Part Three

Das dritte Theil

Chapter Outline

The praise of the stone and the philosophers’ account of its history

The moral conditions of receiving and using the gift

Medicine, knowledge of God and the promise of the spiritual comparison

Fermentation, augmentation and the claimed projection

Heavenly wisdom above temporal riches

THE THIRD PART. Sirach 43. Who can praise him as highly as he is? We see the least part of his works, for much greater things are still hidden from us. Everything that exists was made by the Lord, and he makes it known to those who fear God.

When this lofty and now frequently mentioned art, or the profound stone of the sages, has been brought to its desired end, the philosophers have been unable to write enough in praise of its virtue, power and unspeakable benefits, or to extol it sufficiently. First, they regarded and praised it as the highest and greatest happiness upon this earth, without which no one in this world can attain perfection. For Morienus says: whoever possesses this stone possesses everything and needs no other help. In it are all temporal happiness, bodily health and every good fortune.

They further commended it by saying that the spirit and power hidden within it is the spirit of the fifth essence beneath the circle of moonlight: indeed, the sustainer of heaven and mover of the sea. It is a spirit chosen above other heavenly spirits, the most subtle, noble and pure, to which all the others are obedient as to their king. It grants human beings every welfare, heals every illness, gives the pious temporal honour and long life, but brings eternal punishment to the wicked who misuse it. In all this it has been tried and found perfect and unfailing. Hermes and Aristotle therefore called it the true without falsehood, the certain of the most certain, the secret of all secrets, a divine power hidden from fools—in sum, the last and highest thing that can be seen beneath heaven, and the wondrous conclusion and end of all philosophical works.

Some godly philosophers therefore firmly held that this was revealed from above to Adam, the first human being, and was afterwards especially desired by all the holy patriarchs. Noah, who built his ark, Moses, who made the tabernacle and its golden vessels, and Solomon, who built the temple to God’s honour and many other beautiful and ornate works, are said to have obtained their long lives and wealth through it, as did all the righteous who accomplished many other great deeds.

The philosophers themselves also acknowledge that through it they discovered the seven liberal arts and acquired their food and livelihood. God granted them this advantage so that poverty would not hinder their studies and pursuit of wisdom. They would also be spared having to flatter the rich and godless of this world or reveal the art and secret for money, and having themselves and their wisdom mocked and despised on account of begging.

Moreover, from it they learned and recognised many other great and hidden secrets of God’s wondrous works and the great riches of his glory. Through this God awakened and kindled certain hearts, leading them further into the knowledge of himself. They did not seek great riches, worldly or temporal pleasure and splendour through this treasure, or desire to obtain them by it. Their pleasure and joy lay rather in seeing and recognising the wonder in created things. They considered and regarded these glorious creations and works of the Almighty very differently from the present world, which, alas, generally looks at them scarcely otherwise than cows and calves do. The world also seeks and desires to learn this noble art for greed, splendour, temporal honour and pleasure, but with such thoughts it goes far astray. God has imparted these gifts to the pious alone, rather than to the godless and despisers of his Word, so that they may live and sustain themselves honourably, peacefully and quietly in this evil world, and give brotherly assistance and support to their needy neighbours.

Only the pious receive this art Through divine grace and favour; The whole world cannot pay For it with any money. The common multitude Should know nothing of it at all. The godless and unruly rabble Seek the noble stone in vain. Whoever has it in peace and quiet Dwells safely wherever he wishes. No fall or misfortune assails him; He fears no thief or robber. Few there are at this present hour To whom such a gift is granted. God holds it in his hands And gives it only to one who pleases him.

Much and variously has been written about this art’s effective virtue and benefit, and others have described it more fully: namely, that the stone, when prepared and made more than perfect, is the highest medicine among all remedies. It is said not only to cure and heal every illness, whatever it may be, including gout and leprosy, but also, when used by old and worn-out people, to rejuvenate them, restore their lost power and strength, and even revive the half-dead and bring them back to life. Nevertheless, since I am no physician, I will leave this aside and refrain from it here in my treatise, lest such high praise appear an attempt to encroach upon the physicians’ profession. I leave the judgment and praise of it to anyone who possesses it through God’s grace, knows how to use it and enjoys its benefits. I will, however, say and indicate a little about its other qualities and useful applications, from daily and visible experience in which, through God’s gift, I have myself to some extent shared.

First, concerning the knowledge of God and the wonders in Nature which this art reveals, I cannot sufficiently describe or express their lofty worth. Here a person can see the image of the Holy Trinity in one divine and inseparable being: how its persons are distinct, yet it is only one God. One can also see, in the second person of the Godhead, his incarnation, birth, suffering, death and resurrection, his exaltation, and the salvation he has acquired for us created human beings. Further, one sees the purification of original sin, which must be obtained through means, without which all human conduct and all works are otherwise vain and nothing. In sum, all the articles of our Christian faith and the whole process a person must accomplish through this vale of tears until rising to a new life are aptly and beautifully presented as in a mirror, or otherwise depicted. Something further will be said of this in Part IV.

Second, concerning the bodily and natural benefit obtained from it—namely, how its tincture can perfect all imperfect metals, changing and transmuting them into clear, dense gold—I will now briefly state and indicate this, as previously promised. When the frequently mentioned stone or elixir has been brought this far in its effect and is to serve the use first mentioned and tinge, it must be further fermented and augmented. Otherwise, because of its subtlety, its tincture cannot properly make an effective projection into other imperfect metals and bodies.

First take one part of the medicine already mentioned. To this part add three parts by weight of the best and finest gold, which has been refined and purified through antimony and afterwards beaten as thin as possible. Put them together in a melting crucible and set it in the fire, allowing them to melt and flow thoroughly. Every practitioner will doubtless know how to arrange this properly. Once this has been done, the compound placed within becomes a pure and powerful tincture. One part of this tincture can then tinge a thousand parts of base and inferior metals and make them pure, refined gold. Observe, however, that the more closely the metals are related to the matter and the purer they are, the more readily it receives them, and the higher and more productive the multiplication proves. Everything impure and unsuitable present here is separated and cast away as slag.