The Signature of All Things — trans. John Ellistone (1651)

36. But concerning the precious Stones, with their radiant Lustre and great Virtue, the same have their Original in the Flash of the Fire, where Life and Death separate; as when one Part by Reason of the dark Essentiality descends, and the other by Reason of the Liberty ascends, and yet all is brought into Essence in the Flagrat; so that the same Flash or Glance becomes also Material in the Flagrat; and therefore they are hard, and of a blinking Glance, like an Eye; for so also is the Original of the Eye or Sight in the Womb, when the Life enkindles, all according to the Right of Eternity.

37. And therefore they are of so great Power, Efficacy, and Virtue, in that they are so nigh to the Deity, and bear the incorporated Names of the divine Power in them; as also Gold is nigh to the divine Essentiality, or heavenly Corporality: If Man could open [or disclose] the dead Body, and reduce it to a flying moving Spirit, which only can be effected through the divine Motion, then it should be seen what it could be, which no Reason believes or understands without divine Sight [or Vision.].

38. Further, we are also to consider of the other Metals and Minerals, which in like Manner do thus take their Original, but in the Salnitral Flagrat each Property is separated; as we see that the Property of the Fire and Light is different, and all from the first Impression; where before the Impression the Lubet and Desire of the Liberty stand mutually in each other, as a Chaos, a Complexion of great Wonders, where all Colours, Powers, and Virtues are contained in this only CHAOS, or Wonder-Eye, which CHAOS is God himself, viz. the Being of all Beings, who thus manifests himself in particular Beings with the Eyes of Eternity; each Materia is an Essence according to the Spirit from whence it was generated; and if it be enkindled in the Fire, it yields likewise such a Light as the Spirit is in the Essence.

39. And thus also we are to consider of the Metals; what Kind of Spirit each of them has, such a Glance and Lustre it yields, and also such a Body it has.

40. As the Mind acts and moves the Thoughts and Senses from the highest to the lowest, and comprehends and commands by the Thoughts from the highest to the lowest; so the Eternal Mind has manifested itself from the highest Majesty, even to the lowest; [meanest, or outermost Thing,] viz. to the greatest Darkness; and this World, with the Sun, Stars, and Elements, and with every creaturely Being, is nothing else but a Manifestation of the Eternity of the Eternal Will and Mind; and as it was in the Beginning, so it still stands in its Seething and Vegetation, and so it still puts forward Light and Darkness, to Evil and Good. And all Things consist in these first three Forms, viz. in Sulphur, Mercury, and Sal, as one Degree in Order after another; for so likewise are the Quires of the Spirits, as also of the Stars, Trees, Herbs, and of all Kinds whatever which have been, and are; so also are the inward heavenly Quires with their Distinction.

The Fourth Chapter.

Of the Birth of the Stars, and four Elements in the metalline and creaturely Property.

1. AS it is before mentioned, all Things proceed out of one only Mother, and separate themselves into two Essences, according to the Right of Eternity, viz. into a Mortal and an Immortal, into Life and Death, into Spirit and Body; and the Spirit is the Life, and the Body is the Death, viz. a House of the Spirit: As the holy Trinity stands in the Birth, so also is the external Birth: There is likewise Essence and Spirit in Heaven; a Figure of which we see in this outward World, where there are four Elements, and yet there is but one only Element, which separates itself into four Properties, viz. into Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, as is above mentioned.