Part I. alchymy. 67

Hermes Trifmegiftus, that ancient philofopher, wrote touching1 the attain- ' ment of this ftone, which he pronounced to be of all benefit to man, and one of the greateft bleflings he could poffefs and although his writings contain much of the excellency of truth, being wrapped up in fuch fymbolical figures, ■ it renders them exceedingly difficult to be underftood, yet, if comprehended, they, no doubt, contain fome very great -fecrets by which mortal man may profit.
Now it belongs to our purpofe to know what it is from which we mull ex- tract the firft matter of this ftone, to go on with our procefs, becaufe we muft have materials to work upon ; for all philofophers agree that, the firft matter being found, we may proceed without much difficulty. For the firji matter , (I fhall fpeak as plainly as pofiible) firft, the grand queftion in debate is — Where is it to be found ? — I fay it is to be found in ourfelves. We all poffefs this firft matter, from the beggar to the king ; every mothers’ fon carries it about him ; and, could our ingenious chemifts but find a procefs for the ex- tracting, how well would all their labours be repaid. The next queftion na- turally comes thus — How are we to draw, or attract the fecret matter of the ftone out of ourfelves ? — Not by any common means 5 and yet it is to be drawn into very aCtion, and that by the mo ft fimple means, and in a manner that the attaining of the philofophers’ ftone would very foon follow it. I pray you, my friend, look into thyfelf, and endeavour to find out in what part of thy compofition is the prima materia of the lapis philofophorum , or out of what part of thy fubftance can the firft matter of our ftone.be drawn out. Thou fayeft, it muft either be in the hair , fweat , or excrement. I fay in none of thefe thou fhalt ever be able to find it, and yet thou fhalt find it in thyfelf.
Many great philofophers and chemifts, whom I have the pleafure to know, affirm that, admitting of the poftibility of tranfmutation, it (/. e. the firft matter ) muft be taken from the pureft gold. To this I fay it muft not ; neither has it any thing at all to do with extrinfical gold. They will ' fay then that the pure ens of gold may be drawn from gold itfelf. True, it may fo 5 but then I would afk if they could ever produce more gold than
I 2 that
ALCHYMY.
63 ALCHYMY. Book I.
that out of which the foul or offence was extracted ; if they have, they have indeed found out a fecret beyond the powers of our comprehenfion ; becaufe it is agairrft reafon to fuppofe that if a pound of gold yields a drachm of the foul or effence, that that only will tinge any more than a pound of purified lead, or $ ; becaufe we have tried various experiments, and I have, in feme of my firfl effays, turned both lead and mercury into good gold ; but no more than that out of which the foul was extracted.' But, however, not to lofe. our time in vain and ridiculous difputation, know that whatever prodigious things or experiments have been tried with refpeft to the firfl matter, by ex- ternal fubjefts, either in the mineral, animal, or vegetable kingdoms, as they are called, I fay in us is the power of all wonderful things, which the fupreme Creator has, of his infinita mercy, implanted in our fouls ; out of her is to be extradited the firfl matter, the true argent vrve, the g of the philofophers, the true ens of o , viz. a fpiritual living gold, or waterifn mercury, or firfl matter, which, by being maturated, is capable of tranfmuting a thoufand pts. of impure metal into good and pcrfe6t gold, which endure fire, tell, or cupel.