CHAP. XV.
The maner how to make the Stone white.
NOwe therefore when thou wilt enterprise this worthy worke, thou shalt take the precious stone, and put it in a Cucurbite, couering it with an Alembicke, being well closed with the lute of wisdome, and set it in verie hote dung, then shalt thou distill it, putting a receiuer vnder it, whereinto the water may distill, and thus thou shalt leaue it, till all the water be distilled, and moysture dryed vp, and that drynesse preuaile ouer it: then shalt thou take it out drie, reseruing the water that is distilled, vntill thou hast neede of it: thou shalt take (I say) the drie bodie that remayned in the bottome of the Cucurbite, and grinde it, and put it in a vessel, in greatnesse answerable to the quantitie of the medicine, and burie it in verie hote horse-dung as thou canst get, the Vessell beeing well shut with the lute of Wisedome, and so let it rest. But when thou perceyuest the dung to waxe colde, thou shalt get thee other that is fresh, and very hot, and therein put thy Vessell. Thus shalt thou do by the space of fortie dayes, renuing thy dung so often as occasion shall serue, and the Medicine shall dissolue of it selfe, and become a thicke white water: which when thou beholdest to be so, thou shalt weigh it, & put thereto so much of the water which thou hast kept, as will make the halfe of his weight, closing thy Vessell with the lute of Wisedome, and put it againe in hote horse-dung, for that is hote and moyst, and thou shalt not omit (as I haue sayde) to renue the dung, when it beginneth to coole, till the tearme of fortie dayes be expired: for the Medicine shall be congealed in the like number of dayes, as before it was dissolued in. Again, take it, and note the iust weight of it, and according to his quantitie, take of the water which thou madest before, grind the body, and subtiliate it, and poure the water vpon it, and set it againe in hot hors-dung, for a weeke and a halfe, that is to say, ten daies, then take it out, and thou shalt see that the bodie hath already drunk vp the water. Afterward grinde it againe, and put thereto the like quantitie of that water, as thou didst before: bury it in dung, and leaue it there for ten dayes more: take it out againe, and thou shalt find that the body hath already drunke vp the water. Then (as before) grinde it, putting thereto of the foresayd water, the foresayd quantitie, and bury it in the foresayd dung, and let it rest there ten dayes longer, and afterward draw it out, so shalt thou do the fourth time also: which being done, thou shalt drawe it forth, and grinde it, and burie it in dung till it bee dissolued. Afterward, take it out, and reiterate it yet once more, for then the birth is perfect, and his worke ended. Now when this is done, and that thou hast brought this thing to this honourable estate, thou shalt take two hundred and fiftie drams of Lead, or Steele, and melt it: which beeing molten, thou shalt cast thereon one dramme of Cinnabarus: that is, of this Medicine, which thou hast brought to this honourable estate, and high degree, and it shall retaine the Steele or Leade, that it fly not from the fire: it shall make it white, and purge it from his drosse and blacknesse, and conuert it into a tincture perpetually abiding. Then take a dramme of these two hundred and fiftie, and proiect it vpon two hundred and fiftie drammes of Steele or Copper, and it shall conuert it into Siluer, better then that of the Myne. This is the greatest and last worke that it can effect, if God will.
CHAP. XVI.
The conuersion of the foresaid stone into red.
ANd if thou desirest to conuert this masterie into Golde, take of this medicine (which as I saide, thou hast brought to this honourable estate and excellencie) the waight of one dramme (and this after the manner of thy former example) and put it in a vessell, and bury it in hors-dung for fortie dayes, and it shall be dissolued: then thou shalt giue it water of the dissolued body to drink, first as much as amounteth to halfe his waight, afterward vntill it bee congealed, thou shalt bury it in moyst hot dung, as is aboue sayd. Then thou shalt orderly proceed in this Chapter of Gold, as thou hast done in the former Chapter of Siluer: and it shall be Golde, and make Golde God willing. My Sonne keepe this most secret Booke, and commit it not vnto the handes of ignorant men, being a secret of the secretes of God: For by this meanes thou shalt attaine thy desire. Amen.
Here endeth the secrets Alchimy, written in Hebrew by Calid, the sonne of Iarich.
An excellent discourse of
the admirable force and efficacie of Art and
Nature, written by the famous Frier Roger Bacon,
Sometime fellow of Merton Colledge, and
afterward of Brasen-nose in
Oxford.
