IV. Now understand that this stone cries out, nourish and

perfect me, and I will reward you; give to me mine, that
which is my own, and I will bountifully recompence you. My
sol, and my beams are most inward, and secretly in rae> my
own luna also, is my light, exceeding every light ; and my good
things are better than all other good things. I give largely and
plentifully: I reward the understanding with joy and gladness,
with delight, with riches and honour and glory: and they that
seek alter me, I give them opportunities, to know and under-
stand, and to possess divine things. Now know that which the
philosophers have hidden and obscured is written with seven
letters. Alpha and Yda, follow the two : and sol in like manner
follows the book (of nature) notwithstanding, if you are willing,
or desire that he should have the dominion you must watch the
motions of art, tojointheson to the daughter of the water,
which is Jupiter: this is a hidden secret. Auditor understand,
let us then use our reason : consider what I have written with
the most accurate investigation, and in the contemplative part
have demonstrated to you. The whole matter I know to be but
only one thing. But who is it that understands the sincere in-
vestigation, and inquires into the reason of this matter ? It is
not made from man, nor from any thing like, or a km to him,
nor from the ox or bullock. If any living creature conjoins with
one of another species, the thing is neutral indeed which is
brought forth. Now Venus saith, I beget the light, nor is the
darkness t.i' my nature; and unless my metal be dryed, all bo-
dies would cleave unto me; because I should make them liquids;
also I blot out, or wipe away their rust and filthiness, and I ex-
tract their substance: nothing therefore is better than me and
my brother, being conjoined.

But the king, and lord, or nominator, to the witnesses his
brethren saith, I am crowned, and adorned with a royal diadem,
I am cloathed with the royal garment, and I bring joy and glad-
ness of heart, And being overcome by force, I made my sub=

Hermes Tii&megiatus.

a"

stance to lay hold of, and to rest within the arms and breast,
(i. e. the body or womb) of my mother, and to lay hold and
fasten upon her substance : making that which is visible to be
invisible, and the hidden /natter to appear: for every thing
winch the philosophers have vailed or obscured, is generated by
us. Understand these words, keep them, meditate upon them,
and enquire after nothing else: man in the beginning is gene-
rated of nature, whose bowels or inwards arc fleshy ; and not
from any thing else. Upon these words meditate; and reject
what is .superfluous (to the work). From thence saith the philo-
sopher Botri is made ; from the yellow or citrine, which is ex-
tracted out of the red root, and from nothing else; which if it
shall be citrine, thou hast sought it at the mouth of wisdom, it
was not obtained by thy care or industry: you need not study to
exalt or change it from the redness : see 1 have not limited you,
or circumscribed you under darkness ; I have made almost all
tilings plain to you. Burn the body of laton or brass with a
wry great fire, and it will give you gratis what you desire ; it
will stain, dye, and tinge, as much as you can wish it, and that
with glory and excellency. And see that you make that which
is fugitive and volatile, or flying away, that it may not fly, by
the means of that which flies not. And that which rests or re-
mains upon a strong fire (is fixed,) and is also a strong fire itself ;
and that which in the heat of a strong or boiling fire is corrupted,
or destroyed, or made to fly, is cambar. And know ye that
our aes, brass or laton, is gold, which is the art of the perma-
nant or fixed water; and the coloration of its tincture and black-
ness, is then turned or changed into redness. I confess that
through the help of God, I have spoken nothing but the truth :
that which is destroyed must be restored and renewed, and from
thence corruption is seen in the matter to be renovated, and from
thence the renovation appears : and on both or either side, it is
the si<m of art.