And why then dost thou fly from the fire? _Merc._ My spirit, and the spirit of the fire love one another, and whither one goes, the other goes if it can. _Alch._ And whither dost thou goe, when thou ascendest with the fire? _Merc._ Know that every stranger bends towards his own countrey, and when he is returned from whence he came, hee is at rest, and alwaies returnes wiser, then he was when he came forth. _Alch._ Dost thou come back again sometimes? _Merc._ I doe, but in another forme. _Alch._ I do not understand what this is, nor any thing of the fire. _Merc._ If any one knew the fire of my heart, hee hath seen that fire (a due heat) is my meat: and by how much the longer the spirit of my heart feeds upon fire, it will be so much the fatter, whose death is afterward the life of all things, whatsoever they bee in this Kingdome where I am. _Alch._ Art thou great? _Merc._ I am thus for example, of a thousand drops I shall be one, out of one I give many thousand drops: and as my body is in thy sight, if thou knowest how to sport with mee, thou maist divide me into as much as thou wilt, and I shall be one again: What then is my spirit (my heart) intrinsecally, which alwaies can bring forth many thousands out of the least part? _Alch._ And how therefore must one deale with thee that thou maist be so? _Merc._ I am fire within, fire is my meat, but the life of the fire is aire, without aire the fire is extinguished; the fire prevails over the aire, wherefore I am not at rest, neither can the crude aire constringe, or bind mee: adde aire to aire, that both may be one, and hold weight, join it to warme fire, and give it time. _Alch._ What shall bee after that? _Merc._ The superfluous shall be taken away, the residue thou shalt burn with fire, put it into water, boyl it, after it is boyled thou shalt give it to the sick by way of physick. _Alch._ Thou saist nothing to my questions. I see that thou wilt only delude mee with Riddles. Wife, bring hither the hogs dung, I will handle that Mercury some new wayes, untill hee tell mee how the Philosophers Stone is to bee made of him. Mercury hearing this begins to lament over the Alchymist, and goes unto his mother Nature: accuseth the ungratefull operator. Nature beleeves her son Mercury, who tells true, and being moved with anger comes to the Alchymist, and calls him; Ho thou, Where art thou? _Alchym._ Who is that, thus calls mee? _Natura._ What dost thou with my son, thou fool thou? Why dost thou thus injure him? Why dost thou torment him? who is willing to doe thee any good, if thou couldst understand so much. _Alch._ What devill reprehends me, so great a man, and Philosopher? _Nat._ O fool ful of pride, the dung of Philosophers, I know all Philosophers, and wise men, and I love them, for they love me, and doe all things for me at my pleasure, and whither I cannot goe they help me. But you Alchymists, of whose order thou also art one, without my knowledg, and consent, doe all things contrary unto