The Hermetic Museum, Vol. II — trans. A. E. Waite (1893)
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
The translator’s English as printed (A. E. Waite). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Concerning the Size, Form, Material, and Mode of
Securing the Vessel.
Of the Furnace, or Athanor of the Sages.
L
Chapter r9.
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THE HERMETIC MUSEUM.
Of the Progress of the Work during the First
4o Days.
Of the Appearance of Blackness in the Work of the
Sun and Moon. .
Of the Caution required to avoid Burning the
Flowers.
Of the Regimen of Saturn.
Of the Different Regimens of this Work.
Of the First Regimen, which is that of Mercury.
Of the Regimen of the Second Part, which is that of
Saturn.
Of the Regimen of Jupiter.
Of the Regimen of the Moon.
Of the Regimen of Venus.
Of the Regimen of Mars.
Of the Regimen of the Sun.
Of the Fermentation of the Stone.
The Imbibition of the Stone.
'The Multiplication of the Stone.
Of Projection.
Of the manifold Uses of this Art.
TUER DAVID POTIS QUIS S SPPRSESOEUTASC Br philosopher, have decreed to write this little treatise of medicinal, chemical, and physical arcana, in the year 1645 ! after the Birth of Christ, and in the 23rd year of my age, to assist in conducting my straying brethren out of the labyrinth of error, and with the further object of making myself known to other Sages, holding aloft a torch which may be visible far and wide to those who are groping in the darkness of ignorance. The contents of this Book are not fables, but real experiments which I have seen, touched, and handled, as an adept will easily conclude from these lines. I have written more plainly about this Art than any of my predecessors ; sometimes I have found myself on the very verge of breaking my vow, and once or twice had to lay down my pen for a season ; but I could not resist the inward prompting of God, which impelled me to persevere in the most loving course, who alone knows the heart, and to whom only beglorv for ever. Hence, I undoubtedly gather that in this last age of the world, many will become blessed by this arcanum, through what I have thus faithfully written, for I have not willingly left anything doubtful to the youug beginner. I know many who with me do enjoy this secret, and am persuaded that many more will also rejoice in its possession. Let the holy Will of God perform what it pleases, though 1 confess myself an unworthy instrument through whom such great things should be effected.
| BEING an anonymous adept, a lover of learning, and a
DX E» — i do o PORE Ed
GEIDAPIUSIRCSE
Of the need of Sulphur for producing the Exi.
HOEVER wishes to possess this secret Golden
/ Fleece, which has virtue to transmute metals into gold, should know that our Stone is nothing but gold digested to the highest degree of purity and subtle fixation to which it can be brought by Nature and the highest effort of Art; and this gold thus perfected is called * our gold," no longer vulgar, and is the ultimate goal of Nature. These words, though they may be surprising to some of my readers, are true, as I, an adept, bear witness ; and though overwise persons entertain chimerical dreams, Nature herself is most wonderfully simple. Gold, then, is the one true principle of purification. . But our gold is twofold ; one kind is mature and fixed, the yellow Latten, and its heart or centre is pure fire, whereby it is kept from destruction, and only purged in the fire. This gold is our male, and it is sexually joined to a more crude white gold—the female seed: the two together being indissolubly united, constitute our fruitful Hermaphrodite. We are told by the Sares that corporal gold is dead, until it be conjoined with its bride, with whom the coagulating sulphur, which in gold is outwards, must be turned inwards. Hence it follows that the substance which we require is Mercury. Concerning this substance, Geber uses the following words : ** Blessed be the Most High God who created ZZercury,and made it an all-prevailing substance. And it is true that unless we had Mercury, Alchemists might still boast themselves, but all their boasting would be vain. Hence it is clear that our Mercury is not common mercury ; forall common mercury is a male that is corporal, specific, and dead, while our Mercury is spiritual, female,living, and life-giving. ^ Attend closely to what I say about our Mercury, which is the salt of the wise men. The Alchemist who works without it is like a man who draws a bow