Now for the Birth of this Mercurie, and the Place of it, I find but few Philosophers that mention it. Zoroaster points at it, and that very obscurely, where he speaks of his Jynges or the Idea's in these words;

Multae quidem hae scandunt lucidos Mundos, Insilentes: Quarum Summitates sunt Tres. Subjectum est Ipsis Principale pratum.

This Pratum, or Meadow of the Idea's, a place well known to the Philosophers, (Flammel calls it their Garden, and the Mountain of the seven Metals, see his Summarie, where hee describes it most learnedly for hee was instructed by a Jew) is a certain secret, but Universall Region: one calls it Regio Lucis, the Region of Light, but to the Cabalist it is Nox Corporis, a Terme extremely apposit, and significant. It is in few words the Rendezvous of all Spirits, for in this place the Idea's when they descend from the Bright world to the Dark one, are incorporated. For thy Better Intelligence thou must know that Spirits whiles they move in Heaven, which is the Fire-world, contract no impurities at all, according to that of Stellatus;

Omne quod est supra Lunam, aeternumque bonumque Esse scias, nec triste aliquid Coelestia tangit.

All (sayth hee) that is above the Moon, is eternall and good, and there is no Corruption of Heavenly Things. On the contrary, when Spirits descend to the Elementall Matrix, and reside in her Kingdom, they are blurr'd with the Original Leprosie of the Matter, for here the Curse raves and rules, but in Heaven it is not Praedominant. To put an end to this point,

let us hear the admirable Agrippa state it; This is hee, between whose lipps the Truth did breathe, and knew no other Oracle. Coelestium vires, dum in se existunt, & à Datore Luminum per sanctas Intelligentias, & Coelos influuntur, quousque ad Lunam pervenerint: earum Influentia bona est, tanquam in primo gradu; deinde autem quando in Subjecto viliori suscipitur, ipsa etiam vilescit. That is; The Heavenly powers, or spirituall Essences whiles they are in themselves, or before they are united to the Matter, and are shower'd down from the Father of Lights thorough the holy Intelligences and the Heavens, untill they come to the Moone: Their Influence is good, as in the first degree; But when it is received in a corrupt Subject, the Influence also is corrupted. Thus He. Now the Astronomers pretend to a strange familiaritie with the starrs, the Natural Philosophers talk as much: and truly an Ignorant man might well think they had been in heaven, and conversed, like Lucians Menippus, with Jove himself. But in good Earnest these Men are no more Eagles than Sancho, their fansies are like his flights in the Blanket, and every way as short of the Skies. Ask them but where the Influences are received, and how; bid them by faire Experience prove they are present in the Elements, and you have undone them; if

Occult. phil.

you will trust the foure Corners of a Figure, or the three Legs of a Syllogism, you may; this is all their Evidence. Well fare the Magicians then, whose Art can demonstrate these Things, and put the very Influences in our hands. Let it be thy studie to know their Region of Light, and to enter into the Treasures thereof, for then thou mayst converse with Spirits, and understand the Nature of invisible Things. Then will appear unto thee the Universal Subject, and the two minerall Spermes, White, and Red, of which I must speak somewhat, before I make an end.