"MORIENUS says: You shall know that the whole work of this Art ends in two Operations hanging very close together, so that when the one is complete, the other may begin and finish, this perfecting the whole Mastery. But as they only act on their own matter, it is necessary to give more particulars about it.
Geber says in his "Summa Perfections Magisteri in SUA Natura" "that Nature produces the Metals from Mercury and Suphur," and to the same effect we see Ferrarius speak in his " Treatise on Alchemy," in the 25th chapter, that from the beginning of the Origin of Metals, Nature also uses a slimy, heavy water, mixed with a very peculiar white sulphuric subtile earth, which resolves the former into a steam and vapour, raises it in the veins or crevices of the earth and decocts, steams and collects it together so long, till at last dryness and moisture completely unite, thereby forming the substance which we call Mercury, and which constitutes the peculiar and very first Matter of all metals, and again he treats of it in the 26th chapter as follows : "Those who will imitate nature, are not to use Mercury only, but Mercury mixed with Sulphur, but not the common Mercury and Sulphur, but those only which Nature herself has mixed, well prepared and decocted into a sweet fluid.
In such a Mercury Nature has begun with primary action and ended in a metallic nature, having thus done her part, leaving the rest for Art to complete her work, into a perfect Philosopher's Stone.
From the aforesaid it will be seen that he who will proceed properly in this Art, shall according to all Philosophers, begin where nature has left off, and shall take that Sulphur and Mercury which nature has collected in its purest form, in which took place the immediate union, which otherwise cannot be accomplished by anybody without art.
In order to receive the force that penetrates such subtle Matter, some Alchemists calcinate Gold that they may dis- solve it, and separate the elements until they reduce it to a volatile spirit or to the subtle nature of the greasy fumes of Mercury and Sulphur, and this then is the nearest matter, that combines most closely with gold, and receives the form of the occult Philosopher's Stone, this matter is called the Mercury of the Philosophers, about which Aristotle, speaking to Alexander the King, says: " Chose for our Stone that wherewith kings are decorated and crowned."
Though this Mercury alone is the matter and the one only thing and a combination of other things, yet is this thing so manifold in its effects, and in its names, that no one can find out the true meaning from the writings of the Philosophers, and this is done for the purpose as ROSINUS says, " that every one may not get at it."
It is at the same time a way of producing effects and a vessel wherein all things multiply themselves, because of the adjustment of all things comprised in Nature. For now the Philosophers say : " dissolve the thing, and sublimate it, and then distil it, coagulate it, make it ascend, make it descend, soak it, dry it, and ever up to an indefinite number of operations, all of which take place at the same time and in the same vessel."
ALPHIDIUS confirms this and says You must know that when we dissolve we sublimate as well and calcinate without interruption," and if our Corpus is being thrown into the water, for the purpose of dissolution, it first turns black, then separates itself, dissolving and sublimating, it unites itself with the spirit which is its origin and birth.
It has been compared as analogous to all things in the world, visible or invisible, possessed of a soul or not, corporeal or animal, dead or alive, mineral or vegetative; analogous to the elements and their compositions, to things hot and cold, further to all colours, all fruits, all birds, and in short to all things between Heaven and Earth, and among all these are belonging to this Art the aforesaid operations, which are explained by the Philosophers in two word " Man and Wife," or " Milk and Cream." He who does not understand these does not understand the preparation of this Art."
— Splendor solis; alchemical treatises of Solomon Trismosin
Art: Splendor solis, c. 1582
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