_How to make proiection of the medicine vpon any imperfect bodie._
I haue largely accomplisht my promise of that great masterie, for
making the most excellent Elixir, red and white. For conclusion, we
are to treate of the manner of proiection, which is the accomplishment
of the work, the desired & expected ioy. The red Elixir doth turne
into a citrine colour infinitely, and changeth all mettals into pure
gold. And the white Elixir doth infinitely whiten, and bringeth euerie
mettal to perfect whitenesse. But we know that one mettall is farther
off from perfection then another, & one more neere then another.
And although euerie mettall may by Elixir be reduced to perfection,
neuerthelesse the neerest are more easily, speedily, and perfectly
reduced, then those which are far distant. And when we meete with a
mettall that is neere to perfection, we are thereby excused from many
that are farre off. And as for the mettals which of them be neere, and
which farre off, which of them I say be neerest to perfection, if thou
be wise and discreete, thou shalt find to be plainely and truely set
out in my Chapters. And without doubt, hee that is so quick sighted in
this my Mirrour, that by his own industry hee can finde out the true
matter, hee doth full well knowe vppon what body the medicine is to
bee proiected to bring it to perfection. For the forerunners of this
Art, who haue founde it out by their philosophie, do point out with
their finger the direct & plain way, when they say: Nature, containeth
nature: Nature ouercommeth nature: & Nature meeting with her nature,
exceedingly reioyceth, and is changed into other natures. And in
another place, Euery like reioiceth in his like: for likenesse is saide
to be the cause of friendship, wherof many Philosophers haue left a
notable secret, Know thou that the soule doth quickly enter into his
body, which may by no meanes be ioyned to another body. And in another
place, The soule doth quickly enter into his own body, which if thou
goest about to ioyne with another body, thou shalt loose thy labour:
for the neerenesse it selfe is more cleare. And because corporeall
things in this regimẽt are made incorporeall, & contrariwise things
incorporeal corporeall, and in the shutting vp of the worke, the whole
body is made a spirituall fixt thing: and because also that spirituall
Elixir euidently, whether white or red, is so greatly prepared and
decocted beyonde his nature, it is no maruaile that it cannot bee
mixed with a body, on which it is proiected, beeing onely melted. It
is also a hard matter to proiect it on a thousand thousand and more,
and incontinently to penetrate and transmute them. I will therefore
nowe deliuer vnto you a great and hidden secret. One part is to bee
mixed with a thousand of the next body, & let all this be surely put
into a fit vessell, and sette it in a furnace of fixation, first with
a lent fire, and afterwardes encreasing the fire for three dayes,
till they be inseperably ioyned together, and this is a worke of three
dayes: then againe and finally, euery part heereof by it selfe, must be
proiected vpon another thousand parts of any neere body: and this is a
worke of one day, or one houre, or a moment, for which our wonderfull
God is eternally to be praised.
_Here endeth the Mirror of Alchimy, composed by the most learned
Philosopher_, Roger Bacon.
The Smaragdine Table of Hermes,
Trismegistus of Alchimy.
The wordes of the secrets of _Hermes_, which were written in a
Smaragdine Table, and found betweene his hands in an obscure vaute,
wherin his body lay buried. It is true without leasing, certain and
most true. That which is beneath is like that which is aboue: & that
which is aboue, is like that which is beneath, to worke the miracles of
one thing. And as all things haue proceeded from one, by the meditatiõ
of one, so all things haue sprung from this one thing by adaptation.
His father is the sun, his mother is the moone, the wind bore it in hir
belly. The earth is his nurse. The father of all the telesme of this
world is here. His force and power is perfect, if it be turned into
earth. Thou shalt seperate the earth from the fire, the thinne from
the thicke, and that gently with great discretion. It ascendeth from
the Earth into Heauen: and and againe it discendeth into the earth,
and receiueth the power of the superiours and inferiours: so shalt
thou haue the glorie of the whole worlde. All obscuritie therefore
shall flie away from thee. This is the mightie power of all power, for
it shal ouercome euery subtile thing, and pearce through euery solide
thing. So was the worlde created. Here shall be maruailous adabtations,
whereof this is the meane. Therefore am I called _Hermes Trismegistus_,
or the thrice great Interpreter: hauing three parts of the Philosophy
of the whole world. That which I haue spoken of the operation of the
Sunne, is finished.
_Here endeth the Table of Hermes._
A briefe Commentarie of Hortulanus the Philosopher,
vpon the Smaragdine Table of _Hermes_ of _Alchimy_.
_The praier of Hortulanus._
Laude, honour, power and glorie, be giuen to thee, O Almightie Lorde
God, with thy beloued sonne, our Lord Iesus Christ, and the holy Ghost,
the comforter. O holy Trinitie, that art the onely one God, perfect
man, I giue thee thankes that hauing the knowledge of the transitorie
things of this worlde (least I should bee prouoked with the pleasures
thereof) of thy abundant mercie thou hast taken mee from it. But
forsomuch as I haue knowne manie deceiued in this art, that haue not
gone the right way, let it please thee, O Lord my God, that by the
knowledge which thou hast giuen mee, I may bring my deare friends frõ
error, that when they shal perceiue the truth, they may praise thy holy
and glorious name, which is blessed for euer.
Amen.
_The Preface._
I _Hortulanus_, so called for the Gardens bordering vpon the sea
coast, wrapped in a Iacobin skinne, vnworthy to be called a Disciple
of Philosophie, moued with the loue of my welbeloued, doo intend
to make a true declaration of the words of _Hermes_, the Father of
Philosophers, whose words, though that they be dark and obscure, yet
haue I truely expounded the whole operation and practise of the worke:
for the obscuritie of the Philosophers in their speeches, dooth nothing
preuaile, where the doctrine of the holy spirit worketh.