The Turba Philosophorum (complete) — trans. A. E. Waite (1896)
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.
* A short excursus On the Diversity of Burnt Copper is preserved among the writings of Zosimus, where it is noted that many persons prepare it by means of sulphur, and a process with sulphurated iron is quoted with high approbation &om Democritus. Burnt copper is elsewhere defined by the same author as " the metal rendered bloodcolour (in view of whitening) and tinged within and without."
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always with it, until the water be dried up. Continue the operation until all the water is consumed, and it becomes a most subtle powder.
The Eleventh Dictum. Parmenides saith : — Ye must, know that envious men have dealt voluminously with several waters, brodiums, stones, and metals, seeking to deceive all you who aspire after knowledge. Leave, therefore, all these, and make the white red, out of this our copper, taking copper and lead, letting these stand for the grease, or blackness, and tin for the liquefaction. Know ye, further, that unless ye rule the Nature of Truth, and harmonize well together its complexions and compositions, the consanguineous with the consanguineous, and the first with the first, ye act improperly and effect nothing, because natures will meet their natures, follow them, and rejoice. For in them they putrefy and are generated, because Nature is ruled by Nature, which
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destroys it, turns it into dust, reduces to nothing, and finally herself renews it, repeats, and frequently produces the same. Therefore look in books, that ye may know the Nature of Truth, what putrefies it and what renews, what savour it possesses, what neighbours it naturally has, and how they love each other, how also after love enmity and corruption intervene, and how these natures should be united one to another and made at peace, until they become gentle in the fire in similar fashion. Having, therefore, noticed the facts in this Art, set your hands to the work. If indeed, ye know not the Natures of Truth, do not approach the work, since there will follow nothing but harm, disaster, and sadness. Consider, therefore, the teaching of the Wise, how they have declared the whole work in this saying: — Nature rejoices in Nature, and Nature contains Nature. In these words there is shewn forth unto you the whole work. Leave, therefore, manifold and superfluous things, and take
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quicksilver,* coagulate in the body of Magnesia.t in Kuhul, or in Sulphur which does not burn ; make the same nature white, and place it upon our Copper, when it becomes white. And if ye cook still more, it becomes red, when if ye proceed to coction, it becomes gold. I tell you that it turns the sea itself into red and the colour of gold. Know ye also that gold is not turned into redness save by Permanent Water, because Nature rejoices in Nature.!
t The Magnesia of Alchemy is not common Magnesia, and this remark applies equally to the Greek Alchemists, who are the inspiration of the Turba Philosophorum, to that treatise, and to the later adepts. In one of the treatises belonging to the school of Democritus the sign oi Cinnabar follows the term. The body of Magnesia is mentioned in the discourse of Synesius and Dioscorus; and on the Metallic Body of Magnesia, Zosimus has a special treatise with reference to the method by which it is whitened. According to Synesius it signifies the mixture of substances.
* Mercury, according to the Greek Epistle of SynesiuSi is like wax, which readily assumes any colour that is imparted to it, for Mercury whitens all bodies and attracts their souls ; it digests them by coction, and takes complete possession of them.
} The formulae which are so frequently repeated in the Turba PhiU>sophorum : Nature rejoices in Nature : Nature
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