An excellent discourse of the admirable force and efficacie of Art and Nature, written by the famous Frier Roger Bacon, Sometime fellow of Merton Colledge, and afterward of Brasen-nose in Oxford.
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Roger Bacon
And in like manner shalt thou deale with the vapour of a Margarite or the stone Tagus, burying the dead as before thou art commanded.
And now forsooth the yeares of the Arabians being accomplished, I make answere to your demaund after this maner. You must haue a medicine ye wil dissolue in a thing that is melted, and be annointed in it, and enter into his second degree, and be incorporate with it, not proouing a fugitiue seruant, and change it, and be mixt with the roote of the Spirit, and bee fixed by the calx of the mettall. Now it is thought that fixation prepareth, when the body & spirit are layd in their place, and sublimed, which must be so often reiterated, til the body be made a spirit, and the spirit become a body. Take therefore of the bones of Adam, and of calx the same weight, there must be sixe for the rocky stone, & fiue for the stone of vnions, & these you must worke togither with Aqua vitæ (whose property is to dissolue all other things) that it may bee dissolued and boyled in it. And this a signe of Inceration, if the medicine will melt, when it is poured on an Iron redde hot. This done, poure water into it in a moyst place, or else hang it in the vapour of very hote and liquid Waters, and congeale it in the Sunne: then thou shalt take Salt-peter, & conuert Argent-uiue into lead: and againe, thou shalt wash and mundifie the lead therewith, that it may come nigh to Siluer, and afterward worke as thou didst before. Moreouer, thou shalt drinke vppe all after this sort. Notwithstanding, thou shalt take of Salt-peter, Luru vo po vir can vtri, and of Sulphur, and by this meanes make it both to thunder and lighten. Thus shalt thou performe the worke.
Nowe confider with thy selfe whether I speake in a riddle, or tell thee the plaine truth. There be some that haue bin of another mind: for it was said vnto me, that al things must be resolued to the matter, wherof you may find Aristotle, his iudgement in sundry vulgar & vnknowne places, and therfore I wil hold my peace. Now when thou hast them, thou shalt withall haue many simples and equals, and this thou shalt effect by contrary things and diuers operations, which before I tearmed the keyes of the Art. And Aristotle saith, that the equalitie of the powers doth containe in it the action and passion of bodies. And this likewise is the opinion of Auerroes reprouing Galen. It is thought that this is the most simple and pure medicine that may be found: It is good against the feauers and passions both of minde and bodyes, more cheape then any medicine whatsoeuer.
He that writ these things shall haue the key that openeth, and no man shutteth, and when hee hath shut, no man is able to open it againe.
FINIS.
Printed at London by Thomas Creede, for Richard Oliue. 1597.