And secondly, the whole business consisteth in the blessing of God, as we find it Written, Paul hath planted, and Apollo Watered, but God hath given his Blessing: For without this Blessing, all our Labour is but in vain: And this the Prophet David doth likewise testifie, saying, In vain do ye rise up early, and being loaden with many cares, go to Bed late, and eat your Bread with troubles: For unto them whom God is favourable doth he bestow his gifts even while they are Asleep. Moreover St. Paul saith, It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that sheweth mercy. And therefore a wicked Man, though he should possess so great a thing, yet would he not do any good upon it, if he wanteth Gods Blessing. Besides, I do not here bring forth my little Countryman upon the Stage, as if he could help any one unto huge Treasures; no, but onely as one that can bestow so much as may suffice, honestly to live. Unless haply a Man should light upon rich Veins and metalline Oars, which should abound with much corporeal Gold, and so by this means should yield great Treasures. Now so much cannot be lookt for, from such Metals as have in them but a spiritual Gold onely, unless the true weight be found, and that there be gotten the knowledge of those Metals which have a great affinity with each other, and which being joined together yield forth Gold. Otherwise you must not expect ought else from this Operation save an honest and moderate profit.
But now, as touching what Metals they are that have such affinity, and what the true proportion of the weight is, no body hath any reason to enquire of me, for I do not as yet profess my self an expert and absolute Artist in this matter, for sometimes I have a very gainfull success of my trials that I make, and sometimes agen I get less.
I was willing therefore to shew the way here, of ripening the meaner Metals by the help of Salt, and that too in a manner without any costs: which way of so doing being by me laid open, may suffice for this time, nor did ever any reveal it before me (I speak it without boasting) or produce it unto publick view in so open a manifestation as I have done.
And now if this separation should be used about the fixed Gold onely which lies hidden in the Oars and Metals, yet mought great profit be thereby gotten in all places; for there is no place in the World in which there are not to be found such Earth, Sand, and Stones as contain in them corporeal Gold, which may be extracted by the afore prescribed way without any costs at all. But here is to be observed that those things which I have written, and clearly demonstrated concerning such separatory Operations in the [third part of the Prosperity of Germany], are to be agen read over, and well lookt into.
Moreover, this is also to be known, that this maturation if instituted by the dry way, brings more profit than if done by the moist way; for in the dry way the Agent is more holpen than in the moist way, in which there is always plenty of moisture. But however, both ways namely the dry way, and the moist may be done with one and the same Fire, nor will the cost be any more than if the moist way were made use of alone by it self.
For that Tower wherein the Coals are, and which is to keep the Spirit of Salt in perpetual digestion, and to heat the adjoined Furnaces, is always bright hot at the Grate, upon which [grate] if a cementing Vessel filled with Salt and Metals be placed, there will then be even thence as much profit as by an adjoined Furnace, and so by the Fire of one Furnace, and by the self same labour and cost is a double Operation performed, and a continual rent may be expected from the double Countryman.
You must likewise note, that there is a great difference of Salts, and that one Salt is more fit for this labour, and another for that; but by how much greater the Acrimony is, that the Salt abounds withall, so much the more potent an Agent it is: insomuch that it is of great concernment for a Man to know how to concentrate the moist Fire or Agent, concerning which Concentration there is no need of mentioning any thing in this place; forasmuch as I suppose that these things which are at present spoken are sufficient enough.
Moreover I would have the Son of Art know, that the Salt of the Macrocosm or of the Ocean, which we have taught the making the Spirit of, is nothing at all so efficacious as that which is gotten out of the Microcosm: For whatsoever things are found to be in the Microcosm or greater World, the same are likewise in the Macrocosm or lesser World, namely, Man. But it is not my purpose to discourse farther of this thing in this place, but will (God so permitting) treat more at large of the same, if I come to write somewhat of the nature and signature of the greater World. For hereby great mysteries may be learned, which omitting to speak more of, I keep close to Salt and say, that that Salt which comes out of the Ocean or Sea of Man, or of some other Animal, that is, which is voided out of the Bladder, is far more fit for the Transmutation of Metals, than that which is gotten out of the Sea, as being the Bladder of the great Animal.
The Ancients have called the World the great Animal, and very rightly, for in its Center it hath a fiery heart by which (as being the great Animal) it moves it self, and conserves its life, as shall be Spoken of in another place if God shall permit, for according to the common Proverb, Man proposeth and God disposeth.
Morien was not ignorant that Arcana’s of great moment lie hidden in Urine, but hath manifestly signified it. For when he had prepared the Tincture for King Calid, he wrote upon the Vessel in which it was, these words, He that carries all things with him, needs not any others help. And having so done, he silently betook himself unto his Cell. But he had said before unto the King, In thee O King! the Medicine is, by which words, he meant Urine. For out of Man’s Urine may a fix Stone be made, which shall be manifested in other places.