over of this Art,
can find the Art of preparing this
Mystery in his whole Life without
the Communication of some
true Adept Man. In this respect
and for this Cause, I advise you,
my Friend, because you have seen
the true Matter of the true Work,
not to forget your self, and thirsting
after the perfection of this Art,
to cast away your own Goods;
for you can never find it out. Then
I say'd: My Master, although I
am so unknown to you, as you are
unknown to me; nevertheless, since
he was unknown to you who shewed
you the way of finding out
the Operation of this Arcanum,
perhaps you may also, if you be
willing, notifie to me somewhat,
touching this Secret, that the
most difficult Rudiments being overcome,
I may (as the saying is)
happily add somewhat to things already
found out; for by the occasion
of one thing found, another
is not difficultly invented. But
the Artist answered: In this Work
the matter is not so, For unless
you know the thing, from the beginning
of the Work to the end,
you know nothing thereof. Indeed
I have told you enough, yet you
are ignorant how the Stone of Philosophers
is made, and again, how
the Glassy Seal of Hermes is broaken,
in which Sol gives forth Splendor
from his Metallick Rayes, wonderfully
coloured, and in which
Speculum, the Eyes of Narcissus
behold Metals transmutable, and
from which Rayes the Adept gather
their fire, by the help of
which, Volatile Metals are fixed
into most fixed Gold, or Silver.
But enough for this time, because
(God willing) on the Morrow,
we shall have occasion of meeting
yet once more, that we may talk together
touching this Philosophick
matter; and according as I said, at
nine a Clock, I will come to your
House, and shew you the way of
Projecting. But with that happy
Valediction for one night, that
Elias the Artist hath left me most
sad in expectation unto this very
day. Yea, the Mercury of Philosophers
did with him vanish into
Aire; because from him I did no
more again hear so much as one
word. Yet he, (because he promised
that he would come again
to me betimes the next morning)
half an hour before ten,
sent to me another unknown man,
signifying, that, that friend, who
yesternight promised to revisit me
this morning, by reason of other
urgent business, could not come,
nevertheless, at three of the Clock
in the afternoon, he would again
see me. But after I had, with a
most vehement desire expected
him, till almost eight a Clock,