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I. THe Woman kneel∣ing, cloathed in an Orange coloured Garment, represents Perrenelle, as she
was in her Youth: She is depicted in this manner of a Supplicant at the Feet of a Man with a Key in his Right Hand, stretching out his Left Hand upon her.
II. Would you know the Interpretation? This is the Stone, which in this Ope∣ration requesteth two things, (of the Mercury of Sol, which is the Philosophers Mercu∣ry, shadowed out under the form of a Man.)
III. Which two things, are Multiplication, and Pro∣jection: Which at this time is needful for her to obtain, and therefore the Man so laying his hand upon her, signifies, the granting of her Petition.
IV. But why should I cause a Woman to be pain∣ted? I could as well have caused a Man as a Woman, or rather an Angel to be de∣picted; for that the whole Natures are now Spiritual and Corporal, Masculine and Feminine.
V. But I rather chose to depict a Woman, for that she requests rather this than any other thing, as being the natural and proper de∣sires of a Woman.
VI. And also to shew you, that she requests Mul∣tiplication, I caused the Man to whom she seems to ad∣dress her self, to be paint∣ed, representing Peter with his Keys, having power to open and shut, and to bind and loose.
VII. For that the obscure Philosophers have never spoken of Multiplication, but under these common terms of Art, Aperi, Claude, Solve, Liga, viz. Open, shut, bind, loose.
VIII. By opening and loosing, they mean, the making of the body (which is hard and fixt) soft and fluid, and to run like wa∣ter: And by shutting and binding, afterwards by a more strong decoction and digestion, to coagulate it, and to bring it back again into the form of a Body.
IX. It was requisite there∣fore to represent in this place, a Man with a Key; to shew you that you must now open and shut, (that is to say) the budding, or spring and encreasing Na∣tures.
X. For observe, so often as you shall dissolve and fix, so often will these Natures multiply, in Quantity, Qua∣lity, and Quickness or Ver∣tue; which encrease is ac∣cording to the proportion of one to ten.
XI. So that if the first augmentation be from 1 to 10, the second multiplicati∣on is from 10 to 100 (which is still but decuple) the third from 100 to 1000, the fourth from 1000 to 10000, the fifth from 10000 to 100000, the sixth from 100000 to 1000000, or a Million, thus continually increasing by a decuple pro∣portion ad infinitum: The which augmentation I per∣formed three times, thanks be to God.
XII. When your Elixir is thus brought unto a kind of Infinity; one grain thereof falling upon a vast quantity of melted Metal, will tinge∣it, and convert it into the most perfect Metal, to wit, into most fine Silver or Gold, according as it shall have been imbibed and fer∣mented, expelling, driving forth, and purging out, all the impure, and Hetero∣gene matter which was joyned with it, in its first Generation.
XIII. For this reason therefore, I caused a Key to be depicted in the hand of a Man, to signifie that the stone desires to be opened and shut for Multiplication; and also to shew you with what Mercury you ought to do this, and when, or at what time, I caused the Man's Garment to be made Citrine Red, and the Woman's of an Orange Colour.
XIV. I must speak no more of this matter, lest I transgress the Sacred Silence Philosophical: Only know
that the Woman, who is our Stone, requesteth to have rich Accountrements, like those of the Man's with the Key, which she expresseth by her Motto, Christe, Precor esto Pius;
XV. As if she should say, O Lord my God, be good and gracious unto me, and suffer me not to be spoiled and undone, Let not him who is come thus far spoil all with his too great zeal, or fire: And though it is true, that from henceforth, I shall no more fear my Enemies, but pass the most vehement fire, like as through most pleasant Tropick Breeze.
XVI. Yet the Vessel which contains me, is always brittle and easie to be broken; and is continually subject to many sudden, unlookt for, and un∣happy accidents; for the fire being made too great, may break it in pieces, whereby, as untimely fruit, I may fall, and be for ever lost among the askes of the Dead.
XVII. Take heed there∣fore to this your fire in this place, and manage it with much gentleness and pati∣ence, attend in hope upon this most admirable quintes∣sence: And though the fire ought to be something aug∣mented, yet it must not be too much.
XVIII. And beseech the Soveraign Goodness, to prevent the Evil Spirits which haunt the Mines and Treasures of the Earth, that they destroy not thy Work, on cast a Mist before thine Eyes; nor stupisie thy mind, when thou shouldest view, consider, and perfect the Incomprehensible Mo∣tions of this Arcanum, or Quintessence, yet comprehen∣ded and shut up within this Vessel.