In the Name of God, Amen. Upon Saturn, Philosopher of Holland.

UNderstand, That out of Lead comes the Stone called Lapis Philosophorum: and therefore, when he is throughly made, he doth projection as well in a mans body as without, of all diseases that come to man, as upon Me∣tals; and in many vegetable Books, is no greater secret then this is: for we finde not in Page  142 Gold a like perfection as we finde in Lead: for Lead is in his inner part Sol; and therefore do all Philosophers agree: for he lacketh nothing else, but that his superfluity be taken away from him, and that is his uncleanness: therefore make him clean, and turn his inward part out, and that is his crudeness; and then is he Sol: for vulgar Sol cannot be so lightly as Lead; for Lead will quick∣ly be dissolved and congealed, and he suffers his Mercury quickly to be drawn from him; & that Mercury which is drawn from him, if it be well clarified and sublimed, as the use is to sublime Mercury; I tell you, That that Mercury is as good as the Mercury drawn from the Sun in all manner of works, and it is better in our work then the Mercury of Sol. Also, if you should take Mer∣cury out of Sol, you should be constrained to o∣pen the body of Sol for the space of one whole yeer, before the said Mercury of a body could be drawn or come out of Le•d: you may draw out this Mercury in fourteen dayes, and it is as good as the other: and if you should come to make a work of Sol, alwayes you must be two yeers about it, to do it well; but of Lead you may perfect it in thirty or two and thirty weeks at the most, and then be fully ended; the one is as good as the other, and Lead costs little or nothing, and is a shorter work, and is less la∣bor, and of one goodness, and is truth: therefore print this in thy heart, and serve God. The same Lead is called of the Philosophers Sol, whereof they had the name until this day, and have kept it secret: for if the thing were known, many Page  143 would work it, and the thing would be com∣mon: for the work is short, and easie, and little of value; and therefore was it kept secret, that the name might be known, lest it might have come to the hands of wicked men, and so much harm might have come thereby, and this holy Science which God hath given to those that love and serve him, should to wicked persons be a means of greater wickedness. As concerning the Lead of Sol and Luna, they have set three Glasses, and all is Lead, but there is no need to joyne any strange thing, but that onely which cometh from him; neither is there any man so poor, but that he may be able to compass this work: for you make of the Salt of Lead with little labour Luna, and with a little longer time Sol, and then they may proceed to make the Philosophers Lead. And this is altogether concluded in Lead, as much as is necessary for us; for in him is the perfect Mer∣cury, and in him are all the colours in the world, which shall shew it self openly; for in him is the true blackness, whiteness and redness: he is ponderous, and in him is the perfect red and white bodies: look and take example, of all im∣perfect things the eye of man cannot abide or bear, how little soever, though smaller then a mote, yet it will trouble a mans eye terribly: but if you take Lead clean scraped, and made the bigness of a Bean, and put it in your eye, it will neither pain you, or harm you at all; and that is, because its uttermost is not perfect like Sol or other pretious Stones, that come out of Paradise, running in the stream: and in like manner Sol, Page  144 that in him is, you may well perceive by the si∣militude and many other more, That Lead is our Philosophers Mercury, our Laton: for out of it is drawn in short time, our Mercury, and our Philo∣sophers Mercury, that is, our golden Mercury, with little labor, little cunning, and little charge. And therefore I charge you, and all of you, that know his name, to keep his name secret: for if men knew it, much mischief and trouble would be done. And therefore you shall know our Lead by its hidden name, and you shall know that the water wherein our Lead shall be washed vinegar. This is the Philosophers Stone whereof all the Philosophers have written many dark Books, but there are divers and many works in the Mineral Lead.