A Compendious yet Complete Philosophical Handbook

s. Whose way is this.

As has been indicated here in this work.

t. Therefore I have been called Hermes Trismegistus, (that is, the thrice-great Mercury original: "Mercurius." Hermes Trismegistus is the legendary Hellenistic figure to whom the Emerald Tablet is attributed.) because I possess three parts of the wisdom of the whole world.

All three kingdoms—the Mineral Kingdom, the Vegetable Kingdom, and the Animal Kingdom—which are all contained within the single Stone, namely in the Mercury of the Philosophers original: "☿ Philosophorum." This is not common quicksilver, but a refined spiritual substance that alchemists believed was the key to the Stone., which is the greatest treasure in the world.

u. Thus is fulfilled what I have said concerning the operation of Chemistry, or concerning the Philosopher's Stone original Latin: "Lapide Philosophico.".

5. This work is therefore to be compared to the creation of the world, Genesis 1:1, 2, 11, 12. Alchemists often believed that their laboratory work mirrored the divine process of the six days of creation described in the Bible.

6. The origin of both the universal and particular tincture A "tincture" is a substance capable of "dyeing" or transforming the inner nature of a metal or a body, either to make gold or to heal disease. comes from the starry heavens, from the true seed and the astrological first moved original Latin: "primo Mobili." In the old geocentric model of the universe, this was the outermost sphere that imparted motion to all the stars and planets., which is called the Spirit of Mercury original: "Spiritus ☿ii.".

7. The Hermetic first matter original Latin: "Materia prima Hermetica." The primordial, unformed substance from which the universe was created and from which the Stone must be made. is a subtle, invisible, powerful being and a spiritual fire, or fiery spirit.

8. The philosophers possess two kinds of spirit; one coagulates original: "coaguliret." The process of thickening or solidifying a liquid. and fixes original: "figiret." To "fix" a substance means to make it stable so that it no longer evaporates or changes when exposed to fire., and is hidden in the center of every seed, even in those of metals and minerals. The
ande; catchword: likely "andere" (other/second).