Two Dialogues on Alchemy

DEMO: You make me doubtful, and clearly uncertain.
GEBER. For what reason?
DEMO: Previously you advised that, for the composition of the Elixir Elixir: a medicinal or alchemical preparation intended to perfect base metals into gold or silver, we should take the seed of nature. Now, however, you deny that vitriol Vitriol: a term for various sulfate minerals; green vitriol is iron sulfate, blue is copper sulfate. They were considered "seeds" because of their metallic associations should be taken, even though it is a seed of nature.
∴Therefore, if by chance there were another seed, or a vitriol closer to the art, through which we might imitate nature in composition by means of skill, show that Elixir to us.
GEBER. Without a doubt, there is another.
DEMO: Where shall I find this?
∴GEBER. Where it has been placed by nature.
DEMO: I knew this. But where has nature located it? Shall I find it perhaps in the vegetable realm original: "re vegetabili"; early alchemists classified the world into vegetable, animal, and mineral kingdoms?
GEBER. In Chapter 11 of the first book, I said: among the various opinions of those who assume this art exists, some have affirmed that this art is found and is possible in all vegetable things.
∴For them, however, it is not so at all. Therefore, they will fail in their labor sooner than it is possible to complete the work.
DEMO: Are they found, then, in the animal realm original: "re animata," referring to things with a "soul" or life force, such as animals or humans?
GEBER. Arnaldus Arnaldus of Villanova was a prominent 13th-century physician and alchemist whose works were highly influential in the Book of the Perfect Mastery original: "lib. perfecti magisterij", discussing vegetable and animal things, says:
∴Since these things are totally and entirely remote from the nature of metals, it is impossible for metals to be generated from them. The Philosophers, however, when proposing this art in some vegetable or animal thing, or things taken from them, spoke through similarities of things. For since these are not the principles of nature,
∴they will by no means be the principles of the art. This error has deceived many. For since the Elixir is of a metallic nature, it is without doubt produced from the seed of metal. Furthermore, since it is especially required that it be united with metals, it is necessary that it be similar in substance to metals.
∴Only similar things are firmly united and strongly joined together.
DEMO: Shall I take, then, sulfur and quicksilver original: "argentum vivum," which literally translates to "living silver" generated by nature?
GEBER. I warned above that these are not the principles of nature. Therefore, they will not be the principles of the art either. And what is more, skill [cannot]... The text ends here as the discussion transitions to the next page