Now this multiplication is on such wise made, as is done in the Animals, by the conjunction of Male and Female, one performing the office of the Agent, and the other of the Patient. So then, we will make some trial in this Process which is here annexed, not for the intent of getting great Treasures thereby, but for the sake of searching into, and getting the knowledge of Nature; we will take the Male in the room of the Seed, and the Female instead of the Ground or Field, and we will try whether or no the Seed will admit of multiplication.
Let us therefore take the common Saturn for the Feminine Matrix, and Antimony of the Male-like-seed, which we will sow into its own Matrix, as Husbandmen are wont to do. I do not gain-say but that there are other Seeds, and probably better to be found to be implanted in Saturn, than Antimony is: But yet here I content my self with this of Antimony, as having an intention of onely shewing at this present, by what way it may appear that a metallick Seed may be brought to a faculty or possibility of growth in the Saturnine Earth. And upon this account for Demonstrations sake of this Labour, was I willing to use Antimony, it being a masculine Seed of a Saturnine kind. For common Saturn is usually accounted for the true first Ens of Lune, and Antimony for the true first Ens of Sol, and they are in very deed found so to be. For you shall not find any Lead without Silver, nor any Antimony without Gold; so that I strongly perswade my self that from those two, there cannot arise ought else but what is good and profitable, did we but know how legitimately to compound and handle them. And although I do not profess my self to know many things, yet will I simply tell you my opinion, concerning the way which I suppose such a Commixtion and Maturation may be effected by.
A Philosopher saith thus,
By Gold and Silver you will nothing do,
Unless you use their first Ens thereunto.
The first Entities of both these are Lead and Antimony, the latter of which, (viz. Antimony,) is not to be admitted in that impure state that we find it in, unto the former, as unto its Bride or Spouse, but must first be washed in a hot and sharp Lixivial Bath, that it may thereby attain to a delicate silvery whiteness, and shine like a Star in the Firmament; which Antimony thus purged, is called by Paracelsus, the signed Star.
But yet I would not have any one to think, that I do here mean the common stellate Regulus of Mars, which would be dissolved in Spirit of Salt, and would separate it self from the Lead, which ought not to be: But that signed Star must be so prepared, as not to admit of being dissolved in Spirit of Salt, for else it will not serve for this Work. It must be so concreted as if it were so many thin Shells (one within another,) and so very hard as to be able to cut Glass, and to strike Fire out of a Flint. This signed Star being so washt, is to be sown into its own Matrix, and by the solar Heat and fruitfull Rain, to be promoted and enforced unto growth.
Take of the thus prepared masculine Seed, or signed Star, [A] parts, and of the feminine kind, [B] parts, melt the signed Star in a pure Crucible, unto which being molten cast the Woman in, which being cast in, there is presently made a sweet Conjunction and Commixtion of them both in that infernal Heat, in which they familiarly couple together.
The Mass being commixt, is to be poured out of the Crucible through wet Brooms into cold water, and is to be reduced into Grains, and so the masculine Seed or Husband will be legitimately and duely mixt with its Earth or Ground, or Wife: which Earth together with the Seed which it contains is to be put into a firm Vessel, which fears not the violent corrosion of the Spirit of Salt, but in such a quantity as that scarcely a tenth part of the Vessel may be filled therewithall: Then must there be put thereon as much mineral Water, namely pure Spirit of Salt, as the Cucurbit can bear, and Fire is to be put thereunder, whereby the Spirit of Salt is to be again drawn off, by which Operation, the Earth together with the included Seed will day by day be refreshed, be moistned and swell up, by reason of the Spirit of Salt, no otherwise than as if you should moisten some dry and as it were parched Earth, with Water. For the Saturn is not dissolved by the Spirit of Salt, but onely swells up, and becomes foliated, and yet remains whole or entire, nor is it much unlike unto lovely lookt Talk, which shines with a delicate whiteness: and therefore the Philosophers say, sow your Gold in white foliated Earth. Without doubt they meant not common Gold, for then they would not have said, our Gold, but would have simply said onely Gold, had they not intended a peculiar Gold, or first Ens of Gold.
N. B. I cannot by any means omit to give you thus much notice, namely, He that cannot hit upon the manner of preparing the said signed Star, may endeavour the making of common Saturn aureous, particularly after this manner, as follows. Extract with Spirit of Salt out of the Oars or Veins and metallick fugacious Earths, the spiritual Gold that lies hidden therein, and extract or draw off this Spirit thus impregnated with Gold from Saturn, which Spirit may by this means be all agen had, and be used about new extractions. And as for the Gold which the Spirit extracted, that the Saturn hath imbibed, and indues it self thereby with a golden nature; which if you imbue or moisten with many such extractions, that goldenness will, as I may so term it, grow up or increase in each cohobation, and the Spirit of Salt it self will become augmented.