I have taught in this Book, what the Proprium Agens of Metals is, by which they are naturally maturated in the Earth, viz. That the Demogorgon or Sulphur, is not only the Father of all Metals, but also their Universal Agent, or Maturating Fire, by which all the Metals naturally in the Earth, and by Art out of the Earth are brought to perfection, and that also besides Sulphur, as the Universal Agent, the Metals have their particular, or proper Agents, which help to bring the Metals to perfection, as well as the Universal Agent. I have also taught, that the Volatile Spirits of Metals, or their proper Agents, do not only maturate their Metals, but also become good Bodies themselves with the Metals. I have also taught, how Sulphur, as a Universal Agent chiefly by Salts, may be maturated into a Tincture, which Fixation by Salts, must have its due time, before you can make it constantly fixed in the Fire, which length of time hath made many Artists forsake the Work, altho’ he knew, that of necessity it must come to a good Tincture. Impatience causeth this, that they cannot wait the true time of the Harvest. Wherefore impatient Men should not meddle with Alchymy, but rather think a Bottle of Wine, which is sooner done than a Combustible Fugitive Sulphur can be fixed. The learned Ancients have taught us, that Patience is the Root of all Sciences and Arts, wherefore then are Fools so hasty in their Undertakings? When all Philosophers Unanimously testifie, that all Festination proceeds from the Devil. Paracelsus hath taught how to fix Sulphur, by the help of a strong Aqua Fortis, by abstracting it from it four or five times. But I have taught, how to fix it by the abstracting of a strong Aqua Fortis, but once, in my Book of the Three Principles: ’Tis true, by this way it loseth its Fluxibility and Ingress, but this may be restored to it again, which for certain Reasons, I did not think fit to make known. Now being we know, that nothing fixeth but Sulphur, and that a Combustible Sulphur spoils the Metals, and makes them Black, and a fixed one hath no Ingress, but when that is given to it, it is fit to tinge the Metals, for whatever tingeth the Metals constantly, must it self be fixed, or else it would not endure the Cupel. ’Tis true, out of Mars and Venus, you may easily extract a Tincture, which yet doth not tinge constantly, except they be first truly fixed. Very many have thought, that if they could but incorporate a Crocus Martis with Silver, that of necessity it must become Gold, but they found themselves to be mistaken, for if Crocus Martis should be put upon Silver, it doth not tinge it at all, but again becomes Iron, and makes the Silver brittle. N. B. But if you know how to prepare a Red Sulphur of Iron, constant upon the Cupel, without returning to Iron again, and then draw out of this Red fixed Sulphur, its purest Anima or Tincture, you have a Colour to tinge all the Metals in the World. This is the Reason, that the Old Philosophers have so often inculcated, to destroy the Gold: So that it cannot be reduced into Gold again, and that then you would have the greatest of Secrets. But I could do nothing more with such a destroyed Gold, till I learned to give it ingress, for when it is destroyed it enters no Metal, but if you give it ingress, then it tingeth, so also neither Mars, nor common Sulphur can tinge, if they have no ingress which you may easily believe.
Therefore the whole Art to make Tinctures consists, first in making of the red Metals as Gold, Iron, and Copper, irreducible, then to extract their Tincture, and to give an Ingress. This labour is a very easie thing to the knowing, but incredible to the unskilful; for I have some years since, shewn to some Friends out of kindness the destruction and fixation of such Metals, together with the Extraction and Ingress, very plainly, and highly recommended to them this universal work; they have performed the fixation, but the Extraction and Inceration they have not done, although it is so easie that a Child of Ten years old may easily perform it. My hopes were, that when they had perfected it, they should give me some of the Tincture, but in stead of a recompence, they told me they could not do it, which was because God kept his hand over it. After the way that is here shewn, Tinctures may be easiest prepared out of red Sulphureous Metals and Stones, and I have a small quantity of it by me, which will tinge red, I made it before my Sickness, and keep it as a memorial to my Posterity. Some perhaps may ask, whether there be not a nearer way to prepare Tinctures for Metals, than by Extractions and Fixations, which require much time and Costs. I answer, ’tis certain there are nearer ways to fix Sulphurs in their whole substance without loss of weight, without any addition of Salts or Spirits of Salts, very easie and cheap, viz. by the Universal Coagulator into a Tincture, and by their particular Coagulators into Gold and Silver. Concerning the Coagulators I have already made them known, viz. that Lead is the Coagulator of Common Sulphur, and Vulgar Mercury, Tin is the Coagulator of Arsnick, and Cobalt, Iron and Copper are the Coagulators of Orpiment, Sandarach, and all other Realgars, and that Gold and Silver are the Coagulators of the Mercury of Antimony into a Tincture. Now concerning the Universal Coagulator, ’tis not a Malleable or fusible Metal, but only an immature Volatile Mineral, not much unlike to Lead Oar, and therefore the Philosophers have called it the Saturnine Magnesia, and this is not all one and the same, for it is found in different colours and figures, so that he who will use them must well understand their difference, that he may not take the wrong for his work, and so lose his labour. The Ancients have not revealed this Volatile Mineral, but kept it as a Universal Coagulator in the greatest secrecy, and that not without reason, because they maturated their Volatile Metallick Spirits and Tinctures by it. Yet the Volatile Tinctures may also be fixed, without this Universal Coagulator, but that requires much time; therefore they have used this Coagulator for an help, and so they could maturate the most Volatile Metallick Spirits into fixed Tinctures, in a short time, and this Compendium is the chiefest thing in the Chymical Art, see the Treatise of the Three Principles of Metals. Now to return again to Sulphur, and to demonstrate; that it may be easily made fixed in the Fire, which is thus: Take one part of Common Sulphur, mix it with three or four parts of Lead Ashes, put this mixture into a strong Earthen Cementing Box, lute it well with a good strong Lute that will not crack, when the Lute is dry, put it into a Cementing Furnace, or into such a Fire, that in the beginning will only melt the Sulphur, so that it may penetrate the Lead Ashes, and hide it self in them, and so be initiated to the Fire, then by degrees increase your Fire from day to day, till at length the Crucible become to be of a dark brown, then increase your Fire still more, and continue this so long till the Sulphur becomes quite fixed with the Lead Ashes, and constant in the Fire; and this will require eight or ten months time, during which time the Sulphur becometh fixed, and hath tinged and fixed its Body, the Lead as much as it could, for it is not possible for it to fix all the Lead after this manner into Gold and Silver, but only part of it, yet so that an hundred-fold profit is made of it, if you proceed rightly in the matter. The reason of the melioration of the Lead is this: If Saturn hath power to make a Combustible Sulphur, incombustible and fixed in the Fire, so that it neither fumes nor burns, then it is certainly as good and fit for tinging as another Sulphur, which is made fixed by much labour of abstracting Aqua Fortis from it. In this Fixation the Sulphur retains its Ingress, and therefore needs not to be given to it afterwards, for it had an Ingress when it was not fixed, and when it is made fixed it still retains it. This makes good that common saying of the Philosophers: If Sulphur shall first penetrate Saturn, and Saturn attracts it willingly by reason of its great dryness, and unites it self with it, then it is said that Nature rejoyceth in Nature. When it can be made red-hot with the Lead, then it is said, Nature overcometh Nature, but when the fixed Sulphur remains constant with the Lead upon the Cupel, then it is said, Nature retains Nature. This which I here declare so plainly, all Philosophers before me have kept very secret, but that I here reveal such great secrets, I have a reason for it, which is not necessary for every one to know. Now as we have here taught the fixation of Sulphur by Lead, after the same manner the fixation of Arsnick is to be done by Tin, which becomes fixed with it in the Fire, to the great profit of the Artist, it recompenseth him with Gold and Silver upon the Cupel; and this Work the Philosophers always kept very secret. Cosmopolita writes, that there is a small Fish in the Sea named Remora, which hath such power, that if it fits upon the Stern of the Ship, it causeth it to stand still, so that although the Wind fills the Sails, yet it cannot move. In another place, he calls this Fish Echineis, which if you read backwards, sounds Tin Ashes. Other Philosophers also write of this work of Fixing, that there are always two sorts of Birds in the Nest, or two sorts of Dragons in the Den, that one of them would willingly stay, which is the Body, but the other which hath Wings, would always fly away, yet at length it is by degrees so overcome by that which hath no Wings, that at last it endeavours no longer to fly. The same happens here to our Volatile Arsnick, that is, with the fixed Tin Ashes, the Volatile part Arsnick is always striving to fly away, but the Tin Ashes binds and keeps it, that it is forced to stay against its will, and also become fixed with its Companion. Now as we have here proceeded with Arsnick and Tin, and with Sulphur and Lead, after the same manner must be done with Orpiment, and Mars or Venus, but with Sulphur and the Mercury of Antimony, together with Gold and Silver, the fixation is performed after a peculiar manner, which fixation I have already declared, and therefore need not repeat it. This I would have noted concerning the Agents and Patients of Metals, but I am very well assured, although this fixation is very mean and easie in it self, that yet it will not easily be imitated, and that because I have made known so great a Secret in so simple and mean a Style. The World is full of Pride, and cannot give credit to such mean things, but rather looketh after high, tedious, and sophisticate things, which are worth nothing, if they are but set off with fine words; God will have it so, that these great Secrets may not fall into the hands of the Impious. Here, in the fixation of the Common Sulphur with Lead, and Arsnick with Jupiter, Orpiment with Mars and Venus, I have spoken openly, and hid nothing, yet I am certain it will not be taken in hand, partly because of the length of time required in the fixation, which will deter many from this work, many who shall read it will not be able to believe, that so easie a fixation hath been done, because none hath hitherto written of the like cheap way of Meliorating Metals, nor spoke so plainly as I have done. Many will take Exceptions at my Person, and say, if it was true what Glauber writes of the easie fixation of the inferior Metals, to transmute them into Gold and Silver, he would do it himself, and thereby make himself rich, and not publish things of so great a concern. To this I answer, that my great Age, and many weaknesses will not permit me to take such things in hand, by which nothing but Worldly Riches are acquired, which sometimes do Men more harm than good, which I never did nor ever will seek after. If others will do it, they may. I trouble not my self about the Mammon, but prepare my self for a happy passage into a more peaceable Life, where there is no strife nor misery, but everlasting Peace, and everlasting Light reigns perpetually. But in that I have discovered these great Secrets, by which those who seek after them, may become very rich, I have done it out of a good meaning, viz. that if many by this shall attain good means, that some of them at least may assist the poor out of their abundance. To this end only have I discovered these Lucriferous Secrets, and not at all to please the Proud and Covetous. But yet although I have described all plainly without any reserve of the Manuals thereunto belonging, I am very well satisfied, that God will keep his hand over it, and will not indifferently give his Blessing to all in it, but will so dispose it, that his gifts may not be misused. And therefore I am very well satisfied, that Art will remain Art, although it be never so clearly laid down before the Eyes of all Men. To whom God will give it, him I envy not, but wish him Gods Blessing with it, and earnestly exhort him, that when God hath blessed him, that he by no means forget the Poor. Amen.
A
TREATISE
CONCERNING
The Animal-Stone:
OR,
Of that Animal Matter or Subject which God ingrafted into Adam and Eve, as a Divine Portion or Patrimony in Paradise, and which he still retained after his Fall and Banishment out of Paradise, brought it with him thence, and after Death took it along with him to his Grave, or to the Earth from whence he was taken and made; What kind of Matter properly it is, and in what manner a true Universal Medicin may be made of it. Faithfully Translated out of the High-Dutch.
The PREFACE.
Curteous READER,
Having in some of my last Published Writings, and especially in my Fifth Century, treated of a certain Matter, called by the Ancient and Modern Philosophers, The Philosophers Stone, which Matter they say, God implanted in the first Man Adam, and which after his Fall and Banishment, he brought with him out of Paradise, and after his Death, took it along with him to his Grave, without revealing this Divine Patrimony and Portion to any of his Posterity; so that this great Treasure continued for some time hidden from the wicked World, until at length it pleased God to open the Eyes of some honest Men to know and discern this great Gift of God, which they also made known to others, though this communication of theirs was of little use to proud Worldlings, whose Eyes are only fixed upon outward Visibles, not minding the inward Invisibles. Wherefore none of them could believe, that so great a Treasure was hid in Sinful Man, as accounting nothing worthy their esteem, but Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones, and casting out upon the Dunghill as loathsom and contemptible what is far better than Gold or Silver.
And because some of my Enemies have slandered some of my Writings, as if they contained absurd and impossible things; to the end that none by their Lies and Slanders may be led aside from the way of truth, I am resolved to set the Truths I have written in a greater Light, and palpably to evidence before the whole World, that what I have taught, viz. that a Mineral Aurifying Virtue lies hid in Vegetables and Animals as well as in Metals, is no absurdity, but a great truth, to the shame and confusion of my envious Adversaries.