X. Mercury may as well be called Quick-Gold, as Quick-Silver, for it contains them both.
If Air will make this Separation, we must put thereto divers contrary things, as Roger
Bacon saith in Speculo. But this putrefaction cannot be done, till it is dissolved in Water
white as Milk, putrefy that Milk 15 days in B.M., then separate its Element, and cleanse
its Earth, and after that join it again in equal weight, then is the Elixir made compleat for
Saturn and Jupiter. Quick-Gold is Crude, Imperfect, and unfixt in every degree, and yet it
is accounted a Body, altho there be no fixation in it, and therefore it may be much sooner
brought to its first matter, than any other of the Bodies, that have any part of fixation in
them, for they must have much Labour and long time to separate them, and bring them
back into their fixt matter.
XI. For saith Lully, The Elements of Mercury may be dissolved, and being so dissolved,
they may be separated. There be some that think our Resoluble Seed, or dissolved
Menstruum, is the water of Argent Vive, made only by it self, because it does dissolve
both Metals, and pretious Stones which we call Pearls; and so it is. Now how this
dissolving Menstruum is made, not only Raymond seems to shew, but Roger Bacon in
like manner in his Speculum Alchymia, were he saith, put the Body which is most
weighty, into a Sistillatory, and draw forth thereof, its Sweet Rose, or Dew, with a little
Wind, or Breath: For betwixt every drop of Water, comes forth a Breath, as it were of a
Man, which is the substance of Argent Vive, and which the Philosophers call our
Mercury; which if it be well putrefied before hand, will then yield the more, and issue out
forcibly, as it were Wild-Fire out of a Trunk, especially when the Red Fume comes. Thus
have you one of our Argent Vives.
Philosopher,s Mercury
I. Of this Mercury, speaks another Philosopher thus, when its Elements are separated, and
again joyned and mixed together by equal weight, then is it made a compleat Elixir upon
Saturn and Jupiter; but its Elements cannot be separated, until such time as it is dissolved:
and of this Metalline Water, ought the Artist to draw the Tincture.
II. The Elements of Mercury being separated, and again commixed by equal weight or
proportion, make the Elixir compleat with often dissolving and congealing of the Spirit,
which must be done upon a Marble Stone, weighing the Body, and then taking its weight
of the Secret Salt, grinding them together very subtil, then putting them into Balneo, that
they may be dissolved; which done, take it out, and make your congelation a dry Fire, do
so oftentimes, and then, etc.
IV. Here it is to be Noted, that Raymundus commands this Tincture to be drawn out of
the Body of Venus, which Tincture he does Ferment with the prepared Calx of common
Vulgar Gold.
Green Lyon
XV. Of this Child of the Green Lyon of the Philosophers is drawn the strength of Sulphur
White and Red, but not Burning as Avicen saith, which are the two best things the
Alchymist can take to make his Gold and Silver of: and this is sufficient to be said, for
the attaining the knowledge of the Green Lyon: which is so called, because, that when he
is dissolved, he is straight ways adorned with a green Vesture (i.e., When our Sulphur of
Nature is dissolved in its own menstruum, which is the Virgins Milk, it is clothed with
this greenness, and therefore called the Green Lyon).
XVI. But of the Green Lyon of Fools, this we say, that from it with a strong fire is drawn
Aquafortis, in the which, the aforesaid Philosophers Lyon of the Mineral Stone, ought to
be Elixirated, and assumes its Name. Raymundus saith, it were better, or safer, to eat the
Eyes of a Basilisk, than that Gold, which is made with the Fire against Nature.
XVII. And I say also, that the things from whence the same Aquafortis is drawn is green
Vitriol and Azoth: i.e., Vitriol Natural, not Artificial, viz. the droppings of Copper, called
also Roman Vitriol, Roman Gold, by many of the Philosophers, from the abundance of its
noble Tincture, the which Tincture must be fermented with common Gold.
