PART THREE.

for this vessel is a bodily spirit, therefore all coagulations and consistencies are captive and enclosed in it, overcome, surrounded, and constricted by the fluor flux. The name of this flux and its cause, by which it might be called, cannot be found: because there is no heat that can be compared with it, the heat of hellish fire should be likened to it: wherefore this flux has absolutely no communion or affinity with other fluxes, which are melted by the heat of elemental fire, and congeal, coagulate, and stiffen by natural cold. They cannot do this to Mercury, they are too weak, he does not care for them at all. Hence it is to be noted that the four mortal virtues of the Elements have no entrance to operate against [in] the celestial virtues, (which we also call the fifth Essence, because the Elements can give or take nothing from this V. essence.) The Celestial and infernal power is not obedient to the IV. Elements: let it be noted, therefore, that no Element, or elemental thing, whether it be dry, or humid, or whether it be heat or cold, none of these can do anything against [in] the fifth essence or Virtue, but each has its own operation [efficacy] separately for itself.

In this Chapter, or first rule on Mercury, Paracelsus uses concise, indeed, but clear words, saying that the fluidity of Mercury did not arise from the IV. corruptible Elements, but from the V. Essence, and therefore has no affinity with such elemental fluxes. But what the V. Essence is, of which here Paracelsus