The Signature of All Things — trans. John Ellistone (1651)
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The translator’s English as printed (John Ellistone). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
19. Thus Mercury is vexed at the Child Venus, for Venus has wholly discovered herself, and freely given up herself; they may do now what they please, she will go even into the Dragon's Mouth, he shall only but open his Jaws; and this Mars in Mercury does not understand, but they take the fair Child, and shoot their venomous Darts against it, and bind it with Saturn's Might in their wicked Bands, as the Artist will see how they surround the Colour of Venus.
20. Mars brings it first to Mercury, seeing he is the Life, as before the high Priest, who must examine and prove the fair Child; but he hates it, he cannot reach into the Heart after its Love-Will, he only judges it externally, because it is not of his Property, that it stands forth with such a Form as the Mercury himself, and yet has another Power, Virtue and Will.
21. But seeing there is another Mercury which lives in its Love in the Child Venus, therefore he cannot kill it, but brings it to Saturn, as the Jews brought Christ from Caiaphas to Pilate, who signifies Saturn, who also takes the Child: But seeing he is a Lord of the Impression, viz. of the Darkness, therefore he cares not at all for the Property of the Child, but for the Dominion only; he seizes on the Child with the dark Impression, and strips it of its fair Venus Garment; and when Luna with the white Splendour of the Sun sees this, then she hides herself; as the Disciples of Christ fled, and the enraged [rude] Multitude also, who did highly presume to stand by him in the Cross and Persecution, but in the Earnestness they fly; for Luna is inconstant, she has not Sol's Heart in the Love-flame; and Saturn with his thorny Impression puts the Sulphur upon the Child, viz. the Mother of all Beings with the purple-coloured Raiment of her own peculiar Property, in which the Wrath of Mars is contained and harboured.
22. When Mars, viz. the Devil's Crew, and Mercury also, viz. the Self-Pride of Life, see that Venus has her royal Garment on, understand the purple Robe of Saturn and Mercury in Sol's Colour mingled with fiery Mars, and adorned in Mercury's Sulphur-Colour in the open Blaze as a shining Lustre, for so is the Materia according to the Colour of the venereal Property, which the Artist must well observe, he then will clearly see as it is mentioned.
23. When Mars, Mercury, and Luna also see this, then they cry crucifige, away with him, he is a false King in our Garment; he is a Man as we are, and will be God, that is, they cast their poisonful Desire through the purple Garment upon the Child, and so the Artist will see that the Child will appear in his own Form, as if it were full of Streaks from the poisonful Rays of Mercury and Mars, which they lay upon the Child through the Impression of Saturn; as Pilate whipped Jesus: The Artist will see the prickly Crown of Thorns standing very sharp with its Point upon the Property of the Child; also he will see that Venus does not at all move herself, but stands still, and suffers herself to be so done unto.
24. Further we are to understand, how that Adam had taken on him a cold false Love, and therewith so shewed himself before God as if he were in peculiar Dominion and Will, and moreover God's Child, whereas he did but mock God therewith; for so the Love-Desire appears when it is captivated in the Impression of Death.