The Treasure of Treasures

by Philippus Theophrastus Bombast, Paracelsus the Great

As also The Water-Stone of The Wise Men; Describing the matter of, an %nglishe # An an are to be sol Publishe manner ho! to attain the uni"ersal Tincture# $aithfully by &#'# ()on# %agle, *on on, Printe for Giles +al"ert, of Pauls,

at the Blac, Spre -./0#

at the West en

1AT23% begets a mineral in the bo!els of the earth# There are t!o ,in s of it, !hich are foun !hich has been offere in many istricts of %urope# The best genuine in to me, !hich also has been foun

e)perimentation, is e)ternally in the figure of the greater !orl ,

an

is in the eastern part of the sphere of the Sun# The other, in

the Southern Star, is no! in its first efflorescence# The bo!els of the earth thrust this forth through its surface# 4t is foun re an in its first coagulation, an in it lie hi an all the flo!ers agrees colours of the minerals# Much has been !ritten about it by the moist nature, an

philosophers, for it is of a col !ith the element of !ater#

So far as relates to the ,no!le ge of it an

e)periment !ith it, at it !ith

all the philosophers before me, though they ha"e aime that Mercury an !ater is separate

their missiles, ha"e gone "ery !i e of the mar,# They belie"e Sulphur !ere the mother of all metals, ne"er e"en yet !hen the from it by Spagyric Art the truth is plainly to escribe only reaming of ma,ing mention mean!hile of a thir ; an

re"eale , though it !as un,no!n to Galen or to A"icenna# But if, for the sa,e of our e)cellent physicians, !e ha the name, the composition; the the beginning of the !orl things, a !hole year !oul a e5uate# 1o!, 4 assert that in this mineral are foun !hich are Mercury, Sulphur, an three principles, issolution, an coagulation, as in

1ature procee s !ith all gro!ing scarcely suffice me, an , in or er to be

e)plain these things, not e"en the s,ins of numerous co!s !oul

the Mineral Water !hich has ser"e

to naturally coagulate it# Spagyric science is able to - - e)tract this last from its proper 6uice !hen it is not altogether mature , in the mi Stars an le of the autumn, 6ust li,e a pear from a tree# The tree potentially contains the pear# 4f the +elestial 1ature agree , the tree first of all puts forth shoots !hen these so on in ue or er until in autumn in the month of March; then it thrusts out bu s, an open the flo!er appears, an

the pear gro!s ripe# So is it !ith the minerals# These are born, in li,e manner, in the bo!els of the earth# *et the Alchemists !ho are see,ing the Treasure of Treasures carefully note this# 4 !ill

she! them the !ay, its beginning, its mi follo!ing treatise 4 !ill Sulphur, an resolution an

le, an

its en # 4n the

escribe the proper Water, the proper into one#

the proper Balm thereof# By means of these three the composition are coagulate

+(1+%3141G T'% S2*P'23 ($ +411ABA3# Ta,e mineral +innabar an it carefully, an prepare it in the follo!ing manner# +oo, of it !ith rain !ater in a stone "essel for three hours# Then purify issol"e it in A5ua 3egis, !hich is compose common salt# separate e5ual parts of "itriol, nitre, an is "itriol, saltpetre, alum, an sal ammoniac# Another formula

Distil this in an alembic# Pour it on again, an

carefully the pure from the impure thus# *et it putrefy for a month in horse- ung; then separate the elements in the follo!ing manner# 4f it puts forth its sign-, commence the means of an alembic !ith a fire of the first the air !ill ascen ; the fire an bottom# After!ar s 6oin them again, an - 7 the ashes# So the !ater an the air !ill again ascen first, an after!ar s the element of fire, !hich e)pert artists recognise# The earth !ill remain in the bottom of the "essel# This collect there# 4t is !hat many see, after an This fi"e secon fin ea fe! fin # istillation by egree# The !ater an

the earth !ill remain at the gra ually treat !ith

earth in the re"erberatory you !ill prepare accor ing to after!ar s a fire of the first ays an nights, an egree for procee nights# When these ha"e elapse you must apply the

the rules of Art, an ays an

egree for the same number of

accor ing to Art !ith the material enclose # At length you !ill a "olatile salt, li,e a thin al,ali, containing in itself the earth7# Mi) this !ith the t!o elements that the earth# Again place it on you !ill fin that ays an eight nights, an Astrum of fire an the ashes for eight

ha"e been preser"e , the !ater an

!hich has been neglecte to your e)perience, an Art, an

by many Artists# Separate this accor ing accor ing to the rules of the Spagyric salt to the al,alise

you !ill ha"e a !hite earth, from !hich its colour has

been e)tracte # &oin the element of fire an earth !ill be eposite , !hich put asi e#

earth# Digest in a pelican to e)tract the essence# Then a ne!

+(1+%3141G T'% 3%D *4(1# After!ar s ta,e the lion in the pelican !hich also is foun fire !hich stan s abo"e the !ater, the air, an Separate it from its the earth# 8at9 first, !hen you see its tincture, that is to say, the element of eposit by trituration# Thus you !ill ha"e

the true aurum potabile:# S!eeten this !ith the alcohol of !ine - : poure o"er it, an then istil in an alembic until you percei"e no aci ity to remain in the A5ua 3egia# This (il of the Sun, enclose in a retort hermetically seale , you an ouble in its

must place for ele"ation that it may be e)alte Thus it !ill not be ele"ation an be pro uce

egree# Then put the "essel, still closely shut, in a cool place# issol"e , but coagulate # Place it again for repeat this three times# Thus !ill egree# ;eep coagulation, an

the Tincture of the Sun, perfect in its

this in its o!n place#

+(1+%3141G T'% G3%%1 *4(1# Ta,e the "itriol of <enus=, carefully prepare rules of Spagyric Art; an a air !hich you ha"e reser"e # 3esol"e, an finishe , you !ill behol abo"e the !hite# The re accor ing to the thereto the elements of !ater an set to putrefy for a

month accor ing to instructions# When the putrefaction is the sign of the elements# Separate, an re # The re is tincture of the "itriol is so po!erful you !ill soon see t!o colours, namely, !hite an

that it re

ens all !hite bo ies, an

!hitens all re

ones, !hich

is !on erful# Wor, upon this tincture by means of a retort, an you !ill

percei"e a blac,ness issue forth# Treat it again by means of the retort, repeating the operation until it comes out !hitish# Go on, an o not espair of the !or,# 3ectify until you fin large# This is the the true, clear Green *ion, !hich you !ill recognise by its great !eight# >ou !ill see that it is hea"y an - = Tincture, transparent gol # >ou !ill see mar"ellous signs of this Green *ion, such as coul tincture? This is the true an or genuine Balsam/, the Balsam of the 'ea"enly ecay, nor allo!ing leprosy, gout, ose of one grain, if it be bought by no treasures of the 3oman it an use it for a *eo# 'appy he !ho has learnt ho! to fin

Stars, suffering no bo ies to has been fermente

ropsy to ta,e root# 4t is gi"en in a !ith Sulphur of Gol #

Ah, +harles the German, !here is your treasure@ Where are your philosophers@ Where your your stars !an ere octors@ Where are your ecocters of !oo s, !ho at least purge an rela)@ 4s your hea"en re"erse @ 'a"e are they straying in other things

out of their course, an

another orbit, a!ay from the line of limitation, since your eyes are smitten !ith blin ness, as by a carbuncle, an ma,ing a sho! of ornament, beauty, an pomp@ 4f your artists only

,ne! that their prince Galen - they call none li,e him - !as stic,ing in hell, from !hence he has sent letters to me, they !oul ma,e the sign of the cross upon themsel"es !ith a fo)As 4 ha"e ispute !ith him about his aurum all the tail# 4n the same !ay your A"icenna sits in the "estibule of the infernal portal; an potabile, his Tincture of the Philosophers, his Buintessence, an PhilosophersA Stone, his Mithri atic, his Theriac, an

rest# (, you hypocrites, !ho of Go himself? +ome, then, an

espise the truths taught you by a by 1ature, an is a son listen, impostors !ho pre"ail only eath, my shall rag you to the light, an

true physician, !ho is himself instructe

by the authority of your high positions? After my isciples !ill burst forth an e)pose your irty rugs, - / !here!ith up to this time you ha"e compasse an your nec,s in the the

eath of princes,

the most in"incible magnates of the +hristian !orl # Woe for ay of 6u gment? 4 ,no! that the monarchy !ill glory# 1ot that 4

be mine# Mine, too, !ill be the honour an She ,no!s me, an behel

praise myselfC 1ature praises me# (f her 4 am born; her 4 follo!# 4 ,no! her# The light !hich is in her 4 ha"e the same in the figure foun it in that uni"erse# esign in or er to satisfy my isciples in in her; outsi e, too, 4 ha"e pro"e

of the microcosm, an But 4 must procee only s,ille

!ith my

to the full e)tent of their !ish# 4 !illingly in the light of 1ature an

o this for them, if

thoroughly practise of !ater#

astral matters, they finally become a epts in philosophy, !hich enables them to ,no! the nature of e"ery ,in Ta,e, then, of this li5ui

of the minerals !hich 4 ha"e

escribe ,

four parts by !eight; of the %arth of re congelate, an

Sol t!o parts; of

Sulphur of Sol one part# Put these together into a pelican, issol"e them three times# Thus you !ill ha"e the escribe its !eightC Tincture of the Alchemists# We ha"e not here

but this is gi"en in the boo, on Transmutations.# So, no!, he !ho has one to a thousan shall also tinge his o!n bo y of Sol# 4f you ha"e the Astrum of Mercury, in the same manner, you !ill tinge the !hole bo y of common Mercury# 4f you ha"e the Astrum of <enus you !ill, in li,e manner, tinge the !hole bo y of ounces of the Astrum Solis

- . <enus, an change it into the best metal# These facts ha"e all as to the Astra of the rest# !elt been pro"e # The same must also be un erstoo $or tinctures are also prepare

the other planets, as Saturn, &upiter, Mars, *una, an

from theseC concerning !hich !e

no! ma,e no mention in this place, because !e ha"e alrea y an

at sufficient length upon them in the boo, on the 1ature of Things in the Archi o)ies# So, too, the first entity of metals an terrestrial minerals ha"e been ma e, sufficiently clear for Alchemists to enable them to get the AlchemistsA Tincture# This !or,, the Tincture of the Alchemists, nee months; but 5uic,ly, an !ithout any not be one of nine ays,

elay, you may go on by the

Spaygric Art of the Alchemists, an , in the space of forty you can fi) this alchemical substance, e)alt it, putrefy it, ferment it, coagulate it into a stone, an Phoeni)D# But it shoul be note

pro uce the Alchemical

!ell that the Sulphur of +innabar

becomes the $lying %agle, !hose !ings fly a!ay !ithout !in , an carry the bo y of the phoeni) to the nest of the parent, !here it is nourishe by the element of fire, an the young ones i"i e ig out in its its eyesC from !hence there emerges a !hiteness, sphere, into a sphere an of its in!ar

life out of its o!n heart, by the balsam

parts, accor ing to the property of the cabalists#

'%3% %1DS T'% T3%AS23% ($ T'% A*+'%M4STS#

- D 1(T%S -# The Sign is nothing else than the mar, left by an operation# The house constructe by the architect is the sign of his

han icraft !hereby his s,ill an

art are

etermine # Thus the sign

is the achie"ement itself# - De +olica# 7# The earth also has its Astrum, its course, its or er, 6ust as much as the $irmament, but peculiar to the element# So also there is an Astrum in the !ater, e"en as in the earth, an manner !ith air an Astra of the elements for its me ium an an in li,e fire# +onse5uently, the upper Astrum has the operates through them by le on to their

an irresistible attraction# Through this operation of the superior inferior Astra, all things are fecun ate , an en # - %)plicatio Totius Astronomiae# Without the Astra the elements cannot flourish# ### 4n the Astrum of the earth all the celestial operations thri"e# The Astrum itself is hi en, the bo ies are manifest# ### The motion of the earth is brought about by the Astrum of the earth# ### There are four Astra in man Ecorrespon ing to those of the four elementsF, for he is the lesser !orl # - De +a ucis, Par# 44# :# Aurum Potabile, that is, Potable Gol , (il of Gol , an Buintessence of Gol , are gol ren ere !ith li5ui s# (il of Gol metal !ithout the a is the re ness of gol istinguishe thus# Aurum Potabile is from the precious separate from the potable by intermi)ture !ith other substances, an is an oil e)tracte therefrom an ition of anything# The Buintessence of Gol e)tracte

bo y of the metal# - De Membris +ontractis, Tract 44#, c# 7# - G =# 4f copper be poun e an resol"e !ithout a corrosi"e, you ha"e the 5uintessence, oil, an <itriol# $rom this may be prepare coo,e

li5uor thereof# - De Morbis Tartareis# +uprine <itriol is <itriol !ith +opper# - De Morbis <ermium, Par# .# +halcanthum is <enus can by separation be re uce into present in <enus, an

+halcanthum# - +hirurgia Magna# Pars# 444#, *ib# 4<# /# There is, in ee , iffuse through all things a Balsam create imme iately super"ene#

by Go , !ithout !hich putrefaction !oul

Thus in corpses !hich are anointe corruption is arreste of !hich the li"ing an an there is a certain natural an

!ith Balsam !e see that

thus in the physical bo y !e infer that congenital Balsam, in the absence not be safe from eath# But this ,in ea # Balsam, in that the one

complete man !oul

putrefaction# 1othing remo"es the Balsam but iffers from !hat is more commonly calle is conser"ati"e of the li"ing, an

the other of the

+hirurgia Magna, Pt# 44#, Tract 44#, c :# The confection of Balsam re5uires special ,no!le ge of chemistry, an isco"ere .# 4t is it !as first by the Alchemists# - 4bi #, Pt# 4#, Tract 44#, c# =# ifficult to i entify the treatise to !hich reference is oes not seem to be the se"enth boo, concerning The artificial !eight is etache iscusse in the

ma e here# 4t

1ature of Things, nor the ensuing tract on +ements# The general 5uestion of natural an come o!n to us# Aurora of the Philosophers# 1o !or, on Transmutations has

- 0 D# ;no! that the Phoeni) is the soul of the 4liaster Ethat is, the first chaos of the matter of all thingsF# ### 4t is also the 4liastic soul in man# - *iber AHoth, S# <#, Practica *ineae <itae#

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