Of The Spirit Of Copper


The Star of Venus is very difficult, and not well to be calculated, as

all Mathematicians and Astronomers will bear me witness; for its

course is found to be otherwise than that of the other six Planets, and

therefore its Birth is otherwise; for the Birth of Venus possesses the

First Table, after Mercury, as for what concerns the Generation of

Metals. Mercury makes active, but Venus provokes, giving Lust and

Desire, to
ether with the Beauty which gave occasion thereunto; though I

am accounted no Astronomer, nor do I give my self out for one, who

knows to calculate the Course of the Heavens; for I should spend my time

in my Cell in Prayer, but that the spare hours after my Devotion is

ended, may not be spent in vain, I have ordered and proposed it as my

aim and intent to exercise my self, and to spend those hours in the

knowledge of Natural things. So likewise it is not well to be reckoned

what arises, grows or proceeds from Venus or whence she arose, grew,

or proceeded; for she is superfluously cloathed more than she needs, and

yet must want that which she needs most of all in her Constancy.



But you must be advertised, that Venus is cloathed with a Celestial

sulphur which far surpasses the brightness of the Sun; for there is

more and more abundant Sulphur in her than in Gold; but it requires a

knowledge what the Matter of that Gold Sulphur may be, which is, and

rules so plentifully in Copper, and whereof I make so great a Cry: know

then that it is likewise a flying very hot Spirit, which can pass

through and penetrate, as also ripen and digest all things, as the

imperfect Metals into perfect, which the inexpert will not believe. And

here a Question presents it self at hand; How the Spirit of Copper can

make other imperfect Metals perfect, and make them ripe, whereas in its

own Body it is imperfect and inconstant? For Answer, I say as I have

often said, that this Spirit cannot possess or inhabit a permanent Body

in Copper; for when the habitation is burnt by Fire, the Spirit goes

away with it, and must with impatience leave its Lodging, for it dwells

therein as a Sojourner; but it hath protection in the permanent fix'd

Body of Gold, whence no man can expel it, without the Warrant of an

especial Judge; for it is put into the inheritance as an Heir, and taken

Root by her permanent Body, that she cannot easily be expelled. The

Tincture which Venus hath obtained, is in like manner found in Mars,

more powerful, high and Noble; for Mars is the Man, and Venus the

Woman, which I speak more of, seeing I write of them. This Tincture is

delivered in Verdigreece, and likewise it is found in Vitriol, as in

a Mineral whereof a peculiar Book might be wrote. In all these things a

combustible Sulphur is found, and yet a Sulphur which is

incombustible, this is a strange thing, one is a white Sulphur, the

other is red in the operative generation; but the true Sulphur is

incombustible, for it is a pure true Spirit, whereof an incombustible

Oil is prepared, and it is the same Sulphur which is made out of one

Root from the Gold-Sulphur.



I open many Mysteries, which ought not to be; but what should I do? to

conceal all is not answerable, but a measure is good in all things, as

you may observe in my last Advice of protestation; forget not my desire

therein.



This Sulphur may well be called the Sulphur of the Wise; for all

Wisdom is found therein, unto the Mercurial Spirit; which excels it,

which together with the Salt of Mars must be put together by a

spiritual Conjunction, that three may come into one understanding, and

be advanced to equal operations. This spiritual Sulphur proceeds in the

same manner and form out of the upper Region, as doth the Spirit of

Mercury, but in another manner and kind, whereby the Stars manifest a

separation in fix'd and unfix'd, in colour'd and uncolour'd things.



The Tincture consists only in the Spirit of Copper, and most of all in

that of his Bed-fellow; it is a meer Vapour, stinking and ill-sented in

its beginning; this Mist must be dissolved in the manner of a Liquor,

that the stinking, incombustible Oil may be prepared thereof; but yet it

must have and take its beginning out of Mars; this Oil unites freely

with the Spirit of Mercury, assuming all Metallick Bodies speedily

unto them, if they be first prepared in all points as I have advised in

my Keys.



I observe not the Order of the Planets, and not without just grounds;

for I observe the order of their Birth, by which I am directed; for

because Venus hath much Sulphur, she is sooner digested and ripened

together with Mars, before other Metals; but because unconstant

Mercury shewed them both too little assistance, therefore no room is

left him to work harder, by reason of the superfluous Sulphur, so that

they could obtain no melioration of their unfixt Bodies. Now I will

reveal a Secret unto thee, that Gold, Copper, and Iron have one Sulphur,

one Tincture, and one Matter of their Colour; this Matter of the

Tincture is a Spirit, a Mist and Fume; as aforesaid, which can

penetrate and pass through all Bodies, if you can take it, and acuate it

by the Spirit which is in the Salt of Mars, and then conjoin the

Spirit of Mercury therewith in a just weight, purging them from all

impurity, that they be pleasant and well sented, without all Corrosives,

you have then such a Medicine, whereunto none in the world may compare,

being fermented with the bright shining Sun, you have made an entrance

penetrating to work, and to transmute all Metals.



O Eternal Wisdom from the beginning! how shall we thank thee for such

great Mysteries, which the Children of Men do no wayes regard, but are

despised by the greater number, to know what thou hast concealed in

Nature, which they see before their Eyes, and know it not; they have it

in their Hands, and comprehend it not; they deal with it, and know not

what they have, nor what they do, because the Internal is concealed. I

will yet reveal this unto thee in truth, and by the Love of God, that

the root of the Philosophical Sulphur, which is a Celestial Spirit, is

found with the root of the spiritual supernatural Mercury, as also the

beginning of the spiritual Salt, are in one, and found in one Matter,

out of which the Stone is made, which was before me, and not in many

things, though all Philosophers speak as if the Mercury, Sulphur,

and Salt were each one a part by themselves and distinct, that the

Mercury is found in one, the Sulphur in another, and the Salt in a

third; yet I tell you, this is only to be understood of their

superfluity, which is found to abound most in each, and may be used and

prepared divers ways particularly with profit, both for Physick and

transmutation of Metals; but the Universal, which is the supreamest

Treasure of Earthly Wisdom, and of all the three Principles, is one only

thing, and is founded and extracted out of one only thing, which can

make all Metals into one, it is the true Spirit of Mercury, and Soul

of Sulphur, together with the spiritual Salt, united together,

inclosed under one Heaven, and dwelling in one Body, it is the Dragon

and the Eagle, the King and the Lion, the Spirit and the Body, which

must tinge the Body of Gold to a Medicine, that it may gain power

plentifully to tinge his other Companions.



O thou blessed Medicine given by God thy Creator! O thou Celestial

Magnet of great attractive Love! O thou valid substance of Metals, how

great is thy power, how uninventive is thy virtue, how durable is thy

constancy? happy is that man on Earth who knows thy Light in truth,

which all the world takes no notice of; he shall not see poverty, no

Disease shall touch him, nor no sickness hurt him, till the appointed

time of death, and till the last hour predestinated for him by his

Heavenly King. It is impossible for all the tongues of Men to utter the

Wisdom which is laid in this Treasure of the Fountain, all Orators must

be silent and ashamed at it, yea terrified and not able to speak a word,

when they shall behold and discern this supernatural Glory, and I my

self am afraid when I consider that I have discovered too much. But I

hope to prevail with God by Prayer, that he will not charge it on me as

a deadly Sin, because I began the Work in his Fear, obtained it by his

Grace, and revealed it for his Glory.



O thou holy everlasting Trinity! I praise, honour, and magnifie thee

with Heart and Mouth, that thou hast revealed unto me the great wisdom

of this earthly World, next unto thy Divine Word, whereby I have known

thy Almighty Power, and supernatural Wonders, which Man will not

discern; I heartily beseech thee to give me more understanding and

wisdom, that I may bestow the use and profit thereof with a continual

Sacrifice of Praise before thee, unto the Christian-like Love of my

Neighbour, and to my own welfare both spiritual and corporal, in power

and virtue, that thy Name may be made glorious, honoured, and praised,

for all thy works in Heaven and Earth; and that my Enemies may know,

that thou art the Lord full of eternal Wonders, that they may repent and

be converted, and not be drowned in the falshood of Darkness. God the

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost help me, and all of us, from his heavenly

Throne, exalted above all Glory, Might, and Majesty, whose Wisdom hath

neither beginning nor end, and before whom all Celestial, Earthly, and

Hellish Creatures must tremble with fear, to him be Glory forever,

Amen.



O Seraphin! O Cherubin! how great are thy Wonders and Actions, look

graciously upon thy servant, and be entreated to be pacified that he

hath manifested this.



The Reader must moreover know concerning the Generation of Copper, and

observe, that it is generated of much Sulphur, but its Mercury and

Salt are in an equality, for there is found to be no more or less of the

one than of the other, seeing then that the Sulphur in quantity excels

the Mercury and the Salt, thence arises a great coloured redness,

which possesses the Metal, that the Mercury cannot perform its

fixation, that a fixt Body should be generated thereof. Observe and

understand it so of Copper, that the form of Venus Body is so stated

as that of a Tree, which abounds in Rosen, as the Larch Tree, the Firr,

the Pine, Deal Tree, and other sorts of Trees more, the Rosen of the

Tree is its Sulphur, which it evacuates at sometimes by reason of its

superfluity, for it cannot bear it all; such a Tree which is tinged with

abundance of fatness, by the digestion of Nature and the Elements, burns

quickly and freely, and is not ponderous, nor so durable as is the Oak,

or other hard wood which is close and compact, whose Pores are not so

open, as those sorts of light wood, and wherein the Sulphur doth not so

predominate, but the Oak hath therefore the more Mercury, and a better

Salt than the Pine, Firr, and Deal trees have, and such wood doth not

float so well above the water, as the Deal, being bound & closed up

compactly, so that the Air is easily prevented in bearing it up. So is

it to be observed of Metals, and especially of Gold, which by reason of

its abundant, fixt, digested and ripe Mercury, hath a very close, fast

and compact, fixt and invincible Body, which neither Fire nor Water,

Air, nor any Corruption of the Earth can prejudice, that the consuming

power of the Elements can do them no harm; this fixedness & close

compacted Conjunction gives evidence of its natural ponderosity, which

cannot be evidenced in other Metals, which is to be observed, not only

by weighing it in the scales, but likewise you will find it thus: if you

lay but a scruple of pure Gold upon a hundred weight of Quicksilver, it

immediately sinks to the bottom, whereas all other Metals being laid

upon Quicksilver in like manner, float on the top of it, and sink not to

the bottom, because they are more open, that the Air or Wind can

penetrate them and bear them up.



Now what further concerns the Spirit of Venus or Copper in Physick,

you must last of all take notice and observe, that it is throughout in

its virtue and power discerned to be very wholsom and beneficial, not

only that Spirit which lies in the first Ens, but also that very

Spirit which is found in the last Matter, its virtue, power and

operation is, that it is preferred before all other Medicines in the

Rising of the Matrix: It's like is not yet found particularly against

the Falling Sickness. This Spirit hath also received an especial gift

to dry the Dropsie up; it preserves the Bloud from putrefaction,

digests all which is adverse to the Stomach, breaks the Stone, of what

kind soever it be. Externally in Wounds, this Spirit lays a ground to

heal: Noli me tangere and all other Sores cannot defend themselves,

nor their ill Qualities, but this Spirit doth assault them, and prepares

a good ground for their Cure; externally it mundifies and searches out

that whereby the Medicine may operate, fasten, and make a beginning of

the Cure. Internally this Spirit penetrates through & through, searching

out all that is evil in the Body; even as doth the noblest Vulnerary

potion; No Imposthume can withstand this Spirit, but is reformed by it.

I say briefly, observe the Spirit of Venus very well, it will manifest

it self to admiration both internally and externally, that many will

esteem it to be incredible & supernatural. Last of all, you must

understand that this Spirit of Copper is a fiery Spirit, penetrating,

searching and consuming all evil Humours, and superfluous Flegme in Man

and Metals, and may in reason be accounted the Crown of Medicines; it is

very fiery and sharp, incombustible, but spiritual and unformal, and

therefore as a Spirit it can particularly help to make unformal things

fiery, digest and ripen them; and if you are a true Naturalist, I

recommend this Spirit unto thee; it will not fail thee in the least, in

any necessity of Health or Wealth, in case you observe it rightly, and

execute according to Justice. I hope my Call and Request will at last

take place, and have a hearing with those who regard Nature, and have

an earnest and longing desire to search out, and learn, whereby they may

whet their Wits, open their Eyes, and let their Ears hear, and learn

such a thing out of my Advice, which was never taken notice of, or

learn'd before, and is to be found in this Spirit of Copper, internal

and external. He that doth not observe, or truly understand my Writings,

will not fathom many Secrets, nor search out to purpose and in truth,

nor learn to advantage without me, therefore no Man can direct me, as

concerning the Spirit of Copper, except he hath beforehand inverted and

turned the Copper inside outwards, and truly learned all the Mysteries

of its internal Virtues, as I have done, if he can find out any thing

better, which I know not, I earnestly desire him not to conceal any

thing, so shall his instruction be well rewarded, with a thousand-fold

advantage, and recommend you herewith to the Highest Creator.



Vain Reason cannot alwayes apprehend

Each matter which Venus can bring to an end:

No man can find it presently in sence,

Vain Reason banns it far away from thence;

Such a Spirit only can all things speed,

So that Mercury be joyn'd with it indeed.



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