T he Philosophers have not undeservedly placed Sulphur in the first place amongst the three Principles, as being the most worthy Principle, in the knowledge of which the whole Art consists. Now there is a threefold Sulphur, and that is to be chosen above the rest: a Sulphur tinging, or colouring: a Sulphur congealing Mercury: the third is essentiall, and ripening. Of which we ought to treat seriously, but because we have set forth one of the Principles by way of Dialogue, so also wee shall conclude the rest, lest we should seem to be partiall, and detract from either of them. Sulphur is more mature then any of the other Principles, and Mercury is not coagulated but by Sulphur: therefore our whole operation in this Art is nothing else but to know how to draw forth that Sulphur out of Metalls, by which our Argent vive in the bowels of the Earth is congealed into Gold, and Silver:[Pg 127] which Sulphur indeed is in this work in stead of the Male, but the Mercury in stead of the Female. Of the composition, and acting of these two are generated the Mercuries of Philosophers.
Wee told you in the Dialogue of Mercury with the Alchymist, of an Assembly of Alchymists that were met together to consult out of what matter, and how the Philosophers Stone is to be made, and how that by the misfortune of a tempest they were without any conclusion dispersed almost through the whole world. For there arose a strong tempest, and very great wind, which dispersed them all abroad, and so blowed through some of their heads, that till this time they cannot yet recover themselves, by meanes of which divers sort of worms are bred in their brains. Now there were amongst them men of divers opinions, and conditions, and among the rest there was this Alchymist, which in this Treatise I shall discourse of: hee was otherwise a good man, but without a Conclusion, or unresolved, also of the number of those, who propound to themselves to find out the Philosophers Stone casually, and he was companion to that Philosopher, who disputed with Mercury. Now this man said, if it had been my fortune to have spoke with Mercury, I should have fished him dry in few words; that other, saith hee, was a foole, hee knew not how to proceed with him. Mercury indeed never pleased mee, neither indeed do I think there is any good in it; but I approve of Sulphur, because at that meeting wee discoursed most excellently of it: if that tempest had not disturbed us, wee had concluded that that had been the first matter, for I am not wont to trouble my selfe with[Pg 128] light, and triviall matters, my head is full of profound imaginations. And so being full of confidence hee resolves to work in Sulphur, hee began therefore to distill it, to sublime, calcine, to fix it, to make oyle per Campanam of it, sometimes by itselfe, and sometimes with Crystals, and Egge-shels, and hee tryed divers other operations about it: and when hee had spent much time and costs, and could find nothing to his purpose, he was sad, and being in a miserable perplexity passed over many nights without sleep; also oftentimes hee went forth out of the City, to behold things, that hee might the more conveniently devise something that was certain in his operation: Now it fell out upon a time, as he was walking up and down, hee fell into an extasy with beholding of things, and came unto a certain green Wood, very full of all manner of things; in which were Mines of all Mineralls, and Metalls, and all kinds of beasts, and birds, and abundance of Trees, Herbs, and fruit: there also were divers conduits of water, for in those places there was no water to be had, but what was brought thither by divers instruments, and pipes, and this by divers Artificers from divers places: that was the chiefest, and clearer then the rest, which was drawne by the beams of the Moon; and this was procured only for the Nymph of the Wood. There also did feed Bulls, and Rams, and the Shepheards were two young men, whom the Alchymist asking, said, Whose Wood is this? whom they answered saying, This is the Wood, and Garden of our Nymph Venus. The Alchymist walks up, and down in it: and the place pleased him well, but yet hee did still think of his Sulphur; and so being weary of walking, and[Pg 129] in a sad condition sate by the side of the channel, under a certain tree; and began to lament most miserably, bewailing his time, and charges, which he spent in vain with operating (he could not els have deceived others, but have damnified himself only) and said, What is this, all men say it is a thing common, of small esteem, easy, and I am a learned man, & I cannot find out this wretched Stone. And so in his lamentation he began to curse Sulphur, because he had spent so much cost, and labour in vain upon him: and Sulphur also was in that Wood, but this was unknown to the Alchymist. Whilst he was thus lamenting, he heard this voice as it were of some old man: Friend, Why dost thou curse Sulphur? The Alchymist looked every way round about him, and seeing no body, was afraid. But that voice said to him again, Friend why art thou so sad? The Alchymist taking courage, said, Sir, The hungry man is alwaies thinking upon bread, so doe I alwaies upon the Philosophers Stone. Vox, And why dost thou curse Sulphur? Alch. Sir, I beleeved that that was the first matter of the Philosophers Stone, and therefore in working upon it many years, I spent much, and could not find that Stone. Vox. Friend, truly I know that Sulphur is the true, and principall subject of the Philosophers Stone, but I know not thee, nor any thing of thy labour, and intention: thou dost without cause curse Sulphur; because he is in cruell prisons, and cannot be at hand to every body; seeing hee is put bound in a most dark dungeon, and goes not forth, but whither his Keepers carry him. Alch. And why is he imprisoned? Vox. Because hee would bee obedient to every Alchymist, and doe what they would have him, contrary to his[Pg 130] Mothers will, who forbad him to obey any, but such as knew her, wherefore shee put him into prison, and commanded that his feet should be bound, and set Keepers over him, that without their knowledg, and pleasure hee should goe no whither. Alch. O wretch! for this reason hee could not come to mee: truly his Mother doth him great wrong: and when shall hee bee let out of those prisons? Vox, O friend! The Sulphur of Philosophers cannot goe forth hence but in a long time, and with a great deale of labour. Alch. Sir! And who be his Keepers that keep him? Vox, Friend! His Keepers are of the same stocke, but Tyrants. Alch. And who art thou, and how art thou called? Vox, I am Judge, and Governour of the prisons, and my name is Saturne. Alch. Then Sulphur is kept in thy prisons. Vox, Sulphur indeed is kept in my prisons, but hee hath other Keepers. Alch. And what doth hee doe in the prisons? Vox, He doth whatsoever his Keepers will have him. Alch. And what can hee doe? Vox, Hee is the maker of a thousand things, and is the heart of all things; hee knows how to make Metalls better, and corrects Mineralls, teacheth Animalls understanding, knowes how to make all kind of Flowers in Hearbs, and Trees, and is chief over them, corrupts the Aire, which hee amends again: hee is the Maker of all Odours, and Painter of all Colours. Alch. Out of what matter doth hee make Flowers? Vox, His Keepers afford matter, and vessells, but Sulphur digests the matter, and according to the variety of his digestion, and weight, various Flowers, and Odours are produced. Alch. Is hee old? Vox, Friend, Know that Sulphur is the vertue of all things, and is the second by birth,[Pg 131] but yet older then all things, stronger, and more worthy, yet an obedient child. Alch. Sir, How is hee known? Vox, Divers wayes, but best by the State of the Vitalls in Animalls, by the colour in Metalls, by the odour in Vegetables: without him his Mother works nothing. Alch. Is hee the sole heir, or hath hee brethren? Vox, His Mother hath but only one son like him, his other brethren are associated with evil things, hee hath a sister which he loves, and is againe beloved by her, for shee is as it were a Mother to him. Alch. Sir, is hee every where uniform? Vox, According to his Nature, but hee is changed in the prisons; yet his heart is alwaies pure, but his garments are stained. Alch. Sir, Was hee ever at liberty? Vox, Yea, especially in those times when there were such wise men, betwixt whom, and his Mother there was great familiarity, and friendship. Alch. And who were they? Vox, There were very many: There was Hermes, who was as it were one with his Mother: After him were many Kings, and Princes, as also many other wise men, in ages since, as Aristotle, Avicen, &c. who set him at liberty: These knew how to unloose his bonds. Alch. Sir, What did hee give them for setting of him at liberty? Vox, Hee gave them three Kingdomes: for when any doth unbind him, and releaseth him, then he overcomes his Keepers, which before did govern in his Kingdome, and delivers them being bound to him that released him, for to bee his subjects, and gives him their Kingdomes to possesse: but that, which is more; in his Kingdome is a Looking-glasse, in which is seen the whole world. Whosoever lookes in this Glasse may see, and learn in it three parts of the[Pg 132] wisdome of the whole world, and so shall become very wise in these three Kingdomes, such were Aristotle, Avicen, and many others, who as well as they before them, saw in this glasse how the world was made: By this they learned what were the influences of the Celestiall vertues upon inferiour bodies, and how Nature by the weight of Fire compounds things; as also the motion of the Sun, and Moon: especially that universall motion, by which his Mother is governed: by this they knew the degrees of heat, cold, moisture, drynesse, and the vertues of hearbs, and indeed of all things, whence they became most excellent Physitians. And truly, unlesse a Physitian be such a one as knows, why this hearb, or that, is hot, dry, or moist in this degree, not out of the books of Galen, or Avicen, but out of the originall of Nature, from whence they also understood these things, hee cannot bee a well grounded Physitian. All these things they diligently considered, and bequeathed their Writings to their successors, that men might bee stirred up to studies of a higher Nature, and learn how to set Sulphur at liberty, and unloose his bonds: but men of this age take their Writings for a sufficient ground, and authority, and seek no further; and it sufficeth them if they know how to say, So saith Aristotle, or; Thus saith Galen. Alch. And what say you, Sir, Can an herb bee known without an Herball? Vox, Those ancient Philosophers wrote their Receipts out of the very Fountain of Nature. Alch. How Sir? Vox, Know that all things in the earth, and upon the earth, are generated, and produced of three Principles; sometimes of two, to which the third is joined: he there[Pg 133]fore that knows these three Principles; and the weight of them, how Nature joins them together, may be easily able by decoction to understand the degree of Fire in the subject, whether well, or ill, or indifferently decocted, and that according to more or lesse: For all Vegetable things are known by those, who know the three Principles. Alch. And how is this done? Vox, By sight, tast, and smell; in, and from these three senses are gathered the three Principles of things, and the degrees of their digestions. Alch. Sir, They say that Sulphur is a Medicine. Vox, Yea, and the Physitian himselfe, and to them that set him free from prison, by way of thankfulnesse hee gives his blood for a Medicine. Alch. Sir, the universall Medicine being had, how long may a man preserve himselfe from death? Vox, Even to the term of death: but this Medicine must bee taken cautiously, for many wise men have been destroyed by it before their time. Alch. And what say you Sir, Is it poison? Vox, Hast not thou heard that a great flame of fire destroyes a little one? There were many Philosophers, which received the Art from other mens experience, which did not so throughly search into the vertue of the Medicine; yea, by how much the more powerfull, subtiler the Medicine was, it seemed to them to bee the more wholsome; and if one grain of it can passe through many thousands of Metalls, much more Mans body. Alch. Sir, How then must it be used? Vox, It must bee so used, that it may strengthen the Naturall heat, but not overcome it. Alch. Sir, I know how to make such a Medicine. Vox, Thou art happy if thou dost know. For the blood of that[Pg 134] Sulphur is that intrinsecall vertue, and siccity that turnes, and congeals Quicksilver, and all Metalls into Gold, and Mens bodies into health. Alch. Sir, I know how to make oyle of Sulphur, which is prepared with calcined Crystalls; I know also another, which is done by a Bell. Vox, Certainly then thou art a Philosopher of that Assembly; for thou dost understand, and expound my words aright, as also, unlesse I am deceived, of all the Philosophers. Alch. Sir, Is not this oyle the blood of Sulphur? Vox, O Friend! the blood of Sulphur is not given to any but to those, who know how to set him free from prison. Alch. Sir, doth Sulphur know any th............