Obligación de transparencia

(The Stone which Saturn vomited up, being devoured inſtead of his Son Jupiter, is placed on the Helicon as a Monument to Men.)

E

XII.

Noſſe cupis cauſam, tot cur Helcona Poëtæ Dicant, quodque eius cuique petendus apex? Est Lapis in ſummo, Monumentum, uertice poſtus,

Pro Ioue deglutiit quem uomuitque pater. Si ceu uerba ſonant rem captas, mens tibi læua est,

D

XII.

We find the Allegorye of Saturn to be taken diverſe ways, for the Aſtronomers reputed him the Higheſt of the Planets, and the ſtudents of chemiſtry the baſeſt of metalls, namely lead. The Heathen Poets ſay he was the Father of Jupiter, the Son of Heaven. The Mythologiſts explain him by the notion of Time. But though all theſe may ſeem to have a probable opinion according to their own ſenſe, yet they will never be able to explain certain thinges which are elſewhere ſpoken of Saturn; ſuch as why he ſhould devour his Sons and Vomit up a Stone inſtead of Jupiter. Or why he ſhould be the Finder Out or Diſcoverer of Truth; why he ſhould be remarkable for his Scythe and Serpent, or his Blackneſſe, moroſeneſs and diſtorted feet. The Mythologiſts think they give the beſt interpretation when they ſay Time reveals and manifeſts Truth out of Darkneſſe, that it rolls itſelf around and glides away like a Serpent, and that it cuts all thinges down with Death as with a Scythe. That he devours his Sons, to wit all beings that he ever begot, but that he cannot conſume or digeſt hard Stones, and therefore may be ſaid to Vomit them up again. Theſe may in part have ſome reſemblance to the Truth, but they do not agree in the Truth of the thinges in all its Circumſtances. But the experienced Philoſophers ſay that Saturn is firſt in their work, and that if he be really preſent they cannot Err, for Truth is diſcovered in darkneſſe, and nothing comes into exiſtence without blackneſſe. Wherefore they ſay in the Turba Philoſophorum, whatever Colour comes after blackneſſe is praiſeworthy, becauſe it is the beginning of the Work. And the Roſary out of Arnoldus ſays, when it firſt glows black we ſay it is the Key of the Work, becauſe that cannot be made without blackneſſe. And out of the Speculum when you are working ſee that in the beginning you obtain a black colour, for then you will be certain that you cauſe putrefaction and proceed in the right method. And again, that blackneſſe is cold Earth which is made by a light decoction and is often reiterated till blackneſſe be moſt eminent. Hence they ſay that Saturn poſſeſſed the Earth, Mercury the Water, Jupiter the Air, Sol the Fire- Blackneſſe therefore is Saturn, the Diſcoverer of Truth who devours a Stone inſtead of Jupiter. For Blackneſſe is a dark cloud covering the Stone at firſt ſo that it cannot be ſeen.

Thence Morienus ſays each body that wants a Soul is dark and obſcure. And Hermes preſcribes thus, Take his brain and wear or rub it with Sharpeſt Vinegar or Urine of Boys till it becomes dark. This being performed he lives in putrefaction, and the dark clouds that were upon him and in his Body before he died are returned. This Stone is again caſt up by Saturn when he becomes White, and then it is placed upon the Top of Helicon as a Monument to Mortals, as Heſiod writes.

For Whiteneſſe is really hid in blackneſſe, which is extracted out of his belly, that is, out of the Stomach of Saturn. Therefore ſaith Democritus, Cleanſe Tin with a ſpeciall abſolution, extract from it its blackneſſe and obſcurity, and the whiteneſſe of it will appear. And in the Turba it is ſaid join the Dry with the moiſt, that is the black earth with its water, and decoct it till it becomes white. Arnold in his work called Novum Lumen, chapter 4, very well expreſſes the ſame thinge when he ſays, That moiſture therefore which cured the blackneſſe in the decoction ſhows itſelf to be dried up when the white Colour begins to appear. And a little after: And my Maſter ſaid to me that Browneſſe aſcended becauſe the whiteneſſe was drawn out of the Belly of the Blackneſſe, as is ſaid in the Turba. For when you ſee it black, know that whiteneſſe is hid in the belly of the blackneſſe firſt appearing. As this blackneſſe is called Saturn, ſo it is likewiſe called Lead. Thence Agadimon in the Turba ſays decoct the æs or braſſe till the blackneſſe which they call money comes forth, and mix well the materials of our Art, and then you will preſently find blackneſſe, which is the Lead of the Philoſophers ſo much ſpoken of in their books. Emigamus has relation to this when he ſays that the Splendour of Saturn when he aſcends into the Air appears no otherwiſe then Darkened. And ſo Plato in the Roſary: The firſt Regimen of Saturn is to putrefye and put it upon Sol. From all of which it is evident that the ſenſe of the Philoſophers when they ſpeak of Saturn is quite different from the Vulgar acceptation. This Saturn generates Jupiter which is an obſcure Whitneſſe, and Jupiter begets upon Latona firſt Diana which is perfect Whiteneſſe, and then Apollo which is Redneſſe. And this is the ſucceſſive permutation of perfect Colours. This Stone caſt up by Saturn is ſaid to be placed upon the Top of a mountein as a monument for men, which is a thinge moſt True.

EM B L E M A XIII.

Æs Philoſophorum hydropicum eſt, & uult lauati ſepties in fluuio,