A Preface to the Reader

Courteous Reader,

I will not conceal from thee the reason why I have taken upon me in this Third Part to explain a Book of Paracelsus, called The heaven of Philosophers, lest thou should’st believe I wanted matter to write, did I not encrease my Book by the Writings of other men. That Good which I have here decreed to write, I could have done even without the admixtion of Paracelsus’s Books, but this properly is the cause, because Paracelsus in our precedent Age, published very many most elegant Books for the Publick Good, but obscure enough, and for this reason are by the unskilful accounted false, and are contemned; but yet because they are stored with Arcana’s or Secrets, they are most highly to be esteemed. Now, after that I had perceived the said Books to be true, I did very impatiently bear such sinister reports of this man, as blazed him abroad for one Ignorant of all things, and a Vagabond; who in very deed had but a few Equals in true Genuine Philosophy, Medicine, and Alchymy.

He did many good turns to all, especially to the Poor, of which many Testimonies are extant; and amongst others, that Epitaph is to be seen, which is in the Hospital of St. Sebastian at Saltsburg, where he was buried, and to which he bequeathed his Goods, and is graven in Capital Letters in a Marble, and erected in the Wall, the Tenour whereof I my self have read, and is thus: Here lies buried Philippus Aureolus Paracelsus, a famous Doctor of Medicine, who by a wonderful Art cured those direful Diseases, the Leprosy, Gout, Dropsy, and other incurable Contagions of the Body, and to his honour gave and bequeathed his Goods unto the Poor. He died in the year of our Lord, 1541. the 24th. of September.

And what hast thou now to say? Had he not been such a one as is mentioned in the Epitaph, the Magistrate would not have honoured him with so eminent an Encomium. Moreover, all prudent Lovers of Truth do to this day believe, that he never had his equal: And although through the Envy of some unlearned men he is despised, yet it derogates nothing from him, for he will still remain Paracelsus.

And now, seeing that our Paracelsus hath hitherto undergone such bitter things, and that none have dared to open their mouths against those slanderers, I will attempt the explication and illustration of his chiefest Books, and prove that he was not either a Lyer or Impostor, but most experienced in the light of Nature; and to this end will I begin with his Heaven of Philosophers: I will not avow, that he could make heaps of Gold and Silver, (himself mentioning not any such thing, but he only discovers the possibility of the thing, which even I also will endeavour to declare, although I am ignorant of doing it in great quantities, which thing I am not greedy after) yet ’tis my contentation to be capable of discovering truth from falshood, and convince such as are incredulous, having some hopes, that by this my faithful writing, an occasion will be administred unto others of searching after and obtaining their desired end. Amen.

The Heaven of the Philosophers:
OR,
A Book of Vexations.
By Philippus Theophrastus Paracelsus.

The Art and Nature of Alchymy, and what is to be thought concerning it; being comprehended in Seven undoubted Rules, respecting the Seven vulgar Metals.

The PREFACE. Theophrastus Paracelsus to all Alchymists and Readers of this little Book.

Beloved and Expert of the Art of Alchymy, and all ye who promise to your selves much Riches and Gains of much Gold and Silver, which thing Alchymy doth plentifully teach, and ye (who being occupied about these things) would be vexed, and cannot cease until you have experienced what it gives, and what promises it performs; verily, daily Experience teacheth, that there is not one of a thousand that becomes Master of his Desire; which I will not call the fault of the Art or Nature, but the unskilfulness of the Artificer.

Wherefore I will not stuff this little Book of Alchymy with difficult Art and tedious Labours, as the common Alchymists are wont to do.

(℞ ♁ melt it with Nitre and Tartar, of this take one Lot, of Gold one Lot, of Tin three drams, of Schlich one dram, of Sulphur two Lots, of Vitriol two lots; let them flow with ☽ in a Crucible with Arsenick.) Because also all the signs of Heaven, and the characters of the Stars and Planets, together with their changed and inverted terms and names, as also the Receptacles of the matter, and the Instruments of Artificers are usually very well known; It will not be needful to treat of these things anew in this Book, although herein are used these signs, names, and characters, when it seems convenient and profitable.

Now here is delivered another Reason of Alchymy, in seven Rules, accommodated to the seven Metals, after an infallible manner, although in Expressions not adorned, but undressed and simple: Yet, as to the sence, the expressions are abstruse and profound as can be; which may deservedly be called the Mistriss and Summ of all Alchymy; from which even the mysteries of other things may be produced, divined, and known, with many new Speculations, from whence new Cogitations and wonderous Operations, do (by examining and trying) come forth to the Light, that in many places they are even, in the Examen or tryal it self, found to contradict the Pleasures of the Philosophers.

Likewise in this Art nothing is more certain, than that which is least apprehended and believed; and this is the only fault and cause of all various Operations in Alchymy; whence ’tis that many suffer loss by their own unskilfulness, and so labour in vain, either because there’s more of the matter, or less, or equal weight, whence the thing is more corrupted in operation and destroyed; or if the thing is truly lighted on, it is become more exalted, and tends unto Perfection.

For the way is most easie, but is found by but very few. It’s also expedient, that an ingenious man consider the Art and certain Rule of Alchymy, whether he would make something or nothing: he ought to make a nothing, that he may bring something unto nothing, and that something may be again generated out of nothing; which Saying is incredible, but yet most true; Corruption makes a good thing perfect: Yea, good cannot appear, because of his covering and hider; good also is begun whilst ’tis hidden; the hider ought to be removed and destroyed, then the good being freed, will manifestly appear in his lustre, the Gloss: the hider or covering is the Mountain, Sand, Earth, or Stone wherein the Metal was generated. Now every visible metal is the obscurer or hider of the other six metals.

Because therefore that by the Element of fire Imperfect things are corrupted, burnt up, and sublimed such as the five metals, ♂, ♃, ☿, ♀, & ♄ are; but the Perfect not at all, viz. the two most Noble, the ☉ and the ☽, therefore they ought to abide even in the fire, and to assume their body out of the other Imperfect metals, in which they are destroyed, and to appear visibly; which thing, how it may be done, and what helps are thereto necessary, shall be taught in the seven Rules, viz. What the nature and property of every metal is; what operation he hath, being mixt with others; and what he can do.

’Tis also to be observed, that these seven Rules cannot forthwith be understood by one that is somewhat dull, at the first reading and view, a weak understanding cannot compass hard things. Hence every of these Rules wants much search and travel. Some are pufft up and proud, supposing themselves well to understand; and these things are childish, which are here delivered, and they know far better, and do plainly contemn these things of mine.

Glaub.] This Preface is of it self perspicuous, and needs not any singular Interpretation or Explication, but indeed the Process which he mentions requires a more accurate Observation.

Take Antimony, melt it with Tartar and Nitre, of this take one lot; of Gold one Lot; of Tin three drams; of Schlich one dram; of Sulphur two lots; of Vitriol two lots: let them flow with Silver in a Crucible with Arsenick.

This is the Process of making Gold and Silver, which Paracelsus will not have to be accounted like unto other Processes, of much labour and long time, but is confident, that by the help hereof he can get Gold and Silver with little labour, time, and costs.

’Tis not to be doubted, but that this hath been tryed by thousands, and frustrated the hope of such as laboured thereabouts; and that not without cause, they imagining that these are foolish ingredients to be taken for such work; my self have heard many of those that have made trial, to be very much displeased: By what means can gold and silver be made by volatile and preying ravenous things, such as ♁, Vitriol, Sulphur, & Arsenick are, which do not only yield from themselves no Gold or Silver, but even corrupt them, and bring them to fume, or at the least turn them to Scoria; my self trying this when I had blown them altogether, I found that these metalline species, as Schlich, Vitriol, Sulphur, and Arsenick did, corrupt the Sun and Moon, spoiling of its metalline form, and transmuted it into Scoria or dross. But now this is the thing which Paracelsus requires and aims at, and therefore should not by any means hinder or deterr us; he presently, for the better explication of his meaning, adds, Something ought to be made a Nothing; and again, the Nothing to be made Something; which thing the unskilful doth not heed or believe, that Metals being corrupted and made Scoria, when by the benefit of Art they are reduced, are by this means meliorated; which albeit it be most true, yet are they but a very few (as he saith) who believe it to be true: and he confirms the whole process throughout the Chapter, even to the Chapter of ☿, and explains it, saying, Corruption makes a good thing perfect.

The Good cannot appear by reason of its covering. The hider or veil must be taken away, that the Good may be freed and become conspicuous; that also the first covering, under which metals are hidden, and wherein they are generated, is a Mountain, Sand, Stone, or Earth, all which are to be separated by fusion, that the metals may become pure.

Here the Metallurgist desists, and is clearly ignorant of any other covering. But Paracelsus addeth, That each metal is a hider of the other metals, which thing the Seven Rules do largely demonstrate, and adviseth the Chymist not to rest satisfied, when he hath gotten from the Mines a vendible metal, as ♂, ♀, ♃, ♄, melted from the dross, but to consult further with natural Philosophy, and to examin whether or no these are pure enough, without any adhering and deteriorating veil.

How great the difference is betwixt a rude and a vile Mineral (where the metal is largely dispers’d and commixt with much stony matter and other impurities) and a tractable metal faithfully separated, is well known. So much, and more, is the difference betwixt a vulgar and imperfect metal, and the Gold and Silver which it contains shut up in its bowels. But because the melting of metals out of their mines is, by reason of its long use, grown vile, and not esteemed an Art, but a Trade, and every where exercised, without any ones admiration; yet in its beginning, before it became so commonly known, it was worthily accompted a deep Secret, although now disrespected. We may not doubt, but that even yet another veil adheres to metals, and may with as much facility be removed; and its inward, pure, and fixt center, Gold and Silver be melted out and separated, if the way were but known. But because men do not bestow any further Labour and Industry in searching, and the use of vulgar metals is highly necessary, we rest contented, in that metals once melted from their mines become malleable, and fitted for the use of man: Nor is this unadvisedly done, for the life of man can as little want Iron, ♃, ♀, and Lead, as it can gold and silver.

Paracelsus teacheth, That imperfect metals are corrupted and brought into a nothing, by the force of fire; which they cannot sustain or bear; but their good parts, Gold and Silver, cannot be destroyed, but in the great strait and force of fire do come together out of the imperfect metals, and mutually defend each other, the impure portion being burnt up and removed.

Now then, that the species and ingredients of this process may be understood, something must be mentioned by us thereabouts.

Thus then ’tis written; ℞. ♁ melt it with Nitre and Tartar, of this take one lot; ’tis to be noted that you are not to take the lot of the whole molten mass, but of one of the two, either the upper part being the Scoria, or inferiour or lower being the Regulus, which this flowing mixture sends downward.

But which it is, it cannot be perceived by the words; yet because Paracelsus’s intention here is to destroy gold and silver by the admixtion of the aforesaid ingredients, and to bring them to nothing, out of which nothing the destroyed augmentation of the sun may be afterwards by some additament, obtained, in reducing it, it seems probable to think that the Scoria of the mixture is not to be taken, but the Regulus, which hath Ingress into Tin, Arsenick, and Schlich, and unites them with gold and silver, for it is the Property of the Regulus, to unite & conjoin contrary Metals and Minerals.

Tin is joined with malleable metals, and melted and suffers the fire with them, brings them into Scoria, the which thing Sulphur, Vitriol, and Schlich, also perform, and are here used by Paracelsus for no other end than to corrupt the sun and moon, and bring them into Scoria. But what schlich (Schlich) this is, because no proper name of Gold, ☽, ♂, ♀, ♄, or ♃, is added, no body can easily tell, for this is called schlecht by Chymists and Metallurgists when they take a Mineral excellently well ground, and washed with water, thereby separating the mineral or the rubish and stone, the heavyer, and more noble part of the metal remaining in the bottom of the vessel, which examining they thereby Conjecture the value of the metal or mineral: this labour they call a bringing into Schlich, or also Secher, and because all metals may be reduced into schlichs or calx, this word Schlich or Calx may suit with all metals, or else it may be that most small dust or powder in polishing mills, (Schleiff-muhleu) where various Iron Instruments, Swords, Brest-plates, and other Arms are Polished, and which is wont to be under the grinding stone in deep guttars destinated to that purpose, or gathered in wooden vessels, and sold to such as dy black cloaths, and is called calx or Schlich. But now whether or no, he means this or the calx of any other metal, it is uncertain, nor doth it much concern; for the Sun and ☽ may be reduced into a nothing without any of these Calces, and may be again augmented, and brought into something, as you shall see in the following Chapters of the Transmutation of metals.

Vain was their expectation who thought to turn all these speices, thus blown together, into Gold and Silver, but yet could not get any other thing than a yellow, or spadiceous Scoria contrary to their hopes but the Corruscation (Blief) is most blessed and gladsome, if any one can get by reduction from a destroyed metal brought into Scoria, a most noble one and better than heretofore it was. But this destruction and reduction is not uniform, but is perfected many several ways as the following Chapters teach.