The Praxis, and making of the Stone, or Tincture by Art

Through all these foregoing Chapters, our discourse of things hath been scattered by way of examples, that the Praxis might be the more easily understood, which must be done by imitating Nature after this manner——

Take of our earth, through eleven degrees, eleven graines, of our Gold, and not of the vulgar one grain, of our Lune, not the vulgar, two grains: but be you well advised, that you takest not common Gold, and Silver, for these are dead, take ours which are living: then put them into our fire, and let there be made of them a dry liquor; first of all the earth wil be resolved into water, which is called the Mercury of Philoso[Pg 31]phers; and that water shall resolve those bodies of Gold, and Silver, and shal consume them so, that there shall remain but the tenth part with one part; and this shall be the radicall moisture of metals.

Then take water of salt-nitre, which comes from our earth, in which there is a river of living water, if you diggest the pit knee deep, therefore take water out of that, but take that, which is cleer; upon this, put that radicall moisture; and set it over the fire of putrefaction, and generation, not on such a one as you didst in the first operation: govern all things with a great deale of discretion, untill colours appear like a Peacocks tail; govern it by digesting it, and be not weary, untill these colours be ended, and there appear throughout the whole one green colour, and so of the rest; and when you shalt see in the bottome ashes of a fiery colour, and the water almost red, open the vessel, dip in a pen, and smeare some Iron with it, if it tinge, have in readinesse that water, which afterwards I shall speak of, and put in so much of that water as the cold air was, which went in, boil it again with the former fire, untill it tinge again. So far reached my experience, I can doe no more, I found out no more.

Water is the menstruum of the world, out of the sphere of the Moon, so often rectified, untill it can calcine Gold: I have been willing here to discover to thee all things; and if you shalt understand my meaning sometimes, and not the letter, I have revealed all things; especially in the first, and second work.

Fire

The first fire, or of the first operation is a fire of one degree, continual, which goes round the matter; the second is a naturall fire, which digests, and fixeth the matter:

I have opened the rules of the fire, if you understandest Nature:

The vessell remains yet to be spoken of. It must be the vessel of Nature, and two are sufficient; the vessell of the first work must be round; but in the second a glasse, a little lesse like unto a viall, or an egge.

But in all these know, that the fire of Nature is but one, and if it works variously, it is by reason of the difference of places.

The vessell therefore of Nature is but one; but wee for brevities sake use a couple: the matter is one, but out of two substances. If therefore you wilt give thy mind to make things, consider first things that are already made; if you canst not reach, or understand things presented to thy eyes, much lesse things that are to be made, and which you desirest to make.

For know that you canst create nothing, for that is proper to God alone, but to make things, that are not perceived, but lye hid in the shadow, to appear, and to take from them their vaile, is granted to an intelligent Philosopher by God through Nature. Consider, I beseech thee, the simple water of a cloud: who would ever beleeve that that contains in it self all things in the world, hard Stones, Salts, Aire, Earth, Fire, when as yet of it self it seems to be simple? What shall I say of the Earth, which contains in it Water, Fire, Salts, Aire, and of it self seems to be but meer earth? O wonderfull Nature, which knows how to produce wonderfull fruits out of Water in the earth, and from the air to give them life.

All these are done, and the eyes of the vulgar doe not see them; but the eyes of the understanding, and imagination perceive them, and that with a true sight. The[Pg 33] eyes of the wise look upon Nature otherwise, then the eyes of common men.

As for example, the eyes of the vulgar see that the sun is hot; but the eyes of Philosophers on the contrary see it rather to bee cold, but its motion to be hot. The acts and effects of it are understood through the distance of places.

The fire of Nature is one and the same with it: for as, the Sun is the Center amongst the spheres of the Planets; and out of this Center of the heaven it scatters its heat downward by its motion; so in the Center of the earth is the sun of the earth, which by its perpetuall motion sends its heat, or beams upward to the superficies of the earth.

That intrinsic heat is far more efficacious then this Elementary fire; but it is allayed with an Earthy water, which from day to day doth penetrate the pores of the earth, and cooles it: So the air doth temper, and mitigate the heavenly Sun, and its heat, for this air doth day after day fly round the world: and unlesse this were so, all things would be consumed by so great a heat, neither would any thing be brought forth. For as that invisible fire, or Centrall heat would consume all things, if the water coming betwixt did not prevent it; so the heat of the Sun would destroy all things; if the air did not come betwixt. But how these Elements work one with another, I will briefly declare.

In the Center of the earth is the Centrall Sun, which by its own motion, or of its firmament doth give a great heat, which extends it self even to the superficies of the earth. That heate causeth air after this manner. The Matrix of air is water, which bringeth forth sons of its own nature, but unlike, and far more subtill then it self;[Pg 34] for where the water is denyed entrance, the air enters: when therefore that Centrall heat, which is perpetuall, doth act, it makes water distill, and be heated, and so that water by reason of the heat is turned into aire, upon this account it breaks forth to the superficies of the earth, because it will not suffer it self to be shut in: then when it is cold, it is resolved into water. In the mean time it happens also that in opposite places not only air but water goes out; so you see it is, when black clouds are by violence carried up into the aire: for which thing take this as a familiar example. Make water hot in a pot, and you shalt see that a soft fire causeth gentle vapours, and winds; but a strong fire maketh thick clouds appear. Just in the same manner doth the Centrall heat worke; it lifts up the subtill water into aire, that which is thick by reason of its salt or fatnesse, it distributes to the earth, by meanes of which divers things are generated, that which remaines becomes stones, and rocks. But some may object, if it were so, it would be done constantly, but oftentimes there is no wind at all perceived. I answer, if water be not poured violently into a distillatory vessell, there is made no wind, for little water stirs up but little wind: you see that thunders are not always made, although there be rain, and wind; but only when by force of the air the swelling water is carried to the sphere of the fire; for fire will not indure water. you hast before thine eyes an example, when you pourest cold water into a hot furnace, from whence a thundering noise is raised. But why the water doth not enter uniformly into those places, and cavities, the reason is, because these sorts of vessells, and places are ma[Pg 35]ny; and sometimes one cavity by blasts, or winds drives away from it self water for some dayes, and months, untill there be a repercussion of the water again: As wee see in the sea, whose waves are moved and carryed a thousand miles, before they find, or meet with a repercussion to make them return back; but to return to our purpose.

Fire, or Heat is the cause of the motion of the Aire, and the life of all things; and the Earth is the Nurse of all these things, or their receptacle. But if there were not Water to coole our Earth, and Aire, then the Earth would be dryed, for these two reasons, viz. by reason of the Motion of the Centrall Sun, and heat of the Celestiall: Neverthelesse it happens sometimes in some places, when the pores of the earth are obstructed, that the humidity, or water cannot penetrate, that then by reason of the correspondency of the Celestiall, and Central Sun (for they have a magnetick virtue betwixt themselves) the earth is inflamed by the Sun: so that even sometimes there are made great chops, or furrows in the earth. Cause therefore that there be such an operation in our earth, that the Centrall heat may change the Water into Aire, that it may goe forth into the plaines of the world, and scatter the residue, as I said, through the pores of the earth; and then contrariwise the air will be turned into Water, far more subtill then the first Water was: and this is done thus, if you givest our old man Gold, or Silver to swallow, that he may consume them, and then he also dying may be burnt, and his ashes scattered into water, and you boil that water untill it be enough, and you shalt have a medicine to cure the lepro[Pg 36]sie. Mark, and be sure that you takest not cold for hot, or hot for cold, but mixe natures with natures, and if there be any thing that is contrary to nature (for Nature alone is necessary for thee) separate it, that Nature may be like Nature. Doe this by fire, and not with thy hand: and know that if you dost not follow Nature, all is in vain: and here I have spoken to thee through the help of God, what a father should speak to his son; he which hath ears let him heare, and he which hath his senses, let him set his mind upon what I say.