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The Philosophers have written much of their Lead which is prepared out of Antimony, as Basilius hath taught; and I am of the opinion, that this Saturnine Work of the most excellent Philosopher M. John Isaac Holland is not to be understood of common Lead, (if the matter of the Stone be not much more thereby intended) but of the Philosophers' Lead. But whether the Vulgar Saturn be the Matter of the Philosophers Stone, thereof you will receive sufficient satisfaction from the subsequent 17 Considerations or Documents. This is published for the benefit of all the Lovers of this Art, because it expound and declares the Stone of Fire. Vale. A Work of Saturn; My child shall know, that the Stone called the Philosopher's Stone, comes out of Saturn. And therefore when it is perfected, it makes projection as well in mans' Body from all Diseases, which may assault them either within or without, be they what they will, or called by what name soever, as also in the imperfect Metals. And know, my Child, for a Truth, that in the whole vegetable work there is no higher nor greater Secret than in Saturn; for we do not find that perfection in Gold which is in Saturn; for internally it is good Gold, herein all Philosophers agree, and it wants nothing else, but that first you remove what is superfluous in it, that is, it's impurity, and make it clean, and then that you turn it's inside outwards, which is it's redness, then will it be good Gold; for Gold cannot be made so easily, as you can of Saturn, for Saturn is easily dissolved and congealed, and it's Mercury may be easily extracted, and this Mercury which is extracted from Saturn, being purified and sublimed, as Mercury is usually sublimed, I tell thee, my Child that the same Mercury is as good as the Mercury which is extracted out of Gold, in all operations; for if Saturn be Gold internally as in truth it is, then must it's Mercury be as good as the Mercury of Gold, therefore I tell you that Saturn is better in our work than Gold; for if you should extract the Mercury out of Gold, it would require a year's space to open the body of Gold, before you can extract the Mercury out of the Gold, and you may extract the Mercury out of Saturn in 14 days, both being alike good. Would you make a work of Gold alone, you must labour two whole years upon it, if it shall be well done: and you may finish a work of Saturn in 30 or 32 weeks at the most. And being both well made, they are both alike good; Saturn costs nothing or very little, it requires a short time, and small labour; this I tell you in truth. My Child, lock this up in thy heart and understanding, this Saturn is the Stone which the Philosophers will not name, whose name is concealed unto this day; for if it's name were known, then many would operate, and the Art would be common, because this work is short, and without charge, a small and mean work. Therefore doth the name remain concealed, for the evils' sake which might thence proceed. All the strange Parables which the Philosophers have spoken mystically, of a Stone, a Moon, a Furnace, a Vessel, all this is Saturn; for you must not put any strange thing unto it, only what comes from it, therefore there is none so poor in this world, which cannot operate and promote this work; for Luna may be easily made of Saturn, in a short time, and in a little longer time Sol may be made out of it. And though a man be poor, yet may he very well attain unto it, and may be employed to make the Philosopher's Stone. Wherefore my Child, all is concealed in Saturn, which we have need of, for in it is a perfect Mercury, in it are all the Colours of the world, which may be discovered in it; in it are the true black, white and red Colours, in it is the weight, Saturn is our Lattin. Example: The eye of a man cannot endure anything that is imperfect, how little soever it be, though it be the least Atom of Dust, it would cause much pain, that he can rest nowhere. But if you take the quantity of a Bean of Saturn, shave it smooth and round, put it into the Eye, it will cause no pain at all; the reason is, because it is internally perfect, even as Gold and Precious Stones. By these and other speeches you may observe, that Saturn is our Philosopher's Stone, and our Latten, out of which our Mercury and our Stone is extracted with small Labour, little Art and Expense, and in a short time. Wherefore I admonish you my Child, and all those who know it's name, that you conceal it from people, by reason of the evil which might thence arise; and you shall call the Stone our Latten, and call the Vinegar Water, wherein our Stone is to be washed; this is the Stone and the Water whereof the Philosophers have wrote so many great Volumes. There are many and different works in the Mineral Stone, and especially in that Stone which God hath given us gratis, whereof so many strange Parables are written in the Mineral Book. But this is the true Stone which the Philosophers have sought, because it makes projection upon all the imperfect Metals, especially upon quick Mercury, and moreover make projection upon all diseases whatsoever, which may come into man's Body, as likewise upon all Wounds, Cancer, Fistulas, open Sores, Buboes, Imposthumes, and all whatsoever can come externally upon man's Body, therefore this Stone is not under the Mineral work, but under the Vegetable. It is the beginning of the Vegetable Book, and the principle; this Stone is called Lapis Philosophorum, the Mineral Stone is called Lapis Mineralis, and the third Stone is called Lapis Animalis. This Stone is the true Aurum Potable, the true Quintessence which we seek, and no other thing else in this world but this Stone. Therefore the Philosophers say, whosoever knows our Stone, and can prepare it, needs no more, wherefore they sought this thing and no other. My Child shall take 10, 12, or 15 pounds of Saturn, wherein is no mixture of any other Metal; laminate it thin, have in readiness a great Stone Jug, half full of Vinegar, stop the Jug very close, set it in a Lukewarm Bath, every three or four days scrape off the calcined Saturn from the Plates, and reserve it apart, thus do so long till you have 5 or 6 (l.?) of the calcined Saturn, then grind it very well on a Stone with good distilled Wine Vinegar, so as you may paint therewith, then take two or three great Stone pots, therein put the Calx of Saturn which you ground, pour good distilled Wine Vinegar upon it, that two parts of the Pot be full, stir it well together, stop the Pot close with a polished Glass or Pebble stone, set the Pots in a Bath, stir it four or five times a day with a wooden Ladle, lay the Glass or Stone Stopple again over it, make the bath no hotter than that you may well endure your hand therein, that is, lukewarm; so let it stand fourteen days and nights, then decant that which is clear into another Stone pot, pour other distilled Vinegar upon the Calx which is not well dissolved, mix them well together, set it 14 days in the Bath, again decant it, and pour other Vinegar upon it as before. This decantation and pouring on continue so long till all the Calx of Saturn be dissolved, then take all the dissolved Saturn, set it in a Bath, evaporate the Vinegar by a small fire, the Saturn will become a powder or lump. Or stir it about until it be dry, you have a mass or powder of a dark yellow, or honey colour, then grind the powder again very finely upon a Stone with distilled Vinegar; put it into a stone pot, stir and mix it well together, set it again into a Bath, which is but lukewarm, so let it stand five or six days, stir it every day from the top to the bottom with a wooden Ladle, cover it again with the glass Stopple, then let it cool, pour off that which is dissolved into a great stone pot, pour other Vinegar upon it, mix and stir them well together, set it into the Bath as before, reiterate this decantation and pouring on so often, till no more will dissolve, which try with your tongue, if it be sweet, it is not enough dissolved, or put some of it into a glass gourd, let it evaporate, if anything remain, it is not yet all dissolved which would be Gold, and then what remains in the pot are Faeces, and sweet upon the Tongue; if you find anything in the Gourd, it is not yet all dissolved, then may you pour fresh Vinegar upon it, till all be dissolved, then coagulate it as before, pour other Vinegar on it, stir it, set it again into the Bath, reiterate this operation of solution and coagulation so long till you find no more Faeces at the bottom, but all be dissolved into a pure clear water, then is Saturn freed from all it’s Leprousness, Melancholy, Faeces, and blackness, being pure and white as Snow, for it is cleansed from all it’s uncleanness, because it’s coldness stands outwards as Luna doth, and its’ heat is internal, fluxible as wax, and sweet as sugar Candy. Why is it white as Snow? Because it is purified from all its’ impurities, and because its’ coldness stands external as Luna doth, and its’ heat is internal. Why is it sweet? Because the four elements in it are pure, and separated from all sulphurous stink and blackness, which Saturn received in the Mine; it is almost Medicinal, and like unto Nature: And because it is so pure, it affords some of its’ internal virtue outwardly as that of Sweetness; but the heat is so covered with the cold that, that it cannot put forth its' power externally by reason of the cold which is external (the heat of Saturn lies internal, even as in Salt Nitre) as doth the Taste, the Spirit of Tasting is the most subtle in all things, as is taught more at large in the Book of Vegetables, how the Air doth dilate itself from all Herbs and Flowers externally; for the Spirit of the Air lies in the inward part of all things; for God created nothing in this world but it hath its' peculiar Taste or Air, the Air and the Taste are one Spirit, the Taste goes out of the Air, as Smoke from the Fire. But how comes it to pass, that a thing which hath sweet Air, is bitter in Taste? The cause is because the Faeces of that thing are putrid and stinking in the Elements, that is the Choler or Heat; for whatsoever is unnaturally hot, hath a bitter Taste; the Air and the Taste are one Spirit, and as the Spirit of the Air presses outwards through a hot thing, so doth the Air embrace the Taste about, and defends the subtle Taste, that it should not be burnt by the vehement burning Choler, as in the Herbal is at large expressed. But the cause why Saturn is sweet in Taste is, that it is almost pure and clean, having scarce any unnatural heat in it, which can burn the subtle Taste, therefore it hath the Taste externally, and the Taste hath the Spirit of the Air locked up in it. My Child, know what I said before, that a thing wherein is much burning heat, the Air locks up the Taste therein, because the Taste shall not be corrupted by the unnatural heat. So the Taste includes the Air in it, when it issues forth from a thing which is externally cold; for the subtle Sprits of the Air or Scent of a thing can endure no cold, as we see daily in Herbs and Flowers, that they yield no Scent in the Winter, as they do in the Summer; but they hide themselves in the Winter, and the Spirit hath the Scent enclosed in it, and the Spirit of Scent or Air. Behold a man that hath taken Cold, immediately he loses his Scent, and his Tasting is diminished. Even so it is here with Saturn; it is quite cold, so that the Taste manifests itself with the Spirit of Scent; for the Spirit of the Taste hath the Smell in it. Look upon Sugar which is well clarified from its' Faeces, how sweet it is in Taste, yet it yields no Scent, yet there is an extraordinary sweetness in Sugar. What is the reason of this? Sugar is very cold externally, therefore is it as Snow, and of a sweet Taste; yet Sugar internally is hot and moist, of the temper of Gold, and of such great virtue that it is called the Philosopher's Stone, as it is approved, and very prevalent to cure all the Distempers of man's Body, as appears by its operation. The reason why I say this my Child, is that you should altogether understand its' internal & external, and the Spirits which are in these things, whereof we discourse; that thereby you should know God's wonderful works, and what wonders he works in these inferior things, which are all made for our use. What hath God in us, for whose sake he hath created all these Wonders, and all these things? Wherefore, my Child, believe in God, love him, and follow him, for he loves you, as he makes it appear, and manifests himself in all things, as well in their Internals as in their Externals. O how wonderful is our Lord and God, from whom all wonders proceed ! Now, my Child, why is Saturn as fluxible as Wax ? By reason of its' abounding Sulphur, which is therein; for I find no fluxibleness or fusibleness in anything saving in Sulphur, Mercury and Arsenick, and all these three are in Saturn; so that Saturn is quickly fluxible, but all these three are cleansed with it from their uncleanness. And do you not know, that the Philosophers call their Stone Arsenick, and a white thing; and they say their Sulphur is incombustible; they call it likewise a red thing, all this is Saturn, in it is Arsenick; for Luna is principally generated of a white Sulphur, as is plainly taught in the Book of Sulphur, and all Arsenick is internally red as Blood, if its' inward part be brought outwards, as is demonstrated in the Book of Colours. Saturn stands almost in the degree of fixed Luna. So that in it there is a red Sulphur, as you see, when its internal is placed outwards, it will be red as Ruby; there are no Colours but in the Spirits, so that there is in it a red and a yellow Sulphur. In it is Mercury, as may be seen, for Mercury is extracted out of Saturn in a short time, and with it little labour. So that all three are in Saturn, but they are not fixed therein, but they are clean, pure, incombustible, fluxible as Wax; in it are all things which the Philosophers have mentioned. They say, our Stone is made of a stinking menstruous thing: What think you, is not Saturn digged out of a stinking Earth? For divers are killed with the ill Scents and Vapours where Saturn is digged. And the Philosophers say, our Stone is of little value, being unprepared; they say, the poor have it as well as the rich, and they say true; for there are not poorer or more miserable people to be found than those which dig and work Saturn in the mine; and they say it is to be found in all Towns and places, wheresoever you come Saturn is there. They say it is a black thing: What think you, is it not black? They say, it is a dry water, if Gold and Luna are to be refined upon the test, must it not be done with Saturn? They must be washed and tried with it as a foul garment is made clean with Soap. They say, in our Stone are the four Elements, and they say true; for the four Elements must be separated out of Saturn. They say, our Stone consists of Soul, Spirit and Body, and these three become one. They say true; when it is made fixed for the white Mercury and Sulphur with its' Earth, then these three are one. Whereby is to be observed, that the Philosophers have said true; they concealed its' Name for the ignorants’ sake, who are not their Children, to keep them still in their Ignorance. Thus my Child, the Ancients took care to conceal the name of the Stone; now let us return to our purpose. You have now Saturn washed and cleansed from all its' impurity, and made as white as Snow, fusible as Wax, but it is not fixed yet; we will make it fix the Mercury and Sulphur with its' Earth. Take a Glass Vial, put half of your purified Saturn into it, reserve the other half till you have occasion to use it; lay a polished Glass upon the mouth of the Glass, set it in a Cupel with sifted Ashes upon a Furnace; or set it upon the Tripod of Secrets, or in the Furnace wherein you calcine Spirits; give it Fire so hot as the heat of the Sun at MidSummer, and no hotter, either a very little hotter, or a very little cooler, as you can best hit it. But if you give it a greater heat, such as you may keep Lead in flux, then your Matter would melt as if it were Oil; and having stood so, ten or twelve days, its' Sulphur would fly away, and your Matter would be all spoiled, for the Sulphur which is in your Matter is not yet fixed, but is in the external. Wherefore the Matter melts presently, and though it be clean, yet it is most fixed; wherefore give so gentle fire to it, that it may not flux; so keep it six weeks, then take out a little of it, lay it on a glowing hot Plate, if it immediately melts and fumes, it is not yet fixed, but if the Matter remain unmelted, the Sulphur is then fixed which is therein; then strengthen the Fire notably, till the Matter in the Glass begins to look yellow, and continually more and more yellow, like to powdered Saffron, then augment the Fire yet stronger, till the Matter begin to be red, then prosecute your Fire from one degree to another, even as the Powder becomes redder and redder by degrees, so hold on your Fire, till the Matter be red as a Ruby, then augment the Fire yet more, that the Matter may be glowing hot, then is it fixed, and ready to pour the curious Water of Paradise upon it. My Child must know, that there are two ways of pouring on the Water of Paradise; I will teach you to make and prepare both, then you may take which you will; for the one is half as good again as the other. My Child, you may remember, that I ordered you to reserve the one half of the purified Saturn, which take and put into a Stone pot, pour upon it a bottle or more of distilled Wine Vinegar, set a head on, distill the Vinegar again from it in a Bath, the head must have a hole at the top to pour fresh Vinegar upon the Matter, and abstract the Vinegar again from it, pour fresh Vinegar again on, and again abstract it; this pouring on , and abstracting or distilling off must continue so long, till the Vinegar be drawn off as strong as it was when it was put in, then is it enough, and the Matter hath in it as much of the Spirit of Vinegar as it can contain; then take the Pot out of the Bath, take off the head, and take the Matter out, and put it into a thick glass which can endure the Fire, set a head on it, put it in a Cupel with Ashes, which set on a Furnace, first make a small Fire, and so continually a little stronger, till your Matter come over as red as Blood, thick as Oil, and sweet as Sugar, with a Celestial Scent, then keep it in that heat so long as it distills, and when it begins to slack, then increase your Fire till the Glass begins to glow, continue this heat till no more will distill, then let it cool of itself, take the Receiver off, stop it very close with Wax, take the Matter out of the Glass, beat it to powder in an Iron Mortar, with a steel Pestle; and then grind it on a Stone with good distilled Vinegar, put this Matter so ground into a Pot, pour good distilled Vinegar upon it, that two parts be full, set the Pot into a Bath with a head upon it, distill the Vinegar off, pour fresh Vinegar again upon it, distill it off again: thus do so long, that the Vinegar be as strong as it was when it was first poured upon it, then let it cool, take the Matter out of the Bath, take the head off, take the Matter out of the Pot, put it into a stronger round Glass which can endure the Fire, as you did before, set it upon a Furnace in a Cupel with sifted Ashes, set a head, and a Receiver luted to it, then distill it, first with a small fire, which augment by degrees, till a Matter come over red as Blood, and thick as Oil, as aforesaid; give it fire till no more will distill, then let it cool of itself, take off the head, break the glass pot, and take the Matter out, powder it again, and grind it on a Stone with distilled Vinegar, put it again into the Stone pot, pour fresh Vinegar upon it, set it into the Bath, and its' head on, distill the Vinegar from it, pour it on again as hath been taught, till the Vinegar remain strong as it was. Reiterate this distillation in the Bath until the Matter hath no more Spirit of the Vinegar in it, then take it out, set it in a glass pot, distill all that will distill forth in ashes, till the Matter become a red Oil, then have you the most noble water of Paradise, to pour upon all fixed stones, to perfect the Stone; this is one way. This water of Paradise thus distilled, the Ancients called their sharp, clear Vinegar, for they conceal its' name. My Child, I will now teach you other ways to make the water of Paradise; this is an easy way, but not so good, nor doth it that high projection in humane Medicines, yet it cures all Diseases within and without, but the other cures miraculously in a short time. The second way of preparing the Water of Paradise. My Child, if you would make it after this manner, you must take the half of your prepared Saturn which I ordered you to keep, upon which pour the half of your fixed and prepared Water of Paradise, take the half, put it into a Stone pot, pour weak Wine Vinegar upon it, mix it well together, then take two pounds of calcined Tartar, which is well clarified by solution and coagulation, so that it leaves no more Faeces behind it, Salt Armoniac one pound, which is likewise so clearly sublimed, that no Faeces remain after its sublimation, pound both together to a Powder, put them speedily into a pot, and stop it close immediately, or else it will run out; for so soon as the Tartar and Salt Armoniac come to the Vinegar, they lift themselves up, and would immediately run out of the mouth of the pot, wherefore stop the pot presently, set the pot in a Vessel of Water, they will cool speedily, otherwise if the cold and hot matter should come together suddenly, they would contest together, rise up, and become so hot, that the pot would break for heat, if it were not set in cold water; therefore take heed, when you put the powders in, that you stop it immediately, and set it in cold Water before you put the other Powder to it, then they will unite, let them stand a day and a night in that Vessel, then take them out, set them into a lukewarm Bath two days and nights, let it cool of itself, take the Stopple off from the pot, and set a head on, set the pot in sifted Ashes upon a Furnace, distill with a small fire, and continually greater till all the Vinegar be over, then augment your Fire notably, till you see quick Mercury drop out of the Pipe, when it ceases to drop, then augment the Fire by little and little and drive it so long as it drops; you may observe when it will leave dropping, if in the space of one or two Pater-nosters (Lord's prayer) one drop doth fall, then augment the Fire till the pot glows at the bottom, for twelve hours and when the Mercury is over, then should the Salt Armoniac sublime up into the head, and the Tartar remain with the Body of Saturn at the bottom of the Pot, which take out, put into a Linen bag, hang it in a moist cellar, the Tartar will dissolve, receive it in a Glass, the Body of Saturn remains in the Bag, take it out and calcine it in a reverberating Furnace three days and nights, with a great heat, as is taught elsewhere, then extract the Salt out as is taught in the Mineral Book. You may make projection with the Salt, and coagulate your Tartar again, it will be as good or better than it was, likewise take your Salt Armoniac out of the Head, it is good again, and if you have no Salt Armoniac, then take three pound of calcined Tartar, likewise so clarified that it leave no Faeces behind, you then need no Salt Armoniac, therewith may you likewise extract the Mercury out of Luna and Jupiter, wherewith you may do wonders, as is taught in the Mineral Book, where is spoken of the Quintessence of Metals. Now my Child must know, that this Mercury or Quintessence of Saturn is as good in all works as the Mercury of Sol, they are both alike good, and herein all the Philosophers agree. My Child, take this Mercury of Saturn, so drawn out of the Receiver, put it into a Glass Box.