cometh the mind: and out of the wheel of the essences come the thoughts: for the virtue of the sun hath also the mind, so that it doth not stand in the anguish, but rejoiceth in the virtue of the light.
41. Thus SUL is the soul, in an herb it is the oil, and in man also according to the spirit of this world in the third Principle, which is continually generated out of the anguish of the will in the mind, and the brimstone-worm is the spirit, which hath the fire and burneth: PHUR is the sour wheel in itself which causeth that.
42. Mercurius comprehendeth all the four forms, even as the life springeth up, and yet hath not its beginning in the centre as the PHUR hath; but after the flash of fire, when the sour dark form is terrified, where the hardness is turned into pliant sharpness, and where the second will (viz. the will of nature, which is called the anguish) ariseth, there Mercurius hath its original. For MER is the shivering wheel, very horrible, sharp, venomous, and hostile; which assimilateth it thus in the sourness in the flash of fire, where the sour wrathful life ariseth. The syllable CU is the pressing out, of the anxious will of the mind, from nature; which is climbing up, and willeth to be out aloft. RI is the comprehension of the flash of fire, which in MER giveth a clear sound and tune. For the flash maketh the tune, and it is the salt-spirit which soundeth, and its form [or quality] is gritty like sand, and herein arise noises, sounds, and voices, and thus CU comprehendeth the flash, and so the pressure is as a wind that thrusteth upwards, and giveth a spirit to the flash, so that it liveth and burneth. Thus the syllable US is called the burning fire, which with the spirit continually driveth itself forth:
and the syllable CU presseth continually upon the flash.
43. And the third word SAL is the salt-spirit; because the ancient wisemen saw how nature is thus divided into many parts, and that every form of nature hath a particular matter in this world, as may be seen in the earth: and that the salt-spirit especially is the greatest in corporeal things (for it preserveth the body that it doth not decay), therefore they have rightly set down this gate only; which is the mother of nature. For out of this form, in the creation, earth, stones, water, and all sorts of minerals were made, yet with the mixture of the other forms; as you shall see hereafter: My beloved Reader, understand us thus according to our own sense, meaning, and apprehension.
44. The four forms in themselves are the anger and the wrath of God in the eternal nature: and they are in themselves nothing else but such a source [or property] as standeth in the darkness, and is not material, but an originality of the spirit, without which there would be nothing.
45. For the four forms are the cause of all things, as you may perceive that every life hath poison, yea the poison itself is the life: and therefore many creatures are so venomous, because they proceed from a poisonous original. And you must know, (though these be the chief causes of nature), that nature consisteth in very many more other forms: for this maketh the wheel of the essences, which maketh innumerable essences: where every essence is again a centre: so that a whole birth of quite another form may appear.
46. Therefore the power of God is unsearchable: and our writing is not to that end that we should search out the ground of the Deity in the eternal nature [and lay it before any]: no, that cannot be: but we will direct the blind the way that himself must go: we cannot go with his feet, but (as a Christian) we would fain lead him, and impart to him what we have; not out of boasting in ourselves, but that we might help to plant the great body [consisting] of the members in Christ; of which we will make mention hereafter: to which end these very high things are mentioned, that we might shew you the right mark in the original: that yourself might see, and learn to understand the course of the world, and how blind all are concerning God, and what the cause and end of it is.
47. We tell you this that you might rightly consider it; for these four forms are in all things: yet in this world (as in the third Principle) they
comes the mind: and out of the wheel of the essences come the thoughts: for the virtue of the sun has also the mind, so that it does not stand in the anguish, but rejoics in the virtue of the light.
41. Thus SUL is the soul, in an herb it is the oil, and in man also according to the spirit of this world in the third Principle, which is continually generated out of the anguish of the will in the mind, and the brimstone-worm is the spirit, which has the fire and burns: PHUR is the sour wheel in itself which causes that.
42. Mercurius comprehends all the four forms, even as the life springs up, and yet has not its beginning in the centre as the PHUR has; but after the flash of fire, when the sour dark form is terrified, where the hardness is turned into pliant sharpness, and where the second will (viz. the will of nature, which is called the anguish) arises, there Mercurius has its original. For MER is the shivering wheel, very horrible, sharp, venomous, and hostile; which assimilats it thus in the sourness in the flash of fire, where the sour wrathful life arises. The syllable CU is the pressing out, of the anxious will of the mind, from nature; which is climbing up, and wills to be out aloft. RI is the comprehension of the flash of fire, which in MER gives a clear sound and tune. For the flash makes the tune, and it is the salt-spirit which sounds, and its form [or quality] is gritty like sand, and herein arise noises, sounds, and voices, and thus CU comprehends the flash, and so the pressure is as a wind that thrusts upwards, and gives a spirit to the flash, so that it lives and burns. Thus the syllable US is called the burning fire, which with the spirit continually drivs itself forth:
and the syllable CU presses continually upon the flash.
43. And the third word SAL is the salt-spirit; because the ancient wisemen saw how nature is thus divided into many parts, and that every form of nature has a particular matter in this world, as may be seen in the earth: and that the salt-spirit especially is the greatest in corporeal things (for it preservs the body that it does not decay), therefore they have rightly set down this gate only; which is the mother of nature. For out of this form, in the creation, earth, stones, water, and all sorts of minerals were made, yet with the mixture of the other forms; as you shall see hereafter: My beloved Reader, understand us thus according to our own sense, meaning, and apprehension.
44. The four forms in themselves are the anger and the wrath of God in the eternal nature: and they are in themselves nothing else but such a source [or property] as stands in the darkness, and is not material, but an originality of the spirit, without which there would be nothing.
45. For the four forms are the cause of all things, as you may perceive that every life has poison, yea the poison itself is the life: and therefore many creatures are so venomous, because they proceed from a poisonous original. And you must know, (though these be the chief causes of nature), that nature consists in very many more other forms: for this makes the wheel of the essences, which makes innumerable essences: where every essence is again a centre: so that a whole birth of quite another form may appear.
46. Therefore the power of God is unsearchable: and our writing is not to that end that we should search out the ground of the Deity in the eternal nature [and lay it before any]: no, that cannot be: but we will direct the blind the way that himself must go: we cannot go with his feet, but (as a Christian) we would fain lead him, and impart to him what we have; not out of boasting in ourselves, but that we might help to plant the great body [consisting] of the members in Christ; of which we will make mention hereafter: to which end these very high things are mentioned, that we might show you the right mark in the original: that yourself might see, and learn to understand the course of the world, and how blind all are concerning God, and what the cause and end of it is.
47. We tell you this that you might rightly consider it; for these four forms are in all things: yet in this world (as in the third Principle) they
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