From these Experiments it appears, as clear as the day, that a Mineral Virtue is hid in all things: Yet for more abundant Confirmation of this Truth I shall add some further Instances. The same proof may be done with dry or moist Herbs, or Wood, proceeding in the same manner as before hath been taught, with Wool, and we shall find the same effect. In particular, all sort of Corn, Rye, Wheat &c. afford a very good Tinture, they must be dissolved, and proceeded with as before mentioned, concerning the superfluities of Animals. If therefore Mineral Powers may be found in all Vegetables and Animals, on which Man feeds, and hath his growth and Sustenance, how can it be denied, but that the same Power must needs be in Man also? Wherefore it is beyond all doubt, that every Man carries the matter of the Philosophers-Stone (tho’ raw and unprepared) about with him.
To make this Truth to appear, with fuller and clearer Evidence, I am minded to give the ignorant a sensible Demonstration, that (without mentioning the right Subject of the Philosophers-stone) an universal Medicine for Men and Metals, may be had alone from the despicable and abominable Subject of Mans-dung.
℞. Six, eight or ten ℔ of some healthy Mans-dung, (it must be gathered without any mixture of Urin) and put it into a Glass-body, and pour upon it about the same quantity of rectified Spirit of Wine, stir them with a stick together, set the Glass, with a head fitted to it in Balneo, and abstract the Spirit of Wine, which has extracted the Mineral 🜍 and ☿ that was in the Dung, and brings it over the Helm: Which stincking Spirit of Wine must be burnt away under a large Refrigeratory Helm, by which means the stincking 🜍 of the Dung is consumed in the Flames of the Spirit of Wine, and the incombustible Mercurial Salt mounts up in the Flames to the top of the Helm, where it is caught, and is a great Jewel in Physick and Alchimy. If we have a mind rather to have our Celestial Salt in a dry Form, then we must abstract the Phlegm from it: Tho’ if we intend it for a Medicinal, it is better not to abstract the Phlegm (which is not wholly without some Virtue) but use them together. But if our intent be to make use of this incombustible Mercurial Salt, in order to Metallick Transmutation, then we must separate its Moisture, and mix the said Microcosmical Salt with ☉, and maturate the same to a Metalline Tincture. In a Liquid Form, the said Celestial Salt is an excellent Medicine for sick and weak People, as having great Sympathy with the Vital Spirit of Man, wonderfully strengthening the same, and in all Diseases performs whatsoever can be expected from an Universal Medicine; and is not in the least loathsome, being purged from all Stinck and ill Taste, by the Flames of the Spirit of Wine.
This Aqua Vitæ of the Philosophers performs also very wonderful things in the Vegetable Kingdom, for if the Seeds of any Herb be steeped for an hour in the same, and then laid upon a Trencher, or any board at some distance from one another, and covered over a Fingers breadth with Earth or Sand, being then exposed to the warm Sun, the Seeds immediately will begin to shoot and grow, even visibly to the Eye, which is very pleasant and curious. But those Seeds which are soft, are more proper for their speedy growth, than those that are hard: The Seeds of Parsley, Cresses, Fennel and Annis, which abound with much Volatile Salt, are the best for this Purpose. So that we see, that this Medicine prepared of Mans-dung is truly Universal, as curing the Diseases of all the three Kingdoms, viz. of Animals, Vegetables and Minerals. Wherefore if any one can find in his heart, to work upon this loathsome Subject, he will need no other, for that all lies hid in it, which gave one of the Ancients occasion to say,
Laudat Præsentem quælibet Herba Deum.
Each Herb from Earth its head doth raise,
Its present glorious God to praise.
I cannot, but repeat this great Truth once more, that the highest Medicine in the World is most commonly to be found in the most despicable Subjects, God having ordered it so, for to make known his Almighty Power; and that he regards the Welfare of the Poor, as well as of the Rich, willing that all should be helped and relieved, who do not by their own Pride, Laziness and Wickedness withstand so great Love and Mercy. Had Gods Will been to communicate this Treasure only to the Proud, Rich and Covetous, he would have laid up the same in ☉ and precious Stones, which the Poor cannot go to the Price of, but behold we find to the contrary, that God hath been pleased to hide this Treasure in such despicable and loathsome Subjects, as the Rich do scorn to meddle with, by which means a Door is opened to the Poor, to obtain that which, they reject and despise.
But to return to our Subject, and yet further to Evidence, that a Metallick Virtue is hid in Mans-dung, (tho’ it be not the true Subject, which the Philosophers point at in Man) and that much good may be done with it, as containing a very glorious 🜍 and ☿, I will add this Experiment, lay a Piece of Silver into a Chamber-Pot, wherein is Dung and Urine, let it lye there for some time, and the ☽ will attract the 🜍 or Animal Gold, that is in the Dung and Urine, and become colour’d like ☉, which is a sufficient Demonstration, that the matter of the Stone is hid in those Subjects. And forasmuch as it is notorious, that 🜍 is the Agent and ☿ the Patient: And that the 🜍 alone tingeth, and that ☿ is only tinged: Wherefore it behoves us to fix the 🜍, whereby it is fitted to tinge the ☿, bind and fix it: Which to bring about, much searching has been in the World, and still is, tho’ for the most part all in vain, very few Seekers going the right way, and therefore mist of their End, tho’ in their Search they have found many Arts, some good and others as bad. So we read, that one Bartholdus Schwartz a Benedictin Fryar having found in an old Book, that 🜍, the Father of Tincture, may be fixed with Saltpetre, was resolved to make a Tryal of it, but to no purpose, for the 🜍 and Nitre being kindled by the Fire, broke his Vessels, Furnace and all to pieces, whence he took occasion to consider further of the Matter, and invented that mischievous thing called Gun-powder, tho’ he fail’d of his fixing of 🜍: The Ancient Philosophers, many Ages ago, were not ignorant of that Composition, but would not Communicate the same for Fear of the abuse thereof: And called it a Basilisk, because it kills all things it looks upon. Others have set forth Nitre and 🜍 under the Notion of a watchful, never sleeping, and Fire-spitting Dragon, that guarded the Golden Fleece, which Jason by Medeas direction and Counsel cast into a deep Sleep, and so took away the Golden Fleece. Medea signifies diligent Study and Meditation, Jason the Artist, or Laborator, the Soporiferous Medicine given to the Dragon, the due Fixation of the Matter. Another Benedictin Fryar, Basil Valentine, had better Success in fixing 🜍 with the help of Nitre; which Fixation he hath recorded in his Writings, where he makes Saltpetre to speak thus: 🜍 is my best Friend, and withal my greatest Enemy, but when we are duely conjoyned, and made our Marriage Bed in Hell, after we have well sweat together, we cast off all our Impurities, for to beget Children of Wealth and Riches; and in our dead Bodies is found the greatest Treasure, which we bequeath by our last Will. These are the Words of Basil Valentine, wherein he exactly and plainly describes the true Fixation of 🜍, save only that he hath not named the Medicine wherewith the watchful Dragon is to be cast into a dead Sleep, and that for good Reason, because the whole Art and Master piece of fixing 🜍 with Nitre consists therein. And Paracelsus writing concerning 🜍 saith: Here with few words many may be helped, were it not against God, for God wills not that all should be Rich, and therefore doth not give the Goat as long a Tail, as to a Cow, for fear he should out of Pride beat out his own Eyes therewith: For when a poor Man grows Rich, it commonly makes him Proud, and as sharp as a Razor to others. These are the Words of Paracelsus, wherein he declares a great Truth, for God will not have all Men to be Rich, because of the great abuse of Riches, which is too common in the World. But to those, who are dead to the World, and look upon Riches, Money and Goods, as Dust and Smoak, and are Enemies to all sin and wickedness, to these God gives more than themselves desire or wish for, because he knows they will not abuse his Gifts. And so much shall suffice at this time, for my design is not at present to treat of the Fixation of 🜍, which I have elsewhere done at large, but only to prove and make out, that the Matter of the Philosophers-stone is to be found in all things in the World, which I think I have done already. Will any make a Tryal, and undertake the Work, ’tis free for him so to do, I have in this Discourse pointed out the right way, tho’ I have not revealed the right Matter: But if what I have here set down be well considered of, by the ingenious Seeker, it cannot be long hid from him: Farewel.