On the Philosophers' Stone

Geber asserts this. original: Hoc asserit Geberus. Geber (Jabir ibn Hayyan) was the legendary 8th-century father of alchemy whose works were central to European practice. The Peacock’s Tail. original: Cauda pauonis. A stage in the alchemical process where the matter in the vessel displays a shimmering array of iridescent colors. The white tincture can turn red. Gold is made from silver.

...to be with the ferment. Otherwise, he commands that one part of the ferment be taken and three parts of the imperfect body. This should be understood, according to the custom of such Philosophers, as the combination of the entire fermented body (for here the whole is called the "ferment") with the mercurial water, which he calls the "imperfect body" out of a desire for secrecy. Therefore, if the first practice is to be maintained, you should place it for putrefying and dissolving; once dissolved, you will separate it and join it again through nutrition as described above. No residue original: caput mortuum, literally "dead head." The dross or useless solids left after distillation. appears, because by the power of the essence, the whole is turned into a spiritual body. Here also the time is shorter by half, because of the strength of the newborn child A metaphor for the evolving Philosophers' Stone. and the tendency of the mercury toward coagulation, as well as the friendly union of the spiritual parts. For here the soluble body is more spiritual, and thus it is resolved more quickly. In the coagulation, before the whiteness appears, you will see wonderful colors of every kind, which they have called by metaphorical names such as the Iris, the Peacock’s Tail, and others; and this happens in the white stage as well as the red. For up to this point, they share the same path.

When the whiteness has appeared, let the fire be vigorously increased, yet remaining within the nature of silver. For the matter is now of the moon original: lunatis. Alchemists used "Luna" to refer to silver., silvery, marble-like, fixed, and does not easily suffer damage from the fire. And then, as Geber says, there is no longer a need for opening or changing the vessel. For here it is true what they write: that the work is PERFECTED in one vessel. You must know, however, that this white tincture can also be turned into a red one by a more abundant fire, just as I said above; and the author of the Rosary Referring to the Rosarium Philosophorum, a famous 16th-century alchemical treatise. confirms this from Arnold [of Villanova], saying: Through decoction alone, whiteness can come to redness; by thus continuing the fire, our white matter, if diligently cooked, is most excellently reddened. Let it be cooked with a dry fire and dry calcination until it is as red as cinnabar, to which you should henceforth add no water nor any other thing until the red is cooked to completion. He says this clearly enough. From this arose the axiom that "all gold was previously silver," and that the best silver is, in its near potentiality, gold—as Cardano also wrote. You see, then, that your hope is indeed prolonged, but the expenses are diminished. Therefore, if you prefer the latter to the former, you can use only the white ferment; and when the perfect whiteness appears, you may multiply one part and perfect the other part into the red.

But there is a secondary reason why they nonetheless give instructions concerning the red tincture. I suspect that while it can be done this way, the tincture is not as effective as if it were animated by a red ferment. It is not obscure that Paracelsus seized upon this as an opportunity for his "abbreviation" Paracelsus was famous for claiming he could perform alchemical works faster than the "ancients."; but while he followed one thing, he neglected another, and in his vain zeal, he called himself the "corrector of the ancients." Remember that in the fermentation and preparation of the red tincture, the heat is always increased, because the body is most perfect and must be cooked to the highest nobility. The rest is consistent. For here too occurs the sending of equal parts of the ferment and the elixir by flux, in a stronger fire for several days; afterward, the mixture is drenched with mercury and dissolved, as it is said: Take a part from the second composition, and a part from the ferment of gold, and place upon them the clean water of sulfur (mercury), etc. Here too appears the blackness, the peacock’s tail, the silvery whiteness, fluidity, and finally the highest redness of a toasted ruby. One must, however, pay attention to the degree of fixation, lest you leave the elixir imperfect. Thus, if a part of it, placed on a glowing metal plate, gives off smoke, it is not yet fixed enough; but if it flows like wax without smoke and penetrates the metal, it is sufficient. If not, it must be returned to the fire until it has acquired its constancy.

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Why multiplication is kept silent. German chatterers publicly professing to be secret Philosophers. original: Germanici graculi. A "graculus" is a jackdaw, a bird known for noisy chattering; the author is mocking those who talk too much about alchemy without understanding it. Projection. The final act of alchemical transmutation, "projecting" a small amount of the Stone onto base metal to turn it into gold or silver. The form of transmutation.

It follows now to speak of multiplication and the art of projection. For as Geber says, unless this is understood, the elixir does not enter or tinge the metal because of its subtlety; some medium is required so that the ignoble and the most noble can be joined, just as the soul adheres to the body by the mediation of the spirit, heat, and moisture. And multiplication and augmentation unto infinity is the only thing that can fulfill a bold hope and attain that dignity of the Stone leading to immense treasures. But my purpose was only to assist medicine, and nonetheless to praise the power of GOD in nature by some specimen. I judge it sufficient, therefore, if you can tinge even a little, and yet more greatly assist the health of your neighbor in sickness—to say nothing of that inexhaustible thirst for knowing the ancients.

Thomas [Aquinas] Many alchemical works were falsely attributed to the theologian Thomas Aquinas in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. judged it a most grievous sin to reveal the secret of multiplication and augmentation unto infinity (for these are two operations) to secular men. And certainly, it is to be feared lest those German chatterers seize these things and, once translated into the vernacular language, they be prostituted even to rascals. Therefore, it is better to keep this part in secret. I add this for the sake of good men: that in the works of Geber, Bernard [Trevisan], Thomas, and others, the precepts of this matter are clear enough, but they are not understood by anyone who does not know the entire practice to a hair's breadth. I append the words: The multiplication of the elixir happens in two ways: one by the reiteration of solution and coagulation in the stone; the other by the projection of the first stone upon a white or red body in such a quantity that the same body is also turned into medicine. And then these shall be put together to dissolve in their own water and menstruum, and thus the first elixir is the ferment of such a tincture, etc.

If you are well-versed in the authors and the practice described above, you will understand the matter. But do not let yourself be called away by abstruse thoughts, as if something mystical were being said. Many are hindered by such a fantasy, so that they do not understand even the plainest things; and though a thing is called by its own name, they still do not believe it to be so, having so fascinated themselves with those hidden mysteries.

Regarding projection, if its medium has been prepared through multiplication, the matter is easy, and has been sufficiently explained by us in the Chemical Precepts. If the elixir has the form of an oil or water, metal plates are extinguished in it, or it is dripped onto glowing metals. But if it is a powder, the metals must be reduced to their prime matter original: primam materiam. Often referring to reducing metals to a liquid mercury-like state. through mercury. Sometimes, however, it is also sown onto the glowing plates of purified metals. Pico [della Mirandola] testifies that he saw entire things changed; let his credit remain with him. For the tingeing of mercury, an example exists in the letter of a certain servant of Paracelsus, which Neander published. But Thomas had long ago described the practice to Reginald in these words: Take a goldsmith’s tile (a triangular earthenware crucible) and coat the inner part with a little tallow. Put in as much mercury as corresponds to the proportion of the medicine and place it over a very gentle fire. When the mercury begins to smoke, throw in the medicine enclosed in wax or paper (as assayers do), and place a firm, broad ignited coal over the hole of the crucible already prepared, and apply a strong fire. When the whole has been melted, pour it into an ingot mold coated with tallow (the oblong iron vessel of assayers and minters), and you will have the purest gold or silver according to the nature of the ferment applied. If, however, you wish to multiply your medicine, do this in horse dung just as I have taught you by word of mouth, etc. Thus says Thomas.