The compovnd of alchymy Or The ancient hidden Art of Archemie: Conteining the right & perfectest meanes to make the Philosophers Stone, Aurum potabile, with other excellent Experiments. Diuided into twelue Gates. First written by ... George Ripley ... & Dedicated to K. Edward the 4. Whereunto is adioyned his Epistle to the King, his Vision, his Wheele & other his Workes, neuer before published: with certaine briefe Additions of other notable Writers concerning the same. Set foorth by Raph Rabbards Gentleman, studious and expert in Archemicall Artes |
 |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
Of Firmentation.
|
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
 | The compovnd of alchymy |  |
Of Firmentation.
The ninth Gate.
True
Firmentation few Workers vnderstand,
That secret therefore I will expound to thee,
I trauailed truly through manie a Land,
Ere euer I might finde any that would tell it mee:
Yet as God would, euermore blessed be hee,
At the last I came to the knowledge thereof perfite,
Take heede therefore what I thereof doe write.
That secret therefore I will expound to thee,
I trauailed truly through manie a Land,
Ere euer I might finde any that would tell it mee:
Yet as God would, euermore blessed be hee,
At the last I came to the knowledge thereof perfite,
Take heede therefore what I thereof doe write.
Firmentations in diuers manners be doone,
By which our medicine must be perpetuate
Into cleere water: some looseth Sunne and Moone,
And with their medicines make them to be congelate;
Which in the fire when they be examinate
May not abide, nor alter with complement:
For such Firmenting is not to our intent.
By which our medicine must be perpetuate
Into cleere water: some looseth Sunne and Moone,
And with their medicines make them to be congelate;
Which in the fire when they be examinate
May not abide, nor alter with complement:
For such Firmenting is not to our intent.
But yet more kindly some other men doone,
Fermenting their medicines in this wise,
In Mercurie dissoluing both Sunne and Moone,
Till time with the spirit they will arise,
Subliming them together twice or thrice;
Then Fermentation therewith they make:
That is a way, but yet we it forsake.
Fermenting their medicines in this wise,
In Mercurie dissoluing both Sunne and Moone,
Till time with the spirit they will arise,
Subliming them together twice or thrice;
Then Fermentation therewith they make:
That is a way, but yet we it forsake.
Some other there be which haue more hap,
To touch the troth in part of fermenting,
They amalgame their bodies with Mercurie like pap,
Then therevpon their medicines relenting:
These of our secrets haue some henting.
But not the truth with perfect complement,
Because they neither putrifie, nor alter their Ferment.
To touch the troth in part of fermenting,
They amalgame their bodies with Mercurie like pap,
Then therevpon their medicines relenting:
These of our secrets haue some henting.
But not the truth with perfect complement,
Because they neither putrifie, nor alter their Ferment.
That poynt therefore I will disclose vnto thee,
Looke how thou didst with thine vnperfect bodie,
Doe so with thy perfect bodies in each degree,
That is to say, first thou them putrifie,
Their former qualities destroying vtterly,
For this is wholly to our intent,
That first thou alter before thou ferment.
Looke how thou didst with thine vnperfect bodie,
Doe so with thy perfect bodies in each degree,
That is to say, first thou them putrifie,
Their former qualities destroying vtterly,
For this is wholly to our intent,
That first thou alter before thou ferment.
To thy compound make firment the fourth part,
Which ferments been only of Sunne and Moone;
If thou therefore be maister of this Arte,
Thy Fermentation let thus be doone,
Fixe water and earth together soone,
And when thy medicine as waxe doth flowe,
Then vpon malgames looke thou it throwe.
Which ferments been only of Sunne and Moone;
If thou therefore be maister of this Arte,
Thy Fermentation let thus be doone,
Fixe water and earth together soone,
And when thy medicine as waxe doth flowe,
Then vpon malgames looke thou it throwe.
And when all that together is mixed,
Aboue the glasse well closed make thy fire,
And so continue it till all be fixed,
And well fermented to thy defire,
Then make Proiection after thy pleasure,
For that is medicine each deale perfite,
Thus must thou ferment both red and white.
Aboue the glasse well closed make thy fire,
And so continue it till all be fixed,
And well fermented to thy defire,
Then make Proiection after thy pleasure,
For that is medicine each deale perfite,
Thus must thou ferment both red and white.
For like as flowre of wheate made into paste
Requireth ferment, which leauen we call
Of bread, that it may haue the kindly taste,
And become foode to man and woman cordiall:
Right so thy medicine ferment thou shall,
That it may taste of the Ferment pure,
At all assayes for euer to endure.
Requireth ferment, which leauen we call
Of bread, that it may haue the kindly taste,
And become foode to man and woman cordiall:
Right so thy medicine ferment thou shall,
That it may taste of the Ferment pure,
At all assayes for euer to endure.
And vnderstand that there be Ferments three,
Two be of bodies in nature cleene,
Which must be altred as I haue told thee;
The third most secret of which I meene,
Is the first earth of his water greene:
And therefore when the Lion doth thurst,
Make him to drinke till his belly burst.
Two be of bodies in nature cleene,
Which must be altred as I haue told thee;
The third most secret of which I meene,
Is the first earth of his water greene:
And therefore when the Lion doth thurst,
Make him to drinke till his belly burst.
Of this a Question if I should mooue,
And aske of workers, what is this thing?
Anon thereby I should them prooue,
If they had knowledge of our fermenting:
For manie a man speaketh with wondring,
Of Robin hood and of his bowe,
Which neuer shot therein I trowe.
And aske of workers, what is this thing?
Anon thereby I should them prooue,
If they had knowledge of our fermenting:
For manie a man speaketh with wondring,
Of Robin hood and of his bowe,
Which neuer shot therein I trowe.
For Fermentation true as I thee tell,
Is of the soule with the bodies incorporation,
Restoring to it the kindly smell,
With tast and colour by naturall conspissation,
Of things disseuered, a due reintegration,
Whereby the bodie of the spirit taketh impression,
That either the other may help to haue ingression.
Is of the soule with the bodies incorporation,
Restoring to it the kindly smell,
With tast and colour by naturall conspissation,
Of things disseuered, a due reintegration,
Whereby the bodie of the spirit taketh impression,
That either the other may help to haue ingression.
For like as bodies in their compaction corporall,
May not shewe out their qualities effectually,
Vntill the time that they become spirituall,
No more may spirits abide with bodies stedfastly,
Till they with them be confixate proportionally,
For then the bodie teacheth the spirit to suffer fire,
And the spirit the bodie to enter to thy desire.
May not shewe out their qualities effectually,
Vntill the time that they become spirituall,
No more may spirits abide with bodies stedfastly,
Till they with them be confixate proportionally,
For then the bodie teacheth the spirit to suffer fire,
And the spirit the bodie to enter to thy desire.
Therefore thy gold with gold thou must ferment,
With his owne water thy earth cleansed I meene,
Nought else to say but element with element,
The spirit of life onely going betweene,
For like as an adamant as thou hast seene
Draweth yron to him, so doth our earth by kinde,
Drawe downe to him his soule borne vp with winde.
With his owne water thy earth cleansed I meene,
Nought else to say but element with element,
The spirit of life onely going betweene,
For like as an adamant as thou hast seene
Draweth yron to him, so doth our earth by kinde,
Drawe downe to him his soule borne vp with winde.
With winde therefore the soule lead out and in,
Mingle gold with gold, that is for to say,
Make Element with Element together rin
Till time all fire they suffer may,
For earth is Ferment withouten nay
To water, and water the earth vnto,
Our Fermentation on in this wise must be doe.
Mingle gold with gold, that is for to say,
Make Element with Element together rin
Till time all fire they suffer may,
For earth is Ferment withouten nay
To water, and water the earth vnto,
Our Fermentation on in this wise must be doe.
Earth is gold, and so is the soule also
Not common, but ours thus Elementate,
And yet thereto the Sunne must goe,
That by our wheele it may be alterate:
For so to ferment it must be preparate,
That is profoundly may ioyned bee,
With other natures as I said to thee.
Not common, but ours thus Elementate,
And yet thereto the Sunne must goe,
That by our wheele it may be alterate:
For so to ferment it must be preparate,
That is profoundly may ioyned bee,
With other natures as I said to thee.
And whatsoeuer I haue here said of gold,
The same of siluer I will thou vnderstand,
That thou them putrifie and alter (as I haue told)
Ere thou thy medicine to firment take in hand:
Forsooth I could neuer finde him in England
Which in this wise to firment could me teach
Withouten error, by practise or by speach.
The same of siluer I will thou vnderstand,
That thou them putrifie and alter (as I haue told)
Ere thou thy medicine to firment take in hand:
Forsooth I could neuer finde him in England
Which in this wise to firment could me teach
Withouten error, by practise or by speach.
Now of this chapter needeth to treate no more,
Sith I intend prolixitie to eschew;
Remember well my words therefore,
Which thou shalt proue by practise trew,
And Sunne and Moone looke thou renew,
That they may hold of the fist nature,
Then shall their tincture euermore endure.
Sith I intend prolixitie to eschew;
Remember well my words therefore,
Which thou shalt proue by practise trew,
And Sunne and Moone looke thou renew,
That they may hold of the fist nature,
Then shall their tincture euermore endure.
And yet a way there is most excellent,
Belonging vnto another working,
A water we make most redolent,
All bodies to oyle wherewith we bring,
With which our medicine we make flowing,
A quintessence this water we call,
In man which healeth diseases all.
Belonging vnto another working,
A water we make most redolent,
All bodies to oyle wherewith we bring,
With which our medicine we make flowing,
A quintessence this water we call,
In man which healeth diseases all.
But with thy base, after my doctrine preperate
Which is our calx this must be done,
For when our bodies be so calcinate,
That water will to oyle dissolue them soone,
Make thou therefore oyle both of Sunne and Moone,
Which is ferment most fragrant for to smell.
And so the ninth gate is conquered of this Castell.
Which is our calx this must be done,
For when our bodies be so calcinate,
That water will to oyle dissolue them soone,
Make thou therefore oyle both of Sunne and Moone,
Which is ferment most fragrant for to smell.
And so the ninth gate is conquered of this Castell.
The end of the ninth Gate.
| The compovnd of alchymy | |