Page 30 - Scottish Alchemists

savant, who was the more communicative upon these occasions, as he
thought himself at the point of death while suffering from an attack of gout.

“Heer foloweth a discours that passed betwixt D. Muller and
Markestone, when the sayde Doctor was lyen sicke of the goute in
Edinbroughe and thought to have died, as the same was set downe by the
sayd Markestone, and founde after his death amongst his papers.

“Vpon Saterday the 7 of Nouember 1607 years, I Jhon Napeir, fier of
Markeston came to confer with Mr Daniel Muller, Doctor of Medicine, and
student in Alchymie anent our phylosophicall matters, not knowinge that he
was sicke, and findinge that he was diseased of the goute his ordinarie diseas,
I thought not to haue troubled him with much conference, and meaned to
haue left him for that tyme, but he crauinge conference of me shew me that
he was to haue sent for me if I had not of accident come, and that he had a
matter to communicat with me if I mighte then remaine or shortly returne.
So I removed my compagnie, and sate done befor his beddside. Then he
burst foorth in thire wordes: Sr, you ar occupied in alchymie, I haue been
thir manie years ane verie earnest student therinto, and have attained to the
knawledge therof. I haue pressed to haue diuerted you from your wronge
opinione, so farr as I durst be plaine, but now, Sir, I will be plaine, knowinge
that you ar a man who fears God and will be secret, and that you will be
good to my wyfe and bearins in case thir diseases shall take me awaye. Sr, I
sent ane credible freinde to Histria to bringe me hither of crude Mercurie out
of thes mines a longe tyme since, and as yeat I haue harde no worde from
him. I thinke he is dead. I once receiued a letle peece of the earth of thes
mines aboute the quantitie of ane hazell nute, which as I brake ther appeared
scales of quicksiluer within the same, and the crude Mercurie flowed foorth
without fyre; with this I perfited the phylosophicall worke as you may doe
with the lyke, for this mercury beinge taken with fine silver which neuer did
finde fyre and enclosed in ane matrix will become blacke within the space of
40 dayes, and therafter will become white, and then is the pointe and terme
to loose it, or then you must ioyne it with his ferment, to wite with fyne
gould that neuer did finde the fyre, fynlie limelled in limell, and instantly that
whit stoofe of mercury and luna will deuore vp the gould; and at this
coniunctione or fermentatione endeth the first worke called opus Lunae, and
beginneth immediately the second called opus Solis. In this opere Solis your
worke becomes blacker then in opere Lunae, and then white, and at last
reede. Both thir workes ar performed in ane year, to wite twoo monthes and
ane halfe in opere Lunae, and nyne months and ane halfe in opere Solis, and
for pondera, I take nyne of crud mercury to one of crud siluer in primo

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