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
About this Item
Title
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
Author
Flamel, Nicolas, d. 1418.
Publication
Imprinted at London :: By T[homas] S[nodham] for Thomas Walkley, and are to bee solde at his shop, at the Eagle and Childe in Britans Bursse,
1624.
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Subject terms
Alchemy -- Early works to 1800.
Mural painting and decoration -- France -- Paris -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a68054.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 9, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage 52
CHAP. II.
The interpretations Philo∣sophicall,
according to
the Maistery of Hermes.
I Desire with all my
heart, that he who sear∣cheth
the secrets of the
Sages, hauing in his Spirit
passed ouer these Idaea's of
the life and resurrection to
come, should first make his
profit of them: And in the
second place, that hee bee
more aduised than before,
that hee sound and search
the depth of my Figures,
colours, and rowles; prin∣cipally
of my rowles, be∣cause
that in this Art they
speake not vulgarly. After¦ward
let him aske of him∣selfe,
descriptionPage 53
why the Figure of
Saint Paul is on the right
hand, in the place where
the custome is to paint S.
Peter? And on the other
side that of Saint Peter, in
the place of the figure of
Saint Paul? Why the Fi∣gure
of Saint Paul is clo∣thed
in colours white and
yellow, and that of S. Peter
in yellow and red? Why
also the man and the wo∣man
which are at the feet
of these two Saints, pray∣ing
to God, as if it were at
the Day of Iudgement, are
apparrelled in diuers co∣lours,
and not naked, or else
nothing but bones, like
them that are rising againe?
Why in this Day of Iudge∣ment
they haue painted
this man and this woman at
descriptionPage 54
the feet of the Saints? for
they ought to haue beene
more low on earth, and not
in heauen. Why also the
two Angels in Orange co∣lour,
which say in their
rowles, SVR GITE
MORTVI, VENITE
AD IVDICIVM
DOMINI MEI, that
is, Arise you dead, come vn∣to
the Iudgement of my
Lord, are clad in this co∣lour,
and out of their place,
for they ought to bee on
high in heauen, with the
two other which play vp∣on
the Instruments? Why
they haue a field Violet and
blew? but principally why
their roule, which speaks to
the dead, ends in the open
throate of the red and fly∣ing
Lyon? I would then,
descriptionPage 55
that after these, and many
other questions which may
iustly bee made, opening
wide the eyes of his spirit,
he come to conclude, that
all this, not hauing beene
done without cause, there
must bee represented vnder
this barke, some great se∣crets,
which hee ought to
pray God to discouer vnto
him. Hauing then brought
his beliefe by degrees to
this passe, I wish also that he
would further beleeue, that
these figures and explicati∣ons
are not made for them
that haue neuer seene the
Bookes of the Philosophers,
and who not knowing the
Mettallicke principles, can∣not
bee named Children of
this Science; for if they
thinke to vnderstand per∣fectly
descriptionPage 56
these figures, being
ignorant of the first Agent,
they will vndoubtedly de∣ceiue
themselues, and neuer
bee able to know any thing
at all. Let no man therefore
blame me, if he doe not easi∣ly
vnderstand mee, for hee
will be more blame-worthy
than I, inasmuch as not be∣ing
initiated into these sa∣cred
and secret interpreta∣tions
of the first Agent,
(which is the key opening
the gates of all Sciences)
he would notwithstanding,
comprehend the most sub∣tile
conceptions of the en∣uious
Philosophers, which
are not written but for
them who already know
these principles, which are
neuer found in any booke,
because they leaue them
descriptionPage 57
vnto God, who reuealeth
them to whom he please, or
else causeth them to bee
taught by the liuing voyce
of a Maister, by Cabalisti∣call
tradition, which hap∣peneth
very seldome. Now
then, my Sonne, let mee so
call thee, both because I am
now come to a great age,
and also for that, it may be,
thou art otherwise a child
of this knowledge, (God
inable thee to learne, and
after to worke to his glory)
Hearken vnto mee then at∣tentiuely,
but passe no fur∣ther
if thou bee ignorant of
the foresaid Principles.
descriptionPage 58
[illustration]
This Vessell of earth, in
this forme, is called by the
Philosophers, their triple
Vessell, for within it, there is
in the middest a Stage, or a
floore, and vpon that a dish
or a platter full of lue∣warme
ashes, within the
which is set the Philosophi∣call
Egge, that is, a viall of
glasse full of confections of
Art (as of the scumme of
the red Sea, and the fat of
the Mercuriall winde:)
which thou seest painted in
forme of a Penner and Inke∣horne.
Now this Vessell of
descriptionPage 59
earth is open aboue, to put
in the dish and the viall,
vnder which by the open
gate, is put in the Philoso∣phicall
fire, as thou know∣est.
So thou hast three ves∣sels;
and the threefold ves∣sell:
The enuious haue cal∣led
an Athanor, a siue, dung,
Balneum Mariae, a Furnace,
a Spaere, the greene Lyon,
a prison, a graue, a vrinall,
a phioll, and a Bolts-head:
I my selfe in my Summarie
or Abridgement of Philo∣sophy,
which I composed
foure yeeres and two mo∣neths
past, in the end there∣of
named it the house and
habitation of the Poulet,
and the ashes of the Plat∣ter,
the chaffe of the Poulet;
The common name is an
Ouen, which I should neuer
descriptionPage 60
haue found, if Abraham
the Iew had not painted it,
together with the fire pro∣portionable,
wherein con∣sists
a great part of the se∣cret.
For it is as it were the
belly, or the wombe, contai∣ning
the true naturall heate
to animate our yong King:
If this fire be not measured
Clibanically, saith Calid
the Persian, sonne of Iasi∣chus;
If it be kindled with
a sword, saith Pithagoras:
If thou fire thy Vessell, saith
Morien, and makest it feele
the heate of the fire, it will
giue thee a box on the eare,
and burne his flowres be∣fore
they be risen from the
depth of his Marrow, ma∣king
them come out red,
rather than white, and then
thy worke is spoiled; as
descriptionPage 61
also if thou make too little
fire, for then thou shalt ne∣uer
see the end, because of
the coldnesse of the natures,
which shall not haue had
motion sufficient to digest
them together.
The heate then of thy
fire in this vessell, shall be
(as saith Hermes and Rosi∣nus)
according to the Win∣ter;
or rather, as saith Dio∣medes,
according to the
heate of a Bird, which be∣ginnes
to flie so softly from
the signe of Aries to that of
Cancer: for know that the
Infant at the beginning is
full of cold flegme▪ and of
milke, and that too vehe∣ment
heate is an enemy of
the cold and moisture of our
Embrion, and that the two
enemies, that is to say, our
descriptionPage 62
two elements of cold and
heate will neuer perfectly
imbrace one another, but
by little and little, hauing
first long dwelt together, in
the middest of the tempe∣rate
heate of their bath, and
being changed by long de∣coction,
into Sulphur in∣combustible.
Gouern there∣fore
sweetly with equality
and proportion, thy proud
and haughty natures, for
feare lest if thou fauour one
more then another, they
which naturally are ene∣mies,
doe grow angry a∣gainst
thee through Ielousy,
and dry Choller, and make
thee sigh for it a long time
after: Besides this, thou must
entertain them in this tem∣perate
heate perpetually,
that is to say, night and day,
descriptionPage 63
vntill the time that Winter,
the time of the moisture of
the matters, be passed, be∣cause
they make their peace,
and ioyne hands in being
heated together, whereas
should these natures finde
themselues but one onely
half houre without fire, they
would become for euer ir∣reconcileable.
See therefore
the reason why it is said in
the Book of the seuenty pre∣cepts,
Looke that their heate
cōtinue indefatigably with∣out
ceasing, and that none of
their dayes bee forgotten.
And Rasis, the haste, saith
hee, that brings with it too
much fire, is alwaies followed
by the Diuell, and Errour.
When the golden Bird, saith
Diomedes, shall be come iust
to Cancer, and that from
descriptionPage 64
thence it shall runne toward
Libra, then thou maist aug∣ment
the fire a little: And
in like manner, when this
faire Bird, shall fly from Li∣bra
towards Capricorne,
which is the desired Au∣tumne,
the time of haruest,
and of the fruits that are
now ripe.
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