My time admits not of producing any more such similitudes in this place. We will defer them till some other time, namely, for the Edition of the Work of Saturn, wherein shall be taught how the most vile, and most abject Metals are to be maturated by the benefit of Salts, whereby they may in a particular way yield forth Gold and Silver.
But forasmuch as I cannot divine, what impediments may put a stop to the edition of the work of Saturn, and that in this very Treatise here is often mention made of Saturn. It cannot I think be any ways hurtfull, if some good thing be yet farther adjoyned. And such things as are here manifested of Saturn, it will not be needfull agen to mention them in other places, seeing there doth yet still remain matter enough for to fill a whole Book of the Secrets of Saturn. And there lie such wonderfull Secrets under the vile and dirty Garment of Saturn, as being manifested, would exceed all the belief of unskilfull Men. For he is not onely an expert Fisher in Fishing Pearls out of the Salt Sea, but is withall an expert Hunter, in driving the Wild Beast out of his green Grove or Cops, and of catching him in his Nets, as we have told you in the foregoing [third part of the Prosperity of Germany].
Nay, he is a bathing Gentleman of singular skill, who by his bathing and washing his Children, adorneth them with the comeliness of Diana and Apollo. When he is alone, he serves onely for Apollo and Diana to wash off their accidental impurities and defilements, that so they may recover their natural fairness. The other Metals can’t brook his so over sharp and rigid bathing, but are rather suffocated and killed therein, than become more fair and more pure. But if Saturn shall have first washt himself even unto the highest whiteness, in a Bath of common Salt, he is not then so austere and severe, but prepares for his Children a far more tolerable Bath, which being agreeable [or proportionable] to their Weakness and Sickness, renders them all fairer and more pure. His greatest virtue consists in his Water which doth both particularly and universally free the Metals of all their defilements. I have often had a particular experience [hereof,] and yet daily can (God be praised) shew and teach the same unto others. But I cannot do any such thing in an universal way, and inform others as to that; nor do I vainly brag of so great a matter, though I have my thoughts as touching the manner how this thing may be effected. Nay the more I conceived about that matter, the lesser would I boast of the same.
Verily it is a great shame to boast of that thing, of which thou hast not even the smallest knowledge, or at least dost not know any thing else, but what thou hast drawn in, by the reading of other Writers. ’Tis a common proverb, That those Cows which Bellow, or Low overmuch, are said to yield the least Milk, and that this is a thing true, yea most true, experience it self doth testifie.
The Chymical Art is become at present so common, that almost every body, after he hath but viewed over one or two Chymical Books, (though he never moved his hands to the Work, nor understands so much as the Chymical Terms themselves) is nevertheless wont impudently and lyingly to boast of the knowledge of the universal Medicine. Nay thou shalt see some to proceed on to that heighth of boldness, as even to write Books of so great a Secret, and to dare promise the Revelation of the same unto others, and yet for all this know nothing at all, and have not so much as any the meanest foundation, but rely solely upon that knowledge, which (being as we said afore, drawn out of other Writers) causeth in them a most uncertain hope, of a thing most extreamly obscure.
He that is not a stranger unto, nor ignorant of metallick affairs, can easily discern the Lyers from the true Writers, and can judge who are true, and who false. Such as do know somewhat are not wont to make a bragging noise of their skill. On the contrary, those Brethren of Ignorance do offer unto every one that most secret miracle of Art and Nature, namely, the universal Medicine, which thing a true Philosopher neither ever did, nor ever will do. But as for the revealing of the particular washings, purgations, and meliorations of the Metals, whereby Gold and Silver are to be extracted, if any one doth know these things and discloseth them, and desires not to bury his Talent in the Earth, he does well.
Neither would any one be endammaged by such a discovery though those particular Arcana’s should be known even unto all Men, and that every body could effect such Operations; for nothing could redound from them but great gain throughout all the World.
But these things here mentioned may sufficiently serve for an evident and manifest admonition for every one to beware of the Books of such Writers, (but why do I say Writers? they are rather Collectors and Describers, who after the manner of Botchers do patch up new Books our of old cast Garments) and to give no credit at all unto them as containing nothing of truth in them, and to think that those kind of Men betake themselves to this Book-patching Trade, meerly to get their Bread by.
Some such Men have I known, that provide not either for their Food or Rayment any other way, than by the sale of such false Philosophical Books, which they have from the Printers to sell to others, receiving a certain price for their labour, which they bestow in profering them to Sale. O miserable Philosopher! Who doth not know so much as to get his Food at Home in his own House, but is constrained to shift after it by the bare selling of such kind of Books. Let this here spoken be as a warning. If need required, and occasion were, I would not fear to divulge their names too; who having not any the least knowledge of nature, do nevertheless dare to offer the Revelation and Confection of the great universal unto others, and cast such a great blemish of reproach upon the most noble Chymical Art, as makes it much contemned, whereas a more noble and more excellent Art cannot be found. I’le not censure any, but yet it would become the magistrate to examine those great Philosophers, whether or no they were actually and in very deed skill’d in that great universal, (which they boast so wonderfully of, and write Books of such great moment, and promise to teach others too, as if they excelled even Hermes himself in the knowledge of the Art) and if in the proof or tryal they gave good satisfaction, and confirmed the truth of their Writings by a real and true melioration of the Metals, then to honour, defend, and protect them, as rare and singular Philosophers. But if they know nothing nor could perform ought of their pretended Art, the magistrates would not do unjustly if they punished such men, and made them exemplary, seeing too that they endeavour to asperse and backbite other honest men, who are endued with the skill and knowledge of such great things, with lying reproaches. A good Gardener being wont to gather good Honey out of the Bee hive which he has in his Garden, if he finds a Nest of Wasps or Hornets any where near, built in some hollow Tree, and that they steal away the Honey from his Bees, he right worthily destroys such a Nest, and roots out of his Garden those Thieves and Robbers of his Honey, that so for the future they may not detriment them any more.
Were but one or two of those Fellows handled in such a manner the rest would be deterred and would not so easily promise others by their deceitfull Writings, the making of the Philosophers Stone, which they are so extreamly ignorant of. Certain it is therefore, that no true Philosopher, were he a partaker of the great universal, will indifferently offer the same unto all Men, and calumniate (without any cause given) those that are so innocent (and who have forgotten more than others have learned) and publickly bespatter them with most false Lyes before the whole World, to the great detriment of the Persons so abused.