MEMORIAL OF ROQUE GARCÍA DE LA TORRE

We have taken this text from the "General Archive of the Royal Palace", Madrid, "Administrative Section", File 429. It is a brief writing written at the end of the 17th century where the alchemist who appears in the title describes the wonderful virtues that he could supposedly obtain of the "Great Alchemical Work". It is addressed to Charles II King of Spain, seriously ill and for whom his palace entourage was looking for a possible remedy that the official medicine of the time could not obtain. In desperation, the offer made here by this Roque García, a Valencian living in Naples, was accepted, which promised the development in the medium term of a panacea or "elixir vitae" with immediate beneficial effects on health. We warn that the text is transcribed with its many spelling and syntactic errors, we have only touched up some phrases that made a clear reading of various phrases too complicated. For more information consult:

- MAR REY BUENO, "Considerations on an Alchemical Manuscript from the Royal Apothecary". 1994. Unpublished. Bachelor Thesis. Library of the Faculty of Pharmacy. Complutense University of Madrid.

- SEA KING GOOD; MARÍA ESTHER ALEGRE PÉREZ, "Roque García de la Torre, Alchemist in the Service of Charles II", in «Llull», 18 (35), 1995, pp. 545-567.

- MAR REY BUENO, "Bewitching, Medicine, Alchemy and Superstition in the Court of Charles II", Corona Borealis, Madrid, 1998, pp. 39-48.

- MAR REY BUENO, "Alchemy at the Court of Charles II (1661-1700)", «Azogue», no. 3, January - June 2000

Pedro Rojas García.

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Lord Don Roque García de la Torre, son of Don Luis García de la Torre, native of the city of Alcira in the kingdom of Valencia, and official entertained by Your Majesty's mercy with twenty escudos a month, serving in the clerk's papers and offices of the kingdom of Naples. Placed at the royal feet of Your Majesty, he says how, having applied himself for many years to the recognition of natural things, in the three kingdoms: animal, vegetable and mineral, subject to the chemical kingdom of practical science, through which has acquired the recognition and condition of the universal spirit, as well as of the nearby metallic matter and divine magisterium of the Lapis osal of the wise, which is composed through practical chemical science, being the treasure that the greatest have longed for and possessed. monarchs and philosophers of the world, both because of the great usefulness that comes from it, since the most imperfect metal solidifies it and makes perfect gold, or silver, according to how the elixir will be prepared, as well as because it is the means by which it can be preserved. human nature in perfect and prolonged health. For by taking the quantity of a grain of wheat in appropriate liquor, it heals the most incurable disease and renewed natural heat restores it to its greatest vigor, by which means a man can lengthen the days of life to the term prescribed by God. por que nom est in medicinalm semper relebatur eger, unde quamuis certissime simus ultra terminum adeo prefissum esse, tamen languoribus non incongrue medemur. (because nom est in medicine was always relegated to action, whence, although we are most certain that it is beyond the limit so set forth, yet we are not inappropriately cured of ailments.)

But Artefius, king of the Egyptians, affirms in the treatise that he himself wrote on Lapis that through this divine medicine he lived 900 years and this virtue is assured by many philosophers, and as experience demonstrates in a man named Federico Gualde , since through her he lives at the age of 400, who was absent from Venice in the month of December of the year 1686 and the Dutch Gazette of April 3, 1687 speaks of him, to which I refer and There are very certain opinions that it is preserved in life and that it is in England.

And since the one who deals with the execution of this divine teaching and universal medicine must be a man of clear conscience and disinterested in temporal goods, the supplicant will not only notify Your Majesty of its effect, but will also execute said medicine by his Royal Hand. with the approval of Your Majesty, since it does not carry any interest but is the zeal of a good vassal and recognition of being your King and natural Lord to whom you owe, as a second cause, the being you have. To which end he has come from the kingdom of Naples, guided only by the star of his good law. For if other kings, knowing the superiority of the Supreme King, came from more distant lands to offer their gifts, it will not be much if the supplicant for his King and Lord has come to sacrifice with his greatest success, offering Your Majesty as a victim of yes inviolable affection, by means of this universal medicine, some part suitable for his health, and increase of his monarchy. Well, for the effect that it tries to achieve in the health of Your Majesty, as in the good achievement and benefit of this divine arcana of nature, in the metallic transmutation all the circumstances are found in the Royal Person of Your Majesty and they claim to have Holy Thomas Aquinas, Alberto Magno, Arnaldo de Vilanova, Raimundo Lullio, Basilio Valentín and many other serious authors. Well, they say that this is a treasure that God has reserved for his select ones and for those who intend to apply it to his holy service and benefit of his neighbor, to whose intention a sovereign genius says: hec vera sciencia aut invenit, aut facit hominem sanctum - This true science either discovers, or makes a holy man.

And so he hopes in the mercy of God to see his good zeal achieved, Your Majesty enjoying perfect health and together with the long succession that we desire. For our nature is the pure essence of the four elements, as the great philosopher Hermete proves, for he says: quando elementa purificata, reducuntur apuram et in equalem simplicitatem tune habetur medicinalm ad prolongandam vitam, dum, natura semper gaudet de consolation moderato de simpliciter familiaribus (when the elements have been purified, they are reduced to ablutions and to an equal simplicity; then it is considered a medicine for prolonging life, while nature always rejoices in the moderate consolation of the simply familiar). To which attempt the great physicist Crolio says: cognitio quatur elementalum, omnes morbus, et curas demostrat - Knowledge of the four elements shows all disease and care.

And this divine arcane having the same activity in the mineral kingdom, purifies them by separating from the imperfect metals the impurity they have, and by introducing its virtue into them, it makes them perfect gold or silver, according to how the elixir was prepared, as stated by Efidio de Badis, philosopher. , saying: metalla sunt planeta transplantata, qui patet expresse non yndicet probationem (The metals are transplanted to the planet, which clearly does not indicate proof.).

Avicenna, in the first diction until the end of the seventh chapter, says how Saint John the Baptist was a great chemist and that he knew how to convert metals into the purest gold. And Saint Thomas, in question 77 of article 2, as well as in book 4 of meteors, and elsewhere states that metals can change from one to another, being natural and their matter the same. As Oldrado the jurisconsult also approves of said transmutation, in the Councils, question 74. And Saint Augustine, in the book of the City of God, also affirms it. And Vicenzio Monk, in the 5th Natural Book, describes how Noah had made the philosophical stone, before the general flood more than 100 years. And Juan Andreas, jurisconsult, in the additions, ad speculum, says that in our times we had in the Roman Curia Arnaldo de Vilanova, a great doctor and theologian, who was a chemist and who publicly sold rods of gold that he made with Lapis. And two thousand other authors and philosophers who have done and written it, whom the supplicant leaves silent so as not to annoy Your Majesty. Well, it is only his attempt to mention how this sacred science is true and that it has always been possessed by Royal Persons in imitation of his first teacher Ham, who was king of the Egyptians in the year of our health 294, from which the name of "Chimica", whose imitation has been exercised by as many Real People as published by the "Teatro Chímico" and as experience proves. Well, we see that the Caesarean Majesty of the Emperor is actually exercising it in imitation of his predecessors, as well as the Majesty of the King of France, who is believed to possess a part of the Lapis, although very small, which he communicated to him. a cappuccino who came from Jerusalem, and is evidently recognized by his gold coin. As is also known, the Duke of Florence is very dedicated to this practical science, since with his own hands he makes and prepares many remedies and refrigerants for human health, in imitation of his parents and grandparents. And it is very true that from a pound of tin he extracts four ounces of the purest silver.

And so, Lord, I hope that in imitation of the Majesty of the Lord King Don Alonso the 5th, who deserved the name of Wise Man for his profound wisdom, since he was a great philosopher and very scientific and practical in chemical science, to which purpose he wrote a book divided into three treatises, the 1st on the elements, the 2nd on the generation of metallic bodies and the 3rd on the generation of plants and animals, which is the most arcane and hidden part of philosophy and natural chemistry to the composition. of the philosophical stone, which treatise is found in the 5th volume of the "Teatro Chimico", folio 766.

Your Majesty crowns this sacred and divine science with the eloquence of your sovereign genius. For although he hopes that Your Majesty will receive, through his good law, this healing and arcane of the world, which is derived from the sovereign impulse. For the Apostle James says: Omne bonum descendit ex Patre luminum omne datum bonum, et omne donum perfectum de sursum est. (Every good thing comes down from the Father of lights, every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above.)

And since Your Majesty is the origin from which all the Rational Miñanals of your vassals come, expect in God to be able to see Your Majesty's health Converted into purest gold, for our increase and happiness, ad maoirem dei gloriam et proxim utilitatem (for the greater glory of God and the benefit of the next).