Roger Bacon (attributed)
c. 1267 CE
trans. Tenney L. Davis
1923
|
NOTE |
The treatise knows as De mirabilis potestate artiis et naturae represents an interesting account of magic, alchemy, science, and science fiction in the High Middle Ages. The text is probably a forgery, but it contains some of the earliest recorded versions of a number of intriguing legends, including Alexander the Great's supposed submarine, and a flying machine. The text was translated in 1597 and 1695 before being translated again in 1923. Despite is dubious provenance it has long been considered a key alchemical text.
|
The Letter of Roger Bacon Concerning the Marvelous Power of Art and of Nature and Concerning the Nullity of Magic
I am responding to your request. Even if Nature is powerful and marvelous, yet Art using Nature for an instrument is more powerful by virtue of Nature, as we see in many instances. Indeed whatever is beyond the operation of Nature or of Art is not human or is a fiction and the doing of fraudulent persons.
Fictitious Appearances.—There are those who, by quickness of movement and by the appearance of the members, or by variations of the voice, or by the subtlety of instruments, or by shadows, or by playing upon popular opinion, propound to mortals many wonders which do not have the truth of existence. This world is full of such people as is manifest—for jugglers deceive many by quickness of hand, and ventriloquists, by a variety of sounds in the belly and throat, and by mouth, produce human voices, at a distance or nearby as they wish, as if a spirit were talking in the manner of a human being. They also imitate the sounds of animals. Truly, the spurious and counterfeit causes which are contrived with great deceit show that the force is human and not spiritual. When inanimate things are moved rapidly in the shadow of dusk or of night, it is not truth but is fraud and deceit. Verily, popular opinion does anything that men wish it to do so long as men are agreed about it.
Invocation of Spirits.—In such cases as these physical Reason does not consider, and Art and the power of Nature are not taken into account. Beyond these there is a more wicked practice still, when men hold the laws of Philosophy in contempt and, contrary to all reason, invoke nefarious spirits in order that through them they may accomplish their desire. But there is error in this because men believe the spirits subject to them and believe that they are driven by the force of human will—which is impossible, because human forces are far inferior to spirit forces. They also err greatly when they believe themselves able, through such natural means as they use, to call forth or to drive away malign spirits; and they err also when they try to please them with invocations, prayers, and sacrifices and so to make them propitious to their design. Certainly it would be easier without comparison through the agency of God or of good spirits to accomplish anything that man ought to consider useful. And malign spirits do not assist in their useless purposes those whom they favor except in so far as, by reason of the sins of men, it is permitted by God who rules and directs the human race and to whom its ways are above documents of wisdom. Indeed they work better by contraries—and Philosophers never trouble themselves about these six modes. P. C2.
Symbols, Characters, and Magic Practices.—What beliefs ought to be held about magic symbols and characters and about similar things is the next matter for my consideration. For I doubt very much whether all things of this complexion are now false and dubious, for certain of these irrational inscriptions have been written by philosophers in their works about Nature and about Art for the purpose of hiding a secret from the unworthy, so that it should be as if it were wholly unknown—as that lodestone attracts iron, for instance — and someone wishing to achieve his work under the eyes of the multitude might make magic symbols and proffer characters with the intention of representing the force of attraction. Yet this may be an entirely erroneous interpretation. Therefore, while many things are hidden by many means in the books of the Philosophers, the wise man ought to be prudent in dealing with them, to the end that he may reject the magic symbols and characters and study the work of Nature and of Art. Thus animate and inanimate will be seen to concur with Nature, because of the Conformity of Nature, not because of the virtue of magic symbols and characters. And so, many secrets of Nature and of Art are esteemed magic by the untaught, and Mages stupidly seize upon symbols and characters because they ascribe a virtue to them, and, in the pursuit of them, relinquish the work of Nature and of Art because of the error of magic symbols and characters. Each class of these men through its own stupidity deprives itself of the use of the others’ wisdom.
Certain Cases Authorized by the Church-—There are however certain prayers instituted of old by men of truth, especially those ordained to God and to the angels, and others of that sort, which are able to retain their original virtue. Thus, in many regions it is still the practice to pronounce certain incantations over iron while it is glowing from the fire, and over the waters of a river, and similarly in other cases in which innocent persons are proved innocent and the guilty condemned for their act—and it is believed that these things are done by the authority of the prelates. For the priests themselves make exorcisms, as in the case of the Blessed Water with which adulteries are tested or the fidelity of a woman to her husband, as is prescribed in the ancient law de Aqua purgatorii. And there are many similar instances.
Books of the Magi.—But whatever is contained in the books of the Mages ought to be prohibited, for these books, though they may contain something of the truth, have so much falsity in them that it is impossible to distinguish between the true and the false. For this reason it ought to be denied, which is claimed by some, that Solomon and other wise men composed these books —for books of this sort are not received by the authority of the Church nor by wise men but only by seducers who accept the naked letter and themselves compose new books and multiply inventions—as we know by experience—and inscribe renowned titles on their works and imprudently ascribe them to famous authors, so that men may be allured more powerfully by that means. And in order that no one shall suspect them, with allusions they build up a high-sounding style and construct their mendacity under the form of a text.
Magic Figures.—Magic figures are words the position of whose letters has been altered in such manner that they contain an adventitious meaning, or they are the figures formed by the position of the stars at certain chosen seasons. On characters of the first kind the same judgment ought to be passed as that which has been made above upon incantations; and, as for signs and characters of the second sort, unless they are made at the proper time, they are recognized as having no inward efficacy. And that man is judged by every wise person to be entirely futile who devises these things to be written in books and does it without consideration of anything except of the single figure which they exemplify.
Disposition of the Stars.—Moreover, men who carry out their affairs according to the face of the heavens and the disposition of the constellations are at liberty to ascribe not only these figures themselves but all of their works as well, directly, to the virtue of Art and of Nature as, less directly, to the virtue of the heavens. But since it is difficult to perceive the certitude of the heavens, there is much error about these matters among many people—and there are few who know how to conduct the matter usefully and veraciously. Because of this the crowd of Mathematicians who judge and act according to magic stars accomplish but little, while those who are well-skilled and understand the art sufficiently may be able, at chosen times, to do many useful things both in act and in judgment.
Charms in Medical Practice—These matters, however, are worthy of consideration to this extent, that a skilled doctor, or any other who has some art to practice, is able to apply symbols and characters (by which is understood fictions) usefully (according to the manner of Constantine, the Physician), not because these characters and symbols are really efficacious in themselves but in order that the medicine may be taken more faithfully and with greater avidity and that the spirit of the patient shall be active and shall later settle and be glad, and that the active spirit shall be able to bring about many renovations in the body which properly appertains to it—so that by gladness and confidence it convalesces from infirmity to health. If therefore a doctor, for the improvement of his work, in order to excite the patient to the hope and confidence of health, does anything of this sort, it is not to be regarded as something which is done because it is efficacious in itself (if we believe Constantine, the Physician) nor to be despised as a fraud. For Constantine himself in his letter Concerning Charms which are Hung about the Neck concedes symbols and characters to the neck, and defends them for this use. The spirit is powerful mightily over its body through its strong effections, as Avicenna teaches in his book de Anima and in that de Animalibus, and as all wise men agree. Games and plays are effective against infirmities, and delectable dishes are offered to whatever appetite rejects plain food. Wherefore the mental state triumphs, and desire of spirit is hope over disease. C3.
Species or Idea, or the Extrinsic Quality of Things.— Since truth must not be damaged in any respect, it is necessary diligently to consider how all agents act in their own virtue—not only in their substantial virtue, but through their accidents of the third kind of quality even—and bring their extrinsic idea to bear on Nature; they impart certain sensible properties to things. Thus an object can have an active quality and idea beyond itself, particularly when it is nobler than other corporeal things. Men especially, because of the dignity of the rational soul, drive away spirits by their vital warmth, and similarly they are excited by the proximity of other animals.
We see that certain animals are metamorphosed and that others alter the things which are obedient to them, as for instance, that the Basilisk* kills by sight alone, that the wolf makes a man hoarse if he sees him first, and that the hyena does not permit a dog to bark if he comes within his shadow, according to Solinus in the book de Mirabilibus mundi, and according to other authors. Aristotle tells in the book de Vegetabilibus that female palm trees mature ripe fruit through the odor of the males; and mares in certain countries are fertilized by the smell of horses, as Solinus narrates. There are many such cases of the effective idea and quality of animals and of plants, many marvels indeed, as is recorded by Aristotle in his liber Secretorum. Since plants and animals, which cannot attain to the dignity of human nature, are able to do these things, surely therefore man ought to be able all the more to emit his idea, his virtues, and his colors for the alteration of bodies outside of himself. In this connection Aristotle tells in his book de Somno et Vigilia that a menstrous woman looking in a mirror infects it and causes a cloud of blood to appear in it. Solinus further recounts that there are women in Scythia who have twin pupils in the eye (whence Ovid: Nos quoque pupilla duplex) and who when they are angry kill men by a glance.
Force of Personality.—We ourselves know that a person of bad complexion who has a contagious infirmity like leprosy, or the falling sickness, or acute fever, or diseased eyes, or some ailment of that sort, infects others who are present and contaminates them; while, on the contrary, healthy persons of good complexion, especially young men, comfort others and delight them by their mere presence. This is because of their soothing spirit and delectable and salubrious vapors, and because of their good natural warmth, and because of the idea and virtues which they emanate, as Galen teaches in his Techne. And those men of infirm body and bad complexions whose souls are corrupted by many and heinous sins can, I strongly believe, accomplish much evil if they have a vehement desire to injure and harm. For, much may be accomplished by the nature of the complexion and by an understanding of the firmness of the soul and by desires. Hence a leprous person who by strong desire and by thought and by vehement solicitude intends to infect some other person who is present may infect him more easily and more strongly than if he had not thought about it nor desired it nor intended it. Truly nature obeys the thoughts and vehement desires of the soul, as Avicenna teaches in the place above cited—and there is no human movement except that which occurs because the natural virtue of the members is obedient to the thoughts and desires of the soul. As Avicenna teaches in the third book de Metaphysica, thought is the first mover, thence a desire in conformity to the thought, and later the force of the mind in the members which are obedient to desire and to thought, and this for evil ends, as has been said, and similarly for good purposes. Hence, when a man possesses a good complexion, a healthy body, and youth, and beauty, and elegance of the members, a soul clean from sin, a keen intelligence, and a vehement desire for any undertaking, then whatever he is able to accomplish by reason of his idea, his courage, his spirit, and his natural heat may necessarily be done more strongly and more vehemently by reason of these several spirits, vapors, and influences than it could be done if any of these forces were lacking. This is especially the case if a strong desire and a valid intention are not wanting. And so, man may bring about great things by word and by deed—provided all the causes which have been described are concurrent.
Efficacy of Words to Help or Harm.—Words arise from the interior of the person by reason of the cogitations and desire of the soul and by reason of the urge and heat of the spirit, and they issue from the vocal organs. The place of their generation is in open passages through which there is a great efflux of such spirits, heat, vapors, virtues, and ideas as are produced by the soul and the heart. So, spiritual effects are produced by words, in so far as, and to the extent that the words are indebted to the power of Nature. We see for example that panting of the breath and yawning and many other manifestations -of the spirits and animal heat come from the heart through certain passages. They are generally noxious if they come from a body which is infirm and badly complexioned, while they are comforting and beneficial if they are produced from a clean and healthy body of sound constitution. Similarly then, it is clear that certain natural effects may be brought about by the generation and prolation of words, especially when the effect is intended and desired. Hence it is properly said that the living voice has great virtue—not because it has that power which magicians ascribe to it, and not because it is efficacious in actually doing or altering anything, but because the living voice is determined by natural causes. One must be exceedingly cautious in this matter; for man errs easily, and many err on both sides, some denying the whole business altogether and some inclining to the magical interpretation.
In short, there are many elegant books which are devoted exclusively to magic, to symbols and characters, incantations, conjurations, sacrifices, and to things of that sort. Such for instance are the books de Officiis spirituum, de Morte animae, and de Arte notoria, and an infinite number of others which contain none of the power of Art or of Nature but only figments of the Magi. It must however be taken into account that there are many books reputed to be magic which are not such but which contain the dignity of wisdom. Experience will teach which books are suspicious and which not; for if a book treats of the work of Nature or of Art, it is acceptable; if it doesn’t, it is to be left as suspicious and unworthy the attention of a wise man. It is the practice of magicians to busy themselves with superfluous and unnecessary things, as Isaac knew when he wrote in his book de Febribus, “the rational soul is not impeded in its work unless it is detained by ignorance.” And Aristotle says in his liber Secretorum that “a healthy and good man may accomplish anything which is humanly necessary if he is filled with the influence of divine virtue,” in that de Meteoribus that “there is no power except through God,” and at the end of Ethicorum that “there is no virtue whether moral or natural without divine and heavenly influence.” Hence, when we speak of the power of a particular agent we do not exclude the regimen of the universal agent and first cause, for any first cause has a greater influence on the effect than any second cause, as is set forth in the first proposition of causes. P. C4. and good man may accomplish anything which is humanly necessary if he is filled with the influence of divine virtue,” in that de Meteoribus that “there is no power except through God,” and at the end of Ethicorum that ‘-there is no virtue whether moral or natural without divine and heavenly influence.” Hence, when we speak of the power of a particular agent we do not exclude the regimen of the universal agent and first cause, for any first cause has a greater influence on the effect than any second cause, as is set forth in the first proposition of causes. P. C4.
Natural Marvels.—Now that these matters are understood, I shall tell of certain marvels wrought through the agency of Art and of Nature, and will afterwards assign them to their causes and modes. In these there is no magic whatsoever, because, as has been said, all magical power is inferior to these works and incompetent to accomplish them. First, then, of mechanical devices.
Mechanical Devices.—It is possible that great ships and sea-going vessels shall be made which can be guided by one man and will move with greater swiftness than if they were full of oarsmen.
It is possible that a car shall be made which will move with inestimable speed, and the motion will be without the help of any living creature. Such, it is thought, were the currus falcati which the ancients used in combat.
Natural Marvels.—Now that these matters are understood, I shall tell of certain marvels wrought through the agency of Art and of Nature, and will afterwards assign them to their causes and modes. In these there is no magic whatsoever, because, as has been said, all magical power is inferior to these works and incompetent to accomplish them. First, then, of mechanical devices.
Mechanical Devices.—It is possible that great ships and sea-going vessels shall be made which can be guided by one man and will move with greater swiftness than if they were full of oarsmen.
It is possible that a car shall be made which will move with inestimable speed, and the motion will be without the help of any living creature. Such, it is thought, were the currus falcati which the ancients used in combat.
It is possible that a device for flying shall be made such that a man sitting in the middle of it and turning a crank shall cause artificial wings to beat the air after the manner of a bird’s flight.
Similarly, it is possible to construct a small-sized instrument for elevating and depressing great weights, a device which is most useful in certain exigencies. For a man may ascend and descend, and may deliver himself and his companions from peril of prison, by means of a device of small weight and of a height of three fingers and a breadth of four.
It is possible also easily to make an instrument by which a single man may violently pull a thousand men toward himself in spite of opposition, or other things which are tractable.
It is possible also that devices can be made whereby, without bodily danger, a man may walk on the bottom of the sea or of a river. Alexander used these to observe the secrets of the sea, as Ethicus the astronomer relates.
These devices have been made in antiquity and in our own time, and they are certain. I am acquainted with them explicitly, except with the instrument for flying which I have not seen. And I know no one who has seen it. But I know a wise man who has thought out the artifice. Infinite other such things can be made, as bridges over rivers without columns or supports, and machines, and unheard-of engines. C5.
Optical Phenomena and Devices.—Certain physical figurations are especially marvelous, for mirrors and perspective devices can be so arranged that one appears many, one man an army, and the sun and moon as many as we wish. So, mists and vapors sometimes occur in such manner that two suns, or even three, or two moons, appear simultaneously in the heavens, as Pliny narrates in 2 Nat. Histor. Since one thing by this means may appear to be many or to be infinite in number, and since it thus actually exceeds its own virtue, then there is no number that is determinate, as Aristotle argues in the chapter de vacuo. By this means infinite terror may be cast upon a whole city or upon an army so that it will go entirely to pieces because of the apparent multitude of the stars or of men congregated about it, especially if there be joined to this device another by which perspectives are contrived so that the most distant objects appear near at hand and vice-versa.
We may read the smallest letters at an incredible distance, we may see objects however small they may be, and we may cause the stars to appear wherever we wish. So, it is thought, Julius Caesar spied into Gaul from the sea shore and by optical devices learned the position and arrangement of the camps and towns of Brittany. Devices may be so contrived that the largest objects appear smallest, that the highest appear low and infamous, and that hidden things appear manifest. Just as Socrates discovered the hiding-place among the hills of a dragon who was corrupting the city and region roundabout with his breath and pestilential influence, so may all that is going on in a city or in a hostile army be learned from the enemy.
Devices may be built to send forth poisonous and infectious emanations and influences wherever a man may wish. Aristotle taught this to Alexander, so that by casting the poison of the basilisk over the walls of a city which held out against his army he conveyed the poison into the city itself.
Mirrors may be so arranged that a man coming into a house shall really see gold, and silver, and precious stones, and whatever a man desires, but whoever approaches the place will find nothing.
But of sublimer powers is that device by which rays of light are led into any place that we wish and are brought together by refractions and reflections in such fashion that anything is burned which is placed there. And these burning glasses function in both directions, as certain authors teach in their books.
The greatest of all devices, however, and the greatest of all things which have been devised is that in which the heavens are described, according to longitude and latitude, with models which actually go through the diurnal movement. This device is worth more than a kingdom to a wise man.
The foregoing are sufficient as examples of constructed devices, though many other wonders might be mentioned in this connection. P. C6.
Incendiary Compositions.—In addition to these marvels, there are certain others which do not involve particular constructions. We can prepare from saltpeter and other materials an artificial fire which will burn at whatever distance we please. The same may be made from red petroleum and other things, and from amber, and naphtha, and white petroleum, and from similar materials. Pliny reports in his second book that he defended a certain city against the Roman Army, and, by throwing down many incendaries, burned the soldiers in spite of their armor. Greek Fire and many other combustibles are closely akin to these mixtures.
Further: perpetual lamps may be made, and baths which retain their heat forever, for we know of substances which are not burned by fire but which are purified.
Gunpowder.—Beyond these are still other stupendous things in Nature. For the sound of thunder may be artificially produced in the air with greater resulting horror than if it had been produced by natural causes. A moderate amount of proper material, of the size of the thumb, will make a horrible sound and violent corruscation. Such material may be used in a variety of ways, as, for instance, in a case similar to that in which a whole army and city were destroyed by means of the strategy of Gideon who, with broken jugs and torches, and with fire leaping forth with ineffable thunder, routed the army of the Midianites with three hundred men. These are miracles, if accepted according to their account in size and in substance.
I mention many wonders of another sort, which, though they may have no usefulness, still provide an ineffable spectacle of wisdom and can be applied to inquiring into all those occult matters which the unlearned crowd disbelieve. They are similar to the attraction of iron by the lodestone: for who would believe this attraction unless he should actually see it? There are many wonders of Nature which are not known to the crowd in this attraction of iron, as experience teaches the solicitous inquirer.
But there are still more and still greater than these. For similarly there is an attraction of all metals by the stone of silver and gold. A stone thus runs to vinegar, plants mutually seek one another, and the locally divided parts of animals concur in a natural movement. After I have perceived these things, there is nothing that I find difficult to believe when I reflect that it is either divine or human in its origin.
Self-Activated Working Model of the Heavens-—But there are greater than these. The great power of mathematics can build a spherical instrument, like the artifice of Ptolemy in Almagest, in which all heavenly bodies are described veraciously as regards longitude and latitude, but to make them move naturally in their diurnal movement is not within the power of mathematics. A faithful and magnificent experimenter might aspire to construct an instrument of such materials and of such an arrangement that it would move naturally in the diurnal motion of the heavens, a thing which seems possible because many things are determined by the movement of the heavens, such as comets, and the tides of the sea, and other things wholly and in part. In the presence Of this instrument all other apparatus of the Astrologers, whether the product of wisdom or mere vulgar equipment, would cease to count any more. The treasure of a king would scarcely merit comparison with it.
Alloying of Gold—Other things may be brought about which are not so miraculous as these but which are of great public and private usefulness, as, for instance, that an abundance of gold and silver may be produced in any place one pleases, and this, not according to the possibility of Nature, but according to the complement of Art, for there are seventeen sorts of gold eight of which are prepared by alloying silver with it. The first sorts are made from certain proportions of gold and certain proportions of silver until the twenty-second degree of gold is attained, one degree of gold being increased always by one of silver. Alloying with brass is done in the same manner. And the last sort is twenty-four degree gold without admixture of any other metal; farther than that Nature cannot go, as experience teaches. Art, however, can augment gold many-fold in degree of purity, and can similarly complete gold without fraud.
More remarkable than the preceding is this, that the rational soul cannot be forced but can be effectively disposed, induced, and excited so that it alters its habits, its affections, and its desires according to the will of another. This may be done not only to a single person but to the entire army of a city or to the people of a countryside, and Aristotle tells of cases of it in his liber Secretorum, both for an army, for a region, and for a single person. With these considerations I am nearly at the end of my observations on Nature and on Art. C7.
Prolongation of life.—The ultimate attainment, in which the whole complement of Art joined with all of the power of Nature is effective, is the prolongation of life for a long time. Many experiences show moreover that this is possible. For Pliny tells of a soldier strong in mind and body who lived in his probity beyond the accustomed age of man, concerning whom, when Octavianus Augustus asked what he did that he lived so long, the enigmatic reply was made that he used oil externally and mulsum8 internally. Later examples confirm the same opinion. A farmer who was tilling his field plowed up a golden flask filled with noble liquor, and, judging it to be the dew of heaven, he washed his face and drank with the result that he was renewed in body and spirit and in the goodness of wisdom—and from a ploughman he was made porter to the king of Sicily. This happened in the time of king Ostus. And there is a case attested by the evidence of a papal letter, that Ahnanicus, while a captive among the Saracens, took a medicine through the effect of which he prolonged his life five hundred years. For the king who held him captive had received this medicine from the ambassadors of the Great King; he was suspicious of it and wished to try it on the captive who was released to him. The Lady of Tormery in England, while searching for a white hind, found an ointment with which the keeper of the woods anointed his whole body except the soles of his feet—and he lived three hundred years without any corruption save pains and suffering in the feet. Many of us are well aware in our own times that farmers living without the advice of medical men frequently attain the age of a hundred and sixty years or thereabouts. The same is also confirmed by the case of animals, like deer, eagles, and serpents, which renew their youth through the virtue of plants and stones. Accordingly, wise men, stimulated by the case of the animals and judging that a thing conceded to brute animals is possible also for man, have devoted themselves to the study of this secret. Because of this, Artephius, who wisely studied the forces of animals, stones, etc., for the purpose of learning the secrets of Nature, especially the secret of the length of life, gloried in living for one thousand and twenty-five years.
Care of Health.—The possibility of the prolongation of life is confirmed by the consideration that the soul naturally is immortal and capable of not dying. So, after the fall, a man might live for a thousand years; and since that time the length of life has been gradually shortened. Therefore it follows that this shortening is accidental and may be remedied wholly or in part. And if we wish to investigate the accidental cause of this corruption, we shall find that it is not from the heavens nor from anything else except from defects in the care of the health. In our own time fathers are corrupt and for this reason produce children of corrupt complexion and constitution, and the children of these in their turn are corrupted from the same cause; the corruption descends from father to children—and the abbreviation of life increases continuously. But it is not to be inferred that life will continue to be abbreviated forever, for the life of man has been fixed so that in many cases men live three score and ten years and the days thereof are labor and sorrow.
A real remedy against specific corruption might be found if a man from his youth would exercise a complete regulation of his health in all matters pertaining to food and drink, sleep and waking, movement and rest, evacuation, retention, air, and passions of the soul. For if anyone will observe this regimen from his birth, he will live to the utmost that is permitted by the nature which he has inherited from his parents and will be led to the limit of nature fallen from its original uprightness. Beyond this he cannot go, for the regimen of health is not a remedy for the corruption of our ancient parents. But it is impossible for a man to pursue the temperate middle course which the regimen of health demands, and neither rich man nor pauper, nor wise man, nor fool, nor physicians themselves however perfect they may be, can practice this regimen themselves or cause it to be carried out by others. Nature however is not lacking in necessaries and Art is complete enough; wherefore it is worth while to oppose accidental passions so that they are done away with wholly or in part. In the beginning, when the age of man had just begun, the remedy might have been easy, but now, after six thousand years and more, the remedy is difficult of application.
Wise men, moved by the considerations which have been discussed, have sought to devise means of dealing, not only with the specific defect of the regimen of a particular man, but also with the corruption of our parents, not in expectation of attaining to the years of Adam or Artephius because of the present growing corruption, but that their life might be prolonged a century or more beyond the usual age of men now Jiving. They inquire how far the passions of old age may be retarded and how they may be mitigated when they cannot be prevented—to the end that life may be prolonged usefully beyond present human estimation. But this always within the ultimate limit; for there is a limit in Nature, imposed upon the first men after the fall from grace, and there is another limit for every particular man which arises from the corruption of his parents. Beyond these two limits it is impossible to pass; one may attain to the limit imposed by his own corruption but not beyond it to the first limit. I believe that a wise man in these present times may attain the one, in as much as it is possible and within the aptitude of human nature, as it was in the case of the first men. This is not to be wondered at, since the aptitude extends itself to immortality, as it was before the fall and as it will be after the resurrection.
If you say that neither Aristotle, nor Plato, nor Hippocrates, nor Galen attained this prolongation of life, I reply to you that neither did they attain the knowledge of many ordinary truths which have later been understood by other students, and were ignorant on many important matters although they labored at them. They occupied themselves too much with other matters and were brought the sooner to old age, consuming their lives in baser common pursuits rather than in puzzling about such important secrets. We know indeed that Aristotle says in Praedicamentis that the quadrature of the circle is knowable, though at the time not known, and, in saying so, confesses himself ignorant along with all others up to his time. But we know nowadays that the truth is known. So Aristotle might have been all the more ignorant of the deeper secrets of Nature. And wise men are now ignorant of many things which the common crowd of students will understand in the future. Hence this objection is vain in every way. P. C8.
The Wisdom of Keeping Secrets.—Now that some few examples of the power of Nature and of Art have been enumerated—in order that we may infer many from few, all from parts, universals from particulars, in order that we may see that it is unnecessary for us to aspire to magic since Nature and Art suffice—I wish to pursue certain singulars in their order and causes and to give their method in particular. But I recall that secrets of Nature are not committed to the skins of goats and of sheep that anyone may understand them, as Socrates and Aristotle have pointed out, and as the latter says in his liber Secretorum, “He is a breaker of the heavenly seal who communicates the secrets of Nature and of Art,” adding that “Many evils follow the man who reveals secrets.” And again in the book Noetium Atticarum de collatione sapientium, “It is stupid to offer lettuces to an ass since he is content with his thistles,” and in lib. Lapidum it is written that “The man who divulges mysteries diminishes the majesty of things, and a secret loses its value if the common crowd knows about it.”
The Ignorance of the Vulgar Crowd.—In this discussion distinction ought to be made between the common rabble and the wise who are sharply set off from it. For, whatever is believed by all is true, and similarly whatever is believed by wise men and examined carefully. Therefore beliefs which are held by the many, beliefs which are commonly held by the rabble, must necessarily be false—and I am speaking here of the rabble which is distinguished from the wise in this discussion.
In the common conceptions of the mind the crowd is in accord with the wise, but in the proper principles and conclusions of the arts and sciences it is discordant, and laboring with appearances runs off into sophisms and subtleties which the wise reject altogether. Thus the crowd is in error in its opinions of proper and secret qualities, and so is divided from the wise. Common matters however are of little value in themselves and are not inquired into on their own account but for particular and appropriate reasons.
Seven Ways of Concealing Secrets-—The cause of the obscurity in the writings of all wise men has been that the crowd derides and neglects the secrets of wisdom and knows nothing of the use of these exceedingly important matters. And, if by chance, any magnificent truth falls to its notice, it seizes upon it and abuses it to the manifold disadvantage of persons and of the community. A man is crazy who writes a secret unless he conceals it from the crowd and leaves it so that it can be understood only by effort of the studious and wise. Accordingly, the life of wise men is conducted after this principle, and secrets of wisdom are hidden by a variety of methods. Some are hidden under characters and symbols, others in enigmatical and figurative expressions, as in the case where Aristotle says in his liber Secretorum, “O, Alexander, I wish to show you the greatest of secrets, and it behooves you to conceal this arcanum and to perfect the proposed work of this stone of art which is no stone, which is in every man, and in every place, and in every time, and which is called the goal of all philosophers.” Such expressions are found in many books and sciences, and innumerable writings are obscured in this fashion, so that no one may understand them without his teacher. Others hide their secrets in a third manner by their method of writing, as by writing with consonants only like the Hebrews, Chaldeans, Syrians, and Arabians, and as the Greeks do, for there is much among them which is obscured in this way. And there is especially much among the Hebrews, for Aristotle says in the abovementioned book, “God gave then all wisdom long before they were philosophers, and all nations get their principles of philosophy from the Hebrews,” and Albumasar in his book Introductorii maioris, and other philosophers, and Josephus in the eighth book Antiquitatum, teach the same thing plainly enough. Fourthly, the obscuring is produced by intermixing various kinds of letters, for so Ethicus the Astronomer hides his wisdom by writing Hebrew, Greek, and Latin letters in the same word. Fifthly, authors hide their secrets by means of special letters, devised by their own ingenuity and will, and different from those which are anywhere in use. This is a most serious impediment, and was used by Artephius in his book de Secretis naturae. Sixthly, actual letters are not used but other geomantic figures which function as letters according to the arrangement of points and marks—and this method also Artephius used in his science. Seventhly, there is still a better way of obscuring which is comprehended in the ars notaria which is the art of noting and writing with whatever brevity we wish and with whatever rapidity we desire—and by this means many secrets are hidden in the books of the Latins.
I have judged it necessary to touch upon these ways of concealment in order that I may help you as much as I can. Perhaps I shall make use of certain of them because of the magnitude of our secrets. P. C9.
Preparation of the Philosophers’ Egg.—I say to you therefore that I wish to set forth in an orderly manner the things which I have narrated above. I wish to describe the egg of the Philosophers and to investigate the parts of Philosophic man, for thereby is an initiation to other things.
I. Grind [the salt diligently] with waters and [purify] it with other grindings with water, rub it vigorously in various contritions with the salt, and burn it with many blasts [so that a pure earth shall be made free from other elements] which I hold worthy for your purpose by the stature of my height. Understand this if you can; for without a doubt there will be a composition from the elements and so there will be a part of the stone which is not a stone, which is in every man and which you will find in its proper place in every season of the year. Then you take oil which is like a salve or a viscous cheese not to be broken asunder by the first thrust. Let its whole fiery virtue be divided, and let it be separated by dissolution. [Let it then be dissolved in] acute [water] of moderate acuteness [with gentle heating, and let it be boiled until its scum has separated] as the scum or fatness of flesh is separated by distillation so that the black virtue in which urine is distilled shall not issue forth to the liquid from its unctuosity. Afterward let it be boiled in vinegar. Then let it be dried among the coals (which is the cause of adustion), and the black virtue may be obtained. But if it is not cured by this treatment, let the process be repeated. Watch and wait.
II. The discourse is difficult at this point. The oil truly dissolves both in acute waters, and in common oil as is done more expressly, and in acute oil of almonds over the fire, with the result that the oil is separated and the spirit remains hidden both in its animal parts, and in its sulphur, and in its arsenic. For stones in which oil of humidity is in excess have a purpose for their own humors, partly because there is no vehement union when one can be dissolved away from the other on account of the nature of water which is fundamental for liquefaction in the spirit and is the medium between their own parts and the oil. When the solution has been made there will remain to us a pure humidity vehemently mixed in spirit with the dry parts which are moved in it when the fire resolves it. It is sometimes called the fusile sulphur of the Philosophers, sometimes oil, sometimes aerial humor, sometimes the conjunctive substance which fire does not separate, and sometimes camphor—and, in short, it is the Philosophers’ Egg, or rather the goal and purpose of the egg. And this which comes to us from these oils, but is reputed to be among the sinapica, is separated from the water or the oil in which it is purged.
III. Further, the oil is corrupted as you know by triturating it with desiccating substances such as salt or atrament, and by assation,” notwithstanding its passion to the contrary. Then it is sublimed, by which means it is deprived of its oleogineity and becomes like sulphur or arsenic in mineral preparations; and it is good as it is.
IV. It is better that it should be boiled in waters of temperate acuteness [until it is purged and whitened], and the salutary concoction may be in a moist or in a dry fire. [The distillation is repeated] in order that it may sufficiently take on the right degree of goodness [until it is rectified—and the newest signs of the rectification are candor and crystalline serenity]. When other things are blackened by the fire, this is whitened, and is purified, and shines with serenity and marvelous splendor. [From this water] and earth quicksilver is generated, because it is like the quicksilver in minerals. When [the substance] has been whitened in this way, it [is frozen—the true aerial stone, which is not a stone, and it is placed in a pyramid in a warm place], or, if you wish, it is put away in the belly of a horse or ox in acute fever. From this in ten and from that in twenty-one it sometimes results that the feces of the oils are dissolved in their own water; they are afterwards separated, and the solution and distillation are repeated many times until the product is rectified. This is the end of this intention. You know indeed that when you shall have consummated this operation it will behoove you to begin another. P.
V. There is another secret which I wish to conceal for you. Prepare quicksilver by mortifying it with the vapor of tin for pearls and with the vapor of lead for the Iberian stone. Then let it be ground up with desiccating substances like atrament or others which have been named, and let it be digested. Then let it be sublimed, if for union ten times, if for redness twenty-one times, until the humidity in it is corrupted. It is not possible that its humidity should be separated by vapor like the before-said oil, because it is vehemently mixed with its dry parts, nor does this constitute any object as has been said in the case of the metals abovementioned. . You will not decipher anything in this paragraph unless you understand the proper signification of the words. P.
VI. It is time to involve the third chapter in order that you may understand the key of the work that you seek. A calcined substance also is to be added at some time, and this of such sort that the humor in it is corrupted by salt and sal ammonaic and vinegar, and that it is consumed by quicksilver and is sublimed from it until a powder remains. The keys of the art are therefore congelation, resolution, inceration, and projection, and this is the end and principle. But purification, distillation, separation, sublimation, calcination, and inquisition are also used—and then you may rest. P. C10.
The Philosophers’ Egg Described in Another Way.—VII. In the six hundred and second Arabian year you asked me about certain secrets. [Take then the stone and calcine it] with gentle assation and with strong contrition, but however without using acute things. [In the end mix it with a little sweet water and compound a laxative medicine from] seven things if you wish, or from six, or from five, or from however many you wish. But my mind rests in [two things the proportions of which are in six or thereabouts better than in some other proportion], as experiment can teach you. [Resolve] the gold [at the fire] nevertheless, [and strain it better]. If you believe me, take one thing which is the secret of secrets of Nature, able to do miracles. [Mix it from] two or from many or from [the Phoenix] (which is a singular animal) at the fire and [incorporate with a strong motion. If, to this, the hot liquor be added four or five times, you will have finally the proposed material]. Afterwards its celestial nature is weakened, if you infuse warm water three or four times. [Therefore] divide the weak from the strong in various vessels, if you believe me—and [let that which is good be emptied out]. Then bring together the powder and the residual water, and squeeze it out thoroughly—for the unsubstantial water of a certainty will produce a further amount of powder. For this reason, collect the water by itself, for the powder exsiccated from it is suitable to be incorporated in the laxative medicine.
VIII. Proceed therefore as before until you distinguish the strong from the weak. Bring together the powder three or four times, or more; and work always in the same way. And if you are not able to work with warm water, do it by violence. If however it is broken by the acuteness and gentleness of the medicine, add more of the hard and the soft when the powder is at hand. If it is broken by the abundance of the powder, add more of the medicine; if by the strength of the water, [stir it with a pestle, bring the material together as well as you can, separate the water little by little] — and it will return to its state. Dry out this water, for it contains both the powder and the water of the medicine which are to be incorporated in the same manner as the original powder.
IX. Here you must not sleep; for, herein is contained a useful great secret. If you know how properly to make use of certain parts of burned shrubs or of willow or of many other things, they will hold natural union. And do not deliver this secret to oblivion, for it is valuable in many ways. You must mix Trinity with the liquified union and there will arise, as I believe, a thing similar to the Iberian stone, and it must without doubt be mortified by the vapor of lead. You will find lead if you express it from the dead and if you inter the dead in a twig-burning furnace. Keep this secret, for there is nothing of greater usefulness. And you must do these things with the vapor of Pearl and with the stone of Tagus—and you must bury the dead as I have said. P. C11.
The Philosophers’ Egg Described in a Third Way.—X. In the six hundred and thirtieth Arabian year I respond to your request in this fashion. You must have the medicine which dissolves in that which has been liquified and is anointed by it, which penetrates to the second end of it and is thoroughly mixed with it, and which, since it may not be a fugitive servant, really transmutes it. Let it combine with the root of the spirit, and let it be fixed by the calx of the metal. It is understood, moreover, that fixion occurs when body and spirit are disposed each in its own place and are sublimed, and everything so happens that body becomes spirit and spirit becomes body.
XI. Take then of the bones of Adam and of the Calx, the same weight of each; and there are six of the Petral Stone and five of the Stone of Union. Let them be ground up together with aqua vitae (whose property it is to dissolve all things) until they are dissolved and assated, and the sign of the inceration is that the mixture melts when it is placed upon strongly heated iron. Then it is placed in the same water in a moist place or suspended in the vapor of hot water or some other liquid, and finally it is congealed in the sun.
XII. Afterwards take saltpeter and convert quicksilver into lead. And you will again wash the lead in it, and you will purify it so that it will be near-silver. Then you will operate as formerly. Likewise you will drink all there may be of it.
XIII. However, of saltpeter LVRV VO PO VIR CAN VTRI and of sulphur: and so you will make thunder and lightning, and so you will make the artifice. But you must take note whether I am speaking in an enigma or according to the truth.
XIV. Some men have thought otherwise, for it has been told me that you ought to resolve all to the first matter. Concerning this you will find that Aristotle speaks in well-known and famous places, and for that reason I am silent about it. When you have this you have many things simple and equal, and you may accomplish it by means of the three contraries and the several operations that I have earlier called the Keys of Art. Aristotle says that “Equality of power confines the action and passion of substances,” and Averrhoes affirms the same thing in reproof of Galen. This medicine is thought to be simpler and purer than others which may be found, and it is of value in the treatment of fevers and of passions of the mind and body.
Whoever will rewrite this, will have a key which opens and no man shuts: and when he will shut, no man opens.
Fictitious Appearances.—There are those who, by quickness of movement and by the appearance of the members, or by variations of the voice, or by the subtlety of instruments, or by shadows, or by playing upon popular opinion, propound to mortals many wonders which do not have the truth of existence. This world is full of such people as is manifest—for jugglers deceive many by quickness of hand, and ventriloquists, by a variety of sounds in the belly and throat, and by mouth, produce human voices, at a distance or nearby as they wish, as if a spirit were talking in the manner of a human being. They also imitate the sounds of animals. Truly, the spurious and counterfeit causes which are contrived with great deceit show that the force is human and not spiritual. When inanimate things are moved rapidly in the shadow of dusk or of night, it is not truth but is fraud and deceit. Verily, popular opinion does anything that men wish it to do so long as men are agreed about it.
Invocation of Spirits.—In such cases as these physical Reason does not consider, and Art and the power of Nature are not taken into account. Beyond these there is a more wicked practice still, when men hold the laws of Philosophy in contempt and, contrary to all reason, invoke nefarious spirits in order that through them they may accomplish their desire. But there is error in this because men believe the spirits subject to them and believe that they are driven by the force of human will—which is impossible, because human forces are far inferior to spirit forces. They also err greatly when they believe themselves able, through such natural means as they use, to call forth or to drive away malign spirits; and they err also when they try to please them with invocations, prayers, and sacrifices and so to make them propitious to their design. Certainly it would be easier without comparison through the agency of God or of good spirits to accomplish anything that man ought to consider useful. And malign spirits do not assist in their useless purposes those whom they favor except in so far as, by reason of the sins of men, it is permitted by God who rules and directs the human race and to whom its ways are above documents of wisdom. Indeed they work better by contraries—and Philosophers never trouble themselves about these six modes. P. C2.
Symbols, Characters, and Magic Practices.—What beliefs ought to be held about magic symbols and characters and about similar things is the next matter for my consideration. For I doubt very much whether all things of this complexion are now false and dubious, for certain of these irrational inscriptions have been written by philosophers in their works about Nature and about Art for the purpose of hiding a secret from the unworthy, so that it should be as if it were wholly unknown—as that lodestone attracts iron, for instance — and someone wishing to achieve his work under the eyes of the multitude might make magic symbols and proffer characters with the intention of representing the force of attraction. Yet this may be an entirely erroneous interpretation. Therefore, while many things are hidden by many means in the books of the Philosophers, the wise man ought to be prudent in dealing with them, to the end that he may reject the magic symbols and characters and study the work of Nature and of Art. Thus animate and inanimate will be seen to concur with Nature, because of the Conformity of Nature, not because of the virtue of magic symbols and characters. And so, many secrets of Nature and of Art are esteemed magic by the untaught, and Mages stupidly seize upon symbols and characters because they ascribe a virtue to them, and, in the pursuit of them, relinquish the work of Nature and of Art because of the error of magic symbols and characters. Each class of these men through its own stupidity deprives itself of the use of the others’ wisdom.
Certain Cases Authorized by the Church-—There are however certain prayers instituted of old by men of truth, especially those ordained to God and to the angels, and others of that sort, which are able to retain their original virtue. Thus, in many regions it is still the practice to pronounce certain incantations over iron while it is glowing from the fire, and over the waters of a river, and similarly in other cases in which innocent persons are proved innocent and the guilty condemned for their act—and it is believed that these things are done by the authority of the prelates. For the priests themselves make exorcisms, as in the case of the Blessed Water with which adulteries are tested or the fidelity of a woman to her husband, as is prescribed in the ancient law de Aqua purgatorii. And there are many similar instances.
Books of the Magi.—But whatever is contained in the books of the Mages ought to be prohibited, for these books, though they may contain something of the truth, have so much falsity in them that it is impossible to distinguish between the true and the false. For this reason it ought to be denied, which is claimed by some, that Solomon and other wise men composed these books —for books of this sort are not received by the authority of the Church nor by wise men but only by seducers who accept the naked letter and themselves compose new books and multiply inventions—as we know by experience—and inscribe renowned titles on their works and imprudently ascribe them to famous authors, so that men may be allured more powerfully by that means. And in order that no one shall suspect them, with allusions they build up a high-sounding style and construct their mendacity under the form of a text.
Magic Figures.—Magic figures are words the position of whose letters has been altered in such manner that they contain an adventitious meaning, or they are the figures formed by the position of the stars at certain chosen seasons. On characters of the first kind the same judgment ought to be passed as that which has been made above upon incantations; and, as for signs and characters of the second sort, unless they are made at the proper time, they are recognized as having no inward efficacy. And that man is judged by every wise person to be entirely futile who devises these things to be written in books and does it without consideration of anything except of the single figure which they exemplify.
Disposition of the Stars.—Moreover, men who carry out their affairs according to the face of the heavens and the disposition of the constellations are at liberty to ascribe not only these figures themselves but all of their works as well, directly, to the virtue of Art and of Nature as, less directly, to the virtue of the heavens. But since it is difficult to perceive the certitude of the heavens, there is much error about these matters among many people—and there are few who know how to conduct the matter usefully and veraciously. Because of this the crowd of Mathematicians who judge and act according to magic stars accomplish but little, while those who are well-skilled and understand the art sufficiently may be able, at chosen times, to do many useful things both in act and in judgment.
Charms in Medical Practice—These matters, however, are worthy of consideration to this extent, that a skilled doctor, or any other who has some art to practice, is able to apply symbols and characters (by which is understood fictions) usefully (according to the manner of Constantine, the Physician), not because these characters and symbols are really efficacious in themselves but in order that the medicine may be taken more faithfully and with greater avidity and that the spirit of the patient shall be active and shall later settle and be glad, and that the active spirit shall be able to bring about many renovations in the body which properly appertains to it—so that by gladness and confidence it convalesces from infirmity to health. If therefore a doctor, for the improvement of his work, in order to excite the patient to the hope and confidence of health, does anything of this sort, it is not to be regarded as something which is done because it is efficacious in itself (if we believe Constantine, the Physician) nor to be despised as a fraud. For Constantine himself in his letter Concerning Charms which are Hung about the Neck concedes symbols and characters to the neck, and defends them for this use. The spirit is powerful mightily over its body through its strong effections, as Avicenna teaches in his book de Anima and in that de Animalibus, and as all wise men agree. Games and plays are effective against infirmities, and delectable dishes are offered to whatever appetite rejects plain food. Wherefore the mental state triumphs, and desire of spirit is hope over disease. C3.
Species or Idea, or the Extrinsic Quality of Things.— Since truth must not be damaged in any respect, it is necessary diligently to consider how all agents act in their own virtue—not only in their substantial virtue, but through their accidents of the third kind of quality even—and bring their extrinsic idea to bear on Nature; they impart certain sensible properties to things. Thus an object can have an active quality and idea beyond itself, particularly when it is nobler than other corporeal things. Men especially, because of the dignity of the rational soul, drive away spirits by their vital warmth, and similarly they are excited by the proximity of other animals.
We see that certain animals are metamorphosed and that others alter the things which are obedient to them, as for instance, that the Basilisk* kills by sight alone, that the wolf makes a man hoarse if he sees him first, and that the hyena does not permit a dog to bark if he comes within his shadow, according to Solinus in the book de Mirabilibus mundi, and according to other authors. Aristotle tells in the book de Vegetabilibus that female palm trees mature ripe fruit through the odor of the males; and mares in certain countries are fertilized by the smell of horses, as Solinus narrates. There are many such cases of the effective idea and quality of animals and of plants, many marvels indeed, as is recorded by Aristotle in his liber Secretorum. Since plants and animals, which cannot attain to the dignity of human nature, are able to do these things, surely therefore man ought to be able all the more to emit his idea, his virtues, and his colors for the alteration of bodies outside of himself. In this connection Aristotle tells in his book de Somno et Vigilia that a menstrous woman looking in a mirror infects it and causes a cloud of blood to appear in it. Solinus further recounts that there are women in Scythia who have twin pupils in the eye (whence Ovid: Nos quoque pupilla duplex) and who when they are angry kill men by a glance.
Force of Personality.—We ourselves know that a person of bad complexion who has a contagious infirmity like leprosy, or the falling sickness, or acute fever, or diseased eyes, or some ailment of that sort, infects others who are present and contaminates them; while, on the contrary, healthy persons of good complexion, especially young men, comfort others and delight them by their mere presence. This is because of their soothing spirit and delectable and salubrious vapors, and because of their good natural warmth, and because of the idea and virtues which they emanate, as Galen teaches in his Techne. And those men of infirm body and bad complexions whose souls are corrupted by many and heinous sins can, I strongly believe, accomplish much evil if they have a vehement desire to injure and harm. For, much may be accomplished by the nature of the complexion and by an understanding of the firmness of the soul and by desires. Hence a leprous person who by strong desire and by thought and by vehement solicitude intends to infect some other person who is present may infect him more easily and more strongly than if he had not thought about it nor desired it nor intended it. Truly nature obeys the thoughts and vehement desires of the soul, as Avicenna teaches in the place above cited—and there is no human movement except that which occurs because the natural virtue of the members is obedient to the thoughts and desires of the soul. As Avicenna teaches in the third book de Metaphysica, thought is the first mover, thence a desire in conformity to the thought, and later the force of the mind in the members which are obedient to desire and to thought, and this for evil ends, as has been said, and similarly for good purposes. Hence, when a man possesses a good complexion, a healthy body, and youth, and beauty, and elegance of the members, a soul clean from sin, a keen intelligence, and a vehement desire for any undertaking, then whatever he is able to accomplish by reason of his idea, his courage, his spirit, and his natural heat may necessarily be done more strongly and more vehemently by reason of these several spirits, vapors, and influences than it could be done if any of these forces were lacking. This is especially the case if a strong desire and a valid intention are not wanting. And so, man may bring about great things by word and by deed—provided all the causes which have been described are concurrent.
Efficacy of Words to Help or Harm.—Words arise from the interior of the person by reason of the cogitations and desire of the soul and by reason of the urge and heat of the spirit, and they issue from the vocal organs. The place of their generation is in open passages through which there is a great efflux of such spirits, heat, vapors, virtues, and ideas as are produced by the soul and the heart. So, spiritual effects are produced by words, in so far as, and to the extent that the words are indebted to the power of Nature. We see for example that panting of the breath and yawning and many other manifestations -of the spirits and animal heat come from the heart through certain passages. They are generally noxious if they come from a body which is infirm and badly complexioned, while they are comforting and beneficial if they are produced from a clean and healthy body of sound constitution. Similarly then, it is clear that certain natural effects may be brought about by the generation and prolation of words, especially when the effect is intended and desired. Hence it is properly said that the living voice has great virtue—not because it has that power which magicians ascribe to it, and not because it is efficacious in actually doing or altering anything, but because the living voice is determined by natural causes. One must be exceedingly cautious in this matter; for man errs easily, and many err on both sides, some denying the whole business altogether and some inclining to the magical interpretation.
In short, there are many elegant books which are devoted exclusively to magic, to symbols and characters, incantations, conjurations, sacrifices, and to things of that sort. Such for instance are the books de Officiis spirituum, de Morte animae, and de Arte notoria, and an infinite number of others which contain none of the power of Art or of Nature but only figments of the Magi. It must however be taken into account that there are many books reputed to be magic which are not such but which contain the dignity of wisdom. Experience will teach which books are suspicious and which not; for if a book treats of the work of Nature or of Art, it is acceptable; if it doesn’t, it is to be left as suspicious and unworthy the attention of a wise man. It is the practice of magicians to busy themselves with superfluous and unnecessary things, as Isaac knew when he wrote in his book de Febribus, “the rational soul is not impeded in its work unless it is detained by ignorance.” And Aristotle says in his liber Secretorum that “a healthy and good man may accomplish anything which is humanly necessary if he is filled with the influence of divine virtue,” in that de Meteoribus that “there is no power except through God,” and at the end of Ethicorum that “there is no virtue whether moral or natural without divine and heavenly influence.” Hence, when we speak of the power of a particular agent we do not exclude the regimen of the universal agent and first cause, for any first cause has a greater influence on the effect than any second cause, as is set forth in the first proposition of causes. P. C4. and good man may accomplish anything which is humanly necessary if he is filled with the influence of divine virtue,” in that de Meteoribus that “there is no power except through God,” and at the end of Ethicorum that ‘-there is no virtue whether moral or natural without divine and heavenly influence.” Hence, when we speak of the power of a particular agent we do not exclude the regimen of the universal agent and first cause, for any first cause has a greater influence on the effect than any second cause, as is set forth in the first proposition of causes. P. C4.
Natural Marvels.—Now that these matters are understood, I shall tell of certain marvels wrought through the agency of Art and of Nature, and will afterwards assign them to their causes and modes. In these there is no magic whatsoever, because, as has been said, all magical power is inferior to these works and incompetent to accomplish them. First, then, of mechanical devices.
Mechanical Devices.—It is possible that great ships and sea-going vessels shall be made which can be guided by one man and will move with greater swiftness than if they were full of oarsmen.
It is possible that a car shall be made which will move with inestimable speed, and the motion will be without the help of any living creature. Such, it is thought, were the currus falcati which the ancients used in combat.
Natural Marvels.—Now that these matters are understood, I shall tell of certain marvels wrought through the agency of Art and of Nature, and will afterwards assign them to their causes and modes. In these there is no magic whatsoever, because, as has been said, all magical power is inferior to these works and incompetent to accomplish them. First, then, of mechanical devices.
Mechanical Devices.—It is possible that great ships and sea-going vessels shall be made which can be guided by one man and will move with greater swiftness than if they were full of oarsmen.
It is possible that a car shall be made which will move with inestimable speed, and the motion will be without the help of any living creature. Such, it is thought, were the currus falcati which the ancients used in combat.
It is possible that a device for flying shall be made such that a man sitting in the middle of it and turning a crank shall cause artificial wings to beat the air after the manner of a bird’s flight.
Similarly, it is possible to construct a small-sized instrument for elevating and depressing great weights, a device which is most useful in certain exigencies. For a man may ascend and descend, and may deliver himself and his companions from peril of prison, by means of a device of small weight and of a height of three fingers and a breadth of four.
It is possible also easily to make an instrument by which a single man may violently pull a thousand men toward himself in spite of opposition, or other things which are tractable.
It is possible also that devices can be made whereby, without bodily danger, a man may walk on the bottom of the sea or of a river. Alexander used these to observe the secrets of the sea, as Ethicus the astronomer relates.
These devices have been made in antiquity and in our own time, and they are certain. I am acquainted with them explicitly, except with the instrument for flying which I have not seen. And I know no one who has seen it. But I know a wise man who has thought out the artifice. Infinite other such things can be made, as bridges over rivers without columns or supports, and machines, and unheard-of engines. C5.
Optical Phenomena and Devices.—Certain physical figurations are especially marvelous, for mirrors and perspective devices can be so arranged that one appears many, one man an army, and the sun and moon as many as we wish. So, mists and vapors sometimes occur in such manner that two suns, or even three, or two moons, appear simultaneously in the heavens, as Pliny narrates in 2 Nat. Histor. Since one thing by this means may appear to be many or to be infinite in number, and since it thus actually exceeds its own virtue, then there is no number that is determinate, as Aristotle argues in the chapter de vacuo. By this means infinite terror may be cast upon a whole city or upon an army so that it will go entirely to pieces because of the apparent multitude of the stars or of men congregated about it, especially if there be joined to this device another by which perspectives are contrived so that the most distant objects appear near at hand and vice-versa.
We may read the smallest letters at an incredible distance, we may see objects however small they may be, and we may cause the stars to appear wherever we wish. So, it is thought, Julius Caesar spied into Gaul from the sea shore and by optical devices learned the position and arrangement of the camps and towns of Brittany. Devices may be so contrived that the largest objects appear smallest, that the highest appear low and infamous, and that hidden things appear manifest. Just as Socrates discovered the hiding-place among the hills of a dragon who was corrupting the city and region roundabout with his breath and pestilential influence, so may all that is going on in a city or in a hostile army be learned from the enemy.
Devices may be built to send forth poisonous and infectious emanations and influences wherever a man may wish. Aristotle taught this to Alexander, so that by casting the poison of the basilisk over the walls of a city which held out against his army he conveyed the poison into the city itself.
Mirrors may be so arranged that a man coming into a house shall really see gold, and silver, and precious stones, and whatever a man desires, but whoever approaches the place will find nothing.
But of sublimer powers is that device by which rays of light are led into any place that we wish and are brought together by refractions and reflections in such fashion that anything is burned which is placed there. And these burning glasses function in both directions, as certain authors teach in their books.
The greatest of all devices, however, and the greatest of all things which have been devised is that in which the heavens are described, according to longitude and latitude, with models which actually go through the diurnal movement. This device is worth more than a kingdom to a wise man.
The foregoing are sufficient as examples of constructed devices, though many other wonders might be mentioned in this connection. P. C6.
Incendiary Compositions.—In addition to these marvels, there are certain others which do not involve particular constructions. We can prepare from saltpeter and other materials an artificial fire which will burn at whatever distance we please. The same may be made from red petroleum and other things, and from amber, and naphtha, and white petroleum, and from similar materials. Pliny reports in his second book that he defended a certain city against the Roman Army, and, by throwing down many incendaries, burned the soldiers in spite of their armor. Greek Fire and many other combustibles are closely akin to these mixtures.
Further: perpetual lamps may be made, and baths which retain their heat forever, for we know of substances which are not burned by fire but which are purified.
Gunpowder.—Beyond these are still other stupendous things in Nature. For the sound of thunder may be artificially produced in the air with greater resulting horror than if it had been produced by natural causes. A moderate amount of proper material, of the size of the thumb, will make a horrible sound and violent corruscation. Such material may be used in a variety of ways, as, for instance, in a case similar to that in which a whole army and city were destroyed by means of the strategy of Gideon who, with broken jugs and torches, and with fire leaping forth with ineffable thunder, routed the army of the Midianites with three hundred men. These are miracles, if accepted according to their account in size and in substance.
I mention many wonders of another sort, which, though they may have no usefulness, still provide an ineffable spectacle of wisdom and can be applied to inquiring into all those occult matters which the unlearned crowd disbelieve. They are similar to the attraction of iron by the lodestone: for who would believe this attraction unless he should actually see it? There are many wonders of Nature which are not known to the crowd in this attraction of iron, as experience teaches the solicitous inquirer.
But there are still more and still greater than these. For similarly there is an attraction of all metals by the stone of silver and gold. A stone thus runs to vinegar, plants mutually seek one another, and the locally divided parts of animals concur in a natural movement. After I have perceived these things, there is nothing that I find difficult to believe when I reflect that it is either divine or human in its origin.
Self-Activated Working Model of the Heavens-—But there are greater than these. The great power of mathematics can build a spherical instrument, like the artifice of Ptolemy in Almagest, in which all heavenly bodies are described veraciously as regards longitude and latitude, but to make them move naturally in their diurnal movement is not within the power of mathematics. A faithful and magnificent experimenter might aspire to construct an instrument of such materials and of such an arrangement that it would move naturally in the diurnal motion of the heavens, a thing which seems possible because many things are determined by the movement of the heavens, such as comets, and the tides of the sea, and other things wholly and in part. In the presence Of this instrument all other apparatus of the Astrologers, whether the product of wisdom or mere vulgar equipment, would cease to count any more. The treasure of a king would scarcely merit comparison with it.
Alloying of Gold—Other things may be brought about which are not so miraculous as these but which are of great public and private usefulness, as, for instance, that an abundance of gold and silver may be produced in any place one pleases, and this, not according to the possibility of Nature, but according to the complement of Art, for there are seventeen sorts of gold eight of which are prepared by alloying silver with it. The first sorts are made from certain proportions of gold and certain proportions of silver until the twenty-second degree of gold is attained, one degree of gold being increased always by one of silver. Alloying with brass is done in the same manner. And the last sort is twenty-four degree gold without admixture of any other metal; farther than that Nature cannot go, as experience teaches. Art, however, can augment gold many-fold in degree of purity, and can similarly complete gold without fraud.
More remarkable than the preceding is this, that the rational soul cannot be forced but can be effectively disposed, induced, and excited so that it alters its habits, its affections, and its desires according to the will of another. This may be done not only to a single person but to the entire army of a city or to the people of a countryside, and Aristotle tells of cases of it in his liber Secretorum, both for an army, for a region, and for a single person. With these considerations I am nearly at the end of my observations on Nature and on Art. C7.
Prolongation of life.—The ultimate attainment, in which the whole complement of Art joined with all of the power of Nature is effective, is the prolongation of life for a long time. Many experiences show moreover that this is possible. For Pliny tells of a soldier strong in mind and body who lived in his probity beyond the accustomed age of man, concerning whom, when Octavianus Augustus asked what he did that he lived so long, the enigmatic reply was made that he used oil externally and mulsum8 internally. Later examples confirm the same opinion. A farmer who was tilling his field plowed up a golden flask filled with noble liquor, and, judging it to be the dew of heaven, he washed his face and drank with the result that he was renewed in body and spirit and in the goodness of wisdom—and from a ploughman he was made porter to the king of Sicily. This happened in the time of king Ostus. And there is a case attested by the evidence of a papal letter, that Ahnanicus, while a captive among the Saracens, took a medicine through the effect of which he prolonged his life five hundred years. For the king who held him captive had received this medicine from the ambassadors of the Great King; he was suspicious of it and wished to try it on the captive who was released to him. The Lady of Tormery in England, while searching for a white hind, found an ointment with which the keeper of the woods anointed his whole body except the soles of his feet—and he lived three hundred years without any corruption save pains and suffering in the feet. Many of us are well aware in our own times that farmers living without the advice of medical men frequently attain the age of a hundred and sixty years or thereabouts. The same is also confirmed by the case of animals, like deer, eagles, and serpents, which renew their youth through the virtue of plants and stones. Accordingly, wise men, stimulated by the case of the animals and judging that a thing conceded to brute animals is possible also for man, have devoted themselves to the study of this secret. Because of this, Artephius, who wisely studied the forces of animals, stones, etc., for the purpose of learning the secrets of Nature, especially the secret of the length of life, gloried in living for one thousand and twenty-five years.
Care of Health.—The possibility of the prolongation of life is confirmed by the consideration that the soul naturally is immortal and capable of not dying. So, after the fall, a man might live for a thousand years; and since that time the length of life has been gradually shortened. Therefore it follows that this shortening is accidental and may be remedied wholly or in part. And if we wish to investigate the accidental cause of this corruption, we shall find that it is not from the heavens nor from anything else except from defects in the care of the health. In our own time fathers are corrupt and for this reason produce children of corrupt complexion and constitution, and the children of these in their turn are corrupted from the same cause; the corruption descends from father to children—and the abbreviation of life increases continuously. But it is not to be inferred that life will continue to be abbreviated forever, for the life of man has been fixed so that in many cases men live three score and ten years and the days thereof are labor and sorrow.
A real remedy against specific corruption might be found if a man from his youth would exercise a complete regulation of his health in all matters pertaining to food and drink, sleep and waking, movement and rest, evacuation, retention, air, and passions of the soul. For if anyone will observe this regimen from his birth, he will live to the utmost that is permitted by the nature which he has inherited from his parents and will be led to the limit of nature fallen from its original uprightness. Beyond this he cannot go, for the regimen of health is not a remedy for the corruption of our ancient parents. But it is impossible for a man to pursue the temperate middle course which the regimen of health demands, and neither rich man nor pauper, nor wise man, nor fool, nor physicians themselves however perfect they may be, can practice this regimen themselves or cause it to be carried out by others. Nature however is not lacking in necessaries and Art is complete enough; wherefore it is worth while to oppose accidental passions so that they are done away with wholly or in part. In the beginning, when the age of man had just begun, the remedy might have been easy, but now, after six thousand years and more, the remedy is difficult of application.
Wise men, moved by the considerations which have been discussed, have sought to devise means of dealing, not only with the specific defect of the regimen of a particular man, but also with the corruption of our parents, not in expectation of attaining to the years of Adam or Artephius because of the present growing corruption, but that their life might be prolonged a century or more beyond the usual age of men now Jiving. They inquire how far the passions of old age may be retarded and how they may be mitigated when they cannot be prevented—to the end that life may be prolonged usefully beyond present human estimation. But this always within the ultimate limit; for there is a limit in Nature, imposed upon the first men after the fall from grace, and there is another limit for every particular man which arises from the corruption of his parents. Beyond these two limits it is impossible to pass; one may attain to the limit imposed by his own corruption but not beyond it to the first limit. I believe that a wise man in these present times may attain the one, in as much as it is possible and within the aptitude of human nature, as it was in the case of the first men. This is not to be wondered at, since the aptitude extends itself to immortality, as it was before the fall and as it will be after the resurrection.
If you say that neither Aristotle, nor Plato, nor Hippocrates, nor Galen attained this prolongation of life, I reply to you that neither did they attain the knowledge of many ordinary truths which have later been understood by other students, and were ignorant on many important matters although they labored at them. They occupied themselves too much with other matters and were brought the sooner to old age, consuming their lives in baser common pursuits rather than in puzzling about such important secrets. We know indeed that Aristotle says in Praedicamentis that the quadrature of the circle is knowable, though at the time not known, and, in saying so, confesses himself ignorant along with all others up to his time. But we know nowadays that the truth is known. So Aristotle might have been all the more ignorant of the deeper secrets of Nature. And wise men are now ignorant of many things which the common crowd of students will understand in the future. Hence this objection is vain in every way. P. C8.
The Wisdom of Keeping Secrets.—Now that some few examples of the power of Nature and of Art have been enumerated—in order that we may infer many from few, all from parts, universals from particulars, in order that we may see that it is unnecessary for us to aspire to magic since Nature and Art suffice—I wish to pursue certain singulars in their order and causes and to give their method in particular. But I recall that secrets of Nature are not committed to the skins of goats and of sheep that anyone may understand them, as Socrates and Aristotle have pointed out, and as the latter says in his liber Secretorum, “He is a breaker of the heavenly seal who communicates the secrets of Nature and of Art,” adding that “Many evils follow the man who reveals secrets.” And again in the book Noetium Atticarum de collatione sapientium, “It is stupid to offer lettuces to an ass since he is content with his thistles,” and in lib. Lapidum it is written that “The man who divulges mysteries diminishes the majesty of things, and a secret loses its value if the common crowd knows about it.”
The Ignorance of the Vulgar Crowd.—In this discussion distinction ought to be made between the common rabble and the wise who are sharply set off from it. For, whatever is believed by all is true, and similarly whatever is believed by wise men and examined carefully. Therefore beliefs which are held by the many, beliefs which are commonly held by the rabble, must necessarily be false—and I am speaking here of the rabble which is distinguished from the wise in this discussion.
In the common conceptions of the mind the crowd is in accord with the wise, but in the proper principles and conclusions of the arts and sciences it is discordant, and laboring with appearances runs off into sophisms and subtleties which the wise reject altogether. Thus the crowd is in error in its opinions of proper and secret qualities, and so is divided from the wise. Common matters however are of little value in themselves and are not inquired into on their own account but for particular and appropriate reasons.
Seven Ways of Concealing Secrets-—The cause of the obscurity in the writings of all wise men has been that the crowd derides and neglects the secrets of wisdom and knows nothing of the use of these exceedingly important matters. And, if by chance, any magnificent truth falls to its notice, it seizes upon it and abuses it to the manifold disadvantage of persons and of the community. A man is crazy who writes a secret unless he conceals it from the crowd and leaves it so that it can be understood only by effort of the studious and wise. Accordingly, the life of wise men is conducted after this principle, and secrets of wisdom are hidden by a variety of methods. Some are hidden under characters and symbols, others in enigmatical and figurative expressions, as in the case where Aristotle says in his liber Secretorum, “O, Alexander, I wish to show you the greatest of secrets, and it behooves you to conceal this arcanum and to perfect the proposed work of this stone of art which is no stone, which is in every man, and in every place, and in every time, and which is called the goal of all philosophers.” Such expressions are found in many books and sciences, and innumerable writings are obscured in this fashion, so that no one may understand them without his teacher. Others hide their secrets in a third manner by their method of writing, as by writing with consonants only like the Hebrews, Chaldeans, Syrians, and Arabians, and as the Greeks do, for there is much among them which is obscured in this way. And there is especially much among the Hebrews, for Aristotle says in the abovementioned book, “God gave then all wisdom long before they were philosophers, and all nations get their principles of philosophy from the Hebrews,” and Albumasar in his book Introductorii maioris, and other philosophers, and Josephus in the eighth book Antiquitatum, teach the same thing plainly enough. Fourthly, the obscuring is produced by intermixing various kinds of letters, for so Ethicus the Astronomer hides his wisdom by writing Hebrew, Greek, and Latin letters in the same word. Fifthly, authors hide their secrets by means of special letters, devised by their own ingenuity and will, and different from those which are anywhere in use. This is a most serious impediment, and was used by Artephius in his book de Secretis naturae. Sixthly, actual letters are not used but other geomantic figures which function as letters according to the arrangement of points and marks—and this method also Artephius used in his science. Seventhly, there is still a better way of obscuring which is comprehended in the ars notaria which is the art of noting and writing with whatever brevity we wish and with whatever rapidity we desire—and by this means many secrets are hidden in the books of the Latins.
I have judged it necessary to touch upon these ways of concealment in order that I may help you as much as I can. Perhaps I shall make use of certain of them because of the magnitude of our secrets. P. C9.
Preparation of the Philosophers’ Egg.—I say to you therefore that I wish to set forth in an orderly manner the things which I have narrated above. I wish to describe the egg of the Philosophers and to investigate the parts of Philosophic man, for thereby is an initiation to other things.
I. Grind [the salt diligently] with waters and [purify] it with other grindings with water, rub it vigorously in various contritions with the salt, and burn it with many blasts [so that a pure earth shall be made free from other elements] which I hold worthy for your purpose by the stature of my height. Understand this if you can; for without a doubt there will be a composition from the elements and so there will be a part of the stone which is not a stone, which is in every man and which you will find in its proper place in every season of the year. Then you take oil which is like a salve or a viscous cheese not to be broken asunder by the first thrust. Let its whole fiery virtue be divided, and let it be separated by dissolution. [Let it then be dissolved in] acute [water] of moderate acuteness [with gentle heating, and let it be boiled until its scum has separated] as the scum or fatness of flesh is separated by distillation so that the black virtue in which urine is distilled shall not issue forth to the liquid from its unctuosity. Afterward let it be boiled in vinegar. Then let it be dried among the coals (which is the cause of adustion), and the black virtue may be obtained. But if it is not cured by this treatment, let the process be repeated. Watch and wait.
II. The discourse is difficult at this point. The oil truly dissolves both in acute waters, and in common oil as is done more expressly, and in acute oil of almonds over the fire, with the result that the oil is separated and the spirit remains hidden both in its animal parts, and in its sulphur, and in its arsenic. For stones in which oil of humidity is in excess have a purpose for their own humors, partly because there is no vehement union when one can be dissolved away from the other on account of the nature of water which is fundamental for liquefaction in the spirit and is the medium between their own parts and the oil. When the solution has been made there will remain to us a pure humidity vehemently mixed in spirit with the dry parts which are moved in it when the fire resolves it. It is sometimes called the fusile sulphur of the Philosophers, sometimes oil, sometimes aerial humor, sometimes the conjunctive substance which fire does not separate, and sometimes camphor—and, in short, it is the Philosophers’ Egg, or rather the goal and purpose of the egg. And this which comes to us from these oils, but is reputed to be among the sinapica, is separated from the water or the oil in which it is purged.
III. Further, the oil is corrupted as you know by triturating it with desiccating substances such as salt or atrament, and by assation,” notwithstanding its passion to the contrary. Then it is sublimed, by which means it is deprived of its oleogineity and becomes like sulphur or arsenic in mineral preparations; and it is good as it is.
IV. It is better that it should be boiled in waters of temperate acuteness [until it is purged and whitened], and the salutary concoction may be in a moist or in a dry fire. [The distillation is repeated] in order that it may sufficiently take on the right degree of goodness [until it is rectified—and the newest signs of the rectification are candor and crystalline serenity]. When other things are blackened by the fire, this is whitened, and is purified, and shines with serenity and marvelous splendor. [From this water] and earth quicksilver is generated, because it is like the quicksilver in minerals. When [the substance] has been whitened in this way, it [is frozen—the true aerial stone, which is not a stone, and it is placed in a pyramid in a warm place], or, if you wish, it is put away in the belly of a horse or ox in acute fever. From this in ten and from that in twenty-one it sometimes results that the feces of the oils are dissolved in their own water; they are afterwards separated, and the solution and distillation are repeated many times until the product is rectified. This is the end of this intention. You know indeed that when you shall have consummated this operation it will behoove you to begin another. P.
V. There is another secret which I wish to conceal for you. Prepare quicksilver by mortifying it with the vapor of tin for pearls and with the vapor of lead for the Iberian stone. Then let it be ground up with desiccating substances like atrament or others which have been named, and let it be digested. Then let it be sublimed, if for union ten times, if for redness twenty-one times, until the humidity in it is corrupted. It is not possible that its humidity should be separated by vapor like the before-said oil, because it is vehemently mixed with its dry parts, nor does this constitute any object as has been said in the case of the metals abovementioned. . You will not decipher anything in this paragraph unless you understand the proper signification of the words. P.
VI. It is time to involve the third chapter in order that you may understand the key of the work that you seek. A calcined substance also is to be added at some time, and this of such sort that the humor in it is corrupted by salt and sal ammonaic and vinegar, and that it is consumed by quicksilver and is sublimed from it until a powder remains. The keys of the art are therefore congelation, resolution, inceration, and projection, and this is the end and principle. But purification, distillation, separation, sublimation, calcination, and inquisition are also used—and then you may rest. P. C10.
The Philosophers’ Egg Described in Another Way.—VII. In the six hundred and second Arabian year you asked me about certain secrets. [Take then the stone and calcine it] with gentle assation and with strong contrition, but however without using acute things. [In the end mix it with a little sweet water and compound a laxative medicine from] seven things if you wish, or from six, or from five, or from however many you wish. But my mind rests in [two things the proportions of which are in six or thereabouts better than in some other proportion], as experiment can teach you. [Resolve] the gold [at the fire] nevertheless, [and strain it better]. If you believe me, take one thing which is the secret of secrets of Nature, able to do miracles. [Mix it from] two or from many or from [the Phoenix] (which is a singular animal) at the fire and [incorporate with a strong motion. If, to this, the hot liquor be added four or five times, you will have finally the proposed material]. Afterwards its celestial nature is weakened, if you infuse warm water three or four times. [Therefore] divide the weak from the strong in various vessels, if you believe me—and [let that which is good be emptied out]. Then bring together the powder and the residual water, and squeeze it out thoroughly—for the unsubstantial water of a certainty will produce a further amount of powder. For this reason, collect the water by itself, for the powder exsiccated from it is suitable to be incorporated in the laxative medicine.
VIII. Proceed therefore as before until you distinguish the strong from the weak. Bring together the powder three or four times, or more; and work always in the same way. And if you are not able to work with warm water, do it by violence. If however it is broken by the acuteness and gentleness of the medicine, add more of the hard and the soft when the powder is at hand. If it is broken by the abundance of the powder, add more of the medicine; if by the strength of the water, [stir it with a pestle, bring the material together as well as you can, separate the water little by little] — and it will return to its state. Dry out this water, for it contains both the powder and the water of the medicine which are to be incorporated in the same manner as the original powder.
IX. Here you must not sleep; for, herein is contained a useful great secret. If you know how properly to make use of certain parts of burned shrubs or of willow or of many other things, they will hold natural union. And do not deliver this secret to oblivion, for it is valuable in many ways. You must mix Trinity with the liquified union and there will arise, as I believe, a thing similar to the Iberian stone, and it must without doubt be mortified by the vapor of lead. You will find lead if you express it from the dead and if you inter the dead in a twig-burning furnace. Keep this secret, for there is nothing of greater usefulness. And you must do these things with the vapor of Pearl and with the stone of Tagus—and you must bury the dead as I have said. P. C11.
The Philosophers’ Egg Described in a Third Way.—X. In the six hundred and thirtieth Arabian year I respond to your request in this fashion. You must have the medicine which dissolves in that which has been liquified and is anointed by it, which penetrates to the second end of it and is thoroughly mixed with it, and which, since it may not be a fugitive servant, really transmutes it. Let it combine with the root of the spirit, and let it be fixed by the calx of the metal. It is understood, moreover, that fixion occurs when body and spirit are disposed each in its own place and are sublimed, and everything so happens that body becomes spirit and spirit becomes body.
XI. Take then of the bones of Adam and of the Calx, the same weight of each; and there are six of the Petral Stone and five of the Stone of Union. Let them be ground up together with aqua vitae (whose property it is to dissolve all things) until they are dissolved and assated, and the sign of the inceration is that the mixture melts when it is placed upon strongly heated iron. Then it is placed in the same water in a moist place or suspended in the vapor of hot water or some other liquid, and finally it is congealed in the sun.
XII. Afterwards take saltpeter and convert quicksilver into lead. And you will again wash the lead in it, and you will purify it so that it will be near-silver. Then you will operate as formerly. Likewise you will drink all there may be of it.
XIII. However, of saltpeter LVRV VO PO VIR CAN VTRI and of sulphur: and so you will make thunder and lightning, and so you will make the artifice. But you must take note whether I am speaking in an enigma or according to the truth.
XIV. Some men have thought otherwise, for it has been told me that you ought to resolve all to the first matter. Concerning this you will find that Aristotle speaks in well-known and famous places, and for that reason I am silent about it. When you have this you have many things simple and equal, and you may accomplish it by means of the three contraries and the several operations that I have earlier called the Keys of Art. Aristotle says that “Equality of power confines the action and passion of substances,” and Averrhoes affirms the same thing in reproof of Galen. This medicine is thought to be simpler and purer than others which may be found, and it is of value in the treatment of fevers and of passions of the mind and body.
Whoever will rewrite this, will have a key which opens and no man shuts: and when he will shut, no man opens.
|
Source: Roger Bacon, Roger Bacon's Letter Concerning the Marvelous Power of Art and of Nature and Concerning the Nullity of Magic, trans. Tenney L. Davis (Easton, Pa.: Chemical Publishing, 1923).
|
