An alchemical secret text of Artephius....

The Secret Book of Artephius This has been transcribed from 'In Pursuit of Gold' by 'Lapidus'. This treatise describes the entire process of preparing the philosopher's stone. There are three separate operations described here: the preparation of the 'secret fire' (the catalyst or solvent which is used throughout the whole work, without which nothing can be achieved, but which is seldom if ever mentioned in any alchemical treatise), the preparation of 'mercury' (a metallic vapor made from antimony and iron, said to resemble vulgar mercury (Hg) in appearance, necessary in the preparation of the stone) and the preparation of the stone itself. These operations are not presented in sequence. The reader will note that the language is allusive and recondite, that several names are used to refer to the same thing and that one name is used to refer to several things. This is, however, an exceptionally clear alchemical text. Artephius is said to have written this in the 12th century. Lapidus doesn't say who translated it (presumably from the Latin). Comments in [square brackets] are by the transcriber. The Secret Book Artephius (1) Antimony is a mineral participating of saturnine parts, and has in all respects the nature thereof. This saturnine antimony agrees with sol, and contains in itself argent vive, in which no metal is swallowed up, except gold, and gold is truly swallowed up by this antimonial argent vive. Without this argent vive no metal whatsoever can be whitened; it whitens laton, i.e. gold; reduceth a perfect body into its prima materia, or first matter, viz. into sulphur and argent vive, of a white color, and outshining a looking glass. It dissolves, I say the perfect body, which is so in its own nature; for this water is friendly and agreeable with the metals, whitening sol, because it contains in itself white or pure argent vive. (2) And from both these you may draw a great arcanum, viz. a water of saturnine antimony, mercurial and white; to the end that it may whiten sol, not burning, but dissolving, and afterwards congealing to the consistence or likeness of white cream. Therefore, saith the philosopher, this water makes the body to be volatile; because after it has dissolved in it, and infrigidated, it ascends above and swims upon the surface of the water. Take, saith he, crude leaf gold, or calcined with mercury, and put it into our vinegre, made of saturnine antimony, mercurial, and sal ammoniac, in a broad glass vessel, and four inches high or more; put it into a gentle heat, and in a short time you will see elevated a liquor, as it were oil swimming atop, much like a scum. Gather this with a spoon or feather dipping it in; and in doing so often times a day until nothing more arises; evaporate the water with a gentle heat, i.e., the superfluous humidity of the vinegre, and there will remain the quintessence, potestates or powers of gold in the form of a white oil incombustible. In this oil the philosophers have placed their greatest secrets; it is exceeding sweet, and of great virtue for easing the pains of wounds. (3) The whole, then, of this antimonial secret is, that we know how by it to extract or draw forth argent vive, out of the body of Magnesia, not burning, and this is antimony, and a mercurial sublimate. That is, you must extract a living and incombustible water, and then congeal, or coagulate it with the perfect body of sol, i.e. fine gold, without alloy; which is done by dissolving it into a nature [sic? mature?] white substance of the consistency of cream, and made thoroughly white. But first this sol by putrefaction and resolution in this water, loseth all its light and brightness, and will grow dark and black; afterwards it will ascend above the water, and by little and little will swim upon it, in a substance of a white color. And this is the whitening of red laton to sublimate it philosophically, and to reduce it into its first matter; viz. into a white incombustible sulphur, and into a fixed argent vive. Thus the perfect body of sol, resumeth life in this water; it is revived, inspired, grows, and is multiplied in its kind, as all other things are. For in this water, it so happens, that the body compounded of two bodies, viz. sol and luna, is puffed up, swells, putrefies, is raised up, and does increase by the receiving from the vegetable and animated nature and substance. (4) Our water also, or vinegar aforesaid, is the vinegar of the mountains, i.e. of sol and luna; and therefore it is mixed with gold and silver, and sticks close to them perpetually; and the body receiveth from this water a white tincture, and shines with inestimable brightness. Who so knows how to convert, or change the body into a medicinal white gold, may easily by the same white gold change all imperfect metals into the best or finest silver. And this white gold is called by the philosophers "luna alba philosophorum, argentum vivum album fixum, aurum alchymiae, and fumus albus" [white philosophical silver, white fixed mercury, alchemical gold and white (something)]: and therefore without this our antimonial vinegar, the aurum album of the philosophers cannot be made. And because in our vinegar there is a double substance of argentum vivum, the one from antimony, and the other from mercury sublimated, it does give a double weight and substance of fixed argent vive, and also augments therein the native color, weight, substance and tincture thereof. (5) Our dissolving water therefore carries with it a great tincture, and a great melting or dissolving; because that when it feels the vulgar fire, if there be in it the pure and fine bodies of sol or luna, it immediately melts them, and converts them into its white substance such as itself is, and gives to the body color, weight, and tincture. In it also is a power of liquefying or melting all things that can be melted or dissolved; it is a water ponderous, viscous, precious, and worthy to be esteemed, resolving all crude bodies into their prima materia, or first matter, viz. earth and a viscous powder; that is into sulphur, and argentum vivum. If therefore you put into this water, leaves, filings, or calx of any metal, and set it in a gentle heat for a time, the whole will be dissolved, and converted into a viscous water, or white oil as aforesaid. Thus it mollifies the body, and prepares for liquefaction; yea, it makes all things fusible, viz. stones and metals, and after gives them spirit and life. And it dissolves all things with an admirable solution, transmuting the perfect body into a fusible medicine, melting, or liquefying, moreover fixing, and augmenting the weight and color. (6) Work therefore with it, and you shall obtain from it what you desire, for it is the spirit and soul of sol and luna; it is the oil, the dissolving water, the fountain, the Balneum Mariae, the praeternatural fire, the moist fire, the secret, hidden and invisible fire. It is also the most acrid vinegar, concerning which an ancient philosopher saith, I besought the Lord, and he showed me a pure clear water, which I knew to be the pure vinegar, altering, penetrating, and digesting. I say a penetrating vinegar, and the moving instrument for putrefying, resolving and reducing gold or silver into their prima materia or first matter. And it is the only agent in the universe, which in this art is able to reincrudate metallic bodies with the conservation of their species. It is therefore the only apt and natural medium, by which we ought to resolve the perfect bodies of sol and luna, by a wonderful and solemn dissolution, with the conservation of the species, and without any destruction, unless it be to a new, more noble, and better form or generation, viz. into the perfect philosopher's stone, which is their wonderful secret or arcanum. (7) Now this water is a certain middle substance, clear as fine silver, which ought to receive the tinctures of sol and luna, so as they may be congealed, and changed into a white and living earth. For this water needs the perfect bodies, that with them after the dissolution, it may be congealed, fixed, and coagulated into a white earth. But if this solution is also their coagulation, for they have one and the same operation, because one is not dissolved, but the other is congealed, nor is there any other water which can dissolve the bodies, but that which abideth with them in the matter and the form. It cannot be permanent unless it be of the nature of other bodies, that they may be made one. When therefore you see the water coagulate itself with the bodies that be dissolved therein; be assured that thy knowledge, way of working, and the work itself are true and philosophic, and that you have done rightly according to art. (8) Thus you see that nature has to be amended by its own like nature; that is, gold and silver are to be exalted in our water, as our water also with these bodies; which water is called the medium of the soul, without which nothing has to be done in this art. It is a vegetable, mineral and animal fire, which conserves the fixed spirits of sol and luna, but destroys and conquers their bodies; for it destroys, overturns, and changes bodies and metallic forms, making them to be no bodies but a fixed spirit. And it turns them into a humid substance, soft and fluid, which hath ingression and power to enter into other imperfect bodies, and to mix with them in their smallest parts, and to tinge and make them perfect. But this they could not do while they remained in their metallic forms or bodies, which were dry and hard, whereby they could have no entrance into other things, so to tinge and make perfect, what was before imperfect. (9) It is necessary therefore to convert the bodies of metals into a fluid substance; for that every tincture will tinge a thousand times more in a soft and liquid substance, than when it is in a dry one, as is plainly apparent in saffron. Therefore the transmutation of imperfect metals is impossible to be done by perfect bodies, while they are dry and hard; for which cause sake they must be brought back into their first matter, which is soft and fluid. It appears therefore that the moisture must be reverted that the hidden treasure may be revealed. And this is called the reincrudation of bodies, which is the decocting and softening them, till they lose their hard and dry substance or form; because that which is dry doth not enter into, nor tinge anything except its own body, nor can it be tinged except it be tinged; because, as I said before, a thick dry earthy matter does not penetrate nor tinge, and therefore, because it cannot enter or penetrate, it can make no alteration in the matter to be altered. For this reason it is, that gold coloreth not, until its internal or hidden spirit is drawn forth out of its bowels by this, our white water, and that it may be made altogether a spiritual substance, a white vapor, a white spirit, and a wonderful soul. (10) It behoves us therefore by this our water to attenuate, alter and soften the perfect bodies, to wit sol and luna, that so they may be mixed other perfect bodies. From whence, if we had no other benefit by this our antimonial water, than that it rendered bodies soft, more subtile, and fluid, according to its own nature, it would be sufficient. But more than that, it brings back bodies to their original of sulphur and mercury, that of them we may afterwards in a little time, in less than an hour's time do that above ground which nature was a thousand years doing underground, in the mines of the earth, which is a work almost miraculous. (11) And therefore our ultimate, or highest secret is, by this our water, to make bodies volatile, spiritual, and a tincture, or tinging water, which may have ingress or entrance into bodies; for it makes bodies to be merely spirit, because it reduces hard and dry bodies, and prepares them for fusion, melting and dissolving; that is, it converts them into a permanent or fixed water. And so it makes of bodies a most precious and desirable oil, which is the true tincture, and the permanent fixed white water, by nature hot and moist, or rather temperate, subtile, fusible as wax, which does penetrate, sink, tinge, and make perfect the work. And this our water immediately dissolves bodies (as sol and luna) and makes them into an incombustible oil, which then may be mixed with other imperfect bodies. It also converts other bodies into the nature of a fusible salt which the philosophers call "sal alebrot philosophorum", better and more noble than any other salt, being in its own nature fixed and not subject to vanish in fire. It is an oil indeed by nature hot, subtile, penetrating, sinking through and entering into other bodies; it is called the perfect or great elixir, and the hidden secret of the wise searchers of nature. He therefore that knows this salt of sol and luna, and its generation and perfection, and afterwards how go commix it, and make it homogene with other perfect bodies, he in truth knows one of the greatest secrets of nature, and the only way that leads to perfection. (12) These bodies thus dissolved by our water are called argent vive, which is not without its sulphur, nor sulphur without the fixedness of sol and luna; because sol and luna are the particular means, or medium in the form through which nature passes in the perfecting or completing thereof. And this argent vive is called our esteemed and valuable salt, being animated and pregnant, and our fire, for that is nothing but fire; yet not fire, but sulphur; and not sulphur only, but also quicksilver drawn from sol and luna by our water, and reduced to a stone of great price. That is to say it is a matter or substance of sol and luna, or silver and gold, altered from vileness to nobility. Now you must note that this white sulphur is the father and mother of the metals; it is our mercury, and the mineral of gold; also the soul, and the ferment; yea, the mineral virtue, and the living body; our sulphur, and our quicksilver; that is, sulphur of sulphur, quicksilver of quicksilver, and mercury of mercury. (13) The property therefore of our water is, that it melts or dissolves gold and silver, and increases their native tincture or color. For it changes their bodies from being corporeal, into a spirituality; and it is in this water which turns the bodies, or corporeal substance into a white vapor, which is a soul which is whiteness itself, subtile, hot and full of fire. This water also called the tinging or blood-color-making stone, being the virtue of the spiritual tincture, without which nothing can be done; and is the subject of all things that can be melted, and of liquefaction itself, which agrees perfectly and unites closely with sol and luna from which it can never be separated. For it joined [joins?] in affinity to the gold and silver, but more immediately to the gold than to the silver; which you are to take special notice of. It is also called the medium of conjoining the tinctures of sol and luna with the inferior or imperfect metals; for it turns the bodies into the true tincture, to tinge the said imperfect metals, also it is the water that whiteneth, as it is whiteness itself, which quickeneth, as it is a soul; and therefore as the philosopher saith, quickly entereth into its body. (14) For it is a living water which comes to moisten the earth, that it may spring out, and in its due season bring forth much fruit; for all things springing from the earth, are endued through dew and moisture. The earth therefore springeth not forth without watering and moisture; it is the water proceeding from May dew that cleanseth the body; and like rain it penetrates them, and makes one body of two bodies. This aqua vite or water of life, being rightly ordered and disposed with the body, it whitens it, and converts or changes it into its white color, for this water is a white vapor, and there- fore the body is whitened with it. It behoves you therefore to whiten the body, and open its unfoldings, for between these two, that is between the body and the water, there is desire and friendship, like as between male and female, because of the propinquity and likeness of their natures. (15) Now this our second and living water is called "Azoth", the water washing the laton viz. the body compounded of sol and luna by our first water; it is also called the soul of the dissolved bodies, which souls we have even now tied together, for the use of the wise philosopher. How precious then, and how great a thing is this water; for without it, the work could never be done or perfected; it is also called the "vase naturae", the belly, the womb, the receptacle of the tincture, the earth, the nurse. It is the royal fountain in which the king and queen bathe themselves; and the mother must be put into and sealed up within the belly of her infant; and that is sol himself, who proceeded from her, and whom she brought forth; and therefore they have loved one another as mother and son, and are conjoined together, because they come from one and the same root, and are of the same substance and nature. And because this water is the water of the vegetable life, it causes the dead body to vegetate, increase and spring forth, and to rise from death to life, by being dissolved first and then sublimed. And in doing this the body is converted into a spirit, and the spirit afterwards into a body; and then is made the amity, the peace, the concord, and the union of contraries, to wit, between the body and the spirit, which reciprocally, or mutually change their natures which they receive, and communicate one to another through their most minute parts, so that that which is hot is mixed with that which is cold, the dry with the moist, and the hard with the soft; by which means, there is a mixture made of contrary natures, viz. of cold and hot, and moist with dry, even most admirable unity between enemies. (16) Our dissolution then of bodies, which is made such in this first water, is nothing else, but a destroying or overcoming of the moist with the dry, for the moist is coagulated with the dry. For the moisture is contained under, terminated with, and coagulated in the dry body, to wit, in that which is earthy. Let therefore the hard and the dry bodies be put into our first water in a vessel, which close well, and let them there abide till they be dissolved, and ascend to the top; then may they be called a new body, the white gold made by art, the white stone, the white sulphur, not inflammable, the paradisical stone, viz. the stone transmuting imperfect metals into white silver. Then we have also the body, soul and spirit altogether; of which spirit and soul it is said, that they cannot be extracted from the perfect bodies, but by the help or conjunction of our dissolving water. Because it is certain, that the things fixed cannot be lifted up, or made to ascend, but by the conjunction or help of that which is volatile. (17) The spirit, therefore, by help of the water and the soul, is drawn forth from the bodies themselves, and the body is thereby made spiritual; for that at the same instant of time, the spirit, with the soul of the bodies, ascends on high to the superior part, which is the perfection of the stone and is called sublimation. This sublimation, is made by things acid, spiritual, volatile, and which are in their own nature sulphureous and viscous, which dissolves bodies and makes them to ascend, and be changed into air and spirit. And in this sublimation, a certain part of our said first water ascends with the bodies, joining itself with them, ascending and subliming into one neutral and complex substance, which contains the nature of the two, viz. the nature of the two bodies and the water. and therefore it is called the corporeal and spiritual compositum, corjufle, cambar, ethelia, zandarith, duenech, the good; but properly it is called the permanent or fixed water only, because it flies not in the fire. But it perpetually adheres to the commixed or compound bodies, that is, the sol and luna, and communicates to them the living tincture, incombustible and most fixed, much more noble and precious than the former which these bodies had. Because from henceforth this tincture runs like oil, running through and penetrating bodies, and giving to them its wonderful fixity; and this tincture is the spirit, and the spirit is the soul, and the soul is the body. For in this operation, the body is made a spirit of a most subtile nature; and again, the spirit is corporified and changed into the nature of the body, with the bodies, whereby our stone consists of a body, a soul, and a spirit. (18) O God, how through nature, doth thou change a body into a spirit: which could not be done, if the spirit were not incorporated with the bodies, and the bodies made volatile with the spirit, and afterwards permanent and fixed. For this cause sake, they have passed over into one another, and by the influence of wisdom, are converted into one another. O Wisdom: how thou makest the most fixed gold to be volatile and fugitive, yeah, though by nature it is the most fixed of all things in the world. It is necessary therefore, to dissolve and liquefy these bodies by our water, and to make them a permanent or fixed water, a pure, golden water leaving in the bottom the gross, earthy, superfluous and dry matter. And in this subliming, making thin and pure, the fire ought to be gentle; but if in this subliming with soft fire, the bodies be not purified, and the gross and earthy parts thereof (note this well) be not separated from the impurities of the dead, you shall not be able to perfect the work. For thou needest nothing but the thin and subtile part of the dissolved bodies, which our water will give thee, if thou proceedest with a slow or gentle fire, by separating the things heterogene from the things homogene. (19) This compositum then has its mundification or cleaning, by our moist fire, which by dissolving and subliming that which is pure and white, it cast forth its feces or filth like a voluntary vomit, for in such a dissolution and natural sublimation or lifting up, there is a loosening or untying of the elements, and a cleansing and separating of the pure from the impure. So that the pure and white substance ascends upwards and the impure and earthy remains fixed in the bottom of the water and the vessel. This must be taken away and removed, because it is of no value, taking only the middle white substance, flowing and melted or dissolved, rejecting the feculent earth, which remains below in the bottom. These feces were separated partly by the water, and are the dross and terra damnata, which is of no value, nor can do any such service as the clear, white, pure and clear matter, which is wholly and only to be taken and made use of. (20) And against this capharean rock, the ship of knowledge, or art of the young philosopher is often, as it happened also to me sometimes, dashed together in pieces, or destroyed, because the philosophers for the most part speak by the contraries. That is to say that nothing must be removed or taken away, except the moisture, which is the blackness; which notwithstanding they speak and write only to the unwary, who, without a master, indefatigable reading, or humble supplications to God Almighty, would ravish away the golden fleece. It is therefore to be observed, that this separation, division, and sublimation, is without a doubt the key to the whole work. [the first 20 chapters of this treatise were presented under the heading 'the secret book' (chapter 3 of 'in pursuit of gold'). at this point is begun chapter 4, 'the wisdom of artephius', which contains the balance of the treatise. I feel the division is significant, though I couldn't quite say why] (21) After the putrefaction, then, and dissolution of these bodies, our bodies also ascend to the top, even to the surface of the dissolving water, in a whiteness of color, which whiteness is life. And in this whiteness, the antimonial and mercurial soul, is by natural compact infused into, and joined with the spirits of sol and luna, which separate the thin from the thick, and the pure from the impure. That is, by lifting up, by little and little, the thin and the pure part of the body, from the feces and impurity, until all the pure parts are separated and ascended. And in this work is out natural and philosophical sublimation work completed. Now in this whiteness is the soul infused into the body, to wit, the mineral virtue, which is more subtile than fire, being indeed the true quintessence and life, which desires or hungers to be born again, and to put off the defilements and be spoiled of its gross and earthy feces, which it has taken from its monstrous womb, and corrupt place of its original. And in this our philosophical sublimation, not in the impure, corrupt, vulgar mercury, which has no qualities or properties like to those, with which our mercury, drawn from its vitriolic caverns is adorned. But let us return to our sublimation. (22) It is most certain therefore in this art, that this soul extracted from the bodies, cannot be made to ascend, but by adding to it a volatile matter, which is of its own kind. By which the bodies will be made volatile and spiritual, lifting themselves up, subtilizing and subliming themselves, contrary to their own proper nature, which is corporeal, heavy and ponderous. And by this means they are unbodied, or made no bodies, to wit, incorporeal, and a quintessence of the nature of a spirit, which is called, "avis hermetis", and "mercurius extractus", drawn from a red subject or matter. And so the terrene or earthy parts remain below, or rather the grosser parts of the bodies, which can by no industry or ingenuity of man be brought to a perfect dissolution. (23) And this white vapor, this white gold, to wit, this quintessence, is called also the compound magnesia, which like a man does contain, or like a man is composed of a body, soul and spirit. Now the body is the fixed solar earth, exceeding the most subtile matter, which by the help of our divine water is with difficulty lifted up or separated. The soul is the tincture of sol and luna, proceeding from the conjunction, or communication of these two, to wit, the bodies of sol and luna, and our water, and the spirit is the mineral power, or virtue of the bodies, and also out of the bodies like as the tinctures or colors in dying cloth are by the water put upon, and diffused in and through the cloth. And this mercurial spirit is the chain or band of the solar soul; and the solar body is that body which contains the spirit and soul, having the power of fixing in itself, being joined with luna. The spirit therefore penetrates, the body fixes, and the soul joins together, tinges and whitens. From these three bodies united together is our stone made: to wit, sol, luna and mercury. (24) Therefore with this our golden water, a natural substance is extracted, exceeding all natural substances; and so, except the bodies be broken and destroyed, imbibed, made subtile and fine, thriftily, and diligently managed, till they are abstracted from, or lose their grossness or solid substance, and be changed into a subtile spirit, all our labor will be in vain. And unless the bodies be made no bodies or incorporeal, that is converted into the philosophers mercury, there is no rule of art yet found out to work by. The reason is, because it is impossible to draw out of the bodies all that most thin and subtile spirit, which has in itself the tincture, except it first be resolved in our water. Dissolve then the bodies in this our golden water, and boil them until all the tincture is brought forth by the water, in a white color and a white oil; and when you see this whiteness upon the water, then know that the bodies are melted, liquified or dissolved. Continue then this boiling, till the dark, black, and white cloud is brought forth, which they have conceived. (25) Put therefore the perfect bodies of metals, to wit, sol and luna, into our water in a vessel, hermetically sealed, upon a gentle fire, and digest continually, till they are perfectly resolved into a most precious oil. Saith Adfar, digest with a gentle fire, as it were for the hatching of chickens, so long till the bodies are dissolved, and their perfectly conjoined tincture is extracted, mark this well. But it is not extracted all at once, but it is drawn out by little and little, day by day, and hour by hour, till after a long time, the solution thereof is completed, and that which is dissolved always swims atop. And while this dissolution is in hand, let the fire be gentle and continual, till the bodies are dissolved into a viscous and most subtile water, and the whole tincture be educed, in color first black, which is the sign of a true dissolution. (26) Then continue the digestion, till it become a white fixed water, for being digested in balneo, it will afterwards become clear, and in the end become like common argent vive, ascending by the spirit above the first water. When there you see bodies dissolved in the first viscous water, then know, that they are turned into a vapor, and the soul is separated from the dead body, and by sublimation, turned into the order of spirits. Whence both of them, with a part of our water, are made spirits flying up in the air; and there the compounded body, made of the male and female, viz. of sol and luna, and of that most subtile nature, cleansed by sublimation, taketh life, and is made spiritual by its own humidity. That is by its own water; like as a man is sustained by the air, whereby from thenceforth it is multiplied, and increases in its own kind, as do all other things. In such an ascention therefore, and philosophical sublimation, all are joined one with another, and the new body subtilized, or made living by the spirit, miraculously liveth or springs like a vegetable. (27) Wherefore, unless the bodies be attenuated, or made thin, by the fire and water, till they ascend in a spirit, and are made or do become like water and vapor or mercury, you labor wholly in vain. But when they arise or ascend, they are born or brought forth in the air or spirit, and in the same they are changed, and made life with life, so as they can never be separated, but are as water mixed with water. And therefore, it is wisely said, that the stone is born of the spirit, because it is altogether spiritual. For the vulture himself flying without wings cries upon the top of the mountain, saying, I am the white brought forth from the black, and the red brought forth from the white, the citrine son of the red; I speak the truth and lie not. (28) It sufficeth thee then to put the bodies in the vessel, and into the water once and for all, and to close the vessel well, until a true separation is made. This the obscure artist calls conjunction, sublimation, assation, extraction, putrefaction, ligation, desponsation, subtilization, generation, etc. (29) Now the whole magistery may be perfected, work, as in the generation of man, and of every vegetable; put the seed once into the womb, and shut it up well. Thus you may see that you need not many things, and that this our work requires no great charges, for that there is but one stone, there is but one medicine, one vessel, one order of working, and one successive disposition to the white and to the red. And although we say in many places, take this, and take that, yet we understand, that it behoves us to take but one thing, and put it once into the vessel, until the work be perfected. But these things are so set down by obscure philosophers to deceive the unwary, as we have before spoken; for is not this "ars cabalistica" or a secret and a hidden art? Is it not an art full of secrets? And believest thou O fool that we plainly teach this secret of secrets, taking our words according to their literal signification? Truly, I tell thee, that as for myself, I am no ways self seeking, or envious as others are; but he that takes the words of the other philosophers according to their common signification, he even already, having lost Ariadne's clue of thread, wanders in the midst of the labyrinth, multiplies errors, and casts away his money for naught. (30) And I, Artephius, after I became an adept, and had attained to the true and complete wisdom, by studying the books of the most faithful Hermes, the speaker of truth, was sometimes obscure also as others were. But when I had for the space of a thousand years, or thereabouts, which has now passed over my head, since the time I was born to this day, through the alone goodness of God Almighty, by the use of this wonderful quintessence. When I say for so very long a time, I found no man had found out or obtained this hermetic secret, because of the obscurity of the philosophers words. Being moved with a generous mind, and the integrity of a good man, I have determined in these latter days of my life, to declare all things truly and sincerely, that you may not want anything for the perfecting of this stone of the philosophers. Excepting one certain thing, which is not lawful for me to discover to any, because it is either revealed or made known by God himself, or taught by some master, which notwithstanding he that can bend himself to the search thereof, by the help of a little experience, may easily learn in this book. (31) In this book I have therefore written the naked truth, though clothed or disguised with few colors; yet so that every good and wise man may happily have those desirable apples of the Hesperides from this our philosophers tree. Wherefore praises be given to the most high God, who has poured into our soul of his goodness; and through a good old age, even an almost infinite number of years, has truly filled our hearts with his love, in which, methinks, I embrace, cherish, and truly love all mankind together. But to return to out business. Truly our work is perfectly performed; for that which the heat of sun is a hundred years in doing, for the generation of one metal in the bowels of the earth; our secret fire, that is, our fiery and sulphureous water, which is called Balneum Mariae, doth as I have often seen in a very short time. (32) Now this operation or work is a thing of no great labor to him who knows and understands it; nor is the matter so dear, consideration [sic, considering?] how small a quantity does suffice, that it may cause any man to withdraw his hand from it. It is indeed, a work so short and easy, that it may well be called woman's work, and the play of children. Go to it then,, my son, put up thy supplications to God almighty; be diligent in searching the books of the learned in this science; for one book openeth another; think and meditate of these things profoundly; and avoid all things which vanish in or will not endure the fire, because from these adjustible, perishing or consuming things, you can never attain to the perfect matter, which is only found in the digesting of your water, extracted from sol and luna. For by this water, color, and ponderosity or weight, are infinitely given to the matter; and this water is a white vapor, which like a soul flows through the perfect bodies, taking wholly from them their blackness, and impurities, uniting the two bodies in one, and increasing their water. Nor is there any other thing than Azoth, to wit, this our water, which can take from the perfect bodies of sol and luna, their natural color, making the red body white, according to the disposition thereof. (33) Now let us speak of the fire. Our fire is mineral, equal, continuous; it fumes not, unless it be too much stirred up, participates of sulphur, and is taken from other things than from the matter; it overturns all things, dissolves, congeals, and calcines, and is to be found out by art, or after an artificial manner. It is a compendious thing, got without cost or charge, or at least without any great purchase; it is humid, vaporous, digestive, altering, penetrating, subtile, spiritous, not violent, incombustible, circumspective, continent, and one only thing. It is also a fountain of living water, which circumvolveth and contains the place, in which the king and queen bathe themselves; through the whole work this moist fire is sufficient; in the beginning, middle and end, because in it, the whole of the art does consist. This is the natural fire, which is yet against nature, not natural and which burns not; lastly, this fire is hot, cold, dry, moist; meditate on these things and proceed directly without anything of a foreign nature. If you understand not these fires, give ear to what I have yet to say, never as yet written in any book, but drawn from the more abstruse and occult riddles of the ancients. (34) We have properly three fires, without which our art cannot be perfected; and whosoever works without them takes a great deal of labor in vain. The first fire is that of the lamp, which is continuous, humid, vaporous, spiritous, and found out by art. This lamp ought to be proportioned to the enclosure; wherein you must use great judgement, which none can attain to, but he that can bend to the search thereof. For if this fire of the lamp be not measured, or duly proportioned or fitted to the furnace, it will be, that either for the want of heat you will not see the expected signs, in their limited times, whereby you will lose your hopes and expectation by a too long delay; or else, by reason of too much heat, you will burn the "flores auri", the golden flowers, and so foolishly bewail your lost expense. (35) The second fire is ignis cinerum, an ash heat, in which the vessel hermetically sealed is recluded, or buried; or rather it is that most sweet and gentle heat, which proceeding from the temperate vapors of the lamp, does equally surround your vessel. This fire is not violent or forcing, except it be too much excited or stirred up; it is a fire digestive; alterative, and taken from another body than the matter; being but one only, moist also, and not natural. (36) The third fire, is the natural fire of water, which is also called the fire against nature, because it is water; and yet nevertheless, it makes a mere spirit of gold, which common fire is not able to do. This fire is mineral, equal, and participates of sulphur; it overturns or destroys, congeals, dissolves, and calcines; it is penetrating, subtile, incombustible and not burning, and is the fountain of living water, wherein the king and queen bathe themselves, whose help we stand in need of through the whole work, through the beginning, middle, and end. But the other two above mentioned, we have not always occasion for, but only at sometimes. In reading therefore the books of the philosophers, conjoin these three fires in your judgement, and without doubt, you will understand whatever they have written of them. (37) Now as to the colors, that which does not make black cannot make white, because blackness is the beginning of whiteness, and a sign of putrefaction and alteration, and that the body is now penetrated and mortified. From the putrefaction therefore in this water, there first appears blackness, like unto broth wherein some bloody thing is boiled. Secondly, the black earth by continual digestion is whitened, because the soul of the two bodies swims above upon the water, like white cream; and in this only whiteness, all the spirits are so united, that they can never fly one from another. And therefore the laton must be whitened, and its leaves unfolded, i.e., its body broken or opened, lest we labor in vain; for this whiteness is the perfect stone for the white work, and a body ennobled to that end; even a tincture of a most exuberant glory, and shining brightness, which never departs from the body it is once joined with. Therefore you must note here, that the spirits are not fixed but in the white color, which is more noble than the other colors, and is more vehemently to be desired, for that as it were the complement or perfection of the whole work. (38) For our earth putrefies and becomes black, then it is putrefied in lifting up or separation; afterwards being dried, its blackness goes away from it, and then it is whitened, and the feminine dominion of the darkness and humidity perisheth; then also the white vapor penetrates through the new body, and the spirits are bound up or fixed in the dryness. And that which is corrupting, deformed and black through the moisture, vanishes away; so the new body rises again clear, pure, white and immortal, obtaining the victory over all its enemies. And as heat working upon that which is moist, causeth or generates blackness, which is the prime or first color, so always by decoction more and more heat working upon that which is dry begets whiteness, which is the second color; and then working upon that which is purely and perfectly dry, it produces citrinity and redness, thus much for colors. WE must know therefore, that thing which has its head red and white, but its feet white and afterwards red; and its eyes beforehand black, that this thing, I say, is the only matter of our magistery. (39) Dissolve then sol and luna in our dissolving water, which is familiar and friendly, and next in nature to them; and is also sweet and pleasant to them, and as it were a womb, a mother, an original, the beginning and the end of their life. That is the reason why they are meliorated or amended in this water, because like nature, rejoices in like nature, and like nature retains like nature, being joined the one to the other, in a true marriage, by which they are made one nature, one new body, raised again from the dead, and immortal. Thus it behoves you to join consanguinity, or sameness of kind, by which these natures, will meet and follow one another, purify themselves and generate, and make one another rejoice; for that like nature now is disposed by like nature, even that which is nearest, and most friendly to it. (40) Our water then is the most beautiful, lovely, and clear fountain, prepared only for the king, and queen whom it knows very well, and they it. For it attracts them to itself, and they abide therein for two or three days, to wit, two or three months, to wash themselves therewith, whereby they are made young again and beautiful. And because sol and luna have their original from this water their mother; it is necessary therefore that they enter into it again, to wit, into their mothers womb, that they may be regenerated and born again, and made more healthy, more noble and more strong. If therefore these do not die and be converted to water, they remain alone or as they were and without fruit; but if they die, and are resolved in our water, they bring forth fruit of a hundred fold; and from that very place in which they seem to perish, from thence shall they appear to be that which they were not before. (41) Let therefore the spirit of our living water be, with all care and industry, fixed with sol and luna; for they being converted into the nature of water become dead, and appear like to the dead; from thence afterwards being revived, they increase and multiply, even as do all sorts of vegetable substances; it suffices then to dispose the matter sufficiently without, because that within, it sufficiently disposes itself for the perfection of its work. For it has in itself a certain and inherent motion, according to the true way and method, and a much better order than it is possible for any man to invent or think of. For this cause it is that you need only prepare the matter, nature herself will perfect it; and if she be not hindered by some contrary thing, she will not overpass her own certain motion, neither in conceiving or generating, nor in bringing forth. (42) Wherefore, after the preparation of the matter, beware only lest by too much heat or fire, you inflame the bath, or make it too hot; secondly, take heed lest the spirit should exhale, lest it hurt the operator, to wit, lest it destroy the work, and induce many informities, as trouble, sadness, vexation, and discontent. From these things which have been spoken, this axiom is manifest, to wit, that he can never know the necessary course of nature, in the making or generating of metals, who is ignorant of the way of destroying them. You must therefore join them together that are of one consanguinity or kindred; for like natures do find out and join with their like natures, and by putrifying themselves, and mix together and mortify themselves. It is needful therefore to know this corruption and generation, and the natures themselves do embrace one another, and are brought to a fixity in a slow and gentle fire; how like natures rejoiceth with like natures; and how they retain one another and are converted into a white consistency. (43) This white substance, if you will make it red, you must continually decoct it in a dry fire till it be rubified, or become red as blood, which is nothing but water, fire, and true tincture. And so by a continual dry fire, the whiteness is changed, removed, perfected, made citrine, and still digested till it become to a true red and fixed color. And consequently by how much more it is heightened in color, and made a true tincture of perfect redness. Wherefore with a dry fire, and a dry calcination, without any moisture, you must decoct this compositum, till it be invested with a most perfect red color, and then it will be the true and perfect elixir. (44) Now if afterwards you would multiply your tincture, you must again resolve that red, in new and fresh dissolving water, and then by decoctions first whiten, and then rubify it again, by the degrees of fire, reiterating the first method of operating in this work. Dissolve, coagulate, and reiterate the closing up, the opening and multiplying in quantity and quality at your own pleasure. For by a new corruption and generation, there is introduced a new motion. Thus we can never find an end if we do always work by reiterating the same thing over and over again, viz. by solution and coagulation, by the help of our dissolving water, by which we dissolve and congeal, as we have formerly said, in the beginning of the work. Thus also is the virtue thereof increased, and multiplied both in quantity and quality; so that if after the first course of the operation you obtain a hundred fold; by the second fold you will have a thousand fold; and by the third; ten thousand fold increase. And by pursuing your work, your projection will come to infinity, tinging truly and perfectly, and fixing the greatest quantity how much soever. Thus by a thing of small and easy price, you have both color, goodness, and weight. (45) Our fire then and azoth are sufficient for you: decoct, reiterate, dissolve, congeal, and continue this course, according as you please, multiplying it as you think good, until your medicine is made fusible as wax, and has attained the quantity and goodness or fixity and color you desire. This then is the compleating of the whole work of our second stone (observe it well) that you take the perfect body, and put it into our water in a glass vesica or body well closed, lest the air get in or the enclosed humidity get out. Keep it in digestion in a gentle heat, as it were of a balneum, and assiduously continue the operation or work upon the fire, till the decoction and digestion is perfect. And keep it in this digestion of a gentle heat, until it be purified and re-solved into blackness, and be drawn up and sublimed by the water, and is thereby cleaned from all blackness and impurity, that it may be white and subtile. Until it comes to the ultimate or highest purity of sublimation, and utmost volatility, and be made white both within and without: for the vulture flying in the air without wings, cries out that it might get up upon the mountain, that is upon the waters, upon which the "spiritus albus" or spirit of whiteness is born. Continue still a fitting fire, and that spirit, which is the subtile being of the body, and of the mercury will ascend upon the top of the water, which quintessence is more white than the driven snow. Continue yet still, and towards the end, increase the fire, till the whole spiritual substance ascend to the top. And know well, that whatsoever is clear, white-pure and spiritual, ascends in the air to the top of the water in the substance of a white vapor, which the philosophers call their virgin milk. (46) It ought to be, therefore, as one of the Sybills said, that the son of the virgin be exalted from the earth, and that the white quintessence after its rising out of the dead earth, be raised up towards heaven; the gross and thick remaining in the bottom, of the vessel and the water. Afterwards, the vessel being cooled, you will find in the bottom the black feces, scorched and burnt, which separate from the spirit and quintessence of whiteness, and cast them away. Then will the argent vive fall down from our air and spirit, upon the new earth, which is called argent vive sublimed by the air or spirit, whereof is made a viscous water, pure and white. This water is the true tincture separated from all its black feces, and our brass or latten is prepared with our water, purified and brought to a white color. Which white color is not obtained but by decoction and coagulation of the water; decoct, therefore, continually, wash away the blackness from the latten, not with your hands, but with the stone, or the fire, or our second mercurial water which is the true tincture. This separation of the pure from the impure is not done with hands, but nature herself does it, and brings it to perfection by a circular operation. (47) It appears then, that this composition is not a work of hands, but a change of the natures; because nature dissolves and joins itself, sublimes and lifts itself up, and grows white, being separated from the feces. And in such a sublimation the more subtile, pure, and essential parts are conjoined; for that with the fiery nature or property lifts up the subtile parts, it separates always the more pure, leaving the grosser at the bottom. Wherefore your fire ought to be gentle and a continual vapor, with which you sublime, that the matter may be filled with spirit from the air, and live. For naturally all things take life from the inbreathing of the air; and so also our magistery receives in the vapor or spirit, by the sublimation of the water. (48) Our brass or latten then, is to be made to ascend by the degrees of fire, but of its own accord, freely, and without violence; except the body therefore be by the fire and water broken, or dissolved, and attenuated, until it ascends as a spirit, or climbs like argent vive, or rather as the white soul, separated from the body, and by sublimation diluted or brought into a spirit, nothing is or can be done. But when it ascends on high, it is born in the air or spirit, and is changed into spirit; and becomes life with life, being only spiritual and incorruptible. And by such an operation it is that the body is made spirit, of a subtile nature, and the spirit is incorporated with the body, and made one with it; and by such a sublimation, conjunction, and raising up, the whole, both body and spirit are made white. (49) This philosophical and natural sublimation therefore is necessary which makes peace between, or fixes the body and spirit, which is impossible to be done otherwise, than in the separation of these parts. Therefore it behoves you to sublime both, that the pure may ascend, and the impure may descend, or be left at the bottom, in the perplexity of a troubled sea. And for this reason it must be continually decocted, that it may be brought to a subtile property, and the body may assume, and draw to itself the white mercurial soul, which it naturally holds, and suffers not to be separated from it, because it is like to it in the nearness of the first pure and simple nature. From these things it is necessary, to make a separation by decoction, till no more remains of the purity of the soul, which is not ascended and exalted to the higher part, whereby they will both be reduced to an equality of properties, and a simple pure whiteness. (50) The vulture flying through the air, and the toad creeping upon the ground, are the emblems of our magistery. When therefore gently and with much care, you separate the earth from the water, that is from the fire, and the thin from the thick, then that which is pure will separate itself from the earth, and ascend to the upper part, as it were into heaven, and the impure will descend beneath, as to the earth. And the more subtile part in the superior place will take upon it the nature of a spirit, and that in the lower place, the nature of an earthy body. Wherefore, let the white property with the more subtile part of the body, be by this operation, made to ascend leaving the feces behind, which is done in a short time. For the soul is aided by her associate and fellow, and perfected by it. My mother, saith the body, has begotten me, and by me she herself is begotten; now after I have taken from her, her flying she after an admirable manner becomes kind and nourishing, and cherishing the son whom she has begotten till he come to a ripe or perfect age. (51) Hear now this secret: keep the body in our mercurial water, till it ascends with the white soul, and the earthy part descends to the bottom, which is called the residing earth. Then you shall see the water coagulate itself with the body, and be assured the art is true; because the body coagulates the moisture into dryness, like as the rennet of a lamb or calf turns milk into cheese. In the same manner the spirit penetrates the body, and is perfectly comixed with it in its smallest atoms, and the body draws to itself his moisture, to wit, its white soul, like as the loadstone draws iron, because of the nearness and likeness of its nature; and then one contains the other. And this is the sublimation and coagulation, which retaineth every volatile thing, making it fixed for ever. (52) This compositum then is not a mechanical thing, or a work of the hands, but as I said, a changing of natures; and a wonderful connection of their cold with hot, and the moist with the dry; the hot is mixed with the cold, and the dry with the moist: By this means is made the mixture and conjunction of body and spirit, which is called a conversion of contrary spirits and natures, because by such a dissolution and sublimation, the spirit is converted into a body and body in a spirit. So that the natures being mixed together, and reduced into one, do change one another: and as the body corporifies the spirit, or changes it into a body, so also does the spirit convert the body into a tinging and white spirit. (53) Wherefore as the last time I say, decoct the body in our white water, viz. mercury, till it is dissolved into blackness, and then by continual decoction, let it be deprived of the same blackness, and the body so dissolved, will at length ascend or rise with a white soul. And then the one will be mixed with the other, and so embrace one another that it shall not be possible any more to separate them, but the spirit, with a real agreement, will be unified with the body, and make one permanent or fixed substance. And this is the solution of the body, and coagulation of the spirit which have one and the same operation. Who therefore knows how to conjoin the principles, or direct the work, to impregnate, to mortify, to putrefy, to generate, to quicken the species, to make white, to cleanse the culture from its blackness and darkness, till he is purged by the fire and tinged, and purified from all his spots, shall be the possessor of a treasure so great that even kings themselves shall venerate him. (54) Wherefore, let our body remain in the water till it is dissolved into a subtile powder in the bottom of the vessel and the water, which is called the black ashes; this is the corruption of the body which is called by the philosophers or wise men, "Saturnus plumbum philosophorum", and pulvis discontinuatus, viz. saturn, latten or brass, the lead of the philosophers the disguised powder. And in this putrefaction and resolution of the body, three signs appear, viz., a black color, a discontinuity of parts, and a stinking smell, not much unlike to the smell of a vault where dead bodies are buried. These ashes then are those of which the philosophers have spoken so much which remained in the lower part of the vessel, which we ought not to undervalue or despise; in them is the royal diadem, and the black and unclean argent vive, which ought to be cleansed from its blackness, by a continual digestion in our water, till it be elevated above in a white color, which is called the gander, and the bird of Hermes. He therefore that maketh the red earth black, and then renders it white, has obtained the magistery. So also he who kills the living, and revives the dead. Therefore make the black white, and the white black, and you perfect the work. (55) And when you see the true whiteness appear, which shineth like a bright sword, or polished silver, know that in that whiteness there is redness hidden. But then beware that you take not that whiteness out of the vessel, but only digest it to the end, that with heat and dryness, it may assume a citron color, and a most beautiful redness. Which when you see, render praises and thanksgiving to the most great and good God, who gives wisdom and riches to whomsoever He pleases, and takes them away according to the wickedness of a person. To Him, I say, the most wise and almighty God, be glory for ages and ages. AMEN. If you have problems understanding these alchemical texts, Adam McLean now provides a study course entitled How to read alchemical texts : a guide for the perplexed.

Two alchemical texts for Johnny Depp, winona ryder and to harry knowles.. and sean bean and nicole kidman... the first.. an alchemical text of Arnuld de villa nova...

These two alchemical texts are from the official website of alchemy on the internet...

A Chymicall treatise of the Ancient and highly illuminated Philosopher, Devine and Physitian, Arnoldus de Nova Villa who lived 400 years agoe, never seene in print before, but now by a Lover of the Spagyrick art made publick for the use of Learners, printed in the year 1611. Transcribed from Bodleian Library, MS Ashmole 1415, pp.130-146, by Hereward Tilton. Here Beginns Mr. Arnold de Nova Villa's treatise. He speakes to his Scholars thus, Know my deare Sonne that this is a Booke of the Secrets of nature, and I shall devide it into six parts. In the first discourse what the stone is, secondly why the Stone is naturall, thirdly why the Stone is animal like our blood, fourthly why it is called herball or Radicall, fifthly I'le relate its true and constant preparation, and sixtly I shall truly and without lies give you an account of the augmentaion of our growing stone, to the end that fooles may bee derided, and wise and understanding men taught. This art is nothing else but a knowing of the secret and hid things of naturall masterrs and Lovers of the naturall art and wisdome, therefore no body should approach to this art, unlesse he has heard before some Logick, which teaches to distinguish truth from falsehood, and withall the naturall art which teaches the things of nature, and the property of the elements, otherwise he troubles his minde and body and life in vaine, it is a Stone and no Stone, and is found by every body in plane fields, on Mountaines, and in the water, and is called Albida, heerein all physitians agree, for they say that Albida is called Rebio, they name it in hid and secret words, because they perfectly understand the materiam, some say it is blood, others say it is mans hair, others say it is eggs, which has made many fooles and unwise men, that understand no more then the letter, and the meere sound of words, seeke this art in blood, in eggs, in hair, in the Gaull, in Allum , in salt, but they have found nothing for they did not rightly understand the sayings of naturalists, who spake their words in hid language, should they have spoken out plainly, they would have done very ill for divers reason, for all men would have used this art and the whole world would have been spoiled, and all agriculture perisht; seeing it is so that a man must give an account of his workes, I desire god, that he would give me reason, and wisdome, and direct me how I may estrange or conceale this noble art from fooles, which made me say what this stone is; Know my sonne that our Stone as Hermes speakes is in a living thing, out of which saying the true attempt of this art may bee knowne, and because of this saying some according to their folly have sought this stone in beasts, in herbs, in Allum, but they have remained fooles; now I'le tell you what our stone is, Sol, Luna, Azoth, now there are three stones and they are dead upon earth, and end the thing afore in Lunam by the carefull understanding and preparation of man; out of this stone is made true gold and silver the same with naturall; the Scholar sayd how can this bee, for the philosophers say that art is weaker then nature, and you say, out of that stone is made gold and Silver the same with naturall. The Master answerr'd wee doe not make it, as nature makes it, but we helpe nature with our art, in which respect it is naturall and not artificiall; there are three things in the naturall art and wisdome as Hermes says, when the Stone is in a thing that has a Soule, as the Soule is spirituall when it goes away in Smoak, for which cause its call'd a fugitive servant, and a finite Spirit, for in the world there is no other spirit to this art, and it is of an Ayry nature, which is a sign of perfection, and that it is not in Salt or Allum; he is not wise that seekes in a thing what is not in it, and because neither gold nor Silver is in Allum or Salt, wee must not seek them there but in such things where gold and silver is to bee found. But that our Stone is not in beasts, heare how Hermes saith. All things are made according to their nature. Out of man another man is made, and out of a living creature another living Creature is produced, and one thing produceth another like it selfe. How then can the medicine helpe man, it being not fit for man? The Master answeres thus, Understand the Sayings of Wise men. The Medicines which are given to man doe not make man, but drive away his distempers, and so it is here. Our Medicine given to him to whom wee ought to give it, makes true gold and Silver which is subject to no defect, and changes the man into the Woman, and the Woman into the man, and the man into an angell; how can that bee saith the Scholar? Thou hast heard it in the preparation only, perceive well the words of the Naturalists and bee wise and not unwise, it being necessary that our Stone must bee of an incombustible nature and matter it is evident, that it is not found in salt, or animals, or any of the other mentioned, but that Mercury is alone an incombustible spirit, and therefore necessarily must bee an object of our science; so then it is manifest what the Stone is, and how much, and how it is not. Know my Son, that our Stone is naturall, for many reasons; first it is naturall because nature in the like manner makes man and woman as the wise may know, but the unwise doth not understand this. Secondly it is called naturall by Hermes the father of all Naturalists, a man who is to bee beleived. Thirdly the medicine is found naturally, the things which are under the Circle of the Moone being foure elements. And therefore our Stone is joyned together by the 4 elements, and among the 4 elements one is cold, another drye, some warme, some moist. The Scholar here saith, Then our Stone is cold, moist, dry and hot. The Master answeres: Understand plainly. The Seven planets are Stones. Mercury is warm and dry because of the Sunne, cold and moist because of the Moone, for he is of the nature of water, of aire, of earth and of Fire. Therefore he is as the thing to which you joined him, Good with the good, and bad with the bad, which makes Aristotle say, when thou hast Water out of the aire, and aire out of the fire, and fire out of the earth (open thy eares and understand the sayings of the wise) Then thou hast the whole Art. Know my sonne that our Stone is animal-like. The Scholar saith, what is the reason of this? The Master replyes, because hee hath a Spirit, and therefore a soul which makes it animal-like. The Scholar: how hath it a Soule? The Master: dost not thou know that there are 4 Spirits, Sulphur, Arcenicum, Salmoniac, and Mercurius, you see it is under the number of these 4 spirits and therefore it is a Spirit, and the Soule, and because it is a Soule it must needs bee animal-like, for animals have soules, here abouts marke well as I have told thee of spirits and of the Soule and of the animal-like to the animal-like, this is the reason why our Stone is animal-like, and Hermes in Libro Senator saith, our Stone is of a thing that hath a Soule that is of a Spirit or fugitive thing, but the fooles and unwise men who thought, as some yet think that it is in beasts, finde and loose tyme and labour and spoil both their bodies and goods. The Scholar sayes: why is our Stone blood? Because Arcaglaus sayes take the Stone which the ancients bid you take and rub him so long till he be rub'd to blood, that is, till he become red, and because of the rednesse he is called blood, and when our Stone becomes red, then he has in him the nature of fire, and out of it all secrets may be drawn, mark and perceive what I say, and thou wilt have the whole art, fools who thought that he was blood, did labour in blood and found nothing, for things are made according to their nature. The naturall Master says: make out of the Stone flesh and blood, that he may bee red and thou wilt have the whole art, Make of the Milk that is of white Stone flesh and blood, that it may bee white like milke and may flow. The Scholar saith: how is this stone made white, and how is it made red? The Master answeres, Take the Stone and rubb him with blood, and it will bee red, However I declare the Art to thee otherwise, and clearer. Take the small and inconsiderable and rub it with the most amiable and the best, and it will be made red by the help of the Fire, Observe here that the fire causes them to joyne and purgeth them, and adornes them. But the unwise, who perceive not the Speeches of the Naturall Masters, try the art according to the outward Letter, and finde nothing and then cry It's a Lye, and the art is false, for wee have tryed it and found nothing. Thus they despaire, and raile against the books and the Art. The Scholar saith, why is this Stone Herball? The Master answers: because as the herbe hath a moveable soule, so our stone hath a Soule, for Hermes saith our Stone is of a thing having a Soule, but the unwise thought it was in herbs yet did not finde it there, and so have renounced the art. Some say that Mercury should bee compounded or coagulated with the herbs and so have sought him in the herbs and found nothing, Yet this I doe not say as if the Mercurius could not bee compounded or coagulated with the herbs, but I say that the coagulation is good for nothing, and when they have thus coagulated him, they think they have done great matters, yet have done nothing that's worth anything, nor finished any thing; it being inconstant they talke, I can coagulate the Mercurius, but they might rather say, I can spoile the Mercurius. And what is it that Mercurius is to bee coagulated with? They make him of herbes, and make so fragil, that he is worth nothing. Mercurius, if hee bee rightly coagulated hee must bee as heavy in weight as gold though hee bee white in colour, for the Whitenesse is a Signe of perfection. This done, there needs no more but only to give him the color, and so it is gold. The Scholar saith, why is our Stone called the red Servant? The Master answeres: because hee soon turnes red. The Scholar: why doe the philosophers say, that Mercury doth not dye, unlesse it be killed with its Brother? The Master: Hermes saith That the Dragon dyes not, unlesse you kill him with its Brother the Sun, or Sister the Moone. Therefore saith Avicenna, Make the blind to see, and the seeing blind, and thou wilt have the Art. Another saith, in the Herball Stone are Haire, Blood, Eggs, and this hee said to shew in these words, the 4 Elements, beleeve not mee but the naturall philosophers, who may bee beleeved, nor give an credit to common foolish recipes. For those that have made recipes found nothing of this art, but they had some books of the philosophers, who speake in riddles of this art (For they framed these bookes with such hid words as with allum and Salt, and with other things unintelligible to the simple, though intelligible enough to the prudent) that they have deceived the whole world. I saw a Monck who had laboured in this Art very neere twenty yeares, and could finde nothing notwithstanding of this, however like a base raskall hee made a booke which hee called, The Flowers of Paradise, in which were above 100 recipes, and this booke he suffered to come into every man’s hand, and by these meanes much people was deceived, for hee was a Coxcomb and knew nothing. In this Chapter I will teach the preparation of the Philosophers Stone, but the way of its preparation which I know, I have not of myselfe, but a part of this Labor, I have of one of my brethren, and a part of a German Moncke. Therefor I desire God that he take away from mee the sin of envy, that I may bring every body into the way of truth. In the beginning of this labour, I'le say, that the most excellent Hermes teaches the way in plain words to rationall men, but in occult and hid speeches to the unwise and fools. I say that the father son and holy ghost are one, and yet three, so speaking of our Stone I say three are one, and yet are divided. Mark well, the World was lost by a Woman, therefore necessarily must it bee restored by a Woman. Take therefore the mother very pure and lay her into a bed with the Servant, and putt them up close into a Prison, till they bee purified of their sins, and shee'le beare a son, which will bee a blessing to all people. Signes have been manifested in the sun and in the moone. Then take the son and beate him that he may be punished and its pride may come down, and he forsake his pride, and abide in humility. Therefore, saith Geber, out of Mercury everything is made. The same Chapter saith further, The common Sulphur is found in Sol and Luna, in Mercury more fugitive, in the body water. And the same in another chapter saith, Afterward the Tincture becomes Water, that it may become better in its nature. Therefore take the punished son and lay him into a bed and there hee'le begin to delight himselfe, then take him and give him to the Jewes to bee crucified. Being crucifyed hee growes pale, then take him, and turne him, and if you cannot see him well, you take away the vaile from the Temple, whereupon a great earth quake ariseth and you'le see various changes, and hee'le leape up and downe because of his great tortures, then hee'le fall downe; therefore stirr him below more, and hee'le give up the ghost. Thus all necessary things are accomplished, and many Workmen have erred in this. The Scholar said, these words I understand not. The Master answered, I must necessarily hide the Secrets of Secrets of the naturall art, as other Natural Masters have done, for it is not with this art as it is with others. Hence it is said, whatsoever is written, is written for our Learning, that through patience and comfort of the holy ghost, wee may have the Scripture. Amen. I came one day into a great Master’s house to recreate my selfe with him in this art for sport, yet with magisteriall words, and I sat at his right side; There were two men with him. The one I knew, but the other I did not know. These two began to speake of this art, neither being ashamed of mee, nor taking any care of mee. Then understood I by their speeches that which I had sought a great while. Yet did they wonder what I sought there and were amazed at the speech, which they had had together. Then turned the honest old man his face towards mee and said, The wise and prudent Mercurius (to speake the common way) is comprehended in these words. Take leade and whatsoever is like lead, and take Azoth. This is the right ordering of the art, which the Egyptians have acknowledged and that's their riddle, their reason, their vertue, and their meeknesse. Here are foure things, two are manifest which hee named the lead, and that which is like lead. Then said one of the men, how many are the things, to which the other said, there are foure, and said moreover: These art words of the prudent and wise, and have a darke obscurity in them, and are taken out of the apparent sentences of the wise. Then the one asked, how is this? to which the other answering said the wise man understands but two. The one asked againe, which are they two? The man answered and said, The hidden thing after this hee adds two words and they signifie foure, and foure signifie but two, and hee changed the words of the wise before mentioned and said foure. And the wise men say but two. Then he answered and said as it was said before, In these words is a hidden obscurity and they are taken out of the illustrious sayings of the wise. Hereby meanes the Master nothing else then that out of the foure things two should bee set together, man and wife. And having thus used diverse words among the rest he said, Take Fire and water, and mingle these two together, and there will bee one thing out of it. After this he said, Take Lead and that which resembles lead, and he changed these words and said, Take Azoth and that which resembles Azoth; with such hidden words doe they hide their words to all unwise men. Perceive therefore and trust God, that thou mayst perceive the better the aforesaid saying of the wise. Of this I’le give thee an example when the Master saith, Take Lead, according to a philosophicall sense or meaning. The word lead is a manly name and word, and so one of the number of the names of men. Hereby mayst thou truly know the name of the man. And he saith further, That which resembles lead, that is, that which resembles the man. So hee hides the name of the Woman, and the reason why he mentions the man’s name first is because shee is of him, and not hee of her. Therefore said the master, That which resembles Lead. After this one said, Take Azoth and that which resembles Azoth. The Masters hereby meane the wife. Here he names the Woman, and mentions not the name of the man, for hee had named him before in the beginning of these words, where he saith, Take Adam and what resembles Adam. Afterwards hee changeth this Speeche againe, to make it more occult to him that is not altogether wise, and said, Take Eva, and what resembles Eva, here thou namest Eva and not the man, and this thou doest, because thou didst begin in the first speech with the man. That these Speeches doe not at all hinder a wise man in his reason, but make him more ingenious, and more intelligent. When they had talk'd together a great while, they began againe in a great feare another way and language. Mingle the warm with the cold, for so an equall mixture will arise out of it, which is neither warme nor cold, and mix the moist with the dry, and you'le have an equall mixture, which is neither moist nor dry. The Speech now uttered, is manifest from 4 things, and out of these foure are numbered and terminated Man and Wife. The man is hot and dry, the wife cold and moist, but when they come together, and unite themselves naturally, there is made an equall mixture of the warme and the cold, of the moist with the dry. And of this a wise Philosopher doth not doubt, and the artificiall conjunction cannot bee unlesse the things belonging thereunto be totally prepared, every one according to its kind. For as Joseph saith, Mix together fire and water, and there will be two, Mix together aire and earth, and there will bee foure, Afterward of foure make one, then thou art come to what thou wouldst bee att. And when this is done make out of that body a non-corpus, that is a Spirit, as out of the non-corpus or Spirit make a body againe, which may bee constant on the fire, and not remove any way from it. Already, thou hast comprehended the Wisdom. Doe in this as Joseph hath said. Before thou beginnest the labour of this Artificiall treasure which is true, prepare all things, each in their kind and nature, begin thence to the end, and when thou hast done this thou hast made a water which is warme and not warm, cold and not cold, moist and not moist, dry and not dry according to its nature, and it is fixed, that it cannot fly, and it is the thing which reveales and opens to thee the tincture, and if it were not for this Artificiall water, all hope would bee in vaine. When the Masters speake here and there, they still come to this Noble water. The reason is because that water is a medium between the contrary things, this comes from thence, and it is water and no water, fire and no fire, aire and no aire, earth and no earth. Because then it is and is not, according to its Noble Nature it is a right medium betweene the unlimited Elements. This Noble water is the beginning, middle and end of this Noble art, perceive this speech well together with the former. For the Masters speake commonly one thing, and meane it in another sense, and where they spake most hiddenly and most profoundly, there they doe mean it most simply, and where they speake most plainly and openly then they doe hide most this divine and Noble art. Out of this speech and sentences it is manifest, that this art may bee taught with all its Secretes in a few words, nor will any man be found in time to come, that will say so much in writing as is said here, unlesse one should show it to the other with hand and mouth and reveal'd and open'd all to him, for the philosophers have unwillingly discovered this amiable truth, and have reserv'd it to themselves and taken it with them downe to the Grave; and what in other Bookes is taught by examples and circumstances, that is express'd here cleerely, and thus this Noble Art is written by me truly and sincerely. Therefore that my name and memory may for ever remaine upon the earth, I have written this small booke and made it by the help of the Holy Ghost, for all Posterities and Children of God and of this Art. One time I sate alone in my Chamber with my Wife, and read the Bookes of the ancient deceased philosophers, and those also that have liv'd in my time, and there I found written something of Alkabrith and Zandorit, and of other strange words and things whereby one may turne every man from the right way, and he that matters it looses his time, goods and substance and last his health, and miserably robbs himselfe of life; and that thou mayest believe me the better I tell the whole truth, that no man can attain unto this art unlesse he retires from the world and converses with his equalls, and joyn himself to them, and though every one sayes that hee reveals it, yet however all hide it as thou seest by me that I doe reveale it, but not to the unwise and foolish; and if I truly discover this divine art, my booke will bee so profitable to them, that the bookes of wise men and my words will bee the same, my words theirs, and theirs mine; not that I would steale their words from them and make them mine owne, this would be unjust, but only my meaning agrees with theirs, and theirs againe with me. Therefore whosoever will finde out the Secrets of this Art, let him read this booke and understanding. And why? because this booke is cleere and known to understanding men and to those that observe carefully and reade with attention in it, but to the unwise and unexpert, and those that are not diligent it must needs bee hidd as it is from children. Know then, that there art many who labour hard in the preparation of Sulphur, and in the Sublimation of Arsenicum, which art combustible and corruptible. These men only looke to the words which they reade or heare, and not to the hidden sense that is in those words. For truly the Sulphur, Arsenicum, Auripigment, Zandorit, Vibrick, Mercurius, Salt, Saltpeter, Sala Pculi, Salmiac and Allum signifie in this Noble art in truth nothing but water, and the making white the Philosophers talk of, is nothing else but the purification of the Water that it may bee clearer and purer, and by the sublimation or exaltation understand nothing else, but the ascension of the vapour from the water in the Cucurbit below and above in the Alembick and againe through the Canales Laterales in the Cucurbit, and againe through the Canales laterales; and by the washing understand The Bodies changing into water so long till out of the Water a part in it of the manifold vapours ascends, and falling downe againe are coagulated and consolidated that it may never rise againe, and the reason hereof is because the corporeal Spirit in the Spirituall and the Spirituall againe in the corporeal has mixed and soaked it selfe, and because the Spirituall Spirit is stronger than the Corporeall Spirit, they both are vapourous and ellevate themselves in the height of the allembick; but when the corporeall Spirit overcomes the Spirituall he must necessarily remaine with him at the bottome in the Cucurbit, and when they have united themselves the Spirituall Ghost which is penetrable makes the corporeall Spirit together with himself penetrable and permeable, for the corporeall Spirit has in him the tincture, that is, the red and white colour, and with all the Spirituall Spirit leads the corporeall in and without hinderance just as a man does goe through a house with an open doore, and is not spied by any, so it is here; but this cannot be unlesse the body that will draw the Spirit out of the man, bee totally cleansed from all impurity, and thereby the Leprosie of the whole from the whole be perceived. Understand this, that is, that ashes be drawne and made, for thus the bodies are deprived of lustiness and moistness, and so the body may first become spirituall, when the body is turned to ashes according to its highest purification, and out of those ashes be made a Lixevium, in that waterish nature the body becomes spirituall; and understand this secret how the body has the ashes in it, and in the ashes is the Stone, and the Stone is the Spirit, and in the Spirit there is the tincture or colour, and in the tincture the Soul, and the Soul had in her a fiery permeation, and leads with her the colour in the body; and he that does not understand how he shall begin this, how will he come to the middle, or to the end, therefore thus speake all masters: it is one body, and yet there are many bodies, and those many are no more then one body, this understand allso it is one body because it is not beaten as soone as it is turned into ashes, each singular dust is a singular body and when the ashes are turned into water it is a water and no water and may with artificiall industry be returned into a body, but before this the body must often rest in the belly of the wind under the height of the heavens; and therefore the Masters say it is a Stone, and resembles the Eagles Stone for the Eagles Stone is such a Stone that in his belly there is another Stone, and if you will pull it out from thence, you must turne the Stone into Ashes, and out of the ashes there is first another Stone made, and when that Stone does sweat right, its owne Water is made of it, and when he has well sweated, he drincks the Sweaty Water againe into him, and flys afterwards up and downe, and from the great motion which he does force up above his Mass in the aire, the water becomes of itself againe a Stone, and by the paraphrase of the Eagle, understand the evaporation of the vaporous spirit, and by their redescention understand the heavy falling downe of the body; yet there are many who call the aforesaid ashes a sowre masse or a Leaven, but they know not their water, that the corporeall nature attracts the coagulated nature out of those ashes. Moreover says Master Joseph their Spirit is the fusion of both bodies, by this he does not meane the dissolutions of the bodyes on the fire, but he meanes that they should bee turned into Mercury, and that out of the Mercury the flowers should be extracted, and this is the Stone whereof Aristotle spoke to his King, did men know what a great Treasure they had in Saturnus they would not give it for a small summe of Money, but they would make so much gain by it, that one might bring the whole World into his Subjection; and another Master said, take the things as they come out of their treasury, and lift them up in the highest mountains, and humble them again from the highest mountains to their roots, these are the wisest words which he has spoken openly without all envy and without any secrecy, and afterward hee hath not named the things he meant, in the heighth of the Mountaines and by the roots. For as in Mountaines naturall gold is made, and in the ground, so in this art, our gold is made in the heighth of the Alembick, and in the roote that is in the Cucurbit. And this is a cleanly similitude which may easily be perceived, and hereby you may understand, when the Master speake of the highe mountaines or the deepe grounds that they doe not meane the heads of men or their feete, so when they speake of haire, and of blood, they only understand the resemblance of them. Therefore many men are deceived, which looke after the literall sense and seeke it where it is not to bee found. For this Art is so noble that it must be sought and found out in it selfe, and no thing like to it. As out of a man is made another man, so out of one Noble Mettall is made another Mettall, and there is no transmutation, as some idle and simple men thinke. Who doth not mollify and harden againe doth erre, therefore make the earth black, and separate her Soule from her, and the water, after that make it white that it may become as a naked Sword and when it growes white, give it to the Covetous fire so long till it growes large, and doth not fly away; Hee that can doe this may well be called happy and exalted in this World, and let him doe it in the love of God and in his feare. Amen. The first word in this great work is the bodies transmutation into Mercury and this the Philosophers have called a dissolution. And this Artificiall and ingenious dissolving is the bullwark of this art. Hence saith Rosarey, Unlesse you dissolve the bodies, Your Labor is in vaine. Therefore the dissolving of Philosophers is not a drinking in but the bodies transmutation into water. Nor is it called a Philosophical dissolving unlesse it becomes cleere as Mercury, so thou wilt have an element, which is the water. The second word is that it be purified and filled with its terra; of this speakes Morienus, let the earth bee filled with its water, and let it bee cleansed with it, and when it is purified on both sides it ends the whole art. Aristotle sayes in generall, put the dry to the moist, the dry is the terra, the moist is the water, thus thou hast earth and water each by it self, and the earth is purified with the water, and when they are cleansed one with the other, thou hast Colours cleerer then before, therefore saies Rosarius in generall, if one by day sees many starrs in the heavens, the sunne is hindered of its Lustre by moon, and when that does vanish the Sunn shines clearer then before.  The third word, that the water does lift itself in vapours which is condensed and coagulated of the earth, and thick, that is that it makes it selfe spirituall in the aire, and so thou hast Water, earth and aire, and while it hurvers in the aire Archelaous calls it the great Master Hermeses bird by way of similitude; therefore sayes Alberius, make him white, or white him with the nimblenesse of the fire, so long till out of him arises the spirit which is called Hermeses bird, so the earth will remaine cinerated in the ground which is of a fiery nature, so thou hast 4 elements in the earth which did remaine in the ground, and it is the fire; hence Morienus: the Earth which remaines in the ground, thou must not at all despise nor villify, understand the earth of the body, and that same earth is the right end of the permanent and constant things, after that with a good water thou must annoint and errigate the Leaven, and the Leaven is called by the Philosophers a Soul; they call also the prepared body a Leaven, for as a Leaven does make other bread sowre, so does this thing, and I tell thee freely, that there is no other Leaven but Gold and Silver, of necessity must the Leaven bee Leavened in the body, for the Leaven is the Soule of the body, and therefore says Morienus: Unlesse you purify the unclean body, and create in him a new soule, you have perceived Lesse then nothing in this art; likewise says Arnuldus, the spirit changes into the body, and cleanses and eterniseth him, about this the Spirit does tye himself, and the clear permeations of the Soul which here is mentioned is a Leaven, and rejoyces with the body, because it has cleansed it selfe with him and now the nature is changed so that the grosser things stay behind there; says Aschanos in Turba Philosophorum, the Spirit is not joyned to the body unlesse before it bee totally purified from all uncleanesse, but in the conjunction, the greatest miracles are made evident, for there are seen all the colours that a man can think of; and when the colours beginn to bee lighter and lighter so that thou seest sometimes onely as it were a little spark and beginns to rejoyce therein from thy heart and Soul, then take heed, for our basilisk prepares himself who kills men more for joy, which they conceive from him then for his poyson, for his poyson lasts but a moment, that is when the supreme power or the Quintessence of the elements does discover it self in so many wayes and colours, and the last is done in a Moment; when this is done thou seest the sun and Moone shine lovely in the heaven of his owne water, and begins to rejoyce but then goe away lest thou loosest thy life for joy, and thus the imperfect body is coloured with his best colours because of the power of the heaven, and the heaven is the soul, and the Spirit is with the help of the soul joyned to the body, and are tyed one with the other, and the body is changed to the colour of the Leaven and becomes eternally good; out of the Words prescribed and said any understanding man may know that the philosophers in dark and hidden wordes have hidde the whole art, for they say our Stone is of 4 elements, and that's a great truth, for they have compar'd them with 4 elements whereof Wee have said enough, and one may know the elements by the coloures, he that knowes it, and is acquainted with it; some Philosophers have said that our Stone is of a body, of a soul, and of a Spirit, and they have said true, and wee doe yeild, and they give to the perfect body what he had not before, and it brings him into a better spirit; the Soul brings into the imperfect body a constant spirit, which is not at all fugitive before the Aire, and therefore it keeps its colour and weight unchangeably and the more you drive it the more noble it becomes both in colour and weight. Some also say unlesse you change the bodies into no bodies, and the nobodies againe into bodies, you are not come yet to the right art, for the body becomes first an aqua Mercury incorporal and afterwards the Water and the Spirit in the changing and so both become one body; some also say change the natures quite and cleane and you will finde what you seeke; and that's true, for we make of that which is grosse a subtle and quick thing, and of a body we make water, and of that which is moist we make a dry thing, of the water we make the earth, and thus wee change the true natures and make of that which is corporall a spirituall thing and of a Spirituall a corporall thing, and wee make that which is above like that which is below, and that which is below like that which is above, the Spirit is turned to a body, and the body to a Spirit; and therefore its said in the beginning, the Word was a Spirit, and that word the Spirit was with God, that is with himselfe, and God was that word, he himself was the Spirit, and the word the Spirit was made flesh, the Spirit has assumed the true body, and so that above became true as that below, the Spirit has become a mettallick in the body, and that which was below, that is, the body, is become mettallicke with the Spirit; and thus it is well known that our Stone is out of the elements and it is a body, a soul, a spirit, and not two spirits, one soul and not two soules; and the saying of Philosophers is true who say our Stone is made but of one thing, and therein they have said very true, for it is made only of water. And in the water and out of the water our whole art hath an end, for it dissolves the bodies with the dissolution aforementioned; not with such a dissolution as unwise men fancy, that our Stone should be changed into Water, but it's dissolved with the true naturall dissolution, so that he is changed into such a water as it was from the beginning before it was a body, and that very water incinerates and turnes the body again to earth into ashes, and makes them penetrable, and does whiten and purifie them, as Morienus says: Azoth and the fire purifies Latonem, and take all his darknesse away, Laton an impure body set together of Gold and Silver, Azoth and Mercury, and that two distinct bodies joyn the fire and Azoth together when they are ready as is said before, that no attempt against the fire or other attempts can part them, one from the other, and that same water does not sublimate neither does it exalt it self with a sublimation of fooles or exaltation as they imagine, but with the wise and understanding sublimation or exaltation; for our sublimation is making a noble thing out of an ignoble, therefore fooles take the shaved bodies and make them ascend by the heat of the fire, and mingle them with an impure spirit, as with Arsenick and Salmiack, and they make a Strong fire under it whereby the bodies ascend with the Spirit, and then they say now are the bodies sublimated; whereas they are quite Killed, for why they finde the bodies impure therefore observe that our Sublimation is not driving on and ascending, but the making of a dry thing and corrupted a sound one, a great and high one, and changing it into another nature, and making on a suddain sublime vapours, and all this does our Water together; and so understand our Sublimation and not otherwise, and take heed of the Sublimation of fooles, wherewith many are deceived; marke our water at first kills and makes alive again, and it makes white the black colour, when it's changed to earth, after that innumerable colours reflect from the whitenesse and all the colours last end is the white, for at last it turnes white; some call the Stone lead, as Gigill speakes, in our lead is the whole art, and if our lead be impure our stone is also impure, while he lyes in his mothers womb; O did the Lead Mongers know the vertue of Lead, they would not part with it for so small a price; some call our stone Cheife Copper or Clock minerall as Eximius speakes in generall. Know this all wee that seeke this art, that no tincture is made without this cheife Copper or Clock Minerall, and thus they have given it innumerable names, and yet meane no more but one thing, and this they have done for this reason, that fooles should not finde it out, for they have named it with all manner of names that can bee named, yet they have meant but one thing; and it is no more but one thing, to witt the Philosophycall water. Our art is also compared to man making. The first is the deprivation of its chastity, the second is the conception, the third is the being with childe, the fourth is the birth it selfe, and the fifth is the bringing up of the child borne; understand also these words, our Son that comes from the privation of chastity is Mercury, for he is drawn out of a perfect body so there remaines an earth the mother of 4 elements, and when the earth begins to take somewhat in of Mercury, it’s call'd unchastity, but when the man lyes with the wife it’s called conception, which without the Mercury is wrought in the earth; this is what the Philosophers say, our Art is nothing else but that the man lyes with his wife, and that they mingle one with the other, so that the Water governes and has the Mastery, and that the Mercury bee more then the Earth, and so earth encreases and augments; but when the earth becomes a wife she is with Child, after that the ferment is added to the imperfect prepared body as is said before, so long till it becomes something in colour and in sight and that's called the birth; so then our Stone is born, for the Philosophers call him King and say thus, honour your King who comes from the fire crowned with a double crown, bow the knees before him when he comes to his perfect alterr, for the sun is his father and the Moone his Mother, the perfect body is Luna, the perfect body is gold; at last followes the nourishment whereby he is nourisht with a great nourishment, he is nourisht with his owne Milke, with the Seed in the beginning he is fed, to wit with Mercury, till he hath drunk enough of the Mercury. Beloved sonns by these things which are told you, You may easily perceive the darke and hidden worke of the Phylosophers and by that you may know that they all runne one way and upon one straine, and that our art is nothing else but what has beene said before, the dissolution of bodies and changing of their first matter, how it's made earth and how it becomes a light and spirituous in the aire with distilling it because of the moistnesse which is in it; thus it becomes lusty in vapours, and the earth remaines below incinerated and is of a fiery nature, thus you have truly the totall changing of things and the mingling of the Soul with the body and with the Spirit, and it assumes such a Spirituall and powerfull increase that humane reason cannot fathome it, the highest be praised and blessed for it for evermore. Now will I in the name of God make manifest the practice and the very sense of the Philosophers how one shall perfect that Ellixir, that is the augmentation of the true tincture and of Silver and Gold only out of the Mercury of the Sages, or the minerall Mercury and in all copper bodies which fall short of perfection, insomuch that they become perfect into a perfect Luna and gold above the naturall, which is not that common Mercury, call'd by the Philosophers prima materia, waterish hot moist and cold, an element, a constant water, a Spirit, a body, a swimming smoake, a blessed water, a water of the wise, a vinegar of Philosophers, a dew of Heaven, virgin Milke, a corporeal Mercury, besides others innumerable names whereby he is called in the Bookes of the Philosophers; allthough these names sound variously, yet they signifie but one thing, to witt the aforesaid Mercurium Philosophorum, for out of him, and in him and by him only are sought all the vertues of the whole art of Alchimy, and of the red and white tincture, Q and R. Therefore saith Geber, without Mercury the art is not perfected. It is a thing, a Stone, a Medicine in which lyes the art, unto which no outward thing is to be applyed, only in the preparation the remaining or superfluous part is to bee taken of. Therefore in that and out of that a man may finde all things, needfull to this art. For it kills it selfe and revives it self, makes it selfe hard, makes it selfe weake, makes it self black white and red. And the same master in his discourse sayeth. Wee add no externall thing because of the gold and silver, for these are called not internall things, which are to bee adjoyned to the Mercury, For they are two Fellow Helpers whereby the whole work of the art is perfected. And another Philosopher saith, It is a thing, whereby many have beene undone, as a whole multitude was for one mans sake. The Mercury is also called a naturall root of a high Tree out of which innumerable branches grow, and its call'd the knowne stone of the philosophers, and in the Bookes of Philosophers the first operation. To the perfection of the aforementioned Stone or Elixir belongs a Sublimation or exaltation which must bee brought to purity. And this I shall hereafter without the least covering make manifest. But you must note that this sublimation is nothing lesse than a purification, for hereby all remaining drosse that was in the Mercury is purged away, thus this sublimation the inconstant particles are lifted up from the constant, for the inconstant ascend and the constant remaine below at the bottome, yet in the operation the inconstant become in part constant and it's particularly to bee noted. Hee that rightly sublimates our Mercury, hee hath perfected the whole art, For Master Geber saith, The whole perfection is in the sublimation in the vessel, and in the ordering of the fire, for in the already mentioned sublimation are comprehended all other particulars, which belong to our art and labour, as sublimating, dissolving, ascending, descending, cooling, mollifying, purifying, and perpetuating, washing and colouring on red and white. All is done in a vessel in order in an oven, whereof the Masters of nature have written much that the art was not to bee perfected constantly, on purpose, that the unwise might reach to it, but to the just and to the godly it becomes profitable both here and hereafter. Now make it thus. Take in the name of God the aforementioned Mercury or the naturall Water, the first matter of the Sages, Take of it as much as you will, and putt it into its vessell which must be pure, cleare, and cleane, and Seale it well above with the Sigills Hermetis, that the Mercury may not come out above, and sett it in its prepared place, that it may have a moderate heate every moment for a month. The naturall master saith That it may have its place warme whereby it works it self up and downe, so long til it ascend no more in the glasse, and begins to bee colle at the bottome, and becomes dry below in the glasse without the least moistnesse, like a black earth, that is caput Corvi, or an earthy dry element, for thus the true sublimation or exaltation of the philosophers is perfected as is said before. And in this sublimation is the true separation of the Elements, as the Masters say. If you have problems understanding these alchemical texts, Adam McLean now provides a study course entitled How to read alchemical texts : a guide for the perplexed.

Poison ivy seeks the alchemy of her own soul in perfume and colour...

Poison ivy: .. the sensation sculpture inside me.. inside my core.. beneath my diaphragm... is motivating me to ingenious plottings and to the schematics of engine motives and relational designs where the world of the aristocracy is my playground of Hollywood knives... and I am ready to be a true aristocrat lady... a lady with a knife am I.. except the knife is my skin.. my bare skin... and the knife is like an invisible perfume which exudes from my barest skin... like an onion odour from my bare skin this knife is.. like an onion knife with peels, layers, veils and onion curtains of metaphysical mists.. an onion of metaphysical mists, of layers of mists, is the perfume emanating from my onion skin, from my bare onion skin an autumn skin I have like a bare autumn leaf skin in my autumn soil and toil of my soul like a seeping black mineral skin I have at the barest, most subcutaneous surface of my skin is a black mineral which seeps its way outwards to the surface of my body exhuming itself nude in flavour and allure... and in allusion.. my body nude in allusion in the rank sweat and grunt of illusion... for I am maya.. I am a weaver of illusion and this illusion is mist and perfume all seeping out of me like a blackest mineral in my core and at my barest surface skin.. I .. am .. Poison.. Ivy...

monologue for bare Poison ivy written by Hanno Athena or by Hanno Aphrodite... by Hanno Ridal Raudsepp....

Poison ivy written by Hanno Aphrodite ....

Poison ivy: .. and it is a czechoslovakian complex of knives that is in my diagphragm... it is my inwards torture which may be like the poisonous mineral which tormented Iago... for I feel indeed I have a poisonous mineral in my soul which eats me raw inside and defines put my inwards to a torture rack and contorts and very sculpts my inwards into a sculpture of my inner core intestines of sensation pure sensation self inward me core.. for I have a sculpture inside me and it is pure sensation, it is intestines of pure sensation in me core... and my core is like a black rock of inner mineral grain of tincture sure and certain like a meteor rock physiologically inside me that has been their in my diaphragm core ever since my... transformation...

monologue for uma and winona's and .. kates's.. winslets and moss's poison ivy's written by hanno ridal raudsepp... by hanno aphrodite?...

Poison ivy Pamela isley in teh very first Batman dream of eale movie...

Poison ivy: ... a rollercoaster skyscraper planet is my next plant in my botany greenhouse.... it is a botanical army regiment of soldierly plant for all plants are true soldiers, the truest soldiers and ready to .. sniff.. die for the cause of plant world regeneration.... I must be ready to die someday to for my crusade but for now the plant world needs me alive and as I am the General Plantissimo... for sometimes a General sorry .. sometimes a General who we need alive must send soldier plants into the field knowing full well that some of them will die... "We who are about to die, salute you, madame Poison ivy" sing in army chorus chant my army of loyal plants and vegetation and blue-grean algea and all kinds of conglomeration of plant-microbe interactions and my precious P I 3 - kinases chemicals and my plants at stations Enod12 and Enod40... and most of all my plant chemical phosphatidonositol.. ithinks how this very important soldier, a plant chemical is called by the name by.. must get the names of my chemicals plant solider compounds right... must get names right.. must get names right.. they are my loyal followers after all.. these soldiers which are my siren chorus of plant-nympths and plant-mermaids, heaven-scent plant symbiotes all.. yes I will build an octopus plant army....


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Alfred: .. So.. master Bruce.. yet another plague on Gotham city...

Bruce Wayne at his Bat-computer in the Batcave..

Bruce Wayne: .. this.. threat.. if I might call it even that at this point.. is elusive .. so elusive.. nanotechnology-level elusive.. it remains a residue of attention, like the very margins of your optical visual sphere of gaze when you read, the very margins of your reading scope.. that's where this signals interception codes to our mutual future detective work resides... on the margins of our state.. the Bat-computer is struggling almost like the stone of sysiphus to stay on this topic.. something coming on the margins of Gotham.. something I can't place like a chess-board not yet filled with pieces, with a single piece even... a margins state something..

Alfred: .. what lies on the margins of Gotham...

Bruce Wayne: .. geographically.. a vast forest surrounds Gotham.. I think this has been the case ever since medieval times... Gotham was in those times meant to be hard to find.. almost like it had been built out of the centre of a forest, a thick forest as uncharted as the Everglades... Gotham was an unknown centre that it may once in pre-medieval times taken a treasure map to find.. the site of Gotham before the city was even ever built was found.. the site of building the city.. it was found by a treasure map...

Alfred: .. a treasure map.. I believe.. early in .. hah.. both our careers.. they mentioned you'd have to find a treasure map that meant something to the history of Gotham..

Bruce Wayne: .. yeah.. always forgot about that map... always forgot about it.. but I once looked up the subject on the local internet and it was easy to find a webpage on it.. like looking for a webpage on alchemy.. those are also easy to find now....

Alfred: .. ahh.. alchemy.. yes.. where would the Batman legacy be without alchemy...

Bruce Wayne: .. and now... this treasure map.. it may have been drawn up by Parcelcus.. or John Dee... it promises philosphers stones buried deep underwater in Gotham harbour... as if Gotham had to be built first rock by rock with philosophers stones....

Alfred: .. I always thought so.. it was philosophy that built Gotham city...

Bruce Wayne: .. you're right.. so right Alfred, as always... you know.. German philosophy.. German philosophy... I'm going to get back to my studies of German.. which are endless... their's always more German to learn.. always more.. always more.... I'm going to read all the German philosophers in the original German..

Alfred: .. does that include Marx?..

Bruce Wayne: .. Marx?  - sorry, Alfred,.. oh.. Marx?... I might leave my readings of Marx to the French language a while... just for me to learn German and German philosophy in the original German language.. it's all about my building the geography of Gotham by means of the word-fragments of German linguistics.. as if .. German linguistics was the very landscape and terrain and architecture of Gotham itself.. I guess that's our present-day treasure map of Gotham... then.. once I've penetrated past the layers and abstract layers and veils of the German tongue, of the German language veil by veil visual word German imagery curtain by curtain.. then I'll find the vaguest, shade-like curtains and margins of my present day detective investigation into .. French?.. I think all this reading of German leads to reading French...

Alfred: .. when I actually studied both languages simultaneously.. I found reading in German helped me comprehend the intricacies of French grammar and syntax... like the two languages were overlayed like a photocopy or micro-fiche... like two transparent plastic sheets or films the two languages French and German was.. and the mineral, chemical, grainy composition of one language would help me deduce the intricacies of the grain, mineral composition of the other...

Bruce Wayne:.. Ahh.. Alfred.. thanks to you.. we are still building our treasure map...


scene written by Hanno Raudsepp Artemis... send to Harry Knowles temporarily .. before disclosing it as the "Batman dream of eale" screenplay.. send it vastly out to Hollywood, California as the "Shadow of the Bat" screenplay.. thenks... thanks .. Harry Knowles...

Batwoman of the Golden Dawn..

Batwoman: .. my greek heritage of prophetess mysticism... is the fact that I can espy myself in my naked somersaulting within a force bubble field in deliberated flattering curvature of my bare backside all fresh as a daisy in posture and nude.. this is me the golden dawn of twilight and a twosome nude woman ia am.. of two ideas all neatly by a neat round cleft of bumptious rolling heaviness of martyr's glean.. a shimmering sheenness of my butt which is a silver gleam which rolls me over in my coffin invisible force field nude.. my faovourite posture and the favourite posture of any superheroine...

Robin: .. this.. sounds like a difficult, clever posture and you wear it well...

Batwoman: .. thank you, Robin.. my grave grace in wearing my nude postures Batwoman nude into the grave where a gravestone beckons me silly and down like a syndrome would collapse upon me before my time.. before time is ready to write my words upon my bare bum nude an autograph upon my bare bum nude would be a most sizzling, scintillating electric sensation... perhaps you or Bruce could.. accomadate...

Batman: - gulp - ..


scene written by Geoff johns 1...

Hanno Artemis writes Batwoman.. this time.. the yellow-costumed pre-crisis Batwoman..

Batwoman: .. the realm of the deceased of which I am actually a dead woman among the merely deceased.. for their are the deceased but the dead people of which I am one are actually rare.. and I am rarely dead.. I mean I am dead in a rariefied sense.. thanks Gwyneth.. Gwyneth ... Gwyneth.. she is very much alive but should be dead.. I mennit... this alive thing with Gwyneth is too much.. she is a suicide incarnate.. I won't help her in this but she doesn't need it... she is not death warmed over, that's me.. she is just alive and she wants to annoy people like me into remaining dead and not getting up and she succeeds.. she renders me a dead guppie.. I am no bat anywhere near it.. the bat thing is not mine no even close.. Gwyneth is closer to being a bat than I am.. but we're both blind and one of us is mad and I think it's me..

Robin: .. yeth... - Robin is just arriving in the Batwomanacave - ... so we're still on the same old Gwy'neth track.. it's a woman theme.. but should it be a Batwoman - no silly question and answer.. every Gwneth theme should be a Batwoman thing theme just like Guinevere should always be a Batwoman theme...

Batwoman: .. yes .. Guinevere.. thet dancing harlot who set Camelot afire... Camelot was a knightley kingdom and should have remained one but Guinevere Gwyneth rendered Camelot a planet.. planet Camelot should never have EXISTED but it did now because of Gwyneth... Gwenovere Gwyneth should NEVER have met King Arthur.. Arthur needed Camelot to remain technicolour and medieval.. and Restoration drama and comedy.. but this planeterary art deco post-modernism firedance firewheel of the round table circus Republic that o'l girl Gwyneth Guinevere brought to Camelt... Camelot.. Gwenovere rendered an omelette of Camelot.. that's just wrong and it was done in the days of King Arthur..

Robin: .. perhaps Merlin could have stopped it..

Batwoman:  .. Merlin always had his way with women and very well could have with Gwyneth of Camelot....

written by Hanno Ridal Raudsepp....