_Of the quantitie of the Fire, and of the commoditie and discommoditie
of it._
Fvrthermore, thou must bee acquainted with the quantity of the fire,
for the benefit and losse of this thing, proceedeth from the benefit of
the fire. Wherupon _Plato_ said in his booke: _The fire yeeldeth profit
to that which is perfect, but domage and corruption to that which is
corrupt_: so that when his quantitie shal be meete & conuenient, it
shal prosper, but if it shall exceed measure in things, it shal without
measure corrupt both: to wit, the perfect and corrupt: and for this
cause it was requisite that the learned should poure their medicines
vpon Elixir, to hinder and remoue from them the burning of the fire,
& his heate. _Hermes_ also said to his father. I am afraide Father
of the enemie in my house: to whom he made answer, Son take the dog
_Corascene_, & the bitch of _Armenia_, put them together, and they
shal bring a dog of the colour of heauen, and dip him once in the sea
water: for he shall keepe thy friend, and defend thee from thy enemie,
and shall helpe thee whersoeuer thou become, alwaies abiding with thee,
both in this world, and in the world to come. Now _Hermes_ meant by
the dog & bitch, such things as preserue bodies from the scorching
heate of the fire. And these things are waters of Calces and Salts,
the composition whereof, is to be found in the Philosophers books,
that haue written of this mastery, among whome, some haue named them
Sea-waters, and Birdes milke, and such like.