Steele is a body cleane, imperfect, engendred of Argent-uine pure, fixed & not fixed cleare, white outwardly, but red inwardly, and of the like Sulphur. It wanteth onely decoction or digestion.
Of the nature of Leade.
Leade is an vncleane and imperfect bodie, engendred of Argent-uiue impure, not fixed, earthy, drossie, somewhat white outwardly, and red inwardly, and of such a Sulphur in part burning. It wanteth puritie, fixation, colour, and fiering.
Of the nature of Copper.
Copper is an vncleane and imperfect bodie, engendred of Argent-uiue, impure, not fixed, earthy, burning, red not cleare, and of the like Sulphur. It wanteth purity, fixation, and weight: and hath too much of an impure colour, and earthinesse not burning.
Of the nature of Iron.
Iron is an vnclean and imperfect body, engendred of Argent-uiue impure, too much fixed, earthy, burning, white and red not cleare, and of the like Sulphur: It wanteth fusion, puritie, and weight: It hath too much fixed vncleane Sulphur, and burning earthinesse. That which hath bene spoken, euerie Alchimist must diligently obserue.
CHAP. III.
Out of what things the matter of Elixir must be more nearly extracted.
THe generation of mettals, as well perfect, as imperfect, is sufficiently declared by that which hath bene already spoken. Now let vs returne to the imperfect matter that must be chosen and made perfect. Seeing that by the former Chapters we haue bene taught, that all mettalls are engendred of Argent-uiue and Sulphur, and how that their impuritie and vncleannesse doth corrupt, and that nothing may be mingled with mettalls which hath not beene made or sprung from them, it remaineth cleane inough, that no strange thing which hath not his originall from these two, is able to perfect them, or to make a chaunge and new transmutation of them: so that it is to be wondred at, that any wise man should set his mind vpon liuing creatures, or vegetables which are far off, when there be minerals to bee found nigh enough: neither may we in any wise thinke, that any of the Philosophers placed the Art in the said remote things, except it were by way of comparison: but of the aforesaid two, all mettals are made, neither doth any thing cleaue vnto them, or is ioyned with them, nor yet chaungeth them, but that which is of them, and so of right wee must take Argent-uiue and Sulphur for the matter of our stone: Neither doth Argent-uiue by it selfe alone, nor Sulphur by it selfe alone, beget any mettall, but of the commixtion of them both, diuers mettals and minerals are diuersly brought foorth. Our matter therefore must bee chosen of the commixtion of them both: but our finall secrete is most excellent, and most hidden, to wit, of what minerall thing that is more neere then others, it shuld be made: and in making choise hereof, we must be very warie. I put the case then, yt our matter were first of all drawne out of vegetables, (of which sort are hearbs, trees, and whatsoeuer springeth out of the earth) here wee must first make Argent-uiue & Sulphur, by a long decoction, from which things, and their operation we are excused: for nature herselfe offereth vnto vs Argent-uiue and Sulphur. And if wee should draw it from liuing creatures (of which sort is mans bloud, haire, vrine, excrements, hens egs, and what else proceede from liuing creatures) wee must likewise out of them extract Argent-uiue and Sulphur by decoction, frõ which we are freed, as we were before. Or if we should choose it out of middle minerals (of which sort are all kindes of Magnesia, Marchasites, of Tutia, Coppres, Allums, Baurach, Salts, and many other) we should likewise, as afore, extract Argent-uiue and Sulphur by decoction: frõ which as from the former, wee are also excused. And if we should take one of the seuen spirits by it selfe, as Argent-uiue, or Sulphur alone, or Argent-uiue and one of the two Sulphurs, or Sulphur-uiue, or Auripigment, or Citrine Arsenicum, or red alone, or the like: we should neuer effect it, because sith nature doth neuer perfect anything without equall commixtion of both, neither can wee: from these therefore, as from the foresaide Argent-uiue and Sulphur in their nature we are excused. Finally, if wee should choose them, wee should mixe euerie thing as it is, according to a due proportion, which no man knoweth, and afterward decoct it to coagulatiõ, into a solide lumpe: and therefore we are excused from receiuing both of them in their proper nature: to wit, Argent-uiue and Sulphur, seeing wee know not their proportion, and that wee may meete with bodies, wherein we shall find the saide things proportioned, coagulated & gathered together, after a due manner. Keepe this secret more secretly. Golde is a perfect masculine bodie, without any superfluitie or diminution: and if it should perfect imperfect bodyes mingled with it by melting onely, it should be Elixir to red. Siluer is also a body almost perfect, and feminine, which if it should almost perfect imperfect bodyes by his common melting onely, it should be Elixir to white, which it is not, nor cannot be, because they onely are perfect. And if this perfection might be mixed with the imperfect, the imperfect shuld not be perfected with the perfect, but rather their perfections shuld be diminished by the imperfect, & become imperfect. But if they were more then perfect, either in a two-fold, foure-fold, hundred-fold, or larger proportion, they might then wel perfect the imperfect. And forasmuch as nature doth alwaies work simply, the perfection which is in them is simple, inseparable, & incommiscible, neither may they by art be put in the stone, for ferment to shorten the worke, and so brought to their former state, because the most volatile doth ouercome the most fixt. And for that gold is a perfect body, consisting of Argent-uiue, red and cleare, & of such a Sulphur, therfore we choose it not for the matter of our stone to the red Elixir, because it is so simply perfect, without artificiall mundification, & so strongly digested and sod with a natural heate, that with our artificiall fire, we are scarcely able to worke on gold or siluer. And though nature dooth perfect any thing, yet she cannot throughly mundifie, or perfect and purifie it, because she simply worketh on that which shee hath. If therfore we should choose gold or siluer for the matter of the stone, we should hard and scantly find fire working in them. And although we are not ignorant of the fire, yet could we not come to the through mundification & perfection of it, by reasõ of his most firme knitting together, and naturall composition: we are therefore excused for taking the first too red, or the second too white, seeing we may find out a thing or som body of as cleane, or rather more cleane Sulphur & Argent-uiue, on which nature hath wrought little or nothing at all, which with our artificiall fire, & experience of our art, we are able to bring vnto his due concoction, mundification, colour and fixation, continuing our ingenious labour vpon it. There must therefore bee such a matter chosen, wherein there is Argent-uiue, cleane, pure, cleare, white & red, not fully compleat, but equally and proportionably commixt after a due maner with ye like Sulphur, & congeled into a solide masse, that by our wisdome and discretion, and by our artificiall fire, we may attain vnto the vttermost cleannesse of it, and the puritie of the same, and bring it to that passe, that after the worke ended, it might bee a thousand thousand times more strong and perfect, then the simple bodies themselues, decoct by their naturall heate. Be therefore wise: for if thou shalt be subtile and wittie in my Chapters (wherin by manifest profe I haue laid open the matter of the stone easie to be knowne) thou shalt taste of that delightfull thing, wherin the whole intention of the Philosophers is placed.