Written originally in Hebrew, and translated thence
into Arabick, and out of Arabick into Latin. Now it
being faithfully rendered into English by:
WILLIAM SALMON
professor of physick
CHAPTER XXII
OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF THIS ART
I. Thanks be given to God, the Creator of all things, who hath made us, renewed us, taught us, and given us knowledge and understanding; for except he should keep us, preserve us, and direct us, we should wander out of the right way, as having no Guide or Teacher: Nor can we know any thing in this World, unless he teach us, who is the begining of all things, and the Wisdom it self, his power and goodness, it is with which he over-shadows his People.
II. He directs and instructs whom he pleases, and by His long-suffering, and tender Mercies, brings them back into the way of Righteousness. For he has sent his Angels (or Spirit) into the dark places, and made plain the Ways, and with his loving kindness replenishes such as love Him.
III. Know then my Brother, that this Magistery of our Secret Stone and this Valuable Art, is a secret of the Secrets of God, which he has hidden with his own People; not revealing it to any, but to such who as Sons faithfully have deserved it, who have known his Goodness and Almighty-ness.
IV. If you would request any Earthly thing at the Hand of God, the Secret of this Magistery is more to be desired
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than anything else. For the Wise Men who have perfected the knowledge thereof, have not been wholly plain but speaking of it, have partly concealed it, and partly revealed it; And in this very thing, I have found the preceeding Philosophers to agree, in all their so much valued Books.
V. Know therefore, that Musa, my own disciple, (more valuable to me than any other) having diligently studied their Books, and laboured much in the Work of this Magistery, was much perplexed, not knowing the Natures of things belonging thereto: Whereupon he humbly begged at my Hands, my Explanation thereof, and my Directions therein.
VI. But I gave him no other Answer, Than that he should read over the Philosopher’s Books, and therein to seek that which he desired of me: Going his way, he read above an hundred Books of the Secret of the Great Philosophers: but by them he could not attain the knowledge of that Mystery which he desired, tho’ continually studying it for the space of a Year, for which reason he was as one astonished and much troubled in mind.
VII. If then Musa my Scholar (who has deserved to be accounted among the Philosophers) has thus failed in the knowledge of this Mystery; what may be supposed from the Ignorant and Unlearned, who understand not the Natures of things, nor apprehend whereof they consist?
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VIII. Now when I saw this in my most dear and chosen Disciple, moved with Piety and Love to him, by the Will also and Appointment of God, I wrote this my book near the time of my Death, in which tho’ I have pretermitted many things which the Philosophers before me have mentioned in their Books; yet have I handled some things which they have concealed, and could not be prevailed withal to reveal or to discover.
IX. Yea, I have explicated, and laid open certain things which they hid under AEnigmaticaj. and dark Expressions; and this my Book I have Named, The Secrets of Aichymie, for that I have revealed in it, whatsoever is necessary to the knowledge of this Learning in a Language befitting the matter, and to your sence and understanding.
X. I have taught four Magisteries far greater and better than the other Philosophers have done, of which number the One is a Mineral Elixir, another Animal; the other two are Mineral Elixirs; but not the one Mineral whose virtue is to wash, cleanse, or purifie those things which they call the Bodies. And another is to make Gold of Azot Vive; whose Composition or Generation is according to the Natural Generation in the Mines, or in the Heart and Bowels of the Earth.
XI. And these four Magisteries or Works, the Philosophers have discoured of, in their Books of the Composition thereof, but they are wanting in many things, nor would they
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clearly show the Operation of it in their Books: ~nd when by chance any one found it out, yet could he not thoroughly understand it; than which nothing was more grievous to him.
XII. I will therefore in the Work declare it, together with the way and the manner how to make it, but if you read me, learn to understand Geometrical proportion, that so you may rightly frame your Fornaces, not exceeding the mean, either in greatness or finalness; with all you must understand the proportion of your Fire, and the form of the Vessell fit for your work.
XIII. Also you must consider, what is the ground work and beginning of the Magistery; which is as the Seed and Womb to the Generation of Living Creatures, which are shaped in the Womb, and therein receive their Fabrick, Increase and Nourishment. For if the Prima Materia of our Magistery is not conveniently managed, the Work will be spoiled and you will not find that which you seek after, nor shall you bring your Work to perfection.
XIV. For where the cause of Generation is wanting, or the root of the matter, and heat itself, your labor will be lost, and the Work come to nothing. The same also will happen, if you mistake in the proportion or weight; for if that not be right, to wit, the proportion of the parts compounding, the matter compounded missing of its just temperature will be destroyed, and so you shall reap no fruit, the which I will show you by an Example.
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XV. See you not that in Soap, (with which Cloaths are washt clean and white) that it has its virtue and property by reason of the just proportion of its Ingredients, which spread themselves in length and breadth, and because of which they agree to the same end; by which it appears, that the Compositum was truly made, and the power and efficacy which before lay hid, (which is called Property) is now brought to light, which is the quality of washing and cleaning in a proper Layer?
XVI. But should the ingredients have been put together without proportion, being either too little or too much, the virtue and efficacy of the Soap would be destroyed, nor would it any ways answer the end desired; for that end of effect ariseth from the just proportion and mixion of each
Ingredient: The same you must understand, to happen in the Composition of our Magistery.
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CHAPTER XXIII
OF THE FOUR PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS, SOLUTION, CONGELATIONS ALBIFICATION AND RUBIFICATION
I. Beginning now to speak of the Great Work,which they call Aichymie I will open the matter without concealing ought, or keeping back anything, save that which is not fit to be declared: We say then, that the great work contains four Operations, viz., to Dissolve, to Congeal, to make White and to make Red.
II. There are four quantities partakers together; of which two are partakers between themselves; so also have the other two a coherence between themselves. And either of these double quantities, has another quantity partaker with them, which is greater than these two.
III. I understand by these quantities, the quantities of the Natures, and weight of the Medicines, which are in order dissolved and congealed, wherein neither addition nor diminution have any place. But these two, viz., Solution and ConGelation are one Operation, and make but one Work, and that before Composition, but afer; but after Composition those Operations be divers.
IV. And this Solution and Congelation which we have spoke of, are the solution of the Body, and the congelation of the Spirit, which two, have indeed but one Operation; for the Spirits are
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not congealed, except the Bodies be dissolved; as also the bodies are not dissolved unless the Spirit be congealed. And when the Soul and the Body are joyned together, each of them works its Companion into its own likeness and property.
V. As for example. When Water is put to Earth, it strives to dissolve the Earth, by its virtue, property, and moisture, making it softer than it was before, bringing it to be like it self, for the Water was more thin than the Earth. And thus does the Soul work in the Body, and after the same manner is the Water thickened with the Earth and becomes like the Earth in thickness, for the Earth was more thick than the Water.
VI. Know also, that between the solution of the Body and the congelation of the Spirit, there is no distance of time, nor diversity of work, as though the one should be without the other; as there is no difference of time in the conjunction of the Earth and Water, that the one might be distinguished from the other by its operation. But they have both one instant, and one fact, and one and the same work performs both at once, before Composition.
VII.I say, before Composition, lest he that should read my Book, and hear the terms of Solution and Congelation, should suppose it to be the Composition which the Philosophers treat of, which would be a grand Error both in Work and Judgement: Because Composition in this Work is a Conjunction or Marriage of the congealed Spirit with the dissolved Body, which Conjunction is made upon the fire.
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VIII. For heat is its nourishment, and the Soul forsakes not the Body, neither is it otherwise knit unto it, than by the alteration of both from their own virtues and properties, after the Conversion of their Natures: and this is the solution and congelation which the Philosophers first speak of.
IX. Which nevertheless they have absconded by their AEnigmatical. Discourses, with dark and obscure Words, whereby they alienate and estrange the minds of their Followers, from understanding the Truth: whereof I will now give you the following Examples.
X. Besmear the Leaf with Poyson, so shall you obtain the beginning’ of the Stone, and the Operation thereof. Again, Work upon the strong Bodies with one solution, till either of them are reduced to subtility. Also, Except you bring the Bodies to such a subtility that they may be impalpable, you shall not obtain that you seek after. And, If you have not ground them, repeat the Work till they be sufficiently ground and made subtil, so shall you have your desire.
With a thousand such other like unintelligible, without a particular demonstration thereof.
XI. And in like manner have they spoken of that Composition which is after solution and congelation, Thus: Our Composition is not perfect without Conjunction and Putrefaction. Again, You must dissolve, congeal, separate, conjoyn, putrefie and compound, because Composition is the beginning and very life of the thing. These things who can understand without teachings?
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XII. But ‘tis true that unless there be a compounding, the Stone can never be brought to light: There must be a separation of the parts of the Compound, which separation is in order also to a Connunction. I tell you again, that the Spirit will not dwell with the Body, nor enter into it, nor abide in it, until the body be made subtil and thin as the Spirit is.
XIII. But when it is attenuated and made subtil, and has caste off its thickness and grossness, and put on that thinness, has forsaken its Coporeity, and become Spiritual; then shall it be conjoyned with the subtil Spirits, and imbibe them, so that both shall become one and the same thing, nor shall they for ever be severed, but become like water mixt with water, which no man can separate.
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CHAPTER XXIV
OF THE LATTER TWO OPERATIONS, VIZ., ALBIFICATION AND RUBIFICATION
I. Suppose that of two like quantities which are in solution and congelation, the larger is the Soul and the Lesser is the
Body: Add afterwards to the quantity which is the Soul, that quantity which is in the Body, and it shall participate with the first quantity in virtue only. Then working them as we have wrought them, you will have your desire, and understand Euclid his Line or Proportion.
II. Then take this quantity, weigh it exactly, and add to it as much moisture as it will drink up, the weight of which we have not determined; Then Work them as before, with the same Operations of a first imbibing and subliming it: This Operation is called Albification, and they name it Yarit, that is Silver or White Lead.
III. When you have made this Compound white, add to it so much of the Spirit, as will make half of the whole, and set it to working, till it grows red, and then it will be of the colour of Al-Sulfur (Cinnabar) which is very red, and the Philosophers have likened it to Gold whose effects lead to that which the Philosopher said to his Scholar Arda.
IV. We call the clay when it is white Yarit, that is Silver: But when it is red, we name it Temeynch, that is Gold: Whiteness is that which tinges Copper, and makes it Yarit: And it is redness which tinges Yarit, ie, Silver and makes it Temeynch.
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CHAPTER XXV
OF THE NATURE OF THINGS APPERTAINING TO THIS WORK: OF DECOCTION, AND ITS EFFECTS
I. Know then that the Philosophers have called them by divers names: Sometimes they call them Minerals, sometimes Animals, sometimes Vegetables, sometimes Natures, for that they are things natural: and others have called them by other names at their Pleasures, or as they liked best.
II. But their Medicines are near to Natures, as the Philosophers have taught in their Books; for that Nature comes nigh to Nature, and Nature is like to Nature, Nature is joyned to Nature, Nature is drowned in Nature, Nature makes Nature white, and Nature makes Nature red.
III. And Corruption is in conjunction with Generation, Generation is retained with Generation, and Generation conquereth with Generation.
IV. Now for the performance of these things, the Philo...
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