did yet remain to be inquired after, and searched into, I earnestly besought him, that by means of this happy opportunity hee would resolve mee my doubts. Now I importuned him with these words, Sir _I_ have read the books of Philosophers, and they say, that all generation is done by Male, and Female, yet I saw in my dream _Saturne_ put the fruit alone of the Tree of the Sun into our Mercury; I beleeve also thee as the Master of this Sea, that thou knowest these things; answer my Question I pray thee. But he said, It is true, my son, all generation is done in Male, and Female, but by reason of the distinguishing of the three Kingdomes of Nature, a foure footed Animall is brought forth one way, and a worme another: Although wormes have eyes, sight, hearing, and other senses, yet they are brought forth by putrefaction, and their place, or earth, in which they are putrefied, is the Female. So in this Philosophicall work the mother of this thing is that Water of thine so often repeated, & whatsoever is produced of that, is produced as worms by putrefaction. Therfore the Philosophers have created a Phenix, & Salamander. For if it were done by the conception of two bodies, it would be a thing subject to death; but because it revives it self alone, the former body being destroyed, it riseth up another body incorruptible. Seeing the death of things is nothing else but the separation of the one from the other. And so it is in this Phenix, because the life separates it self by its self from a corruptible body. Moreover, I asked him, Sir, are there divers things, or is there a composition of things in this work? But he said, there is only one thing, with which there is mixed nothing else but the Philosophicall Water shewed to thee oftentimes in thy sleep, of which there must be ten parts to one of the body. And strongly, and undoubtedly beleeve, My son, that those things which are by me and _Saturn_ shewed thee by way of dreams, according to the custom, in this Iland, are not dreams, but the very truth, which Experience the only Mistris of things will by the assistance of God discover to thee. I yet further demanded some things of him, but hee without any answer, after he had took his leave of mee, departing set me, being raised from sleep, into my desired region of _Europe_. And so friendly Reader, let this suffice thee, which hath by mee thus farre been fully declared. _To God alone be praise and glory._ [Illustration: *decorative divider*] A DIALOGVE BETWEEN _MERCURY_, the _ALCHYMIST_ and _NATURE_.