Of the foure Masteries, or principall works of the Art, to wit,
solution, congelation, _albification, and rubification_.
Now begin I to speake of the great worke which they call Alchimy,
wherein I will confirme my woordes, without concealing ought, or
keeping backe any thing, saue that which is not conuenient to bee
vttered or named. We say then that the great work contained in it
foure masteries (as the Philosophers before vs haue affirmed) that is
to say, to dissolue, to congeale, to make white and red. And these
foure quantities are partakers, whereof two of them are partakers
betweene themselues, and so likewise are the other two. And either
of these double quãtities hath another quantity partaker, which is
a greater quantity partaker after these two. I vnderstand by these
quantities, the quantitie of the natures, and weight of the medicines
which are orderly dissolued and congealed, wherin neither addition
nor diminution haue any place. But these two, to wit, solution and
congelation, shal be in one operation, and shall make but one worke,
and that before composition: but after composition, their works shall
bee diuers. And this solution and congelation which wee haue spoken
of, are the solution of the bodie, and the congelation of the Spirite,
and they are two, yet haue but one operation. For the Spirites are
not congealed, except the bodies bee dissolued, as likewise the
bodies is not dissolued, vnlesse the spirit be cõgealed: & when the
soule & the body are ioyned togither, either of them worketh in his
companion made like vnto him: as for example, when water is put to
earth, it striueth to dissolue the earth by the moisture, vertue and
propertie which it hath, making it more subtile then it was before,
and bringing it to be like it selfe: for the water was more subtile
then the earth: and thus doth the soule worke in the bodie, and after
the same manner is the water thickened with the earth, and becommeth
like vnto the earth in thicknesse, for the earth is more thicke then
the water. And thou must knowe that betweene the solution of the
bodie, and congelation of the spirit, there is no distance of time or
diuerse work, as though one should be without the other, as there is
no difference of time in the coniunction of the earth, and water, that
one might be knowne & discerned from the other in their operations:
but they haue both one instant, and one fact, and one and the same
worke conteineth them both at once before composition: I say before
composition, least he that shall read this booke, and heare the names
of resolution and congelation, shoulde suppose it to be the composition
which the Philosophers entreat of, for so he should sowly erre in his
worke and iudgement: because composition in this worke or masterie, is
a coniunction or marriage of the congealed spirit, with the dissolued
bodie, and this conjunction or passion is vpon the fire. For heate is
his nourishment, and the soule forsaketh not the bodie, neither is
it otherwise knit vnto it, then by the alteration of both from their
owne vertue and properties, and after the conuersion of their natures:
and this is the solution and congelation, which the Philosophers
first spake of; which neuerthelesse they haue hidden in their subtile
discourses with darke & obscure words, that so they might alienate and
estrange the mind of the reader frõ the true vnderstanding thereof:
whereof thou maist take this for an example. Annoynt the leafe with
poyson, and ye shall approue thereby the beginning of the worke and
mastery of the same. And againe, labour the strong bodies with one
solution, til either of them be turned to his subtilitie. So likewise
in these folowing, except ye conuert the bodies into such subtilitie
that they may bee impalbable, yee shall not find that ye looke for:
and if you haue not ground them, returne backe to worke till they
bee ground, and made subtill: which if you do, you shall haue your
wish. And many other such sayings haue they of the same matter. The
which none that euer proued this Art could vnderstand, til he hath
had a plaine demonstration thereof, the former doubt being remoued.
And in like maner haue they spoken of that cõposition, which is after
solution & congelation. And afterward they haue said, that Cõposition
is not perfect without marriage, and putrifaction: yet againe they
teach solution, congelation, diuision, mariage, putrifaction, and
composition, because composition is the beginning, and verie life
of the thing. For vnlesse there were composition, the thing should
neuer be brought to passe. Diuision is a separatiõ of the parts of
the cõpound, & so separation hath bin his coniunction. I tell you
againe, that the spirit wil not dwel with the body, nor be in it, nor
by any meanes abide with it vntill the body be made subtil & thin as
the spirit is. But when it is attenuate and subtill, and hath cast
off his thicknes, & put on thinnes, hath forsaken his grosnesse &
corpority, & is become spirituall, then shall he be mingled with the
subtill spirits, & imbibed in them, so that both shall become one and
the same, & they shall not be seuered, like as water put to water
cannot be diuided. Suppose that of two like quantities, that are in
solution and congelation, the larger is the soule, the lesser is the
body: adde afterward to the quantitie which is the soule, that quãtity
which is in the body, & it shall participate with the first quantity
in vertue only: then worke them as we haue wrought them, and so thou
shalt obtaine thy desire, and _Euclide_ his line shall bee verified
vnto thee. Afterwarde take his quantity, and know his waight, and giue
him as much moysture as he will drink, the weight of which moysture
we haue not here determined. Then againe worke them with an operation
vnlike the former, first imbibing and subliming it, and this operation
is that which they call Albification, and they name it _Yarit_, that
is, Siluer, and and white Leade. And when thou hast made this compounde
white, adde to him so much of the Spirit, as maketh halfe of the whole,
and set it to working, till it waxe redde, and then it shall be of the
colour Alsulfir, which is verie red, and the Philosophers haue likened
it to golde, the effect hereof, leadeth thee to that which _Aristotle_
saide to his Disciple _Arda_: wee call the claye when it is white,
_Yarit_, that is Siluer: and when it is red, wee name it _Temeynch_,
that is Golde. Whitenesse is that which tincteth Copper, and maketh it
_Yarit_, and that is rednesse, which tincteth _Yarit_, that is siluer,
& maketh it _Temeynch_, that is Gold. He therefore that is able to
dissolue these bodies, to subtiliate thẽ, to make them white and red,
and (as I haue said) to compound them by imbibing, and conuert them to
the same, shall without all doubt attaine the masterie, and performe
the worke whereof I haue spoken vnto thee.