Furthermore, water must here be considered in its coagulated and fixed essence, rather than in its diffusion, excessive moisture and quality. This coagulation takes place precisely in the earth, which in itself is likewise nothing other than coagulated water.

Thus, while the rule cited remains true, it follows from that very rule that the essence first described—the philosophers’ stone—can tincture all imperfect metals into gold. For, after the human soul, it is the noblest and most perfect thing on earth, far, far higher and nobler than gold.

Those who wish to prepare the stone and the natural tincture from gold therefore err grossly against the principles and act altogether foolishly. It is also known that once nature has reached its limit, it cannot afterwards be raised higher. We must therefore conclude once again that, since gold has reached its limit, it cannot be raised higher, nor can the tincture be prepared from it, since that tincture, as stated, is far, far higher and nobler than gold itself.

It is an equal error to suppose that gold can be brought into its first matter and seed, as they call it, and then into a new and better form. For this rule always stands firm: there is no return in nature. Such reduction, like regeneration, can be accomplished only through corruption and putrefaction, through killing and annihilation—all of which mean the same thing among the philosophers. Here applies the saying: “The corruption of one thing is the generation of another.” Yet gold is subject to neither corruption nor putrefaction, as not only Nuysement and the author of Inferior Astronomy but experience itself testify.

Not to mention again that gold has no life, as was also abundantly demonstrated above. Where there is no life, no killing can take place, since privation presupposes possession. “Therefore,” says the Son of Sendivogius in his Lamp of the Philosophers’ Salt, “only in our Azoth, and in no other thing in the world, must the strength of the strongest strength be sought and its discovery hoped for. For in the whole nature of things there is but one thing from which our art declares itself true, and in that thing it wholly consists.”

Thus the entire art of common alchemists and sophists, especially their putrefaction, killing and annihilation of gold, amounts to nothing more than making it disappear so thoroughly that the person whose chest and purse they talked it out of never sees any of it again. Experience has long and repeatedly testified to this. Of these people, here and almost everywhere else, the author of the Opened Philosophical Father’s Heart rightly says: “God the Lord created everything from nothing; common alchemists make nothing from everything.”

The case is different, however, when the medicine is first prepared in the best manner and then fermented with gold. One part then tinctures a thousand parts of various common metals into gold, but afterwards the work can no longer be multiplied. Basilius discusses this in his twelfth key. Honest philosophers and practitioners know how to perform it; such deceivers do not.

I could not pass over one further observation. Although the maxim quoted above expressly mentions Mercury, we must not be misled by that. We should instead heed the author of the Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby: “Without our Mercury,” he says, “nothing is accomplished in this art. See, therefore, that you are not deceived by ordinary mercury, which is entirely useless for our work. If you labour with it until the last day, you will discover nothing in it.”

The same author says: “So many men, and men so learned, have been deceived by ordinary mercury. For although it is a mineral water, it is not of a nature or essence like gold.”

Likewise the Sudum Philosophicum says: “Even if ordinary mercury were kept warm in the usual manner for ten whole years, either alone or with gold or silver, it would not in truth lose its volatility. The sole reason is that it has no proper agent manifest within it by which it could be altered from inside.”

I have indeed read in a very old manuscript found at Löwenstein, which a good friend communicated to me in a copy: “Concerning mercurial water, note that when I speak of mercurial water, I do not mean ordinary mercury, but the Mercury of the philosophers. This Mercury is a red substance, drawn free from the midst of the mine.” The familiar words of Sendivogius are also known: “If you dig a pit as deep as your knees,” and so forth.

Yet another maxim says: “As soon as our matter touches the earth, it is no longer of any use for our art.”

The following saying too deserves close attention: “Mark this! Mark this! Nothing weak can help another.” I wish again to remind the reader that strength should not be sought in what is weak, nor power in what is powerless. As stated, gold itself is too weak to provide a tincture for improving metals. Although it is the best and most perfect metal, it cannot spare any of its perfection and goodness, communicate them to a lesser metal, and thereby bring that metal to equal perfection and goodness. It is therefore easy to see that another, lesser metal or mineral, whatever its name, is still less capable of doing this or of serving to prepare the tincture repeatedly mentioned.

Consider further that another philosophical maxim says: “If one wishes to make something suitable for metals, it must be done from metals, through metals and with metals.” Yet Sendivogius expressly warns in turn: “Observe this caution: do not seek in common metals that point—that is, the seed of metals—which is not in them. For these metals, especially common gold, are dead; ours, however, are living and possess a spirit. Those are the metals that must be taken.”

From this it is abundantly clear that ordinary metals and minerals are not suitable for our work; only living and spiritual ones are. Nor is anything else that has ever touched the earth suitable. These living and spiritual metals and minerals, and the root and seed of metals, must therefore be sought and found nowhere but in water. The late Arnd, the author of the treatise On the Metamorphosis of Metals, and several others likewise expressly testify to this.