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

Compound, and from nothing else in this whole world) always concerning the demonstrated, I show that it is the divine, and the greatest abundance of them are two, or hyle: the heaven and the world, each from the other separated by my powers, and distinguished, as will be said below. And from this in this first, and meridian preparation of his and his powers of the co-creating [nature] divided: the first from those principles in hand, that was its first abundance, whence from the immediate power of the stones, dust, electrum gold and silver: and thus and successive through innumerable accidental forms, then alterations, so that through their union one might proceed to the ultimate: until from the same unique physical matter, that substantial form is copied, which will consist of the end without the addition of any extraneous thing, but in those rays which it produces by its actions. And thus in this extrinsic act, once heard, it will have been sprinkled in the metallic bodies, according to my opinion, [based on] scientific reasons and probable experience. Hence, however, [there is] its new division to the spiritual: So that the heaven may be divided from the world: the soul incorporated with ferments, from the substance. And another: The Male from the female: and the Sol the Sun/Gold from the Luna the Moon/Silver: so that with that pain they might be better prepared, and afterwards mixed together they might be recooked, and one part of the body might act upon the other [so] it might then be able to act. Which spiritual division is indeed done so that you might take our said earthly [matters] (otherwise our earth) and grind them so that you put them to be sublimed, for the mass is well rectified, and existing in a glass vessel, well closed, which [is] kept with heat: you place [it] from the vegetable mercury day, and from these phosphors, and in that way the disposition, or impartible mixture. And you will have the power of knowing its fumes of the first moving day. And one of the aforesaid earths in the bath, until it sublimates [its] powers: and from such sublimation the water becomes entirely citrine and golden: which afterwards should be distilled as is fitting; it ought to be put aside in part in a glass vessel, placed closed: which water will be called the ammonia of the heaven, in that its powers, its amazing operations, [may] kindle into the lesser world which is [composed of] metals: which with its organized body, [might] vivify it, and make it volatile. It purifies the puramina purifications, and twice sublimated and incarnated: because it is joined with its own sulphur. And also in the nominations, which is one of the most potent elements, it imbibes in its humidity, moistening its dry earths, which they can. The power will be born from the light which is gathered in the seed of the Sol and Luna, which is its copulation in the irons, of which there had been sister, wife, and Mother: and its column, to one of those giving waters (as it openly indicated) which for the whole time had been volatile. Hence the star of the sun itself, under the name of gold in his books, speaks of the soul of this among other things. Hence not in the Sol itself is there such health, and we are stabilized, why the perfect metals and the soul of its body, and its [power] will vivify it, and make it volatile, and with the human body its amazing medicine will strengthen all weak bodies and everything which it has made.