Philosophical Dialogue between the Flying Mercury and a Common Smelter

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that I can serve on foot and manage my duties: for as long as I am still volatile—that is, appearing to you with my wings—you can take little comfort in my refinement original: Verbesserung; in alchemy, this refers to the "fixing" of a volatile substance into a stable, non-evaporating form., for as a man is, so will he also bring his works to completion with me, and whoever does not yet rightly understand my nature accomplishes nothing at all with me.

Smelter. This thing I do not quite understand; I also do not know where you are supposed to have your wings, for I see none on you. I certainly thought, if there were no other tricks original: Mucken; quirks, whims, or hidden difficulties. behind you than these, that taking away your wings should be easy to do. But I think you can also make yourself invisible, because you appeared to my sight just now through my locked door; that thing could not have happened in a natural way. I can never imagine it; you must be a truly flighty bird original: leichtfertiger Vogel; a play on words meaning both "fickle person" and a literal bird, referring to mercury's volatility., especially since you have already deceived so many people with your speed.

Mercury. So you still cannot forget that I came to you through your locked door, and therefore you conclude I might even be able to practice witchcraft and use such an art to lead people astray? No, my dear Smelter, this great speed and agility of mine comes from natural causes. Do you not yet know my spiritual properties Spiritual properties: In early chemistry and alchemy, "spirit" (spiritus) referred to the volatile, vaporous, or gaseous state of a substance. Mercury is explaining that his ability to permeate barriers is a physical trait of his vapor, not magic., even though you have dealt with me and my kind for so long? This seems very strange to me: oh, where will all your labors lead, if you do not know how to deal with me rightly in both great and small fires? Consider everything you do and what