Complete Works, Vol. V

that it itself is mixed a little with the most subtle earthy substance, and furthermore has been most strongly acted upon by the earthy dry referring to the dry element acting upon the moist, so that its power now possesses almost all parts of such moisture, yet has not yet transmuted the substance of such moisture into earth. For in every transmutation of elements such passion precedes the transmutation of substance, because the power of the transmuting element prevails in the whole, and the parts of the transmuted element are shaped within it before the transmutation of the substance: and if they are mixed thus into some elemented thing, that elemented thing will have the matter of one element and the virtues of the other element: and this highest genius of the alchemists is taught by Hermes in his Secret of Secrets Secreto secretissimorum suorum through metaphorical words, saying:

"The stone ascends softly with great genius from the earth to heaven, and again descends from heaven to earth. Its nurse is the earth, and the wind has carried it in its belly."

Note the very obscure interpretation of Hermes' word.

For intending to teach the work of alchemy, he says it ascends into heaven when, through its roasting and calcination, it assumes the properties of fire. For alchemists call its calcination the reduction of matter into powder by burning and roasting: which matter again descends from heaven to earth when it assumes the virtues of the earth through burial inhumation: for then, through burial, that which had been killed by calcination is revivified and fostered. But what he says, that the wind carries it in its belly, shows the levigation of the matter to the virtues of air: and for this reason he says the wind carries the matter in its belly when the matter is placed in an alembic distillation vessel, which is a vessel made in such a way as the one in which rose water is made: for then, by evaporating, it is subtilized and levigated to the virtues of the air: for this reason he says the wind carries the matter in its belly: however, the liquid of water or oil with all the virtues of the elements distills further, exiting from the mouth of the alembic.

Note the difference between the method of art and of nature in operating.

And this, indeed, art performs with labor and many errors: but nature performs it without difficulty and labor. The cause of this

is that the powers existing in the matter of stones and metals are moved by certain and effective celestial virtues when the matter is operated upon: and those powers are the operations of the intelligences, which do not err except by accident, that is, from the inequality of the matter. In art, however, there is nothing of these, but rather the begged-for assistance of genius and fire. From these it is shown that, whether earth or water is called the matter of stones, it must be that it has been greatly acted upon by the qualities of the other elements. Let these things be said about the matter of stones in general.

CHAPTER IV.

The efficient cause of stones is said by almost everyone who has spoken about stones to be a mineral virtue virtus mineralis. But since this power is common, operating in stones as well as in all metals, the efficient cause of stones will seem to be assigned insufficiently: since it has not been certified by them, either by distinction or specification, what kind of thing this is which they say is the mineral virtue. Nor is anything found further from Avicenna, except that stones are generated from earth and water through a mineral virtue.

The opinion of Hermes.

Hermes, however, in the book which he writes about mineral virtue, seems to want to say that the generative cause of stones is a certain power, which he says is one in all things, but because of the diversity of the generated things, it receives diverse names. He gives an example of the light of the sun, which is the only generative thing of all, and when it is participated in, it does not act upon diverse things through one single power of the passives. It pleased him, however,