The Book of the Secrets of Alchimie, by Calid the son of Iazich, part 1 of 2

The Booke of the Secrets of Alchimie, composed by Galid the sonne of Iazich, translated out of Hebrew into Arabick, and out of Arabick into Latine, and out of Latin into English.

The Preface of the difficultie of the Art.

THankes be giuen to God the Creator of all things, who hath conducted vs, beautified vs, instructed vs, and giuen vs knowledge and vnderstanding: Except the Lorde should keepe and guide vs, wee should bee like vagabonds, without guide or teacher: yea, we shuld know nothing in the world, vnlesse he taught vs: that is, the beginning, and knowledge it selfe of all things, by his power and goodnes ouer his people. He directeth and instructeth whom he wil, and with mercie reduceth into the way of iustice: for hee hath sent his messengers into the darke places, and made plaine the wayes, and with his mercy replenished such as loue him. Know brother, that this our mastery and honourable office of the secret Stone, is a secret of the secrets of God, which hee hath concealed from his people, neither would he reueale it to any, saue to those, who like sonnes haue faythfully deserued it, knowing both his goodnesse and greatnesse: for to him that desireth a secret of God, this secret masterie is more necessary then any other. And those wise men who haue attained to the knowledge herof, haue concealed part therof, and part therof they haue reuealed: for so haue I found my wise predecessors agreeing in this point in their worthie bookes, wherby thou shalt knowe that my disciple Musa, (more honorable in my eies then all other) hath diligently studied their bookes, & labored much in the worke of the mastery, wherin he hath bin greatly troubled, & much perplexed, not knowing the natures of things belonging to this work: the explanation whereof, and direction wherein, he hath humbly begged at my handes: yet I would afford him no answere therin, nor determine it, but commaunded him to reade ouer the Philosophers bookes, & therin to seeke yt which he craued of me, & he going his way, read aboue a hundreth bookes, as hee found them euen the true and secret bookes of noble Philosophers: but in thē he could not find that which he defired: so he remained astonished, & almost distracted, though by the space of a yeare he continually sought it. If therfore my scholler Musa (that hath deserued to be accoūted among ye Philosophers) haue beene so doubtfull in the composition hereof, and that this hath hapned vnto him: what shall the ignorant and vnlearned doo, that vnderstandeth not the nature of things, nor is acquainted with their complections? But when I behelde this in my choysest and dearest disciple, moued with pitty and compassion toward him, or rather by the will and appointment of God, I made this book at the houre of my death, wherin I haue pretermitted many things, that my predecessors haue made mention of in their bookes: and againe, I haue touched some things which they concealed, & would by no meanes open & discouer: yea, I haue expounded and laide open certain things, that they haue hidden vnder dark & figuratiue speeches. And this my book I haue called the Secrets of Alchimy: in which I haue spoken of whatsoeuer is necessarie, to him that is studious of this Art or masterie, in a language befitting his sence & vnderstanding. And I haue named foure masteries far greater and better, thē other Philosophers haue done: of which number is Elixir, one Mineral, the other Animall: but the other two are minerals, and not the one Elixir: whose office is to washe that, which they call the bodies: and another is to make gold of Azotviue, whose composition or generatiō, is according to the generationor order of generation in the mynes, being in the heart and bowels of the earth. And these foure masteries or works, the Philosophers haue declared in their bookes of the composition of this mastery: but they want much: neyther would they shew the operation of it in their bookes: and though by chaunce he found it out, yet could hee not vnderstand it: so that hee found out nothing that was more troublesome to him. I wil therefore in this my booke declare it, together with the maner how to make it: but let him that will reade it, first learne Geometry, and her measures, that so he may rightly frame his furnaces, not passing a meane, either by excesse or defect: and withall, he must know the quantitie of his fire, and the forme of the vessell fit for his worke. Moreouer, lette him consider what is the ground-worke and beginning of the mastery, beeing to it, as the matrice is to liuing creatures, which are fashioned in the wombe, and therin receiue their creatiō & nourishment: for if the thing of this mastery finde not that which is conuenient for it, the worke is marred, and the workmen shall not find that which they looke for, neither shal the thing it self be brought to the effect of generation: for where one cannot meete with the cause of generation, or the roote, and heate it selfe, it will fall out, that the labour shall be lost, and the worke nought worth. The like mischiefe will happen in respect of weight, which if it be not aright in the compound, the partes of the same nature, passing their boundes by augmentation, or diminution, the propertie of the compound is destroyed, & the effect therof voyd and without fruit, whereof I will giue you an example. Doo not you see that in Sope (with which cloathes are washed cleane and made white) there is this property if it be rightly made, by reason of equalitie, & one proportion, which participate in length and breadth? wherupon through this participation they agree, and then it appeareth, because it was truely made, and so the vertue which before lay hid, is nowe made known, which they cal a property, being the vertue of washing engendred in the compound: but when the grauity of the compound passeth his bounds, either by addition or diminution, ye vertue it self breaketh the limits of equality, & becōmeth contrary, according to ye distēperāce of the cōpound. And this thou must vnderstād to happen in the cōposition of our mastery.

CHAP I. Of the foure Masteries, or principall works of the Art, to wit, solution, congelation, albification, and rubification.

NOw begin I to speake of the great worke which they call Alchimy, wherein I will confirme my woordes, without concealing ought, or keeping backe any thing, saue that which is not conuenient to bee vttered or named. We say then that the great work containeth in it foure masteries (as the Philosophers before vs haue affirmed) that is to say, to dissolue, to congeale, to make white and red. And these foure quantities are partakers, whereof two of them are partakers betweene themselues, and so likewise are the other two. And either of these double quātities hath another quantity partaker, which is a greater quantity partaker after these two. I vnderstand by these quantities, the quantitie of the natures, and weight of the medicines which are orderly dissolued and congealed, wherin neither addition nor diminution haue any place. But these two, to wit, solution and congelation, shalbe in one operation, and shall make but one worke, and that before composition: but after composition, their works shall bee diuers. And this solution and congelation which wee haue spoken of, are the solution of the bodie, and the congelation of the Spirite, and they are two, yet haue but one operation. For the Spirites are not congealed, except the bodies beedissolued, is likewise the bodies is not dissolued, vnlesse the spirit be cōgealed: & when the soule & the body are ioyned togither, either of them worketh in his companion made like vnto him: as for example, when water is put to earth, it striueth to dissolue the earth by the moisture, vertue and propertie which it hath, making it more subtile then it was before, and bringing it to be like it selfe: for the water was more subtile then the earth: and thus doth the soule worke in the bodie, and after the same manner is the water thickened with the earth, and becommeth like vnto the earth in thicknesse, for the earth is more thicke then the water. And thou must knowe that betweene the solution of the bodie, and congelation of the spirit, there is no distance of time or diuerse work, as though one should be without the other, as there is no difference of time in the coniunction of the earth, and water, that one might be knowne & discerned from the other in their operations: but they haue both one instant, and one fact, and one and the same worke conteineth them both at once before composition: I say before composition, least he that shall read this booke, and heare the names of resolution and congelation, shoulde suppose it to be the composition which the Philosophers entreat of, for so he should fowly erre in his worke and iudgement: because composition in this worke or masterie, is a coniunction or marriage of the congealed spirit, with the dissolued bodie, and this coniunction or passion is vpon the fire. For heate is his nourishment, and the soule forsaketh not the bodie, neither is it otherwise knit vnto it, then by the alteration of both from their owne vertue and properties, and after the conuersion of their natures: and this is the solution and congelation, which the Philosophers first spake of: which neuerthelesse they haue hidden in their subtile discourses with darke & obscure words, that so they might alienate and estrange the mind of the reader frō the true vnderstanding thereof: where of thou maist take this for an example. Annoynt the leafe with poyson, and ye shall approue there by the beginning of the worke and mastery of the same. And againe, labour the strong bodies with one solution, til either of them be turned to his subtilitie. So likewise in these folowing, except ye conuert the bodies into such subtilitie that they may bee impalbable, yee shall not find that ye looke for: and if you haue not ground them, returne backe to worke till they bee ground, and made subtill: which if you do, you shall haue your wish. And many other such sayings haue they of the same matter. The which none that euer proued this Art could vnderstand, til he hath had a plaine demonstration thereof, the former doubt being remoued. And in like maner haue they spoken of that cōposition, which is after solution & congelation. And afterward they haue said, that Cōposition is not perfect without marriage, and putrifaction: yet againe they teach solution, congelation, diuision, mariage, putrifaction, and composition, because composition is the beginning, and verie life of the thing. For vnlesse there were composition, the thing should neuer be brought to passe. Diuision is a separatiō of the parts of the cōpound, & so separation hath bin his coniunction. I tell you againe, that the spirit wil not dwel with the body, nor be in it, nor by any meanes abide with it vntill the body be made subtil & thin as the spirit is. But when it is attenuate and subtill, and hath cast off his thicknes, & put on thinnes, hath forsaken his grosnesse & corpority, & is become spirituall, then shall he be mingled with the subtill spirits, & imbibed in them, so that both shall become one and the same, & they shall not be seuered, like as water put to water cannot be diuided. Suppose that of two like quantities, that are in solution and congelation, the larger is the soule, the lesser is the body: adde afterward to the quantitie which is the soule, that quātity which is in the body, & it shall participate with the first quantity in vertue only: then worke them as we haue wrought them, and so thou shalt obtaine thy desire, and Euclide his line shall bee verified vnto thee. Afterwarde take his quantity, and know his waight, and giue him as much moysture as he will drink, the weight of which moysture we haue not here determined. Then againe worke them with an operation vnlike the former, first imbibing and subliming it, and this operation is that which they call Albification, and they name it Yarit, that is, Siluer, and and white Leade. And when thou hast made this compounde white, adde to him so much of the Spirit, as maketh halfe of the whole, and set it to working, till it waxe redde, and then it shall be of the colour Alsulfir, which is verie red, and the Philosophers haue likened it to golde, the effect hereof, leadeth thee to that which Aristotle saide to his Disciple Arda: wee call the claye when it is white, Yarit, that is Siluer: and when it is red, wee name it Temeynch, that is Golde. Whitenesse is that which tincteth Copper, and maketh it Yarit, and that is rednesse, which tincteth Yarit, that is siluer, & maketh it Temeynch, that is Gold. He therefore that is able to dissolue these bodies, to subtiliate thē, to make them white and red, and (as I haue said) to compound them by imbibing, and conuert them to the same, shall without all doubt attaine the masterie, and performe the worke whereof I haue spoken vnto thee.

CHAP. II. Of the things and instruments necessarie and fit for this worke.

IT behoueth thee to knowe the vessels in this masterie, to wit Aludela, which the Philosophers haue called Church-yards, or Cribbles: because in them the parts are diuided, and cleansed, and in them is the matter of the masterie made compleat, perfect, and depured. And euery one of these must haue a Furnace fit for it, and let either of them haue a similitude and figure agreeable to the worke. Mezleme, and many other Philosophers, haue named all these things in their bookes, teaching the maner and forme there of. And thou must know, that herein the Philosophers agree togither in their wrytings, concealing it by signes, and making many books thereof, & instruments which are necessarie in these foure foresaid things. As for the instruments, they are two in number. One is a Cucurbit, with his Alembick: the other is Aludel, that is well made. There are also foure things necessarie to these: that is to say, Bodies, Soules, Spirites, and VVaters: of these foure dooth the masterie, and minerall worke consist. These are made plaine in the Philosophers Bookes, I haue therefore omitted them in mine, and onely touched those things, which they passed ouer with silence: which he shall easily discerne, that is but of indifferent iudgement. And this booke I haue not made for the ignorant and vnlearned, but for the wise and prudent.

CHAP. III. Of the nature of things appertaining to this worke.

KNow thou, that the Philosophers haue giuen them diuerse names: for some haue called them Mynes, some Animal, some Herball, and some by the name of Natures, that is Naturall: some other haue called them by certaine other names at their pleasures, as seemed good vnto them. Thou must also know, that their Medicines are neere to Natures, according as the Philosophers haue said in their bookes, that Nature commeth nigh to nature, and Nature is like to nature, and Nature is ioyned to nature, and Nature is drowned in nature, and Nature maketh nature white, & Nature doth make nature red, and generation is retained with generation, & generation conquereth with generation.

CHAP. IIII. Of Decoction, and the effect thereof.

KNow thou that the Philosophers haue named Decoction in their Bookes, saying, that they make Decoction in thinges: and that is it that engendreth them, and changeth them from their substances and colours, into other substāces and colours. If thou transgresse not, I tell thee in this booke, thou shalt proceed rightly. Consider brother, the seed of the earth, wheron men liue, how the heate of the Sunne worketh in it, till it be ripe, when men and other creatures seede vpon it, and that afterwarde Nature worketh on it by her heate within man, conuerting it into his flesh and blood. For like hereto is our operation of the masterie: the seed whereof (as the learned haue sayde) is such, that his perfection and proceeding consisteth in the fire, which is the cause of his life and death, without somwhat comming betweene, and his spiritualtie, which are not mingled but with the fire. Thus haue I tolde thee the truth, as I haue seene and done it.

CHAP. V. Of Subtiliation, Solution, Coagulation, and commistion of the Stone, and of their cause and end.

KNow, that except thou subtiliate the bodie till all become water, it will not rust and putrifie, and then it cannot congeale the fitting soules, when the fire toucheth them: for the fire is that which congealeth them by the ayd therof vnto them. And in like maner haue the Philosophers commanded to dissolue the bodies, to the end ye heat might enter into their bowels. Again we returne to dissolue those bodies, & congeale them after their solution, with that thing which cōmeth nigh to it, vntil we ioyne all those things which haue beene mingled togither, by an apt and fit commixtion, which is a temperate quantitie. Whereupon we ioyne fire and water, earth and ayre togither: when the thick hath bin mingled with the thin, & the thinner with the thick, the one abydeth with the other, and their natures are changed and made like, wheras before they were simple, because that part which is generatiue, bestoweth his vertue vpon the subtill, and that is the ayre: for it cleaueth vnto his like, and is a part of the generation from whence it receyueth power to moue and ascend vpward. Cold hath power ouer the thick, because it hath lost his heate, and the water is gone out of it, and the thing appeared vpō it. And the moisture departed by ascending, & the subtil part of ye aire, and mingled it selse with it for it is like vnto it, and of the same nature. And when the thicke bodie hath lost his heat and moysture, and that cold and drinesse hath power ouer him, and that their parts haue mingled themselues, and be diuided, and that there is no moysture to ioyne the partes diuided, the parts withdraw themselues. And afterwards the part which is contrary to colde, by reason that it hath continued, & sent his heat and decoction, to the parts of ye earth, hauing power ouerthem, and exercising such dominion ouer the cold, that where before it was in the thicke body, it now lurketh and lieth hid, his part of generation is changed, becomming subtil and hot, and striuing to dry vp by his heat. But afterward the subtill part (that causeth natures to ascende) when it hath lost his accidentall heat, & waxeth cold, then the natures are changed, and become thicke, and descend to the center, where ye earthly natures are ioyned togither, which were subtiliate and conuerted in their generation, and imbibed in them: and so the moysture coupleth togither the parts diuided: but the earth endeuoureth to drie vp that moysture, cōpassing it about, and hindring it from going out: by means wherof, that which before lay hid, doth now appear: neither can the moysture be separated, but is retained by the drinesse. And in like maner we see, that whosoeuer is in the worlde, is retained by or with his contrarie, as heate with colde, and drinesse with moysture. Thus when each of them hath besieged his Companion, the thin is mingled with the thicke, and those things are made one substance: to wit, their soule hote and moyst, and their body colde and drie: then it laboureth to dissolue and subtiliate by his heate and moysture, which is his soule, and striueth to enclose and retaine with his body that is colde and drie. And in this maner, is his office changed and altered from one thing to another. Thus haue I tolde thee the truth, which I haue both seene & done, giuing thee in charge to conuert natures from their subtilitie and substances, with heate and moysture, into their substances and colours. Now if thou wouldst proceed aright in this mastery, to obtaine thy desire, passe not the boundes that I haue set thee in this booke.