The Turba Philosophorum or Assembly of the Sages Waite

CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

GIFT OF C.\},

Snoad

Cornell University Library

The tlie

original of

tliis

book

is in

Cornell University Library.

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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 92401 2366088

THE TURBA PHILOSOPHORUM.

ALCHEMY THE

TURBA PHILOSOPHORUM OR

ASSEMBLY OF THE SAGES CALLED ALSO THE BOOK OF TRUTH IN THE ART AND THE THIRD PYTHAGORICAL SYNOD

AN ANCIENT ALCHEMICAL TREATISE TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN, THE CHIEF READINGS OF THE SHORTER CODEX, PARALLELS FROM THE GREEK ALCHEMISTS, AND EXPLANATIONS OF OBSCURE TERMS

BY

ARTHUR EDWARD WAITE TRANSLATOR OF " THE HERMETIC AND ALCHEMICAL WRITINGS OF PARACELSUS."

Xon&on

GEORGE REDWAY i8q6

PREFACE. 'THHE

Turba Phihsophorum

indisputably the

is

most ancient extant treatise on Alchemy in the Latin tongue, but

it

was

not, so far as

be ascertained, originally written in Latin compiler or editor, for in

many

respects

can

;

the

it

can

scarcely be regarded as an original composition,

wrote either in Hebrew or Arabic ; however, the work, not only at the present day, but seemingly during the six or seven centuries

quoted as an authority by

all

adepts, has been familiar only in It is not, is

when

it

was

the alchemical its

Latin garb.

of course, certain that the original

irretrievably lost,

the Arabic and Syriac

manuscripts treating of early chemistry are preserved

in

various libraries

been

numbers in the of Europe, and have only

considerable

imperfectly

Unfortunately,

explored.

the present editor has neither the opportunity

nor the qualifications for undertaking such a task.

There are two codices or recensions of Thi Turba Philosophorum, which differ considerably from^ one

following

another.

pages

the

What

is

second

called

in

recension,

the is

appreciably shorter, clearer, and, on the whole,

the less corrupt of the two, but they are both

Preface.

ii.

in

longer recension has been

The

a bad state.

chosen for the text of the following translation, because it seemed desirable to give the work

The

in its entirety.

variations of the second

recension are appended usually in foot-notes,

but where the reading of the text

is

as to be quite untranslatable, the

so corrupt editor has

occasionally substituted that of the alterjiatiye

and has

version,

most cases indicated the

in

course pursued.

Monsieur Berthelot's

invaluable

made

been largely

striking analogies

use

to

of,

and

text

Alchemists has

translation of the Byzantine

the

illustrate

between the Greek Hermetic

writers of the fourth century and the Turba.

and

It is to this great scholar

owe

which are very devoted part la

his

Science

of

clearly indicated in a chapter

Antique

au

Moyen

Age."

It

from M. Berthelots researches, that

follows

Latin

some

the subject, forming and " Essai sur la Transmission de

to

of

we

scientist that

the discovery of these analogies,

Alchemy,

rightly

connects

which

referred

with

which preceded the latter was

an

to

the

Arabian

itself

has

Greek Science,

and that with perfect

whom

all

source,

Alchemy because

derived from Greece.

are also enabled to identify, for the

sages, to

been

always

Arabian

first

We time,

certainty, those ancient

the Latin literature

makes

Preface.

iii.

requent and reverent allusion that

they

are

Zosimus,

;

we now know

the

Panopolite,

the adepts of the school of Democritus, and the other writers preserved in the Byzantine collec-

M. Berthelot, however, infers that the Greek influence found in The Turba Philosophorum was not a direct influence, but tion.

was

derived

mediately

through

channel's

which are now unknown In any case the Turba summarises the author's preceding Geber, and is therefore the most valuable, as it is the most ancient, treatise on Alchemy, which exists in the Latin language.

The

chief printed versions of The Turba Philo-

sophorum, are those of the "

Theatrum Chemicum," the "BibHotheca Chemica Curiosa," and

that of the smaller collection entitled " Artis

There are some transla-

Auriferae Tractatus." tions of the

work existing in German and some Those in the latter language are

also in French.

specially remarkable for the very slender in

which they represent the

original.

way The

versions contained in Salmon's " Biblioth^que

des Philosophes Alchimiques," and in the "Tro-S

Anciens Traict^s de

Philosophie Naturelle,"

la

are instances in point. in

manuscript

is

known

and it will be found amongst the treasures It is

One English

version

to the present editor,

in the British

Museum

of the Sloane collection.

rendered, however, from the French, and

Preface.

iv.

has been found useless for the purposes of this translation. It may be added that the great collections of " Alchemy, such as the " Theatrum Chemicum

and Mangetus, contain colloquies, commentaries, and enigmas which pretend to elucidate the

mysteries

of

The

Turba

PkUosophorum.

While they are of a considerably later date, they at the same time belong to the early It may be added period of Latin Alchemy. also that the editor has collected a consider-

able

amount of material concerning

this curious

work, which the limits of the present volume preclude him from utilising.

Arthur Edward Waite.

The Turba

Philosophorum,

Taken from an Ancient Manuscript Codex, mobe perfect than any edition published heretofore.

The Epistle of Arisleus, prefixed

to the

Words

of the Sages, concerning the purport of this

Book, for the Benefit of Posterity, and

same being as here follows

ARISLEUS,*

:

—

the

begotten of Pytha-

goras, a disciple of the disciples

by the grace of

thrice great

Hermes,

learning from the seat of knowledge,

unto

all

who

come

health and mercy. •

An

Abladus.

I

after

wisheth

my

testify that

ancient gloss describes Arisleus as the son of

M.

Berthelot supposes

him

to

be synonymous

with the Aristenes of the second recension {Eleventh Dictum)

and of the Exercitationes on the Turba, which are found volume of the Bibliotheca Chemica. Beyond

in the first

the similarity of the name, and the fact that most are mutilated in the

names

Turba, there seems no reason to

suppose that the compiler intended to connect Pythagoras with alchemical traditions through Aristeus, the sophist of the time of Antoninus.

B

— The Turha Philosophorum.

2

Italian,

the

Pythagoras,*

master,

master of the wise and chief of the Prophets, had a greater gift of God and of Wisdom than was granted to Therefore any one after Hermes. he had a mind to assemble his disciples, who were now greatly increased, and had been constituted the chief throughout

persons

the discussion Art,

that

their

foundation

to

council,

for

most precious words might be a

He

posterity.

for

commanded

regions

all

of this

Iximidrus,

be the

first

of

then

highest

speaker,

who

said :t * The Greek make no mention

describes

alchemists of the Byzantine Collection of Pythagoras, and the tradition which

him as an adept of the Hermetic Mystery must

be referred to an Arabian origin, to the treatises of El Habib, the Kit§,b-al-Firhirst, and the true Geber, where alchemical writings

attributed

to

this

sage are freely

quoted.

tThe French version of Salmon has the following distinct " The beginning of the book, the Turha of the

variations

:

—

Philosophers, in which Arisleus has gathered together the

sayings of the introducing

more prudent among the

Pythagoras

the

Philosopher,

collecting the opinions of the scholars.

scholars,

that

The book

by

Master is

also

called the Third Pythagorical Synod, instituted concerning

The Turba Philosopkorum.

3

The First Dictum.

IxiMiDRUS saith: beginning of

all

Nature, which

is

—

a Certain

is

perpetual, coequalling

and that the

all things,

that the

testify

I

things

visible natures,

with their births and decay, are times

wherein the ends to which that nature

them are beheld and summoned.* Now, I instruct you that the stars are igneous, and are kept brings

by the

within bounds

humidity and density Occult

But

Philosophy.

the

the

the air did

of

commanded

Pythagoras

scholar, Eximidrius, to begin

If

air.

&c.

discourse,"

his

The

French translator seems to have summarised the recensions which he had

collected,

extent, in his

own Words.

and to have put them, to some Here, however, he follows

mainly the text of the second recension, the chief variation being that instead of " Occult Philosophy " the original reads " the vegetable stone." *

The same French

passage as follows certain nature

decocts

all

;

:

Translation interprets this obscure

— " The

it is

beginning of

perpetual, infinite

But

things.

which

it is

attained unto,

as

it

it

all

things

is

a

nourishes and

and the times

this nature

corruption and generation are,

;

of

were, the terms by

and which the universal nature

The second recension varies the last " The actions and passions thereof

nourishes and decocts." passage, as follows are

:

—

known and understood only by those

knowledge

of the

Sacred Art

is

to

whom

given."

B2

a

The Turba Philosophorum.

4

not exist to

separate the flames of

the sun from living things, then the

Sun would consume all creatures. But God has provided the separating lest that

air,

He has created up. Do you not

which

should be burnt

observe that the Sun

when

it

rises in

overcomes the air by its and that the warmth penetrates from the upper to the lower parts of the heaven heat,

the air?

If,

presently

breathe

the

then,

forth

air

did

not

those winds

whereby creatures are generated, the Sun by its heat would certainly destroy in

But the Sun

that lives.

all

check by the

quers because

Sun

to

its

it

own

air,

is

kept

which thus con-

unites the heat of the

heat,

and the humidity

own humidity. Have you not remarked how tenuous water of water to

is

of

drawn up

its

by the action the Sun, which thus

into the air

the heat of

helps the water against itself?

If the

water did not nourish the air by such tenuous moisture, assuredly the

would overcome the

air.

The

Sun fire,

The Turba Philosophorum,

extracts moisture from the

therefore,

means

water, by

quers the

water there is

fire

are is

5

of which the air con-

Thus, fire and between which

itself.

enemies

no consanguinity,

for the fire

hot and dry, but the water

is

cold

and moist. The air, which is warm and moist, joins these together by its concording

medium

between

;

the

water and the heat of

humidity of

thus placed to estab-

fire

the air

is

lish

peace.

And

look ye

all

shall arise a spirit from

vapour of the being joined

there

because the heat

air,

humour, there

the

to

how

the tenuous

necessarily issues something tenuous,

become a wind. For the heat of the Sun extracts something which

will

tenuous out of the

becomes

spirit

and

All this, however,

manner by the

which also

to all creatures.

disposed in such

is

will

coruscation appears

the

air,

life

of God,

and a

when the heat

of

Sun touches and breaks up a cloud.

The Turba described the

saith: fire,

—Well

hast thou

even as thou knowest

6

The Turba Philosophorum.

concerning

and thou hast believed

it,

the word of thy brother. The Second Dictum.

ExuMDRUs

—

do magnify the air according to the mighty speech of Iximidrus, for the work is improved thereby. The air is inspissated, and also

it is

saith:

made

and becomes

I

thin

The

cold.

thereof takes place

grows

it

;

when

warm

inspissation it

is

divided

heaven by the elongation of the

in

Sun

its

;

rarefaction

is

Sun

exaltation of the

when, by the

in heaven, the

becomes warm and is rarefied. It comparable with the complexion of

air is

Spring,* in the distinction

which

is

neither

warm

of time,

nor cold.

For

according to the mutation of the con*

A

Crates,

similar comparison is used in the Arabian

where

it

is

Book of

enjoined that the operation of the

philosophical iire upon the philosophical matter should

be

regulated after the same manner as Nature regulates the influence of the four

moreover, represents

seasons;

still

and the same

philosophy as using the same illustration. that the

Crates.

Turba

treatise,

older expositions of alchemical

in its original

It is probable form antedated the Book of

The Turba Philosophorum. stituted disposition

7

with the altering

Winter

distinctions of the soul, so is

The

altered.

air, therefore, is inspis-

when the Sun

removed from it, and then cold supervenes upon men. sated

Whereat

is

Turba

the

— Excel-

said:

thou described the air, and given account of what thou knowest to lently hast

be therein.

The Third Dictum.

Anaxagoras

saith

:

—

that the beginning of

make known

I

those things

all

which God hath created

is

weight and

proportion,* for weight rules

all

things,

and the weight and spissitude of the earth

is

weight

manifest in proportion

is

not found except

And know,

all

in

;

but

body.

ye Turba, that

the

spissitude of the four elements reposes in

the earth *

The

original

oi the term pietas

for

;

the spissitude of

pietae et ratio, but the technical use

is

by the Hebrew or Arabic original seems

obviously to connect

it

with the sense of the Hebrew Paz,

signifying compactness.

Compare

Pitzo, to press or squeeze down.

also the

Greek verb

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

8

into

fire

falls

air,

together

;

the spissitude of

with

the

the

fire,

from

received

water

air,

spissitude falls

the spissitude also of water,

increased by the spissitude of air,

into

how

four elements

The same, sated than

the spissitude is

Then

—Thou hast well

of

the

conjoined in earth

therefore, is all.

and

Have you not

reposes in earth.

observed

fire

more

saith the

spoken.

?

inspis-

Turba

:

Verily the

more inspissated than are the Which, therefore, is the most rare of the four elements and is most earth

is

rest.

worthy to possess the rarity of these four

?

He

answereth

:

—Fire

is

the

most rare among all, and thereunto Cometh what is rare of these four. But air is less rare than fire, because it is warm and moist, while fire is warm and dry now that which is warm and dry is more rare than the warm and moist. They say unto him Which element is of less rarity than air ? Water, since He answereth cold and moisture inhere therein, and ;

—

:

—

The Turbo, Philosophorum.

g

every cold humid is of less rarity than a warm humid. Then do they say unto

him:

— Thou hast spoken truly.

What,

therefore, is of less rarity than water

He

— Earth,

answereth

because

cold and dry, and that which

is

it

?

is

cold

and dry is of less rarity than that which is cold and moist. Pythagoras saith : Well have ye provided, O Sons of the Doctrine, the description of these four natures,* out of which

—

God hath

created

therefore, is he

ye have

all things.

Blessed,

who comprehends what

declared, for from the apex of

the world he shall not find an intention greater than his fore,

make

reply: •our

own

!

Let

us, there-

perfect our discourse.

— Direct

They

every one to take up

speech in turn.

Speak thou,

O

Pandolfus *

of

" You have been told

Know

.

.

.

that the ancients discoursed

is by means of these four humid and dry things are constituted, as ^so things warm and cold, the male and the female. Two Lelements] rise up and two fall down. The two ascending elements are fire and air the two descending elements are earth and water." Olympiodorus On the Sacred Art.

four elements.

that

-elements that

;

—

it

:

:

The Turba Philosopltorum.

10

The Fourth Dictum.

But Pandolfus posterity that air

is

It

it.

earth,

signify

I

not separated remains above the dry

of water, and that

from

—

to a tenuous matter

saith

it

is

to wit, the air

water, which

is

hidden in

under the earth.

this air did not exist, the earth

not remain above the

humid water.

—Thou hast said well therefore, thy speech. But — The which

complete,

;;

continueth

hidden lest

air

:

in the

sustains

the

should be plunged

it

said water

;

and

the earth from that water. is,

is-

water under the earth

which

that

is

If

would

They answer he

the-

it,

into

the

moreover, prevents-

being overflowed by

The

therefore, to

earthy

province of the air

fill

up and

to

make

separation between diverse things, that

and earth, and it isconstituted a peacemaker between hostile things, namely, water and fire^

is

to say, water

dividing these, lest they destroy another.

The Turba

saith

gave an illustration hereof,

:

it

—

If

one you

would be

The Turba Philosophorum. clearer to those

He

stand.

ii

who do not underAn egg is an

answereth

—

illustration, for therein four things are

conjoined

the visible cortex or shell

;

represents the earth, and the albumen,

or white part,

is

But a

the water.*

very thin inner cortex

joined to the

is

outer cortex, representing, as

have

I

medium

signified to you, the separating

between earth and water, namely, that air which divides the earth from the

The

water.

represents

yolk

fire

;

of

also

the

cortex

the

egg

which

contains the yolk corresponds to that *

The

allegory of the philosophical egg can be traced

Greek alchemists.

to the

under this

A

short treatise

Eggt which

is

composed of iour elements, because world.

It

copper, the

is

the stone which

Armenian

is

extant

;

it

is

it

the image of the

not a stone, the stone of

The

stone, &c.

the earth, being cold and dry iron,

is still

and another on the Nomenclature of the described as the Mystery of the Art. It is

title,

shell is likened to

has been named copper,

The white of the egg is divine water, The yolk is copperas, mercury, &c. The oily part (? the chicken)

tin, lead.

water of the sea, water of alum, &c. native sulphur, is fire.

But the egg, symbolical as described

itself

symbolically,

after

it

is,

is

sometimes

the similitude of a

likened to the skin which covers the

seed

;

the shell

seed

;

the white and the yolk are the flesh, and the watery

part

is

is

the breath, or

air.

The Turba Philosophorum.

12

other air which separates the water

from the

But they are both one

fire.

namely, that which separates things frigid, the earth from

and the same

air,

the water, and that which separates the

from

water

lower air

is

the

fire.

But the

thicker than the upper

and the upper

air is

more

rare and

subtle, being nearer to the fire

the lower

air,

than

In the egg, therefore,

air.

are four things

— earth, water,

air,

and

But the point of the Sun, these

fire.

four excepted,

and

yolk,

in the centre of the

is

this is the chicken.

Conse-

quently, all philosophers in this most excellent art have described the egg as

an example, which same thing they have set over their work. The Fifth Dictum.

—

Arisleus saith: Know that the earth is a hill and not a plain, for which reason the Sun does not ascend over all

the zones of the earth in a single but if it were flat, the sun would

hour

;

rise in

a

moment

over the whole earth.

The Turba Philosophorum.

—Thou hast spoken — Arisleus He

Parmenides

O

briefly,

Is there

us

Yet

13

saith

:

answeretfi

!

anything the Master has

which

bears that

I testify

God

is

left

otherwise

witness

?

one, having

never engendered or been

begotten,

and that the head of all things after Him is earth and fire, because fire is tenuous and light, and it rules all things on earth, but the earth, being ponderous and gross, sustains all things which are ruled by fire. The Sixth Dictum.

Lucas

saiih:

—You

four natures

;

speak only about

and each one

of

you

observes something concerning these.

Now, which

I testify

God

unto you that

all

things

hath created are from these

four natures,

and

the

things which

have been created out of them return into them.

In these

living creatures

are generated and die,

take place as

God

Democritus,

the

answereth

:

and

all

things

hath predestinated. disciple

—Thou hast well

of

Lucas,

spoken,

O

O

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

14

Lucas, when dealing

the four

with

—

Arisleus Democritus, since thy knowledge was derived from Lucas, it is presumption natures

Then

!

sailh

among

to speak

those,

:

who

acquainted with thy master answereth:

from

me

Lucas

—Albeit Democritus received

the science of natural things,

that knowledge

philosophers of

the Babylonians

those of his

The

are well !

Turba

was derived from the the Indies and from ;

I

think he surpasses

own age

in this

answereth

learning.

— When

he

attains to that age* he will give no

small satisfaction, but being

in

his

youth he should keep silence. The Seventh Dictum.

LocusTA

saith:

—All

those creatures

which have been described by Lucas are two only, of which one is neither * Whether the age indicated is that of the Indian and Babylonian adepts does not appear, but the entire episode is remarkable when it is borne in mind what great importance evidently attached to the Democritic school of Greek

seems to indicate that the Turba Philo-

alchemy.

It

sophorum

represents a tradition hostile to the tradition of

The Turba Pkilosopkorum.

15

"known nor expressed, except by piety, for

it is

Pythagoras Thou hast entered upon a

not seen or

—

saith

subject which,

describe

what

felt.

completed, thou wilt

if

State,

subtly.

thing which

is this

is

therefore,

neither

felt,

—

seen, nor known.

Then he It is that not known, because in this

which

is

world

it is

discerned by reason without

the clients thereof, which are

sight,

hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

Crowd

O

know you which can black, and

of the Philosophers,

not that

it

is

only sight

from liearing only which can discriminate between a good and bad word Similarly, a wholesome odour cannot be separated by reason from one which white

distinguish

is

fetid,

except through the sense of

smell, nor can sweetness be discrimin-

ated from bitterness save by means of taste, nor

smooth from rough unless

Demociitus, who, accordingly, figures merely as a promis-

ing tyro, and,

in fact,

the deliberations.

remains

For

second recension reads "

silent

throughout the rest of

" those of his

own age "

his contemporaries."

the

6

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

1

—

The Turba answereth: Thou hast well spoken, yet hast thou

by touch.

omitted to thing which

particular

that

of

treat is

not known, or described

except by reason and piety.

—Are ye

then in such haste

that the creature which

none of these

creature, and, as such,

nor

felt,

but

fesses that

answer

and

:

God

—Thou

excellently.

Know

is

a sublime

neither seen

is

perceived by reason

is

which

alone, of

?

cognised in

is

ways

five

,.

Saith he

reason Nature con-

a partaker.

is

hast

And he

They

spoken :

—

give a further explanation.

truly

will

now

Know

that

I

this creature, that is to say, the world,

hath a

same

light, is

which

more

natures, which living

But

beings

is

the Sun, and the.

subtle than

all

other

light is so ordered that

may

attain

to vision.

this subtle light were removed, would they become darkened, seeing if

nothing, except the light of the

or of the stars, or of

fire, all

derived from the light

which causes

all

of

moon, which are the Sun,

creatures to give light.

The Turba PhilosopJiorum.

For

God

this

17

has appointed the Sun

to be the light of the world,

by reason

of the attenuated nature of the Sun.

And know

that the sublinie creature

before mentioned has no need of the

Sun, because the Sun

light of this

beneath that creature, which

is

is

more

and more lucid. This light, more lucid than the light of the Sun, they have taken from the light of God, which is more subtle than their subtle

which

is

Know

light.

world

is

also

that

the created

composed of two dense things

and two rare things, but nothing of the dense

in

is

the

Consequently the inferior

all

answereth

:

sublime

Sun

creatures.

—Thou

is

creature.

rarer than

The

Turba

hast excellently de-

scribed what thou hast related. if,

And

good Master, thou shalt utter any-

whereby our hearts may be vivified, which now are mortified by thou wilt confer upon us a folly, great boon !* thing

*

offers

The shortened version ol the second Recension some conspicuous variations, and is literally as

B

8

The Turba Philosophorum.

1

The Eighth Dictum.

Pythagoras

saith

:

—

I

affirm that

and with

existed before all things,

was nothing, as

He was

know,

Philosophers,

ye

all

at

declare this in order that

I

God Him But

first.

that

may

I

fortify

your opinion concerning these four elements and arcana, as well as in the sciences thereof, at which no one can

God. Understand, that when God was alone, He created four things fire, air, water, and earth, out of which things He afterwards arrive save

by the

will of

—

follows

:

— " Two natures alone are described by Lucas, one

of which

reason

;

heaven. felt,

is

seen,

realised, save

not seen and

is

But there

is

this

Now, reason

the help of the five senses, &c.

substantially the

which

is

same as the

as follows

:

piety

and it is

text,

.

till

What

.

.

perceives

ensues

is

towards the close,

—As to that nature which

by none of these, the same

is

which contains

that

is

heaven or earth.

is in

by

not described, for

is

a third connected nature, which

and known, and

whatsoever

hy

known nor

neither

the other

is

perceived

known by reason and piety only, and is God Most High, who made the light which is the Sun. Know that the Sun is more is

subtle than all creatures, to the

sublime

end that

;

it

it

is

may

light the

world, which consists of two dense things and two rare.

Nothing

of the

lie himself

creatures."

is

dense

more

is in

the sublime creation, because

rare than the

Sun and

all

inferior

The Turba Philosophorum.

created

all

and the

inferior,

both the sublime

others,

He

because

predes-

beginning that

the

tinated from

19

all

creatures extracted from water should

multiply and increase, that they might dwell in the world and perform His

judgments

therein.

before

He

all,

Consequently,

created the four ele-

out of which

ments,

He

created what

He

afterwards

willed, that

some

diverse creatures,

is

to say,

of which were

produced from a single element.*

The

— Which are these, O They are the And he angels, whom He created out of fire. Which, then, are But the Turba of two ? And he — Out of created out Turba

Master

saith

:

?

:

:

—

—

:

the elements of * In the

Book

fire

oj Balances,

works of Geber, there

is

He

from the ancient worlds

one of the genuine Arabian

God had

:

created

all

things of

caused the four qualities to issue

namely, heat, cold, moisture, and

The combination

dryness.

air are the

a passage which has some analogy

with this dictum:— " Aitei the four elements ...

and

of these elements produced

which contains heat and dryness water, which posair, which has .warmth and sesses cold and moisture fire,

;

;

humidity

;

earth,

which

is

cold and dry.

By

the help of

these elements God created the superior and inferior worlds."

The Turba Philosophorum.

20

moon,

sun,

and

composed.

stars

Hence the angels are more

lucid than

the sun, moon, and stars, because they are created from one substance, which

dense than two, while the sun and the stars are created from a comThe Turba position of fire and air.

is

less

— And

what concerning the Then he God creation of Heaven ? created the Heaven out of water and air, whence this is also composed of

saith

:

:

—

two, namely, the second of the rarer

which

things,

is

air,

of the denser things,

And

they

:

— Master,

and the second which is water.

continue thy dis-

course concerning these three, and re-

our

joice

life

other answereth

God

thy

sayings,

But the you that

:

—

hath further

of three

with

to the dead.

hearts

which are

notify to

I

made

and out of four

creatures out ;

out of three

are created flying things, beasts,

vegetables

;

fire, air,

saith

:

of these are created

and earth, some out and earth. But the Turba

out of water, of

some

and

air,

— Distinguish

these divers crea-

The Turbo, Philosophonim.

tures one from another.

Beasts are created out of earth

and watpr, because

among

all

And

he

fire, air,

flying things out of

;

21

,fire,

Yet

fire.

water, :

air,

and which have a air,

in vegetables there is

no

they are created out of earth,

fire, for

saith

and

flying things,

vegetables

brute animals are from earth,

and

—

are created out of water, while

spirit,

all

:

Whereat the Turba. and air. Let us assume that a fire, with

—

jour reverence's pardon, does reside in vegetables. And he ^Ye have spoken the truth, and I affirm that they con:

tain

And

fire.

He

fire ?

they

answereth

of the air which for I

is

is

—Whence —Out of the

is

air,

that

heat

concealed therein

have signified that a thin

present in the fire

:

—

fire

;

is

but the elementary

concerning which you were in doubt

not produced, except in things which

But out of four elements our father Adam and his sons have

spirit

and

soul.

were created,* that *

The

Olympiodorus

treatise of

observes that

is,

Adam was

of On

fire,

air,

the Sacred

Art

the issue of the four elements, and

The Turba Philosophorum.

22

and

water,

stand, all ye that are wise,

God hath

thing which

The

is

how

every-

created out of

Day

until the

one essence dies not

Judgment.

Under-

earth.

likewise

definition of

of

death

the disjunction of the composite, but

there

is

no disjunction of that which

simple, for

it

Death

one.

is

in the separation of the soul

is

consists

from the

body, because anything formed out of two, three, or four components must disintegrate,

stand,

and

this is death.

that

further,

substance which lacks

no

Under, complex

fire eats,

drinks,

or sleeps, because in all things which

have a

that which eats.*

spirit fire is

terms him virgin earth, igneous earth, carnal earth, and

sanguineous earth, making reference to the libraries oi Ptolemy,

whom

he

There are similar references is

in

Zosimus, by

But the carnal Adam material humanity in general, and

identified with death.

of Zosimus signifies

is contained the spiritual man, whose name no one knoweth except Nicotheos, and that mysterious personage, the alchemist himself acknowledges to be undiscoverable.

therein

The

The nature of the

they eat and sleep, either

name

signifies light and fire. and the question whether does not seem to have been discussed

substitute for his true *

angels,

by Greek, Syriac, or Arabian alchemists.

narrates that the art oi alchemy

was revealed

Zosimus

to mortals

by

The Turba Philosophorum.

The

Turba

23

— How

answereth

is

it,

Master, that the angels, being created of fire, do not eat, seeing thou assertest that

that which eats

fire is

And

!

he

:

Hence ye doubt, each having his opinion, and ye are become opponents, but if ye truly knew the elements, ye would not deny these things. I agree with all whose judgment it is that simple

The

eats

fire

not,

but thick

fire.

angels, therefore, are not created

out of thick

fire,

of very thin

fire

but out of the thinnest

exceedingly

being created, then,

;

of that which

is

most they

thin,

And

drink, nor sleep.

simple

and

neither

eat,

the

Turba

:

Master, our faculties are able to perceive, for

by God's assistance we have

the fallen angels; the art

must be

they also

it

is

to

them

that the tradition of

referred as to a primary source

who wrote the

;

and

primeval books of alchemy.

it

was

It will

be remembered that magic was also one of the mysteries unfolded by the same intelligences. Isis

to

Inthe discourse of

Horus, the Mother of the Gods appears as a

prophetess

who

obtained initiation into the mysteries of

alchemy from the great angel Amnael, who desired to possess her.

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

2^

exhausted thy sayings, but our faculties of hearing and of sight are unable to carry such great

reward thee

sake of thy diswith the object of

for the

since

ci}-les,

May God

things.

is

it

instructing future generations that thou

summoned us

hast

countries,

to

Seeing

recompense

the

thou wilt not

Judge

together from our

fail

come

Arisleus

!

thou

that

which

saith

:

gathered

hast

together for the advantage 1

of

to receive from the

— us

of posterity,

think that no explanations will be

more

useful than definitions of those

four elements which thou hast taught

And

us to attain. are,

I

he

— None

suppose, ignorant that

of you all

the

Wise have propounded definitions in God. The Turba answereth Should :

—

your disciples pass over anything,

becomes

O

you,

Master,

to

it

avoid

omissions for the sake of future generations. will

And

he:

—

If

it

please you,

I

begin the disposition here, since

envious

men

in

their

books

separated that, or otherwise

I

will

have put

The Turba Pliilosophorum. it

end of the book.*

at the

Turba think

saith

generations. it

— Place be

will

it

where

:

will

foolish,t

Whereat the

where

it

clearest

And

he:

—

I

25

you

future

for

place

will

it

not be recognised by the

nor ignored by the Sons of the

Doctrine, for

it is

the key, the perfection

and the end. The Ninth Dictum.

ExiMENUS

saith

:

— God hath created

all

things by his word, having said unto

them

:

Be, and they were made, with the

four other elements, earth, water, air,

and

fire,

things

we

which

The

is

and

hostile to water, water

necessity of concealing the Art

chief anxieties of the

«worn

coagulated,

contrary were commingled, for

see that fire '

He

to secrecy

Greek alchemists.

by heaven and earth and

is

one of the

Isis herself is hell,

by the four

elements, by the height and the depth, by Hermes,

Anubis, and by the bowlings of Kerkoros. Tieen required of us to reveal initiated]

person,"

says

"

An

by

oath has

nothing clearly to any [un-

Democritus in

the

Epistle of

Synesius to Dioscorus. t

The

reader will not

fail

to observe the artless

way

in

Avhich this passage betrays the whole dialogue as a literary •composition.

;

The Turha Philosophorum.

26

and both are hostile to Yet God hath united earth and air. them peacefully, so that they love one hostile to

another.

fire,

Out of these

four elements,

therefore, are all things created

—heaven

and the throne thereof; the angels; the sun, moon, and stars; earth and sea, with all things that are in the sea, which indeed are various, and not alike, for their natures have been made diverse by God, and also the creations. But the diversity is more than I have stated each of these natures ture,

is

of diverse na-

and by a legion of diversities

nature of each diverse.

Now

is

the

this di-

versity subsists in all creatures, because

they were created out of diverse ments.

Had

ele-

they been created out of

one element, they would have agreeing natures.

But

been

diverse elements

being here mingled, they lose their natures, because the dry being

own

mixed

with the humid and the cold combined with the hot, become neither cold nor hot; so also the humid being mixed with the dry becomes neither dry nor

The Turba Philosophorum.

humid.

But when the

27

four elements

are commingled, they agree,

and thence

proceed creatures which never attain to perfection, except they be left to putrefy

God

and become

by night

visibly corrupt.

further completed his creation by

means of increase, food, life, and government. Sons of the Doctrine, not without purpose have I described to you the disposition of these four elements, for in

them

two of them and vision, and of these the operation and virtue are well known. These are earth and water. But there are two other elements which are neither visible nor tangible, which yield naught, whereof the is

a secret arcanum

;

are perceptible to the sense of touch

place

is

never seen, nor are their opera-

and force known, save in the former elements, namely, earth and water now when the four elements are not commingled, no desire of men is accomBut being mixed, departing plished. from their own natures, they become Over these Jet us another thing. tions

;

meditate

very

carefully.

And

the

The Turba Philosophorum.

28

TuRBA :— Master, he:

—

we Then

heed to your words.

give

will

speak,

you

if

have now discoursed, and that I will speak only useful words

I

well.

ye

which

Know,

made except

is

Do

copper.*

spoken.

as

no

true

from

our

that

present,

all

tincture

follow

will

therefore, exhaust

not

your brains and your money,

lest

ye fill

I will give your hearts with sorrow. unless that axiom, you a fundamental you turn the aforesaid coppert into

*

At

this point there appears to

iiom cosmology to alchemy, but that

it is

it

be a sudden transition

must be remembered

one of the Hermetic Methods to describe the pro-

cesses oi the great

work

in the

language of cosmology, and

this not only in the Latin mediaeval writers, but also in the

Greek.

For example, the Byzantine fragment entitled The

Nomenclature of the of the world, t

The

Egg

and hence

affirms that the

is

philosophical copper

reference throughout

all

egg

is

the image

composed of the four elements, is

alchemy.

a subject of continual

Among

the earliest au-

Book of Crates says that copper, like man, has a spirit, soul, and body. It appears from the same treatise that the term is symbolical, and applies to a stage of the

thorities, the

alchemical process.

Another passage describes

essential substance.

Gold

lead and copper.

white copper

is

is

The Lexicon of Chrysopeia

crude sulphur.

it

as the

said to transform only with

explains that

The Turha Philosophorum.

make visible coins* and then

white, and

afterwards again turn

Tincturei

a

until

29

accomplish

it

results,

therefore

up, deprive

it

ye

verily,

Burn

nothing.

the copper, break

into redness,

of

it

blackness by cooking, imbuing, and

its

washing, until the same becomes white.

Then

•

rule

M.

it.

Berthelot has pointed out that

term nummus by the Latin alchemists of the

meaning of

anterior writers.

Asem, an alloy of gold and t will

as, for

in the

The

reference

is

to

for

in the Collection of

whitening and reddening

Ancient Greek Alchemists,,

example, the Combination of the White Preparation

Address of

Horus, the recipe in the twenty-

Isis to

paragraph of the Natural Questions of Democritus,

first

again in the Dioscorus,

an

the use of the

a misconception

silver.

Numerous preparations

be found

is

Book of Synesius,

operation

with

the Philosopher, addressed to

many places. copper. The book

and elsewhere

in

It is

invariably

addressed

by

Democritus to Leucippus says that the alchemical work comprises the process of making white and making yellow

and coction of the mineral

(red), as also the softening

copper. is

of

According to Synesius, the process of whitening

a calcination, and making yellow

is

an igneous regenera-

tion.

J

The Greek Lexicon

species of tincture, that

of Chrysopeia distinguishes two

which so permeates and scaks into

a substance as to change

its

duces a superficial colouring.

nature,

and that which pro-

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

30

The Tenth Dictum.

—

Know that the key of Arisleus saith Take, this work is the art of Coins.* shewn have which I therefore, the body you and reduce it to thin tablets. Next immerse the said tablets in the Water of our Sea,+ which is permanent to

Water,! and, after over a gentle

fire

covered, § set

it is

it

until the tablets are

melted and become waters or Etheliae,

*

In this instance the term appears to be used as the

equivalent oi tablets or lamina later is

— the thin strips into

which

alchemy frequently directs a metal to be cut before

it

subjected to a given treatment. t Pelagus, cited

by Olympiodorus

the Sacred Art, quotes

Zosimus

in the Treatise

in definition

on

of the sea as

the hermaphrodytic element, I

water

The Book of El-Habib says is

that the virtue of eternal

that of a spiritual blood.

Eeriform water, azure water,

When

also primal sulphur.

It is identified

and water of sulphur. boiled,

it

transforms the male

and afterwards into gold.

(arsenic) into silver,

with It is

It is also

said that copper is water of silver, which, after preparation,

becomes

water.

eternal

Rulandus says that perfect bodies,

it is

§

reference

mouth of the

later

writers,

and he enumerates the contradictory names

which have been assigned to

The

Interpreting

the philosophical solution of two

vessel.

is

it

in

alchemy.

apparently to the closing of the

The Turba Philosophorum.

which are one

31

and the same thing.

Mix, cook, and simmer in a gentle until

Brodium

fire

produced, like to

is

Saginatum.

Then

Etheliae until

it

stir

in its

water of

be coagulated, and the

become variegated, which we call the Flower of Salt. Cook it, therefore, until it be deprived of blackness, and the whiteness appear. Then rub it, mix with the Gum of Gold, and cook until it becomes red Etheliae. Use patience pounding lest you become in weary. Imbue the Ethelia with its own water, coins

which has preceded from it, which also is Permanent Water, until the same

becomes

red.

Copper,* which

Burnt the Leaven of Gold

This, is

then,

is

and the Flower thereof. Cook the same with Permanent Water, which is *

is

A short excursus On

the Diversity of

Burnt Copper

among the writings of Zosimus, where it is many persons prepare it by means of sulphur,

preserved

noted that

and a process with sulphurated iron approbation

&om

Democritus.

is

quoted with high

Burnt copper

is

elsewhere

by the same author as " the metal rendered bloodcolour (in view of whitening) and tinged within and defined

without."

The Turba Philosophorum.

32

always with

until the

it,

water be dried

Continue the operation until

up.

the water

is

consumed, and

it

all

becomes

a most subtle powder. The Eleventh Dictum.

Parmenides

saith

must,

men have

envious

that

— Ye

:

know

dealt volu-

minously with several waters, brodiums, stones, all

and metals, seeking

you who aspire

after

Leave, therefore, all these,

to deceive

knowledge.

and make

the white red, out of this our copper,

taking copper and lead, letting these

stand for the grease, or blackness, and tin

for

the

liquefaction.

further, that unless

Know

ye,

ye rule the Nature

of Truth, and harmonize well together its

complexions and compositions, the

consanguineous neous, and the

with first

the

consangui-

with the

first,

ye

and effect nothing, because natures will meet their natures, follow them, and rejoice. For in them they putrefy and are generated, because Nature is ruled by Nature, which act

improperly

The Turba Philosophorum. destroys

it,

turns

it

33

into dust, reduces

and finally herself renews repeats, and frequently produces the

to nothing, it,

same.

ye

Therefore look in books, that

may know

what

the Nature of Truth,

and what renews, what it possesses, what neighbours it naturally has, and how they love each other, how also after love enmity and corruption intervene, and how these natures should be united one to another and made at peace, until they become putrefies

it

savour

gentle in the

fire

in

similar fashion.

Having, therefore, noticed the facts in this Art, set If indeed,

your hands to the work.

ye know not the Natures of

Truth, do not approach the work, since there will disaster, fore,

follow

nothing but harm,

and sadness.

Consider, there-

the teaching of the Wise,

how they

have declared the whole work saying:

— Nature

rejoices

in

in this

Nature,

and Nature contains Nature. In these words there is shewn forth unto you the whole work. Leave, therefore, manifold

and

superfluous

things,

and

take

The Turba Philosophorum.

34

body

quicksilver,* coagulate in the

of

Magnesia.t in Kuhul, or in Sulphur which does not burn ; make the same nature white, and place it upon our

becomes white. And if ye cook still more, it becomes red, when if ye proceed to coction, it becomes gold. I tell you that it turns the sea itself into red and the colour of gold. Copper, when

Know

it

ye also that gold

into redness save

is

because Nature rejoices

Nature.!

in

Mercury, according to the Greek Epistle of SynesiuSi

* is

not turned

by Permanent Water,

wax, which readily assumes any colour that

like

imparted to their souls

;

it,

it

for

Mercury whitens

digests

them by

is

bodies and attracts

all

and takes complete

coction,

possession of them.

The Magnesia of Alchemy

t

and

who

this

are the inspiration of the

that treatise, treatises

is

not

common

Magnesia,

remark applies equally to the Greek Alchemists,

and

Turba Philosophorum,

to the later adepts.

to

In one of the

belonging to the school of Democritus the sign oi

Cinnabar follows the term.

mentioned

in the discourse of

The body

of

Magnesia

is

Synesius and Dioscorus; and

on the Metallic Body of Magnesia, Zosimus has a special treatise with reference to the method by which it is whitened.

According to Synesius

it

signifies the mixture

of substances. }

The

formulae which are so frequently repeated in the

Turba PhiU>sophorum

:

Nature rejoices

in

Nature

:

Nature

The Turba Philosophorum.

35

Reduce, therefore, the same by means cooking into a humour, until the

of

hidden nature appear. it

therefore,

If,

be manifested externally, seven times

imbue the same with water, cooking, imbuing, and washing, until it become

O

red.

those

natures,

celestial

multiplying the natures of truth by the

O

God!

will of

that potent Nature,

which overcame and conquered natures, and caused its natures to rejoice and be

glad

special

and

God

the

This, therefore,

!*

spiritual nature to

Consequently,

magnify

that is

tincture,

which

thereof can give what

cannot.

nothing

that

is

[species]

we ,

more precious

fire

and than which glorify

the true

in

or the like in the smallest

degree to be found.

overcomes nature ruled by Nature:

:

This

is

that truth

Nature contains Nature

:

Nature

are derived literally from the

is

Greek

Alchemists. *

These alchemical Grand Antiphons

literally

in

O

are either

borrowed from the Greek alchemists, or are formed

on the model of precisely similar exclamations in those writers

:

— " O,

Supreme Wonder

Sovereign Matter," &c.

1

O, most happy and

The Turba Philosophorum.

36

which those investigating wisdom

For when

it is

liquefied with bodies, the

highest operation

knew

love.

the truth,

is

effected.

If

ye

what great thanks ye

Learn, therefore, that would give me while you are tingeing the cinders, you must destroy those that are mixed. For it overcomes those which are mixed, and changes them to its own colour. And as it visibly overcame the surface, even so it mastered the interior. And if !

one be volatile but the other endure the

if

the

joined to the other

either

fire,

the

endures

fire.

Know

have

vapours

also,

that

whitened the

surfaces, they will certainly whiten the

Know

interiors.

after

Wisdom,

further, all

ye seekers

that one matter over-

comes four, and our Sulphur* alone consumes all things. The Turba answereth *

:

Thou hast spoken excellently

Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt figure in

all

Hermetic liter-

ature as the most indispensable principles of the

Opus.

The

later writers

are not the substances

Magmim

never weary of affirming that they

commonly

so called, but this does

not appear so plainly in earlier and especially in Greek Authors.

The Turbo, Philosophorum.

37

O

Parmenides, but thou hast not demonstrated the disposition of the

well,

smoke is

to posterity, nor

how

the same

whitened The Twelfth Dictum.

Lucas

saith:

I

will

speak at this

time, following the steps of the ancients.

Know, therefore, all ye seekers after Wisdom, that this treatise is not from the beginning of the ruling

!*

Take

quicksilver.^ which is from the male, and coagulate according to custom. Observe that I am speakmg to you in

accordance

because

with custom,

has been already coagulated.

Here,

therefore, is not the beginning of ruling, but *

book

I

into the artificial character oi the

afforded at this point.

designed to be conveyed other

the

prescribe this method,

A further insight is

it

is,

The meaning which is common with many

that in

alchemical works,' the instruction begins

in

the

middle of the process— for the more complete confusion of the uninitiated. t It

should

be noted

in

this

connection that the

attribution of the seven metals to the seven planets is not

found in the Turba.

Thus, quicksilver

as Mercury, nor gold as Sol, &c.

is

never spoken of

The Turba Philosophorum.

38

namely, that you shall take the quick-

from the male, and shall either impose upon iron, tin, or governed silver

copper, and

it

will

be whitened.*

White Magnesia is made in the same way, and the male is converted with it. But forasmuch as there is a certain affinity between tlie magnet and the iron, therefore our nature Take, then, the vapour which the Ancients commanded you to take, and cook the same with its rejoices. +

own body until tin is produced. Wash away its blackness according to custom, and cleanse and roast

an equable fire until it be whitened. But every body is whitened with governed quicksilver, for Nature converts Nature. Take,therefore, Magnesia, Water of Alum, Water of Nitre, of Iron *

;

Water

at

of the Sea, and

whiten with smoke. +

The second

upon copper, that

recension is,

reads

governed

:

"

iron,

Ye

Water What-

shall

and

it

impose be

shall

whitened." t

The

alternative reading is

:

" Therefore Nature also

rejoices in Nature." }

Hermes, as quoted by Olympiodorua, defines smoke

as intermediary between the

warm and

the dry.

The Turba Philosophorum.

39

ye desire to be whitened whitened with this smoke, because soever

Mix,

things.

smoke

and

white,

itself

is

with

whitens

it

all

the

therefore,

is

said

until it be and become excessively Roast this white copper till faeces

its

coagulated white.*

germinates

it

of

Magnesia when the

suffer

shadow

of

because

Nature

coppert

Take, therefore,

does

escape,

to

spirits

the

since

itself,

whitened

not

or

the

to

appear,

contains

Nature.

ye Sons of the

all

Doctrine, the white sulphureous nature,

whiten with

salt

Flower of White *

The

and dew, or with the Salt.I until

alternative reading is

:

"

until

it

it

become

shall

become a

white coin oi tablet." t

M.

The shadow

of copper

is

the flower of copper,

Berthelot explains, protoxide, verdegris.

The

i.e.,

epistle

of Democritus to Leucippus explains that a metal without

shadow

is

burning

is

a

defines the

produces

brilliant metal.

Zosimus says that the act

called the destruction of the shadow.

shadow of copper

in silver.

as the black tinge which

Democritus also gives a recipe

oi

Pelagus it

for the

removal of the shadow from copper. I

The second

recension in the edition of Mangetus

reads Sol throughout for Sal, but

it is

a printer's error.

The Turba Philosophorum.

40

And know

excessively white.

the Flower of White

from

become it

ye, that

Ethel

is

The same must be

Ethelia.

boiled

Salt

days,

shall

for

seven

like

gleaming marble, for when

it

till

has reached this condition

it

is

a

Arcanum, seeing that Sulphur, Sulphur is mixed with whence an excellent work is accomof the affinity plished, by reason very

great

between them, because natures rejoice in

meeting their own natures.

therefore,

Take,

Mardek and whiten the same

Gadenbe,* that is, wine and and Permanent Water. Roast and coagulate until the whole does not liquefy in a fire stronger than its own, namely, the former fire. Cover the with

vinegar,

mouth

of the vessel securely,

be associated with

may

its

but

neighbour, that it

kindle the whiteness thereof,

beware

lest

the

fire

let it

and

blaze up, for in

Though Martinus Rulandus endeavoured honestly all the barbarous terms of Alchemy in his laborious lexicon, and though he was evidently well *

to explain

acquainted with the Turba, he omits both Mardeck and

Gadenbe.

The Turba Philosophorum.

41

becomes red prematurely, and this will profit you nothing, because in the beginning of the ruling you

this case

it

Afterwards coagu-

require the white. late the

same

Let your

fire

you attain the red.

until

be gentle

in the whitening,

Know

until coagulation take place.

that

when

is

it

the Soul, and

we

coagulated

call

more quickly con-

it is

verted from nature into nature. therefore, is

sufficient

deal with the Art of

one thing makes

it

for

This,

those

who

Coins, because

but

many

operate

For ye need not a number of

therein.

things,

it

but one thing only, which in

each and every grade of your work

changed

into

another

nature.

is

The

Turba saith Master, if you speak as the Wise have spoken, and that briefly, they will follow you who do not :

wish

to

be

wholly

shut

in

with

darkness. The Thirteenth Dictum.

Pythagoras saith government which

—We is

posit another

not from another

The Turba Philosophorum.

42

name. And know, ye seekers after this Science and

root, all

but

differs in

it

Wisdom,

that whatsoever the envious

may have

enjoined in their books con-

cerning

which agree together,* is

natures

of

composition

the

savour there

in

only one, albeit to sight they are as

Know,

diverse as possible.

also, that

the thing which they have described in so

many ways

companion without magnet follows the said thing

is

and

follows

attains

fire,

iron, to

which the

not vainly compared, nor

to a seed, nor to a matrix, for like

And

unto these.

which foUowst fire,

its

many

causes

its

even as the

when embracing

it,

it is

also

same thing, companion without this

colours

to

appear

for this reason, that

the said one thing enters into every

regimen, and

is

found ever)rwhere, being

a stone, and also not a stone

and precious •

mony t

The

;

;

common

hidden and concealed,

shorter recension reads

:

" concerning the har-

of the elements."

According to the second recension, the subject in

many

question causes

according as

it

is

colours to appear in complexion,

governed in every regimen.

The Turba Philosophorum.

known by everyone

yet

and

;

43

name

of one

many names, which

of

Spume

Moon.

the

of

is

This

therefore, is not a stone, because

more

precious

without

;

never operates anything;

we have

one, yet

names on account of the its

it is

Nature

it

name

its

called

the

stone,

is

by many

it

excellence of

nature.*

The

Turba

answereth

—O

Master

!

mention some of those

wilt thou not •

:

Zosimus explains that the uncommunicated mystery

which no one among the prophets has dared to divulge by word, but has revealed only to the

initiates, is

a process

upon the stone Alabastron by means of vinegar.

By

the

—

Lexicon of Ghrysopeia in the Byzantine Collection that earliest dictionary of alchemy, which has remained un-

known is

to all later

Hermetic lexicographers

—Alabastron

defined to be the calx obtained from eggshells, saltpetre,

a variety of natron, and

common salt. The inquirer after may take his choice among

the uncommunicated secret

these substances, and is

it

does not follow that the Lexicon

a correct exponent of Zosimus.

However this may be, it

appears that the stone Alabastron, either before or after the operation with vinegar,

stone which

known by

is

all,

is

the symbolical encephalous

not a stone, the

unknown thing which

the despised thing which

is

is

most precious,

The preparation The perplexities of

the thing given and not given by God. indicated

is

the Mythraic Mystery.

the Turba at this point are, therefore, a device of the Greek alchemists,

and they were fond

of recurring to

it.

The Turba Philosophorum.

44

names

And

:— It

he

seekers?

the guidance of

for

White

called

is

Ethelia,

White Copper, and that which flies from the fire and alone whitens copper. Break up, therefore, the White Stone, and afterwards coagulate it with milk.* Then pound the calx in the mortar, humidity does

that the

taking care

not escape from the vessel late

in the vessel until

it

a cinder.

it

;

but coagu-

shall

Cook also with

become

Spume

of

Luna and regulate. For ye shall find the stone broken, and already its

own

imbued with

This, therefore, is the

water, t

which we

by all names, which assimilates the work and drinks it, and is the stone out of which also Take, therefore, all colours appear. that same gum,+ which is from the stone

*

The second

recension adds : " that

The

that milk is coagulated."

alchemy

is,

like so

of Greek origin.

call

much It

is,

after the

manner

symbolical use oi milk in

of the terminology of the Turba,

will

be found in the discourse of

Synesius. t

The second

recension has a preferable reading

shall find the stone formed,

which imbue with

:

its

"

Ye own

water." J

The second

recension says

:

"

Gum of Scotia," most

The Turba Philosophorum.

43

scoriae, and mix with cinder of calx, which you have ruled, and with the fseces which you know, moistening with permanent water. Then look and see whether it has become a powder, but if not, roast in a fire stronger than the first fire, until it be pounded. Then imbue with permanent water, and the more the colours vary all

more suffer them to be heated. Know, moreover, that if you take white quicksilver, or the Spume of Luna, and do as ye are bidden, breaking up with a gentle fire, the same is coagulated, and becomes a stone. Out of this

the

when

stone, therefore,

many

probably a

much used

misprint

gum in

for

Scoria.

Rulandus

with Ferment, Mercury, &c.

alchemy, and

without explanatory context. is

broken up,

But

colours will appear to you.

philosophical is

it is

is

identifies

The term

found in Zosimus, but

The Turba Phihsophorum

not very clear on the subject of the philosophical gum,

but

it is

as clear as the Greek Alchemists, for the Lexicon of

Chrysopeia defines philosophically

gum

Nomenclature of the

among

as the yolk of the egg, speaking

and not

Egg

literally

;

but the treatise on the

says that the white of egg

is

gum,

other things, speaking also philosophically, and

without regard to the Lexicon.

:

The Turbo, Philosophorum.

46

any ambiguity occur to you in our discourse, do as ye are bidden, ruling the same until a white and herein,

if

coruscating stone shall be produced,

and so ye

find

your purpose.

The Fourteenth Dictum.

AcsuBOFEN*

saith

Master, thou hast

:

spoken without envy, even as became thee,

and

for

reward thee!

God

also

same may God Pythagoras sai/A; May the

deliver

from envy

Acsubofen,

thee,

Then he

!

:

Ye must know,

O

Assembly of the Wise, that sulphurs are contained in sulphurs, and humidity

in humidity.t

The

envious,

The

O

Turba

answereih

uttered something like unto this

what Humidity

therefore,

us,

And he when venom :

+

have

Acsubofen,

is is

*

In the second recension the

A

Tell

a body,

penetrates

t

!

humidity? a venom, and

this

name

is

it

Assubeies.

Formula of the Greek Alchemists

:

Sulphurs are

mastered by Sulphurs, &c. X

The

theriac

and poison of the stone are favourite

subjects of discourse

Petrus

Bonus

seems with

all

and,

among

early Latin Alchemists, like

indeed,

the

sovereign

remedy

authors to have had a destructive as well as

The Turba Philosophorum. tinges

it

no

in

47

with an invariable colour, and wise

permits the soul

equal

Concerning

thereto.

envious have said

:

When

one

be

to

separated from the body, because

it is

this,

the

flies

and

the other pursues, then one seizes upon the

and

other,

longer

flee,

hold of

its

they

afterwards

no

because Nature has laid

manner of

equal, after the

enemy, and they destroy one another. For this reason, out of the sulphureous mixed sulphur is produced a most precious colour, which varies not, nor flees from the fire, when the soul enters into the interior of the body and holds the body together and tinges it. I will repeat my words in Tyrian dye.* Take the Animal which is an

A

a constructive aspect.

Syriac treatise, fixed

by M.

Berthelot as belonging to the tenth or eleventh century,

says that " the elixir resembles a poison violence

many

,

because of

its

and subtlety," and Arabian alchemy contains

references

equivalent

is ios,

the

to

and

venenum

ignis.

The Greek

this is recurring continually in

the

Byzantine Alchemical collection. *

dye,

This process, worded in the language of the Tyrian

may be compared

tincture,

which occurs

with a similar recipe for the purple at the beginning of the

Natural and

The Turha Philosophorum.

48

called Kenckel, since all its water

is

a

Tyrian colour, and rule the same with a gentle fire, as is customary, until it shall

become

be a

little

which there will if you wish to

earth, in

colour.

But

obtain the Tyrian tincture, take

the

humidity which that thing has ejected,

and place vessel,

therewith gradually in a

it

adding that tincture whereof the

Then

colour was disagreeable to you.

cook with that same marine water* until itshall becomedry.t Afterwards moisten with that humour, dry gradually, and cease not to imbue dry,

until

humour. days in

its

to cook,

it,

and

to

all

its

be imbued with

it

Then leave own vessel,

it

several

for

until the

most

come out from it to the surface. Observe how PreI describe the regimen to you

precious Tyrian colour shall

!

pare

it

with the urine of boys, with

Myttic Questions of Demociitus.

an important *

In

this, also, urine

plays

part.

The use of

sea water

is

specified in

one of the

Democritic treatises. t

The second

recension reads

:

" until

it

shall

moistened, after which evaporate the moisture."

become

The Turbo, Philosophorum.

water of the

sea,

49

and with permanent

clean water, so that

it

may

and decoct with a gentle

be tinged, until the

fire,

blackness altogether shall depart from

and

it,

it

be easily pounded.

Decoct,

own humour

until

it

clothe itself with a red colour.

But

if

therefore, in its

ye wish to bring

it

to the Tyrian colour,

imbue the same with continual* water,, and mix, as ye know to be sufficient, according to the rule of sight

;

mix the

same with permanent water sufficiently, and decoct until rust absorb the water. Then wash with the water of which

sea

the

thou hast prepared,

which is water of desiccated calx ;t'cobk until it imbibe its own moisture and ;

day by day. I tell you that a colour will thence appear to you the like of which the Tyrians have never made. And if ye wish that it should do

this

be a the

still

gum

which ye •

t

more exalted

in the

shall

colour, place

permanent water, with dye it alternately, and

The second recension reads The alternative reading is

:

:

" with water ot snow."

water of

talc.

E

;

The Turba Philosophorum.

50

afterwards desiccate in the

Then

suji.

restore to the aforesaid water

and the

black Tyrian colour is intensified. But know that ye do not tinge the purple colour except by cold. Take, therefore,

water which

is

of the nature of cold,

and steep wool* therein

until

it

extract

the force of the tincture from the water.

Know

also that the Philosophers have

called the force which proceeds from

that water the Flower. fore,

Seek, there-

your intent in the said water

therein place

what

days and nights,

is in

the vessel for

until

it

be clothed

with a most precious Tyrian colour. The Fifteenth Dictum.

Frictes

saith

:

—O

Wisdom, know

all

ye seekers

after

that the foundation of

on account of which many have perished, is one only.t There is

this Art,

• i.i.,

The second recension

Moon t

substitutes

Luna

for

Lana,

for wool.

The one

nature, the

one matter, the one way, are all

conceptions of Greek Alchemy.

way which must be

followed

is

"

The

furnace

one, and one

is is

one, the also the

The Turba Philosophorum.

one thing which

stronger than

more sublime

and

natures,

is

51 all

the

in

opinion of philosophers, whereas with fools

it is

But

for

more common than anything. us

it

Woe

reverence.

How

we

a thing which

is

unto

all

ye fools

ignorant are ye of this Art, for

which ye would die if ye knew it to you that

if kings

I

!

swear

were familiar with

it,

none of us would ever attain this thing.

O how this nature changeth body into spirit! O how admirable is Nature, how she

presides over

comes

!

all

all, and overPythagoras saith Name

this Nature, is

—

O

Frictes

And

!

he

—

It

a very sharp vinegar,* which makes " The Ons One engenders the

work," says the Aisembly of the Philosophert. fiiinishes

blood to the Other, and the

Otber.

Nature rejoices nature

nature triumphs over nature this not for for

;

;

nature charms nature

nature masters nature

one such nature opposed

;

and

to another such, but

one only and same nature, proceeding by chemical

process

from

itself

with pain and great labour."

The

Serpent Ourobohoe. *

The Greek Assembly of

that the philosophical vinegar

the Stone.

It

is

the Philosophers explains

obtained by the coction of

appears to be an

oil

which

rises

surface during the process, but the explanation

is

to the

by no

The Turba Philosophorum.

52

gold into sheer

spirit,

without which

vinegar, neither whiteness, nor black-

nor redness, nor rust can

ness,

be

made. And know ye that when it is mixed with the body, it is contained therein, and becomes one therewith it turns the same into a spirit, and tinges with a spiritual and invariable tincture, Know, also, that which is indelible. if ye place the body over the fire without vinegar, it will be burnt and ;

And know,

corrupted.

the

first

humour

therefore, of the

further,

cold.

is fire,

Be

careful,

is

inimical

which

Wise have

Accordingly, the

to cold.

Rule gently

that

until

the sulphur

becomes incombustible.*

The Wise

said

means

:

M.

clear.

Beithelot supposes a leference to the

Mercurial Water. •

The Greek Alchemists

give the following recipe for

the production of incombustible sulphur

Sulphur, diluted in the urine of a pei^on

puberty

;

Prove

combustible. until

Take unbumt

then taking an equal quantity ot brine, boil

the sulphur rises to the surface, and then

fire)

:

who has not reached

it

you see that

it

it

becomes

by reasoning and examining

(?

till

in-

with

becomes incombustible, that is to say, until no longer burns. Take the same incom-

it

bustible water (of sulphur), pour on flower oi salt, dilute as

The Turba Philosophorum.

men have

53

who

already shewn to those

possess rea son the disposition of this Art,

and the best point of they mentioned,

is,

of this

little

sulphur burns a strong body. ingly they venerate

which

their Art,

that a

Accord-

and name

it

in

it

the beginning of their book, and the

son of

Adam

this

vinegar

verts

it

thus described

burns

the

into a cinder,

the body, which,

For

it.

con-

body,

and also whitens

ye cook well and

if

changed into a stone, so that it becomes a coin of most intense whiteness. Cook, theredeprive of blackness,

fore,

the stone until

and then

is

it

be disintegrated,

and temper with

dissolve

Know

water of the sea.

also, that

beginning of the whole work whitening,

to

which

is

succeeds

the the

the

redness, finally the perfection of the

work; vinegar,

but

after

this,

and by the

will

by means of of God, there

a complete perfection. Now, have shewn to you, O disciples of

follows I

in the case of the

divine mystery.

incombustible sulphur.

This

is

the

TJte

54 this

Turba Philosophorum.

Turba, the disposition of the one

more perfect, more precious, and more honourable, than all natures, and I swear to you by God which

thing,

is

have searched for a long time in books so that I might arrive at the knowledge of this one thing, while I prayed also to God that he would teach that

I

me what it is. My prayer was heard, He shewed me clean water, whereby I and the more I did read books, the more was I illuminated.

knew pure

vinegar,

The Sixteenth Dictum.

— Know,

O

crowd of those that still remain of the Sons of the Doctrine, that no tincture can be produced without Lead, which possesses

Socrates

saith:

Have ye not seen Hermes infused the

the required virtue.

how

thrice-great

red into the body, and into

an invariable

it

was changed Know,

colour ?*

therefore, that the first virtue is vinegar, *

The second recension reads " Have ye not seen, says

thiice-great

:

Hermes, that so often as

body, the same body

is

it is

infused into the " ?

changed into an invariable colour

The Turba Philosophorum.

55

and the second is the Lead* of which the Wise have spoken, which if it be infused into all bodies, renders

unchange-^

all

and tinges them with an invariable colour. Take, therefore, Lead which is made out of the stone called Kuhul t let it be of the best quality, and let it be cooked till it becomes black. Then pound the same with Water of Nitre until it is thick like grease, and cook able,

;

again in a very bright spissitude

*

M,

of the body

Berthelot

tells

the

until

fire

destroyed,

is

us that lead was regarded by the

Egyptian alchemists as the generator of the other metals

and the

first

matter of transmutation, which he explains

common

with a number

of other simple bodies and metallic alloys.

Zosimus, the

by the appearances Panopolite,

says

may

it

be cited

All substances

:

possesses in

produced by lead alone,

the Substances t

The

is

he

;

lor i.e.,

it

is

from lead that the three

copper, iron, and

tin.

— Zosimus

and Non-substances of Art.

significance

accurately Kohol,

of this point

were recognised by the Egyptians as

other bodies are derived,

On

in confirmation

is

of the

term

Kuhul,

to be found in Syriac

or

more

alchemy

;

it

the equivalent of alcool and sulphurated antimony in the

form of an impalpable powder.

Kuhul, or Koheul,

is

explained by Rulandus to be the Lead of the Philosophers.

The Alcohol mentioned by M. difiTerent

Part of

Berthelot seems to be

from Alcool of wine, and

is,

in fact, the pure

any body separated from that which

is

impure.

The Turba Philosophorum.

56

being

water

the

Kindle,

rejected.

above it until the stone becomes clean, abounding in precious

therefore,

Pound

metal, and exceedingly white. it

dew and the

afterwards with

and with sea and rain water days with

for 10

sun,

for 21 days,

water, and

salt

10

days with fresh water,* when ye shall find the same like to a metallic stone.

Cook

same once more with water until it become tin by lique-

the

of nitre

Again cook until it be deprived But of moisture, and become dry. faction.

know

when

that

becomes dry

it

humour is burnt lead. Take it be burnt. Thus we

drinks up what remains of swiftly,

because

it

care, however, lest •

The second

with dew,

salt,

it

recension reads

and rain water

:

its

" Alterwards pound

it

for 29 days, again with salt

water for 20 days, and yet again with fresh water for 10 days."

The

explanation of

all

Rosicrucian mysteries has

been referred to the dew of the alchemists, ros philesophoTum certainly plays

Great Mystery. of Democritus, process

the

In the Natural and Mysterious Questions

dew

is

of whitening,

Philosophical

and

an important part in the

Egg

it is

mentioned

and

in

in connection

the

tabulated as a

or philosophical albumen, but here

the additions of a later hand.

fragment

name

with a

on

the

of the white

M. Berthelot suspects

The Turba Philosophorum. call it

incombustible sulphur.

eg

PouHi

same with the sharpest vinegar, and cook till it becomes thick, taking care lest the vinegar be changed into smoke and perish continue this coction

the

;

Now,

for 150 days.

demonstrated white lead,

therefore, I

the disposition

all

have

of the

which afterwards follows

being no more than women's work and child's

Know,

play.

also,

the

that

arcanum of the work of gold proceedsout of the male and the female, but I have shewn you the male in the lead, while, in like

manner,

you the female therefore,

the

lead,

the

for

receiving

the

because she

in

female

with rejoices

for

Mix, the in

strength of the male, assisted

by the male.

receives a tingeing spirit

Mix them,

from the female. *

orpiment.*

orpiment

is

But the male

have discovered

I

therefore,

M. Beithelot indentifies orpiment with the The woid itself does not occur

of the ancients.

Greek writers, but there

is

arsenic in the

a fifteenth century translation

from Latin to Greek of the Semita Recta, ascribed to Albertus Magnus,

which

it is

found.

who reappears

as Peter Theoctonicos, in

5"

The Turba Philosophorum.

a glass vessel, and pound with Ethelia and verj' sharp vinegar; cook for seven days, taking

^.bgether, place in

care lest the arcanum smoke away, and leave throughout the night.

wish

it

that

it

to put on

mud

Now,

with vinegar.

if

ye

(colour), seeing

already dry,

is

But

again imbue

therefore,

I

have

notified to you the power of orpiment, which is the woman by whom is accomplished the most great arcanum. Do not shew these unto the evil, for

they

will laugh.

vinegar which tion,

work,

is

It is

the Ethelia of

placed in the prepara-

by which things God perfects the whereby also spirits take

possession of bodies, and they become spiritual.

The Seventeenth Dictum.

ZiMON* saith : O Turba of Philosoand disciples, now hast thou spoken about making into white, but it phers

yet remains to treat concerning the

reddening *

!

Know,

all

ye seekers after

otherwise Zenon, according to the second recension.

The Turba Philosophorum. Art,

this

that

make

cannot

59

unless ye whiten, ye

because the two

red,

natures are nothing other than red and

Whiten, therefore, the

white.

redden the white the year

the

is

first

red,

and

also, that

divided into four seasons

season

and

Know,

!*

of a frigid

is

com-

Winter the second is of the complexion of air, and this is Spring then follows the third, which is summer, and is of the complexion of plexion,

this is

;

;

fire

lastly, there is

;

fruits are

the fourth, wherein

matured, which

is

Autumn.

In this manner, therefore, ye are to rule

your natures, namely, to dissolve in

cook in spring, to coagulate summer, and to gather and tinge the fruit in autumn. Having, therefore, winter, to in

given this example, rule the tingeing natures, but

if

save yourselves.

Thou *

ye

err,

The

blame no one

Turba answereth

hast treated the matter extremely

A commentary introduced

into the text of

on Virtue and Interpretation, observes

mence by making perfect

and

solid.

:

Zosimus

If thou dost

com-

white, the yellowing will be perfect,

The Turba Philosophorum.

6o

add, therefore, another teaching of this kind for the sake of posterity. And he : I will speak of making lead

well

;

Take

red.*

the

Master

at

the

which

copper

the

you

ordered

take

book,

his

of

beginning

to

combine lead therewith, and cook it until it becomes thick; congeal also and desiccate until it becomes red.

Here

certainly

Red Lead

the

is

which the wise spake

;

copper and lead

become a precious stone equally, let for

this,

if

of

;

mix them

gold be roasted with them,

ye rule

becomes a So when

well,

tingeing spirit in spirits. t

the male and the female are conjoined there

is

not produced a volatile wife,

but a spiritual composite.

From

composite turned into a red

produced the beginning *

The

various

substances

spirit is

of the world.

which

enumerated by M, Berthelot, including,

not only

oxydes of t spirit

Vermillion,

is

the modern

con-

alchemists

founded under the names of Minium, Rubric,

sur-oxyde of lead, which

the

etc.,

are

in addition to the

name

of

minium,

cinnabar, realgar, etc., but

some

iron.

The second recension among spirits."

reads

:

"

becomes a mighty

The Turba Philosophorum.

Behold called

6i

which we have

this is the lead

Red Lead, which

is

of our work,

and without which nothing

is

effected

!

The Eighteenth Dictum.

MuNDUS

saith

seekers after this

Turba The Art must know that the

to

:

the Philosophers in their books have

described

gum

in

many

ways, but

it is

none other than permanent water, out of which our precious stone is generated.* after this

who

find

O how many

are the seekers

gum, and how few there are it

!

Know

that this

gum

is

not ameliorated except by gold alone.

For there be very many who investigate these applications, and they find cer. tain

things,

yet they cannot sustain

the

labours

because they are dimi-

•

It

appears from Zosimus on The Detailed Exposition

of the Work, that with the addition of a little [philosophical] gum any species of body may be tinged. And

when Mundus in

identifies

Gum

with Permanent Water he

is

agreement with the same authority, for in the context

ol the

passage just cited

we

find the following

words

That which tinges tinctures and things tinged is Divine water, the great mystery. The gum of gold is mentioned in a fragment attributed to

Agathodemon.

;

The Turba Philosophorum.

62

But the applications which

nished.

are

made out

of the

gum and

out of

the honourable stone, which has already

held the

and are

labours,

never

Understand, therefore, will explain

my words,

Know

arcanum

ye that our

stronger than gold, and

know

it

diminished. for I

unto you the applications

of this gum, and the therein.

the

they sustain

tincture,

do hold

it

all

existing

gum

those

more honourable

than gold, yet gold we also honour, without

it

is

who for

the gum cannot be improved.

Our gum, therefore, is for Philosophers more precious and more sublime than pearls,

because out of

gum

with a

little

we buy much. Consequently, the Philosophers, when committing these things to writing that the same might gold

not perish, have not set forth in their

books the

manifest

disposition,

lest

every one should become acquainted

and having become familiar to fools, the same would not sell it at a small price. Take, therefore, one part of the most intense white gum therewith,

The Turba Philosophorum.

63

one part of the urine of a white calf; gall of a fish and one

one part of the

;

part of the body of gum, without which

mix these porand cook for forty days. When these things have been done, congeal by the heat of the sun till they are Then cook the same, mixed dried. it

cannot be improved

;

tions

with milk of ferment, until the milk fail

afterwards extract

;

it,

and

until

it

become dry evaporate the moisture by

Then mix

heat.

and

fig,

cook

it

it

with milk of the moisture

that

till

be dried up in the composite, which afterwards mix with milk of the root of grass,

and again cook

Then

moisten

it

until it

with rainwater, then

sprinkle with water of dew, until it

be dried.

be dry.

and cook

Also imbue with per-

manent water, and desiccate until it become of the most intense dryness. Having done these things, mix the same with the all

gum which

is

equipped with

manner of colours, and cook

until

perish

the whole ;

and the

force

entire

of

strongly

the water

body be deprived

The Turba Philosophorum.

64

humidity, while ye imbue the same by cooking, until the dryness thereof be kindled. Then dismiss for

ol

its

forty days.

Let

it

remain

in that tritura-

tion or decocting until the spirit pene-

For by this regimen the spirit is made corporeal, and the body Observe the is changed into a spirit.

trate the body.

vessel, therefore, lest the composition

and pass

fly

off in

things being accomplished,

and ye

vessel,

will find

open the

that which ye

therefore,

This,

purposed.

These

fumes.

is

the

arcanum of gum, which the Philosophers have concealed

in their books.

The Nineteenth Dictum.

Dardaris knowledge

saith

:

that the

It

common

is

Masters* before

us have described Permanent Water.

Now,

it

behoves one who

is

introduced

to this Art to attempt nothing familiar with the •

The

this

he

is

Per-

reference to the Masters, which occurs twice in

this dictum, is to

in the

power of

till

be understood not of previous speakers

Assembly, but of the older philosophers, namely,

the Greek Alchemists.

The Turba Philosophorum.

65

manent Water, and in commixture, contrition, and the whole regimen, it behoves

us

to

use

invariably

this

famous Permanent Water. He, therefore, who does not understand Permanent Water, and its indispensable regimen,

may

not enter into this

Art, because nothing is effected with-

out the Permanent Water. thereof

The

force

a spiritual blood, whence

is

the Philosophers have called

manent Water,

for,

Per-

it

having pounded

it

with the body, as the Masters before

me

have explained to you, by the

of

God

it

will

turns that body into spirit.*

being mixed together For these, and reduced to one, transform each the body incorporates the other; spirit, and the spirit incorporates the body into tinged spirit, like blood.

And know spirit

the

as well.

arcanum *

ye, that whatsoever

hath

same hath blood Remember, therefore,

also

!

The second

body."

this

recension adds :

" and the

spiiit

into

:

:

.

.

The Turba Philosophorum

66

The Twentieth Dictum.

Belus saith:—0

disciples,

discoursed excellently

ye have

Pythagoras

!*

— Seeing that they are philosophers, O Belus, why hast thou called He answereth — them disciples

answers

?

in

It is

:

honour of their Master,

lest I

should

make them equal with him.

Then

—Those who,

in con-

Pythagoras saith

junction with us, have composed this

book which is called the Turba, ought not to be termed disciples. Then he Master, they have frequently described Permanent Water, and the making of *

The whole of this Dictum recalls On Virtue and Interpretation

—

Zosimus,

reasons that

my excellent

:

—

a passage

in

It

is for

these

master, Democritus, makes him-

self the following distinction

;

"Take

that stone which

is

not a stone, that precious thing which has no value, that

polymorphous object which thing which

is

known

and has no name, is

I refer

not a stone, and while

same time

name

one.

it

is

it is

many

flees the fire, or

uttered.

this stone

;

its

nature

is

one,

its

denominations have been

do not say absolutely speaking, but according

it,

nature, so that whether

is

For

exceedingly precious, at the

has no money value Nevertheless,

given

I

which has many names

to aphroselinon."

to

its

without form, that unknown

to everyone,

it is

called the being

which

white smoke, or white copper, no falsehood

The Turba Philosophorum.

67

White and the Red in many ways, albeit under many names but in the modes after which they have conjoined the

;

weights, compositions, and regimens,

they agree

with

Behold, what

is

the

hidden

truth.

said concerning this

despised thing!

A

report has gone

abroad that the Hidden Glory of the Philosophers is a stone and not a stone,

and that the

lest

it

is

called

foolish

Certain wise

by many names,

should recognise

men have

it.

designated

it

one fashion,

namely, according where it is generated others have adopted another, founded upon its colour, some of whom have termed it the Green Stone ;* by other some it is called the Stone of the most intense Spirit of Brass, not to be mixed with bodies by yet others its description has been further varied, because it is sold for coins by lapidaries who are called saven ; some have named it Spume of Luna ;t some have distinafter

to the place

;

*

t

The second recension reads " Green Lion." Sputum LunsB does not seem to be a term which :

found favour with Latin alchemy, and accordingly

it

is

——

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

68

guished

astronomically

it

metically;

thousand

arith-

or

has already received a

it

titles,

of which the best

is

:

produced out of metals." So also others have called it the Heart of the Sun, and yet others have declared it to be that which is

"That

which

is

brought forth out of quicksilver with the milk of volatile things.

The Twenty-first Dictum.

Pandolfus

much

said so

wanting

— O Belus, thou hast

saith

concerning the despised

in the Lexicons.

Rulandus,

who

It

very curious to note that

is

quite frequently quotes the Turba, seems

seldom to have troubled himself about the significance of its

bizarre terms.

tion, there is

which

falls

In Zosimus,

On

&om

the

moon when

referred to as describing

where

7ir{ue and Interpreta-

Hermes concerning "

a prescription from

it

it

is

is

that

waning," and he

to be found,

is

and how

has the quality of resisting the fire. In fact, says Hermes, " you will find it with me and with Agathodaimon." M. it

Berthelot supposes this passage to volatilisation

Turha

recalls

mythology of (fee,

of mercury.

the passage of Synesius. Selenite,

supposed not only to

but to be "

Hulandm.

allegorise

upon the

But the expression Note

in

the

also the

Lapis Arabicus, Aphroselinum, reflect the likeness of the

made from dew by

the foam of the

Moon, Moon."

The Turba Philosophorum.

stone* that thou hast

left

added by thy brethren teach

I

stone all

is

69

nothing to be

Howsoever,

!

posterity that this despised

a permanent water, and know,

ye seekers after Wisdom, that per-

manent water life,t

is

water

of

mundane

because, verily, Philosophers have

stated that Nature rejoices in Nature,

Nature contains Nature, and Nature overcomes Nature. The Philosophers have constituted this short dictum the principle of the

work

reasonable

for

And know ye

persons.

that no body

more precious or purer than the Sun, and that no tingeing venoml is geneis

•

The Turba Philosophorum does

not betray any-

where the hand of a Christian compiler, and although the reference to the despised stone suggests the stone

the builders

have rejected, the

Zosimus, and not from the as

which

derived

from

New Testament, except in

so far

idea

Zosimus himself may have drawn

it

is

irom that source.

Treating, in his dictum on the subject of calx, concerning

the uncommunicated mystery of the encephalous the Greek adept calls precious,

it

the despised thing which

and so on through a number

is

stone,

most

of contradicting

denominations. t \

The second recension reads The symbolism of the venom

also found in Zosimus,

:

" clean water." of the philosophers is

commenting upon Democritus.

—

:

The Turba Philosophonim.

70

Sun and its shadow. who attempts to make

rated without the

He,

therefore,

venom

the

of the Philosophers without

and has

these, already errs,

fallen into

that pit wherein his sadness remains.

But he who has tinged the venom of the wise out of the Sun and its shadow* has arrived at the highest Arcanum. Know also that our coin when it becomes red, is called gold ; he, therefore, who knows the hidden Cambart of the Philosophers, to him is the Arcanum already revealed. The Turba answereth

—Thou hast even now

The Greek word signifies, says an M. Berthelot, the romlle of metals, the of bodies, and the venom of serpents. Zosimus, body. *

it is

On

intel-

annotation specific

of

virtue

According to

the spirit separated from the substance of a

Virtue

A quotation

and

Interpretation.

firom

Mary

(the first) in

Measure of Yellowing runs thus with sulphur, treated with

:

Zosimus On

—Copper

the

when burned

natron, and recovered

oil ot

having undergone the same process several times,

after

becomes an excellent gold without shadow. t

his

This oriental term

is

by M. Berthelot

referred to

in

Essay on the Transmistion of Ancient Science without

explanation of its significance, and of the Lexicons of treatise, entitled

of an adept.

Alchemy.

it is

not found in any

In an ancient alchemical

The Code of Truth,

it

figures as the

name

The Turbo, Philosophorum.

71

ligibly described this stone, yet

hast not narrated

composition.

its

thou regimen nor its

Return, therefore, to the

—

He saith : I direct you an occult and honourable arcanum, which is White Magnesia,* and description.

to take

same

the

mixed and pounded with

is

make use

wine, but take care not to

of this except

be pure and clean

it

finally place itinitsvessel, and pray

He may grant you the

that

very great stone. +

in

if it

until

it

which

is

But

whitening of Magnesia

Then, is far

if it

it

thus

a great arcanum,

gives the following process :

—" Taking

an equal quantity of Cappadocian burnt clay.

rule

becomes Kuhul, closed up with

The Chemistry of Moses

*

for the

has become a

which case ye have

ruled excellently well. for the white,

sight of this

Then cook gradually,

and, extracting, see

black stone,

God

Let

it

cook

this mystery, for

it

Magnesia and

place in a vessel of

stay there from evening

be black,

better to

salt,

let it it

be cooked

till

it

in a glass-maker's

till

morning.

whitens, but

it

Hide

furnace.

comprises everything which concerns

whitening by decoction." t It does not appear that

the

conception

of the

Philosopher's Stone as a medicine of metals and of

was

familiar to

Greek alchemy.

men

The Turba Philosophorum.

72

blackness, which blackness see that it does not remain longer than forty days. therefore, with its

Pound the same,

confections, which are the said flower of copper, gold of the Indies whose root is

one, and a certain extract of an

unguent, that

a crocus, that

of

is,

fixed exalted alum, or

;*

Tj

is,

cook the four,

therefore, permanently for 40 or 42 days.

God

After these days

will

show you the

principle (or beginning) of this stone,

which

the stone Atitos, of

is

favoured sight of

many

strongly,

and imbue

gum that remains.

And know

Cook

accounts.

with the

God

which

there are

ye that so often as ye imbue the cinder, so often

must

be desiccated

it

again humectated, until into that

which ye

fore, will I

*

The

desire.

colour turns

Now, there-

complete that which

I

have

authenticity of this sign is extremely doubtful,

and the marginal note which editions does not help

it

out.

is

sentence immediately

recension confirms this view.

appended to most printed

It is

reading of the word Hoc, which of the

its

and

is

no doubt

really

required to

following.

a mis-

make sense The second

The Turba Philosophorum.

begun,

God

if

Know

that

also

to rule

third part

the

perfection

precious

this

with

it

look kindly on us.*

will

work of

the

73

the

of

stone

residue

is

the

of

the medicine, and to

of

preserve the two other parts for im-

buing and cooking alternately required colour appears.t

more intense

be

than the

desiccated

is

wax

therefore, the

coheres.

it

until

iire

former;

the matter be cerated, and

let it

the

till

Let the

it

when

Cook, imbibes

the gluten of gold, which being desiccated,

imbue the

seven

times

the

work

other

two-

of

rest

until

the

and true earth imFinally, place the same

thirds be finished,

bibe them

all.

on a hot fire until the earth extract its flower and be satisfactory. Blessed are ye I will

*

if

ye understand

But,

!

if not,

repeat to you the perfection of

The

original

emendation given

is

untranslatable

in the text

;

the

conjectural

has no authority, and

is

only

introduced to provide a meaning. t

The

substituted,

reading of the

owing

second

recension

has

been

to the corrupt state of the longer text.

The Turha Philosophorum.

74

the work. is

Take the

clean white, which

a most great arcanum, wherein

true tincture;

which sand

the

imbue sand therewith,

made

is

is

out of the stone

seven times imbued, until the whole, and close the

it

drink up

mouth of the

you have often been For that which ye seek of it by the favour of God, will appear to you, which is the stone of Tyrian colour. Now, therefore, I have fulfilled the truth, so do I conjure you by God and your sure Master, that you show not this great arcanum, and beware of the

vessel effectually, as told.

wicked

!

The Twenty-Second Dictum.

Theophilus

saith:

intelligently

and

Thou

hast spoken

elegantly,

held free from envy.

Saith the

and

art

Turba

:

Let your discretion, therefore, explain to us what the instructing Pandolfus has stated, and be not envious. Then he O all ye seekers after this science, the arcanum of gold and the art of the :

coin

is

a dark vestment, and no one

The Turba Philosophorum.

knows what the

75

have

Philosophers

narrated

in

frequent

reading,

books

their

without

and For that which they have concealed is more sublime and obscure than it is possible to make known in words, and albeit some have dealt with it intelligibly and well, certain others have treated it obscurely thus some are more lucid experiments,

questionings of the Wise.

;

than others.

Thou

The

Turba

And

hast truly spoken.

announce

posterity

to

that

and copper there

boritis

answereth

is

an

he

:

I

between affinity,

because the boritis of the Wise liquefies the copper, and water.

changes as a fluxible

Divide, therefore, the

two equal

into

it

parts, with

venom

one of which

the copper, but preserve the

liquefy

other to pound and imbue the same, until

again

it is

drawn out into plates

with

the former part

venom, cook two to seven in *

first

This

its

;

of

cook the

two cook own water for 42 days ;* to seven in

;

unintelligible passage is better rendered in the

recension

:

—" Cook with the former part of the venom

1

76

The Turba Philosophorum.

finally,

open the

and ye

vessel,

into

find copper turned

shall

quicksilver;

wash the same by cooking until it be deprived of its blackness, and become Lastly, as copper without a shadow. cook it continuously until it be con-

For when

gealed.

it

congealed

is

it

Ac-

becomes a very great arcanum. cordingly, the Philosophers have called

this stone Boritis;* cook, therefore, that

coagulated stone until

becomes a mat-

it

mucra. Then imbue

ter like

Permanent water which

it

with the

directed

I

you

to reserve, that is to say, with the other

and cook

portion,

colours manifest.

its ^s

many

it

times until

This, therefore,

the very great putrefaction which

extracts (or contains in

arcanum.

great until

it

shall

itselt)

Saith

the

have absorbed both, and do

the very

Turba:

this seven times."

Bat donee duos ehibat does not agiee with the subsequent directions found in each version. * Boritis,

according to Rulandus,

after the black state,

and

it

is

the White Stone

reduces earth to water.

A late

French Lexicon observes that the name was applied by Philosophers to their Mercury

extreme black stage. whitened.

The word

is

It is

when

it

had reached the

the Laton which must be

of Oriental origin.

The Turba Philosophorum.

Return to thine exposition,

77

O

Theophilus! And he: It is to be known that the same affinity which exists between the magnet and iron, also between copper and

exists assuredly

permanent water. If, therefore, ye copper and permanent water as I have directed, there will thence result the very great arcanum in the following rule

Take white Magnesia and

fashion.

mix with the male, and pound strongly by cooking, not with the hands, until the water become thin. But dividing this water into two parts, in the one part of the water cook it quicksilver,*

for eleven, otherwise, forty days, until

there be a white flower, as the flower of salt in its

splendour and coruscation

but strongly close the mouth of the vessel,

ye

will

deprive

and cook find it

of

it

for forty days,

when

water whiter than milk

;

blackness by cooking

;

all

continue the cooking until

its

whole

nature be disintegrated, until the de*

The

second

recension reads

mixed with the male."

:

— " Take

quicksilver

The Turba Philosophorum.

78

perish,

filement

until

be

it

found

and is wholly broken up (or But if ye wish becomes wholly clean) that the whole arcanum, which I have given you, be accomplished, wash clean,

.

same with water, that

the the

other

you

to

part

which

preserve,

until

is

to say,

counselled

I

there appear

a crocus, and leave in its own vessel. For the Iksir pounds (or contains)

imbue also with the residue of the water, until by decoction and by water it be pounded and become like imbue it, a syrup of pomegranates therefore, and cook, until the weight of the humidity shall fail, and the colour which the Philosophers have itself;

;

magnified shall truly appear. The Twenty-third Dictum.

Cerus*

saith

:

Understand,

all

ye Sons

of the Doctrine, that which Theophilus

hath told you, namely, that there exists

an

affinity *

between the magnet and the

The name

Bellus.

substituted

by the second recension

is

The Turba Philosophorum.

79

by the alliance of composites existing between the magnet and the

iron,

iron, while the

copper

ruled for

is fitly

one hundred days:* what statement can be more useful to you than that there

is

no

quicksilver

between tinf and

affinity

The

?+

Thou hast ill

Turba

answereih

spoken, having disparaged

And

the true disposition.

he

I

why

are

I

testify

is

true

:

say nothing but what

that

:

you incensed against me ? Fear the Lord, all ye Turba, that your Master may believe you The Turba answereth : Say what you will. And he I direct you to take quicksilver, in which is the male potency§ or strength !

•

The second

recension adds

and water of the Philosophers. tion is given to t

them

:

— " Between

This

in the space ol

the copper

affinity and

combina-

one hundred days."

The definition may not be important, but it is, perhaps,

as well to state that the Greek Lexiconof CAr^sqpsia explains that tin alchemically

is

cinnabar,

and

that

cinnabar

sublimed vapour obtained by coction in cauldrons.

M.

Berthelot observes that the reference

mercury or the sulphur {

is

to sublimed

thereof.

According to the alternative version

:

— " The nature

of the one does not agree with the nature of the §

is

Here

other.''

" The proper end of the whole art," says Horus, " is

to obtain the semen of the male secretly, seeing that

all

The Turba Philosophorum.

8o

cook the same with

becomes a

body

its

water;

fluxible

until it

cook the

masculine together with the vapour, until each shall be coagulated and become a stone. Then take the water

which you had divided into two parts, of which one is for liquefying and cooking the body, but the second is for cleansing that which

and

already burnt,

companion, which

its

made

is

are

[two]

Imbue the stone seven

one.

and cleanse, until it be disintegrated, and its body be purged from become earth. defilement, and all times,

Know

also that in the time of forty-two

days the whole

by

is

changed into earth

cooking, therefore, liquefy the

until

it

become

quicksilver. nitre until

it

as true water, which

is

Then wash with water

of

become

Then cook

until

become hke

to tin,

as a liquefied coin.

be congealed and

it

when

things are male and female. certain place will

:

find that

;

same

it

is

a most

Hence Horus says

in a

Join the male and the female, and you

which

process of reunion,

charms Nature," &c.

is

sought

;

as a fact, without this

nothing can

succeed, for

Nature

— Olympiodorus Ore the Sacred Art.

The Turba Philosophorum.

great arcanum

stone which the until

is

that

;

is

to

8i

say,

out of two things.

the

Rule

same by cooking and pounding, it becomes a most excellent

Know

crocus.

that unto water

also

companion we have given the name of crocus. Cook it, therefore, and imbue with the residual water reserved by you until you attain desiccated with

its

your purpose. The Twenty -fourth Dictum.

BocAScus* well,

O

saith

Thou

:

hast spoken

Belus, and therefore

follow

I

it may : As become envious, for that is not the part of the Wise. And

thy steps

He

!

answereth

please you, but do not

BocAscus Thou speakest the truth, and thus, therefore, I direct the Sons of :

Take

the Doctrine.

Philosophers

lead, and, as the

have ordained, imbue,

and afterwards congeal, until a produced then rule the stone stone with gluten of gold and syrup of pomegranates until it be broken up. But you liquefy,

is

•

The name

;

in the

second recension

is

Boratis.

G

—

— +

The Turba Philosophorum.

82

have already divided the water into two parts, with one of which you have Hquefied the lead, and it has become

same until it be dried and have become earth then pound with the water as water;

therefore, the

cook,

;

reserved until

it

acquire a red colour,

as you have been frequently ordered.*

The Turba answereth

Thou

:

hast done,

nothing but pile up ambiguous words.

And

Return, therefore, to the subject. he

Ye who wish

:

to coagulate

must mix

silver,+ •

Otherwise

t

The Greek

:

with

it

" Rule frequently, as

its I

quickequal.

have said."

alchemists claim to have accomplished

means of the Body of Magnesia,

the fixation of Mercury by

by which Zosimus

An

molybdochalchos.

understands

unassigned fragment of the Byzantine collection has the following poetical reference to the fixation of Mercury

" Mercury

is

cinnabar,

rare substance, that

I refer