Lumen de Lumine

Here wee have pourtray’d unto us the whole Philosophicall Laboratorie, Furnace, fire, and Matter, with the Mysterious Germinations thereof. But because the Termes are difficult, and not to bee understood by any, but such as have seen the thing it self, I will for the Readers Benefit, I cannot say satisfaction, put them into English. This is the worke (saith hee) which I have sometimes seen with a singular, and a most deare friend: who shewed to me certaine large Furnaces, and those crown’d with Cornues of Glasse. The Vessels were severall, having besides their Tripods their Sediments, or Caskets, and within them was a Holy Oblation, or present dedicated to the Ternarie. But why should I any longer conceale so divine a thing? within this Fabric was a certaine Masse moving Circularly, or driven round about, and representing the very Figure of the great world. For here the Earth was to be seen standing of it self in the middest of all, compassed about with most clear waters, rising up to severall Hillocks, and craggie Rocks, and bearing many sorts of Fruit, as if it had been watr’d with showers from the moyst Aire. It seem’d also to bee very fruitfull for wine, oile, and milk, with all kind of precious stones, and Metals. The waters themselves like those of the Sea, were full of a certaine transparent Salt, now white, now Red then Yellow and purpl’d, and as it were chamletted with various Colours, which did swell up to the face of the waters. All these things were actuated or stirr’d with their own appropriat fire, but in very truth imperceptible, and ethereall. But one thing above the rest forc’d me to an incredible admiration. Namely, that so many things, such divers and in their kind such perfect particulars should proceed from one only thing, and that with very small assistance, which being further’d and strengthned by degrees, the Artist faithfully affirmed to me that all those Diversities would settle at last to one Body. Here I observed that fusil kind of Salt to bee nothing different from a pumice-stone, and that Quick-silver which the ancient Authors of this Art call’d Mercury, to be the same with Lullies Lunaria, whose water gets up against the fire of Nature, and shines by night, but by day hath a glutinous, viscous faculty.