The Smaragdine Table of Hermes, with the commentary of Hortulanus

The Smaragdine Table of Hermes, Trismegistus of Alchimy.

THe wordes of the secrets of Hermes, which were written in a Smaragdine Table, and found betweene his hands in an obscure vaute, wherin his body lay buried. It is true without leasing, certain and most true. That which is beneath is like that which is aboue: & that which is aboue, is like that which is beneath, to worke the miracles of one thing. And as all things haue proceeded from one, by the meditatiō of one, so all things haue sprung from this onething by adaptation. His father is the sun, his mother is the moone, the wind bore it in hir belly. The earth is his nurse. The father ofallthe telesme of this world is here. His force and power is perfect, if it be turned into earth. Thou shalt seperate the earth from the fire, the thinne from the thicke, and that gently with great discretion. It ascendeth from the Earth into Heauen: and and againe it descendeth into the earth, and receiueth the power of the superiours and inferiours: so shalt thou haue the glorie of the whole worlde. All obscuritie therefore shall flie away from thee. This is the mightie power of all power, for it shal ouercome euery subtile thing, and pearce through euery solide thing. So was the worlde created. Here shall be maruailous adatpations, whereof this is the meane. Therefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus, or the thrice great Interpreter: hauing three parts of the Philosophy of the whole world. That which I haue spoken of the operation of the Sunne, is finished.

Here endeth the Table of Hermes.

A briefe Commentarie of Hortulanus the Philosopher, vpon the Smaragdine Table of Hermes of Alchimy.

The praier of Hortulanus.

LAude, honour, power and glorie, be giuen to thee, O Almightie Lorde God, with thy beloued sonne, our Lord Iesus Christ, and the holy Ghost, the comforter. O holy Trinitie, that art the onely one God, perfect man, I giue thee thankes that hauing the knowledge of the transitorie things of this worlde (least I should bee prouoked with the pleasures thereof) of thy abundant mercie thou hast taken mee from it. But for somuch as I haue knowne manie deceiued in this art, that haue not gone the right way, let it please thee, O Lord my God, that by the knowledge which thou hast giuen mee, I may bring my deare friends frō error, that when they shal perceiue the truth, they may praise thy holy and glorious name, which is blessed for euer.

Amen.

The Preface.

I Hortulanus, so called for the Gardens bordering vpon the sea coast, wrapped in a Iacobin skinne, vnworthy to be called a Disciple of Philosophie, moued with the loue of my welbeloued, doo intend to make a true declaration of the words of Hermes, the Father of Philosophers, whose words, though that they be dark and obscure, yet haue I truely expounded the whole operation and practise of the worke: for the obscuritie of the Philosophers in their speeches, dooth nothing preuaile, where the doctrine of the holy spirit worketh.

CHAP. I. That the Art of Alchimy is true and certaine.

THe Philosopher saith. It is true, to wit, that the Arte of Alchimie is giuen vnto vs. VVithout leasing. This hee saith in detestation of them that affirme this Art to bee lying, that is, false. It is certaine, that is prooued. For whatsoeuer is prooued, is most certaine, And most true. For most true golde is ingendred by Art: and he saith most true, in the superlatiue degree, because the golde ingendred by this Art, excelleth all naturall gold in all proprieties, both medicinall and others.

CHAP. II. That the Stone must be diuided into two parts.

COnsequentlie, he toucheth the operation of the stone, saying: That which is beneath, is as that which is aboue. And this he sayth, because the stone is diuided into two principall parts by Art: Into the superiour part, that ascendeth vp, and into the inferiour part, which remaineth beneath fixe and cleare: and yet these two parts agree in vertue: and therefore hee sayeth, That which is aboue, is like that which is beneath. And this diuision is necessarie, To perpetrate the myracles of one thing, to wit, of the Stone: because the inferiour part is the Earth, which is called the Nurse, and Ferment: and the superiour part is the Soule, which quickeneth the whole Stone, and raiseth it vp. Wherefore separation made, and coniunction celebrated, manie myracles are effected in the secret worke of nature.

CHAP. III. That the Stone hath in it the foure Elements.

ANd as all things haue proceeded from one, by the meditation of one. Heere giueth hee an example, saying: as all things came from one, to wit, a confused Globe, or masse, by meditation, that is the cogitation and creation of one, that is the omnipotent God: So all things haue sprung, that is, come out from this one thing that is, one confused lumpe, by A daptation, that is by the sole commaūdement of God, and miracle. So our Stone is borne, and come out of one confused masse, containing in it the foure Elements, which is created of God, and by his sole miracle our stone is borne.

CHAP. IIII. That the Stone hath Father and Mother, to wit, the Sunue and Moone.

ANd as wee see, that one liuing creature begetteth more liuing creatures like vnto it selfe: so artificially golde engendereth golde, by vertue of multiplication of the foresaid stone. It followeth therefore, the Sunne is his father, that is, Philosophers Gold. And as in euerie naturall generation, there must be a fit and conuenient receptacle, with a certaine consonancie of similitude to the father: so likewise in this artificiall generation, it is requisite that the Sunne haue a fitte and consonaunt receptacle for his seede and tincture: and this is Philosophers siluer. And therefore it followes, the Moone is his mother.

CHAP. V. That the coniunction of the parts of the stone is called Conception.

THe which two, when they haue mutuallic entertained each other in the coniunction of the Stone, the Stone conceiueth in the bellie of the winde: and this is it which afterwarde he sayeth: The winde carried it in his bellie. It is plaine, that the winde is the ayre, and the ayre is the life, and the life is the Soule. And I haue already spoken of the soule, that it quickneth the whole stone. And so it behoueth, that the wind should carry and recarry the whole stone, and bring forth the masterie: and then it followeth, that it must receiue nourishment of his nurce, that is the earth: and therefore the Philosopher saith, The earth is his Nurse: beeause that as the infant without receiuing food frō his nurse, shuld neuer come to yeres: so likewise our stone without the firmentation of his earth, should neuer be brought to effect: which said firmament, is called nourishment. For so it is begotten of one Father, with the coniunction of the Mother. Things, that is, sonnes like to the Father, if they want long decoction, shalbe like to the Mother in whitenesse, and retaine the Fathers weight.

CHAP. VI. That the Stone is perfect, if the Soule be sixt in the bodie.

IT followeth afterward: The father of all the Telesme of the whole worlde is here: that is, in the worke of the stone is a finall way. And note, that the Philosopher calleth the worke, the Father of all the Telesme: that is, of all secret, or of all treasure Of the whole worlde: that is, of euery stone found in the world, is here. As if he should say, Behold I shew it thee. Afterward the Philosopher saith, VVilt thou that I teach thee to knowe when the vertue of the Stone is perfect and compleate? to wit, when it is conuerted into his earth: and therefore he saith, His power is entire, that is, compleate and perfect, if it be turned into earth: that is, if the Soule of the stone (whereof wee haue made mention before: which Soule may be called the winde or ayre, wherein consisteth the whole life and vertue of the stone) be conuerted into the earth, to wit of the stone, and fixed: so that the whole substance of the Stone be so with his nurse, to wit earth, that the whole Stone be turned into ferment. As in making of bread a little leauen nourisheth and sermenteth a great deale of Paste: so will the Philosopher that our stone bee so fermented, that it may bee ferment to the multiplication of the stone.

CHAP. VII. Of the mundification and cleansing of the stone.

COnsequently, hee teacheth how the Stone ought to bee multiplied: but first ne setteth downe the mundification of the stone, and the separation of the parts: saying, Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, the thinne from the thicke, and that gently with great discretion. Gently, that is by little, and little, not violently, but wisely, to witte, in Philosophicall doung. Thou shalt separate, that is, dissolue: for dissolution is the separation of partes. The earth from the fire, the thinne from the thicke: that is, the lees and dregges, from the fire, the ayre, the water, and the whole substaunce of the Stone, so that the Stone may remaine most pure without all filth.

CHAP. VIII. That the vnfixed part of the Stone should exceed the fixed, and list it up.

THe Stone thus prepared, is made fit for multiplication. And now hee setteth downe his multiplication ct easie liquefaction, with a vertue to pierce as well into hard bodies, as soft, saying: It ascendeth from the earth into heauen, and again it descendeth into the earth. Here we must diligētly note, that although our stone bee diuided in the first operation into foure partes, which are the foure Elements: notwithstanding, as wee haue alreadie saide, there are two principall parts of it. One which ascendeth vpward, and is called vnfixed, and an other which remaineth below fixed, which is called earth, or firmamēt, which nourisheth and firmenteth the whole stone, as we haue already said. But of the vnfixed part we must haue a great quantity, and giue it to the stone (which is made most clean without all filth) so often by masterie that the whole stone be caried vpward, sublimating & subtiliating. And this is it which the Philosopher saith: It ascendeth from the earth into the beauen.

CHAP. IX. How the volatile Stone may againe be fixed.

AFter all these things, this stone thus exalted, must be incerated with the Oyle that was extracted from it in the first operation, being called the water of the stone: and so often boyle it by sublimation, till by vertue of the firmentation of the earth exalted with it, the whole stone doo againe descende from heauen into the earth, and remaine fixed and flowing. And this is it which the Philosopher sayth: It descendeth agayne into the earth, and so receyueth the vertue of the superiours by sublimation, and of the inferiours, by descention: that is, that which is corporall, is made spirituall by sublimation, and that which is spirituall, is made corporall by descension.

CHAP X. Of the fruit of the Art, and efficacie of the Stone.

SO shalt thou haue the glorie of the whole worlde. That is, this stone thus compounded, thou shalt possesse the glorie of this world. Therefore all obscuritie shall flie from thee: that is, all want and sicknesse, because the stone thus made, cureth euerie disease. Here is the mightie power of all power. For there is no comparison of other powers of this world, to the power of the stone. For it shall ouercome euery subtil thing, and shall pearce through euery solide thing. It shall ouercome, that is, by ouercomming, it shall conuert quicke Mercury, that is subtile, congealing it: and it shall pearce through other hard, solide, and compact bodies.

CHAP. XI. That this worke imitateth the Creation of the worlde.

HE giueth vs also an example of the composition of his Stone, saying, So was the world created. That is, like as the world was created, so is our stone composed. For in the beginning, the whole world and all that is therein, was a confused Masse or Chaos (as is aboue saide) but afterward by the workemanship of the soueraigne Creator, this masse was diuided into the soure elements, wonderfully separated and rectified, through which separation, diuers things were created: so likewise may diuers things bee made by ordering our worke, through the separation of the diuers elemēts frō diuers bodies. Here shal be wonderfull adaptations that is, Is thou shalt separate the elements, there shall be admirable compositions, fitte for our worke in the composition of our Stone, by the elements rectified: V Vherof, to wit, of which wonderfull things fit for this: the meanes, to wir, to proceede by, ishere.

CHAP. XII. An enigmaticall insinuation what the matter of the Stone shoulde be.

THerefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus. Now that he hath declared the composition of the Stone, he teacheth vs after a secret maner, wherof the Stone is made: first naming himselfe, to the ende that his schollers (who should hereafter attaine to this science) might haue his name in continuall remembrance: and then hee toncheth the matter saying: Hauing three parts of the Philosophie of the whole world: because that whatsoeuer is in the worlde, hauing matter & forme, is compounded of the foure Elements: hence is it, that there are so infinite parts of the world, all which he diuideth into three principall partes, Minerall, Vegetable, & Animall: of which iointly, or seuerally, hee had the true knowledge in the worke of the Sunne: for which cause hee faith, Hauing three parts of the Philosophic of the whole world, which parts are contained in one Stone, to wit, Philosophers Mercurie.

CHAP. XIII. VVhy the Stone is said to be perfect.

FOr this cause is the Stone saide to be perfect, because it hath in it the nature of Minerals, Vegetables, and Animals: for the stone is three, and one hauing foure nátures, to wit, the soure elements, & three colours, black, white, and red. It is also called a graine of corne, which if it die not, remaineth without fruit: but if it doo die (as is aboue said) when it is ioyned in coniunction, it bringeth forth much fruite, the afore named operations being accomplished. Thus curteous reader, if thou know the operation of the Stone, I haue told thee the truth: but if thou art ignorāt thereof, I haue said nothing. That which I haue spoken of the operation of the Sunne is finished: that is, that which hath beene spoken of the operation of the stone, of the three colours, and foure natures, existing and beeing in one onely thing, namely in the Philosophers Mercurie, is fulfilled.

Thus endeth the Commentarie of Hortulanus, vppon the Smaragdine table of Hermes, the father of Philosophers.