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

one thing which is stronger than all natures, and more sublime in the opinion of philosophers, whereas with fools it is more common than anything. But for us it is a thing which we reverence. Woe unto all ye fools ! How ignorant are ye of this Art, for which ye would die if ye knew it ! I swear to you that if kings were familiar with it, none of us would ever attain this thing. O how this nature changeth body into spirit! O how admirable is Nature, how she presides over all, and overcomes all ! Pythagoras saith : — Name this Nature, O Frictes ! And he : — It is a very sharp vinegar,* which makes work," says the Aisembly of the Philosophert. " The Ons fiiinishes blood to the Other, and the One engenders the Otber. Nature rejoices nature ; nature charms nature ; nature triumphs over nature ; nature masters nature ; and this not for one such nature opposed to another such, but for one only and same nature, proceeding by chemical process from itself with pain and great labour." — The Serpent Ourobohoe.

* The Greek Assembly of the Philosophers explains that the philosophical vinegar is obtained by the coction of the Stone. It appears to be an oil which rises to the surface during the process, but the explanation is by no

52 The Turba Philosophorum.

gold into sheer spirit, without which vinegar, neither whiteness, nor blackness, nor redness, nor rust can be made. And know ye that when it is mixed with the body, it is contained therein, and becomes one therewith ; it turns the same into a spirit, and tinges with a spiritual and invariable tincture, which is indelible. Know, also, that if ye place the body over the fire without vinegar, it will be burnt and corrupted. And know, further, that the first humour is cold. Be careful, therefore, of the fire, which is inimical to cold. Accordingly, the Wise have said : Rule gently until the sulphur becomes incombustible.* The Wise means clear. M. Beithelot supposes a leference to the Mercurial Water.

• The Greek Alchemists give the following recipe for the production of incombustible sulphur : Take unbumt Sulphur, diluted in the urine of a pei^on who has not reached puberty ; then taking an equal quantity ot brine, boil till the sulphur rises to the surface, and then it becomes incombustible. Prove it by reasoning and examining (? with fire) until it becomes incombustible, that is to say, until you see that it no longer burns. Take the same incombustible water (of sulphur), pour on flower oi salt, dilute as

The Turba Philosophorum. 53

men have already shewn to those who possess rea son the disposition of this Art, and the best point of their Art, which they mentioned, is, that a little of this sulphur burns a strong body. Accordingly they venerate it and name it in the beginning of their book, and the son of Adam thus described it. For this vinegar burns the body, converts it into a cinder, and also whitens the body, which, if ye cook well and deprive of blackness, is changed into a stone, so that it becomes a coin of most intense whiteness. Cook, therefore, the stone until it be disintegrated, and then dissolve and temper with water of the sea. Know also, that the beginning of the whole work is the whitening, to which succeeds the redness, finally the perfection of the work; but after this, by means of vinegar, and by the will of God, there follows a complete perfection. Now, I have shewn to you, O disciples of in the case of the incombustible sulphur. This is the divine mystery.

54 TJte Turba Philosophorum.

this Turba, the disposition of the one thing, which is more perfect, more precious, and more honourable, than all natures, and I swear to you by God that I have searched for a long time in books so that I might arrive at the knowledge of this one thing, while I prayed also to God that he would teach me what it is. My prayer was heard, He shewed me clean water, whereby I knew pure vinegar, and the more I did read books, the more was I illuminated.

The Sixteenth Dictum.