And this I do to this end, that the omnipotence and bounty of God may be the more manifest, and that His Divine Name may be honoured the more, and that many Thousands of Sick people may be succoured with a most present and speedy Remedy.
This is the only cause that stirred me up to make this Discourse of the universal medicine; for I neither would, nor indeed ought I to burthen my Conscience by the concealment thereof, nor to hide and bury with me in my Grave, such a noble Gift of God, and the Talent which of His Gracious Benignity He hath been pleased to bestow upon me.
But yet I would not that any one should perswade himself that he shall (by his soothing words and large promises of golden mountains) squeeze out from me the Preparation of the same, whereby he may make use thereof to lead his Life in Pleasures, Pride, and Impiety, and so hurt poor mankind. No, let such an one be assured, that I will never do so, for it is not in my power to reveal to every one such a great Gift, and which is of God, and not of Man, but ’tis in the power of God alone so to do: And as for my self, I would much rather die, than to reveal and prostitute it to a wicked man. Besides, I would not have any one to suppose, that whereas I call this medicine of mine Universal, it is therefore able to transmute the Imperfect metals into Gold, so as to furnish one with such vast Treasures as the Philosophers attribute unto their universal medicine: No, for I am as yet ignorant of such a transmutation, nor indeed do I covet it, or gape thereafter, but give unto God only most great Thanks for that medicine, by which (being vouchsafed me of His meer bounty) I am able to succour the miserable, sick, tormented, and diseased ones, and celebrate the glory and benignity of the Lord. I do withal readily confess, that I have not as hitherto received any benefit at all therefrom about the bettering of the Metals thereby; nor do I at all seek after any benefits in that kind of way, being contented with that Medicine, advanced to such a pass, as whereby it may be able to suffice me to get Food and Raiment by God’s help. I covet not after abundance of Riches, and do only beg of God, that He would neither afflict me with Poverty and Want, nor bestow on me too much Satiety and Fulness, lest I should be lifted up with Pride, and say, Who is the Lord? Nay verily, if I could with this Medicine get my self great benefit, as to the metallick affairs, yet would I not do it, nor would I lay out such a great Gift of God, upon temporary things, thereby to rob the poor, miserable, sick people of the same, for whose sake God was pleased to bestow it.
Perhaps it may so come to pass, that this my Medicine may, by the labour of diligent searchers, be brought to such a pass, as to be capable of exercising its power upon the lesser and imperfect metals, and that by a fruitful or profitable amending and correcting them: But this is a thing that God reserves to Himself, as posited in His alone good pleasure, whose Grace and Favour we must with a patient expectation wait for: Mean while we may lawfully enjoy this most excellent medicine, which being a most certain Argument of the verity and power, arising from such a notable Art, doth abundantly serve to stop the shameless mouths, and break the mischievous Teeth of all Farnnerian Asses. But yet notwithstanding some or other of them may haply spue out some poisonous stuff out of his shameless mouth, and say, With what right can I impose the name of Universal Medicine upon this Medicine of mine, seeing that I do not in the least deny, that it is not available to bring me any benefit out of the metals, but can only heal the Diseases of the Sick: Whereas the Philosophers do on the contrary attest, that their Universal medicine hath such virtues as are wont to transmute the lesser or meaner metals into Gold, and that with most exceeding profit.
For answer to such as these, I say, that although this medicine of mine which is here treated of, hath not hitherto brought me any profit by the melioration of the metals, yet it demonstrates it self to be universal, and to be worthy that same Title; for I have been hindered through want of time and other letts (as I said afore) from hitherto bringing it unto perfection and fixation. And I pray who can tell what God will be pleased to vouchsafe in process of time. A new-born Infant cannot well be upbraided (if wanting wit and judgment it does not attempt and effect some great matters) and be on this wise twitted. Ho! it is not a man, ’tis beardless, it understands nothing, it lies along and cannot help it self, it has nothing but what they reach out unto it. Well, well, let the Infant but arrive unto its due age, and let its due meat and drink be administred unto it, and then in length of time it will attain to a requisite stature and strength, and will propagate and multiply its own kind. For if there be but once the humane form, there will not proceed ought else thencefrom, but a perfect man. Just so stands the case with my medicine, which is exceeding like to a new-born Infant, whereto regard being had, according to a Philosophical manner, there will be no doubt, but that it will arrive unto a due perfection.
And now, the things which it doth even already perform, do all of them sufficiently argue and testifie, that process of time both can & indeed must produce thereout of some better thing; even as a good Parent wisheth for nothing more, than that (whilst himself is living) his Children may grow up to man’s estate, and be happily married, and by a new Offspring preserve his Name and Stock, and yield their help towards the multiplication of mankind, and he himself is wondrously joyed in his Grandchildren: But yet in the meanwhile he cannot be at all certain that his Life shall be so long prorogued, as to have a fruition of so much happiness, and therefore must commit the whole affair to God’s pleasure, and patiently wait upon him, and See what that Omnipotent Creator (who indeed shewed unto Moses the Promised Land, but granted him not so long Life as to enter thereinto) will do with him and his; even so hath the Lord shewed unto me the Promised Land, but whether or no I am worthy to arrive so far as to enjoy the pleasant Fruits thereof, GOD only knows; His merciful bounty hath bestowed upon me in my old Age a Philosophical Infant, which doth exceedingly rejoice me: But yet verily am I utterly ignorant whether or no He will vouchsafe unto me so long a Life, as to see the virile or man-like age thereof.
Therefore, like as a Father, unto whom in his old Age the Divine Bounty hath vouchsafed an Heir, tho’ (haply) he well knows that the said Heir cannot possibly arrive unto man’s estate, during his (viz. the Father’s) life, yet nevertheless he is exceedingly joyed, in that he hath an Heir to keep up his Name, and which will in time trace his Father’s footsteps (viz. have more Children): Even just so doth my new-born Philosophical Infant exceedingly rejoice me, though haply I know that my Life will not last so long, as to be a Possessor of the same, in the state of its being advanced unto perfection. However, I doubt not but that God will stir up other nursing Fathers to this tender Infant, that being educated and nourished by them, it may arrive unto a Man-like strength, and unto virile powers and virtues, and may become serviceable to the advancement of the Honour of God, and to the succouring of many Thousands of sick People. The way of attaining this, I have, according to my simple judgment, too and agen, and peicemeal as it were, opened and revealed in divers places of my Work, viz. how it may be most commodiously effected, and therefore I judge it needless to treat thereof any farther in this place.
Of the Nature, Form, Properties, and admirable Virtue and Efficacy of my True Aurum Potabile.
As touching the form of this same new-born Infant, I would have the well-minded Reader know, that it is like unto a poor, naked, tender Babe, of no splendour, of a simple aspect, but yet carries within it self all the colours of the whole World, which by how much the older it grows, so much the fairer colours doth it yield. The Fire affords it nutriment, and clothes it with Garments of various colours, and makes it strong, fair, noble, and potent, insomuch that it may not undeservedly be termed its Father. Being born out of the Earth its Mother, it loves it, and useth it for its nutriment, until that arriving unto full years, it becomes like its Father the Fire, and leaves its Mother the Earth, and like a Lord of full age, bears rule over its Hereditary Possessions. But during its Minority and Infancy, all its actions are look’d on as childish, but yet so that presently (or even now) appears what kind of notable man he will be, making good that Proverb; Urit mature quod vult urtica manere.