Book If. "ihe Kofte Crudan Crorvn, 49

maturity, yet notwithf^anding this it hath
fierinels occultly and vertually in it, but no
fo fully becaufe the fire caufech not fuch ble>
mentui quallities ag in gold. And therefore fil-
ver being in his firrt'diipofition doth not cure
the Leprofy fo potently iiniefs it be firft ^\U
gefled'by Arcuntillit have the cbeif degrees of
gold in all maturity. Wherefore other fick
metallick bodies more weakly cure infirmicus
according as they differ more from them in
perfedion and maturity feme differ more fome
kfs, ivhich IS by rcafon of the fulpbur infcd-
cd feid and burning of which they were made
ac the beginning in their generation and coa^^u-
lation and therefore they care not whereas the
fire in them is burning and fo infeded with
the Ekmcnrall feces with tlie mixture ot other
Elemeatallq-jailities.

Seeing therefore that gold is of fuch vigor
amongft the vulgar and that being in his fitlt
difpoiiioa what wonder is it if it beinc broughc
into medicine ( as is experienced ) by Art and
his vertue be fubciliated byd-fgefticn ordecodi-
on and purgation of the quallities but it may
then cure mure nay infinite or ail difeafe?.

It makes an old man yoong and revive, it
prefcrveth health (Irengtheneth nature and ex-
pdleth all ficknefles of the body it drivet'ipoy-
ion away from the heart it moyftencth the
Arteries and breifly prefervcth the whole
body found.

. G 2 In

50 The Rofie Crucian Crovpn, Book II.

In the Ludai furorum it is thus written ot the
ufc of this medicine the manner of ufeing ic
according to ail the Philofophers is thus, if you
will ufc to cat of this medicine then take the
weight of two florence Duccacs of our ichxir
and one pound of any confe<^ion, and eat of that
confedion the quantity of one dram in win-
ter. And if you do thus it driveth away all
bodily infirmities from what caule foever they
proceed whether hot or cold, and confcrveth
health and youth in a man, and maketh an
old man young, and maKcth gray hairs to fall,
it al(o prefently cureth the Leprefj^ and dif-
iblvcth Flegm mundifierh the bJoud it (harpcn-
cth the fight and all the fcnfcs afder a moft
wonderful manner abov^c all the medicines of
the Philofopherf.^

To which purpofe wc thus find in the 'Kjj'
fary ofthc Philofophers, In this (that is to fay
in the Elixir) is ccmplcated the precious gift
of God, which is the ^Arctnum of all the
Sciences \n .the world, and the incomperable
treaGjr-e o( treafures (for as Plate faith) he that
hath this guift of God hath the dominion of
the world ( that is to fay of the Microcofme)
bcciiuie he atcaineth to the end of Riches and
hath broke the bonds of nature, not onely, for
that he bach power to convert all imperfcd
mettalls into pare gold and fiiver, but rather
bccaufc he can convert and preferve both
man and every Animall in perfcft health.

To