The Nature of Mercury

The Philosophers said that Nature is to be mixed with Natures. They command nothing to bee done without Nature. But you dost mix me with almost all the sordidst things that bee, as dung.

You sowest me in dung, and in time of harvest I do vanish away, and you art wont to reap dung.

It is true what they have written; but you understandest their letter, and not their sense, and meaning.

Do you say, that I am inconstant, I resolve you thus, I am constant unto a constant Artificer; fixed to him, that is of a fixed mind, but thou, and such as you art, are inconstant, running from one thing unto another, from one matter unto another.

Truly the fruit does not fall far from the tree. But I seek not mine own praise, I am the same as I was, but my years are differing. From the beginning I was young, so long as I was alone, but now I am older, yet the same as I was before.

You do in vain look after me in my old age, who didst not know me in my youth.

O what a miserable case am I in? What shall I do? I must now be mixed again with dung, and be tormented. O wretch that I am! I beseech you good Master Philosopher, do not mix me so much with hogs dung; for otherwise I shall be undone, for by reason of this stink I am constrained to change my shape. And what wilt you have me doe more?

Am not I tormented sufficiently by you? Doe not I obey you? Doe not I mixe my self with those things you wilt have me? Am I not sublimed? Am I not precipitated? Am I not made turbith? An Amalgama? A Past? What can you desire more of me?

My body is so scourged, so spit upon, that the very stone would pity me: By virtue of me you hast milk, flesh, bloud, butter, oyl, water, and which of all the metals, or mineral can do that which I do alone? and is there no mercy to be had towards me? O what a wretch am I!

I doe as you wilt have me, if you wilt have me be a body, I am a body: if you will have me be dust, I am dust, I know not how I should abase my self more, then when I am dust, and a shadow.

I am constrained to tell from the very foundation. If you wilt you maist understand me: you seest my shape, and of this you needest not know further.

But because you askest me of the Center, my Center is the most fixed heart of all things, immortal, and penetrating: in that my Master rests, but I my self am the way, and the passenger, I am a stranger, and yet live at home, I am most faithfull to all my companions, I leave not those that doe accompany me; I abide with them, I perish with them. I am an immortall body: I die when I am slaine, but I rise againe to judgement before a wise Judge.

My mother is such a one, of her is born artificialy one certain thing, but my brother who dwells in the fort, hath in his will what the Philosophers desire.

My mother begat me, but I am older then my mother.

I am not the fountaine, but I am the water, the fountaine compasseth me about.

Whatsoever is with me I love as a friend; and whatsoever is brought forth with me, to that I give nourishment, and whatsoever is naked, I cover with my wings.

O master, I beseech you be good to me, now I will willingly doe what I know.

I am fire my self.

My spirit, and the spirit of the fire love one another, and whither one goes, the other goes if it can.

Know that every stranger bends towards his own countrey, and when he is returned from whence he came, he is at rest, and always returnes wiser, then he was when he came forth.

I do, but in another form.

If any one knew the fire of my heart, he hath seen that fire (a due heat) is my meat: and by how much the longer the spirit of my heart feeds upon fire, it will be so much the fatter, whose death is afterward the life of all things, whatsoever they bee in this Kingdome where I am.

I am thus for example, of a thousand drops I shall be one, out of one I give many thousand drops: and as my body is in thy sight, if you knowest how to sport with me, you maist divide me into as much as you wilt, and I shall be one again: What then is my spirit (my heart) intrinsicy, which always can bring forth many thousands out of the least part?

I am fire within, fire is my meat, but the life of the fire is aire, without air the fire is extinguished; the fire prevails over the aire, wherefore I am not at rest, neither can the crude air constringe, or bind me: adde air to aire, that both may be one, and hold weight, join it to warme fire, and give it time.

The superfluous then shall be taken away, the residue you shalt burn with fire, put it into water, boyl it, after it is boyled you shalt give it to the sick by way of physick.