ted, how the pure
should be separated from the impure,
and by the same, how the Immature
are rendred mature, and
how the Bitter are corrected into
sourish, and the sourish into Sweet,
and the Sharp into Gentle, and
the Gentle into Sharp; and the
Acid into Sweet, and the Sweet
into Acid. Also this Laudable
Medicine of Philosophers, according
to my understanding, cannot
prolong Life, beyond the term
prefixed from above, but only
preserve from the Effect of all
Venimous, or otherwise mortiferous
Diseases: and so it is certainly
true, as is commonly believed,
that the prolongation of Humane
Life depends, on the Will of the
Omnipotent God only. But, omitting
these, I would here ask this
one Question. Whether by the
use of this Universal Medicine,
the pristine Nature of Man may be
converted into New, so as a Slothful
Man may degenerate into a
Diligent, or stirring Man, and a
Man, who before was by Nature
Melancholy and Sad, afterward
became Jovial, Chearful, and full
of Joy, or like alterations, reformations,
permutations, or vicissitudes
happen in the Nature of
Man?

Artist.

Not at all Sir. For so great power
was never conferred on any Medicament,
that it could change the
Nature of Man. Wine inebriating,
taken by diverse individual Men,
in him, who is drunk, changeth
not his Nature but only provokes,
and deduceth into act, what is naturally,
and potentially in him,
but before was as it were, dead.
Even so is the Operation of the
Universal Medicine, which by
recreation of the Vital Spirits, excites
Sanity, for a time only suppressed,
because it was naturally
in him before; even as the heat of
the Sun changeth not Herbs, or
Flowers, but only provokes the same,
and from the proper potential nature
of them, deduceth them into
act only. For a Man of a Melancholy
temper, is again raised up
to exercise his own Melancholy
matters; and the jovial Man, who
was pleasant, is recreated in all
his chearful actions, and so consequently,
in all desperate Diseases
it is a present, or most excellent
Preservative. Hence a Man, presaging
that some evil will befal
him, will rather prevent than be
prevented. But if any prolongation
of Life, by some Philosophick
Medicament, could have
been induced, against the predestination
of the Omnipotent God, undoubtedly
neither Hermes Trismegistus,
nor Paracelsus, nor Raymundlully,
nor the Count Bernhard, and
many more like illustrious Possessors
of this great Myster