CHAPTER I

He says, God and a friend taught him the Universal MERCURY; and how Quicksilver is bom out of it, and I know but two Authors that ever writ of the proper nature of the Universal MERCURY before it became a matallick WATER, but if they gave directions, they began when it was in a Metallick WATER, determined, and in the form of a White Mineral or running Quicksilver.

Thus the Diciples of this Art are misled to work in common MERCURY; or minerals that contained it, and so lose the labour others would extract it from the AIR from whence everything has its life, growth, and substance.

But seeing they used false Magnets to obtain it, they found nothing but NITRE, for who would imagine that the right living magnet for the Universal MERCURY should come from a living Man, and indeed, the most subtile Masters of this Art, when they have heard of this or read of it, were shocked at it, and counted this Wisdom for Folly, and thought it impossible that a Metal could be born out of Man. But it is the plain truth, that no other thing in the World but an Human Magnet can make our AIR visible and serviceable to the metallick Mastery. And not only our MERCURY, but SOL also can be produced out of our Menstruum Universal and Materia Chaotica.

My Human Materia brings not only out of the AIR the Universal Spirit of SALT and changes it by means of the pure VITRIOL into a clear MERCURY and Quick Metal, but it performs the whole work from the Beginning to the End, without Money and without great Labour, and costs only Time, if you will perform it in Silence. And therefore why will you not be instructed when I openly declare that my Human Materia attracts the Universal MERCURY out of the Universal Spiritual SALT of the AIR, without the addition of any other thing whatsoever? And therefore I most humbly thank almighty God, that I, in my 23rd. year obtained this Blessed Secret, and am not but in my 30th. year. How can you wish to obtain a more noble, powerful and pure MERCURY to the Metallick Art than that which is produced from Heaven and a King, namely Thyself. From Heaven that gives Life to all things and sustains all things, and from thyself, the King of this Inferiour World, which Commands and enjoys all things, this must necessarily be a much nobler MERCURY than that which comparatively is thrust out of the Airy Throne of Heaven and imprisoned in the EARTH, from whence no Art or Power can easily release him from his hard bondage without destroying the Marrow in his Bones in his dissolution. When on the Contrary, Heaven and Man engenders a Prince a King, and to the true Artist brings a perfect Health, and a Joyful happy Life.

This is the Powerful, of which Hermes mentions in his Emerald Tablet with such praises, this MERCURY is not called living because --tis a Quick Metal, for that is a running, but not Living. But this is called Living Seed of SOL, and the small in weight yet so great in virtue that a little of it will make many times its weight of fine Gold, living SOL, and extend its Tincture. Likewise my MERCURY without addition of SOL, in some time by digestion will change LUNA into SOL, as also out of our MERCURY alone, by means of the Living Gold dwelling in its Center, the Metallick Master-piece may be obtained in fixity, and ten times more powerfully changes SATURN into SOL than the Tincture prepared of MERCURY and common SOL can do.

CHAPTER II

OF NATURE AND OF MOTION

He defines Nature to be Motus Rerum internus, the Inward Motion of all things. And the Motus Verbi Domini, Conservantis presentia.

Upon this Divine Word proceeded the Universal Light, from the Universal Light the Universal Spirit, from the Universal Spirit, the Universal SALT, and he that by the Mercy of God knows the Light, Spirit, and SALT, and in the Creation the Light Rays, the Spirits number, and the weight of Salt, he can see into the depth of Nature and Motion, and enjoys with great advantages in the wonderful power of the World.

CHAPTER III

OF LIGHT

Light proceeds from God, and in the Beginning of the Creation, before anything was, (except the general Slime of the World) and Created out of the Divine Breath to be a Vehiculum or subject of the Eternal Word, with which, and in which, the Lord streamed into the Slimy World and the Creation began. The Matter of the World had by the Fall of Lucifer (its former King) lost its Light, by which through Lucifer the Matter of his glorious Kingdom was illuminated and upheld in a purity, but became an Abyss of Darkness. But the Divine Breathing encompassed the Slimy Mass of the World and sent a new Light by that Spirit as its Vehiculum (instead of the Astringent Motion of Lucifer) and a new Motion of Light was introduced into the SALT of the Slimy World, which warmed and dilated, and produced AIR, WATER and EARTH. Therefore there is no Motion but by Light. Which proceeds from the Word of God, nor could AIR, WATER and EARTH have been produced but by the Astringent quality of the Slimy World, thickening the Spiritual Salt of Light which which shadowed it and brought it to a Body which we call the Spirit of the World or AIR, which contains the EARTH & WATER, from which all things were created, and all things created of this Slimy World I call Material. This Light as a Spirit cannot be received (or contained) but by Air, the other Elements receive it as a SALT, or in SALT. Many learned Swine would be shocked at this Pearl, if I showed it to the World in its Brightness.

The Spirit is called Astralisli, and the Body Centralish SALT, and their Natures are hereby finely expressed, both these SALTS may be brought by Art into Salt like to Kitchen SALT, and in this State are capable of great Operations, and out of this SALT body a Quick Metal may be produced without conjoining any Mineral Thing, but it is not so good as if made without FIRE.

MERCURY signifies by the Ignorant the running Quicksilver, but to speak properly, *tis a White, Transparent, Volatile, Mineral Waterie without any sharpness, which by its own Motion by Art is born out of the Universal SALT Spirit, by means of the Astringent power of the Universal VITRIOL.

Rx. The First Operation can be performed in less than ten or twelve weeks, and without Putrefaction nothing can be rightly done. And in this you must follow Nature and wait the true time, for you can gather no roses until you have their Time of Ripeness. This being obtained, by 40 days Digestion, then open your glass and join to it a Receiver, and distill your gradus Extrema, thy Mercurial Liquor by a easy heat gently over, then let it cool, and take off your Recipient, and lute your Retort with a good lute, and lay it in an open FIRE, and lute your Recipient well to it, and distil by proper degrees the true philosophical Spirit of VITRIOL over, which in shape of a Furious Smoke or Mist will fly into the Receiver.

But in this operation you must be careful that your FIRE is not too strong, that the Spirits are not too much irritated, but may moderately come in the Recipient into a Liquor, then when the Mists or Clouds cease, raise the FIRE by degrees and the Red Brother of the Fiery Dragon will follow, continue your FIRE as long as anything will distil,'then let it cool, and take the distilled Liquor Keys and preserve than well.

The remainder take out of the Retort, and cast your Liquor again upon it and lute it well, and set it in a soft Fire of Digestion some days to dissolve the SALT remaining in the Faeces, then draw off the Liquor or Menstruum several times per Cohobation, and then you will have all the three Principles of the VITRIOL united in One. Rectify this again several times per se, and it will leave some foeces behind, and then thou wilt have the healthful Blood of an exalted Redness, obtained from a Metallick nature as heavy as Lead, and of a sweet taste, and very pleasant, with which thou canst proceed further, either Universally or Particularly, according as you please.

FINIS.