Nicholas Flammel, his exposition of the hieroglyphicall figures which he caused to bee painted vpon an arch in St. Innocents Church-yard, in Paris. Together with the secret booke of Artephius, and the epistle of Iohn Pontanus: concerning both the theoricke and the practicke of the philosophers stone. Faithfully, and (as the maiesty of the thing requireth) religiously done into English out of the French and Latine copies. By Eirenæus Orandus, qui est, vera veris enodans — Figures hierogliphiques. English

Nicholas Flammel, his exposition of the hieroglyphicall figures which he caused to bee painted vpon an arch in St. Innocents Church-yard, in Paris. Together with the secret booke of Artephius, and the epistle of Iohn Pontanus: concerning both the theoricke and the practicke of the philosophers stone. Faithfully, and (as the maiesty of the thing requireth) religiously done into English out of the French and Latine copies. By Eirenæus Orandus, qui est, vera veris enodans — Figures hierogliphiques. English

Table of contents

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Title page

TO THE MOST excellently accomplisht LADY, the C. D. of E.

READER.

Againe.

Once againe, and so farewell.

THE BOOKE of the HIEROGLYPHICALL Figures of Nicholas Flammel.

The Introduction.

CHAP. I. Of the Theologicall Interpretations, which may be giuen to these Hieroglyphickes, according to the sence of mee the Authour.

CHAP. II. The interpretations Philosophicall, according to the Maistery of Hermes.

CHAP. III. The two Dragons of colour yellowish, blew, and black like the field.

CHAP. IIII. Of the man and the woman clothed in a gowne of Orange colour vpon a field azure and blew, and of their rowles.

CHAP. V. The figure of a man, like that of Saint Paul, cloathed with a robe white and yellow, bordered with gold, holding a naked Sword, hauing at his feet a man on his knees, clad in a robe of orange colour, blacke and white, holding a roule.

CHAP. VI. Vpon a greene field, three resuscitants, or which rise againe, two men and one woman, altogether white: Two Angels beneath, and ouer the Angels the figure of our Sauiour comming to iudge the world, clothed with a robe which is perfectly Citrine white.

CHAP. VII. Vpon a field violet and blew, two Angels of an Orange colour, and their Rowles.

CHAP. VIII. The figure of a man, like vnto Saint Peter, cloathed in a robe Citrine red, holding a key in his right hand, and laying his left hand vpon a woman, in an orange coloured robe, which is on her knees at his feete, holding a Rowle.

CHAP. IX. Vpon a darke violet field, a man red purple, holding the foote of a Lyon red as vermillion, which hath wings, & it seemes would rauish and carry away the man.

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THE PREFACE to the READER, in the French and Latine Copies.

ARTEPHIVS HIS SECRET BOOKE.

THE EPISTLE Of IOHN PONTANVS, (mentioned in the Preface to the Reader of ARTEPHIVS his secret Booke) wherein he beareth witnesse of the BOOKE: Translated out of the Latine Copy: Extant in the third Volume of Theatrum Chymicum, at the 775. Page.

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NICHOLAS FLAMMEL, His Exposition of the Hieroglyphicall Figures which he caused to bee painted vpon an Arch in St. Innocents Church-yard, in PARIS.

Together with The secret Booke of ARTEPHIVS, And The Epistle of Iohn Pontanus: Concerning both the Theoricke and the Practicke of the PHILOSOPHERS STONE.

Faithfully, and (as the Maiesty of the thing requireth) religiously done into English out of the French and Latine Copies.

BY EIRENaeVS ORANDVS, qui est, Vera veris enodans.

— [...].

Imprinted at London by T. S. for Thomas Walkley, and are to bee solde at his Shop, at the Eagle and Childe in Britans Bursse. 1624.

TO THE MOST excellently accomplisht LADY, the C. D. of E.

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MADAME:

BEcause there are not many worthy such Epithets, therfore amongst so few, and those so dispersed, it is not hard for any man to know you, as well by your iust titles as by your Name. Pardon my boldnesse, who owing my best seruice vnto your vertues, though not knowing your [Page] person, nor knowne unto you, vnlesse peraduenture the report of my disasters haue come vnto your ares; doe humbly offer vnto you, what I am assured, when you vnderstand, (if euer God incline your heart to the search, and open your eyes to the sight thereof) you wil esteeme as the greatest and most vnualuable secret, which amongst all vnder-Moone things, was euer imparted and communicated to man. Your Piety and Almes deedes, proceeding from that boundlesse fountaine of burning Charity, which disperseth it selfe in all formes, according to the necessities of the poore, haue inforced mee to tell the world, that for you, and such [Page] as you are, I haue caused these little Bookes to bee published in our vulgar English, custome excusing the most of your sexe from the knowledge of the learned Tongues, in which Cabinets, these secrets are ordinarily locked vp, though there want not examples of many women, who, by the impartiall grace of God, haue attained to the thing it selfe. But it is not my purpose to flatter any body with the hope of that, which I well know how rare and reserued a blessing of the Almighty it is: Onely, if you will bee but pleased, by this occasion, to cast your eyes vpon that triumphant Chariot, wherein Nature rideth through her Minerall [Page] and vnder-earth kingdome, you will easily see what difference there is, between the plenteous vertues of heauen, there thrust and crowded vp together, (as lines though farre distant in their first setting foorth from the Circumference, yet touching one another when they come neere the Center) and the loose and weake composition of Vegetables, which being of another imposition of Nature, are not able either to receiue or to hold such plentie of those heauenly Spirits, which are the life of euery Elementary body, no where idle, and there most abounding where it seemes most to bee hidden. For the rest, if any of my busie vnletter'd Countreymen, [Page] who are in great numbers, as bold pretenders to this blessed Science, as they are blinde practitioners therein, shall by the reading of these Treatises bee perswaded (as I wish they may) to forbeare the losse of their time, and the expence of their monyes, vntill they be taught by the one of them, the true matter to worke on, and by the other, the true manner of proceeding therewith; let them in their hearts blesse God for you, to whose noble deserts (that chalenge a due acknowledgement from all good men) I haue paid this small tribute of my labours. For mine owne part, the helpe and comfort which I haue so plenteously reaped from these studies, [Page] in the middest of many pressures, which without the extra-ordinary assistance of God, had beene insupportable, hath already made light and easie in my resolution, whatsoeuer I shall either doe, or suffer, for God, or goodmen, or the trueth. The father of the fatherlesse, the Iudge of the widdowes, and the hope of the helpe lesse, bee to you and yours ALL THINGS. So prayeth,

Your humble seruant Eirenaeus Orandus.

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ET sit splendor Domini Dei nostri super nos, & opera manuum nostrarum dirige super nos; & opus manuum nostrarum dirige. Psal 90. 19.

And let the bright beauty of the Lord our God be vpon vs; and guide thou the workes of our hands vpon vs, and the work of our hands guide thou it. Psal. 90. 19.

QVis enim despexit dies paruos? & laetabuntur, & videbunt lapidem stanneum in manu Zorobabel. Septemisti, Oculi sunt Domini, qui discurrunt in vniuersam terram. Zech. 4. 10.

For who hath despised the day of little things? for they shall reioyce, and shall see the stone of Tinne in the hand of Zerubbabel, with those seuen; they are the Eyes of the Lord, which run too & fro through the whole earth. Zech. 4. 10.

READER.

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— [...],

[...].—

Haec partim ipse tuo perpendes pectore tecum,

Partem Diuum aliquis tibi suggeret.—

Part of these things thy mind shal prompt thee to,

And part, some God shall teach thee how to doe.

Againe.

Si te fata vocant, aliter non viribus vllis

Vincere, nec duro poteris conuellere ferro.

If Fates thee call, else with no violence,

Nor hardest Iron canst thou dig them thence.

Once againe, and so farewell.

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[...],

[...],

[...]:

[...].

[...].

Fortuna vices lubrica versat

Varias docilis sum [...]re formas.

Inopina Dei plurima peragunt;

Non succedunt quae fore speras,

Quae fore nemo posse putaret,

Saepe expediunt numina. Qualem

Haec sortita est res mihi finem.

Many shapes of Fate there bee

Much done beyond our hope, we see:

What we thinke sure, God often stayes,

And findes, for things vndream't▪ of, wayes.

For so did this succeed to mee,

And so I wish it may to thee.

Eirenaeus Orandus.

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Place this Arch [...]

NICOLAS FLAMEL, ET PERCOMMENT LES INNOCENS FVRENELLE SA FEMME RENT OCCIS PAR LE COMMANDEMENT DV ROY HERODES.

THE BOOKE of the HIEROGLYPHICALL Figures of Nicholas Flammel.

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ETernally praised be the Lord my God, which lifteth the humble from the base dust, and maketh the hearts of such as hope in him to reioyce: which of his grace openeth to them that beleeue, the Springs of his bountie, and putteth vnder their feet the worldly Sphaeres (or circles) [Page] of all earthly happinesses: In him bee alwayes our trust; in his feare, our felicitie; in his mercy, the glory of the reparation of our nature; and in our prayers, our vnshaken assurance. And thou, ô God Almighty, as thy benignity hath vouchsafed to open vpon earth before me (thy vnworthy seruant) all the treasures of the riches of the world; so may it please thy great Clemencie, then when I shall be no more in the number of the liuing, to open vnto me the treasures of heauen, and to let me behold thy Diuine face, the Maiestie whereof, is a delight vnspeakeable, and the rauishing ioy whereof, neuer ascended into the heart [Page] of liuing man. I aske it of thee, for our Lord Iesus Christ they welbeloued Son his sake, who in the vnity of the holy Spirit, liueth with thee world without end. Amen.

The Explication of the Hieroglyphicke Figures, placed by mee Nicholas Flammel, Scriuener, in the Church-yard of the Innocents, in the fourth Arch, entring by the great gate of St. Dennis street, and taking the way on the right hand.

The Introduction.

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ALthough that I Nicholas Flammel, NOTARY, and abiding in Paris, in this yeere one thousand three hundred fourescore and nineteene, and dwelling in my house in the street of Notaries, neere vnto the Chappell of St. Iames of the Bouchery; although, I say, that I learned but a little Latine, because of the small meanes of my Parents, which neuerthelesse were by them that enuie me the most, accounted honest people; yet by the grace of God, and the intercession of the blessed Saints in Paradise of both [Page] sexes, and principally of Saint Iames of Gallicia, I haue not wanted the vnderstanding of the Bookes of the Philosophers, and in them learned their so hidden secrets. And for this cause, there shall neuer bee any moment of my life, when I remember this high good, wherein vpon my knees (if the place will giue me leaue) or otherwise, in my heart with all my affection, I shall not render thanks to this most benigne God, which neuer suffereth the child of the Iust to beg from doore to doore, and deceiueth not them which wholly trust in his blessing.

Whilest therefore, I Nicholas Flammel, Notary, [Page] after the decease of my Parents, got my liuing in our Art of Writing, by making Inuentories, dressing accounts, and summing vp the Expences of Tutors and Pupils, there fell into my hands, for the sum of two Florens, a guilded Booke, very old and large; It was not of Paper, nor Parchment, as other Bookes bee, but was onely made of delicate Rindes (as it seemed vnto me) of tender yong trees: The couer of it was of brasse, well bound, all engrauen with letters, or strange figures; and for my part, I thinke they might well be Greeke Characters, or some such like ancient language: Sure I am, I could not reade them, and I [Page] know well they were not notes nor letters of the Latine nor of the Gaule, for of them wee vnderstand a little. As for that which was within it, the leaues of barke or rinde, were ingrauen, and with admirable diligence written, with a point of Iron, in faire and neate Latine letters coloured. It contained thrice seuen leaues, for so were they counted in the top of the leaues, and alwayes euery seuenth leafe was without any writing, but in stead thereof, vpon the first seuenth leafe, there was painted a Virgin, and Serpents swallowing her vp; In the second seuenth, a Crosse where a Serpent was crucified; and in the last seuenth [Page] there were painted Desarts, or Wildernesses, in the middest whereof ran many faire fountaines, from whence there issued out a number of Serpents, which ran vp and downe here and there. Vpon the first of the leaues, was written in great Capitall Letters of gold, ABRAHAM THE IEW, PRINCE, PRIEST, LEVITE, ASTROLOGER, AND PHILOSOPHER, TO THE NATION OF THE IEWES, BY THE WRATH OF GOD DISPERSED AMONG THE GAVLES, SENDETH HEALTH. After this it was filled with great execrations and curses [Page] (with this word MARANATHA, which was often repeated there) against euery person that should cast his eyes vpon it, if hee were not Sacrificer or Scribe.

Hee that sold mee this Booke, knew not what it was worth, no more than I when I bought it; I beleeue it had beene stolne or taken from the miserable Iewes; or found hid in some part of the ancient place of their abode. Within the Booke, in the second leafe, hee comforted his Nation, councelling them to flie vices, and aboue all, Idolatry, attending with sweete patience the comming of the Messias, which should vanquish all the Kings of the Earth, [Page] and should raigne with his people in glory eternally. Without doubt this had beene some very wise and vnderstanding man. In the third leafe, and in all the other writings that followed, to helpe his Captiue nation to pay their tributes vnto the Romane Emperours, and to doe other things, which I will not speake of, he taught them in common words the transmutation of Mettalls; hee painted the Vessels by the sides, and hee aduertised them of the colours, and of all the rest, sauing of the first Agent, of the which hee spake not a word, but onely (as hee said) in the fourth and fifth leaues entire hee painted it, and figured it [Page] with very great cunning and workemanship: for although it was well and intelligibly figured and painted, yet no man could euer haue beene able to vnderstand it, without being well skilled in their Cabala, which goeth by tradition, and without hauing well studied their bookes The fourth and fifth leafe therefore, was without any writing, all full of faire figures enlightened, or as it were enlightened, for the worke was very exquisite. First he painted a yong man, with wings at his anckles, hauing in his hand a Caducaean rodde, writhen about with two Serpents, wherewith hee strooke vpon a helmet which couered his [Page] head; he seemed to my small iudgement, to be the God Mercury of the Pagans: against him there came running and flying with open wings, a great old man, who vpon his head had an houre-glasse fastened, and in his hands a hooke (or sithe) like Death, with the which, in terrible and furious manner, hee would haue cut off the feet of Mercury. On the other side of the fourth leafe, hee painted a faire flowre on the top of a very high mountaine, which was sore shaken with the North wind; it had the foot blew, the flowres white and red, the leaues shining like fine gold: And round about it the Dragons and Griffons of the North made their [Page] nests and abode. On the fifth leafe there was a faire Rose-tree flowred in the middest of a sweet Garden, climbing vp against a hollow Oake; at the foot wherof boyled a fountaine of most white water, which ranne head-long downe into the depths, notwithstanding it first passed among the hands of infinite people, which digged in the Earth seeking for it; but because they were blinde, none of them knew it, except here and there one which considered the weight.

On the last side of the fift leafe, there was a King with a great Fauchion, who made to be killed in his presenc [...] by some Souldiers a great multitude of little Infants, [Page] whose Mothers wept at the feet of the vnpittifull Souldiers: the bloud of which Infants was afterwards by other Souldiers gathered vp, and put in a great vessell, wherein the Sunne and the Moone came to bathe themselues. And because that this History did represent the more part of that of the Innocents slaine by Herod, and that in this Booke I learned the greatest part of the Art, this was one of the causes, why I placed in their Churchyard these Hieroglyphick Symbols of this secret science. And thus you see that which was in the first fiue leaues: I will not represent vnto you that which was written in good and intelligible [Page] Latine in all the other written leaues, for God would punish me, because I should commit a greater wickednesse, then he who (as it is said) wished that all the men of the World had but one head that hee might cut it off at one blow. Hauing with me therefore this faire Booke, I did nothing else day nor night, but study vpon it, vnderstanding very well all the operations that it shewed, but not knowing with what matter I should beginne, which made me very heauy and sollitary, and caused me to fetch many a sigh. My wife Perrenelle, whom I loued as my selfe, and had lately married, was much astonished at this, [Page] comforting mee, and earnestly demanding, if shee could by any meanes deliuer mee from this trouble: I could not possibly hold my tongue, but told her all, and shewed her this faire Booke, whereof at the same instant that shee saw it, shee became as much enamored as my selfe, taking extreame pleasure to behold the faire couer, grauings, images, and portraicts, whereof notwithstanding shee vnderstood as little as I: yet it was a great comfort to mee to talke with her, and to entertaine my selfe, what wee should doe to haue the interpretation of them. In the end I caused to bee painted within my Lodging, as naturally as I could, all the figures [Page] and portraicts of the fourth and fifth leafe, which I shewed to the greatest Clerkes in Paris, who vnderstood thereof no more then my selfe; I told them they were found in a Booke that taught the Phylosophers stone, but the greatest part of them made a mocke both of me, and of that blessed Stone, excepting one called Master Anselme, which was a Licentiate in Physick, and studied hard in this Science: He had a great desire to haue seene my Book, and there was nothing in the world, which he would not haue done for a sight of it: but I alwayes told him, that I had it not; onely I made him a large description of the Method. He told [Page] mee that the first portraict represented Time, which deuoured all; and that according to the number of the sixe written leaues, there was required the space of sixe yeeres, to perfect the stone; and then he said, wee must turne the glasse, and seeth it no more. And when I told him that this was not painted, but onely to shew and teach the first Agent, (as was said in the Booke) hee answered me, that this decoction for sixe yeeres space, was, as it were, a second Agent; and that certainely the first Agent was there painted, which was the white and heauy water, which without doubt was Argent viue, which they could not fixe, nor cut off [Page] his feete, that is to say, take away his volatility saue by that long decoction in the purest bloud of young Infants; for in that, this Argent viue being ioined with gold and siluer, was first turned with them into an herb like that which was there painted, and afterwards by corruption, into Serpents; which Serpents being then wholly dried, and decocted by fire, were reduced into powder of gold, which should be the stone. This was the cause, that during the space of one and twenty yeeres, I tryed a thousand broulleryes, yet neuer with bloud, for that was wicked and villanous: for I found in my Booke, that the Phylosophers called Bloud, the [Page] minerall spirit, which is in the Mettals, principally in the Sunne, Moone, and Mercury, to the assembling whereof, I alwayes tended; yet these interpretations for the most part were more subtile then true. Not seeing therefore in my workes the signes, at the time written in my Booke, I was alwayes to beginne againe. In the end hauing lost all hope of euer vnderstanding those figures, for my last refuge, I made a vow to God, and St Iames of Gallicia, to demand the interpretation of them, at some Iewish Priest, in some Synagogue of Spaine: whereupon with the consent of Perrenelle, carrying with me the Extract of the Pictures, hauing [Page] taken the Pilgrims habit and staffe, in the same fashion as you may see me, without this same Arch in the Church-yard, in the which I put these hyeroglyphicall figures, where I haue also set against the wall, on the one and the other side, a Procession, in which are represented by order all the colours of the stone, so as they come & goe, with this writing in French.

Moult plaist a Dieu procession,

S' elle est faicte en deuotion: that is,

Much pleaseth God procession,

If't be done in deuotion.

[Page] which is as it wete the beginning of King Hercules his Book, which entreateth of the colours of the stone, entituled Iris, or the Rainebow, in these termes, Operis processio multùm naturae placet, that is, The procession of the worke is very pleasant vnto Nature: the which I haue put there expresly for the great Clerkes, who shall vnderstand the Allusion. In this same fashion, I say, I put my selfe vpon my way; and so much I did, that I arriued at Montioy, and afterwards at Saint Iames, where with great deuotion I accomplished my vow. This done, in Leon at my returne I met with a Merchant of Boloyn, which made me knowne to [Page] a Physician, a Iew by Nation, and as then a Christian, dwelling in Leon aforesaid, who was very skilfull in sublime Sciences, called Master Canches. Assoone as I had showen him the figures of my Extraict, hee being rauished with great astonishment and ioy, demanded of me incontinently, if I could tell him any newes of the Booke, from whence they were drawne? I answered him in Latine (wherein hee asked me the question) that I hoped to haue some good newes of the Book, if any body could decipher vnto me the Enigmaes: All at that instant transported with great Ardor and ioy, hee began to decipher vnto mee the bening: [Page] But to be short, hee wel content to learn newes where this Book should be, and I to heare him speake; and certainly he had heard much discourse of the Booke, but (as he said) as of a thing which was beleeued to be vtterly lost, we resolued of our voyage, and from Leon wee passed to Ouiedo, and from thence to Sanson, where wee put our selues to Sea to come into France: Our voyage had beene fortunate enough, & all ready, since we were entred into this Kingdome, he had most truly interpreted vnto mee the greatest part of my figures, where euen vnto the very points and prickes, he found great misteries, which seemed [Page] vnto mee wonderfull, when arriuing at Orleans, this learned man fell extreamely sicke, being afflicted with excessiue vomitings, which remained still with him of those he had suffered at Sea, and he was in such a continuall feare of my forsaking him, that hee could imagine nothing like vnto it. And although I was alwayes by his side, yet would he incessantly call for mee, but in summe hee dyed, at the end of the seuenth day of his sicknesse, by reason whereof I was much grieued, yet as well as I could, I caused him to be buried in the Church of the holy Crosse at Orleans, where hee yet resteth; God haue his soule, for hee dyed a good Christian: And [Page] surely, if I be not hindered by death, I will giue vnto that Church some reuenew, to cause some Masses to bee said for his soule euery day. He that would see the manner of my arriuall, and the ioy of Perenelle, let him looke vpon vs two, in this City of Paris, vpon the doore of the Chappell of St Iames of the Bouchery, close by the one side of my house, where wee are both painted, my selfe giuing thankes at the feet of Saint Iames of Gallicia, and Perrenelle at the feet of St Iohn, whom shee had so often called vpon. So it was, that by the grace of God, and the intercession of the happy and holy Virgin, and the blessed Saints, [Page] Iames and Iohn, I knew all that I desired, that is to say, The first Principles, yet not their first preparation, which is a thing most difficult, aboue all the things in the world: But in the end I had that also, after long errours of three yeeres, or thereabouts; during which time, I did nothing but study and labour, so as you may see me without this Arch, where I haue placed my Processions against the two Pillars of it, vnder the feet of St. Iames and St. Iohn, praying alwayes to God, with my Beades in my hand, reading attentiuely within a Booke, and poysing the words of the Philosophers: and afterwards trying and [Page] proouing the diuerse operations, which I imagined to my selfe, by their onely words. Finally, I found that which I desired, which I also soone knew by the strong sent and odour thereof. Hauing this, I easily accomplished the Mastery, for knowing the preparation of the first Agents, and after following my Booke according to the letter, I could not haue missed it, though I would. Then the first time that I made proiection, was vpon Mercurie, whereof I turned halfe a pound, or thereabouts, into pure Siluer, better than that of the Mine, as I my selfe assayed, and made others assay many times. This was vpon a Munday, the 17. of Ianuary [Page] about noone, in my house, Perrenelle onely being present; in the yeere of the restoring of mankind, 1382. And afterwards, following alwayes my Booke, from word to word, I made proiection of the Red stone vpon the like quantity of Mercurie, in the presence likewise of Perrenelle onely, in the same house, the fiue and twentieth day of Aprill following, the same yeere, about fiue a clocke in the Euening; which I transmuted truely into almost as much pure Gold, better assuredly than common Golde, more soft, and more plyable. I may speake it with truth, I haue made it three times, with the helpe of Perrenelle, who [Page] vnderstood it as well as I, because she helped mee in my operations, and without doubt, if shee would haue enterprised to haue done it alone, shee had attained to the end and perfection thereof. I had indeed enough when I had once done it, but I found exceeding great pleasure and delight, in seeing and contemplating the Admirable workes of Nature, within the Vessels. To signifie vnto thee then, how I haue done it three times, thou shalt see in this Arch, if thou haue any skil to know them, three furnaces, like vnto them which serue for our opperations: was afraid a long time, that Perrenelle could not hide the extreme [Page] ioy of her felicitie, which I measured by mine owne, and lest shee should let fall some word amongst her kindred, of the great treasures which wee possessed: for extreme ioy takes away the vnderstanding, as well as great heauinesse; but the goodnesse of the most great God, had not onely filled mee with this blessing, to giue mee a wife chaste and sage, for she was moreouer, not onely capeable of reason, but also to doe all that was reasonable, and more discreet and secret, than ordinarily other women are. Aboue all, shee was exceeding deuout, and therefore seeing her selfe without hope of children, and now well stricken in yeeres, shee [Page] began as I did, to thinke of God, and to giue or selues to the workes of mercy. At that time when I wrote this Commentarie, in the yeere one thousand foure hundred and thirteene, in the end of the yeere, after the decease of my faithfull companion, which I shall lament all the dayes of my life: she and I had already founded, and endued with reuenewes 14. Hospitals in this Citie of Paris, wee had new built from the ground three Chappels, we had inriched with great gifts and good rents, seuen Churches, with many reparations in their Church-yards, besides that which we haue done at Boloigne, which is not much lesse than that which wee [Page] haue done heere. I will not speake of the good which both of vs haue done to particular poore folkes, principally to widdowes and poore Orphans, whose names if I should tel, and how I did it, besides that my reward should be giuen mee in this World, I should likewise doe displeasure to those good persons, whom I pray God blesse, which I would not doe for any thing in the World. Building therefore these Churches, Churchyards, and Hospitals in this City, I resolued my selfe, to cause to be painted in the fourth Arch of the Church-yard of the Innocents, as you enter in by the great gate in St. Dennis street, and taking [Page] the way on the right hand, the most true and essentiall markes of the Arte, yet vnder vailes, and Hieroglyphicall couertures, in imitation of those which are in the gilded Booke of Abraham the Iew, which may represent two things, according to the capacity and vnderstanding of them that behold them: First, the mysteries of our future and vndoubted Resurrection, at the day of Iudgement, and comming of good Iesus, (whom may it please to haue mercy vpon vs) a Historie which is well agreeing to a Churchyard. And secondly, they may signifie to them, which are skilled in Naturall Philosophy, all the principall and necessary [Page] operations of the Maistery. These Hieroglyphicke figures shall serue as two wayes to leade vnto the heauenly life: the first and most open sence, teaching the sacred Mysteries of our saluation; (as I will shew heereafter) the other teaching euery man, that hath any small vnderstanding in the Stone, the lineary way of the worke; which being perfected by any one, the change of euill into good, takes away from him the roote of all sinne (which is couetousnesse) making him liberall, gentle, pious religious, and fearing God, how euill soeuer hee was before, for from thence forward, hee is continually rauished, with the great grace and [Page] mercy which hee hath obtained from God, and with the profoundnesse of his Diuine & admirable works. These are the reasons which haue mooued mee to set these formes in this fashion, and in this place which is a Churchyard, to the end that if any man obtaine this inestimable good, to conquere this rich golden Fleece, he may thinke with himselfe (as I did) not to keepe the talent of God digged in the Earth, buying Lands and Possessions, which are the vanities of this world: but rather to worke charitably towards his brethren, remembring himselfe that hee learned this secret amongst the bones of the dead, in whose [Page] number hee shall shortly be found; and that after this life, hee must render an account, before a iust and redoubtable Iudge, which will censure euen to an idle and vaine word. Let him therefore, which hauing well weighed my words, and well knowne and vnderstood my figures, hath first gotten elsewhere the knowledge of the first beginnings and Agents, (for certainely in these Figures and Commentaries, he shall not finde any step or information thereof) perfect to the glory of God the Maistery of Hermes, remembring himself of the Church Catholike, Apostolike, and Romane; and of all other Churches, Churchyards, and [Page] Hospitals; and aboue all, of the Church of the Innocents in this Citie, (in the Churchyard whereof hee shall haue contemplated these true demonstrations) opening bounteously his purse, to them that are secretly poore, honest people desolate, weake women, widdowes, and forlorne orphanes. So be it.

CHAP. I.
Of the Theologicall Interpretations, which may be giuen to these Hieroglyphickes, according to the sence of mee the Authour.

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I Haue giuen to this Churchyard, a Charnell-house, which is right ouer against this fourth Arch, in the middest of the Churchyard, and against one of the Pillers of this Charnell house, I haue made bee drawne with a coale, and grosely painted, a man all blacke, which [Page] lookes straight vpon these Hieroglyphickes, about whom there is written in French; Ie voy merueille done moult Ie m'esbahi: that is, I see a marueile, whereat I am much amazed: This, as also three plates of Iron and Copper gilt, on the East, West, and South of the Arch, where these Hieroglyphickes are, in the middest of the Churchyard, representing the holy Passion and Resurrection of the Sonne of God; this ought not to be otherwise interpreted, than according to the common Theologicall sence, sauing that this black man, may as well proclaime it a wonder to see the admirable workes of God in the transmutation of Mettals, [Page] which is figured in these Hieroglyphicks, which he so attentiuely lookes vpon, as to see buried so many bodies, which shall rise againe out of their Tombes at the feareful day of iudgement. On the other part I doe not thinke it needfull to interpret in a Theological sence, that vessell of Earth on the right hand of these figures, within the which there is a Pen and Inkhorne, or rather a vessell of Phylosophy, if thou take away the strings, and ioyne the Penner to the Inkhorne: nor the other two like it, which are on the two sides of the figures of Saint Peter, and Saint Paul, within one of the which, there is an N. which signifieth Nicholas, [Page] and within the other an F. which signifieth Flammell. For these vessels signifie nothing else, but that in the like of them, I haue done the Maistery three times. Moreouer, he that will also beleeue, that I haue put these vessels in forme of Scutchions, to represent this Pen and Inkhorne, and the capitall letters of my name, let him beleeue it if he will, because both these interpretations are true.

Neither must you interpret in a Theological sence, that writing which followeth, in these termes, NICHOLAS FLAMMEL, ET PERRENELLE SA FEMME, that is, Nicholas Flammel, and Perrenelle [Page]his wife, in as much as that signifieth nothing, but that I and my wife haue giuen that Arche.

As to the third, fourth, and fifth Tables following, by the sides whereof is written, COMMENT LES INNOCENTS FVRENT OCCIS PAR LE COMMANDEMENT DV ROY HERODES, that is, How the Innocents were killed by the commandement of King Herod. The theologicall sence is well enough vnderstood by the writing, we must onely speake of the rest, which is aboue.

The two Dragons vnited together the one within the other, of colour blacke and blew, in a field sable, that is [Page] to say, blacke, whereof the one hath the wings gilded, and the other hath none at all, are the sinnes which naturally are enterchayned, for the one hath his originall and birth from another: Of them some may be easily chased away, as they come easily, for they flie towards vs euery houre; and those which haue no wings, can neuer be chased away, such as is the sinne against the holy Ghost. The gold which is in the wings, signifieth that the greatest part of sinnes commeth from the vnholy hunger after gold; which makes so many people diligently to hearken from whence they may haue it: and the colour black and blew, sheweth that these [Page] are the desires that come out of the darke pits of hell, which we ought wholly to flye from. These two Dragons may also morally represent vnto vs the Legions of euill spirits which are alwayes about vs, and which will accuse vs before the iust Iudge, at the feareful day of iudgement, which doe aske, nor seeke nothing else but to sift vs.

The man and the woman which are next them, of an orange colour, vpon a field azure and blew, signifie that men and women ought not to haue their hope in this World, for the orange colour intimates despaire, or the letting goe of hope, as here; and the colour azure and blew, vpon the which [Page] they are painted, shewes vs that we must thinke of heauenly things to come, and say as the roule of the man doth, HOMO VENIET AD IVDICIVM DEI, that is, Man must come to the iudgement of God, or as that of the woman, VERE ILLA DIES TERRIBILIS ERIT, that is, That day will be terrible indeed, to the end that keeping our selues from the Dragons, which are sinnes, God may shew mercy vnto vs.

Next after this, in a field of Synople, that is greene, are painted two men and one woman rising againe, of the which one comes out of a Sepulchre, the other two out of the Earth, all three [Page] of colour exceeding white and pure, lifting their hands towards their eyes, & their eyes towards Heauen on high: Aboue these three bodies there are two Angels sounding musicall Instruments, as if they had called these dead to the day of iudgement; for ouer these two Angels is the figure of our Lord Iesus Christ, holding the world in his hand, vpon whose head an Angell setteth a Crowne, assisted by two others, which say in their roules, O pater Omnipotens, ô Iesu bone, that is, O Father Almighty, ô good Iesu. On the right side of this Sauiour is painted St Paul, clothed with white & yellow, with a Sword, at whose feete there is a man [Page] clothed in a gowne of orange colour, in which there appeared pleights or folds of blacke and white, (which picture resembleth mee to the life) and demandeth pardon of his sinnes, holding his hands ioined together, from betweene which proceed these words written in a roule, DELE MALA QVAE FECI, that is to say, Blot out the euils that I haue done: On the other side on the left hand, is Saint Peter with his Key, clothed in reddish yellow, holding his hand vpon a woman clad in a gown of orange colour, which is on her knees, representing to the life Perrenelle, which holdeth her hands ioyned together, hauing a roule [Page] where is written, CHRISTE PRECOR ESTO PIVS, that is, Christ I beseech thee be pittifull: Behind whom there is an Angell on his knees, with a roule, that saith, SALVE DOMINE ANGELORVM, that is, All haile thou Lord of Angels. There is also another Angel on his knees, behind my Image, on the same side that S. Paul is on, which likewise holdeth a roule, saying, O REX SEMPITERNE, that is, O King euerlasting. All this is so cleere, according to the explication of the Resurrection and future iudgement, that it may easi [...]y be fitted thereto. So it seemes this Arch was not painted for any other [Page] purpose, but to represent this. And therefore we neede not stay any longer vpon it, considering that the least and most ignorant, may well know how to giue it this interpretation.

Next after the three that are rising againe, come two Angels more of an Orange colour vpon a blew field, saying in their rowles, SVRGITE MORTVI, VENITE AD IVDICIVM DOMINI MEI, that is, Arise you dead, come to the Iudgement of my Lord. This also serues to the interpretation of the Resurrection: As also the last Figures following, which are, A man red vermillion, vpon a field of Violet colour, who holdeth [Page] the foot of a winged Lyon, painted of red vermillion also, opening his throate, as it were to denoure the man: For one may say that this is the Figure of an vnhappy sinner, who sleeping in a Lethargy of his corruption and vices, dieth without repentance and confession; who without doubt, in this terrible Day shall bee deliuered to the Deuill, heere painted in forme of a red roaring Lyon, which will swallow and deuoure him.

CHAP. II.
The interpretations Philosophicall, according to the Maistery of Hermes.

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I Desire with all my heart, that he who searcheth the secrets of the Sages, hauing in his Spirit passed ouer these Idaea's of the life and resurrection to come, should first make his profit of them: And in the second place, that hee bee more aduised than before, that hee sound and search the depth of my Figures, colours, and rowles; principally of my rowles, because that in this Art they speake not vulgarly. Afterward let him aske of himselfe, [Page] why the Figure of Saint Paul is on the right hand, in the place where the custome is to paint S. Peter? And on the other side that of Saint Peter, in the place of the figure of Saint Paul? Why the Figure of Saint Paul is clothed in colours white and yellow, and that of S. Peter in yellow and red? Why also the man and the woman which are at the feet of these two Saints, praying to God, as if it were at the Day of Iudgement, are apparrelled in diuers colours, and not naked, or else nothing but bones, like them that are rising againe? Why in this Day of Iudgement they haue painted this man and this woman at [Page] the feet of the Saints? for they ought to haue beene more low on earth, and not in heauen. Why also the two Angels in Orange colour, which say in their rowles, SVR GITE MORTVI, VENITE AD IVDICIVM DOMINI MEI, that is, Arise you dead, come vnto the Iudgement of my Lord, are clad in this colour, and out of their place, for they ought to bee on high in heauen, with the two other which play vpon the Instruments? Why they haue a field Violet and blew? but principally why their roule, which speaks to the dead, ends in the open throate of the red and flying Lyon? I would then, [Page] that after these, and many other questions which may iustly bee made, opening wide the eyes of his spirit, he come to conclude, that all this, not hauing beene done without cause, there must bee represented vnder this barke, some great secrets, which hee ought to pray God to discouer vnto him. Hauing then brought his beliefe by degrees to this passe, I wish also that he would further beleeue, that these figures and explications are not made for them that haue neuer seene the Bookes of the Philosophers, and who not knowing the Mettallicke principles, cannot bee named Children of this Science; for if they thinke to vnderstand perfectly [Page] these figures, being ignorant of the first Agent, they will vndoubtedly deceiue themselues, and neuer bee able to know any thing at all. Let no man therefore blame me, if he doe not easily vnderstand mee, for hee will be more blame-worthy than I, inasmuch as not being initiated into these sacred and secret interpretations of the first Agent, (which is the key opening the gates of all Sciences) he would notwithstanding, comprehend the most subtile conceptions of the enuious Philosophers, which are not written but for them who already know these principles, which are neuer found in any booke, because they leaue them [Page] vnto God, who reuealeth them to whom he please, or else causeth them to bee taught by the liuing voyce of a Maister, by Cabalisticall tradition, which happeneth very seldome. Now then, my Sonne, let mee so call thee, both because I am now come to a great age, and also for that, it may be, thou art otherwise a child of this knowledge, (God inable thee to learne, and after to worke to his glory) Hearken vnto mee then attentiuely, but passe no further if thou bee ignorant of the foresaid Principles.

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This Vessell of earth, in this forme, is called by the Philosophers, their triple Vessell, for within it, there is in the middest a Stage, or a floore, and vpon that a dish or a platter full of luewarme ashes, within the which is set the Philosophicall Egge, that is, a viall of glasse full of confections of Art (as of the scumme of the red Sea, and the fat of the Mercuriall winde:) which thou seest painted in forme of a Penner and Inkehorne. Now this Vessell of [Page] earth is open aboue, to put in the dish and the viall, vnder which by the open gate, is put in the Philosophicall fire, as thou knowest. So thou hast three vessels; and the threefold vessell: The enuious haue called an Athanor, a siue, dung, Balneum Mariae, a Furnace, a Spaere, the greene Lyon, a prison, a graue, a vrinall, a phioll, and a Bolts-head: I my selfe in my Summarie or Abridgement of Philosophy, which I composed foure yeeres and two moneths past, in the end thereof named it the house and habitation of the Poulet, and the ashes of the Platter, the chaffe of the Poulet; The common name is an Ouen, which I should neuer [Page] haue found, if Abraham the Iew had not painted it, together with the fire proportionable, wherein consists a great part of the secret. For it is as it were the belly, or the wombe, containing the true naturall heate to animate our yong King: If this fire be not measured Clibanically, saith Calid the Persian, sonne of Iasichus; If it be kindled with a sword, saith Pithagoras: If thou fire thy Vessell, saith Morien, and makest it feele the heate of the fire, it will giue thee a box on the eare, and burne his flowres before they be risen from the depth of his Marrow, making them come out red, rather than white, and then thy worke is spoiled; as [Page] also if thou make too little fire, for then thou shalt neuer see the end, because of the coldnesse of the natures, which shall not haue had motion sufficient to digest them together.

The heate then of thy fire in this vessell, shall be (as saith Hermes and Rosinus) according to the Winter; or rather, as saith Diomedes, according to the heate of a Bird, which beginnes to flie so softly from the signe of Aries to that of Cancer: for know that the Infant at the beginning is full of cold flegme▪ and of milke, and that too vehement heate is an enemy of the cold and moisture of our Embrion, and that the two enemies, that is to say, our [Page] two elements of cold and heate will neuer perfectly imbrace one another, but by little and little, hauing first long dwelt together, in the middest of the temperate heate of their bath, and being changed by long decoction, into Sulphur incombustible. Gouern therefore sweetly with equality and proportion, thy proud and haughty natures, for feare lest if thou fauour one more then another, they which naturally are enemies, doe grow angry against thee through Ielousy, and dry Choller, and make thee sigh for it a long time after: Besides this, thou must entertain them in this temperate heate perpetually, that is to say, night and day, [Page] vntill the time that Winter, the time of the moisture of the matters, be passed, because they make their peace, and ioyne hands in being heated together, whereas should these natures finde themselues but one onely half houre without fire, they would become for euer irreconcileable. See therefore the reason why it is said in the Book of the seuenty precepts, Looke that their heate cōtinue indefatigably without ceasing, and that none of their dayes bee forgotten. And Rasis, the haste, saith hee, that brings with it too much fire, is alwaies followed by the Diuell, and Errour. When the golden Bird, saith Diomedes, shall be come iust to Cancer, and that from [Page]thence it shall runne toward Libra, then thou maist augment the fire a little: And in like manner, when this faire Bird, shall fly from Libra towards Capricorne, which is the desired Autumne, the time of haruest, and of the fruits that are now ripe.

CHAP. III.
The two Dragons of colour yellowish, blew, and black like the field.

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LOoke well vpon these two Dragons, for they [Page] are the true principles or beginnings of this Phylosophy, which the Sages haue not dared to shew to their owne Children. Hee which is vndermost, without wings, hee is the fixed, or the male; that which is vppermost, is the volatile, or the female, blacke and obscure, which goes about to get the domination for many moneths. The first is called Sulphur, or heat and drinesse, and the latter Argent viue, or cold, and moisture. These are the Sunne and Moone of the Mercurial source, and sulphurous originall, which by continual fire are adorned with royall habiliments, that being vnited, and afterward changed into a quintessence, they [Page] may ouercome euery thing Mettallick, how solid hard and strong soeuer it bee. These are the Serpents and Dragons which the ancient Aegyptians haue painted in a Circle, the head biting the tayle, to signifie that they proceeded from one and the same thing, and that it alone was sufficient, and that in the turning and circulation thereof, it made it selfe perfect: These are the Dragons which the ancient Poets haue fained did without sleeping keepe & watch the golden Apples of the Gardens of the Virgins Hesperides. These are they vpon whom Iason in his aduenture for the Golden Fleece, powred the brothe or liquor prepared by the [Page] faire Medea, of the discourse of whom the Books of the Phylosophers are so full, that there is no Phylosopher that euer was, but he hath written of it, from the time of the truth-telling Hermes Trismegistus, Orpheus, Pythagoras, Artephius, Morienus, and the other following, euen vnto my selfe. These are the two Serpents, giuen and sent by Iuno, (that is, the nature Mettallicke) the which the strong Hercules, that is to say, the sage and wise man must strangle in his cradle, that is, ouercome and kill them, to make them putrifie, corrupt, and ingender, at the beginning of his worke. These are the two Serpents, wrapped and twisted [Page] round about the Caduceus or rod of Mercury, with the which hee exerciseth his great power, and transformeth himselfe as he listeth. He, saith Haly, that shall kill the one, shall also kill the other, because the one cannot die but with his brother. These two then, (which Auicen calleth the Corassene bitch and the Armenian dogge) these two I say, being put together in the vessell of the Sepulcher, doe bite one another cruelly, and by their great poyson, and furious rage, they neuer leaue one another, from the moment that they haue seized on one another (if the cold hinder them not) till both of them by their slauering venome, [Page] and mortall hurts, be all of a goarebloud, ouer all the parts of their bodies; and finally, killing one another, be stewed in their proper venome, which after their death, changeth them into liuing and permanent water; before which time, they loose in their corruption and putrifaction, their first naturall formes, to take afterwards one onely new, more noble, and better forme. These are the two Spermes, masculine and saeminine, described at the beginning of my Abridgement of Phylosophy, which are engendred (say Rasis, Auicen, and Abraham the Iew) within the Reynes, and entrails, and of the operations of the foure Elements. [Page] These are the radicall moysture of mettalls, Sulphur, and Argent viue, not vulgar, and such as are sold by the Merchants and Apothecaries, but those which giue vs those two faire & deare bodies which wee loue so much. These two spermes, saith Democritus, are not found vpon the earth of the liuing: The same, saith Auicen, but he addeth, that they gather them from the dung, ordure, and rottennesse of the Sunne and Moone. O happy are they that know how to gather them; for of them they afterwards make a triacle, which hath power ouer all griefes, maladies, sorrowes, infirmities, and weaknesses, and which sighteth puissantly [Page] against death, lengthening the life, according to the permission of God, euen to the time determined, triumphing ouer the miseries of this world, and filling a man with the riches thereof. Of these two Dragons or Principles Mettallicke, I haue said in my fore-alledged Summarie, that the Enemy would by his heate inflame his enemy, and that then if they take not heed, they should see in the ayre a venomous fume & a stinking, worse in flame, and in poyson, than the enuenomed head of a Serpent, and Babylonian Dragon. The cause why I haue painted these two Spermes in the forme of Dragons, is because their [Page] stinch is exceeding great, and like the stinch of them, and the exhalations which arise within the glasse, are darke, blacke, blew, and yellowish, (like as these two Dragons are painted) the force of which, and of the bodies dissolued, is so venomous, that truely there is not in the world a ranker poyson; for it is able by the force and stench thereof, to mortifie and kill euery thing liuing: The Philosopher neuer feeles this stinch, if he breake not his vessels, but only he iudgeth it to be such, by the sight, and the changing of colo [...]rs, proceeding from the rottennesse of his confections.

These colours then signifie the putrefaction and generation [Page] which is giuen vs, by the biting and dissolution of our perfect bodies, which dissolution proceedeth from externall heate ayding, and from the Pontique fierienesse, and admirable sharpe vertue of the poyson of our Mercurie, which maketh and resolueth into a pure cloud, that is, into impalpable powder, all that which it finds to resist it: So the heate working vpon and against the radicall, mettallicke, viscous, or oylie moisture, ingendereth vpon the subiect, blackenesse. For at the same time, the Matter is dissolued, is corrupted, groweth blacke, and conceiueth to ingender; for all corruption is generation, and therefore ought [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] blacknesse to be much desired; for that is the blacke saile with the which the Ship of Theseus came back victorious frō Crete, which was the cause of the death of his Father; so must this father die, to the intent, that from the ashes of this Phoenix another may spring, and that the sonne may bee King. Assuredly hee that seeth not this blackenesse at the beginning of his operations, during the dayes of the Stone; what other colour soeuer he see, hee shall altogether fayle in the Maisterie, and can doe no more with that Chaos: for hee workes not well, if hee putrifie not; because if he doe not putrifie, hee doeth not corrupt, nor ingender, and [Page] by consequent, the Stone cannot take vegetatiue life to increase and multiply. And in all truth, I tell thee againe, that though thou work vpon the true matter, if at the beginning, after thou hast put thy Confections in the Philosophers Egge, that is to say, sometime after the fire haue stirred them vp, if then, I say, thou seest not this head of the Crow, the blacke of the blackest blacke, thou must begin againe, for this fault is irreparable, and not to be amended; especially the Orange colour, or halfe red, is to be feared, for if at the beg [...]nning thou see that in thine Egge, without doubt, thou burnest, or hast burnt the verdure and iuelinesse [Page] of thy Stone. The colour which thou must haue, ought to bee intirely perfected in Blacknesse, like to that of these Dragons in the space of fortie dayes: Let them therefore which shall not haue these essentiall markes, retire themselues betimes from their operations, that they may redeeme themselues from assured losse. Know also, and note it well, that in this Art it is but nothing to haue this blacknesse, there is nothing more easie to come by: for from almost all things in the world, mixed with moysture, thou mayest haue a blacknesse, by the fire: but thou must haue a blacknesse which comes of the perfect Mettallicke bodies, which [Page] lasts a long space of time, and is not destroyed in lesse than fiue moneths, after the which followeth immediately the desired whitenesse. If thou hast this, thou hast enough, but not all. As for the colour blewish and yellowish, that signifieth that Solution and Putrefaction is not yet finished, and that the colours of our Mercury are not as yet well mingled, and rotten with the rest. Then this blacknesse, and these colours, teach plainly, that in this beginning the matter, and compound begins to rotte and dissolue into powder, lesse than the Atomes of the Sunne, the which afterwards are changed into coator permanent. [Page] And this dissolution is by the enuious Philosophers called Death, Destruction, and Perdition, because that the natures change their forme, and from hence are proceeded so many Allegories of dead men, tombes, and sepulchres. Others haue called it Calcination, Denudation, Separation, Erituration, and Assation, because the Confections are changed and reduced into most small pieces and parts. Others haue called it Reduction into the first matter, Mollification, Extraction, Commixtion, Liquefaction, Conuersion of Elements, Subtiliation, Diuision, Humation, Impastation, and Distillation, because that the Confections, [Page] are melted, brought backe into s [...]ed, softned, and circulated within the glasse. Others haue called it Xir, or Iris, Putrefaction, Corruption, Cymmerian darkenesse, a gulfe, Hell, Dragons, Generation, Ingression, Submersion, Complection, Coniunction, and impregnation, because that the matter is black & waterish, and that the natures are perfectly mingled, and hold one of another. For when the heate of the Sunne worketh vpon them, they are changed, first into powder, or fat and glutinous water, which feeling the heate, flyeth on high to the Poulets head, with the smoake, that is to say, with the wind and ayre; from thence this [Page] water melted, and drawne out of the confections, goeth downe againe, and in descending reduceth, and resolueth, as much as it can, the rest of the Aromatical confections, alwayes doing so, vntill the whole bee like a blacke broath somewhat fat. Now you see, why they call this sublimation, and volatization, because it flyeth on high, and Ascension and Descension, because it mounteth, & descendeth within the glasse. A while after, the water beginneth to thicken and coagulate somewhat more, growing very blacke, like vnto pitch, and finally comes the Body and earth, which the enuious haue called Terra foetida, that is, stinking earth: [Page] for then because of the perfect putrefaction, which is as naturall as any other can be; this earth stincks, and giues a smell like the odour of graues filled with rottennesse, and with bodies as yet charged with their naturall moysture. This earth was by Hermes called Terra foliata, or the Earth of leaues, yet his true & proper name is Leton, which must afterward bee whitened. The Ancient Sages that were Cabalists, haue described it in their Metamorphoses, vnder the History of the Serpent of Mars, which had deuoured the companions of Cadmus, who shew him, percing him with his lance against a hollow Oake. Note this Oake.

CHAP. IIII.
Of the man and the woman clothed in a gowne of Orange colour vpon a field azure and blew, and of their rowles.

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THe man painted here doth expresly resemble my selfe to the naturall, as the woman doth liuely figure Perrenelle: The cause why wee are painted to the life, is not particular to this purpose, [Page] for it needed but to represent a male and a female, to the which our two particular resemblance was not necessarily required, but it pleased the Painter to put vs there, iust as hee hath done higher in this Arch, at the feet of the Figure of Saint Paul and Saint Peter, according to that wee were in our youth; as hee hath likewise done in other places, as ouer the doore of the Chappell of Saint Iames in the Bouchery neere to my house, (although that for this last there is a particular cause) as also ouer the doore of Saincte Geneuiefue de's Ardans, where thou maist see me. I ma [...]e then to bee painted heere two bodies, one of a Male, and another [Page] of a Female, to teach thee, that in this second operation, thou hast truely, but yet not perfectly, two natures conioyned and married together, the Masculine and the Foeminine; or rather the foure Elements; and that the foure naturall enemies, the hote and cold, dry and moist, begin to approach amiably one towards another, and by meanes of the Mediators and Peace-makers, lay downe by little and little, the ancient enmity of the old Chaos. Thou knowest well enough who these Mediators and Peace-makers are, betweene the hote and the cold there is moisture, for he is kinsman and allyed to them both; to hote by [Page] his heate, and to cold by his moisture: And this is the reason, why to begin to make this peace, thou hast already in the precedent operation, conuerted all the confections into water by dissolution. And afterward thou hast made to coagulate the water, which is turned into this Earth, blacke of the blacke most blacke, wholly to accomplish this peace; for the Earth, which is cold and dry, finding himself of kindred and allyance with the dry and moist, which are enemies, will wholly appease and ac [...]ord them. Doest thou not then consider a most perfect mixture of all the foure Elements, hauing first turned them into [Page] water, and now into Earth? I will also teach thee heereafter the other conuersions, into ayer when it shall be all white, and into fire, when it shall bee of a most perfect purple. Then thou hast heere two natures marri [...]d together, whereof the one hath conceiued by the other, and by this conception it is turned into the body of the Male, and the Male into that of the Female; that is to say, they are made one onely body, which is the Androgyne, or Hermaphrodite of the Ancients, which they haue also called otherwise, the head of the Crow, or natures conuerted. In this fashion I paint them heere, because thou hast two natures [Page] reconciled, which (if they be gu [...]ded and gouerned wisely) can forme an Embrion in the wombe of the Vessell, and afterwards bring foorth a most puissant King, inuincible and incorruptible, because it will bee an admirable quintessence. Thus thou seest the principall and most necessary reason of this representation: The second cause (which is also well to bee noted) was because I must of necessitie paint two bodies, because in this operation it behooueth that thou diuide that which hath beene coagulated, to giue afterwards▪ nourishment, which is milke of life, to the little Infant when it is borne, which is endued (by [Page] the liuing God) with a vegetable soule.

This is a secret most admirable and secret, which for want of vnderstanding, it hath made fooles of all those that haue sought it without finding it, and hath made euery man wise, that beholds it with the eyes of his body, or of his spirit.

Thou must then make two parts and portions of this Coagulated body, the one of which shall serue for Azoth, to wash and clense the other, which is called Leton, which must be whitened: He which is washed, is the Serpent Python, which (hauing taken his being from the corruption of the slime of the Earth gathered together by the waters [Page] of the deluge, when all the confections were water) must be killed and ouercome by the arrowes of the God Apollo, by the yellow Sunne, that is to say, by our fire, equall to that of the Sunne.

He which washeth, or rather the washings, which must be continued with the other moity; these are the teeth of that Serpent, which the sage workeman, the valiant Theseus, wil sow in the same Earth, from whence there shall spring vp armed Souldiers, which shal in the end discomsit themselues, suffering themselues by opposition to resolue into the same nature of the Earth, and the workman to beare away his deserued conquests. [Page] It is of this, that the Phylosophers haue written so often, and so often repeated it, It dissolues it selfe, it congeales it selfe, it makes it selfe blacke, it makes it selfe white, it kils it selfe, and it quickens it selfe. I haue made their field be painted azure and blew, to shew that I doe but now beginne to get out from the most blacke blacknesse; for the azure and blew, is one of the first colours, that the darke woman lets vs see, that is to say, moisture giuing place a little to heate and drinesse: The man and woman are almost all orange-coloured, to shew that our Bodies, (or our body, which the wise men here call Rebis) hath not as yet digestion enough, [Page] and that the moisture from whence comes the blacke blew and azure, is but halfe vanquished by the drinesse.

For when drinesse beares rule, all will be white, and when it fighteth with, or is equall to the moisture, all will be in part according to these present colours. The enuious haue also called these confections in this operation, Nummus, Ethelia, Arena, Boritis, Co [...]sufle, Cambar, Albar aeris, Duenech, Randeric, Kukul, Thabricis, Ebisemech, Ixir, &c. which they haue commanded to make white.

The woman hath a white circle in forme of a rowle round about her body, to shew thee, that Rebis will beginne to become white in [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] that very fashion, beginning first at the extremities, round about this white circle. Scala Phylosophorū, that is the Booke entituled, The Phylosophers Ladder, saith thus; The signe of the first perfect whitenesse, is the manifestation of a certaine little circle of haire, that is passing ouer the head, which will appeare on the sides of the vessels round about the matter, in a kind of a cierine or yellowish colour.

There is written in their Rowles, Homo veniet ad iudicium Dei, that is, Man shall come to the Iudgement of God: Verè (saith the woman) illa dies terribilis erit, that is, Truly that will be a terrible day. These are not passages of holy Scripture, [Page] but onely sayings which speake according to the Theological sence, of the Iudgement to come, I haue put them there, to serue my selfe of them towards him, that beholds onely the grosse outward, and most naturall Artifice, taking the interpretation th [...]reof to concerne onely the Resurrection; and also it may serue for them, that gathering together the Parables of the Science, take to them the eyes of Lynceus, to pierce deeper then the visible obiects. There is then, Man shall come to the iudgement of God: Certainly that day shall be terrible. That is as if I should haue said; It behoues that this come to the colour of perfection, to [Page] be iudged & clensed from all his blacknesse and filth, and to be spiritualized and whitened. Surely that day will be terrible, yet certainly, as you shall find in the Allegory of Aristeus. Horror holds vs in prison by the space of fourescore dayes, in the darknesse of the waters, in the extreme heate of the Summer, and in the troubles of the Sea. All which things ought first to passe, before our King can become white, comming from death to life, to ouercome afterwards all his enemies. To make thee vnderstand yet somewhat better this Albification, which is harder and more difficult then all the rest, (for till that time thou mayest erre at euery [Page] steppe, but afterwards thou canst not, except thou break thy vessels) I haue also made for thee this Table following.

CHAP. V.
The figure of a man, like that of Saint Paul, cloathed with a robe white and yellow, bordered with gold, holding a naked Sword, hauing at his feet a man on his knees, clad in a robe of orange colour, blacke and white, holding a roule.

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MArke well this man in the forme of Saint Paul, cloathed in a robe entirely of a yellowish white. If thou consider him well, he turnes his body in [Page] such a posture, as shewes that he would take the naked Sword, either to cut off the head, or to doe some other thing, to that man which is on his knees at his feete, cloathed in a robe of orange colour, white and blacke, which saith in his roule, DELE MALA QVAE FECI, that is, Blot out all the euill which I haue done; as if hee should say, TOLLE NIGREDINEM, Take away from me my blacknesse; A term of Art: for Euill signifieth in the Allegory, Blacknesse, as it is often found in Turba Phylosophorum: Seethe it vntill it come to blackenesse, which will be thought Euill. But wouldest thou know what is meant by [Page] this man, that taketh the Sword? It signifies that thou must cut off the head of the Crow, that is to say, of the man cloathed in diuers Colours, which is on his knees. I haue taken this pourtraict and figure out of Hermes Trismegistus, in his Booke of the Secret Art, where he saith, Take away the head of this blacke man, cut off the head of the Crow, that is to say, Whiten our blacke. Lambspringk that noble Germane, hath also vsed it in the Commentary of his Hieroglyphicks, saying, In this wood there is a Beast all couered with black, if any man cut off his head, he will loose his blacknesse, and put on a most white colour. Will you vnderstand[Page]what that is? The blacknesse is called the head of the Crow, the which being taken away, at the instant comes the white colour: Then that is to say, when the Cloud appeares no more, this body is said to bee without an head. These are his proper words. In the same sence, the Sages haue also said in other places, Take the Viper which is called, De rexa, cut off his head, &c. that is to say, Take away from him his blacknesse. They haue also vsed this Periphrasis, when to signifie the multiplication of the Stone, they haue fained a Serpent Hydra, whereof, if one cur off one head, there will spring in the place thereof ten; for the stone augments tenfold, [Page] euery time that they cut off this head of the Crow, that they make it blacke, and afterwards white; that is to say, that they dissolue it anew, and afterward coagulate it againe.

Marke how this naked Sword is wreathed about with a blacke girdle, and that the ends thereof are not so wreathed at all. This naked shining Sword, is the stone for the white, or the white stone, so often by the Phylosophers described vnder this forme. To come then to this perfect and sparkling whitenesse, thou must vnderstand the wreathings of this blacke girdle, and follow that which they teach, which is the quantity of the imbitions. The [Page] two ends which are not wreathed about at all, represent the beginning and the ending: for the beginning it teacheth that you must imbibe it at the first time gently and scarcely, giuing it then a little milke, as to a little Child new borne, to the intent that Isir, (as the Authors say) be not drowned: The like must we doe at the end, when wee see that our King is full, and will haue no more. The middle of these operations is painted by the fiue whole wreathes, or rounds, of the blacke girdle, at what time (because our Salamander liues of the fire, and in the middest of the fire, and ind [...]ed is a fire, and an Argent viue, or quicksiluer, that [Page] runnes in the middest of the fire, fearing nothing) thou must giue him abundantly, in such sort that the Virgins milke compasse all the matter round about.

I haue made to be painted blacke all these wreaths or rounds of the girdle, because these are the imbibitions, and by consequent, blacknesses: for the fire with the moisture (as it hath been often said) causeth blackenesse. And as these fiue whole wreathes or rounds shew that you must doe this fiue times wholly, so likewise they let you know, that you must doe this in fiue whole moneths, a moneth to euery imbibition: See here the reason why Haly Abenragel said, The [Page]Coction or boiling of the things is done in three times fifty dayes: It is true, that if thou count these little imbibitions at the beginning and at the end, there are seuen. Whereupon one of the most enuious hath said, Our head of the Crow is leprous, and therefore he that would clense it, hee must make it goe downe seuen times into the Riuer of regeneration of Iordan, as the Prophet commanded the leprous Naaman the Syrian. Comprehending herein the beginning, which is, but of a few dayes, the middle and the end, which is also very short. I haue then giuen thee this Table, to tell thee that thou must whiten my body, which is vpon the [...] [Page] World is deceiued. This operation is indeed a Labyrinth, for here there present themselues a thousand wayes at the same instant, besides that, thou must goe to the end of it, directly contrary to the beginning, in coagulating that which before thou dissoluedst, and in making earth that which before thou madest water. When thou hast made it white, then hast thou ouercome the enchanted Bulles, that cast fire and smoake out of their nostrils. Hercules hath clensed the stable full of ordure, of rottennesse, and of blackenesse. Iason hath powred the decoction or broath, vpon the Dragons of Colchos, and thou hast in thy power [Page] the horne of Amalthaea, which (although it bee white) may fill thee all the rest of thy life with glory, honour, and riches. To haue the which, it hath behooued thee to fight valiantly, and in manner of an Hercules; for this Achelous, this moist riuer, is indewed with a most mighty force, besides that hee often transfigures himselfe from one forme to another: Thus hast thou done all, because the rest is without difficultie: These transfigurations are particularly described in the Booke of the seuen Egyptian seales, where it is said (as also by all Authors) that the Stone, before it will wholly forsake his blackenesse, and become white in[Page]the fashion of a most shining marble, and of a naked flaming sword, will put on all the colours that thou canst possibly imagine, often will it melt, and often coagulate it selfe, and amidst these diuers and contrary operations, (which the vegetable soule which is in it makes it performe at one and the same time) it will grow Citrine, greene, red, (but not of a true red) it will become yellow, blew, and orange colour, vntill that being wholly ouercome by drynesse and heate, all these infinite colours will end in this admirable Citrine whitenesse, of the colour of Saint Pauls garments, which in a short time will become like the colour of [Page] the naked sword; afterwards by the meanes of a more strong and long decoction; it will take in the end a red Citrine colour, and afterward the perfect redde of the vermillion, where it will repose it selfe for euer. I will not forget, by the way, to aduertise thee, that the milke of the Moone, is not as the Virgins milke of the Sunne; thinke then that the inbibitions of whitenesse, require a more white milke, than those of a golden rednesse; for in this passage I had thought I should haue missed, and so I had done indeed had it not beene for Abraham the Iew; for this reason I haue made to bee painted for thee, the [Page] Figure which taketh the naked sword, in the colour which is necessary for thee; for it is the Figure of that which whiteneth.

CHAP. VI.
Vpon a greene field, three resuscitants, or which rise againe, two men and one woman, altogether white: Two Angels beneath, and ouer the Angels the figure of our Sauiour comming to iudge the world, clothed with a robe which is perfectly Citrine white.

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[Page] I Haue so made to bee painted for thee a field vert, because that in this decoction the confections become greene, and keepe this colour longer than any other after the blacke. This greenenesse shewes particularly that our Stone hath a vegetable soule, and that by the Industrie of Arte it is turned into a true and pure tree, to bud abundantly, and afterwards to bring foorth infinite little sprigs and branches. O happy greene (saith the Rosary) which doest produce all things, without thee nothing can increase, vegetate, nor multiply. The three folke rising againe, clothed in sparkling white, represent the Body, Soule, [Page] and Spirit, of our white Stone. The Philosophers doe ordinarily vse these termes of Art to hide the secret from euill men. They call the Body that blacke earth, obscure and darke, which wee make white: They call the Soule the other halfe diuided from the Body, which by the will of God, and power of nature, giues to the body by his inbibitions and fermentations a vegetable soule, that is to say, power and vertue to bud encrease, multiply, and to become white, as a naked shining sword: They call the Spirit, the tincture & drynesse; which as a Spirit hath power to pierce all Mettallick things; I should be too tedious, if [Page] I should shew thee how good reason they had to say alwayes and in all places, Our Stone hath semblably to a man, a Body, Soule, and Spirit: I would onely that thou note well, that as a man indued with a Body, Soule, and Spirit, is notwithstanding but one; so likewise thou hast now, but one onely white confection, in the which neuerthelesse there are a Body, a Soule, and a Spirit, which are inseparably vnited. I could easily giue very cleare comparisons and expositions of this Body, Soule, and Spirit; but to explicate them, I must of necessitie, speake things, which God reserues to reueale vnto them that feare and loue [Page] him, and consequently ought not to bee written. I haue then made to bee painted heere, a Body, a Soule, and a Spirit, all white, as if they were rising againe, to shew thee, that the Sun, and Moone, and Mercurie, are raised againe in this operation, that is to say, are made Elements of ayre, and whitened: for wee haue heretofore called the Blacknesse, Death; and so continuing the Metaphor, wee may call Whitenesse, Life; which commeth not, but with, and by a Resurrection: The Body, to shew this more plainely, I haue made to be painted lifting vp the stone of his tombe, wherein it was inclosed: The Soule, because it cannot bee put [Page] into the earth, it comes not out of a tombe, but onely I haue made it bee painted amōgst the Tombs, seeking its body, in forme of a woman, hauing her haire discheuelled; The Spirit which likewise cannot bee put in a graue, I haue made to bee painted in fashion of a man comming out of the earth, not from a Tombe. They are all white; so the blacknesse, that is, death is vanquished, and they being whitened, are from henceforward incorruptible. Now lift vp thine eyes on high, and see our King comming, crowned and raised againe, which hath ouercome Death, the darkenesses, and moistures; behold him in the forme wherein our Sauiour [Page] shall come, who shall eternally vnite vnto him all pure and cleane soules, and will driue away all impurity and vncleannesse, as being vnworthy to bee vnited to his diuine Body. So by comparison (but first asking leaue of the Catholicke, Apostolicke, and Romane Church, to speake in this manner, and praying euery debonaire soule to permit me to vse this similitude) see heere our white Elixir, which from henceforward will inseparably vnite vnto himselfe euery pure Mettallicke nature, changing it into his owne most sine siluery nature, reiecting all that is impure, strange, and Heterogeneall, or of another kind. Blessed [Page] be God, which of his goodnesse giues vs grace to bee able to consider this sparckling white, more perfect and shining than any compound nature, and more noble next after the immortall soule, than any substance hauing life, or not hauing life; for it is a quintessence, a most pure siluer, that hath passed the Coppell, and is seuen times refined, saith the royall Prophet Dauid.

It is not needfull to interprete what the two Angels signifie, that play on Instruments ouer the heads of them which are raised againe: These are rather diuine spirits, singing the meruailes of God in this miraculous operation, than [Page] Angels that call to iudgement: To make an expresse difference betweene these and them, I haue giuen the one of them a Lute, the other a haultboy, but none of them trumpets, which yet are wont to be giuen to them that are to call vs to Iudgement. The like may be said of the three Angels, which are ouer the head of our Sauiour, whereof the one crowneth him, and the other two assisting, say in their Rowles, O PATER OMNIPOTENS, O IESV BONE, that is, O Almighty Father, O good Iesu, in rendring vnto him eternall thanks.

CHAP. VII.
Vpon a field violet and blew, two Angels of an Orange colour, and their Rowles.

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THis violet and blew field sheweth, that being to passe from the white Stone to the red, thou must inbibe it with a little virgins milke of the Sun, and that these colours come out of the Mercuriall moysture which thou hast [Page] dried vpon the Stone. In this operation of rubifying, although thou doe imbibe, thou shalt not haue much blacke, but of violet, blew, and of the colour of the Peacocks taile: For our Stone is so triumphant in drynesse, that assoone as thy Mercury toucheth it, the nature thereof reioycing in his like nature, it is ioyned vnto it, and drinketh it greedily, and therefore the blacke that comes of moysture, can shew it selfe but a little, and that vnder these colours violet and blew, because that drynesse (as is said) doth by and by gouerne absolutely. I haue also made to be painted for thee, these two Angels with wings, to represent vnto [Page] thee, that the two substances of thy confections, the Mercuriall, and the sulphurous substance, the fixed as well as the volatile, being perfectly fixed together, do also flie together within thy vessell: for in this operation, the fixed body wil gently mount to heauen, being all spirituall, and from thence it will descend vnto the earth, and whethersoeuer thou wilt, following euery where the Spirit, which is alwayes mooued vpon the fire: Inasmuch as they are made one selfesame nature, and the compound is all spirituall, and the spirituall all corporall, so much hath it beene subtilized vpon our Marble, by the precedent operations. [Page] The natures then are heere transmuted into Angels, that is to say, are made spirituall and most subtle, so are they now the true tinctures. Now remember thee to begin the rubifying, by the apposition of Mercury Citrine red, but thou must not powre on much, and onely once or twice, according as thou shalt see occasion; for this operation ought to bee done by a dry fire, and by a dry sublimation and calcination. And truely I tell thee heere a secret which thou shalt very seldome finde written, so farre am I from being enuious, that would to God euery man knew how to make gold to his owne will, that they might liue, and [Page] leade foorth to pasture their faire flocks, without Vsury or going to Law, in imitation of the holy Patriarkes, vsing onely (as our first Fathers did) to exchange one thing for another; and yet to haue that, they must labour as well as now. Howbeit for feare to offend God, and to be the instrument of such a change, which peraduenture would prooue euill, I must take heed to represent or write where it is that wee hide the keyes, which can open all the doores of the secrets of nature, or to open or cast vp the earth in that place contenting my selfe to shew the things which will teach euery one to whom God shall giue permission to know, [Page] what property the signe of the Balance or Libra hath, when it is inlightened by the Sunne and Mercury in the moneth of October. These Angels are painted of an orange colour, to let thee know, that thy white confections haue beene a little more digested, or boyled, and that the blacke of the violet and blew hath beene already chased away by the fire: for this orange colour is compounded of the faire golden Citrine red (which thou hast so long waited for) and of the remainder of this violet and blew, which thou hast already in part, banished and vndone. Furthermore this orange colour sheweth, that the natures are digested, and [Page] by little and little perfected by the grace of God. As for their Rowle, which saith, SVRGITE MORTVI, VENITE AD IVDICIVM DOMINI MEI, that is, Arise you dead, and come vnto the iudgement of God my Lord; I haue made it be put there, onely for the Theologicall sence, rather than any other: It ends in the throate of a Lyon which is all red, to teach that this operation must not bee discontinued vntill they see the true red purple, wholly like vnto the Poppey of the Hermitage, and the vermillion of the painted Lyon, sauing for multiplying.

CHAP. VIII.
The figure of a man, like vnto Saint Peter, cloathed in a robe Citrine red, holding a key in his right hand, and laying his left hand vpon a woman, in an orange coloured robe, which is on her knees at his feete, holding a Rowle.

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LOoke vpon this woman clothed in a robe of orange colour, which doth so naturally resemble Pe [...]enelle as she was in her youth; Shee is painted in [Page] the fashion of a suppliant vpon her knees, her hands ioyned together, at the feete of a man which hath a key in his right hand, which heares her graciously, and afterwards stretcheth out his left hand vpon her. Wouldest thou know what this meaneth? This is the Stone, which in this operation demandeth two things, of the Mercury of the Sunne, of the Philosophers, (painted vnder the forme of a man) that is to say Multiplication, and a more rich Accoustrement; which at this time it is needfull for her to obtaine, and therefore the man so laying his hand vpon her shoulder accords & grants it vnto her. But why haue I [Page] made to bee painted a woman? I could as well haue made to bee painted a man, as a woman, or an Angell rather, (for the whole natures are now spirituall and corporall, masculine and foeminine:) But I haue rather chosen to cause paint a woman, to the end that thou mayest iudge, that shee demaunds rather this, than any other thing, because these are the most naturall and proper desires of a woman. To shew further vnto thee, that shee demandeth Multiplication, I haue made paint the man, vnto whom shee addresseth her prayers in the forme of Saint Peter, holding a key, hauing power to open and to shut, to binde [Page] and to loose; because the enuious Phylosophers haue neuer spoken of Multiplication, but vnder these common termes of Art, APERI, CLAVDE, SOLVE, = LIGA, that is, Open, shut, binde, loose; opening and loosing, they haue called the making of the Body (which is alwayes hard and fixt) soft fluid▪ and running like water: To shut and to bind, is with them afterwards by a more strong decoction to coagulate it, and to bring it backe againe into the forme of a body.

It behoued mee then, in this place to represent a man with a key, to teach thee that thou must now open and shut, that is to say, Multiply the budding and [Page] encreasing natures: for look how often thou shalt dissolue and fixe, so often will these natures multiply, in quantity, quality, and vertue, according to the multiplication of ten; comming from this number to an hundred, from an hundred to a thousand, from a thousand to ten thousand, from ten thousand to an hundred thousand, from an hundred thousand to a million, and from thence by the same operation to Infinity, as I haue done three times, praised be God. And when thy Elixir is so brought vnto Infinity, one graine thereof falling vpon a quantity of molten mettall as deepe and vaste as the Ocean, it will teine it, and conuert it into [Page] most perfect mettall, that is to say, into siluer or gold, according as it shall haue been imbibed and fermented, expelling & driuing out farre from himself all the impure and strange matter, which was ioyned with the mettall in the first coagulation: for this reason therefore haue I made to bee painted a Key in the hand of the man, which is in the forme of Saint Peter, to signifie that the stone desireth to be opened and shut for multiplication; and likewise to shew thee with what Mercury thou oughtest to doe this, & when; I haue giuen the man a garment Citrine red, and the woman one of orange colour. Let this suffice, lest I transgresse the silence [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] of Pythagoras, to teach thee that the woman, that is, our stone, asketh to haue the rich Accoustrements and colour of Saint Peter. Shee hath written in her Rowle, CHRISTE PRECOR ESTOPIVS, that is, Iesu Christ be pittifull vnto mee, as if shee said, Lord be good vnto mee, and suffer not that hee that shal become thus farre, should spoile all with too much fire: It is true, that from henceforward I shal no more feare mine enemies, and that all fire shall be alike vnto me, yet the vessell that containes me, is alwaies brittle and easie to be broken: for if they exalt the fire ouermuch, it will cracke, and flying a pieces, will carry mee,[Page]and sow mee vnfortunately amongst the ashes. Take heed therefore to thy fire in this place, and gouerne sweetly with patience, this admirable quintessence, for the fire must be augmented vnto it, but not too much. And pray the soueraigne Goodnesse, that it will not suffer the euill spirits, which keepe the Mines and Treasures, to destroy thy worke, or to bewitch thy sight, when thou cōsiderest these incomprehensible motions of this Quintessence within thy vessell.

CHAP. IX.
Vpon a darke violet field, a man red purple, holding the foote of a Lyon red as vermillion, which hath wings, & it seemes would rauish and carry away the man.

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THis field violet and darke, tels vs that the stone hath obtained by her full decoction, the faire Garments, that are wholly Citrine and red, [Page] which shee demanded of Saint Peter, who was cloathed therewith, and that her compleat and perfect digestion (signified by the entire Citrinity) hath made her leaue her old robe of orange colour. The vermilion red colour of this flying Lyon, like the pure & cleere skarlet in graine, which is of the true Granadored, demonstrates that it is now accomplished in all right and equality. And that shee is now like a Lyon, deuouring euery pure mettallicke nature, and changing it into her true substance, into true & pure gold, more fine then that of the best mines. Also shee now carrieth this man out of this vale of miseries, that is to say, out of [Page] the discommodities of pouerty & infirmity, and with her wings gloriously lifts him vp, out of the dead and standing waters of Aegypt, (which are the ordinary thoughts of mortall men) making him despise this life and the riches thereof, and causing him night and day to meditate on God, and his Saints, to dwell in the Emperiall Heauen, and to drinke the sweet springs of the Fountains of euerlasting hope. Praised be God eternally, which hath giuen vs grace to see this most fair & all-perfect purple colour; this pleasant colour of the wilde poppy of the Rocke, this Tyrian, sparkling and flaming colour, which is incapable of Alteration or [Page] change, ouer which the heauen it selfe, nor his Zodiacke can haue no more domination nor power, whose bright shining rayes, that dazle the eyes, seeme as though they did communicate vnto a man some supercoelestiall thing, making him (when he beholds and knowes it) to be astonisht, to tremble, and to be afraid at the same time. O Lord, giue vs grace to vse it well, to the augmentation of the Faith, to the profit of our Soules, and to the encrease of the glory of this noble REALME. Amen.

FINIS.

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ARTEPHIVS HIS SECRET BOOKE, Concerning the PHILOSOPHERS STONE.

LONDON Printed by T. S. for Tho. Walkley, and are to be sold at his Shop at the Eagle and Childe in Britans Bursse. 1624.

THE PREFACE to the READER, in the French and Latine Copies.

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AMongst all the other Philosophers (louing Reader) only our Artephius is not enuious, as himself affirmeth of himselfe in many places, and therefore he layeth downe the whole Art in most open words in this Treatise, interpreting as farre as he may, the doubtfull speeches and Sophismes [Page] of others; Neuerthelesse least he should giue vnto the wicked, ignorant, and euill men, occasion and meanes to doe hurt, hee hath a little vailed the truth in the Principalls of the Science vnder an Arteficiall Methode, sometimes affirming, sometimes denying, and making as though hee often repeated one and the same thing, whereas in those repetitions hee alwayes changeth some words, seeming often to say the contrary of what hee had said before, willing to leaue vnto the iudgement of the Reader, the way of Trueth, Vertue, and true Working, which if any man finde, let him giue immortall thankes to God alone; but if hee see [Page] that hee walketh not in the right way, let him reade ouer this Author againe and againe, vntill hee vnderstand his meaning. So did the learned Iohn Pontanus, which saith in his Epistle Printed in Theatrum Chimicum: They erre (saith hee, speaking of them that labour in this Arte) they haue erred, and they will alwayes erre, because the Philosophers in their books haue neuer set downe the proper Agent, except onely one, which is called Artephius, but hee speakes for himselfe; and if I had not read Artephius, and vnderstood whereof hee spake, I had neuer come to the Complement of the worke: Therefore reade this Booke, [Page] and reade it againe, vntill thou vnderstand his speech, and so obtaine thy desired end. It shall bee needlesse to speake any more concerning our Authour; It sufficeth that by the grace of God, and the vse of this wonderfull Quintessence, hee liued a thousand yeeres, as witnesseth Roger Bacon, in his Booke of the wonderfull workes of nature, and also the most learned Theophrastus Baracelsus, in his Booke of long life: Which terme of a thousand yeeres, none of the other Philosophers, no nor the Father of them, Hermes himselfe, was able to attaine vnto. Looke therefore, whether peraduenture this man haue not vnderstood the vertues [Page] of our Stone, and the manner how to vse it, better than the rest. Howsoeuer it bee, vse thou it and our labours, to the glory of God, and the profit of this Kingdome.

Farewell.

ARTEPHIVS HIS SECRET BOOKE.

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ANtimony is of the parts of Saturne, and hath in euery respect the nature thereof: so this Saturnine Antimonie agrees with the Sunne, hauing in it selfe Argent viue, wherein no mettall is drowned but gold; that is to say; Gold onely is drowned in Antimoniall Saturnine Argent[Page]viue, and without that Argent viue, no mettall can bee whitened: It whiteneth therefore Leton, that is, Gold, and it reduceth a perfect Body into its first matter, that is, into Sulphur and Argent viue of a white colour, and shining more than glasse. It dissolues I say, the perfect Body which is of his nature; for this water is friendly, and pleasant to the Mettalls, whitening the Sunne, because it containes a white Argent viue. And from hence thou mayest draw a great secret, to wit, that the water of Saturnine Antimony ought to be Mercuriall and white, to the end that it may whiten the Gold, not burning it, but dissoluing and afterwards [Page] congealing it to the forme of white Creame. Therefore, saith the Philosopher, that this water maketh the Body to bee volatile, because after it hath beene dissolued in this water, and cooled againe, it mounts aloft vpon the surface of the water; Take (saith he) gold crude, foliated, laminated, or calcined with Mercury, and put it into our Vinegre Antimoniall, Saturnine, Mercuriall, and drawne from Sal Ammoniack (as is said) in a broad vessell of glasse, foure fingers high or more, and leaue it there in a temperate heate; and in short time thou wilt see lifted vp, as it were a liquor of oyle swimming aloft, in manner [Page] of a thinne skinne: That gather with a spoone, or with a feather, dipping it in, and so doing many times in a day, vntill there doe nothing more arise; afterward make the water vapour away by the fire, that is to say, the superfluous humor of the vinegre, and there will remain vnto thee a fifth essence of Gold, in forme of a white oyle incombustible, wherein the Phylosophers haue placed their greatest secrets; and this oyle is exceeding sweete, and is of great power to mitigate the pain and griefe of wounds. All the secret then of this secret Antimoniall, is that by vertue thereof we know how to extract & draw out of the body of the Magnesia,[Page]Argent viue, not burning, (and this is Antimony and Mercuriall sublimate) that is, we must draw a water liuing, incombustible, and then congeale it with the perfect Body of the Sunne, which is dissolued therein, into a nature and substance white, congealed as if it were creame, which maketh it all to become white: Neuerthelesse, first of all this Sunne in his putrifaction and resolution in this water, in the beginning will loose his light, be darkened, & become black, and afterward will lift himselfe vpon the water, and there will swimme vpon it by little and little a white colour i [...] a white substance. And this is called to whiten [Page]the red Leton, to sublime it Phylosophically, and to reduce it into his first matter, that is to say, into white Sulphur incombustible, and into Argent viue fixed; and so the terminated moisture, that is to say, Gold, our Body, by the reiteration of liquefaction in this our dissoluing water, is turned and reduced into Sulphur, and Argent viue fixed: And so the perfect Body of the Sunne taketh life in this water, is reuiued, inspired, encreased, and multiplied in his kind, as all other things are; for in this water it commeth to passe, that the Body compounded of two bodies, of the Sunne and of the Moone, puffeth vp, swelleth, putrisieth as a graine of [Page] Corne, becommeth great with young, is lifted vp, and encreaseth, taking the substance & nature, liuing and vegetable.

Also our water, or our foresaid vinegre, is the vinegre of Mountaines, that is to say, of the Sunne and Moone, and therefore it is mixed with the Sunne and Moon, and cleaueth to them perpetually: to wit, the Body taketh from this water the tincture of whitenesse, and with it (the water) shineth with inestimable brightnesse. Hee therefore that knowes how to turne the Body into white siluer medicinall, hee may afterward by this white gold, easily turne all imperfect mettals into very good and fine [Page] siluer. And this white gold, is by the Phylosophers called, their white Moone, the white Argent viue fixed, the Gold of Alchimy, and the white smoake. Therefore without that our Antimoniall vinegre, the white gold of Alchimy, cānot be made. And because in our vinegre there is a double substance of Argent viue, one of Antimony, and another of Mercury sublimed; it doth therefore giue a double weight & substance of Argent viue fixed, and also augments therein (in the gold) the naturall colour, weight, substance, and tincture thereof.

Therefore our dissoluing water, carries a great tincture and great fusion, because [Page] that when it feeles the common fire, if there be in it the perfect Body of the Sunne or of the Moone, it suddenly maketh it to bee melted, and to be turned into his substance, white as it is, & addes colour, weight, and tincture to the Body. It hath also power to dissolue all things that may be melted, and it is a ponderous body, viscous, precious, and honourable, resoluing all crude bodies into their first matter, that is, into Earth, & a viscous powder, that is to say, into Sulphur and Argent viue. If therefore thou put into this water any mettall, filed, or attenuated, and leauest it for a time in a gentle heate, it will bee all dissolued, and [Page] changed into a viscous water, or a white oyle, as is said. And so it molifies the Body, and prepares it to fusion & liquefaction, nay, it makes all things fusible, that is, stones and mettals, and afterwards giues them spirit and life. Therefore it dissolues all things with a wonderful solution, turning the perfect Body into a fusible medicine, melting, penetrating, and more fixed, encreasing the weight and colour.

Worke therefore with it, and thou shalt obtaine from it that which thou desirest; for it is the spirit and the soule of the Sunne and the Moone, it is the oyle, the dissoluing water, the fountaine, the Balneum Mariae,[Page]the fire against Nature, the moist fire, the secret, hidden, and inuisible fire, and the most sharpe vinegre, of which a certaine ancient Phylosopher said, I besought the Lord, and hee shewed me a certain cleane water, which I knew to be the pure vinegre, altering, piercing, and digesting. The vinegre I say penetratiue, and the instrument mouing the gold or the siluer, to putrifie, resolue, and to be reduced into his first matter, and it is the onely Agent in the whole World for this Art, that can resolue and reincrudate, or make raw againe the Mettallicke Bodies, with the conseruation of their species. It is therefore the onely fit and natural mean, [Page] by which we ought to resolue the perfect Bodies of the Sunne and Moone, by an admirable and solemne dissolution, vnder the conseruation of their species, and without any destruction, vnlesse it be to a new, more noble, and better forme, or generation, that is to say, into the perfect Stone of the Phylosophers, which is their wonderfull, and hidden secret.

Now this water is a certain middle substance, cleere as pure siluer, which ought to receiue the tinctures of the Sunne and Moone, to the end that it may be congealed and conuerted into white and liuing Earth; for this water hath need of the perfect bodies, that with [Page] them after dissolution, it may bee congealed, fixed, and coagulated into white Earth; and their solution is also their congelation, for they haue one and the same operation, for the one is not dissolued, but that the other is congealed; neither is there any other water which can dissolue the Bodies, but that which abideth with them in matter and forme; nay, it cannot be permanent, except it bee of the nature of the other body, that they may be made one together. Therefore when thou seest the water coagulate it selfe with the Bodies that bee dissolued therein, rest assured that thy Science, Methode, and operations, are true and Phylosophicall, [Page] and that thou proceedest aright in the Art.

Nature then is amended in its like nature; that is, Gold and Siluer are amended in our water, as our water also with the Bodies; which water is called the meane of the Soule, without the which wee can doe nothing in this Art; and it is the vegetable, animall, and minerall fire, preseruing the fixed spirits of the Sunne and Moone, the destroyer and the Conquerour of Bodies, because it destroyes, dissolues, and changeth Bodies, and mettallick formes, and makes them to bee no Bodies, but a fixed spirit, and turneth them into a moist, soft, and fluid substance, which hath ingression and [Page] power to enter into other imperfect Bodies, and to be mixed with them by the smallest parts, and to colour them and make them perfect; which they could not doe when they were Mettallicke bodies dry & hard, which haue no entrance, nor power to colour and make perfect imperfect Bodies. And therefore to good purpose doe wee turne the bodies into a fluid substance, because euery tincture will colour a thousand times more, when it is in a soft and liquid substance, then when it is in a dry one, as appeares by Saffron: and consequently the transmutation of imperfect Bodies, is impossible to be done by perfect Bodies, while they are [Page] dry, except they bee first brought backe into their first matter, soft and fluid: from hence wee conclude, that we must make the Moisture returne, and so reueale that which is hidden; which is called the reincrudation, or the making raw againe of the Bodies, that is, the boyling and the softening them, vntill they bee depriued of their hard and dry corporality, or bodilynesse; because that which is dry, doth not enter, nor colour any more then it selfe. Therefore the dry Earthly Body doth not teine, except it be teined, because as is aboue-said, that which is thicke and Earthy, entreth not, nor coloureth; and because it entreth not, therefore [Page] it alters not; wherefore Gold coloureth not, vntill the hidden spirit be drawne from the belly thereof by our white water, and that it be made altogether a spirituall and white fume, the white spirit, and the wonderfull soule.

Wherefore wee ought by our water, to attenuate, alter, and soften the perfect Bodies, that they may afterward be mixed with the other imperfect Bodies: And therefore if wee had no other profit by that Antimoniall water, then this, that it makes the Bodies subtile, soft, and fluid, according to his owne nature, yet it were sufficient for vs: for it brings backe the Bodies to their first originall [Page] of Sulphur and Mercury, that of these, we may afterwards in a short time, in lesse then one houre of the day, doe that aboue ground, which Nature wrought vnder ground in the mines of the Earth in a thousand yeeres, which is as it were miraculous. And therefore our finall secret, is by our water to make the Bodies volatile, spirituall, and a teining water, which hath ingression or entrance into the other Bodies: for it makes the Bodies to be a very spirit, because it doth incerate, (that is, bring to the temper and consistence of waxe) the hard and dry Bodies, and prepares them to fusion, that is, turnes them into a permanent or abiding [Page] water. It makes then of the Bodies a most precious blessed Oyle, which is the true tincture, and the white permanent water, of nature hot & moist, temperate, subtile, and fusible as waxe, which pierceth, reacheth to the bottome, coloureth, & maketh perfect. Therefore our water doth incontinently dissolue gold and siluer, and maketh them an incombustible Oyle, which may then be mixed with other imperfect Bodies: for our water turnes the Bodies into the nature of a fusible salt, which is by the Phylosophers called, Sal Albroe, which is the best and the noblest of all salts, being in the regiment thereof fixed, and not flying the fire, and [Page] it is indeed an oyle, of a nature hot, subtile, penetrating, reaching to the depth and entring, called the compleat Elixir, and it is the hidden secret of the wise Alchimists. Hee therefore that knoweth this salt of the Sunne and Moone, and the generation, or preparation thereof, and afterwards how to mixe it, and make it friendly to the other imperfect bodies; hee in truth knoweth one of the greatest secrets of Nature, and one way of perfection.

These Bodies thus dissolued by our water, are called Argent viue, which is not without Sulphur, nor Sulphur without the nature of the Luminaries (or lights) because that the Lights (the [Page] Sunne and Moone) are the principall meanes, or middle things, in the forme, by which Nature passeth in the perfecting and accomplishing the generation thereof: And this Quick-siluer, is called the Salt honoured, and animated and pregnant, (or great with Childe) and fire, seeing that it is nothing but fire, nor fire, but Sulphur, nor Sulphur, but quicke-siluer, drawne from the Sunne and Moon by our water, and reduced to a stone of great price; that is to say, it is the matter of the Lights, altered from basenesse vnto noblenesse. Note that this white Sulphur is the Father of Mettals, and their Mother together, it is [Page] our Mercury; and the Minera of Gold, and the Soule, and the ferment, and the minerall vertue, and the liuing Body, and the perfect Medicine, our Sulphur, and our Quick-siluer, that is, Sulphur of Sulphur, and Quick-siluer of Quick-siluer, and Mercury of Mercury. The property therefore of our water is that it melteth gold and siluer, and augments in them their natiue colour; for it turnes the Bodies from Corporality, into Spirituality, and this water it is which sends into the Body a white fume, which is the white soule, subtile, hot, and of much fierinesse. This water is also called the bloudy stone, and it is the vertue of the spirituall[Page]bloud, without which nothing is done, & the subiect of all liquable things, and of liquefaction, which agrees very well, and cleaueth to the Sunne and the Moone, neither is it euer separated from them, for it is of kinne to the Sunne and to the Moone, but more to the Sun then to the Moone; Note this well: It is also called the mean of conioyning the tinctures of the Sunne and Moone with imperfect Mettals; for it turnes the Bodies into a true tincture to teine the other imperfect Mettals, and it is the water which whiteneth, as it is white, which quickeneth as it is a soule; and therefore (as the Phylosopher saith) soone entreth into its body. For it [Page] is a liuing water, which commeth to moisten its earth, that it may budde, and bring forth fruit in his time, as all things springing from the Earth, are engendred by the dew or moisture. The Earth therefore buddeth not without watring and moisture: It is the water of May-dew, that clenseth the Bodies, that pierceth them like raine water, whiteneth them, and maketh one new Body of two Bodies. This water of life being rightly ordered with his Body, whiteneth it, & turneth it into his white colour; for the water is a white fume, and therefore the Body is whitened by it: whiten the Body then, and burne thy Bookes. And between [Page] these two, that is, betweene the Body and the water, there is friendship, desire, and lust, as betweene the male and the foemale, because of the neerenesse of their like natures: for our second liuing water is called Azot, washing the Leton, that is, the Body, compounded of the Sunne and Moon by our first water. This second water is also called the soule of our dissolued Bodies, of which Bodies wee haue already tyed the soules together, to the end that they may serue the wise Phylosophers. O how perfect and magnificent is this water, for without it the worke could neuer bee brought to passe! It is also called the vessell of Nature, [Page] the belly, the wombe, the receptacle of the tincture, the Earth, and the Nurse. It is the Fountaine in which the King and Queene wash themselues, and the Mother which must be put and sealed in the belly of her Infant, that is, the Sun which proceeded from her, and which shee brought forth: and therefore they loue one another as a Mother and a Sonne, and are easily ioyned together, because they came from one & the same roote, and are of the same substance and nature. And because this water is the water of the vegetable life, therefore it giueth life, and maketh the dead body to vegetate, encrease, & spring forth, and to rise from death [Page] to life, by solution and sublimation; and in so doing, the Body is turned into a spirit, and the spirit into a body, and then is made amity, peace, concord, and vnion between the contraries, that is, betweene the Body and the spirit, which reciprocally change their natures, which they receiue and communicate to one another by the least parts, so that the hot is mixed with the cold, the dry with the moist, and the hard with the soft; and thus is there a mixture made of contrary natures, that is, of cold with hot, and of moist with dry, an admirable connexion & coniunction of enemies. Then our dissolution of bodies, which is made in this [Page] first water, is no other thing then a killing of the moist with the dry, because the moist is coagulated with the dry, for the moisture is contained, terminated, and coagulated into a Body, or into Earth, onely by drinesse. Let therefore the hard and dry bodies be put in our first water in a vessell well shut, where they may abide vntill they be dissolued, and ascend on high, and then they may bee called a new Body, the white gold of Alchimy, the white stone, the white Sulphur, not burning, and the stone of Paradice, that is, the stone which conuerts imperfect Mettals into fine white siluer: Hauing this, we haue also the Body, Soule, and Spirit, all together, [Page] of the which spirit and soule it is said, that they cannot be drawn from the perfect Bodies, but by the coniunction of our dissoluing water, because it is certaine that the thing fixed, cannot belifted vp, but by the coniunction of the thing volatile. The spirit then by the mediation of water and the soule, is drawne from the Bodies, and the Body is made no Body, because at the same instant the spirit with the soule of the Bodies mounteth on high into the vpper part, which is the perfection of the stone, and is called sublimation. This sublimation (saith Florentius Catalanus) is done by things sharpe, spirituall, and volatile, which are of a sulphurous [Page] and viscous nature, which dissolue the Bodies, and make them to be lifted vp into the Ayre in the spirit. And in this sublimation a certaine part and portion of our said first water ascendeth with the Bodies, ioyning it selfe to them, ascending and subliming into a middle substance, which holdeth of the nature of the two, that is, of the Bodies, and of the water; and therefore it is called the Corporall & spirituall compound, Corsufle, Cambdr, Ethelia, Zandarach, the good Duenech, but properly it is onely called the water permanent, because it flyeth not in the fire, alwayes adhering to the commixed Bodies, that is, to the Sunne and [Page] Moone, and communicating vnto them a liuing tincture, incombustible, and most firme, more noble and precious then the former which these bodies had, because from hence-forward this tincture can run as oyle vpon the bodies, perforating and piercing with a wonderfull fixion, because this Tincture is the spirit, and the spirit is the soule, and the soule is the body, because in this operation the body is made a spirit of a most subtile nature, and likewise the spirit is incorporated, and is made of the nature of a body with bodies, and so our stone contains a body, a soule, and a spirit. O Nature how thou changest the body into a spirit, which thou couldst [Page] not doe, if the spirit were not incorporated with the bodies, and the bodies with the spirits made volatile, or flying, and afterward permanent or abiding. Therefore they haue passed into one another, and are turned the one into the other by wisdome. O wisdome, how thou makest Gold to be volatile and fugitiue, although by nature it be most fixed. It behoueth therefore to dissolue and melt these Bodies by our water, and to make them a permanent water, a golden water sublimed, leauing in the bottom the grosse, earthly, and superfluous dry. And in this sublimation the fire ought to be soft, and gentle; for if in this sublimation the Bodies [Page] bee not purified in a lent or slow fire, and the grosser earthly parts (note well) separated from the vncleannesse of the dead, thou shalt be hindred from euer making thy worke perfect; for thou needest onely this subtile and light nature of the dissolued Bodies, which our water will easily giue thee, if thou proceed with a slow fire, for it will separate the Heterogeneall (or that which is of another kinde) from the Homogeneall, (or that which is all of one kinde.)

Our compound therefore receiueth mundification or clensing by our moist fire, that is to say, dissoluing and subliming that which is pure and white, and casting [Page] aside the foeces, like a voluntary vomit (saith Azinaban.) For in such a dissolution, and naturall sublimation, there is made a loosing, or an vntying of the Elements, a clensing and a separation of the pure from the impure, so that the pure and white ascendeth vpward, and the impure and earthly fixed remaines in the bottome of the water, or the vessell, which must be taken a way and remooued, because it is of no value, taking onely the middle white substance, flowing and melting, and leauing the foeculent earth, which remained below in the bottome, which came principally from the water, and is the drosse, and the damned[Page]earth, which is nothing worth, nor can euer doe any good, as doth the pure, cleare, white and cleane matter, which wee ought onely to take. And against this Capharaean rocke, the ship and knowledge of the Schollers and students in Philosophy, is often (as it happened also vnto mee sometimes) most improuidently dashed and beaten, because the Phylosophers doe very often affirme the contrary, namely, that nothing must be remooued or taken away, but the moysture, that is, the Blacknesse, which notwithstanding they say and write, onely to deceiue the vnwise, grosse, and ignorant, which of themselues without a Maister, [Page] vnwearied reading, or Prayer vnto God Almighty, would like conquerours carry away this golden fleece.

Note therefore, that this separation, diuision, and sublimation, is without doubt the key of the whole worke. After the putrifaction then, and dissolution of these Bodies, our Bodies doe lift themselues vp to the surface of the dissoluing water, in the colour of whitenesse, and this whitenesse is life; for in this whitenesse, the Antimoniall and Mercuriall soule, is by the appointment of nature, infused with the Spirits of the Sunne & Moone, which separateth the subtile from the thicke, and the pure [Page] from the impure, lifting vp by little and little, the subtile part of the Body, from the dregs, vntill all the pure be separated and lifted vp: And in this is our Philosophicall and naturall sublimation fulfilled: And in this whitenesse is the soule infused into the Body, that is, the mineral vertue, which is more subtile than fire, being indeed the true quintessence and life, which desireth to bee borne, and to put off the grosse earthly foeces, which it hath taken from the Menstruous and corrupt place of his Originall. And in this is our Philosophicall sublimation, not in the naughty common Mercury, which hath no qualities like vnto them, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] wherewith our Mercury drawne from his vitriolate cauernes, is adorned. But let vs returne to our sublimation. It is therefore most certaine in this Art, that this soule drawne from the Bodies, cannot be lifted vp, but by the putting to of a volatile thing, which is of his owne kinde; by the which the Bodies are made volatile and spirituall, lifting vp, subtiliating, and subliming themselues, against their owne proper nature, which is bodily, heauy and ponderous; and by this meanes they are made no Bodies, but incorporeall, and a fifth essence, of the nature of the Spirit, which is called Hermes his Bird, and Mercury drawne [Page] from the red seruant; and so the earthy parts remaine below, or rather the grosser parts of the Bodies, which cannot by any wit or deuice of man be perfectly dissolued. And this white fume, this white gold, that is, this quintessence, is also called the compound Magnesia, which as a man, containes, or like a man is compounded of a Body, a Soule, and a Spirit: For the Body is the fixed earth of the Sunne, which is more than most fine, ponderously lifted vp, by the force of our diuine water; The soule is the tincture of the Sunne and of the Moone, proceeding from the coniunction or communication of these two: But the spirit is the [Page] minerall vertue of the two Bodies, and of the water, which carries the soule, or the white tincture vpon the Bodies, and out of the Bodies, as the tincture of Diers, is carried by water vpon the cloth. And that Mercuriall spirit is the Bond or tyall of the soule of the Sun; And the Body of the Sunne is the Body of fiction, containing with the Moone the spirit and soule. The spirit therefore pierceth, the body fixeth, the soule coupleth, coloureth and whiteneth. Of these three vnited together, is our Stone made, that is, of the Sunne, and Moone, and Mercury. Then with our gilded (or golden) water, is extracted a nature surpassing all nature, [Page] and therefore except the bodies bee by this our water dissolued, imbibed, ground, softened, and sparingly and diligently gouerned, vntill they leaue their grossenesse and thicknesse; and be turned into a thinne and impalpable spirit, our labour will alwayes be in vaine, for vnlesse the bodies bee changed into no bodies, that is, into the Philosophers Mercury, the rule of Art is not yet found, and the reason is, because it is impossible to draw out of the bodies that most thinne or subtile soule, which hath in it all tincture, if the bodies be not first dissolued in our water. Dissolue therefore the bodies in the golden water, and boyle them, vntill [Page] by the water all the tincture come out into a white colour, or a white oyle, and when thou shalt see this whitenesse vpon the water, then know that the bodies are dissolued or melted, and continue the decoction, vntill they bring foorth the cloude which they haue conceiued, darke, blacke, and white. Put therefore the perfect bodies in our water, in a vessell Hermetically sealed, vpon a soft fire, and boyle them continually, vntill they bee perfectly resolued into a most precious oyle: Boyle them (saith Adfar) with a gentle fire, as it were for the hatching of chickens, vntill the bodies bee dissolued, and their tincture most neerely [Page] conioyned, (marke well) be wholly drawne out: for it is not drawne out all at once, but it commeth forth by little and little, euery day and euery houre, vntill after a long time this dissolution be complete, & that which is dissolued do alwaies arise vppermost vpon the water. And in this dissolution let the fire bee soft and continuall, vntill the bodies bee loosed into a viscous impalpable water, and that the whole tincture come forth, first in the colour of blackenesse, which is a signe of true solution: Then continue the decoction, vntill it become a white permanent water, for gouerning it in its bath, it will afterward be cleare, and in the end become [Page] like common argent viue, climing thorow the ayre vpon the first water. And therefore when thou seest the bodies dissolued into a viscous water, then know that they are turned into a vapour, and that thou hast the soules separated from the dead bodies, and by sublimation brought into the order and estate of spirits, whereupon both of them with a part of our water, are made spirits, flying and clyming into the ayre, and that there the body compounded of the male and female, of the Sunne and Moone, and of that most subtile nature, clensed by sublimation, taketh life, is inspired by his moysture, that is, by his water, as a [Page] man by the Ayre, and therefore from hencefoorth it will multiply, and increase in his kinde, like all other things. And therefore in such an eleuation and Philosophical sublimation, they are all ioyned one with another, and the new body, inspired by the Ayre, liueth vegetably, which is a wonder. Wherefore vnlesse the Bodies bee subtilized and made thinne by fire and water, vntill they doe arise like spirits, and bee made like water and fume, or like Mercury, there is nothing done in this Arte. But when they ascend, they are borne in the ayre, and changed in the ayre, and are made life with life, in such sort that they can neuer bee [Page] separated, as water mixt with water. And therefore it is wisely said that the Stone is borne in the Ayre, because it is altogether spirituall; for the vulture flying without wings, crieth vpon the top of the mountaine, saying, I am the white of the blacke, and the red of the white, and the Citrine sonne of the red, I tell truth, and lie not.

It sufficeth thee therefore to put the Bodies in the vessell, and in the water once for all, and to shut the vessell diligently, vntill a true separation be made, which by the enuious is called coniunction, sublimation, assation, extraction, putrefaction, ligation, despousation, subtiliation, generation,[Page]&c. and that the whole Maistery bee done. Doe therefore as in the generation of a man, and euery vegetable, put the seed once into the wombe, and shut it well. By this meanes thou seest that thou needest not many things, and that our worke requires no great charges, because there is but one Stone, one Medicine, one Vessell, one Regiment, and one successiue disposition to the white, and to the red. And although we say in many places take this, and take that, yet wee vnderstand that it behooueth to take but one thing, and put it once in the vessell, and to shut the vessell vntill the worke be perfected; for these things are so set down [Page] by the enuious Philosophers, to deceiue the vnwary, as is aforesaid. For is not this Art Cabalisticall, and full of secrets? And doest thou, foole, beleeue that wee doe openly teach the secrets of secrets? and doest thou take our words according to the literall sound? Know assuredly, (I am no whit enuious as others are) he that takes the words of the other Philosophers, according to the ordinary signification and sound of them, hee doeth already, hauing lost Ariadnes thread, wander in the middest of the Laberinth, and hath as good as appointed his money to perdition. But I, Artephius, after I had learned all the [Page] Art and perfect Science in the Bookes of the true-speaking Hermes, was sometimes enuious, as all the rest, but when I had by the space of a thousand yeeres, or thereabouts (which are now passed ouer mee since my natiuity, by the onely grace of God Almighty, and the vse of this wonderfull fifth essence) when, I say, for so long time I had seene no man that could worke the Maistery of Hermes, by reason of the obscurity of the Philosophers words, mooued with pitie, and with the goodnesse becomming an honest man, I haue determined in these last times of my life to write all things truely and sincerely that thou [Page] maist want or desire nothing to the perfecting of the Philosophers Stone, (excepting a certaine thing, which it is not lawfull for any person to say or to write, because it is alwayes reuealed by God, or by a Maister, and yet in this Booke, he that is not stiffenecked, shall with a little experience, easily learne it.) I haue therefore in this Booke written the naked trueth, although cloathed with a few colours, that euery good and wise man, may from this Philosophicall Tree happily gather the admirable Apples of the Hesperides. Wherefore praised bee the most high God, which hath put this benignitie into our [Page] soule, and with a wonderfull long olde age, hath giuen vs a true dilection of heart, wherewithall it seemeth vnto mee, that I doe truely loue, cherish, and imbrace all men. But let vs returne vnto the Arte. Surely our worke is quickly dispatched, for that which the heate of the Sunne doeth in a hundred yeeres in the Mines of the Earth for the generation of a Mettall, (as I haue often seene) our secret fire, that is, our fierie sulphureous water, which is called Balneum Mariae, worketh in short time.

And this work is no great labour to him that knoweth and vnderstandeth it, neither is the matter so deare, [Page] (considering a small quantity sufficeth) that it ought to cause any man to plucke backe his hand, because it is so short and easie, that it may well bee called the worke of Women, and the play of Children▪ Work then cheerefully (my sonne) pray to God, read Bookes continually, for one Booke openeth another, thinke of it profoundly; fly all things that vanish in the fire, for thou hast not thine intent in these combustible and consuming things, but onely in the decoction of thy water, drawne from thy lights. For by this water is colour and weight giuen infinitely, and this water is a white fume, which as a soule floweth in the perfect [Page] bodies, taking wholly from them their blacknesse and vncleannesse, and consoledating the two Bodies into one, and multiplying their water: And there is no other thing that can take away their true colour from the perfect Bodies, that is, from the Sunne and Moone; but Azoth, that is, this our water, which coloureth and maketh white the red Body, according to the regiments thereof.

But let vs speake of fires. Our fire therefore is minerall, equall, continuall, it vapours not, vnlesse it be too much stirred vp, it partakes of sulphur, it is taken otherwhere then from the matter, it pulleth downe all things, it dissolueth, congealeth, [Page] and calcineth, it is artificiall to finde, it is a short way (or an expence) without cost, at the least, without any great cost, it is moist, vaporous, digestiue, altering, piercing, subtle, ayery, not violent, not burning, compassing or enuironing, containing but one, and it is the Fountaine of liuing water, which goeth about, and containeth the place where the King and Queene bathe themselues. In all the worke this moist fire is sufficient for thee, at the beginning, middest, and end; for in it consisteth the whole Art: This is the fire naturall, against nature, vnnaturall, and without burning; and finally, this fire is hot, dry, moist, and cold, [Page] thinke vpon this, and work aright, taking nothing that is of a strange nature: And if thou doest not well vnderstand these fires, hearken further to what I shall giue thee, neuer as yet written in any Booke, from out of the abstruse and hidden cauilation of the Ancients, concerning fires.

We haue properly three fires, without the which the Art cannot bee done, and hee that workes without them, takes a great deale of care in vaine. The first is the fire of the Lampe, which is continuall, moist, vaporous, ayery, and artificiall to finde; for the Lampe ought to bee proportioned to the closure (or enclosure) and herein wee must vse great [Page] iudgement, which commeth not to the knowledge of a workeman of a stiffe necke: for if the fire of the Lampe be not geometrically and duly proportioned and fitted to the Furnace, either for lacke of heate thou wilt not see the expected signes in their times, and so thou wilt loose thy hope by too long expectation, or else with too much heate thou wilt burne the flowers of the Gold, and so sadly bewaile thy lost labour. The second fire is the fire of ashes, in which the vessell hermetically sealed is shut vp; or rather it is that most gentle heate, which proceeding from the temperate vapour of the lampe, goeth equally round about the vessell: [Page] This fire is not violent, if it be not too much stirred vp, it is digesting, a tering, it is taken from another Body then the matter, it is but one, or alone, it is moist and innaturall, &c. The third is the naturall fire of our water, which for this cause is also called fire against nature, because it is water; and yet neuerthelesse it makes a meere spirit of Gold, which common fire cannot doe; this fire is minerall, equall, and partakes of Sulphur, it breakes, congeales, dissolues, and calcines all, this is piercing, subtile, not burning, and it is the Fountaine of liuing water, wherein the King and Queen bathe themselues, whereof wee haue neede in the whole [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] worke, in the beginning, middle, and ending, but the other two abouesaid, wee doe not alwayes need, but onely sometimes: Ioyne therefore in the reading the Bookes of Phylosophers these three sorts of fire, and without doubt thou shalt vnderstand all their cauillations concerning their fires.

As touching the Colours, hee that doth not make blacke, cannot make white, because blacknesse is the beginning of whitenesse, and a signe of putrifaction and alteration, and that the Body is now pierced and mortified. Therefore in the putrifaction in this water, there first appeares blackenesse, like vnto the broth [Page] wherein bloud, or some bloudy thing is boyled. Secondly, the blacke Earth by continuall decoction is whitened, because the soule of the two bodies swimmes aloft vpon the water like white creame; and in this onely whitenesse, all the spirits are so vnited, that they can neuer fly from one another. And therefore the Leton must be whitened, and teare the Bookes, least our hearts be broken, for this intire whitenesse is the true stone to the white, and the body ennobled by the necessity of his end, and the tincture of whitenesse, of a most exuberant reflexion, and shining brightnesse, which being mixed with a Body, neuer [...]parteth from [Page] it. Here then note, that the spirits are not fixed, but in the white colour, which by consequent is more noble then the other colours, and ought more earnestly to be desired, considering it is, as it were, the complement & perfection of the whole worke. For our Earth is first putrified in blacknesse, then it is clensed in the eleuation or lifting vp, afterwards being dryed, the blacknesse departeth, and then it is whitened, and the darke moist dominion of the woman perisheth, and then the white fume pierceth into the new Body, and the spirits are shut vp, or bound together, in drinesse, and that which is corrupting, deformed and blacke [Page] with moisture vanisheth, and then the new Body riseth againe, cleere, white, and immortall, getting the victory oueral his enemies. And as heate working vpon that which is moist, causeth or engendreth blackenesse, which is the first colour, so by decoction euer more and more, heate working vpon that which is dry, begetteth whitenesse, which is the second colour; and afterward working vpon that which is purely & perfectly dry, it causeth citrinity and rednesse; and so much concerning the Colours.

We must therefore vnderstand, that the thing which hath the head red and white, the feete white, [Page] and afterwards red, and yet before that, the eyes blacke, this onely thing is our maistery: dissolue then the Sun and the Moone in our dissoluing water, which is familiar, friendly, and of the next nature vnto them, which is likewise to them sweete and pleasant, and as it were a wombe, a mother, an Originall, the beginning and the end of life, and that is the reason why they are amended in this water, because Nature reioyceth in Nature, and Nature containes Nature, and in true Mariage they are ioyned together, and made one nature, one new body, raised vp, and immortall. And thus we must ioyne consanguinity with Consanguinity, [Page] and then these natures will meete, and follow one another, putrifie themselues, engender themselues, and make one another reioyce, because Nature is gouerned by Nature, which is neerest and most friendly to it. Our water then (saith Danthin) is the most pleasant, faire, and cleere Fountaine, prepared onely for the King & Queene, whom it knoweth very well, and they know it; for it drawes them to it selfe, and they abide therein to wash themselues two or three dayes, that is, two or three moneths; and it maketh them young againe, & faire. And because the Sunne and Moone haue their Originall from this water their Mother, [Page] therefore it behoueth that they enter againe into their Mothers wombe, that they may be borne againe, and be made more strong, more noble, and more valiant. And therefore if these doe not die, and be not turned into water, they remain alone, and without fruite; but if they die, and be resolued in our water, they bring fruit an hundreth fold; and from that very place, where it seemed they had lost what they were, from thence shall they appeare that which they were not before. Let therefore the spirit of our liuing water, be with great wit and subtilty fixed with the Sunne and the Moone▪ because they being turned into the [Page] nature of water, doe dye, & seeme like vnto the dead; yet afterward being inspired from thence, they liue, encrease, and multiply like all other vegetable things. It is enough then to dispose the matter sufficiently from without, for from within, it selfe doth work sufficiently to its owne perfection. For it hath in it selfe a certaine and inhaerent motion, according to the true way, better then any order that can be imagined by man. And therefore doe thou onely prepare, and Nature will perfect; for if shee bee not hindered by the contrary, shee wil not passe her owne certaine motion, as well to conceiue, as to bring forth. Wherefore after the preparation [Page] of the matter, take heede onely least by too much fire thou make the bath too hot: Secondly, take heed least the spirit▪ doe exhale, because it would hurt him that worketh, that is to say, it would destroy the worke, and cause many infirmities, that is, much sadnesse and anger. From this that hath beene spoken, is drawne this Axiome, to wit, that by the course of nature, he doth not know the making of Mettals, that knoweth not the destruction of them. It behoueth then, to ioyne together them that are of kindred, for Natures doe finde their like natures, and being▪ putrified, are mixed together, and mortifie themselues. It is necessary [Page] therefore to know this corruption and generation, and how the Natures doe imbrace one another, and are pacified in a slow fire, how Nature reioyceth in Nature, and nature retaines nature, and turnes it into a white nature. After this, if thou wilt make it red, thou must boyle this white, in a dry continuall fire, vntill it bee as red as blood, which will bee nothing else but fire and a true tincture: And so by a continuall dry fire, the whitenesse is changed, amended, perfected, made Citrine, and acquireth rednesse, a true fixed colour. And consequently by how much more this red is boyled, so much the more is it coloured, and made a tincture [Page] of perfect rednesse; Wherefore thou must with a dry fire, and a dry calcination, without any moysture, boyle this compound, vntill it bee clothed with a most red colour, and then it will be a perfect Elixir.

If afterwards thou wilt multiply it, thou must againe resolue that red in a new dissoluing water, and after by decoction whiten and rubifie it by the degrees of fire, reiterating the first regiment. Dissolue, congeale, reiterate, shutting, opening, and multiplying in quantitie and qualitie at thine owne pleasure: for by a new corruption and generation, there is againe brought in a new motion, and so we could neuer find [Page] an end, if we would alwayes worke by reiteration of solution and coagulation, by the meanes of our dissoluing water, that is to say, dissoluing and congealing, as is said in the first regiment. And so the vertue thereof is increased and multiplied in quantitie and qualitie, so that if in the first worke, one part of thy Stone, will teyne an hundred, in the second it will teyne a thousand, in the third ten thousand, and so by pursuing thy worke, thy proiection will come into infinitie, teyning truly, and perfectly, and fixedly, euery quantitie, how great soeuer it bee, and so by a thing of an easie price, is added colour, and vertue, & weight. [Page] Therefore our fire and Azoth are sufficient for thee; boyle, boyle, reiterate, dissolue, congeale, and so continue according to thy will, multiplying it as much as thou wilt, and vntill thy Medicine bee made fusible as waxe, and that it haue the quantitie and vertue which thou desirest. Therefore all the accomplishment of the worke, or of our second Stone, (note it well) consisteth in this, that thou take the perfect Body, which thou must put in our water, in a house of glasse, wel shut and stopped with Cement, lest the ayre get in, or the moysture inclosed get out; and there hold it in the digestion of a gentle heate, as if it were of a bathe, or the [Page] most temperate heate of dung, vpon the which with the fire thou shalt continue the perfection of decoction, vntill it bee putrified and resolued into blacke, and afterwards be lifted vp, and sublimed by the water, that it may thereby bee cleansed from all blacknesse and darknesse, and that it may bee whitened and made subtile, vntill it come to the vtmost purity of sublimation, and at the last be made volatile, and white, within and without: for the vulture flying in the Ayre without wings, cryeth that it might get vpon the Mountaine, that is, vpon the water, vpon the which the white Spirit is carried. Then continue a conuenient fire, and that [Page] Spirit, that is, the subtile substance of the Body and of Mercury will ascend vpon the water, which quintessence is whiter than the snow; continue still, and in the end strengthen thy fire, vntill all which is spirituall mount on high: for know well, that all that is cleare, pure, and spirituall, ascends on high in the ayre, in the forme of a white fume, which the Philosophers call, the Virgins milke.

It behooueth therefore, that (as Sibill said) the Sonne of the Virgin bee exalted from the Earth, and that the white quintessence after his resurrection bee lifted vp towards the heauens, and that the grosse and thicke remaine in the bottome [Page] of the vessell and of the water; for afterwards when the vessell is colde, thou shalt finde in the bottome thereof, the foeces, blacke, burnt, and combust, separate from the spirit and white quintessence, which dregs thou must cast away. In these times the Argent viue raineth from our ayre vpon our new earth, which is called Argent viue, sublimed from the ayre, whereof is made a water viscous, cleane and white, which is the true tincture separated from all blacke foeces, and so our brasse or Leton, is with our water gouerned, purified, and adorned with a white colour, which white colour is not gotten, but by decoction and coagulation [Page] of the water. Boyle it then continually, wash away the blacknesse from the Leton, not with thy hand, but with the Stone, or the fire, or our second Mercuriall water, which is the true tincture. For this separation of the pure from the impure, is not done with hands, but nature her selfe alone, by working it circularly to perfection, bringeth it to passe. It appeareth then that this composition is not a manuall worke, but onely a change of the natures, because nature dissolues and conioynes it selfe, it sublimes and lifts vp it selfe, and hauing separated the foeces, it groweth white: and in such a sublimation the parts are alwayes ioyned [Page] together, more subtile, more pure and essentiall, because that when the fiery nature lifteth vp the subtile parts, it lifteth vp alwayes the more pure, and by consequent leaueth the grosser in the bottome. And therefore it behooueth by an indifferent fire, to sublime in a continuall vapour, that the Stone may bee inspired in the ayre, and liue. For the nature of all things takes life of the inspiration of ayre, and so also all our Maistery consists in vapour, and in the sublimation of water. And therefore our brasse or Leton must by degrees of fire bee lifted vp, and freely without violence, of himselfe, ascend on high, wherefore vnlesse [Page] the Body bee by fire and water dissolued, attenuated, and subtilized, vntill it ascend as a spirit, or climbe like Argent viue, or as the white soule separated from the Body, and carried in the sublimation of the Spirits, there is nothing at all done in this Arte: But when it ascends on high, it is borne in the ayre, and changed in the ayre, and is made life with life, being altogether spirituall and incorruptible: And so in such a regiment the Body is made a spirit of a subtile nature, and the spirit is incorporated with the Body, and is made one with it, and in such a sublimation, coniunction, and eleuation, all things are made white.

[Page] And therefore this Phylosophicall and natural sublimation is necessary, for that it maketh peace betweene the body and the spirit, which is vnpossible otherwise to be done, otherwise then by this separation of the parts: wherefore it behoueth to sublime them both, to the end, that in the troubles of this stormy Sea, the pure may ascend, and the impure and earthly may descend: And for this cause it must be boyled continually, that it may be brought to a subtile nature, and that the body may assume and draw to it selfe the white Mercuriall soule, which it naturally retaines, and suffereth it not to be separated from it, because it is like vnto it, in the [Page] neerenesse of the first, pure, and simple nature. From hence it appeares, that this separation must be made by decoction, vntill there remaine no more of the fat of the soule, which is not lifted vp, and exalted into the vpper part, for so they shall be both reduced vnto a simple equality, and vnto a simple whitenesse. The vulture therefore flying in the ayre, and the Toade going vpon the Earth, is our Maistery▪ And therefore when thou shalt gently, and with great discretion, separate the Earth from the water, that is, from the fire, and the subtile from the thicke, then that which is pure, will ascend from Earrh into Heauen, and that which is impure, [Page] will goe downe to the Earth, and the more subtile part will in the vpper place take the nature of a spirit, and in the lower place the nature of an Earthly Body; wherefore let the while nature with the more subtile part of the Body, be by this operation lifted vp, leauing the foeces, which is done in a short time: for the soule is aided by her associate and fellow, and perfected by it. My Mother (saith the Body) hath begotten mee, and by me shee her selfe is begotten; and after shee hath taken her slight, (or I haue taken from her her flying) shee after the best manner shee can, becomes a pious Mother, nourishing and cherishing the sonne whom shee hath begotten,[Page]vntill he come to perfect state. Heare this secret: Keepe the Body in this our Mercuriall water, vntill it ascend on high with the white soule, and the Earthly descend to the bottome, which is called, the Earth that remaines: then shalt thou see the water coagulate it selfe with its body, and shalt bee assured that the Science is true, because the Body coagulateth his moisture into drinesse, as the rennet of a Lambe coagulateth milke into Cheese. In the same fashion the spirit will pierce the body, and there will be a perfect mixture made by the least parts, and the Body will draw vnto himself his moisture, that is to say, his white soule, [Page] euen as the Load-stone draweth the Iron, because of the likenesse and neerenesse of his nature, and his greedinesse, and then the one will hold the other, and this is our sublimation and coagulation, which retaineth euery thing volatile, and maketh that it can flye no more. Therefore this compositiō is not a manuall operation, but (as I said) a changing of natures, and a wonderfull connexion of their cold with hot, and their moist with dry: for the hot is mixed with cold, and the dry with moist, and so by this meanes is made the mixture and coniunction of the body with the spirit, which is called the changing of contrary natures; [Page] because that in such a solution and sublimation, the spirit is turned into a body, and the body into a spirit; so that the natures being mingled together, and reduced into one, doe change one another, in as much as the body makes the spirit a body, and the spirit turnes the body into a teyned and white spirit.

And therefore (this is the last time that I will tell thee) boyle it in our white water, that is, in Mercury, vntill it bee dissolued into blacknesse, and then by continuall decoction, it will bee depriued of his blackenesse, and the body so dissolued, wil at length arise with the white soule, and then one will bee mingled with [Page] the other, and they will embrace one another, so that they shall no more be diuided asunder, and then the spirit is vnited to the body with a reall accord, and are made one permanent thing; and this is the solution of the body, and the Coagulation of the spirit, which haue one and the selfe same operation.

Hee therefore that knoweth how to mary, to make with childe, to mortifie, to putrifie, to engender, to quicken the species, to bring in the white light, and to clense the vulture from his blacknesse and darknesse, vntill he be purged by fire, coloured and purified from all his [Page] spots, shall bee the owner of so great dignity, that Kings shall reuerence him, and doe him honour.

Wherefore let our body abide in the water, vntill such time as it be loosed into a new powder in the bottome of the vessell and of the water, which is called the blacke ashes, and this is the corruption of the body, which is by wise men called Saturne, Leton, or Brasse, the Phylosophers Lead, and the discontinued powder. And in this putrifaction and resolution of the Body, there appeare three signes, to wit, the blacke colour, the discontinuity of the parts, and a stinking smell, which is likened to the smel of sepulchres [Page] or graues. This ashes then is that of which the Phylosophers haue said so much, which remained in the lower part of the vessell, which wee ought not to despise, for in it is the Diademe of our King, and the Argent viue, blacke and vncleane, from whence the blacknesse must be purged by continuall decoction in our water, vntill it be lifted vp in a white colour, which is called the Goose, and the Poulet of Hermogenes. He therefore that maketh the red Earth blacke, and then white, hath the Maistery, as also hee that killeth the liuing, and quickeneth the dead: therefore make the blacke white, and the white red, that thou mayest make the worke [Page] perfect; and when thou seest the true whitenesse appeare, which shineth like a naked Sword, know that in that whitenesse, is rednesse hidden; and then thou must not take out of the vessell that whitenesse, but onely boyle it, to the end, that with drinesse and heate, there may come vpon it a Citrine colour, and in the end, a most shining and sparkling red; which when thou seest, with great feare and trembling, praise the most good, and most great God, which giueth wisedome, and by consequence, riches vnto whom he pleaseth; and according to the iniquity of the Persons, taketh them away againe, and depriueth them of them for euer, [Page] plunging them in the seruitude and slauery of their enemies. To him be praise and glory for euer and euer. Amen.

FINIS.

THE EPISTLE Of IOHN PONTANVS, (mentioned in the Preface to the Reader of ARTEPHIVS his secret Booke) wherein he beareth witnesse of the BOOKE: Translated out of the Latine Copy: Extant in the third Volume of Theatrum Chymicum, at the 775. Page.

[Page]

[Page]

I Iohn Pontanus, haue traueiled thorow many Countries, that I might know some certainty [Page] of the Philosophers Stone; and going thorow as it were all the world, I found many false deceiuers, but no true Philosophers, yet continually studying, and making many doubts, at the length I found the trueth: But when I knew the matter in generall, I yet erred two hundred times, before I could attaine to the true matter, with the operation and practise thereof. First I begunne to worke with the matter, by putrefaction nine moneths together, and I found nothing: Then I put it into Balneum Mariae for a certaine time, and therein I likewise erred: Afterwards I put it in the fire of calcination for three moneths space, and I wrought [Page] amisse. I tryed all kinds of distillations and sublimations, (as the Philosophers, Giber, Archelaus, and all the rest, either say or seeme to say) and I found nothing. In summe, I assayed to perfect the Subiect of the whole Art of Alchimy, by all meanes possible to be deuised, as by Dung, Bathes, Ashes, and other fires of diuers kinds, which yet are all found in the Philosophers Bookes, but I found no good in them. Wherefore I studied three whole yeeres in the Bookes of the Philosophers, especially in Hermes alone, whose briefer words doe comprehend the whole Stone, though hee speake obscurely of the superior, and inferiour, (or [Page] that which is aboue, and that which is below) of heauen & earth. Therefore our Instrument which bringeth the matter into being in the beginning, second, and third worke, is not the fire of a Bath, nor of Dung, nor of Ashes, nor of the other fires which the Philosophers haue put in their Bookes: What fire is it then which perfects the whole worke from the beginning to the ending? Surely the Philosophers haue concealed it: But I being mooued with pitie, will declare it vnto you, together with the complement of the whole worke. The Philosophers Stone therefore is one, but it hath many names, and before thou know it, it will be very difficult; [Page] for it is watery, aiery, fiery, earthy, flegmaticke, cholericke and melancholy; for it is sulphurous, and it is likewise Argent viue, and it hath many superfluities, which by the liuing God are turned into the true essence, our fire being the meanes: And hee that separates any thing from the subiect, thinking it to bee necessary, hee truely knoweth nothing at all in Philosophy; for that which is superfluous, vncleane, filthy, foeculent, and in summe, the whole substance of the Subiect, is perfected into a fixt spirituall body, by the meanes of our fire. And this the wise men neuer reuealed, and therefore few doe come vnto [Page] the Arte, thinking that there is some such superfluous and vncleane thing. Now wee must seeke out the properties of our fire, and whether it agree to our matter, after the manner that I haue sayd, to wit, that it may bee transmuted, when as that fire doth not burne the matter, it separateth nothing from the matter, it diuideth not the pure parts from the impure, as all the Philosophers say, but it turneth the whole Subiect into puritie. It doeth not sublime, as Geber maketh his sublimations; Arnold likewise and others speaking of sublimations and distillations, to bee done in a short time. It is minerall, equall, continuall, [Page] it vapours not, except it bee too much stirred vp: it partaketh of Sulphur, it is taken from else-where then from the matter; it pulleth downe all things, it dissolueth and congealeth, likewise it both congeales and calcines, and it is artificiall to finde out, and is a compendious and neere way, without any cost, at least with small cost: and that fire is it, with a meane firing, for with a soft fire all the whole worke is perfected, and it performeth withall, all the due sublimations. They that should reade Geber, and all the other Philosophers, though they should liue an hundred thousand yeeres, could not comprehend it, because [Page] that fire is found by deepe and profound Meditation onely, and then it may be gathered out of Bookes, and not before. And therefore the errour of this Arte is, not to finde the fire, which turnes the whole matter into the true Stone of the Philosophers. And therefore studie vpon it, for if I had found that first, I had neuer erred two hundred times, in my practise vpon the matter: wherefore I doe not meruaile, if so many and great men haue not attained vnto the worke. They doe erre, they haue erred, they will erre, because the Philosophers haue not put the proper Agent, saue onely one, which is named Artephius, but hee speakes [Page] for himselfe, or by himselfe; And vnlesse I had read Artephius, and felt him speake, I had neuer come to the complement of the work. But the practique is this. Let it bee taken; and ground with a physicall contrition, as diligently as may bee, and let it bee set vpon the fire, and let the proportion of the fire bee knowne, to wit, that it onely stirre vp the matter, and in a short time, that fire, without any other laying on of hands, will accomplish the whole worke, because ii will putrifie, corrupt, ingender, and perfect, and make to appeare the three principall colours, blacke, white, and red. And by the meanes of our fire the Medicine [Page] will bee multiplied, if it bee ioyned with the crude matter, not onely in quantitie, but also in vertue. With all thy strength therefore, search out this fire, and thou shalt attaine thy wish, because it doeth the whole worke, and is the Key of the Philosophers, which they neuer reuealed: But if thou muse well and profoundly vpon those things that haue beene spoken concerning the properties of the fire, thou mayest know it; otherwise not. I beeing mooued with pitie, haue written these things, but that I may satisfie thee fully, this fire is not transmuted with the matter, because (as I said aboue) it is not of the matter. These things therefore I [Page] thought fit to say, and to warne the prudent, that they spend not their moneys vnprofitably, but know what they ought to looke after. For by this meanes they may come to the truth of the Arte, and not otherwise.

Farewell.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

Nicholas Flammel, his exposition of the hieroglyphicall figures which he caused to bee painted vpon an arch in St. Innocents Church-yard, in Paris. Together with the secret booke of Artephius, and the epistle of Iohn Pontanus: concerning both the theoricke and the practicke of the philosophers stone. Faithfully, and (as the maiesty of the thing requireth) religiously done into English out of the French and Latine copies. By Eirenæus Orandus, qui est, vera veris enodansFigures hierogliphiques. English

Flamel, Nicolas, d. 1418.

Edition statement

1624

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2005-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A68054

ID [STC]

STC 11027

ID [STC]

ESTC S102276

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99838066

ID [PROQUEST]

99838066

ID [VID]

2423

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A68054)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 2423)

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— Nicholas Flammel, his exposition of the hieroglyphicall figures which he caused to bee painted vpon an arch in St. Innocents Church-yard, in Paris. Together with the secret booke of Artephius, and the epistle of Iohn Pontanus: concerning both the theoricke and the practicke of the philosophers stone. Faithfully, and (as the maiesty of the thing requireth) religiously done into English out of the French and Latine copies. By Eirenæus Orandus, qui est, vera veris enodans, Figures hierogliphiques. English, Flamel, Nicolas, d. 1418., Artephius. Liber secretus artis occultae., Pontanus, Joannes, d. 1572. Epistola de lapide philosophorum., Orandus, Eirenaeus..

Extent

[12], 240, [8] p., folding plate

By T[homas] S[nodham] for Thomas Walkley, and are to bee solde at his shop, at the Eagle and Childe in Britans Bursse,. Imprinted at London :: 1624.. (Includes translations of "Liber secretus artis occultae" by Artephius and "Epistola de lapide philosophorum" by Joannes Pontanus.) (Printer's name from STC.) (The space for the dedicatee's name on A2r is left blank. Variant: "the C. D. of E." [the Countess Dowager of Exeter?] is printed in this space.) (Reproductions of the originals in the British Library and the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.) (Appears at reel 1486 (British Library copy) and at reel 1631 (Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery copy).)

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