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THE TURBA PHILOSOPHORUM.
ALCHEMY THE
TURBA PHILOSOPHORUM OR
ASSEMBLY OF THE SAGES CALLED ALSO THE BOOK OF TRUTH IN THE ART AND THE THIRD PYTHAGORICAL SYNOD
AN ANCIENT ALCHEMICAL TREATISE TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN, THE CHIEF READINGS OF THE SHORTER CODEX, PARALLELS FROM THE GREEK ALCHEMISTS, AND EXPLANATIONS OF OBSCURE TERMS
BY
ARTHUR EDWARD WAITE TRANSLATOR OF " THE HERMETIC AND ALCHEMICAL WRITINGS OF PARACELSUS."
Xon&on
GEORGE REDWAY i8q6
PREFACE. 'THHE
Turba Phihsophorum
indisputably the
is
most ancient extant treatise on Alchemy in the Latin tongue, but
it
was
not, so far as
be ascertained, originally written in Latin compiler or editor, for in
many
respects
can
;
the
it
can
scarcely be regarded as an original composition,
wrote either in Hebrew or Arabic ; however, the work, not only at the present day, but seemingly during the six or seven centuries
quoted as an authority by
all
adepts, has been familiar only in It is not, is
when
it
was
the alchemical its
Latin garb.
of course, certain that the original
irretrievably lost,
the Arabic and Syriac
manuscripts treating of early chemistry are preserved
in
various libraries
been
numbers in the of Europe, and have only
considerable
imperfectly
Unfortunately,
explored.
the present editor has neither the opportunity
nor the qualifications for undertaking such a task.
There are two codices or recensions of Thi Turba Philosophorum, which differ considerably from^ one
following
another.
pages
the
What
is
second
called
in
recension,
the is
appreciably shorter, clearer, and, on the whole,
the less corrupt of the two, but they are both
Preface.
ii.
in
longer recension has been
The
a bad state.
chosen for the text of the following translation, because it seemed desirable to give the work
The
in its entirety.
variations of the second
recension are appended usually in foot-notes,
but where the reading of the text
is
as to be quite untranslatable, the
so corrupt editor has
occasionally substituted that of the alterjiatiye
and has
version,
most cases indicated the
in
course pursued.
Monsieur Berthelot's
invaluable
made
been largely
striking analogies
use
to
of,
and
text
Alchemists has
translation of the Byzantine
the
illustrate
between the Greek Hermetic
writers of the fourth century and the Turba.
and
It is to this great scholar
owe
which are very devoted part la
his
Science
of
clearly indicated in a chapter
Antique
au
Moyen
Age."
It
from M. Berthelots researches, that
follows
Latin
some
the subject, forming and " Essai sur la Transmission de
to
of
we
scientist that
the discovery of these analogies,
Alchemy,
rightly
connects
which
referred
with
which preceded the latter was
an
to
the
Arabian
itself
has
Greek Science,
and that with perfect
whom
all
source,
Alchemy because
derived from Greece.
are also enabled to identify, for the
sages, to
been
always
Arabian
first
We time,
certainty, those ancient
the Latin literature
makes
Preface.
iii.
requent and reverent allusion that
they
are
Zosimus,
;
we now know
the
Panopolite,
the adepts of the school of Democritus, and the other writers preserved in the Byzantine collec-
M. Berthelot, however, infers that the Greek influence found in The Turba Philosophorum was not a direct influence, but tion.
was
derived
mediately
through
channel's
which are now unknown In any case the Turba summarises the author's preceding Geber, and is therefore the most valuable, as it is the most ancient, treatise on Alchemy, which exists in the Latin language.
The
chief printed versions of The Turba Philo-
sophorum, are those of the "
Theatrum Chemicum," the "BibHotheca Chemica Curiosa," and
that of the smaller collection entitled " Artis
There are some transla-
Auriferae Tractatus." tions of the
work existing in German and some Those in the latter language are
also in French.
specially remarkable for the very slender in
which they represent the
original.
way The
versions contained in Salmon's " Biblioth^que
des Philosophes Alchimiques," and in the "Tro-S
Anciens Traict^s de
Philosophie Naturelle,"
la
are instances in point. in
manuscript
is
known
and it will be found amongst the treasures It is
One English
version
to the present editor,
in the British
Museum
of the Sloane collection.
rendered, however, from the French, and
Preface.
iv.
has been found useless for the purposes of this translation. It may be added that the great collections of " Alchemy, such as the " Theatrum Chemicum
and Mangetus, contain colloquies, commentaries, and enigmas which pretend to elucidate the
mysteries
of
The
Turba
PkUosophorum.
While they are of a considerably later date, they at the same time belong to the early It may be added period of Latin Alchemy. also that the editor has collected a consider-
able
amount of material concerning
this curious
work, which the limits of the present volume preclude him from utilising.
Arthur Edward Waite.
The Turba
Philosophorum,
Taken from an Ancient Manuscript Codex, mobe perfect than any edition published heretofore.
The Epistle of Arisleus, prefixed
to the
Words
of the Sages, concerning the purport of this
Book, for the Benefit of Posterity, and
same being as here follows
ARISLEUS,*
:
—
the
begotten of Pytha-
goras, a disciple of the disciples
by the grace of
thrice great
Hermes,
learning from the seat of knowledge,
unto
all
who
come
health and mercy. •
An
Abladus.
I
after
wisheth
my
testify that
ancient gloss describes Arisleus as the son of
M.
Berthelot supposes
him
to
be synonymous
with the Aristenes of the second recension {Eleventh Dictum)
and of the Exercitationes on the Turba, which are found volume of the Bibliotheca Chemica. Beyond
in the first
the similarity of the name, and the fact that most are mutilated in the
names
Turba, there seems no reason to
suppose that the compiler intended to connect Pythagoras with alchemical traditions through Aristeus, the sophist of the time of Antoninus.
B
— The Turha Philosophorum.
2
Italian,
the
Pythagoras,*
master,
master of the wise and chief of the Prophets, had a greater gift of God and of Wisdom than was granted to Therefore any one after Hermes. he had a mind to assemble his disciples, who were now greatly increased, and had been constituted the chief throughout
persons
the discussion Art,
that
their
foundation
to
council,
for
most precious words might be a
He
posterity.
for
commanded
regions
all
of this
Iximidrus,
be the
first
of
then
highest
speaker,
who
said :t * The Greek make no mention
describes
alchemists of the Byzantine Collection of Pythagoras, and the tradition which
him as an adept of the Hermetic Mystery must
be referred to an Arabian origin, to the treatises of El Habib, the Kit§,b-al-Firhirst, and the true Geber, where alchemical writings
attributed
to
this
sage are freely
quoted.
tThe French version of Salmon has the following distinct " The beginning of the book, the Turha of the
variations
:
—
Philosophers, in which Arisleus has gathered together the
sayings of the introducing
more prudent among the
Pythagoras
the
Philosopher,
collecting the opinions of the scholars.
scholars,
that
The book
by
Master is
also
called the Third Pythagorical Synod, instituted concerning
The Turba Philosopkorum.
3
The First Dictum.
IxiMiDRUS saith: beginning of
all
Nature, which
is
—
a Certain
is
perpetual, coequalling
and that the
all things,
that the
testify
I
things
visible natures,
with their births and decay, are times
wherein the ends to which that nature
them are beheld and summoned.* Now, I instruct you that the stars are igneous, and are kept brings
by the
within bounds
humidity and density Occult
But
Philosophy.
the
the
the air did
of
commanded
Pythagoras
scholar, Eximidrius, to begin
If
air.
&c.
discourse,"
his
The
French translator seems to have summarised the recensions which he had
collected,
extent, in his
own Words.
and to have put them, to some Here, however, he follows
mainly the text of the second recension, the chief variation being that instead of " Occult Philosophy " the original reads " the vegetable stone." *
The same French
passage as follows certain nature
decocts
all
;
:
Translation interprets this obscure
— " The
it is
beginning of
perpetual, infinite
But
things.
which
it is
attained unto,
as
it
it
all
things
is
a
nourishes and
and the times
this nature
corruption and generation are,
;
of
were, the terms by
and which the universal nature
The second recension varies the last " The actions and passions thereof
nourishes and decocts." passage, as follows are
:
—
known and understood only by those
knowledge
of the
Sacred Art
is
to
whom
given."
B2
a
The Turba Philosophorum.
4
not exist to
separate the flames of
the sun from living things, then the
Sun would consume all creatures. But God has provided the separating lest that
air,
He has created up. Do you not
which
should be burnt
observe that the Sun
when
it
rises in
overcomes the air by its and that the warmth penetrates from the upper to the lower parts of the heaven heat,
the air?
If,
presently
breathe
the
then,
forth
air
did
not
those winds
whereby creatures are generated, the Sun by its heat would certainly destroy in
But the Sun
that lives.
all
check by the
quers because
Sun
to
its
it
own
air,
is
kept
which thus con-
unites the heat of the
heat,
and the humidity
own humidity. Have you not remarked how tenuous water of water to
is
of
drawn up
its
by the action the Sun, which thus
into the air
the heat of
helps the water against itself?
If the
water did not nourish the air by such tenuous moisture, assuredly the
would overcome the
air.
The
Sun fire,
The Turba Philosophorum,
extracts moisture from the
therefore,
means
water, by
quers the
water there is
fire
are is
5
of which the air con-
Thus, fire and between which
itself.
enemies
no consanguinity,
for the fire
hot and dry, but the water
is
cold
and moist. The air, which is warm and moist, joins these together by its concording
medium
between
;
the
water and the heat of
humidity of
thus placed to estab-
fire
the air
is
lish
peace.
And
look ye
all
shall arise a spirit from
vapour of the being joined
there
because the heat
air,
humour, there
the
to
how
the tenuous
necessarily issues something tenuous,
become a wind. For the heat of the Sun extracts something which
will
tenuous out of the
becomes
spirit
and
All this, however,
manner by the
which also
to all creatures.
disposed in such
is
will
coruscation appears
the
air,
life
of God,
and a
when the heat
of
Sun touches and breaks up a cloud.
The Turba described the
saith: fire,
—Well
hast thou
even as thou knowest
6
The Turba Philosophorum.
concerning
and thou hast believed
it,
the word of thy brother. The Second Dictum.
ExuMDRUs
—
do magnify the air according to the mighty speech of Iximidrus, for the work is improved thereby. The air is inspissated, and also
it is
saith:
made
and becomes
I
thin
The
cold.
thereof takes place
grows
it
;
when
warm
inspissation it
is
divided
heaven by the elongation of the
in
Sun
its
;
rarefaction
is
Sun
exaltation of the
when, by the
in heaven, the
becomes warm and is rarefied. It comparable with the complexion of
air is
Spring,* in the distinction
which
is
neither
warm
of time,
nor cold.
For
according to the mutation of the con*
A
Crates,
similar comparison is used in the Arabian
where
it
is
Book of
enjoined that the operation of the
philosophical iire upon the philosophical matter should
be
regulated after the same manner as Nature regulates the influence of the four
moreover, represents
seasons;
still
and the same
philosophy as using the same illustration. that the
Crates.
Turba
treatise,
older expositions of alchemical
in its original
It is probable form antedated the Book of
The Turba Philosophorum. stituted disposition
7
with the altering
Winter
distinctions of the soul, so is
The
altered.
air, therefore, is inspis-
when the Sun
removed from it, and then cold supervenes upon men. sated
Whereat
is
Turba
the
— Excel-
said:
thou described the air, and given account of what thou knowest to lently hast
be therein.
The Third Dictum.
Anaxagoras
saith
:
—
that the beginning of
make known
I
those things
all
which God hath created
is
weight and
proportion,* for weight rules
all
things,
and the weight and spissitude of the earth
is
weight
manifest in proportion
is
not found except
And know,
all
in
;
but
body.
ye Turba, that
the
spissitude of the four elements reposes in
the earth *
The
original
oi the term pietas
for
;
the spissitude of
pietae et ratio, but the technical use
is
by the Hebrew or Arabic original seems
obviously to connect
it
with the sense of the Hebrew Paz,
signifying compactness.
Compare
Pitzo, to press or squeeze down.
also the
Greek verb
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
8
into
fire
falls
air,
together
;
the spissitude of
with
the
the
fire,
from
received
water
air,
spissitude falls
the spissitude also of water,
increased by the spissitude of air,
into
how
four elements
The same, sated than
the spissitude is
Then
—Thou hast well
of
the
conjoined in earth
therefore, is all.
and
Have you not
reposes in earth.
observed
fire
more
saith the
spoken.
?
inspis-
Turba
:
Verily the
more inspissated than are the Which, therefore, is the most rare of the four elements and is most earth
is
rest.
worthy to possess the rarity of these four
?
He
answereth
:
—Fire
is
the
most rare among all, and thereunto Cometh what is rare of these four. But air is less rare than fire, because it is warm and moist, while fire is warm and dry now that which is warm and dry is more rare than the warm and moist. They say unto him Which element is of less rarity than air ? Water, since He answereth cold and moisture inhere therein, and ;
—
:
—
The Turbo, Philosophorum.
g
every cold humid is of less rarity than a warm humid. Then do they say unto
him:
— Thou hast spoken truly.
What,
therefore, is of less rarity than water
He
— Earth,
answereth
because
cold and dry, and that which
is
it
?
is
cold
and dry is of less rarity than that which is cold and moist. Pythagoras saith : Well have ye provided, O Sons of the Doctrine, the description of these four natures,* out of which
—
God hath
created
therefore, is he
ye have
all things.
Blessed,
who comprehends what
declared, for from the apex of
the world he shall not find an intention greater than his fore,
make
reply: •our
own
!
Let
us, there-
perfect our discourse.
— Direct
They
every one to take up
speech in turn.
Speak thou,
O
Pandolfus *
of
" You have been told
Know
.
.
.
that the ancients discoursed
is by means of these four humid and dry things are constituted, as ^so things warm and cold, the male and the female. Two Lelements] rise up and two fall down. The two ascending elements are fire and air the two descending elements are earth and water." Olympiodorus On the Sacred Art.
four elements.
that
-elements that
;
—
it
:
:
The Turba Philosopltorum.
10
The Fourth Dictum.
But Pandolfus posterity that air
is
It
it.
earth,
signify
I
not separated remains above the dry
of water, and that
from
—
to a tenuous matter
saith
it
is
to wit, the air
water, which
is
hidden in
under the earth.
this air did not exist, the earth
not remain above the
humid water.
—Thou hast said well therefore, thy speech. But — The which
complete,
;;
continueth
hidden lest
air
:
in the
sustains
the
should be plunged
it
said water
;
and
the earth from that water. is,
is-
water under the earth
which
that
is
If
would
They answer he
the-
it,
into
the
moreover, prevents-
being overflowed by
The
therefore, to
earthy
province of the air
fill
up and
to
make
separation between diverse things, that
and earth, and it isconstituted a peacemaker between hostile things, namely, water and fire^
is
to say, water
dividing these, lest they destroy another.
The Turba
saith
gave an illustration hereof,
:
it
—
If
one you
would be
The Turba Philosophorum. clearer to those
He
stand.
ii
who do not underAn egg is an
answereth
—
illustration, for therein four things are
conjoined
the visible cortex or shell
;
represents the earth, and the albumen,
or white part,
is
But a
the water.*
very thin inner cortex
joined to the
is
outer cortex, representing, as
have
I
medium
signified to you, the separating
between earth and water, namely, that air which divides the earth from the
The
water.
represents
yolk
fire
;
of
also
the
cortex
the
egg
which
contains the yolk corresponds to that *
The
allegory of the philosophical egg can be traced
Greek alchemists.
to the
under this
A
short treatise
Eggt which
is
composed of iour elements, because world.
It
copper, the
is
the stone which
Armenian
is
extant
;
it
is
it
the image of the
not a stone, the stone of
The
stone, &c.
the earth, being cold and dry iron,
is still
and another on the Nomenclature of the described as the Mystery of the Art. It is
title,
shell is likened to
has been named copper,
The white of the egg is divine water, The yolk is copperas, mercury, &c. The oily part (? the chicken)
tin, lead.
water of the sea, water of alum, &c. native sulphur, is fire.
But the egg, symbolical as described
itself
symbolically,
after
it
is,
is
sometimes
the similitude of a
likened to the skin which covers the
seed
;
the shell
seed
;
the white and the yolk are the flesh, and the watery
part
is
is
the breath, or
air.
The Turba Philosophorum.
12
other air which separates the water
from the
But they are both one
fire.
namely, that which separates things frigid, the earth from
and the same
air,
the water, and that which separates the
from
water
lower air
is
the
fire.
But the
thicker than the upper
and the upper
air is
more
rare and
subtle, being nearer to the fire
the lower
air,
than
In the egg, therefore,
air.
are four things
— earth, water,
air,
and
But the point of the Sun, these
fire.
four excepted,
and
yolk,
in the centre of the
is
this is the chicken.
Conse-
quently, all philosophers in this most excellent art have described the egg as
an example, which same thing they have set over their work. The Fifth Dictum.
—
Arisleus saith: Know that the earth is a hill and not a plain, for which reason the Sun does not ascend over all
the zones of the earth in a single but if it were flat, the sun would
hour
;
rise in
a
moment
over the whole earth.
The Turba Philosophorum.
—Thou hast spoken — Arisleus He
Parmenides
O
briefly,
Is there
us
Yet
13
saith
:
answeretfi
!
anything the Master has
which
bears that
I testify
God
is
left
otherwise
witness
?
one, having
never engendered or been
begotten,
and that the head of all things after Him is earth and fire, because fire is tenuous and light, and it rules all things on earth, but the earth, being ponderous and gross, sustains all things which are ruled by fire. The Sixth Dictum.
Lucas
saiih:
—You
four natures
;
speak only about
and each one
of
you
observes something concerning these.
Now, which
I testify
God
unto you that
all
things
hath created are from these
four natures,
and
the
things which
have been created out of them return into them.
In these
living creatures
are generated and die,
take place as
God
Democritus,
the
answereth
:
and
all
things
hath predestinated. disciple
—Thou hast well
of
Lucas,
spoken,
O
O
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
14
Lucas, when dealing
the four
with
—
Arisleus Democritus, since thy knowledge was derived from Lucas, it is presumption natures
Then
!
sailh
among
to speak
those,
:
who
acquainted with thy master answereth:
from
me
Lucas
—Albeit Democritus received
the science of natural things,
that knowledge
philosophers of
the Babylonians
those of his
The
are well !
Turba
was derived from the the Indies and from ;
I
think he surpasses
own age
in this
answereth
learning.
— When
he
attains to that age* he will give no
small satisfaction, but being
in
his
youth he should keep silence. The Seventh Dictum.
LocusTA
saith:
—All
those creatures
which have been described by Lucas are two only, of which one is neither * Whether the age indicated is that of the Indian and Babylonian adepts does not appear, but the entire episode is remarkable when it is borne in mind what great importance evidently attached to the Democritic school of Greek
seems to indicate that the Turba Philo-
alchemy.
It
sophorum
represents a tradition hostile to the tradition of
The Turba Pkilosopkorum.
15
"known nor expressed, except by piety, for
it is
Pythagoras Thou hast entered upon a
not seen or
—
saith
subject which,
describe
what
felt.
completed, thou wilt
if
State,
subtly.
thing which
is this
is
therefore,
neither
felt,
—
seen, nor known.
Then he It is that not known, because in this
which
is
world
it is
discerned by reason without
the clients thereof, which are
sight,
hearing, taste, smell, and touch.
Crowd
O
know you which can black, and
of the Philosophers,
not that
it
is
only sight
from liearing only which can discriminate between a good and bad word Similarly, a wholesome odour cannot be separated by reason from one which white
distinguish
is
fetid,
except through the sense of
smell, nor can sweetness be discrimin-
ated from bitterness save by means of taste, nor
smooth from rough unless
Demociitus, who, accordingly, figures merely as a promis-
ing tyro, and,
in fact,
the deliberations.
remains
For
second recension reads "
silent
throughout the rest of
" those of his
own age "
his contemporaries."
the
6
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
1
—
The Turba answereth: Thou hast well spoken, yet hast thou
by touch.
omitted to thing which
particular
that
of
treat is
not known, or described
except by reason and piety.
—Are ye
then in such haste
that the creature which
none of these
creature, and, as such,
nor
felt,
but
fesses that
answer
and
:
God
—Thou
excellently.
Know
is
a sublime
neither seen
is
perceived by reason
is
which
alone, of
?
cognised in
is
ways
five
,.
Saith he
reason Nature con-
a partaker.
is
hast
And he
They
spoken :
—
give a further explanation.
truly
will
now
Know
that
I
this creature, that is to say, the world,
hath a
same
light, is
which
more
natures, which living
But
beings
is
the Sun, and the.
subtle than
all
other
light is so ordered that
may
attain
to vision.
this subtle light were removed, would they become darkened, seeing if
nothing, except the light of the
or of the stars, or of
fire, all
derived from the light
which causes
all
of
moon, which are the Sun,
creatures to give light.
The Turba PhilosopJiorum.
For
God
this
17
has appointed the Sun
to be the light of the world,
by reason
of the attenuated nature of the Sun.
And know
that the sublinie creature
before mentioned has no need of the
Sun, because the Sun
light of this
beneath that creature, which
is
is
more
and more lucid. This light, more lucid than the light of the Sun, they have taken from the light of God, which is more subtle than their subtle
which
is
Know
light.
world
is
also
that
the created
composed of two dense things
and two rare things, but nothing of the dense
in
is
the
Consequently the inferior
all
answereth
:
sublime
Sun
creatures.
—Thou
is
creature.
rarer than
The
Turba
hast excellently de-
scribed what thou hast related. if,
And
good Master, thou shalt utter any-
whereby our hearts may be vivified, which now are mortified by thou wilt confer upon us a folly, great boon !* thing
*
offers
The shortened version ol the second Recension some conspicuous variations, and is literally as
B
8
The Turba Philosophorum.
1
The Eighth Dictum.
Pythagoras
saith
:
—
I
affirm that
and with
existed before all things,
was nothing, as
He was
know,
Philosophers,
ye
all
at
declare this in order that
I
God Him But
first.
that
may
I
fortify
your opinion concerning these four elements and arcana, as well as in the sciences thereof, at which no one can
God. Understand, that when God was alone, He created four things fire, air, water, and earth, out of which things He afterwards arrive save
by the
will of
—
follows
:
— " Two natures alone are described by Lucas, one
of which
reason
;
heaven. felt,
is
seen,
realised, save
not seen and
is
But there
is
this
Now, reason
the help of the five senses, &c.
substantially the
which
is
same as the
as follows
:
piety
and it is
text,
.
till
What
.
.
perceives
ensues
is
towards the close,
—As to that nature which
by none of these, the same
is
which contains
that
is
heaven or earth.
is in
by
not described, for
is
a third connected nature, which
and known, and
whatsoever
hy
known nor
neither
the other
is
perceived
known by reason and piety only, and is God Most High, who made the light which is the Sun. Know that the Sun is more is
subtle than all creatures, to the
sublime
end that
;
it
it
is
may
light the
world, which consists of two dense things and two rare.
Nothing
of the
lie himself
creatures."
is
dense
more
is in
the sublime creation, because
rare than the
Sun and
all
inferior
The Turba Philosophorum.
created
all
and the
inferior,
both the sublime
others,
He
because
predes-
beginning that
the
tinated from
19
all
creatures extracted from water should
multiply and increase, that they might dwell in the world and perform His
judgments
therein.
before
He
all,
Consequently,
created the four ele-
out of which
ments,
He
created what
He
afterwards
willed, that
some
diverse creatures,
is
to say,
of which were
produced from a single element.*
The
— Which are these, O They are the And he angels, whom He created out of fire. Which, then, are But the Turba of two ? And he — Out of created out Turba
Master
saith
:
?
:
:
—
—
:
the elements of * In the
Book
fire
oj Balances,
works of Geber, there
is
He
from the ancient worlds
one of the genuine Arabian
God had
:
created
all
things of
caused the four qualities to issue
namely, heat, cold, moisture, and
The combination
dryness.
air are the
a passage which has some analogy
with this dictum:— " Aitei the four elements ...
and
of these elements produced
which contains heat and dryness water, which posair, which has .warmth and sesses cold and moisture fire,
;
;
humidity
;
earth,
which
is
cold and dry.
By
the help of
these elements God created the superior and inferior worlds."
The Turba Philosophorum.
20
moon,
sun,
and
composed.
stars
Hence the angels are more
lucid than
the sun, moon, and stars, because they are created from one substance, which
dense than two, while the sun and the stars are created from a comThe Turba position of fire and air.
is
less
— And
what concerning the Then he God creation of Heaven ? created the Heaven out of water and air, whence this is also composed of
saith
:
:
—
two, namely, the second of the rarer
which
things,
is
air,
of the denser things,
And
they
:
— Master,
and the second which is water.
continue thy dis-
course concerning these three, and re-
our
joice
life
other answereth
God
thy
sayings,
But the you that
:
—
hath further
of three
with
to the dead.
hearts
which are
notify to
I
made
and out of four
creatures out ;
out of three
are created flying things, beasts,
vegetables
;
fire, air,
saith
:
of these are created
and earth, some out and earth. But the Turba
out of water, of
some
and
air,
— Distinguish
these divers crea-
The Turbo, Philosophonim.
tures one from another.
Beasts are created out of earth
and watpr, because
among
all
And
he
fire, air,
flying things out of
;
21
,fire,
Yet
fire.
water, :
air,
and which have a air,
in vegetables there is
no
they are created out of earth,
fire, for
saith
and
flying things,
vegetables
brute animals are from earth,
and
—
are created out of water, while
spirit,
all
:
Whereat the Turba. and air. Let us assume that a fire, with
—
jour reverence's pardon, does reside in vegetables. And he ^Ye have spoken the truth, and I affirm that they con:
tain
And
fire.
He
fire ?
they
answereth
of the air which for I
is
is
—Whence —Out of the
is
air,
that
heat
concealed therein
have signified that a thin
present in the fire
:
—
fire
;
is
but the elementary
concerning which you were in doubt
not produced, except in things which
But out of four elements our father Adam and his sons have
spirit
and
soul.
were created,* that *
The
Olympiodorus
treatise of
observes that
is,
Adam was
of On
fire,
air,
the Sacred
Art
the issue of the four elements, and
The Turba Philosophorum.
22
and
water,
stand, all ye that are wise,
God hath
thing which
The
is
how
every-
created out of
Day
until the
one essence dies not
Judgment.
Under-
earth.
likewise
definition of
of
death
the disjunction of the composite, but
there
is
no disjunction of that which
simple, for
it
Death
one.
is
in the separation of the soul
is
consists
from the
body, because anything formed out of two, three, or four components must disintegrate,
stand,
and
this is death.
that
further,
substance which lacks
no
Under, complex
fire eats,
drinks,
or sleeps, because in all things which
have a
that which eats.*
spirit fire is
terms him virgin earth, igneous earth, carnal earth, and
sanguineous earth, making reference to the libraries oi Ptolemy,
whom
he
There are similar references is
in
Zosimus, by
But the carnal Adam material humanity in general, and
identified with death.
of Zosimus signifies
is contained the spiritual man, whose name no one knoweth except Nicotheos, and that mysterious personage, the alchemist himself acknowledges to be undiscoverable.
therein
The
The nature of the
they eat and sleep, either
name
signifies light and fire. and the question whether does not seem to have been discussed
substitute for his true *
angels,
by Greek, Syriac, or Arabian alchemists.
narrates that the art oi alchemy
was revealed
Zosimus
to mortals
by
The Turba Philosophorum.
The
Turba
23
— How
answereth
is
it,
Master, that the angels, being created of fire, do not eat, seeing thou assertest that
that which eats
fire is
And
!
he
:
Hence ye doubt, each having his opinion, and ye are become opponents, but if ye truly knew the elements, ye would not deny these things. I agree with all whose judgment it is that simple
The
eats
fire
not,
but thick
fire.
angels, therefore, are not created
out of thick
fire,
of very thin
fire
but out of the thinnest
exceedingly
being created, then,
;
of that which
is
most they
thin,
And
drink, nor sleep.
simple
and
neither
eat,
the
Turba
:
Master, our faculties are able to perceive, for
by God's assistance we have
the fallen angels; the art
must be
they also
it
is
to
them
that the tradition of
referred as to a primary source
who wrote the
;
and
primeval books of alchemy.
it
was
It will
be remembered that magic was also one of the mysteries unfolded by the same intelligences. Isis
to
Inthe discourse of
Horus, the Mother of the Gods appears as a
prophetess
who
obtained initiation into the mysteries of
alchemy from the great angel Amnael, who desired to possess her.
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
2^
exhausted thy sayings, but our faculties of hearing and of sight are unable to carry such great
reward thee
sake of thy diswith the object of
for the
since
ci}-les,
May God
things.
is
it
instructing future generations that thou
summoned us
hast
countries,
to
Seeing
recompense
the
thou wilt not
Judge
together from our
fail
come
Arisleus
!
thou
that
which
saith
:
gathered
hast
together for the advantage 1
of
to receive from the
— us
of posterity,
think that no explanations will be
more
useful than definitions of those
four elements which thou hast taught
And
us to attain. are,
I
he
— None
suppose, ignorant that
of you all
the
Wise have propounded definitions in God. The Turba answereth Should :
—
your disciples pass over anything,
becomes
O
you,
Master,
to
it
avoid
omissions for the sake of future generations. will
And
he:
—
If
it
please you,
I
begin the disposition here, since
envious
men
in
their
books
separated that, or otherwise
I
will
have put
The Turba Pliilosophorum. it
end of the book.*
at the
Turba think
saith
generations. it
— Place be
will
it
where
:
will
foolish,t
Whereat the
where
it
clearest
And
he:
—
I
25
you
future
for
place
will
it
not be recognised by the
nor ignored by the Sons of the
Doctrine, for
it is
the key, the perfection
and the end. The Ninth Dictum.
ExiMENUS
saith
:
— God hath created
all
things by his word, having said unto
them
:
Be, and they were made, with the
four other elements, earth, water, air,
and
fire,
things
we
which
The
is
and
hostile to water, water
necessity of concealing the Art
chief anxieties of the
«worn
coagulated,
contrary were commingled, for
see that fire '
He
to secrecy
Greek alchemists.
by heaven and earth and
is
one of the
Isis herself is hell,
by the four
elements, by the height and the depth, by Hermes,
Anubis, and by the bowlings of Kerkoros. Tieen required of us to reveal initiated]
person,"
says
"
An
by
oath has
nothing clearly to any [un-
Democritus in
the
Epistle of
Synesius to Dioscorus. t
The
reader will not
fail
to observe the artless
way
in
Avhich this passage betrays the whole dialogue as a literary •composition.
;
The Turha Philosophorum.
26
and both are hostile to Yet God hath united earth and air. them peacefully, so that they love one hostile to
another.
fire,
Out of these
four elements,
therefore, are all things created
—heaven
and the throne thereof; the angels; the sun, moon, and stars; earth and sea, with all things that are in the sea, which indeed are various, and not alike, for their natures have been made diverse by God, and also the creations. But the diversity is more than I have stated each of these natures ture,
is
of diverse na-
and by a legion of diversities
nature of each diverse.
Now
is
the
this di-
versity subsists in all creatures, because
they were created out of diverse ments.
Had
ele-
they been created out of
one element, they would have agreeing natures.
But
been
diverse elements
being here mingled, they lose their natures, because the dry being
own
mixed
with the humid and the cold combined with the hot, become neither cold nor hot; so also the humid being mixed with the dry becomes neither dry nor
The Turba Philosophorum.
humid.
But when the
27
four elements
are commingled, they agree,
and thence
proceed creatures which never attain to perfection, except they be left to putrefy
God
and become
by night
visibly corrupt.
further completed his creation by
means of increase, food, life, and government. Sons of the Doctrine, not without purpose have I described to you the disposition of these four elements, for in
them
two of them and vision, and of these the operation and virtue are well known. These are earth and water. But there are two other elements which are neither visible nor tangible, which yield naught, whereof the is
a secret arcanum
;
are perceptible to the sense of touch
place
is
never seen, nor are their opera-
and force known, save in the former elements, namely, earth and water now when the four elements are not commingled, no desire of men is accomBut being mixed, departing plished. from their own natures, they become Over these Jet us another thing. tions
;
meditate
very
carefully.
And
the
The Turba Philosophorum.
28
TuRBA :— Master, he:
—
we Then
heed to your words.
give
will
speak,
you
if
have now discoursed, and that I will speak only useful words
I
well.
ye
which
Know,
made except
is
Do
copper.*
spoken.
as
no
true
from
our
that
present,
all
tincture
follow
will
therefore, exhaust
not
your brains and your money,
lest
ye fill
I will give your hearts with sorrow. unless that axiom, you a fundamental you turn the aforesaid coppert into
*
At
this point there appears to
iiom cosmology to alchemy, but that
it is
it
be a sudden transition
must be remembered
one of the Hermetic Methods to describe the pro-
cesses oi the great
work
in the
language of cosmology, and
this not only in the Latin mediaeval writers, but also in the
Greek.
For example, the Byzantine fragment entitled The
Nomenclature of the of the world, t
The
Egg
and hence
affirms that the
is
philosophical copper
reference throughout
all
egg
is
the image
composed of the four elements, is
alchemy.
a subject of continual
Among
the earliest au-
Book of Crates says that copper, like man, has a spirit, soul, and body. It appears from the same treatise that the term is symbolical, and applies to a stage of the
thorities, the
alchemical process.
Another passage describes
essential substance.
Gold
lead and copper.
white copper
is
is
The Lexicon of Chrysopeia
crude sulphur.
it
as the
said to transform only with
explains that
The Turha Philosophorum.
make visible coins* and then
white, and
afterwards again turn
Tincturei
a
until
29
accomplish
it
results,
therefore
up, deprive
it
ye
verily,
Burn
nothing.
the copper, break
into redness,
of
it
blackness by cooking, imbuing, and
its
washing, until the same becomes white.
Then
•
rule
M.
it.
Berthelot has pointed out that
term nummus by the Latin alchemists of the
meaning of
anterior writers.
Asem, an alloy of gold and t will
as, for
in the
The
reference
is
to
for
in the Collection of
whitening and reddening
Ancient Greek Alchemists,,
example, the Combination of the White Preparation
Address of
Horus, the recipe in the twenty-
Isis to
paragraph of the Natural Questions of Democritus,
first
again in the Dioscorus,
an
the use of the
a misconception
silver.
Numerous preparations
be found
is
Book of Synesius,
operation
with
the Philosopher, addressed to
many places. copper. The book
and elsewhere
in
It is
invariably
addressed
by
Democritus to Leucippus says that the alchemical work comprises the process of making white and making yellow
and coction of the mineral
(red), as also the softening
copper. is
of
According to Synesius, the process of whitening
a calcination, and making yellow
is
an igneous regenera-
tion.
J
The Greek Lexicon
species of tincture, that
of Chrysopeia distinguishes two
which so permeates and scaks into
a substance as to change
its
duces a superficial colouring.
nature,
and that which pro-
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
30
The Tenth Dictum.
—
Know that the key of Arisleus saith Take, this work is the art of Coins.* shewn have which I therefore, the body you and reduce it to thin tablets. Next immerse the said tablets in the Water of our Sea,+ which is permanent to
Water,! and, after over a gentle
fire
covered, § set
it is
it
until the tablets are
melted and become waters or Etheliae,
*
In this instance the term appears to be used as the
equivalent oi tablets or lamina later is
— the thin strips into
which
alchemy frequently directs a metal to be cut before
it
subjected to a given treatment. t Pelagus, cited
by Olympiodorus
the Sacred Art, quotes
Zosimus
in the Treatise
in definition
on
of the sea as
the hermaphrodytic element, I
water
The Book of El-Habib says is
that the virtue of eternal
that of a spiritual blood.
Eeriform water, azure water,
When
also primal sulphur.
It is identified
and water of sulphur. boiled,
it
transforms the male
and afterwards into gold.
(arsenic) into silver,
with It is
It is also
said that copper is water of silver, which, after preparation,
becomes
water.
eternal
Rulandus says that perfect bodies,
it is
§
reference
mouth of the
later
writers,
and he enumerates the contradictory names
which have been assigned to
The
Interpreting
the philosophical solution of two
vessel.
is
it
in
alchemy.
apparently to the closing of the
The Turba Philosophorum.
which are one
31
and the same thing.
Mix, cook, and simmer in a gentle until
Brodium
fire
produced, like to
is
Saginatum.
Then
Etheliae until
it
stir
in its
water of
be coagulated, and the
become variegated, which we call the Flower of Salt. Cook it, therefore, until it be deprived of blackness, and the whiteness appear. Then rub it, mix with the Gum of Gold, and cook until it becomes red Etheliae. Use patience pounding lest you become in weary. Imbue the Ethelia with its own water, coins
which has preceded from it, which also is Permanent Water, until the same
becomes
red.
Copper,* which
Burnt the Leaven of Gold
This, is
then,
is
and the Flower thereof. Cook the same with Permanent Water, which is *
is
A short excursus On
the Diversity of
Burnt Copper
among the writings of Zosimus, where it is many persons prepare it by means of sulphur,
preserved
noted that
and a process with sulphurated iron approbation
&om
Democritus.
is
quoted with high
Burnt copper
is
elsewhere
by the same author as " the metal rendered bloodcolour (in view of whitening) and tinged within and defined
without."
The Turba Philosophorum.
32
always with
until the
it,
water be dried
Continue the operation until
up.
the water
is
consumed, and
it
all
becomes
a most subtle powder. The Eleventh Dictum.
Parmenides
saith
must,
men have
envious
that
— Ye
:
know
dealt volu-
minously with several waters, brodiums, stones, all
and metals, seeking
you who aspire
after
Leave, therefore, all these,
to deceive
knowledge.
and make
the white red, out of this our copper,
taking copper and lead, letting these
stand for the grease, or blackness, and tin
for
the
liquefaction.
further, that unless
Know
ye,
ye rule the Nature
of Truth, and harmonize well together its
complexions and compositions, the
consanguineous neous, and the
with first
the
consangui-
with the
first,
ye
and effect nothing, because natures will meet their natures, follow them, and rejoice. For in them they putrefy and are generated, because Nature is ruled by Nature, which act
improperly
The Turba Philosophorum. destroys
it,
turns
it
33
into dust, reduces
and finally herself renews repeats, and frequently produces the
to nothing, it,
same.
ye
Therefore look in books, that
may know
what
the Nature of Truth,
and what renews, what it possesses, what neighbours it naturally has, and how they love each other, how also after love enmity and corruption intervene, and how these natures should be united one to another and made at peace, until they become putrefies
it
savour
gentle in the
fire
in
similar fashion.
Having, therefore, noticed the facts in this Art, set If indeed,
your hands to the work.
ye know not the Natures of
Truth, do not approach the work, since there will disaster, fore,
follow
nothing but harm,
and sadness.
Consider, there-
the teaching of the Wise,
how they
have declared the whole work saying:
— Nature
rejoices
in
in this
Nature,
and Nature contains Nature. In these words there is shewn forth unto you the whole work. Leave, therefore, manifold
and
superfluous
things,
and
take
The Turba Philosophorum.
34
body
quicksilver,* coagulate in the
of
Magnesia.t in Kuhul, or in Sulphur which does not burn ; make the same nature white, and place it upon our
becomes white. And if ye cook still more, it becomes red, when if ye proceed to coction, it becomes gold. I tell you that it turns the sea itself into red and the colour of gold. Copper, when
Know
it
ye also that gold
into redness save
is
because Nature rejoices
Nature.!
in
Mercury, according to the Greek Epistle of SynesiuSi
* is
not turned
by Permanent Water,
wax, which readily assumes any colour that
like
imparted to their souls
;
it,
it
for
Mercury whitens
digests
them by
is
bodies and attracts
all
and takes complete
coction,
possession of them.
The Magnesia of Alchemy
t
and
who
this
are the inspiration of the
that treatise, treatises
is
not
common
Magnesia,
remark applies equally to the Greek Alchemists,
and
Turba Philosophorum,
to the later adepts.
to
In one of the
belonging to the school of Democritus the sign oi
Cinnabar follows the term.
mentioned
in the discourse of
The body
of
Magnesia
is
Synesius and Dioscorus; and
on the Metallic Body of Magnesia, Zosimus has a special treatise with reference to the method by which it is whitened.
According to Synesius
it
signifies the mixture
of substances. }
The
formulae which are so frequently repeated in the
Turba PhiU>sophorum
:
Nature rejoices
in
Nature
:
Nature
The Turba Philosophorum.
35
Reduce, therefore, the same by means cooking into a humour, until the
of
hidden nature appear. it
therefore,
If,
be manifested externally, seven times
imbue the same with water, cooking, imbuing, and washing, until it become
O
red.
those
natures,
celestial
multiplying the natures of truth by the
O
God!
will of
that potent Nature,
which overcame and conquered natures, and caused its natures to rejoice and be
glad
special
and
God
the
This, therefore,
!*
spiritual nature to
Consequently,
magnify
that is
tincture,
which
thereof can give what
cannot.
nothing
that
is
[species]
we ,
more precious
fire
and than which glorify
the true
in
or the like in the smallest
degree to be found.
overcomes nature ruled by Nature:
:
This
is
that truth
Nature contains Nature
:
Nature
are derived literally from the
is
Greek
Alchemists. *
These alchemical Grand Antiphons
literally
in
O
are either
borrowed from the Greek alchemists, or are formed
on the model of precisely similar exclamations in those writers
:
— " O,
Supreme Wonder
Sovereign Matter," &c.
1
O, most happy and
The Turba Philosophorum.
36
which those investigating wisdom
For when
it is
liquefied with bodies, the
highest operation
knew
love.
the truth,
is
effected.
If
ye
what great thanks ye
Learn, therefore, that would give me while you are tingeing the cinders, you must destroy those that are mixed. For it overcomes those which are mixed, and changes them to its own colour. And as it visibly overcame the surface, even so it mastered the interior. And if !
one be volatile but the other endure the
if
the
joined to the other
either
fire,
the
endures
fire.
Know
have
vapours
also,
that
whitened the
surfaces, they will certainly whiten the
Know
interiors.
after
Wisdom,
further, all
ye seekers
that one matter over-
comes four, and our Sulphur* alone consumes all things. The Turba answereth *
:
Thou hast spoken excellently
Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt figure in
all
Hermetic liter-
ature as the most indispensable principles of the
Opus.
The
later writers
are not the substances
Magmim
never weary of affirming that they
commonly
so called, but this does
not appear so plainly in earlier and especially in Greek Authors.
The Turbo, Philosophorum.
37
O
Parmenides, but thou hast not demonstrated the disposition of the
well,
smoke is
to posterity, nor
how
the same
whitened The Twelfth Dictum.
Lucas
saith:
I
will
speak at this
time, following the steps of the ancients.
Know, therefore, all ye seekers after Wisdom, that this treatise is not from the beginning of the ruling
!*
Take
quicksilver.^ which is from the male, and coagulate according to custom. Observe that I am speakmg to you in
accordance
because
with custom,
has been already coagulated.
Here,
therefore, is not the beginning of ruling, but *
book
I
into the artificial character oi the
afforded at this point.
designed to be conveyed other
the
prescribe this method,
A further insight is
it
is,
The meaning which is common with many
that in
alchemical works,' the instruction begins
in
the
middle of the process— for the more complete confusion of the uninitiated. t It
should
be noted
in
this
connection that the
attribution of the seven metals to the seven planets is not
found in the Turba.
Thus, quicksilver
as Mercury, nor gold as Sol, &c.
is
never spoken of
The Turba Philosophorum.
38
namely, that you shall take the quick-
from the male, and shall either impose upon iron, tin, or governed silver
copper, and
it
will
be whitened.*
White Magnesia is made in the same way, and the male is converted with it. But forasmuch as there is a certain affinity between tlie magnet and the iron, therefore our nature Take, then, the vapour which the Ancients commanded you to take, and cook the same with its rejoices. +
own body until tin is produced. Wash away its blackness according to custom, and cleanse and roast
an equable fire until it be whitened. But every body is whitened with governed quicksilver, for Nature converts Nature. Take,therefore, Magnesia, Water of Alum, Water of Nitre, of Iron *
;
Water
at
of the Sea, and
whiten with smoke. +
The second
upon copper, that
recension is,
reads
governed
:
"
iron,
Ye
Water What-
shall
and
it
impose be
shall
whitened." t
The
alternative reading is
:
" Therefore Nature also
rejoices in Nature." }
Hermes, as quoted by Olympiodorua, defines smoke
as intermediary between the
warm and
the dry.
The Turba Philosophorum.
39
ye desire to be whitened whitened with this smoke, because soever
Mix,
things.
smoke
and
white,
itself
is
with
whitens
it
all
the
therefore,
is
said
until it be and become excessively Roast this white copper till faeces
its
coagulated white.*
germinates
it
of
Magnesia when the
suffer
shadow
of
because
Nature
coppert
Take, therefore,
does
escape,
to
spirits
the
since
itself,
whitened
not
or
the
to
appear,
contains
Nature.
ye Sons of the
all
Doctrine, the white sulphureous nature,
whiten with
salt
Flower of White *
The
and dew, or with the Salt.I until
alternative reading is
:
"
until
it
it
become
shall
become a
white coin oi tablet." t
M.
The shadow
of copper
is
the flower of copper,
Berthelot explains, protoxide, verdegris.
The
i.e.,
epistle
of Democritus to Leucippus explains that a metal without
shadow
is
burning
is
a
defines the
produces
brilliant metal.
Zosimus says that the act
called the destruction of the shadow.
shadow of copper
in silver.
as the black tinge which
Democritus also gives a recipe
oi
Pelagus it
for the
removal of the shadow from copper. I
The second
recension in the edition of Mangetus
reads Sol throughout for Sal, but
it is
a printer's error.
The Turba Philosophorum.
40
And know
excessively white.
the Flower of White
from
become it
ye, that
Ethel
is
The same must be
Ethelia.
boiled
Salt
days,
shall
for
seven
like
gleaming marble, for when
it
till
has reached this condition
it
is
a
Arcanum, seeing that Sulphur, Sulphur is mixed with whence an excellent work is accomof the affinity plished, by reason very
great
between them, because natures rejoice in
meeting their own natures.
therefore,
Take,
Mardek and whiten the same
Gadenbe,* that is, wine and and Permanent Water. Roast and coagulate until the whole does not liquefy in a fire stronger than its own, namely, the former fire. Cover the with
vinegar,
mouth
of the vessel securely,
be associated with
may
its
but
neighbour, that it
kindle the whiteness thereof,
beware
lest
the
fire
let it
and
blaze up, for in
Though Martinus Rulandus endeavoured honestly all the barbarous terms of Alchemy in his laborious lexicon, and though he was evidently well *
to explain
acquainted with the Turba, he omits both Mardeck and
Gadenbe.
The Turba Philosophorum.
41
becomes red prematurely, and this will profit you nothing, because in the beginning of the ruling you
this case
it
Afterwards coagu-
require the white. late the
same
Let your
fire
you attain the red.
until
be gentle
in the whitening,
Know
until coagulation take place.
that
when
is
it
the Soul, and
we
coagulated
call
more quickly con-
it is
verted from nature into nature. therefore, is
sufficient
deal with the Art of
one thing makes
it
for
This,
those
who
Coins, because
but
many
operate
For ye need not a number of
therein.
things,
it
but one thing only, which in
each and every grade of your work
changed
into
another
nature.
is
The
Turba saith Master, if you speak as the Wise have spoken, and that briefly, they will follow you who do not :
wish
to
be
wholly
shut
in
with
darkness. The Thirteenth Dictum.
Pythagoras saith government which
—We is
posit another
not from another
The Turba Philosophorum.
42
name. And know, ye seekers after this Science and
root, all
but
differs in
it
Wisdom,
that whatsoever the envious
may have
enjoined in their books con-
cerning
which agree together,* is
natures
of
composition
the
savour there
in
only one, albeit to sight they are as
Know,
diverse as possible.
also, that
the thing which they have described in so
many ways
companion without magnet follows the said thing
is
and
follows
attains
fire,
iron, to
which the
not vainly compared, nor
to a seed, nor to a matrix, for like
And
unto these.
which foUowst fire,
its
many
causes
its
even as the
when embracing
it,
it is
also
same thing, companion without this
colours
to
appear
for this reason, that
the said one thing enters into every
regimen, and
is
found ever)rwhere, being
a stone, and also not a stone
and precious •
mony t
The
;
;
common
hidden and concealed,
shorter recension reads
:
" concerning the har-
of the elements."
According to the second recension, the subject in
many
question causes
according as
it
is
colours to appear in complexion,
governed in every regimen.
The Turba Philosophorum.
known by everyone
yet
and
;
43
name
of one
many names, which
of
Spume
Moon.
the
of
is
This
therefore, is not a stone, because
more
precious
without
;
never operates anything;
we have
one, yet
names on account of the its
it is
Nature
it
name
its
called
the
stone,
is
by many
it
excellence of
nature.*
The
Turba
answereth
—O
Master
!
mention some of those
wilt thou not •
:
Zosimus explains that the uncommunicated mystery
which no one among the prophets has dared to divulge by word, but has revealed only to the
initiates, is
a process
upon the stone Alabastron by means of vinegar.
By
the
—
Lexicon of Ghrysopeia in the Byzantine Collection that earliest dictionary of alchemy, which has remained un-
known is
to all later
Hermetic lexicographers
—Alabastron
defined to be the calx obtained from eggshells, saltpetre,
a variety of natron, and
common salt. The inquirer after may take his choice among
the uncommunicated secret
these substances, and is
it
does not follow that the Lexicon
a correct exponent of Zosimus.
However this may be, it
appears that the stone Alabastron, either before or after the operation with vinegar,
stone which
known by
is
all,
is
the symbolical encephalous
not a stone, the
unknown thing which
the despised thing which
is
is
most precious,
The preparation The perplexities of
the thing given and not given by God. indicated
is
the Mythraic Mystery.
the Turba at this point are, therefore, a device of the Greek alchemists,
and they were fond
of recurring to
it.
The Turba Philosophorum.
44
names
And
:— It
he
seekers?
the guidance of
for
White
called
is
Ethelia,
White Copper, and that which flies from the fire and alone whitens copper. Break up, therefore, the White Stone, and afterwards coagulate it with milk.* Then pound the calx in the mortar, humidity does
that the
taking care
not escape from the vessel late
in the vessel until
it
a cinder.
it
;
but coagu-
shall
Cook also with
become
Spume
of
Luna and regulate. For ye shall find the stone broken, and already its
own
imbued with
This, therefore, is the
water, t
which we
by all names, which assimilates the work and drinks it, and is the stone out of which also Take, therefore, all colours appear. that same gum,+ which is from the stone
*
The second
recension adds : " that
The
that milk is coagulated."
alchemy
is,
like so
of Greek origin.
call
much It
is,
after the
manner
symbolical use oi milk in
of the terminology of the Turba,
will
be found in the discourse of
Synesius. t
The second
recension has a preferable reading
shall find the stone formed,
which imbue with
:
its
"
Ye own
water." J
The second
recension says
:
"
Gum of Scotia," most
The Turba Philosophorum.
43
scoriae, and mix with cinder of calx, which you have ruled, and with the fseces which you know, moistening with permanent water. Then look and see whether it has become a powder, but if not, roast in a fire stronger than the first fire, until it be pounded. Then imbue with permanent water, and the more the colours vary all
more suffer them to be heated. Know, moreover, that if you take white quicksilver, or the Spume of Luna, and do as ye are bidden, breaking up with a gentle fire, the same is coagulated, and becomes a stone. Out of this
the
when
stone, therefore,
many
probably a
much used
misprint
gum in
for
Scoria.
Rulandus
with Ferment, Mercury, &c.
alchemy, and
without explanatory context. is
broken up,
But
colours will appear to you.
philosophical is
it is
is
identifies
The term
found in Zosimus, but
The Turba Phihsophorum
not very clear on the subject of the philosophical gum,
but
it is
as clear as the Greek Alchemists, for the Lexicon of
Chrysopeia defines philosophically
gum
Nomenclature of the
among
as the yolk of the egg, speaking
and not
Egg
literally
;
but the treatise on the
says that the white of egg
is
gum,
other things, speaking also philosophically, and
without regard to the Lexicon.
:
The Turbo, Philosophorum.
46
any ambiguity occur to you in our discourse, do as ye are bidden, ruling the same until a white and herein,
if
coruscating stone shall be produced,
and so ye
find
your purpose.
The Fourteenth Dictum.
AcsuBOFEN*
saith
Master, thou hast
:
spoken without envy, even as became thee,
and
for
reward thee!
God
also
same may God Pythagoras sai/A; May the
deliver
from envy
Acsubofen,
thee,
Then he
!
:
Ye must know,
O
Assembly of the Wise, that sulphurs are contained in sulphurs, and humidity
in humidity.t
The
envious,
The
O
Turba
answereih
uttered something like unto this
what Humidity
therefore,
us,
And he when venom :
+
have
Acsubofen,
is is
*
In the second recension the
A
Tell
a body,
penetrates
t
!
humidity? a venom, and
this
name
is
it
Assubeies.
Formula of the Greek Alchemists
:
Sulphurs are
mastered by Sulphurs, &c. X
The
theriac
and poison of the stone are favourite
subjects of discourse
Petrus
Bonus
seems with
all
and,
among
early Latin Alchemists, like
indeed,
the
sovereign
remedy
authors to have had a destructive as well as
The Turba Philosophorum. tinges
it
no
in
47
with an invariable colour, and wise
permits the soul
equal
Concerning
thereto.
envious have said
:
When
one
be
to
separated from the body, because
it is
this,
the
flies
and
the other pursues, then one seizes upon the
and
other,
longer
flee,
hold of
its
they
afterwards
no
because Nature has laid
manner of
equal, after the
enemy, and they destroy one another. For this reason, out of the sulphureous mixed sulphur is produced a most precious colour, which varies not, nor flees from the fire, when the soul enters into the interior of the body and holds the body together and tinges it. I will repeat my words in Tyrian dye.* Take the Animal which is an
A
a constructive aspect.
Syriac treatise, fixed
by M.
Berthelot as belonging to the tenth or eleventh century,
says that " the elixir resembles a poison violence
many
,
because of
its
and subtlety," and Arabian alchemy contains
references
equivalent
is ios,
the
to
and
venenum
ignis.
The Greek
this is recurring continually in
the
Byzantine Alchemical collection. *
dye,
This process, worded in the language of the Tyrian
may be compared
tincture,
which occurs
with a similar recipe for the purple at the beginning of the
Natural and
The Turha Philosophorum.
48
called Kenckel, since all its water
is
a
Tyrian colour, and rule the same with a gentle fire, as is customary, until it shall
become
be a
little
which there will if you wish to
earth, in
colour.
But
obtain the Tyrian tincture, take
the
humidity which that thing has ejected,
and place vessel,
therewith gradually in a
it
adding that tincture whereof the
Then
colour was disagreeable to you.
cook with that same marine water* until itshall becomedry.t Afterwards moisten with that humour, dry gradually, and cease not to imbue dry,
until
humour. days in
its
to cook,
it,
and
to
all
its
be imbued with
it
Then leave own vessel,
it
several
for
until the
most
come out from it to the surface. Observe how PreI describe the regimen to you
precious Tyrian colour shall
!
pare
it
with the urine of boys, with
Myttic Questions of Demociitus.
an important *
In
this, also, urine
plays
part.
The use of
sea water
is
specified in
one of the
Democritic treatises. t
The second
recension reads
:
" until
it
shall
moistened, after which evaporate the moisture."
become
The Turbo, Philosophorum.
water of the
sea,
49
and with permanent
clean water, so that
it
may
and decoct with a gentle
be tinged, until the
fire,
blackness altogether shall depart from
and
it,
it
be easily pounded.
Decoct,
own humour
until
it
clothe itself with a red colour.
But
if
therefore, in its
ye wish to bring
it
to the Tyrian colour,
imbue the same with continual* water,, and mix, as ye know to be sufficient, according to the rule of sight
;
mix the
same with permanent water sufficiently, and decoct until rust absorb the water. Then wash with the water of which
sea
the
thou hast prepared,
which is water of desiccated calx ;t'cobk until it imbibe its own moisture and ;
day by day. I tell you that a colour will thence appear to you the like of which the Tyrians have never made. And if ye wish that it should do
this
be a the
still
gum
which ye •
t
more exalted
in the
shall
colour, place
permanent water, with dye it alternately, and
The second recension reads The alternative reading is
:
:
" with water ot snow."
water of
talc.
E
;
The Turba Philosophorum.
50
afterwards desiccate in the
Then
suji.
restore to the aforesaid water
and the
black Tyrian colour is intensified. But know that ye do not tinge the purple colour except by cold. Take, therefore,
water which
is
of the nature of cold,
and steep wool* therein
until
it
extract
the force of the tincture from the water.
Know
also that the Philosophers have
called the force which proceeds from
that water the Flower. fore,
Seek, there-
your intent in the said water
therein place
what
days and nights,
is in
the vessel for
until
it
be clothed
with a most precious Tyrian colour. The Fifteenth Dictum.
Frictes
saith
:
—O
Wisdom, know
all
ye seekers
after
that the foundation of
on account of which many have perished, is one only.t There is
this Art,
• i.i.,
The second recension
Moon t
substitutes
Luna
for
Lana,
for wool.
The one
nature, the
one matter, the one way, are all
conceptions of Greek Alchemy.
way which must be
followed
is
"
The
furnace
one, and one
is is
one, the also the
The Turba Philosophorum.
one thing which
stronger than
more sublime
and
natures,
is
51 all
the
in
opinion of philosophers, whereas with fools
it is
But
for
more common than anything. us
it
Woe
reverence.
How
we
a thing which
is
unto
all
ye fools
ignorant are ye of this Art, for
which ye would die if ye knew it to you that
if kings
I
!
swear
were familiar with
it,
none of us would ever attain this thing.
O how this nature changeth body into spirit! O how admirable is Nature, how she
presides over
comes
!
all
all, and overPythagoras saith Name
this Nature, is
—
O
Frictes
And
!
he
—
It
a very sharp vinegar,* which makes " The Ons One engenders the
work," says the Aisembly of the Philosophert. fiiinishes
blood to the Other, and the
Otber.
Nature rejoices nature
nature triumphs over nature this not for for
;
;
nature charms nature
nature masters nature
one such nature opposed
;
and
to another such, but
one only and same nature, proceeding by chemical
process
from
itself
with pain and great labour."
The
Serpent Ourobohoe. *
The Greek Assembly of
that the philosophical vinegar
the Stone.
It
is
the Philosophers explains
obtained by the coction of
appears to be an
oil
which
rises
surface during the process, but the explanation
is
to the
by no
The Turba Philosophorum.
52
gold into sheer
spirit,
without which
vinegar, neither whiteness, nor black-
nor redness, nor rust can
ness,
be
made. And know ye that when it is mixed with the body, it is contained therein, and becomes one therewith it turns the same into a spirit, and tinges with a spiritual and invariable tincture, Know, also, that which is indelible. if ye place the body over the fire without vinegar, it will be burnt and ;
And know,
corrupted.
the
first
humour
therefore, of the
further,
cold.
is fire,
Be
careful,
is
inimical
which
Wise have
Accordingly, the
to cold.
Rule gently
that
until
the sulphur
becomes incombustible.*
The Wise
said
means
:
M.
clear.
Beithelot supposes a leference to the
Mercurial Water. •
The Greek Alchemists
give the following recipe for
the production of incombustible sulphur
Sulphur, diluted in the urine of a pei^on
puberty
;
Prove
combustible. until
Take unbumt
then taking an equal quantity ot brine, boil
the sulphur rises to the surface, and then
fire)
:
who has not reached
it
you see that
it
it
becomes
by reasoning and examining
(?
till
in-
with
becomes incombustible, that is to say, until no longer burns. Take the same incom-
it
bustible water (of sulphur), pour on flower oi salt, dilute as
The Turba Philosophorum.
men have
53
who
already shewn to those
possess rea son the disposition of this Art,
and the best point of they mentioned,
is,
of this
little
sulphur burns a strong body. ingly they venerate
which
their Art,
that a
Accord-
and name
it
in
it
the beginning of their book, and the
son of
Adam
this
vinegar
verts
it
thus described
burns
the
into a cinder,
the body, which,
For
it.
con-
body,
and also whitens
ye cook well and
if
changed into a stone, so that it becomes a coin of most intense whiteness. Cook, theredeprive of blackness,
fore,
the stone until
and then
is
it
be disintegrated,
and temper with
dissolve
Know
water of the sea.
also, that
beginning of the whole work whitening,
to
which
is
succeeds
the the
the
redness, finally the perfection of the
work; vinegar,
but
after
this,
and by the
will
by means of of God, there
a complete perfection. Now, have shewn to you, O disciples of
follows I
in the case of the
divine mystery.
incombustible sulphur.
This
is
the
TJte
54 this
Turba Philosophorum.
Turba, the disposition of the one
more perfect, more precious, and more honourable, than all natures, and I swear to you by God which
thing,
is
have searched for a long time in books so that I might arrive at the knowledge of this one thing, while I prayed also to God that he would teach that
I
me what it is. My prayer was heard, He shewed me clean water, whereby I and the more I did read books, the more was I illuminated.
knew pure
vinegar,
The Sixteenth Dictum.
— Know,
O
crowd of those that still remain of the Sons of the Doctrine, that no tincture can be produced without Lead, which possesses
Socrates
saith:
Have ye not seen Hermes infused the
the required virtue.
how
thrice-great
red into the body, and into
an invariable
it
was changed Know,
colour ?*
therefore, that the first virtue is vinegar, *
The second recension reads " Have ye not seen, says
thiice-great
:
Hermes, that so often as
body, the same body
is
it is
infused into the " ?
changed into an invariable colour
The Turba Philosophorum.
55
and the second is the Lead* of which the Wise have spoken, which if it be infused into all bodies, renders
unchange-^
all
and tinges them with an invariable colour. Take, therefore, Lead which is made out of the stone called Kuhul t let it be of the best quality, and let it be cooked till it becomes black. Then pound the same with Water of Nitre until it is thick like grease, and cook able,
;
again in a very bright spissitude
*
M,
of the body
Berthelot
tells
the
until
fire
destroyed,
is
us that lead was regarded by the
Egyptian alchemists as the generator of the other metals
and the
first
matter of transmutation, which he explains
common
with a number
of other simple bodies and metallic alloys.
Zosimus, the
by the appearances Panopolite,
says
may
it
be cited
All substances
:
possesses in
produced by lead alone,
the Substances t
The
is
he
;
lor i.e.,
it
is
from lead that the three
copper, iron, and
tin.
— Zosimus
and Non-substances of Art.
significance
accurately Kohol,
of this point
were recognised by the Egyptians as
other bodies are derived,
On
in confirmation
is
of the
term
Kuhul,
to be found in Syriac
or
more
alchemy
;
it
the equivalent of alcool and sulphurated antimony in the
form of an impalpable powder.
Kuhul, or Koheul,
is
explained by Rulandus to be the Lead of the Philosophers.
The Alcohol mentioned by M. difiTerent
Part of
Berthelot seems to be
from Alcool of wine, and
is,
in fact, the pure
any body separated from that which
is
impure.
The Turba Philosophorum.
56
being
water
the
Kindle,
rejected.
above it until the stone becomes clean, abounding in precious
therefore,
Pound
metal, and exceedingly white. it
dew and the
afterwards with
and with sea and rain water days with
for 10
sun,
for 21 days,
water, and
salt
10
days with fresh water,* when ye shall find the same like to a metallic stone.
Cook
same once more with water until it become tin by lique-
the
of nitre
Again cook until it be deprived But of moisture, and become dry. faction.
know
when
that
becomes dry
it
humour is burnt lead. Take it be burnt. Thus we
drinks up what remains of swiftly,
because
it
care, however, lest •
The second
with dew,
salt,
it
recension reads
and rain water
:
its
" Alterwards pound
it
for 29 days, again with salt
water for 20 days, and yet again with fresh water for 10 days."
The
explanation of
all
Rosicrucian mysteries has
been referred to the dew of the alchemists, ros philesophoTum certainly plays
Great Mystery. of Democritus, process
the
In the Natural and Mysterious Questions
dew
is
of whitening,
Philosophical
and
an important part in the
Egg
it is
mentioned
and
in
in connection
the
tabulated as a
or philosophical albumen, but here
the additions of a later hand.
fragment
name
with a
on
the
of the white
M. Berthelot suspects
The Turba Philosophorum. call it
incombustible sulphur.
eg
PouHi
same with the sharpest vinegar, and cook till it becomes thick, taking care lest the vinegar be changed into smoke and perish continue this coction
the
;
Now,
for 150 days.
demonstrated white lead,
therefore, I
the disposition
all
have
of the
which afterwards follows
being no more than women's work and child's
Know,
play.
also,
the
that
arcanum of the work of gold proceedsout of the male and the female, but I have shewn you the male in the lead, while, in like
manner,
you the female therefore,
the
lead,
the
for
receiving
the
because she
in
female
with rejoices
for
Mix, the in
strength of the male, assisted
by the male.
receives a tingeing spirit
Mix them,
from the female. *
orpiment.*
orpiment
is
But the male
have discovered
I
therefore,
M. Beithelot indentifies orpiment with the The woid itself does not occur
of the ancients.
Greek writers, but there
is
arsenic in the
a fifteenth century translation
from Latin to Greek of the Semita Recta, ascribed to Albertus Magnus,
which
it is
found.
who reappears
as Peter Theoctonicos, in
5"
The Turba Philosophorum.
a glass vessel, and pound with Ethelia and verj' sharp vinegar; cook for seven days, taking
^.bgether, place in
care lest the arcanum smoke away, and leave throughout the night.
wish
it
that
it
to put on
mud
Now,
with vinegar.
if
ye
(colour), seeing
already dry,
is
But
again imbue
therefore,
I
have
notified to you the power of orpiment, which is the woman by whom is accomplished the most great arcanum. Do not shew these unto the evil, for
they
will laugh.
vinegar which tion,
work,
is
It is
the Ethelia of
placed in the prepara-
by which things God perfects the whereby also spirits take
possession of bodies, and they become spiritual.
The Seventeenth Dictum.
ZiMON* saith : O Turba of Philosoand disciples, now hast thou spoken about making into white, but it phers
yet remains to treat concerning the
reddening *
!
Know,
all
ye seekers after
otherwise Zenon, according to the second recension.
The Turba Philosophorum. Art,
this
that
make
cannot
59
unless ye whiten, ye
because the two
red,
natures are nothing other than red and
Whiten, therefore, the
white.
redden the white the year
the
is
first
red,
and
also, that
divided into four seasons
season
and
Know,
!*
of a frigid
is
com-
Winter the second is of the complexion of air, and this is Spring then follows the third, which is summer, and is of the complexion of plexion,
this is
;
;
fire
lastly, there is
;
fruits are
the fourth, wherein
matured, which
is
Autumn.
In this manner, therefore, ye are to rule
your natures, namely, to dissolve in
cook in spring, to coagulate summer, and to gather and tinge the fruit in autumn. Having, therefore, winter, to in
given this example, rule the tingeing natures, but
if
save yourselves.
Thou *
ye
err,
The
blame no one
Turba answereth
hast treated the matter extremely
A commentary introduced
into the text of
on Virtue and Interpretation, observes
mence by making perfect
and
solid.
:
Zosimus
If thou dost
com-
white, the yellowing will be perfect,
The Turba Philosophorum.
6o
add, therefore, another teaching of this kind for the sake of posterity. And he : I will speak of making lead
well
;
Take
red.*
the
Master
at
the
which
copper
the
you
ordered
take
book,
his
of
beginning
to
combine lead therewith, and cook it until it becomes thick; congeal also and desiccate until it becomes red.
Here
certainly
Red Lead
the
is
which the wise spake
;
copper and lead
become a precious stone equally, let for
this,
if
of
;
mix them
gold be roasted with them,
ye rule
becomes a So when
well,
tingeing spirit in spirits. t
the male and the female are conjoined there
is
not produced a volatile wife,
but a spiritual composite.
From
composite turned into a red
produced the beginning *
The
various
substances
spirit is
of the world.
which
enumerated by M, Berthelot, including,
not only
oxydes of t spirit
Vermillion,
is
the modern
con-
alchemists
founded under the names of Minium, Rubric,
sur-oxyde of lead, which
the
etc.,
are
in addition to the
name
of
minium,
cinnabar, realgar, etc., but
some
iron.
The second recension among spirits."
reads
:
"
becomes a mighty
The Turba Philosophorum.
Behold called
6i
which we have
this is the lead
Red Lead, which
is
of our work,
and without which nothing
is
effected
!
The Eighteenth Dictum.
MuNDUS
saith
seekers after this
Turba The Art must know that the
to
:
the Philosophers in their books have
described
gum
in
many
ways, but
it is
none other than permanent water, out of which our precious stone is generated.* after this
who
find
O how many
are the seekers
gum, and how few there are it
!
Know
that this
gum
is
not ameliorated except by gold alone.
For there be very many who investigate these applications, and they find cer. tain
things,
yet they cannot sustain
the
labours
because they are dimi-
•
It
appears from Zosimus on The Detailed Exposition
of the Work, that with the addition of a little [philosophical] gum any species of body may be tinged. And
when Mundus in
identifies
Gum
with Permanent Water he
is
agreement with the same authority, for in the context
ol the
passage just cited
we
find the following
words
That which tinges tinctures and things tinged is Divine water, the great mystery. The gum of gold is mentioned in a fragment attributed to
Agathodemon.
;
The Turba Philosophorum.
62
But the applications which
nished.
are
made out
of the
gum and
out of
the honourable stone, which has already
held the
and are
labours,
never
Understand, therefore, will explain
my words,
Know
arcanum
ye that our
stronger than gold, and
know
it
diminished. for I
unto you the applications
of this gum, and the therein.
the
they sustain
tincture,
do hold
it
all
existing
gum
those
more honourable
than gold, yet gold we also honour, without
it
is
who for
the gum cannot be improved.
Our gum, therefore, is for Philosophers more precious and more sublime than pearls,
because out of
gum
with a
little
we buy much. Consequently, the Philosophers, when committing these things to writing that the same might gold
not perish, have not set forth in their
books the
manifest
disposition,
lest
every one should become acquainted
and having become familiar to fools, the same would not sell it at a small price. Take, therefore, one part of the most intense white gum therewith,
The Turba Philosophorum.
63
one part of the urine of a white calf; gall of a fish and one
one part of the
;
part of the body of gum, without which
mix these porand cook for forty days. When these things have been done, congeal by the heat of the sun till they are Then cook the same, mixed dried. it
cannot be improved
;
tions
with milk of ferment, until the milk fail
afterwards extract
;
it,
and
until
it
become dry evaporate the moisture by
Then mix
heat.
and
fig,
cook
it
it
with milk of the moisture
that
till
be dried up in the composite, which afterwards mix with milk of the root of grass,
and again cook
Then
moisten
it
until it
with rainwater, then
sprinkle with water of dew, until it
be dried.
be dry.
and cook
Also imbue with per-
manent water, and desiccate until it become of the most intense dryness. Having done these things, mix the same with the all
gum which
is
equipped with
manner of colours, and cook
until
perish
the whole ;
and the
force
entire
of
strongly
the water
body be deprived
The Turba Philosophorum.
64
humidity, while ye imbue the same by cooking, until the dryness thereof be kindled. Then dismiss for
ol
its
forty days.
Let
it
remain
in that tritura-
tion or decocting until the spirit pene-
For by this regimen the spirit is made corporeal, and the body Observe the is changed into a spirit.
trate the body.
vessel, therefore, lest the composition
and pass
fly
off in
things being accomplished,
and ye
vessel,
will find
open the
that which ye
therefore,
This,
purposed.
These
fumes.
is
the
arcanum of gum, which the Philosophers have concealed
in their books.
The Nineteenth Dictum.
Dardaris knowledge
saith
:
that the
It
common
is
Masters* before
us have described Permanent Water.
Now,
it
behoves one who
is
introduced
to this Art to attempt nothing familiar with the •
The
this
he
is
Per-
reference to the Masters, which occurs twice in
this dictum, is to
in the
power of
till
be understood not of previous speakers
Assembly, but of the older philosophers, namely,
the Greek Alchemists.
The Turba Philosophorum.
65
manent Water, and in commixture, contrition, and the whole regimen, it behoves
us
to
use
invariably
this
famous Permanent Water. He, therefore, who does not understand Permanent Water, and its indispensable regimen,
may
not enter into this
Art, because nothing is effected with-
out the Permanent Water. thereof
The
force
a spiritual blood, whence
is
the Philosophers have called
manent Water,
for,
Per-
it
having pounded
it
with the body, as the Masters before
me
have explained to you, by the
of
God
it
will
turns that body into spirit.*
being mixed together For these, and reduced to one, transform each the body incorporates the other; spirit, and the spirit incorporates the body into tinged spirit, like blood.
And know spirit
the
as well.
arcanum *
ye, that whatsoever
hath
same hath blood Remember, therefore,
also
!
The second
body."
this
recension adds :
" and the
spiiit
into
:
:
.
.
The Turba Philosophorum
66
The Twentieth Dictum.
Belus saith:—0
disciples,
discoursed excellently
ye have
Pythagoras
!*
— Seeing that they are philosophers, O Belus, why hast thou called He answereth — them disciples
answers
?
in
It is
:
honour of their Master,
lest I
should
make them equal with him.
Then
—Those who,
in con-
Pythagoras saith
junction with us, have composed this
book which is called the Turba, ought not to be termed disciples. Then he Master, they have frequently described Permanent Water, and the making of *
The whole of this Dictum recalls On Virtue and Interpretation
—
Zosimus,
reasons that
my excellent
:
—
a passage
in
It
is for
these
master, Democritus, makes him-
self the following distinction
;
"Take
that stone which
is
not a stone, that precious thing which has no value, that
polymorphous object which thing which
is
known
and has no name, is
I refer
not a stone, and while
same time
name
one.
it
is
it is
many
flees the fire, or
uttered.
this stone
;
its
nature
is
one,
its
denominations have been
do not say absolutely speaking, but according
it,
nature, so that whether
is
For
exceedingly precious, at the
has no money value Nevertheless,
given
I
which has many names
to aphroselinon."
to
its
without form, that unknown
to everyone,
it is
called the being
which
white smoke, or white copper, no falsehood
The Turba Philosophorum.
67
White and the Red in many ways, albeit under many names but in the modes after which they have conjoined the
;
weights, compositions, and regimens,
they agree
with
Behold, what
is
the
hidden
truth.
said concerning this
despised thing!
A
report has gone
abroad that the Hidden Glory of the Philosophers is a stone and not a stone,
and that the
lest
it
is
called
foolish
Certain wise
by many names,
should recognise
men have
it.
designated
it
one fashion,
namely, according where it is generated others have adopted another, founded upon its colour, some of whom have termed it the Green Stone ;* by other some it is called the Stone of the most intense Spirit of Brass, not to be mixed with bodies by yet others its description has been further varied, because it is sold for coins by lapidaries who are called saven ; some have named it Spume of Luna ;t some have distinafter
to the place
;
*
t
The second recension reads " Green Lion." Sputum LunsB does not seem to be a term which :
found favour with Latin alchemy, and accordingly
it
is
——
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
68
guished
astronomically
it
metically;
thousand
arith-
or
has already received a
it
titles,
of which the best
is
:
produced out of metals." So also others have called it the Heart of the Sun, and yet others have declared it to be that which is
"That
which
is
brought forth out of quicksilver with the milk of volatile things.
The Twenty-first Dictum.
Pandolfus
much
said so
wanting
— O Belus, thou hast
saith
concerning the despised
in the Lexicons.
Rulandus,
who
It
very curious to note that
is
quite frequently quotes the Turba, seems
seldom to have troubled himself about the significance of its
bizarre terms.
tion, there is
which
falls
In Zosimus,
On
&om
the
moon when
referred to as describing
where
7ir{ue and Interpreta-
Hermes concerning "
a prescription from
it
it
is
is
that
waning," and he
to be found,
is
and how
has the quality of resisting the fire. In fact, says Hermes, " you will find it with me and with Agathodaimon." M. it
Berthelot supposes this passage to volatilisation
Turha
recalls
mythology of (fee,
of mercury.
the passage of Synesius. Selenite,
supposed not only to
but to be "
Hulandm.
allegorise
upon the
But the expression Note
in
the
also the
Lapis Arabicus, Aphroselinum, reflect the likeness of the
made from dew by
the foam of the
Moon, Moon."
The Turba Philosophorum.
stone* that thou hast
left
added by thy brethren teach
I
stone all
is
69
nothing to be
Howsoever,
!
posterity that this despised
a permanent water, and know,
ye seekers after Wisdom, that per-
manent water life,t
is
water
of
mundane
because, verily, Philosophers have
stated that Nature rejoices in Nature,
Nature contains Nature, and Nature overcomes Nature. The Philosophers have constituted this short dictum the principle of the
work
reasonable
for
And know ye
persons.
that no body
more precious or purer than the Sun, and that no tingeing venoml is geneis
•
The Turba Philosophorum does
not betray any-
where the hand of a Christian compiler, and although the reference to the despised stone suggests the stone
the builders
have rejected, the
Zosimus, and not from the as
which
derived
from
New Testament, except in
so far
idea
Zosimus himself may have drawn
it
is
irom that source.
Treating, in his dictum on the subject of calx, concerning
the uncommunicated mystery of the encephalous the Greek adept calls precious,
it
the despised thing which
and so on through a number
is
stone,
most
of contradicting
denominations. t \
The second recension reads The symbolism of the venom
also found in Zosimus,
:
" clean water." of the philosophers is
commenting upon Democritus.
—
:
The Turba Philosophonim.
70
Sun and its shadow. who attempts to make
rated without the
He,
therefore,
venom
the
of the Philosophers without
and has
these, already errs,
fallen into
that pit wherein his sadness remains.
But he who has tinged the venom of the wise out of the Sun and its shadow* has arrived at the highest Arcanum. Know also that our coin when it becomes red, is called gold ; he, therefore, who knows the hidden Cambart of the Philosophers, to him is the Arcanum already revealed. The Turba answereth
—Thou hast even now
The Greek word signifies, says an M. Berthelot, the romlle of metals, the of bodies, and the venom of serpents. Zosimus, body. *
it is
On
intel-
annotation specific
of
virtue
According to
the spirit separated from the substance of a
Virtue
A quotation
and
Interpretation.
firom
Mary
(the first) in
Measure of Yellowing runs thus with sulphur, treated with
:
Zosimus On
—Copper
the
when burned
natron, and recovered
oil ot
having undergone the same process several times,
after
becomes an excellent gold without shadow. t
his
This oriental term
is
by M. Berthelot
referred to
in
Essay on the Transmistion of Ancient Science without
explanation of its significance, and of the Lexicons of treatise, entitled
of an adept.
Alchemy.
it is
not found in any
In an ancient alchemical
The Code of Truth,
it
figures as the
name
The Turbo, Philosophorum.
71
ligibly described this stone, yet
hast not narrated
composition.
its
thou regimen nor its
Return, therefore, to the
—
He saith : I direct you an occult and honourable arcanum, which is White Magnesia,* and description.
to take
same
the
mixed and pounded with
is
make use
wine, but take care not to
of this except
be pure and clean
it
finally place itinitsvessel, and pray
He may grant you the
that
very great stone. +
in
if it
until
it
which
is
But
whitening of Magnesia
Then, is far
if it
it
thus
a great arcanum,
gives the following process :
—" Taking
an equal quantity of Cappadocian burnt clay.
rule
becomes Kuhul, closed up with
The Chemistry of Moses
*
for the
has become a
which case ye have
ruled excellently well. for the white,
sight of this
Then cook gradually,
and, extracting, see
black stone,
God
Let
it
cook
this mystery, for
it
Magnesia and
place in a vessel of
stay there from evening
be black,
better to
salt,
let it it
be cooked
till
it
in a glass-maker's
till
morning.
whitens, but
it
Hide
furnace.
comprises everything which concerns
whitening by decoction." t It does not appear that
the
conception
of the
Philosopher's Stone as a medicine of metals and of
was
familiar to
Greek alchemy.
men
The Turba Philosophorum.
72
blackness, which blackness see that it does not remain longer than forty days. therefore, with its
Pound the same,
confections, which are the said flower of copper, gold of the Indies whose root is
one, and a certain extract of an
unguent, that
a crocus, that
of
is,
fixed exalted alum, or
;*
Tj
is,
cook the four,
therefore, permanently for 40 or 42 days.
God
After these days
will
show you the
principle (or beginning) of this stone,
which
the stone Atitos, of
is
favoured sight of
many
strongly,
and imbue
gum that remains.
And know
Cook
accounts.
with the
God
which
there are
ye that so often as ye imbue the cinder, so often
must
be desiccated
it
again humectated, until into that
which ye
fore, will I
*
The
desire.
colour turns
Now, there-
complete that which
I
have
authenticity of this sign is extremely doubtful,
and the marginal note which editions does not help
it
out.
is
sentence immediately
recension confirms this view.
appended to most printed
It is
reading of the word Hoc, which of the
its
and
is
no doubt
really
required to
following.
a mis-
make sense The second
The Turba Philosophorum.
begun,
God
if
Know
that
also
to rule
third part
the
perfection
precious
this
with
it
look kindly on us.*
will
work of
the
73
the
of
stone
residue
is
the
of
the medicine, and to
of
preserve the two other parts for im-
buing and cooking alternately required colour appears.t
more intense
be
than the
desiccated
is
wax
therefore, the
coheres.
it
until
iire
former;
the matter be cerated, and
let it
the
till
Let the
it
when
Cook, imbibes
the gluten of gold, which being desiccated,
imbue the
seven
times
the
work
other
two-
of
rest
until
the
and true earth imFinally, place the same
thirds be finished,
bibe them
all.
on a hot fire until the earth extract its flower and be satisfactory. Blessed are ye I will
*
if
ye understand
But,
!
if not,
repeat to you the perfection of
The
original
emendation given
is
untranslatable
in the text
;
the
conjectural
has no authority, and
is
only
introduced to provide a meaning. t
The
substituted,
reading of the
owing
second
recension
has
been
to the corrupt state of the longer text.
The Turha Philosophorum.
74
the work. is
Take the
clean white, which
a most great arcanum, wherein
true tincture;
which sand
the
imbue sand therewith,
made
is
is
out of the stone
seven times imbued, until the whole, and close the
it
drink up
mouth of the
you have often been For that which ye seek of it by the favour of God, will appear to you, which is the stone of Tyrian colour. Now, therefore, I have fulfilled the truth, so do I conjure you by God and your sure Master, that you show not this great arcanum, and beware of the
vessel effectually, as told.
wicked
!
The Twenty-Second Dictum.
Theophilus
saith:
intelligently
and
Thou
hast spoken
elegantly,
held free from envy.
Saith the
and
art
Turba
:
Let your discretion, therefore, explain to us what the instructing Pandolfus has stated, and be not envious. Then he O all ye seekers after this science, the arcanum of gold and the art of the :
coin
is
a dark vestment, and no one
The Turba Philosophorum.
knows what the
75
have
Philosophers
narrated
in
frequent
reading,
books
their
without
and For that which they have concealed is more sublime and obscure than it is possible to make known in words, and albeit some have dealt with it intelligibly and well, certain others have treated it obscurely thus some are more lucid experiments,
questionings of the Wise.
;
than others.
Thou
The
Turba
And
hast truly spoken.
announce
posterity
to
that
and copper there
boritis
answereth
is
an
he
:
I
between affinity,
because the boritis of the Wise liquefies the copper, and water.
changes as a fluxible
Divide, therefore, the
two equal
into
it
parts, with
venom
one of which
the copper, but preserve the
liquefy
other to pound and imbue the same, until
again
it is
drawn out into plates
with
the former part
venom, cook two to seven in *
first
This
its
;
of
cook the
two cook own water for 42 days ;* to seven in
;
unintelligible passage is better rendered in the
recension
:
—" Cook with the former part of the venom
1
76
The Turba Philosophorum.
finally,
open the
and ye
vessel,
into
find copper turned
shall
quicksilver;
wash the same by cooking until it be deprived of its blackness, and become Lastly, as copper without a shadow. cook it continuously until it be con-
For when
gealed.
it
congealed
is
it
Ac-
becomes a very great arcanum. cordingly, the Philosophers have called
this stone Boritis;* cook, therefore, that
coagulated stone until
becomes a mat-
it
mucra. Then imbue
ter like
Permanent water which
it
with the
directed
I
you
to reserve, that is to say, with the other
and cook
portion,
colours manifest.
its ^s
many
it
times until
This, therefore,
the very great putrefaction which
extracts (or contains in
arcanum.
great until
it
shall
itselt)
Saith
the
have absorbed both, and do
the very
Turba:
this seven times."
Bat donee duos ehibat does not agiee with the subsequent directions found in each version. * Boritis,
according to Rulandus,
after the black state,
and
it
is
the White Stone
reduces earth to water.
A late
French Lexicon observes that the name was applied by Philosophers to their Mercury
extreme black stage. whitened.
The word
is
It is
when
it
had reached the
the Laton which must be
of Oriental origin.
The Turba Philosophorum.
Return to thine exposition,
77
O
Theophilus! And he: It is to be known that the same affinity which exists between the magnet and iron, also between copper and
exists assuredly
permanent water. If, therefore, ye copper and permanent water as I have directed, there will thence result the very great arcanum in the following rule
Take white Magnesia and
fashion.
mix with the male, and pound strongly by cooking, not with the hands, until the water become thin. But dividing this water into two parts, in the one part of the water cook it quicksilver,*
for eleven, otherwise, forty days, until
there be a white flower, as the flower of salt in its
splendour and coruscation
but strongly close the mouth of the vessel,
ye
will
deprive
and cook find it
of
it
for forty days,
when
water whiter than milk
;
blackness by cooking
;
all
continue the cooking until
its
whole
nature be disintegrated, until the de*
The
second
recension reads
mixed with the male."
:
— " Take
quicksilver
The Turba Philosophorum.
78
perish,
filement
until
be
it
found
and is wholly broken up (or But if ye wish becomes wholly clean) that the whole arcanum, which I have given you, be accomplished, wash clean,
.
same with water, that
the the
other
you
to
part
which
preserve,
until
is
to say,
counselled
I
there appear
a crocus, and leave in its own vessel. For the Iksir pounds (or contains)
imbue also with the residue of the water, until by decoction and by water it be pounded and become like imbue it, a syrup of pomegranates therefore, and cook, until the weight of the humidity shall fail, and the colour which the Philosophers have itself;
;
magnified shall truly appear. The Twenty-third Dictum.
Cerus*
saith
:
Understand,
all
ye Sons
of the Doctrine, that which Theophilus
hath told you, namely, that there exists
an
affinity *
between the magnet and the
The name
Bellus.
substituted
by the second recension
is
The Turba Philosophorum.
79
by the alliance of composites existing between the magnet and the
iron,
iron, while the
copper
ruled for
is fitly
one hundred days:* what statement can be more useful to you than that there
is
no
quicksilver
between tinf and
affinity
The
?+
Thou hast ill
Turba
answereih
spoken, having disparaged
And
the true disposition.
he
I
why
are
I
testify
is
true
:
say nothing but what
that
:
you incensed against me ? Fear the Lord, all ye Turba, that your Master may believe you The Turba answereth : Say what you will. And he I direct you to take quicksilver, in which is the male potency§ or strength !
•
The second
recension adds
and water of the Philosophers. tion is given to t
them
:
— " Between
This
in the space ol
the copper
affinity and
combina-
one hundred days."
The definition may not be important, but it is, perhaps,
as well to state that the Greek Lexiconof CAr^sqpsia explains that tin alchemically
is
cinnabar,
and
that
cinnabar
sublimed vapour obtained by coction in cauldrons.
M.
Berthelot observes that the reference
mercury or the sulphur {
is
to sublimed
thereof.
According to the alternative version
:
— " The nature
of the one does not agree with the nature of the §
is
Here
other.''
" The proper end of the whole art," says Horus, " is
to obtain the semen of the male secretly, seeing that
all
The Turba Philosophorum.
8o
cook the same with
becomes a
body
its
water;
fluxible
until it
cook the
masculine together with the vapour, until each shall be coagulated and become a stone. Then take the water
which you had divided into two parts, of which one is for liquefying and cooking the body, but the second is for cleansing that which
and
already burnt,
companion, which
its
made
is
are
[two]
Imbue the stone seven
one.
and cleanse, until it be disintegrated, and its body be purged from become earth. defilement, and all times,
Know
also that in the time of forty-two
days the whole
by
is
changed into earth
cooking, therefore, liquefy the
until
it
become
quicksilver. nitre until
it
as true water, which
is
Then wash with water
of
become
Then cook
until
become hke
to tin,
as a liquefied coin.
be congealed and
it
when
things are male and female. certain place will
:
find that
;
same
it
is
a most
Hence Horus says
in a
Join the male and the female, and you
which
process of reunion,
charms Nature," &c.
is
sought
;
as a fact, without this
nothing can
succeed, for
Nature
— Olympiodorus Ore the Sacred Art.
The Turba Philosophorum.
great arcanum
stone which the until
is
that
;
is
to
8i
say,
out of two things.
the
Rule
same by cooking and pounding, it becomes a most excellent
Know
crocus.
that unto water
also
companion we have given the name of crocus. Cook it, therefore, and imbue with the residual water reserved by you until you attain desiccated with
its
your purpose. The Twenty -fourth Dictum.
BocAScus* well,
O
saith
Thou
:
hast spoken
Belus, and therefore
follow
I
it may : As become envious, for that is not the part of the Wise. And
thy steps
He
!
answereth
please you, but do not
BocAscus Thou speakest the truth, and thus, therefore, I direct the Sons of :
Take
the Doctrine.
Philosophers
lead, and, as the
have ordained, imbue,
and afterwards congeal, until a produced then rule the stone stone with gluten of gold and syrup of pomegranates until it be broken up. But you liquefy,
is
•
The name
;
in the
second recension
is
Boratis.
G
—
— +
The Turba Philosophorum.
82
have already divided the water into two parts, with one of which you have Hquefied the lead, and it has become
same until it be dried and have become earth then pound with the water as water;
therefore, the
cook,
;
reserved until
it
acquire a red colour,
as you have been frequently ordered.*
The Turba answereth
Thou
:
hast done,
nothing but pile up ambiguous words.
And
Return, therefore, to the subject. he
Ye who wish
:
to coagulate
must mix
silver,+ •
Otherwise
t
The Greek
:
with
it
" Rule frequently, as
its I
quickequal.
have said."
alchemists claim to have accomplished
means of the Body of Magnesia,
the fixation of Mercury by
by which Zosimus
An
molybdochalchos.
understands
unassigned fragment of the Byzantine collection has the following poetical reference to the fixation of Mercury
" Mercury
is
cinnabar,
rare substance, that
I refer
<i
obtained
roasting.
It is that
above
become an etherised hemisphere
;
wisdom.
difficult to retain, I
" With
its
printer's choice
is,
which
one met with
is
it
rarely.
suitable
termed dried and
in the testing of souls.
spirit,
:
artificial
Having
darts towards the upper
descends and ascends, avoiding the action
it
fire, until,
state of
all
employed
manner with
like
by the dry way and a
to cinnabar obtained
easily volatilised,
of the
in
quitting its
Until
and
is
it
r&U
of fugitive,
it
reaches a
has attained this condition,
mortal."
it
is
Fabrication of the All.
body," says the second recension
between compari and corpori.
;
it is
a
The Turba Philosophorum.
Afterwards cook
it dil
become permanent cook
igently until both
water, and, again,
water until
this
83
it
be coagulated.
be desiccated with its own equal vapour, because ye have found the whole quicksilver to be coagulated
But
by in it
let this
ye understand, and place your vessel what is necessary, cook until it be coagulated, and then itself.*
poundt
If
until
it
becomes a crocus
like to
the colour of gold.
The Twenty-fifth Dictum.
Menabdus
May God
saith:
reward thee
the regimen, since thou speakest
for
the truth
For thou hast illuminated
!
thy words.
And they
thou praisest him
:
It is said
because
for his sayings,
And he
do
know
not be
inferior to
that
can utter nothing but that which
I
he hath uttered posterity to *
The second
him.
;
make
however,
I
:
I
counsel
bodies not bodies,
recension reads :
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " Let
the whole be
coagulated into quicksilver.'' t
more
The second in its vessel,
recension merely says
and pound."
:
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " Place
it
once
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Turba Philosophorum.
84
but these incorporeal things bodies.*
For by
this
regimen the composite
prepared, and the hidden part of
nature
is
With
extracted.
is its
these bodies
accordingly join quicksilver and the
body of Magnesia,+ the woman also with the man, and by means of this there is
extracted our secret Ethelia, through
which bodies are coloured ; assuredly, if I understand this regimen, bodies
become not bodies, and incorporeal things become bodies. If ye diligently pound the things in the fire and digest â&#x20AC;˘
Egg
The Byzantine fragment upon The
contains this statement
:
corporeal state, and unless bodies corporeal state, that which
But Mary
is
Philosophical
" Unless bodies lose their
assume
again
their
desired will not be attained."
quoted by Olympiodorus in terms which
is
with the text of the Turba : " Except you convert corporeal substances into incorporeal, and correspond
literally
incorporeal substances into corporeal, and unless you
two bodies achieved."
into
one body, no desired
result
make
will be
The " divine " Zozimus also quotes Hermes same fashion, and he observes elsewhere
in precisely the
that to convert
incorporeal.
and transmute
is
to impart
body
to the
The Body of Magnesia.
commenting upon Mary, concludes that Body of Magnesia is molybdochalchos, or black
t Zosimus,
the lead.
try
[See note on
p. 82.]
on the subject of the
last
The
confusion of old chemis-
substance
is
well
known.
The Turba Philosophorum.
85
(or join to) the Ethelias, they
become
And know ye
clean and fixed things. that quicksilver
is
a
mortifying and
bodies,
burning the
fire
breaking up,
with one regimen, and the more
it
is
mixed and pounded with the body, the more the body is disintegrated, while the quicksilver is attenuated and becomes living. For when ye shall diligently pound fiery quicksilver and cook it as required, ye will possess Ethel, a nature* and colour, subject to
fixed
eveiy tincture, which also overcomes, breaks, and constrains the this reason
unless it
it
For
fire.t
does not colour things
it
be coloured, and being coloured
colours. +
can tinge
And know
that no
unless
spirit
itself
its
body
be ex-
tracted from the secret belly thereof,
when
it
That
*
becomes a body and soul withis,
which does not
according to the second recension, " one flee
from the
fire."
" all bodies," t Alternatively,
which seems a preferable
reading. \
The second
recension
says that
colours all spirits, because Ethelia tinges
once
it
has been
itself tinged."
" all
it
holds and
things
when
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
"
The Turba Philosophorum.
86
out the tincture,
which is a spiritual out of which colours have
spirit,*
manifested, seeing that a dense thing
does not tinge a tenuous, but a tenuous nature colours that which enters into a body. When, however, ye have ruled the body of copper, and have extracted
from
it
a most tenuous (subject), then
changed into a tincture by Hence has the which it is wise man said, that copper does not the latter
is
coloured.!
be tinged. And know that those four bodies which you tinge
*
unless
first
This distinction between the soul and the
recognised by Zosimus, soul
The
it
is
who
spirit is
tollows Democritus.
The
the primitively sulphureous and caustic nature.
purifying influence of
fire
preserves the spirit
when
the operation has been conducted according to the rules of Art.
The
spirit is
the useful part, the tingeing element.
The Four Metallic Bodies, t In his treatise cites
On
Democritus to the
d;c.
Virtiu and Interpretation, Zosimus effect that
copper does not tinge,
but that copper burnt by means of
oil
of natron, and
having undergone this treatment repeatedly, becomes more beautiiul than gold.
" Copper does not tinge so long as
preserves an unique essence, but
it
tinges by
its
it
combina-
tion with other bodies. How then, if this combination be wanting, and before the copper has been tinged, can one
succeed in tingeing objects made subject to the action ot fire 1
The Turba Phitosopliorum.
87
are directed to rule are this copper,
and that the tinctures which I have signified unto you are the condensed and the humid,* but the condensed is a conjoined vapour, and the humid is the
water
of
sulphur,
for
sulphurs
are contained by sulphurs, and rightly
by these things Nature Nature, and overcomes,
rejoices
and
in
con-
strains.
The Twenty-Sixth Dictum.
Zenon
saith:
I
perceive that you,
O
crowd of the Wise, have conjoined two bodies, which your Master by no means ordered you to do The Turba !
answereth
:
Inform
us
according
to
O Zenon, in this and beware of envy Then he : Know that the colours which shall appear to you out of it are these. Know, O Sons of the Doctrine, that it behoves you to allow the composition to putrefy for forty days, and then to your own opinion, matter,
*
the
!
The second
humid
recension reads:
are these
two
joined with the humid."
"The condensed and
tinctures, the
condensed being
The Turba Philosophorum.
88
Next
sublimate five times in a vessel.
and cook, when
join to a fire of dung,
these colours shall the
day
first
appear to you
black
On
:
on the
citrine,
second black red, on the third like unto a dry crocus,*
the purple
finally,
colour will appear to you
the ferment
;
and the coin of the vulgar shall be imposed then is the Ixir composed out of the humid and the dry, and then it tinges with an invariable tincture. Know also that it is called a body wherein there is gold. But when ye are composing the Ixir, beware lest you extract the same hastily, for it ;
lingers.t
Extract, therefore, the
For and
as an Ixir.
were, birth
*
The
preferable
many
coins reading
is,
because
life,
soul extracted out of
imposed upon
venom
this
:l is
:
same as
it
is
a
it
and
things,
tincture,
its
" Crocus
like
unto
sericus." f
The second
you extract the
recension substitutes
spirit
in
haste,
tor
perish." }
The second
recension reads
:
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " And
remain, a tincture extracted out o{
imposed upon coins."
:
" Beware
perchance
it
lest
will
the soul shall
many
things,
and
The Turba Philosophorum.
89
therefore, is life to those things with
which moves
joined, from which
is
it
evil,
but
from which
death to the bodies
Accord-
extracted.
is
it
Masters
the
ingly,
it is
re-
it
have
said
that
between them there exists the same desire as between male and female, and if any one, being introduced to this
know
should
Art,
he
these natures,
would sustain the tediousness
cook-
of
ing until he gained his purpose according to the will of God. The Twenty-Seventh Dictum.
Gregorius* it
saiih
have
the
called
to
like *
O
be
ruled
marble The name
in
in the
t Antimony,
ye Turba,
Alchemists
;
is difficult to
venerable
until its
stone
coruscates
it
And
splendour. +
second recension
is
Chambar.
The most
second recension.
the
in
bizarre terms of the
Turba did not find favour with Western
Efflucidinus
is
a special instance
in point.
speak with complete authority, but
said almost certainly that
no
later author
Moreover, no vocabulary mentions X
all
and they have ordered
Efflucidinus,t it
:
to be observed that the envious
is
The comparison of
gleaming marble
is
It
may be
use of
it.
it.
the Stone in
found,
made
it
among
its
splendour to
other of the Greek
The Turba Philosophorum.
go they
Show,
:
Then
posterity.
to
what
therefore,
is
it
Willingly;
he:
must know that the copper commingled with vinegar, and is water. becomes it until ruled Finally, let it be congealed, and it you
a coruscating stone with a
remains brilliancy
ye
until is
thus,
see
direct
I
you to
rule
becomes red, because when
it
cooked
becomes red
when
marble, which,
like
till
is
it
earth,
it
disintegrated and
turned
is
When
colour.
assume the aforesaid shall become hidden
alchemists, in
O
it
it
a
thus,
until
it
and
it
Then
gold.
when all
it
colour,
re-
will
become
It
behoves
gold of a Tyrian colour. you, therefore,
into
ye see
repeatedly cook and imbue
peat the process,
it
ye investigators
Zosimus, and especially
of
his Detailed
in
Exposition of the Worh, where, however, he is quoting Democritus. " Mark the Philosopher, seized with a divine transport,
on the subject of
this
white sulphur:
preparation become like unto marble, then
And
mystery." proceeds
:
"
Now,
substances, the
which
is like
again,
having cited
is
Stephanus,
that which tinges tinctures
same
is
If
the
there a great
he
and tinged
divine water, the great mystery,
unto marble."
The Turha Philosophorum. this Art,
when ye have observed
Stone
this
and turn
is it
into
earth,
which
the
until
of redness
remainder*
the
ac-
it ;
the
of
that
pound
coruscating, to
some degree
quires
take
91
then
water
ordered you to
envioust
two parts, and ye shall imbibe themJ several times until the colours which are hidden by no body divide into
Know
appear unto youJ
also that
if ye rule it ignorantly, ye shall see nothing of those colours. I knew a
certain person
who commenced
work, and operated
who,
truth,
this
natures
the
of
when the redness was
somewhat slow in appearing, imagined that he had made a mistake, and so relinquished the therefore,
work.||
how ye make
*
Otherwise: " a small quantity."
t
The
recension,
opprobrious term
is
Observe,
the conjunc-
omitted by the second
and the reference seems to be to the division
of
the water indicated in an earlier part of the colloquy. {
The second
recension substitutes " sand."
ยง
Otherwise
" until the hidden colours shall appear."
:
A common anecdote of the alchemists, reproduced many variations, and even in Hermetic poems, such
II
with
as Norton's Ordinal of Alchemy.
The Turba Philosophorutn.
92
punic dye,* having em-
tion, for the
braced his spouse, passes swiftly into her body, liquefies, congeals, breaks up, and disintegrates the same. Finally,
the redness does not delay in coming, and if ye efifect it without the weight,
take place, whereupon
death will
it
be thought to be bad. Hence, I order that the fire should be gentle in liquefaction, but when it is turned to
will
make
earth
imbue
the
God
until
it
colours for us
same
intense,!
and
shall extract the
and they appear.
The Twenty-eighth Dictum.
am
O
ye Turba at the very great force and nature of this water, for when it has
CusTos
saith
:
I
surprised,
all
!
entered into the said body, first
into earth,
it
turns
it
and next into powder, which take in
to test the perfection of
the hand, and as water,
it
â&#x20AC;˘
The second
t
That
is,
if is
ye find it impalpable then most excellent;
recension reads
:
"the male."
"intenser in congelation," according
the second recension.
to
The Turba Philosophorum.
93
otherwise, repeat the cooking until
brought
to
And know
required
the
that
if
it is
condition.
ye use any substance
other than our copper, and rule with it will profit you nothing. on the other hand, ye rule our copper with our water, ye shall find all that has been promised by us. But
our water, If,
Turba
the
answereth: Father, the en-
vious* created no
little
obscurity
when
they commanded us to take lead and white quicksilver, and to rule the same
with dew and the sun
a
coin-like
stone.
till
Then
it
becomes
he-.
They
meant our copper and our permanent when they thus directed you to cook in a gentle fire, and affirmed that
water,
there should be produced the said coinlike stone,
concerning which the Wise
have also observed, that Nature rejoices in Nature, by reason of the affinity which they know to exist between the * is
a
The
distinction
little difficult
between the Wise and the Envious
to follow, nor
is it
at all certain that the
envious had less wisdom than the wise, or the wise less
envy than the envious. Greeks
indifferently.
In either case, they were
all
The Turba Philosophorum.
94
two bodies, that is to say, copper and permanent water. Therefore, the nature of these two is one, for between them there is a mixed affinity, without which they would not so swiftly unite, and be held together so that they may become one. Saith the Turba: Why do the envious direct us to take the copper which we have now made, and roasted until it has become gold ? Th& Twenty-Ninth Dictum.
DiAMEDES
saith
:
Thou
hast
spoken
O Moses*, in an ungrudging manner, as became thee I will also already,
;
confirm thy words, passing over the hardness of the elements which the wise desire to remove, this disposition being most precious in their eyes.
Know,
O
from a
man
ye seekers after this doctrine, that man does not proceed except
mals â&#x20AC;˘
;
that only which
is like unto begotten from brute aniand so also with flying creatures.
themselves
;
is
This reference
is
omitted from the second recension. for Custos, or vice versa.
Moses may be a misprint
The Turba Philosophorum. I
have treated these matters
95 in
com-
pendious fashion, exalting you towards
who
the truth,
yourselves omit pro-
Nature
lixity, for
is
truly not
improved
by Nature, save with her own nature, seeing that thou thyself art not im-
proved except say,
man
in
in
thy son, that
is
to
man.* See, therefore, that
ye do not neglect the precepts concerning her, but make use of venerable Nature, for out of her Art cometh, and *
"
When
thou hast attained,
standing of these things by creation is
to the under-
pieliminaiy, consider
and generation as a whole, and know that man
able to bring forth man, the lion begets the lion, and the
dog procreates the dog. is
my child,
way of a
Should
produced contrary to nature,
it
it
happen that a creature is
a monster which
engendered, and the same hath no consistence.
is
Nature
charms nature, and nature triumphs through nature. The adepts having participated in the divine power, and having succeeded by the divine assistance, illuminated by the fruit of
the prayers of
Isis,
made
preparations with certain
metallic minera, without having recourse to other (unsuitable) substances.
Thus they succeeded by means of the
substantial nature in triumphing over the matter in the preparations.
said that
In
fact,
even as
I
employed
have previously
wheat begets wheat, and man sows man, so also the increase of gold, and like things
gold serves for
generally for the reproduction of their like.
mystery been revealed."â&#x20AC;&#x201D; /ÂŤÂŤ
to
Horut.
Now
hath the
The Turba PMlosophorum.
96
Know
out of no other.
rule
Nature and
seize hold of this
you
less
also that un-
ye will obtain nothing.
it,
who
male,
therefore, that
Join,
son to
is
the red slave,* in marriage with his fragrant wife, which having been done,
produced between them matter unto these foreign
Art
is
add no
;
things,
neither powder nor anything else
conception
is
sufficient for us, for
near, yet the son
exceeding The later
nearer
is
precious
is
the nature of
is
found also in old Arabian
defined this Stone by saying that
earth
;
burning
hard stone and
;
&c.
In
the
fire
stone.
soft
the swift and the stable
made,"
treatises,
They have
running water and
is
and frozen It
is
fire
dead
;
the fiying slave,
makes and
is
Speculum Majus of Vincent de
appears as a synonym of Mercury, which of
it
course
an obvious symbolism.
some
it
"
:
the thing which
;
Beauvais is
How
still. +
such as the Twelve Chapters of Oatanes
permanent water
it is
the Servus Fugitivus abounds in
allegory ot
alchemy, and
that
;
treatise
lexicons, the
Rulandus attributes
ascribed to Hermes.
Red Se rvant
it
to
According to other
the matter from which the
is
Philosophers extract their Mercury, which must therefore
be the marriageable son rnentioned in the text above. fugitive
rUe
of
Mercury
ment on The Fabrication t
The second
begotten."
is
referred to in the
Greek
The frag-
ef the All, as already cited.
recension
reads
:
"A
true
son
is
The Turba Philosophorum.
red
97
without which the regimen cannot endure Bacsen saith
that
slave,
!
:
Diomedes, thou hast publicly vealed this disposition 1
He
!
re-
answereth
:
even shed more light upon it. unto you who fear not God, for
will
Woe He may Why,
you
deprive
therefore,
towards your brethren
We
do not
flee
us, therefore,
of
this
you
are ?
art
envious
They answer
except from fools
what
thy will
is
?
tell
;
And
he
Place Citrine with his wife after the conjunction into the bath ; do not kindle the bath excessively, lest they
be deprived
of
sense
and
motion
cause them to remain in the bath until their shall
body, and the colour thereof, become a certain unity, where-
upon restore unto again suffer
it
and beware
lest
burning them
it
to die
the sweat thereof;
then give
;
it
rest,
ye evaporate them by in
too
strong a
fire.
Venerate the king and his wife,* and *
According to Rulandus, the King
is
the spiritual
water which gives moisture to the female, but there are
many meanings.
This passage
is
the fountain-head of the
whole symbolism of the alchemical marriage, which
H
is
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
gS
do not burn them, since you know not when you may have need of these things, which improve the king and his
Cook them, therefore, until they become black, then white, afterwards red, and finally until a tingeing venom
wife.
O
produced.
is
Science,
happy are
stand, but
my
if
not, I
after
seekers ye,
have
if still
this
ye underperformed
duty, and that briefly, so that
if
ye remain ignorant, it is God who hath concealed the truth from you! Blame not, therefore, the Wise, but yourselves, for
possessed a
if
God knew
that ye
mind, most cer-
faithful
he would reveal unto you the truth. Behold, I have established you therein, and have extricated you from
tainly
error
The Thirtieth Dictum.
Bacsen well,
saith:
Thou
O Diomedes, but
I
hast
spoken
do not see that
concerned' always with royal personages.
Compare the
Sponsus and Sponsa of the Chemical Nuptials of OhrUtian
Rosy Crosf, and the innumerable illustrate
Latin Alchemy.
able to a Greek source.
It
pictorial
emblems which
does not appear to be trace-
The Turba Philosophorum.
99
thou hast demonstrated the disposition of Corsufle* to posterity Corsufle
!
Of this same
have spoken in many ways, and have confused it with all manner of names. Then he : Tell
the
envious
O
me, therefore,
cording
thy
to
matters, and
that this
is
Bacsen,
opinion
ac-
these
in
swear by thy father
I
the head of the work,+ for
the true beginning hereof cometh after
Bacsen
the completion.
therefore,
notice,
saith
:
seekers
future
to
after this Art, that Corsufle is a
and that
posite, *
The
Rulandus
alchemy who
of
followed
long interval, explain that Corsufle, or as
they sometimes wrote
it,
Philosophers fixed at the is
com-
must be roasted
it
lexicographers
after a
give
I
Carsufle, is the Sulphur of the
Red Stage.
Under
neither form
the term to be found in Rulandus himselt, though he
was well acquainted with the Turba. His dictionary, however, includes Cor Fuffla, which might be a mutilated version produced in a
the
impurity
German
of bodies,
a
printing office. definition
It signifies
which does not
correspond either with the text of the Turba, or with the
subsequent
vocabularies.
obscure, and
it is
The
or Syrian alchemy published t
head,
The
origin
of the word
by M.
Berthelot.
According to the second recension, Corsufle i.e.,
is
not found in the collections of Arabian
is
the
the crown, and not the beginning of the work.
speaker also
is different,
namely, Nephitus.
:
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
100
seven times, because when at perfection
The
it
Turba
arrives
it
tinges the whole body.
answereth:
spoken the truth,
O
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thou
hast
Bacsen
The Thirty-First Dictum.
Pythagoras
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; How
does
the
discourse of Bacsen appear to
you,
saith
has omitted to name the by its artificial names? And they Name it, therefore, oh Pythagoras And he : Corsufle being its composition, they have applied he
since
substance
:
!
to
it
all
the
names
of bodies in the
world, as, for example, those of coin,
copper,
tin,
of lead, until
that
colour
Turba
and
gold, iron,
name
it
and become
answereth:
well,
O
have
also
among
the others
Thou
Pythagoras
spoken
!
The
Ixir.
hast spoken
And
well,
may
also the
be deprived of
he
and
:
Ye
some
discourse con-
cerning the residual matters. The Thirty-Second Dictum.
BoNELLUs
O
saith:
Pythagoras,
all
According to thee, things die and live
The Turha Philosophorum.
by the
will of
loi
God, because that nature
from which the humidity is removed, that nature which is left by nights, does indeed seem that
is
dead
;
unto something
like is
it
then turned and
man
(again) left for certain nights, as a is left
unto
will restore
and the
it
becomes a
These things being done,
powder.*
God
tomb, when
in his
it
both the soul
and the weak-
spirit thereof,
ness being taken away, that matter will
be made strong, and after corruption will be improved, even as a man
becomes stronger
after resurrection
and
younger than he was in this world. Therefore it behoves you, O ye Sons of the
Doctrine,
matter with
become a
to
boldly until
fire
when know
cinder,
have mixed
it
*
The
spirit,
and
text is corrupt
is like
to
one dead
;
and is imbued The second
unintelligible.
like
when
it
has been
left iot
and then that nature is wanting
in fire until the spirit of that
becomes dust
shall
that ye
" Therefore that nature from which the
:
humidity has been removed, nights,
it
that
excellently well, for that
cinder receives the
recension reads
consume
body returns
;
unto one dead in his tomb."
and then
it
The Turba Philosoplwrum.
103
with the
humour
until
colour than
fairer
it
assumes a
it
previously pos-
sessed. Consider, therefore,
O ye Sons
of the Doctrine, that artists are unable
own tinctures until them into a powder;
to paint with their
they convert
similarly, the philosophers
cannot com-
bine medicines for the sick slaves until
they also turn them into powder, cooking
some of them
to a cinder, while their hands.
others they grind with
The
case
is
the
same with those who
compose the images of the ancients. But if ye understand what has already been
said,
ye
will
know
the truth, and hence
you
to burn
I
that
I
speak
have ordered
up the body and turn
into a cinder,
for
if
ye rule
it
it
subtly
many things will proceed from it, even as much proceeds from the smallest things in the world.
It is
thus because
man, has a body and a soul, for the inspiration of men cometh from the air, which after God is their life, and similarly the copper is inspired by the humour from which that same copper
like
The Turba Philosophorum,
copper receiving strength
is
103
multiplied
and augmented like other things. Hence, the philosophers add, that when copper is consumed with fire and iterated several times, it becomes The it was. Turba better than answeretk Show, therefore, O Bonellus, to future generations after what manner it becometh better than it was And he I will do so willingly it is because it is augmented and multiplied, and because God extracts many :
:
;
things out of one thing, since
He
hath
created nothing which wants
its
own
regimen, and those qualities by which its
healing must be effected.
our
larly,
copper,
when
it
Simiis
first
cooked, becomes water; then the more it is
until
cooked, the more it
is
it
thickened
becomes a stone, as the envious
have termed
it,
but
it is
really
tending to become a metal.
an egg It
is
afterwards broken and imbued, when ye must roast it in a fire more intense than the former, until it shall be
coloured and shall become like blood
The Turba Philosophorum.
104 in
combustion, when
it
is
placed on
and changes them into gold,
coins
according to the Divine pleasure. Do you not see that sperm is not produced
be diligentlycooked in the liver till it has acquired an intense red colour, after which no change takes place in that sperm ?* from the blood unless
the
It is
it
same with our work,
for unless
it shall be cooked become a powder, and afterwards be
diligently until
it
putrefied until it shall
sperm, there
from
But
it
if
will in
become a
spiritual
no wise proceed
that colour which ye desire.
ye arrive at the conclusion of
and so obtain your purbe princes among the people of your time.
this regimen,
pose, ye shall
The Thirty-Third Dictum.
NiCARUS saith: this arcanum â&#x20AC;˘
The comparison
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Now
ye have
The
public.
of the progress of the
development ol the embryo, which above reference, and adepts,
is
is,
in fact,
is
made Turba
work
to the
suggested by the
common
to all
found also in the Greek writers, and
Latin
among
The Turba Philosophorum.
105
: Thus did the Master order. Not the whole, nevertheless. : He ordered us to clear away
answereth
And
he:
But
they
the darkness therefrom
And
fore, tell us.
he
terity to take the gold
;
:
do thou, thereI
counsel pos-
which they wish
and renovate, then to divide the water into two parts. And they : to multiply
when they divide It behoves them
Distinguish, therefore,
But
the water. to
bum up
For the water,
he
:
our copper with one part.
said copper, dissolved in that
is
called the ferment of Gold,* if
these, in Comaiius,
who
says that the test of
the material as the embryo
is
fire
nourishes
nourished in the mother's
womb. * M. Berthelot traces the original notion of the fermentation of metals to the sophistication called diplosis.
designed for the accomplishment of a imitation are also
met with,
" Recipes
more profound
for example, the alliance of
gold or silver with a more or less considerable quantity ot
some
less precious
diplosis."
It is
metal
;
this
was the operation
of
found in the Leyden papyrus, but there
are traces that the Egyptian goldsmith believed, or at any xate sought to
was
really
make
fermentation." in
many
others believe, " that the true metal
multiplied
places
The
by an operation comparable
fermentation of metals
by the Greek
writers: " It
is is
to
mentioned necessary
that this water, after the manner of leaven, should deter-
mine the fermentations destined to produce the
like,
by
The Turba Philosophorum.
io6
For the same in like manner are cooked and liquefy as water; finally, by cooking they are the red congealed, crumble, and appears. But then it behoves you to
ye rule
well.
imbue seven times with the residual water, until they absorb
and,
all
the water,
the moisture being dried up,
all
they are turned into dry earth kindle a
days until its
then
;
and place therein for forty the whole shall putrefy, and
fire
colours appear. The Thirty-Fourth Dictum.
Bacsen
saith
On
:
of thy
account
dicta
the Philosophers said beware.*
Take
the regal Corsufle, which
to the redness of copper,
is
like
and pound
in the urine of a calf until the nature means
of the like, in the metallic
tact, after the
same manner
body
to be tinged.
in a small quantity, ferments a great
also will this
matter." literal
*
mass of
morsel of gold ferment
little
This notion
is
As a
that the leaven of dough, used
all
paste, so
the dry
repeated in terms essential and
by innumerable Latin alchemists. For
this
somewhat
cension substitutes
:
bizarre reading the second re-
" It seems needful to lay stress upon
some matters which have been already mentioned."
The Turba Philosophorum.
of the Corsufle
107
converted, for the
is
true nature has been hidden in the
The Turba Explain to posterity what the
of the Corsufle.
belly saith
:
nature
which
which
And is
And
is.
A
:
they
Shew,
:
coruscates.
he
:
It is
poured upon
is
until
absorbs
it
how
therefore,
And
extracted.
and water
humour, and receives is
tingeing spirit
and
coinlike,
is
times
he
hath from permanent water,
it
seven
it
whole which
the
a force
equal to the hostility of the
then
same
it
is
called
diligently
spiritual
of
fire;
Putrefy the
rust.
until
powder,
it
pounded,
it
becomes a
a colour like burnt
blood, which the fire overcoming hath
introduced into the receptive belly of
Nature, and hath coloured with an This, therefore, have
indelible colour.
kings sought, but not found, save only to
whom God * It
was
has granted
different in the
But
it.*
days of Zosimus,
who
tells
us that in Egypt the divine art of operating on minera
belonged to the Kings, and the alchemists of the Nile no
own
more worked
in their
The increase
of the King's riches
interest
than the minters of coin.
was the only end
in view,
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
To8 the
Turba
O
Bacsen.
saith
Finish your speech,
:
And
he
:
I
direct
them
to
whiten copper with white water, by
which also they make red. Be careful not to introduce any foreign matter. And the Turba: Well hast thou spoken, O Bacsen, and Nictimerus also has spoken well
have
spoken
well,
Then he: If I do one of you
!
continue. The Thirty-Fifth Dictum.
But ZiMON
* saith
Hast thou left anyby another ? And the Turba Since the words of Nicarus and Bacsen are of little good to those who :
thing to be said :
seek after this Art,
tell
us, therefore,
what thou knowest,' according as we have said. And he Ye speak the â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘
truth,
O
Nothing
all
ye seekers after this Art
else has led
you into
error but
the sayings of the envious, + because what and
for this reason the priests
who were acquainted with
the mineral secrets did not dare to disclose *
In the second recension
the
them
name
is
publicly.
rendered
Zeunon. t The second recension has an important variation " The words of the Egyptians have led us into error."
:
The Turbo. Philosophorum.
ye seek
sold at the smallest possible
is
price.*
109
men knew
If
and how
this,
great was the thing they held in their
hands, they would in no wise
sell it.
Therefore, the Philosophers have glori-
venom, + have treated of it variously, and in many ways, have taken and applied to it all manner of names, wherefore, certain envious persons have said It is a stone and not a fied that
:
gum
a
stone, but
of
Ascotia,
con-
sequently, the Philosophers have con-
For
cealed the power thereof. spirit
which ye seek, that ye
therewith,
the soul in the *
end
is
this
tinge
concealed in the body,
is
and hidden away from
human
This passage recalls
effect in
may
sight,
body.J
many
even as
But ye
statements to the same
the Greek alchemists, as, lor example, that the
not to be obtained by money, " for the Lord
God
has delivered the same gratuitously, by reason ot the
beggars and the despairing."
But
this
Byzantine Assembly of the Philosophers
an
passage from the is
in part at least
interpolation. t
The second
reads
recension
:
" that useful
and
abject thing." I
which
Otherwise
:
" Therein
is
the spirit which you seek,
tinges, vivifies, gives health
and
life
to bodies."
no
The Tiirba Philosophorum.
seekers after the Art, unless ye disintegrate
body, imbue and pound
this
cautiously and
both
ye extract
from
it
and turn
grease),
impalpable
it
spirit,
until
diligently,
grossness (or
its
and
into a tenuous
have your labour in
Wherefore the Philosophers have said Except ye turn bodies into notbodies, and incorporeal things into bodies, ye have not yet discovered the But the Turba rule of operation. vain.
:
saith:
Tell,
bodies
are
And
he
and
therefore,
turned
They
;
Ethelia
are till
how
not-bodies.
into
pounded with they become
And know
powder.*
posterity
fire
a
that this does
by an exceedingly strong decoction, and connot
place
take
tinuous
contrition,
a moderate *
The second
pounded t
until
The
except
it
fire,i
performed not with
recension reads
becomes dust," but
"
:
it is
counsel of Olympiodorus
is
should escape in smoke and be lost,"
}
is
Some
is
hands, +
When
Ethelia
is
evidently corrupt.
similar
must burn with moderation and gentleness, that this Art
with
" The
:
lest
And, again
not practised by means of a fierce
Latin alchemists say that the
fire
the vapour :
" Know
fire.''
Magnum Oput
a work of the hands, which others deny, and a very pretty
The Turba Philosophorum.
iii
with imbibition and putrefaction, with
exposure to the sun and to Ethelia.
The
envious caused the vulgar to err in
this Art is
when they stated
common
in its nature
They
a small price.
that the thing
and
is
sold at
further said that
the nature was more precious than
all
natures, wherefore they deceived those
who had
same time they spoke the
the
At
recourse to their books.
truth,
and therefore doubt not these things. Bui the Turba answereth : Seeing that thou
believest
the
sayings
of
the
envious, explain, therefore, to posterity disposition
the
And
he
:
of
testify
I
the two
natures.
you that Art
to
requires two natures, for the precious is
not produced without the
diversity of opinion has risen
consequence.
The
common,
up among interpreters in
partisans of the
view, denying the
first
metallic object of the Art, affirm that the mystery of the
manual operation was the mystery of animal magnetThe Turba in the passage above, and in other
ism.
places, is against the use of the hands, whatever that
have
signified,
thou, as do some, that manual action sufficient
;
may
here following Olympiodorus: " Think not
there
is
superior to man's."
is
of
itself
and alone
also required that of Nature, an action
On
the Sacred Art.
113
The Turha Philosophorum.
nor the
common
It
without the precious.
behoves you, therefore,
O
all
ye
investigators of this Art, to follow the
sayings of Victimerus,* to
his
you
disciples
save
work
is in
Nothing
:
the
Turba
the vapour
:
and
The whole
and the sublima-
Demonstrate,
tion of water.
said
else helps
water
sublimate
to
And
vapour.
when he
thiere-
them the disposition of the vapour. And he When ye shall perceive that the natures have become water by reason of the heat of the fire, and that they have been purified, and that the whole body of Magnesia to
fore,
:
is
liquefied as water; then all things
have been made vapour, and for then the vapour contains
rightly, its
own
equal, wherefore the envioust call either
vapour, in
because
decoctions,
other.
both
are
joined
and one contains the stag finds no path to
Thus our
escape, although flight be essential to â&#x20AC;˘
" Of the elders," says the second recension,
t
The second
recension substitutes "
phers," a variation which, in
its
way,
The
Philoso-
is significant.
The Turba Philosophorum.
The one keeps back
it.
that
it
has no opportunity to
made permanent,
are
and
fly,
hence
;
congealed with extracts
it
perties which
and
it,
it
all
when the one
for
being hidden in the body,
falls,
and
the other, so
no place to escape
finds
113
it
is
colour varies,
its
nature from the pro-
its
God
has infused into His
But the blackness and redness appear, and it falls into sickness, and dies by rust and elect,
and
it
putrefaction it
has
alienates
;
lest it flee.
properly speaking, then,
a
not
it,
flight,
although
desirous to escape servitude it is
free
it
follows its spouse, that a
may
favourable colour its
spouse
;
but when
;
it is
then when
its it
makes them
beauty
is
befall itself is
not as
it
and was,
placed with coins,
gold.
For
this reason,
therefore, the Philosophers
have called
the spirit and the soul vapour.
have also called
it
it
the black
They humid
and forasmuch as in humidity and dryness, thus our work, which the envious have concealed, is nothing else wanting perlution
man
there
are
;
both
114
Turba Philosophorum.
^'Ae
answereth
water is
out
and I say that the work the envious have
Demonstrate vapour
:
And
!
Turba
The
but vapour and water. he
:
two
of
;
composed out of two, because these two become four, wherein are and spirit dryness and humidity, vapour. The TvRBX answereth: Thou hast spoken excellently, and without envy. Let Zimon next follow. called
it
The Thirty-Sixth Dictum.
Afflontus,* the Philosopher, saith: I notify to you all, O ye investigators of this Art, that unless ye sublime the substances at the commencement by cooking, without contrition of hands, until the
whole become water, ye have
And know
not yet found the work. that
ye,
copper
the
was
formerly
by others stone, and, names vary in every
called sand, but
indeed,
the
regimen. nature and
Know
The name
that
the
humidity become water,
then a stone, *
further,
if
in the
ye cause them to be second recension
is
Assotes.
The Turbo, Philosophorum.
complexionated, and
well
if
115
ye are
acquainted with the natures, because the part which
is
to the top,
rises
and
light
spiritual
but that which
is
thick and heavy remains below in the
Now
vessel.
the
of
which
the contrition
this is
namely,
Philosophers,
that
not sublimated sinks down,
is
but that which becomes a spiritual powder rises to the top of the vessel, and this is the contrition of decoction,
Know
not of hands.
also, that unless
ye have turned all into powder, ye have not yet pounded them completely.
Cook
them,
a
become
they
until
converted,
Agathodaimon
is
included
and
Agadaimon*
Wherefore
powder. *
successively
therefore,
among
the makers of
gold in one of the eailier sections of the Byzantine collection.
He
is
quoted by Olympiodorus (On the Sacred Art),
and a short account "
It is stated
the most ancient that he
is
of
him
given by the same writer.
is
by some that he was a man ancient among
who
philosophised in Egypt, by others
a mysterious angel, or that he
of Egypt," &c.
M.
Egyptian divinity
is
the good genius
Berthelot points out that there
who
bore a
Zosimus beheld Agathodaimon ascended to the third degree.
name
in a vision
An
was an
equivalent to this.
when
his soul
Explanation and Gam-
The Turba Philosophorum.
ii6 saith
Cook the copper
:
until
be-
it
come a gentle and impalpable body, and impose in its own vessel; then sublimate the same six or seven times until
the water shall descend.
know
that
powder
when the water has become has
then
diligently.
But
if
ground
been
it
ye ask, how
made a powder
water
And
?
the
is
note that the
intention of the Philosophers
is
that the
body before which before it falls into the water is not water may become water the said water is mixed with the other water, and they become one water. ;
It
to
is
unless into
be
therefore,
stated,
that
ye turn the thing mentioned
water,* ye shall
the work. for the
It
body
is,
to
the flame of the integrated
the water,
not attain
therefore,
to
necessary
be so possessed by that
fire
it
is
dis-
and becomes weak with when the water has been
menfdry of Agathodaimon upon tlu Oracle of OrpAeut
is
extant in the Greek collection. '
*
The second
into water."
recension reads
:
" unless ye turn both
The Turba Philosophorum.
added to the water, comes water. But
until the
Had
clouds.
is
whole be-
hearing of
fools,
water, think that this-
117
water of the
they read our books they
would know that it is permanent water, which cannot become permanent without
made the
companion, wherewith
its
But
one.
this is the
is
water which
Water Good Venom, Many Names
Philosophers have called
of Gold, the
Igneous,
and that Sand of which Hermes ordered frequently,
the
it
to be
washed
that the blackness of
so
Sun might be removed, which
he introduced in the solution of the body. And know, all ye seekers after
the spirit, ye will
ye take this our copper without by no means see
what ye
because no foreign
this
Art,
pure body, that
thing
unless
that
is,
desire,
enters
therein,
thing enter unless fore,
all
names, if
ye the
dismiss
err,
be pure.
seekers after
multitude
for the
anyone
it
nor does any-
nature
is
of
Therethis
Art,
obscure
one water
he draws nigh to de-
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
The Turba Philosophorunt.
li8
and loses his life. Therefore, one nature, but dismiss what
struction,
keep this is
foreign.
The Thirty-Seventh Dictum.
BoNELLUs
saith
speak a
will
And
Speak.
;
he
:
little
Turba
The
Magnesia.
concerning answereth
I
:
O
all
when mixing
Sons of the Doctrine,
vessel, the
Magnesia, place
it
mouth of which
close carefully,
in
ye
its
and
cook with a gentle fire until it liquefy, For and all become water therein! the heat of the water acting thereupon, it
becomes water by the
will of
God.
When
ye see that the said water is about to become black, ye know that the body is already liquefied. Place
and cook for forty up the moisture of the vinegar and honey.* But certain again in
â&#x20AC;˘
There
vessel,
its
days, until
is
drink
it
an exceedingly curious reference to honey
in the Discourse of Synesius. is
The
question being what
the difference between the mercury which
from cinnabar, and that which
is
the Philosopher explains that while there are
still
all
mercury
a variety of sorts, and he quotes
" The ray of honey
is
is
obtained
obtained from arsenic, is
one,
Hermes
:
white," and " the ray of honey
is
The Turbo, Philosophorum.
persons uncover
119
say, once in each
it,
week, or once in every ten nights in either case, the ultimate perfection
of pure water appears at the end of days,
forty
for
then
completely
it
absorbs the humour of the decoction. Therefore, wash the same, and deprive of
blackness, until, the blackness
its
being removed, the stone becomes dry to the touch.
said
:
Wash
water,
become
Hence the
the envious have
Magnesia with
soft
and cook diligently, until it earth, and the humour perish.
Then it is called copper.
Subsequently,
pour very sharp vinegar upon it, and it to be soaked therein. But this is our copper, which the Philobe sophers have ordained should washed with permanent water, whereLet the venom * fore they have said leave
:
M.
yellow."
Berthelot
explains
honey
that
mercury, which in the special connection obvious, but
it
does not follow that this
which was invariably attached
As a
fact, in later
to
it
is
is
signifies
of course
the significance
by the philosophers.
days the term was used to signify the
philosophical dissolvent. â&#x20AC;˘ The The Greek
following explanation los,
is
given by
M.
Berthelot.
and Virus, the Latin equivalent, are words
The Turba Philosophorum.
120
be divided into two parts, with one of which burn up the body, and with the other putrefy. And know, all ye Science, that the
this
seekers after
and regimen does not take place except by water, wherefore,
whole
work
they say that the thing which ye seek is one, and, unless that which improves it
be present
in the said thing,
what ye
look for shall in no wise take place. it behoves you to add those
Therefore,
things which are needful, that ye
may
thereby obtain that which you purpose.
The TvRBA answereth: Thou has spoken excellently,
O
Bonellus
If it please
!
thee, therefore, finish that art saying
time.
;
But
which thou
otherwise repeat he
:
Shall
a second
indeed repeat
I
these and like things
it
O
?
all
ye
in-
which hadexceedinglydiversemeaning among the ancients.
The
Virus, according to Pliny,
specific virtues of bodies,
ivory,
and sandarac
;
meant
certain properties or
such as the odour of copper^
the medical action of calx of gold
;.
the magnetic virtue communicated to iron by the magnet."
Hence the term or
if
signified the
power and not the operation,
the operation, then this in
healing or hurting.
oxyde of metals.
all its
phases, whether of
los also signified in a special
way
the
The Turba Philosophorum. vestigators
copper
;
of
take
Art,
this
place with the
first
water in the vessel; cook
121
our
part of the
for forty days;
purify from all uncleanliness; cook fur-
days be accomplished, and it become a stone having no moisture. Then cook until nothing remains except ther until
its
This done, cleanse seven times, wash with water, and when the water is used up leave it to putrefy in its faeces.*
vessel, so long as
may seem
desirable
But the envious called this composition when it is turned your pufpose.
to
into blackness that which
is
sufficiently
and have said Rule the same But that with vinegar and nitre. which remained when it had been whitened they called sufficiently white, and ordained that it should be ruled Again, when Avith permanent water. black,
*
in
The whole mystery
:
is in
the scoriae," says Zosimus,
The Diversity of Burnt Copper, and though the remark
has a particular application,
it
was
the nature of a general axiom. iact,
also with alchemists of
So Olympiodorus : "In
the negative body par excellence, that which
is
called
black lead, that which the Egyptian prophets desired to
know, that which the oracles of the demons have revealed, all these are the scoriae and cinders of Mary,"
;
The Turba Philosophorum.
122
same
they called the
they ordained that with water and
fire
Turba
The
red.
it
red,
sufflciently
should be ruled until
became
it
answereth
Show
:
what they intended And he : They called
forth unto posterity
by these things. it Ixir satis, by reason of the variation of
its
In the work, however,
colours.
there
is
neither variety,
nor opposition of necessary
only
multiplicity,
substances
;
it
is
make the black
to
copper white and then red.
However, the truth-speaking Philosophers had no
other intention than that of liquefying,
pounding, and cooking Ixir until the stone should in
its
become
splendour.
envious again
said
unto marble
like
Accordingly, :
the
Cook the same
with vapour until the stone becomes coruscating by reason of
But when ye
see
it
thus,
its brilliancy. it is,
indeed,
the most great
Arcanum. Notwithmust then pound and wash it seven times with permanent water finally, again pound and congeal in its
standing, ye
own
water, until ye extract
its
own con-
The Turba Philosopkorum.
123
cealed nature. Wherefore, saith Maria,
sulphurs are contained in sulphurs, but
humour
in
sulphur
mixed
comes
like
forth
humour, and out with
of
there
But I the same with
a great work.
ordain that you rule
dew
sulphur,
*
and the sun, until your purpose appear to you. For I signify unto you that there are two kinds of whitening and of making red, of which one consists in rustt and the other in contrition and decoction. But ye do 'The Greek alchemists assumed a special virtue in dew, was not apparently so much inherent in the moisture itself, as in the rays of the morning sun with which it is but
it
Neither alchemically or otherwise was
chiefly connected.
the night
dew
ever considered beneficial.
the Rational and Mystical Questions, says
Democritus, in :
" Whiten this
earth with sea water or sweetened saumur, or with the
water of heaven sun," &c.
:
I
mean by exposing
not be understood
literally.
dew and the this
should
as possessing an inherent
virtue apart from the vital presence
dew
to
In the Turba Philoiopkorum,
dew appears under another aspect, solar rays.
it
There seems no special reason why
and
activity of the
In Latin alchemy, however, the references to
are not very frequent, and
it
does not seem to have
played so important a part in the symbolism of the adepts as
Mosheim and
others have supposed.
t Or, according to the
red."
second recension, " in making
124
^^* Turba Philosophoram.
not need any contrition of hands.
Be-
ware, however, of making a separation
from the waters
lest the
poisons get at
and the body perish with the other things which are in the vessel.t
you,
The Thirty-Eighth Dictum.
Effistus saith : Thou hast spoken most excellently, O Bonellus, and I bear witness to all thy words! The TvRBA saith: Tell us if there be any service in the speech of Bonellus, so
that those initiated in this disposition
may be more bold and certain. Effistus ye investigators of this Art, how Hermes, chief of the Philosophers, spoke and demonstrated when he wished to mix the natures. saith:
Consider,
all
Take, he tells us, the stone of gold; combine with humour which is permanent water, set in its vessel, over a gentle fire until liquefaction
t Otherwise, " the
body and soul which are
vessel shall quickly perish."
in the
The Turha Philosopkorum.
takes
Then
place.
leave
125 until
it
the water dries, and the sand
and
water are combined, one with another then let the fire be more intense than before, until is
made
it
again becomes dry, and
When
earth.
understand that here of the times,
arcanum
;
is
this is done,
the beginning
but do this
many
two-thirds of the water
until
and colours manifest unto you. The TuRBA answereth : Thou hast spoken excellently, O Effistus Yet,
perish,
!
briefly
And
inform us further. to
testify
I
dealbation doth
posterity
that
he
the
not take place save
by decoction.* Consequently, Agadaimon has very properly treated of cooking, of pounding, and of imbuing,+ *
The Greek
equivalent of Decoction identifies the
process with that cooking which
alchemical experiments.
In the
is
so often ordained in all
New
Light of Arnoldus
de Villa Nova three grades of the operation are described, together with the special furnaces and appliances required.
In the
first
second, white
accompanied f
grade, the matter ;
in
and
becomes black
in the third, red.
The
;
in the
description is
each case by a citation from the Tvrba. " for which recension substitutes
The second
:
cause there must be frequent pounding and imbuing."
The Turba Philosophorum.
iz5
Yet I direct you not to pour on the whole of the water at one time, lest the Ixir be submerged, but pour it in gradually, pound and dessicate, and do this several times until the water ethelia.
be exhausted. Now concerning this Leave the the envious have said water when it has all been poured in^ and it will sink to the bottom. But :
their intention is this, that while the
humour been
and when
drying,
is
turned into powder, leave
glass vessel
forty
for
days,
it
has
in its
it
until it
passes through various colours, which the Philosophers have described.
By
method of cooking the bodies put on their spirits and spiritual tinctures, and become warm.* The Turba amthis
swereth
O
:
Thou
Effistus,
Truly art
hast given light to us,
and hast done
excellently
thou cleared from
!
envy;
wherefore, let one of you others speak as he pleases.
*
The second
spirits,
and the
recension
spirits are
made
" bodies become : and they tinge."
leads hot,
The Turha Philosophorum.
127
The Thirty-Ninth Dictum.
Bacsen saith ;* O all ye seekers after this Art, ye can reach no useful result without a patient, laborious,! and solicitous
persevering
soul,
He, there-
and continuous regimen.
who
fore,
is
courage,
persevere in
willing to
may
and would enjoy the enter upon it, but he
desires
to learn over speedily,
disposition,
this
result,
who
must not have recourse
to our books,
they impose great labour before
for
they are read in their higher sense, once,
twice,
or
Master saith: Whosoever bends back over the study of our
the his
books, devoting *
Therefore,
thrice.
The
speaker
in
his
the
leisure
second
thereto,
recension
is
called
Admion. t
The
like exhortation is
pensable in our magistery. part in this magistery."
met with everywhere
Haste, indeed,
master.
Know
are patience Ibid.
it
is ot
the devil's
Bosary of the Philotophers,
again, " It is impossible for this to be
unless he learns
in the
" Patience and delay are indis-
literature of the adepts.
known by
And
the seeker
irom God, or from the instruction ot a
also that the
way
and delay needful
is
very long ; therefore
in this our magistery."
;!
The Turba Philosophorum.
ia8
not occupied with vain thoughts,
is
but fears God, and shall reign in the
Kingdom without fail until he die.* For what ye seek is not of small price. Woe unto you who seek the very great and compensating treasure of God
Know
ye not that for the smallest purpose in the world, earthly men will themselves to death, and what,
give
therefore, ought
they
to
do
this
for
most excellent and almost impossible offering ?
than
Now, the regimen
is
greater
perceived by reason, except
is
through divine
inspiration.
once
I
met with a person who was as The
*
God has always been
fear of
The
essential to the success of the true alchemist.
planation
is
The Greek
" Abide at thine
:
awe and wonder
to early experi-
alchemists regarded no operation as
possible without the
says
ex-
to be sought in the fact that the operations of
nature were a region of
ment.
well
regarded as
divine concurrence,
own
fireside
and Zosimus
acknowledging but one
God and one Art do not deviate in search of another God for God will come to thee, He who is present everywhere. ;
.
.
.
.
Rest thy body, and hush thy passions
so,
;
governing thyself, thou shalt call unto thee the Divine Being, and the Divine Being will
When
come
to thee.
thou shaltjtriow thyself, then shalt thou
the only
God
attain truth
existing in thee
;
.
know
.
.
also
and acting thus thou shalt
and nature, rejecting matter with contempt."
The Turba Philosophorum.
acquainted I
with
129
elements
the
as
when he proceeded
myself, but
to
rule this disposition, he attained not to
the joy thereof by reason of his sadness
and ignorance
in ruling,
eagerness, desire,
of the Doctrine
and haste concern-
Woe
ing the purpose.
and excessive
unto you, sons
For one who plants
!
trees does not look for fruit, save in
due season
;
he also who sows seeds
does not expect to reap, except at
How,
harvest time.
then, should ye
desire to attain this offering
when ye
have read but a single book, or have adventured only the first regimen ?
But the Philosophers have stated that the truth
discerned
except
is
after
plainly
not error,
to
be
and
nothing creates greater pain at heart
than
error in
this
Art,
while
each
imagines that he has almost the whole world,
and yet
Woe
finds
nothing in his
Understand the dictum of the Philosopher, and how he divided the work when he hands.
said
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;pound,
unto you
!
cook, reiterate, and be K
The Tuvha PMlosophorum.
130
But when thus he divided the work, he signified comming-
thou not weary. ling,
cooking,
assimilating,
roasting,
heating, whitening, pounding, cooking
making rust or redness, and
Ethelia, tingeing.
Here, therefore, are there
many names, and yet there is one regimen. And if men knew that one decoction and one
contrition
would
them, they would not so often repeat their words, as they have done,
suffice
and in order that the mixed body may be pounded and cooked diligently, have admonished you not to be weary thereof. Having darkened the matter to you with their words, it suffices me It is needful to speak in this manner. to complexionate the
then cook
many
venom
rightly,
and do not of the decoction. Imbue until it shall become as I times,
grow tired and cook it have ordained that it should be ruled by you namely, impalpable spirits, and until ye perceive that the Ixir is clad in the garment of the Kingdom. For when ye behold the Ixir turned into
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
The Turba Philosophorum.
131
Tyrian colour,* then have ye found that which the Philosophers discovered If ye understand my words (and although my words be dead,
before you.t
yet
is
there
life
therein for those
understand themselves), they
who
will forth-
with explain any ambiguity occurring
Read, therefore, repeatedly,
herein.
for reading is a
which is
is
dead speech, but that
same we have
uttered with the lips the speech.
living
Hencfi
ordered you to read frequently, and,
moreover, ponder diligently over the things which
we have
narrated.
The Fortieth Dictum.
Jargus saith : Thou hast a part of thy discourse,
And in
Do
he:
left
O
obscure
Bacsen
thou, therefore, Jargus,
thy clemency shew forth the same *
Latin
alchemists
made use
ot the
!
symbolism of
Tyrian dye when describing the Red state of the Magistery.
The Kenckel,
previously referred to,
is
apparently an
Eastern term designating the Crustacea from the shells
was anciently obtained. The second recension reads " then
of which the dye t
:
prehend the sayings of the Philosophers,"
shall
ye com-
The Turba Philosophorum.
132
And
he answereth
:
The copper
of which
thou hast before spoken is not copper, nor is it the tin of the vulgar ; it is our true work
(or
body) which must be
combined with the body of Magnesia, that it may be cooked and pounded without wearying until the stone
is
Afterwards, that stone must made. be pounded in its vessel with the water of nitre, and, subsequently, placed in liquefaction until
it is
destroyed.
ye investigators of this
all
art,
But, it
is
necessary to have a water by which
much
the more you cook, so
you
sprinkle,*
shall put
on
until
rust,
the more
the said copper
which
is
the founda-
Cook, therefore, and pound with Egyptian vinegar. tion of our work.
The Forty-First Dictum.
ZiMONt uttered, â&#x20AC;˘
saith
O
The second
:
Whatsoever thou hast
Jargos,
true, yet
is
recension reads
:
" It
a water which becomes inspissated
is
I
necessary to use
in proportion as
cooked." t In the
second recension the
name
is
do
Cadmon.
it
is
The Turba Philosophorum.
133
not see that the whole Turba hath
spoken Then
concerning he
opinion
that
saith:
I
thine
therefore,
concerning
ZiMON
rotundum.*
the
Speak,
.-
O
it,
to
notify
Zimon
!
posterity
rotundum turns into four and is derived out of
the
elements,
one thing.t
The Turba answereth: Inasmuch as thou art speaking, explain generations
And
he
to take
the
method
Willingly
:
:
it
ruling.
necessary
one part of our copper, but of
Permanent Water three let them be mixed and they be thickened and stone, concerning which have said body,
of is
future
for
;
but
Magnesia
;
Take one
parts
;
then
cooked until
become one the envious
part of the pure
three parts of copper of
then
commingle
with
The term rotundum used in this curious manner is to The ScdUi Philosophorum be understood of the Stone. *
speaks of "our perfect tyriac and rotund stone," the four
elements being concordantly exalted in the quality of the
temperate stone. t
There
is
a variation in the second recension
signify to future generations that the verts copper into four is from
:
"
I
rotundum which con-
one thing."
;
^^^ Turba Philosophorum.
134
of
earth
what
is
until
it
mixed with
vinegar,
rectified
the vessel,
close
;
male
observe
cook continuously it, and becomes earth.
in
The Forty-Second Dictum.
AscANius saith : Too much talking, O all ye Sons of the Doctrine, leads this subject further into error
!
But when
ye read in the books of the Philosophers that Nature
overcomes
one only, and that she
is
all
things
:
Know
that they
are one thing and one composite.
Do
ye not see that the complexion of a
man
is
thus,
formed out of a soul and body must ye conjoin these,
also,
because the Philosophers, when they
prepared the matters and conjoined spouses mutually in love with
each
ascended
from
behold
other,
there
The Turba thou wast treating
them a golden water! answereth
of
the
turn
unto
biguous
and
:
When
first
work,
the
hast
lo
second thou
how obscure
!
!
thou
didst
How am-
made thy book, are
thy
words
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
Then
he
Turba
will
perform
the
first
I
:
position
of
answereth
up_jwar
Stir
Do
:
the
dis-
work.
The
And
this.
betwe en
quicksilver, untiTthey
135
he
:
and
copp er
go to destruction
and are corrupted, because when the cppper '
conceives
coagulates
it,
the
quicksilver
but when the quicksilver
conceives the copper, the copper
congealed into earth; fore,
it
up, there-
stir
a fight between them
the body of the copper until
is
;
destroy
becomes a powder. But conjoin the male to the female, which are vapour* and quicksilver, until the male and the female become Ethel, for he who changes them into spirit by means *
The Latin
matter of
it
alchemists regarded vapour as the
all things,
and
in
a special
way
it
was the
first
First
Matter of the Philosophers. The Boaary of the Philoso" The first matter of bodies is not the
phers observes
:
mercury of the vulgar, but vapour.
The
mineral stone
is
is
an unctuous and humid
made from
the metallic body from the unctuous.
the humid, and
It is
needful that
bodies should be converted into such an unctuous vapour,
and they are destroyed, brought to nothing, and mortified in the conversion,
and
white and red water."
this is
But
accomplished by means of our this unctuous vapour
mercury of the philosophers and wise men.
was the
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
136
of Ethel,
and next makes them
tinges every body, because,
red,
when by
diligent cooking ye pound the body, ye extract a pure, spiritual, and sub-
lime
The Turba
every body. Inform,
which
therefrom,
soul
And
that body.
he
by the names
It
:
is
a natural
is
which
thing*
sulphureous
what
posterity
therefore,
tinges
answereth
called
is
of all bodies.
The Forty-Third Dictum,
Dardaris
saith:
Ye have
frequently
treated of the regimen, and have intro-
duced the conj unction, + yet I proclaim to posterity that they cannot extract
now hidden
the
by Ethelia,
soul except
by which bodies become not bodies through continual cooking, and by sub-
Know
limation of Ethelia. quicksilver
is fiery,
more than does *
The second
concerning
fire,
recension reads
which much
is
also that
burning every body also mortifying :
found
" sulphur of nature," in
later
alchemical
writers. t
According to the second recension
:
"much has been
said of the regimen but of the conjunction little."
The Turba Philosophorum.
137
and that every body which is mingled with it is ground and delivered
bodies,
When,
over to be destroyed. fore,
there-
ye have diligently pounded the
and have exalted them as
bodies,
required, therefrom
produced that
is
Ethel nature, and a colour which tingeing* and not volatile,
Turba
the copper which the
not tinge until
it is
and
it
is
tinges
said did
tinged, because that
which is tinged tinges. Know also that the body of the copper is ruled by Magnesia, and that quicksilver is four bodies, also that the matter has no being except by humidity, because is
the water of sulphur, for sulphurs
The
are contained in sulphurs. saith:
O
inform
Dardaris,
what sulphurs are are souls which
And
!
are
bodies, and, extracted
do
it
contain
one
is
hidden
:
Sulphurs
hidden
in
four
by themselves,
another,
naturally conjoined.
which
he
Turba
posterity
For
if
and
are
ye rule that
in the belly of
sulphur
with water, and cleanse well that which â&#x20AC;˘Otherwise
:
" not fleeing from the
fire."
+
The Turba Philosophorum.
138 is
hidden, then nature rejoices, meeting
with nature, and water similarly Avith
its
Know
ye also that the four bodies are not tinged but tinge.* And the Turba Why dost thou not say equal.
:
when they are And he I state
like the ancients that
tinged, they tinge ?
:
that the four coins of the vulgar popu-
but they tinge
are not tinged,
lace
copper, tinged,
and when it
the
tinges
copper
that
of
coins
is
the
populace. The Forty-Fourth Dictum.
MoYSES
saith
:
This one thing of which
thou hast told us,
have
Philosophers
O
Dardaris, the
by
called
many
names, sometimes by two and sometimes
by three names!
Name
it,
Darbakis answereth
therefore,
setting aside envy. is
that which *
is
And
fiery,
he
:
posterity,
for :
The one
the two
is
the
According to the second recension, " they tinge a
fifth."
t According to the second recension, they are not tinged, " except copper,
vulgar."
which then tinges the coins of the
The Turba Philosophorum.
body composed
in
139
the three
it,
is
water of sulphur, with which also
the
it
is
washed and ruled until it be perfected. Do ye not see what the Philosopher affirms, that the quicksilver which gold
tinges
of
out
quicksilver
is
Dardaris answereth : What For the dost thou mean by this ?
Cambar ?
Philosopher
says
sometimes
:
from
Cambar and sometimes from Orpiment. And he Quicksilver of orpiment is Cambar of Magnesia, but quicksilver :
is
sulphur ascending from the mixed*
Ye
composite.
must, therefore, mix with
thick thing
that
putrefy,
and
diligently
fiery
pound
spirit
be produced, which
that
other spirit
tincture which
is
;
then
is is
venom, until
a
hidden in
made
desired of you
the
all.
The Forty-Fifth Dictum.
But Plato
O
Masters, *
Some
the passage.
times
it is
behoves you
all,
when those bodies
are
saith
:
It
abbreviations in the printed editions obscure
According to the second recension
Cambar and sometimes
it is
:
" Some-
Orpiment, but here
The Turba Philosophorum.
140
being
take
to
dissolved,
care
lest
they be burnt up, as also to wash them
with sea water, until
all their
salt
be
turned into sweetness, clarifies, tinges,
becomes tincture of copper, and then Because it was goes off in flight necessary that one should become !
tingeing,
and that the other should
be tinged, for the spirit being separated from the body and hidden in the other
both
spirit,
Therefore
the
become
Wise have
the gate of flight
volatile.
said
that
must not be open-
ed for that which would
flee, (or
that
which does not flee),* by whose flight death is occasioned, for by the conversion of the sulphureous thing into
a
spirit like
unto
volatile, since
itself,
they are
becomes
either
made
aeriform
But the Philosophers seeing that which was spirits
it
prone to ascend
needful to understand that
is
in
the
air.
Quicksilver
Cambar
is
Magnesia," &c. *
The reading of
the second recension
namely, " Close the door on the volatile, flight."
is
lest
clearer, it
take
The Turba Philosophorum.
not
made
volatile
volatile
141
with the
a body like and put them
volatiles, iterated these to
to
the
non-volatiles,
which they could not
into that from
escape,*
They
body
unto the bodies from which
like
were
they
iterated
the
sopher
and that which
made
one
is
concealed
spirit.
Know
humid
spirits is
the
Philo-
agent
to
tincture,
spirit
be tinged are it
a
to
refers
humid
another
in
as
tingeing
of
the
the
But
digested.
statement that
a
to
and
extracted,
same were then for
them
that one of the
also
but the other
cold,
and although the cold humid not adapted to the warm humid,
is hot, is
nevertheless
Therefore,
we
they
are
made
one.
prefer these two bodies,
because by them we rule the whole work, namely, bodies by not-bodies, until
incorporeals
steadfast in the *
fire,
become
bodies,
because they are
In the second recension the passage reads thus
" Concerning these the Philosophers
also said
not with flying things, and yet were they
made
:
They
fled
flying."
The Turba Philosophorum.
142
conjoined with volatiles, which
is
not
possible in any body, these excepted.
For
spirits in
but
fugitives
every wise avoid bodies, are
restrained
Incorporeals,
corporeals.
similarly flee from bodies
;
by
in-
therefore,
those, con-
sequently, which do not flee are better
and more precious than all bodies. These things, therefore, being done, take those which are not volatile and wash the body with the join them ;
incorporeal until the ceives
a non-volatile
incorporeal re-
body
;
convert
the earth into water, water into fire
into air,
and conceal the
fire in
fire,
the
depths of the water, but the earth in the belly of the
air,
mingling the hot
with the humid, and the cold with the dry.
comes
Know,
also,
Nature,
that Nature over-
Nature
rejoices
in
Nature, Nature contains Nature. The Forty -Sixth Dictum.
Attamus
be noted that the whole assembly of the Philosophers have frequently treated concerning saiih
:
It is to
The Turba Philosophorum.
Rubigo.*
Rubigo, however,
143
is
a
ficti-
and not a true name. The Turba answereth: Name, therefore, Rubigo byits true name, for by this it is not calumniated. And he : Rubigo is accordtious
ing to the work, because
Turba
The
alone.
from gold
it is
answereth
:
Why,
then, have the Philosophers referred to the leech ?
He
answereth
:
it
Because
hidden in sulphureous gold as the leech is in water; rubigo, there-
water
is
rubefaction in the second workj
fore, is
but to
make
rubigo
former work,
in
is
to whiten in the
which the Philoso-
phers ordained that the flower of gold
should be taken and a proportion of gold equally. The Forty-Seventh Dictum.
MuNDUS treated *
Thou of
sufficiently
While
of metals,
saith:
it
this
term properly
was used
in
hast already
Rubigo,
O
signifies the fust or oxide
many
for the redness of rust associated
senses by the alchemists, it
in their idea with other
forms of red matter, and rust philosophical became a part of the Great Mystery.
The oxydes
of iron, the
oxydes of
lead, sulphate of mercury, sulphate of arsenic, sulphate of
"
^^^ Turba Philosophorum.
1^4
Attamus! I will speak, therefore, of venom, and will instruct future genera-
venom
that
tions
because subtle
body,
a
not
is
have made
spirits
it
into a tenuous spirit, have tinged the
body and burned
it
with venom, which
venom the Philosopher But tinge every body. thought
Philosophers
asserts
will
the Ancient
who
he
that
turned gold into venom had arrived at the purpose, but he who can do not profiteth
this
unto you,
all
Now
nothing.
I
say
ye Sons of the Doctrine,
that unless ye reduce the thing by until those things
ye
effect
nought.
ascend
like
a
fire
spirit,
This, therefore,
is
a
and a ponderous spirit avoiding the smoke,* which when it enters the body fire
more or
antimony, were
all
names
minium, &c.
of rubigo,
â&#x20AC;˘ It
all
is not,
itself
confounded under the
perhaps, surprising that
things the mystery of the
concern
less
fire
what was above
and the furnace, should
smoke
considerably with the
often ended, and thus in various stages of
its
in
which
it
so
history we have
alchemy discoursing of that specially philosophical smoke which is identical with scoriae, and hence on the authority '
of the Greeks involves the whole art
smoke, identical with mercury
;
;
we have
citrine
also white
smoke, identical
The Turba Philosophorum.
145
and makes the body rejoice.* The Philosophers have Take a black and conjoining all said therewith break up the bodies spirit and torture them till they be altered.
penetrates
entirely,
it
:
;
The Forty-Eighth Dictum.
Pythagoras saith unto all you seekers :
We
must affirm
after this Art that
the Philosophers have treated of con-
junction (or continuation) in various
ways.
But
constrain
quicksilver
Magnesia,
or
Spume
the
enjoin upon you to
I
the
make
body
the
body
of
Kuhul, or
of Luna, or incombustible
roasted
or
alum
sulphur,
or
which
is
out of apples, as ye know.
But
there was any singular regimen
if
calx,
any of these, a Philosopher would Understand, not say so, as ye know.
for
with yellow sulphur
;
red smoke, which
is
orpiment ; smoke
of extreme subtlety, of which the Latin Geber discourses
and
lastly the
ponderous smoke of the
Turba.
Many
others might be named, but these varieties are sufficient to
show
that
smoke was as important
the votaries ot " â&#x20AC;˘
Otherwise
my Lady :
to the alchemists as to
Nicotine."
" the nature rejoices therein."
The Turba Philosophorum.
146
and alum
therefore, that sulphur, calx,
from apples, and Kuhul, are nothing else but water of sulphur.
which all
is
Know ye
also that
Magnesia, being
mixed with quicksilver and sulphur, they pursue one another. Hence you must not dismiss that Magnesia without the quicksilver, for
when
it
is
an exceeding which is one of the strong composition, ten regimens established by the Philo-
composed
it
sophers.
Know,
called
is
when
that
also,
Magnesia is whitened with quicksilver, you must congeal white water therein, but when it is reddened you must congeal red water,
for,
as the Philoso-
phers have observed in their books, the regimen the
and *
is
congelation
first
lead.
Accordingly,
not one.* is
of tin, copper,
But the second
is
com-
" There are other denominations," says Synesius in
his letter to Dioscorus.
" Thus whitening
and yellowing an igneous regeneration (substances)
calcine
generate themselves.
them under sometimes
sevei;al
in
themselves, and
;
is
for
a calcination,
some of these
(other
some)
re-
But the Philosopher has designated
names, and sometimes in the singular,
the plural person, in order to test us and see
whether we are intelligent."
The Turba Philosophorum.
147
posed with water of sulphur.*
Some,
however, reading this book, think that the composition can be bought.
It
must be known for certain that nothing of the work can be bought, and that the science of this Art
than vapour
is
nothing else
and the sublimation of
water, with the conjunction, also,
of
body of Magnesia t
quicksilver in the
;
but, heretofore, the Philosophers have
demonstrated
impure
in
water
their
books that the
sulphur
of
is
sulphur only, and no sulphur
is
from pro-
duced without the water of its calx, and of quicksilver, and of sulphur. The Forty-Ninth Dictum.
Belus
saith
:
O
all
ye Philosophers,
ye have not dealt sparingly concerning composition and contact, but composition,
and congelation are Take, therefore, a part
contact,
one thing
!
*
Or, " with sulphur
t
The second
and the water thereot."
recension reads
vapour and water, while the regimen limation of quicksilver and
magnesia."
its
" It
:
is
is
nothing but
nothing but the sub-
union with the body of
The Turba Philosophorum.
148
from the one composition and a part out of ferment of gold,* and on these
impose pure water of sulphur.
This,
then, is the potent (or revealed) arcanum
which tinges eveiy body. answereth called
:
why
Belus,
hast thou
a potent arcanum, yet hast
it
not shown
O
books,
O
Pythagoras
its
work
And he we have
?
Master,
the same which
from the ancients
have
In our
:
found
thou hast received
And Pythagoras
!
:
assembled
you remove any obscurities which are in any books. And he Willingly, O Master It is to be noted that pure water which is from sulphur is not composed of sulphur alone, but is composed of several things, for the one sulphur is
Therefore
I
together, that you might
:
made *
of
!
How,
out of several sulphurs. t
The
ancient Latin treatise which passes as the work
Morien, says sententiously
:
"
The ferment of gold is is bread." The state-
gold, even as the ferment of bread
ment
is
reproduced
literally
by the Rosary of
the Philo-
sophers. t
According to
water which
is
the
second recension:
from sulphur
is
"the clean
not derived from sulphur
The Turba Philosopfiorum.
G
therefore,
Master, shall
149
compose these things that they may become one
And
?
which
he
:
O
Mix,
I
Belus, that
strives with the fire with that
which does not strive, which are conjoined in a
things
for fire
suitable
same contend, because the warm venoms of the physician are the
to
cooked
a gentle, incomburent
in
fire !*
Surely ye perceive what the Philosophers have stated concerning decoction, that a
is
many
sulphur burns
little
things,
strong
and the humour which remains humid pitch, balsam of gum,
called
and other
Philosophers physicians, tests
are
made
the
to
like
notwithstanding that
the
of
Therefore our
like things.
physicians
are
the
more
intense than those of the Philosophers.
Turba
The
answereth
:
I
wish,
O
Belus, that you would also shew the disposition
alone, but
is
of this potent arcanum
I
composed of several things which make up
one sulphur." *
For this last sentence the second recension sub" and friendship is made constant."
stitutes
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
150
proclaim to future generations that this arcanum proceeds from
And
he
two
I
:
that
compositions,
But
sulphur and magnesia.
and
reduced
is
to
is
of Boletus
fungus),
and
quicksilver,
of water;
it
it
water,
a species of
(i.e.,
the thickness of gold.
When, however, into
after
conjoined into one,
the Philosophers have called
spume
say,
has been reduced
it
they
call
it
when
sulphur also,
sulphur con-
it
venom, because it is a potent (or open) arcanum which ascends from those things
tains sulphur, they
term a
fiery
ye know. The Fiftieth Dictum.
Pandolphus
saith
describe
the
dost â&#x20AC;˘
:
O Belus, thou
If,
sublimation*
The Greek term which
the
alchemists
of
of the
Byzantine collection made use oi as the equivalent of sublimation, signified originally filings, as M. Berthelot informs us, thus expressing the idea of the
matter.
The same
idea
extreme attenuation of
was attached
later
on by the Latin
adepts to their term alcoolisation, "which signifies reduction to the condition of
an impalpable powder.
des Anciens Alchimutes Grecs, Int., 210). of sublimation
tion
was
called stalagma,
by vapourisation
or filtration.
[Collection
Another species
which meant {lb., 2ii.)
distilla-
The Turba Philosophorum.
sulphur wilt
And
generations,
future
for
accomplish an the
Turba
therefore,
:
151
thou
thing
excellent
Do thou show it forth, And he: The
O Pandolphus
!
philosophers have ordered that quicksilver
and
should be taken out of Cambar,
albeit
they spoke
these words there
is
a
ambiguity,
little
the obscurity of which
yet in
truly,
I
remove.
will
See then that the quicksilver is sublimed and extract the same
in tabernacles,
from Cambar, but there is another Cambar in sulphur* which Belus hath
demonstrated to you,
for out of
sulphur
mixed with sulphur, many works proWhen the same has been subceed.
Cambar
limed, there proceeds from the
that quicksilver which
Orpiment, â&#x20AC;˘
According
is
Zendrio, to
the
called Ethelia,
Sanderich,+
or
second
recension
:
" there
is
another sulphur." f
The reading
Sandarac
is
realgar
in the ;
second recension
in the
Greek MSS.
under the same sign as arsenic. that
it
M.
is unintelligible,
it
is
confounded
Berthelot also
tells
us
was confused anciently with minium and cinnabar,
as indeed
is
quite plain from the Lexicon of Rulandus.
same authority reminds us that the name
is
The
applied at the
present day to an entirely different composition, derived
The Turba Philosophorum.
152
or Kuhul, Ebsemich, Magnesia, names. Chuhul, and many other Concerning this, philosophers have said
men
that, (for
being ten
is
by
ruled
its
regi-
the perfection of
all
things), its white nature appears, nor
there any
is
shadow
therein.
the envious* have called
lead from
it
White
Ebmich, Magnesia, Marteck,
when truly whitened, devoid of shadow and blackness, it
Copper. it is
has
Then
left its
For,
thickened ponderous bodies,
and therewith a clean humid ascended, which spirit is
spirit
has
tincture.
Accordingly, the wise have said that
copper has a soul and a body. its
soul is spirit,
its
body
is
it
the
body
until
ye
the
spirit
extracted
a Mix,
extract
tingeing spirit from the same. also,
thick.
behoves you to destroy
Therefore, thick
and
Now,
therefrom
with light sulphur until you, investigators, find your design accomplish ed. from colophon, and not known to the ancients under this designation. * Throughout the second recension, " Philosophers " or " the Wise," are substituted for this term.
The Turba Philosophorum.
153
The Fifty-First Dictum.
HoRFOLCos*
O
nothing,
saith
:
Thou
hast narrated
Pandolphus, save the
last
Thou hast, body composed an ambiguous defor readers. But if its regimen
regimen of
this
!
therefore,
scription
were commenced from the beginning, you would destroy this obscurity. Saith
Turba
the
cerning it
may
Speak,
:
this
to
so far as
posterity,
And
please you.
con-
therefore,
he
:
be-
It
hoves you, investigators of this Art, first
to burn coppert
like
that required in the hatching of
eggs.
For
and
let
a gentle
behoves you to burn
it
humidity
its
in
lest
it
with
be burnt,
spirit
its
fire,
the vessel be closed on
sides, so that its
colour
[?
heat]
all
may
be increased, the body of copper be destroyed,
and
tingeing spirit be
which
concerning
extracted,!
*
its
In the second recension the
name
is
the
Morfoleus.
t Otherwise, " the humidity." J
is
According to the second recension
:
"
when
the
increased and the vessel sealed elfectually, lest the
of the copper and
its
flying spirit be extracted."
fire
body
Turba Philosophorum.
^^'^
154
envious have said
Take
:
quicksilver
out of the Flower of Copper, which also they have called the water of our
copper, a fiery venom, and a substance extracted from
all
things,
which further
they have termed Ethelia, extracted
many
out of
have
that
said
when
made
one,
bodies,
but not-bodies bodies.
know,
all
things
all
become
bodies
some
Again,
things.*
are
not-
And
ye investigators of this Art,
that every body
is
spirit with which
it is
without doubt spiritual thing,
dissolved with the
mixed, with which
becomes a similar and that every spirit
it
which has a tingeing colour of
spirits,
and is constant against and coloured by bodies.
altered
be the name of
fire, is
Him who
Blessed then
hath inspired
the Wise with the idea of turning a
body
into a spirit having strength
colour,
unalterable and incorruptible,
so that what formerly
phur *
is
and
was
now made sulphur
Otherwise
:
volatile sul-
not- volatile,
" which flower of copper they have called
our water, and fiery
venom
extracted from iron."
The Turba Philosophorum.
and incombustible
!
Know,
make your
also, all
who
sons of learning, that he
155
is
ye
able to
red by the
fugitive spirit
body mixed with it, and then from that body and that spirit can extract the tenuous nature hidden in tinges every body,
Wherefore
if
only he
patient
is
tedium of extracting.
spite of the
Know
belly
by a most subtle regimen,
thereof,
in
the
the
that out
have
envious of
copper,
said
after
:
it
moisture humectated by the thereof, is pounded in its water, and is cooked in sulphur, if ye extract a body having Ethelia, ye will find that which is suitable as a tincture for anyWherefore the envious have thing. said Things that are diligently is
:
pounded
in the fire,
of the Ethelia,
with sublimation
become
fixed tinctures.
For whatsoever words ye man's book
we
call
*
any
which
water of sulphur,* which also
Water
of sulphur occurs
recipe cited from
and
find in
signify quicksilver,
Mary
in
among
one of the
in the Detailed Exposition of the
the ingredients of a
treatises of
Zosimus,
Work, the following
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
156
we sometimes say and copulated
is
lead and copper
coin.
The Fifty-Second Dictum.
IxuMDRUS saiih : You will have treated most excellently, O Horfolcus, concerning the regimen of copper and the humid spirit, provided you proceed therewith. And he: Perfect, therefore, what I have, omitted, O Ixumdrus IxuMDRUS saith : You must know that this Ethelia* which you have previously mentioned and notified, which also the envious have called by many names, doth whiten, and tinge when it is whitened
;
then truly the Philosophers
have called it the Flower of Gold, because it is a certain natural thing. process occurs calx
is
:
" Water of sulphur obtained by
manfactured
in this
manner
waters in the catalogue (which
from
its
it is
means of Having mixed all the
:
impossible to extricate
context and place in the compass of a footnote),
taking equal parts, add white earths until the
becomes very white. uiiderneath,
and receive what
"pure" water
compound
Place in a mortar, kindle a
of sulphur
distils.''
which
is
There
is
fire
also a
obtained somewhat
differently. *
The second
recension reads
:
" Water of Ethelia."
The Turba Philosophorum.
Do
you
remember
not
157
what
the
Philosophers have said, that before
it
arrives at this terminus, copper does
But when
not tinge ?*
tinged
is
it
it
because quicksilver tinges when combined with its tincture. But
tinges, it is
when
it is mixed with those ten things which the Philosophers have denominated fermented urines, then have
they called
these things Multiplica-
all
But some have termed their tion. mixed bodies Corsufle and Gum of Gold.t Therefore, those names which are found in the books of the Philo*
According to the second recension
reaches this point, t
That
is
Democritus
:
following
firom
is
" Minera of Silver,
Chios, or Ochre, 2
parts
reproduction here), 2 parts
:
i
part
You
carefully regulated.
(it
is
(Coral
of :
will
Gold)."
" Here
Pontus,
i
part
combine with the humour of
having the colour of cinnabar,
coral."
Greek
too complicated for
find
is
cook over a
fire
a potent substance,
coral, or
great wonder, this indescribable marvel,
Democritus, says
it
Finest Earth of
;
of
the Sulphur (another abstruse recipe);
The body
" Before
a ricipe of Pseudo-
Minium
;
preparation given previously
corallos
:
called copper.''
to say, the Chrysocorallos of the
The
alchemists.
it is
And how he
is
minium.
This
called Chryso-
Synesius,
quoting
expresses himself:
(metal) of magnesia, alone (produces) Chryso-
The Turba Philosophorum.
158
and are thought superfluous and vain, are true and yet are fictitious,
sophers,
one
are
they
because
one
thing,
and one way. This is the quicksilver which is indeed extracted
opinion,
from are
all things,*
out of which
produced,
which
water
that
silver,
the
destroys
And know ye
copper.
when
also
it
is
all
things
is
pure
shade
of
that this quick-
whitened, becomes a
sulphur which contains sulphur, and
a
venom
marble
that has a
brilliance
is
like
this the envious call Ethelia, orpiment and sandarac, out of which a tincture and pure spirit ascends with a
mild
;
fire,
and the whole pure flower is which flower becomes
sublimated,
wholly quicksilver.
It is,
therefore,
a
most great arcanum which the Philosophers have thus described, because sulphur alone whitens copper. investigators of this
Art,
Ye,
O
must know
that the said sulphur cannot whiten *
The reading ab hominibus
for
ab omnibus
is
substi-
tuted by the second recension several times in this Dictum,
but there can be no doubt that
it is
a printer's error.
The Turba Philosophorum.
copper until
it is
And know ye of
whitened in the work
also that
sulphur
this
therefore,
to
flees
it
it
the habit
is
When, own thick
escape.
from
its
bodies,
and
then
behoves you to retain
it
is
sublimated as a vapour,
wise with quicksilver of lest it
the
its
have
sulphurs are contained
it
other-
own
kind,
Wherefore
vanish altogether.
Philosophers
Know,
159
that
said,
by sulphurs. and
further, that sulphurs tinge,
then are they certain to escape unless they are united to quicksilver of
own
kind.
Do
not,
therefore,
its
think
and afterwards
that because
it
escapes,
the coin of the Vulgar, for
it is
tinges*
what the Philosophers are seeking
is
the coin of the Philosophers, which, unless
which
it
is
be mixed with white or red, quicksilver of its
own
kind,
would doubtless escape. I direct you, therefore, to mix quicksilver with quicksilver (of its kind) until together
they
become one clean water composed out *
The second
recension substitutes " fixes bodies,"
but both readings are obscure and seemingly corrupt.
The Turba Philosophorum.
i6o
This is, therefore, the great arcanum, the confection of which is it is cooked with with its own gum flowers in a gentle fire and with earth ; it is made red with mucra and with vinegar, salt, and nitre,* and with mutal is turned into rubigo, or by any of two.
;
of the select tingeing agents existing in
our coin.
The Fifty -Third Dictum.
ExuMENust laid
The
saith:
envious have
waste the whole Art
with
the
multiplicity of names, but the entire
work must be the Art of the Coin. For the Philosophers have ordered the doctors of this art to
make
coin-like
gold, which also the same Philosophers have called by all manner of names.
The Turba answereth: fore, posterity, *
M.
O
Inform, there-
Exumenus, concern-
Berthelot explains that the substance referred to
under the terms Nitrum and Natron was really Carbonate of Soda, and that Nitre or Saltpetre was scarcely in antiquity, nor, indeed,
f For
this
Obsemeganus.
name
till
known
the 6th century,
the second
recension
substitutes
The Turba Philosophorum.
i6i
ing a few of these names, that they
may
take warning
have named
and
washing,
whitening turning of
in
into
Ethel,
he
the
Ethelias,
frequently
lire,
and
the art
coagulating,
the
rubigo,
They
:
sublimating,
pounding
vapour
cooking
And
!
salting,
it
of
confection
the
By
sulphur and coagula.
water all
of
these
names is that operation called which has pounded and whitened copper. And know ye, that quicksilver is white to the sight, but when it is possessed by the smoke of sulphur, it reddens and becomes Cambar. Therefore, when quicksilver is cooked with
its
confections
and
red,
hence
it
is
the
turned into
Philosopher
saith that the nature of lead is swiftly
Do you
converted.
Philosophers
envy with
ye
have
Hence we
?
extract
in the vessel,
spoken
deal in
pounding and
may
not see that the
without
many ways
reiteration,
that
the spirits existing
which the
fire
cease to burn continuously.
did not
But the M
::
The Turba Philosophorum.
i62
water placed with those things prevents the
from burning, and
fire
those
befalls
things
more they are hidden
the
fire,
that
by the flame of
they are possessed
depths of the water,
the
it
the more
in
they
lest
should be injured by the heat of the fire
in
from them.
Unless
repels the flame of
and
belly
its
fire
The Turba answereth
make
ye
them
water receives
but the
;
not-bodies
bodies
But concerning
ye achieve nothing.
the sublimation of water the Philo-
have
sophers
And know
treated
little.
that unless ye diligently
pound the thing
in
the
fire,
the
does not ascend, but when
Ethelia that
a
not
does
ascend
not
When, however,
nothing.
ye
achieve
it
ascends
an instrument for the intended tincture with which ye tinge, and con-
it
is
cerning Sift
:
Hermes saith which ye know but
Ethelia
the things
another fore,
this
;
Liquefy the things.
Arras saith
:
ThereUnless ye pound
the thing diligently in the
fire,
Ethelia
The Turba Philosophorum.
The Master
does not ascend.
put forth a view which explain
to the
163
I
hath
shall
now
Know
reasoners.
ye
that a very great wind of the south,
when it is stirred up, sublimates clouds and elevates the vapours of the sea. The
Turba
Thou
answereth:
And
dealt obscurely.
he
:
I
hast
will ex-
and the vessel wherein is incombustible sulphur. But I order you to congeal fluxible quicksilver out of many things, that two may be made three, and four one, and two plain the testa,*
one. The Fifty-Fourth Dictum.
Anaxagoras
Take
saith:
the volatile
burnt thing which lacks a body, and incorporate
Then
it.
take the ponder-
ous thing, having smoke, and thirsting â&#x20AC;˘
Two
meanings are given
of Bulandiu.
The
first
stood metallurgically
is
the second
;
clay.
Paracelsus uses
own
to signify the skin of
Adamic earth same idea.
or clay
to this
it
;
in
in the
Lexicon
is
a vessel of baked
an arbitrary fashion of his
man's body.
it is
term
Bloom, Flower, &c., under-
Compare the red
probably a variation of the
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
164
Turba
The
imbibe.
to
answereth
O
Explain, obscurity
Anaxagoras, what is this which you expound, and
And he : I beware of being envious testify to you that this volatile burnt thing, and this other which thirsts, are !
been
which has
Ethelia,
with sulphur.
conjoined
Therefore, place these
fire, and Cambar. becomes cook until the whole Then God will accomplish the arcanum But I direct you to cook ye seek. continuously, and not to grow tired of
a glass vessel over the
in
repeating the process.
And know ye
that the perfection
this
the
confection
with
tabula
until
it
;*
of
of
turn
Rubigo
:
cooked
is
it
becomes Rubigo,
to
for
all
is
the
He who
is
golden
into
venom has already achieved the sired work, but
is
water of sulphur
finally,
Philosophers have said able
work
de-
otherwise his labour
vain.
â&#x20AC;˘
According to the second recension
perfection
tabula."
of
sulphur
consists
in
the
:
"
The whole
decoction
of
The Turba Philosophorum.
165
The Fifty-Fifth Dictum.
Zenon* saith
:
Pythagoras hath treated
concerning the water, which the envious
have called by all names. Finally, at the end of his book he has treated of the ferment of gold, ordaining that thereon should be imposed clean water of sulphur, and a small quantity of
its
gum.
am
I
astonished,
Turba, how the envious have
O
all
ye
in this
work discoursed of the perfection rather than the commencement of the same The Turba answereth Why, therefore, have you left it to putrefy ? And he !
:
:
,
Thou
hast spoken truly
;
putrefaction
does not take place without the dry
and
the
humid.
But
the
putrefy with the humid.
humid
is
the
of
Thus
the
merely coagulated with the
But out
dry.
vulgar
of both
work.
is
the beginning
Notwithstanding, the
envious have divided this work into three parts, asserting that one quickly flees,
but
the
other
is
fixed
immovable. â&#x20AC;˘
The name
in the
second recension' is Pitheon.
and
The Turba Philosophorum.
i66
The Fifty-Sixth Dictum.
CoNSTANS
saith:
What have you
to
do with the treatises of the envious, for
necessary that this work should
it is
They answer:
deal with four things?
Demonstrate, therefore, what are those four
?
fire.
And he Earth, water, air, and Ye have then those four elements :
without which nothing
is
ever gene-
rated, nor is anything absolved in the
Mix, therefore, the dry with the
Art.
humid, which are
earth
and water,
and cook in the fire and in the air, whence the spirit and the soul are
And know ye
dessicated.*
tenuous tingeing agent takes
that the its
power
out of the tenuous part of the earth, out of the tenuous part
and of the part of
has
is
the
fire
while out of the tenuous
the water, a tenuous
been dessicated. +
fore, *
air,
of the
process
spirit
This, thereof
According to the second recension:
our "The
work, spirit is
dessiccated in the soul." t
The second
question
is
and water.
recension merely says that the power in
derived from the tenuous part of the earth, air,
The Turba Philosophorum.
namely, that everything things
these
a body
may be
when the tenuous
into earth
are
turned
parts of
because
extracted,
then composed
is
167
which
is
and thereafter tinges the imposed body of coins.* Beware, however, O all ye a
kind
atmospheric
of
thing,
investigators of this art, lest ye multiply things, for the envious
and destroyed
have multiplied
you
for
!
They have
also described various regimens that
they might deceive called
it
(or
humid with dry with
all
;
they have further
have likened all
to) the
it
the humid, and the
the dry, by the
name
of
every stone and metal, gall of animals of the sea, the winged things of heaven
and
reptiles of the earth.
who would
But do ye
tinge observe that bodies
are tinged with bodies.
For
I
say
you what and truly at the beginning of the
to
Philosopher
said
briefly
his book.
In the art of gold
quicksilver from â&#x20AC;˘
The
Cambar, and
is
the
in coins
reading of the second recension has been partly
substituted in this unintelligible passage.
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
1 68
is
the quicksilver from the Male.
nothing, however, since the two
look
In
beyond
this,
are
also
quicksilvers
one.
The Fifty-Seventh Dictum.
AcRATus*
saith
I
:
signify to posterity
make philosophy near to the Sun and Moon. He, therefore, that will attain to the truth let him take the moisture of the Sun and the Spumet of the Moon. I The Turba answereth Why are you made an adversary to your brethren ? And he that
I
:
I
have spoken nothing but the truth.
But
they
taken.
Take what the Turba hath And he: I was so intending, :
yet, if
you are
terity
to
willing,
take a
part
direct pos-
I
of
the coins
which the Philosophers have ordered, which also Hermes has adapted to *
In the second recension the
t
Otherwise the
spirit
;
it is
name
is
Astratus.
probably a misreading.
{ This one of the two passages which seem to indicate any planetary attribution of the metals, but even here it may
be an analogy borrowed from the astronomy of the period without any real attribution.
mercury and quicksilver noted.
The
in the 67th
between Dictum should be
distinction
The Turba Philosophorum.
169
the true tingeing,* and a part of the
copper of
the
Philosophers,
same with the
the
mix
to
and place
coins,
the four bodies in the vessel, the
all
mouth of which must be
carefully
closed, lest the water escape.
Cooking
must proceed
for seven
when
days,
the copper, already pounded with the coins,
found
is
turned
water.
into
Let both be again slowly cooked, and
Then
fear nothing.
the vessel be
let
opened, and a blackness
Repeat
above.
continually
the
Kuhul, which
is
will
of
from the blackness
For when
consumed a precious whiteness appear on them finally, being
is
;
returned
cooked is
cook
blackness
of coins, be consumed. that
appear
process,
the
until
will
to
until
their
the whole
turned into stone.
they
place,
are
dried and
is
Also repeatedly
and continuously cook that stone born copper and coins with a fire
of
*
According to the second recension
:
" take a part of
the coins of the Philosophers, which are the coins oi
Hermes."
The Turba Philosophorum.
170
sharper
than
stone
destroyed,
is
former,
the
Doctrine, is
O
Alas,
how
the
fore,
ye
it
!
is
of
the
that which
Mixing, there-
with
cinder
is
a precious
sons
precious
produced from
and
broken up,
turned into cinder, which cinder.
the
until
water,
cook
again, until that cinder liquefy there-
and then cook and imbue with permanent water, until the composition becomes sweet and mild and red. Imbue until it becomes humid. Cook in a still hotter fire, and carefully close the mouth of the vessel, for by this regimen fugitive bodies become with,
not-fugitive,
spirits
bodies, bodies into
are
connected
spirits
made
are
and both
Then
together.
soul.
Now
hast
to posterity that
The Turba thou
is
notified
Rubigo attaches
to copper after the blackness is off
are
bodies having a tingeing
and germinating answereth:
turned into
spirits,
with permanent water.
itself
washed
Then
it
congealed and becomes a body of
magnesia.
Finally,
it is
cooked
until
The Turba Philosophorum.
the whole body
is
broken up.
171
After-
wards
the
cinder
and becomes copper without
volatile
shadow.
its
is
Attrition also truly takes
Concerning,
place.
turned into a
therefore,
the
work of the Philosophers, what hast thou
delivered
to
posterity,
seeing
means called things by their proper names ? And he Following your own footsteps, I
that thou hast by no
:
have discoursed
even
as have you.
BoNELLUS answereth You speak truly, for if you did otherwise we should not :
order your sayings to be written in
our books. The Fifty-Eighth Dictum.
Balgus*
saith
:
The whole Turba,
O
Acratus, has already spoken, as you
have seen, but a benefactor sometimes deceives, though his intention is to do good.
And they: Thou
speakest truly.
Proceed, therefore, according to thy and beware of envy! Then he:
opinion, *
In the second lecensron this speech
mouth of Anastiatus.
is
put into the
;;
The Turba Philosophorum.
172
You must know
that the envious have
described this arcanum in the shade
and astronomy, and the art of images; they have also they have amlikened it to trees biguously concealed it by the names of as is metals, vapours, and reptiles in physical reasoning
;
;
generally perceived I,
in all their work.
nevertheless, direct you, investigators
of this science, to take iron and draw finally, mix (or sprinkle) venom, and place it in its vessel, the mouth of which must be closed most carefully, and beware lest ye too much increase the humour, or, on the other hand, lest it be too dry, it
into plates
it
but
stir it
cause,
not
;
with
if
the water be in excess,
be
while,
vigorously as a mass, be-
contained
if it
in
be too dry,
it
the
will
it
chimney,
will neither
be
conjoined nor cooked in the chimney
hence gently the
I ;
direct finally,
mouth
internally
you to confect place
of which
and
it
dili-
it
in its vessel,
must be closed
externally
with
clay,
and, having kindled coals above
it,
The Turba Philosophorum. after
some days ye
shall
there shall ye find
already liquefied
open
the
and
it,
plates
iron
while on
;
173
thfe lid
the vessel ye shall find globules.
when the
fire
kindled the vinegar*
is
ascends, because
passes into the
of
For
its
air,
nature
spiritual
wherefore,
direct
I
you to keep that part separately. Ye must also know that by multiplied^ decoctions and attritions it is congealed and coloured by the fire, and its nature
By
changed.
is
decoction and liquefaction
not disjoined.!
*
Among
entitled
a
Cambar
notify to
I
similar
the Greek technical treatises there
The Work
oj the
Four Elements, and
is
you that is
one
this contains
a brief section on the Nomenclature of the Divine Vinegar is worth citing in con-
and the Divine Water, which
nection with the question of the unity of subjects amidst
the multiplicity of names.
Here
what the Philosophers
is
" Divine water, divine vinegar, white
say on this subject
:
magnesia, water
of calx, virgin's urine,
mercury,
sea
water, virginal milk, milk of the she ass, the bitch, the
black cow, alum
water, ash of cabbage, of natron, oc-
cidental matter, vapour.
There
is
whitens the body of magnesia, that t
The number
three
is
the substance which
is,
burnt copper, &c."
indicated
by the
second
recension. }
The second
recension says that
it is
disjoined.
^''^
174
by the
Turba Philosophorum.
the
decoction
frequent
said
weight of a third part of the water
is
consumed, but the residue becomes a wind in the Cambar of the second spirit.* And know ye that nothing is more precious or more excellent than the
sand
red
Sputum
the
of
light
of
Luna
of
the is
sea,
the
for
united with the
Luna
Sun's rays.t
is
perfected by the coming on of night,
by the heat of the Sun the dew is congealed. Then, that being wounded, the dew of the deathdealer is joined,! and the more the days pass on the more intensely is it conFor he gealed, and is not burned.
and
who cooks with
the
Sun
is
himself
and that signal whiteness to overcome the terrene fire.
congealed, ยง
causes โ ข
"
it
Which Cambar and
its spirit
bears in the belly
thereof," is the alternative reading. t
According
to
the second recension, the sand
" the spume of the Moon, which the Sun, and
Omitted
ยง
For
substitutes
Sun
is
J
is
is
joined to the light of
congealed." in the
second recension.
this nonsensical :
is
"That which
congealed."
passage the second recension is
cooked by the heat of the
The Turba Philosophorum.
Then
O
Bonites
saith
:
Balgus, that the
tinges
nothing
Do you Spume
175
not know, of
And Balgus: Thou speakest And he: Why, therefore, hast omitted to describe that
Luna
copper
our
except
?
truly_
thou
tree, of the fruit
whereof whosoever eateth shall hunger
nevermore person,*
?
And Balgus
who has
notified to
me
discovered this priately
:
A
certain
followed science, has
what manner he same tree, and approafter
operating,
did
extract
the
and eat of it. But when I inquired of him concerning the growth and the increment, he described that pure whiteness, thinking that the same is found without any laborious disposifruit
Then its perfection is the fruit thereof. But when I further asked how it is nourished with food until it Take that tree, and fructifies, he said tion.
:
a house about it, which shall wholly surround the same, which shall build
also *
be circular, dark, encircled In the second recension this person
as Tulleas.
is
by
referred to
!
The Turba Philosophoram,
176
dew, and shall have placed on it a man of a hundred years; shut and secure the door lest dust or wind should
Then
reach them.
in the
time of 180
days send them away to their homes. I
man
say that
shall not cease to eat
of the fruit of that tree to the perfection of the
number
man
the old
[of the days] until
O
become young.
shall
what marvellous natures, which have transformed the soul of that old
made
O
into the son
man
and the father
into a juvenile body,
is
Blessed be thou,
!
most excellent God The Fifty-Ninth Dictum.
Theophilus
saith
I
:
propose to speak
further concerning those things which
Bonites
hath
Turba:
Speak,
hath
brother
And
he
It
Brother,
discoursed
Following
:
Bonites ings.
narrated.
I
will
make
in
And
the
for
thy
elegantly.
the steps of
perfect his say-
should be known that
Philosophers, while
they
all
have
the
con-
cealed this disposition, yet spoke the
The Turba Philosophorum. truth
in
their
whatsoever*
water
is
comes young.
-they
for this reason, that
mixed with then
dies,
first
when
treatises
named water of life,
177
the
and be-
lives
And know,
disciples, that iron
said
ye
all
does not become
rusty except by reason of this water,
because
it
placed in the sun
it
till
imbued, after which
is
it is
then
liquefies
and
tinges the plates
In these days
it
;
it is
congealed.
becomes
rusty, but
silence is better than this illumination.
The Turba answereth : O Theophilus, beware of becoming envious, and com-
And
plete thy speech!
that
And he
I
might repeat the
they
What
:
Certain
:
fruits,
from that perfect
is
thy
Would
he:
thing
like
!
Then
will ?
which proceed
first
do flourish in the beginning of the summer, and the more they are multiplied the more
are
they *
man
The
tree,
adorned, t
they
until
reference in the second recension
is
are
to the old
of the previous dictum. f
According to the second recension
:
"
The more
tree is adorned."
N
the
The Turba Philosophorum.
178
and being mature become sweet. In the same way that woman,* fleeing from her own children, with perfected,
whom
she
although partly angry,
lives,
yet does not brook being overcome,
nor that her husband should possess her
who
beauty,
and keeps awake till
furiously loves
her,
contending with her,
he shall have carnal intercourse with
and God make perfect the foetus, when he multiplies children to himself according to his pleasure. His beauty, therefore, is consumed by fire who does not approach his wife except by reason of lust. For when the term her,
is
finished
he turns to her.
make known never dies,
you that the dragon but the Philosophers have
her spouses. The
woman who
For the belly of that
from another source, or
interpolated at a later period
the epoch of Trevisan
;
it
;
it
its style,
is,
in
any
has possibly been indeed,
described.
something which
has
not
is
that of
case, quite out of
character with the text as a whole, and refers, to
slays
compiler of the Turba seems to have introduced
this allegory
seen,
also
to
put to death the
â&#x20AC;˘
I
been
it
will
be
previously
The Turha Philosophorum.
woman
179
weapons and venom. Let, therefore, a sepulchre be dug for the dragon, and let that woman be is full
of
buried with him, joined with that clasps her
and
who being strongly woman, the more he
is
entwined with her,
the more his body, by the creation of female weapons in the body of the
For cut up into parts. him mixed with the limbs of a woman he becomes secure from death, and the whole is turned into blood. But the Philosophers, beholding him turned into blood, leave him
woman,
is
perceiving
in the
sun for certain days, until the
consumed, the blood dries up, and they find that venom which now is manifest. Then the wind is lenitude
is
hidden. The Sixtieth Dictum.
BoNELLUS* ciples,
saith:
Know,
that out of
all
the elect
ye disthings
nothing becomes useful without con-
*
In the second recension the
name
is
Bodillus.
The Turba Philosophorum.
i8o
junction and regimen,* because sperma is
generated out of blood and desire.
For the man mingling with the sperm is nourished by of the womb, and by the blood, and by heat, and
,
woman, the humour the
moistening
when
forty
sperm is But if the humidity of the blood and of the womb were not heat, the sperm would not be dissolved, nor have
nights
elapsed
the
formed.
;
I
\
\the
But God
be procreated.
foetus
has constituted that heat and blood for the
nourishment of the sperm
the foetus
until
brought forth, after which
is
it is
not nourished, save by milk and
fire,
sparingly and gradually, while
is
dust,
more, it
is
and the more towards
led
is
it
Otherwise
:
"
youth,
arriving
independent.t
you
behoves â&#x20AC;˘
burns the
the bones being strengthened,
at which it
it
it
also
Know
that
act
to
nothing
Thus
is
in
generated
without complexion." t
This absurd confusion
recension, which reads:
is
"So
not found in the second
long as
it
is
little,
it
is
nourished with milk, and in proportion as the vital heat is
maintained, the bones are strengthened."
The Turba Philosophorum.
Know
this Art.
nothing
is
i8i
ye that without heat
ever generated, and that the
bath causes the matter to perish by
means of intense frigid, it
heat.
puts to
If,
flight
indeed,
and
it
be
disperses,
have been tempered, it is convenient and sweet to the body, wherebut
if it
the
fore
the flesh
is
been
has
demonstrated
ye disciples
and
in
become smooth and augmented. Behold it
veins
all
Understand, therefore, things which ye attempt
!
all
to rule, fear
to you,
God.
The Sixty-First Dictum.
MosES
saith
It is to
:
the envious have
be observed that
named
lead of copper
instruments of formation, simulating, deceiving prosterity,* to notice that there are
whom
give
I
no instruments
our own white, strong,
except from
and splendid powder, and from our *
This passage
translatable.
envious
making number
is
so corrupt as to be almost un-
According to the second recension
many ways
in
lead,
and have represented
of instruments," etc.
:
" The
described the process of
have
that there are a
The Turba Philosophorum.
i82
stone* and marble,
concave
the
to
whole work whereof there is no more suitable powder, nor one more conjoined to our composition, than the powder of Alociae,t out of which are instruments
produced
formation.
of
Further, the Philosophers have already said
Take instruments out
:
of the egg.
Yet they have not said what the egg And know ye is, nor of what bird. I *
The concave
stone does not seem to be a term
which entered into the nomenclature of
We hear much concerning is
not to be understood as
its
configuration, being used in
the same sense as Latin theology the form of the soul.
Thomas formal
form
"Our
formata), which form
because
it
is
is
it
in his
BpUtle
to
stone does not possess a
(forma forTnabilis) such
sensitive, yet, nevertheless,
is
was accustomed to speak of
So Bernard Trevisan,
Boiwnia:
of
later philosophers.
the form of the stone, but that
as vegetative or
has a formed form (forma
the elements themselves, and this
homogeneous, whereas the human body,
or that of other sensitive things, is heterogeneous."
For
the term concave stone the second recension substitutes
gleaming, t
A
i.e.,
candidus.
severe
critic,
having
failed to trace this terra,
might suggest a slight emendation, and read i,e., " many words and no sense." I
This entire passage
is
Alogiee,
considerably shortened in the
second recension, which simply observes that out of the
powder mentioned
at the beginning, instruments adapted egg are composed, but that at the same time the envious have omitted to name the egg, etc. to the
The Turba Philosophorum.
that the regimen
more
of these things
is
than the entire work,
difficult
because,
183
the composition be ruled
if
more than it should be, its light is taken and extinguished by the sea. Wherefore the Philosophers have ordered that
should be ruled with
it
The moon,
profound judgment. being at the
fore,
place in sand
till it
full,
there-
take this and
be dissolved.
And
know ye that while ye are placing the same in sand and repeating the proye have patience, ye err
cess, unless
in ruling,
therefore,
and corrupt the work. Cook, the same in a gentle fire
ye
until
that
see
it
is
dissolved.
Then
extinguish with vinegar, and ye
shall
find
one thing separated from
three companions.
the
first,
Ixir,
And know
ye that
commingles, the second
burns, while the third liquefies.* *
Alchemy does not seem
nised the existence indeed,
it
of three
holds there
degrees of perfection.
is
In
to have generally recogelixirs.
but one
elixir,
Fundamentally,
having various
Zosimus, however, recognises
in
the true povi-der of perfection the existence of three powers
and three
activities
proceeding from those powers, namely.
The Turba Philosophorum.
184
the
place, therefore,
first
impose nine
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
ounces of vinegar twice the vessel is being made second when
it is
while
first
and
hot,
heated.
The Sixty-Second Dictum.
MuNDUS all
saith
behoves you,
It
:
O
ye seekers after this Art, to know whatsoever the Philosophers
that
have narrated or ordained, Kenckel, herbs, geldum, and carmen, are one
Do
!*
thing
about there
a
trouble
therefore,
not,
of
plurality
things,
for
one Tyrian tincture of the which they have to
is
Philosophers given
names
abolished
at
and having name, they
will,
proper
the
have called it black, because been extracted from our sea. tincture,
penetration,
and
fixation,
just
has mathematically three dimensions.
The
a mere subtlety.
Later alchemists speak
Elixir at the
White and the
second
is
first
metals
is at
'
the
the
Philosophers
Geldum,
etc."
have
in exaltation,
body
a
distinction is
much
of the
and so also the
Elixir of
to be the medicine of
second
named
as
And
Elixir at the Red, yet the
same time held
According to the
has
it
Gold
recension
:
men. " Certain
Chelidony, Karnech,
The Turha Philosophorum.
know not
that
ancient
the
condescend
to
185
did
priests
wear
artificial
garments, whence, for purifying altars,
and lest they should introduce into them anything sordid or impure, they tinged Kenckel with a Tyrian colour
which they placed in their altars and treasuries, was more clean and fragrant than can be described by me, which also has been extracted from our red and most pure sea, which is sweet and Tyrian
but our
colour,
and
of a pleasant odour, sordid
nor
impure ye that
And know many names true
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
to
it,
we have which
For
given
are
all
an example of which, for those
that possess understanding, in
corn that
after
grinding
traced
neither
is
putrefaction.
in
is
is
to be
being ground.
it
another name, and after
is it
called
by
has been
and the various substances have been separated one from another, each of these has its own name, and yet fundamentally there is but one name, to passed through
the
sieve,
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
i86
corn,
wit,
many names Thus we call the
from which
are distinguished.
in each grade of its regimen by the name of its own colour.
purple
The Sixty-Third Dictum.
Philosophus*
saith
:
I
notify to pos-
male and have body of Magnesia, called it the because therein is the most great Accordingly, O all ye arcanum seekers after this Art, place Magnesia
terity
that
female,
nature
the
is
wherefore the envious
!
in
its
vessel,
Then, opening
and it
cook
after
diligently
some days, ye
changed into water. Cook further until it be coaguBut, when lated, and contain itself. ye hear of the sea in the books of the envious, know that they signify humour, while by the basket they signify the vessel, and by the medicines they shall
find
the
whole
mean Nature, because *
it
germinates
In the second recension, this speech
the mouth of Rarson.
is
put into
The Turba Philosophorum.
and say
But when the envious
flowers.*
Wash
:
187
until the blackness of the
copper passes away, certain people name
But Agadimon demonstrated when he
this blackness coins.
has
clearly
boldly put forth these words
O
be noted,
all
:
It is to
ye demonstrators of
this art, that the things [or the copper]
mixed and cooked once, ye
being
first
shall
find the
That
prescribed blackness!
This, therefore,
Wise,
become
to say, they all
is
is
concerning
the
lead
black.
of
the
which they have
treated very frequently in their books.
Some
also
call
it
[the lead]
of our
black coins. The Sixty-Fourth DictumA
Pythagoras
saith:
How
marvellous
is
the diversity of the
in
those things which they formerly
asserted,
gether *
and
their
agreement]
[or
,
coming in
According to the second recension :
bads and flowers t
in
Philosophers
is
This dictum
to-
respect " That which
one nevertheless." is
omitted altogether by the second
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
i88
and most common thing,
of this small
'
wherein the precious thing is concealed
And
the vulgar knew,
if
vestigators of this art, the
and lie
all
ye
Yet,
they knew
if
in-
same small
thing, they would deem
vile
!
O
it
a
its efficacy,
God
hath
concealed this from the crowd*
lest
they would not
vilify it,
but
the world should be devastated. The Sixty-Fifth Dictum.
HoRFOLCUS
You must know,
saith :t
O
who love wisdom, that all ye whereas Mundus hath been teaching placing before you this Art, and most
syllogisms,
lucid
he that does
not understand what he has said
a brute animal the regimen
!
But
of this
I
is
will explain
small thing, in
order that any one, being introduced into
this
Art,
may become
*
Literally " from the sea."
t
In
the
second
recension
the
bolder,!
speaker
is
called
Oifulus. J
On
the principle of Zosimus: "
thine inexperience,
thing has well."
On
become
Be not dissuaded by and when you perceive that every-
ash,
understand then that
the Diversity of Burnt Copper.
all
goes
The Turba Philosophorum.
may more although
assuredly consider
it
it,
and
may compose
be small,
common
189
which is dear, and the dear with that which Know ye that in the is common. the
with
that
beginning of the mixing, it behoves you to commingle elements which crude, gentle,
are
cooked
governed,
Beware
fire.
the
until for
or
sincere,
over
and a
gentle
of intensifying the
elements
are
not
fire
conjoined,
these should follow one another,
and be embraced in a complexion, whereby they are gradually burnt, until they be dessicated in the said gentle fire.
And know
that one spirit burns
one thing and destroys one thing, and one body strengthens one spirit, and teaches the same to contend with the fire. But, after the first combustion,
it
is
necessary that
it
should be
washed, cleansed, and dealbated on the fire until all things become one colour with which, afterwards,
behoves you of the whole
it
mix the residuum humour, and then its colour
to
will
be
The Turba Philosophorum.
igo
For the elements, being diligently cooked in the fire, rejoice, and are changed into different natures, because the liquefied, which is the not-liquefied,* becomes the lead, dry. the thick humid becomes body becomes a spirit, and the fleeing spirit becomes strong and fit to do battle exalted.
against the
fire.
Whence
the Philoso-
Convert the elements and thou shalt find what thou seekest. pher saith
But
:
to convert the elements
is
to
make
the moist dry and the fugitive fixed.
These things being accomplished by the disposition, let the operator in the fire until the gross
leave
it
made
subtle,
a tingeing the
and the
spirit.
death and
be
subtle remain as
Know ye,
also, that
of the
elements
life
and that the composite germinates itself, and produces that which ye desire, God favouring. But when the colours begin ye shall proceed from
fire,
behold the miracles *
liquid
of the
According to the second recension
becomes liquid which
is
:
wisdom "
The non-
the head of this art."
The Turba Philosophorum.
God,
of
until
the Tyrian colour be
O
accomplished.
Nature,
Nature,
converting
the
Nature
that
regi-
is
more
Natures
these
which
and
composite,
and
by
therefore,
than
precious
O
I
separating
elements
Nothing,
â&#x20AC;˘
wonder-working
tingeing other natures
heavenly
men!
191
the
multiplies
makes
in
and
fixed
scarlet.
The Sixty-Sixth Dictum.*
ExEMiGANUs
O
treated,
saith:
and concealed as
nesia,
hast [or
Thou
silver,
which
is
Mag-
behoves thee, and thou
it
commanded
posterity to
experiment] and
to
hast already
Lucas, concerning living
prove
read the
to
books, knowing what the Philosophers
have said disesteem
remains effects
*
Search the latent
:
it
spirit
and
when it arcanum and
not, seeing that
it
is
a great
many good
This dictum
is
and that which follows
things.
omitted in the second recension, is
put into the mouth of Emiganus.
:
The Turba Philosophorum.
1 92
The Sixty-Seventh Dictum.
Lucas saith and what I
forth
set
posterity,
to
testify
I
:
is
more
lucid
than are your words, that the Philosopher saith :* Burn the copper, burn
Hermiganus Behold something more dark
the silver, burn the gold. replies:
than
ever
And
dark.
is
Turba
he
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Burn,
answereth
which is As to that which he that
therefore,
Illumine,
said
The
!
:
burn, burn, the diversity
only in the names, for they are one
and the same thing. And they: Woe how shortly hast thou unto you !
dealt with
it
that
I
why art thou poisoned And he: Is it desirable
!
with jealousy
!
speak
should
Atid they
:
Do
so.
more
And
he
clearly I
:
?
signify
to burn, but to
make
that to whiten
is
red
For the envious have
*
is
life.t
The
following variation occurs in the opening of
the second recension
:
"
The books
of the Philosophers
should be read, for they have not in vain advised that the suclcing child should be heeded, for therein is
out of vifhich the t is
Wise have operated good
According to the second recension
to vivify."
an arcanum,
things." :
"
To make
red
The Tnrba Philosophorum.
many names
multiplied
193
that
they
might lead posterity astray, to
whom
I testify is
that the definition of this Art
the liquefaction of the body and
the separation of the soul from the
body, seeing that copper, like a man, has a soul and a body. Therefore, it behoves you, O all ye Sons of the Doctrine, extract
to
body and therefrom Where-
destroy
the soul
the
!
the Philosophers said that the
fore
body does not penetrate the body, but that there
which
a
is
subtle
nature,
it is this which and penetrates the body. In nature, therefore, there is a body and there is a soul. The Turba
is
the soul, and
tinges
answereth
:
explain,
you
have
words.
And
he
your
Despite
:
put
desire forth
signify
I
to
dark
that the
envious have narrated and said that the
splendour
appear unless
when it Mercury
of Saturn it
not
perchance be dark
ascends is
does
in
the
air,
that
hidden by the rays of the
Sun, that quicksilver
vivifies
the body
^^* Turba Philosophorum.
194
by
its fiery
strength,
and thus the work
accomplished. But Venus, when she becomes oriental, precedes the Sun.*
is
The Sixty-Eighth Dictum.
Attamus
saith:
O
Know,
all
ye
in-
vestigators of this Art, that our worjc,
of which ye have been inquiring, is produced by the generation of the sea,
by which and with which, after God, Take, therethe work is completed fore, Halsut and old sea stones, and boil with coals until they become white. !
Then
extinguish in white vinegar.
If
24 ounces thereof have been boiled, let the heat be extinguished with a third part of the vinegar, that
is,
8
pound with white vinegar, and cook in the sun and black earth for 42 days. But the second work is performed from the tenth day of the month of September to the tenth day
ounces
*
;
This
in the note
is
the second of the two passages mentioned
on page i68 of
this
of a planetary attribution of
S7th Dictum, the reference chemical.
volume as containing traces metals,
may be
but,
as
in
the
astronomical and not
The Turba Philosophorum.
195
Do not impose the vinegar a second time in this work, but leave the same to be cooked until [or grade] of Libra.
all
vinegar be
its
becomes a
And
earth.
up and
dried
it
earth, like Egyptian
fixed
the fact that one work
is
congealed more quickly and another
more
slowly, arises from the diversity
But if the place where it is cooked be humid and dewy it is congealed more quickly, while if it be dry it is congealed more slowly. of cooking.
The Sixty-Ninth Dictum.
am
Florus
saith
fecting
thy treatise,
I
:
thinking of per-
O
Mundus,
for
thou has not accomplished the disthe cooking
position of
O
Proceed,
Florus
:
I
And
!
And
Philosopher!
teach you,
O
he
Sons of the
Doctrine, that the sign of the good-
ness
the
of
extraction of
Describe
Florus ter
is
:
decoction
first
its
what
When entirely
redness! is
is
And
redness.
the
he:
And
ye see that the matblack,
know
that
The Turba Philosophoyum.
196
hidden
been
has
whiteness
in
Then
belly of that blackness.
it
the be-
hoves you to extract that whiteness
most subtly from that blackness, for ye know how to discern between them.
But
second decoction
in the
let
that
whiteness be placed in a vessel with instruments, and let
its
gently
until
it
be cooked
it
become completely
white. But when, O all ye seekers after this Art, ye shall perceive that whiteness appear and flowing over all,
be certain that redness whiteness
However,
!
is
hid in that
does
it
not
behove you to extract it,* but rather to cook it until the whole become a
most deep
red,
can
compare.
first
blackness
with which nothing
Know is
that the
also
produced out of the
nature of Marteck, and that redness extracted
is
which
and
*
you to
that
blackness,
red has improved
the black,
has
fugitive
from
made peace between
the
and the non-fugitive, reducing
The second extract
it.
recension affirms that
it
does behove
The Turba Philosophorum.
two
the
into
one.
Turba And ?
The
And why was
answereth:
197
this
he:
Because the cruciated matter it is submerged in the body, changes it into an unalterable and
when
indelible
nature.
It
behoves
you,
know
this sulphur which blackens the body. And know ye that the same sulphur cannot be handled, but it cruciates and tinges. And the sulphur which blackens is that which does not open the door
therefore, to
to the
fugitive
fugitive with
and
turns
the fugitive.*
into
the
Do you
not see that the cruciating does not
harm or corruption, but by coadunation and utility of things ?t For if its victim were noxious and
cruciate with
would not be embraced until its colours were exunalterable it and from
inconvenient,
thereby tracted
it
â&#x20AC;˘According to the second recension: "It converts that
which
is
non-fugitive into a fugitive nature."
Both
readings are corrupt and ungrammatical. t
recension somewhat reverses this, " That which cruciates with harm or corruption
The second
reading
:
does not cruciate with
utility
and coadunation."
The Turba Philosophorum.
ig8
This we have called water water we have sulphur,, which
indelible.
of
the red tinctures
prepared
for
the rest
does not blacken
which
come
not I
it
have
does
this
to pass without
testified to
but that
;
does blacken, and
for
;
blackness,
be the key of the
work. The Seventieth Dictum.
MuNDUS*
saith
:
Know,
all
ye investi-
gators of this Art, that the head things,
which
imposes
if it
hath not,
profits nothing.
all
is all
that
Accordingly,
the Masters have said that what perfected
is
and a
one,
it
is
diversity of
natures does not improve that thing,
but one and a suitable nature, which
it
behoves you to rule carefully, for by ignorance of ruling some have erred.
Do
not heed, therefore, the plurality of
these
compositions, nor those things
which
merated
the in
philosophers
have enu-
books.
For the
their
nature of truth *
is
one,
and the followers
In the second recension the
name
is
Mandinus.
The Turba Philosophorum.
xgg
Nature have termed it that one thing in the belly whereof is concealed the natural arcanum. This arcanum is neither seen nor known except by the "Wise. He, therefore, who knows how to extract its complexion and rules equably, for him shall a nature rise forth therefrom which shall conquer all natures, and then shall that word be fulfilled which was written by the Masters, namely, that Nature rejoices in Nature, Nature overcomes Nature, and Nature contains Nature at the of
;
same time there are not many or diverse
Natures, but one
having in
own natures and
properties,
itself its
by which it prevails over other thingsDo you not see that the Master has begun with one and finished one ? Hence has he called those unities Sulphureous Water, conquering all Nature. The Seventy-First Dictum.
Bracus* *
saith
:
How elegantly Mundus
In the second recension this dictum
Aichelaus.
is
ascribed to
!
The Turba Philosophorum.
200
hath described this sulphureous water For unless solid bodies are destroyed
by a nature wanting a body, until the bodies become not-bodies, and even as a most tenuous spirit, ye cannot [attain] that most tenuous and tingeing soul, which
is
hidden in the natural
And know
belly.
that unless the
body
be withered up and so destroyed that it dies, and unless ye extract from it its soul, which is a tingeing spirit, ye are unable to tinge a body therewith. The Seventy-Second Dictum.
The
compo-
Philosophus*
saith
sition, that is,
the body of Magnesia,
is
made out
:
first
of several things, although
they become one, and are called by
one name, which the ancients have termed Albar of copper. But when it is
ruled
it is
called
by ten names, taken
from the colours which appear in the
regimen of the body
of this
Magnesia.
It is necessary, therefore, that
be turned into blackness *
The second
;
the lead
then the ten
recension refers this dictum to Philotis.
The Turba Philosophorunt.
aoi
aforesaid shall appear in the ferment
of gold, with sericon,* which
is a comby ten names. When all these things have been said, we mean nothing more by these names than Albar of copper, because it tinges
position called
every body which has entered into the
composition. fold
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;one
When
is
But composition humid, the other
is
two-
is
dry.
they are cooked prudently they
become one, and are
called the
good
But when it becomes red it is called Flower of Gold, Ferment of Gold, Gold of Coral, t Gold of the Beak.J It is also called redundant red sulphur and red orpiment. But while it remains crude lead of copper, it is called bars and Behold I have replates of metal. thing of several names.
*
Sericon
is
one of the names of Minium, according to
Rulandus, but M. Berthelot explains that liination of
Sandyx and
it
was a com-
Sinopis.
t Later alchemical writers define
matter of the Philosophers
when
it
Gold oi Coral as the
has become fixed a
the red stage. X
iectly
The
significance of this phrase
inscrutable,
but
is
is,
of course, per-
there any reference
rostrum or rottellum of the alembic
?
to
the
The Turba Philosophorum.
ao3
vealed
its
names when
raw, which
is
it
we should distinguish from the names when it has been cooked. Let also
therefore
it
pondered
be
me now
behoves
quantity of the
over.
It
you the and the numbers of
to exhibit to
fire,
days,* and the diversity of intensity
its
thereof in every grade, so that he
who
book may belong and be freed from poverty, so that he shall remain secure in that middle way which is closed to those who are deficient in this most precious art. I have seen, therefore,
shall
possess this
unto
himself,+
many
kinds of
of straw
and
One
fire.
cinder, coals
but one without flame.
shows
that
there
made
is
and flame, Experiment
intermediate
are
But lead
grades between these kinds. lead of copper, in
is
whole â&#x20AC;˘
Greek, in
common
which
Now,
arcanum.
with
all
out
is
the
concerning
other alchemists, have
recognised the necessity for " a certain lapse of time a favourable moment."
See Olympiodorus ,
On
and
the Sacred
Art. t
qui
Compare the motto
suits esse potest.
of Paracelsus
:
Alteriut turn sit
The Turba Philosophorum.
203
the days of the night in which will be the perfection of the most great
arcanum, I will treat in its proper place in what follows. And know most assuredly that if a little gold be placed in the composition, there will result
patent and white tincture. also a sublime gold is
a
Wherefore
and a patent gold
found in the treasuries of the former
Wherefore those things are unequal which they introduce into Inasmuch as the their composition. elements are commingled and are turned into lead of copper, coming
philosophers.
out of their own former natures, they are
new
turned into a
Then they
nature.
are called one nature and one genus.
These things being accomplished,
it is
placed in a glass vessel, unless in a certain
way the composition
water and
is
altered in
every grade
it
is
a
its
when
venerable
by
Although
concerning
In
colours.
beheld,
coloured
drinks the
this
it
is
redness.
we
elixir
read in the sayings of the philosophers
Take
gold, occurring frequently,
it
:
is
::
The Turba Philosophorum.
204
Wishing,
only needful to do so once. therefore, to
know the
certitude of the
adversary, consider what Democritus*
how he
saith,
begins speaking from
bottom to top, then reversing matters he proceeds from top to bottom. For, he said Take iron, lead, and albart for copper, which reversing, he again says And our copper for coins, lead for gold, gold for gold of coral, and :
:
Again,
gold of coral for gold of crocus.
second place, when he begins
in the
from the top to the bottom, he saith
Take
gold,
iron
he
;
coin,
shews,
copper,
lead,
and
by
his
therefore,
sayings that only semi-gold
And into *
without doubt gold rust
without lead
Democritus at
effectually
is
silenced,
and copper,
the beginning of the assembly
is
and now seems to be quoted as an
enemy at the conclusion of a symposium was foibidden to participate. t It will
taken.
is
not changed
in
which he
be well in this place to enumerate the terms,
mostly of oriental origin, occurring in the Turba for which
no explanation can
at
present be found.
They
are
Ebmich, Corsufle, Mucra, Murtal, Geldum, Halsut, Albar, and the curious use of the Latin wor4
Absumech, Carmen.
The Turba Philosophorum.
205
and unless it be imbued with vinegar known by the wise, until, being cooked, it
turned
is
into
redness.
This,
which all the Philosophers signified, because, how-
therefore, is the redness
they said
ever
Take
:
gold and
it
becomes gold of coral Take gold of coral and it becomes purple gold all ;
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
names of those behoves them that
these things are only colours,
for
it
vinegar be placed in colours
come from
it,
because these
But by these
it.
things which the Philosophers
have
mentioned under various names, they have signified stronger bodies and forces. It
taken, therefore, once,
is
may become is
imposed colours
that
each water
being vessel,
appear. citrine
For when the it
is
decocted
be
may be
it
is
cooked
Its first
necessary
until
forty
in
desiccated,
consumed and placed
being
imbued it
it.
appear,
days, so that
the
it
rubigo and then vinegar
on
said
that
;
its
finally
in
the
utility
grade becomes as a
mucra, the second as red, the
The Turba Philosophorum.
2o6
pounded crocus of the it imposed upon coin.
third as the dry
So
vulgar.
is
Conclusion.*
Agmon saith : by way of a
add the following
I will
Whosoever and coagulate errs
corollary.
does not
liquefy
greatly.
Therefore,
black
;
make
the earth
separate the soul and the water
so shall thereof, afterwards whiten; ye find what ye seek. I say unto you that whoso makes earth black and then dissolves with like
becomes even
fire, till it
who
unto a naked sword,
the whole with consuming to be called happy,
above the
and
also fixes
fire,
deserves
shall be exalted
This
circle of the world.
much concerning the revelation of our stone, is, we doubt not, enough for the Sons of the Doctrine. The strength thereof, shall never
become corrupted,
but the same, when
it
fire,
shall
dissolve, *
be increased. it
and
is
placed in the If
you seek
shall be dissolved
This constitutes
recension,
is
the last Dictum
in
but
;
to if
the second
omitted from the longer version.
THe Turba Philosophorum,
207
you would coagulate, it shall be coagulated. Behold, no one is without it, and yet all do need it! There are many names given to it, and yet it is called by one only, while, if need be, it is concealed. It is also a stone and not a stone, spirit, soul, and body; it is whitCj volatile, concave, hairless, cold,
and yet no one can apply the tongue its surface. If you wish that it should fly, it flies if you say that it is water, you speak the truth if you say that it is not water, you speak falsely. Do not then be deceived by the multiplicity of names, but rest assured that it is one thing, unto which
with impunity to
;
nothing alien
is
added.
Investigate
the place thereof, and add nothing that
Unless the names were multiplied, so that the vulgar might be deceived, many would deride our is
foreign.
wisdom.
INDEX. Adam,
Death,
21.
22.
Air, 3-12, 20, 21.
Democritus,
Angels,
Dew,
ig, 23, 26.
Arcanum,
27, 39, 57, 58, 64, 70, 71,
13, 14, 204.
122.
Dragon,
178.
76, 81, 122.
Atitos, 72.
Earth, 8-13, 20, 21, 27.
EfQucidinua, 8g.
Egg,
II, 153, 182.
Blackness, 29, 117, i2i, 1S7, 198.
Elements, Four, 7,
Boritis, 75,
Elementary
Brodium,
Ethelia, 30, 31, 39, 44, 58, 84, 85,
31, 32.
Burnt Copper, Burnt Lead,
13, 18, 23,25-27,
Fire, 21.
no.
31.
III, 130, 135-137, 155'
56.
Fseces, 39.
Ferment of Gold,
105, 148,
Calx, 44, 45, 49, 145.
Fire, 4, 5, 8, 10-13, i^i I9i 20-22.
Cambar,
Fixed and Volatile,
70, 139, 151, 161.
Citrine, 97.
Flower of Copper,
Coagula, i6z.
Flower of Gold,
Coin, 29, 30,41,70,74, 80, 100, 113,
Flower of Salt,
31, 143.
31, 39.
Foimdation of Art,
138.
Copper,
28, 32, 44, 60, 75, 86, 87,
90, 93, 94) io2i
Four Seasons,
36, 140-142.
72, 154.
50.
59.
103, 105, loB,
1 14, 117, 120, 122, 132, 133, 135,
138, 140, 156, 169, 193.
Oadenbe,
39.
Gold, 57, 60,
gum
61, 62, 90, 105, 113,
Corsufle, gg, 100, 106, 107, 157.
144;
Crocus, 81.
157! gold of coral, 201, 205.
of, 31,
34, 73, 81,
;
2IO Golden Water, Greenstone,
Gum,
61-63
Permanent Water,
134,
of aacotia, log
*
;
of
119, 122, 133.
Putrefaction, 76, 165.
scoria, 44.
Quicksilver, 36, 76, 77, 79, 80, 82,
Halsut, 194.
Heart of the Sun,
Hermes,
68.
84, 85, 93, 135-137.
Hidden Glory,
67.
Bedness, Ixir, 78, 100, 121, 122, 126, 130.
Slave, 96.
Rotundum,
Art, 25.
34, 48, 55, 71, 145, 169, 185.
iss*
Rubigo, 143, Rust,
Lead,
34, 35, 52, 53, 58, 59, 82,
90, 91, 104, 106, 123, 130, 143.
Red
Kuhul,
139, 145.
igi, 193.
i, 2, 54, 117, 162.
Key of the
31, 34i 39i 45>
49, 64-66, 76, 82, 94, 107, 117,
67.
160, 164, 170.
52, 107, 130, 132.
54, 55, 57, 60, 72, 81, 82, 93,
zoo, 161
;
red lead,
Leaven of Gold,
60, 61.
Saginatum,
31.
Saturn, 193.
31.
Shadow of Metals, Smoke, Magnesia,
38, 39, 71, 77, 118, rig,
133, i37i 146
;
body
of, 34, 84,
112, 132, 145, 186.
Magnet,
42, 77, 78, 79.
Male and Female, 89. 96, 135. 180.
Marteck,
152, 196.
Mercury,
193.
Milk of Fig, Mucra,
57, 60, 77, 79,
70, 76.
58, 144,
Spirit of Brass, 67.
Spume
of the
Moon,
43, 44, 67,
145) 168, 174.
Stone, 44, 45, 69, 91, 93, 109, 114
of gold, 125.
Sulphur,
34, 36, 39, 461 52, 57. 87.
122, 137.
Sun,
69,
63.
76, 160, 205.
Testa, 163.
Tin, Nitre, t2i.
79, 80, 132, 146.
Tincture, 28, 35, 86, 141.
Tyrian Dye,
Orpiment,
57, 139.
184.
47-50, 74, 90, 92, 131,
Urine,
Water,
48, 63, io5.
8-i3, 2o,
4,
alum, 38 gold,
Venom,
46, 6g,
75, 98, log, 117,
119, 130, 139, 144, 150.
Venus,
132, i34i I73.
117;
of iron,
nitre, 38, 55, 132 30, 49, 53
;
21,
27;
dew, 63
;
of
;
of
38;
of
of our sea,
of sulphur, 87, 137,
i39i I47'
194.
Vinegar, 51-54,
of
:
58, 90,
iig, 121,
Whiteness, 143.
29, 52, 53, 58, 59, 123,