The Turba Philosophorum (complete) — trans. A. E. Waite (1896)
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The translator’s English as printed (A. E. Waite). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
* The whole of this Dictum recalls a passage in Zosimus, On Virtue and Interpretation . — It is for these reasons that my excellent master, Democritus, makes himself the following distinction ; "Take that stone which is not a stone, that precious thing which has no value, that polymorphous object which is without form, that unknown thing which is known to everyone, which has many names and has no name, I refer to aphroselinon." For this stone is not a stone, and while it is exceedingly precious, at the same time it has no money value ; its nature is one, its name one. Nevertheless, many denominations have been given it, I do not say absolutely speaking, but according to its nature, so that whether it is called the being which flees the fire, or white smoke, or white copper, no falsehood is uttered.
The Turba Philosophorum. 67
the White and the Red in many ways, albeit under many names ; but in the modes after which they have conjoined weights, compositions, and regimens, they agree with the hidden truth. Behold, what is said concerning this despised thing! A report has gone abroad that the Hidden Glory of the Philosophers is a stone and not a stone, and that it is called by many names, lest the foolish should recognise it. Certain wise men have designated it after one fashion, namely, according to the place where it is generated ; others have adopted another, founded upon its colour, some of whom have termed it the Green Stone ;* by other some it is called the Stone of the most intense Spirit of Brass, not to be mixed with bodies ; by yet others its description has been further varied, because it is sold for coins by lapidaries who are called saven ; some have named it Spume of Luna ;t some have distinguished it astronomically or arithmetically; it has already received a thousand titles, of which the best is : — "That which is produced out of metals." So also others have called it the Heart of the Sun, and yet others have declared it to be that which is brought forth out of quicksilver with the milk of volatile things.
* The second recension reads : " Green Lion." t Sputum LunsB does not seem to be a term which found favour with Latin alchemy, and accordingly it is
68 The Turba Philosophorum.
The Twenty-first Dictum.
Pandolfus saith : — O Belus, thou hast
said so much concerning the despised
wanting in the Lexicons. It is very curious to note that Rulandus, who quite frequently quotes the Turba, seems seldom to have troubled himself about the significance of its bizarre terms. In Zosimus, On 7ir{ue and Interpretation, there is a prescription from Hermes concerning " that which falls &om the moon when it is waning," and he is referred to as describing where it is to be found, and how it has the quality of resisting the fire. In fact, says Hermes, " you will find it with me and with Agathodaimon." M. Berthelot supposes this passage to allegorise upon the volatilisation of mercury. But the expression in the Turha recalls the passage of Synesius. Note also the mythology of Selenite, Lapis Arabicus, Aphroselinum, (fee, supposed not only to reflect the likeness of the Moon, but to be " made from dew by the foam of the Moon." — Hulandm.
The Turba Philosophorum. 69
stone* that thou hast left nothing to be added by thy brethren ! Howsoever, I teach posterity that this despised stone is a permanent water, and know, all ye seekers after Wisdom, that permanent water is water of mundane life,t because, verily, Philosophers have stated that Nature rejoices in Nature, Nature contains Nature, and Nature overcomes Nature. The Philosophers have constituted this short dictum the principle of the work for reasonable persons. And know ye that no body is more precious or purer than the Sun, and that no tingeing venoml is gene-