The First Matter.

WHen I seriously consider the System or Fabric of this world, I find i [...] to be a certaine Series, a Link o [...] Chaine, which is extended à non Gradu ad no [...] Gradum, From that which is beneath all Ap­prehension, to that which is above all Ap­prehension. That which is Beneath all Degree of Sense, is a certaine Horrible Inexpressible Darknesse. The Magicians call it Tenebr [...] Activae, and the Effect of it in Nature i [...] Cold, &c. For Darknesse is vultus Frigoris the Complexion, Body, and Matrix of Cold [Page 45] as Light is the Face, Principle, and Fountaine of Heat. That which is above all Degree of Intelligence, is a certaine Infinite Inaccessible Fire or Light. Dionysius cals it Caligo Di­vina, because it is Invisible, and Incompre­hensible. The Jew styles it [...] Ein, that is Nihil or Nothing: but in a Relative sense, or as the Schoolmen expresse it, Quo ad nos. In plaine tearms it is Deitas nuda sine Indumento. The middle Substances, or Chaine between these Two, is That which we Com­monly call Nature. This is the Scala of the great Chaldee, which doth reach à Tartaro ad primum Ignem, from the Subternaturall Darknesse to the supernaturall Fire. These Middle Natures came out of a certaine water, which was the Sperm, or First Matter of the Great world, and now we will begin to de­scribe it: Capiat, qui Capere potest.

It is in plaine Tearms, [...]: Or rather it is [...], that is [...]; an exceedingly soft, moyst, fusible, [...]flowing Earth: An Earth of wax, that is ca­ [...]able of all Formes and Impressions. It is [...], Terrae-Filius Aquâ mixtus, and to speake as the Nature of the Thing re­quires, [...]. The learned Ar­ [...]chimist defines it, [...]. It is a Divine animated Masse, [Page 46] of Complexion somewhat like Silver, the U­nion of Masculine and Feminine spirits, The Quintessence of Four, the Ternarie of Two, and the Tetract of One. These are his Gene­rations Physicall, and Metaphysicall. The Thing it self is a world without Forme, nei­ther mcer power, nor perfect Action: but a weak virgin Substance, a certain soft prolific Venus, the very Love and Seed, the Mixture and Moysture of Heaven and Earth. This Moysture is the Mother of all [...]hings in the world, and the Masculine Sulphureous Fire of the Earth is their Father. Now the Jews, who without Controversie were the wisest of Nations, when they discourse of the Gene­ration of Metals, tell us it is performed in this manner The Mercurie, or Mineral liquor (say they) is altogether cold and passive, and it lyes in certain earthy Subterraneous Caverns: But when the Sun ascends in the East, his Beams and Heat falling on this Hemisphere, stir up and fortifie the inward Heat of the Earth. Thus we see in winter weather that the out­ward Heat of the Sun excites the inward na­turall Warmth of our Bodies, and cheerisheth the Bloud when it is almost cold and frozen. Now then the Central heat of the Earth be­ing st [...]rr'd and seconded by the Circumferen­tiall Heat of the Sun, works upon the Mer­cury, [Page 47] and sublimes it in a thin vapour to the Top of it's Cell or Cavern. But towards Night when the Sun sets in the West, the Heat of the Earth because of the Absence of that great Luminarie, grows weak, and the Cold prevailes, so that the vapours of the Mercu­ry which were formerly sublim'd, are now condens'd, and distill in Drops to the Bottome of their Cavern. But the Night being spent, the Sun againe comes about to the East, and Sublimes the Moysture as formerly: This Sublimation and Condensation continue so long till the Mercury takes up the Subtill Sulphureous parts of the Earth, and is in­corporated therewith, so that this sulphur coa­gulats the Mercury, and sixeth him at last that he will not sublime, but lyes still in a ponderous Lump, and is concocted to a perfect Metall. Take notice then that our Mercu­ry cannot be coagulated without our Sulphur, for Draco non moritur sine suo Compare: it is water that dissolves and putrifies Earth, and Earth that thickens and putrifies Water. You must therefore take two principles to produce a Third Agent, according to that dark Receit of Hali the Arabian. Accipe Canem Mas­culum Corascenum, & Catellam Armeniae, Conjunge, & parient tibi Catulum coloris Coeli. Take (saith he) the Corasee [...] Dog, and [Page 48] the Bitch of Armenia, put them both together, and they will bring thee a skie colour'd Whelp. This skie colour'd whelp is that Soveraign, ad­mir'd, and famous Mercury, known by the Name of the Philosophers Mercury. Now for my part I advise thee to take two living Mercuries, plant them in a purified Mine­ral Saturn, wash them and feed them with water of Salt Vegetable, and thou shalt see that speech of the Adeptus verified: Pariet Mater Florem germinalem, quem ubere suo viscoso nutriet, & se totam ei in Cibum ver­t [...]t, fovente Patre. But the Processe or Receit is no part of my Design, wherefore I will re­turn to the first Matter, and I say it is no kind of water whatsoever. Reader if it be thy De­sire to attaine to the Truth, rely upon my words, for I speak the truth, and I am no Deceiver. The Mother or first Matter of Metals is a certaine watery Substance, neither very water, nor very Earth, but a Third thing compounded of Both and retaining the Com­plexion of neither. To this agrees the lear­ned Valentine in his appo [...]t and genuine De­scription of our Sperm. Materia Prima (saith he) est Aquosa Substantia, Sicca re­perta, & nulli Materiae comparabilis. The first Matter is a waterish Substance found Drie, or of such a Complexion that wets not [Page 49] the Hand, and nothing like to any other Matter whatsoever. Another excellent, and well experienc'd Philosopher defines it thus. Est Terrena Aqua, & Aquosa Terra in Terrae ventre Terrae commixta, cum Quâ se commiscet Spiritus, & Caelestis Influxus. It is (saith he) an Earthy water, and a watery Earth, mingl'd with Earth in the Belly of the Earth, and the spirit and Influences of Hea­ven commix themselves therewith. Indeed it cannot bee denied but some Authors have nam'd this Substance by the names of all or­dinary waters, not to deceive the simple, but to hide it from the Ranting, ill-disposed Crew. On the contrary some have expresly and faithfully Informed us it is no Common wa­ter, and especially the reverend Turba. Ig­nari (saith Agadmon) cum audiunt nomen A­quae, putant Aquam Nubis esse, quod si libros nostros intelligerent, scirent esse Aquam per­manentem, quae absque suo Compari cum quo facta est unum, permanens esse non possit. The ignorant (saith he) when they heare us name water, think it is water of the Clouds but if they understood our Books, they should know it to be a permanent or fix'd water, which without its Sulphur to which it hath been united, cannot be permanent. The noble and knowing Sendivogius tels us the very same [Page 50] Thing: Aqua nostra est Aqua Coelestis non madefaciens minus, non vulgi, sed fere plu­vialis. Our water is a heavenly water, which wets not the hand, not that of the common Man, but almost or as it were Pluvial. We must therefore consider the severall Ana­logies and similitudes of Things, or we shall never be able to understand the Philosophers. This Water then wets not the Hand, which is notion enough to perswade us it can be no common water. It is a M [...]talline bitter, Sal­tish liquor. It hath a true minerall Complexi­on: Habet (saith Raymund Lullie) speciem solis & Lunae & in tali Aqu [...] nobis appa­ruit, non in Aquá Fontis, aut pluviae. But in an other place he describes it more fully, Est Aqua sicca (saith he) non aqua Nubis, aut phlegmatica, sed aqua Cholerica, igne Calidior. It is a drie water, not water of the Clouds, or phlegmatic water, but a Choleric water, more hot than Fire. It is moreover Greenish to the sight, and the same Lullie tels you so: habet colorem lacertae Viridis, it looks saith he, like a green lizard. But the most prevalent Co­lour in it, is a certain inexpressible Azure, like the Body of Heaven in a clear Day. It [...]ooks in Truth like the Belly of a Snake, es­pecially neer the Neck, where the Scales have a deep Blew Tincture, and this is the reason, [Page 51] why the Philosophers call'd it their serpent, and their Dragon. The predominant Element in it, is a certaine Fierie subtill Earth, and from this prevalent part the Best Philosophers have denominated the whole Compound. Pa­racelsus names it openly but in one place, and he cals it Viscum Terrae, The Slime, or Vis­cous part of the Earth. Raymund Lullie de­scribeth the Crisis, or Constitution of it in these words. Substantia lapidis nostri est tota pinguis, & Igne impregnata. The Substance of our stone (saith he) is altogether fat, or viscous, and impregnated with fire; In which respect he cals it elsewhere not water, but Earth. Capias Terram nostram (saith he) impregnatam à Sole, quia lapis est honoratus, repertus in Hospitus desertis, & est intus inclusum velut magnum Secretum, & The­saurus incantatus. Take our Earth, which is impregnated, or with Child by the Sun, for it is our precious stone, which is found in deso­lat Houses, and there is shut up in it a great secret, and a Treasure inchanted. And againe in a certaine place he delivers himself thus. Prima materiae Fili, est Terra subtilis sulphu­rea, & haec nobilis Terra dictum est Subjectum Mercuriale. My son (saith he) the first, Mat­ter is a subtil, Sulphureous Earth, and this noble Earth is call'd the Mercurial subject. [Page 52] Know then for certaine that this Slimie moyst Sperm, or Earth, must be dissolved into water, and this is the Water of the Philosophers, not any common water whasoever. This is the grand secret of the Art, and Lullie discovers it, with a great deale of Honesty, and Cha­ritie. Argentum vivum nostrum (saith he) non est Argentum vivum Vulgare: Imo Ar­gentum vivum nostrum est Aqua alterius Naturae, quae reperiri non potest supra Ter­ram, cum in actionem venire non possit per Nat [...]ram, absque ad [...]utorio Ingenii. & Hu­manarum manuum operationibus. Our Mer­cury is not common Mercury, or Quick-silver: but our Mercury is a water, which cannot be found upon Earth, for it is not made, or manifested by the ordinary course of Nature, but by the Art, and manual Operations of Man. Seek not then for that in nature, which is an Effect beyond her ordinary pro­cesse: you must help her, that she may exceed her common course, or all is to no purpose. In a word, you must make this water, before you can find it. In the interim you must permit the Phi­losophers to call their subject, or Chaos, a Water, for there is no proper name for it, unlesse we cal it a Sperm, which is a watery Substance, but certainly no Water. Let it suffice, that you are not cheated, for they tell you what it is, and [Page 53] what it is not, which is all that Man can doe. If I aske you, by what name you call the Sperm of a Chick, you will tell me it is the white of an Egge, and truly so is the shell as well as the Sperm that is within it: But if you call it Earth or water, you know well enough it is neither, and yet you cannot find a third name. Judge then as you would be judged, for this is the very case of the Philosophers: Certainly you must be very unreasonable, if you expect that language from Men, which God hath not given them. Now that we may confirme this our Theorie and Discourse of the Sperm not only by Experience but by Reason, it is necessary that we consider the Qualities and Temperament of the Sperm. It is then a slimie slippery, Diffusive Moysture. But if we consider any perfect products they are firme, compacted, figurated Bodies, and hence it follows they must be made of some­thing that is not firme, not compacted, not fi­gurated, but a weak, quivering, altering sub­stance. Questionlesse thus it must be, unlesse we make the Sperm to be of the same Com­plexion with the Body, and then it must fol­low that Generation is no Alteration. Againe: it is evident to all the world, that nothing is so passive as Moysture. The least heat turnes Water to a Vapour, and the least cold turns [Page 54] that Vapour to Water. Now let us consider what Degree of Heat it is, that acts in all Generations, for by the Agent we may guesse at the Nature of the patient. We know the Sun is so remote from us, that the Heat of it (as daily Experience tels us) is very faint, and remisse. I desire then to know, what Sub­ject is there in all Nature, that can be altered with such a weake Heat, but Moysture? Certainly none at all: for all hard Bodies, as Salts, Stones, and Metals, preserve, and retaine their Complexions in the most violent, excessive Fires. How then can we expect they should be altered by a gentle, and almost in­sensible Warmth? It is plaine then, and that by infallible inference from the proportion and power of the Agent, that Moysture must needs be the patient: For that Degree of Heat, which Nature makes use of in her Generations, is so remisse and weak, it is impossible for it to alter any thing but what is moyst, and wa­terish. This truth appears in the Animal Familie, where we know well enough the Sperms are moyst: indeed in Vegetables the Seeds are Drie, but then Nature generats nothing out of them, till they are first mace­rated, or moystned with Water. And here my Peripatetic, thou art quite gone, and with thee thy pura potentia, that fanatic Chaos of [Page 55] the Son of Nichomachus. But I must advise my Chimists to beware of any Common Moy­sture, for that will never be altered otherwise then to a Vapour. See therefore that thy moysture be well tempered with Earth, other­wise thou hast [...]othing to dissolve, and nothing to Coagulat. Remember the practice, and Magic of the A mig [...]ti [...] God in his Creation, as it is manifested to thee by Moses. In prin­cipio (saith he) creavit Deus Coelum & Ter­ram: But the Originall i [...] it be truly, and ra­tionally renderd, speaks thus, In principio Deus miscuit Rarum, & Densum; In the Beginning God mingl'd or temper'd together the Thin and the Thick: for Heaven and Earth in this Text (as we have told you in our Anima Magica) signifie the Virgin Mercury, and the Virgin Sulphur. This I will prove out of the text it self, and that by the vulgar received Translation, which runs thus: In the Beginning God created the Heaven, and the Earth: And the Earth was without forme and voyd, and there was dark­nesse upon the face of the abysse, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters. In the first part of this text Moses mentions two created principles, not a perfect world as we shall prove hereafter, and this he doth in these Generall termes, Heaven and Earth. In the [Page 56] latter part of it he describes each of these principles by it self in more particular termes, and he begins with the Earth. And the Earth (saith he) was without forme, and void. Hence I infer that the Earth he speaks of was a meer Rudiment or principle of this Earth which I now see, for this present Earth is neither void, nor without forme. I conclude then that the Mosaycall earth was the Virgin Sulphur, which is an earth without forme, for it hath no determinated Figure. It is a Laxa­tive instable incomposed substance, of a porous empty Crasis like Sponge, or Soote. In a word [...] I have seen it, but it is impossible to describe it. After this he proceeds to the Description of his Heaven, or second principle, in these sub­sequent words: And their was Darknesse upon the face of the abysse, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Here he cals that an abysse and Waters, which hee formerly called Heaven. It was indeed the Heavenly Moysture or Water of the Chaos out of which the separated Heaven, or Ha­bitation of the stars was afterwards made [...] This is clear out of the Originall, for [...] Hamaim and [...] Hashamaim are the same words, like Aqua and Ibi Aqua, and they signifie one and the same substance, name­ly Water. The text then being render'd ac­cording [Page 57] to the primitive naturall truth, and the undoubted sense of the Author, speaks thus; In the beginning (or according to the Jerusalem Thargum) In wisdome God made the water and the earth: And the earth was without forme and void, and there was Dark­nesse upon the Face of the Deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the Face of the waters. Here you should observe that God created two principles, Earth and Water, and of these two he compounded a third, namely the Sperm or Chaos. Upon the water, or moyst part of this Sperm, the spirit of God did move, and (saith the Scripture) there was Darknesse upon the face of the Deep. This is a very great secret, neither is it lawfull to publish it expre­sly, and as the Nature of the thing requires, but in the Magicall work, it is to be seen, and I have been an eye witnesse of it my selfe.

To conclude: Remember that our subject is no common water, but a thick, slimie, fat earth. This earth must be dissolved into wa­ter, and that water must be coagulated a­gain into earth. This is done by a certaine Naturall Agent, which the Philosophers call their secret fire: for if you work with common fire, it will drie your Sperm, and bring it to an unprofitable red Dust, of the Colour of [Page 58] wild poppie. Their fire then is the Key of the Art, for it is a Naturall Agent, but acts not Naturally without the Sun. I must confesse it is a knottie Mysterie, but we shall make it plaine, if you be not very Dim and Dull. It requires indeed a quick, clear Apprehen­sion, and therefore Readers, Snuffe your Candles.

The Philosophicall Fire.

FIre, notwithstanding the Diversities of it in this Sublunarie Kitchin of the E­lements, is but one Thing, from one Root. The Effects of it are various according to the Distance, and Nature of the subject wherein it resides, for that makes it Vital, or Violent. It sleeps in most things as in Flints, where it is silent and Invisible. It is a kind of perdue: lys close like a Spider in the Cabinet of his Web, to surprise all that comes within his lines. He never appears without his prey in his Foot, where he finds ought that's Combu­stible there he discovers himself, for if wee speak, properly, he is not generated, but ma­nifested. Some Men are of Opinion that hee breeds nothing, but devoures all things, and is therefore call'd Ignis quasi Ingignens: This is a Grammticall Whim, for there is nothing [Page 59] in the world generated without Fire. What a fine Philosopher then was Aristotle, who tels us this Agent breeds nothing but his Pyrau­sta, a certain Fly which he found in his Can­dle, but could never be seen afterwards? In­deed too much Heat burns and destroyes, and if we descend to other Natures, too much wa­ter drowns, too much earth buries and choaks the seed that it cannot come up: And verily at this Rate there is nothing in the world that generats. What an Owle was he then, that could not distinguish with all his Logic be­tween Excesse and Measure, between Violent and Vital Degrees of Heat, but concluded the Fire did Breed nothing, because it consu­med something? But let the Mule passe, for so Plato call'd him, and let us prosecute our secret fire. This fire is at the Root, and about the Root (I mean about the Center) of all things both Visible, and Invisible. It is in water, earth, and ayr; It is in Minerals, Herbs, and Beasts; It is in Men, Stars, and Angels; but Originally it is in God himself, for he is the Fountain of Heat and fire, and from Him it is derived to the rest of the Creatures in a certaine streame, or Sun-shine. Now the Magicians affoord us but two No­tions, whereby we may know their fire: it is as they describe it. Moyst and Invisible. [Page 60] Hence have they call'd it Venter Equi, and Fimus Equinus: but this only by way of Ana­logie, for there is in Horse-dung a moyst Heat, but no fire that is visible. Now then let us compare the common Vulcan with this Philosophicall Vesta, that we may see wherein they are different. First of all then the Philosopher's fire is moyst, and truly so is that of the Kitchin too. We see that flames contract and extend themselves, now they are short, now they are long, which cannot be without moysture to maintaine the flux, and Continuitie of their parts. I know Aristotle makes the fire to be simply dry, perhaps be­cause the effects of it are so; he did not indeed consider that in all Complexions there are o­ther Qualities besides the praedominant one. Sure then this drie stuffe is that element of his, wherein he found his Pyrausta; but if our naturall fire were simply drie, the flames of it could not flow, and diffuse themselves as they doe they would rather fall to Dust, or turne like their fuell to ashes. But that I may returne to my former Discourse, I say the Common fire is excessively hot, but moyst in a far inferior degree, and therefore destructive, for it preyes on the moysture of other things. On the contrary the warmth and moysture of the Magicall Agent are equall, the one [Page 61] temperates, and satisfies the other: it is a humid tepid fire, or as we commonly expresse our selves, Bloud-warme. This is their first, and greaeest Difference in Relation to our desired effect, we will now consider their se­cond. The Kitchin fire (as we all know) is visible, but the Philosophers fire is Invisible, and therefore no Kitchin fire. This Alma­dir expresly tels us in these words, Solos radios Invisibiles ignis nostri sufficere. Our work (saith he) can be performed by nothing, but by the Invisible Beams of our fire. And a­gaine, Ignis noster Corrosivus est Ignis, qui supra nostrum vas Nubem obducit, in quâ nube radii hujus ignis occulti sunt. Our Fire is a Corrosive fire, which brings a cloud about our glasse or vessell, in which Cloud the Beams of our fire are hidden. To be short, the Phi­losophers call this Agent their Bath, be­cause it is moyst as Baths are: but in very truth it is no kind of Bath, neither Maris, nor Roris, but a most subtil fire, and purely Naturall, but the Excitation of it is Ar­tificiall. This Excitation, or preparation (as I have told thee in my Coelum Terrae) is a ve­ry triviall, slight, ridiculous thing: never­thelesse all the secrets of Corruption and Ge­neration are therein contained. Lastly, I think it just to informe thee, that many Authors [Page 62] have falfly described this fire, and that of pur­pose to seduce their Readers. For my ownpart, I have neither added, nor diminished, thou hast here the true intire secret, and in which all the Eastern sages agree: Alfid, Almadir, Belen, Gieberim, Hali, Salmanazar, and Zadich: with the three famous Jews Abra­ham Artefius, and Kalid. If thou doest not by this time apprehend it, thou are past my Cure, for I may tell thee no more of it, I may only reach thee how to use it.

Take our two Serpents, which are to bee found every where on the Face of the Earth. They are a living Male, and a living Fe­male. Tye them Both in a Love-knot, and shut them up in the Arabian CARAHA. This is thy first labour, but thy next is more difficult. Thou must incamp against them with the fire of Nature, and be sure thou doest bring thy Line round about. Circle them in, and stop all Avenues, that they find no Reliefe. Continue this siege patiently, and they will turne to an ugly, flabbie, venemous, black Toad, which will be transform'd to a horrible, devowring Dragon, creeping and weltring in the Bottome of her Cave without wings. Touch her not by any means, not so much as with thy Hands, for there is not upon earth such a violent, transcendent poyson. As [Page 63] hast begun, so proceed, and this Dragon will turne to a Swan, but more white than the hovering, Virgin Snow, when it is not yet sullied with the Earth. Henceforth I will allow thee to fortifie thy fire, till the Phaenix appears. It is a red Bird of a most deep Co­lour, with a shining Fiery Hue. Feed this Bird with the Fire of his Father, and the AE­ther of his Mother, for the first is meat, the second is Drink, and without this last he at­tains not to his full Glory. Be sure to under­stand this secret, for fire feeds not well, un­lesse it bee first fed. It is of it self drie and Choleric, but a proper moysture tempers it, gives it a heavenly Complexion, and brings it to the Desired Exaltation. Feed thy Bird then as I have told thee, and he will move in his Nest, and rise like a star of the Fir­mament. Doe this, and thou hast placed Na­ture in Horizonte AEternitatis: Thou hast performed that Command of the Caba­list, Fige finem in Principio, sicut Flammam prunae Conjunctam: quia Dominus SU­PERLATIVE unus, & non tenet se­cundum. Unite the End to the Beginning, like a Flame to a Coale: for God (saith hee) is superlatively one, and hee hath no second. Consider then what you seek: you seek an In­dissoluble, miraculous, transmuting, uniting [Page 64] union, but such a tye cannot be without the first unitie; Creare enim (saith one) atque intrinsecùs transmutare absque violentiâ, Munus est proprium duntaxat Primae Po­tentiae, Primae sapientiae, Primi amoris. To Create, and Transmute essentially, and na­turally or without any violence, is the only proper office of the first power, the first Wis­dome, and the first love. Without this love the Elements will never be maried, they will never inwardly and essentially unite, which is the end and perfection of Magic. Study then to understand this, and when thou hast per­form'd, I will allow thee that Test of the Mekkubalim: Intellexisti in sapientiâ, & sapuisti in Intelligentia, statuisti Rem super Puritates suas, & Creatorem in Throno suo collocasti.

For a Close to this Section, I say it is impos­sible to generat in the patient, without a vi­tall generating Agent. This Agent is the Phi­losophical fire, a certain moyst, heavenly, in­visible Heat; but let us heare Raymund Lul­lie describe it, Quando dicimus (saith hee) quod lapis per ignem generatur, non vident alium ignem, nec alium ignem credunt, nisi ignem communem: nec aliud Sulphur, nec aliud argentum vivum, nisi sit vulgare. Ideo manent decepti per corum caecas estimationes, [Page 65] inferentes quod causa sumus suae Deceptionis, & quod dedimus illis intelligere rem unam pro aliâ. Sed non est verum salvâ eorum pace, sicut probabimus per illa, quae Philosophi po­suerunt in scriptis. Solem enim appellamus ignem, & vicarium suum vocamus Calorem naturalem. Nam illud quod agit Calor So­lis in Mineris Metallorunt per mille annos, [...]pse Calor naturalis facit in unâ horâ supra Terram. Nos vero, & multi alii, vocamus [...]um Filium solis, nam primo per solis influen­tiam fuit generatus per naturam, sine adju­ [...]orio Scientiae, velartis. When wee say the stone ìs generated by fire, Men neither see, nei­ther doe they believe there is any other fire, but the common fire: nor any other Sulphur [...]or [...] Mercury, but the common Sulphur and [...] Mercury. Thus are they deceived by their own opinions, saying that we are the Cause of their Error, having made them to mistake [...]nc thing for another. But by their leave it is not so, as we shall prove by the Doctrine of the Philosophers. For wee call the Sun a fire, and the natural Heat we call his Substitute, [...]or Deputy; for that which the heat of the Sun performes in a thousand years in the Mines, the Heat of Nature performes it above the earth in one houre. But wee, and many other Philosophers have call'd this Heat, the Child [Page 66] of the Sun, for at first it was generated natu­rally by the influence of the Sun, without the Help of our Art or Knowledge. Thus Lui­lie: But one thing I must tell thee, and bee sure, Reader, thou doest remember it. This very naturall Heat must bee applied in the just `Degree, and not too much fortified, for the Sun it self doth not generat, but burne and scorch where it is too hot. Si cum igne magno operatus fueris (saith the same Lullie) pro­prietas nostri spiritus, quae inter vitam & mortem participiat, separabit se, & Anima recedet in Regionem sphaerae suae. If thou shalt work with too strong a fire, the proprietie of our spirit, which is indifferent as yet to life or death, will separate it self from the Body, and the Soule will depart to the Region of her own sphere: Take therefore along with thee this short, but wholesome advise of the same Author. Facias ergo Fili, quod in loco Generationis aut Conversionis sit talis po­tentia Caelestis, quae possio transformare Hu­midum ex natura terrestris, in formam & speciem transparentem, & finissimam. My Son (saith hee) let the Heavenly power, or Agent be such in the place of Generation or Mutation, that it may alter the spermatic Humiditie from its Earthly Complexion, to a most fine transparent forme, or species. See [Page 67] here now the solution of the slimie, fat Earth, to a transparent glorious Mercury! This Mercury Gentlemen, is the water which we look after, but not any common water what­soever. There is nothing now behind but that which the Philosophers call secretum Artis: a thing that was never published, and without which you will never performe, though you know both Fire and Matter. An Instance hereof wee have in Flammel, who knew the Matter well enough and had both fire and Furnace painted to him by Abraham the Jew: but notwithstanding he err'd for three years, because hee knew not the third secret. Henry Madathan a most noble Philosopher practic'd upon the subject for five years to­gether, but knew not the right method, and therefore found nothing; at last saith hee, Post sextum annum Clavis Potentiae per ar­canam Revelationem ab omnipotente Deo mihi concreditaest: After the sixth year, I was in­trusted with the Key of power by secret Reve­lation, from the Almighty God. This Key of power, or third secret was never put to paper by any Philosopher whatsoever. Paracelsus indeed hath touch'd upon it, but so obscurely it is no more to the purpose then if he had said nothing. And now I suppose I have done e­nough for the Discovery, and Regiment of [Page 68] the fire; if you think it too little, I must tell you it is much more then any one Author hath performed. Search it than, for he that finds this fire, will attaine to the true temper ament, he will make a noble deserving Philosopher, and to speake in the phrase of our Spaniard, Dignus erit poni ad Mensam Duodecim parium.

The River of Pearl.

IT is a Decompounded Substance, extreme heavy and moyst, but wets not the Hand. It shines after Night like a star, and will in­lighten any Darke roome. It is full of small eyes sparkling like Pearls or Aglets. It is the whole Demogorgon, but now actually ani­mated by manifestation of his own Inward Light. The Father of it is a certaine inviolable Masse, for the parts of it are so firmly united, you can neither pound them into Dust, nor separat them by violence of Fire. This is the stone of the Philosophers, Qui ab omni parte (saith one) circumdatus est Tenebris, Nebu­lis, Caligine: Habitat in mediis Terrae vis­ceribus, Qui ubi natus fuerit, vestitur quo­dam viride Pallio, humiditate quadam as­persus, & non prognatus ab aliquo, sed aeter­nus, & parens omnium Rerum. It is compas­sed [Page 69] about (saith he) with Darknesse, Clouds, and Blacknesse. It dwels in the inmost Bow­els of the Earth: but when he is borne, hee is cloathed with a certaine Green Mantle, and sprinckl'd over with a certaine Moysture. He is not properly generated by any Naturall thing, but he is eternall, and the Father of all things. This Description is very true and ap­posit, but AEnigmaticall: howsoever forget not the Green Mantle. This is that substance, which Gieberim Eben-Haen, or as the Rable writes him, Geber, cals Lapis in Capitulis notus: a very subtil Expression, but if well exa­min'd, it is the Key to his whole Booke, and to the writings of the old Philosophers in Ge­nerall. But let us returne to our River of Pearl, and for our further information let us heare it describ'd by a most excellent Adep­tus, and that in the very [...], before the full moon appears. Hoo opus est (saith he) quod mihi aliquando ob oculos posuit unicus Exechedistes, magnas quippe fornaces, atque vitro easdem Varico redimitas ostendens. Vasa erant sin­gula, in suis sedilibus habentia sedimenta, at­que interiùs dispari dicatum, sacrumque Mu­nus. Quid vero Rem tam Divinam celeni diutius? Erat intus circumacta Moles quaedam, Mundi prae seferens imaginem ipsissimi. Quippe ibi Terra videbatur in medio omnium con­sistens, [Page 70] aquisque circumfusa Limpidissimis, in varios colles, salebrosasuque rupes assnrgebat, fructum ferens multiplicem, tanquam humen­tis Aeris imbribus irrigua. Vini etiam vi­debatur & olei, & lactis, atque pretiosorum omne genus lapidum, & Metallorum esse ap­prime ferax. Tum Aquae ipsae instar AEquoris, sale quodam pellucido, albo interdum, inter­dum quoque rubeo & fulvo, & rubro, mul­tisque praeterea variegato coloribus inlitae, in­que superficiem ipsam aestuabant. Igne autem haec omnia suo, sed impercepto quidem, atque aethereo movebantur. Id vero unum prae caeteris incredibibilem me rapiebat in admirationem, Rem haec tam multa unicam, tam diversa, tamque in suo genere integra singula, parvo etiam imbecillique adminiculo pro ducere: quo facto paulatim robustiore, redirent tandem, atque coalescerent in unum omnia, confidenter aesseverabat. Hic equidem observavi fusilis illam salis fpeciem nihil ab Aphrolitho dege­nerantem, atque argentum illud vivum, cui Mercurii nomen ab hujusce Disciplinae pris­cis authoribus inditum est, illam ipsam refe­rens Lullianam Lunariam, adversa scandens aqua, noctuque relucens, atque interdiu glu­tinandi praeditum facultate. Here wee have pourtray'd unto us the whole Philosophicall Laboratorie, Furnace, fire, and Matter, [Page 71] with the Mysterious Germinations thereof. But because the Termes are difficult, and not to bee understood by any, but such as have seen the thing it self, I will for the Readers Benefit, I cannot say satisfaction, put them into English. This is the worke (saith hee) which I have sometimes seen with a singular, and a most deare friend: who shewed to me certaine large Furnaces, and those crown'd with Cornues of Glasse. The Vessels were se­verall, having besides their Triptods their sediments, or Caskets, and within them was a Holy Oblation, or present dedicated to the Ternarie. But why should I any longer con­ceale so divine a thing? within this Fabric was a certaine Masse moving Circularly, or driven round about, and representing the very Figure of the great world. For here the Earth was to be seen standing of it self in the mid­dest of all, compassed about with most clear waters, rising up to severall Hillocks, and craggie Rocks, and bearing many sorts of Fruit, as if it had been watr'd with showers from the moyst Aire. It seem'd also to bee very fruitfull for wine, oile, and milk, with all kind of precious stones, and Metals. The waters themselves like those of the Sea, were full of a certaine transparent Salt, now white, now Red, then Yellow and purpl'd, and as it [Page 72] were chamletted with various Colours, which did swell up to the face of the waters. All these things were actuated or stirr'd with their own appropriat fire, but in very truth imper­ceptible, and ethereall. But one thing above the rest forc'd me to an incredible admiration Namely, that so many things, such divers and in their kind such perfect particular should proceed from one only thing, and that with very small assistance, which being fur­ther'd and strengthned by degrees, the Ar­tist faithfully affirmed to me that all those Diversities would settle at last to one Body Here I observed that fusilkind of Salt to bee nothing different from a pumice-stone, and that Quick-silver which the ancient Authors of this Art call'd Mercury, to be the same with Lullies Lunaria, whose water gets up against the fire of Nature, and shines by night but by day hath a glutinous, viscous faculty [...] This is the sense of our learned Adeptus, and for his Analogie of the Philosophic Salt, and a pumice-stone, it cannot be well conceiv'd without the Light of Experience. It is then a porous, hollow, froth-like, spongious Salt [...] The Consistency of it is pumice-like, but nei­ther hard, nor opacous. It is a thin, slippery oily substance in appearance like Mouth glew, but much more clear. Sometimes it [Page 73] looks like Rosials and Rubies: Sometimes it is violet Blew, sometimes white as Lilies, and againe more green than Grasse, but with a Smaragdine transparencie: and sometimes it looks like burnisht Gold and Silver. The Ri­ver of Pearle hath her Name from it, for there it stands like the Sperm of Frogs in common wa­ters. Sometimes it will move, and swim to the face of his Bath in thin leaves like wafers, but with a thousand miraculous Colours This is enough and too much, for I hold it not my Duty to insist upon secrets, which are so far from the Readers Inquiry, that I dare say they are beyond his Expectation.

The AEther, or the Aire of Paradise.

HItherto I have discours'd of the first Matter, and the fire of Nature: Termes indeed commonly known, but the things signified are seldome under­stood. I shall now descend to more abstruse particular principles, Things of that secrecie and subtiltie, they are not so much as thought of much lesse inquir'd after. The common Chimist dreams of Gold and Transmutations, most noble and Heavenly Effects, but the Means whereby hee would compasse them, [Page 74] are worme-eaten, dustie, mustie papers. His Study and his Noddle are stuff'd with old Receits, he can tell us a hundred Stories of Brimstone and Quick-silver, with many mi­raculous Legends of Arsenic and Anti­monie, Sal gemmae, Sal prunae, Sal Petrae, and other stupendious Alkalies, as he loves to call them; with such strange Notions and Charms doth he amaze, and silence his Auditors, as Bats are kill'd with Thunder at the Eare. In­deed if this Noyse will carry it, let him alone, he can want no Artillery. But if you bring him to the field, and force him to his Pole­mics, if you demand his Reason, and reject his Recipe, you have laid him as flat as a Flounder. A rationall, methodicall Dispute will undoe him, for he studies not the whole Body of Philosophie: a Receit he would find in an old Box, or an old Book, as if the know­ledge of God and Nature were a thing of Chance, not of Reason. This idle Humor hath not only surpris'd the common illiterat Broy­ler, where in truth there is some Necessity for it, but even great Doctor: and Physicians: Bate me the impostume of their Titles, and their Learning is not Considerable. Hence it comes to passe that so many men are undone in the prosecution of this Art: They are so wedded to old scriblings, they will not submit [Page 75] them to their judgement, but presently bring them to the fire. Certainly they believe such ridiculous Impossibilities, that even brute Beasts if they could speake, would reprove them. Sometimes they mistake their owne Excrements for that Matter out of which Heaven and Earth were made. Hence they drudge, and labour in Urine, and such filthie dirty stuffe which is not fit to be nam'd. But when all comes to all, and their Custard fails them, they quit their filthinesse, but not their error. They think of something thats more Tractable, and dreame perhaps that God made the world of Egge-shels or Flint-stones. Truly these Opinions proceed not only from simple people, but from Doctors forsooth, and Phi­losophers. It is therefore my Designe to dis­cover some Excellencies of this Art, and make it appeare to the Student that what is Glorious, is withall Difficult. This I suppose may remove that Blind, sluggish Credulity, which prevents all Ingenious Disquisitions, and cause men perhaps to exercise that Rea­son, which God hath given them for Disco­veries. I shall not dwell long on any one particular, I am drawing off the stage in all Haste, and returning to my first solitudes. My Discourse shall be very short, and like the Echo's laft Syllables, Imperfect. I intend it [Page 76] only for Hint and suggestion to the Reader: it is no full Light but a Glance, and he must improve it to his better satisfaction.

We are now to speake of the AEther of the little world, which is the very same in Na­ture and substance with the outward AEther of the great world. That you may the better understand what it is, we will examine the Notion, before we state the thing. Aristotle in his Book de Mundo derives this word [...], à semper currendo, because the Heavens are in perpetuall Motion. This is a generall irregular whymzie, for the stars al­so aswell as the AEther move perpetually: The Sea is subject to a continuall Flux and Reflux, and the Bloud of all Animals to a restlesse unwearied Pulse. The more ancient Philosophers whose Books this Enemy burnt, derived it from [...] ardeo: but especially A­naxagoras, who was better acquainted with Heaven than Aristotle, as it appears by his miraculous praediction, and the opinion he had of that place, namely that it was his Country, and that he was to return thither after death. Indeed this last Etymologie comes neer the nature of the thing, for it is a Heating chee­rishing spirit, but in its genuine Complexion it burns not. I cannot then approve of this latter Derivation no more than of the former, [Page 77] I rather believe that AEther is a Compound of [...]and [...], this substance being called [...]from its effect and office, [...], à semper Calefaciendo. Supposing this to be the true Interpretation, let us now see whe­ther it relates more strictly and properly to this principle, than to any other Nature what­soever. The AEther is a most thin liquid sub­stance, and the Region of it is above the stars, in the Circumference of the Divine Light. This is the true, and famous [...], which receives the Influent Heat of God, and conveys it to the visible Heaven, and all the Inferior Creatures. It is a pure Essence, a thing not tainted with any Materiall Con­tagion, in which sense it is styl'd of Pythago­ras [...], the free AEther. Quoniam (saith Reuclin) à materiae potentià segregatus, & praeservatus in Libertate, calescit D [...]i Ar­dore, ac insensibili motu Inferiora calefacit. Because it is freed from the prison of the Matter, and being preserv'd in its liberty, it is warme with the fire of God, and by an in­sensible motion heats all the Inferior Na­tures. In a word, because of it's puritie it is placed next to that Divine Fire, which the Jews call Lumen Vestimenti, and it is the very first Receptacle of the Influences and Deri­vations of the Supernaturall World, which [Page 78] sufficiently confirms our Etymologie. In the Beginning it was generated by Reflexion of the first unity upon the Caelestial Cube, for the Bright Emanations of God did flow like a streame into the Passive [...]and in this A­nalogie the Samian styles Him [...] Fontem perpetuae Naturae. You shall un­derstand that the AEther is not one. but ma­nifold, and the Reasons of it wee shall give you hereafter. By this I mind not a variety of Substances, but a Chaine of Complexions. There are other Moystures, and those too aethereall: They are Females also of the Masculine Divine Fire, and these are the Fountains of the Chaldee, which the Oracle styles [...], Summitates Fontanas, the Invisible upper springs of Nature. Of all substances that come to our hands, this AEther is the first that brings us News of a­nother World, and tels us we live in a cor­rupt place. S [...]ndivogius call'd it the Vrine of Saturn, and with this did he water his Lunar and Solar Plants. Ex Marimeo (said the Jew) oriuntur Nebulae, quae ferunt Aquas Benedictas, & ipsae irrigant Terras, & edu­cunt Herbas & Flores. In a word this Moy­sture is animated with a Vegetable blessed di­vine Fire, which made one describe the Mistery thus. Ex Naturâ, & ex Divino [Page 79] factum est: Divinum enim est, quiae cum Di­vinitate conjunctum Divinas substantias fa­cit. To conclude, the AEther is to be found in the lower spring or [...], namely in that substance, which the Arabians call Flos sa­lis albi, the Flower of white Salt. It is in­deed borne of Salt, for Salt is the Root of it, and it is found withall in locis salsosis, in cer­taine Saltish places. The best Discovery of it is this: The Philosophers call it their Mi­neral Tree, for it grows as all Vegetables doe, and hath Leaves and Fruits in the very Houre of its Nativity. This is enough, and now I passe to another principle.

The Heavenly Luna.

THis Luna is the Moon of the Mine, a very strange stupifying substance. It is not simple, but mixt. The AE­ther, and a subtill white Earth are its Components, and this makes it grosser than the AEther it self. It appeares in the forme of an exceeding white oile, but is in very truth a certaine vegetant flowing, smooth, soft salt, &c.

The star-soule.

THis is the true Astrum Solis, the Mineral spiritual Sun. It is com­pounded of the AEther, and a Bloudie, fierie, spirited Earth. It appears in a gummie Consistency, but with a fierce, hot, glowing Complexion. It is Sub­stantially a certaine purple, animated, Divine Salt, &c.

The Prester of Zoroaster.

IT is a Miracle to consider, how the Earth, which is a Body of inexpressible weight and Heavinesse, can be supported in the Ayr a fleeting yeelding substance, and thorough which even froth and Feathers will sink, and make their way. I hope there is no man so mad as to think it is poys'd there by some Geometricall Knack, for that were Artifi­ciall, but the work of God is Vital, and Na­tural. Certainly if the Animation of the world be denied, there must needs follow a precipitation of this Element by its own Cor­pulency and Gravity. We see that our own Bodies are supported by that Essence, by which they are actuated and animated, but when [Page 81] when that Essence leaves them, they fall to the ground, till the spirit returns at the Re­surrection. I conclude then that the Earth hath in her a Fire-soule, a most powerfull strong spirit, that bears her up, as the spirit of Man bears up man. To this agrees Ray­mund Lullie in the seventy sixth Chapter of his Theorie. Tota Terra plena est Intelligen­tia ad operationem Naturae inclinata, quae Intelligentia movetur à natura superiore: Ita quod natura Intellectiva inferior assimi­latur naturae Superiori. The whole Earth (saith he) is full of Intelligence, inclined to the Discipline or Operation of Nature, which Intelligence is moved by the Superior Nature: so that the Inferior Intelligence is like to the Superior. This spirit or Intelligence is the [...], a Notion of the admirable Zoroaester, as I find him render'd by Julian the Chal­daean. It comes from [...] uro, and signifies Lightning, or a certaine burning Turbo, or whirl-wind, but in the sense of our Chaldee it is the Fire-spirit of Life. It is an Influence of the Almighty God, and it comes from Terra Viventium, namely the second person, whom the Cabalists style the Supernaturall East. For as the Natural Light of the Sun is first manifested to us in the East, so the Supernatural Light was first manifested in [Page 82] the second person, for he is Principium Alte­rationis, the Beginning of the wayes of God, or the first Manifestation of his Father's Light in the Supernatural Generation. From this Terra Viventium, or Land of the Li­ving comes all Life or spirit, according to that position of the M [...]kubalim:

The souls (say they) descend from the Third Light to the fourth Day. thence to the fifth, whence they passe out, and enter the Night of the Body, To understand this Maxime, you must know there are three supreme Lights or Sephiroths, which the Cabalist cals, Sedes [Page 83] una, in quâ sedet Sanctus, Sanctus Sanctus, Do­minus Deus Sabaoth. This third Light from whence the souls descend, is [...] Binah, the last of the three sephiroths, and it signifies the Holy Ghost. Now that you may know in what sense this Descent proceeds from that Blessed spirit, I will somewhat inlarge my Discourse, for the Cabalists are very obscure in the point. Spirare (say the Jews) Spiritus Sancti proprium est, to Breath is the proprietie of the Holy Ghost. Now we read that God breathed into Adam the Breath of Life, and he became a living soule. Gen. Here you must un­derstand that the third Person is the last of the three, not that there is any Inequality in them, but it is so in order of Operation, for he applies first to the Creature, and therefore works last. The meaning of it is this: The Holy Ghost could not breath a soule into A­dam, but he must either receive it, or have it of himself. Now the truth is he receives it, and what hee receives, that hee breaths into Nature. Hence this most holy spirit is styl'd by the Cabalists Fluvius egrediens è Para­diso, because he breaths as a River streames. He is call'd also Mater Filiorum, because by this Breathing he is as it were delivered of those souls, which have been conceived Ideally in the second Person. Now that the [Page 84] Holy Ghost receives all things from the se­cond Person, is confirmed by Christ himself. When the spirit of truth is come, John 16. 13 he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of him­self, but what soever he shall heare, that shall he speak, and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorifie me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath, are mine; Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine. Here wee plainly see, there is a certaine subsequent order or Method in the operations of the blessed Tri­nity, for Christ tels us, that he receives from his Father, and the Holy Ghost receives from Him. Againe that all things are conceived Ideally (or as we commonly expresse it) crea­ted by the second person, is confirmed by the word of God. The World was made by him (saith the Scripture) and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own recei­ved him not. This may suffice for such as Love the Truth, and as for that which the Cabalist speaks of the fourth and fifth Dayes, it suits not with my present designe, and therefore I must wave it. It is clear then that Terra viventium, or the Eternall Fire-Earth buds and sprouts, hath her fierie spirituall Flowers, which we call soules, as this natural Earth hath her natural Vegetables. In this [Page 85] mysterious sense is the Prester defin'd in the Oracles [...], the Flower of thin Fire. But that we may come at last to the thing intended, I think it not amisse to instruct you by this Manuduction. You know that no Artificer can build, but the Earth must be the Foundation to his Building, for with­out this Ground-work. his Brick and Mor­tar cannot stand. In the Creation when God did build, there was no such place to build upon. I aske then where did he rest his Mat­ter, and upon what? Certainly he built, and founded Nature upon his own Supernaturall Center. He is in her, and thorough her, and with his eternall spirit doth he support Hea­ven and Earth, as our bodies are supported with our spirits. This is confirmed by that oracle of the Apostle, Omnia portat verbo virtutis suae, He bears up all things with the word of his power; from this power is he just­ly styl'd [...]: The infinitly powerfull, and the All­powerfull power-making power. I say then that Fire and spirit are the Pillars of Nature; the props on which her whole Fabric rests, and without which it could not stand one minute. This Fire or Prester is the Throne of the Quintessentiall Light, from whence he dilates himself to Generation, as we see in [Page 86] the effussion of the Sun-beams in the great world. In this Dilatation of the Light consists the joy or pleasure of the passive spirit, and in its Contraction his Melancholie or sorrow. We see in the great Body of Nature, that in Turbulent weather when the Sun is shut up, and clouded, the Aire is thick and dull, and our own spirits by secret Compassion with the spirit of the Aire are dull too. On the con­trary in clear strong Sun-shines the Aire is Quick and Thin, and the spirits of all Ani­mals are of the same rarified, active Temper. It is plaine then that our joyes and sorrows pro­ceed from the Dilatation and Contraction of our inward Quintessentiall Light. This is apparent in despayring Lovers, who are sub­ject to a certain violent, extraordinary pan­ting of the Heart, a timorous trembling pulse which proceeds from the Apprehension and Feare of the spirit in relation to his Miscarriage. Notwithstanding he desires to be dilated, as it appears by his pulse or Sallie, wherein he doth discharge himself; but his Despaire checks him againe, and brings him to a suddain Retreat, or Contraction. Hence it comes to passe that we are subject to sighs. which are occasion'd by the suddain pause of the spirit: for when hee stops, the Breath stops, but when he looseth himself to an out­ward [Page 87] Motion, we deliver two or three Breaths that have been formerly omitted, in one long E [...]piration, and this we call a sigh. This [...]sion hath carried many brave men to very [...] Extremities. It is originally occasion'd [...] the spirit of the Mistris, or affected [...]irty: for her spirit ferments or leavens the [...]t of the Lover, so that it desires an union [...] far as Nature will permit. This makes us [...]sent even smiles and frowns, like Fortunes [...]nd Misfortunes; Our Thoughts are never [...]t Home according to that well-grounded Observation, Anima est ubi amat, non ubi [...]t: the soule dwels not where she lives, out where she loves. We are imploy'd in a [...]erpetuall Contemplation of the absent Beau­ [...]; Our very Joyes and Woes are in her power: [...]he can set us to what Humor she will, as [...]ampian was alter'd by the Music of his Mistris.

This, and many more miraculous sympa­ [...]hies proceed from the Attractive nature [Page 88] of the Prester: it is a spirit that can wonders, and now let us see if there bee any possibility to come at him. Suppose then wee should dilapidat or discompose some Arti­ficiall Building, stone by stone: There is no question but we should come at last to the Earth whereupon it is founded. It is just so in Magic: if we open any Natural Body, and separat all the parts thereof one from another, we shall come at last to the Prester, which is the Candle, and secret Light of God. Wee shall know the hidden Intelligence, and see that inexpressible Face, which gives the out­ward Figure to the Body. This is the S [...]la­gism we should look after, for he that [...]ath once past the Aquaster, enters the Fire-world, and sees what is both Invisible and Incredible to the common Man. He shall discover to the Eye the miraculous Conspiracy that is between the Prester and the Sun. Hee shall know the secret Love of Heaven and Earth, and the sense of that deep Cabalism, Non est planta hic inferiùs cui non est stella in Fir­mamento superiùs, & ferit eam stella, & di­cit ei Cresce. There is not an Herb here be­low, but he hath a star in Heaven above and the star strikes him with her Beame. and sayes to him, Grow. He shall know, how the Fire-spirit hath his Root in the Spirituall Fire­Earth, [Page 89] and receives from it a secret Influx upon which he feeds, as Herbs feed on that Juice and Liquor, which they receive at their Roots from this Common Earth. This is it, which our Saviour tels us, Math. Man lives not by Bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the Mouth of God. He meant not by Inke and P [...]pyr or the dead Letter: it is a My­stery, and St. Paul hath partly expounded it. He tels the Athenians, that God made Man, to the end, That he should seek the Lord, if happily he might feel after him and find him. Here is a strange Expression, you will say, that a Man should feel after God, or seek Him with his Hands. But he goes on, and tels you where you shall find him. He is not far (saith he) from every one of us; for in Him we live, and move, aud have our Being. For the better understanding of this place, I wish you to read Paracelsus his Philosophia ad Athenienses, a glorious Incomparable Dis­course, but you will shortly find it in Eng­lish. Againe: He that enters the Center, shall know why all Influx of fire descends against the Nature of fire, and comes from Heaven downwards: Hee shall know also why the same fire having found a Body, as­cends againe towards Heaven, and gows upwards.

[Page 90]To conclude: I say the grand Supreame Mysterie of Magic, is to multiplie the Pre­ster, and place him in the moyst serene AEther, which God hath purposely created to qua­lifie the fire. For I would have thee know, that this spirit may be so chaf'd, and that in the most temperat Bodies, as to undoe thee upon a suddain. This thou mayst guesse thy selfe by the [...], or thundering Gold, as the Chymist cals it. Place him then as God hath plac'd the stars, in the condens'd AEther of his Chaos, for there he will shine, not burne, he will be vital and Calm, not furious and Choleric. This secret I confesse, transcends the Common processe, and I dare tell thee no more of it. It must remaine then as a Light in a Dark place, but how it may be discovered, doe thou Consider.

The Green salt.

IT is a Tincture of the Saphiric Mine, and to define'it substantially, it is the Aire of our little Invisible Fire-world. It produceth two noble effects, youth, and Hope; wheresoever it appears, it is an in­fallible sign of life, as you see in the spring­time, when all things are Green. The sight of it [Page 91] is cheerfull, and refreshing beyond all imagina­tion. It comes out of the Heavenly Earth, for the Saphir doth spermatize, & injects her Tin­ctures into the AEther, where they are carried, and manifested to the Eye. This Saphir is equall of her self to the whole Compound, for she is threefold, or hath in her three severall essences. I have seen them all, not in Ayrie imaginarie suppositions but really with my bodily eyes. And here we have Apollodorous his Mathema­tical Problem resolved: namely that Pytha­goras should sacrifice a hundred Oxen, when hee found out. [...], That the Subtendent of a right angl'd Triangle was equivalent to those parts which contain'd it, &c.

The Diapasm, or Magicall Perfume.

IT is compounded of the Saphiric Earth and the AEther. If it be brought to its full Ex­altation, it will shine like the Day-star in her fresh Easterne Glories. It hath a fascinating attractive facultie, for if you expose it to the open Ayre, it will draw to it Birds and Beasts, &c.

The Regeneration, Ascent, and Glorification.

I Have now sufficiently, and fully discovered the principles of our Chaos, In the next place I will shew you how you are to use them. You must unite them to a new life, and they will be regenerated by Water and the Spi­rit. These two are in all things, they are pla­ced there by God himself, according to that speech of Trismegistus, Vnumquodque habet in se [...]semen su [...] Regenerationis. Proceed then patiently, but not manually. The work is per­formed by an invisible Artist, for there is a secret Incubation of the Spirit of God upon Nature you must only see that the outward Heat failes not, but with the subject it self you have no more to doe, than the Mother hath with the Child that is in her womb. The two former principles performe all, the Spi­rit makes use of the Water to purge and wash his Body, and hee will bring it at last to a Celestiall, immortall Constitution. Doe not you think this Impossible. Remember that in the Incarnation of Christ Jesus the Qua­ternarius or four Elements as men call them, were united to their eternall Unitie and Ter­narius [Page 93] Three and Foure make Seven: This S [...]ptenarie is the true S [...]b [...]th, the Rest of God into which the Creature shall enter. This is the best and greatest Man [...]duction that I can give you. In a word. Salvation it self is nothing else but transmutation. Be­hold (saith the Apostle) [...] shew you a MY­STERIE: we shall not all die, but we shall be all CHANGED, in a Moment, in the twinckling of an Eye, at the sound of the last Trumpt. Corinth. God of his great Mercy pre­pare us for it [...] That from hard stubborn Flints of this world we may prove [...]soliths and Jaspers in the new eternall foundation. That we may ascend from this present distressed Church which is in Captivity with her Chil­dren, to the free Jerusalem from above, which is the Mother of us all.

The Descent, and Metempsychosis.

THere is in the world a scribling, ill-disposed Generation: they write only to gaine an Opinion of Know­ledge, and this by amazing their Readers with whimzies and Fansies of their own. These commonly call themselves Chi­mists, [Page 94] and abuse the great Mysterie of Na­ture with the Name and Non-sense of La­pis Chemicus. I find not one of them, but hath mistaken this Descent for the Ascent or Fermentation. I think it Necessary there­fore to informe the Reader there is a two fold Fermentation, a spirituall and a Bodily one. The spirituall Fermentation is performed by multiplying the Tinctures, which is not done with common Gold and Silver, for they are not Tinctures, but grose compacted Bodies, The Gold and Silver of the Philosophers are a soule and spirit: they are living Ferments and principles of Bodies, but the two common Metals whether you take them in their grose Composition, or after a Philosophicall prepa­ration, are no way pertinent to our purpose. The Bodily Fermentation, is that which I properly call the Descent, and now we will speak of it. When thou hast made the stone, or Magicall Medicine, it is a liquid fierie, spirituall substance, shining like the Sun. In this Complexion if you would project, you could hardly find the just proportion, the ver­tue of the Medicine is so intensive and power­full. The Philosophers therefore took one part of their stone, and did cast it upon ten parts of pure molten gold. This single small graine [Page 95] did bring all to the gold a bloudie powder, and on the contrary the grosse Body of the gold did abate the spirituall strength of the projected graine. This Descent or Incorpora­tion some wise Authors have call'd a Bodily Fermentation, but the Philosophers did not use common Gold to make their stone as some scriblers have written, they us'd it only to qualifie the intensive power of it, when it is made, that they might the more easily find what Quantitie of base Metall, they should project upon. By this means they reduc'd their Medicine to a dust, and this dust is the Arabian-Elixir. This Elixir the Philoso­phers could carry about them, but the Me­dicine it self not so, for it is such a subtill moyst Fire, there is nothing but glasse that will hold it. Now for their Metempsychosis, it hath indeed occasion'd many Errors concer­ning the soule, but Pythagoras applied it on­ly to the secret performances of Magic. It signifies their last Transmutation, which is done with the Elixir, or Qualified Medi­cine. Take therefore one part of it, cast it on a Millenarie proportion of Quick-silver, and it will be all pure gold, that shall passe the Test Royall without any Diminution.

Now Reader I have done, and for a fare­well [Page 96] I will give thee a most noble, secret, sacred truth. The Chaos it self in the very first A­nalysis is threefold, the S [...]p [...]ir of the Chaos is likewise threefold. Here thou hast six parts, which is the Pythagoricall Senarius or Nu­merus Conjugii. In these six the Influx of the Met [...]physicall Vnitie is sole Monarch, and makes up the seventh Number, or Sabaoth, in which at last by the Assistance of God the Body shall rest. Againe, every one of these six parts is two fold, and these Duplicities are Contrarieties. Here then thou hast twelve, six against six in a desperat Division, and the Vnitie of peace amongst them. These Du­plicities consist of contrary Natures; One part is good, one bad: one corrupt, one incor­rupt: and in the Termes of Zoroaster, one rationall, one irrationall. These bad, cor­rupt, irrational [...]eds are the Tares and se­quels of the Cur [...]. Now Reader I have un­riddl'd for thee the grand mysterious problem of the [...]abalist. Septem par [...]bus (saith hee) insunt Duo [...]ernari [...] & in Medio stat u [...]um. Duodecim stunt in Bello: Tres Amic [...], Tres mimici: Tres Viri vivisic [...]nt, Tres etiam oc­cidunt: & Deus Rex fidelis ex suae Sanctita­tis Atrio dominatur Omnibus. Vnus super Tres, & Tres super Septem, & Septem super [Page 97] Duodecim, & sunt omnes stipati, Alius cum Alio.

This and no other is the truth of that Science, which I have prosecuted a long time with frequent and serious indeavours. It is my firme decreed Resolution to write no more of it, and if any will abuse what is written, let him. He cannot so injure me, but I am already satisfied: I have to my Reward a Light that will not leave me.

Nescit SOL Comitis non memor esse Sui.

I will now cloze up all with the Doxologie of a most excellent, renowned Philocryphus.