An Open Entrance - Philalethes

This key work of Eirenaeus Philalethes was first published as Introitus apertus ad
occlusum regis palatium, Amsterdam, 1667 and a few years later issued in an English
edition Secrets reveal'd: or, an open entrance to the shut-palace of the king, London
1669 !t was in"luded in #ardilu"ius,Magnalia medico-chymica, $urnberg, 1676, in
the Musaeum hermeticum reformatum et amplificatum, %rankfurt, 167&, and in
'anget(s "ompendium Bibliotheca chemica curiosa, 17)*
+Trans"ribed by ,erry -u.as/
An
0pen Entran"e
to the
#losed Pala"e
of the 1ing
by
An Anonymous 2age and
Lo3er of Truth
Table of Contents
The Author(s Prefa"e
0f the need of 2ulphur for produ"ing this Eli4ir
0f the #omponent Prin"iples of the 'er"ury of the 2ages
0f the #halybs of the 2ages
0f the 'agnet of the 2ages
0f the #haos of the 2ages
0f the Air of the 2ages
0f the first 0peration5Preparation of 'er"ury by means of the %lying Eagles
0f the 6iffi"ulty and Length of the %irst 0peration
0f the 2uperiority of our 'er"ury o3er all 'etals
0f the 2ulphur whi"h is in the 'er"ury of the 2ages
#on"erning the 6is"o3ery of the Perfe"t 'agistery
The 7eneri" 'ethod of 'aking the Perfe"t 'agistery
0f the 8se of 'ature 2ulphur in the 9ork of the Eli4ir
0f the #ir"umstantial and A""idental :e;uisites of our Art
0f the !n"idental Purgation of 'er"ury and 7old
0f the Amalgam of 'er"ury and 7old, and of their respe"ti3e Proportions
#on"erning the 2i<e, %orm, 'aterial, and 'ode of 2e"uring the =essel
0f the %urna"e, or Athanor of the 2ages
0f the Progress of the 9ork during the %irst >) 6ays
0f the Appearan"e of -la"kness in the 9ork of the 2un and 'oon
0f the #aution re;uired to a3oid -urning the %lowers
0f the :egimen of 2aturn
0f the 6ifferent :egimens of this 9ork
0f the %irst :egimen, whi"h is that of 'er"ury
0f the :egimen of the 2e"ond Part, whi"h is that of 2aturn
0f the :egimen of ,upiter
0f the :egimen of the 'oon
0f the :egimen of =enus 0f the :egimen of 'ars
0f the :egimen of the 2un
0f the %ermentation of the 2tone
The !mbibition of the 2tone
The 'ultipli"ation of the 2tone
0f Pro.e"tion
0f the manifold 8ses of this Art
THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE
!, being an anonymous adept, a lo3er of learning, and a philosopher, ha3e de"reed (to
write this little treatise of medi"inal, "hemi"al, and physi"al ar"ana, in the year 16>?,
after the -irth of #hrist, and in the *@rd year of my age, to assist in "ondu"ting my
straying brethren out of the labyrinth of error, and with the further ob.e"t of making
myself known to other 2ages, holding aloft a tor"h whi"h may be 3isible far and wide
to those who are groping in the darkness of ignoran"e The "ontents of this -ook are
not fables, but real e4periments whi"h ! ha3e seen, tou"hed, and handled, as an adept
will easily "on"lude from these lines ! ha3e written more plainly about this Art than
any of my prede"essorsA sometimes ! ha3e found myself on the 3ery 3erge of
breaking my 3ow, and on"e or twi"e had to lay down my pen for a seasonA but ! "ould
not resist the inward prompting of 7od, whi"h impelled me to perse3ere in the most
lo3ing "ourse, who alone knows the heart, and to whom only be glory for e3er
Ben"e, ! undoubtedly gather that in this last age of the world, many will be"ome
blessed by this ar"anum, through what ! ha3e thus faithfully written, for ! ha3e not
willingly left any5thing doubtful to the young beginner ! know many who with me do
en.oy this se"ret, and am persuaded that many more will also re.oi"e in its possession
Let the holy 9ill of 7od perform what it pleases, though ! "onfess myself an
unworthy instrument through whom su"h great things should be effe"ted
CHAPTER I
0f the need of 2ulphur for produ"ing the Eli4ir
9hoe3er wishes to possess this se"ret 7olden %lee"e, whi"h has 3irtue to transmute
metals into gold, should know that our 2tone is nothing but gold digested to the
highest degree of purity and subtle fi4ation to whi"h it "an be brought by $ature and
the highest effort of ArtA and this gold thus perfe"ted is "alled Cour gold,C no longer
3ulgar, and is the ultimate goal of $ature These words, though they may be
surprising to some of my readers, are true, as !, an adept, bear witnessA and though
o3erwise persons entertain "himeri"al dreams, $ature herself is most wonderfully
simple 7old, then, is the one true prin"iple of purifi"ation -ut our gold is twofoldA
one kind is mature and fi4ed, the yellow Latten, and its heart or "entre is pure fire,
whereby it is kept from destru"tion, and only purged in the fire This gold is our male,
and it is se4ually .oined to a more "rude white gold 55 the female seedD the two
together being indissolubly united, "onstitute our fruitful Bermaphrodite 9e are told
by the 2ages that "orporal gold is dead, until it be "on.oined with its bride, with
whom the "oagulating sulphur, whi"h in gold is outwards, must be turned inwards
Ben"e it follows that the substan"e whi"h we re;uire is 'er"ury #on"erning this
substan"e, 7eber uses the following wordsD C-lessed be the 'ost Bigh 7od who
"reated 'er"ury, and made it an all5pre3ailing substan"eC And it is true that unless
we had 'er"ury, Al"hemists might still boast themsel3es, but all their boasting would
be 3ain Ben"e it is "lear that our 'er"ury is not "ommon mer"uryA for all "ommon
mer"ury is a male that is "orporal, spe"ifi", and dead, while our 'er"ury is spiritual,
female, li3ing, and life5gi3ing Attend "losely to what ! say about our 'er"ury, whi"h
is the salt of the wise men The Al"hemist who works without it is like a man who
draws a bow without a string Eet it is found nowhere in a pure state abo3e ground,
but has to be e4tra"ted by a "unning pro"ess out of the substan"e in whi"h it e4ists
CHAPTER II
0f the #omponent Prin"iples of the 'er"ury of the 2ages
Let those who aim to purify 'er"ury by means of salts, fae"es and other foreign
bodies, and by strange "hemi"al pro"esses, understand that though our water is
3ariousy "omposed, it is yet only one thing, formed by the "on"retion of di3ers
substan"es of the same essen"e The "omponents of our water are fire, the 3egetable
C2aturnian li;uid,C and the bond of 'er"ury The fire is that of mineral 2ulphur,
whi"h yet "an be "alled neither mineral nor metalli", but partakes of both "hara"tersD
it is a "haos or spirit, be"ause our fiery 6ragon, that o3er"omes all things, is yet
penetrated by the odour of the 2aturnian li;uid, its blood growing together with the
2aturnian sap into one body whi"h is yet neither a body Fsin"e it is all 3olatileG nor a
spirit Fsin"e in fire it resembles melted metalG !t may thus be 3ery properly des"ribed
as "haos, or the mother of all metals %rom this "haos ! "an e4tra"t e3erything 55 e3en
the 2un and 'oon 55 without the transmutatory Eli4ir !t is "alled our Arseni", our
Air, our 'oon, our 'agnet, and our #halybsD these names representing the different
stages of its de3elopment, e3en unto the manifestation of the kingly diadem, whi"h is
"ast out of the menstruum of our harlot Learn then, who are the friends of #admusA
who is the serpent that de3oured themA what the hollow oak to whi"h #admus spitted
the serpent Learn who are the do3es of 6iana, that o3er"ome the green lion by
gentlenessD e3en the -abylonian dragon, whi"h kills e3erything with its 3enom
Learn, also, what are the winged shoes of 'er"ury, and who are those nymphs whom
he "harms by means of his in"antations
CHAPTER III
#on"erning the #halybs of the 2ages
0ur #halybs is the true key of our Art, without whi"h the Tor"h "ould in no wise be
kindled, and as the true magi ha3e deli3ered many things "on"erning it, so among
3ulgar al"hemists there is great "ontention as to its nature !t is the ore of gold, the
purest of all spiritsA a se"ret, infernal, and yet most 3olatile fire, the wonder of the
world, the result of hea3enly 3irtues in the lower world 55 for whi"h reason the
Almighty has assigned to it a most glorious and rare hea3enly "on.un"tion, e3en that
notable sign whose nati3ity is de"lared in the East This star was seen by the wise
men of old, and straightway they knew that a 7reat 1ing was born in the world
9hen you see its "onstellation, follow it to the "radle, and there you will behold a
beautiful !nfant :emo3e the impurities, look upon the fa"e of the 1ing(s 2onA open
your treasury, gi3e to him gold, and after his death he will bestow on you his flesh
and blood, the highest 'edi"ine in the three monar"hies of the earth
CHAPTER IV
0f the 'agnet of the 2ages
As steel is attra"ted towards the magnet, and the magnet turns towards the steel, so
also our 'agnet attra"ts our #halybs Thus, as #halybs is the ore of gold, so our
'agnet is the true ore of our #halybs The hidden "entre of our 'agnet abounds in
2alt, whi"h 2alt is the menstruum in the 2phere of the 'oon, and "an "al"ine gold
This "entre turns towards the Pole with an ar"heti" appetite, in whi"h the 3irtue of the
#halybs is e4alted into degrees !n the Pole is the heart of 'er"ury, the true fire Fin
whi"h is the rest of its 'asterG, sailing through this great sea that it may arri3e at both
the !ndies, and dire"t its "ourse by the aspe"t of the $orth 2tar, whi"h our 'agnet
will manifest
CHAPTER V
0f the #haos of the 2ages
Let the student in"line his ear to the united 3erdi"t of the 2ages, who des"ribe this
work as analogous to the #reation of the 9orld !n the -eginning 7od "reated
Bea3en and EarthA and the Earth was without form and 3oid, and the 2pirit of 7od
mo3ed upon the fa"e of the waters And 7od said, CLet there be light,C and there was
light These words are suffi"ient for the student of our Art The Bea3en must be
united to the Earth on the "ou"h of friendship, so shall he reign in glory for e3er The
Earth is the hea3y body, the womb of the minerals, whi"h it "herishes in itself,
although it brings to light trees and animals The Bea3en is the pla"e where the great
Lights re3ol3e, and through the air transmit their influen"es to the lower world -ut
in the beginning all was one "onfused "haos 0ur #haos is, as it were, a mineral earth
Fby 3irtue of its "oagulationG, and yet also 3olatile air 55 in the "entre of whi"h is the
Bea3en of the 2ages, the Astral #entre whi"h with its light irradiates the earth to its
surfa"e 9hat man is wise enough to e3ol3e out of this world a new 1ing, who shall
redeem his brothers from their natural weaknesses, by dying, being lifted on high,
and gi3ing his flesh and blood for the life of the world H ! thank Thee, 0 7od, that
Thou hast "on"ealed these things from the wise and prudent, and hast re3ealed them
unto babesI
CHAPTER VI
0f the Air of the 2ages
0ur air, like the air of the firmament, di3ides the watersA and as the waters under the
firmament are 3isible to us mortals, while we are unable to see the waters abo3e the
firmament, so in Cour workC we see the e4tra"entral mineral waters, but are unable to
see those whi"h, though hidden within, ne3ertheless ha3e a real e4isten"e They e4ist
but do not appear until it please the Artist, as the author of the Ne !ight has testified
0ur air keeps the e4tra"entral waters from mingling with those at the "entre !f
through the remo3al of this impediment, they were enabled to mingle, their union
would be indissoluble Therefore the e4ternal 3apours and burning sulphur do stiffy
adhere to our "haos, and unable to resist its tyranny, the pure flies away from the fire
in the form of a dry powder This then should be your great ob.e"t The arid earth
must be irrigated, and its pores softened with water of its own kind, then this thief
with all the workers of ini;uity will be "ast out, the water will be purged of its
leprous stain by the addition of true 2ulphur, and you will ha3e the 2pring whose
waters are sa"red to the maiden Jueen 6iana This thief is armed with all the
malignity of arseni", and is feared and es"hewed by the winged youth Though the
#entral 9ater be his 2pouse, yet the youth "annot "ome to her, until 6iana with the
wings of her do3es purges the poisonous air, and opens a passage to the bridal
"hamber Then the youth enters easily through the pores, presently shaking the waters
abo3e, and stirring up a rude and ruddy "loud 6o thou, 0 6iana, bring in the water
o3er him, e3en unto the brightness of the 'oon I 2o the darkness on the fa"e of the
abyss will be dispersed by the spirit mo3ing in the waters Thus, at the bidding of
7od, light will appear on the 2e3enth 6ay, and then this sophi" "reating of 'er"ury
shall be "ompleted, from whi"h time, until the re3olution of the year, you may wait
for the birth of the mar3ellous #hild of the 2un, who will "ome to deli3er his brethren
from e3ery stain
CHAPTER VII
0f the %irst 0peration 55 Preparation of 'er"ury by means of the %lying Eagles
1now, my brother, that the e4a"t preparation of the Eagles of the 2ages, is the highest
effort of our Art !n this first se"tion of our work, nothing is to be done without hard
and perse3ering toilA though it is ;uite true that afterwards the substan"e de3elops
under the influen"e of gentle heat without any imposition of hands The 2ages tell us
that their Eagles must be taken to de3our the Lion, and that they gain the 3i"tory all
the sooner if they are 3ery numerousA also that the number of the work 3aries between
7 and 9 The 'er"ury of the 2ages is the -ird of Bermes Fnow "alled a goose, now a
pheasantG -ut the Eagles are always mentioned in the plural, and number from @ to
lo Eet this is not to be understood as if there should be so many weights or parts of
the water to one of the earth, but the water must be taken so oftentimes a"uated or
sharpened as there are Eagles numbered This a"uation is made by sublimation There
is, then, one sublimation of the 'er"ury of the 2ages, when one Eagle is mentioned,
and the se3enth sublimation will so strengthen your 'er"ury, that the -ath of your
1ing will be ready Let me tell you now how this part of the work is performed
Take > parts of our fiery 6ragon, in whose belly is hidden the magi" #halybs, and 9
parts of our 'agnetA mingle them by means of a fier"e fire, in the form of a mineral
water, the foam of whi"h must be taken away :emo3e the shell, and take the kernel
Purge what remains on"e more by means of fire and the 2un, whi"h may be done
easily if 2aturn shall ha3e seen himself in the mirror of 'ars Then you will obtain
our #hameleon, or #haos, in whi"h all the 3irtues of our Art are potentially present
This is the infant Bermaphrodite, who, through the bite of a mad dog, has been
rendered so fearful of water, that though of a kindred nature, it always es"hews and
a3oids it -ut in the gro3e of 6iana are two do3es that soothe its rabid madness if
applied by the art of the nymph 'er"ury Take it and plunge it under water till it
perish thereinA then the rabid and bla"k dog will appear panting and half suffo"ated 55
dri3e him down with 3igorous blows, and the darkness will be dispelled 7i3e it
wings when the 'oon is full, and it will fly away as an Eagle, lea3ing the do3es of
6iana dead Fthough, when first taken they should be li3ingG :epeat this se3en times,
and your work is done, the gentle "o"tion whi"h follows is "hild(s play and a woman(s
work
CHAPTER VIII
0f the 6iffi"ulty and Length of the %irst 0peration
2ome Al"hemists fan"y that the work from beginning to end is a mere idle
entertainmentA but those who make it so will reap what they ha3e sown 55 3i<,
nothing 9e know that ne4t to the 6i3ine -lessing, and the dis"o3ery of the proper
foundation, nothing is so important as unwearied industry and perse3eran"e in this
%irst 0peration !t is no wonder, then, that so many students of this Art are redu"ed to
beggaryA they are afraid of work, and look upon our Art as mere sport for their leisure
moments %or no labour is more tedious than that whi"h the preparatory part of our
enterprise demands 'orienus earnestly entreats the 1ing to "onsider this fa"t, and
says that many 2ages ha3e "omplained of the tedium of our work CTo render a
"haoti" mass orderlyC( says the Poet, Cis matter of mu"h time and labourC 55 and the
noble author of the Bermeti"al Ar"anum des"ribes it as an Ber"ulean task There are
so many impurities "linging to our first substan"e, and a most powerful intermediate
agent is re;uired for the purpose of eli"iting from our polluted menstruum the :oyal
6iadem -ut when you ha3e on"e prepared your 'er"ury, the most formidable part
of your task is a""omplished, and you may indulge in that rest whi"h is sweeter than
any work, as the 2age says
CHAPTER IX
0n the 2uperiority of our 'er"ury o3er All 'etals
0ur 'er"ury is that 2erpent whi"h de3oured the "ompanions of #admus, after ha3ing
first swallowed #admus himself, though he was far stronger than they Eet #admus
will one day transfi4 this 2erpent, when he has "oagulated it with his 2ulphur 1now
that this, our 'er"ury, is a 1ing among metals, and dissol3es them by "hanging their
2ulphur into a kindred mer"urial substan"e The 'er"ury of one, two, or three eagles
bears rule o3er 2aturn, ,upiter, and =enus The 'er"ury of from three to se3en eagles
sways the 'oonA that of ten eagles has power o3er the 2unA our 'er"ury is nearer
than any other unto the first ens of metalsA it has power to enter metalli" bodies, and
to manifest their hidden depths
CHAPTER X
0n the sulphur whi"h is in the 'er"ury of the 2ages
!t is a mar3ellous fa"t that our 'er"ury "ontains a"ti3e sulphur and yet preser3es the
form and all the properties of 'er"ury Ben"e it is ne"essary that a form be
introdu"ed therein by our preparation, whi"h form is a metalli" sulphur This 2ulphur
is the inward fire whi"h "auses the putrefa"tion of the "omposite 2un This
sulphureous fire is the spiritual seed whi"h our =irgin Fstill remaining imma"ulateG
has "on"ei3ed %or an un"orrupted 3irginity admits of a spiritual lo3e, as e4perien"e
and authority affirm The two Fthe passi3e and the a"ti3e prin"ipleG "ombined we "all
our Bermaphrodite 9hen .oined to the 2un, it softens, li;uefies, and dissol3es it with
gentle heat -y means of the same fire it "oagulates itselfA and by its "oagulation
produ"es the 2un 0ur pure and homogeneous 'er"ury, ha3ing "on"ei3ed inward
2ulphur Fthrough our ArtG, "oagulates itself under the influen"e of gentle outward
heat, like the "ream of milk 55 a subtle earth floating on the water 9hen it is united to
the 2un, it is not only not "oagulated, but the "omposite substan"e be"omes softer day
by dayA the bodies are almost dissol3edA and the spirits begin to be "oagulated, with a
bla"k "olour and a most fetid smell Ben"e it appears that this spiritual metalli"
2ulphur is in truth the moving principle in our "rtA it is really 3olatile or unmatured
gold, and by proper digestion is "hanged into that metal !f .oined to perfe"t gold, it is
not "oagulated, but dissol3es the "orporal gold, and remains with it, being dissol3ed,
under one form, although before the perfe"t union death must pre"ede, that so they
may he united after death, not simply in a perfe"t unity, but in a thousand times more
than perfe"t perfe"tion
CHAPTER XI
#on"erning the 6is"o3ery of the Perfe"t 'agistery
There are those who think that this Art was first dis"o3ered by 2olomon, or rather
imparted to him by 6i3ine :e3elation -ut though there is no reason for doubting that
so wise and profoundly learned a so3ereign was a";uainted with our Art, yet we
happen to know that he was not the first to a";uire the knowledge !t was possessed
by Bermes, the Egyptian, and some other 2ages before himA and we may suppose that
they first sought a simple e4altation of imperfe"t metals into regal perfe"tion, and that
it was at first their endea3our to de3elop 'er"ury, whi"h is most like to gold in its
weight and properties, into perfe"t gold This, howe3er, no degree of ingenuity "ould
effe"t by any fire, and the truth gradually broke on their minds that an internal heat
was re;uired as well as an e4ternal one 2o they re.e"ted a;ua fortis and all "orrosi3e
sol3ents, after long e4periments with the same 55 also all salts, e4"ept that kind whi"h
is the first substan"e of all salts, whi"h dissol3es all metals and "oagulates 'er"ury,
but not without 3iolen"e, when"e that kind of agent is again separated entire, both in
weight and 3irtue, from the things it is applied to They saw that the digestion of
'er"ury was pre3ented by "ertain a;ueous "rudities and earthy drossA and that
the radical nature of these impurities rendered their elimination impossible, e4"ept by
the "omplete in3ersion of the whole "ompound They knew that 'er"ury would
be"ome fi4ed if it "ould be freed from their defiling presen"e 55 as it "ontains
fermenting sulphur, whi"h is only hindered by these impurities from "oagulating the
whole mer"urial body At length they dis"o3ered that 'er"ury, in the bowels of the
earth, was intended to be"ome a metal, and that the pro"ess of de3elopment was only
stopped by the impurities with whi"h it had be"ome tainted They found that that
whi"h should be a"ti3e in the 'er"ury was passi3eA and that its infirmity "ould not be
remedied by any means, e4"ept the introdu"tion of some kindred prin"iple from
without 2u"h a prin"iple they dis"o3ered in metalli" sulphur, whi"h stirred up the
passi3e sulphur in the 'er"ury, and by allying itself with it, e4pelled the aforesaid
impurities -ut in seeking to a""omplish this pra"ti"ally, they were met by another
great diffi"ulty !n order that this sulphur might be effe"tual in purifying the 'er"ury,
it was indispensable that it should itself be pure All their efforts to purify it, howe3er,
were doomed to failure At length they bethought them that it might possibly be
found somewhere in $ature in a purified "ondition 55 and their sear"h was "rowned
with su""ess They sought a"ti3e sulphur in a pure state, and found it "unningly
"on"ealed in the Bouse of the :am This sulphur mingled most eagerly with the
offspring of 2aturn, and the desired effe"t was speedily produ"ed 55 after the
malignant 3enom of the C airC of 'er"ury had been tempered Fas already set forth at
some lengthG by the 6o3es of =enus Then life was .oined to life by means of the
li;uidA the dry was moistenedA the passi3e was stirred into a"tion by the a"ti3eA the
dead was re3i3ed by the li3ing The hea3ens were indeed temporarily "louded o3er,
but after a "opious downpour of rain, serenity was restored 'er"ury emerged in a
hermaphroditi" state Then they pla"ed it in the fireA in no long time they su""eeded
in "oagulating it, and in its "oagulation they found the 2un and the 'oon in a most
pure state Then they "onsidered that, before its "oagulation, this 'er"ury was not a
metal, sin"e, on being 3olatilised, it left no residue at the bottom of the distilling
3esselA hen"e they "alled it unmatured gold and their li3ing For ;ui"kG sil3er !t also
o""urred to them that if gold were sown, as it were, in the soil of its own first
substan"e, its e4"ellen"e would probably be enhan"edA and when they pla"ed gold
therein, the fi4ed was 3olatilised, the hard softened, the "oagulated dissol3ed, to the
ama<ement of $ature herself %or this reason they wedded these two to ea"h other,
put them in a still o3er the fire, and for many days regulated the heat in a""ordan"e
with the re;uirements of $ature Thus the dead was re3i3ed, the body de"ayed, and a
glorified spirit rose from the gra3eA the soul was e4alted into the Juintessen"e 55 the
8ni3ersal 'edi"ine for animals, 3egetables, and minerals
CHAPTER XII
The 7eneri" 'ethod of 'aking the Perfe"t 'agistery
The greatest se"ret of our operation is no other than a "ohobation of the nature of one
thing abo3e the other, until the most digested 3irtue be e4tra"ted out of the digested
body of the "rude one -ut there are hereto re;uisiteD %irstly, an e4a"t measurement
and preparation of the ingredients re;uiredA se"ondly, an e4a"t fulfilment of all
e4ternal "onditionsA thirdly a proper regulation of the fireA fourthly, a good knowledge
of the natural properties of the substan"esA and fifthly, patien"e, in order that the work
may not be marred by o3ergreat haste 0f all these points we will now speak in their
proper order
CHAPTER XIII
0f the 8se of 'ature 2ulphur in the 9ork of the Eli4ir
9e ha3e spoken of the need of 'er"ury, and ha3e des"ribed its properties more
plainly and straightforwardly than has e3er been done before 7od knows that we do
not grudge the knowledge of this Art to our brother menA and we are not afraid that it
"an e3er be"ome the property of any unworthy person 2o long as the se"ret is
possessed by a "omparati3ely small number of philosophers, their lot is anything but
a bright and happy oneA surrounded as we are on e3ery side by the "ruel greed and 55
the prying suspi"ion of the multitude, we are doomed, like #ain, to wander o3er the
earth homeless and friendless $ot for us are K the soothing influen"es of domesti"
happinessA not for us the delightful "onfiden"es of friendship 'en who "o3et our
golden se"ret pursue us from pla"e to pla"e, and fear "loses our lips, when lo3e
tempts us to open oursel3es freely to a brother Thus we feel prompted at times to
burst forth into the desolate e4"lamation of #ainD C9hoe3er finds me will slay meC
Eet we are not the murderers of our brethrenA we are an4ious only to do good to our
fellow5men -ut e3en our kindness and "haritable "ompassion are rewarded with
bla"k ingratitude5 ingratitude that "ries to hea3en for 3engean"e !t was only a short
time ago that, after 3isiting the plague5stri"ken haunts of a "ertain "ity, and restoring
the si"k to perfe"t health by means of my mira"ulous medi"ine, ! found myself
surrounded by a yelling mob, who demanded that ! should gi3e to them my Eli4ir of
the 2agesA and it was only by "hanging my dress and my name, by sha3ing off my
beard and putting on a wig, that ! was enabled to sa3e my life, and es"ape from the
hands of those wi"ked men And e3en when our li3es are not threatened, it is not
pleasant to find5oursel3es, where3er we go, the "entral ob.e"ts of human greed !
know of se3eral persons who were found strangled in their beds, simply be"ause they
were suspe"ted of possessing this se"ret, though, in reality, they knew no more about
it than their murderersA it was enough for some desperate ruffians, that a mere
whisper of suspi"ion had been breathed against their 3i"tims 'en are so eager to
ha3e this 'edi"ine that your 3ery "aution will arouse their suspi"ions, and endanger
your safety Again, if you desire to sell any large ;uantity of your gold and sil3er, you
will be unable to do so without imminent risk of dis"o3ery The 3ery fa"t that anyone
has a great mass of bullion for sale would in most pla"es e4"ite suspi"ion This
feeling will be strengthened when people test the ;uality of our goldA for it is mu"h
finer and purer than any of the gold whi"h is brought from -arbary, or from the
7uinea #oastA and our sil3er is better e3en than that whi"h is "on3eyed home by the
2panish sil3er fleet !f, in order to baffle dis"o3ery, you mi4 these pre"ious metals
with alloy, you render yourself liable, in England and5 Bolland at least, to "apital
punishmentA for in those "ountries no one is permitted to tamper with the pre"ious
metals e4"ept the offi"ers of the mint, and the li"ensed goldsmiths ! remember on"e
going, in the disguise of a foreign mer"hant to a goldsmith(s shop, and offering him
6)) pounds worth of our pure sil3er for sale Be sub.e"ted it to the usual tests, and
then saidD CThis sil3er is artifi"ially preparedC 9hen ! asked him why he thought so,
his answer wasD C! am not a no3i"e in my profession, and know 3ery well the e4a"t
;uality of the sil3er whi"h is brought from the different minesC 9hen ! heard these
words ! took myself away with great se"re"y and dispat"h, lea3ing the sil3er in the
hands of the goldsmith 0n this a""ount, and by reason of the many and great
diffi"ulties whi"h beset us, the possessors of this 2tone, on e3ery side, we do ele"t to
remain hidden, and will "ommuni"ate the Art to those who are worthily "o3etous of
our se"rets, and then mark what publi" good will befall 9ithout 2ulphur, our
'er"ury would ne3er be properly "oagulated for our supernatural workA it is the male
substan"e, while 'er"ury may be "alled the femaleA and all 2ages say that no tin"ture
"an be made without its latten, whi"h latten is gold, without any double speaking
9ise men, notwithstanding, "an find this substan"e e3en on the dunghillA but the
ignorant are unable to dis"ern it e3en in gold The tin"ture of gold is "on"ealed in the
gold of the 2ages, whi"h is the most highly matured of bodiesA but as a raw material it
e4ists only in our 'er"uryA and it FgoldG re"ei3es from 'er"ury the multipli"ation of
its seed, but in 3irtue rather than in weight The 2ages say that "ommon gold is dead,
while their(s is li3ingA and "ommon gold is dead in the same sense in whi"h a grain of
wheat is dead, while it is surrounded by dry airA and "omes to life, swells, softens,
and germinates only when it is put into moist earth !n this sense gold, too, is dead, so
long as it is surrounded by the "orporeal husk, always allowing, of "ourse, for the
great differen"e between a 3egetable grain and metalli" gold #ur grain is ;ui"kened
in ater onlyA and as wheat, while it remains in the barn is "alled grain, and is not
destined to be ;ui"kened, be"ause it is to be used for bread making 55 but "hanges its
name, when it is sown in the field, and is then "alled seed"ornA so our gold, while it is
in the form of rings, plate, and "oins, is "alled "ommon gold, be"ause in that state it is
likely to remain un"hanged to the end of the worldA but potentially it is e3en then the
gold of the 2ages, be"ause if sown in its own proper element, it would in a few days
be"ome the #haos of the 2ages Ben"e the 2ages bid you re3i3e the dead Fie, the
gold whi"h already appeared doomed to a li3ing deathG and mortify the li3ing, ie,
the 'er"ury whi"h, imparting life to the gold, is itself depri3ed of the 3ital prin"iple
Their gold is taken in a dead, their water in a li3ing, state, and by their "omposition
and brief "o"tion, the dead gold re3i3es and the li3ing 'er"ury dies, ie, the spirit is
"oagulated, the body is dissol3ed, and thus both putrefy together, until all the
members of the "ompound are torn into atoms The mystery of our Art, whi"h we
"on"eal with so great "are, is the preparation of the 'er"ury, whi"h abo3e ground is
not to be found made ready to our hand -ut when it is prepared, it is Cour waterC in
whi"h gold is dissol3ed, whereby the latent life of the gold is set free, and re"ei3es
the life of the dissol3ing 'er"ury, whi"h is to gold what good earth is to the grain of
wheat 9hen the gold has putrefied in the 'er"ury, there arises out of the
de"omposition of death a new body, of the same essen"e, but of a glorified substan"e
Bere you ha3e the whole of our Philosophy in a nutshell There is no se"ret about it,
e4"ept the preparation of 'er"ury, its mingling with the gold in the right proportions,
and the regulation of the fire in a""ordan"e with its re;uirements 7old by itself does
not fear the fireA hen"e the great point is, to temper the heat to the "apa"ity of the
'er"ury !f the 'er"ury is not properly prepared, the gold remains "ommon gold,
being .oined with an improper agentA it "ontinues un"hanged, and no degree of heat
will help it to put off its "orporeal nature 9ithout our 'er"ury the seed Fie, goldG
"annot be sownA and if gold is not sown in its proper element, it "annot be ;ui"kened
any more than the "orn whi"h the 9est !ndians keep underground, in air5tight stone
.ars, "an germinate ! know that some self5"onstituted C2agesC will take e4"eption to
this tea"hing, and say that "ommon gold and running 'er"ury are not the substan"e
of our 2tone -ut one ;uestion will suffi"e to silen"e their ob.e"tionsD Ba3e they e3er
a"tually prepared our Tin"tureH ! ha3e prepared it more than on"e, and daily ha3e it in
my powerA hen"e ! may perhaps be permitted to speak as one ha3ing authority 7o on
babbling about your rain water "olle"ted in 'ay, your 2alts, your sperm whi"h is
more potent than the foul fiend himself, ye self5styled philosophersA rail at me, if you
likeA all you say is "on"lusi3ely refuted by this one fa"t 55 you "annot make the 2tone
9hen ! say that gold and 'er"ury are the only substan"es of our 2tone ! know what !
am writing aboutA and the 2ear"her of all hearts knows also that ! say true The time
has arri3ed when we may speak more freely about this Art %or Elias the artist is at
hand, and glorious things are already spoken of the #ity of 7od ! possess wealth
suffi"ient to buy the whole world 55 but as yet ! may not use it on a""ount of the "raft
and "ruelty of wi"ked men !t is not from .ealousy that ! "on"eal as mu"h as ! doD 7od
knows that ! am weary of this lonely, wandering life, shut out from the bonds of
friendship, and almost from the fa"e of 7od ! do not worship the golden "alf, before
whi"h our !sraelites bow low to the groundA let it be ground to powder like the bra<en
serpent ! hope that in a few years gold Fnot as gi3en by 7od, but as abused by manG
will be so "ommon that those who are now so mad after it, shall "ontemotuously
spurn aside this bulwark of Anti"hrist Then will tie day of our deli3eran"e be at hand
when the streets of the new ,erusalem are pa3ed with gold, and its gates are made of
great diamonds The day is at hand when, by means of this my -ook, gold will ha3e
be"ome as "ommon as dirtA when we 2ages shall find rest for the soles of our feet,
and render fer3ent thanks to 7od 'y heart "on"ei3es unspeakable things, and is
enlarged for the good of the !srael of 7od These words ! utter forth with a herald(s
"larion tones 'y -ook is the pre"ursor of Elias, designed to prepare the :oyal way
of the 'asterA and would to 7od that by its means all men might be"ome adepts in
our Art 55 for then gold, the great idol of mankind, would lose its 3alue, and we
should pri<e it only for its s"ientifi" tea"hing =irtue would be lo3ed for its own sake
! am familiar with many possessors of this Art who regard silen"e as the great point
of honour -ut ! ha3e been enabled by 7od to take a different 3iew of the matterA and
! firmly belie3e that ! "an best ser3e the !srael of 7od, and put my talent out at usury,
by making this se"ret knowledge the "ommon property of the whole world Ben"e !
ha3e not "onferred with flesh and blood, nor attempted to obtain the "onsent of my
-rother 2ages !f the matter su""eeds a""ording to my desire and prayer, they will all
re.oi"e that ! ha3e published this -ook
CHAPTER XIV
0f the #ir"umstantial and A""idental :e;uisites of our Art
9e ha3e weeded out all 3ulgar errors "on"erning our Art, and ha3e shewn that gold
and 'er"ury are the only substan"es re;uired 9e ha3e shewn that this gold is to be
understood, not metaphori"ally, but in a truly philosophi"al sense 9e ha3e also
de"lared our 'er"ury to be true ;ui"ksil3er, without any ambiguity of a""eptation
The latter, we ha3e told you, must be made by art, and be a key to the former 9e
ha3e made e3erything as "lear as noondayA and our tea"hing is based, not on hearsay,
or on the writings of others, but on our own personal and oft repeated e4perien"e The
things we faithfully de"lare are what we ha3e both seen and known 9e ha3e made
and do possess the 2tone 55 the great Eli4ir 'oreo3er, we do not grudge you this
knowledge, but wish you to attain it out of this -ook 9e ha3e spoken out more
plainly than any of our prede"essorsA and our :e"eipt, apart from the fa"t that we
ha3e not "alled things by their proper names, is perfe"tly trustworthy !t remains for
us to gi3e you some pra"ti"al tests by whi"h the goodness or unsuitableness of your
'er"ury may be known and some dire"tions for amending its defe"ts 9hen you
ha3e li3ing 'er"ury and gold, there remains to be a""omplished, first, the purging of
the 'er"ury and the gold, then their espousal, and finally the regulation of the fire
CHAPTER XV
0f the !n"idental Purging of 'er"ury and 7old
Perfe"t gold is found in the bowels of the earth in little pie"es, or in sand !f you "an
meet with this unmi4ed gold, it is pure enoughA if not, purge it with antimony or royal
"ement, or boil it with a;ua fortis, the gold being first granulated Then smelt it,
remo3e the impure sediment, and it is ready -ut 'er"ury needs inward and essential
purging whi"h radi"al "leansing is brought about by the addition of true 2ulphur,
little by little, a""ording to the number of the Eagles Then it also needs an in"idental
purgation for the purpose of remo3ing from its surfa"e the impurities whi"h ha3e, by
the essential purgation, been e.e"ted from the "entre This pro"ess is not absolutely
ne"essary, but it is useful, as it a""elerates the work Therefore, take your 'er"ury,
whi"h you ha3e purified with a suitable number of Eagles, sublime it three times with
"ommon salt and iron filings, and wash it with 3inegar and a moderate ;uantity of
salts of ammonia, then dry and distil in a glass retort, o3er a gradually in"reasing fire,
until the whole of the 'er"ury has as"ended :epeat this four times, then boil the
'er"ury in spirits of 3inegar for an hour, stirring it "onstantly Then pour off the
3inegar, and wash off its a"idity by a plentiful effusion of spring water 6ry the
'er"ury, and its splendour will be wonderful Eou may wash it with wine, or 3inegar
and salt, and so spare the sublimationA but then distil it at least four times without
addition, after you ha3e perfe"ted all the eagles, or washings, washing the "halybeat
retort e3ery time with ashes and waterA then boil it in distilled 3inegar for half a day,
stirring it strongly at times Pour off the bla"kish 3inegar, add new, then wash with
warm water This pro"ess is designed to purge away the internal impurities from the
surfa"e These impurities you may per"ei3e if, on mi4ing 'er"ury with purest gold,
you pla"e the amalgam on a white sheet of paper The sooty bla"kness whi"h is then
seen on the paper is purged away by this pro"ess
CHAPTER XVI
0f the Amalgam of 'er"ury and 7old, and of their respe"ti3e Proportions
9hen you ha3e done all this, take one part of pure and laminated gold, or fine gold
filings, and two parts of 'er"uryA put them in a heated FmarbleG .ar, ie, hea3ed with
boiling water, being taken out of whi"h it dries ;ui"kly, and holds the heat a long
time 7rind with an i3ory, or glass, or stone, or iron, or bo4wood pestle Fthe iron
pestle is not so goodA ! use a pestle of "rystalGD pound them, ! say, as small as the
painters grind their "oloursA then add water so as to make the mass as "onsistent as
half melted butter The mi4ture should be fi4able and soft, and permit itself to be
moulded into little globules 55 like moderately soft butterA it should be of su"h a
"onsisten"y as to yield to the gentlest tou"h 'oreo3er, it should be of the same
temperature throughout, and one part should not be more li;uid than another The
mi4ture will be more or less soft, a""ording to the proportion of 'er"ury whi"h it
"ontainsA but it must be "apable of forming into those little globules, and the 'er"ury
should not be more li3ely at the bottom than at the top !f the amalgam be left
undisturbed, it will at on"e hardenA you must therefore .udge of the merits of the
mi4ture, while you are stirring itA if it fulfils the abo3e "onditions, it is good Then
take spirit of 3inegar, and dissol3e in it a third part of salt of ammonia, put the
amalgam into this li;uid, let the whole boil for a ;uarter5of5an5hour in a long ne"ked
glass 3esselA then take the mi4ture out of the glass 3essel, pour off the li;uid, heat the
mortar, and pound the amalgam Fas abo3eG 3igorously, and wash away all bla"kness
with hot water Put it again into the li;uid, let it boil up on"e more in the glass 3essel,
pound it as before, and wash it :epeat this pro"ess until the bla"kness is entirely
purged out The amalgam will then be as brilliant and white as the purest sil3er 0n"e
more regulate the temperature of the amalgam a""ording to the rules gi3en abo3eA
your labour will be ri"hly rewarded !f the amalgam be not ;uite soft enough, add a
little 'er"ury Then boil it in pure water, and free it from all saltness and a"idity
Pour off the water, and dry the amalgam 'ake ;uite sure that it is thoroughly dried,
by wa3ing it to and fro on the point of a knife o3er a sheet of white paper
CHAPTER XVII
#on"erning the 2i<e, %orm, 'aterial, and 'ode of 2e"uring the =essel
Let your glass distilling 3essel be round or o3alA large enough to hold neither more
nor mu"h less than an oun"e of distilled water in the body thereof Let the height of
the 3essel(s ne"k be about one palm, hand5breath, or span, and let the glass be "lear
and thi"k Fthe thi"ker the better, so long as it is "lear and "lean, and permits you to
distinguish what is going on withinG 55 but the thi"kness should be uniform The
substan"e whi"h will go into this 3essel "onsists of 1L* o< of gold, and one o< of
mer"uryA and if you ha3e to add 1L@ o< of mer"ury, the whole "ompound will still be
less than * o< The glass should be strong in order to pre3ent the 3apours whi"h arise
from our embryo bursting the 3essel Let the mouth of the 3essel be 3ery "arefully
and effe"tually se"ured by means of a thi"k layer of sealing5wa4 The utensils and the
materials re;uired are not then 3ery e4pensi3e 55 and if you use my thi"k distilling5
3essel you will a3oid loss by breakage The other instruments that are re;uisite are
not dear ! know that many will take e4"eption to this statementA they will say that the
pursuit of our Art is a matter of all but ruinous e4pense -ut my answer "onsists in a
simple ;uestionD 9hat is the ob.e"t of our ArtH !s it not to make the Philosopher(s
2tone 55 to find the li;uid in whi"h gold melts like i"e in tepid waterH And do those
good people who are so eager in their sear"h after C'er"ury of the 2un,C and
C'er"ury of the 'oon,C and who pay so high a pri"e for their materials, e3er su""eed
in this ob.e"tH They "annot answer this ;uestion in the affirmati3e 0ne florin will
buy enough of the substan"e of our water to ;ui"ken two pounds of mer"ury, and
make it the true 'er"ury of the 2ages -ut, of "ourse, glass 3essels, "oals, earthen
3essels, a furna"e, iron 3essels, and other instruments, "annot be bought for nothing
9ithout a perfe"t body, our ore, 3i<, gold, there "an be no Tin"ture, and our 2tone is
at first 3ile, immature, and 3olatile, but when "omplete it is perfe"t, pre"ious, and
fi4ed These two aspe"ts of our 2tone are the body, gold, and the spirit, or ;ui"ksil3er
CHAPTER XVIII
0f the %urna"e or Athanor of the 2ages
! ha3e spoken about 'er"ury, 2ulphur, the 3essel, their treatment, et" et"A and, of
"ourse, all these things are to be understood with a grain of salt Eou must understand
that in the pre"eding "hapters ! ha3e spoken metaphori"allyA if you take my words in
a literal sense, you will reap no har3est e4"ept your outlay %or instan"e, when ! name
the prin"ipal substan"es 'er"ury and gold 55 ! do not mean "ommon gold in the state
in whi"h it is sold at the goldsmiths 55 but it must be prepared by means of our Art
Eou may find our gold in "ommon gold and sil3er, but it is easier to make the 2tone
than to get its first substan"e out of "ommon gold C0ur goldC is the #haos whose
soul has not been taken away by fire The soul of "ommon gold has retired before the
fiery tyranny of =ul"an into the inmost "itadel !f you seek our gold in a substan"e
intermediate between perfe"tion and imperfe"tion, you will find itD but otherwise, you
must unbar the gates of "ommon gold by the first preparatory pro"ess F"h 43G, by
whi"h the "harm of its body is broken, and the husband enabled to do his work !f you
"hoose the former "ourse, you shall use only gentle heatA in the latter "ase, you will
re;uire a fier"e fire -ut here you will be hopelessly lost in a labyrinth, if you do not
know your way out of it -ut whether you "hoose our gold, or "ommon gold, you will
in either "ase need an e3en and "ontinual fire !f you take our gold, you will finish the
work a few months sooner, and the Eli4ir will be ten times more pre"ious than that
prepared from "ommon gold !f you work with Cour gold,C you will be assisted in its
"al"ination, putrefa"tion, and dealbation by its gentle inward FnaturalG heat -ut in the
"ase of "ommon gold, this heat has to be applied e4ternally by foreign substan"es, so
as to render it fit for union with the =irgin(s 'ilk !n neither "ase, howe3er, "an
anything be effe"ted without the aid of fire !t was not, then, in 3ain that Bermes
"ounts fire ne4t to the 2un and 'oon as the go3ernor of the work -ut this is to be
under stood of the truly se"ret furna"e, whi"h a 3ulgar eye ne3er saw There is also
another furna"e, whi"h is "alled our "ommon furna"e, made of potter(s earth, or of
iron and brass plates, well "ompa"ted with "lay This furna"e we "all Athanor, and the
shape whi"h ! like best is that of a tower with a CnestC at the top The CtowerC should
be about three feet high, and nine fingers wide within the plates A little abo3e the
ground, let there be a little opening of about three or four fingers wide, for remo3ing
the "indersA o3er that, there should be a fire5pla"e built with stones Abo3e this, we
pla"e the furna"e itself, whi"h should be su"h as to e4"lude all draughts and "urrents
of air The "oals are put in from abo3e, and the aperture should then be "arefully
"losed -ut it is not ne"essary that your furna"e should e4a"tly "orrespond to the
des"ription whi"h ! ha3e gi3en so long as it fulfils the following "onditionsD firstly, it
must be free from draughtsA se"ondly, it must enable you to 3ary the temperature,
without remo3ing your 3esselA thirdly, you must be able to keep up in it a fire for ten
or twel3e hours, without looking to it Then the door of our Art will be opened to youA
and when you ha3e prepared the 2tone, you may pro"ure a small portable sto3e, for
the purpose of multiplying it
CHAPTER XIX
0f the Progress of the 9ork during the %irst %orty 6ays
9hen you ha3e prepared our gold and 'er"ury in the manner des"ribed, put it into
our 3essel, and sub.e"t it to the a"tion of our fireA within >) days you will see the
whole substan"e "on3erted into atoms, without any 3isible motion, or per"eptible heat
Fe4"ept that it is .ust warmG !f you do not yet rightly know the meaning of Cour
gold,C take one part of "ommon gold Fwell purifiedG, and three parts of our 'er"ury
Fthoroughly purgedG, put them together as dire"ted F"ap 43iG, pla"e them o3er the
fire, and there keep them at the boiling point, till they sweat, and their sweat
"ir"ulates At the end of 9) days you will find that the 'er"ury has separated and
reunited all the elements of the "ommon gold -oil the mi4ture ?) days longer, and
you will dis"o3er that our 'er"ury has "hanged the "ommon gold into Cour gold,C
whi"h is the 'edi"ine of the first order !t is already our 2ulphur, but it has not yet the
power of tinging This method has been followed by many 2ages, but it is
e4"eedingly slow and tedious, and is only for the ri"h of the earth 'oreo3er, when
you ha3e got this 2ulphur do not think that you possess the 2tone, but only its true
'atter, whi"h you may seek in an imperfe"t thing, and find it within a week, by our
easy yet rare way, reser3ed of 7od for Bis poor, "ontemned, and ab.e"t saints Bereof
! ha3e now determined to write mu"h, although in the beginning of this -ook !
de"reed to bury it in silen"e This is the one great sophism of all adeptsA some speak
of this "ommon gold and sil3er, and say the truth, and others say that we "annot use
it, and they too, say the truth -ut in the presen"e of 7od ! will "all all our adepts to
a""ount, and "harge them with .ealous surliness !, too, had determined to tread the
same path, but 7od(s hand "onfounded my s"heme ! say then, that both ways are
true, and "ome to the same thing in the end 55 but there is a 3ast differen"e at the
beginning 0ur whole Art "onsists in the right preparation of our 'er"ury and our
gold 0ur 'er"ury is our way, and without it nothing is effe"ted 0ur gold is not
"ommon gold, but it may be found in itA and if you operate on our 'er"ury with
"ommon gold Fregulating the fire in the right wayG, you will after 1?) days ha3e our
gold, sin"e our gold is obtained from our 'er"ury Ben"e if "ommon gold ha3e all its
atoms thoroughly se3ered by means of our 'er"ury, and then reunited by the same
agen"y, the whole mi4ture will, under the influen"e of fire, be"ome our gold -ut, if,
without this preparatory purging, you were to use "ommon gold with our 'er"ury for
the purpose of preparing the 2tone, you would be sadly mistakenA and this is the great
Labyrinth in whi"h most beginners go astray, be"ause the 2ages in writing of these
ways as two ways, purposely obs"ure the fa"t that they are only one way Fthough of
"ourse the one is more dire"t than the otherG The gold of the 2ages may then be
prepared out of our "ommon gold and our 'er"ury, from whi"h there may afterwards
be obtained by repeated li;uefa"tions, 2ulphur and Jui"ksil3er whi"h is
in"ombustible, and tinges all things else !n this sense, our 2tone is to be found in all
metals and minerals, sin"e our gold may be got from them all 55 but most easily, of
"ourse, from gold and sil3er 2ome ha3e found it in tin, some in lead, but most of
those who ha3e pursued the more tedious method, ha3e found it in gold 0f "ourse, if
our gold be prepared in the way ! ha3e des"ribed, out of "ommon gold Fin the "ourse
of 1?) daysG, instead of being found ready made, it will not be so effe"tual, and the
preparation of the 2tone will take 1 1L* years instead of 7 months ! know both ways,
and prefer the shorter oneA but ! ha3e des"ribed the longer one as well in order that !
may not draw down upon myself the s"athing wrath of the C2agesC The great
diffi"ulty whi"h dis"ourages all beginners is not of $ature(s makingD the 2ages ha3e
"reated it by speaking of the longer operation when they mean the shorter one,
and vice versa !f you "hoose "ommon gold, you should espouse it to =enus F"opperG,
lay them together on the bridal bed, and, on bringing a fier"e fire to bear on them,
you will see an emblem of the 7reat 9ork in the following su""ession of "oloursD
bla"k, the pea"o"k(s tail, white, orange, and red Then repeat the same operation with
'er"ury F"alled =irgin(s 'ilkG, using the Cfire of the -ath of 6ew,C and Ftowards the
endG sand mi4ed with ashes The substan"e will first turn a mu"h deeper bla"k, and
then a "ompleter white and red Ben"e if you know our Art, e4tra"t our gold from our
'er"ury Fthis is the shorter wayG, and thus perform the whole operation with one
substan"e F3i<, 'er"uryGA if you "an do this, you will ha3e attained to the perfe"tion
of philosophy !n this method, there is no superfluous troubleD the whole work, from
beginning to end, is based upon one broad foundation 55 whereas if you take "ommon
gold, you must operate on two substan"es, and both will ha3e to be purified by an
elaborate pro"ess !f you diligently "onsider what ! ha3e said, you ha3e in your hand
a means of unra3elling all the apparent "ontradi"tions of the 2ages They speak of
three operationsD the first, by whi"h the inward natural heat e4pels all "old through
the aid of e4ternal fire, the se"ond, wherein gold is purged with our 'er"ury, through
the mediation of =enus, and under the influen"e of a fier"e fireA the third, in whi"h
"ommon gold is mi4ed with our 'er"ury, and the ferment of 2ulphur added -ut if
you will re"ei3e my ad3i"e, you will not be put out by any wilful obs"urity on the
part of the 2ages 0ur sulphur you should indeed stri3e to dis"o3erA and if 7od
enlightens you, you will find it in our 'er"ury -efore the li3ing 7od ! swear that my
tea"hing is true !f you operate on 'er"ury and pure "ommon gold, you may find
Cour goldC in 7 to 9 months, and Cour sil3erC in ? months -ut when you ha3e these,
you ha3e not yet prepared our 2toneD that glorious sight will not gladden your eyes
until you ha3e been at work for a year5and5a5half -y that time you may obtain the
eli4ir by sub.e"ting the substan"e to 3ery gentle "ontinuous heat
CHAPTER XX
0f the Appearan"e of -la"kness in the 9ork of the 2un and 'oon
!f you operate on gold and sil3er, for the purpose of finding our 2ulphur, let your
substan"e first be"ome like a thin paste, or boiling water, or li;uid pit"hA for the
operation of our gold and 'er"ury is prefigured by that whi"h happens in the
preparation of "ommon gold with our 'er"ury Take your substan"e and pla"e it in
the furna"e, regulate the fire properly for the spa"e of twenty days, in whi"h time you
will obser3e 3arious "olours, and about the end of the fourth week, if the fire be
"ontinuous, you will see a most amiable greenness, whi"h will last for about ten days
Then re.oi"e, for in a short time it will be as a bla"k "oal, and your whole "ompound
shall be redu"ed to atoms The operation is a resolution of the fi4ed into the not fi4ed
that both afterwards, being "on.oined, may make one matter, partly spiritual and
partly "orporal 0n"e more, ! assure you, the regulation of the fire is the only thing
that ! ha3e hidden from you 7i3en the proper5regimen, take the 2tone, go3ern it as
you know how, and then these wonderful phenomena will followD The fire will at
on"e dissol3e the 'er"ury and the 2ulphur like wa4A the 2ulphur will be burnt, and
"hange its "olours from day to dayA the 'er"ury will pro3e in"ombustible, and only
be gradually tinged Fand purified, without being infe"tedG with the "olours of the
2ulphur Let the hea3en stoop to the earth, till the latter has "on"ei3ed hea3enly seed
9hen you see the substan"es mingle in your distilling 3essel, and assume the
appearan"e of "lotted and burnt blood, be sure that the female has re"ei3ed the seed
of the male About se3enteen days afterwards your substan"e will begin to wear a
yellow, thi"k, misty, or foamy appearan"e At this time, you must take "are not to let
the embryo es"ape from your 3esselA for it will gi3e out a greenish, yellow, bla"k, and
bluish 3apour and stri3e to burst the 3essel !f you allow these 3apours Fwhi"h are
"ontinuous when the Embryo is formedG to es"ape, your work will be hopelessly
marred $or should you allow any of the odour to make its way through any little
hole or outletA for the e3aporation would "onsiderably weaken the strength of the
2tone Ben"e the true 2age seals up the mouth of his 3essel most "arefully Let me
ad3ise you, moreo3er, not to negle"t your fire, or mo3e or open the 3essel, or sla"ken
the pro"ess of de"o"tion, until you find that the ;uantity of the li;uid begins to
diminishA if this happens after thirty days, re.oi"e, and know that you are on the right
road Then be doubly "areful, and you will, at the end of another fortnight, find that
the earth has be"ome ;uite dry and of a deep bla"k This is the death of the
"ompoundA the winds ha3e "eased, and there is a great "alm This is that great
simultaneous e"lipse of the 2un and 'oon, when the 2ea also has disappeared 0ur
#haos is then ready, from whi"h, at the bidding of 7od, all the wonders of the world
may su""essi3ely emerge
CHAPTER XXI
0f the #aution re;uired to a3oid -urning the %lowers
The burning of the flowers is fatal, yet soon "ommittedD it is "hiefly to be guarded
against after the lapse of the third week !n the beginning there is so mu"h moisture
that if the fire be too fier"e it will dry up the li;uid too ;ui"kly, and you will
prematurely obtain a dry red powder, from whi"h the prin"iple of life has flownA if
the fire be not strong enough the substan"e will not be properly matured Too
powerful a fire pre3ents the true union of the substan"es True union only takes pla"e
in water -odies "ollide, but do not uniteA only li;uids Fand spiritsG "an truly mingle
their substan"e Ben"e our homogeneous metalli" water must be allowed to do its
work properly, and should not be dried up, until this perfe"t mutual absorption has
taken pla"e in a natural manner Premature drying only destroys the germ of life,
strikes the a"ti3e prin"iple on the head as with a hammer, and renders it passi3e A
red powder is indeed produ"ed, but long before the timeD for redness should be
pre"eded by bla"kness !t is true that, in the beginning of our work, when hea3en is
wedded to earth, and earth "on"ei3es the fire of nature, a red "olour does appear -ut
the substan"e is then suffi"iently moistA and the redness soon gi3es way to a green
"olour, whi"h in its turn gradually yields to bla"kness 6o not be in a hurryA let your
fire be .ust powerful enough, but not too powerfulA steer a straight "ourse between
2"ylla and #harybdisD you will behold in your 3essel a 3ariety of "olours and
grotes;ue transformations 55 until the substan"e settles down into a powder of intense
bla"kness This should happen within the first fifty days !f it does not, either your
'er"ury, or the regulation of your fire, or the "omposition of your substan"e is at
fault 55 if, indeed, you ha3e not mo3ed or shaken your glass 3essel
CHAPTER XXII
0f the :egimen of 2aturn
All the 2ages who ha3e written on our Art, ha3e spoken of the work and regimen of
2aturnA and their remarks ha3e led many to "hoose "ommon lead as the substan"e of
the 2tone -ut you should know that our 2aturn, or lead, is a mu"h nobler substan"e
than gold !t is the li3ing earth in whi"h the soul of gold is .oined to 'er"ury, that
they may bring forth Adam and his wife E3e 9herefore, sin"e the highest has so
lowered itself as to be"ome the lowest, we may e4pe"t that its blood may be the
means of redeeming all its brethren The Tomb in whi"h our 1ing is buried, is that
whi"h we "all 2aturn, and it is the key of the work of transmutationA happy is he who
"an salute this planet, and "all it by its right name !t is a boon whi"h is obtained by
the blessing of 7od aloneA it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runnethA but
7od bestoweth it on whom Be will
CHAPTER XXIII
0f the different :egimens of this 9ork
Let me assure you that in our whole work there is nothing hidden but the regimen, of
whi"h it was truly said by the 2age that whoe3er knows it perfe"tly will be honoured
by prin"es and potentates ! tell you plainly that if this one point were "learly set
forth, our Art would be"ome mere women(s work and "hild(s playD there would be
nothing in it but a simple pro"ess of C"ookingC Ben"e it has always been most
"arefully "on"ealed by the 2ages -ut ! ha3e determined to write in a more
sympatheti" and kindly spiritD know then that our regimen throughout "onsists in
"o"tion and digestion, but that it implies a good many other pro"esses, whi"h those
.ealous 2ages ha3e made to appear different by des"ribing them under different
names -ut we intend to speak more openly in regard to this sub.e"t
CHAPTER XXIV
0f the %irst :egimen, whi"h is that of 'er"ury
This first regimen has been studiously kept se"ret by all the 2ages They ha3e spoken
of the se"ond regimen, or that of 2aturn, as if it were the first, and ha3e thus left the
student without guidan"e in those operations whi"h pre"ede the appearan"e of that
intense bla"kness #ount -ernard, of Tre3isa, says, in his Parable, that 9hen the
1ing has "ome to the %ountain, he takes off the golden garment, gi3es it to 2aturn,
and enters the bath alone, afterwards re"ei3ing from 2aturn a robe of bla"k silk -ut
he does not tell us how long it takes to put off that golden robeA and thus, like all his
brethren, lea3es the poor beginner to grope in the dark during >) or ?) days %rom the
point where the stage of bla"kness is rea"hed to the end of the work their dire"tions
are more full and intelligible !t is in regard to these first >) days that the student
re;uires additional light This period represents the regimen of 'er"ury Fof the
2agesG, whi"h is alone a"ti3e during the whole time, the other substan"e being
temporarily dead Eou should not suffer yourself to be deluded into the belief that
when your matters are .oined, namely, our 2un and 'er"ury, the Csetting of the 2unC
"an be brought about in a few days 9e oursel3es waited a tedious time before a
re"on"iliation was made between the fire and the water As a matter of fa"t, the 2ages
ha3e "alled the substan"e, throughout this first period, :ebis, or Two5thingD to shew
that the union is not effe"ted till the operation is "omplete Eou should know, then,
that though our 'er"ury "onsumes the 2un, yet a year after you shall separate them,
unless they are "onne"ted together by a suitable degree of fire !t is not able to do
anything at all without fire 9e must not suppose that when our gold is pla"ed in our
'er"ury it is swallowed up by it in the twinkling of an eye This "on"eption rests on
a misunderstanding of #ount -ernard(s tea"hing about the 1ing(s plunge in the
fountain -ut the solution of gold is a more diffi"ult matter than these gentry appear
to ha3e any idea of !t re;uires the highest skill so to regulate the fire in the first stage
of the work as to sol3e the bodies without in.uring the tin"ture Attend to my tea"hing
therefore Take the body whi"h ! ha3e shewed you, put it into the water of our sea,
and bring to bear on the "ompound the proper degree of heat, till dews and mists
begin to as"end, and the moisture is diminished night and day without intermission
1now that at first the two do not affe"t ea"h other at all, and that only in "ourse of
time the body absorbs some of the water, and thus "auses ea"h to partake of the
other(s nature 0nly part of the water is sublimedA the rest gradually penetrates the
pores of the body, whi"h are thereby more and more softened, till the soul of the gold
is enabled gently to pass out Through the mediation of the soul the body is
re"on"iled and united to the spirit, and their union is signali<ed by the appearan"e of
the bla"k "olour The whole operation lasts about >)5?) days, and is "alled the
:egimen of 'er"ury, be"ause the body is passi3e throughout, and the spirit, or
'er"ury, brings about all the "hanges of "olour, whi"h begin to appear about the *)th
day, and gradually intensify till all be at last "ompleted in bla"k of the deepest dye,
whi"h the both day will manifest
CHAPTER XXV
The :egimen of the 2e"ond Part, whi"h is that of 2aturn
The :egimen of 'er"ury, the operation whereof despoils the 1ing of his golden
garments, is followed by the :egimen of 2aturn 9hen the Lion dies the #row is
born The substan"e has now be"ome of a uniform "olour, namely, as bla"k as pit"h,
and neither 3apours, or winds, or any other signs of life are seenA the whole is dry as
dust, with the e4"eption of some pit"h5like substan"e, whi"h now and then bubbles
upA all presents an image of eternal death $e3ertheless, it is a sight whi"h gladdens
the heart of the 2age %or the bla"k "olour whi"h is seen is bright and brilliantA and if
you behold something like a thin paste bubbling up here and there, you may re.oi"e
%or it is the work of the ;ui"kening spirit, whi"h will soon restore the dead bodies to
life The regulation of the fire is a matter of great importan"e at this .un"tureA if you
make it too fier"e, and thus "ause sublimation at this stage, e3erything will be
irre"o3erably spoilt -e "ontent, therefore, to remain, as it were, in prison for forty
days and nights, e3en as was the good Tre3isan, and employ only gentle heat Let
your deli"ate substan"e remain at the bottom, whi"h is the womb of "on"eption, in
the sure hope that after the time appointed by the #reator for this 0peration, the spirit
will arise in a glorified state, and glorify its body 55 that it will as"end and be gently
"ir"ulated from the "entre to the hea3ens, then des"end to the "entre from the
hea3ens, and take to itself the power of things abo3e and things below
CHAPTER XXVI
0f the :egimen of ,upiter
-la"k 2aturn is su""eeded by ,upiter, who e4hibits di3ers "olours %or after the
putrefa"tion and "on"eption, whi"h has taken pla"e at the bottom of the 3essel, there
is on"e more a "hange of "olours and a "ir"ulating sublimation This $eign or
:egimen, lasts only three weeks 6uring this period you see all "on"ei3able "olours
"on"erning whi"h no definite a""ount "an be gi3en The CshowersC that fall will
be"ome more numerous as the "lose of this reign approa"hes, and its termination is
signali<ed by the appearan"e of a snowy white streaky deposit on the sides of the
3essel :e.oi"e, then, for you ha3e su""essfully a""omplished the regimen of ,upiter
9hat you must be parti"ularly "areful about in this operation, is to pre3ent the young
ones of the #row from going ba"k to the nest when they ha3e on"e left itA se"ondly,
to let your earth get neither too dry by an immoderate sublimation of the moisture,
nor yet to swamp and smother it with the moisture These ends will be attained by the
proper regulation of the outward heat
CHAPTER XXVII
0f the :egimen of the 'oon
9hen the :eign of ,upiter "omes to an end Ftowards the "lose of the fourth monthG
you will see the sign of the wa4ing moon F#res"entG, and know that the whole :eign
of ,upiter was de3oted to the purifi"ation of the Laton The mundifying spirit is 3ery
pure and brilliant, but the body that has to be "leansed is intensely bla"k 9hile it
passes from bla"kness to whiteness, a great 3ariety of "olours are obser3edA nor is it
at on"e perfe"tly whiteA at first it is simply white 55 afterwards it is of a da<<ling,
snowy splendour 8nder this :eign the whole mass presents the appearan"e of li;uid
;ui"ksil3er This is "alled the sealing of the mother in the belly of the infant whom
she bearsA and its intermediate "olours are more white than bla"k, .ust as in the :eign
of ,upiter they were more bla"k than white The :eign of the 'oon lasts .ust three
weeksA but before its "lose, the substan"e e4hibits a great 3ariety of formsA it will
be"ome li;uid, and again "oagulate a hundred times a dayA sometimes it will present
the appearan"e of fishes( eyes, and then again of tiny sil3er trees, with twigs and
lea3es 9hene3er you look at it you will ha3e "ause for astonishment, parti"ularly
when you see it all di3ided into beautiful but 3ery minute grains of sil3er, like the
rays of the 2un This is the 9hite Tin"ture, glorious to behold, but nothing in respe"t
of what it may be"ome
CHAPTER XXVIII
0f the :egimen of =enus
The substan"e, if left in the same 3essel, will on"e more be"ome 3olatile and Fthough
already perfe"t in its wayG will undergo another "hange -ut if you take it out of the
3essel, and after allowing it to "ool, put it into another, you will not be able to make
anything of it !n this :eign you should also gi3e "areful attention to your fire %or
the perfe"t 2tone is fusible and if the fire be too powerful the substan"e will be"ome
gla<ed, and unsus"eptible of any further "hange This C3itrifi"ationC of the substan"e
may happen at any time from the middle of the :eign of the 'oon to the tenth day of
the :eign of =enus, and should be "arefully guarded against The heat should be
gentle so as to melt the "ompound 3ery slowly and graduallyA it will then raise
bubbles, and re"ei3e a spirit that will rise upward, "arrying the 2tone with it, and
imparting to it new "olours, espe"ially a "opper5green "olour, whi"h endures for some
time, and does not ;uite disappear till the twentieth dayA the ne4t "hange is to blue
and li3id, and at the "lose of this :eign the "olour is a pale purple 60 not irritate the
spirit too mu"h 55 it is more "orporeal than before, and if you sublime it to the top of
the 3essel, it will hardly return The same "aution should be obser3ed in the :eign of
the 'oon, when the substan"e begins to thi"ken The law is one of mildness, and not
of 3iolen"e, lest e3erything should rise to the top of the 3essel, and be "onsumed or
3itrified to the ruin of the whole work 9hen you see the green "olour, know that the
substan"e now "ontains the germ of its highest life 60 not turn the greenness into
bla"kness by immoderate heat This :eign is maintained for forty days
CHAPTER XXIX
0f the :egimen of 'ars
9hen the :egimen of =enus is o3er, and therein has appeared the philosophi"al tree,
with all its bran"hes and lea3es, the :eign of 'ars begins with a light yellow, or dirty
brown "olour, but at last e4hibits the transitory hues of the :ainbow, and the
Pea"o"k(s Tail At this stage the "ompound is drier, and often shews like a hya"inth
with a tinge of gold The mother being now sealed in her infant(s belly, swells and is
purified, but be"ause of the present great purity of the "ompound, no putridness "an
ha3e pla"e in this regimen, but 2ome obs"ure "olours are "hief a"tors, while some
middle "olours "ome and go, and they are pleasant to look on 0ur =irgin Earth is
now undergoing the last degree of its "ulti3ation, and is getting ready to re"ei3e and
mature the fruit of the 2un Ben"e you should 9eep up a moderate temperatureA then
there will be seen, about the thirtieth day of this :eign, an orange "olour, whi"h,
within two weeks from its first appearan"e, will tinge the whole substan"e with its
own hue
CHAPTER XXX
0f the :egimen of the 2un
As you are now approa"hing the end of the work, the substan"e re"ei3es a golden
tinge, and the =irgin(s 'ilk whi"h you gi3e your substan"e to drink has assumed a
deep orange "olour Pray to 7od to keep you from haste and impatien"e at this stage
of the workA "onsider that you ha3e now waited for se3en months, and that it would
be foolish to let one hour rob you of the fruits of all your labour Therefore be more
and more "areful the nearer you approa"h perfe"tion Then you will first obser3e an
orange5"oloured sweat breaking out on the bodyA ne4t there will be 3apour of an
orange hue 2oon the body below be"omes tinged with 3iolet and a darkish purple At
the end of fourteen or fifteen days, the substan"e will be, for the most part, humid and
ponderous, and yet the wind still bears it in its womb Towards the *6th day of the
:eign it will begin to get dry, and to be"ome li;uid and solid in turn Fabout a hundred
times a dayGA then it be"omes granulatedA then again it is welded together into one
mass, and so it goes on "hanging for about a fortnight At length, howe3er, an
une4pe"tedly glorious light will burst from your substan"e, and the end will arri3e
three days afterwards The substan"e will be granulated, like atoms of gold For motes
in the 2unG, and turn a deep red 5a red the intensity of whi"h makes it seem bla"k like
3ery pure blood in a "lotted state This is the 7reat 9onder of 9onders, whi"h has
not its like on earth
CHAPTER XXXI
0f the %ermentation of the 2tone
! forgot to warn you in the last "hapter to be on your guard against the danger of
3itrifi"ationA too fier"e a fire would render your substan"e insoluble and pre3ent its
granulation Eou now possess the in"ombustible red 2ulphur whi"h "an no longer be
affe"ted in any way by fire !n order to obtain the Eli4ir from this 2ulphur by reiterate
solution and "oagulation, take three parts of purest gold, and one part of this fiery
2ulphur 'elt the gold in a "lean "ru"ible, and then "ast your 2ulphur into it
Fprote"ting it well from the smoke of the "oalsG 'ake them li;uid together, when you
will obtain a beautiful mass of a deep red, though hardly transparent This you should
permit to "ool, and pound into a small powder 0f this powder take one part, and two
parts of our 'er"uryA mi4 them well, and put them in a glass 3essel, well sealed
They should be e4posed to gentle heat for two months This is the true fermentation,
whi"h may be repeated if needful
CHAPTER XXXII
The !mbibition of the 2tone
'any authors take fermentation in this work for the in3isible e4ternal agent, whi"h
they "all fermentA by its 3irtue the fugiti3e and subtle spirits, without laying on of
hands, are of their own a""ord thi"kened, and our before5mentioned fermentation
they "all "ibation with bread and milk -ut ! follow my own .udgment There is
another operation, "alled !mbibition of the 2tone, by whi"h its ;uantity rather than its
;uality is in"reased !t is thisD Add to three parts of your perfe"t 2ulphur Feither white
or redG one part of water, and after si4 or se3en days( "o"tion the water will be"ome
thi"k like the 2ulphur Add again as mu"h water as you did beforeA and when this is
dried up, with a "on3enient fire, add three distin"t times so mu"h water as shall be
e;ual to one5third of the original ;uantity of 2ulphur Then add Ffor the 7th
imbibitionG fi3e parts of water Fthe parts being e;ual to the original parts of the
2ulphurG 2eal up the 3esselA sub.e"t it to gentle "o"tion, and let the "ompound pass
through all the different :eigns of the original 2ubstan"e, whi"h will be
a""omplished in a month Then you ha3e the true 2tone of the third order, one part of
whi"h will perfe"tly tinge 1,))) parts of any other metal
CHAPTER XXXIII
The 'ultipli"ation of the 2tone
Take the perfe"t 2toneA add one part of it to three or four parts of purified 'er"ury of
our first work, sub.e"t it to gentle "o"tion for se3en days Fthe 3essel being "arefully
sealed upG, and let it pass through all the :eigns, whi"h it will do 3ery ;ui"kly and
smoothly The tinging power of the substan"e will thus be e4alted a thousandfoldA and
if you go through the whole pro"ess a se"ond time Fwhi"h you "an do with ease in
three daysG the 'edi"ine will be mu"h more pre"ious still This you may repeat as
often as you likeA the third time the substan"e will run through all the :eigns in a day,
the fourth time in a single hour, and so on 55 and the impro3ement in its ;uality will
be most mar3ellous Then kneel down and render thanks to 7od for this pre"ious
treasure
CHAPTER XXXIV
0f Pro.e"tion
Take four parts of your perfe"t 2tone, either red or white Fof both for the 'edi"ineGD
melt them in a "lean "ru"ible Take one part of this pul3erisable mi4ture to ten parts
of purified 'er"uryA heat the 'er"ury till it begins to "ra"kle, then throw in your
mi4ture, whi"h will pier"e it in the twinkling of an eyeA in"rease your fire till it be
melted, and you will ha3e a 'edi"ine of an inferior order Take one part of this, and
add it to a large ;uantity of well purged and melted metal, whi"h will thereby be
transmuted into the purest sil3er or gold Fa""ording as you ha3e taken white or red
2ulphurG $ote that it is better to use a gradual pro.e"tion, for otherwise there may be
a notable loss of the 'edi"ine The better the metals are purged and refined, the
;ui"ker and more "omplete will the transmutation be
CHAPTER XXXV
0f the 'anifold uses of this Art
Be that has on"e found this Art, "an ha3e nothing else in all the world to wish for,
than that he may be allowed to ser3e his 7od in pea"e and safety Be will not "are for
pomp or da<<ling outward show -ut if he li3ed a thousand years, and daily
entertained a million people, he "ould ne3er "ome to want, sin"e he has at hand the
means of indefinitely multiplying the 2tone both in weight and 3irtue, and thus of
"hanging all imperfe"t metals in the world into gold !n the se"ond pla"e, he has it in
his power to make stones and diamonds far more pre"ious than any that are naturally
pro"ured !n the third pla"e, he has an 8ni3ersal 'edi"ine, with whi"h he "an "ure
e3ery "on"ei3able disease, and, indeed, as to the ;uantity of his 'edi"ine, he might
heal all si"k people in the world $ow to the 1ing Eternal, !mmortal, and sole
Almighty, be e3erlasting praise for these Bis unspeakable gifts and in3aluable
treasures ! e4hort all that possess this Treasure, to use it to the praise of 7od, and the
good of their neighbours, in order that they may not at the last day be eternally
doomed for their ingratitude to their #reator
To 7od Alone be the 7lory