V pon a time there were assembled divers Alchymists together, and held a counsel how they should make, & prepare the Philosophers stone, and they concluded that every one should declare his opinion with a vow. And that meeting was in the open aire, in a certaine meadow, on a faire cleer day. And many agreed that Mercury was the first matter thereof, others that Sulphur was, and others other things. But the chiefest opinion was of Mercury, and that especially because of the sayings of Philosophers, because they hold, that Mercury is the first true matter of the Stone, also of Metalls: For Philosophers cry out, and say, OUR MERCURY, &c. And so whilest they did contend amongst themselves for[Pg 60] divers operations (every one gladly expecting a conclusion) there arose in the mean time a very great tempest, with stormes, showers of rain, and an unheard of wind, which dispersed that assembly into divers Provinces, every one apart without a conclusion. Yet every one of them fancied to himselfe what the conclusion of that dispute should have been. Every one therefore set upon his work as before, one in this thing, another in that thing seeking the Philosophers Stone, and this is done till this day without any giving over. Now one of them remembring the disputation, that the Philosophers Stone is necessarily to be sought after in Mercury, said to himself: Although there was no conclusion made, yet I wil work in Mercury, and will make a conclusion my self in making the blessed Stone; for he was a man that was alwaies wont to talk to himselfe, as indeed all Alchymists usually doe. Hee therefore began to read the books of Philosophers, and fell upon a booke of Alanus, which treats of Mercury; and so that Alchymist is made a Philosopher, but without any conclusion: And taking Mercury he began to work; hee put it into a glass, and put fire to it, the Mercury as it is wont to do, vapoured away, the poor silly Alchymist not knowing the nature of it, beat his wife, saying: No body could come hither besides thee, thou tookest the Mercury out of the glass. His wife crying excuseth her self, and speaks softly to her husband: Thou wilt make a sir-reverence of these. The Alchymist tooke Mercury again, and put it again into his vessell, and lest his wife should take it away, watched it. But the Mercury, as its manner is, vapoured away again. The Alchymist remembring that the first matter of the[Pg 61] Philosophers Stone must be volatile, rejoiced exceedingly, altogether perswading himselfe that he could not now be deceived, having the first matter: Hee began now to work upon Mercury boldly, he learned afterwards to sublime it, and to calcine it divers ways, as with Salt, Sulphur, and Metalls, Mineralls, Bloud, Haire, Corrosive waters, Herbs, Urine, Vineger, but could find nothing for his purpose; hee left nothing unassayed in the whole world, with which hee did not work upon good Mercury withall. But when he could doe no good at all with this, hee fell upon this saying——that it is found in the dung-hill. He began to worke upon Mercury with divers sorts of dung, together, and asunder: And when hee was weary, and full of thoughts he fell into a sleep. And in his sleep there appeared to him a vision: there came to him an old man, who saluted him, and said; Friend, Why art thou sad? Hee answered, I would willingly make the Philosophers Stone. Then said he, Friend, Of what wilt thou make the Philosophers Stone? Alchymista. Of Mercury, Sir. Senex. Of what Mercury? Alch. There is but one Mercury. Sen. It is true, there is but one Mercury, but altered variously, according to the variety of places; one is purer then another. Alch. O Sir, I know how to purifie it very well with vineger and salt, with nitre and vitriall. Sen. I tell thee this is not the true purifying of it, neither is this, thus purifyed, the true Mercury: Wise men have another Mercury, and another manner of purifying of it, and so he vanished away. The Alchymist being raised from sleep thought with himselfe what vision this should be, as also what this Mercury of Philosophers should be: hee could[Pg 62] bethinke himselfe of no other but the vulgar Mercury. But yet hee desired much that hee might have had a longer discourse with the old man: but yet hee worked continually, sometimes in the dung of living creatures, as boyes dung, and sometimes in his own. And every day hee went to the place, where hee saw the vision, that he might speak with the old man again: sometimes hee counterfeited a sleep, and lay with his eyes shut expecting the old man. But when he would not come he thought he was afraid of him, and would not beleeve that he was asleep, he swore therefore saying, My good old Master be not afraid, for truly I am asleep; look upon my eyes, see if I be not: And the poor Alchymist after so many labours, and the spending of all his goods, now at last fel mad, by alwaies thinking of the old man. And when hee was in that strong imagination, there appeared to him in his sleep a false vision, in the likenesse of the old man, and said to him, Doe not despaire, my friend, thy Mercury is good, and thy matter, but if it will not obey thee, conjure it, that it bee not volatile; Serpents are used to be conjured, and then why not Mercury? and so the old man would leave him. But the Alchymist asked of him, saying, Sir, expect, &c. And by reason of a noise this poore Alchymist was raised from sleep, yet not without great comfort. He took then a vessell full of Mercury, and began to conjure it divers wayes, as his dream taught him. And hee remembred the words of the old man, in that hee said, Serpents are conjured, and Mercury is painted with Serpents, hee thought, so it must bee conjured as the Serpents. And taking a vessell with Mercury hee began to say, Ux, Vx, Ostas, &c. And where the[Pg 63] name of the Serpent should be put, he put the name of Mercury, saying: And thou wicked beast Mercury, &c. At which words Mercury began to laugh, and to speak unto him saying, What wilt thou have, that thou thus troublest mee my Master Alchymist? Alch. O ho, now thou callest me Master, when I touch thee to the quick, now I have found where thy bridle is, wait a little, and by and by thou shalt sing my song, and he began to speak to him, as it were angerly, Art thou that Mercury of Philosophers? Merc. (as if he were afraid answered) I am Mercury, my Master. Alch. Why therefore wilt not thou obey mee? and why could not I fix thee? Merc. O my noble Master, I beseech thee pardon mee, wretch that I am, I did not know that thou wast so great a Philosopher. Alch. Didst not thou perceive this by my operations, seeing I proceeded so Philosophically with thee? Merc. So it is, my noble Master, although I would hide my selfe, yet I see I cannot from so honourable a Master as thou art. Alch. Now therefore dost thou know a Philosopher? Merc. Yea, my Master, I see that your worship is a most excellent Philosopher. Alch. (being glad at his heart saith) truly now I have found what I sought for. (Again he spake to Mercury with a most terrible voice:) Now go to, be now therefore obedient, or else it shall be the worse for thee. Merc. Willingly, my Master, if I am able, for now I am very weake. Alch. Why dost thou now excuse thy selfe? Merc. I doe not, my Master, but I am faint and feeble. Alch. What hurts thee? Merc. The Alchymist hurts mee. Alch. What, dost thou still deride mee? Merc. O Master, no, I speak of the Alchymist, but thou art a Philosopher. Alch. O wel,[Pg 64] well, that is true, but what hath the Alchymist done? Merc. O my Master, hee hath done many evill things to mee, for hee hath mixed mee, poor wretch as I am, with things contrary to mee: from whence I shall never bee able to recover my strength, and I am almost dead, for I am tormented almost unto death. Alch. O thou deservest those things, for thou art disobedient. Merc. I was never disobedient to any Philosopher, but it is naturall to mee to deride fools. Alch. And what dost thou think of mee? Merc. O Sir, you are a great man, a very great Philosopher, yea greater then Hermes himselfe. Alch. Truly so it is, I am a learned man, but I will not commend my selfe, but my Wife also said to mee, that I am a very learned Philosopher, she knew so much by me. Merc. I am apt to beleeve thee, for Philosophers must be so, who by reason of too much wisdome, and pains fall mad. Alch. Goe to then, tell me therefore what I shall doe with thee; how I shall make the Philosophers Stone of thee. Merc. O my Master Philosopher, I know not, Thou art a Philosopher, I am a servant of the Philosophers, they make of me what they please, I obey them as much as I am able. Alch. Thou must tell mee how I must proceed with thee, and how I may make of thee the Philosophers Stone. Merc. If thou knowest, thou shall make it, but if thou knowest not, thou shalt doe nothing, thou shalt know nothing by mee, if thou knowest not already my Master Philosopher. Alch. Thou speakest to mee as to some simple man, perhaps thou dost not know that I have worked with Princes, and was accounted a Philosopher with them. Merc. I am apt to beleeve thee my Master, for I know all this very wel,[Pg 65] I am yet foul, and unclean by reason of those mixtures that thou hast used. Alch. Therefore tell mee, art thou the Mercury of Philosophers? Merc. I am Mercury, but whether or no the Philosophers, that belongs to thee to know. Alch. Do but tell me if thou art the true Mercury, or if there be another. Merc. I am Mercury, but there is another, and so he vanished away. The Alchymist cries out and speaks, but no body answers him. And bethinking himselfe saith: Surely I am an excellent man, Mercury hath been pleased to talke with mee, surely hee loves mee: and then he began to sublime Mercury, distil, calcine, make Turbith of him, precipitate, and dissolve him divers wayes, and with divers waters, but as hee laboured in vain before, so now also he hath spent his time, and costs to no purpose. Wherefore at last hee begins to curse Mercury, and revile Nature because shee made him. Now Nature when she heard these things called Mercury to her, and said to him: What hast thou done to this man? Why doth he curse and revile me for thy sake? Why dost not thou doe what thou oughtest to doe? But Mercury modestly excuseth himself. Yet Nature commands him to be obedient to the sons of Wisdome, that seek after him. Mercury promiseth that he will, and saith: Mother Nature, but who can satisfie fools? Nature went away smiling: but Mercury being angry with the Alchymist goes also unto his own place. After a few days it came into the Alchymists mind, that he omitted something in his operations, and again hee hath recourse to Mercury, and now resolves to mix him with hogs dung; but Mercury being angry that he had falsly accused him before his mother Nature, saith to the[Pg 66] Alchymist, What wilt thou have of me thou foole? Why hast thou thus accused mee? Alch. Art thou he that I have longed to see? Merc. I am, but no man that is blind can see mee. Alch. I am not blind. Merc. Thou art very blind, for thou canst not see thy selfe, how then canst thou see mee? Alch. O now thou art proud, I speak civilly to thee, and thou contemnest mee: thou dost not know perhaps that I have worked with many Princes, and was esteemed as a Philosopher amongst them. Merc. Fools flock to Princes Courts, for there they are honoured, and fare better then others. Wast thou also at the Court? Alch. O thou art a devill, and not a good Mercury, if thou wilt speak thus to Philosophers: for before thou didst also seduce me thus. Mer. Dost thou know Philosophers? Alch. I my self am a Philosopher. Merc. Behold our Philosopher (smiling said: and began to talke further with him saying) My Philosopher, tell mee therefore what thou seekest after, and what thou wilt have, what dost thou desire to make? Alch. The Philosophers stone. Merc. Out of what matter therefore wilt thou make it? Alch. Of our Mercury. Merc. O my Philosopher, now I wil leave you, for I am not yours. Alch. O thou art but a devill, and wilt seduce mee. Merc. Truly my Philosopher thou art a devill to mee, not I to thee: for thou dost deale most sordidly with mee, after a devillish manner. Alch. O what doe I hear? this certainly is a devill indeed, for I do all things according to the writings of Philosophers, and know very well how to work. Merc. Thou knowest very well, for thou dost more............