Page 15 - Compound of Compounds

The first of these principles is particularly airy and igneous. We find it in the
exterior parts of Sulphur, due especially to the great volatility of its elements, which
vaporize easily and consume the bodies that they come into contact with.

The second principle is phlegmatic, in other words aqueous. It is found
immediately below the previous principle.

The third is radical, fixed and adherent to the internal parts. Only this one is
general and cannot be separated from the others without destroying the entire
structure.

The first principle is not resistant to fire; being combustible, it consumes in fire and
calcines the substance of the metal that it is kindled with. It is then not only useless,
but rather harmful to the accomplishment of our proposed objective. The second
principle only wets the bodies; it is unproductive and cannot serve our interests either.
The third is radical and penetrates all the particles of matter, to which the latter owes
its essential properties. We must strip the Sulphur of the first two principles so that the
subtlety of the third may serve us to create a perfect compound.

Fire is none other than the vapour of Sulphur. The vapour of Sulphur well purified
and sublimated whitens and condenses. Hence, the adroit alchemists usually remove
from Sulphur its first two superfluous principles by acid baths, by use of citric vinegar,
sour milk, goat’s milk or children’s urine. They purify it by way of lixiviation, digestion
and sublimation. Finally, it must be rectified by resolution such as to leave only a pure
substance containing the active, perfectible, imminent force of the metal. We have here
an intrinsic part of our Opus.

Of the nature of Mercury

Mercury includes two superfluous substances, earth and water. The earthy
element has something of Sulphur, that the fire rubifies. The aqueous substance has a
superfluous moisture.

We easily strip Mercury of its earthy and aqueous impurities by sublimations and
intensely acid washings. Nature separates Mercury at the dry state from Sulphur and
despoils it of its earth by the heat of the sun and the stars.

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