Our Ground [or Earth] therefore, being sufficiently enough moistned, we must beseech God to bestow upon us the hot shine of the Sun; for without the Suns heat which stirs up the Life in all things, there cannot possibly be any increase and growth. Lend me therefore your best attention. Assoon as the putrefied Body of our Sol shall feel the warming heat of the Sun, its blackness, which was the true Sign of its Putrefaction, will vanish away by little and little, and give place to the access and approach of many most delicate Colours, the which, the Philosophers have named the Peacocks Tail, and this finisheth the third day of our Philosophical Labour. And now, when the Fruit-producing Sun shall have thus illustrated our Field, or Ground with its warmer Rays, but for one day as yet, we may easily see, what is farther likely to come to pass hereafter.
A. Huy da! what a wonderful thing is this, that I see here? in how short a time, and how speedily hath the Peacocks Tail charged it self into a thick Blood? Who could ever believe it, unless he had seen and beheld it with his own Eyes?
B. I confess it is such a thing as may well cause in any one most exceeding admiration, seeing that there proceed from Art and Nature, Operations of such great moments: God hath made all things very well, and should he not permit such an admirable changing of Colour, to appear in the Operation, verily the Philosopher would be in doubt, whether or no he might hope for an happy Success of all his Labour: And now upon the occasion of this Blood-like Colour, is arisen the Name of Dragons Blood amongst the Philosophers, who say, that when this Colour appears in view, the fourth day of the Philosophical work or Labour is finished.
A. Good God! how great, and how wonderful are thy wonderous Works, who can find them out by his own Search and Industry? There do daily happen greater and greater encreasings of our Faith, seeing that I behold with mine own Eyes, such things as heretofore exceeded all my belief. And I entreat you to tell me this one thing, whether or no, there lies in this Blood, as ’tis now prepared, a most excellent Power of healing Diseases or no, and if it may safely be made use of, for the healing of Sicknesses without any farther Preparation?
B. Yes verily, there does lye therein hidden, an incredible healing Faculty, and this, its very Signature doth openly witness. For God doth not sign or mark all the Herbs, all Animals, all Stones in vain, by the external Signature of all which, it is an easie matter to know, what use they are of for Mankind. Forasmuch therefore, as our Gold is turned into a thick Blood, it is a most certain Testimony, that it is Serviceable for the curing and amending of Man’s Blood. For, if the most ancient Physicians have made use of Gold, reduced either by filing into a most subtile Powder, or by beating into most thin Leaves, in the Cure of the most desperate Diseases, yea, and of the Leprosie it self too, and this not without Fruit, and Success; how much greater commerce then will this Gold of ours thus changed into a Red Blood, have with the Blood of Mankind. Would it not [think you] abound with a greater Power of freeing it from all false and superfluous Aqueity, and other evil Humours and Impurities, and of reducing it into its former State of Good health? For the occult Virtues of the Gold are no more shut up now, like as when the Corporal filed, or leafe Gold held them lock’d up, that they are unloosed, and released from their Fetters, and so perform their work by most free and unclogg’d Operations. And seeing that Gold is, by Ancient and Modern Physicians, attributed to the Heart, and to the whole Blood of Man’s Body, and seeing that experience it self hath demonstrated, that it takes away the preter-natural affects of the Heart, and heals the corrupted Blood; why should not this our Blood of Gold effect the same with greater Efficacy, and a more happy Success. With this very Blood, have I already performed wonderful things in the most grievous Diseases in the Bodies of Men, after they have been first purged with some Panacea. I have therewithal healed the Leaprous in a short space of time, and such as have to no purpose made use of the assistence of the most eminent Physicians for ten or twelve years continually, to their great Costs and Charges, and this I can evidence by most clear Testimonies, which I keep by me. Nay farther, even at this very day in very many places, into which I have sent of this Blood, the detestable Leprosie, the French Pox, and other most grievous Diseases of the Heart and Blood (to the Cure whereof, Gold is in an especial manner ordained by God) are taken away by an admirable way of healing: For seeing, that (as we said afore) it strengthens the Heart, and mundifies the defilement of corrupt and polluted Blood, and purgeth them away, it must of necessity likewise expel, as well the open or visible, as the occult and hidden Diseases of the Body of Man. For if Nature be but corroborated, it doth easily subdue and expel Diseases, by the help of other very small Medicaments; the which thing I have by my manifold experiences found to be most true, when I have adjoyned this Aureous Blood to other sutable Medicaments. For it cannot be exprest, what, and how much I have done, both in young and old, with this very Blood so exhibited, in the Stone, Gout, Dropsie, Leprosie, Epilepsie, and other Chronical Diseases, which have taken deep Rooting in the Body. Therefore if God shall please to lengthen out my days, I will very suddenly publish the use thereof, that so it may be brought into common Use in all Diseases. For this Golden Blood may [probably] be the potable Gold of the Ancients, which never more suffers it self to be reduced into its former malleable Body. I have sundry ways attempted to reduce it, but never could effect the same. But yet this one Case I except, viz. a little of this dry Blood, being put upon molten Gold, hath ingress into the same, and the residue swims at the top thereof like an Earth: but yet that little which adjoyned it self to the Gold, is of so great a Power as to make all that whole Body of Gold which it entred into, brittle, yea so brittle, as that it suffers it self to be beaten in a Morter into most fine Powder.
A. I Marry, Sir! these are Miracles indeed, which I see and hear; who will make any farther doubt, but that the Universal Tincture which heals the Sicknesses, or Distempers both of Men and Metals, may he prepared, out of this Golden Blood? For all the Philosophers do with one Consent confess, that their Tincture, when quite perfected and cast in upon molten Gold, doth render the same brittle. And now seeing this Golden Blood of ours, being as yet immature, and not prepared, doth effect the same, would it not, I pray, perform the same much better, if it had but Ingress given unto it, by inceration, whereby it might slow the easier, and enter the more readily. I do not now at all doubt, but that this aureous Blood both can and in time will become an universal Tincture full if Medicinal Virtues.
B. Although I am not minded publickly to disclose an Arcanum of such great moment, and so great a Mystery, and to throw such a precious Pearl afore Swine; yet I am of the mind to prepare some quantity thereof, and to part with so much unto the Sick that need it, and that shall desire the same from me, as is requisite for their Use. And not only to the Sick, but to others too, that are willing to apply it to other Uses and Experiments; but especially unto those who would fain try, whether or no, even this very Blood will turn it self (according to my Description) into a white Milk, and then into a Red Stone, and, by a new Reiteration of the work, pass through all Colours. This desireousness, or inquiry after the Truth cannot at all prove any ways disadvantageous to me, or mine. For the Art it self will always remain an Art, unless it chance to happen, that some one or other Searcher, which is of a more subtile Ingenuity, should, by his diligent and serious inquiry, search out the very Foundation of the Art it self. Which if it should so come to pass, he must then think, that God hath vouchsafed this Gift unto him, and that he now considers, and well knows, what esteem he ought to set upon it, and by what means he ought to hide it. However, this is most certain, and indubitably true, that this Doctrine, and instruction of mine own prescribed in my Writings, will be a spurring encouragement to abundance of Men (that have hitherto exceedingly doubted of the Truth of this so great a Mystery, and shall now come to know it, laid open by me with such evident Demonstrations,) and cause them to search with a greater and more serious study, and to cast off all other unprofitable Coctions whatsoever. For to what purpose is it to use many things, about that which may be done by fewer and more easie. All things have their time, and so has this Arcanum too its own proper time. But we shall speak more of these things in the following Description of the second universal Medicine. All these things which thou hast hitherto seen, are indeed very good; but we are as yet far off from the end. Have you not likewise read in the Philosophers Writings, that the white Swan doth also shew it self in the Work? Now, if by but as yet One days shining, the Sun shall have illuminated by its brightness the Dragons Blood, you shall see it turned into a white Milk, which Milk the Philosophers have written off, and which at length goes into a Coagulum, or Cheeslike Curdling. Look therefore now upon that Milk, which you see to admit of Coagulation and Condensation, by little and little: And thus with this golden Cheese do we finish the Philosophical Labour of the Fifth day.
A. God be thanked, that this days Labour hath also succeeded, as we could wish. But forasmuch as those things which you mentioned, but now come in my mind, viz. that we are far off from the end of the work as yet, and yet too morrow is the Sixth and last day of this our Philosophical week; and farther, seeing you said presently after the beginning of this our Conference, that the whole Work, would be finished in six Days space, and that on the seventh Day we may cease from all our Work and Labours, and sanctifie it, or keep it holy, and give God due thanks for all these his Benefits bestowed on us: Seeing (I say) that all these things come now in my mind, ’tis no wonder, if they likewise create in me a great deal of Care and Puzzling, to think, how this can be, that all these things that remain yet behind may be perfected, and brought to a full end in one day.
B. Cease your Care [my Friend!] nor do you ought else this Sixth Day, but hourly encrease the Fire by Decrees, and stir it up more and more, that so you may see, by what means our white Coagulated Milk will by little and little pass into a yellow Colour, and will at length be thoroughly Red, and abide most constant in the Fire. This fixed Redness, the Philosophers call their Salamander: The Poets tells us a Tale, of a certain Worm that lives in the Fire, which cannot be burnt or consumed thereby. Therefore, after the Philosophers have brought their work through all the Colours, and have at length attained so far, as that there appears no other, but a mere fixed Redness, they named it their Salamander, with which (if you except only Inceration and Multiplication) they ended their work, and so do we also finish these our present Labours.
A. Praise and Glory be to God, by whose Divine help, we have (by so happy and desired a Success) promoted our work to its most desired end.