Lives of the Adepts.

As for what was in all the rest of the written leaves, which was wrote in good and intelligible Latin, I must conceal, lest God being offended with me, should send his plagues and judgments upon me. It would be a wickedness much greater, than he who wished that all men in the world had but one head, that he might cut it off at one blow.

Having thus obtained this delicate and precious book, I did nothing else, day and night, but study upon it; conceiving very well all the operations it pointed forth, but wholly ignorant of the prima materia the first matter with which I should begin, which made me sad and discontented.

My wife, whose name was Perrenelle, whom I loved equally with myself, and had but lately married, was mightily concerned for me, and with many words comforting me, earnestly desired to know how she might deliver me from this trouble.

I could no longer keep counsel, but told her all, shewing her the very book, which, when she saw, she became as well pleased with it as myself, and with great delight beheld the admirable cover, the engraving, the images, and exquisite figures thereof, but understood as little of them as I.

Yet it was matter of consolation to me to discourse, and entertain myself with her, and to think what we should do, to find out the interpretation and meaning thereof.

At length I caused to be painted within my chamber, as much as I could, all the images and figures of the said fourth and fifth leaves.

These I shewed to the greatest scholars and most learned men in Paris, who understood thereof no more than myself: I told them they were found in a book which taught the philosophers' stone.

But the greatest part of them made a mock both of me, and that most excellent secret, except one, whose name was Anselme, a practiser of physic a physician, and a deep student in this art.

He much desired to see my book, which he valued more than any thing else in the world, but I always refused him; only made him a large demonstration of the method.

He told me that

“the first figure represented Time, which devours all things; and that according to the number of the six written leaves, there was required a space of six years to perfect the stone; and then, said he, we must turn the glass, and see it no more.”

I told him this was not painted, but only to shew the teacher the prima materia first matter, or first agent, as was written in the book: He answered me, that

“this digestion for six years, was as it were a second agent; and that certainly the first agent was there painted, which was the white and heavy water.”

This, without doubt, was Argent Vive quicksilver or mercury, which they could not fix, that is cut off his feet, or take away his volatility, save by that long digestion in the pure blood of young infants.

Flamel.

“For in that this Argent Vive quicksilver being joined with Sol gold and Luna silver, was first turned with them into a plant, like that there painted, and afterwards by corruption into serpents, which serpents being perfectly dried and digested, were made a fine powder of gold, which is the stone.”

This strange or foreign discourse to me, was the cause of my erring, and that made me wander for the space of one and twenty years in a perfect meander labyrinth of the verity; in which space of time I went through a thousand labyrinths or processes, but all in vain; yet never with the blood of infants, for that I accounted wicked and villainous.

For I found in my book, that the philosophers called blood the mineral spirit, which is in the metals, chiefly in Sol gold, Luna silver and Mercury, to which sense I always in my own judgment assented; yet these interpretations for the most part were not more subtle than true.

Not finding therefore in my operation or course of the process, the signs, at the time written in my book, I was ever to begin again.

In the end, having lost all hope of ever understanding those symbols or figures, I made a vow to God, to demand their interpretation of some Jewish priest, belonging to some synagogue in Spain.

Whereupon, with the consent of my wife Perrenelle, carrying with me the extract or copy of the figures or pictures, I took up a pilgrim's habit and staff, in the same manner as you see me figured without the said arch, in the said church-yard, in which I put these Hieroglyphic figures.

Whereupon also I have set on the wall, on both hands, the process, representing in order all the colours of the stone, as they arise and go away again.

This is, as it were, the very beginning of Hercules's book, entitled Iris, or the Rainbow, which treats of the stone, in these words:

“The process of the work is very pleasing unto nature.”

And these words I also put there expressly, for the sake of great scholars and learned men, who may understand to what they allude.

In this same manner, I say, I put myself upon my journey to Spain, and so much I did, that in a short time arrived at Mountjoy, and a while after at Saint James Santiago de Compostela, where, with much devotion I accomplished my vow.

This done, in Leon, I, at my return, met with a merchant of Boulogne, who brought me acquainted with a physician, Master Canches, a Jew by nation, but now a Christian, dwelling at Leon aforesaid.

I shewed him the extract or copy of my figures, by which he was, as it were, ravished with great astonishment and joy, and desired immediately, if I could tell him any news of the book from whence they were drawn.