Section 12

But though hyt Mercury be yett wyfely underftondj Wherein it ys, where thou fhalt it feech, Ells I thee Councell tak« not this warkc in hond, For Philofophers flattryth Foolys with fayre Speche : But lyft to me, for trewly I wyll thee teche, Whych ys thy Mercury moft profyttable, Beyng to thee nothing dyflTeveable.
S2 It
n^ The Treface.
It y$ more nythe in fum things than in fum, Therefore take tent what I unto the wryt, For yf thou ncyer to the knowledge cum, Therof yet flialt thou me not twytt; For I wyll trewly now thee excite, To underftand well Mercurys three, The keys which of our Scyem be.
Raymond hys Menftrues doth them call, Without which trewly no truth ys done, But two of them are Superfycyall : The third eflentyall of Soon andMoone^ Theyr property es I wyll declare ryght foonc, And Mercury of other Mettallseffencyall, Ys the pryncipali of our Stone matcryall.
In Soon and Mooneour Menftrue ysnotfcne Hyt not appearethbutby effeft to fyght, That ys the Stone of whych we mene 5 Who fo our wrytyng concevyth aryght, Hyt ys a Soulc, a fubftance bryght : Of Soon and Moone, a fufrtyU influence, By whych the Erth recey veth rcfplendence.
For what ys Gold and Sylvcr hy\hAvyceny But Erth whych ys pure Whyte and Red, Take fro that the fayd clcrnes, and then The hole compound ys called our Lcde, The qualyte of clernes fro Soon and Moone doth com Thefe be our Menitrues both all and fum.
Bodyes
The Preface. us
Bodycs wyth the fyrft wc Calcene naturally Pcrfyt, but none whych be unclene> Except one whych dually Namyd by Phylofophtn the Lyon Greene, He ysxhemeane the Soon and Moonebetweenc: Of joynyng Ty n&ures wyth peifytnes, As Geber thereto bcryth wytnes.
Wyth the Second whych ys an Humydyte Vegetable revyvyng that earft was dede, Both pryncyplcs matcryalls muft loofed be 5 And formalls, els ftandyth they lytic in ftead : The Menftrues therefore know I the rede : Wythout whych neythcr trcw Calcynatyon, Don may be, nether yet naturall Dyflblutyon.
Wyth the thyrd humydyty moft permanent Incombuftyble and un&uous in hys nature, Hermes Tre to aflics muft be brent : Hyt is our Naturall Fyre moft fure, Our Lfrfercury, or Sulpkure, or TjnEture pure: Our Soule^ our St one ^ borne up wyth wynd In the Erthe ingendered, bere thys in thy rnynde.
Thys St$ne alfoe tell thee I dare, Is the vapor of Mettalls potentyall, How thou fhall gctt hyt thou muft beware : Forinvyfible ys truly thys Menftruall: Howbenytt with the fecond Water phylofophycall, By ieperatyon of Elements yt may appcare, To fyght in forme of Water cleere,
S 3 Of
Il6 TheTreface.
Of our Menftrue by labour exuberate And wyth hyt maybe made Sulfhure of nature If itt be well and kyndly acuate$ And cyrculate into a Spryt pure : Then to dyflolve thou muft be fure Thy Bafe wyth hyt in dy vers wyfe, As thou ihalt know by thy pra
That poynt therefore in hys dew place I wyll declare wyth other mo, If God wyll graunt me fpace and grace: And mep rcfervc in lyfe from wo ; As I thee teche loke thou doe fo9 And for thy fyrft ground pryncypall Undcrftond thy Water menftruall.
And when thou haft made true Calcination^ Encrcfyngandnot Waftyng moyfture radycall, Tyll thy Bafe by oftcr lubtylyatyon Wyll lyghtly flow as Wex uppon Mettall . Then lowfc hyt wyth thy vegetable Mcnftruall; Tyll thou have Oyle thereof in Colour bryghtt Then ys your Menftrue vifible to fyght.
And Oyle is drawneowte in Colour of Gold3, Or lyke thereto out of our fine Red Lead, Whych Raymond fayd when he was old. Much more then Gold wold flrond hym inftede^ for whan he was for age nygh dede, We made thereof Aumm P&taMe, Whych hym rcvyvyd as Men myght fte.
Bor
The ^Preface. \%j
For (o together may they be Cyrculate, That ys to fay, Oyje and the vegetabk^nftruali* Ether fo by labour exuberate, And made by Craftc a Scene Celeftyall : Of Nature fo fyrye that we yt call Gur Bafelysk, othcrwyfc our Cokatryfe^ Our great Elixir raoft of pryfe.
Whych as the fyght of a Bafiljib hy$ pj>jc& Kylyth, fofleyth it crude Mercury* When thereon itt ys projc In twynkc of an Eye raoft fodenly, That CMercury teynyth permanently* All bodyes to Son and Moone per fy t5 Thus gyde thy bafc bqth Red and Whytc#
Am urn fotahile thus ys made, Of Gold, not corny n calcynat 5 But of our Tyn Out of our Bafc drawen wyth the Menftruc circulate, But naturall Calcynatyon muft Algatc Be made, ere thy Gold dyflblved be, That Pryncypall fyrft I wyll tell thee. *
But into Chapters thys Trcatis I fhali devyde, In number Twelve with dew Recapy tulatyon 5 Superfluous rehearfalls I ley afyde, Intendyng only to geve trcw Informatyon, Both of the Theoryke and Pradycall opcratyon : That by my wrytyng who fo wyll guyded be, Of hys intente perfytly fbced fhall he.
The
u8 The Trefaee.
The Fyrft Chapter lhalbe of mtunll Calcination- The Second of Solution fccrct and Phylofophyca'li5 The Thyrd of our Elemental! Separation • The Fourth of Conjtwtfion raatrymonyall; The Fyfthe of Putrefatfion then followe lliall \ Of Congelation^ albyfycative fliall be the Syxt3 Then of Cjiatjon the Seaventh fliall follow next.
The fecret of our Sublymation theeyght fliall fliew* The nynth fliall be of Fermentation, The Tenth of out Exaltation I trow 5 The Eleventh of our mervelofe UHultypljcatpn^ The Twelfth ofProje^jon^thcnRecapytuldtjon$ And fo thys Treatyfe fliall take an end* By the help of God as I emend*
I2Q
Of Ca LCI NAT ION.
c
Tbejirft Cjatc.
Ahlnmon is the purgacyon of our "Stmr.
' Reftauryng alfo of hys naturall heate5 Of radycall moyfture it lefyth none* Inducyng Solution into our Stone mo& mete, After Phrfofephj I you behyte,
Do not after the comyn gyfe,
WythSulphurcand Salts preparat indyvers wyfo
Nether with Gorrofyves nor with Fire alone, Nor with. Vyneger nor Water ardent, Nether with the vapour of Ledc our Stone Is Calcyned to our intcntc : All they to Calcyne whych fo be bent ,
Fro thys hard Scjence withdraw theyrc hoard* Till they our Calcyning better underftonde.
For by fuch Calcynyng they re bodyes be fhent, Whych mynyiheth the moyfture of our Storn^ Therefore when bodyes to powder be brent3 Dry as askys of Tre or Bone, Of fuch Calx then wy 11 we none, For moyfture we multiply radycall, In Calcynyng, mynyftyng none at all.
T And
i^o Of Calcination.
4. And for a furc ground of our trew CalcynAcydn, Woorch wyttyly kynde only wyth kynde 5 For kynd to kynde hath appctyblc *nclynacyon 5 Who knoweth not thys yn knowledge is but blynd z He may forth wander as Myft doth wyth the Wynd 5 Woting never wyth perfytnes where to lyght, Becaufe he cannot confcvc our words aryght.
5. Joyne kynd to kynd therefore as reafon ys, For every Burgeon anfwercth to hisowne Seed 5 Man begetteth Man, a Beaft a Beaft lykcwyfc 5 Ferther of thys to trctc it is no need,
But underftond thys poynt yf thou wyltfpede;
Every thyng ys fyrft Calcyned in hys ownc kymf, Thys well confcvyng,frute thereyn Jfhalt thou fynde.
6. And we make Calxes un&ious both Why te and Red, Of three degrees or our Bafe be pcrfy 1 $
Fluxyble as Wex, ells ftond they lytcle in fted 5 By ryght long proceffe as Phytofipbers wryte, A yere we take or more for our refpyte :
For in lefle fpaceour Calxewyll not be made, Able to taync with colour whych wyll not vade.
7# As for the P* oporcyon thou muft beware, For therein many one ys beguylyd, Therefore thy warke that thow not marre* ■ Lat the Body be fotclly fylyd With Mercury ^as much then fo fubtylych One of the So*n9 two of the Maoncy Tyll altogether lyke pap be done.
Then
Of Calcination. 151
8. Then make the Mercury foure to the S$nne, Two to the Mone as hyt fhould be,
And thus thy workc muft be begon,
In fygure of the Tryny te 5
Three of the Body and of the Spryt three : And for the unytycof the fubftance fpiritual!^ One more than of the fubftance corporall.
9. By Raymonds Report dry thys ys trcw, Proporcyon there who lyft to looke, The fame my Dottour to me did fliewi But three of the Spryt Bacon tookc, To one of the Body for thys I wookc :
Many a nyght or I hyt wyft.
And both be trcw take whych youlyfti
0. If the Water be equall in Proporcyon
To the Erthe whych hetc in dew mefure,
Of hym ihall fpryng a new burgyon5
Both Why te and Red in puretyndure,
Whych in the Fyre (hall ever endure: Kyll than the quyck, the ded rcvyve, Make Try ny te Uny te wy thout any ft ry vei
f. Thys ys the beft and the fureft Proporcyon* For here ys left of the part fpyrytuall, The better therefore fhall be Solucyon 5 Then yf thou dyd it wyth Water fmail, Thync Erth over glutyn whych Iofyth alii Take heedc therefore to potters loome, And make you never to nefh thy wome,
T 2 That
i^z Of Calcination.
12. That loome behold how yt tempered ys3 The mcane alfo how thou hyt Calcenatey And ever in raynd loke thou bare thys,
That never thync Erth wyth Water be fuffocate, Dry up thy moyfture wyth heate moft temperate z Heipe Dyflolucyw wyth moyfture of the Monc, And Congcllacyott wyth the Son,thcn haft thou done.
1 3. Fourc Natures (hall into the fyfth fo turne, Whych ys a Nature moft perfeift and temperate; But hard hyt ys with thy bare f ootc to fpurnc, Agaynft a brodyke of Iyron or Stele new acuatc: Soe many one doth whych bene infatuate^
When they fuch hygh thyngs don take in hond^ Whych they in noe wyfe underftondc.
14. In Eggs, in Vitryoll, or in Blod, What ryches wene they there to fynde 5
Yf they Phjlofophj underftode, 1
They wold not in worchyng be fo blynd,
Gold to feke or Sylver out of kynd:
For lyke as Fyre of brennyng thepryncyple ys,
So ys the pryneyple of gildyng, Gold I wys.
1 j. Yf thou intend therefore to make
Gold and Sylver by craft of our Pbilojtpby* Therto nother Eggs nor Blood thou takc3 But Gold and Sylver whych naturally, Calcyned wyfely, and not manually,
And new generacyon wyll forth bryng, Increfyng theyr kynde as doth ech thyng.
And
Of Qakination. ni
1 6. And yf yt true were that pcrfyt myght be, In thyngs which be not mettallyne .•
In which be Colours plefaunt to fee,
As in Blood, Eggs, Here, Uryn, and Wyne ,
Or in mcaneMettallsdyggydoutoftheMyne:
Yet muft thcyr Elements be putrefyed and feparate, And wyth Elements of perf yt Bodys be dy fponfate*
17. Butfyrftof thefc Elements make thou Rotacyon, And into Water thy Erth turne fyrft of all 5 Then of thy Water make Ayre by Levygacyon- And Ayre make Fyrc5 then Master I wyii thee call Of all our fecretts greatc and fmall :
The Whcelc of Elements thoucanft turne about, Trcwlyconfevyngour Wrytyngs wythowt dowte.
1 8. Thys-done, go backward, turnyng thy Wheelc againe, And into thy Water then turne thy Fyre anon$ And Ayre into Erth, ells laboryft thow but in vayne : For foe to temperment ys brought our Stoney
And Natures contraryofe, fowcr be made one, After they have three times ben Cyrculat, And alfoe thy Bacc pcrfytly confummate,
9. Thus under the moyfture of the M oone, And under the temperate hete of the Sonne, Thy Elements fhalbe incynerate fone, And then thow haft the Maiftery wone; Thanke God thy worke was then begon: For there thow haft one token trew, Whych fyrft in blacknes to thee wyll fliew.^
T 3 The
nit Of Qalcination.
20. The hcde of the Crow that tokyn call we, And fura men call hyt the Crows byll 5 Sum call hyt the Ames of Hermes Trc, And thus they name hyt after theyer wyll, Our Tode of the Erth whych etyth hys fyll: Sum name hyt by whych it ys mortyfycat The fpyryt of the Erth wyth venome intoxycate,
2ju But hyt hath Names I fay to the infynytc, For after each thyng that Bkcke ys to fyght • Namyd hyt ys tyll the tyme that hyt wex Whyte, For after blackneflTe when yt wexcth bryghr, Then hath hyt names of moredelyght:
After Whyte thyngs, the Red after the fame, Rule of Red thyngs, doth take hys name.
22. At the fjrfl Gtie% now art thoti in,
Of the Pkylofophers Caftle where they dwells
Proceeds wyfely that thou may wyne
In at mo Gates of that Caftcll,
Whych Caftle ys round as any Bell: And Gates hath Eleven yet mo, One ys conquered, now to the SttwA- go.
The end of the firjl Gate.
m
i.
Of Solution. The/econd (jute.
OF Solution now wyll I fpcke a word of tw£, Whych {heweth owt that err was hyd from fyght, And makyth intenuate thyngs that were thyk alfo 5 By the vcrtueof our fyrft Menftrue clereandbryght, In whych our Bodycs eclypfyd ben to fyght :
And of thcr hard and dry Compa&yon fubtylyat Into thcr owne fyrft nature kyndly retrogradate.
One in Gender they be and in Nomber not fo, Whofe Father the Son, the Moone truly ys Mother, The mean ys Mercury, thefc two and no mo Be our Magnefia, our Cidtop, and none other 5 Thyngs there be, but only Syfter and Brother : That ys to wenc Agent and Pacyent, Sulphure and CMercury coeflTentyall to our entent.
Betwyxt thefc two in qualytc cotraryofe, Ingendred ys a Mcne moft mervyllofcly Whych ys our Mercury and Menftrue un&uofet Our fecrett Sulphur worchyng invyfybly, More fcrfely than Fyre brennyng the body," Into Water dyffolvyng the Body mynerall, Which Nyght fro darlcncs in the North parte wc call.
But
xifi Of Solution.
4. But yet I trow thou underftandyft not utterly The very fecrett of Phylofopers Bjffolucion % Therefore conceve me I coupcell thee wyttyly : For I wyll tell thee trewly wythout delufyon* Gur Selucyon ys caufe of our Congehcym^
For the Dyjfolucjen on the one fydc corporal!
Caufyth Congclacjtn on the other fyde Spyrytuall.
5# And we Dyffblvc into Water whych weytytK no-hohd, For when the Erth ys integrally yncynerat 5 Then ys the Water ■■ congclyd, thys ' underftond* For the Elements be fo concatenar, That when the body fro hys fyrft forme ys alterate : A new forme ys inducyd immediately, For nothyng being wythout all forme ys utterly*
$% And here a fecret to thee I wyll dyfclofe,, Whych ys the ground of our fecrcts all 5 And yf thou hyt not know thou fliak but lofe Thy labour and cofts both great and fmall, Take hedc therefore in Errour that thou not fall." The more tfeyne Erth andthelefTethy Water bcy The rather and better Solucyon fhallthou fee*
- Behold how Yfc to Water doth relenr, And fo hyt muft> for Water hyt was before^ Ryght Ibeagaync to Water our Erth is bent. And Water thereby congclyd for evermore, For after all Fhylofofhcrs whych ever was bore 1 Every Mettall was ons Water mynerall, Therefore wyth Water they turne to Water afl*
In
Of Solubwn. \vj
8, In whych Water of kynde occafyonate Of qualytes bene tepugnaunce and ^y^rfytc, Thyngs into thyngs :rauflf thetfore -fc^ Rotate \ Untyll dyverfyte be brought to parfyt unyte, For Scrypturc recordyth when the Erth (hall be
Trowbelyd, and into the depe Sea ifliall be caft Mountaynes, our Bodyes lykewyfc jat ithc daft.
9. Our Bodyes ibe lelccnyd convtnyently
To Mountaynes whych after hygh Planets we. name $
Into the depencstherfore of CMercurj.
Turne them and kepe the out of 'blame,
Then (hall ye fc a Npbyil game^
How all Avail become powdtfr fbft as fylkc, So doth our Runnett^by kynde curd our Mylkc.
o. Then hath our Bodys therrfyrft formedofte, And otheribc /enducyd ymedya&ly ; Then haft ihow well befet thy^coft, Wheras fome other uncunning muft goc by, " Not knowyng the fecretts of our Phylofopby : Yet one poynt I more muft tcH thee, >Every Body how hyt hath jJymenicyoris three.
i# Altytude, Latitude, and Profiundyte,
By whych algatcs turne we muft our Whcle- Knowyng thy entraunce in the Weft ihall be* Thy /paflage forth into the North yfrrhoudo well, And there thy Lyghts/lofe they re Lyght eche-dele: For there thou muft abyde by Ninety Nyght In d^rknes of Purgatoiyjwyfhowtcn Lyght.
V Then
ng Of Solution.
I2, Then take thy courfc up to the Effie anon By Colours paflfyng varyable in manyfold wyfe, And then be Wynter and Vere nyghover-gon To the Efty therfore thyne affendyng devyie, For there the Son wyth Day-lyght doth upryfe In Somer, and there dyfporte the wythdelyght, For there thy Warke .(hall becom parfyt Whyte*.
*j. Forth fro the Eft ynto the South affend, And fett thou up therein thy Chayrc of Fyrcr For there ys Harveft, that ys to fay an end Of all thys Warke after thy ne ownc defyre : Ther fhynyth the Son up in hys owne fphyre, And after the Eclyps ys in rednes wyth glory As Ky ng to ray ne uppon all Mettalls and Mercury*.
14. And in one Gtaffe muft be done all thys thyng, Lyke to an Egg in ihape, and cloiyd well. Then muft you Know the vnefure offyryng^ The whych unknowen thy Warke ys loft cch dele, Lett never thy Glaflfe be hotter then thow may feele : And fuffcir ftyll in thy bare hand to holde For dread of lofyng as Phihjofhers have the tolde-
15; Yett to my Dodryne furthermore intend, Beware thy GlafTe thou never opyn ne meve Fro thy begynnyng, tyll thou have; made an end • If thou do contrary thy Warke may never chevc : Thus in thys Ckaptr whych ys fo breve , I have the taught thy trew Solution 5 Now to the Tbyrd Gate goe, for thys ys won.