The Golden Calf, Which the World Adores, and Desires In...

Divers Ilustrious men have written touching the Verity of this Arcanum, among these, take the Sayings of some of them, as follows.

In his Book Of the Signature of Natural things.

The Tincture of Naturalists, is a, true sign, that by the transmutative virtue thereof, all imperfect Metals are changed, viz. the White into Silver, and the Red into the best Gold, if an exceeding small part of this Medicine well prepared, be injected upon the Metal, while in flux in a Crucible, &c.

For the invincible Astrum of Metals overcomes all things, and changeth into a Nature like it self, &c. This Gold and Silver is more noble, and better, than those, which are dug out of Metallick Mines; for Medicinal Arcanums to be prepared therefrom.

Therefore, I say every Alchimist, which hath the Astrum of Gold, is able to tinge all Red Metals into Gold, &c.

Our Tincture of Gold hath Astrums in it self, is a Substance most fixed, and in multiplication immutable. It is a Powder, haveing a colour most red, almost like Saffron, yet its whole Corporal Substance, is liquid as Rosin, perspicuous as Crystal, brittle as Glass, of the colour of a Rubie, and exceeding poaderous, &c.

Also read Paracelsus his Heaven of Philosophers.

Likewise, Paracelsus his Seventh Book, Of the Transmutation of Natural things.

Transmutation is a great natural Mystery, Metallick, and not contrary to the Course of Nature, nor repugnant to the Order of GOD, as many men of it do falsly judge. For imperfect Metals, are changed neither into Gold, nor into Silver, without this Stone of Philosophers.

Paracelsus, in his Manual of the Medicinal Stone of philosophers.

Our Stone is a Celestial, and more than perfect Medicine, because it cleanseth all the impurities of Metals, &c.

In his Amphitheatre of Eternal Sapience.

I travelled long, invited others, who knew somewhat by experience, and could with very firm judgement conjecture; and this not alwayes in vain. Among which, I call God to witness, by his wonderful ordination, I, from one, received the Green Catholick Lyon, and the Blood of the Lyon, viz. Gold, not the Vulgar, but of Philosophers, with my Eyes I saw the same, with my hands, I handled it, and with my Nostrils, smelt the odour thereof. O how wonderful is God in his Works! They, I say, gave those Gifts prepared, which I in most desperate Cases, used with admirable success to the benefit of my needy Neighbour. And (by Instinct of Jehovah's mercy) they sincerely revealed to me, the wayes of preparing, &c.

This wonderful Method, the wonderful God gave me. In this way, in which I walked, God alone, I say, immediately, and mediately; yet subdelegately, Nature, Fire, and Art, of my Master, as well living as mute, corporally, and spiritually good, sleeping and waking, gave the same to me, &c.

I write not Fables; with your hands you shall handle, and with, your eyes you shall see Azoth, viz. the Catholick [or Universal] Mercury of Philosophers; which alone, with the Internal and External Fire, yet with Sympathetick Harmony, with Olympick Fire (by reason of inevitable necessity) Physico-magically united, will suffice thee for obtaining our Stone, &c.

You shall see, the Stone of Philosophers; our King, and Lord of those that bare rule, coming from his Bridal Throne of the Glassy Sepulchre, into this Mundane Scene, in his glorified body, viz, regenerate, and more then perfect: namely, a shining Carbuncle, a most temperate Splendour; and of which, tire most Subtile, and Depurated parts, are by the concordant peace of Mixtion, inseparably united into One, and perfectly equallized, clear as Crystal, compact, and most ponderous, as fluid in fire, as Rosin, and before the flight of Mercury, as Wax flowing, yet without fume, entring and penetrating, solid and close bodies, as Oyl, Paper; resolvable in every Liquor, melting, and commiscible therewith; brittle as Glass, in Powder, of the colour of Saffron, but in the intire Mass, like a blushing Rubie; (which Redness is a sign of perfect Fixation, and fixed Perfection) permanently Colouring, or Tinging; in all Examens whatsoever, even of Sulphur adurtive, and in Tryals of corroding Waters, and in the most vehement persecution of Fire, fixed, alwayes during, and unburnable; permanent as the Salamander, &c.

The Stone of Philosophers in the greater World, is in the parts thereof, fermented; by reason of the Ferment, it transforms it self into whatsoever it will &c. Hence you may learn the reason, why Philosophers on their Azoth imposed the name of Mercury which adheres to bodies, &c.

It is fermented with Metals, viz, the White existant in the highest Whiteness, with pure Silver for the White; but the Sanguineous Stone, with Gold Obrizon for the Red. And this is the Work of three dayes, &c.

For I have oftentimes seen it, and with, my hands handled the same, &c. See in the same place further. Then I projected this quarter of one Grane, wrapt up in Paper, upon eight Ounces of Argentvive, hot in a Crucible, and immediately the whole Hydrargyry, with some little noise ceased to flow, and remained congealed like yellow Wax: after fusion thereof, by blowing the bellows, there were found eight Ounces of Gold, wanting eleven Grane. Therefore, one Grane of this Powder, transmutes 19186 equal parts of Argentvive, into the best Gold. Within the Earth, the aforesaid Powder is found, or what is in a sort like thereunto, which transmutes almost an infinite Mass of impure Metal into perfect Gold, by uniting the same to it self, it defends from Rust, and Ærugo, from Cankring, and Death, and maketh the same, as it were, immortal, against all torture of Fire, and Art, and transfers it into the Virgin-purity of Gold; it requires only heat.

The same Helmont, Of the Tree of Life.

I am compelled to believe the Aurifick, and Argentifick Stone; because at several distinct: times, with my own hand, made projection of one Grane of this Powder, upon some thousands of Granes of Argentvive hot in a Crucible; and in the presence of our principal friends, the business, with a pleasing admiration, succeeded well in the Fire: as our books promise Thee, &c.

He, who first gave me the Powder, had at least, so much thereof, as would be sufficient for transmuting two hundred thousand pound weight of Metal, into Gold, &c..

For he gave to me not so much as half a grane of that Powder, and with that were transmuted nine ounces, and three quarters of an ounce of Argetitvive. That was given me one Evening by a strange Friend, &c.

So also it is written, that sixty years since, Alexander Scotus, made projection of that kinde, in the trust: famous City of Colonia and Hanovia, &c.

I cannot in this place over-pass, some Examples worthy of note, touching the possibility of Transmutation.

Read the following true Extract out of an Epistle written by Doctor Kufflerus.