Transmutation stories from Mercury's Caducean Rod.

There are some transmutation stories at the conclusion of Cleidophorus Mystagogus, Mercury's Caducean Rod..., London, 1702.

I shall now only add the Testimonies of some worthy Authors concerning this Arcanum, and so conclude:

The first is that of Paracelsus in the Signature of Natural Things, fol. 358. "This is a true sign of the Tincture of the Philosophers, that by its Transmuting force all imperfect Metals are changed, viz. the White into Silver, and the Red into the best Gold, if but the smallest part of it be cast into a Crucible upon melted Metals, &c." Item, "for the invincible Astrum of Metals conquers all things, and changeth them into a Nature like unto it self, &c. and this Gold and Silver is nobler and better, than that brought out of the metalick Mines, and out of it may be prepared better medicinal Arcanas." Item, "therefore every Alchymist, that hath the Astrum of the Sun, can transmute all Red Metals into Gold, &c." Item, "Our Tincture of Gold hath Astral Stars within it; it is a most fixt substance and immutable in the Multiplication; it is a Powder having the reddest Colour, almost like Safron, yet the whole Corporal substance is liquid like Rosin, transparent like Christal, frangible like Glass; it is of a Ruby Colour, and of the greatest weight, &c." Read more of this in Paracelsus's Heaven of Philosophers. Item, Paracelsus, in his seventh Book of Transmutation of Natural things, saith, "The Transmutation of Metals is a great Natural Mystery, not against Nature's Course, nor against God's Order, as many falsly judge; for the imperfect Metals are not Transmuted into Gold, nor into Silver, without the Philosopher's Stone." Item, Paracelsus in his Manual of the Medicinal Stone of the Philosophers, saith, "Our Stone is an Heavenly Medicine, and more than perfect, because it cleanseth all filth from Metals."

Secondly, Henry Khunrade, in his Amphitheater of the Eternal Wisdom, "I have travelled much and visited those, esteemed to know somewhat by Experience, and not in vain, &c. amongst whom I take God to Witness, I got of one the universal Green Lyon, and the blood of the Lyon, which is Gold, not vulgar, but of the Philosophers; I have seen it, touched it, tasted it and smelt it: O how wonderful is God in his Works; I say they gave me the prepared Medicine, which I most fruitfully used towards the poorest of my Neighbours in desperate Cases; and they did reveal to me the true manner of perparing their Medicine, &c." Item, "This is the wonderful Method which God only hath given me immediately and mediately, yet subordinate through Fire, Art and Masters help, as well as Living as Silent, Corporal and Spiritual, Watching and Sleeping." Item, Fol. 202, "I write not Fables. With my own hands shalt thou handle, and with thy eyes see the Azoth, &c. the universal Mercury of the Philosophers, which alone with its Internal and External Fire is sufficient for thee to get our Stone; nevertheless with a Sympathetick Harmony, being Magick Physically united with the Olympick Fire by an inevitable necessity, &c." Item, "Thou shalt see the Stone of Philosophers (our King) go forth of the Bed-chamber of his Glassy-Sepulchre in his glorified Body, like a Lord of Lords, from his Throne, into this Theatre of the World, that is to say, Regenerated and more than perfect, a shining Carbuncle, a most temperate splendour, whose most subtil and depurated parts are inseperable, united into one with a Concordial Mixture, exceeding equal, Transparent as Chrystal, compact and most ponderous, easily fusible in fire like Rosin or Wax, before the flight of Quicksilver, yet flowing without smoak, entering into solid Bodies, and penetrating them as Oyl doth Paper, dissolvable in every Liquor and commissable with it, fryable like Glass, in a Powder like Saffron, but in the whole Mass shining red like a Ruby (which Redness is a sign of a perfect Fixation, and fixed Perfection), permanently colouring or Tinging, fixt in all Temptations or Tryals; yea in the Examination of the burning Sulphur it self, and the devouring Waters, and in the most vehement Persecution of the Fire always Incombustible and Permanent, as a Salamander." Item, "The Philosopher's Stone, being fermented in its parts in the great World, transforms it self into whatsoever is profitable to Man by the Fire; hence a Son of Art may perceive, why the Philosophers have given their Azoth the name of Mercury, which adheres to bodies, &c." And further in the same place, "It is fermented with Metals, viz. the stone being in its highest whiteness is fermented with pure Silver to the White; but the Sanguine Stone, with pure Gold to the Red, and this is the work of three days, &c."

Thirdly, Helmont, in the Book of Eternal Life, fol. 590. "I have often seen the Stone, and handled it, and have projected the fourth part of one grain, wrapt in Paper, upon eight ounces of Quicksilver, boyling in a Crucible; and the Quicksilver with a small noise presently stood still from its Flux, and was congealed yellow like Wax; and after a Flux by blast, we found eight Ounces, wanting eleven Grains, of the purest Gold: Therefore one Grain of this Powder would transmute Nineteen Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty Six parts of Quicksilver into the best Gold. So that this Powder is found to be of similar parts with Terrestrials, and doth Transmute infinite plenty of impure Metals into the best Gold, uniting with it, and so defends it from Rust, Cancer, Rottonness and Death, and makes it in a manner immortal against all Tortures of Fire and Art, and transforms it into a Virgin purity of Gold, requiring only a fervent heat." Item, in his Tree of Life, fol. 630. "I am constrained to believe, there is a Gold and Silver-making Stone or Powder, for that I have divers times made projection with one Grain thereof upon some thousand Grains of boyling Quicksilver to a tickling admiration of a great multitude." And farther, as is rehearsed in the first Chapter, "He who gave me this Powder had so much as least would transmute Two Hundred Thousand Pounds worth of Gold." Item, "He gave me about half a Grain, and thence were transmuted nine Ounces and three quarters of Quicksilver into pure Gold; and he who gave it me was but of one Evenings acquantaince."

Fourthly, Flammel, saith, "That the first time he made Projection, 'twas on Mercury, whereof he turned half a pound, or thereabouts into pure Silver, better than that of the Mine. Afterward he made Projection of the Red-stone upon the like quantity of Mercury, which he transmuted truly into almost as much pure Gold, more soft and more plyable."

Fifthly, Raymond Lully, confined in the Tower of London by King Edward III was manifestly known to have this Elixir, and with the same he redeemed himself by paying a considerable quantity of Gold, which Gold was after Coined with this Inscription, 'Jesus autem Transivit medium illorum', which is thus in English, 'But Jesus passng through the midst of them, went his way'; by which Motto the Lullian Gold may be known.

Sixthly, Ripley in the Preface of his twelve Gates, told King Edward in so many words, That at Louvane he had made the white Stone.

Seventhly, That of Dr. Dee to Queen Elizabeth, who caused that an Iron Pan might be cut out from the Hoop, very observable, the which he Transmuted into Gold, exactly fitting it as before.

Eightly, Those so many demonstrations in Germany, besides those Golden Ducats which were coined by the command of the Emperor, [Mercury symbol] [Sulphur symbol], on them, to signify that the Gold was made by Art.

Ninthly, The Testimony of Oswald Crollius in his Preface to Bassilic. Chymi. concerning Michael Sandivogius, that noble Polander, which he calls Hellyocantharus Borealis, the Northern Beetle, "In whose hands he saw, with great Admiration and Amazement, the wonderful Virtues and Operation of the Philosopher's Tincture, commonly called the Philosophers Stone."

Tenthly, That of Dr. Helvetius, "Who received a small Grain of Powder of Elias the Artist at the Hague in Holland, which Transmuted six drams of Lead into pure Gold, bearing all the Essays at Delph, [which my eyes have seen, and my own hands have handled.]"

Eleventhly, The Testimony of Philalethes, who says, "That one Man, that is an Adeptist, might Transmute into perfect Gold and Silver all the imperfect Metals, that are in the whole World. Secondly, he may by this Art make precious Stones and Gems, such as cannot be paralleled in Nature for goodness and greatness; and lastly, 'tis an universal Medicine for prolonging Life and curing all Diseases."

Twelfthly, A French Doctor who is Physician to the People of the French-Church, formerly living between Bishop-gate and Leaden-hall-street, his Name I know not, is positively satisfied from actual Demonstration, who saw Copper Farthings converted into pure Gold. Item, The thrice worthy R.B. Esq; who actually saw Transmutation, and wore a Ring of the same Gold; which was a promoting cause to the Parliament, for taking off the Acts against the Melioration of Metals, which was originally made upon the occasion of too too many being satisfyed from that Demonstration of Raymund Lully, before mentioned, that the Art of Transmutation was real, but upon practical search being found difficult to be obtained, the Estates of the Heirs and Heiresses wasting so fast, as I have been informed by an excellent Politician, it was thought highly expedient to make a severe Act against it; both which Acts to me is a convincing Argument of our wise Senators satisfaction of this Arts possibility, as any other whatsoever, without we should suppose that the Wisdom of the Nation would make Acts for or against the Wind, which I have not the least thought of, much less reason to judge them guilty of such Absurdity.

But what need I spend my time, to sum up Testimonies concerning its possibilities, seeing I have my self good reason to believe the same, having seen some Seals of the Philosophers Writings, and hope that many more, will be equally satisfied, that so the Philosophers may be more reverenced than hitherto they may have been.