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concerning the metals, deceiving themselves and others who were desirous to do the best matters with the worse
things, and to finish the defect of nature with such like things whereupon it is said "whatsoever a man soweth that he
shall reap", if therefore he shall sow dung, he shall reap dung, wherefore it is no marvel that scarce one among a
thousand or no such men at all, bring it to pass. Sow gold and silver, and it will bring unto thee most pleasant fruit
by thy labour with the help of nature, because that only hath the thing which thou seek, and no other thing of the
world, whereas all other things are stinking and give place to nature by the continuance and trial of the fire. And
there are other Alchemists labouring in lesser minerals, that is to say in four Spirits as in common Sulphur, Arsenic,
Auripigmentum, and Salt Ammoniac being desirous to make a tincture but this they cannot do as is manifest by the
definition of the tincture. For to tinct is nothing else than by tincting to transfer that which is tincted into its own
nature, and to remain with it, without any transformation, and nature teaching nature to fight against the fire, for the
nature of the tincting and the tincted agree. For instance, if you tinct Lead or Tin, or any such thing from gold or
silver, this agrees in natures, because both parties have taken their original from Mercury. The ripe is conjoined with
the unripe, that the unripe may be effected by it in such a way.
But since these four spirits are of another nature from metals, as has been sufficiently spoken of, therefore, if they
must be tincted, I demand whether they ought to change or to be changed. If to be changed then it is not tincture, as
is manifest by the definition thereof. If to change, therefore, in tincting it converts into its nature that which is
earthly and strange to a metallic nature. Therefore, they cannot make metal by tincting, but that, which in tincting it
converts into its nature, is tried, because everything engendering, engenders his like, and because this tincture is an
earthly generation of four spirits, therefore it will engender a thing like unto itself, which is also earthly as itself.
Rosarium Philosophorum (part 4)
Back to Rosarium page.
Illumination
Here Sol plainly dies again,
And is drowned with the Mercury of the Philosophers.
Therefore regard not that tincture, nor any other which is not found in the property of nature with all foreign ways,
because in them there is nothing else but the consuming of things, the loss of time and labour, whereas all other
things are apparent, and not being metals, which are laboured by the lesser minerals and such like.
Raymund: Although this our stone does now naturally contain tincture in itself, for it is created perfectly into the
body of Magnesia, but of itself it has no motion unless it be brought to pass by art and operation. Geber says in the
operation of roots, "operation is used for this, that the tincture of gold may be bettered more in gold than it is in its
nature, and also that it may be made Elixir, compounded according to the Allegory of the Wisemen". But whether
we need gold only and not any other body. Harken unto Hermes speaking "His Father of the first composition is Sol,
and his mother is Luna". The father is hot and dry engendering tincture, his mother is cold and moist, nourishing that
which is engendered. Therefore if there were not one of them in our stone the medicine would never melt easily, nor
gain any tincture, and if it did give, yet it would not tinct, but in as much as it were, Mercury would vanish away in a
fume, because the receptacle of the tincture should not be in it. But it is our final secret to have a medicine that melts
or flows before the flight of Mercury. Therefore the conjunction of two things is necessary in our work. For Geber
says in his Perfect Magistery, gold is the most precious of metals, for that is a soul conjoining the spirit with the
body, that is with the imperfect, because as the body of a man without a soul is dead and unmoveable, so an impure
body without ferment, which is its soul, is earthly and vegetable for that is the tincture of redness, transforming
every body. It is ferment converting the whole mass or lump to its nature, because as Sol and Luna overrule all the
other planets, so those two bodies have dominion over other bodies of metals, which are strongly converted to the
nature of the two aforesaid bodies. And therefore, it is called Ferment for without it things springing cannot be
amended, and as a little leaven corrupts a great lump of dough, that is, transmutes and seasons it, so in the same way,
it happens to our stone.
Hermes: My Son, extract his shadow from the sun beam. Take therefore the fourth part of it, that is one part of the
ferment, and three parts of the Imperfect body, dissolve the ferment in his equal quantity of water of Mercury,
decoct it also with a most soft fire and coagulate the ferment, that it may be made as the imperfect body, and the
mouth of the vessel being stopped, in the same manner and order as has been said, it is prepared in all points.
Aristotle: Choose to thyself, a stone by which Kings are honoured in their diamonds, and by which Physicians have
to cure their patients because it is near the fire.
My Son, take of the most simple and round, and do not take of the triangle or quadrangle, but of the round body,
because the round is nearer to simplicity than the triangle. We must note therefore, the simple body having no
corner, because it is the first and last in planets, as Sol in the stars, because we see in Astronomy of the firmament,
that Sol is the Lord of all Planets, and all Planets have need of his light because he gives light upwards even unto
Saturn, and downwards even unto Luna, and then he behold all, both superior and inferior.
Aristotle: My Son, thou ought to take of the fatter flesh. Thou ought to know that every seed answers his springing,
because those things which you sow, these shall you reap again.
What things are particular which are brought to pass in this art
I declare universally to all men, to whom these my present speeches shall come, that in the bound of the whole art,
there are but two particular things which are particularly brought to pass according to philosophers and nature. The
first particular, as well in white as in red, is in Mercury or in the administration of the perfect medicine, although the
body doth secretly contain in itself the tincture of it, with which it is brought to pass as nature requires, because that
is particularly in it of either form of things. When as Mercury is compounded of the first matter of all metals, of
white earth too much sulphurous, and of clear water. And therefore, the whiteness of the earth engenders the
clearness of the water and there is a most white colour in it, as experience teaches us, and it contains in it good
sulphur, perfect and pure. Then it is possible that Sol and Luna be made of it particularly.
The Philosopher: Let it be mingled with workmanship with other metallic bodies because it is of the nature of them
and they are engendered of it and therefore it may be done by workmanship, and let it imitate the digested nature
into it, that it may be affected with them, so is made like unto them without any foreign commixtion, when as it
rejoices simply in the nature of its nature, and not by any foreign thing. But, with Sol Sol is made, Luna with Luna,
Venus with Venus and so with all the rest. When as every thing sendeth his strength into it and also because it
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