Section II, Book 2, member 2, chapter 2: The magneticall nature and the loadstone (part 3 of 3)

But because these demonstrations may seem unto the vulgar somewhat intricate, as being ignorant of the centrall sun of the earth, which the Philosophers call Archaeum naturae, or, The master-workman of nature. As also it will be difficult for them to conceive, what an axiltree of the earth may be, and what his poles. And again, the right use of the Load-stone, or practise in the Weather-glass, is unknown unto many a man. I will proceed unto a kind of proof and explication of this matter, which is familiar unto each person of what degree soever. It cannot be gainsaid, but that Man, and all other creatures, as well vegetable as animal, are composed of a living soul, which is internall, and a body, being his externall: The self-same also we ought to judge of the earth, for it hath an inward spirit, whereby it operateth diversly; And again, as there is no animal nor vegetable, that can exist without the aire, forasmuch as by it each thing liveth and existeth, by inspiration, (for by that means they suck in the celestiall influence) so also the aiery element doth feed the inward spirit of the earth, and conveyeth from above all the heavenly influences into her body, and maketh her the mother of all mineralls and vegetables. I told you before, that all inferiour things, with their operations, are the types or similitudes of things above; and that God did animate the Angels, the Angels did inform the stars, and the starry demons, or olympick spirits, send down influences unto the winds, and the winds do inform the catholick element of the aire four-foldly, that is to say, according unto the nature of the four winds; which four-fold information doth give or assigne a name unto the four elements. And although in the catholick aire, there is but one onely substance in essence, yet it varieth in nature after a four-fold condition, according unto the will and property of that one Spirit, which onely is the efficient actor or agent in this metamorphosis, or Protean transmutation, from one nature or form unto another, although he useth as well angelicall as starry organs; and is said, to ride upon the cherubins, and to glide upon the wings of the winds. For this reason therefore the Prophet saies, Come, O spirit, from the four winds, and breathe upon these slain bodies that they may live. He said not, Come, O spirits; but, Come, O spirit; whereby he argued, that it is but one Spirit which bloweth essentially from the four winds, and consequently, that this one spirit in essence, is but onely one thing, though four-fold in regard of his property; and that as in this archetypicall spirit, the whole world was ideally divided into poles and portions, distinguished by spirituall circles; so also in all the regions of the world, he observeth constantly the self-same character of position, namely, in the starry world, as in the airy; and in the airy as in the water and earth. For in the heavens, the northern pole is pointed at, and marked out with the starry character, which is found in the Tail of the great Bear: in the aire it is manifested in that very point, from whence Boreas or the north-wind bloweth, which doth exactly correspond unto the pole-star. Again, that the earth observeth the very same order in the direction of her pole, is confirmed, by the conversion of the Load-stone and Iron, unto the north-star. Thus you see, that it is one onely spirit in essence, that worketh all in all. I proceed therefore thus to my demonstration, which is so familiar to each person, that not any one who is in his senses can deny it; for I am sure, no man can be ignorant, that when the north-wind bloweth, the aire is of nature cold and dry, and therefore is converted into the condition and consistence of earth, namely, from a clear transparent light, subtle, dissolved, and dilated consistence of aire, into a troubled, opake or dark, gross, ponderous, and contracted substance; for experience doth teach us, that it is transmuted into snow, hail, frost, and ice; that is, from an aery spirit, unto an earthly and sol[…]d body; from an invisible and mobile estate, unto a visible and fixt disposition. And, in conclusion, the whole aire is changed into a spirituall and corporall earth; and this transmutation it hath from that cold, dry, and attractive form, which it borrowed from the northern wind, or septentrionall property of the divine spirit, which ordereth all things, and altereth them from one form unto another, by the breath of his nostrills, (as Scriptures allegoriously speak) or by those windy emissions, or angelicall emanations, which it sendeth from the four corners of the earth. So that by his breath from the north, he exerciseth that property in the lower world, by the which he draweth or attracteth from the circumference unto the center, and so congealeth, inspissateth, and hardeneth soft spirits, by contraction and coarctation of those parts, which before were porous and dilated. But some will perchance reply, and say, How is it likely, that the emanation or emission of spirits, from the port of Binah, under the Attribute of ELOHIM, or the streaming forth of the breath or blasts from Boreas, and his two collateralls, can harden by contraction, or suck and draw in spirits, from the circumference unto the center, when their emissions are straight from the north southward, and make no reflexion, whereby any such motion, à circumferentia ad centrum, should be made? I answer, That this is effected after a wonderfull fashion, and worthy to be pondered by the choisest wits. We must consider therefore in the first place, that the property of the Attribute ELOHIM, was before all beginning ordained, to indue the negative or contractive nature of the eternall Unity's Nolunty, namely, of darkness; for when God will not shew the light of his countenance, he reflecteth his light in himself, that is, he withdraweth it from the circumference to the center, and leaveth onely darkness unto the creatures. This property of God is antipatheticall unto such parts of the world, as also unto all such creatures, as have their life from a naturall heat, which heat had its beginning from Gods benevolent emanation, that is, from the act of unity, by an emission or dilatation from the center unto the circumference, I mean, from unity into multitude. It followeth therefore, that though the emission of winds from the north be streight, yet their essentiall property, proceeding immediately from Gods angelicall organ, is contractive and attracting from the circumference unto the center, seeing that it is an emission, which, by the divine Spirits emanation and action in the nature of ELOHIM, is cold, dry, coagulative, or congealing, and apt to rest, and is therefore antipatheticall and oppugnant unto the disposition of the air, forasmuch as it is hot and moist, and consequently is animated by the dilative action, which the catholick spirit sendeth or breatheth out of the celestiall Sun, and other vivifying stars, as are Jupiter and Venus. And for this cause it followeth, that when the Boreall spirits are sent forth into the aire, it must needs succeed, that, at the antipatheticall contract of these cold spirits, the naturall heat or life of the aire flyeth, or with-draweth it self from its circumference unto its center, and so partly by that contractive motion in it self, caused per antiperistasin, or by reason of the antipatheticall occurrence, or meeting of his contrary, and partly by mingling of a new terrestriall form, it is congealed, and falleth to the earth as if it were dead, because unmovable, in the form of snow, hail, frost, and ice. In like manner we see, that the aery life in other creatures, whose formall beeing consisteth of Gods dilating property, is forced to fly from the circumference unto the center, leaving the externall parts chil, cold, and apt to a deadly congelation, or lethall repose, which we observe not onely in animal creatures, but also in vegetables, seeing that their blood, (as I may tearm it) or vitall suck, is congealed, by the winter and northern cold, and is, as it were, liveless, untill by the vivifying and dilative sorce of the ensuing Vernall, or Springly and Australl vertue, it is resolved and melted again, and the severe tye or icy knot of the northern nature undone. For this reason therefore you may discern, that there is but one catholick element, which is partly subject and obnoxious unto the privative and dark contracting, and consequently attracting property of Gods Spirit, and partly capable to endue his positive and light dilating disposition; and that this common subject is the spirit or aire of the sublunary world, which by lesse inspissation or contraction, caused by the west winds, is made water; and by more compression and constriction, caused by the northern and winter blasts, becommeth snowy or icy earth: And contrariwise, by lesse dilatation and subtiliation, is made aery or vaporous, caused by the spring season, and south wind, and by a greater rarefaction and exaltation it is made fire, by the dominion of such spirits as are sent out from the east, and summers heat; and both these main, two-fold, divided properties, belong unto one and the same Spirit, as is before related. Verily, this common demonstration can deceive no man, being that the very unreasonable creatures are moved by a naturall inclination, either to sympathize and rejoyce with the clemency and comfort of the one property, or to fly from or eschew the severer assaults of the other, which do antipathize with their nature. But to our main business. It is manifest by that which is already said, that the northern breath is contractive, attractive, inspissative, and apt to darkness, immobility, and rest; and that the south-winde, or rather the winde from the Aequinoctiall, is contrary in nature unto it, as being ready to undo all that the north winde did effect, namely, to dissolve the congealed aire, which was made snow, frost, hail, ice, into water, and water into aire, to make transparent that which was dark, and render thin that which was before thick: And therefore between these properties there is no more sympathy, then I have shewed you to be between the Load-stones Aequinoctiall, and the Pole. And again, that both these opposite natures proceed, and spring from one and the same divine and catholick spirit, which operateth all in all, every where, and consequently as well in earth as in heaven, this testimony of the true Philosophy doth manifestly confirm and import: Deo emittente sermonem suum in terram quam celerrimè excurrit, qui nives emittit sicut lanam, & pru[…]nam quasi cineres dispergit, dejicit gelu tanquam frusta, coram frigore ejus quis consistat? Emittit verbum suum & liquefacit ista, simul ac efflat ventum suum, effluunt aquae. God sendeth forth his word, it runneth forth most swiftly upon the earth, who produceth snow like wool, and spreadeth abroad the frost like ashes, and casteth down the ice as it were pieces, Who is able to resist against his cold? He sendeth forth his word and melteth or dissolveth all these; so soon as he breatheth forth his wind or Spirit, the congealed waters begin to flow and move. Whereby it appeareth, that the Word or Spirit of God congealeth by one property, and dissolveth by another: and consequently as God is all one in essence; so it is one and the same Spirit that effecteth these four-fold alterations, in one catholick spirit of the world, which are by the Ancients called distinct Elements; because they cuold never as yet throughly determine, what was the essentiall form of the Elements. But if they had well considered the four Elements, of the which they spake so much, and, as it should seem, understood essentially but little, or had they well conceived that heaven and earth were made of water, and by water by the Word, as Sacred Philosophy teacheth us, then they would have known also, that the common substantiall Subject of them all, was but one created watery spirit; also that this spirits four-fold information, was effected by one increating formall essence or Divine Word, acting and informing that universall Element by a four-fold emanation; so that the will of one creating Spirit, effected by, and working in, four Angells of an opposit nature, maketh disposeth, or changeth every day this one spirituall watery Subject into this or that Element, according unto the Will of the Creator. All which is evidently demonstrated by the wether-glass: For the aire therein inclosed, doth by contraction or dilatation, convert it self into the form of any of the Elements, and is altered therein, according as the nature of the Macrocosmicall blast or wind that bloweth. Now whereas it may be objectively demanded, From whence then came the earth and waters, that are resident perpetually here beneath? I answer, That they are the effects, which the winds by the Will of God or ELOHIM RUACH did originally produce, and these were framed first out of the aire, namely by thickning it by one degree into water, and ingrossing it by another into solid and fixt earth, as it appeared by the third daies Creation, where it was said, that Aridum apparuerit ex aquis: Dry-land did appear out of the waters. But the Divine Philosopher St. Paul doth confirm all this, where he affirmeth, that we ought to believe by Faith, that those things which are visible, were first of things invisible and unseen. And again, if that the two lower bodies did not resolve themselves by little and little, though insensibly into aire, it would not be possible that the earth or the water could hold that abundance of Water, Stones, Brimstone, caused of Lightnings, and such like, which falleth from the aire; and yet we see that neither the aire, nor water, nor earth, are at any time found bigger then their naturall accustomed proportions. By this therefore I have sufficiently expressed unto you, the attractive and contractive property of the Northern Pole in the aire; which inferreth thus much, that as the Northern blasts are enemies unto life, because they contract from the circumference to the Center, which is contrary unto the act of man's life, therefore all things that are reduced into a chill, cold, and Northern property, be they airy, watery, or earthy, they draw strongly unto them, as it is proved by the weather-glass: For the included aire being animated, by the effects of a strong and obstinate Northern wind, sucketh and draweth the waters on high, namely from the Aequinoctiall point of the glass, unto the Center of the North Pole, which is assigned by the head of the mattras; and also by the same reason congealed spirits in any earthly substance, do suck or draw from the exteriour to the interior; as we observe that Bole Armoniack sucketh moysture unto it; and also all other earth when it is throughly dry, and that in his own naturall condition, namely because it being of the quality of the North, it sucketh and draweth strongly a watery moysture; but this is by reason of his drought; the attraction therefore in the Load-stone is otherwise. For it having the essentiall nature of its mother Earth, and the virtue of the North in his Pole, draweth the masculine Sulphureous spirits out of Iron greedily, and that with a feminine appetite by reason of the propinquity, and likeness of one nature unto another. The like regard also hath the Pole star unto the Load-stone, as the Load-stone hath unto the Iron, which is his like: For Natura Natura suá gaudet & laetatur: Nature is glad and rejoyceth in her like nature: as Empedocles doth truly testifie. But both the Iron and the Load-stone are of one myne, one vein, and one nature, seeing that both of them are of an earthly and boreall disposition, and therefore the Load-stone and his formall included spirits, being more encombred with superfluities, then the refined Iron, doth as it were (either for their assistance, namely to be delivered from that incombrance) draw unto them their like, out of the purified Iron or Steel, by a wonderfull appetite, and in this action suck unto it the Iron, who (as unwilling to leave its formall spirit) doth follow by a naturall continuity, the motion of its formall beams, or else for comfort and consolation, yea, and formal refection's cause; no otherwise then the cold materiall female doth the more formall male, to be refreshed by the masculine seed or sulphureous Form, which they both received from that generall Agent's ideal Northern nature, that sustaineth and animateth the earth. I will prove it by a similitude, but in a vegetable substance. We observe, that the grain of wheat, not participating with the nature of the earth, that is, so long as it is above ground and not sown, attracteth not his like from heaven; but when it is committed unto the earth, and the earth by corruption hath unloosed his bands, his spirits suck down from above the Sunbeams, and celestiall influences of his fixt constellation and erratick Planet in quantity; that thereby it may be delivered, and rise again by the celestiall beams of his own nature, that descend from heaven, and principally from the Sun; so that like being added to his like, becommeth the stronger in ascention: For experience teacheth us, that the celestiall included form or vitall beam creepeth out of the earth upwards, tending by all his appetite unto its ethereal native home, from whence it came; but because the Element of fire is contiguous unto the aethereal spirit, therefore it will not permit these aethereall or sunny-beams, to ascend without it, and because the aire is a near-cleaving and continued neighbour unto the fire, therefore it will not permit the fire to ascend without his presence: and again, the water challengeth the self-same priviledge, namely to ascend with the aire: and lastly, the earth will not let the water move upwards without her company, as being next of her race, and therefore will have the self-same prerogative with the other three. But because the earth is ponderous and cannot ascend, she holdeth it fast below, and will not permit the spirit to sore higher; and so those beamy spirits which seemed to descend, for the freedom of their brethren, are by these Elementary ties, or rather the four-fold disposition of one Element detained, and made to hover, and hang in the aire; where insteed of flying upwards to heaven, they do multiply into many graines. And I have noted by mine own experience, namely by anatomising of corn, with the fiery knife of distillation, that the female in corn, which sucketh down the celestiall influences of the like nature, is a pure volatil Salt, of a refined or aereall terrestrial condition; but rich in celelestiall fire, and therefore made volatil and airy by the union of both extreames; so that it is this female, which allureth and draweth down magnetickly, beams from above, and holdeth them fast to multiply its own nature; even like the fowler, that maketh use of a captived bird, to allure others of the same kind unto his netts. But as for the female mineral nature, because the body of it is more compacted, and not corruptible; it sucketh unto it for the self-same reason, namely by the attractive virtue of his stiptick and attractive salt, the essentiall beams of Iron, as from a star of his own nature, to solace and redeem his spirits, and consequently with the spirit it sucketh also the masculine body; forasmuch as the one cannot be well devided from the other, and when it hath them it retaineth them; partly for a consolation and corroboration; and partly for a multiplication of his essence. And therefore those Philosophers are deceived, which averre, that the Load-stone doth not secretly feed upon the formall spirits of Iron, because though its force was preserved by immersing or burying of it in a bag of filings or scales of Iron; yet because neither the Load-stone was augmented, nor the Iron diminished in waight, they conclude that it doth not nourish. But they ought to know, that the formall beams in the aire, doth adde no more waight unto it, then the light of a candle doth to the glass, or water in which it shineth; and yet it nourisheth formally, that is, it multiplieth in formall essence, though not in materiall substance or quantity. To conclude, as the externall cold, causeth the formall heat in the aire to contract it self, in flying and retiring it self, from the circumference unto the Center, to eschew the assaults of his adversary; so also the externall cold, doth compact it into a more solid space by an antiperistaticall reverberation, and contraction, caused by the Northern cold's penetration. But in the Load-stone the spirit is Saturnine, and doth not otherwise suck in his like, by the assistance also of a Saturnine body, animated by the drouth of a Martial nature, which also is by some ascribed unto the North: But moreover, it affecteth his like in the Iron, and therefore by a sympatheticall desire is the more animated unto that business of Attraction. And it should appear, besides all this, that there is an attractive property also in the body of the Iron, which sucketh unto it the spirits of the Loadstone, no otherwise than the male or Mars doth in his nature covet and affect Venus; but because the female, by reason of her coldness, doth most affect and desire the company of the male, the spirituall beams of her affection doth with the most fervency desire and covet, and therefore draw and allu[…]e the beams of the male, (which is of a hotter, and for that reason of a more perfect nature) unto her; and this is observed in the Iron, which I take for the male, for though it, of it self, without the Load-stones assistance, doth convert his poles, by a naturall inclination, unto the poles of the world, yet we observe, that it is more slowly, and with the lesser appetite, and therefore more formall than materiall.

I collect therefore, upon that which is already said, that two like things, which are of the nature of the Aequinoctiall and temperate Zone, do affect and embrace one another, by a sympatheticall emission of beams, from the center unto the circumference; and such is the love of those creatures, which live by the property of a positive emanation, as are animals, which are of a hot disposition, be they dry or moist; and therefore they do not sensibly draw one spirit unto another, but work by the union which is made by a conjunction, or concurrency together of lights, after an emission of their formall beams. And these have a reference unto the spirits property, which issueth from the east and south winds, whose natures are to dilate from the center, and therefore not to contract from the circumference. Contrariwise, two like natures, which embrace the property of the Poles, and cold Zones, do affect and hug one another by contraction, namely, by sucking and drawing of each nature from the circumference unto their center, even as we see one Load-stone divided in the middle, will draw and suck another unto it self, till both parts of it be fitly joyned together, in the very place or equinoctiall of their division; and after this fashion also is that attractive affection made, which is between the iron and the Loadstone, which are creatures subject unto Saturn, V[…]rgo, and the Pole-star.

From these Physicall and Astronomicall assertions of ours, the Chimycall contemplation varieth not much; for if in that kind of speculation, we do observe the nature of the Load-stone, we shall find it not to spring from any naturall, but rather from a monstrous birth or generation, forasmuch as it is noted to proceed from unequall and unlike parents, as the Mule doth; for if we observe well the manner of its composition, we shall finde, that his mother, or passive corporeall masse, is a common, stony, and earthly Mercury; and that his father, or active form, is a metallick, or sulphureous Martiall spirit: And, in conclusion, we shall perceive, that their mixtion is effected in this manner: The Mercuriall liquor of a stony, earthly, or Saturnine nature, being as yet in its first matter or shell, as it were, and being a near neighbour unto the Mercury of Mars, (for these two natures are most commonly found near, and in company one of another) did hereupon, and for this cause, acquire unto it self, a light transmutation, and so do appear to be joyned together by a streight, contiguous, and almost continued union; so that the composition doth obtain a mean existence, between the nature of a Martiall mettle, and a Saturnine stone, and may well be tearmed a Mercury, metamorphosed by halves, or a kind of a Hermophroditicall Saturnine-Mercury; into the which, when the Sulphureous Martiall spirits, as the metallick form, do enter, it receiveth those Martiall spirits, and conserveth them in its womb, as their proper passive and mother; and by that means, the mass is coagulated into a stony body.

Now since every spirit, and consequently this of the Load-stone, desireth to be nourished by that which is nearest and likest unto his own nature, the which nature or spirit is onely found in Iron, it happeneth for this reason, that the inward martiall spirit of the Load-stone, doth draw the body of Iron unto it, and after an occult manner, doth seem to suck his nourishment out of it; I conceive therefore, that the fixt salt in the Iron or Load-stone, is partly of a hot and dry Martiall nature, and consequently of a fiery earthly condition; and partly of a cold and dry, stiptick, and Saturnine faculty, which also it receiveth from its earth; and therefore there concurreth two testimonies of strange attraction in the Load-stone. And because Venus is said to be the female friend, and companion unto Mars, she doth add a strong concupiscible desire unto the attraction, and bridleth the irascible and odible property in Mars, by her feminine embraces. If we look seriously into the inward nature of Iron, or steel, we shall find all this to be manifested by effect, for I have with a certain familiar Menstruum, reduced all the body of Steel into a kind of Copperis or Vitriol, which nature of minerall salt is familiar with, as well to Copper as Iron; for Vitriol is by the same reason extracted out of Copper. Now we shall find in Vitriol or Copperis, a hot burning corrosive nature, and an earthy attracting sulphur, which sucketh unto it as Bole Armoniack, or Terra Sigillata doth moisture: whereby it is evident, that as well a Martiall and Saturnine, as Venerian condition, concur in the magneticall or ferruginous salt. Again, we shall find, that the influxions of Mars do mingle themselves naturally with the northern wind, and agree well with the nature of the earth, by reason that in the circulation of elements, the earth doth, in regard of her siccity, consent and sympathize with the fire. Again, Ptolomy doth ascribe those Aquilonary winds, which are violent, unto Mars his influences; moreover, that Mars his spirit is the cause of the attractive vertue, in each corrosive salt, and gum that is subject unto it, it is well manifested in Euphorbium, Scamony, Laureola, Flammula, and hot corrosive Venomes; for these (as Hermes telleth us) are subject unto Mars his Constellation. Hereupon we finde, that Vitriol is cold, acid, and stiptick in his externall; and yet hot, caustick, and corrosive in his interiour. And again, Iron (which is called Mars, because it is subject unto Mars his influences) is Vitriol or Copperis in his interiour; as also Copper, (which is a minerall subject unto the Constellation of Venus and therefore is called Venus.)