Marrow of Alchemy

second part


containing the Three Books,
Elucidating the Practice


by Eirenaeus Philalethes

London 1654

First Book.

Alchemy, which some call the Golden Art, of which we have in the first part proven and taught by examples, that it is not a chimera as many have claimed, but indeed a real Science, we are going into this Second Part disclosing the practice in good order, by which a large quantity of gold and silver can be obtained. And as the basis of our intention, consider carefully and with good judgment the reason for our Work, otherwise you will spend your time and your money in vain, and will reap nothing except loss and pain, as has happened to many.

For the Stone which you seek, as we have said, and as we still affirm, is only gold, brought to the highest possible perfection; which although it is a compact and hard body, nevertheless, by the work of Art and the operation of Nature can become a dyeing and permanent Spirit, which Nature could not have made itself, because the Gold does not have the strength to elevate itself to such a degree of perfection, and will remain forever in its own consistency.

He who, therefore, wishes to attain this Essence, must by art transform this gold into powder, and make it dissolve into a mineral water, which will be circulated by a good fire until the moisture being dried it becomes fixed ; it must then be often soaked and coagulated, so seal the child in its mother's womb, that she may nourish it for a long time until it has the strength to overcome all its robust opposites: then being fermented, it must long suffer the ruin of repeated darkness, until Natures rot and die, then be sure to revive it, sublimate it, and exalt it and return it again to the earth, where you must leave it in heat so long that its blackness becomes the purest white; the King being then placed on his Royal Throne, he will shine like a sparkling flame, like the hidden stone which we call our brimstone. You will have to do this as long as it becomes the spiritual elixir, which then like the judge of the last judgment, condemns to the fire all earthliness adhering to the pure substance contained in the imperfect metals.

Also, if our Subject is gold, we must find an agent suitable for releasing it, which if you know how to search for it in its own kind, it will not cost you anything to prepare it, it is considered a vile material, which is sullied by its filthy exterior: of this few authors speak, and those who do, obscure this key as much as they can; but I, dear reader, will show great frankness, much greater than any man has ever had; be also assured that this is not a work that can be completed by some dull mind, nor by one who disdains work, because idleness is a major obstacle in this Art; but if you are of a quiet and industrious mind, then pay attention to what I now say, and I will speak first of the history of that which lies hidden in our ardent Agent.

The substance which we first take in our hands, is a mineral similar to Mercury, which a raw sulfur bakes in the Earth; and he is called the Child of Saturn, who verily appears vile to the sight, but is glorious within; it has the color of sand, with silver veins mixed into its body, whose sparkling lines stain the co-born sulfur (1); it is entirely volatile and not fixed; taken in its native rawness, it purges all the superfluities of the Sun; it is of a poisonous nature, and many abuse it in medicine; if its elements by Art are loosened, the interior appears very resplendent, which then flows in the fire like a metal, and also, there is nothing else of a metallic nature which is more brittle.

It is our Dragon, whom the God of War assailed with his armor of the most valiant steel, but all in vain for a new Star appears, because when Cadmus first felt this force, he could not resist such great power, but from his body his Soul was divided: Oh mighty force! Who when the Sages saw him, they were amazed, and named this their Green Lion, whose fury they hoped would be tamed by enchantments in time. Therefore letting him prey upon the associates of Cadmus, they found that by his power they conquered them, and the combat being ended, perceived that a Morning Star could be seen issuing from the Earth, and the carcasses being removed, there instantly appeared a Spring, from which they said the beast had drunk, until its belly exploded; but it seemed strange to them, that as soon as this Dragon came near the Spring of the Waters thus frightened, immediately withdrew, and Vulcan could not help in any way to reconcile them; then appeared the Doves of Diana in a luminous and brilliant garment, whose silver wings calmed the air, in which the enveloped Dragon lost its sting; then the Waters like a flood immediately returned and swallowed the Beast, and their colors became as black as coal, and it was our Dragon who caused the fountain, in which he died and which was a tomb for him, to become stinking and of fetid odor: but by the help of Vulcan this Dragon rose again, and received from the heavens a Soul, by which both were reconciled, those who before were enemies and whose souls were henceforth united, left their bodies and became the the authentic bath of the nymphs, and our Green Lion, which we had never seen before.

But so as not to make you wait any longer, I will now fully discover the meaning of these allegories, and untie these knots, the obscure meaning of which can perplex the reader.

Observe then that our Son of Saturn, must be united with a metal, and a mercurial form, for he himself is Quicksilver, which is the agent that our work requires, but the common quicksilver being dead does not is of no use to our Stone, although it is inclined to be put into action by the salt of Nature, and true Sulfur, which is its only companion. This salt is found in the source of Saturn, being in it pure, and has no power to penetrate the center of metals, abounding in such qualities that it can penetrate the body of the Sun, which it divides into elements, and after dissolution, remains with them. You must look for Sulfur in the house of Aries, it is the magic fire of the wise, to heat the King's bath, (which you can prepare in the space of a week) this fire truly lies hidden, and you can release it in less than an hour, then after wash it with silver rain.

It seems strange indeed, that a metal so vigorous and fixed as to be able to endure the resounding explosion of Vulcan, should not be softened by any heat, nor should it mix or flow with any metal; thus by our Art, he will retrograde this penetrating mineral liquor. It is this royal work that the Almighty sealed, to teach the wise that the Royal Child was born, that they sought without detour and who were guided to him by the Star, but the fools seek our secrets in sordid things, outside the species, and consequently only go to ruin.

This substance is of a starry nature, and entirely spiritual, being totally inclined to shun fire; the reason is that the soul of each is a magnet for the other, and this is what we call the urine of old Saturn. It is our steel, our true hermaphrodite, our Moon, so named for its brilliance: it is our unripe gold, which to the sight is a brittle body, but which is tamed by Vulcan, whose soul if you can conjunct it with Mercury, no more secrets will be hidden from you.

I do not need to cite authors, because I saw, and I carried out this mystery with my hands, and always following the advice of Nature, I was able to make the most solid body soft, and makes the gross body a fixed tinting Earth which will never wither away. I am not the only one to say this, because many others have themselves attested, these knots that I untie here: Arthephius had mentioned them, but he had not revealed the secret, because he said that it must be revealed by God, unless it is taught by a Master.

This is the riddle that has perplexed so many students of this Art: also Zeumon in the Peat says: Our Stone is vile, although containing the most precious, the vile thrown from the path, and on the Dung heaps, and that we find in sordid places, which is the material that we must take as the true basis of our Art; no one can live without it, and it is used for sordid uses, everything denotes that it is only to Mars that all this relates; in a boat it floats on the oceans, and without it we cannot build boats or houses, nor transport any goods, with it we plow our field, mow our wheat, prepare, cook, and cut our meat, with it we shoe the horses, and many other uses that it would take too long to list here, it often lies on the Earth in the shape of nails; which justifies the find, although it could be considered vile.

Moreover, Aries is known from the house of valiant Mars, in which all artists recommend you to begin your work, and what could be said more clearly? Surely there can be no one so ignorant as not to believe that a hidden meaning is sealed in these words, which until now have never been so well explained. Belus in the Peat, commands to join the warrior with him who does not wish to fight; consequently to Mars, the God of war, is assigned the union with Saturn, who rejoices in peace, and whose kingdom I need not tell, it being well known to all.

See the second figure which is placed in the Philosophers' Rosary, where the King and Queen in their royal robes hold between them our true Moon, which bears eight flowers, still without roots; and between them there is a bird; under their feet are the Sun and the Moon, the King holds in his hand one flower, the Queen another, and the bird holds the third in its beak, also having a Star on its tail; which means our great secret; for the bird and its wings show Mercury joined with the Starry Earth, until they both become volatile beings and fly.

Here it appears that the ancient Sages chose rather to instruct the eye by a figure, than the ears by words, nevertheless some of their discourses are so clear, that almost any fool can gather the meaning. which is contained therein: for this reason, being myself a child of Art I have in the Kabalistic Science clearly explained the same thing, where I refer the studious reader; and will now continue to show how to obtain that Water, which so few find, by which we extract the most secret seed of the Sun, therefore apply yourself diligently to obtaining this Water, for it is the basis of our Quintessence.

Know that all metals have only one matter, which is nothing other than Mercury, which in the first place gave access to possible transmutation; and we therefore conclude that our most secret Water has the same matter as that of common Mercury. And if raw Mercury, and the five imperfect metals, can be transformed into Gold, (which by reason of their rawness will burn in fire), the reason is, as the Sages teach, that all metals participate in the Mercury and are therefore similarly transmutable: if our Mercury, which we call our Living Water, were other than unripe gold, then any metal which is converted by Art into gold, must have such a nature , could through Art become our Quicksilver.

Thus, if lead, tin or copper, were resolved into real Mercury, then Art could cause these Waters to change the form in which they appear, so that any of them could become our Philosophical Mercury . But why do we need this, since nature has produced a Water already ready to assist the artist in his work, into which through Art a form can be introduced, which can easily command our secrets? Therefore consider what this Mercury is which is desired to be our most Secret Menstruation; for we grant that both are metallic and of the same color, and also that both are volatile and fluid in fire; but we seek a Sulfur in ours, of which that of the mine is devoid, and this Sulfur purifies the matter, making it igneous, while remaining Water. For water is the womb, which desiring heat, is altogether useless for true generation, nor will our body be reduced to sweat, and exhale its seed, but remaining in a traffic light, mixed by Air with a Mercury which participates in Sulfur.

This Sulfur must have a magnetic force, or virtue, and therefore must be true gold, although unripe, and also come from one source like matter and form, with only this difference, that while the The other is fixed, this one must be volatile and fleeting, having the power to open and unbind the first. And there is only one body on Earth, which is so closely linked to Mercury, that it is suitable for preparing our secret stone, and hiding the solid body in its matrix, and it is as I said before the gushing spring of Saturn; well known to the Magi as I have shown.

And although some metals can be made fixed with Quicksilver, yet they do not penetrate each other as is seen, and heat can easily separate them from each other, for you will find that they do not penetrate each other. never the center, nor that any of them are improved. The reason is, that the Sulfur which resides in the perfect metals, is apparently enclosed, or else in the others is allied to earthly feces, and defilements, which Mercury abhors, and will not ally itself with. them, although at first glance they seem to be. If you separate these faeces you will obtain flowing Mercury, and a crude Sulfur, which by freezing have hardened the humidity, and you will also find an aluminous Salt, but these are of a species too far from gold.

But the mineral that we value so much, except for its gross limonisities, (which can be separated), contains a purer Mercury, which will restore Dead bodies to life, so that like all other things they can generate their own species. It does not contain any Sulphur, except that it is frozen by a combustible sulfur, it is bright and black with shiny veins; this Sulfur is in no way metallic, but prepared correctly according to the Art, the limonisities being removed, it appears like a metal (which can be put into powder) where it is enclosed, like a tender soul, which by a moderate fire rises in smoke, similar to the slightly frozen Quicksilver that the fire evaporates.

This makes our Water penetrating, and allows it to penetrate to the center of bodies, which it retrogrades and reduces to their true raw material; and must be joined to a true Sulphur, which must be found in the house of Aries. By this mineral alone and by the skill of the artist aided by Vulcan, Mars is retrograded to a mineral; and as many have often asserted, it is our true Venus, the wife of Vulcan the lame, who is loved by Mars.

First make Mars embrace this mineral, so that both will reject their earthliness, and in a short time the metallic substance will shine like the heavens, and as a sign of your success you will find imprinted on it a star-shaped seal . It is the royal seal, the mark that the Almighty places on this strange subject; it is the fire of heaven, of which a spark being one day ignited, caused such a change in the bodies, that the darkness began to shine like a sparkling gem, with which like a diadem our young king is crowned. To this add Venus in due proportion, whose beauty is admired by Mars, and of whom we know that she has great love for him, and desires to be united to him, whose movement is soon inclined, since being allied to gold, Mars, and the brilliant Diana, with whom she conceives love, as well as a true union.

But Vulcan the lame cuckold becomes jealous, and is chagrined to see his head adorned with horns, and therefore desires to destroy this union. And surprising the antics of his wife and Mars, throws his net over them and catches and locks up the lovers.

However, this should not be understood as a simple Fable; but observe first how Cadmus is devoured by our fierce beast, after Cadmus has vigorously pierced it, he deserves the name of a champion, because this Serpent that everyone feared before, (by controlled force) he pierced him with his deadly spear against an oak tree. Observe also the Star, which is really his Sun, which can be proved, for when gold is intimately united with the Child of Saturn, and when the feces are purged, all that is perfect remains at the bottom, and after fusion, being cast and then cooled, is adorned with a Star like Mars does. But Venus gives a Metallic Substance, which is satisfied in itself, but united with Mars, as if caught in a net, it appears superb to see, which the keen-sighted poet in hidden disguise has described, and it is enough for the Sage.

Therefore the soul of Saturn and Mars, are by our Art and the aid of Vulcan closely mingled, but both whose parts cannot be divided are volatile, until the soul of Mars becomes fixed, which then leaves Saturn, and is then on trial found the most perfect gold, and a true and perfect dye. But this mediation must be carried out by Venus, because without this no skillful man will be able to break their union, even if they were reduced to powder, because being conjoined, they will only be reduced by association with Venus, hence Diana in fact the separation.

Some, in order to prepare their Water, use the Doves of Diana, which is an excrementally laborious work, which is difficult even for an artist to carry out successfully the first time, and which he can unfortunately fail twice: but the another way, (which is our most secret), we recommend this way to everyone to be true artists.

Therefore cause the subtle vapors of Water to be circulated so often and for so long, that their souls (leaving their gross matter) unite, and both fly upwards, where you must not let them remain until they coagulate otherwise your work would become useless.

Therefore, take from the Son of old Saturn two parts, and from Cadmus one part, and purify them by the fire of Vulcan, until (being cleared of their faeces) the Metallic part is pure; which must be done in four repetitions, an operation of which the stars will teach you the perfection.

Make Æneis equal to her lover, purge them skillfully, until Vulcan's net embraces them, and then leave them in the humidity of the water, and continue the heat and humidity until they may be pierced, and their souls may be glorified. This is the heavenly Dew, which must be nourished as often and as long as nature requires, which is at least three times, or even up to seven times, then skillfully directing them through the waves and the fire, but take care not to steal tender nature by excess of fire.

Be assured then that the Mercury, with which we begin the work, must be liquid and white, but take care not to dry the humidity by excess fire, until it becomes a red powder, because by this the sperm of the female will be corrupted, and you would miss your goal: neither attempt to transform your Quicksilver into a transparent and clear gum, or ointment, because the proportions being lost, you will not be able to achieve true dissolution, and will then be obliged to 'postpone your work which will be lost and start again, because you will have proceeded contrary to the rules of the Art.

Therefore, seek only to increase the spirit in which Quicksilver is lacking, then sublimate the fat to the firmament, and separate the limonisities by Art; this being repeated seven times, then make it marry gold, until they are perfectly united.

Then by Art and the help of Nature, the true Virgin is prepared, this being separated from the feces, becomes a gushing celestial source, which makes soft the solid body of Gold, and this divided into atoms become black, rotten and putrefied, then will revive again and become volatile.

But if I were to reveal here all the secrets contained in the making of our Water, I would be despised by all true artists, for they are communicated only to those whom God has chosen to teach, while the others must suffer and wander in the foggy labyrinth of errors. But he who through pains and prayers will diligently seek this hidden secret, with a candid soul, without being animated by lustful desires, will surely obtain this mystery, of which no one has ever spoken more clearly.

There are some who through Art can prepare a wonderful Liqueur (Alkaest?), which the Adepts have nicknamed the Fire of Hell, whose virtues are so strange and powerful, as (by its force) resolving all solids in their Raw Material, or Water; which dissolves the Quicksilver so radically that it can be poured like drops of crystal, nothing remaining at the bottom of the vessel, or its virtue not the least, which being to be often distilled, it leaves the Quicksilver Vivid behind, this will then appear as a fixed salt having the odor of musk, and the sweetness of honey, and can be pulverized into rust, and which no fire can destroy: and which in the test with Saturn at the fixity of the Moon.

Being cohoby five or six times with said Water (after prior digestion) it will appear as an Oil, and immediately after distillation as a Spirit, which by the addition of a small subject, will gradually separate into two substances distinct, which being done, will be gathered separately, the upper part being the Oil or Tincture, soluble in Alcohol; the other (if it is boiled) can be reduced by Art to Mercury, which Quicksilver is a subject of great wonders like no other under the heavens.

It cannot be corroded and precipitated by salts or strong water, nor by frequent circulation in fire be altered and sublimated, nor be transformed into dry powder, nor be made fixed, and will remain volatile forever. The great Elixir cannot transmute it, but can dissolve and destroy it; such are its strange peculiarities, which astonish all artists, that no power or ability can change or alter, and by the aforesaid way it can be produced from all metallic bodies.

Although in our Art this is of little value, because we seek to multiply the Sulfur which is a Solar Hematite whose tail is the Moon; and these are the only planets in our terrestrial sky that we esteem, rejecting the others and all other art. For if Gold, which is made pure and perfect by nature, could by the secret fire of our Water, be retrograded into Mercury and Sulfur, which is whole in substance, and which before could not be separated by the force of fire , but remained firmly the same; who does not see that this Mercury is far from our work? Because we seek to increase a Tincture; which is only a Sulphur, enveloping Mercury like a coat, and which is of a Metallic nature, without which, Water cannot claim the name of metal.

This Sulfur is contained more or less in all Metallic things, and in some certain slags coexist with the pure substance, and are destroyed by fire, for whatever is coarse and polluted is burned and consumed. But of all Metals the Sun and Moon are by pure Sulfur so enclosed, that they can endure the greatest force of Vulcan, and no Art of man can divide their Sulfur from its Water; except by the aforesaid liquor, the virtue of which is so powerful that it can reduce the Sun and the Moon which are fixed, and make them volatile; and not only this, but our admirable Fire can do the same with gold, and in a gentle and direct manner cause it to retrograde, although not separating Sulfur from its center, but being clothed in Mercurial clothing, they both appear mixed in Golden Water.

But the strange so-called Liqueur, by dissolving destroys the Metallic homogeneity, and by separating them causes discord and disunity, so that neither of them will rejoice in the other, and consequently the central Mercury being separated from the tinted liquor, lies beneath; so that the Hematine which previously in gold had the weight of a Metal, is so altered that it becomes lighter than Quicksilver, which appears to the sight like an Oil, or rather a smooth salt , and is a noble medicine against diseases.

It therefore appears, therefore, that a Metal is dissolved in this humidity, is changed from its Metallic nature, of which the Sulfur, by the force of this Liqueur, can (although without wanting to) be brought to an elemental Water; this liquor has so much power over all matter.
Philosophers agree with this, and conclude that our Mercury, which does not wet but is homogeneous with metals, is the mother of our Stone, and if you are ignorant of this secret, you will be the first person to seal it, because no one has spoken about it more clearly.

End of the First Book.

---

1. Co-born: born at the same time.

Book Second.

The Secret of our fiery Mercury, so hidden by all the Ancients, I have already largely revealed, and a trained Eye will find there more skill or Art revealed; and I did not discover the practice of it, therefore be sure to consider it with good understanding, before ignoring it.

Then take our Mercury (which is our Moon) and make him marry his Terrestrial Son, (thus Man and Woman are joined) add to them the revivifying Spirit, this being done you must soon discover a noble Courageous, because you have correctly followed the noble Laws of Nature. But to be more precise, take one part of the Red Man, and three parts of the White Woman, which mix together (it is a good proportion), to this add four parts of Water; this mixture is called our Lead, which will be set in motion by a gentle fire which you must increase until it sweats. Otherwise, please observe this proportion, take one part of the Sun, and two of the Moon, to which you add four parts of Water, which make a perfect number: and they will experience joyful rest and the bond of the 'Love.

Then Laton appears red, and is still of no use in our work until he has been whitened, and whose center contains a hidden Spirit, which does not appear until it is joined to our Mercury, and this Mercury is a tender body, the Spouse of the Sun, from which it was gently separated.

Your work begins with a Trinity, of which the Body and the Body are first joined, and then both are mingled with the Spirit; these we call the Sun, the Moon, and the Water, which are one in species, though three in number; although in fact two, for the Sun is hidden, and does not show its brightness. Two bodies therefore combined, which we often call our Lead, our Brass, and our Hermaphrodite, being red within, but appearing to the sight Saturnine, white and volatile, whose Natures although separable, are by our Art made inseparable .

This is the wonder of our secret Work, that which is perfect, we bring back, waiting long with patience, until the Water freezes, then this being done, we sublimate, exalt, and fix into dust this Quintessence, which we must subsequently resuscitate and circulate so often, that in the end Nature takes it to its highest peaks, always adding fresh Matter, as it needs it, and forcing her to pass through the shadows of Night, we gently decoct her, until Dawn brings forth the brilliant rays of Phoebus.

Thus the perfect is amended by the imperfect, and both together are made transcendent in virtue; Then by the Help of Art assisting Nature, she is made capable alone, of surpassing her own Work, which is a sign which will rejoice the industrious Artist, and will make him forget all his labor and sorrows.

Therefore here is the practice: Take one Ounce of Sun, and of Magnet Three, that makes a Body of four Ounces, to which you add four Ounces of Water, and let this be ordered in the following manner; Let the rich Robes of the Sun be first whitened by the moisture of the Moon, which must be done by a moderate Fire; the young Girl must then appear Saturnine to the sight, and flowing in the fire like Lead, then add the desired quantity of Virgo Mercury, and thus the Body is red, fixed, and solid in the hidden center, although in sight it appears white, tender and volatile.

This being done, have ready a Glass Vial of Oval or Round shape, in which you will put the material, take care to close the neck well with the Seal of Hermes, so that the enclosed Spirits cannot escape, and that the 'Outside air cannot enter. Let the Matras be of such proportion that it can contain at least four times the quantity you put in it, so that there is enough space to receive the Dew which rises, and which falls again, and this by a long continuous rotation, disposes the Body to the Solution, making it rot and die, then after resuscitating, and becoming both joined by a true union. But on the other hand take care that the Vial is not too large, otherwise the Sperm of the Female would be too dispersed, and because of this would not return or would return badly to her Male, or fixed Earth, and consequently your Work will be wasted; therefore let the Vial be proportionate to the quantity of Matter as aforesaid.

Therefore a quarter of an Ounce of the purest Gold may serve our Work, or a Dragma may suffice for an essay if you observe the due proportions, the Sun is the eighth part of the whole compound, the price of which n It is not so high that a poor man cannot bear the expense, unless the work fails; therefore follow the following Rules: for one part of Man you need three parts of Woman, then you must take four parts of Water to equal Earth; but if you take one of Man and two of Woman and add four parts of Water to them, then Water will be one part superior to Earth as is clearly seen in Riplée.

We must now reveal the Secret of our four Fires, which have deceived many, of which the Sages holding the curious pen of a skillful Master agree on the Doctrine, I would now speak about it with sincerity, and therefore dear Reader pay attention to what I will now reveal. First consider well and weigh well in your Mind the Reason of all our Works, and their Causes; by this means you may be led to understand what has confused and misled many; and I will help you as much as Reason will allow, and so you will be able to testify to my sincerity.

Our Fires are those blocks on which the ignorant inevitably stumble; And the Authors have written about it in such a mysterious way, that it is unlikely that any Man can find there a sufficient guide for what he must seek: no wonder then that he who knows our Fires can claim a place of Master. For Fire in our Art is used Homonymously, and for this reason many wander in this place; sometimes it means our Water, which is of a species very close to our Laton; sometimes this qualifies the perfect Body, and sometimes the Sulfur of our Compound which floats on the Water is called Fire, which in our work is double, the first is perfect and the product of Nature which this Treatise fully shows how to find: l The other by which many researchers have been baffled is included in our Water. Moreover our Water is triple, and all these have so many varied denominations of Fire, that he who undertakes this Work without good judgment and attention, will surely spend his money and his time in vain: therefore if you follow me, I will be for you a true and sincere guide.

Some judge erroneously, and therefore order their Work in such a way that the Culinary Fire has no place in it, they suppose that it is applied in vain, and that therefore those who use it are happy to honor the name of Vulgar Sophisticators, deriding them as well as their Works: For they say, the authors mean in an uncontested manner, that our Fire is Magical, and not culinary, and therefore whoever uses the Elemental Fire does not will not reach the goal, and therefore not knowing what they are looking for, they are looking for a crude Fire.

It is true indeed that the nature of Fire is Sulfur which is hidden in the Centre, and that it causes the Work to evolve from stage to stage; and this is what the Authors advise the conscientious artist to improve by all means; it is this hidden heat, which opens invisibly, and which is not seen. But it is nevertheless true that interior heat is activated by the exterior; because the fixed must by this means be raised from its residence, and fly away with the volatile: in the same way an Egg needs the heat of the Hen to produce a chick, and this is arrested when the operation is completed.

Therefore your Matter having been found, rid it and clean it of all its faeces, then mix in the right proportion, put in a Glass vial of suitable size as previously described, which is carefully closed so that no Spirit enters. escapes; then place in its nest, and put in the Furnace so curiously arranged that an equal and continual heat may be maintained therein; This is our External Agent, and when it fails, the Work immediately stops and is ruined; but take note that your heat is not too strong, which will surely destroy your Work, for the reason that as you will discover, as all Authors have proclaimed, haste breeds ruin.

It follows that the external Heat must often be appreciated and regulated according to the internal Operation; which I will now deal with, by which the Artist, by observing the appearance of visible signs, can increase or decrease the Heat, so that it is most appropriate to the conduct of our Work.

First, therefore, when the Matras is placed in its Nest of Sand, let it be well adjusted so that it cannot move in any way, then apply appropriate heat underneath, so that the latter can go up, and taking care that the nest is arranged in such a way that no Air can enter or leave, and that the vial can never suffer the cold: consequently make that the Fire is continuous (Day and Night) from so that the Flask is never exposed to cold, and be careful to replenish it with new fuel from time to time as it diminishes. It is for this reason that the Sages have chosen a Furnace which they call Athanor, where the Heat is constantly kept; always having a reserve of coal to meet needs, and taking care to watch it at least once every twelve hours, and in the meantime to do as you please.

The Furnace may be made of bricks, mounted with a well-mixed Mortar, made of clay, mixed with sand and horse dung, carefully mixed together, until it becomes a mass which is not likely to crack ; others prepare their Mortar, mixing it with ashes, hair or stuffing, etc. and things and others; but whatever happens, try to choose the best. For after Matter itself the other thing that a man must seek is a good Furnace; since the Fire must bring the Work to Perfection, it is worth spending a week in preparing a good Furnace, and allowing, like the day, various degrees of harmonious Heat according to need, and that it can be governed with such assurance that it is not subject to error.

That your Furnace is composed of materials which cannot fall into dust, split or crack, because it is necessary to maintain the Fire for a long time, and cracks or fissures would make it difficult to govern the Fire to the required degree, and would inevitably make him stronger or weaker than desired.

Also take care not to build your Furnace where it could be subject to accidents or calamities, such as the rain which could fall on it, or the Wind which would blow on the Flask, because you would lose your Work at one time or another; therefore be wise, and take care of safety, to which you will have to pay daily attention until the end of your Work.

In the same way I consider it necessary to choose a lighted place for the Furnace, because the Artist's thoughts will undoubtedly strongly incline him to supervise the Operations, and to see them every hour, or at less than once a day; which will be both joyful and satisfying to see that the Work is progressing as it should.

Let the room where you keep this immortal heat be such that the smoke rising from the coals can find ventilation; for you might be so inconvenienced (as some people do through negligence) that you might regret it too late, and perhaps some dangerous fumes might endanger your life.

If you can build the Furnace in a chimney this can be very practical for evacuating the smoke outside; but if you consider such a place too dark, then put it in a large room, where you will not come to visit your Matras too often, nor stay too long, for fear of danger: But if you can have a high room, in which ventilation is provided, this will be the best, the fumes can be evacuated freely, and then you can be bolder and visit more often without fear of danger; for as the Sages teach, the sight of the Work protects the Artist from debauchery, in addition to the fact that it is a pleasure to observe the different movements of the Work within the Fire.

Some choose to build a tower next to their Nest, and this indeed gives some warmth, but then the coals will remain there and not fall into the Fire when it needs them: Others make their Nest above the coals, and they do not work in vain, choose one way or the other, but it is certain that some are better operators than others, and conduct their work with such judgment and precision , always fearing to deviate one iota from their intention, that they will quickly reach their goal, and take away the Prize, on the other hand those who are more careless in the conduct of their Fire, who let it suffocate, then start again , delay the Work by this unequal procedure, and thwart the course of Nature, which is so skillful in its curious Laws, that when it has begun, it does not cease to operate unless it is interrupted, which delays the Work.

It would be good if a chosen friend could be your Partner in this work, for by this you could supervise every part, and could alternately spend the other part of the time in reading, writing, or walking in the fields or in a park, etc., as best suits your temperament: For to be confined every day, and to be so attentive as is necessary, would oppress the Spirit too much and therefore I advise you to amuse yourself from time to time.

Do not let anyone know about your Operations, except this sincere Friend, and do not do as many researchers have done, keep all your work secret, because otherwise be sure that your folly will be mocked and mocked, and therefore it is better to remain silent; likewise let neither your Wife, nor your Children, nor your Servants know of it, for they will speak of it and reveal it to their friends, maintain the greatest Secret that you can, pretending your ignorance concerning the Art and the ranking among the Fables.

For if it should happen that you fail in your aim, and for your time and expense reap nothing but failure for your expense and care, what Man will think that you are one of those who by this Art has been put in want? Or if you obtained the Incomparable Prize, then what wise Man could know that you possess the Art of making Gold? Therefore it is better to tacitly rejoice in it, not shouting "Grilled meat" in the middle of the street, rather than exposing yourself to those who, if you do not give them money at will, or do not show them the Art, will destroy you and your Art.

Consider the danger carefully, and be assured that it is better to live in security, rather than in fear, and therefore shut yourself up in secrecy so that no one will hear of you, whether through boasting of what you can accomplish, nor obtain from you the secret at any cost. To do this, be attentive to the drink and to those around you, because one is stupid, and the others seduce, because it is certain that the one who indulges in drinking will not be able to keep the secret for long, but on the contrary he is certain that Temperance is the safest and most effective way to master languages, without which the secret will not be contained for long.

All these things having been correctly observed, I suggest that you do not desire the accomplishment by ardent desire, but observing the words of the Sages, wait with Patience for the due Time, and you will be sure of arriving at the End; for he who hopes in a short time to receive this Harvest, in fact disappoints himself; likewise some are so impatient that they cannot leave their Flask long at rest, but move and turn it, or shake it, by which they affect the work of Nature, which being then driven out of its way, follows then the fantasy of these crazy Artists, who violate its Course, and who will reap nothing except Wind.

Dedicate yourself and your Work to God, implore his Grace and his help, distancing yourself from all vice and sin, see that he is your beginning; this is the way to achieve success, otherwise you can toil for a long time, but always in vain. And if you are happy to attain this rare Jewel, which many seek and few find, be assured of honoring God, of relieving the poor, of helping the sick. Do not let this great Talent be buried in a Shroud, but undertake works of Charity, and do no harm to any Man; so that the blessing of God may abide upon you, while you dwell here with Mortals, and you will be the possessor of eternal Joy which you must always keep in view. For of all the Blessings of this Life, this Art is the greatest and of the greatest Value, and it is only given to those who strive to improve themselves and use it wisely, who being truly Wise, do not fall into the illusory pleasures of this Life, and do not neglect Eternal Bliss.

I will now briefly, and simply discover the real works of our Stone, with all its colors as they appear in their own Seasons; and he who will patiently follow my discourse will see that it is sincerely set forth, more than has ever been done by any Man, though there be something hidden.

Know therefore, that as soon as your Compound smells Fire, it will flow like Lead; the tender body which is the Soul of Steel, shows such powerful efficiency, that the Sun whitens and is devoured, on which two, the broth of the Media must be poured. It is then our Sea, in which Five Fish swim, which have neither scales nor edges, this Sea is always round, without overflowing, and the Fish and the Sea are one; and we digest this until it becomes a broth, and everything becomes One.

After the Forty Days, the Black of Blackness must appear, like burnt coal, when you have seen the darkness of blackness, you need fear no more for the White will finally show himself, and then the sparkling Red will come in due time. This darkness is the Door through which we enter the light of Paradise, it is the way by which Bodies are reduced to their essence, and a gloomy night gives birth to a radiant day; therefore your main task is to reach this Black, or otherwise all other signs will be in vain.

At first the Color appears silver, for the Sun must descend into the Matrix of the Moon, and both must be reduced to their first Matter, which is effected by Mercury alone, which so amends the Nature of its species, that the Sun and Moon are both eclipsed in this Water, the only cause of alteration of which is the continued work of Fire, by means of which Water draws from the Sun and Moon a Water of Life, in which is hidden a Spirit very powerful, which is the own seed of the Sun and the Moon. This Water and this Spirit embrace each other still more, and circulate incessantly, continually rising like Air, and again descending, for these Spirits being released continue to operate until they become fixed, following the desire of the Artist.

But take care that your Spirits do not find an opening to exhale, for this will ruin your Work, and cause much harm, by breaking one of the strictest Laws of your Work; and also take care that they do not rise too violently because they would break the Vial; which must be made as strong as possible, and blown to equal thickness, without bubbles or defects, which you must put in a brass ring, or it must be fixed with powder of compressed wet bone ash, serving as security.

You will see your Water flying upwards, and also the Body boiling below; and this Circulation you will have to continue it so long that the Eagle destroys the Dragon, and when they die together, they will turn into a dreadful Toad, which you will then have to cook, until the black diminishes, it will then be succeeded by a multitude of colors, and the light will appear, continue this regime with patience, until you see the Moon rising with its clear rays: It is then our young King who coming from the East carries a crescent Moon at the top of his head.

But take care here that the heat is not too strong, and therefore that the Red does not appear before its time, whose color is similar to that of the Poppy, which will be for you a fatal sign, showing that your work has failed, burning the flowers and transforming them into precipitate. Therefore in your Operation proceed with a moderate Fire, and motivated by haste do not anticipate the Work, not in a day, but with patience wait until the Black has passed, then you can slightly increase your Fire, but rather let it be too weak, rather than too strong, which will be safer, which is the current advice of the Sages, on which you can rely as a sure foundation. For it will be a long time before you see your Gold dissolve and rot, and it is this Work that the Magi found so painful and of which they so often complained.

And now I will in a few words discover to you the hidden Operations of our new Art, which although it is old is difficult to find, and I will discover several Mysteries; therefore follow diligently what I will teach you in the following Discourse on the Oath of Secrecy.

End of the Second Book

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Third and Final Book.

In the preceding Books, I have extensively described the Art of Alchemy in general; which is divided into six distinct parts, namely, Calcination, Dissolution, Separation, Conjunction, Putrefaction and Freezing, now in this last Book I will explain them separately and therefore by earnest and diligent design. strive to find the Truth.

Calcination.

First we Calcine the Body, and by this it becomes porous, because otherwise we could not obtain the life-giving Viva, which animates every Thing, which being disjointed appears like a vile Carcass, but which being part of the elevated Art, we then find this that we so desire in the Plat d'Hermès. So when the Earth has become spongy, this is called the assassination of the Spirit, because then our Water is transformed into Earth in the Dragon's Den, and the Earth returns to its first Matter: In Calcination we always preserve the humidity and creaminess, because otherwise we would err greatly.

Some make by the Art various corrosive Waters, in which they Calcine the Metallic Species, but then their Liqueur abandons the Earth, and no skillful Man can combine them: We leave this way to Fools, being good in nothing, and take care not to waste your substance and your time for nothing.

Our Calcination is carried out only in its species, by mixing the Raw with the Perfect, the first dissolving the fixed, and the other fixing the fugitive; therefore those who use such Waters which wet the Hands, work improperly, because they are totally useless in our Art.

Then, as soon as the Sun feels its Companion, it melts like ice in the hot Water, because she is for him at the same time Mother, Wife and Sister, and with her he accords his qualities; and there is no Agent who can be compared to him. It is the Salt of Nature, which we hide so much, which if it had not been created by the Almighty, this Art would be in vain; and it is by its great power that Gold is reanimated, it also adds weight, and contains a secret Fire which laminates Gold. It is the closed Fountain, which is not seen by the Fools, because they do not have good eyes, and have not been taught in the School of Vulcan, where the Sage makes Nature evolve. It is a monstrous Pontic secret fire that many admire and few find.

If you can obtain it, you are free from the troubles and cares which the Sophists undertake, for it is a certain means of successfully obtaining our rare Jewel; and as soon as he feels a light Fire, the Man immediately has a great desire to be united with his Woman. When the Bodies are dissolved, they will float like Cream, and be as white as Milk, a smoke must also rise, so often that the habit of Silver becoming paler and paler, it becomes Citrine, after which it appears Azure then Green, then the other colors disappearing they become black like Coal. The Mass must then swell like Frozen Bread, and must change from state to state every day, until everything is reduced to Water, which must then rise day after day, and become more and more thick, until you no longer see Sublimation, but everything remains at the bottom a black color and foul flavor, smelling like liquid Bitumen, then in the end everything will turn white.

After about fifty days, different colors should appear again, day after day, Azure, Green, Citrine, Violet, and a pale color, then at the end a dark black; the compound should also often be fluid, and often coagulate like small islands. If the dryness seems to increase, followed by a Citrine color, without the appearance of the Azure or Green color, then you will be right to fear that your progress is erroneous; but if the humidity circulates gently, you will not have to doubt the smooth running of your work.

Therefore, order your Fire, observing this, if matter transpires, rises and descends, be assured that you will not err, except accident, for in all work Nature knows its own course, and by sign will show you whether or not you are rushing too much. And be assured that depending on the proportion of heat you give, your Matter will be set in motion, and if the Fire is too strong it will cause the Body to sweat too much and dry out the tender Soul; and if the fire is insufficient, then for lack of heat your hopes and your progress will be in vain.

See therefore to observe your work carefully, and if you see that the Compound changes color, note it diligently, for if you have proceeded in the wrong way you will see strange symptoms, such as Poppy red, and lack of due darkness, both of which are fatal signs that you are not working properly. But if you get a true Black, then ten weeks later your Compound will rot and die, and all will be resolved into a subtle Powder, soft as the rays of the sun, and not too dry, but bright as newly broken coal, and it then containing a living Soul.

Dissolution.

Therefore the latter must dissolve in a short time, for our labors are so intertwined that one contains the other, and no sooner does one end than the other immediately begins. And it is also true that the Dissolution begins the previous work, and perfects both. For when we see the Body returning to its first Matter, we say that it is dissolved in Mineral Water, which we actively seek, because we are sure that if the Spirits are freed from their bonds, they will immediately begin a new operation. For in this procedure the active nature suffers through the passive, so that the Earth day after day returns, so in the same way the Spirits thicken; for such is the Law of Nature, it is necessary to dissolve in humidity, and to thicken the humidity. And although some may conceive, all your work is to dissolve and coagulate, and then the Body loses its fixity and becomes spiritual; which is born above in the Air, until they arrive at the summit of the Mountain, from where the Body, the Soul and the Spirit in descending lose their fugitive nature and become fixed. Then he achieves what we have long sought, because our King being triumphantly resurrected from the Dead has the power to conquer any opposing force, and to bring impure metals to purity.

Thus dissolution is the true Key to all our secrets, without which no man can perform anything in Alchemy, nor can dye any metal permanently, unless he has resolved the perfect Metals into a Water of their own. own species, which is their primitive Matter. For by and in humidity only the Spirit of each thing can be preserved; This is the Mother of our hidden Stone, and the Key to temporal Beatitude, Nature being astonished to see our Art capable of performing such marvelous Operations.

But in our Art we teach two Dissolutions which are effected by fire alone, and not manually, but the first cannot reach the Center, nor be adorned with such a great change of varieties of colors as appears in the second . The first is when the Red Man is joined to his Woman, which is properly called Liquefaction; both being married by the Spirit of Life, and placed on a true Fire, they immediately come into action, and the Spirit does not stop until it has dissolved the Body. And now as the Body is reduced to scarcity by the Water, it then abides with the solvent, and the Water becomes proportionately thicker, until both are united into a fixed black Powder.

But this is not the entire dissolution of the Body, for some proportions of its corporeality are retained, nevertheless, these Two which before were contrary, having fought together until they were reduced into one, produce one third of Neutral nature. Also as this Dissolution is not complete, it is the same for the Freezing into Black Powder, in the same proportion; Nature observing this Rule, by which you can hope for a much nobler Conjunction by remaining in our Art.

But these Atoms must in their time dissolve, and from them must be expressed by the fire Azoth, which you will sublimate for so long until the Earth rises from the Nest, and everything becomes like Living common money, and of a spiritual Nature. This is the noble Dissolution that we so recommend, and here a Quadruple Conjunction is made, where all the elements are made in flawless perfection; And now no doubt you know what we mean by Dissolution, and therefore we will therefore conclude.

Separation.

I come now to deal with Separation, it has a great resemblance to the preceding operations, which both meet and are carried out in the same way, but are distinct in principle although they are closely linked. Because from the first hour when we put our Matter on the Fire, we apply such heat that the humidity is driven out, and circulates incessantly; from all the Waters it rises like a flame, like a smoke or vapor, although not very abundant, but which condenses into pearly drops, which descend into veins, and reduce the Body on which they fall, that time in its The place is colored with new Colors, and these rise with the Water into the Air, then descend again.

And this is what we mean by separation, and it is nothing other than a perpetual circulation; which loosens the compact Body, which is akin to the nature of water, of which it is parents, and therefore through a continuous circulation the Water makes an incessant Separation. And as Bodies are therefore double, that which is imperfect, and is easily returned to its first matter; which cannot be done without sublimation, compared to which all other heat gives no result, therefore we make the Spirit fly, and return to the Earth and that incessantly. By this sublimation the Water is thereby sharpened, which by its repeated elevation, ends in the long run a part of the Body, by which it becomes animated, and becomes like a fire of hell, making the earth swell as in the Raised dough.

And first of all only phlegm rises, which by its constant elevation and condensation becomes more and more spiritual, which the eye can easily perceive, when it is initially of a white color, which soon disappears. to become pale blue, yellow, then green and black. Seeing this the Artist will conclude that two elements are now separated, and that which was at first raw and crude, has become fiery, and that which was clear is daily tinged with resplendent colors, most often shining for many days.

Now that you know, that as soon as the Body dissolves, that also the Spirit through work is frozen, with the intervention of time, the whole changes from state to state, until the Sealed spirits are released, which we call by many names, although it is only a work. We do not cease this vaporous sublimation for a single moment, nor increase the fire, until the matter is transformed into powder, but by continuous heat we melt this powder into Water; and this Water we then sublimate for so long, until by frequent sublimation it dies.

Therefore, as long as the Water rises like phlegm, we say here that we separate the Spirit from the Soul and the Body, but when the vapor by repeated circulation shows a beautiful color, then the Spirit is united with the Soul, and both are separated from the Body. And when the Tincture rises, then the earth becomes dark, and the dead Body appearing without its Soul, must rot and turn into powder, the Soul in the end binds the Spirit to the Body, until then it bears an equal proportion of it, and is made spiritual, and thus is obtained the art of our Calcination, Solution, Separation, Conjunction, and Putrefaction, which all make a resolution of the Letter in the unity of purified nature, that which is effected by the power of the Spirit, which uniting with resistance, shows the operations before mentioned in our work; from which the one who will affirm them all to be one is telling the truth, and this is only carried out with a single fire, neither increased nor diminished, our Stone requiring only continuous heat, and it is not question of sublimating the Water, until it causes the Body to rise, until the Body freezes the Water into a fixed essence, which is a Medicine that will cure all the imperfections of Metals , with which it may be mixed, and which Medicine if exalted to Red, and then resolved into oil, will also powerfully cure all diseases of Animals, restoring Nature to such a state of health, and increasing the strength of man , while supplying all the needs of life, and thereby being able to live free from Diseases, Care and Desires.

Consequently we subtract into vapors the gross elements of our compound, thus by the rotation of our wheel we cause all the vapor which soon arises to fall again, and this continuous ascent and condensation we call this the work of the Separation: this is the entire beginning and end of what we seek; that we continue thus for so long to separate the principles, until at last they become so united that they cannot in any way be separated again.

Conjunction.

This work is called Conjunction, and it is indeed the case, because by it the Natures are so intimately conjoined, that they can no longer be separated, and appear as one thing; as in man, Soul, Body and Spirit are one thing, this also on observation shows only one thing; although first there was a fourfold root, which nevertheless is only three, which is only two, and which finally makes only one; which I could demonstrate here, for several reasons.

This operation is the true Key to coagulation, just as Separation was the appropriate means of Dissolution; for by constant vapor we resolve the Body of the Soul into Water, and we dissolve these two so long over the fire until they no longer want to sublimate as before. And here I must warn you that our Conjunction, which is of all the most solemn, and most certain, cannot be made, before a complete disjunction is made of the feces and of that which is pure: Then the Body must rot and putrefy, and decay, that new life will revive.

For in the first place the Soul, the Body, and the Spirit are all separable from one another; one is red, and the others two are white, two are frozen, and one is from the other two; which flies and moves like mineral Water, one of the Bodies we can call the sun, and the other Moon, one shelters fire, and is the most malleable under the hammer, the other is fugitive, and if it should be hammered it will reduce to powder, yet by its force can cause the Gold to be liquefied like wax, which without the propitious heat will not fly away.

These two, in our Art, are like two Dragons, each being in qualities the opposite of the other; one contains in its heart or center the fire of Nature, which is hidden from sight, and is only apprehended by Spiritual man, the other contains unnatural fire; one is ripe, the other is raw; one is digested, the other needs digestion; one is fixed, the other fugitive; the law of one is to attain perfection, and the perfect seed, which we call our Sun, which by the tender Moon is soon tamed. The Spirit of both differs, in degree, in form, and also in its qualities, and flies like Water from fire, and with which it causes the Soul to be able to rise; this circulation must be continued until everything falls to the bottom in powder form.

The first conjunction is that of the Sun with the Moon. The second by a long circulation, joins the Water to them both, when this is done, the Water is put to death, and the Earth is returned to its first matter, and finally, all the Elements must be united, and this will be done, when the earth by several rotations is transformed into water, then you will see nothing except Water; But first the gross parts being burned by fire must come in the dark of night, and must be regenerated again; then a vapor will arise from the secret lair, like an oriental pearl, which will slowly cleanse the dark earth of all its filth and defect, then the darkness being removed from it it will appear in a brilliant dress and all the elements will be united together, and forever fixed; so that one cannot go up or down without the other. They are thus Brother and Sister made one, in a firm union, where they amend each other; And thus you make all our conjunctions, which are carried out by Circulation. And thus our great elixir must be prepared by first separating the spiritual virtues from the earthly parts.

Putrefaction.

The first sublimation is done upwards, and the other is done downwards, out of which a putrefied carcass will emerge, called our toad, and our crow, because it appears very black in the fire. However, it is certain that this work does not differ in any way from the other mentioned above, but only in principle; and though we are glad to call this Work by different names, yet we really mean that he who will perform this Work rightly, may with ease perfect the rest at his pleasure.

For our whole art is nothing but to open and close, to dissolve and then coagulate, to volatilize, and then to fix, to kill, and then to resurrect and heal; to putrefy, to then clean, all who only do one job, expressed in a different way. For certain it is, that unless the compound be putrefied, the spiritual parts cannot be exactly divided, nor the impurities of the Water be cleansed, nor the terrestrialities of the Bodies brought to a true tincture, which will be able to allow the renewal of imperfect bodies.

This is the real reason for putrefaction, which is caused by the frequent reiteration of Water on the Body, and then its extraction from the Body, by constant circulation; this opens the Body in such a way that it causes it to emit its seed and then it dies. For first a life is infused into it, through the mediation of the Moon, which penetrates into its innermost center, and being thus mixed and confounded together its parts are rendered fragile, because these two thus embrace each other so much the one another, that in the fire they flow like wax, and appear of one color.

By means of this moon an entrance is obtained for the Water into the hidden veins of the Sun, where its seed is closely contained, which is thus extracted from the center, and the Water becomes so thickened by this seed, that at last she transforms into an Ooze. And thus three natures are mingled together, which differing greatly in temperament, but by many subtleties they are modified one by the other, until the dryness and moisture disappear, and seem completely drunk by the earth, which proved to be a fatal cut for her. For the Body soon begins to swell, and change color, and all the vapors withdrawing, it at last dies and putrefies, until a Spirit again resurrects the dead carcass, causing the elevation of vapors, which will wash the loam, and having passed the fatal darkness, everything will become more Resplendent.

Now if this circulation were not made, the Body could never abide in its own proper fixity, nor could then be obtained from it a fixed essence, which can evolve the non-precious metals to the dignity of the Sun and the Moon , purer than those taken from any mine. For by the elevation of water, the Body becomes drier, and is more resistant to fire, than if the matter were aqueous; nor the Body become eclipsed in the shadows of the night, until the moisture is largely dissipated, and the Body appears divided into atoms, then the vapors ceasing, and all the Spirits descending again, death immediately begins to dispose the Body to putrefaction, increasing every day, until both the inside and the outside seem as black as a Crow, which from the diminishing dark color becomes a green color, and then the life reborn, and with more cheerful colors banishes darkness; this continued for a long time in the fire, gay colors by degrees will appear, and disappear until at last everything becomes like common quicksilver, but much brighter, which the fire will raise upwards.

Freezing.

And the air condenses the drops, and these which return fly away again, until the volatility ceases, and everything remains in the heat, which each day little by little brings fixation, until 'finally no heat can make him leave his home.

And here you can observe our process, how by an alternating process we go sometimes backward, and again forward, thus by the Dissolution so long effected, we extract the most secret seed from the Sun, until the Body becomes dead; then be revived again, until everything becomes Spirit, and the Body disappears, and when this is done, then Latona is washed and cleansed by the Azoth, which must be carried out by multiples of circulations, after which we see the Body flies into the air, which by repeated Sublimations, the substance being made perfectly clean, finally causes the appearance of its ferment. This done, it no longer being able to rise in vapor, it will sparkle in the heat like a brilliant star, or small fish eyes, and it turns and rolls and the movement, whose brilliance is so great that we cannot hold this view fixedly, as the ancient magi described it.

But before the perfect white appears, you will admire a thousand wonders, which will appear hour by hour by the actions of the fire, which before it reaches a clear, fixed burst of brilliance, and turns into powder like atoms to the Sun, it will undergo innumerable changes; appearing sometimes fluid and sometimes dry, and fluid again, and in the space of less than an hour it will assume strange shapes, but will not keep them, until it becomes fixed in its vessel, and then all substance will appear as atoms to the Sun, which is our resplendent new Moon.

And when the light shall have so long shone upon the earth, and all darkness and darkness shall have passed away, and all shall seem as to a glittering throne, with dry fire, make a long decoction, so long, that it may penetrate and tint all the Corps in white Corps, having the necessary fixation to endure all the tests.

And then this pitfall being circumvented, and medicine of the first order made, though being a child he can yet easily be brought to the strength of a valiant champion; by which the expense, pain, and attention of the artists will be amply rewarded, in obtaining this inestimable jewel. Soak it first with milk, then with meat, which by Art close it until it attains great virtue, which you can multiply for your own pleasure; taking care to preserve this fire and keep it properly, because if this fire were to disappear your work would be ruined.

Now the manner of projection is taught in the first part, and also how to ferment and multiply it is shown in the second book, here for a proof of the Art I have brought an example of what myself have tried, and therefore will not make unnecessary repetitions here in, but now Freezing closes this treatise. Because if it turns out that you are fortunate enough to arrive this far, then you can proceed by the rules given above; But if otherwise you fail in this, you surely betray gross ignorance, or offend fortune; And if one or the other prevents you, do not continue, until better destinies allow you to do so.

Thus ends the Marrow of Alchemy.
Sic explicit Medulla Alchemiae.