Chemical-Philosophical Treatise on Natural and Supernatural Things

...but is forced to yield. Therefore, when the tincture of gold does not exist more abundantly in anything than in Mars Iron and Venus Copper, as in male and female, their bodies being destroyed, the spirit of the tincture is driven from there, which enriches the enclosed prepared gold with blood and volatilizes it through food and drink. Hence, volatile gold, saturated with its food and drink, acquires its own blood, dries it with its native heat by the aid of vaporous fire, and a certain mutual victory is given, which conciliates the greatest fixity, so that gold may pass into the most fixed medicine. Because of the redundancy of blood, it cannot exhibit any body unless, in turn, a very large body is added to it, where the superfluous fixed blood is diffused, which added Metallic body is penetrated like fire because of the immense heat of the fixed leonine blood, is cleansed from all impurity, and is immediately cooked into the fullest maturity and fixity. Thus, the servant accumulates riches for the Lord, because he cannot desire anything more from his own cloth, since nature has bestowed upon him a unique garment of honor, nor can the King, in turn, dispense the inheritance and the lasting courtly vestment to his satellites from the kingdom where he has previously collected tribute from his subjects, so that the Lord and servant can dwell together. Do not wonder, however, that the King needs the mutual aid of his satellites, for the cause is the lack of fixity of their bodies; they receive much into themselves, but they can provide little faith. But when the King can become a participant in that thing, he is able to overcome cold and heat better than impure Metals. Therefore, through such reception, he emerges the victor of all the others with the most glorious triumph of wealth and health for a long life.