The Hermetic Museum, Vol. II — trans. A. E. Waite (1893)

Some boastful and arrogant sophists, who have read in books that our Mercury is not common Mercury, and who know that it is called by different names, do not blush to come forward as pretenders to a knowledge of this Art, and take upon themselves to describe this solvent as diaphanous and limpid, or as a metallic gum which is permiscible with metals, though they do not in reality know anything whatsoever about it. The same may be said of those who would extract our Mercury from herbs or other still more fantastic substances. These gentry know not why the Sages do not use Mercury such as is sold by apothecaries as their substance. They are aware of the fact, but are unacquainted with its causes ; and the consequence is the idea which they have that anything which changes the nature of common. Mercury, will convert it into that of the Sages.. But in regard to these foolish persons, I have already expressed our opinion. . . . All metals, as I demonstrated in the second chapter, have the same substantial principle, vzz.; Mercury. From this proposition it follows that the substance of common Mercury : is homogeneous with that of all the other metals; and if the Mercury of the Sages be the homogeneous metallic water, it can

p. 245

differ from common Mercury only in respect of its purity and heat. The first substance of common Mercury is that of all other metals, vzz., our Mercury. Solongasitremains in the veins of the earth, in a place perfectly adapted to its generation,and is sheltered from crude air, it retains its inward movement and heat, which are the cause of all metallic development. But if it be marred by any accident, or if the place become unfit for it, the inward movement is stopped, and the germinallife chilled like that of an egg which a hen has left after sitting on it for some time. This is the reason why those who have attempted to digest common Mercury by means of artificial heat have failed as ludicrously as any one who should endeavour to incubate artificially an addled egg. The difference between the egg and the metal is that our Art is capable of making good the damage, but not by artificial means. We havea crude, undigested, frigid, unmatured metallic mass, which wants the form of our Mercury, for which it must exchange its own, if itis to become that which we seek. With this end in view, its deficiences are twofold ; its nature is clogged with superfluous foreign matter, and it does not possess the requisite spiritual virtue. Its superfluities consist of earthy leprosy, and aqueous dropsy. Its deficiency is one of true sulphureous heat, by means of which it would be enabled to purge off these superfluities. Water, indeed, is the womb, but no womb can receive a vital germ without warmth. Supplement your (common) Mercury, therefore, with the inward fire which it needs, and it will soon get rid of all superfluous dross. If you can do this, you have accomplished the great feat ofthe Sages. Jupiter has recovered his empire ; the black clouds of Saturn are dispersed, and the sparkling fountain wells forth clear and pure. "This substance will dissolve gold by means of a true philosophical solution, which is as different as can be from that foolish use of corrosives which only destroy the metallic nature. "This Mercury (with) gold and silver naturally produces the Arcanum, or potable gold, as all adepts know and can testify.

Here I conclude this Tract, as all that remains to be said is set forth in a special (the next) Treatise.

A.
IBSRSISESISESCUITTSID UE ET)

THE

CODSIETS S OD ASIDE SUISSE

Concerning the Phailosopher s Stone and zts Grand Arcanum.

HE Philosopher's Stone is a certain heavenly, spiritual, penetrative, and fixed substance, which brings all | metals to the perfection of gold or silver (according to the quality of the Medicine), and that by natural methods, which yet in their effects transcend Nature.

It is prepared from one substance, with which the art of chemistry is conversant, to which nothing is added, from which nothing is taken away, except that its superfluities are removed.

No one will question the utility of our Art, if he believes that it enables us to transmute base metals into gold. "That base metals are capable of such transmutation is clear ; Nature has destined them all to become gold, but they have not been perfectly matured. If, then, that which hinders their perfect digestion be removed, they will all become gold; for crude, cold, and moist Mercury is the common first substance of gold as well as of the other metals. Hence all other metals may be perfected into gold, by the aid of our Divine Magistery, which, being projected upon imperfect metals, has power to quicken the maturing process by as much as itself exceeds the standard maturity of gold. How patent, then, must the spiritual nature of our Stone be, which can effect more in one hour by a bare projection than Nature in the course of ages. If that substance which Nature supplies be taken in hand by Art, dissolved, coagulated, and digested, its perfection is increased from a monadic to a