Of the operation of Nature in our intention, and in Sperme.
I
 said even now that nature was true, but one, every where seene, constant, and is knowne by the things which are brought forth, as woods, hearbs, and the like. I said also that the searcher of nature must be true, simple hearted, patient, constant, giving his minde but to one thing alone, &c. Now we must begin to treat of the acting of Nature. As nature is in the will of God, and God created her, or put her upon every imagination; so nature made her selfe a seed, (i) her will, and pleasure in the Elements. She indeed is but one, and yet brings forth divers things; but workes nothing without a sperme: Nature workes whatsoever the[Pg 6] sperme pleaseth, for it is as it were an instrument of some Artificer. The sperme therefore of every thing is better, and more advantagious to the Artificer, then nature her selfe. For by nature without seed, you shall doe as much as a Goldsmith shall without fire, gold, or silver, or a husbandman without corne, or seed. If thou hast the sperme, nature is presently at hand, whether it be to bad, or good. She workes in sperme, as God doth in the free will of man: and that is a great mysterie, because nature obeyes the sperme, not by compulsion, but voluntarily; even as God suffers all things, which man wills, not by constraint, but out of his owne free pleasure: Therefore he gave man free will whether to bad, or to good. The sperme therefore is the Elixir of every thing, or Quintessence, or the most perfect decoction, or digestion of a thing, or the Balsome of Sulphur, which is the same as the Radicall moisture in metalls. There might truely be made a large discourse of this sperme; but we shall onely keep to that which makes for our purpose in the Chymicall Art. Foure Elements beget a sperme through the will, and pleasure of God, and imagination of nature: for as the sperme of man hath its center, or vessell of its seede in the kidnies; so the foure Elements by their never ceasing motion (every one according to its quality) cast forth a sperme into the Center of the earth, where it is digested, and by motion sent abroad. Now the Center of the earth is a certaine empty place, where nothing can rest. The foure Elements send forth their qualities into excentrall parts of the earth, or into the circumference of the Center. As a man sends forth his seed into the entrance of the wombe of the woman; in which place nothing of the seed remaines, but after the wombe hath received[Pg 7] a due proportion, casts out the rest: so also it comes to passe in the Center of the earth, that the magnetick vertue of the part of any place drawes to it selfe any thing that is convenient for its selfe, for the bringing forth of any thing; the residue is cast forth into stones, and other excrements. For all things have their originall from this fountaine, neither hath any thing in the world any beginning but by this fountaine. As for example; let there be set a vessell of water upon a smooth even table, and be placed in the middle thereof, and round about let there be laid divers things, and divers colours, also salt, and every one apart: then let the water be powred forth into the middle; and you shall see that water to runne abroad here and there, and when one streame is come to the red colour, it is made red by it, if to the salt, it takes from it the taste of the salt, and so of the rest. For the water doth not change the place, but the diversity of the place changeth the water. In like manner the seed, or sperme being by the foure Elements cast forth from the center into the circumference, passeth through divers places; and according to the nature of the place, it makes things: If it comes to a pure place of earth, and water, a pure thing is made. The seed, and sperme of all things is but one, and yet it produceth divers things, as is evident by the following example. The seed of a man is a noble seed, and was created, and ordained for the generation of man onely; yet nevertheless if a man doe abuse it, as is in his free will to doe, there is borne an abortive. For if a man contrary to Gods most expresse command should couple with a cow, or any other beast, the beast would presently conceive the seed of the man, because nature is but one; and then there would not be borne a man, but[Pg 8] a beast, and an Abortive; because the seed did not find a place sutable to it self. By such an inhumane, & detestable copulation of men with beasts there would be brought forth divers beasts, like unto men. For so it is, if the sperme goes into the center, there is made that which should be made there; but when it is come into any other place, and hath conceived, it changeth its forme no more. Now whilest the sperme is yet in the center, there may as easily be brought forth a tree, as a metall from the sperme, and as soone an hearbe, as a stone, and one more pretious then another, according to the purity of the place: But how the Elements beget a sperme is in the next place to be treated of, and it is done thus: The Elements are foure: two are heavy and two are light, two dry, and two moist, but one which is most dry, and another which is most moist, are males, and females &c. Every one of these of it selfe is most apt to produce things like unto it selfe in its owne sphere, and so it pleased God it should be: These foure never are at rest, but are alwaies acting one upon another; and every one by it selfe sendeth forth his owns thinness, and subtlety, and they all meet in the center: now in the center is the Archeus, the servant of nature, which mixeth those spermes, and sends them forth. And how that is done is to be seene more fully in the Epilogue of the 12 treatises.