Of Natural and Supernatural Things Also of the first...

The eye of a man cannot endure any thing that is imperfect, how little soever it be, though it be the least Atome of Dust, it would cause much pain, that he can rest no where. But if you take the quantity of a Bean of Saturn, shave it smooth and round, put it into the Eye, it will cause no pain at all; the reason is, because it is internally perfect, even as Gold and Precious Stones. By these and other Speeches you may observe, that Saturn is our Philosophers Stone, and our Latten, out of which our Mercury and our Stone is extracted with small Labour, little Art and Expence, and in a short time.

Wherefore I admonish you, my Child, and all those who know its name, that you conceal it from people, by reason of the evil which might thence arise; and you shall call the Stone our Laton, and call the Vinegar Water, wherein our Stone is to be wash'd; this is the Stone and the Water whereof the Philosophers have wrote so many great Volumes.

But this is the true Stone, which the Philosophers have sought, because it makes projection upon all the imperfect Metals, especially upon quick Mercury, and moreover it makes projection upon all diseases whatsoever, which may come into mans Body, as likewise upon all Wounds, Cancer, Fistulaes, open Sores, Buboes, Imposthumes, and all whatsoever can come externally upon mans Body, therefore this Stone is not under the Mineral work, but under the Vegetable.

It is the beginning of the Vegetable Book, and the principal; this Stone is called Lapis Philosophorum, the Mineral Stone is called Lapis Mineralis, and the third Stone is called Lapis Animalis. This Stone is the true Aurum potabile, the true Quinessence which we seek, and no other thing else in this world but this Stone. Therefore the Philosophers say, whosoever knows our Stone, and can prepare it, needs no more, wherefore they sought this thing and no other.

My Child shall take 10, 12, or 15 pound of Saturn, wherein is no mixture of any other Metal; laminate it thin, have in readiness a great Stone Jugg, half full of Vinegar, stop the Jugg very close, set it in a Lukewarm Bath, every three or four days scrape off the calcin'd Saturn from the Plates, and reserve it apart, thus do so long till you have 5 or 6 l. of the calcin'd Saturn, then grind it very well on a Stone with good distilled Wine-Vinegar, so as you may paint therewith, then take two or three great Stone-pots, therein put the Calx of Saturn which you ground, poure good distilled Wine-Vinegar upon it, that two parts of the Pot be full, stir it well together, stop the Pot close with a polished Glass or Pebble-stone, set the Pots in a Bath, stir it four or five times in a day with a wooden Ladle, lay the Glass or Stone Stopple again over it, make the Bath no hotter than that you may well endure your hand therein, that is, lukewarm; so let it stand fourteen days and nights, then decant that which is clear into another Stone-pot, poure other distilled Vinegar upon the Calx which is not well dissolved, mix them well together, set it 14 days in the Bath, again decant it, and poure other Vinegar upon it as before. This decantation and pouring on continue so long till all the Calx of Saturn be dissolved, then take all the dissolved Saturn, set it in a Bath, evaporate the Vinegar by a small fire, the Saturn will become a powder or lump.

Or stir it about until it be dry, you have a mass or powder of a dark yellow, or honey colour, then grind the powder again very finely upon a Stone with distilled Vinegar; put it into a stone-pot, stir and mix it well together, set it again into a Bath, which is but lukewarm so let it stand five or six dayes, stir it every day from the top to the bottom with a wooden Ladle, cover it again with the glass-Stopple, then let it cool, poure off that which is dissolved into a great stone pot, poure other Vinegar upon it, mix and stir them well together, set it into the Bath as before, reiterate this decantation and pouring on so often, till no more will dissolve, which try with your tongue, if it be sweet, it is not enough dissolved, or put some of it into a glass-gourd, let it evaporate, if any thing remain, it is not yet all dissolved which would be Gold, and then what remaines in the pot are Fæces, and sweet upon the Tongue; if you find any thing in the Gourd, it is not yet all dissolved, then may you poure fresh Vinegar upon it, till all be dissolved, then coagulate it as before, poure other Vinegar upon it, stir it, set it again into the Bath, reiterate this operation of solution and coagulation so long till you find no more Fæces at the bottom, but all be dissolved into a pure clear water, then is Saturn freed from all its Leprousness, Melancholy, Fæces, and blackness, being pure and white as Snow, for it is cleansed from all its uncleanness, because its coldness stands outwards as Luna doth, and its heat is internal, fluxible as wax, and sweet as sugar Candy.