The Artificial Generation of Men

The artificial generation of Men

But we must by no means forget the generation of artificial men.

For there is some truth in this thing, although it hath been a long time concealed, and there have been no small Doubts, and Questions, raised by some of the ancient Philosophers, Whether it were possible for Nature, or Art to beget a Man out of the body of a Woman, and naturall matrix? To this I answer, that it is no way repugnant to the Art of Alchymie, and Nature; yea it is very possible: But to effect it, we must proceed thus.

Let the Sperm of a man by it self be putrefied in a gourd glasse, sealed up, with the highest degree of putrefaction in Horse dung, for the space of forty days, or so long untill it begin to bee alive, move, and stir, which may easily be seen. After this time it will bee something like a Man, yet transparent, and with[Pg 9]out a body. Now after this, if it bee every day warily, and prudently nourished and fed with the Arcanum of Mans blood, and bee for the space of forty weeks kept in a constant, equall heat of Horse-dung, it will become a true, and living infant, having all the members of an infant, which is born of a woman, but it will bee far lesse. This wee call Homunculus, or artificial. And this is afterwards to be brought up with as great care, and diligence as any other infant, untill it come to riper years of understanding. Now this is one of the greatest secrets, that God ever made known to mortall, sinfull man. For this is a miracle, and one of the great wonders of God, and secret above all secrets, and deservedly it ought to bee kept amongst the secrets until the last times, when nothing shall be hid, but all things be made manifest.

Fairies, Nymphs, Gyants, &c. are made of artificial men.

And although hitherto it hath not been known to men, yet it hath been known to Fairies of the Woods, Nymphs, and Gyants many ages since, because they come from them. For of such artificial men, when they come to Mans age, are made Pygmies, Gyants, and other great and monstrous men, who are instruments of great matters, who obtaine great victories against their Enemies, and know all secrets, and mysteries: because by Art they receive their lives, by Art they receive their bodies, flesh, bones, and blood: by Art they are borne; wherefore Art is now incorporated with, and imbred in them, and they need not learn of any, but others are constrained to learn of them, for by Art they have their originall and present existency, as a rose, or flower in a garden, and they are called the children of Fairies, and Nymphs, by reason that in power, and virtue they[Pg 10] are like not to Men, but Spirits, &c.

Of 3 principles Mercury the Spirit, sulphur is the soul, Salt the body.

Here it is necessary that wee speak something of the generation of metals; but because we have wrote sufficiently of that in our book of the generation of Metals, wee shall very briefly treat of it here, only briefly adding what was omitted in that book. Know that all the seven metals are brought forth after this manner, out of a threefold matter, viz. Mercury, Sulphur, & Salt, yet in distinct, and peculiar colours. For this reason Hermes did not speak amisse, when he said, that of three substances are all the seven metals produced, and compounded, as also the Tinctures, and Philosophers Stone. Those 3 substances he calls the Spirit, Soul, and Body: but he did not shew how this is to bee understood, or what he did mean by this, although haply he might know the three Principles, but did not make mention of them. Wherefore we do not say, that he was here in an error, but only was silent now, that those 3 distinct substances may be rightly understood, viz. Spirit, Soul, and Body, we must know, that they signifie nothing else but the three Principles, i.e. Mercury, Sulphur, Salt, of which all the seven metals are generated. For Mercury is the Spirit, Sulphur the Soule, and Salt the Body, but a Metall is the Soul betwixt the Spirit, and the Body (as Hermes saith) which Soule indeed is Sulphur; and unites these two contraries, the Body, and Spirit, and changeth them into one essence, &c.

Whether metals can be made artificialy by fire. Now this is not to bee understood so as that of every Mercury, every Sulphur, or of every Salt, the seven metals may be generated, or the Tincture, or the Philosophers Stone by the Art of Alchymie, or industry, with the help of Fire; but all the seven[Pg 11] metals must be generated in the mountains by the Archeius of the Earth. For the Alchymist shall sooner transmute metals, then generate, or make them.

Living ☿ is the mother of metals. Yet neverthelesse living Mercury is the Mother of all the seven metals, and deservedly it may be called the Mother of the metals. For it is an open Metall, and as it contains all colours, which it manifests in the Fire, so also occultly it contains all metals in it self, but without Fire it cannot shew them, &c.

The regeneration of metals into tinctures. But generation, and renovation of metals is made thus: As a man may return into the womb of his Mother, i.e. into the Earth, out of which he was first made a man, and shall again bee raised at the last day: so also all metals may returne into living ☿ againe, and become ☿, and by Fire bee regenerated, and purified, if for the space of forty weeks, they bee kept in a continuall heat, as an infant is in his Mothers wombe. So that now there are brought forth not common metals, but Tinging metals. For if Silver bee regenerated (after the manner as wee have spoken) it will afterward tinge all other metals into Silver, so will Gold into Gold, and the like is to bee understood of all the other metals.

The Soul is that medium wherewith the soule is united to the body. Now forasmuch as Hermes said, that the soule alone is that medium which joines the spirit to the body, it was not without cause he said so. For seeing Sulphur is that soule, and doth like Fire ripen, and digest all things; it can also bind the soule with the body, incorporating, and uniting them together, so that from thence may bee produced[Pg 12] a most excellent body. Now the common combustible Sulphur is not to bee taken for the soule of metals, for the soule is another manner of thing then a combustible, and corruptible body.

What the soule of metals is. Wherefore it can bee destroyed by no Fire, seeing indeed it is all Fire it self: and indeed it is nothing else but the quintessence of Sulphur, which is extracted out of reverberated Sulphur by the spirit of wine, being of a red colour, and as transparent as a Rubie: and which indeed is a great, and excellent Arcanum, for the transmuting of white metals, and to coagulate living ☿ into fixt, and true Gold. Esteeme this as an enriching treasure, and you maist bee well contented with this, onely secret in the Transmutation of metals.

Where is the generation of metals and mineralls. Concerning the generation of mineralls, and halfe metals nothing else need bee known then what was at first said concerning metals, viz. that they are in like manner produced of the three Principles, viz. Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, although not as metals of perfect, but of the more imperfect, and baser Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, and yet with their distinct colours.

Whence the generation of Gemmes. The generation of Gemmes is from the subtilty of the Earth, of transparent and crystalline Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, even according to their distinct colours.

Also of Common Stones. But the generation of common Stones is of the subtilty of Water, of mucilaginous Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt. For of the mucilaginousnesse of Water are produced all stones, as also sand, and gra[Pg 13]vell are thence coagulated into Stones, as wee often see.

An artificial generation of Stones. For any stone put in the Water, doth suddenly contract a mucilaginousnesse to itself. Now if that mucilaginous matter bee taken from this Stone, and coagulated in a glasse, it becomes such a Stone, as was in that Water, but it would require a long time before it would be coagulated of it self.