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

CHAP. VI. The manner how to fixe the Spirit.

KNowe also, that when the bodie is mingled with moysture, and that the heate of the fire meeteth therewith, the moysture is conuerted on the body, and dissolueth it, and then the spirite cannot issue forth, because it is imbibed with the fire. The Spirits are fugitiue, so long as the bodies are mingled with them, and striue to resist the fire & his flame: and yet these parts can hardly agree without a good operation and continuall labour: for the nature of the soule is to ascend vpward, whereas the center of the soule is. And who is hee that is able to ioyne two or diuers things togither, where their centers are diuers: vnlesse it be after the conuersion of theyr natures, and change of the substance and thing, from his nature, which is difficult to finde out? Whosoeuer therefore can conuert the soule into the bodie, the bodie into the soule, and therewith mingle the subtile spirites, shall be able to tinct any body.

CHAP. VII. Of the Decoction, Contrition, and washing of the stone.

THou art moreouer to vnderstand, that Decoction, contrition, cribatiō, mundification, and ablution, with sweet waters is very necessary to this secret and mastery: so that he who will bestow any paines herein, must cleanse it very well, and wash the blacknesse from it, and darknes that appeareth in his operation, and subtiliate the bodie as much as hee can, and afterwarde mingletherwith the soules dissolued, and spirits cleansed, so long as he thinke good.

CHAP. VIII. Of the quantitie of the Fire, and of the commoditie and discommoditie of it.

FVrthermore, thou must bee acquainted with the quantity of the fire, for the benefit and losse of this thing, proceedeth from the benefit of the fire. Wherupon Plato said in his booke: The fire yeeldeth profit to that which is perfect, but domoge and corruption to that which is corrupt: so that when his quantitie shall be meete & conuenient, it shal prosper, but if it shall exceed measure in things, it shal without measure corrupt both: to wit, the perfect and corrupt: and for this cause it was requisite that the learned should poure their medicines vpon Elixir, to hinder and remoue from them the burning of the fire, & his heate. Hermes also said to his father. I am afraide Father of the enemie in my house: to whom he made answer, Son take the dog Corascene, & the bitch of Armenia, put them together, and they shal bring a dog of the colour of heauen, and dip him once in the sea water: for he shall keepe thy friend, and defend thee from thy enemie, and shall helpe thee whersoeuer thou become, alwaies abiding with thee, both in this world, and in the world to come. Now Hermes meant by the dog & bitch, such things as preserue bodies from the scorching he ate of the fire. And these things are waters of Calces and Salts, the composition whereof, is to be found in the Philosophers books, that haue written of this mastery, among whome, some haue named them Sea-waters, and Birdes milke, and such like.

CHAP IX. Of the Separation of the Elements of the Stone.

THou must afterward bother, take this precious Stone, which the Philosophers haue named, magnified, hiddē & concealed, & put it in a Cucurbit with his Alembick, & diuide his natures: that is, the foure elemēts, the Earth, the Water, the Aire, and the Fire. These are the body and soule, the spirit and tincture. When thou hast diuided the water from the earth, and the aire from the fire, keepe both of them by themselues, and take that which descendeth to the bottom of the glasse, beeing the lees, and wash it with a warme fire, til his blacknesse be gone, and his thicknesse departed: then make him very white, causing the superfluous moysture to flie away, for then hee shall bee changed and become a white calx, wherein there is no cloudie darkenesse, nor vncleannesse, and contrarietie. Afterward returne back to the first natures, which ascended from it, and purifie thē likewise from vncleannes, blacknesse, and contrarietie: and reiterate these works vpon thē so often, vntil they be subtiliate, purified, and made thin: which when thou hast done, thou shalt acknowledge that God hath bin gracious vnto thee. Know brother, that this work is one stone, into which Gatib may not enter, that is to say, any strange thing. The learned work with this, and from hence proceedeth a medicine that giueth perfection. There must nothing be mingled herewith, either in part or whole. This Stone is to be found at all times, in euerie place, and about euery man, the search whereof is not troublesome to him that seeketh it, wheresoeuer he be. This Stone is vile, blacke, and stinking: It costeth nothing: it must bee taken alone: it is somewhat heauie, and it is called the Originall of the world, because it riseth vp like things that bud sorth. This is his reuelation and apparance to him thut maketh inquirie after it.

CHAP. X. Of the nature of the Stone, and his birth.

TAke it therefore and worke it as the Philosopher hath told you in his booke, when he named it after this maner. Take the Stone, no Stone, or that is not a Stone, neither is of the nature of a Stone. It is a Stone whose myne is in the top of the mountaines: and here by mountaines, the Philosopher vnderstandeth liuing creatures, wherupon he saide. Sonne, go to the mountaines of India, and to his caues, & pull out thence precious stones which will melt in the water when they are putte into it. And this water is that which is taken from other mountaines and hollow places. They are stones Sonne, and they are not stones, but we call them so for a Similitude which they haue to stones. And thou must know, that the rootes of their mynes are in the ayre, and their tops in the earth, and it wil easily be heard when they are pluckt out of their places, for there will be a great noyse. Goe with them my sonne, for they will quickly vanish away.

CHAP. XI. Of the commistion of the Elements that were seperated.

BEgin composition, which is the circuite of the whole worke, for there shall be no composition without marriage and putrefaction. The Marriage is to mingle the thinne with the thicke, and Putrefaction, is to rost, grinde, and water, so long till all be mingled together and become one, so that there should bee no diuersitie in them, nor separation from water mingled with water. Then shall the thicke labour to retaine the thinne: then shall the soule striue with the fire, and endeuour to beare it: then shall the Spirite labour to be drowned in the bodyes, and poured foorth into them. And this must needes bee, because the bodye dissolued, when it is commixt with the Soule, it is likewise commixt with euerie part therof: & other things enter into other things, according to theyr similitude and likenesse, and are changed into one and the same thing. And for this cause the soule must partake with the commoditie, durablenesse, and permanencie, which the body receiued in his commixtion. The like also must befall the Spirite in this state or permanencie os the soule and boby: sor when the Spirit shall bee commixt with the soule by laborious operation, and all his partes with all the partes of the other two, to wit, the soule and bodie, then shall the Spirite and the other two, bee conuerted into one indiuisible thing, according to their entire substance, whose natures haue beene preserued, and their partes haue agreed and come together: whereby it hath come to passe, that when this compounde hath met with a body dissolued, and that heate hath got hold of it, and that the moysture which was in it appeareth, and is molten in the dissolued body, and hath passed into it, and mixt it selfe with that which was of the nature of moysture, it is inflamed, and the fire defendeth it self with it. Then when the fire would been flamed with it, it will not suffer the fire to take holde of it, that is to say: to cleaue vnto it with the Spirit mingled with his water. The fire will not abide by it vntill it be pure. And in like manner doth the water naturally flie from the fire, wherof when the fire hath taken hold, it doth forth with by little and little euaporate. And thus hath the body beene the meanes to retaine the water, and the water to retaine the oyle, that it should not burne nor consume away, and the oyle to retaine tincture, and tincture the precise cause to make the colour appeare and shew forth the tincture, wherein there is neither light nor life. This then is the true life and perfection of the worke and masterie which thou soughtest for. Be wise therefore and vnderstande, and thou shalt find what thou lookest for, if it please God.

CHAP. XII. Of the solution of the Stone compounded.

THe Philosophers moreouer haue taken great paines in dissoluing, that the body and soule might the better be incorporate, for all those things that are together in contrition, assation, and rig ation, haue a certaine affinitie and alliance betweene themselues, so that the fire may spoyle the weaker of nature, till it vtterly fade and vanish away, as also it again returneth vpon the stronger parts, vntil the bodie remaine without the Soule. But when they are thus dissolued and congealed, they take the parts one with another, as well great as small, and incorporate them well together, till they be conuerted and changed into one and the same thing. And when this is done, the fire taketh from the Soule as much as from the body, neither more nor lesse, and this is the ceuse of perfection. For this cause it is necessary (teaching the composition of Elixir) to afford one chapter for expounding the solution of simple bodyes and soules, because bodyes doo not enter into soules, but do rather withhold and hinder them from sublimatiō, fixation, retention, commistion, and the like operations, except mundification go before. And thou shalt know, that solution is after one of these two wayes: for either it extracteth the inward parts of things vnto their Superficies, and this is solution (an example whereof thou hast in Siluer that seemeth cold and drie, but being dissolued, and that his inwards appeare, it is found hot and moyst) or else it is to purchase to a body an accidentall moysture, which it had not before, and to adde hereunto his owne humiditie, whereby his parts may be dissolued, and this likewise is called solution.

CHAP. XIII, Of the coagulation of the Stone dissolued.

SOme among the learned haue said, Congeale in a bath with a good congelation as I haue tolde thee, and this is Sulphur shining in darknesse, a red Hiasinth, a firy & deadly poyson, the Elixir that abideth vppon none, a victorious Lion, a malefactor, a sharpe sworde, a precious Triacle, healing euery infirmitie. And Geber the sonne of Hayen sayd, that all the operations of this masterie are contained vnder fixe things: to put to flight, to melt, to incerate, to make as white as Marble, to dissolue and congeale. That putting to flight, is to driue away and remoue blacknesse, from the spirit and soule: the melting is the liquefaction of the body: to incerate belongeth properly to the body, and is the subtiliation thereof: to whiten, is properly to melt speedily: to congeale, is to congeale the body with the soule alreadie prepared. Againe, flight appertaineth to the body and soule: to melt, whiten, incerate, and dissolue, belong vnto the body, and congelation to the soule. Bee wise and vnderstand.

CHAP XIIII. That there is but one Stone, and of his nature.

BAuzan a Greeke Philosopher, when it was demaunded of him, whether a stone may be made of a thing that buddeth, made answere, yea, to wit, the two first stones, the stone Alkali, and our stone, which is the life and workmanship of him that knoweth it: but he that is ignorant of it, and hath not made it, and knoweth not how it is engendred, supposing it to be no stone, or that conceiueth not with himselfe whatsoeuer I haue spoken of it, and yet will make a tryall of it, prepareth himselfe for death, and casteth away his money: for if he cannot finde out this precious stone, another shall not arise in his place, neither shall natures triumph ouer him. His nature is great heate with moderation. He that now knoweth it, hath profited by reading this booke, but he that remaineth ignorant, hath lost his labour. It hath many properties and vertues, for it cureth bodies of their accidentall diseases, and preserueth sound substances, in such sort, that their appeareth in them no perturbations of contraries, nor breach of their bond and vnion. For this is the sope of bodies, yea their spirit and soule, which when it is incorporate with them, dissolueth them without any losse. This is the life of the dead, and their resurrection, a medicine preseruing bodies, and purging superfluities. He that vnderstandeth, let him vnderstand, and he that is ignorant, let him bee ignorant stil: for it is not to be bought with mony, it is neither to be bought nor sold. Conceiue his vertue, value, and worth, and then begin to worke: wherof a learned man hath said: God giueth thee not this masterie for thy sole audacity, fortitude & subtilitie, without all labour, but men labor, and God giueth them good successe. Adore thē God the creator, that hath vouchsafed thee so great fauor in his blessed works.

CHAP. XV. The maner how to make the Stone white.

NOwe therefore when thou wilt enterpise this worthy worke, thou shalt take the precious stone, and put it in a Cucurbite, couering it with an Alembicke, being well closed with the lute of wisdome, and set it in vorie hote dung, then shalt thou distill it, putting a receiuer vnder it, whereinto the water may distill, and thus thou shalt leaue it, till all the water be distilled, and moysture dryed vp, and that drynesse preuaile ouer it: then shalt thou take it out drie, reseruing the water that is distilled, vntill thou hast neede of it: thou shalt take (I say) the drie bodie that remayned in the bottome of the Cucurbite, and grinde it, and put it in a vessell, in greatnesse answerable to the quantitie of the medicine, and burie it in verie hote horse-dung as thou canst get, the Vessell beeing well shut with the lute of Wisedome, and so let it rest. But when thou perceyuest the dung to waxe colde, thou shalt get thee other that is fresh, and very hot, and therein put thy Vessell. Thus shalt thou do by the space of fortie dayes, renuing thy dung so oftenas occasion shall serue, and the Medicine shall dissolue of it selfe, and become a thicke white water: which when thou beholdest to be so, thou shalt weight it, & put there to so much of the water which thou hast kept, as will make the halfe of his weight, closing thy Vessell with the lute of VVisedome, and put it againe in hote horse-dung, for that is hote and moyst, and thou shalt not omit (as I haue sayde) to renue the dung, when it beginneth to coole, till the tearme of fortie dayes be expired: for the Medicine shall be congealed in the like number of dayes, as before it was dissolued in. Again, take it, and note the iust weight of it, and according to his quantitie, take of the water which thou madest before, grind the body, and subtiliate it, and poure the water vpon it, and set it againe in hot hors-dung, for a weeke and a halfe, that is to say, ten daies, then take it out, and thou shalt see that the bodie hath already drunk vp the water. Afterward grinde it againe, and put thereto the like quantitie of that water, as thou didst before: bury it in dung, and leaue it there for ten dayes more: take it out againe, and thou shalt find that the body hath already drunke vp the water. Then (as before) grinde it, putting thereto of the foresayd water, the foresayd quantitie, and bury it in the foresayd dung, and let it rest there ten dayes longer, and afterward draw it out, so shalt thou do the fourth time also: which being done, thou shalt drawe it forth, and grinde it, and burie it in dung till it bee dissolued. Afterward, take it out, and reiterate it yet once more, for then the birth is perfect, and his worke ended. Now when this is done, and that thou hast brought this thing to this honourable estate, thou shalt take two hundred and fiftie drams of Lead, or Steele, and melt it: which beeing molten, thou shalt cast thereon one dramme of Cinna. barus: that is, of this Medicine, which thou hast brought to this honourable estate, and high degree, and it shall retaine the Steele or Leade, that it fly not from the fire: it shall make it white, and purge it from his drosse and blacknesse, and conuert it into a tincture perpetually abiding. Then take a dramme of these two hundred and fiftie, and proiect it vpon two hundred and fiftie drammes of Steele or Copper, and it shall conuert it into Siluer, better then that of the Myne. This is the greatest and last worke that it can effect, if God will.

CHAP. XVI. The conuersion of the foresaid Stone into red.

ANd if thou desirest to conuert this masterie into Golde, take of this medicine (which as I saide, thou hast brought to this honourable estate and excellencie) the waight of one dramme (and this after the manner of thy former example) and put it in a vessell, and bury it in hors-dung for fortie dayes, and it shall be dissolued: then thou shalt giue it water of the dissolued body to drink, first as much as amounteth to halfe his waight, afterward vntill it bee congealed, thou shalt bury it in most hot dung, as is aboue sayd. Then thou shalt orderly proceed in this Chapter of Gold, as thou hast done in the former Chapter of Siluer: and it shall be Golde, and make Golde God willing. My Sonnekeepe this most secret Booke, and commit it not vnto the handes of ignorant men, beeing a secret of the secretes of God: For by this meanes thou shalt attaine thy desire. Amen.

Here endeth the secrets Alchimy, written in Hebrew by Calid, the sonne of Iarich.