First, Then it is manifest before all things, that all Wood and every Herb hath its original from a certain sulphureous salt, to which Metals also owe their Rise and greatly agree in similitude, and by an intimate agreement in the same name; so that how easily a Mineral suffereth it self to be changed into a Vegetable, and that again into a Mineral, I have signified in other places of my Writings. Indeed if you shall look upon the external difference of any Wood or Herb, and a Metal, it will indeed appear great; but being reduced to their first matter, they will not differ in any discrimination; as is manifested in my Continuation of Miraculum Mundi.
Therefore if the first matter of Vegetables be adjoined to any metallick seed, this is nourished by that; and again, if a metal be reduced to its first matter, and any Vegetable seed put to it, that will be changed into a Vegetable; which Experience hath often shewed me. But if those two had not a great affinity with each other, they would not so easily admit of a mutual conversion one into the other; the seeds indeed differ between themselves, but they agree in the first matter, which appeareth thus: If a sulphureous salt, not corrosive, be mixed with sand, and moistened with water, and the seeds of divers Herbs sowed in it, for every seed doth thence attract its own nourishment, every one, according to its species, producing its like, endowed with various colours, smell, and proper taste, powers, and virtues, all which proceed from one only salt, and are manifested by the heat of the Sun, and the operation of the internal Archeus. But to make the matter more clear, it is to be known that the principals of Vegetables are Water, Salt, and Sulphur, from which also Metals take their original, and not from running Mercury, as many think. For that Argent-vive, in its own peculiar nature, is also a metal arising from the same three principles, from which the other metals, and all Vegetables draw their original; viz. from Water, Salt, and Sulphur, which their Anatomy maketh manifest. Here the rout of Unskilful men will take Counsel to resel this my opinion, inasmuch as it will seem worthy of credit to few. But the cause of this incredulity is the rudeness and unskilfulness of men of this sort, who having no Experience in Natural things, nor in no wise enlightened by the Light of Nature, are blinder than a Mole.
Those things which hitherto I have so often, and with so many words inculcated, the same I here repeat and affirm, to wit, That a Metal may be converted into a Vegetable, and that again into a Metal, and that no Vegetable is found, from which a natural and yellow Sulphur, in all things like to the Mineral, may not be prepared; and this Sulphur prepared of any Vegetable, if it be adjoined to any fixed metallick Sulphur, it is maturated by the same, into a metal, yet not without a medium; as I have often indicated in my Writings, and that medium I have said to be Salt. Therefore whosoever knoweth how to adjoin any immature sulphur, whether Vegetable or Mineral, to any ripe Metal, the fixed and constant sulphur of Gold and Silver, will be nourished and encreased by the Vegetable or Mineral sulphur, not fixed, and will transmute that into the species and property of the other, as the Ferment shall be white or red, in like manner as the seed of any Vegetable doth. So gold and silver may be made of a sulphureous salt, according to any ones will, which nevertheless requires a due time, seeing that a transmutation of this sort is perfected gradually, and by a due heat, as also in the propagation of Vegetables & Minerals it is wont to be done. From these things it appears, that this Transmutation is the meer Work of Nature, which many Experiments which I have made, and yet am able to make, do evidently demonstrate; therefore there is no reason why such things should seem so wonderful or absurd to any.
Whether St. John performed the Transmutation of which we have spoken, by the help of any natural Art, or whether he did the same by a Divine Power, we will not here dispute; but let it suffice to have demonstrated that such things may be performed by a natural reason.
For when Wood, Bread, or piece of a Bone; or also any Herb shall be adjoined to its own salt, in due manner of Art, and reduced to its first matter, that salt transmuteth the Flower, Bread, Wood, or Herb into a sulphureous salt, which encreaseth the growing faculty of Vegetables and Minerals. A salt of this sort being mixed with a small quantity of white Flint reduced to powder, and melted in a strong Fire, will give a red and pellucid stone or glass, which if it be kept long in the Fire, it turneth green, and at length black, like a Coal, and acquireth so great hardness, that it may be cut and polished after the manner of other precious stones. Here the desirous of Art may see, that by one and the same way, and in one and the same time, that Gold may be prepared of Wood, and fair and pellucid stones, of various colours, of white Flints. But that the Eyes of the studious of Divine and Natural things, may be the better opened, I will more clearly expound what the first matter is.
Therefore, as to this first matter, of which we here speak, that of it Metals no less than Vegetables may be brought forth, it is to be known how easily it may be prepared by the help of Fire, and of a certain Salt not corrosive, of Metals, Vegetables, and Animals, and indeed so swiftly, that in the space of three hours a piece of Bread, Flesh, or of any Metal, may be transmuted into a sulphureous salt. The same thing also happeneth in the stomachs of Men and Beasts, in which the Vegetables and Animals which are eaten, are consumed in the space of 24 hours, and transmuted into that sulphureous salt from which they have drawn their Rise. But Metals being too fixed and compact, those stomachs have no Jurisdiction over them, inasmuch as they are not able to reduce them to their first matter, except the same were so reduced before, and so should come into the stomach, opened by a radical solution, and so are digested and consumed like Animals and Vegetables. But what need is there of the help of humane stomachs to perform such things, seeing that Operations of this sort may be perfected by the help of Fire and Art. A moist putrefaction without the help of Fire, performeth the same thing in Vegetables and Animals, in a long Process of time; but in Metals very difficultly, and not except in a very long time. Neither are humane Stomachs themselves alike potent, in reducing every Vegetable to its first matter, inasmuch as they exercise their power only upon those Vegetables which by a due Preparation are first rendered fit to be digested and concocted by the stomach, and reduced to their first matter. For first they are boiled, roasted, or prepared by some other way, because those things which are admitted into the Body, contrary to humane Nature, exercise nothing but venomous Operations. By a like reason Metals and Minerals refuse to be brought to their first matter in a humane Stomach, seeing that the stomach cannot suffer them, as being averse to humane Nature, but ejects them as a certain Venome, not without great peril of Life. Here I except Gold, which Metal only, being first rightly prepared, doth not refuse reduction into its first matter in the stomach of Man; nevertheless Art doth it more easily and readily. He who knoweth not this Artificial Reduction, must be content with the Natural, which nevertheless is not desirable, by reason of the toil, stink, and length of time which it requires. For which reason it is of less account than the artificial. Some of the ancient Philosophers have indeed (not without reason) used the Dungs of Animals, by reason of the incredible Virtues which they possess. But because we have better and fitter Medicaments at hand, not without reason we omit those, and leave them to them who labour under the want of better; which happeneth to Country people, who being remote from Cities and Medicines, are wont to use Dungs in various Diseases instead of Medicines. They purge the Bodies of Boys and Girls with Mouse-dung, Horse-dung, and Goose-dung, being dissolved in Wine or Beer, and strained through a Linen Cloth, they use in curing the Falling-sickness by Sweat. In the Cure of an Erysipelas, or Burns, or Scalds, they use Hoggs-dung; and in all kind of Swellings Sheeps-dung; in a Quinsey white Doggs-turd, or Humane dung, as also to other Diseases of the Neck, which the rude and ignorant are wont to drink against various inward and outward defects of the humane Body.
I remember once to have seen an admirable Cure done in a moment by the help of humane dung, in a certain, long, and tedious Disease, which it plainly and swiftly removed, drawing those into admiration who were ignorant of the reason of so swift a Cure. He that understandeth the nature and properties of Dung, will easily perswade himself, that wonderful things may be effected by the same. The reason is ready, because humane Dung is nothing else but Bread and Flesh, reduced into their first matter, all their Bonds being loosened, and rendered fit for the exercising of their Virtues; and from humane Dung is elicited, without any great difficulty, a natural Burning, and like to Mineral Sulphur, of which being mixed with Coals and Salt-petre, Gunpowder is wont to be made; as also a certain Salt, not much unlike the Sal Enixum of Paracelsus. And both those, to wit, that Sulphur, and that Salt, the Humane dung containeth in it self; the which may put forth their wonderful Virtues, by admirable Operations, I think may be doubted by no man. Put a piece of Gold for a time into Humane dung, and afterwards cleanse it by washing, you shall find it equally yellow, as if it had lain in a Lixivium, in which common Mineral Sulphur had been dissolved. And that yellowness adhering to the Gold [or rather Silver, for the better distinction] is but the Vegitable or Animal Sulphur arising from the Food which the Man hath eaten.
This I say is the cause that the Dungs of Men and Beasts produce so great effects, which Bread and Flesh otherwise cannot produce, before they are reduced into their first matter. Nevertheless, I do not therefore admit them of value in Medicine, but only shew whence they have their Virtues of resisting Diseases, that by this means I may assert Vegitables, Animals, and Minerals do highly exercise their Virtues, when they return to their first matter, not that it is at all necessary to be done in the Stomachs of Animals, seeing that the Operation of the fire alone serveth for this reduction.
In what manner soever this first matter be made, whether by the Stomachs of Animals, or by the Operation of fire, there is no great difference, only that which is made by fire is purer, and not so stinking, as that which is done by the Stomachs of Animals, although in gilding of Silver, they are found to be equal, and obtain a Sulphurous nature. And hence it appears, that there lies hid in Bread, and in Flesh, a fugacious and spiritual Gold. And for this reason I conclude, that in all things of the World born of Salt, and brought to Maturity by the heat of the Sun, there is necessarily reconded a fugacious Volatile, and spiritual Gold, yet in greater quantity in one subject than another, but not manifested till the body containing it, by the help of art, returneth to its first matter.
The which Art, seeing that it is out of the reach of Rusticks, it is but reasonable, that they should make use of Dungs, without any ill interpretation. For in the greater, and more powerful Virtues to be produced, Dungs are found more potent than those things from which they proceed. Bread, Wine, Flesh, and the like things destinated for the nourishment of the Body, are not Medicines, but only Nutriments, from which, after an Animate Body hath separated its Aliment, that which is left, obtaineth Medicinal Powers and Virtues; and did I not fear that this dungy discourse should lead me too far from my purpose, I could declare things to be admired of Dungs. For Metals also being prepared but once by the help of Animals, may be wonderfully Converted, and reduced to their first matter, although it is in no wise necessary that we should take that way of doing it, seeing that an easier and better way is at hand, than that by the help of Animals. But he that is ignorant of this artificial Conversion, must be content with the other, till the teachings of experience, shall bring him to better things.