Sulphur

The Philosophers have not undeservedly placed Sulphur in the first place amongst the 3 Principles, as being the most worthy Principle, in the knowledge of which the whole Art consists.

There is a threefold Sulphur that is to be chosen above the rest:

1. A Sulphur tinging, or colouring
2. A Sulphur congealing Mercury
3. ird is essentiall, and ripening. Of which we ought to treat seriously, but because we have set forth one of the Principles by way of Dialogue, so also wee shall conclude the rest, lest we should seem to be partiall, and detract from either of them.

Sulphur is more mature then any of the other Principles. Mercury is coagulated only by Sulphur.

Therefore, our whole operation in this Art is to know how to draw forth that Sulphur out of Metals, by which our Argent vive in the bowels of the Earth is congealed into Gold, and Silver: which Sulphur indeed is in this work in stead of the Male, but the Mercury in stead of the Female.

Of the composition, and acting of these two are generated the Mercuries of Philosophers.

Wee told you in the Dialogue of Mercury with the Alchymist, of an Assembly of Alchymists that were met together to consult out of what matter, and how the Philosophers Stone is to be made, and how that by the misfortune of a tempest they were without any conclusion dispersed almost through the whole world.

For there arose a strong tempest, and very great wind, which dispersed them all abroad, and so blowed through some of their heads, that till this time they cannot yet recover themselves, by meanes of which divers sort of worms are bred in their brains.

There were amongst them men of divers opinions, and conditions, and among the rest there was this Alchymist, which in this Treatise I shall discourse of: he was otherwise a good man, but without a Conclusion, or unresolved, also of the number of those, who propound to themselves to find out the Philosophers Stone casually, and he was companion to that Philosopher, who disputed with Mercury.

This man said, if it had been my fortune to have spoke with Mercury, I should have fished him dry in few words; that other, saith he , was a foole, he knew not how to proceed with him. Mercury indeed never pleased mee, neither indeed do I think there is any good in it; but I approve of Sulphur, because at that meeting wee discoursed most excellently of it: if that tempest had not disturbed us, wee had concluded that that had been the first matter, for I am not wont to trouble my self with[Pg 128] light, and triviall matters, my head is full of profound imaginations.

And so being full of confidence he resolves to work in Sulphur, he began therefore to distill it, to sublime, calcine, to fix it, to make oyle per Campanam of it, sometimes by itself, and sometimes with Crystals, and Egge-shels, and he tryed divers other operations about it: and when he had spent much time and costs, and could find nothing to his purpose, he was sad, and being in a miserable perplexity passed over many nights without sleep; also oftentimes he went forth out of the City, to behold things, that he might the more conveniently devise something that was certain in his operation: Now it fell out upon a time, as he was walking up and down, he fell into an extasy with beholding of things, and came unto a certain green Wood, very full of all manner of things; in which were Mines of all Mineralls, and metals, and all kinds of beasts, and birds, and abundance of Trees, Herbs, and fruit: there also were divers conduits of water, for in those places there was no water to be had, but what was brought thither by divers instruments, and pipes, and this by divers Artificers from divers places: that was the chiefest, and clearer then the rest, which was drawne by the beams of the Moon; and this was procured only for the Nymph of the Wood.

There also did feed Bulls, and Rams, and the Shepheards were two young men, whom the Alchymist asking, said, Whose Wood is this? whom they answered saying, This is the Wood, and Garden of our Nymph Venus.

The Alchymist walks up, and down in it.

The place pleased him well, but yet he did still think of his Sulphur. Being sad and weary of walking, he sat by the side of the channel under a tree. He began to lament most miserably, bewailing his time, and charges, which he spent in vain with operating (he could not els have deceived others, but have damnified himself only).

He said, What is this, all men say it is a thing common, of small esteem, easy, and I am a learned man, & I cannot find out this wretched Stone. And so in his lamentation he began to curse Sulphur, because he had spent so much cost, and labour in vain upon him: and Sulphur also was in that Wood, but this was unknown to the Alchymist.

Whilst he was thus lamenting, he heard this voice as it were of some old man:

The Alchymist looked every way round about him, and seeing no body, was afraid.

But that voice said to him again:

The Alchymist taking courage, said:

Vox, His Mother hath but only one son like him, his other brethren are associated with evil things, he hath a sister which he loves, and is againe beloved by her, for shee is as it were a Mother to him.

Vox, Yea, especially in those times when there were such wise men, betwixt whom, and his Mother there was great familiarity, and friendship.

Vox, There were very many: There was Hermes, who was as it were one with his Mother: After him were many Kings, and Princes, as also many other wise men, in ages since, as Aristotle, Avicen, &c. who set him at liberty: These knew how to unloose his bonds.

Alch. And how is this done?

Alch. Is he imprisoned so in all metals? Vox, In all; but not alike, in some not so strictly. Alch. Sir, And why in metals in such a tyrannicall manner?

Alch. Sir, Can those enmities betwixt him and his Keepers bee reconciled?

And so Saturn departed.

Now a deep sleep seased upon the Alchymist, being weary, and there appeared to him this Vision, He saw in that Wood a fountain full of water, about which walked Sal, and Sulphur, contending one with the other, untill at last they began to fight; and Sal gave Sulphur an incurable wound, out of which wound, in stead of blood, there came out water, as it were most white milk, and it became to be a great river.

Then out of that Wood came forth Diana a most beautiful Virgin, who began to wash her self in that river, A stout Prince (and greater than his servants) passing by, and seeing, began to admire at her beauty.

Because she was of a like nature with him, he became enamoured with her, which when she perceived, she was inflamed with love towards him.

Wherefore as it were falling into a swoun she began to be drowned: which that Prince seeing, commanded his servants to help her; but they were all afraid to goe to the river; to whom the Prince said:

Why doe you not help Diana that Virgin?

Sir, this river is indeed little, and as it were dryed up, but most dangerous

Once upon a time we were willing to go into it without thy knowledge, and wee hardly escaped the danger of eternall death; Wee know also that others that were our predecessors perished in it.

Then the Prince himself laying aside his thick mantle, even as he was armed, leaped into the river, and to help faire Diana he stretched forth his hand to her; who being willing to save her self, drew also the Prince himself to her, and so were both drowned.

A little after their souls came out of the river, flying above the river, and said, It was well done of us, for else wee could not have been freed from those bodies which are polluted, and stained.

Anime, Not into such filthy bodies, but when they be purged, and this river shall bee throughly dryed up by the heat of the sunne, and this Province shall bee often tryed by the Aire.

In the mean time the Alchymist fell into a more desired dream of his Sulphur; and behold there appeared to him many Alchymists coming to that place to seek after Sulphur, and when they found the carkasse of that Sulphur that was slain by Sal by the fountain, they divided it amongst themselves: which when the Alchymist saw he also took a part with them; and so every one of them returned home, and began to work in that Sulphur, and till this day they doe not give over.

But Saturn meets this Alchymist, and saith to him, Friend, how is it with thee?

Then they took that Sulphur, which the Alchymist found, and they did what the Alchymist would have done, they began to work divers ways, and to make experiments of Sulphur in divers strange kind of furnaces, which the Alchymist had: but in the conclusion of every operation there was brought forth nothing but Matches, such as old women usually sell to light candles withall.

Then they began a new work, and sublimed, and calcined Sulphur according to the Alchymists pleasure; but in what way soever they worked it, it succeeded as before, for still they made nothing but Matches; then said the Alchymist to Saturn:

He then took two Mercuries of a differing substance, but of one originall, which Saturn washed in his owne urine, and called them Sulphurs of Sulphurs, and mixed the fixed with the volatile, and the composition being made, he put it into its proper vessell, and lest the Sulphur should fly away, he set a keeper over him, and then put him into a bath of a most gentle heat, according as the matter required, and he made all things very well.

Then they made the Philosophers Stone because of the true matter a true thing must needs be made.

The Alchymist being very glad took the Stone with the glass, and beholding the colour thereof, which was like burnt blood, he was amazed, and by reason of too much joy he began to leap, in which leaping the glasse fell out of his hands upon the ground, and was broken.

And so Saturn vanished away.

The Alchymist also being awaked out of his dream, found nothing in his hands but Matches which he made of brimstone. But the Stone flew away, and still flies; whence it is called Volatile.

And so that miserable Alchymist learned nothing else by that Vision but how to make Matches: who afterwards laying aside the Stone, became to be a Physitian; by searching after the stone of the Philosophers he got the stone of the Kidneys. Last of all he led such a life, as such kind of Alchymists are wont to doe, who for the most part become Physitians, or Quacksalvers, which thing will happen to all, who betake themselves to the Art casually without any foundation, but only by hearesay, or by meanes of Receipts.

Some of them, when things succeed not, say: We are wise men, wee hear that the grasse grows, if the Art were true wee should have had it before other men: And so having brazen faces, lest wee should bee accounted undeserving men (as indeed they are, and also perverse) contemne, and undervalue the Art. This Science hates such men, and always shews them the beginning in the end.

We grant unto the unworthy, that this Art is nothing, but to the Lovers of virtue, and the true Searchers, and Sons of Wisdome, wee doe most highly commend it, and doe affirme it not only to be true, but altogether the truest: which, sometimes wee have really made good before men worthy of such a fight, I say before men of high, and low condition: (yet this Medicine was not made by us, but received from a friend, and yet most true) for the searching out of which wee have sufficiently instructed the Searchers thereof; whom if our Writings doe not please, let them read those of other Authors, which[Pg 141] are easier, but with this Caution, That whatsoever they shall read, they shall always compare it with the possibility of Nature, lest they assay any thing contrary to Nature. Neither let them beleeve, although it were written in the bookes of Philosophers, that Fire burns not, because this is contrary to Nature:

But if it be written that Fire had a drying and heating faculty, this is to be believed, because it is according to Nature: For Nature doth always agree with a sound judgment, and in Nature there is nothing difficult, all truth is plain. Then also let them learne, what things in Nature are of affinity with each other, which wee conceive may be easier done by our Writings, then any other, seeing wee think wee have wrote sufficiently, untill some other shall come, who shall set downe the whole Receipt so plaine, as to make cheese of Milke, which is not lawfull for us to doe.

But that I may not direct all things I say to the new beginner only, wee shall say something to you also who now have passed over these painfull labours. Have you seen that Countrey, where a man marryed a wife, whose nuptialls were celebrated in the house of Nature?

Have you understood how the vulgar with you have seen this Sulphur? If therefore you will that old women should practise your Philosophy, shew the dealbation of your Sulphurs; say unto the vulgar, Come and see, for now the water is divided, and Sulphur is come out; he will return white, and congeale the Waters.

Burn therefore Sulphur from incombustible Sulphur, then wash it, make it white, and red, untill Sulphur become Mercury, and Mercury bee made Sulphur, which afterwards you shall beautifie with the soule of Gold: For if you doe not sublime Sulphur, from Sulphur, and Mercury from Mercury, you have not yet found out the Water, which out of Sulphur, and Mercury is created by way of distillation; he does not ascend, that doth not descend.

Whatsoever in this Art is remarkable, by many is lost in the preparation, for our Mercury is quickened with Sulphur, else it would bee of no use. A Prince without a people is unhappy; so is an Alchymist without Sulphur, and Mercury. If you hast understood mee, I have said enough.