Epistola de lapide philosophorum (Letter on the Philosopher's Stone, 1559)

to Alix Possibly a reference to Alexander of Aphrodisias or a corrupted proper name: it is said they are mineral, vegetable, and animal stone: and it is called mineral because it draws—
its material origin from mines; it is called vegetable because in its preparations, exhibition—
it helps, and the growth from it seems to appear, and as if the root of its nature in its information begins—
to appear in external color, it is moved, and is vivified, accepting the properties of vegetables:—
both in magnitude, multitude, and in increase the discourse; and as plants begin growth—
and from moist are changed into color, suitable by the mode of some life of a vegetable: so too in the—
increase accepting its nutriments from fire: and also it is animal, having respect to a son—
similar to it, or a proper form: because so those forms will do their operations, in—
generating, and multiplying things similar to themselves, which all animals do: by which their ex-—
periments, they terminate it, which in man also who are seen upon their shell: so—
from the stone in everywhere which are found: it is called moreover and quicksilver, because in it the exer-—
cise in the spirits of metals of seeds, to our immortal [nature] also, is found enclosed:—
let it be considered in it the potential to be found the nature of white sulphur, light-making; to which is with-—
in the red sulphur, life-making, as that which has become accustomed in all white, and existing red.—
it was, also, the aforementioned Lesser World Microcosmus: and this it does, because it has of all, because in it is contained—
virtually, and potentially the matter of these four of the genus: which are in any case mineral, vegetable,—
and animal: as it also stands in this machine of the greater world: under which, to the clouds, to the seeds—
all other created things are contained, and are carried in this greater world, which in that lesser [world], in—
act, as it might be provided in potential: Others indeed many said our stone to be chaos, as—
Sylbi Possibly a reference to a specific alchemical author, perhaps Sibly or a corruption: and others black earth of the eyes or glass: as blacker than black: and others—
excrement: and others also affirm it to be found, and to arise in the higher mountain of this—
world: and someone says it to be found in that most manner in animals, and its roots—
to be in the air, and its head in the earth. And others wanted, that it be dung of animals, or of magnet,—
or of magnesia, as antimony: And indeed others affirm in the factory of this stone—
to be more water, Mercury, sulphur, and arsenic: From where others said many things, about—
the demonstration of the stone: imposing innumerable [names] to this stone, names other—
names at pleasure and to this so that they themselves might not be known by others; but most apparent, and—
this from the gift of God to Alix: although he wills to deny, and abstracted: who adds names to the stone—
and it will appear: because the ancients, and others, who did not know the stone, nor see, it would have—
sufficed: for it seems to one exceedingly? heavy, whose long imposition, and image itself from one another—
cannot be pulled apart, nor as it is impossible, that the said names and others can together—
in one subject concur. Finally therefore let it be concluded, from the things said where I say, that not all the—
aforementioned names are to be imposed to the said stone and that they could be attributed, so that also—
names imposed to totally other things: fit them passim, and equally fit the potential. And