_Of the nature of the Stone, and his birth._
Take it therefore and worke it as the Philosopher hath told you in his
booke, when he named it after this maner. Take the Stone, no Stone, or
that is not a Stone, neither is of the nature of a Stone. It is a Stone
whose myne is in the top of the mountaines: and here by mountaines, the
Philosopher vnderstandeth liuing creatures, wherupon he saide. Sonne,
go to the mountaines of _India_, and to his caues, & pull out thence
precious stones which will melt in the water when they are putte into
it. And this water is that which is taken from other mountaines and
hollow places. They are stones Sonne, and they are not stones, but we
call them so for a Similitude which they haue to stones. And thou must
know, that the rootes of their mynes are in the ayre, and their tops in
the earth, and it wil easily be heard when they are pluckt out of their
places, for there will be a great noyse. Goe with them my sonne, for
they will quickly vanish away.