_Of Subtiliation, Solution, Coagulation, and commistion of the Stone,
and of their cause and end._
Know, that except thou subtiliate the bodie till all become water, it
will not rust and putrifie, and then it cannot congeale the flitting
soules, when the fire toucheth them: for the fire is that which
congealeth them by the ayd therof vnto them. And in like maner haue
the Philosophers commanded to dissolue the bodies, to the end y^t heat
might enter into their bowels. Again we returne to dissolue those
bodies, & congeale them after their solution, with that thing which
cõmeth nigh to it, vntil we ioyne all those things which haue beene
mingled togither, by an apt and fit commixtion, which is a temperate
quantitie. Whereupon we ioyne fire and water, earth and ayre togither:
when the thick hath bin mingled with the thin, & the thinner with the
thick, the one abydeth with the other, and their natures are changed
and made like, wheras before they were simple, because that part which
is generatiue, bestoweth his vertue vpon the subtill, and that is the
ayre: for it cleaueth vnto his like, and is a part of the generation
from whence it receyueth power to moue and ascend vpward. Cold hath
power ouer the thick, because it hath lost his heate, and the water
is gone out of it, and the thing appeared vpõ it. And the moisture
departed by ascending, & the subtil part of y^e aire, and mingled it
selfe with it, for it is like vnto it, and of the same nature. And
when the thicke bodie hath lost his heat and moysture, and that cold
and drinesse hath power ouer him, and that their parts haue mingled
themselues, and be diuided, and that there is no moysture to ioyne the
partes diuided, the parts withdraw themselues. And afterwards the part
which is contrary to colde, by reason that it hath continued, & sent
his heat and decoction, to the parts of y^e earth, hauing power ouer
them, and exercising such dominion ouer the cold, that where before
it was in the thicke body, it now lurketh and lieth hid, his part of
generation is changed, becomming subtil and hot; and striuing to dry vp
by his heat. But afterward the subtill part (that causeth natures to
ascende) when it hath lost his accidentall heat, & waxeth cold, then
the natures are changed, and become thicke, and descend to the center,
where y^e earthly natures are ioyned togither, which were subtiliate
and conuerted in their generation, and imbibed in them: and so the
moysture coupleth togither the parts diuided: but the earth endeuoureth
to drie vp that moysture, cõpassing it about, and hindring it from
going out: by means wherof, that which before lay hid, doth now appear:
neither can the moysture be separated, but is retained by the drinesse.
And in like maner we see, that whosoeuer is in the worlde, is retained
by or with his contrarie, as heate with colde, and drinesse with
moysture. Thus when each of them hath besieged his Companion, the thin
is mingled with the thicke, and those things are made one substance:
to wit, their soule hote and moyst, and their body colde and drie:
then it laboureth to dissolue and subtiliate by his heate and moysture,
which is his soule, and striueth to enclose and retaine with his body
that is colde and drie. And in this maner, is his office changed and
altered from one thing to another. Thus haue I tolde thee the truth,
which I haue both seene & done, giuing thee in charge to conuert
natures from their subtilitie and substances, with heate and moysture,
into their substances and colours. Now if thou wouldst proceed aright
in this mastery, to obtaine thy desire, passe not the boundes that I
haue set thee in this booke.