The Signature of All Things — trans. John Ellistone (1651)
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
The translator’s English as printed (John Ellistone). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
19. The oily Property is also two-fold according to the Impression; viz. one Part forces again into the Liberty to be free from the Wrath of the Impression, which is the good Spirit, viz. the Light in the Oil; the other Part yields itself into the Anguish of the Brimstone, and remains in the Corporality, and unites and applies itself in each Thing, according to the Salt-Property of the Thing; as in a fiery Salt, it is fiery; in a bitter Salt, it is bitter; in an astringent, astringent, &c.
20. The first Property according to the Light is sweet in all Things, and the other Property of the Oil is according to the Form, viz. the Taste of the Thing, let it be either sweet, sour, astringent, sharp, or bitter, or how it will; as it is to be Sound out and known in Herbs: In some it is a bitter Poison, and in some again a Healing of the Poison; but if the poisonful Property be broken by Mercury in the Oil of Meekness, then the Love of the Light inclines itself also into the Oil, for the Original of both is from one Will, but it is altered in the Impression: As the Devil, when he was an Angel, changed himself into a Poisonous Devilish Property, and Adam out of an heavenly into an earthly [Property.]
21. Whatever grows, live, and moves in this World, consists in Sulphur, and Mercury is the Life in Sulphur, and the Salt is the corporeal Being of Mercury's Hunger, though the Body is manifold, according as the Property of the Brimstone and Salt is, according to the same Property is also the ingrafted Oil, which springs up all along in the Power; for the Oil makes the Power [or virtual Influence] in each Thing. In the Oil of the Impression, viz. in the impressed Oil, is the other Oil, viz. the Spiritual, which gives us Light, but it has another Principle; it receives no other Source into it but the Lubet of Love; it is divine Essentiality: Therefore God's own Essence is nigh unto all Things, but not essentially in all Things; it has another Principle, and yet inclines itself to all Things; as far as the Thing has any Thing of the divine Property in it, it receives Virtue from the divine Property, be it either a Vegetable or Animal, for there are Herbs and Trees, and also Creatures to be found, in which something of the divine Power is couched, with which in the magical Cure the false Magic, viz. the corrupt Evil Oil can be refilled, and changed into a good Oil.
22. All Sharpness of Taste is Salt, let it be whatever it will in this World, nothing excepted; and all Smell proceeds from the Brimstone, and Mercury is the Distin-guisher in all Motion [or Affection] both in the Smell, Power, and Taste; but I understand by my Mercury the Sphere of the Birth of all Essences, as is before mentioned; not a dead Mercury, but a living one, viz. the strongest, according to the Property of the dry Poison, &c.
23. Now it behoves the Artist and Physician to know these Things, else he cannot Cure any Sickness or Disease, unless he hits on it by Chance, if he knows not wherewith the Oil is Poisoned in the Body, and what Kind of Hunger Mercury has in the Sickness, and after what he Hungers; for if he may obtain the Salt according to the Property of his Hunger (after which he is desirous) with such an Oil as he fain would have, then is the Sickness over very soon; for he turns his Oil again into the Property of the Love of the Light, whereupon the Life begins again to mine bright.
24. For every Disease in the Body is nothing else but a Corruption or Poisoning of the Oil, from which the Life's-Light burns or shines; for when the Light of the Life shines or burns clear in the Oil, it expels and drives away all poisonful Influences and Operations, as the Day expels the Night.