Physician

I perceive your Mastership takes

pleasure in passing from the use of

the Medicine, to the infinite Transmutation

of Metals. Although I

could easily believe the possibility

of Art, viz. that a Chymical Experiment

of that kind was in the

Adept, as I have also made mention

above, touching that Experiment

of Dr. Kifflerus who, with

the Tincture of one ounce of Gold

transmuted 1 ounce & half of Silver

into the best Gold, not to mention

the Experiment of Helmont; nor of

Scotus, which he made in the most

famous Cities of Colonia, and Hanovia;

nor much to insist on that

illustrious, and well known Example,

manifested at Prague, before

Cæsar Ferdinando the third, himself;

where with one only grain of

the Tincture, three pounds Mercury

were transmuted into most noble

Gold; insomuch that I am

brought no less into a neccessity, than

into a Will of believing, that the

Art may be true; yet I cannot to

this hour sufficiently receive it

without some doubt, because with

these my Eyes, I never in all my

Life saw the Man, who was the

true possessor thereof.

Artist.

Sir, you say true? yet Art will be

Art, whether you can believe it or

no. Even as is seen in the Magnet.

How it by its own insited Sulphureous

Virtue, of Iron, by Contact

presently makes a Magnet. Although

you will not believe, that

such wonderful Operations are latent

in it, yet they are, and will remain

true. So also you should

Judge of the Stone of Philosophers,

in which is all that the Wise seek.

And because the clouded Writings

of them, can be understood, and

explained but by very few, it is to

be desired earnestly by all, and

with the hands it must be endavoured,

that some one General Epitomen

of the whole Art, may so be

made, as in a very short space of

time, and without much labour, all

things necessary may be gathered,

by the help of which, a most easy

Transition to real Authors, might

be effected. Now since you have

presented some few Examples, by

which you endeavour to assert the

confirmed possibility of the Matter;

I my self will here shew to you

the True Matter of Secret Philosophers.

Behold it! Look well,

upon it.

Physician.

So my Master, Is this Sulphureous,

and Yellow Glassy Substance

the very Philosophick Matter?

And are you your self the

Possessor of this Science? I am

ready to believe you do but jest

with me. I pray Sir, tell me the

Truth, whether it be really so,

or not?

Artist.

Yes, Matter Doctor, You now

have within your hand, the most

pretious Treasure in the World.

For this is the true Stone of Philosophers,

than which, no Man

ever had a better, nor shall have

any other. And I my self did elaborate

the Composition, from beginning

to end. If you have another

convenient Chamber, I will

Shew you Metal transmuted into

Gold, by such a Stone as this

(When I had brought him into

another Chamber.) Behold (said

he) these five Pendants, were,

by the benefit of this Philosophick

Tincture, prepared of Saturn, or

Lead; which I wear for a perpetual

Remembrance of my Master.

But I suppose, you, having perused

many Writings of the Adept,

seeing the Substance, and Nature

of this Stone, will very sufficiently

know the true Matter, or rightly

understand the same.

Physician.

I understand by your self, that

you had a Master, from whom you

rather learned your Art, than acquired

the same, by your proper

Labour and Invention. And although

I now have seen that Substance,

which you affirm to be the

true Tincture of Philosophers, as

also those five Pendants, nevertheless

I am still left ignorant, and in

doubt, whether it be true or no.

Therefore, I earnestly again and

again request of you, to confer on

me only so small a part of that

matter, as will suffice to transmute

only four grains of Lead into Gold,

that you may this way remove

from me all Scruple or Doubt,

and render me so much the more

certain of the verity of the Matter.

Give me but the magnitude of one

grain only, or of a Coriander-seed,

that thence a Specimen, or

Probation, may be exhibited, either

in some desperate Disease, or in

a Metallick Transmutation.

Artist.

I do confess, that a certain Man

of good Condition, to me wholly

unknown, by demonstrating taught

me; First, the possibility of transmutation;

secondly the way of

preparing also. And this is that

Infallible Art, touching which

you have no reason to doubt. But

whereas, you request that I should

give you one small part of my Treasure;

that is no wise lawful for me

to do, although, you would give

as a Recompense, so many Ducats,

as this whole Room, from

the bottom to the top, would contein;

and that not by reason of

the estimation of the Matter, because

it is of small Price, but for

another weighty Reason, in respect

of which, if it were possible,

that Fire could be consumed by

Fire, I would at this time, rather

cast this whole Mass into the devouring

Flames, before your Eyes.

Wherefore, in the meanwhile, I admonish

you, not to be so eager in

coveting this so great Science. For

you have this day seen more in my

possession, than many Kings, and

Princes could ever behold,

although they eagerly desired to see

the same. Besides, I think of comming

to you again, after 3 Weeks,

then I will shew to you certain excellent

Arts, and Manuductions in

the Chymical Science. Also, if

it shall then be lawful for me, to

shew you the way of Transmutation,

I will truely satisfie your Curiosity

therein. In the mean while,

I bid you farewel, withal, admonishing,

that you take heed to your

self, and meddle not with such a

great, and profound Labour, least:

you miserably loose both your

Fame, and substance in the Ashes

like some other covetous inquisitors,

of the same most noble Art.

Physician.

Now, what shall I do, my Master?

If it happen, that, by reason

of your Philosophick Oath, confirmed

by that small draught of

Silver, dissolved in Rain-water,

it shall not be lawful for you to

give me that requested exceeding

small part of the Tincture so wonderful.

You cannot be ignorant,

that I (according to your suspicion)

am in mind anxious, and

earnestlie desirous of tasting of this

so noble Science. Yea, I do verilie

think, if Adam himself, the first

Patriark of the World (who was

once driven out of Paradice, for

eating the Apple of either Wisedom)

were yet living in this our

Age, he would not forbear again

the Taste of this Golden Apple, from

the Garden of Atlantis.

Your Mastership said: Manie

Princes could not see this which I

have seen. I, indeed have seen the

Matter, of which you give so rare a

Testimony; but in the mean while I

have not beheld the transmutative

Effect; only I give credit to your

Words. And, since you have told

me, that you will go hence, and

after three Weeks return to me again,

to teach me some excellent

Chymical Arts, as also the way

of projection, if it shall then be

lawful for you. In the fruition of

this good hope, I at this time rest

satisfied; in the mean time, giving

you hearty thanks, for your exceeding

great Friendship shewed to me

alreadie, and, for your singular

Care, and faithful admonition,

that I should not in Chymical Labours,

consume both my Goods

and Reputation. I assuredly have

never yet made tryal of so great,

and high things, nor ever will I

attempt the me, unless your self

will first gratis, and from the

pure benevolence of Friendship,

demonstrate to me, the way and

manner of preparing. Yet I shall

admire the Verity of Art, and

please my self with the Remembrance

of the Friendship you have

shewed me; because you, who

have revealed this to me, are an

Adept Philosopher.

But if any King, or Prince, or

any Great Man, or Men, should

know, that you are the Possessor

of this Art, and therefore (which

God forbid) should lay hold of

you, and attempt by Tortures to

bring you to a discovery, would

you reveal this Art to them?

Artist.

I have not shewed the Stone of

Philosophers to any man, except

to one aged man, and to your

self; to both of you, I have revealed

that I am the Possessor;

but, henceforth, no man must

ever see or hear such a thing.

And although any King, or Prince,

should (which God I hope will

not permit) cast, me into Prison,

I would not, after the manner of

Circumforanean Physicians [or

Mountebanks] or Vagabond Impostors

or of poor Alchimists,

directly, or indirectly, discover

the Art to them, but would rather

suffer my self to be most cruelly

wracked, tortured, or tormented

with burning Fire, untill

my life expire.