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

the true tingeing,* and a part of the copper of the Philosophers, to mix the same with the coins, and place all the four bodies in the vessel, the mouth of which must be carefully closed, lest the water escape. Cooking must proceed for seven days, when the copper, already pounded with the coins, is found turned into water. Let both be again slowly cooked, and fear nothing. Then let the vessel be opened, and a blackness will appear above. Repeat the process, cook continually until the blackness of Kuhul, which is from the blackness of coins, be consumed. For when that is consumed a precious whiteness will appear on them ; finally, being returned to their place, they are cooked until the whole is dried and is turned into stone. Also repeatedly and continuously cook that stone born of copper and coins with a fire

* According to the second recension : " take a part of the coins of the Philosophers, which are the coins oi Hermes."

170 The Turba Philosophorum.

sharper than the former, until the stone is destroyed, broken up, and turned into cinder, which is a precious cinder. Alas, O ye sons of the Doctrine, how precious is that which is produced from it ! Mixing, therefore, the cinder with water, cook again, until that cinder liquefy therewith, and then cook and imbue with permanent water, until the composition becomes sweet and mild and red. Imbue until it becomes humid. Cook in a still hotter fire, and carefully close the mouth of the vessel, for by this regimen fugitive bodies become not-fugitive, spirits are turned into bodies, bodies into spirits, and both are connected together. Then are spirits made bodies having a tingeing and germinating soul. The Turba answereth: Now hast thou notified to posterity that Rubigo attaches itself to copper after the blackness is washed off with permanent water. Then it is congealed and becomes a body of magnesia. Finally, it is cooked until

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the whole body is broken up. Afterwards the volatile is turned into a cinder and becomes copper without its shadow. Attrition also truly takes place. Concerning, therefore, the work of the Philosophers, what hast thou delivered to posterity, seeing that thou hast by no means called things by their proper names ? And he : Following your own footsteps, I have discoursed even as have you. BoNELLUS answereth : You speak truly, for if you did otherwise we should not order your sayings to be written in our books.

The Fifty-Eighth Dictum. Balgus* saith : The whole Turba, O Acratus, has already spoken, as you have seen, but a benefactor sometimes deceives, though his intention is to do good. And they: Thou speakest truly. Proceed, therefore, according to thy opinion, and beware of envy! Then he:

* In the second lecensron this speech is put into the mouth of Anastiatus.

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You must know that the envious have described this arcanum in the shade ; in physical reasoning and astronomy, and the art of images; they have also likened it to trees ; they have ambiguously concealed it by the names of metals, vapours, and reptiles ; as is generally perceived in all their work. I, nevertheless, direct you, investigators of this science, to take iron and draw it into plates ; finally, mix (or sprinkle) it with venom, and place it in its vessel, the mouth of which must be closed most carefully, and beware lest ye too much increase the humour, or, on the other hand, lest it be too dry, but stir it vigorously as a mass, because, if the water be in excess, it will not be contained in the chimney, while, if it be too dry, it will neither be conjoined nor cooked in the chimney ; hence I direct you to confect it diligently ; finally, place it in its vessel, the mouth of which must be closed internally and externally with clay, and, having kindled coals above it,

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