Why Is It Sweet?
Because the four Elements in it are pure, and separated from all
sulphurous stink and blackness, which Saturn received in the Mine; it
is almost Medicinal, and like unto Nature: And because it is so pure, it
affords some of its internal virtue outwardly, as that of Sweetness; but
the heat is so covered with the cold, that it cannot put forth its power
externally by reason of the cold which is external (the heat of Saturn
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lies internal, even as in Salt-Nitre) as doth the Taste, the Spirit of
Tasting is the most subtile in all things, as is taught more at large in
the Book of Vegetables, how the Air doth dilate it self from all Herbs
and Flowers externally; for the Spirit of the Air lies in the inward
part of all things; for God created nothing in this world but it hath
its peculiar Taste or Air, the Air and the Taste are one Spirit, the
Taste goes out of the Air, as Smoke from the Fire.
But how comes it to pass, that a thing which hath a sweet Air, is bitter
in Taste? The cause is, because the Faeces of that thing are putrid and
stinking in the Elements, that is the Choler or Heat; for whatsoever is
unnaturally hot, hath a bitter Taste; the Air and the Taste are both one
Spirit, and as the Spirit of the Air presses outwards through a hot
thing, so doth the Air embrace the Taste about, and descends the subtile
Taste, that it should not be burnt by the vehement burning Choler, as
in the Herbal is at large express'd.
But the cause why Saturn is sweet in Taste is, that it is almost pure
and clean, having scarce any unnatural heat in it, which can burn the
subtile Tast, therefore it hath the Taste externally, and the Taste hath
the Spirit of the Air lock'd up in it.
My Child, know what I said before, that a thing wherein is much burning
heat, the Air locks up the Taste therein, because the Taste shall not be
corrupted by the unnatural heat. So the Taste includes the Air in it,
when it issues forth from a thing which is externally cold; for the
subtil Spirits of the Air or Sent of a thing can endure no Cold, as we
see daily in Herbs and Flowers that they yield no Sent in the Winter, as
they do in the Summer; but they hide themselves in the Winter, and the
Spirit hath the Sent inclosed in it, and the Spirit of Sent or Air.
Behold a man that hath taken Cold, immediately he loses his Sent, and
his Tasting is diminished. Even so it is here with Saturn; it is quite
cold, so that the Taste manifests it self with the Spirit of Sent; for
the Spirit of the Taste hath the Smell in it. Look upon Sugar which is
well clarified from its Faeces, how sweet it is in Taste, yet it yields
no Sent, yet there is an extraordinary sweetness in Sugar. What is the
reason of this? Sugar is very cold externally, therefore is it white as
Snow, and of a sweet Taste; yet Sugar internally is hot and moist, of
the temper of Gold, and of such great virtue that it is called the
Philosophers Stone, as it is approved, and very prevalent to cure all
the Distempers of mans Body, as appears by its operation. The reason why
I say this, my Child, is, that you should altogether understand its
internal & external, and the Spirits which are in these things, whereof
we discourse; that thereby you should know Gods wonderful works, and
what wonders he works in these inferiour things, which are all made for
our use.