AFter all these things, this stone thus exalted, must be incerated with the Oyle that was extracted from it in the first operation, being called the water of the stone: and so often boyle it by sublimation, till by vertue of the firmentation of the earth exalted with it, the whole stone doo againe descende from heauen into the earth, and remaine fixed and flowing. And this is it which the Philosopher sayth: It descendeth agayne into the earth, and so receyueth the vertue of the superiours by sublimation, and of the inferiours, by descension: that is, that which is corporall, is made spirituall by sublimation, and that which is spirituall, is made corporall by descension.
CHAP. X.
Of the fruit of the Art, and efficacie of the Stone.
SO shalt thou haue the glorie of the whole worlde. That is, this stone thus compounded, thou shalt possesse the glorie of this world. Therefore all obscuritie shall flie from thee: that is, all want and sicknesse, because the stone thus made, cureth euerie disease. Here is the mightie power of all power. For there is no comparison of other powers of this world, to the power of the stone. For it shall ouercome euery subtil thing, and shall pearce through euery solide thing. It shall ouercome, that is, by ouercomming, it shall conuert quicke Mercury, that is subtile, congealing it: and it shall pearce through other hard, solide, and compact bodies.
CHAP. XI.
That this worke imitateth the Creation of the worlde.
HE giueth vs also an example of the composition of his Stone, saying, So was the world created. That is, like as the world was created, so is our stone composed. For in the beginning, the whole world and all that is therein, was a confused Masse or Chaos (as is aboue saide) but afterward by the workemanship of the soueraigne Creator, this masse was diuided into the foure elements, wonderfully separated and rectified, through which separation, diuers things were created: so likewise may diuers things bee made by ordering our worke, through the separation of the diuers elemẽts frõ diuers bodies. Here shal be wonderfull adaptations: that is, If thou shalt separate the elements, there shall be admirable compositions, fitte for our worke in the composition of our Stone, by the elements rectified: Wherof, to wit, of which wonderfull things fit for this: the meanes, to wit, to proceede by, is here.
CHAP. XII.
An enigmaticall insinuation what the matter of the Stone shoulde be.
THerefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus. Now that he hath declared the composition of the Stone, he teacheth vs after a secret maner, wherof the Stone is made: first naming himselfe, to the ende that his schollers (who should hereafter attaine to this science) might haue his name in continuall remembrance: and then hee toucheth the matter saying: Hauing three parts of the Philosophie of the whole world: because that whatsoeuer is in the worlde, hauing matter & forme, is compounded of the foure Elements: hence is it, that there are so infinite parts of the world, all which he diuideth into three principall partes, Minerall, Vegetable, & Animall: of which iointly, or seuerally, hee had the true knowledge in the worke of the Sunne: for which cause hee saith, Hauing three parts of the Philosophie of the whole world, which parts are contained in one Stone, to wit, Philosophers Mercurie.