_B._ Do you see now that sleeke and shining Blackness like the Head
of the _Crow_, covered over with abundance of black and very small
Feathers: And upon this Account, the Philosophers have called this
thus appearing Colour, the _Crows_ head. To this black _Crows_ head,
administer the third Degree of Fire, which will transmute this black
head into various, most delicate Colours, shining like ☉ and ☽:
Then continue on this degree of Fire, that all the said unstable
Colours may vanish, and may present to view the white Colour. After
Whiteness, follows Yellowness, which at last will be covered over
with the constant and permanent Redness: Which appearing, the fourth
Degree of Fire is to be administred, that that Redness may be more and
more exalted, and waxing Redder may attain unto its due Fixity and
Constancy; the which, by way of similitude, the Philosophers call, a
_Salamander_, and is the end of our whole Work.
A. _I should never have so much as dreamt, that so black a Body could
in so short a space of time have been transmuted into a most pure
Whiteness, and that this same Whiteness could, by an admirable passing
through all Colours, pass into a most delicate Redness, but I pray,
when this Matter hath obtained this Redness, is it to be accompted of,
as an Universal Medicine?_
_B._ Yes, Verily, because the curable Diseases of Men, may (by that
same Matter) be restored to former Health; and that safer, better
and perfectlier than can be done with any Herbs, or any other known
Medicaments. I except that Medicament, which is extracted out of this,
and concentrated into a much nobler Nature. But, as concerning the
Transmutation of Metals, it yields not any Profit, afore it be made
fixt and constant in the Fire; to the effecting of which there is
required a sufficiently great space of time.
A. _As far as I can understand, there may be a yet better and
profitabler Medicament prepared, than this is._
_B._ Yes, Verily, that there may, a much better and more useful,
because, that with this, there are as yet admixt many unprofitable
Feces, which ought to be separated therefrom: And the Case is far
otherwise in the perfecting of this Work out of this Mineral, then in
that which is done with Gold, for this is all over defiled with many
impurities: For every one must needs think, that there are abundance
of Feces [that are to be] separated from that Mineral, and by how much
the more impurities are separated, so much the more efficacious must
the Medicament it self of necessity be. Now in this present Degree and
State it is brought unto by us, it would be sufficient for all kind
of Diseases; which if we would yet have to be far more efficacious
and stronger, it would be expedient, that we separate yet the more
unprofitable and useless Feces, and concentrate the more pure Essence
into a more narrow Room and lesser Body. For ’tis the Soul only or
Quintessence of things, that heals Diseases. The shells or husks bring
no Profit at all, and this the Husbandmen well know; for they separate
the husks and chaff from the Corn, afore they bake Bread. The Medicinal
Virtues of Herbs and Minerals are but of a small weight, afore they
are freed from the Bonds and Fetters of their Bodies: But now, after
that they are separated from their Bodies, they can perform incredible
effects even in a most small quantity, and such as the great weight
of that Body, whence they are extracted, will never effect. Look but
on a living Man that is in good Health, with how ready and nimble a
Motion can he stir his Limbs, and what strength he can put forth: But
as soon as ever the Soul shall have separated it self from the Body,
how insensible and immoveable the Body lies, and not serviceable for
any Use? It is therefore a certain and undoubted Truth, that the Life
of all things wanteth weight, and this shall be more clearly, and
more evidently demonstrated by the Concentration of this universal
Medicament. For that which one Ounce, now, does, of this thus prepared
Medicament; half an Ounce, when concentrated, will perform the same:
And that which half an Ounce of this Medicament once concentred will
effect; one quarter part of an Ounce, or a Dram of the same twice
concentrated, will effect the same. And according to this compute,
may you proceed on farther. For by how much the oftner the prepared
Medicament is concentrated, so much the more Feces are separated
therefrom: And by how much narrowlier the Virtues are contracted, so
much the greater effects do they produce. And thus there needs not
in a manner any weight in Medicinal use. That which ten Grains of an
unconcentrated Medicament is wont to accomplish, you will effect the
same with one Grain of the Medicine, when concentred, to be put either
in Ale or Wine for some hours, if need be, or else held in the Mouth.
For soe it will no less display its occult Virtues and Powers, than if
the Powder of the not concentrated Medicament had been otherwise drunk
down. Besides too, such a Medicament may be a long time used without
losing of its Virtues, and that not only inwardly, but outwardly also
in all Wounds, Ulcers, and such like external affects. For all new
Wounds, as also old Ulcers whatsoever they be, are happily cured by
the laying on of those Medicaments, if the same Medicines be likewise
used inwardly. Nor needs there here many _Emplasters_, _Cataplasmes_,
and Ointments: Concerning which thing, see more in the Fifth Part of my
_Pharmacopœa Spagyrica_, where the use of this Medicament is treated of.
Read also those things, which that most excellent Philosopher _Van
Helmont_ declares of another certain Philosopher, Butler by Name,
_viz._ that he had a certain Stone, at _London_ in _England_, which
being sweld a very little in Oyl Olive, rendred the same exceedingly
Virtuous, that some few drops thereof taken into the Body, would
drive away the most grievous Diseases, and being outwardly applyed to
Wounds [or Sores] would speedily heal them. These things _Helmont_
testifies to be true, as being an Eye witness of the same. But I do
not attribute such incredible Virtues unto my Medicament, for as much
as I my self doubted of this Story of _Butler_, and could not believe,
that any Medicament could be promoted to this so high a Degree of
powerful Efficacy: But now, seeing I perceive that it is possible to
Art, for the Virtues of things to be contracted into a narrow Room,
and be concentrated; I do upon good ground cast this doubting off
from my mind, and adhere to those things which I see with mine Eyes,
and touch with my Hands. Certain, and firmly undoubted it therefore
is, that not only the Medicinal Virtues and Powers of this our Matter
may be contracted into such a narrow Compass, as to effect an hundred
fold more in Medicine, than that more gross Body could do: But also
this may be acquired or effected too, _viz._ that hidden Colour or
Tincture in our black _Magnesia_ may likewise be concentrated, together
with that Multiplication of Virtues; insomuch, that in the several
Concentrations, the Colour of the concentrated Body may be exalted,
the which, most high Colour, or exalted Tincture can never at any time
be gotten, without our secret Concentration: For otherwise, if there
were no need of that Concentration, it would necessarily follow, that
that _Magnesia_ of ours would be no other than a most pure Body, not
at all needing any ablution of its gross, and unprofitable, and black
impurity: But this is not so, as we said afore about the Gold, which
is pure in its own Nature, and of it self void of all Defilements, and
being a ripe Body and mere Tincture, needs no other thing, than this,
that its inward Parts be turned outwards, and its outward Parts inward,
by that Philosophical introversion, and that so its external Yellowness
may betake it self inwards, and the internal Redness may come forth
outwards, or (to speak the more clearly) that the manifest Yellowness
may be hidden, and the hidden Redness may be manifested. But now, the
Case is not thus with this our black Earth, and impure _Saturnine_
Mineral; in the which, both good and evil, pure and impure, Poison and
Medicine lye mixt together: Insomuch, that it is altogether necessary
to separate the black and gross impurity, from that noble and tender
Medicinal Pearl, and to reduce it unto Fixity.
A. _With gaping Mouth, and open Eyes, do I even swallow down your
Discourse, and yet I cannot pierce into the Foundation of the
whole business, nor understand it. You speak of such an artificial
Concentration, and which is beyond all my apprehensions, for I never
in all my whole Life time heard any thing of it, as far as I remember,
much less read ought concerning it._
_B._ I will set before you then a Similitude, that so you may the
readilier understand the knack. Examine well, and consider, Wine,
Ale, or the Lees of Wine; and by your searching you shall find, that
there is in them but very little of the Corroborating Spirit, or
Soul, the remainder is nothing else but mere impurities, destitute
of all Virtues. Now if some Physician or other should administer to
his Patient a large Cupful of Lees, to cheer and comfort his heart
withal, would you not accuse him of ignorance, and Folly? For though
there is somthing of comforting Virtues in the troubled Lees, yet it
is impeded, or clogged, by the great quantity of the dreggy Lees, from
rightly performing its proper Office. But put Case, that it could
display its own Virtues, yet nevertheless, even the admixt impurity
would also exercise its own accustomed Evil, and so the Good would
be confounded with the Evil, or rather be quite over powred by the
same. For this reason, there is nothing more necessary, than that
the good be separated from the evil, before any thing be used about
making _Medicine_. Therefore even as there are Workmen to be found,
who, by the vulgar Distillation and Rectification, do separate the
Heart-refreshing Spirit out of the sordid Lees of Wine and Ale, and
bring it unto use, give the remaining filthy dreggs and useless Feces
to the Hogs to eat: Even so do we (the Lovers of the _Spagyrick_ Art)
separate the pure Virtues and Powers of things from the gross, sordid,
and noxious impurities, afore we administer them to our Patients.
A. _As concerning these Sayings of yours, I am clearly of your Opinion,
and withal do stick close to that common Proverb, which saith, Speak
that which is Truth, eat that which is baked, and drink that which is
clear, if you be desirous of a long Life. For my part, I delight to
have the Kernels, and purged or cleansed Fruits, and willingly leave
the husks and shells to the Swine, that are delighted with Bran and
Chaff, and their own Dung._
_B._ I am extreamly satisfied, that I have already (thanks be to God)
seen the whole Work, and have a sufficient thorough understanding
of the whole Basis of the same, _viz._ that the purer and subtiler
part is to be separated from the more impure and grosser part, and,
by an often repeated Separation, and artificial Concentration, to be
advanced into a most subtile, most pure, and most noble Quintessence,
if any one has a mind to produce effects of some great moment, or to
do more than common things. And now, as you have learned, from the
words of our precedent Conference, the way of making an universal
Medicine out of common Gold: So have you likewise again received,
from this our present discoursing together, the Confection of the
universal Medicament, out of our _Saturnine Magnesia_, which is the
_Root_ of the vulgar Gold. But, although both of these Medicaments are,
as _per se_ and singly alone, very excellent and effectual enough,
yet notwithstanding it plainly, and clearly appears unto our ken,
that the power and Virtues of both the universal Medicines admit of
being promoted unto a far higher Degree; the which thing we see is
possible to be done by the means of Conjunction, and is to be thus
understood. When a Seed is implanted into its own growing Root, it
attracts out of such a Root, which is of its own kind, or Nature a far
better, and more nourishing Alimentary juice, than out of the gross
Earth. For example, The Seed of a _Rape Root_ being put in the Earth,
produceth _Rapes_ of the same bigness that the _Rapes_ were of, from
whence the Seed came: And as often as you shall commit that Seed (by
sowing) to the Earth, you shall, notwithstanding, never have greater
and better _Rapes_ than those, from whence the Seed was taken. But
now, if the Seed of some _Rape_ be sown into some other _Rape_ which
is in the Earth, and which hath grown unto the half of its bigness
already; that Seed will sprout forth, and grow up like as the other
Seeds planted in the Earth will do, but yet sooner, because it finds a
better Nutriment in its own Mother, than that does, which is planted
in the bare Earth: And hereupon, it must necessarily produce a greater
_Rape Root_, and from the greater Root will proceed a greater Seed.
And this is the reason, that there are such great grown _Rapes_, which
make every Body wonder at them: Some such I have seen, that weighed
ten, twelve, yea and twenty Pound weight. If you have a mind to try,
sow a few _Rape_ Seeds, throwing them into the Earth, which when
they shall have grown to the bigness of an Egg, take a wooden sharp
stick, and make therewith a small hole, even into the middle of the
said _Rape_, and then put thereinto your _Rape_ Seed, and stop up the
hole with soft [clammy] Potters clay, that so the Rain may not get in
and rot the Root. Thus now, that Seed will also (as being in its own
Root) grow up out of this _Rape_, existing and growing in the Earth,
and will dilate that its Root, and advance it to a greater bigness.
The Reason’s this, because it can attract unto it self a better and
more convenient Nourishment from a Root of its own kind, than out
of the bare Earth. And if you shall practise thus with other Seeds
likewise, you will effect the same, as with this. _N.B._ From the Seeds
of small _Radishes_, implanted into great _Rape Roots_, there grow
huge _Radishes_. This kind of Propagation may not unfitly be likened
to a Mothers suckling her Infant, which attracteth and draws its
Nourishment from the Mothers Breasts: But the Mother it self receives
her Nourishment from the Fruits of the Earth, and that, being changed
into a sweet Milk, supplies the Infant, whereby it is sustained and
nourish’d. But that I may lay the whole business afore your Eyes, by a
more full Declaration, I will yet farther add one Similitude more. Take
you some wild and not yet ripe Stock of a _Pear_, _Apple_, _Cherry_,
or some other Fruit-bearing Trees, such, I say, as is not yet full
grown, but is as yet constituted in its first tender Age, take off
from it all its Boughs, which bear [but] a wild and sower Fruit, and
Cut it all off even unto the bottom, and to the Stock standing out of
the Earth plant a _Cion_, pluckt off from another Tree that does not
bear wild fruit, into this Stock, betwixt the Bark and the Wood of the
same, where ’tis cut off with the Saw, and fence it well with Wax, or
tenacious Clay, _&c._ against the Rain: If now you shall thus do, and
do your work Gardner-like, that fruitful _Cion_ will draw unto it self
the wild Juice, out of that wild Tree or Stock, and make it better, so
that it will no more bear any wild Fruit, but such as that Tree did
bear, from which the _Cion_ was pluckt. If now, so small a _Cion_ of
some cultivated and fruitful Tree can so change the wild Juice of a
wild Stock, that it becomes far better, and more noble: Why, should
not Gold do the same in our Metallick Tree, when ingrafted in Lead as
in its proper Root? Verily in my Opinion, there is not a better Earth
(from which that golden Seed may attract unto it self an Alimentary
Nourishment, and so multiply it self even to infinity) to be had, than
its own proper Root. But yet, with this Proviso, that all the gross
and degenerate Boughs be first cut off from that same gross Root, for
so, it will the easilier and readilier change its wild and degenerate
Juice, (when joyned to the golden Seed or _Cion_,) and so will be
changed into a far nobler, and produce Fruits a thousand fold. You see,
my Friend! what good Will I bear to you, in that I have so faithfully
opened unto you all those things which I thought necessary to be known,
for the perfecting of so great a Work. Ponder well in your mind, upon
the Similitudes of the _Rape_ and _Cion_, and believe, that what I have
here spoken is not casually and at Random. For they have more hidden
under them, than they seem to shew for, and than you would imagine.
Length of time will open your Eyes, which are as yet blinded, as to
abundance of things, (if God permit.)
A. _Surely, Sir, I cannot chuse but wonder anew, when I accurately
consider the things you have declared unto me, of changing the wild
Nature, of the wild Vegetative Fruits into a tame, mild, Property:
And that such a Transmutation of the ignobler Nature, into a more
noble One, takes place also in Metallick Affairs. They are verily such
things, as are of weighty Concernment, and most worthy a most accurate
Consideration. But, indeed, who can sufficiently enough consider of all
the Divine Miracles? Blessed be his most holy Name for evermore._
_B._ Amen.
A. _I give unto you, for your courteous instruction, most hearty
thanks, and remain obliged unto you all my whole Life. And thus with
what hath been said, I commit both you and my self to Gods protection._
_B._ My dearest Friend, I have now performed the Promise I made unto
you, and am not meanly delighted, in that you have understood the
meaning of those things, which I have said unto you: But yet I cannot
but admire, that you are not Covetously desirous of knowing yet more,
and that you do not Crave an yet more prolix unfolding of more matters.
For you well know, that you cannot every day have the Enjoyment of my
Company.
A. _For those things, which I at present received from you, do I return
you most hearty thanks, another time God will vouchsafe more: The
greatest desire I have at present, is to set about so great a Work,
and to have the Fruition of the hoped for Fruit. If you are so minded,
and bent upon doing Friendly Favours, I do request you, that you would
oblige my Brother by your good turns, if he shall hap to come unto you,
and Petition for ought at your hands, for you may assist him in some
small, yet good, =Arcanum=: For he hath been stupid, or unapprehensive
enough hitherto, and much needs some accurate instruction. But what
shall I say? The sick looks after the Physician, he that is thorough
Well has no need of him. Such things as are hard to be understood,
exceed his Capacity: The more easie things are more commodious. And so
again, Farewel._
_The COROLLARY._
I have taught in this Dialogue, _That the White Lac virginis_ (after
its being extracted, by Distillation, out of the Black _Magnesia_, and
after its Exaltation, in Virtue and Efficacy, by Rectification and
Concentration,) _is to be freed from its superfluous Humidity, and yet
the dry Matter is to be made permanent in the Fire, by the gradual
Operation of the Fire_. Now for the more accurate Declaration sake;
these things which follow shall be yet farther subjoyned.
That Fixation, if it be to be perfected by the [bare] help of the
common Fire, requires a long and tedious time, so that there’s no
reason for a Man to persuade himself, that he can finish the same in
one years space. I speak by my own experience, for I my self have
tryed, and find that it cannot be, that one year should suffice for the
finishing of this Fixation, for indeed it requires a much longer time.
For after that, I had so far advanced the Matter, that it had passed
through all the Colours, as to flow when put upon a Red hot Plate, and
to insinuate it self thereinto, like Oyls penetrating into a dry Hide,
yet was it not fixt enough nor constant, nor served it for the tinging
of the Metals, but when a vehement Fire was applyed thereunto, away
it went in fume; but yet not without an evident Demonstration of the
possibility of the same. For as much therefore, as it does not yield
that satisfactory Fruit, [and Success] and seeing that such great
Labours are not undertaken, without the expectation of some Profit, and
that the hoped for Fruits cannot however be gathered, afore that the
said matter is promoted to a perfect Maturity, and consequently dreads
not any the most vehement Storms of the Fire any more; any one may
easily conjecture, that there needs (as I said afore) a more tedious
space of time for this Fixation, if it be to be done and perfected by
the common Fire of Coals. But now, he that has the knowledge of the
secret Fire, of the Ancient Philosophers, such an one will much easier,
and speedier arrive unto the wished end of the Operation. The Nature
of the vulgar and fugacious Minerals doth very difficultly and slowly
admit of that Fixation, which is made with the Fire of Coals: And this
I was unwilling to conceal from the diligent Searcher after the Secrets
of Nature; yet farther adjoyning this Admonition, [_viz._] that a very
profitable Medicament may nevertheless be prepared in a shorter space
of time, and an appearance made of the admirable, and highly delightful
Variation of abundance of most delicate Colours. For the first Colour
that appears is like the black head of a _Crow_, presenting it self to
view like the Colour of black Glass. This blackness going off by little
and little, gives place to the White, and pondrous Mass; which is
called by the Philosophers, the _White Swan_, and not without reason,
because that self same white Matter is not so compact and Stone-like,
as that black _Crows_ Head, but is porous, and not much unlike unto
a kind of heap made of abundance of small and white Feathers. When
this Whiteness is turned into a Yellow, those Feathers vanish, and
the Mass returns to its former Compactness, and resembles the form of
a yellow Stone: Of which if you put a little piece upon some Red hot
Silver, or Copper-plate, it will at first stand like a Red blood, and
afterwards penetrate the Copper-plate, and tinge it both within and
without with a white Colour; but yet, somewhat brittle as yet, and
yields in the _Cineritium_, or _Cupel_, some Silver, and operates in
Medicine somewhat effectually, like the white Stone, but yet weaker.
It likewise pierceth into a Silver-plate, like as Oyl into a Skin, and
tingeth it with a yellow Colour, which being separated by the _Cupel_,
and dissolved in _Aqua Fortis_, leaves excellent Gold in the bottom.
I have not as yet made any farther Progress on the Operation, being
quite tired, and weary of spending any longer, and more tedious time
thereabouts, which however was necessarily requisite to the perfecting
of this Tincture with the Fire of Coals. But yet I have by me all the
Colours as they follow on after each other, which I can shew unto any
one; whereby they may see with their Eyes the most evident possibility
of Nature: To which end also I am minded to preserve those Tinctures
by me, that they may be an everlasting Memorial of so great a thing?,
unto my Posterity: But for my part, I will commend [to every one] that
shorter way of bringing the work to the wished end, by the Mediation of
the secret Fire of the Philosophers: Concerning which, the following
Dialogue, and the _little Book of Fires_, treats. For the immature
First Ens of Gold, cannot be excocted [or digested] into the desired
Tincture by any thing more easily, than in its own proper secret Fire;
and not by a Coal Fire.
And that it may clearly appear, that I have written the Truth, I will
send unto some of my Friends (God willing) some of those white and
yellow Stones, to be used not only in Medicine, but in _Alchymy_ too;
that so they may make tryal and experimentally find, that Tinctures
have a Power of bettering, and amending Metals, afore they have arrived
unto the half part of their Fixation.
_The Third Dialogue, or Conference, betwixt B. and C. treating
of the true Universal and particular Medicine of the ancient
Philosophers, (extracted) out of such Gold as is yet fugacious,
or Volatile, and immature; (and is) to be ripened by their secret
Fire; which Operation is by them styled, the work of Women, and
play of Children._
C. _Good morrow heartily, my Friend! I wish you a good and prosperous
Day._
_B._ I wish you the same, whence come you to us so early?
C. _I have very earnestly for these several days waited for this hour,
that I might see you, and have the Fruition of the most sweet Fruits of
your Courteous instructions. My Brother =A.= sent me hither, and told
me, that you had given him leave to send me unto you this day. I do
therefore Friendly request you, that you would put a good Construction
upon this my Boldness._
_B._ [My Friend!] I do not in the least take it ill, your Brother told
me, that you were as yet ignorant and unskilled, in the more subtil
_Arcanaes_ and Secrets; and that you therefore needed not ought else,
but some pretty easie Secret, which might be easily understood, and
performed with small Expences, and yet be profitable and beneficial
unto you.
C. _Indeed, Sir, to tell you the plain Truth, such =Arcanums= as are
profound ones, and to be penetrated into by a subtil Meditation, and
which are of great moment, do far outreach my duller apprehension:
And therefore I do not at this time desire any thing, more than this,
=viz.= that I may obtain something that is not costly, and yet may
effect so much in Medicine and =Alchimy=, as may serve me to live a
little more commodiously and plentifully, as to Food and Raiment. And
that you would be pleased, to render me a Master of this my desire, is
my humble request unto you, again and again._
_B._ You do very prudently measure out your requests, according to your
own Capacity. And indeed, sometimes, those things which are not Costly,
nor are difficult in their Operation, are more profitable to a Man,
than those things are, which they would fain get by the expence of a
great deal of Charge, of a long time, and hard Labours: I will grant
you your Request, and therefore hearken.