Medicina practica, or, Practical physick shewing the method of curing the most usual diseases happening to humane bodies ... : to which is added, the philosophick works of Hermes Trismegistus, Kalid Persicus, Geber Arabs, Artesius Longævus, Nicholas Flammel, Roger Bachon and George Ripley : all translated out of the best Latin editions into English ... : together with a singular comment upon the first book of Hermes, the most ancient of philosophers : the whole compleated in three books / by William Salmon ...

CHAP. XXX. Of the Commixtion of the Elements which were separated.

I. NOW you must be∣gin to commix the Elements, which is the com∣pass of the whole Work; there can be no commixti on without a Marriage and putrefaction. The Marriage is to mingle the thin with the thick: and Putrefaction is to rost, grind, water or imbibe so long, till all be mixt together and become one, so that there be no diversity in them, nor sepa∣ration, as in water mixed with water.

II. Then will the thick strive to retain the thin, and the Soul shall strive with the fire and endeavour to sustain it, then shall the Spi∣rit suffer it self to be swal∣lowed up by the Bodies, and be poured forth into them: which must needs be, be∣cause the dissolved body, when it is commixed with the Soul, is also commixed with every part thereof.

III. And other things en∣ter into other things, ac∣cording to their similitude and likeness, and both are changed into one and the same thing: For this cause the Soul must partake with the conveniency, propensi∣ty, durability, hardness corporcity and permanen∣cy, which the body had in its commixtion.

IV. The like also must happen to the spirit in this state or condition of the Soul and Body: For when

the Spirit shall be commixt with the Soul by alaborious operation, and all its parts with all the parts of the o∣ther two, viz. of the Soul and Body; then shall the Spirit and the said two, be changed into an inseparable substance, whose natures are preserved, and their Par∣ticles, agreed and conjoyn∣ed perfectly together.

V. Whereby it comes to pass, that when this Compo∣situm has met with a body dissolved, and that heat has got hold of it, and that the moisture which was in it is swallowed up in the dis∣solved body, and has passed into it, [into its most in∣ward parts,] and united or conjoyned it self with that which was of the nature of moisture, it becomes infla∣med, and the fire defends it self with it.

VI. Then when the fire would enflame it, it will not suffer the said fire to take hold of it, to wit, to cleave to it, i. e. to the Spi∣rit commixt with the wa∣ter: The fire will not abide by it until it be pure.

VII. And in like manner does the Water naturally fly from the Fire, of which when the fire takes hold, it does by little and little eva∣porate.

VIII. And thus is the Body the means to retain the Water, and the Water to retain the Oyl, that it might not burn and con∣sume away, and the Oyl to retain the Tincture; which is the absolute matter and cause, to make the colours appear in that, wherein o∣therwise there would be neither light nor life.

IX. This then is the true life and perfection of this great Work, even the work of our Magistery, which we seek after: Be wise and understand, search dili∣gently, and through the goodness and permission of God, you shall find what you look for.

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