A New Light of Alchemy

2After Nature received from the Most High Creator of all things the grant of a fief over this monarchy of the world, she began to distribute places and provinces to each according to its dignity. First she established the four elements as princes of the world. To fulfil the Most High's will, in whose willing nature is placed, she ordained that one should act ceaselessly upon another. Fire therefore began to act upon air and produced sulphur. Air likewise began to act upon water and produced salt. Water too began to act upon earth and produced mercury. Earth, having nothing upon which to act, produced nothing. The product remained in it, and therefore only three principles resulted. Earth became the nurse and womb of the others.

2.2As I have said, three principles were produced. Ancient philosophers did not consider this so closely, describing only two actions of the elements. Or, if they deliberately remained silent, who will judge them? They dedicated their writings only to their sons and named sulphur and mercury—which should suffice for us too—as the matter of metals, indeed of the philosophers' stone. Whoever therefore wishes to be a true investigator of this sacred science must know the accidents and recognise the accident itself, so as to learn which subject or element he intends to approach and to adapt himself to it through intermediaries, if he wishes to complete the number four. As these three principles were produced from four, so by diminution these three must also produce two, male and female. The two must produce one incorruptible thing in which those four will be equally whole, supremely purified and digested. Thus square will answer to square.