I speak the pure naked Truth, without hiding it under any Coverings of similitudes or enigmatical expressions. And that no body may think that these my Writings are not to be understood according to the Letter, but that they conceal all things under an hidden meaning, I do again affirm this third time, that the Aurum Potabile which I write of, may be made of any Vegetable, Animal, and Mineral, but yet sooner out of one than another. For although any one may prepare it out of a piece of Wood, Bread, or Flesh, and out of an handful of Straw, Leaves, or Grass, yet notwithstanding, it may be easier made out of an handful of the salt of any Vegetables and Animals, as being their concentrated center; and this I bequeath to the whole World as an infallible Truth. But I would have every one rightly to understand me, what Salt I here point at, viz. I mean no other, but that which is to be found in all things.
But that the true meaning of my words may be yet the clearer and openlier disclosed, I will adjoin a short but fundamental Discourse. It is not sufficient for a lover of Art, that is inflamed with a desire of obtaining some good thing, barely to read over such or such a Philosopher, and presently to perswade himself, that by the meer reading, he shall forthwith understand clearly and perspicuously the Art treated of. No, but he must accurately meditate, and consider what that is which he seeks for, whence it hath its original, and by what means or what way he may obtain it. For if we will make our search from the utmost and extreamest Coasts (or Bounds as it were) even to the inmost bowels or center, we shall find, that God was One and alone from Eternity, even till the time wherein it pleased him to create visible things for His own glory and delight. And when He went about doing this, He said, Let it be: Assoon as this Fiat, or Let be, was pronounced by God, it began to move it self, and to change (or turn) into four Elements, out of which Elements there afterwards arose all those Creatures, which can be discerned with our Eyes, and without the four Elements they could neither be nor consist, and without them even Nature her self can bring forth nothing.
Now, if any one would endeavour after what is purer and better than those things which are generated from the Elements, he must make his attempts by ART, the which, by overcoming or outstripping NATURE, hath its tendency to that Butt whereunto Nature cannot attain; and he must there begin his operation where Nature ended hers, as not knowing how to make any farther progress: For then is a Quintessence obtained, which exceeds Nature one degree, and cannot be promoted by Art any farther.
But if any one has a desire of obtaining any better and greater thing than this same Quintessence, he must then proceed some other way; for (as we said but now) Art cannot make any farther progress beyond a Quintessence: And therefore necessity requires, that there be made a regress or retrogradation unto the Center from which the very Elements themselves have their original. This Center is that Divine Fiat or Universal Hermaphroditick Salt, participating of both natures, which being the true Primum Mobile, comprehends hidden in it self two contraries, which acting one upon another, do bring forth the three Principles of the three Kingdoms, Vegetable, Animal and Mineral, and do nourish them by the four Elements, and multiply them, and this is the common course of nature.
But now Art makes a much farther progress, and reduceth the Circumference to the Center, and doth not permit unto that Center or Primum Mobile, that the Patient be overcome or subdued by the Agent, by the operating of those two contraries upon each other, nor does it suffer it to pass into those three kingdoms, viz. Vegetable, Animal, and Mineral, as into its Circumference, but doth so subdue, and keep, and bridle in that Primum Mobile, that it does not divide or dilate its Virtues by a large circumferential walk, as it were, but doth in a manner swallow them down into its own self, or concenter them; just as if a Dragon should bite off his own venomous Tail, and therewithal nourish himself, when he cannot light upon any other Food, and so by this means becomes a most high Medicine. And therefore most wisely said Hermes, Our Dragon doth not die, but by its Brother and Sister. It is a thing necessary, that one fire should overcome the other, and transmute it into a more noble essence. Such a fire as this, is my Alkahestical Arcanum, or true Aurum Potabile, with which wonderful things may be effected. It is a transparent clear Water, wherein the colour and form of fire lieth hidden and introverted; but yet that internal Fire is easily and speedily manifestable, and educible unto view, by either the dry or moist Fire. The dry way is done by the heat and fire of common Wood-Coals; and as for the moist way, a well-rectified Spirit of Wine is to be used, and such as is void of all its Phlegm. Take therefore of the dry and concentrated Fire ℥ j. put it into ℥ iij. of the moist Fire or Spirit of Wine, which moist fire will presently swallow up the dry one. These being both of them digested by a due heat of Fire for some hours, in a long-neck’d Phial or Bolthead, will put on a blood-red colour, and will manifest and expose to view its concentrated Virtues, with curious colours, and with a pleasant taste and smell, by which heart-corroborating qualities it far excels all other Aromatical Essences, that serve for the strengthening of the heart; for those properties which afore lay turned inwards, and were shut up in its inmost bowels, are all of them drawn forth and made visible, and become subject to the external distinguishing senses. By this means the abject and little Infant which was clad in a white colour, becomes a speaking, strong, and prudent man, and this very Lac Virginis it self is changed into the most efficacious Dragons-blood. This now is the most true Aqua-vitæ, and the most true Wine of Health, some few drops of which being daily taken, do conserve good health, and bestow long Life.
Many honest men have with their own eyes seen at my House the admirable and most speedy effects of my often-mentioned true Potable Gold, and especially its operative efficacy in the transmutation of the Imperfect Metals.
If therefore such a one as is troubled with grievous Diseases, and who finds no help in those vulgar, commonly-known Galenical Medicaments, shall need the help of this my Aurum Potabile, I will out of Christian Charity willingly bestow upon him so much thereof, as may be requisite for the recovery of his former health; and this I will the rather do, that the wonderful miraculous deeds of the Divine Power may be made known in these last times.
No body shall fish out from me more Directions than those which I have too and agen hidden in my Writings, concerning this Aurum Potabile; let it suffice every one, that he can find this Medicine ready prepared in my hands, the which scarce one of an hundred would be able to make, were he a Possessor of the Secret.
This Medicine shall lie ready prepared by me as long as I live; I will not deny it to any body; nay more, I will openly shew the use thereof too, unto some of my friends, in the melioration of both the Vegetables, Animals and Minerals themselves, that so the Wonders of GOD, and the possibility of Art may be manifested, and come to light.
And now, may it please the Omnipotent GOD, who is the beginning and the end of all things, to inspire us, out of His meer Grace and Mercy, and implant in our cold hearts, which are stopt up with darkness, the warming heating spark of His Holy, Eternal, Infinite, and all-correcting Light, that it may therein, as in some saltish and sulphureous Earth, be nourished, and grow up like a little Seed, and bring forth Fruit a Thousand fold, to the Salvation of all our Souls. Amen.