LIGNVM VITAE

Dialogue between DEMOGORGON and RAYMVNDVS

DEMOGORGON: Greetings, most learned Raymond.

RAYMVNDVS: Greetings to you, good sir. But I wish to know who you are and why you have come here.

DEMOGORGON: Your wisdom, illustrious reputation, and learned writings clearly demonstrate your profound knowledge in all sciences. Since every person, especially the elderly, desires to live as long as possible, I, burdened with age, journeyed from Italy to this island of Majorca to meet you and obtain some remedy from you that could extend my life for a longer time and protect me from death or any infirmity.

RAYMVNDVS: You are unaware that God has established a fixed term for each person's life that no one can surpass.

DEMOGORGON: I am not seeking a remedy against that ultimate term appointed by God, but to preserve myself from the many infirmities that daily afflict the fragile human body, and to sustain myself against the loss of radical moisture and natural heat. For I am convinced that the ancient fathers, who lived up to five hundred years, prolonged their lives through some medicine by which they lived for such a long time without any infirmity.

RAYMVNDVS: The ancient fathers lived for a long time by God's command so that through their prolonged lives, the human race could multiply more rapidly.

DEMOGORGON: Why then did not all live for such a long time?

RAYMVNDVS: Those who more closely followed the ancient fathers in succession lived longer as they were less removed from the first creation of God. For they were of good and praiseworthy complexion and long-lived. However, this goodness diminished over successive generations, and the closer they were to the first creation, the longer they lived.

DEMOGORGON: Then they all ought to have lived for a long time, but scripture mentions only a few.

RAYMVNDVS: From the beginning, the Egyptian year was not as long as it is today, nor did it consist of twelve months.

DEMOGORGON: In the sacred scripture, not only years but also months are mentioned, so they were not Egyptian years but defined as the Hebrews reckon them and as long as they are today, as Augustine affirms in his book on the City of God.

RAYMVNDVS: Fruits and all things that grow from the earth were of better quality and greater virtue before the flood, to sustain and prolong life.

DEMOGORGON: Therefore, they all ought to have lived for a long time, which certainly did not happen.

RAYMVNDVS: Not all were of the same complexion and strength.

DEMOGORGON: It is certainly impossible to have such a good and strong temperament and complexion as to reach nine hundred years of life without the aid of conserving medicine.

RAYMVNDVS: The ancient fathers had the tree of life by which they defended themselves from death for a long time.

DEMOGORGON: When they were suddenly excluded from the earthly paradise, they were deprived of the tree of life.

RAYMVNDVS: I will tell you the reason for their long life. Adam, created from the earth and adorned with all knowledge, knew all natural things and used those things by which life could be prolonged. He passed this knowledge on to his descendants, who, in turn, handed it down through successive generations, so that all could live for such a long time, though the knowledge of this was not given to everyone.

DEMOGORGON: Therefore, I ask you, who are filled with all knowledge, to show me this medicine that Adam passed on to his descendants, by which they extended their lives to nine hundred years.

RAYMVNDVS: Conserving medicines must be very durable and free from corruption, as we have clearly written in the book on the secrets of nature. For if they are to preserve the human body from corruption, they must be perpetually durable. Therefore, those who wish to maintain and extend youth and restore natural moisture and heat to the elderly must choose a substance that is more incorruptible than all other things under the lunar sphere, and prepare it as medicine and pleasant food so that it can be consumed orally and quickly penetrate the entire human body, preserving it almost incorruptibly.

DEMOGORGON: It seems to me (to speak frankly) impossible what you have just said, for all corporeal things created by God for human use are either elements or elemental things, and all these are corruptible. How, then, can we have this incorruptible medicine? For we see that whatever is generated must be generated from its like, as Aristotle affirms in his book Metaphysics. And whatever is lost and consumed from human flesh must necessarily be restored from another corruptible thing, namely from corruptible foods, which, through the virtue of natural heat, are transformed in the stomach, liver, and all members by the virtue of nutritive power into human flesh. If this medicine is incorruptible, it can never be transformed into human flesh, just as celestial matter can never be transformed into elemental matter.

RAYMVNDVS: You have brought forth very learned points. You think that nothing other than corruptible elements can be found in elemental things.

DEMOGORGON: Show me, then, what is beyond the elements that is mixed with elemental things.

RAYMVNDVS: There is a certain subtle substance, radical moisture, and intrinsic fifth essence, diffused through the elemental parts, simple and entirely incorruptible, and this preserves things in their being for a long time. Nature, wise and provident, produced and arranged this so that it desired to preserve individuals for a long time and produce things in their species perpetually. For although in the univocal generation of animals every animal generates its like in species, nevertheless, in the ceaseless generation, which occurs through putrefaction and corruption, the generated thing is deformed in species or kind from the generating thing.

We see this in food, from which is generated and restored what has been consumed and lost through the power of intrinsic and extrinsic heat. We do not say that this medicine is entirely incorruptible like the heavens, but since it is generated from a more incorruptible matter than all other things under the sky and is made simple by the separation of corruptible elements, if properly preserved, it will last ten thousand years without corruption. And consumed orally, it will preserve the human body incorruptible for a long time. Therefore, physicians earnestly advise that we should nourish ourselves with less corruptible food.

DEMOGORGON: Your opinion seems similar to that of some philosophers who claimed that the salamander lives only by fire, the hemera by water, the mole by earth, and the chameleon by air, which is false, for no elemental thing can live by a single element. Instead, it is preserved by the things from which it is composed (as Aristotle says), so a man cannot sustain his life solely on that simple radical moisture and entirely incorruptible essence.

RAYMVNDVS: I do not say that a man can live solely on this medicine but that by its use with other foods, he can eventually attain the longevity of the ancient fathers, who not only used the tree of life in the earthly paradise but also other fruits.

DEMOGORGON: Did the ancient fathers use this medicine?

RAYMVNDVS: They certainly did to extend their lives.

DEMOGORGON: It is indeed surprising that they had nothing else to protect them from death.

RAYMVNDVS: Naturally speaking, this was the best and most excellent medicine, better than anything else in the world. For, as Aristotle believes, in every genus, there is one thing that holds the first rank. Since this medicine was generated from the most incorruptible and virtuous matter, it holds the first or highest rank among all preserving medicines.

DEMOGORGON: Is this medicine then the tree of life itself?

RAYMVNDVS: I told you earlier that the ancient fathers were deprived of this tree from the beginning, as we read in Moses.

DEMOGORGON: Perhaps Moses, who was well-versed in the Egyptian sciences from his youth and had knowledge of this divine science (as Vincentius the monk wrote), spoke obscurely about these things, as other philosophers did.

RAYMVNDVS: I do not wish to detract from his writings, nor should we believe anything more or less than is proper.

DEMOGORGON: Perhaps it is the herb with which Medea rejuvenated Aeson and which Aesculapius used to revive those who were almost dead.

RAYMVNDVS: It is indeed that medicine itself but not properly called a herb, for the ancient philosophers concealed this science under poetic myths and spoke in similitudes.

DEMOGORGON: What similitude do you speak of?

RAYMVNDVS: This medicine varies greatly in preparation. It takes on a green color like a herb, so the ancients called it a vegetable and a herb. For this reason, Melus, a disciple of Hermes, said, speaking of these things, "The herb is easy to make from vegetables because of its greenness."

DEMOGORGON: Since the herb has such great medicinal virtues, why can't this medicine be a herb?

RAYMVNDVS: This medicine cannot be made from vegetables, animals, or things derived from them.

DEMOGORGON: Why not?

RAYMVNDVS: Since this medicine must be entirely incorruptible, all elements must be removed from it, and it must be extracted from the purest matter free from all corruption.

DEMOGORGON: Yet you said in your book on the secrets of nature that it should be extracted from red wine. John of Rupescissa affirms the same, while others believe it should be taken from chelidonium, and others from human blood.

RAYMVNDVS: You are greatly mistaken if you think philosophers' writings should be understood in their literal sense, especially in this science. The clearer and more open they seem, the more obscure they are. They spoke in similitudes and enigmas.

DEMOGORGON: In this matter, what similitude did they use?

RAYMVNDVS: The elder philosopher said this medicine changes and varies from color to color and from taste to taste according to nature, so it has many names. He also said, "If it is asked why it becomes red before it turns white, it is because it is black twice, changes to citrine color twice, and then turns red twice. When it receives a red color twice, like red wine and human blood, after putrefaction and distillation, the ancients, speaking in similitudes, called it red wine, human blood, dragon's blood, and such like."

DEMOGORGON: I always believed that animals, being more noble than all other inanimate things, were also of greater virtue in medicine.

RAYMVNDVS: The excellence of animals does not consist in the proportion and mixture of elements as inanimate things do. Since this medicine must be made from a corporeal and material substance, certain minerals are more suitable for this work, for their composition is harder and stronger than that of animals. The composition of animals, as far as their bodies are concerned, is weak and easily corruptible and of little virtue. We see that animals engaged in higher and sublime things are deprived of vile and base things. Therefore, certain minerals, having no operation and lacking sensation, have greater corporeal power than animals.

DEMOGORGON: If this medicine cannot be made from vegetables or animal substances, it must be made from middle minerals like salt, alum, ink, marcasite, antimony, sulfur, and common mercury.

RAYMVNDVS: Not from these.

DEMOGORGON: But they are very durable.

RAYMVNDVS: They are not more virtuous or incorruptible than other elemental things.

DEMOGORGON: By what are these things corrupted?

RAYMVNDVS: By the intensity of fire.

DEMOGORGON: Fire indeed corrupts everything, devours and consumes all.

RAYMVNDVS: But it cannot corrupt the radical moisture in metals, nor the radical and complexional heat, as Geber affirms in his book on minerals.

DEMOGORGON: Why is that?

RAYMVNDVS: Because of their homogeneous nature and the extremely hard and strong composition and coherence, and because of the vaporous mixture, long tempering, and sufficiency of digestion in the earth's veins.

DEMOGORGON: Do you conclude, therefore, that this medicine should be made from the radical moisture and heat of metals?

RAYMVNDVS: We see metals that have lain buried in the earth for over a thousand years in ancient Rome without any damage. Hence, you can easily understand how long their purified and distilled radical moisture can last when separated from all corruptible and gross elemental parts. Geber says in his book that distilled things become purer and can be preserved more easily from putrefaction.

DEMOGORGON: From where do you think metals derive such great power and virtue surpassing all other elemental things?

RAYMVNDVS: From the heavens.

DEMOGORGON: Yet, such hard substances do not seem to receive virtue from the heavens, for we see that celestial figures do not impress their forms on hard stones but on soft clay.

RAYMVNDVS: The rays of celestial bodies are not united with such power and potency in any element as in the earth, for the earth is the proper and firm receptacle of celestial virtues and the center of its sphere. Therefore, it produces miraculous vegetables, animals, and minerals. Hermes says the earth is the parent and mother of metals, carrying them in her womb as a pregnant woman carries a fetus. He says the earth is the mother, and the heavens the father, and that the earth is impregnated in mountains and plains and in water and all places. It must be conceded that the earth, remaining in its hardness, cannot produce anything since it is not obedient to motion. But when continuously tempered by celestial motion and the virtue of the sun and other planets, it becomes more subtle and altered, and the more subtle parts are elevated by the sun's heat into smoke. Therefore, the celestial virtues continuously descending from the heavens and penetrating the earth find there a simple, subtle, and spiritual matter, prepared and apt to receive celestial virtues due to a certain likeness between them. They infuse this material with a most excellent virtue, and when this spiritual material remains for a long time in celestial obedience and spirituality, it becomes uniform and homogeneous, capable of enduring for a thousand years, as Geber says in his book. The heavens bestow more miraculous virtues on these things than on any others. This is why metals surpass all other elemental things in virtue, enduring even the long process of spiritualization, gaining celestial virtue. Even though these metallic vapors, after a long time, attain a metallic hardness and retain their celestial virtue, they cannot demonstrate this virtue externally due to the obstruction and suffocation by terrestrial grossness and hardness. However, we, desiring to make this virtue manifest and bring it to light, must remove the terrestrial grossness and thickness of the metal and reduce it to its primary simplicity. Thus sufficiently purified and digested, it will demonstrate such virtues as to almost suddenly change human bodies and restore true pristine health. You can easily understand the great virtue of this medicine. If Noah, who possessed it (as Vincentius the monk writes in his book), was 500 years old and generated Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

DEMOGORGON: This discussion has greatly delighted me, but I ask whether this medicine can be made from gems?

RAYMVNDVS: Why do you ask this?

DEMOGORGON: Because they are incorruptible and possess great medicinal virtue and celestial power, even surpassing metals, as Albertus affirms in his book on minerals, and Hermes, who taught that the virtues of things below depend on the stars and celestial images.

They said that the virtues of these descend upon natural things with greater or lesser influence and impact. Since they impress their power more strongly on material that is more similar to celestial virtue and bodies in light and clarity, and less so on confused and thick matter, where the celestial virtue is oppressed. Therefore, since gems are more similar to celestial bodies in substance, light, color, and clarity than metals, some philosophers have called them elemental stars. Hence, they must be much more excellent than metals for preparing this most virtuous medicine.

RAYMVNDVS: If the entire substance were to be converted and prepared into medicine, some gems would be much more excellent than metals, whose virtue is oppressed and buried in terrestrial grossness and other supervening accidents of the radical matter. But (as we have said before) neither metals nor gems receive celestial virtue while in the form of metal or stone, but only when they have attained the form of vapor until they harden. These metallic vapors have a greater likeness to spirituality and greater celestial obedience than other vapors generated from gems. Therefore, metals have more celestial virtues than gems.

DEMOGORGON: Who assures us of this?

RAYMVNDVS: Gems are close in substance to elements, and their primary material and elemental qualities are little altered or transformed in their primary nature. Moreover, nature coagulated gems with little artifice, hardening them with the transparency and clarity they had in their smoky primary material. Although they have hardness and virtue from their hardness, they nevertheless exhibit some celestial virtue. This is not the case with metals, for before they receive a metallic form, a long transmutation and tempering of metals, purification and transmutation of sulfur, mercury, salt, and alum, and a long decoction are required.

Although precious stones are very durable, they have not acquired this due to a great quantity of vile radical moisture, which strictly and firmly binds and compacts their parts together. They participate in it in a small quantity, so they are easily ground, as this is primarily caused by the freezing cold by which they were hardened with little labor by nature. The cold, freezing and closing the pores, internally constrains the natural heat so much that the heat of the air cannot open or corrupt it. Violent fire or heat, which can corrupt certain metals, cannot corrupt their radical moisture, as it is strongly mixed and united with subtle and digested dry terrestrial matter. This is with sulfur and mercury, with which this medicine is made incorruptible and surpasses all in virtue.

DEMOGORGON: Marsilius Ficinus refutes their opinion and declares it false, that the substance of gold can enter the complexion of the human body or be assimilated to it or converted into a potable substance. For it must first be converted and transmuted into blood, and then into flesh, which is impossible due to its hardness. Therefore, since this medicine cannot be made from gold, much less can it be made from other metals.

RAYMVNDVS: Indeed, we concede that metals existing and remaining in metallic substance, even if highly refined by aqua vitae, cannot acquire any affinity or proximity to human flesh unless their hard form is first corrupted and reduced to their purified and digested primary matter. In this state, they acquire this affinity and proximity to the human body, which other conserving foods and medicines possess, though this far surpasses them in virtue.

DEMOGORGON: From your words, I understand that the radical moisture and primary matter must be dissolved and distilled.

RAYMVNDVS: You speak truly.

DEMOGORGON: How can this medicine be made from those metallic waters, which are exceedingly foul and horrible corrosive and so sharp that philosophers regard them as deadly poison? Morienus the Roman, speaking of their smell, compares it to the stench of dead bodies in tombs. We also see that waters flowing through metallic veins and heated by the sun acquire a foul odor. Therefore, this medicine will be much more horrible and abominable to human nature when the metallic substance is converted into water.

RAYMVNDVS: Just as fruits in the beginning of summer are harsh and sour because they have not yet had sufficient decoction and digestion and cannot mature and sweeten by continuously drawing sufficient moisture, so our medicine extracted from the earth of metals is foul and horrible before sufficient digestion and decoction. And before the vapors have ascended through decoction, it cannot sweeten. But when the vapors are coagulated and sufficiently digested, it acquires marvelous sweetness and pleasantness. Therefore, Arnoldus says in the Rosary, "Sweeten the bitter and you will have the whole magistery."

DEMOGORGON: Is there any sign by which I can know that this medicine is finished?

RAYMVNDVS: John of Rupescissa has taught, and we have confirmed, that there are two certain signs by which it is known that this medicine is perfect and finished. The first is if we place the vessel containing this medicine in some corner of the house and as a miracle and almost invisible attraction, all who enter the house will be drawn and attracted to it. The second is if we place the said vessel on the top of a tower, its scent will attract and gather all the birds that perceive the pleasant scent. These are the most certain signs that the medicine is finished and complete.

DEMOGORGON: What did John of Rupescissa mean by these words?

RAYMVNDVS: By the tower, we understand the furnace placed in the corner of the house, in which the glass containing the material of our medicine is placed for decoction. By those entering the house and the birds flying to it are signified the spirits and vapors which, by the virtue of heat, are carried upwards and ascend high through the long neck of the vessel. When they are fixed and no longer ascend, it indicates that the aqueous humidity is consumed, and the material is sweetened, and the medicine is finished. You should not doubt this interpretation, for Rasis holds the same opinion. The ancients used various names, similitudes, fables, and enigmas to conceal this divine science so it would not be easily perceived by anyone.

John Picus of Mirandola affirms this in his book on the dignity of man when he says that the ancients were accustomed to describe divine and sublime matters under the veil of many enigmas and poetic fables.

DEMOGORGON: Will this medicine be able to cure all curable diseases?

RAYMVNDVS: We have said above that this medicine is established in the highest grade and first order. For since there are different grades of curative medicines, some extend their virtue farther in healing, while others do so less, not only in curing but also in preserving the body in many acute infirmities and keeping it from corruption. We see that a subtle and formal substance submerged in quantity and matter cannot exercise its virtues unless it is more spiritual and formal and separated from matter and removed from quantity, so it can extend its virtue and produce various effects. Therefore, our medicine, composed of the most subtle spirits and simple matter, almost separated from all elemental matter, can easily exert its powers in all curable infirmities without hindrance. We know that every agent has the power to act according to its proximity and likeness to the receiving subject. The first and universal corporeal agent is the heavens, which, as a universal cause, extends over all inferior things.

Since our medicine, due to its subtlety, purity, and incorruptibility, has the greatest proximity and likeness to celestial bodies, it is therefore called heaven and the fifth essence by philosophers. It can, therefore, as a universal medicine, cure all curable diseases and infirmities. Not only those pertaining to the physician but also those requiring the surgeon's hand. Physicians also say that the Hiera Picra medicine has a singular virtue for attracting humors from the head, neck, and chest, but not from other lower parts, because this medicine is generated by the virtue of certain stars which have influence over the head, neck, and feet, like the stars of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. They also assert the same about other medicines that draw humors from the feet, thighs, and legs, as having a special virtue and influence over these lower members, like the stars of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

However, metals receiving essence, name, number, color, virtue, and property from planets, and all planets having influence and power over the whole human body, and our medicine generated from these metals, will have the power over the entire human body to cure many curable infirmities. Thermal waters have the power to heal many infirmities because they carry with them a certain metallic virtue as they flow through metallic veins.

Therefore, the metallic substance converted into potable form will have greater power. Moreover, according to the opinion of ancient philosophers, each metal, according to its similarity, virtue, name, color, and property, contains the virtues of all metals. Thus, although our medicine is extracted from only one metal, it will nevertheless have the virtue of all metals and planets and the power to heal many curable infirmities throughout the human body. John of Rupescissa also speaks of our radical moisture and the fifth essence under the name of aqua vitae, saying that the burning water contains in itself the virtue of all metals and is not the water of the vine but of life, as it grants life to men.

DEMOGORGON: Although these reasons are prudently and sharply presented, I am still convinced that a single simple medicine cannot cure all infirmities, especially because infirmities are cured by contrary medicines, as physicians assert. Since contrary qualities cannot exist in one subject, it seems impossible to me that one medicine can cure many infirmities.

Philosophers also say that from one simple thing, only one effect can be produced, so a single medicine cannot cure many diseases.

RAYMVNDVS: A single simple thing produces many contrary effects according to the diverse nature and disposition of the recipient. We see fire, with its diverse operation, dry clay but melts wax, though these effects are contrary and from one single operation. Therefore, although our medicine is one single thing and perhaps has one single operation, if we consider the great likeness it has with all celestial things, we see it is fit to receive many celestial virtues.

Since it is extracted from all elements, we say it has the virtue and quality of all elements.

Therefore, it can have multiple virtues and produce various contrary effects.

DEMOGORGON: Show me now the practice of this art.

RAYMVNDVS: Read our exposition of the books of Geber, and you will find the material and practice clearly and distinctly described.

DEMOGORGON: I thank you very much for such a great favor granted from your singular liberality and humanity. Farewell in the meantime.

THE END.

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