away in the beginning. Now wee say, that this Art is nothing else, but the vertues of the Elements equally mixed: it is a naturall equality of hot, dry, cold, moist; A joining together of Male, and Female, which the same Female begot, _i.e._ a conjunction of Fire, and the radicall moisture of Metalls. By considering that the Mercury of Philosophers hath in it selfe its owne good Sulphur, more or lesse, depurated, and decocted by Nature, thou maist perfect all things out of Mercury: but if thou shalt know to adde thy weights to the weights of Nature, to double Mercury, and triple Sulphur, it will quickly be terminated in good, then in better, untill into best of all: although there be but one appearing Sulphur, and two Mercuries, but of one root; not crude, nor too much boiled, yet purged, and dissolved, if thou hast understood mee. It is not needfull to describe the matter of the Mercury of Philosophers, and the matter of their Sulphur: no mortall man ever could, or ever hereafter shall bee able to describe it more openly, and cleerly then it hath already been described, and named by the Ancient Philosophers, unlesse he will bee an Anathema of the Art. For is so commonly named, that truly it is not esteemed of, therefore doe Students of this Art bend their minds rather to other subtilties, then abide in the simplicity of Nature. We doe not yet say, that Mercury of Philosophers is a common thing, and openly named, but the matter of which Philosophers doe make their Sulphur, and Mercury: for the Mercury of Philosophers is not to be had of it selfe upon the Earth, but it is brought forth by Art out of Sulphur, and Mercury joined together; it doth not come forth into light, for it is naked, but yet is covered by Nature in a wonderful manner. To conclude, we say with repeating Sulphur, and Mercury to be the Mine of our Quicksilver (but being joined together) that Quicksilver can dissolve Metalls, kill them, and make them alive, which power it receiveth from that sharp Sulphur, which is of its own nature. But that thou maist yet better conceive it, hearken to me whilst I tell thee the difference which is betwixt our Quicksilver, and common Quicksilver, or Mercury. Common Mercury doth not dissolve Gold, and Silver so, that it cannot be separated from them; but our Argent vive doth dissolve Gold, and Silver, and is never separated from them, but is as Water mixed with Water. Common Mercury hath combustible evill Sulphur, with which it is made black: but our Argent vive hath in it incombustible Sulphur, fixed, good, white, and red. Common Mercury is cold, and moist, our Mercury is hot, and moist. Common Mercury makes bodies black, and stains them: our Argent vive makes bodies as white as Crystall. Common Mercury is turned by precipitation into a Citrine powder, and an evill Sulphur: our argent vive by vertue of heat, into most white Sulphur, good, fixed, and fluxible. Common Mercury by how much the more it is decocted, the