Page 34 - Book of Composition

Morienus : Our whole operation is nothing else but an extraction of water
from Earth, and a remitting of this water upon the Earth, until the Earth
putrify. For this Earth putrifies with water and is cleansed : which when
it shall be cleansed, then by the help of God the whole Magistery will be
well effected. For this is the disposition of the wise men, which is the
third part of the whole Magistery. It is also convenient for you to know
this, that if you shall not perfectly cleanse the unclean body, nor shall not
dry it, nor make it perfectly white, and shall not send its soul into it, and
shall not take away all the stink of it, until after its cleansing the tincture
may fall into it, that then you have directed nothing well in this
Magistery. Also it is necessary for you to know this, that the soul quickly
enters into the body, which by no means is joined with a strong body.

King Calid : The Creator be always in our aid, but declare unto me the
second disposition, whether that be the end of the first disposition.

Morienus : It is so as you say, for when you have directed the unclean
body, as has been said, then put with it the fourth part of the ferment of
it: for the ferment of Q is Q, as the ferment of bread is bread, which
when you shall put into it, put that to decoct in Q, until these two be
brought into one body: and then under the blessing of God begin to wash
it. Therefore at the washing of it take one part of the mortiferous thing,
and decoct it the space of three days, and take heed that you neither
forget, nor diminish any of the days. And let the fire of it be of equal and
continually burning, so that it may neither increase nor diminish.
Therefore let the fire of it be easy and gentle, which may burn equally
the space of its days, for otherwise great endamagement will follow.
After seventeen nights you shall visit the vessel in which all these things
are decocted, and you must take out the water which you shall find in it,
and put in other water into it, which must be done three times. And let
the aforesaid vessel stick immoveable to its furnace, until the whole time
of the fermentation of Q be accomplished, and till it be brought to the
eight part of its tincture; which when after twenty days it is extracted,
then it will be well dryed, and then take the washed and prepared body,
and make it sit artificially upon a furnace, that it may be daily bedewed
in its vessel with the fourth part of the mortiferous thing, which then you
must have with you, and also taking heed that the flame of the fire do not
come unto the aforesaid vessel, for then it will do much hurt.
All these things being done, then let the aforesaid vessel be placed
artificially in a great furnace, and let fire kindled about the mouth of it,
and let it burn two days and two nights equally without any increasing or

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