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for what the Philosophers are seeking is the coin of the Philosophers, which, unless it be mixed with white or red, which is
quicksilver of its own kind, would doubtless escape. I direct you, therefore, to mix quicksilver with quicksilver (of its kind)
until together they become one clean water composed out of two. This is, therefore, the great arcanum, the confection of
which is with its own gum; it is cooked with flowers in a gentle fire and with earth; it is made red with mucra and with
vinegar, salt, and nitre, and with mutal is turned into rubigo, or by any of the select tingeing agents existing in our coin.
The Fifty-Third Dictum.
Exumenus saith:- The envious have laid waste the whole Art with the multiplicity of names, but the entire work must be the
Art of the Coin. For the Philosophers have ordered the doctors of this art to make coin-like gold, which also the same
Philosophers have called by all manner of names.
The Turba answereth:- Inform, therefore, posterity, O Exumenus, concerning a few of these names, that they may take
warning!
And he:- They have named it salting, sublimating, washing, and pounding Ethelias, whitening in the fire, frequently cooking
vapour and coagulating, turning into rubigo, the confection of Ethel, the art of the water of sulphur and coagula. By all these
names is that operation called which has pounded and whitened copper. And know ye, that quicksilver is white to the sight,
but when it is possessed by the smoke of sulphur, it reddens and becomes Cambar. Therefore, when quicksilver is cooked
with its confections it is turned into red, and hence the Philosopher saith that the nature of lead is swiftly converted. Do you
not see that the Philosophers have spoken without envy! Hence we deal in many ways with pounding and reiteration, that ye
may extract the spirits existing in the vessel, which the fire did not cease to burn continuously. But the water placed with
those things prevents the fire from burning, and it befalls those things that the more they are possessed by the flame of fire,
the more they are hidden in the depths of the water, lest they should be injured by the heat of the fire; but the water receives
them in its belly and repels the flame of fire from them.
The Turba answereth:- Unless ye make bodies not-bodies ye achieve nothing. But concerning the sublimation of water the
Philosophers have treated not a little. And know that unless ye diligently pound the thing in the fire, the Ethelia does not
ascend, but when that does not ascend ye achieve nothing. When, however, it ascends it is an instrument for the intended
tincture with which ye tinge, and concerning this Ethelia Hermes saith: Sift the things which ye know; but another: Liquefy
the things. Therefore, Arras saith: Unless ye pound the thing diligently in the fire, Ethelia does not ascend. The Master hath
put forth a view which I shall now explain to the reasoners. Know ye that a very great wind of the south, when it is stirred up,
sublimates clouds and elevates the vapours of the sea.
The Turba answereth:- Thou hast dealt obscurely.
And he:- I will explain the testa, and the vessel wherein is incombustible sulphur. But I order you to congeal fluxible
quicksilver out of many things, that two may be made three, and four one, and two one.
The Fifty-Fourth Dictum.
Anaxagoras saith:- Take the volatile burnt thing which lacks a body, and incorporate it. Then take the ponderous thing,
having smoke, and thirsting to imbibe.
The Turba answereth:- Explain, O Anaxagoras, what is this obscurity which you expound, and beware of being envious!
And he:- I testify to you that this volatile burnt thing, and this other which thirsts, are Ethelia, which has been conjoined with
sulphur. Therefore, place these in a glass vessel over the fire, and cook until the whole becomes Cambar. Then God will
accomplish the arcanum ye seek. But I direct you to cook continuously, and not to grow tired of repeating the process. And
know ye that the perfection of this work is the confection of water of sulphur with tabula; finally, it is cooked until it becomes
Rubigo, for all the Philosophers have said: He who is able to turn Rubigo into golden venom has already achieved the desired [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]