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separated by the fiery Spirit; they being separated, the Light Elements
are carried upwards, and the heavy ones downwards: the light arising,
darkness retreats: the waters are gathered into one place and the dry
land appears. At length the two great Luminaries arise, and mineral,
vegetable and animal are produced in the Philosophers' Earth.
74. God created Adam out of the mud of the Earth, wherein were
inherent the virtues of all the Elements, of the Earth and Water
especially, which do more constitute the sensible and corporeal heap:
Into this Mass God breathed the breath of Life, and enlivened it with
the Sun of the Holy Spirit. He gave Eve for a Wife to Adam, and
blessing them he gave unto them a Precept and the Faculty of
multiplication. The generation of the Philosophers Stone, is not unlike
the Creation of Adam, for the Mud was made of a terrestrial and
ponderous Body dissolved by Water, which deserved the excellent
name of Terra Adamica, wherein all the virtues and qualities of the
Elements are placed. At length the heavenly Soul is infused thereinto
by the medium of the Quintessence and Solar influx, and by the
Benediction and Dew of Heaven; the virtue of multiplying ad
infinitum by the intervening copulation of both sexes is given it.
75. The chief secret of this work consisteth in the manner of working,
which is wholly employed about the Elements: for the matter of the
Stone passeth from one Nature into another, the Elements are
successively extracted, and by turns obtain dominion; everything is
agitated by the circles of humidum and siccum, until all things be
turned downwards, and there rest.
76. In the work of the Stone the other Elements are circulated in the
figure of Water, for the Earth is resolved into Water, wherein are the
rest of the Elements; the Water is Sublimated into Vapour, Vapour
retreats into Water, and so by an unwearied circle, is the Water
moved, until it abide fixed downwards; now that being fixed, all the
elements are fixed. Thus into it they are resolved, by it they are
extracted, with it they live and die; the Earth is the Tomb, and last end
of all.
77. The order of Nature requireth that every generation begin from
humidum and in humidum. In the Philosophers' Work, Nature is to be
reduced into order, that so the matter of the Stone which is terrestrial,
compact and dry, in the first place may be dissolved and flow into the
Element of Water next unto it, and then Saturn will be generated of
Sol.
78. The Air succeeds the Water, drawn about by seven circles or
revolutions, which is wheeled about with so many circles and
reductions, until it be fixed downwards, and Saturn being expelled,
Jupiter may receive the Sceptre and Government of the Kingdom, by
whose coming the Philosophers' Infant is formed, nourished in the
womb, and at length is born; resembling the splendour of Luna in her
beautiful and Serene countenance.
79. The Fire executes the courses of the Nature of the Elements,
extreme Fire assisting it; of the hidden is made the manifest; the
Saffron dyeth the Lily; Redness possesseth the cheeks of the blushing
Child now made stronger. A Crown is prepared for him against the
time of his Reign. This is the consummation of the first work, and the
perfect rotation of the Elements the sign whereof is, when they are all
terminated in Siccum, and the body void of Spirit lieth down, wanting
pulse, and motion; and thus all the Elements are finally resolved into
Terra.
80. Fire placed in the Stone is Nature's Prince, Sol's Son and Vicar,
moving and digesting matter and perfecting all things therein, if it
shall attain its liberty, for it lieth weak under a hard bark; procure
therefore its freedom that it may succour thee freely; but beware that
thou urge it not above measure, for being impatient of tyranny it may
become a fugitive, no hope of return being left unto thee; call it back
therefore by courteous words, and keep it prudently.
81. The first mover of nature is External Fire, the Moderator of
Internal Fire, and of the whole Work; Let the Philosopher therefore
very well understand the government thereof, and observe its degrees
and points; for from thence the welfare or ruin of the work dependeth.
Thus Art helpeth Nature, and the Philosopher is the Minister of both.
82. By these two Instruments of Art and Nature the Stone lifteth itself
up from Earth to Heaven with great ingenuity, and slideth from
Heaven to Earth, because the Earth is its Nurse, and being carried in
the womb of the wind, it receiveth the force of the Superiors and
Inferiors.
83. The Circulation of the Elements is performed by a double Whorl,
by the greater or extended and the less or contracted. The Whorl
extended fixeth all the Elements of the Earth, and its circle is not
finished unless the work of Sulphur be perfected. The revolution of
the minor Whorl is terminated by the extraction and preparation of
every Element. Now in this Whorl there are three Circles placed,
which always and variously move the Matter, by an Erratic and
Intricate Motion, and do often (seven times at least) drive about every
Element, in order succeeding one another, and so agreeable, that if
one shall be wanting the labour of the rest is made void. These
Circulations are Nature's Instruments, whereby the Elements are
prepared. Let the Philosopher therefore consider the progress of
Nature in the Physical Tract, more fully described for this very end.
84. Every Circle hath its proper Motion, for all the Motions of the
Circles are conversant about the subject of Humidum and Siccum, and
are so concatenated that they produce the one operation, and one only
consent of Nature: two of them are opposite, both in respect of their
causes and the effects; for one moveth upwards, drying by heat;
another downwards, moistening by cold; a third carrying the form of
rest and sleep by digesting, induceth the cessation of both in greatest
moderation.
85. Of the three Circles, the first is Evacuation, the labour of which is
in extracting the superfluous Humidum and also in separating the
pure, clean and subtle, from the gross and terrestrial dregs. Now the
greatest danger is found in the motion of this Circle, because it hath to
do with things Spiritual and makes Nature plentiful.
86. Two things are chiefly to be taken heed of in moving this Circle;
first, that it be not moved too intensely; the other, that it be not moved
for too long a time. Motion accelerated raiseth confusion in the
matter, so that the gross, impure and undigested part may fly out
together with the pure and subtle, and the Body undissolved be mixed
with the Spirit, together with that which is dissolved. With this
precipitated motion the Heavenly and Terrestrial Natures are
confounded, and the Spirit of the Quintessence, corrupted by the
admixture of Earth is made dull and invalid. By too long a motion the
Earth is too much evacuated of its Spirit, and is made so languishing,
dry and destitute of Spirit, that it cannot easily be restored and
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