b
7
<5
W
Njufu
«A
6
A
very curious
relic of old
removed—the bouse
m 1402
in the
Paris
Rue de
is
about to be
Venise, built
by the celebrated alchemist, palmist, and
philanthropist
.Nicholas
Fiamel. It is one of the few specimens of fifteenth century domestic architecture still to be seen in the French capital. Until the Revolution its upper floors were let to poor old men and women who, in accordance with Flamei’s will, had only to pray for the repose of his soul and to say an Ave every day at the
hour
he
died,
to
secure their lodgings
rent
Fiamel was one of the most famous of mediaeval palmists, and wrote a book on the free.
subject.
*vo. •
in the
co ntemporar
Em t
^
calf
Presentation
pn atdy p mted and issued in X ! Z’ n. JVL. rLxtremely uncommon.
Copy from
the Editor [/.
A.
a very limited number of copies.
TX No ^
Th cop
This book contains the English and French versions on opposite pages, and the édite states that the MS. is that which was deciphered by Saint Marc and Pernety about 176c ? and to which Pernety refers in his controversies with Villain (,f.No 48). l
wealth°andflrT
T
t3 ?
0
md died in
'
"
4 «.
,
°fthe
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^
acquired considerabi
Hh
“
Digitized by the Internet Archive in
2016
https://archive.org/details/b22032356
/
N
\
>
TESTAMENT P
•
\
OF
\
a
NICHOLAS 'FLAMME
,
LONDON : PRINTED BY
J.
AND
E.
HODSON, N°
15, CROSS-STREET,
H ATTON-GARDEN J
AND SOLD ONLY BY THE EDITOR.
[Price
]
180 G.
A
SHORT INTRODUCTION, BY THE
EDITOR.
To the Amateurs of the Art no apology will deemed necessary
be
Abridgment
for introducing
to their notice.
It is
this
an obliga-
•* .
tion
due however
to the
Reader to say a few
words upon the original Manuscript,
yet,
without intending any commentary on the contents of it,
on
rest chiefly it’s
we shall it's
leave the
own
Work itself to
internal evidence for
support.
This
Work
then, in
it’s
kind,
is
by some
regarded as a treasure of price, and has for
many
years past been privately circulated in
manuscript in France.
among
the Lovers of this Science
The French copy was conveyed
to the Editor, verbatim etjideliter in the
in
which
it is
form
here presented, and to which he
has prefixed, for the convenience of those
a 2
who
INTRODUCTION.
IV
not be familiar with the original Lan-
may
guage, a plain translation.
At the end of the Practice some informaconveyed
tion
is
was
left
as to the
by the Author
manner
in
in Cyphers,
cerning the decyphering of
it
which
it
and con-
by two
intelli-
after
gent persons, upward of three centuries
it
was written. The correspondent who conveyed it,
in his letter, dated Paris, the 28
1803 ,
also writes
— “ Here
“ of Flamel, from which
I
is
th
of
March
the Manuscript
have only abridged
“ useless things, and some repetitions.
“ before began
to
copy
it
word
for
I
had
word,
the bottom of the page,
the
f(
putting at
(C
explanation in Latin ot those expiessions
« which are not
“ but
now
used in our language
I presently thought,
« have too much trouble iC
old language,
which
the time of Flamel.
« second page
I
is
to
that
;
you would
comprehend
this
actually that used in
For this reason,
have changed
my
in the
plan,
and
INTRODUCTION.
f
have translated
into
it
V
modern
French,, but
you may reckon upon my translation,
‘
1
were one and the same.” *
Thus
as if it
our
far
*
French correspondent
respeétable
may not be ill-timed to glyphic
Work
;
and
it
observe, that the Hiero-
published by Flamel himself at
Paris in the year
1413,
written, according to the
though mystically
method universally
adopted by these Writers, appears to agree
fundamentally in the philosophical Process,
“in operation on
especially
and signs of
the true
the true Matter,
Mercury,” agreeable to
the testimony of Eyræneus Philaletha, who, as lie
himself confesses,
drew much knowledge
from Flamel, and that he covertly worked on the same Principle
most perspicuous Revealed,
London,
&c. in
is
obvious from his two
Works,
entitled
and Ripley Revived ,
Secrets
printed
1669 and 1678.
Having introduced
the
learned and
in-
genuous Eyræneus Philaletha Cosinopolita,
it
INTRODUCTION.
VI
may be acceptable to allude to some differences in the
mode of working between him and
Philaletha, as well as
experimented Author. pupil Philalethes,
his
Marrow
the
Diana; yet
it is
of the
author
of Alchymy, confine
tions chiefly to the
this
their instruc-
working with the Doves of
was
evident, that Philaletlia
well acquainted with Flamel’s work, which,
though best
radically the same,
is
undoubtedly the
and the most direa of the two
Philalethes,
mise,
who was bound by
;
and even
a solemn pro-
and who expresses himself upon certain
seeins to points with caution and ambiguity,
refer to this better
in his
in the following lines
Marrow of Alchymy,
second book 66.
mode
Some
first
part of the
:
use Diana’s Doves for to prepare
The water, which a
And for to May twice
hit
for
it
tedious labour
right,
an
is,
artist rare
once unfortunately miss
:
The other way (which is most secret) we Commend to all that artists mean to be.
VU
INTRODUCTION.
This way
is
most
said to be
because the Pondus, that
is,
secret,
probably
the weights or
work
proportions are very different from that
which he openly describes
;
whereas, the
by
are unrevealed
proportions here given,
Flamel may therefore be
any other author.
nominated a master-key
Phila-
to this point.
letha also, as well as the multitudinous writers *
on
this subject,
mode of educing
upon
very mysterious
is
the philosophical sublimate
or sulphur, called by him, our gold. letha moreover,
the
in
his
Phila-
Secrets Revealed,
has written very subtilly and enviously on the three works,
and on the regimens of the
application to each mode. je6is Flamel
guide
is
which
as
sufficient for
to the It
is,
it
Upon
fire
these sub-
were, explicit, that
him
in
that will put his
is,
a
hand
plough. true,
could
we might have added have
readily been
the form of a Glossary,
a Key,
done
in
and a few Notes,
INTRODUCTION.
\in
we
but on reflexion
be unnecessary
would
it
for those
who
are the lcasl
science;
and
to
this
adapted for
concluded,
hastily unveiled
it
to the
ha\e thus
profanum vulgus,
something might probably have exposed us to
worse than the thanks of the Sophi
however to the deserving the philosophical reader, this leading
Remark;
studious,
we
that
In justice
:
and
to assist
shall finish
with
from an attentive
Pliilaletha, particuperusal of the works of
larly his
two
treatises
above-mentioned, and
those of other practitioners
whom
here mends, the light clouds sipate.
To
may
lie
recom-
swiftly dis-
industrious the judicious and
things are easy, but
upon the
all
and unde-
idle
merit nor reward. serving await neither
Reader, profit and farewell!
editor, LqndoNj 1806
.
\
f
-&- r7'
]
SOME ACCOUNT OF
mc o L JS
%
+
FJL^MEE,
'
AND HIS WORKS.
Doctor his
YV illiam
Salmon
in his Preface to
Medicina Practica, published in London
in 1/0 7,
mentions that he has translated and
annexed two principal Works of Flameh viz, his Hieroglyphica and his Sommaire Philo-
Of the Author
sophique.
ed Doctor writes,
man, ‘
“
yet
and
left
so
Flamel was a French-
originally
great
himself the learn-
a poor
Scrivener,
monuments behind him
must convince the most incredulous that he knew the Secret, and performed such mighty works at his own proper costs and as
charges, as
the
most opulent Prince in »
B
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
2
“ Europe can never do the like. I know a “ gentleman who went to view these mighty
"
buildings, and their records:
and Governors of those
The Archives
places,
he told me,
“ own the matter of fa6t, but deny the means, « saying that Flamel was a very pious man, James of and went a pilgrimage to S « Gallicia, for a reward of winch piety, the « bestowed that vast treasure upon '
holy saint
cc
iC
him by way of miracle; thereby denying effected, to the power of art by which it was
“
confirmation of establish in a miracle for a
«
the
Romish Church/’ to
alluding
He afterwards adds, Works,
above translated
the
Flamel we have
also
now
translated,
and
to which claused into Chapters and Sedtions, added his Summary of Philosophy,
« we have cc which was never printed with him ec
any language:
« added
his
Work we
his Hieroglyphicks
copper,
with quotations
« Hieroglyphick, «•
To
shewing
nefore in
have
neatly also
to
also
cut in
upon each what book,
reference, or chapter, and seftion, they have
“ belong.”
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
Chymica sen Catalogus
the Bibliotheca
III
Lib ror u m
3
Ph ilo soph icoru m
Hermeticoruin,
printed in Paris in 1654, by Petro Borellio
M.
D., a Catalogue containing nearly
books
known
to have been written
Science of Alchymy,
Works of Flamel
the
on the
above-mentioned
are noticed; the
firsts
written in Latin originally by Flamel,
Paris in the year 1612:
second, or the
as
and
French by P. Arnaud, and
translated into
published in
4000
The
Summary of Philosophy,
as
written by the Author in French, and after-
ward published.
There are
also other
Works
of Flamel noticed in that Catalogue, some printed and some in manuscript, and
them
this present
work, under the
title
among of Nic.
Flamelli Testamentum M. S. Of Flamel himself and of the history of his discoveries in the Art, the best and most authentick account, at this distant period, can
now
On
only be colle&ed from his
own Works:
this also there
seems good reason to place dependence, because the whole tenor of his writings exhibit
him
in
* b 2
no other character
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
4
than that of a
man
of piety and
strict veracity.
To enable the Reader to decide for
himself on
to his
these points, the Introduction
Hiero
discoglyphica, including the history of his words, as veries, is here given from his own
rendered by Salmon. <c
“
Scrivener, living in
I Nicolas Flame],
Paris,
anno 1399,
in the
Notary-street,
« near S'- James of the Bouchery, though I “ learned not much Latin, because of the “ poorness and meanness of my parents, « notwithstanding were (by them that « me most) accounted honest and good « pie. Yet by the blessing of God, I
who envy peo-
have
« not wanted an understanding of the hooks « of the philosophers, hut learned them, and “ attained « even of
to a certain their
hidden
kind of knowledge, secrets.
For which
« cause sake, there shall not any moment of “ my life pass, wherein remembering this so « vast a good, I will not upon my bare knees “
or otherwise in (if the place will permit) of heart, with all the entireness
“ my “ affe&ions, render thanks
my
to this
my
most
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
5
Who never for-
**
good and gracious God.
“
sakes the righteous generation,, or suffers the
“ children of
the just to
beg
nor
their bread,
“deceives their expectations, but supports
“ them with blessings, who put “ trust in him.
their
“ After the decease of my parents,
I
whole
Nicolas
“ Flamel got my living by the art of writing, “ ingrossing inventories, making up accounts,
“ keeping of books, and the like. In “ course of living there fell by chance “
my
this
into
hands a gilded book, very old and large,
“ (which cost me only the sum of two florins, “ which was about 65. 8c/. formerly, now 10s. “English).
It
was not made of paper or other books be, but of ad-
“ parchment, as “ mirable rinds (as “
trees.
it
seemed to me) of young
The cover of it was of brass;
it
was
“ well bound, and graven all over with strange “ kind of letters, which I take to be Greek “characters, or some such like. This I “ know, that I could not read them, nor were “ they either Latin or French letters or words,
" of which I understand something.
But
as
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
6
"
to the matter
which was written within,
it
" was engraven (as I suppose) with an iron “ pencil or graver upon the said bark leaves;
“ done admirably well, and in " Latin letters, and curiously " contained thrice seven
" were numbered in " and every seventh
fair
and neat
coloured.
It
leaves, for so they
the top of each folio: leaf
was without any
"writing; but in place thereof, there were
“
several images or figures painted.
"
the
first
« Virgin
" On “
seventh leaf was depicted, 2.
1.
Serpents swallowing her up :
the second seventh,
And on
Upon
A
the last seventh,
A
—
Serpent crucified:
A
Desart or
JÏÏÎ-
$
“ demess;
in midst
whereof w as seen many r
whence issued out a number of serpents here and there. U pon “ the first of the leaves w as w ritten in capital
cc
fair
fountains, from
<<r
letters
« priest,
of gold, Abraham, the Jew , prince
L évité,
astrologer and philosopher, to
“ the nation of the Jews, dispersed bp
the
wrath
“ of Gocl in France, wisheth health. After “ which words, it was filled with many exe“ orations and curses, with this word Mara-
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL. (t
*
7
nath A, (which was oft repeated) against any one that should look into it to unfold if except
he were either priest or scribe.
The person “ ignorant of
bought
it:
that sold
its
me
this
book, was
worth, as well as I
I judge it
who
might have been stolen
“ from some of the Jewish nation, or else found in some place where they anciently '
“ abode. In the second leaf of the book, he consolated his nation, to
sel,
ways,
and
and gave them pious coun~ turn from their wickedness and evil but above
all to
flee
from
idolatry,
wait in patience for the coming of " the Messiah, who conquering all the kings to
“ and potentates of the earth, should reign in “ glory with his people to eternity. Without doubt, this was a very pious, wise, and un" derstanding man. In the third leaf, and in all
the
“ t,lem
**
assist
that followed,
he taught
in plain
metals,
“
w riting to
words the transmutation of the end that he might help and
his dispersed
tributes to the
people,
to
pay
their
Roman emperors, and some
8
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
.
“ other things not needful here to be repeated. “ He painted the vessels by the sides or marthe
tc
gin of the leaves, and discovered
*(
colours as they should arise or appear, with
te
all
€C
But of the prima
the rest of the work.
materia , or
“ not
so
“ them,
first
much
as
all
matter or agent, he spake
one word
that in the fourth
:
but only he
and
told
fifth leaves,
he had entirely painted or decyphered it, “ and depiéted or figured it, with admirable *c
dexterity and workmanship.
“
it
was singularly
well,
Now
though
and materially or
and painted, yet by that could no man ever have been able to under“ stand it, without having been well skilled in
“
intelligibly figured
“
their cabala,
“
tions,
and
which
also
to
is
a series of old tradi-
have well studied their
« books. The fourth and fifth leaf thereof “ was without any writing, but full of fair “ figures bright and shining, or as it were “ enlightened, and very exquisitely depicted. « First, there was a young man painted, with “ wings at his ancles, having in his hand a “ caducæn rod, writhen about with two serV
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL. *r
w herewith
pents,
“ covered with
lie
This seemed,, in
“ my mean apprehension, " heathen gods,
upon an helmet
stroke
head.
its
9
to
my
be one of the
Mercury: against him there came running and flying with open
“ wings, cc
“ hands
“
it
man, with an hour-glass
a great old
upon
fixed
viz.
like
his head,
and a scythe
in his
Death, with which he would (as
were in indignation ) have cut
off the feet
“ of Mercury. On the other side of the “ fourth leaf, he painted A fair Flower on the Top of a very high Mountain, which was very
much shaken
Its foot-stalk
“
red,
and
its
was blue,
€t
the north
tions.
On the
its
flowers white
it
the dragons and griffins
made fifth
their nests
leaf
was
and habita-
Afair Rose-tree
flowered, in the midst of a garden,
up “
and
leaves shining like fine gold:
and round about
“ of
with the north wind.
growing
against a hollow oak, at the foot where-
°* bubbled forth a fountain
of pure white
which ran headlong down into the depths below. Yet it passed through the water,
“
“ hands of a great number of people, *
C
who
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
10
« digged
in the earth, seeking after
it:
but by
of their blindness, none ot them knew it, except a very few, who considered reason
<( €{ ec
its
On the last side of the fifth leaf, depicted A King 'with a Fciulchion who
weight.
was
,
« caused €e
“ “ “
his Soldiers to slay before
him many
by and weepThese murtlierers.
Infants , the mothers standing ins: a at
the feet of their
being gathered up by other was put into a great vessel wherein
infants* blood, soldiers,
“ Sol and Luna came to bathe themselves: « And because this history seemed to repre“ sent the destruction of the Innocents by ff
Herod, and that
I learned the chiefest part
of the art in
book
“ “
figures,
that
;
therefore I placed
church-yard these hieroglyph ick
in their
“
this
of
this learning,
which was contained
thus have in the
you
first five
leaves.
“ As
what was in all the rest of the “ written leaves, which was wrote in good and « intelligible l atin, I must conceal, lest God, ei
for
being: offended with me, should
« plagues and judgments upon me:
send his it
would
ACCOUNT OP NICOLAS FLAMEL. " be a wickedness much wished that
all
men
greater, than
in the
“ head, that he might cut
it
“ well tc
off at
upon
the operations
all
it
it
who
one blow.
this delicate
precious book, I did nothing night, but study
he
w orld had but one
" Having thus obtained tc
11
;
else,
and
day and
conceiving very
pointed forth, but
wholly ignorant of the prima materia w
" which
I
should begin, which
ith
made me sad
and discontented.
My whom
wife,
whose name was Perenelle,
loved equal with myself, and had
I
^
t'
“
for
was mightily concerned
me, and with
“me, earnestly “might deliver
many words comforting desired to know how she me from this trouble. I
" could no longer keep counsel, but told her
“
shewing her the very book, which when “ she saw, she became as well pleased with it ali >
as myself,
and with great delight beheld the
" admirable cover, the engraving, the images, “ and exquisite figures thereof, but under“ stood as little of them as I. Yet it w 7
mcucr
of consolation to
me
as
to discourse
12
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
“ and
to entertain
think what
C(
interpretation
“ At length,
my
should do to find out the
we
(C
myself with her, and to
and meaning
caused to be painted within
I
much to
chamber, as
as I could, all the
«
said fourth
and
thereof.
the
life
or original
images and figures of the
fifth leaves.
These
I
shewed
“ to the greatest scholars and most learned « men in Paris, who understood thereof no more than myself: I told them they were “ found in a book which taught the philoso* c
But the
pher’s-stone.
“ them made
a
mock both
greatest
of
deep student in
whose name
praetiser of physic,
this art.
of
me and that most
excellent secret, except one
« was Anselme, a
part
He much
and a
desired
^ to see my book, which he valued more than “ any thing else in the world, but I always « refused him; only made him a large demon“ stration of the method. “ He told me, that the first figure repre« sented Time, which devours all things; and “ that, according to the number of the six written leaves, there was required the space
ACCOUNT OP NICOLAS FLÀMEL. “ of six years to pcrfeéî the stone ; e
said he,
we must
“ no more/
“ but only
“
book
“
vive,
was not painted,
which was
this digestion
were, a second agent;
it
first
agent was there
the white
This, without doubt,
which they could not or take
feet,
away
and heavy
was argent
fix,
i. e.
cut off
his volatility, save
by
that long digestion in the pure blood of
" young cive
“
this
it
to
that certainly the
painted,
“ his
“
him
he answered me, that
:
water.
“
turn the glass, and see
f° r six years was, as
and
and then/
shew and teach the prima mateor first agent, as was written in the
ria, rr
I told
€
13
first
infants.
For
in
that,
this
argent
being joined with Sol and Luna, was turned with them, into a plant, like that
“ there painted, and afterwards by corruption into serpents, which serpents being " P erfe6 dried and digested, were made a
%
fine P ow der
of gold, which
“ This strange or matter, that
is
the stone.
foreign discourse to the
was tae cause of
made me w ander
my
erring,
and
for the space of one-
" and- twenty years in a perfect mæander from
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEt.
14 •*
the verity; in
which space of time
I
went
«
through a thousand labyrinths or processes, of but all in vain; yet never with the blood
«
infants, for that I
“
villainous.
*c
For
I
accounted wicked and
found in
my
book, that
« the philosophers called blood the mineral “ spirit, which is in the metals, chiefly in Sol,
“ Luna, and Mercury, to which sense I “ always in my own judgment assented; yet were « interpretations for the most part these
« not more subtle than true. Not finding “ therefore in my operation or course of my written in
« processes the signs, at the time « my book, I was ever to begin again. “ In the end, having lost all hope of
ever
“ understanding those symbols or figures, I “ made a vow to God, to demand their mter<•'
belonging to pretation of some Jewish priest,
with « some synagogue inSpain. Whereupon, carrying « the consent of my wife Perenelle, figures « with me the extra» or copy of the habit and “ or pictures, I took up a pilgrim’s “ staff, in the same manner as you see me
“ figured without the
said said arch, in the
ACCOUNT OP NICOLAS FLA MEL.
15
church-yard, in which Ï put these hieroglyphic figures: whereon also I have set on
^
'
i
c
" <(
on both hands, the
sentingin order
all
process, repre-
the colours of the stone,
as they arise in the operation,
again.
This
is,
as
it
and go away
were, the very begin-
n,n & of kin Hercules his book, entituled S " Ins, or the Rainbow, which treats of the colour of the stone, in these words: Opcris “ processio multàm natures placet in English,
—
The
process of the
unto nature.’
" “
"
And
work these
is
very pleasing
words
I also
put
there expressly, for the sakes of great scholars and learned men, who may
understand
to
what they
allude.
In this same manner, I say, I put myself
pon
journey
to
Spain; and so much I did, that I in short time arrived at Montjov " and a whi,e at S'- James, where with much aevotion I accomplished my vow. d ° ne Leon ’“ at m ”.
((
m
J return, I met « with -a. a merchant of Boulogne, who brought
me
acquainted with a physician, one
M.
16
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS F LAM EC.
“ Canchcs, a Jew by nation, but now a “ Christian, dwelling at Leon aforesaid. “ I shewed him the extrafit or copy of my
“
figures,
by which he was (as
it
were)
ra-
“ vished with great astonishment and joy. He “ desired immediately, if I could tell him any « ne ws of the book from whence they were which “ drawn? I answered him in Latin (in < language he asked me the question) that I of the “ doubted not of obtaining the sight
«
i>0 ok,
if I
could meet with any one
who
this, " could unfold the aenigmas. Hearing earnest« and being transported with great unto me « ness and joy, he began to decypher was much « the beginning: to be short, he to hear tidings « pleased that he was in hopes
hear
to « of the book, and I as much pleased (And doubt“ him speak and interpret it. much talk of the book ; er less he had heard which was « but it was, as he said, of a thing
« believed
to be utterly lost).
Upon
this v\c
Leon “ resolved for our voyage; and from thence to « we passed to Oviedo, and from
ACCOUNT or NICOLAS FLAMEL. Sanson, where
“
to sea,
“
we
17
took shipping and went
in order to
going into France.
voyage was prosperous and happy *» “ and being arrived in the kingdom of France, <( (C
<c cc
*
>UI
'
he most truly interpreted unto est part of
my
me
the great-
figures, in
which, even to the points and pricks, he could decypher great mysteries
which were admirable
to
me.
“ Having attained Orleans, “
man fell sick, even
“ with extreme sea-sickness
as
being
learned
being alHicted
vomitings, which
" nued with him, ‘
to death,
this
still
conti-
caused by his notwithstanding which, he
:
" was
first
in continual fear, lest I should leave or “ forsake him, which was a great trouble to
“ him.
And
hi> side,
although I was continually by yet he would be almost always
" eaUing for me “ of his sickness
end of the seventh day he died, which was no small me; and I buried him (as ;
at the
"grief to well as “ m y P resent condition would permit me in ) " a church at Orleans. *
D
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL.
18
*
.
«
manner of my * arrival, and the joy of Perenelle, let him cc look upon us two, in the city of Paris upon
“ He
that
would
see the
the door of the chapel of
James of
the
Bou-
“ chery, close by the one side of my house, “ where we are both painted kneeling and (e For through tne giving thanks to God. cc
grace of
God
it
was that
I attained the per-
knowledge of all that I desired. Weil (C I had now the prima materia, the first prin“ ciples, yet not their first preparation, which “
«
!
fe£t
is
a thing most
“ things in “ that also,
difficult,
the world. after a
But
above
all
in the
end
other I
had
long aberration and wan-
dering in a labyrinth of errors for the space “ of three years, or thereabouts, during which ec
“ time
I
did nothing but study,
and search,
“ and labour, so as you see me depicted with" out this arch, where I have placed my pro“ cess. Praying also continually to God, and reading attentively in
my
book, pondering
" the words of the philosophers, and then try« ing and
proving the various operation*
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL. which
I
19
thought to myself they might mean
by their words. “ At length I found that which I desired “ which I also soon knew by the scent and odour thereof: haying
this I easily
plished the magistery.
accom-
For knowing the
preparations of the prime agents, and then literally
“ book,
following the
directions in
I could not then miss the
work
my if
I
would.
Having
come now to projection; and the first time I made projec“ tion was upon Mercury, a pound and a attained this, I
“ half whereof, or thereabouts, I turned into
" pure silver,
better than that of the mine, as I
“ proved by assaying of causing others to assay
it
it
myself,
for
and
also
me many times.
“ This was done in the year of our Lord 138 2 January 17 , about noon, being Mon:
daJ*
“
,
m y °wn house,
Perenelle only being
present.
“ Again, following exaftly the directions in my book, literally and word by word, I
" made projection of #
.the
d2
red stone, on the
20 f<:
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL. of Mercury, Perenelle only
like quantity
being present, and in the same house;
“ which was done Lord,
viz.
This Mercury
into almost as
better indeed than also,
“ fC
I
and more speak
same year of our
1382, April 25, at five in the
afternoon.
muted
in the
it
I
truly trans-
much gold
common
gold,
;
much
more
pliable.
in all truth, I
have made
three times with the help of Perenelle,
“ understood
it
“
in
assisted
me
soft
as well as myself,
my
operations
:
it
who
because she
and without
“ doubt, if she w ould have indeed done it a alone, she would have brought the work to “ the same or full as great perfe&ion as I bad “ done. I had truly enough when I had once done
it;
but
I
« pleasure and delight
found exceeding great in seeing
and contem-
plating the admirable works ot nature withAnd to shew to you that I in the vessels.
had then done it three times, I caused to be « depi6ied, under the same arch, three fur“ naces
«
like to those
which
rations of this work.
serve for the ope-
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL. rf
I
was much concerned
21
long time,
for a
"lest that Perenelle (by reason of extreme
"joy) should not hide her felicity, which I " measured by my own, and lest she should
" let fall some words among; her relations “ concerning the great treasure which we " possessed. For an extremity of joy takes " away the understanding, as well as an ex" tremity of grief and sorrow: but the good" ness of the most great God had not only
given and
filled
me
with
this
blessing, to
" give me a sober and chaste wife, but she was " also a wise and prudent woman; not only
"
capable of reason, but also to do what was reasonable,
and was more
than ordinarily other
“ “
women
and secret
are.
Above
was exceedingly religious and devout: and therefore seeing herself without all
l
s l ie
10 P e
of children, and
years, she
made
it
now
well stricken in
her business, as
“ think of God, and
“ works “
discreet
I did, to
to give ourselves to the
of charity and mercy. “ Before the time wherein I wrote this dis-
course,
which was
at the latter
end of the
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLÀMEL.
22
“ year of our Lord 1413, after the death of my faithful companion (whose loss I cannot “ but lament all the days of my life), she and €e
I
had already founded and endowed with
*c
revenues fourteen hospitals, three chapels,
te
and seven churches,
“ which we had new *c
in the city of Paris, all
built
and enriched with great with
“ Ci
many
about as
gifts
and revenues,
reparations in their cliurch-
We
yards.
from the ground,
have done
also
much
as
at
Boulogne
we have done
at Paris:
not to speak of the charitable a6ls which
we
both did to particular poor people, princi-
fC
pally to poor
widows and orphans: whose
names should
I divulge,
of the charity, and the
my
w ith the largeness way and manner of
cf
doing
te
in this world, so neither could
it,
as
reward would then be only
ing to the persons to
“ Building, cr
pels,
whom we
it
be pleas-
did
it.
therefore, these hospitals, cha-
churches,
"
city, 1
te
fourth arch,
and church-yards in
this
caused to be depicted, under the said the
marks or signs of
most true and this art, yet
essential
under
vails.
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL. “ types, *
k
tation
and hieroglyphic covertures, in imiof those things which are con-
tained in the gilded
“
the
book of Abraham
Jew.
“ This representation '
l
may
signify
things, according to the capacity
derstanding of those Vk
first,
23
two
and un-
who may view them:
the mystery of the resurreftion
and
day of judgment, wherein Christ Jesus our “ Tord, (whom I pray and beseech to have " mercy upon us) shall come to judge the world.
‘
f
as
Secondly,
it
might signify to such
have learned natural philosophy
all
the
'*
the principal and necessary operations of the “ magistery, or the true and w hole process
of
“ the grand elixir.
These hieroglyphic
guies sene also as a double *
the heavenly
life.
The
w ay,
first
7
fi~
leading’ to
demonstrating
" the sacred mysteries of our salvation, as shall " hereafter Revved, the other demonstrating to
the wise
and men of understanding, “ tbe direa and P®rfcà way of operation and lineary
" which
work of
the philosopher’s stone: being perfected by any one, takes
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAMEL»
£4 tc
away from
te
which
is
liim the root of
covetousness
;
all sin
and
changing
liis
evil,
e\il
“ into good, and making him liberal, cour“ teous, religious, devout, and fearing God,
For
soever he was before.
t(
how wicked
<c
from thenceforward he
is
continually ra-
« vished with the goodness of God, and with « his grace and mercy, which he has obtained
« from the fountain of lc
eternal goodness
;
with
the profoundness of his divine and adorable power, and with the consideration of his
<c
admirable works.
« These “ iC
to
are the reasons
set these
this
“ that
me
and representations in this place, viz. to the end
figures
manner and if any
which moved
in
man obtain this inestimable good,
ec
or becomes master of
(C
tieece,
and golden
this rich
he may consider with himself (as
I
which God has ec bestowed upon him in the earth, buying “ houses, lands, and possessions, which are the « did) not
to hide this talent
" vanity and <c
to
follies
of this world
pursue his work, and
duct, with
all
to
:
but rather
bestow the pro-
love and charity,
among
the
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLÀMEL. “ poor and needy
“ learned €C
remembering
;
25 he
that
among them that poswit, among the bones of
secret
this
scssed nothing, to
“ the dead, in which number he himself shall “ shortly be found. And that after this life he must render an account,
before a most
“just and mighty judge, who will judge “ every one according to his works, and to “ whom he must render an account for every
“ vain and
idle
word,
“ Having therefore well weighed
and well understood those
“ ing €C
also the
via, or
first
my
my
words,
hav-
figures,
knowledge of the prima mate-
agents, pursue thou the
work
to
“ the perfection of this magistery of Hermes, “ for the glory of God, and the good of “ necessitous and distressed human kind but
;
(C
more
especially to those
household of
faith, to
such
who
are of the
as are truly
poor
and just people, aged persons and widows “ orphans and forlorn, the despised, and for" saken, whom the world is not
worthy
*
E
of,
26
ACCOUNT OF NICOLAS FLAM EL.
“ dispersing bounteously of this your hidden “ treasure, with an open and liberal, but secret
hand.”
,
'
TESTAMENT OF
NICHOLAS FLAMEL.
B
TESTAMENT O
F
NICHOLAS FLAMEL.
1.
1
Nicholas Flamel, a scrivener of
Paris,
in the year 1414, in the reign of our gracious prince Charles the vi‘\, whom God preserve;
and
after the
Perenelle, light,
in
am
death of
my
seized with a desire
remembrance of
behalf, dear
faithful
nephew,
her,
partner
and a de-
and in your
to write out the
whole
magistery of the secret of the Powder of Proje6lion, or the Philosophical
TinQure, which
hath willed to impart to his very insigniout, as ficant servant, and which I have found
God
thou
also wilt find out in
declare unto you.
working
as I shall
TESTAMENT DE
NICOLAS FLAMEL. EXTRAIT.
Je
î.
Nicolas Flamel, écrivain de Paris,
cette présente
année 1414, du régné de notre
prince bénin Charles Yi, auquel Dieu veuille, bénir; et après la mort de
pagne Perenelle, me prend en
me
recordant d icelle
*,
ma
fidelle
fantaisie et liesse*,
en grace de
cher neveu, d’écrire toute la maitrise secret de la
comtoi^ 3
du
Poudre de Projeétion ou Teinture
Philosophale,
que Dieu apris vouloir 4 de départir à son moult 5 chétif serviteur, et que ay répéré * comme répéreras en ouvrant 7
comme 1
te diray.
2
Laetitia-
4 Voluit.
5
.
.
De illâ recordans
Multùm.
6
Reperii.
B 2
3
(ego). 7
Magisterium,
Operand o*
TESTAMENT OF
3
And for this cause do not forget to pray God to bestow on thee the understanding of
2.
to
the reason of the truth of nature,,
which thou
wilt see in this book,, wherein I have written
the secrets also as I
word
for word, sheet
sheet,
and
have done and wrought with thy dear
whom
aunt Perenelle, 3.
by
I very
much
regret.
Take heed before thou workest,
the right
way
as
a
man
The reason of nature Moon, as I have said are those figures
is
in
to seek
of understanding.
Mercury, Sun and
my
which thou
book, in which seest
arches of the Innocents at Paris.
under the
But
I erred
greatly upwards of 93 years and an half, in
labouring without being able to marry the
Moon,
that
is
extraét from
quicksilver, to the Sun,
and
them the seminal dung, which
to is
a deadly poison; for I was then ignorant of the agent or medium, in order to fortify the
Mercury: as
common
for without this agent,
water.
Mercury
is
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
3
Et ces causes n’oublie mie 8 de prier Dieu que te buille 9 entendement de raison de vérité de nature, que verras en cettuy ° livre, où t’ai écrit les secrets mot à mot, feuillet par 1
comme j’ai
feuillet, et ainsi
ta
chere tante Perenelle, que je regrette moult
grandement.
.
.
3 Avise bien, avant d’ouvrer .
îe
ouvré avec
fait et
ment.
impétrer 1
Lune,
comme ay
dit
figures
que verras
ès arches des
Soleil et les
,
a
chemin comme homme d’entendeLa raison de nature est Mercure,
droit
sont
1
mon
en
livre
où
Char-
niers de Paris. Ains’
plus de LJ3 ans et voii marier la Soleil,
aj resté court par moult 1 demi à labourer 4 sans pou*
Lune, qu’ 15
et tirer
d’eux
le
vèf argent, au
est
fumier seminal qu’
1
«
venin mortifère, pour ce que ne connoissois 1 * mie l’agent ou medium, afin de fortifier est
le
Mercure: car
comme 8
eau vul^ale O
Non.
9
operans. 1
4
*
Laborare.
veram.
Mercure sans
le
>
Ut
9
«°Inisto.
Impetrare.
Sine
quæ.
illo
est
•
tibi det.
1 s
»
1
icelui 18
3 I
Agente.
6
> *
Ego autcm 1 7
qui. 9
Antequam
erravi
quia
mullùm.
non cogno*
Communis.
TESTAMENT CE
4
/
,
what manner Mercury is to be fortified by a metallic agent, without which it never can penetrate into the belly of the Sun
Know
4.
in
and of the Moon afterward it must be hardened, which cannot be effected without the ;
sulphureous
spirit
must therefore agent, that
is
of gold or
silver.
You
open them with a metallic say with royal Saturn ia, and
first
to
afterward you must acuate the
philosophic means, that you
Mercury by a
may
afterward by
Mercury dissolve into a liquor gold and Luna, and draw from their putrefa&ion the
this
generative dung.
And know
5.
way
thou, that there
no other
nor means to
w ork
in this art, than that
give thee
word
for
which
I
tion, unless
it
be taught as
easy to perform, but
very
is
I
word
now
;
an opera-
do, not at
all
which on the contrary
is
difficult to find out.
Believe stedfastly, that the whole philoof sophic industry consists in the preparation 6.
the
Mercury of the w ise,
for in
it is
the whole
has alof what we are seeking for, and which ways been sought for by all ancient wise men ;
NICOLAS FLAMEL. 4.
Sache comment
le
4
Mercure
doit être for-
par un agent métallique, sans quoi peut jamais pénétrer dans le ventre du tifîe
il
ne
Soleil et
de
la
Lune;
ne peut de
l’or
être
il
faut ensuite l’endurcir, ce qui
opéré que par l’esprit sulfureux
ou de l'argent.
faut
Il
donc que tu
ouvres d’abord avec un agent métallique, c est a-dire avec la Saturnie royale, et ensuite les
que tu acues (acuas)
Mercure par un moyen philosophique, afin que tu puisses apres ceia par ce Mercure fondre en liqueur ° r et k Lune > et tirer d e leur
\
le
pourriture le
.
lumier génératif.
Et sache qu’il n’y a point d’autre voie m moyen de travailler dans cet art, que celui que je te donne mot à mot; opération qui n’est 5.
nullement fade à
faite.
tres-epmeuse à trouver,
comme je C-
q „i
si
an
elle n’est
le fais.
Crois fermement
que toute
l „“ t
enseignée 8
l’industrie
philosophique co „s, s te dans la préparation du en des sages, parce qu’en lui est tout ce que nous cherchons, et
me
cm’nnr
cherché
les
•
t
anciens safres;> et que nous u avons,, w
^
TESTAMENT OF
5
no more than they, have done with nothing without this Mercury, prepared there i» Sun or Moon: for without these three, of accomnothing in the whole world capable medicinal plishing the said philosophical and
and
that we,
tinaure. It
is
we
expedient then that
learn to
spiritual seed. extraa from them the living and but Sun, Moon 7. Aim therefore at nothing
philosophical and Mercury prepared by a hands, but the industry, which wets not the
which has
metal, and
phureous
soul,
sulphur.
And
stray
in itself a metallic sul-
namely, the ignited light ot not in order that you may
yourself to from the right path, apply for there the
metals;
found
in all
;
aforesaid sulphur
but thou wilt
easily find
it,
is
even
the caverns and almost similar to gold, in and of Venus, depths of Mars, which is iron,
which
is
copper, nearly as
in the other; it,
this
and even
if
much
in the one as
you pay
attention to
moist sulphur has the power of tinging which is fine silver, into pure
and cold Luna, yellow and good Sun done by a
spiritual
;
but
this
medium,
ought viz.
to
be
the key
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
non plus qu’eux,
5
rien fait sans ce
Mercure,
prepare avec Soleil ou Lune car sans ces il n y a rien dans tout le monde qui :
trois,
puisse
faire
la
dite teinture
decinale.
nions à
Il
tirer
philosophique et mé-
donc que nous appred’eux la semence vive et spifaut
rituelle.
7 Ainsi ne
ise
^
qu’au
Soleil,
Mercure préparé par une
à la
Lune et au
industrie philoso-
phique, lequel nemouille point les mains, mais le métal, et qui ait en soi une ame métallique sulfureuse, savoir, la lumière ignée
Et afin que tu ne
chemin, attache
toi
te
du
soufre.
détournes pas du droit
aux métaux;
là le susdit
soufre se trouve dans tous; mais tu le trouveras facilement et même presque semblable à l’or dans les cavernes et les profondeurs
de Mars,
qui est
de Venus, qui
le fer, et
est le cuivre,
à
peu- pn'-s au tant en l'un qu’en l’autre; et
même
si
tu
y
fais attention,
ce soufre a le
pouvoir de teindre l’humide et froide Lune qui est argent fin en pur Soleil jaune et bon; mais il faut que cela se fasse par un medium spirituel, savoir,
la
clef qui ouvre tous les
C
mé-
TESTAMENT OF
ü
which opens
all
which
metals,
I
am going
to
therefore, that
make known to you. Learn which is a among the minerals there is one except Sun and Moon, thief, and cats up all for when he render the thief very good
who
;
has them in his belly, he
is
good
quicksilver, as I shall presently
to prepare the
make known
to you.
the right Therefore do not stray out of words, and then give road, hut trust to my 8.
thyself up
to the practice,
which
I
am going
of the Father, bestow on thee in the name
to
of Son, and Holy
Spirit.
»
•
1
THE PRACTICE. 9.
Take thou
eldest or in the first place the
not the vulgar, first-born child of Saturn,
9
of the God of War, parts; of the sabre clialibs and this latter into a crucible, Put parts. 4 therecomes to a melting redness, cast
when
it
Saturn, in the 9 parts of will redden the other.
the
filth
that
arises
and immediately
this
Cleanse thou carefully
on the surface of the
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
que je
iaux,
vais
prends donc que parmi
nn qui
est
un
le Soleil et la
les
voleur, qui
Ap-
connoitre.
faire
te
6
minéraux
mange
y en a
il
tout excepté
Lune, qui rendent très-bon ce
voleur; car quand
bon a preparer
il
a dans ventre
les
le vif-argent,
;
comme je
il
est
te le
dirai bientôt.
Ainsi ne te détourné pas du droit chemin, rapporte t’en âmes paroles, ensuite livre S.
toi
la pratique,
que je
vais te
du
Fils et
du Saint
Peie, et
donner au
I
tenus d abord
nom du
Esprit.
PRATIQUE d.
à
l’ainé
,
ou
enfant de Saturne, qui n’est point 9 patties; du sabre chalibé
le
premier
le
vulgaire,
(chalybeus) du
Dieu
guerrier,
dans un creuset, jetcs
y
les
4 parties. et lorsqu
neuf
parties de Saturne: aussitôt
celui ci rongera l’autre. les
’il
Mets ce dernier sera rouge fondant,
ordures qui s’élèvent c 2
Netoye avec soin au dessus de la Sa-
TESTAMENT OF
7
saturnia, with saltpetre
times.
tartar, four or
fne
operation will he rightly done
The
when thou
and
upon
seest
the matter an astral sign
like a star. 10.
Then
is
made
which opens and
the key
cuts through
and the all
sabre,
metals, but
and Venus, which it eats, this devours and keeps in his belly, and by
Moon
chiefly Sun,
art in the right
means thou
if
road of truth,
Saturthou hast operated properly. For this for it is a nia is the royal triumphant herb, imperfect king, whom we raise up by little
a philosophic
artifice
to the
greatest glory
and honour.
queen, that
is
to say the
of the Sun:
it is
degree of the It
Moon
is
also
the
and the wife
therefore both male and fe-
Mercury. This male, and our hermaphrodite the Mercury or Saturn la is represented in seven
first
pages of the book of
Abraham
golden Jew, by two serpents encircling a
the rod.
quantity of care to prepare a sufficient is to say about for much is required, that
Take it,
12 or 13
lbs.
you wish
to
of
it,
or even more, according as
work on
a large or a small scale.
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
tu r nie, avec
du
salpêtre et
L’opération sera bien
fois.
verras sur la matière
une
du
tartre, 4
faite
un signe
ou 5
quand tu
astral
comme
étoile.
10. Alors est faite la clef et le coutelas,
ouvre, et coupe tous
ment
Soleil, la
dévoré
et
métaux, principale-
les
Lune
qui
et
Vénus, qu ’il mange,
garde dans son ventre, et tues par ce moyen dans le droit chemin de vérité, si tu
as opéré
comme
il
faut.
Car
cette Saturnie est
herbe royale triomphante, parce qu’elle est un petit roi imparfait que nous élevons par 1
un
aitifice
philosophique au dcg’re de la plus
grande gloire reine, Soleil
et
honneur:
c est-a-dire la .
ede
Mercure
est
Lune
donc male
hermaphrodite.
feuillet
du
et la
aussi
la
femme du
et femelle, et
Saturnie est représente dans
mier
elle est
notre
Ce Mercure ou le
septième pre-
livre d’ Abraham
Juif par
ceux serpents autour d’une baguette d’or. iu auras soin d’en préparer suffisamment: <ai
il
en faut beaucoup, c’est-à-dire 12 ou 13
liVics et
meme
davantage, selon que tu voudras
opérer en grand ou en
petit.
TESTAMENT OF
8
Marry
11.
tliou therefore the
Mercury, that
which
may
is
to say quicksilver with this
the philosophic
is
acuate by
young god
him and
Mercury, that you fortify the said
run-
ning quicksilver, seven or even ten or eleven with the said agent, which
times,
is
called the
key, or a steel sharpened sabre, for scythes and
penetrates
Then
metals.
the bodies of the
wilt thou have the double
treble water represented
Abraham
the book of
all
cuts,
it
by the
the Jew,
and
rose tree in
which
issues
out of the foot of an oak, namely our Saturnia,
which
is
the royal key, and goes to precipitate
itself into the abyss,
that
is
to say, into the receiver,
neck of the throws
retort,
itself
perable secret,
adapted to the
suitable fire.
are found thorns
difficulties,
unless
God
and insu-
reveals
or unless a master bestows
Mercury does not marry with it is
same author,
where the double Mercury
by means of a
But here
12.
as says the
it.
this
For
royal Saturnia:
expedient to find a secret means to unite
them
:
which
for unless thou this
knowest the
artifice
by
union and peace are effeéled be-
8
NICOLAS FLA MEL.
Tu
11.
marieras donc
le
jeune Dieu Mer-
cure, savoir la vif-argent avec celui le
Mercure philosophique,
lui et
et
de
qui
est
afin d’acuer
fortifier le dit vif-argent
même
10 ou 11
nomme
parce qu’
fois,
clef
qui
ci,
avec
par
courant, 7
le susdit
ou sabre
est
agent,
d’ acier affilé,
coupe, incise et pénétre tous les corps des métaux. Alors tu auras Peau douil
ble et triple représentée par le rosier
d ’Abraham
Juif,
laquelle sort
du
livre
du pied d’un
chene, savoir notre Saturnie, qui est la clef royale, et va se précipiter dans des abîmes,
comme
qui
le recipient
où va le
même
dit le
est
auteur, c’est-à-dire dans
adapte au col de la retorte,
se jeter le dessus
moyen d’un 12.
Mais
feu couvenable.
ici
des difficultés
se
ou
Car Mercure ne
se
il
unir: car
trouvent des épines,
insurmontables,
révélé ce secret,
loyale,
si
un maitre ne un moyen
et
Dieu ne
si
marie pas avec
faut trouver si
du Mercure double par
le
la
donne.
Saturnie
secret de les
tu ne connois l’artifice par lequel
s’opère P union et la paix entre les susdits vifs
TESTAMENT OF
9
tween these aforesaid argent- vives, you nothing
any purpose.
to
any thing from
thee,
thee, therefore, that
work
will
profit
my
I
will
do
would not conceal
dear nephew; I
without Sun or
thee nothing.
tell
Moon this
Thou must
man, or voracious devour gold or silver in the weight
therefore cause this old
wolf, to
am now about to inform thee. therefore to my words, that thou mayest
and measure Listen
not
as I
err, as I
have done in
to eat.
operate.
work.
I say,
you must give gold to our old Remark well how you ought to
therefore, that
dragon
this
For
if
you give but
the melted Saturnia, the gold
is
little
gold to
indeed opened,
but the quicksilver will not take; and here
is
an uncongruity, which is not at all profitable. Ï have a long while and greatly laboured in this affiiaion, before I found out the means to succeed in
it.
If therefore
you give him much
gold to devour, the gold will not indeed be so much opened nor disposed, but then it will take the quicksilver, and they will both marry.
Thus
the
secret, for
means it is
is
discovered.
Conceal
this
the whole, and neither trust
it
NICOLAS FLA MEL.
9
argents, tu ne feras rien qui vaille. riente
cacher,
mon
donc que sans
Soleil
te sera
1
I
cher neveu.
ou Lune
Je
te dis
cet
ouvrage ne
feras
donc man-
ou loup vorace de l’or ou de argent en poids et mesure comme je te dirai. î
vieillard
ton oreille a mes paroles, afin
et te
n’erres point,
Je
dis
donc
comme j’ai
qu’il faut
ment
il
faut operer.
fait
dans ce
que tu travail.
donner à manger de
a notre vieux dragon.
à
Tu
point profitable.
gera ce
Je ne veux
l’or
Remarque bien com-
Car si tu donnes peu d’or
la
Saturnie fondue, l’or est bien ouvert, mais le vif-argent ne prendra pas; voilà
une chose incongrue, qui n'est nullement profitable. J’ai longtems et beaucoup travaille
dans la
moyen d’y
avant de trouver le
tristesse
parvenir.
Si
beaucoup d’or à dévorer,
donc tu l’or
’V
oilà
le
et
ils
moyen
se
marieront
trouvé.
donnes
ne sera point
aussi ouvert ni disposé, mais alors vif-argent,
lui
il
prendra
le
tous deux.
Cache ce
secret;
car c est tout> et ne l’écris ni sur papier, ni sur autre chose, qui puisse être vue ; car nous serions cause de
grands malheurs
I)
TESTAMENT OF
10
any thing
to paper, or to
else
which may be
For we should become the cause of great
seen.
give
I
mischief.
it
thee under the seal of se-
love crecy and of thy conscience, for the
I
hear thee. 13 that
ten ounces of the red Sun,
Take thou
.
is
to say,
very
clean and purified
fine,
voracious nine or ten times by means of the alone two ounces of the royal Saturnia;
wolf
:
it is melted, melt this in a crucible, and when fine gold ; melt cast into it the ten ounces of
these
two together, and
ed charcoal.
it
them with a light-
will thy gold be a
Then
Four
opened.
stir
on a marble
iron mortar, reduce
it
slab or into
to
it
Make
curd like cheese, in the grinding and
working them with pure clear,
an
powder, and grind
to
well with three pounds of quicksilver.
them
little
and
and white
to
and
common that the like fine
fro
:
wash
this
water until
it
amalgama comes out
whole mass appears clear Luna. The conjunSion
golden Saturof the gold with the royal mass is soft to the nia is effeaed, when the touch like butter.
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
Je
donne sous
te le
ta conscience,
le
10
sceau du secret et de
par l’amour que j’ai
pour
toi.
13.
Prends dix onces de Soleil rouge, c’est-à
dire fin, net et purifié 9 à 10 fois par le loup
vorace seul: deux onces de Saturnie royale: fais
fondre celle ci dans
un
creuset, et lors-
qu’elle sera fondue, jetes y les 10 onces d’or fin; fais fondre les
deux ensemble,
avec du charbon allumé.
et renuie
Alors ton or sera
un peu ouvert. Jete le sur un morbre ou dans un mortier de fer, mets le en poudre et broyé avec 3 livres de vif-argent:
comme du ça et la
fromage, en
lave cet
:
que
la
ce qu’elle en sorte claire,
fine.
La conjonétion de
avec la Saturnie royale dorée
masse
beurre.
l’eau pure
masse puroisse claire et blanche
comme Lune la
prendre
broyant et agitant
amalgame avec de
commune, jusqu’à et
les
fait les
est
est faite,
douce au toucher
l’or
lorsque
comme du
TESTAMENT OF
11
14.
Take
this mass,
which thou
wilt gently
dry with linen or fine cloth, with great care: this
our lead, and our mass of Sun and
is
Moon,
not the vulgar, but the philosophical.
Put it into a good
much
retort
of crucible earth, but Place the retort in a
better of steel.
furnace, and adapt a receiver to
by
Two
degrees.
fire
so
that the
receiver: this
blowing
Mercury may
;
:
give
fire
hours after encrease your
Mercury
rose-tree
it
it is
is
pass into the
the water of the
also the
blood of the
Abraham the Jew. You may now suppose that this Mercury has eat up a little of the body of the king, innocents slain in the book of
and
that
it
will have
much more
hereafter,
which
more covered by the body of
the Sa-
dissolve the other part of
will be turnia.
Thou
hast
now
them
it
ascended one degree
or step of the ladder of the 15.
strength to
art.
Take the fæces out of the in a crucible in a strong fire
retort :
;
melt
cast into
it
four ounces of the Saturnia, (and) nine ounces of the Sun. Then the Sun is expanded in the said fæces,
and much more opened than
at the
NICOLAS FLA MEL.
11
Prends cette masse, que tu sécheras doucement avec de la toile ou du drap fin et 14.
avec beaucoup de soin: voilà notre plomb, et notie masse du Soleil et de la Lune non vulgaire, mais philosophique. Mets la dans une
bonne
retorte de terre à creuset,
coup mieux
d’acier.
Pose
mais beau-
la retorte
dans un
fourneau, et adaptes y un récipient: donne du feu peu a peu. Deux heures après aug-
mente ton feu de maniéré que le Mercure passe oans le récipient: ce Mercure est l’eau du rosier fleurissant
nocens tués du
il
;
est aussi
le
sang des in-
Abraham
livre d’
Juif.
Tu
peux croire qu’ alors ce Mercure a mangé un peu du corps du roi, et qu’il aura beau-
coup plus de apres
force
pour dissoudre l’autre
qui sera plus
la Saturnie.
Te
couvert du corps de
voilà
monté un degré ou
échellon de l’échelle de 15.
Prends
les fèces
ci-
l’art.
de
la retorte;
fais
les
fondre dans un creuset à feu fort jetes-y 4 onces de Saturnie, 9 onces de Soleil. Alors :
le Soleil
est
répandu dans
beaucoup plus ouvert que
les dites
la
fèces
premiere
et
fois’ et
TESTAMENT OF
12
and
first time,,
than before,
as the it
Mercury has more vigour have the strength and
will
virtue of penetrating the gold, and ot eating
more of
it,
and of
filling his belly
Operate therefore
degrees.
this
as at first
;
in grinding the
new mass
it
by
marry
stronger one degree
the aforesaid Mercury,
with
with
whole
together; they will take like butter and cheese
wash and grind them the blackness
is
several times,
got out
put the whole into the
:
dry
retort,
it
until
all
as aforesaid
and operate
;
;
as
hours, thou didst before, by giving during two to drive a weak fire, and then strong, sufficient out,
and cause the Mercury
to fall
into the
then wilt thou have the Mercury thou wilt have ascendstill more acuated, and philosophic ed to the second degree of the
receiver
;
ladder. 16.
Repeat the same work, by casting in
that is to say, by the Saturnia in due weight, till thou hast degrees, and operating as before,
reached the ladder
;
10th step
then take thy
Mercury is ignited,
of the
rest.
philosophic
For the aforesaid
acuated, wholly engrossed.
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
comme Mercure par avant, trer l’or,
il
aura
a plus de vigueur qu’au la force et la
d’un degré avec le
Opère donc comme la
tout
;
fois,
le susdit
se
iîs
;
prendront
jusqu’à ce que toute
comme du la
noirceur
comme je t’ai dit mets le retorte, et opère comme tu as déjà :
la
;
en donnant pendans deux heures un feu et puis fort et suffisant
fort
lave encore et broyé
en sorte seche dans
Mercure,
nouvelle masse, en
cette
beurre et du fromage plusieurs
vertu de péné-
d’en manger encore, et d’en remplir
son ventre peu à peu. premiere fois ; marie
broyant
12
pour pousser
tout fait,
foible,
et faire
Mercure dans le récipient; et tu Mercure encore plusacué, et tu seras
passer le
auras
le
monté au 2 mc degré de
l’échelle
philoso-
phique. 16. Réitère le
meme travail,
en jetant
turnie en poids convenable, c’est à dire
la Sa-
peu
à
peu et en opérant comme auparavant, jusqu’à ce que tu sois parvenu au 10 me degré de l’échelle philosophique
;
alors repose toi.
Car
le
susdit Mercure est igné, acué, engrossé entière-
TESTAMENT OF
13
of the male sulphur, and fortified with
and
full
the
astral juice
which was
in the
deep bowels
Be
of the gold and of our saturnine dragon.
am now
assured that I
writing for thee things
which by no philosopher was ever declared or For this Mercury is the wonderful written. caduceus, of which the sages have so
much
spoken in their books, and which they attest has the power of itself of accomplishing the philosophical work, and they say the truth, as I
have done
it
myself by
wilt be enabled to do
disposed: for
it is
it
this
the proximate matter
it
alone,
thyself, if
and none
and thou thou
else
art so
which
and the root of
all
is
the
metals. 17.
Now is done and accomplished
paration of the Mercury,
and proper to
work out
the
Philosophic Tincture,
transmuting
all
,
it s
naturally
silver,
to
rendered cutting
dissolve into
and
the pre-
or
nature gold
and simply the
powder
metals into gold and silver.
Some believe they have the whole maMergistery, when they have the heavenly 18.
cury prepared; but they are grossly deceived.
13
NICOLAS FLAMEλ.
ment, suc
tt plein
qui étoit daus
astral
de Tor
les
Sois
choses qu’aucun
t’écris ici des
est le
écrit.
Car ce
merveilleux caducée dont les
du
sages ont tant parlé dans leurs livres, et
quel
ils
tout
affirment qu’
seul
do
profondes entrailles
philosophe n’a jamais dit ni
Mercure
et fortifié
de notre dragon saturnien.
et
que je
assuré
de soufre male
a
il
l’ouvrage
pouvoir de faire
le
philosophique,
et
ils
comme je l’ai fait moi-meme par tout seul, et comme tu pourras le faire si tu
disent vrai, lui le
veux: car
c’est lui et
non d’autre qui
est la
matière prochaine et la racine de tout
mé-
tal.
17.
A présent est faite
paration du
et
accomplie
Mercure rendu tranchant
la pré-
et
pro-
pre à dissoudre en la nature l’or et l’argent,
pour opérer naturellement
et
simplement
la
Teinture Philosophique ou la poudre trans-
muant 18.
métaux en or et argent. Quelques uns croyent avoir
tous
tère entier,
quand
préparé; mais
ils
le
magis-
Mercure
céleste
ils
ont
se
trompent grandement.
E
le
Î4
It
•
is
for this cause they find thorns before they
pluck the It
is
TESTAMENT Oï
rose, for
want of understanding.
true indeed, that were they to understand
the weight, the regimen of the suitable
way, they would not have much to
do,
and could not
But
in this art there
therefore
fail is
a
even
if
I
am
they would.
Learn
way to work.
and observe well how
manner
the
and the
fire,
about to
to operate, in
relate to
you.
In the name of God, thou shall take of thy animated Mercury what quantity thou pleasest: thou wilt put it into a glass vessel 19.
by
itself;
or two or four parts of the
Mercury
with two parts of the golden Saturnia ; that Sais to say, one of the Sun and two of the turnia; the whole finely conjoined like but-
washed, cleansed and dried; and thou wilt lute thy vessel with the lute of wisdom. ter,
Place
it
in a furnace
on warm ashes
at the
degree of the heat of an hen sitting on her Leave this said Mercury so prepared eggs. to ascend
and descend
for the space of
40 or 50
days, until thou seest forming in thy vessel a
NICOLAS FLAMEL.:
C
est
de
cueillir la rose, faute
pourquoi
est bien vrai
régime du vient pas
que
ils
trouvent
s’ils
14
les
épines avant
d’entendement.
entendoient te poids, le
feu, et la voie convenable,
beaucoup à
Il
n’aur-
ils
travailler, et qu’ils
ne
pourroient draient. travailler.
manquer quand même ils le vauMais en cet art il y a maniéré de Apprends donc et observe bien
comment il
faut opérer, ainsi
que je
vais te le
dire.
19.
Au nom
de Dieu tu prendras de ton Mercure animé ce que tu voudras: tu le mettras dans un vaisseau de verre tout seul,
ou 2
ou 4
avec 2 de Saturnie dorée, dont une de Soleil et 2 de Saturnie; le tout trèsfinement conjoint comme du parties,
beurre,
lavé
nétoyé et séché; et tu luteraston vaisseau avec le lut de sapience. Place le dans un fourneau sur des cendres chaudes au degré de chaleur de la poule qui couve ses œufs. Laisse le dit
Mercure
ainsi
préparé monter et descendre
pendant 40 ou 50 jours, jusqu’ à ce que tu verras se former dans ton vaisseau
blanc
un
soufre
ou rouge, appelé sublimé philosoE 2
TESTAMENT OF
15
philosophic white or a red sulphur, called the reins ot the sublimate, which issues out ot
phur with a the living
of
it
Thou
Mercury.
said
feather:
wilt coll eel this sul-
it is
the living
Moon, which Mercury
Sun and
begets out
itself.
sulphur, tritura cC 20. Take this white or red and pour on it, in îi glass or marble mortar,
in sprinkling
it,
a third part of
it’s
weight of
has been Mercury from which this sulphur make a paste like drawn. With these two into an oval put again this mixture ihe
butter friars
;
:
place
it
ia a furnace
on a 'suitable
fire
disposed with a philosophic of ashes, mild, and industry.
Concoct
until the said
changed into sùlphur/and ihoiCn ill that
is
sec
during
Mercury
is
this coflion,
Wonderful things in thy
vessel,
colours that exist in the to say, all the
cunst not behold without world, which thou to God ia gratitude for heart thy up lifting
so great a gilt21.
When thou hast attained to the
purple
for then the alchythou must gather it: transmuting every is made, powder mical
red,
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
phique,
Tu
le
15
quel sort des reins du dit Mercure.
ramasseras ce soufre avec la barbe d'une
plume:
c/est le Soleil
vivante que
vivant et la
Mercure enfante hors de
20. Prends de ce soufre blanc triture le
Lune
soi.
ou rouge*
dans un mortier de verre* ou de
marbre, et verses y dessus en l'arrosant la S partie de son poids du Mercure d'où ce soufre a été tiré. Fait des deux une pâte
comme du beurre
:
remets ce mélange dans
vaisseau de verre ovale ; place le dans
un
un four-
neau sur un feu de cendres convenable* doux, et disposé avec une industrie philosophique. Cuis jusqu'à ce que îedst Mercure se change en soufre, et pendant cette coétion* tu verras dans ton vaisseau des choses admirables* c'està-dire toutes les couleurs qui sont
au monde,
ec que tu ne pourras voir sans élever ton
a Dieu en reconnoissance d'un 21.
Quand
tu seras parvenu
si
cœur
grand don.
au rouge pour-
pre* tu le recueilliras : car alors est faite la
poudre alchy inique transmuant tout métal en
-
TESTAMENT OF
IG
metal into fine pure and neat gold, which tliou maist multiply by watering already done, grinding
concocting lire, it’s
it
in the
and the time
it
it
as
thou hast
with fresh Mercury,
same
furnace and
vessel,
will be
much
and
shorter,
virtue ten times stronger.
22. This then
the whole magistery
is
done
with Mercurv alone, which some do not bebecause they are weak and
lieve to be true,
stupid,
and not
at all able to
comprehend
this
work. 23.
thou desire to operate in
Shouldest
another way, take of line Sun in fine powder or in very thin leaves:
make a
paste of
it
with
7 parts of thy philosophic Mercury, which is our Luna put them both into an oval glass :
vessel well luted
a very strong
place
;
fire
s
that
it is
in a furnace; give to say,
such as will
keep lead in fusion ; for then thou hast found out the true regimen of the fire; and let thy 1
Jn the margin of the
« ing
this
way there
is
MS.
there
is this
follow.
a great danger of a rupture of the vessel.’*
Philalctha does not recommend this vealedy chap,
note— “ In
way
;
see Secrets
Re*
Translator,
NÎCOLAS FLAMËL.
or
fin,
pur
et net,
l’arrosant ainsi
16
que tu pourras multiplier en
que tu
as déjà fait,
avec de nouveau Mercure,
broyant
cuisant dans le
meme vaisseau, dans le meme fourneau et avec le meme feu, et le tems sera beaucoup plus court, et la vertu 10 fois plus forte.
22. Voilà le magistère entier fait avec le seul Mercure, que quelques uns ne croyent
pas vrai, parce qu’ ciles et sots, et
ils
sont eux
mêmes imbé-
nullement capables d’ entendre
cet œuvre.
23
.
Si
tu desires d opérer par
\oie, prends
on
du
Soleil fin
feuilles tres-delices
une autre en poudre fine ou
en une pâte avec 7 parties de ton Mercure philosophique qui est notre Lune, mets les tous deux dans un vais!
fais
seau de verre ovale bien luté; place fourneau ; donne un feu très-fort 1 ,
le
dans un
c’est-à-dire
capable de tenir du plomb en fusion ; car alors est trouvé le vrai régime du feu; et que ton
*
Voie
En maro e du il
y
manuscrit
est cette note.
a à craindre la rupture
du
vaisseau.
En
suivant cette
TESTAMENT OF
17
Mercury, which
the philosophical wind,
is
gold, ascend and descend on the body oi the
which it eats up by degrees, and carries in it s Concoct it until the gold and Merbelly. both cury do no more ascend and descend, but union remain quiet, and then will peace and which be efl'ecled between the two dragons, i.
are fire and water both together. 24.
Then
great wilt thou see in thy vessel a
which is blackness like that of melted pitch, putrefa6lion of the the sign of the death and whole magistery. gold, and the key of the Cause
it
therefore to resuscitate
by concoct-
it: and be not weary with concocting will take during this period divers changes
ing
it,
to
say,
the matter will pass
place” that
is
through
the colours,
all
colour, the blue,
the black, the
ash
the green, the white,
the
red as blood or orange, and finally the red as at this last cothe crimson poppy: aim only
lour; for
it
is
the true sulphur, and the al-
chymical powder.
I say
nothing precisely
on the about the time; for that depends
in-
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
un vent philosophique, descende sur le corps de Tor qu'il
Mercure,
monte
qui
et
mange peu
à
est
peu
et
emporte en son ventre.
Cuis jusqu'à ce que l'or
montent
Mercure ne
et le
ni ne descendent plus,
meurent tous deux faites la
17
et qu'ils de-
tranquille, et alors seront
paix et T union entre
les
deux dragons*
qui sont feu et eau tout ensemble. Alors tu verras dans ton vaisseau une
24.
grande noirceur, qui de
est le signe
l'or et la clef
donc
ressusciter
de cuire
:
comme
en cuisant,
pendant ce
toute les couleurs,
la
Fais le
ne t'ennuye pas
teins diverses
mutations
la matière passera
par
cendré, le céleste,
blanc, l’orangé, et enfin le rouge le
parot cramoisi: ne vise
cette derniere; car c'est le vrai soufre et
poudre alchymique.
jute
et
le noir, le
comme du sang ou qu’à
poix fondue,
de tout le magistère.
;
le
la
de la mort et de la pourriture
auront lieu c’est-à-dire,
le verd,
de
le
Je ne
te dis
pas au
tems; car cela dépend de l'industrie de
F
TESTAMENT OF
18
but thou canst not
dustry of the
artist;
working
have shewn.
as I
fail,
by
25. If thou art disposed to multiply thy
powder, take one part thereof, and water
it
with two parts of thy animated Mercury;
make
it
into a soft
and smooth paste ; put
it
in
a vessel as thou hast already done, in the same
furnace and
This second
and concoét it.
fire,
turn of the philosophic wheel will be done in less
time than the
and thy powder
first,
Let
have ten times more strength.
will
wheel
it
about again even a thousand times, and as
much
as
thou
Thou
wilt.
wilt then have a
treasure without price, superior to in the world,
and thou canst
more here below, and
riches, if
2G.
Thou
ly felicity,
for
all
there
is
desire nothing
thou hast both health
thou useth them properly.
hast
now the
which
I a
treasure of
all
world-
poor country clown of
Pointoise* did accomplish three times in Paris,
*
Flamel was indeed a native of Pointoise, a
Fiance, seven leagues distant from Paris.
little
town of
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
mais tu ne pourras manquer en
P artiste
;
opérant
comme je t’ai
douce; mets
fais
en une pâte molle et
dans un vaisseau,
la
dans
fait,
de deux parties de
et arrose la
partie,
ton Mercure animé;
déjà
dit.
veux multiplier ta poudre, prends
25. Si tu
en une
18
le
même fourneau,
comme tu as avec le même
Ce deuxieme tour de
feu, et cuis.
philosophique sera
fait
la
roue
en moins de tems que
premier, et ta poudre aura 10 fois plus de
le
Fais
force.
la
encore tourner,
mille fois
même, et tant que tu voudras. T u auras alors un trésor sans prix, supérieur à tous ce qu’il y a dans
bas
désirer ici richesses,
Tu
26.
monde,
le
;
car tu
tu en uses
si
as
donc
ne peux plus rien
et tu
as
la
comme
le trésor
il
santé et les faut.
de toute la
félicité
mondaine, que moi, pauvre rustique de Pontoise
1
1
,
j’ai fait et
Flame]
étoit
en
accompli par
effet natif
trois fois
de Pontoise, petite
à 7 lieux de Paris.
F 2
ville
à
de France
TESTAMENT OF
19
in
my
house, in the street des Ecrivains, near
t# the chapel of S Jacques de la Boucherie, and
which
I
Flamel give
thee, to the
thee, for the love I bear
honour of God,
the praise of Father, Son,
Amen.
for
His glory, for
and Holy
Spirit.
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
Paris, dans
ma maison
rue des Ecrivains, tout
près de la chapelle Saint Jacques de la rie,
et
19
que moi Flamel je
te
Bouche-
donne par
l’a-
mour qu j’ai pour
toi,
pour
louange du Pere, Fils et
sa gloire et
Saint Esprit.
Amen.
on l’honneur de Dieu
TESTAMENT OF
20
[The French correspondent addsj ff This is “ what I find at the end of the Manuscript/’
They
assert that the original
margin of a vellum Nicholas Flamel’s own hand-
was written upon Psalm-book, in
of this work
the
writing in favour of his nephew.
The
process
was written
in cyphers, the better to conceal
the secret.
Each
letter
different ways, so that to
alphabet therewith 96
was shaped
make up
letters
in four
the whole
were employed.
Father Pernetti and Monsieur de Saint
Marc
deci phered this writing with much difficulty. M. de S u Marc was on the point of giving it
up; but Father
Pernetti,
who had
already
found out the vowels, encouraged him
on with the work, which they
to
go
at last over-
came, with complete success, about the year 1758.
NICOLAS FLAMEL.
I
20
aid ce que je trouve à la suite du Manuscrit.
On étoit
que
assure écrit
sur
Pseaumes en
l’original de cet
marges
les
d’un
velin, le tout écrit
de
ouvrage
livre la
des
propre
main de Nicolas Flamel en faveur de son neveu. Le procédé étoit écrit en chiffres pour en mieux cacher étoit figurée
sorte
Chaque
secret.
de quatre maniérés
Marc
beaucoup de étoit près
lettre
différentes,,
que pour en former l’alphabet
voit 96 lettres.
Saint
le
Le Pere Pernety
il
de
se trou-
et
M.
de
déchiffrèrent cette écriture avec difficulté.
M.
d’y renoncer; mais
qui avoit déjà trouvé
les
de Saint le
Marc
Pere Pernety^
voyelles, l’encou-
ragea à continuer ce travail, dont ils vinrent à bout avec un entier succès vers l’an 1758»
«
<•
.
;
.
-
_
' •
•
*
GLOSSARY BY THE
EDITOR.
This
little
Work
contains
more of the Sum and
Substance of the Secret, than nearly four thousand known Books that have been written, from Hermes to
Phtraletha, upon the obscured Science of Al-
ehymy. Writer of the Preface.
GLOSSARY.
yIbyss. Argent-lives, two.
Astral-juice.
Astral-sign
.
Blood of the innno cents.
Caduceus, the wonderful.
(
ixalybs
of the god of war, Sabre.
Colours .
Dragon
old.
Dragon, saturnine. Dragons, two
Filth
.
God of war, Sabre chaîybs of Health .
the royal triumphant.
Hermaphrodite Mercury Imperfect King
7£e/y
or Royal
.
Key
King, imperfeâ.
.
.
the.
GLOSSARY.
Lead, our.
Luna,
fine.
Luna moist and
cold.
Lute of wisdom.
Male and female. Mars.
M
Mercury, double. Mercury, hermaphrodite.
Mercury of the Philosophers.
Mercury of the wise, see Mercury Mercury Philosophic or Sophie
philosophic
.
GLOSSARY,
Mercury, the heavenly.
Mercury Moon.
the
young god
Moon.
Moon
.
Moon, the
living.
Multiplication
.
Oak.
Old Man. Philosophic Sublimate,
Ph iloso ph ic Tinct are. Purple red
Queen
Red Sun
.
.
see
Sublimate
GLOSSARY.
Royal Key.
Royal Saturnin
,
see Saturnin.
Sabre chalybs of the god of war. Sabre.
Sabre
steel
Salt-pctre
sharpened.
and
Salt
of Tartar.
Saturn.
Saturnin ,
or
Royal Saturnin
Saturnin, golden.
Saturnine Dragon. Saturn's first-born child. Serpents encircling a golden rod.
Star.
Steps
of the philosophic Ladder;
GLOSSARY.
Sublimate Philosophic.
Sulphur
male.
Sulphur
white or red
Sulphur true. Sun.
Sun.
Sun
red.
Sun, the living, or Philosophic Sublimate, see Sublimate. Thief.
Time.
Venus»
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