NICHOLAS FLAMMEL, His Exposition of the hieroglyphical Figures which he caused to be painted upon an Arch in St. Innocents' Churchyard, in PARIS.  
Together with The secret Book of ARTEPHIUS, And The Epistle of john Pontanus: Concerning both the Theoric and the Practice of the PHILOSOPHER'S STONE.  
Faithfully, and (as the Majesty of the thing requireth) religiously done into English out of the French and Latin Copies.  
BY EIRENaeVS ORANDUS, qui est, Vera veris enodans.  
— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Imprinted at London by T. S. for Thomas Walkley, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the Eagle and Child in Britan's Burse. 1624.   

TO THE MOST excellently accomplished LADY, the C. D. of E.  
MADAM:  
BEcause there are not many worthy such Epithets, therefore amongst so few, and those so dispersed, it is not hard for any man to know you, as well by your just titles as by your Name. Pardon my boldness, who owing my best service unto your virtues, though not knowing your person, nor known unto you, unless peradventure the report of my disasters have come unto your ears; do humbly offer unto you, what I am assured, when you understand, (if ever God incline your heart to the search, and open your eyes to the sight thereof) you will esteem as the greatest and most unualuable secret, which amongst all under-moone things, was ever imparted and communicated to man. Your Piety and Alms deeds, proceeding from that boundless fountain of burning Charity, which disperseth itself in all forms, according to the necessities of the poor, have enforced me to tell the world, that for you, and such as you are, I have caused these little Books to be published in our vulgar English, custom excusing the most of your sex from the knowledge of the learned Tongues, in which Cabinets, these secrets are ordinarily locked up, though there want not examples of many women, who, by the impartial grace of God, have attained to the thing itself. But it is not my purpose to flatter any body with the hope of that, which I well know how rare and reserved a blessing of the Almighty it is: Only, if you will be but pleased, by this occasion, to cast your eyes upon that triumphant Chariot, wherein Nature rideth through her Mineral and under-earth kingdom, you will easily see what difference there is, between the plenteous virtues of heaven, there thrust and crowded up together, (as lines though far distant in their first setting forth from the Circumference, yet touching one another when they come near the Centre) and the loose and weak composition of Vegetables, which being of another imposition of Nature, are not able either to receive or to hold such plenty of those heavenly Spirits, which are the life of every Elementary body, no where idle, and there most abounding where it seems most to be hidden. For the rest, if any of my busy unlettered Countrymen, who are in great numbers, as bold pretenders to this blessed Science, as they are blind practitioners therein, shall by the reading of these Treatises be persuaded (as I wish they may) to forbear the loss of their time, and the expense of their monies, until they be taught by the one of them, the true matter to work on, and by the other, the true manner of proceeding therewith; let them in their hearts bless God for you, to whose noble deserts (that challenge a due acknowledgement from all good men) I have paid this small tribute of my labours. For mine own part, the help and comfort which I have so plenteously reaped from these studies, in the midst of many pressures, which without the extra-ordinary assistance of God, had been insupportable, hath already made light and easy in my resolution, whatsoever I shall either do, or suffer, for God, or goodmen, or the truth. The father of the fatherless, the judge of the widows, and the hope of the help less, be to you and yours ALL THINGS. So prayeth,  
Your humble servant Eirenaeus Orandus.   

ET sit splendour Domini Dei nostri super nos, & opera manuum nostrarum dirige super nos; & opus manuum nostrarum dirige. Psal 90. 19  
And let the bright beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and guide thou the works of our hands upon us, and the work of our hands guide thou it. Psal. 90. 19  
QVis enim despexit dies paruos? & laetabuntur, & videbunt lapidem stanneum in manu Zorobabel. Septemisti, Oculi sunt Domini, qui discurrunt in universam terram. Zech. 4. 10.  
For who hath despised the day of little things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the stone of Tin in the hand of Zerubbabel, with those seven; they are the Eyes of the Lord, which run too & fro through the whole earth. Zech. 4. 10.   

READER.  

— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.—  
Haec partim ipse tuo perpendes pectore tecum,  
Partem Diwm aliquis tibi suggeret.—  
Part of these things thy mind shall prompt thee to,  
And part, some God shall teach thee how to do.   

Again.  
Si te fata vocant, aliter non viribus ullis  
Vincere, nec duro poteris convellere ferro.  
If Fates thee call, else with no violence,  
Nor hardest Iron canst thou dig them thence.   

Once again, and so farewell.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉:  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   

Fortuna vices lubrica versat  
Varias docilis sum●re formas.  
Inopina Dei plurima peragunt;  
Non succedunt quae fore speras,  
Quae fore nemo posse putaret,  
Saepe expediunt numina. Qualem  
Haec sortita est res mihi finem.   

Many shapes of Fate there be  
Much done beyond our hope, we see:  
What we think sure, God often stays,  
And finds, for things vndreamed▪ of, ways.  
For so did this succeed to me,  
And so I wish it may to thee.    
Eirenaeus Orandus.   


Place this Arch 〈…〉  
NICOLAS FLAMEL, ET PERCOMMENT LES INNOCENS FURENELLE SA FEMME RENT OCCIS PAR LE COMMANDMENT DV ROY HERODES.    

THE BOOK of the hieroglyphical Figures of Nicholas Flammel.  

ETernally praised be the Lord my God, which lifteth the humble from the base dust, and maketh the hearts of such as hope in him to rejoice: which of his grace openeth to them that believe, the Springs of his bounty, and putteth under their feet the worldly Spheres (or circles) of all earthly happinesses: In him be always our trust; in his fear, our felicity; in his mercy, the glory of the reparation of our nature; and in our prayers, our vnshaken assurance. And thou, o God Almighty, as thy benignity hath vouchsafed to open upon earth before me (thy unworthy servant) all the treasures of the riches of the world; so may it please thy great Clemency, then when I shall be no more in the number of the living, to open unto me the treasures of heaven, and to let me behold thy Divine face, the Majesty whereof, is a delight unspeakable, and the ravishing joy whereof, never ascended into the heart of living man. I ask it of thee, for our Lord jesus Christ they well-beloved Son his sake, who in the unity of the holy Spirit, liveth with thee world without end. Amen.  
The Explication of the Hieroglyphic Figures, placed by me Nicholas Flammel, Scrivener, in the Churchyard of the Innocents', in the fourth Arch, entering by the great gate of St. Dennis street, and taking the way on the right hand.   

The Introduction.  
ALthough that I Nicholas Flammel, NOTARY, and abiding in Paris, in this year one thousand three hundred fourscore and nineteen, and dwelling in my house in the street of Notaries, near unto the Chapel of St. james of the Bouchery; although, I say, that I learned but a little Latin, because of the small means of my Parents, which nevertheless were by them that envy me the most, accounted honest people; yet by the grace of God, and the intercession of the blessed Saints in Paradise of both sexes, and principally of Saint james of Gallicia, I have not wanted the understanding of the Books of the Philosophers, and in them learned their so hidden secrets. And for this cause, there shall never be any moment of my life, when I remember this high good, wherein upon my knees (if the place will give me leave) or otherwise, in my heart with all my affection, I shall not render thanks to this most benign God, which never suffereth the child of the Just to beg from door to door, and deceiveth not them which wholly trust in his blessing.  
Whilst therefore, I Nicholas Flammel, Notary, after the decease of my Parents, got my living in our Art of Writing, by making Inuentories, dressing accounts, and summing up the Expenses of Tutors and Pupils, there fell into my hands, for the sum of two Florins, a guilded Book, very old and large; It was not of Paper, nor Parchment, as other Books be, but was only made of delicate Rinds (as it seemed unto me) of tender young trees: The cover of it was of brass, well bound, all engraven with letters, or strange figures; and for my part, I think they might well be Greek Characters, or some such like ancient language: Sure I am, I could not read them, and I know well they were not notes nor letters of the Latin nor of the Gaul, for of them we understand a little. As for that which was within it, the leaves of bark or rind, were engraven, and with admirable diligence written, with a point of Iron, in fair and neat Latin letters coloured. It contained thrice seven leaves, for so were they counted in the top of the leaves, and always every seventh leaf was without any writing, but in stead thereof, upon the first seventh leaf, there was painted a Virgin, and Serpents swallowing her up; In the second seventh, a Cross where a Serpent was crucified; and in the last seventh there were painted Deserts, or Wildernesses, in the midst whereof ran many fair fountains, from whence there issued out a number of Serpents, which ran up and down here and there. Upon the first of the leaves, was written in great Capital Letters of gold, ABRAHAM THE JEW, PRINCE, PRIEST, LEVITE, ginger, AND PHILOSOPHER, TO THE NATION OF THE JEWS, BY THE WRATH OF GOD DISPERSED AMONG THE GAULES, SENDETH HEALTH. After this it was filled with great execrations and curses (with this word MARANATHA, which was often repeated there) against every person that should cast his eyes upon it, if he were not Sacrificer or Scribe.  
He that sold me this Book, knew not what it was worth, no more than I when I bought it; I believe it had been stolen or taken from the miserable jews; or found hid in some part of the ancient place of their abode. Within the Book, in the second leaf, he comforted his Nation, councelling them to fly vices, and above all, Idolatry, attending with sweet patience the coming of the Messias, which should vanquish all the Kings of the Earth, and should reign with his people in glory eternally. Without doubt this had been some very wise and understanding man. In the third leaf, and in all the other writings that followed, to help his Captive nation to pay their tributes unto the Roman Emperors, and to do other things, which I will not speak of, he taught them in common words the transmutation of Metals; he painted the Vessels by the sides, and he advertised them of the colours, and of all the rest, saving of the first Agent, of the which he spoke not a word, but only (as he said) in the fourth and fifth leaves entire he painted it, and figured it with very great cunning and workmanship: for although it was well and intelligibly figured and painted, yet no man could ever have been able to understand it, without being well skilled in their Cabala, which goeth by tradition, and without having well studied their books The fourth and fifth leaf therefore, was without any writing, all full of fair figures enlightened, or as it were enlightened, for the work was very exquisite. First he painted a young man, with wings at his ankles, having in his hand a Caducaean rod, writhe about with two Serpents, wherewith he struck upon a helmet which covered his head; he seemed to my small judgement, to be the God Mercury of the Pagans: against him there came running and flying with open wings, a great old man, who upon his head had an hourglass fastened, and in his hands a hook (or scythe) like Death, with the which, in terrible and furious manner, he would have cut off the feet of Mercury. On the other side of the fourth leaf, he painted a fair flower on the top of a very high mountain, which was sore shaken with the North wind; it had the foot blew, the flowers white and red, the leaves shining like fine gold: And round about it the Dragons and Griffons of the North made their nests and abode. On the fifth leaf there was a fair Rosetree flowered in the midst of a sweet Garden, climbing up against a hollow Oak; at the foot whereof boiled a fountain of most white water, which ran headlong down into the depths, notwithstanding it first passed among the hands of infinite people, which digged in the Earth seeking for it; but because they were blind, none of them knew it, except here and there one which considered the weight.  
On the last side of the fifth leaf, there was a King with a great Falchion, who made to be killed in his presence by some Soldiers a great multitude of little Infants, whose Mothers wept at the feet of the unpittifull Soldiers: the blood of which Infants was afterwards by other Soldiers gathered up, and put in a great vessel, wherein the Sun and the Moon came to bathe themselves. And because that this History did represent the more part of that of the Innocents' slain by Herod, and that in this Book I learned the greatest part of the Art, this was one of the causes, why I placed in their Churchyard these Hieroglyphic Symbols of this secret science. And thus you see that which was in the first five leaves: I will not represent unto you that which was written in good and intelligible Latin in all the other written leaves, for God would punish me, because I should commit a greater wickedness, than he who (as it is said) wished that all the men of the World had but one head that he might cut it off at one blow. Having with me therefore this fair Book, I did nothing else day nor night, but study upon it, understanding very well all the operations that it showed, but not knowing with what matter I should begin, which made me very heavy and solitary, and caused me to fetch many a sigh. My wife Perrenelle, whom I loved as myself, and had lately married, was much astonished at this, comforting me, and earnestly demanding, if she could by any means deliver me from this trouble: I could not possibly hold my tongue, but told her all, and showed her this fair Book, whereof at the same instant that she saw it, she became as much enamoured as myself, taking extreme pleasure to behold the fair cover, graving, images, and portraicts, whereof notwithstanding she understood as little as I: yet it was a great comfort to me to talk with her, and to entertain myself, what we should do to have the interpretation of them. In the end I caused to be painted within my Lodging, as naturally as I could, all the figures and portraicts of the fourth and fifth leaf, which I showed to the greatest Clerks in Paris, who understood thereof no more than myself; I told them they were found in a Book that taught the Philosophers stone, but the greatest part of them made a mock both of me, and of that blessed Stone, excepting one called Master Anselm, which was a Licentiate in Physic, and studied hard in this Science: He had a great desire to have seen my Book, and there was nothing in the world, which he would not have done for a sight of it: but I always told him, that I had it not; only I made him a large description of the Method. He told me that the first portrait represented Time, which devoured all; and that according to the number of the six written leaves, there was required the space of six years, to perfect the stone; and then he said, we must turn the glass, and seeth it no more. And when I told him that this was not painted, but only to show and teach the first Agent, (as was said in the Book) he answered me, that this decoction for six years' space, was, as it were, a second Agent; and that certainly the first Agent was there painted, which was the white and heavy water, which without doubt was Argent vive, which they could not fix, nor cut off his feet, that is to say, take away his volatility save by that long decoction in the purest blood of young Infants; for in that, this Argent vive being joined with gold and silver, was first turned with them into an herb like that which was there painted, and afterwards by corruption, into Serpents; which Serpents being then wholly dried, and decocted by fire, were reduced into powder of gold, which should be the stone. This was the cause, that during the space of one and twenty years, I tried a thousand broulleryes, yet never with blood, for that was wicked and villainous: for I found in my Book, that the Philosophers called Blood, the mineral spirit, which is in the Metals, principally in the Sun, Moon, and Mercury, to the assembling whereof, I always tended; yet these interpretations for the most part were more subtle than true. Not seeing therefore in my works the signs, at the time written in my Book, I was always to begin again. In the end having lost all hope of ever understanding those figures, for my last refuge, I made a vow to God, and St james of Gallicia, to demand the interpretation of them, at some jewish Priest, in some Synagogue of Spain: whereupon with the consent of Perrenelle, carrying with me the Extract of the Pictures, having taken the Pilgrim's habit and staff, in the same fashion as you may see me, without this same Arch in the Churchyard, in the which I put these hieroglyphical figures, where I have also set against the wall, on the one and the other side, a Procession, in which are represented by order all the colours of the stone, so as they come & go, with this writing in French. 
Moult playst a Dieu procession,  
SH' elle est faicte en devotion: that is,  
Much pleaseth God procession,  
If't be done in devotion.  which is as it weet the beginning of King Hercules his Book, which entreateth of the colours of the stone, entitled Iris, or the Rainbow, in these terms, Operis processio multùm naturae placet, that is, The procession of the work is very pleasant unto Nature: the which I have put there expressly for the great Clerks, who shall understand the Allusion. In this same fashion, I say, I put myself upon my way; and so much I did, that I arrived at Montioy, and afterwards at Saint james, where with great devotion I accomplished my vow. This done, in Leon at my return I met with a Merchant of Boloyn, which made me known to a Physician, a jew by Nation, and as then a Christian, dwelling in Leon aforesaid, who was very skilful in sublime Sciences, called Master Canches. Assoon as I had shown him the figures of my Extraict, he being ravished with great astonishment and joy, demanded of me incontinently, if I could tell him any news of the Book, from whence they were drawn? I answered him in Latin (wherein he asked me the question) that I hoped to have some good news of the Book, if any body could decipher unto me the Enigmas: All at that instant transported with great Ardour and joy, he began to decipher unto me the bening: But to be short, he well content to learn news where this Book should be, and I to hear him speak; and certainly he had heard much discourse of the Book, but (as he said) as of a thing which was believed to be utterly lost, we resolved of our voyage, and from Leon we passed to Ouiedo, and from thence to Sanson, where we put ourselves to Sea to come into France: Our voyage had been fortunate enough, & all ready, since we were entered into this Kingdom, he had most truly interpreted unto me the greatest part of my figures, where even unto the very points and pricks, he found great mysteries, which seemed unto me wonderful, when arriving at Orleans, this learned man fell extremely sick, being afflicted with excessive vomitings, which remained still with him of those he had suffered at Sea, and he was in such a continual fear of my forsaking him, that he could imagine nothing like unto it. And although I was always by his side, yet would he incessantly call for me, but in sum he died, at the end of the seventh day of his sickness, by reason whereof I was much grieved, yet as well as I could, I caused him to be buried in the Church of the holy Cross at Orleans, where he yet resteth; God have his soul, for he died a good Christian: And surely, if I be not hindered by death, I will give unto that Church some revenue, to cause some Masses to be said for his soul every day. He that would see the manner of my arrival, and the joy of Perenelle, let him look upon us two, in this City of Paris, upon the door of the Chapel of St james of the Bouchery, close by the one side of my house, where we are both painted, myself giving thanks at the feet of Saint james of Gallicia, and Perrenelle at the feet of St john, whom she had so often called upon. So it was, that by the grace of God, and the intercession of the happy and holy Virgin, and the blessed Saints, james and john, I knew all that I desired, that is to say, The first Principles, yet not their first preparation, which is a thing most difficult, above all the things in the world: But in the end I had that also, after long errors of three years, or thereabouts; during which time, I did nothing but study and labour, so as you may see me without this Arch, where I have placed my Processions against the two Pillars of it, under the feet of St. james and St. john, praying always to God, with my Beads in my hand, reading attentively within a Book, and poising the words of the Philosophers: and afterwards trying and proving the divers operations, which I imagined to myself, by their only words. Finally, I found that which I desired, which I also soon knew by the strong sent and odour thereof. Having this, I easily accomplished the Mastery, for knowing the preparation of the first Agents, and after following my Book according to the letter, I could not have miss it, though I would. Then the first time that I made projection, was upon Mercury, whereof I turned half a pound, or thereabouts, into pure Silver, better than that of the Mine, as I myself assayed, and made others assay many times. This was upon a Monday, the 17. of january about noon, in my house, Perrenelle only being present; in the year of the restoring of mankind, 1382. And afterwards, following always my Book, from word to word, I made projection of the Red stone upon the like quantity of Mercury, in the presence likewise of Perrenelle only, in the same house, the five and twentieth day of April following, the same year, about five a clock in the Evening; which I transmuted truly into almost as much pure Gold, better assuredly than common Gold, more soft, and more pliable. I may speak it with truth, I have made it three times, with the help of Perrenelle, who understood it as well as I, because she helped me in my operations, and without doubt, if she would have enterprised to have done it alone, she had attained to the end and perfection thereof. I had indeed enough when I had once done it, but I found exceeding great pleasure and delight, in seeing and contemplating the Admirable works of Nature, within the Vessels. To signify unto thee then, how I have done it three times, thou shalt see in this Arch, if thou have any skill to know them, three furnaces, like unto them which serve for our operations: was afraid a long time, that Perrenelle could not hide the extreme joy of her felicity, which I measured by mine own, and lest she should let fall some word amongst her kindred, of the great treasures which we possessed: for extreme joy takes away the understanding, as well as great heaviness; but the goodness of the most great God, had not only filled me with this blessing, to give me a wife chaste and sage, for she was moreover, not only capable of reason, but also to do all that was reasonable, and more discreet and secret, than ordinarily other women are. Above all, she was exceeding devout, and therefore seeing herself without hope of children, and now well stricken in years, she began as I did, to think of God, and to give or selves to the works of mercy. At that time when I wrote this Commentary, in the year one thousand four hundred and thirteen, in the end of the year, after the decease of my faithful companion, which I shall lament all the days of my life: she and I had already founded, and endued with revenues 14. Hospitals in this City of Paris, we had new built from the ground three Chapels, we had enriched with great gifts and good rents, seven Churches, with many reparations in their Churchyards, besides that which we have done at Boulogne, which is not much less than that which we have done here. I will not speak of the good which both of us have done to particular poor folks, principally to widows and poor Orphans, whose names if I should tell, and how I did it, besides that my reward should be given me in this World, I should likewise do displeasure to those good persons, whom I pray God bless, which I would not do for any thing in the World. Building therefore these Churches, Churchyards, and Hospitals in this City, I resolved myself, to cause to be painted in the fourth Arch of the Churchyard of the Innocents', as you enter in by the great gate in St. Dennis street, and taking the way on the right hand, the most true and essential marks of the Art, yet under veils, and hieroglyphical covertures, in imitation of those which are in the gilded Book of Abraham the jew, which may represent two things, according to the capacity and understanding of them that behold them: First, the mysteries of our future and undoubted Resurrection, at the day of judgement, and coming of good jesus, (whom may it please to have mercy upon us) a History which is well agreeing to a Churchyard. And secondly, they may signify to them, which are skilled in Natural Philosophy, all the principal and necessary operations of the Mastery. These Hieroglyphic figures shall serve as two ways to lead unto the heavenly life: the first and most open sense, teaching the sacred Mysteries of our salvation; (as I will show hereafter) the other teaching every man, that hath any small understanding in the Stone, the lineary way of the work; which being perfected by any one, the change of evil into good, takes away from him the root of all sin (which is covetousness) making him liberal, gentle, pious religious, and fearing God, how evil soever he was before, for from thence forward, he is continually ravished, with the great grace and mercy which he hath obtained from God, and with the profoundness of his Divine & admirable works. These are the reasons which have moved me to set these forms in this fashion, and in this place which is a Churchyard, to the end that if any man obtain this inestimable good, to conquer this rich golden Fleece, he may think with himself (as I did) not to keep the talon of God digged in the Earth, buying Lands and Possessions, which are the vanities of this world: but rather to work charitably towards his brethren, remembering himself that he learned this secret amongst the bones of the dead, in whose number he shall shortly be found; and that after this life, he must render an account, before a just and redoubtable judge, which will censure even to an idle and vain word. Let him therefore, which having well weighed my words, and well known and understood my figures, hath first gotten elsewhere the knowledge of the first beginnings and Agents, (for certainly in these Figures and Commentaries, he shall not find any step or information thereof) perfect to the glory of God the Mastery of Hermes, remembering himself of the Church Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman; and of all other Churches, Churchyards, and Hospitals; and above all, of the Church of the Innocents' in this City, (in the Churchyard whereof he shall have contemplated these true demonstrations) opening bounteously his purse, to them that are secretly poor, honest people desolate, weak women, widows, and forlorn orphans. So be it.   

CHAP. I.  
Of the Theological Interpretations, which may be given to these Hieroglyphickes, according to the sense of me the Author.  
I Have given to this Churchyard, a Charnell-house, which is right over against this fourth Arch, in the midst of the Churchyard, and against one of the Pillars of this Charnel house, I have made be drawn with a coal, and grossly painted, a man all black, which looks strait upon these Hieroglyphickes, about whom there is written in French; je voy merueille done moult je m'esbahi: that is, I see a marvel, whereat I am much amazed: This, as also three plates of Iron and Copper gilded, on the East, West, and South of the Arch, where these Hieroglyphickes are, in the midst of the Churchyard, representing the holy Passion and Resurrection of the Son of God; this ought not to be otherwise interpreted, than according to the common Theological sense, saving that this black man, may as well proclaim it a wonder to see the admirable works of God in the transmutation of Metals, which is figured in these Hieroglyphics, which he so attentively looks upon, as to see buried so many bodies, which shall rise again out of their Tombs at the fearful day of judgement. On the other part I do not think it needful to interpret in a Theological sense, that vessel of Earth on the right hand of these figures, within the which there is a Pen and Inkhorn, or rather a vessel of Philosophy, if thou take away the strings, and join the Penner to the Inkhorn: nor the other two like it, which are on the two sides of the figures of Saint Peter, and Saint Paul, within one of the which, there is an N. which signifieth Nicholas, and within the other an F. which signifieth Flammell. For these vessels signify nothing else, but that in the like of them, I have done the Mastery three times. Moreover, he that will also believe, that I have put these vessels in form of Scutcheons, to represent this Pen and Inkhorn, and the capital letters of my name, let him believe it if he will, because both these interpretations are true.  
Neither must you interpret in a Theological sense, that writing which followeth, in these terms, NICHOLAS FLAMMEL, ET PERRENELLE SA FEMME, that is, Nicholas Flammel, and Perrenelle his wife, in as much as that signifieth nothing, but that I and my wife have given that Arch.  
As to the third, fourth, and fifth Tables following, by the sides whereof is written, COMMENT LES INNOCENTS' FURENT OCCIS PAR LE COMMANDMENT DV ROY HERODES, that is, How the Innocents' were killed by the commandment of King Herod. The theological sense is well enough understood by the writing, we must only speak of the rest, which is above.  
The two Dragons united together the one within the other, of colour black and blue, in a field sable, that is to say, black, whereof the one hath the wings gilded, and the other hath none at all, are the sins which naturally are enterchayned, for the one hath his original and birth from another: Of them some may be easily chased away, as they come easily, for they fly towards us every hour; and those which have no wings, can never be chased away, such as is the sin against the holy Ghost. The gold which is in the wings, signifieth that the greatest part of sins cometh from the unholy hunger after gold; which makes so many people diligently to hearken from whence they may have it: and the colour black and blue, showeth that these are the desires that come out of the dark pits of hell, which we ought wholly to fly from. These two Dragons may also morally represent unto us the Legions of evil spirits which are always about us, and which will accuse us before the just judge, at the fearful day of judgement, which do ask, nor seek nothing else but to sift us.  
The man and the woman which are next them, of an orange colour, upon a field azure and blue, signify that men and women ought not to have their hope in this World, for the orange colour intimates despair, or the letting go of hope, as here; and the colour azure and blue, upon the which they are painted, shows us that we must think of heavenly things to come, and say as the roll of the man doth, HOMO VENIET AD JUDICIUM DEI, that is, Man must come to the judgement of God, or as that of the woman, VERE ILLA DIES TERRIBILIS ERIT, that is, That day will be terrible indeed, to the end that keeping ourselves from the Dragons, which are sins, God may show mercy unto us.  
Next after this, in a field of Synople, that is green, are painted two men and one woman rising again, of the which one comes out of a Sepulchre, the other two out of the Earth, all three of colour exceeding white and pure, lifting their hands towards their eyes, & their eyes towards Heaven on high: Above these three bodies there are two Angels sounding musical Instruments, as if they had called these dead to the day of judgement; for over these two Angels is the figure of our Lord jesus Christ, holding the world in his hand, upon whose head an Angel setteth a Crown, assisted by two others, which say in their rolls, O pater Omnipotens, o jesus bone, that is, O Father Almighty, o good jesu. On the right side of this Saviour is painted St Paul, clothed with white & yellow, with a Sword, at whose feet there is a man clothed in a gown of orange colour, in which there appeared plights or folds of black and white, (which picture resembleth me to the life) and demandeth pardon of his sins, holding his hands joined together, from between which proceed these words written in a roll, DEAL MALA QVAE FECI, that is to say, Blot out the evils that I have done: On the other side on the left hand, is Saint Peter with his Key, clothed in reddish yellow, holding his hand upon a woman clad in a gown of orange colour, which is on her knees, representing to the life Perrenelle, which holdeth her hands joined together, having a roll where is written, CHRIST PRECOR ESTO PIUS, that is, Christ I beseech thee be pitiful: Behind whom there is an Angel on his knees, with a roll, that saith, SALVE DOMINE ANGELORUM, that is, All hail thou Lord of Angels. There is also another Angel on his knees, behind my Image, on the same side that S. Paul is on, which likewise holdeth a roll, saying, O REX SEMPITERNE, that is, O King everlasting. All this is so clear, according to the explication of the Resurrection and future judgement, that it may easily be fitted thereto. So it seems this Arch was not painted for any other purpose, but to represent this. And therefore we need not stay any longer upon it, considering that the least and most ignorant, may well know how to give it this interpretation.  
Next after the three that are rising again, come two Angels more of an Orange colour upon a blue field, saying in their rolls, SURGITE MORTVI, VENITE AD JUDICIUM DOMINI MEI, that is, Arise you dead, come to the judgement of my Lord. This also serves to the interpretation of the Resurrection: As also the last Figures following, which are, A man red vermilion, upon a field of Violet colour, who holdeth the foot of a winged Lion, painted of red vermilion also, opening his throat, as it were to deuoure the man: For one may say that this is the Figure of an unhappy sinner, who sleeping in a Lethargy of his corruption and vices, dieth without repentance and confession; who without doubt, in this terrible Day shall be delivered to the Devil, here painted in form of a red roaring Lion, which will swallow and devour him.   

CHAP. II.  
The interpretations Philosophical, according to the Mastery of Hermes.  
I Desire with all my heart, that he who searcheth the secrets of the Sages, having in his Spirit passed over these Idaea's of the life and resurrection to come, should first make his profit of them: And in the second place, that he be more advised than before, that he sound and search the depth of my Figures, colours, and rolls; principally of my rolls, because that in this Art they speak not vulgarly. Afterward let him ask of himself, why the Figure of Saint Paul is on the right hand, in the place where the custom is to paint S. Peter? And on the other side that of Saint Peter, in the place of the figure of Saint Paul? Why the Figure of Saint Paul is clothed in colours white and yellow, and that of S. Peter in yellow and red? Why also the man and the woman which are at the feet of these two Saints, praying to God, as if it were at the Day of judgement, are apparelled in diverse colours, and not naked, or else nothing but bones, like them that are rising again? Why in this Day of judgement they have painted this man and this woman at the feet of the Saints? for they ought to have been more low on earth, and not in heaven. Why also the two Angels in Orange colour, which say in their rolls, SUR GITE MORTVI, VENITE AD JUDICIUM DOMINI MEI, that is, Arise you dead, come unto the judgement of my Lord, are clad in this colour, and out of their place, for they ought to be on high in heaven, with the two other which play upon the Instruments? Why they have a field Violet and blue? but principally why their roll, which speaks to the dead, ends in the open throat of the red and flying Lion? I would then, that after these, and many other questions which may justly be made, opening wide the eyes of his spirit, he come to conclude, that all this, not having been done without cause, there must be represented under this bark, some great secrets, which he ought to pray God to discover unto him. Having then brought his belief by degrees to this pass, I wish also that he would further believe, that these figures and explications are not made for them that have never seen the Books of the Philosophers, and who not knowing the Mettallicke principles, cannot be named Children of this Science; for if they think to understand perfectly these figures, being ignorant of the first Agent, they will undoubtedly deceive themselves, and never be able to know any thing at all. Let no man therefore blame me, if he do not easily understand me, for he will be more blame-worthy than I, inasmuch as not being initiated into these sacred and secret interpretations of the first Agent, (which is the key opening the gates of all Sciences) he would notwithstanding, comprehend the most subtle conceptions of the envious Philosophers, which are not written but for them who already know these principles, which are never found in any book, because they leave them unto God, who revealeth them to whom he please, or else causeth them to be taught by the living voice of a Master, by Cabalistical tradition, which happeneth very seldom. Now then, my Son, let me so call thee, both because I am now come to a great age, and also for that, it may be, thou art otherwise a child of this knowledge, (God enable thee to learn, and after to work to his glory) Harken unto me then attentively, but pass no further if thou be ignorant of the foresaid Principles.  
This Vessel of earth, in this form, is called by the Philosophers, their triple Vessel, for within it, there is in the midst a Stage, or a floor, and upon that a dish or a platter full of lue-warme ashes, within the which is set the Philosophical Egg, that is, a vial of glass full of confections of Art (as of the scum of the red Sea, and the fat of the Mercurial wind:) which thou seest painted in form of a Penner and Inkhorn. Now this Vessel of earth is open above, to put in the dish and the vial, under which by the open gate, is put in the Philosophical fire, as thou knowest. So thou hast three vessels; and the threefold vessel: The envious have called an Athanor, a siue, dung, Balneum Mariae, a Furnace, a Spear, the green Lion, a prison, a grave, a urinal, a phioll, and a Bolts-head: I myself in my summary or Abridgement of Philosophy, which I composed four years and two months past, in the end thereof named it the house and habitation of the Poulet, and the ashes of the Platter, the chaff of the Poulet; The common name is an Oven, which I should never have found, if Abraham the jew had not painted it, together with the fire proportionable, wherein consists a great part of the secret. For it is as it were the belly, or the womb, containing the true natural heat to animate our young King: If this fire be not measured Clibanically, saith Calid the Persian, son of jasichus; If it be kindled with a sword, saith Pythagoras: If thou fire thy Vessel, saith Morien, and makest it feel the heat of the fire, it will give thee a box on the ear, and burn his flowers before they be risen from the depth of his Marrow, making them come out red, rather than white, and then thy work is spoiled; as also if thou make too little fire, for than thou shalt never see the end, because of the coldness of the natures, which shall not have had motion sufficient to digest them together.  
The heat then of thy fire in this vessel, shall be (as saith Hermes and Rosinus) according to the Winter; or rather, as saith Diomedes, according to the heat of a Bird, which begins to fly so softly from the sign of Aries to that of Cancer: for know that the Infant at the beginning is full of cold phlegm▪ and of milk, and that too vehement heat is an enemy of the cold and moisture of our Embryo, and that the two enemies, that is to say, our two elements of cold and heat will never perfectly embrace one another, but by little and little, having first long dwelled together, in the midst of the temperate heat of their bath, and being changed by long decoction, into Sulphur incombustible. Govern therefore sweetly with equality and proportion, thy proud and haughty natures, for fear lest if thou favour one more than another, they which naturally are enemies, do grow angry against thee through jealousy, and dry Choler, and make thee sigh for it a long time after: Besides this, thou must entertain them in this temperate heat perpetually, that is to say, night and day, until the time that Winter, the time of the moisture of the matters, be passed, because they make their peace, and join hands in being heated together, whereas should these natures find themselves but one only half hour without fire, they would become for ever irreconcilable. See therefore the reason why it is said in the Book of the seventy precepts, Look that their heat continued indefatigably without ceasing, and that none of their days be forgotten. And Rasis, the haste, saith he, that brings with it too much fire, is always followed by the Devil, and Error. When the golden Bird, saith Diomedes, shall be come just to Cancer, and that from thence it shall run toward Libra, than thou mayst augment the fire a little: And in like manner, when this fair Bird, shall fly from Libra towards Capricorn, which is the desired Autumn, the time of harvest, and of the fruits that are now ripe.   

CHAP. III.  
The two Dragons of colour yellowish, blue, and black like the field.  
Look well upon these two Dragons, for they are the true principles or beginnings of this Philosophy, which the Sages have not dared to show to their own Children. He which is undermost, without wings, he is the fixed, or the male; that which is uppermost, is the volatile, or the female, black and obscure, which goes about to get the domination for many months. The first is called Sulphur, or heat and dryness, and the latter Argent vive, or cold, and moisture. These are the Sun and Moon of the Mercurial source, and sulphurous original, which by continual fire are adorned with royal habiliments, that being united, and afterward changed into a quintessence, they may overcome every thing Mettallick, how solid hard and strong soever it be. These are the Serpents and Dragons which the ancient Egyptians have painted in a Circle, the head biting the tail, to signify that they proceeded from one and the same thing, and that it alone was sufficient, and that in the turning and circulation thereof, it made itself perfect: These are the Dragons which the ancient Poets have feigned did without sleeping keep & watch the golden Apples of the Gardens of the Virgin's Hesperides. These are they upon whom jason in his adventure for the Golden Fleece, poured the broth or liquor prepared by the fair Medea, of the discourse of whom the Books of the Philosophers are so full, that there is no Philosopher that ever was, but he hath written of it, from the time of the truth-telling Hermes Trismegistus, Orpheus, Pythagoras, Artephius, Morienus, and the other following, even unto myself. These are the two Serpents, given and sent by juno, (that is, the nature Mettallicke) the which the strong Hercules, that is to say, the sage and wise man must strangle in his cradle, that is, overcome and kill them, to make them putrify, corrupt, and engender, at the beginning of his work. These are the two Serpents, wrapped and twisted round about the Caduceus or rod of Mercury, with the which he exerciseth his great power, and transformeth himself as he listeth. He, saith Haly, that shall kill the one, shall also kill the other, because the one cannot die but with his brother. These two then, (which Avicen calleth the Corassene bitch and the Armenian dog) these two I say, being put together in the vessel of the Sepulchre, do bite one another cruelly, and by their great poison, and furious rage, they never leave one another, from the moment that they have seized on one another (if the cold hinder them not) till both of them by their slavering venom, and mortal hurts, be all of a goarebloud, over all the parts of their bodies; and finally, killing one another, be stewed in their proper venom, which after their death, changeth them into living and permanent water; before which time, they lose in their corruption and putrefaction, their first natural forms, to take afterwards one only new, more noble, and better form. These are the two Spermes, masculine and saeminine, described at the beginning of my Abridgement of Philosophy, which are engendered (say Rasis, Avicen, and Abraham the jew) within the Reynes, and entrails, and of the operations of the four Elements. These are the radical moisture of metals, Sulphur, and Argent vive, not vulgar, and such as are sold by the Merchants and Apothecaries, but those which give us those two fair & dear bodies which we love so much. These two spermes, saith Democritus, are not found upon the earth of the living: The same, saith Avicen, but he addeth, that they gather them from the dung, ordure, and rottenness of the Sun and Moon. O happy are they that know how to gather them; for of them they afterwards make a treacle, which hath power over all griefs, maladies, sorrows, infirmities, and weaknesses, and which sighteth pvissantly against death, lengthening the life, according to the permission of God, even to the time determined, triumphing over the miseries of this world, and filling a man with the riches thereof. Of these two Dragons or Principles Mettallicke, I have said in my fore-alledged Summarie, that the Enemy would by his heat inflame his enemy, and that then if they take not heed, they should see in the air a venomous fume & a stinking, worse in flame, and in poison, than the envenomed head of a Serpent, and Babylonian Dragon. The cause why I have painted these two Spermes in the form of Dragons, is because their stinch is exceeding great, and like the stinch of them, and the exhalations which arise within the glass, are dark, black, blue, and yellowish, (like as these two Dragons are painted) the force of which, and of the bodies dissolved, is so venomous, that truly there is not in the world a ranker poison; for it is able by the force and stench thereof, to mortify and kill every thing living: The Philosopher never feels this stinch, if he break not his vessels, but only he judgeth it to be such, by the sight, and the changing of colour's, proceeding from the rottenness of his confections.  
These colours then signify the putrefaction and generation which is given us, by the biting and dissolution of our perfect bodies, which dissolution proceedeth from external heat aiding, and from the Pontic fierienesse, and admirable sharp virtue of the poison of our Mercury, which maketh and resolveth into a pure cloud, that is, into impalpable powder, all that which it finds to resist it: So the heat working upon and against the radical, mettallicke, viscous, or oily moisture, engendereth upon the subject, blackness. For at the same time, the Matter is dissolved, is corrupted, groweth black, and conceiveth to engender; for all corruption is generation, and therefore ought blackness to be much desired; for that is the black sail with the which the Ship of Theseus came back victorious from Crete, which was the cause of the death of his Father; so must this father die, to the intent, that from the ashes of this Phoenix another may spring, and that the son may be King. Assuredly he that seeth not this blackness at the beginning of his operations, during the days of the Stone; what other colour soever he see, he shall altogether fail in the Mastery, and can do no more with that Chaos: for he works not well, if he putrify not; because if he do not putrify, he doth not corrupt, nor engender, and by consequent, the Stone cannot take vegetative life to increase and multiply. And in all truth, I tell thee again, that though thou work upon the true matter, if at the beginning, after thou hast put thy Confections in the Philosopher's Egg, that is to say, sometime after the fire have stirred them up, if then, I say, thou seest not this head of the Crow, the black of the blackest black, thou must begin again, for this fault is irreparable, and not to be amended; especially the Orange colour, or half red, is to be feared, for if at the beginning thou see that in thine Egg, without doubt, thou burnest, or hast burnt the verdure and ivelinesse of thy Stone. The colour which thou must have, aught to be entirely perfected in Blackness, like to that of these Dragons in the space of forty days: Let them therefore which shall not have these essential marks, retire themselves betimes from their operations, that they may redeem themselves from assured loss. Know also, and note it well, that in this Art it is but nothing to have this blackness, there is nothing more easy to come by: for from almost all things in the world, mixed with moisture, thou mayest have a blackness, by the fire: but thou must have a blackness which comes of the perfect Mettallicke bodies, which lasts a long space of time, and is not destroyed in less than five months, after the which followeth immediately the desired whiteness. If thou hast this, thou hast enough, but not all. As for the colour bluish and yellowish, that signifieth that Solution and Putrefaction is not yet finished, and that the colours of our Mercury are not as yet well mingled, and rotten with the rest. Then this blackness, and these colours, teach plainly, that in this beginning the matter, and compound begins to rot and dissolve into powder, less than the Atoms of the Sun, the which afterwards are changed into coator permanent. And this dissolution is by the envious Philosophers called Death, Destruction, and Perdition, because that the natures change their form, and from hence are proceeded so many Allegories of dead men, tombs, and sepulchers. Others have called it Calcination, Denudation, Separation, Erituration, and Assation, because the Confections are changed and reduced into most small pieces and parts. Others have called it Reduction into the first matter, Mollification, Extraction, Commixtion, Liquefaction, Conversion of Elements, Subtiliation, Division, Humation, Impastation, and Distillation, because that the Confections, are melted, brought back into s●ed, softened, and circulated within the glass. Others have called it Xir, or Iris, Putrefaction, Corruption, Cymmerian darkness, a gulf, Hell, Dragons, Generation, Ingression, Submersion, Complexion, Conjunction, and impregnation, because that the matter is black & waterish, and that the natures are perfectly mingled, and hold one of another. For when the heat of the Sun worketh upon them, they are changed, first into powder, or fat and glutinous water, which feeling the heat, flieth on high to the Poulets head, with the smoke, that is to say, with the wind and air; from thence this water melted, and drawn out of the confections, goeth down again, and in descending reduceth, and resolveth, as much as it can, the rest of the Aromatical confections, always doing so, until the whole be like a black broth somewhat fat. Now you see, why they call this sublimation, and volatization, because it flieth on high, and Ascension and Descension, because it mounteth, & descendeth within the glass. A while after, the water beginneth to thicken and coagulate somewhat more, growing very black, like unto pitch, and finally comes the Body and earth, which the envious have called Terra foetida, that is, stinking earth: for then because of the perfect putrefaction, which is as natural as any other can be; this earth stinks, and gives a smell like the odour of graves filled with rottenness, and with bodies as yet charged with their natural moisture. This earth was by Hermes called Terra foliata, or the Earth of leaves, yet his true & proper name is Leton, which must afterward be whitened. The Ancient Sages that were Cabalists, have described it in their Metamorphoses, under the History of the Serpent of Mars, which had devoured the companions of Cadmus, who show him, piercing him with his lance against a hollow Oak. Note this Oak.   

CHAP. FOUR  
Of the man and the woman clothed in a gown of Orange colour upon a field azure and blue, and of their rolls.  
THe man painted here doth expressly resemble myself to the natural, as the woman doth lively figure Perrenelle: The cause why we are painted to the life, is not particular to this purpose, for it needed but to represent a male and a female, to the which our two particular resemblance was not necessarily required, but it pleased the Painter to put us there, just as he hath done higher in this Arch, at the feet of the Figure of Saint Paul and Saint Peter, according to that we were in our youth; as he hath likewise done in other places, as over the door of the Chapel of Saint james in the Bouchery near to my house, (although that for this last there is a particular cause) as also over the door of Saint Geneviefue de's Ardans', where thou mayst see me. I ma●e then to be painted here two bodies, one of a Male, and another of a Female, to teach thee, that in this second operation, thou hast truly, but yet not perfectly, two natures conjoined and married together, the Masculine and the Feminine; or rather the four Elements; and that the four natural enemies, the hot and cold, dry and moist, begin to approach amiably one towards another, and by means of the Mediators and Peacemakers, lay down by little and little, the ancient enmity of the old Chaos. Thou knowest well enough who these Mediators and Peacemakers are, between the hot and the cold there is moisture, for he is kinsman and allied to them both; to hot by his heat, and to cold by his moisture: And this is the reason, why to begin to make this peace, thou hast already in the precedent operation, converted all the confections into water by dissolution. And afterward thou hast made to coagulate the water, which is turned into this Earth, black of the black most black, wholly to accomplish this peace; for the Earth, which is cold and dry, finding himself of kindred and alliance with the dry and moist, which are enemies, will wholly appease and ac●ord them. Dost thou not then consider a most perfect mixture of all the four Elements, having first turned them into water, and now into Earth? I will also teach thee hereafter the other conversions, into air when it shall be all white, and into fire, when it shall be of a most perfect purple. Then thou hast here two natures married together, whereof the one hath conceived by the other, and by this conception it is turned into the body of the Male, and the Male into that of the Female; that is to say, they are made one only body, which is the Androgyne, or Hermaphrodite of the Ancients, which they have also called otherwise, the head of the Crow, or natures converted. In this fashion I paint them here, because thou hast two natures reconciled, which (if they be guided and governed wisely) can form an Embryo in the womb of the Vessel, and afterwards bring forth a most puissant King, invincible and incorruptible, because it will be an admirable quintessence. Thus thou seest the principal and most necessary reason of this representation: The second cause (which is also well to be noted) was because I must of necessity paint two bodies, because in this operation it behooveth that thou divide that which hath been coagulated, to give afterwards▪ nourishment, which is milk of life, to the little Infant when it is borne, which is endued (by the living God) with a vegetable soul.  
This is a secret most admirable and secret, which for want of understanding, it hath made fools of all those that have sought it without finding it, and hath made every man wise, that beholds it with the eyes of his body, or of his spirit.  
Thou must then make two parts and portions of this Coagulated body, the one of which shall serve for Azoth, to wash and cleanse the other, which is called Leton, which must be whitened: He which is washed, is the Serpent Python, which (having taken his being from the corruption of the slime of the Earth gathered together by the waters of the deluge, when all the confections were water) must be killed and overcome by the arrows of the God Apollo, by the yellow Sun, that is to say, by our fire, equal to that of the Sun.  
He which washeth, or rather the washings, which must be continued with the other moiety; these are the teeth of that Serpent, which the sage workman, the valiant Theseus, will sow in the same Earth, from whence there shall spring up armed Soldiers, which shall in the end discomsit themselves, suffering themselves by opposition to resolve into the same nature of the Earth, and the workman to bear away his deserved conquests. It is of this, that the Philosophers have written so often, and so often repeated it, It dissolves itself, it congeals itself, it makes itself black, it makes itself white, it kills itself, and it quickens itself. I have made their field be painted azure and blue, to show that I do but now begin to get out from the most black blackness; for the azure and blue, is one of the first colours, that the dark woman lets us see, that is to say, moisture giving place a little to heat and dryness: The man and woman are almost all orange-coloured, to show that our Bodies, (or our body, which the wise men here call Rebis) hath not as yet digestion enough, and that the moisture from whence comes the black blue and azure, is but half vanquished by the dryness.  
For when dryness bears rule, all will be white, and when it fighteth with, or is equal to the moisture, all will be in part according to these present colours. The envious have also called these confections in this operation, Nummus, Ethelia, Arena, Boritis, Co●sufle, Cambar, Albar aeris, Duenech, Randeric, Kukul, Thabricis, Ebisemech, Ixir, etc. which they have commanded to make white.  
The woman hath a white circle in form of a roll round about her body, to show thee, that Rebis will begin to become white in that very fashion, beginning first at the extremities, round about this white circle. Scala Phylosophorun, that is the Book entitled, The Philosophers Ladder, saith thus; The sign of the first perfect whiteness, is the manifestation of a certain little circle of hair, that is passing over the head, which will appear on the sides of the vessels round about the matter, in a kind of a cierine or yellowish colour.  
There is written in their Rolls, Homo veniet ad iudicium Dei, that is, Man shall come to the judgement of God: Verè (saith the woman) illa dies terribilis erit, that is, Truly that will be a terrible day. These are not passages of holy Scripture, but only sayings which speak according to the Theological sense, of the judgement to come, I have put them there, to serve myself of them towards him, that beholds only the gross outward, and most natural Artifice, taking the interpretation thereof to concern only the Resurrection; and also it may serve for them, that gathering together the Parables of the Science, take to them the eyes of Lynceus, to pierce deeper than the visible objects. There is then, Man shall come to the judgement of God: Certainly that day shall be terrible. That is as if I should have said; It behoves that this come to the colour of perfection, to be judged & cleansed from all his blackness and filth, and to be spiritualised and whitened. Surely that day will be terrible, yet certainly, as you shall find in the Allegory of Aristeus. Horror holds us in prison by the space of fourscore days, in the darkness of the waters, in the extreme heat of the Summer, and in the troubles of the Sea. All which things ought first to pass, before our King can become white, coming from death to life, to overcome afterwards all his enemies. To make thee understand yet somewhat better this Albification, which is harder and more difficult than all the rest, (for till that time thou mayest err at every step, but afterwards thou canst not, except thou break thy vessels) I have also made for thee this Table following.   

CHAP. V.  
The figure of a man, like that of Saint Paul, clothed with a robe white and yellow, bordered with gold, holding a naked Sword, having at his feet a man on his knees, clad in a robe of orange colour, black and white, holding a roll.  
Mark well this man in the form of Saint Paul, clothed in a robe entirely of a yellowish white. If thou consider him well, he turns his body in such a posture, as shows that he would take the naked Sword, either to cut off the head, or to do some other thing, to that man which is on his knees at his feet, clothed in a robe of orange colour, white and black, which saith in his roll, DEAL MALA QVAE FECI, that is, Blot out all the evil which I have done; as if he should say, TOLLE NIGREDINEM, Take away from me my blackness; A term of Art: for Evil signifieth in the Allegory, Blackness, as it is often found in Turba Phylosophorum: Seethe it until it come to blackness, which will be thought Evil. But wouldst thou know what is meant by this man, that taketh the Sword? It signifies that thou must cut off the head of the Crow, that is to say, of the man clothed in diverse Colours, which is on his knees. I have taken this portrait and figure out of Hermes Trismegistus, in his Book of the Secret Art, where he saith, Take away the head of this black man, cut off the head of the Crow, that is to say, Whiten our black. Lambspringk that noble German, hath also used it in the Commentary of his Hieroglyphics, saying, In this wood there is a Beast all covered with black, if any man cut off his head, he will lose his blackness, and put on a most white colour. Will you understand what that is? The blackness is called the head of the Crow, the which being taken away, at the instant comes the white colour: Then that is to say, when the Cloud appears no more, this body is said to be without an head. These are his proper words. In the same sense, the Sages have also said in other places, Take the Viper which is called, De rexa, cut off his head, etc. that is to say, Take away from him his blackness. They have also used this Periphrasis, when to signify the multiplication of the Stone, they have feigned a Serpent Hydra, whereof, if one cur off one head, there will spring in the place thereof ten; for the stone augments tenfold, every time that they cut off this head of the Crow, that they make it black, and afterwards white; that is to say, that they dissolve it anew, and afterward coagulate it again.  
Mark how this naked Sword is wreathed about with a black girdle, and that the ends thereof are not so wreathed at all. This naked shining Sword, is the stone for the white, or the white stone, so often by the Philosophers described under this form. To come then to this perfect and sparkling whiteness, thou must understand the wreathe of this black girdle, and follow that which they teach, which is the quantity of the imbitions. The two ends which are not wreathed about at all, represent the beginning and the ending: for the beginning it teacheth that you must imbibe it at the first time gently and scarcely, giving it then a little milk, as to a little Child new borne, to the intent that Isir, (as the Authors say) be not drowned: The like must we do at the end, when we see that our King is full, and will have no more. The middle of these operations is painted by the five whole wreathes, or rounds, of the black girdle, at what time (because our Salamander lives of the fire, and in the midst of the fire, and ind●ed is a fire, and an Argent vive, or quicksilver, that runs in the midst of the fire, fearing nothing) thou must give him abundantly, in such sort that the Virgin's milk compass all the matter round about.  
I have made to be painted black all these wreaths or rounds of the girdle, because these are the imbibitions, and by consequent, blacknesses: for the fire with the moisture (as it hath been often said) causeth blackness. And as these five whole wreathes or rounds show that you must do this five times wholly, so likewise they let you know, that you must do this in five whole months, a month to every imbibition: See here the reason why Haly Abenragel said, The Coction or boiling of the things is done in three times fifty days: It is true, that if thou count these little imbibitions at the beginning and at the end, there are seven. Whereupon one of the most envious hath said, Our head of the Crow is leprous, and therefore he that would cleanse it, he must make it go down seven times into the River of regeneration of jordan, as the Prophet commanded the leprous Naaman the Syrian. Comprehending herein the beginning, which is, but of a few days, the middle and the end, which is also very short. I have then given thee this Table, to tell thee that thou must whiten my body, which is upon the World is deceived. This operation is indeed a Labyrinth, for here there present themselves a thousand ways at the same instant, besides that, thou must go to the end of it, directly contrary to the beginning, in coagulating that which before thou dissoluedst, and in making earth that which before thou madest water. When thou hast made it white, than hast thou overcome the enchanted Bulls, that cast fire and smoke out of their nostrils. Hercules hath cleansed the stable full of ordure, of rottenness, and of blackness. jason hath poured the decoction or broth, upon the Dragons of Colchos, and thou hast in thy power the horn of Amalthaea, which (although it be white) may fill thee all the rest of thy life with glory, honour, and riches. To have the which, it hath behoved thee to fight valiantly, and in manner of an Hercules; for this Achelous, this moist river, is endued with a most mighty force, besides that he often transfigures himself from one form to another: Thus hast thou done all, because the rest is without difficulty: These transfigurations are particularly described in the Book of the seven Egyptian seals, where it is said (as also by all Authors) that the Stone, before it will wholly forsake his blackness, and become white in the fashion of a most shining marble, and of a naked flaming sword, will put on all the colours that thou canst possibly imagine, often will it melt, and often coagulate itself, and amidst these diverse and contrary operations, (which the vegetable soul which is in it makes it perform at one and the same time) it will grow Citrine, greene, red, (but not of a true red) it will become yellow, blue, and orange colour, until that being wholly overcome by dryness and heat, all these infinite colours will end in this admirable Citrine whiteness, of the colour of Saint Paul's garments, which in a short time will become like the colour of the naked sword; afterwards by the means of a more strong and long decoction; it will take in the end a red Citrine colour, and afterward the perfect red of the vermilion, where it will repose itself for ever. I will not forget, by the way, to advertise thee, that the milk of the Moon, is not as the Virgin's milk of the Sun; think then that the inbibitions of whiteness, require a more white milk, than those of a golden redness; for in this passage I had thought I should have miss, and so I had done indeed had it not been for Abraham the jew; for this reason I have made to be painted for thee, the Figure which taketh the naked sword, in the colour which is necessary for thee; for it is the Figure of that which whiteneth.   

CHAP. VI  
Upon a green field, three resuscitants, or which rise again, two men and one woman, altogether white: Two Angels beneath, and over the Angels the figure of our Saviour coming to judge the world, clothed with a robe which is perfectly Citrine white.  
I Have so made to be painted for thee a field vert, because that in this decoction the confections become green, and keep this colour longer than any other after the black. This greenness shows particularly that our Stone hath a vegetable soul, and that by the Industry of Art it is turned into a true and pure tree, to bud abundantly, and afterwards to bring forth infinite little sprigs and branches. O happy green (saith the Rosary) which dost produce all things, without thee nothing can increase, vegetate, nor multiply. The three folk rising again, clothed in sparkling white, represent the Body, Soul, and Spirit, of our white Stone. The Philosophers do ordinarily use these terms of Art to hide the secret from evil men. They call the Body that black earth, obscure and dark, which we make white: They call the Soul the other half divided from the Body, which by the will of God, and power of nature, gives to the body by his inbibitions and fermentations a vegetable soul, that is to say, power and virtue to bud increase, multiply, and to become white, as a naked shining sword: They call the Spirit, the tincture & dryness; which as a Spirit hath power to pierce all Mettallick things; I should be too tedious, if I should show thee how good reason they had to say always and in all places, Our Stone hath semblably to a man, a Body, Soul, and Spirit: I would only that thou note well, that as a man endued with a Body, Soul, and Spirit, is notwithstanding but one; so likewise thou hast now, but one only white confection, in the which nevertheless there are a Body, a Soul, and a Spirit, which are inseparably united. I could easily give very clear comparisons and expositions of this Body, Soul, and Spirit; but to explicate them, I must of necessity, speak things, which God reserves to reveal unto them that fear and love him, and consequently ought not to be written. I have then made to be painted here, a Body, a Soul, and a Spirit, all white, as if they were rising again, to show thee, that the Sun, and Moon, and Mercury, are raised again in this operation, that is to say, are made Elements of air, and whitened: for we have heretofore called the Blackness, Death; and so continuing the Metaphor, we may call Whiteness, Life; which cometh not, but with, and by a Resurrection: The Body, to show this more plainly, I have made to be painted lifting up the stone of his tomb, wherein it was enclosed: The Soul, because it cannot be put into the earth, it comes not out of a tomb, but only I have made it be painted amongst the Tombs, seeking its body, in form of a woman, having her hair dischevelled; The Spirit which likewise cannot be put in a grave, I have made to be painted in fashion of a man coming out of the earth, not from a Tomb. They are all white; so the blackness, that is, death is vanquished, and they being whitened, are from henceforward incorruptible. Now lift up thine eyes on high, and see our King coming, crowned and raised again, which hath overcome Death, the darkenesses, and moistures; behold him in the form wherein our Saviour shall come, who shall eternally unite unto him all pure and clean souls, and will drive away all impurity and uncleanness, as being unworthy to be united to his divine Body. So by comparison (but first ask leave of the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, to speak in this manner, and praying every debonair soul to permit me to use this similitude) see here our white Elixir, which from henceforward will inseparably unite unto himself every pure Mettallicke nature, changing it into his own most fine siluery nature, rejecting all that is impure, strange, and Heterogeneal, or of another kind. Blessed be God, which of his goodness gives us grace to be able to consider this sparkling white, more perfect and shining than any compound nature, and more noble next after the immortal soul, than any substance having life, or not having life; for it is a quintessence, a most pure silver, that hath passed the Coppell, and is seven times refined, saith the royal Prophet David.  
It is not needful to interpret what the two Angels signify, that play on Instruments over the heads of them which are raised again: These are rather divine spirits, singing the marvels of God in this miraculous operation, than Angels that call to judgement: To make an express difference between these and them, I have given the one of them a Lute, the other a haultboy, but none of them trumpets, which yet are wont to be given to them that are to call us to judgement. The like may be said of the three Angels, which are over the head of our Saviour, whereof the one crowneth him, and the other two assisting, say in their Rolls, O PATER OMNIPOTENS, O JESV BONE, that is, O Almighty Father, O good jesus, in rendering unto him eternal thanks.   

CHAP. VII.  
Upon a field violet and blue, two Angels of an Orange colour, and their Rolls.  
 
THis violet and blue field showeth, that being to pass from the white Stone to the red, thou must inbibe it with a little virgin's milk of the Sun, and that these colours come out of the Mercurial moisture which thou hast dried upon the Stone. In this operation of rubifying, although thou do imbibe, thou shalt not have much black, but of violet, blue, and of the colour of the Peacock's tail: For our Stone is so triumphant in dryness, that as soon as thy Mercury toucheth it, the nature thereof rejoicing in his like nature, it is joined unto it, and drinketh it greedily, and therefore the black that comes of moisture, can show itself but a little, and that under these colours violet and blue, because that dryness (as is said) doth by and by govern absolutely. I have also made to be painted for thee, these two Angels with wings, to represent unto thee, that the two substances of thy confections, the Mercurial, and the sulphurous substance, the fixed as well as the volatile, being perfectly fixed together, do also fly together within thy vessel: for in this operation, the fixed body will gently mount to heaven, being all spiritual, and from thence it will descend unto the earth, and whethersoever thou wilt, following every where the Spirit, which is always moved upon the fire: Inasmuch as they are made one selfsame nature, and the compound is all spiritual, and the spiritual all corporal, so much hath it been subtilised upon our Marble, by the precedent operations. The natures than are here transmuted into Angels, that is to say, are made spiritual and most subtle, so are they now the true tinctures. Now remember thee to begin the rubifying, by the apposition of Mercury Citrine red, but thou must not pour on much, and only once or twice, according as thou shalt see occasion; for this operation ought to be done by a dry fire, and by a dry sublimation and calcination. And truly I tell thee here a secret which thou shalt very seldom find written, so far am I from being envious, that would to God every man knew how to make gold to his own will, that they might live, and lead forth to pasture their fair flocks, without Usury or going to Law, in imitation of the holy patriarchs, using only (as our first Fathers did) to exchange one thing for another; and yet to have that, they must labour as well as now. Howbeit for fear to offend God, and to be the instrument of such a change, which peradventure would prove evil, I must take heed to represent or write where it is that we hide the keys, which can open all the doors of the secrets of nature, or to open or cast up the earth in that place contenting myself to show the things which will teach every one to whom God shall give permission to know, what property the sign of the Balance or Libra hath, when it is enlightened by the Sun and Mercury in the month of October. These Angels are painted of an orange colour, to let thee know, that thy white confections have been a little more digested, or boiled, and that the black of the violet and blue hath been already chased away by the fire: for this orange colour is compounded of the fair golden Citrine red (which thou hast so long waited for) and of the remainder of this violet and blue, which thou hast already in part, banished and undone. Furthermore this orange colour showeth, that the natures are digested, and by little and little perfected by the grace of God. As for their Roll, which saith, SURGITE MORTVI, VENITE AD JUDICIUM DOMINI MEI, that is, Arise you dead, and come unto the judgement of God my Lord; I have made it be put there, only for the Theological sense, rather than any other: It ends in the throat of a Lion which is all red, to teach that this operation must not be discontinued until they see the true red purple, wholly like unto the Poppey of the Hermitage, and the vermilion of the painted Lion, saving for multiplying.   

CHAP. VIII.  
The figure of a man, like unto Saint Peter, clothed in a robe Citrine red, holding a key in his right hand, and laying his left hand upon a woman, in an orange coloured robe, which is on her knees at his feet, holding a Roll.  
Look upon this woman clothed in a robe of orange colour, which doth so naturally resemble Pe●●enelle as she was in her youth; She is painted in the fashion of a suppliant upon her knees, her hands joined together, at the feet of a man which hath a key in his right hand, which hears her graciously, and afterwards stretcheth out his left hand upon her. wouldst thou know what this meaneth? This is the Stone, which in this operation demandeth two things, of the Mercury of the Sun, of the Philosophers, (painted under the form of a man) that is to say Multiplication, and a more rich Accoustrement; which at this time it is needful for her to obtain, and therefore the man so laying his hand upon her shoulder accords & grants it unto her. But why have I made to be painted a woman? I could as well have made to be painted a man, as a woman, or an Angel rather, (for the whole natures are now spiritual and corporal, masculine and feminine:) But I have rather chosen to cause paint a woman, to the end that thou mayest judge, that she demands rather this, than any other thing, because these are the most natural and proper desires of a woman. To show further unto thee, that she demandeth Multiplication, I have made paint the man, unto whom she addresseth her prayers in the form of Saint Peter, holding a key, having power to open and to shut, to bind and to lose; because the envious Philosophers have never spoken of Multiplication, but under these common terms of Art, APERI, CLAUDE, SOLVE, = LIGA, that is, Open, shut, bind, lose; opening and losing, they have called the making of the Body (which is always hard and fixed) soft fluid▪ and running like water: To shut and to bind, is with them afterwards by a more strong decoction to coagulate it, and to bring it back again into the form of a body.  
It behoved me then, in this place to represent a man with a key, to teach thee that thou must now open and shut, that is to say, Multiply the budding and increasing natures: for look how often thou shalt dissolve and fix, so often will these natures multiply, in quantity, quality, and virtue, according to the multiplication of ten; coming from this number to an hundred, from an hundred to a thousand, from a thousand to ten thousand, from ten thousand to an hundred thousand, from an hundred thousand to a million, and from thence by the same operation to Infinity, as I have done three times, praised be God. And when thy Elixir is so brought unto Infinity, one grain thereof falling upon a quantity of molten mettle as deep and vast as the Ocean, it will teine it, and convert it into most perfect mettle, that is to say, into silver or gold, according as it shall have been imbibed and fermented, expelling & driving out far from himself all the impure and strange matter, which was joined with the mettle in the first coagulation: for this reason therefore have I made to be painted a Key in the hand of the man, which is in the form of Saint Peter, to signify that the stone desireth to be opened and shut for multiplication; and likewise to show thee with what Mercury thou oughtest to do this, & when; I have given the man a garment Citrine red, and the woman one of orange colour. Let this suffice, lest I transgress the silence of Pythagoras, to teach thee that the woman, that is, our stone, asketh to have the rich Accoutrements and colour of Saint Peter. She hath written in her Roll, CHRIST PRECOR ESTOPIUS, that is, jesus Christ be pitiful unto me, as if she said, Lord be good unto me, and suffer not that he that shall become thus far, should spoil all with too much fire: It is true, that from henceforward I shall no more fear mine enemies, and that all fire shall be alike unto me, yet the vessel that contains me, is always brittle and easy to be broken: for if they exalt the fire overmuch, it will crack, and flying a pieces, will carry me, and sow me unfortunately amongst the ashes. Take heed therefore to thy fire in this place, and govern sweetly with patience, this admirable quintessence, for the fire must be augmented unto it, but not too much. And pray the sovereign Goodness, that it will not suffer the evil spirits, which keep the Mines and Treasures, to destroy thy work, or to bewitch thy sight, when thou considerest these incomprehensible motions of this Quintessence within thy vessel.   

CHAP. IX.  
Upon a dark violet field, a man red purple, holding the foot of a Lion red as vermilion, which hath wings, & it seems would ravish and carry away the man.  
 
THis field violet and dark, tells us that the stone hath obtained by her full decoction, the fair Garments, that are wholly Citrine and red, which she demanded of Saint Peter, who was clothed therewith, and that her complete and perfect digestion (signified by the entire Citrinity) hath made her leave her old robe of orange colour. The vermilion red colour of this flying Lion, like the pure & clear scarlet in grain, which is of the true Granadored, demonstrates that it is now accomplished in all right and equality. And that she is now like a Lion, devouring every pure mettallicke nature, and changing it into her true substance, into true & pure gold, more fine than that of the best mines. Also she now carrieth this man out of this vale of miseries, that is to say, out of the discommodities of poverty & infirmity, and with her wings gloriously lifts him up, out of the dead and standing waters of Egypt, (which are the ordinary thoughts of mortal men) making him despise this life and the riches thereof, and causing him night and day to meditate on God, and his Saints, to dwell in the Imperial Heaven, and to drink the sweet springs of the Fountains of everlasting hope. Praised be God eternally, which hath given us grace to see this most fair & all-perfect purple colour; this pleasant colour of the wild poppy of the Rock, this Tyrian, sparkling and flaming colour, which is incapable of Alteration or change, over which the heaven itself, nor his Zodiac can have no more domination nor power, whose bright shining rays, that dazzle the eyes, seem as though they did communicate unto a man some supercoelestial thing, making him (when he beholds and knows it) to be astonished, to tremble, and to be afraid at the same time. O Lord, give us grace to use it well, to the augmentation of the Faith, to the profit of our Souls, and to the increase of the glory of this noble REALM. Amen.   
FINIS.   

ARTEPHIUS HIS SECRET BOOK, Concerning the PHILOSOPHER'S STONE.  
LONDON Printed by T. S. for Tho. Walkley, and are to be sold at his Shop at the Eagle and Child in Britan's Burse. 1624.   

THE PREFACE to the READER, in the French and Latin Copies.  
AMongst all the other Philosophers (loving Reader) only our Artephius is not envious, as himself affirmeth of himself in many places, and therefore he layeth down the whole Art in most open words in this Treatise, interpreting as far as he may, the doubtful speeches and Sophisms of others; Nevertheless lest he should give unto the wicked, ignorant, and evil men, occasion and means to do hurt, he hath a little vailed the truth in the Principals of the Science under an Artificial Method, sometimes affirming, sometimes denying, and making as though he often repeated one and the same thing, whereas in those repetitions he always changeth some words, seeming often to say the contrary of what he had said before, willing to leave unto the judgement of the Reader, the way of Truth, Virtue, and true Working, which if any man find, let him give immortal thanks to God alone; but if he see that he walketh not in the right way, let him read over this Author again and again, until he understand his meaning. So did the learned john Pontanus, which saith in his Epistle Printed in Theatrum Chimicum: They err (saith he, speaking of them that labour in this Art) they have erred, and they will always err, because the Philosophers in their books have never set down the proper Agent, except only one, which is called Artephius, but he speaks for himself; and if I had not read Artephius, and understood whereof he spoke, I had never come to the Compliment of the work: Therefore read this Book, and read it again, until thou understand his speech, and so obtain thy desired end. It shall be needless to speak any more concerning our Author; It sufficeth that by the grace of God, and the use of this wonderful Quintessence, he lived a thousand years, as witnesseth Roger Bacon, in his Book of the wonderful works of nature, and also the most learned Theophrastus Baracelsus, in his Book of long life: Which term of a thousand years, none of the other Philosophers, no nor the Father of them, Hermes himself, was able to attain unto. Look therefore, whether peradventure this man have not understood the virtues of our Stone, and the manner how to use it, better than the rest. Howsoever it be, use thou it and our labours, to the glory of God, and the profit of this Kingdom.  
Farewell.   

ARTEPHIUS HIS SECRET BOOK.  
ANtimony is of the parts of Saturn, and hath in every respect the nature thereof: so this Saturnine Antimony agrees with the Sun, having in itself Argent vive, wherein no mettle is drowned but gold; that is to say; Gold only is drowned in Antimonial Saturnine Argent vive, and without that Argent vive, no mettle can be whitened: It whiteneth therefore Leton, that is, Gold, and it reduceth a perfect Body into its first matter, that is, into Sulphur and Argent vive of a white colour, and shining more than glass. It dissolves I say, the perfect Body which is of his nature; for this water is friendly, and pleasant to the Metals, whitening the Sun, because it contains a white Argent vive. And from hence thou mayest draw a great secret, to wit, that the water of Saturnine Antimony ought to be Mercurial and white, to the end that it may whiten the Gold, not burning it, but dissolving and afterwards congealing it to the form of white Cream. Therefore, saith the Philosopher, that this water maketh the Body to be volatile, because after it hath been dissolved in this water, and cooled again, it mounts aloft upon the surface of the water; Take (saith he) gold crude, foliated, laminated, or calcined with Mercury, and put it into our Vinegar Antimonial, Saturnine, Mercurial, and drawn from Sal Ammoniack (as is said) in a broad vessel of glass, four fingers high or more, and leave it there in a temperate heat; and in short time thou wilt see lifted up, as it were a liquor of oil swimming aloft, in manner of a thin skin: That gather with a spoon, or with a feather, dipping it in, and so doing many times in a day, until there do nothing more arise; afterward make the water vapour away by the fire, that is to say, the superfluous humour of the vinegar, and there will remain unto thee a fifth essence of Gold, in form of a white oil incombustible, wherein the Philosophers have placed their greatest secrets; and this oil is exceeding sweet, and is of great power to mitigate the pain and grief of wounds. All the secret then of this secret Antimonial, is that by virtue thereof we know how to extract & draw out of the body of the Magnesia, Argent vive, not burning, (and this is Antimony and Mercurial sublimate) that is, we must draw a water living, incombustible, and then congeal it with the perfect Body of the Sun, which is dissolved therein, into a nature and substance white, congealed as if it were cream, which maketh it all to become white: Nevertheless, first of all this Sun in his putrefaction and resolution in this water, in the beginning will lose his light, be darkened, & become black, and afterward will lift himself upon the water, and there will swim upon it by little and little a white colour i● a white substance. And this is called to whiten the red Leton, to sublime it Phylosophically, and to reduce it into his first matter, that is to say, into white Sulphur incombustible, and into Argent vive fixed; and so the terminated moisture, that is to say, Gold, our Body, by the reiteration of liquefaction in this our dissolving water, is turned and reduced into Sulphur, and Argent vive fixed: And so the perfect Body of the Sun taketh life in this water, is revived, inspired, increased, and multiplied in his kind, as all other things are; for in this water it cometh to pass, that the Body compounded of two bodies, of the Sun and of the Moon, puffeth up, swelleth, putrisieth as a grain of Corn, becometh great with young, is lifted up, and increaseth, taking the substance & nature, living and vegetable.  
Also our water, or our foresaid vinegar, is the vinegar of Mountains, that is to say, of the Sun and Moon, and therefore it is mixed with the Sun and Moon, and cleaveth to them perpetually: to wit, the Body taketh from this water the tincture of whiteness, and with it (the water) shineth with inestimable brightness. He therefore that knows how to turn the Body into white silver medicinal, he may afterward by this white gold, easily turn all imperfect metals into very good and fine silver. And this white gold, is by the Philosophers called, their white Moon, the white Argent vive fixed, the Gold of Alchemy, and the white smoke. Therefore without that our Antimonial vinegar, the white gold of Alchemy, cannot be made. And because in our vinegar there is a double substance of Argent vive, one of Antimony, and another of Mercury sublimed; it doth therefore give a double weight & substance of Argent vive fixed, and also augments therein (in the gold) the natural colour, weight, substance, and tincture thereof.  
Therefore our dissolving water, carries a great tincture and great fusion, because that when it feels the common fire, if there be in it the perfect Body of the Sun or of the Moon, it suddenly maketh it to be melted, and to be turned into his substance, white as it is, & adds colour, weight, and tincture to the Body. It hath also power to dissolve all things that may be melted, and it is a ponderous body, viscous, precious, and honourable, resolving all crude bodies into their first matter, that is, into Earth, & a viscous powder, that is to say, into Sulphur and Argent vive. If therefore thou put into this water any mettle, filled, or attenuated, and leavest it for a time in a gentle heat, it will be all dissolved, and changed into a viscous water, or a white oil, as is said. And so it mollifies the Body, and prepares it to fusion & liquefaction, nay, it makes all things fusible, that is, stones and metals, and afterwards gives them spirit and life. Therefore it dissolves all things with a wonderful solution, turning the perfect Body into a fusible medicine, melting, penetrating, and more fixed, increasing the weight and colour.  
Work therefore with it, and thou shalt obtain from it that which thou desirest; for it is the spirit and the soul of the Sun and the Moon, it is the oil, the dissolving water, the fountain, the Balneum Mariae, the fire against Nature, the moist fire, the secret, hidden, and invisible fire, and the most sharp vinegar, of which a certain ancient Philosopher said, I besought the Lord, and he showed me a certain clean water, which I knew to be the pure vinegar, altering, piercing, and digesting. The vinegar I say penetrative, and the instrument moving the gold or the silver, to putrify, resolve, and to be reduced into his first matter, and it is the only Agent in the whole World for this Art, that can resolve and reincrudate, or make raw again the Mettallicke Bodies, with the conservation of their species. It is therefore the only fit and natural mean, by which we ought to resolve the perfect Bodies of the Sun and Moon, by an admirable and solemn dissolution, under the conservation of their species, and without any destruction, unless it be to a new, more noble, and better form, or generation, that is to say, into the perfect Stone of the Philosophers, which is their wonderful, and hidden secret.  
Now this water is a certain middle substance, clear as pure silver, which ought to receive the tinctures of the Sun and Moon, to the end that it may be congealed and converted into white and living Earth; for this water hath need of the perfect bodies, that with them after dissolution, it may be congealed, fixed, and coagulated into white Earth; and their solution is also their congelation, for they have one and the same operation, for the one is not dissolved, but that the other is congealed; neither is there any other water which can dissolve the Bodies, but that which abideth with them in matter and form; nay, it cannot be permanent, except it be of the nature of the other body, that they may be made one together. Therefore when thou seest the water coagulate itself with the Bodies that be dissolved therein, rest assured that thy Science, Method, and operations, are true and Philosophical, and that thou proceedest aright in the Art.  
Nature then is amended in its like nature; that is, Gold and Silver are amended in our water, as our water also with the Bodies; which water is called the mean of the Soul, without the which we can do nothing in this Art; and it is the vegetable, animal, and mineral fire, preserving the fixed spirits of the Sun and Moon, the destroyer and the Conqueror of Bodies, because it destroys, dissolves, and changeth Bodies, and mettallick forms, and makes them to be no Bodies, but a fixed spirit, and turneth them into a moist, soft, and fluid substance, which hath ingression and power to enter into other imperfect Bodies, and to be mixed with them by the smallest parts, and to colour them and make them perfect; which they could not do when they were Mettallicke bodies dry & hard, which have no entrance, nor power to colour and make perfect imperfect Bodies. And therefore to good purpose do we turn the bodies into a fluid substance, because every tincture will colour a thousand times more, when it is in a soft and liquid substance, then when it is in a dry one, as appears by Saffron: and consequently the transmutation of imperfect Bodies, is impossible to be done by perfect Bodies, while they are dry, except they be first brought back into their first matter, soft and fluid: from hence we conclude, that we must make the Moisture return, and so reveal that which is hidden; which is called the reincrudation, or the making raw again of the Bodies, that is, the boiling and the softening them, until they be deprived of their hard and dry corporality, or bodilynesse; because that which is dry, doth not enter, nor colour any more than itself. Therefore the dry Earthly Body doth not teine, except it be teined, because as is abovesaid, that which is thick and Earthy, entereth not, nor coloureth; and because it entereth not, therefore it altars not; wherefore Gold coloureth not, until the hidden spirit be drawn from the belly thereof by our white water, and that it be made altogether a spiritual and white fume, the white spirit, and the wonderful soul.  
Wherefore we ought by our water, to attenuate, alter, and soften the perfect Bodies, that they may afterward be mixed with the other imperfect Bodies: And therefore if we had no other profit by that Antimonial water, than this, that it makes the Bodies subtle, soft, and fluid, according to his own nature, yet it were sufficient for us: for it brings back the Bodies to their first original of Sulphur and Mercury, that of these, we may afterwards in a short time, in less than one hour of the day, do that above ground, which Nature wrought under ground in the mines of the Earth in a thousand years, which is as it were miraculous. And therefore our final secret, is by our water to make the Bodies volatile, spiritual, and a teining water, which hath ingression or entrance into the other Bodies: for it makes the Bodies to be a very spirit, because it doth incerate, (that is, bring to the temper and consistence of wax) the hard and dry Bodies, and prepares them to fusion, that is, turns them into a permanent or abiding water. It makes then of the Bodies a most precious blessed Oil, which is the true tincture, and the white permanent water, of nature hot & moist, temperate, subtle, and fusible as wax, which pierceth, reacheth to the bottom, coloureth, & maketh perfect. Therefore our water doth incontinently dissolve gold and silver, and maketh them an incombustible Oil, which may then be mixed with other imperfect Bodies: for our water turns the Bodies into the nature of a fusible salt, which is by the Philosophers called, Sal Albroe, which is the best and the noblest of all salts, being in the regiment thereof fixed, and not flying the fire, and it is indeed an oil, of a nature hot, subtle, penetrating, reaching to the depth and entering, called the complete Elixir, and it is the hidden secret of the wise Alchemists. He therefore that knoweth this salt of the Sun and Moon, and the generation, or preparation thereof, and afterwards how to mix it, and make it friendly to the other imperfect bodies; he in truth knoweth one of the greatest secrets of Nature, and one way of perfection.  
These Bodies thus dissolved by our water, are called Argent vive, which is not without Sulphur, nor Sulphur without the nature of the Luminaries (or lights) because that the Lights (the Sun and Moon) are the principal means, or middle things, in the form, by which Nature passeth in the perfecting and accomplishing the generation thereof: And this Quicksilver, is called the Salt honoured, and animated and pregnant, (or great with Child) and fire, seeing that it is nothing but fire, nor fire, but Sulphur, nor Sulphur, but quicksilver, drawn from the Sun and Moon by our water, and reduced to a stone of great price; that is to say, it is the matter of the Lights, altered from baseness unto nobleness. Note that this white Sulphur is the Father of Metals, and their Mother together, it is our Mercury; and the Minera of Gold, and the Soul, and the ferment, and the mineral virtue, and the living Body, and the perfect Medicine, our Sulphur, and our Quicksilver, that is, Sulphur of Sulphur, and Quicksilver of Quicksilver, and Mercury of Mercury. The property therefore of our water is that it melteth gold and silver, and augments in them their native colour; for it turns the Bodies from Corporality, into Spirituality, and this water it is which sends into the Body a white fume, which is the white soul, subtle, hot, and of much fieriness. This water is also called the bloody stone, and it is the virtue of the spiritual blood, without which nothing is done, & the subject of all liquable things, and of liquefaction, which agrees very well, and cleaveth to the Sun and the Moon, neither is it ever separated from them, for it is of kin to the Sun and to the Moon, but more to the Sun then to the Moon; Note this well: It is also called the mean of conjoining the tinctures of the Sun and Moon with imperfect Metals; for it turns the Bodies into a true tincture to teine the other imperfect Metals, and it is the water which whiteneth, as it is white, which quickeneth as it is a soul; and therefore (as the Philosopher saith) soon entereth into its body. For it is a living water, which cometh to moisten its earth, that it may bud, and bring forth fruit in his time, as all things springing from the Earth, are engendered by the dew or moisture. The Earth therefore buddeth not without watering and moisture: It is the water of May-dew, that cleanseth the Bodies, that pierceth them like rain water, whiteneth them, and maketh one new Body of two Bodies. This water of life being rightly ordered with his Body, whiteneth it, & turneth it into his white colour; for the water is a white fume, and therefore the Body is whitened by it: whiten the Body then, and burn thy Books. And between these two, that is, between the Body and the water, there is friendship, desire, and lust, as between the male and the female, because of the nearness of their like natures: for our second living water is called Azot, washing the Leton, that is, the Body, compounded of the Sun and Moon by our first water. This second water is also called the soul of our dissolved Bodies, of which Bodies we have already tied the souls together, to the end that they may serve the wise Philosophers. O how perfect and magnificent is this water, for without it the work could never be brought to pass! It is also called the vessel of Nature, the belly, the womb, the receptacle of the tincture, the Earth, and the Nurse. It is the Fountain in which the King and Queen wash themselves, and the Mother which must be put and sealed in the belly of her Infant, that is, the Sun which proceeded from her, and which she brought forth: and therefore they love one another as a Mother and a Son, and are easily joined together, because they came from one & the same root, and are of the same substance and nature. And because this water is the water of the vegetable life, therefore it giveth life, and maketh the dead body to vegetate, increase, & spring forth, and to rise from death to life, by solution and sublimation; and in so doing, the Body is turned into a spirit, and the spirit into a body, and then is made amity, peace, concord, and union between the contraries, that is, between the Body and the spirit, which reciprocally change their natures, which they receive and communicate to one another by the least parts, so that the hot is mixed with the cold, the dry with the moist, and the hard with the soft; and thus is there a mixture made of contrary natures, that is, of cold with hot, and of moist with dry, an admirable connexion & conjunction of enemies. Then our dissolution of bodies, which is made in this first water, is no other thing then a kill of the moist with the dry, because the moist is coagulated with the dry, for the moisture is contained, terminated, and coagulated into a Body, or into Earth, only by dryness. Let therefore the hard and dry bodies be put in our first water in a vessel well shut, where they may abide until they be dissolved, and ascend on high, and then they may be called a new Body, the white gold of Alchemy, the white stone, the white Sulphur, not burning, and the stone of Paradise, that is, the stone which converts imperfect Metals into fine white silver: Having this, we have also the Body, Soul, and Spirit, all together, of the which spirit and soul it is said, that they cannot be drawn from the perfect Bodies, but by the conjunction of our dissolving water, because it is certain that the thing fixed, cannot belifted up, but by the conjunction of the thing volatile. The spirit then by the mediation of water and the soul, is drawn from the Bodies, and the Body is made no Body, because at the same instant the spirit with the soul of the Bodies mounteth on high into the upper part, which is the perfection of the stone, and is called sublimation. This sublimation (saith Florentius Catalanus) is done by things sharp, spiritual, and volatile, which are of a sulphurous and viscous nature, which dissolve the Bodies, and make them to be lifted up into the Air in the spirit. And in this sublimation a certain part and portion of our said first water ascendeth with the Bodies, joining itself to them, ascending and subliming into a middle substance, which holdeth of the nature of the two, that is, of the Bodies, and of the water; and therefore it is called the Corporal & spiritual compound, Corsufle, Cambdr, Ethelia, Zandarach, the good Duenech, but properly it is only called the water permanent, because it flieth not in the fire, always adhering to the commixed Bodies, that is, to the Sun and Moon, and communicating unto them a living tincture, incombustible, and most firm, more noble and precious than the former which these bodies had, because from henceforward this tincture can run as oil upon the bodies, perforating and piercing with a wonderful fixion, because this Tincture is the spirit, and the spirit is the soul, and the soul is the body, because in this operation the body is made a spirit of a most subtle nature, and likewise the spirit is incorporated, and is made of the nature of a body with bodies, and so our stone contains a body, a soul, and a spirit. O Nature how thou changest the body into a spirit, which thou couldst not do, if the spirit were not incorporated with the bodies, and the bodies with the spirits made volatile, or flying, and afterward permanent or abiding. Therefore they have passed into one another, and are turned the one into the other by wisdom. O wisdom, how thou makest Gold to be volatile and fugitive, although by nature it be most fixed. It behoveth therefore to dissolve and melt these Bodies by our water, and to make them a permanent water, a golden water sublimed, leaving in the bottom the gross, earthly, and superfluous dry. And in this sublimation the fire ought to be soft, and gentle; for if in this sublimation the Bodies be not purified in a lent or slow fire, and the grosser earthly parts (note well) separated from the uncleanness of the dead, thou shalt be hindered from ever making thy work perfect; for thou needest only this subtle and light nature of the dissolved Bodies, which our water will easily give thee, if thou proceed with a slow fire, for it will separate the Heterogeneal (or that which is of another kind) from the Homogeneal, (or that which is all of one kind.)  
Our compound therefore receiveth mundification or cleansing by our moist fire, that is to say, dissolving and subliming that which is pure and white, and casting aside the feceses, like a voluntary vomit (saith Azinaban.) For in such a dissolution, and natural sublimation, there is made a losing, or an untying of the Elements, a cleansing and a separation of the pure from the impure, so that the pure and white ascendeth upward, and the impure and earthly fixed remains in the bottom of the water, or the vessel, which must be taken a way and removed, because it is of no value, taking only the middle white substance, flowing and melting, and leaving the feculent earth, which remained below in the bottom, which came principally from the water, and is the dross, and the damned earth, which is nothing worth, nor can ever do any good, as doth the pure, clear, white and clean matter, which we ought only to take. And against this Capharaean rock, the ship and knowledge of the Scholars and students in Philosophy, is often (as it happened also unto me sometimes) most improvidently dashed and beaten, because the Philosophers do very often affirm the contrary, namely, that nothing must be removed or taken away, but the moisture, that is, the Blackness, which notwithstanding they say and write, only to deceive the unwise, gross, and ignorant, which of themselves without a Master, unwearied reading, or Prayer unto God Almighty, would like conquerors carry away this golden fleece.  
Note therefore, that this separation, division, and sublimation, is without doubt the key of the whole work. After the putrefaction then, and dissolution of these Bodies, our Bodies do lift themselves up to the surface of the dissolving water, in the colour of whiteness, and this whiteness is life; for in this whiteness, the Antimonial and Mercurial soul, is by the appointment of nature, infused with the Spirits of the Sun & Moon, which separateth the subtle from the thick, and the pure from the impure, lifting up by little and little, the subtle part of the Body, from the dregs, until all the pure be separated and lifted up: And in this is our Philosophical and natural sublimation fulfilled: And in this whiteness is the soul infused into the Body, that is, the mineral virtue, which is more subtle than fire, being indeed the true quintessence and life, which desireth to be borne, and to put off the gross earthly feceses, which it hath taken from the Menstruous and corrupt place of his Original. And in this is our Philosophical sublimation, not in the naughty common Mercury, which hath no qualities like unto them, wherewith our Mercury drawn from his vitriolate caverns, is adorned. But let us return to our sublimation. It is therefore most certain in this Art, that this soul drawn from the Bodies, cannot be lifted up, but by the putting to of a volatile thing, which is of his own kind; by the which the Bodies are made volatile and spiritual, lifting up, subtiliating, and subliming themselves, against their own proper nature, which is bodily, heavy and ponderous; and by this means they are made no Bodies, but incorporeal, and a fifth essence, of the nature of the Spirit, which is called Hermes his Bird, and Mercury drawn from the red servant; and so the earthy parts remain below, or rather the grosser parts of the Bodies, which cannot by any wit or device of man be perfectly dissolved. And this white fume, this white gold, that is, this quintessence, is also called the compound Magnesia, which as a man, contains, or like a man is compounded of a Body, a Soul, and a Spirit: For the Body is the fixed earth of the Sun, which is more than most fine, ponderously lifted up, by the force of our divine water; The soul is the tincture of the Sun and of the Moon, proceeding from the conjunction or communication of these two: But the spirit is the mineral virtue of the two Bodies, and of the water, which carries the soul, or the white tincture upon the Bodies, and out of the Bodies, as the tincture of Dyer's, is carried by water upon the cloth. And that Mercurial spirit is the Bond or tyall of the soul of the Sun; And the Body of the Sun is the Body of fiction, containing with the Moon the spirit and soul. The spirit therefore pierceth, the body fixeth, the soul coupleth, coloureth and whiteneth. Of these three united together, is our Stone made, that is, of the Sun, and Moon, and Mercury. Then with our gilded (or golden) water, is extracted a nature surpassing all nature, and therefore except the bodies be by this our water dissolved, imbibed, ground, softened, and sparingly and diligently governed, until they leave their grossness and thickness; and be turned into a thin and impalpable spirit, our labour will always be in vain, for unless the bodies be changed into no bodies, that is, into the Philosophers Mercury, the rule of Art is not yet found, and the reason is, because it is impossible to draw out of the bodies that most thin or subtle soul, which hath in it all tincture, if the bodies be not first dissolved in our water. Dissolve therefore the bodies in the golden water, and boil them, until by the water all the tincture come out into a white colour, or a white oil, and when thou shalt see this whiteness upon the water, then know that the bodies are dissolved or melted, and continue the decoction, until they bring forth the cloud which they have conceived, dark, black, and white. Put therefore the perfect bodies in our water, in a vessel Hermetically sealed, upon a soft fire, and boil them continually, until they be perfectly resolved into a most precious oil: Boil them (saith Adfar) with a gentle fire, as it were for the hatching of chickens, until the bodies be dissolved, and their tincture most nearly conjoined, (mark well) be wholly drawn out: for it is not drawn out all at once, but it cometh forth by little and little, every day and every hour, until after a long time this dissolution be complete, & that which is dissolved do always arise uppermost upon the water. And in this dissolution let the fire be soft and continual, until the bodies be loosed into a viscous impalpable water, and that the whole tincture come forth, first in the colour of blackness, which is a sign of true solution: Then continue the decoction, until it become a white permanent water, for governing it in its bath, it will afterward be clear, and in the end become like common argent vive, climbing thorough the air upon the first water. And therefore when thou seest the bodies dissolved into a viscous water, then know that they are turned into a vapour, and that thou hast the souls separated from the dead bodies, and by sublimation brought into the order and estate of spirits, whereupon both of them with a part of our water, are made spirits, flying and climbing into the air, and that there the body compounded of the male and female, of the Sun and Moon, and of that most subtle nature, cleansed by sublimation, taketh life, is inspired by his moisture, that is, by his water, as a man by the Air, and therefore from henceforth it will multiply, and increase in his kind, like all other things. And therefore in such an elevation and Philosophical sublimation, they are all joined one with another, and the new body, inspired by the Air, liveth vegetably, which is a wonder. Wherefore unless the Bodies be subtilised and made thin by fire and water, until they do arise like spirits, and be made like water and fume, or like Mercury, there is nothing done in this Arte. But when they ascend, they are borne in the air, and changed in the air, and are made life with life, in such sort that they can never be separated, as water mixed with water. And therefore it is wisely said that the Stone is borne in the Air, because it is altogether spiritual; for the vulture flying without wings, crieth upon the top of the mountain, saying, I am the white of the black, and the red of the white, and the Citrine son of the red, I tell truth, and lie not.  
It sufficeth thee therefore to put the Bodies in the vessel, and in the water once for all, and to shut the vessel diligently, until a true separation be made, which by the envious is called conjunction, sublimation, assation, extraction, putrefaction, ligation, despousation, subtiliation, generation, etc. and that the whole Mastery be done. Do therefore as in the generation of a man, and every vegetable, put the seed once into the womb, and shut it well. By this means thou seest that thou needest not many things, and that our work requires no great charges, because there is but one Stone, one Medicine, one Vessel, one Regiment, and one successive disposition to the white, and to the red. And although we say in many places take this, and take that, yet we understand that it behooveth to take but one thing, and put it once in the vessel, and to shut the vessel until the work be perfected; for these things are so set down by the envious Philosophers, to deceive the unwary, as is aforesaid. For is not this Art Cabalistical, and full of secrets? And dost thou, fool, believe that we do openly teach the secrets of secrets? and dost thou take our words according to the literal sound? Know assuredly, (I am no whit envious as others are) he that takes the words of the other Philosophers, according to the ordinary signification and sound of them, he doth already, having lost Ariadne's thread, wander in the midst of the Labyrinth, and hath as good as appointed his money to perdition. But I, Artephius, after I had learned all the Art and perfect Science in the Books of the truespeaking Hermes, was sometimes envious, as all the rest, but when I had by the space of a thousand years, or thereabouts (which are now passed over me since my nativity, by the only grace of God Almighty, and the use of this wonderful fifth essence) when, I say, for so long time I had seen no man that could work the Mastery of Hermes, by reason of the obscurity of the Philosopher's words, moved with pity, and with the goodness becoming an honest man, I have determined in these last times of my life to write all things truly and sincerely that thou mayst want or desire nothing to the perfecting of the Philosopher's Stone, (excepting a certain thing, which it is not lawful for any person to say or to write, because it is always revealed by God, or by a Master, and yet in this Book, he that is not stiffnecked, shall with a little experience, easily learn it.) I have therefore in this Book written the naked truth, although clothed with a few colours, that every good and wise man, may from this Philosophical Tree happily gather the admirable Apples of the Hesperideses. Wherefore praised be the most high God, which hath put this benignity into our soul, and with a wonderful long old age, hath given us a true dilection of heart, wherewithal it seemeth unto me, that I do truly love, cherish, and embrace all men. But let us return unto the Arte. Surely our work is quickly dispatched, for that which the heat of the Sun doth in a hundred years in the Mines of the Earth for the generation of a Mettle, (as I have often seen) our secret fire, that is, our fiery sulphureous water, which is called Balneum Mariae, worketh in short time.  
And this work is no great labour to him that knoweth and understandeth it, neither is the matter so dear, (considering a small quantity sufficeth) that it ought to cause any man to pluck back his hand, because it is so short and easy, that it may well be called the work of Women, and the play of Children▪ Work then cheerfully (my son) pray to God, read Books continually, for one Book openeth another, think of it profoundly; fly all things that vanish in the fire, for thou hast not thine intent in these combustible and consuming things, but only in the decoction of thy water, drawn from thy lights. For by this water is colour and weight given infinitely, and this water is a white fume, which as a soul floweth in the perfect bodies, taking wholly from them their blackness and uncleanness, and consoledating the two Bodies into one, and multiplying their water: And there is no other thing that can take away their true colour from the perfect Bodies, that is, from the Sun and Moon; but Azoth, that is, this our water, which coloureth and maketh white the red Body, according to the regiments thereof.  
But let us speak of fires. Our fire therefore is mineral, equal, continual, it vapours not, unless it be too much stirred up, it partakes of sulphur, it is taken otherwhere then from the matter, it pulleth down all things, it dissolveth, congealeth, and calcineth, it is artificial to find, it is a short way (or an expense) without cost, at the least, without any great cost, it is moist, vaporous, digestive, altering, piercing, subtle, eyrie, not violent, not burning, compassing or environing, containing but one, and it is the Fountain of living water, which goeth about, and containeth the place where the King and Queen bathe themselves. In all the work this moist fire is sufficient for thee, at the beginning, midst, and end; for in it consisteth the whole Art: This is the fire natural, against nature, unnatural, and without burning; and finally, this fire is hot, dry, moist, and cold, think upon this, and work aright, taking nothing that is of a strange nature: And if thou dost not well understand these fires, harken further to what I shall give thee, never as yet written in any Book, from out of the abstruse and hidden cavillation of the Ancients, concerning fires.  
We have properly three fires, without the which the Art cannot be done, and he that works without them, takes a great deal of care in vain. The first is the fire of the Lamp, which is continual, moist, vaporous, eyrie, and artificial to find; for the Lamp ought to be proportioned to the closure (or enclosure) and herein we must use great judgement, which cometh not to the knowledge of a workman of a stiff neck: for if the fire of the Lamp be not geometrically and duly proportioned and fitted to the Furnace, either for lack of heat thou wilt not see the expected signs in their times, and so thou wilt lose thy hope by too long expectation, or else with too much heat thou wilt burn the flowers of the Gold, and so sadly bewail thy lost labour. The second fire is the fire of ashes, in which the vessel hermetically sealed is shut up; or rather it is that most gentle heat, which proceeding from the temperate vapour of the lamp, goeth equally round about the vessel: This fire is not violent, if it be not too much stirred up, it is digesting, a tering, it is taken from another Body than the matter, it is but one, or alone, it is moist and innaturall, etc. The third is the natural fire of our water, which for this cause is also called fire against nature, because it is water; and yet nevertheless it makes a mere spirit of Gold, which common fire cannot do; this fire is mineral, equal, and partakes of Sulphur, it breaks, congeals, dissolves, and calcines all, this is piercing, subtle, not burning, and it is the Fountain of living water, wherein the King and Queen bathe themselves, whereof we have need in the whole work, in the beginning, middle, and ending, but the other two abovesaid, we do not always need, but only sometimes: join therefore in the reading the Books of Philosophers these three sorts of fire, and without doubt thou shalt understand all their cavillations concerning their fires.  
As touching the Colours, he that doth not make black, cannot make white, because blackness is the beginning of whiteness, and a sign of putrefaction and alteration, and that the Body is now pierced and mortified. Therefore in the putrefaction in this water, there first appears blackness, like unto the broth wherein blood, or some bloody thing is boiled. Secondly, the black Earth by continual decoction is whitened, because the soul of the two bodies swims aloft upon the water like white cream; and in this only whiteness, all the spirits are so united, that they can never fly from one another. And therefore the Leton must be whitened, and tear the Books, lest our hearts be broken, for this entire whiteness is the true stone to the white, and the body ennobled by the necessity of his end, and the tincture of whiteness, of a most exuberant reflection, and shining brightness, which being mixed with a Body, never ●●parteth from it. Here then note, that the spirits are not fixed, but in the white colour, which by consequent is more noble than the other colours, and aught more earnestly to be desired, considering it is, as it were, the compliment & perfection of the whole work. For our Earth is first putrified in blackness, than it is cleansed in the elevation or lifting up, afterwards being dried, the blackness departeth, and then it is whitened, and the dark moist dominion of the woman perisheth, and then the white fume pierceth into the new Body, and the spirits are shut up, or bound together, in dryness, and that which is corrupting, deformed and black with moisture vanisheth, and then the new Body riseth again, clear, white, and immortal, getting the victory overall his enemies. And as heat working upon that which is moist, causeth or engendereth blackness, which is the first colour, so by decoction ever more and more, heat working upon that which is dry, begetteth whiteness, which is the second colour; and afterward working upon that which is purely & perfectly dry, it causeth citrinity and redness; and so much concerning the Colours.  
We must therefore understand, that the thing which hath the head red and white, the feet white, and afterwards red, and yet before that, the eyes black, this only thing is our mastery: dissolve then the Sun and the Moon in our dissolving water, which is familiar, friendly, and of the next nature unto them, which is likewise to them sweet and pleasant, and as it were a womb, a mother, an Original, the beginning and the end of life, and that is the reason why they are amended in this water, because Nature rejoiceth in Nature, and Nature contains Nature, and in true Marriage they are joined together, and made one nature, one new body, raised up, and immortal. And thus we must join consanguinity with Consanguinity, and then these natures will meet, and follow one another, putrify themselves, engender themselves, and make one another rejoice, because Nature is governed by Nature, which is nearest and most friendly to it. Our water then (saith Danthin) is the most pleasant, fair, and clear Fountain, prepared only for the King & Queen, whom it knoweth very well, and they know it; for it draws them to itself, and they abide therein to wash themselves two or three days, that is, two or three months; and it maketh them young again, & fair. And because the Sun and Moon have their Original from this water their Mother, therefore it behoveth that they enter again into their Mother's womb, that they may be borne again, and be made more strong, more noble, and more valiant. And therefore if these do not die, and be not turned into water, they remain alone, and without fruit; but if they die, and be resolved in our water, they bring fruit an hundreth fold; and from that very place, where it seemed they had lost what they were, from thence shall they appear that which they were not before. Let therefore the spirit of our living water, be with great wit and subtlety fixed with the Sun and the Moon▪ because they being turned into the nature of water, do dye, & seem like unto the dead; yet afterward being inspired from thence, they live, increase, and multiply like all other vegetable things. It is enough then to dispose the matter sufficiently from without, for from within, itself doth work sufficiently to its own perfection. For it hath in itself a certain and inhaerent motion, according to the true way, better than any order that can be imagined by man. And therefore do thou only prepare, and Nature will perfect; for if she be not hindered by the contrary, she will not pass her own certain motion, as well to conceive, as to bring forth. Wherefore after the preparation of the matter, take heed only lest by too much fire thou make the bath too hot: Secondly, take heed lest the spirit▪ do exhale, because it would hurt him that worketh, that is to say, it would destroy the work, and cause many infirmities, that is, much sadness and anger. From this that hath been spoken, is drawn this Axiom, to wit, that by the course of nature, he doth not know the making of Metals, that knoweth not the destruction of them. It behoveth then, to join together them that are of kindred, for Natures do find their like natures, and being▪ putrified, are mixed together, and mortify themselves. It is necessary therefore to know this corruption and generation, and how the Natures do embrace one another, and are pacified in a slow fire, how Nature rejoiceth in Nature, and nature retains nature, and turns it into a white nature. After this, if thou wilt make it red, thou must boil this white, in a dry continual fire, until it be as red as blood, which will be nothing else but fire and a true tincture: And so by a continual dry fire, the whiteness is changed, amended, perfected, made Citrine, and acquireth redness, a true fixed colour. And consequently by how much more this red is boiled, so much the more is it coloured, and made a tincture of perfect redness; Wherefore thou must with a dry fire, and a dry calcination, without any moisture, boil this compound, until it be clothed with a most red colour, and then it will be a perfect Elixir.  
If afterwards thou wilt multiply it, thou must again resolve that red in a new dissolving water, and after by decoction whiten and rubifie it by the degrees of fire, reiterating the first regiment. Dissolve, congeal, reiterate, shutting, opening, and multiplying in quantity and quality at thine own pleasure: for by a new corruption and generation, there is again brought in a new motion, and so we could never find an end, if we would always work by reiteration of solution and coagulation, by the means of our dissolving water, that is to say, dissolving and congealing, as is said in the first regiment. And so the virtue thereof is increased and multiplied in quantity and quality, so that if in the first work, one part of thy Stone, will teyne an hundred, in the second it will teyne a thousand, in the third ten thousand, and so by pursuing thy work, thy projection will come into infinity, teyning truly, and perfectly, and fixedly, every quantity, how great soever it be, and so by a thing of an easy price, is added colour, and virtue, & weight. Therefore our fire and Azoth are sufficient for thee; boil, boil, reiterate, dissolve, congeal, and so continue according to thy will, multiplying it as much as thou wilt, and until thy Medicine be made fusible as wax, and that it have the quantity and virtue which thou desirest. Therefore all the accomplishment of the work, or of our second Stone, (note it well) consisteth in this, that thou take the perfect Body, which thou must put in our water, in a house of glass, well shut and stopped with Cement, lest the air get in, or the moisture enclosed get out; and there hold it in the digestion of a gentle heat, as if it were of a bathe, or the most temperate heat of dung, upon the which with the fire thou shalt continue the perfection of decoction, until it be putrified and resolved into black, and afterwards be lifted up, and sublimed by the water, that it may thereby be cleansed from all blackness and darkness, and that it may be whitened and made subtle, until it come to the utmost purity of sublimation, and at the last be made volatile, and white, within and without: for the vulture flying in the Air without wings, cryeth that it might get upon the Mountain, that is, upon the water, upon the which the white Spirit is carried. Then continue a convenient fire, and that Spirit, that is, the subtle substance of the Body and of Mercury will ascend upon the water, which quintessence is whiter than the snow; continue still, and in the end strengthen thy fire, until all which is spiritual mount on high: for know well, that all that is clear, pure, and spiritual, ascends on high in the air, in the form of a white fume, which the Philosophers call, the Virgin's milk.  
It behooveth therefore, that (as Sibyl said) the Son of the Virgin be exalted from the Earth, and that the white quintessence after his resurrection be lifted up towards the heavens, and that the gross and thick remain in the bottom of the vessel and of the water; for afterwards when the vessel is cold, thou shalt find in the bottom thereof, the feceses, black, burnt, and combust, separate from the spirit and white quintessence, which dregs thou must cast away. In these times the Argent vive raineth from our air upon our new earth, which is called Argent vive, sublimed from the air, whereof is made a water viscous, clean and white, which is the true tincture separated from all black feceses, and so our brass or Leton, is with our water governed, purified, and adorned with a white colour, which white colour is not gotten, but by decoction and coagulation of the water. Boil it then continually, wash away the blackness from the Leton, not with thy hand, but with the Stone, or the fire, or our second Mercurial water, which is the true tincture. For this separation of the pure from the impure, is not done with hands, but nature herself alone, by working it circularly to perfection, bringeth it to pass. It appeareth then that this composition is not a manual work, but only a change of the natures, because nature dissolves and conjoins itself, it sublimes and lifts up itself, and having separated the feceses, it groweth white: and in such a sublimation the parts are always joined together, more subtle, more pure and essential, because that when the fiery nature lifteth up the subtle parts, it lifteth up always the more pure, and by consequent leaveth the grosser in the bottom. And therefore it behooveth by an indifferent fire, to sublime in a continual vapour, that the Stone may be inspired in the air, and live. For the nature of all things takes life of the inspiration of air, and so also all our Mastery consists in vapour, and in the sublimation of water. And therefore our brass or Leton must by degrees of fire be lifted up, and freely without violence, of himself, ascend on high, wherefore unless the Body be by fire and water dissolved, attenuated, and subtilised, until it ascend as a spirit, or climb like Argent vive, or as the white soul separated from the Body, and carried in the sublimation of the Spirits, there is nothing at all done in this Art: But when it ascends on high, it is borne in the air, and changed in the air, and is made life with life, being altogether spiritual and incorruptible: And so in such a regiment the Body is made a spirit of a subtle nature, and the spirit is incorporated with the Body, and is made one with it, and in such a sublimation, conjunction, and elevation, all things are made white.  
And therefore this Philosophical and natural sublimation is necessary, for that it maketh peace between the body and the spirit, which is impossible otherwise to be done, otherwise then by this separation of the parts: wherefore it behoveth to sublime them both, to the end, that in the troubles of this stormy Sea, the pure may ascend, and the impure and earthly may descend: And for this cause it must be boiled continually, that it may be brought to a subtle nature, and that the body may assume and draw to itself the white Mercurial soul, which it naturally retains, and suffereth it not to be separated from it, because it is like unto it, in the nearness of the first, pure, and simple nature. From hence it appears, that this separation must be made by decoction, until there remain no more of the fat of the soul, which is not lifted up, and exalted into the upper part, for so they shall be both reduced unto a simple equality, and unto a simple whiteness. The vulture therefore flying in the air, and the Toad going upon the Earth, is our Mastery▪ And therefore when thou shalt gently, and with great discretion, separate the Earth from the water, that is, from the fire, and the subtle from the thick, then that which is pure, will ascend from Earrh into Heaven, and that which is impure, will go down to the Earth, and the more subtle part will in the upper place take the nature of a spirit, and in the lower place the nature of an Earthly Body; wherefore let the while nature with the more subtle part of the Body, be by this operation lifted up, leaving the feceses, which is done in a short time: for the soul is aided by her associate and fellow, and perfected by it. My Mother (saith the Body) hath begotten me, and by me she herself is begotten; and after she hath taken her slight, (or I have taken from her her flying) she after the best manner she can, becomes a pious Mother, nourishing and cherishing the son whom she hath begotten, until he come to perfect state. Hear this secret: Keep the Body in this our Mercurial water, until it ascend on high with the white soul, and the Earthly descend to the bottom, which is called, the Earth that remains: then shalt thou see the water coagulate itself with its body, and shalt be assured that the Science is true, because the Body coagulateth his moisture into dryness, as the rennet of a Lamb coagulateth milk into Cheese. In the same fashion the spirit will pierce the body, and there will be a perfect mixture made by the least parts, and the Body will draw unto himself his moisture, that is to say, his white soul, even as the Loadstone draweth the Iron, because of the likeness and nearness of his nature, and his greediness, and then the one will hold the other, and this is our sublimation and coagulation, which retaineth every thing volatile, and maketh that it can fly no more. Therefore this composition is not a manual operation, but (as I said) a changing of natures, and a wonderful connexion of their cold with hot, and their moist with dry: for the hot is mixed with cold, and the dry with moist, and so by this means is made the mixture and conjunction of the body with the spirit, which is called the changing of contrary natures; because that in such a solution and sublimation, the spirit is turned into a body, and the body into a spirit; so that the natures being mingled together, and reduced into one, do change one another, in as much as the body makes the spirit a body, and the spirit turns the body into a teyned and white spirit.  
And therefore (this is the last time that I will tell thee) boil it in our white water, that is, in Mercury, until it be dissolved into blackness, and then by continual decoction, it will be deprived of his blackness, and the body so dissolved, will at length arise with the white soul, and then one will be mingled with the other, and they will embrace one another, so that they shall no more be divided asunder, and then the spirit is united to the body with a real accord, and are made one permanent thing; and this is the solution of the body, and the Coagulation of the spirit, which have one and the self same operation.  
He therefore that knoweth how to marry, to make with child, to mortify, to putrify, to engender, to quicken the species, to bring in the white light, and to cleanse the vulture from his blackness and darkness, until he be purged by fire, coloured and purified from all his spots, shall be the owner of so great dignity, that Kings shall reverence him, and do him honour.  
Wherefore let our body abide in the water, until such time as it be loosed into a new powder in the bottom of the vessel and of the water, which is called the black ashes, and this is the corruption of the body, which is by wise men called Saturn, Leton, or Brass, the Philosophers Led, and the discontinued powder. And in this putrefaction and resolution of the Body, there appear three signs, to wit, the black colour, the discontinuity of the parts, and a stinking smell, which is likened to the smell of sepulchers or graves. This ashes than is that of which the Philosophers have said so much, which remained in the lower part of the vessel, which we ought not to despise, for in it is the Diadem of our King, and the Argent vive, black and unclean, from whence the blackness must be purged by continual decoction in our water, until it be lifted up in a white colour, which is called the Goose, and the Poulet of Hermogenes. He therefore that maketh the red Earth black, and then white, hath the Mastery, as also he that killeth the living, and quickeneth the dead: therefore make the black white, and the white red, that thou mayest make the work perfect; and when thou seest the true whiteness appear, which shineth like a naked Sword, know that in that whiteness, is redness hidden; and then thou must not take out of the vessel that whiteness, but only boil it, to the end, that with dryness and heat, there may come upon it a Citrine colour, and in the end, a most shining and sparkling red; which when thou seest, with great fear and trembling, praise the most good, and most great God, which giveth wisdom, and by consequence, riches unto whom he pleaseth; and according to the iniquity of the Persons, taketh them away again, and depriveth them of them for ever, plunging them in the servitude and slavery of their enemies. To him be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen.  
FINIS.   

THE EPISTLE Of JOHN PONTANUS, (mentioned in the Preface to the Reader of ARTEPHIUS his secret Book) wherein he beareth witness of the BOOK: Translated out of the Latin Copy: Extant in the third Volume of Theatrum Chymicum, at the 775. Page.  
I john Pontanus, have traveled thorough many Countries, that I might know some certainty of the Philosopher's Stone; and going thorough as it were all the world, I found many false deceivers, but no true Philosophers, yet continually studying, and making many doubts, at the length I found the truth: But when I knew the matter in general, I yet erred two hundred times, before I could attain to the true matter, with the operation and practise thereof. First I begun to work with the matter, by putrefaction nine months together, and I found nothing: Then I put it into Balneum Mariae for a certain time, and therein I likewise erred: Afterwards I put it in the fire of calcination for three months space, and I wrought amiss. I tried all kinds of distillations and sublimations, (as the Philosophers, Giber, Archelaus, and all the rest, either say or seem to say) and I found nothing. In sum, I assayed to perfect the Subject of the whole Art of Alchemy, by all means possible to be devised, as by Dung, Baths, Ashes, and other fires of diverse kinds, which yet are all found in the Philosopher's Books, but I found no good in them. Wherefore I studied three whole years in the Books of the Philosophers, especially in Hermes alone, whose briefer words do comprehend the whole Stone, though he speak obscurely of the superior, and inferior, (or that which is above, and that which is below) of heaven & earth. Therefore our Instrument which bringeth the matter into being in the beginning, second, and third work, is not the fire of a Bath, nor of Dung, nor of Ashes, nor of the other fires which the Philosophers have put in their Books: What fire is it then which perfects the whole work from the beginning to the ending? Surely the Philosophers have concealed it: But I being moved with pity, will declare it unto you, together with the compliment of the whole work. The Philosopher's Stone therefore is one, but it hath many names, and before thou know it, it will be very difficult; for it is watery, airy, fiery, earthy, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholy; for it is sulphurous, and it is likewise Argent vive, and it hath many superfluities, which by the living God are turned into the true essence, our fire being the means: And he that separates any thing from the subject, thinking it to be necessary, he truly knoweth nothing at all in Philosophy; for that which is superfluous, unclean, filthy, feculent, and in sum, the whole substance of the Subject, is perfected into a fixed spiritual body, by the means of our fire. And this the wise men never revealed, and therefore few do come unto the Art, thinking that there is some such superfluous and unclean thing. Now we must seek out the properties of our fire, and whether it agree to our matter, after the manner that I have said, to wit, that it may be transmuted, when as that fire doth not burn the matter, it separateth nothing from the matter, it divideth not the pure parts from the impure, as all the Philosophers say, but it turneth the whole Subject into purity. It doth not sublime, as Geber maketh his sublimations; Arnold likewise and others speaking of sublimations and distillations, to be done in a short time. It is mineral, equal, continual, it vapours not, except it be too much stirred up: it partaketh of Sulphur, it is taken from elsewhere then from the matter; it pulleth down all things, it dissolveth and congealeth, likewise it both congeals and calcines, and it is artificial to find out, and is a compendious and near way, without any cost, at least with small cost: and that fire is it, with a mean firing, for with a soft fire all the whole work is perfected, and it performeth withal, all the due sublimations. They that should read Geber, and all the other Philosophers, though they should live an hundred thousand years, could not comprehend it, because that fire is found by deep and profound Meditation only, and then it may be gathered out of Books, and not before. And therefore the error of this Art is, not to find the fire, which turns the whole matter into the true Stone of the Philosophers. And therefore study upon it, for if I had found that first, I had never erred two hundred times, in my practice upon the matter: wherefore I do not marvel, if so many and great men have not attained unto the work. They do err, they have erred, they will err, because the Philosophers have not put the proper Agent, save only one, which is named Artephius, but he speaks for himself, or by himself; And unless I had read Artephius, and felt him speak, I had never come to the compliment of the work. But the practic is this. Let it be taken; and ground with a physical contrition, as diligently as may be, and let it be set upon the fire, and let the proportion of the fire be known, to wit, that it only stir up the matter, and in a short time, that fire, without any other laying on of hands, will accomplish the whole work, because two will putrify, corrupt, engender, and perfect, and make to appear the three principal colours, black, white, and red. And by the means of our fire the Medicine will be multiplied, if it be joined with the crude matter, not only in quantity, but also in virtue. With all thy strength therefore, search out this fire, and thou shalt attain thy wish, because it doth the whole work, and is the Key of the Philosophers, which they never revealed: But if thou muse well and profoundly upon those things that have been spoken concerning the properties of the fire, thou mayest know it; otherwise not. I being moved with pity, have written these things, but that I may satisfy thee fully, this fire is not transmuted with the matter, because (as I said above) it is not of the matter. These things therefore I thought fit to say, and to warn the prudent, that they spend not their moneys unprofitably, but know what they ought to look after. For by this means they may come to the truth of the Art, and not otherwise.  
Farewell.  
FINIS.