Apollogia Alchymiae

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antimony, and can bring it to a firm fixation, exalting antimony and gold to an equal dignity and virtue," etc.
It is to be noted that he does not say here how you are to be rid of the tendency of these sulphurs to produce iron,
copper, and antimony respectively. The metals mentioned contain impure sulphur also; the different varieties
reputed to be present in each metal can be ascertained from the writings of Geber, Bacon, and others. Arnold, it is
said, asserts that vulgar sulphur is the cause of all the imperfections present in metals. Boehme says : "The sulphur
principle is an other thing than common suplhur."
The sulphur present in the White Stone is en route for the golden quality, and if not fermented with silver, can be
rubified into the Red Stone by merely increasing the artificial external heat. But heat only will not rubify the sulphur
of the white metals, lead and tin, into golden sulphurs. It is necessary to reduce them first, into what the alchemist
calls the first or original condition, before anything can be done (except of course when "projection" is being
performed).
As regards lead, Kelly says :"This is the tree of unwholesome fruits, on which must be inoculated the twigs of sol."
As regards tin, Aesch Mezareph says : "In particular transmutations, its sulphurous nature alone doth not profit, but
with other sulphurs, especially those of the red metals, it does reduce thick waters (duly terrificated) into gold." This
is not the universal work, but a "Particular" one; no gold of plusquam perfection is formed; but bare gold. Many
other particular works are mentioned by writers; thus: "If you extract the Salt out of Vitriol, and rectify it well, then
you have a work which is short, and tingeth luna into Sol." (Valentine). In treating their vitriol, the mercury comes
first, and the remainder or chaos contains the sulphur and salt; but in operating on vitriol of gold, the sulphur comes
first, and the salt second, the undried remainder being the mercury of gold. But nearer to perfection the body is, the
more difficult is the extraction of the sulphur.
Bernard Trevisan held the opinion that "in gold there is nothing but mercury coagulated by its own sulphur," and
"the philosophers have affirmed sol to be nothing but argent vive matured" also "gold is nothing but mercury
anatized, i.e., equally digested in the bowels of a mineral earth." Golden Tract says: "Internal sulphur is nothing but
mature mercury." So that here everything is traced back to that one primary fluidity, on the which, the spirit of God
moved at the beginning. But this is pure theory.
Sulphur is generally distinguished by the title of "red," thus Turba : "Nothing is more precious than the red sand of
the sea; it is the distilled moisture of the moon joined to the light of the sun and congealed." Flamel : "The fat of the
mercurial wind joined to the scum of the red sea." Aesch Mezareph mentions that Solomon fetched gold from Ophir
by way of the Red Sea.
In the generality of cases, the remakes are but as so many fresh enigmas to the student, who cannot without
illumination distinguish whether the light is near or afar off. To the instructed, however, all things are clear; and the
expounding or propounding of riddles is done with equal facility. Therefore, also, he can see that the erroneous paths
he has trodden are being are being pressed by the feet of others. There seems to be no remedy but inspiration, and
that can come but from one only source.
The analogy between the modus operandi of reducing common gold and their "unripe gold" or proxima materia
each to its respective prima materia, is very striking. Gold is broken up by common mercury and sulphur; is then
dissolved in aqua regia of sal ammoniac (or other chloride salt) and saltpetre. "Unripe" gold is solved by a crude
"mercury," and in the subsequent analysis, their philosophic sal ammoniac and saltpetre are produced. With these
latter and not with the common variety the finely divided common gold )or perhaps its oxide), is reduced into its
prima materia; and is then called the gold "ferment."
The White Stone in its perfection is though a compound containing its own sulphur are called mercury, or wife,
or lune. The same remark applies to the Red Stone, before its fermentation by gold. Either Stone is called Beiya, or [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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