CHAP. XIII.
Why the Stone is said to be perfect.
FOr this cause is the Stone saide to be perfect, because it hath in it the nature of Minerals, Vegetables, and Animals: for the stone is three, and one hauing foure natures, to wit, the foure elements, & three colours, black, white, and red. It is also called a graine of corne, which if it die not, remaineth without fruit: but if it doo die (as is aboue said) when it is ioyned in coniunction, it bringeth forth much fruite, the afore named operations being accomplished. Thus curteous reader, if thou know the operation of the Stone, I haue told thee the truth: but if thou art ignorãt thereof, I haue said nothing. That which I haue spoken of the operation of the Sunne is finished: that is, that which hath beene spoken of the operation of the stone, of the three colours, and foure natures existing and beeing in one onely thing, namely in the Philosophers Mercurie, is fulfilled.
Thus endeth the Commentarie of Hortulanus, vppon the Smaragdine table of Hermes, the father of Philosophers.
The Booke of the Secrets
of Alchimie, composed by Galid
the sonne of Iazich, translated out of
Hebrew into Arabick, and out of
Arabick into Latine, and out
of Latin into English.
The Preface of the difficultie of the Art.
Thankes be giuen to God the Creator of all things, who hath conducted vs, beautified vs, instructed vs, and giuen vs knowledge and vnderstanding: Except the Lorde should keepe and guide vs, wee should bee like vagabonds, without guide or teacher: yea, we shuld know nothing in the world, vnlesse he taught vs: that is, the beginning, and knowledge it selfe of all things, by his power and goodnes ouer his people. He directeth and instructeth whom he wil, and with mercie reduceth into the way of iustice: for hee hath sent his messengers into the darke places, and made plaine the wayes, and with his mercy replenished such as loue him. Know brother, that this our mastery and honourable office of the secret Stone, is a secret of the secrets of God, which hee hath concealed from his people, neither would he reueale it to any, saue to those, who like sonnes haue faythfully deserued it, knowing both his goodnesse and greatnesse: for to him that desireth a secret of God, this secret masterie is more necessary then any other. And those wise men who haue attained to the knowledge herof, haue concealed part therof, and part therof they haue reuealed: for so haue I found my wise predecessors agreeing in this point in their worthie bookes: wherby thou shalt knowe that my disciple Musa, (more honorable in my eies then all other) hath diligently studied their bookes, & labored much in the worke of the mastery, wherin he hath bin greatly troubled, & much perplexed, not knowing the natures of things belonging to this work: the explanation whereof, and direction wherein, he hath humbly begged at my handes: yet I would afford him no answere therin, nor determine it, but commaunded him to reade ouer the Philosophers bookes, & therin to seke yt which he craued of me, & he going his way, read aboue a hundreth bookes, as hee found them euen the true and secret bookes of noble Philosophers: but in thẽ he could not find that which he desired: so he remained astonished, & almost distracted, though by the space of a yeare he continually sought it. If therfore my scholler Musa (that hath deserued to be accoũted among ye Philosophers) haue beene so doubtfull in the composition hereof, and that this hath hapned vnto him: what shall the ignorant and vnlearned doo, that vnderstandeth not the nature of things, nor is acquainted with their complections? But when I behelde this in my choysest and dearest disciple, moued with pitty and compassion toward him, or rather by the will and appointment of God, I made this book at the houre of my death, wherin I haue pretermitted many things, that my predecessors haue made mention of in their bookes: and againe, I haue touched some things which they concealed, & would by no meanes open & discouer: yea, I haue expounded and laide open certain things, that they haue hidden vnder dark & figuratiue speeches. And this my book I haue called the Secrets of Alchimy: in which I haue spoken of whatsoeuer is necessarie, to him that is studious of this Art or masterie, in a language befitting his sence & vnderstanding. And I haue named foure masteries far greater and better, thẽ other Philosophers haue done: of which number is Elixir, one Mineral, the other Animall: but the other two are minerals, and not the one Elixir: whose office is to washe that, which they call the bodies: and another is to make gold of Azot-viue, whose composition or generatiõ, is according to the generation or order of generation in the mynes, being in the heart and bowels of the earth. And these foure masteries or works, the Philosophers haue declared in their bookes of the composition of this mastery: but they want much: neyther would they shew the operation of it in their bookes: and though by chaunce he found it out, yet could hee not vnderstand it: so that hee found out nothing that was more troublesome to him. I wil therefore in this my booke declare it, together with the maner how to make it: but let him that will reade it, first learne Geometry, and her measures, that so he may rightly frame his furnaces, not passing a meane, either by excesse or defect: and withall, he must know the quantitie of his fire, and the forme of the vessell fit for his worke. Moreouer, lette him consider what is the ground-worke and beginning of the mastery, beeing to it, as the matrice is to liuing creatures, which are fashioned in the wombe, and therin receiue their createõ & nourishment: for if the thing of this mastery finde not that which is conuenient for it, the worke is marred, and the workmen shall not find that which they looke for, neither shal the thing it self be brought to the effect of generation: for where one cannot meete with the cause of generation, or the roote, and heate it selfe, it will fall out, that the labour shall be lost, and the worke nought worth. The like mischiefe will happen in respect of weight, which if it be not aright in the compound, the partes of the same nature, passing their boundes by augmentation, or diminution, the propertie of the compound is destroyed, & the effect therof voyd and without fruit, whereof I will giue you an example. Doo not you see that in Sope (with which cloathes are washed cleane and made white) there is this property if it be rightly made, by reason of equalitie, & one proportion, which participate in length and breadth? wherupon through this participation they agree, and then it appeareth, because it was truely made, and so the vertue which before lay hid, is nowe made known, which they cal a property, being the vertue of washing engendred in the compound: but when the grauity of the compound passeth his bounds, either by addition or diminution, ye vertue itself breaketh the limits of equality, & becõmeth contrary, according to ye distẽperãce of the cõpound. And this thou must vnderstãd to happen in the cõposition of our mastery.