The third Treasure ’twixt Suevia and Bavaria, is not much unlike unto these two, and without doubt such kind of Treasures will offer themselves even in many other places where such Mountains & Mine-pits are found out, were but the right way of digging out and ripenning them, but known unto us; which knowledge is only granted unto the Sons of GOD.
These things was I willing to mention, that so it may be known what my opinion is as touching those Treasures. For I am firmly perswaded that the universal Medicine may be thence prepared, especially out of that which very much abounds shining in Metal resembling a vein of Lead, and yet yields not any Metal by fusion, because of its exceeding volatility, and of wholly flying away in the form of a vapour: Yet nevertheless, that Northern Lion is able to master it and to fatten its young ones thereby. And if GOD shall vouchsafe any one such a Treasure, he will verily find more Art-containing Books than is indeed needful. And whereas Paracelsus adds that the Lion out of the North will (after he hath found the aforesaid Treasures) become a Potent Monarch, this is easie to be believed, for he is enriched with the digged-out Treasures, and is able to manage his affairs as listeth him. He will be able to give whole Kingdoms unto others, and yet his power will not be diminished, he will in like manner be able to institute good precepts and government, and there will be a notable affluence of all things, insomuch that there will be nothing wanting. There are many Men would lead an honest Life, were they not constrained by poverty and need to do evilly.
The Northern Lion is able (when he hath found the Treasure) to abolish all these vices, and contrarywise recover a good political Governance, Peace and Quietude. For Wealth and Riches are able to transmute Strife into Peace, and these the Northern Lion can abundantly exhibit, insomuch that he may deservedly be Stiled a most Potent Monarch. But if so be that evil companion, viz. Sulphur be joined unto him, which may provoke him, he becomes more venomous than the Basilisk, and is able to kill in a moment of time, both Men and Beasts, yea to ruin Castles, Mountains, and Fortifications, and to annihilate them. But on the contrary when he hath found the Treasure, he becomes tame and liberal, and lays off his anger, and bestows on all Men sundry most acceptable gifts.
Furthermore, Paracelsus saith that a yellow Lion shall come out of the North, which shall dull the Eagles Claws; all which verily is to be only understood concerning Salt-petre’s transmuting virtue much conducing to a perfecter augmentation of the Metals, from whence ☉ and ☽ together with the Carbuncle may be atchieved; and not at all of a certain Northern King and the Roman Eagle. For the yellow and fiery Lion which is here treated of, is fixt Nitre, and if it be joined to the volatile Eagle, that is, to the volatile Corrosive Salt; this (Eagle) is overcome by that (fixt Salt) and is tamed, because the Corrosive virtue which it abounded withal, is taken away: So that he that is skill’d in Chymistry may well enough understand what Paracelsus drives at, and that he does not at all mean those Monarchs and Rulers, as may be gathered out of his Manual, where he Writes, that the Blood of the red Lion is to be commixt with the liquor of the white Eagle, and that from them by a due Coction is the universal Tincture to be extracted.
Therefore they do evilly that interpret the Writings, and these predictions of Paracelsus otherwise, they earnestly expect external Monarchs, but experience hath taught that those Lions do bring with them nothing but an hungry Stomach, which can hardly be well filled (or satisfied) with the Sheep and Lambs of all Countries. And I pray God, turn them from us and continue unto us Peace and Concord, which is most of all to be wished for.
Moreover Paracelsus further saith, that he was constrained to detect this Treasure and hidden secrets, to shew the nearest way to the description of the Philosophers-stone, which (Stone) whoever finds and knows how to open the Gate, he shall find a Carbuncle as big as an Egg, together with other Gems, which are conserved in a Chest made of Gold and Gems, and this Chest in a Golden Sepulchre, the Golden one in a Silver one, the Silver one in a Tin one, on which the Key is placed.
And now will there be any one so foolish as to interpret this according to the alleaged Words: No certainly unless he be deprived off the light of Nature. It was never heard off, that ever there was any Carbuncle found of the bigness of an Egg: neither the Roman, nor Grecian, nor Persian Monarchs are reported to have had such an one, and from whence then should Paracelsus only have the same? All Men therefore see that this Prophecy is not at all to be understood barely according to the Letter. Now in that he calls the universal Medicine a Carbuncle, he does not therein offend, because even other Philosophers have imposed upon their Tincture this very name, and this meerly because of the form it has, for if there is to be a certain Tincture that should tinge the white Metals into yellow Sol, it must of necessity be red; and therefore some of the Philosophers have likewise called their Tincture Hæmatitis, for likeness sake.
Nay more, forasmuch as it is mentioned of the Carbuncle that it shines in the night like a burning live-Coal, and yet such a stone was never any where seen or found, it necessarily follows that those things which are delivered thereof are not to be understood according to the Letter. The chiefest Lapidaries do Witness that they never saw it; the Oriental Rubies are the chiefest red Gems that we know of, of which there is scarce one found that is bigger than ones nail, which notwithstanding, if it be pure and shining, is sold for many Thousands of Duckets. In like manner, Granates are red, and of a meaner price, and shine no more in the Night than Rubies do. But that a shining in the Night like a live-Coal, should be attributed to a Carbuncle, is not done without cause; verily, the Authors of that thing are not at all to be supposed to be such Merchants, continually handling Gems, (as if they had ever seen such a stone): No, but they were the Philosophers themselves, whose words which they wrote of the prepared Tincture, the after Writers did falsly construe their meaning and understood it literally, perswading themselves that there was such a Carbuncle in the nature of things. Therefore we have no reason to induce us to believe that the ancient Philosophers did in very deed describe or mean such a Stone as shines by night, but let us rather perswade our selves as being thereto constrained by the Verity of the thing, that they did not in the least mean a natural stone, but a stone prepared by Art, and their Tincture. And this, the very Name it self seems to point out; for Carbo signifies a greater Coal; and Carbunculus signifies a little, or lesser Coal.
Now if so be that any one would endeavour to prove with Oaths to this blind, proud, and wicked World, that such a red stone shining by night, may be made of a Wood, or stone Coal, certainly every body would mock at him, and would say, That he propoundeth meer Lyes; and therefore no body ever dared (though he were never so certain of the Truth of the thing) to write ought of the same.
But some or other will say, Whence come you to know these things, and by what Notes or Testimonies do you prove that you are to be credited, as touching this Business, seeing no body ever writ that these things were so? To such an one I answer, That I leave every one at his liberty; for whether he believes my Sayings, or believes them not, ’tis all a case to me. However I say, that I can change by melting, a meer black Coal by the help of a Salt (but not common Salt) into a most red stone in one hours space. For Coals are nothing else but a fixt and volatile Sulphur, which if we will fix it, will be fixt; if we will volatilize it, it will be so. A wood Char-coal (though there’s much difference amongst them) should it lie shut up firmly & most tight in an Iron Vessel even for an hundred Years so as that no air get in, and should be (all that while) kept in a most vehement fire, yet would it not shew the least sign of being consumed or changed, but let but the air come unto it, and it will be reduced into ashes in a moment. If now you have understanding and sense, consider with your self more largely as touching this thing, and you will find many profitable and good things if GOD shall open unto you the Eyes of your mind: This red stone having the form of Glass, being poured out of the Crucible, shines in the dark like a burning Coal, according as is the Coal you prepare it of. And albeit that this Glass can perform many good things in Medicine and Alchimy, yet it is not at all the Stone of the Philosophers, which they call a Carbuncle, for that must be fixt, and resist the Fire, both which are denied to this Glass to be, for it is volatile, and can easily be changed by the Fires force.