_Why the Stone is said to be perfect._
For this cause is the Stone saide to be perfect, because it hath in
it the nature of Minerals, Vegetables, and Animals: for the stone is
three, and one hauing foure natures, to wit, the foure elements, &
three colours, black, white, and red. It is also called a graine of
corne, which if it die not, remaineth without fruit: but if it doo
die (as is aboue said) when it is ioyned in coniunction, it bringeth
forth much fruite, the afore named operations being accomplished. Thus
curteous reader, if thou know the operation of the Stone, I haue told
thee the truth: but if thou art ignorãt thereof, I haue said nothing.
_That which I haue spoken of the operation of the Sunne is finished_:
that is, that which hath beene spoken of the operation of the stone, of
the three colours, and foure natures existing and beeing in one onely
thing, namely in the Philosophers Mercurie, is fulfilled.
_Thus endeth the Commentarie of_ Hortulanus, _vppon the Smaragdine
table of_ Hermes, _the father of Philosophers_.
The Booke of the Secrets of Alchimie,
composed by Galid the sonne of _Iazich_,
translated out of Hebrew into Arabick,
and out of _Arabick into Latine,
and out of Latin into English_.
_The Preface of the difficultie of the Art._
Thankes be giuen to God the Creator of all things, who hath conducted
vs, beautified vs, instructed vs, and giuen vs knowledge and
vnderstanding: Except the Lorde should keepe and guide vs, wee should
bee like vagabonds, without guide or teacher: yea, we shuld know
nothing in the world, vnlesse he taught vs: that is, the beginning,
and knowledge it selfe of all things, by his power and goodnes ouer
his people. He directeth and instructeth whom he wil, and with mercie
reduceth into the way of iustice: for hee hath sent his messengers
into the darke places, and made plaine the wayes, and with his mercy
replenished such as loue him. Know brother, that this our mastery and
honourable office of the secret Stone, is a secret of the secrets of
God, which hee hath concealed from his people, neither would he reueale
it to any, saue to those, who like sonnes haue faythfully deserued it,
knowing both his goodnesse and greatnesse: for to him that desireth
a secret of God, this secret masterie is more necessary then any
other. And those wise men who haue attained to the knowledge herof,
haue concealed part therof, and part therof they haue reuealed: for
so haue I found my wise predecessors agreeing in this point in their
worthie bookes: wherby thou shalt knowe that my disciple _Musa_, (more
honorable in my eies then all other) hath diligently studied their
bookes, & labored much in the worke of the mastery, wherin he hath
bin greatly troubled, & much perplexed, not knowing the natures of
things belonging to this work: the explanation whereof, and direction
wherein, he hath humbly begged at my handes: yet I would afford him
no answere therin, nor determine it, but commaunded him to reade ouer
the Philosophers bookes, & therin to seke y^t which he craued of me,
& he going his way, read aboue a hundreth bookes, as hee found them
euen the true and secret bookes of noble Philosophers: but in thẽ he
could not find that which he desired: so he remained astonished, &
almost distracted, though by the space of a yeare he continually sought
it. If therfore my scholler _Musa_ (that hath deserued to be accoũted
among y^e Philosophers) haue beene so doubtfull in the composition
hereof, and that this hath hapned vnto him: what shall the ignorant
and vnlearned doo, that vnderstandeth not the nature of things, nor
is acquainted with their complections? But when I behelde this in my
choysest and dearest disciple, moued with pitty and compassion toward
him, or rather by the will and appointment of God, I made this book at
the houre of my death, wherin I haue pretermitted many things, that
my predecessors haue made mention of in their bookes: and againe, I
haue touched some things which they concealed, & would by no meanes
open & discouer: yea, I haue expounded and laide open certain things,
that they haue hidden vnder dark & figuratiue speeches. And this my
book I haue called the _Secrets of Alchimy_: in which I haue spoken
of whatsoeuer is necessarie, to him that is studious of this Art or
masterie, in a language befitting his sence & vnderstanding. And I haue
named foure masteries far greater and better, thẽ other Philosophers
haue done: of which number is Elixir, one Mineral, the other Animall:
but the other two are minerals, and not the one Elixir: whose office
is to washe that, which they call the bodies: and another is to make
gold of Azot-viue, whose composition or generatiõ, is according to the
generation or order of generation in the mynes, being in the heart
and bowels of the earth. And these foure masteries or works, the
Philosophers haue declared in their bookes of the composition of this
mastery: but they want much: neyther would they shew the operation
of it in their bookes: and though by chaunce he found it out, yet
could hee not vnderstand it: so that hee found out nothing that was
more troublesome to him. I wil therefore in this my booke declare it,
together with the maner how to make it: but let him that will reade
it, first learne Geometry, and her measures, that so he may rightly
frame his furnaces, not passing a meane, either by excesse or defect:
and withall, he must know the quantitie of his fire, and the forme of
the vessell fit for his worke. Moreouer, lette him consider what is
the ground-worke and beginning of the mastery, beeing to it, as the
matrice is to liuing creatures, which are fashioned in the wombe, and
therin receiue their createõ & nourishment: for if the thing of this
mastery finde not that which is conuenient for it, the worke is marred,
and the workmen shall not find that which they looke for, neither
shal the thing it self be brought to the effect of generation: for
where one cannot meete with the cause of generation, or the roote, and
heate it selfe, it will fall out, that the labour shall be lost, and
the worke nought worth. The like mischiefe will happen in respect of
weight, which if it be not aright in the compound, the partes of the
same nature, passing their boundes by augmentation, or diminution, the
propertie of the compound is destroyed, & the effect therof voyd and
without fruit, whereof I will giue you an example. Doo not you see
that in Sope (with which cloathes are washed cleane and made white)
there is this property if it be rightly made, by reason of equalitie,
& one proportion, which participate in length and breadth? wherupon
through this participation they agree, and then it appeareth, because
it was truely made, and so the vertue which before lay hid, is nowe
made known, which they cal a property, being the vertue of washing
engendred in the compound: but when the grauity of the compound passeth
his bounds, either by addition or diminution, y^e vertue itself
breaketh the limits of equality, & becõmeth contrary, according to y^e
distẽperãce of the cõpound. And this thou must vnderstãd to happen in
the cõposition of our mastery.