Manuscript Transmitted to the Serene Duke of Holstein Explaining the Obscure Matters of Alchemists

perfect are not added or joined to our Mercurius, neither in the beginning, nor in the middle, nor in the end, our Mercurius does not cease, through perennial and continuous cooking, to terminate itself into white Sulphur first, and lastly into red, which is the supreme medicine for our health and for prolonging human life. For by itself it banishes all defects, and cures all infirmities, both of animals and of vegetables, even if it is not impregnated with gold and silver. For our Mercurius has within itself heavenly life and light, as the purest seed of all the elements, by the benefit of which it accomplishes and performs things that are admirable and entirely miraculous in natural things. And thus it is the true, unique, and absolute solace for human life, than which nothing greater can be possessed in this valley of tears. And certainly, in seeking this, men capable of mind and reason ought to sweat more than they do, indeed they think this study useless and vain; indeed they think those who devote their effort to this study and work are deranged and fools. But it is not surprising: for the Labor of virtue is always judged as Madness. We shall conclude, therefore, that in the cooking of our Mercurius, at the beginning of its cooking, perfect metals should be added and joined, specifically the Sun the Sun refers to gold in alchemical terminology: because in these perfect metals are the tinting rays, and white and red Sulphur perfectly mature and perfectly cooked, so that they are terminated more quickly into the perfect end, the white and red Sulphur that are in our Mercurius. Whence those who work this way do not do wrong, nor do they commit any error, but they act entirely according to the Laws of the art, and have done so.

CAPUT XIII.

Various and distinct operations are recounted by the ancient Chemists in making and carrying out our Mercurius; indeed, they elicit the Pure of nature from the three kingdoms of nature, so that these pure things