Of the Commixtion of Metalls, or the drawing forth their seed.
e have spoken of Nature, of Art, of the Body, of Sperm, and of Seed, now let us descend to Praxis, viz. how Metalls ought to be mixed together, and what their correspondency, or agreement is one with another. Know therefore that a Woman doth not vary from a Man; both are bred of the same Seed, and in one Matrix, there was nothing besides digestion, and that the Matrix had in it purer bloud, and salt: so Silver is made of the same Seed as Gold is, and in the same Matrix; but the Matrix had more water in it then digested blood, according to the season of the Moon in the heavens. But that thou maist the more easily imagine with thy self how Metalls couple together, that their Seed may be sent forth, and received; behold and see the heavens, and the spheres of the Planets: thou seest that Saturne is placed the uppermost, or highest, next to that Iupiter, then Mars, then Sol, or the Sun, then Venus, then Mercury, and last of all Luna, or the Moon. Consider also that the vertues of the Planets doe not ascend, but descend: Experience teacheth as much, viz. that of Venus, or Copper is not made Mars, or Iron, but of Mars is made Venus, as being an inferiour sphere: So also Iupiter, or Tin is easily changed into Mercury or Quicksilver, because Iupiter is the second from the firmament, and Mercury the second from the earth: Saturne is the first from the heavens, and Luna the first from the earth: Sol mixeth it self with all, but is never bettered by its inferiors. Now know that there is a great agreement betwixt Saturne, or Lead, and Luna, or Silver, in midst of which the Sun is placed: as also betwixt Iupiter and Mercury, in midst of which Sol is also placed: and in the same manner betwixt Mars and Venus, which also have Sol placed in the midst of them. Chymists know how to change Iron into Copper without Gold: they know also to make Quicksilver out of Tin: and there are some that make Silver out of Lead: But if they knew by these mutations to give or minister to them the nature of Gold, they would certainly find out a thing more pretious then any treasure. Wherefore I say we must not bee ignorant what Metalls are to be joined to each other, whose nature is agreable one to the others. Moreover there is granted to us one Metall, which hath a power to consume the rest, for it is almost as their water, & mother: yet there is one thing, and that alone, the radicall moisture, viz. of the Sunne, and Moon that withstands it, and is bettered by it; but that I may disclose it to you, it is called Chalybs, or Steel. If Gold couples eleven times with it, it sends forth its seed, and is debilitated almost unto death; the Chalybs conceives, and bears a son, more excellent then his father: then when the Seed of that which is now brought forth is put into its own Matrix, it purifies it, and makes it a thousand times more fit, and apt to bring forth the best, and most excellent fruits. There is another Chalybs, which is like to this, created by it selfe of Nature, which knows how to draw forth by vertue of the sun beams (through a wonderfull power, and vertue) that which so many men have sought after, and is the beginning of our work.
THE TENTH TREATISE.
Of the Supernaturall Generation of the Son of the Sun.
ee have treated of things, which Nature makes, and which God hath made; that the Searchers of Art might the more easily understand the possibility of Nature. But to delay no longer, I will now enter upon the Manner, and Art how to make the Philosophers stone. The Philosophers stone, or tincture is nothing else, but Gold digested to the highest degree: For vulgar Gold is like an herb without seed, when it is ripe it brings forth seed; so Gold when it is ripe yeelds seed, or tincture. But, will some ask, Why doth not Gold, or any other Metall bring forth seed? the reason given is this, because it cannot bee ripe, by reason of the crudity of the air, it hath not sufficient heat, and it happens, that in some places there is found pure Gold, which nature would have perfected, but was hindred by the crude aire. As for example, wee see that Orenge trees in Polonia doe indeed flourish as other trees; in Italie, and elsewhere, where their naturall soil is, they yeeld, and bring forth fruit, because they have sufficient heat; but in these cold places they doe otherwise, for when they begin to ripen, they are at a stand, because they are oppressed with cold; and so in these places we never have their fruit naturally: but if at any time Nature be sweetly, and wittily helped, then Art may perfect that, which Nature could not. The same happens in Metalls: Gold may yeeld fruit, and seed, in which it multiplyes it self by the industry of the skilfull Artificer, who knows how to exalt Nature, but if he will attempt to do it without Nature, he will be mistaken. For not only in this art, but also in every thing else, we can doe nothing but help Nature; and this by no other medium then fire, or heat. But seeing this cannot be done, since in a congealed Metallick body there appear no spirits; it is necessary that the body be loosed, or dissolved, and the pores thereof opened, whereby Nature may work. But what that dissolution ought to be, here I would have the Reader take notice, that there is a twofold dissolution, although there be many other dissolutions, but to little purpose; there is onely one that is truely naturall, the other is violent, under which all the rest are comprehended. The naturall is this, that the pores of the body bee opened in our water, whereby the seed, that is digested, may bee sent forth, and put into its proper Matrix: Now our water is heavenly, not wetting the hands, not vulgar, but almost rain water: The body is gold, which yeelds seed; our Lune or Silver, (not common Silver) is that which receives the seed of the gold: afterwards it is governed by our continual fire, for seven months, and sometimes ten, untill our water consume three, and leave one; and that in duplo, or a double. Then it is nourished with the milk of the earth, or the fatnesse thereof, which is bred in the bowells of the earth, and is governed, or preserved from putrefaction by the salt of Nature. And thus the infant of the second generation is generated. Now let us passe from the Theorie to the Praxis.