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

Understanding, Riches, and Health. My Mind is very much grieved, and my Spirit is terrified within it self to discover it publickly, which was not publish'd in common before, and to make it vocal, which was concealed in the deep with great secresie. But if I consider in my self, and enter into my Conscience, I could find no alteration, nor catch at any thing to disturb my mind, or bring it to another resolution, which might cause many Obstructions: Yet will I speak with discretion, and write understanding, that no evil with may follow, but rather that I may gain a grateful profit, which I have pourtrayed after the manner and occasion, as the Philosophers before me have done.

Mark now, give your Mind perfect Thoughts, refrain all strange matters, which are not serviceable to your speculation of Philosophy, but rather cause a ruine of that benefit, which you pursued with so much diligence; and know if you have a hearty desire and strong affection to gain the Golden Magnet, that in the first place your prayer be truly directed to God, in true Knowledge, Sorrow, Repentance, and true Humility, to know and learn the three distinct Worlds which are subject to Humane Reason; as, there is the Super-celestial World, wherein the right immortal Soul hath its seat and residence, together with its first coming, and is according to Gods Creation the first moveable Sense, or the first moving sensible Soul, which hath operated the Natural Life from a Supernatural Essence; this Soul and Spirit is at first the Root and Fountain, the first Creature which arose to a Life, and the first Mover, whereof there hath been so much Disputing among the Learned.

Now take notice of the second Celestial World, and observe it diligently, for therein the Planets rule, and all the Stars of Heaven have their course, virtue and power in this Heaven, performing that Service therein whereunto they are by God ordained, and in this service they operate the Minerals and Metals by their Spirit.

Go now out of these 2 distinct Worlds into the third, wherein is contained and found what the other two have wrought, to wit, the Super-celestial and the Celestial worlds; out of the Super-celestial arises the Fountain of Life, and of the Soul; out of the other Celestial world the light of the Spirit; and out of the third or Elementary world, the invincible Celestial Fire, which yet may be felt, out of which, that which is tangible is digested; these three Matters and Substances produce and generate the Form of Metals, among all which Gold hath the pre-eminence, because the Sidereal & Elementary Operation hath digested and ripened the Mercury in this Metal the more perfectly to a sufficient ripeness.

And even as the Male-Seed is injected into the Womb, and touches the Menstruum, which is its Earth, but the Seed which goes out of the Male into the Female, is operated in both by the Sydereal and Elementary, that they be united, and nourished by the Earth unto the Birth.

Even so understand it likewise, that the Soul of Metals which is formed and conceived out of the Chaos by an intangible, invisible, incomprehensible, concealed, and supernatural, Celestial Composition of Water and Air; afterwards it is further concocted by the Celestial Elementary Light and Fire of the Sun; whereby the Stars move the Powers, when its heat is perceived in the inward parts of the Earth, as in the Womb, for the Earth is opened by the warm operating property of the upper Stars, that their infused Spirit yield a nourishment unto the Earth, that it may bring forth somewhat, as Metals, Herbs, Trees and Animals; where each one in particular brings its Seed with it for its farther augmentation and encrease: And as hath been mentioned, even as Man is begotten spiritually and heavenly, Soul and Spirit, and by the nourishment of the Earth in the Body of the Mother is formally brought up to perfection; even so, and in like manner, is to be observed and understood of the Metals and Minerals in all points.

But this is the true mystery of Gold, which I will make good to you by an Example and Parable to certifie you, whereby the possibility of Nature, and its Mystery is to be found after this manner.

It is evident, that the Celestial Light of the Sun is of a fiery Quality and Essence, given unto it by a Celestial, fixt and permanent sulphurous Spirit, by the most High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, to preserve its substance, form, and body; which Creature, by its swift motion and course, is enflamed and kindled by the Air through that swiftness in a continued manifestation of it; this inflammation can never be extinct, nor decay in any of its power, so long as its Course last, or this whole Created visible World shall remain and continue, because there is no combustible matter at hand which is given unto it, by whose consumption this great Light of Heaven should fall to decay.

Even so Gold is so digested, ripened, and made into such a fixt invincible Nature by the Superiours in its Essence, that nothing can hurt it in the least, because the superiour Stars have past through the inferiour, that the inferiour fix'd Stars by the influence and donation of the superiour, cannot in the least give place to its like, for the inferiour have obtained such a fixedness and permanency from the superiour; this you may well retain, observe, and take notice of as concerning the first Matter of Gold.

I must yet produce one comparison according to the Philosophical custom, of the great Light of Heaven, and of that little terrestrial fire here daily kindled, and made to burn before our Eyes; because that great Light hath a magnetick simulation and an attractive living power with the small fire here on earth, but yet it is unformal and incomprehensible, only it is found to be spiritual, invisible, insensible and intangible.

It is to be observed and remembred, as experience manifests, and is proved, that the great Light of heaven bears an especial sympathy, affection and inclination to the little earthly fire, by means of the spiritual Air, whereby they are both promoted and preserved from Mortality; for behold, when the Air receives into it a Coruption, by too great humidity attracted up by it, that Clouds are generated by Mists, and farther coagulations, which hinder the Sun-beams that they cannot have a reflection, nor get a right penetrating power. So likewise the small terrestrial fire doth not burn so lively in dusky, dark, rainy weather, nor manifests it self with joy in its operation, as it doth when there is a fair, pure, serene, unfalsified heavenly Air; the reason is, because the sympathy is bound and hindered by the obstruction of those Accidents and the waterish Air, so that the attractive power is grieved, that it cannot accomplish its compleat Love and Operation as it should, for this hinderance brings the aquosity to the contrary Element.

Now even as the Sun, the great Light of Heaven, hath a peculiar community and sympathy with the small terrestrial fire to attract unto it, after a Magnetical manner; So also the Sun and Gold have a peculiar understanding, and an attractive power and sympathy together; for the Sun hath wrought the Gold by the three Principles, which have their Magnets, being nearest related to the Sun, and hath gained the next degree to it, for that the three Principles are found to be most mighty and powerful therein, Gold immediately succeeds it in its corporal Form, being composed of the three principles, and hath its beginning and off-spring from the Celestial and Golden Magnet.

This is the supremest Wisdom of this world, a wisdom above all wisdom, yea a wisdom above all Natural Reason and Understanding; for by this wisdom is comprehended first of all Gods Creation, the heavenly Essence, the Firmamentary Workings, the spiritual Imagination, and the corporal Essence, it contains all qualities, and properties, and all whatsoever sustaines and preserves Mankind. In this Golden Magnet sticks and lies buried the resolution and opening of all Metals and Minerals, their domination, as also the first Matter of their generation, their power over health; and again, the coagulation and fixation of Metals, together with the operation of expelling all Diseases: Take notice of this Key, for it is Celestial, Sydereal and Elementary, out of which the terrestrial is generated, it is both Supernatural and Natural, and is generated Celestially of the Spirit of Mercury, Spiritually of the Spirit of Sulphur, and Corporally of the Spirit of Salt; this is all the way, the whole Essence, the beginning and end; for the Spirit and the Body are bound up together in one by the Soul, that they can never be separated, but produce a very perfect, durable Body, which nothing can hurt. Out of this spiritual Essence, and out of this spiritual Matter, out of which first of all Gold was made into a Body, and became corporal, out of it is made a more true and compleat Aurum potabile than out of Gold it self, which must first of all be made spiritual, before a potable Gold can be prepared out of it.

This Spirit cures and heales the Leprosie and the French Pox, as being an over-fix'd Mercurial Essence, dries up and consumes the Dropsie, and all running and open Sores, which have raged a long season, it strengthens the Heart and Brain, makes a good Memory, generates good Blood, brings Lust, Delight and Desires in humane incitation unto Natural Affections. If the Quintessence of Pearl be mixt with the Tincture of Coral, and be administred with an addition of an equal quantity of this Spiritual Essence of Gold, the Dose of two grains taken at once in a just observation, you may be bold & confident of the truth, that no disaster of any Natural Distemper can harm you, or happen to you, to the prejudice of your health, because the nature resides only in the Spirit of Gold, to alter, remove and amend all weaknesses, so that the Body shall be adjudged perfect and free from any Disease. The Quintessence of Pearl corroborates the Heart, and make a perfect Memory, of the five senses. The Tincture of Coral expels all poison, and evil Spirits which fly from the good. So can the Soul of Gold in a Water turn the spiritual Essence of the Pearl, and the Sulphur of the Coral united in one, perform such a thing which otherwise Nature could not be intrusted with, but seeing that Experience hath manifested it, and confirmed the undeniable Truth, therefore this Cordial in this temporal Life is, and ought in reason to precede all other Cordials with admiration and admirable Effects, be they called by what name soever. I am an Ecclesiastical person, obedient to the Ecclesiastical degree, related to the Benedictine Order by a Spiritual and Divine Oath, by which Order with my internal Prayer, I obtain comfort and promises of Gods Word, a refreshment to my Soul, but in a corporal temptation of my weaknesses, and for my Brethren I have not found and used a better corroboration by Gods Blessing, than these three Compounds united: God give, bless, and increase this Virtue and Power unto the End of this temporal World, which Man must change together with Death. O thou golden power of thy Soul! O thou golden intellect of thy Spirit! O thou golden operation of thy Body! God the Creator keep thee, and grant unto all earthly Creatures,