Chap. IV.
Of the Spirit of Copper.
The Star of Venus is very difficult, and not well to be calculated, as all Mathematicians and Astronomers will bear me witness; for its course is found to be otherwise than that of the other six Planets, and therefore its Birth is otherwise; for the Birth of Venus possesses the First Table, after Mercury, as for what concerns the Generation of Metals. Mercury makes active, but Venus provokes, giving Lust and Desire, together with the Beauty which gave occasion thereunto; though I am accounted no Astronomer, nor do I give my self out for one, who knows to calculate the Course of the Heavens; for I should spend my time in my Cell in Prayer, but that the spare hours after my Devotion is ended, may not be spent in vain, I have ordered and proposed it as my aim and intent to exercise my self, and to spend those hours in the knowledge of Natural things. So likewise it is not well to be reckoned what arises, grows or proceeds from Venus or whence she arose, grew, or proceeded; for she is superfluously cloathed more than she needs, and yet must want that which she needs most of all in her Constancy.
But you must be advertised, that Venus is cloathed with a Celestial sulphur which far surpasses the brightness of the Sun; for there is more and more abundant Sulphur in her than in Gold; but it requires a knowledge what the Matter of that Gold Sulphur may be, which is, and rules so plentifully in Copper, and whereof I make so great a Cry: know then that it is likewise a flying very hot Spirit, which can pass through and penetrate, as also ripen and digest all things, as the imperfect Metals into perfect, which the inexpert will not believe. And here a Question presents it self at hand; How the Spirit of Copper can make other imperfect Metals perfect, and make them ripe, whereas in its own Body it is imperfect and inconstant? For Answer, I say as I have often said, that this Spirit cannot possess or inhabit a permanent Body in Copper; for when the habitation is burnt by Fire, the Spirit goes away with it, and must with impatience leave its Lodging, for it dwells therein as a Sojourner; but it hath protection in the permanent fix'd Body of Gold, whence no man can expel it, without the Warrant of an especial Judge; for it is put into the inheritance as an Heir, and taken Root by her permanent Body, that she cannot easily be expelled. The Tincture which Venus hath obtained, is in like manner found in Mars, more powerful, high and Noble; for Mars is the Man, and Venus the Woman, which I speak more of, seeing I write of them. This Tincture is delivered in Verdigreece, and likewise it is found in Vitriol, as in a Mineral whereof a peculiar Book might be wrote. In all these things a combustible Sulphur is found, and yet a Sulphur which is incombustible, this is a strange thing, one is a white Sulphur, the other is red in the operative generation; but the true Sulphur is incombustible, for it is a pure true Spirit, whereof an incombustible Oil is prepared, and it is the same Sulphur which is made out of one Root from the Gold-Sulphur.
I open many Mysteries, which ought not to be; but what should I do? to conceal all is not answerable, but a measure is good in all things, as you may observe in my last Advice of protestation; forget not my desire therein.
This Sulphur may well be called the Sulphur of the Wise; for all Wisdom is found therein, unto the Mercurial Spirit; which excels it, which together with the Salt of Mars must be put together by a spiritual Conjunction, that three may come into one understanding, and be advanced to equal operations. This spiritual Sulphur proceeds in the same manner and form out of the upper Region, as doth the Spirit of Mercury, but in another manner and kind, whereby the Stars manifest a separation in fix'd and unfix'd, in colour'd and uncolour'd things.
The Tincture consists only in the Spirit of Copper, and most of all in that of his Bed-fellow; it is a meer Vapour, stinking and ill-sented in its beginning; this Mist must be dissolved in the manner of a Liquor, that the stinking, incombustible Oil may be prepared thereof; but yet it must have and take its beginning out of Mars; this Oil unites freely with the Spirit of Mercury, assuming all Metallick Bodies speedily unto them, if they be first prepared in all points as I have advised in my Keys.
I observe not the Order of the Planets, and not without just grounds; for I observe the order of their Birth, by which I am directed; for because Venus hath much Sulphur, she is sooner digested and ripened together with Mars, before other Metals; but because unconstant Mercury shewed them both too little assistance, therefore no room is left him to work harder, by reason of the superfluous Sulphur, so that they could obtain no melioration of their unfixt Bodies. Now I will reveal a Secret unto thee, that Gold, Copper, and Iron have one Sulphur, one Tincture, and one Matter of their Colour; this Matter of the Tincture is a Spirit, a Mist and Fume; as aforesaid, which can penetrate and pass through all Bodies, if you can take it, and acuate it by the Spirit which is in the Salt of Mars, and then conjoin the Spirit of Mercury therewith in a just weight, purging them from all impurity, that they be pleasant and well sented, without all Corrosives, you have then such a Medicine, whereunto none in the world may compare, being fermented with the bright shining Sun, you have made an entrance penetrating to work, and to transmute all Metals.
O Eternal Wisdom from the beginning! how shall we thank thee for such great Mysteries, which the Children of Men do no wayes regard, but are despised by the greater number, to know what thou hast concealed in Nature, which they see before their Eyes, and know it not; they have it in their Hands, and comprehend it not; they deal with it, and know not what they have, nor what they do, because the Internal is concealed. I will yet reveal this unto thee in truth, and by the Love of God, that the root of the Philosophical Sulphur, which is a Celestial Spirit, is found with the root of the spiritual supernatural Mercury, as also the beginning of the spiritual Salt, are in one, and found in one Matter, out of which the Stone is made, which was before me, and not in many things, though all Philosophers speak as if the Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt were each one a part by themselves and distinct, that the Mercury is found in one, the Sulphur in another, and the Salt in a third; yet I tell you, this is only to be understood of their superfluity, which is found to abound most in each, and may be used and prepared divers ways particularly with profit, both for Physick and transmutation of Metals; but the Universal, which is the supreamest Treasure of Earthly Wisdom, and of all the three Principles, is one only thing, and is founded and extracted out of one only thing, which can make all Metals into one, it is the true Spirit of Mercury, and Soul of Sulphur, together with the spiritual Salt, united together, inclosed under one Heaven, and dwelling in one Body, it is the Dragon and the Eagle, the King and the Lion, the Spirit and the Body, which must tinge the Body of Gold to a Medicine, that it may gain power plentifully to tinge his other Companions.
O thou blessed Medicine given by God thy Creator! O thou Celestial Magnet of great attractive Love! O thou valid substance of Metals, how great is thy power, how uninventive is thy virtue, how durable is thy constancy? happy is that man on Earth who knows thy Light in truth, which all the world takes no notice of; he shall not see poverty, no Disease shall touch him, nor no sickness hurt him, till the appointed time of death, and till the last hour predestinated for him by his Heavenly King. It is impossible for all the tongues of Men to utter the Wisdom which is laid in this Treasure of the Fountain, all Orators must be silent and ashamed at it, yea terrified and not able to speak a word, when they shall behold and discern this supernatural Glory, and I my self am afraid when I consider that I have discovered too much. But I hope to prevail with God by Prayer, that he will not charge it on me as a deadly Sin, because I began the Work in his Fear, obtained it by his Grace, and revealed it for his Glory.