/ / 'ro-i/e^ i- ^-. -.tfi Oj^AiX6 t THE Hermetical Triumph j Or, the Victorious 'hilofophical Stone. A TREATISE lore compleat and more intelligible than any extant, concerning The Hermetical Magiftery. Tranllared from the French. To which is added, ^ 'he Ancient fVar of th^ Knights; BEING AN Ichymiftical Dialogue betwixt our Stone, Gold and Mercury , of the true Matter, of which thofe who have traced Nature, do prepare the Philofopher's Stone. Tranflated trom the German. LONDON: jrinted for T h o m a s Harris, at the Looking'Glafs and Eible^ on London- Bridge ^ Price Two Shillings. 1 li^rii^ri^vvi^ti^iiii^ii^i^Y i^t^*^^^ T O T H E READER. EEING not only the bad Succefs mofl: Search- ers of the Hermetick Art meet with, but that like- wife great Numbers of them are fallen into the greateft Abfurdi- ties, as well in refpeft to their Operations, as to the Matter they work upon ^ and often wiihing to fee fome Remedy applied, to ^recover thofe unhappy People from A 3 theic VI To the Reader.^ their Errors, it led me into a fe- rious Confideration of the Caufe thereof ^ and I found that it was impoflible, thofe deluded Search- ers could dwindle away into the abfurdeft Operations, if they did not want a fufficient Theory of this Art. Then meditating further, and finding that the faid Theory (which is the ipain Pillar and Foundati- on to go upon) is not to be ac- quired but by the conflant Perufal of good Books 5 I at lift begun to confider of thofe Authors, which are Extant in the En^UjJj Tongue, and found that there really too few of them, and that it was chief- ly to be attributed to this Want, that People labour fo much in vain, and fo contrary to Nature. To the Reader^ vii 'Tis true, fome, who only look upon the Number of Books, will think there are Authors enough, nay, too many Extant that have written of the Hermetick Art in the Engliji) Tongue , but others who have acquired fome Knowledge in this Divine Science, and who know to diftinguifh good Authors from Sophifters, will eafily allow, that there is a real Want of them , for there are but few who wrote in the Englifi Tongue, that may be deemed as Mafters, or at leaft by whom a feeker of this myfterious Art may be inftrufted ^ fo that, as to thofe fophiftical Authors who have encreafed the Number of fuch Books, and treated of an Art which they did not know, nor under- ftood fo much as any Part there- of, the more numerous they are, A 4 the viii To the Reader* the more pernicious they prove to a Beginner who happens to read them 5 for it is certain, that they may eafily put him out of a right Path, but can never lead him into a true Waj% As for thofe that have been tran- flated out of other Tongues, they are but of little Ufe, when they have been tranflated, rather to ferve fome private View, than • to be in- ftruaive to thofe who Study this Science ; erpecially when they have been tranflated by Perfons, who had no Knowledge of the Terms and Operations of Chymiflry , and I do not QlAcflion, but it will be affirmed by all thofe, who (under- flanding the German Tongue) have read Eafil Valentine in his own Native Language, that the Tran- Ration of thai- A'olume which con- tains To the Reader. ix. tains his Will and Teftament, &e. differs widely from the Original -^ nay, I believe I might eafily con- vince the Lovers of this Art, that the fame is a bad Tranflation of a bad Edition, Concerning others, I will fay nothing againft them, it not be- ing my Intention, to fearch for the Faults of other Tranflators. But finding from the aforefaid Confiderations, that to get fome good Authors tranflatcd, would be the moft likely Means to furnifh the Lovers and Studiers of this Sci- ence with a fufncient Theory, and to make them to dcfift from theif unnatural Operations : I refolved to undertake the Work, and fixed upon tlie following Treatifes to be. the firft, that Ihould appear in an f!nelifl: Drefso The X To the Reader. The firfl: of thefe Treatifes wa?' •written by a German Philofopher, under the Title of, The Anci- KNT WaPv of the Knights, and was not only at firft received, as coining from a good Author, and true Mafter, by all thofe who had got any Knowledge in this Science : But the faid Treatife did likewife afterwards rec^^ive its San- ation by the fccond, being a Com- mentary, which another learned Philofopher has made thereupon in French ^ who alfo after his in- ftrudive learned Commentary has added fix Keys, which for their Plainnefs and ingenious Expreffions give way to none, and arc of the greateft Ufe imaginable to a Studier of this Art. Thus the whole being an excel- led \'\'oilv', there is no doubt, but til re To the Reader. xi thofe who apply themfelves to get Knowledge by reading good Au- thors, will find infinite Benefit from the perufal of it , and the faid Treatife called, T H e A n c i e N" T W A Pv OF THE Knights, being wrote in the Ge^-man Tongue, I have been at the Pains and Ex- pences to get an Original thereof, that fo the Lovers of this Science might likewife have a Tranflation of the fame, and thus be able to draw Water from the Spring it felf ^ and alfo, that by comparing it with the firft, they might fee and refti- fy fuch Paffages as have fuffered by a fecond Tranflation. No Body will, I hope, objed, that the Style of this Work is not according to the prefent Politenefs, if he is fo kind as to confider that it is not intended for a Grammar, but xii To the Reader. but to inftrud People in the Her- iiietick Science, which is for the mod Part defcribed in fuch difti- culr Terms, that the unhappy- Turn of one Word, may aher a whole Sentence, to the infinite Pre- judice of a Tyro ; and that it is therefore better to keep to the Au- thor's Meaning in a lefs agreeable Style, than to deviate from it, by ufing politer Expreflions. *Tis likewife for the fame Rea- fon, that where the German has a Word or Sentence which might bear a double Meaning or Signifi- cation, both of them have been gi- yen, as for Inftance : Where the War of the Knights, at the End of this Book, tranllated from the German Original, fays b}' Isnm. 19. pa^. 10. Andifyoutvpofljouldmix your felvxs together^ and were kept in To the Reader. xiii in the Fire* — The Original fays in- deed in the Fire^ but becaufe the Germans fpeaking of Chymical O- perations, and mentioning Fire^ of- ten mean Digeflioriy which is per- formed by Fire ^ therefore has been added, [cr in Di^eftioni] that fo the Reader might have both Meanings, and choofe of the two which he Ihould judge mod proper. I could eafily have added my Opinion upon feveral Paffages in this Work, as for Inflance, pa£» 41. where mention is made of the Stars of Venus and Dianay which tv70 Signs or Characters put toge- ther, produce that which fignifies Mercury •, for if the Ch.iracler of horned Diana [y~l, is placed upon that of Vem4s [5], it yields a Cha- rader in this Form 5. But I o- mit it, left I fliould be thought pre- xiv To the Reader* prefumptuous in endesvouring. to explain, what I own I am not Ma- fter of. Should this my well-intended Labour meet with Approbation : I'll continue it with Pleafure ^ and in Cafe the prefent Work fhould any ways be wanting in Exacti- tude, I'll ufe all Endeavours to make amends in the next. THE XV THE PREFACE Of the Author of the COMMENTARY, Tranilated from the Freyich. Advertisement* ^^^^B ^^ isfuffcientlj ferfuadedy that ^ i^y i ^^^^^ ^^ ^/rf<«^ too many Books ^^^^ which treat of the Hermetick Phi- lofophy; and that unlefs one 7vopild wrke of this Science plainy mth&nt Equivoca- tion^ (mdivithoHt Allegorjy {which notfc of the Sagei xvl r^^ PREFACE. Sagu will ever.doy) it would be better to rc^' main Jilent^ than to fill the World with new Works, which rather Jerve to clog the Spirit \or A'iinds] of thofi 7vho apply themfelves t9 fenetrate into the Philofophick^Mjfieries, than to put them in the true Waj, which leads to the defired Endy to which they afpire, *Tii for this Reafon that it has been thought, that to interpret a good Author, who treats of this fublime Philofophy with Solidity, would be more ufeful to the Children of the Science, thanfome new Parabolical Pro du^ ion, adorned with fame cf the mofl ingenious Exprcffwns, which the Adepts know to Frame when they treat of this great Art, cr rather, when they write only to make known, to thofe that poffefs the Magtfie-* ry like themfelves, or to thofe that feek^ iff that they have had the good Fortune to arrive to the PoJfeJJion thereof Indeed mofl part of the Philofophers which haz'e wrote thereof, have done it rather to fpeakj}f the good Sftccefs where-^ with God has blejfed their Workj^ than togivi the mceffary Infiru^ion to thofe wh^givf them^ felves r;6^ PREFACE. xvii Jdves to the Study ofthisfacred Science. This is fe trncy that mofi of them dont fo much us make any Difficulty offfwningjincerely^ tha^ ihat has been their chief Viov-i when thej :ompojed their Bookl of that Matter, The little Treatife 'which bears the TitU^ The K-i^iYh^-vW h^ of the Knights, ^oas without any Contradi&on deferved the ji^ '>robation of all the Sages [or wife Men'] and f thoje, who have ayry Knowledge of the Her^ netick^Philofophy, It is written by Way of a Dialogue^ in a very 'plain and natural Style, vhich bears every Way the marks of Truth ; "et notwithfianding its Plainnefs, it is not want'- ng of Profundity y and to be folid in its Rec^ oningi as alfo convincing in its Proofs ; infuoh ; manner 'i that there is not one Word^ but what mrries its Sentence^ and on which there might ^ be m4de a long Commentary, This Work^ was compofed in the German lingui by a true Philo/ophery whofe Name is (a) mknonii^ xvlli K^ PREFACE. ftfjJ^oTV^, It affeared in Print at Leipzig^ in the Tear of our Lord i6o/[, Faber of Montpeiller trmjlated it into Latin : And it Tvas from this Latin [Edition^ that the French Tra^ flat ion wi^s tfuh^n-, which was Printed ^ Paris by d' Floury, md put at the End of [the Cook^called'] the French Turba, of the Word left behind [verbum dimilTiim] and of Drebellius, Tvhich together make up one Vo^ lume. But 'whether Faber did not well un- derfiand the German Tongue y or elfe did on Turf off fdfif) t\)e Original : So it is, that there are in thcfe fiuo Tranflations corrupted Pajfages^ ^hich are fo raanifcfily falfe, that they harue 9Ccafionedy that nutr^ have contemned this little Work^ although it feemed otho^ife to be 'very viiijh efleemed, I As Truth avd FalJIwod cannot dwell to- gether In one SubjeB^ and becanf^ it wa^ eajy to judge that thefe Trajifations wers 9tot do7ie faithfully^ a Fhilofopher of cx' traordinary Knowledge and Merlt^ didj M r^'t? PREFACE. xlx for tofati^fy his Qinojity in this Poijtty f^ive hirnfelf the Trouble^ of feeling wp- wfirds of ten Tears for to fnd the Ger- man Original of this little Treatife^ ani having at laft fottnd it^ caused it to be Bxa^ly t ran fated into Latin. This nev^ Tranfation is taken from that Copy^ ani ■done with all pojfible Fidelity, The Good- piefs of the Original viay be feen here, by fhe truth which evidently appears in diver i Vlaces which have been refored [to its for" wer Senfe^ which were not only alter'' J^ but quite changed. One rnay judge of this by the Paffage marked thirty- four ^ when the firfi Tranflation fays, like the Latin Id/ Faber, Mercurium noftrum nemo af- fequi poteft ^ nifi ex nioUibus octo cor- poribus neque uUum a'jfque a*tero pa- rari poteft. No Body can attain to our Mercury, otherways than out of the. eight foft Bodies, nor can the one be prepared without the other. This Trea^ tife needed no other Things to he defpifel XX The VRE¥ ACE. by thofe that have afufficient Knowledge of the heghimvg of the [Philofo^hick'] jrof% in order to dijlingmjlj what is triiey from that which is falfe : The learned^ however., did eaflyjitdgc, thatfuch a ca^z* tal Fault as that could not come from a true Thilofo^her^ who otherways gives fufficiently to know that he has perfeBly underjkod the Magijlery : But there was fpanting a zealous learned Man, for to difcover the Truth, and one that was as capable as the aforefaid.^ to make fo great afearch for to find the Origijtal of this V^ork • without which it was impojfibU to re-eJialUJ) the true Senfe thereof The place jujl 7ww mentioned, was not the only one^ that wanted to be amended. If one takes the Pains to compare this Ticw Tranjlation with the former, thers wit! appear a very great Difference, and Tuany material Correclions. The pajjagc thirty-five is not one of the Uafi, and Kf PREFACE. xx£ 'cs this Tranjlation has been done from the new \or hJF\ Latin Copy, without ever looking vpon that which was already print- ed in French, it has been apleafure to re- viark in covrje, all what was jtot conforut to the fame. The Words and entire Phrafes^ that have leen added in fome places in the prefent^ to make it join more natural, or to render theSenfe more per feB, are placed betwixt two Crotches ( ), in order to difinguijfy what is, and what is not in the Text^ to which the Author of this Tranjlation hc» kept hi?nfelf extreamly clofe : By Reafon that the leajl Addition, to a Matter of this Nature, may make a confiderahle Al- teration [or Chajige'] and Occafion great Errors. The Beauty and the Solidity of this Trea^ tife , did very well deferve the Pdins which have been taken to viake a Commen- tary xxii r& PREFACE. tary thercjipov^ to m^ike it more hiteUigi' hie to the Children of the Art •, [or Sci- ence y\ becaufe it is a Treatife that may Jiand them ivjlead of all others. And as the Method of a Dialogue is the viaji pro- ber for to explain, and for to ?nake pal- pabJe the fiiblimeji Truths^ it has been made Ufe of here, and that with the more' Reafon, in that the Aiith§r^ upon which this Covim^'yitary has been made, has writr ten in the fame manner. The Dialogue of Eudoxe and Pyrophile, which explaijis that [Dialogue^ of the Stone, with Gold, and with Mercury, unfolds the chiefejl Dificidties ly its ^uejfions, and by the Avfwers which are made thereto about the viojl material [or effentiaT] Foiitts of the Uennetick Philofophy, TJ)e Cyphers which are on the Margin of thefe two Dialogues, are to remark the places which are alike in thefirjl Dia- logue ^ and the fecond in which they are ' T/^?2ou x£§i^ X^'B^ I THE General Explication O F T H E E M B L E M E, Tranflated from the French. T ought not to be expedtcd to find here a particular Explication, fuch as fhould undraw the Curtains which arc fpread over the philofophick Enigma, for to fl.ew the Truth quite naked j for if that were [done], there would remain nothing more to be done but to burn all the Writings of the Philofb- phers : The Wile would not have any more Advan- tage over the Ignorant j the one and the other would be equally skilled in tliis wonderful Art. It ought therefore to be thought fufficient to fee in this Figure, as in a Looking-Glafs, the Abridge- ment of the whole fecret Philofophy, which is con- tained in this little Book, in wliich all the Parts of this Emblem are explaine^i as clear as it is permitted to be done. Those Those that are initiated in the Philofbphicic My-i fteries, will eafily and piefcntly comprehend ihc Scnie which is hid under this Figure. But thofe who have not thefe Lights, muft here conTider in general a mu- tual Corrcfpondcnce beiwixt the Heavrns and the Earth, by Means of the Sun and Moon, v/ho are like the fecret Tie?; of this Philofap'nical Union. They will fee in the Praftice of the Worck, two parabolical Rivulets, who confounding [or mixingj themfelvcs iecretly together, give Birth to tlie my- fterious Triangular Stone, which is the Foundation of the Art. They will fee a fecret and natural Fire, of which the Spirit penetrating the Stone, lublimcs it in Va- pours, who condcnfe themfelves in the Veflel. They will fee what Efficacy thefublimed Stone receives of the Sun and Moon, who are its Father and Mother, of whom it inherits prefently its firfl: Crown of Perfedion. They will lee in the Continuation of the Pra- ctice, [or in the Progrefs of the Work,] that the Art gives to this Divine Liquor a double Crown of Perfe- ction, by the Converlion of Elements, and by the Extracftion and the Depuration of the Principles, by which it becomes to be that myflerious Rod of Mer^ €uryy which operates [or pertormsj fuch Ilirprifing Metamorphoiings. They will fee that this fame Mercury, as a Fhoe- ntx, who takes a new Birth in the Fire, arrives bv the Magiftcry to the laft Pertc6tion of the fixed Sul- phur of the Philofophers, which gives it a Ibvcreign Power over the three Genders [or Reigns] of Na- ture 5 of which the three-fold Crown f upon which is fet for this Purpofe the Hieroglyphick Fi^re of the World) is the moil material [or efTentiaT] Cha- ra^cr. THE ( ^ ) 4J* at vl* 4«* *** *** *>*. ^* *J^ ,***.•* 4X|u^^*^ .•^*^ IS^*i^'^^''^«^ V V^^^^' V'^i^ ^^-^ "^i;^ -^^ -'■i' -•'X^ ^* ^^ T H £ Ancient War O F T H E KNIGHTS: O R, A DrscouRSE between the Stone of the Phllofiphcrs, and Gold, aiid yl/fr- r«r^. Concerning the true Matter from whence thofe who are acquainted with the Secrets of AVz/rf, may make the Phi- iofophkai Sto!ie, according to the Rftles of a proper Practice, and by the help of Lft- Compofed Originally in the Gev mm Tongue hy a very able Philofopher-, and newly tranilated from the Latin into French,-, now from the French render'd into EnglijJ:), HE Subject of this Difcourfe is a Dilpute which Gold and Mer- curj had one Day with the Stone of ''tlie Philofophers. See here in Vv'hat mannqr a true Philofopher fpeakf? (who B 15 I The Hermetical is arrived at the Pofleffion of this great Se- cret.) I proteft unto you before God, Jand up- on the (eternal) Sanation of my Soul, with a fincere Heart, touch'd with CompaQioiv' for thofe who have been a long while in this great Search ; and (I give you notice,) all you who Efleem this wonderful Art, that 1. our whole Work takes its Nativity (*) from one only thing, and that in this thing the Work finds its Perfection, without having need of any other tiling whatfoever, but to 2. be diiiblved C^) and coagulated, which it muft do of it felf, v/ithout the AlTi (lance of any foreign Thing, When we put Ice into a VelTel placed on the Fire, we fee that the Hea: makes it di- 3 . folve into Water ; (^) we muft ufe the fame way with our Stone, vv^hich only wants the help of the Artift, the Operation of his 4. Hands, and the Adion of the C^) natural Fire : For it will never be dilTolvcd of it felf, though- it fhould remain for ever on the Earth, 'tis for that reafon v/e muft ailift it ; in fuch a manner, however, that we add no- thing to it, which is foreign or contrary to it. Tuft as God produces the Corn in the Fields, and that it afterwards belongs to us to T R 1 U M P H. 5 to reduce it into Meal, to knead it, and make Bread of it : In like manner our Art requires us to do the fame thing (*). God 5. has created us this Mineral ; to the end, that we fhould take it by it {t]fy that Ave fliould uncompound or diffolve the Compoiition of the grofs and thick Body ; that we lliould feparate and take for our felves whatever good it enclofes inwardly, that we reject what it has of fuperfluous, and that out of a (mortal) Poifon, we learn to make a (So- vereign) Medicine. To gi^'c you a more perfed underfland- ing of this agreeable Difcourfe ; I will recite to you the Difbute which arofe between the Stone of the Philofophersy Goldy and McrcH-q\ fo that thofe who have a long tim.e apply'd themfelves to the fearch (of our Art,) and who know liow we ought to deal with (*) Metals and Mineralsj ^, may be thereby fufficiently inform.ed how to aiTive directly at the End which they propofe to themfelves. 'Tis neverthelefs neceffary, that we fhould apply our felves to know, (*) exteriorly, and interiorly the „^ EHence and the Properties of all things which are on the Earth, and that v/e pene- trate into the Profundity of the Operations, which Nature is capable of B z The 4. The Hermetic A 1 The RECITAL. Gold and Mercurj went one Day with an' amicd Hand, to (give Battle unto, and) fub- duv the Stone. Gold animated with Fury^ begun to fpeak thus : GOLD, How have you the Boldncfs to raife your fell above me, and my Brother Mercuryy and to pretend a Preference before us ; ycu g, who are only a C^) Worm (fwollen) with- Poifon \ Do you not know that I am the mo ft precious, the moft durable, and the chief of all the Metals ? (know you not) that Monarchs, Princes, and Nations, do alike make all their Riches to conilft in mey and in my Brother Mercurj^ and that you are on the contrary, the (dangerous) Enemy of INlen, and of Metals ; fo that the (molt able) Phyficians ceafe not to publifti and extol the (fingular) Vertues which I poffels (*) to give (and prefervc) Health to all the ^' World X The srOJVE, To thefe Words (full of Anger) the Stone anfwer*d, (without being moved, j my dear G«ld> why are you not rather angry Triumph- 5 angry with God, and why do you not ask Jiim, for what Reafons he lias not created in you what is found in me? GOLD. 'Tis God himfelf who has given me the Honour, the Reputation, and the glittering Brightnefs, which renders me fo eftimable, it is for that Reafon that I am fo fearched for by every one. One of my greateft Per- fedions is to be a Metal unchangeable in the Fire, and out of the Fire : So all the World loves me, and mns after me; but you, you are only a (^) Fugitive, and a jo. Cheat, that abufes all Men : This is feen in that, that you fly away and efcape out of the Hands of thofe who work with you. The STONE. 'Tis tme, my dear Gold^ 'tis God v/ho has given you the Honour, the Durability. and the Beauty, which makes you preci- ous ; 'tis for that Reafon that you are obliged to return (eternal) Thanks (to the divine Bounty,) and not to defpife others as you do ; ibr I can tell you, that you are not that (jo^/, of which the Writings of the Philofophers make mention ; {^) but that Gold is hidden in my Bofom. 'Tis ^^* B :i true. 6 The Hermetic A L tme, I own it, I flow in the Fire, (and I abide not there,) neveithelefs you very well knov,", that God and Nature have gi- ven me this Quality, and that this mufl: be fo; for as much as my Fluidity turns to the advantage of the Artift, who knows .'12. (^) the way how to cxtrad it ; know, ne- verthelefs, that my Soul remains conftant in me, and that llie is more (lable, and m.orc £xt than you are, altogether Gold as you are, and m.oi-c than are all your Brothei'^, and all your Companions arc. Neither Wa- ter, nor Fire, be they what they will, can deflroy her, nor con fume her ; though they ftiould a6t upon her during as long a time as the World lliall lafr. *Tis not then my Fault if I am fought for by Artiil:s, v/ho know no: how they ought to work with m.e, nor in what way I ought to be prcpar'd. They often mix me v/ith foreign Things, which are ('intirely) con- tmry to m.e. They add to me Water, Powders, and f ich other like things, which deftroy my Nature, and the Properties which are effential to me ; fo that there is I :». hardly found 'one in a Hundred (^) who Works witli me. They all apply thcm- felvcs to fearch out the (Truth of tlie) Art in you, and in your Brother Mermrj ; 'tis Triumph. 7 'tis for that Reafon that they all err, and 'tis therein that their Works are falfe. They are themfelves a (good) Example of it ; for 'tis unprofitably that tiiey employ their GoUj and that they endeavour to dellroy it ; there rem.ains nothing to them from all that, but extreme Poverty, to whi^-h they fee themfelves at laft reduc'd. 'Tis you, Gcici, who art the firfi caufe (of this ill Fortune;) you very well know, that without me it is imxpoffible to make any Gold, or any Silver^ which fhail be perfed, and that it is I alone who have this (wonderful) Advantage. Why there- fore do you permit almoii; all the whole World to lay the Foundation of their Ope- rations upon you, and upon Mercurj f If you had yet any remainder of Honefty, you'd hinder Men fi-om abandoning them- felves to a mcft certain Lofs ; but as (inftead thereof) you do quite the contrary, Imiay with Tmth m.aintain, that it is you only who are a Cheat. GOLD. I rrill convince you by the Authority of the Philofophcrs^ that the Tmth of the Art may be accompliihed with me. Read Hcrr/}ss, he fays thus : " The Sun is its Fa- B 4 " ther 8 The H E R U E T I C A L 14. " cher, and the Moon (^) its Mother ; now I am the only one which they compare to the Sun. ^ijtoilc, Avlcenn^ Pliny^ ScrapioKy Hlppo^ crates, DJoJcwides, A/cpiey R^fis^ Avcrroes^ Gcber^ Rajmund LyJly-, Alhertus AlagmiSy Arnold oi V^ilU A'ova, Thomtis Aquinas y and a great NumJoer of other Vhilofophsrsy vv horn I pafs by in Silence, that I may not be long, do all write clearly and diftinctly, that the Metals and the (phyhcalj Tinc- ture, are not made bu: of Stdphur and of ic^.A'IercHrjy (^) that thi*^ S:dphHr cii?httobe red, incumbuftibie, {tediafriy reiifting the Fire ; and that the jVlcrcnry ouglit to be dear, [or bright,] and well puriry'd. In this manner they fpcak without any referve; they name me openly by my proper Name, and fay, that in GjLU (ti^at is to fay in me) there is found the red digeftcd, hxt, and incumbuff:hle Sulphrr ; which is true, and very evident , for there is no Body who docs not ]\no^.- well, th^at I am a Metal, the moft durable (and unalterable) tluit I am. endowed with a pjrfed Sulphur^ and in- tirciy fixt, over which the Fire lias no power. MercHYj was of the fame Opinion with Geld, he approv'd cf his •Difccurfc, main- tained T K I U !\I PH. 9 tallied that all wliich his Brother faid was true, and that the Work might be perfed- ed after the manner which the Philofiphcrs herein above-cited have v/ritten. He added alio, that every one (fulficiently) knew hew great a (mutual) (*) Friendlhip there i5, was between Gold and him, prcfers.biy be- fore all the other Metals j tnat there was no Body who could not ealily judge there- of by the Teftimony of his ov/n Eyes, that the Goldfmithsy and other fuch like Artificers knev/ veiy well, that when they would gild any v>^ork, they could not do without (a mjxture of) Gold and Mercury y and that they make a Ccnjunclion of them in a very fmall tim.e, without difficulty, and with very little Labour \ Vv'hat ought not to be hop'd for with m^ore Time, m.ore La- boiu', and more Application ? The STONE. At this Difcourfe, the Stone begun to Laugh, and told them, in Tmth you de- ferve both the one and the other of you, that they fnould jeer you, and your Dcmon-^ itration ; but it is you Gold that I ftill the more admire at, feeing that you are fo much conceited of your felf, for having the ad- vantage wiiich you have to be good for feme lo The Hermetic A L ibme cctain Things. Can you be per- fwadcd that the ancient Philofophers did write as th'jy have done, in a Senic which ihould be underftood in a common Way \ And do you believe that one ought plainly to inter- pret their Woids according to the Letter ^ GOLD. I am certain, that the Philofophers-, and the Artifts, whom I cited, liave not written a Lie. They are all of the fame Sentiment concerning the Vertue v/kich I poflcfs : 'Tis very true that there are found fome who would fearch in Things quite diftant, for the Power and the Properties which iare in me. They have workt on certain Herbs, on Animals, on Blood, on Urines, on Hair, on Sperm, and on Things of this Nature; thofe have v/ithoiit doubt ftray'd from the true way, and liave fomcrimes written Fcililioods : But it is not fo of thofe Maflcrs wh.om I have named. We hzvt certain Proofs, that they cffedually pofTed: this (g"car) Ate; 'ti^ for t'i^ar Rcafon that wc ougiit to give crcdi: to their Writings. The srOTVE. I do not ma^:e any doubt at all of (thofe Philofiphcrs) hasing iir.d an incire Know* ledce T R 1 U M ? H. II ledge of the Art; excepting, neverthelefs, fome of thofe whom you have alledged; for there are among them, though a very k\v, fome who knew it not, and have only- written v/hat they have heard People fay of it : But when they (the true Philofiphers) plainly name Gold and Aiercurj, as the Principles of the Art, they only make Ufe of thefe Terms th.ereby to hide the Knowledge from, the Ignorant, and from thofe who are unworthy (of this Science;) for they very well know that fach (vul- gar) Wits mind only the Names of things> the Receipts, and the ProceiTes which they find written, without examining whether there be any (folid) Foundation in what they put into Practice. But the wife Men, and thofe who read (good Books) with Application and Exadnef, conlider all Things with Prudence, examine how con- fonant and hov/ agreeing one Thing [is with another ; and by thefe means they pnetrate into the Foundation (of the Art,) fo that by Reafoning, and by Medintion, they difcover (at length) v.'hat the matter of the Philofophers is, among whom rliere is not any one to be found who would iliov/ it, or mike it knov/n openly, ar.d by its proper Name. They 17 The Hermetical They declare themfelves plainly about it, when they tell ye, that they never reveal lefs (of the Secret) of their Art, than when they fpeak openly, and in the common way (of deliveiy :) But (they affirm) on the J y, contrary (*), that when they ufe Simili- tudes, Figures, and Parables, ir is in Truth in thofe places (of their Writings) that they difclofc their Art; for (the Ph'dofipbers) af- ter liaving difcours*d of Gold and Mercurj^ fail not of declaring aftenvard and nfliiring us, that thieir Gold is not the common Sol (or Gold) and that their Mcrcptrj is not the common Mercury ; fee here the Reafon. Gold is a perfed iVletal, which by Rea- fon of its Perfection (which Nature lias gi- ven it) cannot be carried further (by Art) to a more perfcd Degree ; fo that in what way foever one may work with Gold^t whatever Artifice one makes ufe of ; though one fliould Exrrafl its Colour (and its Tin- €cA\'i) a h mdred Times the Artifl v/ill never make more Gold^ and lliall never tinge a greater Qinnrity of Metal, than there was of Colour and Tindure in the Gold (from whence it fliall have been Extracted ;) for this Reafon it is that the Phdofophers fay, J 3, that we ought to feek Perfection (^) in the imperfeci Things, and that we fn all find it T K I U M P li. I 5 it there. You may read in the Rofary what I have told you here. Raj-r/iimd^ Lulljy whom Syou have cited to me, is of the fame ^ Sentiment, (lie affures) that, that which ought to be made better, ought not to be perfed: ; becaufe in what is perfed, there is nothing to be changed ; and one fhall fooner deftroy its Nature, (than add any Thing to its Perfe6tion). GGLD. I am not ignorant, that the Philofiphers fpeak after this manner i yet this may be apply 'd to my Brother Mercury^ who is as yet imperfect ; but if one join both of us together, he then receives from me the Perfedion (which he v/ants :) For he is of the Teminine Sex, and I am of th^ Mafculinc Sex ; wliich makes the Philcfophers fay, that the Art is one quite homogeneal Thing. You fee an Example hereof in (the Procreation of) Men, for there can no Child be Born .without (the Copulation of) Male and Fe- male ', that is to fay, without the Conjun- 6lion of the one with the other. We have the like Example thereof in Animals, and in all living Beings. The 14- The Hermetical The STONE. 'Tis true, your Brother Mercury is im-- jg^perfeft (*), and by confequcnce he is not tlie MercHry of the wife. So though you iliould be join'd together, and one Ihould keep you thus in the Fire during the Courfe of many Years, to endeavour to unite you perfcdly to one anotlicr, there will always happen (the f^mp Thing, namely,) that as foon as the Alercury feels the Adion of Fire, it feparates it felf from you, it is ftib- limed, it flies away, and leaves you alone below. That if one diiToh^e you in Aqua- fortis^ if one reduce you into one only (Mafs), if one melt you, if one diflilyou, if one coagulate you, you v/ill never pro- duce any Thing but a Powder, and a red Precipitate : That if one make a Projection of this Powder on an imperfe(5l Metal, it tinges it not ; but one finds as much Gold^s one put therein at the beginning, and your Brother Mercurj quits you and flies away. See here, thefe are the Experiment^, which thofe who apply themfelves to tlie Search of Chymiflry have niade to their gi-eat Da- mage, during a long Train of Years : See alfo (wlicre there endeth) all the Knov/ledge which they have acquired bv their Works. But Triumph. 15 But becaufe there is a Saying of the Anci* ents, whereof you \vould malie ufe to your Advantage, that the Art is all one (entire) homogeneal Thing ; that no Child can be Bom without Male and Female ; and that you imagine to your felf, that the Philofi- fhers do thereby intend to fpeak of you and your Brother Mercurj ; I ought to tell you (plainly) that this is falfe, and that it is underftood much amifs concerning you, though in the fam.e Places the Philofophers fpeak fincerely, and tell the Tmth. I make it knovv-n to you, that here C^) lies the cor- 20. ner (angular) Stone, which they have laid, and at which many Thoufands of Men have flumbkd. Can you well imagine to your felf, that it Ihould be the fame (^~) with Me- 21. tals, as with Things which have Life. There happens to you in thi^, that which happens to all falfe Artifts : For v, lien you read (fuch like Pallages) in. the Philofiphersy you apply not your felves any more to exa- mine them, to endeavour to difcover whe- ther (fuch Expreilions) fq i- arc ?.nd agree te- ther, or no, with wliat has been faid be- fore, or what is laid afterward : Yet (you ought to know) that all which the Fhilofo- fhers have written in figurati\ c Terms about I 6 The Hermetical the Work, ought to hz underfcood of liie only, and of no other Thing which is in the World ; becaufe there is only me who can perform that which they fay, and that 22. (*) without me it is impoiTible to make any true Gold^ or any true Silver* GOLD. Good God ! have you no Shame of telling fo great a Lie '^ And do you not think you commit a Sin, in boafting your felf to fuch a Height, as to dare to attri- bute to your felf alone, all which fo many wife and knowing Men have written of this Art, for fo many Ages ; vou who are only a thick, impure, and poifonous Mat- ter : And you acknowledge, notwirhftand- ing this, that this Art is all one (perfectly) Homcgeneal Thing ? You fay furtlier, that without you, one can make no true Gold-, nor true Silver^ as being an uni- 25. verfil Thing (*). (Is there not a mani- feft Contradidicn tliere I) For as much as many knowing Perfons have applied them- felves with fo much Care and Exactncfs to thofc (curious) Searches, which they have made, tliat thcv have found out other ways {viz.^ Froceflb) which they call Particulars, from Triumph. 17 tulars, from which, neverthelefs, one may- draw great Gain. The STONE Mv dear Gold, be not fiirprifed at what I am going to tell you, and be not fo im- prudent as to impute a Lie to me ; to me, who am C*") older than you : If fo be I ^4* were indeed miftaken in this Point, you'd have Reafon to excufe my fgreat) Age ; fmce you are not Ignorant that old Age Ihould be refpected. But to convince you that I have fpoken Truth ; in order to defend my Honour, I will rely on no other but (the Authority) of the fame Maifers whom you have quo- ted, and whom for that Reafon you have no Right to refufe. (For Inftance,) Her- mcs in particulai* fays thus : It is true with- out a Lie, certain and veiy true, That that which is below, is like unto that which is above ; and that which is above, is like un- to that which is below ; (^) 'tis by thefc 25.^ Things that one may make the Miiacles of one only Thing. Arifiotle fays : O how admirable is this Thing, which contains in it felf all Things which we have need of. It kills it felf ; 2Tid afterwards it reaffumes a Life of it felf ; C (*)in i8 The Hermetical 2 6. (^) it efpoufes it lelf ; it impregnates it felf ; it is bom of it felf, it diflblves it felf in its own Blood ; it coa.^ulates it felf again with it, and takes a ha:d Confidence ; it makes it felf White, and it rubifies it felf, of it felf; we add nothing more to it, and we change nothing in it, except that we feparate the Grojfnefs and the Terreftreity. Pkto fpeaks of me in this manner : It is one only fingle Thing, of one and the 27. fame Species in it k\^y (*) it has a Body, a Soul, a Spir-it, and the four Elements, over which it has Dominion. It wants no- thing ; it has no need of other Bodies ; for it ingenders it felf j all Tilings aire from it, by it, in it. I could here bring you many other Tefti- monies, but it being unnecefTary, I pafs them over in Silence, that I may not be tedious. However, lince you happen to fpeak to me of (Procejfcs, or) Particulars, I'll explain to you in what they differ 82. (from the Art) (*), fome Artifts v/ho have wrought with me, have carried on their Works fo far, that they fuccceded fo far as to feparate from me my Spirit, which con- tains my 1 indure ; fo that mixing it with o- ther Metals and Mineralsthryarriv'd thus far, thcit they communicated a faiall part of my Vcitucs> I Triumph. 19 Vermes, and of my Power to fiich Metals as have fome Affinity and Friendiliip with me. Yet thefe Artifts who have fucceeded in this way, and v/ho have indeed found one Part (of the Art,) are really but a ve- ry fmail Number : But as they knewr not (*) the Original whence the Tinicures ^^9' come, it was impofnble for them to carry on their Works beyond that ; and at the cafting up of their Accounts, they have found no vafl Profit in their Proceeding. But if thefe Artifts had carried on their Searches further, and that they had well examined which is the (*) Wife v/ho is 30c proper for me ; and that they had fought for her, and united me with her ; I thea could have ting'd a thoufand Times (more ,} but (inftead of that) they entirely deflroy- ed my own Nature, by mixing me with foreign Things ,- 'tis truly for that Caufe, that at the making up of their Accounts, they have found feme Ciin, hcvv'ever, but indifferent, m ccmparifon of the great Pow- er v\-hich is in me ; 'tis apparent, never- theleft, that (this Gain) did not proceed, nor kad its Onginal, but from me, and not fr-om any other Thing wharfcever, (where- with I might be mJxed.) C 2 GOLD. ap The Hermetical GOLD, What you have (aid is no fufficient Proof; for though the Philojophcrs fpeak of one on- ly Thing, which enclofes in it felf the four Elements : and which [Thing] has a Body, a Soul, and Spirit ; and that by this Thing they would give us to underlland the (Phy- fical) Tinfture ; at fuch time when the fame has been carried on to its highefl: (Per- fe<5i:ion) which is the Point they aim at ; yet this Thing ought at its beginning to be compofed of me, who am the Gold, and of my Brother who is the Mercurp as be- ing (both together) tlic Male Seed, and the Female Seed ; as has been faid before : For after we have been fufficiently cook'd, and tranfmuted into a Tinflurc, we ai'C then both the one and the other (together) the one only Thing which the Philofophers fpeak of. The STONE. That goes not as you fancy ; I have already told you before, that no true Uni- on can be made of ) ou two ,• for you are -I. not one only Body, (*) but two Bodies together ; and confcqucntly you aie contra- ry, conikicring the Foundation of Nature : but Triumph. ii feut as for me, I have an (^) imperfed 3 2 . Body, a ftedfafl: Soul, a penetrating Tin- (flure. I have, befides this, a clear, tranipa;- rent, volatile, and moveable Aiercurj : And I can operate all thofe (great) Things, which you boaft of with you both, and which however you are not able to perform : For 'tis I who carry the Phiiofophical Gold, and the Mercury of the wife [Men] in my Bo- fom ; wherefore the Phtlofiphers (fpeaking of me) fay, our Stone (*) is Invifible, and ^ -. . it is not polTible to attain to the PolfelTion of our MercHYj, any otherway than by • the Means of (*) two Bodies, whereof one ■.. cannot receive without the other the (re- quilite) Perfection. 'Tis for this Reafon that there is no other but only my felf, who polTefTes a Male and a Female Seed, and who is (at the fame tim.e) a Thing (entirely) Hcmogeneal ; al- fo am I cali'd an Hermaphrodite, Richardui AnglicHs witneffes of me, faying, the firfl: Matter of our Stone is call'i Rebis (twice a Thing) that is to fay, a Thing which has received from Nature a double occult Property, which is the Reafon that the Name of Hermaphrodite is given to it, as if one would fay, a Matter, whereof it is dif- ficult to be able to diftingiiidi the Sex (and C 3 to a 2 The Hermetical to difcover) whether it be a Male, or a Pe- rcale, it inclining equally to both Sides : The (Univerfal) Medicine is therefore made 35. of a Thing r/hich is (-^) the Water, and the Spirit of the Body. This has given Occafion to the faying, that this Medicine has deceived a great Number of Fools, by Reafon of the ^lul- titudc ofw true it is, that the Medicine of our Stone is one Thing, en? Veflcl, one Conjuncti- on. All the Artifice begins by one Tiling, and ends by one Thiiig, altho' the Ph'dofo' phersy with n De(ic7n to conceal this Cgr:at (Art 1 R I U M P H. !2^ Alt) defcribe feveral ways, viz., a continual Conjundion, a Mixing, a Sublimation, a Deficcation, and as many other (Ways and Operations^ more, as may be jnamed by diffe- rent Names : But (*) the DifTolution of the 37» Body is not made, but in its o^^'n Blood. Geber fiys thus : There is a Sulfhtir in the Profundity o^ Adcrcwq^ which cooks it, and which dig: lis it in the Vein of the Mines, during a very long time. Thus you fee my dear Gold, that I have fully de- monftrated to )'ou, that this Sulphur is on- ly in me ; becaufe I do all my k\^ alone, without your help, and without that of all your Brothers, and of all your Compani- ons. I have no Need of you ; but you all have Need of me, for as much as I can give Perfedion to you all, and raife you all above the State, which Nature has plac'd you in. At thefe laft Words, the Geld grew fu- rioufly enrag'd, not knowing v/hat to an- fwer any further , he confulted (however) with his Brother Mercu-q, and they agreed together, that they would affift one ano- ther, (hopin?) that they being two againfi: our Stone, which is but one and alone, they mi^hc eafily overcome it ,• fo that af- ter not having been able to conquer it by C 4 dif- Q4 TIx Hekmetical difputing, they took a Refolution to put it to Death by the Sword. In this delign they join'd their Forces, to make them the ftronger by uniting their double Power. Battle was given : Our Stone difphy'd its Force and its Valour ; fought them both, ?8>'f^^ overcame them, deftroy'd them, and fwallowed up both the one and the other , in a manner that there remained no llgn, whereby one might know what was become of them. Thus, dear Friends, who have the fear of God before your Eyes, what 1 tell you ought to make you know the Truth, and illuminate your Minds as much as is neccf- fary to under ftand the Foundation of the ^reatefl; and the raoll: precious of all Trea- fures, which no Philofopher has fo clearly explained, difcovered, or brought to Light. You have then no need of any Thing elfe. This only remains, that you pray to God, that he would make you arrive at the Pofleilion of a Jewel, which is of an ineftimable Value. Next to this, lliarpen your Mind, read the Writings of the VVife with Prudence ; work with Diligence (and Exaclnefs,) ad not ralhly in fo precious a =, -^^ Vv^'ork. C^) It's time is ordained by Na- ^ ture 3 in the like manner as the Fruits which ?re Triumph. 25 are on the Trees, and as the Bunches of Grapes which the Vine does bear. Be up- right of Heart, and propofe to your felf (in your Work) an honed End ; other- wife God will grant you nothing ; (*) for he doth not communicate ((o great) a ^^* Gift, except to thofe who will make a good uie of it ; and he depriveth them thereof who defign to make ufe of it to commit Evil. I pray to God that he may give you his (holy) Bleifing. Amcft, A DIS- 36 The Hermetical DISCOURSE BETWEEN Eudoxus and PjrophiluSy UPON THE Ancient War OF THE KNIGHTS. PTROPHILVS, GST happy Moment, that ' igs me fo luckily to meet o — J you here ! I have for a long time moft earneftly wifh'd for an opportunity of entertaining you with the Frogrds I have made in ?hi- Triumph. 17 hfophj, by reading thofe Authors, you ad- vifcd me to read, to inflrucl me fundamen- tally in that Divine Science, which by way of Excellency is call'd Phtiofephj, E V D O XV S, The feeing you thus again, gives me no lefs Joy, and that will ftill be increafed by Learning the Advantages you have gained by your Applicaiion to the Study of our facred Science. PYROP HILVS, I fhall be indebted to you, not only for all that I now knov/ of it, but likewife for what I fhall hope to penetrate in the So^ phick^ IMyfteries, if you will pleafe to con- tinue to lend me the Affiftance of your Knowledge. It v/as you that infpired me with all the needful Courage, to undertake a Study, whofe firft Difficulties appeared impenetrable ; and of a Nature, continually to blunt the Points of Wits, that are moil: acute in the fearch of hidden Truth : But thanks to your good Counfel, I find my felf but the more animated to purfue my Enterprize, £ V^ a8 The Hermetical E V D XV s, Jam pleafed, that I have not been mi^' taken in the Judgment of the Character oi your mind, you have it of the temper it ought to be of, for acquiring that Know- ledge that furmounts the Capacity of an ordinary Genius, and not to foften under fb many Difficulties as renders the Sanftu- ary of our Phiiofiphy aimoft unacceflible. I very much applaud that Force with which I know you have combated the ufual Dif- courfes of certain Wits, \vho think them- felves concerned in honour to treat as Whim- fey and Chimerdy whatever they do not un- derftands becaufe they are unwilling it Hiould be faid, that others can difcover Truths of which they have no Knowledge. PYROPHILVS, I never thought there was much Attenti- on due to the Reafbning of fuch as will de- cide in Things they underftand not ; but I confefs to }^ou, that liad any tiling been able to turn me from a Science, for which I have ever had a ftrong natural Inclination, it would have been that fort of Shame that Ignorance harh faftncd upon Inquirers into this Philofphy : It is really troublefome to be Triumph. a^ be obliged to hide ones Application to it ; as one mull: either do, or pafs in the Opi- _ nion of the World, for a Man that bufies himfelf in vain Chimeras ; but as Truth wherc-ever it i:>, hath ineftimable Charms for me, nothing has had the Power to divert me from this Study. I have read the Wri- tings of a great many Phiiofiphersy no lefs coniiderable for their Learning, than for their Probity ; and as it could never enter into my Thoughts, that fo great Perfonages werefo many publick Impoftors, I would needs examine their Principles with ferious Attention, and was convinced of the Truths they advance, altho' I pretend not to com- prehend them all. E V D O XZJ S. You oblige me much by the Juftice you render to the Mailers of our Art; but pray tell m.e, what Phibfophers you have par- ticularly read, and which are thofe that nave given you moil Satisfaction ? I contented my kl't Vv^th recommending to you only fome itw. PTROP IIILZJ S. To reply to your demand, I lliculd make a long Car^^logue, for I have lead the PhilO' go TJjj Hermetical Philofophers many Years v/ithout ceafing. i have fought Knowled.f^e in its Source, I \\x I read the fmaragdine Table, the feven Cha] i ters of Hermes v/ith their Commentarie ! I have read Gebcr, the Turba, Rofary^ Tho. trum, Bibiiorhe^jucj Chymical Cahinety and pa- ticularly ^rtephms, ^rrtold de villa uova> Ra- mond Ltillj-, Trevifm^ FLvml^ Zacchary, an many others, Antient and Modern, whor I name not ; among others, Bafil^ Fakntim Cofmopolita, and Phdalethes. I allure you I was terribly put to it, t( try to find the efTential Point in which the) all l"hould agree, they making ufe of Ex prefiTions fo differing, and often, feem to b( oppofite. Some fpeak of the Matter in ab flraftcd Terms, others in Terms com' pounded : Some exprefs only certain Qua- lities of the Matter, others flick upon quite different Properties ; fome confider it m z State purely nirural, others fpcak of it in State of fome of the Perfeclions it receivesi from Art : And all this together filings one into fuch a Labyrinth of DirTicukies, tb;at it is no wonder that mofl: of thofe who read the PhdofophcrSf do ioim quite diffe- rent Conclufion^. I did not content mv f If to read tli? chief Auihors }'ou dii-cded me to bard) once 1 R I U M P H. 31 once over ; I read them over again and a- , gain, even as often as I thought I could draw new Inftrudions from them, either as to the true Tvlattery or as to its divers Pre- paration?, whereon depends the whole Suc- ; cefs of the Work. I have made Extrads I from all the beft Books. I have meditated thereon Day and Night, until I thought I : knew the IVlatter, and its different Prepara- I tions, which Property is but one and the fame continued Operation. But I avow to : you, that after fuch folid Pains, I took a i lingular Pleafure to read the Antient Quar- rel of the Philofoj.hers Stone with Gold and ; Aiercurj ; the Neatnefs, the Simplicity, and the Solidity of this Trad have cliarmed . me ; and as it is a {landing Truth, that he : who underftands one ti'ue Philofipher per- ; fec^lly, does moft certainly underRand them [ all ,• permit me, if you pleafe, to ask you \ fome Queftions concerning this, and have i the Goodnefs to anfwer m.e with the fame \ Sincerity that you have always ufed towards I me. I aOure my fclf, that after that, I lliail \ be as much inilructed as it is neceflaiy to . be to put my Hand to the Work, and hap- I pily to arrive at the PofleiTion of the greareft of all thofe temporal Bkllings, v; herewith f it pleafes God to honour thofe wlio Labour : in his Love and Fear. E C- ^2 T/x- HeRMETI GAL E V D XV S. 1 am ready to fatisfy your Demands, anc fhall be veiy glad to hear you touch the ef- fential Point, whilfl: I am in the Refolution tc conceal nothing from you of what may fervt for the Inftruftion you may think you want : But 1 believe it will be proper thst I firfl: make you fome Remarks th^i wi very much contribute to clear fome impor- tant Paffages of the TnS: you have men- tioned. Remai^ then, that the term Stof^e is ta- ken in many different Acceptations, and in particular with regard to the three different Stations of the Work ; which makes GeLrr fay. That there are three Stones, which arc the three Medicines anfv/cring to the three Degrees of Perfection of the Work ; fo that the Stone of the firfl Order, is the Matter of the Philofephers pzv^QdW purified, and reduced into a pure mercurial Subflance; the Stone of the fccond Order, is the flime Matter decoded, digeftcd, and fixed inro an inccmbufliblc Sulphur ; the Stone of the third Older, is tlie very fame Matter fer- mented, multiplied, and pufhed to the lad: Perfcaion of Tincluj-e fi^u permanent, and Triumph. 3g tinging : And thefe three Stones are the three Medicines of the three Kinds. Remark further? that there is a great ■ 'Difference between the Stone of the Philo- fiphers^ and the Philofophick^ Stone. The firll is the Subjecl: of Philofiphy, confidere^ in the State of its firft Preparation, in which it is truly a Stone, fince it is folid, hard, heavy, brittle, frangible ; it is a Body (fays PhilaUthes) becaufe it floivs in Fire lif^ a Aie- tal;, and yet it is a Spirit, for it is wholly VolMile, It is the Compound and the Stone thiW co'ntmis the Hnrntditj^ that runs in the Fire (fays Arnoldtis in his Letter to the King of Niiples) It is in this State that it is a middle Siihftance hetiveen a Metal and Mercury (as the Abbot Sinefits exprefTes it) it is in fine in this State, that Gcher conliders it, where he fays in two Places of his Summa, Take our St one ^ that is to fay ^ (faith he,) the Alat- ter of Gur Stonc^ jufl as if he had faid, take the Philofophers Stone^ which is the Matter of the Phdofophick^ Stone. The Philofdphick^ Stone, is thercfqre the fame Stone of the Philofophers ; when by the fecret Magiftery it is exalted to the Per- fection of the third Oj-der, tranfmuting all imperfed Metals into pure Gold or Silvery •According to the Nature of the Ferment D adjoined 34- The Hekmetical adjoined to it. Thefv! Diftinclions will A you confiderable Service, to unfold the dif- ficult Senfe of the Ph'dofophicd Writings and to clear up divers Paflages of this ver) Author, upon which you intend to dif- courfe me. PYROPHILVS. I already difccrn the Utility of thefe Re- marks, and find in them the Explication oi fome of my Doubts ; but before we pafs any further, pray tell me whether the Author of this little Trad:, which I fpeak of, de- ferves the Approbation that many learned Men do give it, and whether it contains the whole Secret of the Work ? E V D O XV S. You need not doubt, but that this Treatifc is done by the Hand of a true Adept, and con- fequently merits the Efteem and Approbatici^ of Philofophers, The principal Defign of this Author, is to undeceive an almofi: infinite Number of Artifis, who deceived by the lite- ral Senfe of our Writings, obflinately perfiil, that the M^gillcry is to be effected by the Conjuncftion of Geld with Mcychtj varioiifl v prepared ; and to convince them abfolutely, lie m.aintains with the beft and moft Anci- ^%ni Philofiphcrsy (^) that the Jfork^ts not Tr I U M P A. 55 fnade but of one only Things of one only and the fame Species, PTROP HILV S. That is the vciy firll: of the Places that raifed me Tome Scruples ; for methinks one may reafonably doubt, that Perfedion ought to be fought in one only felf fame Subftance, and that without adding any Thing to it, one can be able to make all Things of it» The Philofophers on the contrary fay, that not only we muil: remove the Superfluities from the Matter, but what is vranting muft Hkewife be added to it. E V B O X V S. It is eafy to deliver you f-om that Doubt by this comparifbn ; in the fame manner as Juices extraded from divei-s Herbs, depu- rated from their FsEces, and incorporated to- gether, make but one Confeftion of one on- ly and felf fame Species ; To the Philofiphersy with Reafon, call their prepared Matter, one only and felf fame Thing, although we are not ignorant that it is a natural Compound of certain Subflances from one fame Root, end of one fame Kind, making togctlier one whole compleat Homogeneity ; in this Senfe the Philofophers do all agree, though fome D z fay. 36 The Hermetical fay, their Matter is compounded of twc Things, and others of three ; though fom€ write, that it confifts of four, and fome of five ; and others again, that it is but one only Thing : They are alj equally in the right, becaufe divers Things ofoneandthe lime Kind naturally and intimately united) even as feveral Waters diftillcd from Herbs, and mingled together, do indeed conftitute but one only felf-fame Thing ; and this is done in our Art, and fo much more funda- mentally, as the Subftances that make up the philofophial Compound, diflPer lefs a- mong themfelve?, than forrel Water differs fromlettice Water. PYROPHILV S. I have nothing to reply to what )^ou have faid, I comprehend the Senfc of it ve- ry well ; but there remains with me a Doubt upon this Occafion, that I know feveral Perfons well vcrfed in the reading of the befi: Philcfephers, and who ycr follow a Me- thod quite contrar)^ to the firfl Foundation that our Author lays ; that is to fay, that 2. C*) ^f^^ phiiofophical Matter hath m need of (\iij Thing whatfoever-i other than to be rliffohed mid coagulited. For tacfe Perfons begin the wQrk by Coagulation ; they muft there- Triumph. 57 therefore work upon a liquid Matter, ii> ftead of a Stone ; pray inform me, whether this Method be that of Truth ? EVBOXVS. Your Remark is very judicious, the great- eft part of true Philofojfhers are of the fame Sentiment with this Author. The Matter has no need but to be diffolved, and then coa- gulated ; Mixtion, Conjundion, Fixation, Coagulation, and other like Operations, are made almoft of themfelves ; but Solution is the great Secret of the Art. It is this ef- fential Point that the Phikfiphers do not re- veal. All the Operations of the firft Work, 01 of the firft Medicine, is nothing (to fpeak properly) but a continual Solution ; fo that Calcination, Extradion, Sublimati- on, Diftillation, is but a true Solution of the Matter. Geher taught not the Neceili- ty of Sublimation, but becaufe it not only purifies the Matter from its grofs and com- buftible Parts ; but alfo, becaufe it difpofcs to Solution, from whence refults the Mer- curial Humidity, which is the Key of the Work. D 5 PTRQr ^8 The Hermetical PTROP HILVS. I am now well fortified againft thofe pre^ tended Philofophers, who are of a contrary Sentiment to this Autlior ; and I know not, how they can -imagine that their Opinion fquares exad:ly with the beft Authors ? E V D O XV S. This very Author alone fuffices to let them fee their Error, he explains himfelf by a very right fimile of Ice, which melts 5. with the leaft Heat ; to let us know, (^) T^hat the prwcip^H Operation is to procure the Solution of a Adatter hard and drj^ coming near to the Nature of a Stone ; which, nevcrthe- lefs, by the Adion of the natural Fire, ought to be rcfoh ed into a dry Water, as eaiily as Ice is melted by the leaft Heat. PTROP HJLVS. I fhould be extreamly obliged to you, if you would be fo kind to inform me, what- A it is you call {^) the najtural Fire, I very well know it is the principal Key of the Art, many Philcjophers ha\'e exprefled the Nature of it by very obfcure Parables , but , I do confefs to you, that I have not as yet ' ten able to comprehend this Myftery. EV' Triumph. 59 E V D O XV s. It is indeed the great Myftery of the Art, all other Myfteries of this fublime Philofophy depending on the Knowledge of this. How fatisfied fhoqjd I be, might I jiakedly explain this Secret to you ; but I cannot do that, which no Philofopher be- lieves to be in his Power, all you can rea- fonably exped of me is to tell you, that the natural Fire whereof this Philofipher fpeaks> is a potential Fire, that bums not the Flands, but makes its Efficacy appear, being a little excited by the exterior Fire. It is there- fore a Fire truly Secret, that this Author in the Title of his Work calls LuHOir Fnlcan, Artephius has made a more ample Defcripti- on of it, than any other Philofipher. PofP- tanns has copied him, and tells us, that he erred two Hundred times, becaufe he knew not this Fire, *till he had read and under- ftood Anephhts ; this myfterious Fire is na- tural, becauie it is of one fame Nature with the philofophick Matter ; but, neverthelefs^ the Artift prepares them both. PTROP HILV S. What you have told me, rather excites, than iatisfies my Curioiity. Blame not the D 4 earneft 40 The Hermetical earneft Requeft I make you, to inftru(5i me more clearly, in a Point of fuch Impor- tance, that without the Knowledge of it, it were in vain to pretend to the Work ; for without it, one meets a full Stop, after the firft Step m^e in the pradick Part of the Wcnk, E V D O XV S. The wife Men have been no lefs refer vcd concerning their Fire, than concerning their Matter ; fo that it is not in my Power to add any Thing to what I have faid of it. I remit you therefore to ^rtephitts and Pon-r tonus. Confider only with Application, that this natural Fire is an artificial Inven- tion of the Artifl:, that it is proper to caU cine, diffolve, and fiiblime the Stone of the Philofiphers ; and thnt there is but this one fort of Fire in the World able to produce the like Eifed. Confider that this Fire is of the Nature of Litne or Cak, and that it is in no fort a Stranger, with regard to the Subje<5t of Philofophy. Confider, in fine, alfb by what means Gci^er teaches to make the Sublimations requifite to this Art ; for my part I can do no more, but make for you the fame ttiQi that another philofipher made, T R I U M P H. 41 fn.:de, That the Stars of Venus ^ hornsd Diana may be propitious to you. PTROPHILUS. I iliould have been glad you had fpokcn more intelligibly, but lince. there are certain Bounds, beyond which the Phiiafiphers can- not pafs ; i content my felf with what you Jiave made me Remark ; I will again read o^Tr udrtephius with more Application, than I ha\'e yet done, and I lliall not forget what you have told me, that the fecret Fire of the w'lk Men, is a Fire that the Artift prepares according to Art, or at leaft, that he caufe to be prepared by thofe that have a perfect Knowledge of Chymiftry ; that this Fire is not actually hot, but that it is a fieiy Spi- rit, introduced into a Subject of one felf fame Nature \Y\ii\ the Stone-^ and which be- ing moderately excited by the exterior Fire, calcines, diffolves, fablimes the Stone y and refolves tt into a dry W^ter, as Cofinopolite has expreffed it. E U D O X U S, You pcrfedly comprehend what I have been telling you ; I fnd fo by the Com- mentary you add to it. You muft know;. ^hat fioin this fii ft Solution, Calcination, or Sublima- 4^ The Hermetical Sublimation, which are here one and the fame Thing, there rcfults the Separation of the terreflial md adnflihle Parts of the Stone ; efpecially if you follow Geber's Counfel touching the Regiment of the Fire in the manner he teaches it, where he treats of the Sublimation of the Bodies^ and of Mercury, You ought to hold it for a conftant Truth, that there is but this one way in the World, to exrrad from the Stone its unduous Hu- midity, which infcparably contains the .S«/- fhuTy and t\\t Mercury of the wife Men. ?rRO?HILlJS. T am thus intirely fatisfied upon the prin- cipal Point of the firfl: Work j do me the Favour to tell ms, if the Comparifon that ^ our Author makes f^) of JVheat, with the Stone of Pliilofophers> with regard to their ^crffiry PrepardtioKy to make Bread with -the one, and the Univerfal v/ith the other, Appears to you to be a proper and well fuited ^omparifon* E U D O XU S. It is as proper as can be made, if the Stone be confidered in the State wherein the Artift begins to put it, to be able to be rightly called the fubjecc and pliilofophick Com- Tr I U M P H. 4^ Compound ; for juil: as we are not nou- rilhed by Wlieat, iuch as Nature produces it ; but wc are obliged to reduce it into Ivlea], to fcparate from it the Brp.n, to make It into Pafte with Water, to m.ake Bread of it, which mull be baked in an Oven to be-^ come a proper Aliment ; in the fame m.an- ner, we take the Smie^ we grind, or pow- der it, we feparate from, it by the fccret File its Terreilreity ; we fublime it, we dilTolve it with the Water of the Sea of the wife Men ; we deco<5l this fimple Con^ fection, to make of it a fovereign Medicine. P r R O F H I L U S. Give me leave to tell you, that there feems to me fome difference in this Ccm.pa- rifon. The Author fays, that one muft take this Mineral alcne, to make this great Medicine, and yet with Wheat alone we cannot make Bread ; it is neceffar}^ to add to it, not only Water, but Leaven. E U D O XU S^ You have already the Anfwer to this Objedion ; in as much as this Philo/opher, like all the reft, foibicls not abfvlmelj to add any Things but tliat nothing fhange, or con^ nary he ddded. The Water that is added to 44- 77?^ H E R M E T I C A L to the Meal, and the Leaven likewife, arc nothing ftrange, or contrary to the Meal ; the Grain of which 'tis made was nourifhed by Water in the Earth ; and Water is there- fore of a Nature analogical to Meal : So the Water of the Sea of the Philofophers, is of the fame Nature ivith onr Stone ; bccaufe all that is comprized under the Mineral, and metallick Gendre, was formed and nouriflied of that very fame Water in the Bowels of the Earth, whither it penetrates with the Influence of the Stars. You may plainly fee, by what I have laid, that the Philojo^ phers do not contradid themfelves, when they fay it is one only felf Subftance, and when tney fpeak of it as a compound of many Subftances of one only, and felf fame Species. PTROPHILUS. I think there is wone but muft be con- vinced by fo folid Reafons as thofe you al- ledgc. But tell, if }'ou plcafe, whether I am miflakcn in the confcquence I draw from that Paifagc of our Autlior, where he fays, (J. that C^) thoje that know after what man- ner Adetah and Aiincrals ought to he treat- ed, ma-j go directly to the Work^they aim at. If this be fo, it is evident that the Max- tCT Triumph. 45 ter and Subject of the Art mufl not be fought for, but in the Family of Metals and Mineral?, and that all that work upon other Subjects, are in the Road of Error. E U D O XU S. I will anfwer, your confequence is veiy well drawn ; this Philofopher is not alone in fpeaking thus, he agrees therein with the greateft Number, Antient and Modern. Ge- ber^ who perfectly knew the Magifteiy, and who ufed no Allegory, treats tliroughout his whole Summa only of Metals and Mi- nerals, of Bodies and Spirits, and of the rif^ht manner of performing them, to mak« the Work of them. But as the pi.ilofophick Matter is partly Body, and partly Spirits as in one Senfe it is Terreftrial^ and in ano- ther it is all Celeflial ; and as fome Authors confider it in one Senfe, and othei"S treat of it in another, this has gi\'en Occalion to the Error of a great Number of Artifts ; who under the Name of Vmverfilifisy re- je6l every Matter that hath received a de- terminative from Nature ; becaufe they can- not deilroy the particular Matter, to fepa- rate from it the Grain which is the pure u- niverfal Subflance, wliich the particular Mat- ter fliuts up in its EcfoiTj, and to which live 46 The Hermetical the wile and illuminated Artift can abfo- lutcly render all the Univerfality neceffary to it, by the natural Conjundion that he makes of this Germ, with the moft univer- fal Matter, from whence it hath drawn its Original. Be not frighted at thefe fingular Exprefiions, our Art is Cabiliftick, You will eafily comprehend thefe Myfterics be- fore you are got to the end of the Quefti- ons, which you delign to make me upon the Author that you examine. P r R O P H I LU S. Tf you gave me not this hope, I pro- teft to you, that thefe myflerious Obfcuri- ties were enough to put me quite off, and make me Defp?ir of my good Succcfs ; but I repofe an entire Conhdence in what you tell me, and I very well com.prehend, That the Metals of the Vulgctr^ are not the Aietals of the Philofophers ; for it is evident^ that to be fttch they mufi be deflrojed^ at^d ceafe to be Metals : And the wife Man wants nothing but the vifcus Humidity, which is their firft Matter from which the Philofophers make their living Metals by an Artifice, that is as Secret as it is founded upon the Princi- ples of Nature; is not tliat your meaning < Triumph, 47 e u d o xij s- If you are as well acquainted with the Laws of the Pradlice of the V/orb as you feem to me to comprehend the Theory, you have no need of my luftrudions. ?r RO P H I LU S. I beg your Pardon, I am very far from being fo great a Proficient ; what you take for an EfFed of a perfed: Knowledge of the Art, is nothing but a Facility of Expref^ fion that I have got by reading of Au- thors, with whom I have filled my Memo- ry. I am on the contrary ready to De- fpair of ever attaining to fuch a Pitch of Knowledge, when I conlider, that this Fhi- lofofhcr requires, as do divers others, that he that afpires to this Science, {'^) ffjoM r , know extern all J and internallj the Properties of dl Things i aid that he penetrate into the De^th of the Operations Q^ Nature. Tell me, if you pleafe, who is the Man that can flatter him- felf to arrive at a Knowledge of fo vaft an Extent ? EUD O XV S. It is true, this Philofipher puts no Bounds to the Learning of him, who pretends to under- 48 The Hermetical under ftand fo miraculous an Art ; for the wife Man ought to be perfedly acquainted with Nature in general, and her Operations, as well in the Center of the Earth, in the Generation of Minerals and MetaK as up- on the Earth in the produdive of Vegeta- bles and Animals. He ought alfo to know the univeifal Matter, aod the Matter parti- cular and immediate, upon which Nature works for the Generation of all Beings ; he ought, in fine, to know the Affinity and Sympathy, as alfo the Antipathy and natural Averiion that is found in all Things of the World. Such was the Science of the great Hermesy and of tlie firft Phi- lofophersy who like him arrived at the Knowledge of this fublime Philofophy, by their penetrating Minds and by the Strength of their Reafoning ; but fince this Science was committed to Writing, and that the general Knowledge of which I gave you an Idea is to be found in good Books ; Reading, Meditation, good Scnfe, and a fuf- ficient Pradice in Chymiftry, may give al- moft all the ncccflary Light to acquire tht Knowledge of this fupreme Pliilof )p!i)- ; add thereto Uprightncfs of Heart, and of Intention, without which it is imipoilible to Succeed. Ji r R 0- Triumph. i^5> P r R O P II I L u s. You give me a moft fenfible Joy. I have itad much ; I have meditated yet more ; I have exercifed my felf . in the Pra61:ife of Chymiftry ; I have verified the faying of iArtephius, who aflures. That he knonvs vot the Compofiidn ofAIetals, who is ignorant how they mnji he defiroyed-, and without this De- ftruclion it is impoflible to extrad the me- tallick Humidity, which is the true Key of the Art ; fo that I can allure my felf, that I ha^e acquired the greateft part of the Qualities, that according to you, are requi- red in him that afpires to this high Under- flanding : I have, bcfides, a very particu- lar Advantage, and that is the Goodnefs that you have in being willing to comm.uni- cate a part of your Knov/ ledge to me in the clearing of my Doubts j pei mit me, there- fore, to go on, and to ask you upon what Foundation Gold ufes fuch outragious Terms to the Stone of the Philofiphers, (*) Calling 8. it a venomous Worm^ nnd treating it with the Appellation of Enemy of Men ^ and ofAIetds. E U D O X U S. Thefe ExprefTions ought not to feem ftrang^ to you, the Philofiphers themfelves E cail 50 The Hekmetical call their Stone Dragon and Serpent^ iw^ feB'mg all Things with its Femm, Irs Sub- fiance, and its Vapour, are indeed a Poifon, \vhich the Phdofopher lliould know how to change into an Antidote by Preparation and Decoction. The Si one is moreover the E- nemy of Metals i^nce it deftroys them, and devours them. Cofmopolite hys, there is a Metal, and a Steel, tvhich is as the Witter ef Aifetals, which has the Power to confunx Aictals^ that there is nothing hut tht radical Moifltire of the Sun, and of the Moon-, that can rejiftit. But take heed that you do not here confound the Philofophers Stone, with the Philofophick^ Stone ,• becaufe, if the fir ft like a true Drairon deftioys and devours the imperfed Metals , yet the fecond, as a (q- vcrcign Medicine, tianfmutes them into pcr- fe6l Metals, and makes the perfed: more than perfcd, and fit to make perfect the imperfect. . FT R O P P! I L U S. What you fay not only confirms me in the Knowledge I have acquired by Read- ing, Meditation, and Pradice ; but like- wife gives me a new addiricnal Light, whof^ Splendour difpels that Barknef^ under which the moft import :.nt philofophick Truths have feemcd to me 'till n^w^ to be vaikdr T R I U M ? A. 51 vaiW. And I now conclude from our Author's Words, that thofe great Phyfici- ans are miftaken, who believe (*) That the 9. umverfd Adedicine is in Gold vulgar. Do me the Tavour to tell me your Opinion in tliis Point. EU B O XU S, • There is no doubt but Gold polTefTes great Viitues for the Prerer\'ation of Health, and for curing the moft dangerous Dileafes. 9. U \i and c<, are every Day ufefully employed by Phyficians, as likewife is ^ ; bvcaufe their Solution or De-compofition V\ h m.aniftfts their Properties, is eafier than that of (• ; and therefore the more fuch Preparations as the vulgar Artifts make of ir, have an Agi-eement v%^irh the Principles and Pradice of our Art ; the more they make appear, the marvellous Virtues of '» ; but I tell you in Truth, that v/ithout the Knowledge of our Magifrery (which only c:n teacli' the elTemial Deitrudion of O) 'ris impoilible to make the univerfal Medi- cine of it ; but the wife can mxake it much more eafily with the Gold of Philofephers^ th.an with •) vulgar ; and fo you fee this Author makes the Stone reply to 0, That ;; if^Hji m'ha' h mzr^ ri^ith God, hscaufe E 2 ii2e 5^ The HermeticaL he had mt given it thofe Advantanes where-^- 7vith he hiid been p/cajed only to endue the Stone, Pr R O P II I LU s. To this firfl Injury that c*^ does to the °* Stone, it adds a fecond, (*) CalltHg it fugi- tive and cheats deceiving all thofe that pLice anj hope in it. Inftruft me, pray, how to fupport the Innocence of the Stone, and juftify it from a Scandal of this Nature. EU D O XU S.- Call to mind the Remark, that I have already caufed you to make, touching the three different States of the Stone ; and you \vil] then know, as well as my felf, that of NcceiTi-ty it muft in its beginning be all Vo- latile, and by confequence Fugitive, for to be depurated fi-om all manner of Terreftrei- ty, and brought from Imperfection to the Perfection that the JVlagiftery gives it in its other States , and therefore the Reproach intended it by (^, turns into its Praife ; for were it not Volatile and Fugitive in the be- ginning, it would be impollible to give it at laft the Perfedion and Fixity that are ne- ccCary to it ,• fo that if it deceives an)^, it is Triumph. 5 ^ is only the ignorant ; but it is always faitliilil to the Sons of the Science. Pr R O P H I LU S. What you tell me is a certain Truth ; I have learned from Gel^er, that only Spirits, that is to fay, Fdlatile Snbflances are capable to penetrate Bodies^ to be united to them^ to change') tinge^ and perfeEl them ; when theje Spirits have been cleared from their grofs Parts, and adufiible Humiditj. And thus I am fully fatisiied upon this Point; but as I perceive the Stone C^) has a great Contempt j j , for C and boajls to contain in its Bofom a, Gold infinitely more precious ; do me the fa- vour to tell me how many forts of O the philofophers own.. EU D O X U S. To leave you nothing to defire concern^- i.ng the Theory, and the Pradice of our Philofophy ,• I will acquaint you, that ac- cording to the Philofi)phers, there are three forts of Ci^. The firft is an Aflral 0, whofe Center is in the Sun, v/ho by its Rays communi- cates icj, together v/ith its Light to all the Stars, that are inferiour to him. It is a |iery Subflance, and a continual Em.anation E 5 of 54 T^^^^ Hermetical of little folar Bodies, which by the Motion of the Sun and Stars, being in a perpetual Flux and Refiux, fill the whole Univerfe ; all Things througli the Extent of the Hea- vens, upon the Earth, and in its Bowels are therewith penetrated, we breathe continual- ly this Aftral GdoU tlicfe folar Particles in- ceflantly penetrate into, and exhale from our Bodies. The fecond is an Elementary G, that is to fay, it is the moft pure and the moft flxt Portion of the Elements, and of all the Subflances that are ccmpcfed of them ; fo that all the fiiblunary Beings of the three Genders, contain in their Center a precious Grain of this elementary Gold, The third is the beautiful Metal, whcfe unalterable Splendour and Perfeclion give it a Value, that makes it efreemed by all Men as a fovcreign Remedy of all the Ills, and all the Ncceflities of Life, and as the only Foundation of humr.ne Power and Gran- deur ,• and therefore it is no lefs the objeft of the Avarice of the grcateft Princes, than It is the wiili and del^re of all m-anner of People. After this you w ill cafily conclude, that th<^ metallick Gold is rot the Gold of the risilo/cjhcrs, and thst it is not without a good Triumph. 55 good Foundation, that in this Controver- ]y before us, the Stone reproaches O with not being what it prefumes to be, but that it is the Stone which hides in its Bofom the true of the wife Man, that is to fay, the two fir ft Sorts of 0, that I juft now named to you ; for you muft know, that the Stone being the moft pure Portion of the metallick Elements, after the Separation and Purification, which the wife Man has made of it ; it follows, that it is properly the Gold of the fecond fort ; but when this perfedly calcined and exalted unto the Clean- nefs, and to the Whitenefs of Snow, has acquired by the Magiftery a natural Sym- pathy with the Aftral GoU^ of which it is vifibly become the true Magnet, it attrads and concenters in it felf fo great a Quanti- ty of Aftral GoU, and of folar Particles, which it receives from the continual Emana- tion that is made of them from the Center of the Sfm, and of the Afoo;7, that it is found in the neareft Difpofition to be the living Gold of the Philofiphers, infinitely more no- ble, and more precious than the metallick O, which is a Body without a Soul, and cannot be vivyfied, but by our living GoUy and by the Means of our Magiftery. E 4 PTRO- 56 The Hermetic A L p r R O P H I L u s. How many Clouds do you diffipate in my Mind, and how many philofophical Myfteries do you unfold to me at a time, by | the admirable Things you tell me ! I fnall ' never be able to give you all the Thanks I j owe you, I confefs, I am no longer furprized, i that the Stone pretends to the preference 5 before 0, nor that it difpifes its Bright- !• nefs, and its imaginary Merit ; Imce the fmalleft Part of v.'h.at the Stone gives to the Philofiphers, is of more value than ^11 the Gold in the World. Be pleafed to have the Goodnefs to continue your favour to- wards mc, as you have begun, and do me the Kindncfs to tell me, how the Stone can I2.afcribe to it felf as an honour C*) to be a matter fluid', and mt -permancm ; Imce all the Philofofhcrs affirm it to be more fixt then (5) It felf. EU D O XU 5. You fee, that your Author affures, that the Fluidity of the Stone turns to the Ad- vantage of the Artifl j but he adds, that jt is ncceffary at the fame Time, that the Artift know how to extrad this Fluidity, and A\'hich is the only Thing whereof the Phllojd" Triumph. 57 Phil&fipher has need, as I have told you already; fo that to ba fluid, volatile, and not permanent, are qualities as neceflary to the Stone in its firfi State, as are its fixity and permanency when it is in rhe State of its utmoil; Perfeftion ; it is therefore with r-ea- fon that the Stone efteems that quality as an honour, and fo much the rather as the Fluidity does not hinder, but that the Stone is notwithftanding endued with a Soul more fixt than Gold : But I tell you once more, that the great Secret confifts in know- ing how to extrad the Humidity of the Stone. I have appraifed you, that this is in- deed the moft important Key of the Art. And upon this very Point it is, that the great Hermes cries out, Bkjfed be the watry Fo-rm Tvhich dijfolves the Elemems, Happy then is the Artift who not only knows the Stone, but alfo can turn it into Water. Whidi cannot be done by any other means, than by our fecret Fire^ which calcines, dif- folves, and fublimes the Stone. ?YROPHILUS. Whence comes it then, (^) Tkit among a j , hundred Artift s^ there h fcarce one to he found ^ * that 7i>orks mth the Stone ; and that ini^ead of ftickincr to this one and only matter ^alonG ^ able 58 The Hermetical able to produce fo great Marvels) they do on the contrary, almofl all of them, apply thcmfelves to Siibjeds that have none of the^ efTtntial Qualities, chat the Philofiphers at-' tribute to their Stone? i EUDOXUS. I That happens jn the firft Place, through i the Ignorance of Artifts, who have not fo much Knowledge as they ought to have of Nature, nor of what fhe is able to operate in every Thing ; and in the fecond Place, it happens, thro' a want of Penetration of Mind, which Occalions that they are ea- fily deceived by the equivocal Exprefli- ons, that the Philofiphers make Ufe of, to Jiide from the Ignorant, both the Mattel", and its true Preparation. Thefe two great Defeds are the caafe of the Miftake of thefe Artids, and that they fix upon Sub- jeds wherein they difccm fome of the ex- terior Qualities of the tme Matter of the Philofophers^ without making Reflection on the ePfential Charaders, that manifeft it to the Wife ? P r R O P H J L II S. 1 fee plainly the Error of thofe who ima- gine, that vulgar © and 5 are the true INlatter Triumph. 59 jj , Matter of Philofiphrrs ; and I am fully per- J fuaded of it, feeing upon how vveak a J. Foundation builds the pretence of its ■. Advantage over the Stone, alledging for tliat purpofe thefe words of (^) Hermci ; The 14. Shh is its Father.) arid the Adcon ts its A{§ther, E U D O X U S, ' This Foundation is frivolous ; I have told . you v/hat the Philofiphers mean when they attribute to the Sun and Moon the Prin- ciples of the Stone. The Sun and Stars . are indeed the firfl: Caufe of it ; they in- fpire the Stone Vv'ith that Spirit and Soul that give it Life, and make all its Efficacy. And therefore it is that they are its Fa- ther and Mother. P T R O P H I L U S. All the Philofiphers fay as this, (*) That ^^^ the Phjfical Ti-ficinre is compefid of a red and incombiiftihle Sulphur, O/td of a clear and a 7v ell purified 5 ; is this Authority any ftronger than the laft, to mxake it to be concluded, that Gold and Mcrcnrj are the Matrer of the Stone \ E U D O XU S. You ought not to have forgotten, that ail the Philofiphers unaniinoufiy declare, that 6o The H E K M E T I C A L thtit vulgar G and Metals arc not the* INletals ,• that theirs are living, and that th others are dead ; nor fhculd you have for gotten that I lliowed you by the Au' thority of the Philofiphersy fupported upor the Principles of Nature, that the metallic! Humidity of the Stone prepared and purify'd contains infeparably in its Bofom the Sfil- phar-i and the 5 of the Philofophers ; that ii IS by confequence that only thing of one only and felf fame kind, to which nothing ought to be added ; and tliat the only 5 of the wife Men contains its own Sulphtir^ by means whereof it coagulates, and fixes it felf J- you ought therefore to hold for an undoubted Truth, that the artificial Mixr ture of a Sulphnr, and of a ? , whatever! they be otherways than thofe which are na- turally in the Stone, will never be the true philofophick Confection. ?r R O P H I LU S. l6* But C^) ^^■'^^ ^f.t^ and rtaturd Frkndflyip orhich is benveen Geld and 5 i ^J^d the ZJmon of them fb c^filj mnde ; are they not Proofs rhar thefe tv o Subfbnces may be convert- ed by a due Digcflion into a Tin^fture ? E U D O X U S. Tliere is nothing more abfui d then that^ ^r if all the 2 mingled with 0, lliould be Triumph. 6i te converted into (^^ which is impoffible, il or that all the O lliould be turned into 5 :. hi or into fome middle Subllance, there would bi never be found more of folar Tincture in ocr this Confection, than there was in the cH Goldy thus mingled with the 5 , and by (j,. confequence it would have no tinging Vir- t tue, nor multiplying Power. Bui it is moft certain, that there never can be any perfect Union of and 5 ; for this fu- gitive Companion will abandon the C^, as foon as ever it is preffed by the Action of the Fire. P r R O P TI I L U S. i doubt not in any fort of what you Iiave nov/ told me, thofe Sentiments being con- famed by the Experience of the moil f )lid Philofiphersy who openly declare themfclves againit Gold and AiercHrj vulgar; but at the fame Time I have a doubt, v/hich is tliis, that it being tme, that the Phdo^ fiphcrs never fpeak the Truth lefs, than v.- hen they feem openly to explain themfelves, may thev not, as touching the evident Excluiion of ( , decerv^e thofe who take the Senfe of their ExprefTions according to the Letter •? Or may one rely upon for a Ce- tainty, as this Autlior lavv, (^) Tlmt the -. . riiilcic- 6i The Hermetical Philofophers do not mamfcfl their Art^ hn •when they ma!^ ufe of Simil'.tudes^ of Figures ^d of Parables f EU D O X U S, There is a great deal of difference be-' tween declaring pofitively, that fuch or* fuch a matter is not the true Subjcd of the Art, as tliey do, touching and i , and giving to underftand under Figures andi Allegories, the mod important Secrets to the' Children of the Science, that have the Ad- vantage clearly to difcern the philofophick Trutiis, 'thro' the enigmetical Vails where- with the Sages fo artfully cover and conceal them. In the firft Cafe, the PhHoJophcrs fpeak the Truth negatively, without any double meaning ; but when they fpealv both affirma- tively and clearly upon t'lis Subje-.n:, it may be concluded, that thofc who ftick to the literal Senfe of tlieir Words, Vv^iil un- doubtedly be deceived. The Phllof9j)h€rs have no way more certain to hide their Science from the unworthy, and open it to the wife, then not to explain it Sy Al- legories in the eflential Points of their Art ; it was this made Artephms fij^ That this Art is intirdy Cab^liflkd^ for the underllanding vhereof, tlierc is need of a kind of Revelati- on ; Tkiumph. 65 on; the moft penetrating Wit, (without the Affiftance of a faithful Friend, who is a Ma- te,) not being fufficient to diftinguiili Truth from Falfhocd i it being next to impoflible, that by the only help of Books, and of Labour, and Experiments, one fhould be able to arrive at the Knowledge of the Matter, and much lefs to acquirs zhe underflanding of the Pradice of an Art fo Imgular, ho^y plain, how natural, and how eafy foever the fame may be. FT R O P H I LU S. I know by my own Experience, how needful is the help of a true Friend, fuch ss you are. In the want of w^hich, me- thinks, flich Artifts that have Wit, good Senfe and Probity, have no better way thair to confer together often, fom.etimes upon v.'hat Light they drav/ from the reading of good Books, and fcmetinies upon the Dif- coveries their Experiments afford them. ; that fo from the Diveriity and comparing of tlieir different Sentim.ents, there may fpiing j^w Sparks of Knovvledge, by which they may be enabled to carry their Difcoveries to the lafl Period of this fecret Science. I doubt not but you approve of my Opini- on j bur as I knoY/ thst fcveral ArtifJs re- paid ^4 ^^^^^ Hermetical gard [as vifionary and paradoxical the Scu^ timents of thofe Authors, who maintain iS. with this, (^) Thra PcrfeEiion is to be fonqht in Things irKperfcH: ; I lliall be extreair.ly obliged to you, if you plcafe to give me your Scnfe upon a Point that f^ems to me to be of great conrcquence* E V D O X V S, You are akeady perfuaded of the Since- rity and Truth of your Author ; and you ought fo much the lefs to call it in Que (lion upon this Point, in that he is of one Mind herein with the true Phdofophers ; and I cannot better prove to you the Truth of what he fays here, than by making' ufe of the fime Reafon, that he (quoting the 'L^x'u^d Raymond Luiij) has given of it. For it is certain, that Nature ffops in her Pro- dudions, when Hie h.as brought them to their proper Stare and Perfection ; for Ex- ample, when from a mod clear and moft pure mjneral Water tinged by fome Porti- on of merallick Sfilphfrr^ Nature produces a precious Stone, Ihe ftops there, as The like- wife docs when in the Bowels of the Earth ihe hath formed © with mercurial Water, Mother of all Metals, impregnated with a pure folar Snlphtrr ; lb that as it is ni;tpo Ti- bia I Triumph. 65 hh to make a Diamond, or a Ruby more pre- ciousj than it is in its kind ; fo neither is it in the Power of the Anift, nay, (I will go further,) nor of Nature her felf, to pufh on Gold to a greater Perfedion, than what llie has given it. It is the Philofopher that can only carry Nature from an undetermi- ned Imperfedion, even to a State more than Perfed. It is therefore necelTary, that our Magiftery produce a plufquam Perfedi- on, which to accomplifh, the Sage mufl: begin with a Thing imperfect, which be- ing in the way of Perfedion, is found in the natural Dilpofition to be carried on even to f^ufquitm Perfedion, by the help of an Art wholly Divine, v/hich is able to exceed the limited Bounds of Nature ; and indeed if our Art could not exalt a Subjed to a State o£ flufqumn Perfedion, neither could v/e give Perfedicn to what is imger- ^zd:^ and all our Pliilofophy were vain. FrROFHILUS. There is none but muft needs yield to the Solidity of your Reafoning ', but would not one be apt to think, that this Author plainly ccntradids himfelf there, where he makes thej Stone fay, that com-^ mon 2 5 Chow wOl foever it may be pur- ^ 66 The Hermetical ged,) is not the 5 of the wife Men ; aixi ip. that for this only Reafon, (*) Becaufi it is imperfeci ; when according to him, if it were perfect, the intended Perfection were not to be fought in it. E U D O X U ^, Take good Notice of this, and obferve^ that if the C of the wife Men hath been elevated by Art from an imperfed, to a per-, fed State, yet this Perfection is not of the Natiu'e of that, whereat Nature llx)ps in the Production of Things, according to the Perfection of their kind, fuch as is that of vulgar ; but on the contrary, the Per- fection which the Art gives to the 5 of the, wife Men, is but a middle State, a Difpo-, fition, and a Power that makes it fit to be carried by the continuance of the Work, unto the State of plufiju^vn Perfedion, which gives it the Faculty by the Accompli Ihment of the Magifteiy, at lafl to give Perfection to the impcrfed. PT R O F H / LU S. Thefe Reafon?, how abftrad foever, are very plain, and make Imprelfion on the Mmd ; for my pa;t, I confcls, they fully fenvincc mc , J befeech you, to have the Good- T K I U M P H. 67 GoocJnefs not to be offended at the Con- tinuation of my Inquiries. Our Author affures us, tliat the Error into which the Artifts fall in taking vulgar Sol and Mer^ CHry for the true Matter of the Stone, decei- ved therein by the literal Senfe of the Philo- fephers, (*) Is the great flumbling Blocks to 20« Thoufmds of Perfons ; for my part I can*t imagine, hov/ with any Reading, and good Senfe, it is poflible to harbour an Opinion fo vifibly condemned by the beft Philofophers f nuD O XU S. And yet the Thing is fo. The Philofi- phers warn them to no purpofe, to take heed not to be deceived by common Sol and AiercHYj* Moft do, neverthelefs, obfti- nately adliere to them, arid very often after having wrought in vain through a long Courfe of Years upon Matters ftrange and foreign, and are fcnfible of their fault, they then come to vulgar Sol and Mermry^ where- in they find their Account no better then before. It is true, there are fome PhUofo- ihcrSf who though other wife appearing ve- r>^ fincere, yet throw Artifts into this Er- ror, maintaining very ferioufly, that thofe that know not the Gold of the Philofophersy may neverthelefs find it in common Gold P I decocted 68 The Hermetical decofled with the Mercury of the Philofch phers, Phikletha is of this Sentiment ; he aflures, that Count Trevifan^ Zacharj^ and JFlameL followed this Way ; but he adds. That it is not the true Way of the wife Meriy though it leads to the fame End. But thefe AfTurances, however fincere they may feem, fail not to deceive tlie Artills, who, defi- rous to follow the fame Philaletha in the Purification and Animation, that he teaches of common Mercury ^ to make the Philofi- phers Mercury of it, (which is a moft grofs Error, under which he hath hidden the Secret of the Mercury of the wife Men,) undertake upon his Word a mod painful and almoft im.poffible Work ,• and after a long Labour full of Cares and Dangers, they get nothing but a Adercury, a little more impure than it was at firll, inflead of a Mercury animated with the celeftial Quint e EJfenccy a deplorable Error that hath lofi and ruin'd, and will flill Ruin a very great Number of Artifls. P TR O P H I LU S. It is a great Advantage to become Wife at another's cofl ; for my part I will eny deavour to reap Profit from this Error by following the good Authors, and giiiue my Triumph. 69 . tny felf by the Inftruclions your Goodnefs is pleafed to give me. One of the Things that moft contributes to the Winding of Artifts, who adhere to © and 5. is that ufual ExprefTion of Phiiofipbers, i, e. that their Stone is compofed of JVlale and Female, that © fupplies the place of Male, and 3 of Female ; I know very well, (as my Author here fays,^ (*) That it is not after the fame 2 i^ manner with Metals-, as with Things that have Life ; but yet I lliall be very fenlibly oblig- ed to you, if you will pleafe to explain to me wherein this difference confifts* E U D O XU S. It is a conftant Truth, that the Copu- lation of the Male, and ©f the Female is ordained by Nature, for the Generation of Animals ; but this Union of the Male and Female for the Produdion of the EKxir, as likewife for the Production of Me- tals, is purely Allegorical and is no mxore neceffary than for the Production of Ve- getables, whofe Seed contains in it felf all that is required for Germination, Increafe, and Multiplication of Plants. You will then Remark, that the philcfophical Mat- ter or 5 of Philofophers is a true Seed, which, tho' Homogenous in its Subftaacej is yet of F \ adou- yO T/?^ HerMETI CAL a double Natui'C, ^'/■?^. it participates equally oJ the Nature of metallick Sulphnr and 5 > inti- mately and infeparably united, whereof the one reprefent5 the Male, and the other the Female ; for which caufe the Philojophers call it Hermaphrodite, (/. e.) that it is endued with botn Sexes; fo that without having need of the Mixture of any other thing, it alone fujffices to produce the philofophick In- fant, whofe Family may be infinitely multi- plied in the fame manner, as a Grain of Wheat with time and culture may produce a fuffi- cient Quantity to fow a vaft Field, PTROPHILUS^ If thefc Wonders are as real as they are probable, one mufi: confefs, that the Science which gives the Knowledge of them, and teaches the Pradife, is almoft Supernatural and Divine ; but not to digrefs from my Au- thor, pray tell mc, w^hether the Stone be not very bold to maintain confidently, and with- 2 2. out fhewing very pertinent Reafons, C"^) That without it, m true aytd }) can pajji- hly be rrmde. Gold difputes that quality with him, and fuftains himfelf by an Argument, that carries much of Probability ; he lays •before the Stone its great Imperfedions, as being a grofs, impure, and venomous Mat- ter; Triumph. ; tcr ; and that Gold on the contrary is a Sub- fknce pure, and without Fault ; fo thatj methinks, this high Pretenfion of the Stone (oppofed by Reafons that appear not to be without Foundation) deferves to be fupported and proved by Reafons of Weight, EU D O XU S, What I have already faid, is more than fufficient, to eflabli^li to the Stone a Pre- eminence not only over Gold, but over all created Things ; if you confider attentively, }ou will fee that the Force of Truth is fo great, that in attempting to decry the Stone by the Defeds it has in its Birth, though not intending it, yet does indeed cftablidi its Superiority, by the mofl: folid Reafons that the Stone it felf could allege in its own Favour -, for Inftance, Gold con- fefles and acknowledges, that the Stone founds its right of Pre-eminence upon this, (*) That it is a umverfal Thing, Needs there any more for the Condemnation of 0, and to oblige it to give place to the Stone \ You are not ignorant how far univerfaj Mat- ter excels particular Matter. Yoii have been {howed that the Stone is the moft pure Part of the metallick Elements, and F 4 that 'JO, The Hermetical that by confequence it is the firfl: Matter of the mineral and metallick Gender, and that when this very fame Matter has been animated, and made Fruitful by the natu- ral Union that is made of it with the Mat- ter purely univerfal, it becomes the vege- table Stone, alone capable to produce all the great Effecls that the Philojaphers attribute to the three Medicines of the three Kinds. There is no need of any ftronger Rcafons to defeat, once for all O and 5 vulgar, from their imaginary Pretenfions ; O and 9 5 and all other particular Subilances, where* in Nature finifnes her Operations, whether they be perfed, or whether they be abfo- lutely imperfcd, are intirely unprofitable> or contrajy to our Art. PTRO PIJILVS. I am wholly convinced of it ; but, I know feveral Perfons, who ridicule the Stone, for pretending to difpute Antiquity with 0. Our Author here maintains the fame Paradox, and reproves with v/ant of refped: to the Stone, in giving the Lie (*) to om that 16 older than it f elf. Yet as the Stone derives its original from the Me^ tals, it appears difficult to me to comprehend tlie Foundation of its Ancientnefs. E V-^ Triumph. 73 E U D O X U S, There is no difficulty in giving you Sa*^ tisfaction as to this Point : Nay, I do won-* der how you came to form fuch a doubt ; the Stone is the flril: Matter of the Metals, and confequently it is Prior to 0, and to all other Metals ; and if it derives its Origuial from them, or if it takes Birth from their Deftrudion, it does not therefore follow, that it is a Produdion poflerior to Metals ; but on the contrar}^, it is Prior to them, fmce it is the Matter from whence all Me- tals have been formed. The Secret of the Art confifts in knowing how to extract from Metals this firft Matter, or this me^ tallick Germ, which is to vegetate by the Fecundity of the Philofophick Sea. PTROPHILUS. I ?.m nov/ convinced of this Truth, and I find to be inexcufable, to be thus wanting in refpecl to his Elder, who has in its behalf the moft Ancient, and the gi'eat^ eft Philofiphers, Hermes, PUtOy and ylrifioU are in its Intereft. And eveiy Body knows them to be unqueftionable Judges in this Cafe. Permit me only to ask you a Queftion upr on each cf the Paffages of thofe Philojophers, whopi j^ The Hermetical whom the Stone has here cited to prove by their Authority, that it is the only and true Matter of the wife Men. The Pallage of the fmaragdine Table of the great Hermes^ proves the excellency of the Stone, in that it fliows that the Stone is endued with two Natures, /. e. with the Nature of fuperior Beings, and with that of inferior Beings ; and tliat thefe two Natures both alike have one only and the fame Ori- ginal ; fo tliat we muft conclude, that they (being perfectly united in the Stone) compofe a third Being of an inexpreflible Virtue : But I know not whether you will be of my Sen- timents, as to the Tranfiation of this PalTage, and the Commentary of HGrtulanm, One reads after thefe v/ords ; That which is bekw, ts its fhat v'hich is on high ; a^d that which is on z<, hijrh^ is as that v.'hich is below. One reads, {^^J (I fay,) To do the Aliraclcs of one only Thing. For my pait, I take it, tliat the Latin Original has quite another Senfe, for the quibHSy which makes the Connexion of the laft Words Vvnth the prcceeding, fignifics, That by thefe Thinn^ (that is to fay, by the Union of tliefe two Natures) one does the Miracles of one Thing. The to^ of which the Tran- f]ator and Commentator do make \J{t'i de- flroys the Senfe and the Rcafon of a Paf- fagc. Triumph. 75 fage, tkat of it felf is very proper and in- telligible. Tell me, if you pleaie, whether jny Remark be well founded. E U D O XU S. Your Remark is not only right, but it h alfo important. I confefs, I had made no Rcfledion upon it ; in this you fpoil the Proverb, For here the Scholar oHtdoes the Mafter. But as I had read the Emerald Table oftner in Latin than in French, the fault of the Tranflation, and of the Com- mentary, had raifed no fort of doubt in me, as it may do in thofe wtip read only in French this fummary of the fuWime Philo- fophy of Hermes, Indeed the fuperior and inferior Natures are not alike to work Mi- racles ,• but it is becaufe they are alike> that one can do by them the Miracles of one only Thir^. You may fee now that I am altogether of your Sentiment in this. FT \0 ? H I LU S, I am then mightily well pleafed with mj Remark ; I doubted whether it might deferve )'our Approbation ; but I affure my felf af- ter that, that the Children of the Science will alfo thank me to have drawn from you up- on this Subjed an Explication that will quef- tionlefs 76 The Hermetical tionlcfs fatisfy the Difciplcs of the great Hennes, There is no doubt but that the Learned Anflotle perfedly underftood this great Art. What he has written of it, is an evident Proof he did fo ; and in this difpute the Stone has the skill to make ufe of the Authority of this great Philofo- phery by a PafTage that contains its mofl fin* pular, and moft fuiprizing Qualities. Have the Goodnefs, if you pleafe, to tell me, how i6. yo^^ underiland this; (*) It 7vcds it felf^ it is -with Child by it fclfi md it is Born of it E U D O XU S. The Stone weds it filf; in as much as in its frfl Generation, it is Nature alone affifted by Art, that makes the perfed Uni- on of the tv/o Subflances, v/hich give it Be- ing, from which Union there rcfults at the fame time the effential Depuration of the Metallick Snlphptr and Mercury, An Union and Marriage fo natural, that the Aitift who lends his Hands to it in difpo* img all things requilitc, can give no Demon- ftration of it by the Rules of Art ; fince he cannot even fo much as v/cll compre* hcnd the Myftery of tliis Union. The Triumph. 77 The Stone is with Child by it felf', v/hen Art continuing to alTift Nature, by mere natural Means, puts the Stone in the Dif- polition requilite for it, to impregnate it felf with the Aftral Seed, which renders it fruitful, and gives it the Power of muki- plying its kind. The St me is Born of it felf; becaufe after having wedded it felf, and after being with ChiW by it felf, Art doing nothing elfe than. to affift Nature, by the continuance of a Heat neceffary to Generation, it takes a nev/ Birth from it felf, juft as the Phosmx is born again from its Afhes; it beccm^es the Son of the Sun, the univerfal ivledi*^ cine of all Things, that have Life, aiid the true living Gold of the Philofophers ; vvhich by the continuance of the Help of tlie Art:, and the IMinifliy of the Artifl, acquires in a little tim^e the Pvcyal Diadem, and the fo- vereign Power over all his Bretihren. TTROPIJILUS. I very well conceive, that upon tlie f.me Principles, it is not difficult to comprehend all the other Qualities, that Arfiotle attributes to the StonCi As to kill it felf\ to na^nmc. Life of it felf; to bedijfolvd of it felf in its own Blcody T9 coagfilae it felf thmu'ith a~m7P j and in fine 78 The Hermetic A L fine to acquire all the Properties of the philofophick Stone. Nor do I now find any difficulty in the Paflage of FLito. I intreat you, neverthclefs, that you will pleafe to tell me, what that Ancient Philo- zj/fopher and his Followers meant by this, (*) That the Stone has a Bodj^ n SouU and a Spirit 3 a-rid that all Things are of it^ by it, and in it, E U D O X U S. According to natural Order, Plato ought to have preceded Ariflotle-, who was his Scho- lar, and from whom probably he learnt the fecret Philofophy, wherein he was very deli- rous that Alexander the Great fhould belie\'e him perfedlly infl:ru(51:ed j if one may be al- lowed to judge of it by certain Paffa^es in the Writings of this Philofophcr, but nowevcr, fuch order is of no mighty Importance, if therefore you well examine the Paffage of Plato, and that of Anjlotle, you w ill not find them much different in Scnfc : But yet to give you the Satisfaction of an An- fwer to the Queflion you ask me, I will on- ly tell you, that the Sto'^:e has a Body, in as much as it is, as I have told you before, a Sub- ffance wholly metallick, which gives it the Pondcrofity ; that it hath a Soul, which is tlie 1 R I U M P H. 79 the mofl: pure Subftance of the Elements, in which confifls its Fixity, and its Permanen- cy,- that it hatha Spirit, which makes the U- nion of the Soul with the Body, which [SouIJ it acquires particularly from the Influence of the Stars, and is the Vehicle of Tin- (flures. Nor will you find it very hard to con- ceive. That all Things are of it-y by it, and in if ; fince you have already feen, that the Stone is not only the fir ft Matter of all Beings contained in the mineral and metallick Fa- mily, but that it is alfo united to the uni-. verfal Matter, from whence all Things have taken Birth ,• and this is the Foundation of thofe kft Attributes that Plata gives to the Stone, PTROPHILUS. As I perceive that the Stone not only attributes to it felf the univerfal Properties, but that it pretends alfo, C^) That the Sm- 1 8. cefs that fame ^rtifls have had on certain par^ ticular Procejfes, is only owing to it \ I mufl confefs, that I do not well under fraud how that can be. EU D O X U S, And yet this Philofipher explains it pret- ty dearl)^ ; he fays, that fome Artifts who have 8o' The Hermetic AL have imperfedly known the Stone , and have alfo known but a part cf the Work, having yet wrought with the Stone, and found means to feparate its Spirit, which contains its Tincture, they have fucceeded fo far as to communicate fome Parts of it to imper- fcd: Metals, which have AiBnity with the Sto»ey but that not having a full Under- ftanding of its Virtues, nor of the manner of working with it, their Labour has not turned to any great Account ; and even of thefe Artifts the Number is very fmalL FTROPHILUS. It is natural to conclude from what you have told me, that there are Perfons v/ho have the Stone in their Hands, without knowing all its Virtues ; or if they knew them, yet they are ignorant how to work with it to fucceed in perfeding the great Work, and that this Ignorance is the Caufe that their Labours are not crowned with Succefs. Pray tell me, if it be not thus. E V D O XU S. Without doubt many Artifts have the Stone in their PofleiTion ; fome defpife it as a mean Tiling, others admire it; bccaufe of tlic T R I U xM P H. 81 ■ the Charaders, in fome fort fupernaturalj which it carries in its Birth, and yet without knowing all its Value. There are^, in fine, who arc not ignorant of its being the true Subjed ofPhilofophy ; but the Operations which the Sons of Art arc to make upon this noble Subjed, are inrirely unknown to them; b^caufe they are not taught in Books, and becaufe all Philofiphers hide this admirable Art which converts the Stone into the Mer- CHrjf of Philofiphers, and which teaches to make the philofophick Stone of this Afercfijy^ This firft Work is the Secret one, touch- ing which the Sages declare themfelves on- ly in Allegories, and by impenetrable E'/t:^' rr.as, or elfe are wholly filcnt in it. And > this as I have told you, is the great Block at which almoft all Artifts ftumble. PTROPHILUS. Happy thofe that are Mafters of fb great Knowledge I For my part, I can't flatter my fdf to be arrived at fo high a Point ; but I find my felf at a Lofs to know how to thank you enough, for having given me all the Infh-udions that I could reafonably dcfire of you, upon the moft effential Points of this Philofophy, and indeed upon all thpfc Points, touching which you have been G pleafcd 8i The Hermetical pleafed to return Anfwers to my Queflions ; I earnoftly intreat you not to grow weary, for I have ftill fomcthing to ask you, which (eems to me to be of very great conlcquence. This Philofopber afliires, tnat the Error of thofe who have wrought ^\'ith the Storte^ and have zp. not fucceeded, proceeds (^) from their mt hanjtng known the Original^ from whence the Tin^nres come. If the Source of tliis philo- fophical Fountain be fo fecrer, and fo diffi- cult to difcover ; it is certain, that there are very many deceived ; for it is generally believed, that Meials and Minerals, and par- ticularly Gold^ contain in their Center this Tindure, which is capable to tranfmute the imperfed Metals. EU D O XV S. This Source of vivifying Water, L he- fore the Eyes of all the Worlds fiys Co/mopo- lite, and few Men know it. Gold, Silver, Metals, and Minerals, contain not a Tin- Oiure able to multiply to Infinity, there are none but the living Metals of the Philofo- fhers that have obtained from Art and Na- ture this multiplying Faculty : And it is certain, that there are none but thoTe who are perfedly enlightncd in the philoiophick Myllervj that knov/ the true Oiiginal of the Triumph. 8^ the Tindures. You are not of the Num- ber of thofe, who are ignorant whence the Phibfophers draw their Treafares, without fear of draining the Source. I have told you clearl)^, and without Ambiguity, that the Heaven, and the Stars, but particularly the Sim and Moon are the Principles of this Foun- tain of living Water, v/hich is alone proper to operate ail the Wonders that you know. It is this that makes Cojmopohte fay in his Enigmay that in the delicious Ifle, of which he gives the Defcription, there was no Water, and and that all the Water th.at was attempted to be brought thither by Engines, and by Art, Was either lifihfs or poifimdt except that which feme few Pcrfim l^2i> hoiif to eX" troB: from the Rays of the Sun^ or of the A4oon, The Means to make this Water to dsfccrhd from Heaven is truly wonderful ; it is in the Stone, which contains the central AVater,which is indeed one fole and tte? fame f i.'ing with tiie celeftial Water, but the Se- cixt confifts in the knowing how to make the Sione become a Magnet, to attrad^ embrace, and unite this Aftral OHirtteffeme to it felfi fo as to make together but one fble Effence, perfed and m.ore than perfecl, able to give Perfeiftion to tlie imperfcd, ail:er the Ac- compliilimcnt of tjie Magiflery, G % PTRO' 84 The Hermetic A L PTROPHILVS, How many and great are my Obligati- ons to you, that you are pleafed to reveal to me (o great Myfteries, to whofe Know- ledge I could never hope to attain, with- out the Afliflance of your Elucidations ! But fince you are pleafed to indulge my continuance, permit me, if you plcafe, to tell you, that I never (aw any Phtlofipher till now, who fo precifely declares as this does, that there muft be a Wife given to the Stone, making it to that end fpeak in ^o. this manner. (*) Jfthefe ^rtifls had carried their En^niry further y and had examined which is the Wife who is proper for me ; if they had fiught her out-y and had pmited me to her, had been able to have tinged a thoufand Timet more. Although I am fenfible in general, that this Paffage has an entire Relation to the former ; yet, I muft confefs, that this ExprefiTion ofa Wife, proper for the Stone, does notwithftanding perplex me. EV V XV S. It is \tvy much, however, that you know already of your felf, t]:at this Paffage has a Connexion with that which I but jufl be- fore explained to you, 1. r. that you well appre- Triumph. 85 apprehend, that the Wife which is proper for the Stone, and which ought to be united to it, is that Fountain of living Water, whofe Source altogether CeleftiaJ, which hath particularly its Center in the Sun, and in the Moon, produces that clear and pre- cious Stream or Rivulet of the wife Men, which gently Hides into the Sea of the Phi' lo/ophersy which environs all the World ; it is not without very good Reafbn, that this Divine Fountain is called by the Author, the Vv^ife of the Stone ; fome have repre- fented it under the Form of a heavenly Nymph ; fome give it the Name of the chafte Di^^i whofe Purity and Virginity is not defiled by the fpiritual Bancf that unites it to the Stone : In a word, this magnetick Connexion is the magical Marri- age of Heaven and Earth, whereof fome Philofiphers have fpoken ; fo that the fruit- ful Source of the phyfical Tindure, that performs fo great Wonders, takes Birth from this altogether myfterious conjugal Union. PT RO P H I LU S. I find with an unfpeakable Satisfadion the whole Effed of the Elucidations, you have been pleafed to impait to me ; and fince we ire upon this Point, I defire your leave to G 3 ask 86 Tkc Hermetical aslc you a Queftion, whichthough it rife not from the Text of this Aaihor, is } c-t eflential to this Subject. 1 'oLieech yoi; to tell me, whether the magical IVbulage of Heaven and Earth can be celebrated v :-ny time ? Or whether there bt Sealbus of the Year more proper than otliers to fokiTinize ihofe magical Nuptjals ? EU D O XV S. I am already gone too far, to refufe you ai; Explication fo p;ceiBr}S and fo reafonabk-. Divers Philojofhers have told the Scafon of v-^.e Year, which is the moft proper for this Operation. Some have made no Myflery of it ; others more refcrvcd iiave nor explained thcmfelvc> upon this Point, but by Parables. The firfl: have named the ^^lonth of A'farchy and the Spring, Z^charj, and other Philofophcrs fay, thar they begun tlie Work at Eafler^ and thar they finillied it happily within the Coun'l of the Yera-. Others are contented with reprefennng rJie Garden of Hefpcridcs ea-i- xnelled with Flowers, and particularly witii f^iolets and Primrojes, which arc the earlicfr Produdions of the Spring. Cojhopolite more ingenious than the reft to indicate, that tlie Seafon the moft proper for the philofophick Worl:, Triumph. 87 Work, is tliat wherein all living Beings, fcnfitivesand vegetables, appear animated with a new Fire, which can-ies them reciprocally to Love, and to the Multiplication of their Kinds ; lie fays, that P'enm is the Goddcfs of this charming Jfle^ wherein he faw naked all the Myfleries of Nature ; but to denote more precifely this Seafon, he iays, ThMt there 'were fccn feeding in the Paflures, Rami and Bullsy with two young Shepherds^ expref- fing clearly in this witty Aliegor)^ the three fpring Months, by the three celeftial Signs* anfwcring to them, viz.. Aricsy Tam'fts, and Gemini, PTROPHILUS. I am ravifhed with thefe Interpretations. Thofe who are greater Proficients in thefe Myfteries than I am, perhaps may not put fo great a Value as I do on the Solution of the Enigma's, whofe Senfe has notwith- ftanding been hitheito impenetrable to ma- ny of thofe, who in other Relpeds are fuppofed to have very well underuood the Philofiphers. I am perfuaded that one ought very much to efteem fuch an Inftruction, it being capable to make one fee clear into other more im.poitant Obfciu'ities -, indeed few would iiiiiigine, that the f^ioUts and G 4 Hja- S8 The Hermetical Hyacinths of Efpagnct^ and the horned Ecaft of the Garden of Hejpcrides ; and the Houfe of the R^fm of Cojmopolite^ and of phiLlcthe; the Ifle of the Goddefs rcKus, the two Shepherds, and the reft that you but now explained, lliould figniiy the Seafon of the Spring. I am not the only Peilon who ought to give you a thoufand Thanks, rb.at you ha\ e been pkafed to unfold thefe My^ ileries ; I am alTurcd, that in Procefs of Time, there will be found a greater Num- ber of the Sons of Science, who will blefs your Memory for having opened tlieir Eyes upon a Point more efiential ro rlis gnind Art, than they would otherwife have been inclined to imagine. E U D O XU S. You have P\.cafon in that, one cannot be allured tljat one underftands the Phiio- fiphers^ without having an entire undcr- flanding of the leaft Tilings that the^^ have WTitten. The Knowledge of the Seafon proper to begin the Work, is of no little confequcnce; the fimdamental Reafon there- of is this. Where?/, the Sage undertakes to perform by cur Art, a Thing which is above the ordinary Force of Nature, a> to foften a Siofie^ and to caufe a metallick Germ T R I U M P H. 89 Germ to vegetate ; he finds hirrifelf indif-* penlably obiigcd to enter by a profound Mediration into the moft iccret Recedes of Nature, and to make ufe of plain, but effi- cacious Means that fhe furniihes him with- all ; now you ought not to be ignorant> that Nature from the beginning of the Spring, to renew it felf, and to put all the Seeds that are in the Befom of the Earth into the Motion proper to Vegetation, im- pregnates all the Air that envkons the Earth, with a moveable and ferm.entatious Spirit, which derives its Original from the Father of Nature ', it is properly a fubtile Nitre, which gives the leitility of the Earth, whereof it is the Soul, and which Cojmopolite calls th Sdt-Pstre of the Philcfiphers, It is therefore in this prolifick Sealon, that ths wife Artift, to make his metallick Seed to bud, cultivates it, breaks it, moiftcns it, wa- ters it with this prolifick Dew, and gives it as much of it to drink as the weight of Nature requires ; after this manner the phi- lofophick Germ concentring the Spirit in its Bofom, is animated and vivyfied by it, and acquires the Properties which are EiTen- tial to its becoming the vegetable and multi- plying Stone. I hope you v/ill be fatisfi- $0 The Hermetical ed with this Reafoning, which \s founded on the Laws and Principles of Nature. ?r RO P H I LU S. It is impoiTible for any to be more fatis- fied than I am ; ycu give me that Light that the PhiLfipkrs have hidden under an impenetrable Vail, and yon tell me Things To important, that I would willingly puih on my Queftions, to draw what Benefit I could from die Goodnefs you have, to dif- guife me nothing, but no: to trefp-ifs too far upon you ,• I return to the Paflagc of my Author, where the Stone maintains to Gold and jMercr.rjt that it is impoffible to make a true Union of their two Subftan- 3i.ces; bccaufe, {^-)'s> the Stcuze, C^) That yon are not one only Body, bm tivo Bodies toge^ thcr ; and by confluence you arc comrary-, if the LiOVi of N.dnre be conjidcred, I know very well, that the P:nenation of Subilan- ces, not being polTible according to the Laws of Nature ; fo neither is their perfect Union poiTibie, and that in this Senfe two Bodies arc contrary to one another ,• yet as almoft all the Phihfophers afTure, that Mer- cury is the firft ^L\:ter of Metals ; and that according to Gcher, it is not a Body, but a Spirit that prn'rtrates Bodies, and parti- cularly Triumph. 91 cularly that of Gold, for which it has a vi- able Sympathy ; is it not bl^ely, that thefe two Sublbnces. this Body, and this Spirit, may be pcrfctftly united, to make but one only and the fame Thing of one and the fame Natui-e ? EU D O XU S, PvCmark that, there are two Errors in your Reafoning ; the firft in that you fup- pofe, that common Akrcurj is the firft and fole Matter, whereof Metals are form- ed in the Mines, which is' not fo. Mercury is a Metal, which having lefs Sulphur ^ and lefs terrene Impurity than other Metals, remains liquid, and running ; it unites with Metals, and particularly with Gold-i a? being the purefl of all ; and is united lefs eafily with the other Metals, in proportion a> they are more or leis impure in their na- tural Compofition. You muft therefore know, that there is a firfl Matter of Metals, whereof Mercury it fclf is form- ed \ it is a vifcous, and mercurial Water, which is tlie Water of our Stone. And this is the Sentiraent of the true Plnlofi- phers* I lliould be too prolix, if I fhould here fee forth eveiy particular that can be faid upon 9^ The Hermetical upon this Subjcd:. I proceed to the fecond linor of your Rcafoning, which confifts in that you imagine, that common Mercnry is a metallick Spirit, which according to Gehery can inten(jiirly penetrate and tinge Metals, be united and remain with them, after it Iball hjve been artificially fixt. But you muft confider, that Mercnry is not called Spirit L»y Gchcr^ but from its flying the Fire, bccaufe of the Mobility of its homogenous Subftance , neverthelefs, that properly hinders not its being a metallick Body, which for that Rcafon can never be fo perfedly united with another Metal, as not to be always feparated from it, when- ever it finds it k\^ prefled by the Ac- tion of the Fire. Experience makes good this Reafoning, and therefore the Stone is in the right to maintain again ft Gold^ that there never can be made a pcrfed Union of it with Mercury ?r no P H I LU S. I comprehend very well, that my Rea- foning was Erroneous, and to tell you the Truth, I could never imagine, that common Aiercurj was the 't\x^ INlatrer of Metals; though divers grave Philofipfjers lay down that Truth, for one of the Foundations of the Triumph. 95 the Art. And I am perfwaded, that one cannot find in Mines, the true firft Matter of Metals, federated from metalikl^ Bodies; it is but a Vapour, a vifcous Water, an in- vifible Spirit, and I believe, in a Word, that the Seed is not to be found but in the Fruit. I can't tell whether I fpeak proper- ly, but I take this to be the true Senfe of the Inftrudions you have given me. E U D O X U S. One cannot have better comprehended* than you have done thcfe Truths known to fo few. It is a Satisfaction to talk freely with you, concerning the philofophical My- ftcries. What further Qiicfttions have you to ask me ? PTROPHILUS. Does not the Stone contradid it fclf, when it fays, C^) Th^J with A>t i'mperfe^ Bo- 52. dj^ it has 4 confiant SohU and a penetrating Tin^ Utire? Methinks thcfe two great Perfedions are inconfiftent v/ith an imperfcd Body. EU D O XV S. One would fay here, that you have al- ready forgotten a fundamental Truth, of ^'hich you were 'iv^y convinced before ; recolle<^ 94- Tbe Hermetical recoiled your felf, thnt \£ the Body of the Seone were not imperfe6l with an Im- perfe(3:ion5 nevertheleis, wherein Nature has not finiilied her Operation, one could not there feek for, and much lefs could one be able to find Perfcdion there. This being laid down, it will be very cafy for you to judge, that theconftancy of the SouJ, and the PerFedion of Tindurc, are not actually ; ncr in a State to manifcft themfelves in the Stoic, fo long as it remains in its imperfed Being ; but then, when hy the continuance of the Work, the Subftance of the Stone hath paf- {^ from Imperfcdion to Perf?dion, and from Pcrfedion to flufqudni Perfection, the conftancy of its Soul, and the Efficacy of the TinAure of its Spirit, are brought fi'om potentiality into Art ; fo tliat the vSoul, the Spirit, and the Body of the Stone^ being equally exalted, compofcone wliole [Tiling j of a Nature, and of a Virtue incomprehenfible. TYRO ? H I LU S, Since my Qiicflions give occafion to your fpcaking Tl'ings fo extraoidinary, I beg you not to take it amif, that I conti- nue my Enquiries. I was r.lways perfuad- cd, that the Sioyic o\ the Phiiofcphers was a real Subftancc, falling undcj the Senfes yet I pci- T K I U M ? H. 9^ I perceive this Author aiTares the contraiy, in faying, (*) Our Stone is Invifible, I af- 35, fure you, that whatever good Opinion I may have of this Philofiphery he miifl in this Point i>ive me leave not to be of his Sentiment EVDO X U 5. And yet, I hope, to reconcile you quick- ly to it. This Ph/iofipher is not the only one who ufcs this fort of Linguage ; the greater Part of them fpe^ik after the fame manner as he does ; and to tell you the Tmrh, cur Stone is properly InviHble, as well in regard of its Matter, as in regard of its FoiTn. In regard of its Matter ; becaufe, although our Stone, or our AIcrcHrj (for there is no diiFcrcnce) does really ^\\{\y ir is yet true, that it appears not to our Eyes ; at leaft, not unlefs the Artifts lend his Hand to Nature to help her to bring forth this philofophical Production ; and this made Cofmopolite lay, That the Snbje^ ofonr Philojopby hath a red Exijierxe ; but tkrj: it is not to be fan^ bpii 2i^'he» it pleajcs the Ar- tifi to 7nake it appear. The Stone is likewife no lefs Inviflble in regard of its Form ; I call here its Form, the. Principle of its idiuiiabk Facukics; for this 96 The Hermetical this Principle, this Energy of the Stone, and that Spirit in which refides the Efficacy of its Tinclure, k a pure Aftral impal- pable Effence, that does not manifeft it felf but by the llirprifing EitcCls it produces. The Phllofophcrs often fpeak of their Stom, as confidered in that Senfe. Hermes under- ibnds it fo, when he fay?, That the Wind carries it in its Belly ; md Cojhfopolite is not remote from this Father of Philofo- phy> when he aiTures, Tha om- SubjeU: is before the Eyes of all the World ; that no Body can live without it ; that all Creatures make ufe of it j bttt that feiif perceive it. Well then, are you not of your Author's Sentiment, and mud you not confefs, that in v/hatfoever manner you confider the Stffne, it is truly faid to be Invifible. P r R O P II I LU s. I muO: have neither Senfe nor Rcafon, if I fhould not confent to a Truth, that you make me as it were> touch with my Finger, unfolding to me at the fame time, the mod obfcure, and mod myderious Senfe of the philofophical Writings. I find my felf fo illuminated by w hat you tell me, that, methinks, the mod obfcure Authors will be no longer dark to me , I diall, hov/- evcr^ Triumph. 97 ever, be obliged to you, if you pleafe to tell me your Opinion concerning the Pro- portion that this Author advances ; (*) 34* That it is not pojjible to acqfiire the PojfeJJion of the j)hilofiphical Mercury ^ othenvije than h the Means of two Bodies^ whereof the one cannot receive Perfe^ion 7mhout the other* This PafTag^ feems to me fo pofitive, and fo precife, that I doubt not, but that it is fundemental in the Pradice of the Work. E UD O XU S. There is none moft certainly more fun* damental, fince this Phiiofopher tells you in this Paflage, how the Stone is form'd, on which is founded all our Philofophy ; cur Aiercurj or our Stone does indeed take Birth from two Bodies ; but Note, that it is not the Mixture of two Bo- dies which produces our Adercnry^ or our Srone : For I have juft iliewn you, that Bodies are contraries, and there can le no perfect Union made of them ; but our Stone on the contrary is born from the Deilru(ftion of two Bodies, which acling one upon the other, as the Male and the Female, or as the Body and the Spirit, af- ter a manner no lefs Natural than In- comprchcnfible to the Artiftj who lends it H the ^8 The Hermetic A L the requidte Help, do intirely ceafe to be that which they were before, to bring forth a Produdion of a miraculous Nature and Original, and which hath all the neceflary Dilpolitions to be carried by Art and Natui-e, from Perfection to Perfedion, to a fovereign Degree, which is above Nature it felf. Remark alfo, that thofe two Bodies which deftroy thcmfelves, and confound themfelves one in the other for the Produ- dion of a third Subftancc, and of whom the one holds the place of Male, and the other of Female, in this new Generation, are two Agents, who dripping themfelves of their groired; Subftance in this Adion, change their Nature to bring forth a Son, of an Original more noble, and more illuflrious than the Parents that give him Being, and in being Born, he carries vifi- ble Marks, that evidently ihew, that Hea- ven prelidcd at his Birth. Remark, moreover, that our Stone is born again many fevcral Times, but that in every one of its new Births it ftill draws its PJfe from two Things. You have been jufl now fiiown how it begins to be born of two Bodies ; you have feen that it efpoufcs a celeflial Nymph, after it has been flript of its tcneftj ial Form, to make but one folc Triumph. 99 fole and fame Thing with her ; you muft know alfo, that after the Stone hath appear- ed a new, under a terreftrial Form, it muft again be Married to a Spoufe of its own Blood ; fo that there are ftill two Things which produce one [Thing] only of one fole and fame Kind ; and as it is a certain Truth, that in all the different States of the Stone, the two Things that are united to give it a new Birth, come from one fole and fame Tiling ; it is alfo upon this Foundation of Nature, that Cojhwpolite fupports an incon- teftable Truth in our Philofophy, that is to fay, That of one is made twoy and of tiv& one-i in which all Operatiom-y Natural and Phi' lofiphicaly are toTmnated nithoHt anj PoJJibili^ tj of going farther, FTROPHILUS. How abftrufe foever thefe fublime Truths are, you render them fo intelligible, and fo palpable to me, that I conceive them almoft as diftindly, as if they were mathe- matical Demonftrations. Permit me, if you pleafe, to make fome further Enquiry, that fo I may have no further remaining Scru- ples about the Interpretation of this Author. I have very well comprehended, that the Stone born of two Subftaoces of one fame H 2 Kindi loo Tfc Hermetic A L Kind, is one whole Homogeneity, and a third Being, endued with tv/o Natures, which render it of it felf fole fufflcient to the Generation of the Son of the Sun ; but yet I do not V';ry well comprehend, how this ^^^ Philofofher underftands, (^) That the only Thing whereof the univerfd Adedkine is mAclc, is the Water-, and the Spirit of the Body, EVDOXVS. You would find the Senfe of this PafTage felf-evident, if you did but recoiled your felf, that the firlt and moft important Ope- ration of the Pradice of the firft Work, is to reduce into Water that Body, which is our Stone, and that this is the moft Secret Point of our Myfteries. I have fhev/ed you, that this Water muft be vivified and fertilized by an aftral Seed, and by a cele- ftial Spirit, wherein refides the whole Effi- cacy of the phyfical Tindure : So that if you well refleft upon it, you will confefs, that there is no Truth in our Philofophy, more evident than what your Author here advances, /. e that one only Thing, where- of the Sage hath need to make all Things, Is no other than the Water and the Spirit of the Body, The Water is the Body, and the Soul of our Subjed, and the aftral Seed is Xhi: 1 R I U M P H. Id the Spirit of it ; and it is therefore that the Philofofhers affure, that their Matter has a Body, a Soul, and a Spirit. PT RO P H I LUS. I confefs my Inattention, and that had I well confidered, I had formed no man- ner of doubt upon this Paflage ; but here is another, which, however, is no great Sub- jed of Scruple ; but neverthelefs, I could wiili to know your Senfe of thofe Words, viz, that the only Thing which is the Subjed: of the Art, and has not its like in the World ; (*) /; yet vile, and to he had ^^, for little coJ}» EU D O XU S. This Matter, fo precious by the excellent Gifts, wherewith Nature has enriched it, is truly mean, with regai-d to the Subftances from whence it derives its Original. Their Price is not above the Ability of the Popr. Ten Pence is more than fufficient to pur- chafe the Matter of the Stone. But the Inftruments, and the Means that arc necef- fary to purfue the Operations of the Art, require fome fort of Expence; which makes Geher fay. That theWork^is not for the Poor* The ^Matter therefore is mean, confidering ' H 5 the lOa T/:^ HeRMETI CAL the Foundation of the Art becaufe it cofls but very little; it is no lefs mean, if one con- fiders exteriourly that which gives it Per- fection, fince in that regard it cofts nothing at all, in as much as all the TVurld has it in its Pcrwery fays Cofmopolite ; (o that whe- ther you diftinguilli thefe Things, or whe- ther you confound them, as the Philofiphers do, to deceive the Sot and thelgnoranr, it is a conftant Truth, that the Stone is a Thing mean in one Senfe, but that in another it is moft precious, and that there are none but Fools that defpife it, by a jufl: Judgment of God. TTROPHILVS. I fliall now be quickly as well inflruded as I can wifli ; do me only the Favour to tell mc, how one m.ay know which is the true way of the Philofiphers ; becaufe they defcribe m.any different, and often in Ap- pearance contrary. Their Books sre filled with an Infinity of various Operations ; as Conjunftions, Calcinations, Mixtions, Se- parations, Sublimations, Di filiations, Coa- gulations, Fixations, Deficcations, concern- ing each of which they make whole Chap- ters ; which throws the Artifls into fuch a JLabyrinth, that 'tisfcarcepoffible for them to extricate 1 R I U M P H, 103 extricate themfelves This Philofiphery me- thinks, infinuates, that as in this great Art, there is but one Thing ; fo neither is there but one way, for which he gives no other Reafon but this ; he fays, (*) That the So- 37. luthn of the Body is not made but in its own Blood, I find not any Thing in this whole Treatife, wherein your Inftrudions may prove more neceffary to me, than upon this Point, which concerns the Pra(5]:ice of the Work, upon which all ilia Philofophers make Profeflion of Silence : I befeech you, there- fore, not to deny me your Directions in fo needful a Point. E U D O XU S. It is not without a great deal of Reafon that you make me this Requcft, it Regards the elTential Point of the Work, and I could heartily willi it v/erc in my Power to anfv/er as diftinAly to this, as I have done to divers of your other Qiieftions. I proteH: to you, that I liave ever)^ where told you the Truth ', and I will ftill continue to do fo ; but you know, that the Myfleries of our facred Sciences may not be taught, but in myile-* rious Terms : I will, however, tell you without any Ambiguity, that the general Intejition of our Art, is exadly to purify, H 4 and IC4- The Hermetical and to fubtilize a Matter of it feif unclean and grofs. And this is a mojR: important Truth, that deferves you fliould make Kc- fledion upon it. Remark, that to attain this End, many Operations are requifitc, which tending all but to one and the fame Scope, arc not in the main confidered by the Phiiofiphers, but as one fole and fame Operation diverfly con- tinued. Obferve, that Fire feparates at fii il the heterogenous Parts, and conjoins the ho' mogcnoiis Parts of our Stone ,* that the fcrct Fire produces afterwards the fime EfFecl ; but more efficacioufly in inii-oducing into the Matter a fiery Spirit, which opens in- teriourly the fecret Gate which fubtilizes and fublimes the pure Parts, fepararing therp from thofc that are terreftrial and aduftibk. The Solution which is afterwards made by the Addition of the aftral Ouhitejfencc^ which animates the Stone, makes a third Depuration of it, and Diftillation complears it entirely ; thus pui-ifying and fubtilizing the Stone by many different Degrees, to which the Philofophers ufe to give the Names of as many fcveml Opcncions, and of Converfi- cn of Elements, it is exalted to that Per- fection, which is the nigheft Difpofition to concvud it to fhiffiom Perfedion, by a Regimen: Triumph. I05 Regiment proportioned to the final Inten- tion of the Art, that is to fay, unto per- fect Fixtion. You fee now, that to fpeak properly, there is but one way, as there is but one Intention in the firft Work, and -that the Philofiphcrs defcribe not many ways, but becaufe they confidcr the different De- grees of Depurations, as fo many Operati- ons, and different Ways, with defign (as your Author very well Remarks,) to con- ceal this admirable Art. As to the Words by which your Au- thor concludes, /. e. that the Solution of the Body is not made but in its own Blood; I muft make you obferve that in our Arr^ there is in three different Times, three ef- fential Solutions made, wherein the Body is not diffolved but in its own Blood, and that is in the Beginning, in the Middle, and at the End of the Work ; take good Nodce of this. I have already fliewed you» that in the principal Operations of the Art^ there are always two Things which produ- ces one, that of thofe two Things, one fupplies the place of the Male, and the other of the Female ; one is the Body, the other is the Spirit : You mufl make here the Application of it, ;. e. that in tl'iQ three Solutions that I mention to you, the lo6 The Hermetical the Male and the Female, the Body and the Spirit, are no other Thing, but the Body and the Blood, and that thefe two Things are of one fame Nature, and of one fame kind i fo that the Solution of the Body in its own Blood, is the Solution of the Male by the Female, and that of the Body by its Spirit. And this is the order of tliefe three important Solutions. In vain you would attempt by Fire the tine Solution of the Male in the firft Ope- ration, you could never fucceed in it, with- out the Conjunflion of the Female ; it is in their mutual Embraces that they con- found and change each other, to produce one whole Homogeneity, different from them both. You would in vain open and fublime the Body of the Sterne, it would be intirely ufelefs to you, unl^fs you made it cfpoufe the Wife which Nati\re hath defign- ca for it ; fhe is that Spirit, from whence the Body hath drawn its firft Original ; which Body diflblves therein as Ice does at the Heat of Fire, as your Author has very well Remarked. In fine, you ^vould attempt in vain to make the pcrfed Soluti- on of the fame Body, if you fhould not rt iterate upon it the Affufion of its proper Blood, which is i^s natural Menfiruum^ its Wife, Triumph. 107 Wife, and its Spirit altogether, wherewith it fo intimately unites, that from thence- forth they become but one fole and fame ■ Subflance. FTROFHILVS. After all this which you have revealed to I me, I have nothing more to ask )^ou about the Interpretation of this Author. I do ver)^ well comprehend all the other Advantages that he afcribes to the Stone, more than to Gold and Mercurj, I do alfo conceive how the Excefs of the Rage of thefe two Cham- pions, tranfported them to join their Forces, to vanquilh the Stone by Arms, not being able to fubdue it by Reafon ; but how is it to be underftood. That the (*) Stone 59. dez'ourd them, and fivallowed them both up^ fo that there remain d not any Tracks of them, E U D O XU S. Know you not that the great Herma fays. That the Stone is the ftron^ Force of all Forces ; for it will vanqutjh all fub- tile Things^ and wdl penetrate every folid Thing. And your Author expreifes the veiy fame Thing here in other Terms to teach you, that the Power of the Stone is fo great, that nothing is able to lefift it. It 1o8 The Hermetical It furmounts indeed all the imperfe6l Metals, traDfmuting them into perred Metals in fuch a manner, that there remains no Trad of what they were before. ?r RO F H I LV S. I very well comprehend thefe Reafons, and yet I have flill remaining one doubt touching perfed Metals ; Gold, for Exam- ple, is a Metal conftant and perfed, which, therefore, methinks, the Stone iliould not be able to devour. EU D O XU S. Your doubt is groundlefs ; for as the Stone, flridly fpcakinq, does not devour imperfed Metals, but io changes their Na- ture, that there remains nothing to know by what they were before ; fo tiie Stone not being able to dellroy Gold, nor to tranfmute^ it into a move perfed Metal, tranfmutes it* into a Medicine a thoufand Times more perfed than Gold, fince it can then tranf- mute a thoufand Times as much imperfed Metal, according to the Degree of Perfe- dion that the Stone l:as receiv'd of tlie Art, p r R 0. Triumph. io^ p t r p h i l u s. I perceive the little Foundation there was for my Doubt ; but to be plain, there is jfo much fubtilety in the leaft Hints of the PhilofipherS) that you ought not to think it ftrange,that I have often ftuck upon Things that ought elfe to have appeared to me fuffi- ciently intelligible of themfelves. I have no more but two Qiie (lions to ask you, and they are on the Subjed: of the two Ad- vices, that my Author gives to the Sons of the Science, touching the manner of Proceed- ing, and the Scope they ought to propofe to themfelves in their Search of the univerfal Medicine. He advifes them in the firft Place, to fharpen their Minds, to read ths Writings of the wife Men with Prudence, to Labour with Exactn:fs; to proceed v/ith- out Precipitation in a Work fo precious : Becaufe, fiys, he C^) That, it kts its time ordained by Nature ; even as the Fruits which S^' are upon the Trees, and the clufter of Grapes that the Vine beoi's, I conceive very well the Ufefulnefs of thefe Counfds ; but pray, be pleafed to explain to me, how this Linii- tation of Time is to be underftood, E V' no The Hermetical E V D O X V S. Your Author fufficiently explains it to you by the comparifon of FniitS:, which Nature produces in their due Seafon ; this compa- rifon is Exad : The Stone is a Field which the Wife cultivates, into which A:t and Nature have put the Seed, which is to pro- duce its Frmr. And as the four Seafons of the Year are neceffary to the perfect Produ(5cion of Fruits, fo the Stone has in like manner its determinated Seafons. Irs Winter, during \\hich Cold and Humidi- ty have Dominion in this Earth thus pre- pared and fowed. Its Spring, wherein the philofophick Seed being warm'd, gives Signs of Vegetation and Increafe ; its Summer, during which its Fruit ripens, and becomes proper to Multiplication ; and its Autumn, in which this Fruit being perfecl:ly Ripe, rejoices the Wife that have the good Fortune to gather it. To leave you nothing to defire upon this Subjecc, I mufl here make you obfer\'e three Things. Firfly That the Sage oui^ht to imitate Nature in the Practice of the Work ; and as this wife Worker ['vi^* Nature] can produce nothing perfecft, if its JNlotion be nude violent, fo the Arrifl ougiit to fuifer the Triumph. hi the Principles of his Matter to ad: interi- oiirlvj by exteriourly adminiftring a Warmth or Heat proportioned to its need. The fccoiid Thing is, that the Knowledge of the four Seafons of the Work, ougnt to be a Rule, which the Wife fhould follow in the diiFerent Regiments of the Fire, in Proportioning it to each, according as Na- ture fhows it, who has need of lefs Heat to put the Trees in BlofTom, and to Form the Fruit, tlian to make them perfectly Ripe. Thirdljy That though the Work has its fou)- Seafonf, fo as Nature has, it does not fol- low that the Seafons of Art, and of Na- ture, muft precifely anfwer to each other, the Summer of the Work may happen with- out Inconvenience in Nature's Autumn, and its Autumn in her Winter. It iuffices, that the Regiment of the Fire, be propor- tion'd to the Seafon of the Work ; it is in that only, that the great Secret of the Regiment confifts, for which I cannot give you a more certain Rule. FT RO ? II I LU S, By this Reafoning, and by this Similitude, you give me an open View upon a Point, of v.'hich the Philo/ivhen liave made one of their iia The Hermetical their grcatefc My fieriest for the Dodrine of the Regiments is not to be learn'd by their Writings, but I fee with an extreom Sa-- tisfadion, that in imitatintr Nature and Be- ginning the order of Seafons of the Work- by the Winter, it cannot be hard to the Wife to judge, how by the divers Degrees of Heat, which anf^ver to tliofe Seafons, he can alTift Nature, and bring the Fruit of this philofophical Plant to a perfed Ma-' turity. My Author in the fecond Place advifes- the Sons of Art, to have Uprightnefs of Heart ; and to propofc to themfehes an ho-- nefl: End in this Work, declaring politive- ly to them, that without thefe good Dif- pofitions, they muft not exped a BleiTmg from Heaven upon their Labour, upon which all good Succcfs depends. Heaffurcs That (^) God does not co-mmunicatc fo qrcat a Gift, hat to thofe that 7viUmake a good nfc of it ; and that he deprives thofe of ity u>ho defign to ttfe it for Commiffion of Evil, This feems to be no other than a manner of ufual fpeaking with the Philofophcrs ; p;ay tell me what Rcflecticns ouglit to be made upon this hfl Point ? E V^ 40. Triumph. i i^ E U D O XU S. You are fufficiently intruded in oiu- Phi- lofopj^y, to comprehend, that the PolTeiTi- on of the univerfal Medicine, and of the great Elixir, is of all worldly Treafures the greateft, the moft real, and the mo ft valu- able that Man can enjoy. Indeed, immenfe Riches, fupream Dignities, and all the GreatnefTes of the Earth, are not compara- ble to this precious Treafure, which is the fole temporal Good, able to fatisfy the Heart of Man. It gives to him that pof- feffes it, a long Life, exempt from all forts of Infirmities, and puts into his Power more Gold and Silver, than is polTefTed by all the moft mJghty Monarchs together. This Treafure hath moreover this particu- lar Advantage, above all other Bleflings of this Life, that he who enjoys it, finds him- felf perfectly fatisfied, even with its only Contemplation, and that he can never be troubled with the fear of lofing it. You are likewife fully convinced, that God go\-erns the World ; that his Di- vine Providence caufes, that there reigns an Order, which his infinite Wiidom ha.^ eftabliilied in it from the beginning of all Agesj and that this Providence is nor I that 1 1 4 The Hermetic A L that blind Fatality of the Antients, nor that pietendcd Chain of Caiifes, or that nc- ceflary Order of Things, tliat mud make them follow without any Diftinclion : But on the contrar}^ you are well perfuaded, that the Wifdom of God pi-eHdes over all the Events that haopen or appear in the World. Upon the double Foundation, which thefc two Reflecftions eftablilli, )'ou cannot doubt but that God v/ho difpoies Sovereignly of all the Poffeilions in the World, never per- mits that thofe who ripply themJelves to the Search of this precious Treafare, widi deiign to make a bad ufe of ir, fliculd by their En- deavours come to its Pofleilion ; really v/Jiat Mifchiefs might not be caufcd in the World by a perverfe Spirit, who would have no other Aim but to gratify his Ambition, and to indulge his Lufts, if he had in his Power and Poffelficn this certain Means of executing his mofi: criminal Enterprize^. Wherefore the Philofiphers, ^\'ho perfectly know what Mifchiefs and Diforders might accrue to civil Society, if the Knowledge of this great Secret v/ere Revealed to the impious, do not treat of ic, but with fear, nor fpeak of it, but enigmatically, to the end, that it may not be comprehendcd> but by Triumph. 115 by thofe whofe Study and Endeavours God will blefs. PTROPHILUS. There cafi be none that are of good iSenfe, and who fear God, but muft agree in thefe Sentiments, and muft be fully per- fuaded, that to fucceed in fo great and fo important an Enterprize, the Divine Good- nefs is to be inceflantly fupplicated to illu- minate our Minds, and to give his Blei- fing to our Endeavours. It only remains, that I return you mofl: humble Thanks, that you have been pleafed to treat me as a Son of the Science, to difcourfe with me fincerelv, and to inftrud me in fo great Myfteries, as clearly, and as intelligible, as is lawful to do, and as I would reafonably delire. I proteft to you, that my Acknowledgment, iliall lafl as long as my Life. 15. A LET- 1 1 6 The Hermetical WmWfMMWWWW LETTER To the true DISCIPLES O F HER M E S, CONTAINING Six principal Keys of the fecret Philofoph}\ F I writ this Letter to perfuade thofe to the Truth of our Phi- lofophy, who imagine, that it is only a vain Idea, and a meer Paradoxt I would follow the ExL-tmple of many Mailers in this great Art ', I would endea\'oiu- to convince thole fort Triumph. 117 fort of Wits of their Errors, by demon- ftrating to them the Solid ncfs of the Prin- ciples of our Science fupported by the Laws, and by the Operations of Nature, and I would fpeak but flightly of what belongs to the Pi-adice : But as I have a quite different DelTgn, and that I write only for you, the wife Difciples of Her- mes^ and true Sons of the Art, my only In- tention is to fer\T you as a Guide in away fo difficult to be follow'd. Our Practice is in Etfecl a track in the Sands, where one ought to condud one's felf rather by the North Star than by any Footftcps which are feen imprinted there. The Con- fufion of the Tracks, which an almoU: in- finite Number of People have left there, is fo great, and one finds fo many different Paths, which alm.ofi: all of them lead into ■ moft frightful Defarts, that it is almofl: im.- polTible not to ftray from the ti-ue Road, which only the Sages favoured by Heaven have happily known how to find out and to difcover. This Confufion flops the Sons of Art at once \ fome in the beginning, o- thers in the middle of this philofbphical Courfe, and fome even when they ap- proach nigh the End of this painful jour- I 3 "ney. 1 1 8 The Hermetical ncy, and when they begin to difcovcr the happy End of their Undercakini^ >• but perceive not, that the little of tlie Wtiy which remains for them to go, is the moft difficult. They know not that the envious of their good Forrune have dug Ditches and Precipices in the middle of the Way, and tl.at for want of know- ing the fecret Windings, v/hereby the Wife avoid thofe dangerous Snares, they unhap- pily lofe all the Advantage v/hich they had got, at the fime time, v^hcn they imagined to have fiu-mounted all the Dif- ficulties. I vow fincerely to you, that the Pradice of cur Art is the moft difficult Thing of the World, not in regard to its Opera- tions, but in refpcd of the Difficulties which are in it, to learn it diflindly from the Books of the Philofophers : For if on one fide it is called Vvith Reafon the Play of Children ; on the other it requires in thofe who fearch for the Truth by their Labour, and their Study, a profound Know- ledge of the Principles, and of the Opera^ tions of Nature in the three Kinds; but particularly in the mineral and metallick Kind. 'Tis a great Point to find out the true Matter, which is the Subjecl of our Work ; Triumph. 119 Work ; you mud for this pierce through a thoufand obfcure Vails, wherewith it has been fpread over ; you muft diftinguifh it by its proper Name, among a Million of un- common Names, whereby the PhUofiphers have differently expreft it ; you muft un- derftand all the Properties of it, and judge of all the Degrees of Perfedion, which the Art is capable of giving to it ; you muft know the fecret Fire of the Wife, which is the only Agent which can open, fublime, pu- rify, and difperfe the Matter to be reduced into Water; you muft for this penetrate into the Divine Source of the celeftial Wa- ter, which operates the Solution, the Ani- mation and Purification of the Stone; you muft know how to convert our metallick Water into an incombuftible Oil, by the entire Solution of the Body, from whence it draws its Original; and to effed this, you muft make the Converfion of the Ele- ments, the Separation, and the Re-union of the three Principles ; you muft learn to know how to make thereof a white A^fer^ atry^ and a citrine Aiercury ; you muft fix this Aiercurj^ nourifti it with its own Blood, to the End that it may be con- verted into the fixt Sulphur of the Philofo^ fhersp Thefe are the fundamental Points of I 4. of i::o The Hermetical our Art ', the reft of the Work is found clearly enough taught in the Books of the Philofophers, that we have no need of an ampler Explanation. As there are three Kingdoms [or Reigns] in Nature, fo there are alfo three Medicines in our Art which make tliree diff jrent W orks in the Pradhcc, and which are neverthelefs but three different Degrees, which raife our Elixir to its higheft Perfedion. Thefe im- portant Operations of the three Works, are by all Philofophers referved under the Key of the Secret, to the End that the facred Myfteries of our divine Philofophy may not be revealed to the Profane ; but to you who are the Sons of the Science, and can iinderfland the Language of the Wife, the Locks fliall be opened, and you fhall have the Keys of the precious Treafures of Na- ture and of Art, if you apply all your Mind to the Underflanding of what I do deflgn to tell you, in Terms as intelligible as is neceffary for thofe, who are predeflinated as you are, to the Knowledge of thefe fub- lime Myfteries. I will put into your Hands fix Keys, wherewith you may enter into the Sanduary of Philofophy, open all its Recefles, and arrive at the Underflanding of the moil hidden Truths. Triumph, hi The firfl Key. The firft Key is, that which opens the dark Prifons, in which the Snlphnr is fhut up , this is it which knows how to extrad the Seed out of the Body, and v/hich forms the Stone of the Philofophcrs^ by the Conjun- (9:ionof the Male with the Female ,• of the Spirit with the Body ; of Sfilphur with Mercury, Hermes has mdnifeftiy demon- ftrated the Operation of this firll: Key, by thefe Words : In the Cavery^s of the Metals there is hidden, the Stone ji'htch is Venerable^ bright in Colour -^ a Aiind [uhlimey ayid an open Sea, This Stone has a bright glitter* ing, it contains a Spirit of a fublime Ori- ginal, it is the Sea of the Wife, in which they Pilli for their myfterious Filli. The fam.^ Philofopher does ftill more particularly take Notice of the Nativity of this admi- rable Stone, when he fays : The King JJmU come out of the Fire, and foall rejoice in his Mlarriage, and the hid.den Thi',7gs jhall be laid open. 'Tis a King crowned with Glory, Y/ho has his Nativity in the Fire, who is pleafed with the Union of the Spoufe, which is given to him. 'Tis this Union Vvhich makes mianifeft that ^^'hich before was hid- den. But I2a The Hermetical But before I go nny further, I have. a Coanfcl to give you, v/hich will be of no fmall Advantage to )'0u ,• that is, to refletft, that the Operations of each of the three Works, having a great deal of Ana- logy and Relation to one another ; the Phi^ lofiphey's do defignedly fpcak in equivo- cal Terms, to the end that thofe who have not Ljffxs Eyes, may puifue wTong, and be loft in this Labyrinth, from whence it is very hard to get out. In effed, when one imagines, that they fpeak of one Work, they often treat of another ; take lieed, therefore, not to be deceived here- in : For it is a Truth, that in each Work the wife Artift ought to diffolve the Bo- dy with the Spirit, he muft cut off the Ravens Head, whiten the Black, and ru- bify the White ; yet it is properly in the firft Operation, that the wife Artift cuts off the Head of the black Dragon^ and of the Ra^en. Hermes fays, that 'tis from thence that our Art takes its beginning. What is born of the Croiv^ is the beginning of this Art, C-^.ni'ider, that it is by the Separati- on of the black, foul, and ftinking Fume of the blackeft Black, that our aftra], white, and refplenden^ Stone is formed, which containeth in its Veins the Blood of the Vchcam ; Triumph. la^ Pelican ; 'tis at this firft Purification of the Sionc, and at this lliining VVhitenefs, that the fii'ft Key of the fiift Work is ended. The fecond Key, The fecond Key diffolves the Com- pound, or the Stone, and begins the Sepa- ration of the Elements in a philofophical Manner ; this Separation of the Elements is not made but by raifing up the fubtile and pure Parts above the thick and terre- ftrial Parrs. He who knows how to fub- Jime the Stone philofophically, juftly de- ferves the Name of a Philofophe-i'^ fince he knows the Fire of the Wife, which is the only Inftrument, which can Work this Sublimation. No Philofopher has ever open- ly Revealed this fecret Fire, and this pow- erful Agent, which Works all th^ Won- ders of the Art ; he who fhall not under- ftand it, and not know how to diflinguifh it by the Characters wherewith I have en- deavoured to point it out in the Di{courfe of Efidoxus and Pyrophdus^ ought to make a ftand here, and pray to God to make it clear to him ; for the Knowledge of this great Secret, is rather a Gift of Heaven, than a Light acquired by the Force of Rea- foning ; let him, neverthelcfs, read the Wri- tm §2 1^4 77jc^ Hermetical tineas of the Philofiphers ; let him meditate, ana above all let him pray ,• there is no dif^ flcLilty, which may not in the end be made clear by Work, Meditation, and Prayer. Without the Sublimation of the Stone, the Converfion of the Elements, and the Extraftion of the Principles is impoflible ; and tiiis Converfion, which makes Water of Earth, Air of Water, and Fire of Air, is the only Way whereby our Mercury can be prepared. Apply your felf then to know this fecret Fire, which diffolves the Stone naturally, and without Violence, and makes it dilTolve into Water in the great Sea of the Wife, by the Diftillation which is made by the Rays of the Sun, and of the Moon. *Tis in this manner that the Stone, which ac- cording to Her?nes is the Vine of the Wife, becomes their Wine, which by the Ope^ rations of Art, produces their redified Wa^ ter of Life, and their moft fharp Vinegar. This Father of our Philofophv crys out conccinint> this Myftery ; O hlejfed watry Form-, which diffolvefl the Elements ! The Elements of ti^e Stone could not be dif- folved, but by this Warer wholly Divine ; nor could a perfect Diflblution be made of it, but after a proportioned Digeftion and Triumph. 115 and Putrefaction, at which the fecond Key of the firfl Work is ended. The third Key, The third Key comprehends of it felf alone a longer Train of Operations, than all the reft together : The Philofiphcrs have fpoken very little of it, feeing the Perfecti- on of our AiercHYj depends thereon ; the fincereft themfelves, as Artephms^ Trcvipmy TUmeU have paft in Silence the Preparati- ons of our MercHTf^ and there is hardly one found, who has not feign'd inftead of fhowing the longeft and the moft im- portant of the Operations of our Practice. With a defign to lend you a Hand in this part of the Way, which you have to go, where for want of Light it is impolTible to follow the true Road, I will inlarge my felf more than the Phtlofophcrs have done, on this third Key, or at leaft I will follow in an order that which they have faid of this Subject fo confufedly, that without the In- fpiration of Heaven, or without the help of a faithful Friend, one remains undoubtedly in this Labyrinth, without being able to find a happy Deliverance from thence. I am fure that you who are the true Sons of the Science, will receive a very great Sarisfadi- on 1^6 The Hermetic A L on in the explaining of thefe hidden My* fleries, which regard the Separation, and the Purification of the Principles of our A/ercury, which is made by a perfed DiA folution and Glorification of the Body, whence it had its Nati\'ity, and by the in- timate Union of the Soul -with its Body, of whom the Spirit is the only Tie which Works this Conjundticn ; this is the In- tention* and the eflfential Point of the O- perations of this Key, which terminate at the Generation of a new Subftance, infi- nitely nobler than the firfl. After that the wife Artifi: ha^ made a Spring of living Water come out of the Stone^ that he lias preft out the Juiceof the Vine of the Phiio/ophers, and that he has made their Wine, iie ought to take Notice, that in this homogenous Subflance, which ap- pears under the Form of Water, there are three different Subftances, and three natural Principles of all Bodies : Salty S^lpLm; and Mercurp which are the Spirit, the Soul, and the Body, and though they ap- pear pure and perfedly united together, there ftill wants much of their being fo ; for when by Diftillation we draw the VW ter, which is the Soul and the Spirit, the Body remains in the borrom of the VclTd ilk.- T K I U M P H. 117 like a dead, black, and dreggy Earth, which neverthelefs is not to be defpifed ; for in our Subject there is nothing which is not good. The Philojopher yohn Pontmns pro- tefts, that the very Superfluities of the Stone are converted into a true EfTence; that he who pretends to feparate any Thing from our Subject, knows nothing in Philofophy, and that all which is therein of fuperfluous, unclean, dreggy, and in fine, the whole Subftance of the Compound is made per- fed by the Adion of our Fire. This Ad- vice opens the Eyes of thofe, who to make an exad Purification of the Elements, and of the Principles, perdiade themfelves, that they muft only take the fubtile, and cafl a* way the heavy ; but the Sons of the Sci- ence ought not to be ignorant, that the Fire, and the Sulphur are hidden in the Cen- ter of the Earth, and that you muft waili it exadly with its Spirit, to extract out of it the Balm, viz., the fixt Salt, which is the Blood of our Stone : This is the elfen- tial Myftery of this Operation, which is not accompli ihed till after a convenient Di- geftion, and a flow Diftillation. Follov/ then, ye Sons of Art, the command which the Truth-telling Herntes gives ye, who fiys in tjiis place : Bnt 'with this ii^afn SonU ia8 The Hermetical 7VC mufl mix our Vinegar -^ that ivc maj fojfefl the fulphnrGHS Form ; for when the Corr.potmd is dijfohed, it is the Key of Rtfionition, You know that nothing is more contiuiy than Fire and Water ; but yet the wife Artift muft make Peace between the Enemies, who at the Bottom [or Radically] love one another vehemently. Ccfmoplite has told the nianner thereof in a few Words :, The Things therefore being purged^ make Fire find Water to he Friends, jvhich they will eafi- ly do in their Farih which had afcended with them* Be then attentive on this Point, moiften oftentimes the Earth with its Wa- ter, and you'll obtain what you feek. Muft not the Body be diiTolved by the Water, and the Earth be penetrated with its Hu- midity to be made proper for Generation ? According to the Philofiphers^ the Spirit is Eve ; the Body is Adam^ they ought to be joined for the Piopagation of their Species. Hermes fays the fame Thing in othci- Terms ; For Water is the firongefl Nature^ which fm^ motints and excites the fixed Nature in the Body, that is, rejoices it. In EfFed:, rhefe two Subllances, which arc of the fame Na- ture, but of t\^'o different Scxc<:, cmbi\ire one another with the fame Love, and rr.e fame Sari fometimes Oil, according to the different Degrees of Preparation, or according to the diverfe Effecfts, which it is capable cf {producing. Yet I let you know, that it is K properly i:^o Tbr Hekmetical properly called the Vinegar of the Wife, and that in the Diflillarion of this divine Liquor there happens the fame I'hing, as in that of common Vmcgar ; you may from this draw a great Inftrudion ; the Water and the Phle^^m afcend firft ; the oily Subftance, in which the Efficacy of our Water confilb, comes the lafl:. 'Ti^v •this m.iddle Subftance between Earth and Water, which in th« Generation of the Phi- lofophical Child, does the Office of the Male; Hermes makes us take particular Notice of it by thefe intelligible Words : The indiffe- rent %Jngftenty which is Fire^ is the Medium between the Fences and the Water, He is not content to give thefc Lights to his Scholars, he 11k)ws further in his fmaragdiiK Table, in "what manner they ought to condud: them- felves in this Operation. Ton pM fepamtc the Earth from the Firc^ the fubtile from the thick, Jiveetlyt and with great SkllL Take care above all Things not to fmothcr tlie Fire of the Earth by the Waters of the Deluge. This Separation, or rather this E::- traftion, moft be done with a great deal of Judgments It is therefore necclTary to diiTolve the Body entirely, to extrad all its Humidity from it, which contains this precious .SV//- phuTy Triumph. i^t phftry this Balm of Nature, and this won- derful Ungucnr, without which you ought hot to hope ever to fee in your Veffel this Blackriefs fo delired by ail the Phibfophers. Reduce then the whole Compound into Water, and make a perfed Union of the volatile with the fixt ; *tis a Precept of iSenior, which deferves you Ihotild give Attention to it. The highefi Fume, fays he, OHgh't to be reduced to the lonvefl-i (^nd the divine Water U the King defcending from Heaven^ it is the reducer of the Soul to its Bodjj which it at length revives. The Balm of Life is hid in thefe unclean Fasces; you ought to wafh them with this celefti- al Water, uritil you have removed away the Blacknefs from them, and then your Water fhall be animated with this fiery EfTence, which works all the Wonders of our Art. I cannot give you a better Coun- fel about it than that of the great Trtfrne- giflfis ; ToH mnji drive aw^ from the TVa- ter, the Fume which is upon it, the Blacknefs from the 'Vnguent^ and Death from the F<£ces, But the only Means to fuccecd in this Operation is taught you by the fame Phi- lofopher, who adds immediately i And this hy D'tffolmiofty which being dcne^ we have K i' The i^i TJx Hermetical the greateji Philofiphp and the Secret of ail Secrets, But that you may hot be deceived with the Term of the Cc mpound ; I will tell you, that the Philofaphcrs have two forts of Compounds. The Erfl: is the Compound of Nature ; 'tis that whereof I have fpoke in the firft Key ; for it is Nature which makes it, in a manner inccmprehenlible to the Artifl, who does nothing but lend a Hand to Nature, by the adhibition of external Things, by the Means of which flie brings forth and produces this admirable Com.- pound. The feccnd is the Compound of Art; 'tis the wife Man who makes it by the fecret Union of the fixt with the Volatile, perfectly conjoined with all the Pru- dence which can be acquired by the Lights of a profound Philofophy. The Com- pound of Art is not altogether the fame in the fecond, as in the third VVorkj yet it is always the Artifl who makes it. Ge^ her defines it a Mixture of Argent uive and Sulphur^ that is to fay, of the Volatile and the Fixt, which ading on one another are volatilized and fixt reciprocally into a pcrfc(5l Fixir.)'. Ccnf d„r tne Example of Nature, you'll fee tluU the Earth will never produce Fruit, if it be not penetra- ted Triumph. r^3 ted with its Humidity, and that the Hii^ midity would remain always Barren, if it were nor retained and fixt by the Drinels of" the Earth. You ought then to be certain, that one cannot have any good fuccefs in our Art; if you do not in the flrfl Work purify the Serpent, bom of the Slime of the Earth : If you do not whiten thefe foul and black Faeces, to feparate from thence the white Sul^huYy the Sal-Aimoniack of the Wife, which is their chafte Dlma, who wallies her felf in the Bath. All this Myftery is but the Extraction of the fixt Salt of our Compound, in which the whole E- nergy of our AiercKrj confills. The Water which afccnds by Diftillation, car- ries up with it a part of this fiery Salt ; fo that the Affufion of the Water on the Body reiterated many times, impregnates, fattens, and fertilizes our Alercurjy and makes it fitting lo be fixt, which is the end of the fecond Work. One cannot better explain this Truth, than Hermes has done by thefe Words : When Ifriv that the Water began by Degrees to becorm thicker and harder^ I did rejoice, for I certainly kncuf that I jhmld find what I finght for, K 5 The' 134- ^^^-^^ Hekmetical Tho' you might have but a very indifr ferent Knowledge of our Art, wrat 1 am going to tell you will be more than (iif- hcient, to make you apprehend, that all the Operations of this Key, which put an end to the fir ft Work, are r.o other tlian to digeft, diftil, cohobatc, u;.Tolve, fepaiate, and conjoin, the whol'^ with Sweetnefs and Patience : Thus you will have not only an entire Extradion of the Juice of the Vine of the Wife ; but furthermore, you will poffefs the true Water of Life ; and I let you know, that the more you iliall reftify it, and the more you Ihall work upon it, the more Penetration and Virtue it will acquire ; the Philofophers ha\-e not given it the Name oi the Water of Life, but becaufe it gives Life to the Me- tals y It is properly called the great LtinA" riay becaufe its Brightpefs wherewith it Shines : They alfo call it a fiilphureous Sub- ftance, a Balm, a Gumm> the vifcous Hur midity, and the m.oft ftiarp Vinegar of the } hilo/ophersy dec. 'Tis not without Reafon that the Philo- fophers give this mercurial Liquor the name of a Pontick^ Witter^ and of a moft fliarp Vinegar : Its exuberant Ponticity is the true Characfler of its Vertue. There hap- pens Triumph. 155 pens alfo in its Diftillation, as I have alrea- dy faid, the fame Thing which happens in that of Vinegar : The Phlegm and the Water arife firft, the fulphureous and the faline Parts afcend the lift ; iepamte the Phlegm from the Water, unite the Water and the Fire together, the Mercury \\^ith the Sul^lmr^ and you lliall fee at laft the blackeft Rlack, you will whiten the R^njcn^ and rubefy the Swiin. Since I fpeak only to you, ye true Scho- lars of Hermes^ I \\ill reveal to you one Secret, wdiich you will not find entirely in the Books of the PMofiphers, Some of them only fay, that of their Liquor they make two Merct^riesy the one White, and the other Red. Flamel has faid more particularly, that one muft make ufe of the Citrin Adercurj^ to make the Imbibi- tions to the Red \ he gives Notice to the Sons of Art, not to be deceived in this Pomt ; he affures you alfo, that he had therein been himfelf deceived, if Abraham the Jew had not infoitned him of it. Other Phiiofiphers have taught, that the white Mercury is the Bath of the Moon, and that the red A'lercury is the Bath of the Sun ; but there are none w^ho have l^en willing to fnow diftindly to the Sons K 4 of 1^6 The Hermetical of the Science, by what way they may gee theie two Adcrcuries : If )fou apprehenoed me well, you have this Point already cleared lip to you. The Lunaria, is the white Mercfivji the moll: fliaip ViRcgar is the red MercHYj ; but the better ro determine thefe tw'o jhcrcftmS) feed thcni v/ith Fleili of their ov/n Species ; the Blood of Inno-» cents, whofe Throats are cut, that is to fay, the Spirits of the Bodier, are the Bath where the Sun and Moon go to Bath them^ felves. I have unfolded to you a great Myfte- ry, if you refled well on it ; the Philofo- phersy who have fpoken thereof, have paft over this important Point very flightly. Cofi^opolite has very wittily mentioned it by an ingenious Allegory, fpeaking of the ]^uri(i cation of Aierc^try : This ivill be doncy fays lie, if yon Jlxvl give our old A'ldn Gold and Silver to fivdlovj^ that he cor.fume theniy ^d At length he alfo djing he burnt* He makes an end o^ dcfcjibing the whole Ma- giftei y in thefe Terms ; Let his Afos be jh'oivd into the Mater ; boil it until it is cKosi^hy and joji have a A^edicine to cure the Lrprojj, You mull: not be ignorant, that our cid Man is cur Mercfirj, that thi^ Namc9.!!ees with him, bccaufe he is the flrft Triumph. 137 firft Matter of all the Metals ; the fame Fhilofofher fays, that he is their Water, to which he gives the Name of Steel, and of tlie Loadftone, and he adds for a greater Ccnfii mation of what I am about to dif- cover to you : If uold couples with it eleven Times, it fends forth its See d^ and is Ji'eakined dmofi to Death ; the Chaljhs conceives and jjegets a Son more glorious than the Father, Behold then a great Myftery, which I re- veal to you without any Enigma ; this is the Secret of the two Aderctmes^ which contain the two Tindures. Keep them feparately, and do not coniound their Spe- cies, for fear they Ihould beget a monflrous Linage. I not only fpeak to you more intelligi- bly than any Fhilofophcr has done, but I alio reveal to you ail which is the moft effential in the Practice of our Art ; if you meditate thereon, if you apply your felf to underfland it well ; but above all, if you work according to thofe Lights which I give you, I in no wife doubr, but you will ob- tain what you feek for ,• and if you come not to thefe Knovv ledj^e^, by the way which I have pointed cut to you, 1 am very well affured that you will hardly airive at your Delign by only reading the Philofi- phers. 1^8 The Hermetical phers. Therefore Defpair of nothing; (earch the Source of the Liquor of the Sages, which contains all which is necefTary for the Work ; It is hidden under the Stone ; ihike upon ir with the Rod of Magick Fire, and a clear Fountain will ifliie out of it ; do afterward as I have (liown you, prepare the Bath of the King with the Elood of the Innocents, and you will have the animated Alercurj of the Wife, which never lofes its Virtue, if you keep it in a Velfel well clofed. Hermes fays, that there is fo much Sympathy between the purified Bodies and the Spirits, that tliey never quit one another when they are united together ; becaufe this Union refem^ bles that of the Soul v/ith the glorified Bo- dy, after which Faith tells us, that there fhall be no more Separation nor Death. Bocanfe the Spirits dejire to be in the cleanfed Bodies^ but hewing had them, they enliven them, and dwell in them. You fee by this the Merit of this precious Liquor, to which the Philofophcrs have given more than a thoufand different Names ; it is the Water pf Life of the Wife, the Water of Diana^ the great Lnnariay the Water of Arjent Vive ,• it is our Mercnrj, our incomburtiblc Oil, which in the Cold is conj^eakd like Ice, Triumph. i ^9 Ice, and is melted with Heat like Butter ; fjermes calls it the foliated Eartli, or the Earth of Leaves, not without a great deal of Reafon ; for if you \\ell obrcrve, it is all Leavy ; in a word, it is the niofl: clear Fountain, which Count Trevifan makes men- tion of,- in fine, it is the great Alchaheft which radically diflblvcs the Metals j it is the true permanent Water, which after ha- ving radically difTolved them, is infeparably united to them, and increafes the Weight and the Tindure. The fourth Kej* The fourth Key of the Art, is the En^ trance of the feccnd Work ; 'tis that which reduces our Water into Earth ; there is but this only V/ater in the World, which by a bare Boiling can be converted into Earth, becaufe the Mercmy of the Wife carries in its Center its own Sulphnr^ which coagulates it. The Terrification of the Spi- rit is the only Operation of this Work ; boil then with Patience ; if you have pro- ceeded well, you will not be a long time without feeing the JMirks of this Coagu- lation, and if they appear not in their time, they will never appear ; becaufe it is an un- doubted Sign, that you have failed in feme cflential ijj-o Th: Hermetical efTentkl Thing in the firfl Operations ; for to corporify the Spirit, which is our Ai'er- CHry, you mufl: have well diffolved the Bo- dy in which the Sulphur, which coagulates the Jlicrctrrj^ is inclofed. Hermes aflures, that our mercurial Water (liall obtain all the Virtues which the Phiiofophers attribute to it, v/hen it lliall be changed into Eaith ; Its Force will be entire^ if it jJ^all he con- ijerted into E.-trth. An Earth admirable for Its Fertility : The Land of Promife of the Wife, who knowing how to make the Dew of Heaven fall upon it, make it pro- duce Fruits of an ineftimable Price. Cof- mopolUe very well expreffes the Advantages Ci this blelTed Earth ; He who l^ows ho:v to conical Wmcy in Heat^ and to join a Spi- rit with it., jhall trnly find a Thing a thott- find Times more precious than Gold, and eve- f'j Thing, Nothing comes near the worth of this Earth, and of this Spirit, perfedly bound together according to the Rules of our Art ; they are the true Mercury, and the true Sulphur of the Phiiofophers, the li- ving Male, and the living Female, who contain the Seed which only can beget a Son more illuftrious than his Parents. Then cultivate diligently this precious Earth, moi- ften it often with its own Humidity, dry it Triumph. 141 't as often, and you will not lefs augment its Virtues, than its Weight, and its Fer- ■ tility. The fifth ICcj» The fifth Key of our Work is the Fer- mentation of the Stone with the perfect Body? to make thereof the Medicine of the third Order. 1 will fay nothing in particular of the Operation of the third Work ; except, that the perfed Body is a neceffary Leaven of our Pafle : That the Spirit ought to make the Union of the Pafte with the Leaven; in the fame man- ner as Water moiftens the MeaL and dif- folves the Leaven to ccmpofe a fermented Pafte fit to make Bread. This Compa- rifon is very proper; Hermes fivii made it faying. For as a Pafk cannot be fermented 'ivithoHt a ferment ; fo when you Jhall have fuhiimedy cleanfcd, and feparated the Foidr.efs from the Faces ; when you would join the77i^ pit a ferment in them, and make the Water Earth, that the Pafle may he made a ferment, OntheSubjed of Fermenraricn, the Philcfi- pher repeats here the whole Work, and lliows that juft fo as the whole Lump of the Pafle becomes all Leaven, by the Adion of the Ferment* v. hich has been added to k ; fo all 14.^ Tl6<^ HiERMETICAL all the philofophical Confection becomes by this Operation a Leaven proper to fer- ment a new Matter, and to multiply it even to Infinit}-. If you obferve well how Bread is madf*, you v/ill find the Proportions which you ought to keep among the Matters, which compofe our philoiophical Pafte. Do not the B:ikers put more Meal than Lea- ven, and more Water than the Leaven and the Meal ? The Laws of Nature are the Rules you ought to follow in the Practice of our whole Magiftery. I have given you upon all the principal Points, all the Inftrudions whicli are neceflary for you, fo that it would be fuperfluous to tell you more of it, particularly concern- ing the la ft Operations, about which the Philofiphers have been lefs referved, than on the firft, wliich are the Foundations of the Arc The j7xth Kty, The fixth Key teaches the Multiplica- tion of the Stone, by the Reiteration of the fame Operation, which confifts but in opening and fluitting, difl(:)lving and coa- gulatin2> imbibing und diying ; whereby the Vcrtues of the Siorre are infinitely aug- mented. Tn I U M P H. 14.5 niented. As my defign has not been to defcribe entirely the Pradice of the three Medicines, but only to infh'ucl you in the moft important Operations concerning the Preparation of Mercury^ which the Philofo- phers commonly pais over in Silence, to hide thefe Myfteries from the prophane, which are only for the Wife ; I will tarry no longer upon this Point, and I will lell you nothing more of what relates to the Projedion of the Medicine, bccaufe the Succefs ycu exped: depends not thereon. I have not given you very full Inftrudi- ons but on the third Key, becaufe it con- tains a long Train of Operations, which though fimple and natural, require a great Underftanding of the Laws of Nature, and of the Qiialities of our Matter, as well as a perfed Knowledge of Chymiftry, and of the different Degrees of Heat, which are fitting for thcie Operations. I have conduced you by the flraight Way without any Winding ; and if you have well minded the Road which 1 have pointed you out, I am fure that you v;i]l go ftraight to the End without ftraying. Take this in good part from me in the defign uliich I had^ of fparing you a thoufind Labour?, and a thcufand Troubles, which I my 14.4- Tb^^ Hermetigal my feirhave undergone in this painful Jour- ney for want of an Aififlance, fuch as this which I give you in this Letter^ which comes from a lincere Heart, and a tender Affedion for all the true Sons of the Sci- ence. I iliould much bewail you, if like me, after having known the true Matter, you lliould fpcnd fifteen Years entirely in Work, in Study, and in Meditation, without be- ing able to extrad out of the Stone, the precious Juice which it inclcfes in its Bo- ibm, for want of knowing the fecret Fire of the Wife, which makes to run out of this Plant (dry and withered in Appeai'ance) a Water which wets not the Hands, and w^iich by a magical Union of the diy Wa- ter of tlie Sea of the Wife, is difTolved in-* to a vifcous Water, into a mercurial Li^ quor, which is the Beginning, the Foun- dation, and the Key of our Art ; convert, feparate, and purify the Elements as I have taus^ht you, and vou \vill pollefs the true Mcrcarj of the Phtlojcphcrsj which will give you the fixt Snlphttr^ and the univerfal Medicine. But I give you Notice, tliat after you iliall be arrived at the Knov.ledge of the fecret Fire of the Wile, yet ftill you lliall iiDt attain yoiu: Point at your firft Career* I have Triumph. izj.5 I have erred many Years in the way which remains to be gone, to arrive at the myfle- rious Fountain where the King bathes him- felf, is made Young again, and retakes a new Life exempt from all forts of Infirmi- ties. Befides this you mud know how to purify, to heat, and to animate the Royal Bath ; 'tis to lend you a Hand in this fe- cret Way, that I have expatiated on the third Key, where all thefe Operations are defcrib'd. I wifh with all my Heart, that the Inftruclions which 1 have given you, may make you go direclly to the End. But remember, ye Sons of the Science, that the Knowledge of our IMagiftery comes rather by the Infpirarion of Heaven, than fi'om the Lights which we can get by our felves. This Truth is acknowledged by all Philo* fophers j 'tis for that Reafon that it is not enough to Work ; Vny daily, read good Books, and medicate Ni^ht and Day on the Operations of Nature, and on what Ihe may be able to do when fhe is affifted by the help of our Art, and by thefe means you will fucceed without doubt in your Undertaking. This is all which I had to fay to you in this Letter : I was not willing to make you fuch a long Difpurfe as the "P/iatter feemed to de- L mand ; 146 Jhc Hermeticajl mand ; neither have I told you any thing but what's effential to our Art ; fo that if you know our Stone, which is the only Matter of our Stone, and if you have the Underdanding of our Fire which is both Secret and Natural, you have the Keys of the Art> and you can calcine our Stone; not by the common Calcination which is made by the Violence of Fire, but by a philofophical Calcination which is purely Natural. Yet obfervc this with the mofl enlight- ncd Phiiofophersy that there is this Diffe- rence between the common Calcination which is made by the Force of Fire, and the Natural Calcination ; that the firft de- ftroys the Body, and confumes the great- eft Part of its radical Humidity ; but the fecond does not only preferve the Humi- dity of the Body in calcining it, but ftill it conliderably Augments it. Experience will give you knowledge in the Practice of this great Truth, for you will in EfFcd find that this philofophical Calci- nation, which fublimes and diftils the Stone in calcining it, much augments its Humi- dity ; the Reafon is, that the igneous Spi- rit of I he natural Fire is corporified in the Subftances which are Analogous to it* Our Triumph. 147 Our StGne is an Aftral Fire, which fym- pathizes with the natural Fire, and which as a true Sdamander receives its Nativity, is nourifh*d and grows in the Elementary Fire, which is Geometrically proportioned to it. The '^ame of the Author in Latin h in this Aiia2;rain. Dives ficnt Ardens S -k :R :^ iaifiss^i*' in To the Reader. T has been thought pro- per (as mentioned in the Preface) to join with this Treatife a Tranjlation of The Amcient War. OF THE Knights, done from the Original German j that fo the Lo- vers of this Science might he able to compare it with that done from the French \ which ^ by Reafon of its paf fing firfii}itoh,^tiny and from thence into French, has lo/I of its priftine Senfe.^ as will be foimd upon the pe- ritfal of the fame, And^ to make the Work flill more compleat-, fome An- flotations have been add'ui (from a German Editioi) upon the mo (I mate- rial Points, where the faid French Tranfation differs from the German OrifinaL > . the Ancients fay : (*) our Stone is not Vi- iibie, nor our Mercurj to be had, but out ^j_. of the foft (") uncorriipted [or pioper] Bo- dies, and neither of the two can be attain- ed without the other ; wherefore I alone do yield the Male and Female Seed, and am wholly an Homogmcwn , alio am 1 called an Herrn.iphroditc. RicldArdm AnTltu too, wirnencs the fime of me, flying : The hrft Matter of our Stone is called Rcbh^ that is to la}'? a Thing, which Triumph. 17 or %vhich by Nature has a double quality property] concealed in it felf ; and it is like- wife caird an Hermaphrodite, that is, a Matter, which is not ealily to be diflin- guilli'd, whether it be a Male or Female ; by Reafon, that it inclines to both Parts. Therefore a Medicine is made, (*) out of 3 5< a Thing, [or one Thing] which is the Water of the Body and Spirit. This has occafioned the faying, that this Medicine has by its zyEnigmas deceived ma- ny Fools. The Art, however, requires but one Thing, which is known to every Bo- dy ; many wifli for it, and yet it is but one only Thing ,• [or Matter ;] (*) nothing is 5; c^. to be compared to it, and yet it is mean and cheap : But for this it ought not to be defpifed, for it makes and brings forth [or com.pleats] admirable Things. Almus the Philofopher fays : You Opera- tors in this Art, you ought to be of a fixed Mind in your Work, not beginning and trying fometimes with one Thing, and fome- times with another; for the Art confifts not in Multitude of Species's, but in Body and Soul. And for a (certain) Truth, the Me- dicine of our Stone is one Thing, one Vef- fel, one Compofition. For the whole [Ma-* [*^] fterpiecc iS The Hermetical fterpiece of] Art is begun with one Thing, nnd is ended with one Thing ; although the Philofiphersy in order to liide th^? Art, have pretended to point out many other ways, as for Inftance : continual C ooking, [or Digeftion,] Mixtion, Sublimation, Tri- turation, and Siccation, and as many other Nam.es [or Allegories] as the fame may be 37' named withal. C*-) However, the Soluti- on of the Body is not brought about, but in its own Blood. Geipcr fays tlius : In the Foundation (or in the Root] of the Nature of A/ercmy, is Sulphur^ which perfects ir, [zv^. the Mer* cury] by cooking and digefling it during a long tim.e in the Veins of the Mines. Thus, my dear Gold, with what has been faid, you arc fufficienrly convinced, that it is only m me, and I alone can per* form all, without the Afliftance of you and all your Brothcis ; nor do I want you any ways, although all of you w^ant me : [Or have Occafion for me :) For I can perfed: you all, and bring you to a higher Degree, than what you are by Nature. Then the Gold grew angiy, and not knowing any more what to anfwer, con- fulted with its Brother Menm-p and agreed upon Triumph. 19 upon this, that they would aflift one ano- ther, who being two in Number, and our^ Stone but fingle, they (becaufe they could get no Advantage upon it by difcuting) would by their double Power deitroy it [or kill it] by the Sword. But when the Fight began, our Stone if- fued Strength, [or Power,] (*) and deftroy- g ed and conquered them both : And fwallow- ed them [in fuch a manner] that nothing at all was to be feen of them ; nor what was become of them. Thus, you my dearly beloved who fear God, you have here a true and fufficient Narrative [or Inftruction] to underftand the Foundation [or Root] of the higheft and mo ft precious Treafurc. For no Philo- fophcr did ever declare himfelf fo plain and openly. You therefore want nothing elfe, but that you pray to God that he may grant you, to attain to fuch a dear and preci- ous Jewel : Next to this quicken your Thoughts, and read with Prudence, work with Diligence, and hafte not in [the Pre- paration of] this precious Work; for (*),«.' it muft have its natural Time, [or its Time ordained by Nature,] like Fruit on a Tree, [^^ i] or ao The Hermetic A L or Grapes on a Vine. Be likewife of a good Will and Intention, or elfe the Lord will grant you nothing ; for God gives it to Ao.thofej who defire to do good with it, (*) and takes it, or detains it from fuch as would employ it to ill Ufes. The Lord give J OH his BleJJing, Amenj ANNOTATIONS Upon the moft Material Pajfages^ Where the Freiich Tranflarion of The Axciext War. of the Knights, difFers from the Ger- man Original. From a German Edition. ^i( H E German Original fays fijj by Number 4. Of it felf it Si^^lj camot do it, dtho' it Jhould -^ -W^i ^ f°^ ^'^^^ ^"^ ^^^ Earth ; MB^^f^M] but the Frefjch Tranflation Jays : Though tt poHid ft ^laSiSjji^j rjer remain ON THE EARTH, 'Tis probable the Tranflator into Lvin did fay />« 72 The Hermetical term-, which indeed fbmetimes may beunder- ftood on the Earthy and is taken thus in the Lord's Prajer : Sicm in Ccelo ^ in Terra, thy Will be done on Earth ; but in this place it fliould be otherways, x'k,. in the Earth, *** By Number 9. the Germcm Original fays : To rJ)kh OV R Stone mfivereth , but in the French the word Our is omitted ; for it fays, the Stone mfwered, *Tis fuppofed the Tran- flator into Latin has omitted firfl the word Onr^ not knowing perhaps that there is a difference between the Stone of the Philofi^ phcrsy and between the Stone called thus fim- ply. But the French Commentator, as an in- genious Philofopher^ would not have omitted xVi^ word Onry but perhaps rather have gi- ven a learned Explication about it, if fo be he had found it in the Latin Tranflation i Tor when the Philofophers fay, Our Stone y they fpeak of it, as in that Condition, when it is VN'ork'd upon to be brought to Perfedi- on, and flufqu^vn Perfedion, viz.^ to the Quality commonly called. The Philofophicl^ Stone, But when it is barely called The Stone, without any other Epithet, in that Cafe it m^ay b? applied to the Stone, either generally, Triumpm. 1^ generally ,T//^. in all and every one of its States and Conditions, or elfe it is taken in parti- cular (to diftinguifh the Stone of the Phi- lofiphersy or its Matter) when it is flill un- der the Operations of Nature, and not yet brought fo far as that the Artift may auift Nature h^a prudent Imitation of her. Bur as foon as x^QPhUofophers work upon it, it is then properly and in particular called Their Stone. *Tis true, the Philo/ophers fometimes confound on purpofe thefe two Denomina- tions, becaufe of the unworthy ; but fince the German Philofopher makes fuch a Di- flindion, the Tranflator into Latin ought not to have deprived the Hermetick Difci- ples of the lame j for they might take Oc- cafion thereby, to meditate, wny 'tis called one time The Stone, and at another time Onr Stone ,* as likewife in what manner the Author fpeaks when he calls it merely The Stone y and what he fays when he diftin- guifhes it with the w^ord Om-. 'Twas wrong therefore to be guilty of fuch an OmilTion, as not to give it the Denomination of Oar Stone-i as often as it was found in the German Original ; but in Lieu thereof, to call it al- ways merely The Stone, [*^^ 2] By 4- The Hermeti gal • • By Number lo. the Germin OriginaJ fays : Dear Goldy *tis true, God has prvcnyu Honour^ Bcamj^ and Confia^icj ; whicn is ren- dered by the French in this manner : *Tis truCf mj dear Gold, *tis God who has given yoti THE Hbnair, THE Dur^ilitp and THE Bea^uy, This is faid by the Stone as an Anfwer to what Gold advanced in its Reproach jufl before by Number 9. in which Reproach Gold ufes the Article the, viz. the Honour^ See. thereby to aflume to it felf all the Honour* Beauty, and Praife which is to be found in the Operation and Art of the Philo/ophers ; for the German Tongue has this Property, that the Addition of the Article The takes in all, or the whole. Therefore the Stone in its Anfwer ("accord- ing to the German Original) limits very inuch thofe Vertues (which Gold boaftsof) by the OmiiTion of the Article, faying : God has given it Honour, which is to fay : God has given it fome Honour, in- tending as it werer thereby to intimate, that Gold pofTcfTes but a part of fuch Vertues ; and \r alfo gives to underftand in the follow- ing Difcourfes, that the Stone it felf has communicaced in the Earth to Gold, that Honour^ Triumph. 15 Honour, Beauty, &c, which it pofTeflesa and who is beholden for the fame to the Stone ,• fo that it ought not to pretend from that, to have the Chief, or fo much as any part at all in the Philofophical Work, efpe- cially with the Exclufion of the Stone, whom Cold wrongly vilifies, *Tis, however, not the fault of our emi- jient French Philofopher, that the faid Arti- cle {The] has been made ufe of in the reply of the Stone, it having happened by Acci- dent ,• for as he did not tranflate the faid Treatife, called, The War of the Knights^ from the German Tongue, but from the Latin^, in- to which it had been tranflated firft , and the Latin Tongue having no Articles, it was not poffible for him to know, whether or no, or at what place the Article was made ufe of in the Original ; fo that it feems to have crept in, at the place aforefaid, by mere Chance. *Tis neverthelefs true, that th.^ Latin Tran- slator is to blame ; for in Cafe he had been careful to render the Author's Intention cx- ad, he might have done it, although it was not poffible to do it by an Article ; and it might have been given in thefe or the like Words : Verttm efl^ Deum tibi honoris, fnl- j^ritudim ^ m igne conflaynia ALIQVID [^^^ 5] [or i6 The Hermetical [or NECESSARIVAI TIB I Z>A MENSVM^ conceffiffc. At By the la ft mentioned Number there fol- lows foon after : But as for your difpara^in^ me thm.joH do it n^iih VrdnfAu which Words have been left out in the fraxh, Whofe Fault foever it be, it is certain, the Words are very exprefTive, (as almoft all the reft of the faid Treatife,) and give to underftand, that t' e Addition of Vulgar Gold to the philofophical Work? tends to the faid Work's Deftrudion. "By Number 15. the German Original fays : It bein^ Apparent ^ that all of them bring nothifig to EffcSiy but employ their Gold in vain^ land] DESTROY THEMSELVES B X IT But the Trench fays : Tor 'tis im- profitably that they employ their Gold, and that they END EArOVR TO DESTROT IT The Latin Tranflator has in this Paflage taken the German (for the word dcftroy) quite wrone^ having probably faid thus : uiHrum inutiliter impendunt or corrumpH'fit — which is altogether againft the Senfe and ^Jeaning of the Original. The Triumph. -27 The Trench Philofopher has very well perceived, that this Pailage could not be right, and therefore did not render it into French in the fame Senfe, viz. That they deflroj the Gold, but fa)'S5 That they endearuour to dcfiroy it ; knowing veiy well, that it is not po(E- ble for them to deftroy the Gold. The Tranflator into Latin finding the word deftroy in the German^ would have kept the true Meaning of the fame Author, if he had faid : Animadvert imns, qfitod hifcs Ttihil ejfciant'i fed potins aurum ecrum inutili" ter impendanti eoque tpfi deficient es r^7ipr': pef- Jkm eanty cir in Jiimmam egefiatem incident. Aft By the la ft quoted Number, the German Oiiginal fays in the reply of Gold : Vll prove it by the Philofopher' s Sayings, that ths Art may he compleated by me and ryiy Brother Mercury ; concerning which it is to be no- ted, that in the French, the Words : Atid my Brother Mercury, have been omitted. By Number 15. the German Original fays : And they write without any jmndtng Exprefions, But the French fays, without 0iyiy Refi-ve* L*'"' 4] By a8 The Hermetical By Number 19. the German Original fays : Thy Brother Mercury is indeed imper" feU-i yet therefore is not he the Mercury of the PhdoJ others, — But tliQ French fays : Thy Br O" ther Aiercury is indeed imperfdl^ and by con^_ feculence he is not the Aitrcury of the Wife. — ' In this manner it would be true inde€d> that the Author of The Ancient War of the Knights had contradicled himfelf j which the French Commentator is obliged to ow^n, and therefore makes Pyrophiks to ftate a Que-r ftion, how to folve this Doubt ^ In anfwer to which, EudoxHs has done what he could to maintain the Honour and Credit of the Author. But there would have been no Occafion to form fuch Doubt, nor to clear it, if the Tranflation had been true, and conform to the Intention of the Original. However, as noticing is fo bad, but fome good arifes from it, as the Proverb fays ; it has been the fame with this Paflage ', it ha- ving given Occafion to the Commenting Phi- •lofopher to give feveral important and ufeful Confiderations upon this Paflage, although Jie found it himfelf very hard. Perhaps the TranOator into Latin has been a German, and rendered it thus : Fratcr turn Mercurtm eji midcm Tr I u m p h. quidem imperfi5ius, fed propter ea mn ejl Mer^ cnrim fapientum- — . If it were thus, it were a Cermanijmy whole Senfe will be taken right by a German w lio under (rands Latin ,- but not ealiiy by a Frenchman^ who is not ac- quainted with the Germamfin' s^ which often happen amongft the Germans in the Latir, Tongue ,• For, one fees that the Freyich Phi- lofopher has taken the Senfe of the Latin Words thus : He is impcrfe^iy hut for that very Reafon {BECAVSE HE IS IM- T ERFECT) is not he the Mercury of the Wfe, A Germany however, underftands it thus : He is imperfcEi^ but therefore {AL^ THOVGH HE IS I M P E R- FE CT) he is not the Alercury of the Sages ; or, it is therefore no Confequence-, that hejhoidd be the Mercury of the Phdofophers ; it being no Argument at all, that an imperfed A^Lcr- cury (of which there are many Kinds) ihould by Reafon of its Imperfection be the Philo- fophick Aiercury, And thus it's very pro- bable to have been the fault of the Ti-anfla^ ter, who, if he had been refolved to make ule of the word proptnra, (which neverthe- lefs might better have been omitted,) he ought at leaft to have put the word non be- fore it, viz.» Non tar/;en propterea eft Mercu- rim japicntum ; or, Non tamen inde confici- tnrt 30 The Hermetical tur, enm propterea ejje Mercurmm Japieatam^ So that this eminent Philofopher {viz,, the Commentator) may have been led into an Error, by the -Equivocation of this Germd" nijm ; and one fees how he is forced to turn and wind himfelf in the Anfwer o^Eudoxm^ for to skreen the German Philofopher from the blame of the fuppofed Contradidion ; which if he has fucceeded in it, and whe- ther the Doubt, formed by Pyrophilnsy has been fufficienrly cleared and taken away by EpidoxHs\ Anfwer, (how learned and ufeful foevcr it be,) is left to the Judgment of thofe that are well skilled in this Art. May be this Paffage has appeared to the faid Com- mentator as one of thofe which the Philo- fophers make ufe of, when, becaufe of the unworthy, and alfo for other Reafons, they contradid: themfelves, which ought to be no Obftacle to the true Difciples o^ Hcr?mS', who fliould take Occafion from thence, to meditate fo much the more upon the Reafon and Caufe of fuch Contradiction ; by which means they may unexpededly difcover fome Truths. For Cofmopolite fays in the Epi- logue of his Treatile : Noli moverit qnod diqtuindo coHtntditiorid in meis Trdiatibus^ mo- re Philojophcrttm ujiuto-, tibi occHrrimt, N. B. Ofm habes illisy fi mtclHgis, Non reperitur rofi Triumph. 31 rofa fine fpinis. And further in his Treatife o^ Sulphur -i Cap. de 3 ptmcip. He fays : Ncc te moveaty quod firipta contraria Jibi videan- tnr in aliquibus locis ; ita enim opHS efi, ne ars froderetfir : iTu mtem elige ea^ qtM cum iV^- tura cmven'mnt ; accipe rofas^ relmquefp'mas. — And in the fame manner our emment French Commentator has (probably) taken this re- ply of the Stone for fuch an affumed Con- tradidion, which he defigned to reconcile by the Anfwer of Endoxtis* By Number -^i, the German Original fays : But as for me^ I have an imperfeEl Body ; a purcy penetratingy tinging^ and con^ ft ant Spirit. — The French gives thefe Words with iomc Variation, viz,, I hm/e an imper- fe5i Body-, a fiedfafl Souly a penetrating Tin^ ^/^r^.-^Wliich, nevertheiefs, is m.uch to the fame purpofe. Only this oughi to be ad- ded ; that there are two Editions extant in the German Tongue, which differ from the refl, and afcribe the Stone a perfe^ Bo- dy. But according to the fird: Edition printed i(j04, and others more, the Stone lias an imperfe^ Body. Here 3 2 The Hermetical Here it ought to be faid, that both, fer*^ fe^l snd imperfeSi is true, conlidering that the Stone is at different Times in a diffe- rent Station, which is fufficiently limited by the Anfwer which Endoxus gives upon the Objedion made by PjrcphiUts upon the faid Number. If however one would keep to the two afore-mentioned Editions, in tnat Cafe there would have beea no Occafion for the Ob- jedion of Pjrophilm, nor for the Anfwer of EfidoxHs* ■V- •. The Paffage by Number 34. is that of which the French Commentator makes men- tion in his Preface, where the Old Philojo^ phers are quoted, and made to fay thus : Ofir Mercury cannot be had hut out of the fift unadulterated Bodies, The Caufe why this Paffage has been cor- rupted in the tranflating it into Latin^ feems to proceed from the German word (l/£ CHT, which fignifies fo much as true, proper, legitimate, uncorrupted, ftandard, and fine, and ferves generally to diftinguifh a true Matter from a Counterfeit ; but the fame ,\Vord having fome Similitude with the Word 1 R I U M P H. Word ACHT which fignifies Eight, the Tranflator has been led into the Miftake, which the Commentator finds fault with. Whether the French Commentator got this grofs Error redified fiom the Origi- nal, or whether he thought proper to ex- punge thofc dark and improper Words, and infert others in their room^ is not known ; but it is certain, that if this lafl: be the Cafe, a Philofipher^ like himfelf, has Au- thority to do it ; efpecially when he inti- mates fuch his Intention, as the Commen- tator has done ^ who hkewife, as a Mafler, has the Prerogative to teach the Difciples of Hermes, by what Words he thinks pro- per, from whence the Mercffrj of tht Wife is to be taken. 'Tis obfervable alfo, that this faid Com- mentator faying : It is r.ot fojjible to attaift to the Pojfejpon of our Mercury any other wctj-i than by the means of two Bodies j wh^re-- @f one cannot receirve its requlpte PerfeElion ivithotit the other, has ordered this Paffage in fuch a manner, that it agrees with tne Intention of the Original, akho* the Words 2re varied^ By 33 34 27?^ Hermetical Y ¥■ By Number 35. the French Tranflation fays : The (Vmvcrfal) Medicine is therefore made out of a Things which is the Water ^ and the Spirit of the Body, But the German Ori- ginal fays : Therefore a Medicine is nuide ont of a Thing, ufhich is the Water of the Body and Spirit. —Which lafl, however, contra- di(5ls no ways the Senfe and Meaning of our Commentator, who fays himf^lf in his third Key : That in the Wine of the PhiLofophers (which appears in form of Water) there arc three divers Stibflofices, and three natural Prin» ciples of all Bodies^ viz. Salt, Sulphur^ and Mercury, which are the Spirit^ the SouU and the Body, — And thus it may be faid, accord- ing to the Senfe of the Original : That Things OHt of jvhich the Medicine is madcy is the Water y (viz. the Wine of the Wife) of the Body^ (viz. of the Body in the Water, who is the Male) and of the Spirit, (viz. of the Body and Spirit ; for the Author him- felf takes them altogether in the aforecited place, as the Feminine.) And with this, compare what is faid by Number 57. Sc^. RIUMPH. 55 * ¥ * By Number 58. the German Original fays : When the Fight heqan^ our Stone IS- SV ED ST RE NG TEL - Biic the French fays : The Stone difplajed ITS Force ^ and ITS Vdour, - Which intimates, as if the Stone had employed cdl its Strength for to conquer the two Companions ; whereas the German gives to underftand, that the Stone employed only fo much of its Strength as requifite to conquer them. This Paflage may be compared with the Annotation, which has been made about that by Number 10. if ¥ Lafiljy It is worth obferving (and it ought rather to have been mxentioned firfl of all, being it is on the Title Page, as likewife afterw^ards mentioned by Eudoxus in the Commentary by Number 4.) that the Ger- man Original lays : That the Stone of the Philojophers is prepared by thofe who trace Nature^ with the jifpfiance of LV NA R VVLCAN; by which Lunar Fnkm (ac- cording to what is f?ad by the afore-menti- oned 56 The Hermetical oned Number 4.) is meant the fecret arid natural Fire of the Philofiphers. 'Tis true^ this Fire is, ^is to it felf, one only Fire ; but as to the place, it is called both Interiour and Exteriour ; for Inftance, the faid Eudoxm calls it. The naturd and intertoHr Fire^ hecatifey fays he, it is brought to Action by tke exteriour Fire, Philofiphia ty£pptiaca on the other Hand (ays : Ojiris c^ ^'ts mi conjnges ftrnt^ fie ^ fratcr ijr firory Plutarcho teflct fnb mjflicA quadoiTi ratione habentes, qmbm additnr ter- tins qwdam^ Tjphon (forte ignis internus ma" terid) niger c^ ardens Spiritus, qui Ofiridem frntrem ttterinmn in minntifiima membra dif- fecat. Hi fee adnnmerant VVLCANVM SEV IGNEM EXTERNVM. — - Therefore if taken according to this latter Senfe, 'viz,, of its being Exteriour^ it is not part of the Matter, as Artephius fays ; but if taken in the firft Senfe, it is part of the Matter, according to the meaning of Empedocles. As to Vklcan being called Lunar^ the Au- thor of the War of the Knights agrees in this with the great Hermes^ who fiys : Pa- ter ejus Sol, mater vera Luna ; and hereby is intimated the Quality of the philofophi- cal Ffffcnfi, viz. tl^at its Heat muft be tem- pered Triumph. 57 pered by the Humidity proceeding fi-om Lnna ; for, Algahel in ConfiL Conj, de majpi SvUs & Lundt fays : Sol (which by our Au- thor is called Vkkau) eft fom totius caloris : Luna, OHtem Smina Hy^miditatis, And Her^ VTes fays : Htimiditas eft ex dominio Lunce : pnguedo autem ex dominio Solis, For that Reafon fays Co/mopolite: Calor intrinfecm muU to effcacior eft hoc igne elementali^ Jed tempe- ratur terrenk nqm^ qutz de die in diem poros terr£ penetrat illamque refrigerat : Sic folem eoelefiem ^ ejus cdorem tempcrat aer, qui d^ die in die circumvolut orhem* And at ano- ther place ; Sicuti Sol centralis habet fuum mare ^ aquam crudam perceptihdem ; Jk Sol ajekftis habet etiam fuum mare ^ acjuam fub*- tilem (^ inperceptibilem. —■ And thus for the aforefaid Reafons, the Fiilcan of the Philo- fiphers muft be Lunar, As to the French Tranflation of thefe Words, they are quite otherways ; for the fame Tranflation calls it Lunatick^ Vulcan. It is not to be fuppofed that thefe Words are given with any other meaning than what afore-mentioned ; for, Lunatick^ is in ano- ther Senfe mad, and it cannot be fuppofed that the Title of The War of the Knights y injiinate, that the Stone of the Phi- [*^**] lofiphcrs 38 The Hermetical lofophers is' to be prepared with the A fTi fi- ance of fuch a mad Fulcan, On the con- trary, the Tarba fays : Ne incendatis bd- ncnm Citrim ^ ejus uxoris plurtrr-um^ ne fenfu & motu priventur. Item, f^f.mrammi Regem (^ [nam uxorem ^ mUre eos combti^ 7'cre nimio igne. And therefore tlie Foun- tain (which Bcrnhard Trevtjan fpeaks of) in which the King barhes himfeif is fe- cured by a threefold Fence. • In the Expo- sition of the Epiftle, Soils ad Lunam^ are thefe Words : Ego Luna crefiens in inminc Solari jrigtda c^ hpifniday quia jum mater hti~ moYPim ^ til Soly calidns & Jiccus-, quod efi principitim general ionis orKnium^ quando copu-- Un faerlmHs-i i. e. conjunct. N. B. In'7. •H'^!\ 1^ ■m^m^ii,.