Golden Fleece — Trismosin (Splendor Solis Author), 18th-Century MS

The immediate end of the first stage joins with an indi-
visible link to the beginning of the follow-
ing one. They succeed each other mutually,
the latter being amiably provoked to the i-
mitation of the same actions it could remark
and attentively consider in the preceding
model of the one that came before it by some
space of time. Then the whole magistery the completion of the Great Work is entire-
ly made and perfected, but these cannot
be accommodated in any other body but in their own
matter. Now, to better conceive this and more
assuredly, it is necessary to note in the
first place that Nature, according to Geber the Latinized name of Jabir ibn Hayyan, an influential 8th-century alchemist,
comes from the first essence of metals com-
posed of Mercury the principle of fluidity and volatility and Sulfur the principle of combustion and structure. This opi-
nion is followed by the authority of Ferrarius likely referring to the 14th-century alchemist Bonus of Ferrara, author of the Precious Pearl in his
Question of Alchemy in the 25th chapter: namely,
that Nature proceeds from the Source and pure es-
sence of natural metals. This takes from the
fire a water of putrefaction, which it mixes with
a very white and subtle stone, reducing
and resolving it as if into a broth and certain va-
pors raised in the veins of the earth. She
beats these by force of continual movement to make
them cook and vaporize together with hu-
midity and similar dryness, which reunite
and coagulate so that there is produced a cer-
tain substance that we commonly call

monly Mercury or quicksilver liquid mercury, which is no
other thing than the Source and first matter of the
metals, as we have already said before.
And for this the same author certifies again in the 26th
chapter that those who wish, as far as it is
lawful and possible, to follow Nature, must
not help themselves with quicksilver alone, but with quick-
silver and Sulfur all together. These again
must not be merely mixed, but also prepa-
red simultaneously and seasoned with prudence,
what Nature has produced and reduced into a perpetu-
al confluence. Now it is that with such a kind of quick-
silver, Nature begins its first ope-
ration and finishes it by the nature of metals,
with which she was content for the entire perfec-
tion of her work. For she has finished what
was her duty and conceded everything to artifice,
so as to be able to accomplish her intention to per-
fect the Philosophers' Stone the legendary substance capable of transmuting base metals into gold and form it entire-
ly in its last period and most perfect
luster. Also, in fact, it is certain that we be-
gin the work at the places where Nature has
placed her goal and the final glory of her ambiti-
on. All the Philosophers hold the true prin-
ciple of their operation from the final end of the sun of metals gold,
and all freely confess that
he who pretends to something in the know-
ledge of this work, or who perfectly desires