nothing, thou shalt know nothing by mee, if thou knowest not already my Master Philosopher. _Alch._ Thou speakest to mee as to some simple man, perhaps thou dost not know that I have worked with Princes, and was accounted a Philosopher with them. _Merc._ I am apt to beleeve thee my Master, for I know all this very wel, I am yet foul, and unclean by reason of those mixtures that thou hast used. _Alch._ Therefore tell mee, art thou the Mercury of Philosophers? _Merc._ I am Mercury, but whether or no the Philosophers, that belongs to thee to know. _Alch._ Do but tell me if thou art the true Mercury, or if there be another. _Merc._ I am Mercury, but there is another, and so he vanished away. The Alchymist cries out and speaks, but no body answers him. And bethinking himselfe saith: Surely I am an excellent man, Mercury hath been pleased to talke with mee, surely hee loves mee: and then he began to sublime Mercury, distil, calcine, make Turbith of him, precipitate, and dissolve him divers wayes, and with divers waters, but as hee laboured in vain before, so now also he hath spent his time, and costs to no purpose. Wherefore at last hee begins to curse Mercury, and revile Nature because shee made him. Now Nature when she heard these things called Mercury to her, and said to him: What hast thou done to this man? Why doth he curse and revile me for thy sake? Why dost not thou doe what thou oughtest to doe? But Mercury modestly excuseth himself. Yet Nature commands him to be obedient to the sons of Wisdome, that seek after him. Mercury promiseth that he will, and saith: Mother Nature, but who can satisfie fools? Nature went away smiling: but Mercury being angry with the Alchymist goes also unto his own place. After a few days it came into the Alchymists mind, that he omitted something in his operations, and again hee hath recourse to Mercury, and now resolves to mix him with hogs dung; but Mercury being angry that he had falsly accused him before his mother Nature, saith to the Alchymist, What wilt thou have of me thou foole? Why hast thou thus accused mee? _Alch._ Art thou he that _I_ have longed to see? _Merc._ _I_ am, but no man that is blind can see mee. _Alch._ _I_ am not blind. _Merc._ Thou art very blind, for thou canst not see thy selfe, how then canst thou see mee? _Alch._ O now thou art proud, _I_ speak civilly to thee, and thou contemnest mee: thou dost not know perhaps that I have worked with many Princes, and was esteemed as a Philosopher amongst them. _Merc._ Fools flock to Princes Courts, for there they are honoured, and fare better then others. Wast thou also at the Court? _Alch._ O thou art a devill, and not a good Mercury, if thou wilt speak thus to Philosophers: for before thou didst also seduce me thus. _Mer._ Dost thou know Philosophers? _Alch._ I my self am a Philosopher. _Merc._ Behold our Philosopher (smiling said: and began to talke further with him saying) My Philosopher, tell mee therefore