Page 24 - Scottish Alchemists

shutt forth thair venome als soone as the pott is opned, thairfoir loosen it
spedelie with a sharp knyf, and bind a long cord about the cover of the pott,
and set it vp to the middle in the earth, that it may stand fast, and go a good
way from the pott with the cord in your hand, and pluck the lidd aff quickly,
and get thee gone, and lett the pott stand 24 houres. Then go frielie to the
pott without feare, for these three venemous creatures have shot furth thair
poyson, bot thair power and vertew they have keep by thame which lyes
secretly covered with in the matter in the pott, and efterward when they cum
to be mixed with the metals, they will shaw furth and discover thair forces,
and do wounders in metalls as you yourself sall sie and vitness.

“Now I will tell you what these three creatures ar that lye in the pott,
first they call it a Scorpion, for it pearceath and penetrateth all bodeis of
metals, thairfoir call they it be the name of Scorpion which no man
understandes bot the philosophers, or those to whom they please to reveale
it. This watter has in it the power and vertew of the Scorpion in pearcing and
penetrating as is afoirsaid. Secondlie they gave the name of a dragon
devouring his awen taile, for this watter hath power and vertew to devoure,
bite and consume all the blaknes of metall without purging thame befoirhand.
Thridlie they give the name of a Basilisk, becaus as that creature hath power
to kill all things that hath receaved lyff only with his syt, so lykwayes hath
this watter power and force to do away all the blaknes and filth of the earth
which metals have receaved from the earth without any forgoing purging or
clensing of thame; some philosophers call this watter the blak lyon, the green
lyon, or the red lyon, for as the lyon hath ane hoat stomok and consumes all
he swallowes doune into it, so doth this watter consume and digest all the
hardness of metals and all the imperfectiones which they have contracted
within the earth, making thame soft and fusible; and thair be vthers that call
it our stone, because they will hide it from mens understanding, bot aneugh
of this.

“Item now tak the pott out of the earth and carye it secreatlie into your
chalmer, where you meane to worke, and look merely into the pott, for in it
you may behold the substance of Rebis6 converted into watter: this is that
Rebis so muche talked off, this is blaker than blak, this is our stone, the
stone that is not named in any booke, bot one freind reveales it to ane vther,
and so they keep it by tradition closs amongst thame selffs only; in treuth this
is that great stone of which all the great doctors and philosophers speik so
obscurely, thairfoir look cheerfully into the pott and be merry now, for you
sail have greater cause of joy heerefter

6 Exerementum alvi. Rulandus Lexicon Alchemicum.

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