Of Natural and Supernatural Things by Basilius Valentinus (classic literature books .TXT) 📖

may you likewise extract the Mercury out of Luna and Jupiter, wherewith you may do wonders, as is taught in the Miner. Book, where is spoken of the Quintessence of Metals.

Now my Child must know, that this Mercury or Quintessence of Saturn is as good in all works as the Mercury of Sol, they are both alike good, and herein all Philosophers agree. My Child, take this Mercury of Saturn, so drawn out of the Receiver, put it into a Glass Box.

I have now taught you to make two sorts of the Water of Paradise; and know, my Child, that the first way is the best; though it be made with some danger, longer time, and more charge; for the Vinegar is all good, yet the red Oil is the best; its time is alike unto the end, and though it be more tedious before you obtain the red Oil, yet it fixes it self in a short time, if it come to the Matter or fix'd Stone, into a simple Essence in greater redness; but when the Mercury comes to the fix'd stone, it holds on a long time in ascending and descending before it die, and when it is quite dead, it makes the red fix'd Stone again into a fixt colour, so covering the red stone with its coldness, that the red stone becomes white again, then must you boil it again gently with a small Fire, till it begin to be yellow, prosecuting the Fire from one degree to another, as the Colour is higher and stronger, and that so long till it attain to a perfect redness, which requires a long time before it be done, which is not requisite in the red Oil; for the red Oil dies or coagulates forthwith the stone, the one fixing it self with the other into a simple Essence, in a short time. Therefore I tell thee, my Child, that the time of the Oyl is alike long in the end, though it appear to be of a shorter time with the Mercury, but it is equally long at the end of the Work, therefore I tell you the Art of both Works, that you may the better understand the Art to make the Oyl from the innermost Nature of the Stone, which is found afterwards.

The Oyl was unknown to the Ancients, for my Grandfather with his Companions found it with great labour and length of time.

So there are two ways to dissolve the Stone, and to poure upon it the clear water of Paradise. Our Ancestors called the Oyl their sharp Vinegar; therefore, my Child, keep the Name private, and I will teach you first of all how you shall join the Mercury to your Stone, which you extracted out of Saturn, to dissolve it; afterwards I will teach you to bring over the helm that red Oil which you extracted out of your prepared Saturn, into a fixt stone, to dissolve your stone.

My Child, weigh your fixt stone, take half as much of your Mercury, poure it upon the stone in the Glass, cover the Glass again with a polish'd Glass which may just fit it, set it in a Cuple with sifted Ashes, make a small Fire like the Suns heat at Midsummer, and give no more Fire to it, until the Water of Paradise or Mercury become all a dead Powder. And know, my Child, that the red or fixt Stone, which before was darkned, when it hath drunk up the Water of Paradise, or Mercury, or how you will call it, that it be a Powder between black and gray, then augment the Fire from one degree to another, till the Matter be perfect white, and when it is white, strengthen the Fire yet more, from one degree to another, till it be of a dark yellow Colour, then make it yet stronger, till it be of a perfect red; then rejoice, for your Stone is perfect, and fluxible as Wax. Praise God, who gives unto us part of his Miracles; and do good to the poor; you may see it with your fleshly Eyes, and use Gods goodness miraculously in this corrupt Life, for I tell you in good Charity, that if any one principally attain to this Stone, that it is given, afforded, and lent him from God. Whosoever hath this Stone, may live in a healthful state, to the last term of his Life, appointed him by God, and may have all whatsoever he desires on Earth.

He shall be loved and esteemed of all people, for he can cure them all internally and externally of all Diseases which may befall them; but if the Stone doth not so, it is false, and deserves not the name of the Vegetable Stone, or Philosophers Stone.

Therefore my Child, if God give you this Stone, look diligently to it, that you keep your self from offending God, that you make not this Stone on earth to be your Heaven; govern and rule your self to Gods glory and to the comfort of poor people, that Gods praise may be augmented, to the defence of the Christian Religion, and to the relief of poor exiled Christians I tell you, my Child, if you use it otherwise, God will leave you here a little while to your own Will, but afterwards he will speedily send a punishment, either you shall be struck dead, or die by a Fall; or die some other sudden death, and go Body and Soul to Hell, and be damned eternally, for your Ingratitude to God, who so graciously vouchsafed you so precious and great a Gift.

Therefore, my Child, look carefully to it, so to govern your self to Gods Glory, and the Salvation of your Soul, that the eternal Curse may not fall upon you; and therefore I have left you this Writing as my Testament. Enough hath been said to the wise, therefore look to your self.

The Multiplication of the Stone now perfected.

Now my Child, you may take the half of your Powder, put it into a Glass and melt it, have in readiness a Mould made hollow, of Box-wood, great or small as you please, it must be made smooth and even within with an Instrument, anoint it with Oil Olive, and when your red Powder is flux'd, poure it into the Mould, it will be a precious Stone, red as a Ruby, clear and transparent, take it out of the Mould, and make projection upon the imperfect Metals, and in the Body of Man.

Take ten times as much of prepared Saturn as I taught you before, by Coagulation and Solution, till it leave no Fæces behind, then take your precious red Powder out of the Glass, that two parts be full, set it into your warm Bath, and let it dissolve: when any thing is dissolved, decant off that which is clear on the top into another Glass, poure other Vinegar upon it, let it dissolve again as before, decant and poure fresh Vinegar upon it so often, till all be dissolved into a clear Water, which is done usually in ten or twelve days, then set all that which is dissolved into a Bath, and a head upon it, distil the Vinegar from it again, and coagulate the Matter so long till it be dry and shine, then put it into another Glass, which set upon a Furnace in a Cuple with sifted Ashes, laying a polish'd Glass upon the Mouth of the Glass.

My Child, know that your Matter is become fixt with the Stone in the solution, make an indifferent hot fire in the furnace, so hot as the heat of the Sun at Midsummer, or somewhat hotter; till the Matter begin to be yellow, then go on with the Fire from one degree to another, till you have a perfect yellow, then increase the Fire from one degree to another, till you have a perfect redness, which is quickly done, in half the time for the colour to come, and in the multiplication, but operate as before in the beginning, and poure Paradise water upon the Stone, as was taught you before in this Work, boil and mortifie it in every point to a perfect redness as hath been taught.

Then may you again take half of it out, and make projection therewith, and multiply the other half again in all points as abovesaid, so may you always continue working.

Now I will teach you the other way, and the best that is to water your red fixt Stone or powder with the red Oil, that it be fusible; you must know how much your red powder weighs, then take half the weight of your red Oil, to the full weight of the Stone, and poure it upon the red powder, and when the Oil is poured into the Glass, you may set a small head on, upon a Furnace in sifted Ashes, joining a Receiver to the Nose of the head, make a small fire under it, as the heat of the Sun in March, and no hotter; for there is yet some moisture of the Vinegar in the Oil, that it may be abstracted, continue it in that heat, that can perceive no moisture in the Head, then augment the fire a little, as the heat of the Sun at Midsummer, and if there be yet more moisture in it, you will perceive it in the head, but if you perceive it not in 6 or 8 days, then take the head off, and lay the polish'd Glass again upon the mouth of your Glass, increase the fire, that you can scarce endure your hand or finger in the Ashes an Ave-Mary while, continue the fire in that heat till the red Oil be all fixt with the Powder in the Glass, which you may know thus;

Take a little of the powder out of the Glass, lay it on a glowing Silver Plate, if the powder melts as wax, and penetrates through the Plate as Oil doth through a dry Leather, and makes it Gold throughout, as far as the powder went, then is the Stone finish'd, and if it do not this, you must then let it stand in that heat till it do so without fuming.

Now, my Child, when the Stone is finish'd, take half of it out of the Glass, put it into a Glass melting-pot, and melt the powder gently, which should be done presently, for it melts as Wax; and being melted, poure it into the Mould of Box-wood as aforesaid, it will be a red stone clear and transparent as Crystal, red as a Ruby, then make projection therewith, and set the other half again to multiply.

Then take in Gods Name twenty parts of Saturn, which is prepared by Solution and Coagulation, till it leave no more Fæces behind, as hath been said at the beginning. Dissolve these twenty parts of Saturn, dissolve by itself in a Glass with distilled Vinegar; likewise dissolve the powder of your Stone alone by it self in a Glass with distilled Vinegar, and when both are dissolved into clear water, poure both the Solutions together into a great Glass, set it into a Bath, a head on, and a Receiver to it, distil the Vinegar from it in the boiling Bath, till the Matter be dry, then let it cool of itself, put it into a Glass, lay a polish'd Glass over the mouth of the Glass, and set it into a Furnace in a Cuple with sifted Ashes, make a fire under it like