TREASURE.PDF

The

Treasure of Treasures

Philippus Theophrastus Bombast,

Paracelsus the Great

As also The Water-Stone of The Wise Men;

Describing the matter of, and manner how

to attain the universal Tincture. Faithfully

Englished. And Published by J.H. Oxon.

London, Printed for Giles Calvert,

and are to be sold at the Black Spred Eagle,

at the West end of Pauls,

1659.

NATURE begets a mineral in the bowels of the earth. There are

two kinds of it, which are found in many districts of Europe.

The best which has been offered to me, which also has been found

genuine in experimentation, is externally in the figure of the

greater world, and is in the eastern part of the sphere of the

Sun. The other, in the Southern Star, is now in its first

efflorescence. The bowels of the earth thrust this forth through

its surface. It is found red in its first coagulation, and in it

lie hid all the flowers and colours of the minerals. Much has

been written about it by the philosophers, for it is of a cold

and moist nature, and agrees with the element of water.

So far as relates to the knowledge of it and experiment with it,

all the philosophers before me, though they have aimed at it

with their missiles, have gone very wide of the mark. They

believed that Mercury and Sulphur were the mother of all metals,

never even dreaming of making mention meanwhile of a third; and

yet when the water is separated from it by Spagyric Art the

truth is plainly revealed, though it was unknown to Galen or to

Avicenna. But if, for the sake of our excellent physicians, we

had to describe only the name, the composition; the dissolution,

and coagulation, as in the beginning of the world Nature

proceeds with all growing things, a whole year would scarcely

suffice me, and, in order to explain these things, not even the

skins of numerous cows would be adequate.

Now, I assert that in this mineral are found three principles,

which are Mercury, Sulphur, and the Mineral Water which has

served to naturally coagulate it. Spagyric science is able to

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extract this last from its proper juice when it is not

altogether matured, in the middle of the autumn, just like a

pear from a tree. The tree potentially contains the pear. If the

Celestial Stars and Nature agree , the tree first of all puts

forth shoots in the month of March; then it thrusts out buds,

and when these open the flower appears, and so on in due order

until in autumn the pear grows ripe. So is it with the minerals.

These are born, in like manner, in the bowels of the earth. Let

the Alchemists who are seeking the Treasure of Treasures

carefully note this. I will shew them the way, its beginning,

its middle, and its end. In the following treatise I will

describe the proper Water, the proper Sulphur, and the proper

Balm thereof. By means of these three the resolution and

composition are coagulated into one.

CONCERNING THE SULPHUR OF CINNABAR.

Take mineral Cinnabar and prepare it in the following manner.

Cook it with rain water in a stone vessel for three hours. Then

purify it carefully, and dissolve it in Aqua Regis, which is

composed of equal parts of vitriol, nitre, and sal ammoniac.

Another formula is vitriol, saltpetre, alum, and common salt.

Distil this in an alembic. Pour it on again, and separate

carefully the pure from the impure thus. Let it putrefy for a

month in horse-dung; then separate the elements in the following

manner. If it puts forth its sign1, commence the distillation by

means of an alembic with a fire of the first degree. The water

and the air will ascend; the fire and the earth will remain at

the bottom. Afterwards join them again, and gradually treat with

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the ashes. So the water and the air will again ascend first, and

afterwards the element of fire, which expert artists recognise.

The earth will remain in the bottom of the vessel. This collect

there. It is what many seek after and few find.

This dead earth in the reverberatory you will prepare according

to the rules of Art, and afterwards add fire of the first degree

for five days and nights. When these have elapsed you must apply

the second degree for the same number of days and nights, and

proceed according to Art with the material enclosed. At length

you will find a volatile salt, like a thin alkali, containing in

itself the Astrum of fire and earth2. Mix this with the two

elements that have been preserved, the water and the earth.

Again place it on the ashes for eight days and eight nights, and

you will find that which has been neglected by many Artists.

Separate this according to your experience, and according to the

rules of the Spagyric Art, and you will have a white earth, from

which its colour has been extracted. Join the element of fire

and salt to the alkalised earth. Digest in a pelican to extract

the essence. Then a new earth will be deposited, which put

aside.

CONCERNING THE RED LION.

Afterwards take the lion in the pelican which also is found [at]

first, when you see its tincture, that is to say, the element of

fire which stands above the water, the air, and the earth.

Separate it from its deposit by trituration. Thus you will have

the true aurum potabile3. Sweeten this with the alcohol of wine

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poured over it, and then distil in an alembic until you perceive

no acidity to remain in the Aqua Regia.

This Oil of the Sun, enclosed in a retort hermetically sealed,

you must place for elevation that it may be exalted and doubled

in its degree. Then put the vessel, still closely shut, in a

cool place. Thus it will not be dissolved, but coagulated. Place

it again for elevation and coagulation, and repeat this three

times. Thus will be produced the Tincture of the Sun, perfect in

its degree. Keep this in its own place.

CONCERNING THE GREEN LION.

Take the vitriol of Venus4, carefully prepared according to the

rules of Spagyric Art; and add thereto the elements of water and

air which you have reserved. Resolve, and set to putrefy for a

month according to instructions. When the putrefaction is

finished, you will behold the sign of the elements. Separate,

and you will soon see two colours, namely, white and red. The

red is above the white. The red tincture of the vitriol is so

powerful that it reddens all white bodies, and whitens all red

ones, which is wonderful.

Work upon this tincture by means of a retort, and you will

perceive a blackness issue forth. Treat it again by means of the

retort, repeating the operation until it comes out whitish. Go

on, and do not despair of the work. Rectify until you find the

true, clear Green Lion, which you will recognise by its great

weight. You will see that it is heavy and large. This is the

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