We read in the Scriptures, that the Israelites forced Aaron, in Moses’s absence, to make them a Golden Calf for to Worship; and that when Moses was come down from the Mount, and saw the Children of Israel dancing about the Golden Calf, his anger was kindled against them, and burning the Calf with fire, he ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water, and made the Children of Israel to drink of it, Exod. 32. 19, 20. Now whether it was by Art, or by the immediate power of God that Moses so burnt the Golden Calf, that the Israelites could drink it down, we will not now dispute; thus much we know, that it could never be done with common wood or Coal fire. Besides, we know that Moses was not defective in any thing of Art or Knowledge, as having been educated and instructed in the Royal School of Pharaoh, in which true Philosophy, Astronomy, Magick, Alchimy, and Physick at that time greatly flourished. We read of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist St. John, a thing no less surprizng and wonderful, viz. that he turn’d Rods to Gold, and common Stones into Gems, which he distributed to the Poor; as is exprest in the Latin Hymn the Roman Church sings in honour of that Evangelist, on the Festival-day appropriate to him, I am not ignorant that some are of opinion that St. John could never do this by art, because he did not make use of the proper matter for Transmutation, but by the immediate power of God, which I will not now determine; only this I can say, and if need were, make an Ocular demonstration of it, that out of Wood, and other Vegetable and Animal subjects, none excepted, good Gold, abiding all proofs may be made, though with more ease out of one Subject than another. For indeed the Principles of Metals are as well to be found in Vegetables and Animals as in Minerals, though somewhat more remote and invisible, than in these. That Wood contains a Sulphur like to that which is found in Metals, none can deny, and I have demonstrated in many places of my Books; neither is it destitute of Mercury and Salt. Wherefore I here openly profess, by an impulse from God and Truth, that it is no hard thing for me, out of all Vegetable and Mineral Subjects to make good Gold, by means of our fiery maturating Spirit, to which in this Treatise I have given the names of Alcahest, Eagles wings, Griffons talons, and Lucifer.
The Ancient Philosopher Artephius, has not specified the time, in which his Secret fire can maturate the true subject of the Stone, and bring it to perfection. Pontanus saith it may be done in a short time, and with small charges. ’Tis probable that Moses scarce spent one day in burning the Golden Calf with the Sophick fire; neither is it likely that St. John made any long work, of changing Wood into Gold, and common into precious Stones. If Miriam, Aaron’s Sister, could in three days time compleat the Philosophers Stone from beginning to end, (according to the Testimony of Philosophers) why may not there such enlightned Persons be found at this day among good Christians that can do the same? The same God who gave this knowledge to Moses and Miriam, as also to the Evangelist St. John, he lives still, and ceaseth not by his Holy Spirit, to enlighten his Elect, without any Verbal Disputes, reading of Books, Labour, Weariness, or Charges, in all Divine and Eternal, as well as Temporal and Natural things, and to lead and conduct them to their desired end. Wherefore all ought in the first place to beg of God his Light, Understanding, and Wisdom, as Salomon did, and not to seek after vain and perishable Riches, by which means they would obtain much more than they ever can by their own willing and running. I John Glauber affirm it boldly, that with our secret fire, I can in the space of three hours, make pure natural fix Gold to be as volatile as any Spirit of Wine can be; and again in twenty four hours-time, turn the said spiritualized and exalted Gold, into a fix transparent, spiritual, sweet, tinging Carbuncle: and this in the way of Nature, to the wonder and astonishment of the ignorant Covetous Children of this world, that walk in darkness; and yet (as Christ saith) are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light.
Let this suffice what we have here spoken concerning the power and great vertue of our Alcahest, in preparing of Medicines and Universal Tinctures, viz. that whatever Metals, common or precious Stones, are put into it, it immediately does volatilize the same, and brings them over the helm, carrying them upwards, to what height we please; for sure it is that the higher Metals mount in distillation or sublimation the purer they are. When now such pure and ætherial Spirits, are again fixed, then they are no more gross Metallick Bodies as before, but Spiritual Bodies, and Bodily Spirits; to the Eye Clarified Bodies, but indeed and in truth Concentred Spirits, which penetrate all hard things whatsoever, pass through lock’d Gates, and take away what pleaseth them; and as they can without opening the door take out any thing, so can they in like manner bring in the same again. As for instance, I draw the Colour from Gold, and introduce the said Tincture into Silver, being a fix pure and white Body, in which this Metalline Spirit takes up its abode; and the pure body of Silver greedily attracts the Tincture, because she stands in need of it; neither indeed can the porous body of Silver, resist or keep out this piercing Spirit, but passeth through warming and tincturing her throughout, and filling her pores with Solar Tincture, communicates to her not only the colour and weight, but also the nature and property of Gold.
Take another Example: Extract with our Alcahest by Distillation the fix Tincture out of Granates (not pulverized, but whole as they come to hand, and that for reasons hereafter mentioned) which extraction may be performed in half an hours-time, because our Lucifer can pass through shut gates. When now thou hast caught this Tincture in our Hellish Spirit, then thou hast it at command, and it must obey thee. If then our fiery Magnet be able to extract the Tincture from hard Stones, without breaking, or destroying their bodies, it can as easily introduce the same again into any hard, white stony body, and colour the same, light or deep, as pleaseth thee best. For instance thou drawest the colour from Granates, which indeed do superabound with tincture, which renders them opacous, and therefore less esteemed; for we find that a Ruby being of a lighter colour, that is less abounding with Tincture than a Granate, is much more valued, whose Bodies nevertheless do in all things exactly resemble one another, differing only by reason of more or less Tincture. Indeed where the bodies differ in hardness and clearness, there the case is alter’d; but when the body is fixe, and can endure the fire, onely ’tis darkened by too much Tincture, this may easily be mended by art, onely by extracting or taking away some part of its Tincture, which will render it of a brighter colour. Which extraction of Tinctures, and the introducing of them again into pale or white bodies, may be practis’d upon all precious Stones, and to very great profit. For example, I draw, by means of our secret fire, the Tincture out of Gold or Granates, and Introduce the same into another white Stone, which must be fix, that is, such an one, which when made red hot, doth not become soft or fall to shivers, but retains its former hardness, as all those do which are called precious, because the fire can neither consume nor separate their parts, such as Diamonds, Rubies, Granates, Saphires, Hyacinths, Emralds, Topases, Chrysolites, Amethists, &c. All which are coagulated of one and the same water, and tinctured with the same colour; for though their colours differ, that proceeds only from the greater or lesser quantity or purity of their Tinctures, their colours, as well as their bodies proceeding from one principle. And the same must be understood of all Metals; for Gold has no better original than Iron or Copper, save only that by long distillation in the Earth, it is better purified and ripened. Observe only that in this operation you do not take Cristals, Beryls, or any other Stones which grow soft and crumble to pieces when they are made red hot.
Some Jewellers know with the help of Fire, to mend some precious Stones whose colours are not bright and clear enough: thus they burn away the colour that is in Saphires and Amethists, making them white like Diamonds, their colours being volatile, and therefore may be taken away by Fire, but they can not introduce other colours instead of those they have rob’d them of. Neither are they able to burn yellow Diamonds to a whiteness, notwithstanding that Art has been much sought after: But our Alcahest can easily perform this Master-piece, for as much as it, like a subtil piercing fire, can pass and repass through shut doors without impediment, whereas all gross, corporal things are fain to stand without. For which reason I have given our secret Fiery Spirit, the name of Lucifer, of which Artephius speaks thus: Our Fire is moist and dry, it pierces all things, dissolves, volatiliseth, and also fixeth them; it is natural, unnatural, and supernatural: For though Nature make Gold and Precious Stones in the Earth, yet doth it not afford us such a supernatural Fiery Spirit or Stone with which we at our pleasure can make Gold and Precious stones of Earth. Therefore it is Art that brings things higher and further than Nature can, and yet the Artist cannot go beyond Nature, except he have first learnt to know Nature and taken his Principles from her. Now we know that Spirits, whether they be hot or cold, light or dark, good or evil, are of more power and efficacy than gross Bodies, for which reason God, who is Light and Life, and his Adversary Satan, who is Death and Darkness, have so great power: Though indeed the Darkness hath no more power than the Light allows or permits it to have: For the Light rules over the Darkness, so as the Darkness can do nothing against the Light, of which matter I intend, God willing, to Treat further in my second and third Purgatory.
In the mean time we have here shewed, how by Art such powerful Spirits may be prepared, as can effect things supernatural; for which reason, amongst others, I have given our Alcahest the name of Lucifer: for Lucifer was in the beginning with God, an Angel of Light, whereas now he is cast into utter Darkness; so likewise our Incomparable Wonder-working Alcahest in its first preparation, is a bright Fiery Spirit of Light, but after its coagulation, it becomes a spirit of Cold and Darkness, binding all volatile Spirits, whereas before it made all fix things volatile and spiritual. Which that I may more fully evidence to the Ignorant and Incredulous, I shall give an Instance thereof first in Gold, and then in Precious Stones.
A PROCESS,
To draw the fix Tincture from Gold, and to make it Spiritual and Potable, fit for the Physicians use, and that easily, in a short time, without any considerable Charges; and how the same exalted Spiritual Gold may be changed into a clarified, transparent, tinging, fix Carbuncle.
Take of the filings of Gold, or beaten Gold an ounce and half, or an ounce and quarter, put it into a little, but strong Glass body, pour upon it two or three ounces of our best Alcahest, fit a head to it, closing it well with a paper dipt in Oyl, apply a great Recipient, and lute it very carefully, for when the Spirit comes over, it passeth with great violence, and searches every where for vent, being the most subtil of Spirits, and very fiery withall: Wherefore take great care that your Lute be good, or else you will never be able to retain this Corrosive fiery spirit. The Vessel must stand in Sand, and a very gentle Fire administred at first, that our secret spirit may by degrees grow warm in the Glass, and not be too suddenly heated, for in that case it would be apt to fly away without its prey: But if you proceed, as is directed, then our moist fire will lay hold of the Gold, and carry it over in form of a Spirit, but leisurely and by degrees, at first only of a yellow colour, which afterwards comes higher and higher. Towards the latter end the fire must be encreased, till the bottom of the Glass be red hot, at which time the heavy spirits will come over, bringing the heavy Corporal Gold over with them, a red fix salt staying behind, which is of great use in Physick and Alchimy, as we shall see hereafter. The yellow spirit, as well as the red salt, may, without any further preparation be used outwardly and inwardly (the strength of them being qualified with Water, or other Liquors) and by reason of their astringent property, corroborate the Stomach of such as are old and cold, procure Appetite, consume tough Phlegm and slimy Matter in the stomach, help Concoction and strengthen the Heart, Brain, and all outward and inward parts of the Body; open all Obstructions, by reason of the fiery subtil saline spirit joyn’d with them, penetrating and cleansing the whole Body, and perform all that can be expected from a true Potable Gold.