Solomon Trismosin - Splendor Solis (English), 1920

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:

SPLENDOR SOLIS Alchemical Treatises OF

SOLOMON TRISMOSIN ADEPT AND TEACHER OF PARACELSUS

Including 22 Allegorical Pictures Reproduced from the Original Paintings in the Unique Manuscript on Vellum, dated 1582, in the British

With Introduction, Elucidation

Museum.

of the Paintings, aiding the

Interpretation of their Occult meaning, Trismosin's Auto-

biographical Account of his Travels in Search of the Philosopher's Stone,

A SUMMARY OF HIS ALCHEMICAL PROCESS CALLED " THE RED LION," and

EXPLANATORY NOTES

BY J.K.

LONDON KEGAN PAUL. TRENCH. TRUBNER & Broadway House,

CO.. LTD.,

68-74 Carter Lane, E.C. 4.

To THE Eternal Memory of

JOSEPH WALLACE Mystic, Healer, and Revealer of

Occult Truth.

My Revered Teacher and I

in

Friend

Dedicate this Book

which he was Deeply Interested J.K.

w

HEN

in the

period of the Renaissance, men's

minds were waking from the long sleep of mediaeval darkness, Solomon Trismosin, one of the less

known Adepts

Alchemy, went

of

in search of that secret knowledge,

the possession

which leads to Alchemical Adeptship.

His romantic

forth of

INTRODUCTORY.

Wanderings

Quest of the Philosopher's Stone, he has

in

himself described, and

if

he declares to have reached that

Eldorado of Hermetic Knowledge wherein although we

Stone,

Philosopher's

doubt his word, we

is

may

are, nevertheless

found the prized feel

inclined

to

not in a position to

entirely dispute his statement.

For since the discovery of radioactive substances chemical theory has vastly changed.

chemical Elements

is

The very Elementality

of the

questioned, and the alchemical idea,

that Metals can be decomposed into three ultimate principles

:

Salt,

absurd after

and Sulphur,

Mercury,

may

not be so

all.

Let us therefore examine the actual documents remaining of the Alchemists, especially those of reputed Adepts, that

they

may

be studied by the Light of the most recent

re-

search of Chemical and Physical Science, and the riddle of

the Hermetic Sphinx

may

In the book before us

yet be solved.

—provided 7

with those wonderful

INTRODUCTORY by an unknown

allegorical pictures, executed

mosin in veiled language and by means of

artist,

artistic

Tris-

Symbols

mind about that mysterious and disputed

reveals

his

subject

—the

Here then

Red Tincture is

—the

Philosopher's Stone.

a rare, and at

one time, highly prized,,

Alchemical Classic, written by an adept, rescued from the oblivion of over three centuries, fair trial

—why not

give the

book a

?

It evidently

has a two-fold meaning, and like the Book

in Revelations, is written within

As a Guide

to Physical

SoLis stands both for

and

and without.

Spiritual Adeptship,

Splendor

Gold Splendour and Soul Splen-

dour, and intends to convey the Secret of Physical Alchemy

by the

text,

and

of Spiritual

Alchemy by the

Allegorical

pictures.

For

this reason, as

Photography cannot reproduce the

beautiful colourings of the Manuscript's original paintings,

a minute description of the 22 pictures,

fully

aware of their

Mystic meaning, has been inserted in the middle of the text of

Splendor

figures

may

Solis, that the allegorical importance of the

not be overlooked.

Their Mystic Meaning seems

to be identical with that of the 22 keys of the Tarot, and

they observe the same order.

For the Spiritual Interpretation 8

of these Mystic Pictures,

INTRODUCTORY the above-mentioned minute Descriptions will be found to

be very suggestive. has both

For as

Splendor Solis

observed,

a Physical-Alchemical,

and a Spiritual-Mystic

meaning.

The Alchemical theory Process,

possibly the

describes in veiled terms a Gold

very process of which Kiesewetter

The Occult

observes, in his History of

stretches through the History of It

may,

for all that

Alchemy

that

Sciences, like

it

a Sea-serpent.

be the true Process, that has been

transmitted by tradition, and the Sea-serpent

maybe

a living

aquatic monster, that has survived the Deluge and other

Cataclysms in some deep sea cave.

It is

with the Philosopher's Stone as with the Sea-serpent,

some say they have seen kind has not

;

while the whole mass of

it,

but the evidence of the few who have seen,

outweighs the opinion of the

A

thing

still is,

many who have

it

may

What is unknown, may be ignored, it is

it.

be universal, and remain

universally unknown, yet, nevertheless,

it,

not.

though people know nothing about

Like Argon or Neon,

nothing about

man-

it

exists.

but, although

we know

there, for all that.

Whether we consider Alchemy

as a Science of Occult

Chemistry, or as a Kabbalistic Art of Spiritual Regeneration, 9

INTRODUCTORY the process Splendor Solis endeavours to communicate is

equally remarkable and curious.

As a

Spiritual-Mystic book,

Splendor Solis stands not

only for imparting knowledge of the Splendour, or Occult Chemical,

possibly

Radioactive

and

Creative

Disassociated and Spiritualised Gold,

Mystic Gold,

it

—the Divine Soul, the God and Gold of True

name

as its

of

intends also the

Hermetic Philosophy.

The Secret of Hermetic Science or is

Power

indicates

Philosophy

SOUL-KNOWLEDGE.

:

Hermetic Science does not relate to material things, but uses Alchemical symbols as a blind for Spiritual Realities.

It

is

an Alchemy of the Mind and Soul, a Spiritual

Alchemy.

Thus

JACOB BEHMEN

is

an Adept

of

Hermetic

Philosophy, but not an Adept in Physical Alchemy.

His Philosophy the Philosopher's Stone Illumination,

is

In

a S3anbol for Divine

and the Mastery, or Great Work,

relates to the

Regeneration of the Soul.

A study of

the

Works

of

Jacob Behmen, especially of the

"AURORA"—the Sun— or Soul—rise give an idea of the Life of

One meaning

God

in the Mind, will

in the Soul of

Man.

should, however attempt to understand the inner of

Behmen's phraseology, before reading any 10

of his

INTRODUCTORY Works, as otherwise they are merely curious, but studied esoterically they are Divine.

Behmen—^the name

has been naturaUsed in England

three hundred years ago, and

BoEHME,

—frequently

definition of

that

it is

and fragrance to vanishes, pallor

uses it

all

is

and decay

result.

It is

the Spirit of the

Soul, and the

and beings who upholds

we say the Soul-Power

in

Nature.

of

which Man's Mind

God with

the

of all time.

It

is

is

the

Sole-Power

the supreme Mind that rules is

The

a part.

God-Man was known Thereon

is

based

and

all,

identity of the

Man-

to the Divine Philosophers

all

Divine Philosophy.

It

the proof of the Truth of the Occult, the Occult Truth.

Out living is

and colour

For when Tincture

for Life is

things

His

with His Everpresence.

Therefore

is

all

German

Tincture.

gives lustre to metals, It is the Life.

flowers.

the Soul of

word

the

Creator, the Father of All, Creator

preferable to the

is

of the Ether

comes Man's Soul, a part

of the Creator,

by His Everpresence, bearing within Man's Mind, which

capable of knowing

As Man's Mind

all things.

unfolds. Nature's secrets are revealed,

and

her Forces are invaded, showing that Mind rules the All,

and Man's Mind

The

is

fact that

One with the All-Mind of the Creator. man can meister Nature, shows, that he II

INTRODUCTORY has and

is

a part of the Power that maintams the Universe.

The Creator thinks

as

man

as the Creator thinks his

The It is

object of

and when man thinks

thinks,

Thought

Truth.

is

our being here,

is

to gain Experience.

our Duty to ascend to the heights of the Mind, and take

stock of Existence, in as far as

it

affects us.

Knowledge

thus gained will be the starting point of our mental career

Wisdom

beyond.

acquired here,

is

the beginning of Divine

Many do not gain Wisdom, but all gain Experience.

Those who rise to the height of their being, may, or may not, Wisdom.

give out their view to the world, or to that portion that of

them the main thing ;

is

knows

to rise to a coign of vantage,

get the Mind-View, that the Soul

and while having experience

may

be re-born in the

of Matter, to master

and

flesh,

it.

EST IN MERCURIO SOLIS

gUOD QUAERUNT SAPIENTES J.K.

12

THIS BOOK IS

NAMED

SPLENDOR SOLIS OR

Splendour of the Sun DIVIDED INTO SEVEN PARTS. IN WHICH IS DESCRIBED THE HIDDEN MYSTERY OF THE OLD PHILOSOPHERS, AS WELL AS ALL THAT NATURE REQUIRES TO CLEARLY ACCOMPLISH THE WHOLE WORK, INCLUDING ALL THE ADDED THINGS; AFTER WHICH NO ONE SHALL BE ADVISED TO GRAPPLE WITH THE MYSTERY OF

AND

IS

THE NOBLE ART WITH HIS OWN SENSES. I

AM THE WAY AND EVEN ROAD,

WHO

PASSES HERE WITHOUT A REST,

WILL FIND A GOODLY LIFE ABODE,

AND

IN

THE END BE EVER BLESSED. 14

Plate I.— SPLENDOR SOLIS. \Jace f. 15.]

PREFACE

ALPHIDIUS, " Every one

one of the old Philosophers, said:

who

does not care for the trouble of

obtaining the Philosopher's Stone, will do better

making no

in

The same Lights "

:

also says

" Let

them most

it

Rhases, in his book " Light of

be said then to

earnestly, that

to understand the for as

enquiries at all than only useless ones."

RosiNUS says

all,

I

none be so foolhardy to presume

unknown intermixture :

hereby admonish

" All

who engage

of the elements,'*

in this Art,

and are

wanting the knowledge and perception of things, which the Philosophers have

immensely a

;

natural

Though

it is

described

in

for the Philosophers

beginning, but of

evident that

are maintained

and Influence

and

all

their

books,

have founded

a

very

are

erring

this art in

hidden

operation.'

corporeal things originate in

exist of the Earth, according to

of the Stars

and Planets, as

:

Sun,

and

Time

Moon and

the others, together with the four qualities of the elements,

which

are

therein,

thing in

without

intermission,

and

working

thereby creating every growing and procreating its

individual form, sex and substance, as

created at the Beginning >all

moving

by God, the

first

Creator, consequently

metals, originate in the earth of a special and peculiar

16

PREFACE matter produced by the four properties of the four elements,

which generate

in their

mixture the metallic

force,

under

the influence of their respective planets.

All this

is

in the fourth

Quicksilver

well described

by the natural master Aristotle,

Book Meteorologicorum, when he is

be known that

a matter first

in

common

Nature

is

to all metals.

the

says, that

But

it

must

compound matter

of

the four elements.

In acknowledging this property of Nature, the Philosophers

called

their

Matter Mercurius,

or

Quicksilver.

How this Mercurius takes the perfect form of Gold, silver or other metals through the working of nature need not

be mentioned here. describe

The teachers

it sufficiently

Upon such

is

of Nature's Philosophy

in their books.

based and

founded the

Art

of

the

Philosopher's Stone; for it originates in Nature, thence follows

a natural end in a just form, through just and natural means.

16

THE FIRST TREATISE In the following Treatise

we

shall discourse on

THE origin of THE StONE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS AND THE

Art HOW to produce

THE

Philosopher's Stone

it.

produced by means of

is

the Greening and Growing Nature.

Hali Stone fore

the

Philosopher,

things sprout and

is

reduced to

come

she gives

it,

aided,

in

its

" This

:

Where-

former nature, whereby

forth in ordained time,

decocted and putrefied in the

by Art may be

thereof

growing, greening things."

rises in

when the Green

says

way

it

must be That

of our secret art.

what Nature decocts and

putrefies, until

due time, the proper form, and our Art but

adapts and prepares the Matter as becomes Nature, for such

work, and for such work provides

Wisdom, a

also,

with premeditated

suitable vessel.

For Art does not undertake to produce Gold and anew, as it

it

cannot endow matter with

nor

is

necessary to search our Art in the places and caverns of the

earth,

where minerals have their

quite another

way

to

first

beginning.

work and with

from Nature, therefore does Art instruments.

17

B

its first origin,

Silver,

different

Art goes intention

also use different tools

and

THE FIRST TREATISE For that reason can Art produce extraordinary things out of the aforesaid natural beginnings such as Nature of herself

would never be able to

For unaided Nature

create.

does not produce things whereby imperfect metals can in a

moment be made

but by the secrets of Our Art this

perfect,

can be done.

Here Nature serves Art with Matter, and Art serves I

I

Nature with suitable Instruments and method convenient for

Nature to produce such new forms

and although the

;

before mentioned Stone can only be brought to

form by Art, yet the form of every thing be

existence c

bthe f~

by

human But

it

it living,

proper

For the form

from Nature.

is

its

growing, or metallic, comes into

virtue of the interior force in matter

—except

soul.

must be borne

mind that the

in

cannot originate in matter unless accidental form, not

by

it

is

essential

by the

effect of

virtue of that form, but

of another real substance, which

is

form

by

an

virtue

the Fire or some other

[accidental active heat.

By way form

of

of allegory,

the

chicken

we take a can

hen's egg

not take

;

in this the

shape,

the presence and aid of accidental form, which

is

without the inter-

mixture of the red with the white, by virtue of the heat

coming from the hatching hen, and although the egg 18

is

the

THE FIRST TREATISE hen's material, nevertheless

it

cannot develop either

or accidental form, otherwise than is

by

its real

putrefaction, which

caused by the influence of warmth, so can also neither

the real nor the accidental form of the Philosopher's Stone originate in their natural matter without the agency of

Putrefaction or Decoction, of which

we

shall

speak here-

after.

Putrefaction takes place when the natural heat

of a / i

moist body

is

expelled

by an

natural heat of the subject

external heat, or else

when the

destroyed by cold.

For then

is

the natural warmth leaves everything and gives room to putrefaction.

The Philosophers do not mean Their Putrefaction

may

is

this

kind of Putrefaction,

a moistening of dry bodies, that they

be restored to their former state of Greening and

Growing.

In this process of Putrefaction, moist and dry are joined together and not destroyed, but the moisture

parated from the dryness, then

it

is

is

quite se-

necessary to separate

the dry parts that turned to ashes.

This Incineration the Philosophers will also not have,

but they

will

trituration

and

have their Putrefaction, which calcination^ to be

is

a drying,

done in such wise, that the

natural moisture and dryness be united together, but se19

THE FIRST TREATISE /

parated and dried up from the superfluous moisture that

{

is

destructive.

Even

as

the food

animal's stomach, that

being absorbed on entering an

is

may

it

be digested and changed and

afterwards supply the feeding force and moisture necessary to the existence and augmentation of nature, and be separated of its superfluous parts. in its

way

according to

How its

then ever3rthing has to be fed

nature will be shown in the afore-

said Philosopher's Stone.

20

Plate II.— THE

FIRST TREATISE. [/ace pi. iii.]

Plate III.— THE

SECOND TREATISE. yace

fl. ii.]

THE SECOND TREATISE MATTER AND NATURE OF THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

MORIENUS work

says

You

:

shall

know

that the whole

two Operations hanging

of this Art ends in

very close together, so that when the one the

plete,

com-

finish,

this

But as they only act on

their

may

other

perfecting the whole Mastery.'^

own matter, it is Geber says in

is

begin and

necessary to give more particulars about "

his

Summa Perfections Magisteri

it.

in

SUA Natura " " that Nature produces the Metals from Mercury and Suphur," and

Ferrarius speak

in his "

to

the

same

we

effect

Treatise on Alchemy,"

see

in the

25th chapter, that from the beginning of the Origin of Metals,

Nature also uses a slimy, heavy water, mixed with a very peculiar white sulphuric subtile earth, which resolves the

former into a steam and vapour, raises crevices of the earth

together so long,

till

and

it

in the veins or

decocts, steams

at last dryness

collects it

and moisture completely

unite, thereby forming the substance

which we

and which constitutes the peculiar and very 21

and

call

first

Mercury,

Matter of

THE SECOND TREATISE metals,

all

follows

:

and again he

" Those

who

treats of

it

in the 26th chapter as

will imitate nature, are

not to use

Mercury only, but Mercury mixed with Sulphur, but not the

common Mercury and

Sulphur, but those only which

Nature herself has mixed, well prepared and decocted into a sweet

fluid.

In such a Mercury Nature has begun with

primary action and ended in a metallic nature, having thus

done her part, leaving the

rest for

Art to complete her work,

into a perfect Philosopher's Stone.

From the

aforesaid

it

will

properly in this Art, shall according to

begin where nature has

and

left off,

and Mercury which nature has in

who

be seen that he

all

will

proceed

Philosophers^,

Sulphur

shall take that

collected in its purest form,

which took place the immediate union, which otherwise

cannot be accomplished by anybody without

art.

In order to receive the force that penetrates such subtle Matter, solve

it,

some Alchemists

calcinate

and separate the elements

Gold that they

may

until they reduce

volatile spirit or to the subtle nature of the greasy

of

Mercury and Sulphur, and

it

dis-

to a

fumes

this then is the nearest matter,

that combines most closely with gold, and receives of the occult Philosopher's Stone, this matter

is

th)e

form

called the Mer-

cury of the Philosophers, about which Aristotle, speaking to

Alexander

the King, says

22

:

" Chose for our Stone that

;

THE SECOND TREATISE wherewith kings are decorated and crowned."

Though

Mercury alone

this

the matter and the one

is

only thing and a combination of other things, yet thing so manifold

in its effects,

and

in its

is

this

names, that no one

can find out the true meaning from the writings of the Philosophers, and this says, " that every one It is at the

is

done

may

for the

not get at

same time a way

purpose as RosiNUS it."

of producing effects

and a

vessel wherein all things multiply themselves, because of the

adjustment of

all

things comprised in Nature.

For now the Philosophers say

and sublimate ascend,

make

and says

we sublimate and

if

:

"

You must know

is

pose of dissolution, dissolving

which It

is

origin

coagulate it,

it,

make

and ever up

to

it

an

Alphidius Confirms

that

when we

dissolve

and calcinate without interruption,"

being thrown into the water, for the purit first

turns black, then separates

and sublimating,

its

dry

in thPLSJtmp^y^ssfil "

as well

our Corpus

it,

" dissolve the thing,

of operations, all ofjyhich-iake_place at

the jamejuBfi anrl this

distil it,

descend, soak

it

number

indefinite

and then

it,

:

and

it

unites itself with

itself,

the spirit

birth.

has been compared as analogous to

all

things in the

world, visible or invisible, possessed of a soul or not, cor-

poreal or animal, dead or alive,

23

mineral or vegetative

THE SECOND TREATISE analogous to the elements and their compositions, to things hot and cold, further to

all colours, all fruits, all birds,

in short

between

among

to

all

all

things

Heaven and Earth, and

these are belonging to this Art the aforesaid

operations, which are explained

word "

and

Man

by the Philosophers

and Wife," or " Milk and Cream."

in

two

He who

does not understand these does not understand the preparation of this Art.

24

Plate IV.— THE

THIRD TREATISE. [face f. 25.]

;

THE THIRD TREATISE NOW FOLLOWS THE MEANS WHEREBY THE WHOLE WORK OF THIS MASTERY IS PERFECTED ;

EXPLAINED BY A FEW SUITABLE ILLUSTRATIONS, PARABLES, AND VARIOUS APHORISMS OF THE PHILOSOPHERS

HERMES, needed

:

a Father of Philosophy, says " It

that at the

End

is

of this World,

indeed

Heaven

and Earth should meet and come home." Meaning

by Heaven and Earth the but

many doubts

arise, before

the following Figures

may

the

aforesaid two Operations

Work

is finished.

Thkt

be better understood we give a

few Parables in illustration :—

AND THIS God

IS

THE FIRST PARABLE:

created the Earth plain and coarse, and very pro-

ductive of Gravel, Sand, Stones, Mountains and Vallej^,

but through the influence of the planets, and the working of Nature, the Earth has been changed into

many

forms.

Outside there are hard stones, high mountains and deep

25

THE THIRD TREATISE and strange things and colours are

valleys,

Ores and their beginnings, and with such

as, for instance.

earth

things

following or to

inside the Earth,

has

come from the

manner Where the Earth :

original first

form,

in

began to grow

expand and multiply, the constant operation

Sun-Heat

also

formed

in the interior of the

damp

vapourous and

the

large,

of the

Earth a sulphury

penetrating her through and

heat,

This penetrating work of the Sun's heat caused

through.

in the cold

and damp

of the Earth, the formation of large

quantities of vapour fumes, fog

and

gas, all of

which grow

with the length of time strong enough to follow their ten-

dency

to rise, thus causing

forming

hill

and

dales, there the

dale,

&c.

Where

there are such hills and

Earth has been matured and most perfectly

mixed with heat and the best ores

on the Earth's surface eruptions,

may

cold, moisture

be found.

and dryness, and there

But where the earth

there has been no accumulation of such fumes

and there no the

is flat

and vapours,

ores will be found, while the uplifted part of

soil, especially,

such as has been slimy, loamy, and

and has been saturated with a moisture from on high soft again,

got

forming dough-like layers one on top of the other,

which in the course heat,

;

fat,

of time,

under the influence of the Sun's

become more and more

firm,

hard and baked

;

and

other ground as gravel and sand, brittle and yet soft, hanging

26

THE THIRD TREATISE together like grapes,

is

too meagre and dry, and has not

received enough moisture, consequently into layers, but remained full of

itself

prepared pap, or

watered enough rich

it

;

like

for

could not form

holes, like

badly

a mealy dough, wl^ich has not been

no earth can become

stone, unless

it

be

and slimy and well mixed with moisture.

After the drying up of the water by the Sun's heat, the fat substance will it

would remain

keep the ground together, as otherwise

brittle

and

fall

to pieces again.

has not become perfectly hard as yet,

That which

may become

so,

and

turn to stone, under the constant influence of the Sun's heat and Nature, as well as the aforesaid fumes and gases originating in the properties of the elements,

by these means earth,

still

which are

being operated upon in the interior of the

and when they

upon watery vapours with a

seize

pure, subtle earthy substance, then they form the Philosophers' Mercury fiery,

;

but when they are solid and brought to a

earthy and subtle hardness, then will the Philosophers'

Sulphur be the

About

this

result.

Sulphur

Hermes

says

:

" It will receive the

powers of the highest and lowest planets, and with it

penetrates solid things,

it

overcomes

precious stones."

27

all

its

force

matter and

all

:

THE OTHER PARABLE Hermes, the

First Master of this Art, says as follows

" The Water of the Air, which is

the Life of everjrthing

Warmth, Fire

it

is

the

;

itself,

medium between

and sent

and moist.

as honey,

between Heaven and Earth,

by means

for

and Water, and therefore

has opened

is

its

it

of its Moisture

the two opposites,- as

on earth, Heaven

rains water

Dew on

earth,

making

as sweet

Therefore the Earth flowers and bears

manifold coloured blooms and

fruits,

and

in her interior

has grown a large Tree with a silver stem, stretching

On

out to the earth's surface.

many

kinds of birds,

The

are called is

it

soft,

and

is

branches have been sitting

The same

when the

tree bears three kinds

The Second

by Philosophers Terra Foliata.

The Third

it

This Tree gives us as well the fruit

makes warm what

makes warm, what

moist what

itself

First are the very finest Pearls.

the very purest Gold.

of Health,

its

departing at Daybreak,

all

Ravenhead became white. of Fruit.

and

is

dry,

is

dry

it

is cold,

and what

is

cold

makes moist, and makes

and softens the hard, and hardens the

the end of the Whole Art.

Thereof says the

Author of " The Three Words," " The Three Moistures are the

most precious Words

of the whole Mastery."

28'

And

Plate

V.— THE FIRST PARABLE.

[face fl. vi,]

Plate

VI.—THE

OTHER PARABLE. [lace

-pi.

v.]

—

THE THIRD PARABLE the same says

Galenus, when he speaks

LuNATiCA or Berissa.'

root

Its

is

the

of

Herb

a MetaUic Earth;

it

has a red stem, spotted with black, grows easily and decays easily,

and gains

in Mercury,

by

it

Citrine Flowers after three days

changes

itself into perfect Silver,

;

put

if it is

and

this again

further decoction changes into Gold, which then turns

hundred parts of Mercury into the tree speaks Virgilius, in the sixth

when he

relates a Fable,

to a tree, which

broke a branche

book

of the

how Aeneas and

had golden branches, and off,

another one grew in

Of

Gold.

finest

this

Aeneide,

Silvius went

as often as one

its place.

THE THIRD PARABLE AviNCENA says "

When Heat

the

in

the Chapter on the Moistures

operates upon a moist body, then

first result."

Fog

of the earth, they also

rise,

and pass over the whole face

saw the impetuosity

of the Sea,

the streams over the face of the earth, and foul

saw the King eager voice

me

:

and stinking of the

"

Earth

in the darkness. sink,

Night enveloped

my

brightness on

all things.

shall live

my

The day 29

how

and

the latter

They

further

and heard him cry out with

Whoever saves me

for ever in

blackness

For that reason have the old Philosophers

declared they saw a

became

is

:

and reign with

royal throne," and after they

saw over

:

THE THIRD PARABLE Day

the King an apparent Morning Star, and the Light of clear

up the darkness, the

bright Sunlight pierce through the

clouds, with manifold coloured rays, of brilliant brightness,

and a sweet perfume from the earth, and the Sun shining Herewith was completed the Time when the King clear.

Earth was released and renewed, well apparelled,

of the

and quite handsome, surprising with

He was crowned

Moon.

of Iron, the other of Silver,

saw

in his right

with three costly crowns, the one

and the third

gave a Golden Splendor, and in his

silvered

and partly

well spoke of is

when he

said

the birth of another."

with

its

own

its

Stars, all of

left

which

hand a golden

a white Dove, with Wings partly

which Aristotle so

of a golden hue,

" Deprive the thing of it

it

They

of pure Gold.

hand a Sceptre with Seven

Apple, and seated upon

beauty Sun and

his

:

" The Destruction of one thing

Meaning

in this Masterly

Art

Destructive Moisture, and renew

Essential one which will

become

its

perfection

and Ufe."

THE FOURTH PARABLE Menaldus

the Philosopher, says

:

"

I

command

all

my

descendants to spiritualise their bodies by Dissolution,

and again to materialise the

spiritual things

a gentle decoction.

30

by means

of

Plate VII,— THE

THIRD PARABLE.

\jace fl. viii.]

Plate VIII.— THE

FOURTH PARABLE. [face

-pi.

vii.]

:

THE FOURTH PARABLE Mentioning which Senior speaks thus dissolves

the body,

and

:

"

The

Spirit~\

the Dissolution extracts the

in

Soul of the Body, and changes this body into Soul, and the Soul

is

changed into the

to the Body, for thus

and the

Spirit,

becomes spiritual by force of the Spirit

added

Here then the body

has stability."

it

Spirit is again

This the Philosophers

.

give to understand in the following Signature, or Figure

They saw a man black dirty

and

like

a negro sticking fast in a black,

foul smelling slime or clay

;

to his assistance

a young women, beautiful in countenance, and

still

came more

so in body, most handsomely adorned with many-coloured dresses,

and she had wings on her back, the feathers

were equal to those of the very

finest

of

which

white Peacock, and

the quills were adorned with fine pearls, while the feathers

On

reflected like golden mirrors.

and on top

of pure gold,

of

it

her head she had a crown

a silver star

;

around her neck

she wore a necklace of fine Gold, with the most precious

Ruby, which no king would be able to pay her ;

feet

were clad

with golden shoes, and from her was emanating the most aromas.

splendid perfume, surpassing

all

man

him up to

ness,

with a purple robe,

lifted

and took him with

says Senior

when used

:

" It

is

herself to

She clothed the his brightest clear-

Heaven."

a living thing, which no more

gives an eternal increase."

31

Therefore dies,

but

;:

THE FIFTH PARABLE The Philosophers

give to this Art

Sun and Moon, which

two

and Water, they

are Earth

them Man and Wife, and they bring two boys, which are heat and

the Quintessence, that

wherein there

One

"

:

is

also call

forth four children,

and two

girls,

as moisture

When

the proper white Magnesia,

is

nothing

In

false.

Senior

conclusion

these five are gathered together, they form

substance, whereof

AviCENA contends that shall

cold,

namely

These are the Four Elements, constituting

and dryness.

remarks

bodies,

:

is

"

made if

the natural Stone, while

we may

get at the Fifth,

we

have arrived at the end."

So

let

The

us understand this meaning better.

Philoso-

phers take for example an Egg, for in this the four elements are joined together.

the White

White

is

the Yolk

is

it is

Water.

or the shell

is

Earth, and

and separates the Earth from the Water

Fire,

and

representing our subtle as

first

Water, but the skin between the shell and the

Air, is

The

it

too

air,

is

enveloped in a subtle skin,

which

is

more warm and

subtle,

nearer to the Fire, and separates the Fire from the

In the middle of the

Element, out

of which the

Yolk there

is

the

Fifth

young chicken bursts and grows.

32

Plate

IX.—THE FIFTH PARABLE. [face p. 32.]

Plate

X.—THE SIXTH PARABLE. \Jace fl. xi.];

Plate

XI.—THE SEVENTH PARABLE. \_lace fl.

X.}

THE FIFTH PARABLE Thus we

an egg

see in

the elements combined with

all

matter to form a source of perfect nature, just so as

it is

necessary in this noble art.

THE SIXTH PARABLE RosiNOS

relates of a vision

he had of a

was dead and yet beautiful and white

had a

fine

man whose body

like Salt.

Golden appearance, but was cut

and so were

all

the limbs

;

off

The Head the trunk,

next to him stood an ugly

man

of

black and cruel countenance, with a bloodstained double-

edged sword murderer.

and he was the good man's

in his right hand,

In his

left

lowing was written

:

"

hand was a paper on which the I

receive a superabundant hide, that the worldly

have life,

killed thee, that

but thy head

destroy the earth, and the body putrefy,

may

wantons I

thou

fol-

may est

I will carefully

not find thee, and

will bury,

and grow and bear innumerable

that

it

may

fruit."

THE SEVENTH PARABLE Ovid the old Roman, wrote

to the

same end, when he

mentioned an ancient Sage who desired to rejuvenate himself

was told

:

he should allow himself to be cut to pieces

and decoct to a reunite

perfect decoction,

and again be renewed

33

and then

his limbs

in plenty of strength.

would

:

THE FOURTH TREATISE OF THE MEANS BY WHICH NATURE ATTAINS HER ENDS

ARISTOTLE "

in the

Sun and Man

and

Book

create a

spirit give life,

of Origins speaks thus

Man,

for the Sun's force

and the process has to be gone

through seven times, by means of the Sun's heat."

But

as the Philosophers in their

work have to aid Nature

with Art, so have they also to govern the heat according to the

Sun,

so

as

to

create

the

before-mentioned

which as well has to undergo seven processes.

work

requires Firstly, a heat powerful

Stone,

For such a

enough to soften and

melt these parts of the earth that have become thick, hard

and baked, as mentioned by Socrates when he says

:

that

the holes and cracks of the earth will be opened to receive the influence of Fire and Water.

Secondly its

:

The Heat

is

necessary,

because through

power the earth becomes freed from darkness and blessed

with light instead.

In regard to which Senior says

34

:

that

Plate XII.— THE

FOURTH TREATISE,

FIRSTLY. IJace pi. xiii.]

Plate XIII.— THE

FOURTH TREATISE, SECONDLY. [face fl. xii.]

THE FOURTH TREATISE heat turns every black thing white, and every white thing So, as water bleaches,

red.

fire

gives off light,

and

also

colour to the subtilized earth, which appears Uke a Ruby,

through the tinging Spirit she receives from the force of the thus causing Socrates to say

fire,

shall

:

that a peculiar light

be seen in the darkness.

Thirdly trated

by a

:

The Heat causes earthly

Spiritual Force, of which

Spiritualize the bodies

:

"A

said in the

and make Volatile that which

Of which Rhazes reminds follows

it is

things to be pene-

in his "

Turba is

:

Fixed.

Light of Lights," as

heavy body cannot be made

light

without

the help of a light body, nor can a light body be kept pressed

down

to the ground without the aid of a heavy body.

Fourthly It

throws

ofi

:

The Heat

cleanses that which

is

unclean.

the mineral impurities and bad odours and

nourishes the Elixir,

In mention of which

Hermes

advises

Separate the gross from the Subtil, the earth from the

Whereof says Alphidius becomes

fire.

Purifications

:

fire.

The earth can be molten and

Thereon says Rhazes preceding

:

the

perfect

Mundification and Separation.

35

:

There are several

preparation,

namely,

THE FOURTH TREATISE Fifthly

:

The Heat works

by

elevatingly, for

its force

the spirits hidden in the Earth are raised up into the

air,

wherefore the Philosophers say, that whosoever can bring to hght a hidden thing,

The same

is

a Master of the Art.

is

meant by Morienus, when he teaches that

" he

who can

also

by Alphidius saying

raises

upwards, or

Sixthly

:

you

else

:

able to see colour,

is

" Hence shall

it is

it

makes

that this

not gain by

The Heat warms the cold

cold was half dead. penetrates,

Sout

recreate the

earth, that while :

When Heat

subtle all earthly things, that are of

come

to

no

form while

final

it is

The Philosophers conclude on the

acting on the matter.

mentioned Heats in brief words, saying times and you have separated it

Combat

it.

Thereof says Socrates

service to the matter, but

and

and

the

:

Destil

seven

destructable moisture

takes place as in one destillation.

Seventhly

:

Is the

heat in the earth, that

Force of the heat thus mixed with it

has

made

light the collected parts

and resolved them so as to surpass the other elements, and therefore this heat shall be modified with the Coldness of

the Moon, " Extinguish the Fire of one thing with the Coldness of another " says Calid.

36

I'LATE

xn.— THE FOURTH TREATISE, THTRDLV. [lace fl. XV.]

Plate

XV.—THE FOURTH TREATISE, FOURTHLY. [_/ace pi.

xiv.]

Plate

XVT.—THE FOURTH TREATISE, FIFTHLY \_fat:e fl.

xvii.]

Plate

XVII.— THE

FOURTH TREATISE, SIXTHLY. [Jace fl. xvi.]

Plate

XVIII.— THE

FOURTH TREATISE, EIGHTHLY. [/ace p. 37.3

THE FOURTH TREATISE Eighthly, Auctor de Trium Verborum, the author of

The Three Words to govern the Heat

gives in his writings a peculiar

or the Fire, saying

:

in Aries, he indicates the First Heat, or

which

is

weak because the heat

Water, but when the Sun

Second Grade, which of the

is

When

method

the Sun

Grade of the

is

Firie,

under the Rule of the

in Leo, then

it

indicates the

hotter because the great coldness

Water being under the Rule

of Saggitarius

heat,

is

is

is

"

of the Air.

In the Sign

the Third Grade, this being not of a burning

and under the Rule or Order

37

of Rest

and Pause.

THE FIFTH TREATISE

:

PART

I.

THE FIFTH TREATISE ON THE MANIFOLD OPERATIONS OF THE WHOLE

WORK IN

FOUR CHAPTERS

THE FIRST CHAPTER

DISSOLUTION

is

the First Operation which has

to take place in the Art of of

Alchemy,

for the order

Nature requires that the Corpus, Body, or

Matter, be changed into Water which

much spoken

of

Mercury.

The Living Silver

is

the

dissolves

the adjoined pure Sulphur.

This Dissolution

is

nothing but a killing of the moist

with the dry, in fact a Putrefaction, and consequently turns the

Matter

black.

38

Plate

XIX.—THE FIFTH TREATISE, PART

I,

1st

CHAPTER. [ferf f. 38.]

Plate

XX.—THE FIFTH TREATISE, PART

I,

2nd

CHAPTER. [Jane pi.

XX i.]

3

Plate

XXI.—THE FIFTH TREATISE, PART

I,

3rd

CHAPTER. [face fl. XX.

THE FIFTH TREATISE: PART

I.

THE SECOND CHAPTER The next

Coagulation, which

is

is

turning the

Water

again into the Corpus or Matter, meaning thereby that the

Sulphur, which before was dissolved by the Living Silver, absorbs the same and draws

The Water that turned absorbed,

For

if

into

it

itself.

to Earth, which the Corpus has

shows other and manifold colours.

necessarily

the properties of an operating thing

thing operated on

alter, so

alter.

Because in the Dissolution the Living Silver but in the Coagulation

Wherefore

this

is

who when they

must the

it is

is

active,

passive, operated on.

Art compared to the play of children,

play,

turn undermost that which before

was uppermost.

THE THIRD CHAPTER The Third is Sublimation, moisture of the earth, for it is

if

distilling

the water

is

the before-mentioned

reduced into the earth,

evaporated into the lightness of the

air,

and

rises

above

the earth, as an oblong cloudlet, like an egg, and this the Spirit of the Fifth Essence, which

is

called the

Anima, Fermentum, or the Oil, and which matter to the Stone of the Philosophers.

39

is

is

Tincture,

the very next

THE FIFTH TREATISE: PART For from the Sublimation remain of their

own

ashes,

I.

which by virtue

Air, given to them by God, dissolve themselves

by a moderate

which earth of a

heat, after

and property remains calcined at the bottom

nature

fiery

of the glass.

This being the proper philosophical sublimation, by means of

which the perfect method

this

Art

carried out.

And

this is

compared to Woman's Work, which

is

in cooking

is

and roasting

until

it is

why

consists

done.

THE FOURTH CHAPTER The fourth Chapter sheweth the

last

or fourth thing

belonging to this water which has been separated from the

The one thing must

earth, be again joined to the earth.

be done with the other,

The reason why in a

body

is,

if

all

that there

the Stone

to be

made

perfect.

natural things are put together

may

be a united composition.

In these last four Chapters the Philosophers have

is

filled

is

all

contained wherewith

the whole world with innumer-

able books.

40

Plate

XXII.— THE FIFTH TREATISE, PART

I,

4th

CHAPTER. {Jare p. 40.]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PICTURES

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPLENDOR SOLIS PICTURES THE FIRST PICTURE

TWO the

men

are approaching an arched

left side of

Behind Them, building

—in

is

to

come

—One

robe and blue Stockings simply.

The

side.

floor

men is a little in other.

He is clad in a

The other

below the archway

is

upon which

is

From

in the picture to the foreground

On

into the apartment of the

or tesselated,

archway forward

where there are three

rests a sky-blue shield

this shield is painted the lowest

red

staff at his right

tiled,

this

ad-

more luxuriously

i'i

and with a sword or

the ground has a green sward.

stone-steps,

a Landscape

of the

addressing the

dressed, but in black

at

which are to be seen two beautifully

executed Golden Suns

vance of and

the picture. Leaving

doorway

flat

(heraldic).

Golden Sun, upon which

superimposed a black helmet or casque surmounted by a

flowing, from above, blue drapery, studded with golden stars.

This lower Sun and shield

mouth face,

is

rounded and

is

lies aslant,

about 45 degrees.

so painted as to resemble a

each eye has the same peculiarity 41

;

The

human

thus there are

:

:

THE FIRST PICTURE ^

Three Faces shewn on seem as

was

if

suffused with tears, the

slightly protruding

The eyes themselves

the One.

mouth

and parched, the

mottled as from Smallpox, or impure

The rays

at

the

as

circumference

if

the tongue

face blotched or

living.

are

in

groups and radiate curvedly. thus

The upper Sun stands higher up air

and is

and

radiant, but thoughtful

The golden halo around

in the serious.

alternately straight

it

and wavy as

the lowest others

one

of

and pointing

:

than the

being longer

all

the

in

centre

of

three

dark moon-like crescents as

each one below being larger than the

The

other.

the motto

picture

is

surmounted by

:

Arma Artis in red

and embellished with a golden

margin, on whi<ih

one giving a other

is

is

painted two monkeys

fish to

a heron, while the

playing upon a guitar,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;an

owl,

a hoopoe, and

other birds, with fruits and flowers complete the picture.

42

THE SECOND AND THIRD PICTURES THE SECOND PICTURE A man

clothed in red robe, with a red cap and a purple

outer cloak.

In his

left

hand he holds a long-necked

cucurbit, or glass retort, which

is

one-third

filled

flagk,

with a

yellowioh transparent fluid, partly luminous, and to which

he

is

pointing with his right finger thoughtfully, whilst

walking upon the foreground of a beautiful lansdcape.

margin shows a golden ground, upon which

Red

Peacock, Bee, Butterfly, Birds,

From which "

is

The

painted Deer,

Currants, and Flowers.

the neck of the cucurbit flows a black ribbon upon is

printed in gold letters

:

Eamus Quesitum Quatuor Elementorum Naturas

"

THE THIRD PICTURE A

Knight in dark armour ornamented with Gold, with a

drawn sword

in his right hand,

red banner or shield, on which

"

Ex DuABUs Aqui Unam

and is

in his left

he holds a

inscribed in gold letters

Facite, Qui Quaeritis Sole

ET Luna Facere et Date Bibere Inimico Vino.

ViDEBiTis

Cum

:

Mortuum.

Deinde

Facite, et Lapidem Multiplicastis

43

"

Et

de Aqua Terra

THE FOURTH PICTURE He

stands upon two fountains, with a foot on each.

That to the

surmounted by a

right, is

boy from which runs a black conduit into the little

nude

left

fluid

nude

figure of

a

and overflows by a joining

fountain which

figure of a girl,

little

also

is

surmounted by a

but from this one runs a golden

liquid into the receptacle below,

blending the black stream

all

which transmutes by golden

into

its

This

water.

fountain overflows and forms a large golden lake, which

is

and around which

is

away

seen stretching

in the distance,

seen a village and beautiful landscape, &c.

THE FOURTH PICTURE Represents on right side a King in red and gold robes,

with golden crown on head and standing upon a blazing

fire,

holding a sceptre in his hand with a scroll upon which

" CoAGULA Masculinum " in golden to a

Queen robed

a blue

scroll

in the air

head

is

is

with " Lac virginis " inscribed in gold

is

full

Moon with both

feet,

a faint silvery Sun, which has

directed towards the King enquiringly his

He

:

talking

in blue with red lining to dress, holding

She stands upon a dark

head

letters.

is

and hopefully.

a golden red Sun which has

wards her sorrowfully.

44

its

letters.

over her its

eyes

Above

eyes directed to-

THE FIFTH AND SIXTH PICTURES A

City and landscape

birds

and flowers on Gold.

" Particularia."

Universalis,

At

lies

On

the

Around margin are

behind.

top of picture

bottom

is

is

the motto

inscribed

:

:

" Via

Particularibus Inclusis."

THE FIFTH PICTURE men Quarrying bronzed crescent Moon

Represents two for Gold.

A

on the foreground.

Underneath

and below that

the

Ahasueros, who to the Queen. of children.

is is

the word of

the water

" Esther,",

:

the Palace of King

seated on a throne, handing his Sceptre

On the top of the One holding a

the comer opposite

lies floating in

is

interior

and digging

at a rock

is

picture are

two nude

figures

bird in his hand, the other at

feeding another bird.

THE SIXTH PICTURE Contains a Tree with Golden branches and

a golden crown encircling the

Seven Rounds and

root.

Upon a

leaning against the tree

on the sixth and seventh rounds dressed

;

robe.

He

is

having

ladder with

stands a man,

in black,

leggings or boots, holding a branch out to a

dressed in a red robe, which

fruit,

with golden

man

below,

enveloped by a whitish purple

has given previously a similar branch to another

45

THE SIXTH PICTURE man

dressed in a whitish purple robe enveloped in a red robe.

Underneath the picture

is

an open bath in which four women

are bathing, a golden fountain pours forth a jet of water into the bath,

two

ladies are standing near the bath,

one

is

dressed in yellow and the other in red, each holds out some

black roundish thing like a hat or dish.

way

to the right are to be seen

and the other

two men

in green.

On

two men, one dressed

and to the

in purple,

Through the door-

left of

the picture are seen

a gallery above and behind,

looking over, dressed in blue, while opposite red,

is

is

a

man

a King in

with attendants, one in green, another in black, also

looking

two

in blue

down towards

strings of gold beads (charms)

the tree above

is

The bathers have each

the bath.

round their necks.

Upon

perched a large black bird with a white

head, pecking at the

fruit,

while thirteen varied coloured

birds are in the act of flying

away

to the

air.

Ap humble

looking landscape with a simple cottage in the mid-distance.

Mountains in the background and golden branches and flowers springing

up out

of the

ground complete the picture.

46

THE SEVENTH PICTURE

THE SEVENTH PICTURE Represents a Queen, or young King, draped in Ermine

and Gold enbroidered

is

swimming

arms out as

if

or drowning in the sea, for help to save his

To the Sun's

a golden halo, which

left is

Strawberries,

EntagUos sents a

who

is

birds

a luminous Star surrounded by

The margin

and

man naked and sitting

flowers.

is

in gold with Butterfly,

At base are two small

striking with a bludgeon a

only there

is

up

their

man

arms to ward

That to the right

a fourth male

stay the

other two.

woman

on the ground alongside of a Satyr, both of

A tree grows by their side.

figure,

who

is

off is

the blow:

very similar,

standing up, and

with the bludgeon from striking the

The landscape with

ground and distant view

is

hill,

and walk on

very beautiful.

flowers peer above the foliage,

would not

Golden Sun

like bluish-grey pictures, that to the left repre-

these are holding

tries to

A

also directing its rays towards the

is

Queen, or young King.

life.

and reaching

downwards towards the

shines overhead, throwing its rays

Queen.

Stars,

In the middle distance a King

in left a golden ball.

seen

his

flowing, holding in

hand a sceptre surmounted by seven Golden

right

and

and

robe, loose

upon.

47

Golden tipped

and the whole scene

feel desirous of altering or

fore-

is

one

attempting to improve

THE EIGHTH PICTURE THE EIGHTH PICTURE

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;and most gorgeously

Depicts a Queen with angels' wings

She has a golden crown and neck ornaments, with

dressed.

golden chains, yellow sleeves and flowing.

ornamented with a flowing green

Skirt of dress

From her left shoulder hangs a blue drapery

and blue flowers.

with gold edges, her slippers are red and gold.

In her hand

she holds a crimson robe edged with gold, which she

man who

out to a naked black

a black

mud

His

pool.

left

arm

His right arm, neck, and head right

hand over

on the

all

holding

standing to the knees in

is

wnite and slightly soiled.

blood red.

He

towards and as

if

holds his to cover

stands with right side towards us and

profile is seen

covering head

is

is

is

his right thigh

He

his nakedness.

and red

foliage pattern

a circular transparent glass globe, just

but

profile,

through this globe are to be

seen on the organ of Self-esteem, the right cheek bone, and

over the right eye, three luminous spots, in each of which seen a small red cross.

The Queen seems

and sympathysing with him. in the distance.

Village,

A

is

to be encouraging

landscape with lake

is

seen

roadway with a few distant people

walking and boat sailing on lake, with islands in extreme distance.

48

THE NINTH PICTURE There

is

Two

a silver star over the Queen's Crown.

two monkeys and parrot on on margin complete the

base,

and

flowers

Deer,

upon Gold

picture.

THE NINTH PICTURE Standing on the foreground of a magnificent Claude-

an exquisitely formed

like picture is

in black with golden edging

A

gold in front.

and

figure of a

man

dressed

crpss button bars of red

and

red and gold waistband with a fringe

golden tassels or ornaments.

He

One a man's with sandy

and blue

hair

'of

has two heads and necks. eyes, without beard

or moustache, the other a beautiful female face with blue

A

eyes and fair or reddish hair. radiates

golden emanation or halo

from the man's head while a silvery radiation

proceeds from the female. His face

but to her right and his

head just as

is

to the left of the picture

profile overlaps the

back part of her

far as the edge of the right eye, so that

faces are seen pretty fully.

He

both

has attached to the right

shoulder a crimson wing, and she has a faint purple and

white wing.

In the

left

hand he holds a Golden Egg, which

both are intent upon, and Shield, the edge of

an inner

circle

which

in his right is

hand he holds a Circular

encircled with gold

and orange,

next of a grayish motled or marbled appear-

ance, then an inner circle, but narrower, of dark green

49

and

THE TENTH PICTURE blue ring inside this, in the centre of which

is

a tiny landscape,

one seen through a double concave glass in a tube.

like

Birds,

Flowers, and Grapes upon a golden ground complete this picture.

THE TENTH PICTURE Represents a ferocious villainous man with wild dishevelled black hair, clothed in red with an outer garment of white

shaded with pale purple and having a drawn sword in his In his

right hand.

left

he holds the golden head of a

beautiful skinned corpse of a freshly mutilated.

and

clean,

scene

A

is

was

The arms and

showing the clear red

lies

at his feet

legs are separated fresh flesh freshly cut.

This

represented in the open grounds attached to a palace.

river runs past

and

man which

fair

fine

Castles

mansions are seen in the distance, as when Venice

in her glory,

strolling

on which are plying gondolas.

and

a city of palaces.

lingering

Several people are

on the grounds, within view, but

these are oblivious to the scene here depicted. tips are to

be seen on the green foliage

ghastly scene

is

Some golden

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;upon

which this

represented.

At the base underneath are seen two small golden pictures, one on the

left

represents a

King driving four 50

river horses,

;

THE ELEVENTH PICTURE behind which

is

a female figure in a boat, holding two reins

which are attached to the horses, and thus

is

the boat drawn

along.

The

picture to the right represents a female in a boat

holding a three-pronged fork, a trident, in her right hand (without a handle), with reins in the

A

three river horses. before

hand, guiding

left

Satyr and two females are going on

and two more are coming up behind, one

;

latter sits

on the back

of

a Merman.

on a Gold ground complete the

of the

Birds and Flowers

picture.

THE ELEVENTH PICTURE In a court yard of a magnificent palace and under a corridor

is

a circular furnace on which

copper boiler

filled

is

an iron vessel or

with water, and in which

On

with red skin, breast high.

his

is

a naked

man

head stands a dove, with

outspread white wings, blue shaded.

A man

is

blowing at

the furnace with a pair of bellows very intently and anxiously.

His inner garment

is red, his

nether garment blue, his coat

black and edged with blue, slippers black, apron white, hair longish

Two

and

careless.

The whole

figures are observed

figure betrays the workman.

on a distant raised

corridor.

One

a female dressed in red and carrying a flask in her hand the other a man, dressed in pale purple and looking towards the

man

in the hot bath.

Alongside of the

51

workman

is

a

THE TWELFTH PICTURE Cucurbite or retort of glass, tongs and coals for

two niches Jupiter.

in the wall are to be seen figures of

At the base or pedestal

of a

column

fire.

In

Mercury and an intaglio

is

or bas-relief of Vulcan working as a blacksmith, with an assistant having his

arm

raised with

Birds and flowers on golden ground

hammer, fijiish

as

if

assisting.

the margin of this

picture.

THE TWELFTH PICTURE Represents in a highly ornamental niche as the leading feature of the picture, a large upright glass cucurbit, or retort

hermetically sealed, standing upon a green wreath, and is circled at narrow part

one-fourth

by a red and gold crown, which comes about

down from

the top.

Inside this cucurbit

its

seen

a naked child, holding a black flask or crucible in his right

hand with which he of a Dragon, or scales

is

pouring

its

contents

down the

throat

some horrid aquatic monster, having claws

and finny wings.

The

with peacock feather spots.

legs

In the

and breast are covered left

hand the

child holds

a pair of small bellows, with which he points towards the heart of the monster.

An

allegorical

figure

seated on a car (with a caducean rod in his

left

of

Mercury

hand and a

reaping hook in his right, an infant reclining before

him on

the car, and driving two green and gold Dragons or Monsters)

52

THE TWELFTH PICTURE surmounts the niche. river

On

from which an old

the base of the picture

man draws

pouring into a barrel, but which

A man

fills it in.

in

a tub, while a currier

An

of him.

old

man

is

water and which he

is

shaving the hair of a hide in front

bent with age

margin and beyond the river is

seizing another pig

by the if

a

man

is

a

by the

other, while another pig

for being carried

is

trampling animal skins

is

is

alms from a

soliciting

comfortable well-to-do middle aged man.

man

seen a

running out as fast as he

is

with naked legs

is

woman

On

the right

feeding a pig.

leg with one

seen pent

away, or slaughtered.

A

hand and ear

up

in

a box as

Beyond

is

seen

with a team of four horses drawing a plough, while

another

man is in the act of beating one of them,

three of

them

are brown,

and one

cudgelling another

and further where a

is

this is seen

one

man whose hands are tied behind his

off still is

man

white, which seems

is

Beyond

to be pulling very willingly.

a brown one,

man back,

a large crowd of people round a gallows

being hanged.

On

the

left

margin are two

cripples seeking

and receiving alms from a gentleman, while

beyond them

seen a funeral procession going into a grave-

is

yard close to a large cathedral. black, follow the coffin which

is

Four mutes dressed

carried

by four men, and

in is

shaped like the roof of a cottage, painted white with two black

bands across

it.

53

THE THIRTEENTH PICTURE THE THIRTEENTH PICTURE Is

another similar niche and Cucurbit surmounted in like

manner by a Golden Crown or Coronet.

One

vessel are three doves or birds.

WHITE, and the third black.

is

Inside the glass

coloured red, one

The two former are busy pecking

down upon defence. The RED pecks it

or fighting the black one, which they have got

back and

its

it is

WHITE pecks

it

upon the head. head

throwing up

UNDER THE Golden

of the red bird

claws in self

its

TAIL, while the

scintillations

on the surface and outside the

Underneath the base of the niche inside the Vatican.

space,

On

Half

is

way up

glass.

a massive wide staircase

a wide landing

this stair is

upon which are a table and two black trunks or boxes.

the table are a pair of scales, two heaps of gold, ink

bottles,

desk and a printed paper hanging over the side

of the table. is

appear opposite the

A man

sitting at the table,

large book,

clad in red and blue with blue cap,

upon a black

chair, looking over

two men are standing at the

conversing together.

The one

is

table, apparently

dressed in a blue robe

with scarlet cap and comforter hanging down his back other has a crimson robe edged with Gold, his head

covered and he holds an illumined book in his hand. steps

up

to the

left, is

a

man on 54

a

his knees,

;

the

is

un-

Two

upon a crimson

THE FOURTEENTH PICTURE carpet.

He

is

draped in red and gold, two steps further up

the Pope robed in red and gold with his triple golden

sits

crown, in the act of placing a crown upon the kneeler's head.

The Pope

is

are seen

as

working a

surrounded by numerous Cardinals, conversing

if

still

back.

farther

humble looking suppliant if

Two

Others

are

seen

or retort in the quadrangle, while a pack of

hounds and people are seen hunting

knee, as

etc.

soliciting

in the distance.

One

seen near at hand upon one

is

some favour from these gentlemen who

are outside the place

and evidently

Surmounting the niche

is

of

some authority.

a m57thological picture of a

man

with two arrows in his hand and sitting upon a car which is

drawn by two peacocks, upon one wheel

Saggitarius

and on the other

knee handing him a dish, shines behind him.

Pisces.

etc.

A

of the car is

knight

The radiance

(Jupiter in Saggitarius

is

upon one

of the

and

Sun

Pisces).

THE FOURTEENTH PICTURE A glass,

similar glass cucurbit in a golden niche.

standing upright

heads, each of which

Above the niche Mars with

shield

is

is

Inside the

a white bird shaded blue, with three

decorated with a golden crown.

is

a mjrthological representation of

and spear and 56

sitting

upon a car with a

THE FIFTEENTH PICTURE coiled

up serpent

On

before him.

the front wheel

corne and on the hind one Cancer.

The car

Underneath and around margin

two Foxes.

is

is

a

Capri-

is

drawn by

War

going

on between helmetted and armoured horsemen with red

and gold

skirts

and the populace

outside their armour,

on foot armed with spears,

etc.

Burning of houses, and Possibly

seizures of cattle are to be seen in the distance.

intended to represent scenes from the Swiss

War

of

Eman-

cipation.

THE FIFTEENTH PICTURE

A similar cucurbit set in a crimson niche upon the margin of which

painted strawberries, peapod, flowers and a bird.

is

In. the Cucurbit is

a Monster Dragon, having three heads,

and long necks attached to one body, similar to that

The heads

twelfth Picture. nearest us

is

are turned to the right, that

white, the centre one

is

red, the farthest

black, the necks are all speckled green.

mounted by an

light green

drawn by two horses with golden clouds.

the King

There is

The niche

allegorical representation of

garments and seated upon a

is

in the

one is

is

sur-

a King in golden

two-wheeled chariot

harness, over golden-tipped

the figure of Leo on the wheel.

Before

a golden Sun aslant and on a level with his face,

from or through whose influence, the King is enabled to radiate 66

THE SIXTEENTH PICTURE a

emantion or halo

golden

Underneath the Cucurbit

is

Sun

around.

all

Leo.

in

a King in royal red and golden

robes with black inner clothing and cap, sitting upon a dais

Before and around him are ten Courtiers in

on a lawn.

magnificent and varied apparel, another

is

upon a horse

beautifully caparisoned.

The

right marginal continuation of the landscape shews

men at athletic sports, stone heaving, wrestling, etc.

On the left margin is a King with crown on

well dressed

archery,

head, and dressed in blue and purple robes, standing watching

two men in their

them.

at

sword

exercise,

two boys are standing by holding

hands two other swords, as

if

in attendance

upon

Others are seen at sword practice in the back ground.

Landscape with River and Castles

in the distance.

THE SIXTEENTH PICTURE A similar

but more fanciful golden niche.

has a circular opening in

it

to allow the pointed top of the

From

glass Cucurbit to pass through

it.

suspended two

the

golden

The top part

chains,

other

this point

ends

of

are

the

chains are attached to two pillars at the sides of the niche,

about three fourths of the height of is

it.

Inside the Cucurbit

a beautifully painted peacock looking down upon a group

of musicians below.

another a

viol.

One

of

them

is

playing a guitar, and

A lady dressed in red and gold also is playing 57

THE SEVENTEENTH PICTURE a

viol,

while another lady in blue and gold and one in yellow

and gold are singing a concert, at the

At the

eating grapes.

various

the

and

right side stretches a landscape

and

men and women

left is

bathing.

couples walking about.

in

seen a running stream in which

The niche

is

the picture

at table drinking wine

two gentlemen and a lady

are

left side of

surmounted by the

many

To

people are

figure of a lady

draped in red and gold, holding a golden arrow in her hand

and

sitting in

a red golden

on the other Libra, Venus

car.

On one

in Aries

wheel

is

and Libra.

drawn by two doves over golden tipped

Aries

The car

of shooting, while

with a golden cord.

A

is

Before

clouds.

her on the car stands a small figure of Cupid with

arrow in the act

and

bow and

she holds him from behind

red heart appears in the sky, above

him radiant with gold and penetrated by a red arrow. golden radiant sun rests upon the heart, top cut

ofi

A

by the

top line of the picture.

THE SEVENTEENTH PICTURE A similar Cucurbit Fourteen.

and golden niche as

In the Cucurbit

is

in picture

number

the figure of a Queen with the

upper part of her body naked, but with a pale blue robe

thrown loosely round the

and ankles are

bare.

rest of the

Around her 58

is

body except the

feet

an oval shaped halo

THE EIGHTEENTH PICTURE a blue and yellow rainbow.

like

,

Beneath her

feet is

a golden

side face of the Sun, Flowers are painted on the golden

of the niche which

upon a blue the car

is

drawn by two

is

figure of a

man

hand a radiant caducean

rod,

surmounted by the blue

car, holding in his

on the other Virgo.

on one wheel are Gemini and

cocks,

Mercury

margin

in

Gemini and Virgo.

Under-

neath the base of the niche are two philosophers studying

Another is writing at a desk, while another

a Globe.

To

at the table counting gold into bags.

the table

is

an ancient organ, which

is

is

sitting

the right side of

being blown by a

man

at the bellows behind, while the organist manipulates the

Two

keys in front.

wind instrument completes Literature,

and a man playing a brass

choristers this

group of Commerce, Science,

and Music, while Sculpture

two men operating with hammer and stone pedestal.

The back ground

is

represented

chisels

by

upon a short

depicts a very busy

and

prosperous commercial city, possibly Venice.

THE EIGHTEENTH PICTURE In another golden niche surrounded with birds and flowers

upon a golden ground stands a Inside of the

and

gold.

same

is

similar glass flask or cucurbit.

a youthful boy King, dressed in red

His legs are bare from above knees to lower

part of calves.

Boots red and gold.

59

He

holds a golden

THE NINETEENTH PICTURE ball

in his left,

upon a crescent moon, convex

side up,

halo of light, throws a great radiance

yellow and golden emanations.

in her

is

On

side up.

is

surmounted

and

gold.

Moon

the wheel of chariot

a river with water birds on

is

around, of deep

figures in red

the sign of Scorpio (Moon in Scorpio). of niche

all

seated a female figure holding a crescent

hand concave

stands

and with an oval

The niche

by a golden car drawn by two female In the car

He

a sceptre in his right hand.

is

Underneath the base its surface,

in a boat casting nets, others fishing with rods

fishermen

and shooting,

hawking, washing clothes in

river, himtiiig, riding,

and ships

middle and extreme distance,

sailing, are seen in

and a mill-wheel

is

being

moved by

boating

the stream near the

foreground.

THE NINETEENTH PICTURE It is

A

a most dismal and curiously dark weird-like subject.

bleakish stunted landscape, with black blighted withered

trees

in

foreground.

A

monster black sun

is

in great

part sunk below the ground, yet visible and partly rising

above the ground at the centre of the landscape distance.

The

rising

of

this

pall-like

bristly

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;or middle black sun,

overspreads and hides totally the body of the true sun, which Ues beyond

;

for,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

behind

is

to be seen golden radiations

60

THE TWENTIETH PICTURE of the true sun, which illuminates with its golden tinted light

a nice landscape in the extreme distance. The clouds above are red

tance)

and the building seen afar and glowing.

are also red

are to be seen shooting through as

if

off (in

the extreme dis-

Faint golden radiation

all this

foreground blackness,

emanating from the true hidden sun which

lies

behind

small

birds,

all.

The margin snails,

hals

caterpillars,

on a

flowers, etc.,

butterflies,

golcien ground,

which completes

the picture.

THE TWENTIETH PICTURE In a long room are to be seen ten children of various ages at play.

and one

Six of these are naked, three are clad in blue

A

paper windmills. upon,

Toy hobby

in yellow.

etc.,

cushion

horses without legs,

made

and

and basin on the

floor.

floor

girl is

The

A

sits

in her lap

She

is

jackdaw

cat in the comer.

dressed is

seen

A

bath

ready for use, and two bottles con-

taining a yellowish liquid

A servant

family.

gold, with a black cape.

hopping about the

The mother

room nursing a baby

and keeping a watchful eye over the in red

into a car to give rides

form the chief amusements.

at the extreme end of the

little

is

seen on a shelf over the door.

seen through the door in another apartment

busy at work.

61

THE TWENTY-FIRST & TWENTY-SECOND PICTURES Butterflies,

flowers

caterpillars,

moths,

flies,

upon a gold ground complete

Has a

this picture.

THE TWENTY-FIRST PICTURE river and landscape.

A cauldron with

under-

fire

neath and a few black earthenware vessels surrounding

On

on the immediate foreground.

women washing and

and

fruit

snails,

it

are

the foreground are nine

wringing clothes, hanging out, drying,

and bleaching.

/

Houses, Minaretted Castles, Birds, berries, butterflies

and

etc.,

beautify the landscape.

flowers,

on a golden ground

complete the margin.

THE TWENTY-SECOND PICTURE Exhibits the Sun just risen, golden red, serious thoughtful

and severe

looking.

The eyes seem so penetrating

they would search into and question your inmost landscape has the sanctity of night over

grey

tint.

A

city

chin of the Sun. is

nothing like

and

sleep,

and

is

as

and

is

light to the

The

of a blackish

is

seemingly wrapped in night.

stirring, if

the

all

Sun had

stolen

Earth or waken the people.

62

There

appears wrapped in night

upon them

UNAWARES AT VERY EARLY MORNING, and was Unable any

if

seen on the hiU right underneath the

Yet it life

it

soul.

as

to give

ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FIRES A alone

few blasted trees on foreground and middle distance

show

faint tinges of Gold.

Birds, strawberries

and

flowers

on a golden ground

margin completes the picture which

is

in the

pregnant with the

DEEPEST MYSTERY that Can be known to man here or hereafter.

ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FIRES If

in

a thing

it.

is

deprived of

its

heat, then

is

there no motion

In the order of nature the father chemges into the son,

which means that the Spiritud

Sun and Moon have come

Volatile

made permanent

home.

Of these two planets senior speaks

;

or that

and the

materialised,

is

also

" I

:

am

a hot and dry Sun, while thou, luna, art cold and moist, and

when we

shall rise in the order of our

most ancient nobihty,

Whereby he

a burning light will be poured into us." dicating that through the knowledge

and mastery

is

in-

of the

renewals of the moistures will be received,

ancients the

and Sun and Moon become transparent.

The " ScALA Philosophorum " follows for

the

:

treats

of the

" The Heat or Fire of the whole work

some say that the heat

warmth

of the

first

warmth

uniform,

regimen shall be as

of a brooding hen, others that

as the natural

is

fire as

it

ought to be

of the digestion of food

and nourish-

es

ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FIRES ment

of the body, while

she

in the sign of aries, as the proper one."

is

Though the stone

some take the heat

of the Sun,

when

obtained through one operation,

is

nevertheless has the operation of the Fire to be changed thrice.

In the

first

operation of the work shall the heat

be mild moderate and warm, continually,

heat

is

and further

till

becomes white again.

it

till

compared to the heat

the matter turns black

of the

Sun when he

in aries

is

When

and begins to move towards taurus.

This

the White

appears the Fire should be increased and continued until the perfect dr3dng up or Calcination of the Stone is

compared to the Sun's heat when he

moving towards gemini. dried up,

and

And when

fire,

and

perfectly

be made more

this heat is

summer heat, when the Sun is in leo when she

is

the stone becomes perfectly red, and clad

with a royal coat from the

dignity,

this heat

taurus and

in

the stone

calcined, the iire has again to

fierce still, until

to the

is

;

is

in her

own

house.

said on the government of the fire.

64

;

that

This

is

compared

her highest

much

is

enough

THE FIFTH TREATISE SECOND PART

ON THE COLOURS WHICH APPEAR IN THE PREPARATION OF THE STONE

MIRALDUS, " " TuRBA

and red

the :

philosopher,

twice,

is

and therefore decoct

many And

the heat changed.

all.

The

it,

for in the

colours,

although

principal colours are black, white

between these many others appear the white, or after the

first red,

and all

most noticeable

colours appear so are there yet but three

amongst

the

in

It turns black twice, yellow twice,

process of decoction appear

according to these

says

and red

;

;

a yellowish one after

said

by miraldus, to be a

perfect Colour, while conciliator calls

it

not

hardly remaining on matter long enough to be

perfect, visible.

and

But

the other yellowish colour which ariseth after the perfect white,

and

is

and before the

first red,

can be seen for some time,

therefore a perfect colour.

This

MIRALDUS says above, but they do not 65

is

the same that

last so long as black,

;

THE FIFTH TREATISE: PART

II

white, or red, which stand in the matter for four days

though black and red appear perfect a second time. the

first

colour

perfect

is

But

the black resulting from the

mildest heat.

According to Conciliator, the Whitening should take place a mild heat,

in

till

the Black disappears.

PHILOSOPHER, says in the " turba heat, for

then

if

you make the

will it arise

fire

red before

its

"

:

While lucas, the

"Beware

too fierce in the beginning, time, which

is

useless, for in

the

commencement

first

the black, then the white and lastly the red.

of its

government you ought to have

Baleus, the Philosopher, says your composition,

till

of great

you

see

in the "

white,

it

turba "

:

" Decoct

and quench

it

in

Vinegar and separate the white from the black, for the white

is

a sign of approaching Fixation,

tracted from the black for

by means

it

needs to be ex-

of the fire of calcination,

the augmented heat separates the superfluous parts,

leaving

them but a coarse earth imder the Matter,

like

a

coarse black ball, not capable of mixing with the pure and subtle matter of the Stone."

say is

:

nothing superfluous in

but

That

is

what the Philosophers

" the red must be extracted from the white, for there

all

make a

it,

nor

is

there anything separated,

turns perfectly red, for which purpose they order to stronger

fire.

Whereof pythagoras says 66

:

" The

THE FIFTH TREATISE: PART

II

more the colours change the stronger you must make the of which

you must not be

in the White,

and the species

fire,

afraid. fly

For the Matter

not from

This

may

is

made

white,

it

fixed

it."

About these remarks the Philosopher Lucas our Magnesia

is

does not yield

"

:

When

its species."

be sufficient on the Colours of the Secret Philosophic

Work, now follows the Conclusion to

Hermes,

a

father

of

it.

Philosophers

that

says,

" one

should not take out the aforesaid white Magnesia until the colours are perfect, itself

it

into four other Waters,

One

to one.

moisture.

It

when

third of

it

will

all

become a Water dividing

namely one to two and three

belongs to heat and two thirds to

These Waters are the Weights of the Philosophers.

should further be known, that the Vine which

of the Philosophers,

is

extracted in the Fifth, but

has to be opened (finished

?)

in the Third,

and

is

a Sap

its

Wine

in proper

preparation.

For itself.

in Decoction

In all this

is

it

gets less, while in Trituration,

included beginning and end.

the Philosophers say that

it

was made perfect

in

it

forms

Therefore

seven days

;

others say in Four DajTS, some say in Three Times, some in

Four Times, some in

in

Ten Days, some

one year.

67

in

Forty Days, some

THE FIFTH TREATISE: PART TuRBA and Alphidius Year, as

:

Spring,

:

II

In The Four Seasons of

Summer, Autiunn, and Winter, some others

again say in a Day, in

One Week

or in

One Month.

Geber and Aristoteles, these Philosophers say Years.

All this

The

is

:

in

Three

nothing else but one thing in another

thing, for the philosophers say the Operations are manifold,

and so are the all

times, weights

and names

of which an intelligent Artist

he can produce nothing.

68

in consequence,

must know

well, otherwise

THE SIXTH TREATISE ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE WHOLE WORK IN THE PREPARATION OF THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

CALCINATION

is

put in the beginning of the

as the Father of a Generation,

two

of the Cold Moisture,

The

First

of three kinds

is

a preparation

which protects the wood from being

the beginning of our Work.

is

is

which belong to the Corpus or Matter, and

of

the third to the Spirit.

burnt, and

and

Work

The other

is

a

fatty moisture, iwhich burns the wood.

The Third

is

an Incineration of the dry earth, and gives

a truly fixed and subtle moisture gives

;

it

is

no flames, but gives a body as

little

in bulk,

clear as glass.

and

Thus

the Philosophers order their Calcination to be made, and it

is

accomplished with aqua permanente, or with aceto

ACCERRIMA.

Such moistures are

This

are the beginning of fusion.

when he says

:

"

The water

in

is

69

the metals, for they is

proved by Hermes,

the beginning of

all

soft

THE SIXTH TREATISE substances, therefore the Calcination destructive moisture,

and

of

is

the in^dication of a

an application of a foreign

moist subject, from which the essentiality and

For

this reason

place with the is

it is

fiery

originates.

life

called a fusion of the incineration, taking

Water

of the Philosophers,

which in reality

the Sublimation, or Philosophic Solution, for this changes

the hard dr57ness into a dry softness

;

and thus

is

extracted

the QUINTA ESSENTIA, and separation of the elements.

This

takes place that those parts, which got dried and compressed

by the is

Fire,

have become subtle through the

which

spirit,

a resolving water, moistening the incinerated body, lessening

and changing the introduced destructive heat into an airy resolution,

fore

it is

which

is'^the

peculiarity of that element.

called sublimation, the process

There-

by which the coarse

earth becomes thin or subtle, and changed into the moisture of the water, of the air, of the

and the cold

and the moisture

fire, is

of this water,

and the warmth

of the air, turned into the heat

a reversion of the elements, and the extracted

QUINTA ESSENTIA QUINTA ESSENTIA

of is

the

elementary

faeces.

And

this

a radical moisture of a very high nature,

tinging infinitely.

It

"

further

is

the true fixation, of which

What becomes Fixed becomes

Illumined,

into a beautiful transparent substance.

70

geber says

and

is

For out of

:

changed it

arises

THE SIXTH TREATISE the SULPHUR PHiLSOPHORUM, or the ash extracted from ash,

without which the whole mastery

is

making

metallic water, generated in the body, is

For

in vain.

it

is

a It

it alive.

an Elixir of the red and white Tincture, and a tinging

volatile spirit.

Work

In this

takes place the true Ablution,

also

cleaning of blackness and stench, and the

again to live

by the

Dead

will

or

be made

introduction of a pure, indestructible

heat and metallic moisture, supplying the tinging force,

by means

of

which

also effected the Philosopher's Putre-

is

spoken of at the beginning of

faction,

what was

before,

and bringing to

Therefore says turba

utmost secrecy.

the

further

and

fix

" Reverse the

:

that which

carefully."

This

is

It

them

elements, reversing

is

light that

Putrefaction

:

this

elements,

volatile,

as a powder.

the

first

and demands

Operation,

the

powder

it,

turba says

make

dry,

and prepare

it all

moist

the Philosopher's Trituration.

senior declares Calcination to be is

is

which was hidden.

the true separation of the

is

in

this book, restoring

It is as well

Wherefore

useless, unless the result

the Decoction of which

Philosophers speak, especially albertus magnus, says that as

among

all

Alchemy, because

all

when he

the arts none follows nature so closely of decoction

and formation.

For the

former takes place in fiery red and metallic waters, which 71

THE SIXTH TREATISE have most from the form and but Uttle from matter.

It is

as well the Philosophic assation, or roasting, for the accidental

moisture is

is

consumed by a mild

fire

and very great care

to be taken, that the spirit which dries

up the body, may

not escape from the body, as otherwise the operation would not be perfect. or clarification

with

its

own

It is as well the Philosophers Destination, ;

this being nothing

essential moisture,

but the uniting of a thing

and with the Coagulation

the Philosophers complete the whole work.

Thereof says Hermes

by which he means that into

:

that the Earth

its

power

is

is its

foster mother,

complete when changed

a constant earth capable of producing innumerable

effects, as

we

shall see hereafter.

Nothing

effected

on a more natural way than

in truth

and not

confirmed saying

in :

else

this art,

when

form only and appearance. " There

this art without nature.

is

no man

can yet be followed

This senior

living able to exercise

Yea and with such nature

been^given us by Heaven to unite with nature."

72

as has

THE SEVENTH TREATISE

THE SEVENTH TREATISE OF THE WHOLE WORKS' MANIFOLD EFFECTS, AND WHY THE PHILOSOPHERS INTRODUCE SO MANY NAMES AND ALLEGORIES IN THIS ART OF THE PREPARATION OF THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

IT

common saying of the Philosophers, that whoever knows how to kill the living silver, is a master of this is

a

art,

but very great attention has to be paid to their

Quicksilver, for they describe

it

very differently and

manyfold.

Senior says thus

:

" Our Fire

is

a Water.

If

you can

give a Fire to a Fire and Mercury to Mercury, then you

He

enough,"

Putrefaction,

further says

"

:

The Soul

and when nothing more

is

know

extracted

by

of the soul remains,

then have you well washed the Body, that they both again are one."

Then

it

is

essence, or a Spirit,

The TURBA says it

in the

body

bum, and

called

quinta essentia, the Quint-

Permanent Water or Menstrum. also

:

" Take Mercury and coagulate

of Magnesia, or in the Sulphur which does not

dissolve

it

in the very strongest Vinegar

73

;

and

in

THE SEVENTH TREATISE

^

become neither black nor white or

this Vinegar it will

and thus colour,

it

and before the approach

TuRBA it will

ful

becomes a dead Quicksilver, and

speaks about

become an

elixir,

it

colour to

all

continues

:

"

whom

it is

From

;

it

is

many

it is

Lay

tinctures,

colour,

is

sufficiently to

of a white

becomes red." in

it

and it

Gold when a beauti-

it is

gives

life

and

Further the turba

given to take."

the very best

;

after that

this is the true Quick-

and

brings a sweet savour, and

this

"

:

it

his Tincture,

The Tyrian colour red

comes a costly Purple silver

as follows

that

water extracted from

of the fire

is

red,

is

a genuine Tincture."

be seen, that

all

Philosophers,

not only ascribe the beginning of the art to Quicksilver, but the Middle and perfect end as well.

Hermes, the "

I

father of philosophers, speaks of

flies

when

in the Signs

of ARIES,

LIBRA, or CAPRICORN, and this bird you eternity

stones.

from true minerals

:

may

cancer,

receive for

and precious mountain

Parts shall you part, and especially that which

remains after the separation, and complexion, that you see wise

thus

have been observing a bird called the Philosophers'

orsan, which

all

it

men

call

it

"

it

in

is

called of the Earth'o

many

colours, then will the

ceram sapientae " and

"

plumbum."

In oregard to this the Philosophers talk about roasting and distilling

through Days of Time, according to Number, and

74

;

THE SEVENTH TREATISE Division of the Parts, saying

till

" Sublimate, rectify,

to the ground, further, incinerate

sticks

flows

:

;

make

dead and

it

alive again

;

fix till it

and imbibe

file it

till

and break

it it,

the secret becomes revealed and the revealed secret,

separate the Elements and unite

Soul from the Body.

make white venus,

them

Further rectify

again, extract the

Body and

Spirit

deprive jupiter of his bolt, harden

SATURN, and soften mars, make luna Citron-coloured and bodies in water which makes

them

perfect."

They

also teach to roast the black Sulphur

till it

turns red,

when

solve

they

all

distil

it

they obtain white transparent

all

the thing which

is

it

and a

fire

again

to

Further,

it

left

drawn

off

from the Virgin

gum and

a white trans-

to coagulate, after which

Tincture of the Wise, tinctura sapientiae,

to the colours, one Soul one Spirit drawing, back

home

those

after

wandering about far away.

sulphur rubeum, gummi aureum, aureum ap-

PARENS, corpus DESIDERATUM, SAPIENTIAE, especially

Turba says the Gold

is

into a red golden

parent water, which must be process they call

like

so highly praised and called lac virginis.

Then they mix the water which Milk and transfer

Gum

also

first

:

"

if it

AURUM SINGULARUM, AQUA

possesses great whiteness.

You should know

white,

black and pure waters

you ;

will

that, unless

75

you make

never be able to get

the Cristalline will show

The

itself

it

red,

from the

;

THE SEVENTH TREATISE Therefore says senior

Citron red." if

you throw

and makes it

a peculiar thing,

is

white over the citrine and the red,

turn the colour of silver

makes

" It

over the other three already mixed up, so

it

will it help the

Citrine,

:

it

;

after that

white

red over the Citrine, and makes

helps the red over the

;

it

then

it

helps as well the

of a white colour."

Of these things morienus speaks thus perfect Citrine,

and that which

is

its

blackness."

gold of the Philosophers Silver

;

its rednfess,

Hence

different to

is

" Behold the

:

altered in its Citrinity

the perfect red and the one lessened in the perfect black in

will

over the white and red and

;

Golden coloured

Citrine

it

it

though some Philosophers compare

it is

and further

clear that the

common Gold for

it

or

some reasons,

common Gold or Silver, but even to all metals.

SENIOR says "I am a dry and hard Iron, and nothing is

not only to

:

me,

like

for I

Philosophers."

am

a coagulation to the Quicksilver of the

TuRBA

says

" Copper and

:

Lead become

a precious Stone of the Philosophers.*" The Lead which the Philosophers call

Red Lead,

is

a beginning of the whole

work, and nothing can be done without

say

:

"

From

red lead

make

iron, or

it

;

therefore

some

Crocum from white lead ;

make a white tincture, or tin, from tin make copper, from copper make white lead, from white lead make Minium, from Minio make a Tincture, and you have begun the 76

THE SEVENTH TREATISE Although the Philosopher says that, nothing

Wisdom."

approaches Gold so nearly as Lead, for in the occult Secret

all

;

but this

it is

not meant of

is

the Life and

common

Lead.

Moreover marcasit, of which the stinking earth wins golden scintillations, as morienus says,

to

many

things not mineral at

all,

and other

things,

Above

all

beware of

and such

its

manyfold

qualities.

things alphidius warns us thus

:

" Dear Son,

bodies and stones which are dead, as

mentioned, for in them for

like

minerals to Salt, Alum, Vitriol,

among

on account of

spirits,

Four Com-

as to the

plexions, to Teriac, to the Basilisk, to blood,

superfluous things,

compared

Others again compare

to ARSENIC, AURiPiGMENT and TUTiA. it

also

it is

is

no way, nor would you

your purpose with them,

find guidance

for their force does not multiply,

but comes to nothing instead, while the Salt of the Philosophers

is

a Tincture extracted and absorbed from the bodies

of metals,

Uke as other alkaline

salts are

absorbed from other

bodies."

Of

this

afterwards of labour,

SENIOR says it it

becomes a

:

" that at

Salt,

and

first

of all

turns to ashes,

at last with a great deal

becomes the Mercury of

But the best and noblest

it

is

the Philosophers.

sal amoniac, as con-

firmed by ARISTOTLE in his book of the seven

ments, where he says

:

almisadir,

7^

that

is

command-

sal amoniac,

PERFECTION OF THE WHOLE MASTERY shall serve soft

and

you

only, for

spiritual."

and a body

solves the bodies,

and makes them

The same says turba

the body does not tinge in itg interior,

it

itself

:

"

Know

unless the Spirit which

be extracted, when

it

is

that

hidden

become a water

will

of a spiritual nature, because the thick earthy

substance cannot tinge, but the proper one

and colours the tingent

spirit of

is

of a thin nature,

a watery nature to an Elixir,

because there has been extracted a white and red fixation, of a perfect colouring,

mixed with

all

and an

all

penetrating Tincture, which

the metals.

THE PERFECTION OF THE WHOLE MASTERY DEPENDS ON THESE FEW POINTS: That the sulphur be extracted from the perfect bodies.

THEY have MARS fixed, which Sulphur most subtle

fire

their noblest

part, a crystalline salt, sweet

a radical moisture, which,

on the

is

if

would always be

it

On

and savoury and

were to remain for a year

like

molten wax.

a small part exalteth a large quantity of silver into

and

Wherefore

common

Quick-

genuine Gold.

that account, the moisture or the water which

extracted from the metallic bodies,

78

is

is

called the Soul of the

;;

PERFECTION OF THE WHOLE MASTERY Stone, or Mercury, but

forces axe

its

named

affecting things of a Sulphurous nature

Earth

TINCTURE. root,

Body, the quintessence

the

is

;

Spirit,

when

while the solid is

the

ultimate

All these three are a united thiag of one sole

but having manifold

which, though having

all

effects

and innumerable names,

the same meaning are yet like

a chain linked into one another, so that where one end? the other begins.

In the

last part is to

be noticed the virtues and powers

of the noble Tincture, which

is

to

opponents

its

like

a strong

tower, and of which the old Sages discovered four principal Firstly, it gives health

virtues.

diseases

Thirdly,

;

Secondly,

it

changes

all

it

Fourthly,

Of the

it

makes

and cures man

perfect the metallic bodies

base stones into precious ones

first

the Philosophers say that it

will

and many other internal as a salve.

It strengthens

and bad

if

taken in a

warm

colic,

fever,

palsy,

diseases, as well as external ones,

away rheumatism and

relieves catarrh it

and

immediately cure paralysis,

dropsy, leprosy, jaundice, palpitation,

takes

;

softens every kind of glass.

draught of wine or water,

when used

of various

cures

eyes,

and

an unhealthy stomach,

all it

mental diseases

;

it

invigorate'^ the heart

brings back the faculty of hearing, and renews the teeth,

restores the

lame limbs,

it

heals

79

bums and

gangrene, as well

PERFECTION OF THE WHOLE MASTERY as impostunies

;

it

can be taken or used as salve or powder,

for all external injuries, fistulas, cancers, swellings.

Senior says that

it

makes the man joyous,

rejuvenates inside and outside, for all

it

fresh, healthy,

a medicine above

is

other medicines of Hippocrates, galen, constantine,

ALEXANDER,

AvicENNA,

and

Surpasses

learned

the

all

This medicine should as well be mixed with

Physicians.

other ones meeting the particular disease,

or

About the second

changes

virtue

perfect metals into Gold,

becomes Gold

of silver

written that

it is

and

it

this is evident

in colour,

;

changes

all

and Red

what

all

written

(!)

im-

for eyer5rthing

and

and hardness. medicine

this

stones into precious ones, as in Jasper, White

Coral,

Emerald,

CrjTstals into Garnets,

ChrysoUte,

Sapphires,

further

Rubies and Topazes, which are

more powerful than the natural all

is

water

substance, weight

consistency, as well as in kind, fusion, softness

Thirdly, according to

with

ones.

It softens

and

much fuses

base and precious stones.

And FOURTHLY, in mixing this medicine with molten glass, the latter may be cut and changed into all colours.

The rest may be learnt by experience by any skilful artist.

80

;

CONCLUSION The most noble Art and comforter

of the poor,

above

all

natural arts, which man may ever have on earth, the noble Alchemy, is to be esteemed as the gift of God for it is hidden mostly in manifold proverbs, figurative sayings and parables ;

of the old Sages.

So says the Philosopher senior "A sensible man, if he but tries this art, will soon perceive it from the books, ÂŁind get a knowledge of this art, if his mind and intellect are :

illuminated."

Whosoever therefore will act wisely should search for the Wisdom of the old Philosophers, which is shown in the wit and Artfulness of the manifold parables and roundabout sa5dngs, thus hiding the proper operations and thus rendering their unriddling difiicult.

To think over these things requires a very subtle mind, and only those with suitable faculties and knowledge will find it easy and natural.

But as senior says " For those who have no natural understanding of these things, there is nothing so precious in Nature as he who possesses this Art he is like one " who had a flint from which he strikes fire :

and gives to whosoever he any smaller through it. It

likes, is

without the stone getting

as good as giving superfluous

This Art is also better than all commerce, Gold and Silver, and her fruits are better than the wealth of all the world. For by means of this Art, is obtained that which furthers long life, health, her youngest fruit being the true AURUM, the most powerful balm and most precious gift of God, which the old Philosophers could find in Nature with fine Gold.

their Art.

End of Splendor 81

Solis

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL

WANDERINGS AND ADVENTURES

IN SEARCH OF

THE

PHILOSOPHER'S STONE Translated from the

AURUM

VELLUS. ROHRSCHACH.

1498

WHEN

I

named

Flocker,

fellow, I

who was

and

Of 1

an Alchemist,

get nothing out of him.

He

Lead, adding to

later

on

soft like

this prepared Lead,

mark pure unalloyed

and kept the composition

upon he parted the it

also

secret,

it

and

I

could

used a Process

a peculiar Sulphur, or

Brimstome, he fixed the Lead until fluid,

came to a Miner

but he kept his knowledge

commom

with

was a young

it

became hard, then

Wax. he took 20 Loth (10 ounces), and put both materials in flux

Silver,

in fusion for half

Silver, cast it in

an

an hour.

ingot,

when

Therehalf of

was Gold.

I

was grieved at heart that

he refused to

I

could not have this art, but

tell his secret process.

Shortly thereafter he tumbled

could

tell

what was the

artifice

82

down a mine and no one

he had used.

WANDERINGS

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL As

had seen

I

the year 1473 on

and where derings

I

done by

really

it

this miner, I started in

my travels to search out an artist in Alchemy,

heard of one

I

went to him, and

passed 18 months, learning

I

in these

wan-

kinds of Alchemical

all

Operations, of no great importance, but I saw the reality of of I

some

of the

particular processes, and

I

spent 200 Florins

my own money, nevertheless I would not give up the search. thought of boarding with some of my friends, and took a

journey to Laibach, thence to Milan, and came to a monastery.

There

I

heard some excellent lectures and served as an

a year.

tant, for about

Then

I travelled about,

to an Italian tradesman,

up and down

it

largely.

I

diligent,

well.

like

the best fine Silver,

The Jew a Servant, and I had

me

as

when they operated with

and they kept nothing from me, as

In this

corrosive

fire,

way

I

learnt their art,

and poisonous

and came

offered to serve them.

persuaded the Trader to take to attend the

in Italy,

and a Jew, who understood German.

These two made English Tin look

and sold

assis-

materials,

and

their art I pleased

I

was

them

which worked with I

stopped with them

fourteen weeks.

Then

I

journeyed with the Jew to Venice.

There he sold

to a Turkish merchant forty pounds of this Silver.

he was haggling with the merchant 83

I

While

took six Loth of the

WANDERINGS

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL Silver,

and brought

kept two Joume5mien, and

He

me

directed

test,

harshly to I

asked him to test the

He had

They soon brought the

strong acids, and refined

stand the

I

and

me

all

flew

it

was

When

who

Silver to the test with

in the

;

but

it

it

did not

And they spoke

fire.

asking where I got the Silver.

had come on purpose to have

if it

Silver.

German Assay-

three

on the Cupel

away

and

Latin,

to an Agsayer on Saint Marks' Place,

was portly and Wealthy. assistants.

who spoke

to a Goldsmith,

it

I told

tested, that I

them

might know

real silver.

I

saw the

fraud, I returned not to the Jew,

paid no more attention to their

art, for I feared

and

to get into

trouble together with the Jew, through the false silver.

I

then went to a College in Venice, and asked there

they could give

me two

The Rector

ment.

me

other Germans, and there

an Institution nations

came

I

looked for employ-

of a Hospital

where there were

meals daily while

told

we

got sumptuous food.

I

I said I

have got

of all

went to Saint Marks' Place, and one of

the Assay assistants came up, and asked ?

was

there.

The next day

Silver

It

and people

destitute strangers,

for

if

Why

I

had

it

had no more rid of

it,

but

tested,

and

if

of that silver, I

had the 84

art

I

me

where

I

got that

had any more

and that and

I

I

of

it ?

was glad to

should not mind

WANDERINGS

TRISOMSIN'S ALCHEMICAL telling

me

if

to him.

it

I

That pleased the Assayer, and he asked

could work in a Laboraotry

Laborant travelling on purpose to

That pleased him

Laboratories.

a nobleman

who kept a

Assistant.

I

named

to the Chief Chemist,

glad to get me.

wage

of

laboratory,

readily accepted,

work

vastly,

So he engaged

and he told me of

and who wanted a German

and he took me

me on as well.

straight

and he was

the spot at a weekly

He

six Italian miles out of Venice to a fine large I

was a

I

alchemical

in

Tauler, a German,

two crowns and board

Ponteleone.

him

told

I

?

took

me

about

mansion called

never saw such Laboratory work,

in

all

kinds of Particular Processes, and medicines, as in that place.

There everything one could think of was provided

own

private

room, and there was a special cook for the whole

staff of

and ready

for use.

Each workman had

his

Laboratory assistants.

The Chief Chemist gave me

at once

an Ore to work on,

which had been sent to the nobleman, four days previously.

It

was a Cinnabar the Chief had covered with

dirt, just

to try

my

knowledge, and he told

done with in two days.

I

all

me

kinds of to get

it

was kept busy, but Succeeded

with the Particular Process, arid on testing the ingot of the fixed Mercury, the whole weighed

three Loth fine Gold.

85

nine Loth, the

test

gave

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL

my

That was

Chemist reported

first

tapped

He

me on

me

in Latin, called

the shoulder and gave

spoke a funny kind of Latin

but

I I

it

I

me

of luck.

The

who came

me

his

Chief

out un-

Fortunatum,

twenty-nine crowns.

could hardly understand,

was pleased with the money.

was then put on oath not to reveal

To make a as

work and stroke

to the nobleman,

it

expectedly, spoke to

WANDERINGS

my Art to anyone (*).

long story short, everything had to be kept secret,

should be.

If

someone boasts

of his art,

got the Truth, God's Justice will not

Therefore be

silent,

even

let

even

he has

if

such a one go on.

you have the highest Tincture,

if

but give charity.

I

tory, all

saw

all

and

kinds of operations at this Nobleman's Labora-

as the Chief Chemist favoured me, he gave

kinds of operations to do, and also mentioned, that our

employer spent about 30,000 Crowns on these cash for

all

manner

paying

arts,

of books in various languages, to

he gave great attention.

I

had soon translated and gave me to work. process to a finish in fifteen weeks.

*

;

and

this

Mere Metallurgy.

86

A

process

This the nobleman

a Tincture in the Greek Language.

three metals into fine Gold

which

myself witnessed that he paid

6,000 Crowns for the Manuscript sarlamethon. for

me

I

brought that

Therewith

I

tinged

was kept most

secret.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;J.K.

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL WANDERINGS This nobleman was gorgeous and powerful, and

a year the Signoria went out to

Gem

of a

sea, to witness the

throwing

Ring into the water at the ceremony of wedding

the Adriatic, our gentleman with

went out

nobility

when once

in his

many others

grand pleasure

a hurrican arose and he with

many

ship,

of the Venetian

when suddenly

others of the Venetian

Lords and Rulers, was drowned.

The Laboratory was then shut up by the paid

my

went away from Venice, to a

I

purpose,

carefully translated into Greek,

into Latin.

There

Egyptians

I also saw

.

still

better place

where Cabalistic and Magical books

Egyptian language were entrusted to

with,

men

but they kept the Chief Chemist.

off,

Then for

family, the

I

my

care, these I

in

had

and then again retranslated

found and captured the Treasure of the

what was the great Subj ect they worked

and the ancient Heathen Kings used such Tinctures

and have themselves operated with them, namely. Kings XOFAR, SUNSFOR, XOGAR, XOPHALAT, JULATON, XOMAN and others.

and

it

All these is

had the

surprising that

great treasures of the tincture

god should have revealed such

Secrets to the Heathen, but they kept

it

very secret.

After a while I saw the fundamental principles of this art, all

then

I

began working out the Best Tincture (but they

proceed, in a most indescribable

87

manner from the same

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL root),

when

came

I

to the end of the

beautiful red coloiu: as

no

scarlet

a treasure as words cannot

One part tinged

augmented.

I will

not

tell

ties of Silver

tion.

I

tell,

how

Work

I

found such a

can compare with, and such

and which can be

augmentation what quanti-

I tinged after the

was amazed.

STUDY WHAT THOU ART,

WHEREOF THOU ART A PART, WHAT THOU KNOWEST OF THIS THIS IS REALLY

ALL THAT ALSO

IS

IS

infinitely

1,500 parts Silver into Gold.

after manifold

and other metal

WANDERINGS

WHAT THOU

WITHOUT THEE

WITHIN,

THUS WROTE TRISMOSIN.

88

ART,

ART.

multiplica-

;

AVINCENA'S SEVEN RULES FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE The FIRST Operation is the extraction of the most noble and pure substance from Matter.

2.

The Matter or Subject to be dissolved in Water.

3.

The GENERATION has to be preceded by the putre1.

faction, for the Philosophers say that the destruction of

one thing

is

the Generation of another.

Dealbation is necessary that the putrefied Matter may be washed and purified from all corruption and impurity.

But the Philosophers say that the longer the Water remains on the surface of the Earth, the more thoroughly 4.

will the latter

be washed.

5 Now follows the coagulation, for through the moderate warmth and boiling of our Sun, our Water has to be dried into Earth, and has thus to become a powder.

After this it must be calcinated, as the calcined 6. materials are of more use in our work, than the raw ones

some Philosophers say that the the fixation, which

is

calcination

is

the same as

not badly told, because both have to

go through Sublimation..

7.

Besides

all

know that the whole of our one way or manner, in one vessel,

that you must

work is being perfected in and that all goes into one, and upon 89

one,

and from one.

:

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL

PROCESS CALLED THE RED LION, AND GIVEN

at

length in the

aureum vellus, pubhshed

Rohrschach, 1598, also in the toison d'or, 1602 and 1622, as

summarized by Professor Schmieder

Alchemy, 1832, and veiled of

SPLENDOR soLis

in his

in the Pictures

assuming any responsibility

for its correctness or efficacy,

as comprising the gist of treatises in the

" CANGENIUERON,"

and Treatises

given with aU reservation and without

is

under the headings

History of

aureum vellus

" copulatur," " liber suforeton,"

:

"

RED EAGLE," " ELECTRUM SORONEL-

LA," " MORATOSAN," " NEFOLON," GEROTON," SARONA DOAP

AURi," " viATOLON," " USEFUR," &c., which 3X6 to be found in the printed books, of

SPLENDOR 1.

SOLIS, is as follows

Take 8 Loth

Salpetre,

but not in the original Manuscript

(4ozs.) calcined

and 4 Loth calcined Table

Alum, 8 Loth calcined Salt,

and

triturate with

20 Loth Corrosive Sublimate, and sublimate in a proper

Sublimimg 2. it

Vessel.

Carefully take out the Sublimate

with 20 Loth fresh Salts,

During 90

and resublimate

this Operation it will

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL PROCESS be wholesome, on account of the poisonous fumes, to eat bread thickly spread with butter.

Put the Sublimate

3.

with Alcohol, and

distil

remains as an

behind.

oil

The Alcohol

4.

on the residue

in a Glass Retort,

and cover

it

over in water bath until half the fluid

over

distilled

in the retort, until

is

poured back (cohobated)

it is

covered about a finger's

breadth.

This Distillation repeat three times, and the whole

5.

of the Sublimate will pass over into the Recipient. is

the

as

it

MERCURY

This

of the Philosophers, the Mercurial Water,

were the " Hellish Fire in Water."

Water fumes always, and must be kept

This Mercurial

in a closed 'Phial,

or Glass stoppered bottle.

6.

Take

fine Gold, in leaf or thin beaten,

retort, just cover it

retort

it

in

a glass

with the Mercurial Water, and put the

on gentle heat, when the Water

the Gold, and dissolve liquid entirely,

put

it,

but

it

will begin to act

upon

not be reduced to a

will

and only remain at the bottom

like

a greasy

substance, then pour oft the Mercurial Water, which can

be used again.

7.

half

The Gold sediment

divide into

and pour thereon Alcohol, and

on gentle heat 15 days, and is

it

the " Lion's Blood."

91

will

two

let

parts.

Take one

the mixture putrefy

become blood red

;

this

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL PROCESS This Lion's Blood pour into another glass retort,

8.

or Phial, which seal hermetically,

Dog Days, and it

when heat

light grey

deep red.

last it

will at

9.

thereof,

in

?)

wrap

the

first

Tincture.

(or parts) of

for f of

in

Gold

Provided

(A)

When

in fusion.

Take one part

of

will

a fulminate

Take one grain

paper and project

an hour, the gold

thousand

and at

!

a glass Mortar. it

the heat of the

will turn yellow

it

The Red Tincture triturate (How

triturate

10.

is

it

turn black, then variegated, then

increased

is

This

does not explode

firist

and give

it

it

on 1000

parts fine Silver, and

it

(?)

Grains

has remained in fusion

will turn to Tincture.

Tincture

part)

(or

(B.)

B. project will

it

transmute

(?)

on one it

into

fine gold.

11.

Project one part of Tincture A. wrapped in paper,

upon 1000 parts until the

fumes

of pure Quicksilver, arise,

which has been heated

and the Quicksilver

will

be changed

into Tincture (C).

12.

Take one part

project the

of Tincture

same on 1000 parts heated

become transmuted into 13.

Take one part

C, wrapped Quicksilver,

in paper,

and

it will

fine Gold.

of Tincture B., project

Tin or Lead in fusion, and

it

will

92

on 1000 parts

be transmuted into Gold.

;

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL PROCESS Take one part

14.

in fusion,

and

it will

of Tincture B,

and project

it

on Copper

be transmuted into Gold of a very red

colour.

Project

15.

some Tincture

B

the iron again into the blaze, and

on red hot

it will

iron,

inslert

be transmuted into

brittle Gold.

Melt the Gold that has been transmuted of the iron,

16.

with equal gold transmuted from Quicksilver, and

it

will

become good malleable Gold.

Dissolve some Tincture B. in strong alcoholic wine,

17.

and take a spoonful

in the morning, it will strengthen

renew your constitution.

women

It rejuvenates the

aged and makes

prolific.

18.

Tincture C. dissolved in strong wine, and a wine-

morning

glassful taken fasting in the

any skin

Thus

will cure

Leprosy or

diseases in a few days.

far the

unguaranteed directions for making the

Philosophers Stone, which, result, will at least

who

and

if

they

have that virtue

to give the promised

fail

left

:

they

will

make those

believe in them, feel rich, until they are undeceived

while those of us

who have had no

personal experience in

that part of the practical Philosophy of the Ancients, un-

93

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL PROCESS qualified either to affirm or

we can only

statements,

deny the above extraordinary

exclaim, with the

" prodigious

DOMINIE Sampson

:

or doubting, that

we have

learned

As concerns the Process Chemist should attempt

!

itself,

" and pass on, hoping,

some Truth. no one but a practical

for apart

it,

but forgotten

all

from the poisonous

fumes, for which eating bread, thickly spread with butter,

would hardly be a safe and

sufi&cient antidote,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sublimation

should be done under an open chimney with a strong upward draft

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Gold,

left

booby-trap,

that

lovely

wide open.

Some

^there

is

the

Fulminating

process has been omitted that

would shut that trap and render the fulminate harmless.

Here the question of its

FULMEN

Transmutation question

:

Is

arises

whether in depriving the Fulminate

not

it

is

?

Which

also

deprived

of

its

power of

further gives rise to the crucial

aurum fulminans

the philosopher's stone

?

This question can only be answered by the careful experiments of trained Chemists.

The Medical ef&cacy

ARUM VELLUS in

particular

of the Tincture

is

afi&rmed in the book

(xoisoN d'or) not Only in general terms, but instances

of

restoration

rejuvenation, of the aged there given.

94

to health,

and of

TRISMOSIN'S ALCHEMICAL PROCESS The

origin of the writings attributed to Trismosin

uncertain and wrapped in mystery.

apart from merit,

magnificent Pictures of indubitable artistic

of opinion,

and under

order,

his

Amateur Alchemist, the Artist

and

all

that

if

not executed by tismosin's

immediate directions, some wealthy

possibly a Fugger,

who produced

may have by

this Manuscript,

encouraged

his patronage,

the writings attributed to that author, with the

exception "

Solis ,"

the best of those Alchemical compositions.

is

am

I

its

The " Splendor

is

of

" splendor

WANDERINGS "

sous "

and

his

Alchemical

are either spurious, or have been tampered

with.

Of TRISMOSIN, whose name Schmieder believes to have been

Pfeifer,

and that he was a Saxon,

it is

related in the

Preface to the book " elucidarius chymicus, 1617 " that

he lived by virtue of

(or perhaps, despite) his

an age of one hundred and fifty years

96

!

medicine to

so mote it be

I

EXPLANATORY NOTES 1.

Splendor, according to the Dictionary

is

the state

or quality of being splendid, giving out or reflecting Light, brightly shining

;

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;exceeding

lustrous,

glittering

of emitted or reflected light 2.

;

brilliancy

as the splendour of the Sun.

In an 18th Century Cyclopedia (Zedler,

Splendour

is

called,

vol.

the brightness, or brillance of

which a dark body incapable of giving out

from a luminous body.

light

39), light,

has revived

It differs

from radiance, or rays

emanating from a luminous body.

Splendour also means

Magnificence, Excellence, Glory.

3.

Sol

Philosophers, 4. is

in

Alchemy,

and

in

The SOL or sun

common

They 6.

means Sulphur

of

the

Chemistry, gold.

of the Philosophers of Mercurial Origin,

the FIXED, while the

of the great work.

simply

moon

is

the unfixed part of Matter

These are the two Dragons of Flamel.

also call the innate Fire in Matter sol.

As the Unfixed and Fixed are drawn out

Mercurial source, the Philosophers say the sun

and the moon the Mother

of the

is

the Father

of the Philosopher's Stone.

(PERNETY, DICTIONNAIRE MYTHO-HERMETIQUE).

96

same

EXPLANATORY NOTES The Sun

6.

illumines

is

the Mystic Symbol for the Soul, as the Sun

World with

the

Life-giving Light

and Energies,

does the soul sustain the body with Life and Thought.

Body and Mind

are formed

by the

Albertus MAGNUS

7.

Theologian,

Works

(1193-1280)

and

Philosopher

Soul.

Dominican monk, His

Alchemist.

collected

are contained in 21 Folio Volumes, comprising the

He was

knowledge of his time.

author of ten works on

Alchemy.

8.

a

Alphidius.

Latin MS.

"Alphidi,

philosophi,

CLAVES QUINQUE ET ALIA FRAGMENTA DE LAPIDE PHILOSOPHICO

COMPONENDO,"

according to

is

ALCHEMY preserved

schmieder's history of

in the Library of the escurial.

HoEFER, histoire DE LA CHiMiE, the

name probably a

vol. 1, p. 348, Considers

who name would be Abu

Latinised corruption of al kindi,

died between 861-870,

c.e.,

whose

real

jussuF jacub ben ishak al kenda. well

versed

and

Astrology.

in

Physics, Medicine,

Mathematics,

Michael

Casiri,

ARABICO-HISPANO ESCURIALENSIS, p. 363, gives

a

list

" alchemie," vol. of

ii,

of his works. p. 339,

This author was

in

bibliotheca

his

MADRID,

Al kend

Alchemy

1760-7, vol. is

i,

not as kopp

makes out an alchemical writer

an unknown period nor can he be

as of the Twelfth Century.

97

classified (id p. 363)

EXPLANATORY NOTES Aristotle, the Alchemist,

9.

is

not identical with the

Stagirite Philosopher (384-322 B.C.) but the

METEOROLOGicoRUM,

referred to in the Preface,

is

of the

" The " letter to Alexander

ancient Greek Philosopher. is,

Fourth Book,

of course, spurious.

Let not the reader be discouraged by the word " spurious."

The author's name may be work may nevertheless be

forged, but the contents of the

The

of great value.

wisest Adepts,

possibly, concealed their identity behind these ancient names.

In times when

was dangerous to be suspected of Occult

it

knowledge, such precautions were necessary.

10.

AVICENA, or ABU ALI AL HUSSEIN BEN ABDALLA IBN equally

(980-1036)

siNA,

Physician.

Some

in the

The Romantic story

Philosopher

as

of his writings are in

CHEMicA cuRiosA and 11.

famous

mangeti bibliotheca

theatrum chemicum. of Sultan

calid, or kalid,

of Eygpt, blended with the Life of the Alchemist

or

and

morienus,

MARiANOS, given in lenglet du fresnoy's histoire

DE LA PHiLOSOPHiE HERMETiQUE,

vol.

i,

ch.

21,

and

In

WAITE'S lives of the ALCHEMISTICAL PHILOSOPHERS, pp.

See

53-7.

also

ALCHEMIAE, &C., vol.

i,

No.

28,

in

romani

morienis

de

compositione

MANGETI BIBLIOTHECA CHEMICA CURIOSA, and

PHILOSOPHES CHIMIQUE,

richebourg's vol.

ii,

98

No.

2.

bibliotheque

des

EXPLANATORY NOTES 11.

in the second

Galenus, a Physician of Asia Minor,

He

to him.

No

Century,

Christian

alchemical

axid thus

became the Father

of

Paracel$us the Swiss Alchemist and Physician

(1493-1541) nicknamed the other " Luther " the

who

attributed

are

prepared drugs, later called Galenical Medicines,

for treatment of disease,

Pharmacy.

works

first

teacher

ever held a chair of Physical Science, began his lectures

at Basle

by

lighting

some sulphur

in a dish

the works of Galen and others, saying

burn in

hell."

:

and burning

" So yovt too, will

See " Life Understood " by F. L. Rawson,

p. 52.

12.

AL

Geber, whose true name was abu mussa jafar most famous mediaeval alchemist, flourished

SOFI, the

at Seville, about 800 c.e. in i.

MANGETI

His chief works are reproduced

BIBLIOTHECA

No. 29 and 31.

CHEMICA

Foremost among them

CURIOSA,

Vol.

his "

sum of

is

PERFECTION," " SUMMA PERFECTIONIS MAGISTERI," also tO be found in richebourg's bibliotheque des philosophes CHIMIQUES,"

vol.

i.

No.

genuine works of geber

4. is

'The best

text, however, of the

to be found in berthelot's " la

CHIMIE AU MOYEN AGE," Paris, 1893,

vol.

iii

,

pp. 126-224.

"oeuvres de djaber." a vast improvement on the 13.

foregoing.

Hali, menaldus, miraldus, senior, &c., are names

occurring in an Alchemical work "

99

turba philosophorum,"

;

EXPLANATORY NOTES named sometimes arisleus,

attributed to a Latin writer

at other times aristeus, supposed to

The

century.

have lived

in the 12th

the book can be translated either as

title of

"Contention" or "Assembly" of "Philosophers."

The

author's idea was to take leading Quotations from all the writers on

Alchemy he knew, and introduce them

by an assembly

of discussion on Transmutation, held

Some names

Philosophers. writers

are

a form

in

fictitious,

are

others

of of

whose works are actually quoted.

The sayings

foisted

upon pythagoras, socrates,

&c,,

may

though never uttered by those ancient Greek Sages, .

nevertheless convey valuable suggestions.

Hermes, the Father

14.

supposed to be

Philosophy,

when he

supposed to have

is

TABLE OF HERMES, falsehood

;

identical

No

unknown Egyptian toth.

whatever

and that which

is

below

above

is

is

with the

equally

certain date can be given

lived,

as foUows

is

Alchemy and Hermetic

of

is

:

if

ever.

It is true,

like that

The emerald and without

which

Uke that which

is

is

above

below

:

to

accomplish one sole miracle.

As

all

things

have come from one mind, so can

things be improved

The sun carries

it

is

all

by adaptation to that mind.

the Father, the

in its belly,

and

it is

100

the Mother, the

Wind

nursed by the Earth.

It is

moon

EXPLANATORY NOTES

.

the Father of

all

the Power in the world.

Separate the Earth

complete when changed into Earth.

from the

Fire, the subtle

Its virtue is

from the coarse, but

carefully,

and

with great judgment. " It ascends from Earth to Heaven, and descends from

Heaven to Earth, and, thereby and Below. and

all

Thus the Glory

darkness shall

gets the Force of

of the

World

from thee.

flee

This

of FORCES, that overcomes all subtle things all

solid.

For thus the World

is

will is

Above

be thine, the force

and penetrates

created,

and only by

Adaptation can this wonderful thing be done. " Hence I

am called Thrice Great Hermes, having mastered

the three parts of the whole world's Philosophy.

I

have to say on the Solar Work

is

This version will be found to that appears at the end of " Philosophers,

London,

finished."

differ slightly

The Lives

1815.

What

from the one

of the Alchemystical

The

Golden

Treatise

(Tractatus Aureus) can be found in mangeti bibliotheca

CHEMICA CURIOSA, 16.

bom

vol.

i,

No. 19.

Hippocrates, the greatest Physician of Antiquity,

at Cos, an island off the coast of Asia Minor, 460 B.C.

The Genuine Works

of

Greek, and published

by the Sydenham

Hippocrates translated fron^ the

purely medical.

J

101

Society, 1849, are

EXPLANATORY NOTES Rhases

16.

who to

(860-940),

a famous Arabian Physician,

Abou Abaiah, he composed 226

books, most of which

Hoefer Histoire de La Chimie,

are lost.

that in the book

vol.

a

way

i,

p. 341, says

lumen luminum magnum, Rhases

a preparation of Sulphuric Acid from in

According

lived in the reign of the Khalif Al-Mansur.

similar to the

Sulphate

Lumen Luminum

was written by Rhases and

it is

its

when Splendor

first

contains three treatises

by

this author

AD SARANTANTAM EPISCOPUM.

Principles,

therefore

Solis appeared.

RosiNUS, an Arabian Alchemist,

allegorical

the

authorship to the Arabian,

The artis aurifera,

giving

p. 95,

Castrensis, or of Castres, in Languedoc,

14th Century writers.

(2)

Iron, '

The " Liber Lumen Lumtnmn " was

a recent work 17.

of

" composed in Latin Rhjmies,

an error to attribute

physician.

describes

Nordhausen Process.

According to Schmieder History of Alchemy, " Liber

:

descriptions

of

(3)

:

(1)

quoted by

basil,

1610,

ad euthiciam.

LIBER DEFINITIONUM,

the

and the General properties

Male

and

Female

of the Philosopher's

Stone.

18.

The scALA PHILOSOPHORUM,

montanor, a French Alchemist,

He

of

is

attributed to guido

whom very little is known.

quotes Roger Bacon and Ricardus Anglus, and

102

is

quoted

EXPLANATORY NOTES

by Ripley and

other 15th Century Artists.

The book

is

included in mangeti bibliotheca chemica curiosa, vol. ii,

No. 74. " AuTOR TRIUM VERBORUM," the author of " The 19.

Book

Three Words "

of

who

Alchemist,

is

kalled rachaidib, an Arabian

about

lived

His book laid the

1200.

foundation to the theory of Trimaterialism,

i.e.,

metals consisted of Salt, Mercury, and Sulphur. translation vol.

ii.

is

that

A

all

Latin

given in Mangeti Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa,

No. 79.

The

20.

ideas on the origin of mountains, &c., in

FIRST PARABLE "

taken

largely

are

from

"the

avicena

de

CONGLUTINATIONE LAPiDis, as Can be seen by a comparison with that Treatise, in the threatrum chemicum, 21. for the

vol.

i.

No. 36.

Trismosin's Story of his travels also gives a reason

Venetian Palaces and Italian landscapes that appear

in his allegorical Pictures.

The scenes in the margins probably

depict reminiscences of his "

have recounted to the

when he

artist.

wanderings

" that he

may

Assuming that he was a youth

started on his travels, in 1473, his age

when the

MS. was produced would have been over a hundred.

This

would favour the idea that he returned wealthy from Italy

and

lived in retirement as

and only a

fraud,

why

an Adept.

If

he was not an Adept

the Manuscript with

103

its

cabn sensible

EXPLANATORY NOTES writing,

not intended for publication

painting^ of undoubted merit 22.

As

I

?

Why

the artistic

?

have already observed

in the

Introductory,

the 22 Pictures of Splendor Sblis are arranged in the same order as the 22

Keys

of the

Tarot and have the

M3^tic meaning.

The End.

Printed by Fox, Jones

A

Co.,

High

Street, Oxford, England.

same

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