will
remain a body: if you make projection of it on imperfect bodies,
you will be a witness to marvels : for this is the hidden secret of
the science. Know that these two fumes, of which I spoke, are
the roots of the art ; and these are the white kibric, and the
humid fire, which the philosophers have called by so many names.
The fixed body from the heart of saturn, comprehends the tinc-
ture and perfects the work of wisdom : the body that we take
on the little mountains is clear and white, and these are the
medicines or two matters of this art, of which the one is to be
purchased, and the other to be got on the little mountains ; the
sages have called them the work of philosophy, because without
them the science cannot be perfected ; and herein lies all the
wonders of the art, for there is in them four stones : the regimen
of it is truly as 1 have said ; Hermes has made many allegories
thereon in his books, and the philosophers have always prolonged
their regimen, saying that a long time is necessary to do it as it
ought to be done. They have said it is necessary to do certain
things which are not necessary ; they have always declared that
a year is required- to complete their magistery. This they said,
to deter ignorant people, by making them think their work
cannot be perfected in less than a year. As this is a grand
secret, there is none but God can reveal it ; those who hear of it
being unable to try, because they don't understand it. But have
you understood me, Aros. * Yes, Mary,' said he, ' but I beseech
you to tell me what vessel is to be used, for without knowing
that the operation cannot be performed. ' The vessel,' said Mary,

* is the vessel of Hermes, which the philosophers have concealed,
and which the ignorant cannot learn, for it is the measure of the
philosophic fire.' Aros then said, ' O prophetess ! tell me I
pray you, if you have found in the books of the philosophers, that
we can make the work with one single body?' * Yes,' said she,

* although Hermes has not spoken of it, because the root of the
science is a poison, which mortifies the whole body, which
reduces it into powder, and which coagulates its mercury by its
odour. I protest to you, that when this poison is dissolved into
a subtle water, in whatsoever manner the dissolution is made, it
coagulates mercury into genuine silver, to all tests ; and if projec-
tion is made of it ca tin, it will change it into silver. I say to

366

Alchemical 'J'rculibcs,

voti, moreover, that this science maybe found in all bodies? hut
the philosophers have not chosen to say any thing of it, bvcaii.- 3
of the shortness of life, and the length of the work; tl]£y found
it nio.-,t easily in that matter, which most evidently .contains the
four elements, ami they have multiplied the obscurity of th.it
matter by giving it diverse names. The philosophers have spoken
sufficiently of all that is necessai'y to be done to accomplish (be
work, except of the vessel of Hermes, which is a divine secret
that God will not disclose to the Gentiles or Idolators: th<- yesi
sel being iudi sponsible to the magistery; those wlm know it wt
will never attain the true regimen.

HERMES TR1SMEGISTUS.

Seven Golden Chapters.