Friedrichstadt Leisure or the Chemical Tantalus

to be treated by its cultivators from a more ignoble state to a nobler one by the benefit of fire, which represents the grinding of the second mill, so that it may be transmuted into a nobler and, indeed, in many ways more elegant substance. Those who cannot promise this to themselves regarding the treatment of the matter should withdraw their hand from the table.

§. 11. This holy work encourages the student of Chrysopæa to choose the matter for composing this L. P. just as nature herself offers it, to avoid all detours and complications, and to cleanse it well so that every heterogeneous thing may be banished from it. Two things are required for the preparation of this matter. Ancient philosophers express the first through this symbol: Under the cross and the sphere lies true wisdom: the other: Sun and Salt of the nations, it can be symbolically called. These two are required for the radical and full cleansing of the philosophical matter, since the elaboration of the L. P. is primarily the blessing of the merciful God upon Nature, not a work of human art or industry. The artist behaves no differently than a midwife helping an infant to emerge; therefore, let us follow the lead of Nature most simply, which is the primary work. Let those things that must be joined be joined, and when joined let them be cooked, and in their proper time ground, for grinding is the cause without which nothing [can be done]; grinding is the first principle and the last, and in the work it is the completion. By the first grinding, the slaughter and laceration of the matter into atoms must be understood: the second grinding is the work of Vulcan: the third, however, is performed with a pestle. It is said: let those things that must be joined be joined. But here the student of Chrysopæa will be mindful that God created all things in weight, number, and measure. If this statement is neglected, one will plow the air and wash the Ethiopian.

§. 12. This holy work chooses a matter which, although it does not appear to be vegetable, nevertheless in that philosophical cooking pushes forth a beautiful and handsome little arboretum, which provides a most pleasant spectacle for philosophers. This germination of the arboretum is the effect of the hermaphroditic matter, which shows that it hides within itself, in its marrow, a force or vegetable archeum vital principle/primary cause. When one contemplates this matter, no one will persuade himself that such a germinating faculty exists in this matter. The Peripatetics, along with other philosophers, decree that this matter is devoid of all soul: but when we salute this philosophical matter as animated, our meaning is that it partakes of the soul or the archeum of the world, which diffuses itself through all kingdoms according to the nature of each kingdom or family.

And thus