Of all things.  
T
hese four Elements being described, we will now descend unto the Principles of things. But how they are produced of the foure Elements, take it thus. After Nature had received from the most high Creator of all things the priviledge of being Princesse over this Monarchy of the world, shee began to distribute places, and Provinces to every thing, according to its dignity; and in the first place shee made the Elements the Princes of the world; and that the will of the most High (in whose will Nature was placed) might be fulfilled, she ordained that one should continually act upon the other. The Fire therefore began to act upon the Aire, and produced Sulphur, the Air also began to act upon the Water, & brought forth Mercury, the Water also began to act upon the Earth, and brought forth Salt. But the Earth, since it had nothing to work upon, brought forth nothing, but that which was brought forth continued, and abided in it: Wherefore there[Pg 112] became only three Principles, and the Earth was made the Nurse, and Mother of the rest. There were, as wee said, three Principles brought forth; which the ancient Philosophers did not so strictly consider, but described only two actings of the Elements (or if they were willingly silent in it, who shall censure them, seeing they dedicated their writing only to the Sons of Art?) and named them Sulphur, and Mercury, which also may suffice us, to be the matter of Metals, as also of the Philosophers Stone.
Whosoever therefore will bee a true Searcher of this sacred Science must of necessity know the Accidents, and an Accident it self, that hee may learn to what subject, or Element hee purposeth to come to, that through mediums hee may apply himselfe to that, if otherwise hee desire to fill up the number of four. For as these three Principles were produced of four, so also by diminution must these three produce two, Male, and Female; and two produce one incorruptible thing, in which those foure shall being equally perfect, be purified, and digested to the utmost; and so a quadrangle shall answer a quadrangle. And this is that quintessence, which is very necessary for every Artificer, being separated from many contraries. And so thou hast in these three Principles, in what naturall composition soever, a body, a spirit, and an occult soule; which three, if thou shalt joine them together being separated, and well purified, as wee said before, without doubt will by imitating Nature yeeld most pure fruit. For although the soule be taken from a most noble place, yet it cannot come whither it tends but by a spirit, which is the place, and mansion of the soule; which if thou wilt reduce[Pg 113] to its due place, it is necessary that it be washed from all its faults; and that the place be purified, that the soule may be glorified in it, and never more be separated from it. Now therefore thou hast the originall of the three Principles, out of which it is thy part, by imitating Nature, to produce the Mercury of Philosophers, and their first matter, and to bring those Principles of things, especially of Metalls to thy purpose: seeing without those Principles it is impossible for thee to perfect any thing by Art, since also Nature her selfe can doe nor produce nothing without them. These three are in all things, and without them there is nothing in the world, or ever shall bee naturally. But because wee said before, that the ancient Philosophers named only two Principles, lest the Searcher of the Art should erre, hee must know, that although they did not describe any other but Sulphur, and Mercury, yet without salt they could never have attained to this work, since that is the key, and beginning of this sacred Science: it is that, which openeth the gates of Justice; it is that which hath the keyes to the infernall prisons, where Sulphur lies bound, as hereafter shal be more fully shewed in the third Treatise of the Principles, of Salt.
Now to our purpose, which is that these 3 principles are altogether necessary, because they are the neer matter. For the matter of Metalls is twofold. Neer, and remote. The neer is Sulphur, and Mercury. The remote are the four Elements: out of which God alone is able to create things. Leave therefore the Elements, because of them thou shalt doe nothing; neither canst thou out of them produce any thing but these three Principles, seeing Nature her[Pg 114] selfe can produce nothing else out of them. If therefore thou canst out of the Elements produce nothing but these three Principles, wherefore then is that vaine labour of thine to seeke after, or to endeavour to make that which Nature hath already made to thy hands? Is it not better to goe three mile then four? Let it suffice thee then to have three Principles, out of which Nature doth produce all things in the earth, and upon the earth; which three we find to be entirely in every thing. By the due separation, and conjunction of these, Nature produceth as well Metalls, as Stones, in the Minerall Kingdome; but in the Vegetable Kingdome Trees, Herbs, and all such things; also in the Animall Kingdome the Body, Spirit, and Soule, which especially doth resemble the work of the Philosophers. The Body is Earth, the Spirit is Water, the Soule is Fire, or the Sulphur of Gold: The Spirit augmenteth the quantity of the Body, but the Fire augmenteth the vertue thereof. But because there is more of the Spirit in weight, then is of the Fire; the Spirit is raised, and oppresseth the Fire, and drawes it to it selfe: and so every one of them, encreaseth in vertue, and the Earth, which is the midle betwixt them encreaseth in weight. Let therefore every searcher of this Art conclude in his mind what he seeks for out of these three, and let him assist it in the overcomeing of its contrary; and then let him adde to the weight of Nature his weight, that the defect of Nature may be made up by Art, that shee may overcome what is contrary to her. We said in the Element of Earth, that the Earth was nothing else but the receptacle of other Elements, i.e. the subject in which those two, Fire and Water, do strive, the[Pg 115] Aire mediating; if the Water be predominant, it brings forth things that are corruptible, and continue but for a time; but if the Fire overcome, it produceth things that are lasting, & incorruptible. Consider therefore what is necessary for thee. Moreover know, that Fire, and Water are in every thing, but neither Fire, nor Water makes any thing, because they only strive together, and contend concerning swiftnesse, and vertue, and this not of themselves, but by the excitation of the intrinsecall heat, which by the motion of the heavenly vertues is kindled in the Center of the Earth; without which those two could never doe any thing, but would both stand still in their own bound, and weight: but Nature afterward joined them two together proportionably, and then stirres them up by an intrinsecall heat, and so they begin to contend one with the other, and each of them will call to its help its like, and so they ascend and encrease, untill the Earth can ascend no higher with them; in the mean time those two by this retaining of the Earth are subtilized; (for in that subject of the Earth the Fire, and Water ascend incessantly, and act through the pores which are reserved, and which the Aire prepares) and out of their subtiliation proceed flowers, and fruit, in which they become friends, as you may see in Trees; for by how much the better they are subtilized, and purified by ascending, so much the better fruit doe they bring forth, especially if they end with their vertues equally joined together.
Now then the things being purged, and cleansed, cause that the Fire, and Water bee made friends, which will easily bee done in their own earth, which[Pg 116] did ascend with them; and then thou shalt in a shorter time perfect it, then Nature could, if thou shalt joine them well together, according to the weight of Nature, not as it was before, but as Nature requires, and as is needfull: Because Nature in all compositions puts more of the other Elements then of Fire: alwaies the least part is Fire, but Nature according as shee pleaseth, addes an extrinsecall Fire to stir up that intrinsecall according to more, or lesse, in much, or little time; and according to this if the Fire exceed, or be exceeded, things perfect, or imperfect are made, as well in Mineralls, as in Vegetables. The extrinsecall Fire indeed doth not enter into the depth of the composition essentially, but only in vertue; for the intrinsecall materiall Fire is sufficient for it selfe, if only it hath nourishment, and the extrinsecall Fire is nourishment to it, and as it were Wood in respect of Elementary Fire, and according to such a nourishment it increaseth, and is multiplyed. Yet wee must take heed that there bee not too much extrinsecall Fire, for if any one eats more then hee is able, hee is choaked: a great flame devours a little Fire: the extrinsecall Fire must be multiplicative, nourishing, not devouring, so things are perfected. Decoction therefore in every thing is the perfection: so Nature addes vertue, and weight, and makes perfect. But because it is hard to adde to a compound, since it requires a long labour, wee advise that thou take away so much of that which is superfluous, as is needfull, and as Nature requires: The superfluities being removed mix them, then Nature will shew thee, what thou hast sought after. Thou also shalt know, if Nature hath joined the Elements well, or ill together, seeing[Pg 117] all Elements consist in conjunction. But many practitioners sow Straw, for Wheat; and some both: and many cast away that, which the Philosophers love: some begin, and end, because of their inconstancy; they seek for a difficult Art, and an easy labour; they cast away the best things, & sow the worst; but as this Art is concealed in the Preface, so also is the matter cast away in the beginning. Now wee say, that this Art is nothing else, but the vertues of the Elements equally mixed: it is a naturall equality of hot, dry, cold, moist; A joining together of Male, and Female, which the same Female begot, i.e. a conjunction of Fire, and the radicall moisture of Metalls. By considering that the Mercury of Philosophers hath in it selfe its owne good Sulphur, more or lesse, depurated, and decocted by Nature, thou maist perfect all things out of Mercury: but if thou shalt know to adde thy weights to the weights of Nature, to double Mercury, and triple Sulphur, it will quickly be terminated in good, then in better, untill into best of all: although there be but one appearing Sulphur, and two Mercuries, but of one root; not crude, nor too much boiled, yet purged, and dissolved, if thou hast understood mee.
It is not needfull to describe the matter of the Mercury of Philosophers, and the matter of their Sulphur: no mortall man ever could, or ever hereafter shall bee able to describe it more openly, and cleerly then it hath already been described, and named by the Ancient Philosophers, unlesse he will bee an Anathema of the Art. For is so commonly named, that truly it is not esteemed of, therefore doe Students of this Art bend their minds rather to other[Pg 118] subtilties, then abide in the simplicity of Nature. We doe not yet say, that Mercury of Philosophers is a common thing, and openly named, but the matter of which Philosophers doe make their Sulphur, and Mercury: for the Mercury of Philosophers is not to be had of it selfe upon the Earth, but it is brought forth by Art out of Sulphur, and Mercury joined together; it doth not come forth into light, for it is naked, but yet is covered by Nature in a wonderful manner. To conclude, we say with repeating Sulphur, and Mercury to be the Mine of our Quicksilver (but being joined together) that Quicksilver can dissolve Metalls, kill them, and make them aliv............