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An Open Entrance - PhilalethesThis key work of Eirenaeus Philalethes was first published asIntroitus apertus ad

occlusum regis palatium, Amsterdam, 1667 and a few years later issued in an English

edition Secrets reveal'd: or, an open entrance to the shut-palace of the king, London1669 !t was in"luded in #ardilu"ius,Magnalia medico-chymica, $urnberg, 1676, in

theMusaeum hermeticum reformatum et amplificatum, %rankfurt, 167&, and in

'anget(s "ompendiumBibliotheca chemica curiosa, 17)*

+Trans"ribed by erry -u.as/

An

0pen Entran"e

to the#losed Pala"e

of the ing

by

An Anonymous 2age and

Lo3er of Truth

Table of Contents

The Author(s Prefa"e

0f the need of 2ulphur for produ"ing this Eli4ir

0f the #omponent Prin"iples of the 'er"ury of the 2ages

0f the #halybs of the 2ages

0f the 'agnet of the 2ages

0f the #haos of the 2ages

0f the Air of the 2ages

0f the first 0peration5Preparation of 'er"ury by means of the %lying Eagles

0f the iffi"ulty and Length of the %irst 0peration

0f the 2uperiority of our 'er"ury o3er all 'etals0f the 2ulphur whi"h is in the 'er"ury of the 2ages

#on"erning the is"o3ery of the Perfe"t 'agistery

The eneri" 'ethod of 'aking the Perfe"t 'agistery

0f the 8se of 'ature 2ulphur in the ork of the Eli4ir

0f the #ir"umstantial and A""idental :e;uisites of our Art

0f the !n"idental Purgation of 'er"ury and old

0f the Amalgam of 'er"ury and old, and of their respe"ti3e Proportions

#on"erning the 2i) ays

0f the Appearan"e of -la"kness in the ork of the 2un and 'oon

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0f the #aution re;uired to a3oid -urning the %lowers

0f the :egimen of 2aturn

0f the ifferent :egimens of this ork

0f the %irst :egimen, whi"h is that of 'er"ury

0f the :egimen of the 2e"ond Part, whi"h is that of 2aturn

0f the :egimen of upiter0f the :egimen of the 'oon

0f the :egimen of =enus 0f the :egimen of 'ars

0f the :egimen of the 2un

0f the %ermentation of the 2tone

The !mbibition of the 2tone

The 'ultipli"ation of the 2tone

0f Pro.e"tion

0f the manifold 8ses of this Art

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE

!, being an anonymous adept, a lo3er of learning, and a philosopher, ha3e de"reed (to

write this little treatise of medi"inal, "hemi"al, and physi"al ar"ana, in the year 16>?,

after the -irth of #hrist, and in the *@rd year of my age, to assist in "ondu"ting my

straying brethren out of the labyrinth of error, and with the further ob.e"t of making

myself known to other 2ages, holding aloft a tor"h whi"h may be 3isible far and wide

to those who are groping in the darkness of ignoran"e The "ontents of this -ook are

not fables, but real e4periments whi"h ! ha3e seen, tou"hed, and handled, as an adept

will easily "on"lude from these lines ! ha3e written more plainly about this Art thanany of my prede"essors sometimes ! ha3e found myself on the 3ery 3erge of

breaking my 3ow, and on"e or twi"e had to lay down my pen for a season but ! "ould

not resist the inward prompting of od, whi"h impelled me to perse3ere in the most

lo3ing "ourse, who alone knows the heart, and to whom only be glory for e3er

Ben"e, ! undoubtedly gather that in this last age of the world, many will be"ome

blessed by this ar"anum, through what ! ha3e thus faithfully written, for ! ha3e not

willingly left any5thing doubtful to the young beginner ! know many who with me do

en.oy this se"ret, and am persuaded that many more will also re.oi"e in its possession

Let the holy ill of od perform what it pleases, though ! "onfess myself an

unworthy instrument through whom su"h great things should be effe"ted

CHAPTER I

0f the need of 2ulphur for produ"ing the Eli4ir

hoe3er wishes to possess this se"ret olden %lee"e, whi"h has 3irtue to transmute

metals into gold, should know that our 2tone is nothing but gold digested to the

highest degree of purity and subtle fi4ation to whi"h it "an be brought by $ature and

the highest effort of Art and this gold thus perfe"ted is "alled Cour gold,C no longer

3ulgar, and is the ultimate goal of $ature These words, though they may be

surprising to some of my readers, are true, as !, an adept, bear witness and though

o3erwise persons entertain "himeri"al dreams, $ature herself is most wonderfully

simple old, then, is the one true prin"iple of purifi"ation -ut our gold is twofold

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one kind is mature and fi4ed, the yellow Latten, and its heart or "entre is pure fire,

whereby it is kept from destru"tion, and only purged in the fire This gold is our male,

and it is se4ually .oined to a more "rude white gold 55 the female seedD the two

together being indissolubly united, "onstitute our fruitful Bermaphrodite e are told

by the 2ages that "orporal gold is dead, until it be "on.oined with its bride, with

whom the "oagulating sulphur, whi"h in gold is outwards, must be turned inwardsBen"e it follows that the substan"e whi"h we re;uire is 'er"ury #on"erning this

substan"e, eber uses the following wordsD C-lessed be the 'ost Bigh od who

"reated 'er"ury, and made it an all5pre3ailing substan"eC And it is true that unless

we had 'er"ury, Al"hemists might still boast themsel3es, but all their boasting would

be 3ain Ben"e it is "lear that our 'er"ury is not "ommon mer"ury for all "ommon

mer"ury is a male that is "orporal, spe"ifi", and dead, while our 'er"ury is spiritual,

female, li3ing, and life5gi3ing Attend "losely to what ! say about our 'er"ury, whi"h

is the salt of the wise men The Al"hemist who works without it is like a man who

draws a bow without a string et it is found nowhere in a pure state abo3e ground,but has to be e4tra"ted by a "unning pro"ess out of the substan"e in whi"h it e4ists

CHAPTER II

0f the #omponent Prin"iples of the 'er"ury of the 2ages

Let those who aim to purify 'er"ury by means of salts, fae"es and other foreign

bodies, and by strange "hemi"al pro"esses, understand that though our water is

3ariousy "omposed, it is yet only one thing, formed by the "on"retion of di3ers

substan"es of the same essen"e The "omponents of our water are fire, the 3egetable

C2aturnian li;uid,C and the bond of 'er"ury The fire is that of mineral 2ulphur,

whi"h yet "an be "alled neither mineral nor metalli", but partakes of both "hara"tersDit is a "haos or spirit, be"ause our fiery ragon, that o3er"omes all things, is yet

penetrated by the odour of the 2aturnian li;uid, its blood growing together with the

2aturnian sap into one body whi"h is yet neither a body Fsin"e it is all 3olatileG nor a

spirit Fsin"e in fire it resembles melted metalG !t may thus be 3ery properly des"ribed

as "haos, or the mother of all metals %rom this "haos ! "an e4tra"t e3erything 55 e3en

the 2un and 'oon 55 without the transmutatory Eli4ir !t is "alled our Arseni", our

Air, our 'oon, our 'agnet, and our #halybsD these names representing the different

stages of its de3elopment, e3en unto the manifestation of the kingly diadem, whi"h is

"ast out of the menstruum of our harlot Learn then, who are the friends of #admus

who is the serpent that de3oured them what the hollow oak to whi"h #admus spitted

the serpent Learn who are the do3es of iana, that o3er"ome the green lion by

gentlenessD e3en the -abylonian dragon, whi"h kills e3erything with its 3enom

Learn, also, what are the winged shoes of 'er"ury, and who are those nymphs whom

he "harms by means of his in"antations

CHAPTER III

#on"erning the #halybs of the 2ages

0ur #halybs is the true key of our Art, without whi"h the Tor"h "ould in no wise be

kindled, and as the true magi ha3e deli3ered many things "on"erning it, so among3ulgar al"hemists there is great "ontention as to its nature !t is the ore of gold, the

purest of all spirits a se"ret, infernal, and yet most 3olatile fire, the wonder of the

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world, the result of hea3enly 3irtues in the lower world 55 for whi"h reason the

Almighty has assigned to it a most glorious and rare hea3enly "on.un"tion, e3en that

notable sign whose nati3ity is de"lared in the East This star was seen by the wise

men of old, and straightway they knew that a reat ing was born in the world

hen you see its "onstellation, follow it to the "radle, and there you will behold a

beautiful !nfant :emo3e the impurities, look upon the fa"e of the ing(s 2on openyour treasury, gi3e to him gold, and after his death he will bestow on you his flesh

and blood, the highest 'edi"ine in the three monar"hies of the earth

CHAPTER IV

0f the 'agnet of the 2ages

As steel is attra"ted towards the magnet, and the magnet turns towards the steel, so

also our 'agnet attra"ts our #halybs Thus, as #halybs is the ore of gold, so our

'agnet is the true ore of our #halybs The hidden "entre of our 'agnet abounds in

2alt, whi"h 2alt is the menstruum in the 2phere of the 'oon, and "an "al"ine gold

This "entre turns towards the Pole with an ar"heti" appetite, in whi"h the 3irtue of the#halybs is e4alted into degrees !n the Pole is the heart of 'er"ury, the true fire Fin

whi"h is the rest of its 'asterG, sailing through this great sea that it may arri3e at both

the !ndies, and dire"t its "ourse by the aspe"t of the $orth 2tar, whi"h our 'agnet

will manifest

CHAPTER V

0f the #haos of the 2ages

Let the student in"line his ear to the united 3erdi"t of the 2ages, who des"ribe this

work as analogous to the #reation of the orld !n the -eginning od "reated

Bea3en and Earth and the Earth was without form and 3oid, and the 2pirit of odmo3ed upon the fa"e of the waters And od said, CLet there be light,C and there was

light These words are suffi"ient for the student of our Art The Bea3en must be

united to the Earth on the "ou"h of friendship, so shall he reign in glory for e3er The

Earth is the hea3y body, the womb of the minerals, whi"h it "herishes in itself,

although it brings to light trees and animals The Bea3en is the pla"e where the great

Lights re3ol3e, and through the air transmit their influen"es to the lower world -ut

in the beginning all was one "onfused "haos 0ur #haos is, as it were, a mineral earth

Fby 3irtue of its "oagulationG, and yet also 3olatile air 55 in the "entre of whi"h is the

Bea3en of the 2ages, the Astral #entre whi"h with its light irradiates the earth to itssurfa"e hat man is wise enough to e3ol3e out of this world a new ing, who shall

redeem his brothers from their natural weaknesses, by dying, being lifted on high,

and gi3ing his flesh and blood for the life of the world H ! thank Thee, 0 od, that

Thou hast "on"ealed these things from the wise and prudent, and hast re3ealed them

unto babesI

CHAPTER VI

0f the Air of the 2ages

0ur air, like the air of the firmament, di3ides the waters and as the waters under the

firmament are 3isible to us mortals, while we are unable to see the waters abo3e thefirmament, so in Cour workC we see the e4tra"entral mineral waters, but are unable to

see those whi"h, though hidden within, ne3ertheless ha3e a real e4isten"e They e4ist

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but do not appear until it please the Artist, as the author of theNe !ighthas testified

0ur air keeps the e4tra"entral waters from mingling with those at the "entre !f

through the remo3al of this impediment, they were enabled to mingle, their union

would be indissoluble Therefore the e4ternal 3apours and burning sulphur do stiffy

adhere to our "haos, and unable to resist its tyranny, the pure flies away from the fire

in the form of a dry powder This then should be your great ob.e"t The arid earthmust be irrigated, and its pores softened with water of its own kind, then this thief

with all the workers of ini;uity will be "ast out, the water will be purged of its

leprous stain by the addition of true 2ulphur, and you will ha3e the 2pring whose

waters are sa"red to the maiden Jueen iana This thief is armed with all the

malignity of arseni", and is feared and es"hewed by the winged youth Though the

#entral ater be his 2pouse, yet the youth "annot "ome to her, until iana with the

wings of her do3es purges the poisonous air, and opens a passage to the bridal

"hamber Then the youth enters easily through the pores, presently shaking the waters

abo3e, and stirring up a rude and ruddy "loud o thou, 0 iana, bring in the watero3er him, e3en unto the brightness of the 'oon I 2o the darkness on the fa"e of the

abyss will be dispersed by the spirit mo3ing in the waters Thus, at the bidding of

od, light will appear on the 2e3enth ay, and then this sophi" "reating of 'er"ury

shall be "ompleted, from whi"h time, until the re3olution of the year, you may wait

for the birth of the mar3ellous #hild of the 2un, who will "ome to deli3er his brethren

from e3ery stain

CHAPTER VII

0f the %irst 0peration 55 Preparation of 'er"ury by means of the %lying Eagles

now, my brother, that the e4a"t preparation of the Eagles of the 2ages, is the highesteffort of our Art !n this first se"tion of our work, nothing is to be done without hard

and perse3ering toil though it is ;uite true that afterwards the substan"e de3elops

under the influen"e of gentle heat without any imposition of hands The 2ages tell us

that their Eagles must be taken to de3our the Lion, and that they gain the 3i"tory all

the sooner if they are 3ery numerous also that the number of the work 3aries between

7 and 9 The 'er"ury of the 2ages is the -ird of Bermes Fnow "alled a goose, now a

pheasantG -ut the Eagles are always mentioned in the plural, and number from @ to

lo et this is not to be understood as if there should be so many weights or parts of

the water to one of the earth, but the water must be taken so oftentimes a"uated or

sharpened as there are Eagles numbered This a"uation is made by sublimation There

is, then, one sublimation of the 'er"ury of the 2ages, when one Eagle is mentioned,

and the se3enth sublimation will so strengthen your 'er"ury, that the -ath of your

ing will be ready Let me tell you now how this part of the work is performed

Take > parts of our fiery ragon, in whose belly is hidden the magi" #halybs, and 9

parts of our 'agnet mingle them by means of a fier"e fire, in the form of a mineral

water, the foam of whi"h must be taken away :emo3e the shell, and take the kernel

Purge what remains on"e more by means of fire and the 2un, whi"h may be done

easily if 2aturn shall ha3e seen himself in the mirror of 'ars Then you will obtain

our #hameleon, or #haos, in whi"h all the 3irtues of our Art are potentially presentThis is the infant Bermaphrodite, who, through the bite of a mad dog, has been

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rendered so fearful of water, that though of a kindred nature, it always es"hews and

a3oids it -ut in the gro3e of iana are two do3es that soothe its rabid madness if

applied by the art of the nymph 'er"ury Take it and plunge it under water till it

perish therein then the rabid and bla"k dog will appear panting and half suffo"ated 55

dri3e him down with 3igorous blows, and the darkness will be dispelled i3e it

wings when the 'oon is full, and it will fly away as an Eagle, lea3ing the do3es ofiana dead Fthough, when first taken they should be li3ingG :epeat this se3en times,

and your work is done, the gentle "o"tion whi"h follows is "hild(s play and a woman(s

work

CHAPTER VIII

0f the iffi"ulty and Length of the %irst 0peration

2ome Al"hemists fan"y that the work from beginning to end is a mere idle

entertainment but those who make it so will reap what they ha3e sown 55 3i

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sulphureous fire is the spiritual seed whi"h our =irgin Fstill remaining imma"ulateG

has "on"ei3ed %or an un"orrupted 3irginity admits of a spiritual lo3e, as e4perien"e

and authority affirm The two Fthe passi3e and the a"ti3e prin"ipleG "ombined we "all

our Bermaphrodite hen .oined to the 2un, it softens, li;uefies, and dissol3es it with

gentle heat -y means of the same fire it "oagulates itself and by its "oagulation

produ"es the 2un 0ur pure and homogeneous 'er"ury, ha3ing "on"ei3ed inward2ulphur Fthrough our ArtG, "oagulates itself under the influen"e of gentle outward

heat, like the "ream of milk 55 a subtle earth floating on the water hen it is united to

the 2un, it is not only not "oagulated, but the "omposite substan"e be"omes softer day

by day the bodies are almost dissol3ed and the spirits begin to be "oagulated, with a

bla"k "olour and a most fetid smell Ben"e it appears that this spiritual metalli"

2ulphur is in truth the moving principle in our "rt it is really 3olatile or unmatured

gold, and by proper digestion is "hanged into that metal !f .oined to perfe"t gold, it is

not "oagulated, but dissol3es the "orporal gold, and remains with it, being dissol3ed,

under one form, although before the perfe"t union death must pre"ede, that so theymay he united after death, not simply in a perfe"t unity, but in a thousand times more

than perfe"t perfe"tion

CHAPTER XI

#on"erning the is"o3ery of the Perfe"t 'agistery

There are those who think that this Art was first dis"o3ered by 2olomon, or rather

imparted to him by i3ine :e3elation -ut though there is no reason for doubting that

so wise and profoundly learned a so3ereign was a";uainted with our Art, yet we

happen to know that he was not the first to a";uire the knowledge !t was possessed

by Bermes, the Egyptian, and some other 2ages before him and we may suppose thatthey first sought a simple e4altation of imperfe"t metals into regal perfe"tion, and that

it was at first their endea3our to de3elop 'er"ury, whi"h is most like to gold in its

weight and properties, into perfe"t gold This, howe3er, no degree of ingenuity "ould

effe"t by any fire, and the truth gradually broke on their minds that an internal heat

was re;uired as well as an e4ternal one 2o they re.e"ted a;ua fortis and all "orrosi3e

sol3ents, after long e4periments with the same 55 also all salts, e4"ept that kind whi"h

is the first substan"e of all salts, whi"h dissol3es all metals and "oagulates 'er"ury,

but not without 3iolen"e, when"e that kind of agent is again separated entire, both in

weight and 3irtue, from the things it is applied to They saw that the digestion of

'er"ury was pre3ented by "ertain a;ueous "rudities and earthy dross and that

the radicalnature of these impurities rendered their elimination impossible, e4"ept by

the "omplete in3ersion of the whole "ompound They knew that 'er"ury would

be"ome fi4ed if it "ould be freed from their defiling presen"e 55 as it "ontains

fermenting sulphur, whi"h is only hindered by these impurities from "oagulating the

whole mer"urial body At length they dis"o3ered that 'er"ury, in the bowels of the

earth, was intended to be"ome a metal, and that the pro"ess of de3elopment was only

stopped by the impurities with whi"h it had be"ome tainted They found that that

whi"h should be a"ti3e in the 'er"ury was passi3e and that its infirmity "ould not be

remedied by any means, e4"ept the introdu"tion of some kindred prin"iple fromwithout 2u"h a prin"iple they dis"o3ered in metalli" sulphur, whi"h stirred up the

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passi3e sulphur in the 'er"ury, and by allying itself with it, e4pelled the aforesaid

impurities -ut in seeking to a""omplish this pra"ti"ally, they were met by another

great diffi"ulty !n order that this sulphur might be effe"tual in purifying the 'er"ury,

it was indispensable that it should itself be pure All their efforts to purify it, howe3er,

were doomed to failure At length they bethought them that it might possibly be

found somewhere in $ature in a purified "ondition 55 and their sear"h was "rownedwith su""ess They sought a"ti3e sulphur in a pure state, and found it "unningly

"on"ealed in the Bouse of the :am This sulphur mingled most eagerly with the

offspring of 2aturn, and the desired effe"t was speedily produ"ed 55 after the

malignant 3enom of the C airC of 'er"ury had been tempered Fas already set forth at

some lengthG by the o3es of =enus Then life was .oined to life by means of the

li;uid the dry was moistened the passi3e was stirred into a"tion by the a"ti3e the

dead was re3i3ed by the li3ing The hea3ens were indeed temporarily "louded o3er,

but after a "opious downpour of rain, serenity was restored 'er"ury emerged in a

hermaphroditi" state Then they pla"ed it in the fire in no long time they su""eededin "oagulating it, and in its "oagulation they found the 2un and the 'oon in a most

pure state Then they "onsidered that, before its "oagulation, this 'er"ury was not a

metal, sin"e, on being 3olatilised, it left no residue at the bottom of the distilling

3essel hen"e they "alled it unmatured gold and their li3ing For ;ui"kG sil3er !t also

o""urred to them that if gold were sown, as it were, in the soil of its own first

substan"e, its e4"ellen"e would probably be enhan"ed and when they pla"ed gold

therein, the fi4ed was 3olatilised, the hard softened, the "oagulated dissol3ed, to the

ama

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a bright and happy one surrounded as we are on e3ery side by the "ruel greed and 55

the prying suspi"ion of the multitude, we are doomed, like #ain, to wander o3er the

earth homeless and friendless $ot for us are K the soothing influen"es of domesti"

happiness not for us the delightful "onfiden"es of friendship 'en who "o3et our

golden se"ret pursue us from pla"e to pla"e, and fear "loses our lips, when lo3e

tempts us to open oursel3es freely to a brother Thus we feel prompted at times toburst forth into the desolate e4"lamation of #ainD Choe3er finds me will slay meC

et we are not the murderers of our brethren we are an4ious only to do good to our

fellow5men -ut e3en our kindness and "haritable "ompassion are rewarded with

bla"k ingratitude5 ingratitude that "ries to hea3en for 3engean"e !t was only a short

time ago that, after 3isiting the plague5stri"ken haunts of a "ertain "ity, and restoring

the si"k to perfe"t health by means of my mira"ulous medi"ine, ! found myself

surrounded by a yelling mob, who demanded that ! should gi3e to them my Eli4ir of

the 2ages and it was only by "hanging my dress and my name, by sha3ing off my

beard and putting on a wig, that ! was enabled to sa3e my life, and es"ape from thehands of those wi"ked men And e3en when our li3es are not threatened, it is not

pleasant to find5oursel3es, where3er we go, the "entral ob.e"ts of human greed !

know of se3eral persons who were found strangled in their beds, simply be"ause they

were suspe"ted of possessing this se"ret, though, in reality, they knew no more about

it than their murderers it was enough for some desperate ruffians, that a mere

whisper of suspi"ion had been breathed against their 3i"tims 'en are so eager to

ha3e this 'edi"ine that your 3ery "aution will arouse their suspi"ions, and endanger

your safety Again, if you desire to sell any large ;uantity of your gold and sil3er, you

will be unable to do so without imminent risk of dis"o3ery The 3ery fa"t that anyone

has a great mass of bullion for sale would in most pla"es e4"ite suspi"ion This

feeling will be strengthened when people test the ;uality of our gold for it is mu"h

finer and purer than any of the gold whi"h is brought from -arbary, or from the

uinea #oast and our sil3er is better e3en than that whi"h is "on3eyed home by the

2panish sil3er fleet !f, in order to baffle dis"o3ery, you mi4 these pre"ious metals

with alloy, you render yourself liable, in England and5 Bolland at least, to "apital

punishment for in those "ountries no one is permitted to tamper with the pre"ious

metals e4"ept the offi"ers of the mint, and the li"ensed goldsmiths ! remember on"e

going, in the disguise of a foreign mer"hant to a goldsmith(s shop, and offering him

6)) pounds worth of our pure sil3er for sale Be sub.e"ted it to the usual tests, andthen saidD CThis sil3er is artifi"ially preparedC hen ! asked him why he thought so,

his answer wasD C! am not a no3i"e in my profession, and know 3ery well the e4a"t

;uality of the sil3er whi"h is brought from the different minesC hen ! heard these

words ! took myself away with great se"re"y and dispat"h, lea3ing the sil3er in the

hands of the goldsmith 0n this a""ount, and by reason of the many and great

diffi"ulties whi"h beset us, the possessors of this 2tone, on e3ery side, we do ele"t to

remain hidden, and will "ommuni"ate the Art to those who are worthily "o3etous of

our se"rets, and then mark what publi" good will befall ithout 2ulphur, our

'er"ury would ne3er be properly "oagulated for our supernatural work it is the malesubstan"e, while 'er"ury may be "alled the female and all 2ages say that no tin"ture

"an be made without its latten, whi"h latten is gold, without any double speaking

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ise men, notwithstanding, "an find this substan"e e3en on the dunghill but the

ignorant are unable to dis"ern it e3en in gold The tin"ture of gold is "on"ealed in the

gold of the 2ages, whi"h is the most highly matured of bodies but as a raw material it

e4ists only in our 'er"ury and it FgoldG re"ei3es from 'er"ury the multipli"ation of

its seed, but in 3irtue rather than in weight The 2ages say that "ommon gold is dead,

while their(s is li3ing and "ommon gold is dead in the same sense in whi"h a grain ofwheat is dead, while it is surrounded by dry air and "omes to life, swells, softens,

and germinates only when it is put into moist earth !n this sense gold, too, is dead, so

long as it is surrounded by the "orporeal husk, always allowing, of "ourse, for the

great differen"e between a 3egetable grain and metalli" gold #urgrain is ;ui"kened

in ateronly and as wheat, while it remains in the barn is "alled grain, and is not

destined to be ;ui"kened, be"ause it is to be used for bread making 55 but "hanges its

name, when it is sown in the field, and is then "alled seed"ornsoour gold, while it is

in the form of rings, plate, and "oins, is "alled "ommon gold, be"ause in that state it is

likely to remain un"hanged to the end of the world butpotentiallyit is e3en then thegold of the 2ages, be"ause if sown in its own proper element, it would in a few days

be"ome the #haos of the 2ages Ben"e the 2ages bid you re3i3e the dead Fie, the

gold whi"h already appeared doomed to a li3ing deathG and mortify the li3ing, ie,

the 'er"ury whi"h, imparting life to the gold, is itself depri3ed of the 3ital prin"iple

Their gold is taken in a dead, their water in a li3ing, state, and by their "omposition

and brief "o"tion, the dead gold re3i3es and the li3ing 'er"ury dies, ie, the spirit is

"oagulated, the body is dissol3ed, and thus both putrefy together, until all the

members of the "ompound are torn into atoms The mystery of our Art, whi"h we

"on"eal with so great "are, is the preparation of the 'er"ury, whi"h abo3e ground is

not to be found made ready to our hand -ut when it is prepared, it is Cour waterC in

whi"h gold is dissol3ed, whereby the latent life of the gold is set free, and re"ei3es

the life of the dissol3ing 'er"ury, whi"h is to gold what good earth is to the grain of

wheat hen the gold has putrefied in the 'er"ury, there arises out of the

de"omposition of death a new body, of the same essen"e, but of a glorified substan"e

Bere you ha3e the whole of our Philosophy in a nutshell There is no se"ret about it,

e4"ept the preparation of 'er"ury, its mingling with the gold in the right proportions,

and the regulation of the fire in a""ordan"e with its re;uirements old by itself does

not fear the fire hen"e the great point is, to temper the heat to the "apa"ity of the

'er"ury !f the 'er"ury is not properly prepared, the gold remains "ommon gold,being .oined with an improper agent it "ontinues un"hanged, and no degree of heat

will help it to put off its "orporeal nature ithout our 'er"ury the seed Fie, goldG

"annot be sown and if gold is not sown in its proper element, it "annot be ;ui"kened

any more than the "orn whi"h the est !ndians keep underground, in air5tight stone

.ars, "an germinate ! know that some self5"onstituted C2agesC will take e4"eption to

this tea"hing, and say that "ommon gold and running 'er"ury are not the substan"e

of our 2tone -ut one ;uestion will suffi"e to silen"e their ob.e"tionsD Ba3e they e3er

a"tually prepared our Tin"tureH ! ha3e prepared it more than on"e, and daily ha3e it in

my power hen"e ! may perhaps be permitted to speak as one ha3ing authority o onbabbling about your rain water "olle"ted in 'ay, your 2alts, your sperm whi"h is

more potent than the foul fiend himself, ye self5styled philosophers rail at me, if you

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like all you say is "on"lusi3ely refuted by this one fa"t 55 you "annot make the 2tone

hen ! say that gold and 'er"ury are the only substan"es of our 2tone ! know what !

am writing about and the 2ear"her of all hearts knows also that ! say true The time

has arri3ed when we may speak more freely about this Art %or Elias the artist is at

hand, and glorious things are already spoken of the #ity of od ! possess wealth

suffi"ient to buy the whole world 55 but as yet ! may not use it on a""ount of the "raftand "ruelty of wi"ked men !t is not from .ealousy that ! "on"eal as mu"h as ! doD od

knows that ! am weary of this lonely, wandering life, shut out from the bonds of

friendship, and almost from the fa"e of od ! do not worship the golden "alf, before

whi"h our !sraelites bow low to the ground let it be ground to powder like the bra

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'er"ury may be known and some dire"tions for amending its defe"ts hen you

ha3e li3ing 'er"ury and gold, there remains to be a""omplished, first, the purging of

the 'er"ury and the gold, then their espousal, and finally the regulation of the fire

CHAPTER XV

0f the !n"idental Purging of 'er"ury and old

Perfe"t gold is found in the bowels of the earth in little pie"es, or in sand !f you "anmeet with this unmi4ed gold, it is pure enough if not, purge it with antimony or royal

"ement, or boil it with a;ua fortis, the gold being first granulated Then smelt it,

remo3e the impure sediment, and it is ready -ut 'er"ury needs inward and essential

purging whi"h radi"al "leansing is brought about by the addition of true 2ulphur,

little by little, a""ording to the number of the Eagles Then it also needs an in"idental

purgation for the purpose of remo3ing from its surfa"e the impurities whi"h ha3e, by

the essential purgation, been e.e"ted from the "entre This pro"ess is not absolutely

ne"essary, but it is useful, as it a""elerates the work Therefore, take your 'er"ury,

whi"h you ha3e purified with a suitable number of Eagles, sublime it three times with"ommon salt and iron filings, and wash it with 3inegar and a moderate ;uantity of

salts of ammonia, then dry and distil in a glass retort, o3er a gradually in"reasing fire,

until the whole of the 'er"ury has as"ended :epeat this four times, then boil the

'er"ury in spirits of 3inegar for an hour, stirring it "onstantly Then pour off the

3inegar, and wash off its a"idity by a plentiful effusion of spring water ry the

'er"ury, and its splendour will be wonderful ou may wash it with wine, or 3inegar

and salt, and so spare the sublimation but then distil it at least four times without

addition, after you ha3e perfe"ted all the eagles, or washings, washing the "halybeat

retort e3ery time with ashes and water then boil it in distilled 3inegar for half a day,stirring it strongly at times Pour off the bla"kish 3inegar, add new, then wash with

warm water This pro"ess is designed to purge away the internal impurities from the

surfa"e These impurities you may per"ei3e if, on mi4ing 'er"ury with purest gold,

you pla"e the amalgam on a white sheet of paper The sooty bla"kness whi"h is then

seen on the paper is purged away by this pro"ess

CHAPTER XVI

0f the Amalgam of 'er"ury and old, and of their respe"ti3e Proportions

hen you ha3e done all this, take one part of pure and laminated gold, or fine gold

filings, and two parts of 'er"ury put them in a heated FmarbleG .ar, ie, hea3ed withboiling water, being taken out of whi"h it dries ;ui"kly, and holds the heat a long

time rind with an i3ory, or glass, or stone, or iron, or bo4wood pestle Fthe iron

pestle is not so good ! use a pestle of "rystalGD pound them, ! say, as small as the

painters grind their "olours then add water so as to make the mass as "onsistent as

half melted butter The mi4ture should be fi4able and soft, and permit itself to be

moulded into little globules 55 like moderately soft butter it should be of su"h a

"onsisten"y as to yield to the gentlest tou"h 'oreo3er, it should be of the same

temperature throughout, and one part should not be more li;uid than another The

mi4ture will be more or less soft, a""ording to the proportion of 'er"ury whi"h it"ontains but it must be "apable of forming into those little globules, and the 'er"ury

should not be more li3ely at the bottom than at the top !f the amalgam be left

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undisturbed, it will at on"e harden you must therefore .udge of the merits of the

mi4ture, while you are stirring it if it fulfils the abo3e "onditions, it is good Then

take spirit of 3inegar, and dissol3e in it a third part of salt of ammonia, put the

amalgam into this li;uid, let the whole boil for a ;uarter5of5an5hour in a long ne"ked

glass 3essel then take the mi4ture out of the glass 3essel, pour off the li;uid, heat the

mortar, and pound the amalgam Fas abo3eG 3igorously, and wash away all bla"knesswith hot water Put it again into the li;uid, let it boil up on"e more in the glass 3essel,

pound it as before, and wash it :epeat this pro"ess until the bla"kness is entirely

purged out The amalgam will then be as brilliant and white as the purest sil3er 0n"e

more regulate the temperature of the amalgam a""ording to the rules gi3en abo3e

your labour will be ri"hly rewarded !f the amalgam be not ;uite soft enough, add a

little 'er"ury Then boil it in pure water, and free it from all saltness and a"idity

Pour off the water, and dry the amalgam 'ake ;uite sure that it is thoroughly dried,

by wa3ing it to and fro on the point of a knife o3er a sheet of white paper

CHAPTER XVII#on"erning the 2i

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"ourse, all these things are to be understood with a grain of salt ou must understand

that in the pre"eding "hapters ! ha3e spoken metaphori"ally if you take my words in

a literal sense, you will reap no har3est e4"ept your outlay %or instan"e, when ! name

the prin"ipal substan"es 'er"ury and gold 55 ! do not mean "ommon gold in the state

in whi"h it is sold at the goldsmiths 55 but it must be prepared by means of our Art

ou mayfind our gold in "ommon gold and sil3er, but it is easier to make the 2tonethan to get its first substan"e out of "ommon gold C0ur goldC is the #haos whose

soul has not been taken away by fire The soul of "ommon gold has retired before the

fiery tyranny of =ul"an into the inmost "itadel !f you seek our gold in a substan"e

intermediate between perfe"tion and imperfe"tion, you will find itD but otherwise, you

must unbar the gates of "ommon gold by the first preparatory pro"ess F"h 43G, by

whi"h the "harm of its body is broken, and the husband enabled to do his work !f you

"hoose the former "ourse, you shall use only gentle heat in the latter "ase, you will

re;uire a fier"e fire -ut here you will be hopelessly lost in a labyrinth, if you do not

know your way out of it -ut whether you "hoose our gold, or "ommon gold, you willin either "ase need an e3en and "ontinual fire !f you take our gold, you will finish the

work a few months sooner, and the Eli4ir will be ten times more pre"ious than that

prepared from "ommon gold !f you work with Cour gold,C you will be assisted in its

"al"ination, putrefa"tion, and dealbation by its gentle inward FnaturalG heat -ut in the

"ase of "ommon gold, this heat has to be applied e4ternally by foreign substan"es, so

as to render it fit for union with the =irgin(s 'ilk !n neither "ase, howe3er, "an

anything be effe"ted without the aid of fire !t was not, then, in 3ain that Bermes

"ounts fire ne4t to the 2un and 'oon as the go3ernor of the work -ut this is to be

under stood of the truly se"ret furna"e, whi"h a 3ulgar eye ne3er saw There is also

another furna"e, whi"h is "alled our "ommon furna"e, made of potter(s earth, or of

iron and brass plates, well "ompa"ted with "lay This furna"e we "all Athanor, and the

shape whi"h ! like best is that of a tower with a CnestC at the top The CtowerC should

be about three feet high, and nine fingers wide within the plates A little abo3e the

ground, let there be a little opening of about three or four fingers wide, for remo3ing

the "inders o3er that, there should be a fire5pla"e built with stones Abo3e this, we

pla"e the furna"e itself, whi"h should be su"h as to e4"lude all draughts and "urrents

of air The "oals are put in from abo3e, and the aperture should then be "arefully

"losed -ut it is not ne"essary that your furna"e should e4a"tly "orrespond to the

des"ription whi"h ! ha3e gi3en so long as it fulfils the following "onditionsD firstly, itmust be free from draughts se"ondly, it must enable you to 3ary the temperature,

without remo3ing your 3essel thirdly, you must be able to keep up in it a fire for ten

or twel3e hours, without looking to it Then the door of our Art will be opened to you

and when you ha3e prepared the 2tone, you may pro"ure a small portable sto3e, for

the purpose of multiplying it

CHAPTER XIX

0f the Progress of the ork during the %irst %orty ays

hen you ha3e prepared our gold and 'er"ury in the manner des"ribed, put it into

our 3essel, and sub.e"t it to the a"tion of our fire within >) days you will see thewhole substan"e "on3erted into atoms, without any 3isible motion, or per"eptible heat

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Fe4"ept that it is .ust warmG !f you do not yet rightly know the meaning of Cour

gold,C take one part of "ommon gold Fwell purifiedG, and three parts of our'er"ury

Fthoroughly purgedG, put them together as dire"ted F"ap 43iG, pla"e them o3er the

fire, and there keep them at the boiling point, till they sweat, and their sweat

"ir"ulates At the end of 9) days you will find that the 'er"ury has separated and

reunited all the elements of the "ommon gold -oil the mi4ture ?) days longer, andyou will dis"o3er that our 'er"ury has "hanged the "ommon gold into Cour gold,C

whi"h is the 'edi"ine of the first order !t is already our 2ulphur, but it has not yet the

power of tinging This method has been followed by many 2ages, but it is

e4"eedingly slow and tedious, and is only for the ri"h of the earth 'oreo3er, when

you ha3e got this 2ulphur do not think that you possess the 2tone, but only its true

'atter, whi"h you may seek in an imperfe"t thing, and find it within a week, by our

easy yet rare way, reser3ed of od for Bis poor, "ontemned, and ab.e"t saints Bereof

! ha3e now determined to write mu"h, although in the beginning of this -ook !

de"reed to bury it in silen"e This is the one great sophism of all adepts some speakof this "ommon gold and sil3er, and say the truth, and others say that we "annot use

it, and they too, say the truth -ut in the presen"e of od ! will "all all our adepts to

a""ount, and "harge them with .ealous surliness !, too, had determined to tread the

same path, but od(s hand "onfounded my s"heme ! say then, that both ways are

true, and "ome to the same thing in the end 55 but there is a 3ast differen"e at the

beginning 0ur whole Art "onsists in the right preparation of our 'er"ury and our

gold 0ur 'er"ury is our way, and without it nothing is effe"ted 0ur gold is not

"ommon gold, but it may be found in it and if you operate on our 'er"ury with

"ommon gold Fregulating the fire in the right wayG, you will after 1?) days ha3e our

gold, sin"e our gold is obtained from our 'er"ury Ben"e if "ommon gold ha3e all its

atoms thoroughly se3ered by means of our 'er"ury, and then reunited by the same

agen"y, the whole mi4ture will, under the influen"e of fire, be"ome our gold -ut, if,

without this preparatory purging, you were to use "ommon gold with our 'er"ury for

the purpose of preparing the 2tone, you would be sadly mistaken and this is the great

Labyrinth in whi"h most beginners go astray, be"ause the 2ages in writing of these

ways as two ways, purposely obs"ure the fa"t that they are only one way Fthough of

"ourse the one is more dire"t than the otherG The gold of the 2ages may then be

prepared out of our "ommon gold and our 'er"ury, from whi"h there may afterwards

be obtained by repeated li;uefa"tions, 2ulphur and Jui"ksil3er whi"h isin"ombustible, and tinges all things else !n this sense, our 2tone is to be found in all

metals and minerals, sin"e our gold may be got from them all 55 but most easily, of

"ourse, from gold and sil3er 2ome ha3e found it in tin, some in lead, but most of

those who ha3e pursued the more tedious method, ha3e found it in gold 0f "ourse, if

our gold be prepared in the way ! ha3e des"ribed, out of "ommon gold Fin the "ourse

of 1?) daysG, instead of being found ready made, it will not be so effe"tual, and the

preparation of the 2tone will take 1 1* years instead of 7 months ! know both ways,

and prefer the shorter one but ! ha3e des"ribed the longer one as well in order that !

may not draw down upon myself the s"athing wrath of the C2agesC The greatdiffi"ulty whi"h dis"ourages all beginners is not of $ature(s makingD the 2ages ha3e

"reated it by speaking of the longer operation when they mean the shorter one,

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and vice versa !f you "hoose "ommon gold, you should espouse it to =enus F"opperG,

lay them together on the bridal bed, and, on bringing a fier"e fire to bear on them,

you will see an emblem of the reat ork in the following su""ession of "oloursD

bla"k, the pea"o"k(s tail, white, orange, and red Then repeat the same operation with

'er"ury F"alled =irgin(s 'ilkG, using the Cfire of the -ath of ew,C and Ftowards the

endG sand mi4ed with ashes The substan"e will first turn a mu"h deeper bla"k, andthen a "ompleter white and red Ben"e if you know our Art, e4tra"t our gold from our

'er"ury Fthis is the shorter wayG, and thus perform the whole operation with one

substan"e F3i

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2ulphur Let the hea3en stoop to the earth, till the latter has "on"ei3ed hea3enly seed

hen you see the substan"es mingle in your distilling 3essel, and assume the

appearan"e of "lotted and burnt blood, be sure that the female has re"ei3ed the seed

of the male About se3enteen days afterwards your substan"e will begin to wear a

yellow, thi"k, misty, or foamy appearan"e At this time, you must take "are not to let

the embryo es"ape from your 3essel for it will gi3e out a greenish, yellow, bla"k, andbluish 3apour and stri3e to burst the 3essel !f you allow these 3apours Fwhi"h are

"ontinuous when the Embryo is formedG to es"ape, your work will be hopelessly

marred $or should you allow any of the odour to make its way through any little

hole or outlet for the e3aporation would "onsiderably weaken the strength of the

2tone Ben"e the true 2age seals up the mouth of his 3essel most "arefully Let me

ad3ise you, moreo3er, not to negle"t your fire, or mo3e or open the 3essel, or sla"ken

the pro"ess of de"o"tion, until you find that the ;uantity of the li;uid begins to

diminish if this happens after thirty days, re.oi"e, and know that you are on the right

road Then be doubly "areful, and you will, at the end of another fortnight, find thatthe earth has be"ome ;uite dry and of a deep bla"k This is the death of the

"ompound the winds ha3e "eased, and there is a great "alm This is that great

simultaneous e"lipse of the 2un and 'oon, when the 2ea also has disappeared 0ur

#haos is then ready, from whi"h, at the bidding of od, all the wonders of the world

may su""essi3ely emerge

CHAPTER XXI

0f the #aution re;uired to a3oid -urning the %lowers

The burning of the flowers is fatal, yet soon "ommittedD it is "hiefly to be guarded

against after the lapse of the third week !n the beginning there is so mu"h moisturethat if the fire be too fier"e it will dry up the li;uid too ;ui"kly, and you will

prematurely obtain a dry red powder, from whi"h the prin"iple of life has flown if

the fire be not strong enough the substan"e will not be properly matured Too

powerful a fire pre3ents the true union of the substan"es True union only takes pla"e

in water -odies "ollide, but do not unite only li;uids Fand spiritsG "an truly mingle

their substan"e Ben"e our homogeneous metalli" water must be allowed to do its

work properly, and should not be dried up, until this perfe"t mutual absorption has

taken pla"e in a natural manner Premature drying only destroys the germ of life,

strikes the a"ti3e prin"iple on the head as with a hammer, and renders it passi3e A

red powder is indeed produ"ed, but long before the timeD for redness should be

pre"eded by bla"kness !t is true that, in the beginning of our work, when hea3en is

wedded to earth, and earth "on"ei3es the fire of nature, a red "olour does appear -ut

the substan"e is then suffi"iently moist and the redness soon gi3es way to a green

"olour, whi"h in its turn gradually yields to bla"kness o not be in a hurry let your

fire be .ust powerful enough, but not too powerful steer a straight "ourse between

2"ylla and #harybdisD you will behold in your 3essel a 3ariety of "olours and

grotes;ue transformations 55 until the substan"e settles down into a powder of intense

bla"kness This should happen within the first fifty days !f it does not, either your

'er"ury, or the regulation of your fire, or the "omposition of your substan"e is atfault 55 if, indeed, you ha3e not mo3ed or shaken your glass 3essel

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CHAPTER XXII

0f the :egimen of 2aturn

All the 2ages who ha3e written on our Art, ha3e spoken of the work and regimen of

2aturn and their remarks ha3e led many to "hoose "ommon lead as the substan"e of

the 2tone -ut you should know that our 2aturn, or lead, is a mu"h nobler substan"e

than gold !t is the li3ing earth in whi"h the soul of gold is .oined to 'er"ury, thatthey may bring forth Adam and his wife E3e herefore, sin"e the highest has so

lowered itself as to be"ome the lowest, we may e4pe"t that its blood may be the

means of redeeming all its brethren The Tomb in whi"h our ing is buried, is that

whi"h we "all 2aturn, and it is the key of the work of transmutation happy is he who

"an salute this planet, and "all it by its right name !t is a boon whi"h is obtained by

the blessing of od alone it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth but

od bestoweth it on whom Be will

CHAPTER XXIII

0f the different :egimens of this orkLet me assure you that in our whole work there is nothing hidden but the regimen, of

whi"h it was truly said by the 2age that whoe3er knows it perfe"tly will be honoured

by prin"es and potentates ! tell you plainly that if this one point were "learly set

forth, our Art would be"ome mere women(s work and "hild(s playD there would be

nothing in it but a simple pro"ess of C"ookingC Ben"e it has always been most

"arefully "on"ealed by the 2ages -ut ! ha3e determined to write in a more

sympatheti" and kindly spiritD know then that our regimen throughout "onsists in

"o"tion and digestion, but that it implies a good many other pro"esses, whi"h those

.ealous 2ages ha3e made to appear different by des"ribing them under differentnames -ut we intend to speak more openly in regard to this sub.e"t

CHAPTER XXIV

0f the %irst :egimen, whi"h is that of 'er"ury

This first regimen has been studiously kept se"ret by all the 2ages They ha3e spoken

of the se"ond regimen, or that of 2aturn, as if it were the first, and ha3e thus left the

student without guidan"e in those operations whi"h pre"ede the appearan"e of that

intense bla"kness #ount -ernard, of Tre3isa, says, in his Parable, that hen the

ing has "ome to the %ountain, he takes off the golden garment, gi3es it to 2aturn,

and enters the bath alone, afterwards re"ei3ing from 2aturn a robe of bla"k silk -uthe does not tell us how long it takes to put off that golden robe and thus, like all his

brethren, lea3es the poor beginner to grope in the dark during >) or ?) days %rom the

point where the stage of bla"kness is rea"hed to the end of the work their dire"tions

are more full and intelligible !t is in regard to these first >) days that the student

re;uires additional light This period represents the regimen of 'er"ury Fof the

2agesG, whi"h is alone a"ti3e during the whole time, the othersubstan"e being

temporarily dead ou should not suffer yourself to be deluded into the belief that

when your matters are .oined, namely, our 2un and 'er"ury, the Csetting of the 2unC

"an be brought about in a few days e oursel3es waited a tedious time before are"on"iliation was made between the fire and the water As a matter of fa"t, the 2ages

ha3e "alled the substan"e, throughout this first period, :ebis, or Two5thingD to shew

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that the union is not effe"ted till the operation is "omplete ou should know, then,

that though our 'er"ury "onsumes the 2un, yet a year after you shall separate them,

unless they are "onne"ted together by a suitable degree of fire !t is not able to do

anything at all withoutfire e must not suppose that when our gold is pla"ed in our

'er"ury it is swallowed up by it in the twinkling of an eye This "on"eption rests on

a misunderstanding of #ount -ernard(s tea"hing about the ing(s plunge in thefountain -ut the solution of gold is a more diffi"ult matter than these gentry appear

to ha3e any idea of !t re;uires the highest skill so to regulate the fire in the first stage

of the work as to sol3e the bodies without in.uring the tin"ture Attend to my tea"hing

therefore Take the body whi"h ! ha3e shewed you, put it into the water of our sea,

and bring to bear on the "ompound the proper degree of heat, till dews and mists

begin to as"end, and the moisture is diminished night and day without intermission

now that at first the two do not affe"t ea"h other at all, and that only in "ourse of

time the body absorbs some of the water, and thus "auses ea"h to partake of the

other(s nature 0nly part of the water is sublimed the rest gradually penetrates thepores of the body, whi"h are thereby more and more softened, till the soul of the gold

is enabled gently to pass out Through the mediation of the soul the body is

re"on"iled and united to the spirit, and their union is signali

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0f the :egimen of upiter

-la"k 2aturn is su""eeded by upiter, who e4hibits di3ers "olours %or after the

putrefa"tion and "on"eption, whi"h has taken pla"e at the bottom of the 3essel, there

is on"e more a "hange of "olours and a "ir"ulating sublimation This$eignor

:egimen, lasts only three weeks uring this period you see all "on"ei3able "olours

"on"erning whi"h no definite a""ount "an be gi3en The CshowersC that fall willbe"ome more numerous as the "lose of this reign approa"hes, and its termination is

signali

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bubbles, and re"ei3e a spirit that will rise upward, "arrying the 2tone with it, and

imparting to it new "olours, espe"ially a "opper5green "olour, whi"h endures for some

time, and does not ;uite disappear till the twentieth day the ne4t "hange is to blue

and li3id, and at the "lose of this :eign the "olour is a pale purple 0 not irritate the

spirit too mu"h 55 it is more "orporeal than before, and if you sublime it to the top of

the 3essel, it will hardly return The same "aution should be obser3ed in the :eign ofthe 'oon, when the substan"e begins to thi"ken The law is one of mildness, and not

of 3iolen"e, lest e3erything should rise to the top of the 3essel, and be "onsumed or

3itrified to the ruin of the whole work hen you see the green "olour, know that the

substan"e now "ontains the germ of its highest life 0 not turn the greenness into

bla"kness by immoderate heat This :eign is maintained for forty days

CHAPTER XXIX

0f the :egimen of 'ars

hen the :egimen of =enus is o3er, and therein has appeared the philosophi"al tree,

with all its bran"hes and lea3es, the :eign of 'ars begins with a light yellow, or dirtybrown "olour, but at last e4hibits the transitory hues of the :ainbow, and the

Pea"o"k(s Tail At this stage the "ompound is drier, and often shews like a hya"inth

with a tinge of gold The mother being now sealed in her infant(s belly, swells and is

purified, but be"ause of the present great purity of the "ompound, no putridness "an

ha3e pla"e in this regimen, but 2ome obs"ure "olours are "hief a"tors, while some

middle "olours "ome and go, and they are pleasant to look on 0ur =irgin Earth is

now undergoing the last degree of its "ulti3ation, and is getting ready to re"ei3e and

mature the fruit of the 2un Ben"e you should eep up a moderate temperature then

there will be seen, about the thirtieth day of this :eign, an orange "olour, whi"h,within two weeks from its first appearan"e, will tinge the whole substan"e with its

own hue

CHAPTER XXX

0f the :egimen of the 2un

As you are now approa"hing the end of the work, the substan"e re"ei3es a golden

tinge, and the =irgin(s 'ilk whi"h you gi3e your substan"e to drink has assumed a

deep orange "olour Pray to od to keep you from haste and impatien"e at this stage

of the work "onsider that you ha3e now waited for se3en months, and that it would

be foolish to let one hour rob you of the fruits of all your labour Therefore be moreand more "areful the nearer you approa"h perfe"tion Then you will first obser3e an

orange5"oloured sweat breaking out on the body ne4t there will be 3apour of an

orange hue 2oon the body below be"omes tinged with 3iolet and a darkish purple At

the end of fourteen or fifteen days, the substan"e will be, for the most part, humid and

ponderous, and yet the wind still bears it in its womb Towards the *6th day of the

:eign it will begin to get dry, and to be"ome li;uid and solid in turn Fabout a hundred

times a dayG then it be"omes granulated then again it is welded together into one

mass, and so it goes on "hanging for about a fortnight At length, howe3er, an

une4pe"tedly glorious light will burst from your substan"e, and the end will arri3ethree days afterwards The substan"e will be granulated, like atoms of gold For motes

in the 2unG, and turn a deep red 5a red the intensity of whi"h makes it seem bla"k like

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3ery pure blood in a "lotted state This is the reat onder of onders, whi"h has

not its like on earth

CHAPTER XXXI

0f the %ermentation of the 2tone

! forgot to warn you in the last "hapter to be on your guard against the danger of

3itrifi"ation too fier"e a fire would render your substan"e insoluble and pre3ent itsgranulation ou now possess the in"ombustible red 2ulphur whi"h "an no longer be

affe"ted in any way by fire !n order to obtain the Eli4ir from this 2ulphur by reiterate

solution and "oagulation, take three parts of purest gold, and one part of this fiery

2ulphur 'elt the gold in a "lean "ru"ible, and then "ast your 2ulphur into it

Fprote"ting it well from the smoke of the "oalsG 'ake them li;uid together, when you

will obtain a beautiful mass of a deep red, though hardly transparent This you should

permit to "ool, and pound into a small powder 0f this powder take one part, and two

parts of our 'er"ury mi4 them well, and put them in a glass 3essel, well sealed

They should be e4posed to gentle heat for two months This is the true fermentation,whi"h may be repeated if needful

CHAPTER XXXII

The !mbibition of the 2tone

'any authors take fermentation in this work for the in3isible e4ternal agent, whi"h

they "all ferment by its 3irtue the fugiti3e and subtle spirits, without laying on of

hands, are of their own a""ord thi"kened, and our before5mentioned fermentation

they "all "ibation with bread and milk -ut ! follow my own .udgment There is

another operation, "alled !mbibition of the 2tone, by whi"h its ;uantity rather than its

;uality is in"reased !t is thisD Add to three parts of your perfe"t 2ulphur Feither whiteor redG one part of water, and after si4 or se3en days( "o"tion the water will be"ome

thi"k like the 2ulphur Add again as mu"h water as you did before and when this is

dried up, with a "on3enient fire, add three distin"t times so mu"h water as shall be

e;ual to one5third of the original ;uantity of 2ulphur Then add Ffor the 7th

imbibitionG fi3e parts of water Fthe parts being e;ual to the original parts of the

2ulphurG 2eal up the 3essel sub.e"t it to gentle "o"tion, and let the "ompound pass

through all the different :eigns of the original 2ubstan"e, whi"h will be

a""omplished in a month Then you ha3e the true 2tone of the third order, one part of

whi"h will perfe"tly tinge 1,))) parts of any other metalCHAPTER XXXIII

The 'ultipli"ation of the 2tone

Take the perfe"t 2tone add one part of it to three or four parts of purified 'er"ury of

our first work, sub.e"t it to gentle "o"tion for se3en days Fthe 3essel being "arefully

sealed upG, and let it pass through all the :eigns, whi"h it will do 3ery ;ui"kly and

smoothly The tinging power of the substan"e will thus be e4alted a thousandfold and

if you go through the whole pro"ess a se"ond time Fwhi"h you "an do with ease in

three daysG the 'edi"ine will be mu"h more pre"ious still This you may repeat as

often as you like the third time the substan"e will run through all the :eigns in a day,the fourth time in a single hour, and so on 55 and the impro3ement in its ;uality will

be most mar3ellous Then kneel down and render thanks to od for this pre"ious

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treasure

CHAPTER XXXIV

0f Pro.e"tion

Take four parts of your perfe"t 2tone, either red or white Fof both for the 'edi"ineGD

melt them in a "lean "ru"ible Take one part of this pul3erisable mi4ture to ten parts

of purified 'er"ury heat the 'er"ury till it begins to "ra"kle, then throw in yourmi4ture, whi"h will pier"e it in the twinkling of an eye in"rease your fire till it be

melted, and you will ha3e a 'edi"ine of an inferior order Take one part of this, and

add it to a large ;uantity of well purged and melted metal, whi"h will thereby be

transmuted into the purest sil3er or gold Fa""ording as you ha3e taken white or red

2ulphurG $ote that it is better to use a gradual pro.e"tion, for otherwise there may be

a notable loss of the 'edi"ine The better the metals are purged and refined, the

;ui"ker and more "omplete will the transmutation be

CHAPTER XXXV

0f the 'anifold uses of this Art

Be that has on"e found this Art, "an ha3e nothing else in all the world to wish for,

than that he may be allowed to ser3e his od in pea"e and safety Be will not "are for

pomp or da