[See it at the end of the First Part of Miraculum Mundi.]
The Ænigma of Brother Basil Valentine.
There is a Stone, of all others the least precious, out of which is extracted a fugitive [or volatile] Fire, and out of this Fire is the Stone it self made, it is of colour white and red and yet is it no Stone. In this Stone doth nature operate, and produceth a Limpid or clear Fountain, which choaketh in the Waters and swallows up his own fixed Father, untill at length a Soul be given [or restored] him, and [his] fugitive Mother be made like [him] in the Kingdom. Likewise this Stone brings power and great strength, it exceeds the Sun in Age, [its] fugitive Mother [is] prepared by Vulcan and [its] Father [was] begotten by the Spirit. Likewise the Soul, Body, and Spirit consist or abide in two, out of which, all things are; these things are of one, and is one thing, conjoyning the fix and the fugitive. They are two, and three, and one, and if thou art ignorant of this, thou will be frustrated and deprived of the effect of the Art.
Adam is placed in a Bath, in which Venus finds her like, now this Bath was prepared by that old Dragon, when he had lost his strength and power. But now this is nothing else (saith a Philosopher) but a duplicate Mercury. In this is its name hidden, which is to be sought after with all diligence and continual labour.
The Event proves the Actions.
It seemed unto me very expedient to set down here in this place, these few, but exceeding weighty words of Hermes and Brother Basil, because they do so notably square with this Work of mine which I have here described. And therefore I do here again affirm what I have often said, viz. That he who knows Salts well, but especially Niter and Vitriol, and knows how to conjoyn them, is well skilled in Medicine and Alchymy; and sufficiently enough understands that the Smaragdine Table of Hermes is Vitriol, an excellent Smaragd or Emrald, and that Niter is (according as Paracelsus and Basil Valentine have at large described) the Kingly Infant of the Sun, with whose descriptions we at present content our selves. I will make a more prolix mention of the same in my Centuries, those things that I have adjoyned here I could not, for certain reasons let slip and pass by.
Now by these few words it is manifest, what virtues Salts are endowed withall, and what miraculous effects they shew, when they are cast into the melting Fire, viz. Such Salts as are corroborated with a double Spirit poured down from above. These Salts (I say) are wont not onely to fill the poor Widows Oil Vessels, but even the Cellars and Barns with Wine and Corn.
But I would not that any should interpret it amiss, in that I make some kind of Comparison ’twixt the wonderfull virtues of Salts, and the miracles of the Holy Prophets: For verily the thing it self admits it, and by such Comparisons, the natural light is greatly strengthned, which thing we shall speak more at large of elsewhere.
Whosoever he be that well knows the nature and properties of Salts, and is something skilled in the management of the Fire, he will hereby easily learn thus much, as easily to perceive that there is such a thing, as a profitable transmution of the more vile Metals into the more noble ones.
But there are requisite to this Operation manual Arts, peculiar Furnaces, and singular Commixtions of Metals, the knowledge of all which, he must have that desires beneficially to employ himself in these Operations. The whole Operation with all the appurtenances requisite, and all the things thereto appertaining, shall (if God please) be exposed to be seen in my Laboratory this Summer. As my Writings lately published, and the Labours performed in my Laboratory the last year, do sufficiently enough testifie that I have both publickly and privately demonstrated and manifested the truth of the chiefest secrets which I have mentioned in my Writings. And as for what remained of being done the last year, this present Book promiseth the demonstration of, this Summer. What Writer alive, did ever endeavour the demonstration of the truth of his Writings by most evident experiments? None at all save Glauber.