Alchemical Mass

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copper into white. It may also be brought to such a perfect state of preparation as to be able to tinge. But this is not
done in the way pointed out by such evil sophists as Geber in "The Sum of Perfection", Albertus Magnus, Aristotle
the chemist in "The Book of the Perfect Magistery", Rhasis and Polydorus; for those writers, however many they be,
are either themselves in error, or else they write falsely out of sheer envy, and put forth receipts whilst not ignorant
of the truth. Arsenic contains within itself three natural spirits. The first is volatile, combustible, corrosive, and
penetrating all metals. This spirit whitens Venus and after some days renders it spongy. But this artifice relates only
to those who practise the caustic art. The second spirit is crystalline and sweet. The third is a tingeing spirit
separated from the others before mentioned. True philosophers seek for these three natural properties in arsenic with
a view to the perfect projection of the wise men11. But those barbers who practise surgery seek after that sweet and
crystalline nature separated from the tingeing spirit for use in the cure of wounds, buboes, carbuncles, anthrax, and
other similar ulcers which are not curable save by gentle means. As for that tingeing spirit, however, unless the pure
be separated from the impure in it, the fixed from the volatile, and the secret tincture from the combustible, it will
not in any way succeed according to your wish for projection on Mercury, Venus, or any other imperfect metal. All
philosophers have hidden this arcanum as a most excellent mystery. This tingeing spirit, separated from the other
two as above, you must join to the spirit of Luna, and digest them together for the space of thirty-two days, or until
they have assumed a new body. After it has, on the fortieth natural day, been kindled into flame by the heat of the
sun, the spirit appears in a bright whiteness, and is endued with a perfect tingeing arcanum. Then it is at length fit for
projection, namely, one part of it upon sixteen parts of an imperfect body, according to the sharpness of the
preparation. From thence appears shining and most excellent Luna, as though it had been dug from the bowels of the
earth.
CHAPTER XII.
GENERAL INSTRUCTION CONCERNING THE ARCANUM OF VITRIOL AND
THE RED TINCTURE TO BE EXTRACTED FROM IT.12
Vitriol is a very noble mineral among the rest, and was held always in highest estimation by philosophers, because
the Most High God has adorned it with wonderful gifts. They have veiled its arcanum in enigmatical figures like the
following: "Thou shalt go to the inner parts of the earth, and by rectification thou shalt find the occult stone, a true
medicine". By the earth they understood the Vitriol itself; and by the inner parts of the earth its sweetness and
redness, because in the occult part of the Vitriol lies hid a subtle, noble, and most fragrant juice, and a pure oil. The
method of its production is not to be approached by calcination or by distillation. For it must not be deprived on any
account of its green colour. If it were, it would at the same time lose its arcanum and its power. Indeed, it should be
observed at this point that minerals, and also vegetables and other like things which shew greenness without, contain
within themselves an oil red like blood, which is their arcanum. Hence it is clear that the distillations of the druggists
are useless, vain, foolish, and of no value, because these people do not know how to extract the bloodlike redness
from vegetables. Nature herself is wise, and turns all the waters of vegetables to a lemon colour, and after that into
an oil which is very red like blood. The reason why this is so slowly accomplished arises from the too great haste of
the ignorant operators who distil it, which causes the greenness to be consumed. They have not learnt to strengthen
Nature with their own powers, which is the mode whereby that noble green colour ought to be rectified into redness
of itself. An example of this is white wine digesting itself into a lemon colour; and in process of time the green
colour of the grape is of itself turned into the red which underlies the coerulean. The greenness therefore of the
vegetables and minerals being lost by the incapacity of the operators, the essence also and spirit of the oil and of the
balsam, which is noblest among arcana, will also perish.
CHAPTER XIII.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTION CONCERNING THE PROCESS OF VITRIOL FOR THE RED TINCTURE.
Vitriol contains within itself many muddy and viscous imperfections. Therefore its greenness13 must be often
extracted with water, and rectified until it puts off all the impurities of earth. When all these rectifications are
finished, take care above all that the matter shall not be exposed to the sun, for this turns its greenness pale, and at
the same time absorbs the arcanum. Let it be kept covered up in a warm stove so that no dust may defile it.
Afterwards let it be digested in a closed glass vessel for the space of several months, or until different colours and
deep redness shew themselves. Still you must not suppose that by this process the redness is sufficiently fixed. It
must, in addition, be cleansed from the interior and accidental defilements of the earth, in the following manner: It
must be rectified with acetum until the earthy defilement is altogether removed, and the dregs are taken away. This
is now the true and best rectification of its tincture, from which the blessed oil is to be extracted. From this tincture,
which is carefully enclosed in a glass vessel, an alembic afterwards placed on it and luted so that no spirit may
escape, the spirit of this oil must be extracted by distillation over a mild and slow fire. This oil is much pleasanter
and sweeter than any aromatic balsam of the drugsellers, being entirely free from all acridity14. There will subside
in tha bottom of the cucurbite some very white earth, shining and glittering like snow. This keep, and protect from
all dust. This same earth is altogether separated from its redness.
Thereupon follows the greatest arcanum, that is to say, the Supercelestial Marriage of the Soul, consummately
prepared and washed by the blood of the lamb, with its own splendid, shining, and purified body. This is the true
supercelestial marriage by which life is prolonged to the last and predestined day. In this way, then, the soul and
spirit of the Vitriol, which are its blood, are joined with its purified body, that they may be for eternity inseparable.
Take, therefore, this our foliated earth in a glass phial. Into it pour gradually its own oil. The body will receive and
embrace its soul; since the body is affected with extreme desire for the soul, and the soul is most perfectly delighted
with the embrace of the body. Place this conjunction in a furnace of arcana, and keep it there for forty days. When
these have expired you will have a most absolute oil of wondrous perfection, in which Mercury and any other of the
imperfect metals are turned into gold.
Now let us turn our attention to its multiplication. Take the corporal Mercury, in the proportion of two parts; pour it
over three parts, equal in weight, of the aforesaid oil, and let them remain together for forty days. By this proportion
of weight and this order the multiplication becomes infinite.
CHAPTER XIV.
CONCERNING THE SECRETS AND ARCANA OF ANTIMONY, FOR THE RED TINCTURE, WITH A VIEW
TO TRANSMUTATION.
Antimony is the true bath of gold. Philosophers call it the examiner and the stilanx. Poets say that in this bath [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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