The Turba Philosophorum (complete) — trans. A. E. Waite (1896)

root, but it differs in name. And know, all ye seekers after this Science and Wisdom, that whatsoever the envious may have enjoined in their books concerning the composition of natures which agree together,* in savour there is only one, albeit to sight they are as diverse as possible. Know, also, that the thing which they have described in so many ways follows and attains its companion without fire, even as the magnet follows the iron, to which the said thing is not vainly compared, nor to a seed, nor to a matrix, for it is also like unto these. And this same thing, which foUowst its companion without fire, causes many colours to appear when embracing it, for this reason, that the said one thing enters into every regimen, and is found ever)rwhere, being a stone, and also not a stone ; common and precious ; hidden and concealed,

• The shorter recension reads : " concerning the harmony of the elements."

t According to the second recension, the subject in question causes many colours to appear in complexion, according as it is governed in every regimen.

The Turba Philosophorum. 43

yet known by everyone ; of one name and of many names, which is the Spume of the Moon. This stone, therefore, is not a stone, because it is more precious ; without it Nature never operates anything; its name is one, yet we have called it by many names on account of the excellence of its nature.*

The Turba answer eth : — O ! Master ! wilt thou not mention some of those

• Zosimus explains that the uncommunicated mystery which no one among the prophets has dared to divulge by word, but has revealed only to the initiates, is a process upon the stone Alabastron by means of vinegar. By the Lexicon of Ghrysopeia in the Byzantine Collection — that earliest dictionary of alchemy, which has remained unknown to all later Hermetic lexicographers — Alabastron is defined to be the calx obtained from eggshells, saltpetre, a variety of natron, and common salt. The inquirer after the uncommunicated secret may take his choice among these substances, and it does not follow that the Lexicon is a correct exponent of Zosimus. However this may be, it appears that the stone Alabastron, either before or after the operation with vinegar, is the symbolical encephalous stone which is not a stone, the unknown thing which is known by all, the despised thing which is most precious, the thing given and not given by God. The preparation indicated is the Mythraic Mystery. The perplexities of the Turba at this point are, therefore, a device of the Greek alchemists, and they were fond of recurring to it.

44 The Turba Philosophorum.

names for the guidance of seekers? And he :— It is called White Ethelia, White Copper, and that which flies from the fire and alone whitens copper. Break up, therefore, the White Stone, and afterwards coagulate it with milk.* Then pound the calx in the mortar, taking care that the humidity does not escape from the vessel ; but coagulate it in the vessel until it shall become a cinder. Cook also with Spume of Luna and regulate. For ye shall find the stone broken, and already imbued with its own water, t This, therefore, is the stone which we call by all names, which assimilates the work and drinks it, and is the stone out of which also all colours appear. Take, therefore, that same gum,+ which is from the t The second recension has a preferable reading : " Ye shall find the stone formed, which imbue with its own water."

* The second recension adds : " that is, after the manner that milk is coagulated." The symbolical use oi milk in alchemy is, like so much of the terminology of the Turba, of Greek origin. It will be found in the discourse of Synesius.

J The second recension says : " Gum of Scotia," most

The Turba Philosophorum. 43