Next followeth the fourth Secret Fire of the Wise, to perfect an Universal Medicine both for Men and Metals.
That the ancient Philosophers did make their Universal Medicine, not out of one Subject onely, is clearly to be seen out of their Writings. And as their Subject was divers, so have they also used several Fires to decoct their Subject; for some Subjects, as fixed Sol and Lune, they have made volatile by their humid Fire, and again made the volatile fixed by means of the known fire of Wood and Coals. Therefore have they so positively affirmed, that without common Gold and Silver, no true Medicine for the Metals can be made. And this, by reason that other Subjects were yet unknown to them; and they knowing no better, thought theirs to be the onely way by which the Universal Medicine could be made. But others have wholly rejected Sol and Lune, saying they are dead, and that one should beware of them; but that their Sol and Lune were living, and that no commonly known fire could ripen them, that a far other fire is required for that purpose; these and the like contrary Writings (although they are both true) have confounded the Searchers, so that one esteemeth one Writer, and another, another, and yet are always doubtfull after which Authour they should work. Pontanus confesseth that he erred two hundred times, although he wrought in the true matter, and should never have understood if he had not read the old Philosopher Artephius, and of him learnt the Secret Fire. He describes also the Secret Fire in the same manner, which Artephius doth, to wit, thus: Our Fire is no Common Fire, it is Artificial to find out, it dissolves, destroys and penetrates all things; it is equal, continual, and constant, burning with our Glass, and not without, &c. Our Subject is also no common Sol or Lune, but as yet an unripe Mineral, on which Nature hath but begun to operate. All they who have wrought in such unripe Sol and Lune have also of necessity known this Secret Fire, or else they have failed, and could accomplish nothing. Some have known the volatile Gold, as also the Fire belonging to it, and yet could not come to work with it; the reason was, because they as yet wanted the instrument belonging to it, because if a volatile matter be to be ripened in an open Glass with a flaming fire, it is impossible but that the volatile Mercury should fly away; and if a Receiver were applied to receive the volatile Spirit, then by that means the Fire would be stifled and go out. Here is good counsel at a dear rate, but the discovery of the secret Vessel maketh all cheap again; for without the knowledge of this Vessel, little is to be done. Is it to be an Universal Work, so must it also agree with the Universal Work of this world? We see daily how that the warm Sun causing its beams to descend downwards upon the Globe of the Earth, causeth all Vegitables, to grow and multiply, and not onely Vegetables, but also Animals and Minerals, as Plato witnesseth in these words: The Sun and Man generate Man. So that the oftener the beams of the Sun doth draw up the moisture of the Earth, and let it fall down again in Rain, by so much the more it maketh the dry Earth fruitfull, by which means the Fruits of the Earth sprout forth faster, ripen, and multiply; because the moisture when drawn up in the daytime by the Sun-beams, always leaveth behind it its fruitfull Salt, which it had attracted from the Air, in the bowels of the Earth, and is still again impregnated with the influences of the Heavens; for without the Air, nothing can live, encrease, or multiply, the which Hermes Trismegistus hath very well given to understand, when he saith all which is above, is also below, by which wonderfull things are brought forth; the Sun is its Father, the Moon its Mother, the Wind carrieth it in its belly, the Earth hath conceived it and brought it forth, and is its nurse, by continual ascending and descending it hath obtained its force, and its vertue is compleat, when it is transchanged into Earth, &c. Here Hermes gives sufficiently to understand, that the volatile matter of the Stone is elevated from the bottom of the Vessel to the middle region of the Air, and must again descend to the Earth, that by its continual ascending and descending it may be made to live and encrease, as it is in the great World. But how to make this ascention and descention as it is and ought to be done in the Philosophick work, is not permitted to be divulged: but it is more than enough to discover and assure that in such a secret Furnace and hidden Fire, the volatile Gold of the Wise may be ripened into a living Medicine. Amen.
[Here should come in a small Treatise, entitled, The Explication of Solomon’s Words: Viz.
In Words, Herbs and Stones, there is great vertue. But who this Solomon was, is altogether uncertain; and the Treatise it self consisting of nothing but fabulous Stories of divers Events, which followed upon the speaking of certain words at divers times, and upon divers occasions, and containing nothing (as I conceive) that will be useful either for a Christian, or an Artist, I think fit to leave it out; and more especially, because this Treatise is wholly foreign to the Authour’s knowledge and experience, but taken upon trust (as to matter of fact) at random, and from others, which is disagreeable from all the other Writings of the Authour. All that I think worth the Translating is somewhat relating to the Colouring of Glass; which take as follows.
With one pound of pure Glass, mix about a dram of the Ashes of Copper, [or Crocus Veneris] and melt them together in a strong Fire, and you’ll find a green Glass, resembling the Onyx-stone. In like manner also a whole pound of Glass is made like to the fairest Saphire, if a dram of Cobolt or Bismuth, melted, be added to the Scoriæ or Dross. Likewise one dram of the Rust of Iron changeth a whole pound of Glass into a yellow Stone, emulating an Hyacinth. If one shall melt a dram of the Tincture of Gold, or of the Philosophers Mercury, extracted from Gold and Silver, with a pound of Glass, that Glass becometh very red, like a Ruby in colour, as I my self have found. But if any shall be so fortunate as to make this Glass hard, as well as of a beautifull colour, he will need to take but little pains for his living.
There is a short Discourse adjoyned to this, called, The Quintessence of Metals; but whatsoever is mentioned in that, is contained in the Fifth Part of the Pharmacopœa Spagyrica, Book of Fires, Book of Dialogues, &c.]
The End of the Second Part.
THE THIRD PART
OF
Glauber’s WORKS.