124. The tincture is the pleasant sweetness and
softness in a fragrant herb and flower, and the
spirit thereof is bitter and harsh, and if the tincture
were not, the herb would get neither blossom nor
smell ; it giveth to all essences virtue to grow. Itis also in metals and stones ; it maketh that the
236 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 13
silver and gold do grow, and without it [the
tincture] there is nothing in this world could grow.
Among all the children in nature, [it only] is a
virgin, and hath never generated any thing out of
itself; neither can it generate, and yet it maketh
that all things impregnate. It is the most hidden
Dei. thing, and also the most manifest ; it is l a friend
Friendess, or
she-friend of God, and a play-fellow of virtue ; it suffereth
itself to be detained by nothing, and yet it is in all
things ; but if anything be done to it against the
right of nature, then it flieth [away], and that
very easily : It standeth not fast, and yet it continueth immovable ; it continueth in no kind of
decaying of any thing ; all the while that it standeth
in the root of nature, not altered nor destroyed, so
long it continueth. It layeth no burthen upon
anything, but it easeth the burthen in all things ;
it maketh that all things rejoice, and yet it
2 laughter, or generateth no shouting 2 noise ; but the voice
out-cry.
cometh out of the essences, and becometh loud in
the spirit.
225. The way to it is very near ; whosoever
findeth that [way] dareth not to reveal it, neither
can he, for there is no language that can express it :
* the tincture. And although any seek long after 3 it, if the tincture will not, he cannot find it ; nevertheless it
meeteth them that seek after it aright, in its own
way [or manner], as its nature is, with a virginlike mind, not being [prone] to covetousness and
[wantonness or] voluptuousness ; it suffereth itself
Ch. 13] OP THE CREATING OF THE WOMAN 237
to be imprinted [represented or imagined] in a
thing (where it was not before) by l faith, if it be1 Or belief.
right in a virgin-like manner : It is powerful, and
yet doth nothing ; when it goeth out of a thing, it
cometh not into it again, but it stayeth in its
2 ether, it never breaketh [or corrupteth] more, and 2 air, or
receptacle.
yet doth grow.
26. Now you will say, this must be God ! No,
it is not God, but it is God's 3 friend. Christ said, 3 She-friend.
My Father worketh, and I work also ; but it
worketh not ; it is in a thing imperceptibly, and
yet it may well be overpowered and used ; especially in metals, there it can (if itself be pure) make
pure gold of iron, and of copper ; it can make a
little grow to be a great deal, and yet it puts forth
nothing. Its way is as subtle as the thoughts of a
man, and the thoughts do even arise from thence.
327. And therefore when a man sleepeth, so that
the tincture resteth, then there are no thoughts in
the spirit ; but the constellation rumbleth in the
elements, and beateth into the brains what shall
(through their operation) come to pass, which yet
is often broken again by another * conjunction, so « aspect of the
that it cometh not to effect ; besides, it can shew p
nothing exactly, except it cometh by a conjunction
of planets and fixed stars, and that only goeth
forward, but it representeth all [in an] earthly
[manner], according to the spirit of this world ; so
that where the 6 sidereal spirit should speak of men, * Or starry
it often speaketh of beasts, and continually repre238
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 13
1 Or to bo
understood.
2 That is,
upon true
resignation.
3 Schwebet.
4 on God's
side.
sents the contrary ; as the earthly spirit fancieth
from the starry spirit, so he dreameth.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.