Variació vertical i nivell d’especialització: interrelació

"Hermes, Plato, Aristotle, and the other philosophers. . . who have introduced the Arts, and more especially have explored the secrets of inferior Creation, all these have eagerly sought a means whereby man's body might be preserved from decay and become endued with immortality. To them it was answered that there is nothing which might deliver the mortal body from death; there is One Thing which may postpone decay, renew youth, and prolong short human life.

. . . Therefore the above philosophers, and many others, have sought this One Thing with great labour, and have found that which preserves the human body from corruption, and prolongs life, conducts itself with respect to other elements, as it were like the Heavens; from which they understood that the Heavens are a substance above the Four Elements. And just as the Heavens, with respect to the other elements, are held to be the fifth substance,. . . so also this One Thing

(compared to the forces of our body) is an indestructible essence, drying up all the superfluities of our bodies, and has been philo­

sophically called by the above-mentioned name. It is neither hot and dry like fire, nor cold and moist like w a t e r , nor warm and moist like air nor dry and cold like e a r t h . But it is a skilful, perfect equation of all the Elements, a right commingling of natural forces, a most particular union of spiritual virtues, an indissoluble uniting of body and soul. It is the purest and noblest substance of an indestructible body, which cannot be destroyed nor harmed by the Elements and is produced by Art. . . . This spiritual Essence, or One Thing, was revealed from above to Adam, and was greatly desired by the Holy Fathers, this Hermes and Aristotle call the Truth without Lies, the most sure of all things certain, the Secret of all Secrets.

It is the Last and Highest Thing to be sought under the Heavens, a wondrous closing and finish of philosophical work. . . . What the mouth of man cannot utter is all found in this spirit.

"This is the Spirit of Truth, which the world cannot comprehend without the interposition of the Holy Ghost, or without the instruction of those who know it. The same is of a mysterious nature, wondrous strength, boundless power. By Avicenna this Spirit is named the Soul of the World. For as the Soul moves all the limbs of the Body, so also

does this Spirit move in all b o d i e s . . . . It is sought by many and found by few. It is beheld from afar and found near, for it exists in everything, in every place, and at all times. It has the powers of all creatures; its action is found in all elements, and the quali­

ties of all things are therein, even in the highest perfection. . . .

"When the philosophers discovered it, with great diligence and labor, they straightway concealed it under a strange.* t o n g u e , and in parables, lest the same should become known to the unworthy, and the the pearls be cast before swine.

"In its first state, it appears as an impure earthly spirit, full of imperfections. . . . In its second nature, it appears as a watery body, . . . because . . . its Virtue is greater. It is much nearer the Truth, and more effective in works. . . .

"But in its third nature it appears as» an aerial body of an oily nature, almost freed from all imperfections. . . .

"In its fourth nature, it appears in a fiery form, not quite freed-from all imperfections,- . . . having many virtues. . . .

"In its fif;th and last nature, it appears in a glorified and illuminated form|s without defects, shining like gold and silver,

wherein it possesses all previous powers and virtues in a higher and more, wondrous degree.

"For it heals all dead and living bodies without medicine. . . .

"This essence also reveals all treasures in earth and sea, converts all metallic bodies into gold, and there is nothing like it under Heav^Jfv ' .

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"And although these writings may be regarded as false by the reader, yet to the initiated they are true and possible, when the hidden sense is properly understood. For God is wonderful in His works, and His wisdom is without end.

"This work of God is far too deep for understanding, for it is the last, greatest, and highest secret of Nature. It is the Spirit of God, which in the Beginning filled the earth and brooded over the waters, which the world cannot grasp without the interposition of the Holy Spirit and instruction from those who know it. . . .

"It is the best of all things, because nothing can compare with it, and in it alone is truth. . . . Hence, it is called the Stone and Spirit of Truth. . . .

"0 unfathomable abyss of God's Wisdom, which thus has united and comprised in the virtue and power of this One Spirit the qualities

of all existing bodies!

"Threfore, Morien said, 'He who has it, the same also has all th ings. '

"This spirit is one genius, and Divine, wonderful, and lordly power. For it embraces the whole world, and overcomes the Elements and the fifth Substance."

AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURAL PHILOSOPHER'S TINCTURE. . . . Alexander von Suchten

"And since God, Almighty, Himself has created the whole great World, all celestial, animal, vegetable, and mineral natures from one

single thing and primeval root, how should man be wiser than God, and for this work— which not less than the Great Outer World contains within itself the seed and qualities of all creatures— use more than one thing.

"For this said Art . . . should imitate nature. The matter of Art will be the matter of Nature, and, since the matter of Nature is unique, . . . the matter of Art will be unique.

" (Theophrastus) in the Liber Metamorphoseos (sic) terms (the

three principles) Mercury, Salt, and Sulphur. This is just the opinion of Hermes and other philosophers /'• speaking of Spirit, Body, and Soul.

. . . Remember for the present that he calls the one thing, from which shall be born the great and also the little world, a Red Lion. . . . But it is called a Lion on account of its great strength and power.

For as a lion is the strongest and fleetest animal, . . . so also,

among things created, there will not easily be found a fleeter, stronger, more penetrating thing, subjugating, overcoming, and ruling without

exception, man and others.

"Hermes confirms such swift strength, saying: 'This matter is the strongest strength of all s t r e ngth.' This is also experienced by those who know this Lion, and by proper preparation have been instructed how to use it upon other creatures. Then one sees after what manner this thing occupies, conquers, destroys, kills all things, even changing them from one form into another. . . . Hermes: 'Behold it conquers every subtle, and penetrates every solid, substance.

"'This Lion is named by many but known by few.'. . . Only those whose eyes God has opened to Nature's virtues and powers, can

recognize and use it. Yet in its substance, nature, and matter it is so common, often-used a thing that Bernhardus says, 'the whole

world have it before their eyes.' Morienus asserts it is so universal that man could not live without it.

"Richard the Englishman says, 'This Lion by nature's aid and the a r t i s t ’s art may be transmuted into the White Eagle, and thus, out of o n e , two are m a d e .'

"Here, the Author has wished to signify that, in this Art man must follow the rule left him by God, the First Chemist. For God, having created all Creatures and Elements out of one thing, viz.

Water, it follows that He began by making two things out of the Origi­

nal one thing, the first He has taken up on high, making of it a

heavenly water; the other was gathered together below, and by coagula­

tion became Earth.

"Thus also in this work the Artist must divide his process into two parts:

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"1. By distillation conduct part on high, making of it a clear, heavenly Spiritual Water, here called a White Eagle. . . . Our Eagle is the true key to human renovation, and the bath of new Birth and Rejuvenation. . . .

"This Eagle is the first part of the water which ascends on high The Ascendens of Hermes mentioned in his T a b l e t .

"2. The other part of the water— or of our Lion— according to the teaching of Moses, became corrupted and dry. That is now the second part of our Art,. . . To speak plainly concerning it, it is the dry, waste earth. . . . It has its first name of Lion by reason of its aforesaid strength and sharpness.

Hermes calls the inferior substance gross or descending.

(Theophrastus) "says, 'For the Beginning of the World there is One Sole Element which is Primary Matter, from the Division of which, by reason of opposing qualities, were generated the four Elements, which were in it potentially.1

"If you begin with one thing you must first make two of it. But by taking two, such as Earth and Water--Nature having educed this

Binary from one— you are saved the trouble, and have only to generate the third, which, as aforesaid, is always hidden in one of these two."