BEgin composition, which is the circuite of the whole worke, for there shall be no composition without marriage and putrefaction. The Marriage is to mingle the thinne with the thicke, and Putrefaction, is to rost, grinde, and water, so long till all be mingled together and become one, so that there should bee no diuersitie in them, nor separation from water mingled with water. Then shall the thicke labour to retaine the thinne: then shall the soule striue with the fire, and endeuour to beare it: then shall the Spirite labour to be drowned in the bodyes, and poured foorth into them. And this must needes bee, because the bodye dissolued, when it is commixt with the Soule, it is likewise commixt with euerie part therof: & other things enter into other things, according to theyr similitude and likenesse, and are changed into one and the same thing. And for this cause the soule must partake with the commoditie, durablenesse, and permanencie, which the body receiued in his commixtion. The like also must befall the Spirite in this state or permanencie of the soule and body: for when the Spirit shall bee commixt with the soule by laborious operation, and all his partes with all the partes of the other two, to wit, the soule and bodie, then shall the Spirite and the other two, bee conuerted into one indiuisible thing, according to their entire substance, whose natures haue beene preserued, and their partes haue agreed and come together: whereby it hath come to passe, that when this compounde hath met with a body dissolued, and that heate hath got hold of it, and that the moysture which was in it appeareth, and is molten in the dissolued body, and hath passed into it, and mixt it selfe with that which was of the nature of moysture, it is inflamed, and the fire defendeth it self with it. Then when the fire would be enflamed with it, it will not suffer the fire to take holde of it, that is to say: to cleaue vnto it with the Spirit mingled with his water. The fire will not abide by it vntill it be pure. And in like manner doth the water naturally flie from the fire, wherof when the fire hath taken hold, it doth forth with by little and little euaporate. And thus hath the body beene the meanes to retaine the water, and the water to retaine the oyle, that it should not burne nor consume away, and the oyle to retaine tincture, and tincture the precise cause to make the colour appear and shew forth the tincture, wherein there is neither light nor life. This then is the true life and perfection of the worke and masterie which thou soughtest for. Be wise therefore and vnderstande, and thou shalt find what thou lookest for, if it please God.
CHAP. XII.
Of the solution of the Stone compounded.
THe Philosophers moreouer haue taken great paines in dissoluing, that the body and soule might the better be incorporate, for all those things that are together in contrition, assation, and rigation, haue a certaine affinitie and alliance betweene themselues, so that the fire may spoyle the weaker of nature, till it vtterly fade and vanish away, as also it again returneth vpon the stronger parts, vntil the bodie remaine without the Soule. But when they are thus dissolued and congealed, they take the parts one with another, as well great as small, and incorporate them well together, till they be conuerted and changed into one and the same thing. And when this is done, the fire taketh from the Soule as much as from the body, neither more nor lesse, and this is the cause of perfection. For this cause it is necessary (teaching the composition of Elixir) to afford one chapter for expounding the solution of simple bodyes and soules, because bodyes doo not enter into soules, but do rather withhold and hinder them from sublimatiõ, fixation, retention, commistion, and the like operations, except mundification go before. And thou shalt know, that solution is after one of these two wayes: for either it extracteth the inward parts of things vnto their Superficies, and this is solution (an example whereof thou hast in Siluer that seemeth cold and drie, but being dissolued, and that his inwards appeare, it is found hot and moyst) or else it is to purchase to a body an accidentall moysture, which it had not before, and to adde hereunto his owne humiditie, whereby his parts may be dissolued, and this likewise is called solution.
CHAP. XIII.
Of the coagulation of the Stone dissolued.
SOme among the learned haue said, Congeale in a bath with a good congelation as I haue tolde thee, and this is Sulphur shining in darknesse, a red Hiasinth, a firy & deadly poyson, the Elixir that abideth vppon none, a victorious Lion, a malefactor, a sharpe sworde, a precious Triacle, healing euery infirmitie. And Geber the sonne of Hayen sayd, that all the operations of this masterie are contained vnder sixe things: to put to flight, to melt, to incerate, to make as white as Marble, to dissolue and congeale. That putting to flight, is to driue away and remoue blacknesse, from the spirit and soule: the melting is the liquefaction of the body: to incerate belongeth properly to the body, and is the subtiliation thereof: to whiten, is properly to melt speedily: to congeale, is to congeale the body with the soule alreadie prepared. Againe, flight appertaineth to the body and soule: to melt, whiten, incerate, and dissolue, belong vnto the body, and congelation to the soule. Bee wise and vnderstand.
CHAP. XIIII.
That there is but one Stone, and of his nature.
BAuzan a Greeke Philosopher, when it was demaunded of him, whether a stone may be made of a thing that buddeth, made answere, yea, to wit, the two first stones, the stone Alkali, and our stone, which is the life and workmanship of him that knoweth it: but he that is ignorant of it, and hath not made it, and knoweth not how it is engendred, supposing it to be no stone, or that conceiueth not with himselfe whatsoeuer I haue spoken of it, and yet will make a tryall of it, prepareth himselfe for death, and casteth away his money: for if he cannot finde out this precious stone, another shall not arise in his place, neither shall natures triumph ouer him. His nature is great heate with moderation. He that now knoweth it, hath profited by reading this booke, but he that remaineth ignorant, hath lost his labour. It hath many properties and vertues, for it cureth bodies of their accidentall diseases, and preserueth sound substances, in such sort, that their appeareth in them no perturbations of contraries, nor breach of their bond and vnion. For this is the sope of bodies, yea their spirit and soule, which when it is incorporate with them, dissolueth them without any losse. This is the life of the dead, and their resurrection, a medicine preseruing bodies, and purging superfluities. He that vnderstandeth, let him vnderstand, and he that is ignorant, let him bee ignorant stil: for it is not to be bought with mony, it is neither to be bought nor sold. Conceiue his vertue, value, and worth, and then begin to worke: wherof a learned man hath said: God giueth thee not this masterie for thy sole audacity, fortitude & subtilitie, without all labour, but men labor, and God giueth them good successe. Adore thẽ God the creator, that hath vouchsafed thee so great fauor in his blessed works.