Paracelsvs Of the supreme mysteries of nature.: Of [brace] the spirits of the planets. Occult philosophy. The magical, sympathetical, and antipathetical cure of wounds and diseases. The mysteries of the twelve signs of the zodiack. / Englished by R. Turner, philomathēs.

CHAP. II. Of the multiplicity of fire, from which varieties of Metalls do arise.

WE have first written of simple fire which liv∣eth and subsisteth of it self: now we come to speake of a manifold spirit or fire, which is the cause of variety and diversity of creatures, so that there cannot one be found right like ano∣ther, and the same in every part; as it may be seen in Metals, of which there is none which hath another like it self; the Sun produceth his gold; the Moon produceth another Metal far diffe∣rent, to wit, silver; Mars another, that is to say, Iron; Jupiter produceth another kind of Metal, to wit, Tin; Venus another, which is Copper; and Saturn another kind, that is to say, Lead: so that they are all unlike, and several one from ano∣ther: the same appeareth to be as well amongst men as all other creatures, the cause whereof is the multiplicity of fire. As by some heat is produced a mean generation by the corruption thereof; the washing of the Sea another, Ashes another, Sand another, Flame of fire another, and another of Coales, &c. This variety of creatures is not made of the first simple fire, but of the regiment of elements, which is various; not from the Sun, but from the course of the seven Planets. And this is the reason that the

world containeth nothing of similitude in its individuals: for as the heat is altered and chang∣ed every hour and minute; so also all other things are varyed: for the transmutation of the fire is made in the elements, in which bodies it is im∣printed by this fire. Where there is no great mixture of the elements, the Sun bringeth forth; where it is a little more thicke, the Moon; where more gross, Venus: and thus according to the diversity of mixtures, are produced divers Metals; so that no Metal appeareth in the same mine like another. It is therefore to be known, that this variety of Metals is made of the mixture of the Elements, because that their spirits are al∣so found divers and without similitude; which if they were brought forth from the simple fire, they would be so like, that one could not be known from another: but the manifold variety of forms interceding, hath introduced the same among the creatures. From this it may easily be gather∣ed, why so many and so various forms of Metals are found, and wherefore there is none like un∣to another.