TOUCH OF ALCHEMY - Toque de Alquimia
Written by Ricardo Stanihurst
PRESENTATION:
This transcription of "Touch of Alchemy" by Richard Stanihurst (1547-1618) must be accompanied by the critical study of the work that I have carried out together with José Rodríguez Guerrero (1) . I have taken as a basis the original version of the text, which is also the only manuscript copy preserved to date (2) . The treaty explains to Philip II the details that must be examined before favoring the work of any alchemist. It is a regulatory code designed to guide the work of the investor, or financial partner, in matters of transmutative alchemy.
Pedro Rojas García
Grades:
1. - JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ GUERRERO & PEDRO ROJAS GARCÍA, "La Chymica de Richard Stanihurst in the Court of Felipe II", «Azogue», no. 4, 2001, URL: http://www.revistaazogue.com, cf. apt. IV.2.
2. - Madrid, National Library, Manuscript 2058, volume 5, ff. 248r-257v, 16th century (1593).
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A brief treatise entitled The Touch of Alchemy , in which the true and false effects of the art are declared, and how the false practices of the deceivers and idle vagabonds will be known.
Composed by Ricardo Estanihurst.
Dedicated to the Catholic Magestad.
What is contained in this treaty
Chapter 1.
The preface to his Mag[ esta ] d Catholica.
Chapter 2. About the
name of alchemy and its first effect, making medicines that only cure human diseases.
Chapter 3. Of the second
effect, which consists of a medicine that cures only diseases of metals, and of its possibility.
Chapter 4. Of the third
effect, which consists of a medicine that cures human and metallic diseases.
Chapter 5.
How will the true philosopher be known from the sophisticated deceiver who does not promise that he hopes and his work to make the aforementioned medicines.
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Chapter 6. How
will one know whether the one who promises the aforementioned medicines to be made and finished is a sincere philosophist or a false scofflaw.
CHAPTER ONE
The preface to his Mag[ is ]d
Catholica Magestad.
Having fulfilled the mandate of Your Majesty in doing certain curiosities that are contained in that part of natural philosophy called chemistry, it seemed expedient to me to make a more extensive demonstration of the zeal and affection that I owe to the person . royal of Your Majesty presenting this brief treatise, in which the true effects of this art are touched upon, and some observations are made in which (as gold is tested by the touch of the stone) so Differentiate the good and wise philosophers from the false sophistos, deceivers, of whom there are great numbers in this our era.
This noble art in ancient times was so esteemed that it was protected by the shield and protection of powerful kings and princes, and among others, I found two of Your Majesty's ancestors very fond of this secret science: Philipe, Duke of Burgundy, and Robert, King of Naples. The Duke, having achieved its perfection, was so rich, and with so much money and jewels that, with his prudence, courage and wealth in his time he was considered the terror of all the Kings of Europe, and he even maintained such fabric against the King of France does not embargo that[ ue ] then
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He was the most powerful King of [ Christianity ] who forced him to accompany him to the siege that he placed on the city of Liege, and in the assault, the King entering with the rest of the ordinary soldiers, shouted in their company: Long live the Duke of Burgundy, as told in the stories of Flanders of the brave deeds of this famous Duke.
And there are some who are of opinion, and not without some probability, that the Order of Tuson was established by the fortunate success it had in achieving the perfection of this art, and there are serious authors, of opinion that the poetic fable of the golden fleece was not other than that this secret science was written very clearly, and without any obscure figure in a book that was bound with a sheepskin, and that Jason, curious about art, had an affair with Medea, who stole the book from her. father and gave it to his lover, with whom Jason achieved great wealth.
However, what, more than anything else, history verifies is that the Duke himself wrote a wise and substantial treatise, in which he confesses to having obtained the lordship of it, said book is not printed, but it is found in Paris, handwritten, in the Librería de los Reyes, of which I have seen a copy, among the notable books that Ernesto, Prince Elector of Cologne, has of this curious science.
Roberto, King of Naples, was taught in this same science by the very famous philosoph Raymundo Lulio, a native of Mallorca, as appears from various treatises that Raymundo dedicated to the same King.
And in the same way I could very heartily wish that your ma [ gesta ]d had (if not as profound a philosoph as Raymundo, since in this our age it cannot be found) less a wise man
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and curious scrutinizer, who separated some useful pearls from the wise works of this famous author, and who used his talent in the service of Your Majesty , whose real zeal throughout the world is known not to be another who, with all his power and wealth, maintains [ Christianity ], oppress infidelity, defend the Catholic religion, destroy the abominable Lutherans and Calvinists, fight for God, and against the devil, and so that Your ] May I be able to understand the true effects of this esteemed art, and see the false practices of the deceivers who go from land to land trying, if they can, with their great promises, to deceive powerful princes, I find that it was part of the obligation owed to Your Majesty , to deal with the one and the other in this little book, avoiding all prolixity, due to the serious and continuous affairs of Your Ma [ [ gesta ]d using such brevity that before light causes darkness to the reader. In Sant Lorenço el Real, on September 25, 1593.
CHAPTER TWO
About the name of alchemy and the first effect it has in composing medicines that only cure human diseases.
Among various opinions from various authors, I find it more plausible than this Greek word, chimia , derived from the Greek berbo cheo which means to melt , since the chimists are often forced to work on melting metals and minerals for their better quality. preparation, and from here it seems that this art chimica took the name [ br ]e, to which the Arabs added their article to , and thus from chimia they made alchimia , both words meaning the same thing. The fulfilled effect that it promises and can fulfill consists of three points: the first to haze
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medicines only for human health; the second, for medicines that serve only to remove and cleanse metal diseases.
The third and last, in composing a medicine that serves to cure human diseases as well as metal diseases, and this is the most important of the three.
Those who follow the first part put all their care and work into distillations > Inserted between lines: and extractions < of herbs, gums, precious stones, minerals such as vitriol, sulfur, anthomonium or similar, and even the extraction of metals like gold, silver and the other five metals.
The remarkable effects which these distillations and extractions have in curing the diseases of the human body, and in preserving it in health, are not only treated of in the books of the philosophos, but in this our time it is remarkably noticeable in those parts of Europe where they are ordinarily used. They use it, as in Italy, France and especially in Germany, and experience shows that with this medicine they cure many diseases that by ordinary means are incurable, or almost impossible to cure, such as gout, stone, colicapassion, consumption, quartanas, ydropesia, leprosy and French disease, and many other long and continuous illnesses, and to prove this my assertion I do not want to use at present another testimony > Inserted between the lines: that the < of Andres Mathiolo as a witness (using the term of the lawyers) omni exception e maior , this author has been one of the most famous doctors who has lived in our times, I mean in the same school
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that Galen, Hipocrates and Avicenna, and being a doctor of this profession, it cannot be thought that he has written the words that he alluded with passion, likewise he has made a statement about Dioscorides with very exquisite comments that the wise esteem highly, his words are these in certain epistle that he wrote to Andres de Bl[ aff ]en, physician to Ferdinando, Archduke of Austria:
> Inserted in the margin: Math[ iolo ] Libr[ i ] [Epistol[ arum ] Medicinalium, pag[ ina ] next[ nata ] in edit[ io ] Lugdunum, anno1564. In nobilissima distilandi sciencia < . "I can truly testify that no doctor can or should be considered absolute or perfect and, I say more, that no doctor should be accepted who is not practical in the very noble science of distillation, and although the effects of distillation distillation can be seen in other diseases, mainly they are clear in what they call morbichionici , in which all the blood of the human body is corrupted by all the veins as if they were trapped with roots and seeds from which many other diseases come, but it is not known. "It cannot be diminished or cured except with remedies taken from metals." These are the words to the letter of Mathiolo, which I wish the doctors who not only ignore the distillation that this famous doctor so highly recommends, but who are contrary and repugnant to the extraction of metals that the said Mathiolo so praises, would diligently consider.
And since I have discussed this first effect at length in other books of mine that I have presented to Your Majesty ,
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It will not be necessary in this brief treatise to go into detail about these medicines.
CHAPTER THREE
Of the second effect that consists of a medicine that cures only diseases of metals and of the possibility of this effect
The second effect consists, as I have said, in making a medicine that cures only metal diseases. Because some learned authors are of opinion that the five imperfect metals (which are quicksilver, lead, tin, copper and iron) are infected in their mines with some corrupt qualities, and that one metal differs from the other in no other way than a body healthy of a sick person, and just as applying a medicine to a leprous body purifies and heals by evacuating the evil and filth it had, likewise when a suitable and proper medicine is poured on an impure metal, the corrupt qualities with which it is infected are infected. They remove it so that the said metal attracts it to the purity of silver or gold according to the property and operation of medicine, so that by this opinion it is not entirely impossible to turn any of the imperfect metals into silver or gold, it is not by way of transmutation, but rather by way of purification, which is to say that the substance of the metal does not change or change, but rather the qualities change and alter, as a sick body has the same substance than a healthy body, and when the disease is removed there is no alteration of substance but of quality and other accidents.
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Other famous authors have the opposite opinion and affirm that metals are of different species from one another, and that it is not an accidental alteration, but a true and essential transmutation to turn one metal into another, but I want to leave this dispute for the schools. All chemical philosophers generally agree on this: that the five imperfect metals can be converted into silver or gold, differing as much as they want from each other, as we see every day by experience, notwithstanding that fire and water are such contrary elements, However, they can, by their degrees, convert one into the other. Because the flame turns into smoke, the smoke into air, and this air, resolving it, turns into water, and likewise experience teaches that the rays > Inserted between lines: and ashes < with a great decoction of fire become glass, and even the metals themselves can be vitrified, as we see every day, that with lead converted into glass the pot holders would glass all types of vessels, and I myself have many times turned silver into glass, and in less time than a quarter of an hour. This same metal can be reduced to a certain substance like black wax, both in softness and in its ease of melting, and then neither this glass, nor the substance that appears to be wax, can ever be turned or reduced entirely to metal by any art. Experience also verifies that gold being such a fixed and solid body that it has enough to endure any test of fire, this, however, can be reduced to a drinkable liquor from which it can never be reduced again into gold, as can be seen. in two types of potable gold that I have shown to Your Majesty and by your order shown to Brother Francisco Bonilla .
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And that one metal can be converted into another, Paracelsus clearly proves it, because he says that there is a certain caparrosa mineral water in Germany, and that the inhabitants near it are accustomed to pouring thin iron plates into said water, and leaving them there for a few months. They find them later converted into copper, this is something very notorious and known in Germany.
And that copper can be converted into silver, I have seen the experience fourteen times in the city of London in the year 1578, and with brevity and truth I will tell the story as it happened. A servant of mine named Daniel had a friendship with an English young man whose name was Garnet. He told Daniel that if he could surely sell what he would give him, that would make him rich, Daniel assured him that he could, and that he would do it, and so both of them smelted copper at night, and turning it into silver, Daniel sold it among the London silversmiths. This lasted five or six days, and Daniel, with the consent of the other, told me what happened, and at last, Garnet promising large plates of silver, I received him into my service. In my presence he converted copper into the finest silver fourteen different times with a certain white powder. With this very manifest experience I was convinced, having until then been of the opinion that what art promised was impossible, and it is true that this evident proof was the first reason why I moved to put and apply my understanding and to spend part of the time in the study and practice of this secret science.
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It is true that this said Garnet did not want to convert even an ounce or a half of copper into silver at once, in the end with close examination, I found that he was a lost man and a deceiver, because he did not know how to make medicine, but had stolen a quantity of it to an old Catholic clergyman who lived in the northern part of England, who shortly afterwards, as I was informed, died.
In the year 1590, on the eighth of October, a Flemish merchant named François Vanguel , who currently resides in Leon de France, came to Liège with the purpose of meeting and treating me, and he gave me a grain of weight of a a certain red powder that, when thrown on an ounce of quicksilver that was in a large fire of burning coals, in the space of two hours everything was converted into the purest gold, and as fine and good as it could be. This Flemish merchant had sought this powder from a friend of his who was the author, whose name, nation, or residence he did not want to say, nor would he say it for all the good in the world, being known he is sworn to keep it secret.
CHAPTER FOURTH
Of the third effect which consists of making a medicine that cures diseases of human bodies and metals, and a brief declaration of the four types of fire that philosophers use in their works
The third effect consists of making a medicine that cures human and metal diseases, which effect also
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As he is the best in benefits, he is also the greatest in dignity. The reason for these different effects comes from the diversity of the fires with which the philosophies make their medicines, which four fires they divide into four kinds: the first, elemental, which consists of firewood, carbon, and similar combustible matter; The second they call natural fire, by which anything is preserved in its being; The third is called fire against nature, which is violent because it destroys all nature; The fourth is the compound fire that consists of a mixture made of natural and unnatural fire. The medicine made with unnatural fire or compound fire is what I have said in the preceding chapter, which, although it is medicine for metals, is poisonous for the human body due to the unnatural fire with which it is used. it is mixed, and so the gold > Inserted in the margin: that with this medicine it is made, it is vulgarly said < , although corruptam[ in ]te "aurum alchimicum" > Inserted in the margin: being prepared before calling "aurum alcuinicum" < , taking the appeal of an ancient philosopher named Alcuinus, who was the first inventor of this type of medicine, and because I have already discussed this medicine and subject at length in a treatise that I composed in Latin entitled Apology of the Art of Chemistry , I will not go into this further.
CHAPTER FIVE
How will the true philosoph be known and differentiated from the sophistic scoffer, if not he promises that his hopes and his work to make and finish the aforementioned medicines
Since until now I have dealt with philosophy and its
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esteem and value, now follow that I give some signs so that we can differentiate the good philosoph from the bad.
That is to say, that whoever offers his service regarding these magisteriums to a king, or to any other potentate, either offers only his work in the hope that he will complete and finish the work, or offers the completed and finished work. If he presents only hopes and his work, the party to whom such is offered must avoid two extremes: one, that is not too credulous, and the other, that is not too incredulous. Those who are extremely credulous make use of any patch that knows how to talk about art, not considering the foundations of what they work, and thus they waste time and money, and in the end they find themselves fooled. Others, on the contrary, are so incredulous that they assure themselves that it is impossible to do or fulfill such things as art promises. And as it may be that in this way they are freed from the deceptions of the false scoffers, they may also sometimes disregard the true experiences of the sincere and well-intentioned philosophos, whose offer, if accepted, they might find the benefit to them. promised. Therefore, just as it is a daring decision to grab hold of any toy that is offered, it is also not wise to despise all the things that we cannot at first reach or conceive. Because if Columbus were not believed, or his offer put into effect by some prince, but despised by everyone, it is clear that until now the Indies would have been undiscovered.
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To find a way through these extremes of credulity and disbelief, the first thing that must be considered is the life of the philosopher, because if he is given to vices, little hope can be had of the success of his works. I put this sign not as infallible or necessary, but as a probable conjecture, because bad and vicious men may well come to obtain possession of this philosophical jewel, as it is seen that many times perverse and bad men are much richer than the good and virtuous and It is not a consequence of the fact that every good and virtuous person is to have prosperous success in this teaching and work, but when this lordship is a special gift from God, it is more apparent than when a [ Christian ] philosophist gives himself to the service of God, It is better to prosper in the work that I take up, than the one who is given to vices. And for this, Jorge Ripleo, English philosoph and holy monk, said very well: if a philosoph lives virtuously, pay better attention to his philosophia.
The second is that we consider whether the philosoph understands philosophy, and it is true that if he does not know it and understand very well that what will be spent with it is money wasted, considering that these medicines, I mean those of the second and third genre, They are the deepest mysteries in all natural philosophy and, therefore, how could it be that an ignorant person with only natural discourse and his own industry could achieve such perfection. And so I consider this point well, Ripleo himself, responding to the ignorant readers who blame the philosophos for writing so obscurely, says these words: "the
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ignorant people blame the philosophos, but they must be blamed who, not being literate, deal with philosophia." The third is that, if the philosopho asks, to produce the said medicines of the second and third kinds, materials that are worth a lot money, it can be assured either that his intention is to deceive or that his knowledge is very little, and in this observation the majority of men are deceived, because without a doubt with very little cost the second and third effect of this part of natural philosophia, and the first part, which consists of making medicines for human health, just as it is more laborious because of so many particular medicines, is also much more expensive than the other two parts.
Therefore, the common opinion of people It is very erroneous to suppose that these things cannot be accomplished or carried out except with millions of ducats, and because of this false opinion many consume their estates and goods, where in truth the teaching consists of a lot of money and little money and not in a lot of money and little. saver, and thus the philosophos warn their disciples in various places in their books that in their works they excuse great expenses and costs as something not necessary. The fourth is to observe and check whether the philosopher, in the operation of the second and third medicine (which I deal with mainly in this place), works with herbs.
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or with vulgar wine, or brandy, or such vegetables, or if he asks for materials that can be found with great difficulty, and in few places in the world. If he does this, it is an obvious sign , either that he is ignorant or that he intends to deceive, because I can certainly assure and affirm to Your Majesty that the true subject on which every philosoph has founded his works is everywhere, and it is not of much value, and although Raymundo Lulio and others call the matter with which they act wine and burning water, nevertheless, wine or common burning water is not understood, but another water closer and more connatural to the metals that they call our red wine and white wine, produced from a [ vineyard ], being white or red according to the white or red tartar it contains, and whoever works in this practice without perfectly knowing and handling this wine and tartar will never be able to achieve the desired effect, no matter how much money and time you want.
CHAPTER SIX
How will it be known whether he who promises of himself that he has the aforementioned medicines made and finished is a true and sincere philosoph or some mocker?
The four aforementioned observations seem sufficient to discover whether the philosopher who offers his service and gives hope should be accepted and esteemed. But if something real and finished is offered, the following observations must be carefully kept.
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The first must be examined and try to know if the person really knows how to make the medicine, because there are some scoffers who pretend that they have the medicine made, and when the truth comes to find out, it is discovered or not. have it and, if they have it, it will not be theirs. To expedite this, the best way to take it is to ask him for some part of the medicine made, and do the test in his absence, or not to touch anything (if it is present) that belongs to when doing the test, which if denies or excuses himself in some way, it can be presumed that he is false in his actions and that he does not have the medicine, because some of these scoffers have crucibles, or other melting vessels with two floors, the first very thin with a very small hole in the bottom. which they add gold filings to swell what is between the ground and the other, and cover it with wax, so that, when they come to make the projection, they allow any other person to pour into their glass the quantity of quicksilver that they say is necessary and, putting the glass on the fire, they shake the quicksilver and its false medicine with some iron rod or some such instrument so that it has strength to break the first floor of the glass, and the quicksilver with the heat of the fire evaporates and consumes in smoke, and the gold filings that are at the bottom and second floor melt, in such a way that the attendants, no matter how hard they look, are deceived, thinking that some part of the quicksilver turned into gold and that the false medicine is true. Others have daggers or iron rods
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hollow at the end, where they put gold powder and cover the hole with wax, and thus, shaking the quicksilver that they have on the fire in the crucible with said dagger or rod, they melt the wax, and the gold powder falls into the crucible, and with the heat of the fire they melt, which is another type of deception. Others take coals, and making holes in them, they pour gold powder into them, covering them with wax, and when the crucible is on the fire with the quicksilver they put enzyme from the said coals, the wax melts, the powders fall and melt, and the quicksilver disappears in smoke.
With this deception, a Bragadin fooled some Venetian citizens for three years, and later, thinking of deceiving the Duke of Bavaria in the same way, the Duke discovered his trap and ordered him to cut off his head, which was carried out.
To avoid these deceptions, whoever would like to make a perfect test must have glasses, charcoal and other instruments and materials that are his own requirements, and that the one who offers the medicine does not get involved in any of these things, and if he does not want to go through this it is a matter. Surely there is evil and deceit in their intention and procedure. This observation includes others, which many times do not want to allow those who are present to see or touch their medicine, but want to do everything with their own hands, and these scoffers sometimes use superstitions and magic words, and with this, we are not following the force of nature, but rather the help
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of the devil, they mock those who are present with magical fantasies, and so most of the time these magicians do not want devout people to be present when they do some test, and generally they are very poor, and these diabolical deceptions can be discovered with holy water, with doing the sign of the cross and with other similar holy ceremonies that the Catholic Church uses against such charms and superstitions; The second test is that, if by experience it is found that the medicine is good and perfect, it must be known whether the person who has it and offers it is the author of it or not, or if he has acquired it from some other person, as I have declared. in the third chapter of what happened to me in London. If you want to say that it is yours, you will see the lie or the truth very quickly. If such a person is poor and asks for a sum of money to make more medicine, without a doubt he cannot be anything other than a deceiver, because if he has fulfilled his teaching as his intention says, it must be making others rich, and not enriching himself with others. , and this rule can serve to discover many other lies of this kind that I do not mention in this treatise.
Ultimately, as I have already stated, the life and actions of the philosophist must be very well considered, because if he is very given to vices it is a very bad sign, as on the contrary his integrity
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is holy and good, the works will give an account of his honest and just actions, and as he should be esteemed and honored by kings and princes, as, otherwise, if he is a liar he should be very well punished.
Finis.
[ Three Signatures: I the King]
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[ Four Signatures: I the King]