Secret

Symbols of the fllosicrucians

of the 16th and 17th Centuries

IN1A~ OfSHAROH, NlDAROSl IN TIJEVAlllY

Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians

of the 16th fa 17th Centuries

FIRST B()()K

Brought to light for the first time from an old manuscript

ALTONA. 1785

£diced and printed by J. D. A. Eckhardt,

Commissioned by the Bookaton of Mr. Herold in Hambur,

The Teachings of the Rosicrucians

of the 16th and 17th Centuries

- OR-

3l Simple $93 e 9300klet

For Young Students

Practising Daily in the School of the Holy Ghost

MADE CLEAR TO THE EYES BY PICTORIAL FIGURES

For the Exercises of the New Year - IN THE -

Natural and Theological Light . {CHRISTI}

by a Brother of the Fratermty f h R -C P. F.

o t cosy ross

FOR THE FIRST TrME MADE PUBLIC

and

WITH SEVERAL FIGURES OF SIMILAR CONTENT ADDED BY P. S.

IAN A fl..O\.V[R OF SHARON, ANDAROSE IN THEVALUY

CANT.2.V.1.

ALTONA

Printed and Published by [oh. Dav, Ad. Eckhardt. Book-Printer [0 H. M. [he Kin9 of Denmark

Prooerbiorum:

27· v. 7.

The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

The Almighty, Alone-Wise. and Omniscient GOD and LORD hath given understanding to Man, above all other creatures, so that he may know his works and not leave them unexplored. Now since this Man. whom th e All-wise GOD hath inspired thereto. hath this high and profound secret Work and the great secret of the ancient Waler-Slone of the Wise. he must needs prove himself aright. If ever there IS a natural thmg on earth, It is the Preparation and the MaY'Isterlllm of the Philosophers Stone. natural and not of man's making. but wholly the work of Nature. for the Art,s! add e rh nothing thereto. Nature alone directet h the growing. as doth every tiller of the soil with his fruits and plants: only he must be subtle In mind and have the qr ace of GOD. 5;) that he may direct ttw same as the work becomes evident 10 the boding and through successiv" time; name l v, in the beginning there is the Sub}ectum. which one doth receive from Nature drre ctlv into the hand. Therein lieth hidden the Universal Tincture of all metals. animals. and plants. It is a rough Corpus. h avmq neither the fiqure nor form of an animal or plant. but is in the be qinrunq a 'rough. earthy. heavy. viscous. tough and nebulous substance on which Nature hath stopped; but when the e nlaqhte ned man ope nerh these matters. investiqateth them ,,1 Digestion. and wrth Its thick foggy shadows with which It is surrounded. he purifieth and per mitte th the hidden to emerge. and through further Sublimation its innermost soul, which is hidden there in. IS also separated from it and brought into a bodilv form. Then one will find what Nature hath hidden in such a once shapeless substance and what power and MagnaJ.a the Supreme Creator hath given to and implanted in this Creoto. For GOD hath this Creato for all other creatures. as to the beqmninq of creation this power was implanted. and He still giveth It daily.

ibidem 14. v. 6.

A scorner se e ke t h wisdom and findeth it not; but knowledge IS easy unto him that understandeth.

so that it would otherwise not only be impossible for a man to bring such natural work to the desired end, much less to create herem ,lTIyth.ng useful. But the good and gracious GOD doth no! be qrudqe man (he treasures and goods which He hath implanted in Nature, else He would not have granted such things to H" r reatur e s: nay. He hath created everything good lor rna". and hath made him to be Lord over His erearion. There lore ut is finmg for man to understand and to undertake such a natural philosophical work. for otherwise such a highly g.lted and wonderful creation would have been m vain. and we would view Nature like the dumb animals which run about. and we would go vainly after God', counsel and we would not fit Into the ends of Nature. Deus eutem et Natura. nihil [uciuru frustra, (But God and Nature do nothIng in v arn ] . Bur GOD Almighty ruleth in all such thmgs. He or dercth and provrdet h that oats and fodder be placed before the ass and the horse. but that the r arional human bemg be served wrth more costly and more delicious food. Therefore those who try to investigate and who long for such a deeply hidden Arcanum and great treasure. in the proper way. do not have to depend upon the harvest of the ignorant. who have no under standinq under the Light of our Sun.

The Plulosopbers and WISe men. as well as Neoteric, and V"fues, have had many drsputations about this secret art. and have t rreri to pornt out. WIth many different names, allegories. and wondrouslv strange sophistical words what that Sub}ectum e n d its Essent ia are, and what kind of a Materia, what kind of a Corpus. what kind of a Sub;ectum. and what a wonderful thmg and secret a Cre eture it is. which hath embodied such m.ghty, strange. and heavenly powers. and with which. after

Digestion and purtttcanon. one can help human beings. animals, plants, and metals, and one can bring their health and perfection up to the highest degree. and one can also do many other marvellous things with it. Nevertheless all those who were and still are true Philosophi. have unanimously pointed out one single Scopum and one only Materiam. the Filii Sepientiet, writmg various and manifold speeches and scripts about it. Concerning the essential thing. however, there is only silence, and that silence hath fast-locked their mouths. and placed a solid Sigi/l upon them. for if it should become as common knowledge as brewing and baking. the world would soon perish.

There are many who have searched for that only Res. which solvit se ipsum. coanulat se ipsum. se ipsum impraegnat. mortificat et vivicat (dissolveth itself. coagulateth itself impregnareth itself. killeth and bnngeth to life again). but most of these searchers. who have lost themselves while searching. failed. Then it is such a thing as is nearest gold: and it is such a thing as the poor as well as the rich can gam. be it whatever If may. But it threatencth the Philosophi e xecretionem divinem, and invoketh the curse of God upon him who with his own mouth might e xpresslu speak on this Subjectum.

When the Philosophers pronounced an Execretion.

Almighty God did respect and 9r<1nl their appeal, and gav( unto them w hat He had until then kept In His own hands for several thousand years. Now the aforesaid Subjectum is of such a nature that It. our Magnesia. doth not only contain a small proportioned quantity 01 th e universal Spiritus Vitalis in itself. but also harh some of the heavenly power condensed and compressed within it. Many who found it were: so intoxicated by Its fumes that t h e y remained in their place and could no longer raise themselves. Only a wise man and one who knoweth these things can take a measure of this same fluid and carry it home from whatever place he may have found it. be it from the depths of the mountains or any other place where it may be met. The poor and the rich are quite free, by the singular and abounding grao' of God. 10 take this. so that he goeth homeward with It 10 his house. and pJaceth it behind the furnace or in any ot h e r room where It ple aseth him. and where it is convenient lor him, and he may begin to work and 10 e x perrme nr with II. for he can leave off so quickly that even his own servants do nof notice it, For it doth not go so slovenly with this natural work as it doth with the common alchemists with their bunqhn q work. WIth their charcoal-burning. smelting and refinin j. and whatever more they may do. But it is a work which one can keep in a dosed casket in whatever room he wisherh, alone that not even a cat come upon it. and. should it be necessary. he can well carryon his craft. only taking care that the furnace have a threefold testing. and that he keep it at the right heat, and let Nature takes its own course. When finally the Solution is taken out of the T errestrieet; and is strenqthened by long Digestion. it is set free from the Crudee Material.', and is pre par .. d and reborn in the most subtle form. Subsequently, of course, fhi5 sharp and potent Spiritus is at certain times qiven a well-measured quantIty. after the fashion 01 drinkmq and nourishing. pH modum inbibitionis et nutritionis. And its potency is thus condensed and daily becometh as new supports for its brethren. and active therein. Dost thou indeed think that one canst brong Earth such work and such potency in unmeasured hidden Intensity. a Spiritus Vita/is' The crudee material' or Subiectum cometh from the Astris and Constellation of the heavens into Its earthly kingdom. from which is then drawn the spiritus univasl secrerur of the Philosophers, which is the Mercurius of the Wise, and it is the beginning, the means. and the end, in which the Aurum Physicum is determined and hidden. which the common alchemist thinks to extract out of common gold. but in vain. Meanwhile. the Philosophi deal much in their writings with Sol and Luna. which of all metals are the most durable in the 6. But this is not to be understood literally. for their Sol and Luna. when they are brought to their inner puritaet. through true. natural. seemly. and philosophical prarparation may well be compared with the celestial bodies. such as the Sun and the Moon. which with their brightness illuminate day and night. the upper and the lower Firmament. Therefose these: two noble metals. like the Sol and Luna of the Philosophers. resemble by nature the human body. aDd to him who Itno~th how to prepare them

rightly and use them wisely they give much health. and except and above this nothing else is to be prepared. but the one threefold point of the Llniversslis. for the Spiritus to be Found in these two said things produceth consistency, strength and virtue. amongst other things

Now the man pardoned by God can prepare and make ready an object or substance of the above mentioned red or white, of Sol and Luna. which is called the Lapidem Phiiosophorum, or the very ancient \Vater-Stone 0/ the Wise. from the substance in which God placed such potency at the creation or genesis of the world. or the oft-mentioned materials or Subjeaum which God. out of love and grace. implanted in the hIghly-endowed divine man. But I believe. therefore. that the divine substance which was left to him in the first Creation of the world. of the Spiritu Vitali. of the Inspiration. hath survived in all kinds of creatures. All received the same Splritum in the aforesaid Massam. and 6rmly secluded in the lowest depths of the earth. and it was indicated and left to the Wise Men to disinter it. to extract it. to use it. and to perform the same Miracula with it. through the holy wisdom which is snll implanted in it and with which it is supplied daily.

Both substances mentioned above as Sun and Moon or red and white. or rather the Praeparation 9 is and Mercurii. are the ingredients in the Composition of our Lspidis Philosophorum . Now then the Materia are in the beginning through sufficient and oft-repeated Sublimentiones purified and cleansed. and then weighed carefully, and then soon composed: also thou must not be ignorant of what is the potency and occasion of both of the said inqredients. but thou must know how to arrange both Pondera. secundum proportionem Physicam (according to the analogy of Physrcs}, for a good portion of the 11 ii is encumbered with a small portion of animal' Solis vel Sulphuris, and then unite both with a delicate hand. so that finally the Preepsretion and the most difficult work is completed.

But thou wilt have to know that thou must first tinge thy t1 urn with the red Tinctur. yet it will not become red in contiMnti. but remaineth white. for the Mercurius hath the privilege of wanting to be tinged first before all others. The Philosoph; also tell what to do in addition WIth the Anima solis of this Tinctur of the Mercurii. and from whence it shall be taken. The F<:rment of gold is gold. just as the Fnment of dough is dough. Moreover. it is the Ferment of qold out of its own nature, and then iis potency is perfect' when It is transformed back into earth. And then this is flrst the beginning of the Philosophers. the right and true Prima M a/ena Philosophorum metallorum (the first Materia~of the metals of the Philosophers). From then on the true Masters. expertenced in the Art, begin 10 stimulate their lngeniam and attain to the Great Work. And then the Arti{ex continues further with such work and. through God's blessing. brinqeth it to the end. to which It tenderh and where it IS embodied bv God namelv, to the highly-blessed Philosopher's Stone. So tha; from nothing else than per Spiritum unioerssli Secr~/um the true materia prima Philosophorum is prepared and made ready. Who now understandeth well this Spiritum Secretum under. standeth also, without doubt. the secrets and wonders of Nature and hath the perception of the light of Nature. For he is motus harmonicas Sympaticus and meoneucus, from which originales the Harmania and Concordentis, the magnetiC and sympathetic power or effect of the uppermost and of the lowermost. But note that the natures of both ingredients are unlike each other in the beginning because of their opposed qualities. For one is warm and dry. the other is cold and moist. and they must of COurse be united. But when this is about to occur. then their opposed qualities must slowly be changed and equalised. so that neither nature through intense fire divest the other of its potency. For thou canst never collect them. because both natures must rise Simultaneously In the fire's power. Then the Discresis will be taken hom the Cor-pori. and an Aequelites and good Temperetur is established. which occureth through a moderate and constant boiling.

For when both of the natures Sulphur and Mercurius are enclosed in a very narrow space and are maintained with moderate heat. they begin to abate from their opposed charac-

ter and to unite. until finally they have all the quahties. They become one Conspiration and rise at the same time. and certainly at the top of the glass standeth numero one. They ate ready to wed. and then the bridegroom placeth a golden ring on his bride. say the Philosophi. And when thus the Mercurius with its Sulphur, like water and earth with each other. become duly boiled (and the longer the more) they cast away all their superfluities and the pure parts join each other and dispose of their corlicibi, otherwise the impure parts prevent unification and the Ingress.

For the Mercurius, as the first Corpus. is ennrely crude and can per anima be neither mixed nor perpetuated. for neither Corpus entereth the other nor will be united with it either verI' or in t sdice. But should these things be so helped that a true Tinctur will be formed. there must be prepared out of this a new spiritual Corpus which cometh forth au: of both. for after the purification one taketh the virtues of the other. and out of several become one. 1111merO et virtute (in number and power). But if the fire should be much too intense and should not be controlled according to the requirements of Nature. these two above-mentioned would be either suffocated or separated. If they did not have their right mode of preparation. they would become either nothing or a spoiled work and a Monstrum, But when one proceedeth prudently and with a dulv tempered heat. then both substances will rise in the Sublimation uppermost in the glass or cupola. Then when thou pluckest these lovely Howers. thou canst enjoy them already perticulerie.

But thou canst observe the rnotum occultum naturae as little as thou canst either hear or see the grass growing. for one can neither observe nor notice the increase and development of these two Ingredients. Mercuri! and Sulphuris, because of th e ir subtle. hidden, and slow Proqressus from hour to hour. Only by rnar ks set from week to week can it be observed and a conclusion drawn. lor the Inner fire is very dehcate and subtie. But however slow It may be. it doth not stand still until it cometh to the c nd where its mt('nt is to be seen. as in all plants. unless It then be that such subtle and e xperr barling is hindered through the all too-strong heat of rh.:: sun and is burnt out, or ,s hmdere d through suddenly appe armq (old: uflo qui 5cit orellitf,m mV/ffm na/urill'. scic perject um decoctionem (there lor e he who knoweth the hidden movement of Nut urc. knoweth also the perfect boiling or preparation) This motum should now rake 115 natural and self-determined course. although one can neither hear nor see II. as also one cannot comprehend (he Ccnrra et ignem mvisibilem 5emlnflm nu-isibiliflm (the Centre and mvisible fire of the invisible seed). Therelore thou must cornrmt such a matter (a Nature alone. and observe ,I and not once try to oppose Nature. bUI have all conEdence in it until it brinqcth forth its [ruit.

When one trcarcth Nature WIth a gentle and agreeable heat. it doeth and elfcctern everything out of itself. which for the furnishing of a Creati or the introduction of a new form IS ;I matter of necessity lor the Divine Word Fat still abrdeth in all creatures and 10 all plants. and hath Its mighty power In these times as well is in the beginning.

There are. however. four chief Virtutes and potentias of which noble Nature maketh use in every boiling; thereby It dot h complete Its work and bringeth It to an end.

The First Virtus

Is and is called appel/a twa et attractiva, for it is possible for JI to attract to itself from far or near. food of which it is desirous out of results and places aqreeable to its nature. and it can grow and increase. And here it hath a magnetic power. like that of a man lor a woman. the Mercurius for the Sulphur. the dry for rhe moist. the Materia for the form. Therefore the axiom of the Philosophers is: natura naturam emet, amplectitur prosequitur, Omnia namquam crescentis, dum cedices agunl et vil'ant. succum ex Terra ettrehunt, etque evide arripiunt illud, quo ~'l['ere et iwgmentari sentiunt - i.e., Nature loveth nature. surroundeth it. and followeth It. For all plants. when they strike root and begin to live. suck sap out of the earth. and draw to themselves avidly that whereby they sense rh e y call live and multiply themselves. For where there IS hunger

and thirst. food and drink will be received with avidity and thi3 Vit'fus and potentia will be aroused. and it cometh from the heat and average dryness.

The Second Virtus and Potentia

Is and is called natura retentive et coagulativa_ For Nature not only alone is useful to it and serveth it for its continuation and is advantageous when it lacketh that which it eagerly produceth from itself. but hath also with it the bond with which it draweth and bringeth and holdeth it to itself. Yea. Nature even changeth it into itself. for as it hath chosen of these two the purest parts. it separateth the rest and bringeth to the mouth and maketh it grow. and is in no need of any other calcination or fixation: natura naturam continet (Nature retaineth nature). and such skill cometh' from its dryness. Ior the cold constrrcteth the gained and evenly-formed parts and drieth them in the Terrae.

Tire Third Vir/us and Potentia

naturae in rebus generandis et euqmentendis.

Est Virtlls digestlVa. quae fit per putrclnctionem seu in putre[scuone (is the digestive power. which occurs through the putrefaction or in the putrefaction). in moderate and temperate heat and moisture. For Nature direcreth, changeth. and mtroduceth one kind and quality. the crudeness is done away with. the bitter is made sweet. the harsh is made mild. the rough is made smooth. the immature and wild IS made tame. that which was [ormerlv incapable is now made skillful and efficient, and leadeth to the final intended execution and perfectron of the Work. and representeth the l ngredienti« to the Compo~itlOn.

The Fourtl: Pot~'111a naturae

Est {,lIlus I'x{JU/;Jt'd nJtlnJificatit'a, sf'g,egatiLla (th(' expe llinq. purifiymq. separLltlllg power) which separatet h and divideth , which purihet h and cle anscth. which washeth dunng the Sublimatwn or Decoction It s"tr~lh from Sordibu s and dar kness LInd brinqet h forth a pur". transparent. powerful or illuminated Corpu« or subst ance. It collecteth the Partes homoqenels. and is gradually se r fre.:: from the hetcroqeneis. r e pu lseth the Vil"l a nd everything ahe n. inspe cte th the crude. and giveth evcrv part .i speCIal place This IS c ause d by and cometh from the :1grc!'able cc nst ant h~a! In appr opr ratc moisture. and that is thc Subtimatron and mature Iruu which will now 1,1)1 out 01 the husk. 'Thcreforr- it is in the beginning designed by Nature and ar nsans, namely the Paticfls is set free from the A,q.:·nre. and will be perfected. Num liberetio ilia a pertibu s heteroqeneis est vIta e r perl ectu: omnis Rei. - i.e .. for the hbcranon 01 these unequal and opposed parts is the hfe and perfection of all thmgs For the Agcrls. and Patiens which unnl now have be e n contending wit h each other. so that each affectcrh and rcndcreth resistance accordmq to its opponents resistance - i.e, as much as possible it would like to break ,IS opponent's resistance and they must not unite durrn q the time 01 their Decoction, bur the best part must gain the victory and expell the impure. and subjugate It.

Now when all Niuurolis potentia have don!' therr officwm. then cometh forth the new birth and as the mature [rurt presenrerh Itself in all other plants. 50 also now in our SubJeao and natural work which. when perfected, quue surprisingly doth not at all resemble any more its first begmning and harh no more quality, and IS neither cold nor dry. neither moist nor warm. and is neither mascu/us nor {arm ina. For cold is there itself turned into heat, and the dry into the moist. the heavy into the light. for It IS a new Quinta Essentia. a Corpus Spirltuale> and hath become a Spiritus corpora/is. such a Corpus as is clear and pure. transparent and crystalhke: one which Nature itself. could never have produced as long as the world hath stood. The Artlfex and the enlightened man, however. auxiliante Deo et natura. (by the aid of God and Nature). produceth through his intellect and art, and he placeth It there by Itself. So that subsequently he encountereth a Micecule and that is called: Ll nquentum anima. aurum Philosophorum. lias auri (the unguent. the soul. the philosophers' gold. the flower of gold). T'hecphrestus and others call it Gluten equilee,

Now what is shown about the four potentiis naturae.

the "tII~ bad been eJrect~d by lD~afts of the Are. which IIlll$t be Incombustible, pleasing to Nature, and according to Nature it must continue steadily and Inust also be advantageous to lh~ Work: but in this Work two kinds of fires au to M Putlcularly well attended to, namely: the outa el~lII~ntary Ilre which the Artifu constructeth and which he applieth to the Work, and after that the inner. innate. and natural Rre of the substances. Though in all three primary things or geneta there is to be: found a natural fire as in the Animalibus. Vegetsbilibu«. and Mineralibus, through which It started and moved. maintained life, was strengthened and increased; and can connnue its innate power of bringing forth and of implanted virtue according to the character oE each.

But the fire which is in our Subjecto is in ilsen not least amongst creatures and minuals. It hath hidden within itself th~ most wonderrul. the most potent fire &!gainst whicb the outer fire seemeth like water. for no common elementary fire can consume and destroy the pure gold which is the most durable substance amongst all metals. however intense the fire may be, but the essential Cl. and ~ of the Philosophers alone doeth it.

lE we had to-day that lire with which Moses burned the golden calf and ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water and which he gave to and made the Children of Israel drink of it (Exodus. ch. 32 I - ler such be a piece of alcherni- 1:31 work of Moses. the man 01 God! Foe he was instructed in the Egyptian art and skilled therein. Or the fire which the prophet [eremies hid beneath the foot of the mountain, from which Moses saw the Promised Land and whereon he died. the lire which was recovered seventy years later by the Wise Men. the descendants of the old nrrests alter the return frol:' the Babylonian Captivity. But in the meantime fhe fire was changed In the mountain and became den~e water (II Meccsb .. ch. I and 2). What rhmkest thou' should we not w arm ourselves at it and keep from us the frost in winter?

Such 6re slumbererh In our Subjl'c/o quietly and peace.ully and hath no monment of Ilself. Should now this secret and hidden nre help ils own Corpori. so that JS may rise and have its effect. and manifest its might and power. so that the Artist may reach the de sired and predestined end. it must be aroused through the outer elementary flre. be kindled and be brought into its course. ThiS fir!' may be in lamps, or of whatever kind thou dost like. or contrive. for it alone is suffiCiently capable 01 executing the acnvitv w ith ease. and such fire and outer heat must be tended and maintained all the time until the end of the S"b!imarion. So that the inner and essential fir!' be kept alive, in order that the two indicated fires may help each other and the outer fire let the inner fire be worthy. until in its appointed trrne it becometh so strong and intense a fire that it will soon burn to ashes. pulverise, turn into itself, and make equal to ilSt'lf all that is put into it but which is nevertheless of its own kind and nature.

Nevertheless it is necessary for every Artifex. at the cost of his desired end. to know that between these two abovementioned fires, he maintaineth certain proportions between the outermost and the innermost. and that he kindle his fire rightly. for if he makerh It too weak. then the Work cometh to a standstill. and the outermost fire is not able to raise the inner one, and in so far as he srirreth it up moderately several times. it yidderh a slow effect and a very long process. and when he hath waited with such patience and halh his data. he then finally reacheth his intended seal. But if one maketh a stronger fire than bcfltteth this process, and it be speeded up. then the inner fire suffereth, it IS entirely incapable. the Work will surely be destroyed, and the hasty one will never attain his end.

If after lasting Decoction and Sublimation the noble and pure parts of the Suojl'Cti are gradually. with the advantage of a calculated time, separated and set free from the crude earthly and useless substance. the impulse in such activity must be according to Nature and must be adjusted with such moderation that it will be agr«able, pleasing. and advantageous to the inner fire, in order that the Inner essential ike Or not destroyed through all too-intense heat, or even utin-

gubhed and made UKkss. Nay. rather it will be maintained in its natural degree. be strengthened. whilst the pure and tootle parts come together and convene. the crude being separated. so that they combine and the best will achieve the aforesaid end in view. Therefore thou must learn from Nature that degree of fire which Nature uxth in its operations until it bringeth its fruit to maturity. and from this learn Reason and make calculation. For the inner essential Rre is really that which bringtth the Mert:urillm Phitosophorum to uqualitset: but the outer 8rt steercheth forth to it a hand 50 that the Inner firl' will not be hindered in its operation. therefore the outer must have concordance with the inner and must adjust itself according to the same. vice tlersa. Then in such usc of the universal elementary 8re it must be led toward the inner natural heat. and the outer heat hath to be adjusted to it, so that such doth not surpass in the Cuato the power of ehe moist and warm Spiritus. which is wholly subtil: if otherwise. the warm nature of the said Spiritus would soon be dissolved. and it could not hold ilseH together any more. and would have no potency; it followeth therefrom that a fire more intense than is necessary for reviving and maintaining the inner natural 8re implanted in our M eteriee can only be: for hindrance and deterioration. [n natura et illius Creetis et gen.eretionibus sit tue Imaginatio. - i.e. upon Nature and what hath been created or brought forth by her. mediate thou. Therefore bring the moist Spiritum into the earth. make it dry. aggtutinirs and pgurs. with an agreeable fire. Thus shalt thou also bring the Atllmam into the dead Corpus and restore what thou hast taken away, and thou restorest the soulless and dead to life and to rise again and be equipped. but whatever hath driven it will not stand the heat, for it will not become COnstant as if it were to be received spontaneously from itself with good Will. with joy and with desire. and be: deeply impressed.

And ~hat i, sicci cum humido natura/is unio et ligamen rum optimum (the natural unification of the dry with the moist and also the best tie). Yea. if one really desireth to discuss this matter: the Wise Men mention three kinds of Sre. each of which taketh charge of the operis magni. so that each but lorm in particular must In wisdom and good readiness have governed this also. And so he will not work as one blind. but in an understanding and prudent manner. as befieteth an intelligent Phi/o50phus.

The first is the outer fire, which the Artist or watchman maketh. which the Wise Men call igltem [rontem, upon which Regimen dependeth the safety or the ruin of the entire Work, and this in two ways: nemium sumiget cave (take heed that it doth not smoke too much), but it is also said, combure illne fortissimo (burn it with the stron gest fire).

The second Sre is the nest wherein the Phoeni» of rhf Philosophers hath it! abode, and hatcherh itself therein ad rl'generatlOr>tm. This is nothing else than the Va$ Phi/oso· phorum. The \Vise Men call it ignem corticum. lor it is written that the Phoenix bird collected all fragrant wood whereon it cremateth itself If this were not so, the PhoeniX would [ree ze to death and It could not attain to its Perfection. Snlphur« Sulphuribus continentur (Sulphurs are maintained by sui. phurs ). For the nest should protect. assist. cherish and keep the brood of the bted unto the Snal end.

The third however is the true innate Sre of tht' noble Sulphuris. itself to be found ;n rsdic« subjecti. and is an I"w~ dient; and it quicteth the Mercurium and fashionedl it: that Is the real Master. yea. the true Sigllium Hermetis. Concern. ing thiS fire Crebreru& writeth: In pro/undo mercurii est Sulphllr, quod tandem vincit /rigiditatem et humiditetem in Mercurio. Hoc nihil aliud est. quam partlus igllis occultus in mercurio, quod ill mineris nostris exitatur et /ongo temporis successe digllrit frigid.ta/em et humidltutem ;n mercurio, - i.e., In the essence of the Mercurii is a sulphur which finally conquereth the ccldness and the moisture in the Mercurio. This is nothing else than a small SrI' hidden In the Merwrio. which is aroused in our Mineri,. and in the Iulness of time it absorbeth the coldness and 1II0istun in the Mercurio or removeth them, and that is also said about the fUe.

FINIS

IF A PHILOSOPHER YOU WISH TO BE,

.LET ONLY PATIENCE DWELL IN THEE.

Where on this globe lives a man 60 wise, T() nothing can thine eye be blind,

Who'll ever learn what (our ones do comprise. Be it of body or of mind.

And even if he'd know all this, Therefore be thankful to thy God,

He'd still always be an apprentice. Who in time this before thee hast brought.

Therefore, 0 human, with all thy might, Be thou not jealous of the scoffer's fame,

Recognise God and thyselr in God's and nature's light. Do Dot begrudge every mocker's great name.

Both these tights God pours into thee, With sophisticated vanity they strut,

That a likeness or him thou mayest be, Unbeknownst to them is what thou'st got.

He is one fourfold God, let thou be told. Be bappy with what God to thee gave,

As thou art a piece of clay fourfold. DeCy, that four j'l one they have.

This maketh nature to thee well known, Fiat and Amen. be my treasure.

With wisdom, light and understanding to thee is it shown. A fourfold sphere always together.

o DOMINE QUAM MIRABILIA SUNT OPERA TUA.

Lord. thine eternal Spirit is in all Things.

Salvator 0 Mundi

Four fires are floating in this world. Wherein God holdeth a Center,

That is locked up in (OUf,

Out or which Heaven and Earth 'IIere poured.

SPECULUM orVINUM OCCULTUM ATOUE

.L3 WO\lOHdOSO'IlHd Wn3N~1

Notice Nature in its strength, LoOk at its great Iife.power.

Coel. &

From God it, and all things sprisg. And return Lo their centers again.

~ Terra.

There ia never a Philosopher who Nature's ultimate Principle doth not know.

Look "ell for the golden Magnet. If thou linde"t it tbou wouldl:lJt get rid or thy sorrows. Study well the 111.11' KNOW THYSELF, that thou may not be deceived any more.

Unum eunt omnia. per quod omma.

Make knowD to thee the Terra Sancta, 110 t..hat. tbou mayest not go astray.

God is the Alpha and Omega The Beginning and the End

FATHER

Time-Measure of the Law Lion with six wings

lJ.

~.." ~

~O ~

~OC) God is the first and

the last.

SON

Time of the Evangelium.

Ox with six wings.

III.

Figurative Image of how within this World three Worlds in each other.

namely this earthly Sun. World, and also the heavenly and

God is free everywhere Within and without all creatures

GOD

Time measure of Nature The Angel with six wings I.

The outer and the inner Mind Wilhout God's light you cannot find.

NOON

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o ...c

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God's Grace.

.~

Entrance to Death.

hut the one God

H. GHOST Time of fulfillment Eagle with six wings IIIl.

.tH9UlClIW

Only the Spirit alone knows Reason in flesh is blind.

the hellish world have their .ffects. And the daTkneS8 cannot conquer the light. It also shows that the land of the dead. the .ntrance to hall or superficial darkness, where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, as well as the land of the living, the heavenly paradis. or third heaven are from this world. And that the human being has all these things in his heart: heaven and hell, light and darkness, life and death.

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~ The Tree of Good and Evil Knowledge

bearing two kinds of fruits. Its name is t he tree 01 ,the knowledge 01 good and evil. Like its name. are its fruits: namely, good and bad frUits of life and death. of love and hate. of light and darkness. This tree was put before Adam. and even II he had in his innocence the liberty to 1001< upon it as a tree 01 God's wonders. God's prohibition did not allow him to place his desire in II and eat of it. but threatened that ( i] he would do so ] he would die fro;n Its [ruit. For thiS was a tree of division where good and e v i l b a t t l e d with each other: hut in a battle there can be no Ide: For bau le brins, lorlh destruction. and des t r u c t i o n brings I====-~r-l"'"

forth death. life lives in the S"' ee I u ri i t y 01 love Ther~ lore. when Adam atf: from t his rr ce a battle ~t~rted w rt h rn htm. and In thrs baulc he los I his life.

Nevertheless wr etc hed men will not learn through such rail and damage. His desire is still lor that tree and Its fruits. Man is al-

~Ii¥~~? ways desirous to have the diVISIOn of manifold things. and man is always battling. when he cou \d rei urn to the unity of SImplicity. if he only would cone In peace. Lrf es Irq ht srands In the m i d d l e to POlOl out '0 men I he wa v to rh,s [ i r s t rest. and t he Father In I hI' h .. avcn lets hIS Sun r rs e over good and evil: But ever yt hin q grows a Lt e r i t s own L"llIon. and man IS "nly too "pi to 10DK upon the srars of II,,· many~ Ioldncss. and in hIS own discr erion. to choose rhe rn for hrs ladders. t houqh they make him stray rn a n y t rrne s lrom' the true ],\lht. and dct.un hun In the whrr lpool ot unccr t ainr v. This w hir lpool 01 uuccrlainty Ie ads more and more out 01 the Innermost bee of the Sun into the outer (wor ld l a nd co n find netlh,:r end nor p lac e ... f rest. unless II Ie.rds lr om the outer (world) back a q a r n and scc ks the b~glnninlJ. from whu h all rhe smaller st.rr-hqhr s orrqmatcd.

THERE IS ONE TREE

There IS ;1150 amons 7 stars. hardly one turoong its rays onward to direct the searching mind 10 Bethlehem. and amongst 7 eyes wrndinq around IhE" whir lpool of searchinq de sir e is hardly one which stands (awards the Sabbath in the mncr most : but the restless movcrnent of the working days r.lOVC r he m through all spheres. and even If they take a look at Gods wonders. they only look u pon (he surface and every eye looks upon that winch IS shown through Its own desire. God mild" man to love In an eternal Sabbath. he should not work. Out l<:t God vork in him. he should not take wirh his own hand s. but onlv receive what God bestowed plentdully u port His nero'. [Jut man left the S"bb"th. and wanted (0 work hirns .e lf. r.use d h,s hand aqainst the law to take on hIS own de sire what n., should not haw LIken. T'herr+ore. God let h irn fall. and since he had desprse d the quiet. he had tu feel paInfully the r e st le ss.ne s s. l n such restlessness 01 life 311 childre n 01 man st.l] ext cnd t he ir hands. trying 10 gr;lSp their pleasures. 1\n,i c s IS t he ir un de r sta ndinq and WIll. so 15 therr grasping. Some srasp. for rbe good. some grasp Io.: the evil. ~o!1le grasp for the Iruit. some only for the leave s. some lor a branch wit h f r uit s and I e aves on It. 1\nd they dcrrve pleasure from the thongs they have grasped. these poor fools do not know that all rheir pam and labor had c nlv been a St udium porticutare They grasp for pieces. where they could obtain the whole. They seek for quiet a n d cannot r,nd rr : for they look from thc outside into the restlessness of movement. which dwells in the Inner sohtude of the Inner Centro. and though one may grasp more than the other. ir " sllll piece-work. At times there may be one amongst 7 hands coming near the

secret and II grasps the whole stern of the tr e e at that point where all the divided branches retur n to unuv But even this hand is 51011 far from the roots of the tree. only \Jfaspiog and holdrn q the secret from the outs.de and cannot yet see it from the mside For the root of t lus tree is understood only by the eve of wisdom. standm q In the Centro of all spherc s. These roots go from the visible world of mingled good a n d evil, into the sphere 01 the in vrsrble world This eye looks WIth the greatest peace upon the wonders uf all movements and abo looks Ihtough all the other eyes. wandcnng about out srdr of the rest on the unrest. all these eyes which want to see for rhernsclves wit hout the righl eye of WIsdom. from which they have received ;>11 their secmq-powcr This eye can prove <,II spirits. how ontelllgent. pure and acute they be It undcrst.ands the sources of good and evrl , Pia", be lore it IS light and dark ness. II understands lime and eter mt v. VISIble and Invisibie. pr e se nr and future thmqs .• art hl y and heavenly thinqs. things 01 the body and thinqs of the spirit, hiqh and deep. outwar dhne ss and inwar dliness. And nevertheless. none of these things are disturbed by it, for the eye lives In the Centro 01 peace. where everything stands in equality outside of any strife. and whatever it sees it possesses. For In the Centro 01 Its p .. ace IS its kinq ly throne. everything being subject to It. Therefore. dear rnan ' If thou wouldst return to right understanding and righl peace. cease from thy wor ks and Jet God alone work in thee. so that the eye of WIsdom will open in t hrne own self and thou wilt attain a studio petuculeri ad universal. and One find All

I am the Alpha and the Om.ega. the beginning and the end. saith the Lord, God liveth in a Light, since no one can corne to Him.. or near Him.

This ia the Omegs, which hBII caused 80 many many evil days aod restlees nights.

This is the triIliD8 matter over .... hich 60 many hundreds of people moaned

in vain.

You will see in this the eternal nature in its seven opperilions. revealing itself in the centroO o( the eternal bottomless depth since eternity began.

Harmonious Conception of the Light of Nature.

FROM WHICH YOU CAN DEDUCE THE RESTORATION & RENOVATION OF ALL THINGS EMBLEMATIC.

A W

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III .,

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The soul of men everywhere W3:,t lost through a fall. and the health of tlw body suffered I hrou/?h a fall, Salval ion carne to the human soul through IEHOV A, J esus Christ. The bodily heall h is brou::;ht back through a thing not good to look at. It is hidden in this painting, the Ilj .... best treasure in this wurld, in which is the highest medicine and the greatest parts of the riches of nature, given to us by the Lord IEHOVA. It is called Paior Melallorum, well known to the philosopher sitting in front of the mountain-cave, easy to obtain for anybody. But thl' sophists in their sopuistic gorb, lilpping Oil the walls. recognise him not. At the right is to be seen Lepus, representing thc art of chemistry, marvel. lously white, the secrets of which with fire's beat are being explored. To t h(' left Oil!' ('an s~e freely what the r:~ht Clut,is urtis is; one cannot be too subt le with it. like 3. hr n hatrhin~ a chi.k .. 11. In the rmds! 0/ the mountain, hefore the door stands 3. courageous Lion in all i t. pridr·. who-«: rl/,I,I,' blood the monster-dragon is going to shed; throwing him into a deep grayl', out of i r ('"ITW' r"l'lh a l.lack raven. thr-n called l anua arlis, out of that comes Aquila alba. Even t hr- cr y-tul rl'finc'd iu i lre rurna(:(~ will quick l y show you on inspection Sen'lwl [uqilirum, a wonder-child to many art i'il:;~ Thl' one dfed· ing this ;111 is Prlncipium labor is, On the right hand in the barrel arl' SII[ and Lun«, thr: inldli~rnce of the firmament. The Senior plants in it Itad. Rubearn and albam. Now you pr()('c('d wit h cousiuncy and Arbor artis appears to you, with its blossoms it announces now Lapidcm Pbitosophorum (Iver all, t he crown of the glory. ruling over all treasures.

MONS

PHILOSOPHORUM.

Bt oiJigl'nt. peaceful. consrant <1m.! pious, pra) t hnt Cf)O /l);,y h("11' t hr-r-, And if thou ut t ai n. nr-ver fu,!;,et

the poor. Then thou wilt praise Cod with Ih(' I('~iun of the an;:cls, /lOW and forever.

r+ :r '<

.... ....

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Liqht, strength, joy in the lfCiJgrlilf"on of God's !'irlue and hymn oj praise.

Mercy ..

Choice.

Darkness, evi/.doing, [ear in Godlessness, sin and

Corne ye to the Mercy-seat.

Go ya to the pit of Bre.

Hursh .. hard. cold, severe, sharp, sour, inclined to rudeness and earthliness, its desire consists out of these qualities.

Fire Of life. half in darkness. half in light, is the setting alight and the goal of separation.

The being, made out or the forenamed six spiritual qualities. in which they lie bodily and in readiness, 811 in their cofFer.

The Principiurn Qf the fire belongs to the world of the four elements. being an offspring of the first two, and is the third principle.

Wbenever the first three qualities of the first dark Principii gain tbe upper hand. then the others are tied up around their Centro lind oil seven are evil. Then Saturnus stands for avarice, Mer. curius for envy, Mars for wrath. Sol for vanity. Venus for lewdness, J upiter for cunning and Luna for bodily desire, which are the seven evil spirits ruling withio the old human being.

But wben the three in the Principia or light have the upperhand and are born out of the dilrk Centro, lIO that they are in accordance with their innermost depths of light, which is the new birth in man. all seven are good, and then Saturnus stands for compassion, Mercurius for doing good, Mars Cor gentleness, Sol for humility, Venus for chastity, Jupiter for wisdom,. and Luna for Christ's flesh or body.

Hermetic Philosophy.

I attract all those seeking God and the tru th; those alone will find the art. I am the Magnet-Stone of divine love; attracting the iron-hard men on the road to the truth.

PRIMA MATERIA.

I am the moisture which preserves everything in nature and makes it live. I pass froro the upper to the lower planes; I am the heavenly dew and the fat of the land; I am the fi"ry water and ~.he watery tire: nothing may live without me in time; I am dose to all thing$ yea; in and through all things. nevertheless unknown. Nevertheless I only am in the grasp of I he Philosophers.

I unfold and fold up again.

Bringing contentment to the artists. Without me tho" canst do nothing Furthering any of your affairs.

Therefore fear God, pray and work in patience. if you find me your want would cease and you have a merciful God who bdriendeth thee and giveth thee wbat· ever thy heart may desire.

This moisture must be caught, lest it should change into vapor or fume.

The two vapors or fumes are the roots of the art.

The Prima Materia derivea its existence from the Fiat. the Word oC creation. And this Word comes from the Father who is the creator of all things, and the Spirit radiates from both: This is God's life giviug air. Then. too. air brings tu life everything within the elements. The fire lI'arms all things. the water refreshes. delights and saturates all things: And the nitrouB earth. Mother-like, nourishes and lIustaiDB all things; the air was born out of fire, and in [urn makes the fire burn. that it may Jive. but air in the Corm of water is food for the fire, and the fire bums into this r-lement : Water and d .. w of the ground. the greasy fat dew of the ground. the earth 89 keeper of nitrous salt nourishes it. For th .. womb of the earth is the sulphuric nitrous-salt of nature. the one good thing God has created in this visible world.

The same Salt-Motber of the elements is the nitrous, aluminous and spiritual gumosic water, e earth or crystal. wbich has Nature in its womb. a Son of the Sun, and a Daughter of the Moon. It is a Hermaphrodite, born out of the wind. a phoenix living in fire. a pelican, reviving his dear young ones with its blood; the young Icarus. drowned in the water. -hQ8e nurse is the earth. whose Mother is the wind; whose Father it; the fire, the water her caretaker and drink. one stone and no stone. one water and no water, nevertheless a stone of living power and a waler of living might; a sulphur, a mercury. a salt, hidden deep in nature, and lI'hicb no fool has ever known nor seen.

Deus vendit sua dona pro labore.

LIGHT of THEOLOGY.

o Man. know God and thyself: so thou rnayest know what is in Heaven and on Earth.

Without middle. Without r-nd

What God Wa' Ill:r"rr t.he bl'!!illninij in "!no;! y.

Spirit. Gr,J.

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iff VNlflE::J= ~ C"'01)LY ::::::=. ..J!J LXI..,' UKE.

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Spirit. Person.

Spirit.. Worr!.

What man was wilhout beginning.

What man was before the hl'ginning in etr-rnity.

THE BREATMOF (rOD, H'I~ WORD AN\) F,."''' .

THHEE WORLDS INHABIT ONE WOHLD.

The eternal heavenly world.

The great world with all its' creatures.

Coelestia.

GOD FI\ rnrn. ~~\\\\\\\\\l'l/fllllJ/;ill

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"'~ '©.

~ iii THE HI:~ tNLY ~,...

U) ~ ~rNGOO WI"""''''' :§§ 0 ;;:; ~ THE HUM AN BtING. B ::;

::::: ~ LUG·17. JOB.14. ~ Cfl <: ~ IEI'JOB .) J 4 &if 0

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GOD H. GHOST

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\'rj!elaui'ia.

t: n. ad Trin.

Trio. ad Un.

Whal God "'QS in the bpginni:J:;.

Word.

Spirit.

What God is in tim e.

Whal God is after llmr

FATHER.

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.f! ALL 1'1 ~ £it ALL ~ ~ . ~

~ I. C.OR.IS.~

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H. GHOST. I\f AN. SON.

The small world. as Lhe human bring.

SPII\IT

MAN.

DODY.

TIII1EE NATI'I1AL SUNS IN TIlE WOHLD

The small Sun wit hill the

Thr- !lff':!t Sun in h!"a\'~n. Father and ]\fo!h.-r of all creatur .. S. Omnia "lint non Ens, &

Omnia xunt Ens.

\Vhal man was in th .. heglnning.

OUT Of NATURE.

Sulphur. Mllrellr.

,,--------,

THEwA-rnS uPol/ WIi"H THE. SPIRtTOF c:,OO

MOVE!!.

S<JI.

Dust of the ground.

What man i, in lime.

SPIRIT.

7. f/> -"t----+----i 0 r-: r

ROilY

What man is ileter lime.

ROD) and

SPlfHT

NEW CREATl.'nE.

human being.

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COLD.

GHEEN.

The lowest Sun if) the earth.

fIRE.

WATER

i PLANETS.

S~1'URNuS;

7 RANKS.

\lETALS. \..E'-AO.

AZOTH Nomen compositum ex primis & ultimis literis Linguae Hebraicae; Graecae & Latinae.

ADUNUM

POCULUM

PANSOPHliE.

Picture of the Human Heart in the Old and the New Creature.

GOD

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God is I hr".f"I". the Word is thrl'l'folJ and 2 times 3 is 6. pcrt aining to [h(~ innermost ~'IfSOIl J-IHi mcrniugsr ar wilhill I)Uf hcurt , "hid, is Jesus Cllri,', I he one poin r.

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Jesus Christ yesterday. today and in eternity, Wl,o there is and was, ,,'hu there cometh, the beginning and end, Alpha and Omega. in Him is the fullness of the Godhp3d bodiIy. Hallelujah, Gloria in Excelsus Dec. Amen,

Th,. old birth of death ill darkness must be slain through cross and suff"ri nl!. in a widr circle is I he reason captured and through the W"rd. man is b"in~ "':1 Lack into the spirit, into the rebirth, into th .. Ii::h!. ia Christo, where alone there is quiet. peace. eternal life and the kingdom of heaven,

No, Jlere is Christ us born a man accurding to t he flesh of Maria. about this He said in John 6. The flesh pacificth nothing. Here i~ Ihe human birth from Adam. the old Creature, sinful. mort al, does no! come inlo the heavenly kinplolO, man livr-rh ;" dar knr-ss. blmdncss, night and death, in his reason [rom t he power of II .. e stars and the I Ekml'lIt,. out of wlrir h come sickness, out of which arc invented the handling of the art s, higher schools, t'{'d('~iastil',,1 and ,('cula r (,ffir," ond position, so far they are in the heart. Over which rules the authorit y ... hich (;".1 ordered Alt t his is ill vain and mortal, into IlIi, darlm<',5 &\1,1,\,1" Ihe h~ht and the darkness comprchendct h it nol. 1I", .. in !,I'!OIl;; (:l.ri,1 ia ns, Jews, Turks and heat hens. they are alto!:(·t h .... sin. ners and lark thr !:!o"Y l!try ought I" hav .. b<,r,.rl' God; tllc)' arc all ""SO) \'1'(1 in God's wr at h,

No.2. Here Christ us is (;r,nrd in hi, soul.and l('mpt<'<1 by thc de vil, the innermost conscience out of rhe stars is b~inl: Templed by lust of t he C:Y<'S, rler-d vf the Ilcsh and of vanit y, with assurance and despair. H .. re the Holy Scriptures become dead lctt crs, brineing fori" spcls, superstitious and fleshly priests. fearing God's word might be tukr-n away (rom t hem, Jll(',,,,in~ Ihe dead 1.('11",. The authorities wont to fight wilb the sword for rr.ligion. ).illinA Ihe bclir vr-r s. Christ and His apost les. thinking 10 sr-rve God, divine things ere just so mucb foolishnr-vs 10 t hcrn. If ... ·y r a n undcr st and Chrls; only in the n~sh and according (0 (he (rib" of David. they muke divisions, cliqur-e, and sects.

No.3. Here is I"~ ,,",',,ration of Ii:;ht Ir"lII .)",·\'noss, 11, .. dawn comes up. all t cmporulites will be foresakcn, through many sorrow, "e hUH 10 cnt er int o the \'illgdum of God. man is a fool 10 Ihe world, Christ is being crucified in him and hI' in Chrisl. t herefor e he is a cross to the world and the world a cross to him. here stands calmne ss, ",h"~H'r t urnct h t oward the 1;1;'" lives in Christ and Christ in him in lime and eternit y.

No_ 4, Th ... l>ld 1",110 10 ;:0 ,·"I;r,·I)·: for },,,I,,.I,l: r make all things new H(,Tr> is the rr)"irrh by water and spirit.

from On hiph ,IlfUU:;h I!,C wor d of trill h. ,1 new creature horn of God. Christ hath become Ilesh, ressurected in the human brill~, "..-all('n'''1( 11im f""1l) l hr- dracl, ",.u,·;sh;n~ him with hi, fl'al firs), and blood unto life, Chris! is Ihe ", .. rd of the ralllr" III ... b""k of Mr. Ih ... (,,,.'pd. 11,e powr-r ,of GO(\ lit q'''flh belief. and He blesseth. He is ki"~. rulin!,' wit h ,",, sword or the spirit. man bccomr-t h rlivi ru- nature, ha~h his life in heaven with Christ.

No. S. The Holy Ghost is Ih< oint mcnt , t cacher h rnvn innermost Divine Ihin~~; man h~lh hecorne a Irmp!e of God, indwr-lt by 111,· Hoi" Trinity Christ in man, CDr! and mall. Ningill!; "bout It'vt. Chr istus is all m all, the sole One-

o LORD, merciful GOD, open the hUInan heart, to understand Thy secrets through the Holy Ghost.

Who hath weH understood the figure.

Hath understanding. also. of the scriptures. Three worlds hath God created.

In heaven love. on earth mercy.

Wrath in hen and darkness:

This certainly is a picture of :man.

On this earth he only hath to choose Which way to go. the end is to his will.

TABULA

SMARAGDINA

HERMETIS.

VERBA

SECRETORUM

HERMETIS.

It is true. certain. and without falsehood. that whatever is below is like that which is above; and that which is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the one wonderful work. As all thipg8 are derived rrom the One Only Thing. by lhewill and by the word of the One Onl.), One who created it in His Mind. so all things owe tbei.r existence to this Unity by the order of Nature. and can be improved by Adaptation. to that Mind.

Its Father is the Sun; its Mother is the Moon; the Wind carries it in its womb: and its nurse is the Earth. This Thing is the Father of all perfect things in thl' world. Its power is most perrect when it has again been changed into Earth Separate the Earth from the Fire. the subtle from the gross, but cardully and will. @reill judgment and skill.

It ascends Crom earth to heaven, and descends again, new born. to the earth. taking unto itself thereby the power of the Above and the Below. Thus the splendor of the whole world will be thine. and all darkness shall flee from thee.

This is the strongest of all powers, the Force of all forces, Ior it overcorncth all subtl .. things and can penetr at e all that is solid. For thus was the world created. lind rarl' combinations. and wonders of many kinds are wrought.

Hence J am called HERMES THISMEGISTUS, having mastered the three parts of th" wisdom of the whole world. What J have 10 say about the master piece of 1 hI' alchr-m. ical art. the Solar Work. is now ended.

INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION of the TABULA SMARAGDINA HERMEDIS

This picture. plain and insignificant in appearance. Heaven and earth. four elements,

Conccaleth a great and important thing. Fire, light, and water, are therein.

Yea. it conramcth a secret of the kind The two hands do testify with an oath

Th:Jt is the greatest treasure in the world. The right reason and the true knowledge,

for what on this earth is deemed more excellent And from what roots arc derived

Than to be l Lord who ever rcckcth with go' \ All of the metals and many other things.

And hath also a healthy body, Now there remain only the seven words,

Fresh and hale all his life long. Hear further what they mean:

Unt il the predestined time If thou dost now understand this well

Th.1C cannot be overstepped by any creature. This knowledge shall nevermore fail thee.

All thi~, ;IS I have stared, clearly Every word standeth for a city

11 contained within this figure. Each of which hath but one gate.

Three scpar atc shields arc to be seen, 0 The first significth gold, is intentionally yellow.

Aru] on them are eagle, lion, and free star. ) The second for fair white silver.

And painted in their very midst ~ The third, Mcrcllrllls, is likewise grey.

Artfully stands an imperial globe. u The fourth for tin, is heaven-blue.

Heaven and Earth in like manner d The fifth for iron, is blood-red.

Arc also pbcd herein intentionally, '1 The sixth for copper, is true green.

Am! between the hands ourstrct chcd towards each other '1 The seventh for lead. is black as coal.

Are to be seen the symbols of metals. Mark what I mean, understand me well:

And in the CIrcle surrounding the picture In these city gates, indeed,

Seven words are to be found inscribed. Standeth the whole ground of the Art.

Therefore I shall now tell For no one city alone can effect anything,

What each meaneth particularly The others must also be close at hand.

And then indicate without hesitation And 2S soon ;IS the gates are closed

How it is called by I1Jme. One cannot enter any city.

Therein is a secret thing of the Wise And if they had no gates

In which is to be found great power. Not one thing could they. accomplish.

And how to prepare it will also But if these gates are close together

Be described in [he following: A ray of light appeareth from seven colors.

The three shields together indicate Shining very brightly together

S,r!, SI/(pl)llr, and MCTCII,.;III11. Their might is incomparable.

The S"I hath been one Cor pm that Thou canst not find such wonders on earth,

Is the very last one in the Art. Wherefore hearken unto further particulars!

The Sill pbll/, henceforth ;5 the soul Seven letters, and seven words,

Without which the body CJn do nothing. Seven cities, and seven gates,

Mcrcllrills is the spirit of power, Seven times, and seven metals,

Holding together both body and soul, Seven days, and seven ciphers.

Therefore it is oiled a medium Whereby I mean seven herbs

Since whatever is made without it hath no stability. Also seven arts and' seven scones.

For soul and body could not die Therein stands every lasting art.

Should spirit also be with them. Well for him who finderh this.

And soul and spirit could not be If this be too hard for thee to understand

Unless they had a body to dwell 10, Here me again in a few other particulars:

And no power had body or spirit Truly 1 reveal to thee

If the soul did not accompany them. Very clearly and plainly, without hatred or envy.

This is the meaning of the Art: How it is named with one word

The body giveth form and constancy, Vitriol, for him who undersrandeth it.

The soul doth dye and tinge it, If thou wouldst oft figure out

The spirit maketh it fluid and penerrareth it. This Cabbalistic way with all diligence,

And therefore the Art cannot be Seven and fifty in the cipher

In one of these three things alone. Thou findest figured everywhere.

Nor can the greatest secret exist alone: Let not the Work discourage thee.

It must have body, soul. and spirit. Understand me rightly, so shalt thou enjoy it.

And now what is [he fourth, Besides that, note this fully,

From which the three originate, There is a water which doth not make weCo

The same names teach thee From it the metals are produced,

And the sevenfold star 10 the lower shield. It is frozen as hard as ice.

The Lion likewise by its colour and power A moistened dust a fuller wind doth raise,

Showeth its nature and Its property. Wherein are all qualities.

In [he Eagle yellow and white are manifest. If thou dosr not understand this,

Mark my words well, for there is need of care: Then I may not name it for thee otherwise.

The imperial orb doth exhibit Now I will instruct thee

The symbol of this highest good. How it should he prepared.

There are seven ways for this art,

I{ thou neglccrcst any of them thou workest ill vain.

But thou must, before all things else, know Thou hast to succeed in purification.

And although this be twofold, Thou art in need of one alone.

The first work is freely done by it ~'i[hout any other addition, Without distilling something in it, Simply through its putrefication.

From all of its earthliness

Is everything afterwards prepared.

This first way hath two paths,

Happy is he who gocth on the right path.

The first extendeth through the strength of fire.

With and in itself, note this well.

The second exrenderh further

Until one cometh (0 treasure and to gain.

This is done by dissolving,

And again by saturating, I inform you:

This must be undertaken first of all,

So comest thou to the end of the fine art.

After the whole purification hath been completed It will be prepared and boiled in the sun

Or in the warm dung of its time,

Which extendcth itself very far

Until it becometh constant and perfect.

And the treasure of the Wise is in it.

The other ways are very subtle

And many mighty one fail therein,

For here is the purpose of the distillation And the sublimation of the Wise Men.

The separation of the four elements Is also called by the Wisl,' Men Air, water, and rectified fire.

The earth on the ground hath mislead many.

Ha ving been deemed a worthless thing, Although all the power lieth in it.

Some know not how to separate it

From their Cortibus, therefore they fail.

It was cast behind the door,

But the Wise Man taketh it up again, Puritieth it snow-white and clear:

This is the ground. I say in truth.

But if thou dost wish to separate it,

Note that it is of no little importance, For if they are not prepared

Then you are in error, that I swear.

Therefore thou must also have some vinegar Which is revealed to the Wise Men, Wherewith thou wilt effect the separation,

So that nothing earthly remaineth in it any more, Till body and soul have to be separated,

Otherwise called fire and earth

And after they are thus purified,

And thereupon followeth the mixture, observe!

And so it cometh to a wondrous strength, The finished figures with the unfinished.

And if the fire be likewise rightly controlled, It will be entirely perfect

In much less time than a yeu.

Now thou h.l\l t hc cut ire w.iv in irs kngth On which arc not more t han two pat lis,

Fr orn 1 hest' ouc soon wJndl..·n·Lh :llld gOl.'rh asrr.iy, LIst, iL :111 ~t;]ndl.'lh clear Jnd "bin.

The one is t lic water d the \\'1\,,· Men, ~'hich i~ the ,\((rU4A'im alone.

The other IS called .1 \"ineg.lr.

And it is known onl v to .1 vcry few.

And this vinegar doth circle

Away from the plulosopluc.il iron.

It is Lord iln whom it rnakcr h gbd.

Thcrcf ore [her lia v c COIll bi ned so close! y Many hundred funm .md names are given After each h:uh chosen it.

One WJY springeth (rolll the true source,

A few JlJ\"(' worked on it for .1 whole ye.lr.

But many through their a rt and craft Have shortened so long a space of time.

And quickly is the prcp:tratlOll set free As Alchcmv duth pOitH OU[.

The preparation :11011<..'

Makcrh this stone grc;]( and glorious.

Although there is but one mat tcr Ir lackcrh nothrng else,

But when it is clarified

Its name hath misled ma nv.

However, I have revealed enuugh to thee In many ways, fonm, :lIld fashiol\s.

There arc many na rrtcs ; I S:I)

Let not thyself be misled f rom the true way.

In their scriptures the Lldas write That it is a draught, ;1 gn:H poison.

Others call it J snake, J monster.

Which is not costly anywhere.

I t is common to all men

Throughour the world, fa rich and :1lso to poor.

It is the property of the rnct al-,

Through which they conquer victoriously.

The same is a perfection

And sct tcrh a golden crown upon it.

Now the practice is completed

For him whoundcrstandcth it and knoweth rhcmat tcr.

Only two things more arc to be chosen Which thou wile find by IH)W

If thou dost follow the right way And attend carefully to thy work.

The composition is the one

Which the Wise Men kept secret.

The nature of the fire also hath hidden craft; Therefore its order is another.

With that, one should, not deal too much Or else all execution is lost.

One cannot be too subtle with It.

As the hen hatchcth out the chick So also shall it be in the beginning, And time itself will prove it.

For just as the fire is regulated

Will this treasure itself be produced.

Be industrious, constant, peaceful, and pious.

And also ask God for His help:

If thou dost obtain that, then always remember The poor and thei r needs.

AUREUM

SECULUM

REDIVIVUM

That is

The Very Ancient Golden Age Having Passed A way

Which now hath risen agam. blossomed in loveliness. and produced fragrant golden seed.

This precious and noble seed is pointed out and revealed to all true Sapient,,,e and doctrinee filiis by HENRICUS MAOATHANUS. THEOSOPHUS.

Mcdicus and tandem, Dei gr<lha aureae crucis Frater.

Epistle of James. i:5:

If any of you lack wisdom. let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upraideth not: and it shall be gIVen him.

SYMBOLUM AUTHORIS Centrum mundi, 9ranllm [undi.

------------------------- ------~~-----------------

FOREWORD

To the Chri5tian and Worth" Re;;dcr

Kind and God.lovlng Reader. and ~speCially you sap.entrae and doctrrnae filii. some years ago Almighty God opened mme eyes with the enlightenment of His Holy Spirit (from Whom we receive all wisdom and Who was sent unto us through Chris! lrom the Father), because I had prayed fervently. unceasingly, and constantly and had called upon Him many times. So that I beheld the true Centrum in TrJgono centri tke one and true substance of the Noble Philosoph~rs Stone. and although I had It In mine own hands for the length of five years. I did not know how to use it profitably. nghtly. or befittingly. how to extract from it the red lion's blood and the white eaDle's gluten. much less how to mix, enclose. and seal it according to the proportionate weight of Nature. or how to commit it to and proceed with the hidden fire. all of which must be done not without understanding and care. And althouqh I searched in the scrip/is. parabolis and varijs Philosophorum fif/uris with special cate and understanding. and laboured d.t1gently to solve the.r manifold strange aenigmata. which existed In part only In their own minds. I found out reipsa that this was sheer phantasy and nonsense. as also testify the Aurora Philosophofum. They are all foolishness. like all the preeperetiones, even of Geber arid Albertus Magnus. with their purgatlOn~s. su~/imationes. cementationes. distilletiones, rectifiestlOn<,s, circuletiont:s, putrejectiones. coniunctiones. solutiones. ass~/lsiones. coagulationes. c slcmetione s, rncinerationes. mortificanones. revificetiones, de. In like manner are their tripods. Alanthor. reflecting ovens. smelting furnaces, putrescences, horsedunl/. ashes, sand. cupping-glasses, pelican vials, retorts. fixetorrums, etc .. sophistical. Futile, and useless things. Personally. r have In truth to admit this: especiallv since noble Nature. which letteth itself be easily lound in ItS own innate substance. doth not know of any of these thrnqs. There are those who look lor the metetiem lepidis in wrne. in the imperfect body. in blood, in marcasite, in mercury. in sulphur, In urme, in stercorate. in auripiqme nt. and in herbs such as chehdonium. Iunowort, yew. hyssop. etc. Theophrastus. m hIS Secreta Magico de Lsptde Phi/asophorum, Clghtly says of them all this is villainy and thievery. With which they mIslead other peop] e. take their money, spend and waste their lime uselessly and vainly, follow only their own Iool'shead. but who cannot figure out In advance the requirements of Nature. Rather tell me one thrnq : What dost thou tkink of those who burn water in the mines of the Earth, or are there also people therein who enhance thl" value of wine, or burn the urine 01 small children to make metals rherewrth? Or dost thou thmk there- is any apothecary therein who hath for sale any thing with which thou canst make metals' Thou fool. canst thou not understand that thou dost err. that none of these things belong to Nature? Or dOM thou want to be above God. that thou dost want to make metals out of blood) Thou rmqhtest as well try to make, a man out of a horse, or a cow out of a mouse. to give good mil]; m addition, This. too. would be a multsphcatton. but these things do not happen. and as little as they can happen. so little canst thou make metals with the above mentioned recipes. for this is not a Nature-qiven art. And whatever Nature hath made. no art can eflecr: for if a WOman hath ~Jlven birth to a

boy, no art call (h.:mg'" the boy into a girl, whatever means might be employed for that purpos.... After this short discourse. rt should be ~asy for anyone to see how, and III what form. the moterie ben .. dicta should be sought and found. And no one should irnaqme much less be persuad e d by any downs. that he really hath in hiS ha~ds the veram marerram either through the secret revelation of God or through those who claim to b e acquainted With It. and no nne should imagine that he would then be able to disintegrate the said veram meteriam proportionately. to separille the purum sb impuro \0 the highest things. that he knoweth how to purify It and completely understanderh. Nav. my dear analysts. that is by no means 50: therein lies the difficulty. and to such matters belong art and a skilled mind. See me. for example: as you heard from me in the beginning. for five years I was acquainted with th e "eram meteriem lepidis. but all that t,me I did not know how to proceed with it, and not until the sixth year was the key to its power entrusted to me through the secret revelation of Almighty God. And the old Patriarchs. Prophets, and Philosophi have at all times kept this key hidden and secret. lor the Monarcha in loco dicto saith: It would be a great theft. and no longer secret. had they revealed it in their writings. so that every cobbler and tooth-drawer could understand il, and much evil could be done that way which would be against the will 01 the Lord. etc. Now there are many reasons why I should write thiS Tract: some are mentioned here. some in the Epiloqo. and another reason is that I do not want to appear as 11 I would have lor my exclusive use telentum a De-a mihi commissum (a talent intrusted to me by God). So I have written down in this. my Allreo securo rtdi"j"o i Golden Age- R"stored). as much as God and Nature have permitted me. about the gteat seer e t of the Philosophers. as m.ne eyes have witnessed it and mv hands grasped it. and how it was revealed through the mercy 01 God at the nght trme 10 great might and glory: and may the pIOUS and God-lOVing reader take all this in good faith and accept it, examine it skillfully. and be not perturbed if at times there are words mixed up with my sayings which seem to be contrary to the letter. I could not write otherwise per Theoriem ad prextm, because it is forbidden to write more exactly and clearly about this In republica chymicol. But undoubtedly all those who read this Tract In true confidence with the inner eyes of their minds, and are able to look upon it in the right way. to study It diligently. and who pray 1/1 all thinqs inwardly and with all therr heart. will enjoy. as I did. the wondrously sweet philosoph.cal Fruit hidden ther:in. and partake of it. according to God's ,,::"1. An~ then they will be and WIll remain true Brothers of the Golden Cross. and in eternal alliance. chosen members of the Philosophical Community.

Finally. I will be so candid as to disclose my true given and family name 1/1 the lollowinq manner to the intelhgt>nt. worthy. and Christian reader. so that no one will have a right to cry out against me. So now let it be known to everyone that the number of my name is M,QCX!1. in winch number mv full name was inscr rbed 1/1 the book of Nature by 11 dead and 7 hving. Moreover, the letter 5 is the fifth part of the 8. and the J 5 .s again the fifth part of the 12. and let this suffice thee.

Datum in Monte Abitgno. die 25. Marti; Anno 1621

EPIGRAMMA

ad Sapienl;ile and doctrinee {iUD5.

Qllae sivi, inveni: purqavi seepius : etque Conjunxi: matura!);: Tincture secula est Aurea. Naturae centmm quae dicitur : inde

Tot sensus. tot scripta virum. variaeque figurae Omnibus. ingenue [eteor. MEDICINA metellis:

Infirmisque simul: punctum diuinitu s ortum.

HAIlMANNUS O.o.TICHIUS:.

Auth. [emulus.

What I have eagerly desired. I have found: I have purified more oftert. and I heo« united: I hal'e brouglrt to maturity: the resulting Tincture is Colden. which is called the centre of Neture: thence

So many sensations. so many wntin;:s of men. and manifold forms. In all. [ frankly admit. Ihe MEDICINA in metals;

And in the feeble as well the point riscn from heeven.

AUREUM SECULUM

RED I V I U M. (The Colden Age Restored).

Whilst I was meditaunq upon the wonders of the Most High and the secrets of hidden NaIUH' and the fiery and fervent love of the neighbor. I recalled the white harvest where Reuben. the SOn of Leah. had found In the fields and had given the mandrakes Rachel had gotten from Leah for sleeping with [he patriarch Jacob. But my thoughts went vrnuch deeper and led me Iurther to Moses. how he had made a potable of the solarcalf cast by Aaron. dna how he had it burned with fire. ground to powder, strewed it upon the waters. and \lave it to the Children of Israel to drink. And I marvelled most about this prompt and inqcmus destruction which the hand of God had wrought. But alter pondering over rt for SOme rune my eyes were opened. just as happened WIth [he two disciples at Emmaus who knew the Lord in the Breakinq 01 Bread. and my heart burned within me. But r laid down and began to sleep And. 10. in my dream King Solomon appeared 10 me. In all his mIght. wealth. and glory. leading beside him all the women of his harem: [here were threescore queens. and fourscore concubines. and virgins without number. but one was his gentle dove. moot beautiful and dearest 10 his heart. and accordmq 10 Catholic custom she held a maqnificent procession wherein the Ce"trum was highly honored and cherished, and its name was like an out-ointment. the fragrance of which surpassed all spices. And its fiery spirit was a key to open the temple. 10 enter the Holy Place. and to grasp the horns of the altar.

When the procession was ended. Solomon showed unto me the unified Ce"trum in Itriqom centri and opened my understanding to me. and I became aware that behind me stood a nude woman with a bloody wound in her breast. out of which came forth blood and water. but the joints of her thighs were like jewels. the work of the hands of a cunning workman. her navel was like a round goblel. which wanteth not liquor. her belly was like an heap of wheat set about with roses. her two breasts were like two young roses that are twins. her neck was as a lower of ivory. her eyes like the flshpools in Heshbon by the gat~ of Bathrebbim: her nose was as the tower of Lebanon which lookerh towards Damascus. Her head was like Carmel, and [he hair of her head was tied in many folds. like kinq's purple. But her garmenl,. which she threw olf. lay at her Ieet. and were all unsightly, stinking. and poisonous. And she began to speak:

I have put off my coat. how shall ( put it on? I have washed my feet. how shall I defile them? The watchmen that went about the city found me. they smote me. they wounded me. and took away my veil from me. Then was ( stricken With fear and not conscious and fell upon the ground: out Solomon bade me stand up again and s.aid: be not alraid when thou dost see Nature bare. and the most hidden which is beneath heaven and upon the earth. She is beautiful as Trrzah. comely as Jerusalem. terrible as an army with banners. but nevertheless she is [he pure chaste virgin out of whom Adam was made and created. Sealed and hidden is the entrance to her house. for she dwelleth in [he garden and sleepeth in the twofold caves 01 Abraham on the field Ephron, and her palace is the depths of the Red Sea. and in the deep transparent chasms. the air hath gIven her buth and the fire hath brought her up. wherefore she is a queen of the country. milk and honey hath she in her breasts. Yea. her lips are Iike.a dripping honey-comb. honey and milk are under her tongue and the smell of her garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon to the Wise. but an abomination to the igno~ant. And Solomon said further: Rouse thee. look upon all my women and see if you can find her equal. And forthwith the woman had to cast olf her garments and I looked at her. but my mind had lost the power of judgment. and mine eyes were holden. so that 1 did not recognise her.

But as Solomon observed my weakness. he separated his women from this nude woman and said: Thy thoughts are vain and the sun hath burned out thy mind and thy memory is as black as fog. so thou canst not judge aright. so il thou wouldst not Iorfeit thy concern and take advantage of the present opportunity. then can the bloody sweat and snow-white tears of this nude virgin again refresh thee. cleanse thine underseandmq and memory and restore it fuUy. so that thine eyes may perceive the wonders of the Most High. the heigh I of the uppermost. and thou shalt really fathom the foundations of all Nature. the power and operation of all the Elements, and thine understanding will be as fine silver. and thy memory as gold. the colors of all

precious stones will appear before thme eyes and thou wilr know their production. and thou walt know how to separate good from evil. [he goats from the sheep. Thy "II' WIll be very peaceful. but the cymbals of Aaron will awaken thee from sleep and the harp of David. my father. from thy slumber. After Solomon thus spake. I was very much more afr ard. and was e xceedmqlv trrrified. partly because 01 his heartbreaking works. also pa~tly because of the great glamor and splendor 01 the present queenly woman. and Solomon took me bv the h • md and led me through a wine cellar into a secret but very stately hall. where he: refreshed me With flowers and apples. but I[S Windows were made out of transparent crystals and I looked through them. And he said: \Vhat dost thou see) I replied : I can only see from IIlIs hall into the hall I JUs[ left. and on the left sta ndcrh t h v queenlv woman. and On the IIght the nude Virgin, and her eves are redder than wme. her rezth whiter than nulk, bUI her qM~ merits at her Iecr <He more unsiqhtlv. blacker. and more fllthv than the brook 0/ KIdron. From all 01 [hem choose one. said Solomon to be thy beloved. I esteem her and my queen alike and highly. pleased as I am with the loveliness of my wives. 50 little do I care about the abomination of her garments. And as soon as the k'og had thus spoken. he turned around and conversed in a very Inendlv way wrth one 01 his queens. Amongst these was an hundred-year-old stewardess. wirh a qrev cloak. a black cap upon her head. bedecked wih number less snow-whtre pearls and lined WIth red velvet. and embroidered and sewn in an artful manner WIth blue and yellow Silk. and her cloak was adorned WIth divers Turkish colors and Indian /lgures: this old woman beckoned 10 m e secretly and swore unto me an holy oath that she was [he mother of the nude virgin. that she had been born from her body. and Chat she was a chaste. pure and secluded vlfgln. that until now she had not sulftred any man to look upon her. and although she had let herself be used everywhere amonq Ihe many people 01'1 the streets. no one had ever seen her naked before now. and no one had touched her. for she was the vir qin of whom the Prophet said: Behold. we have a son born unto us 10 secret. who is transformed beside others; behold. the Vlrg.n had brought Iorth. such a virgm as is called Apdoross<J. meamng secretly. she who cannot suffer others. But while this her dauqhtcr W3S as yet unwed. she had her marrtaqc-pornon lvm q under her Ieet, because of the present danger 01 the war. so that she would be robbed 01 I[ by some roving soldiery and denuded of her stately t re asure. However I should not be. frightened because 01 her disgusting garments. but choose her daughter before all others [or the dehght 01 my love and hfe, Then she would give and reveal to me a lye [0 dean her garments. and then ( would obtain a liquid salt and non-combustible oil for my house-keeping. and an immeasurable treasure. and her raght hand would <always caress me and her left hand would be under my head. And as 1 [hen wanted 10 declare myseJl caregorlcally upon this matter. Solomon turned around aqa.n. looked upon me. and said: I am [he wisest man on earth. beautiful and pleasmq are my wives and the glamor 01 my queens surpasserh the gold of Ophir: [he adornments 01 my concubines overshadow the rays of the sun. and [he beautv of my virgins surpasseth the rays 01 the moon. and as heavenly as are my women. my WIsdom is unfathomable and my knowledgeIS inexplicable. Whereupon I answered and. half afraid, I bowed:

La. I have found grace in thine eves. and svnce I am poor. 9"'e me this nude VIrgin. I choose her amongst all others lor [he duration of my life. and though her garments are filthy and lorn. I will dean them and love her with all mrne hearl and she shall be my sister. my bride. because she hath ravished mine heart with one of her eyes, with one chain of her neck. When I had thus spoken, Solomon gave her unto me. and there was a great commotion in the hall of his women. so that I was awakened by it. and I knew not what had happened to me. nevertheless I believed it to be but a dream and I thought many subtle thoughts about my dream unnl the morning. But after I had arisen and said my prayers. Lo! I saw the garments of the nude vi!!:!,n befo.re my bed. but nO.lrace of her. And I began to be gre~tly afraid and all my hall' stood upright upon my head and mv whole body was bathed in cold sweat; but I took heart. recalling my dream, and thought about it again III the fear of the Lord. But my thoughts did not explain It. and (or this reason I dared not [0 scrutinize the garments. much less to recoqmze anything in them. I then changed my sleeping-chamber and I left Ih~ garments in it for some length of lime ex mua tamen IgnorantIa. in the belief that If I were to touch them or turn them over something peculiar would happen to me. but in my sleep the smell of the garments had poisoned and inflamed me Violently. so that mine eyes could not see the time of mercy. and never

could mine heart recognise the gftat wisdom of Solomon.

After the above-mentioned garments had Jain for five years in my sleepinq-chamber and I knew not what they were good for. I finally thought to burn them. in order to clean up the place. And then I s~nt the whole day going around with such thoughts. But the nut night there appeared to me m my dream the hundred-year-old woman and she srake harshly to me: thus; Thou ungrateful man: for five years have entrusted to thee my daughter's garments; among them are her most precious jewels, and dunng all thai time thou hast neither cleaned them nor thrown out of them the moths and worms. and now. finally. thou dost want to burn these clothes. and is it not enough that thou art the reason for the death and perishing of my dauqhrer? Whi"reupon 1 became hot-headed and answered her:

How shall I understand thee. that thou wouldst make a murderer of me' For five years mine eyes have not beheld thy daughter. and not the least did I hear of her. how then can I be the cause of her death? But she would not let me finish. and said: II is all true. but thou hast sinned against God. therefore thou couldst not obtain my daughter. nor the philosophical Iixivium I promised thee for washing and cleaning her garments: for in the beginning. when Solomon willingly gave thee my daughter. and when thou didst abhor her garments. that made furious the Planet Saturn. who is her grandfather. and full of wrath was he that he transformed her again into what she had been before her birth; and since you infunated Saturnus through thine ahhorrinq. thou didst cause her death. putrefaction. lind her final destruction. for she is the one of whom S e nior saith: Ah. woe! to bring a nude woman unto me. when my first body was not good to look upon. and I had never been mother until I was born again. then I brought forth the power of all rOOlS of herbs. and in nnne innermost bernq I was victorious. Such and simi1ar heart-breakmg words were very strange to me. but nevertheless I withheld mine indignation as much as \\'"S humanly possible for me. at the same time protesting solemnirer againSl: her sayings: that I knew nothing at all about her daughter. much less about her death and putrefaction. and although I kept her garments for five years in my sleeping-chamber. I did not know them for my great blindness nor ever discovered their use. and therefore I was Innocent before God and all others. Thrs. my rrqhteous and well-founded excuse. must have pleased the old woman not a httle, for she looked at me and said: I feel and observe From thy righteous mind. that thou art innocent. and thine innocence shall be rewarded well and plentifully. therefore I Will reveal to thee secretly and out of my good heart. namely that my daughter. out of special love and affection towards thee. hath left thee a gray marbled casket as an mheru ance amongst her garments. which IS covered with a rough black. dirty case (and meanwhile she gave me a glass 'lilled WIth lye. and conunued speaking). this same little casket thou sh.d! clean from lIs stench and drrt which it hath rece ived from rhe garments. Thou hilsl no need of a key. but 11 will open itself. and t hou wilt Iind two thIngs therein: a white silver box. filled With m"g"dkcnt ground~lead and polished diamonds. and another golden work of art. adorned With costly solar rubies: and this is the treasure and enure legacy of my deceased daughter which she left for thee to inherit before her transformation. If thou wilt only transfer this treasure and purify it most highly and silently and lock II up WIth great patience in a warm, hidden. steamy. transparent and moist cellar. and protect It from [ree zIng. hail. quick lightning. hot thunder. and other outward destruction till the wheat harvest. then thou wrlt first perceive the enure glory of thine inhenrance and take part of it. Meanwhile I awoke for a second time and called upon God. full of fear. praymg that He would open mme understanding that I miqht seek for the casket which was promised me in my dream. And after my prayer was ended [ sought with greatest diligence in the garments and found the casket. but the casing " .. as tight around II and seemed grown onto It by nature. so that I was not able to take it off ; then I could not clean .t with any lye: nor split it WIth iron. steel. or any other metal I left it alone once more and did not know what to do WIth it. and held It to be wrtchcraft. thinkmg of the prophet's saymq : For though thou wash thee with lye. and take thee much soap. yet thine iniquity is marked before me. saith the Lord God.

And alter a year had passed again and I did not know. after speculannq and industriously deliberating. how to remove the casing. I finally went to walk in the garden 10 rid myself of the melancholy thoughts. and after long promenading. I sat down on a flinty stone and fell into a deep sleep. I slept. but my heart was awake: there appeared unto me the hundredyear-old stewardess and said: Hast thou received my daughter's mheritance? In a sad voice I answered no. though I found the casket. but alone it is snll impossible for me to separate the casing therefrom, and the lye thou hast given me WIll not work on the casing. After this simple speech the old woman smiled and said: Dost thou want to eat shells and shellfish with (he shells? Do they not have to be brought forth and prepared by the very old planet and cook Vulcan? I told thee to clean the gray casket thoroughly with the lye given thee. and which proceeded wholly from 11. and was not refined from the outer rough casing. This thou hast especiallv to burn in the fire of the philosophers. then everything will turn out for tht best. And thereupon she gave me several glowing coals wrapped up in white light taffeta and instructed me further and pointed out that I should make

therefrom II philosophical and quite artful fire and burn the casing. then I would soon Snd the gray casket. And. presently every hour a north and south wind rose. both sweepwg at the same: time through the garden. whereupon I awoke. rubbed the sleep out of mine eyes. and noticed that the glOWing ~oals wrapped in white taffeta lay at my feet; with haste and JOY I grasped them. prayed diligently. called upon God. studied and labored day and ruqht. and thought meanwhile of the great an.d exc.ellent sayings of the Philosophers. who say: Ignis et azoth tibi $ufflclUnt. About this Esdras saith in his fourth book: And he gave unto me a full cup which was full of nre. and his form was as of fire. and when I had drunk of it. my heart uttered understanding. and Wisdom grew in my breast. for my spirit retained its memory: and my mouth was opened. and shut no more. The Most High gave understanding unto the five men, and they wrote by course the things that were told them. in characters wh.ch they knew not. So in forty days were written 204 books. 70 for the wisest alone. who were truly.worthy of it. and all were wrrtten on boxwood. And then f proceeded in silentio et spe, as the old woman had revealed to me in my dream until. according to Solomon's prediction. alter a long time my knowledge became silver and my memory became golden. But according to the instructions and teaching of the old stewardess. I enclosed and locked up III a proper and quite artistic manner the treasure of her daughter. namely: the splendid and brilliant lunar diamonds and the solar rubies. both of which came lorth and were found from the casket and the landscape. r he a rd the vOICe of Solomon who said: My beloved is white and ruddy. the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold. his locks are bushy. and black as a raven His e yes are as thl' eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and !ltly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices. as sweet flowers: his lips are like roses. dropp:ng sweet smelhng myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set With the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble. set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance IS as Lebanon. excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea. he IS altogether lovely. This is my beloved. and this is my friend. 0 daughters of Jerusalem. Therefore shalt thou hold hi-n. and not let him go. until thou bringest him into his mother's house. and into his mothers chamber. And when Solomon had spoken these words r knew not how to answer him. and I became silent. but I wanted nevertheless to open up again the locked-up treasure. with which I might remain unmolested. Then I heard another voice: I charge you. 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem. by ehe roes. and by the hinds of the field. that ye stir not up, nor awake my love. till she please. for she is a garden inclosed. a spring shut up. a fountain sealed. the Vineyard at Baal-harnon. the vineyard at Engeddi. the garden of fruits and sprees. the mountain of myrrh. the hill of Irankmcense , the bed. the htter, the crown. the palm-tree and apple-tree. the flower of Sharon, the sapphire. the turquoise. the wall. lower. and rampart. the garden of joy, the well in the garden. the spring or hvinq water, the kmqs daughter. and the love of Solomon in his concupiscence: she is the dearest 10 her mother. and the chosen of her morher. but her head IS filled with dew. and her locks with the drops of the night.

Through this discourse and reve lanon I was so far informed that I knew the purpose of the W,se and did nOI touch the locked treasure until through God's mercy. the workmq of noble Nature. and the work of mine own hands. the work was happily completed

Shortly after this time, just on the day of the month when th e moon was new. there occurred an eclipse of the sun. showing itself in all its terrifying power. in the beginntng dark green and some mixed colors. unnl it finally became coal-black. darkened heaven and earth. and many people were much afraid. but J rejoiced. thinking of God's great mercy. and the new birth, as Chris! H,mself pointed out to us. that a grain of wheal must be cast into the ground. that It mav not rot therein else It bnnqerh lorth no l r urt . And then it happened that the darkness was covered \\ ith clouds. and the sun began 10 shine rhrouqh. yet at the same trme three parts of it were strll he avilv oar kened: and 10. an arm broke throuqh the clouds. and my body trembled because of It, and it held in Its hand a letter with four seals h,~ngll1g down from it. on which stood written: I am black. but comely. o ve daughters of Jerusalem. as the tents of Kedar. as the curtains of Solomon: Look not upon me. because I am black. because the sun hath looked upon me, etc. But as soon as the fixllm acted in the humidum. a rainbow spanned itsell and I thought of the covenant of the Most HIgh. and of the fidelity of mv Ductoris. and of what I had learned, and 10. with the help of the planet and the fived stars. the sun overcame the darkness. and over every mount a in and vaJley there came a lovely and bright day; then all fear and terror had an end. and evcrvrhinq beheld this day and rejoiced. praised the Lord. and sard : The winter IS past. the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth: the time of the Singing of birds is come. and the vOICe of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putterh forth her green figs. and the vines with the lender grilpe gIve a good smell. Therefore let us make haste to take the faxes. rhe httle Ioxes that spoil the vmes, thai we may gather the grapes III time and with them make and drink wine. and be fed at the right time wJ!h milk and honey-comb: that we may eat and be filled. And after the day was done and the evening fell. the whole heaven

9rew pale, and the seven stars rose with yellow rays and pursued their natural courses through the night, until III the rnorrnnq they were overshadowed by the break 109 of the sun's fed dawn. And behold. the Wise who dwelt in the land arose from their slumber. looked heavenward, Jnd said : Who is she that looketh forth as the morning. fair as the moon, clear as the sun. and there is no spot in her. for her ardor is fiery and not unlike a flame of the Lcrd: so that no water m:JY extinguish the love, nor any rrver drown it; therefore we wI/I not leave her. for she is our sister. and though she is yet little, and hath no breasts, we will brmg he r again into her mothers house. into a shining hall. where she hath been before. to suck her mothers breasts Then she will come forth like a tower of DaVId. bUlit with ramparts whereon hang a thousand shields. and many arms 01 the mighty men: and as she went forth the daughter pr aiscd her openly, and the queens and the concubines spake well of her but I fell upon my face. thanked God. and praised HIS Holy Name

EPILOGUS

And thus IS brought to a close. yc belove-d and true Sepientiee et doctrinee filii. in all its power and Its glory, the great secret of the Wise, and the revelation of the Spirit. about which the Prince and Monarch Thcoph. in Apoca!ypsi Hermetis saith : It is a single N'umen, it divine. wondrous. and holy office. while it mcloseth th .. whole world WIthin it. and wil] become true with all e be, and truly overcomesh the elements and the five substances. Eye hath not seen. nor hath ear heard, neither have entered the heart 01 any man, how the heaven hath naturally embodied to truth of this Spirit. in It the truth doth stand alone, therefore it is called; the voice of truth. To this POWt[ Adam and the other parrrarchs. Abraham. Isaac. and Jacob. owed their bodily health. their long life. and findlly prospered in great wealth thereby. With the aid of this Spinto the Philosophi founded the seven free arts, and acquired their wealth therewith. With it Noah built the Ark. Moses the Tabernacle, and Solomon the Temple and through tllis provided the golden vessels from pure 90ld in the T e mple, and lor the \!Iory of God. Solomon also wrought with it many fine works and did other great deeds. With it Esdras again established the Commandment: and with it Miriam. the sister of Moses. was hospitable. And this Spin! was much used and very common amongst the proph e ts of the Old Testament. Likewise It is a medicine and a curt for all things. and the final revelation. the final and highest secret of

Nature, It is the Spirit of the Lord which hath filled the sphere of the earthly kingdom. and moved upon the fac? of the waters in the beginnmg. The world could neither understcnd nor grasp it without the secret graCIous mspirauon of the Holy Ghost. or Without secret teaching. For the whole world loncerh Ior it because 01 Its great powers. which cannot be appreciated enough by men. and for which the samts have sought from th e creation of the world, and have fervently desired to see. For this Spint gorth into the seven planets. raiserh the clouds, and dispellerh the mists. giveth light to all thmqs. transformeth everything .uro gold and Silver. giveth health and abundance. treasures. cleanscth leprosy, cureth dropsy and gout, cleareth the face, prolonqcra hIe, strenqtheneth the sorrowful, he alcth the sick and all the afflicted. yea, it is a secret of all secrets. one secret thing of all secret thmqs, and heahng and rnedrcrnc for all things.

Likewise II is and rcm"m~th unl.u hornablc in nature. and endless power and an inv.noble might and glory. that IS a passionate cravmg for knowledge. and a lovely thlnfl 01 all things which are beneath the CIrcle of the moon. with which Nature IS made strong. and the heart wiln "II members is renewed. and kept in blossominq youth, age IS driven away weakness destroyed, and the entire world refreshed

Likewise this SpllIt IS " spmt chosen above all other heavenly thinqs or Spirits. which qivct h health. luck joy. pearl". love. ex pellinq altogethcr ,,/1 evr]. dc,troymg poverty and miscr v, and also causinq that one can neither talk nor think eVIL it giveth to men what rhev desire frem the depths 01 (heir hearts. worldly honor and long hie to the godly. but eternal punishment to the evil-doer s. who put It to Improper use.

To the Most High. Almighty God who hath created this art and who hath also been pleased to reveal this knowledge unto me, a miserable, smlu! man. through a promise and true vow. to Him be given praise. honor. glory, and thanks. With .. n entirely humble and fervent prayer that He Will direct my heart, mind. and senses through HIS Holv Ghost. so governing that I talk to no one about this secret. much less communicate it to some one who doth not fear God. nor leveal it to any other creature. lest I break my vow and oath, and break the heavenly seals, and thus become a perjured Brother A,rrae Crucis. and utterly offend the DiVIDe Majesty. and thereby commit and perpetrate knowIngly an unpardonable mIghty sin against the Holy Ghost. Wherefore may God the Father. Son. and Holy Ghost. the Most Ble~sed Tnmry. mercifully preserve and protect m'! constantly. Amen. Amen. Amen.

FINIS.

A Speech of an unknown Philosophi. dedicat.d to the fraternity (R. C.) :being

A abort dgcourse or brief ezarnple of the holy Philosophiae and moat high rnedicine.

The Most Holy Trinity or Lord God Jehovah

bath made everytbing out of nothing,

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters or Chaos:

Tht. heing the primum HYLE of the philosophers, or the water out of which everything was created:

Firmament, Mineralia, Vegetabilia. Anima1ia:

The Great World. out of its Center and Quintessence.

The Small World.

a. the Creator's most perfect creature, narnel)'

The Human-Being, an image of the Most High God.

The immortal Soul: a heavenly invisible fire.

He has Apostatised: but behold: there is the MESSIAH!

The light of Mercy and of Nature.

LILI; the first matter of the perfect body.

The Mother, giving birth to the middle-world.

Balsam and Mummy.

And the incomparable magical lode stone in the sITlall world.

The philo!lOpher's water from which proceedeth all things, in which are all things. ",I,id. t:"'·~r'" all thillf{s rn which one I'TrS and in which one is also lead toward betterment.

A sane mind in a sane body.

Unceasing prayer, Patience and waiting.

Matt('r. container, furnace. fire. boiling. is one and only one thing. Alone in one, and the itself one alone. beginning, middle and end

It does not let any foreign thing come near. is being made without foreill" matter. For S('('. in the Mercurio is everything for which the philosophers seek

The

Small Crystal Clear Th. twofold Mercurius.

... spin of the sphere and all planets.

And a substance t hat in an instant is black-smokint/ [rum a

GLEAMING

Fountain.

Death and Life_ The rebirth and renewal.

Beginning, middle and end of the fixation or !>taLilit)'. and the main Iou ndat ion of tl ... entire magical secret

Tall. the Quintessence of the Macro and Microcosmi. or Philosophical Mercuril, Tho in\ isible heavvnl y living fire.

The salt of I he metals ana q, s.

M.ll. out of it. accordinq to the philosophical art of a Magi. through rotating, dissolving, coagulating and figuring

The Highest Medicine in which

Th. great •• t wisdom. most perfect health and sufficient wealth.

All rrom one. and all to one.

Lying and bragging belongs into hell.

Enough is said.

PI.in and honeat, eliminating all .vil, which. is a hindering of the Pathmoa.

It shall come to pass, according to JEHOVA'S will.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE

Leg •.

Juclica.

Tac •.

Perceive yet how strangely the Lord leaveth His Saints. P.alm 4.

Sineeeverything l.ft to u. in the Holy Scriptures was intended for our study, ~search and ~emembranc., 80 that we humans may fully underatand our great incomprehensIble God and his noble creation, all creatures, and that We might know ourselves best of all. and aince the wondrous ciphers Three, Four and Seven are mentioned olten in the Holy Bible, these having hidden, undoubtedly.

a ore at secret.

Act. 14. ~. 17. Cap. 17.11.27.28.

Ps.104.148.1~O.

Therefore I ask in all simplicity and out of a pure heart. what do these numbera convey to us in the light of Nature and in the light of Mercy.

About the Cipher Three.

Firstly, what the three di££erent days signify, Gen. S, in which Noah let fly out of hi. ark the raven and alter three time. seven days the dove.

Secondly, what the very first sacrifice signified. which the Lord God Himself commanded Abraham to give him, about which we read in Gen. 15.

And thus the Lord God spoke unto me

The Divine Theological Mercy.Light,

testifies about the Natural Philosophical Light,

the spiritual

the Root oC all Metal •.

Malach.

Bring me aDd h] hrought. lIa

an heifer Sun {or 3 years old 8 she goal Tri --D--D 8 falD

the ROOl of Jesse,

And a turtle dove and a ),oung pigeon. ::. Eagles Gluten.

ADd he took unLo him all LIlt3e and divided them in the midst ~ Solutio Philosoph.

But Lhe bi~ds divided be not. ~ :. '" :. Sophist, SeparaLio.

And when the rowl~ came down upon the carcass Abram drove them IIwlly. Caput. Mortum.

Hermetis Bird ~eals of the dead CaJ'1:1ISIl also and f)ie~ 11"11)' with it. is finally captured by the Philosopbo, IItrangled lind killed.

Thirdly, what signifies the strange holy (ire had been, which feU down from hea\1en, llindling and consuming the aacrifices on the altar. Lev. 9. and 2 Chron. 1. This fire the priesb took with them when they were led away into the Babylonian captivity, and they were commanded by the Prophet Nehemiah, also called Jeremiah, to hide the holy fire in a cave, until they again returned home; and then have the priests look (or it; but instead of the fire, they found a dense water, but as soon as they poured it over the wood and sacrifice it was ignited by the Sun and the sacrifice and the wood were devoured by the water and the fire. Read 2 Maccab. I. v. 19.20. concerning this and where to find and to obtain today the same fire and water, which is the Prima Materia or Spiritus Mundi in which the gold is consumed and arise. again to new life after the Putrefaction.

Fourthly, what signify the three great wonder-births in the Old and New Testaments, occurring over and again in the course of nature: announced and proclaimed by the Lord God Himself and subsequently by His angels. Firstly the birth of Isaac. Gen. 15. 18. & 21. Then of Samson, Judges 13. After this of John the Baptist, Luke 1. and lastly the most wondrous birth of our Saviour and redeemer Jesus Christ, the Virgin's Son, surpassing by far th .. other three, Mathew & Luke 1.

Fifthly, what signify and indicate the three parts of the human being, as l. Spirit 2. Soul 3. Body, about which. the Holy Apostle Paul writes in 1 Thea. 5., in the light of Nature and light of Mercy.

And this is something about the Wondrous Cipher.

ABOUT THE WONDROUS CIPHER FOUR. Va. Va. Vae
Li9ht of Nature. to you Sophists.
4 Elementa. 3 Beginnings. 2 Seeds. I Fruit .
4. Fire AI Sulphur .... ~I Male Natural becomes.I
3. Air .&2. : 11h. 1)
~. ()
Salt ".t" 9.1. Spermag.Sem.z. Tincture
'.
2.. Water \73 1.
...... ~ .1 vv *
1. Earth ~+. Mercury Female ]) Supernatural 2..
about God Nature Metals the Art.
God Father Son Holy Ghost Christian 5
Light of Mercy. G. P. w. M. Ouinta Essentia. Who rilhUy understands this I.&ble,

Can lee how one ori,inate8 from the other. Fint aI! lie hidden in the fourth ciph .. r The E1e",enla everywhere.

Out of theee ori,inatc the three l>e&inni"CI,

The fume will rise over you from eterni ty to

Producing the two "".ea. eternity and will b.

Male and remale, from the Sun and Moon, your torment.

The imperial Son gro ... out of this:

Unequaled in thi. world, Surpaai"l all k.inrdoma.

Firatly, why the Lord God has given three tim .. 40 yeai'll reapite and tim. for repentance. to the 8rst world. aen.6.

Furth.rmo.... from the Old and the N.w Testainent:

.0 Day. and nights it rained when the flood came upon

the earth.

40 Days arter the flood subsided, Noah opened hi. Ark. 4.0 Days and nights Moses 1Jas upon Mount Sinai.

40 Years the children of 'Israel wandered in the wilder.

DflIIL

40 Day. and ni,hts Elijah CaMted in the wiJderneM. 40 Days Nineveh had for repentance,

40 Weeks it took Cor Christ and all humans to be rormed iD their mother's 1Jomh.

60 Months the Lord preached upon the earth and

WlOUiht miraclea.

40 Days aDd nights Christ fasted in the wilderness. 40 Hours the Lord Christ lay in his tomb.

40 Days after His Resurrection He was 011 earth.

40 Yean aCter His ResaurrecLion and Ascension Jerusalem W81 destroyed.

Summa 3 tim.. 4 time. 40 Ie the HCNt int.rpretation.

T. ~ d\lplical\ll

....................... 3S ····· .... · .. ·········JO .................... .lO

·· .. ········&&·····3

Subsequent work.

Morlifica1io ~ Puil'tJoctio f . ~. ------------&luiio .2.

I "; •. Animalio J.

·----------PunJactio 4.

PerJectio seu Fizaiio 5.

f.. fl·

Pr..limiDary work.

1. MOrliJicolio I Pu.tnfactiot. &lulio------------

J. Animatio----- - -- _

4. PunfacliD----------

5. Combintdio: ",I,t. ,eu ,duplicalUl.

· .. ··················ro

................... ................... +

The Philosophical Furnace.

The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to its Saints: to whom God would mak. known what is the riches of the glory of this myateryamong the Gentiles; which is Christ in you. CoL Lv, 27. This is the revelation and the true and right knowledge of J.sus Christ. God and Man. all heavenly and earthly

wisdom in heaven and. on earth.

G.P.W. ¢ F.S.H.G.

O.M.

I.C.

Wbd else doth thou ", .. nt, 0 Man! in thiB world, When YOIl have Christ. the twolold hero.

True God and mortal ;0 one penon.

He ha! h done ellryugh lor you,

Defv the devil .. nd the world,

If it doth not hold \0 J .. "" Chr;'t.

Divint' Cabalistic Signal-Slat Tht~srlJt'n

,jGOO', $sp,," IHESVS ADO N Al

1 E H 0 VA

t ~ 0 ~ , ;)

6b\J9-

Oracr be with .. II and tb. love our Lord

.lesus Christ unceasingly. F.ph"". 6.

ETERNITY ~ GOD.

Eternity becomes Nature & Time, And this is the life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom

thou hast 17.

"l1fcf¢0~~ ])

Materia prima becomes

Materia ultima.

Hold rut to Him and despair not. In all n""ds He ",ill be near you,

T ..... l t"a~ He is "n the heavoDly throne, God'. Son to~.thcr with Loth nstu ..... ,

J es us Christ tod .. y and yesterday,

And the aame in all eterllity_

Natural Philosophical Signal-Slar,

r~$~~'

o

M~ta[ 9 ) ~ SPlrltll

KRISTVS TINCTVR 't.t4d"O¥;'.J

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

CHAOS.

000

(j

~

Principia,

For I determined not to know anything, save Jr.us Christ and Him crUCIfied. I Cor. 2

NATURAL ~ NATURE.

That which Willi from the beginning, which we ha.V8 beard, and seen with our o .. n eyer,

VERBUM I ncarnat-um.

t

t EB t

In the lI es h d we n.th the lulnea. of 'he Godhead bcKiily.

LUX

Fiat Corpus. NB.

4.nd the Ioght w ... manif ... ted to WI and ...., h.~ Been tt and bear wunese and Bhe1ll' unto 10'1.1 that et.mallife.

Aleo know. it i. fu better to " .. vp the land Chriel than to poMeM an know1eds<:. Ep. 3.

A

o

Slay the old Adam with bis evil desires.

that which we have looked upon and our own handa bave handled of the .. ord or lile. I John I

Tinclur.

o ~~g

6*"\1 C A 0 S 1. 2. 3 .. 4.

2 Corp. 2 Spinto

Water becomes Stone. NB.

Nee non primarum M."criarum, ie. 'P'rineiPlum omn.ium rerum~ sive Tineturse La~idi. Philosoph.

And ir any man love not d,e Lord 1 ..... Ch,,"t, let him be Anatema. ! Cor. 16.

Heaven

I.G.

thy place by God and Nalure.

O.C.

Divin.Cabala ~ Quint E..nlia

WVP

M

Hell

Slay the 1. 2. 3. 4. Elements with their evil vapours,

IP ..c ....

E£O:H;j:M; :JEJoCOJJJ'CJ£ GOD WORD

According to

911 Nature consists

Fiat Natura Primum Mobile.

Prima Materia.

Quinta Essentia.

Quatu.or Elementa.

Lapis Philosophorum.

Fire.

Philosophy

of sixteen Elements.

hoL

dry

Firmament & Element.

Pater & Mater, Children.

Macrocosmus. Microcosmus.

Animalia.

V f'get ahili a & Tcrrestrio.

Mineralia & Met.alla.

Sulpur, Mercurius & Sal.

God

is all in all.

',JelVM. ·V!UIAl.{°lY "lozy

'etvo!pvH UInp~UInH ·lJorJ.:H

·s.leleM lJo\{l )0 eovJ eql uodn pahoUl r=o JO l!.I!dS e\.(,L

Ignis Philosophorum

invisibilis & secretissirnus occultatum.

Strive Cor the fire. Seek the tire:

So thou wilt find the fire, Light a iin' ,

Put fire to fire.

Boil fire in fire,

Throw body. soul, spirit into fire:

So ebalt thou get dead and living fire,

Out of which will come black. yelloW, white and red 61'1'. Bear tby children in fire,

Feed. give them to drink, nourish them in fire:

So will they live and die in fire, And be fire and slay in fire,

Their silver and gold will become fire. Heaven and earth will perish in fire And become finaily a philosophic fire.

Ignis. Q. E. Coelest, Four times Iour equals X VI lines. so many are therf' of the ELEMENTS.

Aqua Philosophorum h. 8.

Mercurius Primaterialis Catholicus.

Water is water and wit( be water;

From the heaven of tile philosophers waLer rains; The philosophers stone cries tear-water,

But the world does not regard such water.

Its fire burns in the water

And lives in the water.

Out of fire make water,

And boil the fire in water:

You will have a fiery waler, Like a sharp salten ocean water. To children it is a living water,

But consume soul and body to water.

Becomes stinking, green. rotten, blue like heaven water, Digest. calcinate, dissol ve and putrefy the water;

Seek the philosopher's fourfold eternal water

And if done well. the art becomes water.

Aqua Q_ E. Secreta.

Four times four equals XVI lines. so many are there or the ELEMENTS.

FIGURA CABALISTICA

Th. right R ... on. for the Wondrou. NUlnber of God,

Ho 2D 30 40 E C OUtJ:hC.

~&CC

~j~\~

o ARCANAARCANORUM.

The ODe aDd Elernlll God renal. Him~elr in the Holy Trinity.

There Ille three

tbat bear record in HeRY~n 1£ the F. W. HG.

There are three

tbat bear .itoNi io Earth the S. W. S.

C

and these three agree in one. Jchn, 5. v. 7. 8.

Aft.r Eternity Heavenly and .after Time Creaturally, Naturally.

Tbat ill

In Heaven and on Earth

the determined Rosy·CroM U\ apPllTent to ou.r eyes. and ibe secret W

ETERNAL DIVINE HEA VENL Y

",hich tbe .odd call. ",hiu:

of all 8eCJ'eU in Heaven and On Earth.

NAT{JRALLY TIMELY

The 7 Hoavellly N.l_ :L '" their ch .... <:IeriaLi" ••

The 7 r...-thly N.t ...... A tb~jr dut.tt~rutiu.

¢

1E. T

.,

Tiru:tu.r

An .,lerDAI a1mia:hty God.

TiDel", A....an artbly IllicbLl G9d.

Ace. to the eternal divine Li,bl. A.". to the h •• ftIlIy J.i,bt A.,.. to the natural Lia:ht .I:

A . .n.. Theosophie, ud corllerotolle G. ok M. I.e. 8t<o~ 01 the w ... PbilolQpia.

Myster. Mag. Theologia. My.ter. Ma,.

A.e. to the divine C.baI... At<. to M";. PJt.iloMJpbia.

1. 2. II. E"p ..... tio .. of .bito Holy Fi", •• a<cordOn, to ,h. Alpha and 0 ..... _.

{Spirit. Penon. Word. 3 Elerll&1 .piritual wvenIy Peroono ... on. bei",

0"" G9d '.,b er. & ..... Holy Gh .. t. 3 be.Yo",. 'I Ij"",ly po....... in 0'" wi"C

God. Cbriat. M.D. J ~.vf:JJly aDd :$ ear'h1y 1' ..... "" ill I. C. tho 0"'"' b u m ....

1. 2. J. ...110 bAtb Idored and died for &II....... I Tim. 2. Atl. 3. 20. I Cor 2 Col 2. J ...... H.

The one and three eternal God i. a likeness of th .. entire Nature in aU hi. works lind crt. lure •• iu

Vegetabilibul

Animalibus

MineraJibus.

n~~ 4

o Secret above all Secrets.

4-nt WM truly r~cogllim Jm.UTI Christum hoth U>fll cmp/oyftJ Itis ti~. S

The seceet wondrout number. i.e .• I. 2. 3. 4 .. the true RosymCross and the revelation and true kno",ledre of Jelus Chriat, God and man. that ill all heavenly and earthly 'Wisdom in heaven and on earth. NB. a.s the ODe eternal God be,ot Himself and oore witness o( Himself. Three different separate perllOna and nevertheless is lind remaina, aa:ordjn, to Hi. bein,. ODe eternal God. spiritual, heavenly. invisible in eternity liS the three heavenly persona: 1. Spirit. 2. Word. 3. Father. one God; andellrtbly. viaible. bodily. II man aDd God in three perIODS in time: 1. Spirit. Z. Penon. 3. Word. a mao; lor tbe Word became Oesb. i.e, Eternity became time; ~ a man: that is. one time. t.o times aDd a hi' a time according to {be Old and New testamenta, the La. aod the Gospel. the heavenly and earthly Trinity. all ia heaven and on earth. Sincp. tbe wbole (ulDeM is in Ifjm. J. C .• NB. The Godbood itself. Col. 2 and John 9. 10. 12. 14 ... 17. Thus lpeaketh the Heavew)' Wisdom: I aad tbe Father art: One. believe that tbe Fatber is in Me aad I in Him. and be tbat baah _0 Me. leelb the Father who bathaent Me and lovetb Me. NB. to Him I will manifest myself aDd the Fatber and I will 1;0_ to Him and make mine abode in Him. 1. Cor. 3 . .\ 6. 2 Cor. 6. Eph. 3. 4.

PATER

SPIRITU~ SANCTUS

For llu Spiril searclielh all things, yea Who can praise Him as.highly as He many greater ones are still hidden everything that is lind let it be Syr.43.

ISAIAH XXVIII.

v.16.

nerefore thus saith the Lord God. Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not 1T\ake haste.

Colas. 2. v. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Ephes. 1. v. 10. That he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in: heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.

For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm XVIIIY.2B.

Putrefaetio.

SPIRITI DAMNATI.

)SCH FIE

IGNIS RY

ANIMA

SPIRITUS

(he deep things of God. 1 Cor. 2. v. 1O~ is~ we see the least of His works, for from us, for the Lord hath made known to those who fear Him.

So liktwue is iI in lhe Parable.

The noble and costly Stone. Misterii Magni and Lapidis Philosophorum. In this Slone lies hidden what God and Eternity. Heaven. Star!! and Elements have and lire able to do. There hath been none finer nor more precious than this one from all Eternity, and it is offered and given fWJD God to men in his merciful love. and everyone "h'l so desires may get it, it is a stone unsightly to look at, but has in it the power of the entire Godhead.

For compounding and perfecting it one needs 2 cl'nlral.c.., in which the power of all things abides; in it r,lusl be the very best in heaven and in the "orld itself, from the upper lind lower spheres, which is from far and near, every"bere it can be proved. but not everyone is qualified to do so.

Hesurrectio.

By steady attendance on the fire and managing it in the right "a)" one can putrefy. regenerate lind perfect the one Universal. Materia in one container and rurnace; by one single management of the fires. lind Nature does all the ,,"ork itself. by means of a fife existing within itaelf. this /ire being aroused and revived through the other Philosophic fire. So also the Lobomrd may have nothillg else to do besides attending on the flre, pray God lor His blesaings and benedictions.

With true reason we say thal it is Nature itself which rules this art through boiling in its fire and Qwn container. Nature, as far as it is governed by the Heavenly things, till the work be done lind even thereefter. But the will is free and may leave Nature to control the result of its work, and set a certain limit beyond .... hich Nature moy not go. Since the will rules Nature it should also attract it, but if the will does not attract and is itself subjected to Nature, Nature will go beyond the purposes of the work and destroy the same.

WA.TER SCHAMAIM

HEAVEN AQUA

.--

I. 2. 3. -I. 5. 6. 7. EWIKEIT E T E R Ni T Y TINCTUR

A. O.

OUTFLOW AUSFLUSs 1. 2. 3. 4. S. 6. 7.

'-v-

There is a Word speaking eternally.

Self out of itself. in itself. but still not itself',

It may never be spoken out'

Egos. everything. nothing. hell. heaven. earth. Light. night. good. bad. body. spirit, this. that. Yes, no, l thou, give, take, do, let,

Sense, will. reason. no reason. here. there. Sorrow. joy, scorn. love. quiet. lime, eternity. Soul. angel. devil, life, death, stillness.

Sound, one. none. Man. yes even God.

The Word cannot even reach itself.

Cannot be compared to anything

And yet it is at all times

All in All Jesus Christ!

He speaks, does not speak, is being spoken, Speaks out, speaks in. remains unspoken, Creates everything Himself, remains uncreated, But is Himself what He created:

From the innermost out. from the outermost in. He has been, is, is not, but will be,

One God. one Lord. one Spirit. one Unit :

Whoever does not believe this.

cannot understand anything.

For from BELIEF comes understanding, SIt speaks the Spirit, and writes the Hand, First believe it, then try it,

Il found good. then praise it.

Silentium Sapientiae: Simplicitas Veritatis SJGILLUM.

eternal life and rest for all newhere in the time and I here in all

CRUCIS

and the Theologia .

I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. ZEJTLIG TIME LY TINCTUR

A. O.

INFLOW

Ge ge n W U R F 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. '-'--'

11.

12 Po.triarcbo 12 Prop". r".

lZ SI&r1J in tbc crown Apoe 12.

1 Z A po.tle s,

t2 I1cl\vr-.nly 5~p:n5.

12 Articles or "dlel.

12 Months in the year.

12 Gales in the New

12 Hours ill the day.

Jerusalem. Ap.",. 21.

12 Hour-s in the nigh~

Tabernaculum DEI cum Hominibus SANCTUARIUM iT;""

. -,

MEMORIALE

Mag nairum DEI LUCERNA DOMINI Armarium Spiritus Saucti PANA.CEA Nectar & Ambrosia PORTA. COELI LIBER DOMINI PONS Signatur CJBUS ANI MAE Lumen Graliae ORTUS Cnnclusus THESAURUS

Absconditue VERBUM VITA Quaerite & Invenietis Credite & Intelligetis.

PROBAT FJDEM.

CONSTANTIA.

Figura Divina Theolloph.

Philosoph.

Th. .ternal Sun in his

Cabalist. nec non Magic ... & Chymica.

Godly nature and power.

ex Centro in Centrum

I was dead and beboldl I live again.

D.us Triunua ezivit

und~l"!Itand accordin( to PhilOlJOpby

Coelesti and not terrestri.

Eternal invisible h.aven

ly Holy Trinity.

Notbing else is. notbing 1ri1l ever be, in etemit y

else was, nothing el8(' and in time.

Temporal visible .arth And God

God becomes Natura RUACH

Deus & Natura o Na/utt! thou l1,t Iruly It crro{td

ly Holy Trinity.

through his words. nihil raciunt frustre,

imagt: and likeness of lhy God.

Natura .atque res omnes Th. Cr •• ted Sun in his

ex Centro in Centrum. actions and attribute.,

The great upper moving .,iri 1 ual lfQr'ld.

The small lo"er restinl bodily "odd in its Centro.

Nature', heavenly houSf' and spiritual palace.

Earthly and bodilJ abode or nature.

Hot Sun. eold ".ter lind Moonshine break many rurnaces and gll!Ses.

Though I am not guilty or it, RellllOn is on the minds or the IIOphisls.

if

What "as Diy lire in the beginning. also is linally my death.

Follow. E:cpli(olItio.

Explicalio will folio" BlI the 2800 parts are described in a grain or "beat.

" .. '0; .... 0/0;/ Sive, projeetio, understand. I. spiritual, ~. bodily. in qualit . .., quontit.ate.

SCALA PHILOSOPHORUM CABALISTICA MAGIA

atque arbor aur ••

DE MYSTERnS NUMERIS OUATERNARIl, QUINARII ATQUE SEPTENARU.

This is ahou t the Tr .. and evil, from which still eat death.

of knowl.dq. of qood today many people

MATERIA

REMOTA

AVIS CATENA

HERl'rfET/S AVREA

H. i. ind • .d a _i .. and descend this fruit of this Tr ... will not Curse him.

Man. who can ucend ladder and .at of the so that God and Nature

MATERIA

PROPINQUA

SAPI~NTIBUS SATIS

EST DICTUM.

The Invisible Incomprenensible Chaos.

Th. Visible Comprehensible Chaos.

Signat-Stars of Time.

THE BOTTOMLESS PIT

THE BOTTOM

The Eternal nothing aDd~-,-<~ ~t the an

The Timely nothing and yet the all

ETERNITY.

TIME.

From Cbsoe the effect of

The Fruit of Ih~ Firs1 Pr.in(ip{e.

(j E 81J s.

I know nothinq, I can do nothinq, I do not want anything, I do not please mysal!, I do not praise mysel!, I do not relish anythinq, I do not learn, I do not seek, I do not desire anything in heaven and on earth; only the living word alone, which became nesh, JESUS CHRIST, and him CRUCIFIED. 1 COR. 2.

This is the most holy, most understanding heavenly ARTICUL, and openly revealed to us through God Himself in the Light of Nature.

I am the Alpha and Omega the First and the Last.

Apocal, l. v. II. 12. Cap. ~. v. 5. seq

D. O. M. A.

Deo omnipotenti sit Laus. Honos & Gloria in Seculorum Secula. Amen.

Physica,

Metaphysics

& Hyperphysica.

Mea

in Cruce

Ro •••

Victoria

JrC iJ J' :r E Jt a l) JiC S:rz.Jl){fZ.JJlt V:t{JPE(Il·8rJt£(]o

Thill ill the Golden and Rosy which every Brother

Cross. made of pur. Gold. wears on his Breast.

PA.!TH.

HOPE.

D~ Deo.JNa.&ter qui dedit IJtQUW ASi4ruMn.

Hear, 0 my Son, and receive my saYIngs ..

and the years of thy life shall be many.

The doctrine of Jesus Christ surpasses the doctrine of all the Holy Ones, and the brothers who have God's Spirit, find therein the secret Manna and the Ptulosopher'« Slone. ~.{l.El.It happens however thai many people as soon as they hear the Gospel and tb~ speech of the Wise, derive no inspiration therefrom. Therefore they have not the

PA.TI E~(;E Sp,n( QjChri.I/. But whosoever would under-

... ·stand the words of Chri.,( and fathom His

TI NeT U R. wise saymzs, must so conduct his entire life that he may become Christ-Lik» himself.

r have taught thee in tbe way of wisdom;

I have led thee in the right paths When

thou goest thy steps shall not be strait-

ened ; and when thou runnest. thou sholt

not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction;

let her not go: keep her roc she is thy

life.

Prov, IV.yIO,

And I tV.!! show YOIl great and mighty things.

Jerem. XXXIll.

Secret Symbols o the Rosicrucians

of the 16th fa 17th Centuries

SECOND BOOK

Brought to light for the first time from an old manuscript

ALTONA, 1788

Printed and edited by J. D. A. Eckhardt, Prin ter to H. M. the King of Denmark

A Golden Treatise About the Philosopher's Stone

BY A STILL LIVING BUT UNKNOWN PHILOSOPHER, FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE FILII DOCTRINAE.

AND FOR THE INfORMATION OF THE FRATRES AUREAE CRUCIS

ANNO M rx; XXV.

FOREWORD

To THE RI!,l.OER IN SEARCH 0 .. THI! ART

Be not surpris~d. my dear Readrr lind honr:!t Inyestigalo, of Nature', Secrets, thaI J ,hould undeetake to writr Ihis short Treanse when in this final ag" thr .... orld stand.,th w,th one loot aluady in the gravr. whil., close at hllnd many librarics are found full 01 books ",l'tlch au writt~n about thiS Mat""a. the maJority of ",hich. however. instill II lalse philosOphy and give IIctitious formulae. I have nOI ",rin.,n for my own sake. but for thy sake. to show thee the ground of truth. and to lead thee from wrong ways ",hich so:'com important to thee. As far as I am concerned. I alr~ady know whllt is nec.,ssary for mr ro know of Ihis. hence I have no n .. ed of books. For in Ihr past twentytwo yrars I have read as rnanv as I could lay hands on. and th.,rr have bern no' a I.,w written as "'ell as printed. Thou wilt find described herein the Mlttp.ia and the Solutio" theoric«, and also the entire pra$I' i!l its "lIegor;It wilt thou lind completely implied. as plai"l), and clearly as Ihou maY .. st hop" to and from any Philosoph .. r. I have studiously applied myulf to consult Iherron with the Ph;/o.opl". and J have called atrennoe 10 all Ihe plaen ""h.,re ,hey havt ... entioned this or that aphorism. 50 that thou may..,1 IhY5eU see, look up lheir books. compare both the concept and my allrgata. and sharpen thine undentandl!lg with it. Now I mighl have written this Treatise wilh much Ins ellort by omitting my IIlIeglltll. and could have made myself known to th .. Frstre» aurta., crucis: but. as said bdore. it is all for the best th .. t thou mayrst gather more understandillg therefrom. Thou shouldest not be surprised that I havr kept my name hidden and that I do not reveal myself to thee prrsonally: for I do !lot seck vil,n honor. and I am nol int~nt on maki!lg a great name for mysrlf sn Ih,s world. but I am thinking only of thy proflr. Beside". my M3SI~rs. the true Philosophi. taught me nol to risk my Iorr at all for the sake of fame. and olfrr myself 10 gl'Hdy robhcrs. and loan gr"at si!lS upon mYso:'lf by prostituti!lg this gnat secret. They who taught me this were the true Philosoph •. my Tescber«. The reader will learn from S.,"divogius Ihal as often as hr doth reveal h,m,df 10 the gnat lords it is rvery lime to his hurt and to Ihe mer .. ase of danger. And eJtp"rience proves that diffrr"nr PMosophi who did not take sufficient can of their treasures. were choked to death and robbed of their Tincture by gr .. cdy and vain fellow. who risked their souls lor that purpose. R .. awn asserreth that whoever cllrrirth se gn·at a treasure with him doth not hke to be fobbed of it. Se"d;uogiu5 concealed his name on his Anagram<1tismis. A short lime ago a ne"" Frater aunae ("tuOS also made him!!..!! known in an A"agr.",,'a and AenigmiJla. and h,s name is W.,II known to me. Why then should I lay my~~!/ bare before the whole world? Ler this be sufficient fOT thee, dear friend. thai ( makr myself known to Ihe WIse. and at the same time withhold my name from ehee. ""hieh I have then done without fault. commending the rest to our Lord God. who wiU rcveal me 10 thee if it should please Him. and if it should be adv"ntagtous to me and te thee. Do not '.1 thyself long to search out my name: lor even If Ihou shouldesl

ever 6nd It and should know me. thou wouldest sILII have 10 M content with this Trestise. For I have sworn ",ith Bt:rnhardu5 of T'~I"5"" and orher Philosoph,. 'n all [usnce 10 rtv"ai nothing mono than i5 done herr. And do not be concerned at .. II about whether I have th .. treasure in my hands. Bur rather ask if r havt se .. n how Ihr world was creat .. d! How the darlcnrs5 came over Egypt! Whal IS the causr 01 the rainhow! How the Irans· Ilgurrd bodies will look alter the D a y of Judgment! Whre h is tilt: most constant color? But J ask of you who understand my booklet whether ye have seen th" greal and universal salty sea. without IIny cerrosrve matter, which is in ilsdl "uffie, .. nl to carry the Tinctures of all things up onto the hlgh,,~t mountains' T..!I me, When doth Sulphur become Sulphur. and wbere doth M e rcury come forlh from Mercury' Likew,s e. where will Sulphur come forth from Mercury. and Mercury from Sulphur' When hav .. your e yes beheld the symbol of ardent love, as wh .. n man and worn ... n so .. mbrace tach othu Ihat they will be no mo ... !!eparat .. d through all .. termev. but become one in gloriou5 lovt:' Do ye understand now what I Itm talking about? If y .. have worked our These Ih1llg5 WIth your own hands. and b e h e ld with your own eyes. Iht:n am I your consocrat e. and makr lnow!l to you that I also know. and thaI I like nOlioi!lg Mltrr ThAn 10 rece,Vt YOUf secret messaqe: for that purpose 1 want to write this little Treanse.

But if anyone should complain about the difficulty 01 thl~ art. thorn Itt him know thai Ih'5 art in Il~or" IS not d,fficull (u all. that it will be: fasy for ehese who lovor God a!ld who are by Him deem .. d wOfthy of it. will find It quite "asy.

However. if some one should accuse me of having wfltttn all too plainly and dearly about thor art, so that ev~ryon .. could understand il: to him I answer thai it is true that I have ",rill e n about il lucidly e!lough for those who were found ",orlhy in God', Sight. but Ihe \lnwonhy w,lI do wdl to lea ve it alone. I have previously see forth the entire art. word for word. to the overclever oaes. but Ihey .. diculed it on their hrarts. and did !lOI beheve thaI in our work was a twofold resurrection from rhe dud. Therefore i$ our art in Theori« and prsctice. a eure gilt 01 God. who giveth it to whom. and when. Hoe will. and il doth not depend on any man's willing or dOi!lg. I have known iI wuh all circumstantiili!. and manipulations for fully seventeen or tighteen years. and y.,t J had to wait until it pleased God 10 bestow upon me His grace. Also. no one should doubt the certainly .. nd trulh of this art. especially smee it IS as true. as eel'ta;n in N..r!l'e and as undoubtedly ordered by God as that Ih e sun shinelh by day lind the moon by night. Her e ",ith r shall bring to a do~ .. this little P.aefatio. and beqin with the Treatise itself. But you. my beloved Fratri allr""t crucis, who have now and then kept yourstlvu hidden in secret and e!lioy rio" gifts of the High God in His fear. hearken unto my words. and hide not frorQ me. and il so be you know me not, let ,t be known to you that the Cross Irieth out the faithful and revealerh thtir failh in fh .. light of dav. but such are kept hidden for Ih e sake of sa! .. ty and dehght. God be wirl! us all. AMEN.

Dear beloved Rt;\der and Follower of the True WIsdom The old and new Phofo.<ophi. after Ihey a"ai!led Ih .. goal of their desires Ihrough divme grace. took rilft In their wnll!lgs to mak .. themselves known 10 their Ietlow-studenrs. who kept them!ltlvcs hidden htn: and th~rc in the world. and to ",dica,!! 10 rh"m how the true God had enlo\Jhtened thdr understanding. blessed th., work of their hands. "nd r .. "eded 10 them the great secret of earthly WIsdom. \Vhl"rtfort thty rightly pledged thcm· s.,h-l'S to g,n Him all pralS~. honor. and glory. And then also Ihey promised that thO'y "'ould bcqu .. alh 10 their fellow-Chrosrians and art.seeking dISCIples ;).f ~he some lIme ,nstrU(l,on ilnd Informalion. so Ihal Ihey mighl al onCe thereby mi\lilt "!.o love and be 'o\oed bv Cod. ~nd .. ltJln 10 understanding and kno\\,l .. dge 01 5uch Secr .. r ...

And there have bc~n SII(h ~opl" amongst all ";>!lons. sllch a5 Ih .. Egyptians. the mas; .mlOCOI of " .. hom ..... 15 Hrrmrs Tr~mc9j$ruS. Ihe Chaldtans. Greeks. Arabs. !tahans. French.

English. Spaniards. Gumans. Potcs. Hungarians. J e ws. and many others. There is nOlhong surpn .. ng about II. although the said Wise Men wrote in differtnt languages at c!iff~renl nmes. there: is !leve,th .. less unity and agreement and gtneral co,,$l"nw~ to b., found in Iherr ",·ritings. rhat tverv true Philosopher could soon recognise thilt God had favored Ih ... m with His great blessIOg. and Ih.lI they had had th., Work ,ts .. lf in the .. own hands. And tUS, as Iruth mamfestcth itseH in Harmonia. so nn rio .. contrary mllst D,ssoTlant,,, bron~ e\'try Sophist ,,"d suppo~"d Philosophers inlo the oprll

For ,,·hile hO! nner rlghrly kno"'~lh the secret of the Wi~e and pursu .. th IllS wily "..:cord,ng to h,s own mind. e"erv man who is (ognrsant of the .1<1 v.,ll see h,s erfOr

Bur If.um,m.jJ .lnd conrord tSpt:Clallv consIst nlainlv of th~se Iwo po,nls. 1';: .. in kno,,·ledgt of Ihe Mdteri". thei. Solut/oll. w~ighl. nr ... and Augm("nralio" W,th resptct to the Matt:"a. it IS such that il hath .... ,rhin itself evrrything which is ntc .. uary EDr

It. benet all that the lover of the art desirdh will be made of it. aamdy nQusin arena. as the PhJosopher An.tstratus saith in the Turba Philosoplaomm: There is nothing more precious than the red 'sand of the sea, and this is the Monn's saliva. which is added to the Sun's light and Coagulated.

But that such a unified Materia is necessary. Agadmon himsell testified, saying: Know that if ye do not take my Corpus. which hath no spirit, ye will not obtain what ye are looking for: and thil because no alien substances shall come into your work, and know also that nothing else is required for it ucept that which is pure. Therefore renounce all multiplicity. For Nature Is satisfied with only one thing. and whosoever doth not know that. he will ~rish. Even likewise doth Arnoldus de V.uanove express himself in his booklet called Flos [Iorum: Our stone is made out of one thing and is made with one thing, Likewise doth he say to the King of Neapolis: Everything contained in our atone is essential to its existence. and it doth not have need of anything else. especially since the stone is of one nature and one thIDg. And Rosows saith: Be thou sure that It is only one thIDg. whereof enrything is made that thou dost desire, And Lilius:

Thou art in need of but the one thing. which changcth into a different nature at every step of our work. Also saith Geber in his Summ.:L It is but one: stone. one medrcme, to whIch we add nothing. and from which we take nothing. only 5eparat"~g the superfluous from it. And Scites saith in the TUTba: The foundation of this art is something that is stronger and higher than any ether thing. and is called the: sharp vinegar. which '5 the cause 01 the gold becoming" pure spirit. wuhout which nei(n~r whiteness, hlacllness, nor redness could ex,st: and when it IS mixed with the body. then it becometh one with the body. and tran.formeth it into a spirit. and it coloreth ,t wrth spiritu .. l and unchangeable color. and recervcrh from that which i. colored Its oo<hly color In turn, which cannot be obliterated: and if thou shouldst out the body into the fire without the vinegar. then it would be consumed.

But some one mi9tll dr .. w the conclusion from the sayings of Scues that not one but two things arc required. namely: the body and the vinegar. as he calleth it: and It is necessary that a moist and a dry be jOined together. so that the dry will not be consumed by the fire. but wrll be protected by the moisture from the burning fire, I must truly consent to such Argum .. nt and conclusion. if it be rightly understood. but nevertheless I must maintain the above- mentioned philosophical sayings in their merit and truth. Because it IS certain for one thing that the one M at e rla of our blessed stone hath many names amongst the Philosophers. which Nature hath prepared for the artist, and for the M afeTia of the \lreat stone .. lone, and hath ordained othe-rwise nothing eisc in the world,

This is before the eyes of everyone. the en lire world seerh it. apprehendeth It. Ioveth it. but shll doth not comprehend it. It i3 noble and bad. dear and cheap, cosrlv and low-pnccd. and is found everywhere. Th .. ophrastus Paraetlsus callerh it the "Red Lion" in his book De 1 inc/Il,a Phljsica. much mennoned. but little kno"'n Hermes, in his book. chapter I. calleth It. Mercury. .... hich i. hardened In the innermost cells. In the T urba it is somclimes named Au or Ore; 1ft Ihe ROSOIrio Phi[osophorum it Is called Salt. In the Summa this ,Water;a hath as many names as there arc Ihlngs in thiS world. That is the reason why it is 50 little understoed by the i!)norant. I call them ignorant because they proceed to thc art without previous knowledge of Nature and her quahues. as Arno[du, sauh : They proceed like an as. going Co its mans"" and which doth net know what il is going to receive Into its opened mouth.

Therefore In his Summa r.c,!rctionis, Gehrr sauh truly and rightly: He who hath no know edg~ by himsclf of the beginning of Nature is shU Iar front thi:; arl. And RosaT;us saith: I advise that no one commit hit:lsel£ to finding Ihis illt save he who hath knowledge of the N!linning of true Nature and us order: then when he hath knowledge of this he doth not need more than Ih.s one thing. and It doth not require gr.::at expense. For it is not more than a stone. a medicine ... phial, an order. and a prepar alion. Thus will our MaIer;" be separated with the help of Nature and the intelligent manipulations of the Artisan. so that it w ill be transmuted inlo the "White Ea9Ie." as Th,ophnutIJs salth. and the radiance of the Sot deth net shine alter the Spal1yrizarlon. or (as Besilius Va[ e "tinus sauh ] out of It cometh a Sririt as while as snow and another spint as red as blood. both 0 whsch spirits have the third hidden within themselves. King Aros speke well when he: said: Our medicine will N one substance made out of two. namely out 01 the unification of the constant. 01 the :opaitual and bodily. of the cold and moist. warm and dry nature. and it cannot be made out of anything else, And Richardu::

Anglicus saith: It is a stone and a medicine made out 01 the Philosophi! Rebis. j, e .. out 01 two things. namely, out of the body and the spinto white or red; and many fools have erred therein by explaining in many ditrcnnt ways the verse: Est rebis in dictu reclis$ima norma {iuuris. That is. two things. and these two things are one thing. namely: the water added [0 the body. and such dissolved in a spirit. that is. into a mineral water out of the body and spinto which is the Elixir that is called a F",m~ntum. For then the water and the spirit are one thing from which is made the Ti",'ure and medicine in which all bodies are purified, Therefore our medicine is compounded out of one thing. this being [he water and the spirit of the body. And so we hav e , according to the Pbuosoph), the nature of Sulphur and Mercury above the earth. from which arc made gold and SIlver beneath the earth. And Bernhardu!. Count "f T Te"isan. saith : Our work is taken raw from one root and two mercurial substances and IS drawn. clean and pure, from the Miner», etc. And in his book Concerning Natural and Supernatural Things. Basilius Va' e ntinus $ilith in the 1:th chapter: I will reveal unto thee truthfully and through the love of God, that there is to be found the root of the philosophIcal Sulphur. whicli is a heavenly spirit, together

with the root 01 the spiritual but natural Mercurii. which Is the beginning of the spiritual salt in one. and is found in one !t!ateria. out of which the Stone. desnaed for me. was made. ana not 10 many thing.. And although Mercury by itself is found by all Philosophers, and Sulphur by Itself. and Salt is drawn particularly from itself. so Mercurills will be found in one element. Sulphur in one. and Salt in one. Nevertheless I say unto thee that they arise only out of their superfluity. which is found most plentifully and can be used psrticuleriter in many ways with advantage, and be prepared for medicine and for transmutation of metals. But the Llniversel alone is the highest earthly treasure. and all three thlOgs in their beginning are one thmg only. and will at the same time be found in one thing only and extracted therefrom. which can make one out of all metals; and this is the true Spiritus Mercurii and Anima Sulphur.s IOcludlOg the Spiritual Salt at the same lime united and enclosed under one heaven and dwelhng in one body. and thiS is the Dragon and the Eagle. it is the KlOg and the Lion, It is the. Spirit and the Corpse. which must color the corpse of the Gold into a Medicme. etc. So now our prepared Materia is called the man and the woman.

L,keWise with respect to the working and the sufftring.

Zimon saith in the T urbo : Know ye that the secret of this work uisteth in the man and the woman, i.e .. In the producing and suffering. In lead is the man. 10 Auripigment is the woman. The man rejoiceth over the woman whom he hath received unto himself. and she helpeth hiUl. and the woman receiveth hom the man a coloring seed and is colored by him. And Diemede« saith:

Jo,n together the manly son of the R e d Knight to his fragrant WIfe. .and thus joined toqether they will beget the Art. 10 which there should be added no allen mailer nor powder nor any other thing. and be ye (On tent with the conception so shall the true son N born unto you. Oh. how precious is the Maruia 01 the Red Knight. without ",hom no ord er can exist' Others call it Are"n. tum vivum or Mercurius and Sulph'u Or Ftre. As Rog""us Baeo sairh in Speculum Alchemia«, chapter 3: All metals are born out of Sulphur and Muc"riu~. and nothing is connected ..... ieh th.,m. for ,I nothing be added to them. nothing Will change them S;1Vt what IS derived trom them, Therefore we must tightly take M e rcuTlus and Sulphur for the Matet/a 01 the stone. And M~nabadus sallh Whosoever addeth Mercurv to the body of Magnrsia and the Male to the Female. drawcth out the hidden nature, with which the bodies will be colored.

And Lullius sa .. h in his Codicil: It IS the quality 01 our MereurlUs that It lettelh ,Isdf be coagulated by lIS Sulphur. And in the Prscuc» 01 his Testament he salth: The Mercury IS an overflOWing and r .. nning moisture. thus preserved Irolll the burning, Others all it .ody, spirit. soul. Thus Arllo/dU$ in Fl03 {Io¥um sauh The Philosoph. have said Ihat our stone is composed at the same time: from body. soul. and Spirit. and they have spoken the truth, For they have com paled the unperfected Corpu.s to Ihe body. because It is weak. They have called the water spirit. a.nd this with truth. as It is a spirit. But to the FermentIJm they have given the name of soul because it giveth to the un~rlecled body the hfe ..... hich It did not have before. and it thus produceth a better form, And a little before this he s;lIith: ThlC 5'firit will not be joined to its body except through the medium 0 the souls. For the soul is the medium between the body and the: spirit, which joinetb both together. And Morirnus saith: The soul quickly entcreth ,IS body; but if thou wouldst join il to another body. thou wouldst worll in vain. Xnd Lulliu.s saith: Soul. spirit. and body are toqether, and are one thing. which hath everything in itsel]. to which nothing alien is add e d. But why '5 it n e cusary that one bnng up all the names which people call our Matrr;' and of tll.plaining them! Let it N sufficient for our purpose to have mentioned the ones most commonly used. And alter WI!: have explored where this. our Mattr.a. came Irom and ..,hert it ..... ill arrive. then we will con .. der a little the Solunon as the princrpz.l part 01 the whole art. and through reflection we shall sharpen our re ason and undeutanding_

Proceeding now to the consideration of what our Matuia is and where it must be obtasned ; it is to be known that the Almighly Creator. whose wisdom is as great as i. He Himself. hath created two things in the beginning. when there was nothing bUI Huasell: the heavenly things and those that are under the heaven. The heavenly Ihings are themselves in heaven. and the heavenly inhabitants. about whom we do not want to have philosophical discourses at this time, The created works under the heavens are produced from four elements. and their numbers an to be lound only in three species, namely: IIrst those that have lill!: and fetling. called Animalia; then secondly everything which groweth out of the earth but hath not feeling, and called Vrprrab,li". Fmally evuythtng !ltowing beneath the earth. and called Milleralia.

Now these three species of creatures comprise everything created out of tht four elements under the moon. and neither more nor fewer of them ..... iII be found, and the Most High God hath approved of each of th e 1II In its species and kind. so that not one of them can be transformed from one kind or species to another. As If one could make a man or a tree out 01 a stone. or a monkey out 01 an herb or lead: or out of lead make some other animal or herb. Such. I say. is impossible by decree of the Great King. If such were permitted in Nature. there would be: fewer of their kind. yea. one could N transformed into any of the others. BUI as all would therefore fall into grut confusion. the Lord of all lords hath decreed that such a metamorphosis of species shall nOI be permitted. And what is more. not only hath He preserved the three species. each true to its kind. but He hilth hath given to every creature a seed. to increase and reproduce its own likeness with it, and these forms should not N transformed into any other form, a' a man into a horse, or an apple tree into lettuce, or a diamond or other stone into gold. So I say: In Nature such lhirlgs are not permitted. And as it hath been since

ehe beginning. SO will it be until the day cometh when the Almighty. as He said in Ihe beginning: Let there be. will say: lei it perish. But It is fully permitted that among the tbings which have a common Maleria. seed. and composition of the elements. a refinement of their condilions may be accomplished and achieved. according to the purity and perfection of their Matena.

Thus one seeth a man who hath a much nobler and intelligen! mind. because of the pure and subtle spirits which originate in the justifled and well-tempered Constitution of the bodies. rising higher than others. who do not have such acute and subtle undeestandmq. So. too. one seeth how one horse is much nobler than another, and the same thing is to be observed in nearly all the species animalium. And as is the case with animal species, so is it also found amongst the superaboundmq herbs and trees. In trees through implanting. grafting. and others means well known to the gardener; amongst the herbs and flowers one can observe every day how one is more noble. more beautiful. more fragrant. better, finer tasling than the other: one hath only to look upon the CarlJophlJlli. or carnations. and the Tulips. and I will not say here how many kinds there are. for no one can begin 'a count them. which, through constant attention and improvement. can be taller and liner. 50 that some flowers are to be produced so beautiful and Ira grant that one might think there had been none of their kind before.

Now what shall I say about the metals? Their common Mal~ria is Mercury. which is boiled and coagulated from Sulphur. As Richardus Anglicus. chapter 6. saith: The qualities of all liquid and [usible things were wrought by Nature ream the essence of Mercury and its Sulphur: lor it is the quality of Mercury that it cannot be burned and coagulated by any fumes or heat of red or white Sulphur. And Arrooldu5. in the first volume. chapter 2. of his Perfertum Magister/urn et Galldium. saith: Mercury is the source 01 all things which can be dissolved. for as $OOn as a metal is dissolved it rurneth Into Mercury and can be mixed with it. since it is 01 the same essence. There is One dille",nce in the composition of the said Corpora from Mercury. and thai is their de\jree of purity or impurity. the impority commq from the impure Sulphur. and which 1$ allen and contrary to It. And Rosinus sai[h [0 Suretante : The Matoria 01 all metals is the balled and imperfect Mercury, which boiled the Sulphur in the belly of the earth. and after the Sulphur h .. th been separated there are many metals produced," the earth. all of whicb have in common a Single and universal orig"'al Materia. the only difference between them being that some are more and some are less affected t han the others,

Therefore v r e see daily with our own eyes how Nature taketh pains in assiduous labor to pUClfy all metals and to bring them to greater perfection. which is to make gold of them. thai being Nature's IInal Inttntion. So we then see in all metals what Nature beglnnelh to produce in them; since there are no metals which do not conram a grain of silver or gold. And whal is more, it IS SO done WIth the metals that Nature forthwith will and can make gold out of Mercury when it hath its Sulphur in itself, when nothing alien cometh between. and the unclean. stinking. and combustible Sulphur doth not prevent it. as we then see. in many places Will be found AnI' and pure gold without beinq mind With other metals.

Because in the tunnels there commonly cometh to the Mercury an alien Sulphur. which contaminateth the former and hindereth it in its perfection. 50 also will be produced different metals after the manner of such alien Sulphurs. For as Anstotle, 1 Me/corolog;ca. saith: II the substance of the Mercury IS geod and the comhl·slIble Sulphur Impure, so will it turn such ,"'0 copper. But when Ihe Mercury 15 calculous, impure. and earthy. and the Sulphur is abo impure. then iron ""ill result. It appeareth as if tin had good Mercury. which is purl'. but it hath bad and evil Sulphur. But lead hath crude. bad. heavy. glutinous Mercury and a bad. impalatable. and stinking. Sulphul'. and therefore It is not easy to let it coaqulate.

This hindering. combustible. and stinking SUlphur is not the right fire. which doth boil the metals well. but the Mercury hath its own Sulphur. which doth such. and as &rnhardu:s Count of Treoisnn saith : Many believe erroneously that in the production of metals a sulphur-Iike mare ria would be added: but it is evident that in the Mercury. when Nature worbth. is inclosed

• Is own Sulphur: But which doth not prevail in the same. except through warm motion, through which the said Sulphur. and at the same time the other two qualities of the Mercurii. are altered. And in this manner are produced in the other different metals of f he earth. For in this earth. as Arnoldus saith in the first chapter 01 his Rosarii. is a twofold superfluity: One is included in the innermost part of the Mercury. which hath in the beginmng mixed itself in its essence: The other. however. is added apart Irom its nature, and corrupreth it. The one Can be separated from it with great difficulty; the other. however • .viII be taken away by no skill of any artist.

Therefore the great heat of the Bre separaterh the combustible moisture Irom thc metals, because the Mercury holdeth that and preservetb it from combustion. which is its na.ture. but "'pelleth the foreign substance from Itsell and leltelh It be destroyed by fire. But the innermost Sulphur, which boileth t~e Mercury and bringeth II to Its perfection, IS purl' and Impure In the same degree. combustible and non-combustible. The combustible keepeth the Mercury from its perfection, so that it should not become gold. until this Sulphur is finally entirely separated therefrom. and constant sulphur alone remaincth therein. Then the mercury will become gold or silver. according as its sulphur is red or white. But this innermost sulphur is nothing else than a timely M.ercurius or the rrpest and most timely part of the Mercury. therefore Mercury readily receiveth it. but lesveth other and alien sulphur behind. For as Richardu5. chapter 9. saith:

The better and purer the sulphur is. the more it rehsheth the \,00<:1 and pure Mercury and auacheth i~self ro it. So that one

is more and more closely associated with the other. until more and more perfect metals are produced by this union.

. But such sulphur is not to be found above the earth. as

saith Avicenna. except in those two bodies. namely of gold and silver. and much more mature in the gold. Richardus. chapter 12. saith: The red sulphur is in the gold through greater maturing. but the white is in the SIlver Ihrough lesser maturing.

Now if all this be so. namely: that there is a single universal Maruia in all metals. which through its power with innate sulphur. either soon or otherwise. according as It separateth itself through I~ngth 01 time in more steady boilln9 Irom tlte allcn and ineff",ct1"c sulphur of the other metals. becometh gold. which is the goal of the metals, and the perfect purpose of Nature. Then we must indeed admit and say that Nature also seekerh and desireth to have. in this species as in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. lis Improvement and perfection through purification and subtle refinement of the subject! in Its own nature,

This now. beloved seeker 01 the things in Nature. would I explain somewhat more in detail. that thou mavest grasp it much more thoroughly and that thou mayest understand the Maleria", of our great stone. For if thou wouldest undertake to make for thyself such a stone as ours out of some animal substance. thou wouldst be thwarted. lor th .. y both belong to two different species. since the stone is mineral. but the Materia is anim"l And as Richardus_ chapter l. saith: One cannot bttng out of "nything something that is not in it. Therefore. because e v e ry species seekerh in its own species its power of increase. and every genII. Or kind seeketh it In its own kind. and every nature seekerh It in its own natural nature. and beareth fruit accordmq to Its natural characterisnc. and no contrary nature; therefore every collectivity agreeth with its own seed. And Basilins Val""ti,lUs saith:

Beware. my Iricnd. and understand that thou shouldest not seek to make use of any animal soul. LIke thine. their flesh and blood. as it hath b .. en granted and given by tht Creator to the animals. belonqeth to the animals, therefore God hath at the same lime or darned that an animal shall be made out 01 it,

Therefore th"y are to be gu.)tly wondered at who. holding themselves to be great arusrs. look (or th e " /l..fatNj.lnJ l.arlcJ" in Mo:nstruis mulicbribus, in Spermate. in eggs. hair. urine. and in many other things. and RII many books WIth such recipes. and also convince deceive. and mislead other Ioohsh lolk with such worthless thIngs.

And greatly astomshed at the folly of such people is Rogerius Beccho. IfI Specul«, chapter 3. Since he saith : One should greatly marvel that a thoughtful man should bilsc h,s intention upon animal and veqerable things. which arr: so very widely separated. when on. Bndeth Minaralia whrch art much closer.

It is by no ",eans to be credited that any P/lll050phus should have placed rh e art on such above-mentioned wid e !y separated things. except It be knowingly for the sok e of alleqorv. As Basi/ius Val .. nlmu, sarrh : Our stone doth not come lorth from things that ate combustible. For our stone and rr s Mattria are sale from all danger of fir" Therefore' thou mayrst well abstain from searching in anImal things. siner: Nature hath not permitted It to be found ill such But If anyone would look for our stone m vegetable things. as m trees. herbs. or [lowers, he will err for the above-mennoned reasons. no less than he who would make a great rock out of an am mal. For all hubs and trees, togethr:r with all thai cometh out 01 them, is combustible. and nothing rernaineth 01 them except a mere salt with its earth. which it hath received from Nature in the composmon And let no one be mislead because some pretend to be able 10 make the Philosopher's Stone out 01 wme or parts thereof. For while they do not understand rightly the wrilings of Raymundu" Lu(fiu s. they only prove w,th all their great knowlr:dg" that Ihr:y do not understand anythIng. and rmslead both themselves and others. Of course it is also trur: that out 01 these things vny splendid and excellent Mens/rua could be prepared. without which '" neither medicme nor in alchemy could anything be undert'iken Or accomplished. But that the Philosopher's Stone could be made therefrom. or its seed be extracted. was not granted to Nature by the Creator. but which. as mentioned above. is ordered to remain true to its kind.

Therefore. everyone who hath understanding. can f:3sily deduct and conclude that our stone. which. as said, is incombustible. must be sought and found in an incombustible Matuia . which is found nowhere except in the mineral I"ngdom. since animal and ""getable thIngs arc all combustible.

Because our previously mentioned Philosophers Stone is a mineral product. one can rusonably ask out of how many kmds of minerals may the stone ultimately be made; for there are as many species as stones, among them divers kmds of substances and earths will have been understood. salts. semi-minerals. and metals.

To this I answer there is reason to believe that it is impossible to make the stone out of any of these. for the reason that there is in all 01 them no liquid or fusible Mf'rcury. and that they cannot be m~lted or dissolved into their IIrst Materiilm on account 01 the Sulphur in them. which is much too crude and has too great an abundance 01 JudaiC qualities. No il1telligent seeker of the natural secrets WIll seek the Materia .... of the Philosopher's Stone In salts. alums. and materials 01 their sari. For he will flnd in them nothmq else than a sharp corroding and destroying spirtt, but not the kind of Mercunum or Sulphur that the Philosophi want and need.

But from such thlllgs can no intermedIate mineral. such as Magnl!sia. Marcasite. Antimonium. etc., be made. Much less will a metal come from them. How then could one obtain from them the Maleriam 01 the Philosopher's Stone. which is the end and perfection of all metals and "uneral things? Besides. these have absolutely nOlhlfig in common nor any affimty with any metals - nay. rather. they burn. break. and corrupt them; how then could they serve to perleee them? Hear now what RichardUJ

AnglICII'. chapter 10 ... lIh hereon: The lesser Mifle~li/ili cannot change tnto any metals. In the first place because they are nol born of tile flrst Mliteria of all metals ..... hlch is. Mercurius.

B~ slnce their origin differs 50 greatly from the origin of MefaJIji. in form and materia and at the same time in KIting. nOIO~I. can come forth from them. since !bere hi15 to be a lUst aubstomc~ lind seed of a like thing. Irom which such will be prod\lce~ But what is said appeareth clearly therefrom. that the lesser Mj~ralia are Dot produced from Me~cu~io. as is cleat. also. aCl:,QJding to Aristotle and Al'icenna. Therefore if they should ~ .transformed into Metal/a. they would IIrst have to be brought mto their first Materiam.

But since this cannot be done through any art whatsoever. so there can never be any metals and no final Mater/li of Its stone. Wherefore. since the lesser Mineralia cannot be in the beginning through the art. which is Mucurius. they cannot be In the middle and the end of it. which are the merals and the Tincture. But the lesser Mineralia arc alien to the metals In their nature. and although to some extent they have a part in the mineral power. they are the lesser quality thueof and are combustible. Therefore the meealhc nature hath no pleasure in them. but repelleth them and keepeth only what is of its own nature. Wherefore they arc fools who bring forth so many and such diJ[erent deceits. to deceive the people, and th~y do prrpo$trrous things. who neither have Nature with them. nor can they make themselves understood.

And let no one be deceived by the writings of the Philoaophers if at times they speak about salts. as when in Alltgoriis Sapienlum it was said: WhOSOC\'er laboreth withou.t salts cannot resuscitate dead bodies. And in the book Soilloquu It IS written:

Whoever worketh WIthout salts shooteth with a bow without a string. But they have quite another meaning than mineral salts. As ~ to be seen clearly ID the Rosario Phi/o50phorum. where it is said: The salt of the metals is the Philosopher's Stone. For our stone is a coagulated water. in gold or silver. and resisteth the fire. and can be dissolved only in ItS own water. Geber, In hi' book about the furnace. chapter 19. teaches that the coaqulared water of the philosophecs is not mineral water. but their Mereurius. saying: Apply thyself to dissolving the dry water of the sun and the moon. which the common man calleth Mercurium. The Philosoph; in their parlance call it sail at times. as is to be seen in Clenqorc Buccinse, where it is said: Noee that the Corpora b alum and salts. which floweth out of our bodies, Also at times they call the medicine itself sail. as is written in the Scala: It is the work 01 the other water. that it augments the earth in its wondrous salts. through its attracting power alone. And Arnoldus saith in his book about the preservation of youth: But that which hath not its equal in preserving youth is the salt out of the Minera. The Wise compared it. when it was prepared. to the natural warmth of a healthy youth. and also because of this they have called the stone by tbe name of an anima]: others have called It a mineral Chifir. and some have called it an everlasting medicine and Aquam Vitae. The entire science of its preparation is that it should be reduced to a pure and drinkable water. with those things which have much the same qualities as it doth.

Hence it is now easy to see that. according to the teaching 01 the philosophers and also the property of Nature itself. the /t-faleria pf the stone cannot be taken from the lesser minerals,

Now let us look around a little and see whether the Materiam of our great stone <an be made out 01 the semi-minerals, such as MarcaSIte. Antimony_ Magnesia. and others. especially smce the Pbilosophi mention this on several occasions. As when Senior saith: 1/ there were not in our Auripigmenl the quality of c:;oagulating the Mercurium. our mastery would never reach the goal. And Thomas Aquinas: Take our Antimonium or the captured black earth. etc .. and Permenides in the Turbes Take Mer<:ury and coagulate it in th", body of the Magnesia",. or ID Sulphur. which is not combustible.

But here. nevertheless, it is to be understood that the Philosoph I did not so speak to ind,cate that our great stone could be made out of such things. but they spoke in this manner only by way 01 allegory. For the philosophical Auriplgment and Magnesia are quite another thing from those of the coeimon people. namely. the Materia itself. which they call Ag",ns. the Lion. the King. the SUlphur. and many more names; and. what is more. it will be called Auripigmerrt because it hath the power of gold in superfluous color, and it is called Magnesia because of It!! great virtue and glory. which emanateth from it':

. But when TTlOrnas Aquinas calleth it Antinomium. he doth

so because; of its black and glrttering color. which it taketh on after its dissolving. For when our stone became black. it was compared t<; all black things by the Philosophi.

Here some one might talk to us and say: That of these semi-minerals some were produced not only from Mercury and Sulphur. but also became metals: as one sees MagneSia or Bismuth succeed in being mixed with lead or tin.

Likewise. not only doth the Antimonium mix with metals. but it becometh a natural lead. So also have people 01 low and high degree occasionally seen it become gold. Could one not obtain lrorn il the Maleria of the stone, since it was produced from Mercury and Sulphur. into which it can be reduced again through art. and is 01 one origin with all metals? To this 1 aQSwer: First, one hast to distinguish between the semi-minerals. namely. between those which have by themselves a Mcrcurium and those which have it not. One hast to pay close attention to those which have Mucury. because. through our medicine. their M~rcur!l can be changed into gold and silvt"t. and therefore. as I .claim. tbey have to be regarded as half metals. i.e .. as minerals disposed to turn to mctals. The others which have no Mercu,,,

are not to be considered at all. But on account of th,,: ba~ and combustible Sulphur which is found in them, and which IS the reason thill the Antinomium is opposc:dto all metals and burneth them all except the gold. which because of its constancy It hath to leave in peace. so here one cannot come so far. one cannot select them for the Materiam of our Slone. which must be pure and delicate and incombustible Sulphur, But on close examination and testing. one can easily see that they are impure and thoroughly infected with tbeir Sulphur.

Zinc appeareth. from its brightness. weight. outer leeks, and feeling like pure Mercurium. but as soon as it cometh into lire it dissolveth into smoke. vanishing like a pale yellow Sulphur. The Marcllsites cannot be forced to melt at all because of their great earthy impurity. The Anrimonium. however. can be cleared of its over-great blackness through skilled manipu!at.ions and be brought into a white and beautiful Regulum. and .t appearetb to all as if something great could be made out of it. therefore many people. who otherwise dum themselves to be very clever. believe that the Philosopher's Stone can be made out of it. But however much one may dear the Aqtinomium from its blackness. there still remaineth in it crude and inflexible Sulphur which appeareth when it doth not let itsdf be expanded under the hammer and become malleable. which is the quality of every metal. by which. together with other qualities. it is known to be a metal.

In addition to that. it hath a crude and impure Mercu~;um; ] do not wish to say now that it retaineth within itself at any time a dissolving Sulphur. And I hope that they do not mind that I cannot agree with their point of vIew who call them~lve' great Philosophi and want to convince themselves and others in many boob and widely circulated writings. that at just this point is the Scrupe! of their U"i'·~r5al. For one seeketh foolishly for something in a thing where it is not. As Arnoidul saith: Because it is established in the pracuce of the T urba that the Philosopher's Stone is 01 a pure Mat"ria. So also saith Lullius in his last Testament: Our Tincture is only a pure fire. And in the Vade Mecum he sanh: It is the subtle Spirit alone which tingeth and thus clearetb the Corpora from their leprosy; hut the Minuals. however. which are crude and Impure like the other can in no way be cleansed in thtir innermost except by means of pur Tincture; and therefor", one can not obtain from them the Jl.lllteriam of our stone. For Richardu s, chapter I. saith:

Nothing can be taken. out of a thing which is not therein.

What shall one say about the Vitriol? Through its wonderful qualities it brmqeth many into error. especially since a part of it can be changed into copper. and it can also change iron into copper. l.et if be known that Vitriol is nothing else than a beginning and Mate~ia of copper. In the veins of the earth fire-damp and vaporous Mercurius are found in a place where fn great quantity hath been found a bitter and astringent venereal Sulphur which. as soon as it was mixed therewith. hath coagulated and tried 10 become a metal. But because Nature wanted to separate the pure from the impure. the combustible from the incombustible. the abundance and maniloldness of the abovementioned Sulphur have exceeded the quanti/as thus far. So also in such separation the Merc~rills had to separate itself and had to let itself be concealed in the vitriolic green.

This <an be seen clearly: that one addeth a common Sulphur to the copper is the caese- of its destructien and calcineth it; for art accomphsherh with strong fires in a short time what Nature must perform with slow-burning fire. Then the copper will be entirely consumed. and bringeth this into the vitrIOlic order through general manipulations: and according as there is much or little Sulphur. the Vitriol will be richer or poorer in colors. Therefore that is the reason that some Vitriol hath more copper qualities than the other: one flndeth much copper In the cyprian Vitriol. less in others.

It is to be well noted that the sour Spiritus in the Vitriol cometh from the Sulphur. especiallv since It can be found likewise and extracted from common Sulphur. The sulphur-like smell can be well observed in the Spiritu Vitrioli. and tne ~piritus Sulphu~is can change the Sulphur Marlls into a VitrIOl. Irke the Spiritus Vilrioli. But because in iron there is also a crude Sulphur. the corrosiveness of the Vitnol eateth such away. seeketh its Mercurium which is not much unlike its own. and through union of it with its Sulphur. becometh a good. malleable copper,

But because there is in Vitriol such a crude. superfluous Sulphur. and because there is but very little Mercury in it. and which has not yet arrived at its purification. we shall not get more out of it than out of the other, And we have to heed the teac.hing of Alphidius who saith: . My son. beware. separate thyself from the dead bodies and stones: therein is no way to walk. since their life is not being augmented but diminished. as are the Salts. Auripigmenta. arsenic. magnesia. marcasite. and the like.

And Arnoldus, in Plore [lorum, saith: The cause of their error is that the four spirits. namely. Auripigment. Sa/miac. Mercurius. and Sulphur. are not the seed of either the perfect or the imperfect metals. witb the exception of Mercury and Sulphur. which coagulateth the Mercurium.

Now some one might conclude from these last words of Arno/dus. that common Sulphur and Mercury are the Materia of our stone. because such are counted among the four spirits. and because the Sulphur ccaqulateth the Mercury. Hereupon I must ask with Richardo. chapter II: Whether every Sulphur will coagulate Mercury? To this I answer: No! For every common Sulphur. as the Phi/osophi say. is opposed to the metals. It is to be known that Sulphur was produced from the fat of the earth in the depths of the earth. and hath been made solid by moderate boiling. and then it is called Sulphur.

. There are two kinds of Sulphur' liYitlg and combustible The laving Sulphur is the effectual part of the melals and \II"e~ cleansed .by Nature of all impurities. the Materia of our stone. but of thIS more ~aler. But the common or combustible Sulphur of mel~ls or iap.d.! ~alu;a. but their enemy. For. say A'"cenna and R.chardus Angl.eus. the common and combushble Sulphur doth not belong to OUf masterly skill, because it did not origlnur: from It. For whire as art can make it. ir mfecrerh at all tomes. makr:th. black. and corrupteth everything made of it. for it is a dest~oYlng flre.

Theref~re il preventeth fluidity. when il is fixed. The example of thts we see an iron. which hath in itself a constant crude. and impure Sulphur. But if it be burned, it becometh an earthy subsIance. hke a dead powder. Now how could this glv" !afe to others? For It hath a twofold superf luity, namely. one that can be set on 6re. and the earthy one

. Now consider .the common Sulphur, not the Sulphur of the

Philosophers which IS a SImple, live lire. which revrverh other dead bodies. and br.ng,,!h Ihem to maturity. Therefore common Sulphur (annat be Ihe Matl':ria of our Slone. But what shall we say about .common Mercury? Of which all Ph;{osophi say that the MatcClaof our stone i~ a mercurial substance and hath vtry many qualitIes which w.lI. be attributed to our Mercury. For It IS the sourer of everylhang which letterh Itself be fused. as A~noldus. Ro« lib. I. cap. 2. saith: Every fUSIble tiling. when It 15 melted. WIll be transforrne d Into It. and .t rnixet h .Isl-If Wllh them because it is their substance; albeit the bodies d.ffer at the sam.e lime. In their cornposrnon from Mercury. accordong to Ihelr pUflly or ImpufLly., and would have rdaaned ali e n Sulphur. And In chapter " he sauh- The M",curlus Viv.H is clear In all its effects. that mOSI ""decl and con slant tla.ng. for il wuhsrandeth ~urmng and causerh hquifac ncn, when .t hath been fixed. dnd IS tht Tincture 0/ a red superfluous per Iecnon of 9"11 e "ng appearance. and doth not cease from Ihj': mixture so long as It lastrlh; and II is fnendly and sociable and the m .. ans of ,o.omg together the TinClurrs smce it letteth itse]] be thoroughly auxed, and adhereth to thesr mnermost, hence il is 01 Iheir nature. There Is one. and one onlv. which the fire conquereth. but .1 will not be conquered by the fire. yet rejorceth In II and rcmaontth m it.

And Dernhardus sairh Mosl precisely do we follow Nature. which hath in .ts lodes no oth e r Matt:riam wherein .1 operateth other than the pur e mercurial form. In th.s Mrrwrru. now is hidden the const ant and non-combustible Sulphur. whirh bringelh our work to pe:rf .. crion, w.lhout any other substance &ave for the purl' mercuroal substance S.ncr t her e art sur h splendid qualines In the Mercurlus. must it not certainly lotlow that the Mattrla of our stone must be an this? To thrs we answer :

That as there are two kmds or Sulphur. there are also two kmds of Mercury: the common and tht philosophrcal. Th e common M*"eu"iu~ is stilt a crud e. untrme Iy and open Corpus. which can. not remain in fir" I,k e the phrlosophical, Since through a moderate heal il is turned into smok e and will qUICkly vanish. Therefore the Phi/010phi also say in COmmon parlance- Our Mercurv IS not a common mercury. So Lullius also sartn in his ClaVIcula. chapter I. W .. say that th e common mercury cannot b e the m e rcury of the Philosophers. whatsoever m.ay be th .. art wilh which .1 i3 pre:pared: for ant cannot k .... p the common In Rre. thudo~ It is done: through another bodily mercury. whICh IS warm, dry. and morjOO limtly.

But most of th~ PhilosophjOOrs have written accordmq to their superflUity about the subhmaeron and other preparation of the common mercury: ",hadore many qu .... r books aboul Ihis subj .. ct hav .. com ... nto rKLStrna. so thaI peopl .. learned mor .. .lind mar .. about tht nalure and char.1(I<" 01 th" .ub,.ct but Ihe purpose they had auntd al. namely. th" great treasure of tanhly wisdom. no on .. halh a~ yet ever ~en able 10 find .n IhtL< ",rillngs. becau~e Nature hath nol pla«'d ,t Ihere,n. But In trulla. ,I IS so peculiar in ils work Ihat II would m"f .. ad on~ who call<!h htmsoll a W,se Man. For uampk I kn~w one who had amalgamal~d it with gold and handl .. d it so subtly that h~ brought tl Ihrough all the colors unto Cilflnation.

In this color it stood. and ht. IhinkinQ he had il fix~d. put sam", mor", fire under il. thinking he could not go wrong an purling fire undu It aftcr Ihe mannt. 01 the Philosoph.. Wher,,upon IhO' glas. bursl. and the Mrrc"rlu, went up tht chimn .. v. taking WIth It all Iht gold gildang th .. chimney With it. And he had to scrape thO' gold out 01 the ch,mnty and r .. ducc It again.

It hath also been steen that the common MO',<urius as a Corpu!! its .. 1£ can njOOlthu open another CO'PU$. namdy Ih .. gold. nor work therein. evtn If many colors let th .. mstlves be p<!'rccivcd in It. whilst the heat worketh its effect in mOISlure. BUI had this 900£1 man rulised. as many others have done. what Arnolduj sailh in Flor .. florum. such would not have happ"ned 10 him. For Arnoldu!. when ht discourus about such akhemisls. saith:

When they considered th.s more subtly. they found Ihat ",crcury is the origin and 50urc .. o' all metals. and wilh sulphuric .. nd boilin9 heat. they $ublimatO!'d the Mrrcutius for themselves. thO'n they fashion"d II. they ududed II . .and coagulated II. but whO'n th .. y came to thc pto;ection. they found nothing. etc.

Therdore wt (annot consider common mercury as the Mat .. ,ia for our stone. Thus la. we hav~ sough lor Ihe Mattria for our stone in anomals. vegtlabfu. and in stone. in the lesser min~rals. and also in Ihe semi- and greater minerals. but Wt have not found it so far. and we must thcrdore look rurlh~r. whether we can find it in mdals, and it il should be tlltrein. whelher il is in all of them at once. or only in somc of Ih"m. and if so. in which they ar .. to be found" Th,s has long b .... n known. and Rog .. rius Baeo doth assert in hIS Specula, chapter 3, all meta" arc produced out 01 Sulphur and Mercury. And one caanot take away Or add anything to them. and cannot change them. u(epl what cometh from them. since every improvement augmcnteth the nature of the Ihing from which il comelh. ~ Richardus. chapter I. sailh: As it also is otherwise in all Nature. ev .. rything is ordained by the Highest CttatOl'. so that each Ihing doth

bring forth and beal its own kind. And as dumb animals cannot bring forth th .. ir kind. t~ an.y increase except through th e nature of their o,wn ktnd. SO.'s It with everything else in Nature. Therefore Bas.llUs Valen/l1lus saith: Thou art not permitted to look lor the. true stone. nor shah thou undertake to make It. except out of rts own seed. out of which our stone hath been made even from the ~9inning.

To find Ihis seed. thou must consider by thyself lor what purpose thou dost want 10 find the stone. and then il wall become obvious to thee Ihal it can come only from a metallic root from which the Creator commanded all metals to bear and com~ forth. There is a greal Similarity between the production of melals and 11..)/ of the great stone. especially since there ". Sulphur and Mercury In both. as well as the Salt. and the noble soul hath concealed .tself. and one ,annOI pOSSibly obtain the advantage of USI!' 'n met~JJIC form unnl these three are brought together in

one. aher haVing been taken OUI of rneralhc substance. and after thIS nothinq must be added which doth not come from them. And therefore it is pIa rn, as Baccho sairh, that no Ihlng which hath not had its origin rn Mercury and Sulphur can be sufficrent to perfect them and transform them Thereforr- II is necessary for the production of the great stone that .) metallic substance b e taken. out whether one can find t his In the imperfect metals t .. mamerh 10 be seen.

There are many to be found who want to find the while in lead or tin. and the red in copper or iron. or the MilIe,ia Lapidis in borh. wubour doubt m'slead by the P""osophi them. selves. For Ihus sairh G e ber in L'[), Fornoc., chapter 9: As customarv. the dough that is to be Iermented we extract out of imperfect bodies. And th e rr lore we ~Iye thee" general rule, rhat the white dough IS 10 be extr~cled from [upiter and Salllrn. bUI the red from Venus. Saturn, and Mars. So also doth 8iJS//i'" V clcntinus, In h,s hook about natura] and supernatural Ihing5. leach that a Tincture can be mad" our or the Conjunction of Mars and Ve""s.

LIkewise in his Triumphal Cborio«. he saith: After Ihi~ Iolloweth the Tincture Sol15 .. I Lunoe . etc .. from white. then Iht Tlller"ra V.lfiol. Or Ven .. " s. and likcwise the Tmctur« Mar" s. both of which have in Ih~m Ihr Tincture Solis. If th"y heve b e en brought be lorr- to permanent fi.atlon. Then rolloweth the Tinelura [ovis and Saturm unto Ihe Coagulallon of Mrrr:ury. and Ihen the Tinctura Mrcufli itse lf.

Now let Ihis be known to the investiga!ol3 of natural secrets, that such hath nor been the opmion of Geber and Besit.as Va/rntinu. or other Phrlosophers, else they would contrad.ct themselves, which cannot be. since the Wist must always t e 11 Ihe trulh in I""" wnhngs. although Ih .. y mav mask th .. Iruth m concealinq phrases For there can COOl" forth perfecnon nert h er In the impt"rf e ct m .. t~ls nor amongsl rbose wh,et, are so mixed WIth each other Ihat they could at least be Improved Out of Iho." th.ngs themse-lves alone such cannot come. because for our stone the purest e ss ence 01 Mercury is rcquir.d. ;15 Clangor Burein e e, A"iee,,"a. Lullw s, and in g .. ner ... 1 all PIlIlasaph e rs say: W e must choos e for our Work Ih e purest Mercnrial substance. But the purest substance 01 Mercury IS not to he found in the imperf ect metals of Nature. because they art 10"" leprous bod." s. which art corrupted and render .. d inactiv .. by ahcn and Impure Sulphur. 50 that no )"nd of art (an bring them 10 their inner and perfect pun6cat.on. and (h.y cannot even stand fire. And If is a necessary qual'ly of our Marcna Ihilt it remain constant in IIrO!' which does not OCCur h~r~

let us now hear ",hal G.b", h,,(h 10 say in h,s Summa chapter 6 J. aboul th.s 'mpuruy 01 the .mp.-rfccl m~tals and th~ quahlles of the pt"rlccl Mercury: Hurln wt' found by true e.pcrimenlahon a pecul,ar k.nd of two ,,,creI5. vIZ" one s~cr.1 is Ihal Iher .. art 11.,." causes 10' Ihe deslruclmn Ihrough fire of tvuy Imp .. rf"'1 metal. th .. rtr" of whIch is Ih.t th.ir combuotable Sulphur IS andosed in Iheir .nnt. mOSI p,,,t. and IS enkmdled WIth a slrong flr". I"ss"neth {he enClre sUbSlan(~ of The bodies. transformeth Ih.m inlo smok~. and finally con5um~th them. however r~celh:nt their Mercury may ~.

Th. s.e(ond (ause is thaI Ihe oul", flam .. IS augmented by Ihem. passelh through Ihem. and d!~solveth Ihem into smoke, how .. vu densc Ihey may be.

The third caus. IS Ihat their bodies may be oPf'ned through the Calc,niltion. fo< then the flame of the- 6, .. can pass Ihrough Ih.m and transform th .. ", into sDIo!.e. howe""r perfE'el they may be. Now "'hen all these caus,,! of d~51ruction come together. then n"cessarily Iht' bodic! w,lI be dO'"royed and reduced 10 nothing. BUI whcn Ihey arc not together Ihen the speed of Ih" tkstructlon of Ihe bod;". is I.ss rapid. The sE'cond kind of these secrets conc"melh the qualily of Ih" M",cury in these bodies. For sine .. in Mercuiy there is no cause of d .. struction or expulsion. .t doth nol separale th .. compound into parIs. but n:mainelh with its entire substance in Ihe Sre. For this reason one halh necessarily to recognise the r .. ason of it! per/rction. Let us therdore pr,lIse and gIve glory unto God th ... All-Highut. who halh created the Mercury and given it it! substance. and to Ihe substance those qualillcs which (annat ~ found in the other things of Nature. that th .. rem the perfection may be brought about by some art. and which we fan.d therein in ils nearc,l POWtl (potentia proquinqulf). For Ihis .t is that ov .. rcome~h Ar .. and is not overcome by il. but remain .. th friendly therrin and rejoiceth in it.

In these words Geber provtlh infallibly thaI Ihe Mattria of our slone cannot be in the imperlecl melal,. because they are themselvu impure, and if on .. wanted to purify them they would complelely disappear therdrom. But Our Mereuriu.t. on account of its purily. is constant in Sre and cannot be damaged by it.

Now since these imperfect melals (annot be the Materia of our stone. much less can they be such when mixed t0gether, for they bec01lle not punr than th .. y were before through theil' mixtun. And in addition to thi! cometh another Conlu~iorl our of it. which is contrary to our intention. and only. as mf;ntiOlled

above. requireth a single Maleria. Hall} testilleth dearly to this when he saith in Lib. Secret .• chapter 9: It is a stone. and thou shalt nol mix any other thlhg with ito with this the Wisc work. and an all-healing power Ilowerh from it. There shall be nothing else mixed with it. either in the whole nor in its parts.

And Morienus saith: This masterly skill cometh in the beginning out of a root. which exeendeth later into many parts and &nally returned to its source. Now why have the Phi/osophi bidden us to work witb the imperfect metals. since these cannot be the Materia of tbe stone? And the answer is: When the Philosoph. order the impure bodies to be taken. they did not mun thereby copper. iron. lead. tin. etc .. but they me'ant its Corpus or its earth; as Arnoldus in Flore /lorum saith: The Mucurius is added to the earth, i. e .. to the imperfect body. And what ii more. Its earth in itself. however perfect and pure it can be .nade' by Nature. still is impurr and imperfect ru~ctu tapidis Physic i.

And herein art cxcelltth Nature. for il can do what Nature cannot accomplisb. But since this earth. as said. is imperfect before perfect puri6cation and regeneration. it appeareth ther~hOIll that it cannot as yet tinge and make perfect. and hath no more tban wbat Nature hath bestowed upon it. But wben it is regenerated it may then add much. But ilS impurity is obViously perceptible in our work. At first it is wholly black. and then it will be comparable to lead or antilllony, aftu til at it becometh gray. and is called }upitec or tin or bismuth. and all this before it turneth white. After it is white. it is called MarJ and Venus before' it is brought to a complete redness. 8asilius Va/entinus is of the same opinion. and seeketh many another. as he doth Rt forth in the above-mentioned book. and himself doth testify in his treatise about the great stone. "'here he investillatetb the Matuia lapidis. and saith: That in Sol the gift of all three 6xitles is togdber. and therefore resisterh every power of lire; and that Luna, on account of its bed Mercury doth not escape 110 quickly. and doth pass Its Exsmen. And thus he saith finally:

Tbe aechcourtesan Vrnus is clothed and dressed with superfluous color and her master's body is 01 pure Tinctur and of the sallie color '8S abideth also in the best metals. and on account of this superfluity is proven red. And since her body is leprous. the Tinctur hath no permanent abode in it and must at the same time disappear With her body. For where the body is consumed through death. there the soul cannot remain. it must give way and escape. Brcause the abode is: destroyed and burned with lire. 110 that its place is unrecognisable. and no one may continue to dwell there. But gladly and with understanding dwelleth the soul in a formed body. The constant salt hath given the warlike Man a hard. stronq, and crude body. by which is proven the valor of his mind. and one cannot easily wound tllis war-lord. Jince his body is invulnerable. But If someone should say:

Because Venus hath a constant Sulphur it must hkewise, according to tbe teaching of Besilius. be united to the Spil'itus Me'l'curii pC'l'lecti, and a Tinctur will be made therefrom. What hatb already been said many times. and what bath been stated by Basilius himself. should be borne m mind: Th~t our Materia .. u.t not be takeD from many things. since the Unilltl'Sal is one thing. and can only be found and extracted from a single thiRg; and that the Spiritus Mercrmi and Anim .. Sulphuris including the spiritual salts. are united togethu under one heaven and dwell in one body. So will he cease from his error and. without further consideration, turn his thoughts to the perfect metals. observing the saying of Plato, quart. 2. Why do ye calcinate and dissolve the other bodies with gnat difficulty. since ve can lind in this (perfectly) what ye seek? But is ye ever want to usc It. then it is necessary tbat ye lirst transform it into the nature of the perfect body.

Therefore. my dear seeker of the natural secrets, leave all animal and vegetable things. all salts. alum, vitriol. marcasite. magnesia. antinomy. all imperfect and impure metals. and seek for thy stone in Mercrrrills and Sol. for the gold. and in Mel'curius and Luna for the silver. since thiS is the essence of the whole art. according to Arnoldus df!! Villa Noo«. Rosar .. part I. chapter 7. Just as the fire in the beginning isa sealed fire. saith Riplaeus. porta I. Thus gold is also the bcgmnmg of gold-making. If. therefore. thou wouldest make gold and silver through the philosophic art. do not take lor that purpose eggs or blood. bu, gold and silver. which engender a new birth. augmenting their kind. as do all other things when calcinllted intelligently and naturally. but not through manual work. Therefore Richardus. chapter 10. admonisheth us: That one should SOw gold and Silver. that through our work an the intervention of Nature. they may bear fruit: since they have it in themselves and that is what one seeketh. and no other thing in the world. And why should one not choose both of these. since. according to Richartlus. chapter 12. they have a pure and perfect Mercurius within them and a red and white Sulphur? For Avicenn;, saith that in every gold there is a red sulphur. But such sulphur is not found on the whole earth except in these two bodies. Therefore we' very subtly prepare these two Corpora. that we may obtain tilt Sulpbur and Mercury from sucb Matuia. as gold and silver have from beneath the earth. They arc luminous bodies. and coloring rays are in them, which tinge other bodies in true red and white, according to their preparation. For as Arnoldus. Rosat .. lib. I. chap. 5. saith: Our masterly skill aideth the perfect bodies and maketh perfect the imperfect ones. without a mixture of any other thing. Now, since gold is the noblest of all metals. so is the Tinctur of the redness. the coloring and transforming of every Corpus. But rhe silver is the Tinctur of whittness. which coloreth all Corpora trut white.

Now let the good-hearted reader be informed that such metals as gold and silver arc not the Materia of our stone in their metallic form: tbey are the medium between them and our great stone. Hear therefore what Bernardus Count of Trevise« hath to say in another part of his book: They will do well to Ic.cep

silent who do not produce our T'inctur. but another. whicb is not true. not plausible. and good for nothing: and let those be silent who claim that there is another sulphur than ours hidden in the belly of Magnuia.

And let those also be silent who want to extract an Argentum vivum from anything othu than the derment or red knight. and want to extract another water other than.our everlasting one which doth not .mix with anything unless it be 01 its own nature, and doth not melt or dissolve anything unless it be of its own metallic nature. For there is -no vinegar other than ours; no other management other than oursr no other Sublimation ether than ours; no other dissolution other than ours; no other putrefaction other than ours; no other Materia other than ours.

Therefore renounce the alum. salts. vitriol. and all other Arramf!!nta. borax. strong water, and all herbs. animals. beasts. and whatever may come from them. hair. blood. urine. human seed. flesh. eggs. and mineral stones. and every metal by itself alone. Even if the beginning of our Materia is from tbem. it should at the same timt. according to all the aforesaid Philosopbers. be based upon Mercury. which will be found in no other tbing than metals. As appeareth from Geber. et al.

But still they are not our stone so long as they are in their metallic form. for il is impossible that the one, yea. the very same Materia should have two forms at the same time. For how could the stone. which bath a worthy and med;ulII form. be between the metal and the Mercury, if they be not destroyed beforehand. and their metallic form hath not been taken from them? Wherdore saith Raymundus Lullius in chapter 56 of his Testament: Therefore the good artist taketh the metals as me'diums in the work of masterly skill. and especially doth he take Sol and Luna, and he taketb these because they have both come to a moderate uniformity and great purity of their. sulphureous and merrurral substances. and because they are boiled. pure, and well-timed through Nature's working. to which proportion tbe artist would struggle in vain if he should attempt to accomplish his purpose from the natural bcginning without effective means.

And furthermore he saith in his Codicil: Without these IWO. namely gold and silver. the art cannot be brought to perfection. because in them is the purest substance of Sulphur. which Nature hath completely purified. In effecting this puri8callon, art is much less effective than Nature. and it could never achieve it, as hard as it might try.

Our medicine can be made from these two bodies. if they are prepared with their Sulphur or A l'Senicum, but not without them. And he saith in the preface 10 his Cla"icule: [ advise you. 0 my friends. that ye work with nothing but Sol and Luna. 10 reduce them again to their IIrst Materia; namely. into our Sulphur and Mercury. For. saitb Arnoldu s, lib. I. RosaI'. chapter 7, from these bodies the vrry white and red Sulphur will be extracted. because therein in the greatest quality is the purest sulphureous substance. cleansed by Nature to the highest degree.

Thus saith Nicerue in the Turba Phi/osophorum; I bid the followers (of the Art) to take the gold that they want to increase and renew, then divide the water mto two parts. and take One part in such a way that the gold is concentrated in it. For the metal. when it falleth into this water. will be called the Ferment of the gold. But why doth the Philosopher here call the water his gold. when he saith: When the metal Ialleth into this water. it shall be the Ferment of th~ gold? Let this be known to my art-seeking followers: That the Philosophers gold is not common gold. Senior saith. and it is written in the first exercise of the Turba: As the Mereu,ius is the origin of all metals. so also is the sun the end and last of all metals; and all metals. whether they be pure or impure. are in thelt Innermost Sol. Luna. and Mercurius. But one is a true sun. whiclr is extracted from II.

And therefore thou understandest that the Philosopher« gold. although extracted from them, is a quite different gold from the com ilion sun or gold. So also sailh the Aurora consurqens, chapter 16. from this it is evident that the philosophical gold is not common gold. neither in color nor in substance. For that reason it is said that .t bringeth joy to the heart 01 man. and the same thing holdeth true with silver. But what il extracted from it is .. white and a red, a true. constant. and living Tincture. But it is the philosophical gold which one should not buy cheaply. a. Alphidius saith. And Morienrs saith: Everything bought dearly is deceitful. For with a very small amount of this thing and with lillie gold we can buy much. But in addition to that. our gold is living gold and our silver living silver, whicb cannot bring forth anythmg except life and increase. The common gold and silver arc dead. which cannot accomplish' anything more tban is granted to them by Nature. unlll they are awakened by a skilled artist from their death. and obtai., their life again; then tbey live also and can prove very effective in the increase and propagation of their kind. Concerning the death of the common metals and thr life of our metals. the splendid. still living Philosophus Michael SrndilXJgius. in the J Ith Tractate of hrs book about the Philosopher's Stone. speaketh thus: Thou shouldest be warned not to take common gold and silver. for they art' dead: take ours, which are living. And then put them in our lire and a dry moisture will come from them. First dissolve the earth in water. called Mercurius by the Philosophers. and the water will dissolve these Corpora Solis at Lunar. so that only the tenth part remameth with one part. and this is the deep-rooted moisture of the metals.

Now to speak further about the gold of the Philosophers. it should be known that from the earliest times the Philosophi call their water gold. also somenmes their earth. 01 the lirst Modo the Philosopfllls Nicsrus hath spoken above. and the Rosacius Phi/osophorum asserts it in the Iollcwing words: But what say ye to this. that the Philosoph; say: Our gold is not a common gold. and our silver i. not a common silver? To tbis I reply thai they call water their gold, which risetb to the heights

through the strength of fir .. ; and this gold truly is no common gold. Por the .onsta on man would not believe that it could rise becallse of its constancy.

. .. B.ut that the Phrlosop~i also called their earth their gold IS bkewise attested by RO'il"US who sauh: Note that the ore is the philosopher's gold. This earth becometh ore. and is called Ferment and Tincture, Therefore saith the author who wrote Clangor Buccine«, in the chapter about the Solution (as also HrTmu saith); Sow your iCh:l ;n the white and leavened carth. which is made fiery. subtle. and airy through Calcination. i.e .. Sow SO milch gold. which is the 50111 and tingeing power. in the white earth. made white and pure by due preparation. in which is no filth.

From this is revealed that the gold of Nature is not the Materia [eementi, but the tingeing Ferment is Ihe philosopher's gold. And thus it is written in Scala Philosopho .... lfI. gradll 7:

Their earth wherein their gold is sown is white. and their soul is gold. and the very same Corpus is the place of wisdom. which it assemblerh. and is the abode of the Tincture.

And further 6n the author saith: For tbat fnson Hncure~ sailh: Pour it again. i.e .. dissolve the body of Magnesia. which hath become whitt and like rasp~fry Jeaves, Fot that lxxIy sc'l:keth relllge in the best, and the gold extraeeed frOID it is called the gold of the philosophers. and is a T inctur«, heDce is a soul. For with the water thc Spiritus riseth into high air. and this white Corpus. when the gold hath become white. Ihey have called our gold after our blackness. Therc:fore Senior sallh: Mix !Jold with gold. i. e .. water with ashes. And Hermes, Sow gold In leavened earth. Therdore the Philo&ophi write Ihat OUr gold is no common gold.

To this positive opinion someone might here reply and ask: Why do the philosophers sometimes conceive of their 90ld u water. but at other limn a3 earth7 Doth this not look as il they contradict each other and do not agree about these matten1 That they confound these things7 Or do they waat to mislead their followers~ The answer to this is that cach and all 01 the Philosophers. where Ihey have shown the ttuth. have shrouded it in hidden sayings. and therefore they do not contra.di"t each other •. but agree wonderfully w~th nch other. as if s~aking with one mouth. They do not creatb any confusion. and do nee s«k to mislead the 'Worthy follower. but they present to him tnaly aDd clurly. in Iigurativ1: langua9~. all their secrets before b. eytS. but which th~y conceal and darken before the Ilfiworthy and ungodly as much as the Highest God hath given them His mucy. so that such nobJ~ purls will not be cast belore swine. which follow only thti~ bodily desires: and thu. the Holy Sanctuary will not be dtsecrated. So in respect to the present qunlioll tbe Work provelh itself.

For the good-hurled follower of our art is many times .ufficiently instructed. not only as to wher~ ollr MII.It:ria should be obtained. but also that it is a Single M.t~ria which. through the skill of the artist. is drsselved into two thillgs. viz,. into w .. le~ and earth. or Mucurium and SIIIp,hur. Now if the Phi/'33ophi eall the water "gold" or the earth ·gold." they do nothing amig. for it is a question of their own fret will bow they shall namc it: since they also call their stone thtir gold. a more th .. n perfect gold, a regenerated gold, and many ",orc names of tbe kind. But not everyone can understand their meaning, as hath to be accredited to his ignorance rathet than to the ill- .... i11 of the Philosophers in writinl!.

And now tht' art-snling follower is suflid~ntly and completely inEotmed 01 the super-excellent seud of the M.reria of our great stone. and that it cannot be taken O!Jt 01 afty kind of usttable growth. or any kind of animal, out of nO kind 01 mineral. and out 01 no imperfect metal. but it must be extracted from gold and silver. and that our gold and our silver are not the common dead gold and silver, but is that 01 the Philosophen which Is living gold and silver.

Now all that the rtmain~lh to be done is to be instructed about the Solution. the greatest secret 01 the entire Work.

Now to speak about tht So/ulion, This occureth at once if one makttb something dry moist. soltenerh 5Qmething hard. and revealeth something hidden. i.e., when one tran,(ormdh a hard thing into water. but not into common water. as Pa~menide, and Agadmoe the Philosophi teach in the Turb« Philo$ophorum. whcre they say: There are sollie who. when they hur about the dissolVing of the bodies, believe it is a water 01 Ihe clouds. But if they had read alld Ilndnstood our books. they would kno..., that our water is pe1'rnan.,nt. especiaUy in the w3ter of the Pbdo$O>' phers. i.e., in the 8f'St Materia. as saith Arnoldu, in Ros.rium I. chapleT 9. The work of the Phil~phers is t~at they di~solve their stone in theie Mercurium. that IS. they bnng it agaIn Into it.5 8[,5t Mattria.

And A"icrnna saith, If thou wouldst work. then it is eeeessary that thou dost &rst start with the dissolving and Sublimation of the two li.ghts. f'!lpeciaUy since this is the first step of the work. that Mercury cometh therefrom. Therefore Arnoidul. lib. 2. ch .. .,ters I and 2. hath written: The Solution is a separating of the 'bodies. and preparation of the Mdleria or nature,

And RiC'hardu$ Anglicus: The ~9inning of Oli.t work Is to dissolve the stone into it~ lirst Mil-lUIS and the fuslon of the body and spirit. so that it .becomt'th a mercurial water. But jllst as the Solution is the first and the most necrs!tary part of our work. so it is also the most diflicult part of it. E"bltldlJs Vogrtius testi6eth not badly to it when he saith: How difficult a work t~e prcparing of the Solution is they know who have labored at II.

And Bernhsrdus. C<Junt of Trcuisan. writrth in his letter to Thomas 01 Bononi ... : He who knoweth the art and science of tbe dissolving. that is. he who hath attained to the secret of the art which is to mix the forms and extract the natUl"1:S out of the natures. which he eft"cctively concealed therein. ~en again this Solution must not occur with callstic waters, Since all asustlc waters disturb and dutroy tbe Corpus whicb t~y should dissolve

and perfect. And in addition. as hath already been said. no dissolving in the water which wetteth the hands is required. but rather a dry water. i.e .. the first Maleria. which is not called Mercurius alone. but also Sulphur.

Concerning this Z~umon also speaketh in the T'uib e : Ye do work in vain unless ye grind the Corpora. break them. dissolve them. and govern them industriously. until ye extract their fat and make an incomprehensible spirit from it.

And thus saith Richardus Angtficus. on the advice of At.'icenna: The Philooophi considered studiously in what form they should extract the Sulphur from the perfect bodies. and how they might better purify their qualities through their art, so that such a thing might come out 01 it with the aid <JI Nature as no one had seen in them before, and they say that this could not be done without the dissolving 01 the bodies and returning them to the lir!>! h~a/eria could never occur. which is "olhing else than the Mercury out of which they had been made before. and it is this Mercury alone. without mixture or addition of any alien matter. For Our Corpora are not dissolved by any waters. except that of their own kind. which can be thickened by the bodies. ., saith Bernhsrdus in his' epistle to Thomes 01 Bononier, And • little before in the same epistle he saith: The dissolving requirerh a remainin" together. namely that of the dissolvlflg and the dissolved. that eue of both the male and female seed COme lorth in a Juew for.... r tell thee in all truth that no water dissolveth the metallic form through natural Rrduaion except that which rem.jarth with them In tke Malena and Forma. and that which can again coagulate the dissolved metals.

And Morloleus sauh' in tho: Turb .. : Every Corpus will be dissolved by the spirit with which j( IS mixed. and w.1I become. Ilndoubtcdly. spiritually one with it. and tach. spirit will be changed and colored by the bodies. with which spin! a tingeing aDd tht' fire-withstanding color is mixed.

Now. If aU this be truro then the Discipulus. seeking the art, bath only to reflect dili9rntly upon what kind 01 water it is. .iacr he hath to strive lor the knowledge 01 the Mrmtruum. wh~ things are one. and without which nothing can be accomplished in th., m a stuy of (hi" art. as saith RalJ,"undu. in Compendia a,,;mae. Por there is nothing in the world but our Menstruum. he saith in his Codicillo. which can join together the dissolution of the m~lals; since it is such a water thaI the metals. retaining their form. Can be dissolvtd with it.

But while thilS is the great secret. which the Philosophi have kept most deeply hidden in their writings. but have also forbidden it to be revealed .. I shall direct the (50 f~r as I am permitted to do so). to the right way with two philosophical dicta. The 6rst is found in the book Rosarii abbr.viat. in the follOwing words: The 6rsl preparation and the Fundement of tbe art is the dissolvlns. that is. the restoration of tlte body in ... ater. i.e .. Mucury. And they called this th e dissolving when they said: The gold. which is hidden in the body 01 MagneSia. is b.:ing diuolvtd, that it alight be brought back mto its lirst Materia. therein to becoese Sulphur and Mercury. not to be: turl,,~d allain into water, smce our Solution is none other than the body moistened again anel dissolved again into the nature 01 Mercurv. And the salty content of its Sulphur is decreased. which holy Sulphur 1$ extracted from two Sulphurs when the spirit meeteth the body.

The other dictum is to be lound in Riplrl/s preface to his Twelue G.te$: I will instruct thee in Truth that Y" may underItand that there arr three Mrrcurii. which are th e hys 10 knowledllie. and which Raymundus hath called hIS Menstruum. and without which nOlhing can be mad e rightly. But two of thrm again diltrr. and. are not the: bodies own nalu ... :. BUI the third is the eSM:ntial Mrrcurius of Sol and of Luna. the quality of which I shall uplain to thee. For the M~rct"ius. essential In the other metals, is the principal Mattria of our stone. In Sun and Moon ate our Menslrua. not \0 be urn wilh our eyes except throllgh their e/fects.

This is our stone. when some one righlly understandeth Our writings. It is the soul and radiant substance of the Sun and the Moon. and the very subtle Influtntia through which the earth receiveth its light. For what else is gold and silver, satth A"jcrnna. but the pure white and red earth! Take the abovementioned light frolll them and they will become earth of very linle value. Whtn ""erything is compounded tog<thtr we call it lead. The very uistence of the quality of the light originateth from the Sun and the Moon; and these are the Summa of our M.nsttu •.

We calcinatit the perfect Corpora with the first according to Nature: but no impure Corpus will be added thereto except the one commonly called by thc Philosophers Ihe "Green Lion." which Is the means Eor joining tQ9ethu the Tinctures between the Sun and the Moon with perfection.

With the other. which is a veg~lablf' molsture. which bringeth to lif~ that which had been dead before, both material ~leDients as well as the formal ones. should be dissolved, otherwist they art of little value.

With the third. the tree Hermelis must be burned to ashes with a certainly wting humidity. Incombustible and greasy 'in it. nature. This is our surut natural firc. Our Mt'rcuriU$, Sulphur. our .pure Tincture, our soul. our stOrll:. lilted up by the wInd. bor:n in the e",rth. Keep this well in thinr heart.

This ( Dlay say to thee, That thi~ stone is a potential vapor of the Sulphur. but thou must be careful how thou dose obtain it. For tbis Menstrqum is in lact invisible. although it can ltill take the form and appearance 01 a clear water through the help of the oth~r philO5QphiCal water. when the elements are separated.

And by very bard and strenuous work with this Melutrllllm the Sulphur Naturae can be made. when it hath been intensified In a natural way and hath been aslcinated into • pure Spirit. Then thou canst dissolve with it thy Ba$~ or Ma$!.

Now these are the words 01 the Philosopher wherein the whole secret of the Solution is disclosed. Now if thou tipS! want to hold fast to and ponder over all the ootenttahties of Nature. so that thou perform all the works which Nature performeth, Ihen thou must recall and unwind hke a ball 01 twin e. what thou WIlt fmd herein of all truth. clearly and proloundly set forth. But if thou canst fail to note herem where :he locked doors are. then thou knowest neither the Mmeri« nor the power 01 Nature. and for thIS thou wilt not need any spectacles nor an unaqmary put.bam. but a most fervent prayer: and assiduous study. in addrnon to conremplancn of the possrbrhtres of Nature. WIll expedite thee.

I have acquired roy knowiedge s()I .. ly and alone. after the revelation 01 the HIgh and Great God. frum the assiduous study and olt-repeated reading 01 good books: I do not say e x plicttly that I have learned about the /11 eten« therein. which I could learn only from divine revelation but what 1 learned confirmed and (on lor rn .. d thereto, also about the Soiuuon. which With all Philosophcr s IS but on". and WIthout which n .. ther the old nor the new Philosophers can accomplish anythmg Therelore rt IS called also Sr>urll1m arlis and Arcanum Phdo,ophorum. quod nema nisi Dt'U-' t c vet at e debet. includmg all work, and for thIS I thank the Creator of all things. gIVing unto Him praise. honor. and glory. now and for ever. Amen

But thou. dear reader. must hav .. no reason to complain about me, and there/ore I ",.II reveal to thee. through the love 01 God. 51111 another se cret , And thou shalt know that this Sol"!,,,n although one. IS d.vide d Into a secundum prius et posrerius as they tak e car. to say In the schools.

The first IS the dissolutIOn of which Arnoldus speaketh. or the dccomposuron into Its first Moterie. but the other IS the complete dissolvinq 01 the body and the spint at the same time. SInce rhe dissolvinq and the drssolved always remain together. and toqerh e r With thrs dissolvinq of the body ccurr e th the Coal/ul ettcm 01 the spirit. Here thou canst see quite dearly and plaInly wrrh rhine own eves "II that thou dost des". to see and know, and it IS only a \I.!~man's work and a c hrldv play, because one hath so ht r le difficulty therewith. whereof there IS no need to speak lurt her: smc .. whoever knoweth the b_egInmny. knoweth also how. by Gods bles"ng. 10 <tria," Ihe ... n d. whrc h. '0 10 speak. p.ctureth to us all the giory. all the eternal qlorv. wnc n we ,hdll behold God In our trans llqurcd bodies Hence '"0 scor n all e arrb ly lusts and str ivc only lor the eternal. mf,n,te. and unsp e akable dellghl". which. all bC~\ltlf,,1. we shall s •• With our own eyes.

Herewith I shall now dow thIS short Treatise, and set cieJrlv before thine c vc s. In the foliowinq parable. what is further nC'(e~5~H" for rh.:.'r to ~r!n\\·. wrt h o ut J'J(-k or error. And In this par.ible t hnu wdr find the whole p",( t u ,I. and ~f thou but [olfow It Lhli\-lf'ni!y. tho·\I \\.IIt .nfl\'(" nt ~h(' un.s} fond. dnd tr ue k no wle dqe . To 'h .. , ,'nd mn vr-vt th("111 ,md all o] '" 0. helped and pr e sr-rve d from « o nr by God the Fot he r. God the Son. and God the Holy Gh",t to \Nhom be hrq he st rr,,,,,c lor ever end ever. Amen.

lIFRF FOLLOWETII THE PARAI\oJLA WHEREIN THE \VHOLE ART I') COMPRISED

There r~ one thm~. one In clphr-r •. r nd In e<;sen(e. \'JhLch Nature through "'I hdpeth to tr.;nsform Into two. Into three, lour. five. as we do read. .~f"wrg and Sulphur do nour rsh It

SPlfLl. Soul and Body. and four Elements

The Phrlosoph e rs Stone IS the Ilfth. which they transmit.

Without fraud shouldesr thou count thy Materia. 11 two-fold mercuriel substance.

Free from allen Sulphur thou ,h"lt choose thr pure And dissolv .. them frOID the ground up ennre iy Compound them aq arn In thClr true we rqh t And they will iead thee unto the truth.

Accordmg to the Solill" ,n sh.rlr thou soon sublimete, CdICln"le. and dilir ... nr lv dcst ill at o ,

C""I1,d .• t c , a n d ,'hcn pl.l(~ i t securely in 3 (OniJHH'T. the n ~)rgln '0 rangf'. And thou hdst pul up a medione

To neal men and metals - as you choos ...

Once upon ,'l nrne I went walkinq In a beautiful green and young wood and rnedLated upon and deplored the hardships 01 t hrs l.fe and upon how we came. throuqh the troublesome fall of our first parents mt o such trusery and d.strcss. Thus rhinkmq, I lef t the common path and I (arne. I know not how. upon a narrow Ioorparb very rouHh. untr odde n. and hJrd 10 walk upon, overgrown wit h many bushes and shrubs. ,md It was easy 10 see that Ih" trad was very Ilttl .. us~d. ihereupon I became Irightened and wanled to turn around and go back. but it was nor within my power, espeCially since a strong Wind blew mightily behind m .... so that I had to lake ten steps ahead for everyone I could take backwards.

Therelore had to conl1nur on the trail despite tts

roughness

Now alter had walked for some length of time. I came

to a lovely meadow. surrounded hy beilutlful fruitful tt<'es, as in a urele. Th,s mCJdow was called by Ihe inhabItants Bratum }clicst.JllS. There I met '-"Llh a group of old men WIth snow-white be"rcis. S<L"" lor one young man WIth a pOIfL:ed black bea.d; and 3l"r-':mq (hem Wd"S- on!.' whose- :lame I knew ~nd who was still younger. but as yet I could not see hIS face And they had a great d"put .. about all bnds 01 thm~s especi;,lIy about a hIgh and qreal Sl"([CC ""h"h was hIdden In Nature and whIch God kept 'hidden from Ihe gr{<Jt world. reveaiLng It onlv to those Il"w who loved H,m.

I !.st('ned to Ihem for 3 lon~ tLrTlt'. "ed ! I.k .. d th .. Lr discourse vcry much. bur s()me of rhem sCl'med 10 maunder absurdl". not ind .. ed abo,lt !h~ 11.1.1fNI" or Ihe wnrk In questIOn. but aho;Jt the Parabolae. Simrl,r"dc" and "ther Par"'f/ons Thcr~ln th .. y followed Aristotlr. Plrn./. and olher FJgmenla. each 01 whom had

copied Irom the other. Here I could no lon.ger contain myself. but put in mine own word. refuting many Iurtle thinqs out 01 my Experients. and there were many who gave heed to me. examining me in their Faculty. putting me through some very hard tests. But my foundation was so good that 1 came through with all honors. and they wondered a great deal about it. but unarumously took me into their Colleguim, for which I was heartily glad.

But they said I cnuld not be a real Coll e ga until I first learned to know rheir Lion and knew fully what he could and would do internally as well as externally. Therefore I should applv mvsel] di1i'lelll\v 10 making hIm submissive to myself [ was rather sure 01 mvsell. and pr orruse d t hem that I would do my best. For I enioyed their company so much that I would not have parted with them lor any amount of money

They led me to the Lion and described hun to me very carefully, But what I should do wah the beast in the begmnLng no one would tell me. Some of them \ldVC me hints rher e on. but so confusedly that not one in a thousand could understand them. and a frer I had tied up the lion and made sure that his sharp claws and pointed teeth could not harm me. they no longer kept anyth,ng secret from me, The hon was very old leroclOUS. and big. and his yellow mane hung ove r his neck and he seemed unconquerable. and on account of mv Temerity I was almost terrified. and 1 would gladly have turned back but for my agreement, and the old m e n stood ail ar-ou nd me to soc how I would beqin which .11.0 kept me W"h good confidence I ",1'''1 up 10 the lion In hIS den. and began to caiole him. but he \'lIMed at me so mrense ly with his Ihttermg "yes that out of fear I nearly let my water At the same nme I recalled h,W1n9 heard Irom an old man. on our "".IY to the hons den. that very many people had undertaken to conquer this lion. but verv few had really done so. I did not wan! 10 come to gnei. and r remembered manv a gnp I had le orne d through ~real dlhgcncc In alhlcl1('. and be sid e s l was w~ll versed rn nat ural M 39Lo so thaI 1 lorgot about the ca-ohnq. and attacked the lro n so fJst. artfully. and subtly that I pressed the blood from hLS body. even out 01 hIS heart. it was hcauuf ul!v red. but ver y choler ic and this I J"I be lore he even reausc d u. But I looked further mto his anatomy and found many things about which 1 had tu wonder greatly, especially h rs bones which were as ..... hire as snow and there were more of them than 01 hIS blood

When my deM old men, stand'"g around the den and watr hiriq me. became aware of what I had done they began to dispute With each other vehemently. but I could not hear what they sard because I was St,); so deep in the den and I could only see their gcSlur<" But when rhev began to utter hard wur d-, 10 each other I heard one who saId He must revrve the !Jon .150 ... I,. he cannot be our ColI~fI" I drd not .ntend to raise difficulnes. left :h" den. went across a qrcat square and came. I know not how. to a gr e at wall. the hl"Lght 01 which was over 100 ells aqamsr the douds. but It did not have the width of a shoe, and from the be qmninq of the wall where I started unto the end. ~h"re ran on top of .t an ir on rail. well secured WIth many supports On rop of this wall I walk .. d and thought I notre .. d someone gomg a f.", paces ahead of me on the tight Side of the rail

Ar'er follow.ng that person lor some time. I noticed some one Following me on the other SIde 01 the rail. and I still doubted whether .t were a man or a woman who called me and said it would be better to walk on his SIde than where I was going. and I believed II readilv for t h .. hand-r arl which thus stood In the middle made the walk very narrow a nd it was hard to walk on such a be iqht. And then I saw some people behind me who wanted to go that way. Therefore I swung myself under the rail, grasping it tightly wllh both hands. and I continued on the other side until! Came finally to a place on that wall which was dangerous to descend Then I reqrerred that I had not stayed on the other SId e. for I could not pass under the rail aqam. and it was also impossible lor me to turn back and take the other way aqarn Therefor e I took a chance. trusted my qood 1 ee 1, held on tIghtly. and com e down without harm. And when I had walked on for some nme. I had tor qotten all about danger and also did not know what became 01 th e wall and hand-rail.

But after I had thus com", down. there stood a beautiful rosebush. on whrch grew beautiful w hr t e and red roses. but more red than white ones. some of which I broke off and put upon my hat. Whereupon I was aware of a wall enclosinp a great garden. and," the garden were young fellows and where th e maidens would have liked to be. but who d,d not I.ke to make so great an effort as to walk around that wall in order to come to the door. I was sorry for them and went back the way I had come. then upon a more level way. and I went so las, that I soon reached sev'?rill houses. where I thought to find the house 01 the gardener There f found many people. eaeh of whom had his own chamh .. r. al1d two were workLng together slowly and dl],gently. But each had his own work. I thought I had don .. all IhLS work which they were dOIng bdore them. and I ~ new all their work. and I thought: Look. s,"n" so manv other people do such squalid and ditty work onlv lor the appeiuance of it and according to their Own notIon, hdvinq no Fundament HI Naturp, then tJ,ou drt thyself forgiven. Therefore I dId not want to remain any longer. because i kn<'w that such . .ort would d,sappear m smoke. and I contlnu,'d on mv planned "'''v.

As I now went toward Ihe garden door, some people looked at me sourly. so that I feared lest they hmder me in my ProposrtlO. But others said: See. he wantcth to go ,nto the gard~n. and we who for so long a lime dId sen'i'~es for the guden havl! never entered It. Let us jeer <It h,m, .r he doth blunder. But I dId not pav attention to Ihem. lor I knew better than they the situation of the garden. although I had never been In It, and I went fight up to d door that was locked tightly. where one could not find even a key-hole from outSIde. But I noticed a small

round holt in lh,s door. which one could not set with common eyes. and I thought It was necessary to open the door there. I took out my master-key. prepared for this occasion. unlocked the door. and entered. After i was inside. i found some more locked doors. but I opened all 01 them without much trouble. But this was a passageway. as if II were in a well-constructed house. about six shoes wide, and twenty long. covered with a ceiling. And although the other doors were still locked, I could see through them suffiCiently into the g.nden as soon as the first door was opened.

In God's Name I walked further on in the garden. and found in the midst of it a little garden. square 10 shape. and measunng six rods on each of Its Sides. It was covered With briar-rosebushes. and the roses thereon blossomed very beaurifully. And since it had ramed a litt le and the sun was shmlng. there was a beautiful rambow. When I had le It the httle garden and had arrived at the place where I should assist the maidens, I noticed that mstead of the walls there stood a low wattled fence. and a most b .. autilul maiden. bedecked in whrte satin. with a most spl e ndid youth, ..... e nt past the rose-garden. one leading the other by the arm and carrying many fragrant roses in their hands. I spoke to them and asked them: How did they come over the Ience? She said: My dearest bridegroom helped me over It. and we are now going but of this lovely garden 1010 our chamber to enjoy our friendship. I said I am pleased that you (an satisfy your d e " re without any lurth .. r e/fort on mine, But See. how I ran so long a way In so short d time, only to serve you. After thIS I came to a great mill. built Inside of stones. In it were not Hour bIOS nor any other things neces5ary for milling, and one did not even s .... any wat .. rwhee ls turning. I ask how all this carne about. and the old miller answere d me. saying that the milling-machinery was locked up on the other Side. and I saw the 111111er's se rvant go m to It on the covered passage-way. and I followed-- him But wn .. n I stood In the passage and beh .. ld the water-wheels on my lelt· SIde. I Mood still. marvellmg gr .. atly al what I saw. For now th": wheels wer e above the passage. the water was as black as coal. and Ihe drops ther..from were white. and the passag e was not more than three fingers wide. Nevertheless I risked 90m9 back; holding on to the logs which were over the passage, and cam" over the water unwetted. Then I asked the old miller how many waterwheels he had. Ten. he answered. I could not forget Ihis adventure and I would, have liked to know its meaning. When i saY( that th e miller did not want to reveal anything. I departed. and there was in front of the mill a hIgh paved hIlL and on top of it some of the above-mentioned old men. walking in the warm sunshine. and thcy hdci a letter in their hands. written by the entire FacullrJ and addressed to them. about which they took counsel, I soon noticed wh .. t it might (ontain and that it might concern me, therefor .. I went up to them and said: Sirs, is it about me? Yes. they answered. you have to keep the wil .. you married a short rime ago, ID wedlock. or we have to report it to our Prince. I .. nswered: Th.s w.u be very easy. for I was. so to speak. almost born with bet and raised tOllether with her from childhood. and because I had once taken her. I shall keep h e t always. and even death itself shall not part us. for I love her with all my heart. They replied: Wbat then have we to complain about] the bride is also happy. and we know what she doth want: ye must be join e d together. I am wl'll satisfied. I answered. Well. said one of them. then will the [ron also come back to life and be mightier and more powerful than before.

Then I recalled my previous exertion and work, and for some strange reason I Ihought :hat all this did not concern me. but some" one whom I knew well. And thus tblJlking. I saw our bridegroom wilh his bride in their above-mentioned garments. going away. ready and prepared to be joined together. which pleased III .. greatly. For I had b .. en in qreat lear lest rhes e things might concern 111'.

Now when. as said. ou,r brid .. groom in his brilliant scarlet doth e s carne to Ihe old m .. n with hIS beloved bride whose white saun frock radiated In very bright rays. they were both soon jOined t09fther. and I marvelled not a little that thiS maiden. who IllIght still be her bnd~groom's mother. was yN so youn\J that sh .. seemed to have been born but r .. c .. r.tly.

Now I do not know whn"," thut' t ..... o had Sinned: it may be that they. being brolher and SISler and bound logelher in such a way that they were not to be separated. had been .. «used of incest. InsteAd of a bndal !.Jed and true marnagf'. they were condemned "nd locked up In a strong and .. v.rlastlng prison. to r"'pent and pay for thel! .. vir deeds WIth everlashll9 fo!acs and truc regret. But because of thelf noble birth and r.1nk, and in ord~r thaI they might not do anything secretly allY more. and that they mIght be always before the eyes of the watchman who was ordered 10 take care 01 them. their prison was transpannt. crystalline. and lonued not unlikt: a heavenly dome. But before tillS. all their clothcs and orname.,ts WIth which they were adorned were taken from them. so tbt they had to livt naked and bare in their dwelling-place. And no one was \Jlven thcm to walt upon th .. m. But all the food and drink whIch was drawn from the above-mf'nhoned water. whICh waS r.ccessary for them was placed th .. rein. The door of theIr chi1l1lber was well locked and sealed with the seal of the FacuU~. and I was ordered to guard ,t and sJOce Winter v:as soon to .;omf'. to beat their chamo"" duly. '0 thz! tbey shodd nol freeze cr bum. but in such a way th", Ih~y codd in r.o .... i~ come out Clnd escape. But if anv dam"g~ ~I,,,u!d oen;r under the Said Afa,uJat'":I. I ,,"ould certa.nly r~cer'ie st .. ~t an.l ~evo!re pcolshme"t therdor. I d,d not f~1 w~1I ,,:'ouf thi~ '""tl~r. :lnJ Cly fear and wony made me" lalnt-h .... fled. rOT I t:1"·J:,C.t \0 m'i~~lf that it was not It small work w;",I! I W~, c""''''''"cI~J t" do. but I knew that tI,,, Collegium 5apiC:T!;'"'' ... ", r::"t 0""" 10 lylll9 a,·d ,,!ways did whal it saId. and ('crt~.n')' P"-vc;c{1 its work w::h c"r... Howcvu. I could not chu.nge it. aod beSides thl.s lockzd

chamber stood in the" middle of a strong tower. sllrroundrd by high walls and strong Ioruficanons. and since one could heat the chamber with a moderate but constant fire. I undertook my office and began In God's Name to heat the chamber in order to prot e ct the imprisoned married couple Irom the cold. But what happens? As soon as they notice the slightest warmth. they embrace .. ach other so lovingly that one will not see the Irk" again. And they stay toqether in such ardor that the he art <>£ the young brid .. - groom vanished in Ierv .. nt love, and his entire body melted and lell apart in the arms of his beloved. Th e n she, who had loved hrm no less than he had loved her. saw what had happened. she shed many tears for him and buried him. so :0 spedk. With them. So that One could not see for ovcrflowinq tears what had happened to him. But her grieving and cr ymq lasted onlv for a short trme, and because of h c r grl c f she did nor w.ln! to hve any longer. bUI went voluntarily to her death. Ah' woe unto met I was in lear. anquis], and nnserv, because these I ..... o whom I was supposed to guard had bern apparently d"sul'ed enllr .. ly into water. and I saw them lYing before me .,s dead Cer(am f a rlure confronted me, and what seemed to be th e worst and what I feared most. was (he ,ommg dcrrsson and r rduuk-. as well as the per ils I ,houl<l have to me e t.

I spent a lew days rn cardul thought. (onsII1.rmg how I could help mine alfa rr s. when I recalled "O\\, M c dca had brought A .. sons dead body 10 hf .. ag.\\o. And t Il!ou;,jht to mysell: If Medea could do It. why should I nor he able It) do It] I be qan to think about how (0 proceed WIth It. but did not find any better way than to mamtam the srcadv w ' ir mth unlll t~,e water would r .. cede and I could view the dead hod, ... , of our lovers. Th .. n I hoped to escape all danger With YJIn .Iod prarse , Therefore I conunucd for forty days wi!h the w.u-nuh with which I had begun. when [ noticed th,,, Ihe lorvqc s I ,1.d so. the more the water d,sapp e a r .. d And I could sec the dc.id bodies. black as coal. ThIS would have happened SOOner If the chamber had not been locked "nd sealed so lightly. but I "'.15 nol pnmltlnl 10 enter It In any way Then I nottcr d qUII .. p~rtl(uJ.lrly that the water rose hiqh up toward the c louds. collected on the ceihnq 01 the chamber. and came do ..... n agam Irk.> r,lm: .. nd nothing could escape. so that Our bride qroom anJ I\ls lovciv hndt lay be/orr min e e yes dead and rotten, snnkmq beyond 'all "";'Wre Meanwhile I nonced In the challlQer a r arrrbow in Ih. IlIOS! be",,IIful colors. caused by th e sunshme In rhe moist wearh e r. whi,h IIladdened me not a httl e in mv sorrows. and I became r-ar hee happy to see my two lov e r s lYing before me again. But no JOY is So great that (here is no sorrow in il; and thercf ore I wo s gtleved in my JOY because I saw the 0 nes I was sUPp0S<'d to guard so lying before me that one could p .. r ce rvc no hre In them But sincl' their chamber was made from such firm and pur .. Maun.a and dosed so lightly. I knew that the vou l and spint could not escape therefrom. but we r e still enclosed t herem. I continuer] with my steady warmth and heat day and niqht. performinq my ordered duty .• m.19lninq that sprrrr and soul w.;uld not return to th e bodies as long as the dampn e ss b<ttd For they hke to dwell In th e damp nature. And. indeed. I found thrs true. Foe I 1l0tK .. d rn many painstaking observations t h at many vapors aros .. from the earrh about evcnnde through the strtngth 01 th .. SUIt. and went up 11Igh as " th e sun were dr'1wmg up the water. But during th .. night th.y coaguJal c d Into a lovely and fUIII e dew. coming down in the morning. mOIstening the earth. and washing our dead bodie s. whICh bec-ame all rhe mort white and beauliful through such bathrnq and washmo. Hut the more b e aullful and whit e !hty becam e , t h e more th~y lost of their moisture. unti] finafly th .. air became so Iiqht and clear. wh,le all the fO\lllY and damp wrather had passed. the Spirit and soul of the brrde could not rernarn any lonqcr In Ih e clear arr and w .. nt back Into the transfigured and glorlSed body of the queen. and as soon as rh e body f .. 1t th~m It becam e In,l"nl"n v - ously ahve. Over thrs I rejoiced not a littl e. as you can very w('11 imagine. especrally since I saw her ri se rn a very costly qarmcnt the like of which IS seen by only a very small number of penple on this .. atth, and she wa! adorned with a costly crown ernbel. Iished with Ilawles! diamonds. and I could see her me and say:

Hl'arkr:n. ",hildren of men. and ohserve ye .... ho ",e born from wom .. n. that the AII-High .. ~t hath the power to enthrone kln!!s and 10 dtthronc them. He maketh rich and pOOl. accordIng 10 His will. He slay .. th and maketh 10 live agam.

And behold all thiS m m~ as a true and l,vlOg example' I was grti1t and ~came small: but now aft .. r I b .. ramr humble I was raISed to be a queen over many realms. I was sl",n and made aliv .. again Th .. gr .. al trtasures of the ph,Josoph<r5 and of the lIughty have been .. ntrustl'd and given to me. Ih .. pu<>r On ..

Therefore was I granted the power to make the poor Clch. to deal mercy to Ihe humble. and to brlll\J health to Ih. sick. But not yet am I ~ke my beloved brothl". the gn·at and mIghty king, wlta ",ill stilf be recalled from the dead. When he cometh he wtll prove my sayIng true.

And while she thus spaler. the sun shone brightly and the days be(ame warlllu and the dog-days w .. re soon 10 come. And long hefor .. tnt w~dd"'1g of our new queen th .. re wen prep.1Ced many costly rob~s. mad .. out of black Vf>lv,t. ash.gray colored damask. gray SIlk. sllvrr-colorpd taffeta. 5no .... ·- ..... I"t .. S~IIIl. )'~a, a s'!,<, p'ec!' of t'xeerding b.-auly. embrold~r('d WIth costly porls and b .. d .. chd wllh glOriously cI .. "r g!.ttenn\J dtamonds And in th .. sam" manner were prt:pared garments for th. young )..1:''1. namdy 01 Irlcdrnat. wllh (h~ Yl"lIow colors of aur .. olm cos:ly fabriCS. and finally a r .. d velvet garment. embrOidered. adorc,,,J. and pr<'pared wllhcostly wb,ts and carbund.s in very !Jr~~t. ~uan~'fles. But th .. ta,lors who made the~e garments were 101 ... ""' •• , and I Clalv .. lIeJ gr.ally when I 5a", ant co~t after anot!·,:c, and one rob. after anoth('r. being fiDlshrd. since I knew that HO {',n~ else besid!'s the bridegroom and tht: hrld" had gon4! into th~ L~.C1Dber. But what most astonIShed me was that a! soon as on .. coal or robe was ready, th.. former on .. s disappeared

before my very eyes. and 1 did not know whithe:r they had vanished nor who had locked them away.

And after this costly coat was flnished. there appeared. the great and mighty king in all his power and glory. and there was nothing like unto him. And when he Iound himself locked in. he asked me in a friendly way. with gracious words. to open the door for him. so that he would be: able to go out. and said it would be to mine advantage. And although I was strictly forbidden to open the chamber. I was so terrified by the great appearance and the sweet power of persuasion of the king that] opened the door Willingly. And when he left he showed himself very friendly and gracious. yea humble. so that one could truly see that nothing adorns persons of noble birth so much as these virtues.

And since he had spent the dog-days in great heat. be was very thirsty. weak. and tired. and he asked me to bring him some of the running water from below under the water-wheels of the mill. This I did. and after he had drunk a grut part of it eagerly. he went back into his chamber and told me to lock the door fast behind him. lesr some ODe should disturb him or awaken him from his slumber.

There he rested for several days. and then called me to

O~11 the door. Bue I observed that he had become Iae mOll' beautnul. full-blooded. and glorious. and he also noticed it. Whereupon he thought it must have been a marvellous and healthy water. and he ordered more of it and drank much more of it than the first tim!. And I resolved to build the chamber much larger. After the king had drunk of this delicious beverage, which the ignorant do not value at all. to his heart's eontent, he became: so beautiful and gloriou, that in all my life I never beheld a ~rson more gloriOUS OC more noble in behavior and character. Thereupon he: led me: into his kingdom and showed me aU the treasure and riches of the world. 50 that I have to admit that not only did the: queen speak the truth. but he abo gave a great part of it to those who know the treasure and can describe it. There was DO ead 01 gold and precious carbunclestones, and the rejuvenation and restoration of the natural powers. as well as restoration of lost health and the taking away of all diseases. was a common thing there. But what Willi most de:lightlui in this kingdom was that the inhabitants knew, feared. and praised their Creator. obtaining from Him their wisdom and knowledge, and Snally. after this earthly joy. the:y obtained eternal glory. To this end may God. Pather. Son. and Holy Ghost help all of us.

AMEN.

The Heavenly and Earthly Eve, Mother of all Creatures in Heaven and on Earth.

The Star of the Kings from the Orient.

God is all eternal uncr eated, infinite, supernatural. selfsustaining, hea vpnl y and existing spirit who hath become in tlw course of nature and I ime a visible. bodily, mortal man.

'1ulur!' is a ('rl'!lled, nat urul, t imely, Jl'fiuit,,- spiritual. ni~ting and bodily spiril , an ;m"i:'(', likeness and shadow, Iashionrd aft!'r lllf' ull!'rl'alea ('t"rnal spirit. hidden and, y<'1 \' isihlo

of Justice

OCULUS DIVINU'S per quem Deus vidit & creavit omnia.

Ever yt hing hath its end! and announces its beginning.

LV\IE".1 r.R.\TJAE, rnrtox

sunt duo Heavenly Eve. The New Birth.

OCULUS NATURAE

,iH Codi, JlI'r 'PH'1lI !I.;"I\lr;o visirnt & fegi I terrc nn omniu.

Lively, mort al, "fr"dive, perish"hIe and 10 b.-- rcbor n "/:;liu.

Ln!E\' N.\TI'I\U:, !'\ nUll :0\ FIl\ 'rn /':S.

Earthly Eve. The Old Birth,

0, Man. 0, \-tan, sr .. how ""d, I hI' Word hath become rna n,

n, "11"",0. \1,,,1. IWlhink II",,· !,"" \'o[Urt' i, II ;:IT'" "",hI. and "'01 Ii Iwrolllr mil II

Innocent I received, Dammed is he. who doth not believe.

T IIIH)(,t-ut I .;:C\ r !JiU'k. ()(' .... I'J .... r· il not to t hiru- UUH ~hrutn'

TI:'\CTl'rl.\ PIn ~I(\ rirgill', milk aud .,wl'al of ~'''I " mother of six (');il<lr(,11 a",1 a !"lrl' virum.

TINCTl'RA COELESTIS S. S. Saerarnent.a.

ROSA CRUCIS

VENITE,

VIDETE. \IDETE, V1DI':TC WhOCHf hath eyes to see. can ami

will see rightly, ~~

~

Seek th.., f'rir-ndshi p or ,~

Archaeo, the conf'idnnt ~ \:)

doorkeeper. ~

~! (.,;

~ .?

IS

$ I tVIf.4.

;;.

PHILOSOPHORUM VENITE, \I\IUCITI': .. \J\n1l;ITE, ;,lIn', \\'I!o("'d'r 11;.11 h f'.tr:-- I r i 1)f'~I..r. -".h.dl

Sp / It/'I b,· cali.," II!,"" I"" 1",,,11:

')--(~ r"r III' hut" ,..-or" ,,11(·-

'(' gj[IlIl'''-' If) nat urr nnd is 11:1 [urr':-i ~!"'fl' I ~~'n'a n1.

sub umbra alarum r u«run,

P. F

.onsurnmutum c,t,

Phoenix with il~ t hrce eggs, the first is full of air. the second hath two yolks. in the third a young cock pecks,

0, not too much. I scratch my

head quite frightened. pauci vero electi.

I know it and thereon I stand'

multi sunt vocati

\L\L ['S

this one time and never again!

Exitus acta prohabit.

Dominus providebit

The Here! cipher. Rev. 13. 18. 666.

In eternity th e h~a"ei1ly Adam and Son of God, .. cipher of mall.

666

The animol, drlll<>n, l.l:M: prophet and whore of Babylon in, with and (hrouch man, without falllt of Cod. N.B.

10 a cipher 01 =1\.

R~v. 13. 666

The urthly Adam, an image and likeness -:of \he heaveruy Ad .. m ie also a eiphee of maD 666 ill hoth eter1\ity aDd time. The animal, Ih~ dracon, f"be pro ph-

Ion.

Man with, in and through Cod, ollt .r ownevii will .,ainst Cod's el>lIImahd without the Iaul I. or Gc.d.

About God and Nature.

Natural Light, Time,

All in A.ll in Heaven and on Earth.

God - Man Heaven - H.n T_ of Life T_ of Death

A di.ille Nature and Being diVIdes i....,1f IIItOJ three different persons in. one hem,:;

3

in!" three different natures or kingdom ",od lIIothu.

Huvenly - Earthly

Ne ... Creature . Old Creature.

John 3. v. e. Born of th. &piril.

Born of the Ilesh

i.e-.- a man '50111 and

in time, of .pi.it and,

From One

..

Quinta Essentia is one and five. l Supernatural.

4 Natural.

, Inward, .Outw!U'd.

The secret cipher. Rev. 13.666,

AeeordiD( to time and the light of Nature.

6bo

Spiritual $ Bodily . 0

Invisrhle Visible.

and

3

I

~\I\J J

+¥s ,

also .2

Who .. v .. r will understand this rightly, begin at the bottom, go to the top; So back again from lop to bottom, and God's wonders thou wilt understand.

.. ' And change it hack again lhrougb the fial or mercy

I: from 1. 2. 3. " and S. So thou art a. master and small earthly God.

These lin the three Principia and Ouinta· Essentia to bring bark to their origin.

everythilll acoordiDg to itA own kiIld ..

MINERALIA

SIGNAT e STAR.

M.ke out Qr ",.t.1 " plut, aut of the pIlUle aD anim&!. out of the t.ni.m&.l a mall.

Back -.:ai.D.

From man iDto animal, {rom ILIlimal mto plut •. lrolll plant into metal. 9

DE

Pet Sal, Sulphur, MerC!'l.lr\\1m Fit Lapi. Philosophomm.

"f'hrouch e. t i.I OW' Ii",'. bo,lnn"IC and thAt of aU thin&&, NB. Ev .... the end of aU evil, &Ad altu jta PUtrd'a.etfoD .. newbirt.h., better tb .... the previo ... cee

c.:mj" ... '" Maternae Ver •. lib. B.

M..ndj fWldum l .. bo,..Ildo c~de mibi. lind e beari.

CoJumbu Aveo A.neidi

Ii J>",'uadurD iD venuHs

b .. ,- "'tum pooleria.

Thou art the beginning and end of life Thou art hope after death.

Saturnu&, the rebirth,

Sol, Luna, its body.

0, .ole love of God in Trinity Have mercy on me in eterniq;,

The dew of the heaven and the Cat of the earth is our art-subjectum or Materia. Cons .. quently it is neither miner .. 1 nor metal; the PyLagorean indicates to us that there are two mercurial substances of one root: Fire and water. Isch-

schamaim, namel¥drawn out of Minera. wherein all metal and miner .. )" are situated. h is a dew of h(',a"ene, Lut a mineral and metallic de .. of heaven, in .. hich are all the colors in the .. orld ... hich may be coagulat"d through artificial operations into a sweet salt, called Manna. into a medicine; Sol pater. Luna Mater. from both these H receives ils light, liCe and splendor, its fiery light-essence (rom the Sun. from the Luna its ... atery light-essence. We find it coag ulat ed and dissolved. This dew falls Irom above into the depths of the earth and its body is made up from the most subt] e parts of the earth. From above this dew receive. its soul. and spirit; fire and liShl go into ils sally body, receiving I h .. p<>",er, of the things from above and below (nempe Virtutes Substantiales.) To our eyes appears this min e ral.dew in white, yr-llo ..... green, red and black colors, these being the only colors visible to our outer eyes. For it appears corporeally to tile ou t er eyes, at times seen by miners in the mounrains, appearing to the outer eye, heavy, watery. and dripping. Neither the miners nor artists know LO ",hat use 10 put it. since Lh"y do not know for .. bat purpose Nature placed il there, nor of .. hal sex it is, nor whether it b .. mineral or met al: all this is incomprehensible and unrecognisable. The best d .... is tl.a! which in color looks like coagulated ,,!ectrum or transparent amber. Whal the wbI"ld uses il for I do not know. yet it is with all its power in all things. The dew itself is always rejected and despised. it separates into two branches, .. hitp. and red, from a single-rooted ,and stands upon this single root, growing like a .. hite and red Rose of Jedcho and blossoms like a lily in the valley of Josaphat , oft-times broken off untimely by miners and is tortured by ignorant workmen. The true art.ist knows iLs influence. and plucks it i.n full bloom, with blossom, seed, root. stem and branches, namely: In full bloom, through the faith of the inner opened eyf's. This is enough said of it s bodily form: II is neither metal nor mineral, bul nevertheless first moth". and mat e ria o( all metals and min e rals,

It is nothing but a Lion with its coagulated blood, and gluten or the while engle.

Whoever seeks it, surfer, FOf' He alone keeps His Yow.

Wboever find. it, be silent, Seek for friends in your mind,

Whoever hold. it. bide it, Be friendly with everybody,

Whoever may use it, do so unbekoo .. n, But trust no one,

Whoevilr is a true Philosophus, No one but God,

Remain nameless, If you do not want to be cheered.

Trust DO one but God, Experto crede Ruberlo.

For loyally new from earth heavenward and left all men who,,", mind is upon earthly mall cr .

LIBER

•

~

...

VIr iF..

CRJllSTV,5

or

The only true way to arrive at the only vood and rivht underatandlnv of God and nature and to attain true perfection.

ENIGMA.

Our (the righl believers) dwdling·ploce is in a da~" (!Tey and sinist~I' castle. bewitch.,d, surrounded (,y a "ery Ihick cloud. !!(> tbat no one may come near it. In Iront of that castle and surrounding it is a line green la .. n. on this a grelu roe-l ... whicb hides the castle, upon the rock is a four cornered pillsr, made of alabester, . on lop or this stands a golden Sceptre, decked .. itb many precious stones. Down from the rock leads a stair .. ay made of II steps DC ",bite marble; around the "nLi .... edifice i. a wide. deep ",ater. On its shore lies a boat at anchor. great 10 look upon, bedecked .. ith blue velvet. Its master and bis servant. .. ear crimson red mantles. Not fat from it springs forth a fresh clear fountain, n~arby i. a pyramid and obelisk on whicb are ":itt,,n the cusloms of this strange island in 7Z languages. Hone .. ants to reach the princely eaetle, and discover it, one has first to pass through a ruined to"er called the uncertain paflll8ge, from there • one can vie .. and estimate the places 10 the sinister and as yel invisible castle; then one comes to aoother lower. called the dangerou" one, tbrough "hleh one musl POSll OD Coot, tben one teaches the rock. on .. hich lhe water beata, and il one louche" lb~ Sceptre thereon .,.ith tbl! middle-finger, and conquers the wolf and a gool, .. hich .. ill appear Muddenly, then will appear a very beautiful virgin. who .. iII give tbe .. i('tOf .... rcatb. s,,-:n;£ying hi" "irlue and braver,. And the cloud. orin part, soon the castle "ill be seen, and the master of tbe easue, in a lung "ilken yello .. roat and deep brown lHlret. will receive tbe new gue.t and lI!ad him unlo all earthly and be • ...-enly bappineJII.

Lord from Thy hands cometh all good. All blessings and all benedictions corne from Thy hand. With Thy fingers Thou hast written the character of Nature which none may read unless he be taught in Thy school. Therefore let us lift up our eyes to Thee. 0 Lord. even as servants look upon the hands of their master and as maids look upon the hands of their mistress, that Thou mayest help us. 0 Lord our God. who should not praise Thee. who should not glorify Thee, the King of Glory! For all things corne from Thee and hearken unto Thee, and must all return to Thee again, being received either in Thy love or Thy wrath. Nothing can escape Thee, all things must serve Thy honor and glory. Thou alone and none other art the Lord. Thou dost what Thou wilt with Thy mighty arm, nothing can escape Thee. Thou alone dost help the humble, the meek and the poor, those who are devoted to Thee with all their heart. In their hour of need, those who humble themselves in the dust before Thee, to them Thou art gracious. Who should not praise Thee, 0 Thou King of Glory; there is none like unto Thee. whose dwelling place is in heaven and in a troubled and virtuous

holy heart. 0 Great God i Thou all in all! 0 Nature! thou everything from nothing, what more then shall I say? I am nothing in myself, I am everything in thee, and I live in thine everything from nothing: live Thou then in me, and so bring me unto the all in Thee. Amen

ABOUT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

Dear Christian brethren: As Jesus Christ, the Son or God will be revealed by the Holy Ghost through His Father aod tbe Father was reVl'lIl~ through His Son, so it wi I! come to pass 1hat [hOS(' whn arr- seemingly Christians will become Christians and all the people will accept thO' Christian h<:lief and will become Cheist ian men. But so far, as one can easily see, Jesus Christ and Christianity have never been rpvpaled, for until I\OW love towards tbe neighbor and loward, God bath twen ('nliedl' closed up and hal.h bern I"JIlmguishf'd aud instead or it, rules the flesh; i.e, idolatry, whoring, drinking, eating, envy, wrath, contention. di!lS('lIsion, murder, mh· ber y, injustice and aU luxury and ambit.ion, all tbis being contrary 10 th .. Revelation of Jesus Christ and IIi. bodily rebirth. Woe upon U5. wretched m .. n, I,bal we are so much opposed !v one anotber' Why do ..... fi~hl each other .... ith claws and teeth. is it tbat tbe love poured out by tile Holy GhO!!t is entirely nli,'guish .. d and dead~ Does no one no longer respect the other map~ Are we like the dumb beasts Ihal one hat h to rend. dr vour and destroy the other. was heaven and the eartb m<!de (or one lDan alone? Nay. 'hal canoot be.

0, ye nobles. counts and knights, do we have to pray to Goo, our Creator. (or the r(,velation and knowledge of Jesus Christ. His Son. wbo is despised and ridiculed, and .. ho is ncyertbel""s the greatest in hr-a ven and on eart.h?

0, ye Theologians. Preachers including all Teachers: Ye should be taught by God and ye should prodaim Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Cmciried. to all people wilb right knowledge and '<,aching and should do so oul or Jove and not for money or motives oC profit. It is also necessery (or YOII to as" Almigh. y Cud Ivr If)(' revelation and right knowledge oC Jesus Christ, tbe Son of God and the Virgin. So th"" you may go ah .. ad as the true lights of this world, before men as you have your illumination rrom God. Learn to know Jesus Chri~t. wbo hath made us for wisdom, (or ju.t~, (Of' holiness, and for salvation. so tbat as it is wrillell; 1-1 ... that glcrieth. let him glory in the Lord. I. Cor. 1. v : 31. So tbere "ill 500n cease righting, quarreling. damnation and heresy and there will lie' only brotherly lo.-e and uoity amongal you, with tbe (ri .. ndlinese or 0(11) mind, one will, one knowledge, one belief, one bl~nellS aDd a perfect love toward a . ndghbor and God.

0, all ye people in this world, rich and poor, wan and woman. young and (Jld, great and ~malJ, let us pray God for the revelation and true knowledge. of His Son, Jesus Christ, that we may live in unity, peace. friendship, patience, kindness. and humbleoes& of heart, that all men in tru. "lIlire .orld may live a5 of ODe heart, one love. one community, one church. one faith and io one mind in Jesus Christ in wbom we and all men shall be bleSeed.

Otherwise we do not kn01l' Jesus Christ. who died lor U8 on 1M ctOlll, and no one should glodly Him .. ith his mouth only, (OF He looketh into tbe heart. and .. here there i~ love, injustice .. iII cease from all thing" whicb are done in all the .... orld.

0, ye people, loving lovingly. love o( all lovee. how easy i, thy yoke lind hoW' light ill thy burden! Thus speaketh the heavenly and eternal Wisdom and Love ItRJr. MaUb. 11. John 3.

Eat, lTLy Beloved, Bec:o:n&

Drink, :my Friends. intoxicated. Cant. 5. v. 1.

Taat. and see how friendly for My Body ilS the right food

is the Lord and think of Me, and My Blood the right drink,

Whosoever eateth My Body Abideth in Me

and drinketh My Blood and I in him,

how the food

ahidet h there unto life eternal.

the flesh of no use, these my words and life.

That is affecteth what is imperishable but

For the Spirit is life-giving. and are spirit

T'aulerus.

Taulerus.

The true sopper is the. eesemtet. powerful nnd al mi@hty presence or JC9U!5 Christ. the Son oJ the living Gild.

\\~hl:'ne v r-r Cod waut s 10 g iv e ,,::I the sweet savour or His Iove and kindness, Ill' Himself becomes food a nd drink of OUI" souls.

God ill light c nd in Him is no dn r k ncss u.t, ail. But if IO~'Rhip wIth one another, and 1M tJ ... >~Hl o')f J(,,~U9 L'ht ist,

~'t' \\'~lk ill tht· ughl AS He is jn t hc li,ght. WI: have fclHis Son olce nac t h US: [ron) u-ll 510. 1 Jobu 1_ v , 7

For Our sins was He wounded and

through His wounds we were healed.

INGREOERE.

pl'r Vi turn LUCIS.

EGREDERE.

per Vi am CRUCIS.

To him that o'\'cl·(~"nH.·lh. will I gi v (, to ea~ of t!I~" hiiJdf'U l\1anna. aud will gjVf'> him OJ while s rtoru-. and in t.hu st oue a np.w n nrne written. which no n: ... \l1 ~n(}'H'lh sav ing he t\H~t r ecc-iv e t.h it. Hcv. 2. 'Y. 17.

Christ is the tr un k u nd It..,· of l ife Ilor()lI~h which Ihe bit te r w at er (If Mara was sweetened, and what ar .. we but His Iwil" und hr-u n .. h~,. lhrouj.!h which II" bear fruil in,,, by His power All those mad" white in the hit ter ness of this lime limited life were' r e brir n through Ll irn into the swceteness or eternal life.

His soul i s th(lo r.ssof"nti<!.i lhinJ.( ill rTl)' sou]. .and for 'h:J.t, Snur:-; S-<.I.kf> (;qd hath necorno man, that we me y become Godlike in and rhrough Jljrn in t hr- h.1\"1; n nd 1if(~ of Jf'5US Chri:-;I So that WE~ may IH~ r ehor n and ruvealed in th'l.~ eternal hea..,- ... (-nly irnage into a d i v i ne lift>. 0 .\1 .. n : It lS a grpat unfat homud Sr-r ret. when we oorm- tu consider it and remember Lhat W~ n r e in Ch:ri~t mcru lser-s of 0[\(" llOd~,. and all of us are in lIilU lUI t ()ne_ T'hat ~lll Dr us r-ecei ve and benefit from the One Cbrlst and t h at w ... ~ arr- a nd rr-main in I h~~ sarne Chri~L .l.l untfi.·d h(,dy, whic-h b(ldy is I If· Hjm~(>lf. And w r- ate the body and Lhe members t iicreof. Yes. we co'" ,i ... 1 ""d ho",,,'! l(>gdJ,j>r witl, and in Him to One \Ian. and t.his Man is each sev. "rally ill C!'ri.'l. Through til!" m e di u m of brE'"rI and win!' WE' all eut and drink Christ', body and blood with the Essential dr-sir« u nri des iro us belir-ytng- m out h , t.he fi(~ry love aud lif'e mouth of {JUT souls. T'h« reul i n nej-rnost. man. OJ creature or par adi se and of et er n it y, an i mng c of God, i~ hidden u nrle r the bn~ss a nimal form. :and desires a spir it ua! nutriment Of Tinctur aud t herefor« e a r s Chr isrs spiritual f]I',h and bl"od. for hI' is a spiritual bring.

The soul's hu ng'er fOl tllP t r nc h .. ~;"f is rlo ... dj vin> xpirit u al mout.h, "uling unci drinking. in th,· innermost. d',plhs of the .",,1, Christ', BOIly and Blond. ,,'Iwl ... vr-r cornet b from t he Spirit und consists of t.he Spirit. that is I he greatest and hil!;hc-!',t nut r irnr-nt of the souls. The ~pirit ual hu rurr y (ire of th~ soul n.~aehc!": for , grilS-p"-, t':ats. and dr i uk s, with it.s spirilu·al. opened. bel ie v ing mouth the lHliy iuconccivable hping. ChrisL'~ Ftc sh .and Blood. It takf"s r h i s supcrnut ur al holy esscnt.ial power through the m edj u m of brcad .and \'I;inl\ tbnfug:h which m~"tIjum t hr- inYi~jbl(' .:tf'rnul br-co mes one with the visiblr-, spirrt uai. iUllnort.ul -eir-rnal hUUliJn b('ju.g; u nder st a nd: Fu it h b£'e()nH~S through this t.ra us.Ios-mut.ion a br iog, II spiritual flesh ;,lml bluod. Fur OIW fi.Ai1h cun grasp thr" other: TIlt! «urnest fait.h of the livillg ~I'asp~ f(H t.he et er nul : And is so mighty aUtl powerful t hat it cal) 0"·i .. -r t hrow the mnunt ains und IHOVe lhcIn ('bewhert~_ 1'1.('; true aud esseutj al faith of luau is. Christ Hirusr-lf', wh» is ill him a nd "bi,h'11I in him ""d is his W'" H"d light. Ikllol,/. this i~ 1.11" "'''}' wt- are b"ing purified through t.lw faith and el1lil'lIl,,,,,,d ""d iu"\'ir~<l I"rotl~h t he 1I,)ly (awol. The I'fOSS animal, which is o nlv the outer shell, receivet h only an "I"m,,"tal I".,;nl' ur eur t hl y fu,,,1 ant! "1\\5 of the p('ri~habk world.1wirol' 0I0l of whicio he himself consist.s. But the soul is 'Of (~od and of His words. Mark : As is the mou t h , sso is ;'lls.) the food: Every Pri ncipium foU1.S and driuks of it s likr-ness : Every s uir i t. f~"lo:.;. and drinks of that Iro m w hich it carne forI I!, and in wlltls~~ dt~t)th~ or Cen tr urn it ~Iawh~~h: Fur what hath Il~hl in cornruo n wit.h dark[les.~) II. (.'annot «ompr ehcrrd it.

The nat.ur ul, Iw-.u-Utl and lJ("r'sl.al)14~ L(u:ty rCi'!"f\TS its food fronl the (~arl.h: a nd th~ ~jd('r("al. vnluti le and perishable hody ig fvod f,.om t h ... Fir m.uuen t.: hut t.hr. Spirit of tlu- LOI·d i-, the life- of souls and the life of the innermost inunortal lif'e.

Th{~ i n ncrm ovf. nran u s 'IH' pu rr: Ada m ir powvr-bod y ...... i t h hilS br-aut iful. lJ10S\'U. grari .... ius, hca ve nl y l~t·id(.', re-cc-i ves in ~rrat love. (ksirc ill his ~pir~t unl bclif· v illC; IIJoutl. t.w in\"i;sabfoE'. spir t ual IH'j(lg alld ~opr.:rn(itllraJ ~U~.(l"f~llly flp:oih of Christ, U tincture of l ite , a p('q){:lr~\liJl~ fi(T)' (0\(' a nd power being, for faith h t hr- r-or nr-rst nne. i hc bc;;inuer and thf" finishpr, ('fft'(""tjn~, r.h!" right cnnf·!·n)OsL. drrnar ~al)bath In t.~H~ i nner-mos t d("pth!-l of our soul«, ,~frt'Cl\ng'. a l so t he power of (;od I hrou;..;h lh<' lnvp of Jf!s!J:s in q'li('t t.ranquilil y and pf!tl{'(·ful bli~s.

Chri:o;.t hath not g:i .... ('n unto His rli~l'iple.> tht~ ('r~aturdy being, l~w out.~'r tuu!r-r:-,land:JiLk fr('shly nuru.lll nature-. llay \\'ho:<.(,€' ... ·('r di~('Pf"IH·th nol. IhC" body of thr L~,I'(I ;UH! f'oltl'th und drlnio..t·th tht-' iJread ;)"d win". r4TP.i:vp,h 1 .. lin1. Ulltu his ('on· dcmnatiolt. lie ~u\"(' ilwll"l Itt!"' ~piritu,,1 fLulnan natUf(', th(' PIIWPI" of His body and h'oll,l. t-I holy, h(".~~vcIl1y uody lire- and lo'\··('fin{'~~. ;~ 'pir;'u.i.~1 h ... in~ i_ :oO.p!rita;~1 IUH1) 1'his He brollg:hl down f .. orn h(·iJ.H·n in y,.·hich is lIIHl('r~toud Lhl' di .... ·iuc ijnd plf'rn.:l} hUlnrUI pOWC-f Thi~ ]If:- inlrudIH.'(>lh Jnto our hod)', rnade \'10 hite by the lit;bt, ~o thaL He InaJ..ctb u:;. JI'\C again IhrpL1~h His hf';:\vrnly c:xisirlll'(' in our b~'dit>~.

~u Ttlort.al ('r~atur(' ('an fool.. upon a .... p;r\tua! hi'jng'. flluch le . ..;~ ('au \'\ t' gr;J~I). handle and pujrly il wit.h our earthly moL'tnllllf1ulk Bul .so('h i;.j ('OIl{-«;).· .. bJI' and f."lmp"I:"hl'n."il~le to lhr- ~pirjl l)f Ihe ~r)uJs ~t,jnd;lI~ In the divine Centro, for He, n1flst. iF- (hr bOll:-· (~f Ilw ~piri! :tIlJ thof'" :.:pirit of tlll' h(.Hly. ill out sours budy \ ... ·hil'h fli' givf'th unIt") us to 4'at ill faith. No tnnrlal and UI.lwI)rthy rnan can f(';:kh .uHf r~'.:civ .... It", uC\chanf.{,,-,uGk and Ind('~('libabj,. twa\·rllly lIn'ad vf t"1(~nuty. mudl jt:~s C~n he t:l.lc of it.

:\,YITf\C :\fEHCY w
L ~ --- ::;
r.1 g ~ "'"
t::I -a <:
'" '" c "
" s... "D"- ,I CHRIST r.l ~
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t::I ~ :..;,
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? ~ ;..:; '..tl
:j ..., 0.. ...J
FLF~II Sf'II, IT c: Thill is the revelation and the testimony and the true knowledge of J.C-. God and !\fan. the living Book of Life. all heavenly and earthly wisdom in heaven and on earth. the scaled book according to time and etl'T· nity. And I saw on the right hand of Him that sat on the throne, a book written within and on the backside, sealed witb seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy 10 open the book, and to loose the seals thereor~ And no man in heaven. nor in earth. neither under the earth, was able to open the book. neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the hook, neither to look thereon. Rev. 5. And he said unto me, these sayings are (aithful and true. to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Seal not the sayings of the prophecy oC this book: for the time is at hand. Rev. 22. v . 6. 10, Blessed is he whose name is written ill the book or liCe. And I will not blot out his name out of the living book -of the lumh. Philip. I. Y. 3. R .... L :t v, 5. Rev. 21. v. 27. And whos~ver was not found written in the book of lir~ was cast into the iake of fire. Rev. 20. v. 15. Behold, I come. quickly; Blessed is he that kocpeth I he sayings of the prophecy of this book. Rn. 22. 'Y. 1.

The Sealed Book.

Rev. 5.

The four bands tied together, i.e., Alpha and Omega, Eternity and ,\,\I1et::?3WA Time, and the one wheel to look upon not unlike four wheels. and all four were one like the other, as being one wheel in the other. So are the four beasts Ezek. I. and the four beasts Rev' 4. 5. & 19 and the foursquare city of God fashioned after the measure of a man. Rev. 21.

And behold: in the rnidst; of the throne stood a lamb as it was slain and had seven horns and seven eyes, the:;e are the 7 spirits of God, sent into all countries. i.e .•

The Seven Seals.

And I heheld a beast COIning up out o£ the earth.; and he had two horns. like a lamb and he spake as a dragon; and he exerciseth all the power of the first heast; and he causeth all to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, that no rn an might buy or sell. save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name: i. e. 666.

Here is wisdom. for it is the number of a man. n", 13.

{I, Wi,d~ in one book
2. Power In one stone J
All 3. Beauty in one flower is and is called
4. Riches III one trcll5Url'
5. Blessedness in one esLate IESUS CHRISTUS a. t w

Crucifixus & Resuscitatus.

That is:

The well, the tree, the light and the right hook of life and of the lamb, he who hath that,

Understandeth all things in heaven. on earth and under the earth, and cometh forth therefrom, and all other books bear testimony thereof alone.

This is the revelation and testimony and tbe true knowledge of J.C .• G and M. the living book of life, all heavenly and earthly wisdom in heaven and on earth, the opened book according to the Word and His holy mortal existence in the world and in lime. which God hath given unto his servants. And I saw a mighty angel come down lrom heaven clothed wilh a cloud and he had in his right hand a little book open, and I heard a voice lrQlll heaven saying unto me; go and lake lhe I\ule book which is open in the hand of the angel. and the voice spake again and said: Take it and eat it up; and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was biller. And he said unto me: Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues. and kings. Rev. HI. And another book was opened. which is the hook of life. Rev. 20. And one of the elders saith unto rne : W~p not. behold, 'he Lion of the tribe of Judah, the RoOI of David. hath prevailed 10 open the book. and to loose the seven seals thereof; and he came and look the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had [a ken the Look. the four beasts and four lind Iwenty eldprs fell down hdorp th .. Lamb and spake: Thou art worthy 10 take the hook and to open the seals thereof. Rev. 5. H", that hath un par. Il'l him heat what tla' Spirit

saith unlo the churches. Rev. 2. & 3. He that hatb an ear, let him hear. here is ... ;,;,10111. An. 13.

The 1st Band.

The Lamb with both it's horns, i.e., the 1 heavenly and earthly kingdom according to the pa':ernoster, and Rev. 13.

The 3rd Band_

rhe old birth, the 1 'lId Testament, the QUrning. zealous law. b;xod. 20.

I

L e.

S.ignal.Star.

Candles.

Church~s

Seals

ReL 1. 2. 3. 1. 5.

The opened book with it's seven seals.

r- ~R~e~v./I~O.~.----------------~

TI,. 1 ... venly Trioil\, rn il. heaven- The earthly hob' Trin;ty in Ill"', "'

Jy fXL"ltcnrr.:, in the spirit :lTl invi-i the "'urd and ncsh, u \'i~lhh' arid

IAe Clld. Exod 3.:;.6.1. ~ 111. 0.,,1 I>odtly God in II .. 1011'1;"0:;". 1.11 I.

s &: 7. ~1~!lh. !~. I Tim. 3. LV). 21. 2 Cur. ;,

Eternity

The 2nd Band.

Both natures united, the Godhead and Humanity in the one person of J.e.

Ph~!o~oph.

SignatStar Th .. Eurthly Puradisf'

AScend and I ..

The 4th Band.

Th. new hirth, the new Testarnent, the gracious Goapel.

Clo~ the book again with it's seven seals opened. that it may become again the Iirst scaled hook, heavenly in thr 'In ,.,iblr God Ami the Spirit moveth in God, and the PPfson in th~ S(HI and the father in the Word. and thus is scaled 11,1' lIoly Trinity or the three heavenly. spiritual. invisible, eternul Persons lu,it •. ·d ill the earthly. temporal, vi~ihle. bodily Trinity of the One Person and Mankind J.C .. G. and M. And His Mortal Bei .. I' is a throne. scat, heaven, house and dwelling-place is the undivided eternal Trinity, entirely rn heaven and on ~arth, and that is the sealed book. til!' revelation, the true knowlccl~e and Ic"limoI1Y or J C .. G. and M. For in Him dwelleth th" fulness of lht' Godhead bodily, as the holy wisdom saith. John 9. 10. 12. 11 & 17. and Coles, 2.

JE8US CHB.lSTUS

the foundation and. living corner-stone in Sion

for to ••• out of the depth of the spirit and truth, means LIFE ETERNAL,

and

TO LOVE FROM THE HEART

JESUM

i8 better by f81 than to know all things,

Summa Surnlnarum: This is the final conclusion: Hidden in these two proverbs is everything within the heavenly and earthly light, and he that rightly understand6 eth these proverbs in eternity and time is a right and true Theosophus, Cabalist, Magus and Philosophus and he that knoweth how to interpret these two proverbs according to the Alpha and Omega is a man well t.o be trusted and believed. And also thou canst test anybody who can thus do this, and weigh him on the R. C . • cal •.

Mark this well!

1.

In Christ. the visible, understandable God and Man. dwelleth the entire heavenly invisible divine nature of the holy Trinity. that is: God. Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

2.

In the visible, understandable. beautiful Gold, dwelleth the created invisible earthly, perfected nature, the earthly natural Trinity, that is: Sulphur, Mercurius and Sal.

bodily,

bodily Col. ~.

o F~L I~I

TR UM

PHILOSOPHOR.

j The natural Sun of the Philosophers II Spiril. Life. Light .. lid

Fire, and II shadow of the eternal Sun, emerges from his CHAOS and in tl\{)

The Sun of

Justice. Mal.i.

Ihe inconceivable Son of God. a S,·>irit. Lifl'. Light and Fire. and a likeness of the ~ ;!;ibl .. eternal Cod. That is:

The word became fll'sh and a bodily man.

The golden

EXIVIT EX MA TERIA IN MATERI ATU

M

and

silver River.

gel1<"ral

P~I<f rhil",.,vhN.

E",d. 31. z-o B~13lcrl snd hi!"; l .. ho:r:wt!'i out or !ht"lf own calling

2 1\1..., c 1, 20 21. \\·,,1,. (1\J' t.hi~ water 1 t-h"" 1.:t'.(II'~ 3"t~ (·ould al'llH'\"(' nnlh-

TURA

II. that hath ""~" me hath well fht' rathr:r. For the I""th~. u,,·r1kth it> It,. and 1 in )lim. 'ond mjF..the •.. re One, John 14. 9-11 4r 10. 30.

Th(" ~!It.:.l)t .ful J:;~.mln(.'r f)f the Gold makcth (,~~tl~ out ~I.li mrm}' rnr.n, th.Cf'(,(Ofl" a A v V moet become a stone 01 Gold ror the fool.

, 1<1 \~NO ..., hghl. ; John 4, 2t.

and G. ~ becorn •• C

body.

Whal,,!!v(,r Ii,,·,.~ i~ more nab I. ,h.no dc.d bod)·

Haec An djv;na

N.)O posuit nisi bin a.

Sulpbur pUflatum Me'I'curium que lavalurn.

One

inconceivable

H~ thaI hath ears to hear shall hear what Christ. God and Man and Gold say. and how tb~y reveal themselves.

WO<'. woe to all heretics and sophists t,,,liUling this G. rock and this (;. stone and do not want 10 rf'C()gni~ lh~m.

Father and Moth.r .s long as the world .tand •.

01 Fili chare, noli nimis alt~ votare

Si nimis alte voI8~. poteris ecmburere pennas.

L.t this b. a warning to those that always want to be Know-aUa.

o Man. how long wilt thou lack Knowledge, how long wilt thou not even Know Thyself'?

The Earthly Sun

Fire and light were the beginning. On. 1: •. 3. Fire will be the end. 2. Pet. 3. Y. 10.12.

I am Nature'. paIaee aDd co~tap.

Defy him that .peo.keth &pinal me.

FIGURA CABALISTICA

of the Wonderful Cipher 1. 2. 3. 4.

The Hral!enly Sun

with hi, rainbow and • colourl'.

NATURA.

1. lhe retl colouI"

2. 1M yeila", eatou,.

3. tM green e%w

4. lht pU1'pl,. ("0(01/1'

e and ])

have to be darkened and have to become black.

Mortificatio. ~~

1. Straighl natural fire

2. SUpfrnaturol fire

3. Fir, agaill8t nolur/!

4. Unnatural fire

Natu,", hath to work in th",IISh iu.elf in The r"ht way thou abalt the natural and

Fire and light were. 2. Cor .•. v.6.

Fire and light will be. l.Tim. 6.v. 16. 1. Jobn. 1. v. 6.7. The phiiooopber·. SUIl for him who beholdeth.

!\.I.v po .... r .. in and .. bove lhe e.rth.

About the natural and 8upernatural fire.

Th •

1

Th. invUdble and visible fir. of the 4 Element •.

light

.. • ..

::I o

• ...::

..

- o

-

o

E

...

-

with hi. rllinbow ""d • eo10ul.

TINCTURA.

blGck colour /. ,rten colour 2. ",hite colour J. r~d r.ololl, 4.

~~

v. ..

C:)])1, ~ IlL ~ 1f 3-

The prelim« 0 > dry WAy inary work 4 I

Solve ot + eoa.wa Conuptio ~ repaeratio Sub6eq. uent. ~ wet ... ay work ~

;1""If, out of jfeel( And

a n&tunU way.

So, wiU lead thee 10 8piritual life.

lWm. 11. v. 36. Of Hbn al\d through Him and to Him are all things. Act. 17. v. 28. In Him we live and move and have our being.

18U.l8l8 8'tL God who i. above all and through all and in you all. Epbn .•. v. 6.

·~80W.l.UU!

I

God is aU in all. I. Cor. 12. v. in h.av.n

28. In eternity and time, and the hell.

WbRt h.lp "..., Sun, Moon, Fire and Light. ric'" way and I.t, a ",ill o'

o God, ho .. deep in darkn_ Everywbel'e" the _rldl

How deep .. the .. orld ill foou.b_

And how i. the .. orld amicted with bliadneoa. The rilbt way .. alao poor.

I wOllder how one aoee utrtLy,

That one cannot lind NUOII ill Nature, So OOll8Wll&te are Nature'. worb;

All thill ;. done throuJh God'. &rIICII aIcme, Without it all is vaiD.

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~ THE UNCREATED AND THE UNFATHOMABLE

PRIMUM MOBILE.

The created PRIMUM

Fiat

And the Spirit Qf God

finite MOBILE.

moved upon til. Ieee of the

Lux

Whoever doth not want this name must

Ask my Ioraiveness and say: Amen.

Hide my tre as ure, meke-u nol public.

Unle ss h .. proveth his teachings with miracles.

NOON

The early Rosicrucians said, "The Stone of the Philosophers is to be found everywhere, Jet is fully unknown; it is both noblest and lowliest, mineral and not mineral; it has a special relationship to fire, , ." -- Rudolf Steiner explained that "Carbon played an enormous role in the ancient Mysteries, for it was called the Stone of the 'Wise, the Philsopher's Stone. Carbon appears on earth in many forms - as diamond, graphite, coke, coal. and so on," - This illustration from Michael Maier's Atalanta Fugiens, 1618, shows the Philosopher's Stone as present everywhere - under men's feet, in the heavens. on water, on the hillsides.

~& ~fftn tjccinl tlfc()( ODtr '2)riUml

~nn ~ctnall1icl2r (tOrn tt«:tn.

A ·Woodcut from Heinrich Khunrarh's Von Hvlealischen ... Algemeinen Natuerlichen Chaos ... , Magdeburg, 1616. On the red and black printed title page of this work, which appeared in the same year as The Chymica/ Wedding, is an owl. wearing spectacles, holding two larches, flanked by lighted candles. The owl exclaims:

"What good are torches, Light or spectacles,

To people who will not see?"

A number of writers have found Rosicrucian motifs in this very curious device.

HEINRICH KHUNRATH'S AMPHITHEA TER OF ETERNAL WISDOM, 1609

(Notes by the Editor)

The following eleven plates - here published as a complete series for the first time since their first appearance in 1609- are considered to be among the most important and remarkable mystical drawings in the world. The order of the plates follows that of the copy formerly in the library of Isaac Mver, eminent American authority on the Cabala. Careful study and comparison wilI show that these plates include motifs which later appeared in The Chymical Wedding and The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians.

Plate 1.

Heinrich Khunrath (1560-1605)

The early Rosicrucians said, "The Stone of the Philosophers is to be found everywhere, yet is fully unknown: it is both noblest and lowliest, mineral and not mineral; it has a special relationship to fire ... " -- Rudolf Steiner explained that "Carbon played an enormous role in the ancient Mysteries, for it was called the Stone of the Wise, the Philsopher's Stone. Carbon appears on earth in many forms - as diamond, graphite, coke, coal, and so 011." - This illustration from. Michael Maier's Atalanta Fugiens, 1618, shows the Philosopher's Stone as present everywhere - under men's feet, in the heavens. on water, on the hillsides.

Plate III. The Portal to the Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom

Plate IV. The First Stage of the Great Work

Plate V.

The Journey to the Heights

Plate VI. The Castle of the Mysteries

Plate VII.

The Word of the Mysteries

Plate VIII. The Defense of the Mysteries

Plate IX. The Philosophical Androgyne

~;Y;::;~j

!. """liS.' fs,mbltlilll'll ~"' non LEGIS , J',,'matttt ail ttJ fll;. '" 0 ". D,"'.:17.,

"'-'"--=oIt: ... ..-J

Plate X.

The Macrocosmic Aspect of the Great Work

Plate XI.

The Ultimate Goal

Plate I. Heinrich Kh unratli (1560-1605), Physician and Author, born in Saxony, educated at Basel, pr.lctised Medicirre in Hamburg and Dresden. died in poverty and obscuri tv at forty-five. Rudolf Steiner indicated his importance as "A Theosophist who. in a moment of enl iuh tcnruen t. discovered the law of Becoming and Decaying" in the working of the forces behind external Nature. This plate is the Frontispiece of Khunrath's most important hook. T'hr A m.ph itheater of Eternal lFisdorn, published posthumously by his friend, Ernst Wolfart, Hanover. 1609. ~ Details of the engraving" are of considerable interest. Crowned as a "Son of the Doctrine," his life-motto, "Thy grace is sufiicirnt for me," Khunrath is shown before a table. upon which is the Bible, opened at Psahn 71: 17, "0 God, thou hast taught Inc From my youth; hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works." The watchful dog is always associated with Hennes and the Hermetic mysteries. At the left, what Rohert Fludd in his The Rosicrucian Brotherhood. included in the present volume, refers to as "the strongest pillars of Wisdom" - Magic, Cabala and Alchemy - are shown in book form, resting upon the foundation of the Bible, with Medicine and History as supporting elements.

Plate II. Title Page of The Aniphitheat.er of Eternal TVz"sdom. The extraordinary mystical engravings on copper il lustra ting this work, here reproduced as a complete series, are clearly related to later Rosicrucian writings and drawings. - The keynote to a11 spiritual striving is shown by the words "Work" and "Pray" inscribed on the two pi l1ars. The right-hand pi llar is rela ted to Luna, the Moon, the night, the "inner" aspect, the left-hand pillar to Sol, the Sun. the day, the "outer aspect. The path between the

two leads to the fruit of Perseverance in the form of a laurel wreath which a hand from the heavens extends above the head of the author, here shown as representative of all who faithfully carry out the Great Work.

Plate III. The Portal to the Amphitheater of Eternal Wi5dorn. The inscriptions, as the statement at the bottom of the plate indicates, were written by Khunrath, "faithful lover of Theosophy and Doctor of M eclicine," on the basis of "a true Philosophy" which embraces "Christian Caballa, Divine Magic, Phvsio-Chernistry" (Alchemy). They are composed of three languages, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, reminiscent of the wisdom of the Ancient World, reminding; one of the Gate of the Temple of Solomon, the Portal leading- to the Greek Mysteries, and the Entrance to the Lower World depicted by Dante in the mighty record of his own spiritual Initiation, The Divine Comedy. - On the left face of the gateway is inscribed, "Indeed (it is) a Mystery, one truly divine, which win entice all observers, especially the Innermost (Mystery), which will rightly call forth their wonder and love." On the lower right face is written, "God has given all things rightly to know, to have power, and to be." - Uniting these two inscriptions, on the curve of the rocky arch is written, "All in All," and the keystone, resting upon the very top of the arch, warns, "Far away remain, 0 you profane ones!" (This inj unction appears also in The Chymical Wedding] though in slightly different words.) Within the opening itself seven guiding statements greet the aspirant. These are numbered, and read: 1. "Be washed; you will be clean." II. "God, One Creator of all; they shall be blessed by other powers." III. "To the First, sacrifices and prayers; to inferiors, hymns. IV. "If the prayer has been offered to inferiors, unless they be mes-

,

sengers of the First, it is no service." V. "Our offerings shall be acceptable to God. and for us they shall be reverence and awe." VI. "To them, according to the stage of proba tion. it shall be joyful obedience." VII. "The holy rituals whose Mysteries YOll are about to practice, sha1l be open to the worthy, but closed to the profane." - These seven guide-lines are reflected in the seven steps leading into the temple of the Mysteries. Of the six figures in the center of the picture, three stand outside and discuss, but show no sign of entering, two are mounting the steps with some hesitation. while only one, arms lifted in joyful anticipation, moves rapidly and energetically toward the light within. - It will be noted that the gateway to the Temple opens inward) and the aspirants move forward in darkness toward the light which shines up from within. At the outset is graphically shown that "the Light which shines in the darkness" is reached through an inner path, and the first step upon it - as Rudolf Steiner reminds us - is Stu dium, Study.

Plate IV. The First Stage of the Great Work. What at first may appear to be a "realistic" representation of the laboratory of an Alchemist, upon further study is shown to be a presentation of spiritual facts and relationships. In the midst of a great hall, the floor design of which converges upon a closed sanctuary at the back of an arched space, supported by four columns, is placed a table upon which is shown" an assortment of objects, including musical instruments, writing materials, books. and a set of scales. At the right are the external implements of the "work" aspect of things, reminiscent of the right-hand column shown on the title page reproduced in Plate II. At the left is a tent-like structure, circular in form, reminding one of the

'-"

tent of the Israelites on their journey through

the desert. This occupies the same relative position as the column inscribed "Pray" in the title-page of Khunrath's book. That this is not the really final goal of spiritual striving is shown by the "temporary" aspect of the tent-sanctuary as compared with the highly "fixed" nature of the temple-sanctuary in the distance, reminding one of the divine Reality toward which everything in the foreground strives. The arms of the kneeling figure are lifted in the same gesture as that of the eager aspirant at the top of the steps in Plate III. On the cloth-covered table is an open book at the right, which, together with the inscribed tablet hanging above, indicates the spoken and written word. At the left of the table is shown an open book in which can be seen two drawings very like those in The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians. These show the picture-aspect of the word, in which the eye plays the leading role in contrast to the ear. The sanctuary lamp within the tent reminds one that the word is also a light, and the rising smoke of burning incense at the left indicates the fragrance of reverent prayer. - In conclusion we can say that this illustration indicates that only by the path of devotion can the true goal, the revelation of the Mystery concealed within the closed Sanctuary, be attained. The saying, "To labor is to pray," is here balanced with "To pray is to labor." As Nicholas Valois, the 15th century adept, wrote; "The good God granted me the divine secret through my prayers and the good intentions I had of using it well, for the science is lost if the purity of heart is lost." - In true Rosicrucian strivings, science and art 'went hand in hand with inner purity and spiritual devotion.

Plate V. The Journey to the Heights. The Mountain of the Philosophers, the Mountain of Initiation, is shown as the goal of man's spiritual striving.

Many of the motifs in this engraving are comparable with those described in The Parabola and The Chymical Wedding. For example, the boat at the lower left, the mill in the center, the "guardian" sitting in the cave at the foot of the ascending steps, the oratory halfway up the mountain at the right. and the summit formed of crystalline columns. in the midst of which the "Portal to the Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom of the Sun" is shown. A significant point is indicated in that the main source of the river flowing downward from left center of the plate, seems to be in the church, the spire of which, like a sign of aspiration, rises upward. Thus it can be said that religious devotion is the source of a spiritual striving which finds its ultimate in the "Eternal Wisdom" of the heights. - This entire scene, however, is shown to be in truth a meditation-picture unfolding before the eyes of the kneeling figure at the lower right. He is shown "alone" on his island of meditation, open book on the ground. arms halflifted in wonder, as he gazes upon the panorama before him. - If one compares the gesture and position of this man with that of the "eager" aspirant in Plate III, repeated in the kneeling figure in Plate IV, one can readily see that the same person is depicted, hence. a progressive spiritual development is indicated.

Plate VI. The Castle of the Mysteries. The outermost wall surrounding the castle is divided into 21 sections, each with a gateway. All but one of these sections have no exit, showing ~ as the inscriptions indicate - false ways to the attainment of the spiritual go~I. The 20 "cells" communicate with each other. making a bewildering labyrinth for the unwary. The 21st path is the true one, but the inner sanctum is watched over by a "guardian." Some aspirants have climbed to

the top of the surrounding inner wall, but they cannot reach the solution of the mystery though ~ like many of the guests at the C hymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz - they know many secrets very well indeed, "for the Art is lost if the purity of heart is lost." - Within the Castle, two figures greet the aspirant with the words .. Pray theosophically, work physio-chernicallv." - He passes through 7 stages of developnlcnt, coming at last to the great goal, presided over by the winged dragon. - These and other details of this plate (including the figures, buildings, etc. in the outer sections of the drawing) invite careful study and comparison with motifs of The Chymical Wedding and designs in The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians.

Plate VII. The Word of the Mysteries. Beneath a brightly shining sun, the words of the Mysteries are inscribed "triumphantly" in the face of an everlasting "pyramid of rock," as "a revealed secret" for all "the world" to read. - But few heed the message, and life goes calmly on, as shown in the peaceful landscape in the background. However. the little circle of men in the foreground, separated from a rocky cliff by a swiftflowing stream, is stirred by the inscription, but thus far all they do is "talk." - The text inscribed on the rock in Latin and Cerman is taken from The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, one of the earliest of all Hermetic writings extant, which had a profound influence upon Alchemists and Rosicrucians alike. (See Edouard Schure, The Great Initiates and C.R.S. Mead, Thrice Greatest Hermes) - At the right, the footway beside the flooding torrent is reminiscent of the adventure with the mill-race in The Parabola, and certain other motifs are shown here which are repeated in The Chymical Wedding as well.

Plate VIII. The Defense of the Mysteries. Bigots and pedants attacking the teachings and ri tuals of the Mysteries are shown in composite animal-human forms. Above. the hum of "insects" fills the air with hatred. g-ossip. slander. jealousy and poison. (One is reminded, for example, of Marinus Mersennus' attacks as described by Robert Fludd in The Rosicrucian Brotherhood, included in this present book.) ~ But protected by the downstreaming- influence of the MacrOCOSITI, the Great Work goes forward undisturbed, sheltered from profane eyes by ten flames and the rocks of the grotto. At left and right, reminiscent of the two pillars on the title-pag-e of the hook (see Plate II). two men - the one at the right clothed in everyday dress of the world of "Work," the other at the left clad in cultic garments of "Prayer" - defend the Mysteries. - It is interesting to note that the adept on the left side has his foot firmly planted on the serpent. his divided rod over the latter's back as though to control its movements, while the novice at the right apparently does not see the serpent half hidden beneath the hush, coiled, ready to spring upon him. - Within the grotto itself are seen the lion, dragon and fountain, similar to motifs to be found in The Chvmical Wedding.

Plate IX. The Philosophical A ndrogyne. The united Sun and Moon - the pillars of "Prayer" and "Work" of the title page, (see Plate II) bring to birth the mystic Azoth, the bird of immortality, sometimes referred to as the universal Mercury, the invisible, eternal fire, the astral light, the measureless spirit of life. In a well-known woodcut the physician, Paracelsus is shown holding a sword, his hand resting upon a ball which crowns the hilt. This ball is marked "Azoth," indicating yet another aspect of this creation, that of the Stone of the Philosophers, the consummation of

the Creat Work. - That this affects all worlds is shown by the surrounding heavens with the Light of the Divine Name above, the globe of the earth beneath. Thus, through his deeds, man himself becomes a cooperator in the progress of evolution. - The designs in circular form below the male-female figure, and the globe of the earth, arc reminiscent of certain similar motifs in The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians.

Plate X. The Macrocosmic Aspect of the Great Work.

The tenfold flames of the divine Virtues, reflecting the tenfold rays of the divine world of the Archetypes overspread the twofold kneeling figure in the center, whose arms are lifted in "Work" and "Prayer". reminiscent of the two pillars on the title page of the book itself (see Plate II). In the upper right the 'Tables of the Law are balanced by the open Book of Praise (repeating the threefold Hallelujah from the title-page of the book), with its Seven Seals. In the triangular border around the centra] figure the words Body. Soul (Anima, Mind), and Spiri t are to be seen.

Plate XI. The Ultimate Goal. The cosmic aspect of the Christ, here shown as the central point of evolution of the world and humanity, is surrounded by the tenfold Sephiroth, the flames of the divine Glory, the mystical Threefold One of the Godhead. Beneath is the Phoenix. symbol of death and Resurrection; the sign of eternal rebirth. Sometimes referred to as "the mystic RosePanticle," this plate has been cited as proof of Khurirath's affinity with the spiritual goals of the Rosicrucians. From this engraving it is clear that this is the source from which the representation of the Christ in glory appearing in The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians was derived.