The Third Dialogue, or Conference, betwixt B. and C. treating of the true Universal and particular Medicine of the ancient Philosophers, (extracted) out of such Gold as is yet fugacious, or Volatile,

C.Good morrow heartily, my Friend! I wish you a good and prosperous Day.

B. I wish you the same, whence come you to us so early?

C. I have very earnestly for these several days waited for this hour, that I might see you, and have the Fruition of the most sweet Fruits of your Courteous instructions. My Brother A. sent me hither, and told me, that you had given him leave to send me unto you this day. I do therefore Friendly request you, that you would put a good Construction upon this my Boldness.

B. [My Friend!] I do not in the least take it ill, your Brother told me, that you were as yet ignorant and unskilled, in the more subtil Arcanaes and Secrets; and that you therefore needed not ought else, but some pretty easie Secret, which might be easily understood, and performed with small Expences, and yet be profitable and beneficial unto you.

C. Indeed, Sir, to tell you the plain Truth, such Arcanums as are profound ones, and to be penetrated into by a subtil Meditation, and which are of great moment, do far outreach my duller apprehension: And therefore I do not at this time desire any thing, more than this, viz. that I may obtain something that is not costly, and yet may effect so much in Medicine and Alchimy, as may serve me to live a little more commodiously and plentifully, as to Food and Raiment. And that you would be pleased, to render me a Master of this my desire, is my humble request unto you, again and again.

B. You do very prudently measure out your requests, according to your own Capacity. And indeed, sometimes, those things which are not Costly, nor are difficult in their Operation, are more profitable to a Man, than those things are, which they would fain get by the expence of a great deal of Charge, of a long time, and hard Labours: I will grant you your Request, and therefore hearken.

C. [Sir, I thank you,] and do listen.

B. Have you never read, or else heard from others, that those most ancient Philosophers, tell us that their universal Work, is not only most easie to be done, but withal no ways Chargeable. For they do openly Confess, that to the perfecting of their Work, a Man needs be at no more Expences, than two Florins, and that the Labour it self, even from the beginning to the end, is nothing else but mere Womens work, and Boys play.

C. You are pleased to offer me delicate Dainties, easie to be prepared, for I have not so much Money as is to be laid out upon those kind of chargeable and costly Labours: Neither will my Family Affairs admit thereof, viz. to spend my days in such sumptuous and chargeable Cookeries, and which are so full of most great Labours, and whose event too is oftentimes very uncertain. For I have heard some say, that the smallest Errour may destroy the whole Work, and quite spoil it, and so grievously affect such as operate about such great Secrets, with a very great loss of long time, and great Expences. And therefore such a Work, as I can attend upon without letting my taking Care of my Family, and which will need the disbursment of but a few Expences, will please me better than those other Costly ones would.

B. I readily believe, that this very thing you desire, will not only be exceedingly pleasing unto your self, but also unto many others besides. The Expences are but very small, and the Labours thereupon but little, so that each days Fire, which the Matter is to be set upon, may be taken Care for, in half an hours space. But now, though the Philosophers have made mention of very small Expences, and have comprised them in the compass of a couple of Florins, yet is that saying to be otherwise understood. Those Ancients made use of the greatest Florins, viz. the Rhenish ones, and also the Hungarian Crowns, each of which is of the value of five of our Florins. And if you thus understand it after this compute, I can easily shew unto you the Truth of their Assertion.

C. I do even think as you say: Sure we must not expect any [such] things for nothing; I am content, [and therefore, pray] let us proceed.

B. If our Work be called the labour of Women, and Boys play, it is expedient, that it be like unto Womens work, and Boys play: For else the Philosophers would have used an unfit similitude. You well know, what Labours your Wife is chiefly busied about, and what her daily Labour is she imploys her self in.

C. Yes, verily I daily see, that she doth boyl Food necessary for the Use of the whole Family, and being boyl’d sets it upon the Table to be eaten. This Labour she performs, at least twice every day, when Dinner and Supper is ended, she doth wash the Dishes, Pots, Goblets, and other Vessels, and cleans them, and makes them fit to put other new Food in, and to be served out to the Table. Besides too, this is her Office and Care, if haply a Pot be broken, or crackt, whereby it is made unfit to hold moisture any more, to substitute (in defect of Iron Pots) a new Pot made of Potters Clay, in the stead thereof: Such and the like Labours, as these, are in our Country called the Womens work.

B. Well, be it so: I will likewise shew unto thee, such a Labour in Chymical Operations, as resembles this. Therefore, like as the Female Sex do first wash the Flesh, Fish, Rapes, Pot-herbs, Roots, Apples, Pears, or other things with pure Water, which they mean to boyl, and then put them into the Pot, and pour thereunto as much Water as is requisite, and place it over the Fire, and boyl it so long, till all the crudity, or rawness being vanisht, the Meats become grateful to the Palat, and pleasant, and easily digestible by the Stomach. [So do we] They do likewise sometimes pour Wine upon Flesh and Fish, instead of Water, and add as much Salt as is convenient, together with some Spices, or odoriferous Herbs, by which they give the Fish and Flesh a most excellent Taste. But yet we must not forget Salt, above all the other Spices, or Seasonings, and odoriferous Herbs, for it Corrects and maturates the Flesh, Fish, and other hard Meats, more than other Spices. For we can well enough want these if they are not at hand, but as for Salt, there is always need of that, about the boyling of Flesh, Fish, and other Food. If therefore Flesh, or Fish are to be boyld well, then Salt water is requisite; and as for all the other Additions of Herbs, and odoriferous Spices, they only serve to give it a good pleasant Taste, and make it acceptable to the Palat, and to the Smelling. For the Flesh and Fish when boyl’d or stewed, do by their Magnetick Virtue attract so much Salt and grateful Savour, and Virtue, as they need: And that which remains, stays in the Water. Now the curious Dames do shut the tops of their Pots very well with their Covers, lest the efficacious Vapours should be forced away in fume by the Boyling, and not stay with the Flesh or other Meats. But the careless Housewifes do not much regard the covering of their Pots, from whence it comes to pass, that they lose these good and sweet Spirits, and then they fil up their Pots with new Water, by which doings, the Flesh, or Fish, do not get so sweet a Savour, as they would have, if that efficacious Water had been kept in and conserved. Some Women that are yet more curious, and diligent about their Cookery, do put upon their Pots, wherein they boyl their Meats, such a Cover as hath a fold in it, by which the Collected sweet and odoriferous Vapours may distil down into an under-put Vessel, which being thus gotten, they keep by them, to refresh and cherish with them, such as are weak and sick, when need requires. Others, to free themselves from this kind of Labour, do add as much Water as need is, together with Salt and Spices, to their Flesh, and so boyl it by little and little, shutting in the Vapours with a Cover, which else would go away, and the Meat taste of burning; And by doing thus, they are not necessitated to pour on any new Water, though this slow boyling takes up more time than that, which is done by a strong and uncessant Ebullition: I would have you well to observe these things, for ’tis not without cause that I utter them. And now let us examine the other similitude, and see what those Boys Plays are, that so we may afterwards accommodate even them too, to our Philosophical work. What therefore do you see concerning the Boys Plays, with what things, and after what manner do they Play?

C. How can I tell? They play as their Parents please to let them, or as they can get opportunity of Playing: As for my self, I do not grant my Children so much Liberty, to play when, and how they list themselves. I send them to the School and to the Church, and sometimes I allow them one hours Play for Recreations sake, nor do I allow them any other Play but at Bowls, [or Knickers] by which they moderately stir their Bodies, and exercise themselves, and Concoct their Meat, and this is far more profitable for them, than if they were constrained to sit always at home, without any exercise at all: Other play than this, I allow them not. Cards and Dice are unfit Plays for Boys, they are many times very hurtful to those of riper years, especially when by the too much abuse of them, they do so unprofitably waste their precious time, and cannot tell how to use a mean. I have indeed otherwise seen Boys, that meeting with some Sand get [thereout of] bright Stones, and play with them, but yet this is not usual. However, there is no play more frequent amongst Children, than that of Bowls, [or Knickers] which play they daily use, whatsoever time they can steal, to that purpose. Yea both at their going to School, and returning from School, you may see them presently busied about their Rubbers, or Knickers-play. They are very hardly restrained therefrom. If they want Money to buy the Bowls, or Knickers, they get a little piece of Potters Clay and moisten it with Water, and make up their little Bowls, or Pellets in their hands, and harden them in the Fire; which I remember, when I was a Boy, I often did. And besides this Boys play, no other is known unto me.

B. Very good, you have hit the nail on the head: And now let us see, whether or no the ancient Philosophers have (after the manner of Boys) played with small Bowls, or Knickers? and whether, or no, they have boyl’d their work in Pots, with as easie a Labour, as Women do. For of necessity they must have hit on doing after this wise, else could they not have compared their work to the Labour of Women, and play of Children. So then, if we are to imitate Women and Boys in our Operation, what Matters are we to make use of, for our boyling, in the stead of Flesh, Fish, and other Meats; and what Water is it, that is to be poured thereupon. For if we are minded to do any good effect, ’tis expedient, that we likewise know, what those Matters are, which admit of being boyled unto a Maturity in our fiery Water, and these verily must be such, (seeing they are to be maturated by boyling) as have a great Affinity with the said Water: Forasmuch therefore, as our Water is of a Metallick Nature, and yet all the Metals do in a manner arise, or proceed (in the Earth) therefrom, and are even at this very day advanced, by the very same (by the help of the Terrestrial and Central fire) by little and little unto perfection: All that we have to do is, to imitate the simplicity of Nature, which will never seduce us, for so without question, those most ancient Philosophers did do, who having borrowed their wonderful Work from Nature her self, do advise us to do no more, but to follow Nature, and to begin there, where Nature left off, and to ascend higher and to make that perfect, which is as yet imperfect: God hath prefixed unto Nature her bounds, which she cannot transgress [or go beyond:] But Art, doth much excel Nature, and performs those things which Nature cannot accomplish: Yea more, that which she can hardly do in the Earth in a thousand years time, Art effects in one year, and this is easily confirmed by many Testimonies. Now as to the Generation and Maturation of the Metals, Nature useth a most simple or plain way, a very slow one, but yet safe. From thence ariseth the Errour of many a Man, who do not follow Nature, but the guidance of their own phantastick Brains, never effecting ought of good, but remain always Novellists in the same, what Labours soever they undertake, and what Expences soever they are at: Although the ancient Philosophers do by their many Admonitions set afore us, that most simple Course of Nature for us to imitate; and they have especially hinted to us, that their Work is so simple, that should they but openly and clearly have treated of the same, even the Women would deride it and say, that the Male kind had learned their Art from them. Yea, it is so very vile a Work, that no Body would be able to believe it, and upon this Account, the Philosophers have done their utmost, to hide and obscure the Art the most they could, least they should be contemned by the proud deriders, (who Soaring aloft seek after things too high for them,) and be accounted for Cheats and false Writers. And this is the main and chiefest Reason, why this Art being so wrapt up in darkness of a most profound Silence, lyes hitherto hid from the whole Troop of Sophisters, and such deriding Fellows. Sendivow (as we have already several times hinted) doth expresly say, that he had oftentimes declared the whole Art, to not a few word for word, unto whom, that Art did nevertheless seem so very vile and mean, that they could not at all believe any likelihood of Truth in his most true words, and so left the Work unattempted. The same Sendivow doth also say, That had the most skilful Hermes, the most quick witted Geber, and most illuminated Lully been again alive, and beheld our Laboratories stored with so many, and such various Instruments of Glass, Earth, Iron, and other Matters, and such several Fornaces, they would be ravished into a most high Admiration, like so many Boys, and would be but as it were our Scholars, as concerning those Vessels and Fornaces, all which however, we have learned from their Writings, but yet we are destitute of that most excellent Work which was wrought by them in so simple a Way, and it hitherto flies our subtile and acute Wits. And, my dear Friend, he also tells us, that we should fly aloft into the lofty Air with our Wings, for the Work is simple, vile and abject, the which, you may sooner comprehend [or feel] with your hands, than apprehend by the subtilty of your Wit or Cogitations.

C. All these things may very sufficiently serve to rid us out of so great a Labyrinth, but I pray, Sir, how comes it about, that we do sottishly persuade our selves, that those things are so very difficult, which notwithstanding are so very simple, vile, and abject.

B. It is indeed, to him that has knowledge of the same, an easie, vile, and simple thing: But very difficult and intricate to him, that laying aside the way of Nature, thinks himself able to learn so great an Art out of Books, which (by their leave) though, seems a thing almost impossible to be done. For the Philosophers have so prolixly, intricately, and obscurely described the whole Mystery, that their so prolix and dark Writings would sooner lead a Man from the true and right way, so far off are they from reducing him thereinto.

C. I my self find, that this is most certainly true, for I never heard as yet of any Man, or read of any, that learned the Art out of Books: But that almost all of them who were skilled in the same, do Confess, that they became Masters of the same, either by Divine Inspiration or Revelation, or by the help of some Friend. There’s no Body can contradict those things which you have here induced, for the Confirmation of your Opinion. And now, Sir, let us set upon the Work it self, and diligently pray unto God and wait for his Blessing.

B. Content, hearken therefore attentively.

C. So I do.

B. Did you never find in the reading of the Philosophers, that all the imperfect Metals may in a Particular way be promoted to the perfect Maturity of Gold or Silver, by their dry Water which wetteth not the hands: But being not content with this effect, they have promoted the first Ens of Metals (by the help of their occult, fiery, and ripening Water) to a more than perfect Constancy, and Fixity in the Fire, and have concentrated it to the form of Gold.

C. I remember, that I have read of such things as these, though by reason of my unskilfulness and ignorance, I could not understand the least Particle of their meaning: For I am altogether ignorant of that kind of wonderful, and yet, to every Body well known Water: And so shall still remain until it be shewn (and pointed at) with the Fingers.

B. Look here, here’s a piece of admirable Water which is every where in all places easie to be found, yea, in the poorest Country-mens Houses, nor doth it deny any Man, the Possession and having it.

C. Who would ever have believed, or thought, that there was any good hidden in so vile and abject a Body?

B. [I wonder] wherefore [it is] that no Body can think of this Matter, seeing it is evident, that in our Water the first Entities of all the Metals are abundantly hidden, as in their own proper Seed, out of which they are generated in the Earth, and ripened unto perfection. Those first Entities are but extracted out of this our Water, by [peculiar] Magnets. And now, like as every Metal hath its own Magnet, even so every one [of them] hath its proper Magnet, by which it is concentrated into a narrow Room. I will declare unto you the Truth of this business, by an example taken from the Metals. If you have a Water fully impregnated with Copper, and you desire to have Copper out of the said Water, you will easily bring this to pass, if you shall but put in to that Water, which holds in it the Copper, a piece of clean Iron, the which Iron, (as being the true Magnet of the Copper,) will attract unto it self, all the invisible Copper out of the Water, and gather it into a visible and palpable Metal. If Silver be dissolv’d in any Water and made invisible, and you would again have it, put into the Solution a Plate of pure [or clean] Copper, which (after a Magnetick manner) will gather together [or draw out] all the Silver in his own [Silvery] Body, and make it visible and palpable. Now when Gold is dissolved in some Water, and largely dispersed, [as I may say] and you would again have it [in the form of Gold;] then put in some ☿ or Ar. vive in that Water, and boyl it a little therewithal, (as was done above, with the Copper and Silver) and you shall presently see all the Gold to be attracted, and gathered together by the Mercury, insomuch that there will not remain ought of the Gold in the Water, because it follows the Attraction of its own Magnet, Mercury. These Metallick and Magnetick Operations, are a sufficiently manifest Information unto us, and do point out unto us (as with a Finger) the way, of the extracting, not only good Metals in a Particular manner, but also far better things than Metals, (viz. the Tincture, or form of Gold) out of our stinking Water, in an Universal way, by such Magnets, as are fit and apt in Nature for this Extraction. Another similitude we have from the Earth, and Rain water, with which the Fruits of the Earth are moistned: Put you in such an Earth moistned with that Water, as many Seeds as you please; each of them, will (by its Magnetick Virtue) attract unto its self, its own like, for its Multiplication, and will leave to the other Seeds, to attract each of them its like also. If now, by this similitude, the Scope or end I aim at, may be made manifest unto you, there is yet hopes you may be holpen: If not, I do not see, by what means you can be succoured, forasmuch as it would be too tedious here to use many other Circumstances. For when we are certainly assured, that the first Ens, or the very Form of Gold is plentifully hidden in our Water, we do by very good right seek after that best part, viz. the form of Gold, and leave the other first Entities of the rest of the Metals, in the Water. And now Ile shew thee another similitude: Dissolve in one and the same Water, ☉, ♀, ♂, ♃, ☿, that so you may have all these Metals commixt together in the same: If now you desire to extract the best of them, viz. the Gold there out of, what hurt will the other bring you, if they remain in the Water. Such therefore as the Magnet is, which you put into that same Water, such is the Metal too, that you shall extract. If therefore we particularly seek ☉ and ☽ in our Water, it will be expedient, that we put unto this spiritual ☉ and ☽ their proper Magnet, unto which Magnets, they (being precipitated) do stick on, and are by little and little fixed [on thereunto.] And now if we seek after something better than ☉ and ☽, viz. the form and Tincture of Gold, it will be necessity, that we also apply such a [suitable] Magnet, which may draw out nothing else but the Tincture or Form of Gold, which being precipitated [thereout of] may be fixed. And thus have I here told you all those things that are necessary to be known. If you are minded to extract in a Particular way, Sol and Lune out of the Universal Mineral water, you must then put unto them their Magnet, viz. an Amalgama of Copper, and Argent vive: For the Copper draws to it self the spiritual Silver, and the ☿ the spiritual Gold, out of the said Water, and brings it unto a Fixation [or Corporeity] with it self, [or, as it self is.] But if you are minded, or desirous, of getting some better thing, than the Gold it self, or Silver, is, viz. a Tincture, you must then needs adjoyn thereto its own peculiar Magnet, for, without it, you cannot effect any thing at all: But that you may know, what the true Magnet of the Tincture is, I say unto you, That is the Compeere, or Companion of our Water, and not of the Metals: For like seeks its like, as the Philosophers say, Nature rejoyceth with Nature, Nature overcomes Nature, Nature retains Nature: More than these things I have told you, it is not needful for you to know: Consider therefore very accurately what I have said, and beg of God by your Prayers a blessing, which if you do, you shall not err, but yet you will not be all of a sudden Master of what you desire. All these things have their determinate times, like as a Grain of Wheat Sown in the Earth, the which requires a time to ripen in, nor doth it wax ripe afore the time appointed for Maturation be come about. Follow you the Advice left by Geber, and do not hasten on your Work, by any the least hasty speed: For he tells us expresly, that all hastning in our Work is of the Devil. And as concerning what is to be known, and what a one the Student of so noble an Art ought to be, you will find described in the Fifth Part of my Spagyrical Pharmacopœa. And what think you now? Can you thoroughly understand me?

C. Yes, Verily, I do well enough understand those things which I have hitherto heard from you, But yet this Womens work, which you began a Declaration of, is not sufficiently clear unto me, nor is that Boys-play, which is done with small Bowls or Knickers, I do not thoroughly understand that neither, viz. how it may be compared with the work of the Philosophers. Were but these things made clear and evident unto me, I would Ranck my self amongst the number of the Masters of the Art.

B. Well then, come let us go on and see, by what means the Philosophers are wont to make their little Bowls. [Note!] Like as the Boys make use of Earth and Water, for the making of their Pellets or Knickers: So likewise will we use our Earth, and our Water to the making of our small Bowls or Pellets: Ours, I say, not the vulgar and common Earth and Water, for they are unprofitable as to our Work. But tis indifferent, and all one, whether we take Yellow, Red, or white Earth, because all of them are of one and the same Nature. According to the Colour of the Earth which we use, will the Colour of the small Balls we make, be: We have here at hand a threefold Earth, a yellow Earth of Gold, a white of Silver and a Red of Copper. This threefold Earth will we moisten with our Water or Mercury, and so make up a Paste or Mass of the two, which the Chymists call an Amalgama. This Paste will we wash with pure Water, grinding it so long ’twixt our Fingers, till there be to appearance of any father impurity, and that it admits of being easily washt, or broken with the Fingers. Being thus well washt, we will put it in a Skin, or Cotton, and tye it firmly in; out of which, we will squeez forth all the ☿ with our hands, and separate it from the said Earth, just in such a manner as Argent vive is separated in Amalgamations, or Metalick Masses. The Mercury being separated, we will take out our thick Amalgama, and make small Bowls, or Knickers thereof, and of almost the same bigness, that the Boys Knickers are of. These Bowls we will expose to the Air, for about some twenty four hours, and by this time they will be grown so hard, as to resemble Stones, in hardness. And now, being thus made ready for boyling, we will put them into our Water to seeth: But yet in the seething, there must be an accurate regard had to some skilful handling the Matter, if you would have it perform its Operation without Errour. This Art will I faithfully open unto thee, lest you err, and so bring damage upon your self: These Pellets, or little Bowls thus made of our Mass, are not to be thrown into the Pot filled with Water, afore the said Water boyls: Which boyling, you must throw them in one after another, and they will presently harden themselves, and cover themselves over with an hard Crustiness or Skin by which they will be prevented from sticking to one another, and from coming altogether into one Mass. For if you first of all put your little Balls into the Pot, and then afterwards pour cold Water upon them, and so set them on the Fire, that they may be boyled unto their Maturity, you will spoil your whole work. For before the Water in the Pot be hot, all the Pellets being dissolved, would run together in one Mass, and so would not admit the Humefying, or moistning of their inside Parts, and so you would turn all your Pellets by your seething into a mere Pouse or Pottage, whereas they should remain whole in all their Parts, as well internal, as external, for fear of drawing the Water in. But that you may have an accurate Account of all these things which I have said unto you, I hope you will set about the Work, [or thus,] I hope you will do your best, heedfully to regard all these things which I have said unto you and I suppose, that you have sufficiently understood the things which I have already spoken: But if so be, you do not yet apprehend the meaning of these things, I will Counsel you, by what means you may learn this Operation at home from your Wife. When you are come home, bid your Wife to make you some little Balls, or Dumplins with Flower and Veal. And heedfully observe, what Course she takes, about making such Balls, that so you may by the same way learn to deal with your Metallick Pellets. First of all, you shall see, that she puts some pure Flower into a deep Dish or Platter, and having put it in, she works it into a Paste, or Mass with Cream, or the purest Milk. Then she admixeth some green Herbs smally minced, and some Spice medled among, and sprinkling some Salt thereupon, she mixeth them with the Paste made as aforesaid, to give it the sweeter Smell, and Taste. Of this Paste, she will afterwards make little Balls, of what bigness she pleaseth, which Balls she does not put in the Water afore it boyls. When therefore the Water seeths, she throws in, one Ball after another, each of which, as soon as ever it feels the fervent heat of the boyling Water, will presently cover it self over with a Skin, whereby they will be kept from sticking one to another, and running into one Mass, and returning into such a Paste as they were in, before their being made up into Pellets: Whereas, now each of them may be kept in its own Form, and be encompassed all round with the Water, and be advanced unto a Maturity, or readiness, by a due seething: And now, when you have seen this Operation of your Wives Cookery, I do not question, but that you will be well enough skilled in this Cooking Art.

C. My dearest Friend, I do friendly request you not to take it amiss, in that I cannot abstain any longer from down right laughing, when I hear that our work hath such a corresponding likeness, with the Art of Cookery: Your so faithful Instructions have already abundantly satisfied me: I have very often seen my Wife busied about the Cooking of such Balls, and my self have also delightfully fed upon these kind of Dumplins, made both of Veal, Eggs, and Spices, and also of Flower, Milk, and green Herbs. But I fear me, that when my Wife shall see me making these Balls or Pellets, and boyling them in a little Pot, she will laugh at me, and say, that I learned my Skil from her.

B. ’Tis no Matter, you have no reason to regard either the tatling of your Wife, or of all Men whatever: For they know not what they do, it is enough for you, that your self know what end it is, you do any thing for: Think you, that if other Wiselings and Know-littles should see you working with such little Balls, they would not deride and mock you. But don’t you at all mind their unprofitable Prating, leave the shril-sounding Geese to their own loud Chatling, and follow you my Doctrine, and wrap up this our Cookery Art in the darkness of Silence: Which if you do, you need not fear of being mockt, or laught at by either Women, or Womanish Men.

C. I have now (praised be God) learned enough: But yet, there is one thing I am ignorant of, and that is this, by what sign I may come to know, when my Pellets are well enough boyled, and what Fire they are to be boyled in. The Fire of Wood and Coals, I know is used by the feminine Sex for to boyl withal, but whether or no, the same be necessary and conducive to our Operation, I request you to inform me.

B. Have you never seen, what proof Women have to know, when their Dumplings are well boyled? They are wont to take one out, and cut it in twain, that they may see, whether or no the inside, as well as the outside of the same be so well seethed, as that the Flower is not any more tenacious or Clammy: Do you even the same, and sometimes put a piece of one of your Pellets you take out, in the Cineritium or Cupel, and that will shew unto you, how much increase of Sol and Lune hath particularly added its self to your Balls, in that time of the boyling, and how long they are, as yet, to be boyled. Now you know, that all these things are to be searcht into, by your own Meditation and Tryal, because it can not possibly be, that all things can be so very clearly set afore ones Eyes, as to need no farther meditating thereupon, and inquisition thereinto. After this manner may you boyl in one Pot, with one and the same Water, two, three, or more little Bowls, of different kinds, as, some made of Flower, green Herbs, Spices, Flesh, Eggs, Fish, and other things, and so, after the seething of them, you make take forth one kind after another, and Particularly apply them to your Use. For these things are to be understood concerning Particulars. But if you have a mind desirous after the Universal Medicine, then must you enter upon a certain way of almost an whole entire year, which is necessarily requisite to the finishing of its Operation. For our Magnet, whose Task it is to extract the Form of the Gold out of our Waters, doth as yet groan under its immaturity, and therefore needs no small space of time, for the extracting the Tincture out of our fugacious and combustible Waters, and fixing it with it self.

C. These Words of yours, by which you mention so long a time, do not a little affrighten me. Our Wives can boyl their Dumplins enough in one hours space; what will such a continued boyling cost? I would be glad to redeem it, [or, to be excused] for the price of two Golden pieces of Money [or Duckets.]

B. I should tell you, that you are of the Off-spring of unbelieving Thomas, for you heap upon your self, by your needless incredulity, such heaps and Loads of Cares. Don’t you remember, that I told you at first, that the Charges of the whole work, from the beginning to the very end, do not exceed two Golden pieces of Money, which they call Duckets. And that I do not at all tell you an untruth, I will expound it unto you by an evident Demonstration. When you shall heat your well covered Pot, that so your Water may not vanish away in fume, with the small fire of a Lamp, how much I pray will such a Labour cost you? Put Case, that some Pounds of water cost you some Asses or Stivers, and the Magnet doth also cost you some Stivers, [ten Asses are a Roman Peny, which is Seven pence half Peny of our Money] and now how many Pounds of Oyl will there need to nourish that so little a Fire? And though you should spend forty, fifty, or more Pounds of Oyl, may not you well say, that you shall finish the whole work, for the Charge of two Golden Duckets. Well! what say you? Are you yet Content?

C. You do now again somewhat encourage my mind, which had almost fainted, by telling me, that the Matters necessary for our Work are sold at so mean a Price. But there’s one thing still that doth not a little trouble me, and that is, that so much time is required to the Fixation. All the other things are as well as I could wish: But, I would fain have had that shorter work of three hours, or seven days.

B. O thou Dreamer, what have I to do with thee? What? doth that space of time, wherein such excellent and most profitable Fruits are to be hoped for by thee, seem too long? What dost thou think to get without length of time? Good things are not wont to offer themselves without Process of time, as the common Proverb tells us. Mean while you may follow your Vocation, nor needs there any other Labour, than that you look to your Lamp Morning and Evening, and see how the Fire is. And I pray, are not the Country men constrained to wait their time, wherein to reap, and again to receive the Fruits which they committed to the Earth? And though they have sown their Seeds afore the approach of the Winter, yet they cannot reap them again from the Earth, sooner than the next following August, which then rewards and recompenseth all their hard Labours. But now, the waiting so long a time does not tire them; for they patiently expect the time of Harvest. Thus likewise are you to do, but if you are greedily desirous of sooner making ready your Pellets, or Balls, by the boyling, you may I Confess, have a sooner ending of your expectation, and that on this wise, viz. by a stronger Fire, which may make your Water boyl without any ceasing, but yet in this same way of Operating there doth again happen this trouble, from that strong and uncessant seething, viz. that your Water being without any intermission resolved into Fume and Vapour, is always lessened, and you must of necessity be always pouring in more new. Use which of these two ways you please, for you are e’en importunate and troublesome enough unto me. I will not, for the time to come, take on me to instruct any more such Disciples as you are. What do you think, that if that short work of three days, or of seven hours were known unto me, I would presently reveal it unto you? No! But yet I am not gotten to so high a Degree of knowledge, as to profess my self a Master of so great an Art. I do believe though, that such things are possible to be done, but I deny, that I my self am able to do such notable things. And now, go home, in God’s Name, and diligently and seriously meditate upon all these things: You have heard enough, and my time will no longer permit me to confer with you. If perhaps, one or two Errours should put a stop to your proceedings, you may again come unto me, and ask me thereabouts. Mean while I commend you unto God, and pray him to bestow his Blessing upon your self, and your Labours.

C. Now am I contented, not know what farther I should ask: I am sorry, that I have so much troubled you by my dull Brains, and beetle Head, and been so importunate: Nor know I, how to requite your deserts, God will reward you with Life eternal, I shall go home full of joy, and bear a glad Message, and Tidings unto my Family. And I pray God to be at all times present with us, to our Help and Succour.

B. Amen.