(Give Fire to fire, Mercury to Mercury, and you have enough.)
E
PIGRAMMAX.
Machina pendet ab hac mundi connexa catena Tota, Suo Quod Par Gaudeat Omne Pari:
Mercurius ſic Mercurio, ſic jungitur igni Ignis & haec arti ſit data meta tuae.
Hermetem Vulcanus agit, ſed penniger Hermes, Cynthia, te ſolvit, te ſed, Apollo, ſoror.
D
ISCOURSEX.
If this ſaying be taken literally, it only increaſeth the quantity of Fire & Mercury, but introduceth no new quality into the ſubject. For every like added to its like, makes it become more like. Hence Phyſicians affirm that contraries are healed & removed by contraries. So we ſee Fire is extinguiſhed by Water, but fomented by the addition of Fire. As the Poet ſays: “Venus in wine, as fire in Fire, does rage.” [“Et Venus in vinis, ignis in igne furit.”] But it may be anſwered that Fire differs very much from Fire, & Mercury from Mercury, for there are ſeveral ſorts of Fire & Mercury amongſt the Philoſophers. Moreover, the ſame heat & cold, being diſtant only in place & ſituation, differs from another of its own kind, ſo as to attract to it that which is like to itſelf.
So we ſee that Heat fixed in any part is drawn forth by the ſame Heat. Limbs benumbed & almoſt dead with Froſt & cold water will be reſtored by putting them into cold Water rather than by the application of external heat. For as the greater light obſcures the leſſer, ſo alſo greater heat or cold has power over the leſſer, ſo it is neceſſary that the Cold or Heat that is outwardly applied ſhould be leſs than that which was before imprinted or fixed in the joints, otherwiſe the ſame impreſſion would be made as before, & the like would rather be much more increaſed than drawn forth by the like.
This drawing out of cold by cold water, & of fiery heat by heat, is agreeable to Nature, for all ſudden changes in contraries are dangerous & leſs acceptable to it, but that which comes by degrees can more eaſily be endured. So we ſay there is one internal Fire which is eſſentially infixed in the Philoſophical ſubject, & another external. The ſame may likewiſe be ſaid of Mercury. The internal Fire is Equivocally ſo cold becauſe of its fiery qualities, virtue, & operation, but the External Fire is Univocally ſo. Therefore, External Fire & Mercury muſt be given to the internal Fire & Mercury, that ſo the intention of the Work may be completed. For in boiling we uſe Fire & Water to Mollify & mature any thing that has crudities & hardneſs. For Water penetrates into & diſſolves the parts contracted, whilſt the heat adds ſtrength & motion to it. Thus we ſee in the common coction of Pulſe ["pulté"], which, being hard in themſelves, yet well are broken and reduced to a pulp in Water, the heat of the Fire rarifying the Water by ebullition & reducing to almoſt an aerial ſubſtance, ſo the heat of Fire reſolves the crude parts of Fruit or Fleſh into water, & makes them Vaniſh into Air together with it.
After the ſame manner, Fire & Mercury here are Fire & Water, & the ſame Fire & Mercury are the Mature & Crude parts, of which the crude are to be matured by Coction, or the mature to be purged from ſuperfluities by the aſſiſtance of Water.
But we ſhall in ſhort demonſtrate that theſe two Fires & theſe two Mercuries are principally & ſolely neceſſary to the completion of the Art. Empedocles was of opinion that the Principles of all things were Friendſhip & Diſcord. That corruptions were made by Variance, and generations by Love. This Diſcord is manifeſtly apparent in Fire & Water, Fire making Water evaporate & Water extinguiſhing Fire when applied to it.
But it is likewiſe plain that generations will proceed from theſe ſame things by a certain Friendſhip. For by heat is made new generation of Air, & by the ſame Heat that induration of Water into the Stone is performed, & ſo from theſe two as the firſt Elements are made the other two, & conſequently from thence the production of all things. Water was the Matter of Heaven & all Corporeal things. Fire as the Form moves & informs this matter, ſo this Water or Mercury yields the Matter & Fire or Sulphur the Form. That theſe two may operate & mutually move themſelves by Solution, Coagulation, Alteration, Tinction & Perfection, there will be a Neceſſity of external Helps, as inſtruments without which, no effect can follow. For as a Smith cannot Work without Hammers & Fire, ſo neither can the Philoſopher without his inſtruments, which are Water & Fire.
This Water is by ſome called the Water of Clouds, as this Fire is called Occaſioned Fire. It is without doubt called the Water of Clouds becauſe it is diſtilled as May Dew, & conſiſts of moſt thin parts. For as it is affirmed that May Dew being encloſed in the Shell of a Egg will raiſe it up by the Heat of the Sun, ſo this Water of the Clouds, or Dew, makes the Philoſopher's Egg aſcend, that is, Sublimes, Exalts & Perfects it. The ſame Water is alſo moſt ſharp Vinegar, which makes the body a mere Spirit. For as Vinegar has different qualities & can penetrate to the bottom & bind, ſo this Water diſſolves & coagulates, but is not coagulated, becauſe it is not of a proper Subject. The Water is had from the Fountain of Parnaſſus, which, contrary to the Nature of other fountains, is upon the Top of the Hill made the Hoof of the flying Horſe Pegaſus.
There muſt alſo be actual Fire, which, notwithſtanding, muſt be governed & qualified by its degrees as with Bridles. For as the Sun proceeding from Aries into Leo, & ſo approaching nearer, gradually increaſeth heat to things growing, ſo it is here neceſſary to be done, for the Philoſophical Infant muſt be nouriſhed by Fire as with Milk, & the more plentiful that is, the more he grows.