Nicholas Flammel, his exposition of the hieroglyphicall figures which he caused to bee painted vpon an arch in St. Innocents Church-yard, in Paris. Together with the secret booke of Artephius, and the epistle of Iohn Pontanus: concerning both the theoricke and the practicke of the philosophers stone. Faithfully, and (as the maiesty of the thing requireth) religiously done into English out of the French and Latine copies. By Eirenæus Orandus, qui est, vera veris enodans

CHAP. VIII.

The figure of a man, like vnto Saint Peter, cloa∣thed in a robe Ci∣trine red, holding a key in his right hand, and laying his left hand vpon a woman, in an orange coloured robe, which is on her knees at his feete, holding a Rowle.

[illustration]

LOoke vpon this wo∣man clothed in a robe of orange colour, which doth so naturally resemble Pe••••enelle as she was in her youth; Shee is painted in

the fashion of a suppliant vpon her knees, her hands ioyned together, at the feete of a man which hath a key in his right hand, which heares her gracious∣ly, and afterwards stretch∣eth out his left hand vpon her. Wouldest thou know what this meaneth? This is the Stone, which in this operation demandeth two things, of the Mercury of the Sunne, of the Philoso∣phers, (painted vnder the forme of a man) that is to say Multiplication, and a more rich Accoustrement; which at this time it is needfull for her to obtaine, and therefore the man so laying his hand vpon her shoulder accords & grants it vnto her. But why haue I

made to bee painted a wo∣man? I could as well haue made to bee painted a man, as a woman, or an Angell rather, (for the whole na∣tures are now spirituall and corporall, masculine and foeminine:) But I haue ra∣ther chosen to cause paint a woman, to the end that thou mayest iudge, that shee demaunds rather this, than any other thing, be∣cause these are the most naturall and proper de∣sires of a woman. To shew further vnto thee, that shee demandeth Multipli∣cation, I haue made paint the man, vnto whom shee addresseth her prayers in the forme of Saint Peter, holding a key, hauing power to open and to shut, to binde

and to loose; because the en∣uious Phylosophers haue ne∣uer spoken of Multiplicati∣on, but vnder these common termes of Art, APERI, CLAVDE, SOLVE, = LIGA, that is, Open, shut, binde, loose; opening and loo∣sing, they haue called the making of the Body (which is alwayes hard and fixt) soft fluid▪ and running like water: To shut and to bind, is with them afterwards by a more strong decoction to coagulate it, and to bring it backe againe into the forme of a body.

It behoued mee then, in this place to represent a man with a key, to teach thee that thou must now open and shut, that is to say, Multiply the budding and

encreasing natures: for look how often thou shalt dis∣solue and fixe, so often will these natures multiply, in quantity, quality, and ver∣tue, according to the multi∣plication of ten; comming from this number to an hundred, from an hundred to a thousand, from a thou∣sand to ten thousand, from ten thousand to an hundred thousand, from an hundred thousand to a million, and from thence by the same o∣peration to Infinity, as I haue done three times, prai∣sed be God. And when thy Elixir is so brought vnto Infinity, one graine thereof falling vpon a quantity of molten mettall as deepe and vaste as the Ocean, it will teine it, and conuert it into

most perfect mettall, that is to say, into siluer or gold, ac∣cording as it shall haue been imbibed and fermented, ex∣pelling & driuing out farre from himself all the impure and strange matter, which was ioyned with the met∣tall in the first coagulation: for this reason therefore haue I made to bee painted a Key in the hand of the man, which is in the forme of Saint Peter, to signifie that the stone desireth to be opened and shut for multi∣plication; and likewise to shew thee with what Mer∣cury thou oughtest to doe this, & when; I haue giuen the man a garment Citrine red, and the woman one of orange colour. Let this suf∣fice, lest I transgresse the si∣lence

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of Pythagoras, to teach thee that the woman, that is, our stone, asketh to haue the rich Accoustre∣ments and colour of Saint Peter. Shee hath written in her Rowle, CHRISTE PRECOR ESTO¦PIVS, that is, Iesu Christ be pittifull vnto mee, as if shee said, Lord be good vnto mee, and suffer not that hee that shal become thus farre, should spoile all with too much fire: It is true, that from henceforward I shal no more feare mine enemies, and that all fire shall be alike vnto me, yet the vessell that containes me, is alwaies brit∣tle and easie to be broken: for if they exalt the fire ouer∣much, it will cracke, and fly∣ing a pieces, will carry mee,

and sow mee vnfortunately amongst the ashes. Take heed therefore to thy fire in this place, and gouerne sweetly with patience, this admirable quintessence, for the fire must be augmented vnto it, but not too much. And pray the soueraigne Goodnesse, that it will not suffer the euill spirits, which keepe the Mines and Trea∣sures, to destroy thy worke, or to bewitch thy sight, when thou cōsiderest these incomprehensible motions of this Quintessence within thy vessell.