Page 28 - Treatise on Salt

Chapter 6

Of the marriage of the red servant,
with the white woman.

There are many who think they know the manner of making the
tincture of the philosophers: but when they come to make trials with our
red servant, one would hardly believe how small the number is of them
that succeed, and how few there are in the whole world that deserve the
name of true philosophers. For where shall we find a book that shall give
sufficient instruction on that subject, since all the philosophers have
wrapped it up in silence, and have thus concealed it on purpose, as our
well beloved father had said by way of revelation to the inquisitors of
this art, to whom he hardly left anything of moment, except these few
words: one only thing, mixed with a philosophical water.

And there is no doubt to be made that this thing gave a great deal of
trouble and pains to some philosophers, before they could get through
this forest, in order to begin their first operation, as we have a
considerable instance in the author of the ‘Open Ark’, commonly called
the disciple of the great and little peasant (who is in possession of the
manuscripts of his deceased, venerable and worthy preceptor, and who
has had a perfect knowledge of the philosophical art, these thirty years
past) who has related to us what happened to his master in this point, that
is to say, in his first operation, by which he could not on his first attempt,
whatever means or industry he could use, bring to pass that the sulphurs
should intermingle and incorporate: because the sun always swum on the
surface of the moon. This gave him a great uneasiness, and was the cause
of his undertaking many new and vexatious travels, with a design to
inform himself in that point, by some person who might happen to be
masters of the stone; as it accordingly fell out suitably to his wish, in
such manner, that no person has yet appeared, that has surpassed his
experience; for he knew effectually the nearest, and the shortest way of
this work, since in the space of thirty days, he completed the secret of the
stone, whereas the other philosophers are obliged to keep their matter in
digestion first, for the space of seven months, and after that, during ten
months continually.

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