In this Dialogue, the Dragons Blood is so described, as if it needed full six whole days Operations, to be perfected and brought to its full end, nor did I then know any nearer way. But afterwards, there became known unto me a nearer and more compendious Process, whereby I can now (Praise and Glory be to God for the same) in a few hours time introvert and transmute the dissolved Gold, and reduce it into a Cons. 5. Part Sp. Ph. p.149.Red Blood, and that by the help of one only certain White Urinous sublimate, concerning which, I have treated more at large in the fifth Part of my Pharmacopea Spagyrica. And upon the same Account have I likewise written, that the said of Blood of Gold must [needs] at length get an easie Fluxibility and Ingress by the frequent Iteration, or Abstraction of the moist Spirits from the dry Gold. But forasmuch as the Multiplicity of such Abstractions is not only full of laborious Operations, but also chargeable and requires much time; and that the studious Searcher after so great a Secret, may not by being affected with the Tediousness of so many toylsome Operations, be quite weary, and at last throw off all hopes: I do therefore commend unto every one, that other and nearer way of getting it a Fusibility and Ingress, viz. the incerating it by Mercury, by the benefit whereof, he will far sooner and easier arrive unto his purpose and final Scope. And although I have hitherto been hindred through want of time, besides (many other impediments) from having compleatly finished the Operation of the said Tincture. Yet notwithstanding, I do with an assured and undoubted confidence affirm unto every one, that there is given a most certain occasion [or Capability] of the making and finishing it, and that by the hitherto described way. I bequeath to such of our Posterity, as are of a Good, Sincere, and faithful mind, those things which I have wrought with mine own hands, and withal to what issue I have brought all my Operations. It is free for every one (as time and occasion serves) to make Tryal about attaining unto the wisht for end. For my part, I do heartily thank God, that he hath vouchsafed unto me the Ability of plentifully and abundantly preparing the Lyons Blood, and of performing no small matters therewith in a Physical way: And therefore I shall be well content, though I never arrive unto the desired end of finishing the Operation of the universal Tincture.
A.Blessed be the name of the Lord, who hath caused another Day to shine upon me. I will presently haste to my faithful Master, and will beg from him the Doctrine of the second universal Medicament, that he promised unto me.
All hayl t’ yee, my dearest of Friends! God Grant that this Day may prove happy and lucky to me and you: I am come hither to hear from you, if it stand with your Conveniency, to make good your Courteous Promises at this present, and to teach me the making and Preparation of your second universal Medicament: For I have an exceeding ardent desire, to know the manner of Preparing it, out of that Volatile and poysonous Mineral.
B. I thank you for your good Wishes, and wish unto you the same you wisht me. Look here, here’s a piece of our venemous Saturnine Magnesia, which is the true Matter, that the Philosophers Stone is prepared out of.
A. I pray, is this black stone the true Matter, out of which is wont to be made the universal Tincture, and Stone of the wise Men? Verily I much wonder, that this should be the Gold of the Philosophers, I am extraordinarily desirous of seeing, by what means so excellent a Medicament, and so noble a Tincture can arise out of so base and venemous a Body. I should rather adhere to that old and common Proverb, and say, Who can wash the Blackmoore white, which Nature hath generated Black? This now seems unto me more estranged from the Truth, than that which you propounded last week of the common Gold. For how could it seem at all likely to any ones bare reason, that such a Body could be brought into a nothing, and again reduced unto a certain Body: But time will instruct, whether this be possible or not. I will therefore very patiently wait for the Event of those things, which you shall shew unto me.
B. What? Still more incredulity, and do you anew produce [and Practise] the Faith of unbelieving Thomas [viz. to see and feel afore you believe?] What do you think, I would go about to persuade you, that you have a wooden Nose sticking on to your Face? Alas, Sir! my time is a little more precious than so, to spend it in an unprofitable Tattling. And that time which I now bestow upon this our Conference, is spent to this end, to free you from your unbelief, and to bring you unto a true and evident Credency; to the performance of which, I am stirred up by the Authority of the Sacred Writ, which Commands, that we reclaim such as err, into the right way, and that we shall receive from God this reward for our Labour, viz. our Star shall shine in Heaven brighter than others. Besides Christian love requires the same at our hands, that we do good to others. And forasmuch as I have well known your Christian like Conversation, and Godly way of living these many years past, why should I deny you the things you demand, or wind you into the Intricacies of a greater Labyrinth, seeing you have but too long stuck in them already? The things which you cannot at first understand or believe, the end will at last constrain you thereunto. Your part is to listen very attentively to all the words, I am about to speak. For I can easily take away from you all incredulity, and remove out of your mind every Scruple of doubting. How sourely you look upon this black Mineral, well, but you shall presently find, that all the most delicate Colours of the whole World are most abundantly found therein; and by the help of an Art described by the Philosophers, they will appear one after the other in Operation, even from the Black head of the Crow, to the Red Salamander.
A. Bless me, what an ardent desire have I to see these things?
B. Have you not read in the Philosophers, that the pure is to be separated from the impure, and the purer part is to be ripened? Separate, say they, the pure from the impure, and bring it to Maturity. And they call Separation, the washing away of the Blackness, which being washt off, the Whiteness presents it self to view? The Fire (say they) and Azoth wash Laton; Laton signifies our black Mineral: Azoth signifies their strong Acetum, which wetteth not the hands. This Acetum, as well as our Salarmoniack [afore mentioned] hath its Rise from common Salt. Both of them, as to the external shape, and taste too, and Efficacy and Virtue are in a manner just alike. With such an Acetum is our black Matter dissolved into a Snowy-white, pellucid and very clear, water, as you may here see. This water have the Philosophers called their Mercury; In it, are hidden all the Colours that are in the whole World, but yet not visibly evident afore that this water, or this Mercury be put upon the water, [I believe he means, upon the Fire] and be cherished by little and little, like Hens Eggs, which cherishing drys up the water by little and little, into Earth, and renders the Colours visible one after another, as you shall presently see.
A. [Good lack,] who would ever have believed, the things which I at present See? Our Mercurial water hath been scarce three Days in digestion, yet begins to change it self into a White Milk. And now it is [but] the eighth day, and this said Milk goes into a Coagulum or Curd, and within in the Glass about the Edges [of the Matter] there shines a delicate Redness, but yet I believe it is not fixt or Constant.
B. Pray, how can it be constant, seeing it does but represent the Dragons Blood and will presently be gone. But, proceed you but on with this first Degree of Fire only, and that little and little, until the whole water be turned into an ashy Colour’d earth: When this is done, we will encrease the Fire by little and little, one Degree more, which will leisurely turn the ashy Colour into a Black one.
A. I will use my utmost diligence and observancy.
B. Do you see now that sleeke and shining Blackness like the Head of the Crow, covered over with abundance of black and very small Feathers: And upon this Account, the Philosophers have called this thus appearing Colour, the Crows head. To this black Crows head, administer the third Degree of Fire, which will transmute this black head into various, most delicate Colours, shining like ☉ and ☽: Then continue on this degree of Fire, that all the said unstable Colours may vanish, and may present to view the white Colour. After Whiteness, follows Yellowness, which at last will be covered over with the constant and permanent Redness: Which appearing, the fourth Degree of Fire is to be administred, that that Redness may be more and more exalted, and waxing Redder may attain unto its due Fixity and Constancy; the which, by way of similitude, the Philosophers call, a Salamander, and is the end of our whole Work.
A. I should never have so much as dreamt, that so black a Body could in so short a space of time have been transmuted into a most pure Whiteness, and that this same Whiteness could, by an admirable passing through all Colours, pass into a most delicate Redness, but I pray, when this Matter hath obtained this Redness, is it to be accompted of, as an Universal Medicine?
B. Yes, Verily, because the curable Diseases of Men, may (by that same Matter) be restored to former Health; and that safer, better and perfectlier than can be done with any Herbs, or any other known Medicaments. I except that Medicament, which is extracted out of this, and concentrated into a much nobler Nature. But, as concerning the Transmutation of Metals, it yields not any Profit, afore it be made fixt and constant in the Fire; to the effecting of which there is required a sufficiently great space of time.
A. As far as I can understand, there may be a yet better and profitabler Medicament prepared, than this is.
B. Yes, Verily, that there may, a much better and more useful, because, that with this, there are as yet admixt many unprofitable Feces, which ought to be separated therefrom: And the Case is far otherwise in the perfecting of this Work out of this Mineral, then in that which is done with Gold, for this is all over defiled with many impurities: For every one must needs think, that there are abundance of Feces [that are to be] separated from that Mineral, and by how much the more impurities are separated, so much the more efficacious must the Medicament it self of necessity be. Now in this present Degree and State it is brought unto by us, it would be sufficient for all kind of Diseases; which if we would yet have to be far more efficacious and stronger, it would be expedient, that we separate yet the more unprofitable and useless Feces, and concentrate the more pure Essence into a more narrow Room and lesser Body. For ’tis the Soul only or Quintessence of things, that heals Diseases. The shells or husks bring no Profit at all, and this the Husbandmen well know; for they separate the husks and chaff from the Corn, afore they bake Bread. The Medicinal Virtues of Herbs and Minerals are but of a small weight, afore they are freed from the Bonds and Fetters of their Bodies: But now, after that they are separated from their Bodies, they can perform incredible effects even in a most small quantity, and such as the great weight of that Body, whence they are extracted, will never effect. Look but on a living Man that is in good Health, with how ready and nimble a Motion can he stir his Limbs, and what strength he can put forth: But as soon as ever the Soul shall have separated it self from the Body, how insensible and immoveable the Body lies, and not serviceable for any Use? It is therefore a certain and undoubted Truth, that the Life of all things wanteth weight, and this shall be more clearly, and more evidently demonstrated by the Concentration of this universal Medicament. For that which one Ounce, now, does, of this thus prepared Medicament; half an Ounce, when concentrated, will perform the same: And that which half an Ounce of this Medicament once concentred will effect; one quarter part of an Ounce, or a Dram of the same twice concentrated, will effect the same. And according to this compute, may you proceed on farther. For by how much the oftner the prepared Medicament is concentrated, so much the more Feces are separated therefrom: And by how much narrowlier the Virtues are contracted, so much the greater effects do they produce. And thus there needs not in a manner any weight in Medicinal use. That which ten Grains of an unconcentrated Medicament is wont to accomplish, you will effect the same with one Grain of the Medicine, when concentred, to be put either in Ale or Wine for some hours, if need be, or else held in the Mouth. For soe it will no less display its occult Virtues and Powers, than if the Powder of the not concentrated Medicament had been otherwise drunk down. Besides too, such a Medicament may be a long time used without losing of its Virtues, and that not only inwardly, but outwardly also in all Wounds, Ulcers, and such like external affects. For all new Wounds, as also old Ulcers whatsoever they be, are happily cured by the laying on of those Medicaments, if the same Medicines be likewise used inwardly. Nor needs there here many Emplasters, Cataplasmes, and Ointments: Concerning which thing, see more in the Fifth Part of my Pharmacopœa Spagyrica, where the use of this Medicament is treated of.
Read also those things, which that most excellent Philosopher Van Helmont declares of another certain Philosopher, Butler by Name, viz. that he had a certain Stone, at London in England, which being sweld a very little in Oyl Olive, rendred the same exceedingly Virtuous, that some few drops thereof taken into the Body, would drive away the most grievous Diseases, and being outwardly applyed to Wounds [or Sores] would speedily heal them. These things Helmont testifies to be true, as being an Eye witness of the same. But I do not attribute such incredible Virtues unto my Medicament, for as much as I my self doubted of this Story of Butler, and could not believe, that any Medicament could be promoted to this so high a Degree of powerful Efficacy: But now, seeing I perceive that it is possible to Art, for the Virtues of things to be contracted into a narrow Room, and be concentrated; I do upon good ground cast this doubting off from my mind, and adhere to those things which I see with mine Eyes, and touch with my Hands. Certain, and firmly undoubted it therefore is, that not only the Medicinal Virtues and Powers of this our Matter may be contracted into such a narrow Compass, as to effect an hundred fold more in Medicine, than that more gross Body could do: But also this may be acquired or effected too, viz. that hidden Colour or Tincture in our black Magnesia may likewise be concentrated, together with that Multiplication of Virtues; insomuch, that in the several Concentrations, the Colour of the concentrated Body may be exalted, the which, most high Colour, or exalted Tincture can never at any time be gotten, without our secret Concentration: For otherwise, if there were no need of that Concentration, it would necessarily follow, that that Magnesia of ours would be no other than a most pure Body, not at all needing any ablution of its gross, and unprofitable, and black impurity: But this is not so, as we said afore about the Gold, which is pure in its own Nature, and of it self void of all Defilements, and being a ripe Body and mere Tincture, needs no other thing, than this, that its inward Parts be turned outwards, and its outward Parts inward, by that Philosophical introversion, and that so its external Yellowness may betake it self inwards, and the internal Redness may come forth outwards, or (to speak the more clearly) that the manifest Yellowness may be hidden, and the hidden Redness may be manifested. But now, the Case is not thus with this our black Earth, and impure Saturnine Mineral; in the which, both good and evil, pure and impure, Poison and Medicine lye mixt together: Insomuch, that it is altogether necessary to separate the black and gross impurity, from that noble and tender Medicinal Pearl, and to reduce it unto Fixity.
A. With gaping Mouth, and open Eyes, do I even swallow down your Discourse, and yet I cannot pierce into the Foundation of the whole business, nor understand it. You speak of such an artificial Concentration, and which is beyond all my apprehensions, for I never in all my whole Life time heard any thing of it, as far as I remember, much less read ought concerning it.
B. I will set before you then a Similitude, that so you may the readilier understand the knack. Examine well, and consider, Wine, Ale, or the Lees of Wine; and by your searching you shall find, that there is in them but very little of the Corroborating Spirit, or Soul, the remainder is nothing else but mere impurities, destitute of all Virtues. Now if some Physician or other should administer to his Patient a large Cupful of Lees, to cheer and comfort his heart withal, would you not accuse him of ignorance, and Folly? For though there is somthing of comforting Virtues in the troubled Lees, yet it is impeded, or clogged, by the great quantity of the dreggy Lees, from rightly performing its proper Office. But put Case, that it could display its own Virtues, yet nevertheless, even the admixt impurity would also exercise its own accustomed Evil, and so the Good would be confounded with the Evil, or rather be quite over powred by the same. For this reason, there is nothing more necessary, than that the good be separated from the evil, before any thing be used about making Medicine. Therefore even as there are Workmen to be found, who, by the vulgar Distillation and Rectification, do separate the Heart-refreshing Spirit out of the sordid Lees of Wine and Ale, and bring it unto use, give the remaining filthy dreggs and useless Feces to the Hogs to eat: Even so do we (the Lovers of the Spagyrick Art) separate the pure Virtues and Powers of things from the gross, sordid, and noxious impurities, afore we administer them to our Patients.
A. As concerning these Sayings of yours, I am clearly of your Opinion, and withal do stick close to that common Proverb, which saith, Speak that which is Truth, eat that which is baked, and drink that which is clear, if you be desirous of a long Life. For my part, I delight to have the Kernels, and purged or cleansed Fruits, and willingly leave the husks and shells to the Swine, that are delighted with Bran and Chaff, and their own Dung.
B. I am extreamly satisfied, that I have already (thanks be to God) seen the whole Work, and have a sufficient thorough understanding of the whole Basis of the same, viz. that the purer and subtiler part is to be separated from the more impure and grosser part, and, by an often repeated Separation, and artificial Concentration, to be advanced into a most subtile, most pure, and most noble Quintessence, if any one has a mind to produce effects of some great moment, or to do more than common things. And now, as you have learned, from the words of our precedent Conference, the way of making an universal Medicine out of common Gold: So have you likewise again received, from this our present discoursing together, the Confection of the universal Medicament, out of our Saturnine Magnesia, which is the Root of the vulgar Gold. But, although both of these Medicaments are, as per se and singly alone, very excellent and effectual enough, yet notwithstanding it plainly, and clearly appears unto our ken, that the power and Virtues of both the universal Medicines admit of being promoted unto a far higher Degree; the which thing we see is possible to be done by the means of Conjunction, and is to be thus understood. When a Seed is implanted into its own growing Root, it attracts out of such a Root, which is of its own kind, or Nature a far better, and more nourishing Alimentary juice, than out of the gross Earth. For example, The Seed of a Rape Root being put in the Earth, produceth Rapes of the same bigness that the Rapes were of, from whence the Seed came: And as often as you shall commit that Seed (by sowing) to the Earth, you shall, notwithstanding, never have greater and better Rapes than those, from whence the Seed was taken. But now, if the Seed of some Rape be sown into some other Rape which is in the Earth, and which hath grown unto the half of its bigness already; that Seed will sprout forth, and grow up like as the other Seeds planted in the Earth will do, but yet sooner, because it finds a better Nutriment in its own Mother, than that does, which is planted in the bare Earth: And hereupon, it must necessarily produce a greater Rape Root, and from the greater Root will proceed a greater Seed. And this is the reason, that there are such great grown Rapes, which make every Body wonder at them: Some such I have seen, that weighed ten, twelve, yea and twenty Pound weight. If you have a mind to try, sow a few Rape Seeds, throwing them into the Earth, which when they shall have grown to the bigness of an Egg, take a wooden sharp stick, and make therewith a small hole, even into the middle of the said Rape, and then put thereinto your Rape Seed, and stop up the hole with soft [clammy] Potters clay, that so the Rain may not get in and rot the Root. Thus now, that Seed will also (as being in its own Root) grow up out of this Rape, existing and growing in the Earth, and will dilate that its Root, and advance it to a greater bigness. The Reason’s this, because it can attract unto it self a better and more convenient Nourishment from a Root of its own kind, than out of the bare Earth. And if you shall practise thus with other Seeds likewise, you will effect the same, as with this. N. B. From the Seeds of small Radishes, implanted into great Rape Roots, there grow huge Radishes. This kind of Propagation may not unfitly be likened to a Mothers suckling her Infant, which attracteth and draws its Nourishment from the Mothers Breasts: But the Mother it self receives her Nourishment from the Fruits of the Earth, and that, being changed into a sweet Milk, supplies the Infant, whereby it is sustained and nourish’d. But that I may lay the whole business afore your Eyes, by a more full Declaration, I will yet farther add one Similitude more. Take you some wild and not yet ripe Stock of a Pear, Apple, Cherry, or some other Fruit-bearing Trees, such, I say, as is not yet full grown, but is as yet constituted in its first tender Age, take off from it all its Boughs, which bear [but] a wild and sower Fruit, and Cut it all off even unto the bottom, and to the Stock standing out of the Earth plant a Cion, pluckt off from another Tree that does not bear wild fruit, into this Stock, betwixt the Bark and the Wood of the same, where ’tis cut off with the Saw, and fence it well with Wax, or tenacious Clay, &c. against the Rain: If now you shall thus do, and do your work Gardner-like, that fruitful Cion will draw unto it self the wild Juice, out of that wild Tree or Stock, and make it better, so that it will no more bear any wild Fruit, but such as that Tree did bear, from which the Cion was pluckt. If now, so small a Cion of some cultivated and fruitful Tree can so change the wild Juice of a wild Stock, that it becomes far better, and more noble: Why, should not Gold do the same in our Metallick Tree, when ingrafted in Lead as in its proper Root? Verily in my Opinion, there is not a better Earth (from which that golden Seed may attract unto it self an Alimentary Nourishment, and so multiply it self even to infinity) to be had, than its own proper Root. But yet, with this Proviso, that all the gross and degenerate Boughs be first cut off from that same gross Root, for so, it will the easilier and readilier change its wild and degenerate Juice, (when joyned to the golden Seed or Cion,) and so will be changed into a far nobler, and produce Fruits a thousand fold. You see, my Friend! what good Will I bear to you, in that I have so faithfully opened unto you all those things which I thought necessary to be known, for the perfecting of so great a Work. Ponder well in your mind, upon the Similitudes of the Rape and Cion, and believe, that what I have here spoken is not casually and at Random. For they have more hidden under them, than they seem to shew for, and than you would imagine. Length of time will open your Eyes, which are as yet blinded, as to abundance of things, (if God permit.)
A. Surely, Sir, I cannot chuse but wonder anew, when I accurately consider the things you have declared unto me, of changing the wild Nature, of the wild Vegetative Fruits into a tame, mild, Property: And that such a Transmutation of the ignobler Nature, into a more noble One, takes place also in Metallick Affairs. They are verily such things, as are of weighty Concernment, and most worthy a most accurate Consideration. But, indeed, who can sufficiently enough consider of all the Divine Miracles? Blessed be his most holy Name for evermore.
B. Amen.
A. I give unto you, for your courteous instruction, most hearty thanks, and remain obliged unto you all my whole Life. And thus with what hath been said, I commit both you and my self to Gods protection.
B. My dearest Friend, I have now performed the Promise I made unto you, and am not meanly delighted, in that you have understood the meaning of those things, which I have said unto you: But yet I cannot but admire, that you are not Covetously desirous of knowing yet more, and that you do not Crave an yet more prolix unfolding of more matters. For you well know, that you cannot every day have the Enjoyment of my Company.
A. For those things, which I at present received from you, do I return you most hearty thanks, another time God will vouchsafe more: The greatest desire I have at present, is to set about so great a Work, and to have the Fruition of the hoped for Fruit. If you are so minded, and bent upon doing Friendly Favours, I do request you, that you would oblige my Brother by your good turns, if he shall hap to come unto you, and Petition for ought at your hands, for you may assist him in some small, yet good, Arcanum: For he hath been stupid, or unapprehensive enough hitherto, and much needs some accurate instruction. But what shall I say? The sick looks after the Physician, he that is thorough Well has no need of him. Such things as are hard to be understood, exceed his Capacity: The more easie things are more commodious. And so again, Farewel.
I have taught in this Dialogue, That the White Lac virginis (after its being extracted, by Distillation, out of the Black Magnesia, and after its Exaltation, in Virtue and Efficacy, by Rectification and Concentration,) is to be freed from its superfluous Humidity, and yet the dry Matter is to be made permanent in the Fire, by the gradual Operation of the Fire. Now for the more accurate Declaration sake; these things which follow shall be yet farther subjoyned.
That Fixation, if it be to be perfected by the [bare] help of the common Fire, requires a long and tedious time, so that there’s no reason for a Man to persuade himself, that he can finish the same in one years space. I speak by my own experience, for I my self have tryed, and find that it cannot be, that one year should suffice for the finishing of this Fixation, for indeed it requires a much longer time. For after that, I had so far advanced the Matter, that it had passed through all the Colours, as to flow when put upon a Red hot Plate, and to insinuate it self thereinto, like Oyls penetrating into a dry Hide, yet was it not fixt enough nor constant, nor served it for the tinging of the Metals, but when a vehement Fire was applyed thereunto, away it went in fume; but yet not without an evident Demonstration of the possibility of the same. For as much therefore, as it does not yield that satisfactory Fruit, [and Success] and seeing that such great Labours are not undertaken, without the expectation of some Profit, and that the hoped for Fruits cannot however be gathered, afore that the said matter is promoted to a perfect Maturity, and consequently dreads not any the most vehement Storms of the Fire any more; any one may easily conjecture, that there needs (as I said afore) a more tedious space of time for this Fixation, if it be to be done and perfected by the common Fire of Coals. But now, he that has the knowledge of the secret Fire, of the Ancient Philosophers, such an one will much easier, and speedier arrive unto the wished end of the Operation. The Nature of the vulgar and fugacious Minerals doth very difficultly and slowly admit of that Fixation, which is made with the Fire of Coals: And this I was unwilling to conceal from the diligent Searcher after the Secrets of Nature; yet farther adjoyning this Admonition, [viz.] that a very profitable Medicament may nevertheless be prepared in a shorter space of time, and an appearance made of the admirable, and highly delightful Variation of abundance of most delicate Colours. For the first Colour that appears is like the black head of a Crow, presenting it self to view like the Colour of black Glass. This blackness going off by little and little, gives place to the White, and pondrous Mass; which is called by the Philosophers, the White Swan, and not without reason, because that self same white Matter is not so compact and Stone-like, as that black Crows Head, but is porous, and not much unlike unto a kind of heap made of abundance of small and white Feathers. When this Whiteness is turned into a Yellow, those Feathers vanish, and the Mass returns to its former Compactness, and resembles the form of a yellow Stone: Of which if you put a little piece upon some Red hot Silver, or Copper-plate, it will at first stand like a Red blood, and afterwards penetrate the Copper-plate, and tinge it both within and without with a white Colour; but yet, somewhat brittle as yet, and yields in the Cineritium, or Cupel, some Silver, and operates in Medicine somewhat effectually, like the white Stone, but yet weaker. It likewise pierceth into a Silver-plate, like as Oyl into a Skin, and tingeth it with a yellow Colour, which being separated by the Cupel, and dissolved in Aqua Fortis, leaves excellent Gold in the bottom. I have not as yet made any farther Progress on the Operation, being quite tired, and weary of spending any longer, and more tedious time thereabouts, which however was necessarily requisite to the perfecting of this Tincture with the Fire of Coals. But yet I have by me all the Colours as they follow on after each other, which I can shew unto any one; whereby they may see with their Eyes the most evident possibility of Nature: To which end also I am minded to preserve those Tinctures by me, that they may be an everlasting Memorial of so great a thing?, unto my Posterity: But for my part, I will commend [to every one] that shorter way of bringing the work to the wished end, by the Mediation of the secret Fire of the Philosophers: Concerning which, the following Dialogue, and the little Book of Fires, treats. For the immature First Ens of Gold, cannot be excocted [or digested] into the desired Tincture by any thing more easily, than in its own proper secret Fire; and not by a Coal Fire.
And that it may clearly appear, that I have written the Truth, I will send unto some of my Friends (God willing) some of those white and yellow Stones, to be used not only in Medicine, but in Alchymy too; that so they may make tryal and experimentally find, that Tinctures have a Power of bettering, and amending Metals, afore they have arrived unto the half part of their Fixation.
C.Good morrow heartily, my Friend! I wish you a good and prosperous Day.
B. I wish you the same, whence come you to us so early?
C. I have very earnestly for these several days waited for this hour, that I might see you, and have the Fruition of the most sweet Fruits of your Courteous instructions. My Brother A. sent me hither, and told me, that you had given him leave to send me unto you this day. I do therefore Friendly request you, that you would put a good Construction upon this my Boldness.
B. [My Friend!] I do not in the least take it ill, your Brother told me, that you were as yet ignorant and unskilled, in the more subtil Arcanaes and Secrets; and that you therefore needed not ought else, but some pretty easie Secret, which might be easily understood, and performed with small Expences, and yet be profitable and beneficial unto you.
C. Indeed, Sir, to tell you the plain Truth, such Arcanums as are profound ones, and to be penetrated into by a subtil Meditation, and which are of great moment, do far outreach my duller apprehension: And therefore I do not at this time desire any thing, more than this, viz. that I may obtain something that is not costly, and yet may effect so much in Medicine and Alchimy, as may serve me to live a little more commodiously and plentifully, as to Food and Raiment. And that you would be pleased, to render me a Master of this my desire, is my humble request unto you, again and again.
B. You do very prudently measure out your requests, according to your own Capacity. And indeed, sometimes, those things which are not Costly, nor are difficult in their Operation, are more profitable to a Man, than those things are, which they would fain get by the expence of a great deal of Charge, of a long time, and hard Labours: I will grant you your Request, and therefore hearken.
C. [Sir, I thank you,] and do listen.
B. Have you never read, or else heard from others, that those most ancient Philosophers, tell us that their universal Work, is not only most easie to be done, but withal no ways Chargeable. For they do openly Confess, that to the perfecting of their Work, a Man needs be at no more Expences, than two Florins, and that the Labour it self, even from the beginning to the end, is nothing else but mere Womens work, and Boys play.
C. You are pleased to offer me delicate Dainties, easie to be prepared, for I have not so much Money as is to be laid out upon those kind of chargeable and costly Labours: Neither will my Family Affairs admit thereof, viz. to spend my days in such sumptuous and chargeable Cookeries, and which are so full of most great Labours, and whose event too is oftentimes very uncertain. For I have heard some say, that the smallest Errour may destroy the whole Work, and quite spoil it, and so grievously affect such as operate about such great Secrets, with a very great loss of long time, and great Expences. And therefore such a Work, as I can attend upon without letting my taking Care of my Family, and which will need the disbursment of but a few Expences, will please me better than those other Costly ones would.
B. I readily believe, that this very thing you desire, will not only be exceedingly pleasing unto your self, but also unto many others besides. The Expences are but very small, and the Labours thereupon but little, so that each days Fire, which the Matter is to be set upon, may be taken Care for, in half an hours space. But now, though the Philosophers have made mention of very small Expences, and have comprised them in the compass of a couple of Florins, yet is that saying to be otherwise understood. Those Ancients made use of the greatest Florins, viz. the Rhenish ones, and also the Hungarian Crowns, each of which is of the value of five of our Florins. And if you thus understand it after this compute, I can easily shew unto you the Truth of their Assertion.
C. I do even think as you say: Sure we must not expect any [such] things for nothing; I am content, [and therefore, pray] let us proceed.
B. If our Work be called the labour of Women, and Boys play, it is expedient, that it be like unto Womens work, and Boys play: For else the Philosophers would have used an unfit similitude. You well know, what Labours your Wife is chiefly busied about, and what her daily Labour is she imploys her self in.
C. Yes, verily I daily see, that she doth boyl Food necessary for the Use of the whole Family, and being boyl’d sets it upon the Table to be eaten. This Labour she performs, at least twice every day, when Dinner and Supper is ended, she doth wash the Dishes, Pots, Goblets, and other Vessels, and cleans them, and makes them fit to put other new Food in, and to be served out to the Table. Besides too, this is her Office and Care, if haply a Pot be broken, or crackt, whereby it is made unfit to hold moisture any more, to substitute (in defect of Iron Pots) a new Pot made of Potters Clay, in the stead thereof: Such and the like Labours, as these, are in our Country called the Womens work.
B. Well, be it so: I will likewise shew unto thee, such a Labour in Chymical Operations, as resembles this. Therefore, like as the Female Sex do first wash the Flesh, Fish, Rapes, Pot-herbs, Roots, Apples, Pears, or other things with pure Water, which they mean to boyl, and then put them into the Pot, and pour thereunto as much Water as is requisite, and place it over the Fire, and boyl it so long, till all the crudity, or rawness being vanisht, the Meats become grateful to the Palat, and pleasant, and easily digestible by the Stomach. [So do we] They do likewise sometimes pour Wine upon Flesh and Fish, instead of Water, and add as much Salt as is convenient, together with some Spices, or odoriferous Herbs, by which they give the Fish and Flesh a most excellent Taste. But yet we must not forget Salt, above all the other Spices, or Seasonings, and odoriferous Herbs, for it Corrects and maturates the Flesh, Fish, and other hard Meats, more than other Spices. For we can well enough want these if they are not at hand, but as for Salt, there is always need of that, about the boyling of Flesh, Fish, and other Food. If therefore Flesh, or Fish are to be boyld well, then Salt water is requisite; and as for all the other Additions of Herbs, and odoriferous Spices, they only serve to give it a good pleasant Taste, and make it acceptable to the Palat, and to the Smelling. For the Flesh and Fish when boyl’d or stewed, do by their Magnetick Virtue attract so much Salt and grateful Savour, and Virtue, as they need: And that which remains, stays in the Water. Now the curious Dames do shut the tops of their Pots very well with their Covers, lest the efficacious Vapours should be forced away in fume by the Boyling, and not stay with the Flesh or other Meats. But the careless Housewifes do not much regard the covering of their Pots, from whence it comes to pass, that they lose these good and sweet Spirits, and then they fil up their Pots with new Water, by which doings, the Flesh, or Fish, do not get so sweet a Savour, as they would have, if that efficacious Water had been kept in and conserved. Some Women that are yet more curious, and diligent about their Cookery, do put upon their Pots, wherein they boyl their Meats, such a Cover as hath a fold in it, by which the Collected sweet and odoriferous Vapours may distil down into an under-put Vessel, which being thus gotten, they keep by them, to refresh and cherish with them, such as are weak and sick, when need requires. Others, to free themselves from this kind of Labour, do add as much Water as need is, together with Salt and Spices, to their Flesh, and so boyl it by little and little, shutting in the Vapours with a Cover, which else would go away, and the Meat taste of burning; And by doing thus, they are not necessitated to pour on any new Water, though this slow boyling takes up more time than that, which is done by a strong and uncessant Ebullition: I would have you well to observe these things, for ’tis not without cause that I utter them. And now let us examine the other similitude, and see what those Boys Plays are, that so we may afterwards accommodate even them too, to our Philosophical work. What therefore do you see concerning the Boys Plays, with what things, and after what manner do they Play?
C. How can I tell? They play as their Parents please to let them, or as they can get opportunity of Playing: As for my self, I do not grant my Children so much Liberty, to play when, and how they list themselves. I send them to the School and to the Church, and sometimes I allow them one hours Play for Recreations sake, nor do I allow them any other Play but at Bowls, [or Knickers] by which they moderately stir their Bodies, and exercise themselves, and Concoct their Meat, and this is far more profitable for them, than if they were constrained to sit always at home, without any exercise at all: Other play than this, I allow them not. Cards and Dice are unfit Plays for Boys, they are many times very hurtful to those of riper years, especially when by the too much abuse of them, they do so unprofitably waste their precious time, and cannot tell how to use a mean. I have indeed otherwise seen Boys, that meeting with some Sand get [thereout of] bright Stones, and play with them, but yet this is not usual. However, there is no play more frequent amongst Children, than that of Bowls, [or Knickers] which play they daily use, whatsoever time they can steal, to that purpose. Yea both at their going to School, and returning from School, you may see them presently busied about their Rubbers, or Knickers-play. They are very hardly restrained therefrom. If they want Money to buy the Bowls, or Knickers, they get a little piece of Potters Clay and moisten it with Water, and make up their little Bowls, or Pellets in their hands, and harden them in the Fire; which I remember, when I was a Boy, I often did. And besides this Boys play, no other is known unto me.
B. Very good, you have hit the nail on the head: And now let us see, whether or no the ancient Philosophers have (after the manner of Boys) played with small Bowls, or Knickers? and whether, or no, they have boyl’d their work in Pots, with as easie a Labour, as Women do. For of necessity they must have hit on doing after this wise, else could they not have compared their work to the Labour of Women, and play of Children. So then, if we are to imitate Women and Boys in our Operation, what Matters are we to make use of, for our boyling, in the stead of Flesh, Fish, and other Meats; and what Water is it, that is to be poured thereupon. For if we are minded to do any good effect, ’tis expedient, that we likewise know, what those Matters are, which admit of being boyled unto a Maturity in our fiery Water, and these verily must be such, (seeing they are to be maturated by boyling) as have a great Affinity with the said Water: Forasmuch therefore, as our Water is of a Metallick Nature, and yet all the Metals do in a manner arise, or proceed (in the Earth) therefrom, and are even at this very day advanced, by the very same (by the help of the Terrestrial and Central fire) by little and little unto perfection: All that we have to do is, to imitate the simplicity of Nature, which will never seduce us, for so without question, those most ancient Philosophers did do, who having borrowed their wonderful Work from Nature her self, do advise us to do no more, but to follow Nature, and to begin there, where Nature left off, and to ascend higher and to make that perfect, which is as yet imperfect: God hath prefixed unto Nature her bounds, which she cannot transgress [or go beyond:] But Art, doth much excel Nature, and performs those things which Nature cannot accomplish: Yea more, that which she can hardly do in the Earth in a thousand years time, Art effects in one year, and this is easily confirmed by many Testimonies. Now as to the Generation and Maturation of the Metals, Nature useth a most simple or plain way, a very slow one, but yet safe. From thence ariseth the Errour of many a Man, who do not follow Nature, but the guidance of their own phantastick Brains, never effecting ought of good, but remain always Novellists in the same, what Labours soever they undertake, and what Expences soever they are at: Although the ancient Philosophers do by their many Admonitions set afore us, that most simple Course of Nature for us to imitate; and they have especially hinted to us, that their Work is so simple, that should they but openly and clearly have treated of the same, even the Women would deride it and say, that the Male kind had learned their Art from them. Yea, it is so very vile a Work, that no Body would be able to believe it, and upon this Account, the Philosophers have done their utmost, to hide and obscure the Art the most they could, least they should be contemned by the proud deriders, (who Soaring aloft seek after things too high for them,) and be accounted for Cheats and false Writers. And this is the main and chiefest Reason, why this Art being so wrapt up in darkness of a most profound Silence, lyes hitherto hid from the whole Troop of Sophisters, and such deriding Fellows. Sendivow (as we have already several times hinted) doth expresly say, that he had oftentimes declared the whole Art, to not a few word for word, unto whom, that Art did nevertheless seem so very vile and mean, that they could not at all believe any likelihood of Truth in his most true words, and so left the Work unattempted. The same Sendivow doth also say, That had the most skilful Hermes, the most quick witted Geber, and most illuminated Lully been again alive, and beheld our Laboratories stored with so many, and such various Instruments of Glass, Earth, Iron, and other Matters, and such several Fornaces, they would be ravished into a most high Admiration, like so many Boys, and would be but as it were our Scholars, as concerning those Vessels and Fornaces, all which however, we have learned from their Writings, but yet we are destitute of that most excellent Work which was wrought by them in so simple a Way, and it hitherto flies our subtile and acute Wits. And, my dear Friend, he also tells us, that we should fly aloft into the lofty Air with our Wings, for the Work is simple, vile and abject, the which, you may sooner comprehend [or feel] with your hands, than apprehend by the subtilty of your Wit or Cogitations.
C. All these things may very sufficiently serve to rid us out of so great a Labyrinth, but I pray, Sir, how comes it about, that we do sottishly persuade our selves, that those things are so very difficult, which notwithstanding are so very simple, vile, and abject.
B. It is indeed, to him that has knowledge of the same, an easie, vile, and simple thing: But very difficult and intricate to him, that laying aside the way of Nature, thinks himself able to learn so great an Art out of Books, which (by their leave) though, seems a thing almost impossible to be done. For the Philosophers have so prolixly, intricately, and obscurely described the whole Mystery, that their so prolix and dark Writings would sooner lead a Man from the true and right way, so far off are they from reducing him thereinto.
C. I my self find, that this is most certainly true, for I never heard as yet of any Man, or read of any, that learned the Art out of Books: But that almost all of them who were skilled in the same, do Confess, that they became Masters of the same, either by Divine Inspiration or Revelation, or by the help of some Friend. There’s no Body can contradict those things which you have here induced, for the Confirmation of your Opinion. And now, Sir, let us set upon the Work it self, and diligently pray unto God and wait for his Blessing.
B. Content, hearken therefore attentively.
C. So I do.
B. Did you never find in the reading of the Philosophers, that all the imperfect Metals may in a Particular way be promoted to the perfect Maturity of Gold or Silver, by their dry Water which wetteth not the hands: But being not content with this effect, they have promoted the first Ens of Metals (by the help of their occult, fiery, and ripening Water) to a more than perfect Constancy, and Fixity in the Fire, and have concentrated it to the form of Gold.
C. I remember, that I have read of such things as these, though by reason of my unskilfulness and ignorance, I could not understand the least Particle of their meaning: For I am altogether ignorant of that kind of wonderful, and yet, to every Body well known Water: And so shall still remain until it be shewn (and pointed at) with the Fingers.
B. Look here, here’s a piece of admirable Water which is every where in all places easie to be found, yea, in the poorest Country-mens Houses, nor doth it deny any Man, the Possession and having it.
C. Who would ever have believed, or thought, that there was any good hidden in so vile and abject a Body?
B. [I wonder] wherefore [it is] that no Body can think of this Matter, seeing it is evident, that in our Water the first Entities of all the Metals are abundantly hidden, as in their own proper Seed, out of which they are generated in the Earth, and ripened unto perfection. Those first Entities are but extracted out of this our Water, by [peculiar] Magnets. And now, like as every Metal hath its own Magnet, even so every one [of them] hath its proper Magnet, by which it is concentrated into a narrow Room. I will declare unto you the Truth of this business, by an example taken from the Metals. If you have a Water fully impregnated with Copper, and you desire to have Copper out of the said Water, you will easily bring this to pass, if you shall but put in to that Water, which holds in it the Copper, a piece of clean Iron, the which Iron, (as being the true Magnet of the Copper,) will attract unto it self, all the invisible Copper out of the Water, and gather it into a visible and palpable Metal. If Silver be dissolv’d in any Water and made invisible, and you would again have it, put into the Solution a Plate of pure [or clean] Copper, which (after a Magnetick manner) will gather together [or draw out] all the Silver in his own [Silvery] Body, and make it visible and palpable. Now when Gold is dissolved in some Water, and largely dispersed, [as I may say] and you would again have it [in the form of Gold;] then put in some ☿ or Ar. vive in that Water, and boyl it a little therewithal, (as was done above, with the Copper and Silver) and you shall presently see all the Gold to be attracted, and gathered together by the Mercury, insomuch that there will not remain ought of the Gold in the Water, because it follows the Attraction of its own Magnet, Mercury. These Metallick and Magnetick Operations, are a sufficiently manifest Information unto us, and do point out unto us (as with a Finger) the way, of the extracting, not only good Metals in a Particular manner, but also far better things than Metals, (viz. the Tincture, or form of Gold) out of our stinking Water, in an Universal way, by such Magnets, as are fit and apt in Nature for this Extraction. Another similitude we have from the Earth, and Rain water, with which the Fruits of the Earth are moistned: Put you in such an Earth moistned with that Water, as many Seeds as you please; each of them, will (by its Magnetick Virtue) attract unto its self, its own like, for its Multiplication, and will leave to the other Seeds, to attract each of them its like also. If now, by this similitude, the Scope or end I aim at, may be made manifest unto you, there is yet hopes you may be holpen: If not, I do not see, by what means you can be succoured, forasmuch as it would be too tedious here to use many other Circumstances. For when we are certainly assured, that the first Ens, or the very Form of Gold is plentifully hidden in our Water, we do by very good right seek after that best part, viz. the form of Gold, and leave the other first Entities of the rest of the Metals, in the Water. And now Ile shew thee another similitude: Dissolve in one and the same Water, ☉, ♀, ♂, ♃, ☿, that so you may have all these Metals commixt together in the same: If now you desire to extract the best of them, viz. the Gold there out of, what hurt will the other bring you, if they remain in the Water. Such therefore as the Magnet is, which you put into that same Water, such is the Metal too, that you shall extract. If therefore we particularly seek ☉ and ☽ in our Water, it will be expedient, that we put unto this spiritual ☉ and ☽ their proper Magnet, unto which Magnets, they (being precipitated) do stick on, and are by little and little fixed [on thereunto.] And now if we seek after something better than ☉ and ☽, viz. the form and Tincture of Gold, it will be necessity, that we also apply such a [suitable] Magnet, which may draw out nothing else but the Tincture or Form of Gold, which being precipitated [thereout of] may be fixed. And thus have I here told you all those things that are necessary to be known. If you are minded to extract in a Particular way, Sol and Lune out of the Universal Mineral water, you must then put unto them their Magnet, viz. an Amalgama of Copper, and Argent vive: For the Copper draws to it self the spiritual Silver, and the ☿ the spiritual Gold, out of the said Water, and brings it unto a Fixation [or Corporeity] with it self, [or, as it self is.] But if you are minded, or desirous, of getting some better thing, than the Gold it self, or Silver, is, viz. a Tincture, you must then needs adjoyn thereto its own peculiar Magnet, for, without it, you cannot effect any thing at all: But that you may know, what the true Magnet of the Tincture is, I say unto you, That is the Compeere, or Companion of our Water, and not of the Metals: For like seeks its like, as the Philosophers say, Nature rejoyceth with Nature, Nature overcomes Nature, Nature retains Nature: More than these things I have told you, it is not needful for you to know: Consider therefore very accurately what I have said, and beg of God by your Prayers a blessing, which if you do, you shall not err, but yet you will not be all of a sudden Master of what you desire. All these things have their determinate times, like as a Grain of Wheat Sown in the Earth, the which requires a time to ripen in, nor doth it wax ripe afore the time appointed for Maturation be come about. Follow you the Advice left by Geber, and do not hasten on your Work, by any the least hasty speed: For he tells us expresly, that all hastning in our Work is of the Devil. And as concerning what is to be known, and what a one the Student of so noble an Art ought to be, you will find described in the Fifth Part of my Spagyrical Pharmacopœa. And what think you now? Can you thoroughly understand me?
C. Yes, Verily, I do well enough understand those things which I have hitherto heard from you, But yet this Womens work, which you began a Declaration of, is not sufficiently clear unto me, nor is that Boys-play, which is done with small Bowls or Knickers, I do not thoroughly understand that neither, viz. how it may be compared with the work of the Philosophers. Were but these things made clear and evident unto me, I would Ranck my self amongst the number of the Masters of the Art.
B. Well then, come let us go on and see, by what means the Philosophers are wont to make their little Bowls. [Note!] Like as the Boys make use of Earth and Water, for the making of their Pellets or Knickers: So likewise will we use our Earth, and our Water to the making of our small Bowls or Pellets: Ours, I say, not the vulgar and common Earth and Water, for they are unprofitable as to our Work. But tis indifferent, and all one, whether we take Yellow, Red, or white Earth, because all of them are of one and the same Nature. According to the Colour of the Earth which we use, will the Colour of the small Balls we make, be: We have here at hand a threefold Earth, a yellow Earth of Gold, a white of Silver and a Red of Copper. This threefold Earth will we moisten with our Water or Mercury, and so make up a Paste or Mass of the two, which the Chymists call an Amalgama. This Paste will we wash with pure Water, grinding it so long ’twixt our Fingers, till there be to appearance of any father impurity, and that it admits of being easily washt, or broken with the Fingers. Being thus well washt, we will put it in a Skin, or Cotton, and tye it firmly in; out of which, we will squeez forth all the ☿ with our hands, and separate it from the said Earth, just in such a manner as Argent vive is separated in Amalgamations, or Metalick Masses. The Mercury being separated, we will take out our thick Amalgama, and make small Bowls, or Knickers thereof, and of almost the same bigness, that the Boys Knickers are of. These Bowls we will expose to the Air, for about some twenty four hours, and by this time they will be grown so hard, as to resemble Stones, in hardness. And now, being thus made ready for boyling, we will put them into our Water to seeth: But yet in the seething, there must be an accurate regard had to some skilful handling the Matter, if you would have it perform its Operation without Errour. This Art will I faithfully open unto thee, lest you err, and so bring damage upon your self: These Pellets, or little Bowls thus made of our Mass, are not to be thrown into the Pot filled with Water, afore the said Water boyls: Which boyling, you must throw them in one after another, and they will presently harden themselves, and cover themselves over with an hard Crustiness or Skin by which they will be prevented from sticking to one another, and from coming altogether into one Mass. For if you first of all put your little Balls into the Pot, and then afterwards pour cold Water upon them, and so set them on the Fire, that they may be boyled unto their Maturity, you will spoil your whole work. For before the Water in the Pot be hot, all the Pellets being dissolved, would run together in one Mass, and so would not admit the Humefying, or moistning of their inside Parts, and so you would turn all your Pellets by your seething into a mere Pouse or Pottage, whereas they should remain whole in all their Parts, as well internal, as external, for fear of drawing the Water in. But that you may have an accurate Account of all these things which I have said unto you, I hope you will set about the Work, [or thus,] I hope you will do your best, heedfully to regard all these things which I have said unto you and I suppose, that you have sufficiently understood the things which I have already spoken: But if so be, you do not yet apprehend the meaning of these things, I will Counsel you, by what means you may learn this Operation at home from your Wife. When you are come home, bid your Wife to make you some little Balls, or Dumplins with Flower and Veal. And heedfully observe, what Course she takes, about making such Balls, that so you may by the same way learn to deal with your Metallick Pellets. First of all, you shall see, that she puts some pure Flower into a deep Dish or Platter, and having put it in, she works it into a Paste, or Mass with Cream, or the purest Milk. Then she admixeth some green Herbs smally minced, and some Spice medled among, and sprinkling some Salt thereupon, she mixeth them with the Paste made as aforesaid, to give it the sweeter Smell, and Taste. Of this Paste, she will afterwards make little Balls, of what bigness she pleaseth, which Balls she does not put in the Water afore it boyls. When therefore the Water seeths, she throws in, one Ball after another, each of which, as soon as ever it feels the fervent heat of the boyling Water, will presently cover it self over with a Skin, whereby they will be kept from sticking one to another, and running into one Mass, and returning into such a Paste as they were in, before their being made up into Pellets: Whereas, now each of them may be kept in its own Form, and be encompassed all round with the Water, and be advanced unto a Maturity, or readiness, by a due seething: And now, when you have seen this Operation of your Wives Cookery, I do not question, but that you will be well enough skilled in this Cooking Art.
C. My dearest Friend, I do friendly request you not to take it amiss, in that I cannot abstain any longer from down right laughing, when I hear that our work hath such a corresponding likeness, with the Art of Cookery: Your so faithful Instructions have already abundantly satisfied me: I have very often seen my Wife busied about the Cooking of such Balls, and my self have also delightfully fed upon these kind of Dumplins, made both of Veal, Eggs, and Spices, and also of Flower, Milk, and green Herbs. But I fear me, that when my Wife shall see me making these Balls or Pellets, and boyling them in a little Pot, she will laugh at me, and say, that I learned my Skil from her.
B. ’Tis no Matter, you have no reason to regard either the tatling of your Wife, or of all Men whatever: For they know not what they do, it is enough for you, that your self know what end it is, you do any thing for: Think you, that if other Wiselings and Know-littles should see you working with such little Balls, they would not deride and mock you. But don’t you at all mind their unprofitable Prating, leave the shril-sounding Geese to their own loud Chatling, and follow you my Doctrine, and wrap up this our Cookery Art in the darkness of Silence: Which if you do, you need not fear of being mockt, or laught at by either Women, or Womanish Men.
C. I have now (praised be God) learned enough: But yet, there is one thing I am ignorant of, and that is this, by what sign I may come to know, when my Pellets are well enough boyled, and what Fire they are to be boyled in. The Fire of Wood and Coals, I know is used by the feminine Sex for to boyl withal, but whether or no, the same be necessary and conducive to our Operation, I request you to inform me.
B. Have you never seen, what proof Women have to know, when their Dumplings are well boyled? They are wont to take one out, and cut it in twain, that they may see, whether or no the inside, as well as the outside of the same be so well seethed, as that the Flower is not any more tenacious or Clammy: Do you even the same, and sometimes put a piece of one of your Pellets you take out, in the Cineritium or Cupel, and that will shew unto you, how much increase of Sol and Lune hath particularly added its self to your Balls, in that time of the boyling, and how long they are, as yet, to be boyled. Now you know, that all these things are to be searcht into, by your own Meditation and Tryal, because it can not possibly be, that all things can be so very clearly set afore ones Eyes, as to need no farther meditating thereupon, and inquisition thereinto. After this manner may you boyl in one Pot, with one and the same Water, two, three, or more little Bowls, of different kinds, as, some made of Flower, green Herbs, Spices, Flesh, Eggs, Fish, and other things, and so, after the seething of them, you make take forth one kind after another, and Particularly apply them to your Use. For these things are to be understood concerning Particulars. But if you have a mind desirous after the Universal Medicine, then must you enter upon a certain way of almost an whole entire year, which is necessarily requisite to the finishing of its Operation. For our Magnet, whose Task it is to extract the Form of the Gold out of our Waters, doth as yet groan under its immaturity, and therefore needs no small space of time, for the extracting the Tincture out of our fugacious and combustible Waters, and fixing it with it self.
C. These Words of yours, by which you mention so long a time, do not a little affrighten me. Our Wives can boyl their Dumplins enough in one hours space; what will such a continued boyling cost? I would be glad to redeem it, [or, to be excused] for the price of two Golden pieces of Money [or Duckets.]
B. I should tell you, that you are of the Off-spring of unbelieving Thomas, for you heap upon your self, by your needless incredulity, such heaps and Loads of Cares. Don’t you remember, that I told you at first, that the Charges of the whole work, from the beginning to the very end, do not exceed two Golden pieces of Money, which they call Duckets. And that I do not at all tell you an untruth, I will expound it unto you by an evident Demonstration. When you shall heat your well covered Pot, that so your Water may not vanish away in fume, with the small fire of a Lamp, how much I pray will such a Labour cost you? Put Case, that some Pounds of water cost you some Asses or Stivers, and the Magnet doth also cost you some Stivers, [ten Asses are a Roman Peny, which is Seven pence half Peny of our Money] and now how many Pounds of Oyl will there need to nourish that so little a Fire? And though you should spend forty, fifty, or more Pounds of Oyl, may not you well say, that you shall finish the whole work, for the Charge of two Golden Duckets. Well! what say you? Are you yet Content?
C. You do now again somewhat encourage my mind, which had almost fainted, by telling me, that the Matters necessary for our Work are sold at so mean a Price. But there’s one thing still that doth not a little trouble me, and that is, that so much time is required to the Fixation. All the other things are as well as I could wish: But, I would fain have had that shorter work of three hours, or seven days.
B. O thou Dreamer, what have I to do with thee? What? doth that space of time, wherein such excellent and most profitable Fruits are to be hoped for by thee, seem too long? What dost thou think to get without length of time? Good things are not wont to offer themselves without Process of time, as the common Proverb tells us. Mean while you may follow your Vocation, nor needs there any other Labour, than that you look to your Lamp Morning and Evening, and see how the Fire is. And I pray, are not the Country men constrained to wait their time, wherein to reap, and again to receive the Fruits which they committed to the Earth? And though they have sown their Seeds afore the approach of the Winter, yet they cannot reap them again from the Earth, sooner than the next following August, which then rewards and recompenseth all their hard Labours. But now, the waiting so long a time does not tire them; for they patiently expect the time of Harvest. Thus likewise are you to do, but if you are greedily desirous of sooner making ready your Pellets, or Balls, by the boyling, you may I Confess, have a sooner ending of your expectation, and that on this wise, viz. by a stronger Fire, which may make your Water boyl without any ceasing, but yet in this same way of Operating there doth again happen this trouble, from that strong and uncessant seething, viz. that your Water being without any intermission resolved into Fume and Vapour, is always lessened, and you must of necessity be always pouring in more new. Use which of these two ways you please, for you are e’en importunate and troublesome enough unto me. I will not, for the time to come, take on me to instruct any more such Disciples as you are. What do you think, that if that short work of three days, or of seven hours were known unto me, I would presently reveal it unto you? No! But yet I am not gotten to so high a Degree of knowledge, as to profess my self a Master of so great an Art. I do believe though, that such things are possible to be done, but I deny, that I my self am able to do such notable things. And now, go home, in God’s Name, and diligently and seriously meditate upon all these things: You have heard enough, and my time will no longer permit me to confer with you. If perhaps, one or two Errours should put a stop to your proceedings, you may again come unto me, and ask me thereabouts. Mean while I commend you unto God, and pray him to bestow his Blessing upon your self, and your Labours.
C. Now am I contented, not know what farther I should ask: I am sorry, that I have so much troubled you by my dull Brains, and beetle Head, and been so importunate: Nor know I, how to requite your deserts, God will reward you with Life eternal, I shall go home full of joy, and bear a glad Message, and Tidings unto my Family. And I pray God to be at all times present with us, to our Help and Succour.
B. Amen.