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Hortulanus Commentary on the Emerald Tablet
A briefe Commentarie of Hortulanus the Philosopher,
upon the Smaragdine Table of Hermes of Alchimy.
The praier of Hortulanus.
Laude, honour, power and glorie, be given to thee, O Almightie
Lorde God, with thy beloved sonne, our Lord Iesus Christ, and
the holy Ghost, the comforter. O holy Trinitie, that art the
onely one God, perfect man, I give thee thankes that having the
knowledge of the transitorie things of this worlde (least I should
bee provoked with the pleasures thereof) of thy abundant mercie
thou hast taken mee from it. But forsomuch as I have knowne manie
deceived in this art, that have not gone the right way, let it
please thee, O Lord my God, that by the knowledge which thou
hast given me, I may bring my deare friends from error, that
when they shal perceive the truth, they may praise thy holy and
glorious name, which is blessed for ever. Amen.
The Preface.
I Hortulanus, so called from the Gardens bordering upon the
sea coast, wrapped in a Iacobin skinne, unworthy to be called
a Disciple of Philosophie, moved with the love of my welbeloved,
doo intend to make a true declaration of the words of Hermes,
the Father of Philosophers, whose words, though that they be
dark and obscure, yet have I truly expounded the whole operation
and practise of the worke: for the obscuritie of the Philosophers
in their speeches, dooth nothing prevaile, where the doctrine
of the holy spirit worketh.
Chapter I.
That the Art of Alchimy is true and certaine.
The Philosopher saith. It is true, to wit, that the
Arte of Alchimie is given unto us, Without leasing.
This hee saith in detestation of them that affirme this Art to
bee lying, that is, false. It is certaine, that is prooved.
For whatsoever is prooved, is most certaine. And most true.
For most true golde is ingendred by Art: and he saith most true,
in the superlative degree, because the golde ingendred by this
Art, excelleth all naturall gold in all proprieties, both medicinall
and others.
Chapter II.
That the Stone must be divided into two parts.
Consequentlie, he toucheth the operation of the stone, saying:
That which is beneath, is as that which is above. And
this he sayth, because the stone is divided into two principall
parts by Art: Into the superior part, that ascendeth up, and
into the inferiour part, which remaineth beneath fixe and cleare:
and yet these two parts agree in vertue: and therefore hee sayeth,
That which is above, is like to that which is beneath.
And this division is necessarie, To perpetuate the myracles
of one thing, to wit, of the Stone: because the inferiour
part is the Earth, which is called the Nurse, and Ferment: and
the superiour part is the Soule, which quickeneth the whole Stone,
and raiseth it up. Wherefore separation made, and coniunction
celebrated, manie myracles are effected in the secret worke of
nature.
Chapter III.
That the Stone hath in it the foure Elements.
And as all things have proceeded from one, by the meditation
of one. Heere giveth hee an example, saying: as all things
came from one, to wit, a confused Globe, or masse, by meditation,
that is the cogitation and creation of one, that is the omnipotent
God: So all things have sprung, that is, come out from
this one thing that is, one confused lumpe, by Adaptation,
that is by the sole commandement of God, and miracle. So our
Stone is borne, and come out of one confused mass, containing
in it the foure Elements, which is created of God, and by his
sole miracle our stone is borne.
Chapter IV.
That the Stone hath Father and Mother, to wit, the Sunne and
Moone.
And as wee see, that one living creature begetteth more living
creatures like unto it selfe: so artificially golde engendereth
golde, by vertue of multiplication of the foresaid stone. It
followeth therefore, the Sunne is his father, that is, Philosophers
Gold. And as in everie naturall generation, there must be a fit
and convenient receptacle, with a certaine consonancie of similitude
to the father: so likewise in this artificiall generation, it
is requisite that the Sunne have a fitte and consonaunt receptacle
for his seede and tincture: and this is Philosophers silver.
And therefore it followes, the Moone is his mother.
Chapter V.
That the coniunction of the parts of the stone is called Conception.
The which two, when they have mutuallie entertained each other
in the coniunction of the Stone, the Stone conceiveth in the
bellie of the winde: and this is it which afterwarde he sayeth:
The winde carried it in his bellie. It is plaine, that
the winde is the ayre, and the ayre is the life, and the life
is the Soule. And I have already spoken of the soule, that it
quickneth the whole stone. And so it behoveth, that the wind
should carry and recarry the whole stone, and bring forth the
masterie: and then it followeth, that it must receive nourishment
of his nurce, that is the earth: and therefore the Philosopher
saith, The earth is his Nurse: because that as the infant
without receiving food from his nurse, shuld never come to yeres:
so likewise our stone without the firmentation of his earth,
should never be brought to effect: which said firmament, is called
nourishment. For so it is begotten of one Father, with the coniunction
of the Mother. Things, that is, sonnes like to the Father,
if they want long decoction, shalbe like to the Mother in whitenesse,
and retaine the Fathers weight.
Chapter VI.
That the Stone is perfect, if the Soule be fixt in the bodie.
It followeth afterward: The father of all the Telesme of
the whole worlde is here: that is, in the worke of the stone
is a finall way. And note, that the Philosopher calleth the worke,
the Father of all the Telesme: that is, of all secret, or of
all treasure Of the whole worlde: that is, of every stone
found in the world, is here. As if he should say, Behold I shew
it thee. Afterward the Philosopher saith, Wilt thou that I
teach thee to knowe when the vertue of the Stone is perfect and
compleate? to wit, when it is converted into his earth: and
therefore he saith, His power is entire, that is, compleate
and perfect, if it be turned into earth: that is, if the
Soule of the stone (whereof wee have made mention before: which
Soule may be called the winde or ayre, wherein consisteth the
whole life and vertue of the stone) be converted into the earth,
to wit of the stone, and fixed: so that the whole substance of
the Stone be so with his nurse, to wit earth, that the whole
Stone be turned into ferment. As in making of bread, a little
leaven nourisheth and fermenteth a great deale of Paste: so will
the Philosopher that our stone bee so fermented, that it may
bee ferment to the multiplication of the stone.
Chapter VII.
Of the mundification and cleansing of the stone.
Consequently, hee teacheth how the Stone ought to bee multiplied:
but first he setteth downe the mundification of the stone, and
the separation of the parts: saying, Thou shalt separate the
earth from the fire, the thinne from the thicke, and that gently
and with great discretion. Gently, that is by little, and
little, not violently, but wisely, to witte, in Philosophicall
doung. Thou shalt separate, that is, dissolve: for dissolution
is the separation of partes. The earth from the fire, the
thinne from the thicke: that is, the lees and dreggs, from
the fire, the ayre, the water, and the whole substance of the
Stone, so that the Stone may remaine most pure without all filth.
Chapter VIII.
That the unfixed part of the Stone should exceed the fixed, and
lift it up.
The Stone thus prepared, is made fit for multiplication. And
now hee setteth downe his multiplication and easie liquefaction,
with a vertue to pierce as well into hard bodies, as soft, saying:
It ascendeth from the earth into heaven, and again it descendeth
into the earth. Here we must diligently note, that although
our stone bee divided in the first operation into foure partes,
which are the foure Elements: notwithstanding, as wee have alreadie
saide, there are two principall parts of it. One which ascendeth
upward, and is called unfixed, and an other which remaineth below
fixed, which is called earth, or firmament, which nourisheth
and firmenteth the whole stone, as we have already said. But
of the unfixed part we must have a great quantity, and give it
to the stone (which is made most clean without all filth) so
often by masterie that the whole stone be caried upward, sublimating
and subtiliating. And this is it which the Philosopher saith:
It ascendeth from the earth into the heaven.
Chapter IX.
How the volatile Stone may againe be fixed.
After all these things, this stone thus exalted, must be incerated
with the Oyle that was extracted from it in the first operation,
being called the water of the stone: and so often boyle it by
sublimation, till by vertue of the firmentation of the earth
exalted with it, the whole stone doo againe descend from heaven
into the earth, and remaine fixed and flowing. And this is it
which the Philosopher sayth: It descendeth agayne into the
earth, and so receyveth the vertue of the superiours by sublimation,
and of the inferiours, by descention: that is, that which
is corporall, is made spirituall by sublimation, and that which
is spirituall, is made corporall by descension.
Chapter X.
Of the fruit of the Art, and efficacie of the Stone.
So shalt thou have the glorie of the whole worlde.
That is, this stone thus compounded, that shalt possesse the
glorie of this world. Therefore all obscuritie shall flie
from thee: that is, all want and sicknesse, because the stone
thus made, cureth everie disease. Here is the mightie power
of all power. For there is no comparison of other powers
of this world, to the power of the stone. For it shall overcome
every subtil thing, and shall pearce through every solide thing.
It shall overcome, that is, by overcomming, it shall convert
quick Mercury, that is subtile, congealing it: and it
shall pearce through other hard, solide, and compact bodies.
Chapter XI.
That this worke imitateth the Creation of the worlde.
He giveth us also an example of the composition of his Stone,
saying, So was the world created. That is, like as the
world was created, so is our stone composed. For in the beginning,
the whole world and all that is therein, was a confused Masse
or Chaos (as is above saide) but afterward by the workemanship
of the soveraigne Creator, this masse was divided into the foure
elements, wonderfully separated and rectified, through which
separation, divers things were created: so likewise may divers
things bee made by ordering our worke, through the separation
of the divers elements from divers bodies. Here shal be wonderfull
adaptations, that is, If thou shalt separate the elements,
there shall be admirable compositions, fitte for our worke in
the composition of our Stone, by the elements rectified: Whereof,
to wit, of which wonderfull things fit for this: the meanes,
to wit, to proceede by, is here.
Chapter XII.
An enigmaticall insinuation what the matter of the Stone shoulde
be.
Therefore I am called Hermes Trismegistus. Now that
he hath declared the composition of the Stone, he teacheth us
after a secret maner, whereof the Stone is made: first naming
himselfe, to the ende that his schollers (who should hereafter
attaine to this science) might have his name in continuall remembrance:
and then hee toucheth the matter saying: Having three parts
of the Philosophie of the whole world: because that whatsoever
is in the worlde, having matter and forme, is compounded of the
foure Elements: hence is it, that there are so infinite parts
of the world, all which he divideth into three principall partes,
Minerall, Vegetable, and Animall: of which jointly, or severally,
hee had the true knowledge in the worke of the Sunne: for which
cause he saith, Having three parts of the Philosophie of the
whole world, which parts are contained in one Stone, to wit,
Philosophers Mercurie.
Chapter XIII.
Why the Stone is said to be perfect.
For this cause is the Stone saide to be perfect, because
it hath in it the nature of Minerals, Vegetables, and Animals:
for the stone is three, and one having foure natures, to wit,
the foure elements, three colours, black, white and red. It is
also called a graine of corne, which if it die not, remaineth
without fruit: but if it doo die (as is above said) when it is
ioyned in coniunction, it bringeth forth much fruite, the aforenamed
operations being accomplished. Thus curteous reader, if thou
know the operation of the Stone, I have told thee the truth:
but if thou art ignorant thereof, I have said nothing. That
which I have spoken of the operation of the Sunne is finished:
that is, that which hath beene spoken of the operation of the
stone, of the three colours, and foure natures, existing and
being in one onely thing, namely in the Philosophers Mercurie,
is fulfilled.
Here endeth the Commentarie of Hortulanus, uppon the Smaragdine
table of Hermes, the father of Philosophers.
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